From Goodreads: Too many secrets. Not enough time.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

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Imagine growing up a fully fledged elemental, having complete control of one of the four elements: earth, water, fire, or air. It sounds phenomenal, doesn’t it? Except, your full control really isn’t much control at all, and when you call on your element, and sometimes even when you don’t, scary things tend to happen.  And that’s why the lesser elementals want you and your entire family dead.  You’re too dangerous.

Brigid Kemmerer’s latest novella, Breathless, gives readers something we’ve been yearning for for a long time, a glimpse into the heart and soul of Nick Merrick.  Up until this point, Nick has been somewhat of a background character, and though readers know a lot about him, we’ve never really experienced the depths of his heart and soul like we have his other brothers in the series.  But that all changes with Breathless.  In this novella, Kemmerer focuses her attention on Nick, air elemental extraordinaire.  And as we really get to know him, Kemmerer shows us his confusion and his true want and need for acceptance, not just from his friends, but also from his family.  Nick has always felt a little bit different than his twin Gabriel when it comes to girls, but until now, he’s repressed those thoughts and feelings.  Yet, while the allure of college calls to him, so does his yearning for a relationship, except for Nick, his preference would cause multiple problems with his family, or so he believes, and so he struggles to accept himself.

This is a very well written novella that I highly enjoyed, especially as we get to see how calm, cool, and collected Nick is anything but as he struggles to figure out just who he is and who he wants to be.  Believing himself to be the exception of the “norm” in his family, Nick’s thoughts and feelings will have readers rooting for him the whole way, and I cannot wait to see how everything pans out for Nick as he takes his next steps towards the relationship he truly desires. Four stars.

Kensington Books has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novella, via Netgalley, prior to its release tomorrow, April 30, 2013.

From Goodreads: Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal days—both the best and worst of their lives—they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man destined to kill them.

As time circles back on itself, events become more deeply ingrained, more inescapable for the two kids trapped inside the loop. The closer they come to breaking out, the tighter fate’s clutches seem to grip them. They devise a desperate plan to break free and survive the days ahead, but what if Ben and Maggie’s only shot at not dying is surviving apart?

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Unfortunately, I really didn’t care for this novel.  The characters are a little too immature and their decisions made me constantly wonder just how much common sense they really had.  Ben and Maggie are in a time loop—in other words, they live the same day repeatedly until they are able to figure out a way through without dying.  However, the whole loop concept left me with a few questions.  For instance, how does one get in a loop?  Does everyone experience loops?  If this was Maggie’s fifth loop, having survived four others, then how did she get out of her other loops, and why not employ the same techniques?  Why do the children’s memories of the loop keep changing?  And, perhaps my biggest question and frustration was this: why didn’t the children go to any adults?

Now, while I understand that adults never would have believed them about a loop, they would look into a man chasing them down with a gun.  And, it’d be pretty hard to end up murdered in a storage room if the children were in police custody, or even at home with their parents.  I do understand the idea of fate pushing the children towards their destiny, but I found some of their solutions to be a little too underdeveloped and repetitious, as it were.

Maggie and Ben met in the same place every day, and though Ben initially doesn’t remember, Maggie does, and she drags him off on an adventure every time (instead of going to an adult—insert parent voice here).  Thus, by the second repetition of these events, I began to lose interest.  It’s a very hard thing to do, writing the same scenes repeatedly and making it seem fresh, and unfortunately, this novel falls into the rut of repetitiveness, in my opinion.   Although there were new obstacles thrown in the children’s way, they kept making the same trivial mistakes that ultimately cost them their lives and, though I’m now being repetitive myself, it really irked me that they never thought to pull in the help of an adult.  Perhaps I’m just over thinking it all, but in the end, this novel just wasn’t for me.  Two stars.

Disney Hyperion was extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on April 30, 2013.

From Goodreads: Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so–in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history–he agrees to help her complete her “unfinished business.” But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff’s new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he’s made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel.

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Perhaps the most interesting part of this entire story is just how much of a modern-day retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel it really is.  From the scarlet badge to the daring feats, complete with betrayal and blackmail, Aprillynn Pike has it all, including humor and a happy ending.  I was pleasantly surprised as I read, especially as I was a bit skeptical when I first picked up the novel.  Not skeptical that it would be good, this isn’t my first Pike novel, but that it would really stay true to the classic it attempts to portray.  And it did.

Jeff is possibly the most unlucky person in the world, especially when it comes to being the only person able to see Kimberlee, a girl synonymous with pompous (and a few other choice words I won’t write).  She grated on my nerves throughout much of this story, which is unfortunate, but I think she was meant to be that type of character.  It didn’t make me feel badly for her, though, on any occasions, not even in the end, so that part may have missed the mark with me, but overall, the story itself is very good, and Kimberlee was characterized quite well, even if I didn’t care for her.

There is a little bit of instant love, to my initial chagrin, but Pike then goes back and fleshes it out quite nicely, putting substance behind the relationship between Sera and Jeff.  I really liked her, and as I learned about her past alongside Jeff, I just wanted to reach through the pages and hug her.  Yes, Kimberlee was a terrible person in life.  And learning about Sera’s past made me dislike Kimberlee all the more…

I can’t imagine a cave full of stolen goods, or being asked to redistribute them all, but Pike does a great job making the story funny and interesting, if a bit too far-fetched for my liking.  While it is a ghost story and I do love the paranormal, some of the feats Jeff and his peers complete, or attempt to complete, didn’t seem real enough to me.  I also never went to a large school (though I teach in one) and we never attempted to do crazy stunts like Jeff and his group do, so while it may seem far-fetched to me, it might not to another reader.

Overall, I thought this was a nice light read, and it ended on a happy note, which was nice, especially since I’ve read some darker novels as of light, and it was definitely time for something lighter.  Three stars.   

I recieved an ARC of this novel from the publisher while attending NCTE in November 2012.

From Goodreads: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

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This second novel in the series follows Allie as she attempts to find and rescue her creator, Kanin, who we met in the first novel, The Immortal Rules. Unfortunately, the beginning dawdled a bit too long for me, starting off quite slowly as Allie spends much time traveling and trying to find her maker, eternally a step behind him.  It wasn’t until she joins ranks with some unlikely allies that the novel really took off for me; with the addition of these characters who we know from the previous novel, it became very interesting indeed, especially because, as is true with many of Kagawa novels, not all is what it seems.

I especially enjoyed the fact that the Red Lung virus is back, procured by Sarren himself, and this time it is dangerous enough that it may wipe out both human and vampire alike.  Thus, humans and vampire must come together to survive, and this unity was extremely interesting.  Though we see this same type of unity in the prequel, it is quite different in this novel as the acceptance level of human and vampire is viewed differently.  Kagawa also takes readers into the heart of the city, New Covington, where it all began for Allie, providing an epic glimpse into the world of the vampire prince as Allie and her companions come ever closer to finding Kanin.

Allie is, of course, a great character—strong willed and spurred on to do what is right.  I highly enjoyed her, and I really liked the other characters as well, though I won’t tell you their names because I was surprised by their appearance in the novel and I’d like to keep it that way for potential readers, as well.  What I will say is that these characters were very well fleshed out and presented on an ever-deeper level than readers saw in the first novel.  And, though we may love to hate one or two of them, and we may just love the other, the stakes are even higher and, like I said before, nothing is necessarily what it seems.  I was shocked, dismayed, and ecstatic throughout the novel as these characters waltzed into the story once again.

I loved the extreme suspense at the end of the novel, as well.  I was definitely on pins and needles, and the very end had me wanting to chuck my book across the room (but I didn’t, because it’s a Kindle…).  Of course, I’m now dying to read the next installment, which won’t be out for another whole year.  But, readers, know this: this second novel in The Blood of Eden series is definitely worth it if you can get through the beginning.  Three and a half stars.

Harlequin has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on April 30.

From Goodreads: This bestseller was the basis for the blockbuster film Die Hard starring Bruce Willis.

High atop a Los Angeles skyscraper, an office Christmas party turns into a deadly cage-match between a lone New York City cop and a gang of international terrorists. Every action fan knows it could only be the explosive big-screen blockbuster Die Hard. But before Bruce Willis blew away audiences as unstoppable hero John McClane, author Roderick Thorp knocked out thriller readers with the bestseller that started it all.

A dozen heavily armed terrorists have taken hostages, issued demands, and promised bloodshed all according to plan. But they haven’t counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily. As hot-headed cops swarm outside, and cold-blooded killers wield machine guns and rocket launchers inside, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between anti-hero and uber-villains. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight to the death. Ho ho ho!

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I absolutely loved Die Hard, so I jumped at the chance to read Nothing Lasts Forever when it hit Netgalley.  Prior to that, I honestly didn’t know it was a book… shame on me.  But that’s okay because now I’ve remedied this and read the novel.  However, I actually liked the movie better.

What?  Yep, I said it.  I know it’s rare, but on occasion, I actually find a movie I like more so than the book it stemmed from, like the movie Stand By Me versus Stephen King’s The Body.  The movie was just so much more poignant… but I digress.  In terms of Die Hard versus Nothing Lasts Forever, here’s my reason for liking the movie more:  spatially and directionally, I have no compass, no imagination, so when it comes to all of Thorpe’s details about the building design and where John McClane is in terms of the building, and there’s a lot, I just couldn’t follow it.  Basically, it came down to this: I knew John was in an elevator shaft, or on the roof, or climbing through a vent somewhere, but in relation to the building, I had no idea where he was and I couldn’t imagine it—blueprints don’t do it for me.  They never have.  Thorp also described the landscapes and rooms in order to help readers visualize the barriers between John and the terrorists, but I had some difficulty visualizing that as well, mainly because I already had no idea where John was located.

Was the book good?  Of course?  It draws the reader in and there is a lot of mystery, suspense, and bloodshed.  But, for the spatially and directionally challenged, like me, it’s even more thrilling to see it come to heads on the big screen, since I can actually visualize everything.  Overall, I’d say those who have a keen sense of direction and can easily follow building blueprints will absolutely adore this novel.  If you’re like me, though, you might prefer the movie, but I’d definitely say that you have to read the book as well.  Thorp is indeed a terrific writer with an amazing plotline, and it’s not his fault that I have no spatial imagination.  Try it and see.  Three stars.

Graymalkin Media has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Megan Bright and Jackson Dawes are two teenagers who first meet each other on the hospital ward where they are both being treated for cancer. Megan is scared and worried about her illness, but Jackson seems to be an old hand, having been on the ward for ages. And everybody loves Jackson! He is a whirlwind of life and energy, warmth and sparkle. Megan will need to borrow some of Jackson’s extraordinary optimism to face her and Jackson’s future. A moving story of first love and a remarkably powerful debut novel.

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The title and synopsis of this novel basically foreshadows the dismal events that will transpire within the pages, but even so, it’s still a poignant look at the fragility of life, refusing to leave readers unscathed.  This is the story of cancer.  Of beating the odds.  Of watching good friends succumb. It’s a story of joy, heartbreak, and remembrance. Though relatively short, it packs a punch that will definitely leave readers reaching for the tissue box, even though much of the prose is clipped and choppy, jumping from scene to scene as Megan attempts to come to terms with her illness as it reshapes her entire life.

Though I personally was not a huge fan of the main character, and she wasn’t as developed as I’d have liked her to be, she is very true to life.  She’s also experiencing something completely raw, terrible, and emotional, and her attitude and disdain for those around her are more so a reflex and yearning for normalcy than a true rendition of her persona.  Hence, I hold nothing against her as she comes into herself, embracing her diagnosis and coming to terms with the very real possibility that she may die.  This is a novel that truly tugs at the heart strings and, I imagine, will be a very difficult read for parents, as it deals with kids and teens in a cancer ward.  Although choppy and uneven at times, my emotions were rubbed quite raw near the end, and I found it was indeed a great anthem for Jackson Dawes.  Three stars.

Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on April 30.

From Goodreads: A man walks into the Texas Capitol. Shots ring out. A young aide lies dead. The killer’s excuse? He was under a spell.

Sounds like a job for Hunter Gamble, right?

Wrong. After his disastrous “victory” in the trial of Samuel Pollard, Hunter has turned his back on defending oppressed vampires, mages, and zombies. Having accepted a position at his father’s giant litigation firm, he’s trying the glamorous cases, working in a corner office, and making a six-figure salary–and hating every minute of it.

As Hunter plots his exit strategy, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the case of the Capitol shooter, who is an old friend from law school. As he works to clear his friend, Hunter discovers that there is much more at stake in this case than whether one man was under a spell. Before long, he finds himself pulled into a magical conspiracy dating back to before the Unveiling–and with a singularly cold-blooded wizard at its heart.

The clock is ticking. The search for answers is on. And the author of Atticus for the Undead invites you to come along for the thrill ride–and get the magic back.

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In this sequel to Atticus for the Undead, Abramowitz presents readers with another interesting court case, further developing the character of Hunter Gamble as he faces his most formidable opponent yet.  I really enjoyed the deeper development of Hunter in this novel, especially as he must come to terms with the realization that not all he believes is necessarily true.  With his desire to help a colleague in need and the revelations about his own father, Hunter must tread lightly in order to save much more than his client, and as he really came into himself, I enjoyed him more and more.  Hunter is a very complex character, struggling to do what is right, but learning that not all is what it seems, and nothing is as cut and dry as he’d like it to be.  Once again, he’s under fire as he takes on a huge case, going against his ideals that all Arcanes are human and have rights, muddying the water as he attempts to root out evil and save as many lives as possible.  But. is this evil really evil?

Whereas we learned much about witches and zombies in the first novel, Abramowitz focuses on two new groups in this sequel: magicians and the fae.  It was really fun learning about them, especially the fae as I’ve always enjoyed reading about their courts and changelings, an idea Abramowitz uses to his advantage as he throws many twists at his characters. Perhaps the biggest twist came right at the end, throwing the reader for a loop much like the prequel did, and I must say, this is a very good read.  We have both old and new characters alike in this novel, and as the story unfolds, it’s hard not to be enthralled with the court proceedings, especially as everything comes to light.

If you’ve enjoyed Grisham novels with their fast-paced legal drama, and you enjoy the paranormal at all, then I highly suggest you pick up this novel. Three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: The next chapter in the struggle for equal rights begins!

Hunter Gamble is an idealistic young attorney in a very special area of the practice: arcane defense. Funded by enigmatic billionaire Charles McClain and aided by shy-but-energetic research attorney Kirsten Harper, he’s making the world a better place–one vampire, zombie, or werewolf client at a time. After all, they deserve their day in court too, right?

When a young zombie walks into Hunter’s office accused of murder (by brain-eating), Hunter’s idealism is tested as never before as he struggles to secure the man’s freedom. To do so, he must square off against a savvy and ambitious district attorney, contend with a judge who is deeply biased against arcanes, and stand up to a human-supremacist group which will stop at nothing–not even Hunter’s own death–to see his client convicted.

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This was a very interesting novel idea that takes a hypothetical look at the justice system and what might happen should an unveiling ever take place (aka. the fabled zombies, werewolves, vampires, witches, and the like admit their existence and turn out to be more than a figment of our imaginations).  In a world where the human is at the top of the world, Abramowitz brings forth our imagined adversaries and creates a world in which these Arcanes want to co-exist within the human spectrum.  But, as is true every time humanity comes upon a group or race it’s never seen or dealt with before, bigotry and hate crimes abound.

Hunter Gamble has had enough.  A lawyer for the Arcane defense, Hunter takes on the case of the “little people,” fighting back against injustice one witch, zombie, and vampire at a time.  When the case of a lifetime falls into his lap, Hunter struggles to do all in his power to bring justice to a Zombie who, for all intensive purposes, doesn’t want to hurt anyone, let alone his best friend in the world, who’s brain he’s been accused of eating.

I really liked Hunter.  He’s a bit strange, but he stands up for what he believes in, and I enjoyed getting to know him as a character.  Of course, I hated the bigots he was up against, and it was very interesting to see how Abramowitz’s story unfolded through the justice process.

While I’d say the beginning was a little bit slow, once the accusation against Sam took hold, I found myself really getting into the trial, though I could have done without the rather lengthy background information Abramowitz uses to set up the story.  In terms of the trial, I really liked the arguments presented by both defense and prosecutor, and Abramowitz did a great job fleshing out the case, especially with the arguments and red flags thrown around during the proceedings.  I did a have a few questions, though, such as why Sam, the Zombie accused of murder, was allowed to wander around free during his trial, especially when the jury was out deliberating.  That, along with the somewhat hurried ending had me scratching me head, made me take a step back from the awesomeness of the trial, but overall, it was a delightful, short read.  Three stars.

I recieved a cpy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Since they were six-year-olds, Madison and Dayton have had soccer sync. Maddie doesn’t have to see her best friend on the field to know where she’ll be. Her passes to Dayton are perfect, as if the two of them can read each other’s mind. Together, they’re a scoring machine. There’s only one problem: lately, Dayton seems more interested in partying than playing soccer. And Dayton’s change of heart couldn’t have come at a worse time. Now that she and Maddie are sophomores, they have to really focus–or they’ll have no chance of making it to a Division I college team. Can Maddie get through to her best friend? Or will the scoring machine break down?

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This novel was much shorter than I originally thought it would be.  At 100 pages, it’s technically a novella, but I didn’t know that going in, and I feel there just wasn’t enough time to develop any of the characters to the point that I really connected with them.  Madison is in love with soccer and wants to go pro, and that’s about all the depth we get from her.  She cares about her best friend, Dayton, but even more so about soccer, and that’s really all she talks about the entire story.  Dayton wants to party all the time, and soccer is too much pressure, and that’s about all we learn about her within these 100 pages, as well, so I really felt that the story was too short and forewent any depth of character or plot.

This story’s main focus is soccer, and it has lots of details about plays, kicks, and scores… but as I’m not that interested in the sport, a lot of that went right over my head and I felt like it was more or less a filler where I’d rather have had character depth.  Truthfully, I think this story could easily be fleshed out to add depth and more conflict to create a longer, fuller read, and I probably would have enjoyed it more had this been the case.

I think this story might be good for the reluctant reader that’s really into soccer as it talks shop a lot and is on a lower reading level, but if they’re not into soccer, I’m not sure they’ll really care for the novel, either.  Two stars.

Lerner Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley.

From Goodreads:

1. Never trust anyone.
2. Remember they are always searching.
3. Don’t get involved.
4. Keep your head down.
5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

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This is one of those stories where I liked it enough, it kept my interest, but I didn’t feel any real love for it for quite some time.  But then, in a matter of unforgettable moments, that all changed, and I found my heart suddenly beating rapidly as I read faster and faster to find out what would happen next.  Granted, this didn’t occur until I was about 3/4 of the way through, but the fact that it did happen made me really giddy with delight.  I love it when I’m reading along and the author sends a curveball my way that has me going, “WHAT?!!!” as I read, and that’s exactly what Kade did as she spun her tale.

Ariane Tucker has been living a lie for ten years, blending in as best she can with the human world as she attempts to stay under the radar of GTX’s constant prowling eyes.  They want her back.  She wants freedom, and the only person who knows her true identity is her adoptive father.  Enter Zane Bradshaw, who throws Ariane for a loop, forcing her to question the rules as she struggles to choose between her freedom and the protection of her friend.

At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Ariane or Zane.  They were a little bland, but as the story evolved, they became very interesting indeed, especially as they had such different lives and experiences.  I loved the constant pull between the two, and his worry for her made him my very own knight in shining armor, as it were, because he was different from all the rest.  Ariane isn’t a pushover, either.  She sees just how cruel people can be, and although she knows she’s supposed to stay under the radar, the fact that she chooses to protect others instead of herself made me really respect her.  Especially when the walls came crashing down and the betrayal of a lifetime ensued.  Phenomenal.  Four stars.

Disney Hyperion Book Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read and ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on April 23, 2013.

From Goodreads: It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

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I was really interested in this novel when I first read the synopsis, but I am very sorry to note that this novel wasn’t really for me.  The main character, Quinn, rubbed me the wrong way from the get go, and it’s never a good sign when I can’t connect, and don’t want to connect, with the main character.  In my personal opinion, Quinn was too much of a whiney, negative character for me to feel any kindred with her at all.  She made bad decision after bad decision, and constantly had to rely on males, namely Aaron, to help her through her bouts of weakness.  She is so weak that, at some points, I really wanted to reach into the pages and smack some sense into her, especially as she tends to wallow in her inability to take care of herself.  She truly acts as if the whole world revolves around her, hurting others more than helping when she “attempts” to help, and at one point, she made such a stupid decision that I lost all respect for her.  I was livid, truth be told, and I just couldn’t handle the stupidity.  I understand that she does have demon’s whispering to her, and they’re at fault, but I don’t feel like she really fought back, and I just couldn’t stand her idiocracy.  Now… before you write off this book completely, remember that we all react differently to characters, and I feel like many would say the exact same thing about Bella from Twilight, whereas I loved her!  So… there is a very distinct possibility that my feelings for Quinn might be very different from your own.  Keep that in mind.

Now, my feelings for Quinn aside, I liked Aaron enough, though he doesn’t seem to catch a break, and while I really thought that the questions about how and why the demons were attacking, and how Aaron’s amnesia fit in, weren’t going to be answered, they are, in the very last pages of the book.  And you know what?  It made me want to read the sequel a little bit… I mean, now that I know more information about it all, and I never saw it coming, my interest is really piqued.  So, even though I really dislike Quinn, and I’m not in love with this book, it has made me feel strongly enough that I’m pretty sure I’m going to read the sequel as soon as it releases.  I’ve just got to know, you know?  Two stars for this round—but hopeful for the second.

Month9Books has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read and ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on April 23, 2013.

From Goodreads:  An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, EXILE is the breathtaking sequel to MERCY in a major new paranormal romance series.

There’s something very wrong with me. When I wake up, I could be anyone…

An angel in exile, Mercy is doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new human form each time she does. Now she “wakes” as unhappy teen Lela, a girl caring for a dying mother but never herself.

As her shattered memory begins to return, Mercy remembers Ryan, the boy she fell in love with in another life, and Luc, the angel haunting her dreams. Will Mercy risk Lela’s life to be reunited with her heart’s true desire?

An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, Exile is the second book in the spellbinding MERCY series.

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Mercy, a fallen angel, is forced to move from body to body by a higher power.  She doesn’t know why she is destined for this existence, hijacking human bodies, and she doesn’t remember her past lives.  All she knows is that she could go at any moment.  But, this time is different.  Mercy begins to remember her latest life, and the boy she fell in love with, Ryan.  I loved that Ryan is back in this sequel, though he’s definitely a secondary character this time around, but my main question is this: If Mercy can remember much of her past life and humanity, then shouldn’t she know that the visions she’s seeing in the present are warning signs? This time, she knows what love feels like.  She knows how people should treat others, and she knows wrong when she sees it.  Yet, Mercy seems blind and willing to stay that way when it comes to the huge, epic foreshadowing that Lim employs to warn the reader.  For me, it just doesn’t make sense, and Mercy’s reasoning doesn’t either.  She has the ability to see into the minds of those around her, yet she takes the knowledge she gains and chalks it up to humanity, stating that what she’s seen, what makes her ill, is just the way kids are, etc.  Although warning signs go off all around her, her inability to put things together and make smart choices made me like her less and less as the novel proceeded, and the connection I initially felt with Mercy in the first novel was nearly non-existent in this sequel.  I can’t really say any more than that because spoilers would ensue, so I will leave it at this: Mercy is not as smart or crafty as I would like her to be this time around. Thus, I am very sad to say that this second novel in the Mercy series did not live up to my expectations.  Whereas I absolutely adored Mercy, the first novel, this sequel seems to have fallen into the rut of second novel syndrome, a bit flat and dry. Two stars.

Disney Hyperion Book Club has been extremely gracious is allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on April 23, 2013.

From Goodreads: 

HOT: Coco Beardmore
NOT: Coco’s calamities
HOT: Mike West’s fantasies
NOT: Mike’s reality

That’s right, Coco Beardmore is sizzling hot and she’s landed in Mike West’s lap. The problem is Coco’s middle name is chaos! Her driving skills are a real bang–into Mike’s horse trailer, and her sultry seduction will set the room on fire–the kitchen that is.

What’s worse are her Thoroughbreds ability to mimic their owner’s habit of screwing things up. It’s enough to drive a normally calm and collected Mike West to the very edge.
But Mike’s not the only one having problems with women. His father Eric has taken on more than he can chew, and he’s about to get spit out by two women: one that he’s in love with and one that thinks he’s in love with her.

Oh yeah, things are hot around Westwood Thoroughbred Farm… and someone’s about to get burned!

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I have some mixed feelings about this second novel in the Unbridled series.  First of all, the writing was good and the mystery aspect of the novel, once it began, was also quite interesting.  However, the overuse of adjectives and words like “naked” didn’t do much for me as a reader, especially as the focus always seemed to be on the buxom blonde, Coco. The characters all seemed obsessed with sex, as well, and as that’s not something I enjoy in my novels, it somewhat put me off as I read.

Truth be told, I wasn’t really sure where the story itself was going. The first portion of the novel was all about Coco and Mike, and then suddenly she’s out of the picture and it’s about Margie and Keith. Then, it’s about Coco and Tom… and I wasn’t really sure where the plotline was truly headed, who the story was really targeting. Based on the synopsis and the beginning of the novel, I would have said it’s about Coco and Mike, but by the end, I think the story was actually about doing the right thing, focusing on Keith teaching people to read.

Overall, I think it’s well-written, but I’m not still not sure exactly where the plot itself was going, or if I perhaps missed something important along the way. Truthfully, I was hoping for another mystery novel, like the first novel in the series, Deadly.com, but there wasn’t really anything but life and awkward relationships in this one.  Two stars.

Acorn Publishers was extemely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley.

From Goodreads: Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls’ worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this–to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn’t they have seen this coming? Couldn’t they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid’s dark secrets. The answers to those questions–questions they never dreamed of asking–will change their lives forever.

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The premise of this novel really drew me in, especially as I really loved Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, and I was hoping this novel would be similar.  Unfortunately, as I read and got to know the characters, I found that I really didn’t care for them.  While the community grieves for the loss of Astrid, Sydney becomes somewhat of a callous character, partying and distancing herself from her hurt as much as she can, even if that means losing Ella in the wake of it all.  Ella, on the other hand, embraces her grief, becoming obsessed with figuring out why Astrid chose death over life, and her obsession sends her on a downward spiral throughout the summer, placing her friendships and relationship with her boyfriend in jeopardy.

Truth be told, the premise sounds a little bit like Pretty Little Liars (I have only seen the TV show, not read the books), and while some aspects of the novel shadow the TV show, it’s also vastly different.  Yes, these surviving girls don’t necessarily strum on the readers’ heart strings, and the callousness of Sydney made me think of the nastiness of the girls in the show, but there is no taunting from Astrid like A taunts her friends, and so, in my opinion, this is where the similarities end.  Astrid’s messages to Ella are not coldhearted, and there are only a few strategically placed throughout the novel.  In truth, as no one else sees them but Ella, it makes her look even more disheveled and obsessed, leaving the reader wondering if these messages are actually real, or a figment of the imagination.

I know that everyone grieves differently, and that we should not judge others, but as an outsider looking in, I really grew to dislike Ella and Sydney as the novel unfolded.  The world became all about them, and their epic fights and obsessive behavior really made me wonder just how much they truly cared for Astrid in the first place.  As Sydney struggles to outrun her guilt, questioning why she never asked Astrid about her family, or pushed deeper when Astrid seemed on the verge of sharing, she becomes very real, but her shut down of these emotions time and time again made me lose interest in her on the whole.  Ella was interesting, but I also felt that her obsession went too far at times, and in the end, I honestly didn’t care much about either girl, or even why Astrid did what she did.  The ending was eye-opening, though, and I’m happy to say that things do brighten for the characters, but getting there is a bit of a hike.  Two stars.

  Merit Press has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netally.

From Goodreads: Worlds Apart – An Epic High School Supernatural Tragedy

The high school prom was the worst night of David’s life, and twenty years later, he’s unable to get over high school. But who could, given the tragic circumstances that night?

There are nine student deaths at Stanton High School every year. Surviving senior year has never been so stressful. In the 1980’s, crime, gangs, and violence, have taken over New York City, making life a challenge for any student.

The story follows David from the first day of his senior year, all the way to graduation. Doubts, a lack of direction, and regret are weighing heavily on his mind. He is a musical prodigy confused about college, life, and career choices. He can’t trust his classmates at his ultra-competitive high school, where the goal is Harvard (no matter who gets hurt in the process.) Delancey is the girl of his dreams, but she is out of his league. The SATS, choices for college, school dances, and the prom, all start to overwhelm David.
A fellow student, obsessed with the metaphysical world, befriends David, opening the door to a whole reality. David must give the musical performance of his life in order to win back the girl of his dreams. An unforeseen supernatural plot twist leads the reader to a thrilling and suspenseful ending, as David finds himself in a life or death situation.

Worlds Apart is a modern day retelling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

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I’m sorry to say that I did not care for this novel.  The typos, choppy narration, and unrealistic character dialogue made it difficult for me to read.  Having spent most of my life around teenagers, from the 80s-present, I feel like I have to note that most teens do not speak to their friends using proper grammar, forgoing the use of contractions.  Yet, in Worlds Apart, that’s generally how the characters interact with one another, which, for me, isn’t fluid or real, hence my issues with the dialogue.

While I don’t doubt there are many gangs in NYC (and most big cities), especially during the 1980s, the lack of police and the school’s lack of protection for students was quite unbelievable, for me.  Stanton is the best prep school in all of NYC, with many extremely wealthy patrons, but it’s also in the worst part of town.  This is true for many great schools, and so I do not questions the reality here.  It is the gang violence that the school does nothing about that caused me pause.  Gangs hang out around Stanton and chase students down, sometimes killing them, and sometimes only orchestrating a huge fight in which they stomp on the Stanton students, right outside the school doors.  Where are the police?  Why aren’t school officials involved in protecting their students?  Why don’t they hold onto students who threaten others with guns and turn them over to the police, instead of letting them go?  For me, this was very strange.  While I know police and school officials can’t really stop gang violence, I do believe their presence around the school and the route to the subway would be beneficial in squelching much of the violence towards these minors trying to get an education.  Likewise, some of the circumstances surrounding death’s was questionable for me, so, overall, I was left questioning the validity of the school, the characters, and their situations as I read.

For me, the novel was also extremely long.  We follow David from the beginning of high senior year until the end, and truth be told, I found myself drifting off in certain sections that I felt didn’t add anything to the novel, such as David’s many discussions of his job.  I also never felt any kindred for the characters within the novel, which is another reason I, personally, didn’t enjoy it.  However, in looking at the reviews for this novel, it seems many did enjoy it, so I suggest potential readers look into the many reviews on Amazon and make their decision of whether or not to read it based on multiple reviews and not just mine alone.  We are all different, after all.  I, unfortunately, can only give this novel one star.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

At NCTE last November, I had the pleasure of meeting David Levithan!  And, I picked up an extra signed copy of his amazing novel, Every Day, just for this giveaway!  Haven’t read it yet?  YOU MUST!  It’s fantastic, amazing, superb… and the list goes on.  Read it already?  Then you know what I mean!  And here, you can WIN a signed copy of the novel!

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From Goodreads:

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

To see my 5 star review click HERE.

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To enter my giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Agree to HONESTLY REVIEW the novel via a blog (if you have one), or Goodreads, or any other media format you use for book reviews

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)