Review: Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

Title:	Poughkeepsie
Author:	Debra Anastasia
Genre:	Contemporary Romance
Rating:	R
Publisher:	Omnific Publishing
Release Date:	November 22, 2011
Pages:	384
Source:	Digital ARC
My Rating:	5*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

He counts her smiles every day and night at the train station. And morning and evening, the beautiful commuter acknowledges him—just like she does everyone else on the platform. But Blake Hartt is not like the others . . . he’s homeless. Memories of a broken childhood have robbed him of peace and twisted delusions into his soul. He stays secluded from the sun, sure the world would run from him in the harsh light of day.

Each day, Livia McHugh smiles politely and acknowledges her fellow commuters as she waits for the train to the city. She dismisses this kindness as nothing special, just like her. She’s the same as a million other girls—certainly no one to be cherished. But special or not, she smiles every day, never imagining that someone would rely on the simple gesture as if it were air to breathe.

When the moment comes that Livia must do more than smile, without hesitation she steps into the fray to defend the homeless man. And she's surprised to discover an inexplicable connection with her new friend. After danger subsides, their smiles become conversation. Their words usher in a friendship, which awakens something in each of them. But it’s not long before their bond must prove its strength. Entanglements from the past challenge both their love and their lives.

Blake’s heart beats for Livia’s, even if her hands have to keep its rhythm. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never fails. Love never fails, right?

In an interwoven tale of unlikely loves and relationships forged by fire, Debra Anastasia takes readers into the darkest corners of human existence, only to show them the radiant power of pure adoration and true sacrifice. Complicated families and confused souls find their way to light in this novel, which manages to be racy, profane, funny, and reverent all at once.

   

Livia felt her rage ignite. "Well Oily Comb-Over, looks like I need to buy you a load of Shut Your Mouth for your birthday."

     "I...was...screaming like a man...with a cat on his nipple."  Beckett slapped his hand of his desk.

Livia held her spatula as Blake whispered in her ear. “I see us just like this a hundred years from now, old and deaf. I’ll be the luckiest man.”

Emotion caught her—this was all she wanted. Simple, beautiful frittata moments with this man.

“Someday, Livia, I’ll be man enough to buy the food,” he continued. “I’ll give you an oven. I’ll try so hard.”

I have said it before and I will say it again, I love Debra Anastasia.  This love began with her debut novel Crushed Seraphim, and it then followed into my love for her on Twitter (you can follow her here).  So when I was contacted about possibly reviewing a copy of her latest book Poughkeepsie, I didn’t hesitate to jump at the chance.  Best. Decision. Ever.

                I admit, that when I started reading Poughkeepsie, I had absolutely no idea what the book was about.  The fact that Debra wrote it was more than enough to get me to read it and I can honestly say that I wasn’t disappointed.

                It’s still hard for me to define Poughkeepsie and tell you exactly what it was about, but I will give it a shot.

At its core Poughkeepsie is about a romance between Blake and Livia.  But to say that that was all Poughkeepsie was about is to seriously sell the book short.  Yes, it is about romance.  But it is also about family.  It’s about connections.  It’s about the resilience of the human spirit.

The characters that Debra Anastasia has created are just phenomenal and support the story so well.  You have Livia who has a heart of gold, Blake whose spirit is so heartbreakingly beautiful, Kyle who is lost an constantly searching to be enough, Cole who has struggled to contain the rage inside of him, and Beckett.  Who could forget wonderful, conflicted, loyal and naughty Beckett?  On the surface, none of these characters seem to have anything in common with one another.  As you dive further and further into the story, you see the ties and bonds between them and you watch as they are tested, reformed and strengthened.

There is plenty of action, suspense, romance and hilarity to be found in Poughkeepsie. Debra Anastasia has outdone herself with her latest novel and as long as she keeps writing like this I will keep reading.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are 2 eCopies of Poughkeepsie to give away on the blog today.  To enter, please use the rafflecopter widget below.

Good Luck!

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Title:	Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2)
Author:	Cassandra Clare
Genre:	YA, Steampunk
Rating:	PG
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date:	December 6, 2011
Pages:	497
Source:	ARC provided by publisher
My Rating:	4.5*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

This was Jem – her friend, as steady and reliable as a heartbeat. Jem did not set her skin on fire or make the blood rush fast inside her veins until she was dizzy.

“Until death,” Jem replied gently. “Those are the words of the oath. ‘Until aught but death part thee and me.’ Someday, Will, I will go where none can follow me, and I think it will be sooner rather than later.”

Tessa did not need to touch Jessamine’s mind to know what she was thinking. Even the diamond had not been real.

     I was got an ARC of this book from the lovely Jen from Rayment's Readings, Rants & Ramblings and I am so glad that I did.  Getting the ARC actually pushed me to read book one in the Infernal Devices Series, Clockwork Angel.  After reading book one and enjoying it, I immediately picked up the ARC of Clockwork Prince and dived right in.  Seriously, I have no idea how I am supposed to wait for book three now.

     All of the things that I loved in Clockwork Angel were brought right back and doubled in Clockwork Prince.  The setting, the characters, the history and story were just developed so beautifully and at such a great pace.  The story just unfolds effortlessly and hooks you right from the very first page.  Clockwork Prince is definitely one of my favourite books of 2011.

     Remember how in my review of Clockwork Angel I said that I didn't like Will?  Well let me revise that statement to say that I didn't like Will in that book, but loved him in Clockwork Prince.  I found that learning that there was a motivation and reason behind his behaviour made him much more likable.  In fact, by the end of the book you actually begin to see him for what he really is; a seventeen year old boy trying to make the best of a bad situation to the best of his ability.

     Tessa still annoyed me, but it was nice to see her experience some personal growth.  Jess still made me want to light myself on fire every time she appeared.  There really is no other character, that comes to mind, that has ever made me giddily anticipate the moment they finally get what is coming to them quite like Jess does.  Jem finally showed some grit and determination.  There was some steel in his spine and fire in his eyes and it really made me like him that much more.  And of course Magnus Bane is still made of awesome and win.

     Clockwork Prince is a fabulous follow up in the Infernal Devices Series.  If Cassandra Clare keeps writing like this she will continue to cement her place in the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere.

Review: Want to Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman

Title:	Want to Go Private?
Author:	Sarah Darer Littman
Genre:	YA, Social Issues
Rating:	PG-13
Publisher:	Scholastic Press
Release Date:	August 1, 2011
Pages:	330
Source:	Finished Copy
My Rating:	5*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

   

 “...I grab my laptop and log on to ChezTeen.com. Within minutes, I'm surrounded by friends, even though I've never met any of them. There, I can pretend that my first day of school was fantastic, because no one is going to know anything different. I can be anyone I want to be when I'm online and I don't even have to wear makeup.”

This book had been sitting in my TBR pile for quite some time. On a whim, I decided to pick it up for what I thought was going to be some 'light' reading. Yeah, so not a good call. While I would consider this book an 'easy' read it is definately cannot be considered a 'light' read. Want to Go Private? reads as a cautionary take depicting the alienation and grooming of a vulnerable teenager by an online predator and her journey to heal.

The story is told mainly from the prespective of th emain character Abby. There are instances where a portion of the story is told by one of the cast of supporting characters. Watching Abby go from a happy, but insecure teenage to a victim is pretty difficult. Want to Go Private? is pretty detailed and in my opinion fairly accurate in showing jus thow Abby was being groomed and not even realizing it. There was something so disturbing about watching Abby descend down this path unaware while you, the reader, is fully aware where this is headed.

Reading Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman was like watching an episode of Dateline's How to Catch a Predator, but in reverse.

Review: Lie by Caroline Bock

Title:	Lie
Author:	Caroline Bock
Genre:	YA, Social Issues
Rating:	PG-13
Publisher:	St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date:	August 30, 2011
Pages:	224
Source:	Finished Copy
My Rating:	3.5*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up? 

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .

When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .

Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

     He wasn't against legal immigration. I asked him how his family got here, or were they American Indians?  He said that his mother's family owned farmland out on the South Fork going back to the 1700s.  He said his family documents are in Dutch, which is who were in charge here before the English.  I said good for him.  You can give history lessons.  My father's father lied about his age and came over steerage, on his knees the whole way.  He was called the Big Swede.  What about giving these people a chance?
     He said they were stealing our jobs.  I said they were doing job nobody else wanted.
     "You want them living next door to you?  Twenty, thirty, or more Mexicans jammed in a house together?"

I had been waiting to read this book for some time.  In fact, I think this book was one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks sometime back in May or June.  Every time I went to the bookstore in hopes of acquiring this book, it never quite worked out and I finally just ordered it online sometime back in October.  Of course as soon as I got it, I began reading it.  Sad to say, I was disappointed.  I was so disappointed in fact, that this book was originally classified as DNF on my shelf and after about 50 pages in, I put it down.  Usually, when I classify a book as DNF, I don’t pick it up again.  But for some reason, I decided to give this one a second chance.  I can honestly say that I am glad that I did.

Lie is told from multiple POVs and as such you really get to hear the viewpoints of everyone in this particular community.  The sad part is that all those POV’s really do mirror each other and still adhere to the line ‘everybody knows, but no one’s talking’.  It’s really disturbing to see just how everyone lets the fact that the victims were Mexican and the perpetrators were white cloud their minds to the fact that a crime was committed, and that lives were put in danger.  The really sad part is that Lie, even though fiction, mirrors events that have happened in real life.

I have never been more disgusted with a character than I was with Skylar.  She uses her loss as a way to make her apathetic to the suffering of anyone else.  The fact that she has gone through a loss should have made her appreciate life so much more.  Instead she has this pity me, poor me attitude that leads her to rely on the very racist Jimmy for absolutely everything.  For Skylar, I really didn’t see the struggle between right and wrong.  She clearly couldn’t tell the difference if it slapped her upside the head.  The sad thing is that she was not alone in that viewpoint.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew that Lie wasn’t going to be a book about fluffy bunnies and as such was likely going to provoke some intense reactions.  I was expecting outrage, frustration and maybe even a little sadness and anger.  What I was not prepared for was the absolute rage and disgust I felt while reading this book.  The tag line of Lie is ‘everybody knows, nobody’s talking’ and that one line should be enough to set anyone’s teeth on edge.  The fact that Lie is a book based around a hate crime, ‘everybody knows, nobody’s talking’ should outrage and disgust you.

Guest Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title:	Shatter Me
Author:	Tahereh Mafi
Genre:	YA, Dystopian
Rating:	PG
Publisher:	HarperTEEN
Release Date:	November 15, 2011
Pages:	342
Source:	ARC from Publisher
My Rating:	4.5 Stars

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

     "Their fear will work in your favour," he whispers in my ear.
     My humanity is lying in a million pieces on this carpeted floor.  "I never wanted them to be afraid of me."
     "You should."  He stops.  His eyes are calling me an idiot.  "If they don't fear you, they will hunt you."
     "People hunt things they fear all the time."
     "At least now they know what they're up against."  He resumes walking down the hall, but my feet are stitched into the ground.

Divergent, Delirium, The Hunger Games, and The Chaos Walking Trilogy are all great dystopian YA novels and all are equalled or surpassed by this debut novel by Tahereh Mafi. Mafi’s novel is a breathtaking work of art, her description on the fall of culture on page 60 left me in awe of this 23 year old writer's talent. (If you are hesitant to buy this novel after reading this review, flip to this page and bask in the eloquence… THEN buy the book.) 

The female protagonists in YA novels are often shy, awkward, and well…sappy. While Juliette starts off with all of these traits, Mafi introduces a new way to portray this. Juliette is censored (by herself) like this. As the book progresses, Juliette doubts herself less and less, and becomes a more confident and sexy woman. I doubt I am a part of the audience that Mafi intended her book for, but when I saw the synopsis compare it to the X-Men, well I couldn’t resist. 

Guys and Girls of all ages will enjoy this book, I’ve recommended it to others, and will continue to do so. Girls, if you enjoyed the previously mentioned novels, read this. Guys, if you enjoyed watching X-men as a kid, read this. This book was great, and the sequel will be SO FREAKING INSANE!!! Oh… also… on an amazingly awesome note the book has been optioned by 20th Century Fox.

P.S. You can read the first chapter on the Shatter Me Facebook page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a 24 yr old book lover. My room is a veritable library, albeit a messy one. I owe my love of literature to The Hardy Boys, though I quickly branched off into historical fiction which led to me currently reading just about anything. I attend Ryerson University and hate writing About Me blurbs. Also Neil Pasricha writer of The Book of Awesome says I'm awesome.

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Rating: G
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Pages: 384
Source: ARC provided by Publisher
My Rating: 3*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Quotes

     I wonder if some of that longing came through in my voice when I spoke of the painting, if Xander noticed and remembered.  Xander still plays the game in a subtle way.  This painting is one of his cards.  Now, when I see the painting or touch one of he newrose petals, I remember the way he felts so familiar and knew so much, and I ache for what I've had to let go.

My Thoughts

I really, really did not like Matched, but as a follow up Crossed was actually pretty decent.  I ended up  reading both books back to back so I was able to keep going with the story.  As a result, I really can't help but compare the two books.

I must say that I enjoyed the setting in Matched much more.  For me, having the characters leave the city for the Outer Provinces lends credibility to the whole Dystopian aspect.  I felt that it gave Crossed a sense of danger and excitement that I found was lacking in Matched.  There were so many plot twists that I found myself unable to predict what was going to happen next; something that I greatly enjoyed.

Once I got used to them, I loved the differing viewpoints.  In my opinion, it really helped keep the story from revealing itself too soon.  Plus it was really nice to get a look inside of Ky's mind.  I found his viewpoint to be very refreshing and almost pure in his feelings.  Plus, it was a bonus to have male characters, who while very different from one another, were not absolute morons.  It was so nice to just finally get some decent male love interests.  I am really tired of this whole trend in YA of girls always falling for the pining after the controlling jerk.  Kudos to Ally Condie for creating two different male characters in Xander and Ky who aren't actually jerks masquerading as the ideal choice.

I have to say, that now I am kind of bummed that I have to wait a whole year to find out just how this series ends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author

Ally Condie is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel MATCHED. She is also a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.

Review: Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

Title: Children of Paranoia
Author: Trevor Shane
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: PG
Publisher: Dutton Books
Publication Date: September 8, 2011
Pages: 384
Source: Finished Copy provided by the Publisher
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

ALL WARS HAVE RULES

Rule Number One: No killing innocent bystanders.

Rule Number Two: No killing anyone under the age of eighteen.

BREAK THE RULES, BECOME THE TARGET

Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn't fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides-one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.

Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he's one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he's sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away.

Before Maria, Joseph's only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the War...is leaving it.

You can read an excerpt here!

My Thoughts

I am not even going to lie.  The title of the book hooked me before I even read the synopsis.  Then I read the synopsis and knew I had to get a copy for myself.  I am so glad I did.

For me, while the book started off a bit slow, it still allowed me to dive into both the characters and the story.  Once the story gets going, it really gets going and before you know it you are kneed deep in suspense, drama, action and intrigue.  I think it's a real testament to Trevor Shane's ability as a writer to be able to craft a character like Joe, who to me is the ultimate anti-hero and the opposite of everything that you would typically look up, and yet you still want to see him succeed.

I love the contrast between Joe's darkness and Maria's light.  There is just something that is so moving to me about Joe having been a person of absolutes who then has his world turned upside down by Maria and her introduction into his life.  To watch their relationship unfold and to see the changes both characters go through was just amazing.  Knowing that this was the first book in a trilogy, I didn't think that we would get a chance to see such character depth and development in the first book, but I was wrong and I was pleasantly surprised.

All in all this was a fabulous book.  I absolutely devoured it roughly four hours and of course I am now left dying to know what happens next.  Trevor Shane has managed to create an absolutely wonderful and engaging debut that leaves readers wanting more.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author: Trevor Shane lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. This is his first novel, and the first in the trilogy.  Be sure to visit him online!

Website
Twitter
Trevor Shane on Facebook
Children of Paranoia on Facebook


Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour!

Review: Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: Tris & Izzie
Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Rating: G
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Pages: 272
Source: Digital ARC from NetGalley

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

My Thoughts

     There was a reason that this book was up on NetGalley as an auto approve title.  I found it so completely unrealistic and without depth that I was unable to finish it.  This is the first book on my Did Not Finish shelf in 2011 and this bothers me.  

     I love the story of Tristan and Isolde.  I love the cover of the book and I even featured it as one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks back in May of this year.  I was really rooting for this book to live up to the expectations that I had for it.  It came no where near and I had to put it down after 50 pages.  I really don't like posting in-depth negative reviews so I am going to leave it there and allow others to read the book and decide for themselves.

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Genre: YA, Social Issues
Rating: PG
Publisher: Poppy
Publication Date: September 5, 2011
Pages: 273
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention 

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...


Quotes

     "I just hear all those stories, and sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who's never done it.  I feel like I'm behind or something.  Like it makes me a prude."
     "You're not weird, or a prude, or a tease, or any of that," I assured her.  "Actually, I think it's great that you're waiting.  It's sort of refreshing.  And sex is a big deal, so you shouldn't rush it just because everyone else is doing it.  I think it's  major decision."

My Thoughts


While I do have Kody Keplinger's debut book DUFF, I have yet to read it.  I don't know what made me read Shut Out first, but I did and I really liked it.


I am not sure just how realistic a sex strike is, not to mention one amongst high school students, but it was an interesting premise.  It took the idea of sex being a weapon in a whole different direction.  In this book, sex was a weapon used to bring about change.  Or at least that is how it started, but alas, 'the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry'.  The girls, who believe they are holding all the power, are in for a bit of a rude awakening.


What I really liked about this book was not the sex strike, but rather the dialogue that sex strike provoked amongst the kids involved.  These were kids like any others and they assumed that they were all having sex, when they weren't.  The sex strike brought about several interesting conversations and realizations among both the guys and girls.  These were conversations really brought home the message of being true to yourself in all ways.


Shut Out was a good book and a very easy read.  It's one of the few books out there that I have read recently that has a pretty decent characterization of high-school students, their attitudes, and dialogue.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Rating: PG
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Pages: 456
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 5*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Quotes

     "I got him back later, though."
     "Oh," Jamie wouldn't stand a chance in knife fight with Aiden Davis if all Aiden had was a roll of toilet paper.
     Jamie smiled knowingly.  "I threatened him with Ebola."
     I blinked.
     "I don't actually have Ebola.  It's  biosafety Level Four hot agent."
     I blinked again.
     "In other words, impossible for teenagers to obtain, even if your father is a doctor."  He looked disappointed.

My Thoughts

Quite honestly, I have wanted to read this books for months but really had no idea why.  I do love the cover and of course, that is what initially drew me in.  But there was something about the synopsis that grabbed my attention enough to make me purchase the book.  Even after the reviews started coming in (I didn't read them, but took a look at the ratings), I really still had no idea just what this book was about.  Nevertheless, I am glad that I picked it up because it was phenomenal.

It really didn't matter that I didn't have a basic understanding of what the novel was about when I began reading it.  The writing is so well done that it just sucks you in.  I actually think I enjoyed the book more not knowing as it allowed me the opportunity to just read and not compare it to other books.  It didn't lower my expectations for the book, but it did allow me to look read and approach it with an untainted outlook.

The interactions between characters was spot on.  Michelle Hodkin managed to give everyone their own personalities and that came across clearly in both situations and dialogue.  Conflicted and confused Mara, confident and endearing Noah, loyal and smart Daniel, mischievous and outspoken Jamie all added depth to the story.  The interaction between Mara and Noah is really kind of epic.

The book itself is quite large at close to 500 pages.  I think it's one of the larger YA titles I have read in the past year.  Having said that, those 500 pages go by like a breeze.  I got through this book in just over two hours because I just couldn't put it down and of course now I am eagerly anticipating the follow up which probably won't come out until next year some time!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a fabulous read with enough suspense, mystery and romance to keep the reading turning page after page.

Review: Edge of Grace by Christa Allen

Title: The Edge of Grace
Author: Christa Allen
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: PG
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Release Date: August 1, 2011
Pages: 336 Pages
Source: Finished Copy Provided by Author
My Rating: 3*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis
In a matter of seconds her entire world shifted...

An early morning call shatters Caryn Becker's world. Unable to cope with her brother's news that he is gay, Caryn rejects him and disappears into her own turbulent life as a young widow and single mom. But when David is attacked and nearly killed, Caryn is forced to make hard choices about family, faith, and her own future; choices that take her to the very edge of grace.

Quotes

     "I heard you.  I'm just not all that shocked," she said with a tender weariness - like when I tell Ben for the umpteenth time to stop digging snot out of his nose when we're in the grocery store - and patted my hand.  "Caryn, click your heels together.  It's time to leave Oz.  Your brother's gay.  He's still your brother.  The same brother you loved seconds before the phone call."

     "Seriously?  You're telling me this is okay?"  She couldn't be.  Of all people, Julie would share my outrage, not intensify it.
     "He's your brother.  Want to ignore him?  Sure.  Who's left?

My Thoughts

Let me preface this review by stating that I normally do not read and review Christian fiction, but for some reason this was a book that I kept coming back to and when I had the chance to be a part of the blog tour, I jumped at the chance.  I can honestly say, I am glad that I did.  Christa Allen tackles what is a very difficult topic with tact and sensitivity.  The book did not leave me feeling like I was being preached to, but rather left me thinking about some of my own long standing beliefs and ideals.  While this book does have religious overtones, I don’t really feel that it is limited to a Christian audience.  It really speaks to basic human understanding of themselves and those around them.  

Caryn is a single mother trying to raise her child and build up her own business.  She gets the shock of her life when she receives a phone call from her brother David to inform her that he is gay.  Struggling to reconcile her beliefs with her reality, she chooses to cut her brother out of her life due to his lifestyle.  Her world changes once again when she receives a phone call informing her that her brother has been the victim of a hate crime.  She decides to help work on the case with her brother’s lawyer and soon her  business begins to suffer as a result of her brother's lifestyle.  She ends up being forced to do some soul searching in order to make some very hard choices about her faith and her family.

While the circumstances may be different, the general idea of something happening that is at odds with who you are and what you believe in is not so far fetched.  It something that happens to people everyday.  Therein lies the appeal of The Edge of Grace.  Not only does it take a topic straight out of a news headline but it does so in a non-judgmental and meaningful way.

Review: The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Rating: PG
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Pages: 387
Source: Finished Copy provided by Chapters Indigo

[Goodreads | Amazon]


Synopsis
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Quotes

"Well then," Chandresh says.  We are set as far as contortionists go.  That's a start."

"Shouldn't there be more than one?" Lainie asks.  "An entire tent, like one for the acrobats?"

"Nonsense," Chandresh replies.  "Better to have a single perfect diamond than  sack of flawed stones.  We'll make a showcase of her, put her in the courtyard or something."

The matter is considered settled for the moment, and throughout dessert and after-dinner drinks, the only subject discussed is the circus itself.

My Thoughts

     The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is absolutely masterful and after having read it, I can say that it has been without a doubt my favourite book of 2011.  The Night Circus is one of those books that you come across very seldom and it's one of those books that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.  The kind that you find yourself picking up and reading more than once, and every time you do read it again, another facet of it's brilliance is revealed.

     The prose is lyrical and almost poetic and with that same sense of fluidity Erin Morgenstern has created a world that leaves the reader with a longing to experience it for themselves.  The book is a feast for the senses.  As you are reading you feel the silk of a dress worn by one of the performers, taste the food at one of the midnight dinners, or smell the caramel in the air as you walk from tent to tent exploring all of the delights that the circus has to offer.

     I personally don't understand the comparison to the Harry Potter series.  To me, the only thing that they share in common is that they are both written by extremely talented women, on paper, and they both deal with magic!  That's it.  To say that The Night Circus is the second coming of Harry Potter does a great disservice to both stories.  The Night Circus is not a series, but rather one stand alone book.  It is a richly written tale that uses the circus itself as a backdrop.  It is not a book about magic.  It is not a book about vanquishing the most evil wizard of all time.  The Night Circus, at the end of the day, is a love story.

     The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is to me, much more than a book.  It is an experience to be savoured and treasured by all of those who read it.