In My Mailbox *29*

Created by The Story Siren who was inspired by Alea.
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Hey guys! This week I got some totally awesome stuff, at least I think it's totally awesome :P And instead of rambling on, I'm going to get right to it! And as always, I would love to know what you think! Have you read any of them, did you like them, are they one's you're interested it?

For Review:

Vexation by Elicia Clegg

The Pack by L.M. Preston

Racing the Dark by Alaya Dawn Johnson

The Burning City by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Bought:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater Rhodes

So that's what was in my mailbox, what did you get in yours?

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 288

Overall:

Lani and Erin have been friends for as they can remember. They’ve done everything together, from Girl Scouts to driving, to surviving high school. Jason is Erin’s boyfriend, and Erin thinks they’re perfect together. The thing is Fate has other plans for Jason and Erin, plans that include Jason being with Lani.

Lani and Erin have always had very different tastes in everything from boys and pizza to hanging out. Lani is laid back and more on her own, while Erin is outgoing and likes being the center of attention. But there’s two things that have always bonded the girls; one being their obsession with Fate and everything surrounding it, the other being the accident.

As soon as Lani meets Jason, there’s this instant connection that everyone around them seems to notice, everyone except Erin of course. Lani and Jason have this unworldly, crazy amount of things in common (I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything they have in common). Erin encourages them to hang out, even just the two of them; she trusts her best friend and thinks it’s great they get along so well.

When school ends and Erin goes away to camp for the summer, Lani tries to avoid Jason to no avail. Once they start hanging out, Jason breaks up with Erin and there’s no stopping what happens nest when Fate is playing the game. Lani and Jason start their relationship; keeping it hidden from everyone they know, for the simple reason of wanting to be the ones to tell Erin the truth.

Of course things are never as simple as they should be, there’s always the “girl code” and that says that you can’t date your friends ex, but does that really matter if Fate is involved and if they’re soul mates? It shouldn’t, but this is high school, and a YA novel, so of course it matters! When Erin finds out the truth, she’s furious. She does everything she can to hurt Lani and ostracizes her in the process.

I know some people haven’t liked Something Like Fate because they’ve read other Susane Colasanti novels, but this is my first one and I really enjoyed it. I found Lani to be really smart and have a strong voice, at least when it came to everyone except Erin. With Erin, Lani became a total pushover and would become a doormat or a scared puppy in the corner. Erin is one of those girls that you want to like and that you’ll be civil to, but someone you could never really stand to be around for that long.

My favorite character had to be Blake, Lani and Erin’s other friend that is totally adorable and hilarious. He’s the logical, eyes wide open kind of friend, he reminds me a lot of my own best friend. He’s so hilarious too, I love the opening scene between him and Lani; it amuses me so much. Jason is super sweet and way more sensitive and mature than any of the guys I knew in high school. Although, I must call his maturity into question when he knows he has feelings for his girlfriend’s best friend and stays with her, waiting until the worst possible time to break up with her.

I really loved Lani and Jason’s relationship. They cared for each other in a way that most people only dream about, they are the definition of soul mates, in a sense. Despite their situation, they had this very pure, innocent kind of relationship and that is very endearing to me. On the other hand, I could stand Erin. I tried, I mean I really tried to like her even a little, but I just couldn’t. She’s mean and self-centered and actually a total…witch. Every time she spoke to Lani, it was like she was talking down to her and it grated on my nerves to no end.

I really liked Something Like Fate, I think it’s a great story and it’s made me move the other Susane Colasanti novels I have higher on my TBR pile. For the most part I liked the characters and the story flows so well, I can’t wait to read more from her.

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I received this book as part of Around the World Tours.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Release Date: May 25, 2010

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 288

Overall:

Drea isn’t your typical teenage girl, she’s logical, literal, and isn’t clouded by the normal emotions that seem to haunt most teenagers. Drea see’s the world in black and white; there aren’t those gray areas that the rest of us deal in. For her things either are or aren’t, there’s no in between, and she doesn’t understand why nobody else sees life the way she does.

Drea has Asperger’s Syndrome and because of her diagnosis, Drea just wants to be normal, she’s tired of going to shrinks, she’s tired of being ignored, she’s tired of being held back by her AS. You know those times when you came home crying because of something some boy or girl said or did to you? Drea would give anything for that moment, even though you would rather pretend it never happened. When Drea moves to a new town, she meets Naomi, her neighbor, and everything changes for Drea.

Drea and Naomi become instant friends. Naomi doesn’t know about Drea’s AS and there’s no way Drea will tell her, she wants to be thought of as normal or at least somewhat normal. When she starts school, Drea meets Justin; he’s cute and instantly drawn to Drea and what he sees as quirky behavior. The thing Drea doesn’t want to admit is that she’s drawn to him too. With her new found friends, they assemble a band, and through that connection you watch as the characters mature and fit with one another.

It’s been almost impossible for me to write this review. Usually I give more details, but with this one, Tara Kelly made it impossible! I found myself having to be extremely vague describing this book to people without giving anything away, but there are a few things I can tell you. One being that this is exactly what debut novels are made of! It’s emotional through and through, the characters are amazing in every sense of the word, and the story is just…wow.

I felt as if I was right there with the characters, I felt like I knew them. You see these characters grow and change through each chapter, you feel what they feel. Tara Kelly has done a truly amazing job in character development, to the point that I was left stunned! The plot flows beautifully, and the story is totally captivating. There were times when I was sitting there grinning ear-to-ear, staring at the pages and the scenes that had just played out. There were also the parts that left me sitting there, jaw dropped, eyes wide and burning as I tried not to cry.

Tara Kelly has written one of the best debut novels I’ve read in a long time and she’s done it with a poise and style that I a dying to see again. Harmonic Feedback is a story that holds a lot of weight, it’s an emotional tale with heavy content, and she handled that in way that just blew my mind. Harmonic Feedback has everything you could want in a novel: love, hate, conflict, tragedy, pure happiness, amazing characters, a story that will blow your mind, and a beautiful cover, all in under 300 pages. I must not only applaud Ms. Kelly, but also beg her for another novel…like immediately!

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I received this book as part of Around the World Tours.

In My Mailbox *28*

Created by The Story Siren who was inspired by Alea.

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And I'm back! I know I took an unannounced hiatus of sorts for a bit, but I am back! And since it's been a while since I did an IMM, so this is a good one! Most of the stuff I got this past week too! I finally cashed in all my Amazon gift cards that I've been collecting and a Barnes & Noble one, and got some awesome stuff! So here we go!

 

 Bought:

Mortal Instruments Boxset (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass) by Cassandra Clare

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Nobody's Prize by Esther Friesner

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (I read and review this earlier this year and LOVED it, so I had to get me a nice pretty copy of my own! Read my review here.)

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Jane Austen: Seven Novels (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics)

 

For Review

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (from BookDivas)

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (from BookDivas) (not pictured)

 

Won:

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey (Thanks Beth!)

Need by Carrie Jones (from BookDivas)

Penitence by Jennifer Laurens (from Goodreads) (not pictured)

 

I'm missing a few review books in the list and picture, because they were tour books and are already gone (such as Sisters Red and Raised by Wolves), but look for those reviews coming!  You can read my Sisters Red review, here.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Release Date: June 7, 2010

Publisher: Little, Brown

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 336

Overall:

If you’re a giggly, attractive young girl, then the last thing you should do is talk to that guy outside the club that’s cute and is paying so much attention to you. What you should do is get into a very large crowd of people and don’t leave with anyone, but to Scarlett March’s dismay, the world doesn’t work that way. Scarlett vows to protect her sister, Rosie, and the rest of the world from the dangers that lurk around every corner, and in every shadow…Fenris.

Scarlett has not only vowed to protect their small town and large cities from the Fenris, but she’s also vowed revenge on the Fenris that took her eye, when she was protecting her sister when they were kids. With Scarlett armed with a hatchet and Rosie with her knives, the girls use bright red cloaks and their feminine charm to lure and destroy any and all wolf that takes a step into their small town.

Rosie has always stood by her sister; she’s always had a bond with her sister that made them seem more like one heart, one soul, and not two separate people. But now, Rosie is starting to want more out of life than hunting Fenris. When Silas, a young woodsman and their lifelong friend, returns to town, Rosie is drawn to him in a way she never thought possible. The problem with that is, if she falls in love with Silas it means she’s betraying her sister and going against everything they’ve all spent their lives fighting for.

When I got my hands on Sisters Red, I could wait to tear into it because I just knew I was going to love it, but a couple of chapters in I found myself terrified of it. A few chapters later, I decided I could love it and be terrified of it, and that’s how I felt the entire time through. Jackson has created this world that isn’t so much different from ours, it’s just an addition on ours and that addition is werewolves that prey on unsuspecting girls.

Sisters Red is full of lust and desire, whether it’s got to do with wanting another person or prey, or just something more out of life than fear or revenge. Part of our story takes place in Atlanta, and once the sisters and Silas take off for the big city, to a seedy apartment to hunt the Fenris, they get more than they bargain for. They find that things aren’t always what they seem and that everyone has secrets, no matter how well you think you know them.

Jackson Pearce not only created a dangerous and sexy world, but she also told it in a way that didn’t lose its excitement. Sisters Red is told in alternating perspectives (or voices, as I prefer to call it), you hear from both Rosie and Scarlett and they are two of the strongest protagonists that I’ve read about in any piece of literature. The March sisters are two characters that aren’t easily forgotten and that leave a mark on your mind even when you’re done reading their story.

I adored Rosie and how compassionate and loving she is and how much she would rather hurt herself than even consider hurting her sister. Scarlett is beautiful in her own right and I think her scars and missing eye, make me love her as a character even more, plus she is just all kinds of kick ass!

Sisters Red is definitely one of my favorite books of the year and has me stalking Jackson’s Twitter and YouTube for even a mention of her companion novel, Sweetly. If werewolves aren’t normally your thing, give Sisters Red a shot, I promise it will change your mind! And to show you just how profound and totally awesome Scarlett is, I’m going to leave you with one of my favorite quotes, and it pertains to not only the story, but also to life in general:

“No, this is not a mistake. This is a hard, and perhaps cruel, necessity.” (page 323, Sisters Red, ARC)

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I received this book as part of Around the World Tours.

Also, today happens to be Jackson's birthday, so don't forget to take a picture of you and your copy when you buy Sisters Red and wish her a Happy Birthday!

Seriously Bookish Awesomeness!

So the beautifully awesome creature that is Jackson Pearce (author of As You Wish and the upcoming Sisters Red) has posted another fantastic video on her YouTube channel. If you don't know about Jackson's YouTube channel, then you are totally missing something awesome. Anyways, here is the amazingness that Jackson has posted:

                                                                 

                       

I hope that awesomeness causes you to forgive my unannounced absence, but I moved and have been working like crazy, but I am going out of town this week for my mom's surgery and so I will have hours to sit in the hospital and get caught up on reviews and reading, so expect me to be back shortly!

<3