Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Release Date: October 16

Series: Crewel Word (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi Dystopian

Subjects: Utopias, fate, abilities, resistance to government, love

Age/Grade Level:

Length: 357 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Macmillan (FSG)

Summary/ product description: “Incapable. Awkward. Artless.
That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.
Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.
Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.
Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.
Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: Ever read a book that was so good, and filled with so many surprises, that you’re not sure how to express your love without spoiling the whole thing? That’s how I feel reviewing this book. I feel like gushing about all of the wonderful thing that I found out in the last 100 pages of this very creative, unique novel. I’ll try not to spoil it till I’m reviewing book 2 next year.

Okay, so, the world of Arras may seem confusing at first. You may keep wondering if it’s set in the USA in the future, and what’s witch “sectors” and “metros” and “spinsters.” My advice it to take it easy, go with it, or you won’t enjoy the book as much as I did. I had my predictions to what was going on, and I held on to them, hoping the truth was even more surprising. The world building is extremely creative. In fact, I would never ever come up with a dystopian story like this. And don’t even get me started on the spinster abilities and Crewelers. This is not steam punk or fantasy. This is just an amazing dystopian/utopian, and that’s all I can say about that.

I love the characters. They’re so well done. Adelice is very sarcastic, and I like sarcastic lead characters. They make light of the bad situations they get into. She’s not exactly a Katniss, but she reminds me a bit of America Singer from The Selection by Kiera Cass (If you liked that book, this book is even better!). And Jost and Erik, so similar to each other, but different in some ways. I like Jost better (TEAM JOST!!!!) because he’s funnier. I like a great sense of humor. I underlined so many things he and Adelice said in conversations. Erik is sexy, but he’s harder to trust. And Maela, that lady is the b-word. She does the most horrible thing to Pryana that turns her against Adelice. That’s true manipulation, right there. No spinsters or looms needed. Cormac’s the egocentric guild member that just pisses Adelice off.

Check out this Fierce Read, coming out on October 16! If you like the following books, you should check this out: The Selection by Kiera Cass, Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, Insignia by S.J. Kincaid, or any other dystopian, or semi-fantasy dystopian.

Cover Art Review: This cover is absolutely beautiful. It’s swirly and looks like spinning energy. I guess that’s because the Spinster thing. Maybe the next book’s cover will have a hand? Why the face and not a hand? The title’s nice, and the C symbol too. I love the bright neon colors, though. Can’t wait to see a finished hardcover copy.

 

~Haley G

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Series: It may be a stand-alone

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Mermaids, supernatural, seaside towns, Massachusetts, history

Age/Grade Level: Upper Teens

Length: 295 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Macmillan: FSG

Summary/ product description: “Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.
Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.”

My Rating: êê

My Review: This book is part of the Fall 2012 Fierce Reads lineup. Sadly, it wasn’t as awesome or Fierce as I hoped for. I’m really not a fan of historical fiction, paranormal or not. But even the parts with Hester in the present weren’t compelling enough. 3^rd person can be boring, and it makes you care less for the characters. I think I liked the character Peter the best out of all of them, but most of the time I was confused and not sure what I was reading. Near the end it gets more interesting with the mermaid parts, but still I think this is probably the worst mermaid book I’ve ever read. Worse than Lost Voices by Sarah Porter, which had a very awesome sequel that redeemed the bad first book. There are plenty of great mermaid series out there completely outshine this book. If you like late 1800’s history set in a New England town, mixed with mermaid folklore, then you might like this. I prefer present day, 1^st person perspective, and hot guys. This book was particularly romantic. It was kind of dark. But even then, it wasn’t “evil mermaids.” This book is not really for fans of Of Poseidon or Siren or even Tempest Rising. If you’re looking for a fun, sexy mermaid tale, then I don’t recommend this. Read it if you like what this book is about. I really hate giving bad reviews, but it just wasn’t for me.  

Cover Art Review: The ARC cover/original cover looks so much better than this one. This is too minimalistic and kind of boring.

 

~Haley G

In My Mailbox 9-25

Once again, I'm a bit overloaded with a huge TBR pile. Let me show you some photos of books I got recently.

Photo descriptions:

1. An ARC I got in the mail. Crewel by Gennifer Albin, which comes out in the middle of October. I'm reading it now.

2. I got all these book from the library. They're due in 3 or four week, depending on when I got them. There's 12 books.

3. The 1st books in a series that I still haven't read yet, but still have to read before I read some of the the sequel I got at the library. (EDIT: I bought Flesh and Bone at Walmart, so I'll be saving that for when I have time!)

4. My TBR pile for the next month or 2. Hopefully will be done with all of these by Halloween, but doubt it. I might return some, or by some.

5. Books I bought in the last month and a half. Most at HarperTeen books. The Demon Catches book is an ARC I found a Goodwill. It's a new book, and I found an ARC for a dollar.

6. Swag I got in the mail from Gretchen McNeil, Kat Zhang and Jessica Khoury.

 

~Haley G

 

Photos:

 

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Series: Unwind (bk. 2)

Genera: Sci-fi dystopian

Subjects: survival, fugitives, revolutionaries, organ transplants

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 402 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary/ product description: “It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.”
Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.
Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.
Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: After reading the first haunting book, I never expected a sequel, or a whole trilogy. Unwholly managed to be better than the first book. It had a lot more funny quote, and added new characters with the one we already loved. I still like Conner and Risa above all. The new characters are very complex. I can tell that the author put a lot of work into character creation. Cam is like a rewound Frankenstein monster. I liked how he talks in metaphors/associations at first. Very creative idea. It was fun to figure out what he meant before reading Roberta’s interpretation.  And Lev being treated like he’s a saint later on. It’s pretty funny, but there’s some sad stuff in hear. A lot of stuff worth discussing it you ever had a book club. We get to find out how Unwinding came to be a way of life. The history and organizations that changed everything. Also, there’s a part later on with interviews of Risa and Cam that reminds me of the Hunger Games. And there advertisements that the author wrote and placed in the story. Very interesting stuff. I also like Conner running the Grave Yard. It kind of reminds me of the Gone series, and the new character Starkey is kind of like the psychopath who’s trying to take Conner’s place.

The only complaint I have is the format of chapters. It took me days to read because there’s no space really between chapters. Only in the parts.

I recommend this series to anyone who likes a good dystopia of a scary future.

Cover Art Review: Creepy shattered Frankenstein face! That’s Cam! I like the title type face, though. I don’t like the red author bar.

 

~Haley G

The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

Series: The Blood Journals (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Magic, supernatural, love, Kansas

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 419 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Random House

Summary/ product description: “Paranormal romance fans who are looking to up the ante will be drawn to this tale of horror, fantasy, and romance. For Mab Prowd, the practice of blood magic is as natural as breathing. It's all she's ever known. Growing up on an isolated farm in Kansas with other practitioners may have kept her from making friends her own age, but it has also given her a sense of purpose—she's connected to the land and protective of the magic. And she is able to practice it proudly and happily out in the open with only the crows as her companions. Mab will do anything to keep the ancient practice alive and guard its secrets. But one morning while she is working out a particularly tricky spell she encounters Will, a local boy who is trying to exorcise some mundane personal demons. He experiences Mab's magic in a way his mind cannot comprehend and is all too happy to end their chance meeting. But secrets that were kept from Mab by the earlier generations of blood magicians have come home to roost. And she and Will are drawn back together, time again by this dangerous force looking to break free from the earth and reclaim its own dark power.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: The story takes place 5 years after the events of Blood Magic, the first book. There was some short story called Crow Memory, about Reese turning into crows, that I didn’t get to read. I felt a little lost at the beginning because the new characters. I wanted to figure out who they were, who they were related to. It’s very strange that Silla and  Nick are already graduating college, so is this in the future, or was Blood Magic in the past (like 2008) while this is the present (2012)? Despite that, I enjoyed the book. Will’s an awesome character. I love his relationship with his dogs, Valkyrie and Havoc. Funny names for two female German Shepherds. Mab’s a bit weird because of how she was raised, but all the magic was very cool. I think it’s dumb that Ben want to push Will to be a Marine. Why Marine? Is there anyone out there with a death wish. Why not navy or air force. Less risk involved. It just seems very unrealistic that a brother would push his younger brother to be a Marine after all the death he’s seen and people he’s killed. Usually Marines come out of war with PTSD, or very bad nightmares, at least. They wouldn’t want that for their siblings.

What I loved about this story were the descriptions. It was very visual, show and not tell. The mysterious magic and scenery of the Kansas prairie and farmland. I love books that have magical rural setting. Blood Magic was more suburban (even though Will lives in a suburb of Kansas City).

This book reminded me of Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore, and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. So if you liked those magic witch/magic user books, then you might like this one. Blood magic is a realistic kind of magic. For all we know it could be real, and the author might know something most of us don’t.

Cover Art Review: So much more fitting that the old cover! Very occult/American Gothic.  I like how it looks like it was carved into the wood, and filled with blood.

 

~Haley G

The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

Release Date: September 25

Series: The Blessed (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Saints, sainthood, religion, supernatural, humor, New York

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: (about) 408 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary/ product description: “From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.”

My Rating: êêê1/2

My Review: This book was discouragingly confusing at first. I really wasn’t sure if I want to read it after the first 20 pages. I put it down for a few months and only picked it because I wanted to review it before it was released. And who knew, maybe it would get better as it went along. I did. Kind of. It’s was still confusing. There were no Angels, but Sebastian sounded hot. Lucy’s a media whore, Cecelia’s a rocker chic and Agnus almost killed herself over a boy. They all seemed like unlikely candidates for sainthood that I wasn’t sure how the story was going to turn out. But they changed. I did like the part about the hurricane/tornado in New York. The funny thing is that on September 9^th when I was reading this book, a tornado did touch down in Manhattan, and one in New York City. Two tornados. Coincidence? Very strange. So for a while I though the story was going an apocalyptic/dystopian route. Cicadas plague instead of locusts? Well, it didn’t completely go that way, but there was some survival while they were trapped in the church. Something to look forward to if you struggle with the first few chapters. There’s very little true paranormal stuff till the end, but I hope the next book will be better. Happy reading!

Cover Art Review: I know it’s supposed to be Lucy, but that girl looks very creepy. She looks like a possessed Dakota Fanning/Amanda Seyfreid. Those eyebrows…ick…and the pink eye shadow…eww. So what if she’s the patron saint of the blind. The title looks cool. I’m sure this will be printed on sparkly pearlized stock.

 

~Haley G

Touched by Cyn Balog

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Supernatural, psychic ability, magic, curses

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 307 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.
But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there?
In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . .”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This is probably Cyn Balog’s best yet. The story seems deeper and darker and very well thought out. Her first 3 books were just short and light. This one leaves a deeper impression. The romance is more believable, even if Nick can see what’s coming. The depiction of Nick’s ability to see his own future is interesting and overwhelming. The possibilities are endless, the decisions are hard, and if he veers of scripts, the changes can be drastic and even deadly. It kind of reminds me of the movies Next (with Nicolas Cage) and The Butterfly Effect, and towards the end, Final Destination. And then the ending (last 20 pages or so) was happy and less exciting. I figured Nan would do that. I really did like the characters though. Taryn was funny and sassy, always saying “Duh.” Nick was very self-deprecating, and had low-self-esteem. He was relatable, but in an extreme situation. As far as stand-alones go, it wrapped up pretty nicely, but the climax was rushed, and the after-the-fact dragged on a bit too long. I really enjoyed this. And I also like the Seaside setting with the carnival. I think it might be the same area that Starstruck was set in. This makes it a great end-of summer-read

Note: This book was titled Living Backwards, but the author changed it to Touched before it was published.

Cover Art Review: Really nice and mysterious. That carnival looks really creepy. I love Cliff Nielson’s illustrations! He also did the Mortal Instruments covers. He’s awesome.

~Haley G

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Genera: Survival Fiction/Contemporary/Realistic

Subjects: Survival, love, ocean, sharks

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 231 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: MacMillan: Feiwel & Friends

Summary/ product description: “Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.
And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: This book was a fast, short read. A few words to describe the book: realistic and educational. I think I learned a lot about albatrosses and tiger shark and or sea creatures in this book. It might have been an info dump, but I like learning cool facts about animals. And I learned a lot about surviving in the open ocean. I’ve never been to the ocean, so I probably will never need it. Most of the story seemed inconsequential, but there were some interesting part. The chapters were short, at least. This book reminded me of Survive by Alex Morel, only I liked the main character Robie a lot better. She’s funny and smart and not depressed or suicidal. Max seemed okay. This book is not for the wary travelers out there. I’ve never rode a plane before, and this story got me a bit freaked out, but it’s not like I’m going to be on a plane anytime soon. I wish there were more YA books set in interesting places like Hawaii or Midway. The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse was set on an island, and was a very exciting read. This book was realistic and not dystopian. It mentions The Hunger Games in here though. The book’s a quick read, so check it out at your library, but I don’t recommend buying it. Also check out The Compound and The Gardener, also by the same author. The Compound was very interesting.

Cover Art Review: The photo is pretty good. It shows what the book’s about. If only it had a guy on it too, because it looks very depressing without him.

 

~Haley G

Reaper by K.D. McEntire

Series: Lightbringer (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Ghosts, spirit, afterlife, reapers, supernatural

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 341 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Prometheus Books (PYR)

Summary/ product description: “After the death of her mother, Wendy learns that she is part of a powerful and ancient family of Reapers. She has only a matter of days to unravel the mysteries her mother left behind and to convince her wary family to accept her as one of their own.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This series can get a little confusing because there are different kinds of ghost, but it’s pretty good otherwise. It’s a unique Reaper series. I love most of the characters, but I don’t care for Piotr. He can’t remember his past, and I’m not sure how to say his name. Peter? Pee-tree? And his dialogue is kind of boring. I only have room in my heart for one Russian male lover interest. Dimka from VA!!! <3 …Wendy’s funny and awesome, a lot like Ellie from Angelfire. I wish Piotr was more like Will. Elle’s flapper talk may annoy some people, but I think it’s funny. I had no idea all those phrases came from the 20’s. And Eddie! The Jewish guy-friend, who’s in a coma and out of his body. He’s so funny. Way better than Piotr. Then there’s Jon and Chel, the bro and sis of Wendy. I knew they weren’t just normal!

I think it was awesome to find out more about the reaper. There’s new characters that knew Wendy’s mom. Jane and Emma. The let her borrow a book, offer to train her even though she’s a natural. You’ll find out later if you read it.

I recommend this book series if you like the Angelfire series (Courtney Allison Moulton) or any Reaper paranormal romance books, like Once Dead, Twice Shy or Soul Screamers.

The plot was just great until the end….

OH MY GOD WHAT A HORRIBLE CLIFF HANGER!!!! NOOO!!!!! LIIIIVVVEEEE!!!!!!!!

Cover Art Review: I know the guy on the cover is supposed to be Piotr, with a spirit web, he looks like a middle-aged, Asian zombie, not a late teen/early 20’s Russian hottie. The hands look really weird and sick. I know it’s a painting, but it’s just odd.

 

~Haley G

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Series: Glitch (bk. 1)

Genera: Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: Technology, love, resistance to government

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 320 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: MacMillan (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Summary/ product description: “In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This book did not leave a good first impression. The dialogue was horrible, boringly formal. It wasn’t till Adrien came into the picture that things started to pick up, and then the dropped off when Zoe forgot everything. Despite the bad parts, the good parts made a really great impression that left me excited for the next book. The last 50 pages are the most action packed crazy-awesome ending that I’ve read in maybe months.

Zoe may seem clueless about everything at first. The drone-people world seemed depressingly boring. The lack of emotion really put a damper on the story, but when there was emotion, it was exciting. Sure, the character Max didn’t handle his emotions toward Zoe very well, but Zoe and Adrien’s romance was beautiful. I really liked Adrien’s slag/swears.

I wish they got more into the Resistance’s members and stuff, but that’s probably book 2. To wrap it up: Bad Start, Awesome End. Don’t get discouraged by the first 30-50 or so pages!

Books similar to this book: Possession by Elana Johnson: These books has a ton of stuff in common. Brainwashing, main guy love interest is part of the Resistance, characters with special abilities. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: characters with special abilities in a dystopian world. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid: Technology and programing on the human mind, main character adapts and gets special ability. So many dystopian books out there, there’s bound to be very similar story lines. The whole non-emotion thing also reminded me of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda.

Cover Art Review: This cover’s awesome. I love the colors. The typography and tech-designs are amazing.

 

~Haley G

Survive by Alex Morel

Genera: Survival-Contemporary

Subjects: Survival, suicidal depression, mountains.

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 259 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin (Razorbill)

Summary/ product description: “Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening
Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.
Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: This book was good, but it just felt too short. It was a very quick read. It wasn’t dystopian or sci-fi. It was survival. Like Bear Grylls’ Man vs. Wild, but will a suicidal teenage girl and a snowboarder boy. I didn’t like Jane’s obsessive planning an attempt at suicide, but I did like that once the plane crash she tried to stay alive. This is a book with a good message and theme. There’s action and mountains and blizzards. I recommend this to people who like survival stories. If you read and like the following books: On A Dark Wing by Jordan Dane, which has mountaineering in it, or This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers, which had a suicidal girl surviving in it. If you like survival movies like Vertical Limit or 127 hours, you might like this. It’s great to find a non-sci-fi/paranormal/fantasy book that I was able to enjoy. It just felt to short and kind of incomplete. There should have been more Paul in it. There wasn’t much romance, sadly. It is a stand-alone, just to clarify.

Cover Art Review: I love the colors, but there’s a mistake in the title. The first V was improperly sliced. It was erased incorrectly. I wonder if the designer noticed this. I doubt it was done on purpose. Other than that, it’s good.

 

~Haley G

Auracle by Gina Rosati

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Astral projection, supernatural, out-of-body-experience, psychic ability, possession, spirits, death, afterlife

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 298 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: MacMillan (Roaring Press)

Summary/ product description: “16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.
When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: Even if it took me four days to finish (because I was busy, tired and read slower), I really absolutely enjoyed this book. This book was very unique, especially the plot. I loved Anna’s ability to astral project. I know that if I could do what she does, I would use it to visit places around the world to, but for now I’ll stick to Google Earth. Anna’s personality was pretty exciting. She wasn’t the depressed or overly rebellious characters that I’m used to seeing in books with an abusive/alcoholic parent. I guess that’s partly because she relieved her stress with astral projection and Rei, her best friend. I really like Rei. I don’t care if he is overly perfect (in one review, someone said he had the Edward Cullen Complex). He’s just a great guy, whose half-Asian, with a Tiger Mom (pushy Asian mother who want her kid to be very successful). I really think that the characters were well done, and I’m going to miss them since this is a stand-alone book. Taylor as an antagonist wasn’t pure evil. She was a vengeful spirit, angry at life, and she took over Anna’s body. It’s very mean of her to blame Seth for her death. She needs to realize it was her own fault for not being careful. Seth should’ve gone to the police, rather than run. The whole plot was well thought-up and planned. It amazed me. It wasn’t totally predictable. There was one event at the ending that I did not see coming.

I still really wish this could be a series. Anna’s energy powers reminded me of Ever’s from the Immortals series, except in an opposite kind of way. I think that Anna and Rei deserve more stories. Or, at least write another book as awesome as this one with another astrally psychic/Auracle character. I want the Auracle series. Make the next book’s cover pink or purple or even gold!

Cover Art Review: I absolutely love this cover. There’s no special effects to the paper, it’s just glossy, but the way that it’s photo-shopped and color is enough. It reminds me of the cover of Awake At Dawn by C.C. Hunter. I LOVE THE TITLE!!! Sparkly glitter inside a san-serif.

Here's the fanart I made for it with my Wacom tablet:

 

~Haley G

False Memory by Dan Krokos

Series: False Memory (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi/Action Adventure thriller

Subjects: genetic engineering, cloning, psychic ability, Ohio

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 336 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description: “Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.

Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.

Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future.

Dan Krokos’ debut is a tour-de-force of non-stop action that will leave readers begging for the next book in this bold and powerful new series.”

My Review: I really enjoyed this book. False Memory was exciting, thrilling and mysterious.  Because Miranda can’t remember her past, we get to learn everything with her, and wonder who can be trusted. I love the idea of genetic engineered teens with superpower/psych abilities, but these characters have 1 ability: to create mass panic.  For the most part, the evil scientist stuff reminded of Maximum Ride. And it surprisingly was not dystopian. This is set in the present (so is MR). It also reminded me a bit of the TV show Dollhouse, because the imprinted false memories. And at one point (the Beta Team) it reminded me of a book I just read called Glitch. The tattoo is kind of like the V-chip

I also enjoyed the characters. Miranda was tough, even with amnesia. Peter is so hot. I am totally Team Peter. Noah’s okay. I wish we had more of Olive. I think she’s Asian, and she’s nice and sisterly toward Miranda, even if Miranda doesn’t remember her. I want to find out more about their past, because I was a little confused, but got most of it.  

Cover Art Review: I love this cover. The illustration is awesome. The blue energy stuff looks cool. The title face is a combination of slab serif and sanserif. It’s matte, with metallic accents. In inside cover is light blue and black.