In My Mailbox (47) & MIA Explanation

In My Mailbox
IMM is a weekly meme hosted and created by Kristie at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

BookMooch (Loved this series as a kid!)
~Mandie and the Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard
~Mandie and the Cherokee Legend by Lois Gladys Leppard
~Mandie and the Ghost Bandits by Lois Gladys Leppard
~Mandie and the Forbidden Attic by Lois Gladys Leppard

For Review from Author
~Ghost Ride by Marina Cohen

For Review from Simon and Schuster
~ARC Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

For Review from HarperTeen
~Love Sucks by Melissa Francis (Does anyone have a copy of the first book, Bite Me, that they don't want?)

Won from Pure Imagination
~Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
~$15 iTunes GC

~~~~~~~

First off I'd like to apologize for being MIA this week. I left for Columbia, SC Sunday to go stay with my dad and just got back yesterday. I had limited access to the internet and I'm afraid I didn't really get much reading done. XD On the plus side, I got to spend time with my dad, enjoy a Crab Lover's Trio at Red Lobster, and go to the Riverbanks Zoo. I got some good, and not so good but funny, pictures while there. It was my second time ever going to a zoo; the first time I went was in Pre-K and, oddly enough, it was to the same zoo. I'll do a post with some pictures tomorrow or Monday if you want to see some.

Anywho, needless to say I was glad to come home and find all these lovely books waiting for me. I hope all of you have had a great week and received some awesome books as well. :D

Author Interview: Eric Luper

Hello everyone and welcome! I recently had the chance to interview Eric Luper, author of the YA novel Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto, which is a more recent favorite of mine. If you haven't read it yet, you should. Now for the interview....

~~~~~~~~
The Book Pixie: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Eric Luper: I’m originally from northern New Jersey, but currently call Albany NY home. I’ve been writing in earnest for ten years during which time I’ve written four publishable novels and lots of unpublishable stuff. When I’m not writing, I’m typically hanging out with my family in Lake George, reading or… well, usually I’m writing.

TBP: Give us a brief description of your book.

EL: SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO is a book about one teen’s attempt to figure out what love is, why love is and why we’re stupid enough to keep going back for more. In the wake of getting dumped by his girlfriend and seeing his father out with a woman who is not his mother, Seth begins a podcast called The Love Manifesto to figure it all out. Of course, life never turns out the way we expect and everything unravels more and more culminating at the big father/son golf tournament.

TBP: Did you put any of your own characteristics into creating Seth? If so, which ones?

EL: I’d say all of my characters have a bit of me in them. I like to think of my characters as reflections of different aspects of myself.

TBP: In Seth Baungartner's Love Manifesto, love is often compared to 'the worst chicken sandwich ever'. What inspired this particular metaphor?

EL: That comparison didn’t come about until later in the game. I had Audrey bringing around these terrible chicken salad sandwiches but I had no idea why she was doing it. Only when I got to the end did it all become clear to me. These particular chicken salad sandwiches had meaning!

TBP: How did you go about choosing which songs to include in Seth's podcast?

EL: That was a constant work-in-progress through the course of writing the book. I had different podcast transcripts and the challenge became finding contemporary songs that matched thematically for intro and outro songs. I can’t tell you how many times I changed the songs around. Subsequent to the release of the book, other better songs have come out! Aaargh!

TBP: Are you currently working on anything else?

EL: My next novel is for middle grade readers. It’s called JEREMY BENDER VS THE CUPCAKE CADETS. It’s the story of two 6th grade boys who decide to masquerade as what amounts to girl scouts in order to enter a competition with a large cash award. Of course, they discover being a girl isn’t as easy as they thought!

TBP: Who is a YA author you'd love to co-write a book with?

EL: I think I would pick a female author to co-write a book with. Something with alternating points of view. Someone who writes contemporary realistic fiction. Maybe Lauren Myracle, E. Lockhart, Rachel Cohn or Maryrose Wood. That would be so much fun.

TBP: If today was your last day, how would you spend it and why?

EL: I would definitely spend it with my kids, probably running up my credit cards as quickly as possible.

TBP: What would you consider to be the theme song of your life and why?

EL: This is an impossible question to answer because different songs apply to different times in my life. If I had to pick one single song, I’d have to say “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi. Heck, you can’t go wrong with lyrics like “I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd; You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud!” Plus, I’m from New Jersey and everyone from New Jersey has a Bon Jovi story.

TBP: Anything else you'd like to add?

EL: Only that I feel blessed to be able to do what I get to do every day. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~

Well that's it everyone. I hope you all enjoyed this interview and please feel free to comment. Also a HUGE thanks to Eric Luper for letting me interview him.

If you would like to learn more about his novel, Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto, you can check out my Review and my Noteworthy Passages. Hope all of your weeks are off to a great start.

In My Mailbox (46)

In My Mailbox
IMM is a weekly meme hosted and created by Kristie at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

From BookMooch
~The Possibility of Fireflies by Dominique Paul

For Review from Author
~Signed! Arson by Estevan Vega
~Two signed Arson bookmarks

For Review from Simon & Schuster
~ARC Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
~Clockwork Angel poster
~Clockwork Angel notebook with purple pouch

From One of My Awesometastic Blog BFFs, Taschima
~ARC The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood
~ARC The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
~ARC Firelight by Sophie Jordan
~ARC Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
~ARC The Call (The Magnificent Twelve) by Michael Grant
~Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
~Swaggy goodness

~~~~~~~

You should have seen me when I found the shiny purple enevelope from S&S behind my door. I got all wide-eyed and was like, "Ooooo shiny! Pretty color! Must tear open NOW!" Lol. And then when I got my books from Taschima today I was so frikin excited! All in all, it was a terrific book week for me.

I hope you all managed to get some great books as well! Have a lovely Saturday. :D

Noteworthy Passages: The Broken Lake

The Broken Lake (ARC) by Shelena Shorts
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing, LLC
Release Date: August 19th, 2010
Pages: 304
Age Level: YA
Series: Book #2 in The Pace series

Disclaimer: Please note that this is an ARC and passages and quotes below are subject to change in the final copy

Synopsis via GoodReads
In the aftermath of Sophie's ordeal, Weston will make some uncharacteristic decisions to distance himself from the past in an attempt to change the future.

But, while venturing into the improbable, the present sneaks up in a chilling way that will lead to Wes' unexpected submission. Suddenly, Sophie will find herself watching as both his immortal secret and his own existence are threatened.

Continuously intriguing, The Broken Lake takes readers to a place where eternal bonds confront a division that is sure to leave everyone wondering whom they can trust.

Noteworthy Passages

Sophie; pg. 88-89
Once I relaxed, I felt weightless. He was floating on his back effortlessly and I was lying on top of him like he was a raft. I propped myself up on my forearms and studied his calm, perfect face in the sunlight. His eyes were closed and I could see he was completely comfortable and relaxed. I looked around the panoramic view of the lake and couldn't help but feel relaxed too.

Sophie; pg 212
I realized then, that not only was he mine to love forever, he was mine to care for forever. He needed me as much, if not more, than I needed him, and lying there together made me see that.
As perfect and indestructible as he was physically, he was vulnerable emotionally. And this was what I was there for. This is what he'd been missing for decades, someone to love him and care for him in a way that made him willing to give up everything for that person. In the way that I did.

~~~~~~~~

Don't you just love those?! I just absolutely adored both these passages and I hope you do too. If this isn't enough to convince you to read this series, or if you'd just like to learn more, then check out the following links. :D

Review: The Pace
Noteworthy Passages: The Pace
Review: The Broken Lake
Author Interview: Shelena Shorts
Guest Post: Shelena Shorts

Thanks for stopping by and happy friday everyone!










PLEASE NOTE: This is a feature hosted here at my blog in which I present you with selected passages or quotes that I deem Noteworthy from a book I've just reviewed. My hopes are of course, that these passages will make you want to pick the book up and read it. This feature was started and created by me in January in hopes of making my blog more unique. That being said, I would like to kindly request that you do not use this feature as it was intended to be for my blog only and is not a meme. If you see some one else using it, please know it is without my permission. Thank you.

Review: The Broken Lake

The Broken Lake (ARC) by Shelena Shorts
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing, LLC
Release Date: August 19th, 2010
Pages: 304
Age Level: YA
Series: Book #2 in The Pace series

Synopsis via GoodReads
In the aftermath of Sophie's ordeal, Weston will make some uncharacteristic decisions to distance himself from the past in an attempt to change the future.

But, while venturing into the improbable, the present sneaks up in a chilling way that will lead to Wes' unexpected submission. Suddenly, Sophie will find herself watching as both his immortal secret and his own existence are threatened.

Continuously intriguing, The Broken Lake takes readers to a place where eternal bonds confront a division that is sure to leave everyone wondering whom they can trust.

Review (Completely Spoiler Free)
Shelena Shorts captivates my mind and soul once again with her second book in The Pace series, The Broken Lake. It was easily just as awesome, if not better than, it's predecessor. This is a riveting, keenly crafted series that just seems to keep getting better.

Shorts really created a great heroine in Sophie; I felt she not only continued to grow as a character but also that my connection with her grew as well. The same goes for Wes whom I just fell even more in love with than before and his personality really seemed to develop more. And as far as the pairing of Sophie and Wes as a couple goes, I think they are perfect together. What I love so much about the two of them is how they both need and look after each other instead of one always being the hero; both of them are strong and vulnerable in their own ways and I feel they compliment each other very well. They are easily one of my, if not my number one, favorite couples in young adult literature.

The Broken Lake starts out at a casual pace and then gradually quickens, building up suspense until it reaches it's ultimate and satisfying climax towards the end. That's one thing I really love about Shorts' books, they are brilliantly plotted. When I would be reading this book I would tell myself I'd finish the chapter I was on and then stop but I never did. I was always compelled to move on to the next chapter and then the next. I was glad to see the continuation of both the scientific and spiritual elements that make this series so unique and the writing continued to be beautifully done.

Can I just say that Shorts has got to be the queen of awesome cliffhanger endings! Seriously, this woman knows how to leave me with my eye twitching like a loony waiting for the next book to come out.

All I can say now is that Shelena Shorts sure has done it again with The Broken Lake and I give her two thumbs way, way up. This series is just so refreshing, gripping, and expertly crafted; if you haven't tried The Pace yet then I highly suggest you get to it soon. This is a series that should not be missed. I just can't believe I'm going to have to wait so long for The Iron Quill to come out.

Grade
Characters: A-
Writing: B+
Plot: A
Ending: A
#2 in Series: A
Enjoyment/Likability: A
Recommendable: A+

Overall: A

Cover: B+

Curious what I thought about The Pace? Read my review HERE.

Author Interview: Emma Michaels

Long time no interview, eh? I know, I know. I'm sorry it has been so long since I posted an author interview. Luckily I had the chance to interview author Emma Michaels recently. Her debut YA novel, The Thirteenth Chime, will be releasing on August 13th.

~~~~~~~~
The Book Pixie: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Emma Michaels: Well, as everyone as heard about by now "The Thirteenth Chime" is my debut novel. I'm twenty years old, I adore nature yet I'm still a city girl at heart. I grew up in California, but I moved to Washington State a little over two years ago. I adore my Chihuahua, love my fiance, and I'm very open to a good piece of chocolate or literature. I enjoy doing Yoga, anything involving boats and I'm very excited about the opportunity of getting to see more of the US while on my book tour (I will keep hoping!).

TBP: Please give us a brief description of your book.

EM: "The Thirteenth Chime" is about the bond between two people, Destiny and David, who were once romantically involved but have since gone their separate ways. Destiny has a fiance now, and during a spring break vacation with her friend Stephanie, her friend is attacked and sent along with her friend's mother to the hospital. With little to no help from the police, the only person Destiny can turn to is David. However, a madman filled with darkness created a trap almost fifty years ago, and Destiny and David are about to unwittingly walk into the nightmare of "The Thirteenth Chime". Resolving their differences and finding strength in the renewed bond between them will be the only thing standing between them and the darkness that is waiting to swallow them whole.

TBP: What inspired the idea for the story behind The Thirteenth Chime?

EM: The story was born from an experience I had late one night on the island where I live. We had a terrible storm that was hitting our area and it had knocked out the power. We went to our neighbors and we were sharing a few candles for light. The lightning flashed outside and thunder shook the house. A moment later, the old grandfather clock within the house began to chime. The sound echoed throughout the house and it made me jump. I unconsciously reached out for someone's hand, desiring a bond in that moment. It was then within my heart and mind that the idea for "The Thirteenth Chime" was born.

TBP: What does it feel like to be published at such a young age, 20?

EM: Wonderful! Now the hard part begins - getting up on the "New York Times Bestseller's List", working hard on my career, and continuing to give my readers the kind of literature they want to read. But I promise all potential fans that if they enjoy my writing, I will continue to write for as long as they want me to write. They are also going to LOVE what I have planned in the future, not just within the novels but overall.

TBP: What are your aspirations as an author?

EM: My aspirations are to continue to write for as long as my fans ask for more. I want to be on the "New York Times Bestseller's List" and to get to the top and stay there. I really love writing and I am hoping that my books will help others the way that both reading and writing have helped me!

TBP: What are three of your favorite YA books?

EM: I am a definite Tamora Pierce fan so basically any three of her novels but this year there have been a lot of new novels I have loved that just might change my favorites list in the future.

TBP: You murdered a celebrity. Who was it and why?

EM: Well, if I had done it, you would never know ;-)

TBP: If you could turn into any animal, which animal would it be and why?

EM: An owl. I love owls and it would be so amazing to fly. Plus, then I would have an excuse to be sleepy during the daytime! *laughs* I would choose a Wolf but I would be too scared that I might end up being hunted. So Owl it is.

TBP: So I hear your engaged. Who's the lucky guy? Care to share some of the wedding plans?

EM: His name is Michael and he has been really supportive of me in pursuing my literary career. He and I are still working out the details. He has been really great and willing to put our plans on hold for a bit while I pursue my career. Best of all, he is a really great cook and we compliment each others' strengths and shortcomings, so it's been really great getting to share all of this with him. I don't know how public I'll make the wedding plans, but he shared an interesting and very sweet idea a few days ago that fans might think is really cool, so keep an eye out on my blog and website in the future!

TBP: Is there anything else you'd like to say before you go?

EM: Simply that I appreciate the amazing support I have received and truly hope that you all will love The Thirteenth Chime! Reading has meant so much to me in my life and it helped me in so many ways. I want to be able to help others in those ways too. I truly hope that you enjoy The Thirteenth Chime and together we can do anything, even achieve my goal of being a blogger who makes it to the New York Times Best Sellers List! I can't do it without you!

~~~~~~~

I would first like to thank Emma for letting me interview her. Secondly, I'd like to thank all of you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the interview and will leave any comments you may have in the comments section. :D

In My Mailbox (45)

In My Mailbox
IMM is a weekly meme hosted and created by Kristie at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

Won from Strange and Random Happenstance
~The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

So that's all I got in the mail folks. I hope you all managed to come away with some great books and are enjoying your weekend.

Noteworthy Passages: And Then Everything Unraveled

And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman
Publisher: Point
Pub. Date: July 1st, 2009
Pages: 244
Age Level: YA

Synopsis from GoodReads
Delia Truesdale has no idea her life's about to change forever. She's too busy enjoying the California summer. Her internet tycoon mother, T.K. Truesdale, is out of town, and that means Delia can spend all her time at the beach, surfing. That is, until everything unravels.

Her mother suddenly goes missing, and everyone thinks she's dead - except Delia, who knows T.K.'s way too organized to simply disappear. But Delia's still sent to New York to live with her two aunts - a downtown bohemian and an uptown ice queen.

And in case that's not bad enough, she also has to deal with a snooty new school and trying not to fall for the wrong guy. Oh, and finding her mother.

As she delves deeper into the tangle of conspiracies and lies surrounding T.K.'s disappearance, Delia begins to suspect that the wrong guy may be the right guy...and that some secrets - especially the dangerous ones - were never meant to be unraveled.

Noteworthy Passages

Delia & Charley; pg. 33-34
"Who's the Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side? And who're the Flying Monkeys?
"Your other aunt and her kids," said Charley. "Patty's twins, Gwyneth and Grey. That's Grey with an E -- they went for the British spelling, just in case the name itself wasn't pretentious enough. But don't worry. We're safe for now. I never give out my home phone number, and especially not to family."
The words were no sooner out of her mouth than the land-line phone on a side table started to ring. Charley jumped, startled, then she snatched up the receiver and checked the screen. "How?" she cried. "How does she do it? Nobody has this number. It's unlisted. I'm not even sure I know what it is."

Delia & Charley; pg 131
You'll have to skip your last class, but I'm guessing you won't mind," she said.
"No, that's okay. It's drama, but we meet every day so it's not a big deal."
"Drama? Are you sure? Why don't I reschedule it for when you can miss something better? What time is physics? Or what about gym? When's gym?"

~~~~~~~~

And Then Everything Unraveled was a very charming read and I hope you enjoyed the passages I chose. Don't forget to check out my Review if you haven't already. :D









PLEASE NOTE: This is a feature hosted here at my blog in which I present you with selected passages or quotes that I deem Noteworthy from a book I've just reviewed. My hopes are of course, that these passages will make you want to pick the book up and read it. This feature was started and created by me in January in hopes of making my blog more unique. That being said, I would like to kindly request that you do not use this feature as it was intended to be for my blog only and is not a meme. If you see some one else using it, please know it is without my permission. Thank you.

Review: And Then Everything Unraveled

And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman
Publisher: Point
Pub. Date: July 1st, 2009
Pages: 244
Age Level: 13+

Synopsis from GoodReads
Delia Truesdale has no idea her life's about to change forever. She's too busy enjoying the California summer. Her internet tycoon mother, T.K. Truesdale, is out of town, and that means Delia can spend all her time at the beach, surfing. That is, until everything unravels.

Her mother suddenly goes missing, and everyone thinks she's dead - except Delia, who knows T.K.'s way too organized to simply disappear. But Delia's still sent to New York to live with her two aunts - a downtown bohemian and an uptown ice queen.

And in case that's not bad enough, she also has to deal with a snooty new school and trying not to fall for the wrong guy. Oh, and finding her mother.

As she delves deeper into the tangle of conspiracies and lies surrounding T.K.'s disappearance, Delia begins to suspect that the wrong guy may be the right guy...and that some secrets - especially the dangerous ones - were never meant to be unraveled.

Review
Jennifer Sturman, author of mystery books for adults, branches out with her intriguing debut YA mystery, And Then Everything Unraveled.

Delia is a fairly strong and determined character, though not without faults. Sometimes I thought she was a bit naive in how she approached things and when it came to who she should trust but in a way this made her seem a bit more real because, after all, she is just 16. Another thing, it really annoyed me how she kept calling her mom T.K. instead of ever actually referring to her as mom. Other than that, I liked her pretty well. As for Quinn, well like Delia, I was often dazzled but also confused by him; I ended up really liking him in the end though. Then came Delia's aunts, Charley and Patience, who were polar opposites but together made for a humorous combination.

And Then Everything Unraveled was very fast paced and well plotted. It's been a while since I've read a mystery and this one, though occasionally predictable, really grabbed my attention and made me keep the pages turning. I also loved the originality of the mystery and how environmental aspects are subtly incorporated. There was also some humor and a touch of romance to spice things up. The writing wasn't anything spectacular but it was good enough and I didn't find anything particularly wrong with it though nothing really made it stand out either.

I will admit, the end surprised me a little bit because my opinion of someone turned out to be wrong. Which is odd cause ya'll know I'm never wrong. *jokes* It was definitely enough though to leave me looking forward to the next book.

In the end, And Then Everything Unraveled was a quick, fun, and suspenseful read that I think most young adults, and even some adults, would enjoy. I recommend it and I'm looking forward to starting And Then I Found Out the Truth.

Grade
Characters: B-
Writing: C
Plot: B
Ending: B
Enjoyment/Likability: B-
Recommendable: B

Overall: B-

Cover: C (Cover loses serious brownie points with me since the girl on the cover looks nothing like Delia who is half Indian and, I'm pretty sure, has black hair. The paperback is way more accurate)

Noteworthy Passages: Before I Fall

Before I Fall (ARC) by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub. Date: March 1st, 2010
Pages: 470
Age Level: 14+

Disclaimer: Please note that this is an ARC and passages and quotes below are subject to change in the final copy.

Synopsis via GoodReads
What if you had only one day to live?
What would you do?
Who would you kiss?
And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Noteworthy Passages

Sam & Lindsay; pg. 9
"Beep, beep," Lindsay calls out. A few weeks ago my mom yelled at her for blasting her horn at six fifty-five every morning, and this is Lindsay's solution.

Sam; pg. 56
When I was little I used to do this a lot: lock myself in the bathroom and take showers so hot the mirror would cloud completely over, then stand there, watching as my face took shape slowly behind the steam, rough outlines at first, then details appearing gradually. Each time I'd think that when my face came back I would see somebody beautiful, like during my shower I'd been transformed into something brighter and better. But I always looked the same.

Sam; pg. 81
But before you start pointing fingers, let me ask you: is what I did really so bad? So bad I deserved to die? So bad I deserved to die like that?
Is what I did really so much worse than what anybody else does?
Is it really so much worse than what you do?
Think about it.

Sam & Izzy; pg. 284
"I used to lie here like this all summer long," I tell her. "I'd come up here and just stare at the sky."
She rolls over on her back so she's staring up as well. "Bet the view hasn't changed much, has it?"
What she says is so simple I almost laugh. She's right of course. "No. This looks exactly the same."
I suppose that's the secret, if you're ever wishing for things to go back to the way they were. You just have to look up.

Sam; pg. 301
If I never go to sleep, maybe today will have to turn into tomorrow. I wonder idly how long I can go without sleep before I flip my shit and start running down the street in my underwear, hallucinating purple spiders.

Sam; pg. 425-426
As we pull out of the parking lot, it occurs to me that maybe it's not so complicated at all. Most of the time - 99 percent of the time - you just don't know how and why the threads are looped together, and that's okay. Do a good thing and something bad happens. Do a bad thing and something good happens. Do nothing and everything explodes.
And very, very rarely - by some miracle of chance and coincidence, butterflies beating their wings just so and all the threads hanging together for a minute - you get the chance to do the right thing.


~~~~~~~~~~

Well there you have it folks. I've got to say, when it comes to books having good passages, this has got to be one of the most noteworthy ones I've read. If these aren't enough to convince you or if you'd just like to know more, you can check out my Review.









PLEASE NOTE: This is a feature hosted here at my blog in which I present you with selected passages or quotes that I deem Noteworthy from a book I've just reviewed. My hopes are of course, that these passages will make you want to pick the book up and read it. This feature was started and created by me in January in hopes of making my blog more unique. That being said, I would like to kindly request that you do not use this feature as it was intended to be for my blog only and is not a meme. If you see some one else using it, please know it is without my permission. Thank you.

Review: Before I Fall

Before I Fall (ARC) by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub. Date: March 1st, 2010
Pages: 470
Age Level: 14+

Synopsis via GoodReads
What if you had only one day to live?
What would you do?
Who would you kiss?
And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Review
Before I Fall is one of those rare, exceptional books that will leave you viewing the world in a whole new way once your eyes have left the pages. Lauren Oliver shows us in her stunning debut novel that not only can people change but that sometimes changing the simplest things can mean a world of difference.

In Sam, Oliver has created such a complex and dynamic character. At first I didn't really like her but that wasn't really the point. As Sam continued to relive the day of her death, I got to watch her grow into a better person; her outlook on life and the people around her, even her best friends, started to become more clear. I could see why Sam was friends with Lindsay, Elody, and Ally; they had some great, lovable qualities about them. However, Lindsay also had a bitchy quality and Elody and Ally just kind of went along with it, as did Sam for a time. Both Lindsay and Juliet were great supporting characters and there was a lot more to them both than what first meets the eye, especially Juliet. Last, but certainly not least, is Kent whom I fell madly in love with; he was just so sweet and adorable and although he was sometimes awkward, there was also an underlying strength and wisdom about him.

I have to say, Before I Fall wasn't exactly a quick read. However, except for the beginning which seemed a bit slow going for me, it was very well paced. Once I got past the slight repetitive feeling that comes natural with a main character reliving the same day, everything fell into step and I found myself anxious to find out how Sam's day would turn out this time and then the next time and so on. The story itself was just so emotionally wrought, unique, and often heart-wrenching. There were even some twists thrown in that I wasn't expecting.

Oliver has such a beautiful, almost poetic, writing style; it was gripping, relevant, thought-provoking, and descriptive all in one. Her writing is also very noteworthy as I felt she said many things worth saying in Before I Fall and she not only said them but said them well, in a way that will make me remember long after I've finished this book. Another thing, I loved how Sam would occasionally break away from telling her story to speak directly to me, the reader. This technique was well used and really helped me form a better connection with Sam.

Thanks to a very inconsiderate meany on GoodReads, I already knew how this book was going to end as far as Sam was concerned. However, I was still amazed and surprised by the ending in many ways. I know some people weren't big fans of the ending but I loved it and thought it was admirably done.

So I will say this, Before I Fall is not the kind of book to just pick up on a sheer whim; because of it's emotional depth and slightly more serious subject matter, it is one of those books I feel you really need to be in the mood for if you are too fully appreciate it's greatness. I say this because the first time I picked it up to read, I got part way through but then started another book. I know, for shame. *blushes* In the end, though, Before I Fall is a work of genius that will stick with you long after you've read it and even has the potential to change readers lives. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Grade
Characters: A-
Writing: A
Plot: B
Ending: A-
Enjoyment/Likability: B
Recommendable: A

Overall: A-

Cover: B-

A Giveaway for The Dark Divine (Not mine)

Enna Isilee over at Squeaky Books is having a contest giving away Bree Despain's The Dark Divine! Head on over to Ennalee's blog (Click Here) to find out how to win. In the meantime, check out this awesome trailer for the book!

Originally from: http://www.squeakybooks.com/2010/07/bree-despain-giveaway.html#ixzz0tcEOFedG

In My Mailbox (44)

In My Mailbox
IMM is a weekly meme hosted and created by Kristie atThe Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

From Holt InGroup
~The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry

Won from The Book Vault
~Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Won from Luxury Reading
~ARC of Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann

Won from Hooked on YA Books
~The Dark Divine Nail Polish (Had forgotten all about this so it was a bit of a surprise.)

So I got some pretty good stuff this week and I hope the rest of ya'll did as well. Have a lovely Saturday! :D

Noteworthy Passages: Wicked Girls

Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub. Date: July 1st, 2010
Pages: 416
Age Level: 13+

Synopsis
Wicked Girls is a fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials based on the real historical characters, told from the perspective of three young women living in Salem in 1692—Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam Jr.

When Ann’s father suggests that a spate of illnesses within the village is the result of witchcraft, Ann sees an opportunity and starts manifesting the symptoms of affliction. Ann looks up to Mercy, the beautiful servant in her parents' house. She shows Mercy the power that a young girl is capable of in a time when women were completely powerless. Mercy, who suffered abuse at the hands of past masters, seizes her only chance at safety. And Ann’s cousin Margaret, anxious to win the attention of a boy in her sights, follows suit. As the accusations mount against men and women in the community, the girls start to see the deadly ramifications of their actions. Should they finally tell the truth? Or is it too late to save this small New England town?

Noteworthy Passages

Narrator; pg. 1
Silent, not even the twitter
of insects. The wind stills
against a distant sky of clouds.
The cold is gray and fierce,
bitter as a widow at the grave.
The trees' bare bony fingers
point crookedly
toward Heaven or Hell
or worse than that, toward nowhere.

Incantation of the Girls; pg. 143
Sour voices on the wind
name us liars, say we sin.
Listen not
to girls but men.

For the witches we do name
pass their days in public shame
or come from families
Putnams blame.

So if we girls shall keep our place
we'll see some witches none can trace,
folk we've never
seen of face.

Mercy Lewis; pg. 214
Out the window an owl,
the king of the night,
blinks his gray-green eyes.
He cries plaintive hoots,
then spreads his wings
and twists his sorrowful neck,
as though he might dive
from his perch
and bury himself
once and for all
in the underbrush.

Mercy Lewis; pg. 328
Though the mosquitoes
bite fierce and the hour falls
deep in the belly of the night,
I do sneak from the house.
I cannot be contained.
I crunch through the thicket.
I pat my thigh
three times calling
for the ghost of my dog,
the only one who really cared
for me in this town,
now rotting in a shallow grave.
I faint back into leaves
loosed from fat-trunked trees
and bury myself.
I wish to find family
somewhere, even if it's underground.

~~~~~~~~

The last one, from pg. 328, was my absolute favorite; there was something about it that was just so lyrically haunting, chilling, and sad. Hope these passages will make you want to pick up the book and in case you haven't read it yet, you can check out my review HERE.









PLEASE NOTE: This is a feature hosted here at my blog in which I present you with selected passages or quotes that I deem Noteworthy from a book I've just reviewed. My hopes are of course, that these passages will make you want to pick the book up and read it. This feature was started and created by me in January in hopes of making my blog more unique. That being said, I would like to kindly request that you do not use this feature as it was intended to be for my blog only and is not a meme. If you see some one else using it, please know it is without my permission. Thank you.

Review: Wicked Girls

Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub. Date: July 1st, 2010
Pages: 416
Age Level: 13+

Synopsis
Wicked Girls is a fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials based on the real historical characters, told from the perspective of three young women living in Salem in 1692—Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam Jr.

When Ann’s father suggests that a spate of illnesses within the village is the result of witchcraft, Ann sees an opportunity and starts manifesting the symptoms of affliction. Ann looks up to Mercy, the beautiful servant in her parents' house. She shows Mercy the power that a young girl is capable of in a time when women were completely powerless. Mercy, who suffered abuse at the hands of past masters, seizes her only chance at safety. And Ann’s cousin Margaret, anxious to win the attention of a boy in her sights, follows suit. As the accusations mount against men and women in the community, the girls start to see the deadly ramifications of their actions. Should they finally tell the truth? Or is it too late to save this small New England town?

Review
Enthralling and lyrically portrayed, Wicked Girls raises the bar for YA historical fiction with it's elegant writing, insightful alternating points of view, mesmerizing premise and exceptionally thorough research.

One of the first things I noticed about the girls involved in the Salem Witch Trials was how shockingly similar their intricate emotions and complex motives were to teen girls in the here and now. Somehow Hemphill managed to make her characters seem not only relevant but real and authentic, almost as though she had actually met them, rather than fictionalizing their personalities. It makes me wonder if she happened to stumble across their ghosts while researching for Wicked Girls. Though the various girls all had their own reasons for claiming ‘Affliction’ and crying "Witch!" , as a whole it seemed to be mostly about having influence, belonging, and for once in their lives, having a voice. This, believe it or not, actually made me sympathize for the characters despite the horrid consequences of their fervent and thoughtless actions. There were two characters I particularly found fascination with. The first was Mercy, one of the narrators; oh the nightmares this girl went through. The second was Elizabeth whom I couldn't help but feel was unwillingly dragged into everything and in a way, was truly tormented.

One small problem I found with Wicked Girls was that it seemed to get repetitive at times. I do, however, believe this is probably because Hemphill was trying to avoid over embellishing and dressing up the actual historical events to maintain close accuracy and I applaud her for this. Wicked Girls was truly gripping and unique in it's premise leaving me drawn into the richly depicted lives of these girls, eagerly anticipating what would become of them. This brings me to my next point; at the end of the book, Hemphill has actually included notes on not only what happened to the real girls who accused and were involved in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 but also what happened to the real people that they accused of being witches. These sections along with her Author's Notes and a bibliography go to show Hemphill put a lot of hard work into making sure she got her facts straight; of course some things were changed 'for storytelling purposes' which is perfectly understandable.

At first, I wasn't all to sure about the author's decision to write this novel in verse and I'll admit that it took me a short time to get adjusted to the dialect. Once I did, though, I was able to let myself sink into the beautifully, poetic style that this book was meant to be written in; a wise decision on Hemphill's part.

I wasn't ever really sure how this book was going to end or what would happen to our dear, twisted leading ladies but I can honestly say I was fairly satisfied by how everything was brought to a close. Also, as I said above, getting to know what happened to the real people after the Salem Witch Trials was not only informative but intriguing as well.

All in all, Wicked Girls has true award winning qualities. I realize this book may not be everyone's cup of tea but I highly recommend it anyway, particularly to fans of historical fiction. Though this book is considered YA, I can easily see it being read and loved by adults. This is definitely a book I'll be hanging onto.

Grade
Characters: A-
Writing: B+
Plot: B
Ending: B+
Enjoyment/Likability: B-
Recommendable: B

Overall: B

Cover: B+

In My Mailbox (43)

In My Mailbox
IMM is a weekly meme hosted and created by Kristie at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

From Shelena for Review
~Signed ARC of The Broken Lake by Shelena Shorts

From HarperCollins
~Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

Well, that's all for this week. I'm half way through Wicked Girls so be expecting a review on it soon. Hope you all managed to get some great books and are having a great 4th of July weekend.

Winner Announcement

I would say, "Now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" however only 33 people entered. *glares* Seriously people? tsk tsk tsk. Well thank you to all of you who did enter.

The winner of And Then Everything Unraveled & And Then I Found Out the Truth by Jennifer Sturman is.......

RECLUSIVE BIBLIOPHILE

Congratulations. I've emailed you and you have 48 hours to reply with your address or another winner will be chosen.