In My Mailbox (84)

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.

For Review from Author (Last Week IMM)
~The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois

For Review from Olivia with HarperTeen
~ARC Supernaturally by Kiersten White (Currently reading)

Bookmooch
~ARC I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison

RAK Gifts from Ashley
~ARC Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
~ARC Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

From Macmillan (Review or Won?)
~ARC Enclave by Ann Aguirre
~Audiobook Sampler

Won Mystery Pack from Princess Bookie
~ARC Choker by Elizabeth Woods
~ARC Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
~Please Don't Be True by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

~~~~~~~~~~

Okay so since I just got the one book last week, The Queen Bee of Bridgeton, I just saved it to include in this one. So excited about Supernaturally which I've already startd. Big thanks to Ashley for the RAK gift! Oh and if anyone would like to trade for Please Don't Be True, I haven't read the other books, please email me. Hope you all got some great books this week!

Review: Moonglass

Moonglass (ARC) by Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub. Date: May 3rd, 2011
Pages 224
Age Level: 13+
Source: For review from publisher.

Synopsis via Goodreads
From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead.

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Review
With a style reminiscent of Sarah Dessen, Moonglass is a sweet, poignant contemporary novel from debut author, Jessi Kirby.

Anna was a character I connected with easily and quickly. I thought she was very realistic, as well as relatable, especially in the ways she tried to get Tyler's attention. She had a subtle but funny sense of humor and her emotions were raw and rang true. I thought Anna developed quite well throughout this story via her relationship with her dad and feelings concerning her mother's death. Despite the occasional tension between them, I loved Anna's dad and felt he was very well rounded. He was protective of Anna but really wanted what was best for her and I was glad to see his opinions on certain things regarding her alter and adapt when necessary. Next is Tyler, our romantic interest. He's charming, self-assured, and though a little jerk-ish at first, turned out to be a really sweet guy. Finally, there were supporting characters like Jillian, Joy, and even Ashley, who showed brilliant sparks of potential but just didn't get the chance to shine as much as they could have. However, there was one character I felt greatly contributed to this story, despite their seemingly minor role, was 'the crawling man'.

Moonglass was a book that kind of snuck up on me in that it started out sort of slow but, before I knew it, I was feeling fully engaged in the story. Kirby crafted a satisfying and harmonious blend of gripping internal conflict and compelling external family/relationship conflict. True, I could usually see where the majority of the plot was headed but this didn't particularly bother me and there was one part at the end that still surprised me. The oceanic, coastal setting of Moonglass makes this perfect for a summer read and has me dying to go to the beach.

Kirby's writing style was one that flowed smoothly and held a well balanced combination of both heartfelt emotion and witty humor. Her detailed and sensory descriptions of the coastal setting greatly enhanced my reading experience and I found I could almost smell the saltiness of the sea in the air and hear the waves crashing upon the shore. I also felt she did a wonderful job expressing the first person narrative.

Moonglass ended in what I thought was a very powerful and well resolved way. I felt everything worked out appropriately and I was, overall, quite pleased with the way things drew to a close.

All in all, Moonglass is a beautiful story and an impressive debut that I would easily recommend. Fans of Sarah Dessen's novels, especially The Truth About Forever, will more than likely love Moonglass and I expect to see great things from Jessi Kirby in the future.

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

Overall: B

Cover: B+

Buy Moonglass now: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository

Noteworthy Passages: Entwined

Entwined (ARC) by Heather Dixon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pub. Date: March 29th, 2011
Pages: 480
Age Level: 12+
Source: For review from publisher

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

Synopsis via Goodreads
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Noteworthy Passages

Azalea; pg. 90
The path did not end. It rose into a dainty arched bridge, leading to the center of a silver-lilac pond. The water cast dancing white reflections all about the bridge.
And, at the end of the bridge, silver vines curling over white latticework and reaching to the top of it's domed roof, stood a pavillion. Filled with dancers!
Ladies dressed in bright silks and chiffons billowing with each step. They spun and twirled, their colorful gentleman partners taking their hands and sweeping them into the dance.

Bramble; pg. 209
"And me," said Bramble, and even her pushed smile faded. "Well...me. I've got too little dowry and too much mouth. And no gentleman likes that. The King will be grateful to have anyone take me."

~~~~~~~~~~

Okay so I thought the first passage was an excellent example of imagery while the second had a touch of humor and emotion. Entwined was a great read and you can find out more on what I thought of it by checking out my Review.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

P.S. I lost my Entwined review shortly before this post and with the help of some bloggers, was able to restore it. However I lost the comments on it so if you wanna pop on over and comment, I'd appreciate it. If you had previously commented on it, let me know because I have your comments in my archives and can give it to you to repost if...you know...you want.

Buy Entwined now: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository









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.

A Discovery of Witches Giveaway!

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Publisher: Viking Adult
Pub. Date: February 8th, 2011
Pages: 579
Age Level: Adult with YA crossover appeal.

Synopsis via Goodreads
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Contest Details
Thanks to the lovely Lindsay with Penguin, one lucky winner will receive a copy of A Discovery of Witches and some awesome buttons.

Rules:
~Comments are appreciated but you must fill out the form for entry.
~Open to US and Canada
~Contest ends at 11:59PM EST on May 6th.
~Winner will have 48 hours to reply to email with mailing address, unless filled out on form, or another winner will be chosen.

Extra Entries:
You can earn +2 entries by tweeting this giveaway. Please include @thebookpixie

Fill Out This Form to Enter

Money Savin' Monday (3)

Hello everyone! It's time for the third edition of Money Savin' Mondays. To find out more on why I started this you can read the first post. If you decide to use the Money Savin' Mondays title, I'd appreciate a small mention for coming up with the name. Also, you can stay up to date on the latest bargains through out the whole week by following my new twitter @PixieBookDeals. Other bargains can also be found in sidebar. Now, onto the deals.


~For Kindle $0.99 to $5~

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~Paperbacks~

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~Hardcovers~

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Review: Entwined

Entwined (ARC) by Heather Dixon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pub. Date: March 29th, 2011
Pages: 480
Age Level: 12+
Source: For review from publisher

Synopsis via Goodreads
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Review
I would like to start this review by saying that, while I know what it is about, I have not read The Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Brothers Grimm, the story that Entwined is a retelling of. Therefor, do not expect any comparisons or analysis of how this story worked as a retelling. I will be judging Entwined solely upon itself and its individual merit.

Though I didn't connect with her immediately, Azalea turned out to be a lovely, well-balanced and developed heroine. What I grew to love about her was that while she was a strong protagonist, it wasn't in a kick-ass, in-your-face kind of manner. No, her strength was more subtle and, to me, particularly obvious in the ways that she took care of her sisters and stood up to the King. I admired that, while Azalea did have her occasional 'damsel in distress' moments, she had her heroic times as well. There was a determination and slight bit of spunk about her that contributed admirably to her personality. She also had her flaws, one being impulsiveness, which I felt made her more relatable and realistic.

There were some very distinct and well-crafted supporting characters as well. First is Bramble, the second to oldest of the twelve princesses. She's full of fire, attitude, and can be a handful but I felt she added a much appreciated humor to Entwined and I found myself loving her character. The King starts off petulant and stubborn but I really felt he grew and developed throughout out the book and, by the end, he was much more the role of the loving father than the strict King. And true, I felt the princesses did sometimes make things a touch more difficult than absolutely necessary when it came to him. Then there is Mr. Bradford, whom I really liked, but would have preferred to have seen more of as I don't feel like I was able to get a significant sense of his character. Last but far from least is Keeper. He's mysterious, devilishly handsome, and brought just the right amount of darkness to the plot. Though I knew his secret ahead of time, he still continued to intrigue and captivate me. There was just something so deliciously dangerous about him. *swoon*

Entwined is an enchanting, shimmering blend of fantasy, romance, and historical elements. Even when it was slow in the beginning, and in a few places throughout, it never failed to be compelling or enjoyable. At close to five-hundred pages, I was surprised by how quickly I was able to read Entwined. Though a bit predictable, for the most part, I didn't mind. The Palace and Silver Forest made for a most magical and intoxicating setting that came up out of the pages and wrapped itself around me before snatching me further into the book.

Dixon has a beautiful writing style that I could easily get lost in, flowing smoothly from one page to the next. With luminous and vivid descriptions, she brought me that much deeper into Azalea's life and world. In general, I liked the third-person narrative and thought it worked wonderfully. However, as per usual, it caused me to take a little longer forming a close bond with Entwined and its characters.

Okay so I pretty much knew, before I even started Entwined, that it would have a happy ending, which it did. Considering this is a fairy tale, I was fine with that. Here's, however, what I absolutely loved about the ending. After all was said and done, several of the characters had contributed to saving day and it was this collaborative effort of heroism that really made this ending for me.

All in all, Entwined is a gorgeously crafted, rich, and ever so slightly dark fairy tale that truly engaged my senses. I believe anyone who is a fan of this genre will devour and love this story. I strongly recommend Entwined and can see myself possibly reading it again later on. I'll be looking forward to Dixon releasing another book in the future.

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

Overall: B+

Cover: B+

Buy Entwined now: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository

A big thanks to HauntedOrchid and ArtsyBookishGal for helping me restore this review after I lost it on the night of April 28th. I lost previous comments though. So if you had previously commented on this review, let me know because I have your comments in my archives and can give it to you to repost if...you know...you want.

Noteworthy Passages: Accomplice

Accomplice by Valerie Sherrard
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Pub. Date: February 21st, 2011
Pages: 142
Age Level: 13+
Source: For review from publisher.

Synopsis via Goodreads
Lexie Malton is an average Vancouver teen with fairly typical issues. Her stepmother is far from her favourite person, she has a sister with special needs, and life outside the home is the usual mix of school, friends, school, and social events. But Lexie has a secret. Her ex-boyfriend, Devlin Mather, is now a heroin addict living on the street, and only Lexie knows that she's the one who put him there. Guilt makes her give in to Devlin's demands for money time and time again, even though she knows how dangerous his drug use is. Lexie finally gathers the strength to stop enabling Devlin. But when he seeks treatment for his addiction, Lexie finds herself drawn back to him, never guessing what a dark and deadly path she has just chosen. Devlin relapses, and his desperation will lead to an act that will change both of their lives forever.

Noteworthy Passages

Lexie; pg. 7
My eyes slide closed as I try to block out the reality of where I am. It doesn't help. Sometimes what's in your head is worse than what's around you.

Lexie & Ray; pg. 87
"You were never curious?" I ask.
He laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Sure," he says, "but there's curious smart and curious dumb. I like to stay in the first group. If there was a bottle of a hundred pills sitting on the table in front of you, and I told you, half of these are safe and half are deadly poison--certain death, would you take one?"
"Of course not," I say.
"Well, that's the kind of risk people take every day with heroin," he says. "Because they're curious!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope those two passages were enough to make you want to read Accomplice. For more on my thoughts, check out my Review.

Thanks for stopping by. :D

Buy Accomplice now: Amazon / Book Depository









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.

YA Anthologies Giveaway from Running Press!

Corsets and Clockwork by Trisha Telep
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Pub. Date: May 10th, 2011
Pages: 400

Synopsis via Goodreads
Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of Steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing Steampunk genre!

This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.


Truth & Dare by Liz Miles
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Pub. Date: May 10th, 2010
Pages: 400

Synopsis via Goodreads
Truth & Dare is a collection of short stories confirming the truth we all know-- high school is painful--and written for those who dare to be different. These edgy short stories are told from the point of view of the quirky, cool, but not necessarily popular teens, who are dealing with all the pressures of growing up--school, friends, music, relationships, parents, and just plain fitting in.

This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Jennifer Boylan, Sarah Rees Brennan, Cecil Castellucci, Emma Donoghue, Courtney Gillette, A.M. Homes, Jennifer Hubbard, Heidi R. Kling, Jennifer Knight, Michael Lowenthal, Liz Miles, Saundra Mitchell, Luisa Plaja, Matthue Roth, Sherry Shahan, Gary Soto, James St James, Shelley Stoehr, Sara Wilkinson, Ellen Wittlinger, and Jill Wolfson.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Contest Details
Thanks to Running Press, I have two lovely books to giveaway: Corsets & Clockwork and Truth & Dare. There will be one winner for each book. You can choose on the form which you'd most like to be entered for.

Rules:
~Comments are appreciated but you must fill out the form below to enter.
~Contest is open to US only.
~Contest will end at 11:59PM EST on May 3rd.
~Winners will have 48 hours to reply to email with their address, unless you filled it out on the form, or another winner will be chosen.

Extra Entries:
You can earn +2 entries into this contest by tweeting it. Please include @thebookpixie


Fill Out This Form to Enter

Review: Accomplice

Accomplice by Valerie Sherrard
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Pub. Date: February 21st, 2011
Pages: 142
Age Level: 13+
Source: For review from publisher.

Synopsis via Goodreads
Lexie Malton is an average Vancouver teen with fairly typical issues. Her stepmother is far from her favourite person, she has a sister with special needs, and life outside the home is the usual mix of school, friends, school, and social events. But Lexie has a secret. Her ex-boyfriend, Devlin Mather, is now a heroin addict living on the street, and only Lexie knows that she's the one who put him there. Guilt makes her give in to Devlin's demands for money time and time again, even though she knows how dangerous his drug use is. Lexie finally gathers the strength to stop enabling Devlin. But when he seeks treatment for his addiction, Lexie finds herself drawn back to him, never guessing what a dark and deadly path she has just chosen. Devlin relapses, and his desperation will lead to an act that will change both of their lives forever.

Review
Relevant and compelling, Accomplice is the story of one girl's journey to overcome the hurt and guilt brought on by her ex-boyfriend's drug addiction.

Though there were a couple of moments where her attitude was verging on bratty, in general, Lexie was likable with an appealing dry humor about her. Her guilt over Devlin being a heroin addict was understandable and while I felt she was partially accountable, another part of me still felt bad about the situation she'd ended up in. However, there were times when I would have liked to have seen Lexie take a little more control over what all was happening in her life, though I guess I can almost see why she didn't. I also couldn't seem to get a firm grasp on a connection with her. I did feel that she had come a long way since the beginning, though, and she proved to be fairly dynamic. As for Devlin, he was much like I would imagine a drug addict would be and I thought Sherrard portrayed him very adequately. My main issue with the supporting characters was the lack of development. They all possessed their own distinct personalities but I felt that the brief length of Accomplice hindered them from meeting their maximum potential. I would have really liked to have seen them grow and contribute more to the overall picture.

Accomplice begins with Lexie being driven away in handcuffs and, immediately, I'm sucked in and left wondering how she got to that point. The book then goes back to three months earlier and works it's way forward. The three months before, and then the time that comes after, flew by quickly, almost too quickly. I would have liked to have seen more build up, to have gotten a better look at Lexie's life where Devlin wasn't concerned as I think that would have helped provide me with a better connection to Lexie. Aside from that, I thought Accomplice was gritty and refreshing. I liked getting to see things from the perspective of a loved one and how it affected them to have a drug addict in their life. There was also just the right amount of suspense, keeping me swiftly turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

After reading the very beginning of Accomplice my first thoughts were that Sherrard had a very powerful and gripping writing style. While the writing that came after that was still well crafted, that feeling of wow slipped away. I think this book could have been even better had the writing been carried out as thoroughly and strongly as it was at the start. That being said, I was glad to see Sherrad had used a first person perspective as I don't think this particular story could have been properly told any other way.

The ending was slightly predictable in that I knew a certain person was likely going to do what they did, indeed, end up doing. Other than that, I thought it brought things to a close quite appropriately.

While Accomplice wasn't perfect and could have benefited from being longer, it is still a very worthwhile read. True, it is short, but if you are looking for something light, this isn't it. However if you want something a little darker and more meaningful, then I think you should pick Accomplice up and give it a try. I look forward to reading more of Sherrard's work in the future.

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

Overall: B-

Cover: B+

Buy Accomplice now: Amazon / Book Depository

Noteworthy Passages: Born at Midnight

Born at Midnight (ARC) by C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: March 29th, 2011
Pages: 416
Series: Shadow Falls, #1
Age Level: 14+
Source: For review from publisher.

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

Synopsis via Goodreads
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Noteworthy Passages

Kylie and Della; pg. 167
"That wasn't a fight. We were just having a tiff."
"You threatened to sell her blood on eBay," Kylie said. "Where I come from, that qualifies as a fight."

Kylie and Kylie's mom; pgs. 324-325
When her mom turned around to say her final good-byes, she reached out and gave Kylie's arm a squeeze.
Kylie's chest tightened as the memory of needing a hug at Nana's funeral came barreling back at her.
"You know, some mom's hug their kids."
Shock crossed her mom's face. "Do you need me to hug you?"
"No," Kylie said. Who wanted a hug you had to ask for? It was like having to ask for an apology.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A touch of humor and a touch of emotion, I hope you all enjoyed those two passages. To find out more on my thoughts of Born at Midnight, check out my Review.

Thanks for stopping by.
Buy Born at Midnight: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository









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.

Giveaway: Are You Going to Kiss Me Now?

Are You Going to Kiss Me Now? by Sloane Tanen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub. Date: May 1st, 2011
Pages: 288

Synopsis via Goodreads
High school junior Francesca Manning is an outsider, an aspiring writer and secret devourer of celebrity gossip mags. A fake essay to Seventeen wins her the celeb-schmoozing opportunity of a lifetime, but after the plane crashes, she's stranded on a desert island with five of the most clueless, self-involved headcases to escape Hollywood. Happily skewering their foibles in witty observations on her iPhone proves surprisingly educational for Francesca. The group must work together to survive-if they don't insult each other to death first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contest Details
Thanks to the lovely Kay with Sourcebooks, one lucky winner will be receiving a finished copy of Are You Going to Kiss Me Now.

Rules:
~Comments are appreciated but you must fill out the form to be entered.
~Open to US and Canada
~Contest will end at 11:59PM EST on May 1st.
~Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email with their address, if they did not already include it on the form, or another winner will be chosen

Extra Entries:
You can receive +2 entries by tweeting about this giveaway. Please include @thebookpixie

Fill Out This Form to Enter

Review: Born at Midnight

Born at Midnight (ARC) by C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: March 29th, 2011
Pages: 416
Series: Shadow Falls, #1
Age Level: 14+
Source: For review from publisher.

Synopsis via Goodreads
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Review
With an eclectic cast of paranormals and an exciting story line, Born at Midnight forms the set-up for what I believe will be a great YA series.

Kylie was one of those protagonists that I was torn between liking and disliking. While at first I viewed this as a bad thing, I later came to almost appreciate it in a way. For a time, I saw Kylie as overly judgemental, a not so great friend to Miranda and Della, stubborn, and wishy-washy when it came to romance. What annoyed me most was her almost constant refusal to believe she was a paranormal. Her theory? It could just be she has a mental illness or a brain tumor. I'm sorry, come again? All those in favor of having cancer or being insane versus possessing a paranormal power, say I. *crickets chirp in the silence* What, no one? Okay moving on. The main thing that kept me dedicated to Kylie was her witty sense of humor. That being said, her faults opened up and allowed more room for her to grow and develop through out the book, and she did. Eventually she came to terms with reality, proved herself worthy of her new best friends, and, quite frankly, grew up. What I ended up loving about this was the fact that most of the books I've read have had very likable protagonists, are at least not unlikable. Kylie was different in that I got to see myself go from disliking her to growing pleasantly attached to her despite her flaws. I think Hunter took a risk creating her the way she did, a risk that, in the end, paid off.

Now, on to the supporting characters. Miranda comes from a line of witches and is a disappoint to her family since she can't get her spells quite right--curse that dang dyslexia--and is expected to take over. Della, half-Asian, used to be the perfect daughter until her vampire trait came through and now her changes in behavior have made things difficult between her and her parents, whom she's afraid will think she's a monster if she tells them the truth. Each of these two girls have their own distinct personalities and, while amusing on their own, are pure hilarious when they take to bickering with each other. Holiday, the ghost whispering faerie camp counselor, was also lovable and humorous and I admired how she challenged Kylie to discover the answers to her problems on her own. Then we have Kylie's two romantic interests, Derek and Lucas, both of whom I liked for different reasons. However, I don't feel I really loved or connected with either of them. Needless to say, the romance element was by no means this book's strong point. Last is Perry, our shapeshifting annoyance that I couldn't help but grow kind of fond of.

Born at Midnight has a thoroughly engaging story line with a variety of paranormal characters, a mystery, and some truly laugh-out-loud moments. The first few chapters dragged a bit but then things quickly picked up the pace. There were a couple of aspects I had figured out, like why 'Soldier Dude' was haunting Kylie. However, the mystery surrounding the camp and trying to figure out what Kylie is were more than enough to keep me turning the pages. I loved the camp ground type setting as I felt it really helped this book standout some. Also, there were some more contemporary type elements, involving Kylie's family, weaved in that I thought the plot benefited from.

Hunter's writing style was something I had very mixed feelings about. Born at Midnight is told in third person but it often felt like I was reading a first person narrative because the tone of the writing was so...Kylie-ish. It felt very biased and opinionated for third-person and this was oddly different for me. It was almost as though Kylie was narrating the story and referring to her self in third person versus there being a separate narrator. And I'm sure none of that made any sense to you all but that's the vibe I got. The writing itself could be a bit choppy at times but, for the most part, was pretty well done. The best aspect of the writing, in my opinion, was the sass and humor of it; it was also very consistently paced.

I thought Hunter drew Born at Midnight to a close quite nicely. The ending gave way to some surprising depth, especially involving Kylie's family. Some questions were answered while at the same time, a couple of new ones were presented. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger but left me plenty excited for Awake at Dawn.

All in all, while there may have been a few bumps in the road, Born at Midnight was a fun and compelling journey that I look forward to continuing. Paranormal fans and those looking for a relatively light and very funny read should definitely pick this one up. I can honestly say I'm excited to read Awake at Dawn once it releases later this year.

Grade
Characters: B
Writing: C+
Plot: B
Ending: B+
1st in Series: B
Enjoyment/Likability: B
Recommendable: B

Overall: B

Cover: B-

Buy Born at Midnight: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository

Money Savin' Mondays (2)

Hello everyone! It's time for the second edition of Money Savin' Mondays. To find out more on why I started this you can read the first post. If you decide to use the Money Savin' Mondays title, I'd appreciate a small mention for coming up with the name. Also, you can stay up to date on the latest bargains through out the whole week by following my new twitter @PixieBookDeals. Other bargains can also be found in sidebar. Now, onto the deals.

~Free for Kindle~

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~Free for Nook~

13 Little Blue Envelopes / Wings

~For Kindle $0.99 to $2.99~

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~Paperbacks~

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~Hardcovers~

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CSN Review

I recently had the most fortunate opportunity to do a product review for the wonderful CSN Stores. What did I get you ask. Well, I'm about to show and tell.

My mom and I have both been wanting to lose some weight for a while now. However we lacked one of the most essential tools for doing so. Yep, that's right. We didn't even have a bathroom scale. So I took this review opportunity to get us one. After browsing through the scales, I found one with not just great ratings, but it had a decent number of them too, compared to some others with high ratings.

EatSmart - ESBS-03 - Precision Premium Digital Bathroom Scale in Black

Overview

Features:
•Digital bathroom scale
•Ultra thin, ergonomic design
•Step-On technology with no more tapping scale to turn on
•Just step on and get instant readings
•Large backlight 3.5" LCD display makes it easy to read from any distance
•4 High precision G sensors with measurement in increments of 0.2 lbs / 3oz
•Light weight plastic top
•Auto calibrated
•Auto power off
•Includes 4 AAA batteries

Specifications:
•Black finish
•High quality aluminum and plastic construction
•Capacity: 400 lbs
•EatSmart provides 2 years warranty
•Overall dimensions: 1" H x 13" W x 12" D

Cost= $36.85 plus shipping (I had $80 I could use.)

Review

Pros:
1. Very light weight at only 3lbs
2. Sleek, streamline, modern appearance. Not clunky and awkward.
3. Accurate
4. Weight is displayed in tenths. Ex. 133.4. This keeps me from being paranoid the scale is 'rounding up' on me.
5. Great value.
6. Super quick shipping. Only took 3 or 4 days after order.

Cons:
1. I weigh too much. None

Overall: 5 Stars!
This set of scales is consistently accurate when weighing both me and my mom, something important considering the large difference in our weights, no offense mom. It has been an excellent product to have gotten for our household and I highly recommend it. Our cat, Rudy, will even sit on the scale and one of us will place our foot on it briefly and remove it so it registers him and it actually gives a correct weight. However, after the incident where he proceeded to barf in front of it, no joke, we've decided to enroll him in B.C.A. (Bulimic Cats Anonymous) and he is no longer allowed to use the scales. :P

Disclosure: Bulimic Cats Anonymous is a fictional foundation made up for the purpose of humor. However our cat really did barf in front of the scale and we have considered him bulimic for quite some time, though honestly, he's just a hog who won't chew his food.

Noteworthy Passages: My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies

My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies (ARC) by Allen Zadoff
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: May 10th, 2011
Pages: 320
Age Level: 13+
Source: For review from publisher.

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

Synopsis via Goodreads
High school sophomore Adam Zeigler, who lost his father to a sudden accident two years ago, thinks the best way to live life is behind the spotlight. As a member of the theater crew, he believes he's achieved it all when he wins the coveted job of spotlight operator. But that was before a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he'll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don't mix.

Set against the backdrop of a high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Zadoff's latest is a bromance, a love story, and theater story in one. The politics of love and high school collide as Adam struggles to find the courage to step out of the shadows and into the light.

Noteworthy Passages

Mr. Apple; pg. 49
"Don't tell me it's not that bad," Mr. Apple says. "You should have seen the last rehearsal. Shakespeare turned over in his grave, threw up, then rolled into his own vomit. And whose fault is that? Mine! I'm an atrocious director of an atrocious production."

Summer, Adam's mom, Adam; pgs. 160-161
Summer extends a hand. "Hi, I'm Summer," she says.
"I'm Adam's mother. I apologize for being so surprised. Adam doesn't usually have girls over."
"Mom!"
"It's true," Mom says.
"But you don't have to say it. Keep the mystery alive."

Adam; pg. 274
People think they have to be singing and dancing in perfect synchronization all the time without rehearsal. But real life isn't synchronized like that. It's a mess. Like our theater department.

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Okay so we I gave y'all a little humorous and serious. I really enjoyed My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies and hope you all will decide to pick it up. To find out more on what I thought, check out my Review.

And as always, thanks for stopping by.

Buy My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository









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.

In My Mailbox (83)

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.

RAK Gift From Liz
~Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

RAK Gift from JL
~Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Won from Flamingnet
~Signed! Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

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So I only got the three this week but that's okay because all of them are ones I REALLY wanted! Thanks so much to Liz and JL for the RAK gifts! Hope all of you got some great books this week as well. :D

Review: My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies

My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies (ARC) by Allen Zadoff
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: May 10th, 2011
Pages: 320
Age Level: 13+
Source: For review from publisher.

Synopsis via Goodreads
High school sophomore Adam Zeigler, who lost his father to a sudden accident two years ago, thinks the best way to live life is behind the spotlight. As a member of the theater crew, he believes he's achieved it all when he wins the coveted job of spotlight operator. But that was before a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he'll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don't mix.

Set against the backdrop of a high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Zadoff's latest is a bromance, a love story, and theater story in one. The politics of love and high school collide as Adam struggles to find the courage to step out of the shadows and into the light.

Review
Have you ever had a book that just calls out to you and you aren't exactly sure why? Well that's what My, Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies did the entire time it was sitting in my review pile. I felt inexplicably excited to read it and, some how, just knew that I was going to really like it.

Okay so I absolutely adored Adam, aka Z. From the very beginning I truly felt like I was able to get inside his head and connect with him. He's genuine, funny, a bit vulnerable and awkward sometimes but oh so lovable. He proved to be very dynamic and I enjoyed watching him grow in confidence and strength, gradually taking more and more control over his life. I also greatly admired Adam's relationship with his mom, an aspect that I felt made this book even better. Not only did Zadoff craft a terrific protagonist, but he also created some very vivid and distinct supporting characters as well. First and foremost, there's Reach, Adam's Indian best friend who, while occasionally a bit pigheaded, was also amusing and I really believe he only wanted what was best for Adam. Then we had the asshole jerk of all assholes jerks, the manipulator, the player, the one and only, Derek. Maybe you've already guessed but I didn't like this guy. However, I still felt he was a thoroughly developed character beneficial to the plot. Summer is our new girl and the new star in Adam's eyes. I really liked her at first; she has a charismatic personality and doesn't seem to care what others thinks. However, then she went and did something that really disappointed me and I had a hard time growing to like her again. Grace was also another wonderful supporting character and was someone I could easily see myself being best friends with. Last, but definitely not least, is Mr. Apple, a truly hilarious and unforgettable character.

My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies starts off with what I thought was a very strong first chapter, a chapter that boldly states, "While I may be a fun book, I am by no means fluff." Though a generally light read, Zadoff added a meaningful under-layer that provided a subtle depth to the plot. While coping with the behind-the-scenes drama of his school's theater, discovering feelings for the new girl, and trying to hold things together with his best friend, Adam is also having to deal with the pain and fear that still lingers ever since the death of his father. All of these elements pulled together beautifully to form a humorous and heartfelt story, something made even better by the lovely theater setting.

Zadoff's writing style was relatively simple, not trying to be more complicated than it needed to be. It was also very honest and to the point, which I liked. The emotions felt real and the dialogue was witty and realistic. I was also captivated by the various descriptions behind the lighting equipment, gels, etc as I felt they drew me further into the story.

At first, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the ending but it grew on me more after I had finished. Let's just say a certain character really hurt my boy, Z's, feelings and I didn't think said character deserved a second chance. Then I realized maybe I was being a bit too harsh and forgave said character. What I did love about the ending was how things worked out for Adam overall.

All in all, My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies is a great coming-of-age story that I know I'll be reading again in the future. This is a definite must read for fans of contemporary teen fiction, both guys and girls, and I strongly suggest finding a way to read it, whether you buy it or borrow it. I look forward to reading more from Zadoff in the future.

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

Overall: B+

Cover: B+

Buy My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies: Amazon / Kindle / Book Depository