Defy by Sara B. Larson

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Defy by Sara B. Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Expected publication: January 7th 2014 by Scholastic Press

Summary:  

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?


"The crackle and hiss of the flames devouring our house couldn't block out the screaming and wailing of those who were still alive."

That... is how the book begins!

In order to keep myself from screaming out loud, I decided to immediately come here and post my reaction and review of this AWESOMENESS! There is so much going on inside my head right now since I just put down the ARC of the beauty! I have been laid up being sick the last few days and all I did was read... I didn't even shower yet! All I can say is "This book is FREAKING amazing!"

After reading "Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas" and also loving "The Girl of Fire and Stone by Rae Carson" I decided that YA Fantasy could be another favorite of mine. Defy is just another one that just blew me away! I believe my mind is opening up to more adventurous avenues as time goes on and finding something different and moving like this is just what I need.

I think the description Goodreads labels Defy as "A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle." Says it perfectly. I loved the way Larson describes and builds up her world. I was completely lost in this fantasy, in this wonderful world that was full of action and wonder. Especially the characters! Alexa was wonderful! Her courage, determination, being able to come across a boy but yet still have the beauty of a girl was done perfectly. Both Prince Damian and Rylan won my heart, but I would have to say that Damian is my favorite.

The ending was great! It gave the story some finality but yet gives you the idea it will continue on. I am hoping there is another because I just didn't get enough of this world.

A very clean read! There is violence but not too much. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 14.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read the ARC of Defy.

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Introductions..The Academy (Book 1)

Introductions by C.L. Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published December 23rd 2012
 
Summary:  With an agoraphobic mother and a barely-there father, Sang abhors the isolation keeping her in the shadows. The only thing Sang craves is a fresh start and to be accepted as ordinary by her peers, because for her being different meant being cast out alone.

When her family moves to a new school district, Sang infiltrates a group of boys nearly perfect in every way. Grateful for an influence outside of her parents’ negativity, she quickly bonds with the boys, hoping to blend in and learn from them what it means to have a natural relationship with friends.

Only the boys have secrets of their own and they’ll do anything to keep her safe from the knowledge of the mysterious Academy that they've sworn allegiance to. Bit by bit, Sang discovers that her friends are far from the normalcy she expected. Will her loyalty change when she's forced to remain in the dark, or will she accept that she's traded one house of secrets for another?

Meet Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in a story about differences and loyalty, truth and mystery, friendships and heart-throbbing intimacy.

The Academy, ever vigilant.

Introductions was the perfect name for this book. At first I couldn't imagine a whole book introducing characters... but that is exactly what happened.

Starting out knowing that Sang's home life is anything but normal, I knew this would be about saving her. When Sang meets Kato, I almost felt like she did.. insecure. He gave off a nice-guy-to-everyone-vibe almost in a big-brotherly type of way, but yet the mysteriousness is there. As Sang meets all the other boys, she seems to have time to create a sincere friendship with each of them. Each one has such different characteristics, looks, and personalities I wondered how they could all get along so well. I even fell for each of them as Sang got to know them. I found myself wanting her to get together with each one for different reasons, but found myself liking them all. All 7.

Sang's mother.. a crazy woman, punishes her for talking to people. She isn't allowed to associate with anyone so Sang has to sneak out to meet her new friends. Sang hasn't felt so free yet so tied down because she finally has friends and yet she fears her crazy mother.

I have to be honest... I TOTALLY CHEATED! After finishing this book I couldn't wait for more so I went ahead and read the next two books!! Lets just say... It gets so much better! So forgive me for taking so long to share this review, but I just couldn't help myself!

There is abuse and bad language in this book so please be mindful of letting children under the age of 16 read this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this to review.



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Cover Reveal for Fracture Me!

Here is the official cover reveal for FRACTURE ME! This novella bridges the gap between UNRAVEL ME and IGNITE ME, and it's told from Adam's POV. 

 It hits e-readers on Dec 17th!
(a secret heads up: DESTROY ME & FRACTURE ME (+ a ton of bonus content) come out in paperback on February 4th, 2014!)

Goodreads Photo

FYI...I have heard the eye is closed (in Destroy Me and Fracture Me) because it is written in someone else point of view, Not Juliette's...

P.S.  Did I mention Tahereh Mafi is my FAVORITE Author?

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

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Crash into You by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Expected publication: November 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen


Summary: 

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.



EEEP!!! I have been waiting for this! Isaiah, Isaiah... what you do to my heart. All the books in this series have been great, but I have been pining for the story of the quiet, brooding, loyal, dark and mysterious Isaiah. And it did NOT disappoint!


When I saw this was available on NetGalley I secretly did a little happy dance. I have been watching and waiting for it's release. McGarry does such a beautiful job with her characters, keeping true to each one and bringing them to life. I really had a hard time putting this one down... I lost some sleep because I couldn't stand not knowing what happened. It was soooo worth it!


Cars! Not just any cars, but Mustangs!! A girl who knows more about cars than most males and doesn't mind getting greasy... oh and street racing! Plus a hot buff guy with tattoos, piercings and secrets? What is not to like about this? Lots of action, bad guys and did I mention a hot guy? The romance and love story is one of the best I've read in a long time. McGarry has a beautiful way of bringing out the tenderness and passion yet keeping it pretty clean and comfortable. Her characters all seem to be intense, no matter what their personalities were, which I adore.


I would not recommend this book to teens under the age of 16 because of the language, gang activity, and some sexual situations.




Here is an excerpt.. ENJOY!




From Rachel’s Point of View:

Isaiah tugs on my hand, guiding me closer to him. Our arms touch and I shiver as if I was zapped by lightning.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he says. “Cop cars are everywhere.”

I turn my head to the street and stop when Isaiah squeezes my hand. “Don’t look. We’ve got to blend in.”

“I don’t understand,” I say in a hushed voice. “We’re not in our cars. How would they know?”

Isaiah keeps his eyes straight ahead. “I only said I wouldn’t rat. I didn’t say anything about anyone else.”

My mouth dries out—West’s friends. Did they escape or are they telling the cops my phone number and address? Can this get any worse?

Isaiah lets go of my hand and in a blur, pushes my back against a cold brick wall. His body becomes a hot, thick blanket over mine. The fine hair on my neck stands on end and my eyes close at the sensation of his warm breath on the skin behind my ear.

I’m absolutely terrified, but at the same time my body tingles with a weird anticipation.

“There’s two cops walking the street,” he whispers.

Peeking beyond his bicep, I see the two blue uniforms stalking in our direction. “What do we do?” I barely breathe out.

His hands go to my waist—my waist! And they feel so right. I like this closeness. Maybe I like it too much. A guy has never been this close to me. Never. And I can’t believe it’s happening, even if it is to keep from being arrested.

My heart beats frantically in my chest. Isaiah is hot and scary and hot. Why on earth would a guy like him want to be anywhere near a girl like me?

It’s the adrenaline rush. That’s what it is. I like how he feels because I’m still experiencing the adrenaline rush from Isaiah’s NASCAR driving skills. His arm shifts, and I love how that movement causes his muscles to flex.

Stop it, Rachel. It’s not real. Focus.

“Kiss me,” he whispers. “If you kiss me we’ll blend in.”

My mouth drops open as if to make a sound, but nothing comes out. How do I say the words…I don’t know how to kiss.










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The Harvester by Katy Glemser

The Harvester by Katy Glemser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Summary: 

THE HARVESTER is the first book in a new trilogy simmering with conspiracy, insanity, and illicit romance - and a broken girl's struggle to break free.


Unbeknownst to modern America, a wealthy family is recycling their Southern plantation for the growth and harvesting of drugs. Eighteen-year-old Eden is one of their harvesters. From the moment she awakes to blazing sun and a Nixed mind in the middle of Master Uriah's poppy field, she begins her new life of harvesting opium. Uriah calls this - his growing, refining, and delivery of medicines to aid an elusive underground fight - his "holy work."

Eden calls it her hell.

But when Uriah's son, Todd, returns home to conduct the tests of an exclusive new drug with unparalleled abilities, Eden is chosen to be the testing subject. By meeting with Todd again and again inside the estate's mansion, she becomes entangled in his family's world of bloodlines and agendas. It is then that her own fight begins - a fight against the effects of the drug, her growing attraction to Todd, and the screams in her head that beg for the truth.

Welcome to McAvoy Manor.

I just finished reading this book a few hours ago and I am still hanging on... wanting to read more! Wow! Just WOW! My head is still spinning wondering what just happened! From the beginning, this book was like being dropped from the air...IN THE DARK. Not knowing when or where it was going to land had me so hooked, it was all I could think about when I HAD to put it down!

Starting the book, I felt as lost as Eden when she woke to a world that was strange and horrible. Her memories were gone, didn't know who she was, where she came from, or even her name. I felt like I was living Eden's life, trying to fit things together right along with her. Eden's character was one I could identify with in some ways. I do NOT like to be told what to do, especially without good reason! I felt myself cheering Eden on, even when she was being punished for being so disobedient.

Todd, the attractive(well.. hot,actually)son of the "evil drug-lord" comes along and my own judgement of character goes out the window! I struggled trusting him, even though I wanted to so badly. Being thrown into such a crazy place, trusting anyone would be difficult, but Todd was the "normal" one. He wasn't exposed to his fathers kind of crazy. There was promise of hope and love.

I had some reserves about reading this at first, because of the drug world. Thoughts of the Godfather, and mobsters was what I was expecting. BUT... that was far from the truth. Drug use was never praised or brought into a light that would be tempting to anyone. The plot is pretty heavy and for that reason I wouldn't recommend this book to my teens until they were 17. But I would recommend this book to any adult! If you are one who loves a fast-paced thriller, this one is for you.

Glemser's writing is such a pleasure to read, it's flow had me not noticing when chapters ended or began. I would come up from it, realizing I had been reading for hours!

My only complaint... THE CLIFFHANGER! I have a love-hate relationship with those because without it, I wouldn't want to read the next one so bad!

A few people recommended this book to me, including a friend of mine who happens to be a sister-in-law to the author. So I dove in head-first and I am so happy I did!

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary:  

So, my girlfriend, Cassidy, is threatening to kick me to the curb again, my best friend suddenly wants to put the brakes on our lives of fabulous fun, my mom and big sister are plotting a future in which I turn into an atomic vampire, and my dad, well, my dad is a big fat question mark that I’m not sure I want the answer to.


Some people would let a senior year like this get them down. Not me. I’m Sutter Keely, master of the party. But don’t mistake a midnight philosopher like me for nothing more than a shallow party boy. Just ask Aimee, the new girl in my life. She saw the depth in the Sutterman from that first moment when she found me passed out on the front lawn. Okay, so she’s a social disaster, but that’s where I come in.

Yes, life is weird, but I embrace the weird. Let everyone else go marching off into their great shining futures if they want. Me, I’ve always been more than content to tip my whisky bottle and take a ride straight into the heart of the spectacular now.
Lesson learned: Just because there is a movie out there about a book does not mean the book is spectacular.

I cannot say I didn't enjoy this book, because I found myself laughing down right out loud while listening to this audiobook at work. Sutter's personality was outrageously great! I think we all had a Sutter character in our midst during our young teen years, the one who did all the crazy fun and outlandish stunts, making life just more entertaining.

But like most things in life, you have to face growing up. This is something Sutter doesn't want to do. So instead he find someone he is going to "help" come out of their shell and enjoy life. The problem with that is where do you draw the line. Do you pretend to like someone just to help them? Do you drag them down your miserable road thinking it is help?

I was torn between liking this and being annoyed by it. This takes place in a small town in Oklahoma with what sounds like nothing else to do but drink and party. Even though I loved Sutter's carefree way of thinking and his heart was really in the right place most of the time, I just couldn't get into this idea of leading on a girl by lying to her so he could give her experience and strength. It really rubbed me wrong. So it was an ethical question for me.

Lets just say I hated the ending! Without giving away much, I was so disappointed by the ending, it is the only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4. The ending is what leaves you with the taste in your mouth about the whole book. This one left me sour! I haven't seen the movie yet, not sure if I will because of its rating of R, but lets hope they changed it enough in the end to make people feel like it ended SOMEWHERE instead of dropping off into an abyss!

Here is the movie trailer... Enjoy!




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*New Adult* Holding On by Meg Jolie

Holding On by Meg Jolie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary:  

Quinn Johnson has known the McGrath boys for as long as she can remember.


Luke has been her best friend for most of her life. He’s always been there for her, catching fireflies with her, maneuvering the hazards of high school with her, attending college parties with her, and protecting her. He was the boy that she could always trust, the boy that stole her first kiss.

His older brother, Jake, was the one who teased them mercilessly while they were growing up. Yet, he was the one who would ultimately steal Quinn’s heart.

A surprise pregnancy and an unexpected tragedy are about to change everything.

Forever.

Friendship and family will be tested.

Quinn will find out that sometimes the only way to get through life is to hold on with everything you have. And other times…the only thing you can do is let go.

This book was a freebie I found on Kindle. I sometimes enjoy a good New Adult book if it's pretty clean. This one was cleaner than most and the story line was pretty good.

Most of the book felt like it was just character building. Don't get me wrong, I love diving into characters thoughts and getting to know them, but I just felt it was all the book was doing. In the middle of the book, I said.. Oh great, I know exactly where this is going.. so I kept waiting for something to happen, waiting for the big BAM of SOMETHING! When it did finally happen I was actually SHOCKED! Even though I felt like it was a long time coming, I didn't have a clue what it was going to be. It wasn't what I thought would happen!

I couldn't decide if I liked it to 4 stars or not, or maybe a 3.5. I think I didn't give it a 4 because it didn't give me much to latch on to until the end. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series, but my curiosity has grabbed me now.

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Divergent Trailer is here!

I am so excited to share this with you! It looks like it should follow the book pretty closely as far as  I can tell....




I heart FOUR!! Wooot Woot!  

If you haven't read the Divergent series by Veronica Roth I highly recommend them!   It's one of my all time favorites!