Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

  Title: New Girl                                              Pages: 304
  Author: Paige Harbison                             Source: Netgalley
  Publisher: Harlequin Teen                        Published: January 31, 2012
  Series: N/A                                                   Purchase: Amazon

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

New Girl is the kind of novel I live for - mystery thrillers - and it lived up to my expectations.

"New Girl," as the main heroine is called for almost the whole novel, was wonderful. She handled her situation beautifully. I mean, if everyone was claiming I was trying to take someone's place and everywhere I went I could feel everyone's hatred and whispers? Yeah, I'd have broken down many times over and would have been gone before you could blink an eye.

"New Girl" however, stood her ground. That is not to say she didn't break down and want to leave. But the point is she didn't leave. She stayed and she dealt with the situation and eventually, she made her own name shine, instead of being in Becca's shadow.

Now Becca, she was entirely messed up. She was manipulative and used her sexuality and looks to get what she wanted. I loved her at first, but when her true colors started to show, I began to really dislike her. She was such a great character, however, that I really ended up liking her in the end, despite her flaws. She just wanted people to love her for who she thought she should be, but what she didn't realize was that people loved her for who she actually was. I felt extremely bad for her, but I really liked how everything played out for her.

The writing was lyrical and poignant at times, but mostly simple. Paige Harbison paints a clear picture in your head of the school's campus and inside.

The plot was fantastic. I couldn't wait to figure out where Becca had gone and what "New Girl's" name was. I felt that the middle dragged on quite a bit, though, in "New Girl's" chapters with no progress in the mystery. I was anxious to get through her chapters and to Becca's, where it seemed the story would pick up quite a bit again. The end picks up again, too, and I liked how everything played out.

Overall, I really loved New Girl. There were moments in the middle that seemed to drag the story, but nothing to make me lose interest. I highly recommend to fans of the contemporary and mystery thriller genres and fans of the classic story, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which New Girl is based off of.

Pass or Read? Definitely read this one!

Cover thoughts: I love it. It's gorgeous! The font is amazing, the colors are amazing, that girl looks amazing. Need I say it's amazing? :)

Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

  Title: Spellbound                                      Pages: 324
  Author: Cara Lynn Shultz                         Source: Library
  Publisher: Harlequin Teen                      Published: June 21, 2011
  Series: Spellbound #1                             Purchase: Amazon

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

I had not heard a lot of things about Spellbound before I actually read it. I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't blown away either.

I really loved Emma. She was snarky, she stood up for herself, and she actually had a spine, instead of always succumbing to the bullies of the school. I really admired her for that. Now, she did have some issues, that being that her family consists of a dead mother and twin brother, a monster of a step dad, and an AWOL birth father. It sometimes seems over the top just how much tragedy Emma has witnessed, but I appreciate Cara Lynn Shultz not watering down the writing, like some young adult authors do for their "tragic" heroines.

Brendan was alright. Overall he was very sexy and hot, but I could not forgive him for being totally cold to Emma after their first "date." He seemed like a straight up jerk after the date and I definitely wouldn't have given him the time of day again, yet of course since they are star-crossed lovers, that isn't the case. Plus, he has a major hero complex, jumping in to save Emma like every chapter. Once again, though, I did like him in the long run and Shultz definitely knows how to write the romance!

The writing was pretty simple to me, the only thing bothering me was the fact that they fell in love instantaneously, though they are meant to. If taken at face value that they are star-crossed lovers, then the whole falling-in-love-instantaneously thing didn't bother me as much (and provides for some great romance right away, which everyone loves on occasion!).

The plot is probably what bothered me the most, because like Emma's past, it's very over-the-top sometimes, especially the ending. I found it a tad unbelievable, but it was certainly very entertaining. I also thought there was going to be more of a supernatural element than there was. The magic took a back seat almost and I was really hoping for more.

Overall, I did like Spellbound, I just wasn't as captivated as I hoped. It provided an entertaining Twilight-like read - one that is certainly entertaining, but lacking overall depth and believability (for a paranormal romance!). I would recommend this one to fans of star-crossed lovers and Twilight.

Cover thoughts: I like this cover, but I don't really care for the blankness of it. It's unique that they did that, though. I also don't really like how the blurb and the author's name are placed. The blurb is in a weird spot (as opposed to all the way at the top or even moved to the center) and the author name definitely seems off center a bit. I really like the font, though for 'Spellbound'. (and yes, I'm being really picky about the cover!)

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's can't-wait-to-read selection is..
  Title: Lost Girls
  Author: Ann Kelley
  Publisher: Little, Brown
  Published: July 10, 2012
  Pages: 336
  Goodreads

No parents. No rules. No way home.

Fourteen-year-old Bonnie MacDonald couldn't be more excited for a camping trip on an island off the coast of Thailand with her fellow Amelia Earhart Cadets-the daughters of the men and women stationed there during the Vietnam War. But when a strong current deposits the girls on what their boatman calls the "forbidden island," things take a turn for the worse: A powerful storm comes to destroy their campsite, the smallest of the junior cadets is found dead, and their boatman never returns. What once seemed like a vacation in paradise has become a battle against the elements.

Peppered with short, frantic entries from Bonnie's journal, Lost Girls is a page-turning, heart-pounding adventure story about a group of teen girls fighting for their lives.

Survival = favorite pretty much. Can't wait for this one!

What are you waiting on?

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

  Title: The Goddess Test                                Pages: 293
  Author: Aimee Carter                                     Source: Library
  Publisher: Harlequin Teen                            Published: April 19, 2011
  Series: The Goddess Test #1                       Purchase: Amazon

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

I absolutely love novels based on mythology and I feel The Goddess Test is a great addition to the excellent genre.

Kate is a wonderful girl. She's smart and caring and she would do anything for her mother. I fell in love with her from the start. She was incredibly mature for her age, having grown this way by her mother's illness. She grew even more throughout the story, though, and I loved reading about her growth and how she dealt with her new fate.

I also fell in love with Henry. At first I didn't know what to make of him, because to be honest, if a guy asked me to live with him six months out of every year, I'd tell him to check himself into a mental institution. If on top of that he was saying he was Hades, God of the Underworld? I'd have personally taken him to the aforementioned mental institution.

Except this is young adult paranormal romance, so of course he's who he says he is and of course that makes him sexy. Tell me you wouldn't love being a Goddess and I'll rest my case! Despite being a God and sometimes being very distant and cold, however, he is really sexy. At times it was hard to believe how much he cared for Kate, but then he would do something that would prove it. I loved how their relationship also wasn't so instantaneous and was quite uniquely one-sided at first. I would have liked a bit less romance, though, in the middle of the book, as that was basically all the middle was made up of.

The writing was amazing, I love how Aimee Carter writes. She puts believability into the dialogue and emotions. She puts details into the scenes and the environments. She has a simple, but very effective way of writing that is sure to capture anyone's attention.

The plot was straight-forward most of the time. There were a few twists and turns that I didn't expect, but most of the time I guessed whatever was coming. This wasn't a bad thing, however, as long as I'm still entertained and I was most of the time.

Now, my only gripe with the story line was there wasn't enough to the tests. Henry told her she might recognize when a test was happening, but halfway through, she was told she had already faced a couple tests, which was news to me. At first, this greatly bothered me, because it's called The Goddess Test for a reason. However, the tests are explained later on and I greatly appreciated that Carter included an explanation of each.

Overall, I really liked The Goddess Test. I thought it was a perfect addition to the mythology genre and it satisfied my mythology sweet-tooth greatly. I would definitely recommend this to lovers of mythology and paranormal romance.

Cover thoughts: I really love this cover, though it doesn't have much to do with the story. I'm a sucker for the pretty girl in a pretty dress cover fad, though :P

Review: The Way We Fall (Luxury Reading review)

  Title: The Way We Fall                                Pages: 304
  Author: Megan Crewe                                 Source: Luxury Reading
  Publisher: Disney-Hyperion                       Published: Jan 24, 2012
  Series: The Way We Fall #1                       Purchase: Amazon

Kaelyn's town has come down with a mysterious - and deadly - virus. First, you're itching and you cannot stop. Next, you're acting like you're friends with everyone. Then there are paranoid hallucinations. And lastly, you're dead.

The Way We Fall is about exactly that - a falling civilization, hindered not only by the deadly virus, but by the healthy inhabitants inside doing anything it takes to survive - even if that means killing someone.

Kaelyn holds her own and shines as a brave heroine, risking her life to help those with the virus and her family. She sometimes breaks down, sure, but who wouldn't when the town you grew up in is crumbling beneath you? I felt proud of Kaelyn and would definitely want her on my side, should a deadly virus ever hit my town.

To read the rest of my review, please go to Luxury Reading!

Cover thoughts: I really like that this cover is yellow, because it really stands out against a lot of book covers, but I just don't see how it has to do with the story that much. I do like it, though.

In My Mailbox (23)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

 

For Review (Netgalley):

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter - I had a Netgalley copy of The Goddess Test back before it came out, but unfortunately didn't finish it. I was loving it though, so I jumped at the chance to read Goddess Interrupted.

Spellcaster (Spellbound #2) by Cara Lynn Shultz - Had not heard much about Spellbound, but they look pretty good. Will read Spellbound soon.

That's all I got this week or so, what did you get in your mailbox?

TGIF (1): Books Recommendations

TGIF is a Friday meme hosted by Ginger at Greads!

This weeks questions is...

Recommend It: Which book from the last 10 you've read would you recommend to a friend?

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Lovedlovedloved this one. How can you not when 1) it's a fairy tale retelling and 2) it has robots/androids/cyborgs in it??

My review of Cinder

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton (Luxury Reading review)

  Title: Everneath                               Pages: 370
  Author: Brodi Ashton                       Source: Luxury Reading
  Publisher: Harper Collins               Published: Jan 24, 2012
  Series: Everneath #1                       Purchase: Amazon

Nikki Beckett mysteriously vanished last spring, leaving her family, her friend Jules, and her boyfriend Jack devastated. She was taken to the Everneath, a place where immortals Feed on humans' emotions to sustain their immortality.

So when Nikki suddenly comes back to her old town, everyone is surprised. She tries to slowly get back into the flow of things, but she harbours a secret that'll devastate her loved ones even more: she has to go back to the Everneath in six months.. this time forever.

Nikki must find a way to stay above the ground, or lose everyone and everything again.

I found the premise of Everneath extremely interesting, but because of a few problems, I just couldn't like this book as much as I wanted to.

To read the rest of my review, please go to Luxury Reading!

Cover thoughts: I really like this cover, even though it's just another one of those covers with a girl in a pretty dress. But I LIKE those covers, even though most of the time they have nothing to do with the story. I like how they tried to tie in the image with the story, though, with the dress turning into smoke and the smoke beneath her.

New Design

Bear with me as I switch to a new design. I'm getting very tired of the old one and really like this new one (which I said last time). This time however, even if I hate the design after a while, I don't think I'll switch for like.. at least 6 months :P.

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

  Title: Fracture                                Pages: 272
  Author: Megan Miranda                 Source: Netgalley
  Publisher: Walker & Company       Published: Jan 17, 2012
  Series: N/A                                    Purchase: Amazon

By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.

But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening…

Fracture immediately stood out to me when I first read its premise. It certainly was a very enjoyable read and exactly my cup of tea.

I loved Delaney in all of her nerdiness, neurotic glory. I felt she was written realistically, just how a survivor of a freak accident would behave. She was scared and brave at the same time and her character really grew on me.

I loved how Megan Miranda portrayed her newfound gift. Delaney feels pulls all over her body, like strings pulling her in each direction. The description of this is vivid and perfect, I could almost feel what it felt like to have these pulls.

Of course, I have to comment on Decker. Even when he was being an ass I loved him. He was incredibly sexy and cute. Especially how he waited day in and day out at the hospital for Delaney to wake up. Totally adorable. But their relationship was totally frustrating. The kind of shut-up-and-freaking-see-you-love-each-other kind of frustrating.

The plot was fantastic and I practically inhaled it. When I wasn't reading Fracture, I wanted to be. I wanted to find out all about Delaney's gift and what she would do with it. I wanted to know exactly what was up with Troy. I didn't see a few twists in the story and was greatly satisfied by the ending.

Overall, I absolutely loved Fracture. The characters were fantastic, the writing was amazing, and the story was phenomenal. I couldn't put Fracture down and I urge everyone to pick up a copy!

Cover thoughts: I love this cover! The cover depicts the story correctly, from the frozen lake to her bright red jacket to her blonde hair. So many book covers totally throw the story out the window and instead are made solely to sell. I feel that this one shows what the book is about AND will sell well.

Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

  Title: Stolen Away                    Pages: 288
  Author: Alyxandra Harvey        Source: Netgalley
  Publisher: Walker Childrens     Published: January 17, 2012
  Series: N/A                               Purchase: Amazon

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

I don't typically like or read books about faeries, so when Stolen Away caught my attention, I was surprised. However, I was disappointed with a lukewarm story that left me wishing I'd picked something else up instead.

Eloise and Jo were great characters. I liked having the two different perspectives between them and seeing how they both reacted to the same event, but I was often wondering why there were two different perspectives. It seemed unnecessary and like a tactic to make the story longer at times.

That being said, they were really good characters. They complemented each other in a great way. Jo was a strong, kick-ass girl and Eloise more started off pretending to be, as a defense mechanism, but I felt she grew into the role a lot.

I felt Devin wasn't that important to the story. He seemed like a filler character, just to provide occasionally "witty banter" and that was it. I also felt that having both girls fall in love was a bit much. One romance seemed more important to the story, though, but I won't say which one as it is a spoiler for the ending.

The plot was probably my favorite part, as it seemed pretty unique for a faerie novel. I liked how everything played out and loved the action bits.

Overall, I didn't like Stolen Away as much as I wanted to, but despite some flaws, I did end up on the liking side, rather than the disliking side. I probably wouldn't recommend this one, however.

Pass or Read? I would pass, unless you're a hardcore faerie lover.

Cover thoughts: I really like it, it's pretty and I love that the model has bright red lipstick, like Eloise wears.

Want to read someone else's opinion? Here are two positive reviews: A Dream of Books and I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read. Or, link your own positive review in the comments!

Cover Reveal: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

  Title: Between the Lines
  Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
  Published: June 26, 2012
  Publisher: Simon Pulse

Between the Lines is a clever, funny, romantic teen novel about a fairy tale prince who wants to break free of the constraints of his storybook existence, and the girl who falls in love with him.

In this story-within-a-story, Delilah, a loner who feels happiest with her head in a book, is obsessed with a fairy tale about Prince Oliver at her library. And then one day, Oliver actually speaks to her. It turns out that Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince and is in fact a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence.

Once Delilah and Oliver connect, she decides to help him break out of the book and they begin to fall head over heels for each other.

Go here for a larger, more detailed look at the cover.

I have not read any of Jodi Picoult's novels, but this one sounds amazing so I'll definitely be trying it. What do you think about Jodi's venture into YA? Do you think she'll be successful? What do you think of the cover? I like the cover, I just don't see a big YA vibe, other than the magic wand the girl has in her hand. It feels very "sophisticated," though, which I like.

Bookish Goals and Top Five 2011 Reads

I decided to hop on the bandwagon and make a post about my bookish goals and favorite reads of 2011. I hope you enjoy! Please link your post about goals/favorites in the comments, as well! :)

1. Read more! This is pretty self-explanatory, but I just need to read more! I always procrastinate and feel like I have to finish a book and get a review up. I need to just relax and enjoy the books I read!

2. Post more! I think all of my goals will be pretty self-explanatory, but I need to post more. Reviews, author interviews (I've only done like one or two, but I've never asked for one, because I'm scared haha. I need to put myself out there more!), and just more bookish posts like this one, other than memes. 

3. Network more! I never network. Never. That's why my follower count is low and probably why I don't like blogging as much as I could. It's fun to network, it just takes a lot of courage on my part, since I never reach out to people myself. I'm pretty shy and am always worrying about saying the right thing so the person will like me. I just need to let go and be myself!

4. Reach out to publishers! This one isn't as self-explanatory, I don't think. I need to send more review requests and get my blog name out there to more publishers. Right now, I barely send one review request per six months. I guess I just wait for people to contact me or something. Again, with putting myself out there.

There are my goals for 2012, at least the ones I can think of! What are yours?

And now for my... Top Five Favorite Reads of 2011! (in no particular order!)

And there's my favorites of 2011, what are yours?

First Blogoversary!

I just wanted to make a quick post about my first blogoversary! It's coming up on January 29th. I'm super excited, because this year has been very hard for me. 

Multiple times I've thought about not blogging anymore, because I get so discouraged when I look at my number of followers compared to others. I know, I know, I'm not supposed to think about numbers, but it's hard not to! 

I get so excited with each and every new follower, and it's hard when the number stays the same for several months. It's hard for me to reach out and "network" so I'm making that my goal for 2012: to network more and put myself out there more!

To my followers: thank you, I love each of you so much :).

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

  Title: Cinder                                        Pages: 387
  Author: Marissa Meyer                        Source: Netgalley
  Publisher: Feiwel & Friends                 Published: Jan 3, 2012
  Series: Lunar Chronicles #1                Purchase: Amazon

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

Cinder had such a unique premise, that I immediately was drawn into the story. I believe it has the chance of being one of the best dystopians of 2012.

Cinder is one of my favorite heroines of all time. Just the amount of rejection and pain she goes through, just because she's a cyborg is heartbreaking and I felt immensely for her. Her stepmother is such a witch and the things she says to Cinder, to put Cinder down is absolutely horrible.

The reason why I loved Cinder so much is because even though she's verbally abused, she was so strong. She didn't break down and be angsty for the rest of the novel, she pushed through and thought of a way to escape. She grew so much and overcame so much and that's why Cinder was one of the best female characters I've read in a while.

I loved Prince Kai and I adored his and Cinder's interactions. They were so cute when they were flirting, even though Cinder was trying to pretend she didn't like him. I really liked their chemistry as well.

The plot twists weren't that surprising to me. In fact, I pretty much guessed what was coming around page 45 and I was cemented in my guess by page 100. Even so, I loved the plot. I couldn't get enough of it. I felt the ending came way too fast, which was a great thing in my opinion, because I haven't read a novel lately where I'm dying to read the sequel. And trust me, I'm dying to read Scarlet.

Also, this book was so darn creative. I have never read a novel about androids and cyborgs and Marissa Meyer brilliantly executed them. The planet Luna and its inhabitants were also brilliantly executed, down to every detail.

Overall, I loved Cinder. I loved Cinder even before I was finished reading. I'm incredibly anxious to read Scarlet and I urge everyone to pick up this wonderfully unique novel. I doubt you'll regret it.

Cover thoughts: I absolutely love it. It's unique, like the book, and actually has to do with the book, therefore automatically earning points from me.

In My Mailbox (22)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

For Review:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - Haven't heard much about this one, but it looks good!
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman - This book is so freaking heavy!

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan - These books look so good! I've heard good things about Cate Tiernan!
Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan - Such pretty covers, especially this one!

I'm sorry for the crappy pictures, they were taken on my phone :P.

That's all I got this week or so, what did you get in your mail box?