Review: Everneath

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Synopsis (From Goodreads):   Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

 Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen. 

 As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen. 

 "Everneath" is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

Brodi Ashton's Everneath is a story that is loosely based off the legend of Hades and Persephone and Orpheus and Euridyce, which is exactly why I wanted to read this because I love Greek Mythology, especially the Mythology revolving around the underworld. Nikki Beckett has spent a decade in an underworld known as the Everneath, which was only 6 months on Earth. After returning home, she now has 6 months left to say the good byes she never had a chance to say before she disappeared before and also find the redemption she so desperately desires, especially with the one boy who the Everneath could never make her forget about, Jack, before the Tunnels come and claim her for the final time. The longer Nikki spends on Earth, the more of herself she gets back and the longer her bond to Jack grows, which doesn't please Cole who wants to take Nikki back to the Everneath to take over the throne in the underworld, convinced she is the key to help him achieve this. Nikki has to fight against time, and her confused feelings for Cole, to try and find a way to break all connections with the Everneath or is she fated to leave everyone she leaves all over again?

Ashton does an excellent job of making Nikki feel distant and emotionless at the start of the novel, almost draining (which was a bit hard to get into to read, but it really suited the story) and as the story progressed and the longer she remained on Earth she became more lively. This really showed how Nikki was developing throughout the story, and I love being able to see fully-fleshed out characters develop throughout the entire story. Nikki was a strong female, who knew what she was fighting for, but at times I just wanted to scream at her for the decisions she made. Some of the stupid decisions she made all revolved around a boy, which is why she is in the predicament she is in and she even admits it was her own fault, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

Jack, is a strong and sweet character. He is a character who would do anything for Nikki and you can't help but feel sorry for him.  He's the exact opposite of Cole who is deceiving and slick, who always has to have the last thing to say and be around Nikki. All of these characters really makes the story interesting to read, and it's not the normal love-triangle that happens in most paranormal novels. The difference is that Nikki really doesn't want Cole to be around her, but because she has spent a decade with him in the Everneath she has some unwanted bond that connects them, and he is the one very much infatuated with her.

Aston has created an intriguing debut that is full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the end and I cannot wait until the sequel is released.

Source: audio book
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #10 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #53 of 50
2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge: #2 of 11

Review: Pretty Crooked

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Synopsis (From Goodreads):   Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected. 

 The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan. 

 But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

Elisa Ludwig has created a hilarious modern day Robin Hood in her debut novel, Pretty Crooked. Willa never wanted to move, but when her artist mother sells her art for a lot of money, a move is exactly what they do. Now Will finds herself at an exclusive prep school and instantly welcomed into the Glitterati, the popular group. Not wanting to complain about her new friends, she tries to ignore that these girls could be behind a mean gossip blog, the Buzz who aims to make fun of the scholarship students. In order to put everyone on an even playing field (that is give the scholarship girls some money and new clothes), Willa comes up with the plan to become a modern day Robin Hood, which isn't as easy as she thought as she sets out to learn how to break-in and pick pockets. Will she be able to get away with this plan while still evading the cops who are getting closer to busting her?

On the surface, this would seem like the average mean-girls-get-what-they-deserve type book, but there are so many layers to this book, including strange parental behaviour and another mystery surrounding hottie Aidan (which I won't say anything about as it will spoil some of the mystery). Willa is a sincere character who just wants everyone at Valley Prep to be treated the same, and that may include stealing and giving new clothes and money to the poor scholarship girls who are constantly being bullied because they don't have money. Who wouldn't want that?

Elisa Ludwig does a fantastic job of immersing the reader into the glamorous world of Valley Prep, which helped to get the reader to know all about the characters before Willa's big plan begins.

Pretty Crooked definitely was a great build-up for the next book, but I felt there were too many subplots and mysteries happening in the background that didn't get cleared up by the end of the story, and this is one thing that let the story down. The novel is a fun, light read, and a must for anyone who loves the Robin Hood (stealing from the rich to give to the poor) storyline.

Source: ebook
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #9 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #52 of 50
2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge: #1 of 11

Review: Poltergeeks

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Synopsis (From Goodreads):   15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. 

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life

Julie Richardson is just like a normal girl, well except for the fact that she's a witch. Actually a witch-in-training. Her mother is teaching her how to harness her magic and help exorcise spirits/poltergeists from the mortal realm. When Julie and her best friend, Marcus encounters a poltergeist attacking an elderly neighbour,  and a large-scale paranormal attack on her high school, Julie knows that something malice is out to get her and her mother. After her mother falls victim to a spell called Endless Nights, Julie must learn the truth about who she is and learn to harness her full powers if she hopes to stand a chance against  defeating this evil and saving her mother's life.

Ever since the cover and blurb was revealed I knew I wanted to read Poltergeeks and I wasn't disappointed. Sean Cummings has created an interesting and original world of witches and ghosts and together with the snarky and humorous attitude of Julie, Poltergeeks is a page-turning read that will capture and hook the reader's attention from the first page.

Julie is just like an average teenager. She fights with her mother, she struggles with determining her feelings towards her best friend, and she makes mistakes (a lot of them). She is eager to prove to her mother, and herself, that she can handle things without anyone's helps. This doesn't always lead to the best result, and often gets Marcus into trouble with her. Julie isn't the only well-rounded character. This novel is full of a cast that reader's can root for and sometimes despise.

The story starts at a sprinting pace and doesn't slow down as Julie is attacked over and over again by supernatural forces, which will have the reader wanting to continue turning the page to find out what's going to happen next (trust me, lost sleep just to see how it ended). It is a fun and quick read with a few twists and turns thrown in to keep Julie on her feet. I would definitely recommend Poltergeeks to anyone who loves YA paranormal, but also anyone who loves sassy characters and strong, butt-kicking females. I can't wait to read the sequel and see where Julie's adventures lead her next.

Source: ebook
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #8 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #21 of 50

Review: Department 19

Department 19 by Will Hill

Synopsis (From Goodreads):  Jamie Carpenter's life will never be the same. His father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous man named Frankenstein. Jamie is brought to Department 19, where he is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing and the other survivors of Dracula. Aided by Frankenstein's monster, a beautiful vampire girl with her own agenda, and the members of the agency, Jamie must attempt to save his mother from a terrifyingly powerful vampire. 

Department 19 takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond - from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia to the treacherous mountains of Transylvania. Part modern thriller, part classic horror, it's packed with mystery, mayhem, and a level of suspense that makes a Darren Shan novel look like a romantic comedy.

Jamie Carpenter always thought vampires were stuff of stories, that was until his mother goes missing and he's attacked by something waiting for him at home. After being saved by a man named Frankenstein, Jamie is brought to Department 19, a place that's not meant to exist (well, at least no one knows exists). Department 19 is a secret government organisation that is responsible for policing the supernatural and keeping the world of vampires and monsters a secret from the outside world. Aided by Frankenstein and a vampire girl who may or may not be dangerous, but definitely has her own agenda for helping them, they must attempt to save Jamie's mother and defeat a powerful and ancient vampire.

I had heard good things about Department 19 before I picked up the book, and I was not let down. Will Hill has created an intriguing under-world using the legendary vampire Dracula and the hunter Van Helsing as a starting point for his world. He has brought the terrifyingly dangerous vampire back into the modern generation which is good to see.

Jamie Carpenter is an interesting character. He knows nothing about this world or what his father did. He has been led to believe that his father was an international terrorist instead of a vampire hunter when he died. This little detail with his father helped to create a tough and well-rounded character. Together with a cast of oddities from Frankenstein's monster to a beautiful vampire who seems to want to help Jamie but everyone says can't trust her, to the ancient vampire set on seeing all the Carpenter family dead, this makes it a thrilling page turner from beginning to end.

The use of the two time lines, the modern with Jamie and the past with Van Helsing, helps to give the reader a deeper insight into the world, while still foreshadowing for events that are yet to come. I recommend this to anyone who loves vampires (especially the rip-people's-throats-out, savage kind). I look forward to seeing where Jamie's adventures goes next with the sequel.

Source: audio book
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: #6 of 11-20

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #20 of 50

Review: Shift

Shift by Kim Curran

Synopsis (From Goodreads):  When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he's not so average after all. He's a 'Shifter'. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he's ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.
Scott was always average, hidden in the crowd, but that was until the day he met Aubrey Jones who tells him he's a Shifter, someone with the ability to alter decisions that they make. Scott thinks this could be a cool power, but soon realises that even the smallest decision can have dire consequences and could even end up hurting the ones closest to him.

In an effort to control these powers and help him understand the effects of each decision altered, he turns to ARES, the government organisation who regulates all Shifters, but doing so he is also pulled into a battle between the rebel group, the SLF (Shifting Liberation Front) and trying to hide from a rather grotesque villain who is out to kill him. Scott has to decide who to trust, especially when everyone around him can manipulate the world the way they want it to be.

I was hanging out for Shift's release ever since I heard about the opening of the print Strange Chemistry, and I was not disappointed. Scott is an average teenager in the nicest sense. He is not perfect and he knows it, his family is not perfect and even though he would like it if they were a little less dysfunctional, he would not give them up, and this is what makes his a well-rounded and likable character.  Scott isn't the only interesting character in this book, it is full of interesting and unique characters from the mysterious  Aubrey who gets Scott involved with ARES to the young members who are training at ARES, even all the adults have fleshed out characters and hidden agendas that adds to the twists and turns of the story.

Kim Curran has written an intriguing debut that captures the reader's attention from the premise and keeps a hold. Who wouldn't want the power to alter any mistake they have ever made? Or know what path each decision will lead them down? It's not just the premise that's interesting, there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing what's going to happen next. There was only one part of the book that felt a bit muddled, and that was trying to figure out where all the story lines of ARES, SLF and the grotesque baddie all fit together because at parts it felt as if the stories were separate and had no connections to the main storyline, but everything all came together in one finale which felt like a roller coaster of emotions. I would recommend Shift for any lover of superheroes and mysteries, or anyone who has ever faced a decision that they wished they could undo. If this is what Strange Chemistry can deliver, I'm looking forward to reading the next releases.

Source: paperback
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #7 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #19 of 50

Review: Alchemy of Forever

Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Synopsis (From Goodreads):Seraphina has been alive since the 1300's, made immortal when the boy she was beginning to love back then, Cyrus, saved her from death with a strange liquid - a method of alchemy that lets them swap bodies with any human being. But now, in modern day America, Sera has decided that she can no longer bear the weight of stealing people's lives so she can keep living on. So she decides to run away from Cyrus and end her stolen existence once and for all. Her plan goes awry when she accidentally takes the body of a dying teenager and feels forced to take over her life. When the lines between Sera and Kailey's identity begin to blur, Sera finds a reason to desire to live once more. But she can't shake the guilt of having taken Kailey's life, even if she was dying. And what if Cyrus finds her?


Seraphina has lived many lives, starting when Cyrus saved her life with a strange liquid. This liquid allows people to swap bodies with any human being. Seraphina doesn't like the idea that she's taking someone else's life just so she can live forever, but she also knows Cyrus won't just let her die. She knows he will force her to take another life just so he can keep her with him forever. Sera decides that she doesn't want to live forever and plans to run away from Cyrus and end her entire existence. Her plans change when she accidentally takes the life of a dying teenager and is forced to take over her life. But how long can Sera pretend to be another girl? And what will happen if Cyrus finds her?

The idea of alchemy and having a price for all 'magic' is what drew me to the story, and it did not let me down. Avery Williams has created an interesting take on immortality and Seraphina is the perfect character to follow during this story. Seraphina is conflicted with the desire to live, but also being forced to take another one's life to be able to do so. She is conflicted with so many emotions that following the story through her eyes makes it compelling to find out what's going to happen next and what is Seraphina going to do, especially when she lands in Kailey's body and feels the added pressure to pretend to be the same daughter to the dead girl's loving parents because she doesn't want them to lose their daughter.

The story was a quick page-turner that leads to a surprising twist, but there were times that I kept wanting something else to happen, although I can see big things happening in the next book and I look forward to seeing what Sera/Kailey will do next. I recommend this to anyone that likes a different kind of paranormal.

Source: hardcover
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #6 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #18 of 50

Review: Carrier of the Mark

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Synopsis (From Goodreads):Their love was meant to be. 


 When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs. 


 But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.


The first thing that drew me to this book was it's cover. It's absolutely stunning and Leigh Fallon has done a good job of creating an equally exciting story. Megan has never been able to call anywhere home. Her and her dad are constantly moving, and moving from America to Ireland is the biggest move of all. But here, Megan finally starts to feel at home, especially when she is drawn to the mysterious Adam. Soon Megan and Adam discover they are meant to be together, but the same power that brought them together could be the same thing that tears them apart and lead to their eventual destruction.

Leigh has created an interesting story with plenty of twists and turns, set in a different place. Ireland already has so many legends and myths, and is the perfect setting for this story. I wasn't a fan of the start of this story (don't get me wrong, the writing is vivid and created a real sense of excitement and tension). It read so similar to many other paranormal romances with a forbidden love and the dark and mysterious boy the main character is drawn to, but once the story took off, it was easy to get swept up in the action and emotions of the story.

Megan and Adam are well-rounded characters that have strong feelings for each other. They don't want to believe that it is only the power within them both that is making them want to be together, and even though Adam would do anything to protect Megan, Megan would still be able to put up a good fight to protect herself. Even the minor characters were fleshed out and had unique personalities of their own.

Overall, the story was interesting and once the action started it was easy to push aside the overused trope of forbidden love and get trapped inside an exciting story. I would recommend this story to any reader who loves paranormal romances or legends that takes place in multicultural settings.

Source: Audible Audiobook
2012 TBR Reading Challenge: #5 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #17 of 50

Review: Struck

Stuck by Jennifer Bosworth

Synopsis (From Goodreads):Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her. Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. 

Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.  Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Jennifer Bosworth has created a rich dystopian society in her début, Struck. Mia is a lightning addict who has not just survived one strike, but countless strikes and she can feel when the storms are coming. Living in a world that has been devastated by a storm and earthquake and with prophecies that another storm was approaching bring the apocalypse, she just wants to stay away from it all and protect her younger brother and mother who is suffering from being stuck in a collapsed building after the earthquake.

When two cults tell her she 'must' join them to fulfil her part of the prophecy (one could destroy the world, one's supposed to save it), she has to decide which side, if any, she'll join. But what will she do when she only wants to stay out of it and stay away from the oncoming storm.

Mia was an intriguing character. She is so closed off because of her scars and afraid that she'll hurt anyone who gets close to her. Her lightning addiction reminded me of an adrenalin addiction and Bosworth created the conflicting emotions that made Mia both strong but also fragile. She was a good character to be inside the head of and follow the story.

The two cults kept the story interesting and there were enough twists and turns to make me want to turn the page. The story was interesting, although I felt that at parts it dragged on and took too long to get to the climax, but that did not make me stop reading. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who loves good dystopian and strong heroines.

Source: Kindle
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #5 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #16 of 50

Review: The Selection

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis (From Goodreads): For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. 


 Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Life is hard for everyone who lives on the outer castes, and America (who is a five) knows all too well what it's like to watch families scramble to find food. When 'the Selection' begins, a chance for one lucky girl to be chosen by the Prince to marry, she knows this will be good for her family. While it will give her family money for food and other necessities, she also doesn't want to put her name in the lottery as she is in love with someone else. Aspen is a six who she has been sneaking around with, if the two want to be together America will have to become a six and Aspen doesn't want to see her become even more hungry and poor than her current situation so he encourages her to place her name in. America doesn't think she stands a chance of being selected since she is only a five and only 35 girls will be selected, so she agrees.

When her name is selected, and she is only one of the few fives, she has no desire to change herself for a guy that she doesn't want, or even think she has a chance of liking let alone loving. Then she meets Maxim, but it's hard for her to pretend to like Maxon and play the game when she's still in love with Aspen.

Okay, so when I read the catchphrase of "the hunger games meets the Bachelor" I instantly thought it was about girls being picked to fight to the death for the chance to marry the prince. So, I was wrong, and when I got over the fact that no one was going to die in this competition, it turned out to be an entertaining read. It's more like the Bachelor in a very distant future.

America was a strong lead who is torn between love and family. She knows this Selection will be good for her family and provide enough money for them to have enough food to live comfortably without struggling, but then she loves Aspen even though he is in a lower caste than herself. She doesn't care about breaking the rules to sneak out after curfew just to see him. Then there's Maxon. He is a bit of a naive prince who doesn't know about what happens to the lower castes and America would never have pictured being able to relate to him, but he is just a normal guy with a personality.

Keira Cass creates a compelling romance told through this messed up Cinderella story set in a dystopian world. But it doesn't stop there. There's growing tension from rebel threat, and even the strong competitive nature from the contestants you'd expect when watching the Bachelor and I look forward to seeing where the rest of this trilogy lead. I recommend this story for anyone who loves a good romance, or just want to cheer for the underdog.

Source: Audible
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #4 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #15 of 50

Review: Numbers

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today's number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem's world is about to explode!

Jem tries to avoid people. It's not like she doesn't like them or the fact that she's been pushed from foster family to foster family ever since she found her mother dead from an overdose, it's just that she has a secret. She can see the exact day people are going to die, just from looking in their eyes. So, she tries to avoid them. That is until she meets Spider, another outsider and decides to break her rules. When the two plan a trip to the city and they wait to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem notices that everyone surrounding them has the same date of death: Today. After fleeing, panicked about what is going to happen, the police begin to seek them out, but whether it's to question over what they saw or to blame them for what happened, Jem doesn't want to find out because who would believe that a couple of troublemaking misfits were innocent?

This book definitely wasn't what I expected. I didn't expect to find a foul-mouthed orphan who deliberately pushes everyone away because she doesn't want to be burdened with knowing when they are going to die and not being able to warn them. After all, even if they did believe her, what would they do if they knew how many days they had left? At times it felt hard to connect with Jem because she was so distant from everyone, but that was her character. For a character who's life seriously sucks, Ward does a good job at creating a character that is full of conflict and doubt.

The beginning started off slow as the reader was introduced to Jem's school, life and the turmoil she has to deal with. Once the incident at the Eye happened, the story turned into an adventure with constant twists and turns as Jem and Spider tried to keep away from the authorities who wanted to question them over the tragedy.

While I wasn't expecting the adventure and chase to be the central focus as I would have liked Jem to be more concerned with proving her innocence rather than running from the law, the world Ward created around the power of the numbers was intriguing and I look forward to reading the second book to see where the power goes next.

Source: Audible
2012 TBR Reading Challenge: #4 of 11

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #15 of 50

Review: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school's struggling radio station, where the other students don't find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams's mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Chloe is bighearted and always tries to add fun and enjoyment to everything she does, so when her friends start not only ignoring her but also shredding her reputation she doesn't know what she did wrong. While living as a social pariah and trying to avoid the World War III that's building at home between her mother and grandmother, she joins the struggling school radio station in order to try and pass her independent project. In order to get the much needed ratings for the station Chloe hosts a talk show which allows her to get close to the other misfits of the station, especially quiet Duncan, but also draws unwanted trouble for the station.

Shelley Coriell has created a fun and interesting character in Chloe. Chloe speaks her mind and always aims to bring laughter and delight into a person's day, but not everything is sunny in Chloe's life. Her best friends hate her and her grandmother is suffering from parkinson's disease. Even though she has been ostracised from most of the school students, she finds her place at the radio station and it was fun to see the many relationships develop, especially between her and Duncan who is also dealing with issues himself.

Welcome, Caller, this is Chloe is a fun, light read, but it does deal with serious issues such as bullying, parkinson's and addiction. Packed full of emotion, Chloe is someone you can't help but smile at, especially when she wears the ridiculous costumes such as the burrito one the story opens with. I recommend Welcome, Caller, this is Chloe to anyone looking for a fun, quick read.

Source: NetGalley
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #3 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #14 of 50

Review: Fracture

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening? 

Delaney Maxwell shouldn't be alive. After falling through the ice of a lake and being under the water for 11 minutes, she shouldn't be alive. If anything, she should have some serious brain injuries, but she just feels normal. But when she starts being pulled towards the dying, she wonders whether something is wrong with her. Then she meets Troy, and like her, he has survived a serious accident and woke up from a comma with the same ability. As Delaney tries to assume her normal life and prove that she's not insane, she has to discover why she has this power and what is her connection to Troy, but will what she find destroy both of them in the progress?

Megan Miranda has created an original storyline that depicts the complexity of the human mind.  The story had plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages turning and emotions churning.

What drew me to this novel before I even knew what the story was the cover. It's absolutely beautiful. The characters, especially Delaney, are definitely complex and well-developed. It kept me wanting to turn the pages as she tried to work out her connection to Troy and figure out what relationship she had with her best friend Decker. At times I felt Delaney and Decker's was a bit repetitive with the will they, won't they get together angle and this could become frustrating because they seemed stuck in a loop, not really going anywhere, but when Troy's relationship with Delaney is introduced the stakes are raised.

I felt the ending was a bit rushed as there was so much character building and so many twists to the mystery surrounding Delaney's powers and Troy himself, but that saying, I did enjoy this story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys an emotional story with a hint of supernatural.

Source: kindle
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #2 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #13 of 50

Review: Tempest

Tempest by Julie Cross

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities. But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Time travel isn't what it's like in the movies. Nothing changes, and people don't remember anything about the traveller. Jackson Meyer has the ability to jump through time. It's just harmless fun for him. When two strangers bursts into his girlfriend's room and attack Jackson and Holly, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back to 2007, further than he's ever jumped before. But this isn't like his other times, he's stuck there, unable to get back to his own time. As Jackson assumes his past self's life and learns more about his power, Jackson will learn the truth about his past and find out not even time will stop these attackers from finding him.

Julie Cross has created an interesting world where she has twisted the rules of time travel. I'm a sucker for a good time travel story, and this was just what I needed. Jackson was a strong character with so much depth. Not only did he lose his twin sister when he was younger, having constant regrets about what he would do differently if he could 'actually' effect time. He's also living with the guilt of abandoning Holly when he jumps to 2007. Holly, both of past and present, are two entirely different characters and it's interesting trying to figure out what has happened to her to have such a dramatic change of maturity.

The story was an original twist on the sci-fi time travel story with lots of twists and turns to keep you wanting to flip the page. All this leads to an ending that will definitely stir the emotions, and that's all I'm saying about that. I look forward to seeing where else Jackson can go in future stories.

Source: audible
2012 Debut Author Challenge: #1 of 12

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #12 of 50

Review: The Name of the Star

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London, it's the start of a new life at a boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

London is gripped with fear. Someone has started copying the brutal murders that were committed by Jack the Ripper more than a century ago. For Rory, it is the start of her new life as an American teenager at a London boarding school. After a near death experience, Rory starts seeing things, people that don't exist. One she does see happens the same night a murder is committed on the school premises, and now she might be the only key to unravelling the mystery surrounding this new Jack the Ripper.

I love the mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper, and Maureen Johnson recreates that fantastically in this creepy mystery. I felt myself being swept up in the whole gruesome scene and I loved it. Rory is a fun and intriguing character who is definitely out of place since she is the only American in this English boarding school.

The Name of the Star is full of page-turning thrills and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. I look forward to seeing what's next in Rory's adventures.

Source: audible
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: #3 of 11

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #11 of 50

Review: Half-blood

Half-blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Synopsis (From Goodreads): The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Alex is a half-blood and her mother removed her from the Covenant without telling her why, in order to live a semi-normal life. Now, forced to return to the Covenant after the death of her mother, she has to prove that she still belongs there, training to take down the ones who killed her mother: Daimons. Together with pure-blood Aiden, she has to train even harder or she will be forced into servitude (a life no half-blood would choose). Unfortunately training isn't the only thing on her mind. She is also crushing hard on Aiden, which is bad. If anyone found out she would be in even more trouble than she already is due to the #1 rule: Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

I had been hearing lots of good things about Armentrout's half-blood, but it took me a long time to get around to reading it and I'm not sorry. Packed full of action and temptation, it definitely is a page turner. Alex has created a vivid and unique world around the Greek mythology of the gods, and Alex was the perfect heroine. Her voice was strong and full of emotion. Even though she has guilt plaguing her, she never lets that stop her from doing what she needs to. I especially loved her rebellious edge and her need to challenge authority at every turn.

I really look forward to reading Pure.

Source: e-book
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: #2 of 11

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #10 of 50

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis (From Goodreads):In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Mary has always been taught one thing: Stay away from the fence that surrounds the village. The Sisterhood has always known what's best for the village while the Guardians protect. When she watches her mother turn into one of the unconsecrated she is turned over to the Sisterhood. But with an inquisitive nature, Mary is learning that the Sisterhood have secrets. Secrets they don't want the village to know, including that life exists outside the forest of hands and teeth.

When the gates fail and the unconsecrated attack the village, Mary is forced to run, venture through the gates she was warned to stay away from. With a small group, she aims to find the last haven away from the unconsecrated, to find out whether the stories from her mother are true. She heads out to find the ocean. As they venture deeper down a path that is surrounded by the unconsecrated, will they manage to escape from the forest of hands and teeth?

It's taken me a while to read this book and I wasn't disappointed. For a zombie novel, it had the right amount of psychological tension and drama as Mary learns that the truths she thought were real about the world around her anything but real. I liked how the horror elements were described without overly abusing the gore factor that are present with most zombie novels.

Mary is a strong character, but at times can be annoying as her mind is always focused on finding the ocean no matter what other obstacle she may encounter or whoever else may be affected. The relationship drama between Mary, Travis and Harry was built on and could see the real emotions she felt towards the two boys. I felt sorry for both boys for different reasons, but due to not wanting to spoil anything I'm not going to say a word about what those reasons were.

As a post-apocalyptic, zombie novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth was an interesting take on the zombie genre and with a lot of character development. I'm looking forward to picking up the other novels in this series.

Source: audio book
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: #1 of 11

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #1 of 50

2012 Reading Challenges

This year I decided to participate in some reading challenges (most I'm actually winning at), and it has come time again to sign up to next year's challenges. I know I'm going to have a lot of commitment with a new job and everything, but that's not going to stop me from reading. For next year, I'm going to sign up to 4 challenges:

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE:

• To read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.

RULES & GUIDELINES:

• You must have a Blog to post your reviews or be a member of Goodreads.
• Your blog must be written in English.
• Deadline to join is May 31, 2012.

BOOK GUIDELINES:

• Must be a young adult or middle grade title.
• Must be the author’s YA or MG debut, released in 2012.
• If an author has a previous novel published for adults or children, they can still qualify for the challenge.
• If an author has a previous YA or MG title, they do not qualify for the challenge.

Here's my list of books I'm aiming to read:

1. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
2. Tempest by Julie Cross
3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
4. Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
5. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
6. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
7. The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
8. The Selection by Kiera Cass
9. The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legend 
10. The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
11. Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
12. Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
13. Undeadly by Michele Vail
14. Katana by Cole Gibson

Challenge guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
   
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
   
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
   
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.
11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug - I really need to catch up on my TBR list
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children
Some of the books I'm aiming to read are (these are the ones I've got on my shelves):

1. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
2. Haven by Kristi Cook
3. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
5. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Run's January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012.

The Rules:

• Anyone can join.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post on Jamie's blog.
• Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.
• No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

There are four levels:

1. The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
2. The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
3. The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
4. The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels. - I'm going all out and aiming for 50.

Details:

• Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books - I'm not going all silly, but I think I can get 5 more than I read this year out... hopefully
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books