Insomnia Blog Tour!

Once again, it's 'mea culpa' time, as I admit that I've forgotten what day I signed up for a blog tour. Yes, it's such a shame. Can you believe that college really is as hard as people say it is? 

In any case, I hope the awesomeness I'm bringing to your screens today will make up for my radio silence. Today (or rather, yesterday) I am featuring the incredible Jenn Johannson, author of Insomnia, which is actually dropping into stores today! In case you haven't heard anything about this debut (read: just returned from your epic vacation to Mars), here's the info:
  

It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

Neat, right? And it also gives you a nice excuse as to why you're still devouring it past your bedtime: "IT'S INSOMNIA. IT'S MEANT TO BE READ AT NIGHT. UNDER THE COVERS. WITH BLOODSHOT EYES."

And if the blurb wasn't enough to convince you, let me just toss out a few names who read and adored this little monster: Elana Johnson. Carrie Harris. James Dashner.

YES.

To add on to the awesomeness descending on this blog, Jenn's found an awesome (and not at all made-up) commercial on the effects of insomnia. Pour your coffee, hold your eyes open and enjoy! 

J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author published with Flux & FSG/Macmillan. Her debut, INSOMNIA, is releasing June 2013. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she's not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she's nearly drowning in testosterone.

Jenn's website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter and Facebook | Insomnia on Amazon

Thanks, Jenn! And, for our lovely readers, here's your chance to win one of ten copies of Insomnia! Fill out the Rafflecopter and cross your fingers - and thanks as always for your support. Be sure to go out today and give Insomnia a chance to grace your bookshelf! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Zenn Scarlett Blog Tour! (Featuring author Christian Schoon)

I feel like Watercolor Moods' cup runneth over recently in terms of quality blog posts and interviews from some amazing authors! But I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so talented writers - keep on coming! 

Today, thanks to Strange Chemistry's wonderful Amanda Rutter, the Zenn Scarlett blog tour is stopping in. In case you haven't heard about this awesome sci-fi, here's a quick rundown:

When you're studying to be exoveterinarian specializing in exotic, alien life forms, school... is a different kind of animal.

Zenn Scarlett is a resourceful, determined 17-year-old girl working hard to make it through her novice year of exovet training. That means she's learning to care for alien creatures that are mostly large, generally dangerous and profoundly fascinating. Zenn’s all-important end-of-term tests at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars are coming up, and, she's feeling confident of acing the exams. But when a series of inexplicable animal escapes and other disturbing events hit the school, Zenn finds herself being blamed for the problems. As if this isn't enough to deal with, her absent father has abruptly stopped communicating with her; Liam Tucker, a local towner boy, is acting unusually, annoyingly friendly; and, strangest of all: Zenn is worried she's started sharing the thoughts of the creatures around her. Which is impossible, of course. Nonetheless, she can't deny what she's feeling.

Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what's happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she's actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients... or just losing her mind. All without failing her novice year....

Pretty cool, no? And just take a gander at the authors who have already read and loved it: Phoebe North. E.C. Myers.

Guys. Temple Grandin.

'Nuff said.

In any case, I'm going to step away from the mic and let Christian Schoon introduce his masterpiece to you guys. I hope you enjoy his awesome guest post, and look out for a review for Zenn Scarlett coming soon!

Dystopi-para-romanta-medico-science-fictional? What is this book-thing, Zenn Scarlett?

I’m Christian Schoon, your visiting author. Zenn Scarlett is my debut novel. Strange Chemistry Books was kind enough to want to publish it, and it’ll be shelved with the sci fi titles at your local Barnes & Nobel and on Amazon in early May. And it’s SF, all right. But it’s got some identity issues.

So, what sorta SF is Zenn?

It’s got a young girl in her novice year of learning to be an exovet who specializes in big, potentially deadly off-world animals. Pretty straight-ahead skiffy sounding to me. But, lately she’s been experiencing strange mental “links” with some of her alien patients. So… is this ESP? Is this paranormal SF? Now, Zenn doesn’t believe in fringy stuff like extra-sensory perception. She’s way too scientific method for that. But if it’s not ESP, what the…?

How about the romance. That’s gotta be cut and dried, right? No. Liam Tucker is a reasonably good looking, reasonably pleasant-if-cocky towner boy from nearby Arsia City. But towners, in general, are deeply suspicious of the Ciscan Exovet Cloister and their “unclean” alien animal menagerie. Liam seems interested in Zenn. And this, Zenn finds both odd and annoying. Odd because towners, as noted, are xenophobes and tend to avoid the cloister. Annoying because she’s in the midst of end of term tests and can’t afford to deal with the new friendship Liam seems to be offering. She doesn't seem to be in the market for romance. 

Then we have the creatures Zenn interacts with. She climbs onto the snout of an 80-foot marine predator to administer a therapeutic eye-wash. No problem. She gives vaccinations to buffalo-sized Procyoni yotes with bone-crushing jaws that could snap her in half. Easy. She goes inside a 200-foot-long swamp sloo as part of her end of term tests, and her response is... excitement (this is accomplished using a small, personal vehicle called an in-soma pod, but still. She goes INSIDE this animal). So, are we now in fantasy land? How is the reader to believe Zenn can do what she does? No human is this fearless. Well, Zenn grew up at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic where all these animals are housed. They’re not aliens to her. They’re everyday acquaintances. She knows their behaviors, what they’re capable of, how to stay safe in their presence. And her mother and uncle are both exovet masters. She’s followed them on their rounds every day since she was out of diapers. So, now we’re into a credible hybrid of SF/medical. Or, SF/veterinary, at any rate.

Maybe the book is space opera. It’s got some starliners, after all. Off stage primarily in this first book of the series, but doesn’t that qualify as full-on space opera? Hmm. The starships are powered by ginormous vacuum-dwelling creatures called indra. So maybe it’s science fantasy. But the indra have a clearly delineated backstory explaining their billions of years of evolution and how they developed the ability to assimilate dark matter in order metabolize a substance that allows them to penetrate the membrane of the space-time continuum… so now we’re back in space operatic form again.

And on top of all this: Zenn’s cloister sprawls out across a deep canyon on Mars; where the centuries-old Earth colonies are on the verge of total social collapse due to a decades-long trade embargo with Earth. People are eating roots and tubers. Buildings are cobbled together from scrap iron and old shipping containers. Outlaw bands roam the hinterlands. There are rumors of people being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Dystopian for sure. OK, I’ll buy this one. But… a Martian dystopia. So there is that.

Bottom line: the book belongs in the sci fi section. No argument. All I’m saying is, there’s more going on here than a person might suspect from the label on the shelf.

Born in the American Midwest, Christian Schoon started his writing career in earnest as an in-house writer at the Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California. He then became a freelance writer working for various film, home video and animation studios in Los Angeles. After moving from LA to a farmstead in Iowa several years ago, he continues to freelance and also now helps re-hab wildlife and foster abused/neglected horses.  He acquired his amateur-vet knowledge, and much of his inspiration for the Zenn Scarlett series of novels, as he learned about - and received an education from - these remarkable animals. 

Christian's website | Zenn Scarlett on Amazon | Christian on Twitter | Zenn Scarlett's page at Strange Chemistry

Thanks again, Christian! Guys, be sure to keep an eye out for Zenn Scarlett hitting the shelves in your area, and show Christian your support by spreading the word!

Oh, Ellen: Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles, #1)

January 2, 2013
HarperTeen
YA Historical/High Fantasy, 320 pages
Acquired and read: From the local library cooperative (love those guys!) like weeks ago, and resurrected from my teetering book pile yesterday afternoon.
  
The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

There's a lot to be said for low expectations.

Wait, I think I said that wrong. See, whenever I've really, really balled up my fists and thrown a tantrum with lots of pillow flinging and high-pitched screaming over the fact that I didn't get the ARC of a debut I really, really wanted, chances are I won't like that debut as much as I really, really thought I would.

Translation: My expectations were too high. Thus, they were quickly, cruelly and irrefutably crushed.

Note that these debuts weren't bad. Far from it. It was just a matter of me building up the title and its subject material to something that it actually wasn't - example: a fun little read on pony power becoming a MASSIVE CYBERPUNK EPIC with programmable robot unicorns roaming the streets of New Tokyo and eventually fighting a lab experiment escapee that has a bad habit of going around and smashing down buildings...when, really, it was a fun little read on pony power.

Back to the review on Prophecy. I really looked forward to this release, but I definitely did not put it on the shelf of Instant Win next to Graceling and Eon, as it was pitched. Recently, I find myself doubting pitches. They just seem to aim too high and don't give debut authors a chance to find a proper spot of their own in the Book Club of Awesomeness.

If you want proof: "Beautiful Creatures is Twilight meets The Hunger Games."

I rest my case.

Anyway, when Prophecy came, I was pretty excited (but not to the brink of insanity) because Ellen Oh is the sweetest on Twitter and has some mega-awesome ideas on diversity in YA (us diverse girls gotta stick together, you know?). And, in the end, I think those reasonable expectations saved me from a world of disappointment.

Because Prophecy is not Eon.

Kira is not Eona.

And that's perfectly okay, because she has some (lethal) charms of her own.

From the very first page, I was hooked on this strange-eyed, so-called kumiho demon slayer. True, some of her friend-family dynamics are pretty cliche if you're on the Asian TV scale of things (family member who distrusts her strange powers, surprisingly supportive and not at all shocked that they have a savior for a daughter parents, and, a little down the way, an unabashed fan boy who hams it up in a truly Korean fashion).

Regardless of that, I found myself feeling for Kira. Even if she's a woman warrior, in a time period and world that I have no experience with, she still has feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. She doesn't think there's any way that a girl who has spent most of her life hated and feared can turn out to be the savior of an entire nation.

(Spoiler: She is.)

I can say that there were some moments in the text and plot that tripped me up (please avert your eyes from the spoilers): everyone's parents have to die? REALLY? Why does it always have to be a wise old monk who reveals the prophecy? There are some cool Buddhist nuns, you know. Share the girl power!

Uh oh, bad guys! No, wait, these are the bad guys? I could totally take them!

(No, really. Don't underestimate me just because I'm sweet and I read YA. Some have made the same mistake and NEVER REPEATED IT.)

...Wait, are those the Japanese? Did you just make the Japanese the bad guys?! (Okay, so I know in a historical context, Japan and Korea have not always been the best of friends, but...loyalties die hard, okay?)

Also, I may or may not have snickered at the use of "oppa" and "noona" in a context out of contemporary K-pop and -dramas. Ignore me, I'm weird sometimes.

In any case, I will be the first to admit that Prophecy does have its flaws. But that's the wonderful thing about a debut. It's your chance to make your entrance in the writing world, to enjoy those who understand and appreciate your loves, and learn from your mistakes and find wonderful friends to be your wingmen. I think Ellen has done all of that, and you can tell how much she loves Korea and its rich history.


Also, people, don't think that being a debut excuses you from awful grammatical faux pas and the overuse of love triangles. I can only be so nice.

(Side note: If you want to read Prophecy and aren't swayed on the idea of a K-drama set in a historical backdrop, read it for the romance - or lack of, as it pretty much lingers on the back burner. It's rather refreshing.)

Warnings: There are a few bad words here and there, insults against people's mothers, painful character deaths, some creepy demons who devour livers and possess humans...Eesh. Then again, this is Asian mythology, so expect the freaky here, people. But other than that, it's pretty clean.

Author's website | Twitter | Prophecy on GoodReads

Fama, Elizabeth: Monstrous Beauty

Expected publication: September 4, 2012
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan)
YA Paranormal/Mythology (Mermaids), 304 pages

Acquired and read: From the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review; I stopped for a bit on this one, but after a bit of a nudge from the lovely Wendy Darling, I picked right back up where I left off and finished it within an hour. No lie.


Disclaimer: This is a pre-release ARC received from the publisher. As such, please check any quotes or information against the finished copy of the book.  

If you're a fellow book blogger - well, a reader in general - you probably adhere to the one-chapter rule. This can be considered a distant relation to the (now defunct in most social circles) five-second rule - you know, five seconds to eat a scrap of food off the floor before the germs descend? That might have been disproved as untrue - and if you value your stomach and your health, I advise that you abandon it - but for me, one chapter before aiming a book for the scrap heap or settling in for the night saves me valuable time, sleep and, for the most part, peace of mind.

I won't lie. Up until last night, I had no intention of finishing Monstrous Beauty. Ever. The first time I attempted to read it, I broke the one chapter rule (*gasps* What a rebel I am!*) and eagerly clicked forward to see what the rest of the book might hold.

My discovery? A scene of violent assault (though, thankfully, not completely described) that had me shutting my Kindle cover and vowing never to open it to that particular galley again.

On the lovely Wendy Darling's suggestion, however, I decided to give the galley a second chance yesterday, and made it all the way to the end - as I mentioned before, in an hour. Not much else to do when you're stuck in a hot, empty car waiting for a class to finish. Since I'm feeling lazy (and there's still seven hours left before I can break my fast for the day), I decided to compile the pros and cons of Monstrous Beauty into a list so you can decide for yourself.

What Worked

The mermaids.

Nothing like you've seen in YA before. Trust me on this one. I'm not sure how much more I can say without spoiling, but they are still part-girl, part-fish, but they're much more...wild and raw than Ariel ever could be.

(Down side: Even Ariel invested in that shell bikini.)

The family history.

I really liked the way that the author brought the past into the present, and made the research and bloodline tracing and interviewing really believable.

The haunts.

Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen. You get mermaids and some good old fashioned ghosts for your money. A two-for-one deal you can only find in the wonderful world of YA literature.

The writing style.   

Didn't I mention this before? Anyway, the writing style. This is the main reason I carried through with Monstrous Beauty.

What Didn't  

(a.k.a. my Warnings a little earlier than usual, because as I said before, I'm lazy today)

The violence.

The aforementioned assault, a really freaky sea queen (see my note about Ursula in the conclusion), a murder-suicide mystery and a family curse that, despite a lack of distinct violence, might be a little sensitive if you're really attached to your mommy. 

The language.

I know I'm probably wearing this into the ground for people who don't care, but every. Other. Page. I was flinching away from a language bomb. It might not worry you, but it's really a sore spot for me. 

The ending.

Most of the loose threads are woven up - I mean, most of the storyline gets illuminated pretty quickly thanks to the author's approach to melding the past and future - but there were still some questions about the family history and the mermaids that I would have liked to find out just for the sake of it. It's not a big issue, but I just felt a little...unfinished.

The cover.

I mean, it's better than the first version, but still...I was too antsy to post it, so you'll have to look it up for yourself.

Conclusion = ?

I think you'll have to come up with that one yourself. Personally, I did like the unique touch the author gave mermaids - a slight hint of the (original, and quite dark in itself) Little Mermaid tale, a dash of Spirited Away - or so it felt like to me, and the rich culture of the Eastern coast, which being a resident myself I already can appreciate.

And the sea. You can practically smell it coming off the pages. Sometimes, I think I was an ocean-dweller in another life. Something with sparkly, iridescent fins. And a habit of rummaging through sunken ships.

Ultimately, I don't think I can give this book a complete "read it" or "don't read it". I'm not usually one for dark material - though, as I said before, I like the sinister edge to these mermaids - and I'm not in the mood for something with lots of violence and despair. (Actually, I can't think of a time when I do like violence and despair.)

If you want to read Monstrous Beauty, read it to appreciate the writing style, and be prepared to skip forward if the gore and woe-is-me-another-death scenes are freaking you out. This is not The Little Mermaid. No song-and-dance routines, no Prince Eric and no friendly fish companion (though there is a really bizarro-Gothic version of Ursula that should have your knees shaking).

For me, I'd definitely say that I like it, but with reservations. Or, I'd like it more if I didn't have to have those reservations. Because, you know, I'm cool and ambiguous like that.

Black, Holly: White Cat (Curse Workers, #1)

May 4, 2010
Margaret K. Elderberry Books
YA Fantasy/Urban Fantasy, 310 pages
Acquired and read: Off the shelves of my public library; read within two days due to the usual obligations of day-to-day life. Someday, I intend to barricade myself in my own personal reading room and read and read for weeks on end. Just my books. And my tea. And perhaps some sandwiches.

The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas—and a plan to con the conmen.

 
There is no hard and heavy rule to me liking or disliking a book. It just...happens.

I offer up White Cat as evidence.

Holly Black and I have gone through the same dance I perform with most other authors. I pick up a book by her. I skim through it. I decide it Has Promise and carry it home with me, only to abandon it within the wobbling stack of books already beside my desk. (No, it doesn't look any better than last week.) Due to an impending fine/someone else actually wanting to pay attention to it/an Act of God, I'm forced to give it back to the library. Some days later, I return to said library, notice it and pick it up again.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

In this case, I was especially leery of White Cat because I've only once attained reader nirvana (or something close to it in the middle of a particularly loud and "swinging" wedding reception) with a sample of Black's writing - a piece in which a young Asian girl is forced to barter with an "evil" spirit in order to keep her sister from languishing away painfully due to unrequited love. Good stuff, really. But her faerie series just doesn't do it for me, so I wasn't quite sure if I'd like this any better.

Anyway, this time I decided I was going to sit down and give the first chapter a try - and then I ended up in the second chapter. And the third.

I finished the last chapter, closed the book, and decided I am not going out in public without gloves ever again.

Welcome to Cassel's world. Once you're in, Black makes sure you don't know which way to exit. You just hold on and clamp your eyes shut, and hope that at least by the end, you'll know your first name. This is the type of book that makes me want to write, simply to hit the same amount of sheer awesome on my own personal scale. Just so you know how quickly it hooked me.

So, forget my dramatics for a moment. Let's talk about Cassel. He's the type of guy who sits back and watches, observes, cases the joint before he makes a move. He's got a dead best friend (who he has vague memories of murdering, but has no idea how or why), two big brothers that pretty much treat him as a disposable pawn in an endless chess game for power, and a evilly crazy...or is that crazy evil...mom in jail. Also, he's not a Worker - in a world where people can crush your mind, break your bones and make you fall madly in love with an angel-faced sinner...all with the touch of a bare finger.

And he's having dreams about a haunting white cat, a cat that bites out his tongue, scratches at him and speaks in a familiar voice. Telling him things about himself that he's quite sure isn't true.


The supporting cast is as much a focus as Cassel himself. This book gives us a mafia world that Gabrielle Zevin only scratched upon within the pages of All The Things I've Done (which I relatively enjoyed - for me, but not as much as this). Everyone acts within character, you get what I mean? There's not a moment where the reader feels thrown off and goes, "Wait a minute. That type of person wouldn't do that."

Let me tell you...up until I read this book, I wouldn't be sure that an author could throw together mafia families, hereditary talents and hints of old fairytales together and get away with it (at least without sounding completely nutso and pretentious), but Black does it perfectly. There is hardly a hitch in the thread of the story. The story starts with a bang, but it doesn't go out with a whimper.

This is complete mind-bending storytelling at its best.

I'm not sure how many times I can say that without sounding completely nutso and pretentious myself.

One of the main bones I had to pick (and this is rather minor) was White Cat's category. In the inside of the book, it's classified as "Science Fiction". Mr. Scott Westerfield blurbed the back cover. That was enough to make me anticipate genetic engineering, mad inventions and lab-tech hijinks of all sort. What I did get, though, was something more along the lines of a world with a bit of fantasy within its ordinary foundation - special abilities, prophetic dreams.

Magic.

Science.

Not the same thing, people.

Unless there's something I missed. It does happen, you know.


The only other thing is the unhappy ending. For Cassel, at least. Well, maybe it's not an unhappy ending for him as much as for me, because I'm all true love perseveres and the evil witch falls off a tower and happy-happy credits rolling as we exit the movie theater. Holly Black seems to function more realistically - the hero doesn't always get everything he wants. It happens. I know it does. But if you're expecting for everything to magically fall into place and for you to close the book with a satisfying sigh and a hand clutched to your heart with sheer joy and faith in humanity...please don't.

On the bright side, there are two more books to carve through, so I'm not completely writing the poor boy off. Authors can be merciful.

Sometimes.

Warnings: Some instances of strong language and innuendo. There are cruel, unfair, backstabbing people involved here. If you think the world is made of sweetness and light, I don't want to be the one who shatters your innocence. You're better off exploring the picture books.

Hathaway, Jill: Slide (Slide, #1)

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s...more

Expected publication: March 27, 2012
Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
YA Paranormal/Supernatural, 256 pages
Acquired and read: Through the lovely ladies who run the Debut Author Challenge Tours; read within twenty-four hours

Challenge? 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Vee Bell is narcoleptic.

But contrary to popular belief, she isn't sleeping her life away. Every time she falls asleep, she gets a vision from the last object she touched, through the eyes of the person that touched it before her. (Quite the chain, isn't it?) Of course, this little ability isn't always a gift. Vee's life got turned upside-down when she realized the worst about her ex-best friend during a school dance. And now, it's happening again.

Only this time, she's witnessed a murder.

Awesome premise, right?

Okay, time for the painful honesty. Was this book one of my "this debut was SO worth all the pain and toil and going out to the mailbox to fetch it (ooh, my shins)" titles of 2012? ...No. But it could have been.

First, let's start out with the kudos. Vee is one of those characters that can actually wear the label "Unique" without looking like a Tumblr hipster - you know, one of those kids who gets a Tumblr and takes blurry shots of the soda machine and soulful looks in the distance because that's the way to looking hip? (No offense to anyone who has a Tumblr. I am the last person to start stereotyping anyone on the way they behave.) She's narcoleptic and she dyes her hair the color of Pepto-Bismol (we don't actually get to see how she pulls it off...) and hoards her mom's old collection of 80's music.

Yes. Her mother is dead. So much for avoiding the cliche, but I guess you can't get it all.

There is also a love triangle. Gah. I hate that phrase. Triangles are pointy and sharp and no matter which way you grab 'em, you know you're going to get cut - so why bother rooting for one guy? With my luck, usually it's the loser. Fortunately for me, I wasn't too into this triangle, which included Rollins (the best friend - of course) and Zane (the new, smoldering "too good to be true" hottie that is mysteriously attracted to pink hair and randomly falling asleep in the middle of class...). If you've already read Fracture, I think you'll be able to figure out what's going to happen - that doesn't count as a spoiler, does it?
Of course, since this entire drama is set in high school, we also need the general over-helping of hook-ups, secrets, and embarrassing pictures forwarded to every single guy on the football team. Again, we refer to the Golden Rule of YA: thou must not forget the appropriate amount of teenage hormones.

See, when it comes to these type of rules, I'm a bit of a rebel.


I think my main issue with Slide was the ending. So there's a mystery. A killer's on the loose. The next target is being stalked. And then, hold on...the killer is [SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER]?! But I thought for sure it was [SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER]. Wait a minute, who is this person anyway? The majority of the conclusion went over my head. Suffice it to say: I do not envy Vee her life. Everyone has a vendetta against someone else.

To sum it up, Slide is like that mug of green tea (or coffee - I know there are some people out there who actually like the stuff) that you make fresh and warm in the morning. It smells good. You can't wait to take a sip and start your day off on the right foot. And then, you get caught up in your e-mail or your phone calls from last night and you completely forget that cup waiting on the counter. By the time you remember and add your sugar, it's cold. Lukewarm if you're lucky. And it just doesn't taste the same.

But that's the way reading rolls. You gain some, you lose some. And there's always a chance to make a fresh cuppa if the last one wasn't to your tastes.

Warnings (Or, unwanted seasoning that Kaye does not want in her tea): What is every American teenager up to when the 'rents aren't home - at least, according to Oprah and Hollywood and the Great American YA Novelist? Key word: hormones. Hooking up, breaking up, language. One girl was pregnant when she was murdered. Also, it seems like every single adult Vee looks up to is having an affair. Is it something in the water?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Diviners

The Diviners (Diviners, #1)
Libba Bray

A supernatural series set in Manhattan during the 1920s that follows a teen heroine reminiscent of two of the era's most famous literary women—Zelda Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. The story will be a wild new ride full of dames and dapper dons, jazz babies and Prohibition-defying parties, conspiracy and prophecy—and all manner of things that go bump in the neon-drenched night.

I've only read the first of Ms. Bray's previous historical series, A Great and Terrible Beauty. I adored the writing style and the descriptions (and the glimpses of India!), but was ultimately put off because of certain changes in the plot (and a little bit of spoiling done by a very dear friend who does not know when to keep her mouth shut).

The Diviners, from what I've heard so far, sounds rather like a mix of Anna Godberson's fare of books (flappers and deadly secrets and the like) with a twist of things that go bump in the night. Intriguing. In any case, I'll keep my eyes, ears and mind open for this one.

What do you guys think? Does this new series sound promising to you? What were your thoughts on AGaTB?

Also, am I the only one who hates short blurbs?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. For more information on participating, please check out the host blog.

Schwab, Victoria: The Near Witch

August 2, 2011
Hyperion Books
YA Fantasy, 282 pages
Acquired and read: Via the local library cooperative, and read within twenty-four hours

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
 These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

I've been looking forward to this for SO LONG, and I'm so happy that it's lived up to my expectations.

The writing is...for lack of a better word, scrumptious. The cadence and feel resemble a genuine fairy tale, but with enough of a modern edge that today's generation won't feel out of their depth. Lexi wandering the moors feels as familiar and chilling to my heart as searching in the woods for Baba Yaga and her chicken-footed hut, or Gerda following The Snow Queen's footsteps in order to rescue her beloved Kai.

Also, Ms. Schwab gets the action going right away. From the first page, we know what's going on and what's at stake. Children are missing. A new (handsome, of course) stranger has arrived in Near. Lexi instantly captivated me as a heroine who both loves her family and is willing to follow her heart - and when she's in trouble, she doesn't a) break down and cry, b) attempt to snag a sparkly, exsanguinated boyfriend who can fight her battles for her, or c) both of the above. Very refreshing. (I also loved Magda and Dreska - I understand why Lexi likes to hang out with them as much as possible.) All the factors melded together to make a flawless, breathtaking story that I know I will want to visit again in the future.

I was a fan of Victoria Schwab even before I read the book, but this has pretty much ensured I'll be a fan for life.

Warnings: None. Unless you find long-dead witches coming back for vengeance too much for your heart to take.

Final verdict: YES. (I should find some way to get a graphic of a red stamp so that it looks all official.)

Sharp, Anthea: Feyland: The Dark Realm

Expected publication: December 16, 2011
Self-published
YA Sci-Fi/Futuristic Fantasy, 270 pages
Acquired and read: Sent by the author (thanks Anthea!) in return for an unbiased, fair review; I read it all in one go between last night and this morning - the bags under my eyes are SO worth it

WHEN A GAME…

Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and fifteen-year-old Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.

TURNS REAL…

Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her.

WINNING IS EVERYTHING…

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late. 

So remember how the other day I was bemoaning the fact that I can't find any more good renditions of the legend of Tam Lin? This little gem totally fits the bill.

Meet Jennet Carter. Fifteen years old and living the good life as an addicted sim gamer - and as the daughter of one of the top developers in the market, she gets the new stuff right when it comes out. But with the new game her dad and his friend Thomas have developed - Feyland, the most adaptable, immersive game to date - she might have gotten in over her head. The lines between reality and old legends is fading, and when she crosses paths with the Dark Queen, she finds exactly how much is at stake.

And then there's Tam Linn. An earthly knight, to be sure, but not one with a charmed life. Balancing his gaming with a messed-up home isn't easy, especially when he can't help but want to get closer to the new, rich girl who keeps poking her nose into his business.

I'm not a gamer - well, not as much as I'd like to be (does Nancy Drew PC mysteries count? Seems like I can't cut myself off from the literature) - but the concept of being pulled completely into a game, raising the stakes so that the life you have is the only one you've got, is a compelling one. I couldn't help but tense up right along with Jennet and Tam as they got deeper into Feyland, and closer to each other. There were a few moments where I felt like, "COME ON! Communicate with each other!" but for the most part, their partnership fits as seamlessly as the plot.

Feyland proves that being published away from the general market doesn't mean low quality. There is a good amount of structure from the original legend and at the end, I definitely felt relieved that this wasn't going to be the last of Feyland (and you know how I feel about sequels recently). If you like faeries, a touch of sci-fi and old ballads, this is definitely the story for you.

Warnings: A bit of profanity. That's all.

Final verdict: Yes. But you can't have my copy. IT'S MINE.

Teaser Tuesday: Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  

Grab your current read. 

Open to a random page. 

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. 

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

...Seeing the teeth marks and deep gashes down my arm, he pulled off my left glove to view my wounds further. The glove dropped with the soft sound of a dead leaf. The woods went still all around us as Kye looked at my bloody hand and my naked claw.

About Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey:
   Far away on Wilde Island, Princess Rosalind is born with a dragon claw where her ring finger should be. To hide the secret, the Queen forces her to wear gloves at all times until a cure can be found, so Rosalind can fulfill the prophecy to restore the family to their rightful throne.
   
But Rosalind’s flaw cannot be separated from her fate. When she is carried off by the dragon, everything she thought she knew falls apart. The dragon sees beauty in her talon where her mother saw only shame, and Rosalind finally understands what her mother has truly denied her.
   
Carey has written a stunning portrayal of the complex relationship between a mother and daughter in a lyrical novel sure to thrill readers who love fantasy—and those who don’t.

Meyer, Marissa: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Expected publication: January 3, 2012
Feiwel and Friends
YA Sci Fi/Fantasy/Fairy Tale Rendition, 400 pages
Acquired and read: Through Around the World ARC Tours in return for a fair, unbiased review; read within around three hours (I told you I love fairy tales)


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. 

Where my tween-aged self found a soulmate in Ella Enchanted, I seem to have found it in Cinder.

The whole Cinderella oddball meets Wonder Boy Prince Charming might seem a little overdone by now, but really, Ms. Meyer does an awesome job of keeping the basic details of the storyline alive with her own little twists. First of all, there's the whole sci-fi cyborg thing. Of course, who wants to live with that - especially in Cinder's world where being half-robot makes you subhuman - but how cool of a character trait is that? And then there's the evil queen that lives on the moon, an android with a smart-mouthed personality, and of course...the Prince.


Who is very, very charming.


Cinder holds her own as a heroine. Who can't love a girl who can detect lies, has a dark, mysterious past (though, I must admit, the mind-bending twist the author throws in the last five pages was a bit of a far stretch, even for me...) and is loyal to a girl whose mother tortures her every chance she gets? No self-suffering, "someday my prince will come" warbling for this girl. She's like a matured, street-smart version of Ella, and she has the nuts and bolts to prove it.


Maybe I should have written this review a few hours after the "gah I just read a good book" high wears off. Do I sound like I'm babbling? Okay, in summary...


Sci-fi + fairy tale retelling + charming prince + high-wired heroine = MUY BUENO. 


Go read. Right now.


Warnings: A heartbreaking character death (I'm not trying to give any spoilers, just letting you know that you might need a hanky on hand) and a sprinkling of innuendo here and there but NO PROFANITY. It's a miracle.


Final verdict: Yes. Yes. YES. (Why do all these books have to be part of a series?!)

Carson, Rae: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Girl, #1)

September 20, 2011
Greenwillow Books
YA Fantasy, 432 pages
Acquired and read: Through NetGalley for an unbiased (and very late) review; read within two hours

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

I requested this e-galley via recommendation from Dani at Refracted Light, and got rejected TWICE. Well, apparently third time was the charm, and I managed to finish it within two hours after my self-imposed Ramadan bookfast.

Honestly, though it surprised me in a few places, this book actually met up to my expectations. I was a bit impressed with how the author harnessed Spanish culture and old traditions to spin around her own new world, as well as the legends based on the Godstone and its particular powers (though I couldn't help but picture it as an extra-large belly ring).

The idea of a fat princess really appealed to me, but sometimes in the book I felt that it was overdone - ie. the whole "Oh, I shouldn't, but I will!" drama that occurs every time she decides to eat something, which is pretty much at the moments when you're dying to know what's going on in the other room. At least at the end, she is confident about herself and her abilities, which is definitely a plus in my book - but other than that, not much else occurs that really makes her the type of character I want to tie to my heartstrings and keep with me forever.

Definitely a good start to the entrance of slightly overweight heroines, though.

My main problem with the story (the reason why I'm not giving it the complete five stars) was the side romance that I felt was a little...adulterous? I understood that Elissa's husband didn't appreciate her, he had someone else on the side, etc. etc. so of course that excused her to break her marriage vows and go and fall in love with someone else.

And then, once I got warmed up to the new guy...well, I'm not going to spoil it for you.

The height of my enjoyment with this book was the plot, and the world-building. To be honest, I actually read it more like a writing class (confession: Holly Root is one of my dream agents, and every time I hear someone signed with her, I have to read through and hope some of that luck rubs off on me). Keeping the action going is definitely one of Ms. Carson's strengths.

To cut my rambling off, let's just sum it up as not being Ella Enchanted, but still with its own place in the book world. It might not be on my "Most Amazing Fantasy Ever!" shelf, but it is still a respectable title from the 2011 line-up, and I will certainly read the next book when it comes out.

Warnings: Infidelity. Mentions of what goes on between a man and his wife (but nothing explicit, just...hints for those who read between the lines). Thematic violence.

Final verdict: I think this would go on the maybe-so shelf. You might like it. You might not. I'm still in the middle.

Johnson, Maureen: The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1)

September 29, 2011
Penguin Young Readers Group
YA Mystery/Supernatural, 372 pages
Acquired and read: Courtesy of my most beloved public library (I was first on the waiting list - oh yeah!); read within approximately six hours

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London 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.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

The Name of the Star is what you fear.

Except for the whole arriving in London just for the killing spree of the century, Rory's pretty much living the life any Anglophile would die for - living it up in a posh boarding school, a cool roommate, and the possibility of having her head chopped off by the Ripper himself.


Ahem. Yes, I'd take it all except for the last part.


Though I follow her religiously on Twitter, this was the first of Maureen Johnson's books I actually finished (started Suite Scarlett back in senior year, but you know how well that went) and I was absolutely hooked from start to finish. There was a bit of a lag during the whole information dumps about boarding school, but then again I know absolutely nothing about the British education system, so let's take that as a learning experience, shall we?


In any case, there's loads of cool accented words and slang (personal favorite: "I survived November 9th and All I Got was This Bloody T-Shirt"...I'm a future English major, I've got to love irony), rides on the Tube and, of course, Ripper-mania to keep the action going right up to the last page. And even after that, I went through the acknowledgments, admired the nice author photo on the flap, and drummed my fingers against the cover a few times waiting for a sequel to magically appear in my hands.


It didn't. Ah, well, you can't blame a girl for trying.

What I found particularly awesome about the book was how it followed along with the real Ripper's crimes...and believe me, I would know. (To make a long story short, some psychology classes seem to enjoy freaking their students out for life about venturing out at night...oh, and being a female in any major city? Watch out for your neck, my pretty.)


To sum it up for whoever didn't bother to read everything up there: 


Anglophile + interested about serial killers (just as long as you're not one) = have a go with The Name of the Star. You won't regret it.


Warnings (because I can't close off this review without 'em): Death. Gory, historically accurate, heartbreaking deaths. Please consult a physician if you have any conditions that might leave you with your hands over your heart and a book conspicuously falling to the floor. The Name of the Star is a book about a murderer, not a murderer itself. 


Also, there's quite a bit of macking, a little bit of profanity, and some other innuendo. This is a YA book, you know.


Final verdict: Yes. (I'm sparing you any more of my terrible British imitations. Just...yes.)

Wells, Robison: Variant

Add to your GoodReads

Expected publication: October 4, 2011
HarperTeen
YA Suspense, 356 pages
Acquired and read: NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review; read in about twenty-four hours due to the unending hassle that is sleep, eating and tutoring duties.

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Now this is the type of book I've been looking for since I devoured the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix back in middle school. It's not a dystopian America. Benson is the type of kid you'd hear about every day, shuttled back and forth through the foster care system, getting nowhere. But unlike most down-on-their-luck little orphans, Benson doesn't look for a pair of parents for his very own, or tap-dance his way into the spotlight of some very impressed agent slash manager slash future father-in-law. He sends in for a scholarship to Maxfield Academy, a mysterious boarding school for kids like him who are down on their luck, hoping that maybe it can get his life going.

He's right, but not in the way he thinks.

Okay, now I must confess: for the first half of the book, I DETESTED BENSON. He sort of reminded me of Katniss (I'm sure I don't have to give a link for you to know who that is) - running against brick walls, constantly causing trouble without getting anywhere for his pains...oh yeah, and he is completely gullible when it comes to a cute girl. One thing is for sure, though, the plot wouldn't be carried off without him...and it probably wouldn't have been as fun with an infallible, all-wise and dashing hero.

Other than the initial setback of a rather irritating protagonist, this book was completely awesome in that it never delivered exactly what you'd expect. Even the end was a cliffhanger and, although I'm not approving of series recently, I will definitely set aside my misgivings for a sequel.

Bravo, Mr. Wells. I'm looking forward to more.

Warnings: A brief mention of exactly what teenagers are apt to think of when privacy + no adults are combined. Perhaps some language too, though I can't exactly remember at the moment. Just...proceed with caution.

Final verdict: Yes, and eagerly awaiting more.

Cypess, Leah: Mistwood (Mistwood, #1)

April 27, 2010

Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins

YA Fantasy, 304 pages

Acquired and read: From public library; two hours (give or take)

Related books: Cypess, Leah: Nightspell

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court... until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart... and everything she thought she knew.

This is one of those sitting-the-fence reads that I'm really glad I took the chance on. Ever read a review by someone you really trust (ie. another book blogger) that wasn't really positive, but you REALLY like the way the book sounds? Yeah, that was my conundrum right there, and (with all due respect to the blogger, because she's awesome) I'm glad I didn't listen to her because I really would have missed out.

The cover evokes this Lord of the Ring-esque world in my mind, but in reality the story and its situation sounds more like a royal court intrigue from the medieval times - or maybe Henry IV. Nothing is as it seems. Isabel, famed Shifter, guardian of the line of kings, emerges from the forest at the behest of the man who should be her next protectee - but she doesn't remember anything about who she is, or her duties.

From the beginning, I was attached to Isabel. She's determined to stick to the role of the mythical protector, but in reality she's just as lost and worried about the resolution as the reader. To me, she felt the way that Katsa (Graceling, Kristen Cashore) should have turned out, without all the gratuitous "no need to get married, just run around and pray you don't get pregnant" trifle that was shoved in. I loved the fact that (for once) the protagonist's self-discovery wasn't just centered around the romantic plot and being dependent on a man.

Rokan was a bit of a harder sell. Honestly, at times he seemed like a bit of a milk sop. ("Oh Daria! She's so perfect. Wait, why are you here bossing me around? Oh right, you're my protector. Hey, you're kinda cute...") I was glad he grew a bit of a backbone at the end...a bit.

When I reached the end, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, I was relieved that it was a stand-alone book because - honestly, the endless series are becoming a bit much. On the other hand, GAH IT ENDS RIGHT THERE?! At least there's a companion novel, but that's little comfort considering that I'm pretty sure it won't be the same. Ah, well. I can't bash it before I try it.

Warnings: One instance of bad language that can be quickly passed over. Other than that, this is one of the cleaner YA books I've read this year.

Final verdict? Yes. A big, red-pen YES.