Waiting on Wednesday (7) - Split Second by Kasie West

Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

Split Second

by Kasie West!

 



Publication date: February 11, 2014

Summary (from goodreads):

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

What is your "waiting on"?

The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton: Review

RATING: 2/5

 



SUMMARY:

 

Fans of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Holly Black's The Curse Workers will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard.

Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities.

When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be.

 

REVIEW:

 

So I was pumped to hear about a book incorporating Norse mythology in modern times. I immediately thought of Thor.

 

 

 

And Loki.

 

 

 

And I knew this book was going to be good. But sadly, I was disappointed.

 

For most of the book I was SO CONFUSED! We were just thrown into the story with no explanation of anything that was going on. Nothing about the mythology, the different people d the powers they have...nothing!

 

 

 

I could not enjoy the story because I was so confused.

 

And don't even get me started on the characters.

 

 

 

Soren, the protagonist, is so whiny and depressing. Baldur was weird. and I just didn't like Astrid. AT ALL. She is that one person you hate for no apparent reason.

 

And Soren and Astrid have one of the worst cases of insta-love I've ever seen. One second he's fine, and then he sees her and he's madly in love and has to control his battle-fever.

 

 

 

But the story itself was very interesting. It was the only thing that kept me going. The whole idea of the gods walking with humans was so unique,and the idea that the most popular god goes missing is so cool. Everything that the characters had to do to get the god back was also very awesome, but everything else in the book was so bad and confusing that it just fell flat.

 

I wish I could've loved this book. I really do. But I was too confused to be able to.

 

CONTENT: Kissing, references to sex, mild swearing, and violence, but not graphic.  

Top Ten Best Beginnings/Endings of Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

This week I'm talking about my top 10 beginnings and ending of books! Although there's more like 12. I couldn't limit it to just 10!

 

BEGINNINGS

 

1. In the After by Demitria Lunetta: "I only go out at night." Oh, so creepy.

 

2. Legend by Marie Lu: "My mother thinks I'm dead." Ah, death. It always draws me in to a story.  

 

3. Blood Red Road by Moira Young: The whole prologue. It's just amazing.

 

4. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: "It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die." Again, death. I was hooked.  

 

5. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: "They called the world beyond the walls of the Pod 'the Death Shop'." More death!

 

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: "The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke's house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in the cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches." Very long, but as soon as I read this, I was hooked.

 

ENDINGS

 

1. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger: "Waiting for the wind to return." Such a good closing line to an amazing book.  

 

2. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken: "I turned from the window, and I didn't turn back." OH THE TEARS.

 

3. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo: "She would rise." THE SUN SUMMONER'S COMING! 

 

4. Asunder by Jodi Meadows: "The Year of Souls had begun." Oh, goodness. That could spell trouble.

 

5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer: "But they would be looking for a ghost." YOU GO CINDER!

 

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: "They are orphans again, with no true home but each other and whatever life they can make together on the other side of the sea." Your books were mentioned three times on this list,  Miss Bardugo. You must be doing something right. 

Waiting on Wednesday (6) - Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

Evertrue

by Brodi Ashton

 

Publication date: January 21, 2014

 

Summary (from Goodreads):

 

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible.

 

What is your "waiting on"?





In Time (The Darkest Minds #1.5) by Alexandra Bracen: Review

RATING: 5/5

SUMMARY:

Gabe’s life has been devastated in the wake of the economic crash. The only option left for someone like him to escape his tragic past is to leave his small town behind and to attempt to become a skip tracer. This already almost impossible task is made all the more difficult by his first score, a young girl who won’t speak, but who changes his life in ways he could never imagine.

REVIEW:

OH MY SWEET GOODNESS.

ALEXANDRA BRACKEN, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?

So let me start off by saying that this novella is 90 pages, including the preview of NEVER FADE. Those 90 pages happen to be the most stressful and emotional 90 pages I have ever read.

The main character in this novella isn't even in THE DARKEST MINDS. Which disappointed me at first, because I was really hoping for a Liam story. But the protagonist is a new character named Gabriel, who wants to become a skip tracer. And after reading the first few pages...

I HATED HIM!

He is awful. He calls the kids freaks, and has no respect for them, AND I JUST HATED HIM! HE IS SUCH A JERK!

Then a certain character shows up, and I about cry. I won't tell you who though. You'll have to figure that out for yourself.

And the rest of the novella, I was right on the edge of tears the whole time. So good, but so many emotions!

Then the ending came.

I cried so hard! In just, like, 70 pages I had gotten so attached to the characters and the story, and the ending made me bawl.

I thought it couldn't get any worse. So, I read the preview of NEVER FADE, and by the end, it happened again. Alexandra threw me for a loop, and it hit me so hard!

I can't I just can't.

I NEED NEVER FADE SO BAD!!!

In short, one of the best and most emotional 90 pages I have ever read.

Ever.

Thank you, Miss Bracken, for writing such an amazing novella to tide me over until NEVER FADE comes out. I cannot wait!

Tidal (Watersong #3) by Amanda Hocking: Review

RATING: 5/5

 

 

Summary:

 

The magical world of Watersong is about to change forever. The answers Gemma and her friends have been searching for are finally revealed - but evil is closing in and time is running out....

 

Gemma and Harper Fisher are facing the fight of their lives. Gemma has been cursed with extraordinary powers that have a terrifying dark side, but she's finally found what she needs - a way to break the curse and become human again. However, finding the means to do it will be her greatest challenge yet. And now Penn, Lexi, and Thea - the gorgeous but deadly creatures who cursed her - are determined to kill her before she has a chance. Making matters worse, Penn has her sights set on Daniel - the guy Harper loves - and Penn always gets what she wants.

As Gemma and Harper race to break the curse before it's too late, they're thrust deeper into a mythical world of immortal secrets. They must into their enemies' past to find the answers they need, even if it means being drawn deeper into their savagely beautiful world. But one of the girls is not what she seems...and Gemma finds an unlikely ally as she struggles to save herself. Will it be enough to break an ancient curse that no one has ever escaped from alive?

REVIEW:

While LULLABY was just ok, TIDAL absolutely blew my mind!

This book grabbed me from the very first page and didn't let me go until the last.

Lets talk characters.

GEMMA:

I absolutely love Gemma, even if she doesn't make the best decisions. She is very independent, and really likeable.

HARPER:

She acts too much like Gemma's mom. But I think I would too in her shoes. She is kind and caring, even though she worries too much.

DANIEL:

Oh, Daniel.

HOLY HOTNESS!

How can you not love him? He's helpful, caring, hot, strong, and brave. Definitely one of my top book boyfriends.

ALEX:

I FEEL SO BAD FOR HIM. I WISH HIS MIND WOULD GET FIXED.

THEA:

My favorite out of all the sirens. She actually talked to Gemma, instead of just immediately wanting to kill her for not wanting to be a siren. And the ending made me even love her more.

PENN AND LEXI:

I hate them both. So much. They hate Gemma, and just want to kill her. Why didn't they ever try to get along with Gemma? Find a compromise? Maybe if they were nicer, Gemma would actually want to hang around them.

THE PLOT:

The plot thickened so much throughout this book! The first book WAKE was really good in this department; the second book, LULLABY, was kind of lacking in plot; but not TIDAL. Everything is getting so much more involved and intense. I love it!

THE ENDING.

I was emotionally dead by the end. YOU WILL NEVER SEE IT COMING!

Overall, an awesome addition to an amazing series. I highly recommend it!

CONTENT: Heavy kissing, but it never goes any farther. a few f-bombs were dropped, and there's lots of gory violence.



Waiting on Wednesday (5) - Elegy by Amanda Hocking

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

 

This weeks "waiting on" is...

 

Elegy 

by Amanda Hocking

 

Publication date: August 6, 2013

Summary (from goodreads):

Readers won't want to miss the explosive final book in the Watersong series by New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking

Now that Gemma holds the key to breaking the siren curse, the stakes have never been higher. At last, a future with those she loves—and a romance with Alex—is close enough to touch...but not if Penn has anything to say about it. Penn is more determined than ever to have Daniel for her own and to destroy Gemma and Harper along the way, and Penn always gets what she wants. Now a final explosive battle is about to begin, and the winner will take everything Gemma holds dear.

What is your "waiting on"?

 

Top Ten Authors who Deserve More Recognition

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

This week I'm talking about the top ten authors who deserve more recognition!

 

1. Patrick Carman: Every book of his that I have read, I have absolutely loved. Especially Thirteen Days to Midnight, and his Atherton trilogy.

 

2. Josephine Angelini: Her Starcrossed trilogy is AMAZING. It definitely deserves more attention!

 

3. Cinda Williams Chima: I read her Heir Chronicles when The Dragon Heir first came out, and I absolutely loved it! Her Seven Realms series is even better. Definitely a must-read for fantasy lovers!

4. Veronica Rossi: Under the Never Sky was one of my favorite books of 2011, and the sequel Through the Ever Night did not disappoint. They are so unique! Definitely a must-read for dystopian fans.

5. Alexandra Bracken: The Darkest Minds is one of my favorite books EVER. Her debut novel Brightly Woven is great too. Put these on your Need to Read List now.

6. Rae Carson: Her Fire and Thorns trilogy is perfect. I love it!

7. Elizabeth Norris: I read Unraveling after I won the sequel, Unbreakable, and I absolutely LOVED it! So unique and fast-paced.

8. Neal Shusterman: I don't even need to explain. Unwind is one of the best books I have ever read.

9. Moira Young: Her debut novel, Blood Red Road, is FANTASTIC! An absolute must-read.

10. Jodi Meadows: Her Incarnate trilogy is so unique! Dystopian with dragons. Where can you go wrong with that?

 



 

 

Waiting On Wednesday (4) - Deception by C.J. Redwine

Waiting On Wednesda is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

Deception

by C.J. Redwine

 

Summary:

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

 

 

What is your "waiting on"?



Insignia by S.J. Kincaid: Review

 

RATING: 5/5

 

SUMMARY:

 

The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S.J. Kincaid’s fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy. The planet’s natural resources are almost gone, and the war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning.

The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn’t seem like a hero. He’s a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom’s life completely changes. Suddenly, he’s someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there’s a price to pay...

 

REVIEW:

 

 

I won this book in a contest last year, and it has sat on my shelf since. Then when I saw that pitchdark.com was doing a read-along for the book, I decided to participate. And I am so glad I did

.

INSIGNIA starts with a bang and doesn't let up in the slightest. It takes place during WWIII, but there is no fighting on Earth. With superior technology, the countries at war take the fighting to other planets in the solar system. But the enemy is winning.

 

That is where Tom Raines comes in. Tom is a short, awkward, acne-covered kid who just happens to have an extreme talent for video games. When the government takes notice of his skill, his life is turned upside down.

 

This book reminds me of the premise of Ender's Game. The government's secret weapon, just like Ender was. The story was very sci-fi, and I loved that a lot.

 

So much action! There was never a dull moment. Even if there wasn't a physical battle going on, there was a mental one between the kids.

 

These kids were awesome. From Wyatt, to Elliot, to Vik, they all had their special talents and personalities that made the story unique. I loved them all!

 

Tom was a great main character. He's witty, sarcastic, and really relatable. He is a typical teenage boy, with typical teenage boy insecurities. He was awesome, and it was refreshing to read from a boys point of view.

 

The world SJ Kincaid created was INCREDIBLE. The author went into so much detail about the spire and the wars, which was really interesting. Normally I would find this boring, but it was so cool to learn about the world. I found it so cool!

 

The ending was great, although pretty sad. I cannot wait to read the next book!

 

Action-packed, snarky, and all around awesome, INSIGNIA is not one to miss!

 

CONTENT: Pretty clean. some boyish thoughts, and video game violence are the only issues. 

Top Ten Best/Worst Book to Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

This week I'm talking about my five best and five worst book to movie adaptations!

 

BEST

1. The Hunger Games

The cast was great, and even though some things were left out, I still thought they did a great job with this movie.

 

2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

 

It's Lord of the Rings. Need I say more?

 

3. Warm Bodies

 

This captured all of the humor from the book to the movie. So good!

 

4. Harry Potter series

 

This is great because....

IT'S HARRY FREAKIN' POTTER!

 

5. The Hobbit

 

SO GOOD. Almost as good as the Lord of the Rings.

 

WORST

 

 

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS MOVIE THAT I CAN'T GO INTO IT!

 

2. Beautiful Creatures 

 

They changed everything that was good about the book. So disappointing.

 

3. The Host

 

 

The way they did Melanie's voice was weird, the Seeker was portrayed wrong, and they definitely could've done a lot of things better.

 

4. I am Number Four

 

Again, they left so much out and changed so much. Plus, I hated who was cast as Sarah.

 

5. Series of Unfortunate Events

 

I'm not even going to go into this one. It was just bad. 













 







In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted the Kristi at The Story Siren.

 

Here are the books I got this week:

 

From Publisher:

• Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Gifted for Birthday:

• In the After by Demetria Lunetta
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
• Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
• The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Bought:

• Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris (UK edition)

 

What did you get in your mailbox?



Waiting on Wednesday (3)- The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly even hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

The Enchanter Heir

by Cinda Williams Chima

 



Summary:

They called it the Thorn Hill Massacre—the brutal attack on a once-thriving Weir community. Though Jonah Kinlock lived through it, he did not emerge unscathed: like the other survivors, Jonah possesses unique magical gifts that set him apart from members of the mainline guilds. At seventeen, Jonah has become the deadliest assassin in Nightshade, a global network that hunts the undead. He is being groomed to succeed Gabriel Mandrake, the sorcerer, philanthropist, and ruthless music promoter who established the Thorn Hill Foundation, the public face of Nightshade. More and more, Jonah’s at odds with Gabriel’s tactics and choice of targets. Desperate to help his dying brother Kenzie, Jonah opens doors that Gabriel prefers to keep closed.

Emma Claire Greenwood grew up worlds away, raised by a grandfather who taught her music rather than magic. An unschooled wild child, she runs the streets until the night she finds her grandfather dying, gripping a note warning Emma that she might be in danger. The clue he leaves behind leads Emma into Jonah’s life—and a shared legacy of secrets and lingering questions.

Was Thorn Hill really a peaceful commune? Or was it, as the Wizard Guild claims, a hotbed of underguild terrorists? The Wizards’ suspicions grow when members of the mainline guilds start turning up dead. They blame Madison Moss and the Interguild Council, threatening the fragile peace brokered at Trinity.

Racing against time, Jonah and Emma work to uncover the truth about Thorn Hill, amid growing suspicion that whoever planned the Thorn Hill Massacre might strike again.

Terminal (Tunnels #6) by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams: Review

RATING: 5/5

SUMMARY:

The end to end all ends: The epic finale to the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling TUNNELS series!

Total Termination of the English: The Styx and their lethal cohorts of Armagi will settle for nothing less. Not even the mighty US military is strong enough to stop the assault!

Will and Elliott flee back underground, down to the innards of the Earth first mapped in DEEPER and FREEFALL. With the support of a small team that survived the plague of New Germania, they discover a secret at the site of the three core pyramids. A secret that may explain not only where the Styx came from, but the human race, too. Can Elliott, with her mixed blood, unlock the clues before Earth itself spins out of orbit?

All the many threads of the prior TUNNELS books come together in this epic conclusion!

REVIEW:

Mr. Gordon,

I am a loyal follower of the Tunnels series since book 1 was released. I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of each book, and even ordered the UK editions when I could so I didn't have to wait for them to be released in the US. This is what I did for Terminal, the sixth book in the series.

When I received the book, I was wary to start it at first. Well, how can I not be after everything you have put the characters through?

So, overcoming my fear, I started the book. AND I LOVED IT! It just blew me away. It took so many twists and turns that I never saw coming (which is very rare for me. I can usually predict what is going to happen). It was intense, and heartbreaking, and even a little disturbing; everything I expect out of a TUNNELS book.

Then the end came.

I pretty much felt like this.  

It was intense; I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. But then when I finally finished it, and I ws left with so many unanswered questions.

Now, the next section includes major spoilers, so read on if you dare.

SPOILERS

 So Will is now turning into a styx, and Elliot is trapped in the center of the earth. This greatly upset me. After all they've gone through, would it kill you to give them a happy ending? I have ben rooting for them since DEEPER, and I was greatly disappointed to not see them together. Will Elliot ever get out of the center of the earth? Will she and Will ever get together?

Also, there is the matter of Werner, Jurgen, and Karl. They were left in the center of the earth when Elliot and Will left through the tower to go topsoil, and were never heard from again. What happened to them? Were they killed when all of the styx were transported to the center of the earth? Or did they hide and are still alive?

And, finally, I have numerous questions about the earth. Where did it come from, and where is it going? How will all of the humans survive? Will the atmosphere be destroyed? I MUST KNOW! THESE QUESTIONS ARE KILLING ME!

END SPOILERS

To conclude, I highly suggest that you write a seventh book. There are too many unanswered questions for me to be satisfied with this ending. I still loved it despite the ending, but I would really appreciate another book. Or a spinoff series. Or even a novella. Anything to get these questions answered. Pretty please? That would make me very happy.

Thanks!

~Marie

CONTENT: Nothing worse than the other books in the series.