Month: April 2013

Of Triton (The Syrena Legacy #2) by Anna Banks (Book Review)

Posted April 11, 2013 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 11 Comments

Of Triton (The Syrena Legacy #2) by Anna Banks (Book Review)Of Triton by Anna Banks
Series: The Syrena Legacy #2
Also in this series: Of Poseidon, Of Neptune
Published by Feiwel and Friends on May 28, 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Pages: 246
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

Oh my. I was so excited when I found out about Of Triton, and was even more excited when I received an ARC in the mail! I loved Of Poseidon. LOVED IT!!! It was funny, had amazing characters, I loved the dual perspectives (which we get in Of Triton again), I loved Anna’s take on mermaid and Greek mythology, I loved the intense moments, I loved the writing style and the gorgeous underwater descriptions, and the ending killed me! I was catapulted off a cliff with that ending, and craved the sequel immediately. Of Triton was amazing. Everything I loved about Of Poseidon was there, and so much more. As always, my main points are bolded!

1. I still love the characters so much. Galen is so amazingly protective of those he loves, and I adore that about him. He is always there, and has the back of whoever needs him. Emma has grown in maturity and bravery. I really liked Emma’s mother, as well. She was still protective, but has learned that Emma is smart on her own. She turns into more of a friend than a mom in this book, and I liked her much more. And I loved the secondary characters: Grom, Poseidon King Antonis (who is so grandfatherly and sweet!), Rayna, and Toraf. I loved seeing familiar faces and meeting the new ones! 

2. Of Triton is full of just as many one-liners and ohmysweetgoodnesses as Of Poseidon, and I love that the humor is understated enough to make you laugh without being overbearing and roll-your-eyes cheesy. So much of Anna Banks’s sense of humor and personality shines through in her writing. 

3. This book is so action-packed! From the first page to the last, Anna holds nothing back. After a quick memory refresher, we’re off! I was whipping through this book. I see no signs of the sophomore slump with Of Triton. Not only do we get to follow up with our favorite friends, we get SO much more information! And the gift of Triton appears, which was SUPER exciting. And we get thrown with crazy twists and turns, plus some really sweet and tender family moments. Oh, and there’s a ton of stuff that needs to be worked out between the two syrena kingdoms. I really could not have asked for more.

4. Anna’s writing is gorgeous. I’m still enamored with her storytelling, her writing style, and her details. She gives us all the details!

5. We get more knowledge of the syrena. Their history, the inner workings, their laws and abilities, etc. And we learn more about some of the main characters. We get all the knowledge!

6. There’s a pretty good chance I loved this more than Of Poseidon. And if you’ve read my review, you’ll wonder how that’s even possible.

Ok, so after reading and re-reading my review, I think it kind of sucks. Haha. But I have no idea what to do to make it better! Basically, I loved Of Triton and wanted to write a short, sweet review that gave nothing away. At all. Because you don’t deserve any spoilers. Anna Banks is now officially on my auto-buy list. I’ve read everything of hers, and I have loved allllll of it! Of Poseidon lovers will not be disappointed at all by Of Triton, well except for the fact that it’s so short. Haha. I can’t wait for Anna to write a million more books!


Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (Book Review & Giveaway)

Posted April 8, 2013 by Jana in Book Review, Giveaway, Young Adult Fiction / 29 Comments

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (Book Review & Giveaway)Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
Published by Simon Pulse on October 30, 2012
Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: Author
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When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.

Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

I’m not usually a fan of afterlife-type novels, because I don’t usually like an author’s take on Heaven/Hell, Angels, God, and the afterlife in general. For this reason, I almost did not accept this book for review. Something about it, though, drew me right in and I decided to give it a chance. I am SO glad I did, because this book is a new favorite of mine! I really loved it, and it made me think about my life. I’m going to do my best to make sure this review is vague. You really need to discover the book as you read. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Elliot is a typical teenager, who is trying to learn from her mistakes and plan out her next life. She is struggling to find her way and her place. I loved that about her, because she was so easy to relate to. We all make mistakes, and we all have things in our lives that we wish had turned out, or been handled, differently. I love watching her remember what happened during the months before she passed away. I enjoyed watching her discover and piece together her former life, and the emotions and experiences she had.

2. Elliot has several amazing friends in the Obmil, or afterlife, that she has seen before between past lives. There are also a couple new ones that she has to figure out how and why they are important to her. One of them is a fatherly/grandfatherly figure named Freddie, who gives her advice. I really liked him and his fuzzy flannel shirts. Oliver will do anything to help her discover her plan for spiritual growth, and is a sweet brother type. Mel is a guide of sorts, and unconditionally loves Elliot. She is so sweet and loving. And then we have Trevor, the snarky grump whose t-shirt sayings change to reflect his mood. I loved those shirts. Haha. Some of them were really funny. He is a very dynamic, emotional, and confused character. I loved watching his transformation as he discovers his past right along with Elliot.

3. I loved Kimberly’s take on the afterlife. Basically, it’s a limbo period where people go after they have passed away so that they can learn from their past life or lives and reserve to do better in their next one. Each character goes through a lot of introspection and discovery, which I loved seeing. I firmly believe in always trying to improve yourself, so even though I don’t believe in reincarnation, I appreciated this message in the book.

4. Kimberly’s lyrical writing style is gorgeous, and so perfectly in sync with the subject matter of Touching the Surface. I just drank it all in, and could picture this otherworldly place in the afterlife in vivid detail.

5. The emotions in this book are just so real and pure. The people are flawed and working through their lives. Each is on a very personal journey. Aren’t we all? I really connected with these characters, and their situations. Their discoveries made me think about my own life, and how I am doing now. When I pass on, what will I look back on and wish I had handled differently? Will I wish I said something different to someone? Will I regret not experiencing certain things? I challenged myself to work harder and be better. I’m grateful to Kimberly for making me think all these things. 

Overall, Touching the Surface is a beautiful story that readers of all genres will be able to relate to and pull from. Regardless of your religious beliefs, you will connect with these characters. You will think about your own life, and you will most likely end up making some goals for yourself as you move forward. I was touched by so many of the passages, and related to the emotions that were discussed. I loved experiencing this book, and can’t wait for more books from Kimberly.

Giveaway: Kim is generously providing a personalized hardback of Touching the Surface for one of my US readers! Thanks so much, Kim!

Good luck, and I hope you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Stacking the Shelves (#1)

Posted April 7, 2013 by Jana in Uncategorized / 8 Comments

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, where we get to show off all the exciting books we’ve added to our shelves! It’s a fun way to express our excitement over books we might not be able to review for a while. :)

So, this is my very first time participating in Stacking the Shelves! It’s been a while since I’ve shared my acquired books. With the awesome deals online right now, I’m excited to show you all what I got!

For Review:


Of Triton by Anna Banks
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne
Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (watch for my review and giveaway tomorrow!)
Unremembered by Jessica Brody (this was actually a gift from Macmillan for participating in the blog tour!)
Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

Not pictured (because they are ebooks): 

True by Erin McCarthy
Tempest Revealed by Tracy Deebs
The Secret Ingredient by Stewart Lewis
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Burning by Elana K. Arnold
The Deepest Night by Shana Abe
The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe
The Fairest of them All by Carolyn Turgeon
Two Lies and a Spy by Kat Carlton
Towering by Alex Flinn
Reboot by Amy Tintera
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Girl Vs. Earl by Phillippa Ashley

Purchased: 


Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Delirium Stories by Lauren Oliver
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
Forever Summer (Included Laguna Cove and Cruel Summer) by Alyson Noel

Not pictured (because they are ebooks): 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim

Won:


The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson

Thanks to Brittany at The Book Addict’s Guide for hosting the giveaway!

So, what have you gotten recently? Link me, and I’ll come visit!


Firefly (Cicada #2) by Belle Whittington (Mini Book Review)

Posted April 3, 2013 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

Firefly (Cicada #2) by Belle Whittington (Mini Book Review)Firefly by Belle Whittington
Series: Cicada #2
Also in this series: Cicada, Monarch
Published by Self on February 2, 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 510
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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“The darkest days are ahead of us,” Andrew whispered as the drape of shadows slipped away, allowing Blair to awaken. And in her heart of hearts she knew it was true. The unmistakable signs were all around her, growing within her. She was becoming something more than human. All she could do was accept the inevitable.

“I’ve become a freak … an alien. I no longer belong to the human world,” Blair told her true love, and he held her close, determined never to give her up.

“I’d stay in this darkness forever as long as I could be with you. Wherever you are … that’s my home.” Everett meant every word. In fact, he’d willingly give up his own life to protect the girl he’d always loved.

But there was a storm brewing … a firestorm so strong and catastrophic that it could keep them apart forever.

That storm roared into town wearing a brown leather bomber jacket and riding a motorcycle.

Ash was like a secret in human clothing … a dangerous secret. Everything about him was mesmerizing – right down to the swirls of ink that flowed over the smooth muscles across his chest and around his arms. Being with him was like playing with fire.

Blair knew all about playing with fire.

She knew something else, too. A small quiet voice deep within whispered that she really would be separated from everyone and everything she’d known and loved.

Because some secrets run too deep.

Welcome to my stop along Belle Whittington’s Firefly blog tour, hosted by Books and Broomsticks! I’m pleased to be a part of the festivities, and add my review to the pile of reviews, guest posts, and interviews. If you’re new to the series, check out my review of Cicada, book #1.

I had been anticipating Firefly after really enjoying Cicada last year, so I was delighted when I was invited to join the tour! Firefly is an exciting new installment in the trilogy, and did answer some of the questions we were left with at the end of Cicada. I’m going to try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but it’s going to be tricky because SO MUCH HAPPENED in this book!

Firefly picks up right where Cicada left off, and Belle gives the reader just enough information about Cicada to stir their memory, but not so much that it feels like we’re being told the same story all over again. Everett, Blair’s boyfriend, and Andrew, Blair’s brother, are not in this book as much as they were before, and I missed them! You might remember me gushing over both of them in my review of Cicada. They were off discovering themselves, though, and learning what was necessary to add their pieces to this crazy puzzle they are involved in. We did get to see them some, and they ended up being exactly where they needed to be at exactly the right time. And with their absence, we are introduced to a little telepathy and dream traveling, which was a really cool addition to their (and Blair’s) mysterious abilities. I still really adore Andrew. I wish I had him as my older brother!

The love triangle is introduced in this book, with Mr. swoony-Ash. I started out liking him, but as he got more possessive and stalkerish, I was definitely glad that Everett was still the amazingly loyal and sweet former nerd I loved in the first book. I had a lot of fun watching him morph into this new version of himself. Bug boy to bad boy, if you will. One aspect of the love story left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. This book seemed to be a lot more sappy and lovey-dovey than the last one. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love love stories. I eat love stories for dinner AND dessert. I just felt like this one was almost Disney princess sappy, though, with Blair pining away for her “true love” countless numbers of time. She could not handle having Everett gone, and she moped and complained a little too much for me. And when she did see him, she spent more time climbing into his lap than talking to him. It made Blair seem weak, and with the role she has in this book, you would expect her to be anything but.

I really enjoyed Blair’s transformation into something less than human. I also liked the history behind why all of this is happening to her. And I really liked watching her experience all these changes and new abilities. A lot of magic and mystery surrounds her, and it was fun discovering who she is right along with her. I loved her relationship with her mom and her grandparents. It’s refreshing to see such strong family bonds in young adult literature.

There’s a twist that we find out about partway through the book regarding Blair’s memory of the past, and I loved that twist. I swear, the creativity behind this trilogy is amazing. I love the unique take on aliens and other worlds. I also really like Belle’s writing style and attention to detail, even though there were several typos throughout the book. There are some gorgeous passages that I actually re-read, involving dreams, galaxies, and even descriptions of the changing seasons. You can tell Belle is very talented, and is extremely invested in her books. I’m really excited to see where the next book goes, as yet again, I’m left with a lot of questions!

Disclaimer: About a quarter of the way through the book, something happens that upset me a great deal, to the point where I almost DNF’d the book. It involves the mutilation of a beloved animal. As many of you know, I’m very against this theme in books. I wrote to Belle and her daughter, the tour host, and explained my feelings. I was informed that this is actually a common practice among alien hoaxes and crop circles. Once I learned this, I was still horrified, but it was easier on me knowing that this aspect of the story is based on true events, rather than a creative author. I appreciated the explanation, and thought I would mention it here in my review to help soften the blow on other sensitive readers. I’d like to thank Linda for explaining this to me.

 

 


Top Ten (Twelve) Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character

Posted April 2, 2013 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 35 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

Thanks for dropping by! While you’re here, be sure to enter to win my $50 Amazon gift card giveaway! The link is in my sidebar.

I really love this week’s topic! I totally get crushes on boys in books, even if I would be 6-10 years older than some of them in real life. But we won’t think about that! Honestly, boys are just better in books. Sadly, I have found this to be true.

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I kid you not, this man will end up on 80% of all the lists, and we all know why. I don’t even have to explain it to you. And if he wasn’t swoony enough before, we all saw Colin Firth in the BBC Pride and Prejudice, right?

Dash from Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
He’s a bookish, hipster nerd whose biggest wish in life is to own his own 22-volume Oxford English Dictionary. COME ON. Plus, he hangs out in The Strand and writes in Moleskine notebooks. And he’s not gay.

St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I love this boy. This is not a crush. It’s loooove. I can’t say one bad thing about him.

Lieutenant Treynor from Honor Bound by Brenda Novak
Ok, not many know this about me, but I have this secret love of pirates and men who run ships in historical romance novels. It’s a guilty pleasure. This guy is described as being nothing short of a Greek god. He came from a very difficult background and ran away to join the Royal Navy at a very young age. He climbed the ranks, and gained a ton of respect from the people he works with. He has an incredible sense of duty and he respects women, going to great lengths to protect them. He’s also very gentlemanly and well-spoken. Ship men are not usually like this in historical romance novels, and I developed the biggest crush on him.

Galen from Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Can I please have my very own Syrena prince? He’s the tall, dark, handsome, sweet, jealous-but-not-smothering type. And oh, he sure loves Emma!

Alex from Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Come on. This boy will make you believe that love is not a disease.

Wolf from Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Wolf is sexy and swoonworthy, and exactly the kind of bad boy this story needed. His sensitive nature and core instincts make him both a ticking time bomb and the most loyal companion you could ask for.

Sam from Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Because he’s been reincarnated so many times, he’s extremely smart, talented, and mature. He’s unbelievably caring and considerate. He adores Ana, and helps her figure out that she’s worth so much more than her birth mother has been telling her her whole life. And he’s musical. He made me melt a little.Cade from The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
He’s a sexy, slightly broken jack-of-all-trades with a smart, sensitive side and great abs. Oh man. Totally love this guy.Bennett from Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Bennett is impulsive, a wanderer across continents and time. I’d love to have him poof me to some exotic island for our first date.

James from Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
What a likeable, happy, artistic, charismatic, and hilarious guy. I love his philosophy, which is basically this: you can be sad and you can mourn what you’ve lost, but the memories you created before that loss are yours forever. Never discount the happy times in life, just because they ended unhappily. I can learn so much from him!

Rowan from Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
He’s this reformed bad-boy with a travel bug who hops around from destination to destination teaching diving courses and backpacking to hole-in-the-wall hostels where everyone already knows him. He just sounds pretty darn amazing. He’s really mysterious and hardened, but a softy when his walls are torn down. And he’s bookish. Yes please!

Honorable mentions: Oliver from The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Perry from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Alex from Snowed Over by Angie Stanton, Vin from The Carny by Brooke Moss, Nick from Decked with Holly by Marni Bates, Nicoli from Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett… And yes people. I am editing this post to own up to my love of Edward Cullen. I was embarrassed, but you all gave me courage with your lists. I love him in the book. Not the movie. I think I need to quit!

So, who are your favorite fictional characters? Who are you crushing a little too hard on? Leave me links, and I’ll come swoon with you!