Friday, September 30, 2016

Book Review: Replica

Replica by Lauren Oliver

Released: October 4, 2016
Read: September 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: ARC, 544 pages
Series: Replica #1

Description on Goodreads:
    Gemma has been in and out of hospitals since she was born. 'A sickly child', her lonely life to date has revolved around her home, school and one best friend, Alice. But when she discovers her father's connection to the top secret Haven research facility, currently hitting the headlines and under siege by religious fanatics, Gemma decides to leave the sanctuary she's always known to find the institute and determine what is going on there and why her father's name seems inextricably linked to it.
    Amidst the frenzy outside the institute's walls, Lyra - or number 24 as she is known as at Haven - and a fellow experimental subject known only as 72, manage to escape. Encountering a world they never knew existed outside the walls of their secluded upbringing , they meet Gemma and, as they try to understand Haven's purpose together, they uncover some earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls forever... 

Review: 
    When I started this book, I had two main theories:
1. Lyra was a clone version of Gemma. So when Gemma was born, her parents allowed Haven to extract part of her DNA and implant it into a willing mother to create Model 24.
2. Gemma herself was also a clone, and that's why she has heart problems (because the clones are still not perfected). She's called Frankenstein not for the reasons Gemma believes, but because she's unnatural and was created instead of born, just like Frankenstein. 
    Obviously I'm not going to say what happened with my theories, if one of them was true or if they were both failures. But I like the way it turned out. 
    Replica  by Lauren Oliver is not like other books. For one, the main plot is told through two different perspectives, each a separate story, that ends the same way. But the POV switch isn't every chapter or every three chapters. When holding a physical copy of the novel, let's say with Lyra's side on top, you could read until about halfway through the novel, and then the printing is upside down. If you reverse the book (as in physically flip it over), you could read Gemma's side of the story until halfway through the book where you yet again hit where the printing is upside down. It's literally two stories in one. 
    Now because of the two stories in one, you can read it many different ways:
1. All of one story and then all of the other.
2. One chapter of one story then one chapter of the other.
3. Like #2, but instead of only chapter by chapter, you could read multiple chapters of each at a time before switching. 
    As it turns out, I read three chapters of each before flipping, with the exception of reading a few extra chapters of one of them when I got distracted. It's really interesting that Lauren Oliver wrote Replica this way. I mean, it's never been done before and it can change the way you view the book by reading it a different way.
    The content itself I have a back and forth opinion on. I like the idea of the novel, the whole description, but the way it was written was kind of bland to me. I was left anticipating a huge revelation throughout the entire novel, but that feeling was never satisfied. I mean, come on, shouldn't all books end with a bang? Overall, it was worth reading, but I hope the sequel can grab (and hold on to) my attention. 

Favourite Quotes:

  • "On very still nights sometimes we can hear them chanting, calling for us to die." -Lyra
  • "Monsters, they call us. Demons. Sometimes, on sleepless nights, we wonder if they're right."   -Lyra
  • "All the words she could ever want: words to stuff herself on until she was full, until her eyes burst." -Lyra
  • "She wanted to say: We don't exist. She wanted to say: We have no choice. But even as she reached for the words, the cord tethering her thoughts snapped, and she was bobbing, wordless, mindless, into the dark." -Lyra
  • "She didn't know what she was waiting for or looking for anymore. Only that out there, in the real world, there were no answers- nothing but vastness and things she'd never seen in real life and experiences she couldn't understand and strangers who didn't know what she was and would hate her if they did." -Lyra
  • "Something leapt to life in her chest, a force beyond the guilt and the fear. It was like she'd been living in a cartoon, in two dimensions, her whole life, and had just fought free of the page." -Gemma
  • "And in that second she knew, she truly understood, what Pete had said to her outside. Monsters weren't made, at least not by birth or fate or circumstance. Monsters chose to be monsters. That was the only terrible birth, the kind that happened again and again, every day."      -Gemma
  • "All these people on their way to something, on their way from something. All these stories and lives, all of them orbiting temporarily around the same parking lot before spinning away from one another again." -Gemma

Rating: 6/10

Recommended if you like: fantasy, fiction, Lauren Oliver's Delirium trilogy, mystery 

Keep flipping pages,
Lauren 


Thursday, September 29, 2016

Blog Tour Stop: Soul Finder







Soul Finder by Jacinta MareeGenre

NA Supernatural/Dystopian 
Release Date: September 16th 2016 

Summary from Goodreads: 

Since being discovered as Soulless, Nadia has become a target for both terrorist groups and government corporations. Now, her only hope for survival rests in the hands of the man sent out to kill her: Diesel, the Mad Dog terrorist. Diesel is determined to free himselfof the never ending curse of reincarnation and the haunting memories that plague his mind. But when his search leads him to Nadia, a greater desire stills him from taking her life. Unable to see into Diesel's cracking mind, Nadia instead puts her faith into his strength, fueled by eleven generations of unmatched rage and insanity. Their tight-rope relationship balances the two between life and death, love and rage, trust and betrayal. Tension pulls at the hems of their dangerous companionship, and astime runs out all madmen must eventually make their choice. 

Book two of the thrilling Immortal Gene series dives deeper into the danger of trusting your heart over your head. 

Readers discretion: Adult language, violence and some adult scenes. For mature audiences only. 

Here's the excerpt!



I shook my head. This must be a nightmare. This must be fake.
“This isn’t you, Diesel. This is Krane’s influence. You’re sick but once you get some D400 into you, you’ll be you again.”
Diesel’s voice tightened. “I’m not sick. Don’t you get it? Krane, Diesel, there’s no difference.”
My breath shuddered out. All this time, everyone referred to him as Krane but I had ignored it. All this time I was warned of Krane’s cruel capabilities but I was so certain Diesel wasn’t the same malicious person. But Krane wasn’t a separate entity held behind a wall of D400. It was just another name fitted to a different face.
I stepped back. “You’re disgusting!”
“Nadia.” He smiled as though I was joking. He reached out to touch me. I jerked away.

With all the coldness I could master, I gritted through my teeth. “Men like you remind me that there are such things as real monsters.”
My words hit something dark inside of Diesel and immediately he dropped his smile. “Hmm, so what do you call those that love monsters like me, huh? How disgusting are you then?”
He was right. We were a candle on fire, destined to destroy each other. He was a flame, clinging to me, not letting me go as I melted beneath. I could feel myself weaken in my core, my sides running with wax. The more the flame ate and picked me away, the further my body hollowed until all that was left were brittle walls melting into a puddle. Once I was gone, he’d snap shut into smoke.
“Maybe you are right. Maybe love really is just poison an idiot drinks.”
Diesel’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you say nothing could break you?”
“I’m not broken. You are. And this is a poison you can now drink alone.”

About the Author:
Born in Melbourne Australia, Jacinta Maree considers herself a chocoholic with an obsession with dragons, video gaming and Japan. She writes a variety of genres including YA paranormal, steampunk, horror, new adult, dystopian and fantasy. Winner of 2014 Horror of the year and bestselling author, Jacinta writes to bring enjoyment to others while fulfilling her own need toexplore the weird and the impossible


Author Links: WebsiteGoodreadsTwitterFacebook  

Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours


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P.S. Watch out for our review of Soul Finder!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Book Review: Throne of Glass

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Released: August 7th, 2012
Read: September 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Format: Paperback, 404 Pages

Description from Goodreads:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review:

After reading the Court of Thorns and Roses books, I needed more Maas! So I turned to these books, after talking with a fellow blogger. Woah, am I glad I did!! This book was amazing, even though it had a bit of a slow start. It got so good though! Calaena is an amazing heroine, who is super badass, and is the coolest assassin ever! Her love triangle is a little "same old, same old", but her character makes it ok! I rarely buy full price books (I LOVE the library!), but I bought this one when I had read only 100 pages! I can't wait to read the rest of the series, and it makes me so happy to know that many more are on their way! I cannot say enough positive things about this novel, you just have to read it yourself!


Favourite Quote: 

“Still, the image haunted his dreams throughout the night: a lovely girl gazing at the stars, and the stars who gazed back.” 

― Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

Rating:

9/10 Stars

Recommended for people who enjoy: fantasy, romance, adventure, mysteries

Happy Reading,
Mari

P.S. Watch out for my reviews of the next books in the series! 


Saturday, September 24, 2016

Blog Tour Stop: Gilt Hollow

Displaying gilt_hollow_official_blog_tour.jpg

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Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon

Publisher: Blink
Release Date: September 27th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages

Synopsis:

Willow Lamott’s best friend is a murderer, and no one in the small town of Gilt Hollow will let her forget it. For four long years, she’s tried to fade into the background—but none of that matters when Ashton Keller comes striding into school, fresh out of juvie and fueled by revenge. The moment their eyes meet, Willow no longer feels invisible. Drawn to the vulnerability behind Ashton’s mask of rage, she sinks deeper into his sinister world and begins to question whether he’s a villain, a savior, or both.

Ashton thought he wanted vengeance, until Willow reminded him what he’d been missing. Now he longs to clear his name and become the person she sees in him. But the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the darker the secrets become, and Ashton fears his return to Gilt Hollow will destroy everyone he loves, especially the girl he left behind.




Without furthur ado, here is the excerpt!

Just as they reached the cramped entryway, a guy came out of the stairwell from the record shop. Tall with the lean muscles of an athlete, his T-shirt stretched tight across his chest and shoulders, a black baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Something about the way his dark hair curled against the olive skin of his neck, the way he moved . . . she knew him. As he reached out to push open the door, he turned, and Willow’s heart dropped into her feet.

Ashton.


Time seemed to stop as they stared at one another. 


He was still Ashton, but transformed, as if a sculptor had chiseled away the softness of his face to reveal the sharp angles beneath. Broad cheekbones, strong chin, square jaw clenched tight. But his eyes were the same deep blue of a lake at midnight. He was Ashton all right, but all grown up.


Then something clicked behind his gaze and turned hot like a gas flame igniting. Willow sucked in a sharp breath as the planes of his face hardened into a mask of rage. 


And for the first time in four years, Willow believed Ashton Keller was capable of murder.



Taken from Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon Copyright © 2016. Used by permission of Blink. www.BlinkYABooks.com 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Taken from lorielangdon.com

Lorie Langdon has longed to write her own novels since she was a wee girl reading every Judy Blume book she could get her hands on. So a few years ago, she left her thriving corporate career to satisfy the voices in her head. Now as a full-time author, she spends her days tucked into her cozy office, Havanese puppy by her side, working to translate her effusive imagination into the written word.

Lorie has been interviewed on Entertainment Weekly.com and several NPR radio programs, including Lisa Loeb’s national Kid Lit show. The DOON series has been featured on such high profile sites as USAToday.com, Hypable.com and BroadwayWorld.com. 




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The Autumn Bookshelf

Monday, September 19, 2016

Book Review: Daughters of Ruin




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Daughters of Ruin by K.D. Castner

Released: April 5th 2016
Read: May 2016
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Paperback ARC, 320 pages

Description from Goodreads:
Rhea, Cadis, Suki, and Iren have lived together since they were children. They are called sisters. They are not. They are called equals. They are not. They are princesses. And they are enemies.
A brutal war ravaged their kingdoms, and Rhea’s father was the victor. As a gesture of peace, King Declan brought the daughters of his rivals to live under his protection—and his ever-watchful eye.
For ten years they have trained together as diplomats and warriors, raised to accept their thrones and unite their kingdoms in peace. But there is no peace among sisters, and all plans shatter when the palace is attacked. As their intended future lies in ashes, Rhea, Cadis, Suki, and Iren must decide where their loyalties lie: to their nations, or to each other.


Review:
This novel was one that I really thought I enjoy. However this book fell just slightly off the mark. I felt that there should've been a more loving connection between the 'sisters'. They were (quite frankly) total enemies. But the rest of the book had an almost medieval twist to it, and I really liked it. But the parenthesis were OVERWHELMING! The youngest sister queen is a mere 14 years old, and is an extremely chatty person. Since the book is told from alternating POV's, her chapters were filled with ideas coming from ideas, coming from ideas. At the end of one such 'rant' I counted NINE brackets! NINE! It felt a little ridiculous.. But all in all it had an engaging story, and you couldn't have helped but feel a little attached to at least one of the queens (I quite liked Iren!). It was a nice read, but I don't see how there can be a sequel, or how this is the beginning to a whole series.

Favourite Quote:
"She knew now they would never truly be sisters, the way her father wanted."
- K.D. Castner

Rating: 6/10

Recommended for people who enjoy: fantasy, historical fiction, sister stories, female heroines

Happy Reading,
Mari 

Monday, September 12, 2016

Book Review: I Am Princess X

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
(with art by Kali Ciesemier)

Released: May 26th, 2015
Read: August 2016
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Format: Hardcover, 232 pages
Series: n/a

Description from GoodReads: Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure.
   Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.
   Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window.
   Princess X?
   When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: Stickers. Patches. Graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenon - her best friend, Libby, who lives.

Review: This book was so good! Oh man I could talk about this book for ages! I mean, a book told partially through comics? A YA novel without romance? Girl power off the charts? This book has it all!
   It's pretty short, but honestly it could've been pulled out a little longer. I wouldn't have minded another hundred pages or so. The clues to unraveling the mystery were very well written and it kept me interested until the very end.
   May, while being pretty generic, is still a nice character. She can handle herself, and is constantly helpful and faithful to Libby throughout the book. Not to mention, she has relatable issues like forgetting to charge her laptop in crucial moments, and over-analysing things.
   Libby, who we only really see in the last few chapters is wonderfully clever, and seems to be a nice match for May.
   Oh and I forgot to mention, the art is amazing.

Quotable Quotes:
"Which meant he had about eight weeks to pull something amazing out of his butt. His butt was not being terribly helpful."
"I’d eat some pizza, if anybody decided to order one. You know. Hypothetically."
"She was a decent storyteller, but a crap liar, for all the sense that made."

Rating: 11/10

Read if You Liked: the Mysterious Benedict Society, Pretty Little Liars, Wildwood

Optimistically yours, Ola <3

Monday, September 5, 2016

Blog Tour Stop: Hidden Truths



















Hidden Truths by Kristin Coley


Genre: YA Paranormal Romance 
Release Date: September 1st 2016 

Summary from Goodreads:
A missing boy...a girl haunted by answers. Addie's kept her ability secret her entire life. When a local boy goes missing though she's forced to expose herself as she enlists the aid of a suspicious hero to chance a harrowing rescue. Jake's determined to resist the crazy girl asking for help but can't when he realizes she knows more than she should. He's forced to keep her safe knowing her knowledge could get her killed if the wrong people found out. Their reluctant alliance will unearth secrets that push them towards a dangerous situation neither could have anticipated. Hidden truths never stay hidden for long.

Review:
Going into this, I was intrigued. The premise was so interesting, and I was really excited to dig in! The main character's ability was really cool, and for sure unique. Although it wasn't really explained (we kinda dove right into the middle there, and had to figure it out for ourselves..) it was something that I had never heard of before! Basically, she can see the answer to any question that you ask her (it would really solve the question, 'where did I put my darn phone?!'). It's a "super power" that is fresh, and has never really been done before. Because of this power, she meets Jake, an undercover cop. Lemme say that he is SUPER HOT sounding! The only odd thing about him is that he is waaay to accepting of Addie's supernatural gift. Like barely any questions regarding it, and then decides to right away trust her. That and he says some rather cringy stuff about/to Addie that make you go WTF? a little. But other than that, I thought that though the relationship between the two protagonists was quite tense (a lot of sexual tension),it worked quite well. I loved the scene where Addie starts talking about sex and cars, within the first 20 minutes of meeting him! If you don't laugh at that you are dead inside! My main critique is that her writing style wasn't really my cup of tea (however that's just my opinion, not anything against the book/story). It was a little choppy, and the chapters didn't seem to flow together... (again in my opinion) but Jake's hotness made up for most of it! (Strange how you can totally go gaga for a book character!) I thought this book was really interesting, and it kept me on my toes all the way through. I actually went "OH MY GOSH!" aloud, while reading, as it took quite a few unexpected turns. This book wasn't what I expected, but it finished up in a really fascinating place.

Favorite Quote:
"They were grungy to state it politely and I had the impression they would rather knife me than talk." Kristin Coley (me before coffee!)

Rating:
7/10 Stars 

Recommended for people who enjoy:
Paranormal, romance, YA fiction, psychic, murder mystery

About the Author:


I adore chocolate chip cookies, romance novels, and alone time. I live in south Louisiana with a collection of rescued dogs and cats. All of who are the loves of my life and well aware of the fact. Spoiled would be a good word to describe them. Writing is currently a hobby since it doesn’t pay the bills but my fond hope is one day I can consider it a full time job. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes. Currently I spend my days wrangling tech guys inmy job asanIT manager. I squeeze writing in between reading plus a million other things like cleaning. Guess what usually wins? Btw, I need to clean my house.


Author Links: WebsiteGoodreadsTwitterFacebook 



Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours

Happy Reading,
Mari

Friday, September 2, 2016

Book Review: As I Descended

As I Descended by Robin Talley

Released: September 6, 2016
Read: August 2016
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Series: Stand-alone

Description on Goodreads:

    Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.
    Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.
    Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.
    But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.
    Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.
    But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.
    From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

Review:

    As I Descended was darker and more twisted than I thought it would be. The cover gives off the illusion that the novel would be a frilly yet somewhat unsettling contemporary; I was caught completely off guard. Instead, I read about controlling, frightening spirits, competitions that can drive people over the edge, and old legendary ghost stories that might not be just stories.
    Overall I would recommend As I Descended to anyone that can handle the horror and is willing to get a glimpse of what truly lies after death.


Favourite Quotes:

  • " It was over. She'd done it. There was no going back from here."
  • " Blood will have blood."

Rating: 7/10 

Recommended if you like: ghost stories, thrillers, horror novels, spirits, high school competitions, reading about characters who hide what they truly feel about everything

Keep flipping pages,
Lauren