Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway - Fall From Love by Heather London

Fall From Love by Heather London

Series: Standalone

Genre: NA Contemporary

Publication Date: June 17, 2013

Format: eBook

Source: Received for review for blog tour

Struggling to put her life back together after a tragic mountaineering accident kills her college sweetheart, twenty-one-year-old Holly Treadwell is trying to set aside her grief, forge ahead in school, and find herself again.

When Carter Hansen, a guy who brings back horrible memories from the night of the accident, finds his way back into her life, Holly’s unsure  if she should let him in. He terrifies her in more ways than one and invokes feelings in her that she thought were buried forever. Regardless of her fears, she knows she must face him in order for her heart to heal.

Everyone tells Carter that what happened on the mountain that night was just a terrible accident, but even then, he can’t help but carry around the guilt and is unable to forgive himself. He’s drawn to Holly and being near her helps ease his conscience and gives him the release he needs.

As Holly and Carter’s relationship grows, they begin to realize that the more time they spend with one another, the more their wounds begin to heal—her grief and his guilt. But when Holly learns the details about the night of the accident—what everyone has been keeping from her—it will rip open old wounds and tear apart what they’ve both worked so hard to overcome…

I absolutely adore reading about the new adult age group, but I'm really struggling to find a NA book I love. I'm beginning to wonder if it's me. Because, just like with Fall From Love, I've liked all the NA books I've read recently well enough--found them interesting, found the story lines compelling--but I haven't been able to become completely engrossed, to connect with them as well as I would like. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in Fall From Love, and I enjoyed overcoming their struggles with them. But enjoying something is certainly not the same as being blown away by it. 

A few months ago, Holly (the main narrator) lost Adam, her boyfriend of 2 years, to an accident up in the mountains. Of course she is racked with devastation, but I feel like we're told that more than anything. We're told that she has been awful, living in a black hole of despair, hardly showering or cleaning up after herself. Her pain was all on a large scale, but sometimes it's the little things that hurt the most. I would have liked more triggers throughout the story. Like what if a song reminded her of Adam, or his favorite sports team was playing on the TV or someone used a phrase that he said a lot. But throughout the entire novel, I don't think Holly was actually reminded of Adam, rather she was reminded of the night she lost him. Also, there wasn't really much that showed the impact of his absence in her life. That just made it so hard to feel like she missed him and was grieving his death. It was more like she was grieving the idea of his death. 

Then there was Holly's relationship with Carter. At first, she can't even hear the sound of his voice without suffering physical pain because it reminds her of The Night Adam Died. She dreads his presence. Then he shows up to a party that Holly is at, they have a conversation, and seeing him is really no problem. After one successful night hanging out, they become really close friends. Everyone besides them can see that they need to get down and dirty. Finally both of them do see it but they just don't want to ruin their friendship. I liked Carter, but my god, it's unconvincing and cliche. Yet the entire time I was rooting for them to just get over their hold-ups and get on with the bowchickawowwow. Their relationship was, at least, very sweet. Though I may not find it completely realistic, I liked that they made each other stronger and looked out for one another. In the end there was a lot of growth for both of them and I was satisfied with how things turned out.

The writing wasn't bad, but it also wasn't mind-blowing. There were quite a few cliches, and some of it lacked the proper depth. Certain passages that were obviously supposed to be profound and thought-provoking, supposed to be beautiful, were actually pretty MEH to me.

I really liked Jenna. She was a fantastic friend to Holly. For me, strong, genuine friendships make a story four zillion times better. I guess you could say Jenna and Holly's friendship was one of my favorite aspects of the book. 

I know it seems like there is a lot of negativity in this review, but I did enjoy Fall From Love. Though I'm not going to go around gushing to everyone and shoving it in people's hands, I think it is worth reading. Learning how to love again, to face your fears even when they seem insurmountable, and learning what risks are worth taking... Powerful ideas expressed through an intriguing situation and likeable characters. And, as I said, it might just be me. Others will probably find this more emotional than I did, and others will probably connect to it better. 

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Book Review: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
Series: The Colors of Madeleine #1
Genre: YA Fantasy 
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Format: Digital Galley
Pages: 387
Source: Received for review from publisher via NetGalley

The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!

This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...(Summary from Goodreads.com)

Okay, so...this book. There have been some good, some bad, some in between things said about this book. I went into this book utterly unsure. In all honesty, I'd advise people to go into this book with hesitancy, especially if you are not overly experienced in the fantasy genre (like me) and don't have patience to pick through the world building (like me). 

Let me just say, the first 120 pages or so were not a good experience for me. I was confused, bored, and failed to see a plot. I think the author was trying to get the worldbuilding and characterization out of the way, but by golly it could have been done better. There were parts of the worldbuilding I liked, like the little excerpts from the travel guide, or the newspaper from the Princesses. I think in the end, the Kingdom of Cello became more alive to me than Cambridge (which is our world). But really, I didn't feel connected to either of the worlds--or any of the characters. In the beginning it was worse. The dialogue was weird, their actions confused me. I guess there came a point where it all clicked and I began to understand them (though I think the writing sort of changed throughout and that's why it became less confusing), but I still couldn't connect to them. I was reading about their struggles and I was thinking, "Gee, I really hope they find a solution," but I was not immersed in their characters. I didn't really feel anything for them. Half the time, I didn't even know what they were feeling. 

Eventually the plot picked up too and became more clear, and more interesting. I think there was a lot of fluff building up to the guts in Cambridge. Like random, nonsensical conversations without relevance (which I think were for characterization purposes but really just annoyed me). I really did enjoy all that was going on in The Kingdom of Cello, like the Butterfly Child, the color attacks, the missing persons reports, the Twicklehams. There was more going on in Cello than in Cambridge and the book would have been entirely more interesting if the author matched the amount of eventfulness in Cambridge to the amount of eventfulness in Cello. To me, it felt like Moriarty needed to include the real world side because of the crack, but the plot wasn't as developed or interesting as it could have been. And, even though Cambridge is a whole other country than me, it didn't feel like it took place in our modern world (which is what made the pop-culture references seem out of place). 

To top it all off, the writing wasn't even the greatest. Sometimes I didn't really know what the author was trying to say, and I skimmed over some things, and there were random pop culture references thrown in. There were a lot of things that felt stilted, or awkward. However, I did enjoy all the facts. About Isaac Newton and colors. I found it interesting and there were quite a few insightful things mixed in with all of it that I made sure to commit to memory. 

This grew into something interesting, though not altogether entertaining. I don't think I'd recommend this to teenagers, especially the ones who aren't avid readers. It wasn't my favorite, but I think more mature teens and adults could find it a worthwhile read. I will definitely be reading the second one, because with the majority of characterization and worldbuilding out of the way, and hopefully more plot in the way, I'm thinking it could be real good. 

Book Review: Shadows by Paula Weston

Shadows by Paula Weston
Series: The Rephaim #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publication Date: July 2, 2012
Publisher: Text Publishing
Pages: 388

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn.

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?

Fast-paced and gripping, Shadows, the first book in the Rephaim series, is a standout paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

Love. Nightmares. Angels. War.

Conflicting emotions, instincts and truths collide inside Gaby's head as she tries to figure out who and what she is. What she thought she knew about herself is only a shadow of the truth, but Rafa, the man of her dreams - literally, she's been dreaming of him since the accident that killed her twin - strolls into town to shine a light into the dark abyss inside Gaby's head.

I haven't read very many books about angels (only The Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver and the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick) so I didn't really know what to expect of Weston's twist on the genre. I enjoyed certain elements a lot and others not so much. I'm not sure if Weston's research into angels is accurate (it may well be) but it didn't quite line up with the information I've read about in other novels so I guess you'll find out when you read. :)

I'm going to get my nags out of the way first so that we don't end this review on a downer because I did actually enjoy this novel as a whole. My main concern about this book was that I felt as though I was being told a lot of the information rather than being shown it - I suppose it just could have been slightly more subtle; I know that the protagonist, Gaby, needed to be told some things but I just felt like a whole text book on the history of religion/demons/angels was being regurgitated from other characters so that I found it was hard to keep up.

    

Another nag is that this novel included some stronger language (The F word) which I totally don't mind, it's a YA novel and mature at that, but I think it should have been used more... strategically so that it had more of an effect rather than being dumped in dialogue every now and then.

    

My final little nag is that characters would say something like "You don't think?.." and another character would cut in and just nod and I'd be sat there like THINK WHAT?! Maybe it's just me being slow but I didn't like how I was supposed to be able to assume what the characters meant (this happened about 3 times throughout the novel).

Those nags aside, I really did enjoy this novel. I wasn't bored, though I wasn't utterly drawn in to start with either, but towards the end of the novel I grew more and more attached to the characters and now that I have turned the final page I am definitely craving more! The small mystery of who can I trust? is fun because Gaby is confused about herself and you're just as keen to find out the truth as much as she is; I mean who can you trust when you remember absolutely nothing?

    

The characterisation was what drove this story forward for me though (although there were some good, unpredictable twists throughout the plot too!) as the passion they have for what they believe in and each other is admirable.  I love the 'thing' that goes on between Rafa and Gaby - whatever it is! I also loved the way the relationships between characters altered depending on their situations - allies are those who share the same enemy for sure in this novel.

   

My favourite character had to be Rafa! He was cool, cocky and oh so hot! *Swoons* He's one of those I really shouldn't but I will anyway kinda guys. He's been in Gaby's dreams since the accident and now he has waltzed into her life, aggravated her curiosity and stormed her heart.

I think fans of the genre should definitely give Weston's spin on Angels a go, I certainly enjoyed it. 

Book Review: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publication Date: August 3, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most. (Summary from Goodreads.com) 

 A world isolated by the Protectosphere - a dome which protects but also imprisons...

Neva lives in this isolated, dystopic future where people go missing - as if they've simply vanished - and everyone just seems to pretend they never existed. But Neva keeps a list, a list of names, names of all the missing. 

I had actually had my eyes on Dark Parties for a while so when it came up for review I was so excited! I mean the cover is just to die for! It's stunning! (Though I don't really know where the big, red dress came from?). And I'm a sucker for dystopian story with a side-plot of romance!

Dark Parties was a typical dystopic novel but still unique in its own way. The opening of the novel really drew me in - it was rebellious, intriguing and sexy - everything a YA plot should be. Within the first few paragraphs I already felt connected with Neva, I felt her fear and her passion; she started off as a strong protagonist and maintained this solidity throughout the novel.

The plot was actually quite simple but seemed more complex due to its characters and the secrets they kept. I did feel as though the plot slowed down slightly in the middle and that it wasn't really going anywhere after such a promising start but it picked up its pace towards the end which resulted with a satisfying finish. 

The characterisation has both its strengths and limitations. I thought that the relationships between Neva and her parents and also between Neva and her best friend Sanna were strong and believable, they were well thought-out and evocative. But on the other hand the relationships between Neva, Ethan and Braydon were a different story. This 'love-triangle' was messy and admittedly very sloppy. Ethan didn't really have a set personality, he constantly changed so I struggled to see who he actually was - I thought I knew him at the start but towards the end I was totally confused. Then there's Braydon. The 'instant attraction' wasn't good enough, it wasn't built up well and I just felt like Neva trusted him too easily and liked him too much for it to feel believable. There were no real 'sparks' in the relationships developed in the romance like there were between the friends and family. BUT having said that I still think the romance was a good element of the story.

As a whole I did enjoy this book and I plan on reading the sequel - I'd recommend it to fans of the genre and anyone who's not!

Book Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by Paige Harbison

Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Mystery
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Fromat: eARC
Pages: 314
Source: NetGalley

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

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Honestly, I had no idea what to expect going into this novel. I knew it was a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, but I never read that. I was drawn to the title, because, well, I've been the New Girl before. Only, my experiences have never even compared to this one! Creepy, mysterious, and completely psychotic--New Girl kept me interested until the very last word. However, my thoughts on this book are sort of scattered, because I really enjoyed it but at the same time, it had a lot of flaws. So, I'm going to do this review a little differently than usual.

Plot: I liked the plot! It was mysterious and creepy. What happened to Becca? Why is everyone so crazy for her? And why is everyone so crazy to New Girl? Though there were a lot of petty problems it all fit together well.

Pacing: The pacing was decent. It wasn't particularly fast-paced, but there was always something going on to keep me interested and turning the pages.

Writing: The writing wasn't that impressive. It was actually pretty mediocre, but I feel like the concise style contributes to the mystery and creepiness of the book.

"...and they did it again." (ARC, pg. 61)

That was them having sex. I don't want an explicit description, believe me. I know this is YA, but there was not even feeling behind it. Just, "they did it again."

Romance: There wasn't much of a romance. For Becca, it was mostly just sex. And for New Girl, well, I didn't understand her obsession with Max. He just led her on and was like, "I can't be with you." And gave her BS excuses. However, I did LOVE how things ended between them.

Main Character: I could easily relate to her. She lived in the same place her entire life with the same people, she didn't know how to be the New Girl, and her circumstances were a lot more difficult than most. But I did not like her. She made herself miserable for stupid reasons. She could have easily left the school, but she didn't want to show that people were right about how she was nothing like Becca. Uhm....would you rather be miserable and have people trash talk you all the time, or be happy surrounded by people that love you and know that somewhere there are people you are never going to see again talking crap and slowly forgetting you? I also hated how she didn't really defend herself. I mean, I know that she snapped a few times, but she just sat there and let people tell her that she was TRYING to be Becca. But despite it all, she was tough. She kept her head up. She graduated and went to the college that she wanted. And that, at least, I can respect.

Secondary characters: OH MY GOD. They were crazy. With the exception of Blake and Johnny, every single one of them was crazy. And completely smackable. I mean, they all had issues. They kept going on and on about how hard the New Girl tried to be like Becca, and that no matter how hard she tried, she'd never be like Becca. They kept saying that Max and Becca were madly in love and that New Girl should stay away from her. And that if Johnny liked her, it was just because of this creepy thing he had with new girls. CRAZY. Psychotic.

Ending: It was a little predictable and didn't have that WOW effect on me, but it was still good. Things were tied up nicely, but not flawlessly.

So even though this book didn't completely sweep me off my feet, I still enjoyed it. Enough to read it in 2 sittings, which is rare for me with ebooks. If you like creepy, this is a book great for you. If you're looking for a story that will keep you engaged and make you fly through the pages, I definitely recommend this book! New Girl was an enthralling read.  

Book Review: The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Series: Incarnation #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: ebook
Pages: 256
Source: PulseIt website

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love? (goodreads.com)

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I'd heard amazing things about this book before starting it, and I've really been into incarnation and reincarnation lately. So as you can imagine I was really excited to start this book, though I still didn't really know what it was about. I can't say that I am head over heels for it.

It starts with a prologue. Something you may or may not know about me is that I very rarely like a prologue. And the one in this novel especially didn't work for me. It felt very rushed and unbelievable. I was extremely hesitant to continue on after that, but of course I did. I found that parts of the book had the same rushed feeling, but it wasn't too bad to the point where I wanted to give up again.

The plot was interesting, though I always struggle with the "pretending to be a person you're not" storyline. I mean, how does the family and friends not realize that  a person has COMPLETELY changed. Sera enters the body of a teenage girl -- something she hasn't been for centuries. This teenage girl was an artist and she had friends and loved ones. She had a complete history that Sera didn't know, and yet she managed to pass as this girl without raising many questions. Uh hello? Am I the only one who just doesn't believe that? But I did really like how Cyrus was after her. There was a definite tension throughout the novel that couldn't be ignored.

Sera was an okay character. She got kind of annoying at times and I really just wanted to smack her. In the beginning she kept going on about how she needs to die. I understand why she believed that and why she kept thinking it, but I don't want to hear about it over and over. It sounded so....emo. And then she was too weak to stick to a decision. She kept saying that she was going to run away, because it was the right thing to do. Then she wouldn't run away, and she would rationalize that STAYING was the right thing to do.

Th romance was all right. It wasn't the heart-thumping kind, but it was still really sweet to read and I was rooting for Sera and her love the entire time. The writing was gorgeous and I love the way that the author incorporated alchemy into the story, though I would like to see a little more of that in the next book. The ending was fabulous, though! It made me eager for the next book and broke my heart.

All in all, this was a book that many people will enjoy, though it didn't particularly rock my socks. I you're looking for a super quick read packed with great tension and an awesome premise, I'd say you should pick up The Alchemy of Forever.

Pyxis by K.C. Neal (Blog Tour: Review + Kindle Giveaway)

Pyxis by K.C. Neal

Genre: YA Paranormal

Publication date: Nov. 4, 2011

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Format: eARC

Pages: 216

Source: Author - Thanks, Ms. Neal!

Two worlds.... One 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both. The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend Mason hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but the person who was supposed to teach her how is dead. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?(goodreads.com)

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Pyxis was a quick and quirky read, something light to pick up and read to take your mind off of important things. And though it was far from perfection - like many things are - I still really enjoyed it!

As a person who loves to bake, I was pleasantly surprised when the opening sentence was about a bake sale. And then I discovered that the pastries were magical. I was hooked. The beginning is full of allure. Original magical aspects are introduced, mysterious dreams are haunting Corinne, and the guy she really likes is coming back from a very long trip - the only problem is that he totally played her before leaving. It's all good and drama-fied. But I think it starts to flop a little. Not much is really answered about Corinne and her friends' roles with the pyxis. There's not much of a climax. The ending is left wide open.

Now that I got all of the negative out of the way, let me move on to the positive.

There was Corinne. She was a little slow to understand and accept things, but she was sweet and funny and fun to read. There was Mason who is totally amazing. He's sweet and hot and smart...and...and...just amazing. And of course, Ang. She was totally innocent and adorable, and I wish she would have been in the picture more.

The relationship between Mason and Corinne was slow and sweet. There wasn't a large amount, and it wasn't instaluv. Their relationship/friendship had issues that needed to be worked out. At first, those issues were ignored, but then they are addressed. After things are resolved there is no "OMG, I LURVE YA FOREVZ. WE'RE SO PERF." Thank the heavens. Things are still in a very beginning stage, which is okay. That's what works for those two characters.

All in all, this book was a very sweet read. While it is not going to haunt my thoughts, I will be looking forward to the sequel! There are still a lot of questions that I have no doubt will be answered in the next book. And a romance I expect to progress!

To check out the rest of the stops, you can go here. Thanks so much to K.C. Neal for hosting me and allowing me to be a part of this awesome tour! Also, K.C. is holding a huge giveaway for a Kindle.

YOU CAN ENTER HERE!

Good luck to you all!

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (ARC REVIEW)

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (The Pledge #1)

Genre: YA Dystopian
Publication date: Nov. 15, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Format: eARC
Pages: 321
Source: Galley Grab

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime. (Goodreads.com)

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The Pledge was a very enjoyable read. It had flaws, but not enough to deter me from really getting into the book.

The writing was excellent. This was the first thing I have ever read by Kimberly Derting, and though I have heard fabulous things about her Body Finder series, I was still pleasantly surprised. The descriptions were so elegant and beautiful and I could picture every single thing in my head. However, where Derting exceeded in descriptions, she lacked in emotional value. I think that was what stopped me from falling in love with this book. Charlie was a pretty good character. I liked her. She had an unwavering loyalty to her little sister, she was determined to get some damn answers, she was stubborn as can be. But I just could not connect with her.

Usually, if I don't connect with a character then I can't stay interested in the book. But the plot was fast-paced and full of shocking, gasp-worthy twists that I would not have seen coming for the life of me. There were a lot of times when my jaw dropped and I was like, "WHAAAAAT!?" It was fun and exciting, which resulted in a quick read.

The world-building was a little iffy and unbelievable, but it was unique and intriguing. I'm looking forward to the next book when the whole world is flipped upside down. What I thought was really cool was that it was that the world was pretty close to our world today, aside from the whole oppressive society situation. A lot of the lingo was the same, the technology was the same...stuff like that.

I am really on the fence about the romance, though. At first I thought it was completely unconvincing. Charlie and Max had an undeniable connection...blah blah blah. Instaluv...blah blah blah. There was no foundation for their relationship...blah blah blah. But then it's not what I expected it to be like. The two characters weren't spewing cheesy romantic lines that made me want to vomit. In fact, the "L word" was not used between them once. I still see no reason why Max felt so strongly about Charlie. I feel like it was instaluv on his side of the relationship, whereas Charlie's feelings progressed quite naturally, beginning with mere attraction. I loved that she wasn't willing to jump at his every command and that most of the time she deliberately defied him. I would have like to have seen more reasons why Max was so "intrigued" by Charlie and why he was willing to throw away everything for her.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was gripping and exciting with beautifully crafted sentences. I cannot wait until the next book!

Remembrance by Michelle Madow (Blog tour: Review + Interview)

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication date: July 25, 2011
Format: eBook
Source: From author for tour
New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.(goodreads.com)

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The first thing I noticed about this book while reading was that the cover strongly related to the story. Most of the time there are these gorgeous covers of beautiful girls wearing masks and there is no relation to the plot. The cover was the first thing that drew me to this story, so I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case. It wasn't.

This book was a light and sweet read. What I really loved about it was that it was pretty much a contemporary with reincarnation added to the mix.

Lizzy had her good points and her bad. I liked that she wasn't willing to drop a topic just because Drew wanted her to, and I also loved that she did what she wanted to do. I know that makes her sound selfish, but I hate when characters choose not to be with their soul mate just because their "best friend" who is really a pretty awful friend "loves" him. Lizzy did what she needed to do, you know? Sure, it hurt some people along the way, but that's how life works. Especially when it comes to teenage girls. I got really annoyed, though, how all she did was whine about Drew and blah blah blah. I mean seriously, the dude pretty much trampled on your heart and all you want to do is  be with him? BLEH.

As for Drew, I didn't like him. At first he had the whole "bad boy" thing going for him, but he was just a ginormicus douche. Then, the reasons he was so horrible to Lizzy was justified, so I was like, "Okay." And then, he did a complete turn around and just made me annoyed. Everything was so cheesy and, "I love you Elizabeth. You are the light of my life." I think the problem is that I still don't know much about him other than he is rich, his parents are divorced, and he moved from New York.

The writing was really fantastic. Miss Madow does a fabulous job of putting beautiful images inside your head. I also loved the premise, but I wish that we would have learned more about reincarnation and about Lizzy and the time period that she was born in. There was definitely stuff that I didn't see coming, and there were things that I did see coming. Still, I found this book to be quite addicting.

All in all, this book was good for a very sweet read, and if you're looking for a nice romance then I definitely recommend this. It was definitely entertaining and I can't wait for the second book in the series!

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You're in a perfume shop and you're allowed to get any scent of perfume for free. Which would you choose?
I’m allergic to perfume, so I actually don’t have any knowledge of the types out there! If I wasn’t allergic, I would walk around and test them out before choosing. I usually like vanilla scents.
　
You're at a pet store, and you know that whatever animal you buy you don't have to clean up after. Which type of animal do you choose?
A small dog, no contest! I love dogs.
　
You're in the YA section of a bookstore. Which 2 books that you have never read before do you buy?
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton and Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

You're dress shopping for a wedding that you are going to attend. What color dress do you pick?
Either blue or dark purple.
　
You're in a candy store. What three types of candy do you buy?
Tough one, because I don’t like candy! In the rare times I eat it, I’ll get a Twix Bar. Do they have cookies and brownies in this candy store? Because I would pick those.
　
You're packing for a week-long trip to Australia. What is the first thing you put into your suitcase?
Jeans always go in first!
　 

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Michelle Madow is the author of Remembrance, which can be purchased at the links at the top of the post. Be sure to check out her website, www.michellemadow.com, to add her on all of her social networking sites!

Also, she is currently hosting a contest on her blog where GREAT prizes can be won!

Thank you so much to Michelle Madow for allowing me to participate on this tour, and Stuck in YA Books for doing such a great job hosting it! You can go here to see the rest of the stops on the tour!

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 Now, time for the big giveaway! Michelle is beign kind enough to offer another chance to win a huge prize! To learn more, see the post here! and enter :)

Crave by Melissa Darnell (ARC REVIEW)

Crave (The Clann #1) by Melissa Darnell

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance - Publisher: Harlequin Teen - Publication Date: October 25, 2011 - Format: eARC - Pages: 416 - Source: NetGalley

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.
For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….(Goodreads.com)

I should love this book. It has everything I look for in a book: Awesome paranormalness, enticing writing, and a lucious romance. But for some reason, I didn't love it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either.

The writing was gorgeous. Darnell knows how to paint a beautiful picture inside of a person's mind. She is also very skilled at creating emotions that make you smile and tear you to peices again and again and again. I wasn't really a big fan of the alternating perspectives between Savannah and Tristan. But then again, I've always felt like switching points of view is a very challenging thing to pull off. Still, I felt very connected to both of the narrators and they each had a very strong, compelling voice.

I'm not sure about the plot, though. The novel was very slow. Lots of romance, little plot. I kept having to take breaks from reading this. I felt that there were a lot of unnecessary scenes and that the length of this book could have been cut in half. I also found that some of the events were corny and unbelievable, and in the beginning the romance was highly artificial. There were no plot twists and I found the story to be quite predictable. Once the plot did pick up towards the end, though, I thought it was pretty neat and it left a lot of great possibilities for the sequel.

The characters are well-written, just not exactly memorable. I liked them, but I didn't love them. Savannah had a ton of great attributes. She was strong and caring and determined, but she was also whiny, and made foolish decisions and a little selfish. Tristan sees her as completely selfless, but I have to disagree. She even says something along the lines of, "If I loved him a little less then I could tell him the truth. But I love him too much for him to think of me differently." WTF IS THAT? Tristan I actually liked a lot...sometimes. He had anger issues and issues controlling himself, which makes him extremely relatable. However, I feel like towards the middle of the novel he does a complete turnaround. Sure, he still got mad easily, but it was like he completely changed and I didn't really like it. He became sweet and loving and responsible, and even though he was holding in a huge secret (kind of), he was still pretty darn near perfect, which in literature is pretty annoying.

Crave was a decent read. If you're looking for something that is mostly romance, I recommend this. The ending was left wide open - like WIDE FREAKING OPEN - and it would be impossible for me to not pick up the sequel.

• Secondary characters. I'm sorry, but they were my favorite. They made me laugh so hard. Like Emily and Anne and Nanna. They were all really great with distinct personalities.
• The backstory. I loved the history with the Clann and the witches. I loved the story behind Savannah's parents' relationship. I was more interested in that stuff than the main story.

If you liked...

The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

The Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White

The Fallen series by Lauren Kate

then you will LOVE Crave!

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