Review: TEMEPST UNLEASHED by Tracy Deebs

TEMPEST UNLEASHED 
by Tracy Deebs

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Walker Childrens

 

Placement in the Pile:  Reaching New Heights (Almost got Middle of the Stack...)

Summary:  
Tempest Maguire is happy with her decision to embrace her mermaid nature and live among her mother’s clan within the ocean’s depths. Even though training to one day ascend the throne for the aging mermaid queen is rigorous, she finds refuge in the arms of Kona, the selkie who first opened her up to her mermaid side. But when word comes that one of her brothers has been gravely injured on land, Tempest immediately rushes to his side—which also brings her back to her old flame, Mark. And in her absence, a deadly battle begins raging at the hands of Tempest’s old nemesis, the sea witch Tiamat. As the dangerous war erupts, Tempest’s two loves—Kona and Mark, sea and land—will collide for the first time, both to protect her and to force her to choose.

Review:

Okay, so there was so much that was done right about this book.  Seeing more of the underwater worlds and how Tempest struggled to fit in there, the action was always going on, there was tension among characters that really stepped them all up to the next level.  It was an entertaining read.

Why did I want to give it a "middle of the stack" rating?  Well simply because I think she chose the wrong guy.  And her reasons for choosing him were not shown through the book the way it should have been.  In fact when Tempest narrated her reason I went, "Huh.  Cause I thought you said the exact opposite about them earlier in the story." 

But, in light of not giving anything away I can't tell you who my fave guy is.  So you're going to have to figure that out.

So why did I give it a "Reaching New Heights" status?  Because despite the crappy love triangle, I think this next installment in Tempest's story was more compelling and action packed.  I loved the fights that Tempest had to go through and the raw emotions that came out of me reading her struggles -- real tears people!

I've admitted before that I've never read mermaid books before, so I can't say how it compares in uniqueness, but so far, I'm a fan of Tempest's stories.  And I hope there is going to be more -- and maybe a change of heart?  ;)

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway!: AFTER OBSESSION by Carrie Jones and Steven E Wedel

AFTER OBSESSION
by Carrie Jones and Seven E Wedel

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.

Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love-and introducing an exciting new YA voice, Steven Wedel-this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.

Review:
I am a big fan of Carrie Jones' previous work and I was really excited for this new book. I have to be honest that I haven't read a novel written by two authors yet, and I didn't know how it would work out. But the seamlessness of the story telling between Carrie's writing of Aimee's voice and Steven's writing of Alan's character was perfect. I was never pulled out of the story and thought, oh this is a different author, or that didn't flow well.

AFTER OBSESSION tells a bone chilling story of good vs. evil, paranormal powers, coming of age and even a bit of romance. What's not to love?

I fell in love with the voices of both Aimee and Alan. I could relate to both of them. They were very complex and real. Aimee is strong, yet insecure in many ways. And was dealing with growing up and figuring out her inner strength. Alan was thrown into a new world where he was the outsider but the key to saving the whole town.

If you are a fan of paranormal stories this is worth reading. It sucessfully creeped me out to the point where I coudln't sleep, but that just kept me reading. I enjoyed everything about this book!

And lucky you the publisher is giving away one of our readers an ARC copy of this book! Just fill out your info below! Open until 11:59 pm Sunday Sept 18th. for US residents with street addresses only (no P.O. boxes).

Review: SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White

SUPERNATURALLY
by Kiersten White

Hardcover, US, 336 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by HarperTeen

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Eviehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Review:
I absolutely adored PARANORMALCY, book one to this great series. It's best feature was Evie's voice. She was so unique and so real. SUPERNATURALLY doesn't lose any of that. Evie is a joy to read. Her train of thought style narration is true to a teenager's thought process and so fun to read.

I enjoyed the new characters, Evie's new set of problems. She finally has the "normal" life she's always craved, and she realizes it's not all it's cracked up to be. And then paranormal things keep happening to her and she is worried that the fey are messing with her life, again.

We find some answers about Evie's past, and some decisions about her future. Even have some moments with Vivian. All things that were great to read about. The story has an end of itself, but there is plenty left open to explore in the third book.

SUPERNATURALLY was an enjoyable, easy read. Not quite as good as the first, but I still found myself falling in love with Evie and her eclectic cohort of characters all over again. Definitely worth reading!

Book Signing Report: Kiersten White!

We were so so lucky to have Kiersten White make a stop in Utah on her tour for Supernaturally. Really we have such a HUGE YA book following here in Utah that I don't know why EVERYONE doesn't come here. Cause we love you!

Anyway, for those of you unfamiliar with Kiersten, she is the fabulous author of PARANORMALCY and the sequel SUPERNATURALLY that just came out.

Here's my re-cap of what she had to say (remember I try to stick as closely to what they said as my hand can write, but this is paraphrasing not full quotes)!

• SUPERNATURALLY is the second book in the trilogy. Writing it was harder. In our lives as adults I feel like I am in the second book in my trilogy. You have gotten what you wanted in your first book and you are finding out that sometimes you get more than you bargained for.
• Fortunately for you I do NOT do cliffhanger endings, so even though this is the second book, it has an end.
• I really love mythology. A current idea I am working on deals with Ancient Egyptian mythology and the daughter of and ancient egyptian god.
  
• Mythology is what we have used as humans to interpret our world around us, and today in the modern world we study these constructs to explain what it is to be human and to connect to each other.
• ENDLESSLY is the title of the 3rd and final book in the series
• "Thank you for being readers. Writers don't make best sellers, readers make best sellers."

Then she had a short Q&A (cause it was outside and we were all melting) here are some of my faves.

Q: Critique partners are really important -- how did you find yours?
A: I found mine through online communities, reading other writer's blogs etc. then developing friendships through e-mail. The most important thing about my partners is that we have different strengths so we can help each other in different areas of writing.

Q: What's your favorite letter in the alphabet?
A: I don't like "C". It's really kind of useless. It makes the "K" sound and the "S" sound, and we already have those. But I've always like "Q" and of course "K" for Kiersten.


Q: What is your revision process like?
A: I don't let myself edit as I go because I feel that editing brain and writing brain are very different brains. I enjoy creating and enjoying that. And then later I pick apart my baby. One big thing I do is read my manuscript aloud. You miss a lot when you are reading silently. Your eyes actually skip words and phrases. But reading aloud you catch a lot.

But my process is not your process. And I don't do it the same for every book.

Q: You wrote the first draft of PARANORMALCY in two weeks! Was the process harder for SUPERNATURALLY?
A: PARANORMALCY was just fun. SUPERNATURALLY was already bought before it was even written. And that was stress. I had already been paid for it, I had bought a car. I didn't want them to take my car away. It took me 6 years to get my own car! I thought there was no way I could write this book.

Writing under contract is much harder than just writing at your own pace, for fun. Whenever I had time I worked on it. The first draft was only about 50K words long, and after edits it was around 72K, so I had to add a lot.

I am very proud of this book though, because it was a struggle.


Regardless of what authors may say, we write ourselves into our books. Evie's story in SUPERNATURALLY mirrored my own life experience. I had finally achieved something I really wanted, but now I was questioning if it's all that it's cracked up to be. It was harder and came with trials I didn't expect.

Writing books is always impossible until you finish. And then editing is impossible.

Kiersten was such a blast to see. I am currently reading SUPERNATURALLY so I will review that as soon as I'm done! I can say so far I am enjoying it very much.

Blogiversary Giveaway #1 - Paranormal Pack!

Welcome to the world of awesomeness part 1!

Our first giveaway is our Paranormal Pack! Listed below are the contest of the giveaway. If we have reviewed the book it is a link, so you can see what you're getting. Just fill out the form below!

Open until Tuesday September 7, 2010 11:59 PM EST.

May the random number generator be with you!

Books:
PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White - ARC, I can get it signed on the 11th, so it will be signed
TATTOO by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Paperback (I thought I had reviewed these...huh...can't find them though!)
FATE by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Paperback
IMMORTAL by Gillian Shields - Hardcover
THE MARK by Jen Nadol - Hardcover
STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton - ARC
AS YOU WISH by Jackson Pearce - Paperback
A GOLDEN WEB by Barbara Quick - ARC
MAGIC UNDER GLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore - ARC
THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum - Paperback, signed

Loot:
Signed Dark Divine by Bree Despain Bookmark
Official Dark Divine Nail Polish
2 Julie Berry bookmarks
9 SPLURCH ACADEMY FOR DISRUPTIVE BOYS by Julie Berry fake tattoos
2 Bones of Faerie and 2 Thief Eyes both by Janni Lee Simner postcards

A big thanks to Janni Lee Simner, Julie Berry, Bree Despain and Lisa Mangum for sending me items for the giveaway specifically!

Review PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

PARANORMALCY
by Kiersten White
To Be Published August 31st 2010 by HarperTeen (That's like tomorrow guys!)
Hardcover, 352 pages

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights (inching so close to top picks!)

Summary: (From GoodReads)
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Review:
Kiersten White has created such a cool little universe with her debut novel Paranormalcy. I think that it will really resonate with teenagers of all types. Really if you love some of those big name paranormal books, you will love this one. If you don't love those big name paranormal books....you will still love this one.

White's humor just jumps from every page. Evie is a teenage girl through and through. She has heart, spirit, and in the end this book is about her journey finding herself - while working for an international paranormal containment agency, her best friend is a mermaid, she has never remembered living in the normal human world, and having special powers of her own. Not complicated at all.

And the male protags, oh BLEEP they are hot! I am kind of in love with Lend. And Reth honestly creeps me out, but he is so mysterious I desperately want to know more about him!

I do admit there were some aspects of the book that made me not head over heels love it. Which is why I gave it my "Reaching New Heights" rating. I WANTED to give it a "Top Picks" rating very badly. I was very tempted. But some of the plot and some of the pacing just wasn't quite right to me. But seriously I am dying to read the next book! So it is a VERY worthy read.

So hit your bookstores tomorrow people and support this awesome debut novel!

*Note:
Let's not forget to spread the word about our blog! Or if you are here for the first time hi! Be sure to follow us. Cause if we get 150 followers by Wed. our re-launch, blogiversary, and 100 followers giveaways will include B&N giftcards to make them even MORE awesome!

Review DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK by Michelle Rowan

DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK
by Michelle Rowan
Published May 25th 2010 by Walker Books for Young Readers
Paperback, 292 Pages

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary: (From Goodreads)
Nikki Donovan was a demon princess. Now she’s a demon princess in love.

Fresh from finding out she is a demon princess and meeting her father for the first time, Nikki Donovan is looking forward to getting back to her regular high school life. But then Rhys, the handsome teenage king of the faery realm, enrolls at her school as a “foreign exchange student.” Her conflicted feelings for Rhys and her boyfriend are getting in the way of her new relationship with the Shadow-creature Michael.

But this love triangle from hell isn’t even Nikki’s biggest problem: There’s a new prophecy that claims she will destroy all the demon and human worlds. Her best friend Melinda just might be a demon-slayer-in-training. Throw in a field trip to none other than the Underworld itself . . . and Nikki’s going to be hoping for a rain check on more than just her homework!

Review:
I liked this installment of the Demon Princess series even more than the first! Fast, funny and downright romantic I really loved this book and these characters.

Rhys is someone you can't help but like. My biggest complaint about this story was Michael lost some of his charm for me and that was a hard transition when this book is supposed to take place only weeks after the other one ended.

I loved how Michelle Rowan pulled other characters that you thought were normal into the paranormal world, introduced us even deeper into the life and politics of the underworlds, and stayed true to the character of Nikki.

If you liked the first, you will love the second! I can't wait for more in this series!

*ARC received from publisher, with the original cover (not shown)

Review HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick

I thought I would try this. It is a way to post reviews you have done on GoodReads on blogger without having to re-type it all...

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read many rave reviews for this book, (including my co-blogger on My Pile of Books already) and some that didn't like the sexual tension and how it was presented.

As long as this book isn't read by super hormonal teenagers I thought it was great! Patch was predatorial at times, but I think Nora's reactions to him were soemthing many girls can relate to!

I was that nerdy girl that had crushes on the "bad boys" in school. One in particular. We flirted in class ALL the time, and he exasperated me much the way Patch exhasperated Nora. Of course I didn't take it any farther, but reading this book was kindof a "what might have been" experience for me, if I had let our flirting relationship be anything more.

I also loved the mythology.

My biggest complaint. Take a basic story arch of Twilight and/or The Dark Divine and you practically have the same story. Just a different "monster". But hey, it works, it sells and I couldn't put it down last night!

View all my reviews >>

Review THE DARK DIVINE by Bree Despain

THE DARK DIVINE
by Bree Despain
Published December 22nd 2009 by EgmontUSA
Hardcover, 372 pages
http://www.breedespain.com/

Placement in the Pile: Top of the Stack

Summary:
A prodigal son
A dangerous love
A deadly secret...

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul. (GoodReads)

Review:
The Dark Divine is a very gripping read that combines the paranormal, religion, romance and redemption.

I really connected with Grace as a character. She lives life in a religious family as I did and it is what guides many of her actions. However when Daniel arrives, secrets also come flooding back into her life and she is forced to question her beliefs - in a very positive way.

Daniel is the perfect cad. Or so it would seem. Truly the prodigal son (except for the part about being a flesh and blood son of the Divine family) of the story, yet with a twist. Even he can't seem to hope to find redemption and forgiveness for his actions.

Thoroughly enjoyable, a tad predictable at times (but I think that just stems from me reading so much paranormal romance) and with the last 75 pages being completely enthralling, I had to give this book top marks. With the predictability there were moments that truly and utterly shocked me, pulled me into this dark story, and made me long for more. I cannot wait for the next installment.

If you at all like paranormal novels this one is for you. It is highly romantic, but not so openly nauseating as some, so if romance is not your thing, you will still love the story. Truly there is universal messages here that Despain intertwines beautifully.

I am VERY glad I own this one for my shelf!

Review GIVE UP THE GHOST by Megan Crewe

GIVE UP THE GHOST
by Megan Crewe
Published September 15th 2009 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Hardcover 244 pages

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad--and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it's time to give the living another chance...

Review:
This was a perfect book to read for Halloween. Cass starts to see ghosts after her sister's death when she was 14. Cass becomes a social outcast even more than she already was, and has learned to stay away from the living. The tale is intense, and sometimes dark as Cass talks about her sister's death, and the death of the ghosts she can talk to.

Tim comes into play and his relationship with Cass is hard, but may just be what both of them need.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Cass's experiences were actually very realistic -- even considering the talking to ghosts. The reason for her social outcast was not just the ghosts, and that other heartache and betrayal is very real...as it is something I am sure many dealt with in middle school and/or high school.

Her ability seems to be somewhat "6th Sense" and "Ghost Whisperer"-ish but she has no clue what is beyond, and no one is telling her that she is supposed to help the ghosts. She does know that sometimes they disapear and go to the "beyond" where most people go after death.

The only disclaimer that bothered me about the book, teenager sexual behavior and drug and alcohol use. I will give a hoorah for Cass never participating even though being offered, and the showing of some of the negative consequences for such behaviors. But it occasionally caught me off guard when a sexual term was brought up as every day teenage experience. It isn't a lot, and wasn't a deal breaker for me by any means for this book -- I have read much worse. But I wanted you to know.

This is getting longer than I expected! Overall it's a great read, brings up some good issues and was especially fun for this time of year!

Materials Resource Disclaimer: I got this book from the library. I am not compensated for my reviews.