This Shattered World by Amie Kauffman and Meagan Spooner (ARC)

This Shattered World (Starbound #2)
Amie Kauffman and Meagan Spooner
Exp. Pub.: December 23, 2014

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.   

This Shattered World follows two more opposites fighting it out thanks to the messed up experiments by LaRoux Industries. Flynn grew up on Avon, where their world was supposed to be terraformed to make them a more contributal planet. But decades later their world is no closer to achieving that than the day they agreed to it. The rebellion has been well underway, with Flynn's sister already dead ten years, who was once their leader. A great majority look to her brother Flynn as the next leader, but a man named McBride has an itchy trigger finger to start attacking the military and break the cease-fire. He has good reason - military personnel has to be constantly changed out every one to two months because they're susceptible to something they refer to as the Fury, where the officer loses control and goes murderous. The military tries to get them off planet in before that can happen by monitoring the signs, but sometimes it happens too fast, and native residents of Avon seem to be the only victims of this curious disease. While McBride believes it's just an excuse to kill their people, Flynn begins to believe in the possibility that something more supernatural is going on. But for the most part, his attention is more focused on a secret base he's sure he saw out east, and also on a high ranking officer named Jubilee, who seems to be immune to this so-called Fury and has been on Avon for a year now. Surely she has the knowledge he seeks.

 

Desperate for answers and to stop McBride from convincing his own people to attack the better equipped military, he seizes the opportunity to abduct Jubilee off base. But she holds no answers for him, or at least isn't willing to share them. And when his plan to trade her for supplies is rejected, he knows killing her will only unleash the military's wrath, so he goes against his people and allows her to escape. Ready to go after the rebel leader who abducted her, certain events take place that begin to make Jubilee question the things Flynn interrogated her about, and as both their worlds become more deadly, two sworn enemies soon realize working together is their best chance for saving both sides.

This was a good follow-up to These Broken Stars, which I absolutely loved. Flynn and Jubilee didn't win my heart as much as their predesecors, but I still adored them by the end. And before you ask, yes, you'll get to see Tarver and Lilac again, who have an intimate knowledge at dealing with the shady side of LaRoux industries, but only for a small percentage of the novel. But if you loved the first novel of the Starbound series, you'll love the second one too.

ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion for honest review.

The Body Electric by Beth Revis (ARC)

The Body Electric
Beth Revis
Pub.: October 6, 2014

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust?

Ella's life wasn't completely easy. Her father died in a terrorist attack and her mother has an incurable illness that's slowly withering her away. Ella soon learns that her mother's invention - a machine that allows users to relive their happiest memories - no longer works to give her mother peace. So Ella doses herself with an insane amount of nanobots to allow herself to hook up and help her mother through the process. But now her body seems to be able to do things she never should've been able to, like staying underwater for way too long without breathing.

Once the government realizes what Ella can do with her mother's machine, they enlist her help to read the mind of a man they suspect is aiding a terrorist organization. The internal hacking leads Ella to the name of a man who used to work for her father, who is also suspected of leading the terrorist group. But when Ella finally comes face to face and mind to mind with him, she discovers the awful truth - that not only does that man have intimate moments of the two of them together that she can't remember, but that he nor the government leader she's been aiding are what they seem.

 

I really enjoyed Beth Revis' Across the Universe books, so I figured I'd probably really like The Body Electric too. This dystopian society relies heavily on technology to advance their lives, hence the nanobots circulating their systems. Ella thought she had a relatively low number, but soon learns that she has way more than she thought possible without suffering from bot brain, which basically makes your body go kaput. And once she learns it's probably because of her own father's research, her life will never be the same.

Reading through this, there were a few things that were obviously coming, and a few things that actually surprised me - and I'm hard to surprise. I think my one dissapointment was with the ending and its lack of closure on the romance front. It was left in a way that wasn't satisfying for me. These two characters had a past and I would've liked to see them acknowledge it a little more and choose a path before cutting me off, but other than that it was a pretty interesting novel. So if you're into mystery science fiction, this is a pretty good one to pick up.

 

3.5 dreamcatchers.

 

 

ARC provided by Scripturient Books for honest review.

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis (ARC)

Stitching Snow
R.C. Lewis
Pub.: October 14, 2014 TOMORROW!

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival. 

Stitching Snow was a fresh take on the popular fairy tale that had a cool Star Wars kind of vibe to it. Essie (Princess Snow) has been in hiding the past eight years in a remote part of Thanda, a mining planet where only those in need of work ever travel. She's learned to survive by tinkering and stitching her own set of robots which are used to help keep the miners from going too deep into dangerous territory, and for extra money, Snow takes part in fighting matches with the men transitioning through.

 

Essie was good with this life. It was predictable, and in a way, safe. At least until a ship crashed nearby. With no mechanics nearby, it's up to Essie to stitch up Dane's ship to get him back in the sky. But he's not who he seems, which Essie figures out all too late, and she's forced to return to a dangerous world where everyone has a hidden agenda and the royals are only all too happy to pick up where they left off - needing Princess Snow dead.

Unique and engaging, Stitching Snow will keep you glued to the pages as Essie tries desperately to survive this messed up universe of greed and power, all while struggling with these romantic notions suddenly sprouting for the most unlikely suitor. And best part of all, it's a standalone so no pesky waiting period to see how it all unfolds.

ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion for honest review.

Renegade by Debra Driza (ARC)

Renegade (MILA 2.0, #2)
Debra Driza
Exp. Pub.: May 13, 2014 TODAY!!!

There is no one left for Mila to trust. Except for a boy she barely knows.

But Hunter has no idea who—and what—Mila really is. She can’t bear to reveal her secret, even though he’s unwittingly joined her search for Richard Grady, a man who may know more details of Mila’s complicated past.

Yet the road to the truth is more dangerous than ever. With General Holland and the Vita Obscura scouring the earth for her whereabouts, Mila must rely on her newfound android abilities to protect herself and Hunter from imminent harm. Still, embracing her identity as a machine leads her to question the state of her humanity—as well as Hunter’s real motives.

Perfect for fans of I Am Number Four and Divergent, this action-packed and heart-wrenching second installment of MILA 2.0 will leave readers breathlessly awaiting the series conclusion.

Less than a month ago, Mila was just an ordinary teenager trying to survive high school like everyone else. Until an accident left her with an exposed interior arm showing nothing but circuitry. Telling Hunter she had an experimental prosthetic arm was quick thinking, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare that just wouldn't end. Now she's being hunted by two organizations that just want her for her advanced technology, her mom's been killed by her former boss, her father never really existed (or did he?). And Hunter? Oddly enough, he's the only one Mila can think to call to help her find the person her mom told her about with her dying breath.

 

But having Hunter along for the ride is as painful as it is soothing, because Mila just can't seem to find the right way to tell the guy she's fallen for that she's an android. Not to mention all the guilt she feels constantly lying about who the people are they're tracking down, and the way his life is constantly at risk as she's being hunted by Holland, the V.O. and MILA 3.0. It's a bit selfish in fact, but Mila's having a hard time adapting to this freakish new life of computers and circuitry. But suspicions arise when Mila realizes all signs point to Hunter having his own lies and secrets.

I read MILA 2.0 just two months ago, so I still had the story fresh in my mind. I really enjoyed the first, so when I saw this was up for review, I snatched for it quicker than a fat kid on a cupcake. The pace and suspense kept me reading, not to mention watching Mila and Hunter's relationship jump all over the place, but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I'm fine with authors throwing in a cliffy, but the ending seemed rather abrupt. I couldn't believe it when I turned that page and WHAM! Book over. I was like - huh? I guess I prefer to have a little more resolution for the current novel than what was given here. Ending aside, I was incredibly happy with Renegade, and if you were a fan of the first, you'll love this one just as much.

ARC provided by Katherine Tegan Books.

The Taking by Kimberly Derting (ARC)

The Taking (The Taking, #1)
Kimberly Derting
Exp. Pub.: April 29, 2014 (TOMORROW!!!)

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Do you heart that? It's the theme song to the X-Files. And you might think twice about capturing fireflies from now on.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (ARC)

These Broken Stars
Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
Exp. Pub.: December 10, 2113 TODAY!!!

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

I heart Tarver and Lilac (though I'm not particularly fond of their names).

Tarver Merendsen is a war hero, though if  you asked him, he'd tell you it was undeserved. Unfortunately, he's now bound to mingle with higher society and put forth a good face for the military, which is why he even crosses paths with Miss Lilac LaRoux. Why is she high society? Because her father was the brains behind the spacecraft they were traveling in, which actually bends space in a manner that gets them to hyperjump huge distances. Even though Tarver is worthy to mix with Lilac's society, it's still his duty to know his place, and know that speaking with her will land him back into the war, right smack on the frontline where his life would expire rather quickly. The first time Lilac draws his attention, he didn't realize who she was. But she was kind until her party arrived, and she was forced to treat him like the dirt he apparently was from there on out.

 

When the ship begins falling out of hyperspace unwillingly, everyone is forced into their lifepods. On his way to his own, Tarver has the unfortunate displeasure of saving Lilac from a stampede which separates her from her party. Forced to let him escort her to safety, Lilac guides them to an area of the ship where she knows lifepods won't be assigned to those filling the jammed corridors. When the ship loses power, Lilac has to get down and dirty to get their pod activated and separated from the ship before it completely comes out of hyperdrive and kills them both. Long story short, their pod is the only one to break free and avoid a major crash, leaving them the only two people left alive on an unfamiliar world. The world was clearly terraformed for human life, but for reasons unknown, it's been abandoned. Deciding their best bet is to hike to the main spacecraft, they set off on a journey that will have them questioning their sanity and the rules of a society they may never be apart of again.

 

I absolutely adored this! If you liked Beth Revis' Across the Universe, These Broken Stars was even better! Tarver and Lilac have such strong, engaging personalities that they alone kept me glued to my kindle all night long. Right from the beginning you can sense their attraction bound by a leash, and although they try to avoid one another for both their sakes, getting stranded on a world with no one else kind of makes propriety a pain to deal with. Right now, they need each other. Tarver is the brawns, who has the survival skills to get them through the rough terrain and Lilac is the brains, who knows exactly how to get out an emergency S.O.S. signal to get them rescued. But their clashing personalities was only one entertaining part of this novel. There seems to be something inhabiting that world after all, and it has them constantly questioning whether or not what they're seeing and hearing is real, or if it's just PTSD or hallucinations from malnutrition and dehydration. Once they finally let bygones be bygones and begin to realize they may never get off that planet, emotions come into play, making them wonder if rescue is something they really even want anymore. Because really, who wants to live in a world where their love is forbidden?

Pick it up peeps. You won't regret this one.

ARC provided by Disney Hyperion for honest review.

Infinityglass by Myra McEntire (ARC) & Giveaway (INT)

Infinityglass (Hourglass #3)
Myra McEntire
Pub.: Aug. 6, 2012

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

.

 

Note: Some of this may come off spoilerish if you haven't read the first two novels yet!

Alienation by Jon. S. Lewis (ARC)

Alienation (C.H.A.O.S. #2)
Jon S. Lewis
Pub. Date: January 3, 2012

Synopsis: Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt McAllister is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural Academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

The C.H.A.O.S. (Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural) series is basically Fringe meets Men In Black, sans humor, so if you're a sci-fi lover, you're probably gonna enjoy this series. There's plenty of intergalactic species trying to get Earth via gateways, and a particular monster called the Thule that want to invade and eradicate the humans so they can take over the Earth. C.H.A.O.S., who's always worked in secrecy until recent events forced their organization into the spotlight,  control the main gateways, but tiny slips are still popping up in random spots, and the Thule are close to developing technology that allows them to open their gateways wherever and whenever they want, making invasion imminent.

Colt, along with his friends Oz and Dani, are about to join the C.H.A.O.S. Academy to train to be future agents. And if the Thule master their technology within the next few months, they'll be the last class that receives this type of training, and the last hope humans have to defeat the invaders. They have access to secret technology, like hoverboards, flying motercycles, unusual weapons, etc. at their disposal, so training is actually pretty entertaining at times. Especially since some random alien species and robots suddenly turn on Colt, trying to knock him off. Similar to John Connor in Terminator, Colt is expected to lead the humans to victory, and he's the only human ever to  successfully blend his DNA with that of the Thule, which gives him additional strength and protection. But even the humans aren't sure whether he's trustworthy, so with both humans and aliens putting him on a hit list, Colt's just trying to survive day by day.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Replication: The Jason Experiment by Jill Williamson (ARC)

Replication: The Jason Experiment
Jill Williamson
Pub: December 27, 2011

Synopsis: When Your Life Is Not Your Own

Martyr---otherwise known as Jason 3:3---is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to 'expire' in less than a month. To see the sky. Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars. As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures---the one for which he was produced and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is worth leaving everything he's ever known.

Martyr - nicknamed by his fellow Jasons' because he's always trying to protect the 'broken' Jasons' - is a clone living in a secret facility beneath a barn in Alaska. Life there is pretty boring in a facility lacking color, personality, and tasty foods, but they don't know that. All they know is the world is filled with toxic air, and without the antidote, they'd die if they ever went outside. So inside this facility Martyr has lived all his life, awaiting the day to fulfill his purpose, when he'll 'expire' at eighteen and his blood will be used to heal others. So when he's about two weeks shy of his expiry date, all he wants is to see the sky before he dies. But the doctors' say no, so Martyr takes advantage of the new doctor, swiping his keycards and sneaking outside. He's not too worried about the toxic gas since he's about to die anyways, but when he gets outside, nothing happens. Confused and a little scared, he wants to see more, and hops into the back of the truck of the new doctor.

From there Martyr's journey spirals out of control. He meets the doctor's daughter, Abby, and tells her his story. Furious her father has taken another questionable job, she's determined to help Martyr and his fellow Jasons', and expose the illegal cloning lab to the world. But the odds are stacked against them as the lab chases him down, and the true reason for Martyr's existence comes to light.

I absolutely loved this from beginning to end. I'm a Microbiologist, so science and cloning are right up my alley. I particularly enjoyed the simplistic, naive mind of Martyr, who was educated to keep him busy through the years, so he was book smart, but completely lacked real life experiences and social skills. And Abby was incredibly patient with him, exposing him slowly to things in the real world. There's also a slight romantic interest blooming between the two, and I liked that it was a slow process and not insta-love.

The only thing I didn't like about Replication was the excess of religious speak. I'm fine with Abby having faith in a God and trying to live her life as best she can by the bible, and I'm fine that she and her scientific father clash and argue Science vs. Religion. I'm even fine with Abby trying to explain her religious beliefs to Martyr, who then decides to follow God's path as well. What annoyed me, however, was the constant narration referrals of 'I pray...' and 'I know God will...', etc. Half way through the book, the 'pray' and 'God' references appear on practically every page. And since there was so much action and danger, both Abby and Martyr were both praying that God would protect them and see them through every little bump in the road. It was just too much, and it bugged me so much that I'm knocking a perfectly awesome 5 star rating down to a 4, because by the end, I felt preached to, and the entire novel ended up being one big religious lesson. Still, religious tone aside, this book was pretty awesome and you guys should definitely pick this up!

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Here by Denise Grover Swank

Here
Denise Grover Swank

Synopsis: Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

I totally love the science fiction series Fringe, so I loved everything about Here. And of course all that Fringe knowledge allowed me to figure out the mystery behind Evan a little quicker than most, but I loved it all the same.

Julia Phillips has spent the past seven months working on a cloak of invisiblity to disappear off the radars of fellow students, who constantly stared and talked behind her back when she accidentally killed her friend Monica in a car accident. And it was working too, until Evan Whittaker disappeared for a few days, then suddenly reappeared with an interest directed toward Julia. Suddenly interested in tutoring her and driving her home from school, his popular girlfriend leashes an all out war, throwing Julia back into a spot light she can't seem to evade.

It's kind of sad watching Julia suffer from depression and anxiety attacks over the loss of her best friend. There weren't even any skid marks at the scene, so the reason for the accident is unsolved, and luckily, Julia was only charged with reckless driving. She can't remember anything that happened that night, nor figure out why a charm bracelet engraved with her name that she's never seen before appeared near her body. Or why she suddenly became an artist, mindlessly drawing Evan's name in hidden pictures, and also a design he wore hidden under his clothes. So many questions plague her, even more when the police began searching for him, and he desperately begged Julia to leave with him, promising to answer all the lingering questions. But she has no idea how dangerous following her new boyfriend will be...

I have to say that Julia is incredibly real and easy to relate to. Her reactions are honest and the banter that goes on between her and the characters sounds exactly like what you'd expect to hear out of a teenager's mouth, particularly the mother-daughter fights. Here will grab your attention from the start and keep you tuned in until the last page turns. Lovers of Fringe, the X-files and the Twilight Zone should pick this up!

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Clockwiser by Elle Strauss

Clockwiser (Clockwise #2)
Elle Strauss

Synopsis: The last year has been smooth sailing for Casey Donovan. She and her boyfriend Nate are doing better than ever, and things at home are good, too. Everything’s been so calm, she hasn’t even “tripped” back to the nineteenth century.

Then the unthinkable happens and she accidentally takes her rebellious brother Tim back in time. It’s 1862 with the Civil War brewing, and for Tim this spells adventure and excitement. Finding himself stuck in the past, he enlists in the Union army, but it doesn’t take long before he discovers real life war is no fun and games.

Casey and Nate race against the clock to find Tim, but the strain wears on their relationship. It doesn’t help that the intriguing new boy next door has his sights on Casey, and isn’t shy to let her know it.

Can Nate and Casey find Tim in time to save him? And is it too late to save their love?

This was a cute follow-up to Clockwise. Casey and Nate have continued to date even though he's in college and Casey has two years left to go in high school. It doesn't take much to throw a wrench into the working gears of their relationship, and it happens in the form of a cute guy moving in next to Casey, who made it clear he was interested. Her brother Tim isn't make life easy either, and accidentally tagged along for a trip back to the past when the two siblings were going at it. Not only did he not respect the moral rules of the past, he refused to tag along as Casey was forced back to the present (with Willie of all people - oops!). Being the stupid teenager that he was, Tim takes to heart Casey's idea that maybe she can't die in the past, and enlisted in the Civil War because he thought it would be cool to shoot some people. Duh...life is not a video game - video games do not have the consequences the real world has. So you can imagine the trouble he found as Casey desperately tried to force her way back to the past to save him from his stupidity.

The only thing I felt was lacking was closure with Willie. Coming to the future allowed him to learn the fate of his family, and himself. He knew going back how he was going to die, so I was left wondering if he allowed himself to die the way the past said, or if his survival instinct took over and caused some hesitation when the time came.

This is still a really cute series, so check it out. :)

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Clockwise by Elle Strauss

Clockwise (Clockwise #1)
Elle Strauss

Synopsis: Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this—she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly” protectiveness?

When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.

Which of course, she does.

OMG! This was absolutely ADORABLE! Casey Donovan has been taking trips back to the past since she was nine. Sometimes she's there for a few hours, sometimes a few days, but she always returns to the present the exact moment she left. Once she accidentally took her best friend Luce to the future and realized simply touching someone's skin drags them along with her. So she's made it her mission in life not to touch people. Unfortunately that goes out the window when hottie Nate asks her to dance and BAM! - they both travel to the past.

Nate thinks it's all a joke she and his friends are playing, but after a few hours he begins to realize Casey's not joking. She's forced to take him to the Watson homestead where she works for room and board everytime she jumps - and passes him off as her brother. Being the 1800's, they wouldn't be allowed to be alone together if they were anything but siblings, and Casey needs him close so she can grab him when it's time to go back to the present.

As the days go by, Casey and Nate get to know each other...and develop a little interest for one another. Of course it doesn't hurt that a local wealthy man has set his eyes on Casey and wants to marry her, so keeping Casey within arm's reach becomes even more enticing for the jealous Nate. There is a little drama in the novel I won't spoil that involves a few more characters, but it's the romance that really makes this book shine. I started Clockwise one evening and stayed up till two in the morning to finish, so yeah...it's definitely worth checking out!

Novel provided by author for honest review.