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.

Crane by Stacey Rourke

Crane (The Legends Saga, #1)
Stacey Rourke
Pub: May 26, 2014

The Horseman is unending,
his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

Ichabod Crane's descendent has returned to Sleepy Hollow, and the moment she does, residents suddenly become victimized by beheadings. And the residents aren't shy about showing their distrust of Ireland and her familial connection to their small town. But when a mystery dude from the past shows up and her dreams start becoming a little prophetic, Ireland Crane is forced to believe that maybe, just maybe, those murdered were selected on her behalf. 

 

I thought I was really going to like this, as I love the Sleepy Hollow storyline in general, but I guess I felt this particular version was lacking as I read through it. I will say it's got a pretty cool cover, which is what drew it to me to begin with. Crane takes readers back and forth between Ireland's present to the past with what happened on Ichabod's end, and I dare say I actually preferred Ichabod and company to the modern day story. So much I would've liked to have had the first book dedicated to the past and a second following up with Ireland, just so their stories flowed more smoothly. I wasn't a huge fan of how someone from the past awakened in the future as the Horseman became active again, because it was too similar to what's been done with the popular TV show. But I will admit I enjoyed Rip's character immensely. He definitely stole the show from the alternating main characters.

Though it was an interesting story, I felt several things were left unanswered. Like why did a Crane have to return to Sleepy Hollow in order for the character responsible for the Horseman to suddenly make itself known (I'm using it to hide the gender). Did Ireland's presence set off a chain reaction? Did it need a Crane around, or did he or she just want to inflict more pain on that family, for messing with it in the past? I didn't think Ireland being there had anything to do with the magic that caused that spell, so I'm just left to wonder why this particular spirit didn't try the spell whenever it wanted, long before a Crane ever returned, because this second time around, the Horseman didn't seem controlled by this individual. Or was it? It wasn't clear as I read through. Also, I found the romance a bit underwhelming, both between Ichabod and Katrina and Ireland and Noah. Ichabod and Katrina seemed a little silly, but given the historical time, their behavior and attraction was probably pretty close to what happened back then, so I found myself forgiving that they seemed ready to have each other soon after meeting. But that's no excuse for Ireland and Noah, who hardly interacted at all before he confessed his willingness to love her despite the evil lying within her. I don't know...just this day in age, it screams insta-love and was just put there to make the two time periods mirror each other.  And Noah is so nonchalant about suddenly sharing a bed even though the Horseman could rise as she slept, no matter how much she claimed she had a hold on it. I sure the hell wouldn't be able to sleep so easy! Or in the same house! And I'm not even sure of what to make of the fiancé Ireland left behind. Forget me asking why she was ever involved with such a snooty douche to begin with, but what relevance did all that drama have to the storyline, other than giving the Horseman someone to play with? All this so-called romance was just plain frustrating.

If you're into Sleepy Hollow or other suspenseful horror stories, might be good to go with Crane. Lots of people have four and five-starred this, so don't let my ho-hum-ness deter you from checking this out. It certainly had some moments here and there that were pretty entertaining.

This is more like a 2.5 for me.

 

Novel provided by Anchor Group Publishing for honest review.

UNBREAKABLE and UNMARKED by Kami Garcia (ARCs)

Unbreakable (The Legion #1)
Kami Garcia
Pub.: October 1, 2014

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Life was normal and easy-going before Kennedy came home to find her mother dead. She thought it was natural causes until she awoke to find her possessed cat sucking the life out of her. And the only reason she survived? Because two brothers were close by keeping an eye on her, and when she screamed, they came running in to help. They claimed to be part of a legion of modern day ghostbusters, a group which the next successors are chosen by the five current members. When all five were killed by the minions of a demon named Andras, the brothers and two others were activated. And so was Kennedy, if she could believe their wild tale. Though not entirely convinced, having a poltergeist blow up your home is pretty good motivation to give their crazy story a chance.

Enter Alara and Priest, the other two members of Legion. Going through their predecessors journals, they learn of a weapon called the shift that could take Andras down, but it's been separated into several pieces and left in the possession of vengeance spirits. Following the clues left at each site, the members one by one kill a vengeance spirit using their specialty skill and earn their fifth of the Andras seal on their forearm. But once Kennedy fulfills her part, its not the seal she earns for killing the ghost and completing the weapon, but something none of them could see coming.

If you're looking for paranormal story that reads a lot like the hit show Supernatural, you'll probably be happy enough with this novel. There is the workings of a love triangle between Kennedy and the twins, but still pretty light on actual romance in this first installment. Unbreakable was a really fast read that'll keep your attention from beginning to end, so check it out if ghostbustin' tops your genre list. 

ARC provided by Little, Bfor honest review.

Unmarked (The Legion #2)
Kami Garcia
Pub: October 1, 2014

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

Kennedy Waters would love nothing more than to hide away and pretend she wasn't directly responsible for releasing a horrible demon from his entrapment, but unfortunately, no one will let her - including the other members of Legion and Andras himself, who continually kills girls who resemble Kennedy. The Legion is at least willing to share in the mistake, but Kennedy is stubborn to let go. All they can do moving forward is to figure out why she hasn't gotten her mark, so the Legion seeks out clues to Kennedy's family past. 

Turns out her family lines clash - she's both Legion and Illuminati, and though she wants nothing more than to be Legion with her newfound friends, it's impossible to taint their line with Illuminati blood, so what's an Illuminati girl falling in love with a Legion boy to do? And to make things even more difficult, Andras has taken possession of someone who's become dear to her heart.

Unmarked was another quick read by Kami Garcia, but lacked a little in the action department compared to Unbreakable. It was good to get a better idea of where this series is going, but I didn't feel this installment was written in a way that resolved anything other than learning why Kennedy didn't get her mark, which happened long before the story ended. I don't know...this novel and it's direction was just weird for me. 

ARC provided by Little, Brown for honest review.

 

Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey (ARC)

Whisper the Dead (The Lovegrove Legacy #2)
Alyxandra Harvey
Exp. Pub.: October 9, 2014 Tomorrow!!!

Gretchen is struggling with her newfound gift as a Whisperer; the constant buzzing in her ears from detecting spells is more frustrating than fun, especially when she is spending time with one of the Order of Iron Nail's Keepers, the icy but strikingly handsome Tobias Lawless. But while Gretchen tries to hide the truth and resolve her feelings for him, London fades from beautiful and bustling to deathly silent ...Something evil is once again menacing Mayfair, and Gretchen and her cousins must use their powers to prevent a horrible sacrifice.

The Lovegrove cousins are back after bottling the Greymalkin sisters into magical containments. Whisper the Dead focuses more on Gretchen this time as she tries to learn her craft - whispers tell her what type of spells are being cast and if anything can be used to make a particular spell stronger. She tries to focus her power into discovering why the wards in the city are going haywire and why elements once contained in certain areas are expanding their turf. But having constant supervision by the Keepers isn't helping her become more attuned to anything other than her rising agitation for her personal new shadow, Tobias Lawless.

 

Hmm... Where to begin. I liked this story, I did. But something felt off about it. I had no problem putting it aside to read other books, which is rare for me when I actually like the story enough. I love Gretchen and Emma especially, and I have the feeling Penelope will get her turn to shine in the third installment. And I love their beaus. Cormac is perfectly sweet for Emma and Tobias is just the kick in the skirt Gretchen needs, and vice versa. Quite honestly, the relationships are what keep me intrigued enough to continue the story, because there are so many things thrown at me I just find confusing. Especially all the magical charms and spell ingredients. Every time I turn around some obscure object is used to ward off something else. Pretty soon I'm sure an chocolate-coated acorn will be used to scare away a squirrel. How the hell do they keep it all straight, because it lacks consistency. Still, the main plot circling the Lovegrove cousins and the Greymalkin sisters is interesting enough to see where this is going to go.

ARC provided by Bloomsbury Childrens for honest review.

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani (ARC)

Virgin
Radhika Sanghani
Pub.: August 5, 2014

Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right?  I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious 

 

Ellie is a twenty-one year old virgin. GASP!

Yeah, no, it's not really a of an big issue, but for Ellie it is. She had a traumatizing moment four years prior that has made her feel like she's cursed when it comes to guys. Guys like her. Guys are willing to kiss her. But guys aren't willing to take her home with them. Like a gigantic V is inked on her forehead and they don't wanna deal with breaking her in to the sexual world. Of course that isn't true, but it sure as hell feels like it, right? So Ellie makes a plan to lose her virginity by college graduation, even if it means losing it to a one night stand. But when she finally gets a guy to take her to bed, it's a deja' vu experience. Will poor Ellie ever find someone willing to shag her?

Reading this made me recall my own path to de-virgination, although I wasn't stressed or bothered enough to actually map out a plan to make it happen like this poor girl. Like Ellie's dilemma, people were talking about doing things, but not really explaining what that thing was. Lots of words confused me back then but hell if I was gonna ask! But unlike her, I didn't have the internet to fall back on. It was too new and you sure as hell wasn't going to find these topics gracing the infinite cloud or hanging out in a library book. Nope. No pornos to put on, no downloadable how-to BJ video so you knew what to do ahead of time. Nope. We were all on our own. Isn't the internet nice peeps? So private - sort of...

Virgin definitely some laugh-out-loud and shameful moments that some people may be able to relate to - hopefully no one will relate to that horrible bathroom scene though! It was a fun read but Ellie came off a bit desperate at times to lose her V-card. Seriously, it's not that big of a deal peeps. If you're still a virgin, rock on. It'll happen when it happens. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you.

ARC provided by Berkley for honest review.

I Am The Weapon by Allen Zadoff

I Am The Weapon (The Unknown Assassin #1)
Allen Zadoff
Pub.: May 13, 2014

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target.

When his own parents died of not-so-natural causes at the age of eleven, Boy Nobody found himself under the control of The Program, a shadowy government organization that uses brainwashed kids as counter-espionage operatives. But somewhere, deep inside Boy Nobody, is somebody: the boy he once was, the boy who wants normal things (like a real home, his parents back), a boy who wants out. And he just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's next mission. 

Boy Nobody lost his parents when he was just a kid, his father by the same assassin who took him to the program he worked for. There Nobody was given a choice to either work for the Program or die. Hard choice, right? Several years later he's been working one case after another, where he goes in, befriends the kid of the target, kills their parent, then disappears into thin air, just to start the process all over again. He's kind of the perfect assassin. Because really, who would expect a kid? Not too many.

Now, Nobody's newest case has him targeting the governor of New York and his very opinionated young daughter. But all is not what it seems, and Nobody begins to question his assignment - which just isn't smart when you work for a group with assassins at the ready - because they may just turn them on you.

 

Sorry, but I'm keeping my plot summary vague on this one, as very little could be said without revealing the mystery behind it all. This was a good YA read with mild spy antics. The story focused more on Nobody's growing relations his target's daughter and learning to think for himself than actual spy stuff you'd expect to get from the adult novels. But it's definitely one worth checking out for the younger readers.

 

Novel provided by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

 

Sunrise by Mike Mullins (ARC)

Sunrise (Ashfall #3)
Mike Mullins
Pub.: April 25, 2014

The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions.

When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever — and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.

This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself. 

Wow. I think this might've been my fave of the three. It actually reminded me of that show Jericho that aired several years back where nearby towns in a post-apocalyptic world began feuding and killing each other off for supplies. Alex and Darla et all find the townspeople of Warren living off their land because a nearby town came in, took over and ran off with their supplies. Using the knowledge of one very war-minded individual, they're lucky enough to get it back. Unfortunately the town's people are stubborn about going on the offensive and putting up defenses, so Alex and Darla don't want their group to move back with them. Instead they move to a windfarm, and with the skills of Darla and her uncle, manage to set up greenhouses and longhouses with electricity. But the supplies they need aren't easy to find - and come at a horrendous price. But you've gotta hand it to the two for what they're willing to sacrifice to keep their group alive in a world gone terribly wrong.

 

If you could stomach the first two, you can probably handle this one too, though there were plenty of cringe-worthy moments.

ARC provided by Tanglewood Press for honest review.

The Dare by Hannah Jayne (ARC)

The Dare
Hannah Jayne
Exp. Pub.: July 1, 2010

Two jumped off the pier that night...but only one came back alive

Bryn did everything with her best friend Erica. So when someone dared Erica to jump off the pier one night at Harding Beach, Bryn was right by her side. But when Bryn made it back to the surface, Erica was nowhere to be found. Bryn tries to make a fresh start by burying her memories of that awful night. But when a Twitter post from "EricaNShaw" pops up on her feed and a chilling voice mail appears on her phone, she realizes that someone isn't ready to let go of the past...

One night, a group of friends playing games on the beach led to a dare, one with deadly consequences. Besties Erika and Bryn jumped off the pier and into the chilly ocean, but only Bryn made her way back out again. After drowning her grief with drugs and alcohol and forced by the court to go through a mandatory stay at rehab, her parents move her an hour away to start over at a new school. High school was hard enough just being the new girl, especially when you suffer from a heavy case of survivor's guilt, but when messages begin pouring in from Erika's old account, Bryn completely loses it. Now she keeps seeing her best friend everywhere - and it's making her absolutely nuts!

Sorry, but this one just didn't work for me. Bryn came off wimpy and weak, and when someone clearly began screwing with her, she wouldn't tell anyone. Not her friends, not her parents. And she felt everything that happened to her was Erika's doing - who she didn't believe was a ghost, but alive somewhere pissed that Bryn moved on with her life. Her new friends turned out to be anything but. One is an office aid and snoops through Bryn's file, and when Bryn argues she didn't have the right to do that and needed to keep it to herself, she was mad! Like it's a huge inconvenience for her to keep her trap shut now that she knows some things about Bryn's past - who's trying to leave a tragedy behind and start a new life. And when a flyer goes around teasing a friend about something the entire school seems to know anyways, all but one of her so-called friends blame her - without any kind of evidence - and absolutely throw her under the bus. Great friends you've got there.

 

Also, I'm not entirely convinced of Bryn's phobia. As a competitive swimmer from the age of four on, being in the water was second nature to me. Sorry, but if a friend of mine got sucked out by a riptide, I might develop an aversion for swimming in the ocean, but what does that have to do with a pool? I'm not going to fear walking because I tripped and broke my ankle. And I'm not suddenly going to fear drowning in a pool when I'm the experienced swimmer than I am. It was awful luck, but riptide's are fierce, and even the best swimmers can struggle getting out of them. And speaking of riptides, how come all the adults seemed to know about it, but their kids didn't? Tell your freakin' kids people! You live near the beach and you know eventually they're gonna go swimming at night!

 

I also felt the ending was really abrupt. Some things were left unanswered and I find that highly unsatisfying. For instance, we never truly learn who wanted the punch spiked, because if a certain student did it at request of someone else, it would've had to have been a student at school to get him to agree. We're never told how it is all these phone calls and tweets and such were being sent to Bryn. When she dialed one of the phone numbers harassing her, she was told the line couldn't dial out. And I'm not a tweeter, but wouldn't these leave a trace over the internet? Even if they were private, wouldn't she be able to show them as proof of harassment if she didn't delete them? And her own phone is apparently used to get her old friends in trouble. Is the person hounding her some kind of hacker? Hell if I know, because nothing is ever explained. And we're told a certain family member of Erika's had an unhealthy obsession, but we were never really given any kind of insight on that. Like why? What kind of obsession? Jealousy? Sexual interest? There's a meaningful story there somewhere but it goes completely untouched. And as for the eye witness to the account, how could someone who couldn't swim and hanging out on the pier go unnoticed by all that night? Doesn't make much sense to me, because it was never addressed.

 

For me, Dare bobbled in the ocean for a bit, then shot straight to the bottom like an anchor. Too many plot holes made me feel unsatisfied, and at times, straight up annoyed. I do have a couple of Hannah Jayne's others novels, and I can only hope those will make me feel better about her work. 

 

ARC provided by Sourcebooks Fire for honest review.

Dollhouse by Anya Allyn

Dollhouse (Dollhouse #1)
Anya Allyn
Pub.: May 20, 2014

Dress-up turns deadly. . .

When Cassie’s best friend, Aisha, disappears during a school hike, Cassie sets off with Aisha’s boyfriend Ethan and their best friend Lacey, determined to find her. But the mist-enshrouded mountains hold many secrets, and what the three teens discover is far more disturbing than any of them imagined: beneath a rundown mansion in the woods lies an underground cavern full of life-size toys and kidnapped girls forced to dress as dolls.

Even as Cassie desperately tries to escape the Dollhouse, she finds herself torn between her forbidden feelings for Ethan, and her intense, instinctive attraction to The Provider, a man Cassie swears she has known before…

Because Cassie’s capture wasn’t accidental, and the Dollhouse is more than just a prison where her deepest fears come true—it’s a portal for the powers of darkness. And Cassie may be the only one who can stop it.

Creepy dolls everywhere just got dismembered. Just in case...

(Hell, I would've done it anyway!)

When Aisha goes missing during a group nature hike and her boyfriend Ethan gets blamed for her disappearance, friends Cassie and Lacey trek back into the forest after Ethan, who's determined to clear his name. But he's running out of time, because police and their hound dogs are closing in fast. And when they spot the owner of a creepy mansion in the middle of the forest burying something in the ground, their last ditch effort has them sneaking inside. But unfortunately, what goes in, doesn't always come back out again.

 

I'd love to tell you a little more of the world inside, but that would be completely spoilerish. I will say that it involves creepy oversized dolls, several kidnapped girls, a mild love triangle with the worst timing ever, captors who are beyond messed up and secret tunnels that open up for a strange reason. Gothic horror fans are in for a treat, and if you haven't read one before, this is a goody to get your feet wet with. Just be sure to lock up the creepy dolls before you read. Better yet, spare yourself the anxiety and just chunk the nasty things.

Copy provided by publisher for honest review.

The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain (ARC)

The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark #1)
Bree Despain
Exp. Pub.: March 11, 2014 (TOMORROW!)

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds. 

Being a twin in the Underworld isn't easy. Ever since the tragedy of Light and Dark, one is automatically assumed to the greater, the other the lesser. Knowing she was caring twins, Haden's mom gave birth in secrecy, refusing to ever admit which child was born first, making her husband swear to never shun one child. But as they grew older, Haden began to take on more human-like qualities like his mother, and when she died, his emotions led him to attack his own father. Bound by his promise to his late wife, he was unable to completely dismiss Haden, and he was allowed to remain where he was, though publicly demoted because they all knew of these horrible emotions he wasn't meant to feel.

 

Vengeance by Megan Miranda (ARC)

Vengeance (Fractured, #2)
Megan Miranda
Pub: February 13, 2004

Falcon Lake wants vengeance. And so, it seems, does someone else... An intense, heart-rending psychological thriller to accompany the chilling and seductive Fracture

When Decker drags his best friend Delaney’s lifeless body out of the frozen lake, he makes a deal: Anyone but her. Everyone but her. The lake releases her. It takes another...

All their friends blame Delaney for Carson’s death. But Decker knows the truth: Delaney is drawn to those who are dying, and she would have tried to help Carson.

Or so Decker believes until a body lies in front of him in a pool of water on his kitchen floor. Until he sees in Delaney’s eyes that she knew this would happen too – and she said nothing. Until he realizes it isn’t the lake that is looking for revenge – Delaney is part of someone else’s plan.

See my review of Fracture (#1) here.

 

This picks up a few months after when Fractured left off and this time, we get Decker's point of view throughout. This small group of friends has had its fair share of death, and they find themselves dealing with one more - Decker's dad. Bad part is, Decker feels betrayed, because there's no way Megan didn't see it coming, nor did she warn him. Her admission solidifies their breakup and Decker's left to mourn and suffer alone. But he soon finds his house vandalized and uninhabitable, and he and his mom move in with Megan's family next door while the renovations are going on.

 

Though they may be broken up, their friends won't allow anyone to be shunned. Their group actually kind of reminds me of Friends, and how no matter who dates who and breaks up with another, as a group, they won't allow anyone to be left behind. Though it's difficult, Decker and Megan try to move forward with as little interaction as possible, but soon Megan's house is vandalized too, leaving them to suspect that what happened at Falcon Lake had to be the connection. Forced to work together to figure out what the hell is going on, they fear they're cursed for saving Megan from the lake the day it tried to take her life, and now it's threatening to collect another in her place.

 

Vengeance can be a little weird for some, because most people aren't going to be able to believe that a lake is cursed and finding ways to torment those who saved Megan. Decker's house gets massively flooded, the smashed windows through Megan's house resembles shards of ice, Kevin's engine gets flooded with water and Justin's lungs get flooded with lake water when forced in by a stupid alumni prank. But when Tara falls and knocks herself unconscious and is pulled all the way to the lake to let it claim her, it's clear that maybe an actual person is helping the lake to reclaim what was unrightfully taken away. Problem is, no one outside their group knows their secrets, nor their true fears of the lake, so the only possible suspects come from their very own limited pool. Is it really one of their own, or has someone infiltrated their group just to take them down for some unknown reason?



ARC provided by Bloomsbury Children's for honest review.

Pawn by Aimee Carter (ARC)

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)
Aimee Carter
Pub.: November 26, 2013

You can be a VII. If you give up everything.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand. 

In this dystopian novel, Kitty is one of many Does in society, a child born after the first whose parents couldn't afford the fine to keep her. If being taken away from her family and orphaned wasn't enough, everyone is forced to take the same test to determine their place in society - I through VI, with VII being reserved for the family who leads their people. Unfortunately, Kitty bombs her test. Her new number: III, a level that will afford her enough to survive, but she'll have to move to Chicago for her assigned job in the lovely sewage industry. Not wanting to leave her boyfriend before he takes his test in one month's time, she sucks it up and decides to work at one of the many girlie clubs until then.

 

As luck would have it, Kitty gets more than she expects with her first client. Offered the chance to become a VII, she accepts without considering the consequences, and finds herself a different person upon waking. But not just any person. Lila Hart of the ruling family. Unfortunately, taking on her new identity is way more trouble than it's worth, especially once Kitty discovers Lila was the one secretly leading the rebellion against her family's rule.
 

Heads will roll...

I read the first two Goddess novels by Miss Carter and they really weren't my cup of tea, but I was pleasantly surprised by Pawn. It kept me intrigued and flipping pages well into the night. And I can honestly say that for a clean YA novel, it kept me glued to the kindle - something that usually only happens with those new adult novels I love so much. :)

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

The Bane by Keary Taylor (ARC)

The Bane (The Eden Trilogy #1)
Keary Taylor
Pub: March 5, 2013

Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

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I really wanted to like this one, I did. I was already a fan of the author from another book she's written, and I love the Terminator movies, the Sarah Conner Chronicles, etc., so I was really looking forward to this. Ms. Taylor did a great job in creating this post-apocalyptic cybernetic new world and I had an easy time picturing what the Bane looked like and how the infection inside them hungered to spread to the rest of the human race. Unfortunately, my love for this novel died there.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep (ARC)

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5)
Jennifer Estep
Exp. Pub.: July 30, 2013

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin (ARC)

Ashen Winter
Mike Mullin
Exp. Pub.: October 16, 2012 TODAY!!!

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

So Ashfall was pretty awesome, with Alex running for his life from the supervolcano that covered his part of the world with ash, so I had pretty high expectations of Ashen Winter. I've had this book forever and kept pushing it off. Not that I wasn't expecting it to be awesome too, but you have to be in the right mind set to read one of Mike Mullin's books, cause the descriptions and horrors within are so spot-on and realistic, it's hard not imagine this could happen in reality any day now, and that's just disburbing...

Thunderstruck by Kelly Libsack (ARC)

Thunderstruck
Kelly Libsack
Exp. Pub: September 6, 2012 TODAY!!!

Star quarterback with a full-ride to the University of Nebraska; owner of a cherry 1967 Camaro SS; and not bad looking to boot, are all things that should have helped eighteen-year-old Shane Krivich land a girlfriend, or at least squash his virginity. An anxiety monster he refers to as ‘Tsar,’ who wraps its constricting tentacles if he even thinks of touching a girl, and a best friend named Cam, that will not only sleep with anything with breasts, but try to sway any girl’s eye from Shane—it’s obvious why he hasn’t.

Most teenage boys would have snapped from all the years of pent up sexual oppression. Shane’s tried not to, but…when he starts hearing a voice in his head and losing moments of time, he believes he’s close, and that either a split personality is scratching to get through, or, his intrusive anxiety disorder has gained enough momentum to finally take him over, altering who he is and what he does….

When Shane wins an elusive trip for two to the Ol’ British Isle to visit Stonehenge, he takes his best friend and they embark on their first—and what may be their last—great adventure. While abroad, Shane meets two intriguing young women: Autumn, a beautiful, flight attendant; and Kellen, a mystifying physician’s assistant with whom he feels an eerie connection. In the ancient lure of England, not only may he finally get to know the true touch of a young woman, but possibly the sinister explanation of why his blackouts have increased and who the mysterious voice is that persists in his head. Is it psychological, or is there some type of ancient evil at play?

At the possibility of either, Shane is…THUNDERSTRUCK.

Eighteen years old and freshly graduated senior. Just won an all expenses paid trip to England. The opposite sex seemingly attached to your hips. Best road trip ever...except for the part where you're being taken over by an evil ancient spirit.
 

Florence by Ciye Cho

Florence
Ciye Cho
Pub.: June 28, 2012

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.