REVIEW: Every Day by David Levithan

Name: Every Day

Author: David Levithan

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Release Date: August 28, 2012 (US)

Pages: 336, Hardcover

Source: Online Audiobook Library

Rating: 5 Teacups

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. 
Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

This book is beautiful. That's it. Every Day opened my eyes in so many ways, and it actually left me breathless in the end. Every Day is one of those books where, after you finish it,  you are left satisfied and filled with so much peace and tranquility.

Aside from the completely and utterly beautiful conclusion to the novel, let's jump back a bit. The concept itself is extremely unique and unlike any other book I have ever read, landing itself in the "Books I'll Remember For A Long Time" part of my brain. It's unforgettable, and the idea just clicked with me perfectly. The reader is able to get sucked into the story from sentence number one. Talk about a good hook!

While the concept was extraordinary, the characters weren't far behind. "A", the main protagonist in the story, is neither a girl, nor a boy. "A" simply inhabits a different body everyday, but DOES have a personality. And I loved "A"'s personality from the start. "A" has been through so much, you can't help but sympathize with "A". And of course, there is Rhiannon. Her qualities were perfect for "A"; patient, understanding, and all around enjoyable.

Lastly, the writing style played a major role in my enjoyment for this novel. I previously read one other piece of Levithan's work: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. I had found that his writing was a bit annoying and too sarcastic for my taste (that's a whole nother story!). However, in Every Day, the change in voice is SO drastic, it's fascinating. I fell in love with it instantly. In Every Day, we are able to read Levithan's more sincere and serious side of him, one that I prefer much more.

In all, Every Day is a book you won't want to miss out on: with it's awe-inspiring concept, memorable characters, and lyrical writing, Every Day is sure to make your list of favorite contemporaries.

Audiobook Review: If you're thinking about reading this book, don't. Listen to it on audio. The narrator is a clear speaker, and while her voice is scratchy and a little raspy at first, it's actually perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better narrator for Every Day. The performer is able to capture the essence of the story and it makes the story THAT much more gorgeous. The audiobook for Every Day is highly recommended!

5 teacups for Every Day!

  

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs UK Blog Tour: Interview

Today, I'm delighted to introduce Tera Lynn Childs to A Reading Daydreamer as part of the UK blog tour for the first book in her Medusa Girls trilogy, Sweet Venom!  I really enjoyed reading it and it's now available so read the following interview and get yourself a copy!

Hi Tera, welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!  Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi A Reading Daydreamer! Thanks for having me. About myself, hmmm... I'm the daughter of theatre folk. I write teen books about mythology, mermaids, and monsters. I'm semi-nomadic, but I call Las Vegas home for now. I'm addicted to TV, have a dog named Daisy, and I'm vegan.

I personally loved reading Sweet Venom and thought the premise and storyline were both really unique.  What inspired you to write it in the first place?

Thank you! The initial idea actually came from a magazine spread about snake themed accessories. I saw a whole page of serpent jewelry and snakeskin leather goods and, while I'm not a fan of snakes, I was intrigued. I pulled the pages out and started thinking. I was already writing about mythology at the time, with Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, so it was only a matter of time until Medusa sprang to mind. I love looking at things from different perspectives, which is how I came up with the idea of Medusa being a guardian instead of a monster. From there, everything kind of fell into place.

I adored the Greek mythology element, which myth is your favourite?

Orpheus and Eurydice. I'm not usually such a sucker for drama, but the story of him going into the underworld to bring back his wife and then, at the last moment, losing her because he couldn't keep from looking back to check... it's just heartbreaking. 

Which parts were the most fun to write?  Were there any particularly difficult ones too?

All of them. And all of them! Seriously, Sweet Venom was both the most fun and the hardest thing I've ever written. I loved getting to write about such different characters--Phoebe and Lily, from the Oh. My. Gods. and Forgive My Fins series, are both kind of like Grace, but it was exciting to write about a tough chick like Gretchen and a snob like Greer. But, at the same time, write three distinct first person characters was a huge challenge. Plus it was the first book in my first trilogy, so in the end it was like writing twelve books at once! 

Now that Sweet Venom is finally released over here in the UK, you have the pleasure of marvelling the different covers.  Do you prefer the UK or US cover?

Oh, that's an unfair question. I love them both. I love the mystery of the US cover and I adore the kick-butt colors and cityscape of the UK edition. But, from a purely selfish standpoint, I will say that he cover model on the UK book is exactly what I think the girls look like. She is spot on.

I think Sweet Venom has the potential to be one heck of a kick-ass movie too.  If it was turned into a movie *crosses fingers*, who could you see playing the lead roles?

For the girls, I think Hayden Panettiere has the look and talent to play all three roles. For the boys, I could see Adrian Grenier as Milo, a young Paul Walker as Nick, and Brian J. Smith as Thane. 

Out of the three sisters Gretchen, Grace and Greer, who were you most like as a teenager?

I was (and am) definitely a Grace. I like to pretend I'm a Greer sometimes and I wish I was a Gretchen, but I'm definitely the quieter girl with less confidence--although I'm much better about that now than when I was in high school.

If a sea dracaena turned up on your doorstep, how would you react and what would you do?

Slam the door and run for the kitchen. I'd either hide in the pantry or grab a big kitchen knife and a bag of salt to throw in her eyes.

I'm already desperate to read the second book, can you give us a sneak preview? 

Oooh, teasers... In Sweet Shadows there is a lot more action, more monsters, more kissing, more kidnappings. You'll get to see the monster abyss first hand, you'll learn a lot more about Nick, and you'll learn a little bit about more about Thane. And you'll meet a whole new batch of monsters that makes Gretchen rethink everything she knows about the beastie world.

Thanks so much for being here today, Tera!

Many thanks to Templar for organising the blog tour and Tera for answering all my questions!  

Click HERE to read my review for Sweet Venom and once you've done that, don't forget to get yourself a lovely copy - it's a really fun, kick-ass read :D

Happy reading,

Beverley

Showcase Sunday #6

Showcase Sunday is hosted by the lovely Vicky over at Books, Biscuits, and Tea! It's a great way to share what you have received the past week and to also gush over the wonderful books other bloggers have added to their bookshelves!

Bev's New Books:

For review:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:  The praise for this has been so high, I can't avoid reading it.  There have been so many glowing reviews of this so I really hope it will live up to my expectations!

Blink Once by Cylin Busby:  A lovely surprise from the publisher. It sounds really interesting and mysterious and it's told from the guy's point of view - you know how I love my male POVs ;)

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan: Some of my favourite bloggers really enjoyed this and said it was unusual and different.  And I love the UK cover- the girl looks Asian and you rarely get Asian girls on covers so YAY!

The Killables by Gemma Malley:  Another surprise!  I heard about this one a while ago and was planning to borrow it from the library once I had time so I'm really glad this landed on my doorstep.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine: This book seems so beautiful and delicate as it's told from the POV of a girl with Asperger's.  I'm always intrigued to see how authors deal with matters like these.

Thanks to Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster, Hodder & Stoughton and Kathryn Erskine for these lovelies.

Won:

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris:  Whoopee!  I was going to ask for this for my birthday but I was super excited when I was told I'd won a copy from a giveaway!  I'm so eager to pick this one up as it sounds like such a fun, flirty read!  If you haven't got your hands on one yet, don't forget to enter my 16th Birthday Giveaway! You can win an e-copy and a pretty swag pack.

Gifted:

A Kindle!!!!!! Yes, I asked for a Kindle!  (Thanks to those of you who encouraged me on Twitter to ask for one!)  I've always stood firm and said I wouldn't go to the 'dark' side, nothing can beat a paperback etc... but every blogger I know has one and Jen seems to adore hers so I thought, 'Why not?' And while it isn't as good as a paperback, I still love it and I've already made a few requests on Netgalley!  Thank you so much Mum and Dad, love you guys!!!!!!!!!

Bought:

 

Forever Mine by Elizabeth Reyes:  I wanted to try out the Kindle and this was free on Amazon so I decided to get it, plus the cover is so sweet :D And the guy is called Angel?  Something tells me he doesn't really live up to the name ;)

Jen's New Books

For Review:
Entangled by Nikki Jefford: Yay for indie authors! I've heard really great things about this one, and it looks so interesting!

Blind Spot by Laura Ellen: This synopsis intrigued me INSTANTLY. "What you can't see might be murder" is the tagline--doesn't that intrigue YOU?

Love Unscripted by Tina Reber: This one isn't YA, but it's a romance adult novel. I most likely won't be reviewing this one on the blog, but it looked interesting.

Send Me A Sign by Tiffany Schmidt: Yep. I'm still looking for that cancer book that will make me cry.

Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch: I've already heard really mixed things about this one, but I'll still give it a try. Sounds awesome!

Much thanks to Netgalley, Houghton Mifflin, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, IBPA, and S&S!



Bought:
Blood Like Poison by M. Leighton: I pretty much just bought this one because it's by M. Leighton and I've heard nothing but amazing things about her. Freebie!

Wings of Arian by Devri Walls: This one was pretty hyped up during the blog tour, and I've had my eye on it for a while. Another freebie!

Madly by M. Leighton: Another great one by Miss Leighton! Freebie as well..

Solstice by Donna Burgess: Zombie Apocalypse. Nuff said. Freebie.

Second Chance by Katie Kacvinsky: I read Awaken (a different series), but I haven't read First Comes Love yet. I will soon, now that I have this lovely! Was a freebie when I bought it!

Borrowed:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman: I read this one about 2 years ago, and I didn't like it much, at all. I'm going to try again! This one I borrowed on audio.

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer: GUYS THIS IS THE FIRST EVER PHYSICAL ARC I'VE EVER LAID HANDS ON. My sister is part of this library book group (that I don't have time for) so she was able to snag an ARC to borrow. EEEP.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson: LOVED Amy and Roger's, so I can't freaking WAIT to read this one! Funny story: I tweeted that I was starting this one, and Ms. Matson actually tweeted back at me, when I didn't even mention her! :)

What did you guys get this week?  Link us up!

Happy reading,
Beverley and Jen x

My (Super Sweet) Sixteenth Birthday Giveaway!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://a-reading-daydreamer.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-super-sweet-sixteenth-birthday.html" title="A Reading Daydreamer"><img src="http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh512/Beverleyh23/msssc.jpg" alt="A Reading Daydreamer" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

*Squeals* I'm super, super excited to be writing this post!  It's my sixteenth birthday in a few days and since blogging has become such a big part of my life now and I've made so many blogging friends along the way, I thought, 'Why not celebrate on the blog too?'  I can't believe I'm finally turning sixteen and I'm awfully excited about it so it felt right to host a giveaway to spread the love and happiness!

Rachel Harris, who is an AMAZING author, is kindly sponsoring the giveaway with an e-book copy of her debut YA novel, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and some awesome swag!  A copy is already winging its way to me and it promises to be a fun, flirty read.  The giveaway is also INTERNATIONAL so what are you waiting for?  Get your flirt on and enter the giveaway!  But first, Rachel has also written a special post for me to share with you (isn't she just lovely?)  Read on to find out about her own sixteenth...

***

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEVERLEY!!!

~ tosses purple confetti ~

I’m so stinking excited to be here today to celebrate Beverley’s Sweet Sixteen. She’s one of my awesome Flirt Squad girls, and all around made of awesome. It rocks that she happens to share a birthday month with my debut, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, which is all about my main character Cat Crawford’s Sweet 16.

I had a Sweet 16 party when I was growing up, but sadly, it wasn’t televised. And I didn’t involve any time travel. Or trips to Italy. But it did rock all the same. We all wore fancy dresses, paraded out before the crowd as a DJ announced our names, and had our moment in the spotlight for our father-daughter dance. The whole thing cost a ridiculous amount of money at the time, but the memories I made are priceless. And I hope Beverley’s Sweet 16 is just as memorable as mine was…and just magical as Cat's adventure in the book.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any hocus pocus of my own to magically transport Beverley to the era and country of her dreams, but I DO come baring gifts….and, because my girl’s made of awesome, she’s decided to transfer those gifts to two of YOU!

This contest is international (woot!), and one lucky winner will receive an e-book copy of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, and the runner up will receive a Super Sweet Swag pack, filled with bookmarks, tattoos, bracelets, and your own pocket sized trading cards featuring Cat and Renaissance hottie Lorenzo.

***

Now for the giveaway...

Here are the Terms & Conditions:

- Fill in the Rafflecopter below - please don't leave personal details in the comments section.
- The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (woop, woop! See, I didn't forget all you international folks!)
- You must be 13 or older to enter. If you are under 13, please ask your parent/guardian for permission first.
- Rachel is not responsible for items lost in the post (only applicable for swag)
- The only mandatory requirement is that you are a follower via Google Friend Connect (GFC)
- Other entries are optional but completing them could give you a better chance of winning :)
- Giveaway ends on 21/10/12 0:00 EST

Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks again to the super Rachel Harris for being so lovely and A-MAZING!

Beverley x

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Waiting on Wednesday is a fabulous meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!  It's a wonderful chance to share the books we're eagerly anticipating and to find out what our fellow bloggers are looking forward to reading!

Jen's eagerly anticipating...

First came the storms.Then came the Fever.And the Wall.
After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.
Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.
Sherri L. Smith delivers an expertly crafted story about a fierce heroine whose powerful voice and firm determination will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Y'all. I don't even think I can handle how awesome this one sounds. YAY FOR MORE SCI-FI/DYSTOPIANS. And that cover. Goodness I'm EXCITED. :))

Bev's eagerly anticipating...

Bonnie and Clyde meets Simone Elkeles in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts. They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run. Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger.... When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough. Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

I'm a sucker for heartbreaking contemporaries so I'm just desperate to get my hands on this! I don't think I can wait until 2013 :'( And look at that cover, it's so sweet it makes me a little teary :')

What are you waiting on this week?  Link us up!

Bev and Jen x

Join Rachel Harris's Flirt Squad!

So you've probably felt the buzz around the blogsophere about Rachel Harris's book, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, which is released now!  It sounds like such a fun, quirky read and guess what? YOU can help promote AND win great prizes along the way!

There are loads of different, easy ways to gain points and to join in with the fun!  Tweet about it, change your Twitter avatar to the MSSSC cover: there's a whole range of ways to get those crucial points to reach a new level.

So here are the prizes (taken from Rachel Harris's website):

• First level (25 points): A Super Sweet bookmark and tattoo
•  Second level (75 points): All prizes above PLUS a set of trading cards (your very own pocket-sized Lorenzo and Cat!), and a Super Sweet bracelet
•  Third level (150 points): All prizes above PLUS your name in the acknowledgements of book 2 in the Super Sweet series, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES
•  Fourth level (250 points): All prizes above PLUS a special note from me inviting you to the sequel to My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, including a special sneak peek!
•  ALL Participants who Reach Fifth Level (500 points): All prizes above PLUS an entry into a drawing to make a special appearance as a character in a future book.

There's still time to join so what are you waiting for? Get your flirt on!

And if you do decide to join (which I hope you do!), I would really appreciate it if you could mention me so I can gain extra points! I'll give you a virtual cupcake? ;)

Happy flirting,
Beverley

REVIEW: Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Name: Burn For Burn

Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 18, 2012 (US)

Pages: 368, Hardcover

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Rating: 4 Teacups

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...THEY GET EVEN.
Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.
Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.
Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.
Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

Don't kill me guys, but I haven't ever read anything by Jenny OR Siobhan. However, I still jumped at the chance to read their co-written novel, since they are like the queens of contemporary. Now, I had no idea what their writing style was like, so I wasn't really hesitant about anything; meaning, I went into this book not expecting anything at all. I just dove in and read. Fortunately, Burn For Burn turned out to be an awesome contemporary novel with a slight supernatural twist, and very few flaws.

Burn For Burn is unlike any contemporary I have ever read. Most of the time, you get the story of a girl who is having problems with boys, high school, family, etc. But in Burn For Burn, we get three girls with all three of those problems. What's more, this story is all about revenge. Getting back at boys who hurt them, and even an ex-best friend. The plot is very fun, entertaining, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting! The plot is quite intricate: we get flashbacks of the girls' histories, as well as current day happenings. Since the story is told from three different girls' prespectives, the story itself is more intriguing to read about.

Besides the plot, the characters were also something I highly adored. Their personalities were all so different and it was great being able to get a peek at each girls' thoughts and feelings every other chapter. We have Lillia, an Asian girl (ASIAN GIRLS, FTW) who is rich and cares deeply of her younger sister, Nadia. Next we have Kat, a bad-ass punky girl who isn't afraid of a lot of things. Lastly we have Mary, a self-conscious girl who recently moved back to Jar Island. Their growing friendship was sweet and I couldn't have asked for better.

There were a couple things that were off for me, though. First, it was confusing at times as to when the chapter started off, and you weren't sure who's point of view it is from. There is no 'Lillian' or 'Kat' at the top of each chapter (or at least in the ARC format there isn't), and you kind of had to figure it out. Usually it's obvious, but there are just a myriad of characters and it took me a couple of pages to wrap my head around it. Another flaw I considered was the supernatural twist. Now, I'm definitely not sure if it will be brought up again in the following installments, but I think it was totally unnecessary.

But other than that, Burn For Burn is an entertaining read that fans of Jenny or Siobhan won't want to miss out on. The ending KIND OF leaves the reader on a cliffhanger, and I definitely want to know what happens next to the three girls of Jar Island. 

4 Teacups for Burn For Burn!

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC to review!*