REVIEW: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Jen's Review

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
Henry Holt and Co. (HC)
June 5, 2012

WOAH GUYS.

I totally did not expect to like this book so much! High fantasy is usually way out of my comfort zone, as I don't read much of it. However, I had high hopes for this one because a) I loved Throne of Glass, and that was high fantasy, and b) there is not enough rave reviews for this book out there, it seems! Literally, every review of this book is 4 stars or higher, and pretty much all of my trusted blogger buddies all LOVE this book to death. I'm so happy to say that I am far from disappointed! Shadow and Bone is a high-paced, magical fantasy with crazy in-depth characters, fantastic creativity, and action-packed plot.

I was so worried in the beginning of this book, solely because the overload with the names, cities, and types of clothing they wore in the Grisha world. And they're not ordinary names, either. They're names like kefta and Os Kervo and oprichniki. You can imagine my panic. I absolutely hate, hate, HATE getting confused during a book, because then I usually end up flipping back and forth to un-confuse myself by referring to previous pages. While I was puzzled for a little while, Bardugo was able to refer to the names frequently, and before I knew it, I was immersed in the world without anymore confusion. This was the only minor problem I had with the book, fortunately.

One of the many things I loved about Shadow and Bone was the dark and beautifully magical world that Bardugo has created. It's so memorable and different, and, like Veronica Roth says, it's "Unlike anything I've ever read". The world of the Fold and the kingdom with the oh so mysterious Darkling ruling over the Grishas and with the different ranks and powers of the Grishas was just FASCINATING. Trust me, this is NOT a world you'll want to miss out on.

Of course, I have to mention my love for the characters! Alina Starkov is the protagonist and I loved her from the start. I'm still not sure what drew me to her in the beginning, but I think it's the fact that she never really knew her background of where she came from that drew my curiosity towards her. Later on, I learned that she is incredibly smart: she learns from her mistakes and is able to rationalize the best solutions. I also have to mention the other characters, duh. [OKAY. WAIT. So I totally thought there was going to be a love triangle in this book, and then I kept reading and AHH I was a tad disappointed, but SURPRISED by the twisty and turnies.] All right, so the Darkling. I don't know what made me like him so much, but he is dark, powerful, and I was drawn to him like Alina was. In fact, he's kind of smexy. Yeah. But then, we have MAL. I kept picturing him as Josh Hutcherson/Peeta in my head for some reason. Mal is kind of like him though, in a way: mellow, friendly, protective… He was just adorable. And let's not forget about Alina's servant (ish), Genya! She was so girly and fun and she really lightened up this book a bit. The characters in Shadow and Bone were absolutely sensational and definitely memorable.

Like I mentioned above in the brackets, there are twisty and turnies. The plot pacing was simply fantastic! It moved at a steady-pace in the beginning of the novel as characters and the world of the Grisha are introduced, but I think the middle section of the book was my favorite. The story got exciting as Alina moves to new, unfamiliar territory (things even got a little... steamy). The last section of the novel was kind of back to it's steady pace, but there was a lot of information that the author surprises the reader with and the not-so-fast-pace was made up for.

So what I thought was going to be a composed, calm review, kind of turned out to be a spazzy, excited, gushy review for Shadow and Bone. I guess I'm just trying to tell everyone that they need to read this book if they haven't already! I can't believe I have to wait 6 months until I can read the next installment, Siege and Storm. Shadow and Bone will take readers on a wild, vivid, engrossingly enigmatic ride with Leigh Bardugo's innovative world of the Grisha.

4.5 teacups for Shadow and Bone!

REVIEW: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

Name: So Much Closer

Author: Susane Colasanti

Publisher: Viking Juvenile/Speak (US)

Release Date: April 12, 2011

Pages: 236, Paperback

Source: Online Library

Rating: 3.5 Teacups

When Brooke's crush, Scott, moves from their suburban town to New York City, she decides to follow him there. Living with her formerly estranged dad and adapting to a new school are challenging, and things go from bad to worse when Brooke learns that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she builds her new life, Brooke begins to discover a side of herself she never knew existed. And as she finds out, in the city that never sleeps, love can appear around any corner...

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

I'm not even going to beat around the bush, I'll just be upfront about it: I have no idea why I picked this one up in the first place. I had heard of Colasanti's books previously, but not necessarily very good things. I never really had any compulsion to pick up one of her books. Nonetheless, here I am, letting you know my thoughts on it. Luckily, I was totally in the contemporary, cute & fluffy mood when I picked this one up, and I ended up really enjoying it. So Much Closer was super fun and light, but had it's problems, for sure.

Right after I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read the book. I mean, the plot sounds so entirely weird and creepy--a girl moves to New York just for a boy that doesn't even know she exists? Doesn't that sound like a downright stalker to you? It had that effect on me and I kind of wanted to know what would happen for these characters. Brooke, the (stalker) girl, did start out as an obsessive, crazy girl that was blinded by her love for Scott. However, she was not this shallow girl the entire time. Her time in New York and her making of new friends helped change the naïve person she was before into a more thoughtful person. I'm glad with the choices she made in the end.

Other than the fact that the character growth was enjoyable, some of the side characters were very under-developed, or simply didn't make any sense. For example, when Brooke moves to New York, she moves in with her dad. Her father was so uninvolved with Brooke's life that it was a little ridiculous. It was a  bit unrealistic in my taste. Another character that was mind-boggling was Scott, the boy that Brooke was obsessed with in the beginning. Scott was portrayed as such a perfect boy, but I never grew to understand him, or like him for that matter. Scott was kind of impulsive, dumb, even. These two male characters really brought it down a notch for me in So Much Closer.

Aside from my love-hate relationship with the characters, So Much Closer definitely had an entertaining plot. I found myself wanting to read more and learn what happens with Brooke's relationships and how she finds her future in New York. It was really quite addicting to read about, in truth.

So Much Closer turned out to be a successful read for me. Even while some of the characters bothered me to no end, Brooke's character growth and entertaining plot line really helped me enjoy the novel much more than I expected prior to reading the book. I will definitely be picking up more of  Colasanti's work. Consider me a fan!

3.5 Teacups for So Much Closer!

REVIEW: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Jen's Review

Wake
by Amanda Hocking
August 7, 2012
St. Martin's Griffin (HC) // Tor (PB)

Having heard nothing but fabulous things about Amanda Hocking, I decided to finally pick up one of her novels on a whim. Fortunately, Wake was a superb choice; I loved almost everything about this book! The characters were all unique and special in some way, the plot was intriguing and mysterious, and the sirens were done very well. I couldn't have asked for a better novel from Hocking!

I'm not the biggest fan of 3rd-person character stories, but the way it was done in Wake was necessary, and adequate. Since there were so many characters, it would have gotten confusing if it was told in 1st-person. Speaking of characters, every character was enjoyable in some way. Gemma, the main--MAIN--character in the novel, was driven, and motivated. She was a strong character, but hid a lot of things from her friends and family. Her sister, Harper was a whole different story. Harper was very protective of Gemma, but it never annoyed me. I loved how much she cared for Gemma. And then there are the love interests, Alex and Daniel (NOT a love triangle. Alex is with Gemma, Daniel is with Harper). Thank you Amanda Hocking for not writing cliché guys! Alex was totally geeky and swoon-worthy at the same time, I loved him! Even though Daniel wasn't as big of a character in Wake, he was probably one of my favorites, no doubt! His ability to accept and empathize with Harper was so beautiful and sweet. All of the characters in Wake were very well done.

Now, the other characters, the sirens--Penn, Thea, and Lexi-- were awesome sirens. When readers first hear "siren", they think "mermaid". Well, after reading Wake, you won't be thinking "happy-go-lucky-pretty-mermaids" anymore. The sirens in Wake were gruesome and disgusting, mean and manipulative. They created a tense atmosphere and kept the story exciting!

Finally, the plot that Hocking wrote up for the readers was thoroughly engaging and intense! There was definitely a murder mystery going on, and while it was predictable, there was some fabulous dramatic irony happening simultaneously. There were plenty of twists and turns around each new chapter and it really kept me wanting more. The storyline was simply excellent!

Overall, I highly enjoyed Wake. Wake will entrance the reader just like the sirens do to the mortals. Wake was captivating with it's outstanding case of characters, well-done sirens, and exciting plotline. Wake will not disappoint!

Audiobook Review: The audio for this one was really really great. I certainly recommend it! The narrator has a beautiful voice, as well as a gorgeous singing voice, too! Yes, the narrator sings for us! Highly recommended.

4.5 teacups for Wake!

Showcase Sunday #16

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 for the past week and to also gush over the wonderful books to other bloggers have added to their bookshelves!

If you read the post from earlier this week (click here to read it), you all know that Beverley is on a hiatus until June! *sobs* She will be greatly missed until then! I'm getting a little busier myself, but luckily, I've already scheduled a bunch of posts. Lots of reviews to come! Anyways, onto the books!

For review:

Prophecy Girl by Cecily White: I've seen this book around a couple times around the blogosphere and it sounds pretty good!

The Collector by Victoria Scott: Dante Walker. Need I say more? ;)

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty: I loved Keertana's review of this book, so I decided to request it! I hope this book is for me. >.< Then again, Jamie's review also completely convinced me to pick it up.

Ink by Amanda Sun: To be honest, I have no idea what this book is about. I just like the cover. #coverwhoreftw

True by Erin McCarthy: Thanks to Vy for letting me know about this READ NOW galley of a New Adult book! <3 Can't wait to read this.

Much thanks to Entangled, Scholastic, Harlequin Teen Australia, Penguin Group Berkley NAL, and Netgalley for the review copies! <3


Borrowed:
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer: It's about time that I pick up this series! I'm going to be trying out the audio, hopefully I'll like it... It's the same narrator as Eleanor & Park, and I've heard great things about that one.

Bruised by Sarah Skilton: I remember reading Maja's review of this book and I've been on the lookout ever since. So excited to read this one! It sounds really unique.

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma: I also remember getting declined for this book on Netgalley & Edelweiss. -__- Nonetheless, I wanna read it! NOW! ;)
Bought:
Storybound by Marissa Burt: THIS IS A FREEBIE ON AMAZON KINDLE. Middle grade, looks awesome!

That's all I got this week! Quiet a lot, but that's why I'm an avid reader, right? ;) What did you guys get this week?

Happy reading,
Jen xx

Blog Tour: Strangelets Blurb, Excerpt, and Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Today I'll be sharing the blurb, an excerpt, and a giveaway with you guys, as I am part of the Strangelets Blog Tour! Click here to see the rest of the tour. Thanks Shane at Itching For Books for letting me be a part of this wonderful tour!

Blurb

Strangelets
by Michelle Gagnon
Publisher: Soho Teen
Release Date: April 9, 2013

17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, awaiting the inevitable loss of her battle with cancer…17-year-old Declan stares down two armed thugs in a back alley in Galway, Ireland…17-year-old Anat attempts to traverse a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt… All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital—only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving.  Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light through the eyes of Sophie, Declan, and Anat, the reader is taken on a dark and unforgettable journey into the hearts of teens who must decide what to do with a second chance at life.

Excerpt 

*Please note that this excerpt is taken from an uncorrected e-galley.* 

Declan was helping Sophie manage the last few yards to the door when Anat's cry pierced the hot, stagnant air. He whipped around and spotted her bounding across the parking lot-- paces ahead of an enormous, dark shape.

"Holy mother,"  he said. "It's a feckin' bear!"

"Oh my God," Sophie gasped.

Nico and Yosh had already reached the entrance. If he and Sophie ran, they'd be able to join them and bolt the door. But Anat...

The branch in her hands look pitifully small. Even a gun probably wouldn't bring down an animal that size, at least not with a single shot. As the bear charged, its mouth fell open, tongue lolling to the side. It was impossibly fast. There was no way she'd make it.

Declan shoved Sophie forward, yelling, "Get everyone inside and close the door!"

Heart pounding, he kept his eyes on Anat. She was fifteen feet away... then ten... the bear had narrowed the gap, she could probably feel its breath on the back of her neck.

"I said run, you idiot!" she screamed as she passed him.

"Blood ungrateful," Declan muttered. He hefted the garbanzo bean can up with both hands. Summoning all his strength, he heaved it. Direct hit-- it smacked the bear on the snout. The animal shook its head, but barely broke stride. 

Not exactly the effect he'd been hoping for-- and now the bear looked pissed to boot. Declan spun on his heels and raced toward the door. He quickly caught up with Anat, whose long legs chewed up the pavement.

"That was a bad plan," Anat panted.

"Everyone's a bloody critic. Apologies for trying to save your arse."

"I don't need your help," she gasped.

"Right, you had that completely under control. You can thank me later, if..." The words died in his throat as he checked back over his shoulder. The bear was coming up fast, and they were still ten feet from the door. They weren't going to make it. Declan pictured it all with awful clarity: the giant paw slashing across his back, followed by teeth clamping down on his throat. Distracted by the image, he stumbled and went sprawling. He landed hard on his chest, getting a mouthful of dirt. In desperation he flung both arms over his head.

Nothing happened. 

His breath came in hard, sharp pants.

Cautiously, Declan lowered his arms.

The bear was gone.

- 29%, Loc 842 of 2919

Giveaway!!

Enter to win a signed copy of STRANGELETS! (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading,
Jen xx

Winners Announced + Goodbye from Beverley

Hi, guys!  So some of you were asking about winners of the blogoversary giveaways and I've been terribly busy lately with school so I didn't have time to sort out contacting winners etc.  Anyways, here are the winners of our blogoversary giveaways:

Win a YA Book of Your Choice: Hannah T, who chose Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Simon & Schuster YA Prize Pack: Sam Bella

Templar Prize Packs: Lucinda Fountain, who chose Prize Pack #1, and Sarah Elizabeth (runner-up)

A Copy of Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja: Kristia M

Valentine's Tea Party giveaway: Aa'Ishah

Thanks to all of you who entered and also to the winners who replied to my notification emails so promptly!  I hope you all enjoy your prizes!

***

So before I sign off - you probably noticed from the title of this post - but I have to say GOODBYE!  Don't worry, I'm not leaving forever but I AM taking a hiatus.  You might have realised that I haven't been around much lately and that it's mostly been Jen keeping you entertained.  School has just been rather hectic, what with getting units finished in time for exams in May.  So, now I've decided that it's a good time to take a break to focus on my studying - I want to be as prepared for the exams as possible!  As I far as I know right now, Jen is okay with keeping things together (how does she do it?!) so there'll still be reviews and posts for you to read and the blog won't be completely empty.  

I'll miss you guys and your blogs but keep an eye out for my return in June (I will probably bombard your posts with enthusiastic comments)!  If you want to contact me, I'll still be reachable by email and I might pop up on Twitter from time to time so it's not like I'm slipping into COMPLETE absence.

Also, a note for authors, if you're interested in having us promote your novel etc. please direct your requests to Jen as she will be in charge  during my absence so it's best if things are arranged through her.  Requests sent to me will most likely be ignored.

Oh, and many apologies to the publishers who are still waiting for reviews.  I am VERY behind schedule and haven't finished a single book in about three weeks!  Once I return, I'll be reading like a maniac during summer to get reviews delivered.  Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Happy reading,

Beverley xxx

Promotional Post: Summer's Desire Excerpt + Giveaway

Summer's Desire
by Olivia Lynde
Genre: New Adult
Publication date: March 20, 2013

A girl who's lost her voice, and a boy who carries a world of anger bottled up inside.A girl haunted by soul-crushing guilt and regret, and a boy who knows he can't afford the weakness of feeling—not if he is to survive.
They meet by chance and are unwillingly fascinated with each other. They become unlikely friends, and in each other, they find redemption.Until they are betrayed.
Can they ever regain their friendship? And if they do, can they trust each other enough to take the biggest risk of all: falling in love?

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE - GOODREADS - AMAZON - TWITTER 

Excerpt

“I may have survived, but I am broken," I remind him sadly.

"No, Sunny, you're just a bit battered. We both are. Or if we're broken, that's only when we're alone. But now we're together, baby! And together, we're both whole."

Giveaway

Enter to win 1 ebook copy of Summer's Desire! This giveaway is international.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading!
Jen xx