Little White Lies Blog Tour: Guest Post!

Hiya!  Today, I'm so pleased to welcome Katie Dale for her Little White Lies blog tour.  I myself have read her new book and it's absolutely fantastic - get your hands on a copy if you don't already have one!  Today, I'd like to share a brilliant guest post she has written especially...

The first time Lou meets tall, dark, and handsome Christian, she knows he's hiding something. Why does he clam up every time she asks about his past? Why doesn't he have any family photos and why does he dye his blond hair black?
Then suddenly his terrible secret is unveiled to the world - and it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in terrible danger? But Christian isn't the only one keeping secrets. For what if their chance meeting was no accident at all ...?
As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with? Full of family secrets, surprising twists and unexpected revelations, Katie Dale's second novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Write what you know, so they say, so when it came to choosing the settings for various events in my new YA thriller LITTLE WHITE LIES, I decided to mine my own past for locations…

Boarding School

Like Lou, I too was a day girl at a boarding school for sixth form college, namely Lancing College in West Sussex. It’s an incredibly grand building (pictured is the chapel – the largest school chapel in the world) with fantastic architecture (it was nearly chosen to be Hogwarts in the films) draughty cloisters, pristine quads, (and in my day a ratio of 5:1 boys:girls! ) but, like Lou, I found that you can’t keep any secrets in a boarding school for long – gossip spreads like wildfire!

Sheffield University

So after sixth form, I went to Sheffield University to study English Literature – just like Lou in LITTLE WHITE LIES! I wanted Lou to go to the same halls of residence as I did too – Earnshaw Hall – but sadly it’s been knocked down now, and replaced with a rather swanky student village.

Park

Like Lou, I enjoyed visiting, picnicking and writing in  the many beautiful parks whilst in Sheffield (but unlike Lou I never jogged round any of them!) and the park in which Lou and Christian meet for the first time is a mixture of the exquisite Sheffield Botanical Gardens and Endcliffe Park, which is where the café they bump into is based.

The Flying Pig Pub

In LITTLE WHITE LIES Christian and Lou both work in a pub called The Flying Pig – but although no such pub exists in Sheffield, I based it on one of my local haunts, The Porter Brook (left). It was only after I finished writing the book that I realized I pass a pub called The Flying Pig every time I get the bus in Cambridge – so it’s a strange mix of the two!

Castleton

Lou and Christian travel to Castleton for a party – one of my favourite places to visit whilst I was a student. Nestled up in the hills, with its steep gorge and crumbling castle, it’s a beautiful quaint little village, far from the hustle of the city.

Travelodge

Not very glamorous, but at least I didn’t have to do any research about Travelodges because in my other life as an actress, I once spent a summer on an outdoor Shakespeare tour and every night we’d stay in a different Travelodge. They’re all pretty much identical inside, so every morning I’d wake up and have absolutely no idea whereabouts in the country I was! I got pretty fed up of Travelodges! But in a way the familiarity was kind of nice, too.

KATIE DALE

An actress as well as an author, Katie loves nothing more than creating characters - both 

on page and onstage. She kept her parents happy by getting a “proper degree” in English Literature at Sheffield University, before finally going to drama school, then whilst she was on a belated gap year travelling through South-East Asia she found out she’d been chosen as a winner of the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices competition with the her first novel, the emotional rollercoaster SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE, which launched her writing career, and is now published all over the world. LITTLE WHITE LIES, her second novel, has just as many twists and turns, but is more of a thriller...
Website: katiedaleuk.blogspot.com
Twitter: @katiedaleuk

So what did you guys think of that?  Let me know in the comments below and be sure to show your support for Katie!

Happy reading,

Beverley x 

Blog Tour: How I Lost You Review + Interview

Jen's Review

 How I Lost You
by Janet Gurtler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: April 23, 2013

How I Lost You turned out to be a story about friendship, romance, and courage. What I liked about this one is that it's sole focus is the relationship between two friends, which isn't common among YA these days. You typically see romance-heavy issues in these types of contemporaries, but How I Lost You's outcome proved to be different. Even though I had some issues here and there, this one is an enjoyable read, with a good balance of sweet, adoring moments and serious, dark ones as well.

When I was first introduced to the main characters Grace and Kya, I immediately fell in love with Grace's character. I think the best way to describe her is loyal. Her obvious love for her best friend is clear and she didn't stop at anything to help Kya. However, my feelings for Kya were at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. To me, Kya felt like an absolutely shallow, meaningless girl. She's the character that has had a dark past and everything, and I understand that it's hard to deal with it all, but that's no excuse to treat everyone else differently just because you didn't have a good childhood. The entire time, I constantly asked myself, "Why, Grace, WHY are you still friends with this girl?" That's how utterly loyal Grace is-- she sticks with Kya, even through the worst. The characters in this book turned out to be a pro and a con; Grace made the story very touching and admirable, but Kya made it annoying and hair-pulling.

I definitely have to mention the romance, even though it played second to friendship in this story. It's a sweet, sweet romance, and I don't think I can describe it any other way. Levi, the love interest, was patient, kind, and shy. His hesitation and carefulness with Grace was just to die for. Aside from the romantic relationship itself, I really admired the fact that Gurtler did not over-exaggerate the romance, because, as mentioned, the main idea for this book was friendship. In other words, the romance didn't overshadow the friendship between Grace and Kya.

There were definitely times when I thought that the plot-pacing was very sporadic. The first half of the novel was fantastic. We were introduced to this colorful cast of characters, and Grace and Kya's summer had just begun. My instant reaction was: YES, A PERFECT SUMMER READ. However, towards the middle, I just got plain bored. Nothing was happening, and every description triggered a thought similar to this: Why the heck do I care that she went to the bathroom with her toiletries bag? I was definitely frustrated at this point, but luckily, the last quarter of this book was redeeming and my initial love for this book returned. The book ended on a good note that I was satisfied with, fortunately!

I think a main aspect that readers will enjoy in How I Lost You is the inclusion of paintballing. I've never read any books that involved a sport with paintballing. I think it added a nice little spark to it that kind of made it stand out. The integration was smooth and played a good role in the story.

How I Lost You had it's good times and not-so-good times, but overall, it's a read that I recommend. It has its useful life-lessons and friendship morals scattered about that everyone can learn from. I know for a fact that Janet Gurtler is an author that I look forward to reading more books from!

3.5 teacups for How I Lost You!

*Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to review!*

Interview with Janet Gurtler

1. How similar or different are these character to you? Did you ever experience the issues that Grace and Kya go through?

Grace has a few of my qualities, loyalty the biggest one. She is however way cooler and braver. I never played paintball or had my goals so clearly defined at that age.  Kya is not really like me.  I had a couple of friends who went to things similar to what Kya went through and the emotional devastation manifests itself in so many different ways. I don’t want to give away what it was for spoilers, but something pretty horrible. 

2. Most contemporaries out there today are centered around romance. What made you want to center your novel around friendship?

I tend to write contemporaries that deal with relationships and/or change. Romance is always present in my books, but not necessarily at the forefront. Although, in this story, I think Levi, the romantic interest,  is kind of the catalyst for the changing relationship with Grace and Kya.  But I choose to write about friendship, because man, teen friendship is SO IMPORTANT. In my experience it’s the girlfriends I remember and cherish, way more than the boys I went out with or had crushes on. Girl friendships or platonic male/female friendships are just as important and often more important than romance. In my opinion. :) And the hurt of a best friend break up. Oh. That’s hurt.

3. Which character did you feel a closer connection with while writing HOW I LOST YOU? Why?

I felt a really strong kinship for Kya. I understood why she was doing the things she was doing.  She didn’t mean to be selfish and horrible has is kind of driven by a dark secret in her past that damaged her. She hasn’t dealt with it yet, and until she does she is going to be unable to deal with people or things or herself in a respectful way. She is a wounded little bird, and I wanted to fix her, but she wasn’t ready to be fixed yet.

4. Do you have a some sort of message or moral that you were trying to reach out to readers through this book? If so, what is it?

My message in this book is that ultimately in life, sometimes you have to make hard decisions in order to look out for own best interests.  Grace is the type of person who wants to fix Kya and help her and I think a lot of girls/women have this quality. But we also have to realize that sometimes relationships become toxic and we have to make a choice to put ourselves first sometimes. It’s a harder than for females to do. It’s the nurturing gene.  I want girls to know it’s okay to be strong and also vulnerable, but also strong.

5. What can we expect from you in the future? (What are you currently working on?)

 I have a book coming out in 2014 called Sixteen Things I Thought Were True.  It’s about a girl who has a video of her dancing in her underwear to “I’m Sexy And I Know It’ go viral online.  Ironically , she’s hiding out from the real world online, but when life throws curves at her,  she ends up on a road trip with a strange girl and her mean boss and finds out things about herself and her life that she never knew.

Thanks so much for your time, Janet!

Happy reading, 
Jen xx

Blog Tour: Forever ME Excerpt

Hi everyone! Today I'm part of the Forever ME blog tour hosted by Thomas Amo, the author himself. I'll be sharing with you what Forever ME is about and an excerpt from the book!

About Forever ME

Forever ME
by Thomas Amos
Publisher: GothicTwist Publishing
Release Date: October 11, 2012
Synopsis via Goodreads:

Forever Me is considered YA and NA. 
Inspired by True Events
Hannah Richards isn't your typical 16 year-old at Wichita Falls High. Fashions, trends, cosmetics and style are unimportant to her. An avid reader, guitar player, classic movie and television buff, Hannah marches to the beat of her own drum. Visible only to her Father the town Sheriff, and her two best friends. Hannah lives a simple, un-pampered life as an "Eastie."
After coming to the aide of Taylor Monroe, a popular member of the ultra snobby "Stilettos" at school, Hannah's life beings spiraling out of control. As she starts spending more time with Taylor, her best friends abandon her, after a series of misunderstandings, causing Hannah to re-invent herself.
Hannah quickly gets caught up in a life much different than the one she knows, where status, glamour, makeup, appearance and acceptance become her masters. And what of the dark secret that haunts the streets of Wichita Falls?
Can Hannah survive the lies, deceit, jealousy and rage that are now waiting for her behind every corner? Will she succumb to the pressures of popularity? Or will she be crushed under the heels of the "Stilettos"?
~High school is hard enough just being yourself, let alone being someone you're not~

Amazon  - Twitter - Facebook - Author Goodreads

Excerpt

Wichita Falls High was your typical Texas educational institution. It boasted a fine athletics’ department with a focus on football. The student body was composed of about fifteen hundred students, the majority being mostly Caucasians and Hispanics. While the African American and Asian students were smaller in numbers, they all mixed well with one another. Like most high schools, you could find plenty of, emo, goths, stoners, jocks and cheerleaders. The only segregation that seemed prevalent at Wichita High was the one between the Clubbers and the Easties. Clubbers were the young adults whose families belonged to the country club. These were the students who went out of their way to not interact with the teens who were from, that part of town. Hannah and Lauren were Easties. If you lived east of Chester Street, then you were socially unimportant. To translate into pop culture terms, Easties were Mudbloods.

            There was one other group at Wichita Falls High that commanded its own title, and it belonged to a small band of girls known as the Stilettos. They were, Shelby Farrell, Courtney James, Vanessa Chezwick, Madison Winthrop and Taylor Monroe. They were Clubbers of the highest order. Their fathers had the most money, and they lived in the exclusive section of the country club, with the exception of Taylor. Taylor’s family lived just outside the club. Her inclusion in the Stilettos came in the form of a proxy, as her father was Shelby’s father’s best friend.

            Taylor was easily one of the most attractive girls at Wichita Falls High. She had striking, golden honey colored eyes, set within an oval shaped face. Her dark eyebrows accentuated her luxurious long blonde hair. She was the most petite member of the Stilettos, standing only at five-foot-three. Shelby was the accepted leader of the clique; her tall five foot ten height alone made her appear like the one in charge. She had long brunette hair, porcelain skin, and emerald green eyes that seemed to peer directly through you. Like the rest of her clique, she too was sixteen. They all drove, but to be a friend with Shelby, it was a requirement to ride in her Mercedes. The way her tall legs carried her, she walked as if she owned the school. Her second in command was Courtney, a medium height and slight build of a redhead. She was freckled and pale and her disposition was always dour and disagreeable. She loved taunting other students, especially girls she considered ugly or fat. The two remaining members of the Stilettos were Vanessa and Madison. Vanessa was a stunning Japanese/Italian girl with rich, naturally wavy, black hair and almond shaped, chestnut eyes. Her olive toned skin appeared flawless and her heart shaped face was beautiful when she smiled. That, however, only happened when she was bullying younger students. She was just slightly shorter than Shelby, which was in her favor. Madison took care to be certain she never wore heels that made her taller than Shelby. Otherwise, it would be considered an act of defiance. Madison had been into Cosplay during her middle school years. Being a slightly overweight child, her involvement in costume play had been a means to find acceptance among others. She loved the idea of dressing up as a character from a film or television show. She mostly wore Catholic schoolgirl uniforms that were reminiscent of popular 90’s Japanese anime. By time she became a Stiletto, everyone was so used to it, it would have been odd for her to wear anything else. She too was pretty with brunette hair and blonde streaks. She wore glasses but Shelby forced her to go to contacts that year. She was slightly shorter than the rest, yet taller than Taylor. She was also a bit chunkier than the other girls but it didn’t take away from her looks in the slightest.

            To be a member of this clique, looks were not enough. You had to be beyond good looking if you were going to walk with this privileged collection of goddesses, and you better have the money, the heels, and social standing to go with it.

            Hannah didn’t care she was considered an Eastie by the Stilettos or the Clubbers. She was happy with who she was. Designer labels and loads of makeup didn’t make you prettier in her mind. Hannah never bothered with makeup; why spend hours in front of a mirror trying to become something she wasn’t. She tried it once when she was twelve to impress her friend Haylee’s older cousin, Nick. She applied false eyelashes and blue eye shadow, complete with bright red lipstick. She thought things were going well, until Nick asked her how much she charged. Hannah was as embarrassed as any preteen girl could ever be. Makeup became a thing of her past after that day.

*

  About Thomas Amo

Thomas Amo is the author over 20 comedies and farces for the live theatre. This former full time theatrical producer has spent the last thirty years writing in many different genres, from pilot scripts for television to screenplays on independent films. Outside acting, directing and producing, his first love has always been writing. Forever ME, marks his debut into YA fiction.

Happy reading, everyone!

Jen xx

Blog Tour: The Rules for Disappearing Review + Giveaway!

Today is my stop for The Rules for Disappearing blog tour, hosted by Shane at Itching For Books! I have a review to share with you all, as well as a giveaway! To check out the rest of the tour, click here.

Jen's Review

The Rules for Disappearing
by Ashley Elston
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: May 14, 2013

The one thing that stands out for me when I first heard about The Rules for Disappearing was the fact that it's about the Witness Protection Program. I had never read anything like it before, so I was instantly curious and itching to read it. This book, more than ever, is a mystery. But more importantly, I felt that it was stronger as a romance, and a self-realization type of story. While this book was an entertaining read, it's not the most memorable.

One of the main factors that slowed down this book for me was that the overall plot of the story is interesting, but the pace gets slower as the reader gets closer and closer to the end. You'd expect the opposite: a mystery leading up to a fast-paced climax of the story, but personally for me, I was getting sleepier by each page. I loved the concept of the Witness Protection Program, but the mystery wasn't all that amazing. We got introduced to the story behind it all, and it was one of those "Okay, nodding my head, I'll go along with it, but I don't NEED to know what's happening" type of situations. It was fun to read about, but not gripping or heart-racing in any way. And the ending? So disappointed. It ended so abruptly, and the mystery was solved way too easily, leaving the reader wanting more of a mind-blowing resolution.

What's more strange, is that I absolutely LOVED the romance-- it's the strongest point in the whole novel-- but I didn't like the main character, Meg, independently. Meg alone is a sullen character, and she literally has no self-control. Sure, I understand that she's tired of moving so much and that she should keep to herself, but just because meeting a cute boy in a new town does NOT mean you can lose all control and fall in love with him, especially when you're under strict WPP rules. However, I'm glad this romance happened because it's seriously so sweet; I could taste the sugar on my tongue whenever they were together! Ethan, the love interest, doesn't hesitate to help and find out about Meg, and he was just the kindest, most endearing male specimen ever. SWOON, much?

In all, while the plot and mystery were pretty slow-going, the romance did it all for me. The romance was what kept me reading, and it's really something you don't want to miss out on if you're a romance junkie (like me). The Rules for Disappearing doesn't have the most memorable plot, but it is still a fun, quick mystery.

3 teacups for The Rules for Disappearing!

*Thanks to Disney Hyperion, Netgalley, and Shane for providing me with a review copy!*

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading!
Jen xx

You Don't Know Me Blog Tour: Guest Post!

Hi guys, Beverley here!  Are you surprised to hear from me?  Unfortunately, I'm not returning early from my hiatus as much as I would like to - revision is making me crazy!!!  Anyway, I don't want to bog you down with my school news... in fact, I want to welcome Sophia Bennett to the blog for her blog tour of You Don't Know Me!  I'm a big fan of Sophia and I jumped at the chance to take part so today, I have a guest post about the cover to share with all of you lovely people.  Enjoy!

***

It was all so good. Sasha and Rose. Best friends in a band, singing together. Right up to the finals of Killer Act when the judges tell them one of them must go Suddenly their friendship is put to the ultimate test. On TV in front of millions. Two girls. One huge mistake. Can they ever forgive each other?

[summary taken from Goodreads]

The Cover Story

I always enjoy writing about covers. When I visit schools I increasingly talk about them, because we’ve all got our opinion – usually a strong one – and the cover are is important to a book’s success, even though the writing takes months or years, and the cover takes … well, a depressingly short time by comparison, if you happen to be the writer.

Although you’d like to think they do, cover illustrators don’t actually go through your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb, looking for the perfect scene to represent exactly. They get a few sentences giving them a rough idea about what the story is about, and off they go. However, my publisher Rachel knows that I like to put a mood board together for each book, to give me a visual sense of what I’m working towards while I’m writing, and now she likes to see it before she thinks about the cover. This is very flattering. Here was the picture I sent her for You Don’t Know Me:

Rachel also asked if I had any ideas in mind for the cover, because when she asked me about The Look I told her I was thinking of something with a magazine cover feel: the cropped face of a girl staring out strongly from the page. And that’s pretty much what we ended up going for.

This time, I was thinking more in terms of a girl in a spotlight, ready to sing. Possibly a girl with a not-so-size-zero body shape, which would make a refreshing change. I found a few things online, including some fan art for an idealised Selena Gomez album cover, and suggested these:

I think the golden eye was inspired by the Adele covers. (Note the Adele theme creeping through my inspirations here.) We both liked how graphic and strong it was. It reminded us a bit of the cover of ‘The Look’. Also, by looking down, the eye seemed somehow mysterious and possibly sad, which suited the darker elements of the book.

I like to think that maybe the eye inspired what came next, because the ‘girl in the spotlight’ idea didn’t make it through. This time, Rachel wanted to commission a photo for the cover, though, which was exciting. She suggested a photographer called Rosie Hardy, whose website is here, and Rosie’s mysterious, artistic, romantic images looked wonderful to me.

Coincidentally, Rosie has a picture of Janet Devlin on the site – an X Factor finalist from 2011 – who was one of the many people I was thinking of when I wrote the character of Rose. Rosie also did the cover for Rachel Ward’s new book, The Drowning, which is a self-portrait. Of Rosie, not Rachel. So now you know.

Rosie took a picture of a girl looking down and we ended up with a cover like this:

I liked it, but I didn’t love it, apart from those turquoise page edges, which are fabulous. Some other people in the process felt the same, so the picture went through some colour tweaks, ending up like this:

Which I think is much stronger. Big sigh of relief.

I’ve since shown it to a couple of secondary school classes, to get their opinion. One girl said ‘It looks as though she’s sad and she’s thinking about something’, which seemed pretty accurate. Another one said ‘She looks like she’s doing something on her phone,’ which made me laugh because in the story the main character, Sasha Bayley, is almost surgically attached to her phone. It’s what drives the plot. So I think we got there in the end.

I say ‘we’ – I was just an interested observer on this one. I think Chicken House got there in the end. I hope so, anyway. What do you think?

***

Thank you, Sophia for writing such a lovely post!  I love hearing about the cover story for different books and I was intrigued to hear about the process behind the glowing cover of You Don't Know Me.  I adore the idea of a mood board - I think I'm going to make my own one for a 'book' I'm planning to write after exams!

And if you haven't already, be sure to pick up a copy of You Don't Know Me - I'm currently reading it and LOVING it!

As usual, please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments!  And I look forward to my return in June, when I can fully resume blogging 'duties' :D

Happy reading,

Beverley xxx

P.S. If any of you have exams coming up, GOOD LUCK!

Blog Tour: Nantucket Blue Review + Giveaway!

I'm so excited to be a part of the Nantucket Blue blog tour, hosted by the lovely Shane at Itching For Books! Today I have my review of Nantucket Blue and a giveaway! To see the rest of the tour, click here.

Jen's Review

Nantucket Blue
by Leila Howland
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: May 7, 2013

Summer. When the sun's rays are shining down on your bare shoulders, when your ice cold glass of lemonade is freezing your hand off, even though the rest of your body is on fire. Summer, when your life is carefree. Summer, when sometimes, you discover who you are and who you're meant to be with. Summer, when you maybe find your summer romance.

Nantucket Blue was very much all of these things. It's quite the enjoyable perfect summer read, with it's distinct setting on an island off the coast, friendship problems, family problems, and of course, the boy problems. Although I had a few problems with it here and there, Nantucket Blue definitely prepped and got me excited for summer.

My favorite aspect of Nantucket Blue for sure was the setting. Leila Howland did a fabulous job creating the mood and picture of the story-- the island with its boat docks, little shops, sandy beaches, and bikes everywhere instead of cars. The picture was very clear and was accessibly easy to settle into the story. Perhaps it was the setting that I wanted to return to every time I wasn't reading this book, but I don't think Howland could have down a better job with it. It seriously makes me crave summer so much more!

And you know those contemporary novels that have a bunch of little mini problems that pop up here and there in the story, and they just somehow intertwine together to make an interesting story? Leila Howland was able to perfect that. The original plot with Cricket and her best friend Jules moving to Nantucket for the summer slowly turns into a whirlwind of problems amongst themselves, their parents, drama with boys, and more. All of these elements combined formed an intriguing plot line that I couldn't stay away from. I always wanted to know what happened next!

However, I did have some minor issues with the main character, Cricket, and the romance. Cricket was an okay character for me, but I never really felt a closeness or connection with her. Her obsession with her ex-best friend's family was a little intense and weird. The romance starts off as pure lust. Then, the love interest shifts into something that was uncomfortable to read about, but later on I grew more comfortable with it. I just have really mixed feelings about it, and I think it could have been done differently.

Aside from some minor problems with the main protagonist and the summer romance, I really enjoyed Nantucket Blue for its wonderfully vivid setting and well-thought out plot line. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick summer read for reading on the beach!

3.75 teacups for Nantucket Blue!

*Thanks to IFB, Disney Hyperion, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review!*

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading, 

Jen xx

Blog Tour: Chantress Review + Giveaway!

Hey y'all! I'm so excited to be a part of the Chantress Blog Tour, hosted by Shane at Itching For Books. I'm going to be sharing my review and a giveaway! Thank you Shane for allowing me to be a part of this tour. Check out the rest of the tour here!

Jen's Review

Chantress
by Amy Butler Greenfield
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: May 7, 2013

Ever since I laid eyes on the cover for Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield, I knew I had to read it. Without a doubt. But this cover isn't just pretty on the outside. Between the flaps of this gorgeous book is a magical tale with beautiful prose, a creative plot line, and endearing characters that I loved from the start. Chantress is a historical fantasty that you won't want to miss.

First off, I'd like to mention the concept of this book that's intriguing and definitely something that's not typical out there in the YA fantasy world. Chantresses, the fantasy element in this book, are kind of like witches/fairies, but not at all in any way at the same time. Greenfield spices things up by adding little sprinkles of her own imagination and creativity here and there. I really enjoy how she introduces the topic mildly and not in any confusing way. Thankfully there's no info-dump, which is the worst. Greenfield skillfully weaves in Chantress information in a sneaky way that helps the reader learn about the idea along with the main character Lucy, since she starts out in the beginning of the story not knowing that she is a Chantress. What's more, Chantress is set in a historical time period (mid 1600s, which is what I'm studying in History class!), and it's surprisingly interesting to read about (usually I'm like, "History? SNOOORE). Set in London, I think that Greenfield was able to capture the dialogue of the time fabulously. The tone of the era was executed well, and I couldn't have asked for better.

Probably one of my favorite aspects of all in this novel is the characters. Lucy, the young woman who learns that she is Chantress, is easily lovable, as well as a hard-working character. There's something about her curiosity to learn more and to try her very best to use magic appropriately that is just admirable. In the middle of the book, it's evident that she works persistently to use magic, since her mentor scolds her endlessly, and she never gives up. Additionally, Nat is also a character I learned to fall in love with. Starting off as a cold, rude character, his heart opens up for Lucy and their very subtle romance is heart warming. I have no complaints for any of the characters in Chantress. They are all simply amazing and realistic.

Finally, the plot line is very well paced in this novel. It starts off with a bang (not literally), and I knew from the start that I was going to love this book. Chantress held my attention until the very end, and even then I didn't want to let go of this world and characters that Greenfield has created for us. It's not always fast-paced, but it's just enough to keep the readers engaged and interested in the story. It also helps that Greefield's writing is lush and flowy.

Chantress is definitely a book that every reader needs to pick up. I'm not a big historical or fantasy YA fan, but look who loved it? I DID. That's right, this book has it all: an enchanting concept that stands out, extremely delightful characters, and an absorbing plot. Go pick this up, you won't regret it!

4.5 teacups for Chantress!

*Thank you Amy, the publisher, and Edelweiss for providing me with a review copy!*

Book Trailer

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happy reading,
Jen xx

Blog Tour: The Last Academy Excerpt and Giveaway!

Hey y'all! Today I have a blurb, excerpt, and giveaway to share with you all, as I am part of The Last Academy blog tour hosted by Shane at Itching for Books! Thanks for letting me be a part of this tour. To see the full tour schedule, click here.

Blurb

The Last Academy
by Anne Applegate
Publisher: Point
Release Date: May 1, 2013
Synopsis via Goodreads:

Curtis Sittenfeld's PREP meets THE SIXTH SENSE in this spine-tingling, unforgettable debut.
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam--and readers--stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

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Excerpt

*This excerpt was taken from an uncorrected proof*

When I'd been in fourth grade, my parents didn't get along so great. That year, I biked the five miles from my house to Lia's practically every day. The stuff with my folks eventually evened out, but ever since, I'd more or less been adopted by Lia's family.

I grabbed the knife and went out to set it on the table. "Go put on your suit." Lia elbowed me, frowning at my lavender skirt and white T-shirt. The basketball guys had just dropped in -- about eight of them, all wearing cutoffs. Lia's other friends, Brooke and Grace, were decked out in jeans and tank tops. Lia was the only one in a swimsuit. A brand-new cherry-red bikini, and it showed off her tan perfectly.

I went over to the lawn chairs, grabbed my bag, and made an act of riffling through it. I knew what I'd find.

"I can't believe I forgot to bring it," I had to tell her a minute later. By then Lia was asking Hank from basketball which of the four city high schools he'd go to next year. The question sent a zing of excited nervousness through me. High school! Lia rolled an unbelieving eye at me. I tried not to act guilty. I hadn't forgotten my swimsuit. It was right where I'd left it. At home. The thing was, lately I'd been… well, developing like a Polaroid picture. When I'd tried my suit on that afternoon, it didn't fit. My plan had been to wallflower it up by the onion dip while Lia flirted with Kevin, who hadn't arrived yet.

"Cam… den," Lia whined. She adjusted her bikini and heaved a sigh. "My yellow swimsuit's in the dresser. Go put that on."

I knew the yellow suit. One-piece, old, and ugly. Lia wore it for swim meets last year.

"I'm fine," I said.

"Please," she whispered, smiling nervously as Brooke and Grace walked over. "I'm the only one in a suit. Super please?"

Lia made puppy eyes at me that were impossible to resist. So I nodded, and she hugged me, and I trudged into the house. The sliding glass door closed on Lia's laughter as the basketball guys threatened to throw each other into the pool.

When I finally found the yellow swimsuit, stuffed in the back of Lia's bedroom dresser, it was uglier than I remembered. It was even worse on, making me look like a weird fried egg, my thighs the color of the white. I spend a few minutes telling myself how nervous Lia was, waiting for her crush to show up, standing around practically naked, by herself. It wouldn't hurt me to look a little ugly for one stupid party. Then I told myself Lia would totally owe me.

On my way out, I stepped on a bag from Girl from Ipanema swimwear shop. When it crinkled under my foot, I could tell there was something there. Slowly, I pulled it out. It was a bikini, in a bunch of different shades of green. Lia must have bought two and decided last-minute on the red. That was so completely like her. Probably, with all the craziness of getting the party together, she'd forgotten to mention it.

I held it up in the mirror. Thing was scandalous pretty. I tried it on.

I actually look good, I thought, shocked as I twisted and turned in front of the mirror. Unlike my swimsuit at home, this fit me perfectly. I mean, I didn't even look like myself. And since my other option was fried egg…

I walked back to the party. At the sliding glass door, I had to do a little happy dance for my BFF-- Kevin had arrived. He stood with Lia, right next to the Jacuzzi. He slouched as she talked, his hands in his jeans pockets, tossing his head every few minutes to get his glossy brown hair out of his eyes.

The underwater lights for the pool were on, and the sky was twilight. Hank peeled off his shirt, cannon-balled into the water, and came back up, laughing. One of his buddies dove in after, and Grace laughed. Out of nowhere, Hank caught my eye and smiled at me. Completely giddy, I sort of pranced down the path toward Lia.

"Whaddaya think?" I asked, pointing at the suit and laughing. I though Lia'd laugh, too. Instead, Kevin let out a low whistle.

"Whoa there. Niiiii-ce," he said, checking me out. I blushed, embarrassed by his tone. I didn't know what Lia saw in him. "You are smoking hot." He grabbed my hand and spun me like we were dancing. I heard myself giggle, but I could see Lia's face going red. I was messing up her plan. Worse, I was hurting her somehow. I pulled my hand away.

"That's not the yellow suit," she said. "It's my brand new one."

Brooke came over. "Isn't that Lia's new suit?" she asked, which made me mad, because Brooke was just saying it because Lia had said it. My best friend flashed the fakest smile I'd ever seen. It hit me like a ton of bricks: She hadn't forgotten about the green bikini at all. She'd wanted me to look ugly.

- Loc 24

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