REVIEW: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Name: Sweet Venom

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Publisher: Templar

Release date: 4th September 2012

Pages: 361

Source: From publisher (for review)

Rating: 4 stars

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.
Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.
Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.
These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Beverley's Review

When I heard this book was entwined with Greek mythology, I just knew I had to read it.  And it certainly didn't disappoint!  I've heard nothing but good things about Tera Lynn Childs's books and I hoped this would live up to my expectations (it did!)

What I adored about this book:

• The storyline.  It's unique, utterly creative and encourages girl power!  This time it isn't the boys out there fighting off the monsters, the girls are showing who's best!  Sweet Venom takes 'kick-ass' to a whole new level!
• The different POVS.  Sometimes triple POVs aren't great but Tera Lynn Childs works her magic and ensures it will appeal. Because each girl has their own distinct personality, it was refreshing to read each chapter from a different POV.  Even without the girl's names at the start of the chapters, I'm sure I would still be able to tell whose POV it's from as it is so easy to tell them apart.  I'm glad to say it works brilliantly and one of the main things I loved about the book.
• The Greek mythology.  The beasties which the girls fight aren't any old monsters - they're straight out of Greek mythology.  I loved this element of the book because it's so different from anything else I've ever read and the way the author wove in ancient Greek history into the storyline is just amazing.
• The girls.  The three sisters are so different yet so similar at the same time and I warmed to them all instantly.  Gretchen is so fearless and caring, and I wish I had a best friend like Grace.  Despite getting off to a frustrating start with Greer, I couldn't help but admire her as much as the others in the end.
• The boys.  Three female protagonists = three love interests.  Triple the fun!  Even though romance isn't heavy in Sweet Venom, it was still nice to have slight undertones of love throughout. All three boys were really sweet and obviously cared for the girls. 
• The writing.  Tera Lynn Child's writing style is... lush.  Each paragraph has the ability to entice you and I found myself with the ability to clearly imagine the world in which the triplets live - however unbelievable it may sound in reality.

What I didn't love so much about this book:

• The pace at the beginning.  It was quite slow and I was a bit confused to start with but this is only a minor fault that you probably won't end up noticing.
• The wait for the second book.  Fine... that isn't really a valid flaw.  But still... it ends on a cliffhanger and I'm desperate to get my hands on the second book!  My bookshelf already has a reserved space for the next books.

Sweet Venom is one heck of a kick-ass read with admirable heroines saving the unsuspecting human world one monster at a time.  Tera Lynn Child's writing will captivate you from start to finish and you'll find yourself immersed in a world of mythological beasties!

4 teacups for Sweet Venom!

The Sweet Venom UK Blog Tour will also be stopping by on Tuesday 25th so keep an eye out for that!

Waiting on Wednesday #7

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!

Bev's eagerly anticipating...

Three months before Rebecca Muir is set to begin college, her father reveals a secret that tears the family apart: he is leaving them.
In an instant, Rebecca’s life crumbles—she has to rely on her mother now, when her whole life she’s been her father’s girl; she’s not sure she can trust her high school boyfriend; and her carefully planned-out life suddenly feels all wrong.
Reb’s journey takes her across the country and back, and is for anyone who has experienced uncertainty or betrayal. This book will inspire readers to overcome life’s challenges and come out triumphant on the other side.

 I love inspirational contemporaries and this sounds like my cup of tea. I enjoy reading about characters who pull through difficulties in life and I'm always on the look out for emotional reads to dive into. Hopefully this will be released in the UK soon so I don't have to wait too long!

Jen's eagerly anticipating...

 It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.
Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

I WILL READ ANYTHING BY RUTA. Between Shades of Gray is just, ugh, too amazing. It has to be one of my favorite novels of the year.  She's like the only author that I'll read historical fiction from, y'all. THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING. I WILL get my hands on this lovely book, I will.

What are you waiting on today? 

Happy reading,
Bev & Jen xx

REVIEW: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Name: Beautiful Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 14, 2012 (US)

Pages: 432, Paperback

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Rating: 4 Teacups

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. 
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.  

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review 

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER is a very, very, messed up book.

A very, very--ADDICTING--messed up book.

I admit it, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this book, I could NOT put it down! The entire time, I HAD to know how Abby and Travis's relationship was going to end. I'm not sure what else compelled me to read until the end, but it's so freaking addicting! I read this in 2 days y'all, and this is one fat book--nearly 450 pages!! However, there were so so many imperfections & flaws in this book that I am going to rant about for a little bit.

(That was a warning. In case you didn't get the memo, RANTING AHEAD.)

First off, I was reading Katie's review (from Katie's Book Blog) and after reading her review, I couldn't help but notice this as well. WHY. WHY does Travis call Abby PIDGEON? Abby is a perfectly fine name. PIDGEON. Seriously? No. There wasn't even a reason as to why he started calling her that. He started calling her "Pidge" before he even got to know her. Whenever he called her that, it just seemed like he was the upperhand; it made her sound like a weak and naïve girl (which she kind of… is) that needed to be sheltered under someone else's protection.

Next, Abby & Travis have an EXTREMELY unhealthy relationship! I would be freaking scared to have a boyfriend who can beat the crap out of anyone. Their relationship = a rollercoaster ride. They break up and make up and break up and make up--it's like, JUST STAY TOGETHER. Also, he is so DEPENDENT on her. Like, so badly. As well possessive! This is going to sound super cheesy but, I learned in health class that controlling your partner in a relationship is NOT SAFE. Yep, sounds like Travis.

The last bit of the rant: Travis and Abby are kind of selfish, if you think about it. Either that, or America and Shepley are too nice. A & T'S relationship literally crumbled A & S's relationship in every chapter. I LOVED America and Shepley-- they helped their friends through thick and thin. So why would they let Travis and Abby ruin their relationship? And why couldn't Travis and Abby realize it? Oh wait, they were too busy worrying about their own rollercoaster relationship.

(This concludes the ranting.)

Whew, aside from those negative topics, let's move on to the positive. As mentioned above, there was TOTALLY the addictiveness factor. And, the SMEXY TIMES (term stolen from Gianna @ Books to Infinity). Mmm, yummy. To add on to that, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER has caused me to fall in love with New Adult novels. =)

Alrighty then, so my overall thoughts: While BEAUTIFUL DISASTER had it's major problems here and there, the engrossing story won me over and turned out to be quite a satisfying read.

4 stars to Beautiful Disaster!

*Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an eARC to review*

Alfie the Sniffer Pup (September '12 Edition)

Alfie the Sniffer Pup is a monthly feature here on A Reading Daydreamer where I spotlight exciting upcoming releases and book-ish news which my pup, Alfie has kindly 'sniffed' out for me!

I can't believe it's time again for another Alfie the Sniffer Pup. Time seems to be flying by! This will be the first full month that Jen and I are blogging together (find out more about her HERE) and I can't wait for all the posts we have planned.

As much as I'm looking forward to a month of co-blogging, I'm also eagerly anticipating the releases Alfie has sniffed out!  Remember to click on the covers to find out more and to add to your Goodreads!

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

The Diviners by Libba Bray

My Beating Teenage Heart by CK Kelly Martin

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Wolf Pact (Wolf Pact #1) by Melissa de la Cruz

Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls #1) by Tera Lynn Childs

Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1) by Jay Kristoff

The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Beneath the Glitter by Ellie and Blair Fowler

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Looks like September is set to be another month filled with awesome releases!  I've been dying to read What's Left of Me since... FOREVER!  And I'm desperate for My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century too - it's published a few days after my sixteenth birthday so I will definitely be nabbing a copy :D  Burn for Burn sounds amazing too although I've been told it won't be published until 2013 over here in the UK. Major sadface.  The Diviners is next on my TBR pile and I'm currently reading Sweet Venom.

Since it's my birthday this month, I'd love if you could tell me which releases I should ask for!  Are there any I haven't mentioned that would be worth reading or should I ask for a few of the above that Alfie has sniffed out?

Happy reading,
Beverley x

REVIEW: Torn by David Massey

Name: Torn

Author: David Massey

Publisher: Chicken House

Release date: August 2nd 2012

Pages: 259

Source: For review from publisher

Rating: 3 stars

Afghanistan. In the heat and dust, young British army medic Elinor Nielson watches an Afghan girl walk into a hail of bullets. But when she runs to help, Ellie finds her gone. Who is she? And what's happened to her? What Ellie discovers makes her question everything she believes in, even her feelings for the American lieutenant who takes her side.

Beverley's Review

I must admit I wasn't entirely sure I'd enjoy this. It was actually a surprise from Chicken House so I didn't request it.  I usually shy away from books about war since I find them quite grim and deadly, and the topic just makes me really queasy.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by Torn.  It did have quite a grim tone throughout, with some lighter parts here and there.  I must applaud David Massey for recreating a very vivid picture of life in a war zone.  What I liked most about this book was the description and the image of war Massey presents us with.  Everything was so vivid and graphic that I could picture everything in my head.

We meet Elinor 'Ellie' Nielson on her first day as a war medic in Afghanistan and we're thrown into the action and turmoil alongside her and the rest of the patrol members.  I didn't warm to Ellie instantly but I quickly came to admire her for her fearlessness.  She has a great personality and is very kind-hearted, putting others before herself.

The book gets off to a fairly slow start and I was a little confused as to what the story was building up to.  The synopsis doesn't tell you much and I was left wondering if anything exciting was going to happen.  The plot did have potential but I don't think it was exploited as well as it could have been.  The build-up to the climax was a little flimsy so when the 'truth' was finally revealed, I reacted pretty neutrally.  Unfortunately, only the last third picked up the pace but the action and combat was definitely thrilling.

There was a subtle romance in the book between Ellie and the American lieutenant, Ben Jackson.  However, I wasn't convinced by their chemistry.  I know it would have been inappropriate for them to strike up a deeper romance but I would have liked it to appear earlier in the book.

Overall, Torn creates a very realistic picture of life in war and it was interesting to read about the lives - and the danger they are put in - of soldiers.  However, the plot was a little flimsy in places and some of the characters were difficult to connect with.  If you're someone who likes war stories, you may find you will probably enjoy this more than I did.

3 teacups for Torn

*Thanks to Chicken House for the (surprise ) review copy!*

REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Name: Speechless

Author: Hannah Harrington

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Release Date: August 28th, 2012 (US)

Pages: 288, Paperback

Source: For review via Netgalley

Rating: 4.5 Teacups

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

You know a book is good when there are Reader's Guide Questions for Discussion in the back of the book.

Just kidding. But seriously, Speechless was breathtakingly beautiful and definitely a special contemporary that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. If you enjoyed Hannah's debut novel, Saving June, you will for sure like Speechless as much or even more. For me, Hannah's sophomore novel rendered ME speechless and craving for more. Much more.

From the beginning, Speechless captured me from the start. Although Chelsea's character was extremely shallow at first, I could tell right away that the vow of silence was going to change her. So, I went along with it, and before I knew it, her character and inner personality was changing. I couldn't help but admire her progress after awhile and after that, I thoroughly loved Chelsea. But Chelsea isn't the only character I enjoyed. I loved Sam, Asha, and the whole crew at Rosie's just as if they were MY family. Asha is so quirky and NICE, I wish there was an Asha in my life. And Sam, oh Sam. He is not necessarily swoon-worthy, but so dorky and adorable it hurts.

Along with the totally endearing characters, there is the imperative lessons that every reader can learn from Speechless. I always love a good contemporary where they deal with issues that teenagers (or, people in general) need to be more aware of. In Speechless, there is mental and physical harassment, sexual orientation harassment, and more. I really appreciated the way Hannah created the characters who had to deal with the situation. And most importantly, for Chelsea, for constructing a character who can stand and speak up for others, and herself.

And of course, I HAVE to talk about Hannah Harrington's writing. It is so unique and raw. It was stunning in Saving June, but Hannah KILLS it with Speechless. Seriously y'all. It's amazing. Not only was it awe-inspiring, it's also more sarcastic and funny. I have more than 15 parts highlighted in my Kindle. No joke. SO MANY AWESOME QUOTES.

So just in case you guys haven't noticed, I LOVED this book. If you're looking for a serious contemporary that deals with serious issues, but has that light-hearted romance, Speechless is the one for you. Heck, read it, even if you're not looking for anything specific like that. Just go read it. This is another great masterpiece from Hannah Harrington! 

4.5 stars for Speechless!

                 *Thanks to Harlequin TEEN for providing me an eARC to review*

Showcase Sunday #4

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

This is the first post Jen and I are writing together and we're super excited to show you the goodies we have received this week!

Jen's New Books:

   

For Review: 

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones (eARC): I pretty much just saw this on Netgalley and thought the synopsis sounded great so I went ahead and requested it!

Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler (eARC): If you know me, you KNOW I'm a complete girly girl and my guilty pleasure is watching these two awesome beauty gurus on Youtube. Blair Fowler actually tweeted back at me when I mentioned her on Twitter! SQUEE. 

Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole (eARC): I've been seeing this one around the blogosphere and it just looked really cute! :)

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski (eARC): SQUEEE. SO. EXCITED.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin (eARC): DOUBLE SQUEE. I actually *physically* jumped up and down and ran around my room SQUEEING. 

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate (eARC): TRIPLE SQUEE. *dies*

*MUCH thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, MAC-FREAKING MILLAN (Macmillan), and Lakehouse Books for those lovelies!*

Bought:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: I got this one for an INSANELY cheap price. Sadly, I think the sale was only for a day, and I was lucky enough to snag a copy that day! I'm also pretty sure I'm the only blogger alive who hasn't read this one yet.. :O

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey: I got this one for free on Amazon and it's still free until tomorrow! Go grab your e-copy! Can't wait to read this one.

Beverley's New Books:

For Review:

Torn by David Massey: This was a surprise from Chicken House! Not really a book I'd usually lean towards but it wasn't too bad for a book about war, I guess.  Review will be up soon :)

The Diviners by Libba Bray: This is set in the... 1920s, I think, which sounds totally awesome! Glamour and scandal and flapper dresses? Yes please!

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs:  I can't wait to start this one.  I love books with Greek mythology weaved in and the protagonists in this sound totally kick-ass.  There are three sisters who have to join together and fight mythological beasts! I'm loving the sound of it :D

Stitch by Samantha Durante:  It's a self-pubbed book but it just sounded too thrilling to pass up, plus I've heard quite a lot of bloggers are enjoying it so I can't wait to devour it! The blog tour will also be stopping by some time in October so keep an eye out!

Snake Beach by Lisa Glass:  Another self-pubbed book but Luisa Plaja told the author I might enjoy it and Luisa has a knack for picking out books that end up LOVING so this is probably no exception. AND it's set in Cornwall, and I simply adore Cornwall <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

Many thanks to Chicken House, Atom, Templar, Samantha Durante and Lisa Glass!

What goodies did you get this week? Don't forget to link us up :)

Happy reading,

Beverley and Jen