"Deeper We Fall" by Chelsea Cameron

Release Date: January 24, 2013
Publisher: Self-Pubbed
Pages: 280

From Goodreads: "Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.

Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.

Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.

Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.

The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache."

While I am a huge fan of New Adult, I must admit that I do tire of seeing the same story line over and over and over again (broken girl, stemming from something in her past, playerish bad boy, with tattoos dripping off of his eight pack, a love and hate relationship, the eventual falling into one another's bed, and so forth), therefore, I was ecstatic to see that this book didn't follow the themes of those other books of this genre- it truly marched to the beat of its own drum.

While the female character is usually the more emotionally vulnerable character of the two in books of this nature, in this instance, I think that the male character, Zan, is, while the female character, Lottie, is the emotionally stronger one, the one to lift him out of his deep, dark past. Their relationship is one of the cutest that I have encountered in the genre. Furthermore, I love the fact that both characters are so relateable/ approachable- especially with all of their literary references in the novel.

Aside from loving the main characters, this book has some of the best secondary characters that I have read in a long time- I was highly invested in all of them, from Will, to Simon, to Audrey, to Trish and Stryker, to even Katie, and truly wanted to learn more about them. Therefore, as you can imagine, I am beyond excited to learn more about Stryker and Katie's story in the companion novel to this book, "Faster We Burn" (Katie, who might at first come across as a stereotypical girly girl, but who is so much more, and Stryker, the bad boy who you can't wait to peel the layers off of- both in clothes and emotions).

Rating: 5/5

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GREET THE DAWN: THE LAKOTA WAY

GREET THE DAWN: THE LAKOTA WAY
By S.D. Nelson
48 pp. South Dakota State Historical Society Press. $18.95. (Ages 4 and up)

ISBN
9780984504169

Rating: ? Stars


    Greet the Dawn is about what the Lakota people do at dawn. They thank Mother Earth for everything that is on the Earth and Father Sky for everything in the sky. Dotted about the book there are songs in the Lakota language and translated in English.
    The book is very colourful. I was amazed at the detail in the art and it was funny to see the way he turned ancient artwork into more modern looking artwork. I especially liked the picture of the meadowlark and her nest with the beautiful, colourful background. While reading I noticed that one of the pictures of a tent had a horse design that had a resemblance to my dress.

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On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads! 

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Crown of Midnight"
Author: Sarah Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: August 27, 2013

From Goodreads: "An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?"

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"Unravel Me" by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 461

From Goodreads: "ticktick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life."

Despite "Shatter Me" being one of my most favourite books of all time, I must admit that I was extremely hesitant to read this book. Why? Because of second book syndrome- I didn't think it possible for me to like this more than I did "Shatter Me" (I mean, how does one top essentially perfection?). However, after having finished this book all I can do is shake my head at my earlier stupidity. This book, if possible, is even better than "Shatter Me".

While there were countless aspects of this novel that I loved, the largest would most likely be the love triangle (no, I can't believe that I wrote that either). This book has, what I like to call, a successful love triangle. What might a successful love triangle be? One where there is actual competition. I literally have no idea who Juliette will end up with (if either of them). On the one hand everything that Adam has done in his life has been for Juliette, but on the other hand ,Warner has entirely given himself to Juliette. How does one choose between the boy who is steady and safe or the boy who is anything but, but burns so brightly with his passion for her.

As becomes evident, I am more so leaning towards Warner in this novel, despite having declared my undying love for Adam in "Shatter Me". While I have always been intrigued by Warner in "Shatter Me", those feelings were amplified in this novel, becoming something more. I think that him and Juliette are so perfect together because they are so broken and as such, who better to put one another back together than each other?

Aside from the boys, I did enjoy Juliette in this novel, though perhaps not as much as I had hoped to (while she has grown, I do think that she still has a ways to go before she truly becomes the person that she is meant to be). And, of course, Kenji. Whenever you feel like you are going to choke on emotions, Kenji appears, bringing with him a breath of fresh air.

If I had to come up with a complaint it would be the predictability. I had guessed the big surprise surrounding two of the characters halfway through "Shatter Me". That being said, I do look forward to seeing how it will be addressed/ played out in the third, and final, book in the series. I think that its reveal could quite literally reshape everything we have ever known about these books and the characters within their pages.

All in all, Tahereh has been able to do what I believe that few authors have been able to- write a sequel that is worthy of the original. I think that she has elevated YA and really brought to light how artful/ beautiful it can be. I cannot recommend this series enough and I cannot wait for said third book in this series.

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Born Wicked

A gorgeous, witchy, romantic fantasy!

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

I feel so bad about leaving Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood on my shelf for so long. I bought it when it came out, which was over a year ago. I met Jessica on the Breathless Reads tour, and since she's local, I've met her several times since. She is so sweet and lovely. So I felt bad about having not read it. But at the same time I was afraid to read it. What if I didn't like it? I didn't want to give it a bad review. She'd probably see it. (panics)

But I finally read it, and... it was AMAZING! It's definitely one of my favorite books I've read so far this year. I loved everything about it. (suppresses the gushing)

Cate Cahill is the oldest of three. She has two younger sisters, Maura and Tess. And they're all witches. That wouldn't be such a problem except the time period. Born Wicked is set in the late 1800's. Witches were feared. They were killed or locked up. Women weren't allowed an education. We weren't treated as equals. Cate is running out of time on her intention ceremony. She can choose to join the Sisterhood (which is not what it seems) or a young man who proposes to her. Or the Brotherhood can choose for her.

I really enjoyed Cate. I don't have two sisters, but I definitely connected with her in her role as oldest. Growing up, my mother was sick. I took care of my brother a lot. I could understand why she did what she did and made the decisions she made. It's not easy being the oldest and shouldering all of the responsibility. Trying to protect her siblings and doing what's best. Maura reminded me a lot of my brother. Being rebellious and seeing the older sibling as bossy instead of someone who is taking the role of caregiver. Whether they were getting along or not, I enjoyed their relationship. It felt really genuine.

Cate has two suitors. Finn and... that other guy. Just kidding. His name is Paul. But I'm Team Finn all the way! He's working at his family's book store and in the Cahill's gardens. He's intelligent and funny and different from other guys. Cate can't help but fall for him. She knows it's a bad match for a number of reasons, but the heart wants what it wants. While Born Wicked does have something of a romantic triangle, it's not the typical triangle we see in YA paranormal fantasy. And I really appreciated that. Too often it's a girl torn between the good guy and the bad boy, while we all know she's going to pick the bad boy from page one.

The Brotherhood... there are not words to describe how much I hated them. I wanted to jump in the pages and rip them limb from limb. As a woman and a feminist, they did nothing but piss me off. Which was their point. The Brotherhood, the men who work in god's service, were the real monsters. Not the witches. These villains were very well written.

And lastly, another thing that I loved about this book was that it kept me guessing. I had some theories. Some of them played out. But even reading the final pages, I wasn't sure what Cate was going to do. And that was quite possibly the best part about the book. I just requested book two, Star Cursed, on NetGalley. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Oh! And while I can't read French, I need this book on my shelf! See that last cover? One of the best witchy covers ever!

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Cover Reveal: "Falling for Hadie" by Komal Kant

Today I am excited to be a part of the re-reveal of  Komal Kant's "Falling for Hadie"! What are your thoughts on the new cover?

From Goodreads: “Sometimes there is a single moment that changes your life forever.”

Hadie Swinton is giving up on boys.

After a disastrous relationship, she is convinced that all males are the same—arrogant, self-assured, and complete jerks.

Lincoln Bracks is giving up on his old life.

After moving to a new town to escape the problems plaguing him, he is set against ever getting close to anyone again.

When Hadie and Lincoln’s worlds collide, their intrigue for one another leads them to open up to each other against their better judgment. Despite the attraction that is pulling them together, insecurities, secrets, and shattered hopes stand in the way of them ever being together.

At a time when darkness consumes their lives, Hadie and Lincoln learn that hope and love can still be found in the most unlikely place."

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Reviewers Needed- "Faster We Burn" by Chelsea Cameron (NA Contemp)

Were you a fan of Chelsea Cameron's "Deeper We Fall" or a budding New Adult aficionado? Here is your chance to read and review an eARC of Chelsea's upcoming release "Faster We Burn" (companion novel to "Deeper We Fall")!

As Chelsea writes, "You don't HAVE to have read the first book, but it is helpful to know the characters and their dynamic."

If you would be interested in reading and reviewing the book contact Chelsea at chel.c.cam@gmail.com (and let her know which format you would like the book in)!

From Goodreads: "Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?"

"Faster We Burn" releases on April 20th, 2013.

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