Thursday, December 20, 2012

Review: Proximity by M.A. George

Title: Proximity
Author: M.A. George
Publisher: self-published
Publication date: September 23, 2012
Genre: Adult, sci-fi
Pages: 166 (ebook)
Source: From author for review
Series: Proximity #1
1. Proximity
2. Untitled
Synopsis:
Dr. Palta Capal would be a typical American career woman...if only she were human.

She has found her calling in this world as a physician. It’s an ideal outlet for her compassionate spirit...and unearthly healing powers.

Palta may spend her nights rereading Jane Austen novels, but she deliberately avoids pursuing her own love story. Human men—attractive as they may be—inevitably grow old and wither, leaving her to grieve in solitude. Frankly, no one has seemed worth the torment.

Enter Eric Moran, the intensely attractive and enigmatic new coworker on the scene. With his quiet confidence and warm smile, he manages to draw Palta’s attention. Little does she know that he, too, holds a secret...one that will propel them both into an escalating collision of two worlds.


Although I seldom accept adult books for review, this one seemed like a quick, fun read. I had read a bit of it on Amazon and I enjoyed the narrator, so I decided to take it on. I like the premise of this story: an alien who is born and living on Earth. The whole plot line was really great and interesting, but things moved way too fast for me.

The pace of the story is good up until Palta and Eric officially meet. I’m alright with love at first sight, but with these two it was really unbelievable. They’d seen each other around work a bit, but within a day of actually meeting (and not much interacting, actually) they’re all “Oh I love you and I can’t live without you.” It was too farfetched. The rest of the storyline was better, but there were a couple other things that just magically happened (see: antidote) without much story surrounding them.

I did like Palta as a character. Although she’s not human, she was brought up in a human world and so she’s relatable, very like many human women. She has a good job, loves her friends and family, watches an attractive man from afar, and loves everything Jane Austen. She was a good narrator. The other characters were alright as well. I liked Palta’s sister, Sabela. And Eric’s sister. Individually the characters were good, but the relationships were a bit rocky.

Overall, I liked the premise and the characters, but the pace was really messed up and made it less enjoyable. I kept reading, but I was internally rolling my eyes at Palta and Eric’s relationship and their solutions to some problems that were too quick and unrealistic. There will be more book(s) in the series, but I haven’t decided if I’ll read them. I’m not feeling much about this book right now, I’m just a bit indifferent.

Thanks to the author herself for the ebook review copy!


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Judging a Book by Its Cover (14)

I do Judging a Book by Its Cover randomly, when I collect several book covers that I think are worthy of being judged as awesome! You can see all my Judging a Book by Its Cover posts here.

Links will direct you to the corresponding Goodreads pages.







Be sure to click on the covers to see them bigger!

What do you think of these covers? Which ones are you anticipating the most? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (5)

Sculpture: Home by Miler Lagos

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that gives bloggers a chance to share what books they received in the last week. Find more information about it here.

In the past couple weeks, here's what I've added to my shelf:

For Review from NetGalley
Splintered by A.G. Howard {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Diverse Energies compiled by Tobias S. Buckell {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Slated by Teri Terry {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook review copies!

For Review from author
Devil Ash Days by Mitchell Olson {Goodreads | Smashwords (free!)}
Luminaire (Florence Waverley #2) by Ciye Cho {Goodreads | Amazon}
Thanks to the authors for the ebook review copies!

Bought from Kobo
The Glimpse by Claire Merle {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Review & Scavenger Hunt: Eternal Hope by Frankie Rose

Title: Eternal Hope
Author: Frankie Rose
Publisher: self-published
Publication date: October 10, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 273 (ebook)
Source: From author for review
Series: The Hope Series
1. Sovereign Hope (review)
2. Eternal Hope
3. Lost Hope (coming soon)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**
Synopsis:
He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me.

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline- a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives.


How much do I love Frankie Rose and her Hope series?!? I just finished reading book 2 and it was just as awesome as the first!

The number one thing that I really like about Frankie’s writing is the simplicity and to-the-point-ness of it. Some of the indie authors I read put too much in the story, whether it’s too many words or scenes that seem irrelevant. Frankie doesn’t do that at all. Every scene, every dialogue, even every steamy moment, has a purpose within the grand scheme of things. And that just adds to the experience of reading the book; knowing that everything matters.

I think I liked the plot of this book more than the first. There’s an established relationship, not without its problems; they travel around the country a bit; there are new characters, both good and bad; and the storyline is exciting and full of suspense. There were a lot of things that surprised me, too. There’s nothing not to like!

I found that Daniel was the character that changed the most from the first book to this one. He was emotionally reserved and hard-headed throughout the first book. In Eternal Hope we got to see a softer, more romantic, side of Daniel. He still had moments of emotional withdrawal and other moments where he really kicked some ass, but overall he seemed to have many more sides than before.

I feel like this review is very vague, but there are so many things that happen and I don’t want to give anything away. I just want you to read it! And I just want to read the next book in the series. Frankie! When does Lost Hope come out?!?

Thanks to Frankie for the ebook review copy!




I'm also participating in the Scavenger Hunt for Eternal Hope! What you've got to do as a participant is visit all the other blogs and collect the words in GREEN. Once you've done that you can use them to complete the passage below, which was written solely for the purpose of the Blog Tour & Scavenger Hunt! (Hint: you can find my word in my review!)

On the last stop of the tour, there will be a form for you to submit your finished excerpt, and enter for a chance to win awesome prizes. There will be 5 winners of various prizes, available internationally!

For all the information about the scavenger hunt, including the full schedule, go here.

Also, don't forgot to visit the other two stops on the tour today. They'll each have a different word for you! Lori @ Lori's Book Blog and Bianca @ Bianca2b

Excerpt

Farley felt her face redden, which was _________ inappropriate. Daniel and Kayden were _______ she was watching, and for once their sparring lacked the flashy showmanship they usually employed to _______ her. For the two of them, nothing _______ beyond the dimly lit parameters of the hangar. Beyond the lunge, beyond the parry, beyond the block.

This was how it would really go down, if they ever meant to do serious harm to one _______. Movements fluid and graceful, there was _________ primal about their circling. Quick _______ of calculating eyes, green and blue, preempting the other’s next move. Kayden’s hair was darkened with sweat, but both their chests rose and fell with __________ regularity. In and out. Slow and steady. The stern, focused expressions on their faces said ____ were in total control.

Farley let the darkness wash over her and kept her presence hidden. The confrontation was too ___________ to interrupt. Bare chests, muscled and tanned; silver flashes of metal as their blades sang through the air. Even Cliff would have been impressed. Farley bit her ______ lip as Kayden darted _______ in a sure leap, thrusting out with deadly precision towards Daniel’s throat.

The ______ would have been a killing blow. Would have been, if it had even ______. Daniel sprang back and duck-rolled over the dusty floor, crouching into a defensive pose. With his knife ________, his eyes lifted to fix on Kayden, but they _____ quite made it.

Farley’s heart leapt to her throat. Those eyes, piercing and sharp, fixed on her _______. She swallowed and braced against the wall behind her, trying to camouflage with the _______. Kayden shifted forward, ready to take _________ of Daniel’s distracted position, but the dark-haired boy simply lifted his hand. A wordless gesture:

____.

Kayden stopped.

Robotically, Daniel rose, his _____ suddenly vanished, and dropped the knife into the dirt. Kayden’s apparent confusion only lasted a second; the moment he ________ it - that she was there - was _______. One second he was ________ Daniel’s creased brow, the next he had spun around impossibly quickly and was staring, too. Blue and Green. Farley felt her throat closing up. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Daniel brushed a hand back through his slightly curling hair, his face trained into a nothing __________. There was ______ he could do to hide the war in his eyes, ______. “So you’re back.”

Silence flooded the hangar. Farley took a moment to _______, pretending not to ______ Kayden’s fist clenching repeatedly ______ the handle of his knife.

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice _______. “I guess I am.”


About the Author


As a child, I was always accused of being bookish because I wore glasses- big, horrible, ugly ones with too-thick lenses. Those kids, the super smart ones who always know which tender insecurities to poke at in order to provoke

life-long complexes, used to accuse me of reading too many books and that my eyes were going to rot out of my head (their words, not mine!)

The truth of the matter was a little more embarrassing: I used to sit too close to the T.V. That was the reason why I had to wear glasses, but kids don’t really care about small, insignificant details like the truth, and so I was labelled a nerd. The label kinda stuck, and after some sage advice from my awesome nana (nana, you rock!) I decided that if I was going to be abused for my supposed literary obsession, I might as well develop one.

I guess that’s how I got into books and reading at an early age. Since then, I’ve been ripping through books like they’re going out of fashion, which, thankfully, they’re not. Good thing, too, because I’m a writer now, and books are my business!

Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on my journey- look for your names in the acknowledgements! And a big thank you to you, the reader. I hope you’ve fallen in love with Farley and Daniel just like I have, and that you’ll join them in the next book, Eternal Hope!

Find Frankie and her books on the web:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube | Amazon

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Blog Tour: Excerpt from Eternal Hope by Frankie Rose


I'm so happy to be a part of the Blog Tour for Frankie Rose's second book, and sequel to her first, Eternal Hope! I fell in love with her story and her characters when I read Sovereign Hope in the summer.

You are in for a treat today, my friends. Frankie has offered up an excerpt from Eternal Hope for your reading pleasure, and let me tell you, it's a good one.

Unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. He was a nightmare. Farley charged over to the view of the city below, surging and throbbing to a rhythm that could only be heard on the other side of the glass. The metropolis, like any other night, was a living, breathing, ugly, beautiful thing. “Coward,” she whispered.

Daniel’s reflection approached her quietly from behind, his face serious and sharp. He wound his arms around her waist and rested his chin gently on her shoulder. “I am a coward. But only when it comes to you.”

“Well, don’t be. The thought of you with someone else makes me feel physically sick but I’m not a child. I’m not stupid. You’re ancient. Of course there have been people before me, Cassie included.” Farley re-focused her eyes, not wanting to look at the intense expression on his face; instead, she concentrated on the dark outlines of the high rises, lit sporadically against the darkness. Daniel’s arms fell slack from around her, and his hands came to rest on her hips.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he murmured, pressing his face into her hair. He hooked his thumbs under her shirt and rubbed them in slow circles over the base of her spine. She shivered, fighting with herself. It was hard to be angry when he was so close, when the smell of him flooded her senses.

“Then tell me,” she demanded, placing her hands behind her over his. His thumbs stopped working over her skin.

“There was someone. Once,” he whispered.

Farley narrowed her eyes, intending to zero in on the Daniel in the glass again. Before she could see what his face was doing, though- whether he looked awkward or uncomfortable- she caught sight of her own reflection. Backlit from the room behind, she looked pallid and washed out. Her clenched jaw made her look tired and hard. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t pushed it. There was no way she wanted to hear about this. “Stop. Don’t. It...it doesn’t matter.”

“No.” He shook his head, softly brushing her hair back over her shoulder to expose her bare neck. “It doesn’t matter. This matters.” He leaned forward and slowly lowered his lips to her skin, his eyes still locked on hers in the glass. The heat from his kiss was explosive, wracking through her body. She twisted in his arms, turning to face him. He rolled with it, slouching down to continue kissing her neck, gently grazing his teeth across her skin in a way that made her legs go weak. It felt like he was holding her up, his hands rough against her back, her hips, her thighs. He shoved her against the glass, hard, and she slapped her palms against the cold surface, momentarily scared. The whole world was at her back. It felt like with one heady heartbeat they would topple back into it, lost in the dizzying sensation of the fall and the kiss and the way everything felt like it had stopped moving.

Daniel brought his hands up to cradle her face, kissing her like didn’t need oxygen to breathe, couldn’t bear the space between them. A low crackle ripped through the air, and Farley felt the sweet burn of his light biting at the skin on her neck. Her whole body tremored involuntarily. She gasped, low and shocked. Daniel sucked in a deep breath and jumped back, clenching his fists by his sides. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Farley slid down the glass as her knees buckled. Her breathing matched his, ragged and uneven. “What?”

He raked his hands back through his hair in a motion that gave away his frustration, and shot her a pained look. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do that. It’s... it’s kinda weird.”

She looked up at him in a daze, feeling slightly flushed and embarrassed. There was no way her cheeks weren’t fuchsia right now. “It’s not kinda weird,” she said in a breathy voice that barely sounded like her own. “It’s kinda hot.”

Whoa. And I mean, WHOA. Hot is right, my dear Farley!

Big thanks go out to Frankie for sharing this with us! If you've as-of-yet been missing out on these books, what are you waiting for?!? Go get them now!


Visit Frankie's website to see all the other stops on the tour!

***************



Frankie Rose was born in the United Kingdom, but now lives with her husband in sunny Australia.

She officially makes things up for a living, and when she's not doing that, she is generally making paper birds out of receipts and old lists or taking photographs that make her smile.



Find Frankie and her books on the web:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube | Amazon

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Review: Deadly Intentions by Lisa Kuehne

Title: Deadly Intentions
Author: Lisa Kuehne
Publisher: Noble Young Adult
Publication date: May 21, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 225 (ebook)
Source: From author for review
Series: True Intentions #2
1. True Intentions (review)
2. Deadly Intentions

**WARNING: SPOILERS**
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old, Ava O'Brian's may have survived her ordeal with Satan, but her troubles are far from over. They're just beginning. Her premonition nightmares only create questions about her special ability; is she really capable of influencing good or is she truly creating something else—evil. Uncovering the truth behind her miraculous survival, and choosing between the two immortals fighting for her affection will reveal far more than she is expecting and expose her to Deadly Intentions.

When I first started this book, it took me a little while to get back into Ava’s world. I don’t think it was for any specific reason, just that it had been a while since I’d read the first book and a few story lines were melding together in my head. But eventually I was sucked back in and along for the ride.

I loved the plot line of this book. It’s really a good continuation of what happened in the first book. Ava is doubting her abilities to influence good because of her suicidal act. She’s convinced of this because she begins to have nightmares of terrible things happening. But when she wakes up, she realizes these things are true and she’s worried she’s causing them. The way the story unfolded was set out so well and paced perfectly. I definitely wanted to keep reading whenever I had to put the book down.

Another big problem for Ava is her growing attraction to William, and the fact that he and Sam hate each other with a murderous passion. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these three. Whether it was just Ava and William talking about her problems, or William and Sam attacking each other with words and fists, I found that the relationships were clear cut and well defined.

Considering this is a self-published novel, the writing wasn’t fantastic. I did have a few issues with it while I was reading, but not enough to deter me from the story. At this point (a couple weeks later), I can’t even remember what it was that irked me. Needless to say, the plot and the characters definitely won me over!

Although I don’t know the name of it or the publication date, I know there will be at least one more book in this series. There has to be; especially after what happened at the end. Things are much more complicated now than they were before. Hopefully Kuehne doesn’t take her time, because I want to know how this series will end!


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (67)





"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!





This week I'm waiting on...


The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Publication date: January 22, 2013

Synopsis:
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.


Why I want it: I am such a fan of Victoria's writing and her personality. The plot sounds so intriguing. I also know how excited Victoria is for this release, and the excitement is contagious!


Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
Publication date: January 29, 2013

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—-June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?


Why I want it: I absolutely LOVED Legend. I flew through it. I can't wait to see what happens next for Day and June.

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (66)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.
Here's what you do:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two sentences from somewhere on that page
Share the title and author
Try not to include spoilers!

This week I'm reading Eternal Hope by the amazing self-published author, Frankie Rose. Here's a teaser:





About five feet away from where they stood, she squealed, "Daniel!" and launched herself at him.

That left just enough time for him to give Farley a horrified look before the girl landed on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and grabbing hold of his head so she could plant a kiss directly onto his lips.



All the backstory you need to know is Farley is the girlfriend of Daniel, the one who was just attacked with kisses from another girl. I haven't read far enough to see this problem fixed, but I doubt it'll be an easy one to fix.

I loved the first book in this series, and I can't wait to see what happens in this book. Also, make sure you stop by on November 25, when I'll have an excerpt and a giveaway as part of the Eternal Hope Blog Tour!

Feel free to share your teasers with me. I'd love to see what you're reading!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Review: Rivals and Retributions by Shannon Delany

Title: Rivals and Retributions
Author: Shannon Delany
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: August 7, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 306
Series: 13 to Life #5
1. 13 to Life (review)
2. Secrets and Shadows (review)
3. Bargains and Betrayals (review)
4. Destiny and Deception (review)
5. Rivals and Retributions

**WARNING: SPOILERS**
Synopsis:
In Rivals and Retribution, the fifth book in the 13 to Life series by Shannon Delany, Pietr and Jessie will find themselves caught in a pack war with a new breed of werewolves.

Jessie Gillmansen is in trouble again and she's in for the fight of her life--and Pietr's! With Marlaena’s dangerous wolf pack putting more pressure on the Rusakova family, change is inevitable and when it comes, it brings a heavy price that forces Alexi into action to save his youngest brother's heart, head, and life. In the stunning conclusion of this celebrated paranormal series two werewolf families fight for control of the small town of Junction, control of each other and--most elusive of all--control of themselves.


The ending of a series is always bittersweet. I’ve loved the 13 to Life series since I read the first book. It had its ups and downs, and not every book was my favourite, but it was a journey, and a good one at that.

This last book in the series was really adrenaline-filled. It started with Jessie’s kidnapping and the suspense kept up from there. Whether it was the anxiety of the Rusakovas looking for Jessie, the fear of the other pack, or the confusion surrounding Derek’s influence on Jessie, there was always something going on to keep me turning the pages. I knew that at the end of the book, all the answers would be revealed and it would ideally end in a happily ever after. And after everything Jessie, Pietr, and the Rusakovas had gone through, they deserved that happily ever after.

The characters in this book are the same ones we’ve come to love and hate. I actually really enjoyed Gareth as a character, even though he was a member of Marlaena’s pack. He was genuine and kind-hearted, and truly just wanted the best for the people he loved. And then there was Marlaena, who was really just a bitch. There were moments, especially those from her POV, where I could almost care and see that she was just trying to do what was right by her pack. But she was such a bitch that I could never do it. And she was a consistent character through to the end.

I do think that Delany wrapped the ending up nicely. Rivals and Retributions is a fantastic final novel for this series. I’m really sad to see Jessie and Pietr and all the other characters go. There was always something special about these Russian werewolves that kept them (and will still keep them) in my heart. So, I am sad to say goodbye, but I know I’ll be back to visit them in the little town of Junction again. Thanks for a great ride, Shannon!

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (4)

Sculpture: Home by Miler Lagos

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that gives bloggers a chance to share what books they received in the last week. Find more information about it here.

This week I got...

Bought
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
{Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}

For Review from NetGalley
Dualed by Elsie Chapman {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ebook review copy!

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Monday, November 5, 2012

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication date: September 18, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 408
Source: Netgalley
Series: Raven Cycle #1
1. The Raven Boys
2. Untitled (expected pub September 2013)
Synopsis:
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love... or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them - not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all — family money, good looks, devoted friends — but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.


I’m a huge Maggie fan, and I worry sometimes that because of this, my expectations of her books are too high. I definitely had high expectations for The Raven Boys. In some ways, it definitely delivered, but then it also fell short in others.

I really like the concepts in this book: the psychics, the ghosts, the dead Welsh king. It’s really original and all has a spooky mystery to it. These concepts were so well blended, thanks of course to Maggie’s fantastic writing. However, there’s still so many gaps. I know that this is the first book in a series, but rather than being cliff-hanger-y and suspenseful, it’s almost too much is missing to really understand what’s happening. I worry that it’s enough to make people put down this book and not want to continue it because of it being so full of gaps. That’s not me because I love Maggie and will read all of her books, but that’s how it made me feel.

I really loved the characters in this book, as I do all of Maggie’s characters. I don’t think any of her characters are one-dimensional or boring. They’ve all got so much going on under the surface, and we can still see this even from a third person narrative. I was a bit surprised by Gansey. I didn’t expect him to be so invested and obsessed with the supernatural. I loved all the Raven Boys (of course!): Ronan is so badass and doesn’t give a crap about much; Adam is a genuine sweetheart, but he’s also too proud for his own good; and Noah, even though he doesn’t say much, just belongs. And then there’s Blue, who I love and believe in above anything.

Although there are gaps in the story, there’s still so much to love. It’s a fast-paced read because you won’t want to put it down. And when you get to the end, even though the questions may be overwhelming, you’ll need to read more. I definitely need to read more. I need more Raven Boys!

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ebook review copy!

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Monday, October 29, 2012

Judging a Book by Its Cover (13)

I do Judging a Book by Its Cover randomly, when I collect several book covers that I think are worthy of being judged as awesome! You can see all my Judging a Book by Its Cover posts here.

Links will direct you to the corresponding Goodreads pages.








Be sure to click on the covers to see them bigger!

What do you think of these covers? Which ones are you anticipating the most? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading!