Waiting on Wednesday (64)

"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 some sequels due out this Fall!

Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4)
by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publication date: October 23, 2012

**WARNING: SPOLERS**

Synopsis:
Is death the end...
or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

FromGoodreads

Why I want it: This is the last book in the series, and after the way the last one ended, I CAN'T WAIT to see what happens next, and how these ladies wrap up this fantastic series!

Finale (Hush, Hush #4)
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Publication date: October 23, 2012

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Another last in a series that I've been following for years, and I'm dying to see how it ends.

Middle Ground (Awaken #2)
by Katie Kacvinsky
Publication date: November 20, 2012

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
In this provocative cautionary tale for teens, the sequel to Awaken, seventeen-year-old Maddie’s rebellion against the digital-only life grows dangerous. Maddie is in Los Angeles, trying to stay out of trouble. But one night, a seemingly small act of defiance lands her in the place she fears the most: a detention center. Here, patients are reprogrammed to accept a digital existence. Maddie is now fighting for her mind, her soul, and her very life. Once again, Katie Kacvinsky paints a disturbing picture of our increasingly technology-based society.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: I absolutely adored Awaken, I recommend it to anyone. I'm really excited to see what happens next in this digital world.

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Silence
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish date: October 4, 2011
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 438
Series: Hush, Hush
1. Hush, Hush (review)
2. Crescendo (review)
3. Silence
4. Untitled (expected pub October 2012)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past... bridged two irreconcilable worlds... faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust... and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for — and their love — forever.

From Goodreads

This book was definitely not what I expected. I always thought that the synopsis was a little vague, but it really doesn’t tell you what’s coming. In this book, Nora is returned home after being missing for 3 months. And what’s worse, she has no memory of the last 5 months of her life. No memory of fallen angels, Nephilim, her birth father, Chauncey, Rixon, Scott, and Patch. However, before long, Nora is once again in trouble and getting mixed up with Nephilim and fallen angels alike. She spends half of the book looking for answers to where she was, who kidnapped her, and what happened in her life two months before disappearing.

I really loved this book. Probably my favourite in the series. I was so upset when I first started reading and realized that Nora had amnesia. I was mostly caught off-guard because I wasn’t expecting it at all! And then it hurt my heart to think that, after all the troubles Nora and Patch had in CRESCENDO, they still couldn’t be together. It wasn’t fair at all. As the book progressed, and Nora managed to find trouble around every corner, I knew that things were going to come out of the dark for her and she’d start learning about the things she’d forgotten.

I liked how there weren’t a lot of new characters in this book, just the same favourites. I was a little worried that Scott wasn’t going to be in it very much, but I was lucky that he was. I really like him as a character. Don’t get me wrong, I’m Patch and Nora all the way, but I love the chemistry and rapport that Scott and Nora have. Vee was also in this book, as well as Marcie. Marcie is a well written character and I hated her for her naivete and the part she plays. Vee was the same that she’s always been, and so I still didn’t like her. Becca has been consistent with her as a character, but I just don’t think she acts the way a best friend should. Especially with all the secrets she kept in this book.

This story was really exciting and kept me reading because I wanted to see what Nora would learn about herself and the Nephilim next. (It helped that I spent 4 hours in the car and therefore had a lot of reading time.) I thought it was really interesting to read because I knew lots of things that Nora couldn’t remember. I knew when she was being lied to, the secrets that some characters were keeping *coughJevcough*, and I especially knew not to trust Hank Millar. But Nora learned that one soon enough.

This book was very adrenaline-filled, with a new problem or danger around every corner. I was so impressed with how much Nora could take and yet not break. She’s such a strong character and I love reading about her. If you’ve read the first two books in the series, don’t wait any longer to pick this one up! Definitely the best book in the series! I can’t wait until next Fall when Book 4 comes out!

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
I first heard about it from PageTurnersBlog.




I've got two books this week. And they're interconnected! See what I'm waiting on:

Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick
Publication Date: October 4, 2011

**Warning about spoilers**

Synopsis:
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past... bridged two irreconcilable worlds... faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust... and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for — and their love — forever.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: This is the third book in the Hush, Hush series. I've really enjoyed the first two and can't wait to see where it goes next. I love Patch and Nora.

Hush, Hush: The Graphic Novel by Becca Fitzpatrick and Jennyson Rosero (illustrations)
Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Synopsis:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life!

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Uh, hello! It's Hush, Hush in graphic novel form! Of course I want to read it! I think it'll be awesome to read this story in a different way, with the accompanying pictures. So excited!


What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Silence Cover Reveal!

I started an elementary school placement for my university program today, and I almost totally forgot that today was the release day of the cover of SILENCE, the third novel in the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick (check it out on Goodreads). But I didn't forget! And so when it popped into my mind on the way home, I knew I had to look it up ASAP. Check it out:

The waves. The wings. The dress. Oh man. So nice. So hot. Can't. form. sentences. :P

Here's the first two covers, in case you want to make comparisons. I think it fits nicely:

(Click the covers for my reviews)

If you're a fan of the books and have read them before, make sure you check out Hollywood Crush, the MTV blog that released the cover. They also gave a sneak peak from Silence, and there's a countdown widget you can grab.

I can't wait for this to come out! What about you? What do you think of the SILENCE cover?

Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Crescendo
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Publish Date: October 19, 2010
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 427
Series: Hush, Hush
1. Hush, Hush (review)
2. Crescendo
3. Untitled

Synopsis:
Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

From Simon & Schuster

I have to start out saying that I didn't enjoy Crescendo as much as I did Hush, Hush. Towards the ending I was more for it, but Nora and Patch both really got on my nerves. I was especially frustrated with Nora. She was never able to tell Patch what was on her mind. She constantly had all these questions and comments that she'd be pondering, but as soon as Patch showed up, it was like she'd totally forget what she was just thinking and ask a bunch of completely different questions. I just wished she could spit out exactly what she wanted to know and get some answers.

Another thing that bugged me about her was the way her trust in Patch totally dissolved from Hush, Hush to Crescendo. She was fine in the start, but as soon as one thing seemed off for her, she lost all trust in him. It was like she was selectively giving him the benefit of the doubt. Where Marcie was concerned, she did, but when she started wondering if he had anything to do with her dad's death, she never did. She didn't think to look anywhere else for answers, she only tried to deny his potential involvement. No matter which way she looked at it, she assumed he had something to do with it and didn't give him a chance.

Vee really irritated me in this book. She can be really funny and it's amusing how ready she is to go along with any of Nora's crazy plans, but as for her opinions on Patch, I wasn't too impressed. I understand she doesn't like the guy, and yes, he was being a jerk, but if I just broke up with my boyfriend who I was crazy in love with, I wouldn't want my best friend to be rubbing in my face how she was right that it wouldn't work out, and that I should go out and look for a new boyfriend. Nora loves Patch and her heart is breaking, but Vee seems totally oblivious to that and really insensitive. That's not what a best friend would do.

The new character, Scott, was definitely interesting. He was the mysterious one in this book and I kind of liked him. I was really interested in learning more about him, but he didn't really get unravelled until later in the book. I don't like him in the sense that I'm "Team Scott", but I think he was a really great character introduced in this book. Because of this, I kind of get the sense that Becca is better at introducing characters rather than really developing them in different situations from those she originally created (I really loved Nora and Patch in Hush, Hush, but clearly not as much in Crescendo).

All that being said, I loved the ending of this book. All the answers at the end had my heart beating like crazy and my fingers flying to flip the pages. The big twist at the end had my eyeballs practically popping out of my head, it was SO good. If you're reading Crescendo and getting frustrated or annoyed with Nora or Patch, just stick it out for the end. It's totally worth it. There is a disclaimer however: mega-super-huge cliffhanger at the end. It's like the season finale episode of your favourite primetime drama show. Seriously. It sucks so hard that the third doesn't come out until October 2011. But I can't wait.

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away, so that you don't ruin the book for others)

Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR list is they like your teasers!

I'm excited to be doing Teaser Tuesday this week, because it's for a book I'm absolutely flying through, regardless of the fact that I'm in my last week of classes. Here's my teaser from Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick:

I wanted to tell Vee everything that had happened after that moment, but as with Marcie, there were some things I couldn't explain to her. How was I supposed to tell her about the Nephil in the red shirt, or how he'd rammed a pool stick through the table?




Crescendo is the sequel to Hush, Hush (see my review here), about Nora and Patch and angels. I have to say I'm not enjoying this one as much as I did the first, but I absolutely loved the first, so I have high standards, I guess. I'm finding both Nora and Patch to be very frustrating and stubborn, and I think that they're just being dumb overall. I think the reason I'm flying through so fast is because I just want their childish games to be over and have everything be happy and cheery again. I'll have a review up in the next couple weeks, so make sure to check back for it!

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