Review & Giveaway!: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: February 15, 2011
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 291 (Kindle edition)
Series: Angelfire Trilogy
1. Angelfire
2. Wings of the Wicked (expected pub 2012)
3. Hymns to the Fallen (expected pub 2013)

Synopsis:
This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

From Goodreads

I’ve had this title sitting on my computer for awhile now, and it wasn’t until I started following Courtney on Twitter and she started posting doodles from her book that I finally decided I needed to read this book (check out her Twitpic to see said doodles). Some of the doodles were so funny and accompanied by quotes, and it just drew me in. Angelfire was moved up to the top of my TBR list. I’m so glad I did that. I thought this book was amazingly well written, with characters that were more than just a name on the page. They have depth and feelings and I fell in love with all of them.

Ellie's Audi A4 (and my dream car!)

Ellie is a rich, spoiled girl with rich, spoiled friends. She lives in a big house in a rich neighbourhood, her friends get DJs for their parties, and she gets an Audi A4 for her birthday. However, this doesn’t make Ellie a character that is stuck up or whiny, and she doesn’t have the perfect white-picket-fence family. Courtney gives her characters depth, regardless of what the stereotype may be. Ellie really is a strong, female character and it’s wonderful to see that in YA. Then there’s Will, who is my new character crush. I just think he’s so great. You have to read this book just so you can fall in love with Will and his bad-assness-that-really-is-only-a-cover-for-his-sweetness.

Courtney really knows how to write some damn good fight scenes, too. They were so detailed and thought out that I could see them playing out in my mind easily. They really got my pulse going as I read and waited anxiously to see who would come out of the battle alive. Not only did she write good fight scenes, she wrote good one-liners, too! I loved some of the lines she gave to Ellie (see my Teaser Tuesday post). There was more than one occasion where I burst out laughing or snickered and got funny looks from around me (sometimes, I’d be on the bus and just start smiling like an idiot because I was trying to hold in the giggles).

One other that thing I really liked was the detail that Courtney included when explaining all the inner workings of the world that Ellie had become a part of. To someone like me, who really isn’t religious in any way, shape, or form, it was really useful to get a good, detailed explanation of all the concepts Courtney included in her story. Her way of interpreting angels and demons is really different from the other angel stories I’ve read, and I really like that. It’s an angel story that doesn’t centre on the angel aspect, I guess.

I think it’s really important the way Ellie is trying to keep up her relationship with her mom and her friends. It sets a good example for girls who either get a new boyfriend, or start a new hobby, or whatever it is they do that may separate them from their friends. Even though Ellie is trying to save the world and her own life, she knows that her friends and family are important parts of her life and she doesn’t want to give that up.

Overall, this is one book I really enjoyed. It wrapped up nicely (the last line was perfect), but you can also tell that it’s leading up to more. I’m really interested to see where Courtney takes Ellie and Will to next and how Ellie is going to manage her newfound life with her old one. I think it’ll be pretty exciting. Book 2, Wings of the Wicked comes out in 2012!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the eARC!

GIVEAWAY!!

So I’m really excited to be hosting my first ever giveaway!! I loved Angelfire so much, that I want to share that love with someone else. Here’s the rules:

• One person will win one copy of Angelfire, shipped from The Book Depository.
• You don’t have to be a follower, but I’d appreciate it if you took a look around. You might find something you like.
• This is open INTERNATIONALLY to anywhere The Book Depository ships (Check here)
• Must be 13 years of age or older.
• If you spread the word, it will gain you one extra entry (Twitter, Facebook, sidebar, etc.)
• This giveaway runs until February 15 (release day!)

The winner will be chosen randomly by random.org. He/she will be contact on February 16 by email and will have 48 hours to respond. If they haven’t responded by this time, I will choose another winner.
GOOD LUCK!

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: February 1, 2011
Genre: YA, dystopian
Pages: 305 (Kindle edition)
Series: Delirium
1. Delirium
2. Pandemonium (expected pub 2012)
3. Requiem (expected pub 2013)

Synopsis
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

From Goodreads

I honestly don’t know how I’d live in a world without love. I suppose if I was born into it and it was bred into my bones that love is a bad disease that would eventually kill me, I might I have different opinion. Lena is definitely all for the cure for amor deliria nervosa. When she was younger, her mother was unable to be cured (she had the procedure three times, but it never “worked”) and she ended up walking off a cliff. I can definitely sympathize with Lena: I wouldn’t want to fall in love or feel love at all if it was so bad that it caused my mom to commit suicide.

In the days before her 18th birthday, her cure date, Lena must complete the evaluations in which she must stand before a panel of four lab scientists and answer a series of questions. This is so that she can be paired with her future husband, but I think it is also a prescreening to ensure that she has not contracted the disease. Her evaluations don’t go very well, but there is an "incident" at the labs the same day, and she is lucky enough to get a do-over. She’s also lucky because this is the day she meets Alex, who ends up turning her life upside down.

Her best friend Hana is more outgoing and introduces Lena to new parts of her world that are “forbidden”: she listens to illegal music, she sneaks out after curfew, and spends time with boys (breaking the segregation rule). Somehow, Lena ends up being sucked into this world and she and Alex become friends. Since he is “cured” (she can tell by the mark that all cureds have), she feels that this is ok.

Aside from the more indepth synopsis of the book I’ve just given, I’m not really sure what to say. I know what I WANT to say, but it is totally spoilerific and not fair to you who haven't read it. I will say that I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I haven’t read Lauren's debut, Before I Fall, and I can’t recall reading any dystopian novels before, so I was going in blind. I am no longer blind, my friends! The romance in this story is beautiful because Lena is just discovering it for the first time. Along with that is her fear of love and fear of her society. She gets really tangled up and doesn’t know where she belongs because Alex is opening her eyes to things she has never seen before, things that the government hides from people to “keep them safe.” I could feel all of Lena’s emotions throughout the novel, from pain to curiosity to fear to love to confusion and more. It was all very powerful, which indicates to me that the writing is fantastic.

The last thing I will say is about the ending, and I will try my hardest not to spoil anything. The ending was absolutely amazing and shocking. I didn’t know if I should cry or not, scream or not, be happy or not! There are upsides and downsides to the way it ends, and I think I understand why the characters made the choices they did. It’s still really hard to read, emotionally. I had to reread the last two pages at least five times and still didn’t believe it. If you’re one of those people who reads the last few pages of a story before reading the story itself, I’d recommend for you not to. I’d say don’t ever, for any book you ever read, but especially for this one, just DON’T. Just read it. Read it and enjoy it, because you and I both know you will.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the eARC!

Review: The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

Title: The Trouble with Chickens
Author: Doreen Cronin
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: March 1st, 2011
Genre: Middle Grade
Pages: 120

Synopsis:
J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he’s not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs), along with their chicken mom, show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work—or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that’s right in front of him?

From Goodreads

I really enjoy reading Doreen Cronin's children's stories, like Click, Clack, Moo, and Dooby Dooby Moo. I've seen them in some of my university education classes, on my program placements, as well as in the day care I used to work at. The kids always seem to enjoy these books. When I realized that The Trouble with Chickens was written by the same author, I requested it right away from NetGalley.

This story of J.J. Tully is really cute and a fun adventure for kids. The animals get along in an odd way and there were many instances that made me laugh. For example, J.J. doesn't like how the chickens are named so he gives them nicknames: Millicent the mother hen becomes Moosh "because it was easier to say and seemed to annoy her", and the chicks, Little Boo and Peep become Dirt and Sugar "for no particular reason." It's funny how those two words seemed to go so well together by the end of the story.

Although J.J. seems very disinterested in the chickens' problems, he agrees to help them, and it gets him in more trouble than he would have wished. Vince the Funnel (named so, because he has a plastic cone around his neck) is not too happy about J.J. being a new addition to his country home, and plans to do something about it. It has elements of humour, mystery, adventure, and even some negative themes like betrayal. It would be a great teachable moment at the end of the book to talk about what happened to the characters, why it happened, and how students can relate it to their own lives.

The only negative this I could say is that the wording in this book might be difficult for some children, depending on their reading level. It would be a good book for children in grades 4 through 6 to start reading. I think this is a great book to have in a junior classroom, especially for students who like the mystery genre and also have an interest in animals. I know I want to have it in my future classroom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the digital ARC!

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Coming up: I will blog about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Not quite a review, more of a discussion about the book and movie, and my experience with Harry Potter. Make sure to check back for it around the end of the week!!

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: January 4, 2011
Pages: 448

Synopsis:
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

From Goodreads

I've recently found out that I can't avoid angel stories because they have this huge, overpowering appeal to me. This one, I absolutely loved. It was different than the others I've read, because the angel is the narrator. Most of the YA paranormal/fantasy books I've read have consisted of the human female and the paranormal male with whom she falls in love.

This story starts with Clara, who has just recently found out that she's a quarter angel. She's been having weird visions, which her mother tells her are clues to her purpose. These clues eventually lead her and her family to the beautiful Wyoming mountains. She becomes really wrapped up in Christian and it seems like any overactive high school crush. The story really gets good when summer comes along and Clara starts to worry about whether or not she's going to be ready to fulfill her purpose.

Insert Tucker. Oh, Tucker, how I love you so much. Talk about sexy cowboy! He starts off as a bit of an ass who seems to enjoy pushing Clara's buttons. By the time the summer comes around, you get to see his softer side, and my goodness is he sweet. I don't want to tell you too much about him, but I'm team Tucker all the way!

The last four to five chapters are absolutely amazing. By the time I got to this point, I didn't want to stop reading for anything. I even tried reading through my lecture, but I realized that was really stupid and put it away (very, VERY reluctantly). Cynthia Hand inserts at least three pretty big twists near the end, and they are so great. I can't give anything away, obviously, but good luck putting it down near the end.

I definitely recommend this one to anyone who has recently fallen in love with angel stories. Unearthly is different in the sense that the narrator isn't the typical damsel in distress, which is a great change. Overall, this is now on my favourite reads list. I can't wait until it comes out so that I can hold it in my hands and read it all over again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the digital ARC!

Review: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Once in a Full Moon
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: December 28, 2010
Pages: 189 (Kindle edition)

Synopsis:
Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend’s Run is famous for them. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight. Brandon may be Celeste’s hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend’s Run.

The bestselling Vampire Kisses author, Ellen Schreiber, weaves together psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf—the perfect formula for what happens... once in a full moon.

From Goodreads

To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about this book when I finished it. The story was good: short and sweet, and it was a different take on werewolves compared to the ones I've recently read.

The part I did not enjoy, however, was the writing. I felt as if there were too many words being repeated and like the vocabulary was not very diverse. The author would use the same words to describe the same things, over and over, and I found it tiring and boring at times. Also, the dialogue did not sound like the way teenagers actually talk. It felt too proper and almost fake a lot of the time.

Once I was able to get used to the writing and actually focus on the story, I enjoyed it. I could really feel how Celeste was feeling about being caught between her friends and the boy she loves. It really puts a strain on her because she doesn't want to lose her friends. I really liked the way Schreiber never made Celeste deliberately lie to her friends while hiding things from them. She would evade questions and tell half-truths, but never full-out lied, and that made me happy.

I won't put any spoilers here, but the end of the story was Oh-My-God! It was such a major cliff-hanger, I was almost angry. I sometimes like cliff-hangers, but this was one a little awkward. It ended really abruptly and I was confused as to whether it was the actual end of the book or not. I had to re-read the last chapter again because I thought I'd missed something. I didn't, though. I quickly looked up if Once in a Full Moon was part of a series, and it is the first in the Full Moon series. So, I guess I'll just have to read the next one, too, to see what happens.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the digital ARC!

Review: The Little Prince Graphic Novel by Joann Sfar

Title: The Little Prince Graphic Novel
Author: Joann Sfar
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publish Date: October 18, 2010 (first published 2008 in French)
Pages: 112

Synopsis:
For over sixty-five years Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince' has captured the hearts and minds of its readers. The whimsical story with a fairy tale touch has sold over 80 million copies in 230 languages. This exciting graphic adaptation features beautiful, new artwork by Joann Sfar. Hand-chosen by Saint-Exupéry's French publishers for his literary style and sensitivity to the original, Sfar has endeavored to recreate this beloved story, both honoring the original and stretching it to new heights. A vibrant, visual gift for longtime fans and those experiencing the story for the first time.

From Goodreads  

I read this story a few times while in elementary and secondary school. I also read it in French, and I've always thought it's better that way. Books and movies are always best in their original form and language in my opinion. Who care if it's a little harder?

This graphic version of the story was really cute. It was a quick sum up of the story and the illustrations really bring the words to life. Joann Sfar did an especially amazing job showing off the emotions portrayed throughout the story. Her exaggerated facial expressions made me laugh and want to cry. One thing that bothered me at times was when her illustrations would become a little more abstract. This portions of the novel didn't seem to fit very well with the rest of the graphics.

Overall, I found Sfar translated what Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wanted convey to his readers. It definitely reminded me of sitting in French class reading it with my classmates. It is quite well done.

I'd recommend this rendition for anyone who has read Antoine de St. Exupery's classic tale at any point in their lives and is interested in seeing the story in a different light.