Waiting on Wednesday (55)

"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 a few sequels due out this summer!

*WARNING: Since these are are sequels, the synopses HAVE SPOILERS!*

Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) by
Josephine Angelini
Publication Date: May 29, 2012

Synopsis:
As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.

As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Starcrossed was one of my favourite reads from last summer. I love the mythology that Josie weaves and can't wait to dive back into her world.

Rapture (Fallen #4) by Lauren Kate
Publication Date: June 14, 2012

Synopsis:
The sky is dark with wings....

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies... and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Last book in one of my favourite series. That's all there is to it.

Mirage (Winterhaven #2) by Kristi Cook
Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: I really, really enjoyed Haven and all the characters Kristi has created. Also, I'm looking forward to some of my questions being answered!

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Review: Haven by Kristi Cook

Title: Haven
Author: Kristi Cook
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: February 22, 2011
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 416

Synopsis:
One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first.

From Goodreads

When Violet’s stepmother gets a new job in New York, she’s given the choice to stay in Atlanta with her Gran or move to New York and basically start over. As soon as she sees the flyer for Winterhaven, her mind is made up. She knows that this school is where she belongs, she just doesn’t know why. She makes new friends and eventually starts to understand her new school. Then there’s Aidan Gray. She can’t help but feel the “Aidan Effect” each time he is within proximity of her - which is at least two classes every day. As much as she feels afraid of him for some reason, she also can’t seem to stay away from him.

I loved all of Kristi’s characters. Each character had their own “talent or gift,” but each also had their own personality to go along with it. Having so many supporting characters, it’s amazing that none of them really resembled one another - each was individual in their own way and either had their own charm or... not. To me, all of Violet’s friends seemed like true friends, the kinds you want to be friends with. They worried about her when she had a vision and were supportive of her when she needed them. There was definitely great characterization in this book.

The relationship between Aidan and Violet was fun to be a part of. I think that their relationship was really believable. If Aidan was being a jerk or being secretive or whatever, Violet took offense to it. Most girls would. Depending on the circumstances, most girls won’t be mad one second and then all “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean it” the next like you see in some books. It sometimes happens in reality, yes, but when you see it too often in books it’s irritating. Violet and Aidan had issues and they were more or less realistic, considering the fact that they’re at a school for people with psychic gifts. But that’s besides the point.

Another thing I liked about this book is that it had all the best parts of other books rolled into one. There were moments where I was like “hey, I recognize this...” and it would remind me of Twilight or Fallen or Angelfire. But it’s not as if Kristi stole any ideas (Angelfire just came out one week before Haven), they were just familiar and all these parts pulled HAVEN together perfectly.

I loved the way the story unraveled towards the end. I don’t want to give anything away, but the world that Kristi created and the paths she put her characters on were original and well thought out. I sometimes felt like I knew what was going to happen because Violet has visions and she's adamant that they always come true, but even the visions can be misleading and I didn’t know what was going to happen. But I enjoyed it all to the very end!

HAVEN is a great debut novel for Kristi Cook. She has definitely made a name for herself in the YA community. I really hope that she writes a sequel because, even though the story ended nicely, there are still so many places she could take Violet and Aidan. There are a lot of unanswered questions and it would also be nice to find some answers. Kristi said that she hopes there’s a sequel as well, but she’s not sure yet. Let’s all cross our fingers that we get to see more of Violet and Aidan!

If you'd like to read Haven, pick up a copy for yourself!

Teaser Tuesday (11)

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!

My teaser this week comes from Kristi Cook’s debut novel, Haven. I just got it last Tuesday when it came out and so far it’s pretty great! Here’s my teaser:

And then I could have sworn I heard a voice in my head - Aidan’s voice. We’ve all got something to hide, it said, as clearly as if it had been spoken aloud, as if it was replying to my thoughts.





At a school for people with psychic gifts and talents, you know it’s gotta happen! I’m really enjoying this story. One thing I especially love is how Kristi based Aidan, the main male character, on Hayden Christensen. Look here and here to see what Kristi’s Aidan looks like, and drool over him! Yummy! It’s a great picture to have in your head while reading. I’m looking forward to seeing where this book goes and how Violet and Aidan’s relationship continues to grow.

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

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"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 only done this once, but with all the great books I keep hearing about, I decided I had to do another! I haven't decided yet, but I might try to keep up with this weekly meme.

My Waiting on Wednesday this week is:
Haven by Kristi Cook
Publication date: February 22, 2011

Violet McKenna isn’t a normal girl with normal teenage issues; she has more to contend with than most people could handle. Violet thought she was just crazy when she had a vivid vision of her dad’s murder. Her life started falling apart when her premonition came true. She’s had flashes of other events too. The problem was nobody believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven.

At Winterhaven, Violet finally feels like she belongs. She quickly finds a close group friends and discovers that they too have psychic ‘gifts’—as do all the students at Winterhaven. But as soon as she feels settled she discovers the most intriguing and alluring boy she has ever met, and things quickly go awry. As the attraction between them grows, intense visions of the boy’s death start to haunt her. In her premonitions the secret he is unwilling to share begins to reveal itself. And to Violet's horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical—and deadly—way.

From Goodreads

I first heard about this book in mid-November. It sounds really great because it's right up my alley, but the different twist this time, in that the main character with the paranormal ability isn't isolated without anyone understanding what's going on. In Haven, Violet is going to a school where everyone is the same as her. I think this will allow the story and characters to be more open rather than the typical have-to-keep-it-secret-or-people-will-freak-out deal. Also, it's coming out on my birthday. I think it's meant to be!

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?