young adult

A Postcard Would Be Nice by Steph Campbell

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postcard As you know, I’m not one for reading blurbs. I tend to stick to my favorite authors and if I try a new one it’s only because my friends tell me I should. But for some reason, I felt as though this blurb needed to be read before I preordered it. But from the very first sentence, I had a feeling I was going to need this book. And when I finished reading the blurb, I knew I was going to need this book. I knew this story was going open lots of eyes and bring forth a lot of emotions.

Blurb
Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wu remembers four things about Saturday night.

1. He remembers going to the party and seeing Paloma, the girl he’s had a crush on for years.
2. He remembers the disappointment he felt when Paloma left early, just when he was sure his bravery had paid off.
3. He remembers the room spinning and someone helping him up the stairs.
4. He remembers waking up next to Tarryn, a girl he barely knows, with his clothes on the floor.

There’s just one notable memory missing.
Oliver doesn’t remember saying yes.

When Tarryn laughs off Oliver’s panic and tells him he should take her out for breakfast, he doesn’t say no. He stops himself from saying no to Tarryn for weeks because he’s waiting for what never comes—an honest answer about what happened that night.

With his friends shutting him out, and the rumors swirling, Oliver is turning into himself and just trying to make it through the rest of his senior year with his head down.

But the one person that Oliver wants to hide the truth from more than himself, Paloma, is the one person who won’t back down and accept his changed behavior. Oliver opening up to Paloma not only means facing what happened that night—it means airing a truth that could easily rip Paloma’s world wide open, too.

Tell me I’m right. Well, the blurb has nothing on this story. I was in a constant state of angst. My heart was in my stomach the entire time. This is real. This happens more than we care to think about. I have teens and this scares me. I am buying this book and having them read it. It will be uncomfortable, but I feel that they need to see. I realize this is fiction, but I’m willing to bet that this has happened to someone. I want my kids to know what to look for and how to help.

To be honest, I never think of the guys. I just don’t. But I am now.

Audible reads

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Lately I have found myself listening to books instead of rereading them. In fact, I have listened to four books this month, when normally it takes me a month to even finish just one! I’ve been getting a start on my holiday crafts, so these have given me a nice distraction and kept me focused. I usually only listen to books I’ve already read, so I don’t get sidetracked and miss something. With kids, that happens quite often. But this month I took a chance on two different books and listened even though I never read them. What an experience!

queenMy first relisten was Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas. In preparation for the release of Empire of Shadows, I needed to reread QoS in order to remember the finer points. But I’m so glad I decided to listen instead. It was so much more exciting. I was actually able to grab the Throne of Glass coloring book early and I spent a few nights coloring the pictures for the scenes I was listening to. I think I’ll do another relisten of the entire series, next year before the final book releases. Grab Queen of Shadows HERE.

fallen I read the Fallen series a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Super fun and exciting YA series. And after my QoS relisten I wanted another fantasy book to keep me motivated, so I went to my Overdrive system and starting searching for anything that fit the bill. As soon as I saw the cover, I KNEW I needed to grab it. Since it’s been a few years since I read this, I really didn’t remember any of it. I get the gist of it, but not the finer points, so it was sorta like reading it for the first time. And then when the movie trailer released, I was even happier with my decision. Such a romantic story! I highly recommend it. Grab Fallen HERE.

six Next on my listening list is Six of Crows. It’s a spin off of the Grisha series, which I read last year. It’s part of a duology and the second book, Crooked Kingdom, releases today, so I needed to read this book first. This is one I never read before, so I’ll admit I was a bit nervous listening. I was afraid I would get confused with all the many points of views, but it’s told in a way that’s easy to keep up with. In fact, it has seven different narrators! SEVEN! I was completely sucked into this book and then kicked myself for waiting so long. I have a feeling I’ll be grabbing the audible for CK also, even though the DTB is being delivered today. Grab Six of Crows HERE.

every And last but not least, Everything Everything. I actually listened to this in one day. I spent all day Sunday carrying around my phone as I did chores and some crafting. I’ve heard great things about this book and I know it’s getting made into a movie, so I asked my friends if I should read it or just wait for the movie. Well, you can imagine what they said. Lately I’m not one to read straight YA or NA books. I want fantasy. So I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as they did. Honestly. But I found myself giggling and smiling, and a few times gasping. I was hoping my daughter would read this, but there’s so much love I fear the book would get tossed in my face, so I think I’ll wait and convince her to read it when she’s older. But if you haven’t read it, I recommend it. It was really sweet. I wish there was just a wee bit more at the end, but all in all, I was happy. Grab Everything Everything HERE.

If you’ve never heard of Overdrive, I hope you look into it. All you need is a library card. In fact, I get many of my books from there and this month made me realize how many audibles they have also. I think I’ll be utilizing them more often. Check it out HERE.

~Melpomene

Review: The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

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01 ab “You are a dangerous little bird. But I think I will keep you.”

How can someone without a voice make a difference in the world?

WOW. This book was pure magic. I was sucked in from the very first page to the last one. Fantasy is some of the hardest books for me to review. I don’t wanna give away spoilers, but, at the same time, I wanna shout, “Read this book!” So I will say this. READ THIS BOOK!

I am a huge fan of Amy Harmon’s books. She can write romance like nobody’s business. When I first heard that she was writing a fantasy, I was quite intrigued. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, so to mix it with one of my favorite authors…well, let’s just say that’s a match made in heaven.

You will fall in love with all of these characters. From Lark to Prince Tiras to Boojohni, you will be drawn into their world and wish you were right along with them. Whether it is real or fantasy, the world that’s created in these pages is a world that’s beyond anything I could ever dream of. In fact, I was so drawn in with the poetic words, that sometimes I forget it was a fantasy. My soul just soaked up all the beautiful words.

Amy has a way of writing a story that’s not only beautiful, but also has a beautiful message. I was drawn in with her characters and scenery. From the breath taking moments to the breath stealing moments, I was completely captured. I honestly say that if Amy decides to write more from this world, or any other world, I’ll be first in line to buy it.

~Melpomene

Review: Love, Lies & Spies by Cindy Anstey

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01 love A sweet romance filled with intrigue and early 19th century charm.

I was completely taken in by the cover. It looked like something I would enjoy and I was right. So cute!!

SYNOPSIS
Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

From the very first chapter title and sentence, I was hooked. In fact, I read the first page to my kids, while they were eating lunch, and my daughter said she wants to read it. THAT right there is a good sign.

I was totally taken in by Juliana’s quirks. She seemed to get into trouble, without even trying. All she wants to do is stay out of the limelight and avoid any suitors, but the more she tries to be invisible the more she’s noticed, and sometimes not by the best people.

Spencer has a mission to do, and it doesn’t include falling in love. Actually, that’s the farthest thing from his mind. That is until he sets his eyes on a bewitching young lady with a talent for trouble.

There’s something to be said for the friends to lovers stories. Those are the some of the best. The heart wants what the heart wants and even if you, or anyone else, try and stop it, it always wins in the end.

“There are not enough superlatives in the English language to capture even a tenth of my emotions.”

~Melpomene

Release date: April 19th
Preorder Love, Lies and Spies

Review: A Thousand Nights by E.K.Johnston

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01 thou A fantastical retelling, with a twist.

SYNOPSIS
Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

A Thousand Nights was a total shock to me. And by shock, I mean that I wasn’t even going to read it. Not that I didn’t want to, but that I was grabbing it for my daughter first. But since she was reading something already, I decided to read it before her. And let me tell you, this book was amazing. I was totally engrossed in this story. The scenery was so well developed, I felt like I could actually see everything. The stars, the colors, the clothes…It was so beautiful, even if it’s only in my imagination. E.K.Johnston has a way of telling this story and making you believe that you’re in the story.

Since I only have vague knowledge of the Thousand and One Nights tale, I was going into this sorta blind. But I think that made this story even more special to me. A clean slate, if you will. No preconceived ideas. And I think that actually helped me enjoy it more, honestly.

I think the best part of this story, for me, was that is wasn’t about love, in the sense of romantic love, but about familial love. My teens and their friends like stories about girls who can kick butt, but they’re not always fans of the romance aspect. They want adventure and intrigue. This book will make them SUPER happy. This girl loved her sister and wanted to save her from a certain death. And in volunteering, that way she did, she ended up changing the world around her and bringing an end to this horrible tradition, if you will.

I was lucky enough to take my daughter to meet the author last week. My girlie sat next to me and listened to her talk and make jokes the whole time. When we got into the car, she turned and told me that she needs to read this book ASAP. I call that success. Now, do I let her use my copy with all the post its, or buy her another one….

~Melpomene

Buy A Thousand Nights

At the signing we were told that, in December, she has another releasing another retelling called Spindle. Sleeping Beauty!! I can’t wait!!

Review: Iniquity by Amy Bartol

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01 ini How can I write a review for a book that has been in the back of my mind for the past three years? I’ve never felt like this over a series before, so this is very hard for me. It’s over. Lives have been lost. Lives have been saved. Nothing more can be done. It’s very bittersweet for me. I found, as I was reading, I would just burst into tears, for no reason at all. It was coming to a close, and I wasn’t ready for it. We may have wanted this, but deep down we really don’t want it to end.

The Premonition series has been a part of my life shortly after I became a reader and I don’t know how to say goodbye. In fact, I suck at saying goodbye. I mean really, how do you say goodbye to characters that you love so much? And even though some of these characters I hated, deep down I really loved them. They were doing what they’re made to do, even if I didn’t agree. But saying goodbye is still going to suck, so here I go.

Goodbye, Russell. I fell in love with you the moment you opened your mouth and I was met with that amazing southern drawl. Your sweetness and protectiveness always made me so overwhelmed. You’re Evie’s soulmate. You’re bound to her and you can’t just walk away, even if your heart is being ripped to shreds. I loved how you loved Evie, even when she couldn’t love you the same way. No matter what, you were there for Evie. Even if she made you mad and frustrated, you never stopped protecting. You did it full force. I will miss you.

Goodbye, Finn. I always thought you were something special. And reading reading Iniquity, I know I was right. Even though you made me a bit mad over Molly, I know your heart was in the right place. You were a fierce second. You always helped Brennus and your queen and I love you forever.

Goodbye, Buns and Brownie. You girls were the best friends Evie could ever have. I’m so glad she had you guys as part of her inner circle. She couldn’t have done anything without you girls.

Goodbye, fellas. You crazy bunch of lunatics. I wanted to smack some of you many times, but I get it, you were only doing what you were made to do and what your king told you to do. You’re loyal and very strong fighters. I’m glad Evie could count on you to protect her, even if she didn’t think she needed it. And I still can’t believe I found myself crying over you guys, in this book. I mean, whoa. The twists and turns you guys gave me, definitely kept me on my toes.

Goodbye, Zephyr. I must admit, you scared the crap out of me, when Evie stumbled upon you in Reed’s house. I was sure you were going to kill her, but only because you’ve never seen anything like her. Once you figured it out, you were like her big brother. I love how you always had Reed’s back, even if it meant you were getting a beating right along with him. You never left his side. You’re the best, Z, and I will miss you.

Goodbye, Brennus. You crazy undead faerie. What can I say about you? Thank you for always having Evie’s safety as your #1 priority. Although, you could’ve gone a little bit less stalkery to prove your point. You freaked her out, man. You need to learn to back off and let the girl come to you. But I am glad she could call on you and you would be there as soon as possible. Thank you for protecting her and loving her enough to let her make her own decisions.

Goodbye, Evie. Girl, you have lived a crazy life. Heck, all your lives are crazy! But I’m glad to see how much you’ve grown in these books. I’m sorry you had a such a hard time, in the beginning. I wish you all the best and hope you will be happy with the rest of this lifetime.

Goodbye, Reed. Let me start out by saying that you will always be one of my top book boyfriends ever. You loved Evie so much, that you’d die for her, kill for her and walk away, if that’s what she wanted. I was always rooting for you. Team Reed all the way. I’m going to miss your sweet and romantic words, the way you and Russell would tease each other and how, no matter what, you put Evie first above all else. I will never forget you.

“You’re my air, Evie. Without you, I drown in a breathless sky.”

Thank you, Amy, for giving us these characters. They will always be loved and never forgotten.

~Melpomene

Inescapable (The Premonition Series Book 1)
Intuition (The Premonition Series Book 2)
Indebted (The Premonition Series Book 3)
Incendiary (The Premonition Series Book 4)
Iniquity (The Premonition Series Book 5)

Review: Stormfront by K.R.Conway

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01 stoAnother fun and exciting installment!! Stormfront takes place right after Undertow, so the action never stops. So you MUST read it first.

Eila has a lot to accomplish in this book. Besides trying to heal up after the Breakers incident, she must learn how to control her power and not kill herself in the process. She has so much power that needs to be tapped, in order for her to properly defend herself. She can’t always rely on Raef, Kian, RJ and Ana to be there.

In the midst of all the training and fighting for their lives, a few new things pop up. Raef and Eila realize that they can’t be apart. They mean to much to each to try and back away anymore. I was hope this would happen. 🙂 We find out exactly who Christian is, in all of this. I knew there was something special about him!! And let’s not forget Rillian!! Oh my gosh! What a surprise he was. I never would’ve thought of him as an asset.

This group of misfits have each other’s backs and will do everything they can to help Eila grow to her full potential. They all love each other and will fight to the death, in a heartbeat, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

I can’t wait to read the next book and see Eila come into her own. And after that last sentence!!! GAH!!!! I NEED IT NOW!!!!

~Melpomene

Buy Stormfront (Undertow Book 2)

Grab Undertow first and get caught up.

Review: Undertow by K.R.Conway

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01 undThis is EXACTLY what a young adult book should be like. Action, adventure and a bit of romance, but not enough to make you blush. I’ve been trying to find YA books for my kids to be able to read, and this one is right up their alley. So I’m going to keep reading this series and then let them have it. They’re not good with waiting for their next book, so I’ll wait til it’s complete, before I tell them about it. 🙂

SYNOPSIS
Eila Walker knows luck is not a friend, so she is downright shocked to inherit a million-dollar Cape Cod home. And yeah, her new town isn’t perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself.

When Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow, Eila thinks life is pretty darn perfect – until she is hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural undertow. Revealing coal-black eyes and iron-like strength as he rescues her, Raef can no longer hide what he is . . . or what she can do. Eila, last of her kind, can supposedly channel the power of human souls, while Raef is more adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about her ancestor isn’t such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one kick-butt warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that is written all over Eila’s DNA.

Determined to stay one step ahead of a dangerous clan that is hunting her, Raef, along with three unlikely allies, will do all they can to protect her. But as hidden pieces of their brutal histories unravel, Eila begins to understand just what went down in the harbor square. She soon realizes that following in her grandmother’s fearless footsteps may be the only way to save those she loves . . . including Raef.

Eila moves to a new place and discovers that the life she thought she had, is now changed. Her family has a history that needs to be discovered and she now has powers that she never knew she had. With the help of Raef, and a few others, they set out to uncover the truth and to find a way to keep safe as the enemies close in on her.

The action made my heart race. The romance made my stomach flutter. I am looking forward to see how the group will work together and find a way to live in safety.

~Melpomene

Buy Undertow

Review: How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love by Ken Baker

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20131130-204119.jpgThere is an unnatural, unhealthy obsession with being perfect in today’s world. We are constantly bombarded with images of celebrities who have been airbrushed within an inch of their lives. Young girls especially are being inundated with the message that who and what they are is never good enough. Spray tans, teeth whitening, diet pills, fiendish workouts, liposuction, eating disorders, plastic surgery…you name it and it must be done in the name of beauty.

Sixteen year old Emery has always presented herself to the world as a happy, funny, self-deprecating person despite being an extremely overweight teenager. On the inside, how, she is an emotional mess. Her life is far from perfect. Dad Jasper is an ex-NBA player now obsessed with working out and presenting the right image to the public. He is also an absent, uninvolved parent. Mom Brandi is the ultimate trophy wife determined to stay thin and young. And sister Angel is an aspiring model/reality show star who also happens to be shallow and self-absorbed. Is it any wonder Emery has issues with food and body image? She copes with these feelings by binge eating. Her boyfriend Ben, who is also overweight, professes to love her just the way she is. When her family is approached by a famous reality show producer with a tempting offer, Emery and her family can’t resist. For the promise of a million dollar payday, she agrees to subject herself to the scrutiny of the viewing public as she attempts to lose 50 pounds in 50 days. The dark side of the reality show world is revealed as she attempts to reach this goal. She also must face some hard truths about her family and especially herself if she hopes to ever be healthy both physically and emotionally.

I loved this book and read it in one day. It was that hard to put down. Emery’s sharp wit, sarcasm, and sense of humor carried the story. You can clearly tell that she’s using humor to cover up a much deeper pain. I was pulling for her from the very beginning to succeed in spite of her callous, narcissistic family. At first glance it might seem as if this book is an endorsement for the “Hollywood business” of being perfect. Emery does spend a great deal of time trying to achieve the unattainable goal of being perfect. But the story goes deeper than that. It’s a message that what we see on TV and in magazines is in fact NOT reality. Emery does want to be skinny and pretty. What young woman doesn’t? But she also struggles with doing what she knows is the right, healthy thing to do. This book is categorized as a young adult book, and I do think older, more mature teens, girls especially, would appreciate and benefit from the story. Use caution, however, with younger teens as the language is a bit harsh and sex is mentioned on more than one occasion. A humorous, fun to read story with a great message!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love

Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

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20131129-123657.jpgReaders of post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian stories must suspend their disbelief for the duration of most of these stories. Plague-induced flesh-eating zombies, alien or cyborg invasion…these make great stories but are a little too far “out there” for the average reader to truly believe. Scarcity of clean drinking water, however, is something that is far too believable.

Not a Drop to Drink takes us into the lives of Lynn and her mother as they try to survive in a harsh, futuristic world where safe, clean drinking water is a commodity worth killing for. Their primary focus is to protect their pond at all costs. Cut off from the rest of the world, they rely on nobody but themselves. Lynn, in fact, cannot recall ever talking to anyone besides her mother. She’s a tough survivor who knows what has to be done when faced with danger. After all, her mother has raised her that way. But when tragedy strikes, Lynn is forced to let down her guard and allow others into her life. This comes in the form of their long-standing neighbor as well as strangers Eli and young Lucy. Of course Eli becomes the love interest. Isn’t that a requirement for a young adult novel? Still, the romance is more of a sideline and doesn’t distract from the inner toughness and maturity that Lynn exhibits throughout the story. It was also nice to see her transformation from a hard-as-nails, unemotional teenager into someone who truly cares for others and puts their well being before hers.

I enjoyed this book tremendously, and in large part because it felt more plausible to me than most of the other books of this genre that I’ve read. Clean water to drink is something that most of us take for granted. But how long would we be able to survive if our supply was limited? What measures would we take to protect what little we had? And what would we be willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others? While I won’t pretend that this was a particularly deep or thought-provoking story, it did make me think “what if” a bit more than others have recently. This book has great character development and the author provides a well-described environment that helps the reader understand why certain tough decisions had to be made. This one is a well-written, strong story!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Not a Drop to Drink