Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: This Is Where It Ends

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, where we get to showcase upcoming book releases we are eagerly anticipating!

This week I am waiting on...
This Is Where It Ends
Author: Marieke Nijkamp 
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis via Goodreads: 
10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.

The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03

The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05

Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.


COMING JANUARY 5th 2016

I love intense, heart wrenching and emotional reads. When I read the synopsis for This Is Where It Ends I knew I had to read it. Also, look at the cover! It is just fantastic. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book at BEA and was able to attend the authors signing. Marieke was super friendly and energetic. Being the clumsy person that I am her book went flying out of my hand across the aisle onto the ground. Of course, I just had to go and fling the authors book on the ground right in front of her. I was mortified. I am very excited to pick this one up in the next couple weeks and review it before it hits shelves. 

What are you waiting on this week?
Tell me in the comments below! 

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Review: Until We Meet Again

Until We Meet Again
Author: Renee Collins
Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/Time Travel
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: November 3rd 2015

Synopsis via Goodreads: 
They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own—and that the year is 1925—she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making.

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love—and Lawrence's life—into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history…or risk losing Lawrence forever.


I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: 
Until We Meet Again is a mysterious and intriguing book about two teenagers living 90 years apart trying to change the past to save each other and their love.

This book did not turn out to be how I thought it would be. When I read the synopsis I was expecting this epic love story. I honestly did not see this book as extremely romantic. Yes, there is a romance in it but it almost seems pushed into the background. You also do not get to see many romantic scenes between the two love interests, Cassandra and Lawrence. There are not many kiss scenes and the ones that do exist are not that swoon worthy. There was also no deep and love professing scenes. There was an absence of a falling in love period too, which is one of my favorite parts of a romance. I think Collins let the other plot line block out the romance, sadly.

This does not mean I didn't like the book. The way the book went I actually did enjoy. In my opinion a majority of this book would be categorized as a mystery. Cass and Lawrence find out that something terrible is meant to happen to Lawrence that might even end his life. They spend a majority of time doing research in both time periods to try and figure out what happens in order to prevent it. The mystery is why I kept reading because I found it interesting and I was curious to know what was going on. The truth revealed was a great twist and was my favorite part of the book.

I did find the book to be slow. I found myself only reading a little bit at a time and it took my a while to finish the whole thing. The pacing was a little slow and it did not seem like a lot happened until the end. The end was my favorite part. It picked up in intrigue and most importantly pace. I also appreciated how she ended the story. I found it much more realistic and honest.

Overall I liked Until We Meet Again. I did not dislike it but I did not love it. I think the lack of romance from what I was expecting and the slow reading made it hard for me to fully invest myself in this book.



Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: See How They Run

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, where we get to showcases upcoming book releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am waiting on...
See How They Run (Embassy Row, #2)
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Embassy Row #2
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/Mystery 
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

Inside every secret, there's a world of trouble. Get ready for the second book in this new series of global proportions--from master of intrigue, New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter. 

Grace's past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will 
get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down. 

The twists get twistier and the turns get even more shocking in the second thrilling installment of Embassy Row.


COMING DECEMBER 22nd 2015

I love every single book Ally Carter writes. Gallagher girls was the first book I ever fell in love with when I  was younger. Ally Carter's series never disappoint they only get more thrilling. 


What are you waiting on this week?

Tell me in the comments below! 

Review: My Secret To Tell

My Secret to Tell
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 6th 2015

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for and honest review.

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
There was blood on his hands. Where was the guilt in his eyes?


Emmie's had a crush on her best friend's brother forever. Deacon is the town bad boy who's always in trouble, but she sees his soft side when he volunteers with her at the local animal shelter. She doesn't think he's dangerous…until he shows up in her bedroom with blood on his hands.
Deacon's father has been violently assaulted and Deacon is suspect number one. Emmie's smart enough to know how this looks, but she also knows Deacon's biggest secret—he's paralyzed by the sight of blood. She's sure he didn't do this. Or did he? Because even Deacon's own sister thinks he's guilty…




REVIEW:
I have been a big fan of Natalie D. Richards ever since I read her debut Six Months Later last year and then went straight onto to read her second book Gone Too Far. I think Natalie D. Richards is one of the better mystery writers in young adult today and her latest book My Secret To Tell just proved this point even more.

One thing I love about Natalie D. Richards books is that she chooses storylines that have not been overdone. A lot of the time in young adult mystery people use the same plot lines again and again and it gets old. But Richards spices things up. The mystery Richards has laid out for us in My Secret To Tell is original, complex, and high stakes. She also has a knack for throwing you curve balls you did not see coming. This has happened to me in her previous and books and this curbeball ending was by far the biggest surprise for me. I honestly had no idea who was behind the scheme until they said it themselves. Richards is very good at putting your suspicions on someone else until the very end. Another thing I enjoy is that the characters are trying to solve the crime too. I think it is more fun that way because you get to figure everything out with the characters.  

I was thoroughly pleased with the characters. The main character Emmie was a strong and ambitious heroine. You also get to see Emmie evolve throughout the story. Emmie becomes more confident with who she is and learns to stand up for the things and people that she cares about. Emmie's love interest Deacon is the perfect bad boy with a good heart. You also get to learn a lot about his backstory and see him evolve as well, which was important to the story. The only character that got on my nerves was Emmie's mother. The way she wouldn't let Emmie follow her dreams or do basically anything she wanted and the way she acted drove me crazy. I do know that was probably one of her purposes in the book though.

Richards does a fantastic job balancing plot and romance. The romance in this book never took away from the main conflict but it was still satisfying and complete on its own. Emmie and Deacon have great chemistry. The two of them being on the run from the police and Deacon being the forbidden bad boy definitely added to the thrill of their romance.

If you enjoy a mystery with the back drop of a summer town I would definitely suggest picking this book up. I loved the setting of them being on the docks in a small summer town with tourists and attractions like charter boats. I also loved how Richards made the stakes higher by having the characters go on the run and hide from the police. It helped add more suspense and intrigue to the book.

My Secret To Tell did not disappoint, It was full of intrigue, mystery, romance, clues, and danger. If you are a fan of Natalie D. Richards I bet you will love this book and if you have not read her yet I highly recommend all of her books. 


Monday, November 2, 2015

November 2015 TBR

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As you have probably noticed by now I kind of fell off the face of the earth these past 2 months. I moved out of the house I have lived in for the 18 years I've been on this earth and to a gorgeous house on the water in another state this fall and my life became so chaotic in the process. I barely have read at all. But I am determined to get back into reading this month and thought using blogging as motivation would be a great way to get back into reading and writing reviews.

This is the ambitious TBR I have planned for the month of November that hopefully I can complete! 
(I'm so behind on my Goodreads 2015 reading challenge... *cringes*) 

Until We Meet AgainNeedThe Girl with the Wrong NameHello?The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2)Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes, #2)Daughter of Deep SilenceThese Shallow GravesRuthlessI Crawl Through ItEdgewaterHer Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter, #2)Blood and Salt (Blood and Salt, #1)A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1)


Lets see how many of these books I can get to this month!
Tell me in the comments below if you've read any of these books and tell me what you are reading this month!