Most Anticipated YA Releases of May 2014

This month is filled with a few fantasy and thrillers but it is really a month of contemporary for me! Here is the top 10 books I am looking forward to in May 2014!

#10

Girls Like Us by, Gail Giles

(CONTEMPORARY)

#9

Deep Blue by, Jennifer Donnelly

(FANTASY)

#8

Life by Committee by, Corey Ann Haydu

(CONTEMPORARY)

#7

Killer Instinct by, S.E. Green

(THRILLER)

#6

A Girl Called Fearless by, Catherine Linka

(DYSTOPIA)

#5

Since You've Been Gone by, Morgan Matson

(CONTEMPORARY)

#4

The Art of Lainey by, Paula Stokes

(CONTEMPORARY)

#3

Now and Forever by, Susane Colasanti

(CONTEMPORARY)

#2

We Were Liars by, E. Lockhart

(CONTEMPORARY)

#1

The Rules for Breaking by, Ashley Elston

(CONTEMPORARY/MYSTERY)

 

 

 

 

WHAT MAY BOOKS ARE YOU ALL HIGHLY ANTICIPATING??

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Rules For Breaking

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, where we highlight upcoming releases!

 

Title: The Rules for Breaking

Author: Ashley Elston

Series: The Rules for Disappearing #2

Pages: 320

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

 

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Anna Boyd almost lost her life to get what she wanted most in the world: freedom.

But just when it seems that her family has finally escaped Witness Protection, the illusion that Anna could resume a normal life comes crashing down.

The deadly man Anna knows as Thomas is still on the loose, and now he's using her as a pawn in a dangerous game with the drug cartel determined to silence her forever. When Thomas and a mysterious masked man capture not only Anna but also her fragile younger sister and her boyfriend, Anna decides it's time to break all the rules-even if it means teaming up with the lesser of two evils.

Anna will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves and win her life back once and for all. But her true enemies are hidden in plain sight. Before long, Anna will learn that putting her trust in anyone may be the last mistake she ever makes.

 

COMING MAY 20th 2014

 

This was one of my favorite new series last year and I have been dying for the second book ever since! If you have not read the first book, The Rules for Disappearing, I highly recommend picking it up!

 

 

Review: The Impossible Knife of Memory

Title: The Impossible Knife of Memory

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 391

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Synopsis (Goodreads): 

For the past five years, Hayley Kincain and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? 

I fell in love with Laurie Halse Anderson's writing when I first read her book Wintergirl's. After that I continued in to read Anderson's books and all of them have this mesmerizing power to captivate you and make  you think a little more. The Impossible Knife of Memory was able to do the same thing. 

The first point I will make is about Anderson's writing. She writes in such a beautiful almost lyrical way and I love it. Her writing is so smooth and almost haunting. It is one of those types of writing that just continues to pull you along. I finished this book about two weeks ago and I am still caught thinking about how beautiful it was. 

Laurie Halse Anderson does a fantastic job of taking very hard situations and making others relate to them. PTSD is a very hard but very real thing that goes on more often then you would think in the world today. Anderson is able to take a hard thing like this and write about it in a way that gets even young teens   to really think about the issue at hand. Anderson is also able to write about it so it leaves an impact on the readers heart and mind without being too overwhelming. 

Another thing I really have to highlight is Finn. Finn is amazing and was by far my favorite character. He was cute, sweet, and incredibly funny.  He is cast as the love interest for Haley and becomes the perfect support system for her. He and Haley had a ton of quick and witty banter that was a great aspect of their chemistry. I did have trouble with Haley at times though. She is one of those characters that at times you can really relate to her and like her and then a couple pages later she acts in a way that pushes you away from your feelings for her. 

When you combine the beautiful simplistic writing, the heart stopping topic, and the personalities that fill this book you have a real winner. The Impossible Knife of Memory is a heart wrenching read which I think teens and adults should all read. 

Spring Break

Some of you may have noticed that this past week I was absent from the blog world. Last week was my spring break and I was traveling on college trips all week without access to a computer. I may not have been able to blog throughout the week but I brought tons of books in my suitcase and did a ton of reading at night in my hotel room! In other words you can anticipate a lot of reviews on the blog this week!

Here are the reviews you can look forward to this week! 

The Impossible Knife of Memory by, Laurie Halse Anderson

Erased by, Jennifer Rush

Thornhill by, Kathleen Peacock

The Sound of Letting Go by, Stasia Ward Kehoe

Second Star by, Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Stacking The Shelves (4/19/14)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This is where every week we get to showcase all the wonderful books we have received recently!

This week was my birthday and as a result my family bought me some amazing books that I loved this year. Thank you family! If you have not read any of these books yet I highly recommend you pick them up soon! 

Altered by, Jennifer Rush

The Beginning of Everything by, Robyn Schneider

Where the Stars Still Shine by, Trish Doller

Days of Blood and Starlight by, Laini Taylor

What did you all get this week??

Review: The Promise of Amazing

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Pages: 371
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

The Promise of Amazing follows the story of Wren and Grayson. Wren is ranked in the middle of her class and has spent her high school years as the quiet good girl but she is ready to change that. Grayson was the star of his private school until he was caught in the middle of a term paper selling job and was expelled. One night when Wren is working a wedding at her family's venue that Grayson is attending, he starts choking and Wren steps into save his life. Grayson is determined to get to know the girl who saved his life and along the way they might just fall in love.
There is one thing that always irritates me in the publishing industry and that is when a book comes out with a synopsis and then the book turns out to be something else. The book is about Wren and Grayson falling in love and how they help each other see the best in themselves but I almost felt like that was just a side story in the book. A big chunk of the book follows Grayson and his old friends from his private school who were all in on this scheme to make money to send them on this big trip after graduation. To make the money they stole from houses. They would actually find girls who had rich houses and get the girls to take them to their houses. They would flirt with the girls till they found out when they would not be home and then go back during that time and steal expensive belongings from the houses. Graysons ex-best friend does not want him to walk away from the plan. When he finds out that Grayson no longer wants anything to do with it he threatens to take Wren away from Grayson. Most of the book followed this story and this was never mentioned in the synopsis. I thought this would be a light fun read but it was not that.
Putting that aside it was not a bad book. It had its dull spots but it was interesting. If the synopsis had said something about the stealing scheme I would have been more on board with the book. There is nothing specifically bad I can say about this book it was just one of those books that just does not stand out. I liked reading it but it is one I probably will not think to mention in the coming years because it just had no lasting effect on me. I did like how it was told in alternating points of view though. It allowed me to see both sides of the story even though I lot of the plot evolved around Grayson.
Overall The Promise of Amazing it is an interesting read about teens who are trying to find their way out of their mistakes with an interesting twist and a hint of romance. I will not say this is a book you need to go out and buy because it is not a must read but if you are looking for a new contemporary novel to try out to pass the time give this one a shot.

Review: No One Else Can Have You

Title: No One Else Can Have You

Author: Kathleen Hale

Pages: 380

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre; Young Adult Mystery

No One Else Can Have You follows the story of Kippy Bushman, a teenage girl living in the small town of Friendship, Wisconsin. Kippys best friend Ruth was brutally murdered in the corn field behind Kippy's house. Kippy and the town is so relieved when the police catch Ruth's killer but soon Kippy starts to believe that they have the wrong person in custody. Kippy brings this to the polices attention but they want nothing to do with her. This forces Kippy to try and piece the mystery together and find Ruth's killer before they kill again.

I love a good mystery and so I was very excited when this book came out. Once I finally picked up this book I was ready for a great mystery to occupy me. I really wanted to like this book but sadly I just did not. I am not saying it is a bad book, it is just not the book for everybody. I had heard this from other people but I love a good murder mystery, I watch all the shows like Criminal Minds and Hannibal that really go into depth about the mind of a killer, as a result I did not think that I would have a problem with the book. Even though I love those kinds of shows and books this one just did not work for me.

One problem I had was that I could not find one way to relate to the characters. Part of that was probably to do with the fact that a lot of the times they did not sound like regular teenagers to me. During the book you get to read journal entries from Ruth's diary. Most of Ruth's entries were vulgar. I know teenagers can talk in vulgar terms at some points but this was at another level then teen vulgarity. When I combined the vulgar and creepy content over the book not only did it not sound like teenagers but it also turned me off from wanting to read the book. The book and plot also seemed really jumbled to me. At times parts would go very slow and then all of sudden it would jump into this big turning point and then it would be gone in a flash. The book left me feeling almost out of sorts. 

The one compliment I do have for the author is that she is very good at concealing the killer. The reason  I continued to read the whole book was because I needed to find out who had murdered Ruth. This is probably the first time where I have not figured out the killer until the book tells you. The killer was somebody I had never even suspected and I liked that.

If you are really into murder mysteries I would not turn away just yet, like I said the book is not for everybody but maybe it will be okay for you. The writing is not bad, just the overall content seemed unappealing to me. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Art of Lainey

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event , hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we freak out about all the releases we are eagerly anticipating! 

Title: The Art of Lainey
Author: Paula Stokes
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis:
Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with, if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

COMING MAY 20th 2014

 

What are you waiting for this week??

Review: Sea of Shadows

Title: Sea of Shadows
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 416
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Received from publisher for honest review

Sea of Shadows follows twin sisters Moria and Ashyn who are the Keeper and Seeker of the Forest of the Dead. The Forest of the Dead is where the empire exiles its criminals. Each year the Seeker must go into the forest to quiet the angry souls. But this year the seeking goes terribly wrong.
The sisters are separated by an ancient evil that is bringing alive monsters that were thought to only be in stories. The sisters travel the wastelands to journey to the emperor to warn him of the danger that has come to their land but when they reach their destination they discover a secret that will change their world.

I am not usually a huge high fantasy fan but I loved Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers series so when I got sent it I decided to give it a try, man am I glad I did. I found Sea of Shadows so unique and engaging. Armstrong was able to create a well detailed precise world that I was able to picture in my mind. The plot was fantastic and somehow she made the book to seem very adventure filled even when at times the pacing had slowed down. The book seemed very though out and crafted. 

One thing I really liked about this book is it was told in an alternating POV between the sisters. I love these types of books but I enjoyed it for another reason in this book then I usually do.During the book the sisters get separated so through the alternating POV you almost get to have two stories in one book and I really liked that aspect. That even made it possible to have two romances in the book. The romance was obviously just starting to build in this book though and I really hope we get to see it evolve more in the next book. I usually get a better feel for one of the story tellers but I actually think I equally liked each sister’s story telling which really helped me read the book.

Armstrong really has a way with creating worlds. The plot was very unique and thought out but every little detail and characters were that way too. I thing I loved in this book was the different monsters Armstrong wrote about. Sometimes I get bored of the same monsters and creatures being repeated over and over again in YA but Armstrong was able to introduce some great variation in YA monsters in this book. I can tell that Armstrong has a master plan for this series and I am really excited to see what she has ready for us. 

Sea of Shadows was the perfect set up for a new series and I am expecting and hoping to find a lot more action and suspense in the coming books! 

Check out more about the author and her books here.

Waiting on Wednesday: Life by Committee

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!

This week I am waiting for: 

Title: Life by Committee

Author: Corey Ann Haydu

Pages: 304

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary 

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Some secrets are too good to keep. 

Tabitha might be the only girl in the history of the world who actually gets less popular when she gets hot. But her so-called friends say she’s changed, and they’ve dropped her flat. 

Now Tab has no one to tell about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to her: Joe, who spills his most intimate secrets to her in their nightly online chats. Joe, whose touch is so electric, it makes Tab wonder if she could survive an actual kiss. Joe, who has Tabitha brimming with the restless energy of falling in love. Joe, who is someone else’s boyfriend.

Just when Tab is afraid she’ll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she finds Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe.

Tab likes it that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she’d ever go on her own.

But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go?

COMING

MAY 13th 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: We Were Liars

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genre: Mystery

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.


MAY 13TH 2014

Why I'm Waiting:
I have been a fan of E. Lockhart since her Ruby Oliver series! I think it will be really interesting to see her write a mystery based novel this time!