Review: Dreaming of Beauty by Kirsten White

Reading Level: Young Adult
Self Published
Standalone(?)
*This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review*

A three hundred year old curse, a timeless legend, a love strong enough to last forever...

Fifteen year old Chloe Duncan finally has her Prince Charming and her life could not be more perfect. But after she meets a mysterious new boy, Logan Salinger, on the first day of school and is attacked by a woman’s hand that suddenly appears from the supply cabinet in art class, her story-book romance quickly unravels. Certain that the incident in her art class and the other bizarre things that have happened to her are due to an undiagnosed brain tumor, Chloe struggles with school and her relationships. Over the holiday break, during a much needed vacation, she travels to France with her family and it is there, at Manoir de Kergrec’h, the enchanting castle by the sea, that she learns about Camille Deveraux who lived at the manor over three hundred years ago. But things are stranger in France then they were back home, and Chloe soon discovers that she was Camille Deveraux, the real Sleeping Beauty. Now she knows the reason for her strange connection to Logan and she hopes that their love can finally break the curse that has plagued her for over three hundred years.

The story starts off with Chloe Duncan who is finally dating Even the boy she's been in love with forever. Then a guy named Logan comes to town and everything in her life starts falling apart. She starts hallucinating which makes her think she has a brain tumor, she has a strange connection towards Logan and stars pulling away from Even. Eventually she goes on a family trip to France and everything is explained.

I don't really know how I feel about Chloe. I liked her but I just didn't understand some of the deciscions she made. I loved Evan and he was super sweet to Chloe and I didn't get how she would just not love him anymore because some guy showed up. Honestly I didn't like Logan. He annoyed me and I thought it was kind of creepy how obsessed he was with her when at first they didn't even like eachother. But then it's all explained and they were cute in the end though at some points it got a little eye roll inducing.

When the history between Chloe and Logan is explained it's almost like 2 stories in one and I thought that was really interesing. The concept for this story was really different and I had never read a Sleeping Beauty retelling. But I think it could have been done better. It took me a while to see what it had to do with Sleeping Beauty. It ended very open and it made me curious about a sequel. I hope there is one.
3.5/5 stars
-Marissa

Timepiece by Myra McEntire Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:EgmontUSA
Second book in Hourglass series
A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...
Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?
Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...
The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts


Review
I knew from the moment I started this I was going too love it. Myra McEntire can do no wrong in my mind. Hourglass is one of my favorite books. I didn't think it could get much better. It did. Timepiece blew my mind.


At first I wasn't sure how I felt about it being from Kaleb's point of view. One of the reasons I liked Hourglass so much was because of Michael and Emerson were so adorable. This was just as adorable if not more. Kaleb really grew up in this. I'm sure Lilly had something to do with that. I loved how Lilly played such a big part. She kinda came into her own too. Her and Kaleb are a good pair. There was one thing that bothered me a little. That was all the behind closed doors moments between Michael and Emerson. I hope we get to see those somewhere in the near future. I'm insanely curious as to what perspective the third book is going to be in.


The plot made this impossible to put this down. It was hilarious. I didn't realize Kaleb was such a perv. It was really hard to guess what was gonna happen next. Everything was a surprise and hidden very well. I really enjoyed that. Overall I absolutely adored this. It was amazing. I can't wait for the third book :). 5/5 stars


Jasmine <3

Amira Immortal Daughter from Penglai by Lon Dee Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Self Published
First book in a possible series
*this was gifted to me for review*
Amira, a young, self-centered, and lonely immortal from the mythical island of Penglai, rescues a handsome mortal, Raiden, from angry sea spirits and returns with him to Dragon Hollow in the mortal lands. There she learns the hardships and dangers mortals face as warlords and bandits battle in unending warfare. Powerful dragons have protected Dragon Hollow for millennia, making it the only safe haven in the land, but Amira's arrival upsets that balance as she slowly learns the dragons' secrets.
Confronted with perilous choices, she struggles to understand what it means to live with and trust other people. Are others befriending her only because they need her help, or because they find her beauty alluring, or is it because they truly care for her? Can she trust and even love Raiden, or is he deceiving her to achieve his selfish dreams? In the end, she must decide whether or not to risk her own destruction to save her friends in Dragon Hollow, and she ultimately discovers hidden powers and passions, long dormant within her.

Review
I liked this more than I thought I would. It was really good. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. It was a very unique story. Amira kinda bothered me at first. She was a little bratty. By the end I liked her. She's strong. She was willing to risk herself for people she just met. At first she was just looking for adventure. Eventually she realized there was more to life than adventure. Raiden was really cute. The whole Raiden Kaifu thing was incredibly confusing. It made sense and it was a nice twist but I was incredibly confused. M'lan was seriously my favorite character. He was adorable. I want my own flying magical tortoise. There was a few secondary characters. I think that all the characters were very well done and relate able.

The beginning was a little slow. It picked up. It was pretty hard for me to put this down. I wanted to keep reading and see what was gonna happen next. Overall I really liked this. I've never read anything quite like this. I hope there is a sequel or a companion novel. I recommend if you like adventure. 4/5 Stars

Jasmine :)

Have Book Will Travel by Kfir and Yonatan Luzzatto

Reading Level:YA/MG
Publisher:Pine Ten LLC
First in a possible series or Standalone
This will be out on  June 1st 2012
*this was gifted to me for review*

Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle’s fortress walls. That's why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works.

They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can’t get back in. It’s lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home…or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles.

In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures.

Review
When I first started this I wasn't sure what it was about. The beginning was kinda slow but it did pick up. Basically it's about two kids who find the book of dreams and decide to read it together. They both have no idea that when you read the book it takes you places.


Darla and Max come from different backgrounds. They become very close friends and go on one wild adventure. Max is adorable. All he wanted was adventure. Darla was a little more cautious. She wanted adventure too but she was scared also. There was a lot of secondary characters and they were very well done. They all had their own little part to play.


The plot was very fast paced. It never slows down. It was like a fairy tale. I seriously wish the book of dreams was real. It's such a cool concept. It was very unique. Overall I really enjoyed this. It was quite the story and I highly recommend. 4/5 stars


Jasmine :)

Blogiversary thank you and giveaway

So the 18th of April was our official 6th month blogiversary!! It has been an amazing six months. We went to 2 conferences, met tons of authors, and have talked to so many inspiring bloggers. We also have nearly 100 posts, almost 3,000 page views and soon to be 50 followers. Now we know that's not the biggest amount of followers and we could have posted more but we're completely happy with it and are looking forward to many more blogiversary's in the future.

We treated ourselves to TLA and to treat all of the awesome people who spend their time reading our craziness we're having a giveaway. You don't have to be a follower but if you want more giveaways and fun stuff in the future it wouldn't hurt :) Here's what you could win:

                                       
                                        Prize pack one

(Fire will be paperback but we only have the hardcover copy at the moment)

Prize pack two

The first winner will get to pick which one they want then the second winner will get to pick whichever pack is left :)

TLA Author Sigings

There was tons of amazing YA authors at TLA this year. These are only the ones we got the chance to meet and get a picture with. We also got to meet John Green, Kristen Cashore, and Tera Lynn Childs but we didn't get a picture. We want to thank all the people who helped the authors be there and of course all the authors for being such genuinely nice people even though we can be a little creepy sometimes ;).

                       Rachel Hawkins, Jasmine and Marissa. Rachel is so incredibly funny and nice and not creeped out by our fangirling.

 Maggie Stiefvater, Marissa and Jasmine. Ahhhhh she is one of our favorite authors ever.

Marissa, Sophie Jordan and Jasmine. Sophie is so awesome and totally not creeped out that we've met her multiple times.

 Jasmine with Lauren Kate (and a Rapture ARC!!!)

Marissa with Lauren Kate (and another Rapture ARC!!!).

Marissa, Jackson Pearce and Jasmine. Jackson is so hilarious and put a picture of a pig in Jasmine's copy of Purity (and she doesn't look awkward like she said she would).

Marissa,Veronica Roth and Jasmine. Another fangirl moment we had already met her and got our books signed and later on she was just walking down the aisle and we started freaking out and had to get another picture. The girl we were in line with said out eyes were sparkling (as they should be she is super nice and made of awesome).

We also got to meet John Green who is amazing and signed every book and listened to Marissa talk about how much The Fault In Our Stars made her cry and look at all the cute parts Jasmine had marked.

We got to sit with Kristen Cashore at Texas Tea and she was super nice. We also got our books signed even though she had very little time.

Terra Lynn Childs was so pretty and had lots of pink on (Marissa approves). She said some super encouraging things about our blog and gave us a lot of swag to give away.

So there's a ton more reasons to go to TLA next year!
-Marissa and Jasmine

TLA Wrap Up

                                   
So if you follow us on Twitter (which you should) you probably know how excited we were about getting to go to TLA this year. Excited enough to road trip with Jasmine's dad 4 hours to Houston. It was so worth it even though we got very little sleep (expecially Marissa), got banged up pretty bad (also Marissa) and it was super tiring. We got the chance to meet a ton of authors and get a ton books signed. Including some authors we had been waiting for ever to meet. We received so many ARCs and finished copies from publishers. We got to talk with lots of awesome and inspiring bloggers and ran into some people we had met at ALA Midwinter too. We would like to thank all the authors, publishers, and bloggers for talking with us newbies and dealing with our fangirly-ness and making this conference so much fun. It wouldn't be as amazing without you. We'll remember it forever and we're most definitely going to attend next year. Now onto the books that we got:

Marissa's signed books:

Jasmine's signed books:

(including Marissa in the background and her many band-aids) 

Jasmine's total haul:

Marissa's total haul:

Keep on the lookout for our TLA authors sigings post and lots of future giveaways we have planned :).

-Marissa & Jasmine

Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Puffin
Standalone

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

Before Looking for Alaska I had never picked up any of John Green's books. I had heard about them but they just didn't seem like my kind of books. Then The Fault In Our Stars came out and everyone was raving about it and talking about how amazing his other books were so I thought what the heck everyone is probably right. For the record yes they were.

This story is told in two parts 'Before' and 'After' so that's how I'm going to write this review.


Before: The protagonist is a teenage boy named Miles who is obsessed with last words. He's tired of his boring life so he decides to move to the bording school his dad went to. When he does he meets a whole cast of crazy characters including the mysterious Alaska Young. Everything changes from there. They start calling him Pudge and he is thrust into this scene of drinking, smoking, pranks and just plain rule breaking. It was a little hard to get used to at first but once I did I knew that this story couldn't be told any other way. He starts having feelings for Alaska but he's very conflicted about it because she has a boyfriend and she's very hot and cold and hard to figure out sometimes. But that's the point you're not supposed to figure her out and I actually really liked that about her. I loved all Pudge's friends in this book. The Colonel was probably my favorite he was absolutely hilarious and Takumi was great too. Foxhat ;).


After: So around the middle of this book something huge happens. I'm not going to say what because it was spoiled for me and it took that surprised feeling away from me. Anyways in the after part of the book the characters are hurting and trying to heal and move on but they can't because they don't know what really happened. So I felt like the second half was almost like a mystery you were trying to figure out why this thing happened and I liked how it never really gave you all the answers. I can't decide which half I liked better.


One thing I noticed about this was book was how unflinchingly honest it was. I mean their teenagers and this is how some of them actually act. So that's why I hate seeing people trying to ban it. Yes, there is some adult stuff in this book but there's stuff like that everywhere and banning this book isn't going to change it. In the end I really loved this book it wasn't what I normally read but it was still amazing. I think every once in a while everyone needs to read a book that makes you think. I plan on reading all of John Greens other books sometime in the near future.
5/5 stars.
-Marissa

Review: Spear of Seth by Rene Daniel

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Createspace
First book in a possible series.
*this book was gifted to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*
Review:
 I find mythology of any kind fascinating. I love how differently the gods are portrayed in each book book I read. I've only read one other Egyptian mythology book I can think of and it was so different from this one that I never got bored. There was so many twist and turns I never stopped wondering what was going to happen next.  

 This book was told from two different perspectives. It was almost like two stories in one and I liked how different the protagonists were. Alex was super brave to the point of almost suicidal and I loved how selfless he was. Heather the other protagonist was kind of annoying at first but once I got to know her and her motives I really liked her. I kept hoping Alex and Heather would get together but I'm going to tell you if I got my wish or not you'll just have to see for yourself. I liked all the other characters too Miriam was awesome, Vladimir was hilarious and Sirota was super nice. I also felt really bad for the characters because it seemed like every single bad thing that could happen happened to them. I never knew who was going to survive in the end and who was going to betray them

Overall I really enjoyed this book the storyline was fastpaced and the setting was original and interesting. The writing kept me interested until the last page and I seriously hope that there will be a sequel.
-Marissa

Hourglass Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:HarperTeen
Third book in Evernight series
Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.
After escaping from Evernight, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, an elite group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at its hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—all her secrets threaten to come out.
Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful vampires of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they run, Bianca can’t escape her destiny. Bianca and Lucas have always believed their love could survive anything—but can it survive what’s to come?

Review
It's really hard for me to pick which book I like best in the series. There all amazing. I keep thinking how can she top this and then she does. The farther I get into the series the more amazing they get.
This starts right where Stargazer left off. Bianca and Lucas are with the black cross waiting for the perfect moment to escape. I can honestly say Bianca isn't my favorite character. She's pretty cool but I think the series is so amazing because of Lucas and their relationship. That's why I love these books so much. Lucas gets better and better with each book. Lucas and Bianca are absolutely adorable. I really liked how some of my favorite secondary characters played a bigger part.


The storyline was amazing. It kept me guessing and most of the time my guesses were wrong. That ending was killer. I was crying my eyes out. Overall I really really loved this. If you haven't read this series you need to. Right now then come tell me what you thought :). 5/5 Stars


Jasmine <3

Into the Mist: Silver Hand

Reading Level:Young Adult
Self Published
First in Into The Mist series
Thirteen-year-old Gabe Wrenn has always taken refuge in his imagination. Refuge from his hovering mom and bullying brother. Refuge from the smirks and stares of his classmates. Refuge from his epilepsy. But now his imagination seems to be running wild. And he can’t stop it. And the only person Gabe can confide in is a girl who thinks his "weird brain" is the key to unlocking the secret of the Brynmor Witch.


Review
I really liked this. It was kinda hard to get into in the beginning. What I liked best was getting to learn about a new type of mythology. Gabe was surprisingly a very strong main character. I loved all the art and the epilepsy was kinda fascinating. Ellie was so cute. I love how she never gave up on what she believed. Gabe should listen to her more often. I hope they get together in the next book they would be a super cute couple.


The plot was pretty fast paced. There was tons of twists. I never guessed what was gonna happen. It was a little confusing at times. Mainly the Mabon parts. Overall I really liked this. I love reading new stuff. Im very excited for the sequel. I recommend if you enjoy mythology. 4/5 stars


Jasmine <3

Stargazer Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:HarperTeen
Second book in Evernight series
The vampire in me was closer to the surface...
Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.
But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.
Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.
Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning

Review
Oh my goodness this book was so amazing. I absolutely adored Evernight. This was even better. I hope the whole series is like this. Although I don't know if its possible to get any more amazing. We shall see :).


Bianca is a great main character. I love how she never gives up. If she wants to do something she's gonna do it. Oh Lucas how I love you. How cute Lucas and Bianca are is probably why I loved the first one so much. Surprisingly that wasn't as big of a part in this. It was more Bianca and Balthazar. I actually didn't mind. They weren't together so it didn't bother me. I'm glad Balthazar had a bigger part. I really liked him in the first one. I feel kinda bad for him. He should get a girlfriend :). Another thing I really liked was all the secondary characters. Charity was insane. Vic and Raquel were hilarious and the black cross was like one big family.


The storyline was absolutely amazing. It's a vampire boarding school with some humans and crazy ghosts. There were so many twists. I had no idea what was gonna happen next. I seriously wonder how she came up with this. Overall I loved this. I'm so excited to see what happens next. I highly recommend :). 5/5 Stars


Jasmine <3

Tempest Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:St. Martin's Griffin
First in Tempest series
 The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.


Review
I seriously adored this book. It was amazing. It wasn't really what I was expecting at all. I read it in basically one day and then was sad when it was over.


It's rare when a book is from the guys perspective. I love it. It's a nice change. Jackson is the love of my life. He's so adorable and sweet. If it was me I would have been freaking out. He handled everything so well. He learned that his whole life was a lie and didn't even melt down. This is really romance centered which I love. Jackson was willing to do anything to keep Holly safe. She was what mattered most. That's adorable. Their so cute together. Of course that was my favorite part.


Who doesn't love time travel. I think that is such a cool concept. The author did a really good job with it. The plot was great. It was incredibly fast paced making this difficult to put down. The characters were great though I think it would have been cool if the secondary characters played a bigger part. Overall I really enjoyed this. The wait for the sequel is gonna be killer :(. I highly recommend this. I think everyone in the world should read it and love it so that we can talk about it :). 5/5 stars


Jasmine <3

Teaser Tuesday #1

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Second book in Curse Workers series

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read, Open to a random page, Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.


Teaser
"Make me pretty," the man says, coming as close to me as he can with Stanley between us. He smells like stale sweat and vomit. "I want to be a movie star."

Review: Creature Kid Volume 1: The Teenage Chronicles by Rashad Freeman

Reading Level: YA/MG
Self Published
First in a possible series
*This book was gifted to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Why do the movies always portray mutants as having some kind of glorious plight? If a kid got bit by a radioactive spider he’d probably puke webs right before he died. Men that can walk through bullets and fly don’t dress in tights and pretend to be newspaper reporters. And there are no special flashlights to shine in the air to signal you when there’s trouble. You want to be a superhero and fight crime? Prospects are unlikely at best. Chances are you’d just get sued by the criminals you arrested and put in prison for delivering your own vigilante justice.  The truth of the matter is living as a mutant is risky business. Uncontrollable outbreaks, delusions of grandeur and don’t forget the horde of scientists eager to pick you apart to figure out what makes you tick. Did you really expect a special school to crop up just to take care of all the misfortunate adolescents? Or you could create your own little team by adding Fantastic, Super, or Glorious to the front of a number. No, you wouldn’t be so lucky. And neither was Anthony Dimair, as a matter of fact he was the exact opposite. Now he must survive long enough to find the meaning of his Uncle’s cryptic message while avoiding capture, fighting the elements, and trying to not end up as dinner.

This book took me a while to get into. It might be because it's an e-book and as I've mentioned before I'm not very good at reading those. But eventually I did and I enjoyed it. The story starts off by introducing the main character Anthony. He is just a normal teenager hanging out with his friends, crushing on a certain girl, dreading the end of summer and his first day of high school. Then something crazy happens: he grows wings. That's really when the story starts and when I started getting interested. That's not really all the plot though there is creepy neighbors, people following him, friends going missing and even a creepy fortune teller lady. There was a lot going on and sometimes I was really confused. It didn't explain why he got these wings until the end of the story and some of the stuff Anthony and his friends did didn't make any sense to me.

I liked Anthony he acted like any teenager would in his situation and he had a lot of stuff going on. I felt bad for him. His friends were really cool I liked how they were always there for him no matter what and how they were willing to do all this crazy stuff with him. I think Steve was my favorite. But I sometimes got them mixed up and wish we could have learned more about them. I thought Nickie the girl he had a crush on was really nice and they were cute. But I highly doubt after one date Anthony was in love with her.

There was a huge twist in the end and it kind of ended in a cliffhanger and I totally didn't see it coming. I thought this book was interesting and fast paced there was some things I didn't like and felt could be explained more but in the end I really enjoyed it. It kind of felt like a short story though and there was a lot of questions left unanswered so I hope there is another one.
3/5 stars.
-Marissa

A Strange Fire Review

Reading Level;Young Adult
Publisher:Self Published
First in Florence Vaine series
Flo has always had problems. Her stammer prevents her speech and her dad’s abuse makes her life a living hell. Not to mention she sees colours other people don’t.
When her dad decides to ship her off to live with her grandma in the sleepy town of Chesterport, Flo thinks that this is her chance for a better life. But on her very first day at her new school she is ridiculed and laughed at for having a stammer. One student sticks up for her and his name is Frank.
Frank’s body is surrounded by an aura of fire, but Flo is the only one who can see it. He lives in a foster home for troubled teenagers. Flo is drawn to him because he’s different and so is she.
Things are about to get scary, because Chesterport is not your ordinary suburban town. It’s infested by a coven of dark witches who prey on the young and the elderly. Soon Flo discovers that she’s next on their list of victims, and finds herself fighting a battle she never would have imagined possible


Review
A strange fire is about a girl who moves to a new town meets a guy and her world gets turned upside down.


There was only one thing that annoyed me about Florence. That was her stutter. It was really hard to read. After awhile you get used to it though. Her aura reading power was so awesome. Seriously I wish I had that power. Another thing I really liked was how her and Franklin got to know each other before falling in love. Franklin is so so so cute. Franklin and Flo are probably why I loved this book so much. Their absolutely adorable. The secondary characters were cool too. I really liked Flo's friends and Franklin's family.


There wasn't really much of a plot. There was a ton of excitement at the end but not so much throughout the rest of the book. The characters were really good. I think the author put more attention into the characters and not enough into the plot. I actually read it very quickly so it kept my attention pretty well. A little more excitement and it would have been perfect.


Overall I really enjoyed this. I hope there is a sequel soon. 4/5 stars


Jasmine :)

Lola St. Vill Interview and Giveaway

Lola St. Vill the awesome author of Guardians: The Girl was nice enough to host an interview and a giveaway. You can find our reviews here: http://beneaththemoonandstars.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-guardians-girl-by-lola-stvil.html and here: http://beneaththemoonandstars.blogspot.com/2012/02/guardiansthe-girl-review.html .

Now for the Interview:

Who is your favorite character to write?

Whoever I'm writing at the moment is my favorite. They have to feel like they are in order for them to "talk" to me.
But if I HAVE to pick, I would say Emmy. She was the first to talk to me. She will always hold a space in my heart.

Where did you get your inspiration?

I wish I had a good answer. The truth is in my head, I saw a girl in class day dreaming about having a more exciting life (much like I use to do) and it went on from there.

What are some of the best YA books you have read lately?

I love YA books (of course) the only problem is I can't read books in the genre that I'm writing at the moment. It makes the "voices" in my head jealous and confused. And soon I will start to rewrite a story that has already been told. So, right now I am working on book 3 of "Guardians" which means I'm not allowed to read any YA : (

What's your favorite movie based on a book?

Harry Potter and Pretty Little Lairs (even if it is a TV show)

Awesome choices. We agree.
Was it easier to write the first or second book?

Books 1 and 2 were written a week apart. So really, it was the same experience. It was sinfully easy. But I'm making up for it in Book 3 because that requires more work (darn it!: )

Do you ever listen to music while writing?

All the time. Every character has their own play list. The most fun play list is Ameana when she's in a fight. And Marcus and Emmy when they are arguing.

What's your favorite candy?

Anything with chocolate

Do you put noses on your smiley faces?

Yes, when I'm feeling fancy: - )

Dogs or cats?

I'm afraid of anything with more legs than me. Lol.

Favorite color?

Blue


Marissa: That's Jasmine's favorite too. She's actually pretty obsessed with it
Jasmine: Marissa is the same way with pink so.
What house would you be placed in Hogwarts?

Gryffindor

Coke or Dr pepper? :)

Coke. Lots of it (so bad for you but still...)

Thanks for the awesome interview Lola :)

Don't you want to read her book super bad now? Lucky for you we have two e-book copy's to giveaway.

Waiting on Wednesday: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

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

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Expected Publication Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

I want this book so bad it hurts. Here's why:

1. Divergent was absolutely fabulous and I know this one will be too.
2. The cover is gorgeous and it's over 500 pages and I just want to hold it in my hands.
3. All the book bloggers getting this book and reading it and posting teasers are making me crazy.
4. Four. I like him, I love him, I want some more of him :) 

P.S. this list is in no particular order. If it was Four would be at the top I just thought his name looked cute next to the number. I know I'm weird.

Torn Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:Self Puublished
First in a possible series
Isadora Rivers feels trapped. Her small town high school is suffocating her. Another day of wannabe gangsters, dumb jocks, and Barbie clones, and she'll just lose it. Her keen emotional sensitivity is to blame. She sees through all of the poser behavior to the pain and insecurity simmering just below the surface, and it's overwhelming. She feels like she's literally drowning in other people's emotions.
This same sensitivity, however, makes her a great actress. Suffocating or not, her high school is one of the top arts schools in the country. Acting is not only her passion, but it also looks like her way out. If she can just score the lead role in the school play, she might get herself noticed by a Hollywood agent. But she's got a strong reckless streak, and it keeps getting her in trouble and jeopardizing her chances.
Riding her bike at top speed, she swerves in front of a car and nearly gets hit. The driver, Tristan Blake, turns out to be the mysterious new boy at school. He's rebellious, broody, and wise beyond his years. He's also devastatingly gorgeous. From the moment their eyes meet, Isadora is irresistibly drawn to him. But as soon as he enters her life, things go horribly wrong. She begins having disturbing visions full of unimaginable glamour and unbearable darkness. He knows things about her he shouldn't. And he's somehow so familiar. As he at turns pulls her close, and then pushes her away, Isadora feels like her heart is being twisted and torn.
She soon discovers that her whole future is in jeopardy, and her only hope is to stay away from Tristan. But how can she turn away from the only boy she has ever loved? As a harrowing event looms closer, one that threatens to rip apart her psyche, Isadora must reach deep inside herself and find the strength to change her own destiny. But is she strong enough to do it?

Review
I really enjoyed this. It was a little confusing at times because it talks so much about the past. I think a prequel would be really cool.


Isadora had one annoying tendency. She was incredibly over dramatic. Other than that she was a good main character. Tristan was super cute. The fact that he was willing to give her up to keep her safe was sweet. His relationship with Isadora was a little rushed. Once they got together though they were super adorable.


The plot was pretty exciting. It was fast paced and it held my attention pretty well. There was tons of twists. Overall I really liked this. I'm hoping there will be a sequel. I highly recommend. 4/5 stars


Jasmine <3