Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Dutton Books 
Source: Conference
Stand Alone
I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
I’m the friend of a dead girl.
I’m the lover of my enemy.
And I will have my revenge.
In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.
Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.

Review
This story sucks you in and never lets you go. It was almost addicting! I very much enjoyed it! 

This tells the story of Frances. She's one of three survivors of the tragic Persephone accident. No one knows the truth. She's determined to get revenge. 

Frances was a fabulous character. I loved her complexity. I loved getting to see her fight for herself and all the people who suffered in the accident. I loved that she showed no fear and never gave up. She was very quick witted. I loved getting to see her deal with her past and her problems. This had a pretty fabulous set of secondary characters. I loved seeing Frances earn everyone's trust and learn to let people in. 

I was very drawn to this story when I first heard about it. I absolutely adored the concept and the plot. It was action packed and exciting. It was incredibly unpredictable. It really keeps you on your toes. Overall I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was incredibly well done! 

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Conference
First book in the Thunder Road series
An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.
Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 
Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 
No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.


Review
Katie McGarry has done it again! This book was absolutely amazing in every way possible. 

This tells the story of Emily. A death in the family has made her reconnect with her dads side of the family or so she thought. Things aren't as they seem to be in Snowflake, Kentucky. 

I really enjoyed all of these characters. Emily was very sarcastic and determined. I loved getting to see her learn to accept her past and her family. Oz was pretty hot stuff! I loved how strong he was. J loved how protective he was over Emily. K loved that he didn't take anyone's crap. Family is a huge aspect of this story. It might have been my favorite part. I loved seeing Emily grow relationships with everyone and connect with her hometown. 

This book has an amazing storyline! It has family issues and motorcycles and tons of action and romance. I loved how unpredictable it was. I loved how fun and exciting everything was. I couldn't put this down to save my life. There wasn't a single aspect I didn't enjoy! I thought this book was absolute perfection! 

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Conference
Second book in the To All The Boys I've Loved Before series
Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

Review
I was a little hesitant to read this. I was worried it wouldn't have the same things I loved about the first book. But it's safe to say this didn't disappoint! This was an absolutely amazing sequel!

 This continues Lara Jean's story. She's unsure where she stands with Peter. As she tries to get things figured out, someone from her past shows up. Lara Jean struggles with herself and her two boys,

I have so much love for these characters. I loved getting to see Lara Jean explore her feelings and relationships. I loved that she never gave up for lost herself. I thought John made a fabulous addition to this story. But, it's Peter who really has my heart. I absolutely adore him! I loved that he didn't stop fighting for Lara Jean. I really enjoyed their relationship. It was very easy to relate too.

I really enjoyed this storyline. I loved that we got to see a bunch of Lara Jean and Peter before John came into the picture. I loved getting to see the relationship tested. I loved that I couldn't predict the outcome. This was not surprisingly a one sitting read for me. I really couldn't have imagined a better sequel. I thought this story was perfect! 

The Cage by Megan Shepard Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Conference
First book in The Cage series
The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy.
When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.
Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.
As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

Review
I have some mixed feelings about this one. It had its good and it's bad things. It was just okay for me. 

This tells the story of Cora. Things haven't been easy for her lately. She's given an unwelcome fresh start when she wakes up in a strange land with a couple strangers. No matter how good this world may be, it will never be enough for Cora. 

I didn't connect with the characters much. They were very average. I honestly found Cora super annoying. She was indecisive and a little selfish at times. Cassian just confused me. I didn't understand his relationship with Cora at all. It was kinda weird. I enjoyed the side characters but they didn't wow me. 

This had a very creative concept to it. I really enjoyed the setting and world building. I wish that things had been explained a little more. It was a tad confusing at times. Most of the time I had no idea what was happening or why it was important. It was a little slow. Most of the action was at the end. Overall this was just okay! It did have some awesome aspects to it. So even though I wasn't wowed, I would still enjoy seeing more of the story! 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Conference
First book in a possible series
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Review
This was my first experience with this author. It's safe to say, I was impressed. I really enjoyed this story! 

This tells the story of Feyre. She's the only provider in her family. Things go awry on one of her hunts. She's forced to kill a wolf just to survive. Little does she know killing that wolf will come back to bite her. 

I really loved Feyre. She had an amazing strength. I loved that she didn't take any crap babe was very smart and determined. I really enjoyed Tamlin and Lucien. Lucien was absolutely hilarious. Tamlin was very unique. I loved that he didn't push Feyre. I loved that their relationship was slow. 

This story was crazy unique. I loved the darkness of it. I loved how mysterious it was. It was like Beauty and the Beast gone Farie. I loved it! I couldn't put it down to save my life. It was definitely a one sitting read for me. I thought everything was well done and fabulous. I cannot wait to see what else this author can do! 

Waiting on Wednesday: Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

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

My pick this week is:

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Expected publication: May 26th 2015 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

I’m the daughter of murdered parents.

I’m the friend of a dead girl.

I’m the lover of my enemy.

And I will have my revenge.

In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.

Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose

I picked this pretty up at TLA. I've actually never read a book by this author but this one sounds amazing! That synopsis really drew me in! 

What are you guys waiting on? Let us know in the comments!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Conference
First book in the An Ember in the Ashes series
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review
I was very impressed by this story. It was very dark and unique. Once I picked it up, there was no hope for me. 

This tells the story of Laia. Her brother has been taken by the Masks and the rest of her family has been killed. If she's going to save her brother, she must join the Resistance. 

I really enjoyed all the characters. Laia had amazing strength and determination. She was incredibly brave. Elias was a pretty complex character. I loved his outlook on things. He really just made the best of what he had. I loved getting to see him stand up for himself and what he believed in. We really got to see these characters struggle and that made everything seem more real. This book has a fabulous set of secondary chapters! I loved the good vs bad vibe to them. 

This book has a very dark and twisted storyline. I loved the world building. It was very fast paced and unpredictable. I really enjoyed the complexity of this story. It was very original and well done. Overall, I loved this story. It was unlike anything I've ever read! I definitely have my fingers crossed for a sequel! 

Texas Librarian Association 2015 Conference

It's that time of year again! TLA 2015 has just passed. We traveled to Austin this year. So we packed up another car and took a rode trip! We ended up staying in the same hotel as Bex so we had trashed the hotel room and ate more junk food than was needed. 

As always we want to give a big thank you to all the publishers and the authors and everyone involved! TLA is our favorite time of the year and we're so grateful to be able to participate!

We had a crazy signing schedule this year. We got to meet so many amazing authors and the lines weren't even that bad! We aren't going to show off the books but they'll be featured in our monthly wrap ups as we read them! Check out all our pictures and be sure to keep an eye out for giveaways!

Us with Marie Lu. Us with Katie McGarry. And, Jasmine with Suzanne Young.

Us with Victoria Scott. Us with Lauren Oliver. And, us with Sherry Thomas.

Us with Alexandra Bracken and Mary E. Pearson.

Us with Julie Murphy and Gena Showalter.

The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Putman Juvenile 
Source: Conference
First book in the Wrath and the Dawn series
A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Review
I think I could read this book a thousand times over and never get tired of it. I'm kinda in awe of this story!

This tells the story of Shazi. Every dawn brings a new death. Shazi has volunteered to be next. She's determined to end the murders. But once Shazi gets to know the prince, her thoughts get a little clouded. 

I have so much love for these characters. Shazi was absolutely amazing. I loved how genuine she was. I loved that she never stopped looking for answers. I loved that she always gave people a chance. Khalid has my entire heart in his hands. I loved his complexity. I loved how even though he was a monster, he tried to make up for all that he had done. He still had a little human in him. I loved the relationship between Shazi and Khalid. I loved how complex and unique it was. It the tension was absolute perfection.

This story is addicting. I literally could not get enough of it. I loved how dark and mysterious it was. I loved how unpredictable it was. It was incredibly complex. I don't think there was a single aspect to this story I didn't enjoy. I have so much love for this story. I feel like I could fangirl about it forever. If you haven't read this book, you need to get right on that! 

April Monthly Wrap Up

We are so sorry our wrap up didn't go up last month. It totally slipped our minds! So we're gonna post our March and our April videos on the same post! 

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Jasmine's March Wrap Up

Jasmine's April Wrap Up

Marissa's March Wrap Up

Marissa's April Wrap Up

Waiting on Wednesday: Dangerous Deception by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

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

My pick this week is:

Dangerous Deception by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 

 Expected publication: May 19th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

From the world of Beautiful Creatures--a dangerous new tale of love and magic continues in the sequel to Dangerous Creatures.

Love is ten kinds a crazy, right?

Let me put it to you this way: If you can get away, run. Don't walk.

Because once you're exposed, you'll never get a Siren outta your head.

Some loves are cursed. Others are...dangerous. Especially the love between wannabe rocker and quarter Incubus, Wesley "Link" Lincoln, and Dark Caster, Siren, and bonafide bad girl, Ridley Duchannes.

But now Ridley is missing, and Link was with her-right up until she vanished. Determined to find her, Link reunites with his New York bandmates and the mysterious Lennox Gates, who wants Rid for himself. Together they travel to the deep south, find the crossroads where blues guitarist Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil, discover a menagerie of Casters locked in cages, and uncover an evil in New Orleans that threatens to destroy them all.

This time, love might not be enough.

Beautiful Creatures is one of my ALL TIME favorite series'. I have so much love for these characters and these authors. I cannot wait to get my hands on this pretty and see what trouble Ridley is getting into ;)

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Conference
Stand Alone
When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.


Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Review
This was such a fun read! I loved that even while being a cute, fun contemporary, it still had a lot of real life problems behind it. 

This tells the story of Gia. She's the most popular girl at her school. Prom is going to be the best night ever, until her boyfriend breaks up with her the night of the event. Her friends are desperate to see that he's a real person and she isn't just making him up. Gia must think fast if she's going to make it through the night.

The best part of this story is Gia's character growth. She had an amazing personality but we really got to see her grow and change as well. I loved how maturely she handled everything. She always tried to just make the best of her situation. Bec and Hayden made the best additions to this story. I loved how they really cared about Gia and wanted to help her but they didn't baby her. 

I really enjoyed this story line. I thought it was super fun and relatable. I liked that it wasn't solely focused on the relationship between Hayden and Gia but more on the characters individually. I loved getting to see Gia find herself and become a better person. This was a one sitting read for me. I thought it was very well done! I really love the way this author writes contemporary. She's become one of my favorites!