Waiting on Wednesday #32

Feb 7th 2016 

Wintersong by S Jae Jones

Synopsis: Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

Now doesn't that sound EPIC?

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post our most anticipated releases!

Blue Tide by Jenna-Lynne Duncan

Title: Blue Tide
Author: Jenna-Lynne Duncan
Release Date: January 9th, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Adventure Romance
Source: From the author, Jenna-Lynne Duncan
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Synopsis: An award-winning YA adventure-packed romance steeped in Middle Eastern culture and set in the Asian Pacific amongst dangerous oceans and tropical islands.

Seventeen-year-old refugee Lux plots her escape from the island where her family is stranded, denying that her home was lost in the Floods. Lux is determined to get her old life back by any means possible. But before her feet even leave the sand, she's taken hostage by a vengeance-driven pirate nearly as young as she is.

Her capture is the key to his freedom...

Captain Draven’s scarf veils more than his face. Underneath, he struggles between morality and survival. When Lux sees deeper into his motivations, she’s torn. She can commit mutiny to escape to a home that may no longer exist, or she can try to help Draven escape the clutches of the person responsible for the deaths of half the world. Staying would mean entrusting her life to a pirate. Helping Draven would mean losing her heart to one.

Review:

"The essence of all experiences in love is that we don't love when we choose to, and we don't choose to when we love."

While this book was entertaining, it didn't blow me away. It is a thoroughly entertaining story with characters that are interesting, and a simple premise that leaves much room to be explored. I highly recommend if you are looking for a quick and fun read, because that's exactly what you get with this.

By far my favorite part of the story was all of the Arabic incorporated in. It was well done, and while I can't say anything about how good the incorporation of Arabic was, or how accurate the diverse portrayals were, I did myself enjoying it, and I was completely entranced in the story.

A few pros:

The storytelling was simple and easy to follow and it read SO quickly!

The character dynamics were interesting and they held a lot of interesting potential.

Liliou and Ahmed were both very interesting characters and I cannot wait to see them further explored in future installments. I also think that Draven was a character that I grew to appreciate. These characters definitely weren't two dimensional... Lux could be annoying but literally every other character made up for that. I looooved Lilou and wish we had more of her. (maybe somehow in book two?) Ahmed was my favorite character I just wish he had been fleshed out just a little more.

I really enjoyed the romance, even though it was tropey. I thought the first romance took the perfect amount of time to come to fruition. It took almost half the book and I truly appreciated it.

Cons:

I did feel at times the villain(s) fell a little flat, and didn't have much driving force besides being evil.

Where was the actual pirating? Like, seriously? I really wanted some pirate fighting and some actual pirating, but I didn't really find much of that within this novel. And that's mostly my fault for expecting more than I should have. If more pirating and battles had present I would have loved this novel, instead of just really liking it.

The love triangle was completely unnecessary. It didn't need to be there. It didn't bring much character development. (I mean, a little for Lux... but she still fawned over that boy WAY too quickly.)

Other thoughts:

Were the naming's of Lux and Draven intentionally referencing League of Legends? Because that's all I could think about for the first 20% of the book... Seriously. It killed me. I laughed a lot because of it.

Overall: I was entertained but not blown away. I think this is an adequate story, with fun themes and potential for an even better sequel, because Duncan's writing is definitely strong. And she can only improve with time. Thoroughly impressed and definitely looking forward to the sequel! definitely worth your time if you are looking for a quick read with some intriguing worldbuilding and some really cool characters (and the romance is pretty fun too)

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Waiting on Wednesday #31

January 31st 2016

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post our most anticipated releases!

Waiting on Wednesday #30

Caraval by Stephanie Garber Jan 31st

I could probably talk about my love and need for this book forever. I've already had the extreme pleasure of reading this beauty... and I do not say this lightly when I say... YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

Synopsis: Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post our most anticipated releases!

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Title: The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Page Count: 378
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Faeries
Rating: Entertaining
Source: Kindle Copy (influenced to purchase by Stacee!)
Links: Goodreads IndieBound Amazon Barnes & Noble
Synopsis:One girl's nightmare is this girl's faery tale

She's a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.

She's a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she's leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She's a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She's a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother's murder—but she'll have to save the world first.

The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller combines romance and action, steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read. 

Initial Thoughts: Thoroughly enjoyed. totally excited for the sequel.

loved Aileana! she was such a badass!

loooooooved Derrick and Gavin!

Really excited to see where this trilogy takes us!!!

Full review:

"But I've already grown so used to lying, I don't think I can do anything else."

^ Wholly relatable, Aileana.

Honestly, is this book something entirely unique? No

Does this book have stand out characters that are unforgettable? Maybe one or two.

Is this book set uniquely? Maybe? (actually not sure. Scotland isn't exactly a new place to set a novel)

Is this book something I've read before? Yes. Similar things exist in many places....

But do I care? Not really.

Because this book may not be unique and the writing isn't "blow me away good" but it still is very well written, and the characters and plot kept me intrigued. I was entertained by this novel. Enough to keep me reading. Enough to make me want to read the sequel. Enough to make me feel invested in these characters' fates. Enough to make me actually care about the fate of this world.

I loved the incorporation of fae and May did this in a way that I haven't seen before. I loved learning about them all, and I loved the little manifesto at the end that gives a more in-depth description of the fae and which ones are more dangerous and things such as that. (Plus, Derrick's comments within were as hilarious as he was within the novel)

I was so intrigued with the premise and the plot that, although there are some semi-uniteresting parts... I didn't care. I cared about the characters and their motivations. I cared about Aileana... even though she annoyed me a couple times. Not nearly as often as Kiaran did... GAH.

But I cared enough to ignore the fact that the love triangle bothered me. (And I'm only really commenting on this now) But gahh. I hate love triangles. Although it was small, and insignificant to the plot. It just seemed to be there. And both boys are actually necessary for her to reach her goal. There was something that was closer to the end that really intrigued me...

Speaking of the end, it left it so open for the sequel and that's what really makes me want to continue reading... how it ended. Because before the last 15-20% I really didn't have a lot I was over the moon in love with. A few cool sections weren't enough to have me fully invested. But authors like May know how to pull you in at the last moment and really make you care. I appreciated how she drew us in with this revenge plot. And although it stayed true to the idea, it became so much more than that.

You shouldn't turn down an offer to be cared for. Some people aren't fortunate enough to receive one."

Gavin was one of my favorite characters and I will be upset if we don't get more of him in the sequels. Derrick is lovable and snarky and sassy and everything I love in pixies (lol because I haven't read another book in recent time that have a pixie as a large character but still he's absolutely wonderful and can't wait to see more of him) Kiaran McKay isn't much more than a broody love interest. Aileana was pretty badass. And Catherine is a great friend throughout this novel and if I was in any of this situations I would need someone as strong and supportive as she is. I doubt we'll see much of her in the sequels but I sincerely hope we do.

Consensus: Tropes aside, The Falconer is an interesting novel with good writing, some steampunk mixed in lightly, and a compelling story one I think is worth a read. It's a real quick read and the side characters really make the story, at least for me.

Waiting on Wednesday #29

Crave the Mark by Veronica Roth Jan 17th

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post our most anticipated releases!

eARC Review: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Title: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
Author: Chelsea Sedoti
Page Count: 398
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars!
Source: eARC via Netgalley!
Links: Goodreads IndieBound Amazon Barnes & Noble
Synopsis:
A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.

(Personally think the book holds SO much more than this synopsis shows.)

Consensus: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is a poignant, passionate, story that is both heartbreaking and hilarious, often at the same time. The story shows Hawthorn's thirst for adventure and her quest to solve her own loneliness. There are so many layers to this book and I really cannot stress how important this book is. Please read it.

I have so many things to say about The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, and many of them are completely incoherent but I am going to try my best... (I'm starting this review with my thoughts the second time through and then delving back into the incoherent thoughts of my initial read through.)

Me while reading this book:

I was sneaking pages everywhere my first time reading this!

And I was HOOKED. Completely. I hadn't intended on reading it when I picked it up in May... but a very compelling voice pulled me in and didn't let me go. It'll do the same for you.

SECOND READ:

"Cities let you blend in. There are so many people that it doesn't matter if you're weird or if no one likes you, because there's probably someone even worse off. And if you're really lucky, you might even meet people who are weird in the exact same way you are and feel like you've finally found a place where you fit in."

The second read through The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, I really paid attention to quotes, and the little things rather than the overarching story as I did the first time through... And I loved this book just as much the second time through.

Hawthorn, our main character, has such a unique and snarky voice. She is full of self-loathing and self-pity, and it can be overbearing at times. She is annoying as hell, and super selfish... throughout most of the book. But that's what makes her so great. She is real. So fucking real. I have met so many people like her... and usually the "I'm nothing special. I'm misunderstood. Nobody likes me" kind of trope is something I would make fun of... Yet for some reason, the way Hawthorn described it... I believed her. I believed in her. I believed her faults, I loved her faults, I loved the way she wished for these little inconveniences:

"I wished Mychelle and her stupid jock buddy would win the lottery and lose the ticket.

I wished they would only ever be able to take cold showers.

I wished every glass of lemonade they drank for the rest of their lives would be just a little too sour"

Hawthorn is petty af, and I adore it. I relate to this on a spiritual level. Honestly, my note while reading this part was "Petty af and I love it"

She would go from saying something super real that broke my heart like:

"What's wrong with you?" my brother asked.

"Nothing," I said, trying to calm myself with a deep breath. "Or maybe everything. It could go either way."

ME TOO HAWTHORN. ME TOO. That's why I connected so much with this book. It's not the story itself that's inherently emotional. (I mean, it is..) But it's the themes that Sedoti drives home through Hawthorn's unique narrative.

but she would go into crazy theories about werewolves, and lycanthropy and everything that really suspends this disbelief. I loved it for entirely different reasons.

There are some gem of quotes in here too:

"Confusion is like curiosity- it reminds us we're alive. To not feel confused means we no longer care. Not caring is death."

Sundog reminds me of my senior year English teacher... and I love the zen inspirational quality about his words. (Sundog is a hippie, basically)

I loved Hawthorn's character development and how she grows throughout the book. She does a lot of back and forth but still manages (in the long run) to move forward. She definitely knows who she is and I admire that.

The relationships in this book are super interesting to explore... From Emily and Hawthorn's friendship, to Hawthorn and Sundog's mentorship, to the familial dynamics of the rest of Hawthorn's family and her. They were real. The parents were present and my god do I appreciate that.

Seriously. Hawthorn was a terrible friend to Emily and I really enjoy how Sedoti explored their friendship and the ups and downs because it felt so, so real. I have personally had a friendship like that... and witnessed many others. It's real, and I think Sedoti did an excellent job portraying it on the page.

I really like this quote  and think it is the point of the story:

"You only know the part of the story people want you to see."

It's powerful! Way to go Sedoti! Your debut blew me away! I know this book is something that some readers will click with and others won't... but it totally clicked for me. Very happy to have read this... and I really hope I convinced you to read it as well :)

FIRST READ THROUGH THOUGHTS:

SPOILER FREE SECTION:

Hawthorn Creely is our narrator, our protagonist, our voice for this journey. The journey being the mysterious disappearance of Lizzie Lovett, glorified cheerleader, highly-praised, happy-go-luck-get-everything-she-wants-girl... and Hawthorn is borderline obsessed with her. She's obsessed with her disappearance, obsessed with things that happened before she disappeared, obsessed that she is not as good as her... It's quite annoying... yet it's all entirely understandable... if you have ever felt like Hawthorn, you understand her thought process, you understand her motivations for everything.
Hawthorn is very lonely and misunderstood, and beautiful. The loneliness really drives her. It's her motivation for just about every decision she makes. She is flawed and unreliable and she really isn't the best friend most of the time, but that's also due to the fact she doesn't always understand social cues because she has spent so much time thinking, feeling like every person is out to persecute her. Nothing is going her way. Nobody really likes her. She is having troubles with her best friend. Her family is slightly crazy.

Hawthorn puts up a façade but doesn't really do it very well. She thinks she does at time... and then quickly reverts back to complaining, and being upset. Most of the time this is justified.
And then Hawthorn starts investigating Lizzie's disappearance with none other than Lizzie's boyfriend himself. She comes up with crazy theories, and they are quite hilarious to be honest. And also really interesting. I loved them. I loved learning about her thoughts, her world. It was also great to see how Lorenzo saw her.

I disliked their friendship, but that would be my only complaint. But that was the point. I wasn't supposed to like it.

I'm trying to be vague, but I am gonna need to go to the spoilery section now

WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS STARTING NOW.

I laughed so hard at all of the crazy things that happened. The werewolf thing was insane and the fact that Enzo actually encouraged Hawthorn was insane.

I also cried my eyes out a few times. I teared up a bit when Enzo took Hawthorn's virginity. I thought it was a very fucked up thing to do. It pissed me off. I was angry. I wanted to kill him. It was just not good. It made me uncomfortable. But it was also a PHENOMENALLY written scene.

When everything is finally played out... I bawled for a good twenty minutes. I understood Hawthorn's pain. The one thing Lizzie said in the locker room Hawthorn's freshman year impacted her in the most meaningful way. I loved it. I loved how Hawthorn's pain was palpable. It killed me inside. My heart broke reading those pages.

It really put into perspective how different people cope with different things. Hawthorn talks about them hoping someone will notice. Lizzie, she... left her life behind. And my goodness did that kill me.

Hawthorn questions how somebody could possibly feel so much pain when their life is so perfect and boy did that resonate with me. I feel like my pain is unimportant sometimes, and not something that should be felt because my pain isn't enough/ as bad as somebody elses. It really feels horrible, but everyone's pain is important.

END OF SPOILERS. MORE THOUGHTS.

I also loved the familial dynamics in the book. Rush was honestly such a realistic brother. Also, the parents felt really real to me and I truly appreciate that. 

I also loved Emily and her friendship with Hawthorn. IT was all super realistic and showed the true meaning of friendship.

AND MY FAVORITE.

I loved Connor so so so much. His cute pet name for Hawthorn was Thorny and it was adorable and I really just wanted them to get together every single page they were on together. Some of my favorite scenes were with Connor and Hawthorn!

READ THIS BOOK!