Recap: Tahereh Mafi, Ransom Riggs and Veronica Rossi Book Signing in Manila. #VTRinPH

Yes, there's really a hashtag for the event. How awesome is that?

I didn't sleep much the previous night, because this was easily one of the most anticipated events in my YA book blogging/ book lover life. THREE New York Times bestselling authors in one event? National Bookstore just keeps on arranging these awesome events and now they've brought the big guns out with this! I've met Tahereh and Ransom the previous year, but what upped the excitement for me was the fact that I'd also get to meet THE Veronica Rossi herself. Filipinos have always been enthusiastic about events like this, and if you don't believe me, let me show you this:

At 10 am, the mall was open for about 10 minutes and I see this. PEOPLE! TONS OF PEOPLE!

I arrived at the venue with Leslie @ The Bibliophile Kid before Powerbooks even opened! I always look forward to meeting these wonderful authors up close and interacting with them and despite the lack of sleep, that got be going throughout the day. And I am always thankful for the chance given to me to be able to at least ask them questions about their works and the way they write. Couple that with the fact that I get to see my blogger friends again and I knew it was bound to be an amazing event!

And then they arrive, and I start shaking because that anticipation to see them seriously gets to you and when you see them up close, larger than life, you think "Oh my God, I love this author's book and now he/she's in front of me."

A quick rundown of things that happened:

- Before the Q&A started, Ransereh opted to share a mic. MY HEART! A few things had to be rushed so we started asking questions almost immediately. Ransom and Tahereh's flight arrived here in Manila at 4 am and they were clearly jetlagged, but we still had fun!
- We prepared shirts filled with quotes from the authors books and as Ransom said, it was clearly okay to check our bodies out.
- I had a chance to ask V. Rossi a VERY LONG question, and it was this: "Perry's from Outside and Aria's from Reverie and they were initially at odds with each other, with their own prejudices for each other to deal with, but then they realize that they aren't really different. When you were writing the novel, did you intend for your story to explore this particular kind of "social/cultural differences"?" And V. Rossi said yes, it was her intention from the start, and she wanted her characters to eventually deal with their differences themselves.
- V. Rossi has a new adult book coming out under the pen name Noelle August, and for her it started with a Skype conversation with a friend and they decided to write it. For her, it was a fun book to write and when asked if she had difficulties in transitioning from writing YA dystopian to NA, she said it wasn't, because the UtNS series has more of herself in it than her NA book.
- For those who are wondering if Tahereh knows who Juliette was going to end up with while she was writing the novel, she said she did. Hah!
- When asked which characters Tahereh would like to be friends with in their books, she said Kenji in her series, who is like a combination of her brothers, Roar from V. Rossi's series and Emma from Ransom's Miss Peregrine series.
- Ransom had a hard time answering this question: If his books were made into a picture, what picture would it be? He said it'll be a real heart, beating and with blood. (Creepy!)
- Ransom said he didn't really write controversial books, so when people disagree with what he's written, he still reads those messages!
- When asked what message V. Rossi wants her readers to get out of her UtNS series it was that she wanted her readers to take away the one they wanted to hear the most, but in the end there are two ideas: treat others well, love and kindness and that one can be happy and find happiness. Home, and the idea of it. Is it a place? The people in your life? Home means you.
- Also, people tend to say how Juliette is weak and whiny in the books, but Tahereh intentionally wrote her that way because she wanted people to see how she grows. Tahereh likes this idea of women who are physically weak but strong mentally, and that's what Juliette was.

(Thanks to Louisse of The Soul Sisters & Kate from The Bookaholic blurbs for some of the points from the rundown)

We also had the chance to have our books signed and we also got to take our pictures with these amazing authors. V. Rossi is really nice, and I like how both Ransom and Tahereh were still chatting with us despite being jetlagged!

More deets while they were signing:

- There were literally piles of books on V. Rossi's feet because she had a lot to sign! And I like how she puts messages in every single one of them, including a temp tattoo and a bookmark!
- When Ransom ran out of books to sign, he was waving around his silver sharpie and he said he wanted to sign more. We offered our shirts.
- Ransom calls it "defacing humans". Tahereh defaces books, he defaces humans!
- I wanted to make small talk with Tahereh, but when I was in front of her, I forgot what I was about to say. So glad she recognized me and remembered seeing me last year as well. And she's got awesome shoes and I love her Kate Spade bag that looks like a typewriter! (Check out Louisse's recap so you can see Tahereh's shoes!)

Also! I was wearing a shirt with a Tahereh quote and she signed it! And I ran over to V. Rossi and she signed my shirt too! Behold the awesomeness:

I wanted to go to the public signing with my fellow book blogger friends but in between the crowd and waking up real early just so I can be there in time to give out the shirts and register for the forum, I was too tired to try and squeeze myself in and battle with the sea of people. But you gotta see it! What a sight. There was more than 2000 people waiting in line just to have their books signed. Amazing!

Photo from Kate of The Bookaholic Blurbs

Overall it was a day well spent with friends, book lovers and fellow bookworms. Laughing with these people and discussing our mutual passion for the books that we read is what I'm really looking forward to doing whenever we have a signing to attend. The perks is just the icing to the cake, and we're lucky to be able to get this chance to meet and talk to our favorite authors! I cannot thank you enough, National Bookstore, for organizing this!

Check out other signing recaps here:

Louisse of The Soul Sisters
Kate of The Bookaholic Blurbs
Chyna of Lite-Rate-Ture
Jesselle of The Lifelong Bookworm
Hazel of Stay Bookish
Lyra of Defiantly Deviant
Kazhy of My Library in the Making

As an extra, if you don't mind dizzying videos and hearing me say "awww" and basically swoon at the three of them, check this video with a lovely message from the three of them:

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Goddess Offerings (41) / Stacking the Shelves (23)

This is actually a place holder post, since I totally forgot I had this to schedule, but I totally forgot. So no pictures, sorry! Anyway!

Stacking the Shelves hosted is by Tynga's reviews! So leave a comment below and share your own haul!

For review:

Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav
The Boundless by Kenneth Opel
Infinite Sky by CJ Flood
There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos
Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber

Bought:
See Me by Wendy Higgins
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

From THE awesome Bec Fitzpatrick:
Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

eARCs:

Driftwood : A California Road Trip Novel
Don't Touch
Feral
Dolls
Rites of Passage
The Swap
Kiss of Broken Glass
Red at Night by Katie McGarry
You Are Here by Liz Fichera
The Oversight by Charlie Fletcher
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Thank you so much Simon & Schuster Asia, Bec Fitzpatrick, and Skypony Press!

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ARC Review: The Hunt (Project Paper Doll #2) by Stacey Kade

The sound effects you'll hear if you were sitting beside me while I was writing this review was the sound of me bashing up the keys on my laptop.

I haven't been this affected of a cliffhanger in a long while, and then The Hunt came.

Title: The Hunt (Project Paper Doll #2) by Stacey Kade
Release Date: April 22nd 2014
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher (Thanks Hyperion peeps!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.

But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.

Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

The events in The Hunt immediately follows what happened after Ariane and Zane escaped GTX. Now they're on the run, trying to get as far away as they could from the company that made Ariane who she is: half-human and half-extra terrestrial. With the rival corporations hot on her heels to eliminate a "superior specimen", was running enough for Ariane to gain the freedom she wants to have and be normal? Or can she stand up and fight for herself once and for all?

There were so many things going on at once that I felt like I was in over my head even at the start of the book.The dynamics in Zane and Ariane's relationship were shifting wildly while they were on the run. While Ariane is torn between leaving Zane behind for his safety, Zane was mulling over the potential repercussions of him being there. Ariane was, in all ways superior than he will ever be. That struggle in Zane's part was what made his interactions with Ariane so enjoyable for me. Oftentimes you'll see the guy always taking charge, always the one with the solution, but Zane finds himself powerless more times than he can count, and he knows it. The gap that the fact that he's human and Ariane was partially not was bigger than what I expected, what with the way Ariane was treated and seen in the eyes of outsiders. At one point I felt as frustrated as Zane with everyone, seeing Ariane treated the way she was: an experiment, an abomination, inhuman. Why can't she be treated better?

The story was pushed forward in a good pace with the actions Ariane took in solving her current dilemma. Her persistence to end the sick kind of competition the tech corporations were having was admirable, though a bit irritating at times, but it just goes to show that she too was human. She makes mistakes, is rash and sometimes ruled over by her emotions. She was "more" in this novel, more responsive, more emotional, stronger, more in conflict with herself. You get the sense that something was happening, that she was trying to do something. The addition of Ford, Carter and Nixon to the story is an interesting twist that moved the story further. Ford is an interesting character. Her motives were questionable, but she was someone worth taking a closer look at, so much like Ariane and not like her at the same time. Just a piece of advice: never get attached to any new character you come across.

The Hunt has a wonderful combination of being a thriller with romance and all the sci-fi elements that had all the action packed, catch your breath type of scenes that was lacking in the first book. I loved how I get more out of this novel than the first one! Peppered with scenes alternating from cute to hot, giving us more answers, and more amazing developments in the story that made this such an occupying read that will make you realize you're near the end and you still wish there are twenty more pages just so it doesn't end at once. But it did, and the cliffhanger was the killer moment of this book. Just when you thought there was more to it, that you have more seconds to enjoy it and soak in the adrenaline rush, there was none. It ends there, and the rush of feelings catches up with you and you sit there stunned, trying to process what happened and wonder why it ended there.

Stacey Kade masterfully captures a reader's attention with this amazing follow up to The Rule, and you wouldn't want to let go even when you reach the last page. What an intense, roller coaster ride! And what a clever, evil way to end it! But then the realization comes that there at least is a third book to look forward to. If you're looking for a fast paced read which you can breeze through in a flourish, pick up a copy of this book, will you? With the way The Hunt ended, I am desperate more than ever to find out how this deadly game of hide and seek ends, and what's left to look forward to in Ariane's story.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Zane! The one star removal was my frustration for the rest of the characters in the story. I often find myself saying "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?" and "Are you seriously human!?". With Zane's mom, the doctors, Zane's dad and sometimes even Ford, Nixon and Carter. Can't Ariane catch a break? Can't Zane catch a break?

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
It's creepy and eerie, but that best describes what the book is really about.

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Review: The Rule of Three by Eric Walters

When disaster strikes, one must remember The Rule of Three. A person can last 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. But what will happen to a modern world rife with technology, when everything that runs with a computer shuts down?

Chaos descends.

Title: The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
Release Date: January 21st 2014
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Publisher (Thanks Andrew!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Dpository

Summary:

One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley’s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam’s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival, in The Rule of Three by Eric Walters.

It started with an electrical outage that quickly escalates into something big, something countrywide, something that might be a global catastrophe. At first Adam was thankful that his ancient car still works, but when everything else wasn't working, Adam starts to think that something else might be happening. As the quest to find answers starts, Adam finds himself in the middle of a community that was slowly breaking down, and with a mother as a cop and a mysterious, old neighbor who knows more than any of them does, it was up to them to save their community.

This book was one of those reads that made me feel terrified and extremely curious at the same time. Why? Because it was all too close to reality, and the possibility of it happening is very, very big and very very real. Technology has been a big part of their lives for most people, some treat it as the cornerstone of their existence. What happens when it's suddenly gone?

Adam is an interesting character. Smart, quiet, reliable and a little laid-back compared to his friend Todd. His first and only concern before was how to confess to the girl he likes, but even that took a set back when the breakdown happened. Suddenly Adam is this kid who flies planes, thinks of plans to protect the community he lives in and defend it from attackers. An unlikely hero, and one you don't expect to be taking that role at all. And Herb's mere presence was enough to make it sound like a big conspiracy that happens worldwide. The old man's intuition was never wrong, and he seemed prepared for when the world as they know it goes down the drain in the blink of an eye. He was smart, cunning, fearless with that uncanny ability to pacify people, even better than Adam's mother. Who really is Herb?

The Rule of Three is a terrifying sneak peek into a world that has been transformed into a stark, new reality where society is fragmented into smaller groups scrambling to have peace and order, where the key to survival is to become self-sustaining, where violence is common, where danger follows everywhere. Everything has started to become startling simple and complicated at the same time. Farming has become the way to sustain life, plumbing and irrigation are a priority and communities have become territories to invade and fight over for resource. Alliances must be formed, enemies must be thwarted, and outsiders are killed. It's a frightening setting, and Eric Walters injected just the right amount of shock in the grim picture he painted for a world where everything is suddenly scarce. Resiliency and adaptability. Leadership and initiative to restore what was in chaos. These are some of the traits and themes showcased by the book. The Rule of Three had personified people who possess amazing traits needed to keep a community alive and showed the ugly side of a world in complete disorder.

Eric Walters is a master storyteller, easily sustaining the palpable tension throughout the book while delivering a story filled with heart stopping scenes and dire situations, a wide range of memorable characters, even a bit of romance and a healthy amount of scare in a story that seemed all too real.

A terribly fascinating, scary read, and it's only the beginning. I cannot wait to see what happens next! That felt like someone pumped too much adrenaline on my system. What a rush of a read! Fast paced, action filled!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I really thought this was a stand alone novel. Is it? Because with the way it ended, you cannot convince me that there's no sequel. But if there's not... how can it end there? It made the book feel so incomplete after all that Adam and his community had went through!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Kind of similar to Monument 14's cover, no? That kind of chaos presented in the cover which gives you an idea of what you're really about to read.

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Waiting on Wednesday (147): The Walled City + Dissonance

Gearing up for Saturday's mega fabulous signing! Haha, so forgive me if this post is a bit rushed.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
Release Date: November 4th 2014
Published by: Little, Brown

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run.

Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there run drugs or work in brothels—or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.

Why I'm waiting for The Walled City:

Because it sounds seriously awesome. I'm not sure if it's just because the summary was written in a way that'll make a person curious to know more (as all summaries are supposed to do), but come on. A lawless labyrinth. Gangs. A girl who wants to get out of a walled city to save her sister. Imagine the adrenaline rush it'll bring. The adrenaline filled, action packed scenes. That makes me unusually excited, wow. Sign me up for this!

Title: Dissonance (Dissonance #1) by Erica O'Rourke
Release Date: July 22nd 2014
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.

But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.

Why I'm waiting for Dissonance:

Two words: Alternate universes! Or fine, parallel words! (Still two words.) I've never read a book that deals with what happens in other worlds, or the "roads less travelled", so this one sure made me curious. What a fresh sounding concept!

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What are your picks this week?

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ARC Review: Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley

She speaks the truth, and nothing but the truth.
And where Aria Morse lives, that can get her into all sorts of trouble.

Title: Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley
Release Date: April 8th 2014
Published by: Soho Teen
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ms. Jenny!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Dpository

Summary:

Ask Aria Morse anything, and she must answer with the truth. Yet she rarely understands the cryptic words she‘s compelled to utter. Blessed—or cursed—with the power of an Oracle who cannot decipher her own predictions, she does her best to avoid anyone and everyone.

But Aria can no longer hide when Jade, one of the few girls at school who ever showed her any kindness, disappears. Any time Aria overhears a question about Jade, she inadvertently reveals something new, a clue or hint as to why Jade vanished. But like stray pieces from different puzzles, her words never present a clear picture.

Then there’s Alex, damaged and dangerous, but the first person other than Jade to stand up for her. And Will, who offers a bond that seems impossible for a girl who’s always been alone. Both were involved with Jade. Aria may be the only one who can find out what happened, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she becomes a target. Not everyone wants the truth to come out.

Aria cannot lie. When she hears a question, she is forced to answer, and the answer she gives is always the truth. This ability of hers led Aria to become a loner, because who would want a friend who always speaks the truth? Granted her responses are oftentimes cryptic, but all the same, Aria lives her life being treated as a freak with only her grandparents appreciating her. And then a string of murders happen, and all of a sudden the burden that was Aria's ability is the only key to find out who the murder is.

This I will admit: it was hard connecting with Aria. She had retreated so far inside her shell that it was hard to figure her out at all. It was hard to grasp her character, and for a while the only thing that was interesting about her is her ability to speak the truth, albeit in riddles. The way she answers is both clever and amusing at times, which makes her character a little more likeable. But the more I think about it, the more I sympathized with her, because she had to answer any question she hears whether she liked it or not. It was a tiring effort, and in high school it labels her as a freak of nature, when all she wants is to be normal.

Then Alex and Will appeared, and all of a sudden her small world filled with isolation is suddenly too small for her. Where Will was easy to figure out because everything seems to be what it looks like upfront, Alex was the complete opposite, grumpy, mysterious and suspicious. The contrast of their characters and their interactions with Aria drew her personality out gradually. I had reservations for both of them, because the way the story was structured makes one want to be suspicious of anyone and everyone. I was automatically drawn to Will, but Alex is a character worth scrutinizing, which made the romantic angle a little more interesting.

Although it was fairly easy to figure out who the killer was even before I was halfway through the book, that didn't make the reading experience less enjoyable, because Kimberly Pauley managed to inject the fear and the crazy with the glimpses of what goes on behind the mind of the murderer. Twisted and dark and a little bit spine-chilling. The fascinating part for me is when I try to reconcile this distorted part with what was presented to the readers, and see just how deceiving appearances can be and how the author managed to disguise that in a character. You'd think "who would have thought?" and I still can't help but think of how it was possible.

Deciphering the clues that come out for Aria's mouth coupled with the fast paced pace that the story set from the onset is what made this book such a good paranormal mystery thriller. The author managed to entice readers with the missing puzzle pieces in what Aria knew and what was really going on and putting them together was what held a reader's interest like mine until the very end. Once you get to know the reasons, motivations and the driving force behind the murders, you get this complete picture of the story that gives it a chilly edge. Kimberly Pauley managed to write a thoroughly engaging and a wholly enjoyable story. Ask Me had a good balance of romance and mystery that makes it a gratifyingly good thriller!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Quick read! I finished this in half a day and I had such a fun time putting everything together. Although the motivations and reasons behind the murder seems to be a little bit too juvenile and maybe ordinary, it doesn't take away the fact that it made the story enjoyable! Also, I was rooting for someone else for Aria, but the romance angle didn't ended up the way I predicted it to, which was quite a pleasant surprise for me!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
I love how the cover seems to get you into the right mood to read this story.

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Review: Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

I've grown up reading fairy tales with princes sweeping princesses off their feet, and that's how it's always been. Who would have thought that these tales can be re-imagined into something new that can pique a reader's interest?

Title: Gilded Ashes (Cruel Beauty Universe) by Rosamund Hodge
Release Date: April 1st 2014
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Source: Bought
Buy: Amazon

Summary:

Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.

Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?

The word "dark" wasn't mentioned in the summary, but if I had one word I can use to describe this novel, it's that. Dark. Yes, this is such a rich and fantastical reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale, but it's also one that feels closer to the original Cinderella tale because it's more than a fairy tale. Can you even call it a fairy tale?

There's a lot of elements in this novella that worked so well for me, better than Cruel Beauty ever did. First, Maia's aversion to love. Who would have thought? A heroine NOT disillusioned by love, but only sees the cruel things and misfortunes it brings. That in itself seemed like something new to me, and the very foundation of Maia's character was her thoughts on the various pains, difficulties, burdens and limits love can bring. She doesn't know why her younger stepsister wants to get close to her, why her older sister craves her mother's love which she knew she wouldn't get. Maia had to smile and pretend she's happy even with the volatile temperament of her stepmother and her cruelty, because if not then her own mother, now a ghost, would act on it, and Maia knew what happens to people who do not love her.

Second, Anax. I was pleasantly surprised with the way Anax's character was set up in the story. He was exactly the kind of prince I didn't expect to like. He knows he's the son of a duke and he knows what that position entails, and he's not really happy with it. Like Maia, he's through with love,  blinded by his feelings once and not trusting to love again, opting to marry a random girl he'll choose when midnight comes at the ball his father is organizing. That is, until he met the lowly servant in a drab, gray dress who insists he marry her mistress because she's not the kind to love. Anax is witty and smart, and he has a lot to say and discuss with Maia when it comes to love. I love their thought exchanges, that gradual shift in the dynamics of their relationship. From being companions and sharing their thoughts about love, one trying to get rid of her stepsister so she doesn't have to worry about her ghostly mother hurting anyone anymore, and the other trying to see past the hurt he has gotten because of who he is, to something more.

Third, is the reason why this story made me want to say that it's dark. The author managed to carve an interesting niche in the world of Cruel Beauty just for this story, and yet manages to fit it convincingly in a world where Demons exists, people make bargains with the Gentle Lord and suffer through the consequences of the bargains they made. Maia lives her life as a result of the bargain her mother made, the bargains her stepmother made. Love and magic ultimately destroyed her family, and Maia had to live her life anew carrying the results of what their wishes made, what love made.

And fourth, I love that what made Cinderella a fairy tale that I loved can still be seen in this story. The stepsisters, stepmother, her fairy "godmother", the prince, though all brought to life with a different take on the characters. The ball is there, though the circumstances were different. When Maia had to give herself that one night to the party, but with a different goal in mind. When she left and the Prince had to follow her the next morning. I also loved how Rosamund Hodge managed to bring forth in the story that one fact: Maia was just a servant and Anax will be a future Duke. Yes, she was once from a family of good standing, but not anymore. The doubts brought about by that piece of truth, that thinking of what the possible consequence is made it feel more than a fairy tale.

Gilded Ashes is that new perspective in the story of Cinderella, and boy, can Rosamund Hodge bring to life a scrumptious tale. A bunch of what ifs injected in a classic tale that gives life to something dark and amazing all at once. I daresay I enjoyed reading this short story more than I did with Cruel Beauty. It's got all the elements I am looking for in a story about Demons and fairy tales colliding. It was not a happy ending. Not fully, that is. But Maia and Anax are two characters that will fascinate you with their own tale to tell. Give it a try!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I still sort of want to get my happy ending. I know this is a novella and that some things are kind of rushed but putting a different spin on certain things in a story can also mean I can feel differently with the characters and I feel so much for Kore and Thea.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Cruel Beauty's cover is a lot more beautiful compared to this but it's also a good cover!

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Waiting on Wednesday (146): Magnolia + A Blind Spot for Boys

Hi! How are y'all doing?

I had to think real hard and decide which books I want to feature as my WoW picks this week, and here they are! Have you heard of these books? Let me know by leaving comments below!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Magnolia by Kristi Cook
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Published by: Simon & Schuster

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, the Cafferty and Marsden families are southern royalty. Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbecues, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage. So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.

Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They’re only seventeen, for goodness’ sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other! Jemma can’t stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing better than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn’t exist.

But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma’s and Ryder’s true feelings for each other as the two discover that the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.

Why I'm waiting for Magnolia:

Because I'm craving for good YA contemporary reads for the summer, and this book sounds like something I'd read. I'd like to read it now, if possible. Love-hate relationships? Southern royalty, age old family friends, childhood friends (okay, maybe not) and I feel like the setting is perfect for a cute read.

Title: A Blind Spot for Boys by Justina Chen
Release Date: August 12th 2014
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Shana has always had a blind spot for boys. Can she trust the one who's right in front of her?

Sixteen-year-old Shana Wilde is officially on a Boy Moratorium. After a devastating breakup, she decides it's time to end the plague of Mr. Wrong, Wrong, and More Wrong.

Enter Quattro, the undeniably cute lacrosse player who slams into Shana one morning in Seattle. Sparks don't just fly; they ignite. And so does Shana's interest. Right as she's about to rethink her ban on boys, she receives crushing news: Her dad is going blind. Quattro is quickly forgotten, and Shana and her parents vow to make the most of the time her father has left to see. So they travel to Machu Picchu, and as they begin their trek, they run into none other than Quattro himself. But even as the trip unites them, Quattro pulls away mysteriously... Love and loss, humor and heartbreak collide in this new novel from acclaimed author Justina Chen.

Why I'm waiting for A Blind Spot for Boys:

Because it's Justina Chen? I loved North of Beautiful, and even though that story is very much different than this, I'm looking forward to reading a new novel from her. And I find the "Boy Moratorium" really cute. I want to know more about Shana's habit of falling for the wrong guy. (Don't we all, at one point?) Plus what a curious sounding name, Quattro, and I never thought Machu Pichu can be an ideal setting for a YA contemporary novel. I wanna see how everything works out in the book!

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So what are your WoW picks this week?

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ARC Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

I expected overly romantic scenes and cheesy lines, too much laughter and very light conversations.

I got more than that.

Title: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
Release Date: April 15th 2014
Published by: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

What does Owen and Lucy really have? Whatever it was between them had started that day when Lucy chased after the elevator in her apartment. Owen was just the new building superintendent's son, Lucy was the daughter of a wealthy, jet-setter parents. They had nothing in common, but the half hour they spent trapped inside the elevator will set in motion the wheels of fate and set their paths to collide in ways they never expected it to.

I loved how Jennifer E. Smith gradually expanded and built both Owen and Lucy's characters, from that citywide blackout and that day's explorations, the tentative conversations, to wherever the current circumstances of their lives took them. I saw a boy grieving for a mother who recently passed away, lonely, lost and untethered, with a father who can barely manage to stay in one place himself. Owen's character appealed to me, at the start because of pity, but as I read on, the hope inside me gradually builds, wishing that he finds a reason that will make him stay and seek out what he wants, and live his own life. The boy deserves a lot, he deserves better. He was smart, with a bright future ahead of him, and he shouldn't be suffering the way he was. I know grief transforms people and Owen loves his father, but to see him with no destination, no permanent place to go home to, just makes my heart constrict in the most painful of ways. 

And then I saw a girl who experiences loneliness akin to what Owen was feeling. Different, but at some level they're the same, missing their family even though they're merely a breath away. Owen's father became a different person when his wife died, and Lucy, though rich, never had enough of her parents attention given to her, never felt as loved as she wanted to. Her older brothers went away for College, her only friends, and so she was alone, her parents traveling to other parts of the world and she was always left behind. It may look like her life was easy, but Lucy just wants her parents to realize that she's there, a kid who maybe does not want to move a few thousand miles from home and go to a new school, a kid who left her heart, possibly, in New York.

What I liked the most about this story is the experiences that both Lucy and Owen went through that gradually shaped what they will become: stronger, more determined and more sure of what they want. They both grew, both encountered truths about themselves through the hardships they faced, the experiences they had with their family, friends. Through their time apart, they discovered what it's like to live in different places, to explore love, the possibilities and complications it can bring to their lives. They stood alone as two separate people but even though they live their lives separately, those moments when the gradual tug of that bond they formed that half hour inside that dark elevator in New York makes them re-evaluate the things they could've had, if they were worth giving a try, worth fighting for, worth seeing through. It was those moments that made me love them, not as a couple, but as two separate people who have this something vague between them that can be something. It was the wait for each of their decisions, if they will make that effort to bring each other closer and see what happens that made me anticipate and hold my breath for both Lucy and Owen.

I savored every moment Lucy and Owen had. The hit or miss vibe, the doubts and worries, the awkwardness, even the way they communicate makes me feel how treasured those moments were. The postcards, letters, emails, the thought exchanges and the struggle to think of what and what not to tell each other. Nothing ever works for a good way all the time. It's not always happy. And there's always that bittersweet edge every time Lucy and Owen touch base with each other at different points of their lives that just endears their story to me. Thousands of miles separate them from each other yet they were still connected by those little things they do and think.

I am once again captivated by Jennifer E. Smith's dazzling writing in The Geography of You and Me. It's such a heartfelt read. That tinge of bittersweet love throughout the novel, the hopefulness, the infinite possibilities in the dizzying, confusing relationship Owen and Lucy had. It was wonderful! There was a certain type of anticipation and that small ache of wanting to find out how it will all end that made me devour this novel in one sitting. 

I fell in love with Jen Smith's writing all over again because of this book. Lovely, lovely, just lovely. Give this book a try and be amazed by how great a storyteller Jen E. Smith is!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Wholeheartedly giving Jen these five butterflies because this novel really deserves it. I was a bit skeptical before reading this since I had issues with This Is What Happy Looks Like, but this novel just blew me away. I loved every bit of it. I wanted more from the ending, but I love how it's open to various interpretations for readers. I'm content thinking that they both got the happy ending they so deserve.

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:
LOVE LOVE LOVE.

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Our Broken Sky by Sarah Harian Cover reveal + giveaway!

Hi folks! I am here to share with you the cover for the novella in the Chaos Theory series by the fabulous and wonderfully talented Sarah Harian! I've been talking to Sarah on Twitter recently and I'm suffering from a bad case of The Wicked We Have Done withdrawals. But never fear! While we wait for September to arrive for the sequel, A Vault of Sins, to come out Sarah has a novella coming out in August and I am proud to share the cover for the novella in Valerie's POV called "Our Broken Sky" and a little excerpt to tide us over!

Release Date: August 19th, 2014
Series Info: Chaos Theory #1.5

In The Wicked We Have Done, readers were introduced to Valerie Crane. But you don’t know her the way you think you do. This is her story…

Valerie has always been different from her identical twin Veda. Tattooed, fiery, and foul-mouthed, Valerie acts on instinct, getting even with anyone who wrongs her passive, and sensitive sister.

At twenty-two, Veda doesn’t want to seek revenge against the three young men who raped her. As for Val…
Val never could manage her anger well.

As far as Val sees it, the Compass Room is simply a quicker way for her to die—payment for the crime she feels no guilt over. There isn’t a reason to fight, not until a girl as broken as she is reminds Val of what it’s like to hope…

EXCERPT: 

Her name and crime come back to me… 

Jacinda Glaser. Her suicide attempt killed a family.

“I feel alive here,” she says. “If I’m going to feel alive, then I want to stay alive.” Her face scrunches up, and another tear slides down her cheek. “The waiting is the worst. And now I don’t know why they’ve put us here of all places. Like they’re teasing us with something beautiful we could live for before they take it away.”

I can’t help it. I laugh.

Behind all of those tears she shoots me a dirty look. It’s sincere. I’ve angered her to all hell.

“I’m sorry. This place isn’t beautiful to me. It’s torture.”

Her cheeks puff out and she blows air out of her lips, glancing back toward the trees. It’s a ‘fuck off’ gesture if I ever saw one. I didn’t mean to insult her… not really.

“I hate waiting to die,” she says.

“Then don’t. Go out partying hard. Don’t wait for anything.” Hell knows that I never did.
I hold out my hand. She looks at it reluctantly before finally taking it, but then quickly drops it like she touched fire. “Jace,” she mumbles.

“Hi, Jace. I’m—”

“I know who you are.”

I cock my head. The tone of her voice is dark and a little vicious—at least, as vicious as I can ever imagine coming from her.

I should probably stop judging people so much on looks. Jesus.

“That so? Then who am I?”

Her courage falters a bit. I can see it in her eyes. She bites the corner of her lip and looks away again.

“Triple homicide. All of those boys. They say that the evidence partially clears you because you couldn’t hang them all by yourself.”

“Partially clears me.” When I lean toward her, she doesn’t back away like I’m expecting her to.

“What doomed me?”

“DNA. And the news… some of the news debates say that you… umm….”

I grin deviantly, and she finds the words.

“Have a psychotic personality.”

News to me. I just thought I was aggressive.

“And what do you think?” I take a step toward her, closing the space between us, and she looks up at me, her eyes narrow lines.

“You’re the kind of girl that parties hard on her deathbed, Valerie.”

She says my name like it’s sugar-coated toxic waste. I fucking love it.

-----

About the author:

Sarah Harian grew up in the foothills of Yosemite and received her B.A. and M.F.A. from Fresno State University. When not writing, she is usually hiking some mountain or another in the Sierras, playing video games with her husband, or rough-housing with her dog.


Website: www.sarahharian.com
Goodreads: www.sarahharian.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarahharian
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Harian/e/B00J4XHFI4/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0


And because I love this series a whole lot, I'm giving away a copy of The Wicked We Have Done to one lucky Kindle owner. You must have a Kindle (or at least be able to accept Kindle ebooks from Amazon) to join!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

WIN A (Kindle) COPY OF THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE!

Rules:

Must be at least 13 years old to enter

Open to EVERYONE

Ends 4/30

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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ARC Review: Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

I have two words for this book: pleasantly surprised.
I never expected to like this as much as I did!

Title: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date: April 1st 2014
Published by: Strange Chemistry
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. I never knew how to set my expectations since this is only the second book I've read with trolls in the story. What kind of story awaits me? And then I meet Cécile, a girl with a golden voice, being trained by a mother who is not only ambitious but with a voice much, much better than Cécile's. She was supposed to become a great singer, leaving behind the small town she has lived in with her family to sing in a grand stage like her mother, but instead Cécile finds herself abducted and brought to the land of the Trolls, a place of magic, a subject of tales and myths.

Cécile was far too soft at the beginning. I didn't like how her family situation was from the start, and I felt like she could have been more assertive throughout the story instead of being a whiny girl. But her fear was warranted, who wouldn't be afraid if she suddenly finds herself in a mystical place and told that she can never go back to her family? The only thing Cécile had going for her was her singing voice, and that was how she came off as a character initially, weak, ignorant, rash. Although I do sympathize with her because she had been treated worse because she's human. What I did like about her, despite her making mistakes and falling into traps countless of times, was her resilience. To be able to survive in a Royal Court filled with strife and the seemingly endless struggle for power and the politics with the trolls? That takes guts, and surprisingly, she was able to make friends, which was one of the things I thought she'd never have considering her somewhat reckless and sometimes thoughtless personality.

Tristan, however, intrigued me at first sight. You'll know there's more to him from the moment he appeared. I like how he keeps up appearances, that pretense to be a coldhearted Crown Prince and still have that much aspiration for his people. It's quite difficult to deal with his complicated feelings especially when it comes to what he wants to happen to his kingdom, and it's what makes me feel so confused most of the time. Does he want to grant the half-bloods freedom? Is that the best thing to do? I like how I get to dive inside his mind and see how flustered he can get with Cécile, that he too can be emotional. And that struggle to fend off his feelings for her? That fear to overcome the reality that he's a troll and she's human? Tristan is many things, and I didn't really like him at the start, but the parts that make him arrogant, uncaring, serious, strong and smart is what made me gradually warm up to him. He's not the type of prince who you'll swoon to immediately, but you gradually see his good points and you'll just find yourself liking him.

What made Stolen Songbird such a good read for me is how gripping the story is, the political intrigue and the inner workings of court woven deeply into the storyline. It's got a good balance connecting Cécile's abduction, her role in the troll world and just what this new world of hers stands to lose and gain. Danielle Jensen talks about freedom, survival, leadership and magic and wrapped it all in a fascinating setting with such ease. There are a lot of things in this novel that makes it interesting, and it's not just about a girl trapped in a world she didn't like, finding herself smack dab in the midst of a political struggle and being an integral part of it, but it's also about a world in a dire situation. It's grim, the cruel realities of survival and what it took for them to live on is presented in a way that makes such unforgiving sense, which adds a lot more in terms of world building.

There's so much to like and dislike in this book. Cécile's mother, Tristan's father, the unfair treatments of half-bloods in contrast to how the "pure bloods" live and that type of cruel, hierarchical society that breeds contempt and discontentment among the people. It's not much clear how Cécile's singing ability is connected to the whole story, but Danielle Jensen has left clues which creates such good theories and explanations throughout the story, that kind of mystery and intrigue you want to be solved as soon as possible! If that wasn't enough to make you want to read this book, then you need to fully see and experience the dynamics between Tristan and Cécile, and that heart wrenching, heartrending end for this first book that will make you want to weep, grieve, worry and yet be hopelessly excited for the sequel!

A brilliant, magical debut! Stolen Songbird is equal parts charming and terrifying, a tale that offers a lot more than it looks. What a superb start for a fantasy trilogy!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

That extra .5 was because of the ending. What is with that kind of ending? Why? Just rip my heart out and feed it to the Sluag, will you? I can't believe I have to wait for such a long time to read the sequel! I feel the same as Cécile when this book ended.
.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
That dress! That glass rose! A perfect depiction of Cécile which also makes me a wee bit sad, but it's beautiful!

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