The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton {review}

The Belles
by Dhonielle Clayton
♦publisher: Disney-Hyperion
♦release date: Febuary 6th, 2018
♦hardcover, 448 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: The Belles, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

{Amy's Thoughts}

 

In a story that can only be described as glittery, lavish and extravagant, The Belles is as beautiful as it was promised to be.  Exploring a world that is hidden behind the glamour of beauty, readers are thrown right into the world of opulent beauty and the lengths ones’ will go to get what they desire.  Where honeycomb dresses with live bees, and diamond encrusted hair are just the normal fashion for the palace.

 

Dhonielle Clayton’s words drop off the pages like ripe juice crushed from a pomegranate, meant to be devoured like an exquisite, fine sugary treat with rose tea, savoring each page like a delicacy.  Characters of every depth, walk of life and personal values, leave you wondering who they can trust, and who is out only for personal gain.  Clayton’s glamourous world opens the door to extravagance, in an explosion of color and raining flower petals where flamboyant fashion is most coveted.

 

Dhonielle Clayton writes with such deep emotion and description that you will not be able to help but fall right into her world, where obsession meets sacrifice.  Even with its large size, the tempo is fast-paced and compelling. Ultimately asking readers the question- What would you risk for beauty?

In this overly lavish and ostentatious world that can only be described as a  match to, Hunger Game’s Panem the fashion alone is worth reading this book for. Truly a treat for your imagination, this book is perfectly paired with a plate of pink macaroons and a large cup of tea. 

 

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

 

 

Dhonielle Clayton is the co-author of the Tiny Pretty Things series. She grew up in the Washington, DC suburbs on the Maryland side and spent most of her time under her grandmother’s table with a stack of books. A former teacher and middle school librarian, Dhonielle is co-founder of CAKE Literary—a creative development company whipping up decidedly diverse books for a wide array of readers—and COO of the non-profit, We Need Diverse Books. She's got a serious travel bug and loves spending time outside of the USA, but makes her home in New York City, where she can most likely be found hunting for the best slice of pizza. 

 

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •   INSTAGRAM

Purchase the book:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw {review}

The Wicked Deep
by Shea Ernshaw
♦publisher: Simon Pulse
♦release date: March 6th, 2018
♦hardcover, 320 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.  

{My Thoughts}

 

If you tell me there's a story that blends magical realism and witchery, that takes place in modern times with modern teen situations but has a rich and dangerous historical backstory, that makes you feel like your head is a little foggy with it's haunting and bizarre atmosphere, that is steeped in a mystery that you may think you have all figured out until it turns everything inside out and upside down---I can almost tell you without a doubt that I will love it. And that was certainly the case with The Wicked Deep. 

 

The town of Sparrow is cursed but it's deadly legacy has become more of an urban legend, drawing tourists and curiousity to it's shores. But Penny knows the stories are true, and when Bo comes to town she finds herself drawn to him, wanting to keep him safe. The Swan Sisters legend makes for an intense and quietly heart-pounding anticipation as you read on, waiting for the first death to strike. Waiting to see who will get taken. The tension of the plot is masterfully done and keeps you absolutely on edge. 

 

Interwoven into Penny and Bo's story are glimpses into the lives of the Swan Sisters, far in the town's past where three sisters arrived who were just a little too different and mysterious and beautiful for the townsfolk to let them be. I loved this part of the story, finding out who these sisters were and how their fate played out.

With a gorgeously atmospheric small town seaside setting and a quirky and at times unreliable protagonist, The Wicked Deep is perfect for fans of April Tucholke, Alice Hoffman, and Cat Winters. Read it, read it, read it. I hope you'll find it as bewitching as I did. A new favorite of mine!

 

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

 

Shea Ernshaw is an Oregon native and YA author. She often writes late, late, late into the night, enjoys dark woods, scary stories and moonlight on lakes. She drinks loads of tea and believes sunrises are where unicorns hide. She lives with her two cats, a dog, a husband, and a stack of books beside her bed she still needs to read. Her debut THE WICKED DEEP will be published by Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse in 2018. She currently calls Boston home, where she manages an independent bookstore, drinks too much Diet Coke, and pets every dog she meets. 

 

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •   INSTAGRAM

Purchase the book:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon



Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Uncharted

by Erin Cashman

hitting shelves September 4th, 2018  

from Page Street Publishing 

Seventeen-year-old Annabeth prefers the fantasy of her books and paintings to reality—because in reality, her mom is dead, and it was all her fault. When she accompanies her father to the funeral of some family friends who drowned, she’s surprised to find her grief reflected in the face of Griffin Bradford, the son of the couple who died. Griffin is nothing like the carefree boy she once knew. Now he’s irritable, removed, and he’s under police investigation for his parents’ deaths.

One night following the memorial service, Annabeth’s dad goes missing in the woods, and she suspects Griffin knows more about the disappearance than he’s letting on. He refuses to answer her questions, particularly those related to the mysterious “expedition” his parents took to Ireland, where they went missing for seven months.

Annabeth fears her father isn’t lost, but rather a victim of something sinister. She launches her own investigation, tracing clues that whisper of myth and legend and death, until she stumbles upon a secret. One that some would die to protect, others would kill to expose—and which twists Annabeth’s fantasy and reality together in deadly new ways.

My thoughts: Every paragraph of this description draws me in further and further. Family secrets, myth and legend, fantasy and reality blurring, and Irish mysteries. Yes, yes, and yes please!! 

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Book Birthdays! {Mar18, week 1}

It's Book Birthday time!!

In this weekly post, I talk about a few of the books I'm excited to read that are hitting shelves this week.  Are you with me on any of these? Are there books coming out you're running to the store or stalking your mailman for that I haven't mentioned here?  Hey, feel free to comment and sell me on them! :D

And don't forget to enter down below for a chance to win ANY March YA book your little heart desires! 🎁

& Congrats to Kayla, my February winner! :D

The Wicked Deep
by Shea Ernshaw

So excited to see this one out in the world!! I read and absolutely loved this one a few months ago---witchy and twisty and hauntingly atmospheric. Go buy it LOL.

{Simon Pulse}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Reclaiming of Shilo Snow

by Mary Weber

I just recently finished reading the first of this series and it is intense and thrilling and ended on one heck of a shocking cliffhanger, so I can't wait to start this continuation!
{Thomas Nelson}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

More Than We Can Tell
by Brigid Kemmerer While Letters to the Lost is still on my TBR pile, I'm still excited to pick up this stand-alone story from the POV of Rev, a character that I've heard is a favorite from LttL! It sounds heartbreaking and I'm intrigued to find out what dangers these two get into.
{Bloomsbury}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

 

Sweetest Kind of Fate
by Crystal Cestari

The Best Kind of Magic was so fun and adorable so I'm excited for more from this world and this author! Sounds like the horrible witch from book one is back and Amber has a run-in with Sirens this time!

{Disney-Hyperion}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

 

To Kill A Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

This Little Mermaid retelling is already gaining a repuation for amazingness. This may have been a cover-buy for me either way, but it's extra exciting to hear that its also a great story!

{Feiwel & Friends}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Hero at the Fall
by Alwyn Hamilton

This series continues to be amazing. Exciting and mythical and dangerous---Amani is a fierce character. I am hoping for a little more romance in this final chapter as book 2 was a bit light on it, but the war rages on, so we'll see!

{Viking BYR}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Children of Blood and Bone

by Tomi Adeyemi

Dark magic and West African mythology, sounds so rich and intense.  This book is a brick LOL, but once I find time to take it on I hope it lives up to the hype that has surrounded it since it was first announced!

{Henry Holt BYR}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Well, March is definitely off to an incredible start!! Which March releases are you excited for? 

*       *       *       *       *  

Enter to win any YA book published in March 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)

One winner will win a YA March 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends March 31st, 2018 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older.
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com or Fishpond.com up to $20 value.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on any BOOK BIRTHDAY POSTS or  REVIEWS, and can be done once per post. Come back throughout March whenever you comment on our reviews and get your extra points!a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Shelf Goodies {200}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) .  My Sunday post is also where I'll share a little recap of my week, the books I've currently got my nose in and such. ;)

My two-book mail trend continues! xD

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

{coming May 22nd, 2018 from Disney-Hyperion}

Now that's a mouthful of a title! This one promises Breakfast Club-style shenanigans and I am so there for that. I think I've seen that movie close to 100 times. 😎 

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

{October 2nd, 2018 from HMH Teen}

GAH I am so excited for this one. I gushed over this one on a recent WoW post so I am incredibly happy to have a copy in my hands!

This week ended up with pretty limited reading time (because sewing, sewing, sewing LOL) so I'm still working my way through Ink, Iron, & Glass (but still also loving it---all the clockwork mechanics and Elsa's a feisty one!). I've just started listening to Cadaver & Queen---I think I actually squeaked when I saw the audiobook pop up on Hoopla this week LOL. Love that the Hoopla app offers such new releases.  Anyhow, I just just started it, like 30 minutes in, but the story is off to a great start and I'm liking the narrator, too, so that's a plus.  

Happy reading! :D

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

This week I have an MG two-fer for you! :D

City of Ghosts

by Victoria Schwab

hitting shelves August 28th, 2018  

from Scholastic 

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

My thoughts: Ghost stories set in Scotland...that's really all I needed to know. Plus it's penned by Victoria Schwab...so there's that. ;)

The Land of Yesterday
by K.A. Reynolds

hitting shelves July 31st, 2018  

from HarperCollins 

After Cecelia Dahl’s little brother, Celadon, dies tragically, his soul goes where all souls go: The Land of Yesterday. And Cecelia is left behind in a fractured world without him. Her beloved house’s spirit is crumbling beyond repair, her father is imprisoned by sorrow, and worst of all, her grief-stricken mother abandons the land of the living to follow Celadon into Yesterday.

It’s up to Cecelia to put her family back together, even if that means venturing into the dark and forbidden Land of Yesterday on her own. But as Cecilia braves a hot air balloon commanded by two gnomes, a sea of daisies, and the Planet of Nightmares, it’s clear that even if she finds her family, she might not be able to save them. And if she’s not careful, she might just become a lost soul herself, trapped forever in Yesterday.

My thoughts: This one sounds like a heartbreaker, but also puts me right in the mindset of Graveyard Book, Coraline, Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, and all those wonderful imaginative and dark MG stories that I'm always wishing for more of. 

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Book Birthdays! {Feb18, week 4}

It's Book Birthday time!!

In this weekly post, I talk about a few of the books I'm excited to read that are hitting shelves this week.  Are you with me on any of these? Are there books coming out you're running to the store or stalking your mailman for that I haven't mentioned here?  Hey, feel free to comment and sell me on them! :D
And don't forget to enter down below for a chance to win ANY February YA book your little heart desires! 🎁

Daughter of the Siren Queen

by Tricia Levenseller

Well, if you saw my post yesterday, you know I've already read this one! But I can't wait for it to out in the world for all readers to enjoy! It's a fantastic duology!!

{Feiwel & Friends}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Heart of Iron

by Ashley Poston

This is probably one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I have no excuse why I haven't read it yet LOL. Savoring the anticipation, I guess? I loved Geekerella and can't wait to see how Poston creates a full-on Starfield-style sci-fi story!!
{Balzer & Bray}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

People Like Us
by Dana Mele

I'm always down for a good ol' sleuthy boarding school murder mystery! Give me plenty of clues to crack and a few good red herrings! xD Sounds like this one will deliver just that!
{Putnam Juvenile}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

This Heart of Mine
by C.C. Hunter

The tried and true "donated human parts that still have a connection to the original owner" trope is one that, oddly, I am almost always drawn to. Throw in some mysterious dreams and mystery to solve and I'm all in. 

{Wednesday Books}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Tess of the Road

by Rachel Hartman

With a feisty-sounding protagonist and a dragon companion on her journey, I'm not sure how this could go wrong. I haven't read any of the previous books set in this world, but I'm excited to give this one a go!

{Random House BYR}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

All in all, February was a pretty amazing month in books! Which Feb releases are you excited for? 

*       *       *       *       *  

Enter to win any YA book published in February 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)

One winner will win a YA February 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends February 28th, 2018 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older.
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com or Fishpond.com up to $20 value.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on any BOOK BIRTHDAY POSTS or  REVIEWS, and can be done once per post. Come back throughout February whenever you comment on my reviews and get your extra points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway