Becky's View: Bang by Lisa McMann

Bang by Lisa McMann
♦publisher: Simon Pulse
♦release date: October 8th, 2013
♦hardcover, 256 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Visions, book 2
  Book 1: Crash (my review)
  Book 3: Gasp (June 3rd, 2014)
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Jules should be happy. She saved a lot of people’s lives and she’s finally with Sawyer, pretty much the guy of her dreams. But the nightmare’s not over, because she somehow managed to pass the psycho vision stuff to Sawyer. Excellent.

Feeling responsible for what he’s going through and knowing that people’s lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer’s vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there’s a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang.

Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can’t prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties…

Review: Once again, Lisa McMann doesn’t disappoint.  Both books in this series have been fast paced and have a sort of in-your-face feel.  I can’t say this wasn’t also perfect timing for me, because I had just come away from two period-piece books heavy with prim Victorian language and I was so ready for something current and high-energy; this was exactly that and much more.  Jules and Sawyer’s continuing story is hilarious and gripping and touching all at once.  Somehow the terrifying visions that were plaguing Jules in Crash have now taken hold of Sawyer, and they work together to figure out how to stop the disturbing events from taking place. 

Even though I love the romance between Jules & Sawyer, once again my favorite bond to read about is between Jules and her siblings. They really have each other’s backs and make each other stronger, plus their endless banter is just a constant source of laugh out loud moments.  For Jules and Sawyer, so much is screwed up with both their families, that it’s just great to see them carving out their own little close supportive family with just Jules, Sawyer, Trey, and Rowan. 

As I suspected, there will be at least one more coming in this series, and hopefully we’ll get to find out why the visions are passed on the way they are.  Is it because they are in love? Did it pass to Sawyer because he was saved by the last vision?  And there was just an inkling of a hint that Jules’ father may be having them, too.  A few unanswered questions but still an incredibly gripping, electrifying, and emotional story. 

Find Lisa McMann online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Crash:  Amazon  •    BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Becky View: Crash by Lisa McMann

Crash by Lisa McMann
♦publisher: Simon Pulse
♦release date: January 8th, 2013
♦hardcover, 256 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Visions, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

Review:  It never ceases to amaze me how much emotional wallop Lisa McMann can pack into her novels.  It just goes to show, a novel doesn't have to be epically long to hit you right in the heart.  Apparently, this novel was not for everyone, so says the surprisingly low reviews I've seen on Goodreads, but I'm here to tell you...I LOVED THIS BOOK. 

Jules has a smart and incredibly humorous voice.  Kind of what you'd expect from a city girl, growing up in a lively Italian family, working in the family restaurant and driving around town in a food truck topped with two giant meatballs (yes, so many great jokes made at this poor truck's expense).  She calls it like she sees it, has a bit of a mouth on her, and loves to make mental lists when things tick her off.  When she starts seeing the visions, she doesn't know what to make of them.  When they start to take over her life, she knows she has to do something to stop the crash.  I love that after a while she just sort of gives in and owns her crazy.  She decides, I may be insane and no one believes me, but just in case I'm not, I'm going for it.  I loved that so much. She decides that not trusting herself is not worth what she could lose, so she makes a no-holds-barred run toward saving lives, towards changing fate, and towards love. 

The love story has a bit of a Romeo & Juliet feel to it, without the super tragic ending and with so much more going on beneath the surface.  Jules and Sawyer were best friends when they were very little, until they found out they were from rival family businesses.  Lots of bad blood going all the way back to their grandfathers.  Then one day, Sawyer stops talking to Jules, and she never knows why---but she never stops caring for him.  There are moments when I thought, ugh, maybe she should stop; but then you get his side and it's a bit of a suckerpunch to the heart.  Oh, what these two families have done to their kids.  And speaking of families, one of my favorite things about Crash was the relationship between Jules and her two siblings, Trey and Rowan.  Yay for siblings who get along, who have each others backs through everything! Really hoping for more of those two in the second book!

The plot is incredibly fast-paced, as Jules unravels the mystery of the crash, clue by clue.  You can feel the time ticking down as her vision bombards her every moment and starts to wear her sanity thin.  Oh, and that ending---exciting and satisfying and romantic.

Lisa McMann impresses me yet again with a riveting, surprising, and fun story.

Find Lisa McMann online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Crash:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Cover and title for Book 2 has been revealed!! Check it out:

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted 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.

Crash
by Lisa McMann

hitting shelves from Simon Pulse on February 12, 2013

description: Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the vision. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode... and nine body bags in the snow.

She has no idea why this is happening to her or if she’s going crazy. It hardly matters, because the visions are everywhere--on billboards, television screens, windows--and she’s the only one who can see them.

But it’s not until the vision starts coming more frequently, and revealing more clues, that Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it's someone she knows. Someone she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

My thoughts: I've loved almost every Lisa McMann book that I've read, and will continue to anticipate this author's work! From her Dreamcatcher series to her MG series The Unwanteds...she just has a way with great characters and eerie scenarios that really get under my skin. Crash sounds like a great story,...a bit of psychological creepiness!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Sideways Edition

 "Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted 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. For my WoWs, I'll be choosing a Sooner (books released in the next month or so) and a Later (books further out). Here's what I'm eagerly anticipating:

Sooner:

Dead to You 
by Lisa McMann

hitting shelves February 7th, 2012 from Simon Pulse

description:  

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

My thoughts: Lisa McMann---one of those authors that just never disappoints me! 

Later:

Timepiece 
by Myra McEntire

hitting shelves June 12, 2012 from EgmontUSA

description:

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devestating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough... 

My thoughts:  LOVED book one!! Such great characters and I can't wait to spend more time with all of them as they travel through time!

Review: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

publisher: Aladdin

release date: August 30th, 2011

hardcover, 390 pages

intended audience: Middle grade (9-12)

rating:



source: from publisher for Kismet book tour

description:

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

Review: Positively enchanting, and every bit the wonderful work that I have come to expect when I pick up a book by this author. I loved Lisa McMann's Dreamcatcher series and Cryer's Cross, so I was excited to see what she would do for a middle grade audience. I was certainly not disappointed. I love the premise of this, and I especially love how this story was conceived---it came about when the author found out that several art programs were going to be cut out of her kids' school. I hate how often I hear about this kind of thing happening everywhere, but love that it became a story sparker for McMann!

The Unwanteds certainly has a dark and hopeless feeling at the beginning. You first meet the main character and his twin brother as they are basically sent to a sort of "judgement" ceremony to decide who will be a useful addition to the society of Quill...and who will be disposed of. Literally. Those who are rejected are sent the Death Farm to be thrown into a lake of boiling oil. Yikes. Needless to say, one twin is excepted and the other is not. As soon as the rejected children are sent away, the rest of Quill, including their families are ordered to forget all about them. Harsh. Especially harsh is the fact that the reason these children are disposed of is because they showed some sign of creativity and imagination.

Thankfully, the kids are all shocked when they find themselves, not boiling in a lake of oil, but secretly transported to a hidden land called Artimè, where creativity and imagination are encouraged. The kid are taught to enhance whatever their individual strengths are, and are ultimately taught to use their gifts along with magic to both create and defend themselves in the event that their world is ever discovered.

The whole story was such great world-building: the wonderful layered characters that you never quite knew where their loyalties would lie in the end, the many quirky and mysterious teachers, the cold, unfeeling conditioning of the people of Quill, and the many surprises that popped up throughout. It was heartbreaking at moments, especially where the two brothers were concerned, and I loved the little hints of young love thrown into the mix. While I don't like to make the comparison---I would definitely say that this as close to the feel of Harry Potter as I've read yet. A similar feeling of wonderment is there: the magic of finding this whole new world that was right out outside your door, the intense, unpredictable relationships and wonderful characters that are learning to be themselves and appreciate their different gifts. Yet the Unwanteds is, without a doubt, an amazing and unique tale that deserves to be appreciated in it's own right. This is definitely a great start to a series that I'm excited to continue!

Visit Lisa McMann's site here.

Purchase The Unwanteds at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepitory • Indiebound

Trailer:

The Unwanteds: Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway!!

Welcome, everyone, to the next stop on The Unwanteds Blog Tour! I hope you're all enjoying all the cool videos so far, and are excited as I am about Lisa McMann's newest book! I'm about 100 pages into the book right now and it is so excellent! Something completely different from this fabulous author after her Wake Trilogy (which I also loved!)---The Unwanteds is her first foray into middle-grade territory.

So, for the blog tour, we each got to pose a question to Lisa and she answered us in a vlog! For my stop, I asked her if we could get a quick tour of where the magic happens! I love seeing where authors hole up to write their stories, what inspiring little corners they chose to "do their stuff!" Take a look:

Wasn't that awesome! The bookcase is to die for and I can see how that would be an inspiring place to write. Comfy chairs and lots of amazing books all around! Thanks for that tour, Lisa!

* * * * * * * *
On to the Giveaway!!

Contest Info: Are you Unwanted? Enter to win the grand prize book club class pack (up to 20 books!) by explaining which camp you’d be in: Wanted or Unwanted:

• leave a comment +1entries
• provide a picture of you that shows what you'd be (be creative) +2 entries
• provide a video and tell us what you would be! +5 entries

Link can be provided in the comments of this post, on the Kismet Book Touring Facebook page or on Lisa's Facebook page. Open US/Canada. Contestants under 18 years of age must have parental consent to enter.

Be sure to visit all the stops on the tour:
Monday August 29th - Danny and Pushy, Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, August 30th (The Unwanted's Book Birthday!) - Katie, The Mundie Moms
Wednesday, August 31st - Alyssa, Teens Read and Write
Thursday, September 1st - Heidi, YA Bibliophile
Friday, September 2nd - Becky, Stories & Sweeties

* * * * * * * *

Monday September 5th - Jill, The O.W.L
Tuesday, September 6th - Mary, Book Swarm
Wednesday, September 7th - Reading Teen
Thursday, September 8th - Melissa, I Swim For Oceans
Friday, September 9th - Sab, YA Bliss
* * * * * * * *
Monday September 12th - Cynthia, A Blog About Nothing
Tuesday, September 13th - Nancy, Amusing Reviews
Wednesday, September 14th - Michelle and Leslie, Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks
Thursday, September 15th - Darkfallen and Greta, Paranormal Wastelands
Friday, September 16th - Alice, Alice Marvels

* * * * * * * *

Tuesday, September 20th -Grand prize announcement on Lisa McMann's blog!

About Lisa McMann: website, facebook, twitter

Lisa McMann lives and writes in the Phoenix area. Her books include the NYT bestselling paranormal WAKE trilogy, CRYER’S CROSS, and the dystopian fantasy series beginning with THE UNWANTEDS (coming Aug. 30, 2011).

About The Unwanteds:
Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths. Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the “death farm” there is instead a place called Artime. In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation. But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

Review: Cryer's Cross

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

publisher: Simon Pulse

release date: February 8th, 2011

hardcover, 240 pages

intended audience: Young adult

source: Around the World ARC Tours

rating:


description:
The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Review: With this book, it seals the deal: I am a huge fan of Lisa McMann. With her books, you get a story that is not overbearingly long but packs an immense punch of incredibly tight storytelling and intensity. Each book in her Dreamcather series was this way, and you find the same thing here, with Cryer's Cross. I loved this book. I had a feeling going in that it would be creepy, but it exceeded my expectations in that department. It even snuck into my dreams a few times---always the sign of a completely enthralling book. And while I don't want to give too much away, I will say that what happens to Kendall near the end of the story is one of my worst nightmares.

Kendall herself was a fascinating character. She struggles with OCD. Some of her daily routines consists of going to school early to make sure the classroom is arranged just how she needs it to be and checking each window in her house several times to be sure they are locked before going to bed. Her saving grace is her love of soccer---playing is the only thing that gives her a break from her overworked thought process. She lives in a very, very small town,---the high school consists of one room with each class sitting in groups of four or five desks. So when a girl goes missing, it really has an immense impact on the town. Then Kendall's whole worlds starts to fall apart when the next to go missing is her best friend/sort-of boyfriend.

I liked the character of new kid in town, Jacian. I liked the fact that although he is portrayed as kind of a "bad boy", he is not just cranky for the sake of being labeled "the bad boy". He actually has a pretty decent reason for being so angry at the world when he first arrives. If I was in his shoes, I might be scowling at the world, too.

This is a riveting, frightening, and, at times, very sad story. Shivers galore throughout this entire story, so if you are in the mood for a spine-tingling tale and a fast read, pick this one up and you won't be disappointed.

Visit Lisa McMann's website here!

Purchase Cryer's Cross at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository

Trailer (verrrry creepy!!) :

Review: Gone by Lisa McMann

Gone by Lisa McMann

publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

release date: February 9th, 2010

hardcover, 214 pages

intended audience: Young Adult

rating:




Description:
Things should be great for Janie—she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she’s totally in love with. But deep down she’s panicking about how she’s going to survive her future when getting sucked into other people’s dreams is really starting to take its toll. Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time—and he’s in a coma. As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice thought she had has more dire consequences than she ever imagined.

Review: I really loved this series. It was fantastic, the characters were strong, the writing style was completely unique to anything I have read before. While I still really liked this installment, it was such a different feel from the first two, that it kind of threw me at first. (Ok, this being the third in the series, I am going to try very hard to review Gone without giving away any spoilers for the first two!!)This time around, you find the main character, Janie, dealing with more of an inner battle. The first two, there was alot of excitement, alot going on with how she was learning about and using her abilities, and learning how it would change her life. She also discovers how this ability is going to effect the rest of her life and those around her. This is what the the basis of the last book is about: her choice to use her abilities and let the effects happen, or to hide away from the world, including Cabel, the guy she loves. It's truly a tough emotional journey for her and it's interesting to see how the new person in her life opens her eyes to what her choices really mean. It's a much "quieter" story than the first two, if that makes sense, and while I still really enjoyed this one, I have to admit that it was definitely my least favorite of the three.