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.

Velvet Undercover 

by Teri Brown

 hitting shelves October 20, 2015

from Balzer & Bray

Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a Girl Guide and messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, high-level mathematics, and complex puzzles and codes, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche she’s torn—this could be the adventure she’s dreamed of, but how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband to the war? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes there’s no way she can refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known to the members of LDB only as Velvet. Deep undercover within the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Samantha must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she finds herself forming a forbidden attraction to the enemy-a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Samantha discover the truth and find Velvet before it’s too late…for them both?

From author Teri Brown comes the thrilling story of one girl’s journey into a deadly world of spycraft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.

My thoughts: First off, gorgeous vintage-y cover. LOVE.  Secondly, I loved Teri Brown's YA debut, Born of Illusion, so I am super excited to see her take on another fascinating era of history with a strong and clever heroine. Can't wait!!! 

Cover Story

New covers starting to pop up.  Some of these are just breathtaking. And one involves a lot of floating heads. LOL

Burning Kingdoms

by Lauren DeStefano

Simon & Schuster, May 10, 2015

Chaos
by Lanie Bross
Delacorte Press, January 27, 2015

Crashland

by Sean Williams

Balzer & Bray, November 4, 2014

In a World Just Right
by Jen Brooks
Simon & Schuster, 2015

The Good Sister

by Jamie Kain

ST. Martin's Griffin, October 7, 2014

The Third Twin
by CJ Omololu
Delacorte Press, 2015






What do you think? Any new favorites? Guess which series is getting a whole new look? Yup, Perfect Ruin is getting a makeover that matches Burning Kingdoms. Both are pretty, but I really loved the original Perfect Ruin cover. Ah well.  And I love the Chaos cover---even if he does have her like a sack of potatoes. And well, floating heads. Not too sure. ;)  Third Twin looks creeeeepy :)

Born of Deception by Teri Brown {review}

Born of Deception by Teri Brown
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: June 10, 2014
♦hardcover, 336 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Born of Illusion, book 2
  review of book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review (via SF book review)

Budding illusionist Anna Van Housen is on top of the world: after scoring a spot on a prestigious European vaudeville tour, she has moved to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. Along with her handsome beau, Cole Archer, Anna is prepared to take the city by storm.

But when Anna arrives in London, she finds the group in turmoil. Sensitives are disappearing and, without a suspect, the group’s members are turning on one another. Could the kidnapper be someone within the society itself—or has the nefarious Dr. Boyle followed them to London?

As Cole and Anna begin to unravel the case and secrets about the society are revealed, they find themselves at odds, their plans for romance in London having vanished. Her life in danger and her relationship fizzling, can Anna find a way to track down the killer before he makes her his next victim—or will she have to pay the ultimate price for her powers?

Set in Jazz-Age London, this alluring sequel to Born of Illusion comes alive with sparkling romance, deadly intrigue, and daring magic.

Review: Teri Brown’s YA debut, Born of Illusion was a favorite of mine last year with its glitzy 20’s setting, showy stage magic, and a mysterious plot that held me captive from beginning to end.  In Born of Deception, Anna Van Heusen is striking out into the world on her own, excited to be free of the emotional chains of her mother.  She’s joined up with a traveling vaudeville troupe with her new solo magic act.  Her London destination also means meeting up with Cole, and being introduced to a secret society that is meant to research and help people with her kinds of abilities: not stage magic, but real magical gifts.  She arrives to find the society in upheaval and people are going missing, some even turning up dead. She must use her gifts and her connections, new and old, alive and dead, to help her discover who is behind the attacks.

While I didn’t love this second book as much as the first, Teri Brown’s strong writing and story-weaving is still there. The 20s setting still shines, and I loved that we get an even more descriptive look into the life of show business back then.  There are at least twice as many characters as last time, all fun additions to the story.  Especially the new man who happens into her life as a much need ray of sunshine.  Billy is a self-made cowboy, and does rope tricks in the vaudeville show.  He’s handsome and charming and jovial, a stark contrast to the sullen and serious Cole.  It does turn into a bit of a love triangle, but actually the choice between the two is more indicative of Anna’s struggle to decide what she really wants in life, not just in love.  I was actually not a fan of Cole and Anna’s relationship this time around. It concentrated far too much on jealousy.  She was literally flaring into jealousy every time he spoke to another woman, and Cole was doing much the same---it got annoying after a while. 

The conflicted mother-daughter relationship continues to morph and grow, which I really enjoy reading about again.  Anna’s really starting to question if she wants a life of show business or a settled life; it’s interesting to see how love has changed Anna’s mother…and then again, not changed her. It definitely makes Anna consider her options.  Also, she learns that a life with Cole might be more dangerous that she thought.  

The mystery of the murders is twisty and suspenseful and fun, nothing really mind-blowing, but still very entertaining.  It gets dark at times, and with so many additional characters coming into play, it kept me guessing.  I wasn't head-over-heels with this follow-up like I was with Born of Illusion (and I think that this is the only follow-up planned in this series), but then again, in my eyes, the first book was a lot to live up to. 

Find Teri Brown online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Born of Illusion:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Becky's View: The Secrets of Lily Graves by Sarah Strohmeyer

The Secrets of Lily Graves by Sarah Strohmeyer
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: May 13th, 2014
♦paperback, 304 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review (via SF book review)

Growing up in a house of female morticians, Lily Graves knows all about buried secrets. She knows that perfect senior-class president Erin Donohue isn’t what she seems. She knows why Erin’s ex-boyfriend, hot football player Matt Houser, broke up with her. And she also knows that, even though she says she and Matt are just friends, there is something brewing between them—something Erin definitely did not like.

But secrets, even ones that are long buried, have a way of returning to haunt their keeper.

So when Erin is found dead the day after attacking Lily in a jealous rage, Lily's and Matt’s safe little lives, and the lives of everyone in their town of Potsdam, begin to unravel. And their relationship—which grew from innocent after-school tutoring sessions to late-night clandestine rendezvous—makes them both suspects.

As her world crumbles around her, Lily must figure out the difference between truth and deception, genuine love and a web of lies. And she must do it quickly, before the killer claims another victim.

Review: The Secrets of Lily Graves is a morbid but colorful murder mystery.  It’s told from the POV of a teen that has grown up surrounded by corpses in the family mortuary. Lily lives with and gets a daily dose of guidance from a very eccentric group of women; her mother, her grandmother, and especially her aunt.  Reflecting that upbringing, we get her skewed, slightly cold attitude toward death.  She’s a bit of a gothic outcast, and we know from the get-go that she and Erin, the girl who is found dead in her bathtub, were far from friends.  

The story itself is good, though nothing about it truly stood out to me. I did like the way Lily used her family’s insider info and knowledge from working at the mortuary to really help work the mystery out.   Lily was tutoring Erin’s boyfriend, and she suspected they were getting a little too close right before she winds up dead, so Lily must do everything she can to find the killer and keep the fingers from pointing at her and Michael.  

Many of the characters suffer from a bad dose of heavy cliché: here we have the goth girl who grew up in a mortuary, here’s the jock with questionable intentions, there’s the town stoner, and oh look, there are the mean girls that all the adults think are angels.  I also found the humor to be a little off-putting at times, and while it might not bother some, it took away slightly from my enjoyment of this book. 

 Still, there are a few really good surprises to keep the reader guessing and a shocking twist ending will leave your head spinning! It was, for the most part, a fun and fast read that kept me entertained. This may be a win for fans of Pretty Little Liars (I watch the show, but haven’t read the books, so don’t quote me on that!), it's definitely a similar vibe.

Find Sarah Strohmeyer online:  Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase The Secrets of Lily Graves:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Becky's View: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: June 11th, 2013
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Born of Illusion, book 1
♦source: ALA

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Review: Born of Illusion was undoubtedly one of my most anticipated reads of 2013.  The 1920s era setting, the promise of both stage magic and real magic, a volatile mother/daughter relationship, and a mystery involving the great Houdini himself ---the entire concept had me seriously pining for this!  Happily, I report that I was not disappointed.  Born of Illusion is a new favorite of mine.

Stories set in the 20s always seem to have such a grandeur about them.  Whether it’s the bustling streets, the fancy cars, the glittery gowns…the whole era just seems to sparkle on the page.  With Born of Illusion, that sparkle is amped up ten-fold by the addition of illusions and stage magic.  Teri Brown perfectly describes every slight-of-hand so you can almost see it, right down to her protagonist’s wry smile when her tricks are pulled off to perfection. 

Ann Van Housen was a fantastic character.  Torn in so many directions: between wanting a normal life and her love for performing magic; between her wish to share her biggest secret with someone and the dire need to keep it safely hidden; and between her love and protectiveness for her attention-hungry mother and her greatest desire to be out from under her controlling, sometimes even cruel, thumb.  Oh, and between two handsome, and very opposite, men.  Owen is the life of the party, while Cole is quiet and mysterious (and British, extra points for that!). While the romance is a great part of the story, Anna’s relationships with everyone else were just as important to the story and fascinating to read---aside from the complicated dynamic between her and her mother, many new people come into her new life in New York and what she discovers more than anything is how much people can surprise you. 

As much as this book stands strongly on it’s own, with a rich story full of magic, romance, secret societies, and a thrilling ending, I was completely overjoyed to find out that this will be a series. I am beyond excited at the idea of spending more time in the world of Born of Illusion!

Find Teri Brown online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Born of Illusion:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Becky's View: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: April 30th, 2013
♦paperback, 371 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult (recommend 15+)
♦series: The Sweet Trilogy, book 2
  review of book 1, Sweet Evil
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Review: Can I just get my one little bit of negativity about this series out of the way right now, people?  Before the real review even starts?  The story inside is cool and dark and super sexy...but the covers are just so cheesy they make me cringe!  Especially this one.  I think it's the "I'm too sexy" glare on the character's faces or the fact that they look like they should be strutting down a cat walk.  Plus, this is not how I picture Kai and Anna at all while I'm reading.  I keep thinking, please let this be one of those series that gets a compete cover redo sometime soon.  Still, I'd rather it have a cheesy cover and be as awesome of a story as it is than the other way around! :)

OKAY, enough of that. I just had to get that off my chest. That's really the only bad thing I can ever say about this series because the actual story continues to be fantastic! In the year that we waited to get our mitts on more Kai and Anna, I'd forgotten exactly how dark and sultry this story is. A perfect blend of YA angel/demon lore and a romance to get your blood running hot.  Fans of this series have nothing to fear, as this one very nearly surpasses book one in excitement, danger, and a huge dose of steamy scenes.  Throw in a prophecy that could change the lives of every one of the Nephilim and a desperate race around the world to find allies in the coming war on the demons and you get one amazing sequel!

Anna, while she has spent some time learning to fight and toughen up, is still as sweet as ever, and I absolutely love that in this second book, her purity has become an integral part of the plot.   You really hurt for her knowing she is being forced to "work" under the evil eye of the whisperers, and that means drinking and partying and putting other kids in danger.  She hates it and has so much guilt about it, but as the daughter of a demon, she has to work if she wants to stay alive.

Once again, the characters are what make this book really shine.  Kaidan made me angry for about 90% of this book.  His jealous behavior was maddening and childish and he takes it all out on the wrong people.  But a character is only as good as the intense feelings they make you have, right? :) Loved Kopano again, I really felt for him as he gets caught up in the middle of the mess that is Anna and Kai's relationship.  Hope so much that he finds the love he deserves with a certain new character when book 3 rolls around!  And Blake---I just love that kid.  Such an entertaining character to read, loyal to a fault to both Anna and Kai, a good friend, and definitely knows how to lighten the mood in any situation!  You just feel for every single one of them, because no matter how good any of their lives might seem to the outsider, each of them lives as a slave to their cruel demon fathers.  Well, except Anna's, of course.  Her dad is an outstanding character again, perfectly flawed and bumbling when he's trying to play "Dad", and then protective and smart as he helps them orchestrate the coming revolt.

Sweet Peril was a stunning follow up to Sweet Evil and I can only imagine how amazing and intense Sweet Reckoning will be!

Find Wendy Higgins online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Sweet Peril:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Becky's View: The End Games by T. Michael Martin

The End Games by T. Michael Martin
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: May 7th, 2013
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦ALA midwinter

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.

Review: The End Games was a really great surprise.  I know I've said this before, but I tend to have a hard time with zombie books.  Sometimes I just can't take the brain-eating, skin-rotting, guts and eyeballs gore.  Honestly, I only made it through an episode and half of Walking Dead before I couldn't take it anymore.  But The End Games?  Well, this story was something so much more than just another zombie novel.  At the heart of it's story, it's about two brothers, Michael and his little bro Patrick.   It's about their bond and what incredible lengths Michael will go through to make Patrick feel like he's safe in a really messed up world.  

Michael and Patrick were both incredibly well-written characters with distinct voices and a language all their own. For me, it took a bit to really adapt to it, there were terms that didn't seem to make sense at first, but much like learning a new language, once it clicks in your own head, it immerses you even deeper into their world and their bond.  Martin's whole writing style was unique and stylistic in a way that immediately gave Michael a voice that was intense, sometimes comedic, and almost always on the verge of panic at loosing control of the situation---as well as a spot-on voice to Patrick, a troubled 5-year-old whose emotions are on a constant precarious cliff.  Their connection to each other just seemed perfectly real, how brothers would be even in the most extraordinary of circumstances, both humorous and intimate. 

The world is stark and deserted, and the eeriness is only added to by the fact that the apocalypse just happened to hit on Halloween, the forgotten decorations and jack-o-lanterns everywhere adding an extra creepy flavor to the abandoned world.  This was a really different take on zombies.  It was chilling the way they would moan back any word that they heard, which is why the boys called them "bellows".  But the most terrifying part was how they evolved.  Their change from Bellows to Shrieks was heart-stopping, as they somehow learned to adapt themselves and make themselves even more dangerous.  But even with the dead walking the earth, the greatest threat the brothers faced were other human men that were quickly losing their grasp on sanity.  

Most of the story was fast-paced and intense, I do admit to feeling a little drop in attention somewhere in the middle, but it quickly picked up again and gripped me until the wildly exciting ending. I really enjoyed this debut, highly recommend to fans of zombies and especially those looking for YA reads that are perfect for boys!

Find T. Michael Martin online: Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase The End Games:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

In case you missed it, check out my interview with T. Michael Martin and the incredible book trailer for The End Games here!

Amy's View: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: January 22nd, 2013
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Everneath, book 2
             (review of Everneath)
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

Review: 

Once again the Underworld calls for Nikki but this time in a different way. Instead of running from the binds of the Everneath, Nikki finds herself desperate to discover a way back into the underworld, once again being reminded she will be forever bound to the world that remains below her. Now that Jack did the ultimate sacrifice of taking Nikki's place in Everneath, Nikki finds herself determined in any way to find him and save him from his soul being taken forever.  She will do and say anything to have him back in her arms safe and only then will she be free from the guilt that plagues her every day. Even if that means she will have to find Cole and beg him to take her back.  Nikki is prepared to barter in any way necessary to have him to take her back to the Underworld.

This sequel takes you into the incredible complex world of Everneath, describing every level in intense detail as you are lead to the heart of their world. Time plagues Nikki as it continues to lapse in the two worlds, from the surface to Everneath and back again.  On the surface each night Nikki finds herself desperately clinging onto Jack’s image in her dreams trying to keep him alive as she searches for him. As well as having to frantically dodge her inquisitive father and meddlesome psychologist while on the surface. And if that isn’t enough being ripped back into the Underworld into Cole’s waiting arms every morning is enough to make a girl go crazy.

The love triangle continues to intensify as Nikki and Cole spend ample amounts of time together searching through the underbelly of Everneath where in turn they have to search their own soul’s fears, longings, and desires to pass through the levels of Everneath together, leaving their hearts exposed and once again opening up to one another.

This book will take you on a maze of twists and turns on its well developed and complex journey. Brodi Aston completely and thoroughly thought out the Underworld’s map and describes in a tremendous amount of detail. However, at times, I did find myself overwhelmed with the detail she needed to use to describe the Underworld properly which made it a little hard to follow. However if you are a lover of mythology you will most likely love this sequel.

For me it was 3 ½ cupcakes.

  Find Brodi Ashton online: Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase Everbound:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository 

 

Amy's View: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦released: September 18th, 2012
♦hardcover, 294 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: ALA

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. House party.
White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Review:
Once again I find myself loving a book that has very mixed reviews. I will tell you I mainly picked up this book to read next because of the reviews that it got. I was shocked to see a book receive 1 star and then on the next review receive 5 stars with nothing in between. A love it or hate it dilemma. So off I went to my bookshelf picked it up and dove right in. And I am happy to report that I really enjoyed TEN by Gretchen McNeil. A captivating YA thriller. Yes folks, it’s a YA book.  It was written with young adults specifically in mind. So if you are an adult reading this keep in mind before you review that this wasn’t written for your generation. The reading community can be harsh out there.  I give Gretchen McNeil huge credit and a huge virtual hug because you have to be strong to weather the opinions of others.

Now to the book. Ten was an entertaining and mesmerizing thriller. It can hold its own on a shelf next to a Christopher Pike book any day. The book was extremely well thought out and even left me surprised with the twists and turns that it took. I was even pleasantly surprised that late at night when I was finishing this book I caught my heart racing for the main character Meg. I was so wrapped up in the book I almost jumped at a few parts. I couldn’t put it down for hours even as darkness crept into the late hours of the night setting the scene perfectly to finish this chilling book.  The plot was a realistic set up of scenes, 10 teenagers all lying to their parents to have a weekend party at a friend’s summer house. Maybe not one that all teenagers can pull off but there defiantly are those few who would take any opportunity to have a party like this. However this weekend doesn’t turn out to be the party of the decade everyone planned it to be--- instead it turns out to be reminiscent of a classic 90’s horror movie. Ten teenagers trapped in a house on an island, a wicked storm trapping them there and each one falling to death one by one. It sounds cliché, but surprisingly it’s very well done. Some murders I didn’t even see coming even though I was waiting for it.  And to all those doubters out there, the story does have a plot and a reason behind why each person is murdered. It just goes to show how fragile a teenager’s life is and how one night's choices can change your life forever. Definitely a good read. Fast, entertaining and definitely a thriller. Just don’t read this one if your alone in a house along the ocean…. unless you want to set yourself up for the perfect reading scene.

Find Gretchen McNeil online: Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

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

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.

Born of Illusion
by Teri Brown

hitting shelves June 11th, 2012 from Balzer & Bray

description:
Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Born of Illusion is the first book in a new series. Each book in the series will introduce a new historical figure, whose legend is shrouded in magic, along with the young woman whose fate is irrevocably tied to his. The through line in each of the books will be The Ghost Club, the real life secret society that was founded in 1862 by the likes of Charles Dickens, Sir Conan Doyle, and W. B. Yeats to advance mankind’s knowledge of the paranormal. The first three books in the series will deal with Houdini, Aleister Crowley and Rasputin.

My thoughts: I could not be more excited about this book!! A historical story set in the 20s about Houdini's supposed daughter?? Secret gifts and strange societies?? This may very well be one of my top 5 books that I'm anticipating in 2013!  I'm even more excited to hear that it will be a series tied to the The Ghost Club!!  The whole concept just sounds so amazing!

Becky's View: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: August 28th, 2012
♦hardcover, 432 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: ALA

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.

Review: Without a doubt, one of the easiest 5-cupcake ratings I've given out in a long time.  This book blew me away.  I started out reading this one by checking out the preview at Amazon (something I often due during quiet hours on the desk at work), and by the time I had reached the end of the short sneak peek, I was completely engrossed in every detail, I was invested in every character, I couldn't wait to get home and tear through the rest.  And, honestly, that intense feeling of being completely drawn into this story and these characters lives never lets up, not until the very last page. 

Starting out,  I wasn't really sure what to expect.  I knew it was about some sort of clone, a bit of a science fiction-y concept where people are copied in case their "original" dies. I'd read stories about clones before and even those where they contemplate the human nature of them (one of my favorite books of all time is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro---if you've never read it, you must.)  So I already knew this sort of concept fascinated me.  But The Lost Girl is so beautifully told, you feel every emotion---all the fear, the uncertainty, the loss, the longing, the anger, the love, and the hope.  It's amazing because without it being in anyone's perspective but Eva's, you still get inside the head and heart of every character.  The emotions just seem to come crashing at you from all sides.  

The plot itself is tightly crafted and flows perfectly.  It's split into three parts: first we meet Eva in her home with Ming Ma who raised her with so much love, and her guardians, one of which has become so much more.  You get to know all of them and see how much they all mean to each other, to see how fiery Eva is,  how she feels about her existence, and how passionate she is to keep her life her own.  I loved Ming Ma's character---she loves Eva fiercely and is so determined to keep her safe, no matter the cost to herself.  And Sean..well, he's just awesome.  Smart, funny, genuine, and brave.   In part two, we see Eva's struggle to find her place in the grieving family who ordered her creation and the dangers of trying to convince everyone that she is Amarra, including the boy who loved her. She finds a wonderful bond with Amarra's younger brother and sister and discovers a great new friend when she least expects it.  And in part three, the story explodes into a fast-paced and perilous fight to survive against her creators, The Weavers, who could take it all away.  This is a stand-alone story, and while the end is not a tidy little package of certainty and safety, I thought it was perfect. 

Don't hesitate---READ THIS BOOK.

Find Sangu Mandanna online: Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase The Lost Girl:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound