Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson {review}

Truly Devious
by Maureen Johnson
publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
release date: January 16th, 2018
hardcover, 420 pages
intended audience: Young adult
series: Truly Devious, book 1
source: received from publisher for honest review

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder. 

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

~Amy's thoughts~

All Stevie has ever wanted to do was to solve crimes, and Ellington Academy is notorious for its unsolved kidnapping and murder from 80 years prior. Now Stevie feels she is living the dream of a lifetime, studying at the prestigious school for free, while also having access to inside facts on the case. Stevie just knows she will be the one to crack the case. Until, murder hits the halls of Ellington Academy once again. This time it is a student, and even though the murder looks like a suicide, Stevie isn’t so sure. Now she has two crimes that need to be solved, even though it seems like everyone is starting to turn away from her.  

A gripping page turner with twists and turns at every chapter, Truly Devious leaves readers reeling for answers, while trying to solve the mystery for themselves.  Sherlock Holmes collides with Nancy Drew in this modern day true crime mystery, where murder, riddles and drama keep a fast-paced reading tempo.

However, be warned, like a true crime mystery this book will leave your jaw dropped in shock as you finish the last page and close the cover. The beginning of an intertwining mystery series, each book is written to seamlessly blend into the next, carrying on the mystery, opening more doors than it closes.  Maureen Johnson leaves readers dangling on the edge of a cliff hanger, where readers will be left with the desire to read faster in order to find out answers, but slower so the story won’t end. While some readers might be upset about the abrupt ending, this book gives exactly what a mystery promises, sometimes there aren’t answers right away, but will be even more satisfying when the answers finally come.

I can’t wait for the next installment of the Truly Devious series, especially after the cliff hanger ending. This is the first book that I have read where the end of the book abruptly ends right in the middle of the story’s climax; where I was left sitting in shock looking for the next chapter.

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.

Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Hank and John Green.

WEBSITE   •   TWITTER   •   INSTAGRAM

Purchase the book:   Indiebound   •   BookDepository   •   Amazon

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst {review}

Of Fire and Stars
by Audrey Coulthurst
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: November 22, 2016
♦hardcover, 400 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.
But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.

Review: After starting out loving this one, by the end I came away with some pretty mixed feelings.

Both Denna and Mare were characters I really enjoyed. Denna is this sheltered out-of-place princess with a life-threatening secret and a desire to prove her worth in her new kingdom. Mare is such a wild child without a shred of care for what people think of her or expect of her, and a completely justified chip on her shoulder from years of being treated like her word was worth less than her younger brother's. From the time they meet, you see them go from spite to tolerating eachother, to trust and friendship, to desire, and finally realizing they've fallen in love. I liked that Mare showed so much doubt in Denna's feelings for her even after they'd been together, as a result of being surrounded by people who didn't show any confidence or belief in her. It made complete sense and I felt for her, even while being frustrated with her! I liked that Mare's confidence sparked bravery in Denna and slowly pulls her out of her sheltered box. Denna has it so ingrained in her that duty comes first that she makes some pretty selfish decisions, but she makes it back to the right ones in the end.  I also really loved that the LGBT aspect of this story was not written as an "issue". No one was shocked, it wasn't something they were hiding (well, not because of that, anyway). They, and many others in the story loved who they loved and it was the most natural thing in the world. As it should be--but this is one of the few stories that I've seen treat it that way and I loved that.

But romance aside, the rest of the storyline was very political and I found that part to be a bit boring. A lot of meetings of the directorates and talk of joining kingdoms and who is planning to attack who. For me, this dragged and I found myself putting the book down a lot during these parts.  The magical side of the story was interersting but not really fleshed out enough and same went for the different kingdoms and elemental gods they worshiped. I definitely wanted to know more about Zumordia, too!

One thing that I really didn't like about this one stood out quite a bit to me. Yes, the story of Denna and Mare was enchanting and sweet and a beautiful story of love between two young women.  But as a very stark contrast, almost every male in the story was a complete jerk. There is one, Mare's best friend, Nils, who was funny and charming and such a great friend to her, but even he was a bit of a womanizer. The king and the prince were just condescending and dismissive and bordering on cruel. It seemed like the one good and kind man in the story dies in the first few chapters.

The story picks up pace near the end, but also gets a bit rushed. There were some plot leads that fall off and get swept aside for an easy and obvious sort of ending and there's a bit of villanous monologuing. It was still pretty exciting and definitely an HEA. Not a read I regret, but definitely not one I loved as much as I'd hoped I would.

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Audrey Coulthurst writes YA books that tend to involve magic, horses, and kissing the wrong people. Her debut novel, Of Fire and Stars, will be published on November 22, 2016 by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins. When she’s not dreaming up new stories, she can usually be found painting, singing, or on the back of a horse.

Audrey has a Master’s in Writing from Portland State University, is a member of SCBWI, and studied with Malinda Lo as a 2013 Lambda Literary Foundation Fellow. She lives in Santa Monica, California.

WEBSITE   •   TWITTER   •   INSTAGRAM

Purchase the book:   Indiebound   •   BookDepository   •   Amazon

Guest Post with Sarah Beth Durst: Facts About Queen of Blood!

Today I have an awesome guest post from one of my favorite authors, Sarah Beth Durst! She's stopping by to introduce us to her newest fantasy novel, Queen of Blood letting us in on some facts about the world it takes place in, Renthia!

Welcome, Sarah!! 

An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms. 

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.

Facts About Renthia

Here are some need-to-know facts about Renthia, the world of my new book THE QUEEN OF BLOOD (which is the first in a new epic series from Harper Voyager called THE QUEENS OF RENTHIA):

1. Any travel guide to Renthia should mention its beauty.  The land is full of stunning extremes of nature, from the towering Lothlorien-like trees of Aratay where glittering cities perch halfway up the trees, to the endless ice fields of Ehlim and the cloud-piercing mountains of Semo -- all thanks to the work of the nature spirits.

2.  Any travel guide should also mention that those nature spirits want to kill all humans.

3.  But don't worry -- the queens of each land have the power to control them and keep the spirits from slaughtering everyone.  Except when the queens fail.  Or die.

4.  That's why there are so many heirs.  Girls with power are chosen and trained to become heirs, ready to take power if/when... okay, let's face it, it's always "when" (queens don't have an impressive life expectancy)... the current queen dies.  So as long as you survive the transition period, you'll have a very pleasant and peaceful journey through this lovely world.

Hope you'll join me!

I truly loved writing this book.  It was one of the best writing experiences I've ever had, primarily because it was so immersive.  Every day I'd sink into this world and trail along with my characters.  Daleina and Ven -- an idealistic student and a banished warrior -- became so real to me.  I am grateful for the fact that there are two more books after THE QUEEN OF BLOOD, so I didn't have to say goodbye!

For me, that's one of the hardest parts about writing: saying goodbye.  But it's followed by one of the best parts: sending the book out into the world, so others can say hello.

And so, hello!  Welcome to Renthia!  Just watch out for the trees.  They bite.

*        *        *        *       *

Thanks so much, Sarah for giving us a little more insight into this world! 

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of ten fantasy novels for adults, teens, and kids, including Conjured, Vessel, and Ice. Her latest book for kids, The Girl Who Could Not Dream, came out in November 2015 from HMH/Clarion Books, and her next book for adults, The Queen of Blood, comes out in September 2016 from Harper Voyager. She won the 2013 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. 

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  TUMBLR

Waiting on...

"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.

Queen of Blood

by Sarah Beth Durst

hitting shelves September 20, 2016

from Harper Voyager

An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms. 

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.

My thoughts:  Sarah Beth Durst has pretty much become an auto-wishlist author for me, after the amazingness that was Chasing Power and Vessel and Conjured. Love her writing, so this one is definitely on my must-read list for 2016. 

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Ravenous by MarcyKate Connelly {review}

Ravenous
by MarcyKate Connelly
♦publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
♦release date: February 9th, 2016
♦hardcover, 432 pages
♦intended audience: MG/YA
♦series: Monstrous, book 2
  review of book 1
♦source: ARC from publisher for honest review

A witch has come to the city of Bryre. She travels in a hut that has chicken feet, and is ravenous for children. And once she gets what she desires, she never lets it go.

But when the witch captures Hans, Greta’s little brother, Greta refuses to let her have him. The two strike up a bargain. Greta will retrieve something the witch desires in exchange for her brother’s freedom.

To get the prize Greta must travel to Belladoma—a city where she was once held captive—which brings back terrible memories. With the help of a new friend, Dalen, a magical half-boy and half-horse, Greta embarks on the journey and tries to overcome both foes and her own weaknesses.

For fans of Monstrous and new readers alike comes the story of an epic quest and a heroine who will stop at nothing to save the one she loves most.

Review: Ravenous is the second installment in the Monstrous series, and another charming tale that stretches the imagination! It's a fun mix of Hansel & Gretel and the russian Baba Yaga myth, but it's also a wholly unique and creative story full of dangerous adventure and gutsy characters. Also, though we get to revisit a few of beloved characters from Monstrous, this is a companion and stands on it's own, which I loved.

While I have to admit that I didn't fall in love with this one quite as much as I did Monstrous, it's still a great read. This time around, I found the writing a little flat until the second half and it really took me awhile before it grabbed me.  I did love Greta again---I coulnd't hep admire her devotion to her brother and she is just as much of a fireball as she is in Monstrous. When the King of Bryre and Ren, who are also suppose to be her good friends, turn down her plea for help and accuse her of conjuring a fake brother to stall their plans to help Belledoma, she goes off on her own to save Hans from a hungry Witch. She is brave and resourceful, but after what happened with her friends, she is determined not to put her trust in anyone else. I love that by the end, she learn that a little help is not a bad thing and that often the most obvious option is often not the only option. I was also really liked how much revolved around her facing down her awful memories of being held captive in Belladoma and what she assumed about the people who, in her mind, let that happen.  I liked the friendship that grew between her and Dalen, he was a sweet character, but again, until about the middle, I didn't feel very engaged by it.

It's when Greta makes an incredible discovery about her family that this story really drew me in. From this point to the end, the stakes were heightened and her decisions more meaningful and I really began to root for all of the characters to work together to find a way to each meet all of their opposing goals and triumph over all the evils they faced!

Even with the few problems I had, Ravenous was an enjoyable story and I look forward to more from MarcyKate Connelly!

Find MarcyKate Connolly online: Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Ravenous:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

Waiting on...

"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.

Ravenous

by MarcyKate Connolly

hitting shelves February 9th, 2016

from HarperCollins Children's Books

A witch has come to the city of Bryre. She travels in a hut that has chicken feet, and is ravenous for children. And once she gets what she desires, she never lets it go.

But when the witch captures Hans, Greta’s little brother, Greta refuses to let her have him. The two strike up a bargain. Greta will retrieve something the witch desires in exchange for her brother’s freedom.

To get the prize Greta must travel to Belladoma—a city where she was once held captive—which brings back terrible memories. With the help of a new friend, Dalen, a magical half-boy and half-horse, Greta embarks on the journey and tries to overcome both foes and her own weaknesses.

For fans of Monstrous and new readers alike comes the story of an epic quest and a heroine who will stop at nothing to save the one she loves most.

My thoughts: Sigh...this cover. SO beautiful, just the like the first book in this wonderful fantasy world, Monstrous.  I loved Monstrous (my review's here) and I can't wait to get back to this world and a second taste of MarcyKate Connelly's writing. Thanks, Carina, for posting about this one recently! I didn't even know a second book was in the works!!

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon {review + giveaway}

Illusionarium
by Heather Dixon
♦publisher: Greenwillow Books
♦release date: May 19th, 2015
♦hardcover 368 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.

Review:  Illusionarium seems to be one of those books that people are either loving or hating. Both sides have their reasons, and I find that awesome!  It reminds me once again about the fabulous diversity of readers, how the wonderful idea behind the phrase “to each his own” seems to apply to reading more than any other thing in the world!

For me, Illusionarium was absolutely fantastic! An adventurous, imaginative, unique, and wildly creative story of not one, but two alternate steampunk versions of Victorian London, with a pacing that barely leaves you time to catch your breath.  The main character, Jonathan, is a quirky, dry-humored, slightly awkward scientist-type. He and his little sister, Hannah have a good sibling rivalry going where intelligence is concerned, but it’s also a very sweet and protective relationship. The author uses the amusing addition of annotations to add funny little bits of information and comments to Jonathan’s POV, and I loved that. 

I liked watching Jonathan’s character develop throughout. He starts off a bit light and naïve, but his outlook and aggression darkens as he faces this bleak new world and as his desperation grows to find a way to save his family and he’s put off again and again.  I also liked the enemy-to-ally friendship that grows between Jonathan and Lockwood, they find themselves forced together and a bond grows through mutual respect…eventually. One word of warning, despite what the cover might imply, don’t look to this one if you’re in the mood for romance. You won’t find it here. But I was happy with that---with such a desperate and time-sensitive mission at hand, it might have bothered me if Jonathan had stopped to flirt. 

The idea behind illusioning is a clever mix of science and magic.  The illusions can only be seen by someone who is inhaling a hallucinogenic drug called fantillium, but if someone is being attacked or killed by illusion, their body will react as if it’s really happening. In the twisted alternate society, the people have made illusioning a bloodsport.  Talented illusionists are able to conjure illusions to outwit each other in competition. But there is a gruesome downside to overdosing on the drug. The concept and world building that went along with it demands a stretch of the imagination, but it’s a wild idea and makes for stunningly visual storytelling. 

Maybe on another day, in another mood, I might have nitpicked this one a bit more. But I found this incredibly entertaining, imaginative, and exactly the story I was craving. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but I definitely recommend giving it a try!

 Find Heather Dixon online:  Website  •   Instagram

Purchase Illusionarium:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

 

GIVEAWAY!

I have an extra copy of this one so I'm going to pass it on! 

•US mailing address only please

•Ends June 3rd, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia {review + giveaway}

Made You Up 
by Francesca Zappia
♦publisher: Greenwillow Books
♦release date: May 19th, 2015
♦hardcover, 448 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone, contemporary
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal. 

Review: Made You Up caught me by surprise and made me love it.  While it took a few chapters to really get a handle on Alex and the other characters, once I was in, I was all in and completely glued to every page until the very end.  With a witty but unreliable narrator that constantly has you guessing what is real and what isn’t, this story is all at once compelling, emotional, humorous, mysterious, and heartbreaking.

Alex is a fantastic character, genuine, flawed, and with some very well-founded fears.  She’s been living with paranoid schizophrenia since she was 7 and she seems to manage it pretty well. Despite the fact that she hides it to keep from being shunned or taunted by her peers, she fully owns it and the little quirks she’s developed to help her deal---things like taking photos of things she things might not be real so she can refer back to them later, scanning a room she walks into or her food for threats without anyone noticing she’s doing it. Illness aside, Alex is super smart and has a fiery, fun attitude that I loved getting to know. Her dad is supportive enough, but her mother threatens to commit her or call her psychiatrist every time she slips and I just wanted to cry for her every time. But her greatest comfort is her little sister, who is always there for her with a no-questions-asked cuddle. 

The love story is hard-won and slow building from a strange sort of rivalry. When she meets Miles she is sure he is the same little boy she met as a child, but always thought he was a hallucination. It’s fun to watch Miles and Alex come together and slowly start to understand each other. Alex and Miles melt the ice ( and yes, I do mean ICY) on their relationship slowly and with lots of friction and emotional hesitation and stand-offishness, but their feelings finally show through what is undoubtedly the swooniest game of 20 questions I’ve ever seen! 

There is a bit of mystery as Alex and her friends investigate the school’s past to find out what is going on with the principal, a popular girl and her mother, and the infamous school scoreboard. The plot is well-written and rings true, with a few major twists that completely pulled the rug out from under me and left me drowning in emotions.  I don’t reread often, but this one made me want to flip back to the front and experience it again the second I turned the last page. 

 Find Francesca Zappia online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Instagram

Purchase Made You Up: Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

GIVEAWAY!
I've ended up with two copies of this wonderful book, so I want to pass one on!
Enter below to win an ARC!
•US mailing addresses only
•Ends  5/19/15

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Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly {review}

Monstrous
by Marcy Kate Connolly
♦publisher:Harper Collin's Children's Books
♦released: February 10, 2015
♦hardcover, 432 pages
♦intended audience: MG/YA
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and Bryre’s inhabitants live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark.

Yet night is the only time that Kymera can enter this dangerous city, for she must not be seen by humans. Her father says they would not understand her wings, the bolts in her neck, or her spiky tail—they would kill her. They would not understand that she was created for a purpose: to rescue the girls of Bryre.

Despite her caution, a boy named Ren sees Kym and begins to leave a perfect red rose for her every evening. As they become friends, Kym learns that Ren knows about the missing girls, the wizard, and the evil magic that haunts Bryre.

And what he knows will change Kym’s life.

 
Review: The spellbinding fairy tale that is Monstrous is so many things: delight and horror and discovery and heroism.   From the very first page, we’re taken into Kymera’s world.  The storytelling feels like reading her daily journal, starting with the day she wakes up from the dead and going day by day as she rediscovers the world around her.  She’s been reanimated by her father from her own head and bits and pieces of other dead girls, along with a long barbed tail, inky black wings, and the eyes of a cat---all things she will need to carry out the mission he has intended her for. 

Kymera is a fun character---sweet, brave, inquisitive with a childlike innocence that comes from just being “reborn” into the world. She gets her ideals from her father and from the classic fairy tales she pours through. Like the heroes of her stories, she sets out, intent to save the girls of Bryre.  The only things she knows of the world is what her father has shown her, but she soon discovers the meaning of deceit, evil, revenge, and love.  She goes from having so much pride in pleasing her father, in her mission, and in the things she can do with her various non-human parts to finding out how alone she is and the ugly truth about how the rest of the world sees her.  She learns some hard lessons and finds the strength to rise above all that to truly be the person she wants to be. Such great character growth. She also meets a few friends along the way that provide some really heartfelt moments as she finds her way.

The writing is beautiful and haunting but there were times that I found the pacing a little slow. Still, a gorgeous story overall. This one gets pretty deep and dark at times, both in content and in theme---I really felt this straddled the line between MG and YA. So much heartbreak and triumph and beauty---and a magical bittersweet ending that felt in true fairy tale fashion.  

Find MarcyKate Connolly online: Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Monstrous:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

First Impression Review: Monstrous by MarcyKate Connelly

First Impression Reviews is a new feature here at Stories & Sweeties where I give my first thoughts at 50-100 pages into a book. For a details about this feature, go here!


where I'm at: page 61

First impressions: The story opens on Kymera's first day of waking up after being "reanimated".  Her father has brought her back to life after loosing her and her mother to an evil wizard.  The story reads a little like a diary, as she explores her new body (with added tail and raven wings!) and her new purpose, and I felt an immediate connection there because we're learning about what's going on right along with her, feeling her fears and triumphs and confusions as she trains for this greater purpose that her father has planned for her.   The story is told in such a trusting and innocent voice, and oh, I can feel already as she begins her mission to save the girls of Bryre that something is terribly amiss.  I can't help the feeling that her father is not telling her everything and that his purpose may be darker than what he lets on. But we'll have to see!! This one grabbed me right away and has me so curious!  I am definitely enjoying it so far!

Cover Story

Some recent cover reveals!

Beauty of the Broken

by Tawni Waters

Simon Pulse, August 26th, 2014

Inland 
by Kat Rosenfield
Dutton Juvenile, June 12th, 2014

Lailah

 by Nikki Kelly

Feiwel & Friends, October 7th, 2014

Of Monsters and Madness
by Jessica Verday
Egmont USA, September 9th, 2014

Poisoned Apples

by Christine Happermann

Greenwillow Books, September 23rd 2014

Sanctum
by Madeleine Roux
Harper Collins, August 26thm 2014

Searching for Sky

by Jillian Cantor

Bloomsbury USA, May 13th, 2014

The Beautiful Ashes 
by Jeaniene Frost
Harlequin, August 26th, 2014
(This one is listed as both YA and NA at Goodreads, so I'm not sure which it is! Either way, it's a gorgeous cover! :D)

Seeing any new favorites here?  They are all pretty gorgeous, but my favorites are Inland, Sanctum, Poison Apples, and Of Monsters and Madness! And i just love the colors on The Beautiful Ashes!

Cover reveal: Feral by Holly Schindler

Today I'm helping to reveal the haunting new cover for 

Holly Schindler's Feral.  

Take a look: 

 It’s too late for you. You’re dead.

   Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.

   But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who found Serena, battered and most certainly dead, surrounded by the town’s feral cats.
   Now Claire vows to learn the truth about what happened, but the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to discovering a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley. . . .

   With an eerie setting and heart-stopping twists and turns, Holly Schindler weaves a gripping story that will make you question everything you think you know.

Coming August 2014 from Harper Collins!
Very excited for this one! I know Holly writes with amazing atmosphere and emotion from her first book A Blue So Dark, so I'll definitely be putting this one on my must-read list!

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.

 

Ashes to Ashes 

by Melissa Walker

hitting shelves December 23rd, 2013 from Katherine Tegen books

description:

If I Stay meets the movie Ghost in this first book in a teen duology about a teenage-girl-turned-ghost who must cling to the echoes of her former life to save the people she left behind.

Ashes to Ashes is author Melissa Walker's sweeping, romantic, and emotionally rich story about the things that torment and tempt us, even from the Great Beyond. This book is perfect for fans of Die for Me and Imaginary Girls, and its breathtaking ending will leave readers anxiously awaiting the series conclusion, Dust to Dust.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.

 

My thoughts: Love ghost and afterlife, and stories about people in the afterlife bringing peace to those they left behind always make me cry. :)   I'm also intrigued by the "ghosts she thought were fictional" concept! Gorgeous cover, too!

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