Sea Witch by Sarah Henning: Launch Party Recap & Giveaway!

Launch party for Sea Witch by Sarah Henning in conversation with Renee Ahdieh

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to attend Sarah Henning’s Launch party of, Sea Witch at The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas. A charming independent bookstore in the heart of the beautiful, historic downtown beckons passersby to stop in for a spell to be whisked into a land of enchantment.  Holding true to its magical feel, Ngaio (the bookstore’s black cat) greets you upon entering, while her fellow employee cat, Dashiell monitored the quickly growing crowd.

In the evening Kansas heat, a bustling crowd quickly swelled to overwhelming numbers, as the shop seemed to expand at the seams to accommodate. A tremendous show of support for their local author, as well as comradery from fellow authors, there was no doubt that this debut will be one to remember.   

NYT Bestselling author of The Wrath and The Dawn duology, and Sarah’s first “book friend,” Renee Ahdieh moderates the event, asking questions that were insightful, heartfelt, fun and enlightening, allowing everyone to see the woman behind the mesmerizing, dark story of Sea Witch. Let’s jump right into the conversation:

Renee: Who is your favorite villain?

Sarah: The sea witch, but she doesn’t feel like she is a villain. What about you?

R: Ursula.  She is an incredibly misunderstood villain. First off, she had Ariel sign a disclaimer, Ariel knew what she was getting into! What are the top three emoji’s used on your phone?

S: Double pink hearts, laugh cry emoji, and of course the mermaid!

R- Why this story?

S – As a kid of the 80s, and 90s, I grew up on Disney’s Little Mermaid, but when I got older and read the actual tale I wondered, where did Disney even come up with their ideas? I am originally a mystery and thriller writer, so I wanted to blend it all together.

R- What is your advice to those trying to write?

S- Take something familiar, and turn it into something new. Get to know yourself and write, and write, and write. You also must read a lot, in order to write well, you must be well read.

R-Do you start with a character or a plot?

S- Generally somewhere in the middle. I am a hybrid. I’m going to see the plot points pretty far apart, and then I fill them in. What about you? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

R- I am an extreme plotter. I dream in words. I start with worlds, backdrop canvas, theme, then characters.

S- I find the hook, then fill the characters on the page.

R- What are the cooler moments of the process?

S- This (pointing to the audience) is really cool. Social media is so different now and is a great way to interact. I sold this book 3 years ago, then marketing pushed it to 2017, then said how about 2018?

R- This is definitely not an overnight process! What did you turn to for inspiration, in an industry that is all about rejection?

S- I became a journalist because I didn’t think being a novelist was a great idea. I wanted to tell people’s stories. But you can’t run away from your dreams. When I get down, I realize I would be doing this anyways. I also read other author’s books published with the same agency. It shows that they have done it too.

R What do you have coming up next?

S- Throw Like A Girl, it’s a story of a girl who is the not-so-backup quarterback on her boyfriend’s football team. I was a sports journalist for a long time, so this is for my “sporto’s,” and girls who want to keep up with the boys.

R-What book are you currently reading right now?

S- Darius the Great is Not Ok, is currently on my nightstand, by Adib Khorram who is actually here in attendance.

R- Hogwarts House?

S- Slytherin and Hufflepuff. But I feel that I am more a Divergent.

R- I am a Slytherin ( as she says with laughter)  What was your favorite character to write besides the Sea Witch?

S- Prince Nick. He’s a romantic and a friend.

R- Judging a beautiful book by its cover. Is this what you see when you see the Sea Witch?

S- I sent my editor a private Pinterest board of inspiration, and she sent it to the artist who lives in Scotland. I see her a little closer to the arc cover, which is different from the final cover.

R- If it’s not a spoiler what was your favorite part to write?

S- The flashbacks. I originally only had a few flashbacks, but my editor talked about the prism of grief, so we added more. I wrote them all in big chunks. It was very chartist to write what happened 4 years ago. 

R- Was there anything you had to cut in the editing process that you are upset about?

S- Yes! This was a very different book originally. It had a lot more happy things, but there was not enough space. 

With the, Sea Witch being the most breathtaking read of the summer, this was seriously such a delightful launch, with an amazing line up of questions, answers and a whole lot of information, and take a look at Renee’s shoes ♥

Are you ready to discover the magic for yourself?  To celebrate this amazing launch, I am hosting a giveaway, starting Saturday August 11, on my instagram page Amy_Fortheloveofbooks for an autographed hardback copy. Good luck and Happy Reading.  (image links to giveaway!)

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. A spin-off of the meme called "Can't Wait Wednesday" is now hosted at Wishful Endings. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Stolen Time

by Danielle Rollins

hitting shelves February 5th, 2019  

from Harper Teen

Seattle, 1913 // Dorothy is trapped. Forced into an engagement to a wealthy man just so she and her mother can live comfortably for the rest of their days, she’ll do anything to escape. Including sneaking away from her wedding and bolting into the woods to disappear.

New Seattle, 2077 // Ash is on a mission. Rescue the professor—his mentor who figured out the secret to time travel—so together they can put things right in their devastated city. But searching for one man means endless jumps through time with no guarantee of success.

When Dorothy collides with Ash, she sees it as her chance to start fresh—she’ll stow away in his plane and begin a new life wherever they land. Then she wakes up in a future that’s been ripped apart by earthquakes and floods; where vicious gangs rule the submerged city streets and a small group of intrepid travelers from across time are fighting against the odds to return things to normal. What Dorothy doesn’t know is that she could hold the key to unraveling the past—and her arrival may spell Ash’s ultimate destruction.

My thoughts:  A girl from the distant past, a boy from the distant future, and a band of time travelers trying to set things right---LOVE the sound of all this! Plus, very cool detail on the cover if you look closely! So pretty!

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

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.

My Lady Jane

by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

hitting shelves June 7th, 2016

from HarperTeen

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

My thoughts: Whatever book was previously my TOP most anticipated book of 2016 has just been dethroned by this little beauty.  I have to fess up that I've not read anything by Brodi Ashton, but I have heard many great things about her series. BUT Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows---two of my absolute favorite authors---writing a fantastical romantical comedy together, and on top of that, a comparison to Princess Bride??? I can't even imagine the amazingness that this is sure to be. It's like all my favorite things rolled into one. 

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.

Don't Your Forget About Me
by Kate Karyus Quinn

hitting shelves June 10th, 2014 from Harper Teen

description:
Welcome to Gardnerville.

A place where no one gets sick. And no one ever dies.

Except...
There’s a price to pay for paradise. Every fourth year, the strange power that fuels the town exacts its payment by infecting teens with deadly urges. In a normal year in Gardnerville, teens might stop talking to their best friends. In a fourth year, they’d kill them.

Four years ago, Skylar’s sister, Piper, was locked away after leading sixteen of her classmates to a watery grave. Since then, Skylar has lived in a numb haze, struggling to forget her past and dull the pain of losing her sister. But the secrets and memories Piper left behind keep taunting Skylar—whispering that the only way to get her sister back is to stop Gardnerville’s murderous cycle once and for all.

My Thoughts: What the??? Doesn't that synopsis just boggle your mind? This sounds completely different from everything out there---and completely amazing. I can't wait to hear about why this place is the way it is.  And that cover? How interesting and creative is that?  Can't. Wait.

Cover Story

Hi, everyone!  I know I've sort of fallen off the edge of the blogging world this past week! Sorry about that!  My life's been taken over by a few fun (book trade show!) and not-so-fun (medical yuckiness) events, but I think I can safely say I'm back for now!  It may be a little slow around here for October but no more week-long disappearances, I don't think!

Anyhow---a few covers that I have been eagerly awaiting to see hit the web these last few days!! Thought I'd share in case you hadn't seen them already!

After the End 

by Amy Plum

Harper Teen, May 6, 2014

Hollow City
by Ransom Riggs
Quirk Books, January 14, 2014

Starbreak 

by Phoebe North

Simon & Schuster, July 15, 2014

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.

 
Dorothy Must Die 
by Danielle Paige 

hitting shelves April 14, 2014 from Harper Teen

Description:

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.
What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

My thoughts:  This looks so fun.  I do love a good reimagining of my favorite childhood stories, so  this looks right up my alley.  Dorothy on a power trip? Head gotten a little too big for her braids?  So fun, I can't wait to see how this story plays out.

Once We Were Blog Tour: Kat Zhang Interview + Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Once We Were blog tour! Today I'm please to have Kat Zhang here to answer a few questions about the next book in the Hybrid Chronicles and her writing life.

Welcome, Kat!!

•Eva and Addie are a little like siblings, a little like rivals, and both very different personalities. Which was your favorite to write? 
I don't know if I can say I have a favorite, haha! The series is from Eva's point of view, so that means I'm "in her head" more than I'm in Addie's, and the narrative sort of shares Eva's biases. They are definitely quite different, and I think they need each other, often, to balance themselves out.

•What’s Left of Me had a very unique style and mood to it---did you have a favorite place to write to help get in the mindset of the story?

I don't really have a favorite place to write--in fact, I don't life writing in the same place for too long, so I often pack up and move if I've been working for more than a few hours. My favorite times of day to write, though, are early in the morning and late at night. The "in-between" hours, so to speak, when the rest of the world is quieter, and real life seems less intrusive :)

 

•I’m sure Eva and Addie are up for many more twists in their story---do you already know how the series will end?  Do you think it will morph and change as you write it?

Well, considering I just finished the final major edits for Book3, yes, I do ;) I always had a general idea for the story's ending, but the path on how to get there morphed over time. Stories are always like that, I think--at least for me. 

•Is there anyone special, a teacher or mentor, who inspired you on your path to becoming a writer?

When I was twelve or so, I met a lady through an online writing forum who was the first person to tell me in no uncertain terms that I would be published one day. I'm sure for her it was probably just something nice and encouraging to say to a kid, but no one had ever told me that before (understandably-- "you will definitely be published one day" isn't something just thrown around!), and it really gave me a lot of hope.

When I finished the very, very first draft of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME, I let my crit partner, Savannah Foley, read it (we'd only just met back at the time, so we didn't even know each other that well). I'd never let anyone else read the whole thing (though some of my high school friends had read the first 1/2 or so while I was writing it my senior year). So when Savannah told me she thought it was really good, I was so thrilled and encouraged :)

•What kind of books did you love to read as a teenager?

Well, this is more during my pre-teen years, but fantasy and science-fiction, mostly. THE GOLDEN COMPASS, and ENDER'S GAME, and GREEN ANGEL are three that really encouraged me to start writing when I was like 12. I still read as a teen, but less, actually, than before. I was so busy reading books for school!

Fun questions:
•Favorite snack while writing?
 fruit. also cereal. :P

•Favorite movie?

oooh....hmm...I suck at picking favorites... Recently, I watched Atonement again, and I do like that movie. I dunno about favorite, though!

•Favorite color?

White!

•Favorite band and song right now?

Don't really have a favorite band. I find myself humming "Bruises" by Train a lot recently, haha. I like songs that tell a story, or hint at one.

•And everyone who visits Stories & Sweeties answers this one:  Do you like cupcakes? J  Frosting or cake better?

Yes, I do! And I like the cake part better ;)

Thanks for having me!

FIND KAT ZHANG ONLINE:

 Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Enter below to win and ARC set of the first two books!
US only  •  Must be 13 or older  •  Ends 9/30/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the rest of the stops on the Once We Were blog tour!  

9/9 Forever YA
9/10 Cuddlebuggery
9/12 The Midnight Garden 
9/13 The Book Smugglers
9/16 Finding Bliss in Books 

9/17Stories & Sweeties
9/18Lady Reader's Bookstuff

9/19I Swim for Oceans
9/20Birth of a New Witch 

Amy & Becky chat with Teri Brown: interview with the author of Born of Illusion + Giveaway!

Hello, all!  Amy & I recently had the opportunity to do a joint interview with Teri Brown, author of Born of Illusion.  If you haven't checked this book out yet, I highly recommend it! It easily became one of my favorite reads of this year! Check out my review here.

Because I loved this book so much, I want to spread the joy! :)  I've giving away a copy of Born of Illusion---be sure to enter at the bottom of this post!

~Interview with Teri Brown~

♠ Did you have a love for stage magic before writing Born of Illusion, or is this a new knowledge you acquired while writing this book?
Who doesn't love magic? I've always enjoyed watching stage magic, but I guess  I didn't have the appreciation for it before that I do now. Writing the book definitely opened my eyes as far as how much time, effort and thought actually goes into it.

♥ Was Harry Houdini always a character you wanted immersed in the storyline? If so, which character came first Harry or Anna? 
 I guess I would have to say Harry--in a way.  I first thought of doing a book about Harry Houdini's illegitimate daughter, but I didn't know Anna at all when I first thought of the  concept. She developed along with the plot. So Harry came first.

♦ Your inventions were perfectly described for the readers mind, were they your own creations?
The magnetic invention was  completely mine… I needed something that would add atmosphere to Anna's séance. The levitation table is a real  prop that is used now, though I think it would have been very new back in the twenties.

♣What helped you stay immersed with the 1920’s?  Was there a certain movie, book or music?  
I surrounded myself with research books. I  may do a lot of my research on the web, but I really like having hard copies. It makes the time period more visceral for me. I also listened to a lot of old time jazz while writing Born of Illusion and Born of Deception. It set the mood for me, I guess.

♠ The mother daughter relationship only endeared you more to Anna’s character, was it challenging to write such a complicated relationship between them, or was it one that came naturally as the characters developed?  
It actually came pretty naturally. I think mother daughter relationships are always complicated no matter how strong and normal the relationship is. If it isn't normal, than the complications and issues can be endless. The relationship Anna and her mother have has a lot of nuances, partially from circumstances and partially due to differences in personality.

♥ Was it planned from the beginning who the antagonist would be?  
Yes and no… The original conception was very flat and then the idea of including a fictionalized version of the real life group, The Ghost Club, emerged and things just grew from there.

♦ What were you doing when the idea for the story came to you?
You know, I can't really remember the exact moment it came to me…. is that weird?

♣ What is your favorite thing about writing a Y.A. novel over an adult novel?  
My heart belongs to YA, but I am not sure that means I enjoy one over the other… and it's hard for me to differentiate. I just tell the story as it comes to me! 

Win Born of Illusion!

Now you know the scoop on this amazing book---enter to win a copy!  

Open internationally • Must be 13 or older • Ends 8/30/13 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Trailers: Burning Sky, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, & Unbreakable

These trailers have me even more excited about these three books than I already was!

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas


Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Book Trailers: Theory of Everything, Ink, Another Little Piece, & Belle Epoque

Came across some really great trailers this week---for books that I was already excited about, but now I'm even more eager to pick them up!

Ink by Amanda Sun


Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross


Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn


And this next one is my personal favorite book trailer in a long time!
The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

Becky's View: Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley

Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
♦publisher: HarperTeen
♦release date: March 19, 2013
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home…only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing - and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love.

Review: This is no easy read. Be forewarned, the subject matter is not pleasant.  Pretty Girl-13 is a psychological mystery that will have you simultaneously gripping the pages and wanting to throw the book into a corner to feel safe again as you realize that situations like this actually happen.  This is the story of Angie who was kidnapped at 13, and three years later she finds herself walking home, with no memory whatsoever of how she got there or that the years have even passed.  It starts as a creepy story about memory loss and spirals quickly into the story of a girl whose whole being has been fractured in several pieces.  It's gritty realistic fiction, but at times was so disturbing and trippy that it felt almost paranormal.

I've always been fascinating by multiple personality cases.  The disturbing part is hearing about what traumatic events can cause them.  Angie went through some terrible things, and her brain split into different personalities to enable her to cope with them.  Now that she's back home, those personalities are keeping their secrets---and Angie has to decide if she really wants to know.  The way the story is told is so well done. Each personality makes their appearance either through letters or recordings to Angie when they are in control, or under hypnosis.  Part of the tension of the story deals with Angie and her parents dealing with what happened as a family, the guilt and anger and sadness is all addressed and feels volatile and real. Still, I felt Angie faced her situation with courage, while still showing a very definite vulnerability when it comes to how she feels towards the different "people" inside her. 

The story unfolds with compelling quickness, and while some things that I'm sure were meant to be revelations were fairly predictable, it was one hell of ride watching Angie unfold her own mysteries.  One small thing that just wouldn't stop bothering me about Angie's story (and it's a tiny bit spoilery so I'll white it out):* What on earth was Angie doing offering to babysit when she knew she could black out at any time? And what kind of irresponsible parents would allow their teen to babysit knowing she had an unstable personality??  Just the mother in me having a freak out about that part, I guess. :) * I would hope that that would never happen, so I guess it came across as a bit unrealistic and contrived just to fuel a subplot.

Pretty Girl-13 was still a fascinating and stomach-churningly horrific story of one girl's discovery of a past that is she is slowly revealing to herself and learning to make herself whole again, built from the strengths of each of her many different sides. 

 Find Liz Coley online: Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Pretty Girl-13:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Becky's View: Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray
♦publisher: Harper Teen
♦release date: March 5th, 2013
♦hardcover, 370 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Spellcaster, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them.

Review:  The magic of witches, a cursed town, a mysterious boy who seems to be able to tell the future, and the author of one of my favorite reads last year…this book had all the makings of a perfect read for me.  Sadly, I found this one awkwardly told and hard to get into.  The plot was good, as were many of the subplots taking place within the lives of the three main characters.  What really got in the way of me completely loving this one was the alternating third-person points of view.  While I often don’t mind this style of storytelling, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a story that switched quite so often, as in several times in one chapter, and between 4 or 5 characters.  I found the constant POV change to be highly distracting as it took a few lines to realize whose perspective it was and made the flow of the story very choppy.   

There were several things I did like about the story. Gray’s take on magical spells was very unique and heartfelt.  Nadia literally had to call upon memories and her emotions to create the power of the spells.  I loved the character Mateo.  He's troubled by his strange new ability and not fully ready to just jump in and believe anything he's told.  He's loyal to a fault (albeit to the wrong people sometimes!) and had what I thought was a very natural reaction when his eyes are finally open to the truth.  I love that he defies the set laws of witchcraft and that there was, in the end, a very good explanation to that.  I loved Verlaine.  Her story has more coming, I'm sure, and when this series continues, I may return to it just to find out more about Verlaine's backstory---while we do learn a good deal about her, there is a lot about her and her parents that seems like it's yet to come.  And Nadia, she was a good character as well.  She is very self-reliant and strong for her little brother, even while stuggling so hard emotionally over her mother's abandoning of them.  I definitely feel there is more to that story, too, and I'm hoping she has the chance to confront her Mom in book 2.  She is left with a very incomplete training of witchcraft, and while it throws her confidence off a few times, she barrels through and finds a way to grow on her own.  The villain of the story was truly wicked, and it made the story more complex to see the villain's thoughts and merciless planning as well. 

The ending built up nicely and was exciting, but I felt like when we get to the climax it felt a bit rushed and easy.  I think that is one of the dangers of stories about magic and spells,(and this is a very slight spoiler, so I'm whiting it out, highlight between the astericks to read)...*if the heroine can simple cast a spell and the danger is over, if takes a bit of the breathless excitement out of the moment*.  Still, the end is not a true ending, it was just one baddie's plan foiled, and there is definitely more to come, so I guess it wasn't that easy, but it left me a little unsatified so far.  So, not a complete disappointment for me, although I did almost DNF this one a few times within the first 100 pages because of the frustrating quick-fire POV issues I mentioned, I stuck it out and was eventually drawn in and rewarded with a good story and some memorable characters. 

Give this one a try if you're looking for a unique take on magic and curses and interesting characters!

Find Claudia Gray online: Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

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

   

Book Trailers: The Rising, Pretty Girl-13, & When We Wake

I was already excited for all three of these...but I'm blown away with how well-done the book trailers are! What do you think?

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Pretty Girl 13 by Liz Coley

When We Wake by Karen Healey

Becky's View: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
♦publisher: HarperTeen
♦release date: February 5th, 2013
♦hardcover, 461 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Shatter Me, book 2
              review of book 1
♦source: ALA conference

tick

tick

tick

tick

it's almost

time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Review: So many emotions.  This series continues with the same raw intensity that Tahereh Mafi astonished us with in Shatter Me.  The way she structures her sentences, the strike-throughs (used slightly more sparingly this time around), the repetition---Mafi uses her signature writing style to convey an absolutely palpable intensity and emotion that runs through each page like a pulse. 

The story picks up right where Shatter Me ends, with Juliette trying to settle in to Omega Point, and you can really see her trying to get comfortable enough with herself to let other people in.  Being rejected and feared is all she knows, and it's hard for her to overcome that, especially when her powers are spinning a bit out of control, despite Castle's insistence that she learn how to use them to her (and Omega Point's) advantage.  Her struggle continues on how she feels about her own power and whether she wants anyone, even the good guys, to use it against their enemies. 

 The love story also takes a wild, heartbreaking spin as they discover more about Adam's own power to touch Juliette.  For those who have aversions to love triangles (they don't really bother me if they are well done), there is definitely one here, so be prepared.  It was definitely hard for me in the beginning to even consider Warner a viable love interest---his past actions were just too unforgiveable.   Still, Juliette's compassion for a boy raised by a heartless, cruel hand (much like herself) gets the best of her and she definitely lets her guard down for Warner. His actions this time around soften his character a bit and that definitely gives him some much needed vulnerability, humanity, and interest beyond the cruel leader we saw before. But I definitely reserve judgement on him until the end.  Great, great character development in this one. Some may be Team Adam, some may fall into Team Warner. As for me...I'm Team Kenji, all the way!! Kenji is an outstanding character.  I don't actually remember much about him in book one, but in Unravel Me, I thought he completely stole the show..  Not as a love interest, of course, since it just isn't there for him and Juliette, but best all-around character: courageous, outspoken, brilliant, caring, and absolutely hilarious.  His relationship with Juliet is perfect, showing good friendship, encouragement, and bit of tough love when needed.

The style, I have to mention again is just so distinctive---and while in one or two scenes, it gets to be just too much, just one step over the line into being slightly overdone and overdramatic, for most of this wild ride, it holds the reader completely captive.  With an ending that may very well explode your heart and the promise of one heck of a war on the horizon for these great characters, Unravel Me will leave you dying for the next book in this series.

Find Tahereh Mafi online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Unravel Me:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

How to Eat a Pomegranate with Tahereh Mafi

I have to share this with my fellow Shatter Me fans.  Because it's hilarious. Because Tahereh Mafi is awesome. Because the ending made my jaw drop and then bust up laughing.

Enjoy.

(Oh, and make sure you turn captions on!)


This video decided it for me...I'm reading Unravel Me next. :D

Becky's View: Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Asunder by Jodi Meadows
♦publisher: HarperTeen
♦release date: January 29, 2013
♦hardcover, 416 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Newsoul,book 2
  review of book 1, Incarnate
♦source: from publisher for honest review

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

Warning! Review may have slight spoilers for Incarnate, book 1---if you haven't started the series yet, stop here.

Review:  Last year, I went into Jodi Meadows’ debut, Incarnate, not knowing what expect except for a book about incarnated souls.  I came away completely blown away by the wonder and fantasy that she filled the pages with.  It quickly achieved a spot in my top reads of the year.  So you can imagine my anticipation of Asunder!  While I found Asunder not quite as good as Incarnate, it definitely did not disappoint.

Asunder picks up right where Incarnate left off.  The people of heart are recovering from the horrible dragon attacks on the city, when the temple went dark and several souls were permanently lost after 5,000 years of being reincarnated.  It’s a day they now know as Templedark.  While they grieve, there is still growing wariness toward Ana as a newsoul, despite the fact that she saved so many lives during the attacks.  Things are getting worse; the brutish Merton is doing everything he can to rally the people of Heart against her, and suspicion grows as Ana discovers a strange connection to the sylph.  When another newsoul is born, things escalate into violence, and Ana is determined to become the defending voice and protector of all the newsouls.  Her character really grows in strength in this sequel, but she you can see the lasting effects of being raised by a heartless mother has had on her. It gives her a great complexity and vulnerability.  We get to see a different, very vulnerable side to Sam, too, in both the romance between them and in the ways he pays for protecting Ana.

I did feel like there were a few slow moments here and there, and I felt like the dilemma with Ana against the people was growing a little monotonous, like ground that had been covered in the last book, and then even more in this book.  There is a new mystery surrounding the sylphs and what they really are that was definitely intriguing, though not altogether hard to guess, but it was compelling watching the characters come to the conclusion.  

One thing new to this book was the gruesomeness of some the descriptions.  There are a few scenes that I literally had to stop reading for a moment because they completely turned my stomach.  We also get to meet a few new characters, some good, some bad, and some that remain a mystery until the very end.  There were definitely some gripping moments that will catapult this story into it's finale.

A great follow up to Incarnate, this series will definitely be one that I follow until the very end!

Find Jodi Meadows online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Asunder:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  Bookdepository  •  Indiebound 

Book Trailers: Revolution 19, Pulse, Tragedy Paper, & Timekeeper

It's book trailer time!  I love these four, all of them are pretty exceptional for book trailers!  The publishers really seem to have gone all out for these!

Pulse by Patrick Carmen


Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum


Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir


The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

Very excited for Timekeeper, as I was a big fan of the first book, Timeless!  And the Tragedy Paper has been compared to Thirteen Reasons Why, so that sold it for me!
What do you think? Do the trailers make you want to read any of these titles?

Book Trailers: Destroy Me, Darkest Minds, Falling for You

How did I miss the release of the Destroy Me trailer!? So excited for this one and Unravel Me!
Great trailers for Falling for You and Darkest Minds, too.  I love when they look like little mini movies, not just music and text.  Check it out:

Destory Me by Tahereh Mafi

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder

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.

September Girls 

by Bennett Madison

hitting shelves May 21st, 2013 from Harper Teen

description: 
When Sam finds himself in a sleepy little beach town for the summer, it doesn’t take long for him to realize there’s something strange going on beneath its surface. Everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him.

One of the girls, DeeDee, is different. But just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he’s going to get her back, he’ll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here—and find out what they want from him.  

Critically acclaimed author Bennett Madison presents a darkly imaginative and painfully honest novel about oblivious parents, sibling rivalries, first loves...and mermaids. This modern reimagining is perfect for fans of the irreverent wit of Ned Vizzini and the seductive magic of Alex Flinn’s retold fairy tales.   

My thoughts:  Ok, it's a reimagining of a fairy tale...so I'm all over it!  Love them.  And if I wasn't already excited, this quote from Publisher's Weekly has officially sold me: “Madison’s dreamlike prose imbues the most ordinary moments with cosmic significance.”