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.

Angel and Bavar

by Amy Wilson

hitting shelves November 6th, 2018  

from Katherine Tegen Books

Taking inspiration from “Beauty and the Beast,” Amy Wilson’s second middle grade novel is a stunning modern fairy tale of magic, friendship, and finding the courage to fight for what matters most.

After the death of her parents, Angel has a lot to get used to: a new home, a new family, a new school. The last thing she’s interested in is making new friends. Until she meets Bavar, a strange boy who slips through the shadows, a boy who might understand her nightmares.

But Bavar doesn’t want to let anyone in. Everyone—and everything—in his enchanted house is already urging him to step up and protect the world from a magical rift and the fearsome monsters traveling through it, a responsibility he wishes he could ignore.

Then Bavar discovers that the monsters are the same ones that killed Angel’s parents. Determined to stop the creatures for good, he reluctantly accepts Angel’s help. Together, Angel and Bavar must find the courage to stand up for each other and themselves to repair the rift between worlds…before it’s too late.

My thoughts:  Cover LOVE. Plus whenever I see Beauty and the Beast inspiration, my hands immediately get grabby. :D This looks amazing. 

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee {review}

This Monstrous Thing
by Mackenzi Lee
♦publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
♦release date: September 22, 2015
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: ARC from publisher for honest review

In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay…

Review:
This Monstrous Thing is not a retelling of Frankenstein, but a brilliant and haunting fantasy reimagining of how Mary Shelley’s masterpiece came to be! 

Alistair and Oliver are brothers, both close to each other and as opposite as two can be. Their relationship and Alistair’s memories drive the story with grinding conflict. Oliver hated being a shadow boy, while Alistair’s dreamed of someday studying under the best, Dr. Geisler.  After Oliver’s death, he comes back as an especially dark and troubled character, and Alistair is in constant turmoil over whether he did the right thing by bringing him back. The obligation he feels to take care of him keeps him from his dreams, but when he’s forced to leave the city, he’s caught between the happiness of finally getting a little freedom, a chance to do what he’s always wanted and a crushing guilt of leaving Oliver behind. 

When he realizes a new book called Frankenstein basically lays out his secrets for all to see,  Alistair struggles to figure out who betrayed him by writing the book. There's not much mystery for the reader---obviously the girl he loved, Mary is going to be the culprit there! It’s almost a little annoying to watch him so adamantly say ‘oh, no, it couldn’t be her’ over and over again, but there something compelling about watching him make his way to the truth.

While not a particularly fast-moving plot, the intensity and drama of the writing held me absolutely entranced. It's every bit as gruesome and dark as one would expect of a story surrounding the legendary work of Frankenstein. As I’m sure you can imagine, a story about clockwork parts being melded into flesh and bone can get pretty graphic. But strangely there is also beauty in it, as those with clockwork parts fight to be treated as humans and you see those who work on them, like Alistair and his father, show them such compassion. There are moments of stomach-churning horror, hope and wonder, and especially danger as a rebellion forms and then becomes explosive, all brought to life with absolutely gorgeous prose. 

This story is a haunting steampunk thriller about family, loyalty, dreams, and freedom that readers won’t find easy to forget after the last page.

Find Mackenzi Lee online:  Website  • Twitter  • Pinterest

Purchase the book:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

And check this out! A really cool illustrated synopsis done by the author! :)

Cover Story

I spied some new fantastic covers this week!

Mojave Green

by The Brother's Washburn

Jolly Fish Press, October 7th, 2014

Drowned

by Nichola Reilly

Harlequin Teen, June 24, 2014

The Halcyon Bird

by Kat Beyer

Egmont USA, November 11, 2014

The Last Good Day of the Year
by Jessica Warman
Walker Books, September 9, 2014

Maid of Deception

by Jennifer McGowan

Simon & Schuster,  August 26, 2014

 

Messenger of Fear

by Michael Grant

Katherine Tegan Books, September 23, 2014

The Furies

by Mark Alpert

Thomas Dunne Books, April 22, 2014

Vampires of Manhattan

by Melissa De La Cruz

Hyperion, September 9, 2014

Mojave Green's cover freaks me out just as much as the first book did! But I love it.  I love the colors on The Furies.  And the new cover style for the Maid of Secrets/Maid of Deception series is defintiley growing on me.  What do YOU think of these new book covers?

Becky's View: Infinite by Jodi Meadows

Infinite by Jodi Meadows
♦publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
♦release date: January 28th, 2014
♦hardcover, 432 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Newsoul, book 3
  book 1: Incarnate (my review)
  book 2: Asunder (my review)
♦source: from publisher for honest review

DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

Review: With Infinite, Jodi Meadows' epic Newsoul trilogy comes to an end...and also earns it's spot on my shelf of absolute favorite series. It's a rare thing that I can proclaim that a series kept the same level of excellence through it's entire run, maybe even getting better and better with each new installment.  This series did exactly that.

Now that Ana has discovered the truth about Janan and the immortality of the people of Range, she knows she must bring it all to an end.  In her exile, she must form a plan to stop Janan from ascending, bringing with her only those she trusts the most: Sam, Stef, Whit, and very few others.  As more answers come to light, she knows that even those closest to her will question her and possibly even turn on her, but she must keep her strength and resolve because the entire fate of the Newsouls rests with her. Almost ever character is made to question themselves, to come to terms with their own lives and beliefs and loyalties, and to face their worst fears head on.
 
Music has always had an inportant role in this story, and it becomes even more significant as Ana seeks help in the most unexpected of places.  Many fantastical creatures will come into play. Music and magic and Ana's determination to make things right all weave together to propel this story to it's uncertain end.

I won't go into anymore detail than that, because to spoil any part of this experience for another reader would be a tragedy, but I absolutely loved it and recommend it many times over to anyone who loves well-written fantasy, intricate world-building, strong memorable characters, and a story with heart, intelligence, and purpose.

Find Jodi Meadows online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

 

Purchase Infinite:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound