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.

The Knowing 

by Sharon Cameron

hitting shelves October 10th, 2017

from Scholastic Press

Samara doesn't forget. And she isn't the only one. Safe underground in the city of New Canaan, she lives in a privileged world free from the Forgetting. Yet she wonders if she really is free, with the memories that plague her and secrets that surround her. Samara is determined to unearth the answers, even if she must escape to the old, cursed city of Canaan to find them.

Someone else is on their way to Canaan too . . . a spaceship from Earth is heading toward the planet, like a figment of the city's forgotten past. Beck is traveling with his parents, researchers tasked with finding the abandoned settlement effort. When Beck is stranded without communication, he will find more in Canaan than he was ever trained for. What will happen when worlds and memories, beliefs -- and truths -- collide?

This pulse-pounding, evocative companion to Cameron's highly acclaimed The Forgetting explores the truth and loss that lie within human memory, and the bonds that hold us together.

My thoughts:  Last year, The Forgetting completely blew me away---Sharon Cameron's books are some of my very favorites but this one was my favorite of hers so far. Which is why I am so exciting for this upcoming companion!! 

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron {blog tour review + giveaway!}

Today I'm so incredibly excited to be part of the Rock Star book tour for one of my favorite author's newest book (out tomorrow!)  ---

The Forgetting

by Sharon Cameron

Guys, this book is incredible---definitely a new favorite for me. Check out my full review below and don't forget to scroll all the way down to enter to win one for yourself! :D

The Forgetting
by Sharon Cameron
♦publisher: Scholastic Press
♦release date: September 13th, 2016
♦hardcover, 416 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone (with upcoming companion novel!!)

What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.

Review: I've read every book by this author, The Forgetting is her fourth---and this, in my opinion, is her best yet.  Not by too far---all of them are quite wonderful---but this one just took my breath away. With strong themes of family, community, and how our memories, our past, and where we come from make us who we are, The Forgetting dares to show us what humanity might become if we don't have that to learn from.  Weave in a romance that is absolutely swoon-worthy, and this is one story not to be missed!

In all of her books, and especially this one, Sharon Cameron creates the most incredible worlds and populates them with characters that just feel completely real. It's the kind of world that completely engulfs you, the kind that when you turn the last page, it feels like you've been spit back out into reality and left with a disoriented feeling. The kind that actually makes you miss the characters like old friends. 

In the city of Canaan, there is a bright light every 12 years that wipes out every person's memory completely. The people keep their own "book of truths" so that they can relearn who they were, who their family was, and what there role is in the community. The ones who lose their books are considered "Lost" and sometimes, there are those who try to change their fates by intentionally changing their books. Nadia remembers everything, though, and she's determined to find out why. 

I loved Nadia's rebellious spirit, her bond with her little sister, and how she is protective of her sister and mother even when they seem to push her away.  She doesn't speak much, especially  when she doesn't want to, but in Gray, she finds someone who makes her want to open up. Their relationship grows slowly as trust builds between them and they work together to find a cure to The Forgetting, especially when she finds a reason to not be forgotten.  

The Forgetting is beautifully told and so surprising at every turn. It's one more novel that makes Sharon Cameron's one of my very favorite authors. 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages. She lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  YOUTUBE  •  GOODREADS

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GIVEAWAY!

Enter below to win one of three gorgeous finished copies!! 

•US mailing address only please.

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Don't forget to stop by the rest of the tour stops for more about The Forgetting!

 Week One:

9/5/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

9/6/2016- IceyBooks- Review

9/7/2016- Such a Novel Idea- Guest Post

9/8/2016- Jessabella Reads- Review

9/9/2016- Take Me Away To A Great Read- Interview

Week Two:

9/12/2016- Stories & Sweeties- Review

9/13/2016- Novel Novice- Guest Post

9/14/2016- The Book Shire- Review

9/15/2016- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Interview

9/16/2016- The Best Books Ever - Review

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.

The Forgetting
by Sharon Cameron

hitting shelves September 13th, 2016

from Scholastic Press

Seventeen-year-old Nadia lives in Canaan, a quiet city in an idyllic world, hemmed in by high walls that are constructed of a material no one in her town recognizes. Every twelve years, the people of Canaan undergo a collective Forgetting, in the days before which the town devolves into a chaos of bloody violence, and after which the people are left without any trace of memory of themselves, their families, their lives. Nadia has never forgotten, however.

As the next Forgetting approaches, Nadia is determined to find out what causes it and whether there is any way to stop it. With the help of Gray, the handsome glassblower's son, she discovers that there is a devious plot afoot... one that keeps the people of Canaan permanently subdued. Will Nadia be able to solve the mystery before the people forget the truth? And before Gray forgets her?
A remarkable story of memory and loss, love and indomitable courage. 

My thoughts:  WHAT?? How did I not know Sharon Cameron was coming out with this beauty?? And now this gorgeous cover?? The synopsis completely blows my mind and seeing this idea fleshed out by one of my favorite authors? NEED. NOW. 

Rook by Sharon Cameron {review}

Rook
by Sharon Cameron
♦publisher: Scholastic Press
♦release date: April 28th, 2015
♦hardcover, 456 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦standalone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

Review: Rook is just made of cleverness. A clever premise, clever writing, and cleverly perplexing characters. It's a dystopian homage to the classic The Scarlet Pimpernel that will often have you forgetting that it's set hundreds of years into our future rather than hundreds of years in our past.  And it's in this richly imagined setting, where part of Paris has fallen into the earth and the revolution has begun anew, that Rook's heady theme is so perfectly played out. Nothing quite explains it like this quote:

"Have you ever thought," he said after a moment, " that perhaps...all of this could have happened before? That the people of the Time Before, no matter how weak we think them, that they were only making mistakes of their ancestors, and that we, in turn, are only making the same mistakes as them? Technology or no? That the time changes but people do not, and so we are never really moving forward, only around a bend? That the world only every turns in circles. Do you think that could be so?"

(quoted from Rook ARC copy, pg. 205)

The world has basically reset and all technology is shunned. Part of what made this fun is being so immersed in this chaotic ancient-feeling world and being jarred into remembering that it's set in the future---like when the characters talk about "artifacts" and you suddenly realize they are referring to a CD or a game controller or some other piece of our everyday world.

Sophia is a bold and fierce character, willing to do anything to save innocent people from The Blade. When her risky actions cause her brother's arrest, the plan is set in motion to get him back. I loved that almost every other character aside from Sophia and her brother are  set up for suspicion. The reader is kept constantly guessing who will turn out to be loyal and who will turn.  There is, of course, a slow-growing and uncertain love story chock full of caution and suspicion---and really, what other kind of romance can you have between two strong characters who so comfortable with deceit and sneakiness! Each moment was wildly entertaining as they circle each other and slowly grow closer.

The plot is incredibly rich but this, for much of it, was a very slow read---sometimes "good" slow where it forced you to really savor and enjoy the story unfolding, and other times it was just slow.  But I highly recommend pushing through because it definitely picks up in the last half! Rapid scene changes sometimes make it hard to follow, but as the story climaxes, the scene-to-scene transitions are done using a captivating style, a sort of wordplay where the following scene plays off of the last words of the previous scene, and I absolutely loved that.

Another incredibly imaginative tale from an author who has quickly become one of my favorites!

Find Sharon Cameron online:  Website  •   Twitter  • Facebook

Purchase Rook: Indiebound  •  Bookdepository  •  Amazon

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.  Though someday I need to change the title that I post this under---I almost never post it on Wednesday! :D

 

Rook
by Sharon Cameron

hitting shelves April 28th, 2015
from Scholastic 

description:
Rook is a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel set in the future; it follows “a Sunken City gone mad, an unwanted betrothal, and 13 innocents who will die unless a young woman with a legend can save them.”



My thoughts:  So, obviously no official synopsis on this one yet and just a tiny hint of the story, BUT I don't need to know more than the author to absolutely crave this one. I am such a huge fan of Sharon Cameron's steampunk series, A Dark Unwinding, that I will definitely be picking up any of her future work! And this cover?? Fantastic.

Becky's View: A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron + Giveaway

A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron
♦publisher: Scholastic Press
♦release date: September 24, 2013
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series:The Dark Unwinding, book 2
  review of book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

Review:

The Dark Unwinding was one of my favorites last year; I loved the steampunk Victorian London setting, loved the heroine Katherine Tulman’s spark, loved the sweet relationships that slowly built between her and Uncle Tully, Lane, Mrs. Cooper, Mary and the other people of Stranwyne.  I was so happy to come back to this world to see what would happen next, and I was not disappointed at all. 

A Spark Unseen sweeps us back into Katherine’s world and her plight to keep Uncle Tully safe.  A race to rule the seas is setting France and England against eachother and shady characters from both sides will do anything to get their hands on Uncle Tully’s creation, a clockwork “fish” that is said to be able to take down an enemy’s iron ships.   Katherine decides the only way to keep him safe is to fake his death and secretly hide him away in her grandmother’s house in France.  With Uncle Tully’s tantrums as volatile as ever, getting him across the sea is a feat in itself.

Once again, Katherine faces challenge after challenge with a brave face and determination.  She is constantly driven by her protectiveness of her uncle and her solid belief that Lane Moreau is still alive somewhere in France, and she searches for him tirelessly despite everyone’s insistence that he is long gone.  Unfortunately, she isn’t as well hidden as she thinks and the line between who she can trust and who she can’t seems to constantly blur.  Her quest gets her mixed up in all manner of political intrigue and takes her everywhere from the morbid catacombs beneath France and into the dangerous company of Napoleon himself.  

Cameron’s storytelling delights with a few great twists, surprises, and triumphs that make this story worthy of its predecessor.  I can only hope there will be more adventures with Katherine, Mary,  Lane, and Uncle Tully to come!

Find Sharon Cameron online:  Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

 Purchase A Spark Unseen:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

I have an extra copy of A Spark Unseen and I want to pass it on to YOU!! 

Enter below to win an ARC!

•US mailing addresses only
•Must be 13 or older
•Ends 12/6/13

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A Spark Unseen Blog Hop, Day 3

Today I am super excited to be part of the A Spark Unseen Blog Hop!!  In this post you'll find an insider look at one of the books many settings, a quote from A Spark Unseen, and an awesome giveaway for a copy of The Dark Unwinding!  Be sure to click the banner above to get all the details about the hop and the rest of the stops, or click the arrows at the bottom of this post to move forward or backward among the participating blogs!

If you haven't read The Dark Unwinding yet, let me tell you: YOU ARE MISSING OUT!  I adored this book and gave it a glowing 5-cupcake review last year. Check out my review here.

Now here's a bit about the newest book in the series, A Spark Unseen:

The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron’s blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust–if anyone–to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

Want a little taste? Here's a quote from A Spark Unseen:

And now, author Sharon Cameron tells us a little about one of fantastic Parisian settings that Katharine will face in her new adventure:

The Catacombs

As a lover of all things hidden below the surface, the Paris underground fascinates me. Stone quarrying from Roman times onward means that the entire city of Paris sits on a honeycombed labyrinth of tunnels. In modern days these tunnels have come to be known as The Catacombs and are the meeting places of anyone and everyone, from teens to urban explorers to the chic party giver. But 200 years ago these tunnels were also the perfect place to stash things that no one had any use for. Like the dead.

By 1788 the high mortality rate, lack of city planning, and custom of burying the dead in consecrated soil (the ground surrounding a Christian church) meant that graveyards were full to bursting. Literally, as in bodies popping out of the ground every time it rained. Quick lime was poured over the bodies to make sure they decomposed quickly, and when they had, they were dug up, the bones piled in stone receptacles, and the ground used again. And again. And again. An unacceptable practice for a city whose main water source was its wells! The solution? Stick the all those extra bodies in the catacombs! It took years of constant horse-drawn funeral processions to accomplish this. And then, somebody came along and decided that all these piles of bone really could use a spot of organizing.

And so, beneath the city of Paris , there are places like this:

And this:

The remains of an estimated six million bodies went into the catacombs to create these creepy designs. And who knows how many more might be down there, lost and forgotten, like the bone pile Katharine Tulman finds herself climbing through in A Spark Unseen.

SHARON CAMERON

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  FACEBOOK

GIVEAWAY!

Here's your chance to get started on this series! Enter below to score a copy of 

The Dark Unwinding!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now on to the rest of the blog hop! Click the arrows below to move forward or backward in the hop! 

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.

A Spark Unseen
by Sharon Cameron

hitting shelves October 1st, 2013 from Scholastic Press

description:
The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

My thoughts: The cover hasn't quite grown on me yet---possibly because I loved the cover of book one so much and it was a lot to live up to! She just looks a little too modern to be Katharine.  BUT I am VERY excited about this sequel!! I loved The Dark Unwinding (review here) and can't wait to dive into an adventure with these characters again!

Becky's View: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
♦publisher: Scholastic Press
♦release date: September 1st, 2012
♦hardcover, 318 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: ALA

A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

Review:  The Dark Unwinding was such a beautifully told story.  I can't say what exactly I was expecting---I've been reading a lot of steampunk lately and really enjoying most of it, but this one was especially good, without getting too technical or too caught up in describing all the overly detailed mechanical workings.  It was a perfect blend of steampunk, eerie gothic mystery, discovery and wonderment, and best of all, it had such an immensely touching human story. 

You get a feel for Katharine's dire situation from the beginning---her future and her position in life is very much under the thumb of her aunt and depends on her spoiled cousin's inheritance of her uncle's estate.  So, because her uppity aunt doesn't want to deal with it, she sends Katherine to declare her uncle insane to hurry along the process and make sure there is something left to inherit.  Katharine is a great character---strong-willed and fairly fearless, she goes into this with gusto, thinking this will be over and done with before sundown.  Little does she know...

There wasn't a single character that I wasn't completely fascinated with.  Lane, Ben, Davy,  Mrs. Jeffries, and the whole lot, each with their own strong personalities that jumped right off the page.  I especially loved Mary, who despite insisting on being Katharine's maid, was more like a very fiery, outspoken confidant to her.  And then there is Katharine's uncle, Mr. Tully.  Such an incredibly well written character.  He is not, in fact insane.  He is mentally disabled in a way that keeps his mind like a very young child's; innocent but extremely prone to tantrums and irrationality.  But his clockwork inventions are works of beauty and genius. I loved reading about him and the connection that he and Katharine had.  Loved that he never called her anything but "Simon's baby".   I was most impressed with Katharine herself, the ways that her character and her way of thinking and her values change and grow throughout the story from becoming part of her uncle's world, seeing the situation of the town's people, and knowing how she alone could impact their lives. 

Lots of twists and exciting turns in this dark plot.  So many times, you think you know where a character stands, only to turn the page and suddenly you don't know who to trust.  There are times when even Katharine comes into question!  There is some heart-stopping excitement and an ending that will leave your emotions battling between crying and cheering. 

Beautifully done---a wonderful, well-written tale of clockwork, nightmares, true loyalty, mystery, and even a bit of laughter and fun (Rolling!! You'll have to read it to see what I mean!).  I whole-heartedly recommend The Dark Unwinding!

Find Sharon Cameron online:  Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase The Dark Unwinding:  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.

The Dark Unwinding
by Sharon Cameron

hitting shelves September 1st, 2012 from Scholastic Press

description:
A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

My thoughts: Since first hearing about this book over at Shannon's site (Stalking The Bookshelves), I have declared myself officially smitten with this cover and synopsis. I mean, come on: England, a gothic estate, a mysterious uncle, a little psychological thrill and romance thrown in, and plenty of cool steampunkery!! This sounds so amazing!