Book Review: Notes from Ghost Town - Kate Ellison

Title: Notes from Ghost Town

Author: Kate Ellison
Release Date: February 12th 2013
Publisher: EgmontUSA

Source: NetGalley

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They say first love never dies... 

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. 

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there? 

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.

So apparently I had another attack of "OOOOH PRETTY COVER LET ME SKIP THE BLURB" because what I expected from this was a cheesy and angsty supernatural romance... which was quite not what I got.

Olivia Tithe used to have a good life; she had loving parents, great friends, and outstanding artistic talent. But all of that went down the drain when her schizophrenic mom was discovered with blood in her hands - Lucas Stern's, Olivia's best friend, blood. Now, ten months after the gruesome incident and nine days from her mom's trial, Olivia is haunted by Lucas' ghost, saying her mom is innocent. Adding the ghost with her colorblindness, Olivia's convinced that she's following in her mom's crazy footsteps, but what if she's not?

Olivia wasn't a very likable character for me. I got irritated when she wouldn't quit yapping about Stern's ghost not being real, but considering it could mean she was becoming crazy like her mom, I understood her dilemma. I admired her for being headstrong and making some smart decisions, but she was far from perfect. Aside from estranging her dad, his new fiancee, and Raina, her other best friend, what I really hated was Olivia using Austin Morse, her dad's good friend's son, to forget about Lucas and her other worries. It was really unfair to him.

Speaking of romance, I didn't expect to love Lucas this much. I thought he'd just be the ghost in this story, but he was the one who brought the "no oh god why" feels. He had a great future ahead of him - as in, wow, Juilliard - but it all went to waste because of such meaningless reasons. 

Although the writing was really beautiful, moving, and perfect for such an emotionally-packed story, the plot didn't quite amaze me. It was predictable; around halfway through, I'd already guessed the real culprit. I don't consider this a murder mystery as much as a coming-of-age story, but it was painful and stunning on both accounts.

MY FAVORITE PART was Olivia playing the piano with "someone's" help ♥

RATING:

(cover and summary from Goodreads.com)

Waiting on Wednesday {17}: Requiem

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where bloggers post about much-awaited releases!

Title: Requiem (Delirium #3)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 5th 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

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Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. 

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

The end is coming for another one of my favorite series. I've been excited for this one ever since I read that hair-pull-inducing ending in Pandemonium, but honestly, I don't think my heart is ready for the pain which I know will come in huge doses. Oh, Alex...

(cover and summary from Goodreads.com)

Book Review: Pantomime - Laura Lam

Title: Pantomime

Author: Laura Lam

Release Date: February 5th (US) / 7th (UK) 2013

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Source: NetGalley

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R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide. 

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star. 

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

When I see the word 'circus' in a blurb, I can't help but expect something great. Thankfully, Pantomime did not disappoint. 

At first, I was quite confused because I didn't realize the story was told in Gene and Micah's alternating POVs. Now, I know some of you aren't fond of alternating POVs, but trust me when I say you haven't encountered something quite like the one in this book—*wink wink* to everyone who's read this, lol. Also, I am very curious as to what would've happened if Micah didn't run away from home.

Aside from what was going on with the two characters' lives, there was also the fantasy element that was like the undercurrent of this book. Most of what we're told about it were in the short snippets found before every chapter, but I think it had a huge part in driving this story forward; how could it not? It was basically the way-back-backstory.

But Pantomime couldn't have been as good as it was if not for Lam's lyrical yet clear writing. She didn't bother saving us from any detail, be it gory or not. The same could be said for her world-building, which was just the way I like it: subtle but precise. I imagined Ellada as easily as if I'd seen it, and that's something that rarely happens for me, especially with high fantasy books.

Although the pace was consistent throughout the book, the story progressed slower than I would've liked. That said, I still found myself unprepared for that crazy cliffhanger ending... but thank heavens for there will be a sequel!

 

MY FAVORITE PART was Drystan's big reveal. I love him!

RATING:

(cover and summary from Goodreads.com)

Release Day Book Blast + Excerpt +Trailer: Ashes & Ice - Rochelle Maya Callen

Title: Ashes & Ice (Ashes & Ice #1)

Author: Rochelle Maya Callen
Release Date: February 4th 2013

Genre: Young Adult
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours

Goodreads | Amazon

She is desperate to remember.
He is aching to forget.
Together, they are not broken.
But together, one may not survive. 

Jade wakes up with no memory of her past and blood on her hands. 

Plagued by wicked thoughts, she searches for answers. Instead, she finds a boy who doesn't offer her answers, but hope. But sometimes, when nightmares turn into reality and death follows you everywhere, hope is not enough. 

LUST. LOVE. LOSS. Sometimes, all that is left are Ashes and Ice.

About the author:

Rochelle grew up dreaming up stories. When she entered high school, she tucked away her creative side and jumped head-first into academics, work, and service projects. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science and Communication when she was twenty years old. After years away from her writing, Rochelle picked up a pen and started fleshing out a character sketch that she outlined when she was twelve. That sketch was the start of the Ashes and Ice story. Rochelle lives in the DC metro area with her husband and daughter. By day she works as a behavioral therapist. By night, she is a dreamer and is busy tapping out new stories on her keyboard.

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{Blog Tour} Book Review + Giveaway: Indigo Awakening - Jordan Dane

Welcome to my stop on the Indigo Awakening blog tour hosted by YA Bound. Click HERE to see the rest of the blog tour schedule!

Title: Indigo Awakening (The Hunted #1)
Author: Jordan Dane

Release Date: December 18th 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

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Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.

Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her.

A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only “the Believers” know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.

From the blurb alone, I knew Indigo Awakening would remind me of X-Men, which, like the case in Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me, is never bad because God knows how much I love mutants. Sadly, this book didn't quite... amaze me.

The story introduces us to Rayne, a Harley-driving teenage girl with an iguana for a pet, and her new dilemma: Luke, her younger brother, had escaped from the hospital he was detained in for his "abilities". But Rayne didn't know that Luke's talents and quirks were actually him being a part of the evolution of mankind, along with the other Indigos.

Indigo Awakening was certainly action-packed and suspense-filled, what with the ruthless and, unbeknownst to themselves, jealous Believers going after the gifted but misunderstood children, but what broke it for me were the lengthy and sometimes redundant internal monologues. Although those parts revealed a lot about the characters - because the book was written in multiple perspectives - I couldn't help but wish they would end once the action kicked in, but they irritatingly stayed on till the end and appeared in moments when I was just desperate to know what would happen next. They really downplayed the pace, and I think the author overused them to reveal backstory.

Also, there was quite a case of insta-love here. It didn't bother me when it happened to fellow Indigos because they all had this bond with everyone else in their kind, but I can't find an excuse for Rayne and Gabriel because only one of them was an Indigo. What's worse was how fast their relationship moved, and I found Gabriel's reaction - or lack, thereof - to Rayne's touching and snuggling when they'd just met unrealistic. I mean, I expected him to get uneasy or back away at first because he had been living in seclusion for years, but instead he was uneasy only for the same reason normal teenage boys would be if they were in close proximity with a girl.

After all my ranting above, you might think I didn't enjoy this book, but I did. I think it was because of the overall thrill of the cat-and-mouse game, and even more so when the mice proved powerful enough to defend themselves. Still, stories like this don't end with a happy ever after, but I'm fine with that because - especially with that little bomb right at the last page - I'm really looking forward to Crystal Storm (oh god that freaking title!), the sequel.

MY FAVORITE PART was Rayne and Gabriel's rescue mission at the tunnels.

RATING:

 

About the author:

Bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Jordan Dane’s gritty romantic thrillers are ripped from the headlines with vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly compared her intense novels to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag, naming her debut novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM as Best Books of 2008. She also pens young-adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Formerly an energy sales manager, she now writes full time. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with two cats of highborn lineage and two lucky rescue dogs.

Website  / Twitter  / Facebook  / Pinterest 

Thriller/Crime Fiction Blogs:

The Kill Zone 

YA Blogs:

ADR3NALIN3  / Fringe Dweller

Check out Indigo Awakening's book trailer!