May 9, 2013

Book Review: The Eternity Cure - Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 30th 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley
Newly-turned vampire Allison Sekemoto must follow the call of blood, like breadcrumbs, to save her sire and mentor Kanin from Sarren, the psychotic vampire holding him captive. The trail leads Allie to her old home in New Covington and the Fringe, but there’s no time for nostalgia.
A new strain of Red Lung—the insidious virus that decimated the human population decades ago—has emerged. This time, it’s fatal to vampires, too. A cure might be among Kanin’s many secrets—if Allie can reach him in time.
But when the brave, fearless human boy she left safely behind re-enters her life, Allie is torn between the remnants of her humanity and the bloodthirst that consumes her. How can two people so different feel so much for each other? One was born good. The other was reborn a monster. It’s a love as undeniable as it is impossible.
Right from page one, I knew The Eternity Cure has outdone The Immortal Rules. The story opened better, with immediate action that prevented me from putting the book down.

In this book, I got to see the side of Allie that I'd wanted to witness in the first one: an unapologetically ruthless vampire. That's not to say that she had lost the good in her, but only that, when called for, she utilized her vampiric capabilities without thinking "Oh I can't kill this person even though he's made my life completely miserable." She knew what and who she wanted, and she was determined to keep them, all consequences be damned.

The other characters are not to be overlooked, as well. There's Jackal, whose totally unforeseen team-up with Allie brought about a lot of bantering, which, thinking about it now, were the only reprieves in this grim book. Then there's Kanin, who proved to be not entirely formidable. And I may be overthinking or something, but I just feel like he'll be, or at least try to be, more than a mentor and a father figure to Allie in the third book—a ship waiting to float, yes. And then there were Prince Salazar, Sarren, and Stick, in my personal who-I'd-love-to-stab-in-the-eye order.

One of the surprises in here was Zeke coming back into Allie's life—or maybe because I started reading this without bothering to even glance at the blurb, haha. Anyway, their romance didn't become the reprieve I'd thought it would be because as if Allie didn't have enough on her hands already, what with rescuing Kanin and finding the cure, she also had to constantly worry about Zeke, whose being human inevitably made him weak against Allie's vampire acquaintances, both enemy or friend. Still, I liked that the romance got more time in the limelight than it had in the first book because it provided even more chances to see what Allie's really made of and for her character to develop.

And as if the fast pace wasn't enough, The Eternity Cure was also packed with a ton of unexpected twists. Up until the end, Julie Kagawa kept me on the edge of my seat, never giving her pitiful characters any break from her cruelty. I can go on and on about how amazing this sequel was, but I'll end this with I need The Forever Song ASAP!

MY FAVORITE PART was the ending. It was just so damn explosive and heart-breaking and ugh.

RATING:

Cover Reveal: Obsession - Jennifer L. Armentrout

You've probably seen this everywhere else by now, but I just love JLA and the Lux series so much that I can't not share this here!

Title: Obsession
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: May 31st 2013
Publisher: Entangled Covet
He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.
Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.
Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.
Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life... or is it Hunter?
About the author:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

May 5, 2013

{Blog Tour} Spotlight + Giveaway: The Last Academy - Anne Applegate

Thanks for dropping by my stop for The Last Academy blog tour! You can follow the tour here.

Title: The Last Academy
Author: Anne Applegate
Release Date: April 30th 2013
Publisher: Point
What is this prep school preparing them for?
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only... something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.
About the author:
Anne Applegate was born in Chico, California. Most of her childhood was spent moving across America with her family, nomad style.

When Anne was fourteen, her parents sent her to boarding school so she could spend four years in a single educational system. As it turned out, her family then promptly settled into a small mid-western town and lived there for the next sixteen years. Anne still hasn’t figured out if this means something.

After graduation, she went on to Tufts University in Medford, MA, where she had a wicked good time. Eventually, she wound up back on the west coast, where she married a fantastic Californian guy. Together, they have three children.

For the last twelve years, Anne has lived in San Luis Obispo County. This is by far the longest time she has stayed in any one place her whole life. She immensely enjoys living where 1) the sun always shines and 2) she isn’t the weirdest person in town.

Giveaway!

May 2, 2013

{Blog Tour} Spotlight + Giveaway: The S-Word - Chelsea Pitcher

Thanks for dropping by my stop for The S-Word blog tour! You can follow the tour here.

Title: The S-Word
Author: Chelsea Pitcher
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Edelweiss
First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.
But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.
Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.
Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.




About the author:
Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light.

Giveaway!

May 1, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday {20}

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

Title: Five Summers
Author: Una LaMarche
Release Date: May 16th 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Four best friends, five summers of camp memories.
The summer we were nine: Emma was branded “Skylar’s friend Emma” by the infamous Adam Loring...
The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth...
The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle...
The summer we were twelve: Skylar’s love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us—except Skylar...
Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie’s secret. Skylar did something unthinkable... and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart. 
Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend—and for a second chance. Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.
I have a thing for books about summer and books about friendship, so with Five Summers being a book about friendship in the summer? Sold. I've been seeing less than positive reviews for this one but I'll still give it a try.

Title: Thousand Words
Author: Jennifer Brown
Release Date: May 21st 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself—sans swimsuit—to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send".
But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone—until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo—and didn't look.
Acclaimed author Jennifer Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal, redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds that while a picture may be worth a thousand words... it doesn't always tell the whole story.
Thousand Words sounds both original and not at the same time. But it's all about execution, I guess, and I'm curious to know how this girl moves on from such a stupid mistake (and to see if her ex gets what he deserves).
(covers and blurbs from Goodreads.com)