Waiting on Wednesday (49)

 "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Black City

by Elizabeth Richards

November 13th 2012

Putnam Juvenile

A dark and tender postapocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. 

Bonded by a mysterious connection, that causes Ash’s long dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong. 

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Thoughts: Can't wait for this one. The summary sounds very intriguing and I love the cover with the burst of petals!

Review: Pure

Pure
by Julianna Baggott

Release Date: February 8, 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5
Series: Book 1 in Pure series

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters.

We will, one day, emerge from the Dome 

to join you in peace.

For now, we watch from afar, benevolently.

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and breathe the ash.

Take his guts and make a sash.

Twist his hair and make a rope.

And use his bones to make Pure soap.

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

My Review: 

Pure is set in a world that has been ravaged by the Detonations. Nothing is left intact, ash always falls and the people have all been marked, mutated. Whatever they were close to before the Detonations has been merged to them. There are people merged to objects, people merged to others are called groupies, humans merged to animals are beasts and humans merged to earth are called dusts. Pressia, the main character, has doll head where one of her hands is supposed to be and lives in this bleak world. Than we have the Dome, a place where people untouched by the outside world live and are known as "Pures". Partridge, the other point of view character, is a Pure.

Now this is a real post-apocalyptic book. The book is rather vivid - the mutations and the the disabilities of people, the setting of ruins and ash, and the bleak atmosphere. Not a page goes by where you don't notice this. People have lost hope and honestly even I lost hope for them. Although I highly prize Baggott for her book it was just too depressing and I saw no end in sight. I understand that the people have lost hope and it was a good portrayal of this kind of world but the book was constantly depressing and had no change of tone and honestly sooner or later that's going to bring the reader down as well.

The book was also slow. It took me longer than usual to read it and I only really got into it about halfway through the book. It was only than that the plot truly got interesting as the pieces came together, all the revelations and the climax. What I liked about the book, was that Baggot didn't prettify the world. She largely showed the cruel side of humanity yet at the same time a little of the good side was shown. I also felt great sympathy for the people. 

Although the world was extremely well done and the voices of her characters captured well but as I mentioned before it was too depressing and as a reader I would have preferred the tone to be changed even for just a little so I can't see if this series will really have a happy ending. If the next book has the same tone as the first one I'm not sure I'm going to read it. All in all, if you like a fluffy read, this is not for you. But if you want a good post-apocalyptic book with, if not distributing at times, a vivid and well crafted world, then be sure to give Pure a try.

In My Mailbox (38)

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Review:

• Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (thanks to Raincoast Books, I already received a copy of this a few weeks ago and since I hate to see it go to waste look out for a giveaway sometime soon!)

• Fated by Alyson Noel (thanks to Raincoast Books)

• Under My Skin by Charles de Lint (thanks to Penguin Group Canada - the review will be posted next week along with an interview with the author!)

• Above by Leah Bobet (thanks to Scholastic Canada)  

• Pure by Julianna Baggott (Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada - the review will be up on Monday!)

• The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze (Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada)

• The Talents by Inara Scott (Thanks to Disney-Hyperion)

• The Marked by Inara Scott (Thanks to Disney-Hyperion)

Ebooks:

• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion)

• The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer (Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion)

• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan)

• The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross (Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen)

Won:

• Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren (Thanks to the author) 

Bought:

Fed up with reading on my laptop and tempted with all the NetGalley books I finally caved and bought myself a Kindle:

Although it was slightly annoying to realize that some of the NetGalley books' words were jumbled up in the beginning chapters. Either way I'm happy with my kindle and hope I can get used to reading on it. Although I don't think it can ever replace books for me.

That's my haul for these past two weeks. Hope everyone enjoyed their week, I know I certainly did! Be sure to leave your IMM links down in the comments!  :)

Interview with Jessica Therrien, Author of Oppression

I'd like to welcome Jessica Therrien author of Oppression, her debut novel  in the Children of the Gods series.

1.   Tell us 5 interesting facts about you?

1.  I'm addicted to Lip Smackers.
2. I grew up in Chilcoot, CA (the town in my book).
3. I married my crush (my William).
4. I have a Fancy Feast cat named Romeo.
5. I love yoga.

2.   Summarize your book in one sentence?

Oppression is an unpredictable page-turning love story full of action, suspense, supernatural abilities, and a heart-wrenching conflict.

 

3.   What is your opinion of the cover? 

I absolutely love the cover. I was so nervous about it when my publisher sent it over, because authors don’t really get the final say when it comes to the cover. Thankfully, when I opened the file my jaw dropped to the floor. It is simply stunning. In my opinion it is perfect.

4.   What do you think is the most important element of a book?

I believe characters are the most important element of any book. If I don’t care about the characters, then what happens in the story doesn’t really matter all that much. I hope readers of Oppression find themselves emotionally invested in Elyse and her future.

5.   Why did you decide to make your main character, Elyse, so old and what does this add to her character?

It wasn’t so much that I decided to make Elyse old, I decided to make all Descendants old. The idea was that this quality, in addition to their abilities, was the reason many people mistook them for gods earlier in history. Being old also caused her to fear love. Throughout most of her life she believed she was the only one of her kind. When she finds out she’s not, it makes falling in love all the more special.

6.   What do you like about Greek mythology? Any favourite myths?

I like that it was a part of history, and that some of the places in Greek Mythology are thought to actually exist. All of the myths are fascinating.

7.   Were there any major changes your book went through?  

There were actually a lot of changes. After signing with ZOVA I got some content edit suggestions and did some re-writes. I changed the setting, the title, and the names of some characters. I moved the action closer to the beginning…things like that.

8.   What’s your favourite quote?

I’m assuming you mean from my book, not just in general…

I would never forget. The last words of my parents, the flickering image of a deep red that stained the snow like an open wound on the skin of the earth, and the crumpled Cadillac flipped over in the bank.

        
Not sure why I love that line so much.

9.   What are you currently reading?

I’m currently mourning the end of Blood Red Road, and impatiently waiting for the sequel. In the meantime I’ve picked up Shiver.

10. How do you deal with writer’s block?

I set the manuscript aside for a while. If that doesn’t work, a good episode of The Vampire Diaries always does the trick ;)


 

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal.

For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability.

Or so she thinks.

Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her.
 
Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to centuries of traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Waiting on Wednesday (48)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Unspoken

by Sarah Rees Brennan

September 11th 2012

Random House Books for Young Readers

Kami Glass is in love with someone she's never met—a boy she's talked to in her head since she was born. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she has learned ways to turn that to her advantage. Her life seems to be in order, until disturbing events begin to occur. There has been screaming in the woods and the manor overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. . . . The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. Now Kami can see that the town she has known and loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets—and a murderer. The key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy she thought was imaginary is real, and definitely and deliciously dangerous.

Thoughts: I'm so excited for this one! I really enjoyed the authors' The Demon's Lexicon, this book looks like it's going in a different direction though. Still the summary sounds really intriguing and I'm definitely looking forward to reading it!

Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: August 31, 2010
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Book 1 in The Infernal Devices series

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
 
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Review: 

I've read Clare's Mortal Instruments series before and absolutely loved them! So when I first heard she was making a prequel series I was very excited. I just don't know why it took me so long to read it when I loved Clare's previous series so much.

Well as it turned out, I loved this series just as much as the first one. And the biggest reason for that, as it was for the Mortal Instruments series, is the characters. The characters all just have so much personality and when you see them blended together - no matter what they do I always find it interesting because I want to know what they say next and how they deal with situations and other characters.

Though I'm not sure if others noticed but a few characters from Clockwork Angel reminded me of characters from the Mortal Instruments series. Jace reminded of Will, Simon of Jem and Isabelle of Jessamine. Perhaps it doesn't matter too much to people who haven't read either series before but to people who've already read one series it is a bit odd. Not that it really bothered my reading experience, just musing I suppose. Though I hope that if Clare writes more books in the future (which I really hope she will) she'll not make new characters too much reminiscent of her old. 

As with the Mortal Instruments,  Clockwork Angel is very humorous, I just found myself bursting with laughter as I read through the book. I loved the character dialogue, you could instantly recognize each character simply because of the dialogue. As I said, Clare is very good at showcasing her characters.

I'm not going to say much about the supernatural world, as it wasn't very surprising or a much of a new experience for me since it's basically the same as in the Mortal Instruments series, but rather I loved the flavor of it as it was mixed with the Victorian era. I also enjoyed Tessa's ability to shapeshift into other people (doesn't that sound really fascinating!).

I also loved how the plot unfolded bit by bit as one thing was uncovered and then as we where taken to the end BAM!! Yeah Clare always ends with a bam doesn't she? Though relax, no cliffhangers. I loved seeing the plot unravel and I was taken all over the place but never once did I want to stop. Like her characters, Clare always pulls excellent plots and revelations that you don't always see coming.

Well that's all I have to say. If you've read and enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series then you to NEED to pick up this series. If you haven't read any of Clare's books yet - than what are you waiting for? I know plenty of people love Clare's books and I don't believe their overrated nor that you will be disappointed.

Review: Cinder

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating:  4.5/5

Series: Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles series

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.

But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

My Review:

I remember when Cinder kept popping up all over the place on blogs and I kept seeing it and wondering what the fuss was about. After I found out it was a futuristic retelling of Cinderella with Cyborgs I just quickly had the urge to read it, to see how it would turn out. I mean it was Cinderella and Cyborgs!?

At first it was hard to adjust to the world as I kept wondering what all the technology they mentioned was. But after the first chapter or so I quickly became immersed in it. First off it's set in the city of New Beijing, the capital city of the Commonwealth and I loved that setting. A futuristic China was actually one of the reasons I was so exited to read the book. Apparently the author chose it as a setting because the earliest origins of the tale Cinderella was traced to 9th-Centruy China. Although the setting was not described very vividly or really much of a central point I still enjoyed the idea of it.

There was also the Lunars: a society inhabiting the moon who at first were a human colony but over time grew to be less human and possessed psychic like powers. And of course don't forget the Cyborgs - who in this world are treated like second-class citizens. All of this with the futuristic technology of hovercrafts, netscreens, and androids - well to say the least, I really did enjoy the world.

I also loved seeing that characters interact with one another. Although Kai was a bit flat - the best way I can describe him is that he was nice? A few times the plot was predictable but still the best thing about Cinder had to be the plot. It kept going in so many different directions. I kept getting bombed with one shocking revelation after another. I quickly flipped through pages wondering where it will go next and at the end of it I couldn't wait for the next to be out!

Though it is a tad bit disappointing to have to wait a year for each of the three books to come out. The next book Scarlet, will be a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood  and the main character is a spaceship pilot which sounds pretty interesting. Cinder will still be a point of view character with about 40% from her perspective. Cress will apparently be a retelling of Rapunzel and Winter of Snow White. 

I have high hopes for this series as the first turned out to be so good and the next three sounds just as good if not even better! I can tell the author put a lot of thought into this series. So if you love retellings of fairy tales or just a science fiction story about Cyborgs, a moon colony all set in a futuristic world then be sure to pick up Cinder! I certainly loved it and I know many others did as well!