Category Archives: young adult
Mini Book Reviews: Tomorrow Is Today and Beasts and BFFs
Tomorrow Is Today (Tempest #0.5) by Julie Cross
Rating: 5 stars
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, throws lots of parties, is interested in a girl he can’t have, and oh yeah, he can travel back through time.But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
Tomorrow is Today is such a fun look into the world of Tempest. Tempest is a book that I absolutely loved, so this prequel look was just great. I was sad when it ended, as I had gotten so caught back up into Jackson, Holly, and Adam’s world. After finishing, I basically wanted to go pick up Tempest and reread it once again. This was a nice tide over for me until next year when book 2 is out, and I can dive back into Jackson’s story.
Beasts and BFFs (13 to Life #0.5) by Shannon Delany
Rating: 3.5 stars
A Bonus 13 to Life Prequel Story.
Meet Jessie Gillmansen as she realizes that things might not be what they seem in the town of Junction.
This series is a lot of fun, and Beasts and BFFs was no exception. It was a really short snippet into Jess’s life before the werewolves came into her life, and I really enjoyed reading it. I was sad to see it end, as the world Shannon Delany has crafted is so easy to get caught up in. Plus, I just ADORE that cover!
(If you loved Tempest or the 13 To Life series and want these novellas, they are free novellas! I linked in the titles to Amazon if you are interested)
Making Waves by Nicole Leigh Shepherd Book Review
Making Waves (Pretty Tough #5)
Nicole Leigh Shepherd
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: April 26, 2012
Pages: 246
Challenges: Completely Contemp Challenge
Rating: 4.5 stars
It’s summer break for the girls at Beachwood Academy and that means sun, surf, and sensational escapades at the Beachwood Country Club. Abby, a rising sophomore, is so excited to have gotten a last-minute gig as a lifeguard, especially because jobs are usually reserved for club members.
Abby desperately wants to win the annual lifeguarding competition, and with it a college scholarship. But when she arrives for her first day on the job, she finds herself face-to-face with some serious club member attitude. And there’s an even bigger surprise waiting for her: the gorge senior boy she’s been pining over ever since they met at a swimming competition earlier this year.
Can Abby break through the rules, regs, and mean girls to be the first-ever non-club member to win the summertime lifeguarding competition and maybe even the boy of her dreams?
I just love the Pretty Tough series. Books with girls who play sports are always some of my favorite sort of reads, and Making Waves delivers an awesome read with some serious drama, lifeguarding, and friendship fun.
It was really fun to get to know Abby in this one. I just love the characters in this series, and in Making Waves, quite a few new characters pop up. All the characters always have such a great story to tell. I just loved Brody. He was such a great guy.
Making Waves holds a plot that was a ton of fun to read. Right away I was swept up into Abby’s world. While there is a romance in this one, there also is focus on friendship as well, which is always lovely. I wanted there to be a bit more drama at the end. There was a really great build up of the plot throughout the whole book, but I felt like everything was a bit too simplistic.
A must read for anyone who loves a good contemporary. Making Waves by Nicole Leigh Shepherd was a fast paced, all around fun kind of read. I look forward for the next installment in this series, as I just love it so much. It’s a perfect blend of the beach, drama, romance, and some good old friendships.
Fantasy Five Friday: Interview with Anna Banks
I am super excited to have Anna Banks by the blog today for another Fantasy Five Friday! Welcome Anna!
Anna Banks is the author of Of Poseidon. She lives with her husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. You can find her on the web at her website, Goodreads, and Twitter.
Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?
A merman prince has to convince a human girl that her gift will save his kingdom—oh, and he’s got to do it without falling for her, since she’s supposed to marry his brother and all…
Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?
I bet you expect me to say mermaid, huh? Nope. I’d rather be a sasquatch. Tall, dark, handsome, smelly, hairy, and mysterious. Yep. That’s the life. :)
Do you have a favorite fantasy read?
Why yes, yes I do: FIRE by Kristen Cashore.
Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the plot?
The characters. Who they are, what they know, how they feel, what their habits, their secrets, their hopes are. Then how they’ll react to the plot twists you throw at them. From there, you build your world around them and house them firmly in the center.
They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?
Oh Em Gee these are fabulous questions! I would say Operation, because it scares the shizzle out of you when it buzzes, and it’d be fun to act like Dr. Milligan and learn about Syrena “parts”.
Thanks for stopping by Anna!
Make sure to like the Fierce Reads facebook page. Anna Banks is going on tour with several other authors, and all the details can be found there! I will be at the stop at Anderson’s in Chicago (so if you are going LET ME KNOW!)
About Of Poseidon:
Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.
What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.
Buy Of Poseidon: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze Book Review
The Last Princess
Galaxy Craze
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 304
Challenges: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: 4.5 stars
Happily ever after is a thing of the past.
A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.
When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.
Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become… The Last Princess.
The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze was one awesome read! It was one of those books that I knew within the first 10 pages that I was going to love it. I read straight through this one, devouring every page.
I loved the plot – it was constant action and a lot of intrigue. The plot doesn’t let up for a moment, so it was a really fast paced read. My one complaint about The Last Princess is that some of the pacing felt a bit off. The first half of the novel was very nicely paced, but a ton happened in the second half and it seemed like it should have been a bit more spread out.
The world Galaxy Craze has created in The Last Princess is eerie and frankly, downright scary at parts. I just loved it. It was so easy to get caught up in the characters world, and with that, be very swept into the plot.
The characters in The Last Princess were a really strong set. I really liked Wesley – I wished he had had a bit bigger of a role, as he was wonderful. Eliza was a really strong heroine, I really liked her as well. I do wish the character motivations had been explored a bit more in-depthly, as what they did made sense and worked but you never really knew why.
The ending was very clever. I cannot wait to see what follows it with the rest of Eliza’s story in the sequel. The characters in this book each had such a unique tale to tale – I would especially love to know Portia or Westley’s history. I really just loved this one a ton.
I would definitely recommend The Last Princess to everyone! It’s a very cool dystopian in the sense you never really have an idea of what year you are in. I loved the plot and the characters were great – a must read!
Endure by Carrie Jones Blog Tour
Endure (Need #4)
Carrie Jones
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Pages: 272
Rating: 4.5 stars
It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.
Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .
Since the day I finished Entice, I have been dying to know how Carrie Jones would wrap up this series that I have come to love. Endure was nothing like I was expecting and was the perfect ending to the series!
Endure has landed itself the spot of my second favorite book in the series. Need is still my favorite, but Endure comes in a very close second. The stakes are high in Endure and Carrie Jones has pulled out all the stops. The plot was completely unpredictably and I was on the edge of my seat for basically the whole book. The opening pages of Endure had me a bit worried that it would be very angsty but that was not the case at all.
I love how easily Carrie Jones weaves in different mythologies into this series – it is just fascinating to see how they will be incorporated and how things will pan out. Carrie Jones always adds a little extra narrative to the chapter beginnings, and in Endure, it is little news snippets or police reports. I just love those short and sweet start to all the chapters.
One of the awesome things about this series is its focus on great bonds of friendship and that is really highlighted in Endure. Zara has some of the best friends anyone can wish for, and I love all the scenes that are her and her friends sitting around planning.
The characters really just make this series – they all are so great. I just love both Issie and Cassidy- they are both such wonderful characters. Zara has really grown as a character throughout the series, but she makes the most growth through Endure.
Endure by Carrie Jones was a really great read. I was a bit nervous to see how the story would end, especially since Entice was not my favorite book of the series. Everything is tied up, there’s a ton of action, and all the characters I loved from the previous books in the series were back in action.
The Ash-Born Boy by Victoria Schwab
It’s May 15th!
Not only does THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab come out in paperback TODAY, but, to celebrate its release, “The Ash-Born Boy” is finally up over at Disney*Hyperion’s website!
So, what IS “The Ash-Born Boy”?
It’s a free story Victoria wrote as a thank-you to her fans, and she wrote it to answer ONE question: “Who was Cole before he came to Near?”
Now, if you’ve already read THE NEAR WITCH, “The Ash-Born Boy” is guaranteed to change the way you see Cole.
And if you haven’t read THE NEAR WITCH yet, don’t worry, “The Ash-Born Boy” won’t spoil anything!
So basically, either way, you should go read Cole’s story ;)
And if you want to wait and read THE NEAR WITCH first, don’t worry! Cole’s story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion’s website, and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a space for it on her own site. It will always be available somewhere, and it will always be free.
And!
Cole’s story isn’t the only goodie to go along with the paperback release. In the back of the paperback itself, you’ll find the first chapter of Victoria’s new book, THE ARCHIVED, which doesn’t come out until January.
So what are you waiting for – go check it out :)
And if you haven’t already read The Near Witch, feel free to check out my review.
Buy The Near Witch: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
My thoughts on The Ash-Born Boy by Victoria Schwab:
With a story just as haunting as The Near Witch, Victoria Schwab delivered another winner with The Ash-Born Boy. Her lyrical, beautiful prose is once again present in this one. As I finished the last pages of this one, I had this overwhelming urge to go read The Near Witch again, to discover the magic of The Near Witch! I just loved hearing more about Cole and his past, as he was such a wonderfully complex character in The Near Witch. The story was chilling and haunting and invoked so many emotions. A must read for those who are a fan of The Near Witch, and a good read for everyone!
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker Book Review
Unbreak My Heart
Melissa Walker
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Pages: 240
Challenges: Completely Contemp Challenge
Rating: 5 stars
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.
Since I finished Small Town Sinners, I have been waiting for another Melissa Walker book. And with Unbreak My Heart, Melissa Walker delivers the perfect summer story that was just way too cute.
Clem was such an easy main character to connect with, as a lot of things about her just reminded me of things in my life. James is pretty much the most adorable guy ever – seriously, where can I find one like that? I loved how spunky and fun Olive was – she was so funny!
The plot was so heartbreaking and touching at the same time. I loved the alternating chapters – they both had so much story to tell and I couldn’t wait to read more to find out exact what had happened to Clem. Clem and Jame’s story was so easy to fall in love with, and it was so lighthearted and nice, despite the happenings that are kind of haunting both of them this summer.
I was so sad to see this one end – I wish it had went on a little longer. This was just the perfect book to read on a nice summer day, and definitely made me want to go boating again!
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker was an awesome read. I love her writing, her characters, and the stories she shares with readers. Unbreak My Heart is a book you will be sad to miss! Melissa Walker is just a master of contemporary, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.
Sporty Girl Young Adult Books
So I love books featuring girls who play sports, every one I have read I absolutely loved. I also have been noticing on twitter that there is a lot of conversation about the topic as well lately, so I decided I would make a list of all the ones I love and ones I need to read or am looking forward to. I am also including dancing books even though most people don’t consider it a “sport” but I totally do, as I’ve danced my whole life.
So this post doesn’t get super long I’m linking to the Goodreads pages, where you can find a synopses there.
Read and Loved:
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (My Review) – HOT BOYS, drama, sports, what more do you need?
Head Games by Keri Mikulski (My Review) – A great story involving sports!
Stealing Bases by Keri Mikulski (My Review) – This is a companion novel to Head Games and you really get to know the characters from Head Games a lot more which was so much fun!
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock – I never reviewed this series as I read them before I started blogging, but I really loved it! I actually still need to read the final book in the trilogy, but it’s just so much fun.
Audition by Stasia Ward Kahoe (My Review) – This book is all about dancing and tackles some of the harder aspects of dancing.
The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols (My Review) – This is a lighter, fun book where the main character takes part in snowboarding. It’s got romance, fun and sports.
On My Reading Pile:
Playing With the Boys by Liz Tigelaar
Pretty Tough by Liz Tigelaar
Making Waves by Keri Mikulski
Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar
Various Positions by Martha Schabas
Dancergirl by Carol Tanzman
A Time For Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwim
Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement Moore
Bunheads by Sophie Flack
On My Radar (Not Yet Released):
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
Have you heard about any I missed? Let me know in the comments :)
Fantasy Five Friday: Author Interview with Laurisa White Reyes
I am very excited to have Laurisa White Reyes here by The Book Cellar for another Fantasy Five Friday :)
Laurisa White Reyes has been writing since the age of 5 when she wrote her first poem on scrap of poster board. After earning a degree in English at· California State University at Northridge, she spent thirteen years writing for various magazines and newspapers, working as a book editor, and teaching creative writing. She gave up all that six years ago to follow her lifelong dream of writing novels. Her first book, The Rock of Ivanore, will be released in May 2012. You can find her on the web at her website and blog.
Here’s a bit about the book:
The annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, a task that will determine the future of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn’t tell them what the Rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the illusive Rock. If he succeeds, he will live a life of honor; if he fails, he will live a life of menial labor in shame. With more twists and turns than a labyrinth, and a story in which nothing is as it seems, this tale of deception and discovery keeps readers in suspense until the end.
Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?
When Marcus is sent on a quest to find the illusive Rock of Ivanore, he must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the dangers and secrets he encounters.
Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?
I would be a Hobbit, which is ironic since I mention The Hobbit in the next question. I am a peaceful creature who enjoys quiet activities such as reading, digital scrapbooking and sleeping. Unlike Bilbo Baggins, however, I’m not much of an adventurer. I prefer to stay home where it’s safe and warm.
Do you have a favorite fantasy read?
I read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein when I was twelve and the story has stuck with me ever since. But I am also a HUGE Harry Potter 
fan. HP is simply brilliant.
Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the plot?
The Rock of Ivanore began with a character—Marcus, an enchanter’s apprentice who bungles his magic spells. What started off as a series of bedtime stories for my son eventually grew into a book. But with most of my other writing projects, the plot has always come first. I prefer to work out the plot from beginning to end before adding in the other elements.
They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?
My favorite board game hands down is RISK. And I happen to have a Lord of the Rings version, which I treasure (but I can’t get anyone to play it with me.) I would love to see a Rock of Ivanore version of RISK where the goal is to conquer all of Hestoria.
Thanks so much for stopping by Laurisa!
Buy The Rock of Ivanore: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth Book Review
Struck
Jennifer Bosworth
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Pages: 373
Challenges: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: 3.5 stars
Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.
Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.
Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth was an interesting read. Here’s the thing about this one – everything about it was super cool, it was just extremely slow. It wasn’t til almost page 200 that I thought things picked up and got really intense. In her unique and enticing debut, Jennifer Bosworth delivers a suspenseful story filled with intrigue and action.
Cult books are always so fascinating, and Jennifer Bosworth does this so well. The Prophet and his Followers are almost a bit scary at points of the book. That along with the whole idea with the lightening and the “Spark” was just so neat! It was just so alluring.
Struck was a fascinating read once I really got into it. I did like the first half of the book, but it was so slow that I felt like this took away from some aspects of the plot. But all is forgiven when that last part of the book hit, as Jennifer Bosworth doesn’t hold back. It was so intense and I could not put it down at all. There were several twists that I did not see coming at all, and it was awesome!
The characters were an interesting mix – Jeremy and Mia were awesome. I loved both of them, especially when they were together. Militiaman Brent was pretty cool as well, even though he only played a very small role in the book. Katrina kind of grated on my nerves, as did Parker. They both were just kind of obnoxious.
The ending was awesome. I loved how nicely everything was tied up, and the last page was seriously about the most adorable thing ever.
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth is a book you will have to stick with to get through the slower beginning. But it is definitely worth it! Overall this was a promising debut from Jennifer Bosworth and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
