Waiting on Wedneday (36)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein 
Release Date: March 5, 2013

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

I adore YA contemporary romance so this one sounds like something I would devour. And the cover is ADORABLE!! Don't you think?

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a great week,

Sam :D

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

Hey,

This blog hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and BookLove101.

There are some really awesome YA books out in the world right now, or will be soon, and I think it would be awesome to share some with you. Also, I can't help but notice that there are quite a few sequels being released this year!

One winner will be able to pick from one of the books below as long as The Book Depository ships to you. But as I previously mentioned, there are many sequels and it is fine if you would like to pick the first book in the series.

Simply fill out the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great week,

Sam :D

Other posts:
Review - As You Were by Samantha Summers
Review - Survive by Alex Morel
Review - Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Review - The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Book Haul (#31)
Waiting on Wednesday - Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Teaser - Requiem by Lauren Oliver

My review of As You Were

As You Were (Project Five Fifteen #2) by Samantha Summers
Release Date: December 14, 2012
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | 


For every choice, there is a consequence.

Ronnie and Kalen are finally together, living their life in secret under the radar of the people who want Kalen dead. But when a visit from an old friend sends Kalen away on a rescue mission, Ronnie finds herself plunged back into the world of Project Five Fifteen quicker than she ever thought possible.

It’s fast becoming clear The Agency will never give up their hunt for the boys, and a betrayal closer to home starts a chain reaction that will change everything. Now, caught in a deadly web of lies and deceit, Ronnie is forced to question who she can trust; even the person she once trusted most.

As enemies close in, Kalen’s past threatens to destroy the happiness they sacrificed so much for, and it’s only a matter of time before the ultimate choice must be made…

As You Were is the exciting sequel to First Light, a thriller romance that you won't be able to put down. First Light was satisfying and intriguing read, but As You Were is even better! There is even more heart-stopping action, more characters to meet, and more secrets to be revealed.

In a world where boys are trained to be assassins from a young age, no one is safe. Especially Ronnie, who has fallen in love with the most deadly assassin of all: Kalen. Many want him dead and he might just putting her in more danger by trying to keep her close. At the end of First Light, Ronnie decides to getaway with Kalen and that's where As You Were picks up. Ronnie and Kalen couldn't have been having a better time. Their skiing in Switzerland with plenty of delicious of hot chocolate when one of Kalen's team mates, Ace, turns up, Kalen and Ronnie are thrust back into the world they had tried so hard to runaway from. 

I really enjoyed As You Were. I thought that the plot was well thought through, the characters all had a purpose to the story, and the surprises never stopped coming! I finished the book in no time at all because I could not put it down. Summers keeps us on the edge of our seats with her well-written action scenes and unexpected plot twists. 

Ronnie and Kalen are two great characters and I loved to read about their relationship. Of course, it had it's ups and downs, but in the end they would always find a way to come back to each other, which is simply adorable. I really wish I were Ronnie. Her life is awesome! She's running around with an assassin, for crying out loud! That is just... so much more exciting than my life. But also because she gets Kalen. Sigh. He is lovely. He's strong and protective and good looking and a really good boyfriend, and did I mention that he's good looking? Kalen and Ronnie are just the cutest couple. I'm sure you will love their exciting and complicated relationship.

Moving on from out two main characters, there is Ace, Nash, Denver and a few others that are pretty dang great, too! They are Kalen's assassin team mates, who all have unique and intriguing personalities. Ace is the youngest, but also the closest to Ronnie, like a best friend, even. He is bubbly, full of enthusiasm and, in my opinion, should not be an assassin, but instead be spending his life properly! Nash is the brooding and mysterious type who is simply there when you need him. Denver is very different. Not only does he have a wicked sense of humor, but he is also quite a hit with the ladies, which isn't always a good thing when you're an assassin.

I was heart-broken when I reached the end of First Light because I couldn't wait to find out what was next for Ronnie and Kalen. And now that I have finished As You Were, I am left in agony because Summers decides to leave us with a cliffhanger. Ahhh, I just need the third book, Becoming.

If you love a good YA action/thriller/romance then I would really recommend you check this series out because I'm pretty sure that you will enjoy it.

Rating

A review copy was provided by the author

Book Haul (#31)

Hey,

It's been a pretty good week in books and school hasn't been too bad. Since it snowed pretty heavy last weekend in the UK, schools across the country either closed or started a bit later. My school decided to start a bit later, which was great because I got an awesome lie-in.

Here are the books that I've received/borrowed this week:

Just One Day (Just One Day #1) by Gayle Forman - Received -
Thank you, Random House! I AM SO EXCITED! I adore Gayle Forman and I'm sure this will be just as amazing as her previous books, If I Stay and Where She Went.

Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Received -
Thank you, Spencer Hill Press! I feel so privileged that I've already read this. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favourite authors and this book did not disappoint. 

Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton - Received -
Thank you, Simon & Schuster! Everneath was an awesome read with a pretty annoying cliffhanger. I will be starting this one as soon as possible.
Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie - Borrowed -
I've waited over a year for this to be released. I'm anxious to start it!

Dearly Departed (Gone With the Respiration #1) by Lia Habel - Borrowed -
This book sounds interesting. I haven't read a zombie book in a while...
Cloaked by Alex Flinn - Borrowed -
I'm kind of confused, is this the companion novel to Beastly? 

Sweetly (Fairytale Retellings #2) by Jackson Pearce - Borrowed -
Sister's Red was very enjoyable and a great retelling. I'm hoping that this one is even better!
Night School (Night School #1) by C. J. Daughtery - Borrowed -
I received the sequel for review but I remembered that I haven't actually read the first book so... here it is! I think it's a murder-at-boarding-school type of thing.

Leave a link to your book haul/stacking the shelves/letterbox love/in my mailbox in the comments below so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :D

My review of Survive

Survive by Alex Morel
Release Date: August 2, 2012 (US), February 4, 2013 (UK)
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.

Survive is an emotional and gripping book about a girl who's planning to kill herself on her way home to New Jersey. She is flying back from a mental hospital, which has been her home for the last year. Her plan is to swallow a lethal does of pills during her flight. But what she doesn't expect is for the plane to crash. Or for her to survive. She seems to be the only one alive on the snowy mountaintop until she hears the cries of another survivor. A boy named Paul, who couldn't have irritated her more while she was on the plane. Now the two are fighting against the weather, the journey and their blossoming feelings for each other.

I was not sure of what to expect when I first saw this book. It looked a little weird and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read about a girl with mental issues, but the book was actually very enjoyable! At first I had a few issues with the main character Jane. I wasn't used to reading about someone who was so keen to take their own life, so that may be why I felt so uncomfortable with her thoughts and intentions. When the plane crashes and she has to work with Paul to find civilization, we do see a change in those disturbing intentions and for the first time ever she's actually working to stay alive, and I loved her for that. When you start the book, you'll have to be patient with Jane. She's frustrating and completely out of order at times, but her character does get better! Give it a little time because the book does spice up and get a load more interesting.

I adored Paul. He and Jane do not get on at all when they first meet each other on the plane, but when they both have to work with each to survive, their relationship improves and we get to find out more about Paul's past and his family. He is an awesome character that I had a soft spot for, and knowing his past just made me fall for him a little more. He is a boy who has gone through a lot in his life and he really didn't deserve to be stuck in a life-threatening situation with an unstable girl to drag through with him.

Leaving the characters behind, I thought that the plot was really well thought out. It had me on edge of my seat for most of it, and it had me balling for the last part of it. The author has done well to make the book realistic and completely absorbing. Morel takes you into the depths of the cold, snowy mountains and it's like you're there with Jane and Paul. On the journey, you will smile, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will ask yourself the ultimate question: Will they survive?

Survive is a wonderful book that I would recommend to all those out there who want a contemporary/thriller with a slice of romance and breath-taking conclusion. 

Rating

Waiting on Wednesday (35)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) by Jamie McGuire

Release Date: April 16, 2013

Walking Disaster is Travis' POV.

How much is too much to love?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes.

I enjoyed Beautiful Disaster and when I finished, I wished there were a sequel, and Walking Disaster is as closest to a sequel as I'm going to get. I am looking forward to reading Beautiful Disaster's story from Travis' POV because he was a really intriguing character. And that cover...

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments and I will check it out!

Have a great week,

Sam :D

Requiem Teaser

Hey,

I haven't posted a teaser in a while and I thought it'd be nice to finally post something. I was scanning through my shelves and saw... REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver and thought: Yes, readers will love abitta this!

If you have no clue who or what I'm talking about then PLEASE just go to Google and search for Delirium by Lauren Oliver because it is a book that should not be missed. At all. Delirium is followed by Pandemonium, and finally Requiem. 

US Covers

UK Covers

Please do not read the teaser below if you have not read the books, this is because the teaser does include spoilers for the first two books and I would hate to ruin them for all of you out there.

This is your last chance. Turn away now. Close your eyes and go. Quick. Don't be tempted to look. Go to a book shop and buy Delirium and Pandemonium. Read them. Then come back.

Teaser:
"About two dozens of us came north from New York City: Raven, Tack, Julian and me, and also Dani, Gordo, and Pike, plus fifteen others or so others who are largely content to stay quiet and follow directions.
And Alex. But not my Alex: a stranger who never smiles, doesn't smile, and barely speaks."
Page 2, Requiem UK Proof Copy

Awesome, right? I might post another teaser depending on whether you guys want one or not.

Requiem is out in the US in late February and in the UK in late March. My review is to come some time in February so keep an eye out!

Best,
Sam :D

My review of Dare You To

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

"I dare you..." 

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.... 

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. 

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

Katie McGarry has done it again. She has successfully delivered another gripping, emotional and entertaining novel that can simply not be missed. Dare You To is just as breath-taking as Pushing the Limits is. Readers' high expectations for this book will not fail to be hit by McGarry's imagination and unique characters.

Dare You To is told from the point of view of Beth, who we briefly met in Pushing the Limits; a daring girl with a troubled life that few people can relate to. And Ryan; a baseball star with a good future ahead of him, but under that image is a boy who just wants to be himself. When he is dared to ask a girl for her phone number, he sees it as an easy challenge. What he doesn't know is that the girl is not the type of person to be fooled by a boy's charm. Nope, Beth's fallen for that act once before and she's not prepared for another heart break. As the two are thrown back together by a wave of events, they can not avoid their intense attraction and slowly fall for each other. But can Ryan face up to who he really is, while Beth learns to trust again?

Katie McGarry has a rare talent of hooking readers in from the very first page and making words and characters come to life. I could not put this book down and read it in a matter of hours. And in those few hours, I felt like I was on a crazy roller coaster that I never wanted to get off of.

I wasn't too keen on Beth when she appeared in Pushing the Limits, but Dare You To has completely changed my view of her. She's simply a girl with a troubled past and all she needs is for someone to understand her. She also has trusts issues, which is completely understandable considering what she's been through, and the only people she trusts fully are Noah and Isaiah. Then she crosses paths with a jock named Ryan, who annoys her immediately but she can't help that longing to be loved. As I got to know Beth on a deeper level, I found it hard not to love and care for her. 

Ryan. Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. He is just... amazing. Yes, at first we see him as a jock who only cares about completing and winning dares, but then... BAM! We get in his head and realise that he is so much more than a jock. He is also a writer, well, a secret one. He has a controlling father who fails to see that Ryan's heart is not completely into baseball, so he writes in the safety of his room and only shares his work with his English teacher. Ryan is a really sweet guy underneath with plenty of love to offer. I think I love him. I can't even put choose between him and Noah because the two are very different. Unlike Noah, Ryan is not a bad boy who smokes and swears. He is his own person and I would love a guy like him. Sigh.

Ryan and Beth were the cutest couple to read about... well, once they realised they liked each other, anyways. Ryan is a very poetic person and the stuff he says is really beautiful. They made me laugh a lot, they made me smile and they made my heart yearn for the love that they share. It was perfect. Actually, it was not entirely perfect. Like any other couples they have their problems, but with these two there just seems to be an unlimited amount of them to solve.

I must say, my expectations were extremely high for this book because Pushing the Limits was mind-blowingly-fantastic. Dare You To did not let me down. Not at all. It was just as amazing, intriguing, romantic and irresistible as Pushing the Limits was. I think I must finally declare Katie McGarry as a writing genius. She is incredible and I can not wait to read more of her books. Luckily, there is going to be another book! *Screams of thousands of fans around the world* I hear you, my friends. I'm excited, too! It's titled 'Crash into You' and it's told from the point of view of Isaiah... I. Need. This. Now.

For all of you out there who have not read Pushing the Limits, please go a book shop close to you and purchase it because it is one of the best YA books out there. Pushing the Limits is a book that YA lovers should not miss for the world, and neither is Dare You To. So when you get the opportunity you must read these books, okay? 

Dare To You contains an irresistible romance and plenty of to-die-for characters. After reading you may feel like you've just lost your best friends, and fall into a slight depression when you remember that Crash into You is not yet available and you will then wickedly plan a way of kidnapping Katie McGarry so she will let you read it. But soon, reality catches with you, and you realise that you are going a little crazy and have to sleep because it's 4 in the morning and you have school/work in a few hours.

Yep, Katie McGarry is one amazing writer.

Rating

A review copy was provided by Harlequin UK

Favourite Quote:
“You're a lot like that bird in the barn. You're so scared that you're going to be caged in forever you can't see the way out. You smack yourself against the wall again and again and again. The door is open, Beth. Stop running in circles and walk out.” 

Book Haul (#30)

Hey,

It has been a crazy week in the UK. There was a heavy snowfall on Friday and we were all sent home early (YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!).

I came home and found a load of parcels in front of my door. Seriously, how could the day have been any better?!

So, here are the books that I've borrowed/received this week:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Borrowed -
I borrowed this book from my friend because I wanted to read it before I bought the movie. I finished it earlier this week and I thought it was strange but unique. I can't wait to watch the film!!

As You Were (Project Five Fifteen #2) by Samantha Summers - Received -
Thank you, Sam! This is the sequel to First Light, which is a romance/thriller. I finished it a few days ago and I am craving the next book!

A Witch in Love (Winter #2) by Ruth Warburton - Received -
Thank you, Hachette Children's Books! I read the first book, A Witch in Winter, earlier last year and I never had the time to get this book when it was released in July. But I finished it a few days ago and thought it was really good.

A Witch Alone (Winter #3) by Ruth Warburton - Received -
Thank you, Hachette Children's Books! I'm currently reading this book and I'm enjoying it so far.

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter - Received -
Thank you, Hachette Children's Books! This is the last book in the Heist Society trilogy and I'm looking forward to seeing how Kate and Hale end up.

Hooked by Liz Fichera - Received -
Thank you, HarlequinTeen! I thought that it sounded pretty good so I requested it on Netgalley. I'll be starting it soon.

Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross - Won -
Thank you, My Kinda Book! I read this book last year at some point, I'm happy that I now own a copy.

Vortex (Tempest #2) by Julie Cross - Won -
Thank you, My Kinda Book! Last week I received a copy of Vortex and I thought that they were sending me the books separately... I am confused. Oh well, I'm excited to start it anyway!

Legacy (Night School #2) by C. J. Daugherty - Received -
I still need to read the first book, Night School, before I can start this one. I think it's some kind of mysterious killing in a boarding school? Sounds pretty cool.

That's my haul for this week. Leave a like to your book haul/Stacking the Shelves/In My Mailbox post in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :D

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My review of The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

My review of The Evolution of Mara Dyer

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is the second breath-taking book in the Mara Dyer trilogy. In this installment, Mara has been sent to hospital under care due to the fact that everyone thinks she's crazy. She seen her ex-boyfriend Jude, who is meant to be dead, and no one believes her. The only person who will stand by her side and support her is her boyfriend Noah Shaw. But Mara knows that he's hiding something, and when the everyone thinks you're crazy, life isn't as simple as she wishes for it to be.

I was afraid that The Evolution of Mara Dyer would be disappointing like some of the other sequels released in 2012; Insurgent by Veronica Roth, for example. But it wasn't! Thank God! Michelle Hodkin writes brilliantly and I was completely and utterly absorbed from the first chapter. There was just as much romance, humor as there was in the first book, and even more action and mysteries! I could not put this book down at all, because I was desperate to find out how it ended.

Mara is a great protagonist who I really love to read about. She's caring and courageous when she's forced to be and I wouldn't mind knowing her in real life. At times, I felt extremely frustrated with her, the world, EVERYTHING! When Mara was trying to tell everyone that she wasn't crazy, no one believed her. I can understand how irritating and annoying that must be if I were in her shoes. I would have probably broken down crying with angry tears as well. Let's thank all things holy that Mara had and will - hopefully - always have the amazing Noah Shaw by her side. 

Yes, this is the Noah Shaw paragraph, where I simply gush and fan-girl over how much I adore him. Are you ready? Yes, I am too. Where should I start? Noah's great looks, his amazing sense of humor, his caring nature.... Well, Noah is an all round good guy, who tries hard to be there for the ones he care for. What gave Noah bonus points was that he was prepared to stick by Mara, no matter where she went or what she decided, he was always there and never doubted her. Not to mention his unique humor and charm! Sigh, he will make you fan-girls out there swoon a few times as well. He is irresistibly romantic in this book so get ready to choke on your heart every now and then.

I haven't said a lot about the plot because I think you should walk in clueless about what is to happen. The novel has a strong and gripping plot, no need to worry about that. Those who fell for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer will not be able to resist what this sequel has on offer.

Rating