My review of Erased

Erased (Altered #2) by Jennifer Rush
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

They thought they had escaped. They were wrong.

After fleeing the Branch with Sam, Cas, and Nick, Anna is learning how to survive in hiding, following Sam's rules: Don't draw attention to yourself. Always carry a weapon. Know your surroundings. Watch your back.
When memories from Anna's old life begin to resurface--and a figure from her childhood reappears--Anna's loyalties are tested. Is it a Branch set-up, or could it be the reunion Anna has hoped for? Ultimately, the answers hinge on one question: What was the real reason her memories were erased in the first place?

Erased is the sequel to Altered with the same beloved science fiction boys and Anna. There's just the same amount of action, possibly even more than the first. We're thrown back into the world of hiding and trying to guess every move of the Branch. An interesting development within the plot line reveals to us that Anna's sister is in fact alive, but if she's good or bad, we do not know.

I am reluctant to say that Erased is better than Altered because I felt like the story line had so much more potential and it simply couldn't beat the high bar set by its predecessor. There was plenty of room for the characters to grow more, possibly find more about them. I liked the fast pace that the book set but wished that it slowed down at time to give more attention to the details that you really want to know about (like the characters.) I wanted more Anna and Sam (I always want more Anna and Sam time but still), and even more about the mysterious and moody Nick, which is why I'm looking forward to the series finale as I trust that Rush will round everything off with a BANG! (A good bang, like a "DAMN THAT WAS AMAZING AND JUST WOW" kind of bang.)

Erased has vaguely rounded off Anna and Sam's story, getting ready to introduce Nick as the story teller in Reborn. I'm looking forward to seeing how he thinks but also how he feels about Anna. Throughout Erased, it's slightly hinted that maybe Nick has an interest in her and I know that many are rooting for this potential romance to bloom. So I will definitely be picking up Reborn to see how it's all played out.

Despite feeling a little disappointed by Erased, I would definitely recommend the story (beginning at Altered) to those who enjoy science fiction and assassins as there are plenty of redeeming qualities that really shine through.

Rating

Quick Giveaway (International)

Hey,

I haven't done many independent giveaways on my blog so I thought why not! Plus I need to make it up to the international followers. So for this giveaway you may pick one book from the list below. This is international as long as the Book Depository ships to you.

Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising

Born Wicked
Star Cursed
Sitter's Fate

White Hot Kiss
Lux: Opposition
A Midsummer's Nightmare

Angel
Angel Fire
Angel Fever

Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below:

**Giveaway ended**
Winner: Karolina D.
Thank you everyone who entered!

Good luck!
Sam :)

My review of Revived

Revived by Cat Patrick

Release Date: July 2, 2012

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

The world fades to nothing, and before I have the chance to think another thought...I'm dead. 

My name is Daisy West and my whole life is a lie. I'm part of a programme to test a drug called Revive - a drug that brings people back from the dead. I have died five times. I've been Revived five times. With each revival comes a new name, a new town...a new life. But this time, I won't let myself die. This time, I've found a love that I can't let go of. This time, I'm going to make my life my own.

Revived is the second novel from Cat Patrick, who really hooked me in with her debut novel, Forgotten. It follows down that similar "Girl has a supernatural power" route, which I adored. 

Our protagonist in this book is called Daisy and all she really wants is a normal life. However, she is part of a program to test a drug that has a power to bring you back to life. Cool, eh? It's called Revive. And everytime Daisy dies and is brought back to life, she has to move to a whole new town. But she starts planting down roots by making friends and getting closer to a boy that she really likes. How cute!

I really enjoyed the storyline and plot for this book! After reading Forgotten, I knew I had to check out of what Patrick has to offer. Revived is unique and has characters that you just want to get to know.

Daisy befriends Audrey; a really sweet girl with a quirky personality. She has a brother called Matt. And when Daisy meets Matt... FIREWORKS! I loved the two and their ever-growing relationship. It was real sweet. And I also enjoyed all the obstacles that they had to tackle when it came down to keeping the secret of "Revive".

Cat Patrick is an author to look out for if you like those contemporary books but with slight hints of supernatural-ness. A good plot, a cute romance, a few action scenes, and a few emotional ones; this book has plenty to keep you satisfied until the last page! I'm definitely picking The Originals and Just Like Fate. 

Rating

Waiting on Wednesday (122)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Dead of Winter (Arcana Chronicles #3) by Kresley Cole

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Heartbreaking decisions 

Evie was almost seduced by the life of comfort that Death offered her—until Jack was threatened by two of the most horrific Arcana, The Lovers. She will do anything to save him, even escape Death’s uncanny prison, full of beautiful objects, material comforts…and stolen glances from a former love.

Uncertain victory 

Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie sets out into a frozen and perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with her allies and launch an attack on The Lovers and the vast army they command. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them once and for all may mean Evie, Jack, and Death allying. Evie doesn’t know what will prove more impossible: surviving slavers, plague, Bagmen and other Arcana—or convincing Jack and Death to work together.

Two heroes returned 

There’s a thin line between love and hate, and Evie just doesn’t know where she stands with either Jack or Death. Will this unlikely trio be able to defeat The Lovers without killing one another first?

OMGGGGGGG! I ACTUALLY DESPERATELY NEED THIS BOOK! Poison Princess was good and I was like wow.

Endless Knight (check out my review) was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-ly fantastic and I was like WOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

So you can understand why I'm so desperate for this book? I can't really sum up the story because it's quite complex but I promise you, YOU NEED TO CHECK THEM OUT NOW!

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

Have a good week,
Sam :D

New Covers Reveal

Hey,

I've recently found some new book covers that I think are just brilliant and I cannot wait for the books themselves, so obviously I've put a post together to share them all with you! If you want to find out more about any of them just click on the title and it will lead you to the books' Goodreads' page.

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West - May 5, 2015 -
Contemporary romances make me asdfghjkl;' and this cover looks sweet enough to eat.

**Give a cheer for Andrew Garfield finally being in my post**

All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter - January 27, 2015 -

The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead - February 10, 2015 -
Not too keen on how the covers have progressed over the serious but the story is brilliant so!
Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1) by Tiffany Schmidt - May 19, 2015 -

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone - June 16, 2015 -
I adore the simplicity.
The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall - January 13, 2015 -
I adore this! The colours are beautiful and the background and the anchoring image and GAH!! So excited.

Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - December 8, 2014 -
I can't get enough of JLA and this book dammit it seems so hot and just overally amazing as usual.

Don't you think that some of these are simply stunning? Not too sure about The Ruby Circle but thank heavens I know that Richelle Mead will deliver a good ending.

Let me know which covers you love and whether you'll be reading any of these in the comments below.

Have a good week,
Sam 

Book Haul (#93)

Hey,

I hope you've all been happy reading your books and enjoying life. I am, with all honesty, knackered. School is too much and I'm tired all the time. I know that this is terrible because it's actually only been about three weeks, but if any of you have tips for revising then please share them with me!
 
Also, it was the Teen Wolf Season 4 finale was a few weeks ago!!!!!!!!! I am so ecstatic for the next season but so sad that I'll have nothing to watch for the next... while. SEASON 5 IS GOING TO BE AMAZING GUYS MAKE SURE YOU CATCH UP!

This week I borrowed:

Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo - Borrowed - 
I'm enjoying this so much you don't understand. MALLL! I love Mal so much. MalMalMal. NO spoilers guys! I am only half way through.

Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma - Borrowed -
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma broke my heart so I'm excited to experience what's in store for this one.

Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton - Borrowed -
It feels like so long since I read Everbound and I don't really remember what happened or is happening so I will need to read a quick recap. I hope this is a good finale.

Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2) by Jessica Spotswood - Borrowed -
I immensely enjoyed the first book and I can't wait for some more witch-yness.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday/In My Mailbox in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy all your books,
Sam :)

Waiting on Wednesday (121)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Stung (Struck #2) by Joss Stirling

Release Date: February 5, 2015

Sixteen-year-old Kate has a talent for disappearing. Framed for murder, and hunted by a violent gang, she's running for her life . . .

Nathan is the young recruit tasked with finding Kate before her enemies track her down. He's determined to stay detached no matter what. 

But when Nathan and Kate's paths collide, neither is prepared for the electricity that sparks between them.

As the net tightens, can they trust each other long enough to stay alive? Or will their next kiss be their last?

I really like Joss Stirling and her books are right up my street! I always enjoy the plot line and the characters. I suspect this will be the same. I think this is a companion novel to Storm and Stone which is a book set in a boarding school and it is a thriller/mystery with plenty of spies and romance! I cannot wait to see how this one goes.

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

Have a good week,
Sam :D

My review of Independent Study

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | Book Depository

Cia Vale is now seventeen and has everything she ever dreamed of: a boy she loves, a place at the University and a future as one of the leaders of the United Commonwealth. But Cia remembers. Cia must choose whether to stay silent and protect herself and her loved ones, or expose The Testing for what it is.

Following closely after the events of The Testing, Independent Study expands on Cia's time at the University as she finds out more and more about the twisted ways of the school. This installment is a neat and solid stepping stone to lead into the finale of the series as secrets bloom from the dark that will be answered in the last installment.

I'm not a fan of Cia and the way she is portrayed to be the ideal candidate for everything. She seems to have the most potential, be the smartest, know the answer to every situation and every dilemma. It was just all a bit too much when they come across as the all-perfect being. I think that the withheld information about the school and government spurred me on, and also the talk of rebellion added to my interest. 

Despite its similarities to The Hunger Games in the previous book, I do feel like the author tried to branch away from that to make the plot and storyline more unique but also exciting to read.

Independent Study is a good follow-up book to The Testing and maps out a wide picture of the dystopian world that the story is set in. I shall be picking up Graduation Day to see how the author puts the whole story together and brings it to its finale. 

Rating

Waiting on Wednesday (120)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Release Date: September 16, 2014

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world. 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSS! JANDY NELSON HAS A NEW BOOOOOOK. 

If you haven't read The Sky Is Everywhere then......... go, just go now. I know that this book will be a masterpiece and is going to contain extreme feels. But I'm ready!

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

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Book Spotlight and Giveaway: The Winner's Curse

Hey,

Today I will be showing you one of my favourite debut books so far in 2014 and also offer a spare copy that I own for a giveaway! It is breath-taking, it is exciting, and it is completely addictive. IT'S THE WINNER'S CURSE!

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

Release Date: July 3, 2014

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

-------------------------------------

If you're interested to see what I thought of the book and find out a little bit more about the characters then head over to read my review here!

"The Winner's Curse is a compulsory fantasy read for 2014!"

You NEED to add this book to your TBR list at Goodreads and if you want to buy the book here are some useful links.

Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

This giveaway is open to those who live in the UK. Sorry international followers, there'll be something for you guys soon! To enter simply fill in the Rafflecopter below:

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**
Winner: Ingrid 
Thank you all for entering!

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Have a good week,
Sam 

My review of If You Find Me

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Release Date: March 26, 2014 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Carey is keeping a terrible secret. If she tells, it could destroy her future. If she doesn't, will she ever be free?

For almost as long as she can remember, Carey has lived in the heart of the woods with her drug-addicted mother and six-year-old sister, Jenessa.


Their mother routinely disappears for weeks at a time, leaving the girls to cope alone. Survival is Carey's only priority - until strangers arrive and everything changes...

A hard-hitting tale of how quickly and abruptly your life can completely change within a moment. If You Find Me also explores the deep connection between siblings and how keeping a secret as a burden upon your shoulders is not always the best thing to do.

I was so, so touched by the premise of the book and the journey that our two sisters take in finding out about the "real" world and trying to adapt everything they know from their previous life in the woods to fit this world. They have to change their way of thinking, their way of acting, speaking, everything that entails in living your life. The overwhelming feelings of sad emotions would take hold of me every so often as I realised that these girls' childhoods had been robbed from them. They've had to endure things that no children should ever have to endure and that made me see both Carey, the older teenager, and Jenessa, her younger sister, as two very strong girls who would one day fully be able to move their lives in a positive direction.

I'm positive that most will love Carey and Jenessa, and grow to love them even more when they tag along for the journey that the two girls will have to take to fit into society and overcome the memories of the woods. 

If You Find Me is a powerful book that will definitely stay with me for a long time because of not only its characters and plot, but also the strong messages that it shares about family, learning to trust others, and always moving forward in your life. This is a book that I would highly recommend if you're looking for something hard-hitting which deals with slightly more mature themes that you wouldn't expect could be handled so well in a YA book. 

Rating

Waiting on Wednesday (119)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

What If by Rebecca Donovan

Release Date: September 16, 2014

What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time?

Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago.

Except this girl isn't Nicole.

She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.

When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

The blurb has just won me over completely! I need to read this and find out what happens!! It sounds like a brilliant contemporary novel and apparently Rebecca Donovan is a note-worthy author. 

(This man looks kinda creepy.)

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

Have a good week,
Sam :D

My review of Storm and Stone

Storm and Stone by Joss Stirling
Release Date: February 6, 2014
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Behind the ivy-clad walls of an exclusive boarding school, lurks a sinister web of corruption, scandal, and conspiracy. American student Raven Stone has noticed something is horribly wrong. First there were the unexplained disappearances. Then there were the teachers' lies. And now the death threats ...Also entangled in the disturbing turn of events is the enigmatic Kieran Storm - a fellow student with a killer intellect and a body to die for. He's heading for trouble and taking her with him. Raven can feel herself falling in love, but can she trust a boy she knows almost nothing about?

After reading Stirling's Benedict series, I knew that I could not stay away from this story for very long. Storm and Stone is set in a mysterious boarding school where students disappear for a few weeks and come back as changed individuals. Kieran and Joe are spies that have been sent to see what's going on and get the job done as soon as possible. But Kieran befriends Raven and he not only wants to help her as she gets bullied, he wants the chance to fall in love. Oh, stop my beating heart.

The story is told from both Kieran and Raven's POVs, which gives you a nice 360 degree understanding of the whole story. Like Kieran's past, his actual mission and his deeper thoughts, while we see Raven's background and discover why she gets bullied. But also, we witness them both falling for each other which is honestly the cutest thing I've read in a while.

Don't expect this book to be a light contemporary romance with lots of batting eyelashes and air kisses. This book gets down to what you want! There is plenty of action scenes that kick in to spice everything up when you least expect it, along with the spies-looking-for-clues scenes filled with tension. I love Joss Stirling so much and this book had a great premise to draw my attention. i can't wait for even more from this author!

Rating