During the month of April your can read Storybound by Marissa Burt for Free.
In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.
In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.
But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....
With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.
Read it Free:
FYI: HarperTeen also has some great giveaway happening on Goodreads:
Title: Variant Author: Robison Wells Series: Variant Book #1 Publisher: HarperTeen Released: September 26, 2011 Website: http://www.robisonwells.com/
Book Summary
Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape--his only real hope for survival--may be impossible.
I really liked the first half of this book. It reminded me of The Maze Runner which I really enjoyed. It's a unique read that would appeal to a wide audience including teenage boys. The second half of the book was good but took some really bizarre turns.
I can usually figure out where a book is going but was completely wrong with this one. It was completely unpredictable. The cover says Trust No One on it but I didn't realize how literally I should have taken that warning. It was full of twists and turns I didn't see coming. It made for an interesting read although it was almost a little too far fetched to be completely believable.
I'll be picking up the sequel Feedback which will be released in October just to see where the author heads next after the cliffhanger ending this book had.
HarperTeen has become one of my favorite young adult publishers. There are many reasons for this from the fabulous books they publish to the wonderful publicist I work with to their amazing deals like last months .99 cent Epic Reads.
During the month of February HarperTeen is celebrating valentines day with a Month of Love Celebration. There will be promotion and giveaways going on you don't want to miss out on.
Title: The Body Finder Author: Kimberly Derting Series: Book 1 of 4 Publisher: HarperTeen Released: March 16, 2010 Website: http://www.kimberlyderting.com/
Book Summary:
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.
This was a creepy, suspenseful, romantic read. A great mix of mystery, romance and fantasy.
Most of the book is told from Violet's point of view. Violet hears "echoes" of both the dead and of those who've killed others. For the most part this unique ability usually finds her digging up the bones of dead animals but occasional she stumbles across something much more horrifying. No one knows of her ability except for her family and childhood friend Jay.
I loved watching Violet's relationship with Jay develop into something more than just friendship. I'm a succor for the "best friend turned more than friend" kind of relationships.
Most of the story is told from Violet's perspective but there are short snippets thrown in that are written from the mind of a serial killer, that's that creepy part.
For those who scare easily you might not want to read this while home alone at night. I don't scare easily and enjoy an occasional suspenseful, creepy book so I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I'll definitely be reading the sequels.
Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend
Content: Some language including 1 F word. No sex but some passionate making out. Creepy & suspenseful.
Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Series: Book #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: September 11, 2010
Website: http://www.sophiejordan.net/
Book Summary:
A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
I really liked this one! First off it was fairly clean there were just a couple instances of some milder language which makes it a book I can recommend without have to be overly concerned about the content. The story moved along at a face pace and kept me entertained.
I was interested in the Draki lore/mythology. Firelight does follow the typical young adult paranormal fantasy storyline. There was nothing unexpected yet there were unique aspects to this story that made it an enjoyable read.
If you devour young adult paranormal romances (Twilight, Fallen, Shiver, Mortal Instruments, Hush Hush, etc.) and haven't read this one you are missing out. If these titles make you shudder then this is probably not for you.
I'll be starting the sequel soon!
Content: Just a couple instances of mild language
Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend
Source: Download from Audible.com
The sequel Vanish was released on September 6, 2011
The third book Hidden is scheduled to be released in September of 2012.
Title: Unearthly Author: Cynthia Hand Series: Book #1 Publisher: HarperTeen Release Date: January 4, 2011 Author's Website: http://www.cynthiahand.blogspot.com/
Book Summary:
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.
Another fabulous 2011 release that I finally got around to reading. I guess one advantage to being behind is that I can now read the books fellow bloggers have voted the Best of 2011. Odds are that if several of my blogging friends have all loved a book I will too. Unearthly is no exception to this rule.
So we're back to love triangles again but as I said in my last review nearly all the books I love have love triangles. I actually like both boys in this one but am surprised because I'm not rooting for the character I thought I would be rooting for. I loved that the relationships in this book didn't spontaneously happen overnight. It took months for things to develop which was a nice change.
Hooray for another book that I would let my teenagers read. I can not remember anything objectionable in this book.
In a way I'm glad I waited to read this book because we are left with so many unanswered questions at the end. Thankfully the sequel comes out in less than two weeks and thanks to Netgalley & HarperTeen I have a copy of Hallowed waiting to be read.
I think Unearthly standouts in teen paranormal romance genre. It is beautifully written and I loved the new take on angels. Another book I highly recommend you read especially if like me you missed the boat when this one got released.
Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it!
Content: Clean
Source: Audio Download from Audible.com
The Ebook of Unearthlyis currently just .99 cents on Amazon.com. I highly recommend you splurge and spend the $1 to read this book if you have not read it yet.
Title: Divergent Author: Veronica Roth Series: Book #1 Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Release Date: May 3, 2011 Author's Website: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/
Book Summary:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.
Phenomenal! Seriously this was a fabulous book to start off the year. I loved it, seriously loved it! When I polled my blog readers for their favorite read of 2011 Divergent was the unquestionable winner and I hadn't read it. So I remedied that by making it my first read of 2012.
I rarely read book summaries or reviews anymore and was especially glad I didn't read this book's summary or any reviews on it before reading it. I had no idea what to expect other than knowing that there has been a lot of hype about this book. Divergent currently has a 4.41 rating on goodreads which is the highest rating I found on any of the 2011 young adult debut novels. I had high expectations when starting this book and I'm happy to report that for me this book lived up to the hype!
Amazingly there was no love triangle. Don't get me wrong, many (actually most) of my favorite books have love triangles but it's so refreshing to not have one. No picking side in this one just Team Four all around, how can you not love the guy.
Overall this was a fairly clean book. Kudos to Veronica for writing something I will let my teenagers read. There was no language that I remember, no sex and it was fairly mild on the innuendo although it was violent. If I had to choose I would say that I much prefer violence over language or sex in books, it doesn't bother me nearly as much. The Dauntless are heartless fighters so there are several scenes that are quite violent.
What else to say without spoiling the book? It's fabulously written with characters I love. The four month wait for the sequel Insurgent is going to be a long one.
Divergent is the kind of book I enjoy reading. Young adult, dystopian, fairly clean - Yep that's right up my alley. Seems like I'm the last person to read this book so I'm probably preaching to the choir but if you haven't yet read this I highly recommend it. I loved it!
is currently just .99 cents on Amazon.com. I highly recommend you splurge and spend the $1 to read this book if you have not read it yet.
will be released on January 17, 2012.
