Review: Relativity by Cristin Bishara (ARC)

Relativity by Cristin Bishara
Walker Childrens (an imprint of Bloomsbury), 288 pages
US Release Date: September 10, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Ruby knows wishes can't come true; some things just can't be undone. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities. 

Suddenly, Ruby can access completely different realities, each containing variations of her life—if things had gone differently at key moments. The windshield wiper missing her mother’s throat…her big brother surviving his ill-fated birth…her father never having met Willow. Her ideal world—one with everything and everyone she wants most—could be within reach. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?
---------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

It seems like a footnote, no big deal--it's just Dad's job--but there's the inevitable ripple effect, the butterfly effect: the seemingly insignificant flapping of a butterfly's wings can effect an atmospheric change, which can alter the path of a tornado. Little alterations, big repercussions.

There’s been a definite trend in parallel universes in YA books, guys. I know it’s been around for awhile, but between The Theory of Everything, Parallel, and Relativity, it’s definitely gaining some ground. And I have to say, I am loving it!

Something I loved about Relativity is the different approach it takes to parallel universes and string theory. It’s not drastically different universes filled with pandas or fantasies, or completely different futures and trajectories – it explores how a fork in the road can alter things but still have some things remain the same. As a big believer in fate, destinies, and meant to bes (except not soulmates), I like how Relativity incorporated the concept of things that would stay the same no matter what choices are made. That some things are meant to happen, no matter where you are or in what dimension.

This was a really great story, guys. Ruby is a fantastic main character, filled with a lot of little things everyone will recognize. The element of her mom being alive in some dimensions and not in the other was really sad and made me cling and get quite invested. Seeing Ruby in all these different situations that were completely familiar was also really fun and gave a great dimension (no pun intended!) to her character. You really get to see a broad range of reactions and personality to her, and I liked that a lot.

The secondary characters were a great mix, though I admit a few of them fell just a little for me. I really loved Sally, Ruby’s mom- she was the perfect mom while remaining her own person. I thought Kandy was a straight up psychotic bitch (in most dimensions), but that was the interesting part to her. I wanted a little more to her story, but what was given was pretty satisfactory. Willow, the step-mom, was kind of the same; she was a bit flat, but what she did lend I really liked. And of course George, who for a character that’s actually not too present in a lot of the book (or dimensions) was REALLY fantastic. I loved him and Ruby and how open he was to all the craziness Ruby threw at him. I wish there was more of him.

Oddly, I really loved the science and how it was worked into this book. I am loving that YA books are getting more into explanation, into giving you the actual research behind certain situations rather than trying to dumb it down or insinuate- and Relativity did it quite well. It was integrated into each character’s personality so smoothly, I barely realized I’m reading about the science of wormholes and string theory.

Relativity was a fun, fascinating read that really made me think about the things in my life that would be there no matter which world I’m in. The ending did leave me slightly unfulfilled somehow (not to be mistaken by incomplete!), but overall I’m really happy to have read this and added it to the growing pile of Parallel Universe YA. If you’re into this style – or even if you’re not—you should definitely give it a try.

4 stars

[Une Petite Revue] Parallel by Lauren Miller (ARC)

Parallel by Lauren Miller
Harper Teen, 432 pages
US Release Date: May 14, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via DAC ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge, Stand Alone Challenge

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.
---------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"A most likely path," Dr. Mann agrees. "Which isn't to say our fates are sealed. In fact, I believe the very opposite is true. At every moment, each person has the freedom to choose a different path, thereby changing the trajectory of his life. Nothing is set in stone."

The Goods

*The science. It’s nerdy, but I love it and it makes so much sense. I love getting to learn why things are happening, or at least the plausibility factor.
*There are certain passages that just blew me away. Some about love, some about destiny, others about finding order in chaos. They were fantastic and eye-opening and I want to have them pasted around my walls.
*Caitlin. Such a great best friend and anchor throughout all the changes and effects. I love that she offers explanation at the same time as being a casualty, too.

The Bads

The only bad thing, and it was BIG, was the ending. I seriously want to just tear out the last 2-3 pages of the entire novel. I didn’t watch Lost for the entire series run, but I watched enough of it to watch the series finale, and I think Parallel’s ending is on the same plane as that. The whole “It was all a dream” effect.

The Consensus

Save the last 3 pages, Parallel was gripping and fantastic, with brilliant characters and a great intelligence woven through all the pages. I love that it felt like it was told in dual narrative (dual time is probably a little more appropriate).

The Recommendation

READ READ READ this book! There’s great insight into our lives and how we live it, how one choice or situation can change our entire lives. Just…perhaps stop 3 pages before the end. Or if you read it, just disregard them, as I am.

4.5 stars

Review: Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker (ARC)

Ashes to Ashes (Ashes to Ashes #1) by Melissa Walker
Katherine Tegan (Harper Teen), 356 pages
Expected US Release Date: December 23, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.
-------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

…it's such an abstract concept. Reaching out feels so much more natural to me.

There is one main thing that I think a person should know going into reading Ashes To Ashes: this is a duet. There will be a second book! I had absolutely no idea when I read it, I thought it was a standalone—but as I crept closer and closer to the end of the book, I started thinking, “Hmmm…all these questions and still ninety BILLION questions?!” And I remember thinking good heavens there BETTER be a second book, else I’m not even going to bother rating this it infuriates me so much! (Book blogger threats. They’re real.)

So, PHEW on that front. Knowing that, I definitely like this book the more I think about it. When I first closed it, I thought it was a bit odd, and unsatisfying, and that there were too many questions without answers. And while I do still think there weren’t enough answers, it wasn’t enough to put me off from wanting to pick up Book 2.

I’m not a big paranormal person, so I was a bit iffy going into this novel. I haven’t quite figured out my feelings on ghosts and the paranormal happenings in life; and I have even less experience in my books. But I like Melissa Walker, I adore most of her contemporaries that I’ve read and I thought this would be a good way to get into it. And I’m glad to say I gave it a shot!

The concept of the Prism is pretty interesting to me, I like that we try to help our loved ones get over our death. I found that delightfully satisfying and fulfilling, and I kind of hope that is the real reason ghosts haunt. Not their own unfinished business, but the unfinished business of helping someone else. I loved the personal ghost prisms they each had too, the concept of why they’re built as they are and that it’s an area for them to recharge. Kinda made me wonder what my personal prism would look like (as vaguely morbid as that seems). And I quite enjoy the little bits of humor and puns regarding life/death/having a life in death.

I have to admit that there are still some predictable parts, that I knew why Callie could feel and still had her memories and emotions as a ghost—that seemed pretty easy to figure out, and that definitely influenced how I felt about certain scenes where that affecting things. It took away some surprise to the book, but there were still enough moments for me to overlook that.

I found I really liked most of the characters, too. Carson was a great friend, I loved how into the spirit world she is and how she connects with all that. She was a fantastic friend to Callie, even after she was gone, and I started hoping that my friends were like her. Nick is…well. He was probably my least favourite of the good characters, but I didn’t particularly not like him. He felt mostly incomplete to me, like I was given him as a part to the story without explanation or real connection. Leo was creepy. He was so, so creepy. Written well, and a great character, but like Callie, I would shiver and dread every time he showed up on the page. The entire idea of some ghosts existing who did not want to move out of the Prism and into Solus was dark and scary; and Leo just took it to an extreme. That’s some great writing where I would hate seeing his name on a page.

I am SO FREAKIN’ CURIOUS. Omg. There are so many questions, and I don’t have answers, and omg you guys I NEED THEM. Why was Nick going to…well, you know. What is going on with Carson? Who is H? Why is Thatcher so freakin’ hot and amazing and man aliiiiiiiiive do I want that ghost. The book ended fairly well in terms of leaving you satisfied enough for the book but wanting more.

Last, random thing: I love the title font on the cover. I really, really draw towards the first “Ashes” being different than the last “ashes.” I don’t quite know why, but I know I really loved it.

3.5 stars

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West (ARC)

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West
HarperTeen, 320 Pages
Expected US Release Date: February 12, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

He shrugs. "Doesn't help to waste my time thinking about would've-beens."

Laila whispers, "He says to the girl with a mind full of them."

If you had the opportunity to see the outcomes of a choice, would you? Would you knowingly see what would happen on either side to make your decision? I'm not sure I would, to be honest. It'd be tempting, and I might do it once or twice - but I think it's a dangerous thing to know. How can you knowingly choose something over another? If it were a simple decision, it'd be easier to live with, of course - but if it were a decision like Addison's? I'm not sure I'd have the strength for it.

I loved Pivot Point so much, you guys. It's a fantastic concept with just the right amount of tension and worry and swoonage. The world of the Paranormals is so much fun to learn about, and I love that it's one that co-exists in a Normal world - not a true Dystopian, but one that's like a hidden society (that I would TOTALLY love to be a part of! I want an Ability!). It's a little bit paranormal with a little thriller, a little science fiction, and the best part to me? Totally reads like a contemporary!

Something I was a little iffy on was the idea of Addison's parents getting a divorce - I know it has to happen to make her Search her futures and see what would happen depending on who she opts to live with, but it felt like such a flimsy reason and a little too device-y for me. It's one of those plot elements that's necessary, but I personally resent them because they're forced and make me feel like I'm being manipulated to believe it. Especially since it's such a small portion of the novel anyway; it's the catalyst, but most of the pages are dedicated to each of her futures. The divorce hardly gets revisited, and while I don't want to dwell on that part or turn Pivot Point into some emo novel, I was definitely expecting it to be a larger part.

But that's a small annoyance, and I only had 2! The other is that the conclusion comes pretty fast. I read 300+ pages, for it to be done in what felt like 5. There is the set up for more (as this is part of a series, it makes sense), but it's quick and I seriously feel like if you blink too fast, you're going to miss the end to this. Which I suppose is fine, but it messed with my pacing for just a brief few moments.

Other than that? I LOVE THIS BOOK. I had no idea how much I would love it! It's fascinating getting to see Addie's life in the Norm world trying to assimilate versus her life staying in the Compound and getting to have a life using Abilities and being surrounded by people with abilities. And while I of course had my favourite path, I enjoyed both extraordinarily. The entire plot concept is so clever, because I definitely went into reading this wondering if I'm just going to read two versions of this girl's life, she'll figure out which one is ultimately better (sure, there'd be heartache, but it'd be worth it in the with her upstanding and humane decision), and then we move along. But it is SO SO much more, and I loved that moment where it clicked that these two futures are irrevocably tied together. Especially when one starts to influence how you see the other; Kasie's writing is fabulous and works so well making you heart leap between the two Futures.

How could I possibly do this without chatting about the boys?! Duke, the asshole douche with a heart that you can't help but love; and Trevor, the quiet cowboy with a solid stance and secret behind his eyes. It was never a question which one I prefer (I don't really do cowboys but there is absolutely ZERO way to resist Trevor), but I have to say I was surprised how much I liked Duke, too. He's so typical and charming and you want to hate him, but he's perfectly the character you can't help but laugh at. We all have those boys in real life, and Kasie does him wonderfully to make him real, too. There was a brief, flickering moment where I thought "Oh no, do I like Duke more?!"....but then I read the Norm future with Trevor and was like "Nope. Not a question. Nope nope nope." I usually scoff at readers who "claim" characters and say this boy is hers or that boy is hers for keeps - but omg, I CLAIM TREVOR.

Wow. That got ugly.

Pivot Point is a fantastically tense novel, with tons of characters to love, situations to agonize over, and decisions to make. You will feel every bit of anxiety and pressure Addison does, just as you will come to understand how impossible the decision is to make. You will love it, I assure you.

4.5 Stars / 5

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. Eldenberry (imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens), 528 Pages
US Release Date: December 6, 2011
Challenges: Local Library Challenge

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
---------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I feel myself diminished, parts of me spiraling away into the darkness, that which is good and honest and true-- If you hold it away from yourself long enough, do you lose it entirely? If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?

*Because this is Book TWO of a series, there may be spoilers from Book ONE. You've been warned!*

If you would like to read my review of Book 1, Clockwork Angel, please click here.

"...Master Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention--but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest..."

I ended Clockwork Angel not knowing who I loved more: Jem or Will. And now, after Book 2, I can tell you that while my love for both have grown exponentially and past many more depths than I thought they could...I belong to Will. Forever.

"They're not hideous," said Tessa.
Will blinked at her. "What?"
"Gideon and Gabriel," said Tessa. "They're really quite good-looking, not hideous at all."
"I spoke," said Will in sepulchral tones, "of the pitch-black inner depths of their souls."
Tess snorted. "And what color do you suppose the inner depths of your soul are, Will Herondale?"
"Mauve," said Will.

Truthfully, I don't know how to review this book because I enjoyed all of it so much. I feel like Cassandra Clare only gets better with every book of hers I read; and I already think she can do no wrong, so there's few more ways I can express how much I love her books! I was wary going into CP because so many people had told me it was better than Clockwork Angel and that the book broke their heart. I mean, that's expectation and anticipation! How was I to get past that?

But I did. And this one is SO much better. And I am heartbroken. Heartbroken. For Will, because of so many sad reasons, and for Jem, because I feel like he's going to get hurt in the end (aside from his imminent death, of course), and for Jessamine, because she just wanted a normal life, and for Tessa even, because we still don't really know what she is and how she came to be. Even though I wanted to punch Nathaniel at the end of CA, I'm still sad for what happens with him.

I'm a bit stunned to realize that I don't care for Tessa much. I'm trying to figure out if I don't like her, or if she simply pales next to such stunning other characters. I feel like all the others have such a unique set of details and personality -- and Tessa is sorely lacking. She's still got redeemable qualities, and I find her to be a good, strong woman amongst the mess Mortmain has made. She can hold her own, sure; but there were a few passages I just wanted to smack her. Especially when it came to the parts with Jem, because I simply don't believe she has the feelings for him she thinks she does.

Aside from Tessa, everything else was fantastic. I loved the plot line of this book, it was exciting and filled with the action and adventure we come to expect from a Shadowhunter world. I loved the addition of Gideon and Gabriel into the story, and was extremely happy to see Sophie take a bigger role: I love her. I think she's strong and loyal and does right by who she is and is supposed to be. I've never wanted to hug Charlotte and Henry more, especially that one scene...well, I'm sure those who have read it know which one.

I do think this suffers from what I call "Book Two Syndrome" - that unfortunate time in a trilogy/series where a book is simply a bridge, a means to get to an end. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, I always feel like Book Two Syndrome books are a bit...boring? Not quite the right word, but while I'm reading, I can't shake a sense of biding time until something massive hits. A lot of information to prepare for the next book, and not an equal match of action.

Regardless though, I still loved this book. I craved the information it did provide, and I think it was all presented well and necessary. I loved the character development and how much of Will we get to finally see, and I'm more eager than ever to find out what the hell evil Mortmain is up to. Such a tangled web! Clockwork Prince does nothing but spin more to the mess Tessa finds herself in, and it's fantastic. Filled with intrigue and passion and romance, I can't believe now I'm in on the wait for Clockwork Princess. Dear World: Can you make March 2013 come faster? Please?!

PS. Who's the anonymous commenter on my Clockwork Angel review that wrote 'demon pox is real'? Because at the time I got that comment, I had no idea wtf it meant! I'd half considered marking it as Spam. BUT I GET IT NOW AND AHAHAH YOU'RE FUNNY! (seriously.)

PPS. Did we all see the cover reveal last week of the cover for Clockwork Princess? Because ohmahgah IT'S GORGEOUS. I think it's a Herondale on the cover, for some reason. What say you?

5 Stars / 5

Review: Fated by Alyson Noel (ARC)

Fated (Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel
St. Martin's Press, 306 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 22, 2012

Format: ARC

Source: Publisher (thank you St. Martins!)

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.
--------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

This place is too big. Too immense. Too vast. Appearing almost cosmic in the way it seems to meander for eternity.

Even though I'd decided to give it a chance, I've no doubt in my mind this place will dwarf me.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've only read one other Alyson Noel book (Evermore) years ago and I didn't like it. And I don't often read paranormal (I like them! Just haven't read many, for some reason), so it's not like I have a plethora of other books to compare this to or know a lot about the genre.

Straight up, I did not like this book. I struggled hard with reading it, and I almost pulled a DNF three times. While I do think Alyson Noel's writing has far improved from the last one I read -- I thought her writing was whiny and juvenile when I first read her -- I think the characters were the ultimate downfall. Daire, the main character, is a bratty, ungrateful child; and I wanted to reach through the pages and slap her too many times to count. She was weak, constantly whining, constantly resistant, constantly throwing herself a pity party. Her little moments of growth felt too sudden, too forced; and then she'd turn right around and go back to being a child. It's really tough to overcome when you don't care for the main character, what happens to her, or if she succeeds. The contrasts between Cade and Dace (hot twins!) were too contrasting, where I found it irritable and obvious the roles they would play. Dace was also too much that stereotypical tall, dark and handsome love interest with a quiet, understanding strength and eyes that bore into the center of your soul. And while I liked her grandmother (Paloma), I found her to be cheesy and one-dimensional. Chey, a "helper" of sorts to Daire and Paloma, was my favourite, but used far too little for him to make up for any of the other characters.

I found the plot contrived and trying too hard to be complex. Maybe it would be better to read in quick succession with the rest of the series, maybe it's meant to be a much bigger story arc than I'm seeing -- but I don't know that for sure, so I can't measure it that way.  There are too many unanswered questions; while I think that was done to maintain interest and make the reader continue on to find out what exactly it all means, I simply don't care enough to wait and find out. Too little was given to make a lot of sense, and too many things bothered me to make finding out the answers a priority.

The "love" story was also disappointing. It had all the elements that I can't stand about insta-love, without actually being instantaneous love. It was immediate pull, immediate attraction, immediate and unquestioning meaning to each other. I felt like I was just supposed to believe in their relationship. Maybe that's fine with other readers, but I prefer to feel invested in it, to understand the characters and why they are together.

I enjoyed the lore of the book, and while a lot of the backstory and meanings are fairly typical (are they based on actual beliefs? Anyone know?), I still enjoyed how those elements came together and created the worlds and dimensions that Daire must learn to travel between. I had zero attachment to any of the characters or plot lines in the book, but I really liked the settings and backgrounds of it.

So here's the truth of it: I didn't like this book, but I could see how a lot, maybe even most, would. If you like that hot-brothers-good-twin-evil-twin thing, you'll like this. If you like paranormal dimensions, you'll like this. There is a pretty solid mix of Daire being just a normal, new girl teenager at a school balanced with her Seeker role, which was nice. Maybe the reader just needs to have more patience than I do, willing to see a series through its completion before judging. It took everything I had to get 230 pages through the book, but the last 70 or so were fine. If you enjoy folklore and tradition and the conflict of two ancient powers, you'll probably like this book.

I just didn't.

2 Stars / 5

My loss is your gain though, because I'm giving away my ARC copy! Look for the rafflecopter to be up in a couple hours :) I'm shipping from my house, so it has to be US only - however, if you are international and don't mind paying for shipping, then you are more than welcome to enter.

Review: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (ARC)

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR, 384 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 8, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: DAC ARC Tours (thank you!)
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge

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.
-----------------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

This whole city is dangerous. The whole world is dangerous. You know what's really dangerous? Standing next to you, Mia, but I've done that my whole life, haven't I? I've always stood by you...even when a storm was coming.

Struck is unlike any other book I've ever read - which doesn't mean too much since I've read like 1% of all books ever, but still! It's action-packed, adventurous and tense all at once. It seemed quite clear to me that the author is also a screenwriter, as I felt the pacing of the novel was done really well. Normally that isn't something I pay attention to, but I felt like it was a very smooth ride through a sticky, potentially complex mix of people and groups.

Focusing on Mia Price, a girl who has a past of being struck my lightning and seems to feed off it, Struck tells the tale of 3 days. But not just any 3 days: it's been a little over a month since a devastating earthquake in Los Angeles that's destroyed and displaced most of the residents, and a Prophet has been speaking that another, even more destructive storm will come in 3 days.  It's almost a pre-Apocolyptic novel, except it's like...Apocolypse-is-coming-tomorrow-get-your-shit-together.

Obviously, knowing the storm is coming in 3 days creates incredibly tense situations, and my fear was right up there with Mia. I wanted her to protect her family, I wanted her to figure out what her role was in the entire story, everything was done with bated breathe. Jennifer Bosworth plays the reader well, bringing you high and low and increasing tension and quelling it just so.

I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but I had no idea just how much this book is about Cults. I've a weird relationship with Cults, in that I just don't know how I feel about them. They're cast in such a bad light, but then it's such a subjective thing about what's a cult and what isn't...I mean, I was at the library once and this woman would not stop calling Mormonism a Cult. And while I don't agree with that, she's not the first I know to believe it is. So when this book started showing the Prophet's Followers as believing they spoke the Word of God, and then the opposition of the Seekers who believed in the Spark...it kind of made me squirm. Just because I felt like it could be at touch political and religious, two topics that are incredibly difficult to tread.

That said, Jennifer Bosworth handled them pretty well. The concept of them and how they related and needed Mia in this inevitable End of the World was creative, and I really loved how it was obviously a Good vs. Evil battle -- but you couldn't be sure which side was what. I actually felt pretty conflicted as to who to believe; enough where I was kept guessing to the end.

One of the problems I had though was the general tone...there were a few times where I thought Mia's dry humor or sarcasm was ill-placed, as well as a few times where I thought the writing and thoughts were a bit cheesy and could use a good comic relief sentence. Don't get me wrong, most of the time I liked the little bits of humor - they were an unexpected laugh -- but sometimes it just felt inappropriate. It also seemed a few ideas or thoughts could be inferred, but the author decided to spell it out. Maybe there was a reason for it, maybe I'm just being nit-picky...but there were definitely times I got distracted and enough for me to notice.

I'm also unsure how I felt about the romance aspect. I don't want to spoil it for anybody, so I won't get into the details. I'll admit that it killed me the first times because the boy's name + description is an EXACT replica to the last boy I had a small heartbreak over, so it's still a bit of a tender issue. I honestly had to start switching the name in my head because it was bringing up a lot of feelings I thought were buried; which made me wonder if that was influencing how I felt about the romance. It felt like a story I'd read before, and truthfully, I never questioned how it would end up. Even when the plot seemed to change or felt like it made the relationship uncertain, I always knew how it would end. That part was predictable.

Despite a disappointing romance and distracting lines, Struck is a BOOMING, phenomenal debut novel, filled with CRACKLING tension and STRIKING action that deserves THUNDEROUS applause. (Ya like that? I had to do it.)  I hope you pick it up, because you'll get swept away, too.

PS. Is Struck a series? Or a stand alone? It could stand alone, but I definitely think there's room (and the set up) for a second one...I'd be interested to find out the futures of the characters!

4 Stars / 5

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster, 476 Pages
US Released: August 31, 2010

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.
--------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"You mean that I shouldn't wring my heart out over some boy who will never care for me--"

"No!" Sophie said. "There are worse things than that. It's all right to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it."

This is actually a re-read for me, because when I finally got Clockwork Prince in at the library and read the book jacket, I realized...I had no idea wtf was going on.  And that's probably a bad way to head into Book 2, right?  Therefore, I re-read Clockwork Angel.

I'm really, really glad I did, you guys. I'd read it the week it originally came out and hadn't thought about it since, so I was definitely rusty on what was going on. As I read, things came back to me of course; but I think I finally fully understand everything going on and better tracked who did what to who and why.

It is my firm belief that Cassie Clare can do no wrong. I've read all her books (except CP, obviously) and not a single one has ever disappointed me. True to form, this was filled with adventure and intrigue and heart-stopping action and that blood-curdling, breath-catching romance we yearn for. She is a master in incorporating romance flawlessly into paranormal - I mean, how is it possible she makes you fall in love with the mysterious Will while he is literally in the middle of fighting the Dark Sisters?!  Master, I tell you.

It's hard for me to say if someone could read this without reading The Mortal Instrument series before. Obviously you could, as it is its own stand-alone series -- but I think having that prior knowledge of the Shadowhunters and the En/Clave and Downworlders really helped with it. Since I had real Mortal Instruments before, I didn't notice if Cassie Clare did enough explaining in Clockwork Angel to fully develop the world for a new reader.  I'm fairly certain she did because I was ensconced in the world again, but I cannot say for sure.

Speaking of becoming ensconced into a world, anyone else just want to punch Nathaniel? I mean, seriously. Next in line would probably be Jessamine - Shadowhunter and freakishly scary parasol aside, she needs to step up.

You know, usually I can say who I want the main character to be with when it's a triangle situation. Even if I like both the men, I can almost always tell which one I'm really rooting for. But this one? I'm truly on the fence! We all want a bit of a Will in our lives, that mysterious dark-haired boy with secrets in his soul and the eyes that melt us and feel like they're seeing beyond the facades we put out there.  It's human nature (inexplicably, unfortunately) to want the Bad Boy.  But Jem was more of a creeping love for me: solid, and true, and so pure and steadfast. I definitely wanted Will in the beginning, but the last 200 or so pages...Jem became a serious contender. And now I have no idea which direction I want Tessa to go in.

As I sit here and debate about this though, it's just one more supporting reason why this book is fabulous: I'm debating the romantic fates of fictional characters! Cassie Clare creates this world that is so real and characters that are so fun and developed and interesting that I'm treating them like they're people I could call up tomorrow morning to hang out with in the Park (I so wish I could...).  I love the bits of humor, it's just one more delight to a plethora of them.

I cannot wait until I start Clockwork Prince! (But I reaaallly don't want to wait for Clockwork Princess!)

4.5 Stars / 5