Waiting On Wednesday: The Jewel

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It features books we are eagerly anticipating getting our hands on. My Pick This Week:   The Jewel Author: Amy Ewing Publication Date: 09/02/2014 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Dystopian, Romance  

  The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty––because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence . . . and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.   MARK IT TBR   ~ Goodreads ~   Ummm, so this sounds awesome.  Never have I read anything with surrogacy in it, let alone people being purchased as surrogates, so that should be interesting to read about.  Also, an illicit romance? Yes Please!   What are you waiting on this week?

The Deep End Of The Sea by Heather Lyons

THE DEEP END OF THE SEA Author: Heather Lyons Publication Date: 02/05/2014 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Mythology, Romance  

What if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong?

Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard. As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you have to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again

  Picture and Summary From Goodreads     REVIEW  

So I totally have a thing for Greek mythology but I really know nothing about it so any chance I get to read a book on it I snatch it up.

The Deep End of the Sea is told from the POV of Medusa. I know enough about the story of Medusa to know that this version of her story was a different take on it and I loved it. I loved the idea of her not really being the monster everyone claimed her to be. I especially loved her friendship/relationship with Hermes, he definitely became Medusa's knight in shining armor (as much as I love a girl who can kick ass I also love when a handsome man swoops in to save the day). The main group of characters that Medusa interacts with are fantastic and I really felt their love for each other. It's the type of family group you want to be a part of.

Throughout the book I had constant feels ranging from sympathy to anger to giddyness. And when I put the book down it was with a contented goofy grin. It was excellently paced but there were a few grammar issues and for some reason my Nook edition had underlined text throughout the entire book but it wasn't bad enough to turn me off of it. All in all I highly recommend it!

 

 

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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

CINDER THE LUNAR CHRONICLES #1 Author: Marissa Meyer Publication Date: 01/03/2012 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopia  

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

  Picture and Summary from Goodreads       REVIEW  

A lot of people are going to hate me for this but remember it is just my opinion, just because something didn't work for me doesn't mean it isn't good.

 

I feel like I missed something. The reviews for this book were sooo good that I knew I would just love it. Having now finished it I'm left wondering what the big deal was.  I was expecting some kind of wow factor but it really is just a cinderella story with a cyborg twist.  Maybe I'm not into the cyborg part of it and that's why I wasn't blown away?  I think it also had to do with my being detached from the characters. I hate bouncing around between different POVs, maybe I have character ADD.  The story itself was good and had obviously a unique twist to it and I really did like Cinders character, but overall the story just fell flat for me.

 

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Storm Warning by E. Lee & C. Quinn

STORM WARNING BROKEN HEARTLAND #1 Author: E.Lee & C. Quinn Publication Date: 12/12/2013 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Contemporary

 

Sometimes you can’t see the storm coming until it’s too late...

Severe Storm Warning Tip #1:
Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.

Severe Storm Warning Tip #2:
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

Severe Storm Warning Tip #3:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.

Situated just outside of Oklahoma City, Calumet County is divided into two drastically different communities: Hope’s Grove and Summit Bluffs. One is the small backward town where dirt roads lead the way to field parties and railroad tracks. And the other, a sprawling suburb where paved drives lead to the landscaped lawns of the wealthy and over privileged.

For five teenagers smack in the middle of Tornado Alley, summer is heating up fast. The winds of change are blurring the invisible line that divides the rich and the rural.

One has a secret.
One has a crush.
One has been lying.
One will get caught.
And one might not make it out alive.

They’re from two different worlds…but one summer is about to change everything.

    Picture and Summary from Goodreads     REVIEW  

Ok so this book was the type of book where it has rave reviews and you think "This is going to be awesome!" Then you start reading it and you're thinking "It's good but I don't get why people are obsessed with it." Then you get to the last few chapters and are like "Hot damn I can't handle the suspense" but when you get to the last chapter you're all "Holy hell of cliffhangers" but wait the author gives you an epilogue, so of course you read it in hopes of answers but end up thinking "WTF, THAT was NOT an epilogue, it did NOTHING to reassure my feels" You walk away from the book feeling like it's a 4 when in reality the majority of the book ranked a 3 but the ending blew your mind and your hooked and will HAVE to read the next book to know what happens.

The writing was well done and the characters were decently developed. The story is told from each person's view points and I found that my favorite characters were EJ, Hayden, and Coop. I'm torn between whose team I want to be on. I really love Coop because he's the type of guy I find yummy but Hayden has some redeeming points too. But back on point, since I preferred certain people I found myself skimming through Kyle and Cami's story, it seemed like most of the exciting stuff was happening with EJ so that could be why she's my favorite.

It's mostly your run of the mill contemporary YA romance but the ending really took my breath away. It was a quick read (I read it at work and had it finished by the end of my 8 hour day)and a fun one.

 

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