Monday, January 6, 2014

Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher

WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME
Author: Erin Fletcher
Publication Date: 01/07/2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
 
When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods (vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn't happen) are more traditional, but who is she to judge?

Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley's trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate's recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn't sure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.
 
Picture and Summary From Goodreads
 
 
 
**I received this as an eARC throught Netgalley from the publisher.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I did not receive compensation in any way for this review.**
 
 
 
REVIEW
 
I feel like most of the good books I have read recently have been full of deep feels and have been mostly contemporary stories. This book was no different, it gave me sooo many feels!  There were moments of sadness but the happiness outshines them! 

I loved Hanley.  I loved how sarcastic she was, a lot of her witty retorts had me snickering, even if it was a self defense mechanism for her. I felt for her and wished she could come to terms with her grief and that her parents would realize what they were doing to her. Then she finds Nate, or is it he that finds her, either way I love him.  I loved them together!  Nate became Hanley's leaning post, the person she could trust with her sadness.  While I kept hoping for her to find the strength in herself to overcome things I was really glad she had him.  But Nate has his own secret and unfortunately Nate wasn't ready to share his secrets. I felt for Hanley because of it, I mean she opened up and made herself vulnerable but Nate won't do the same in return.  Of course when he does it's a bombshell!
 
There were also some rock solid supporting characters, I kind of wish we had more time to see their interactions, they were just the type of friends Hanley needed and I'm left wishing we could have seen them grow and develop more, it read like they each have their own story to tell.

The pacing was excellent and when I wasn't swooning I was dying of suspense over what Nate's secret was and how it would effect his and Hanley's fragile relationship.

Coming off my happy buzz I have to say that the ending left me with a few questions and you could say I'm now secretly hoping for a follow up book so those questions are answered.

In short: Where You'll Find Me is a quick, cute but at times serious read that I loved and know I will read again. I highly recommend!
 
 

 
 
THE AUTHOR
 
Erin Fletcher
YA writer. WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME coming 1/7/14 from Entangled Teen. Lover of coffee and flip flops. Represented by John M. Cusick of Greenhouse Literary.
 
 

 
 
 
 

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton

WITCH FINDER
Author: Rose Warburton
Publication Date: 01/02/2014
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal
 
London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches.

Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.
 
Summary and Picture from Goodreads
 
 
**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I did not receive compensation in any form for this review.**
 
 
REVIEW
 
I must admit that I let other's reviews of this book sway me into putting this book off until the last moment.  I'm here to tell you that it really wasn't that bad.
 
I really liked the historical aspect of the story and with the magical aspect mixed into it the book became an interesting read.  The story is told from the POVs of Rosa and Luke.  If you know me at all you know that I do not like alternating POVs but in Witch Finder it was well done and I didn't have any trouble connecting with both characters.  The story line flowed decently and I never found my mind wandering, in fact the closer it got to the end the faster I read.
 
I do understand some of the issues others had with the book, like the insta love thing.  Though I really feel that some of that is due to the historical setting.  Back then people's stations in society prevented them from really getting to know anyone who was better off or worse off than themselves.  I really feel that the whole "love" situation is purely driven from the fact that Luke sees Rosa in a hopeless, desperate situation and wants to save her from that.  Rosa in turn suffers from "Knight in Shining Armor" syndrome due to Luke's need to help her.  Of course this contradicts the whole point of his being but who didn't see that coming?  I am interested if their love could last in the long run or if they would wake up one day and say "What did I like about you again?"
 
The main issue I had was with Rosa.  I mean, come on! You're this awesome witch!! Quit letting your mother and brother and Sebastion walk all over you!  Grow a backbone and stand up for yourself, you don't need Luke!!
 
Overall I AM glad I read Witch Finder and though it was a longer book (over 300 pages), that I feared would take forever to get through, I ended up finishing it in less than 24 hours.  It turned into an exciting read that I couldn't put down until I knew what would happen to the characters.
 
 

 
 
 
THE AUTHOR
 
Ruth Warburton
 
What can I tell you about myself... well, I love coffee, hate tea.

I prefer cheese to chocolate (but would eat either, if you're offering).

I grew up on a reading diet of my mum's classics (Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice) my dad's sci-fi/fantasy (A Wizard of Earthsea, Dune) and the Jilly Cooper novels passed around school at break time. I always wanted to be a writer but I never thought it would happen.

I was born and raised in Sussex on the south coast of England, and I went to school in Lewes and Brighton, but I now live in London, and A Witch in Winter was my first book.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Impostor by Susanne Winnacker

IMPOSTOR
VARIANTS #1
Author: Susanne Winnacker
Publication Date: 05/28/2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller
 
Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late?

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.
 
Picture and Summary from Goodreads
 
**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here.  I did not get reimbursed in any way for writing this review.**

 
REVIEW
 
We have another winner folks!  I could not stop reading this book I just had to keep going till I knew what would happen!  I also love how the cover totally reflects the book! Win!

Tessa is the MC, she is a variant which is someone who has some sort of evolved power, her ability is to turn into anyone she wants.  Her body captures DNA from the people she touches and holds onto it until she needs it.  She lives in the FEA compound where she has been working and training for the past two years to become a super spy.  The book revolves around her going on her first real mission in which she becomes Madison (who has been murdered) to hunt down a possible variant serial killer.

This book captured me from page one.  I instantly forged a connection with Tessa whose own parents didn't want her after finding out about her variance.  She fills that hole with Alec and Holly along with a handful of other characters who make up her circle of friends. Tessa's BFF Holly makes for a great partner in crime but I was disappointed that she didn't have a bigger part in the book but it's understandable since Tessa doesn't spend much time at the compound.  Hopefully in the next one we can see more interactions between Tessa and her FEA friends.  The people Tessa meets while she is impersonating Madison make her wish she were just a normal girl, you can feel her longing for a family to love her and I found myself wishing she could be Madison forever.

Alec is her best guy friend but it's obvious right away that she has more than just friendly feelings for him.  Their relationship is dripping with sexual tension which is only made worse by the fact that for some reason their relationship seems like it is forbidden.  There is some secret there that I still haven't figured out.  Now I am all Team Alec but Devon (Madison's Twin Brother) could quickly become more than just a runner up if Alec doesn't change his tune.

By the final chapters I had no idea who the killer was going to be and how we found out was an intense situation.  The final wrap up of the book was well done, while it didn't leave me recovering from a cliff hanger, it gave me just enough info to be able to highly anticipate the next book!  Seriously! When does the next one come out?!

Bottom Line:  Impostor is a thrill ride filled with excitement, suspense, and emotional tension.  It keeps you guessing until the end and leaves you wanting more!
 
 
 
 
 
THE AUTHOR
 
Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog and three bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals.

When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

Her YA thriller IMPOSTOR will be published on May 28, 2013. It has been optioned for TV by Warner Brothers!
 
 


 
 

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Faking Normal

"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:
 
 
Faking Normal
Author: Courtney C. Stevens
Expected Publication Date: 02/25/2014
Publisher: HarperCollin's Childrens Books
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
 
 
An edgy, realistic, and utterly captivating novel from an exciting new voice in teen fiction.

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.
 
A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.
 
Picture and Summary from Goodreads
 
MARK IT TBR
 
~ Goodreads ~
 
 
I'm really getting into a Contemporary groove lately..that and science fiction, go figure.  What are you waiting on this week?

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...