ARC Review: Ask Again Later

by Liz Czukas
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2014
336 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release March 4

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I love that there's a tiara on the cover-the summary already made this book seem like a Stephanie one with its main character Heart flipping a coin to decide who should be her prom date but the tiara is really icing on the cake. Her original plans were to go with a big group of friends for a no drama prom. However two last minute invites have her reconsidering this. She's a bit of a people pleaser so she wants to keep everyone in her life happy. Since consulting a Magic Eight Ball is unsuccessful, she turns to flipping a coin. If the coin lands heads, she will go with her jock brother's recently dumped teammate Troy. If the coin lands tails, she will go with fellow theater geek Phil. As Heart ponders her options, she also struggles with her friend Schroeder's pushes to stay with her original crew that leads Heart to question her long-standing policy of no-dating.

One of my favorite trends in YA is playing around with ideas of fate and what will happen if you take different paths at crucial moments (see Pivot Point and Just Like Fate for other books that have their own take on this concept.) It's always interesting to see how these choices impact the eventual outcome. For Heart, she has an incredibly eventful prom no matter which option is chosen (way more happens than happened at my prom for example!) It makes for an exciting easy to read book, perfect for lovers of contemporary.

Something I enjoyed seeing was how similar her experiences ended up being even though she was in the company of different people. For example, her beautiful dress gets destroyed in both scenarios but for different reasons and with slightly different solutions. It was all these little things that pleased me and I liked seeing Czukas' attention to every little detail.

Furthermore this book is pretty funny. Heart's prom is eventful as mentioned and hilarious albeit embarrassing. Therefore while it would have sucked for most of these things to happen to you in real life, it's pretty easy to laugh at the outlandishness while reading. Heart herself has a and one of my favorite jokes is between Heart and Schroeder. She hates her name, that was bestowed upon her by her teenager mother before she ran off and he often calls her by other organs such as "Kidney" or "Pancreas." Meanwhile she calls him Schroeder, not because it is his real name, which is actually Chase, but because he is blond and plays piano. Their relationship has some frustrating moments but is fairly predictable.

Overall: If you like YA contemporary that takes place over the course of one crazy night and has attitude to spare, you'll be in for a delight with this book!

ARC Review: Perfect Lies

by Kiersten White
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2014
232 pages
YA Paranormal Sisters
Scheduled to release February 18

Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Last year Mind Games won me over with its focus on a pair of sisters, its fast pace, and unusual structure. It also left me with a ton of questions that were going to require answers in this sequel in order to keep me engaged with the characters and story.

Again the sister-sister relationship is what pulled me in. As I continue to struggle with my limited attention span, it was difficult to straighten out the crazy timeline in this book (though that got simpler as more was revealed) but that connection between Fia and Annie sucks me in every time. In fact I would say that everything I like most about this book is due to that crazy connection. I'm pretty sure I relate so strongly just because I have a sister no matter how different our relationship is. I also feel pretty confident that if this relationship doesn't ring true for you, this book will be a difficult read.

Also you should definitely read Mind Games first and what you did or did not like in that book is pretty much here too. For example, the writing captures the twitchiness (for lack of a better word) of the characters and it feels like it was written in just as much of a whirlwind as Mind Games. It feels darker than White's earlier Paranormalcy trilogy due to the dark nature of the paranormal powers and how they have been directed. Furthermore there are the extremely difficult decisions the girls must face as they grapple with their "fate."

As for me, I wished for more answers to my questions and I'm not sure they were as answered as they could have been. However that killer portrayal of sisters has me hooked! Between that and the twisty timeline jumping narrative, I don't even really need anything else.

Overall: I think you will like this book if you enjoyed the first but best to avoid if not.

ARC Review: Uninvited

by Sophie Jordan
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2014
384 pages
YA Dystopia
Scheduled to release January 28

Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Jordan came on to my radar through her Firelight trilogy, which gave me utterly addictive writing, a fascinating dragon premise, and a swoonworthy boy named Will. So obviously I was going to be interested when I heard she had a new YA series coming soon.

At its heart is a simple premise: a kill gene has been discovered (formally known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)) and a test is being implemented to identify who has it in their genes. A panicked populace encourages the using of this test and soon groups are being culled from the general population as the government struggles to maintain control in cities where outraged "killers" take over.

Davy seems to be the golden girl, destined for a beautiful life of music until she is identified as possessing the kill gene and her life is radically upturned as she is sent to a public school with other "killers." Some certainly seem to fit the profile, threatening to rape and/or kill Davy on first meeting while others seem more nebbish. The first half of the book deals with Davy and her family processing (or refusing to process) this information and adjusting to the new reality. Hints of the larger world indicate that the situation is escalating, which is further reinforced by snippets of interviews, government orders, etc. that are interspersed throughout the chapters.

In the second half Davy, love interest Sean (who has his own intimidation factor) and dweeby Gil are among a select group chosen to attend a government training facility where their presumed predilection for killing will be encouraged provided it falls in line with what the leaders want. This second half ends more with a whimper than a bang, setting us up for plenty of excitement in the second book of this two-book series but not leaving me panting with suspense in the interim.

I seem to really click with Jordan's writing so it is no surprise that I read through this pretty quickly. Her background is in romance so while I wasn't initially on board with Sean as love interest (being a reader who likes nice men and skips over the intimidating bad boy), he won me over as their romance deepened. Davy is a nice enough girl, one raised with a privileged life in the suburbs that has kept her away from the worst criminal element but also one in possession of deep reserves that give her strength when everything she has ever known is ripped away from her. I would have liked to have seen more of her brother Mitchell, the only family member who doesn't recoil upon her diagnosis and who would probably like to be a part of a resistance in the second book.

For a very thoughtful review discussing some of this book's shortcomings, check out Ivy Book Bindings. Keertana brought up some excellent points about world-building that I had completely blipped over through my connection to the writing.

ARC Review: No One Else Can Have You

by Kathleen Hale
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2014
380 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller
Scheduled to release January 7, 2014

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Before reading this book, I had seen a few reviews that mentioned its quirkiness and how that would impact people's enjoyment of the book. Though several of my blogger friends were not able to get through it, I was pleased to realize I did like it and found it to be an intriguing read.

Kippy Bushman's best friend Ruth is found murdered in a most gruesome fashion. Though a culprit is quickly identified, Kippy ends up unconvinced of his guilt and starts investigating uncovering a host of suspects all of whose out there personalities left me confused about who might have done it. As Kippy came closer to unraveling the mystery, I found myself on the edge of my seat hoping it wasn't who I was starting to suspect only to discover in fact that it was.

So let's talk about that quirkiness. It's set in the small town of Friendship, Wisconsin where everyone pretty much knows everyone and greets them by saying their full name; additionally Kippy's father has all sorts of special nicknames for her like "Pickle." I mostly blipped past these but did notice them. Kippy also has a bit of an obsession with Diane Sawyer, which some people found weird but which makes complete sense to me. I'm more of a Brian Williams girl but if Diane aired at 5, I'd totally watch her first. Taxidermy and hunting also get a lot of page time as popular pastimes in the town with a support group for violent people making several humorous appearances especially as the book continues.

I think it helped that I approached this book expecting some level of quirkiness. If I had anticipated a straight read, I might have been upset but because I knew some of what was to come, I was able to prepare myself and hopefully help to prepare you if you decide to pick up this book!

Cover: I love the sweater-like texture of the front while the hanged moose is appropriate if super creepy to me on a personal aesthetic level.

The Brokenhearted

by Amelia Kahaney
3/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
336 pages
YA Urban Fantasy

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

This book has not gotten a lot of love from my blogging friends, which made me nervous to pick it up. But c'mon-it features a young ballet dancer transforming into a superhero working to clean up her city, along the lines of Batman. How could anyone resist???

Well maybe I should have as I found the writing utterly engaging but lacked that necessary connection to the plot. What do I mean about the writing? I don't have a great way of explaining it but apparently HarperTeen puts crack or something equally addicting in their writing talent as this is the imprint I consistently find to be the most compulsively readable even when frustrated with characters, plot, and world-building. This book is no exception with me easily breezing through it in just a few short hours despite neutral to hateful feelings toward the characters.

Most frustrating is our main character Anthem Fleet who starts off as the perfect child of rich parents, aspiring toward a career in ballet and safely ensconced as valedictorian. Until she meets a boy who is then kidnapped. When she is unable to ransom him, she falls apart, both literally and figuratively. The literal falling apart is more related to being shot, which causes her to be saved by having a hummingbird heart implanted that gives her supernatural powers. As she attempts to avenge her boyfriend's death, she also starts to clean up the city giving people hope for about the first time in seventeen years. I found this boyfriend so frustrating. He didn't seem interesting to me and it was appalling to me that Anthem fell so hard and so fast when I disliked him so strongly. Luckily he is not in it that much though it felt like it to me as she went on and on about the guy.

Other potential love interests are Will and Ford. Will is a very popular boy at school who becomes Anthem's ex and then blackmails her into getting back together before she plays him so well. That was actually a moment when I praised Anthem's brain and choices rather than cursing them. Ford is a poor boy who strengthens Anthem's physical talents by training her in boxing and other skills (he's kind of her mentor) that will prepare her for her burgeoning role as vigilante.

Speaking of which, I tend to feel very uncomfortable with vigilante stories. Who are they to decide to implement their brand of justice? However because this seemed to be a futuristic alternative take on history, I felt less stirred. I guess I don't mind it so much when it's not my society. Also logic/realism doesn't seem to be a huge priority so I was willing to give it a pass here.

Overall: A fast easy read if you don't want to think too much and you just can't resist the concept.

Lingering (SPOILER?) question, though I am not confident I will be returning to the series:
So Regina was definitely involved with The Hope right? I mean the initials "RF+TH" certainly gave me pause plus it's been seventeen years since The Hope was around, which coincidentally is how long Regina has been dead. Perhaps Regina actually even is The Hope and her boyfriend just got all the press. If you've read, please weigh in!

Other Opinions:
Bookistry
Books Live Forever
Love Is Not a Triangle
The Flyleaf Review

Find Me

Find Me by Romily Bernard
3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
307 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't originally on my radar until I saw some reviews that left me intrigued. I *hate* the main character's name (Wicket, abbreviated to Wick) but I love her hacking prowess and the fact that she is motivated to find a killer by love of her younger sister. I'm always down for a protective older sister (see also Everdeen, Katniss) so I requested this one.

Wick knows she doesn't fit in. How could she with a mother who committed suicide and a father on the run from police charges? Where could she belong? But she does learn she's important when the journal of her former now deceased best friend shows up on her foster family's doorstep with a note saying, "Find me." Her skills as a hacker may make her uniquely qualified to discover the identity of her killer. Though initially Wick resists, the discovery that the man who tormented the best friend in her final months is eying Wick's younger sister Lily motivates her. Can Wick discover the killer and protect her sister?

Honestly I still can't get over the name. I mean, isn't wicket a term used in both cricket and croquet? It's not a name! And then it becomes Wick, which is part of a candle! Her sister's name is Lily (Harry Potter flashback), which is a lovely name and the other characters have names I recognize but Wick is just horrid to me.

Wick as a name is horrid to me, I mean. The person is difficult at times but also quite captivating. I say she's difficult for a few reasons. One is her attempts to investigate this killer, which seemed to veer off-course sometimes. Most notably is via her romance with fellow computer geek Griff. I was not upset that she didn't immediately jump into a romance with him no matter how much he made her weak in the knees; it was perfectly understandable to me that she would be hesitant and not trust his words as hardly anyone has shown her even a scrap of kindness. But at one point, he announces that he can get the IP address and her excitement about this is derailed into flirtation and other stuff before they go back. It made me question her commitment to solving this case.

I was very impressed with myself because I pinpointed the killer almost right away with Wick also thinking it might be him early on before following other potential leads. Then we find out for sure who it is and things get intense. Even though I was anticipating a confrontation with this person, I was not sure exactly how it would play out. Those final pages are filled with tension and were more unpredictable than  As for her other investigations, it was a little choppy. She is still involved with her on the lam father's con operations due to various threats and this sometimes interferes with her other sleuthing but we didn't get much insight in to that area. I also mentioned her lack of logical investigation into the case itself; yes, it was her first of this kind but she's conducted others before and thus I would have assumed she had more skills for laying out a plan than are demonstrated here.

Overall: A predictable mystery that is lifted by compelling personalities and a final confrontation filled with suspense, leading us into a possible sequel that I would certainly be interested in reading.

Other Opinions:
Curling Up With a Good Book
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Rather Be Reading
Realm of Fiction

The Distance Between Us

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
312 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Library

After adoring Pivot Point, I was thrilled to discover that not only did West have another book coming out, but that it was going to be in my favorite genre: contemporary. How could I resist?

Caymen has grown up always knowing that she is separate from the rich people in her town. She lives with her single mother above their doll shop and she sees the financial struggles they endure. So when Xander Spence walks in and beckons her, she's ready to give him his grandmother's doll and get him out of there. But somehow he gets under her skin

Almost immediately I found myself caught up in West's addictive writing. I don't know what her secret is but I just click with it. Then, sadly, life got in the way and I had to put the book aside for a full day (see work, Taylor Swift concert, etc.) When I picked it back up, I found myself less enthused but I don't think it was necessarily the distance between us (haha) so much as some of the plot points that were increasingly emphasized.

Or rather one particular plot point, being Caymen's insecurity over how rich Xander is. This keeps hitting the reader over the head as the book progresses and I don't feel like it was dealt in a real and meaningful way. It was just the same observation repeated ad nauseam and Caymen unable to handle their socioeconomic difference. Another storyline that bothered me was involving Caymen's mother-a lot of information about her is thrown at us toward the end and I disliked how nothing was resolved. It is merely introduced-this is actually a case where I would have liked the book to be longer to more fully explore these issues.

So while those two elements bothered me and kept me from rating this higher, there were still a lot of things I liked. For one, Caymen is hilarious, maybe a bit rough around the edges with her sharp words but I clicked with her. For another, Xander reminded me very strongly of Dexter from Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby; this is not a compliment I give lightly but his sweet adoration of Caymen even when he found her bewildering struck a chord with me. One of my book weaknesses is reading about rich people so I also loved the peek into Xander's privilege like his own recording studio and jet.  While Caymen and Xander are definitely the main characters, it was also fun to meet her best friend Skye, her boyfriend Henry, another possible love interest for Mason (don't worry, it's not a love triangle) and Xander's grandmother were some of the other standout characters. Also as I mentioned above, the writing was just my taste.

Overall: Though I didn't think the ending really resolved anything, I am still very happy I read this book and it was just what I need to perk myself up! Trying to squeeze in one last contemporary before the end of summer? Make it this one :)

Cover: Love the cover-her dress is super covet worthy and I can't even see all of it!

Other Opinions: I almost feel like I didn't need to write this review because my blogging friends have already been so prolific about it. Sometimes I struggle just to find three other opinions but here I went with seven because there were just so many good ones!
A Reader of Fictions
I Want to Read That
Into the Hall of Books
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Katie's Book Blog
Rather Be Reading
The Flyleaf Review

ARC Review: The Chaos of Stars

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
288 pages
YA Paranormal
Scheduled to release September 10

Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Having read every other title from White, of course I was going to read her latest. For some reason I keep wanting the title to be The Chaos of THE Stars-has anyone else made this slip?

Isadora is literally the daughter of gods-Egyptian gods that is; Isis and Osiris to be specific. As just another in a long line of children, she finds herself fed up with these gods and grasps at the chance for a "normal" life in America with other mortals like the gorgeous writer Ry. But no matter how far she goes, she can't escape family.

This book was a very mixed bag for me with some elements I really enjoyed and some that I felt were not utilized very well. We'll start with the positive, which was the take on Egyptian mythology. I have not read many books centered on Egypt at all so it was cool to get a brief introduction to some of the gods and goddesses. I by no means consider this a definitive interpretation but I appreciated it. Each chapter opens with a little snippet of Egyptian mythology focused on these gods, which felt very informative. Another bonus is that this seems to be a standalone though there is room to explore the world more especially through the character Ry.

As White shares in her author's note at the end, she wanted to look at what it is like when you realize your parents aren't perfect, which is well-represented in Isadora's angst throughout the book. Her story also follows her coming to terms with her own mortality. Though her parents are gods who will endure forever, she and her siblings must face death and Isadora initially finds that incredibly unfair and it plays a huge role in her resentment toward them especially toward her mother.

As usual, I found White's writing very chatty, casual, and easy to read. However while I enjoyed reading this, I also felt that for rather a long stretch of time, nothing much seems to be happening. Yes, Isadora is meeting some new people (including a boy) and learning more about herself but I felt like all the action was packed into just a few chapters at the end instead of well-paced throughout.

Well, and just in general, I don't find myself very enthusiastic about it. Did I adore the California setting? Very much. Did I think there was a neat premise? Yes. Did anything really stick out as something I hated? No. But was there anything that will keep this book firmly in my heart and memory? I don't think so. Still a nice lightweight book when you just need something fun!

Cover: Gorgeous! White has been very fortunate with covers and the stars are very appropriate!

Other Opinions:
My Friends Are Fiction
Punk's House of Books

Goddess

Goddess by Josephine Angelini
3/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
421 pages
YA Paranormal Mythology

Source: Library

Though first book Starcrossed wasn't exactly a favorite, I was intrigued enough to pick up second book Dreamless where the dreamy Orion was introduced, his charisma far outshining the dull angry Lucas in my opinion though I sensed that Helen was too stupid to realize it. Thus I entered this third book with some trepidation because I could read the writing on the wall and didn't foresee the happiest of endings for my beloved Orion.

Though I try to remain spoiler-free but I'm not sure how successful I was. I talk around a lot of plot points but if you don't want any spoilers, you should probably steer clear.

I know Helen is technically the main character but I continually found her dull so we're going to start with Orion. More of his history is revealed and, man, is it tragic. If you think of Greek stories as containing tragedy, then he is a prime example. Yet he still retains a good heart and optimistic spirit despite how low life has brought him. To my mind, there was not nearly enough of him and that is probably a big reason for my disappointment with this conclusion.

But there were others, don't think I didn't have other reasons! Another reason was how long I struggled to get interested. From the moment I picked the book up, I felt disengaged. For all the stuff that should be going on, this book was quite boring. Around the middle there are some duels that perked me up but mostly I struggled with the new influx of information. For example, we get a lot more background on how our current heroes have the same faces as previous generations and I found that super confusing. Another annoyance was the flashbacks Helen experiences from previous incarnations that had the Face-gah did that bore me.  Also there are the changing alliances of all the characters, which was a little hard to track.

And even beyond Helen's poor taste in men, I still never really connected with her. By the end of the book, she has so many fantastical powers that any relationship I might have had with her was long erased by her departure from pretended mortality. The romance I don't like continues to be starcrossed and there is a lot of whining about that before the inevitable conclusion.

Overall: A very disappointing conclusion; I could have tolerated the shortchanging of my beloved Orion if I had found the writing as engaging as in the previous books but even that was missing in this go-around. Still if you've read the first two, you'll probably want to finish just to be able to say that you did.

Other Opinions:
Candace's Book Blog
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Supernatural Snark
Synchronized Reading
The Reader Bee

Elegy

Elegy by Tara Hudson
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
386 pages
YA Paranormal Ghost

Source: Library

First book Hereafter absolutely enchanted me with its ghost girl/human boy romance. Sequel Arise was less enthralling as I felt like it took a while to heat up in New Orleans. Luckily this conclusion returns to Oklahoma, bringing together all the plot threads and resolving them for a satisfying conclusion.

I'm not going to go too in-depth about the plot to avoid spoilers but I really liked how Amelia and Joshua confronted the impracticalities and challenges of their romance. It did go on a bit much for my taste but it is the dominating fact of their relationship so it's understandable. Their romance is what kept me coming back to these books. I love Amelia's compassion and self-sacrificial personality and Joshua's relative normality considering his love for a ghost and his magical powers.

Other characters continue to play a role like Joshua's sister Jillian and their terrifying Gran while new ones are also added or have their roles expanded to provide more background around the evil that is coalescing. Joshua's parents seem rather oblivious though, which I think is a shame. I think if they'd had power they could have provided support and been an example of great YA parents instead of ones who are physically around but have no clue what their kids get up to when out of sight.

As for setting, I liked that we were back at home base in Oklahoma focusing in on High Bridge where Amelia first died and which has been a focus of dark activity for years. Finally all of the powerful good characters are coming together to take it down and end their reign of terror. I was a bit confused on some of the rules that govern ghost behaviors especially relating to some actions taken by Amelia; some things seemed to change on a dime to be convenient. I was never sure what she could and could not touch. The plotting is rather bonkers if you pay close attention (for example, one kid has easy access to a grenade which they decide would be the perfect tool to destroy the (haunted demonic) bridge.) Still it moves fast and flows smoothly as I always expect from a HarperTeen publication.

Overall: If you liked the first two books, you'll probably want to continue the series. I found it to be a fitting end.

Other Opinions:
Bookistry
Love Is Not a Triangle
Refracted Light Reviews

The Elite

The Elite by Kiera Cass
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
323 pages
YA Dystopia

Source: Library

OK-I think this is going to be a long one...fair warning but hopefully there will be some good moments :)

This sequel to The Selection had a lot I wanted it to achieve. I wanted a lot more action coming from the rebels who threaten the precarious stability of the country. I wanted America to stop mooning over Aspen and choose Maxon (or vice versa but at least to make a decision). And I wanted a lot more tension among the few remaining girls (for most of the book, there are six still vying for Maxon's hand.)

Unfortunately I do not feel that this book left me satisfied.  The rebels do continue to attack possibly for a reason proposed by America but which would be too spoilery to share here. Yet it serves more as a distraction from the main event than as actually furthering the plot. America continues to waver between Prince Maxon and first love Aspen in an annoying fashion (reminded me of the love triangle in The Madman's Daughter where she thought she loved whoever she was with.) On the other hand, the drama of now six girls competing to become princess was exciting (the feelings America and the other girls experience vividly reminds me of what I've read about "The Bachelor/ette." Note: I do not watch that show but I do read tabloids cover to cover and it gets mentioned a lot.)

Still the romance had its moments. Of particular interest to me was America's musing on how although Aspen gives less, it means more because he is starting at such a disadvantage compared to Maxon's life of privilege. If you have a chance, My Friend Amy actually wrote about that back when The Selection came out. I mean, I still prefer Maxon (who is blonde to add to my swooning) and I can't just forgive Aspen for pushing America away but I am more sympathetic to him.

And I must mention some of my thoughts about the characters, in handy bullet-format:

• America must be addressed first; she continues to exasperate me and the other characters with her impetuous, idealistic, irritating, compassionate self. I love that America cares so much but sometimes the way she expresses that just drives me bonkers! Furthermore her indecision over whether she even wants to be in the competition continues to bother me, largely because of my own personality. I'm pretty decisive and if I'm in it, then I'm in it to win it.
• Maxon-we really get to look at the difficulties of being a prince while also seeing how he is trying to (slowly, subtly) change the realities of his country's situation; there is a heartbreaking moment toward the end that shows how even a prince cannot escape a bad family life (oh I just wanted to hug that boy)
• Aspen has never been a favorite of mine but he gets a bit more of a chance to present his case and I can mentally understand how hard it is to just turn off feelings but man I kind of just want him to go away.
• The other girls-America realizes that her closest friend is also her toughest competitor in a difficult moment. We also see some more about how each is doing her best to get close to Maxon.
• King Clarkson emerges as a more immediate threat than the rebels with his intimidating bullying posture that is very unbecoming of a monarch, in my opinion
• Queen Amberly and Silvia really shine here-their grace and poise under trying circumstances is most inspiring. I loved both ladies so much and wish it was appropriate that they got more page time.
• The maids: Anne, Mary, and Lucy are responsible for many small moments of humor and companionability that balance America's angst and rash decisions.

Overall: So many feelings and thoughts generated by this book. I wish I could unreservedly love it (as I do with all the books I read) but I appreciate that I am still thinking about it in the days after and I think it will linger in my head if not my heart as I count down to The One.

Other Opinions: Lots of conflict among my blogging buddies-some loved this installment and others loathed this book.
Beauty and the Bookshelf
Imaginary Reads
Reading Under the Willow Tree
Supernatural Snark
Young Adult Book Haven

Boundless

Boundless by Cynthia Hand
3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
434 pages
YA Paranormal Angels

Source: Library

I was quite impressed with the first books in this series (Unearthly and Hallowed), finding them to be very well done examples of angel mythology. My biggest problem is that I just was never really on the Tucker train. I have seen loads of bloggers gush about him but I never got it. I could read the writing on the wall about Clara's feelings for him but I was never that excited about him otherwise. If you similarly aren't that impressed with Tucker, I expect you'll find this finale fairly lackluster. But if you're in the majority who loves Tucker, you'll probably be pretty happy.

The parts that didn't really involve Tucker were very good though especially the story of Clara's friend Angela whose story takes what was to me a surprising twist. Clara's brother Jeffrey also has some interesting twists; I really sympathized with her worries over his (poor) decision making. As for Christian, he has some difficult moments and some aggravating ones as well. I liked him less in this book than I have in the previous ones but he does have his heroic times.

One of my favorite parts is totally random though: see, my job involves some of the geography of California so I was pleased to see mention of some of the cities where I've done work. I felt so familiar with them and it made me smile.

I don't want to go too deep into the plot to avoid spoilers but know that while I think the plot mostly moved along at a good pace, there were some points where it dragged. The book does take place over about the course of a year so there is certainly time for adequate character development but I wanted a bit more action and a little less of everything else.

Overall: A strong enough conclusion to the Unearthly series-I think big fans will be pretty satisfied.

Cover: I love how we've had this same girl in a dress with different colors for all three covers although the purple of the first is still my favorite.

Other Opinions:
Chick Loves Lit
Feeling Fictional
The Midnight Garden
Uniquely Moi Books

ARC Review: Another Little Piece

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
422 pages
YA Contemporary Paranormal Horror
Scheduled to release June 11

Source: Received an e-ARC through the publisher at Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for this book teased Pretty Little Liars, a series I've never read but I am a fan of the show (I think the cover model brings to mind Spencer) and became interested in trying this book despite also noting the promise of horror, my least favorite genre.

Well, I'm glad I gave this a shot as I found it refreshingly dark and unique although I was right to be wary of the horror aspects, which are quite gruesome although not unmanageable. This story is twisty covering years as it follows a main character plagued with memory problems and a serious disconnect from the people she should know best. As the story unfolds, she discovers just how far people are willing to go for love or revenge and what price they have to pay to exact them.

I did have trouble slipping into the book, which opens with Anneliese Rose Gordon appearing thousands of miles away from where she disappeared a year ago. But she is not Anneliese despite her appearance and visions only encourage her to investigate what the real story might be. What she uncovers is a cycle of violence and selfishness and destruction that she *might* be able to end if she can only find the strength.

For much of the book, I felt a certain level of disconnect to this book, partly because of Anneliese's own disconnect. She knows that is not her life and can barely stand to be around the parents of Anneliese although they all try. She knows she doesn't belong and is uncomfortable and that transferred to me as well. Her confusion also wore off on me although we eventually figured things out, I think. A lot of pieces of information are slowly unraveled and the way it all ties together is very impressive.

This book is definitely not for everyone but those who loved it, really loved it and it is a very welcome addition to YA horror so I would encourage you to carefully consider giving it a shot.

Content warning: Language, drugs, and sexual situations abound in addition to violence so if you're sensitive to any of those, I would advise you to investigate further and proceed with caution.

Other Opinions:
Finding Bliss in Books
Katie's Book Blog
The Book Geek
The Midnight Garden

ARC Review: You Look Different in Real Life

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
3/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
368 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release June 4

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I remember seeing Castle's debut work, The Beginning of After, when it released but never quite being able to squeeze it into my review schedule although I remember interested in reading it. Thus I made it a priority to check out her newest release in a timely fashion.

For starters, the premise is quite cool. At the age of six, five kids were chosen for a documentary. A follow-up film was created when they were eleven, causing significant fallout. Now the kids are sixteen and the documentarians are trying to cajole them into a third film with mounting pressure from the people funding them. Of course, after ten years, a lot has changed for the kids who are no longer friends, who barely speak and who have a lot of secrets.

The first thing I noticed about the book was how main character Justine held back elements of their story, leaving me feeling pretty confused and frustrated. I like knowing things and I don't really like waiting. Eventually most of my questions were answered but I disliked how drawn out things were up to then.

The second thing I noticed was the diversity of the characters: the five kids were chosen for their different personalities and backgrounds and that carries through the entire book. Justine misses the bright and witty self who won over audiences in the first two films; Nate has remade himself into the golden boy; Felix is jealous of Nate's easy charm; Keira's mom abandoned the film in the interim; and Rory's diagnosis on the autism spectrum has cost her the friendship of Justine. These are just one side of the characters and I mostly enjoyed getting to know them although they (mostly Justine as the narrator) also annoyed me many times. She just felt so sorry for herself instead of actually doing anything.

The highlight of the book was a long string of chapters toward the end when the five must come together to help one of their own-this is over the course of one epic night in the city and it shows a tremendous amount of character growth with all five having something major happen to them or realizing something important. I just felt that the beginning was a bit slow and not entirely necessary before we got to this good stuff.

Cover: I think this girl looks like Aubrey Plaza (April on "Parks and Recreation). This pleases me and helps make up for the huge font over face, which is not my favorite kind of cover.

Other Opinions:
Anna Reads
Book Labyrinth
The Allure of Books

ARC Review: September Girls

September Girls by Bennett Madison
2/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
256 pages
YA Contemporary Magical Realism
Scheduled to release May 21

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't really on my radar until I noticed that Maggie Stiefvater had praised it, which immediately got my attention and made me want to check this out. Then the negative reviews started pouring in and I got nervous. I felt like I owed the publisher and author a chance though so I picked the book up and tried to look for the "magical realism" aspects I had read about and find some redeeming features but I am going to have to go in the negative category for this book as well.

The publisher is HarperTeen, an imprint with which I have had much success, finding their offerings compulsively readable. This title is more literary than commercial in my opinion and to my dissatisfaction. I could barely get through its boring non-plot. Adding to my distaste is how it conforms to my reductive view of a lot of modern literary fiction: to wit, a white male is obsessed with his magical penis because that is weirdly at the heart of this story. Compounding the plot problems was the language, which is extremely profane.

I did find some parts of interest like the strands of the relationship between the main character's parents but it was so haphazardly woven in that it was easy to glide right past. There is a bit of a love story but it's unlikely to appeal to romantics-I find it spectacularly unengaging.

In conclusion, do not pick this book up expecting a fun summer beach read as it is nothing of the sort despite what the cover might suggest. I cannot in good conscience recommend this to anyone although I am sure there will be people who have the exact opposite taste of me and love it (to each her own!) Somehow I managed to finish reading this book, probably due to a doggedness that does not let me quit easily.

Other Opinions:
Novel Sounds-discussed the magical realism aspect
Finding Bliss in Books-excellent negative review (also links to other great pannings)
Blkosiner's Book Blog-managed to come up with some good things about the book

ARC Review: Transparent

Transparent by Natalie Whipple
3/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
368 pages
YA Paranormal
Scheduled to release May 21

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this book billed as a cross between The Godfather and X-Men, which sounded pretty cool to me. I have enjoyed the books and films for both and was excited to see a teen twist on it. Some early reviews I'd seen were positive and I know that HarperTeen tends to publish very addictive novels so I was excited to find out more.

The basic premise is that some people were born with abilities and those abilities are exploited by powerful crime bosses. One of the most unique people is Fiona, who was born invisible and whose crime lord father has exploited this ability, raising her to be a tool in his criminal empire. One day she is pushed too far and she and her mother go on the run to escape. While in hiding, Fiona meets a group of other talented people and begins to build a new family to stand up to her evil father.

As I said, I tend to find the writing of HarperTeen novels to be very easy to read and difficult to put down. I didn't find the writing here quite as compelling, perhaps because I read it on the heels of some other books or maybe it just wasn't my taste. Either way that lack was probably the main reason I didn't really enjoy this title.

What about the characters? Well, they were okay. I can't say that I have very strong feelings about any of them other than loathing Fiona's father and having complicated feelings about her brutish older brother Graham. He is mostly presented in a negative light except for occasional flashes of goodness that left me in a confused state. There is almost a bit of a love triangle but I cannot expand further without spoiling some things; no matter as that aspect didn't interest me.

On the bright side, it looks like this book is a standalone, always exciting to see in paranormal YA. I also did really like the ending climax when Fiona and her motley crew assemble to face off against her cruel father. Everyone had their piece to play and they pulled off their scheme impeccably. However since I didn't really enjoy the preceding pages, this finale was not enough to leave this book in my good graces.

Overall: My general impression is just that this book is very average-nothing pushed it to stand out to me.

Cover: I thought it was okay-very flashy but then I saw the UK cover and I actually prefer that. You can check it out on goodreads here.

Other Opinions:
The Overflowing Library
Pure Imagination
Some Like It Paranormal

ARC Review: Reboot

Reboot by Amy Tintera
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
352 pages
YA Dystopia
Scheduled to release May 7

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed me with its blurb about humans "rebooting" after a set period of time-what sounded like a really cool twist on zombies, a paranormal creature I've never really cared about. I also loved the simple cover. Personally I like pretty dresses and lots of color but this one has a starkness that appealed (and the fact that 1-7-8 stands out is appropriate).

That reason is because our main character rebooted after 178 minutes, gifting her with exceptional abilities. She is known as 178 or alternately Wren. The longer it takes someone to reboot, the stronger they are. Because of that, she has been very talented at the work she has been assigned, providing support to the government and training new reboots. Wren has little patience for the lower numbers until 22 (or Callum) comes along and blows past all her defenses entwining them in romance and drastically changing the course of her rebooted life.

If you've read some of my recent reviews for HarperTeen books, this next statement will come as no surprise. I found the writing incredibly engaging and compulsively readable. I easily read this all in one day and had a tremendous amount of fun.

More surprising is that the romance was actually kind of my favorite part. Callum is super charming and I love the way he works his way under Wren's skin. She has been so tough for so long with everyone else afraid and intimidated by her but he doesn't have the good sense to fear her abilities, instead dancing with her and saying just the right things. He doesn't care that she's better than him at their job; he doesn't care that she's a brutal and merciless fighter/killer. He just loves her for who she is.

I'm less enthusiastic about everything else. This is a pretty dark dystopia with a lot of violence and death. I have no problem with that-it just paled compared to how the romance charmed me. Lingering questions include how this virus started as the beginnings of this dystopia world are sketchy. I am also wondering about the experiments the government's scientists are practicing on the lower numbered Reboots. We get a lot of hints at what's going on but not the full picture. The book also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger-who knows what will come next?

Other Opinions:
Finding Bliss in Books
My Life In Not So Many Words...
Obsession with Books
Read, Rinse, Repeat

City of a Thousand Dolls

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
361 pages
YA Fantasy

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

The early reviews I saw of this seemed to be less than positive but I was so enchanted by the cover that I decided to check it out anyway. I'm glad I did as I found myself absolutely swept away, finishing it off in one day mostly under the beautiful sunshine (no surprise that the publisher is HarperTeen whose books are kind of my crack).

Nisha is an orphan, living in a city of unwanted girls who are trained from birth in certain arts, the better to secure a husband or patron. She is unique, having arrived not as an infant but as a child and has stayed on as a messenger/rat for the Matron receiving training from the various houses including fighting and music. When she stumbles across the dead bodies of several of the girls, Nisha ends up being the only one willing and able to investigate their murders and fight for justice.

I've got to give a hand to Nisha for her passion and critical thinking. Through her investigation she stumbles across many thing that are wrong and she is outraged by them. She doesn't just stand aside and think there's nothing to be done but she presses on with her work until an opportune moment.

Another positive was the relative lack of romance. Though Nisha does get to kiss a cute boy, he is nowhere near the only thing on her mind and her goals are far more expansive than just being with him forever and ever.

A third positive (and the one you might be most interested in knowing about) is the talking cats. Yes, there are cats who can communicated with humans but they are few although obviously Nisha is one of those. These cats prowl the city and seem to look out for her for some reason. They have many secrets that Nisha unravels as she seeks a murderer.

As I wrote this review, I realized that I don't have much of substance to say.  I enjoyed reading it, I'll probably check out the second book but nothing in particular stuck out to me as overwhelmingly good or infuriatingly bad.

I think if you tend to like the books from Harper imprints, this might work for you. It's also good for lovers of fantasy and cats.

Other Opinions:
Candace's Book Blog
Good Books and Good Wine
Parajunkee's View

Taken

Taken by Erin Bowman
3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
360 pages
YA Dystopia Science-Fiction

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed my attention first with its rainbow-cover. I love the way the covers bleed into each other. Then it cemented my attention with its premise about a town with no men-only boys as males are taken on their eighteenth birthday in "the heist." This raised a lot of questions for me, starting with wondering how did this begin and ending with "does that mean all the children in this town are fathered by males under 18?" I cannot reveal the answer to the first nor to any of the others in my mind but I can answer the last one with a simple "yes." There is a system to ensure the survival of this town and it revolves around males under the age of eighteen fathering children.

I have to say that although this book as a whole wasn't a winner for me, I must applaud HarperTeen for continually publishing some of the most absorbing books. When I pick up one of their books, I know that I probably won't be putting it down until I'm done and that was certainly the case here. I kept trying to go do other things but finding myself returning to Taken.

I can't reveal too much of the plot without heading into spoiler territory. But I can share that our narrator is Gray, the impulsive younger brother of the adored Blaine, whose eighteenth birthday is the day the story opens. Once Blaine is "heisted," Gray starts digging into his town's history and makes a crazy decision that leads to the rest of the events of this book. There's some romance, some would-be science (cannot comment on its plausibility although I suspect it is not very), and a lot of mystery and action.

Overall: I don't know that this was entirely the read for me and I'm not decided on continuing with the series but I'm sure many will find the writing engaging and be completely absorbed in this world.

Other Opinions:
Blkosiner's Book Blog
Katie's Book Blog
Team Tynga's Reviews
The Book Monsters

ARC Review: Life After Theft

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
352 pages
YA Paranormal Contemporary
Scheduled to release April 30

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Before reading this, I discovered it was based on the classic novel The Scarlet Pimpernel and resolved to read that first. Hahahahahaha...I am so hilarious as that obviously did not happen. But I still enjoyed picking this book up. Why? Quite a few reasons in fact.

Let's review the plot real quick first. Jeff has just moved to a new school (sidenote for people who have read the book: I keep thinking "Phoenix; it's in Arizona" in my head for some reason. So far I have refrained from saying it to anyone but that's a distinct possibility) and is thrilled to see a hot girl upon arrival. Surprisingly she is thrilled to see him as well because, as it turns out, she is actually a ghost and no one else can see her. She asks (or more like badgers) him to help her atone for her misdeeds in life: a cave filled with items she stole as she suffered from kleptomania. As Jeff attempts to get Kimberlee (not a fan of that spelling) out of his life, he comes up against some secrets and learns some lessons.

First was the compelling male voice. I don't know that Jeff is a typical guy but I found him very sympathetic and I liked him as he tried to do the right thing even in somewhat bewildering circumstances. In a nice addition, Jeff's parents are present and pretty good people. They're maybe not as present as they could be but they're alive and involved in his life to a degree.

Second would have to be the ghost. Of all the possibilities for paranormal creatures, ghosts are at the top of my list (followed very closely by witches) and having one here definitely appealed to me. Kimberlee is not see-through and has the ability to somewhat sit on objects such as a beanbag chair where she doesn't sink to the floor but she doesn't leave an indent. She begins as not very repentant but due to Jeff's good and moral nature, she starts to confront some of the dark misdeeds of her past and make up for them.

Third was the easy writing style. This will come up again but I find that HarperTeen is an imprint that consistently publishes titles that I can easily devour. I don't always fall in love with the premise or the characters or the world building but I usually struggle to put their titles down and this was no exception.

Fourth would be the romance. No, Jeff does not fall for Kimberlee leading to some tortured human/ghost love shenanigans. Instead he falls for a living human being who had previously been bullied by Kimberlee and whose less than fond memories of her give Jeff trouble as he attempts to aid Kimberlee on her quest. This girl, Sera, got in to some troubles during her first years of high school and is also attempting to rehabilitate herself almost in parallel to Kimberlee.

Fifth is the fun twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel. I know I haven't read the book but I have seen a film adaptation (the one with Leslie Howard) and I know the basic story. I am also a sucker for YA retellings of classics and this one was new to me.

So there are my five big reasons for enjoying this book. Have you read this? Do you agree or disagree? If you haven't read this, do this make you want to give it a try?

Other Opinons:
Books Live Forever
Finding Bliss in Books
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics