Review: Shadowlands

Shadowlands by Kate Brian
Publication Date: January 8th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye. 

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Do you ever start reading a book, and go "Whoa. This is different. And scary. Me likey."? Don't lie! Anyway, my point is that Shadowlands was a very unique book that also had me prominently feeling the chills of suspension rolling from the pages. Kate Brian is a genius!

The beginning is very chilling, violent, and totally sucks you into the plot. That killer is so creepy and evil. The chapters in his point of view were disturbing, once again, good job Kate Brian! We are also introduced to the characters, amidst the action. There is never a dull moment! While not everything is a raging car chase, there is always a heavy layer of suspension clouding the problem with the killer, the town, and it's people. This keeps the readers on their toes, and may perhaps even bring nightmares.

The characters are also very well-devolped for a Thriller, which is the genre I find usually lacks the development. I loved seeing the relationship between Rory and her sister, Darcy, as well as with her Dad. Darcy has been rebelliously acting out ever since their Mother died, and the dad has simply become a shell. The family has a lot of tension building around them, and I loved how you got to see the relationship evolve and bonds mended.

The island itself, the place where the FBI kept Rory and her family in disguise to keep them from the killer, was a very memorable setting. If we ever have another "Top Ten Book Settings" list, the island, Juniper Landing, would definitely make it, perhaps even placing itself at the very top. Juniper Landing is mysterious, vivid, and odd. It leaves the reader with this strange sensation in their stomach, which I loved! The people inhabiting the island are also pretty odd. Why are they turning their head when people disappear? Does everyone except Rory and a few other suspicious teens have amnesia?

Also, I enjoyed that there was close to no romance. I see some in the future of the series, which I know I will like. I am not fond of first books that lay heavy-romance. Where is the rom to expand the relationship? What about the plots? Where is this "love" going to go? (Or, my common reaction, "They met a freakin' WEEK ago! C'mon!") In Shadowlands, we see plenty of eligible males yet none so far have legitimately "fallen hard" for Rory. I possibly see a well-done romance in the future, that is not the main plot, and I have no idea who it will be between! Yay! And if there isn't, I don't care because the plot is a wild enough ride and, in general, support for the series.

And, lastly, that ending! I loved it! In one simple sentence, everything came together. (SPOILER: I KNEW it wasn't a dream... SPOILER OVER) It is such a creative and startling twist. This also makes my lists of top endings. It is utter brilliance, and well thought out, so the audience won't pick up on the twist until the end. I literally looked at the pages, and then closed the book, smiling. However, it is pure evil of the author to make us wait for the sequel, Hereafter.

Overall, Shadowlands is a highly recommended read, especially to those who are a fan of creepy, suspenseful stories with unpredictable twists and well thought out characters. Also, the book was very well written, and set the readers in the  right mood. Now, go read the book. I especially want to see your reaction to the end. *duh, duh, duh*

4.5/5 Stars

Thanks for reading!

-Emily

Review + Giveaway: Visited

Come check out the rest of the Tour Schedule

Visited by Janine Caldwell

Publication Date: May 25th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Coming-of-Age Fantasy
Source: Received for free in exchange for an honest review
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Seventeen-year-old Joanna Murphy has lost faith in her life. Vying for her mom’s attention, she’s resentful of her stepdad’s intrusion to their family. Her best friend, Tommy, has no clue she’s in love with him as he dates girl after girl without noticing how it tortures her. The final kicker, though, is God’s sick joke to make her freakishly tall when everyone knows boys prefer petite girls.

Then in a bizarre accident Joanna meets James, a breathtaking teen who appears to her after an unusual falling star sighting. Suddenly, her dream for an alien encounter becomes all too real. But when she finds her life has been made unrecognizable, she’s forced into an explosive study of the original design for her life that just may have her regretting every wish she ever made.

Visited was a magical story that took me on a sweet ride to the world of teen insecurities. While I had some minor problems with the book, it is definitely a worth-while I read Visited in one sitting, as it was a fast and pleasantly absorbing title. I feel obligated to pint out that this is in no way dark YA, and I would point beginners to the genre of young adult, or middle-grade lovers toward this book, as averse to fans of heavier YA.

Joanna Murphy, the star of this story, and I got along pretty well, except for one thing. She was sweet, real, and had character growth. She learns a lot of valuable lessons and by the end of the book I was happy with the growth in her personality. However, I felt like she fourteen instead of seventeen most of the time. Her voice, action, and delightful personality all seem like they come from a younger high-schooler.

The plot is engaging, and overall, Visited is a book you will smile through. However, the magic aspect are used sparingly, which I was glad of, there are some novels that if authors overdue the fantasy characteristic the story seems muddled, (or vice versa.) Thankfully, Visited was the former. There was enough fantasy that it kept me on my toes, yet it did not overwhelm me.

Most of the story focuses on Joanna getting over problems with family and friends. I thought these lessons were sweet, but not particularly interesting. I am an avid reader for a kid of my age, so a lot of these, simply put, juvenile problems were ones I have encountered in many novels, so these being the main focus was not the most mind-grabbing of plots. However, these problems are real problems for some teens/tweens, and it was sweet to see family and friendships being put together, allthough the some things moved pretty quickly.

Overall, I genuinely liked Visited, despite my little complaints. The book is well-written, sweet, and has a great main character. It is quick, and it an awesome clean read for anyone looking for a break, and, as I stated in the starting of this review, an amazing read for anyone transitioning from Middle Grade books. I especially loved the ending of Visited, as I saw everything being wrapped up, plus there was a nice twist included! I would love to read more by this author, as I was left happy with Visited.

3.5/5 Stars 

For The Vortex Series: 

----Giveaway ----

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! Thanks for reading!

-Emily

Waiting On Wednesday #23

Hosted by Breaking the Spine!

This Week I am Waiting On...

Birthright: Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan

Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Vivi’s animal instincts are her legacy—and maybe her downfall—in this start to a romantic fantasy series that will appeal to fans of The Nine Lives of Chloe King.

Vivi has known the truth about her family—and herself—since she was thirteen. But that doesn’t mean she’s accepted it. Being Haguari isn’t something she feels she’ll ever accept. How can she feel like anything but a freak knowing that it’s in her genes to turn into a jaguar?


Now eighteen, Vivi’s ready to break away from the traditions of her heritage. But all of that changes with the shocking, devastating deaths of her parents and the mysteries left behind. Vivi discovers family she never even knew she had, and a life open with possibility. New friends, new loyalties, and even romance all lay ahead—but so do dangers unlike anything Vivi ever could have imagined. 

Darkest Fear looks like an awesome read! For one, I love the font and the cover model's eyes on the cover. And two, she can turn into a jaguar! Doesn't that just sound awesome? Also, I have heard some good things about Cate Tiernan, although I have never read anything by her. In fact, I don't even know what she has wrote *cringes*

What are you waiting on this week?

All About Titles!

A Book Lover's Inquiries: Activity Time! Can you find matching titles?

These posts are where I get weird bookish questions or activities out of my brain and onto paper. I would love if you would comment with your takes on the question/activity. 

And, really, do whatever you want with it. Did you participate in an activity and want to post about it? Go ahead! That would be so awesome! Do you want to just  scoff and say "That's a lame activity"? Go ahead! I'm sure some stuff here will be lame. You have been warned.

----The Intro----

I was just looking through my shelves the other day and found a couple books with same or similar titles. It sparked an interest in me, and I wanted to see how many I could discover. So, here we go:

(Also, the rules are simple. I have to own each book or e-copy, and they have to be the same or be so similar that you barely notice the difference.)

----The Titles----

Scarlet:

For each of the books, the title is referring to the heroines name. 

I am rather fond of both the titles and stories.

Pure:

For this one I think I like how the title Pure perfectly fits Julianna Baggot's novel. 

However, I still love Pure from the Covenant Series!

Unraveling/ Unravel Me

I love both titles. However, the title of Unravel Me speaks so loud.

I find it much more... powerful.

Eclipse:

I actually am not fond of these titles, as they do not fit the books very well.

I am not moved by them.

Saving Francesca/Losing Francesca

Both of the books fit their stunning titles.

They each have their own deeper meaning.

I also noticed some cases where I had a title that another book had, however, I unfortunately didn't own the title's partner. Such as The Elite, Destined, Torn, and Illusions.

----The Discussion----

Does having two books with the same title bother you? Do you find it interesting that each author chose the same title, yet the word fits each story in different way? Do you find that you feel some shared titles lack originality? 

For me, the problem with having "sister titles" is that normally, I find that one book is better than the other. It is just the way of life. So, when I hear the shared title, I automatically think of the better novel, and the other one is left in the dust.

Also, I tend to lean toward the book with the better cover art... sorry! *winces*

As I was completing this challenge I noticed a lot of books that had "shared titles" had only one-word titles, such as "Scarlet", "Eclipse", or "Pure". So, authors, if you want an name for your novel, go for at least two or three words. And search the title on Goodreads while your at it. 

Titles are very important, they are essentially the books name and ID. Also, titles are a reader's first impression of a book. I always go for the powerful ones, and will choose to not pick up a book based on it's name. Especially of the title feels weak, or dull.  How important is a book's ID to you?

----The Challenge----

Now, go find some sister titles!

-Emily 

Books I want to talk about:

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY A HYPER BOOK LOVER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Once in a while you feel like shouting out your favorite reads to the world. Oh. Darn. Are you saying it's just me?

Anyway, the shouting is on.

The best MG/YA book EVER (tied with Harry Potter, of course.) is the...

Wait for it...

The False Prince!
My pathetic review

I had NO IDEA this would be such a stunning novel. However, it made me cry. laugh, yell, and other elaborate shows of emotion. I am, however, a little nervous to read the second book. Will it be up to par? Are you ever afraid of sequels?

And, the second series I am sharing with you all is the Bloodlines series. Each book just gets better and better... And also you can't not mention the fabulous series before Bloodlines, Vampire Academy! Right now I am rereading Blood Promise... it is so good!

Review of The Golden Lily
Review of The Indigo Spell

The Vampire Academy is one of my most favorit-ist (yes, I am aware that the word is not in the dictionary. However, that does not mean it is an illegitimate word. The dictionary is just a bunch of papers, which also means it has no brain. I bet it could have made a mistake.) series ever! Everyone should read them, that way I can bug you about Rose, Dimitri, Sydney, Lissa, Jill, Christian and Eddie! 

I will forewarn you, I will really bug you about Adrian in the Bloodlines series. He is so awesome! However, in the Vampire Academy series I kept thinking "Rose is not for you!" and I was right. (Ha!) So, (yeah, I do have a point) in the VA series I was not his biggest fan. Mostly, I felt like ripping his drinks and cigarettes away from him. However, in the Bloodlines series, the readers get a chance to fix him, or at least see him get fixed, and now he is totally amazing! 

The characters in both series make me laugh consistently. Especially characters such as Adrian and Trey and Rose and.... you get the picture. 

Also, I love how we have a very smart heroine, Sydney. In the books, we are consistently SHOWN not TOLD how intelligent she is, unlike in many other books.  

My rant is officially over.

All the books mentioned are excellent devices to get you out of reading slumps, although you might experience a few hours of book hangover. Now, read as if your lives depend on it. Or come chat with me if you also love these gems!

So, have you read The False Prince or Bloodlines? What did you think of them?

Review: Darker Days

Darker Days by Jus Accardo

Publication Date: August 19th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars
Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course...

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.

Seven deadly ones, in fact.

They’ve got five days to recapture the Sins before they're recalled by the box, taking seven hijacked human bodies with them. Easy peasy—except for one thing...

There’s a spell that will allow the Sins to remain free, causing chaos forever. When the key ingredient threatens the life of someone she knows, Jessie must make the ultimate choice between love and family—or lose everything.

Darker Days by Jus Accardo was such an amazing book! After reading the synopsis, I knew the story would be right up my alley, yet the tale and, in particular, the characters, were more intriguing and laugh-inducing than I had previously hoped. The Darker Agency and family will certainly give the reader a grand adventure. Also, isn't the title clever?

Jessie Darker was, in my opinion, a great, and awesomely sarcastic, narrator. I know some would find her many snarky/silly comments annoying, but once in a while I need an entertaining character like her in a story. She is kind of quirky, although that could be blamed on her mom. For instance, Jessie's punishment for  misbehaving is a "soggy zombie". So yeah, she is far from the average kid, yet she in never mopes or "wishes to be normal" like most heroines in paranormal books. That fact alone earned Darker Days serious bonus points in my book.

I also loved the family dynamics in Darker Days. Guess what? They all get along like a normal family despite the many paranormal interferences! The parents love their daughter, and vice versa. And both parents are alive! My favorite character in the book, was, funnily enough, Jessie's mom. I really want to know her story as the bits we get are extremely interesting.

The story was also creative. The way the Seven Sins worked, and the addition of other paranormal creatures, created a plot that was not cliche or predictable. Also, the length of the book was perfect. There were great action sequences and just enough time for a budding romance. Speaking of the romance... I LOVED it! The love interest was just right for Jessie, although I may have to admit I am a little jealous that she took him for herself. What do you mean she doesn't know I exist? She still should have let me have him! Anyway, the love interest, Lukas, is from like, a hundred years ago,which makes him adorable! I mean, he is formal and says funny things for the 21st century. Also, a lot of things are new to him, which is kind of cute to watch... (read? imagine?)

Overall, Darker Days. is an amazingly entertaining read. I would highly recommend this novel for book lovers looking for a light, cutesy paranormal story. I can honestly say there was nothing in this book I disliked. If Darker Days had any faults, they were overlooked in favor of the overall awesomeness! Also, I am anxiously looking forward to the next book.

4/5 Stars

Stacking the Shelves #22

This is the "I worship Powells" edition of STS. I arrived at the bookstore, turned in some used books, and got EIGHTY FIVE dollars in store credit. Yay!

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Bought:

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Outpost by Ann Aguirre 

Sanctum by Sarah Fine

Scarlet by A.C Gaughen

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea byApril Genevieve Tucholke

(Signed!!!)

Tiger's Destiny by Collen Houck

For Review:

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Find Me by Romily Bernard

(Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

These books sound so awesome!  Also I have already read and loved Find Me, but forgot to put it in last week's STS! So, here it is!

How was your haul this week?