Waiting on Wednesday (February 19)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt

Acclaimed author Lindsey Leavitt brings her trademark heart, humor, and romance to her hometown--Vegas

Sixteen-year-old Holly wants to remember her Grandpa forever, but she’d rather forget what he left her in his will: his wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Whatever happened to gold watches, savings bonds, or some normal inheritance?
 
And then there's Grandpa's letter. Not only is she running the business with her recently divorced parents, but she needs to make some serious money--fast. Grandpa also insists Holly reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family's mortal enemy and owner of the cheesy chapel next door. No matter how cute Dax is, Holly needs to stay focused: on her group of guy friends, her disjointed family, work, school and... Dax. No wait, not Dax.
 
Holly’s chapel represents everything she’s ever loved in her past. Dax might be everything she could ever love in the future. But as for right now, there's a wedding chapel to save.

Published by Bloomsbury USA
Release Date: May 6, 2014

Book Review: Also Known As by Robin Benway

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

Best Bits: I love a good spy story. This probably has something to do with the prospect of excitement and adventure that I didn't always experience growing up in a small town. Funnily enough, that's sort of how Maggie's story begins, too. She's a safecracking genius, but she's spent the summer in Reykjavik...not doing too much. Of course, when she's sent to New York it means there will be action, and that the Collective (the super secret Robin Hood-type spy group) trusts her to complete a mission. What made the book fun was getting to watch Maggie develop friendships. What starts out as a mission slowly turns into her acknowledgement that she deserves friends (and a romance oh la la). She also experiences some ethical dilemmas. As she learns more about Jesse, she begins to see him less as a mark, and more as a person she can relate to. Her first friend, Roux, was a great character. She's experienced the downside of popularity, and is a social outcast at their prestigious school. I found the situation really realistic. Drama! Should Roux find romance in the follow-up, I hope it's with someone deserving.

Nit Picks: Well, now I'm completely skeptical that Angelo is a killer and not just a forger...but I suppose that's not really a nit pick, that's just a suspicion I will always have. I think my main criticism, which I'm guessing will be focused more on in the second book, is that I wanted to see more of Maggie in action. My favorite scenes in the book involve her spy skills, so I think that a bit more of that would have bumped this one up to five hearts.

Also Known As
By Robin Benway
Published by Bloomsbury
320 Pages

 

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

Best Bits: So, it took me forever to start Throne of Glass after I purchased my copy. I can't believe I waited so long! Now, most people who come here often know that I tend to find the second book in a planned trilogy to be the weakest (usually the characters don't develop much, and sometimes the plot can feel stagnant), but huzzah, that wasn't the case with this one! The reader gets to learn more about the backgrounds of the characters, and watch how their choices to fulfill their duty or follow their beliefs impact every aspect of their lives. Maas also doesn't dumb down her plot, which is so refreshing. I spent a majority of this book trying to guess at what was really going on, trying to connect the dots with the information we gathered in book one with the clues that are being dropped in this one. Plus, Mass has created the perfect ratio of action/story to romance. It definitely plays a larger role in this book, but the story focuses more on how strong Celaena can be, and how that doesn't mean avoiding her emotions.

Nit Picks: Although I really enjoyed reading this one, there were parts that felt a bit drawn out. Perhaps this is because there are multiple different stories being told within Crown of Midnight. Due to the very different nature of each sub-plot I think that at times the pacing felt slowed down when the story moved away from the action.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass 2)
By Sarah J. Maas
Published by Bloomsbury USA
432 Pages
Received for Review
Rating: B

ARC Review: Intuition by C.J. Omololu

As Cole begins to accept her new life as Akhet, someone who can remember flashes of her past lives, every new vision from her past lives helps explain who she is in this life. As her passion for Griffon grows, she learns to identify other Akhet around her, including Drew, the young self-made millionaire who reveals his startling connection to Cole-he was her husband in Elizabethan England and gave her the ankh necklace that has been returned to her after centuries in hiding. Drew's attentions are overwhelming as he insists that their connection in the past signals their future destiny together, but before she can decide who she truly loves, Cole must learn to harness her unique Akhet abilities if she is to ever understand her role in this strange new world.

Best Bits:  I was a little nervous when I read the synopsis of this one. I really enjoyed the first book, but the blurb above made the book seem like it focused solely on a love triangle. It seemed that way for the first portion of the book, but the story was about more than Griffon, Cole, and Drew. It was a great look into the way that love changes and grows. Of course, it's up to you to decide if you believe in past lives, but the book brings up an interesting question. If you could remember past lives, would you spend time hoping to reconnect with previous romantic partners, or would you try to experience new people and things? 
There's also a pretty amazing twist thrown in, just in case you were wondering whether this one was as suspenseful as the first book. It was completely unexpected, and I really can't explain it because it would give everything away. I will say, that it has really opened up the possibilities for the future of the series, and it makes Cole and Griffon's roles that much more important in the grand scheme of things. 
When I interviewed Omololu during the release of the first book, Transcendence, she said that she considering this series to be contemporary fiction (whereas I had labelled it fantasy/supernatural). I have to say, that she has the ability to weave together various genres that makes it hard to really put a stamp on it. I'll have to investigate where my local bookstore has it placed.  

Nit Picks: I do think that the love triangle wasn't completely necessary to the story. It was done well, but I feel like we get love triangles in most (99.9%) of YA novels these days. I understand the role that it played in the book, and the development of Griffon and Cole as a couple, but it just felt like the other plot developments could have kept my attention without that added relationship drama.
Intuition  By C.J. Omololu Published by Bloomsbury USA 336 Pages Received for Review Rating: B
a Rafflecopter giveaway



I thought I would host a giveaway for a copy of book one or two in this series. It's open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your country!

Stacking the Shelves (June 9)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews! It's a way to highlight the books that everyone got throughout the week.

For Review: 

This one was a surprise in my mailbox!

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Frenchie Garcia can’t come to grips with the death of Andy Cooper. Her friends didn’t know she had a crush him. And they don’t know she was the last person with him before he committed suicide. But Frenchie’s biggest concern is how she blindly helped him die that night.

Frenchie’s already insane obsession with death and Emily Dickinson won’t help her understand the role she played during Andy’s “one night of adventure.” But when she meets Colin, she may have found the perfect opportunity to recreate that night. While exploring the emotional depth of loss and transition to adulthood, Sanchez’s sharp humor and clever observations bring forth a richly developed voice.

Published by Running Press

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass 2) by Sarah J Maas

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

Published by Bloomsbury

Release Date: August 27, 2013 

Review: Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . 

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed... (From Goodreads)

*This review contains some spoilers regarding relationships, etc.

Best Bits: The premise of this one was really interesting. I love all things ballet (even though I was a tap and jazz girl), so I was eager to read a YA book involving it with some paranormal elements. Vanessa was, for the most part (see Nit Picks), a relatable main character. She has the feet for ballet, but her heart isn't in it. Why would she accept a spot at the prestigious New York Ballet Academy? Vanessa's sister went missing from the same school, and she's determined to find her. At points, the story reminded me a bit of Center Stage (my favorite ballet movie). Vanessa becomes close friends with some dancers, there's the girl who expects the lead who fits the part of the mean girl, and the director is a jerk. Not to mention a bad boy who readers (or viewers, in the case of the movie) are hoping their protagonist doesn't fall for. 

The paranormal/mystery aspect of the book was done well. Although it was clear who some of the baddies were, there were two people who I wasn't quite sure about. I hoped that Vanessa could trust them, but my instincts aren't always correct.

Nit Picks: Please note that my nitpicks are based on the galley, and some things may have changed in the final version. Let me briefly explain my above comment about Vanessa. As a reader I was able to understand her motivation to attend the same dance school as her sister, but beyond that she didn't always make the wisest choices. As she begins to understand there's something sinister happening at her school she should limit who she trusts with information. Instead, she spills everything to a couple different people. That is the book equivalent of when characters in horror movies walk toward the creepy sounds/shadows/etc that ultimately lead to their demise. It just seems to me that as things started getting worse, she would want to guard her secrets. 

There was some insta-love, which brings me to a general nit-pick in the books I've read over the last year or two. Insta-love and blind trust. I think I would have found it more interesting in this book if Zep had befriended Vanessa, and from there she would have had to choose whether to trust him, instead of basing it on a relationship that's inconsistent.   

Dance of Shadows
By Yelena Black
Published by Bloomsbury USA
Received via NetGalley
Rating: C

Book Review: Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore

For star-crossed lovers Nimira and Erris, there can be no happily ever after until Erris is freed from the clockwork form in which his soul is trapped. And so they go in search of the sorcerer Ordorio Valdana, hoping he will know how to grant Erris real life again. When they learn that Valdana has mysteriously vanished, it's not long before Nimira decides to take matters into her own hands—and begins to study the sorcerer's spell books in secret. Yet even as she begins to understand the power and limitations of sorcery, it becomes clear that freeing Erris will bring danger—if not out-and-out war—as factions within the faerie world are prepared to stop at nothing to prevent him from regaining the throne. (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: I really enjoyed the previous book, Magic Under Glass, so I knew going in that I was going to enjoy the characters. There was one additional character I really enjoyed, Ifra. He's a jinn, and is sworn to the command of the fairy king. This new perspective added a whole new level to the story (and potentially to the world if ever Dolamore wrote another book in this universe). He was someone who understood what it was like to be different (like Nimira), but also what it was like to see bits and pieces of the world but be unable to fully participate in it (like Violet, another new character who I wasn't very fond of). 

Nit Picks: Unlike Magic Under Glass, this book didn't flow as well for me. Most of the book Nimira was fretting about what to do with Erris, and he wasn't present all that much. Yes, the reader knows that trouble is brewing, but when it actually occurs everything happens extremely quickly. It's a lot of buildup for a short number of pages. It wraps up all of the loose ends, but the relationship between Erris and Nimira is very brief. It was cute, but unfortunately it just didn't click with me. 

Magic Under Stone (Magic Under 2)
By Jaclyn Dolamore
Published by Bloomsbury USA
297 Pages
Purchased
Rating: C

Review: Doomed by Tracy Deebs

Beat the game. Save the world.

Pandora’s just your average teen, glued to her cell phone and laptop, surfing Facebook and e-mailing with her friends, until the day her long-lost father sends her a link to a mysterious site featuring twelve photos of her as a child. Unable to contain her curiosity, Pandora enters the site, where she is prompted to play her favorite virtual-reality game, Zero Day. This unleashes a global computer virus that plunges the whole world into panic: suddenly, there is no Internet. No cell phones. No utilities, traffic lights, hospitals, law enforcement. Pandora teams up with handsome stepbrothers Eli and Theo to enter the virtual world of Zero Day. Simultaneously, she continues to follow the photographs from her childhood in an attempt to beat the game and track down her father, her one key to saving the world as we know it. Part The Matrix, part retelling of the Pandora myth, Doomed has something for gaming fans, dystopian fans, and romance fans alike. (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: This book was a thriller! The book begins on Pandora's birthday, and the rest of the story spans the country, and two realities (the second being the virtual world of Zero Day). I wasn't sure whether it was going to work to have a portion of the story take place in-game, but it did. Not only did the game emphasize the ultimate message behind the virus, but it also helps her understand exactly who is behind it. Although I knew there would be some tension regarding a love triangle, I was glad that it wasn't too long into the book where the reader is clear on who Pandora will choose (see my nit pick below). As many readers of this blog know, I'm a bit tired with this trope. It was nice to have a simple, non-dramatic conclusion to it. The end of the world does take precedence over dating, after all. Deebs also does a good job showing the severity of the worm. Sure, at first it didn't seem like much was wrong. As chaos and fear begin to take over, so does violence and crime. It put urgency behind Pandora's quest, and that kept me flipping pages.

Nit Picks: My nit pick for Doomed is related to one of the stepbrothers who end up helping Pandora navigate Zero Day (called Pandora's Box in my galley edition). Eli, although very useful throughout the story, also seemed to invade Pandora's personal space. Now, this doesn't happen all the time, and Pandora does struggle at the beginning of the book about whether she's attracted to him...but in one scene at a motel he is supposed to be keeping watch and ends up falling asleep in bed with her. 



Doomed 
By Walker Books
Published by Bloomsbury USA
480 Pages
Received for review
Rating: A

Review: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow.  (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: I absolutely loved the premise of this one. I have certainly had my moments where I'd like to throw my phone away and swear off the internet. Sadly, unlike Mallory, I'm not brave enough to go through with it. This technological ban occurs after she discovers her boyfriend has an online girlfriend in a role-playing game, and declares that she's had it with all the calls/texts/internet drama that comes afterwards. Another favorite: Oliver (Mallory's ex-boyfriend's cousin). He's old-school dreamy. He sings her songs, calls her on the landline, and says criminy. What isn't to love? Ginnie, Mallory's sister, is awesome, too. She has her own things going on in her life, but it's great when she ensures that Mallory sticks to her vintage life by removing certain contraband items from her room.

Nit Picks: The hardest thing for me was getting involved in all the various side-stories. Things are happening with her grandmother, who inspired the vintage lifestyle, and her parents are arguing. Not to mention continued drama with Jeremy at school, a budding romance with Oliver, and completing the list she's created to have an excellent Junior year. It made it a little hard to invest in each story. I wanted to learn more about what was going on with her grandmother, cared less about her parents. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I didn't like Mallory's mother at all. Even after she was redeemed at the end of the book, I had no sympathy for her. 

Going Vintage
By Lindsey Leavitt
Published by Bloomsbury USA
320 Pages
Received via Netgalley for review
Rating: C

Book Review: Velvet by Mary Hooper

Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry's work is back-breaking and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet's very life is in danger ...A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much loved historical writer for teens. (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: Fall is my favorite time to read historical fiction. I'm not really sure if it's the setting, description, or characters...but there's something extremely satisfying about being transported into another time as the weather changes around me. Velvet begins her story working in a steam laundry, and eventually finds her way into the home of a medium. There she experiences things that she never believed she would, and the reader gets a taste of what life was like for both the very poor and the very wealthy. I also loved the medium subject matter. This is actually historically accurate, in the late 1800's and early 1900's mediums were increasingly popular (you can see some pretty freaky photos of mediums and ectoplasm from this time period if you look around online). It just added another layer to the story, because the reader is privy to information that allows us to understand the motivations of Madame before Velvet does. Plus, woo there is quite a twist at the end. 

Nit Picks: I wish we could have seen a bit more of her childhood friend, and neighbor, Charlie. He kind of gets brushed off throughout the book, but ends up with a significant part to play. So, I think I would have felt more for him had I gotten to know him a little more. There's also quite a bit of time between finding out the nature of Madame and Velvet realizing it. It got a little frustrating at times, even though I sympathized because this woman essentially saved Velvet from poverty. 

Velvet 
By Mary Hooper
Published by Bloomsbury USA
336 Pages
Received from NetGalley
Rating: B

Book Review: Unlocking the Spell by E. D. Baker

Now that Annie has helped her sister Gwendolyn (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) wake up from the 100-year curse by finding her beloved prince, you would think that things would get back to normal. Think again! That beloved prince, Beldegard, is stuck in the body of a bear and the only way that Annie can be free of the two irritating lovebirds is to help-by finding the evil dwarf who cast the spell. Luckily, Annie has assistance from handsome prince Liam, and she has many tricks up her non-magical sleeve . . . (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: Along the same lines of The Wide-Awake Princess, I absolutely loved all of the fairy tale characters that popped up in this one. Snow White, Rose Red, and so many more that I won't spoil for you. There's something so fun about seeing how Annie's anti-magic gift will impact the fairy tales we've all heard about, and then how she'll fix any problems that arise. This time around, Gwendolyn is along for the quest (to turn Beldegard back into a human). This creates a new sort of trouble for the street-wise Annie, because Gwendolyn has never been away from home. She doesn't quite understand why they need to keep their identities secret, or why Beldegard shouldn't follow them into towns and villages. It's a great contrast between the two princesses. 

Nit Picks: My only issue is that Annie feels unsure throughout the book about Liam's feelings for her. I didn't think it was necessary and if it had been omitted I could have focused on the variety of ways that Annie is able to help the many characters that cross her path. 

Unlocking the Spell 
By E. D. Baker
261 Pages
Published by Bloomsbury USA
Purchased
Rating: B

Book Review: Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

When Jason Milwaukee’s best friend, Sunshine, disappears from the face of the earth, the whole town, including Jason, starts searching for her. But the insistent voices in Jason’s head won’t let him get to the heart of the mystery—he’s schizophrenic, and the voices make it hard to know what is real and what is not. As the chase becomes more panicked, Jason’s meds start wearing off, and he is looking more and more guilty. But of what, exactly?

Both brilliantly witty and intensely honest, this poignant novel draws upon the author’s many years as an adolescent psychologist, but it’s Vaught’s powerful voice and expertly crafted mystery that will keep the pages turning. (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: First off, I think I should just say that I appreciate the uniqueness of the characters in Freaks Like Us. Yes, Jason and his friends have mental disorders, but as Vaught said in my interview with her, this isn't a book about life with schizophrenia. It's a book about friendship, love, and trust. The thing is, I think readers will gain a greater understanding of what it means to be diagnosed with something like schizophrenia. I'm not saying that the exact symptoms Jason experiences over the course of the book should be generalized to all people with schizophrenia. What I'm saying is that I hope this can help combat the stigma, and allows teens to look at how they treat people who are classified by society as "different" (even though they aren't different at all). Ok, off of my soap box...the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I literally read this in a night because I had to find out what happened to Sunshine! Vaught did an excellent job making me care about her characters, and keeping my in suspense.

Nit Picks: Since this book is a fast read, it didn't always get as in-depth as I'd like. I really wanted to know more about the characters. The flashbacks from Jason's perspective did provide some insight into his friends and family, but I really wanted more. The ending, while shocking, is one that doesn't explain everything to the reader. I got just enough information to draw my own conclusions about what would happen to the characters. I know that's a pet peeve of some readers, so just be aware that it isn't going to spell it out. 

Freaks Like Us
By Susan Vaught
Published by Bloomsbury USA
240 Pages
Purchased
Rating: B
Check out my interview with Susan Vaught here