Thursday, May 31, 2012

Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Ten Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Pages: 304
Publish Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
My Source: ARC

My Review:
This novel was a creepy look into a serial killer's horrid attack on ten teenagers. The whole plot is a sociopath's dream, the details were methodical and kept the reader on edge the whole time. I checked my room like five times while reading this at night (which I don't recommend doing.) The basic plot is that ten teenagers are having a party on a secluded island, for three days, and get hunted down one by one: each death marked with a red slash on the wall of the house.  

Basically, if you like horror movies, you will love this book. The author laid all the details out so perfetly, there were no loose ends in the plot anywhere. I like to think that I could have predicted some of the plot twists, but I really didn't. Every twist wasn't what I expected, but it fit into the plot perfectly. Normally there are loose ends, but I can't think of any. Gretchen McNeil is a great author for this genre, and I need to read more of her books!

The action went really fast. There were no moments in this book where the characters were calm, and staying still. But the description was written nicely, so I was never lost. There are books with a ton of action that don't describe what's happening enough; and I can get totally lost. But this book wasn't like that. Gretchen McNeil has a future in writing fast-paced stories.

That's really all for this review, I don't think I have anything bad to say about it. I recommend it 100%!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

GIVEAWAY! 1 ARC of Ten by Gretchen McNeil

It's giveaway time! (:
I'll be giving away this ARC of Ten by Gretchen McNeil to a lucky follower. (Yes, you must be a GFC follower, and live in the USA!)

I loved this book, and gave it a 5/5 star rating. I hope you'll like it too! My review isn't up yet, but it will be in June.

If the Rafflecopter doesn't load, try refreshing or another browser!

So, let's get to the giveaway:




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 28, 2012

Review: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

In Honor
In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Pages: 240 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: May 8th, 2012

My Review:

In Honor followed Honor, a girl who has just lost her brother in the war. She received a letter from him, Finn, right before his death. He sent Honor tickets to a concert, and Honor takes it as a sign that this is his last wish. She sets off on a road trip to California with Finn's estranged best friend, Rusty, in the passenger seat.

So this book was okay. It didn't really live up to all my expectations when I preordered it. It was easy to get into, and feel Honor's grief. All her actions, from crazy ones to ones that were fueled by her sadness were really believable. But some of the sadness really made it hard to get to know Honor. I felt for her, but didn't really know her. I liked her and Rusty's banter, and all of the flashback scenes to the trio working on the imPala.

I liked the second part of the book more than the first. Meeting Cecila and Bru were good additions when I was starting to get a little bored. The end definitely wasn't what I expected, and that separated it from the other books in the roadtrip-romance genre. This book was a fairly regular romance.

I recommend it to fans of YA romance, roadtrips, grief over a loved one passing, etc.



Sunday, May 27, 2012

In My Mailbox #6


In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by the Story Siren! It's an opportunity to showcase what books you have purchased, borrowed from the library, etc throughout the week.

Here's what I got!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

What have you gotten?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Follow Friday #6 !


Follow Friday is a weekly event. It showcases all types of book blogs, and is a great way to meet other people and make friends! (: And this week, we are lucky enough to be the featured blog!



Question/Activity: Dreamcast your current read!

Right now, I'm reading Velveteen by Daniel Marks. I have no doubt at all for who I'd want to play Velvet:
ISABELLE FUHRMAN!
Velvet is a bit of an angry soul, and I think Isabelle would be perfect for that role. She was great as Clove in the Hunger Games!
Velvet's best friend is Luisa; who is described as a small girl.
KATHRYN DRYSDALE!

 She was in St. Trinians, and even though she's British, I really imagine her as Luisa. Luisa is snarky and a lot older mentally than her actual age.
Then Nick, who is 'insanely hot' with an athletic build:
CHORD OVERSTREET!
I don't really know my reasoning for choosing him, but I think Isabelle and him would have a good flirt-spite thing going.
Even though there are some more characters I could do, I'll end with who I'd cast for Manny. She's the station agent/'boss' to all of them, and is a cheerful blonde:
NICOLE KIDMAN!

Okay, so those are my picks! (: Picking a dreamcast is actually really hard. Hope you enjoy my picks and definitely pick up a copy of Velveteen when it comes out later this year! Leave a comment so I can check out your blog too! (:
-Charlotte

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Teaser Tuesday #3


Teaser Tuesday is hosted by ShouldBeReading. It's a weekly event where you share a few sentences from the book you're reading, to entice new readers to pick it up. (: Here's my teaser!

Velveteen by Daniel Marks
Note: I am reading this from an ARC, and I have not checked it against the finish version.



Velveteen (Velveteen, #1)"Had someone seen her slip into the hidden passage next to the Paper Aviary? Was she to be accused of haunting?"

Friday, May 18, 2012

Feature & Follow Friday #5

This weekly event is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read, so click here for all the specifics of this week's event!
This week's question:

Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?

I could say a gorgeous beach in the Caribbean, or a warm house in Europe--but I think a camping site in the White Mountains would be perfect for me.

I camped last August with my family for a week, and that is the vacation that I've gotten the most reading done on. I think I read six books in roughly seven days! We lucked out with getting the camping slot that had beautiful views on Mt. Osceola.


Our view!
The bug situation was something else though. And, ALWAYS put a tarp underneath your tent. Maybe more than one, because my sister and I's tent flooded. :P Thank goodness for sleeping bags and a van!

Anyway, what about you?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mothers' Day! (:

In My Mailbox #5



In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by the Story Siren! It showcases all the books you have gotten during the week.

My mom runs an annual book sale that benefits our town library, so needless to say, I got a million books. I'm not going to share them though, because it's a lot. I'll be making a video soon though--which will be on my youtube channel.

Anyway, here is the one book I got from Amazon!

*****
In Honor
Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

*****

I've been waiting for this book forever! I'm reading it now, a review will be up soon. :)
What did you get this week?
 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Pages: 400
Publisher: Dial Books
Published: June 14th, 2012
My Source: ARC

My review:

This book borders on 3-4ish stars. It was a cute read that followed Samantha and Jase, as they tumble through their first love. This is a summer romance that deals with the most stressful part of any teenager's life, friends and relationships.


Samantha is our protagonist. She's the good girl, unlike her rebellious older sister, Tracey. Sam has always done what her politician mother wants her to do, which is to be obedient. And NEVER interact with the Garretts next door. But suddenly Samantha's whole world is changed forever when Jase Garrett walks into her life, and the two fall madly in love. Samantha dangles between these two families that she is now a part of, and is faced with the wrenching decision of which one to choose after a horrible accident.

The story itself was very creative. While it was still a basic romance, it had aspects that were different from a cookie-cutter love story. Things like Sam's mom's job—state senator, and the comparison of classes were refreshing to read about. The relationships that went on in this book, especially Nan & Sam's were really different and I love how especially that one was wrapped up. Tim was the character with the most development in this book, and it was nice to read about a guy-friend without any romance involved. Jase and Sam were very lovely-dovey in their relationship, at points it did get a little graphic. . .

There are some minor things in this book that annoyed me. They weren't very essential to the story, just annoyed me like a lingering itch. I didn't like how Jase's sister, Andy, talked. Huntley Fitzpatrick wrote her dialogue with question-marks after everything. I'm a teenager, and I do not talk that way. (I have not checked the question-mark thing against the final copy, so do take note of that.) And the end left me a little bit unsatisfied. It was a long book, and definitely took its time coming to the climax, but the ending still seemed abrupt. It's not that there were loose ends, more like loose thoughts. Overall these things didn't affect my opinion of the book much.

I recommend this for anyone who could use a summer read. It's a cute romance, and will satisfy anyone looking for just that. This is a wonderful debut novel for Huntley Fitzpatrick.

3.5ish/5 lightbulbs

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #4

 
This is a weekly event hosted by
Breaking The Spine.
A Farewell to Charms (Princess for Hire, #3)Have you ever just gone on Goodreads and looked at all the upcoming books? Practically drool over some of them? I have, SO much. That's why this event is one I can really relate to. Here's the book I'm waiting for this week!

A Farewell to Charms by Lindsey Leavitt
The final book in the Princess For Hire series. :(

Desi Bascomb is a princess substitute prodigy--she's the fastest employee ever to advance to level three in the Facade Agency, and the youngest to ever be a full-time sub. But now with all eyes on Desi, the only thing she wants is a moment alone to talk to Reed, who's a Facade legacy and secretly a sub for princes. As Desi trains for her new role, she spies more than a few cracks in Facade's perfect appearance. But uncovering the agency's dark past might require more than a princess sub can handle by herself. Desi is no damsel in distress, but sometimes a girl needs a knight in shining armor.
*******
Releases June 26th! I recommend checking out the other two books in the series. You can read my review of the second here.
*******
Now Is Good PosterI'm also waiting on the movie version of Before I Die, by Jenny Downham. That book is heart-wrenching, and I can't wait for Dakota Fanning to take the role on. For some reason, they changed the title to Now is Good. I don't even know if the movie will show near me, (my movie theaters are pretty limited) but I can't wait to see how the movie interpretation turns out!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Teaser Tuesday #2

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Shouldbereading.
It's meant to entice readers to read the book you're reading, so I'll be sharing a few sentences from the book I'm currently reading. I'm reading an ARC, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Please note that I have not checked the ARC against the final copy. So here you go! (:

My Life Next Door"Yes! He finally kissed me. And it was," --she pauses-- "actually kind of painful? He's got braces too. But it was still wonderful. He did it right in front of everyone too. After the parade? I'm going to remember it for all eternity. It'll be my last thought as my eyes close for the last time. Then he kissed me after we got ice cream and then when--"

Friday, May 4, 2012

Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore


Gilt
Gilt by Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Published: May 15th, 2012
Pages: 398
My Source: ARC

My review:

This book throws the reader into the marvelous court life of Catherine Howard and her friends. Catherine is one of the infamous Henry VIII's wives, and this book captures her short life through the eyes of her best friend, Kitty Tynley.

I really, really loved this book. I'm a fan of reading this era of historical-fic, and this book was a total guilty pleasure. But it wasn't fluffy, at all. It was a deep and rather dark book, that exposed you, the reader, to the lies, deception, and scheming that went on in Henry VIII's court. It also had some sexual scenes. I figured out that it was Viking Juvenile only when I looked on the Goodreads page. It honestly strikes me as a borderline YA-adult book with its dark and provocative nature.

All the characters in the book were twisted and extremely interesting. Except Cat, she was just  awful. I'm not even going to lie, the fifth star is knocked off mostly because of her attitude. But, she is one of the most vital parts of this story. And for her insanity--I thank it. It was definitely fun to read about. Her dysfunctional relationship with Kitty, and all of her 'friends' added so much depth to each of them.

Although really, Cat & Kitty? I spent the first chapter thinking they were the same person.

I recommend this to fans of historical-fiction. Especially those who are fascinated by Henry VIII (as I am.) Fans of The Luxe would especially like this book, anyone who likes to read about big dresses and even bigger lies.

4/5 lightbulbs

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Review: Dead Time by Anne Cassidy

Dead TimePages: 256
Published: May 22nd, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
My Source: ARC

My Review:

This book followed Rose, a lonely and quiet girl, who experienced a great tragedy when her mother and (kinda) stepfather disappeared five years ago. This takes place in the present time. Rose has just started communicating with her estranged-stepbrother, Joshua. He is desperate to know what happened to their parents. But Rose is hesitant, especially after seeing two of her classmates get murdered.

So my feelings toward this book are mixed. There were parts that I really liked, but moments when I was (mentally)screaming at Rose. Seriously though, trust the police Rose! The police protect us! *sigh* Basically, Rose wasn't the best protagonist. She wasn't easy to like. My favorite character is Skeggsie. I honestly don't know why he's my favorite, but I guess it was because of how he clashed with Rose. All of the characters had hidden depths, and that was very interesting to learn about their pasts.

Considering there are three plots going on at once, the author did well juggling them. I'm not a fan of how two of them were wrapped up (Ricky & their parents' plotlines.) Since this is a series, there is room for improvement. I'm positive the next book will have more of the parent's plotline, so I look forward to it. The sleuthing aspect of this book was written very well.

My main issue was Rose. She was just not likeable, and a protagonist needs to be. Maybe the next book will be in Joshua's POV (cross your fingers.) I did like how the book was written, in 3rd person limited. I haven't read that many books in that POV. I also never expected any of the plot twists!

I do recommend this to any fan of a YA mystery novel. And British novels too, this book had many terms that confused me at first. Thankfully, I have a brother who lived in England who can decode some of the words for me! Give the book a try, I'm sure it will be worth it.
3/5 lightbulbs