Monday, April 29, 2013

Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey


The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Fifth Wave #1
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Number of Pages: 480
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Penguin Canada
GRAmazonBDChapters
The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.  
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.  
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
I’m not sure where to start with this book. The 5th Wave was one of the books I knew I had to read this year, since I only heard good things about it. You can be sure that it made its way to the top of my to be read pile, and I started it as soon as I was done with my current read. Starting a book with expectations as high as mine were can be risky. After all, I wanted it to be amazing. I needed it to be amazing. Luckily, this book does live up to its expectations. The 5th Wave is definitely a book you need to check out this year. Forget about the Zombie Apocalypse, it’s the aliens you need to worry about.

I’m not even sure where to start with this book. There were so many things that made me love this novel. One of the things I really enjoy, even though it sometimes annoys me, is the multiple points of view. In The 5th Wave, those points of view does not make the story confusing, but it instead creates a richer world. We see the different situations the survivors could end up in, and we can see how the world now works. The most predominant character in the story is certainly Cassie, I girl I definitely would want on my side if the alien apocalypse came to happen. She is a strong and powerful character that is driven by her loyalty to those she loves. You definitely end up rooting for her.

Other narrators do come out strong in this novel, but Cassie is the one that stood out to me. She is the one that drove the novel forward. This didn’t stop me from enjoying every points of view to a certain level. Every character kept me hooked.

Now, romance lovers will be happy to know that there is a little romance in this book. It is not a major part of the book, but it is still there and I couldn’t help but squeal a few times thanks to the great love interest we get to meet. And, of course, I can’t forget about the few twits this book has, twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If there is one book you must read this year, it is The 5th Wave. I feel like I keep you talking about this book forever, but I will let you discover the awesomeness that is hidden in its pages. One thing is for sure; The 5th Wave is the kind of book that you will have trouble putting down. I’m definitely dying to read the sequel.

About the Author:
From Goodreads

Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida.


Saturday, April 27, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #7


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, inspired by In My Mailbox. It is a way for blogger to share the books we got during the week.

I haven't been online that much in the last two weeks, as it was the end of the semester. I'm now back, and I got some pretty great books in the last few weeks! I'll be back Monday with a review of The 5th Wave!

For Review:

Physical copies:



From NetGalley:

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler
The Truth about You and Me by Amanda Grace
Confession of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
This Side of Jealousy by Lili Peloquin
Between the Devil and the Deep See by April Genevieve Tucholke
Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
Tarnish by Katherine Longshore
Belladonna by Fional Paul
Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards
Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
Proxy by Alex London
Firecracker by David Iserson
Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer

Huge thanks to Flux, Sourcebooks Fire, Raincoast Books, Simon & Schuster Canada, Harper Collins Canada, Harlequin Teen, Penguin and Kensington.

What did YOU  add to your shelves?

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, my pick is:


Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Publisher: Dutton 
From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever. 

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

What book are you waiting for this week?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, my pick is:



The End Games by T. Michael Martin
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins

It happened on Halloween. 
The world ended. 
And a dangerous Game brought it back to life. 
Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.   
In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good. 
But The Game is changing. 
The Bellows are evolving. 
The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules. 
And the brothers will never be the same. 
T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.
What book are you waiting for this week?

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White


Mind Games by Kiersten White
Mind Games #1
Release Date: February 19th, 2013
Number of Pages: 237
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Bought
GR - Amazon - BD - Indigo
Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.
  
Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.  
In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.
I was so excited to read Mind Games, and I guess that left me with really high expectations. I had read and really enjoyed her other work, and I was expecting to enjoy this one as much. Sadly, I ended up being disappointed by this book. When I heard about Mind Games, I thought the premise sounded really interesting. The thing is, I felt like this book was all over the place. Mind Games had two points of view, Annie and Fia. On top of that, we also get flashbacks, and that’s where I got confused. I could understand that the flashbacks helped us understand who Fia and Annie really are, and the reason why they are where they are. Still, considering how short the book, I felt it was too much.

One of the reasons why I really wanted to read this book was the fact that I heard there was a really great sister bond between Fia and Annie, and I was excited to see how it would be portrayed. Yet, I didn’t get what I wanted, because we don’t get to see those two together that often. Besides wanting to protect each other, nothing really stood out in their relationship.

Annie is an interesting character, but I felt like she had more potential than what was shown. She is a little in the background for most of the story, even if we get to see her point of view. After all, she might be blind, but she can also see the future. Yet, she is stuck in her room for most of the novel. Now, when it comes down to Fia, she was a kickass character, and I mean that literally. I think I could have liked her a lot more than I did, if her narration hadn’t been all over the place, as I felt it was. I still enjoyed reading about her, seeing her question her orders and everything, but I was expecting more.

Overall, I was a little disappointed by this book. Maybe my expectations were too high. Mind Games simply ended up being all over the place for me, which made the story a little confusing by moments. It was also lacking the little something that made me really enjoy Paranormalcy and its sequels. I’m still curious enough that I will probably pick up the sequel.

About the Author:
From Goodreads

“I'm the New York Times best-selling author of Paranormalcy and Supernaturally. I also give the most awkward hugs in the world. You should probably opt for one of my books over one of my hugs, but then again, maybe you like awkward hugs.

As for me, I like writing flirting scenes, and fighting scenes, and sometimes I write scenes that fall somewhere in between the two, but only if I can't avoid it.”


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: The Last Academy by Anne Applegate

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, my pick is:



The Last Academy by Anne Applegate
Release Date: May 1st, 2013
Publisher: Point


Curtis Sittenfeld's PREP meets THE SIXTH SENSE in this spine-tingling, unforgettable debut. 

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam--and readers--stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

What book are you waiting for this week? 

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Review: Moonset by Scott Tracey


Moonset by Scott Tracey
Legacy of Moonset #1
Release Date: April 8th, 2013
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Flux
Source: NetGalley
GR - Amazon - BD - Chapters

Moonset, a coven of such promise . . . Until they turned to the darkness.  
After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started.  
A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason the Congress relocated them . . .

Moonset was an interesting novel. I was a little uncertain when I first started this novel, as I was not the biggest fan of Witch Eyes. I still wanted to give this new series a chance. I thought it sounded like something I would enjoy, and I die enjoy the story to a certain level. You know when you read a book and there is a little something missing, but you can’t pinpoint it? Well, that’s what happened here. The premise was really interesting, with the coven, and the story revolving around the children of a terrorist coven. There is a good intrigue, an interesting plot, and I did enjoy reading the novel. Yet, there was still a little something that made it hard for me to love it. I guess it might have something to do with the main character.

The story is told from Justin’s point of view. I didn’t always enjoy following his narration, and I think this book would have gained a lot if there had been maybe a second point of view. There was something about his voice that drew me out of the story, and I can’t really explain why, since I still find Justin to be an interesting character. Jenna was one character I really wish I could have learned more about. We only know she is the troublemaker of the group, and she sounded like a character that could have been really interesting had I learned more about her. She’s not the only one that stood out as one-dimensional. We don’t get to learn much about Malcom, Cole, Bailey, and Jenna. There are characters we do get to know more in dept, like Quinn and Ash, but it wasn’t enough for me.

Overall, I think Legacy of Moonset has a lot of potential, and I will certainly continue this series. Moonset was interesting, and I’m really curious to see where Scott Tracey will be taking the story next. I found the world of magic and witch politic to be really interesting. I do know we will get to know the other characters more in the sequels, and I am really curious to see what will happen next to Justin, Jenna and company.

About the Author:
From GoodReads

Scott wrote his autobiography at age six, and its all been downhill since then. He traveled the country on a Greyhound for a month, devoted a semester of school to starting a series of urban legends, and spent five years perfecting how to say "would you like fries with that" for a short story. Or so he claims.


Top Ten Favorite Books I read before I was a Blogger


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and Bookish


I find it so hard to remember what I've read before I became a blogger. Here are some of the titles I know for sure I read before I was a blogger.


The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Do I really need to explain this series? I have love this series ever since I first started it when I was around ten. It is, and always will be, one of my favorite series.


Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
This was one of the series that really brought me back into Young Adult. I bought it on a whim while I was shopping on Amazon, and I never regretted it. 

His Dark Material by Philip Pullman
I read this series when I was a child in French, and my copy is almost destroyed. I think I read it over twenty time, and I took it with me on a few trips.


If I Stay by Gayle Forman
I fell in love with Gayle Forman/s writing with this book. It was one of those lucky discovery, as I had never heard of that book before buying it. I saw it a the right time, and it came home with me.


My Side of the Story by Will Davis
This book was both touching and hilarious. I bought this book mostyl because it stood out on the shelves, and it got me curious. 


Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
One of the rare adult series I still read up to this day. I think I read the first four books in less than two days. 


Aliss by Patrick Senecal
This book is written by a Quebec author, and I don't think there is any English translation. Still, Aliss is probably one of the most weird and extrem retelling of Alice in Wonderland I have ever read. Let's just say it's for an older audience.

I didn't make it to ten this week, but I chose books I really loved.
What is YOUR Top Ten this week?

Monday, April 08, 2013

Review: Tiger by William Richter


Tiger by William Richter
Dark Eyes #2
Release Date: March 21st, 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: NetGalley
GR - Amazon - BD - Chapters
A vigilante fights for justice at any cost. Wallis Stoneman isn’t like other teenage girls. She’s beautiful, fearless, and deadly.
  
Wally lives alone in her Brooklyn loft. She’d be a regular teenager, except that she’s the daughter of a Russian assassin. Crime is in Wally’s blood, but she uses her legacy for good: she solves missing persons cases for the Ursula Society, an under-the-radar organization that uses oft-illegal tactics to find people the police have given up on.  
The person Wally most wants to find? Tiger, her own fugitive brother. But the closer Wally gets to finding Tiger, the more dangerous her search becomes. And Klesko, Wally and Tiger’s sadistic father, is again at large. With two highly-skilled con men against them, Wally and Tiger band together to destroy a conspiracy in which they—and their hearts—are mere pawns.
I fell in love with the addicting writing of William Richter in Dark Eyes. I was more than excited to read the sequel, and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next to Wally and, of course, Tiger. We are brought back into the action packed world we first go into in Dark Eyes. I’m happy to say, this sequel was far from disappointed for me. In Tiger, Wally is getting her life together after the loss of her mother, and the news of her brother’s existence. Yet, life can’t be easy with a brother on the run, and a powerful and dangerous father with enemies just as powerful and dangerous.

We follow once again Wally as she finds herself caught in a dangerous situation. If one thing is for sure, it is that Wally is stubborn. Not only that, but her heart is in the right place. She can’t help wanting to find her long lost brother, and she can’t help wanting to help Kyle. She can’t also help getting herself in trouble, but our Wally can certainly take care of herself. Then, there’s Tiger. I was happy to once again have an insight on what is going on with his life. I found Tiger to be such an interesting character, and I almost wish we could have seen more of his life. He is caught in his father’s legacy, and he has no other choice but to live a life of crime. We are also introduced to a new character, Kyle. He comes to Wally looking for help, but his appearance brought more trouble than she could have expected.

Tiger was addicting as its predecessor. There might not have been as much action as there was in Dark Eyes, but it didn’t make this book boring. Instead, we get a better insight on Wally’s life and thoughts, letting us get to know her better. Fans of Dark Eyes will enjoy Wally’s new adventures. The ending leaves us thinking there will be another book coming, which I do hope is true. I have loved both novels by William Richter, and I cannot wait to read more from him.

About the Author:
From GoodReads

William Harlan Richter is a Hollywood screenwriter. He was nominated for an Emmy Award as Producer of “We Stand Alone Together”, the documentary episode of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. William was born and raised in California.


Thursday, April 04, 2013

Review: White Lines by Jennifer Banash


White Lines by Jennifer Banash
Release Date: April 4th, 2013
Number of Pages: 304
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: NetGalley
GR - Amazon - BD - Chapters
A gritty, atmospheric coming of age tale set in 1980s New York City.  
Seventeen-year-old Cat is living every teenager’s dream: she has her own apartment on the Lower East Side and at night she’s club kid royalty, guarding the velvet rope at some of the hottest clubs in the city. The night with its crazy, frenetic, high-inducing energy—the pulsing beat of the music, the radiant, joyful people and those seductive white lines that can ease all pain—is when Cat truly lives. But her daytime, when real life occurs, is more nightmare than dream. Having spent years suffering her mother’s emotional and physical abuse, and abandoned by her father, Cat is terrified and alone—unable to connect to anyone or anything. But when someone comes along who makes her want to truly live, she’ll need to summon the courage to confront her demons and take control of a life already spinning dangerously out of control.   
Both poignant and raw, White Lines is a gripping tale and the reader won’t want to look away.
I was really excited to get my hands on White Lines by Jennifer Banash, and I simply couldn’t wait to read it. I was curious to see how the settings would be affecting the story. Sadly, the story, even though it had potential to be really interesting, failed to really impress. I felt like the story being set in the ‘80’s didn’t really affect the plot that much, and that really disappointed me. The time period was one of the reasons I really wanted to read it, and it didn’t wow me.

More than that, there were other little things that made it hard for me to really enjoy this novel. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked excitement. White Lines should have been a heavy and emotional story, but I felt like many part of the book were superficial.  I felt no connection to the story and narration, which gave me the feeling of reading the story as seen by someone from afar. It lacked emotions, and White Lines seemed like the kind of book that should have been able to really touch the reader deeply. After all, Cat’s story is full of drug, abuse, and heartbreak.

White Lines is the kind of novel in which the main character takes an important part in liking this book. I might have felt pity for some parts of Cat’s past, but I simply couldn’t find it in me to really find her story interesting. Cat was a little all over the place as a character, and there were things about her that didn’t work for me. Also, Cat’s drug use, or rather the consequences of her drug use, felt wrong to me. She doesn’t really appear to have consequences on her that much, other than leaving her tired from all the partying. Shouldn’t cocaine leave her some more effects than only the dark circles under her eyes? Well, I’m not an expert on cocaine, but it felt weird.

Overall, White Lines by Jennifer Banash simply wasn’t really working for me. I had high expectations for this novel, and they were far from met. I know this book will please many readers, but it didn’t include me. I might give Jennifer Banash’s other novels a chance, but this book simply charmed me.

About the Author:
From GoodReads

Jennifer Banash was born and raised in New York City. She now lives in Southern California with her beagle, Sigmund, and her vast collection of designer shoes.


Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, my pick is:



Arclight by Josin L. McQuein
Release Date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Greenwillows Book
No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.  

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it. 

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

What book are you waiting for this week? 

Monday, April 01, 2013

2013 Update (3): March

March was a really great reading month for me. I don't know why, I just couldn't stop reading. I read almost one book everyday, and I was lucky enough to read some really great books. I was also able to write many reviews that I hadn't written yet, and I had time to schedule many post. I know April won't be as good as March, since I have two exam on April 18th and 19th, and I'm working over 30 hours this week (and I usually work 10 hours when I have school.) Here it is for March.

What I've read:

Reboot by Amy Tintera
Being Henry David by Cal Armistead (Review)
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Gone by Michael Grant
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Review)
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett (Review)
Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen (Review)
Flash Point by Nancy Kress
Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington (Review)
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (Review)
Dark Eyes by William Richter (Review)
17&Gone by Nova Ren Suma (Review)
Tiger by William Richter
White Lines by Jennifer Banash
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters 
Once by Anna Carey
Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Feedback by Robinson Wells
The Ward by Jordana Frankel
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Clockworkd Princess by Cassandra Clare (Review)
With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Moonset by Scott Tracey
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson  (Review)
Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine
Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs

Part of my 2013 TBR Challenge
Gone by Michael Grant
Flash Point by Nancy Kress
Dark Eyes by William Richter
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Feedback by Robinson Wells
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Books I want to read in April
The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson
The Viscious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
Summer and Bird by Katherine Catmull
Ferocity Summer by Alissa Grosso
Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves
Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

The theme this month is BEA books. I have 5 books left to read, and I really want to read them before BEA this year.


Here it is for March! Any books I should check out in April?