Saturday, September 22, 2012

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers


This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: June 19th
Source: Publisher
Rating: I liked it
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
 
The Skinny: A dash of Lord of the Flies and a scoop of reality

I have not read a lot of zombie books, so when I heard about This is Not a Test, I was excited to read it. The idea of teenagers seeking shelter in a high school and having to band together in order to survive is an intriguing storyline. What would these kids do when faced with important decisions? How would they cope with the stress and fear of being alone? This is Not a Test answers each of these questions and provides a realistic view of what would happen if teenagers were placed in such a situation.

The characters are all different manifestations of coping mechanisms when faced with trauma or conflict. One is angry, one is fearful, one is aloof, and one is silent. Sloane, our main character, is so different from most YA characters. She has experienced great abuse and torture. She does not have a stable family life, and she is more interested in ending her life than fighting for it. It is so ironic that she is placed in a situation in which she must fight to survive when she was unable to keep fighting. I really liked Sloane and thought that she behaved in a realistic and consistent manner throughout the story. The other characters are interesting, and I liked seeing how each one handled the stress and loneliness that came with the constant fear of death.

The writing is good and situations are described realistically. Just enough information is revealed to keep readers interested and guessing. The twists and turns are unraveled slowly, so a lot of tension is built up before the great reveals. The one part of the story that I did not enjoy is the end when information is revealed about her family. It seemed a bit farfetched to me, and I did not understand it.

Overall, I liked This is Not a Test. Though I wanted a bit more zombie action, I appreciated the deeper themes that Summers included in the story. Abuse, conflict, anger, and fear are all touched upon in this YA novel. Summers does not gloss over difficult subjects and really embraces the difficult and true parts of life. The best part of this book is that it is realistic in terms of emotions. Some people try to be leaders when dealing with emergency situations, while others will resent those who try to the lead. Others will follow and others still will break away. It’s a good read, and I recommend it to readers who are looking for a deeper YA.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cover Reveal: OPAL by Jennifer L. Armentrout



No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.
Follow this link to an ~~~ EPIC CONTEST ~~~ Announcement. You will want to bookmark this page!
USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.
Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

Friday, September 14, 2012

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout (GIVEAWAY! + Blog Tour)


Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date:
Source: Publisher
Rating: I liked it
Dying sucks-- and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows. Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out.  However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't? But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not have been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.
 
The Skinny: While her sister creates life, a girl causes death.

After reading every book that JLA has published, I was excited to discover that she wrote a new book about a girl who has a deadly touch.  Ember must battle her instinct to protect her younger sister while accepting the help of strangers and navigating a new life that seems to be littered with secrets.

Ember is a really interesting character, and I connected to her and understood her emotions. Her fear and frustrations are understandable and her strength is admirable. She not only took care of her sister and mother but also successfully ran a household. Her dedication to her family is incredible. While I liked Ember’s character, I did not connect with Hayden. Perhaps it has something to do with JLA’s other male characters being so otherworldly and enchanting. I mean, who can compete with Daemon?

Overall, I liked Cursed and hope that the story continues. I want to know more about this world and what is really going on. JLA is so good at creating memorable characters and interesting stories. I am in awe of her talent and how she is able to juggle so many stories.

I have an extra ARC of CURSED that I would like to give to a commenter from the US.   
Just leave a way for me to contact you (Twitter, blog, etc.), and I will randomly select a winner in one week. 
Good luck! I really hope you win.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin (Blog Tour)

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: August 21st
Source: Publisher
Rating: I liked it
At the turn of the twentieth century, in a rural stretch of the Pacific Northwest, a reclusive orchardist, William Talmadge, tends to apples and apricots as if they were loved ones. A gentle man, he’s found solace in the sweetness of the fruit he grows and the quiet, beating heart of the land he cultivates. One day, two teenage girls appear and steal his fruit from the market; they later return to the outskirts of his orchard to see the man who gave them no chase. Feral, scared, and very pregnant, the girls take up on Talmadge’s land and indulge in his deep reservoir of compassion. Just as the girls begin to trust him, men arrive in the orchard with guns, and the shattering tragedy that follows will set Talmadge on an irrevocable course not only to save and protect but also to reconcile the ghosts of his own troubled past.
 
The Skinny: A really good story that illustrates how one’s past directs future actions

When I first started reading The Orchardist, I thought it was going to be a bit dry and boring. Stories about farming and crops do not usually appeal to me, but I was pleasantly surprised that the story uses the orchard as a backdrop to highlight powerful themes, such as love, family, desperation, and loss. The various plot developments always accompany a new feeling or emotion, and the characters are constantly evolving. Coplin’s writing style is lovely and kept me captivated from beginning to end. She made me desperate to find out what happens. My favorite aspect of the book is that we get a sense of past events and we watch as the characters grow and mature.

Because the characters are all well-developed, I felt pulled by them and their actions. I understood why Talmadge, Jane, and Della behaved in certain ways. Their past experiences are described in detail, so it is easy to follow them on their respective journeys. When Talmadge was young, his sister mysteriously disappeared and this deeply rooted sense of loss pushes him to care for Della and Jane. The girls endured a life of abuse, so their aloof manners are understandable. I loved that each character battled an internal and an external conflict. I connected the most with Talmadge. He is supportive, loving, and protective. He cares so deeply for others that towards the end of the novel, I was nervous to see how his tale ended.

The story is believable, heart wrenching, and classic. The pacing is appropriate, and the view we get of the characters at different points in time is one of the reasons why I liked The Orchardist so much. This certainly isn’t a happy story and the ending didn’t leave me with the warm and fuzzies, but the outcome felt real and authentic to the events. I enjoyed this book, and I liked the overarching theme that people are driven and motivated by their past.  

Check out the other tour stops!

Tuesday, August 21st: Cold Read
Wednesday, August 22nd: Paperspines
Thursday, August 23rd: nomadreader
Monday, August 27th: Man of La Book
Tuesday, August 28th: West Metro Mommy
Thursday, August 30th: girlichef
Monday, September 3rd: A Room of One’s Own
Wednesday, September 5th: The Lost Entwife
Wednesday, September 12th: The Feminist Texican [Reads]
Thursday, September 13th: Oh! Paper Pages
Friday, September 14th: Write Meg
Thursday, September 20th: Shall Write
Friday, September 21st: The Written World


Amanda Coplin was born in Wenatchee, Washington. She received her BA from the University of Oregon and MFA from the University of Minnesota. A recipient of residencies from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the Omi International Arts Center at Ledig House in Ghent, New York, she lives in Portland, Oregon. Check out The Orcharist on Goodreads.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

So L.A. by Bridget Hoida (Blog Tour)

So L.A. by Bridget Hoida
Publisher: Lettered Press
Publication Date: June20th
Source: Publisher
Rating: It was ok
Magdalena de la Cruz breezed through Berkeley and built an empire selling designer water.  She’d never felt awkward or unattractive… until she moved to Los Angeles. In L.A., where “everything smells like acetone and Errol Flynn,” Magdalena attempts to reinvent herself as a geographically appropriate bombshell—with rhinestones, silicone and gin—as she seeks an escape from her unraveling marriage and the traumatic death of her younger brother, Junah. Magdalena’s Los Angeles is glitzy and glamorous but also a landscape of the absurd. Her languidly lyrical voice provides a travel guide for a city of make-believe, where even Hollywood insiders feel left out.


The Skinny: Talented writer but flat main character

In So L.A., Magdalena deals with the recent death of her younger brother while trying to keep her business and marriage thriving. Grief drives Magdalena to make irrational decisions and her relationship is jeopardized by her actions. In an effort to ease the pain caused by her brother’s death, Magdalena’s husband suggests a move to Los Angeles, where life quickly falls apart.

There are numerous amusing scenes and quips in this book, and I loved the voice. It is so personable and raw. The scenes and descriptions that are used in the novel are unique, and I appreciated the newness of how people who are falling apart are characterized. Though I enjoyed these quirky scenes, I was unable to connect to Magdalena, and this lack of a bond led me to feel ambivalent about the story. In addition to the disconnection with Magdalena, I also grew frustrated with the flashbacks about Magdalena’s brother and the events after his death. These chapters, while informative, disrupted the pace of the story.

I will say, though, that Bridget is a good writer. When she describes Magdalena’s grieving process, I was emotionally moved. The thought of her calling a telephone number repeatedly just to hear her brother’s voice is wonderfully powerful and effective in showing the depths of her despair.

I live in Orange County and spend a great deal of time in Los Angeles. My cousin currently works in Hollywood, so I am aware of the backstage happenings in LA. Because the title of the story is So L.A., I was expecting a bit more insight on the culture in Los Angeles. Detailed driving directions are provided and comments are made about the paparazzi, but I did not glean anything unique about Los Angeles. I would have liked an insider’s view of LA and its strange and addictive environment.   

Be sure to check out the other tour stops!   
 
Thursday, July 5th:  CBS Los Angeles – LA’s Summer Reading Guide
Monday, August 13th:  The 3R’s Blog
Wednesday, August 15th:  Peppermint Ph.D.
Thursday, August 16th:  Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Monday, August 20th:  Kritter’s Ramblings
Wednesday, August 22nd:  Sweet Southern Home
Thursday, August 23rd:  Book Chatter
Monday, August 27th:  Reviews by Molly
Tuesday, August 28th:  Travel Spot 
Wednesday, August 29th:  Book Club Classics!
Thursday, August 30th:  A Chick Who Reads
Tuesday, September 4th:  A Bookish Affair
Thursday, September 6th: Bookish Whimsy
Friday, September 7th:  In the Next Room
Monday, September 10th:  Colloquium
Tuesday, September 11th:  Oh! Paper Pages
Wednesday, September 12th:  Conceptual Reception
Thursday, September 13th: Seaside Book Nook
 
 
Bridget Hoida lives and writes in Southern California. In past lives she was a librarian, a DJ, a high school teacher and a barista. In this life she experiments with poetry and fiction and has taught writing at UC Irvine, the University of Southern California, and Saddleback College. Bridget is the recipient of an Anna Bing Arnold Fellowship and the Edward Moses prize for fiction. She was a finalist in the Joseph Henry Jackson/San Francisco Intersection for the Arts Award for a first novel and the William Faulkner Pirate’s Alley first novel contest.  Her short stories have appeared in the Berkeley Fiction Review, Mary, and Faultline Journal, among others, and she was a finalist for the Iowa Review Fiction Prize and in the Glimmer Train New Writer’s Short Story Contest. Her poetry has earned her recognition as an Academy of American Poets Prize finalist and she was a Future Professoriate Scholar at USC. She has a BA from UC Berkeley, MA in fiction from San Francisco State University, and a Ph.D. in Literature & Creative Writing from the University of Southern California.  
Visit Bridget’s website for more info at Bridgethoida.com.
 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani


Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Source: Publisher

The fateful first meeting of Enza and Ciro takes place amid the haunting majesty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the last century. Still teenagers, they are separated when Ciro is banished from his village and sent to hide in New York's Little Italy, apprenticed to a shoemaker, leaving a bereft Enza behind. But when her own family faces disaster, she, too, is forced to emigrate to America. Though destiny will reunite the star-crossed lovers, it will, just as abruptly, separate them once again—sending Ciro off to serve in World War I, while Enza is drawn into the glamorous world of the opera . . . and into the life of the international singing sensation Enrico Caruso. Still, Enza and Ciro have been touched by fate—and, ultimately, the power of their love will change their lives forever. A riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny, inspired by the author's own family history, The Shoemaker's Wife is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write.

The Skinny: One of the best books I have read this year.

I love everything about Italy. From the people to the food, I am enchanted by all things Italian. The Shoemaker’s Wife is a wonderful treat to satiate my appetite for the Italian culture. In this historical fiction, readers are introduced to Enza and Ciro and quickly fall in love with their story.

When Ciro is forced to emigrate from Italy to New York, Enza is provided with no explanation of his sudden departure, and she is devastated and left trying to help her family during trying circumstances. Ciro and Enza reunite in New York and their incredible love story unfolds.

This is one of my favorite reads of 2012. It is so richly descriptive, and I felt every character’s pang of uncertainty and every glimmer of hope as if they were my own. This story helps readers understand the journey that immigrants undertake when adjusting to a new life while trying to establish and maintain relationships. I was most impressed by the characters’ strength in the face of constant conflict and turmoil. Rather than being broken down by their situation, the characters always rise to a challenge and lean on each other to find the strength to move on. It is such a heartwarming theme, and I was inspired by their actions.

When I finished The Shoemaker’s Wife, I felt like my reading experience was complete. I did not have any lingering questions or regrets. The story is moving and the characters and plot feel authentic. This is the perfect story to read if you are looking for an interesting look at family and love. 


For more information about Adriana, be sure to visit her website www.adrianatrigiani.com, her Facebook page, or her Twitter account.