Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Slide
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Release: March 2012
Summary:
Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. 

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. 

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.
Sliding into another person's mind...such a great idea. 
Plus, it's a mystery, which is always a bonus! ;)

What are you waiting this week?


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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
Release: September, 2011
Pages: 304 (hardcover)
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
"Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. 

This is not her story. 

Unless you count the part where I killed her."

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible....Read more at Goodreads.
Mini-Thoughts:  From the startling intro, it becomes obvious that Alison is different. Very different, especially in comparison to the myriad of other gals in YA lit out there. The details Alison notices about others (+ how she notices them) and her uniqueness really shines with Anderson's magnetizing writing. Despite Alison's obvious fear of herself, what she might be capable of, and her unusual condition, she was still so easy to like and enjoy. Regarding the storyline, I'm keeping quiet for the sake of the story. What I will say is that it genre-jumps quite a bit, but the constant what-comes-next quality this story has is what makes Ultraviolet incredible. 

Highlights: This story surprised me to no end, and in a great way. Character relations are realistic, and the characters themselves are so vibrant, developed. Anderson's writing is mesmerizing, especially regarding Alison's odd ability....Mysterious, creative and downright surprising, Ultraviolet is a story you will not be able to tear yourself away from. 

Lowlights: I have a personal, negative bias with genre-jumping books. It's a weird experience to read something that feels like genre, then turns into another, and then another. But I found that it didn't bother me too much in this story.

Rating: 4/5 


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Friday, July 22, 2011

Cover Love #1 - Hollow Pike by James Dawson



Melissa at I Swim For Oceans has a new Friday feature that's perfect for anyone who adores book covers. To figure out how to join in on Cover Love, visit I Swim For Oceans. Be sure to check out her awesome pick this week too!

Title: Hollow Pike
Author: James Dawson
Publisher: Indigo/Orion (UK publisher)
Publish Date: February 2012 
Fun Fact: ....(I've got nothing, sorry!)... 
Why I Have Cover Lust: I'm not usually a fan of covers like this, but for some reason this one works for me. I love the eerie trees, branches, and birds that seem to effortlessly blend into the girl's profile....And I am in love with that title font! The design is just incredible :)


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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (Times Two!)


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Release: February 7th, 2012
Summary:
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—nicknamed The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms eventually will. In this dystopia, even the very air she breathes could kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild, dangerous—a savage. He’s also her only hope. 

Perry needs Aria, too. She alone holds the key to his redemption. And their unlikely alliance will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky....Read more at Goodreads.
Love the sound of this! The cover is awesome, especially the font.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Author: Rae Carson
Release: September 20th, 2011
Summary:
Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. 

Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. 

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior....read more at Goodreads
This one intrigues me as well - and it's on Netgalley (yay!) 

What are you waiting on?


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PS: Sorry for no posts yesterday and Monday - I'm having some issues with my scheduled posts (some of the scheduled ones keep disappearing...which is a bit of a problem!)

Saturday, July 16, 2011

In My Mailbox 53


(Past few weeks of books)

For Review 
Damned by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguie
Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
Tighter by Adele Griffin
Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
 
Ebooks For Review (from Netgalley)
Frost by Wendy Delsol (!!)
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Bought
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Solstice by P.J. Hoover 
(Juju's review convinced me to buy it)


Many thanks to Erin, Nancy/Debbie, Yafen, Tor, Amazon Vine and the respective publishers on Netgalley who provided the egalleys! :)


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Friday, July 15, 2011

Two Year Blogoversary (Giveaway)


YA Book Queen is officially two years old! YAY! :)

I can honestly hardly believe it! Thank you so much to all of my readers (both then and now, silent readers and verbal ones!) for dropping by and leaving me kind comments when I was going through a rough time this year. Even when I've had to disappear for awhile, you are all always here when I get back. 

Thank you so much to all the bloggers and authors who gave me a helping hand back when my blog was just beginning two years ago - I couldn't have gotten this far without those of you who gave me blogging help when I desperately needed it. I couldn't ask for a better hobby or community than this, and I hope that this year I can work harder on networking with all of you because you are truly amazing people that I hope to get to know better. Here's to another year of reviews/interviews/giveaways/bookish fun, and hopefully it will be the best year yet!

And now, a giveaway! Follower or not, all are welcome to enter. 

Giveaway
Ends August 18th, 2011
International 
(as long as The Book Depository ships to you)

***
Winner #1: Choice of two books from The Book Depository
Winner #2: ARC of LEGEND by Marie Lu + swag


To enter, please fill out the form below:


Good luck! :)


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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls 
Release: June 14th, 2011
Pages: 352 (hardcover)
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Source: Netgalley
Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.
Review: Imaginary Girls is a haunting tale of two sisters and the power sisterhood can have.

Chloe has always been "Ruby's sister" to everyone in her town. Ruby is magnetic and powerful there. So much so, Chloe thinks that there isn't anything her sister can't do. When Chloe comes back to town to live with her sister, she finds that things have changed. Someone who she thought was dead is alive, and no one but her seems to think it's odd. People listen to Ruby more than Chloe realized...and Ruby may have more power and deadly secrets than Chloe could ever imagine.

The pacing is slow going at first, but once the mysteries surrounding Ruby and London start being revealed, the pace picks up. Plot-wise, it's difficult to say anything more than I've already said for fear of spoilers. There's this constant eerie undertone to Nova Ren Suma's words, and I was always left with questions and enough intrigue to keep going by the end of every chapter. When it began, I thought it was entirely contemporary. Yet, it transcended it's contemporary roots and delved into something supernatural and utterly unusual. I can honestly say I've never read anything like Imaginary Girls, and I want more of it. 

Highlights: This book isn't about boys or romance, but instead the author focuses on sisters and family. Yes, there are a few "romance" moments, but the sisterly bond is the more important aspect of the story. Ruby herself is so magnetic, hypnotic, and very much like a firework - she sparkles, shines, she might be dangerous, but you just want to get closer. Her character was really well done. The underwater city of Olive was especially interesting to me, and I wish we could know more about it. The magical realism, the secrets, the twists, the reveals, and the surprising conclusion were all welcome highlights to Imaginary Girls.

Lowlights: The first couple chapters after the intro almost put me off the story completely. It took some time to get into the author's writing, the slow pacing and constant thought of "What is going on?", but I found it worthwhile once I made it further into the book. The focus on Ruby through Chloe's perspective could also be overwhelming at times, but I did get used to it.

Rating: 4


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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (Times Two!)


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Release: March 2012
Summary:
Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free. 

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again. 
Anything that's written by Lauren Oliver automatically captures my interest because I adore her books. I'm so very curious to see where Lena's story goes in this one...especially after how Delirium ended! 
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When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Release: February 2012
A girl fakes her own suicide to escape from the strict confines of her aristocratic family and a likely arranged marriage, only to be confronted with the harsh realities of living in the slums with the working class and the ultimate discovery that the boy she’s fallen in love with is plotting a rebellion to destroy her family. 


What are you waiting on?


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