Waiting on Wednesday (times two!) (90)

WoW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

May 21st, 2013 

Simon Pulse

I have no idea what this book is about, but it's written by Sarah Ockler. Therefore, it is a must-read. 

Altered by Jennifer Rush

January 2nd, 2013 

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

"Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away."

This cover is a huge improvement: Love the branch effect and the disconnected font, and the shirtless guy doesn't hurt...however, I'm still not 100% sold on this cover. Maybe it's the partial-face that bugs me, it always looks weird on covers. But, I'm excited for the story inside!

What are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday (84) (times two!)

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

March 5th, 2013

Simon Pulse

"After her older sister dies from an apparent suicide and her body is found hanging upside down by one toe from a tree, sixteen-year-old Sophie starts to hear the same voices that drove her sister to a psychotic break."

Not much info so far, but it does sound pretty intriguing. 

Can't wait to see a full summary...

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver

March 5th, 2013

HarperTeen

"Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that 'like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale.'

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge."

I am so excited for this book! The ending to Pandemonium was such torture and I can't wait to see what happens next. Plus, having Hana's POV along with Lena's should be interesting!

What are you waiting on?

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
Release: 3 May, 2011
Pages: 384 (hardcover)
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Bought & Publicist
Summary:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

Sexy, mysterious, exciting and filled with surprises - Shift has it all. The story begins with Aura being a bit (okay, extremely) bummed out regarding what happened to Logan previously. It isn't until a few chapters later where the Aura that I adore comes back - her sarcastic humor never ceased to amuse me. But, there are still of troubles, whether it's with boys or even with the DMP. Smith-Ready excels at creating genuine and honest chemistry (both friendship-wise and romantic) between characters, but only one of the lovely guys who adores Aura truly fits with her the best, and I loved seeing this relationship grow. 

In between typical (and not so typical) teenage drama lies a mystery that will captivate readers entirely. The significance of Aura and Zachary's births, Aura's mother, The Shift, Stonehenge, one downright shocking secret, and so much more....the closer Aura came to discovering everything, the more hooked on the story I became.

Shade delivered compelling and realistic characters, Shift came through with plenty of seductive secrets, and I have no doubt that Jeri Smith-Ready is going to give readers something spectacular with the next novel,  Shine.

Highlights: Many of the characters grew in this installment. And Smith-Ready made a kilt sexy...which I didn't think was possible. Smith-Ready ends the story nicely, but leaves quite a few tantalizing hooks to keep readers curious for the third novel¹. All in all, these books are must-reads, so go check out the first novel if you haven't already!

Lowlights: Despite the incredible chemistry², the boy drama got to be a bit much every now and then. I wanted to shake some sense into quite a few characters! 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Other reviews in this series:
Shade (Shade #1)


1 No joke. I'm dying to know what happens next. I would consider trading my sibling for a copy of Shine, and I'm fairly sure that wouldn't be entirely legal.
2 And yes, there are plenty of super-sexy moments. And a couple might be for more mature teens.