Release Day: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Today is the day that Tera Lynn Childs book Forgive My Fins comes out!! If I wasn't stuck at home sick, I'd totally be running off to the bookstore and snagging a copy because Tera is wonderful (and her Oh. My. Gods. series rocks)!


Summary: Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.


Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.


When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.


And be sure to drop by Tera's blog and leave a comment on her posts for this week, because for every comment this week Tera will donate a quarter to Oceana.

Exit Strategy by Ryan Potter Review

Book: Exit Strategy

Author: Ryan Potter

Age: Young Adult (perhaps 14+)

Release date: March 1st, 2010

Pages: 312

Source: Author

Summary:

Looming above Zach Ramsey's hometown of Blaine are the smokestacks of the truck assembly plant, the greasy lifeblood of this Detroit suburb. Surrounded by drunks, broken marriages, and factory rats living in fear of the pink slip, Zach is getting the hell out of town after graduation. But first, he's going to enjoy the summer before senior year.

Getting smashed with his best friend Tank and falling in love for the first time, Zach's having a blast until he uncovers dark secrets that shake his faith in everyone--including Tank, a wrestler whose violent mood swings betray a shocking habit.

As he gets pulled deeper into an ugly scandal, Zach is faced with the toughest decision of his life--one that will prove just what kind of adult he's destined to be.

Review: Realistic, unique, and totally awesome debut novel.

Onto the story, Exit Strategy is really Zach's coming of age story, mixed in with a lot of scandal, secrets, and a bit of romance. It all starts with what seems like an easy enough task for Zach to complete, and that's when everything goes downhill. Soon enough, Zach's falling for Sarah, Tank's twin sister, and everything he ever thought he knew is falling to pieces. After all, everyone has secrets...but Zach's just now discovering them all, and he feels like it's up to him to do something about it all. 

I have to say, Tank Foster (Zach's best friend) definitely stole the show at some points. His character was so intriguing, and I was always wondering when he'd snap. Zach was a great character as well. His personality seemed legitimate, and his voice seemed real. He has flaws, and he's not perfect, but he is still very likable. Potter describes all of his characters nicely, giving you the perfect idea of just what these characters are like and who they are.

Exit Strategy is filled with enough subplots to keep the story moving at a nice pace (and yet they never left me confused). This is one of those books where I can't tell you much (unless I want to spoil the plot), but I can say that it was a great, realistic story and worthwhile to read. 

Highlights: Potter creates a realistic and well developed character with Zach. The plot never ceased to be interesting and entertaining. I also loved how the ending wasn't your average ending, because it really makes the book stand out more.

Lowlights: Hmm...I guess I wanted a bit more of the romance angle? But honestly, I'm not complaining. 

Rating:    

Pretty Little Liars Secret Keeper Contest

Yep, I'm a secret keeper!

I was chosen to participate in a game revolving around Pretty Little Liars, in honor of the television series (premieres June 8th, don't miss it!). Naturally, I was all for it.

The Box!!

When my package came Tuesday morning, I opened it up to find quite the surprise...

Dirt???

Dirt. With a plastic covering saying "Some secrets you have to dig for.  -A"

After lifting this off, and digging through the dirt, I pulled out an iPhone (with some preloaded content like pictures, contact info for my fellow liars), charger/earphones, and a super secret object that I'm not allowed to talk about right now (and when I saw it, I was confused...and still am confused about it's significance, but I'm sure A will tell us what it's all about in time).

I'm Hanna!

In the game, we're all playing as different characters (40 people in groups of 4, with one Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily in each group). A sends us texts, with challenges we need to complete or else she'll spill our secrets (and we only get 10)! The game will go from May 24th to June 18th, so I'll definitely be sure to keep you all updated on what's happening!

I completed my first challenge on Tuesday, after quite a bit of web searching. I've got to admit, the A who's sending the messages is just as creepy as "book" A...


But A has sent a message on Facebook today saying to get ready with our fans, readers, and friends, because another challenge is coming up. Soon.

If you want to help, be prepared, because I might be posting soon asking/begging for help!


Lea