Waiting on Wednesday (105)

ALIENATED by Melissa Landers

February 4th, 2014

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy loves, but for the future of her planet.

Sounds like a fun book! I love the colors in the cover, and the opposite-settings meeting in the middle. 

LEAP OF FAITH by Jamie Blair

September 3rd, 2013

"Now that Leah Kurtz has a place to call home, there’s no way she can tell the truth.

That her name is Faith, not Leah.

That she’s seventeen, not nineteen.

That the baby isn’t hers—she kidnapped her.

She had to kidnap Addy though. She couldn’t let her newborn sister grow up like she did, with parties where the drugs flow all night and an empty refrigerator in the kitchen holding nothing but pickle juice and ketchup packets inside.

She can’t risk losing Chris—the only guy she’s ever given herself to completely—by telling him she’s been lying. He’s the most generous person she’s ever known, and he’s already suffered the tragic deaths of his mom and infant sister.

But being on the run with a newborn catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions, and Chris’s aunt finds a newspaper article about Faith and a missing baby. Faith knows it’s time to run again—from Chris and the only place that’s ever felt like home."

This one seems like it could be an interesting contemporary. I love the scenery and warm colors in the cover - I just wish there weren't so many faces!

What are you waiting on this week? 

Mini-Review: FALLING KINGDOMS by Morgan Rhodes

Title: FALLING KINGDOMS
Author: Morgan Rhodes (aka, Michelle Rowen)
Series: Falling Kingdoms #1
Published: December 11th, 2012
Pages: 412
POV: 3rd (alternating)
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Advanced Readers Copy
Source: Unsolicited from Publisher

"In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?"

I had such high hopes for FALLING KINGDOMS after reading the summary, but it ended up falling short of my expectations. This was not a terrible story, because it was highly entertaining and completely capable of capturing and holding my attention. However, the main characters were utterly unlikable, bland, and clichéd. Whenever they were in danger, I could not summon any sympathy or concern for them, let alone enjoy their successes. Fortunately, the world these underwhelming characters live in fascinated me to no end. There was plenty of action interspersed throughout the novel to keep the story exciting and addictive. In the end, FALLING KINGDOMS is a good story to devour if you're in the mood for a vivid and thrilling YA high fantasy, but the action and worldbuilding (unfortunately) do not compensate for what is lacking in character development. 

Highlights: The world itself in FALLING KINGDOMS is fascinating, and I enjoyed the pacing. Strangely enough (and despite the disconnect between myself and the characters), I became completely wrapped up in the story and the world. This is an easy story to get lost in for a few hours, and every concluding chapter left me eager for the next. 

Lowlights: I could not connect with a single character in this book. I can love flawed characters, but these main characters had barely any or even no redeeming qualities. The only "good" character, Lucia, was so stereotypical, I was tempted to skip ahead whenever her chapters arrived. The sort-of-but-not-really-but-still-kind-of-like incest thing was strange and I wish it had not been a plot point, since it served no purpose in the end but to make Magnus appear incredibly creepy. Cleo's instalove was off-putting and unrealistic. A few predictable moments.

Final Thoughts: The writing was not as strong as I hoped it would be, but FALLING KINGDOMS did have quite a few enjoyable moments. I would recommend checking this out at your local library first to see if it is your type of story, especially if you're a YA fantasy.

The Queen's Library (27)

GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers (Purchased for Kindle)
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (gifted)
THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater (gifted, my review)
NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN by Kate Ellison (ARC, accepted review pitch)

Thanks to Casey from Media Masters Publicity for the review book, my parents for the two hardcovers, and Racquel for convincing me to give GRAVE MERCY a chance!

What did you get this week? 

The feature is inspired by Pop Culture Junkie's This Week In Books, The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, and Mailbox Monday. The Queen's Library is a way for me to feature books that I add to my bookshelves and a place to post my weekly recommendations. This is not a new meme, but merely an adjusted feature that is better suited to my blog and needs.