Book Review: Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

Invisibility
Authors:  Andrea Cremer and David Levithan
Publisher:  Philomel, 358 pages
Publication Date:  May 7. 2013

From Goodreads:
Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

Review:
I really felt for Stephen.  It's been about a year since his mother died and she was the only one in his life.  So he's been completely alone, with no one to talk to.  He spends his time mostly in his apartment, reading or watching TV, and then the rest of the time he wanders around, the city listening to other people's conversations but having absolutely no interaction at all. So sad.  Then one day he sees Elizabeth, who has just moved into the apartment down the hall, and she sees him.  The only person who has ever been able to see him. They feel an instant connection, which is a little bit annoying, but there's so much insta-love in YA these days, I just went...eh.  I could definitely understand it from his side.  I mean, come on, this girl is the only person who can see him.  He doesn't even know what he looks like and when he finds out, it's just so emotional.  “There is no way to describe how I feel. This is something I've never known. She has told me something I've never known.” 

The whole book is pretty emotional.  It's told from both Stephen and Elizabeth's POV (I'm assuming David Levithan wrote Stephen and Andrea Cremer wrote Elizabeth).  I have to admit, I enjoyed Stephen's POV a bit more for some reason.  It may just be his character was so sympathetic.  I've read some reviews that were really anti-Elizabeth, but I wasn't.  She is tough and a little less sympathetic, but she obviously cares for Stephen and would do anything to help him.  And then she finds out something about herself that makes her very important to the overall story (I won't spoil it for you by telling what it is).  

Laurie is a great character and provides much needed comic relief.  “News flash," he says. "I'm gay, not a witch. Gay and witch is Dumbedore, and last time I checked, he was still just a guy in a book.” 

The world of spellseekers and cursecasters was an interesting one.  What the cursecasters can do is frightening.  I wish the spellseekers could do more and there are hints at what is to come, but the problem is whether there will be another book.  The ending partially resolves some things, but others are left wide open.  It would have been so easy to wrap it up, too.  So if there is not another book, that really just makes me angry.  

Posted by:  Pam

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Waiting on Wednesday features upcoming releases and is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Perfect Ruin 

Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Expected Publication Date: October 1, 2013

From Goodreads:
On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 15-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Why I'm Excited:
Well, every time I see the cover on other people's blogs I'm intrigued plus I want to know if naming the location "Internment" was intentional or just convenient.

Posted by:  Sheri

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Fall Releases

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Pam's Picks:  I just picked books I'm looking forward to reading that are coming out in October.  What a great month!

1.   Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  

2.  Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

3.  Horde by Ann Aguirre

4.  Emerald Green by Kerstin Giber

5.  Resist by Sarah Crossan

There are actually others that are coming out in October that I've already read that would have been on my list:  Never Fade, Tandem, Altered, and Hereafter.

Sheri's List: I'm flying to Poland for an 8 day work trip so I will finally have an opportunity to read some of the books on my kindle!

1. Steel Lily by Megan Curd
2. Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout
3. Beastly by Alex Flinn
4. Spellcaster by Claudia Gray
5. Defiance by C. J. Redwine

 

 

Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined

Author: Heather Dixon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: March 29, 2011

From Goodreads:
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Sheri's Review

Well, she danced...

 

and she danced...

and then she did some more dancing with her sisters...

at which point I just wanted to stop reading BUT then the story got better. 

To be frank this should have been a 50 page short story.  If it had been, it would have been WONDERFUL! But there was simply not enough plot to keep the reader interested and there were so many references to and descriptions of dancing that I wanted to scream!  If you like to think about dancing you will probably find these scenes imaginative and rich but not me!  

I would describe this story as a cross between a classic Disney fairytale and a Grimm's fairy tale.  Some aspects of the story were sweet and provided the reader with an opportunity to think about the importance of family life, duty to country, etc.  Other aspects of the story were downright creepy and slightly twisted. 

I also wanted to ask throughout the book, why must the mother always die in order for the father to step up and be an involved parent? While I didn't enjoy yet another fairy tale where the girls are motherless, I did enjoy watching the father-daughters relationship evolve particularly as the girls realized the dad was doing the best that he could under difficult circumstances.

I also really enjoyed the mystery that emerges around the middle of the book.  However, the book concludes before answering several of the mysteries.  I'm not sure if this was bad editing or if the unresolved mysteries were just meant to throw us off, regardless I found it frustrating.

So at the end of the day, would I recommend this book?  Probably not.  But I would read another book by this author.  Like I said this would have been a FABULOUS short story, so clearly I liked the basic plot I just didn't like all the fluff that went into making it longer.

Posted By Sheri

Book Review: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Origin (Lux #4)
Author:  Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing, 364 pages
Publication Date:  August 27, 2013

From Goodreads:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. 

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 

And will they even be together?(

Review:
I absolutely love this series, it's one of my favorites, and this book doesn't disappoint.  Oh Katy and Daemon, I love you both!  Daemon is still his cocky and obnoxious snarky self, but oh so loyal and loving.  And they are both so badass.  The scenes between he and Katy...Gah!  Love love love them.  Sigh!  And there are chapters from Daemon's POV.  Ahhhh!

There is plenty of action, twists and turns, and quite a few betrayals and death.  There is a new awesome character, Archer.  Cannot wait for more of him, but I can't say anything more or it will spoil it.  Dee is back to being herself.  

You definitely find out more about the Luxen, and Daedalus.  And the Origins...very interesting.  

If you haven't read this series, start reading it now!  Jennifer Armentrout writes characters in such a way that you become emotionally invested in them, the romance is soooo good, the dialogue is realistic and fun, and there is plenty of action.  She usually kills me with the cliffhangers, but this one is not so bad.  I guess I can live until the next (and last) book.  Sob!

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (11)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Pam's Weekly Haul
From the Library:
The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur
The Deepest Night by Shana Abe
The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
False Sight by Dan Krokos
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Bought:
Relativity by Cristin Bishara
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell


From NetGalley/Edelweiss:
White Space by Ilsa J. Bick
Aberrant by Ruth Silver
Made of Stars by Kelley York

Sheri's Bounty of Books
Bought:
Steel Lily by Megan Curd

Book Review: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

Indelible (The Twixt #1)
Author:  Dawn Metcalf
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen, 384 pages
Publication Date:  July 30, 2013

From Goodreads:
Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT

Review:
This book was just okay for me.  It might be because I found the summary so interesting and I had such  high hopes for this book that it was bound to disappoint.  For some reason, I had trouble figuring out this world.  I didn't totally get what Ink's job was (what marking humans actually meant) and how the interaction between the Folk and the humans worked.

The romance between Joy and Ink was cute, but bizarre. She falls in love with him rather quickly, especially given that he tried to stab her in the eye the first time they meet.  And other than being hot and different, not sure I understand the appeal.  And Ink supposedly goes from feeling nothing ("no motives, no desires, no wants or interests outside of his work") to being "stubborn and distracted, moody, insistent, alternately ruthless, passionate and pathetically idealistic...."  But I just didn't see that happening.  At least not to that extreme.  We get to see some of this evolution, but I wouldn't describe it that way at all.

In the end, interesting and unique but a bit confusing.  I appreciate the fact that it didn't end in a cliffhanger.

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Gated
Author:  Amy Christine Parker
Publisher:  Random House Books for Young Readers, 352 pages
Publication Date:  August 6, 2013

From Goodreads:
Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Review:
This was a unique and interesting read, although I do have mixed feelings about it. Lyla, the MC, is seventeen years old and has grown up in a small community of about twenty families, led by Pioneer.  Pioneer controls everything, what they eat, the movies they watch, even who they marry (no access to the internet, tv, or newspapers).  They are allowed very limited interaction with the rest of the world (they only see outside people when they go into town to get supplies and sell the furniture that they make).  Basically, it's a cult, but Lyla doesn't know that.  They all believe everything Pioneer tells them, which is that they are chosen, the world is ending in a couple of months, and to survive they have to live underground for five years.

The premise is fascinating, and it just makes me wonder how cult leaders actually get people to follow them.  Obviously with Lyla and her friends it makes sense, because they grew up in this community.  But the parents?  We don't know about the others, but we do know that Lyla's parents suffered a tragedy and so it makes sense that Pioneer would be able to manipulate them into moving to the community and living this way.  But still, believing his story?

Then Lyla meets Cody, an outsider and things start changing.  Is Pioneer telling the truth?

Lyla is a fairly likable MC, even though she's basically been brainwashed so she is naive and such a rule follower.  Her parents really frustrated me, especially her mother.  Pioneer was obviously a piece of work, and the added quotes from him (and then others, like Charles Manson and Jim Jones) at the beginning of each chapter were frightening but definitely gave insight into his mind.  The romance part of it was meh...Cody really seemed to be there just to provide the outsider perspective to get Lyla to start questioning everything so we don't really get to know him at all.  It would have been better if his character had been fleshed out, but I understand how hard that would have been to write given how little contact Lyla had with the outside world. I felt bad for Will, her Intended. In fact, I felt bad for all of them because their entire belief system is based on a lie.  

The beginning is a bit slow, but it does pick up. The end is satisfying, but some things are left a bit open. As far as I know it's a stand-alone.  In sum, a good read.

Posted by:  Pam

Waiting on Wednesday: Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

Waiting on Wednesday features upcoming releases and is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Salvage
Author:  Alexandra Duncan
Publisher:  Greenwillow, 400 pages
Expected Publication Date:  April 1, 2014

From Goodreads:
Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

Ava is the captain's daughter. This allows her limited freedoms and a certain status in the Parastrata's rigid society-but it doesn't mean she can read or write or even withstand the forces of gravity. When Ava learns she is to be traded in marriage to another merchant ship, she hopes for the best. After all, she is the captain's daughter. Betrayal, banishment, and a brush with love and death are her destiny instead, and Ava stows away on a mail sloop bound for Earth in order to escape both her past and her future. The gravity almost kills her. Gradually recuperating in a stranger's floating cabin on the Gyre, a huge mass of scrap and garbage in the Pacific Ocean, Ava begins to learn the true meaning of family and home and trust-and she begins to nourish her own strength and soul. This sweeping and harrowing novel explores themes of choice, agency, rebellion, and family and, after a tidal wave destroys the Gyre and all those who live there, ultimately sends its main character on a thrilling journey to Mumbai, the beating heart of Alexandra Duncan's post-climate change Earth.

Why am I waiting?  Across the Universe and The Handmaid's Tale...love those!  And that cover is gorgeous.

Posted by:  Pam