31 January 2014

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTeen      
Publication date: January 28th 2014
My rating: 5 stars


The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.
When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.
Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.
A music prodigy Davy didn't expect her life to change in just one moment. Before she was an excellent student, with a loving family, friends who envied her and a gorgeous boyfriend. That all changed when she found of she has the kill gene.She tested positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS) and is forced to change school, her friends abandon her and so does her boyfriend. Even her parents aren't sure what to think about the new situation. She meets Sean, a boy who's already carrying HTS and they slowly start to get closer. 

OK. The worst thing I could think about this book is- there will be only two books. Why can't we have at least 3? *whines* I'm not ready to say goodbye. I know this seems weird since the first one just came out but I really liked this book and I need to have the sequel. NOW!!! I'm usually not one of those gimme-the-next-book-now type of people but in this case, I am. HarperTeen and Sophie Jordan need to change the contract and add at least one more book to the table. Till then, I will be patiently waiting. Thank you very much, in advance. 

The thought of people discovering  a 'kill gene' is pretty scary. Who would want to live near the carriers? I'd like to think I would give them the benefit of the doubt but who knows. I don't think people are born evil like the scientists in this book suggest. Life makes them that way. Everyone has the chance of doing the right thing. Not all of them are willing to make the sacrifices which come with that responsibility. What would you do if you found out you had the kill gene? Would you try to prove you're not a killer even though other won't believe you aren't dangerous or just become one because of the gene? 

Everything was perfect. The plot. Those fighting scenes. The characters, even the bad ones. I adored it all. I loved the black sheet of the family, the brother. He was a nice touch. Even though he was a trouble maker he still stood by his baby sister. Hope to see more of him in the sequel. Sean was also great. A foster child with a kind heart. He's good at saving defenseless people, including Davy. Don't get me wrong, I loved the scenes where Davy was kicking some ass but she can't hold up a fight against 3 other carriers alone. Let's be real. She doesn't have super powers, only HTS. Davy and Sean made a great team and the romance was spicy and sweet at the same time. 

If you're looking to discover a new exciting story then you found the right book. I purposely didn't want to reveal too much because you have to find some things for yourself. It will be worth it, I promise. 


20 January 2014

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publisher: Angry Robot      
Publication date: January 29th 2013
My rating: 5 stars

"Cat, this is Finn. He's going to be your tutor."
Finn looks and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task is now to tutor Cat. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Finn is her guardian, her constant companion...and more. But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world, and in Cat's heart.
I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi books. I tend to stick with dystopian novels full of destruction, urban fantasies with smoking romance or just read a quiet contemporary novel. But for quite some time now I've been searching for a great urban fantasy novel and keep seeing this book even though it's not even UF. So, I decided to just read it yesterday and boy was I glad I did.

The Mad Scientist's Daughter is the first book to get a spot on my 'best-of-2014' shelf. It was thought-provoking, enthralling, beautiful. A breath of fresh air in the stale air of adult fiction category. The only reason I didn't read it in one day is I had to take a break because the mighty feels of this book started to choke me. 

Cat was a carefree child and her parents decided she would eventually had to go to school so her father's android assistant starts tutoring her. Over the years Cat starts falling in love with Finn (the android). She's ashamed and confused because let's face it- he's a freaking android, a machine! He's not a human and he can't feel anything, or can he? I was conflicted because Finn did seems more robotic instead of human so I can't even begin to imagine what Cat must be going through.

Cat tried to stay away from Finn after she left for college, dating other men and hanging out with her artistic friends but she still somehow managed to see Finn from time to time. I've read a couple of review where people would complain about Cat's behavior but I understand her. She did try to stay away from him/keep him a secret. Everyone's quick to judge someone else but what would they do if they were in the same situation? I highly doubt they would be walking around holding an android's hand in front of everyone. It's not easy to love an android who doesn't seem to have feelings. 

Cat grown up through this book and I usually find this type of books extremely boring. Turns out I didn't mind it this time around. Every single chapter was flowing steady. I have no objections. The Mad Scientist's Daughter was perfection and Cassandra Rose Clarke should write more adult fiction. She's a natural. I'll check out her YA fantasy series one of these days. 

Here are my gif reactions to this book







19 January 2014

Read-Along: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick


Last year I signed up for a Fangirl read-along. Sadly, I didn't get the book on time and I didn't want to read the ebook instead so I decided it was time to make things right and signed for another read-along. This time it's for My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- the book I bought last summer and still haven't read even though my friends have been trying to persuade me to pick it up every time I ask for a contemporary recommendation. I take my YA contemps very seriously. After all, it's my favorite genre. Plus, I'm fickle as hell when it comes to planing on my next read- I never do it because it usually doesn't work out and I end up reading a random book from my shelves. 





Want to join the read-along? Click on the banner on the top or HERE

Read-along starts Friday, January 24th and ends next Friday, January 31st. 

18 January 2014

Stacking the Shelves

Just realized I haven't posted my StS since late November. Oops. :/ 

Bought:


Bought these used books on Awesome Books. They were really cheap and I saved a lot of money. 
I already read Entangled and Catching Fire two years ago and they're of my favorites so I just had to have them. 
I also finished Cinder a couple of days ago. Going Bovine and The Scorpio Races are already on the top of my TBR pile. 

 For review:


*screams*
When I saw the Strange Chemistry's newsletter I just had to put on a request for this book. Didn't receive a response and thought I wouldn't be getting but then it just showed up on my doorstep a week ago. I'm really excited about this particular book. Now I just have to find the time to read it.  

 Won:


I would like to thank all of the bloggers and authors for sending these books to me. I recently finishes Splintered so I think I'll read Unhinged sometime next week.



13 January 2014

Book Review: Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young.


Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3)Book: Before Jamaica Lane
AuthorSamantha Young
File Type: e-book
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: NAL
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

synopsis: One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more… 

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…



Personally, I feel that On The Dublin Street was a much better read. The fact that Jocelyn annoyed the crap out of me speaks volumes of how surprising it is that I find myself liking the first book much more than this one.

Before Jamaica Lane had so much potential. This could've been the book to finally acquire the five starrer status which other books by Ms. Young usually miss out on.
I was very excited for Olivia and Nate. You have no idea how much my anticipation coupled with imagination made me restless to finally experience a 'make my heart melt' moment. In the end, while I did get Olivia and Nate and their happily-ever-after, I missed the emotion and depth of their relationship. It's one of those situations where you have two people declaring their unrequited love for each and you just don't buy it.

When I think about the flaws in Before Jamaica Lane, they come very easily to me. Usually I would find myself struggling through hazy thoughts to pin point the flaws in a book. Here, it just comes to me. What I'm trying to say here is that the flaws were crystal clear and not even the promise of a heart-stopping romance could make up for the deep craters in the story that these flaws have seemed to have caused.

Flaw no.1.
Was I supposed to find that funny?

The character sketch of Olivia states that she is a happy-go-lucky, dorky and funny girl. Her jokes are absolutely hilarious and seems to have people rolling on the floor like idiots because she is very funny.
Maybe I'm a nutcase or a tubelight in disguise, but I failed to understand the hilariousness of Olivia's jokes. Every single time, Olivia would say something that was supposedly funny and people around her would all go, 'Oh look. She's hilarious' and I'd have my dork face on because, obviously, I had just missed the humour. Maybe this is a psychological complaint. So for those who disagree with it, it's fine.

Flaw no.2.
The Sunday lunch sessions were abducted by aliens.

Lets go back to Down London Road and focus on the Sunday afternoon lunch sessions which had all the characters laughing at Hannah's antics, Joss's fiery replies, Ellie's romantic opinions and Elodie's endearing reprimanding. Those were points of awesomeness where Ms. Young would let the laughing cavalry out and they would attack us and we would welcome it with open arms.
HERE, there wasn't much of that. Absent lunch sessions led to the absence of the laughing cavalry and because everything was so very absent, I could feel my excitement dimming.

Flaw no.3
I don't buy that.

I think the biggest flaw which made all the difference was the lack of depth in Olivia's and Nate's relationship. I can see how both Nate and Olivia became bestfriends. I can see Nate's commitment phobia and understand Olivia's insecurities. I can see how their time together led to them falling in love with each other. What I couldn't understand was the reality of their romance. I couldn't believe that Nate was ridiculously in love with Olivia. This could also be the case because I felt that the section where Nate tries to convince Olivia that he truly loves her fell short. So much of detailing was put into the first half, which is a good thing, but by the time we reached the second half, I'd lost the connection with characters.
It didn't satisfy me. It did not excite me.
I mean I'm happy with the way things turned out but I missed that moment of catharsis, which of course, wasn't good.

But there were this something that really got to me.
When you lose someone you love, there is nothing that could ever make up for the fact that that someone isn't there anymore. After sometime, you do move on but that person would always be a part of you.

Overall, a book that could've been better but fell short...actually too short in the department that mattered the most, the romance.






06 January 2014

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Balzer + Bray      
Publication date: January 22nd 2013
My rating: 4 stars

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.
Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.
Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.
In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.
It's a rare treat to stumble upon a book where I ship the main characters with both guys. I usually go for the underdog which frequently leaves my ships unsailed in the harbor. 

If you haven't already read the first book you should probably stop reading cause I will be posting some minor spoilers. 

Everbound starts up not long ago after Jack sacrificed himself for Nikki. He's now in Everneath and Nikki's trying to persuade Cole to help her get him back. Nikki doesn't have a life on Earth so the obvious choice would be to hunt Jack down. What else's she going to do with her time?

It's strange how riveting these books are once you start reading them. Well, at least it's strange for me because I never think of mythology as something new and fresh. Same things goes for retellings. We all already know how those stories go so there isn't much left to be desired. But Brodi Ashton's books are effortless and gripping. At this point I don't think she can go wrong with the final book. 

Now to the love triangle which isn't actually a triangle since Nikki obviously loves Jack. Cole somehow succeeds to weasel his blond head into the equation. I don't know how he does it every time. There's something about him. I just can't hate him. I still don't think he's a bad guy, even though he tricks Nikki every chance he gets. I start to think he'll change and do something selfless. Guess I'll have to hope he'll advance from his current state for mind. There's still one more book left. 

I'm so glad I decided to wait and read Everbound near the release of Evertrue.  The ending was unexpected, to say the least. 


05 January 2014

January 2014 TBR pile

I've been slacking but not in a general sense of slacking. I have been reading. Just not the right kind of books.

My eARC pile has grown over the past couple of months. I send requests like a mad woman and when I get approved, the poor books just get stuffed on my tablet. I got a new, shiny Kindle just a week ago so I've been adding NG and Edelweiss on my auto-approved contacts list and transferred all of my still active egalleys.

I divided the pile into 2 groups. The eARCs and sequels coming out this months to make things easier for me.

eARCs


I know there are a lot of them. Hope I'll get through them fast because I don't really want to leave them 'for later' which means never. I've already read The Promise of Amazing. Didn't like it and never wrote a review.Still need to read The Madman's Daughter and only after I finish with it I will be able to read Her Dark Curiosity. *sigh* I have so much work ahead of me.  

Sequels & Conclusions 


Into the Still Blue made it to the second group too. I wanted to read this sooner. I got approved sometime in late August or September but the time just flew. Can't wait for Evertrue and Unhinged. Everbound and Splintered were among the first 4 books I've read this year. Everbound review should be up on Monday. Not sure if I'm going to write a review for Splintered. We'll see.. 


04 January 2014

Best Books of 2013

Happy New Year, lovely people! Hope you had a great time and didn`t spent it in front of my laptop watching The Hobbit like I did. I know we`re 4 days into January and it`s a bit late for this list but since I missed the Top Ten Tuesday`s top 10 of 2013 I figured it wouldn`t hurt to make this post anyway.

41 books I read in 2013 got a 5 star rating. This is actually a huge deal for me since I only gave 27 5 stars in 2012. The longest book I read this year was Monsters by Ilsa J.Bick with 688 pages. I read that trilogy back to back which wasn`t as hard as I initially thought it would be. Note: Ashes had 480 pages, Shadows 528.

Best YA contemporary



Best adult new adult


Best paranormal / urban fantasy


Best dystopia


Best book of 2013

Whenever someone asked me what my favorite book of 2013 was, they always got the same response. It was a book I couldn`t wait to get into my hands because I loved everything about the first novel and the short story. The main character, the prose, the romance and the villain who actually isn`t a real villain. I`m pretty sure the author can`t do wrong with me, unless she kills of my man. Then we`ll have a BIG problem. 


It`s Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. I mean, this lady! She`s my favorite author. Yep, she`s surpassed Richelle Mead. I love her that much. Tahereh created my flawed King Warner. Adam`s ass should just give up. There`s just no way he has a future with Juliette. Meanwhile, King Warner is just flawfree even he obviously isn`t perfect but it's a person's imperfections that make them perfect for someone else. I`m quoting Lola and the Boy Next Door