Monthly Archives:: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

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Drowning Instinct
Ilsa J. Bick
Release date: February 1st, 2012
by Lerner Publishing Group

Goodreads / Purchase

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire.

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain…magnetism.

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

*A copy was provided by Lerner Publishing Group for review purposes*
Insane! This is the best word to describe Drowning Instinct. Insanely good. Insanely terrifying. I-n-s-a-n-e! Ever since I cracked the cover, I can’t stop thinking about this book. First, to analyze it, now, to figure out what the heck I’ve just read. It’s the type of book that you just plow through because it makes you so restless that you must keep reading and reading, all the while knowing, just knowing, that the storm is coming. So close it could be right on the next page. Really, it’s freaking brilliant! Even though I’m still dumbfounded by it. You’ll turn the last page, you’ll gasp, you’ll think, you’ll reminisce. Some may even read it again, though I doubt that would help. Don’t get me wrong, the book is far from confusing, it’s simply unreal. You just need to read it to understand. It’s also the the type of story best enjoyed when you know nothing about it going in. So all I’m going to tell you is this:

Jenna tells us her story. Scratch that. She tells the police her story by way of a tape recorder they give her so she can do it at her own pace. (The format is reminiscent of Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why). While she’s telling it, you feel so close to this character it’s like you’re connected to her. You can hear her intonations, feel the tone of her voice. On top of this, she sounds her age; she sounds like you’d expect her to sound. It makes her so real and most importantly: sincere. Jenna comes off as smart and flawed, she’s struggling to find herself. To find someone who will listen and care. Then she does: she finds Mitch- her teacher. We’re sent deep into Jenna’s thoughts and feelings during this story. So deep that we get easily confused as to who, exactly, is the victim here. Things that you thought you were against, don’t seem so wrong anymore. It’s not black and white; just like real life. Flawlessly weaved together, the multiple plot lines hypnotizes you so, that you don’t realize you’ve been holding your breath for 45 minutes frantically turning the pages. (What? you can’t hold your breath for that long? Well… you will LEARN!).

Do you get it yet? This book is intense! Intense, suspenseful, passionate- all masterfully put together into an incredibly, profound novel.

5 Hot Espressos

Dusty Reads (19)

Posted by on 01/31/2012 • 16 Comments

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted here, featuring a book that has been sitting unread on my home shelf for some time. To participate, add your link at the bottom.  If you wish, you can grab the button and find more information here.

My pick this week:

BetweenJessica WarmanRelease date: August 2nd, 2011by Walker & Company

Goodreads / Purchase 

Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family’s yacht, where she’d been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will…

Cover Reveal: Such a Rush, Dark Heart Surrender & The Ending

Posted by on 01/30/2012 • 43 Comments

Such a RushJennifer EcholsRelease date: July 10th, 2012by MTV Books

Add it to your Goodreads

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson…

Review: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Posted by on 01/30/2012 • 47 Comments

Imagine a world where Hitler would have won. A world where if you don’t follow the right religion, you won’t ever be seen again. A world where its against the law to hang out with the opposite sex after curfew unless you’re married. A world where being born from an unwed mother can get you killed – or worse. This is life in Kristen Simmons’ Article 5. It’s a truly frightening world where everyone is helpless against this corrupt government and their inconceivable rules.

There is barely any room to breathe during this story. It’s so action packed that I’m surprised the pages can stay intact. This is surprisingly not overwhelming, however. It simply makes it a book that keeps you reading until you turn the very last page. As…

In My Mailbox (20)

Posted by on 01/29/2012 • 89 Comments

“In My Mailbox” is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I have received/ purchased/ borrowed during the week. 

I hope everyone had a good week. Mine was pretty dull. The weather is all out of whack here. One day it’ll be +10C and the next will be a snow storm, so we’re left with a wet slushy mess. Ick! I did get a few exciting bloggy emails though. If you check my sidebar I’ve scheduled in a few new tours that I’m really excited for! It’s going to be a fun spring season! Now, on to what pretties I got this week! =)

I received for review (click on cover for Goodreads):

*I want to thank Simon & Schuster, Flux Books, Scholastic Canada,…

Review: Bound by Kira Saito

Posted by on 01/28/2012 • 22 Comments

BoundKira SaitoRelease date: October 28th, 2011

Goodreads / Purchase

Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.

When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.

However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

Fresh Batch (Jan. 29th – Feb. 4th)

Posted by on 01/28/2012 • 16 Comments

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week. Flavour of the week:

=”1″> Harbinger

Sara Wilson Etienne Goodreads / Purchase 

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with…

Cover Reveal: Yesterday, Deadly Hemlock, Midsummer’s Nightmare & Winter’s Light

Posted by on 01/27/2012 • 11 Comments

Yesterday C.K. Kelly Martin Release date: September 25th, 2012 by Random House Books for Young Readers Add it to your Goodreads Synopsis currently unavailable More books by CK Kelly Martin:

Deadly Hemlock Kathleen PeacockUK cover Release date: July 5th, 2012by Simon & Schuster UK

Add it to your Goodreads

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy…