Posts Categorized: Review

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Things I Can’t Forget Tour: Review + Giveaway

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Today I’m kicking off the Things I Can’t Forget blog tour that will run from Feb 26th to March 19th! You will find my review below, and then a pretty fab giveaway that you cannot miss!

Things I Can’t Forget
Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks, #3
Genre:YA Contemporary
Publication date: March 1st 2013
by Sourcebooks Fire

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

-A copy was provided by Raincoast Books for review-
Being a big fan of Miranda’s books since I read and fell in love with Catching Jordan I was only a little weary when I was told this one involved some religion-which I usually quickly turn away from in books. I must say, however, that as usual, Miranda used her magic and turned this into an immensely sweet read, making the religion aspect a simple fact of the story like anything else. Every protagonist has passions and dreams that we get to see as a part of them, this is how religion plays a part in this novel and nothing else. It’s not preached or forced, it’s just a part of Kate’s upbringing. It is what makes her who she is.

As for liking who she is, though, it is not always easy. Kate comes off as a prude and judgmental bitch. She makes it very difficult for others to approach her, let alone understand her. But she does grow a lot throughout the book where she begins to understand her friends a little more–especially her best friend who she’s on the outs with–as well and accept that not everyone shares her views. Even though some times I wanted to slap her senseless, I kind of felt bad for her as well; for her closed up personality, the way she shuts herself off from others, using her faith as a shield. Luckily she discovers new friendship and even love that opens her up a bit. She begins to accept that not everyone sees and believes the same way, and that is still ok!

The first of these friendships and main secondary character is Parker from the previous companion, Stealing Parker. While you don’t need to have read the others to get the full meaning of this novel, it’s great to see our old beloved characters back. Characters that we grew to love, we saw their romance bloom and come to life, are now a super cute couple in this novel. We’re also introduced to a new character and love interest, Matt. Matt is in a frat in college, he respects religion but he doesn’t get buckled down by his faith like Kate, so the relationship is a little rocky for a while. Like usual in Miranda’s books, the chemistry that exists between thees two made my heart soar. They were a perfectly imperfect pair!

Love, friendship, heartbreak, everything a fun summer at camp can bring, Things I Can’t Forget has! Even those who are weary of the religion aspect in the mix shouldn’t worry. We’re made to understand it’s meaning in the book, it becomes part of Kate, like any other character trait. These books are a must read for anyone who calls themselves a fan of contemporary reads!

4 Hot Espressos
Companions to Things I Can’t Forget:
About the Author


Miranda’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Click on the banner for the full tour schedule!

Giveaway
As part of the blog tour grand prize, Miranda has put together a super awesome bag of her favorite books (and animal butts!) for giveaway to one lucky winner!

Here’s what’s up for grabs (click to enlarge):

Open internationally
Giveaway ends March 24th, 2013
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

Posted by on 02/25/2013 • 31 Comments

White CrowMarcus Sedgwick Genre: YA HorrorPublication date: September 18th 2012by Square Fish (Macmillan)

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

Some secrets are better left buried; some secrets are so frightening they might make angels weep and the devil crow.

Thought provoking as well as intensely scary, White Crow unfolds in three voices. There’s Rebecca, who has come to a small seaside village to spend the summer, and there’s Ferelith, who offers to show Rebecca the secrets of the town . . . but at a price. Finally, there’s a priest whose descent into darkness illuminates the girls’ frightening story. White Crow is as beautifully written as it is horrifically gripping.

-A copy was provided by Macmillan for review-

With its creepy cover and synopsis, I…

Review: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Posted by on 02/25/2013 • 0 Comments

UnrememberedJessica BrodySeries: Unremembered #1Publication date: March 5th 2013by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (BYR)

 

The only thing worse than forgetting her past… is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the…

Review: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Posted by on 02/22/2013 • 30 Comments

DualedElsie Chapman Genre: YA DystopianPublication date: February 26th 2013by Random House BFYR

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is…

Review: Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Posted by on 02/19/2013 • 23 Comments

Teeth Hannah Moskowitz Genre: YA Fantasy/Magical RealismPublication date: January 1st 2013by Simon Pulse

A gritty, romantic modern fairy tale from the author of Break and Gone, Gone, Gone.

Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth…

Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Posted by on 02/18/2013 • 25 Comments

The Nightmare Affair Mindee Arnett Series: The Arkwell Academy, #1 Genre: YA ParanormalPublication date: March 5th 2013by Tor Teen

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people…

Review: The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

Posted by on 02/15/2013 • 22 Comments

The Murmurings Carly Anne West Genre: YA ThrillerPublication date: March 5th 2013by Simon Pulse

A teen girl starts hearing the same voices that drove her sister to commit suicide in this creepy, suspenseful novel.

Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn’t believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not….

*A copy was provided by Simon…

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Posted by on 02/12/2013 • 31 Comments

para·nor·mal: adj. not scientifically explainable : supernatural -Merriam-Webster

Meet Addison, or preferably Addie; Clairvoyant Divergent. Addie has the unique and thought-provoking ability of being able to see both sides of the coin. In other words, when she has a decision to make, she can see the future of each choice and pick the one that’s best. Fascinating, no? But what happens when you don’t want either future you foresee? This plot revolves around Addie’s venture into two futures after she was asked to pick between staying in the paranormal compound, or going with her dad in the normal world.

Told in dual reality perspective, reality one keeps us in the compound where life with abilities is the norm. From telekinesis to lie detectors, living with knowing someone may currently…