Posts Tagged: YA

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Review: Channeler’s Choice by Heather McCorkle

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Channeler’s Choice
Heather McCorkle
Series: Channeler, #2
Release date: February 27th 2012
by Compass Press

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With her parents’ murderers dead, Eren can finally concentrate on fitting in at Spruce Knoll High, not to mention figuring out what it means to be a channeler. If only it were that easy. It turns out she isn’t normal even among channelers – she may be a legendary warrior meant to protect the earth in a last great battle.

But Mayan prophecies are the least of her worries as she involuntarily starts to gather her own Society, another girl moves in on Aiden, her powers rage out of control, and worst of all, someone is stalking her. To top it all off, Eren discovers she doesn’t have to be a channeler after all – she has a choice.

As an old threat closes in and she risks ending up like her parents, she is forced to decide. Be a normal teenager and leave the legendary warrior stuff to someone else, or embrace a dark destiny?

*A copy was provided by Heather McCorkle for review purposes*

The second book in the Channeler series continues to follow Erin and her discovery of her Channeler powers, and now, we’re introduced to the notion of a society – her society. Even though I wasn’t as immersed as in The Secret of Spruce Knoll, I certainly enjoyed finding out more about their powers, in addition to seeing her relationship with Aiden grow.

Passionate and sweet, the romance plays a big part in this sequel. Aiden and Erin are becoming accustomed to their connecting powers and I especially liked how that all works. As in the first book, I found their relationship very mature; it’s not only filled with lust and angst, you can see how they simply click together. I also loved the addition of Caitlin in the story. As Erin’s new best friend, it’s great to finally have someone she can trust and turn to other than her boyfriend. Plus, we’ve got a secondary love story brewing which I found completely endearing. All the characters are truly wonderful; well-rendered and charismatic, they’re easily my favorite part of this series.

We start to delve deeper into the paranormal elements of the story in Channeler’s Choice. We learn a lot about the society that’s quickly becoming a monumental part of the plot; I especially enjoyed the rules at the beginning of each chapter. I do find that Erin and Aidan’s powers are maybe a bit too perfect, but it’s interesting to learn the complexity behind it all. Along with the secluded town and detailed history, it’s an incredibly imaginative world that Heather has given us.

A new society is forming, Erin is learning to control and fight, her relationship with Aiden is blooming, this doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for actual plot development. We do have some action at times, but the pacing is a bit on the slower side. This is not necessarily bad since the time is spend reinforcing the world and setting up for this supposed upcoming epic battle, but I was craving for more details on this approaching war we keep hearing about. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what happens with this society and how it will all play out.  

3 Hot Espressos
The Channeler series so far:
Want to see what I thought of The Secret of Spruce Knoll?

Here Tour Stop

Posted by on 04/10/2012 • 21 Comments

Today is my stop on the Here Blog Tour, hosted by A Tale of Many Reviews, and I’ve got my review for you as well as a fun This ‘N That interview with Denise. You also have a chance to win a copy! How’s that for a great day!? 🙂

HereDenise Grover SwankSeries: On the Otherside, #1Release date: November 11th 2011

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Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name…

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Review: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Posted by on 04/09/2012 • 31 Comments

The CallingKelley ArmstrongSeries: Darkness Rising, #2Release date: April 10th, 2012by Doubleday Canada (US: HarperCollins)

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Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is–a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but…

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Review: The Book of Blood and Shadow

Posted by on 04/07/2012 • 33 Comments

The Book of Blood and ShadowRobin Wasserman Release date: April 10th, 2012by Random House Children’s Books

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It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up.  When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love.  When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead.  His girlfriend Adriane, Nora’s best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the…

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Review: Belles by Jen Calonita

Posted by on 04/05/2012 • 28 Comments

BellesJen CalonitaRelease date: April 10th, 2012by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she’s ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn’t go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn’t thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates’ Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls’ lives forever.

*A copy was provided by Hachette Book Group Canada…

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Review + Giveaway: Grave Mercy

Posted by on 04/02/2012 • 47 Comments

Grave MercyRobin LaFeversSeries: His Fair Assassin, #1Release date: April 3rd, 2012by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only…

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Review: The Night She Disappeared

Posted by on 03/30/2012 • 28 Comments

The Night She DisappearedApril HenryRelease date: March 13th, 2012by Henry Holt and Co.

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Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

*A copy was provided by Raincoast Books for review purposes* The Night She Disappeared, with only 240 pages, is a short but…

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Review: Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Posted by on 03/29/2012 • 33 Comments

ExiledM.R. MerrickSeries: The Protector, #1Release date: June 28th, 2011

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Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase’s birthday, the bloodline stopped.

Exiled without the Circle’s protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle’s agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can’t do…

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