Posts Tagged: YA

Friday, January 13, 2012

Review: Fated by Sarah Alderson

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Fated
Sarah Alderson
Release date: January 5th 2012
by Simon & Schuster

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What happens when you discover you aren’t who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray – is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

I thought Sarah Alderson’s Hunting Lila was a really fun book, so I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw who wrote it. Fated has the same feel, but still quite a bit different from Hunting Lila. We now the story of Evie, who just found out she’s a demon hunter; and Lucas, who’s sent undercover to get close enough to kill her.

I have to say that the world Alderson describes is really interesting. Filled with all sorts of species, from Scorpio demons to Vampires. I enjoyed learning about all of these creatures, along with the intriguing history they all share. Evie is a strong and intelligent female character who knows when something just isn’t right. She trusts her instincts even when she’s not aware of it. She was wary of Lucas from the beginning and she knew who to fear. I loved her personality. I loved that she wasn’t careless or whiny even when things seemed to be crumbling down around her. It’s definitely easy to relate to her. It’s also remarkable that in a book filled with side characters, all of them stand out in their own way and give substance to the story instead of simply filling up pages superfluously. Out of all, I think my favorite is Jocelyn. I picture her as a sweet (but tough) old lady who just wants to do the right thing. Her role is small in Fated, though I think she’s going to end up being very important.

The one thing I learned from Hunting Lila, is that Sarah knows how to give us a great, chemistry filled romance. Lucas and Evie meet in unfortunate circumstances. Lucas, sent there as a spy to kill her, soon realizes that it won’t be so easy, since he’s quickly falling for the girl. Awww a forbidden love *dreamy sigh*. The romance is sweet and enticing, however it’s not the central focus. Due to their unconventional situation, their relationship builds up slowly, even to the point where I wish there would have been more. But at the same time I found it was realistic and grew at a natural pace. In the end I felt very satisfied with it.

Exciting plot developments, a fairytale romance and fabulous characters – Fated gives us what we crave! If you enjoyed Hunting Lila, Sarah will charm you once again!

4 Hot Espressos
Interested in what I thought of Hunting Lila? 

Review: The Future of Us by Asher & Mackler

Posted by on 01/11/2012 • 28 Comments

The Future of UsJay Asher and Carolyn MacklerRelease date: November 21st, 2011by Razorbill

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It’s 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They’ve been best friends almost as long – at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh’s family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they’re automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn’t been invented yet. And they’re looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives…

Review: Destiny’s Fire by Trisha Wolfe

Posted by on 01/10/2012 • 25 Comments

Destiny’s FireTrisha WolfeRelease date: January 10th, 2012by Omnific Publishing

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It’s the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.

As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, but she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez’s newfound power rockets out of control, it’s a Narcolym who could change her fate… if she can trust him.

Review: The Alchemy of Forever

Posted by on 01/06/2012 • 32 Comments

The Alchemy of ForeverAvery WilliamsRelease date: January 3rd, 2012by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

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After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world’s riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human’s life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she’s done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying…

Review: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Posted by on 01/05/2012 • 27 Comments

Unraveling IsobelEileen CookRelease date: January 3rd, 2012by Simon Pulse

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Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong…

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Posted by on 01/03/2012 • 42 Comments

SwitchedAmanda HockingRelease date: January 3rd, 2012by St. Martin’s Griffin

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When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn’t until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed – a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy’s not sure she wants to be a part of it.

*A copy was provided by St. Martin’s Press for review purposes*

Trolls! I know, right? Flashy colorful hair, so-ugly-they’re-cute dolls we all had at one point? In Amanda’s world, these are all misconceptions. They’re called Trylle, and they’re beautiful, magical and on the brink of extinction.

With an entirely…

On A Dark Wing Tour Stop

Posted by on 01/02/2012 • 25 Comments

That’s right! The On A Dark Wing blog tour is visiting Xpresso Reads today for their very last stop! I’ve got a review and 2 wonderful giveaways for you all to give you some entertainment on this Monday. I hope you enjoyed the whole tour and I’m glad to be able to end it with a bang!

On A Dark WingJordan DaneRelease date: December 27th, 2011by Harlequin Teen

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The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over. I would learn a lesson I wasn’t prepared for. And Death would be my willing teacher.Five years ago, Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her “lucky” break came at the expense of her mother’s life and changed everything. After she…

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Posted by on 12/30/2011 • 23 Comments

Under the Never SkyVeronica RossiRelease date: January 3rd, 2012by HarperCollins

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Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional…