Posts Tagged: ARC

Monday, March 12, 2012

Review: Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Posted by 30 Comments

Pretty Crooked
Elisa Ludwig
Release date: March 13th, 2012
by Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads / Purchase

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

*A copy was provided by HarperCollins for review purposes*

Ever since enjoying Elisa’s self-published novel June of Rock, I’ve been looking forward Pretty Crooked; with its fun, quirky cover and synopsis, I had high hopes for it. I wasn’t expecting such a fluffy story, but I was glad to find it an enjoyable, quick read, nonetheless, that reminded me a tad of Mean Girls.

Willa only wants to even out the score by stealing from her rich friends, and giving to her poorer ones. Although a bit far fetch, the plot is pretty amusing. Coming from a small town where there are no private schools or “higher society”, I’m always captivated by their inner workings. Grand living situations, unlimited shopping, privileged attitude; it’s so much fun to read about! Even though I can’t say Willa is particularly smart in her proceedings, I really liked her and could easily understand where she was coming from by wanting to even the playing field. In between her mischief, Aidan is the main male character that Willa is crushing on. No doubt he’s charming, but I simply didn’t see it. He is the definition of a player, plus he’s so incredibly snobbish I couldn’t root for him at all. I much preferred Tre, and I don’t know why Willa doesn’t feel the same. A bit too naive maybe? Either way, the romance didn’t convince me, fortunately its presence in the book is scarce.

In addition to the teenage Robin Hood storyline, we’ve got suspicious parental behavior by Willa’s mother; late nights and strange meetings. I was deeply curious to find out what exactly was going on. It feels ominous, as well as more interesting than your cliché “affair” or “re-appearing father” scenario. Sadly, this is left greatly unresolved since, unbeknownst to me, Pretty Crooked is the start of a series. I guess I should have taken notice, regardless, I still feel like we should have gotten some kind of answers, at the very least an elaboration. Instead it’s merely floating in the background bugging like a constant itch that, ultimately, never gets scratched. It surely tugs on my love of mystery, though, leaving me craving for book 2!

If I had to pick I would recommend Elisa’s June of Rock over this one, but Pretty Crooked is, nevertheless, a fun little quirky tale that is perfect for a light read.


3 Hot Espressos
Want to know what I thought of Elisa Ludwig’s June of Rock?

Embrace Tour Stop

Posted by on 03/09/2012 • 26 Comments

The Embrace blog tour is dropping by the blog today and we’ve got lots of great stuff for you guys! First there’s my review *cheer*, then a fabulous guest post by Jessica Shirvington *cheer louder*, and to top it off, a fantastic giveaway for a finished copy! *the crowd goes wild*

Review

EmbraceJessica ShirvingtonRelease date: March 6th, 2012by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads / Purchase

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up…

Review: Buried by Linda Joy Singleton

Posted by on 03/08/2012 • 29 Comments

Buried: A Goth Girl Mystery Linda Joy SingletonRelease date: March 8th, 2012by Flux

Goodreads / Purchase

In a new school and determined to keep her secrets from being discovered, Thorn finds a mysterious locket that leads to a shocking discovery. Surrounded by new friends she barely knows, as well as the school’s famous former student, a smoking-hot musician named Phillipe, Thorn must investigate to find out if one of them is a murderer.

*A copy was provided by Flux Books for review purposes*

Thorn’s Finder ability pretty much says it all- she finds things. When one day, it leads her to an ugly necklace, she’s soon thrown into a murder investigation. Buried is a light read with an enticing premise that, unfortunately, fell flat with unoriginality and lack of…

Review: Starters by Lissa Price

Posted by on 03/06/2012 • 35 Comments

StartersLissa PriceSeries: Starters, #1 Release date: March 13th, 2012by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Goodreads / Purchase

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in…

Review: Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Posted by on 03/05/2012 • 35 Comments

IlluminateAimee AgrestiSeries: Gilded Wings, #1 Release date: March 6th, 2012by Harcourt Children’s Books

Goodreads / Purchase

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious…

Review: Airel by Aaron Patterson & Chris White

Posted by on 03/03/2012 • 22 Comments

AirelAaron Patterson & Chris WhiteSeries: The Airel Saga, #1Release date: August 31st, 2011by StoneHouse Ink

Goodreads / Purchase

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin…

Review: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Posted by on 03/02/2012 • 38 Comments

Blood Red RoadMoira YoungSeries: Dust Lands, #1Release date: February 28th, 2012 (Paperback)by Doubleday Canada

Goodreads / Purchase

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That’s fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba’s world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she’s…

Review: The Haunted by J.A. Templeton

Posted by on 03/01/2012 • 20 Comments

The HauntedJ.A. TempletonSeries: MacKinnon Curse, #2Release date: January 8th, 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

After battling a malevolent ghost that held the spirit of her friend Ian MacKinnon bound to the land for two hundred years, sixteen-year-old reluctant psychic, Riley Williams, felt as if she was finally easing into her new life in Scotland.

Or so she thought.

Laria, the spirit of the witch who had cursed Ian wants revenge for Riley’s interference and she’s bringing along friends—dark entities who thrive on evil.

The one bright spot in Riley’s world is Ian’s descendent, Kade MacKinnon, who could easily be Ian’s modern day twin. The parallels between the two guys are undeniable. As Riley’s relationship with Kade blossoms, she begins to realize Laria has grown in her power since…