Review and Giveaway ~ EXHALE (Just Breathe #2) by Kendall Grey

Her dreams brought them together, but reality could tear them apart… The man of Zoe Morgan’s dreams isn’t only real, he’s interested. In her. But her boss wants her too, and is leveraging his unsolicited advances with the threat of blocking the huge promotion she's after. When he places a spy on her research team, the intense stranger discovers more than he should, and Zoe fears hiding a relationship with Gavin Cassidy from her boss is the least of her worries. The whale she must protect has been marked for death, and Zoe's old enemy Scarlet is eager to deliver the killing blow. To both of them. Australia’s Sentinels must find and lock the door into the Dreaming before Fyre Elementals launch another attack on innocent dreamers. But corruption and distrust abound, and Gavin believes someone on the Sentinel council is in league with the Fyres. As he reluctantly embraces his new role as council leader, Gavin must not only keep Zoe safe from Scarlet's vengeful clutches, but organize a Sentinel defense strong enough to prevent a full-blown Elemental war—with a traitor fighting by his side. *This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18. ~From GoodReads

**While there are no spoilers for EXHALE, there may be spoilers if you have not read INHALE.**

**All profits made from sales will be donated to whale research and education programs.**

I have struggled to find the perfect tone for this review. I want to express my wildly enthusiastic love for EXHALE, but I don't want to come off looking like an idiot who doesn't know how to get a grip. So to help prevent my brain from exploding, I'm going to break this baby down. First I will discuss the story, then I will discuss the writing.

Author Kendall Grey created a remarkable, unique alternate world in book one, INHALE (my review) . I have always loved the oceans and the creatures who inhabit them, but never considered them beyond the superficial. Grey, and her main character, whale biologist Zoe Morgan, opened me up to the beautiful intricacies of the humpback whale and the effect man has on the fragile oceanic ecosystem. So for that, I applaud her and her efforts to bring awareness to the cause.

Beyond that, there is the imaginative, wholly unique Dreaming and the Elements. The Dreaming is a parallel world that exists alongside Realis (reality) where people consciousness' go while sleeping or unconscious. And although the Dreaming is a parallel plane, what happens there can effect  reality. The Dreaming is protected by Sentinels, whose job it is to maintain Elemental balance. (This definition taken from the glossary in EXHALE).  Speaking of Sentinels...

Gavin-freaking-Cassidy. I am harcore in love with him. Here is what you need to know about Gavin Cassidy: He's an Australian rock star, he has messy black hair, many tattoos, a lip ring. So basically, he's sexier than sin. BUT...here's the real kicker. Gavin Cassidy is a GREAT GUY. And I don't just mean that he's decent. He is really and truly good, brave, honest, faithful. He could have any woman in the world, and he only wants Zoe.

Dr. Zoe Morgan is the bomb. Plain and simple. She is a world-class biologist, working her dream job. Zoe seems like she should be beyond insecurities, but like most real women, is not. Zoe spent much of her life at the mercy of panic attacks, low self-esteem, a demanding mother. But she has mostly overcome her struggles and is at the top of her game. When you add in that Gavin Cassidy is head over heels for her, and things can't seem to get much better for Zoe. And the sexual chemistry between those two? Forget it. I can't even go there without requiring a cold shower.

But the thing is, there is a hellacious fire brewing in the Dreaming, led by the horrible (and I'll admit it, kinda badass) Scarlett. Scarlett is a Fyre Elemental. She is cruel, vicious, manipulative, vile... just about every evil descriptive you can imagine applies, multiplied by ten. I HATE Scarlett with a burning passion. I want to stab that evil bitch in the eye, but I want to make out with her first.*Did I just say that?*  Does that make me weird??  I'll deal. Anyway, Scarlett will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to gain ultimate power and get rid of Zoe.

So, there you have it. Gavin and Zoe, working to build a new relationship. Dealing with his duties, her job, and a war.

Now, for the writing. I have many, many books in my life. Very few books can compare to the complete beauty that resides in Kendall's words. And that's fine. There are so many styles out there and I adore them all. But for sheer, staggering lines that I must re-read so that I can fully take in the brilliance, Kendall Grey lands at the top of the list. Her attention to detail is remarkable. The struggles that she puts her characters through are terrifying and brave. Her dialogue makes me laugh out loud and swoon. Basically, even if you think, or know, that Urban Fantasy is not "your thing" or you're not into whales and such, the JUST BREATHE series is a must-read for the simple fact that the writing is beyond compare. These are not simply books, they are works of art. This is a series that has been my privilege to read.

Favorite Quote(s):

I have many favorites. Too many to share. So I've chosen a few. One funny, the rest intense.

"Gavin swept the street again with his Dreamsense. As far as he could tell, no Fyre Elementals had snuck up while his brain evacuated it's cranial real estate in favor of warmer southern climes in Hardwood Heights." (eARC, 2%)


"Their eyes locked and something deep rocked the space between them - like an earthquake shaking things up at the surface, redrawing boundaries in its wake, depositing new emotions to be catalogued." (eARC, 55%)

“Fragments of the future spun past like whirling puzzle pieces with an endless array of combinations. Yet, even with millions of possible outcomes, the same conclusion punctuated every scenario: blissful happiness.
Love.”  (eARC, 57%)

"The shadows outside tamed none of him. No, they cast him as stronger and more dangerous than ever before. He was bigger. Hungrier. Predatory.
He said nothing as he crawled through the window, but his dark, flashing eyes and body stalking toward her spoke volumes." (eARC, 60%)  -Don't worry, this scene is sexy, not scary!

Published June 5th 2012 by Howling Mad Press

You can purchase EXHALE at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

GIVEAWAY

I am giving away two EXHALE ebooks. Haven't read INHALE yet? No problem. I will give you an ebook of INHALE, too!

My only demand: LEAVE REVIEWS. Self-published authors live and die on reviews. They rely on word of mouth. So, please, please leave reviews.

The winners of the giveaway are: Natasha and Janae. I have already contacted them.

Review ~ THE DROWNED CITIES (Ship Breaker #2) by Paolo Bacigalupi

Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew what they sought, and she knew, too, that if they found it, her best friend would surely die. In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man--a bioengineered war beast named Tool--who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible. This thrilling companion to Paolo Bacigalupi's highly acclaimed Ship Breaker is a haunting and powerful story of loyalty, survival, and heart-pounding adventure. ~From GoodReads

Set in the catastrophic ruins of a future America, THE DROWNED CITIES is a book that consumed my thoughts from nearly the first page forth. To be honest, I didn't expect to love this book. I actually took it for review only because I like to keep my reading horizons expanded. I had looked into the first book in the series, THE SHIP BREAKER, and was impressed by the acclaim it had received. Since THE DROWNED CITIES was a companion and not a sequel, I felt that I could safely jump into the world and not flail in the lost details. For the most part, I succeeded. Once I was able to grasp what this future America looked and functioned as, I was good to go.

Brutal. The story is absolutely, utterly brutal. Imagine the horrors of the never ending wars, the horrific genocide that has occured on an endless loop in Africa. The horror that we've only seen in newscasts, or movies watched in the comforts of our homes. But the horror is here, in America, and it's happening to you. Warring factions are deadlocked in a ceaseless battle for control of territories. They each claim to be working for the better good, but they only work to scavenge the land, leaving you alive long enough to fulfill your usefulness. This is your America. Flooded. Broken. Poisoned. Are you scared? That is the feeling that filled me as I read THE DROWNED CITIES. I despaired for the world, for Mahlia and Mouse.

I will probably be flogged for saying this, but in my opinion, Mahlia is a heroine that surpasses the exceedingly popular Katniss Everdeen. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with Katniss, but I am saying that I connected with Mahlia in a way I never did with Katniss. Mahlia's spirit, her will to survive, is one of the strongest I've ever read. She is faced with near impossible choices, with no sure or easy outcome. She makes dangerous choices, sometimes the wrong choices that cost those around her, but she stands behind the decisions. Although Mahlia isn't technically a soldier, she is at war. She is simply another casualty of the war around her.

In the end, you can do with THE DROWNED CITIES as you wish. You can read it strictly as an epic adventure. And it most certainly is. The journey that Mahlia takes is entertaining and tension-riddled as they come. You can also read the story as an allegory. A cautionary tale on the consequences of destroying the earth, and of war. Or you can do what I chose and accept it as both. THE DROWNED CITIES is a story that took me on a brutal, beautiful, terrifying, and thought-provoking journey. And although I did not need to read THE SHIP BREAKER to enjoy this, I have already ordered a copy so I won't miss a single moment of the haunting tale.

Favorite Quote:

" 'Lock it away,' the half-man whispered. 'You feel, after. Not now. Now you are a soldier. Now you do your duty for your pack. If you break, your Mouse will die, and you with him. Feel, after. Not now.' "  (pg. 196)

"None of it made any sense. He hadn't done anything one way or the other to end up where he was. The tide of war had rolled in and swallowed him up, and Banyan Town with him, and they'd all tumbled in the surf. And for reasons he couldn't understand, he'd broken the surface and managed to breathe, while everyone else was drowning alive." (pg. 274)

Published May 1st 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

You can purchase THE DROWNED CITIES at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

Source: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

YA Contemporary Reading Challenge 2012



So, I'm signing up for my first reading challenge! I've decided to go for the YA Contemporary Challenge of 2012. I've been in a very "contemporary reading mood" and decided to go for it.

There are three levels to the challenge. I'm going for

Level 2: 10+ books
I usually blow through my reading goals, so I may up this at some point.
Here is my list of the books I've chosen for the challenge, so far.

1. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)
2. Fracture (Megan Miranda)
3. My Life Next Door (Huntley Fitzpatrick)
4. Isla and the Happily Ever After (Stephanie Perkins)
5. The Story of Us (Deb Caletti)
6. Wanderlove (Kirsten Hubbard)
7. Keep Holding On (Susane Colasanti)
8. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Jennifer E. Smith)
9.
10.

I'm not sure that I will be reading the books listed, but it's nice to have a starting point. I've left it wide open, to add as I choose. One of my favorite indie authors, Abbi Glines, writes contemporary YA, so I expect to add a few of her books to this list.

Are any of you signed up? Let's help each other along!