MINI-REVIEW: 40 NIGHTS by STEPHANIE PARENT

Series: Neima's Ark #2
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Self-Pub
Publication Date: 10/9/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 94
Source: Author
Rating: 4.5 stars

Neima, her family, and her grandfather Noah have found themselves trapped aboard an ark as a great flood destroys all life in the world. As their time aboard the ark lengthens, food begins to run out, wild animals grow restless, and family tensions become as much of a threat as the flood outside. In the second and final installment of Neima’s Ark, the stakes are higher, the conflicts are greater, and Neima finds herself facing a choice as impossible as the destruction all around her.

Forty Nights is a continuation of the story begun in Forty Days, and it’s recommended that you read Forty Days first for the best experience. Forty Nights does, however, contain a character guide to refresh readers’ memories. The Neima’s Ark series is a historical, feminist reimagining of the story of Noah’s Ark rather than a religiously oriented one, and the novels are best suited for readers who are comfortable with new interpretations of biblical stories.

Religion is a subject that both fascinates and terrifies me, like a lot of people. I can only think of one book that I can compare to the Neima's Ark series, a series that reimagines biblical times through a woman's point-of-view, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (I'm sure there are many more.) And while the series is set during one of the most iconic events of the Bible, the Great Flood, it is not really a religious story at all. From the standpoint of someone of who does have a religious background, it's thought-provoking. Even if you don't know the story or the details, it is a dangerous and exciting story.

I want to dedicate what's left of my review to praise author Stephanie Parent. Young Adult Historical, let alone a story set during biblical times, is not exactly the "It" trend now. It can't be easy to reimagine a story that is virtually timeless, but Parent did it, and she did a terrific job. Besides how well I think the story is done, I have to say that every single story of hers I've read has been pretty excellent. Her writing is nearly flawless, and always thoughtful.

If you are looking for something new, out of your comfort zone, and exciting, I do recommend the Neima's Ark series.


Favorite Quotes:

  Jorin sighs and wraps his arms tighter around me. "I don't know if this God truly exists. But I've had a lot of time to think, these past few days. And I think--I think that if he does exist, he must speak some distant, long-forgotten language that one man could never understand completely. Interpreting God's words must be like...like trying to make sense of the howl of a wolf, or the trumpeting of an elephant. The song of a bird."

The Neima's Ark Series

 

 

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My Review of 40 Days

 

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About the author
Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Connect with Stephanie at:
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WAITING ON WEDNESDAY ~ THIS SIDE OF SALVATION by JERI SMITH-READY

 Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This week's WoW selection is...

 

Series: Stand alone

Category/Genre: Young Adult Realistic Fiction

Publisher: 4/1/14

Publication Date: Simon Pulse

 

 

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...

 

Why I'm Waiting ~ I am a HUGE fan of Jeri Smith-Ready. I've read almost all of her books, and have loved every single one. I'm sure this will be another great addition to her works.  

What are you waiting on this week?

 

 

 

REVIEW: DESTINY (THE BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS #3) by P.T. MICHELLE

Series: Brightest Kind of Darkness #3
Category/Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Self-Pub
Publication Date: 10/13/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 327
Source: Author
Rating: 4 stars

When destiny is on the line, will love be enough to light the way?

In order to save Ethan, Nara gets pulled deeper into his dark world, where everything she thought she knew about Ethan and herself turns on its head. Ethan and Nara turn up the heat with bone-melting seduction and heart-rending moments, but surprising revelations, lies, treachery, betrayal, and unimaginable evil will challenge their relationship and their future together. As the stakes rise, encompassing more than just her relationship with Ethan, will Nara make the ultimate sacrifice?

I rarely read YA Paranormal these days, but make exception for a few series/authors. The Brightest Kind of Darkness series is one such exception. I was very excited to start Destiny, and to continue Nara and Ethan's story.

When I began this series a few years ago, I had no idea that it would spin into such a big, elaborate paranormal tale. This was heavily expanded in Destiny. I'll admit, I think there's something wrong with my brain these days, I have a harder time concentrating, because I didn't follow all the twists and revelations as easily. This is not a complaint about the story, Michelle has created an interesting and unique tale.

What I did follow, and boy did I eat this up, was Ethan and Nara. Wow, what a great couple! Not only are they dealing with life and death issues, but are also navigating young love, and all that encompasses. There's the emotional aspect, with trying to handle all the emotions that falling in love entails, the doubts, questions. And the physical. Nara and Ethan are bonding in a way that heightens all of the physical aspects as well. I love how the author handled this, giving them a level of  heat that keeps it realistic, but also handling it really tastefully. Not gonna lie, Ethan is one hot man-child, so, well done there.

Destiny is a great addition to The Brightest Kind of Darkness series. And with the way it ended, I can't wait for more.


Favorite Quotes:

  "I meant what I said that night by your car, Nara. This is my heart. Mine to love. Mine to cherish. I love you. I'll always love you. You make me better than I am."
  Excitement and sheer joy thrum through me, but when Ethan leans over and presses a kiss where his hand had been and whispers, "You make me whole," tears trickle down my temples.


  Ethan bends close and whispers in my ear, his voice gruff, "I remember everything, Nara. Every breathy sigh, the curve of your back, kissing every bruise, waiting until dawn to untie the bow on your bra, and being in awe with how beautiful you are when I saw you for the first time. I remember wanting you so bad my body ached the next morning, and how leaving without kissing you awake was one of the hardest things I've ever done."

Brightest Kind of Darkness Series 

 

 

(Click on cover for GoodReads page)

 

My Reviews

Brightest Kind of Darkness  |  Lucid  |  Ethan

 

 

Purchase The Brightest Kind of Darkness Series (book one is FREE) 

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About the author

P.T. Michelle is the young adult pseudonym of Patrice Michelle, author of fifteen romance novels and novellas. When PT isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or odd in nature.


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REVIEW: INTO THE STILL BLUE by VERONICA ROSSI

Series: Under the Never Sky #3
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/28/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 stars

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

 

What can I say about this intense ending to a brilliant and gorgeous series? To be honest, all I want to do is just tell everyone to read this series. So I'm going to be brief. I don't feel as if I can say very much about this story, without spoiling it and the first two in the series. But what I can say is, as high as my expectations were, and the threat of disappointment, Into the Still Blue was a perfect ending to the series. I feel very content and happy.

I won't tease with all the possibilities and scenarios. I will say that I felt moments of despair and sadness. Perry and Roar (hands down, one of the best book names ever) gave me a serious case of The Swoons. I felt elation, heart-pounding tension. I ran the gamut of emotions. And in the end, I smiled.

So why should my opinion count? Since I've began the Under the Never Sky series a few years ago, my reading tastes have dramatically changed. I very rarely read anything but contemporary romance. I rarely read young adult. The fact that I still wanted to read this series, that it continued to hold me, thrill me, and have me on the edge, says everything for me.

The Under the Never Sky series, each and every installment, is what I hold up as the benchmark for Young Adult, post-apocalyptic, and honestly, gorgeous storytelling. Give it a try. You will not be sorry.

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 “Soren,” Roar called. When Soren looked back, Roar flung his knife into the air. The blade spun end over end, heading right for Soren,who yelped and dodged aside. 
  It missed him by a hair, as Roar had surely intended. Roar never missed.
  "Are you insane?"Soren yelled, his face turning red.
  Roar jogged over and calmly picked up his knife, but he sheathed the blade with a vicious thrust. "That's how you do a warning shot."

  Power felt tangible. Its shift unmistakable. Something had just ended, and something had just begun, and every person there sensed it: a change as startling and inevitable as the first drops of rain.


  As they walked back to the cave, a piece of him that had been broken felt whole again. Nothing looked the same or smelled the same, and maybe the world was ending, but he and Roar would walk to that end side by side.

 

  Aria's mind flitted from one thing to another. Falcon Markings that reached shoulder to shoulder. Sandals made of book covers. Opera songs and earthworms and a voice as warm as the afternoon sun. They had one thing in common.
  Perry. Every thought came back to him.


 

Under the Never Sky Series

 

     

 

 

 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

My Reviews

Under the Never Sky  |  Through the Ever Night

 

 

 

About the author:

Veronica Rossi's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be published in over twenty-five international markets, starting on January 3rd 2012 in the United States. Film rights to the trilogy have been optioned by Warner Bros.

 

 

 

 

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REVIEW: RIFT (CIPHER #2) by CINDI MADSEN

Series: Cipher #2

Category/Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: 9/13

Format: eARC

Source: Received from author for review
Rating: 4 stars

Summer Davis is a Cipher, a person chosen to help people resolve problems with their loved ones before they die. She’s just gotten her second job when weirder-than-usual things start happening. There seems to be a rift between her and the afterlife, and she’s seeing things she shouldn’t, including people who have already passed on. As she struggles to help her new assignment, Liam, make amends with his incarcerated father, she finds it hard to balance being a high school student, Cipher, and girlfriend.

Troy’s been nothing but supportive, but Summer can see her secret weighs on him, and she worries the more she tells him, the sooner he’ll decide he can’t deal with her freaky life. But when a murderer is thrown into the mix, and the girl he killed keeps asking Summer for help, she’ll risk everything to make sure the guy gets what he deserves.

Rift, the second book in Cindi Madsen's Cipher series, about a young woman who's inherited the job of helping the dying mend relationships before they die. In the first book, Summer learned what it truly meant to be a Cipher, and came to terms with how it would affect her life. And she won the boy. In Rift, Summer continues to help those who need her, but she's also dealing with just how much this phenomena disrupts her life and relationships. But not only does she have this to contend with, but a strange occurrence has her seeing the dead, and the balance between average teenager and Cipher is harder to maintain.

So though I don't often read paranormal books, I really do enjoy this series. Some of that is attributed to the fact that I see this series as Magic Realism, with the paranormal being a part, but not all of the story. I feel that Madsen has done a thorough, and interesting, job of creating the Ciphers.

What I really appreciate about Rift, and the whole series, is that the heart of the story, is a young woman who is trying to not only help those who need her, but is also balancing school, a boyfriend, friends, issues with her dad, among others. This is a story that I enjoyed, but I feel is the perfect fit for teens. Many readers have taken issue with the portrayal of teens in some of the popular paranormal romances. These issues have included passive heroines, controlling heroes, and an unrealistic or unhealthy portrayal of the lives of teens. But in the Cipher series, Madsen has done a very nice job of conveying healthy, honest, and realistic situations. Not only is Summer a Cipher, but she is also dealing with a friend in crisis. She has a boyfriend she loves, but is unsure about taking the next step in their physical relationship. Her dad is ready to become more serious with his girlfriend, but Summer is afraid her mother will be forgotten. I find stories like this, in which any teen can find something to relate to, to be invaluable. And the fact that Summer's story is so thoughtfully told makes it more so.

Rift was a very good addition to the Cipher series. As usual, Madsen's writing is very charming and fast-paced. I'm not sure at all what is going to happen next in the series, but I'm excited to find out.


Favorite Quotes:

 

  "Keep your shirt on." Liam looked at her and grinned. "Or don't."

  Summer smacked him. "Very funny. And just so you know, no  matter how excited I get, the shirt's staying on. Who really rips their shirt off when they get impatient?"

  The car behind them honked, and she glanced in the rearview mirror. "See. He's obviously impatient and his shirt's still totally on him."   ~eARC, 77%

 

 

  "I do love Kendall. You know how she can be. She's bossy and demanding, but she's smokin' hot, and she can be sweet when she wants to be. And dude, so many guys are jealous-- they'd kill to be in my place."

  "Well, if that doesn't mean you're in love, I just don't know what does."   ~eARC, 83%

Cipher Series

 

 

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About the author:

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, and Demons of the Sun and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, and Cinderella Screwed Me Over.

her website | Twitter | Facebook | blog

BLOG TOUR: CRASH INTO YOU by KATIE MCGARRY

 

 

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Crash Into You Blog Tour!

This tour is being hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. My stop includes a review and giveaway. Follow all the tour stops at the home page.

Series: Pushing the Limits #3

Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: 11/26/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 474
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 3.5 stars

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

 

Like so many readers, I loved Pushing the Limits and Dare You To. Noah, Beth, and Isaiah are three of the most heart-wrenching characters I've read, and I want them to have happy, safe endings. We got there with Noah Hutchins (always my favorite), and Beth. But after the way he was left at the end of Dare You To, I really needed this for Isaiah; for him to be better than surviving. Happy.

To that point, before I go further in my review, with what I may have liked, loved, or felt "meh" about, I have to say one thing. Katie McGarry can write. She owns her words and uses each one to create stories that make readers fall in love with her characters. From my own experience, I can say that I have hurt -badly- for Noah, Beth and Isaiah. I become fully invested in their lives, and want their happy ending. So for that, I cannot say enough good things about McGarry's writing.

Overall, I liked Crash Into You - quite a lot - but that's not to say I didn't have a couple issues. In the first two books in the series, Isaiah was portrayed as a darker character. He smokes pot and drinks, is a very tough guy who's pretty much closed off to everyone but Isaiah and Beth. In Crash Into You, I didn't really see that darkness. It seems that Isaiah isn't quite who he's portrayed himself to be, it's a cover for protection. I guess I can see that, but still, I felt a bit thrown. It's not that I don't think it's possible for Isaiah to have put up that façade for Noah, but since they are brothers by bond, I don't see why. Other than that, I liked the characterization of Isaiah, and was very invested in his story, particularly his bonds with Noah and Beth. But I also enjoyed seeing this tough and closed-off boy fall in love.

Rachel, she was a bit of a challenge for me. I did like that she was a car freak. I had a friend who was so into cars in school, she even drove an old Mustang (until we wrecked it).  I know my friend would have been thrilled to find a girl like Rachel in books as a teen. I also liked that Rachel was non-judgmental about Isaiah's background and tough looks. That she accepted Isaiah just as he was. What kept me from being completely Team Rachel was mostly her family. What a self-absorbed, enabling group of people they were. I'm still a bit boggled at one family that wrapped up in the past like that. And this is not to say that I don't understand why they may have been so self-absorbed and way too protective of Rachel. I do get it. I just don't get it, and that's where I struggled, because it was a bit much for me to take. I don't want to judge the story based on the dysfunctional Young family, but maybe if I didn't have to understand their motivations, Rachel's motivation to please them to the point of illness, and her constant panic attacks, it would have been a bit easier. The bright side to this dilemma? Character growth. Rachel grew immensely as a character, and I do truly appreciate that.

Crash Into You may not have been quite the story I expected, but I did enjoy it quite a lot. I loved the racing, the bond between Noah, Beth, and Isaiah, and the joy of seeing Isaiah experience true happiness. I didn't love everything about it, but I did feel so much, and at the end, that counts for a lot.


Favorite Quote:


  Maybe this is what happens when you fall in love. On the outside a lighter is nothing amazing, but it holds all the ingredients that can create something wonderful. With a few pushes in the right direction, you can inspire something so brilliant that it pushes back the darkness.  ~eARC, 68%


  "This is who I am, Rachel. Accept it or not. The tattoos won't wash off. The earrings will never change. I am who I am and nothing more. I'm loyal to a chosen few, I always keep my word and I'll protect you with my life. I scare the hell out of most people, but you will never have anything to fear from me. Choose. Love me or don't. But tell me now."   ~eARC, 74%

Pushing the Limits Series

 

      

 

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***GIVEAWAY***

10 finished copies of Crash Into You (US and Canada only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 

 

About the author:

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, follow her on Twitter , or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

 

 

COURTNEY REVIEWS: THE BOYFRIEND APP by KATIE SISE

Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: 4/30/13
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 312
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 4 stars

In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

 

The Boyfriend App is seriously one of the sweetest books I have read in a really long time. I love Young Adult because sometimes it is the perfect blend of new love, growing up, and just fun all wrapped up in a bundle. Luckily for me this book had all of that.

Audrey is a girl who doesn't think she has much going for her. She is a 'trog' or computer geek that loves building computer programs and hacking. The setup for the story comes from Audrey wanting to win an App building competition to get herself a $200,000 scholarship that she desperately needs for school.

Since her father passed away her freshman year, she has been locked in her shell. Her friends Aidan, Mindy, Niget and Lindsay are the only people who know how great she really can be...but ex-BFF/frenemy Blake is a classic mean girl who loves bringing them all down in the worst ways. She is desperate to win the prize money and comes up with a foolproof boyfriend app to match people with their close by (literally, through GPS) compatible matches. This will go perfectly as planned, right?

In all that Audrey isn't confident in herself, her cousin and friend Lindsay has a lot of it and helps her no matter what. She was a favorite character of mine because she blogs (and is really good at it!) and has Audrey's back. My other favorite is Aidan. There was a lot of desperation on my part wanting him to go for it and just tell Audrey whether or not he liked her already, but neither want to lose their friendship if things don't go well.

There is way more depth to this story than what first meets the eye. I had lots of questions with the app development, will they fall in love, will she win the competition, will she get the confidence to stand up against the bullies, and will she finally just be okay with herself and her social status living in a small apartment with her mom. This definitely reiterates how glad I am that I don't have teenage drama in my life...but I loved it and will definitely recommend to my Mom who is a high school librarian!

 

 

Purchase The Boyfriend App

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REVIEW; WILD CARDS (WILD CARDS #1) by SIMONE ELKELES

Series: Wild Cards #1
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 10/1/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 288
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 3 stars

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.  

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

 

I've never read a Simone Elkeles book before, but had heard really great things about her Perfect Chemistry series. When everyone started going bananas about Wild Cards being available on NetGalley, well, I naturally jumped on the bandwagon, excited to read the first book in a hopefully fabulous new series.

I liked Wild Cards, but didn't fall in love with the story like I'd hoped to. Derek and Ashtyn were good characters, and I found them both to be worthy of a deeper story than they were given. I felt as if the writing skimmed the surface, sometimes beginning to truly dig into the real heart of the story, what Derek and Ashtyn were going and had gone through in their lives, and what they might find together. This didn't happen, though. Just when I felt the story was really going to go there, the moment was gone.

The first half Wild Cards was so good. I was getting into the characters and their story. I could feel the big "hook" coming, but that never happened. It was like the second half of the story was rushed. Derek and Ashtyn had a very antagonistic relationship, and I couldn't see why, not that teens really need much of a reason. (Or at least, I never did.) But these two went from "I hate you. Stay away from me. Why are you even in my space. I hate you."  to "I love you." without a big moment to connect the dots. If there was a moment I was supposed to feel the change, I must have missed it. I could see it coming, but I didn't feel the heart behind it.

Something else that felt off to me was the secondary story with Derek's estranged grandmother. It started off nice and complicated by past hurts, very angsty, but turned into something entirely different, almost comical, but I felt like I was missing the joke. I'm still not even sure what was going on there. It was like the author started in one direction, lost motivation, then headed in an easier path. I just didn't get it.

For me, Wild Cards just didn't dig deep enough. It didn't pull me hopelessly in and win my heart. I enjoyed Elkeles's writing style, there were a lot of moments that had me smiling, and I flew through the pages. Despite the convenient and slightly over the top ending, I did appreciate Derek and Ashtyn's story. Even though I didn't love Wild Cards, I will likely continue the series.



Favorite Quotes:

  "Seriously, Ashtyn, I bet my left nut you wouldn't even notice if I got your dog fixed."
  "Your left nut?" I ask. "Why not your right one? Guys never say they'll bet their right nut, only their left. Why is that?"
  "Because all guys know their right nut is the dominant one, so bettin' the left one is a safe choice. Now don't change the subject and answer my question."   ~eARC, 46%

  "You want to break the rule?"
  He nods slowly. "Yeah."
  "Why?"
  "Because I'm tryin' to push you away when all I want to do is hold you. I know you say you don't want a hero, but damn I'd like to be that guy who'll save you from spiders and whatever and whoever else hurts you."   ~eARC, 66%

 

Purchase Wild Cards

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

About the author
Simone Elkeles is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of novels for teens. Simone’s books have won many awards including being YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, being named to the YALSA Popular Paperbacks and Teens Top Ten lists, and added to the Illinois “Read for a Lifetime” Reading List. Simone also won the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry. Simone is especially proud of the fact that the Illinois Association of Teachers of English named her Author of the Year.

Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where she still lives today. Simone went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor’s of Science there in Psychology in 1992. She continued her education at Loyola University-Chicago where she received her Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Relations while working for a manufacturing company creating diversity programs for their employees.

She loves animals (she has two dogs – a labradoodle and a German Shepherd), kids (she also has two of those) and her family. In her spare time she’s the Hockey Mom for her kids hockey teams and is an active Girl Scout leader specially trained in outdoor education. She also spends time mentoring other teen and adult authors. (She also loves sushi, which you can probably tell by reading her books.) Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad”) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances.

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RELEASE DAY CELEBRATION: RIFT by CINDI MADSEN

I'm excited to be taking part in the release day celebration for Rift by Cindi Madsen.
 

 

 

Series: Cipher #2

Category: Young Adult

Publication Date: 9/23/13
 

 

 

Summer Davis is a Cipher, a person chosen to help people resolve problems with their loved ones before they die. She’s just gotten her second job when weirder-than-usual things start happening. There seems to be a rift between her and the afterlife, and she’s seeing things she shouldn’t, including people who have already passed on. As she struggles to help her new assignment, Liam, make amends with his incarcerated father, she finds it hard to balance being a high school student, Cipher, and girlfriend.

Troy’s been nothing but supportive, but Summer can see her secret weighs on him, and she worries the more she tells him, the sooner he’ll decide he can’t deal with her freaky life. But when a murderer is thrown into the mix, and the girl he killed keeps asking Summer for help, she’ll risk everything to make sure the guy gets what he deserves.

 

 

 The Cipher Series

 

(covers lead to GoodReads)


Cipher is FREE! Hurry and get your copy, the sale ends today.

Amazon

 

About the author:

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, and Demons of the Sun and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, and Cinderella Screwed Me Over.

 

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