Book Review for Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2) by Megan Sheperd

Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2)Megan Shepherd

Published: January 28, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Age Demographic: YA Historical Mystery

Pages: 432

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

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Note: I received an ARC of this book for review approved by the publisher's through ATW ARC Tours, in exchange for an honest review.

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.
When I first read the The Madman's Daughter I was intrigued by the dark and maddening synopsis that drew me in, so when I learned of Her Dark Curiosity I was even more excited! I sat on pins and needles waiting to have a copy of this darkly rich and gorgeously told story in my hands and when it finally arrived, I could barely contain myself. I sat down immediately and became so ensconced in the world that Megan Shepherd had elaborately stitched together, that I could not put it down. I was so entranced by the world that she had created around this character, Juliet Moreau, that I have come to love and feel so much for. The mystery of the hidden nature of love and humanity, are the two biggest elements that have really drawn me to this dark, suspenseful, and intense tale of deceit, destruction of oneself, and the undoing of others.

Her Dark Curiosity is a dark illustrious macabre of deep seeded mystery, compelling drama, and the unraveling of ones own being. Juliet has experienced more horrors at the hands of her father and this illness that she is fighting hard to find a serum for, than any other character that I have read about this year and that's saying quite a bit. She's a beautiful fragile soul, who is being forced to reconcile with a past that is rising to the surface, a heart torn in two when it comes to love, and escaping the secrets that she left behind on the island. I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a more quietly strong individual as her, whom I can feel for in the manner that I have come accustomed to feeling for her. Terrified, she is determined to find the killer who is wrecking havoc and death on those who are closest to her. Her strength and determination, in the face of the overwhelming painful issues she's dealing with, truly astound me. Actually, they inspired me on many human levels.

Shepherd has definitely cornered the market on breathing new life and inspiration into a story inspired by the original Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One of the most interesting elements or perhaps, facets of Juliet's personality, is dealing with the two different sides of her. One where she is tipsy with cleverness, high intelligence, and a tiny bit of madness mingled in and the other where she is caring and sweet. She becomes this sort of unhinged wrapped up ball of intrigue for me, filled with so many human flaws that make readers either enjoy her or dislike her. For me, she is one of the most real things this novel or series has going for it, and I find that incredibly refreshing. The idea that a character can be so incredibly broken with the ability to spin out of control on one hand, but can be reigned back in and possibly put back together. The idea that all hope isn't lost when it comes to Juliet, is what keeps wafting through my mind. It's always there in the shadows, staying with me long after I'd turned the last page of these tumultuous twists and turns.

There are books that pique your interest and arouse your curiosity and for me, Her Dark Curiosity, is one of those books that I became so taken with this year. I am eagerly anticipating the next book in this series, because I know it's going to as dark and deceptive, so filled with even more beguiling madness swirling around it as this one. Gritty and full of action, this book is definitely a must read for any fan of the idea behind Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You absolutely won't be able to put this book down, until the twists and turns have all be taken, the deep secrets have been unraveled and revealed, and you have reached the final destination - the last page. I do think it's one of the year's best written novels, in the sense that it shows the dark and dueling sides of more than one personality and a person so fragile, that they must fight to just to keep fighting in order to survive. I don't think I've witnessed anything like this since Buffy Summers came back as dark and broken as she did in Season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I found myself discovering a new love for the character for that reason. As unhealthy as it may have seemed, no one can deny that it made her character that much more interesting and compelling as the story unfolded, the same I believe applies to Juliet.

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Megan Shepherd was "born" into the book world, growing up in her parents' independent bookstore in Western North Carolina. She is the author of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER trilogy (Balzer+Bray/2013), and THE CAGE trilogy (Balzer+Bray/2015). When Megan is not writing, she can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. She is represented by Josh Adams at Adams Literary.

Book Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point
Author: Kasie West
Published: February 12, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 352
Age Demographic: YA
Genre: Sci-Fi Paranormal
ARC Received for Review from: ATW ARC Tours

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

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Pivot Point is a wonderfully compelling and highly engaging novel. Definitely a head spinner, it will suck reader's into the story, leaving them gasping at every twist and turn. Kasie West has written a stunning new young adult debut novel, that is sure to entertain and wow fans of the genre. Filled with murder, mystery, suspense, and intrigue, Pivot Point will leave reader's speechless with its captivating premise and amazing brilliance.

West pens a novel dripping with so much originality and intriguing plot twists, that reader's will simply not want to put it down until they've reached the end. Emotionally engaging, the characters are wonderfully developed, likable, and easy to relate to. Addison is an amazing character that is intuitive, funny, vulnerable, and wonderfully clever. It's incredibly easy to connect with this vivacious and strongly written, yet incredibly complex character. She's undeniably selfless and the kind of character that won't back down from impossible situations once she is faced with them. Instead, she meets them head on and weathers the storm, whatever it may be.

The clever spins on what the future grasps and the past and/or present consists of, is also one of the strongest and best elements about this novel. It lends the book most of its charm and appeal. Getting to see both the para-world and the norm-world set up against one another almost as if you were seeing both sides of the coin being tossed in the air, is part of what makes this book so amazingly rich in its depth, plot, and complex premise. The heartache and unexpected twists and turns that won't be expected, is what will leave reader's aching for more. Pivot Point is a painfully beautifully written young adult novel, that is probably one of the best the year has to offer. It is absolutely unputdownable amazing! Reader's will not want to miss out on this heartstopping story.

I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My debut novel, PIVOT POINT, will be published by HarperTeen on February 12, 2013, followed by its sequel in 2014. I also have a contemporary, The Distance Between Us, coming out in the Fall of 2013 with HarperTeen. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

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Book Review: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Expected Publication: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Age Demographic: YA Sci-Fi Fantasy

Pages: 393

ARC: Provided for review by ATW ARC Tours

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost

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Beautifully lush and mysteriously intriguing, Origin brings to life the age old clash between science and nature. Set in the vividly imaginative jungle surrounded by gorgeous landscape, exotic terrains and animals, it's filled with breath-taking romance and incredible dangerous peril. Jessica Khoury sets out to tell an amazing action filled suspenseful shocking adventure sure to engage and captivate readers. Wonderfully bold and deliciously original, Origin is a story that will answer questions with more questions and pique interests that will stay with readers long after the last page has been turned. Evockative and thrilling, Jessica Khoury weaves together a tale that explores the moral delimma's of science versus mankind and spiritual faith, while adding in a hint of the paranormal element so delicately.

Origin's pages are filled with bravery, intrigue, and heartbreaking action filled romance sure to titilate any sci-fi paranormal fan. Khoury brings to life a wonderfully written and developed herione, sure to grab any reader's attention. Pia is an extraordinary character that is likable, easy to connect with, and interesting. It's a wonderful reading experience getting to embark on the journey of self-discovery with her, as the story unfolds revealing dark secrets that have been kept from her and a chance at possible freedom from being so incredibly sheltered for seventeen years of her life. The passion that she exuberates for what she believes is right and wrong, is just as confusing as all of the dark secrets of her true identity and origin that have been kept from her, and yet it's beautifully written and dripping with insurmountable emotion that is just as real and palpable as the air she breathes.

Jessica Khoury explores a dark and terrifying outlook on the manipulation of science to further mankind's lifespan, that is so realistic that at times, parts of the novel was gruesome and extremely dismal. She pens a powerfully stunning story that evokes as much confusion and mystery, that reader's simply won't be able to put it down. The romance is such a wonderful element that helps to lighten the darkness and to push Pia head first into freedom, forcing her to make a decision between what she believes is right and wrong. It's beautiful and wildly imaginative and dripping with suspense. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys well thought out plot driven novels, that explore science versus humanity, and delivers a strong female herione and exciting sub-character's who come with their own stories to tell.

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Jessica Khoury is 22 years old and was born and raised in Georgia. She attended public school followed by homeschooling, and earned her bachelor's degree in English from Toccoa Falls College. She lives in Toccoa, Georgia with her husband Benjamin, two terrible dogs, and an abundance of books, shoes, and sweet tea. When not writing, she's usually directing stageplays or coaching soccer. Origin is her first novel.

Book Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Mila 2.0
Author: Debra Driza
Published: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 480
Age Demographic: YA
Genre: Sci-Fi
ARC Received for Review from: ATW ARC Tours

Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

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Mila 2.0 is an incredible rollercoaster ride of excitment and adventure! Debra Driza doesn't hesitate to bring the awesome. Fast paced and filled with electrifying twists and turns, Mila 2.0 will leave readers breathless and aching with anticipation of what's to come next. Possibly one of the year's best debut young adult sci-fi novels, you can't go wrong picking this one if you're a fan for sure. It is definitely a must have!

Completely unputdownable and filled with so much intrigue and mystery, Driza brings the action to a culmination full force, that will knock your socks off literally. Mila is such a fantastically written and developed character, with definite unique appeal and likable qualities. It's incredibly easy to fall in love with her and to sympathize with what's going on in her life and to connect with her emotionally on many levels. She's fiercely strong and amazingly complex, and quite possibly more human than one would realize despite the fact that she really isn't at all. The way, in which Driza, approaches the fact that Mila is an android and writes it in such a compassionate and compelling way, adds extra flare and great dynamic to the book making it more enjoyable to read.

Humanity versus articial intelligence has always been an intriguing subject and Debra Driza explores it in her own wonderfully written, brilliantly unique, and intriguing debut young adult novel. Her writing style and attention to detail, are what carries so much powerful weight making the story she's telling much more believable and real. It's powerfully emotional and beautifully riveting. The emotion that's poured into these characters is simply off the charts and adds for so much development and intense heart pounding action and drama.

Wonderfully character driven and uniquely written in such an intensesly compassionate style, Mila 2.0 is a book that fans of sci-fi will absolutely fall in love with. It has everything that an amazing new debut novel should have, the right amount of intrigue and suspense, mystery and heart throbbing action, that will keep readers thumbing through the pages. The ending packs an incredible punch to the gut with an intense twist that you definitely won't see coming. It is truly worth reading!

About The Author

Debra Driza is a wife, a mom, a dog lover, a writer, a physical therapist, and the owner of the messiest purses on the planet. No, really. Sometimes she worries that she'll reach inside for her keys and lose a hand in the process. Her YA thriller series debuts in Fall 2012 with Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins. Oh, and when she grow up, she want to be Veronica Mars.

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Book Review: Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Expected Publication: January 8, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Demographic: YA Dystopia

Pages: 272
ARC: Provided for review by ATW ARC Tours

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.

To Purchase Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum visit: Amazon & B&N

Revolution 19 is a compelling and adventurous post-apolocalyptic young adult novel, sure to get anyone's blood pumping. Fast paced and full of wonderful drama and action, this is a novel that will knock your socks off. Gregg Rosenblum has written an incredibly dymanic thriller, full of mystery, romance, and suspense. With an intriguing cast of characters, brilliant plot development, and tons of action and drama. This is a surefire winner from a new debut author blasting onto the scene with intense and incredible talent for captivating anyone with his stunning abilities to tell a story in such a cinematic way. The world he creates is unlike anything else I've read closely compared to it in the young adult genre. When opening this book from the first page and diving in, it's almost as if you are stepping inside a real live movie and fighting for survival to live through the aftermath of the robot revolution and the remains left behind.

The strength, courage, and sacrifice that the three main characters (Nick, Cass, and Kevin) show is incredibly overwhelming, when faced with the odds of possibly never getting to see their family members or friends alive again. Their relationship with one another was one of the things that I liked best, while reading about them. Rosenblum does a wonderful job of showing character depth and has taken the best care to write them in such a relatable and likable way that reader's will be able to identify with them and sympathize with their situation. Each of them has their own strengths, weaknesses, and distinct qualities that make them stand out on their own.

The world Gregg Rosenblum creates is incredibly intriguing and his attention to detail is amazing. The world in Revolution 19 is jam packed with the right amount of fear and action, that it leaps to life off of the pages. In some ways, it's chill-inducing and has a way of creating the feel of panic. The twists and turns will leave your head reeling. It's an intriguing new debut young adult book that you will definitely not want to miss out. If you enjoy dystopia, action, and suspsense then this is defintiely the book for you.

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Gregg Rosenblum works at Harvard, where he wages epic battles against technology as an editor/webmaster/communications/quasi-IT guy. He graduated from UC San Diego and has an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. He lives in Boston with his wife and daughter.

Book Review: The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble

The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble

Expected Publication: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Soho Teen

Age Demographic: YA Paranormal

Pages: 244

“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.

Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance.

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Joy Preble has done it again! She's managed to write such a wonderfully entertaining and intriguing young adult novel, full of mystery and wonder. It's full of fascination and wickedy delicious dialouge, catapulting readers into such a fun story. The characters are quirky and interesting, with their own complexities that make them stand out and shine on the pages. The style and sense of humor is also another great element about this book.

Preble manages to give it such incredible pinache. The great thing about The Sweet Dead Life is that it's a book that is easily relatable to MG and even slightly older young adults, as well. It's fast paced, full of fantastic wit and humor, that doesn't feature a lot of questionable content for younger readers. The fact that the characters come across so real and relatable, makes them even more extremely likable. The voice Joy Preble brings to this book is fresh and wonderfully captivating.

It's simply unputdownable and such a fun book to read. It takes the basic "angel book" genre in the young adult market and gives it a clever spin, full of mystery and suspense. The Sweet Dead Life will simply not disappoint! It's a delightful and amazing read that's super fast and will have reader's glued to the pages. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

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Joy Preble lives in Texas. She is currently writing YA novels (with crazy witches and malevolent Russian mermaids and stoner guardian angels) and loves to eat guacamole. DREAMING ANASTASIA and HAUNTED are out now from Sourcebooks. Book 3 of the trilogy, ANASTASIA FOREVER is slated for Fall 2012. THE SWEET DEAD LIFE will be out in Spring 2013 from Soho Press.

Book Review: Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

Expected Publication: October 9, 2012

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Age Demographic: YA Fantasy

Pages: 432
ARC: Provided for review by ATW ARC Tours.

“The end of their world begins with a story.
This one.”

In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. This isn't most fairy tales.

Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. A forbidden book. It tells a story of an evil being -- called the Nybbas -- imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true -- not really. But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon, may hold the key to the Nybbas's triumph . . . or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules.

Iron Hearted Violet is a story of a princess unlike any other. It is a story of the last dragon in existence, deathly afraid of its own reflection. Above all, it is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom.

To Purchase Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill visit: Amazon & B&N

Fairy tales usually end with happily-ever-after's.

This one doesn't.

Beautifully deceptive and filled with dark intrigue, this is a story of power, wonder, and fear. Kelly Barnhill fills her pages with unique wisdom, charm, and most important: the power of belief. Iron Hearted Violet is a story that will stay with reader's as they traverse the pages and immerse themselves into a world unknow, a world unlike any other told in the rich span of fairy tales. It's deeply forbidden and dripping with a uinque enchanting originality.

Princess Violet is just a bit too clever for her own good and a little reckless, when it comes to telling stories. One day, she and Demetrius (her best friend), find their way into a hidden room where they soon discover a forbidden book. Deep within its tattered old bindings, together they find a world unknown to them - a world where a terrifying evil being is trapped - a world where the Nybbas have ensnared within their world. Once discovered, Violet and Demetrius decide that this dark beguiling world of wonder and terrifying evil simply cannot be real...Until they begin to hear the whispers calling to them from afar. Together, with the last known dragon to exist terrified of his own shadow, they hold the key to freeing the Nybba's or causing their demise. It all depends on the way they tell the story, because after all...stories are known to make their own rules.

The power of belief in this story is bound to change an entire kingdom and it rests in the hands of one young princess who is far too clever for her own good, a mischevious tag-along best friend, and an anceint terrified dragon - the last of its own kind. The Iron Viloet is an entraning story full of wonder, surprise, adventure, and suspense that will appeal to those of all ages. Who doesn't love fairy tales, especially one's that aren't like any other they've ever been told before? Kelly Barnhill's wonderous descriptive and imaginative details leap to life off of the pages and possesses the power to tug reader's into the mysterious and darkly enchanting world she's created. Unconventional and splendidly original at its best, The Iron Violet is a story that will wow any reader who dares to take the unlikely journey told.

The end is exactly where it begins and it's full of whimsical delight, uncanny humor sure to bring life to the story, and wonderful adventure. The story Kelly Barnhill tells takes on a life of its own and soon becomes richly captivating and completely enchanting. She gives it wonderful edge by depicting the villians as they should be in any story, truly terrifying and downright villianous. It's such a refreshing change of pace, to witness them being truly evil without appearing as sympathetic as some who have come before them in young adult literature. The fantasy aspect of Iron Hearted Violet is beautifully written and will appeal to anyone who enjoys evil beings ensnared in vastly different and unique world between the pages of a book. Anyone who enjoys reading in general, will be able to appreciate this aspect.

Kelly Barnhill has elevated young adult and middle grade fantasy to a higher level and has definitely set the bar high. Fairy tales will not be the same again.

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I'm a writer, a mom, a wife, a dog owner, a reader, a thinker, a hiker, a friend, a runner, a teacher, a listener, terrible gardener, a lover of nature. Sometimes I'm all of these things at once.

I'm also a former bartender, former park ranger, former waitress, former church janitor, former kosher meat slicer, former wild-eyed activist, former wildland firefighter, former coffee jerk, former phone-book delivery girl and a former dull-eyed office slave. Sometimes I am still these things. Sometimes all at once.

Book Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Publication: August 28, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Age Demographic: YA Dystopia

Pages: 432

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination--an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything and everyone she's ever known--the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love--to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be--until she found the strength to decide for herself.

To Purchase The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna visit: Amazon & B&N

The Lost Girl was a thrilling and captivating story, full or amazing originality, wonderfully developed character's, and interesting plot. Those who enjoy sci-fi and gentics, will instantly be drawn to this lovely book. Sangu Mandanna takes readers for an interesting ride, with this emotionally powerful story of life and death, dealing with the aftermath of it, and having to make hard decisions that will affect one's life. Being created for the soul purpose of carrying out the rest of someone else's life when their's is cut short, is a cruel sense of purpose to have to live with. For Eva, her life simply isn't her own and she doesn't get to have any control over it.

Eva's different, though, she wants to have control over her own life and she wants to be with Sean, one of the people who has been assigned to watch over her. Its hard for her, being hated by Amarra, though it's understandable why she would. Eva is, but an echo of Amarra's life. The Lost Girl is an emotionally gripping look at loss and greif, in one of the most profound ways. It will touch readers deeply and will stay with them, once the last page has been turned.

This story is maddening and will throw out unexpected twists at every turn. It will also take readers on a journey of choice, self-reflection, questioning, and learning how to deal with greif. It's beautifully written and richly intense, complex, and complicated. Sangu Mandanna does such a phenomenal job of creating such a beautifully cruel and heartbreaking atmosphere. Readers will definitely not want to miss out on this amazing book.

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Sangu Mandanna was four years old when she was chased by an elephant and wrote her first story about it and decided that this was what she wanted to do with her life. Seventeen years later, she read Frankenstein. It sent her into a writing frenzy that became THE LOST GIRL, a novel about death and love and the tie that binds the two together. Sangu now lives in England with her husband and son.

Book Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Ink by Amanda Sun

Expected Publication: June 15, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Age Demographic: YA Fantasy

Pages: 304
ARC: Provided for Review by ATW ARC Tours

“I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.”

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

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Ink is a beautifully penned, lush story that comes to life in such a vividly gorgeous way. It is an amazing story that will whisk anyone away on an intriguing tale of adventure, drama, and terrifying discoveries. Amanda Sun does an extraordinary job of cultivating and creating her own spin on Japanese mythos and the Paper Gods. Right from the start, Ink, is an incredibly gripping and compelling novel that will keep reader's invested until they've finished the last page.

The characters are wonderfully nuanced and brilliantly developed, strong, and interesting. Katie is a beautifully flawed, yet strong female herione that reader's will find easily relatable. Her constant ability of getting lost somewhere between her head and her heart, is probably one of the most beautiful of her flaws. She comes across this incredibly real character that is easy to sympathize with, as she has to learn to adapt to a new culture, learn their language and way of life, as well as work through the grief of losing her mother on top of moving a country away to live with her aunt in Japan.

Tomohiro, on the other hand, is full of mystery, wonder, and intrigue. As broody and cute as he can be sometimes, he is dangerous to a fault. Not just to himself, but to other's as well. Drawn to Katie like a magnet, he's also terrified at what his secret may do to harm her as well. This is part of the reason he is as moody as he is, sometimes. It's hard not to feel for him, because of the painful dark secret that he lives with on a daily basis. Being Kami and knowing that soon his powers could potentially take him over and any humanity he has left in him at all, has to be incredibly terrifying. It's easy to see why he often comes across as a cold hearted jerk who doesn't care about anyone around him or why he tries hard to keep Katie at arm's length, while still being inextricably drawn to her.

Sun's brilliant incorporation of traditional Japanese myth is flawlessly beautiful in many stunningly vivid ways. Her attention to detail will definitely not go unnoticed, when reading this gorgeous novel, so full of life, love, and other terrifying secrets turned to reality. She has this way of transporting you to another world across the country ocean's away, through her gorgeous imagery alone. Getting lost in the world that she creates is such a wonderful experience that anyone would enjoy, while reading this novel.

Ink is an originally unique novel, with an impeccable conceptualized plot that is sure to stun and wow anyone who picks this novel up. I would recommend it strong to anyone who enjoys fantasy. While it is considered a fantasy novel, I can still see those who don't usually read fantasy easily enjoying this book and getting lost in the beautiful story it has to tell with it's rich detail, attention to plot, and strong characters. It's definitely a must read debut for the year 2013.

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Amanda Sun was born in Deep River, a small town where she could escape into the surrounding forest to read. An archaeologist by training, she speaks several languages and will write your name in Egyptian Hieroglyphic if you ask. Her debut novel, INK, is the first in the Paper Gods series and is inspired by her time in Japan, with a paranormal twist. She loves knitting, gaming, and cosplay, and lives in Toronto with her family. Find her on Twitter @Amanda_Sun or on Goodreads.

Book Review: The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

Expected Publication: April 9, 2013

Publisher: Bantam

Age Demographic: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Pages: 352

“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”

Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

To Purchase The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe visit: Amazon & B&N

The Sweetest Dark is a beautifully written suspenseful post-Victorian love story that will leave readers breathless. Shana Abe pens an extraordinary thrilling, exciting adventure filled drama, with brilliant flourishes of magic blended seemlessly throughout the tale. The atmosphere is lush, vibrant, and alive with rich historical vibes coming through. The story told, will pull readers in and captivate them with the gorgeous imagery, beguiling prose, and wonderful drama. This isn't your stereotypical paranormal romance set in motion.

It is wonderous and lush, alive with vivid detail, and crackling with beautiful intensity and vulnerability. The story Shana Abe so wonderfully crafts, is one that will sweep readers off of their feet. It's almost genius, her uncanny ability to tell such a beguiling story so grand and gorgeous, that readers get lost in the world the author has created. It's different, incredibly amazing, and something unlike any other classic paranormal novel, that I've ever read. It's incredibly easy to fall in love with this mystically enchanting dark and bleak world that Abe has created.

Lora is a bit hardened and distant, filled with incredible biting snark and trust issues due to having endured such an awful past. She's such a fantasticlly complicated and complex character, who is extremely fragile beneath her tough exterior. The quiet strength she exudes from beginning to end, is definitely one of the more adirmirable characteristics and traits that I loved about her. The boys are just as wonderfully developed and intriguing as Lora.

The Sweetest Dark is wonderously rich, dark, enchanting love story that will leave readers hearts aching in the aftermath. Written much in a style reminicent of Grimm fairytales, it is filled with gorgeous beguiling essence that will resonate with readers in a truly emotional fashion leaving them pining and gasping for more. It's definitely a must read of the year!

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Shana Abé was born in Texas. She spent much of her childhood living in Colorado, with a brief stint in Mexico as a foreign exchange student, and, at age seventeen, lived in Japan as a model. Throughout her childhood, Abé wrote, completing what she calls "The Silliest Romance Novel Ever" during her free time during modeling shoots. Her writing focused on romance, as those were the types of books that she most enjoyed reading.[1] She later attended college in Los Angeles, graduating with a degree in drama.

Her second novel, also a contemporary romance, took third place in a writing contest. She sent the book to several prospective agents, many of which responded with questions similar to "Nice voice — but what line are you writing for?" Unwilling to try to fit her writing into some of the rules that governed contemporary romances, Abé chose to concentrate on historical romances. For her first attempt at a historical romance, the newlywed Abé chose to tell the story of her own romance with her husband, set in medieval times. The manuscript was purchased by Bantam Books and published as A Rose in Winter.

Many of Abé's subsequent novels have also been set in the medieval time period. Abé chose the time period because of its "great sense of dichotomy....It inspires thoughts of grandeur, of courtly grace and chivalrous knights — but at the same time there's a gritty, raw aspect to the period that just cannot be denied."

Abé has received the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, and has been nominated six times for Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, winning twice.

Book Review: Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz & Ron Bass

Lucid by Adrienne Stotlz & Ron Bass

Publication: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Age Demographic: YA Contemporary

Pages: 342

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts.

To Purchase Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz & Ron Bass: Amazon & B&N

Lucid is a powerfully emotionally gripping new debut that is sure to tug at readers heart strings and have them aching with the characters. Stoltz and Bass have really teamed up and written a powerhouse phenomenal new young adult novel, with an interesting twist. It's a beautifully crafted heartbreaking tale, that reaches out and allows readers to feel with the characters and the odds they are facing. It is truly one of the most fascinating reads, that I've had the pleasure of enjoying all year. The transition between the dream worlds, the two girls lives (Maggie and Sloane), and the confusion and mystery were definitely enough to capture my attention.

This dymanic duo, have definitely cultivated a wonderfully engaging, heartbreaking, painful, and confusion mystery that will stun, wow, and captivate anyone. The characters are so well developed, the twist in the story arc is incredibly intriguing, and the massively unexpect cliffhanger at the end make it such an incredible read. It's a wonderfully confusing and distorted way of looking at life from two different sides of the coin. For me, personally, it's rare to find a gem such as this novel that can actually make me feel torn and sympathetic to both dream worlds and both girls, at the same time. In a way, it's magnificently disturbing and beautifully written.

Lucid holds the desires, dreams, and hopes of two girls caught up within each others dream worlds, and trying to decipher which one is real and which one is fake. The alluring thing, when it comes to this book, is the fact that it's so incredibly relatable and brilliantly stunning in the storytelling details that it's hard not to be drawn into its web of conflict, confusion, and chaos. It is probably one of the most unique and original stories, that I've read in quite some time. I wouldn't be so quick to pass this book up, as I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys heartfelt emotionally gripping stories that will pull at their heart. It is definitely worth the read.