ALA : Friday

I'm in ARC heaven! I can't wait to share them with you. If you see one you want... email me fast!

FTBT Review: Dreamless

Title: Dreamless
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pubdate: May 29, 2012
ISBN: 9780062012012
Author: Josephine Angelini

“But how do I get home” she asked before he could get too far.


“All you have to do is wake up. And Helen,” he called out ,almost like he was warning her, “In the coming days, try to remember that dreams do come true, but they don’t come easily.” pg 322

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

In Dreamless, Helen and Lucas, both deceived and broken, are forced to repress the deep feelings they have for one another.  Helen is bound to fight the evil furies alone, and without Lucus by her side, she fights exhaustion and discouragement night after night.  In a twist of fate, Helen’s deceptive mother sends Orion to her aide, complete with the ability to protect Helen from harm AND soothe her broken heart.  Orion is irresistible, and his playful presence in Helen’s life definitely makes things interesting.  Never to be underestimated, Lucas keeps his presence invisible,  and does what he can to help Helen without her knowing.

Dreamless provides a strong female character that truly lives up to her legacy. Helen takes care of business- and even at her most vulnerable moment, is strong and true.  I thought my devotion to Lucas could not be swayed, but Orion placed his invisible grip on my heart, just as he did with Helen.  This frustrating love triangle provides just the right amount of literary tension, which demands the reader to turn pages and read furiously until the story closes. Once again, the book ends without resolution, and despite my frustration, I loved every single page.  Fans of Greek mythology and a complicated love story are going to devour this novel.

I give this book an A+ for leading me to the River of Literary Joy!

Net Galley Review: Tempest Unleashed

Title: Tempest Unleashed

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

PubDate: June 05, 2012

ISBN: 9780802728302

Author: Tracy Deebs

         Though they were being total gentlemen, I still felt like a rope in a tug-of-war contest- caught between two opposing sides. Belonging equally to both of them. It made my head throb.  Pg. 200

Tempest Maguire is happy with her decision to embrace her mermaid nature and live among her mother's clan within the ocean's depths. Even though training to one day ascend the throne for the aging mermaid queen is rigorous, she finds refuge in the arms of Kona, the selkie who first opened her up to her mermaid side. But when word comes that one of her brothers has been gravely injured on land, Tempest immediately rushes to his side—which also brings her back to her old flame, Mark. And in her absence, a deadly battle begins raging at the hands of Tempest's old nemesis, the sea witch Tiamat. As the dangerous war erupts, Tempest's two loves—Kona and Mark, sea and land—will collide for the first time, both to protect her and to force her to choose.

After reading book one, I was eager for book two. Now that I have finished book two, I am desperate for book three! The clash between water and land, new love and true love, keeps you involved and interested from start to finish. The independent and fiery Tempest is overwhelmed with the choices she is forced to make- and her ties with her family on land, and her mermaid heritage within the sea- pull her two completely different directions. Deciding to fight an evil sea creature doesn’t hold a candle to the heartache Tempest experiences as she faces the fact that she loves two boys at once.

Teen readers will be crazy for mermaids after reading Tracy Deebs’s books. Tempest Unleashed is filled with pearls of wisdom that reveal crucial pieces of Tempest’s past so that she can face her uncertain future. Tracy- if you’re reading this… I wanted you to know that I’m “Team Kona” all the way!

 I give this book an A+ for it’s magical mermaid charm.

Net Galley Review: Grave Mercy

Title: Grave Mercy
Subtitle: His Fair Assassin, Book 1
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pubdate: April 03, 2012
ISBN: 9780547628349
Author: Robin LaFevers

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Nun by day… assassin by night? This book has it ALL going on! If you’ve searched for a strong female character that can take care of business, AND have the brains to understand it… than this is the book for you. Ismae takes the term heroine to a whole new level, and as she learns the deadly tricks to her lethal trade, she is confronted with something more terrifying than Death itself…forbidden love. Thank you Robin LaFevers for delivering a story that kept me on the edge of my seat AND reading past my bedtime. There’s only one problem… I need book 2!

I give this book an A+ for it’s original plotline and its “kick-butt” heroine!

Net Galley Review: The Peculiars

Title: The Peculiars

Publisher: ABRAMS

Imprint: Amulet Books

Pubdate: May 1st, 2012

ISBN: 9781419701788

Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

The Peculiars, by Maureen Doyle McQuerry, is an awesome YA read. The first thing that captured my interest was the cover. The mute colors and the delicate wings, combined with a steampunk look, sold me before I even read the book. The main character, Lena Mattacascar, makes the decision to travel alone in search of her father in the northern wilderness of Scree.  Her vulnerabilities and insecurities are revealed early on, and this allows the reader to connect with her "peculiar" characteristics.  While on the train to Scree, Lena meets Jimson Quiggley, who both fascinates and frightens her. Together, the two work for a mysterious inventor Mr. Beasley, and as they travel deep in to Scree, Marshall Thomas Saltre who wants Lena’s father for a completely different reason, relentlessly chases them.

Throughout the story, Lena is forced to face her deepest fears, which includes learning if she is indeed, a Peculiar. Her mind tells her one thing, but her bird-like hands and feet tell a different story.  What she discovers as she seeks the truth about herself reveals a terrifying plot to rid the world of all peculiars.  Her inability to trust, including the dashing Jimson, keeps her from opening up about her insecurities. Jimson's unwavering devotion is the support Lena needs to confront her fears, and accept her Peculiar features.

With a little bit of romance and a lot of mystery, this novel will keep you interested until the last page.  Tweens, teens, and fans of steampunk will love this book!

 Our KWN trip to NYC was absolutely amazing! Thank you to the Panasonic Corporation and KWN for treating us like royalty.