Review: Firewalker (Josephine Angelini)

Title: Firewalker
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, Book 2
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy
Told: Third Person Omniscient, Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (disturbing situations and images, violence, sensuality/minor sexuality, minor language)
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

*          *          *

Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review. Thank you, Macmillan!! <3

In a Sentence: A rich sequel with lots of magic and mystery that, while it did suffer a little from middle book syndrome, shouldn't be missed if you loved the first book!

After Trial By Fire captivated me with its engrossing story and unusual magic (check out my review of Book 1 here), I was excited to return to the world of the Worldwalker series with this sequel! I'd grown to care so much about the characters in the first book and was delighted to spend more time with them, no matter what they were doing - which proved a good thing because they weren't up to all that much in the beginning as they healed and learned and settled into a new way of life.

The first half was all magic and mystery as Lily recuperated from her previous trials (by fire, hehe). There wasn't a lot of action but plenty of engaging character development and information absorption as we began to learn bit by bit what drives Lillian and what she wants of Lily. It wasn't until exactly halfway into the book that we returned to the action, adding fleeing and fighting and lots of fire to even more magic and mystery as we delved into the enigma of the Woven and what (or who) they really are. I really enjoyed the mystery, although by the end of the book we are left with infinitely more questions than answers as it ended on a soft cliffhanger that will open up a whole new world of sorts in the final book.

While Firewalker was essentially a thrill of a read for me though, I must admit it did suffer a little middle (or second) book syndrome. It seemed to exist mainly so the characters could get from Point A to Point B and so we (characters and readers) learned everything we needed to know for The Big Reveals in Book 3. That said though if you loved the first book you should love the second book, hang the MBS.

Lily and Rowan continue to be my one and only serious ship, despite some serious angst I did not see coming in this book. But Lily and Rowan are so much more than just Lily + Rowan, and I think that's what really makes their relationship - they are so perfect together, but they are also just as amazing apart. Lily is a true pillar of strength in the face of great adversity, growing and adapting but still maintaining her true self even as her similarities to unbalanced Lillian begin to show. Lillian continues to be a redeemable character for me though, and while it feels like a serious long-shot I'll be holding out hope for her until the last page of the series. Rowan strained my emotions something awful in this book as he showed sides of himself we hadn't previously seen before (not all of them good), but he took an interesting turn at the end that I'll be very interested to see play out in the final book.

As with the first book there was a darker vibe to the story that left me tense with dread expecting sexual assault (a deal-breaker for me), this time from the reason behind Lillian's dark change of heart. Luckily it turned out to be non-sexual, but was still rather disturbing - this book is definitely not for the faint of heart (or weak of stomach).

Conclusion: I absolutely loved returning to the world and magic of this thrilling series and spending more time with its amazing characters! Although it did suffer a little from middle book syndrome, if you enjoyed the first book you should definitely enjoy this second one. Now, for the long wait until the final book: Traitor's Pyre...

Scribble Rating: 

4 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (8/28/15)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review on your blog and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (PBK)
After how Crown of Embers ended I just had to go straight into this last book to see how it all ends! Holding out a long-shot hope this goes a little sci-fi...

>> JUST FINISHED <<

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (PBK)

4 Stars. No second book syndrome here - this was just as good as the first book! Vivid writing, exciting story, highly realistic characters - overall a very engrossing read. Review to come.

So Cute It Hurts! vol. 2 by Go Ikeyamada (PBK)
4 Stars. So Cute It Hurts is the PERFECT name for this series - and especially this volume - because it was truly so cute that I was squeeing so much it was almost painful. This series is proving a mashup of every manga fangirl's favorite tropes, and while together they make for way-over-the-top scenarios, as long as you don't take the story seriously (like at all) it's a really fun read. Can't wait to get my hands on Vol. 3 (especially after how this volume ended *flails*)!

My Hero Academia vol. 1 by Kohei Horikoshi (PBK)
4 Stars. Well that'll teach me to judge a book by its cover and weird title! I wrote this off without even reading the summary and only picked it up because it was sitting at the library and I wanted to see just why everyone was so excited about it on Twitter. Turned out this is a school for superheroes story with a strong main character, humorous mentor, engaging art and rousing plot - in other words, just my kind of manga!! Will most definitely be giving this series my full attention from now on!

>> READING NEXT <<

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin (ARC)
While not really my type of read, everyone has been raving so much about it, and I've been discovering such amazing books outside my usual genres this year, I traded for an ARC and am quite intrigued to try it next.

So what are you reading this week?

WoW: Rebel of the Sands (Alwyn Hamilton)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Rebel of the Sands

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Release Date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: Penguin

Summary:

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Setting-wise this sounds like a western Aladdin, which is a mashup I'd definitely be interested in, and how could I not be game for a sharpshooting girl? Also: mythical horse. Is it March yet?

So what book are you waiting on?

Release Spotlight: Insidious (Dawn Metcalf)

Today it is with great pleasure and excitement that I spotlight the release of Insidious, Book 3 in The Twixt series!! I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books, and after the explosive ending of Book 2 I have been anxiously awaiting this continuation! If you haven't yet heard of this amazing series, links for the first two books are also below, along with links to my reviews if you need any more convincing.

Title: Insidious
Author: Dawn Metcalf
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 8/25/15

True evil is rarely obvious. It is quiet, patient. 

Insidious. 

Awaiting the perfect moment to strike. 

Joy Malone finally knows who she is, where she comes from and how to live in two worlds at once. And now she can introduce her family and friends to her mysterious boyfriend, Indelible Ink. But when Ink's twin sister, Invisible Inq, calls in a favor, Joy must accept a dangerous mission to find a forgotten door between worlds—a door hiding a secret that some will kill to keep. 

Unseen enemies, treasonous magic and an unthinkable betrayal threaten both the Twixt and human worlds as Joy races to expose an ancient conspiracy and unleash the unalterable truth—some secrets cannot remain secret forever.

Add to Goodreads

PURCHASE:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | TBD


Haven't yet heard of The Twixt? 

Check out the first two books (I highly recommend them)!

Book 1: Indelible                           Book 2: Invisible

   Goodreads | My Review                Goodreads | My Review   
Amazon | B&N | TBD                     Amazon | B&N | TBD

Review: Trial By Fire (Josephine Angelini)

Title: Trial By Fire
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, Book 1
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dark Contemporary Fantasy
Told: Third Person Omniscient, Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, minor gore, strong sensuality, soft torture, a few words of language)
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

*          *          *

In a Sentence: Unique, epic, and completely engrossing, this is a fantasy that no one should miss!

I've been craving more fantasy this summer, and since this received such amazing reviews last year I decided it was time to give it a try. I tend not to side with the majority though so I really didn't know what to expect, but this book completely blew me away with its vivid story and unique magic.

Although I was a bit hesitant at first when the story began with little more than a bad romance and weird illness, once Lily was transported to New Salem and met Rowan I did not want to put this book down. I read for hours on end without realizing it (which I almost never do), engrossed by Lily's journey of discovery as she learned about the worlds and her complicated but intriguing powers through intense action and engaging magic. Compared to Lily's present-day Salem, Lillian's more dystopian New Salem, with its mishmash of uptown lofts and magical green energy beside rustic encampments and perilous forests, was a little hard to picture but fascinating to try and wrap my head around. The Third Person Omniscient point of view and high fantasy overtones made the writing seem a bit dense, but the slightly slower reading pace made the world richer and gave the story more substance - and caused the amazing book to last just a little longer.

Lily, Rowan, and Lillian were all characters of conviction and never wavered no matter what they faced, be it friends, enemies, monsters, love, or especially each other. All Lily wanted was to get back to her world, but she never turned away people who needed her help or shied away from a fight for something she believed in. Although Lily was at odds with him most of the time, Rowan was the perfect match for her in every way, not just as a steamy romantic interest but a companion and partner and teacher. Their crucible-mechanic dynamic was what really powered this book for me, and with these two I finally came to understand the concept of the ship: Lily + Rowan all the way! As for New Salem's Lillian, she proved an interesting conundrum as, although she was supposed to be the "evil queen," the reasons for her actions were rooted in good intentions, even if said actions were despicable. This left me without a definitive "bad guy," and I liked it - I'm a sucker for redeemable characters.

The only thing that gave me pause with this book was the darker vibe to the story. Through the whole book I had the feeling that someone was going to be sexually assaulted, and since that's one of my deal-breakers I read in constant fear of the worst. I'm happy to report that while there were one or two minor close calls nothing came of them, and I look forward to re-reading this book soon and enjoying it even more with a mind at ease.

Conclusion: A captivating fantasy with an engrossing story and engaging characters that I couldn't put down - highly recommend for any type of fantasy lover! I couldn't wait to get my hands on Book 2 (Firewalker), and read it immediately upon receiving an early ARC from the generous publisher. Check out my review of it next!

Scribble Rating: 

4.5 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (8/21/15)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (PBK)
This sequel is proving just as vivid and engrossing as the first book! My only problem is the frustrating Hector situation - I apparently don't take romantic suspense well.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (PBK)

2 Stars. A stellar library concept that turned out to be a rambling mess of a mystery I could not follow or make sense of. Review to come.

>> READING NEXT <<

So Cute It Hurts! vol. 2 by Go Ikeyamada (PBK)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy vol. 12 by Maki Minami (PBK)
Assassination Classroom vol. 5 by Yusei Matsui (PBK)

Awesome manga haul from the library today!! Now, which to read first...

So what are you reading this week?

WoW: Burning Glass (Kathryn Purdie)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Burning Glass

Author: Kathryn Purdie

Release Date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins

Summary:

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. One mistake, one small failure, will cost her own life and the lives of the few people left in the world who still trust her.

But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, her feelings easily usurped, and she sometimes can’t decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

BURNING GLASS is debut author Kathryn Purdie’s stunning tale of dangerous magic, heart-rending romance, and the hard-won courage it takes to let go.

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: An empath in a fantasy setting!! SOLD.

(The author is actually doing an ARC giveaway on Twitter right now - enter here!)

So what book are you waiting on?

Review: The Accident Season (Moira Fowley-Doyle)

Title: The Accident Season
Series: standalone
Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle (site)
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books
Release Date: August 18, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Contemporary Mystery
Told: First Person (Cara), Present Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (heavy teen drinking & smoking & partying, minor drugs, hinted & flashback child abuse (probably sexual) and cutting and attempted suicide, adult abuse, sensuality, some language, violence)
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

Every October Cara and her family become inexplicably and unavoidably accident-prone. Some years it's bad, like the season when her father died, and some years it's just a lot of cuts and scrapes. This accident season—when Cara, her ex-stepbrother, Sam, and her best friend, Bea, are 17—is going to be a bad one. But not for the reasons they think.

Cara is about to learn that not all the scars left by the accident season are physical: There's a long-hidden family secret underneath the bumps and bruises. This is the year Cara will finally fall desperately in love, when she'll start discovering the painful truth about the adults in her life, and when she'll uncover the dark origins of the accident season—whether she's ready or not.

AUTHOR VIDEO  |  READ AN EXCERPT

*          *          *

Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review. Thank you, Penguin!

Three Words: Spooky. Lyrical. Heavy.

I must start off by saying this was not my kind of read. I like my stories on the lighter side and shy away from heavy, depressing content, and this was most definitely a heavy and depressing story. However, it was also highly imaginative and somewhat beautiful, and I think it might prove a rather breathtaking read for those who enjoy darker contemporary stories with paranormal elements.

The Story

This book was essentially three stories in one: a mystery, a ghost story, and a romance that wove together seamlessly even as they flowed separately.

The mystery was one of accidents and tragedies, secrets and highly troubled emotions. It was a crumbling house of abuse and trauma and loss and neglect, and explored how people cope differently with things they can't handle or accept with love, obsession, dismissal, sometimes even more of the same. Thankfully most of the abuse was compressed into half-remembered memories and vague accounts or embellished with wild imaginings, but the raw emotions still punched through. It was rather depressing and a bit disturbing, but the revelations saw the onset of healing.

The ghost story was strange but unique with a confusing beginning, surreal end, and spooky and magical journey between. While its logic made little sense overall, it was haunting and bewitching and the best part of the book for me.

The romance focused not on one relationship but several that were diverse and passionate and poignant and complicated. They were struggles of the heart and the soul and the mind and transcended family and gender and convention. All the love proved rather messy and painful, but blessedly a little peace was found in the end.

The Characters

Thanks to their secret traumas and passions, all the characters in this book (but especially the teens) were seriously messed up. To cope, the teens smoked, drank, partied, took crazy risks and did crazy things. Once the secrets began unfolding though it was harder to fault their behavior, and once it was over I really couldn't blame them for continuing well past the final page. Cara was an imaginative but disorienting narrator due to her otherworldly visions and fondness for liquor, but as the most innocent of mind and soul she was the best point of view character for the tale and her fanciful imaginings added a dark and heady magic to the story.

The Writing

The writing was vivid and disorienting, lyrical and disjointed. Sometimes it was a little too much, but it flickered whimsical and creepy images through my mind. Time was sometimes a slippery thing, and with it movement - a moment could drag on for pages, only to jump from one place or time to another without warning in just a few words. It left me confused on several occasions as I found myself unsure where we were or what we were doing, but the disconcerting atmosphere also added to the mystery and magic when things seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Overall I was able to follow the story well enough, and rather enjoyed the shift and blend of reality and whimsy.

Conclusion: I picked up this book for the magic and got even more than I'd hoped for, but the heavy contemporary content weighed me down much more than I prefer. If it hadn't been for review I wouldn't have finished it, but now that it's over I guess I'm glad I saw it through, if only to answer the mystery of the accident season. Recommend for paranormal contemporary lovers who enjoy unusual, imaginative reads with heavier content.

Diverse Elements: Irish setting and characters; bisexual characters and romances

For Fans Of: heavy contemporaries with paranormal elements

Scribble Rating: 

3 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (8/14/15)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (PBK)
Love the premise but wasn't expecting a mystery so I'm struggling to keep up with the story (mysteries and I rarely get on). The writing is witty but also rambling, which doesn't help. Still it's relatively enjoyable and highly imaginative. 

>>ON HOLD<<

The Left Behinds by David Potter (ARC)

This is a pretty fun and informative read but I'm just not in the mood right now. Plan to come back to it someday.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Sakura Hime vol. 7 by Arisa Tanemura (PBK)

3 Stars. This series has turned out not quite as good as I'd been expecting, but still entertaining enough, I guess.

>> READING NEXT <<

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (PBK)

The author will be to town late September on tour so time to get the rest of this series read!

So what are you reading this week?

Exclusive Trailer Reveal: INSIDIOUS (Dawn Metcalf) + Giveaway

I am SO excited to reveal the trailer for Book 3 of Dawn Metcalf's Twixt Series, INSIDIOUS, which releases in two weeks on August 25, 2015 from Harlequin Teen!! Check it out below along with the other books in this amazing series, and enter to win the very first signed copy of the book plus gorgeous signed swag!

Now without further ado...

THE TRAILER

THE BOOK

Title: Insidious (The Twixt #3)

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Summary:

True evil is rarely obvious. It is quiet, patient. 

Insidious. 

Awaiting the perfect moment to strike. 

Joy Malone finally knows who she is, where she comes from and how to live in two worlds at once. And now she can introduce her family and friends to her mysterious boyfriend, Indelible Ink. But when Ink's twin sister, Invisible Inq, calls in a favor, Joy must accept a dangerous mission to find a forgotten door between worlds—a door hiding a secret that some will kill to keep. 

Unseen enemies, treasonous magic and an unthinkable betrayal threaten both the Twixt and human worlds as Joy races to expose an ancient conspiracy and unleash the unalterable truth—some secrets cannot remain secret forever.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Add to Goodreads

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Title: Indelible (The Twixt #1)

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Summary:

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT

 


PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Add to Goodreads

Title: Invisible (The Twixt #2)

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Summary:

Some things lie beneath the surface.

Joy Malone wants it all: power, freedom and the boyfriend who loves her. Yet when an unstoppable assassin is hired to kill her, Joy learns that being the girl with the Sight comes with a price that might be too high to pay. Love will be tested, lives will be threatened, and everyone Joy knows and cares about will be affected by her decision to stand by Ink or to leave the Twixt forever.

Her choice is balanced on a scalpel's edge and the consequences will be more shattering than anyone can know.

 


PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Add to Goodreads

THE AUTHOR

Dawn Metcalf has always lived on the edge between reality and magic, which explains her current profession and love of fantasy books and games. Her passions include karate, fairy tales, Victoriana and dark chocolate, often combining one or more of them in unexpected ways. Currently, she lives with her husband and family in northern Connecticut. If they had a sign, it would be: Confounding the Neighbor Children Since 1999. Dawn’s current Young Adult series with Harlequin Teen, The Twixt, has four titles: Indelible (July 2013), Invisible (September 2014), Insidious (August 2015), and Invincible (2016). She debuted with a Young Adult standalone, Luminous (June 2011, Dutton Juvenile). 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win the very first signed copy of INSIDIOUS plus a signed swag pack!
You can also win 1 of 3 signed swag packs,
which include a signed bookmark and set of temporary tattoos! 

US/CAN only  | Must be 13+ years to enter  | Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WoW: The Girl From Everywhere (Heidi Heilig)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: The Girl From Everywhere

Author: Heidi Heilig

Release Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow

Summary:

Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance.

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Travel between time and space in a ship with the aid of magical maps!! And I'm getting a bit of a Peter Pan meets Aladdin vibe. I've heard nothing but amazing things, so I'm really excited for this one!

So what book are you waiting on?

Review: The Cage (Megan Shepherd)

Title: The Cage
Series: The Cage Trilogy, Book 1
Author: Megan Shepherd (site)
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Science Fiction
Told: Third Person Multiple (6 humans), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, disturbing situations and images, some sensuality, teen pregnancy, some language)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

*          *          *

In a Sentence: An interesting premise but unsettling result that disturbed me until the explosive end.

Like the humans in their cage, I slowly went mad in the pages of this book. The story was not the good chill of a read that I expected, instead a slow build of dread and delusion that rather disturbed me.

Writing: The story is told Third Person from the point of view of the six teens in the cage. Broken into named chapters it was somewhat easy to tell them apart, but I believe the book would've been much better if told First Person solely from Cora's point of view since the plot mainly followed her and the chapters were mostly from her point of view. The information we received from the other five teens was spartan and almost completely unnecessary except to their character, and their characters held little importance to the overall plot. They were more like secondary characters to Cora, and learning important information from them before Cora greatly lessened the impact of some major reveals. Their point of views will probably become a bigger deal to the plot in later books, but for this one it proved a disappointment.

Setting: The dark but dazzling alien zoo premise I'd expected was not quite what I got. Yes humans were kept in environment cages where they were watched for amusement and studied for research, but for the most part it all felt more alien experimentation than zoo. The book spends most of its time in one particular experiment "menagerie," and there like Cora I found myself trapped with a headache in a disturbing cage I couldn't escape, slowly going mad. 

Story: The first three-fours of the book were a struggle of disorientation and delusion, the only highlights the brief times Cora was outside of the cage. Inside of it I just couldn't find much to interest me as the teens slowly succumbed to madness, which left only morbid curiosity to keep me going. The last fourth engaged me more though as Cora formed an escape (even though I thought her extremely delusional) and as she became more engaged with their alien Caretaker, and to my surprise by the end I found myself intrigued enough to want to read the next book. However, my interest is in seeing more of the aliens and their worlds, and not the characters. None of the teens ever truly engaged me, the aliens far more fascinating in their inhumanity.

Characters: Cora's unyielding strength was inspiring, but I felt she was just a little too delusional for her own good. The rest of the teens were too highly unbalanced for me to relate to, and were never consistent enough for me to understand. If I had to choose a favorite teen it would be Mali, strong and sharp and scarred from living among the aliens most of her life.

Romantic Relationships: The romances in this book were complicated and a little unsettling as the teens were initially paired for breeding and later as madness overcame them. Cora ended up with a bit of a love triangle between her paired human boy and the alien Caretaker. While the boy was really sweet I was never fully on board with him because of reasons, and I'm still not quite sure how to feel about her alien interest - interspecies romances can be fun, but here it smacked too much of Stockholm syndrome. And then of course he and his feelings were not all they seemed...

Conclusion: If you like disturbing stories about alien-human experiments that may break your sanity a little while you read them, then maybe give this one a try. Currently on the fence about reading any more in the series - I'd expected a series going in, but with a trilogy instead of a duology now ahead of me I'm not sure if I'm interested enough to read two more books.

Scribble Rating: 

2.5 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (8/7/15)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (PBK)
The Left Behinds by David Potter (ARC)

I just finished The Accident Season last night and my shredded reading feels weren't clear what they wanted to read so I grabbed these two. An amazing fantasy may be just what I need to pull me out of the contemporary mire, but a historic and comical middle grade may be more my brain's speed right now...

>> JUST FINISHED <<

The Girl of Fire & Thorns by Rae Carson (ARC)

4 Stars. An engrossing read with a realistic main character, vivid description, diverse world, and intense religion, even if the magic was rather weird. SO glad I have the entire series on hand to binge! Review to come.

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle (ARC)

3 Stars. This was not my kind of read. I like my stories light, not heavy, and this was most definitely a heavy story. The longer I read it the heavier I felt, like it was slowly piling bricks on my chest. If this hadn't been a review book I wouldn't have made myself finish it, and unlike the few other contemporaries I've read I didn't get anything out of it except a slightly depressed week. But while it was heavy and depressing, it was also highly imaginative and rather beautiful, and I think it will prove a rather breathtaking read for those who enjoy this kind of story. Review to come.

>> READING NEXT <<

Sakura Hime vol. 3 by Arisa Tanemura (PBK)

Volume 2 wasn't quite as good as Volume 1, but I'm up to continue the series.

So what are you reading this week?