Teaser Tuesday: Mila 2.0

It's time for Teaser Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, where you open your current read to a random page and pick two teaser sentences.

This week, my read is an ARC of Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (Goodreads):

"I crept inside the darkened room...and almost fell flat on my face.

My toe, it had caught on something.

Only that patch of floor should be bare."

So what are you reading this week?

Review: Splintered (A.G. Howard) + Giveaway

Title: Splintered
Series: Splintered Book 1
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Dark Contemporary Fantasy
Told: First Person (Alyssa), Present Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (sensuality bordering on sexuality, some language, disturbing images, violence)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find It On: Goodreads
Summary: 

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

*          *          *

Writing: Beautiful, dark prose. Skillfully written and a breeze to read.

Setting: The "real world" was realistic and engaging, while Wonderland was spooky, creepy, warped, and overly enthralling. Tim Burton would have been proud to call it his own.

Story: It began a little rough, but I knew that was just me trying to relate to MC Alyssa, who I personally didn't have anything in common with. The real world lead-up was just right (aka not too long) and engaging, even though I was itching right from the start for the Wonderland part to begin. When it finally did, I immensely enjoyed every moment of it. The familiar scenes and places shown in a different and disturbing light - I was engrossed all the way through. The end... I didn't feel it was quite believable (removing a single number from a huge equation alters the equation - and more importantly the answer - entirely), but I let it go. Wonderland is supposed to be a bit off anyway. All in all it was a highly entertaining story that kept me riveted.

Characters: I had a hard time connecting with artiste and skater girl Alyssa in the beginning (again, I had nothing on common with her), but once she hit Wonderland I was behind her all the way. Jeb was the protective and passionate older-brother type that a lot of girls (including me) secretly wish for in a boyfriend, and I enjoyed watching his [steamy] romance with Alyssa unfold. Morpheus was chilling and seductive and I couldn't help rooting for him and Alyssa as well, even when I knew he was bad for her. The rest of the Wonderland cast was individually creepy and entertaining in their own right, and Rabid in particular still makes my skin crawl just thinking about him.

Favorite Bit(s): Cover love - SO gorgeous. And, of course, Alice/Wonderland is an addiction of mine.

Conclusion: Beautifully rendered and warped, I highly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it!

Scribble Rating: 

4 .5 of 5 Scribbles

And in honor of my love for Splintered, I have official swag to give away!

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win one of two swag packs signed by the author herself, A.G. Howard! Good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves: Nightmare Affair edition

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week! Check them out:

RECEIVED FOR REVIEW

• Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson - I love this cover! I haven't read the rest of the series, but they do look interesting.

TRADED

• The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen - I've been in need of a good fantasy, so I'm really looking forward to this one. And Book 2, The Runaway King, comes out soon.

PURCHASED - NEW

• Just Another Judgment Day by Simon R. Green (Nightside #9) - Nightside is my no-brainer series, when I need to read something entertaining yet mindless. Not extremely well written, but the world is exquisite. 

LIBRARY ARCs
I got a whole stack this week! But the titles I'm most excited about are: 

• The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett - I've heard this book is really good so I was excited to get my hands on it!
• Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson - A retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale.
• Destiny, Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice - A story about a girl who goes on a search for a lost book in the town's used bookstores? Yes, please!

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Waiting On Wednesday: The Art of Wishing (again)

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 a repeat, but it's the book I'm most anticipating this March - and it's my Birthday Book selection! Check it out:

Title: The Art of Wishing

Author: Lindsay Ribar

Release Date: March 21, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: I get a SERIOUS Anna and the French Kiss vibe from this book - meaning a light, fun read that I will thoroughly enjoy. Can't wait to get my hands on it, and the sooner the better! If you have an ARC you'd be willing to trade, poke me on Twitter @skyelyte. (Yes, I'm that desperate right now. :)

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

DNF Review: Unremembered (Jessica Brody)

Title: Unremembered
Series: Unremembered, Book 1
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: FSG
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Science Fiction
Told: First Person, Present Tense
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find It On: Goodreads
Summary: 

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

*          *          *

I did not finish this book. I reached Chapter 25 (a little over halfway) and could not bring myself to continue.

For the entire first half of the book, barely anything happens. Sera, the main character, "just wants a normal life," and absolutely refuses to believe anything unusual about herself. She runs away from the plot instead of towards it, and only when it literally ties her to a chair and shoves itself down her throat does she start at least listening. And this is only a few short chapters before I stopped reading - it takes half the book for her to start accepting that maybe she isn't normal. 

When the love interest comes along, she refuses to trust him, or even go near him - but I didn't feel any spark between them anyway. The promise of a "love unchanged" on the cover is nowhere to be seen in the first half, aside for a bit of tingling Sera quickly dismisses. Lately, publishers have been feeding us instant sexual attraction and tension, so comparatively this relationship felt downright cold. 

And the "big reveal" turned out to be the same-old, same-old. 

I did like the short, direct voice and chapters in the beginning, but as Sera became more familiar with the world the superb writing laxed. In the end I had read it all before, and with the threat of an abundance of flashbacks in my future, I did not continue.

Stacking the Shelves: Life After Theft edition

Since I had such a good book haul this week (especially trading), I thought I would do my very first Stacking the Shelves post. Look at all the pretties I raked in this week:

TRADED

• Pivot Point by Kasie West - I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book, and I can't wait to read it!
• Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza - This has a pretty good rating, so I thought, why not? It's a lot thicker than I thought though, but I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised!
• Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike - I've been really excited about this one, and when it arrived I couldn't help but put it on the top of my TBR pile.

PURCHASED - USED

• The Wish List by Eoin Colfer - I'm more inclined to read something (and actually finish it) when I get it in pocket paperback form, so hoping I can finally get around to reading this at long last.
• White Tiger by Kylie Chan - Looked interesting, and since it's a pocket paperback (they're an addiction for me, really), how could I not?

PURCHASED - NEW

• The Little Black Book of New York 2013 - My first purchased new research book! I got an older edition from the library and the maps in it have proved very helpful for Project P. And this way, I don't have to fight over it with other library patrons (which I totally was).

LIBRARY

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - I've heard this book is really good so I'm excited to finally get my hands on it! I've put it off so long, though, because I wanted to try and get a paperback used, but alas no dice so far. 
• Fodor's New York City 2013 - Yet another research book. When one is writing about a place they have never been, guidebooks are some of your best allies.
• Dawn of the Arcana Volume 8 - An interesting fantasy series that I'm enjoying on the library's dime. ;)

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Currently...Archiving

It's time for another entry in my "Currently..." segment, in which I let you know what I'm currently up to on a number of highly important topics.

I AM CURRENTLY...

READING:

Novels: I'm wrapping up Mystic City by Theo Lawrence. Predictable, but overall not a bad read. Just finished The Archived by Victoria Schwab. Took a few chapters to get into, but now I'm on the "it's awesome" bandwagon and highly recommend it! Reviews on both to come.
Manga: While I'm not reading much manga these days (shocking, I know, for me too) Volume 30 of Skip Beat, my favorite manga series, came out this month! We're digging into the Heel siblings arc, and it's a good one - I'm highly enjoying it.

WATCHING:

TV: Snagged Merlin Season 4 on DVD! I love this series and it never fails to entertain. A show I'm looking forward to the return of is Body of Proof, the biggest reason being Christopher Chance is joining the show!!! XD Cannot wait.
Movies: As of late movies are much too long and therefore I haven't been watching any. Odd, I know, but who ever said I was normal? ;) I am starting to get a craving for something creepy though, and have been eyeing my copy of Sleepy Hollow...

WRITING:

Project P: I've been extremely busy so I've only been able to pick at it here and there, but I've hit a snag. There is a book releasing in May that has a lot of similarities to Project P. Too many similarities. So now I'm conflicted if I'm wasting my time and shouldn't try to move on to another story since this one is probably no longer a viable candidate for publication for me. At the same time though, I am fully invested in it now and therefore I think I'm going to at least finish the first draft. Still debating, though - will keep you posted.
Toaster: It was a hard decision, but I decided not to go through with posting Toaster. The edits turned out to be more involved than I'd originally anticipated, and I found I don't have time to work on it and get any writing done. I apologize to anyone who is disappointed, but it's the best thing for my writing right now. Do forgive. :(
New Project: Hmm? New project? Who's working on a new project? It certainly isn't me - nope. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.

LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE:

Blogging: I have decided on a posting schedule! You can check it out here.

Health: The "diet" is on the mend! Meaning I can add a few of the lesser things back into my diet if I'm careful. This will consist mainly of fruits that I have a hard time living without. I decided myself that I'm keeping away from dairy for at least a few more months, just to give my stomach a chance to bounce back, even if it will be torturous without my glass of milk with breakfast. T-T

Bookshelf: I've found a few awesome gals to trade with, and received several yummy titles in the mail this week! (I'll try to do a post to show them off. ;) I also won a copy of Cursed, which I'm really looking forward to reading. ARCs of Pulse and Unremembered found their way to my doorstep, and while they turned out to not be my cup of tea (to my utter disappointment), I was very happy the publishers were kind enough to send them. :)

Giveaways: I will be doing two giveaways soon! One for reaching 40 Followers (I have learned to celebrate small milestones :), and I will be giving away special swag with my review of Splintered by A.G. Howard. So keep an eye out for those!

That's it for me. What are you "currently" up to?