REVIEW: Fracture Me (Shatter Me # 2.5) by Tahereh Mafi

Fracture Me (Shatter Me #2.5)  by Tahereh Mafi

Publication Date: December 17, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: eBook Purchased by Reviewer

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

In this electrifying sixty-page companion novella to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, discover the fate of the Omega Point rebels as they go up against The Reestablishment . Set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, Fracture Me is told from Adam's perspective.


As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam's focus couldn't be further from the upcoming battle. He's reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friends life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It's time for war.

On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor - but taking down Warner, Adam's newly discovered half brother, wont be that easy. The Reestablishment can't tolerate a rebellion, and they'll do anything to crush the resistance...including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about. 

WTH?!?! I mean seriously, WTH?!?! From day one I have always been on the rare and "exclusive" Team Adam and now I'm seriously starting to wonder why. This was such a disappointing read for me. I mean, I don't even know who this person is but he's not MY Adam!! My Adam would NEVER think those horrible thoughts about Juliette. NEVER! I had a completely different idea about what this story would show me. I thought Adam's POV would be perfect. Seeing his love for Juliette and how strong and brave and caring he is. But now I'm learning that's he's not ANY of those things!!!

The only bright side to this is that we get to see just how badass Kenji is. I mean honestly, the swoons are sever here guys. He's just so dreamy!!! And James! James has more personality and bravery and strength in one pinky than Adam has ever had in his life!! Gotta love that kid!! So with all that said, I'm just dying to know where Tahereh is going with this story. There are so many different outcomes that my heart is aching just thinking about them all...wondering what outcome she will chose to give these characters...

REVIEW: Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay #2)  by Gayle Forman

Publication Date: April 5, 2011

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 

Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

It’s been three years since the devastating accident…three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future- and each other.

There were so many things that I liked about this book...but also a few that I disliked. Lets start with the likes...

I have to admit that I had really high hopes for this book. So naturally I feel a little let down by it. I mean, after If I Stay was such a beautifully heartbreaking story within the first chapter. I kind of expected this one to be just as emotional and beautiful. That's where the let down is for me.

My biggest thing is that Adam turned into such a douche! Actually a selfish and kind of heartless douche! I mean I get that he was broken hearted by what Mia did and by the whole situation but I really feel like his character should've handled it a lot better. I mean even when he finally sees Mia again and spends all that time with her that night it just all seems so forced and fake and that's because it's just not him. That's not who he is. Now don't get me wrong. I get WHY he would turn into the person he did but I just don't get how he could turn that way. That's not the Adam we knew from If I Stay. That's not the Adam we saw fight to see Mia in the hospital. Not the Adam we saw beg her stay in the first place. It's just not OUR Adam. But I guess you can never know how certain situations can change people and maybe this has always been the route Adam would take. I just thought he was stronger than all of that. Really, I think I'm just kind of fed up with all of my favorite characters changing their whole personality so suddenly. It just doesn't seem right to me and that seems to be a recurring theme lately that doesn't sit well with me. But im rambling...lets move on.

On a bright note, I am happy at the outcome of the relationship. Though not so happy on the road that took them there, it's still what I had hopes for the entire time and the author just wouldn't have done the book or the characters justice if she had chosen any other outcome. The ending was a little disappointing because it's just not what I saw happening in my head.

Overall, it was still a great book and I highly recommend reading this story!

  

FEATURE: It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (#1)

***It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey***

Hi Swooners!

Here's my list of what I Finished, am Currently Reading, and what is Next in Line:

FINISHED:

CURRENTLY READING:

NEXT IN LINE:

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#10)

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

Hi Swooners :-)

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

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Expected release date: June 10, 2014

Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

So there's no synopsis of the book on Goodreads (or anywhere else!) which is making me absolutly CRAZY!!! I mean, half the time those things never really quite match the book anyway, but at least it's something to hold on to until the book releases...CANT.FRICKEN.WAIT!!!!

Quotes (#6)

Hi Swooners,

So you know it's always a little crazy around the Holidays, right? Well, even though i've been a little slower with my reading lately doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about all these wonderful books to read. So, in honor of my obsessive personality, i've decided to share with you what i'm completely obsessed with lately. Here are some quotes from one of my all-time favorite books!!! One guess what that is!! (hehe)

"Books are easily destroyed. But words will live as long as people can remember them." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"Time goes on even when we do not." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"Tattoos, for example, are very hard to forget. I think there's something about the impermanence of life these days that makes it necessary to etch ink into our skins. It reminds us that we've been marked by the world, that we're still alive. That we'll never forget." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"'The truth," he says, "is a painful reminder of why I prefer to live among the lies.'" Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"You know, you have a really strange way of telling me you're attracted to me." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"Nothing in this life will ever make sense to me but I can't help but try to collect the change and hope it's enough to pay for our mistakes." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"I'm falling apart and into his heart and i'm a disaster." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me

"I don't know much about anything in this world but I do know how to read the book written in his eyes." Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me


Yea, i'm obsessing over Unravel Me BIG TIME folks!! Like, it's a serious problem right now. I just CAN'T FRICKEN WAIT for IGNITE ME to release already...is it February yet!??!!

REVIEW: Brooke (Under the Never Sky #2.5) by Veronica Rossi

Brooke (Under the Never Sky #2.5)  by Veronica Rossi

Publication Date: November 26, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: eBook Purchased by Reviewer

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

The only fight she can’t win is the one for Perry’s heart. Following the stunning climax in Through the Ever Night, the Tides have been forced to see shelter from the Aether storms in a dismal, secluded cave. But Brooke’s memories of the cave go back much further, to when she and Perry used to come here together. That was before Perry fell in love with Aria and before Vale’s dealings with the Dwellers altered the course of the Tides forever.

Now, with her sister back from the haunting year in captivity and Aria lying unconscious in the sick bay, Brooke struggles to put the pieces of her life back together. Without Perry, who is she? And what is her role in this frightening new world? As these questions swirl about her, an old threat to the Tides resurfaces, and Brooke is forced to put the lives of her people before her own. But in taking this step outside herself, Brooke may finally discover what she truly wants.

When I first heard that Veronica Rossi was doing a novella in Brooke’s POV, I was less than happy. I never considered her more than a secondary character and definitely not to the point of needing her own story, but it was actually better than I thought it would be. Seeing her struggle with everything happening around her struck a chord with me. I will say, however, that I wasn’t in love with it.

Though, Brooke does seem to change a lot in this novella and I hope that Veronica Rossi shows a little bit more of this new side of Brooke in Into the Still Blue, I just feel like it was kind of forced. It all happened so quickly and slightly unnaturally. I hate to give spoilers, so the only other thing I will say that bothered me is that on her journey to move on from Perry, she takes a turn into scandalous waters. Not her best move, at all!

BUT…seeing her mature and grow up a bit was a nice change to her usually nasty demeanor, and it was pretty nasty in the novella. I enjoyed seeing her soften up a bit and learn to be a better person. I’m pretty sure that her sister, Clara, being back had a huge influence on that but I can also see that it was also her wanting to be a better person for her sister and her people. She’s a natural protector and I absolutely LOVE that about her because that’s how I am in my life. It’s my natural instinct to protect people and that’s something that me and Brooke share, which of course makes me relate to her more.

So overall, though there were some thing’s I disliked about this novella, I think it was a great read and great insight into Brooke.  Let’s see what Veronica does with this in Into the Still Blue!

FEATURE: Book Blitz: Ocean's Gift by Demelza Carlton

Ocean‘s Gift

(Ocean‘s Gift #1)

Blurb:

Sirens don’t fall in love with humans. For centuries it has been so…

But Sirena is different. She lost her first love to sharks and a storm, cursing the islands that

stole him from her. Times have changed and she must swim ashore once more, at the islands she once cursed.

Gone are the boats powered by sail and steam – jet boats with GPS are now the order of the day.

Enter Joe, the deckhand on the Dolphin. A handy man to have around when the lights go out. He’ll fix your generator and have the lights back on in no time, no worries. But can he seduce a siren? Or will she swim away, before he can uncover her secret?

A story about fishing, lobsters, beer and boobs, on some cursed islands off the West Australian coast. At least that’s how Joe tells it.

For Sirena, it’s a very different story.

Amazon / Barnes& Noble / Kobo / Smashwords 

Book Trailer:

Ocean‘s Infiltrator

(Ocean‘s Gift #2)

Blurb:

Sirena’s voice deals death and destruction with a single song. How long will Sirena let Joe live, now that he knows her secret?

Laila and Cantrella travel west to meet their sisters in the Atlantic Ocean, but the warm welcome they receive is shallower than the surrounding seas.

Mysterious Alexandre – who is he and what happened to him?

A story about seduction and sharks, parenthood and penguins, with plenty of beer and boobs to keep it interesting, at some coral islands off the coast of Western Australia, plus a few other places, too.

Trouble, take two. You’ll never look at mermaids the same way again.

Amazon / Barnes& Noble / Smashwords / Kobo

Meet the Author

Demelza Carlton

Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.

She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.

Sensationalist spin? Hardly. She takes a camera with her to photograph such things to share later. She asserts that sharks are camera shy.

Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.

Twitter / Goodreads / Website

BLOG TOUR: Excerpt+GIVEAWAY: Girls Are Players (G.A.P. #2) by Ingrid Seymour

Girls Are Players (G.A.P. #2) by Ingrid Seymour

Publication Date: December 4, 2013

Publisher: PenDreams

Source: Provided by Author

Buy it at: Amazon

Tour Organized by: Oops I Read a Book Again

THE BOOK:

Jessica Norton is a villain in the body of a gorgeous, rich, college girl. She cheats, lies, plays with people’s feelings, and purposely breaks unsuspecting hearts to avenge a personal loss. She’s the kind of girl people love to hate- even if it’s just because she has it all. Except…she doesn't have it all. What she wants most is the love of her high school sweetheart, Taylor Drennon, the guy who got away, the one who left without telling her why and caused all her bitterness.

Not surprisingly, Jessica’s evil has made her a pariah. Alone, without friends or Taylor’s love, her college life is a nightmare. She’s haunted by her own mistakes and drowning in lack of direction. Something needs to change. So when the first opportunity to turn her life around presents itself, she takes it. Home for Christmas break, Jessica runs into Taylor. His unexpected friendliness seems like an invitation to rekindle their love. Inspired by a drastic idea that will both distance her from her heinous reputation and pull her closer to Taylor, she decides to transfer to OSU where he attends under a football scholarship.

Confident she can regain his heart, Jessica reenters Taylor’s life with a splash. Failing to naturally lure him closer, she is then forced to rely on her old games and underhanded scheming. Though Jessica’s heart is in the right place, it is hidden from Taylor by her blunders. More than once their powerful chemistry takes control, leading Jessica to believe she’s winning. But, it’s a hot and cold affair, and she’s not the only one to blame for their stormy love. If Jessica can only coax Taylor into explaining why he doesn't want her, maybe she could finally walk away from him for good, maybe she could finally be happy.

THE AUTHOR:

About Ingrid Seymour

Ingrid Seymour loves, loves, loves to write. Her favorite genres are Young Adult and New Adult fiction.  Her debut novel “The Guys Are Props Club” is an NA contemporary romance which she immensely enjoyed writing.  Her favorite outings involve a trip to the library or bookstore where she immediately gravitates toward the YA section. She’s an avid reader and fangirl of many amazing books. She’s sure that one day she’ll see one of her books made into a movie. She likes to dream big ;)

Website / Facebook  / Twitter  / Pinterest / Goodreads / Newsletter 

EXCERPT:

Taylor stood in the shadow of one of the large, open French doors, but I knew it was him immediatly. The slant of his shoulders, the casual way he stood with one hand inside his pocket, not to mention his tall, elegant frame.

I felt myself melt into a puddle.

He was just a guy, for God's sake - nothing more than a flesh and blood man. He shouldnt have this power over me, not after all this time.

He stepped out of the shadows. Moonlight fell on his face, and I nearly gasped. He was smiling tentatively, silver eyes wide and expectant. His smooth, brown hair wasnt cropped like the last time i'd seen him. It was a little long and stylish. A questioning arch disturbed the perfect line of his eyebrows.

"Jessica," he greeted in a low tone.

I blinked several times as I waited for my brain to jump start my lungs. My name on his lips, a sound I once took for granted, now literally left me breathless.

THE GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#9)

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

Hi Swooners :-)

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

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Expected release date: January 7, 2014

Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that shed give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Not meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E, that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie-and Sloane D, never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. Its not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

Well color me intrigued!!! This sounds like such a fun read!! Cant wait!