Book of the Week-Unforgotten

I’m hoping that this is the book that is going to bring me out of the nonstop reading slump I’ve been in since the second week of January. I would have read this all in one night but I got sleepy, purchase and then busy with school and such. But I powered through it in about a day and a half, drug with lovely responsibilities in between and I’m so proud of myself haha. After it took me two weeks to read Cress (which I LOVED), I was feeling down on myself as a reader!

Leave it to Jessica Brody to bring me back with a bang!

Here’s this week’s Book of the Week!

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody 

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GoodReads / Barnes and Noble Amazon / Book Depository

Genre:

Young Adult, Science Fiction

Part of a Series?:

The middle novel to Jessica Brody’s Unremembered Trilogy

You May Like if You Liked:

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Age Recommendation:

13+

Plot Summary:

From GoodReads:

After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long.

Packed with mystery, suspense, and romance, this riveting second installment of Jessica Brody’s Unremembered trilogy delivers more heart-pounding action as loyalties are tested, love becomes a weapon, and no one’s memories are safe.

My Review: 

Please note that while this review will not have spoilers for Unforgotten, it will for Unremembered. You can read my review for Unremembered here

Woohoo! This book is finally out guys! I read Unremembered right after WonderCon last year, which was in very early April. Nearly a year ago. And immediately after reading Unremembered, I thought, ‘WHAT? What kind of cliffhanger is that?’

And I think that’s what made me so happy about this book. There is no fuss and bother. It jumps right into the story. While Sera explains plot points from the first book, to remind of those details that we may have forgotten since our last read, she goes face first into the story. We are immediately in 1609, with Zen and Sera, hiding and trying to have some semblance of normalcy in their life.

What I love even more about this novel is that after the build up of the world that we get in Unremembered, we get action and uncertainty, lots of kissing and so much adventure in this novel. We are literally hurled into this novel. Sera and Zen are immediately in the story. There’s no build up. That was the purpose of the first book and Jessica did that well. But now that we have the story, now it’s time to question everything and to go on a whirlwind chase to find out the truth and for Sera to find out if she can ever just have a normal life. There is a ton of action and a TON of time traveling, hem, excuse me, transession, and I love that. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up which time period I’m in or where I am in the world while reading but I like that. Sera’s world is turned upside down and all around, and the book makes you feel that with her.

I was very excited about the reappearance of a character I never thought we’d see again: Cody. I won’t go much into his part in the novel because, well, spoilers, but let’s just say if you’re a Cody fan like I most definitely am, you’re going to love his part in the novel. I was squealing with excitement every time the name “Cody” appeared on the page.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how much I really liked the new character. When…”they” made their first appearance, I was immediately in dislike mode but they honestly grew on me to the point that I am eager to see what happens to them. I am not sure how I feel about them, I’m so conflicted! I feel like its an incredibly real and compelling character and they immediately became a favorite for me. I can’t say much more than that because its so incredibly spoiler filled and you guys know I try my very hardest to keep my reviews spoiler free. But if you go into this book and meet this new character, and you’re unsure, give them a chance. They just might surprise you.

I’m incredibly impressed with this novel and I love how you can see Jessica’s confidence in her ability to write science fiction just double in this novel. The first one was very good, and this one is great. She really brings it all together, and creates this crazy, beautiful, sci-fi story, full of action and romance and humor and fun. And she leaves me wanting to have the third novel in my hands, like, days ago. Seriously. Is this a possibility? How can I possibly wait to see what happens next…

The Last Word

I decided not to do “Ratings” or “Recommends” anymore. I felt it didn’t quite do the review justice. Instead I’ll be doing the last word, which basically wraps up everything I say above if you’re too lazy to read all of the above. This will tell you either to buy the book, borrow the book or to just stay away.

For Unforgotten, its a definite buy. I mean, if you’ve read Unremembered, I can’t imagine that there’s a single bone in that reader body of yours that isn’t dying to get your hands on this sequel. But if there is some buyer’s doubt, rest easy now, and get out to the bookstore and buy this book. Its action packed, but it also creates a beautiful internal battle for Sera, for so many things, and the decision she makes in the end leaves me panting for the third book.

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I hope you enjoyed this week’s Book of the Week!

Check back next week for more!

And go out and read some Jessica Brody!

Blog Tour: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith Review and Giveaway

Welcome to the special edition of the Book of the Week today, order as part of the Grasshopper Jungle Blog Tour! Below you’ll get a synopsis, cost a trailer, a review, and a giveaway! So keep on reading and enjoy!

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith 

This title will be released on February 11th 2013. This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy provided to me for an honest review. This in no way, shape or form had any influence on my review or opinion. 

GoodReads / Barnes and Noble / Amazon / Book Depository

Genre:

Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction

Part of a Series?:

No

You May Like if You Liked:

I can’t even do this. This book stands on its own. Do you like to read? Then read this book.

Age Recommendation:

16+

Plot Summary:

From GoodReads:

Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin’s hormones are totally oblivious; they don’t care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He’s stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it’s up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

You can also view the trailer here:

My Review: 

I can’t even begin to describe what this book is. Its hard to even know where to begin because this book is unlike anything that I have ever read before. This book is absolutely incredible and if you don’t pick it up on February 11th, you’re going to miss out on it.

I was gifted an advanced reader’s copy of this book, thanks to Amy Del Rosso, who is the host of this blog tour, and I am so incredibly appreciative for that. I’ve been trying to get my hands on that book ever since I first heard of, after I become so obsessed with Andrew Smith. I was determined to get one and I did. When I read the publisher’s letter in the beginning, my excitement increased. She said her immediately response was “holy shit.” She also says if her language bothers you, you definitely should not continue with reading the book. And she was right.

This book is NOT for the faint of heart. There is foul language, and a lot of mention of sex and masturbation and all of that sort of thing. But every bit of this novel, this random smorgasbord of contemporary and science fiction and coming-of-age story, is so real and genuine. There is so much going on in this book, that sometimes it seems hard to keep track.

You are following the narrative of the main character, Austin. Now Austin seems to be a normal teenage boy, dealing with the issues of girls, sex, school, friends and all of that. He has sex on the brain all the time but that sounds about right for a teenage boy. But in between his struggles with sex, and his feelings for his girlfriend and his best friend, he also tells you the history of his Polish roots, and the history of his family. It seems to be sort of nonsensical, kind of random, but the slow build up of his family history plays such a large part later.

There is also the creeping story of science fiction laid down in it as well. Its so subtle, so slow, but perfect. I spent so much of the novel feeling so confused but in such a great way. I couldn’t fathom how all of the different elements would fit together but it did. Every scene of the novel felt like a red herring. Everything felt like a distraction from something else to keep you confused and guessing until the very end. When all the different stories like Austin’s sexual confusion and his family history and the large bugs all start coming together…I just couldn’t put it down. The story was breathtaking and exciting and so mind blowing.

This book is not for the faint of heart. There is foul language, no holding back on talk of sex and masturbation, and the boys are constantly getting in trouble. This is definitely for those mature enough to handle this. If you aren’t looking for that type of book, I am sorry, but please pass on it. If you’re looking for something so utterly unique and brilliantly written, then please pick up a copy of this book and dive in. You won’t regret it. Where else can you read a book that has a family history, a twisted and turbulent romance, a coming-of-age story, and a bunch of abnormally large, murderous praying mantis on the loose? You won’t find it anywhere else. It sounds absolutely nuts, I know, but trust me! This book is brilliant. Its one of a kind. I have a hard time describing it to others because its just so utterly unique. Sometimes all I can manage to get out of my mouth is “But…but…but its just so amazing!”

There’s nothing like this book. Read it.

Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars

Recommended or Not?:

READ THIS. That’s all I’m going to say!

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Now for the fun stuff!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the reviews and fun all over the blog tour, at all of these seriously amazing blogs!

February 3rd – The Midnight Garden | The Story Siren
February 4th – Good Choice Reading | Bookish
February 7th – Scott Reads It | Live to Read
February 10th – Alice Marvels | The Society
February 11th – Lexi Swoons | A Reader of Fictions
February 12th – Roof Beam Reader | Forever Young Adult
February 13th – The Compulsive Reader | Books and Bling
February 14th – Book Chic Club | The QQQE
February 17th – JeanBookNerd | Ticket to Anywhere
February 19th – Anna Reads | Word Spelunking
February 20th – Books With Bite | What A Nerd Girl Says
February 21st – Wastepaper Prose | LRB – Guest
February 24th – We Are Word Nerds | Cabin Goddess
February 25th – Ex Libris | Cari’s Book Blog | A Good Addiction
February 26th – YA Reads | The Young Folks
February 27th – Novel Thoughts | Fangirlish

And a giveaway too. Don’t miss out on this. If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, you are a lucky gal or guy. It is absolutely fantastic and you’d be a fool not to read it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Much thanks to the host of this blog tour!

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January Book Wrap-Up

Books Pledged to Read in 2014: 150 Books

Am I On Track: Nope. I’m 3 books behind. I’m in SUCH a slump this year, story so far.

Books Read So Far: 9

Total Books For January: 

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Review for this book will come on February 20th, buy more about when I am part of the blog tour!

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Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

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The Selection by Keira Cass

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The Elite by Kiera Cass

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These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

13138635

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Re-Read) 

256683-1

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (Re-Read)

3

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

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Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy

12022847

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I super hope February is MUCH better than January. I was in a major book slump, and I hope that I’m now out of it.

How was your January? What did you like? What books didn’t you like? What are you planning to read for February? Share in the comments!

December Book Wrap Up!

Books Pledged to Read in 2013: 200 Books

Did I Reach My Goal: Yes!

How Many Total Books Read: 203

Total Books For December: 20

Remember to click on the book title for the review. If there is no link, buy information pills there is no review. I got really lazy in reviewing toward the end of the month haha.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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Teen Idol by Meg Cabot (Re-Read)

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Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot (Re-Read)

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Something Blue by Emily Giffin (Re-Read)

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Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

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Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

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Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

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The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

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Bloodlines by Richelle Mead 

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The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

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The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

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The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

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Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

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My Life Next Door by Huntley FItzpatrick

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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith 

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This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith 

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Penguin in Love by Salina Yoon

This totally counts. My boyfriend got this for me for Christmas, pills because I’m obsessed with penguins and we’re in love, pharm duh! And he also got me this behind-the-scenes experience with penguins, so it all makes sense. And it counts

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What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

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The Last Stand of the New York Institute by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson 

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Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Kami Garcia/Unbreakable

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So that was 2013 folks! Stick with me in the new year, as I delve into even more books!

How did you do on your own GoodReads challenge? Share in the comments!

Time Between Us Book Review

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

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You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Author Website

GoodReads Summary:

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, price which brings him into Anna’s life, case and with him a new world of adventure and possibility.
As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning, spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new voice in YA fiction.

My Review:

It didn’t take long for me to get addicted to this story. Let me put it to you this way: at the beginning of November, I was 7 books ahead in my GoodReads challenge, and yesterday, I was a book behind. I’ve fallen behind because of NaNoWriMo and the Catching Fire fan camp, and because I’m just having a terrible time finding something to read. I have SO many books, all stacked up to read, and nothing is working.

I decided to go to the bookstore, even though like I said, I already have a TON of books to read. I have heard many good things about Tamara Ireland Stone and I’ve been itching to read more YA contemporary. The more sci-fi or dystopian I read, the more I find it bleeds into my novel, and I don’t want that. While there is a sort of twist to this book, with the time travel aspect, it is very contemporary and it is exactly what I needed to get back into the reading spirit.

I loved the book. It felt like it was such an easy and effortless story to fall into. Anna and Bennett were both such real characters, and it was also fun to read the way they sort of fall into each other. They are from two completely different times. Bennett is seventeen in 2012, and Anna is sixteen in 1995. But the way they are able to connect and work together is amazing.

Plus its just so sweet. Bennett is burdened with this ‘gift’, something that everyone wants something from. His dad uses him, his mother doesn’t quite like him, but Anna thinks its beautiful, and in turn, Bennett is able to give her something that she’s always wanted to have: freedom, exploration, adventure. I love that we get a fun, love story with Anna and Bennett but with that twist that Bennett has.

I did have a slight issue with the ending, only because I know there’s a sequel but I don’t know what the ending did that made me feel a sequel was necessary. Perhaps I need to read the sequel in order to find out? But I felt like it had an ending and it wrapped up, pretty neatly too. I think I would have liked it a whole lot more than I already did if it had ended perhaps a chapter earlier. Then the last chapter could have been the first chapter of the new book. That sort of agonizing wait makes a book so much worth it.

I love the sweetest to the story, and the genuine nature of it. There’s a beauty in how flawlessly it flows and how the two characters come together, fighting it but pushing towards each other as well. Sometimes we just need a good story wrapped around two people falling for each other, and this is definitely one that I liked it. I have an easy gag reflex when it comes to romance stories, and I find myself rolling my eyes. But this one didn’t. Each character is so sweet and genuine and real and I rooted for them the entire story.

I definitely cannot wait to read the next one, to read more of Anna and Bennett and how they work together, and how their 17 year distance in time works out for them. Its should be very interesting. Onward!

Rating:

3.75 out of 5 stars

Reborn Book Review

Reborn by S.L. Stacy

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This review is special to me. This book is the debut novel for my friend Shaina, search who I met through her amazing blog, cheap The Urge to Write. She self-published it on Amazon Kindle, clinic and you can get it today, November 7th, for free, until it goes to normal price, 2.99. 

This is an honest review. In no way, shape or form did my previous friendship with Shaina effect my review. 

You Can Find the Book At: 

GoodReads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble (Some day!)

Author Website

 

GoodReads Summary:

Back in high school, Siobhan Elliot’s life was simple: Cheerleading, friends, and parties. But that all changed the night she and her friends investigated a mysterious light in the woods. There they found an injured man–an irresistible man with hypnotic blue eyes and magnificent black wings. A man Siobhan recognized. He was the handsome dark angel from her dreams. And with one touch of his hand, he left her with a special gift: a set of mythical wings that would change her life forever. Then he disappeared without a trace. Siobhan thought she would never see him again.

Now, six years later, her dark angel reappears –this time as a teaching assistant at her college. He calls himself Jasper. He challenges everything Siobhan thought she knew about herself and her world. And he’s come back for only one thing: her.

Or so he says. Siobhan is about to find out that nothing is what it seems in this strange, new world.

My Review:

This is such an incredible debut novel, and I have so much hope for Shaina and her first novel. She left me in a cliffhanger in this novel, so I’m hoping that she will gain the recognition she deserves and we’ll see this second novel in 2014.

Weaving Greek mythology into contemporary lives is nothing new to the young adult genre. In fact, this is something that I’ve been exposing myself more and more to lately, and each series I read impresses me that much more. The beauty of Greek mythology is that there is so much of it. What Stacy does in this novel is bring forth characters that we don’t often see in these YA novels, except maybe as secondary characters. I think she does a great job with it, and in bringing forth characters that we aren’t as familiar with, she creates a story that is full of surprises, twists, and turns. I didn’t know what to expect at all, and that is such a big part of the reason I kept reading.

Its a fast paced novel, which is always a good sign. Things are interesting from the beginning. Siobhan meets Jasper within the first few pages, and the reaction she has when she meets him is so visceral and so memorable that you need to know what is going to happen next. The relationships, the mystery and the tension that builds throughout the stories keeps you turning the pages, eager to reach the end, to figure out what is the story behind Jasper, and his need for Siobhan.

I also love the relationships in this novel. Its sexy as hell, and even though I have mixed feelings toward Jasper, there are some seriously steamy scenes that left me feeling a little flushed and breathless. That doesn’t happen very often, so when it does, I’m pretty excited. I’m not big on overly steamy novels, and this definitely is NOT it. They are hot and perfectly smutty, and I found myself disappointed when there weren’t more of them, another thing that never happens with me. There is so many sexy, dark, bad boys in this novel, with Jimmy and Jasper and I loved all the scenes that got hot and heavy.

Plus, Siobhan is such a great main character, because she’s so real and fleshed out. She has a backstory, she has a daily life, she has hobbies and concerns and worries and goals, and humor and all of that. I love that, even while her world is upside down, with Jasper and what he brings into her life, she is still going to class, and doing homework and working hard and having fun with her sorority. It makes her VERY real. Her entire world is not wrapped around this mysterious boy. Instead he disrupts this world that she has built for herself. She’s clever, and strong, and I can’t wait to see how she grows as the series goes along.

I do have an issue with the main characters’ name but I am kind of snobby when it comes to names. A huge reason why I couldn’t get through Fifty Shades was because the names. I’m a snob and I recognize that. It is a problem but I kind of just deal with it haha. I wasn’t a fan of the name of Jasper but I could get past that. The name Siobhan was difficult. Its not one that I was used to, and I had no idea how to even pronounce it until she does it for someone later in the novel. Its hard to relate to a character when their name is something you can’t pronounce. I understand it in a fantasy novel or a full blown science fiction, but it did bother me. This is SO trivial, but it is something that I thought of while reading. So much about the book makes up for this tiny little thing that will probably only bug name snobs like me.

All in all, this is fun and quite impressive debut for S.L. Stacy. I won’t sit here and say that I thought it was going to be awful, because I know Shaina and I know that she is most definitely NOT a bad writer. God, no way. But you always feel a little hesitant when reading indie writers, that self-published. I know, because I am one. My worries were for naught though. Its an incredibly beautiful novel, and I am very impressed, and I think that she has immense talent and creates a stunning and compelling story.

Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

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