Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Dracian Legacy

Title: Dracian Legacy
Author: Priya Kanaparti
Publication date: February 14th, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Synopsis:

Ren and Axel are caught between two powerful magical races: one destined to end the bloodhsed, the other out for vengeance.
Seventeen-year-old Ren Pernell is prophesied to end the war between the Dracians and the Telalians. So when a Dracian, Axel Knight, is sent to find and bring back the prophesied one before she turns eighteen and Telalians discover of her existence, unexpected sparks fly start to fly between the two. Once Ren finds the truth behind Axel's arrival, she wants everything to do with him and nothing to do with his mission.
Things prove to be difficult as Ren's life is constantly threatened by forces that are beyond her control, including the leader of the Telalians.
With the clock ticking and Ren's life in jeopardy, it is no longer just a mission for Axel. It becomes a personal endeavor to save the only one he's ever loved. In a heart racing ending, they must find a way to evade the preordained war that won't also end Ren's life

My thoughts:
I don't know about you, but I am in serious cover love right now!

About the author:

Priya Kanaparti was born in India, grew up in Detroit, and is now living in Boise, ID. She attended Wayne State University for her undergrad degree in Bachelor of Science in Biology, and University of Phoenix for her Masters in Business Administration. Priya works as a project manager in software field during the day and lives in the world of her characters during the nights and weekends. She had found the love for reading and writing early this year, when she stayed home with her year old and needed something to occupy those 'downtime' hours. 

She loves playing tennis on a good summer day and chess during the cold winters, but reading and writing has become a year round hobby.

She lives in Boise with her husband, son and a Yorkie. Dracian Legacy is her debut novel.

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Review: Don't Tell

Title: Don't Tell
Author: Mercy Amare
Publication date: September 21, 2012
Synopsis:

I could be surrounded by a million people, but I would still feel alone. I smile on the outside, but inside I feel like I’m slowly dying. I cry out for help, but nobody sees me, at least not the real me. They see a façade, a mask that I put on to hide the pain.

I pretend that I’m normal, but really, what is normal? Maybe what I’m feeling is normal. The hurt, the disappointment, the loneliness… it could be all just be a part of life. Maybe I will never know what normal is.

I put on long sleeves and makeup to hide the bruises, but they only mask the outside. What happens when I can’t carry my burden alone any longer? What would happen if I told somebody the truth?

This book was the perfect blend of gritty and sweet.

Lucy is a girl who, on the outside appears to have a perfect life, but in reality, behind closed doors, she suffers from abuse inflicted by her alcoholic father. I liked that this book tackled a tough and serious issue, but didn't let it dominate the whole story. This story is also about falling in love and exploring the limits of what someone would do for the person they loved.

This book is written from the dual POVs of Lucy, the girl who is suffering when no one is looking, and Ian, the golden boy of school who has been in love with Lucy for almost his entire life. I'm normally not crazy about dual POVs, but I really enjoyed getting to know both of these characters. My heart went out to Lucy for what she was going through. At times, I wanted to reach into the book and give her a big hug. I love how good Lucy was despite all that she was going through; her life was hell, but she still managed to be a kind person and a good friend. Ian was super sweet, the kind of perfect guy who could have easily become a cliché but didn't. Ian is honest, kind, and quite mature for a high school boy. He's the kind of guy that any girl would be lucky to date.

This book was quite short, but I thing so much was covered in the span of 66 pages. The story was concise, getting right down to the core of the story without any unnecessary drama. Overall, I thought the pacing was nice, however, due to its length, the point of view switched very frequently and the romance felt brisk at times. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how well I felt I got to know the characters despite the story's brevity, and there was actual character development happening! In only 66 pages! I've seen 300-some page books who never achieved the character development that this book did.

The only thing that really bothered me was how Lucy's beauty was emphasized over and over again. Yes, I understand that she is a beautiful girl, but there's no need to remind me every single time Ian lays eyes on her! She's pretty, yes, but she was also a beautiful person on the inside, always very caring and nice. I wish that had been emphasized more than her physical attributes.

Rating: 3.75 stars*

I think any fan of YA contemporary and romance would like reading this. Literally, you could read this in one sitting, and believe me, it's hard to put this book down. The only thing that's keeping me from giving this a full four stars is because I just feel like I'm missing that extra oomph that probably could've been achieved with some more time for development and transition.

On a random note: 
You want to know the weirdest thing about this book? The fact that the blurb says Lucy always wears long sleeves to cover the bruises, but the girl on the cover is wearing a tank top! O__o

*I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publication Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

The unfortunate byproduct of being a high school senior is that I don't have much time to read. Not as much as I used to, anyway. Before, I was able to finish a book in less than a week, and now, quite frankly, I'm lucky if I make it through half of the book in that time.

This book took me three days to finish.

Three days.

GUYS. THREE DAYS.

Insanity. I don't even remember the last time I finished a book so quickly.

So here's how it all went down....

Me before reading:

Beyond excited. In fact, I may (or may not have) done a happy dance when I finally had the book in my hands. And this happy dance may or may not have been incredibly embarrassing and performed in public...

Me while reading:

This book was an addiction. It's fast-paced and full of creepiness, revelations, and sexy times with Noah, and if you think you can just stop after one chapter, you are lying to yourself.

The stakes, suspense, and mystery are all elevated in Evolution. More than ever, you see Mara's sanity being put in question, to the point where she doesn't even know whether or not she's experiencing reality or a delusion. Reading this story was akin to playing a mind game  Half the time I was trying to figure out who to believe, what the truth really was, and the other half, I was questioning everything I thought.

Unlike many YA books, Evolution really included Mara's family into what was going on. Her parents aren't absentees or idle spectators. They see their daughter in trouble and they act. And don't even get me started on the sibling relationship in the Dyer family because I won't be able to stop gushing! Mara's relationship with her brothers, Daniel especially, was just incredibly realistic and SO sweet. It definitely made me wish I had an older brother like Daniel.

My favorite part of this book, though, was seeing more of Mara and Noah's relationship. At the beginning of the series, it seemed like the only thing really tying the two of them together was their inexplicable abilities.  In this book, however, it becomes so much more apparent that these two are perfect for each other!  I think it's safe to say that they are both quite screwed up as a result of their respective powers, but when they're together, they make each other better (which sounds cheesy, I know, but there's really no way to describe it!) They keep each other grounded when everything around them is questionable.

I especially enjoyed seeing more of Noah's character. He wasn't exactly a flat character in Unbecoming, but I definitely didn't get to know him as much as I wanted to. Evolution did a great job of showing me more of Noah Elliot Simon Shaw and I loved it.

Eep.

Help.

I'm swooning.


Me after reading:

In Unbecoming, I was full of questions, wondering just what the heck Mara was and how it was possible that she could do the things she did. In Evolution, it feels like Michelle Hodkin is finally letting you in on the big secret.... but it's all a big. Fat. Lie!!! It's like she's dangling this delicious-looking carrot of truth in front of you, making you read page after page after page, but in the end, all you are left with is a blown mind and more questions. Oh, and frustration. Heaps of that. Well played Ms. Hodkin, well played. 

Rating: 5 stars

Dear Ms. Hodkin,

Book three....

Pretty please?

Feature and Follow #24

Follow Friday is a really fun way to make new blogger friends and promote your blog in the process! This weekly meme is hosted byAlison Can Read and Parajunkee. 

Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common?

This was a pretty hard question to answer but I'm going to go with Blue Sargent from Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys. She gets to live in a house full of eccentric psychics and befriend the four Raven boys, and believe me, I would LOVE to meet Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah. 

Blue and I are both a little weird and not exactly extroverted, but I'd love to be her because I really admire the fact that she loves being different. She owns it really well, even going out of her way to be not normal. She's also stubborn and quite witty, which I'd like to think I am too.

  I can't remember her exact description at the moment, but I know that she has short dark hair that's usually a bit messy.

My Book Boyfriend: Noah Shaw (part 2)

MBB is an awesome weekly meme started by Missie The Unread Reader (find out more at by reading the intro post) and is currently co-hosted by Lesley over at My Keeper Shelf!

All right, I know I've been MIA from My Book Boyfriend for months now and you have no idea how much I miss fangirling over fictional boys with all of you!  It's not that I haven't been reading about any good boys lately, just that I haven't had time to look up quotes and write up a post. The lack of posts could also, possibly , be attributed to my natural laziness.....

BUT! But, I recently finished The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (which I will hopefully have a review of up in the next day or two) and oh my goodness gracious I swooned so hard over Noah Shaw. Again!

I did an MBB post on Noah way back when book 1 of the series came out, but GIRLS. He got so much hotter in book 2 I can't even- 

So, yeah. Let the fangirling and swooning commence.

Noah Shaw

• 17
• "Tall, with dark brown, perfect hair," usually rumpled
• "Unbelievable smile," usually somewhat cocky
• "Blue eyes," that are sometimes a beautiful shade of gray
• usually sporting a five o'clock shadow
• Loves animals
• British. Accent.

"This was the boy I loved. A little bit messy. A little bit ruined. A beautiful disaster. Just like me."

But my favorite half-smile appeared on his mouth. I wanted to live in it. "How long do you want me?"  he asked.

How long can I have you? I thought.

"What do I sound like?" I asked, more breathily than  intended. God, so predictable.

He considered his answer for a moment before he gave it. "Dissonant," he said finally.

"Meaning?"

Another long pause. "Unstable."

Hmm.

He should his head. Not the way you're thinking," he said, and the shadow of a smile on his lips. "In music, consonant chords are points of arrival. Rest. There's no tension," he tried to explain. Most pop music hooks are consonant, which is why most people like them. They're catchy but interchangeable. Boring. Dissonant intervals, however, are full of tension," he said, holding my gaze. "You can't predict which way they're going to go. It makes limited people uncomfortable--frustrated, because they don't understand the point, and people hate what they don't understand, But the ones who get it," he said, lifting a hand to my face, "find it fascinating. Beautiful." He traced the shape of my mouth with his thumb. "Like you."

"Never mind what I want." his voice was quieter, now. "What do you want?"

"You." Always you.

"You have me," he said, his eyes meeting mine. You inhabit me." His face was stone but the words issued from his lips in a plea. "You want to know what I want? I want you to be the one wanting me first. Pushing me first. Kissing me first. Don't be careful with me," he said. "Because I won't be careful with you."

"If i were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one."

Melina Marchetta on "Francesca and Stuff"

Oh.

My gosh.

Guys.

GUYS.

I just read the new blog post Melina Marchetta (goddess divine) posted on her wordpress in which she talks about selling the film writes to Saving Francesca.... but more importantly, THIS:

"Strangely, Saving Francesca is difficult because of its simplicity, but writing the treatment surprised me and reminded me just how much I loved those kids and Mia and Bobby Spinelli.  They’ve also come back into my life at an important time for writing because 24 year old Jimmy Hailler is camping out in my head.  It’s not just his story, but a bit of a four hander and it will definitely be an adult one rather than YA.  It’s interesting that I didn’t know where Jimmy and his life was until I played with circumstances in Froi and Quintana’s life."

Oh yeah, that's right. Read it again if you don't believe me, but it totally sound like....

WE'RE GETTING A JIMMY BOOK!!!! AS IN AN ACTUAL BOOK WHERE WE GET TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS (BUT OH SO LOVABLE) JIMMY HAILLER!

Cue the intense fangirling.

Review: Rape Girl

Title: Rape Girl
Author: Alina Klein
Publication date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: namelos

Rating: 4 stars*

Valerie always wanted to be the smart girl. The pretty girl. The popular girl.

But not the rape girl.

That’s who she is now. Rape Girl. Because everyone seems to think they know the truth about what happened with Adam that day, and they don’t think Valerie’s telling it.

Before, she had a best friend, a crush, and a close-knit family. After, she has a court case, a support group, and a house full of strangers.

The real truth is, nothing will ever be the same.

Rape Girl is the compelling story of a survivor who does the right thing and suffers for it. It is also the story of a young woman’s struggle to find the strength to fight back.

Shell-shocked. Amazed. Appalled. Dumb-founded.

These were all adjectives that described me upon finishing Rape Girl. 

Wow. Just...wow.

This is the story of Valerie, the "rape girl," as she's called by the people who don't believe her story. Why is that, you might ask? Because her rapist is an upstanding member of the community, whose dream, I might add, is to become a mormon missionary.Not exactly the sexually deviant type, and because of that, Valerie gets alienated and ridiculed as the girl who cried rape.

First off, I would just like to applaud Alina Klein for not being afraid to be in-your-face about this. I'm not saying this book is very graphic--it's not. However, from the bold title and the synopsis, Klein does not shy away from the sensitive subject about this book. She could have chosen a less-subtle title. But she didn't.

This book grabs your attention and the story keeps you captivated--whether in a good way or a bad way, that's for you to decide.

Rape Girl was very real. There were no false pretenses that rapists are always violent and scary, or that victims always get justice. Klein depicted the situation, the status quo, as it really is, however disappointing that reality might be. This book is an unflinchingly honest account of a horrible crime and it. Is. Worth. Reading.

All in all: This wasn't a light or happy read. But ultimately I am glad I read it because this book tackles a very tough issue, one that happens all too often, with amazing honesty. This isn't a very long book, but it says exactly what needs to be said.

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.