Blog Tour: Otherborn by Anna Silver (Review & giveaway)

Otherborn by Anna Silver

Series: Otherborn, #1 
Publication: April 4th 2013
by Sapphire Star Publishing 
Genre: YA Dystopian

Goodreads | Amazon

London and her teenage friends live in a reprocessed world. Confined within Capital City’s concrete walls, London has done the impossible and the illegal. She’s created something New- a song. But her mentor, club owner Pauly, is not impressed. Since the historic Energy Crisis forced everyone behind walls generations ago, the Tycoons have ensured there is truly nothing new allowed under the sun. Pauly warns London to keep her song to herself, if she knows what’s good for her. What he doesn’t know is that London is keeping an even bigger secret: she dreams. And she’s not alone. London’s band-mates and friends have begun dreaming as well, seeing themselves in “night pictures” as beings from another world. As Otherborn, they must piece together the story of their astral avatars, the Others, in order to save their world from a dreamless, hopeless future. When Pauly is murdered and an Otherborn goes missing, London realizes someone is hunting them down. Escaping along the Outroads, they brave the deserted Houselands with only their dreams to guide them. Can they find their friend before the assassin finds them? Will being Otherborn save their lives, or destroy them?

Book Trailer:




My thoughts:

First, I must say they that I really LOVE dysotpian books. There is always something thrilling about futuristic worlds, especially ones that are very different from ours.
I think that in this book, the author has built a very different world, weird and somewhat unrealistic, but still very interesting to read about.
The world in this book is stuck in the same place. The term "New" no longer exists and creating new things is illegal. People don't create anything anymore - no art, no music, no technology. They also don't dream  (except London and the other Otherborns, who have dreams about a different world, but they can't tell anyone). Everyone lives in a small city surrounded by walls and  never go out.
At the beginning, when the world was described, it was really sad for me to see how poor and hopeless people were, and I couldn't understand why they were not doing anything to help themselves. That was the most unrealistic part. It really frustrated me how everyone was accepting their poor life situation and never tried to make a change.
Other than that, the world-building was great. The author described the world really well and didn't forget to explain anything. I felt as if I have actually been to this world because I got to understand it so well...

The book strated a little weird and confusing. It took me some time to really get into it, but once I did, it became really good. The interesting part of the plot started right on one of the first chapter, without too many unnecessary descriptions, when Degan, one of London's friends and an Otherborn, was murdered brutally. From then, other people who knew about London's dreams or were dreaming by themselves have been killed. London understood that the city in no longer a safe place for the Otherborn, and when one of her friends goes missing, she decides to leave the city to look for her.
I really liked London, and she was totally someone I would like to meet in real life. I loved how she was brave enough to do what anyone else didn't dare to and left the safety of the city. During the journey, she had to face many troubles but she never cowered and never gave up. I loved how she was fearless and didn't need anyone to save her. I like books that feature independent, strong women like her!

Overall, this book was very enjoyable! I think it was a great indie read, and I recommend it to sci-fi and dystopia lovers.

Rating:



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Book Tour: Deadly Kisses by Kerri Cuevas (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Deadly Kisses by Kerri Cuevas

Publication date: March 5th 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss, and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s pleasant grim reaper lifestyle is in jeopardy. And it’s not only because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved. When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her. Some rules are meant to be broken—even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?

Excerpt From Chapter 1:

I grinned at the old man. The dim grey light of his aura flickered. He lay motionless in the hospital bed with thin white sheets that clung to his long, scrawny body. His face was sunken in, leaving his cheekbones visible. Heck, a pile of dog crap sitting on a black tarred parking lot on a mid-summer day looked better.

“It’s time to die, old man. Tell you what, I’m feeling lenient and I’ll give you about five seconds to tell the little hottie sitting next to you goodbye.”

He looked up to meet his guide to the other side: me. I, Aiden Grant, came bundled in a nice package of black cloak and a hood that came down over my nose. All he could see of my face was my Hollywood smile. It was the ribbon on the present.

“Will it hurt?” His tongue extended in a continuous motion making sounds like a lapping puppy. When my phone rang loud with Paramore singing “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” his eyes widened and I laughed, because today was Sunday. The dude just might keel over from a heart attack before I could reap him.

“Tell you what, you tell me who the little blond chick is and I’ll make it quick and painless. Don’t worry, she can’t see me.” She was hunched over the old prune just enough so I could see down her shirt.

“It’s my granddaughter.” His stiff hand moved to her head, smoothing down her yellow hair.

She sat up in alarm and eyed the heart monitor, ruining my view. “Did you say something, Granddad? Do you want more pain medication?”

“Damn, dude, you must be like one hundred because she has got to be about my age. Seventeen?”

“Yes.” The old man croaked. The girl pressed the call button, but he was looking at me with brown, watery eyes.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Time was up, and I yearned for the temporary warmth of his soul. “Here’s how this is going down. When I collect your soul, your heart will stop beating. You have to come with me, but your physical body stays right there on the bed. You’re going to be foggy-looking until I deliver you to a little place called Destination Forever. Once there, your soul will be returned to you, giving you a normal appearance again. Now, do you have any regrets?”

He moved with a slight twist that looked like a no.

“Good, because if you did, you would be stuck with me, a dead president, and a black cloak. Just stay still and it will go faster.” This wasn’t my dream job, so the quicker I collected the soul and delivered it the better. I tracked, reaped, and delivered within days even though I was given a week to complete an assignment.

I leaned in close. He started to whimper and pull back. I became annoyed. “I do this all the time and don’t want to brag, but I’m that good. As long as you’ve got no regrets, your pain will disappear. Do you want that?”

I was inches from his face. The corner of the old man’s mouth twitched and rose. The scythe heated up and my bony hand hovered over his heart. I placed my mouth to his dry cracked lips and drank up his soul. He didn’t flinch. His soul filled my body. It tasted old, sour, and provided little of the warmth I craved, but I took what I could get.

When the slow thud of his heart stopped, I pulled away to watch the chaos that followed. It was always a sight. The heart monitor went flat with a long, drawn-out note, and the hottie started to cry.

Flawless performance.

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Book Review: The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things

Author: Carolyn Mackler
Publication Date: July 14th 2003
Source: Library

An overweight teen is sure that she’s the weakest link in her high-powered family - until her handsome, athletic, star-student brother has a shocking fall from grace.

 Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex. She lives on the Web, snarfs junk food, and follows the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct." Her stuttering best friend has just moved to Walla Walla (of all places). Her new companion, Froggy Welsh the Fourth (real name), has just succeeded in getting his hand up her shirt, and she lives in fear that he’ll look underneath. Then there are the other Shreves: Mom, the successful psychologist and exercise fiend; Dad, a top executive who ogles thin women on TV; and older siblings Anaïs and rugby god Byron, both of them slim and brilliant. Delete Virginia, and the Shreves would be a picture-perfect family. Or so she’s convinced. And then a shocking phone call changes everything. 

With irreverent humor, insight, and surprising gravity, Carolyn Mackler creates an endearingly blunt heroine whose story will speak to every teen who struggles with family expectations - and serve as a welcome reminder that the most impressive achievement is to be true to yourself

I think I only picked this book up because of the eye-catching title. I just couldn't ignore it when I saw it  on the library shelf. Because of the funny name and the short length of it, I was expecting a light, funny read. Just what I needed after finishing Before I Die...

Well, I have to say that this book was exactly what I expected, nothing more. It was a very quick, mindless read that I'm not sure I will remember in a month.

I disliked pretty much all of the characters, including Virginia. She was really annoying most of the book. She was always thinking of herself as an extremely heavy girl, even though the doctor said that she is only slightly above the average weight. The way she saw the world was twisted - she said that ALL of the girls in her school are skinny, which I'm sure is not correct. In the real world, most girls in high school aren't thin, let alone skinny. There's no way she is the ONLY heavy girl in her school. Virginia was just way too whiny to be likable or easy-to-relate-to.

I also HATED her parents, and her mother in particular. She is a teenagers therapist - she was spending her whole day giving advice and listening to so many teens and parents, but she never helped her own daughter. I also hated the way she obsessed about Virginia's weight and encouraged her to go on unhealthy crash diets. She was ashamed - yes, ashamed - of her daughter because she wasn't perfectly skinny. This behavior just disgusted me. It made me understand why Virginia felt so bad about her body.

At the end of the book Virginia made a change - she pierced her eyebrow and dyed her hair purple, and like a miracle, it made her feel better about herself instantly. Sorry, I just can't buy it. Changing your hair color and piercing you brow doesn't make you comfortable about your body all of a sudden. This was SO unrealistic.

Actually, the whole ending was very hard to believe. Miraculously, all of the problems in Virginia's life were solved - she became friendly and popular, her parents started to be proud of her, she lost weight AND she made up with the boy she loves. That's just a too perfect ending.

This book was readable, but not much more than that. It was overall annoying and unrealistic. I am not sure if I can recommend it to anyone.

Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Series: Blood of Eden 1#
Genre: YA dystopia and paranormal romance
Publication date: April 24th 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for…again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.

My Thoughts:

This book was just plain awesome from the first few pages!! I mean, what can go wrong in a book set in a dystopian world shared by humans, vampires and zombies (that are called rabids) all together?!

This book tells the story of Allison, a human girl who lives in a city ruled by vampires. She hates the vampires and think of them as soulless monsters who treat humans as walking blood bags. That until the night she is turned into a vampire by herself.

Allison leaves her city and has to deal with the twisted dystopian world outside, all full of bloodthirsty rabids. In her way, she pretends to be a human and joins a group of people searching for Eden - a legendary land where there are no vampires or rabids. Can she control her Hunger and keep pretending to be a human? Can they survive the journey and reach Eden?

The characters in this book were very well developed, and they were actually what I liked the most about this book.

Allison, the main character, was definitely my favorite. She was such an extraordinary (I love this word lol) person. She was extremely brave and smart and could get herself out of deadly situations without any help. I really adored her ability to both physically fight well and think of brilliant ideas and plans in the middle of a fight. She never panicked and always thought rationally.

What I liked even more about her was her good heart and her tight hold on humanity, even when she became a vampire. She never let her lust for blood take over her and was ready to do anything to keep her loved ones safe.

My second favorite character was Zeke, a member of the group of people searching for Eden, and Allison's love interest. He was just the sweetest guy ever!! In this twisted, violent world, in which only the strong ones survive, he has managed to remain a good, caring person. He has sworn to never leave anyone behind, and he prefers to save the lives of the children in the group over his own.
I really loved to read about the relationship Zeke and Allison shared. The romance between then developed slowly but surely. They got closer and closer to each other until they finally admitted their love. I especially liked how Zeke became all shy and sweet when it came to Allison...

This book was action-packed. There were a lot of fights, filled with blood and dead bodies. Sometimes it felt too brutal for me... I mean, literally HALF of the characters in this book has been killed, whether they were eaten by rabids, murdered brutally by humans or emptied from blood by vampires. At the beginning I could stand it, but as the book progressed it became too much. I started guessing who is going to die next!

Overall, this book was really good. I think it has a very original take on both the paranormal and dystopian genres. I can't wait to read the next book (I've got an eARC, so it's not gonna be a problem...) and I will be very happy to read other books from this paranormal-dystopian types.
I recommend it to people who like violent, intense books with a strong, feminine male character like The Hunger Games and Divergent.



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Strength by Carrie Butler Blog Tour: Review

Strength by Carrie Butler

Series: Mark of Nexus #1
Publication date: March 7th 2013
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn't look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn't look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation--and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do--even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

My thoughts:

The plot:

This book started great. Rena was trying to understand a guy that was considered crazy - he used to have episodes in which he was screaming and banging the walls. I was dying to know the explanation to these episodes and to Wallace's extraordinary strength. The problem was that from the middle of the book on, the story started to drag... I felt like it was not going anywhere. Once in a while, something has happened, but it was mostly too out of the blue and hard to believe. I really wish the author would provide much more satisfying explanations.

 

The characters:

Rena, the main character, was presented very well. I felt like I really got to know her, and that she was a good person. she was very brave, she wasn't afraid of anything and she didn't believe the rumors like everyone else. I also liked it that she excepted Wallace the way he was - psychic and all.

Wallace was a little too sophisticated and perfect-looking to sound real, but I liked him well enough. He was  lot like Edward Callen from many aspects.

The Setting:

This book was set in a college, and I really loved it! College students are much more mature, and they do everything wild they want. It was very interesting for a change. I will definitely check out more college books.

 

 

Overall, this book was ok. I has some plot issues, but I still enjoyed it.




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Stacking The Shelves + Reading Plans :D

This week I've got so many great books!!!! Here they are:

For Review:

      

• Deadly Kiss by Kerri Cuevas (Goodreads) - for book tour. I've started yesterday and I'm already 40% through.
• Otherborn by Anna Silver (Goodreads) - for book tour
• The Space Between by Victoria H. Smith (Goodreads) - for book tour
• Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young (Goodreads) - from Edelweiss. OMG I'm so happy they've approved me!! This book looks totally awesome. Can't wait to start it.

Kindle eBooks:

      

• Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads) - I think I'm the last person on earth who hasn't read this one. The reviews of Scarlet were so great that I'm DYING to read it.
• Unremembered by Jessica Brody (Goodreads) - I just LOVED the blurb and the cover. I can't wait to start it.
• Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger (Goodreads) - again, I fell in love with the cover.

My Reading Plans for the Week:

This week I'm going to have a lot of time to read (tests are over whoohoo) so I want to finish 4 books:

• Deadly kisses
• eARC of My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling (Goodreads)
• Cinder
• Unremembered

What books did you get this week? What are you reading plans?

Please follow my blog! Thank you ^_^

Sapir

Book Review: The Look by Sophia Bennett

The Look

Author: Sophia Bennett

Genre: YA realistic fiction

Publication Date: March 1st 2013

Publisher: Scholastic

Source: eARC from the publisher. Thank you very much!

Can she be a supermodel and a super-sister? She finds her answer in just one look.

Two sisters, both beautiful in different ways: Fifteen-year-old Ted has got "The Look." That's what the scout for the modeling agency tells her, and she can't believe her luck. But just as Ted's jet-setting off on her new career, Ava is diagnosed with cancer. Can Ted be a supermodel and a super-sister? Or will she have to choose between family and fame? With their worlds turned upside down, the girls have to look past appearances, look deep inside, to figure out what really matters.

Recently, I see a lot of books about cancer. I think it started with The Fault In Our Stars - one of the most popular books of 2012. I've read it, but unlike everybody else, I didn't like it so much. I thought it was too depressing and pessimistic. I don't have any problem with sad books... I just need them to have a tiny bit of hope.

That's why I am very glad to say that this book wasn't a tearjerker! The author has managed to write about teens dealing with cancer without making the book heavy or depressing. When I first started reading, I was afraid this book is going to end like The Fault In Our Starts... but it hasn't!! In fact, the ending was very happy and full of hope - just the way I like.

Ted, the main character, was overall relatable and realistic. The only problem was that she didn't act her age. Ted is 15-turning-on-16, but she thinks and acts as if she's much younger. That was kind of annoying. I think that her whole behavior would make much more sense if she was 12.

What I like the most about her was was the transformation she made - at first she didn't believe when people told her she was pretty. From her descriptions of herself, she sounded totally model-ish - tall and thin with long legs, but she thought of herself as an ugly, scary girl and was very insecure.

As the book progressed, Tad has gained confidence and started to notice her qualities. She has completely changed - from the scared little girl at the beginning she turned into a strong woman who stands up for herself. That's why I turned up liking her.

The relationship between Ava and Ted was beautiful. They shared all of their secrets, so both of them always had someone to talk to. I really loved how they never fought and never did anything to disturb each other. I wish my relationship with my own sisters would be like this.

What I also liked about this book was the whole modeling issue. It's the first time ever I read a book about modeling, and I found it a really interesting subject! I really loved to read about the shoots and Ted's feelings during them. It was also really funny to read about the unusual people working as managers and photographers, who live in a whole different world - a world of fame and glitters.

My favorite part of the book was actually the writing, which was very fluent and quick, making the book highly addictive. I literally couldn't put it down!! That's why I've finished it in TWO DAYS. And I'm a super-slow reader. Sophia Bennet is totally an author to look out for!! I am looking forward to read more books by her.

Overall, this book has managed to touch really tough subjects without being too heavy. It was very well written and had some strong educational massages. I recommend it to younger teen girls (grades 6-8).

Rating:

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