THE BOOK OF IVY WAS A 5 STAR READ FROM ME! The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel Release Date: 11/04/14 Entangled Teen After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. This year, it is my turn. My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this… Read more »
Posts Tagged: YA Bound
$20 GIVEAWAY and REVIEW: Collide by Melissa West
REVIEW After three books The taking finally has a conclusion! Ari and Jackson started out enemies in Gravity. Jackson had an almost unconscionable secret power over her and that was what drew me into this story in the first place. In Gravity Ari was very strong. Her father is the commander and she is his legacy in every way. Taught to fight since she was small, she is confident and powerful. Jackson is equally powerful… only we find out that he’s not what he seems. I admit, I rather enjoyed the personal connection these two had before they got together a little more than the after. I liked the idea of the Taking. It put normally strong Ari in a completely powerless situation. But once they got together much of that was sidelined for the plot. I loved how in book two, Hover, Ari was off her game and Jackson’s… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and REVIEW: Behind the Stars by Leigh Talbert Moore
REVIEW Behind the Stars was a great surprise for me. I was intrigued by the short synopsis – kidnapped? Yes. I’m in! And then I’m reading along and I discover it’s got a little bit of a mystery going on. A little bit of a science fiction thriller going. Are these people good? bad? I’m just not quite sure. I didn’t look up anything beyond the synopsis when I signed up for t blitz, so I really had no idea. Prentiss Puckett was a pretty cool heroine. For starters, she’s strong. She’s got a lot of fight in her, and she’s got a great attitude (as in, I’m gonna kick butt and save the world) after she is abducted. But poor Prentiss also has a skewed view of her little world. She is surrounded on all sides by contradictions. Her family life is a mess. Her father beats her brother… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and REVIEW: The Letting by Cathrine Goldstein
REVIEW The Letting was a very original dystopian world where young girls are “grown” and harvested in order to supply some sort of youth serum to a population in a “Utopian” city. It’s a good premise that was captivating and interesting. Veronica billings, or Veronica Killings—as the “rebellion” calls her—is responsible for more deaths than any other Leader in history. The problem is, she doesn’t realize she’s a killer because everything she’s ever been told has been a lie. I thought that was probably the most intriguing thing about this novel. I really liked the fact that no one side was altogether good or evil. There was a lot of moral ambiguity in here. Veronica has a blood type that is rare and which the leader of her government requires to keep him alive – he’s not a vampire! He’s a hemophiliac. So this sets up the conflict. Veronica is… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and REVIEW: Inner Fire by R.L. Stedman
REVIEW Inner Fire was an interesting concept. What if a genetic disorder caused a girl to get so hot, she can not only burn herself, but others too? Intriguing. Corrine was dealt an unfortunate hand at birth. She views her ability as a handicap or a curse, but her gran, who also has the same condition, sees it as a strength. There is a subplot in this book that deals with how London has cameras everywhere. This is actually true and I found all that very interesting, however I don’t think it was well-developed. I never quite made all the connections that seem to be promised in the beginning. There is a lot of action in this book and while I usually like that, some of it wasn’t the exciting kind. I did enjoy Corrine’s backstory a lot. I loved how the author weaved in true life events in New… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: The Sham by Ellen Allen
Extract six: “I can still hear her screams” From prologue: Now Six months ago, my boyfriend was quite a catch. Ask anyone. But that was before the stubbly face, the cruddy clothes, the living rough in the woods. Before the headaches forced him to constantly rub his forehead like he’s trying to remove indelible ink. And way before now where he’s covered in blood, slumped under HOT DRINKS & CAKES on the supermarket café floor. He’s holding her hand. It’s still attached to her body, despite the way her arm has been hacked apart. The artery inside is exposed like a kid’s toy, as if someone just wanted to see the inner workings, replace the batteries. It’s pulsing even after she’s dead; little electric shocks of blood splattering the tiles as if someone is squeezing a carton of apple juice a little too tight. Her hair is plastered to her… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel
I pre-ordered this book because it sounded so fabulous when I signed up for the blitz. I haven’t had time to start it yet, but over the holidays, this is definitely on my list. EXCERPT “You were right, Ivy,” [Bishop] says quietly. “It does bother me. The way our choices are taken away from us.” I’m almost scared to breathe. He is confiding in me, opening up to me exactly the way my father and Callie wanted. “Why didn’t you say something right then?” Bishop sighs. “I’m not…I’m never going to be the guy who lays it all out there. That’s not me. Until I really know someone, not much gets out. It’s just the way I’m built.” “Okay,” I say, waiting. If nothing else, I understand what it’s like to have a part of your personality that’s not easy to change. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings,”… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and VIDEO GUEST POST: The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers
a Rafflecopter giveaway About E.C. Myers E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised in Yonkers, NY by his mother and the public library. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the prolific NYC writing group Altered Fluid. In the rare moments when he isn’t writing, he blogs about Star Trek at The Viewscreen, reads constantly, plays video games, watches films and television, sleeps as little as possible, and spends far too much time on the internet. His first novel, FAIR COIN, won the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads
GIVEAWAY and CHARACTER PROFILE: Honey Queen by Christina Mercer
It’s my stop on the HONEY QUEEN blog tour! What a beautiful cover! I love it! This book sounds very interesting. I hope I have time to read it very soon. Thanks to YA Bound and Christina Mercer for the promo opportunity! Character Profile SAM (Love Interest) NAME: “SAM” SAMSON FARLEY LEONARD WHY THAT NAME: Samson of the Bible ate honey from bees nesting inside a lion he battled, he loved a dangerous woman, and his hair held power (Sam’s dad shaved his head as a child). Farley means “meadow of the bulls” (Sam raises cows). Leonard means “brave lion” (goes with Samson & the lion). AGE: 17 GREATEST ATTRIBUTES: He’s deeply sentimental; He cares about animals; He works hard/runs a ranch GREATEST CHALLENGES: Melaina’s resistance to their love; An abusive father and difficult mother 3 RANDOM FACTS: He plays baseball; He saved his 4-H ribbons; He’s allergic to honey… Read more »
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