Thursday, September 6, 2012

Review: Girl of Nightmares

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood
Publisher: Tor Teen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC, ALA

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

My thoughts:

Anna Dressed in Blood is one of my favorite young adult horror novels because Kendare Blake does not hold back when it comes to blood and gore! I didn’t expect anything less when I picked up Girl of Nightmares and I’m so glad! All my favorite aspects from Anna Dressed in Blood were alive and thriving in Girl of Nightmares which made for a really exciting read!

One of the reasons why Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are so amazing is because of the three main characters! They really came together in the former and continued to rely on each other in the latter. The dynamics of Cas, Thomas, and Carmel really works well and they play off of each other’s strengths which always makes for an exciting read! Thomas’ grandfather is one of my favorite characters! He made me laugh a lot! I really wanted to know more about the Obehman. Was he human before he became this monster? Was he a ghost who became super powerful? Is he a demon? I would have liked his origins explored more.

Going into Girl of Nightmares, all I really knew is that Cas was going to try to save Anna from wherever she was. Cas didn’t even know where Anna was! So I didn’t know where this book was going to take the readers but that almost made it more exciting because I had no idea! I really liked that the adventure took the gang outside of their little town into London and then into the Suicide Forest! The secret society of ghost hunters was also very interesting and I would love to see a side book that dives deeper into the history of it!

I really, really liked this book and I’m so glad that Kendare Blake has decided to write horror within YA! I give Girl of Nightmares 4 hearts because even though I loved it, it wasn’t as enthralling or all-consuming as Anna Dressed in Blood!


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (70)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Touched
Author: Corrine Jackson
Hitting the Shelves: November 27, 2012

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

What are you waiting for? 

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Book Watch: Fall 2012


Here at Elegantly Bound Books, I'm always excited about new books and what is about to be released.  So I created Book Watch as a way to showcase upcoming release in the next season! So welcome to book watch and I hope you see something new to add to your wishlist! 

Title: Touched
Author: Corrine Jackson
Release Date: November 27, 2012

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.



Title: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Release Date: December 11, 2012

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?


Title: The Innocents
Author: Lili Peloquin
Release Date: October 16, 2012

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.

Friends didn't.

Boys couldn't.

Their family falling apart never would.

Until they got to Serenity Point.

"The Innocents" is the first in a new series of young adult novels that weave a saga of nail-biting drama, breathless romance, and gothic mystery.


Title: Angel's Ink
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Release Date: October 16, 2012

Buyer beware . . .

Looking for a tattoo-and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using his unique potions-a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks-to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price.

No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment-execution-will be swift.

Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead-or the secrets of his own past. But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage just might make it through this enchanted world alive.


Title: Amber House
Author: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, Larkin Reed
Release Date: October 01, 2012

"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."

Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.

But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.


Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Release Date: October 16, 2012

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.


Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: October 23, 2012

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?


Title: Days of Blood and Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Release Date: November 06, 2012

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlightbrings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Once by Anna Carey ARC and Swag Giveaway!!!

I went to Los Angeles this weekend to attend a very exciting book signing! Anna Carey of the Eve series and Josephine Angelini of Dreamless were discussing their books at Vroman's! I always have a good time when I go to things like this but since there were about 8 people there, the discussion was really in-depth! I got my ARC signed to giveaway and some awesome signed swag!



Rules:


  • Must be 13 or older to enter the giveaway!
  • US residents only please!
  • Giveaway ends promptly at 11:59pm on September 16
  • Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen
  • Thanks for entering! 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, September 3, 2012

Review: Beautiful Lies

Title: Beautiful Lies
Author: Jessica Warman
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: August 07, 2012
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC, ALA

Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins-so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself?

My thoughts:

Beautiful Lies was a complete mind confusing mystery straight from chapter one! I don’t know any other way to explain it but to say WHAT??!!?? Rachel and Alice, identical monoamniotic twins, take readers on a really crazy adventure that never fails to throw twists and turns right in your face!

Rachel and Alice are identical monoamniotic twins which mean that they shared the same amniotic sack while they were in their mother’s womb. Apparently this type of twin is very rare and back when doctors didn’t know much about it, very few survived. That’s not too hard to wrap your head around because you can google it and read all about it. But then the reader is hit with the fact that the twins claim they share physical sensations such as pain. So when one twin is chocking the other twin chocks as well even though nothing is obstructing her airway. It’s a pretty interesting concept and it plays out really well in the book! Beautiful lies really reminded me of that really weird Lindsay Lohan movie I Know Who Killed Me. Even though the story lines are completely different, both sets of twins experience their sister’s physical sensations.

Although Alice and Rachel are identical, it turns out that their personalities are completely different. Rachel is the straight-A honors student who dresses conservatively and never breaks the rules. Alice is definitely the rule breaker. She struggles to pass her classes, breaks curfew and throws all of her energy and emotions into her art. I had the most difficult time keeping up with the flash back parts of the book. The littlest thing would trigger Alice’s memory and without warning the reader would be thrown into a memory that would last for pages! I sometimes forgot what was happening in the present time. I also got the implication that there was a history of mental illness in the family so I was never really sure if things were imagined or if they were real. The scene in the barn was the most bazaar for me. Alice is convinced her sister is bound and gagged in the hay loft and truly believes that she watched Rachel pull one of her own teeth out. Then suddenly Rachel is gone and when Alice goes back to the house, it’s like it never happened. Super weird!

In the end, I still don’t really know what happened! Were some of the characters real or imagined? I don’t know. Was it Rachel or Alice who was kidnapped? I don’t know. Was Alice seeing ghosts? I don’t know. Do the twins have special powers? I don’t know. I’ve struggled over the rating but I’ve decided to give Beautiful Lies 3 hearts because I was left with so many unanswered questions. If you’re looking for a good mindf**k, then this book is for you!


Sunday, September 2, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (12)



Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

Another video! You're welcome!



Books: 

Entice by Jessica Shirvington
Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Once by Anna Carey

People:

Raeleen from Padfootandprongs07


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Top of My Pile (2)



Hey there and welcome to Top of My Pile! I decided to start this post because I often times feel the need to talk about the book that I'm currently reading and throw out some of the thoughts I have about before I finish it! I usually have all these crazy theories about how the story is going to end or what's going to happen to the main characters. But by the time I get around to writing my review, I forget what was swirling around in my head. So that's why I started this new Saturday post. It also gives me a chance to let you know what I read this week and also, what I'm planning on reading next.

Currently Reading: 


Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow by Katy Towell is a really interesting book! I'm excited to finish reading it and learn the mystery of this creepy carousel and why people are disappearing from this really strange town! Definitely one of the better middle grades I've read! And some of the pictures are really scary!!

What I plan on reading next:


Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin
The Diviners by Libba Bray (So excited!!)
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Finally!)

Weekly Wrap-Up:

Sunday I showed you guys what new books are Stacking my Shelves!
Monday I reviewed Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey!
Tuesday I revealed my blogger confessions!
Kim @ The Windy Pages explored the bookshelf with my bookshelf tour video!
On Wednesday I waited for Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys!
On Thursday I reviewed Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire!

 
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