Thursday, January 31, 2013

The False Prince (ARC)



The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
 

Genre: Mid-grade/YA Fantasy
Publication Date: April 1st 2012  
Publisher:  Scholastic  
Age Range: Ages 13 and up  
Pages:  342  
Book Source: ARC swap
 

Synopsis (via Goodreads): THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.


Scoot’s Review:

The False Prince was a great read! The story had tragedy, deceit, politics and all sorts of crazy stuff! The plot had plenty of action and featured a sneaky hero.  I loved the lead character; an orphan named Sage.  Sage was a great lead, an orphan with no leg to stand on yet he defended the weak and was quick witted and talented.  Sage was snarky and had a backbone.  I kind of felt an Aladdin thing going – can a ‘street rat’ ever really be a ‘prince’? Yes – in the ways that really count.  The pace of the story was good, as well as the character building.  The story pulled on your emotions.  With orphans all competing for the same role at risk of their lives, it was often heart wrenching.  The author managed to bring out strong feelings of loss, betrayal and family love with her writing.  The story even had a hint of romance.  I loved it all.  Although the initial story arc was completed in this first novel, it definitely left you wanting more!  There is still a larger story for the author to continue, so I am really looking forward to reading the next novel The Runaway King which comes out this March!


Notable Quotable:

“I've got to go."
"Go where?"
"To go. I'd have just taken care of it myself, but it looks like you want to come along."
Mott cursed. "Wait for morning."
"Wish I could. I've been cursed with my mother's pea-size bladder.”
                   ― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince


Grade:






Random Side Note: Did you know they are making this novel into a movie? Check out more details here

GiveawayJennifer Nielsen is currently giving away an ARC of The Runaway King on her blog! Go check it out here!
 
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (63): City of a Thousand Dolls & The Eternity Cure

Time for "Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine! Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating! 
 
  Coming Soon...
 
City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

To Be Published: February 5th 2013 by Harper Teen
 
"An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.
"
 
My Ramblings on City of a Thousand Dolls: Fantasy, forbidden romance, adventure.  Need I say more?  This books sounds just like my cup of tea! And the cover art is amazing. It just calls out to you from the shelf. I think the synopsis sounds great - so I am looking forward to reading this one soon!
 
 
 Waiting for the long haul...

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa
 
To Be Published:  April 23rd 2013 by Harlequin Teen
 
"Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.
"
 
My Ramblings on The Eternity Cure: Although April isn't really all that far away it sure feels like it! I have been waiting for this book since I put the ARC of The Immortal Rules down almost a year ago. I LOVED The Immortal Rules, so obviously I can't wait to get my hands on this novel.  Julie Kagawa is a great author and it really shows in this series.  Also, how do you like the new covers? I LOVE THEM.  Sooo much better than the creepy-weepy-vamp on the last cover.  These are much more fitting.
  
Just hopping by?? Be sure to check out my current giveaway HERE.
 
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Book Birthdays! 1/29/2013


There are a bunch of great books coming out in the next few weeks. Below are just a few that were released today! Which books below have you been anxiously waiting for??  I personally can't wait to read 'Til the World Ends...





 


Stolen Nights  by

The Prey (The Hunt #2) by Andrew Fukuda

 
 Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows
 
 
'Til The World Ends (Blood of Eden #0.5) by Julie Kagawa 
 
 Between by Kerry Schafer

Breaking Point (Article 5, #2) by




Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire, #3) by


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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Mini Reviews: A Monster Calls & Ashes

Mini Reviews are short reviews (more like opinions!) of books I have read and wanted to share with you. I will describe in a few frequently-fragmented sentences my thoughts on the books. I may not ever post a full length review of these books. So in the mean time, Enjoy!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date:
September 27th 2011
Publisher:
Walker Books


The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.”

Mini-Review: If the cover says Patrick Ness on it, I will be buying it.  I have yet to be unsatisfied with something he has written. This was a short, but well written story about a young boy coming to terms with loss.  Basically it made me cry. With a small twist of fantasy; A Monster Calls is a touching tale of love, hope, loss, and letting go.
 
Notable Quotable:
“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”
    ― Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls 

Grade: 
 




Check it out on Goodreads, B&N or Amazon!


Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian/Apocalyptic
Publication Date:
September 6th 2011
Publisher:
Egmont USA 


“It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.


Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.”


Scoot’s Thoughts: Zombies! This was a good read in general, but it honestly felt like I read two different books.  The first half of the book was intense and action packed - had character growth and development.  It was touching/crazy good and I loved it.  The second half of the book (more like last third really) was a total character stall and felt like an entirely different book. It was SLOW - and blah. Despite the random half-and-half style book I still really want to know what happens with Alex, Tom and Ellie - so I am looking forward to a sequel!


Notable Quotable:

 Run, she told herself. Run, you idiot, run. But she didn't. She couldn't. She just... couldn't.”   
― Ilsa J. Bick, Ashes


Grade:   
First half of the book =
              




Second half of the book=





Check it out on Goodreads, B&N or Amazon!


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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (62): Scarlet & The School for Good and Evil





Time for "Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine! Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating! 
 
  Coming Soon...
 
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

To Be Published: February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends
 
"Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.
"
 
My Ramblings on Scarlet: Cinder was one of my top reads in 2012, so of COURSE I am really excited about getting to read Scarlet soon! I can't wait for this one!! Cinder was a fabulous read, so if you haven't started it yet go grab it - then you too will be anxiously waiting for this Scarlet.
 
 
 Waiting for the long haul...

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
 
To Be Published:  May 14th 2013 by HarperCollins
 
"At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.

The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.

But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are . . . ?

The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.
"
 
My Ramblings on School for Good and Evil: This 400 page mid-grade novel sounds like an intriguing read! I love fairy tales and the whole story's concept sounds great. Not to mention - the cover art is fab.  I am looking forwarding to reading this one later in the spring!
  
Just hopping by?? Be sure to check out my current giveaway HERE.
 
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Monday, January 14, 2013

Giveaway: Nobody and Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

If you haven't read anything by Jennifer Lynn Barnes yet - you should! I love her Raised By Wolves series and I am really excited to be reading Nobody.  I have it in my hands, so it shouldn't be long before I have a review to share with you. In the mean time check out more details about Nobody and the giveaway below!!

NOBODY by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

"There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away. That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her.

Nix is a killer. Claire is his target. But from the moment he sets eyes on her, everything changes, because only the two of them can truly see each other – and two Nobodies are more than twice as dangerous as one."    


Preorder a copy now!
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Indiebound 

Add it to your bookshelf on goodreads!

About Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the author of the popular Raised by Wolves series. A former competitive cheerleader, teen model, and comic book geek, she wrote her first book at the age of nineteen. She just completed her PhD in developmental psychology at Yale University and has returned to her native Oklahoma to teach at the University of Oklahoma. You can visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com or follow her on Twitter @jenlynnbarnes.    

Check out Jen's blog!


Thanks to Egmont USA one lucky person will be winning a hardcover copy of Nobody and the new paperback release of Every Other Day, which pubs on the same day as Nobody (January 22nd)!! 
Enter the rafflecopter below to win.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Friday, January 4, 2013

YA eBook Deals!

There are a BUNCH of great YA eBook deals going on right now. Below are just the few that I wanted to share with you, but be sure to go check out the etailers for all of the discounted books. 

Side Note: I only listed Kindle and Nook deals, but if you have an iPhone/iPad don't forget that you can still take advantage of these discounts by purchasing the books and downloading the Nook or Kindle reading apps!  I have an iPad and I use the Nook, Kindle and iBooks apps to read. Love it!!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

Nook: $3.99
Kindle: $3.99

Beastly by Alex Flinn
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $1.99

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

The Last Apprentice by Patrick Arrasmith
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $1.99

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Gone by Michael Grant
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

The Liar Society by Lisa Roecker
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $1.99

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99 

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.51

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $.99

The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Nook: $2.99 
Kindle: $2.99

Hush Money by Susan Bischoff
Nook: $.99
Kindle: $.99

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $1.99

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $1.99

Eve by Anna Carey
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Kindle: $2.99

The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Jane by April Lindner
Nook: $2.99
Kindle: $2.99

Winterling by Sarah Prineas
Nook: $1.99
Kindle: $1.99

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