Winner!

Congrats to Tayte!! You won my Kick-Butt Characters Giveaway Hop!

Tayte won The Hunt and The Prey by Andrew Fukuda!  

Be sure to respond to my email so you can get your book asap. 

Enjoy!

Ender's Game Movie Poster!

Is anyone else as excited about this as I am??

I read Ender's Game as a child (let's just say that was a long time ago) so I have been waiting for this movie for ages. Can't wait! Here's hoping they don't screw it up. 

The Breeders Review Tour & Giveaway!

The Breeders by Katie French

Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian

Publication Date: August 1st 2012
Age Range: Young Adult
Book Source: eCopy for review from Kismet Book Touring & Author
 

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world’s last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches– moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders’ long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society. And they’re hunting Riley.

When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender– a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley’s affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?

The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico– escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is shot and forced into the Breeder’s hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she’ll share unless she can find a way out.

Scoot’s Review:

Riley lives in a dark and unforgiving world. A world where lives can be lost in the blink of an eye and being female makes life even more dangerous. Disguised as a bender Riley and her family have managed to eke out a simple existence, but when tragedy strikes she and her younger brother are thrust into that dark world they tried so hard to avoid. The Breeders is a well written, fast paced story that gets the reader sucked in from the start. You quickly empathize with Riley and her feelings, but can also relate to her family and why they do the things they do. I loved Riley’s protective relationship of her family and especially her younger brother Ethan. Riley is a strong character lead for the novel and she has a backbone of steel (which I always appreciate in a female lead!). The novel was well paced. I never lost interest in the story and read it all very quickly. The speaking style wasn’t necessarily grammatically correct, but it was clear and I never stumbled over any of the sentences. I was easily absorbed in the plot because I never felt pulled out of the world by tripping over the writing style. The characterization was good; there were a lot of unique characters introduced in the novel and they each had distinct personalities. Some of which you learned to love and others you learned to hate. The story was definitely gritty and intense, and honestly a little more gory than I prefer at times. There were a few violent scenes that had me cringing, but they didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. It was easy to get attached to the characters and you often wanted to jump into the novel to protect one of them you loved. I am happy with the ending of the novel, but there is plenty of room for story growth if Katie decides to write a sequel. The Breeders has plenty of action, a bit of mystery and a sweet romance. So if you are looking for a new dystopian read, The Breeders is a great one to go with!

Notable Quotable:

   

"He looks up at me, his face searching mine for reassurance. I squeeze his shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

What a terrible liar I am. "

                - Katie French, The Breeders 

Grade:

Find The Breeders online:
Goodreads 
Amazon
Lulu

About Katie French  
Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads
Katie French imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher.

In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. Though her social life suffered, her love for literature thrived. She studied English at Eastern Michigan University, where she veered from writing and earned an education degree. She spent nine years teaching high school English.

Currently she is a school counselor, doing a job that is both one of the hardest things she’s ever done and the most rewarding. In her free time she writes, reads great books and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She is a contributor and co-creator of Underground Book Reviews, a website dedicated to erasing the boundaries between traditional and non-traditional publishing. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.

Enter to win one of 10 eCopies of the Breeders!

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Kick Butt Characters Hop: Win The Hunt and The Prey!

2nd Annual Kick Butt Characters Hop

Hosted by Good Choice Reading  & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

March 23rd - 28th

This hop features the best Kick-Butt Characters in Young Adult Books!

I chose to feature Gene from The HUNT and The PREY by Andrew Fukuda!  

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Griffin I have one paperback copy of The Hunt and one hardcover copy of The Prey to give away! Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win. 
(must be over 13 years of age to enter and have a valid US mailing address)

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Be sure to enter the other giveaways in the Kick-Butt Characters Hop!

Book Birthdays: March 19th 2013

Happy Book Birthday(s)!

March 19, 2013

 Any books that I missed? Just leave them in the comments!!

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
by Cassandra Clare

 The Gate Thief (Mithermages #2)
by Orson Scott Card 

 Quintessence
by David Walton

Fox Forever (Jenna Fox Chronicles #3)
by Mary E. Pearson

Notes from Ghost Town (ARC)

Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison
 

Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary/Mystery
Publication Date: February 12th 2013 by EgmontUSA
Publisher:  EgmontUSA
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Book Source: ARC for review from Publisher
 

Synopsis (via Goodreads): They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death.

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.

Scoot’s Review:

Growing up on the Miami seashore Liv and Stern were best friends for life.  Individual, talented and artsy their close bond was like no other and on the verge of turning into something more. But disaster struck; Stern was murdered and Liv’s mother was to blame.  Now time is running out, and Olivia is struggling to keep sane while being visited by her lost love and discovering the truth of that tragic night.  Notes from Ghost Town had me hooked from the first page.  The story has a strong opening sequence that leaves you wanting to know more. Kate Ellison’s writing style made it easy to connect her characters emotions.  Ellison has a way of wording things so you feel like you are watching it all happen right before your eyes.  This story was different from my usual read, but I enjoyed it.  With rich storytelling and strong characters you were easily pulled along the plotline.  The mystery of the novel was intriguing and I didn’t have it all put together until near the end.  The plot was fast paced and I didn’t get bored reading it.  The story kept you questioning and worried for characters. Notes from Ghost Town had plenty of romance and mystery, but at the same time it dealt with a few deeper issues such as mental illness and parents getting remarried.  I believe this is a stand alone novel and I was satisfied with the ending.  I would recommend it for older teens or adults because it did have underage drinking and some sensual scenes.  I have never had a chance to read Kate Ellison’s other novel, The Butterfly Clues, but after reading Notes from Ghost Town I am going to have to check it out. 

Notable Quotable:

“If I could stay there, in that moment before everything changed, I would stay there forever.”

            -          Kate Ellison, Notes from Ghost Town

Grade:

 

Waiting on Wednesday (64): Quintessence & The Dream Thieves

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...

 

Quintessence by David Walton

To Be Published: March 19th 2013 by Tor Books

 

"Imagine an Age of Exploration full of alchemy, human dissection, sea monsters, betrayal, torture, religious controversy, and magic. In Europe, the magic is thin, but at the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest explorers to the alluring Western Ocean. Christopher Sinclair is an alchemist who cares only about one thing: quintessence, a substance he believes will grant magical powers and immortality. And he has a ship."

 

My Ramblings on Quintessence: The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover, and then I though the synopsis sounded intriguing as well! Sounds like a fun read! Just one more week and this one will be out for my reading pleasure.

 

 

 Waiting for the long haul...

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)) by Maggie Stiefvater

 

To Be Published:  September 17th 2013 by Scholastic Press

 

"Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after..."

 

My Ramblings on The Dream Thieves: I love all things Maggie Stiefvater, so of course I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the Raven Cycle. If you haven't had a chance to read The Raven Boys yet go out and do it! It seems far away but I am sure September will be here before we know it. :)