In My Mailbox #22

Hey y'alls! I'm sorry for this late IMM, my internet has been down for a while, but I'm back! Ready to get my read on :) 

Books I Purchased: 
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (paperback)
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy bk: 6)

Books I Got for Review:
Touched by Corrine Jackson
Where You Are by J.H Trumble

Gone by Micheal Grant

Released:   April 20, 2009

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 576

Rating: 5/5

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...



I have to say, that this book has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while. I'd been just a bit doubtful when I picked it up, it didn't seem like my type of story. (and it's pointed more toward middle grade) But boy am I glad I picked it up! It was amazing, absolutely a great read, one I regret not reading earlier.

The plot was great, in a matter of seconds all the adults have disappeared leaving only kids from the age of 14 and below to fend for themselves in the small town of Perdido Beach, California. No grown-ups. No doctors, no fire-fighters  policemen, or teachers. No parents. An impenetrable wall is also discovered all around the town, up and below, sealing it. Things are changing rapidly. The action in the book doesn't take long to start but instead it hits you right away. I loved clawing my way trough the entire mysterious plot.

There is quite a number of characters to keep track of. However it's not hard as each and every one of them are memorable - whether through their personality traits, or their own super skills, they're easily identifiable. It's also made simple. There's good versus evil. Then you can even break it into smaller groups based on their 'social status'. You can even go further and organize the characters by their skills or powers if they have any. It was a great way to identify the character and remember them throughout the book. More do get added as the story progresses, but their personality traits are different from one another so it's not hard to remember them at all. Some of them are even beginning to grow power and some of that totally reminded me of X-men. 

All in all, this book was amazing, I have yet to pick up Hunger and just devour the goodness of it too. 

Future Wants: Ten by Gretchen Mcneil

 Release Date: September 18th, 2012

Ten Teens.

Three Days.
One Killer.

The countdown is on….

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, which involve their school’s most eligible bachelor, T. J. Fletcher, and look forward to three glorious days of boys, bonding, and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying, and with a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the rest of the world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for three days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Ten is definitiley a novel I'm really looking forward to reading. Everything about Ten is completely intriguing. One of the major reasons I'm interested in this novel is because of the plot; its very different from your normal YA story. Can't wait for this to come out! Make sure you check it out too.
Gretchen's Website: http://www.gretchenmcneil.com/

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

       

 Released: April 19, 2011

Publisher:Harlequin

Pages: 304

Rating: 2/5

                                                                                                                                                                             I have so many mixed up feelings about The Goddess Test that honestly I don't know were to begin. I will not say that The Goddess Test is one the best books I've; because it is not, it was a good read but not something that I would say overly amazing. I felt that the pace of the story was slow, I wasn't eager to pick it up when I but it down. I love Greek mythology and I felt as if Carter didn't really do justice to the concept. It was all changed to a more modern style

Now coming to the plot and storyline, which was good, but I felt like it missed something, first off, it felt to me like it was rushed, one thing kept happening after another which kind of made it confusing. I felt as if all the mythological elements were missing from it, it literally felt like i was in the Nevernever with fae, rather than in Eden Manor with Greek Gods and Goddesses.

 

The  protagonist; Kate was not my favourite charecter despite her self-sacrficing kind of personality, and the reason for that i believe is because i couldn't relate to her, she had no teenager quality in her, and okay i get her mothers sick and all she wants to do is take care of but honestly, i felt as Kate if was more of 42 year old than an 18 year old. Henry was definitely not my favourite character, I mean he was Hades, Hades isn't just some crazy lovestruck dude, he's like the GOD of the Underworld man. I really think Carter did not do justice to the role of Henry. Now coming to Ava, although she had a bitch quality to her, I liked her, I could relate more to her than to Kate. And my favourite character was definitley James, he was a sweet and caring guy, just simple, but James wasn't in the story a whole lot. 

In conclusion, the book did not live up to my expectations at all, with that said, I would still like to pick up the second novel in the series and see where that goes as the book ended in my favour. 

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Released: September 7th, 2010

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 288

Rating: 4.5/5

The Duff is one of the most honest and realistic contemporary book I have read in a quite some time. Maybe its because the author is so young but Kody Keplinger did a phenomenal job of writing Bianca and getting into the teenage mindset. Bianca is sarcastic, cynical, snaky. After her enemy Wesley Rush labels her as "the Duff" (Desginated Ugly Fat Friend) in her group of friends she's outraged, dumps her drink on him and storms off. 

By no means is Bianca perfect. Her mother is absent all the time, her parents marriage is falling apart and she knows it. Seeking a distraction from all her problems she finds it from the most unlikely person…Wesley Rush. On the outside Wesley is a womanizing playboy and is only interested in girls and sex. He doesn't seem to mind that Bianca is using him. But Wesley has family problems of his own and Bianca soon realizes they have more in common than she thought…and worse of all is she might just be falling for him. The Duff is a hilarious, honest and real to what teenagers have felt. We all feel like the Duff at one point of another so this book is one that teenage girls should read and be able to relate to. 

In My Mailbox #12

                 Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick


The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They''ve overcome the secrets riddled in Patch''s dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they''ve worked for-and their love-forever.














     Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood


Blessed with a gift...cursed with a secret. 
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they''re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. 

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother''s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family''s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. 

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren''t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.






                         Jane by April Linder 


Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. 

But there''s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane''s much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Released: August 29th, 2011

Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 5/5

A hidden truth. 

Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness forces her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is the gorgeous, elusive Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

I'm in love with this novel. I had been pushing it off for a while and I completely regret it. I finished this book in just a day; it was so hard to put down because of all the suspense and yes, romance too.

I loved all the character's, every single one of them, even the bad ones. Jordan, described each character so well it was hard not to fall in love with them. Especially Will. Will just captured my heart and I had no problem in understanding why Jacinda, the protagonist couldn't resist him even though they were enemies. I completely understood Jacinda's situation. Being the only draki (descendants of dragons) in about four thousand years to breath fire came with its advantages and disadvantages. She had her entire life already laid out for her, forced to being with a boy to have children just for the sake of the pack. Don't get me wrong I loved Cassian, but I felt as if he was forcing himself on Jacinda. Jacinda was a great protagonist, the way Jordan narrated her was great, you felt for her and wished her only the best.

Now moving on to the romance between Jacinda and Will. Oh, Will, I wish you were real. Will was just amazing, although being a draki hunter, I never even once hated him; his personality had such depth I couldn't help but to fall head over heels for him. Jacinda's mother and sister annoyed me bit, they were so not understanding, I mean they both did have their reasons but never once did they hear Jacinda out. The ending left me off at such a cliffhanger I have to go out and pickup Vanish, ASAP! Firelight kept you on your toes till the very end and I highly recommend this book to every YA reader.