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ARC Review: Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

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Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Buy from: Harlequin AUS website
A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this stunning new psychological thriller from national bestselling author Mary Kubica
She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head…
Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.
Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated
An Advance Reading Copy was provided by Harlequin MIRA Australia in exchange for an honest review.

If I were to rate Pretty Baby based on the efforts alone, this would be a solid 5-stars read. No one can say Mary Kubica did not try hard enough. She did. And it showed. Hence I'm genuinely gutted that I didn't love this book more. The book is lacking on the execution and the enjoyment factor.

I'm so...unenthusiastic about this book. Which makes it so hard to write a review on. I felt like Pretty Baby tried too hard to be different and genre-bending. Unfortunately, we get a final product that is not quite. Not quite thriller. Not quite mystery. Not quite drama.

In comparison to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Dark Places (comparison is inevitable because well, just look at the cover), Kubica's writing is relatively easier to stomach (haha!) but the issues dealt in this book are disturbing all the same.

I thought the beginning was very well done. Although it initially reads from two totally opposite point of views (Heidi's and Chris'), I could relate to them both which in turns questioned my own morality and choices if I were in their position. So that was really interesting. Enters Willow's point of view and it was like reading a different book altogether. No date/time stamp follows the start of each chapter so it took me awhile to orientate myself - that Willow's POV is told sometimes in the future (with of course, flashbacks thrown in as well because why not?). Contrary to most psychological thrillers which reveal early on that someone's missing/killed/dead/became amnesiac, Pretty Baby definitely takes its sweet time to tell the readers what actually had happened. So for me, the intrigue is lost and I was left hanging for so long that I contemplated DNF-ing this book so many times.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is not a good sign for a thriller book.

Did the ending redeem the whole book? Well, I definitely did not expect the ending, so that's something. I don't know...I was just content with it. I wasn't wowed by it but it satisfied me nonetheless.
3 poker faces


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Review: Talon (Talon, #1) by Julie Kagawa

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Talon by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.
Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.
Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Actual rating 1.5 stars.

THE WORST JULIE KAGAWA'S BOOK I'VE EVER READ. And I've read eight of her other books.

I wanted to believe that maybe someone kidnapped her and wrote this book using her name, but when you've read enough Julie Kagawa's, you know it's her when you read the writing...

I still can't believe a book about dragons can be bad. *sigh*

One thing I noticed about Kagawa's writing is she doesn't do contemporary setting well. I didn't enjoy reading about Meghan's and Ethan's life before they enters the fey realm. It was so boring and bland.

Unfortunately this book is pretty much a contemporary with dragons. And I didn't even get enough dragons. There were more about;

1. Siblings fights - am I supposed to care about Dante? He could be replaced with a talking wall and I still couldn't care less.

2. Teenage angst - I honestly thought Ember gets rebellious for the first half of the book for no good reasons.

3. Insta-love - I honestly thought Julie knew better.

4. Love triangle - I HONESTLY THOUGHT JULIE KNEW BETTER. Meghan, Ash and Puck love triangle is a rarity and is dynamic - how could she possibly thought of throwing another love triangle with much, much weaker characters?

5. Surfing - YES, I LIVE IN AUSTRALIA AND YES, READING THIS MUCH ABOUT SURFING WAS NOT ENTERTAINING.

I know I should've DNF-ed it but I couldn't. Because it's a Kagawa book. I read and I read. Hoping that by the end of Part 1 the story would have gone somewhere. Nope. By that point, I was way past halfway mark so I decided to just finish it anyway. And I did. Yes, the story did go somewhere but it was so predictable and formulaic, I even laughed a few times and screamed 'THIS, THIS IS FROM JULIE KAGAWA???'.

Yeah, it wasn't nice.

Two unimpressed faces

ARC Review: Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard

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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

An advance reader copy was provided by Hachette Australia Books for review.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Imagine the X-Men as the lords and ladies in the pseudo-medieval period set in a dystopian future.
Sounds like something you never knew you wanted to read about but now that you know, you want it more than Nutella? Yup, that was me before I received a copy of this book. Sadly, it just didn't deliver.

In this dystopian world, the society is divided into two castes, the silvers (people with superpowers) and the oppressed reds (regular people). The book centres around Mare, a red who suddenly discovers that she has a unique superpower and how she is made into a pawn in a dangerous ploy for the throne.

I think my biggest issue with the book is the characters. In a moral sense, I think none of the characters deserves any respects which makes it's hard to pick a side. Understandably, living in a dystopia society like depicted in the story means it's difficult to cling to your moral values because you got to do what you have to do to survive, right? But most of the time, the characters, especially Mare has the option that offers less damage but she chose the less wise, morally-corrupted choice nonetheless. Morally-vague characters are something that I usually enjoy in literature - time and time again I found myself rooting for the antagonists because they are so entertaining. However in Red Queen, the characters make wrong decisions due to their cowardliness and lack of purpose, hence the book felt flat and lost its appeal on me midway through. For a book with just 320 pages, it felt like it has more than 500 pages in my head.

Luckily I pulled through because that ending worth every second I sat there with my tablet, trying to pry my eyes open and keep reading for the first 80% of the book. I suspected the big twist from miles away but as a plot hole so by the time the true villain was revealed to me, I was pretty shocked nonetheless. And have I mentioned how much I loved the ending? The final showdown has the right amount of action, tension and complexity. Will sell kidneys for the sequel!

Another aspect that was done quite well was the action and the battle scene. Some of the superpowers seem weak in comparison to the others but the author managed to show that when these superpowers are handled well, they can be deadlier than the obvious strong ones. But I need MOAR! There is simply not enough action to keep this book from being a snoozefest.

Overall, a pretty solid debut by Victoria Aveyard although I couldn't see myself wanting to pre-order the physical copy of this book anytime soon. :/

Me gusta! 4-stars


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ARC Review: Impulse (Submerged Sun, #2) by Vanessa Garden

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Impulse by Vanessa Garden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Buy from: Harlequin AUS website
When Miranda Sun returns to Marin on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, this time of her own free will, she quickly learns that her worst fears have been realised. The glittering underwater city is not as she had left it, nor too is Marko, the young king who has dominated her thoughts and heart for the last twelve months since leaving Marin.
Miranda, however, has not made the journey to Marin alone, and now must contend with not only Marko’s evil brother Damir but more surprisingly her sister Lauren who has an agenda of her own. Marko’s power begins to wane and with cracks beginning to show in the domed Utopian city, and veiled danger lurking everywhere, she quickly learns that in this dazzling city full of beautiful people she can trust no-one but herself.
If Miranda wants to survive, she must decide between the hardened sensibilities in her head and the hungers of her heart. Will her decision cause more heartache or can she help to save Marko’s throne?


 A copy was provided by HarlequinTEEN Australia in exchange for an honest review.

 In case you haven't noticed, I heavily panned Captivate, book 1 of the Submerged Sun series. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't go near its sequel, Impulse, for obvious reasons. However, I received Impulse together with Captivate and it has such a glorious cover (I mean, come on, look at that cover!), so I thought, why not?

Wow, I mean, wow! A sequel that is thousands times better than its intermediate predecessor? Dear Vanessa Garden, I don't know what happened between Captivate and Impulse...but deyyumm gurl, you made me rethink my entire existence. JK! You made me rethink of my 'dropping the series if the first book is no good' policy.

 I think what worked so well in Impulse is the political drama-llama which usually reserved for high fantasy books. In Impulse, we have a small-scale, underwater Game of Thrones. No shit. I didn't know who to trust, who I should loathe, what's their motives etc. In Captivate, I was under the impression that Marin citizen are a bunch of boring, nice people. I didn't expect to see the darker, uglier side of Marin citizen when faced with desperation of wanting to bear children. Even the main and secondary characters whom I thought as very one-dimensional in Captivate such as Sylvia, Anne, Damir, Lily and Lauren have morphed into more complex, layered characters in Impulse. Special honourary mention: Blake - I loved this guy! He's so creepy in the right way! One thing that still bothers me is whether I should hate Lauren or not. I don't know if the author wants me to hate Lauren at first then to like her once I learned her true motive or just continue to hate her because ***spoilers ahead*** her motive is still very ambiguous up until the end of the book. ***spoiler finished***

 Now, another interesting bit about this book is its undefined genre. It could be a dystopia - organised underwater civilisation but it's not set in the future. It could be a fantasy - because of the mention of a mythical creature and just the general atmosphere of the book, but the creature is yet to be verified to have existed. It could be a sci-fi - hell yeah, alien technology but this bit is also still very much wishy-washy. Honestly, it could be a romance and thriller and mystery book. Unbelievable, isn't it? I saw a lot of people shelving the books from this series under 'mermaid' tag and this confuses the hell out of me. THIS IS NOT TECHNICALLY A MERMAID BOOK. Yeah, there are some mentions of mermaid but mermaid isn't the main thing here, okay.

Okay, here's the thing that made me feel so relieved; the relationship between Miranda and Marko is properly built and developed in this book. No more outlandish, insta-love declarations, no more unnecessary pseudo love triangle. Although, in Impulse, there is a part where I actually held my breath because I felt like another love triangle is coming but this time it's for a good reason. So yeah, I felt myself warming up to Miranda and Marko although towards the end I cringed a bit when Miranda wants to take things too fast.

 But Impulse still had the same problem as Captivate. The last one third of the book has once again suffered from sketchy plot and it felt like it was dragged forever but ended up at the same point. But contrary to the first book where it's just plunging to the abyss of the deepest hell-hole, this time it was still bearable and readable. I think with better editing, this last part of the book could have been much better.

 So yeah, Impulse - totally worth 
Me gusta! 4-stars.

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Review: Captivate (Submerged Sun #1) by Vanessa Garden

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Captivate by Vanessa Garden
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Buy from: Harlequin Aus website

In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim. Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...

A copy was provided by HarlequinTEEN Australia in exchange for an honest review.

BREATHTAKING UNDERWATWER COVER!!!

Should've known better, right? To be fair, it wasn't particularly bad, but it was definitely strange and cliché.

The book reminded me a lot of Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (the 'kidnapping to be made a bride for the king' part) and Renegade by J.A. Souders (the 'underwater city surrounded by dark mysteries' part). Sadly, I did not like this book as much as I liked the two aforementioned books.

Captivate doesn't waste time getting to the action. By action, I mean the kidnapping (that sounds so wrong). So, we don't get to know the dynamics of Miranda's relationship with her sister and her grandparents very well. While I appreciate the 'hit the ground rolling' opening, it was hard for me to feel Miranda's desperation to go back home because I wasn't being shown the strength of her family bond. Granted, we were told that Miranda harbours a secret she's been intending to tell her sister, Lauren and she wants to seek her forgiveness, but I think it helps if a brief details of Miranda's relationship with Lauren before their parents died was provided so that the readers can establish an emotional connection with Miranda.

Well, I was hoping for that so, so much because honestly, I did not like Lauren at all, so if only I could learn something good about her, then I could probably empathise more with Miranda and her wish to be back home. Here's Lauren's quote that irritates me so much;

Mum always used to say I had the metabolism of a racehorse-"With the stumpy body of a Shetland pony", Lauren would add with a smirk.

WHAT KIND OF OLDER SISTER TALKS TO HER YOUNGER SISTER LIKE THAT? Uh.

***spoilers ahead***And let's face it. Their parents death was IMO Lauren's fault. I'm 100% agree that she should have never leave Miranda alone on her birthday. But playing dumb for over a year, letting Miranda feels the guilt and never tries to make amend before Miranda confesses to her is just vain.

SERIOUSLY, WHAT KIND OF OLDER SISTER TREATS HER YOUNGER SISTER LIKE THAT?***spoilers finished***

Alright, enough about Lauren.

At first, I found Miranda as easy to like. She is cautious and sceptical of everyone she meets in Marin. She doesn't only say she wants to go home, she takes actions - she tries to remember Marin's layout, she plans her next moves, she gets to the good side of people who might help her escape and praise da lord, she doesn't get attracted to ANY male beings in Marin although they are well, kinda hot.

At first.

***mild spoilers ahead***

Now, please explain me what happened from Chapter Twenty and onwards? If the book was sort of 'yeah, okay, maybe' before that, after this chapter the book just takes a sharp dive into the abyss the of the deepest hell-hole. Like, seriously. The book threw me off so badly, I was even wondering if a different author had wrote this last third of the book.

Miranda suddenly loses her ability to think straight, makes bad decisions after bad decisions. AND SHE LIES. SO.MANY.FREAKING.TIMES.

Also, she suddenly gets attracted to both Marko and to some extent, Robbie. Marko is basically the kidnapper for the first two-third of the book, and honestly, I don't think he's making any significant efforts to make Miranda likes her, so yeah, when in Chapter Twenty, they are throwing the love word all around, I was like 'whaaaaaat'?. Only after that that they are beginning to really warming up to each other. Isn't that bizarre?

Anyway, they were a few things I noticed that make this book a bit ethically questionable.

1. Stockholm Syndrome is an icky subject. And I don't think the book handles this theme really well. Captivate tries to romanticise kidnapping too much and that doesn't sit very well to me. I remember reading Stolen by Lucy Christopher which kinda romanticises kidnapping as well but in the end, it still hammers down the message that kidnapping is wrong. The fact that the whole city agrees to the kidnapping, that is just disturbing, no matter how desperate you are.

2. My inner feminism raged when Miranda was kidnapped (of course) and ***spoilers ahead*** when she was forced to be brought back home. The argument was that it's dangerous for her to stay but giving her a less than one day notice before she will be brought home and denying her plea to stay when she really wants to help is just arrogant. AND HONESTLY! THEY NEVER THINK OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT PROBABLY IT'S THE MEN THAT ARE IMPOTENT?

3. When Stephanie pleads to Miranda for Phillippe's life, Miranda says that Stephanie owes her, that just pissed me off. SAVING SOMEONE'S LIFE WHEN THEY DON'T DESERVE TO DIE DOESN'T MEAN YOU OWE THAT PERSON ANYTHING. And what's up with the 'feeding to the shark' sentence. That is uncivilised for a so called self-sustaining civilisation.***spoilers finished***

4. If it's feasible for Marin to trade everything for pearls, I don't understand why it's not feasible to just offer a girl to come WILLINGLY to Marin for diplomatic or charitable reasons. If the girl doesn't like it, then let her go and offer another girl. I'm sure they can sign an agreement or something to keep the secret. There MUST be a girl who would've enjoy living underwater (someone who hates meat and sunlight and has no family for example) instead of ripping a random girl from her family. Ugh.

5. Fertility dance. I'm not sure if this is ethically questionable. It's just bizarre.

Anyway, there are a still a few unanswered mysteries and the story could be heading towards a darker path in Book 2. So since I got a copy of Impulse as well, I will be reading the sequel soon.

Two unimpressed faces

Back From Hiatus

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More like I'm back from the dead!
Just kidding! It's been 18 months. 
Yup. That's bad. That's really bad. But my life was spiralling out of control since mid last year and I didn't have time to look after this blog and for that I deeply apologise.

What makes me come back?

Long story short (not trying to be dramatic or anything) but reading basically saved my life. For the past two years I felt like life was moving too fast but not fast enough AND even then, I still couldn't catch up with it. So I had fallen into depression this year and it was just...horrible. But the blessing in disguise is that it allowed me to take a break and to think of what's really important in life, life is not all about achievements, you know, all that jazz. And I remembered I used to like reading so much. Well, I did read a few books within the span of last year and the first six months of this year but time and commitment has always been the issue. 

Until mid year this year, Somehow, I've read good books after good books and I slowly feel like I'm alive again (of course, reading is not the only factor that gets me out of my depression, but it has been a major contributor).

I became active on Goodreads again for a few months now but I was not sure if I'm physically capable of reviving this bookblog. I mean, a bookblog is no joke - I don't care what people say, it's actually damn hard to maintain an active bookblog.

But even with my inactivity, I received a few invitations for ARC reviews so I thought, why not? But this time I won't be super ambitious like before until the point where it actually became stressful. So yeah, at this point of time, I will probably only post reviews on this site and a occasionally memes. I will no longer post cover reveals, blog tours and regular memes. By all means, if you think Qwerty has turned into something you would no longer like to follow, feel free to unsubscribe. I won't be offended. A little sad, maybe, but it's okay. I understand.

 To the new Qwerty!
I want to be more excited but this means I need to re-acquaint myself with HMTL! *gasps*

Blitz: Flight by Lindsay Leggett

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Flight by Lindsay Leggett
Publication date: April 1st 2013
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Synopsis:
The first rule of survival in the Underground: When you’re outside, keep your eyes on the skies. Ace Harpy Hunter Piper Madden is used to danger, but the death of her brother slams the brakes on her high-torque lifestyle and leaves her broken and confused.
On the run from the dictating Elder Corporation, she’s eventually found in the quiet undergound city of Ichton and asked to work for the Corp on contract to quell a new and frightening Harpy threat.
Enter the discovery of horrifying Corporation secrets, Harpy attacks, and a new friendship with the strange Asher, and Piper’s days become anything but boring.
Then, a chance encounter leaves Piper privy to a dangerous secret, ad as she and Asher team up in an effort to unravel the truth, the secrets they uncover beneath the ancient walls of the dead city will spark their world into a grand-scale war.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17406619-flight?ac=1

Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Flight-ebook/dp/B00BPFHLDS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flight-lindsay-leggett/1114753059?ean=9781482639568&itm=1&usri=9781482639568


AUTHOR BIO
Nearly every writer struggles to put together information about themselves, perhaps because we’re so used to detailing the lives and ways of others. For the most part I am a writer, editor, photographer, and all-around artist living in the wilds north of Toronto, Ontario. I thrive on the juxtaposition of beauty and grit, enjoy urban crawls, indie everything, and time well-spent in the woods.

Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Review: Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2) by Colleen Hoover

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Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.
Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’ 

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

**Minor spoiler ahead**

I wish I could've like this book more or at least as much as I did with Slammed but meh, the drama llama was getting tiring or maybe I'm just a douche who despise every second book in the series because I got bored.

I probably would still read anything by Colleen Hoover. She has this amazing talent - it's like anything wrote by this woman would sound deep and meaningful. But I started to notice that her choice of themes is not something I would really like to read about and this frustrates me. A lot.

I had the same problem with Point of Retreat as I did with Hopeless: I don't understand why sex needs to be hailed as the holy grail of a relationship. Ugh, I wish I don't have to point that out. I'm worried if I don't get my point across, people will misunderstood and given my limited capacity to express my thoughts clearly, I really wish I don't have to.

But let's have a go anyway. There was so much build up leading to Will and Lake *ehem* sex in the first half of the book as if their relationship wouldn't be whole and complete without sex. Like sex is the highest point of a relationship. Sure, issues like friendship and family were emphasized as well but seriously, I think the story was better invested on something else rather than their anticipation of having sex together for the first time. Sure, the build up adds to the value of the relationship itself but I don't know...it's really hard to explain. Personally I think that the first time for a couple should of course be uh, thought carefully beforehand to make it, urmm meaningful but it shouldn't appear as if it's the goal of a relationship. The part which annoyed me the most is when Will decided to reject Lake when she was still crying. I thought this thing needs a common decision from both sides and Will totally denied her right. I know many people will disagree but anywaaaay...

Kiersten and Sherry are nice additions to the story. Caulder and Kel are charming and cute as usual. I'm glad we still get to learn more about Julia, she is such an inspiring character. I'm not sure what the author wanted to prove or show with Eddie and Gavin relationship. Again, Vaughn and Reece are like the causes of some of major events in this book but apart from being the cause, their characters didn't get fleshed out more so they ended up to be very one-dimensional.

Similar to Slammed, the storyline is indeed cliche but unlike in its predecessor where the cliche was handled in such a way that you wouldn't think it's possible for the book to be that wonderful when the same plotline has been reused over and over again in countless other books, in Point of Retreat, the cliche remains as cliche. *sigh*

Me gusta! A four-stars

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Blitz: 3rd bundle in the Grimm Diaries novella series by Cameron Jace

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This is the 3rd bundle in the Grimm Diaries novella series. the first and second bundle will be 0.99 each from the 28th until the 31st.
1) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AA4JIWC
2) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AA4JIWC


Grimm Diaries  by Cameron Jace 
Prequels 11-14 
Publication date: March 28th 2013 
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Synopsis:
10.5) Happy Valentine’s Slay by Wee Willy Winkie The real Sandman Grimm sheds a light on what happened in Jawigi, and tells about how some of the teens in Sorrow spend their Valentine’s Day.
11) Children of Hamlin by the Devil The Devil tells the story of the Piper of Hamlin, who he really is, the historical events he witnessed, and his relationship to Ladle Rat. Most of all, why they call him the Black Death.
12) Tooth & Nail & Fairy Tale by Jack Madly Jack Madly stole a sack full of baby teeth from Bluebeard’s enchanted castle, which reminds him of when he first met the Tooth Fairy when he was a child; a memory he wishes to forget.
13) Ember in the Wind by the Little Match Girl All the Little Match Girl wants is to sell her matches so she uses the money to eat and find  shelter from the cold. But no one in the cruel city of crowded London helps her. Eventually, she learns something about who she really is, and it changes her life forever.
14) Jar of Hearts by the Queen of Sorrow The Queen of Sorrow, still trapped in the Dreamworld summons Cassandra, the fortuneteller, to ask her about the identities of Lost Seven. The problem with Cassandra is that she’s cursed that her predictions will never be believed. The Queen is still determined to believe her, but it will cost more than she can bargain for.
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17661963-the-grimm-diaries-volume-11-14

---

AUTHOR BIO
Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters      I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales.      I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.
Author Links:

Website: http://cameronjace.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/995289.Cameron_Jace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camjace
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameronjace


Mini Review: Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2) by Tahereh Mafi

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Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
tick
tick
tick
tick
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it's almost
time for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life 

DO NOT TRUST MY RATING.

I REPEAT, DO NOT TRUST MY RATING.

I hated Shatter Me.

After Unravel Me, I still hated Juliette and Adam.

But Kenji was amazing.

And Warner was...


Trust me, I think I might have given this book a 4-stars solely because of Kenji and Warner.

How can. A guy. A bad guy. Who doesn't even feel guilty reading a girl's diary. Be THIS HOT?

A quarter through the book, I had enough of Juliette's whines "It's my fault he's here, it's my fault he's in danger bla bla bla".
Really guys! She needs a good bitchslap to bring some sense into her mind. Adam was on his period and not helping as usual. Blegh~ At this point, all I could give was 1.5 stars.

Enter Kenji with his inspiring 'grow some balls' talk and I thought, hey, lets vote this guy as the next president.

But I was still waiting for Warner to make an appearance unimpressed.

Enter Warner and I couldn't read fast enough. Heeeeeeeee

Do you still want me to comment on the plot? Well, it was like every other dystopia in the market, this book is after all, still heavy on the romance side, so don't get your hope up. The twists were good, I guess since Juliette always makes a big deal of everything, every twist seems massively shocking when narrated from her POV.

Me gusta! 4-stars

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Review: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

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Boundless by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.
Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.
As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.
In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars

In the end, my allegiance lies with Christian...

Oh wow. I actually finished a series I completely and utterly adored for the past few years. And I feel satisfied. After a bitter disappointment over Hallowed, I can safely say that this series has earned that special place in my heart for years to come. I CANNOT wait for more from Cynthia Hands. She has this way of making her books so easy to read but thoughtful at the same time.

Boundless started slow for me. I found that there weren't much to anticipate once the characters left the high school. But when I was struck with what actually happened to Angela, the reading experience was effortless from here on.

Oh boy, how can I forget how hard I fell for Tucker after Unearthly. After Hallowed, Christian got me swayed a bit and in Boundless, well, lets just say, I'm all his. XD Kinda unfair to be honest, since Tucker didn't get much exposure in this book to begin with. [Still, when in the climax, we were convinced that Tucker actually had died, a single, lone tear actually rolled l from my eye and I thought, so it all came down to this, eh?

Lo and behold, this was the point where the book loses its 0.5 star because resuscitating the dead and somehow the guy who came back to life becomes the prophet was all a little bit too grandiose for my liking. But at least, the ending wasn't as silly happy ever after-ish as offered in Breaking Dawn where nobody loses a limb. So there's that.

The baddies weren't as badass as I expected. Heh, I couldn't even recall his name. Amyst? Armasd? Uh, this memory of a goldfish. Samjeeza was dashing in this book. Somehow.

That creep.

Gee...never thought I'd be rooting for him as the leader of The Watchers back again.

The annoyings. Jeffrey and Angela. Wished they could be more useful. But I didn't like them since the first book anyway.

The I-need-more-of-you-beybeh! Micheal and Thomas. Why didn't I get MOAR? They deserved more airtime, helloooo? (hide spoiler)]

***Spoilers alert***


Still, when in the climax, we were convinced that Tucker actually had died, a single, lone tear actually rolled l from my eye and I thought, so it all came down to this, eh?

Lo and behold, this was the point where the book loses its 0.5 star because resuscitating the dead and somehow the guy who came back to life becomes the prophet was all a little bit too grandiose for my liking. But at least, the ending wasn't as silly happy ever after-ish as offered in Breaking Dawn where nobody loses a limb. So there's that.

The baddies weren't as badass as I expected. Heh, I couldn't even recall his name. Amyst? Armasd? Uh, this memory of a goldfish. Samjeeza was dashing in this book. Somehow.

That creep.

Gee...never thought I'd be rooting for him as the leader of The Watchers back again.

The annoyings. Jeffrey and Angela. Wished they could be more useful. But I didn't like them since the first book anyway.

The I-need-more-of-you-beybeh! Micheal and Thomas. Why didn't I get MOAR? They deserved more airtime, helloooo?

***Spoilers finished***


So yeah, basically I think I used up my long weekend pretty well, considering I still can't stop smiling over this book and this series altogether. :)

Sweet baby penguins! A 4.5 stars.
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Blog Tour: Ashes (Arson #2) by Estevan Vega - Promo

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Ashes (Arson #2)
by Estevan Vega
ASHES is a YA paranormal thrill-ride. Book 2 in the gripping Arson trilogy. 
MORE THAN THREE MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE ARSON AND EMERY WERE SUDDENLY TAKEN. TAKEN AND THEN SEPARATED. AND EXPERIMENTED ON.
The minds running Salvation Asylum have abducted them for a dark purpose. A campaign has been set in motion to genetically alter mankind. Unknowingly, Arson has become the most vital instrument in this global scheme, initiated by a select group of brilliant scientists and cunning world leaders. Confused, trapped, and unable to fully manifest his abilities, Arson faces a new existence crawling with questions. Will he ever see Emery again? Is Grandma still alive? Can the fate of the human race really hang in the balance of one choice?
Nightmare and reality collide in Ashes, book two in the gripping ARSON trilogy. Love will be tested. Powers will shift. And the past will invade the here and now as Arson discovers a part of himself he has never before known and fights against his own shocking origins. Will this boy who once tempted fire be able to take on a fearful future? When the struggle intensifies and secrets come to light, will Arson be ready to accept the haunting revelation that there may be others out there, others like him?
Book 1 of the Arson trilogy;

Blog Tour: Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey (Review + Favourite Quote)

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Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey
Release date: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pre-order: Amazon
A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.
Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.


Review
Actual rating 2.5 stars

LOL.

Where is that special something I was looking for?

Where is it?

Yea, it reads like a steampunk book, it's good, the plot was nice, the prose okay. But guys, for a traditionally published book, this was just not good enough. If this was published three years ago, I'd go ballistic for it but at the current standard, this just didn't cut it.

You know, if this book was made into an epic-fantasy video game, I'd be happy to play it. But as a book, it lacks powerful characters and substantial plot. Seriously guys, it felt very video-game-ish to me - so you are this girl who is thrown into this adventure to unlock the mystery bla bla bla.

Meg as the main protagonist was absolutely pathetic. She has zero self-confidence but at the same time likes to do things without proper planning and consideration. She trust people. Too easily.

It was very unwise to trust him, but in my heart, I knew it was the right thing.



I understand that women during that era tend to be poise and gentle but even after I factored that into account, Meg is still a weak and uninspiring character for me.

Page 110: A mystery lingered, a deadly one. I needed to reach the heart of it before someone took my life.

Page 384: This was all my fault. If I had never opened the key, none of this would ever happened.

Uh...girl, I think opening the key to save your life is the wisest thing you ever did.

She describes a lot of her emotions but I couldn't feel them, I couldn't connect with them at all. She narrates like a freaking news presenter!

The romance. Jeez, I didn't get it at all? First, obviously because I didn't find Meg as likeable and second, people don't fall in love just because they spend a lot of time together LOL. So Will spent a good proportion of the book saving Meg's ass and they supposed to love each other? I can understand it from Meg's point of view because she repeatedly thinks Will is handsome plus she practically owes her life to him but from Will's point of view? Meh. You wouldn't love a girl just because she sewn your shirts, would you?

And at third quarter of the book, Will backs up because he thinks Meg deserves better than him because he is penniless?



It's not like you are quadriplegic! You can still feed the girl you said you love by gee...I don't know...working?

The supporting characters? Double meh. Plain and boring, won't waste time talking about them because then, I'll get grumpy.

The plot.

THE PLOT.

Ugrhhh~

Like I said before, everything was too well-planned like a video game plot. Coincidence? Well, Meg certainly is a bloody lucky person then.

I better stop now before I rant on and on because actually, the book isn't too bad. I finished it so that's something. But would I recommend it? Probably not.

**An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

3 poker faces.
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Favourite Quote

"What will I do with you?"
He said the words softly, reverently. My heart answered a million possibilities, and they all filled me with hope and wonder. I loved him. I knew in that moment, I'd never again need wings to fly.


About the Author 


Kristin Bailey grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. As a kid she enjoyed visiting the beach, camping and skiing with her two brothers.
Now she is a military wife and mother of two young children. She is also terrible about spoiling her pets. She has one fluffy mutt, two cats who think they own the world, and a fish tank with a quartet of fat fish, and two secretive striped ninja-assassin snails.
In the course of her adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, balloon artist, and substitute teacher. Now she enjoys writing books for teens who enjoy mystery and adventure as much as she does.
www.kristinbailey.com | twitter.com/KBaileyBooks

Cover Reveal: The Underground Witch (Incenaga Trilogy, #2) by Debbie Dee

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The Underground Witch (Incenaga Trilogy, #2)
Expected publication: May 2nd 2013 by Dolce Books
As the last of the Incenaga Witches, Emmeline has been tortured, abused, and forced to use her power to kill. But unlike the Incenagas before her, she has survived. With her freedom restored, she should feel safe, invincible even. After all, she has the protection of Erick’s army and a power strong enough to obliterate any enemy. Yet Emmeline lives in fear for the next person who will try to control her, and no one can seem to find the tyrant threatening to claim her.
Until it’s too late.
With everything on the line, and the enemy at her throat, Emmeline has no choice but to convince Erick she no longer loves him (or risk him following her) and disappear with the one person she vowed to hate. But when she finds a way to take back her freedom and fight for Erick, will Emmeline be able to use her power like never before? Even if it kills her?
In The Underground Witch, the second novel of the Incenaga Trilogy, Debbie Dee delivers enough adventure, heartbreak, and suspense to captivate readers at every turn.

AUTHOR BIO

Debbie Dee recently moved to southern Idaho with her husband and three children where she is learning how to be a country girl in her favorite pair of blue heels. She adores fairy tales and happy endings, but secretly crushes on the bad guy now and then. As a dedicated musician who practices way too much, she never expected writing would sweep her off her feet until she jotted down a scene from a daydream, which turned into two scenes, which turned into a messy house and her first novel. Since then she hasn’t been able to let a day go by without writing.
Website – http://www.debbiedee.com/

Blog Tour: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett (Review + INT Giveaway)

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The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
Release date: March 5th, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teens
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12411635-the-nightmare-affair
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Description via Goodreads:
16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is Arkwell.
And then it comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues--both within Eli’s dreams and out of them--to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Review
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Words cannot express how sorry I am for being MIA since early this year. My daily routine includes chopping sheep organs and working with radioactive substance for my Honors year. Wish I have more time to hang out here and read more. :(

Anyway, The Midnight Affair was a lovely surprise because I didn't expect to feel this entertained when I was expecting something entirely different from a book. I don't know why but I kept expecting a darker and a more depressing tone of the story even though the cover and the blurb kinda hint that this is more like a chick-lit fantasy YA novel. Probably because my infatuation with lucid dreams LOL!

Initially, although the premise of Nightmare as a person is very refreshing, I couldn't help but to feel like this is another Harry Potter/Hex Hall wannabe. It doesn't help when Dusty, the protag reminds me a lot of Sophie from Hex Hall due to her sassy plus awkward persona. But somehow it worked? I agree the first half was not substantial enough but strangely it didn't deter me from reading more. I was quite entertained with the wide range of species in Arkwell Academy such as the werewolf police, the hag, the siren - they all inject a little something to the story with their distinctive personalities.

The second half was intense LOL! The myth isn't entirely original but the spin put on to it was believable and well-developed. I have a feeling that there were indeed some plot holes, but because the story was so enjoyable at this point, I didn't bother to scrutinize anymore. Yes, it was also predictable but not too predictable, if you get I mean? LOL! You'd know that obviously these guys weren't the bad guys but you're not entirely sure if the good guys were truly the good guys?

Anyway, the ending put aside, Paul is the ultimate swoonworthy guy! I also liked the best friend, Selene, the rebellious siren. I was somewhat entertained by the pranks war between Dusty and Lance. Lance is this scumbag, popular guy who likes to assume the Joker persona. Extra brownie points from me there because I just love the Joker!

So overall, I thought this book wasn't bad at all. It's not spectacular, mind you, but if you're looking for a light read then this fits the bill nicely. :)

**The ARC was provided by Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review.

Me gusta! A four-star!
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Trailer



About the Author

Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. She has far more dreams than nightmares.
www.mindeearnett.com twitter.com/mindeearnett



Giveaway

*TWO SIGNED copies will be available for giveaway open to International readers!!

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