Waiting on Wednesday - February 13, 2013

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To join in, share the book or books that you are currently drooling over as you await their release and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. The gorgeous badge above is brought to us by Lindsay at The Violet Hour!

I know, a day late and dollar short, but I just had to fit this one in. This series was actually a tough sale for me. I loved many of the characters, but the main heroine needed some guts. Finally, towards the end of Glitch, she started to get them. That's why this book is probably in the top ten of my "waiting for" list for this year. :)

Override by Heather Anastasiu

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: February 12th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin

From Goodreads:

Zoe is free. She has escaped the enslavement of the Community, disconnected from the hardware that had controlled her every thought and emotion, and evaded capture by the Chancellor intent on killing her. She is finally free, but she is far from safe.

Zoe and Adrien hide themselves from detection at the Foundation, an academy that trains teen glitchers to fight in the Resistance movement. Together, Zoe and her new team of superhuman fighters must risk their lives to rescue other glitchers and humans from the Chancellor's control. Challenges abound at every turn, and Adrien, who has become silent, distant, and tormented by his visions of the future, only adds to the growing certainty of defeat. But worst of all, as Zoe's team fights against impossible odds, distrust and betrayal leads to the terrible discovery that their greatest threat could already be lurking behind the safe walls of the Foundation.

Full of high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Heather Anastasiu's Override is an exciting continuation of this popular young adult trilogy.

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Hardcover, 563 pages

Published December 1st 2009 by Little, Brown and Company
Source: Own
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

"There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave."

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

There's a lot of "differences" in this book when compared to others. Love, love the different perspective taken on magic in this book.Another is the POV that it is written from, Ethan's, instead of the heroine's. That itself should tell you the thought that the authors put into this book. It comes from a male perspective in a period there were very few of them, even compared to today. 

There is A LOT of back story in the beginning of the book. Yes, it is somewhat long to a few people, but I see it as an essential tool. Otherwise, the rest of the story would not have the meaning that it did, especially Ethan's reason and purpose for his actions. The pacing in this book is awesome once you get the back story. You always want to just keep turning pages because something else is happening and you can't wait to see where it goes. The concept of Casters and other magical creatures in this book is eerie and utterly realistic. I've even had friends stop reading the book because they say it hit too close to home and they could see these events happening. It is that well written and reflects a lot of the southern aspects that I grew up in and love. Toss in the Gothic style southern POV on the setting and it is a fantastic foundation for magic.

The characters in this book are phenomenal, especially the villains. Ethan is a great example of a steadfast southern boy. He will absolutely make you laugh until you hurt and then melt your heart the next minute. I would like to keep him in a box just for safekeeping. Lena has so many layers to her that it takes the entire book to just begin to fold them back. It makes for long journey as you watch her spread her "magical" wings as the days to her claiming tick away. Even the supporting characters like Link and Macon are amazing. I could read books about either of them as well and be happy. Link is that friend that would not question you if you called him and said "I need your help, bring a shovel and a bag of lye." He would simply show up and nod his head. Macon is the parental figure that everyone wants growing up, but, be warned, he will break your heart by the end of the book. And the villains....wonderful. Creepy, mean people that makes you wonder and question if everyone has a side like that. You won't even look at your neighbor the same way again after getting to know these characters. 

Be prepared to be wowed and ready to crave more after this book. Actually, buy the set. You won't regret it.   

The movie is coming out on February 13th, learn more at IMDB!

Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Hardcover, 487 pages

Published May 29th 2012 by HarperTeen 

Source: Own
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

 Angelini continues to impress me. Reading through her books are like watching a vivid movie: all encompassing and surreal. The writing is as superb as Starcrossed and she takes the story to a whole new level this time around. 

Poor Helen has already been through so much and isn't even half way where she needs to be in life. Now she has to battle walking through Hades every night on top of everything else.Due to her journeys to the Underworld, Helen is pushed to her breaking point, physically and mentally, because of lack of sleep and rest. Sadly, I can understand where she is coming from. (Basically, she's going through the worst grad school experience ever, except with better purpose. :D) However, during her escapades she brings in a brand new character to the mix, Orion. He has an entrance to Hades as well, but he comes with more mysteries. I won't give away too much, but he is my favorite character thus far. Orion's perspective on life and particular situations is sometimes hilarious, but correct and informative too. And dear Lucas. It kills me to see what he has to go through just to keep everything going and keep people alive. The intricate web of character interactions lays a solid foundation for an amazing plot.

Get ready for a thrill ride with the storyline and plot in this one as well. If it wasn't steady paced and rolling, you were reading and flipping pages as quick as you can to see what happens next. It is simply. that. exciting. Sometimes it is simply the bad luck of the characters of course, but a good chunk of it was plot essentials and came at you from every angle. During the culminating events you will be holding your breath one minute and crying the next. And that ending...talk about leaving me wanting more. One word describes it all and it is what you will say when you finish the book: "Wow." 

Waiting on Wednesday - February 6, 2013

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To join in, share the book or books that you are currently drooling over as you await their release and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. The gorgeous badge above is brought to us by Lindsay at The Violet Hour!

The grand finale of the Starcrossed series! This series has been a page turner since the beginning and I can't wait to see what Angelini has decided to put us through next!

Goddess by Jospehine Angelini

Hardcover, 432 pages

Expected publication: May 28th 2013 by HarperTeen

From Goodreads:

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Review: Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Hardcover, 545 pages

Published September 20th 2011 by Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster

Source: Own
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Goliath is a magnetic beam weapon to encourage peace in 1914 alternative WW1 (between German mechanical Clankers and British Darwinist genetic animal/plant fabricators) by Serbian inventor Nicolas Tesla rescued from remote Siberia by organic 1K' British airship Leviathan midshipman Scottish Deryn Sharp, disguised as boy Daryl to join the Air Service, and her romantic interest, Prince Aleksander, secret heir to Austro-Hungarian throne. Grey-shaded sketches of fantastical contraptions, creative beasties, and impossibly slender characters adorn most of 44 chapters.

From Russia to Tokyo, California, and New York, the cast includes familiar mentors Dr Nora Barlow, London Zoological Society boffin (and Darwin granddaughter), and fencing master Count Vogel who warns Tesla may need to be assassinated. New faces are revolutionary leader Pancho Villa in Mexico, and newspaper and film mogul William Randolph Hearst showing first cliff-hanger episode from silent movie "Perils of Pauline". Hungry giant bears, ocean storms, attacking forces from sky, land, and underwater - how can the penniless royal and brave commoner achieve world peace and personal happiness?

 The series has been one of the most imaginative that I have ever read. This finale completely does it justice, but could have used a little more action in the plot.

We're thrown right back into the throws of the war and the Leviathan's journey. However, now the addition of young, and even forbidden, love makes the world even more complicated for Deryn and Alek. Thankfully a few events finally allow their relationship to get somewhere. It seems like they have been pent up for two books...oh, wait they were. The situation changes the entire dynamic of book, as it should have, and I loved watching the two of them grow up because of it. They both became stronger persons and that really upped their interactions with the other characters to supplement the plot. 

Unfortunately, the plot didn't feel as intense as it was in the other books. There were a few times that I skipped pages until I could get to something that would speed it up a little bit. The random and odd incidents are there just like before but they seemed disjointed sometimes. To make up for this, the characters and illustrations were still phenomenal and provided just enough "oomph" to keep my attention to make it through. I did love how Westerfeld wrote the ending and tied everything up beautifully. It is not the perfect way you want things to end for the series, but it does leave you with a completed feeling. 

This series has been a great ride. I would recommend it for children and adults alike!