Showcase Sunday 10. The lost prince!

Hosted by: Books, Biscuits and Tea

Julie Kagawa - The lost prince.

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he's dare to fall for. Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.

*Fan girl scream and awkward happy dance* When I saw this one was on Netgalley, I had to request it (even when I'm already drowning in review books.) I can't wait to get started in this one.

Chuck Wendig - Mockingbird.

Miriam is trying. Really, she is.

But this whole "settling down thing" that Louis has going for her just isn't working out. She lives on Long Beach Island all year around. Her home is a run-down double-wide trailer. She works at a grocery store as a check-out girl. And her relationship with Louis--who's on the road half the time in his truck--is subject to the piss and vinegar Miriam brings to everything she does.

It just isn't going well. Still, she's keeping her psychic ability--to see when and how someone is going to die just by touching them--in check. But even that feels wrong somehow. Like she's keeping a tornado stoppered up in a tiny bottle.

Then comes one bad day that turns it all on her ear.

Review 63. Veronica Roth – Divergent.

Title: Divergent.
Author: Veronica Roth.
Pages:  489.
Published: February 2nd 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
Sort: Part one of ‘Divergent’

Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves... or it might destroy her.

Rating:

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one day, because I couldn’t stop. I made friends with Tris and Four. It was fast-paced filled with action and some romance. This book had everything you could ask for. That’s why it’s so hard to write a decent review about it, but I’m going to try.

”It must be because you’re so approachable,” I say flatly. “You know. Like a bed of nails.”


Beatrice Prior lives in a divided society. There are five factions, each based on a virtue, and they have their own responsibility. You have Candor (honest), Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Amity (peaceful) and Erudite (intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select a faction they will stay for the rest of their lives. You can understand that it’s a hard choice.

When Tris finds out that Erudite and Dauntless are planning a war, she wants to know more about it. How will they persuade the Dauntless to fight against Abnegation? But the people from Erudite have everything covered and it’s up to Tris and Four to safe her old faction and to stop a war. Let me tell you this, the ending is filled with action. The book build towards it and it certainly delivers. I couldn’t put it down.

Review 62. Amy Plum – Until I die.

Title: Until I die.
Author: Amy Plum.
Pages: 357.
Published: May 8th 2012 (first published May 3rd 2012) .
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers.
Sort: Part 2 from ‘Die for me.’
Review part 1. Die for me.

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love. As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

Rating:

"But this is the twenty-first century. And I’ve got this”—I pulled out the signum and held it up for him to see—“that says I’m kindred. And I’ve got this”—I pointed at my head—“that says I’m as smart as you. And I have this”—I held up my middle finger—“that says go to hell, you immortal bigot.”

The first half of the book: swooning and eating each others faces. I really started to get annoyed. I understand that you want to kiss all day, hell, I kiss all day if I get the chance – but you don’t see me writing a book about it. I want action people! I want a story with a proper story line. Just throw Jules in, that would make it at least better. We do get a lot of time with Victoria and Arthur. They are new in the group and they are here to help them with the Numa problem. They are keeping low and it’s suspicious. They have a new leader, but the Revenants have no idea who it is.

Well, after that, it becomes better. Luckily, otherwise I don’t think I could have finished it. Kate decides to find more information, since Vincent is experimenting on his own – and he looks like a mess. He is trying to find a way to resists his urge to die, but Kate doesn’t like the secrecy. After a long search, she finds an old book with a possible solution. Unfortunately, the information is not complete and of course: she does find a second copy with the rest. She visits the place, but the owner is gone for some time. In the mean time, they swoon a bit more. Kate gets the chance to talk to the owner and the old lady knows a way to help Vincent.

That’s when the action picks up. The old lady is kidnapped and the Numa finally attack. The leader stands up and the Numa take Vincent away. He is supposed to be the Champion and the leader wants to kill him to take over his power. Are they able to safe Vincent?

Opinion.
The ending annoys me. Not only because it’s an open ending: now I really want to find out what happens next.. Which means that I have to read the next book. It also surprised me, I have to admit that. The ending was more exciting than the rest of the book (although that’s not so hard). I’m sorry for being so harsh! I don’t like to be mean, so let me say a couple of things I did like – because in the end, I read the whole book.

Kate is developing more. I liked that she searched for information behind Vincent’s back: she is not planning to stay stupid. Vincent thinks he can keep Kate safe if he keeps her in the dark: think twice pretty boy. I think Georgia is fantastic. She is everything I’m not. Flirty and easy going with other people. Her humor is nice. If we would skip all the romance, it could be a pretty good book.

WoW 18. Wasteland & Furious.

Breaking the spine

Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan - Wasteland.
Expected publication: March 26th 2013 by HarperTeen

Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. This is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disesase and brutal attacks by the Variants—hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin.

Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust.

As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.

Variants: hermaphroditic outcasts? Wonderful!

Jill Wolfson - Furious.
Expected publication: April 16th 2013 by Henry Holt and Co. BYR

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

Alright, first of all, I love the cover! I'm also crazy about mythology, so a book about Greek Legends is fine by me. It looks like 2013 will be another great year, because I already found so many books I can't wait for!

Link me up! :)

Review 61. Erin Jade Lange - Butter.

Title: Butter.
Author: Erin Jade Lange.
Pages: 316.
Expected publication: September 18th 2012.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Sort: Stand alone.

Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

Please note that much of the language in this book has been removed from the final book. A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death—live on the Internet—and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn’t go through with his plans? With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen’s battle with himself.

Rating:

"If you can stomach it, you're invited to watch... as I eat myself to death."
E-arc. 


This was one of my WoW picks a long time ago and I was so glad when I got the allowed to read this one. Unfortunately, I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. It was just.. so strange. That's what you can expect, but it was even weirder. Also the promise from the blurb 'to identify with the bullies and the bullied' is not true. I never had the feeling that I understood the bullies. They were just sick people, but they never really bullied him. They ignored him.

Showcase Sunday 9. Review books.

Hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea.

Thanks to Edelweis & The publishers.


Hannah Moskowitz - Teeth.
Expected publication: January 1st 2013 by Simon Pulse.

Hannah Moskowitz's (author of BREAK and INVINCIBLE SUMMER) TEETH features a sixteen-year-old boy whose family, in an effort to cure his ailing brother, relocates to a remote island where legendary magic fish are said to have healing powers, and he discovers the island has terrible secrets, including a half-teenager, half-fish.

Thanks to Netgalley and The publishers.

Jes Young - Tab Bennett and the Inbetween.
Published: May 1st 2012.

Lately Tab Bennett’s life is like a fairy tale. Unfortunately for her, it’s the Grimm kind. The kind where the woods are deep and dark and full of monsters; where a mother’s longing for something forbidden means terrible consequences for her daughter; where the huntsman who takes the princess for a walk in the woods plans to steal her heart – literally – right out of her chest.

Tina Connolly - Ironskin.
Expected publication: October 2nd 2012 by Tor Books.

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.