For the Love of Blogger!

Author Robert Duperre is made of awesomesauce. You want to know why?

Well besides the fact that he writes some truely amazing books, he really loves us bloggers! Like he loves us so much that he wanted to show some blogger love, and what better way to do that than to give away free stuff?

*happy dances*

Now what exactly am I talking about?

For one day only, tomorrow Feb 1st, he is giving away his entire library away free on Amazon!!!!

*crowd goes wild*

So head on over to Amazon.com tomorrow and pick yourself up some great free books! Below are all the links to his books.

The Fall (The Rift book 1)

Dead Of Winter (The Rift book 2)

Death Springs Eternal (The Rift book 3)

Silas

The Gate

That's five free books!!

Now that's what I call some blogger appreciation:)

So hop on over to Amazon on Feb. 1st and snag yourself some free reads...and remember Robert Duperre is made of awesome!

Until next time...



Teaser Tuesday: Miss World

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday!

This meme is sponsored by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

(wanna learn more about how you too can join in and play along? click here)

This weeks teaser is from....



They guitar and bass rake back and forth in a blues riff, lurking in the background until it's the chorus and they do their distorted attack. The music and voice course through her veins.
page: 84

This Teaser Tuesday is kicking off the start of Randi Black's Miss World Blog Tour hosted by Paranormal Wastelands. Come back on tomorrow to find out more. We have way too much in store for all of you!

Now that we have your attention, C'mon and tease us.

The Future of Us

Title: The Future of Us
Authors: Jay Asher
Carolyn Mackler
Published: November 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

This book was super duper cute!! But is it for the kids? That is the question.

There's nothing dirty, a cuss word here and there, and the characters are pretty wholesome.

Sounds perfect, right? But will the kids dig it?!

Plot:
Set in 1996, Emma gets her very first computer. Her neighbor, Josh, gets a free trial of AOL Cd-rom in the mail and gives it to her so she can get on the internet.

Emma uses the disk and before her very eyes her future is told.

But how? How can a computer tell your future?

Well, that's the fun part of the story because Emma has discovered a time portal. A time portal called FACEBOOK!!!

My thoughts:
How freaking CLEVER!! I mean, wow!! What an idea! Sure, it kinda reminded me of "The Lake House" and "The Family Man" and maybe even "Back to the Future" but I really dug how this was set in the 90s and the kids find themselves in their 30s on Facebook.

I also liked all the nostalgia of this book. Beepers, Wayne's World, Oasis, and fun! That's right, fun! Kids now a-days (omg... I feel so old) don't know how to have fun like we did... this book includes one of my most favorite memories... A PIZZA PLACE ARCADE with BALL PIT included!! Loved that!

But is this believable?
Well, I guess in a fantasy YA book it is believable. I totally would have bought it 15 years ago. But what about today? I'd really like to hear a 16 year old's review on this book. I for one loved it because it brought back so many memories (SHa-WING!) but I'm not sure if a kid would enjoy this. Perhaps this is just a 30-something Ya book.

The Characters:
All were cute!

Emma was just like a 90-something girl. She was in band and on track and had her own car and came from a broken home.

Josh was the lovable next door neighbor who will skateboards and will let you borrow his coat whenever you want.

The tension between them is also very interesting. Throughout the story you know that something happened when they went to go see Toy Story six months ago and as the story goes on you learn why they feel all weird when around each other. It's a classic neighbor boy/girl story that I couldn't get enough of.

Final Thoughts:
I totally recommend this book. It doesn't take long to read and it will defiantly put a smile on your face by the time you are done. I still wonder if a 21st century teen would dig it. But I know for a fact all us late 20th century teens will fall back in love with memories we thought we forgot.

Dream Catcher by Stephanie Smith: Review

Dream Catcher
By Stephanie Smith
Published 2011
Pick up your own copy at Amazon today!

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Displaced in a strange and hostile city with no memory of her previous life, Breena finds a friend and savior in music shop co-owner Ciaran. Caught in a relationship he can't seem to end, Ciaran's whole life is upheaved by the arrival of Breena and the mystery of her origin. Yet neither Ciaran nor Breena can shake the feeling they've met before; and as Breena finds her place in the city and begins a new life the two find their easy friendship growing into something more. But as the truth of Breena's otherworldly origins comes to light, she soon finds that the very nature of what she is could make it impossible to ever truly be with Ciaran.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

For me this book was more of a 2.5 stars, but it was better than 2 so I decided to go with three. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this story. I think it has some real potential to be great even, but it still needs some work.

Poor Breena wakes up in the middle of nowhere not knowing how she got there, or anything past her name even, when Ciaran finds her laying on the ground. With Ciaran's need to fix people driving him he insists she comes back to his house to sort everything out. After weeks of trying to jog Breena's memory, and with no record of a missing person fitting her description, the both start to give up. But something has changed since Breena came into Ciaran's life, and one thing he knows for sure is he doesn't want her to go.

After Breena starts having dreams of another world. One where fairies aren't just a fairytale, she starts to put the puzzle together that there is no record of her on Earth because she isn't from here. Instead she is here because Ciaran, a mortal man, is her mate. After seeing the way her a Ciaran's several attempts at happiness have failed over the centuries with his many incarnations will she choose to try again? Or give up and go back home to the realm of the fairies and live in misery without ever having her one true love?

Again like I said this story has great potential. I would love to see what it would be like after a good editor got their hands on it. First of all it is written in a 3rd person narrative kind of way. Almost like a third person party is telling the story. I think it would have been better told from just a regular third person POV. It would allow you to get into the characters heads a little better and draw a real connection.

Also the story jumps around a lot without giving you any notice. I felt that some parts needed to be flushed out a bit more to make the transition a little smoother, while in other spots there needed to be a new chapter started to break it up. This at times left me feeling a bit whip lashed when reading it. Speaking of whiplash OMG the ending! The ending is definitely a cliffhanger but not in a good way. It just felt rushed and out of place. I think there needed to be a bit more to it. It just felt abrupt and out of place.

Overall I did enjoy what the author was doing here. I like the story she is trying to tell, but I felt it read more like an outline to a first draft, rather than a finished work. With a few re-writes this could be something great.

Lymi...



Stranded With A Cajun Werewolf by Selena Blake: Review

Stranded With A Cajun Werewolf
Selena Blake
Published August 25th 2011
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Kendall Carver knows one thing for sure – security doesn’t last. Injured and on the run, a sinfully handsome stranger saves her life.

Cajun werewolf Burke Devereux learned his lesson 200 years ago. No humans, ever. No looking, no touching, no kissing and certainly no making love. Eager to escape his Pack’s matchmaking attempts he heads for his cabin. But nothing could have prepared him for the raging blizzard or the beautiful woman begging for his help.

Burke’s always prided himself on his self control but as things get cozy, desire sparks and old secrets are brought to light. He must decide how far he will go to protect her.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

WOW this book was really good! And a lot more tame than I thought it was going to be, which leads me to my first point...

When I was asked to review this book I was told that it was an Erotica novel. I know for some of you the word erotica is a turn off. In fact my fellow bloggin buddie passed on reviewing this simply because she doesn't like Erotica. She even pouted a little because it was about werewolfs and said "Why can't it be a Paranormal Romance? Then I would read it!" After reviewing this I would like to set the record straight...

This is, in my opinion, a Paranormal Romance novel. NOT and Paranormal Erotica. So for all you people out there leery of erotica you are safe! Not only are you safe, but you should read this book if you are into a good wolfy story.

While there are some hotter scenes towards the end of this novella I would in no way call them erotica...however they are HOT! Overall this story was a perfect balance of action, drama, sweet moments, and YES even a few hot scenes done in a tasteful manner. I loved Burke and Kendall. Both as a couple and just as characters in general. I was immediately sucked into the story and found myself finishing it in one sitting!

I will definitely be reading the other books in this series:)

Lymi...



Falling In Between: Character Interview w/Robert

Today we sit down with Robert from Falling In Between to get in his head...

just a little. *winks*

So let me introduce you to....

*drum rolls*

Not really sure why he is looking at me like that but with that face...he can do what he wants;) lol

Darkfallen: So you went to school with Jenna for three years, and never asked her out. Why did it take her almost drowning to get your attention?

Robert: In all fairness, I did take notice last year but I didn’t want to start a relationship with someone right before summer vacation. I was going to ask her out beginning of term but I hadn’t seen her yet.  And I had no idea she and Sophie were in the woods that night until Jhett and I ran to see who was screaming their head off.

Darkfallen: I know Jhett said you went a little crazy trying to save her. What was going through your head when you were trying to find her? And why wouldn’t you let Jhett help with C.P.R?

Robert: I panicked. I absolutely panicked when Sophie was screaming that it was Jenna she couldn’t find beneath the water. I don’t know…Jhett said I stayed down so long he thought I had drowned too. And yeah, my lungs were burning, but any pain I was feeling I knew Jenna had to be feeling ten times worse, so I forced myself to stay down longer than I should have. As for the CPR, I knew Jhett knew how to do it, but I just couldn’t put Jenna’s life in someone else’s hands. Not even my best friend’s.

Darkfallen: When you first found out that Jenna doesn’t have any family did that make you look at her differently? If so, how?

Robert: A lot of my classmates come from broken homes but I guess I expected her to have some type of family. So, yeah, I was a little shocked when she told me she had zero relatives of any kind and was a ward of the state. If I felt anything it had to be surprise – you have to be pretty smart to earn a free ride to the academy. Beautiful and smart? No complaints here.

Darkfallen: Everything was going seemingly great when they all fell apart, and Jenna needed her space. What went through your mind when that happened?

Robert: Honestly? WTF? One hour we were taking the next step in our relationship, the next she was running away. She said it had nothing to do with me, but seriously, how many times have people used that as an excuse to let someone down easy? With every day that passed, I feared she was really going to leave me…and I had no idea what the hell went wrong. I still don’t.

Well thanks for stopping buy and hanging out with us. Even if I did pry a little. lol

OH! And did I mention that Robert is a swimmer? And that I might just have another pic to slip in here but you better not tell Jenna, because I so don't need to get smacked;)

Ummmmmmm see why I might get smacked? Lol

Want to get to know Robert better? Pick up your own copy of Falling In Between February 14th 2012!

Falling In Between
By Devon Ashley
Expected Publication Feburary 14th 2012

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Finally! A private conversation. And all I had to do was throw myself off a cliff, drown in a pond in my undies and let him put his hands on my breasts to bring me back to life. Yay me…(yeah, that’s sarcasm)

Yep, that pretty much sums up the most craptastic night of Jenna Baker’s life. She drowns after jumping off a cliff, meets a hotty named Chance in the pearlescent in-between and is brought back to life by her soon-to-be boyfriend Robert.

Just when things start to move forward with Robert, the guy she'd been crushing on for a year now, in walks the man of her dreams – literally. Chance suddenly appears in her dream every time she closes her eyes. So it's Robert by day and Chance by night. One in the real world and one in the dream world. What could possibly go wrong?

Absolutely nothing – until she comes face to face with the guy she met in the in-between, and realizes her romantic rendezvous with Chance may be more than just her imagination.

Note: Jenna's coming of age story is a little edgy. There is mild language and some sexual content.

Lymi...



Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we just can't wait to get our sticky fingers on.

Title: The Snow Child
Author: Eowyn Ivey
Release Date: February 1, 2012
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

This story sounds beautfiul. We can't wait to read it. We've heard so many good things about it that we hope we just fall in love. Seriously, we can't wait. It's totally a book that makes us chant

Must have NOWS!
We needs it!!
We wants it!!
We can't lives without it!!

Now that you've heard what our CAN'T WAIT book is... What's yours? Drop us a comment so we can find out what has you on pins and needles.

Tuesday Teaser: Angelfall

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday!

This meme is sponsored by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

(wanna learn more about how you too can join in and play along? click here)

This weeks teaser is from....

"When I was little, I always thought I’d be Cinderella, but I guess this makes me the wicked witch. But then again, Cinderella didn’t live in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by avenging angels."
Kindle Edition: 15%
This story is just too awesome for words? Want to find out how awesome? Susan Ee, the author of Angelfall is offering an exclusive giveaway to our Wastelanders. Just enter and find out what we're talking about. You won't be let down. This giveaway is open Internationally! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to get your own eBook of Angelfall.

The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Published: September 13, 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Seriously, what is with the hype of some books? With some books we get amped and amped and amped for their release and finally when we are able to get our sticky fingers on them.... BOOM... the energy of the new shiny toy has worn off.

Cuz seriously folks.... While the title is cool, the cover is rockin, and the idea of the plot is out of this world... I DID NOT DIG THIS BOOK!

First of all... I thought this was going to be a YA book. Why did I think that? Well, the cover led me to believe that. Plus, I didn't think that a story that sounded like Cirque Du Freak without vampires and monsters would be for adults. But I guess this one is. I think it would have been so much better if it had been meant for kids... cuz honestly... I don't have the attentionspan for this.

Another thing is the way it is told. As a fan of the short story I found this book giving me a freaking headache and making me want to take a nap after every 15 pages. Everyone gets a point of view and the times jump around like Pulp Fiction. I'm sure it would be great as a movie and maybe we could all get Royale with Cheeses but honestly, my little ferret brain is set on simple and I rather hated going back to every freaking previous chapter just to see how much time had passed.

Also, for the first 80 pages you have no clue what is going on. Everything bounces around while you are introduced to what seems like 10 different characters and not to the back story of really anything you're just WHAMO put in that time and pretty much expected to know what's going on.

I kind of wonder if this is meant to be a Gothic Novel? I've never been able to digest those. I absolutely hate them. They make me roll my eyes and want to read something else. While this book kept my interest to keep going to the end, it still wasn't something that I was looking forward to reading.

Now, I must admit that the imagery was absolutely amazing. Also, the author has a very creative imagination. But that doesn't just make a story. It all has to link up. And yet, I guess it did... but if you draw it out over like a billion pages (I'm exaggerating) you start to forget that this thing or that event or even that person was introduced a million or so pages ago. I'm sure since this is a hype book it will become a movie and maybe I'll enjoy that better because they'll have to squeeze it all in within 2.5 hours... but in book form it was just a little too much.

But, with that being said, I do feel that one day this will be mandatory reading in some schools. There is just so much going on and so many characters you could dissect that I'm certain this is the perfect modern day 11th grade ENGLISH CLASS book. I had such trouble with books like that... I still do... Which might be another reason I did not like this book. If you like to say, "OMG! That character was just so deep and well thought out and his intentions were just so inept." Then this book is for you... cuz honestly.... I don't have the patience. Which is kind of sad.. but at least I'm honest.

So kids, my overall view of this book is just one big Raspberry. I didn't dig it but I wanted to. I wanted to soo badly so I could hang out with the cool kids. I guess I'm still not one but at least I tried. That won't stop me from buying a movie ticket (Tim Burton this is your wet dream!!) but it doesn't make me want to tell my friends about it.

Demon From The Dark by Kresley Cole: Review

Demon From The Dark
By Kresley Cole
Published August 4th 2010 by Pocket
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this scorching tale of a demon outcast poisoned with vampire blood and the vulnerable young witch he vows to protect—even from himself.

A DANGEROUS DEMON SHE CAN’T RESIST . . .

Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he’s pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A MADDENING WITCH HE ACHES TO CLAIM . . .

Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

TRAPPED TOGETHER IN A SAVAGE PRISON . . .

In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

This book was simply amazing...but I don't really think I need to tell you that. I mean Kresley Cole wrote it, and I am starting to learn she is some sort of writing God.

Simply put if she wrote it, it is not only HOT, but awesome writing. She has a way with words, and creates some of the most unique worlds in a way that you actually feel like your there. She makes living in alternate dimensions of Hell seem real and believable. I mean...who does that?!

Now on to the characters shall we?

I loved Carrow. She's strong, brave, and has a great sense of humor. I couldn't get enough of her interaction with Malkom. Especially before he was able to speak her language. That's right Malkom is a vemon that only speaks Demonish, but Carrow doesn't speak that language, so they spend a lot of the book not being able to communicate what they were really feeling with each other. This just brought a whole new depth to the story in my opinion. In fact at times I felt like I might cry because the line blurs between where you end and Carrow begins and you just feel so damn sad that he can't understand her. Then other times I wanted to cry for Malkom for all he goes through.

Don't' even get me started on how utterly HOT Malkom is. I mean he is ripped, has piercing, tattoos, and horns! Then top that with the fact that deep down he is a sweetheart but on the surface he is a ruthless killer. You can't help but want to fix him.

If you haven't started the Immortals After Dark series yet you have no idea how much you missing out on!

Lymi...





Fracture

Title: Fracture
Author: Megan Miranda
Published: January 17, 2012
Synopsis from Goodreads

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Darkfallen: This book was nothing short of perfection. Total heart breaking perfection...

Let me put it this way. I've read over 100 books in the past year. Out of those books there have only been 2 that I wanted to give more than 5 stars to. TWO books that stand in a class of their own. Well...let me introduce you to book number three!

This isn't a 5 star book. It's easily a ten!

Everything changes in Delaney's life after the ice breaks and she falls into the lake. Eleven minutes...that's how long she was dead. Eleven minutes is how long it took for her best friend Decker to rescue her from the frigid water, preform CPR, break a few ribs, and bring her back.

By all rights she is thought to be a vegetable in a coma. No one dies for eleven minutes and comes back from that. The brain damage alone says she won't ever wake up. That is until...she does. But things are different now for Delaney. Her brain is far from normal and she has the weird tremors to prove it. Thing is they only happen when someone is about to die. Is her damaged brain predicting these deaths, or is she somehow causing them?



Greta: I kind of thought this story was going to be told in the form of a coma. Actually, I thought it was going to be similar to Elizabeth Scott's "Between Here and Forever", just told from the patient and not the sister.

But it wasn't like that at all.

So, yeah... like ...Delaney is running with her besty neighbor Decker to play a game of Manhunt in early December. They run across a 'frozen' lake but the ice is too thin and SPALSH she falls in and the kids around her save her life. She's in the water drowning for 11 minutes, in a coma for 6 days, and now can sense when people are about to die.

So, is it should be a super hero story. Right?

I kinda thought that was the way it was going to go. You know, not fighting crime but maybe fighting the reaper.

But, it's not like that either.

Instead, she notices she's different but in the beginning is just so worried that she might fall back on her studies and wants to go back to school and do homework and stuff. That just kind of bored me



Darkfallen: Greta?!! Are you insane! This book is a book that demands attention. Once you start you won't be able to put it down. For one thing it had me crying in the first 10 pages. That's how instant the connection is. Like the pull Delaney feels to death, the pull to this book is undeniable. The best way to describe it is think of If I Stay by Gail Forman mixed with some creepy suspense. And don't even get me started on the relationship between Delaney and her best friend Decker. OMG Decker broke my heart over and over again.



Greta: It's a good book but I just couldn't relate with the main character. I honestly wanted to smack her at times and tell her to lighten up and go watch some Tom and Jerry.

Darkfallen: Well, you're just picky! Wastelanders, do yourself a favor and pick this book up. Not only will you not be disappointed I dare you to not re-read this again, and again. I couldn't help but re-read the last chapter three times before I finally put it down.

YES this book is that good. So good that...

Buy it, borrow it, rent it, STEAL it if you have to, but you have got to read this book!

Darkfallen's Rating

Greta's Rating

Weaver by John Ambrowitz: Review

Weaver
By John Ambrowitz
Published August 9th 2011
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Fifteen-year old Alex Cronlord just met the boy of her dreams. Literally. Unfortunately, the dream involved him killing her. When she encounters him at her school the next morning, Alex understandably freaks out – and her mother’s bizarre behavior only makes it worse. What Alex doesn’t realize is that she can see the future – which will get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Across town, FBI Agent Moira McBain and her partner Andy Hall investigate a series of house burnings in Dallas, Texas. When a clue leads them to the Cronlords, Moira discovers a disturbing link between Alex’s family and her own – which opens an old wound Moira has spent years trying to ignore.

Something is rotten in Dallas, Texas – something involving a secret society, children with extraordinary powers, and human-looking creatures who might literally be out of this world ….

Welcome to a different kind of world-wide web.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

What to say about Weaver?

Well first let me start with the good points shall we?

I love the villain aspect to this story. It's mostly original...OK maybe it is a slightly twisted take off vampires, but it's NOT vampires which earns some bonus points right there. They are called Xorda, which for some reason kept reminding me of Star Trek. (yes I am aware that I have never watched Star Trek and thus have no reason for such analogies...but still it did.) Anyways the Xorda sucked the souls out of people to survive, not their blood. In the end the outcome is the same though...death. But that is not the only villain of this story which was another plus I think. You see the humans that spend their life fighting a war against these Xorda's are called members of the Wells Society, but the things they do to their children without them knowing so that they can use them to kill these creatures is down right awful. I mean we are talking lab rats might be treated better awful.

So why only 2 stars you ask? OK here is the deal. First I want to start by saying that up until now I have been lucky enough that an author himself has never asked me to review their book and then I ended up not liking it. What I mean is that when an author has personally contacted me, asking me to review their book, I have been lucky enough to have always enjoyed it. So when this wasn't falling into that category I am finding myself feeling sad, and guilty at having to give such a low rating. But the truth is that as a reviewer I have a responsibility not to the author, but to the readers to give an honest review. And so here it is.

Alex is one of the main characters and I think that I could have really liked her but so much stuff just kept getting in the way. Stuff like really giant words thrown around when you least expect it, causing the flow to just sorta fall flat. I kept finding myself rereading sentences thinking "There is no way this 15 year old girl would use this word? In fact I am pretty sure she doesn't even know what it means, because really? Neither do I. Now for those of you that don't me I assure you my lack of knowledge for the choice of vocabulary had little to do with my education. Even I am guilty of using words at time that make other people look at me like I am going right over their head, because I am a fan of the big words from time to time; however these words weren't your run of the mill college level vocabulary. In fact it felt more like that game you used to play with your high school English teacher when you grab a thesaurus and try to throw all kinds of big words in there just to see if she was as smart as she thought you were. In the end all your left with is a story that is broken up by words that feel foreign and out of place. If this was an adult level novel then maybe I could have bypassed this, but it's not. It's targeted towards YA and there is no way a teenager is going to sit there with a dictionary to read a book that isn't required for school.

Would I rate this book higher if those words were replace with something more appropriate?
Yes absolutely! That alone would bump this up to 3 stars.

Then there is the problem with things like stating the obvious. While on one hand the vocab is a little too brainy and we are expected the readers to know what those words mean; we are over explaining things...a LOT. Things like She kicked him using her foot. Ummmmm OK. Well I certainly hope she didn't kick him using her arm because that would be one serious deformity. Also there was the overuse of the same common world to close together. Here is an example of what I am talking about, however this is not an exact quote from the book: She saw the tree up ahead. Gasping for air, she ran towards the tree. Again this is stuff that, when it happens, it pulls the reader out of the story, and leaves them feeling detached.

Overall I think this book has a really good premise, and the ability to be brilliant if in the hands of the right editor. I firmly believe an editor would have caught all of the things I mentioned above, and would have left this book with so much more depth because of it. I really wanted to love this book, and I really thought I would so it really pains me to say this, but I think this book needs a few more good edits before it's ready. Hopefully by book two we will see some real improvement.   

     

Lymi...

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we just can't wait to get our sticky fingers on.

Title: Pink Smog
Author: Francesca Lia Block
Release Date: January 24th 2012
Synopsis from Goodreads:

The girl in the mirror wasn’t who I wanted to be, and her life wasn’t the one I wanted to have.

Despite how much Louise insists, no one will call her Weetzie. It’s her dad’s nickname for her, but it won’t stay put. Neither will her dad. Charlie left Louise and her mom and he took everything with him: her family, her home—and her understanding of who she’s meant to be.

But Los Angeles is a city full of strange angels, and Louise embarks on a journey to sift through the smog of her heartbreak, to grow her own wings, to become Weetzie.

This is the long-awaited prequel to Francesca Lia Block’s groundbreaking Weetzie Bat.

If I could be anyone, I'd want to be Weetzie Bat.
If I searched for a love, it would be My Secret Agent Lover Man.
If I wanted to live, it would be in L.A.
If I wanted to write, it would be just like Francesca Lia Block.

This author has inspired me to no end.
Her characters have been well loved and well worn...
Like a good book read over and over again.

Honestly, I don't know what else to say but...

Must have NOWS!
We needs it!!
We wants it!!
We can't lives without it!!

Now that you've heard what our CAN'T WAIT book is... What's yours? Drop us a comment so we can find out what has you on pins and needles.

Generation Dead - Greta Edition -

Title: Generation Dead
Author: Daniel Waters
Published: May 6, 2008
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. She’s strong and silent…and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn’t want them.

The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the “differently biotic." But the students don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the “living impaired” from the people who want them to disappear—for good.

When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Welps! I finally did it! I read Generation Dead! And while most of you have reviewed this book I really won't go into too much detail.

Basically:
If you are a teenager and you die you can come back to life. Small Town school is now over-populated with zombies and it's a regular Civil Rights Movement for equal equlity. Parents and kids aren't too thrilled about the new students but there is a group of kids that is willing to chain arms and go all "Occupy Wall Street" with them.

It's pretty much a new form of racism that puts the living against the dead.

Ok ok... So, yeah... if you haven't read the book then that won't make much sense but I'm not really wanting to get into it because trust me... EVERYONE has reviewed this book.

I've been told by some of my friends that I need to read this. That they uber love and they think that I will too. Sadly, this book wasn't really for me. I found it a bit too middle school for me. Like, for instance, there is a gang called the PAIN CREW that is just a bunch of football bullies that want to inflict PAIN on their rivals. Uhh... and they call themselves THE PAIN CREW. THat just seemed a bit Middle Schoolish to me.

Another thing was two girls that called themselves WEIRD SISTERS. Again... Middle School. I can't really remember having GANGS and CREWS like that back in high school. But I can totally remember that kind of stuff in Middle School.

So, in my opinion this book should have been toned down to a middle grade level. I just wonder what sixteen year old would love this book. Maybe a fourteen year old, but I talked to my son about it and he wanted to know if the zombies ate brains or flesh or turned other people into zombies by biting them and when I told him "NO" he then deemed the book Lame.

But I have to admit. The one theory they have about the kids coming back as zombies due to immunizations is very clever. Kudos to the author for thinking that one up.

Now, onto the PLOT.
I really didn't know what to expect when reading this book. I felt that it was either going to be like DARK MOON DIARY or maybe some form of MONSTER HIGH. I think I probably would have liked it better if it had been.

Now... what about them characters?

Pete reminded me of ROGER KLOTZ from DOUG.











The Pain Crew can be played by Roger's gang.










Adam reminded me of ARCHIE ANDREWS.













And all the girls were basically like MONSTER HIGH DOLLS but with huge vocabularies.












Now, back to the DARK MOON DIARY.... I really think that I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been a comic book. Even a chibi kind of cute ToykoPop comic book. I know I would have loved it then. In booky wook form it just kinda bored me.













The ENDING
I feel that the ending should have stopped around page 380 when Pete pulled the trigger. I don't think we should have known who was shot. That would have probably pushed my rating up a bit. Just for that one little bit.

What about another?
I don't know if I'll be able to read the next one. Darkfallen has told me that it is better but it's just another teenage book based at a school and I have such a problem with them unless they are comic books. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle it.

Would I recommend this book?
Well, I think a 12 or 13 year old would love this book. And I totally would let them read it. Sure, there is a tad bit of cussing but it's nothing that they aren't going to hear off tv. Plus, the book sets a good message about equal rights.

What about me?
Well, like I said, it was based around a school and I thought it was going to be more fun. I just didn't have fun with it. I tried it, gave it a spin, and now am going to pass it to my little neighbor girl down the street.

It kind of had the feel of ABC FAMILY CHANNEL series. I'm not really into those but I'm sure if it was to become one it would be huge :)

So not for me but maybe for you ;)

Darkness Fall by Cate Tiernan: Review

Darkness Falls
By Cate Tiernan
Published January 2nd by Poppy
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

I want to start by saying that I loved this book so much more than the first one! The story line just seemed to flow better, and the flashbacks were cut WAY down. Although I guess that's why it flowed better ;)

Things keep happening at Rivers Edge. Dark, evil things. No matter how hard Nas tries to get her magic right every time she tries to work a spell, or join a circle, something goes very very wrong. Feeling beat down and alone she starts to realize all the darkness is coming from her. Believing that she is to blame for everything she questions if she belongs at River's Edge. In fact she questions rather or not she belongs anywhere. All the while she's having nightmare and visions of her rogue friend Incy. In her visions he is stark raving mad, killing her old friends for their power. Knowing she's not safe outside of River's Edge, but feeling like she is bringing the darkness to it, she doesn't know what to do. Should she stay, or should she go?

Now I don't want to get to into the story for fear of giving something away. A spoiler bunny I am not! LOL But I will say that in the first book I had a hard time with all the really LONG flashbacks that just seemed to bore me a little and pull me out of the story. In this second installment the flashbacks are far, few, and in between. Being cut way down I found myself being able to submerse myself in the present much easier and therefore connecting with the story far more than I did in the first book. I also mentioned that in the first book the romance wasn't playing as big of a part as I would have liked...well in this book the romance is still on the back burner, but it didn't bother me as much once I was able to connect with the rest of the story.

And the ending? Yeah that was definitely worth the wait and I can't wait for the next book!     

Lymi...



    

Immortal Beloved by Cate Teirnan: Review

Immortal Beloved
By Cate Tiernan
Published September 7th 2010 by Little Brown Books
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

So when I first read the premise to this book I was super excited to get started. I mean a immortal girl goes to rehab and meets a sexy immortal man named Reyn? Ummmmmm Yes Please!

This book just wasn't what I thought it was going to be however. What I mean is that I thought the romance was going to take a front seat in this plot and it so does not. The relationship, if you can call it that, between Reyn and Nas was at times that back burner that you always forget that you left on until you burn the house down.

Still this story was interesting enough to keep me reading even without the romance playing a heavy part, which is saying something because we all know I need my swoon-worthy moments to keep me entertained.And I am really hoping that I will get more of the romance in book two with Darkness Falls, but lets get back to this book, shall we?

The writing took me a little bit to get used to. Nasty comes off as a bit of a valley girl persona, and at times I had a hard time following her train of thought in the beginning, but I got used to it and then it wasn't a problem. Sometimes she even made me laugh with her inner dialogue. It's always nice when a book can make you laugh. But on the other hand the flashbacks into her past felt a little wordy and long winded leaving me bored at times. That's why this book is getting 3 stars instead of 4 or even 5. I just felt we could have used a little less living in the past and a little more living in the now to make the connection stronger. For instance we would go back to read about an important thing that happened in Nasty's past and for some reason the author also felt the need to tell me exactly what she was wearing, and it just didn't feel necessary to get the main point across. (That's just one example of what I'm talking about.)

In the end I did enjoy this book and I immediately picked up the sequel. I can't wait to see where the story goes!        

Lymi...