Fakint It (Losing It #2)
By Cora Carmack Published June 4th 2013 by William Morrow & Company
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

This is one of those books that you just can't put down!

Max has been broken ever since the car crash that took her sister away from her. She spends all her time trying to pretend to be something she's not...the good child. But when she's not around her family, pretending to be the good daughter, she throws herself into her music. It's the only thing that lets her be herself. That's until she meets Cade. He looks the part of Mr. Perfect. Definitely not her usual boyfriend material, but before she knows it that all changes. Not only does her family love him, but he's turning out to be the perfect guy for her if only she will let him.

This book had me laughing one minute and crying the next. It was just so good and refreshing. I LOVED Max. She is amazing and strong. Not afraid to think out of the box, with her tattoos and multicolored hair and piercings. Then we have Cade, a acting student in college. He looks like the perfect type of guy to bring home to your parents which is what both draws, and pushes, Max to him. What was only supposed to be a ploy to keep her parents off her back turns into so much more! Before she knows it they are both falling for each other.

Overall this is one of those books that will make you laugh, make you cry, and you'll be sad that it's over when you reach the last page!

Lymi...

 

Like my review? Wanna chance to get your hands on a copy of Faking It for yourself? All you gotta do is fill out the rafflecopter form below for a chance to win a paperback version!! Trust me...this is an AWESOME summer read:-))

This contest is open internationally!

 







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Back to the Books Blog Hop!

 

Welcome to our stop on the hop!!! We are so excited, so we will get right down to it.

On this stop we are giving away a HarperCollins prize pack filled with hot new books released by HarperTeen this summer!!

 

One lucky winner will get all four of these books...

 

All you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and be a follower of this blog on GFC, or Twitter.

Easy Peasy and open Internationally!!

 

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Now check out the rest of the stops on the hop!

Over You by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Over You
By Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Published August 21st 2012 by HarperTeen
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients’ hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over him once and for all.

Brilliant at bringing humor to the trials and tribulations of the lovestruck, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have crafted a tale that will resonate with any girl who has ever been in love or had her heart broken. It brims with smart observations, features a pitch-perfect teen voice, and will attract fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Barnholdt. Readers are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp spin on breaking up, making up, and getting even.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Over You isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be. Still is was a cute, light read.

We meet Max, a girl that has had her heart broken. Like most teenagers she didn't handle it so well. In fact you might say that she went a little crazy. That's when it hits her...there has to be a way to deal with a break up to make the guy realize his mistake, right? One thing leads to another and Ex. Inc. is born. Now with Max on a mission to make all guys swallow their own foot and every broken hearted girl over it she thinks she has it all figured out. That is until it's her foot that she is left choking on.

This reads like Gossip Girl is narrating it. This is the part that surprised me. The way it's written, in third person narrative, leaves it a little jumbled and hard to read at times. The flow is just off in places. This just made it not as enjoyable for me. Still I was stuck needing to know how it was going to end which pushed me to keep reading. This story just has a way of sucking you in. And I'm pretty sure that reason is a boy named Ben. I loved him and couldn't get enough of him. He was just so sweet and funny, with his heart on his sleeve. I also loved the comedy in this book. It had me laughing out loud over and over again.

Overall I think this could have been written in a way that was easier to read but still it's a cute, quick, sweet, beach read that I would recommend to anyone whose a fan of contemporary ya.

Lymi...





Teaser Tuesday/Giveaway: Don't Turn Around

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....

 

"The only exception she ever made was for the jade bracelet. Not that is had been fancy or exspensive or anything; it was just a narrow sliver of jade, plain and undecorated, a child's bracelet that now barely fit her wrist. But it was the sole thing left over from her previous life, the last remaining tie to her parents."

page 64 (ARC addition)

 

This book is chalked full of action and nail biting suspence! And to celebrate it's release this week TWO lucky winners will get their own  paperback copy of the book!

 

All you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open Internationally!

 

 

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Now c'mon...Tease me!!

Tiger Lily Interview/Blog Tour

Today we sit down for an interview with the author of Tiger Lily, Jodi Lynn Anderson!!

To learn more about the book click the cover pic above!

So listen up all my Peter Pan fans, because this one is for you...

With a warm welcome and delighted squeals, we welcome Jodi Lynn Anderson into the wastelands. Let me be the first to say thanks to Jodi for taking the time to answer our questions and hang out with us today. Now let's get started!

Darkfallen:  With all the retellings out there what made you decide to go with Peter Pan?

Jodi: It was the character of Tiger Lily– I just felt like she had a story and it needed to be told. And then it was the idea of Tiger Lily and Peter together. In J.M. Barrie’s original story, the two are so courageous that they seem made for each other, and yet Peter devotes himself to Wendy. I felt like there was a story there, and that it came from Peter andTiger Lily being such strong, determined people and hurting each other. I got the sense of a difficult and passionate love story. And it felt so immediately real to me that it gave me goose bumps.

Darkfallen:  I love that you picked Tiger Lily's story to tell, what made you do that?

Jodi: Once I started thinking about her as acharacter, I just felt like,I get this person. I understand why she does the things she does.I think we expect girls to act a certain way, and when they don’t we find them kind of suspicious. And I felt like this was where Tiger Lily was coming from – she has just never been good at being “girly” – but she’s brave and she’s determined and she’s got a big heart. And then she meets Peter, who’s got his own set of hopes and fears, and the things that other people don’t like about her are actually wonderful to him, and the two fall in love. It’s life-changing for both of them. 

Darkfallen:  It was a little different to read the story from Tinker Bell's POV; what gave you that idea?

Jodi: I came to using Tink as the narrator really late in the writing process, and it was because I felt she was the only one who could give us real insight into Tiger Lily.Tiger Lily is too stoic and mysterious to reveal much about herself, but Tinkerbell, who can read people’s thoughts, is able to tap into the tumultuous things going on inside her and inside Peter. I also fell in love with the idea that Tink would feel loyalty toward Tiger Lily, while also being helplessly in love with Peter.

Darkfallen:  Do you think that you will take on a more retellings in the future?

Jodi: I’m definitely not planning on it! But it’s possible inspiration may strike at some point :-)

Darkfallen:  Now that Tiger Lily is out in the world what is your next project?

Jodi: I’m writing an atmospheric mystery set on a cold peninsula in Wisconsin, about two girls who live next door to each other but have vastly different lives. And then I’m working on a new middle grade book about a journey across the earth, called The Ordinary World.

Well there ya have Pan fans!
And a big, HUGE thanks to Jodi for taking the time to stop by today!!!

Lymi...

Teaser Tuesday: Team Human

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....

"I didn't lose it for long, though. Vampires might be terrorizing the principle and hypnotizing my best friend, rats might be invading my school and my bag, by hysterics weren't going to fix any of it." page 47

This is one of those books that makes you laugh the entire time you read it!

Definitely a funny comedy about vampires that pokes fun at a lot of the other vamp books out there ;-)

Now c'mon...Tease me!!

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Team Human
By Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date July 3rd by HarperTeen
Pick up your copy at B&N, Amazon, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn’t mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It’s up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity!

On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Well this review is going to be a short one because sadly this just wasn't what I thought it would be...

I want to start out by saying that I give this book 3 stars because I don't think the writing is bad, but really I wanted to give it a 2 because this book just wasn't for me. When I read the synopsis I was expecting more of a intense paranormal ya, what I got instead is more like a parody of vampires. This book is very much more of a comedy, and a lot less like the books I usually read.

I do however think most people will love this book. Especially if you are one of the many that likes to make fun of books like Twilight and the House of Night series, then this book is for you. I guess I just didn't have the sense of humor for this book, so for me I found it hard to get into to.

Overall I think this book, in the hand of the right reader, is great. Unfortunately for me I just couldn't bring myself into the right mentality and in the end had to put it down. This is definitely one of those books where you either love it, or you don't.

Lymi...





A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beuatiful 2) by Suzanne Young: Review

A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful 2)
By Suzanne Young
Published June 26th 2012 by Brazer Bray
Pick up your copy at B&N, Amazon, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

After reading book one, A Need So Beautiful, I wasn't exactly sure if there was going to be a second book. Or, if there was, where it was going to go. The way the first book ended was so devastatingly bittersweet, so final, yet I was so happy to see there was more, and I couldn't wait to get my hand on the next book.

Elise is just a normal girl. At least that's what she thought until she starting have visions of a blond girl in a school girl outfit. Having memories of a past that isn't hers. Now she is left wondering what is happening to her, and what it means for her family. What if something is really wrong? What if it's fatal and she leaves her father and sister behind? What if she is losing her mind? Then she meets Abe after moving to Thistle. And then there is the mysterious guy on the Harley that she seems to be pulled to. As things begin to reveal themselves Elise learns the world isn't as it seems and she was never the girl she thought she was. Left to make an impossible choice everything comes down to the ultimate sacrifice...

I have to say that the first 50-80 pages of this book was a little slow for me. It wasn't bad, just slow and didn't hold my attention as well as I thought it should. But after that initial hump things really started to pick up and I couldn't get enough. The only other downside was that I was able to pick out the villain within the first 80 pages as well. Still I don't feel like that took anything away from the story, and the ending, particlary the last few pages, I never saw coming. But was soooooo happy it happened that way. *winks*

Elise is strong and brave. I love the way she faces everything head on, as she stumbles her way through everything she has found out about herself. Finding out that you are one of the Forgotten would be hard enough on anyone, for Elise it's even worse and she handles it in stride. I know I am being cryptic but I don't want to give anything away. Just like with the first book I adored Harlin. He is so broken after loosing Charlotte and my heart bled for him. In fact my heart broke quit a few times during this book and I'm not ashamed to say that I cried more than once.

Overall this was a great addition to the series and still a refreshing new take on angels. One that is both painful and beautiful at the same time. I can't wait for the next installment!

Lymi...



Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Smart Girls Get What They Want
By Sarah Strohmeyer
Published June 26th by Balzer + Bray
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren’t the most popular girls in school, they aren’t too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. There will be ivy, and there will be cute guys in the libraries (hopefully with English accents)! But when an unexpected event shows them they’re missing out on the full high school experience, it’s time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. They make a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge—and they will totally rock it.

Gigi decides to run for student rep, but she’ll have to get over her fear of public speaking—and go head-to-head with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was derailed. It could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but always stayed behind the scenes—until now.

These friends are determined to show that smart girls get what they want—but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for....

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Everyone knows this isn't usually the type of book I read but OMG am I so glad that I did! This was a great break from the paranormal and an introduction into the contemporary ya scene.

Gigi and her two friends are super smart girls. You know the type...they take all honors classes in high school. They don't eat lunch in the lunch room, but more like the library, or in Gigi's case, the honors lounge. For the most part part they tend to be kind of invisible to the general population, and while they will probably be your valedictorian you may not know their name. They are definitely NOT the type to join the cheer leading squad, or try out for the school play, but all that is about to change...

After discovering one of their older sisters year books after she graduated and went off to an Ivy League school the three girls realize that their idol was keeping a dark secret. Sure she was smart and achieved all her goals by getting into Ivy League, but no one in high school barely knew who she was. So, deciding that they were not going to succumb to the same fate, they made a pack to go for not only the grades, but to make themselves know as well.

This book was too cute. I loved Gigi and her friends. Gigi was a lot more funny than I expected her to be, and while she was mega book smart, she was seriously stupid when it came to guys. It was a nice balance that evened it all out. And not only were the three girls perfect, but the guys and the side characters in this book were well fleshed out and played a prominent roll without weighing the story down. And don't even get me started on the resident jock, Mike. I LOVED him! He spends so much time being underrated by Gigi and the gang yet he hangs in there.

This is definitely one of those reads that sucks you in from the beginning with the right amount of drama, and humor to lighten it up, and then it keeps you turning the pages with the hint of romance until the ending that will leave you swooning long after you read the last page!

Lymi...





Once (Eve #2) By Anna Carey ARC GIVEAWAY!!!

Boy do we have a suprise for you....

As many of you know Once (Eve #2) by Anna Carey is being released on July 3rd. I for one cannot be more excited to see where this series goes in book two!!!

I mean just look at that cover!!!

Sooooooo beautiful...

Anyways because we are so excited about this book we begged, we pleaded, we may have even tried a little bribery with the publishers over at HarperTeen to get our hands on an advanced reader copy, and you know what happened?

Well do ya?!

Ok ok I'll tell ya...I tripped over a big package on my front porch and THIS was one of the books inside!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!

Since I love all of our wasteland readers so much I decided to pass this on to you. One lucky winner will get a chance to win an ARC copy of this book before it's even released in stores. How cool is that? All you have to do is become a follower of Paranormal Wastelands through Google Friend Connect .(Just look to the left and click the blue button that says Join this site if your not already a wastelander.) Then simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. That's it!

Easy Peasy:-)

This is open Internationally!!

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Arise by Tara Hudson: Review

Arise (Hereafter 2)
By Tara Hudson
Published June 5th 2012 by Harper Collins
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

This book was soooooo good! It was sweet, and epic, and eerie...it was everything I wanted it to be. Dare I say this is a YA Paranormal book that should be labeled perfection? Yes, yes I think I can say that. *winks*

Amelia and Joshua aren't your normal couple. First of all Amelia is very much a ghost. Has been for the last decade, but ever since Joshua's near death experience and his subsequent awakening of his Seer abilities he hasn't been able to stray away from Amelia. After having battled the demons on the netherworld they thought the worst was behind them. They were wrong...very wrong. Now Amelia is harboring secrets she doesn't want to keep, and has to decide between being with Josh, and keeping him safe. While she knows what she has to do it doesn't make it any easier. Can Amelia walk away from Josh to save him from the demons? Or will she be so consumed by their love that she can't say goodbye before it's too late?

First I have to say that I was a little worried when I started this book because I hadn't read the first one in the series yet. I was afraid I would be lost, or worse yet that the author would do a huge info dump in the first 50 pages to catch me up, but that would only end up boring me...I couldn't have been more wrong! Tara Hudson did a perfect job of filling in all the blanks that I missed from the first book in a way that just flowed with the current story. I was never once lost or ever felt bored. There are no huge info dumps that bogged the story down. Everything just flowed effortlessly. That combined with Tara's writing style made this book perfect for me. I loved the way it flowed from page to page, making it a fast read that I couldn't tear my eyes from. When I wasn't reading this book I was plotting when I would be able to pick it back up again.

Enough about the writing, what about the characters? Amelia is a hard one not to love. Within the first 25 pages I felt my heart aching for her. I wanted her to have a happily ever after in the most desperate of ways. She not what you would expect from a heroin that has spent the last ten years as a ghost alone. She's not all whinny and Woe is me. She's strong, funny, compassionate, and always thinking of others. Especially of Joshua. When it comes to him she is completely selfless, but not in a way that makes you think she doesn't really care about him. You can feel how much it tears her up inside to do the right thing, but she does it anyways. And don't even get me started on Joshua. He is one of those guys that makes you swoon and squee at ever turn. You just want to squeeze him and your heart breaks for him and Amelia over and over again.

Overall I loved this book. I love the way it has the ability to pull you into the story so deep you feel like your there, living it with them. This is a must read!

Lymi...