Citrus Leahy is having a really bad day. First she's late to school. Then she runs into the girl who drives her nuts because she always calls her Orange instead of her name. To cap it all off, when Citrus finally makes it to class, she sees herself already inside. Wait. What? Citrus Leahy has a doppelganger! It's probably aliens taking over the world and her life has just turned totally upside down. Goodbye, normal. Hello, paranormal! Luckily, her crush Aedan has the exact same problem!
Darkfallen's thoughts:
This is my first run-in with Sci-Fi. At least I think this is considered Sci-Fi. To be honest I'm still not sure if we are dealing with a paranormal aspect or a sci-fi one. Still this book has intrigue that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
Citris, and a bunch of kids at her school are being taken over by doppelgangers. For some reason Citrus and Aedan are the only two "real" people that the doppelgangers haven't kidnapped yet. The problem is, that leaves them to figure out what's going on and how to save the others, as well as not get themselves caught in the process. But it's not all bad since Citrus has a huge crush on Aedan and it looks like they are going to be spending some time together. Nothing like a life or death situation to bring people together. Now if only they can live long enough maybe Citrus will get lucky and Aedan might actually kiss her?
Like I said I am not exactly sure if we are dealing with a paranormal element or a sci-fi. I was intrigued the whole time just trying to figure that out. I am sad to say that the ending was a little abrupt, and I still don't know exactly what these "doppelgangers" are. Still there is a fair amount of action mixed with humor that kept me reading. I also think that this could have been a little better if it was just formatted differently. For example, if the author used italics in places it would have flowed better.
Overall I liked Citrus and I can't wait to see what happens next.
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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!
Beautiful Lies
By Jessica Warman
Published August 21st 2012 by Bloomsbury Press Pick up your copy today at Amazon,B&N, or your local indie! Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
A shocking, ambitious mystery full of twists and turns from the globally embraced author of Between.
Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins—so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself?
Master storyteller Jessica Warman will keep readers guessing when everything they see-and everything they are told-suddenly becomes unreliable in this page-turning literary thriller.
Darkfallen's thoughts:
I have to say that the synopsis of this book reeled me in right away. I was so super excited to get my hands on an ARC of this book, and couldn't wait to start reading. After I started reading it though my enthusiasm waned a bit.
You start off meeting twins Alice and Rachel. And like most twins they are very different from each other except for their looks. Alice is the artistic trouble making, while Rachel is the rational book smart girl. So when Alice goes missing after a carnival it comes as no surprise to their aunt and uncle, but Rachel is panicking. She knows something is different this time, because Rachel has a secret. Can Rachel keep her secrets and find her sister? Or will holding on to all these lies be the death of her?
I will say that has the story unfolds I felt sorry for Alice more and more. All the secrets and lies that everyone was keeping from her, and the way she found them out, broke my heart. It did take a long while to get into this story though. I blame that on the writing style. This book is loaded with so many run on sentences that it's hard to read. In spots it even makes it boring, when in fact there isn't anything boring about this story. I think breaking up all the run on sentences could really make this story more enjoyable. Still I loved Alice and there is a twist at the end that brought tears to my eyes, and completely shocked me. It also made me a little mad that it didn't end the way I was hoping it would.
Overall this was a good story that makes you think. You can't help but try to figure out what is going on and the suspense is never ending.
Want the inside scoop on all things Don't Turn Around?!
That's right! Michelle Gagnon's new novel, Don't Turn Around, is just about to release, but who says you have to wait to get in on the excitement?
So if you are as excited as we are about this awesome new book here is your chance to get a jump start! Click HERE to join the alliance and unlock chapter excerpts and much, much more! Want a sneak peak? Head on over to Epic Reads and browse the inside, AND click HERE to get your hands on the novella to go with the novel, No Escape.
So what are you waiting for? Hope on over and jump on the bandwagon!
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This weeks teaser is from....
"You need to know," he whispers, "you need to remember when I'm not around to remind you, that I think your the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." page 161
My heart is seriously bursting.
It's like a beautiful torment.
I'm falling apart.
Unraveling at every seem.
~ Darkfallen Goodreads status update ~
Above was my status update at the time I read this over a month ago, and nothing has changed. I still feel like I'm falling apart everytime this book crosses my mind. Which is a LOT. Or everytime I see it sitting on my bookshelf.
Even now as I put this post together I feel something pulling at my heart. Like something is breaking all over again inside my chest. Simply put, this book is a must read! And I know it's only being published in Austrailia but if you don't live there you can buy it on Fishpond with free international shipping, just click the link!
Want a chance to win a copy of this awesome book? The publishers at Pan Macmillan AU are offering up one finished copy to a lucky winner. The book is being shipped by the publisher and is only open to winners with Austrailian mailing addresses per their request. So if your from Aussie or have a friend with a mailing address there all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win!!
The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.
Darkfallen's thoughts:
I would say that this is more of a 3.5 stars so I rounded up to 4.
El is trying hard to keep her family name in good standing and their financial ruin under wraps since her father passed away and her brother still hasn't come home form New York. It isn't an easy task to handle, especially when you have a mother that spends money the way she does, and a brother that seems to have gone missing. Never mind the fact that the dead have started to rise in Philadelphia, and always seem to show up at the most inopportune time. Will El be able to save her brother before the dead take over, and her mother spends every last cent they have?
I loved El and her snarky attitude right from the beginning. I loved that she wasn't the "prim and proper" lady that she was expected to be. That in fact she was more practical and less frivolous, unlike her mother. I also liked Daniel and all his ungentlemanly ways. Still I was expecting this to be a steampunk book about zombies. A YA novel to rival Gail Carriger's Parisol Protectorant series, and sadly it wasn't quite there. It just didn't really live up to the expectations I had set for it. I think the main reason is that I saw the ending coming a mile away. Almost from the very beginning I had already figured out who the villain was.
Still this was a very fast paced read. Full of action that keeps you flipping the pages until the very end. If the zombies would have played a bigger part I think it would have been better.
Overall...would I read the sequel? YES! Now that I'm not expecting the zombies to be the big bad wolf or the story I will definitely give the second one a go!
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This weeks teaser is from....
And since I want to show you both the smarty pants side of this book and the swoony side I have two teasers for you today!
"To recap: I'm the product of two brilliant inert elements with negative bonding capabilities, one who was a Dr. Who fan girl, the other who consistently drove into fire hydrants. And, somehow, this is supposed to make me feel better." page 37
and for the swoon...
"Hey, Einstien," he whispered. "You did great back there. You're my hero, you know that?" "Hmmm?" He planted a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "You heard me." He was right, I had. I just wanted to hear him say it again." page 296
This book was so outside the r4ealm of what I usually read, but OMG am I glad that I did!
It was soooooo good! I laughed out loud over and over again, and in the end I swooned for Mike like you wouldn't believe!
Well wastelanders, it's almost time to say goodbye to Maximum Ride by James Patterson....
Sad I know :-(
The last and final book in the series, Nevermore (Maximum Ride #8), is set to be release on August 6th 2012. So in just 2 short months Max's journey will be over.
WAIT!!!!
Don't cry yet! To celebrate the final farewell we are offering one fantastic giveaway. Courtesy of Little Brown Books one lucky winner will receive the first SEVEN books in the series!!!
That's right! You'll get all seven books listed below:
Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she’s determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for “completers”— www. through-the-light.com.
While she’s on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she’s not on the Web, Daelyn’s at her private school, where she’s known as the freak who doesn’t talk.
Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she’s waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she’s made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won’t give up. And it’s too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life…isn’t it?
National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.
Darkfallen's thoughts:
This is one of those books that is hard to read....but you need to read it.
Daelyn has been bullied her entire, ENTIRE life. Ever since she was a little girl she has been over weight and all the kids at school pick on her and torment her until there is no end...literally.
I think this book did all the things that Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why couldn't. It made me feel for Daelyn and even come to understand why she is where she is. There is just a connection there that latched on to me and made really think Suicide might have been my choice too if I were in her shoes. This is a story about a very real problem that all to often goes unnoticed, bullying. From the name calling, to the stuff that crosses over into the physical and sexual assault poor Daelyn has had to endure this torture everyday for as long as she can remember. Even when she went to fat camp one year the bullying from the camp counselors just makes me sick. To top that off she has never had a single friend in her entire life!
Can you imagine never having a single solitary friend...ever?! While I have had my ups and downs like the rest of the world, in the friends department I couldn't imagine being completely without any. That just breaks my heart. How can people be so damn cruel? So it was no surprise to me that Daelyn has tried to commit suicide three times already and is now planning her fourth. Sometimes there is just no other options left when your a 16 year old girl that doesn't have anyone.
That is until she meets Santanta...
Ok so I am not going to give this whole book away. I think you need to read it for yourself to see what I am talking about. I will tell you that the reason this didn't get 5 stars from me is because of the ending. Again I can't tell you what that was but that if left me going WTF?! Still overall I think you should pick this book up and really give it a go. It just might change the way you see things in the world...
Ellory Graham detested high school. She relished the fact that she was a rebel. A wild, carefree, type of girl. She basked in the glory of being the type of girl who stood up to authority. Unfortunately for her, her upfront, honest and bitchy nature always managed to land her in some kind of trouble.
Adam Jacobs was everything Ellory was not. Not only was he beautiful, but he was smart, artistic, and sweet. To almost every girl he seemed like the total package- that all around perfect guy. But in a town were nothing particularly interesting happens, and gossip seems like the only fun thing to do, sometimes those perfections become flaws. And it doesn’t take long for Ellory to find out, even Adam has secrets.
But Adam’s secrets, are the kind of secrets people die for....
What Darkfallen & Greta has to say:
Greta: This is an interesting and unique read that I've never seen done in YA.
Darkfallen: For me this book was brilliant!
I mean ok, ok, ok there is a little room for improvement. Like maybe one good look through with a fresh pair of eyes could catch the typos and misplaced words that are sprinkled here and there throughout the book. But as you can tell from my 5 star rating I thought the book was still too good, even with the errors, to take a star away. Greta: Ellory is your typical ya teenage angst girl. She's 17, a senior in high school, has a mouth like a sailor, doesn't like to get gussied up, and loves her friends.
Her life is about to get flipped upside down. Burton, Ohio hasn't had anything exciting happen to it in years. Maybe even decades. That is until Adam Jacobs moves to town. A beautiful boy with a winning smile, football skills, and a dark dark secret.
Adam is a monster. But not like the ones from fairytales. Adam is for real.
I found the plot at times to be a bit out there. Ellory's story is told in 1st person POV while Adam's is told in 3rd. I have to admit that this confused me when it was first introduced. I didn't mind it but I definitely wasn't expecting it. I've only see that done with Heather Gudenkauf novels. Darkfallen: Yes I totally agree with Greta and warn you that at first it might be a little confusing to read. It switches back form Ellory's POV which is first person present, to Adams POV which is third person present. And while the first couple of switches are slightly awkward, in the end I get it. I think it honestly needed that.
With Ells POV the way it is you feel a connection with her. With Adams POV you feel the disconnect. And I think that is important because what I take from the book is this...
Ells is a girl that is trying desperately to live numb. Always trying NOT to feel anything. While Adam is desperately trying to feel ANYTHING. He is completely devoid of emotion, and if he could muster the concept of hate...then he would hate it. Either way Adam knows he is a monster. It's not until meeting Ells that he thinks maybe he is starting to feel something. That maybe there is more than just the monster that he has known all his life.
While Adam is intrigued by this and trying to pull Ells closer to him. To see just how much he can feel. Can she make him feel love? Ells is pushing him away because she is scared of what she feels for him. The push and pull work great, and I couldn't get enough. The twist in the end is dark and perfect. I can't wait to get my hands on the in this series. I need to know where this all goes. A part of me thinks that maybe Ells is slightly bi-polar. I would love to see if that's the case. Like can an over emotional bi-polar girl balance out an devoid of emotion sociopath boy? And vise versa?
Greta: I kind of figured that the duo would fall head over heel for each other. And in fact they did but I feel that Ellory shouldn't have fallen so hard. I can understand why Adam would. It makes sense since he's the one fighting between bloodlust and normalcy. But I thought Ellory should realize that he was going a little over the top. In my opinion it would be the best move to make Ellory a fourteen year old. I think that if the author was to do that then her being so infatuated with Adam would make more sense. She'd be too young to realize their relationship is a bit too clingy (in a way).
Another reason I would make Ellory younger is the fact that she talks about her BFF as though she's the center of her life. Now, I know that I did that when I was 17 but I don't know if that is the norm. Again, if Ellory was just a smidge younger than this would maker perfect sense.
I told my husband about that and he told me that if the author was to do that then it would be socially unacceptable for her to get it on with Adam. Well, that doesn't happen in this book. There is some making out but nothing too graphic. It's all pretty tame. But what if there was something to happen? Ellory likes to party and is proclaimed as the wild child. If she's all that then I'm pretty sure that a fourteen year old having sex would not raise any eyebrows. We all knew those kinds of girls.
In closing:
Darkfallen: I will tell you this...this isn't for the faint at heart. Now please don't misunderstand me, it's not all American Psycho. It won't make you vomit...well at least it didn't me. But it is pushing the bill a little on YA and you need to keep an open mind while reading this book. For the squeamish it just might be a little too much for you. But I say this is hands down a series to look out for.
Greta: The ending is probably the best part. It does make me wonder what is in store for the next book. You are left with a delicious cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more and biting your nails until the next book is released.
This is kind of a dark book. American Psycho was darker and so was Misery, but this has the potential to give me that SCREAM FACTOR with the upcoming book. I'm really wanting that. With that being said, I wouldn't recommend this for the squeemish. It didn't shock me at all but that's kind of hard to do. I can imagine it disturbing others.
Darkfallen: Is it taboo, and maybe heading in the direction of the Banned Book List? Quite possibly...but does't that make it even better? *winks* lol
Greta & Darkfallen both agree Lauren Hammond is an authore to keep your eye on!
