After Obesession by Carrie Jones & Steve Wedel: Review

After Obsession
By Carrie Jones & Steve Wedel
Published September 13th by Bloomsbury Children USA
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or you local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her. Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love-and introducing an exciting new YA voice, Steven Wedel-this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.

Darkfallen's thoughts....with a flashlight:

Carrie Jones has partnered up with author Steve Wedel, and what did they come up with? A eerily genius tail that will leave you scared to turn off the lights, and chills running up your spine long after you close the book.

Alan is up-rooted from football star at his high school in Oklahoma City to a small town in Maine that doesn't even have a football team when his cousin Courtney loses her dad. A life without football? For Alan it doesn't get much worse than that. That's until he starts to notice Courtney's weird behavior. After meeting Courtney's friend, Aimee, he begins to realize two things...1.) Maybe not everything about Maine is going to be bad. 2.) His cousin Courtney, along with most of the towns people, are not acting right. Something is up. People here are acting violent and this small river town has lost more than it's fair share of people to the river.

The journey that Alan & Aimee have to take to save the town from an evil that is trying to possess it will scare you in the best ways. At one point I felt like a complete child sleeping with the night light and jumping at every little noise. It's like reading The Exorcist, there is just simply no way to read this without getting the chills. But beyond that is the building relationship with Alan & Aimee. They are both a little different in ways that would label them as freaks to most people. I loved watching them grow closer. How they were able to open up and be themselves around each other when they never could around other people. It made everything all that much more sweet. When there wasn't spiders running up and down my spine in terror, there was butterflies in my stomach. Fluttering around every time Alan & Aimee were together.

Overall this book was fantastically spooky with just the right amount of swoon-worthiness. I have been dying to get my hands on another Carrie Jones novel and this one does not disappoint!!

Bite ya later...

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steve Wedel: Review

After Obsession
By Carrie Jones & Steve Wedel
Published Sept 13th by Bloomsbury USA
Pick up your copy today at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.

Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love-and introducing an exciting new YA voice, Steven Wedel-this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Carrie Jones has partnered up with author Steve Wedel, and what did they come up with? A eerily genius tail that will leave you scared to turn off the lights, and chills running up your spine long after you close the book.

Alan is up-rooted from football star at his high school in Oklahoma City to a small town in Maine that doesn't even have a football team when his cousin Courtney loses her dad. A life without football? For Alan it doesn't get much worse than that. That's until he starts to notice Courtney's weird behavior. After meeting Courtney's friend, Aimee, he begins to realize two things...

1.) Maybe not everything about Maine is going to be bad.

2.) His cousin Courtney, along with most of the towns people, are not acting right. Something is up. People here are acting violent and this small river town has lost more than it's fair share of people to the river.

The journey that Alan & Aimee have to take to save the town from an evil that is trying to possess it will scare you in the best ways. At one point I felt like a complete child sleeping with the night light and jumping at every little noise. It's like reading The Exorcist, there is just simply no way to read this without getting the chills. But beyond that is the building relationship with Alan & Aimee. They are both a little different in ways that would label them as freaks to most people. I loved watching them grow closer. How they were able to open up and be themselves around each other when they never could around other people. It made everything all that much more sweet. When there wasn't spiders running up and down my spine in terror, there was butterflies in my stomach. Fluttering around every time Alan & Aimee were together.

Overall this book was fantastically spooky with just the right amount of swoon-worthiness. I have been dying to get my hands on another Carrie Jones novel and this one does not disappoint!!

Until next time...



Entice (Need #3) by Carrie Jones: Review

Entice (Need #3)
By Carrie Jones
Published January 3rd by Bloomsbury
Pick up your copy at B&N, Amazon, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever.
But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead.
Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned...she's Astley's queen.

Darkfallen' thoughts:

okay more like a rant so hang onto your life vest...

I want to start by saying that I know that there is A LOT of bad reviews out there for this series. Most of those reviews complain about the same few things.

The use of immature dialogue.
The similarities to Twilight.
The descriptive writing is lacking.
This is where I tell you that I am NOT one of those such people.

First of all the language: While others found it annoying, I found it cute, sweet, funny, and at times heartbreaking. May I remind you all, that while most of us who read these books are older, this is still a YA series and thus the characters are young, immature, teenagers. I sometimes think we forget that. Thusly Zara's rambling and choice of phases reminds us of her age and I heart her for that.

Secondly the how Twilight debacle: Can I just say that it is time that we move on? I will always LOVE Twilight on an almost obsessive level, but we simply can't compare every YA novel to Twilight, and every author to Stephanie Meyer. If you want every character you read to be Bella or Edward well then of course your going to be disappointed. Take these characters for who they are and let down the barrier and I promise you will enjoy the ride. Who knows maybe you'll come to love another. (I know this sounds like a recovery for a break-up but Twilight pretty much "broke-up" with all of us when it ended)

Thirdly the descriptive writing:  It could have been a bit better in the first 2 books but Carrie Jones has made up for it in Entice.

Ok enough of the soapbox. Lets get on with it!
****WARNING!! If you haven't read the first two books DON'T read this review, it contains spoilers.****

Poor Zara can't seem to catch a break. She loses her father in Need, loses Nick in Captivate, and broken is a word that barely comes to describe her in Entice. After turning into a pixie she is left questioning herself. Also worried that she is going to become the evil monsters that she fears. Her biggest fear has now become of herself. Her love for Nick pushes Zara to her limits. She is willing to try anything to get him back, including trusting Astley, the pixie King. We learn so much more about Astley and you will find yourself hearting him by the end of the book. Despite the fact that he is completely in love with Zara, he too risks everything to help her get back her true love Nick. If that's not love than I don't know what is. Every step of the way they find themselves up against another deadly road block. Even the pixie counsel has been compromised. When you have tried everything, and your back is against the wall, you begin to wonder is it even possible. Will Zara and the gang be able to get Nick back, or lose him forever?

 Will Astley become more than just the pixie King to Zara?

 Will the town of Bedford make it out alive?

While Captivate is by far my most favorite in this series, Zara has grown so much in Enitce. Lets just say that Zara will find out that being a pacifist is overrated when it comes to getting Nick back from Vahalla. Somewhere along the way I found myself wanting to hug Astley. I was almost mad at myself for this. I felt like I was betraying Nick somehow, but what can I say the guy is all hot and dark side emo. Whats a girl to do;) For risk of spoilers that is all your getting from me.

I leave you with the right questions to ask. Now go, run along now, pick up the book, and find the answers!!

Lymi...

While your here check out our upcoming Halloween event & Blog Hop, Zompacolypse 2011, and join in on the fun!

Captivate (Need #2) by Carrie Jones:Review

Captivate (Need #2)
By Carrie Jones
Published January 5th 2010 by Bloomsbury
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

I fell in love with Zara's compulsive internal ranting in Need. I became attach to everything about her world. Who knew Pixies could be so SO evil?! Well Captivate takes you places you don't wanna go but in the best way possible. It's beautifully bitter, tragically sweet, and I Heart everything about it.

Zara and the gang are back at it. Now that they have imprisoned the pixie king/her father and is people they think all is well. They couldn't be more wrong. While trying to decide what to do with her father once and for all more trouble is lurking, ready to attack the town of Bedford. New pixie kings sense that Zaras father is weak and they are going to claim his territory. Thing is these pixies make her fathers look friendly Disney characters. Will Zara be able to protect her town from the new pixies and their uncontrollable needs? And if so what price is she willing to pay to fight for the people she loves?!

"Pixie Tip: Pixies are blue. Cookie Monster, Groover, and other Muppets are also blue. Do NOT confuse the two. Muppets dont try to kill you...usually"

LOLZ

This is what makes this book great. There is heart and soul poured out on the pages, but your are going to have a few gut retching laughs along the way too! I don't want to be a spoiler bunny but I will say this, you are gonna be heartbroken. You are gonna need tissues. And even though you are gonna feel like you can't go on, you'll find you can't put this book down either. Don't say I didn't warn you;)

Now go do what you have to do to get your hands on this book.
Buy it, borrow it, rent it, download it, steal it if you have too, but you have gotta READ this book!

more like 10....

Lymi...



While your here check out our upcoming Halloween event & Blog Hop, Zompacolypse 2011, and join in on the fun!

Need (Need 1) by Carrie Jones: Review

Need (Need #1)
By Carrie Jones
Published December 23rd 2008 by Bloomsbury Childrens USA
Pick up your copy today at B&N, Amazon, or your local indie!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Ok so I'll start by saying this...Need was a great read. The only reason it didn't quite get 5 stars from me is because I saw a few things coming. Please don't misunderstand me though, I enjoyed every page and before I finished Need, I went on amazon.com and bought the rest of the series. All in all I would say this is a solid 4 1/2 stars!

So whats it about? Thought you would never ask!

Everything starts with Zara leaving her world behind. She is lost, lonely, and a hollow shell of a person after losing her step dad to a heart attack. 

 "People say my dad's heart attacked him, but the truth is his heart failed him. It decided not to beat anymore, not to move the precious blood around his veins. It seized up and failed."

Her mom sends her to Maine to live with her step grandmother in hopes of saving her. Zara is sarcastic and quirky and hides behind chanting phobias when she is scared. I learned Sooo many phobias that I didn't even know they had a name for. It was Great! lolz Zara also rambles in the most perfect way and you'll find yourself drawn to her almost instantly. I only got mad at her once, and for me that's saying something, lol.

She finds herself thrown into a world where not only does she think she is being stalked, but this creepy guy may not actually be human. She is pretty quick to accept the possibility of Pixies but can't seem to wrap her head around the idea of Weres. (this is when I got mad at her. I mean You find out there is Pixies and your ok, but I tell you there is also Weres and you look at me like I'm crazy? Just saying;))
Zara quickly learns that this small snowy town is being plagued buy all sorts of the paranormal beings at the cost of human lives. Being the humanitarian she is, with the help of her new friends, she decides to put an end to it all. Little does she know that she is actually more a part of this paranormal world that she could have guessed possible.

Maybe her mom wasn't sending her to Maine to save herself from herself. Maybe she sent her away to save her from something else.....

Oh you want to know more you say? Well there is only one way to do it and I think you know what that is....Read it!

O c'mon you should know me well enough by now to know that I am not going to give it all away. That just wouldn't be as fun, now would it?

So if you have been on the fence do yourself a favor and jump right in.

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: After Obsession
Author: Carrie Jones and Steven E. WedelPublished: September 5, 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads
Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts, and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other for the first time, in a cold Maine town, they can’t stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel strongly that something, or someone, is haunting them. They’re wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it’s neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It’s Alan’s cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life—and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney, but everything around her…. Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love—and introducing an exciting new YA voice in Steven Wedel—this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.
We here at Paranormal Wastelands are super mondo excited about this book because books written by guys and girls are freaktastically awesome!! Plus who doesn't lovers a good secret? They make us go squee and we bounce around chanting

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.

While your here check out our upcoming Halloween event & Blog Hop, Zompacolypse 2011, and join in on the fun!

Blog Hop Lovin'

It's that time of the week for a little bloggy blog lovin' with...

Hosted by Jen

Every week there's a new question, and it's a great way to get to meet new bloggers!

“What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?”

One?!
 You will only let me pick one?!
 You know that's like asking me to tell you what my favorite song it right? There is just toooooo many good ones that it is mean to pick just one, but...
Ok so if you asked me 3 days ago the answser would have been Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvator, but...

IT"S ON IT"S WAY!!!
Squee Dizzles!!!

So I am going to have to go with...

Listen up my fellow readers. Carrie Jones is simply amazing, and this is her newest novel set to come out September 5th. She is awesome, fantastic, has a way with worls that makes them flow off the page and wrap themselves around you, and as if I need to say more...just look at that cover!!

So tell me what ARC are you willing to sell your soul for?

What Have We Been Up To This Week?

~ We sit down with the hot Seth Prescott in a character interview/ Unlovable GIVEAWAY!!
(don't miss out, stop by and enter today!)
~ Greta takes us on a linktastic adventure in her review of Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist!
~ Darkfallen gets to know a bat in this weeks Teaser Tuesday.
~ Greta tells everyone what has us on pins & needles in this weeks W.o.W.
~ Darkfallen takes a walk in the land of Steampunk in review of Heartless by Gail Carriger
~ And we had a wonderful guest blogger by the name of AH stop by and tell us her thoughts on Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines
(it's her first time on PW so stop by and give her a warm welcom would ya?!)

Have a great weekend...