Star Cursed - Jessica Spotswood

Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)

 - Jessica Spotswood

Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 stars

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England. (Description from Goodreads)
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Born Wicked introduced us to a world run by religious belief and the heavy hand of men – condemning women for being anything other than meek and reliant on fathers and husbands...unless you’ve accused of witchcraft. Star Cursed takes that to a whole new level, detailing the life within the only walls safe from Brotherhood exposure: The Sisterhood convent. Not as meek as they would seem, as it is really a refuge for witches.

At the end of Born Wicked, Cate Cahill makes a weighty decision to move her life to the Sisterhood home in New London, all to protect her real sisters and the boy she loves. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. With a prophecy looming over her choices and the Brotherhood stepping up their crackdown on women’s rights, danger is at every turn - and there’s not a lot Cate can do to stop it.

I really liked that we got to explore the prophecy more, not only because the glimpse we saw in book 1 wasn’t complete. There seems to be an endless amount of facets to the future, but all unchangeable. I’m usually not a fan of prophecies and taking away choices – the idea that something is predetermined and unstoppable makes me angry – but I really liked seeing how it all unfolded in Star Cursed. Maybe it was because Cate fought the idea of the future already being defined too, but it was also just exciting.

The sister drama was one of my favourite parts of the book. I always love seeing families, especially when they’re in paranormal books, because family is often ignored for romance or magic. Well, when your romance and magic are also tied to family, it’s hard to escape. I loved seeing Cate, Maura and Tess all interacting. They don’t have perfect relationships, and that just makes it more realistic. There were aspects of the sisterly-bonding that you could determine from far away. I could see that the tension between the siblings that had carried over from the first book wasn’t just going to disappear, even after embracing their witch side and eliminating one of the reasons for that tension. The fighting and struggle to reconnect with each other made me worried about what was to come.

I was concerned we wouldn’t get to see Cate and Finn’s relationship develop in this book, but I shouldn’t have panicked so much. The connection they started in Born Wicked gets explored again in this book, with no less danger to overcome. The only bright spot is that they’re so determined to be together and to love each other. While it wasn’t quite as intense, like feathers in a cupboard or garden transformations; the fact that they got the chance to steal kisses in the night was good enough for me.

There is an extremely large hint of rebellion in this book, not only from the witches but from the general populace. The Brotherhood is losing favour and control of the masses. It made the second half of the book, and particularly the ending, very intense and fast paced. I was so shocked by the final pages, I almost couldn’t believe the words in front of me and I had to reread them a few times. You get so pulled in by the flow of the story, the way everything is moving so quickly and with such focus...and then the cliff-hanger hits. And it’s an epic cliff-hanger. I'm still waiting for it to settle in my mind.

An incredible sequel, with a mix of romance, rebellion and intense magical action! I can’t wait to get my hands on book 3.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Dead Jealous - Sharon Jones

Dead Jealous - Sharon Jones
Grade: YA
Rating: 4/5 Stars

People think of Mother Nature as a gentle lady. They forget that she's also Death.

Sixteen-year-old Poppy Sinclair believes in quantum particles, not tarot cards, in Dawkins, not druids. Last summer, in a boating accident in the Lake District, Poppy had a brush with death. But the girl she finds face down in Scariswater hasn't been so lucky. 

As she fights to discover the truth behind what she believes is murder, Poppy is forced to concede that people and things are not always what they seem and, slipping ever deeper into a web of lies, jealousy and heart-stopping danger, she comes to realise - too late - that the one thing that can save her has been right there, all the time. (Description from Date A Book)

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Before this year I never actively searched for mystery and thriller books, I never considered myself a crime lover or one who searched for secret evil societies - at least not in a "real world" setting, one without vampires or some other supernatural element. But this year changed it. I read one fantastic mystery-thriller book and I NEEDED more. Dead Jealous hits the mark for mystery, danger and suspense.

I really enjoyed Poppy's voice. She was a tad too trusting at times, but growing up visiting Pagan festivals all her life, and believing that the people she interacts with at these gatherings are all friendly, wholesome people (despite being a sceptic of their beliefs) there's no doubt in her mind that she's with people she can trust. But dead bodies and a gripping mystery tend to change the way you see things. I think after discovering a dead body I'd be a little less trusting of anyone I met, new or old, at least for a while - but Poppy pushes through, convinced that she knows who the untrustworthy people are and who she should stick with.

You get swept up in the mystery. I was determined to try and crack the mystery before Poppy. I had my suspicions, but every time I settled on someone being "the killer" a new twist would pop up and I'd change my mind again.

There is a romance sub-plot to the book. Before I'd even met both potential guys for Poppy I was Team-Michael. It doesn't always work, but I like when best-friends turn into something more, especially if it ends up being mutual like. I'm all for moving on if the other person doesn't show an interest, but if there's a chance I want to see it.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next Poppy Sinclair mystery.

4/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Cover Reveal: Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Are you READY?! Really ready? Cause this cover will have you fan-girling all over the place... (Just remember I did try to warn you).... Ok, ok here it is!! The official cover of Origin (Lux series book 4) *cue squeals*


 

The book will be released on 27/8/2013 by Entangled Teen line.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

ORIGIN official Blurb:

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. 

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?

ORIGIN Link:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13644052-origin

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Lux-Series-Entangled-Teen/dp/1622660757/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/origin-jennifer-armentrout/1114855732

Additional links to Jennifer’s pages:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website: http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

 

What did you think of the cover? Hands up who fan-girled *raises hand*



I personally LOVED IT! Daemon looks deliciously fierce and I think the image really matches the blurb. He looks like he would do anything, go through anyone to get Katy back. I was excited before the cover but now I truly can't wait for Origin.





Kerrie

Perfect Escape - Jennifer Brown

Perfect Escape - Jennifer Brown
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Kendra Bolten knows what it's like to be overshadowed by a sibling. Her older brother, Grayson, is a genius, but his OCD forces him to live life through a series of carefully coordinated routines. It seems as if he can't survive without counting, symmetry, constantly washing his hands - and the whole family revolving around him. Kendra feels that the only way she can shine in the presence of her brother is to be perfect - something she has down to an art. She's a straight-A student, has plenty of extracurricular activities, and always makes the right decisions. But when Kendra finds herself the ringleader of a cheating scandal in her Calc class, her mistake could jeopardize the perfection she's worked so hard to attain.

For once she knows exactly how Grayson feels when he expresses his wish to just run away from his OCD. Behind the wheel of her hand-me-down car, with Grayson asleep in the passenger seat, Kendra makes a decision. Together, they'll drive away from it all - get some distance, find help for Grayson, prove that she's still the perfect girl-in-control - and maybe her colossal mistake will look a little more forgivable. Eventually though, no matter how far they go, there is nothing for Kendra to do but to face what she's been running from. (Description from Date A Book)

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I'm a little rusty on review writing. I've been taking a break, and picking a book I want to gush about as my first review back was probably a bad idea - but it does deserve a bit of gushing. Not to be all clichéd or anything, but this book really was a perfect escape from heavy and over complicated stories and stressful real-life. While Kendra was at times very young and selfish, I loved her voice. It was a really touching story, especially with all the sibling interactions – I just adored it all.

Usually you think of road trips as a holiday; travelling over the country with the windows rolled down and music blasting on the radio. Kendra's trip in Perfect Escape was a bit different. Disguised as a road trip, but really an escape from reality, Kendra and her brother Grayson struggle to outrun issues they've left behind at home. For Kendra it's a high school mistake that threatens to destroy her perfect daughter and student status; and for Grayson it's an involuntary test of letting go of his constricting OCD struggles. What I loved about this book was that the main characters were fighting to find themselves without coming from broken families. There was no divorce or abuse, just a slight disconnection from each other; but Kendra and Grayson learn to be siblings again, and I adored seeing them get there.

It's hard to discuss the OCD focus in this novel without destroying how powerful it was. Perfect Escape is not the first book I’ve read with characters facing OCD, but it is the first I've read in a realistic setting. I loved the way Jennifer Brown tackled the topic, letting us see the good and bad sides of the condition, but allowing us to see that moving outside of a comfort zone can help the good days shine a bit. Grayson struggles when he's not counting, and his fears and anxieties often take over. But he was such an intelligent character and the emotion that came through every time he took that step outside of his self imposed safety box made me smile so much. I absolutely adored Grayson.

My favourite part of this book was not the road trip, or even the way OCD was approached, but the sibling interactions. So often in books siblings might exist, but actually seeing them interact becomes a minor part of the book. Perfect Escape isn't like that. With no romance and no real focus on a strong friendship except flashbacks to a Too-Perfect-To-Be-Real life from before, the main relationship in this book falls on Kendra and Grayson's connection. They fight, they argue, they drive each other mental, and they would do anything to be in the other's shoes. But all of that is overshadowed by the fact that they love each other. And I loved them in turn for being so real.

This was my first Jennifer Brown book, but I definitely want to read her other novels, because Perfect Escape really touched me. I loved it.

4.5/5 stars


Kim
(originally posted on Goodreads)

Giveaway - we DARE YOU TO enter...

  GIVEAWAY!  

Are you a fan of Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits? Well here's your chance to win the next smash hit by the amazing YA Contemporary author!

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.... (Description from Goodreads)

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Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia, I'm giving ONE lucky Aussie a chance to get their hands on this fantastic novel - trust me, you don't want to miss it. You can read my thoughts HERE. (spoiler: I loved it!)

It's really simply to enter.

Just leave us a comment telling us why you would like the book and then fill out the form below. Easy! You must be an Australian resident to enter.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Kelly Ryan

Kelly, we will be emailing you for your details soon, so keep refreshing your inbox! Congratulations again, and thanks to everyone for entering. 

Details
* One entry per person.
* You must be at least 16 years old or have permission from your parents before entering.
* Must be an Australian resident (sorry international followers)
* The giveaway is open now and will run until 11:59pm (AEST) 19th June 2013
* Winners will be picked by Random.org and announced on the blog.
* Winners will also be emailed and have 1 week to reply before a new winner is picked.
* Prizes will be sent from the publisher. We are not responsible for lost or damaged property



Good Luck!

Kerrie


Thank you Harlequin Australia for the copy of Dare You To. 

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave #1) - Rick Yancey
Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 stars

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up (Description from Goodreads)~ * ~ * ~

There is almost no way for me to put into words just how much I adored The 5th Wave - This book is by far the best book I’ve read this year and I know I’ll be obsessing about it for months to come. (Kerrie: I have a love/hate relationship with books that are full of tension (as this one was). I found myself glued to the book, unable to put it down, wanting to know what will happen next, all this with my stomach in knots.)

The world we’re introduced to is one crumbling. We’re given a very detailed and emotional tale about how humanity was vastly unprepared for life forms outside of Earth; and when those life forms – The Others – decide to wipe humans off the face of the world – well, let’s just say it’s going to be extremely hard to fight back. I’ve always thought of myself as someone who is intrigued by sci-fi stories, but never obsessed with them. (Kerrie: I'm not against Sci-Fi but I don't seek it out. I am a Roswell (TV show) fan so I'm good with aliens) The 5th Wave could be the story to make me obsessed – at least with humans fighting against invasion stories. That’s partly what this book is all about: fighting for survival. I loved the way the world was set up. There are new rules, new ways to prepare yourself for the worst. Your old worries (like whether your crush likes you or not) are thrown out the window. This is a dark and dangerous book and it tackles some deep moral issues; but it was so full of energy and emotion that you just can’t put it down.

There are a lot of hard decisions in this book. A lot comes down to trust: who to trust, how to learn to trust and how to get over the guilt if you decide you can’t bring yourself to trust and must fight for your own survival. I can understand why, in a world full of live and die situations, the characters would choose to fight like hell to stay alive no matter the cost. But it made for a very emotional and intense setting, with a lot of shoot-outs and death. The tricky part comes when the world has faced an incredible amount of destruction, when there’s a limited amount of humans left on the planet and everyone knows it – how do you know who you can trust and who is an alien clone out to get you? Answer...you don’t know, so you just keep fighting. There was that constant voice in the back of your head that was telling you it’s a kill or be killed world – it definitely kept the blood pumping.(Kerrie: Since Cassie didn't know who to trust I didn't know who to trust - So it was just a full on, stomach in knots, unputdownable novel)

I really enjoyed the way the book was set up – sections dividing up the events and switching point of views and chain of events with every new section. I loved getting a look at multiple situations and characters, and I really wasn’t expecting that. The back blurb introduces us to Cassie Sullivan and Evan Walker, and you assume they will be our focus characters, especially when Cassie starts the book off. You start to think the story is Cassie’s alone, when it’s so much more than that. (Kerrie: I LOVED Cassie! Not only was she a survivor, she did it in a way where she didn't truly loose herself. Yes, she changed. She killed. She lost her innocence. But she still held on to her love for her brother and her humour in times of horror) Cassie’s fight for survival is only part of the story, with her almost standing alone against a force so powerful you question her right mind for thinking she has a chance against an entire alien race. But despite that, you can’t help admiring her strength and determination, her struggle to trust without losing hope in the world. I adored her history and loss and the emotion she brought to the table.

But it’s not a single person against the world. Military base camps are being set up, training children to identify and eliminate the enemy. When the world crumbles around you, I’m not sure giving seven year olds guns is the way to go; but it certainly sends a powerful message. I loved the strict training and intense indoctrination at these military camps. The lifestyle, harsh mental stress and reimagining of these teens and kids – preparing them for an existence of killing humans or human look-a-likes is just so confronting. I’ve deliberately not mentioned characters here because it would absolutely ruin the shocking twists that pop up – you have to read it for yourself!

The one person who does deserve a mention though, is Evan Walker. I may be slightly obsessed with this book boy. Evan was a puzzling mystery, one that I thought I’d worked out early, but you come to realise you’ll never completely know Evan. In a world where death is almost literally around every corner, it’s hard to remain innocent and untouched – and Evan’s no exception – but he was one of the sweetest characters I’ve come across lately. His fiercely protective nature when it came to Cassie, the touching way he sat and washed her hair, and the almost reckless offer to go on dangerous missions and jump into situations to keep her out of danger made me melt. But what I loved most was how he never once tried to control Cassie. He offered, pleaded and suggested for her to stay away from trouble, but he let her make up her own mind and stood by her every step of the way. (Kerrie: I love how he was always there for Cassie. I really have no words for Evan, other than amazing. Anything else I say might be a spoiler)

I delayed reading the end of the book because I knew there was going to be a gigantic wait for the sequel. But this is the sort of book you can’t put down. A rescue, a fight and minimal chance of survival...and then the final pages hit with questions pouring out of your mind and no hope of answers for months to come! It’s going to be a very long wait. (Kerrie: This book...that ending was torture! It's really cruel that we now have to wait and see what happens to everyone)

An incredible start to an addictive series. The 5th Wave is a book everyone should get their hands on.

5/5 stars

Kim
(Originally Posted on Goodreads)

Dare You To - Katie McGarry

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) - Katie McGarry
Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 Stars

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all

Description taken from Goodreads
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Katie McGarry has done it again with another tear jerking, heart warming, unputdownable novel. I become so engrossed in this novel I finished it in one sitting (ended up going to bed at 2am because I simply couldn't stop reading). Dare You To was one of my most anticipated reads for 2013 and I can safely say it will also be one of my favourites.

After reading Pushing the Limits and learning that the next book would be about Beth I immediately assumed Isaiah would be the love interest. Instead we are introduced to dare loving (as in "I dare you to..."), baseball and all round golden boy Ryan. As I began to get into the story and really understood who Ryan was, I realised why Ryan is Beth's "perfect fit". He's good for her. He gives her the ability to grow, to leave her past behind, and become who she's meant to be without being dragged down by the ugliness of her past. And she's good for him too. Ryan hides who he really is from everyone. Scared to break the "perfect" image everyone else has of him. A lot of this has to do with his parents who are all about keeping up the image of being up-standing members of the community. People who other families look up to. Needless to say, what happens behind closed doors is anything but perfect. And Ryan's not perfect (no one is), but it's Beth who ends up helping him to realise that that's ok, and to be proud of who he is.

Ah Katie, this is what I love about your writing! There are so many positive messages for teenagers (and young adults) to take away from your books. Your characters, although struggling and dealing with so much ugliness that life has dealt them, are true role models.

I loved this book and can't wait for Isaiah to have his happily ever after.


Kerrie

Originally Posted on Goodreads