Girl In The Woods Reviews

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday : Panic by Lauren Oliver

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Panic
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: 4th March 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Find on: Goodreads

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

The cover reveal of Panic was today! So I also decided to do WoW to celebrate! The story reminds me of The Hunger Games but I think and hope it will be something different! And the cover is so pretty and it think it really relates to the story! Heather looks beautiful in it! Well done to whoever designed the cover!

Review: Baby, You're As Sweet As 3.14159265 by HogWild

Title: You're As Sweet As 3.14159265
Author : HogWild
Release Date: -----------
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: The most important tip to dating on social networks is to avoid making the mistake of “liking” you own status.

Because when you "like" your own Facebook status it's like when you're having sex and you slap your own ass.
---
A lot of girls like a guy who is a bad-ass. That’s why my conversations with women go like this:

GIRL: I like a man of danger.

ME: Come back to my place and we'll open the .exe attachments in my email!
---
Dear Shirtless Guy in his Profile Picture, you REALLY want to impress girls? Get a job and pose in front of your cubicle.
---
Dear Guy at the Dance Club, Please stop grinding random girls from behind like you are some kind of creepy penis-shaped bulldozer.
---

They say you can get a girl to like you, if you can make her jealous. So I make sure the girl sees me with a pretty expensive handbag!
---
Girls like when you tell them about the adorable things that children do. For instance, like when my little nephew asked me, "When babies are in the tummy do they use mommy's belly button as a window?"

Cute!

Thank God he didn't ask what they use as a door!

Detailed Review: ARE YOU DESPERATE TO IMPRESS THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE?!?

HERE'S THE BEST SOLUTION!!! READ THIS BOOK!!!

I was both humored and impressed by the author all at once. The amount of humor in it was unbelievable. But to top it all off, I really think the advice he gives would work really well. I suggest that you read the book somewhere quiet unless you want someone to think you're crazy because you'll be laughing your head off half the time. And if you are capable, try not to end up making faces at people too. Because some advice are a bit, how would you say... vulgar.

Yes that is all I have to say. But overall I really liked it.

Spoilers are all up there already... I am not going to bother spoiling the book for you because it's IMPOSSIBLE to spoil this type of book hehe.

Note to authors who specialize in this genre: I am reviewing this type of book for the first and last time. We decided to give it a try, but still we prefer to review YA books.

Brief Review: This is not the typical book I would usually read. This was a first, and actually a really good first... The author has managed to make the advice funny, no matter the content. What readers would enjoy are the big bursts of humor the author seems to possess and the fact that the advice given REALLY works.

Final Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked It'

QUOTE:

To the author,

If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide---Gandhi

Your Reviewer:

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday #157

GUESS WHAT?!? WE HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS THIS WEEK'S FEATURED BLOGGERS! YAYYYYY!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Activity: PHOTOBOMB!!!! Photobomb a picture with your favorite book. Share it of course.

The book's one of my favourites:

Beautiful
Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret

Stohl! I decided to not show my ugly face but my pretty fingers instead! I did bunny ears next to it! Yes my book has grown fingers and is posing for a picture! -
-

Waiting on Wednesday: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Side Effects May Vary
Author: Julie Murphy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 18th March 2014
Find on: Goodreads

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

Haven't done this for two weeks! Sorry guys been busy lately! It was the title that caught my eye and the story itself that fascinated me. It almost reminds me of The Fault in Our Stars, since the main character has cancer, but the story is different. I am really curious to see how it would turn out! Also, I love the cover! It's really eye-catching! I just hope the story doesn't make me cry in the end... (somehow I hope it does because that means it's good)

Blog Tour and Review: Freedom Road by T.M. Souders

Title: Freedom Road
Author: T.M. Souders
Release Date: 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review:

**FINALIST, USA Book Awards, Young Adult Fiction, 2012**

**FINALIST, Next Generation Indie Awards, Young Adult Fiction, 2013**

**Second Place/Quarter-Finalist in the YA category of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards**

A father’s selfish demands, broken booze bottles, and unconscious mothers are everyday fixtures in eighteen-year-old Samantha Becker’s life. Armed with her guitar and music to keep her comfort in a volatile world, Sam’s one dream to study classical guitar at Juilliard may very well be her salvation. But when her father’s careless actions lead to an “accident,” Sam’s ability to play the guitar dies along with her dreams of attending the renowned school. Losing all confidence in her future, Sam hides behind the emotional barriers that have protected her for years.

Just when Sam has given up, a budding friendship and an unexpected romance give her the hope she needs, forcing her to reevaluate all she’s ever known. With fresh conviction, Sam battles her father’s plans for her future, band mates using her for personal gain, and a permanent injury. But will it be enough? Julliard auditions are almost here. Time’s running out, and Sam must re-learn to play the guitar or give up her dreams forever.

Detailed Review: I thought this book was just amazing. I was fascinated by the story and characters so much, that even after reading it, I found myself turning the whole book over again in my head. I really really really really love the characters in the book. And the twist wow, the twist at the end of the book was so nicely done, the type that makes you want to die that moment. It's just hard to find such perfect twists in contemporaries, to be honest.

So here are the characters I heart:

Sam- Of course I love her. She was so brave throughout the book, even if she did almost give up after the accident. She stood up to her father even though he forbade her to chase her dreams. If this isn't bravery, then what is it?

Tad- I loved him, because he always supported Sam no matter what, and he's just the happy-go-lucky type that would brighten anyone's day.

Laird- OH GOD I WANT HIM SO MUCH. HE'S JUST SO H-O-T. He's so caring and nice to Sam and I was in Cloud 9 when he and Sam got together.

Overall, this book was just AWESOME. It was written with such depth and clarity that added with the combination of in-depth characters, made it just what it was, AMAZING. I admire the author's ability to write so well. Have you seen how many awards is has been shortlisted for up there? I understand why it won so many people's hearts now. And I'm glad it won my heart too.

Contemporary and romance fans, this is for you. YOU MUST NEVER MISS IT. NEVER.

WE ARE NEVER EVER EVER MISSING READING THIS BOOK.

Brief Review: I think what I loved most about the book was the characters and how they affected the main character's life. Souders writes with style and perfection that would keep you reading. This was an amazing experience for me because of how it brought reality into account so vividly. This book was powerful, so powerful it could possibly change your way of thinking. You'll never know...

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

To Sam, who almost gave up,

Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing.-----H. Stanley Judd

Your Reviewer:

On SALE for a limited time! ONLY 99 Cents!

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009AFQ7N0

Paperback: http://amzn.to/177cOHJ

B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/130yzKb

Author Bio

T.M. Souders was born in Johnstown, PA and grew up in the suburbs outside of Pittsburgh. She graduated in 2004, from Youngstown State University, with a degree in Psychology and minor in Women’s Studies. She is the author of bestselling women’s fiction novel, Waiting on Hope, as well as the novelette Dashing Through The Snow, and the three-time, award-winning YA novel, Freedom Road. She is the founder of The Serious Reader, a site dedicated to connecting with readers one book at a time. She currently lives in rural Ohio with her husband and children.

GIVEAWAY – Win a Freedom Road Prize Pack!

One 15oz. "I Love Freedom Road" Fan Mug / A CD of Samantha Becker's (the main character's) favorite Indie Music / a pair of purple tear drop earings / Sam's favorite YA book, "Revolution" in hardback by Jennifer Donnelly / Earbuds / A red, reusable cold drink to-go cup / 3 pack of mini notebooks with pen / 4 pack of mini candles / 3 pack of flip flop car air fresheners / Mike 'n Ikes / M&M's / SweetTarts / TM Souders bookmark & A Personalized Note from the author to YOU!

Just click on the 'A Rafflecopter Giveaway' below to be directed to the Rafflecopter page. May the odds be ever in your favour...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Today is USA's Independence Day. Share your favourite book with war in it, or an overthrow of the government.

Legend by Marie Lu

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Review: Chasing Heartbeats by Kaitlyn Felt

Chasing Heartbeats (Chasing Heartbeats #1)

Title: Chasing Heartbeats
Author: Kaitlyn Felt
Release Date: 8th July 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Growing up in the invisible and sparsely populated village of Livingston, Michigan, Fiona Kent used to despise her life. Every single summer had always turned out to be the same: along with babysitting her younger brothers, Logan and Tommy, the days always turned out to be long, extremely hot, and utterly boring. Just as Fiona was beginning to drown in the tiny sea that she called her world, though, lymphatic lymphoma whisked Tommy away, shoving her parents into a sheer panic and leaving Logan to lose himself in a deep depression. Shocked by her little brother’s quick and unexpected passing, Fiona suddenly feels grateful for the tall walls that separate her and her little town from the rest of the world and embraces what little innocence and naivety she has left…

Three years pass and only one photograph of Tommy can be found in Fiona Kent’s house. Though their small-minded neighbors had eventually stopped gossiping about her brother’s death, Fiona was well aware that the rest of her family had made little progress. Logan was still caught up in the dark, deathly winds of his depression and her parents acted as if Tommy had never been born at all. All of that changes, though, when Fiona discovers a black, blank-covered book in the dark, unexplored realms of her basement. Searching through the book’s yellow-tinged pages, Fiona discovers jaw-dropping letters written to Tommy by an ancient, nineteenth century prodigy known by the name of Sophia Grant. Determined to prove Sophia’s wild and accusatory predictions about her precious, deceased brother wrong, Fiona snaps Logan out of his depression, brings the mysterious book to the attention of her two best friends, and begins the unforgettable journey of a lifetime.

Detailed Review: ARC received by author

My first impression of the book was that it was going to be a sad story about life and how unfair it was. But then I was thrown off track with the existence of the nameless black book that described Tommy's life so perfectly. The language used in the black book, in contrast with the author's narrative skills, was beautiful and convincing. It truly convinced me that another person had written about Tommy's life.

One thing though that dissatisfied me were some of the errors in the book but I can understand because it's an ARC and there would be more edits before the book is published. But the errors did break the flow of the book and slightly affected my enjoyment level.

The author's take on romance was quite good and showed the desires and hopes of both Kyle and Fiona and how the black book had altered their lives and their relationship.

Felt has managed to describe the impact of an object on people's lives with perfection. This book was one of the few contemporaries I'd read so far and I envy how the author can mix in different genres so easily and without breaking a sweat- but you'll never know maybe she really did sweat over it. -wink-

I'm sure you've noticed the lack of spoilers, but I've made a vow to never spoil a book for anyone ever again unless I'm asked to. Life's a mystery. Discover it yourself. Same goes with books.

Brief Review: Original and emotional: this is possibly the best things to look for in a book. Heart-breaking, refreshing and thought-provoking, the book was a great read. The author is brave to consider weaving both the elements of contemporary and fantasy and mystery together but she really did a great job. I'm impressed.

Final Rating: 4.5/5 'Really Liked It'