TGIF- Feature & Follow #204

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:
Armchair Travel! Tell us about your favorite book in a setting you’d like to visit (a real place for this question).

My favourite book in a setting I'd like to visit would be The Fault in Our Stars, which is AMSTERDAM! I haven't watched the movie, but I've seen the trailer and the place looks so beautiful. I'd also love to visit this place because I know it's bursting with history and culture and I'm a real sucker for that :D What with Anne Frank and World War II and all...


What about you? Comment below!

Review: Set Me Free by Melissa Pearl

Title: Set Me Free (Fugitive #2)
Author: Melissa Pearl
Release Date: 18th May 2014
Publisher: Evatopia Press
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Lucy Tate has spent the last 5 years on the run. That is, until she met Zach, the one guy she couldn’t bear to leave even though it could cost both of them their lives.

Hunted by a crooked FBI agent who killed her parents, Lucy has taken on one disguise after the next. But Zach knows exactly who she is and in spite of mounting evidence indicating her guilt in her parents’ death, he knows she’s innocent.

Convinced that it’s time to put her years on the run behind her, Zach and Lucy vow to fight back, clear her name, and take down the real killer. 

With support from Zach’s loyal friends and his uncle, an investigative reporter, they set out on a dangerous mission hoping that the truth...will set them free.

Detailed Review: <<I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest feedback>>

If you read my review on the first book, I Know Lucy,  you would know that I described it as exhilarating. Well, Set Me Free, was ten times that. There was way more action and tension in this book than the first book. This is one of the cases where the sequel is even better than the first book.

The story was way more complicated than I thought it would ever be. When I read that Lucy would fight back in the synopsis, I never thought it would involve the losing of friends, and the intervention of higher powers. It definitely had much more action than I Know Lucy.

What I'm trying to say her is that Melissa Pearl manipulated a simple idea into a complex story. This author's got talent. I can read it between the lines. *wink*

Once again I must comment about Lucy, the main character and compare her to other famous heroines like Katniss and Tris. She doesn't live in a dystopian world like them; she lives under the same circumstances as them. She's been forced in a corner for too long, until she has to fight back. I love the Lucy in this book because she demonstrated her true strength, especially in the end as she fought for her future and it's incredible how much she has survived. She also cares about the people she loves, so she will always try to stop them from getting hurt, which was her sole reason for being on the run. 

I think that Zach was a very solid character and I admired his bravery when he didn't run away when he knew Lucy's background. Instead, he stood by her and encouraged her to fight back and stop running. 

Elliot also became much more likeable and his softer side is revealed in this book. It just shows how strong his friendship is with Zach and how he's willing to help. His skill with computers definitely helped Lucy a lot! Having him as a friend would be the best thing in real life.

Zach made a great match with Lucy. I swear, the romance between them, it literally made me melt on the spot. To be honest, what made me love this book so much was the strength of both Zach and Lucy's relationship. It was so strong that it influenced many of Lucy's decisions, especially her decision to stay and fight till the end.

There were occasions when I felt that my heart was about to burst out of my chest from the tension in the book. The author doesn't just describe the tension and action, she makes you experience it. 

More often than not, Melissa throws in a twist or two to make things interesting. They're not small twists. They're life-changing. You find yourself constantly on the edge as you progress. That's the fun of it! Don't tell me you don't want to know how it feels like!

But I swear, that twist in the end was unexpected, so please prepare yourself for a mini heart attack towards the end.

*There will be two more books in the series, featuring Jaeda and Elliot! I can't wait to know more about their stories!

Check out my review of the first book, I Know Lucy HERE.

Brief Review: Not for the first time, Melissa Pearl has impressed me with this sequel to an awesome book. Her writing is what brings the characters to life and pulls you into the action of the story. Even the story itself is carefully mapped out with some interesting twists along the way. I wouldn't want a different sequel than this. This is THE BEST OF THE BEST. *thumbs up* 

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

 This is what I would have said to Lucy throughout the whole book; Bob Marley said it best.

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight--- Bob Marley

Your Reviewer:

Waiting on Wednesday: Firefight (Reckoners #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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

Title: Firefight

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Release Date: January 8th 2015

Publisher: Gollancz

Find on: Goodreads

Description: 

From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.

They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand. 

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. 

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

I loved loved loved Steelheart and I really can't wait to see what Firefight brings! I'd bet for more romance though! The cover totally rocks the book!

ARC Review: Words and Their Meanings by Kate Bassett

Title: Words and Their Meanings
Author: Kate Bassett
Release Date: 8th September 2014
Publisher: Flux
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Anna O’Mally doesn’t believe in the five stages of grief. Her way of dealing with death equates to daily bouts of coffin yoga and fake-tattooing Patti Smith quotes onto her arms. Once a talented writer, Anna no longer believes words matter, until shocking discoveries– in the form of origami cranes– force her to redefine family and love.

As Anna goes in search of the truth, she discovers that while every story, every human being, has a last line, it might still be possible to find the words for a new beginning.

Detailed Review:  This book was raw, so raw that it's impossible to read the book in one sitting.  The emotion in this book overwhelms you too easily. It's too much to take in all at once. 

The first thing you should do before reading a book like Words and Their Meanings is to prepare yourself for the impossible to happen. And to prove myself, I'll use Anna, the main character's prized first line: 'The universe is made of possibility.' This book proves this line right.

Anna has lost one of the people she loved most, her 'bruncle' Joe and the ways she copes with his death are coffin yoga and Patti Smith.

One year later, she still can't let go but she decides to take up her mom's suggestion of a summer job just so she won't be sent to 'hell'. The summer job becomes more than she bargains for as she gains the attraction of one of the cooks and Anna is once again forced to acknowledge her own existence.

After breaking into her bruncle's room and she finds a letter in a paper crane, it sends her knowledge of Joe spiralling to the ground. When her grandfather fell into a coma after an accident, everything goes downhill, and secrets are uncovered.

The secrets are the twists; each character in the book has their own, which I think is what makes the book unique because it shows that peple aren't what they seem, even the ones you love most. 

The characters had lots of depth and certainly contributed much to the emotion of the story. Anne's grief and bitterness got to me easily. If she were to exist in real life and hear her story, I'd probably break down and cry. Anne was a beautiful character. She isn't perfect; in fact, she's deeply flawed. She can be selfish sometimes and she's not as tough as she seems. The only thing she's good at is writing. That changed when she failed a highly prized writing program. Her ability to write was lost from then on. However, I still thought Anna was a strong character because she made it through so long and coped with everything: her bruncle's death, her family crumbling to pieces, her grandfather's accident. Finally she proved herself to be strong enough to let go. This is what got to me especially. The realness of her character scored points for the book.

*am on the verge of spoiling this book for you but I won't*

Words and Their Meanings shows how much you would do to keep the people you love close to you so you won't lose them, up to the extent when you become selfish and ultimately cause something unintentional to happen. It also tells you that even the people you love has secrets they will never tell you.

The romance doesn't disappoint either. *wiggles eyebrows* But I think the main focus shouldn't be on the romance. Keep your eyes to the story.

Brief Review: Never have I read a novel that felt so fresh and raw that it leaves metaphorical scars and welts on my heart. This book doesn't disappoint at all, it was more than I expected it to be. Kate Bassett brings you a touching story of grief, love, regret, family and secrets that will ultimately send you into tears as you follow Anna through her story and the reasons for her actions. In the end, what you will get from her story is: to move on you have to let go. 

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

 This quote made me think of this book:

A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept---Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Your Reviewer:

Review: Dangerous Dream by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Dangerous Dream

Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Release Date: 17th December 2013

Publisher: -

Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.

Where's a Linkubus when you need him?

Detailed Review: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

First, I must say I loved The Caster Chronicles and to have another series related to it, is just awesome! Ridley's one of my favourite bad characters because of the fact that she actually has a vulnerable side to her that balances her bad-girl demeanour. Also knowing that she loves her cousin Lena makes me warm inside because it just proves the saying: 'In Darkness there is Light, and in Light there is Darkness'. 

The story starts from Ethan's point of view, during his graduation, and Ridley, as usual stirred up some trouble. I honestly love reading scenes like this! It's just so funny, watching girls like Emily and Savannah scream and react to Ridley's red lollipop charms. Then the story alternates between Link and Ridley's POVs.

And then the romance. I find the relationship between Link (Ethan's best friend) and Ridley very nerve-wracking sometimes, but that's the fun of it. Ridley always tries her best to put up her tough-girl exterior but then Link always manages to break through. It just fascinates me how much magic (magic more powerful than the magic of a Dark Caster) love can work on someone.

This book is actually giving you a brief look into the newest series related to Casters, Dangerous Creatures. It tells the beginning of a story where Ridley went too far and took a risk too many which could put the ones she loves and herself in danger. This series will definitely lead us deeper into the world of the Dark Casters than the Caster Chronicles ever could. 

And fair warning: there may be a love triangle coming at you. I could sense it while reading the last few chapters. There was a hot guy in the story.

P.S. You really should read The Caster Chronicles before starting this series so you know how the romance between and Link and Ridley started and fared throughout the series. Besides, it's a great series you shouldn't miss!

Brief Review: Once again, Stohl and Garcia didn't fail to impress me with this new series. My advice to you is... Read with caution. There may be Dark Casters ready to jump at you from the darkest corners. Ridley's not the only Dark one now. This series is not one you should miss if you loved the Caster Chronicles!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'












Your Reviewer:

Waiting on Wednesday: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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

Title: This Shattered World
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Release Date: 23rd December 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Find on: Goodreads

Description: The second installment in our epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.

I'm aware that this is the first WoW post that I've done this year. I haven't had the time to write any except reviews. But now I'm back with another upcoming release that's definitely mouth-watering! I honestly thought These Broken Stars was a great read and to know that there's a sequel is very appealing! As for the cover, it looks gorgeous but it isn't comparable to the These Broken Stars cover. That one was DROP-DEAD-GORGEOUS. That one is a winner. I also really hope that I can get another glimpse of Tarver and Lilac in the sequel. I MUST READ THIS BOOK.

Review: The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe

Title: The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant
Author: Joanna Wiebe
Release Date: 14th January 2014
Publisher: BenBella Books
Find on: Goodreads

Detailed Review: <<I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review>>

*There may be some mini spoilers*

This book blew me away. Honest-to-god blew me away. This wasn't anything I expected at all. There was no hint or warning beforehand that demons would come into this. 

Wiebe's story-writing kept my mind twisting and spinning that after finishing, my brain probably had the most hardcore workout it had ever had! Too many sudden twists. Too many in the last few chapters. Too many EVERYWHERE. I mean it, in the literal sense. This is not a hyperbole. 

I can seriously compare this book to a mind game. You can get frustrated, shocked, angry and sad from just reading this book. You really need plenty of rest after digesting so much. 

In the end though, you'll only have one thought in your head: WOW. That was good. It's the exact same feeling where you're in a race and you unexpectedly won. That exhilarating wow-I-can't-believe-I-made-it-through-that feeling.

It isn't just the twists, it's the story itself. It is so filled with creativity. I swear my mind must have broken down a few times from the abundance of creativity I encountered in Anne Merchant's story. It just makes me cry in shame as I admire Wiebe's imagination, which is so beautiful compared to mine. The concept that you need to become valedictorian to become alive again? Wow. And it's something so much more than that, as revealed in the ending? Double wow.

The characters themselves were as deep and complex as the story itself. Take Ben Zin for example. He seems willing to help Anne around the school but sometimes he just ignores her. And Pilot, he may look like the nicest guy in the school, with no PT and no wish to become valedictorian, there is something more than meets the eye about him.

The romance was very satisfying. Finger-licking satisfying. I can't wait for more of this swoon-worthy romance between Anne and... Take a guess.

I may not have ranted about this in my recent reviews, but once again I must, MUST, bring your attention to the ending, which wasn't an ending, more like THE CLIFFHANGER. I seriously felt like I was the one dangling off the cliff screaming NOOOOOOO and reaching out as the rest of the story become something intangible again, waiting to be continued by the scheming author behind this masterpiece.

Brief Review: Once again,  I must repeat, that this book unbelievably blew me away. The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant combines horror, fantasy, action and romance all into one, together with the most complicated characters you could ever know and the most twisted twists that have the ability to make you throw up later, which is an impressive feat to be applauded. This book is certainly not a joy ride; it is a terrifying roller-coaster ride. But it's worth the read. The most logical thing you should be doing right now is add this book to your TBR shelf!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

Your Reviewer: