Never Have I Ever Blog Tour

I am participating in the Never Have I Ever Blog Tour This Week!

“Monday through Friday this week, participating blogs will host a different game of NEVER HAVE I EVER, featuring three “Never Have I Ever…” statements from a different set of twins. Readers must post a comment below correctly identifying the lie, as well as answer whether the Never Have I Ever statement from The Lying Game’s Emma and Sutton is true or false. Readers who successfully comment on each of the 5 blogs with all the right  answers will be entered to win Sara Shepard’s books (all nine Pretty Litte Liars and the first two Lying Game books)!

Never Have I Ever Blog Tour Schedule!

Visit All The Blogs:

Monday: Katie's Book Blog 

Tuesday: Forever Young Adult 

Wednesday: I Swim For Oceans

Thursday: Naughty Book Kitties

Friday: Princess Bookie

Have Fun! 

Love Story Winners

I picked winners using randomorg this morning!

The winners of Love Story Are

Ashley  And  Tara T 

Please Email me asap with your mailing info! 

Dead Rules by Randy Russell

Dead Rules by Randy Russell
Release Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 384

Summary:
Till death
Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever.
Do
But Jana's destiny was fatally flawed. And now she's in Dead School, where Mars Dreamcote lurks in the back of the classroom, with his beguiling blue eyes, mysterious smile, and irresistibly warm touch.
Us
Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon.
Part
But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.



My Thoughts: I started this book laying in bed one night. The next day I finished it on a long car trip. As I sat in the passenger sit, I flipped the book to its last page. I looked over to my boyfriend, and said, "hmm that was one weird but interesting book." 


Dead Rules was very unique to say the least. We are introduced to Jana Webster who is dead. We barely get to know her in the real world (besides her bowling accident). We are introduced right away to her as being dead. She is in dead school with other dead kids. We are introduced to all of her new friends. Honestly, I loved each one of her friends and I loved reading their stories about how they died. They were all very unique. 


Than, we meet her one and only Michael. Micheal is Jana's Romeo. He is the cereal in her milk. The cheese in her crackers. In other words, she loved him so much she was border lining on obsessed. Or at least it seemed that way to me! HAHA! We can tell right away that Michael just wasn't as into Jana as she assumed he was. He had his own agenda and her dying was a blessing in disguise for him (what a total jerk). 


Than, we are introduced to Mars. Jana is warned her very first day of dead school to stay away from Mars. He's a slider and very dangerous. (You'll get to know the different terms throughout the novel-Sliders-Risers-etc). I liked Mars from day one. Something about him was mildly interesting and attractive. Even though he is a bad boy, I could tell he had a soft inside. 


Jana doesn't know it, but Mars already knows her. So when he sees her on the bus, he can't believe his eyes. But Jana doesn't remember him. But she's really focused on what to do without Michael and how to get him into Dead School.


Dead Rules mainly focuses on Jana's death and how she can get Michael to die so they can be together. Yes, she loves him enough to kill him. (Eek).  Jana even gets to attend her own funeral.


Russell's whole take on this storyline was so interesting. I loved learning all the characters quirks. I loved how Mars and Jana interacted together, and I loved how he did look out for her best interest for the most part. Even though most of the students deaths were freak accidents, it was still fun to learn how they died and how they feel about being dead now.


Overall: Dead Rules was an awesome book. It was so freaking interesting. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. My eyes raised a few times throughout the novel and there were a few passages I had to reread a few times because they made me laugh. 


I'm so glad HarperTeen decided to publish this novel. They definitely hit a winner here.

Cover: Love it! I love her eyes and her lips! Awesome cover!

What I'd Give It: 

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
Release Date: May 24, 2011 
Publisher: Atheneum
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 320 




Summary: Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history. Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.
Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.
Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.
This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.
Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.



My Thoughts: I did not expect myself to like this as much as I did. I usually do not like historical books. They are lucky to even get 3 cupcakes from me usually. And I always have a hard time finishing them. It took me a little while to get into Wrapped but once I hit about page 100 I was hooked. I wanted to know what happened.


The book starts out with Agnes and her debuting season. She has to get a husband and get married off. Lord Showalter is veering for her affections. All the other women want him. He's handsome (kind of), loyal, and rich. Whats a girl not to want? Agnes just doesn't feel it with him. She doesn't really want to be married off. She's very independent and likes being her own person. She knows she'll make a good wife someday but she just doesn't want that someday to be now.


She attends a party at Lord Showalter's and unwraps a mummy! Its a special event. She finds a unique token and instead of returning it, she decides to keep it. Keeping it sets off a chain of reactions. There are some powerful people looking for that item and everyone who unwrapped the mummy starts to get attacked. Agnes goes to the museum to find out more about its history and there she meets Caedmon.Caedmon was adorable. He was the very opposite of Showalter, and he was friendly and respected Agnes. They start to become partners, working on the mystery together. People start to get hurt, people are out to get them, people are not who we think they are! While Showalter is trying to get Agnes attention, she's secretly sneaking out to meet Caedmon to work on their project.


What happens to Agnes? Do the bad people eventually catch up with her? What happens to Showalter and Caedmon? Read the book to find out.


Overall: I really enjoyed Wrapped much more than I originally thought I would. Yes, it was historical but it was more than that. It was a nice story! I also liked learning about her family and the time spent with her friends. I really liked Caedmon, he was so sweet. Honestly, this was a fun historical novel!


Cover: Love it! Its weird but it fits the book perfectly. Its a neat weird. 

What I'd Give It: 

Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Born At Midnight (Shadow Falls #1  ) by C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 416

Summary: One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

My Thoughts: I didn't know what this book was really even about when I started reading. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and how easy it was to get into. We are introduced to Kylie who doesn't fit in anywhere. She has one good friend but to the rest of the kids she's a weirdo. She goes to a party and the party gets busted so she ends up in jail. Her shrink ends up talking to her mother and suggest she goes to a summer camp. What more can happen to Kylie? Her boyfriend hooked up with another girl, her parents are getting divorced, she's having night terrors, whats next?

She heads off to camp. As soon as she's on the bus, she can tell something is off. These kids are weird! Beyond how weird everyone thinks she is. She realizes that the camp is for supernaturals. What in the world is she doing there? She meets a vampire, a witch, a shape shifter, a faerie, and a werewolf. 

Of course, yes there is a love triangle. Or at least the start of one. She's torn between Lucas and Derek. Than there is also the issue of her ex-boyfriend being right down the road at another camp.

I won't say much more because I don't want to tell you what kind of supernatural Kylie thinks she might be, or any other spoilers. 

Born At Midnight was a fun book. It was entertaining, and had me laughing in parts. The characters are hilarious. They are so unique and fun to learn about.  I also liked all the guys and how they related to Kylie and how she liked them for different reasons. 

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.  

Overall: Loved it! It was soooooo funny! I loved Kylie's character. I loved learning more about her and why she is the way she is. 

Cover: Its cute. I don't love it, but its still really cute. 

What I'd Give It: 

Love Story Giveaway

Love Story by Jennifer Echols Giveaway

Want To Win A Copy?

Summary: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. 

Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen. Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college. At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be.

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Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Publisher: MTV
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 256


Summary: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.

Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen.

Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college.

At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be.
  
My Thoughts: As I've said a hundred times before, I adore Jennifer Echols!!! I've read all of her books and love them! She sure knows how to get in a teen's head and her books are always so romantic and have moments that make me bust out laughing. Love Story was no exception. We are introduced to Erin, who has came from a wealthy home. She is in other words, rich. But with her grandmothers demands that she study business and take over her grandmothers legacy when she passes away and run the racehorse farm, Erin doesn't want to do this. She has other plans for herself. She wants to study English and become a famous writer. She believes its her destiny to move to New York and pursue her dream. So, of course, as stubborn as her grandmother is, she cuts Erin off financially after hearing this. This does not discourage Erin, she heads to New York anyway and lives as a starving writer. She has to get a scholarship, a job, and live like a poor person.

Enter Hunter Allen, a boy Erin has known since middle school and has lived on her farm all these years. He was the stable boy. Erin and Hunter were friends for a while as kids but they were discouraged to be friends and everyone at school knew of him as the "help." Erin's grandmother has turned the tables and given Erin's whole inheritance to Hunter and he is now going to take over the horse farm once he finishes business school. Its the perfect opportunity for Hunter since he hasn't had much money and this will be great for him. Of course, this makes Erin despise him over more. How could he do this to her? Does he hate her this much?

Hunter and Erin end up at the same college in New York and in each others classes. This is unfortunate for Erin since she just wrote a story about him in her creative writing class and he walks in. How embarrassing. Its not just a nice story either. Its really romantic and sinister. Erin was just getting some of her feelings out on paper, he was never supposed to hear it!

The stories Erin were writing were interesting. At first, I didn't know if I was going to like them. They are historical based and I usually do not like historical so I was weary at first. But they were simple enough to follow and enjoy. Hunter's stories were just as good. There were so many deeper meanings in each story that you really have to pay attention or you will miss what is really going on behind the scenes. I loved the way we switch to the stories, than back to real life. It was thrilling.

The two end up in each others life a lot more than they planned. They can't seem to stay away from each other, always crossing each others path. They even end up in the same dorm!

We soon realize what Hunter's real goals are, where he sneaks off in the middle of the night, and why Erin is the way she is, why her feelings are so jumbled.

There are many other characters throughout the book that were enjoyable to get to know; from her dorm-mates to the other people in her creative writing class.

The scene of New York was also neat. I would love to visit New York and being with Erin for even a little while, made me feel like I was really there, experiencing the streets and how busy it really is. The city that never sleeps.

Echols can describe every detail so precisely. Even the description of Hunter's abs had me swooning! Can I have him please?

I loved this book! Love Story is another amazing story! I still liked Forget You a little more than Love Story but it was just as good. Echols is an amazing writer.

Honestly, I can't say much else or everything will be ruined. I don't like giving away spoilers in Echol's books because they are soooooo good and I don't want to ruin the whole experience.

Overall: Loved it! It was awesome! Please go out and buy Echol's whole backlist and read them all! You won't be sorry!

Cover: I do love the cover but I wish that we could see more of his face. I also like how the girl has a nose ring since Erin does have one in the book. 

What I'd Give It:  

In My Mailbox (75)

In My Mailbox Is Inspired by Kristi@The Story Siren

This week I got a few for review and I purchased a few!

Twisted by Sara Shepard 

Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard 

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

 I am quoted in this book, how awesome is that?

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally 

What Did You Get This Week? Hope you got lots of surprises! 

Back When You Were Easier To Love by Emily Wing Smith

Back When You Were Easier To Love by Emily Wing Smith
Release Date: April 28, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304











Summary:WHO ZAN IS: Blow-your-mind brilliant. Stop-your-heart gorgeous. Hold-your-breath clever. WHO ZAN WAS: Joy’s boyfriend. WHY JOY NEEDS HIM BACK: So she can breathe again. WHAT THAT MEANS: An elaborate road trip involving a SAAB 900, Sprite, and Barry Manilow. Oh, and Noah, Zan’s irritating-but-almost-charming ex-best friend. Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy’s story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and her life now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent. 

My Thoughts: This book is very hard to describe or even put into words! We are introduced to Joy and her life. She moved to this new little town less than a year ago and she instantly connected with Zan. Zan is the love of her life (or so she thinks) and he means everything to Joy. Zan all of a sudden leaves and thats where the book starts.We also met Zan's best friend Noah who Joy doesn't really know very well and she doesn't want to get to know him either. What's the point? She figures he's too popular and she doesn't give him much thought. Joy thinks she can't exist without Zan and she must find out why he left town and why he thought he needed more, or something bigger.  

This book was very hard to get into at first. I kept putting it down, picking it back up, reading a few sentences, and putting it back down again. I just had a hard time connecting at first. I think it was because I didn't really like Joy's connection to Zan and I didn't feel much emotion towards him. It was a bit predictable that we would come to the conclusion that he thought he was "better" than everyone in their town. Most of the people around are Mormon. Honestly, I don't know much about Mormon faith and the small details really surprised me and were interesting.  

Joy thinks she needs to find Zan to get closure; to ask him why he left and why he left her. So she gets this idea about going to find him with the help of Noah and they go on a road trip.  

Joy and Noah set off to find him and this is where the real story starts to unfold. I loved the road trip and how Noah and Joy started to get to know each other. I loved the scene that involved finding out about her mystery birthday present and all the little moments and small talks between Noah and Joy. Once, the story got going I really enjoyed this story and Joy grew on me. At times, I thought she was a bit stalkerish and needy. I'm glad she grew as a person and started to realize that she could be dependent on herself. 

Overall: This is a story of self discovery and a story to show us that there is more to the world than whats on the outside. As someone looking from the outside, I could tell there was more to Noah than meets the eye and that he had more feelings than Joy originally thought. Overall, I really enjoyed Back When You Were Easier To Love and can't wait to see what Emily has in store for us with her next novel. 

Cover: The cover is so cute even if it looks half cartoonish. hehe. Its really cute though.

What I'd Give It: 

Waiting On Wednesday (95)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights forthcoming titles that we absolutely can't wait to read.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting


Summary: Words are the most dangerous weapon of all. 

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed. 

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Why I Want It:  I loved Derting's other series so I'm excited to read this one as well! 

Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala

Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala
Release Date: June 22, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 304


Summary: It's tough living in the shadow of a dead girl. . . .

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda's death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister's world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

When two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears, Miranda is stripped of her former life. She must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister's demons and her own.

In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.

My Thoughts: Holly Cupala is such an amazing writer. Everything she writes is so raw and beautiful in its own way. I fell in love with Don't Breathe A Word, I enjoyed Tell Me A Secret. Both were so enjoyable I feel like I lived inside both of the characters heads in both novels. 

In Tell Me A Secret, we are introduced to Miranda aka Rand who has just spent 3 months away at a camp. She comes home to find out that her best friend Delaney isn't who she thought she was and her boyfriend Kamran has changed so much he's barely recognizable.  Rand has already had a stressful time dealing with her sister's death and the way her parents act towards her. Rand has to be perfect in their eyes so she doesn't turn into her sister Xanda. In their eyes, Xanda was perfect  until one day she wasn't. She became wild and out of control. 

Rand comes home already worried, because she thinks she might be pregnant. She made a choice before camp thinking her boyfriend would be waiting for her when she got home. She loved him so how could he possibly want anything other than her?

Rand has a lot of tough decisions to make, keep the baby, not keep the baby, pursue her dream of art school, or give up and get a job? 

I honestly didn't like Kamran from the beginning. Maybe that was the point, we aren't supposed to really like him? He never really seemed to treat Rand all that good, even in flashbacks. Or at least I didn't think so. 

I did like Andre; Xanda's boyfriend when she was alive. I felt like Andre was an overall good guy. He felt horrible about what happened to Xanda and didn't just forget her and move on right away.  I knew that there had to be more to that story than what we were led to believe in the beginning. 

I liked Rand's personality. I liked how she stuck up for herself and believed in herself even when nobody else did. 

Tell Me A Secret was an amazing debut by Cupala. 

Overall: Really enjoyed this one. It was also a very fast read for me. Once I got sucked in the story I didn't stop until I finished. I stayed up way past my bedtime on a Sunday night reading until I was done! Tell Me A Secret was very intense. A great look at how scared a teenage girl can really be when she sees those two pink lines that have the possibility to change her life forever. 

Cover: The cover is very realistic. The way it looks like she is breathing on the other's shoulders makes it look kind of artistic. 

What I'd Give It:

Sirensong by Jenna Black

Sirensong (Faeriewalker #3)  by Jenna Black
Release Date: July 5, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320

Summary:  When Dana is invited to Faerie to be officially presented at the Seelie Court, it’s no easy decision. After all, everyone knows Titania, the Seelie Queen, wants her dead. But Titania claims not to be the one behind the death threats; and her son, Prince Henry, makes the decision a whole lot easier when he suggests Dana might be arrested for (supposedly) conspiring with her aunt Grace to usurp the Seelie throne. So she and her father better do as they're told…The journey through Faerie is long – and treacherous. Dana thought it would be a good idea to have friends along, but her sort-of-boyfriend Ethan and her bodyguard’s son, Keane, just can’t seem to get along, and Kimber’s crush on Keane isn’t making things any easier. When a violent attack separates Dana from their caravan, the sexy Erlking saves her just in the nick of time… and makes it clear that he hasn’t given up on making her his own.
Arriving at Titania’s beautiful palace should be a relief. But Dana is soon implicated in an assassination attempt against Titania’s niece, and is suddenly a fugitive, forced to leave her father behind as she and her friends flee for her lives. Will she be able to prove her innocence before the forces of the Seelie Court catch up with her? Or, worse, the Erlking? And will she save her father before he pays the ultimate price in her stead? 

My Thoughts: We are once again back with Dana and her gang of family and friends. Dana has been living with her father in Avalon for a while now and there is never a dull moment. Dana and her father attend a party hosted by Prince Henry and he invites them on a trip to see the Queen. Invite is a strong word, they have go to otherwise it's disrespectful and could start a fight.

Dana insists to her father that she be escorted by her friends Ethan and his sister Kimber. Her father lets them come but is a little unsure of it, but he figures Ethan can also watch her back and protect her. Of course Finn and his son Keane are also coming. I loved how much we see of her friends in this novel. I loved how her relationship with Ethan is growing and Keane is also around more. I still want to see more of Keane! But even though we know he had a crush on Dana, he is now focusing his attention more on Kimber.  

They start on their journey and figure they will be save with Henry's entourage since nobody would dare attack them! Of course things do not go as planned and they do get attacked. We also realize that Erlking is still around and is following Dana.


Erlking is a mysterious character. We know that he looks out for himself and if its in his best interest, he'll do it. But he protects Dana a lot more than he has too. He kind of feels an allegiance to her I suppose. Even though we're supposed to fear him and loathe him, I always find myself liking him and his sense of humor. He makes things more interesting. We also see more of Dana's brother who is in the Wild Hunt.

Once, they all get to the Queen's there is an attack and Dana is the one whose at blame since she's the only one who can carry technology in. So they all run, even though she's innocent. 

They are on the run with nowhere to go! How did the technology get in? What happens when Erlking decides he wants Dana to himself and sends Ethan after her? Will the romance ever go further with Ethan because once Dana gives her virginity up, since Erlking can step in and own her power? Is it worth it? Does Dana become a better fighter? Does she live or die?  Read the book now! 

Overall: Loved Sirensong! I think I loved this one more than the first two. The trip to the Queen's was interesting. They are on the move a lot so lots of things happen. She sees weird things she's never seen before. When Dana is wanted by the Queen, she is quite brave and does anything she has to in order to survive. We also see her powers developing more and realize just what she can do! I loved Sirensong, I hope you do too! 

Cover: She's so pretty! I also love how she is leaning down on her hands.

What I'd Give It: 

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Walker Childrens 
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352




Summary:  Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.


My Thoughts: So I don't normally read too many mermaid books. I don't know why I don't because the few I do I tend to enjoy them quite a bit. We are introduced to Tempest who is getting ready to turn 17 years old. For as long as she can remember her mother always told her on her 17th birthday she would be faced with a huge decision to make. Tempest is a half mermaid. She has the decision to stay a human and continue on what she knows or to go to the water and become a mermaid where she will stay. The decision is ultimately hers. 


Tempest's mother left years ago and she hasn't seen or heard from her since. She knows her mother had a higher calling; a job to do but Tempest still does not understand why she had to go and leave the family, including her two brothers and her father. 


As her 17th birthday approaches Tempest life starts to change. Her relationship with Mark (her boyfriend) is starting to change. She doesn't feel as connected to him as she once did, partly because she can't tell him her secret. She is starting to feel cold all over and can't seem to get warm, she even grows gills!!! What in the world is she growing gills for? She's half scared she's going to wake up one day and have a tail. That would be hard to explain in school! Tempest even starts to feel weird while surfing (the girl lives to surf). 


Enter a mysterious boy named Kona that Tempest meets on the beach. He's nothing like any boy she's ever met before. She feels drawn to him, he feels familiar. 


Kona and Tempest get to know each other a bit better, and become friends. One day while on the beach, Kona gets into an accident (if we can call it that?) and gets thrown under water and Tempest goes after him without thinking. She ends up under the water into "their world". In other words, the mermaid (and other creatures) world. While she's there, she learns that time passes differently there, and she learns more about what her life could be like if she chooses this path. She learns that everyone in the water "knows" who she is and what she is capable of.  She also learns about the evil sea witch who wants to kill her! She wants to use Tempest to her own advantage! 


I'm going to stop there on the summary. I don't want to give away any major spoilers. I loved this book so much. I loved seeing Tempest in her life in the human world but I also liked seeing her life in the mermaid world. I liked learning the little facts she learned throughout the book about her family.  The ending was kind of abrupt and I wish I knew what happened afterwards though. I'm still happy with the way things turned out. Tempest Rising was an awesome debut. 


Overall:  I loved the beauty of this book. The way it was told was pure beautiful. It was relaxing, yet exciting. It was very peaceful, yet I devoured it quickly. Tempest Rising was everything plus more that I was looking for in a mermaid book. 


Cover: Isn't this one of the most beautiful covers you ever seen? I think so. I love everything about it. I love the way we can see the tattoo on her back. I love seeing the top of her tail. The colors are so pretty. I also like how we can see her hair and half of her face. They got this cover right. 

What I'd Give It: 

Waiting On Wednesday (94)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights forthcoming titles that we absolutely can't wait to read.

Little Women And Me by Lauren Baratz Logsted


Summary: Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.


Why I Want It: Sounds really good! 

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Release Date: July 12, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320


Summary: On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss. The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think... 


My Thoughts: We are introduced to Hannah and her best friend Ava. We also meet Sebastian (Hannah's boyfriend) and Noah (Ava's boyfriend). They all constantly hang out together! Its the last day of school and they all end up at a party where Hannah spots her boyfriend making out with another girl. Things can't get any worst until Ava tells Hannah she is leaving for the whole summer to go work as a camp counselor. How is Hannah supposed to spend the whole summer by herself without being extremely depressed about her breakup? Its a nightmare!


Ava goes to camp, and she enlists Noah to help cheer Hannah up while she's gone. He gets Hannah a job at the restaurant where he works and she meets a new friend named Lacey. They become good friends throughout the book.  Noah magically always appears when Hannah is down in the dumps and needs someone to talk too. 


All three of them hang out together all summer and Hannah spends more time than she should thinking about Noah. Yes, she's still hurt over Sebastian but he's starting to slowly fade away from her mind.


I loved the friendship between Noah and Hannah. They get each other. They liked the same things and understood each other. They had fun together. They ate snacks, listened to music, and had deep talks.


Hannah starts having feels she shouldn't be having. How can she turn them off?


Than all hell breaks loose when Ava comes back and Hannah is left with the consequences of her actions. 


Let me sum this up. First of all, I loved the storyline. I love love love romantic triangles and its always interesting when best friends steal boyfriends (we don't want it to happen to us but we still like reading about it right?) We always think the guy is with the wrong girl.  


Second, this book was told in flashbacks and current time. We jump back and forth to what happened over the summer to the first day of senior year. Its funny, exhilarating, and downright special! 


Third, and most important, I love Barnholdt. I will read whatever she writes. I've enjoyed all of her books and this one did not disappoint. 


Overall:  Loved! Loved! Loved! Adored! One of my favorites of the year so far! 


Cover: I love it! The girl is very pretty and it fits the book! 

What I'd Give It: 

Pearl by Jo Knowles

Pearl by Jo Knowles
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Publisher: Henry Holt And Co. 
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 224



Summary: Bean (née Pearl) and Henry, misfits and best friends, have the strangest mothers in town. Henry’s mom Sally never leaves the house. Bean’s mom Lexie, if she is home, is likely nursing a hangover or venting to her friend Claire about Bean’s beloved grandfather Gus, the third member of their sunny household.

Gus’s death unleashes a host of family secrets that brings them all together. And they threaten to change everything—including Bean’s relationship with Henry, her first friend, and who also might turn out to be her first love.

My Thoughts: I didn't know if I'd enjoy Pearl when I started it. I was unsure about it. I liked it quite a bit. We are introduced to Bean aka Pearl and her best friend Henry. They have been best friends since the age of 7 and they are now 15 years old. Both of their dad's left them when they were young so they have bonded over that. They tell each other everything. We also meet Henry's mom Sally and Bean's grandfather Gus, her mother Lexie, and her mother's friend Claire. 

Bean and Henry have made up so many stories about their fathers. It helps them cope and gives them a sensible reason why their dad's aren't around. 

A death in the family results in lots of questions between Henry and Bean. And why does Bean's mother act the way she does? At times, she just doesn't seem reasonable. Lexie doesn't get a long with her father most of the time and Bean just doesn't understand why she feels that way towards her grandfather. Bean and Henry start to develop feelings for each other and wonder if they are related. Honestly, this book is just over 200 pages and if I say much more I'll be giving away the whole plot and the whole conclusion. 

I'll just say this, I really enjoyed reading Pearl. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but a good story otherwise. There isn't a whole lot of romance in this one, its more mystery and is full of lots of questions. Bean is trying to figure out things. 

Overall: I really liked Pearl. Its a good contemporary book. 

Cover: Its really plain but still appealing. If you look close enough, you can see faces on the cover. 

What I'd Give It: