Stacking The Shelves (3)

Meme Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Hey Everyone! Today is Stacking the Shelves day! Here we'll show you all the posts done for the past week including reviews, interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and memes as well as the books and swag we've gotten!! 

What Went On for the Past Two Weeks

Review of Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Review of Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Review of Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Review of Defiance by C. J. Redwine

Review of Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Review of Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

Review of The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Francis Long

Review of The Raft by S. A. Bodeen

Review of Wild Horse Springs by Lisa Williams Kline

Mini Reviews of Cicada and Bittersweet

Waiting on Wednesday (28) - Through to You

Which Cover is Calling For You - Girl Power Edition

Help Us Choose (1) - Which Book Would You Pick?

on to the books... 

Books Mentioned:

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Shift by Kim Curran

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Undeadly by Michele Vail

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

Death & The Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

What did you get this week?

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington - Farah

Title: Speechless

Author: Hannah Harrington 

Publication date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Challenges: Contemporary, A-Z, SARC

Source: NetGalley

Format: Digital ARC

Pages: 288

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Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Seeing Speechless on NetGalley made me so happy. After reading Hannah Harrington's debut novel, Saving June, I became a major fan. The cover immediately told me that there was something special about this book. Speechless has a message to all the readers out there, and a very strong message. Hannah Harrington talked about a very important topic, and it's talking. Not just normal talking, bad talking. Gossip, making fun, embarrassment, all of that stuff. The main protagonist, Chelsea, is a person who can keep no secret. She's such a blabbermouth, and will always tell people any information she gets. Just a person who genuinely loves gossip. Chelsea being in the popular crowd, and Kristen's puppet, everyone loves her. That is until she spills some other major gossip she got, and serious stuff happens. Chelsea doesn't realize how her words hurt many people around her. injuries and the police being involved, Chelsea had to go and tell the truth.

People blamed her. Kristen hates her now. Chelsea isn't popular anymore, and all of that just because she hadn't kept her mouth shut. Later on, she finds an article from National Geographic, talking about the Vow of silence. Bam, she gets the idea, and decides to do it. Chelsea literally becomes silent. She doesn't talk with her parents, with her teachers, even when she's all by herself. Even though Chelsea annoyed me at first, and seemed like one of those girls who only cared about popularity, I really liked how determined she seem. She put her mind to something, and didn't stop no matter how much she got in trouble for it. Speaking of trouble, she got detention from one of her teachers for not participating in class and refusing to speak, and that's where she meets Asha. Asha is an amazing character. I actually found her to perfect to be alive. She was always super duper nice, and gave Chelsea a chance. Chelsea meets Asha, Asha is friends with Sam, Sam is friends with Adam, so they all become friends. I really liked the flow of how all the characters meet, and how they just don't click as soon as they meet. It did take time, and each character had their own reason for it. Sam is an adorable character. He's one of those guys who you don't and do notice at school. He's kind of in the middle, like any normal kid at school. Not popular, and not at the bottom of the status. He was so normal, which I really liked. Not your "bad boy" or "popular boy" or any of those categories. I definitely enjoyed all the characters here.

If i had to compare Speechless to Saving June, i'd still say I liked Saving June more, but this was a good book as well. I have to say, even though everything was fun and awesome, there was just something about it that ticked me off. Something felt off about it, and I was annoyed at something for some reason. Maybe it's just me, but at some points maybe I felt like Chelsea was overdoing it, or the school was making a bigger deal, but that's just my opinion. Overall, I do recommend it to young adult readers, and I cannot wait to read more from Hannah Harrington!

Help Us Choose! (1) - Which book would you pick?

Ever reached a point where you just didn't know what to read next? this usually applies to the piles of physical non-review books you have sitting on your shelf collecting dust. Well, we're putting a stop to it. Farah and I have each chosen a couple of our physical books and will present it to you through a vlog, so either comment on our youtube channel or through this post! 

Be sure to comment below on what you think we should read! 

Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett - Juhina

Title: Confessions of an Angry Girl 

Author: Louise Rozett

Publication date: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Challenges: Contemporary, Debut

Source: NetGalley
Format: Digital ARC

Pages: 272

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Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has someconfessions to make…1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate,don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is nowenraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)

Confessions of an Angry Girl is another great contemporary debut of 2012. I am loving all the new contemporary novels and how original and entertaining they are. Confessions of an Angry Girl deals with a girl's struggle in high school. You might think this is a typical contemporary but the uniqueness of the character and her voice just set this novel apart from other contemporaries. 

Rose Zarelli has her issues. She's angry, and doesn't know what to do with that anger. Her dad passed away recently, her mom's an official zombie, and her brother fled the state for university, yea right. She doesn't know where she belongs, is she a geek? or maybe she could be more than that? Now that her best friend became a cheerleader would things change? how about when Forta, the bad boy of her high school shows interest in her and that gets the attention of his evil girlfriend. Rozett's writing is smooth, it sucks you in and you just can't put the book down because its too much fun to do anything else!  

Rose's voice drips with sarcasm and honesty. She's hilarious, stays true to her beliefs and doesn't take any crap from anyone. Sometimes people mistake that for her being angry, and sometimes people just get angry at her for being such an opinionated person. Lots of funny situations along with heartfelt and heart pumping scenes are part of this fantastic novel. This is not a standalone and I am glad I found out it isn't because it had an open ending. The second book is titled Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend. With a title like that, who wouldn't want it? I would definitely recommend it to all contemporary fans, this book is one you will devour in a day, if not one sitting! 

Check out the trailer of Confessions of an Angry Girl! 

Review: Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon - Juhina

Title: Don't Turn Around (PERSEFoNE #1)

Author: Michelle Gagnon

Publication date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre(s): Young Adult (Thriller/Dystopian)

Challenges: Debut

Source: Edelweiss

Format: Digital ARC

Pages: 310

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Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.

Filled with action, suspense, and romance, this first book in a new trilogy offers readers nonstop thrills.  

Don’t Turn Around is a thrilling novel that is told from two POVs. We’ve got the 16-year-old girl who has been in the foster system all her life but recently ranaway and set up a fake foster family and got a high paying online job as a work at home man. Then we’ve got the other side of the story, Peter. A rich kid who is also good with computers to the point of creating an online hacking hub known as //ALLIANCE//. They end up getting entangled in a very deep and dangerous organization and that’s when the excitement begins.

In all honesty throughout reading Don’t Turn Around I was holding on hope for something spectacular to happen. The novel had a ton of chases and Noa used her brainy and hacking skills to get away out of every slippery situation. She was headstrong and truly independent. I mean she hacked into the foster system, created a foster family out of thin air and added herself as a foster child to them, updated the system as if social workers came for regular check ups and enlisted herself to be home schooled. However I just kept on waiting for that thing that would render me speechless or mind blown. Unfortunately it never came. I liked the plot, and how there is a bit of a post-apocalyptic feel to it with the PEMA disease. But what didn’t keep me 100% invested in this novel is my emotional detachment to the characters and their eventual teaming up to fight against the forces of evil.

The plot was fantastic, the characters were super smart, but I just needed more out of it. Since this novel was all about hacking, I hoped we would see more of it. We only get the word hacking thrown in every couple of pages but you don’t get to sit in with them, biting your nails, tying to break through firewalls and escape IP detection systems. If you’ve seen Nikita, then you know what I mean. However, even if I was left a bit disappointed due to my high expectations, Don’t Turn Around was still a pleasant read and I did enjoy it. I think young adult readers who want a novel with a bit more mystery and excitement they should check out Don’t Turn Around. Fans of Cold Fury by T. M. Goeglein would highly enjoy it.

Review: Defiance by C. J. Redwine - Juhina

Title: Defiance (Defiance, #1)

Author: C. J. Redwine

Publication date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre(s): Young Adult (paranormal)

Challenges: Debut

Source: Edelweiss 
Format: Digital ARC

Pages: 416

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Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Defiance was a great paranormal YA novel! I am not the biggest fan of paranormal novels and I am very picky on what I like so after the rave reviews and the increased expectation I was afraid I would be disappointed, but for the most part Defiance was brilliant and a thrilling read. 

Rachel, the main protagonist lives in an enclosed 'town' called Baalboden. She has lived there all her life with her dad. In her world, anyone who seeks shelter lives in one of many enclosed towns ruled by someone. Women are not allowed to walk in the streets of that town alone and ignoring this rule could lead to her immediate death. Each woman has a 'guardian' who has to be with her when outside at all times. Since Rachel is not 18 yet, meaning she has a few months till she gets picked for marriage, her father is her guardian. When her father goes missing for over 6 months, he is declared dead and his apprentice, Logan is declared her guardian. Now this puts them both in an awkward position, a. because a couple of years ago Rachel was turned down when she confessed to Logan, and b. Logan is almost her age! However C. J. Redwine does not indulge in this child play and jumps directly to action. Rachel doesn't believe her father died and so does Logan. The plotting begins, then the mistakes happen, feelings get in the way, the tyrant king dirties his hands concerning both Rachel and Logan and they have to race against time and away from the king to stay alive and find her father and the mysterious box that started all of this. 

Now what I found misleading in the synopsis is 'Logan and Rachel battle their way through the wasteland'. When I found out that what I thought wasn't what actually happened, I got frustrate. They were split apart, and I love journeys that occur with both characters like Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. It got me a little bit impatient since it took up a big portion of the book, but I still kept on reading because reading from both POVs still keeps you in the loop with both characters that you don't really miss anything. The plot leading to the ending was very promising, we get some of the questions answered and the reader, myself, and the characters start gaining some hope on how to end all of this. However when the ending is taking place in the last couple of pages I was shocked, it was not what I was expecting and I always love it when an author surprises me, even if that ending wasn't the one I wanted, because its no fun when we always get what we want! Even if the ending was a bit confusing. So Defiance... it is definitely a great start to a series and a new sub-genre to the paranormal genre. I personally feel it is a bit of a paranormal/post-apocalyptic novel, but who cares about the label? I totally enjoyed Defiance and if it appeals to you, pick it up right now!

Review: Spark by Brigid Kemmerer - Farah

Title: Spark

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publication date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: K-Teen 

Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal)

Challenges: A-Z

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 432

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Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

The fuse is lit…

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer is amazing. Not just amazing, but a-ma-zing. I liked Storm, but Storm was nothing compared to Spark. This book was action packed in every page, and just so addicting! In Spark, the main protagonist is a different Merrick brother, and this time it's Gaberiel. Gaberiel has the fire element, and actually likes to play with it. In this book, Gaberiel is a pretty tough guy. I don't know what to expect from him, and I really think he's got a bad temper. Gets upset pretty easily, and anything can lead to a fight with him. Despite all those qualities, he's a great guy as well! I feel like Brigid portrayed a teenage guy pretty well. He had a very strong act from the outside, but he's actually very nice from the inside. Gaberiel really cares about the people around him, but because he doesn't want to show that he cares, he messes everything up with his brothers and friends. It was awesome that for once, the "cool" guy develops an interest with the class "nerd". I found that very different, but interesting to read!

What I really liked in this book, that unlike Storm, everything was clear to me. I was never confused, and there was never any boring part! The fights the brothers had with each other were very understandable. I have siblings and I can understand how anything can piss you off. I really liked the relationship between Layne and Gaberiel. Layne is the nerd, while Gaberiel is the jock, and you don't really see these type of people together. Even though at times it might have felt a bit draggy, it was still really cute. While reading, nothing really felt annoying or out of place. The flow was fantastic, and I really want to give a big clap to Brigid for writing such a great novel!

Overall, I liked that the book wasn't concentrated on the magic elements a lot, and that made the book balanced. Sometimes to much fantasy just makes me all confused, so I'm thankful for that not happening. I loved every single character in this book, and everything felt so realistic and believable. It felt like all the characters were real! If you haven't started The Elemental Series yet, you really should, because they will not disappoint you! I really do recommend this to all young adult readers! A very beautiful, action packed, story that will leave you wanting more!