Stacking The Shelve - 16th March 2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

It's hosted over at Tynga's Reviews

---

This is a biggie since I haven't done a haul post since January, so I'm only including review books here :)

Please remember to drop me a comment so I can check out your haul!

Review:

   


One Crow Alone (After the Snow #0.5) by S.D. Crockett - MacMillan, February 14th - Print
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge - MacMillan, February 28th - Print
A Touch of Scarlet (Unbound #2) by Eve Marie Mont - K-Teen, March 26th - NetGalley
Weather Witch by Shannon Delaney - St Martins Griffin, June 25th - NetGalley


   


If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan - Alqonquin, August 20th - NetGalley
Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon - Soho Teen, April 9th - NetGalley
Hostage Three by Nick Lake - Bloomsbury, January 3rd - NetGalley
Girls & Monsters by Anne Michaud - DarkFuse, April 30th - NetGalley

  

The Disgrace of Kitty Grey by Mary Hooper - Bloomsbury, May 9th - NetGalley
The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger - Buddha Kitty Books, March 30th - NetGalley
The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa - Harlequin Teen, April 30th - NetGalley

   
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton - Flux, July 8th - NetGalley
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle - HarperTeen, June 4th - Edelweiss
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike - HarperTeen, April 30th - Edelweiss
The Ward by Jordana Frankel - Katherine Tegen Books, April 30th - Edelweiss

   

Towering by Alex Flinn - HarperTeen, May 14th - Edelweiss
Parallel by Lauren Miller - HarperTeen, May 14th - Edelweiss
Reboot by Amy Tintera - HarperTeen, May 7th - Edelweiss
Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell - HarperTeen, July 23rd - Edelweiss

   

In The After by Demitria Lunetta - HarperTeen, June 25th - Edelweiss
The End Games by T. Michael Martin - HarperCollins, May 7th - Edelweiss
Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn - HarperTeen, June 11th - Edelweiss
Rush by Eve Silver - Katherine Tegan, June 11th - Edelweiss

   

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein - GreenWillow, April 23rd - Edelweiss
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley - Soho Teen, March 13th - Edelweiss
Thin Space by Jody Casella - Simon Pulse, September 10th - Edelweiss
Golden by Jessi Kirby - Simon and Schuster, May 14th - Edelweiss

 

The Vow by Jessica Martinez - Simon Pulse, October 15th - Edelweiss
Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon - Strange Chemistry, May 7th - NetGalley

-I've already read a few of these, Hostage Three, Life After Theft, You Look Different in Real Life, Towering, reboot, Arclight and I'm currently into Escape Theory.

Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 was one of my WOW picks last year and so when I was accepted for it on Edelweiss I was so excited. Then I put it off for a while because I had been so excited for it and I was so worried that I wouldn’t enjoy it. You guys know the feeling, right? Where you just want to get stuck into a book but you’re terrified it won’t be what you expect.

When I finally did start reading it, it took me a while to actually get into and I put it down for a while, however when I picked it up again later I was suddenly interested, so I think I was just having an off-day when I first started it, or maybe I put it down just as things were about to pick up. No matter what the reason, I can honestly say that after the first 20% this book is good. What I really liked was that the action never stopped and most of it takes place in one setting so you really get this feeling of being trapped alongside Mila.

I did however, struggle to get to terms with Mila being an android: She’s written as so human that only her head interface shows that she isn’t. I get that the point is that Mila is a failed experiment because of her emotions but I think that Driza missed a trick in not making her a little less human as it would sell the character a bit better. As well as that, I thought that the romance was a bit rough. I started to like Hunter at the beginning but I did feel that he wasn’t prominent enough in the book and that Lucas kind of took over, which is good, I liked Lucas, but at the end of this book it’s suggested that Hunter may be a bigger character in the sequel and I feel like it will be difficult to get readers to like him over Lucas now. I also really felt that the characters each had their 'role' but weren't actually that developed emotionally, so I did struggle to really get to know them - I'd definitely say that this book is more for people wating action than emotional depth.

Overall, Mila 2.0 was a fast-paced and thrilling book and I will be reading book two. I felt that the characters could have been a bit more developed and I struggled a little at the start, but I did enjoy this book.

Book released 12th March 2013 by Katherine Tegan

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)

Waiting on Wednesday (13th March 2013)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I'm back to memes after a looooooong break for uni work! I'm back now though, Jadey promise!

Here are my picks for this week, let me know what you think and add me a link to yours in the comments :)

---

Red by Alison Cherry
8th October 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Having red hair is all that matters in Scarletville. Redheads hold all the power—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note:

I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovered the truth, she’d be a social outcast faster than she could say "strawberry blond." Her mother would disown her, her friends would shun her, and her boyfriend would dump her. And forget about winning that pageant crown and the prize money that comes with it—money that would allow her to fulfill her dream of going to art school.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?

This one sounds so good, a town where redheads hold all the power and somebody that knows the secret? Sounds fun and deep!

---

The Night Itself by Zoe Marriott

July 4th 2013 by Walker Books

When fifteen year old Mio Yamato furtively sneaks the katana - an ancestral Japanese sword - out of its hiding place in her parent's attic to help liven up her Christmas party costume, she has no idea of the darkness she is about to unleash on modern day London, or the family secrets that she is going to uncover.The paralysing paranoia that descends on her before she gets to her friend's party is her first clue. The vivid and terrifying visions that nearly get her killed are a pretty good warning too.

The giant nine-tailed cat demon that comes after the sword and tries to rip her throat out? Overkill.Seconds away from becoming kitty-food, Mio is saved by Shinobu, a mysterious warrior boy. But it's already too late. Mio has ruptured the veil between the mortal realm and the Underworld, and now the gods and monsters of ancient Japan stalk the streets of London, searching for her and the sword.

So I already love Zoe Marriott, I love allll of her books so much and this one just sounds absolutely amazing, roll on July!

Review: Senshi by Cole Gibsen

Is Rileigh’s only hope for salvation to team up with her sworn enemy?

Rileigh Martin just wants to do normal teenage things, like go on romantic dates with Kim, her boyfriend and past life soul mate. Although that seems impossible when she’s the reincarnation of Senshi, a fifteenth century samurai warrior. After a ninja ambush leaves her unable to control her ki powers, Rileigh vows to get them under control before her friends lose more than their eyebrows. But when Kim leaves her for his past life betrothed and the other samurai stop talking to her, Rileigh realizes she doesn’t have any friends left to worry about.

As the ninja attacks increase, Rileigh learns that the reincarnated kunoichi, a powerful female ninja, wants to kill her in order to reclaim her destructive powers. Alone and with increasingly unstable powers, Rileigh’s only offer of help comes from Whitley, her sworn past life enemy. Rileigh knows she doesn’t stand a chance against the kunoichi by herself, but Whitley’s sudden allegiance might be hiding a much deadlier agenda.

I had quite a few complaints when I read Katana last year and I ended up giving it a slightly lower rating than I'd wanted to (3.5 is still a good rating but it's kind of on the border between great and okay). When I picked up Senshi I hadn't had amazing hopes for it and it actually was a little better than Katana in my opinion, I really enjoyed it. 

It's no secret that I love books about samurai or with an East Asian/Oriental tone, so I really am enjoying this series simply for that, but on top of that I felt that this book seemed a little more realistic (well, as realistic as reincarnated samurai and ninja can get). I mean mainly in the characters, in Katana I found that Quentin was just a gay stereotype but in Senshi I started to really like him and respect the role that he plays in Rileigh's life. Kim was as fantastic and brooding as ever, though he's a bit of a numbskull in the decisions he makes but you understand why later. Sumi is the girl you love to hate and I really started to like Dr. Wendell towards the end.

As I'd left a year between reading Katana and this (and I don't reread books before the sequels unless I LOVED them) I felt like I could deal with the similarities between each books with the plot points and the wit, but someone reading them back to back may find that they are a little too similar to eachother, which is one fault that I found. On top of that, there was quite a few cheesy lines and there were a few places where the pacing dipped a little and my reading slowed a little. And that ending! COLE GIBSEN is killing me, I cannot wait to read the third book in this series (I hope there's a third book!)

Overall, despite still not being amazing, I can happily say that Senshi was a great book that I really enjoyed reading. The characters seemed a little more realistic but I did find that at places the pacing dipped and the dialogue seemed a little too cheesy to be believable. Nevertheless, I still would recommend this series for people looking for something a little original.

Book released 8th March 2013 by Flux
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (NetGalley)

Other books from this author:
Katana (#1)

Review: Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley

Angie Chapman is only 13 when she gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night.

The next thing she knows she’s returned home, scars around her wrists and ankles, physically exhausted. Her parents collapse into tears when they see her, but Angie doesn’t understand – until they tell her she has been missing, presumed dead, for three years.

Angie doesn’t remember anything from her missing years. But there are people who do – people who could tell Angie every terrifying detail, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind.

With help, Angie begins to unravel the darkest secrets of her own past.

But does she really want to know the truth?

I honestly can't find the words to describe how striking and thought provoking and unbelievably amazing Pretty Girl-13 was. I absolutely adored it. I've seen some pretty negative reviews of this book but I can only praise this book, it was heartbreaking and uplifting, shocking and sad all at once. 

I was a little worried that this book would be a typical creepy paranormal book and so was shocked when it turned out to actually be a psychological mystery, realistic fiction. It worked well though, I was gripped from the very start of the book until the very last page. Angie was an honest and believable character, her reactions are so honest, she comes back as this sixteen year old girl though she still feels thirteen, the guy she liked when she was younger is now a shallow, sex obsessed guy, her best friend starts to hate her. The things that happen to Angie are things that happent o normal girl, but she has the mental health problems to deal with as well.

The DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) that Angie has was fascinating to read about. I got to know each of her different personas as their own people which made Angie's coming to terms with her situation really nice to watch. The pacing was always amazing and I just couldn't put this book down.

Liz Coley, you have completely blown me away with Pretty Girl-13. This psychological thriller was so original and gripping and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Book released 19th March 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)

Reading Slump - Help!!

Hi folks,

I'm so sorry about the massive lack of posts for the past few months. Please bear with me whilst I get university work done and the blog up to date. I am trying to get as much reading as I can done, but I seem to be in a bit of a reading slump :(

If anyone has any books that you'd advice for me to get out of a reading slump I would love to hear your suggestions.... either that of just any advice at all.

Or words of encouragement!

Cheers 
-A very slump-y Jade

Review: Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started Shimmer of Angels. It had an interesting, if not slightly overused concept but I am starting to get really annoyed with the amount of angel love-triangle books and I think that may be why Shimmer of Angels failed to impress me, really. 

Not that it was totally awful, it wasn’t. It just wasn’t really all that original and I saw a lot of what happened coming, so I ended up finishing this book pretty disinterested in what actually happened and more interested in getting it over with and starting something that I would enjoy a lot more. It started out promising – I was excited that Rayna actually thinks that she’s insane because she’s seeing angels, how rare is it that a character actually shows a realistic reaction to what’s happening in their life. I was also all too excited by the torn up family situation (at least Ray’s Dad is still there) and the creepy angel pictures and suspicious deaths. That’s about as far as it goes, from about a quarter of the way in, this book just feel completely flat for me. 

The second we have the ‘good’ angel Camael introduced and ‘bad’ angel Kade introduced was the moment everything turned sour. Camael and Ray instantly hit it off but that just disappears later and Kade comes in. I have to admit that I really liked Kade, but I really didn’t like how Rayna treated him, he was totally nice and did all these risky and nice things for her and she just treats him like a criminal or something. 

I just couldn’t really take the love triangle and the awful romance, but there are a few grammar and spelling errors that tipped me over the edge and that’s why I’m rating this book quite low.

Book released 29th January 2013 by Month9Books LLC
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (NetGalley)