In My Mailbox (02/12/2011) and reviews for next week!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, 

in which you post all of the books/e-books/audio books that you have recieved/bought/won this week and link 'em all up!

I've been a bit lax on reviews and memes lately, maybe because I've been putting in my university applications and that's taken a lot of time up. I'm on a book buying ban for christmas so these posts are going to a be bit small for the next month.

Swapped/Bought

  

Swap: Torn by Cat Clarke (ARC) - January 5th

Bought (Kindle) - Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Review

    

In Darkness by Nick Lake - Bloomsbury 5th January

8 by Mike Mullin 

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's my Prince? by Melissa Kantor (NetGalley Disney-Hyperion)

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Reviews coming next week!

    

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

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Oh. Wow. 
Sorry, can't formulate words right now.
This book was absolutely breathtaking, the story was amazing and the writing was absolutely beautiful, it was the type of book that had me gripped from page one to the last page which is rare because usually it takes me a chapter or so to immersed in the book.
So yeah, this book was pretty awesome.


What was the best part of this book? I'd have to say the writing, if I had to chose, but nothing about this book was bad. The writing style was so unique, there were lines crossed out and numbers as a motif which added something special to it. The narrating voice was beautiful and totally reflects Juliette's mindset, at the beginning the writing is very magical, the thoughts are scattered and full of metaphors which showed Juliette's loneliness in prison, the thoughts go from romantic to strong and I loved that the writing was so different.


The story was so different, it was like... a dystopian superhero book, but so much more. The world created was bleak, and Juliette's story is quite deep but it's unique to a lot of dystopians because of the superpower storyline. It was also nice to read a book which was the first in a series but it concluded well so even though I desperately want to read the sequel it didn't leave me on this annoying cliffhanger, which was fantastic.


Adam and Juliette, I loved. Juliette is broken but she's also strong, with equal sharings of the two, Adam was amazing, get me an Adam(please). I loved him from the start, I felt betrayed by him at times, but also trusted him. I liked that their romance was already developed, so whilst it comes on pretty quickly they also knew each other before the story so it felt believable.


Overall, this book goes beside Divergent as one of my favorite YA books of the year. Thank you, Tahereh Mafi, for writing this beautiful work of art.


Overall Rating: A+

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Book released November 15th 2011 by HarperCollins, I bought this book.

Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. 

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life..

I think that it must be biologically imprinted in me to enjoy Snyder's books, because time after time she fails to disappoint me. Snyder's Study series is one of my favorite series ever, the Glass trilogy didn't disappoint, the YA sci-fi dystopian Insiders was pretty awesome and now the Healer series is starting out pretty darned amazing.

This book does what the Study series did for me a couple of years ago, it took YA and adult fantasy concepts and tied them together, so the book seems more 'mature' (not in that way) than other fantasy book. This is an adventure story, high fantasy with a good setting and great characters.

The world building fell a little short for me, we were thrown into this world which seems pretty medieval, then there are some aspects such as the syringes, and the virus and the political side of things (I think a president is mentioned somewhere) which make it seem modern and I'd have got a better grasp on the worl if there has been more world buidling. Then again, it is only the first in the series so that development could come further into the series.

The romance is what I have always enjoyed in Snyder's books, amongst soulmates and insta-love that are rife in the YA market these days, the romance Snyder's books are real, with issues and development, there may seem to be a lack of romance, but that's just because it's there, it's just very subtle. Kerrick was so likeable, not because he's an all around good guy (believe me, he is not) but because he's rugged and manly and made me melt into a pile of goo. Avry was a main character that I supported and enjoyed reading about her journey, she was flawed at times, but in the end she is a good person, along the journey she develops from a strong girl on the run, to a stronger but more sociable and open person who feels welcome somewhere.

Overall, it was amazing. It was fantasy at it's best, ith subtle romance to make you smile, action to have you gripping on the edge of your seat and a story that is so enjoyable and gripping.

Overall Rating: A

Released December 20th 2011 by Mira.
Book received as an e-proof from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Other books by this author:
Scent of Magic (Healer #2)
Inside Out (Insiders #1)

Interview and Giveaway with Rebecca McKinnon

Hi guys!

As part of the Cantrip blog tour, author Rebecca McKinnon has ever so kindly agreed to call by and answer a few questions! Stick by and there is a giveaway at the bottom!

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Hi Rebecca, thanks for joining us today,

Hi, Jade! Thanks for having me.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
You had to start with the hardest question? Talking about myself has never been easy. I’m a stay-at-home mother of 3, which means time for doing the things I most enjoy (like writing) is limited. A number of acquaintances were surprised to learn I’m a writer, since my educational background is as a classical musician. I read more than I should, and the scent of old books is more of an allure even than chocolate.

And a little about your books?
The Refuge Trilogy is primarily a love story. The first book forces Narissa to choose between her first romantic love and the love she has for her sister. In the second book, that theme is still present, although the romantic relationship has changed somewhat.

How did you come up with the plot for Annexed?
After a night of being awake for hours with my two small boys, I got a few minutes of sleep. When I awakened, the story was there in my head. It wouldn’t leave me alone, so I decided to write it down. I’ve changed some things, and added others, but the main gist of the story stuck.

If Annexed was made into a movie, who would make up your dream cast?
Wow. I don’t know how to answer this one. I’m terrible at remembering the names of actors! I guess all I can say is that I’d want actors who weren’t too well-known. Also, as much as I love the way my characters “look” in the books, it would be more important to me to have really good actors than to have people who exactly match my descriptions of the characters.

What was the first story that you ever wrote?
Honestly, I don’t remember. I’ve always enjoyed writing—except when it was an assignment for school—but most of the things I’ve written fell by the wayside to never be finished.

If you could dine with any book character, who would you pick?
I’d have to choose Will Stanton from The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. He’s been one of my best friends for nearly 25 years.

Are you currently working on any other projects?
My biggest project right now is rewriting and editing the third book of The Refuge Trilogy. I’ve also made a start on two other projects: one is based on a little-known fairytale. The other is much more epic in my mind. I plan to make this one my next main focus.

Thanks for answering my questions, do you have anything else you'd like to say?
Thanks again for letting me stop by. To celebrate the release of Cantrip, the ebook editions of the first installment of the trilogy, Annexed, will be FREE through the end of December. Enjoy!

Annexed can be found FREE here

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To celebrate the release of Cantrip, Rebecca is kindly giving away one copy to a lucky winner (ISN'T SHE AWESOME!) and because I want everybody to have the chance to read it, the giveaway is pretty simple!

• The giveaway is international
• The giveaway will end 12th December at Midnight GMT
• Following is NOT necessary but you can receive an extra entry if you follow.
• Extra entries are available for spreading the word
• Don't worry if you haven't read the first one yet, Annexed can be found FREE here

Review: Cantrip by Rebecca McKinnon

She spent the summer in The Refuge. Now, she’s come home.
Within days she realizes:

She wants back in.

Only two things stand in her way. The sister Narissa has protected for years can’t decide if she wants to go with her. And, of course, Narissa has no idea how to return to the splinter reality.

Complicating matters, Narissa discovers she can no longer avoid the problems her unexpected trip allowed her to escape.

Through it all, there’s one thing that keeps her going. She’s not the only person to have left The Refuge

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I really enjoyed Annexed, but for me, Cantrip was on a different level. That pretty much sums up how I felt about it. I think that what made me enjoy this one a bit more was that there was more confrontation, more going on so the pace grabbed me as well as everything else, whilst the first in the series mainly dealt with Narissa's difficult choice, this one dealt with her struggle to get back to the refuge, her relationship with Damon as well as reclimatising to the 'real' world, there is more going on, more emotional things that connected me to the book and characters more than Annexed did.


I want to say something, it isn't really a negative but it confused me a little - we spend all of Annexed watching Narissa struggle to get home and at the start of Cantrip she wants to go back again, it seemed like an anticlimax. It didn't particularly bother me, but I doubt I'm going to find many flaws in this book so I thought that I would point that out.


I love the relationship between Damon and Narissa and found that I liked the rleationship and the characters a little more in Cantrip than I did Annexed. Damon comes across as more caring and likeable than in Annexed and Narissa seems less perfect, which I think she needed, but they still felt like the characters that I came to know in the first book, just evolved versions of themselves. I loved that Narissa doubted herself at times and made mistakes, it made her more human.


We finally get to meet Kassandra, Narissa's mother as well as the other people in her life and WOW that girl has it tough. Her home situation is utterly crazy and at the same time totally believable. I felt like I could totally see where her morals had come from when we meet her mother and sister, which made the book more believable.


And as always, I cannot fault Rebecca McKinnon's writing, as an author she is extremely talented, she manages to pull out this sci-fi/splintered reality kind of book and make it seem less techy and more like a contemporary at times. She is an author that I could read over and over again and never bore of the writing.


Overall, a fantastic sequel, I loved Narissa and Damon and their relationship, the writing was so good and the book dealt with serious issues without being overly pressing.


Overall Rating: A-

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This book was released November 22nd as a sequel to Annexed (review here)
The first book in the series is currently free on Smashwords: HERE
I am currently hosting a giveaway for Cantrip: HERE

Review: Silver and Stone by J.D. Thompson

Welcome to high school high society hell, where last season’s slingbacks can warrant a lunch table demotion, the wrong date will knock you off the it-list and behind every pair of over sized Chanel sunglasses lies a secret people are dying to keep. 

As if senior year at Weatherford Preparatory School wasn’t hard enough, sixteen year old Alexis Bardolph had to add school outcast to the curriculum.

A new found notoriety following a family scandal, her lacrosse star boy-friend dumping her for a former BFF and a string of perpetually bad hair days were among the many things going wrong in her already turbulent teenage life.

But when the haunting nightmares that have plagued her since childhood begin to take an eerily tangible form and several Holler Creek residents are reported missing, Alexis can’t help but wonder if there isn’t more to her hellish dreams than meets the eye.

The unexpected arrival of a mysterious and dangerously handsome new student ultimately leads Alexis to troubling truths that not even her wildest imagination could have conjured.

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From the first page of this book I knew I was getting something pretty different, it kind of has the same plot points as many para-romances; (mysterious new guy, best friend with a crush, a bit of insta-love), it never really had the predictability because just when I thought that the plot was going in an annoyingly predictable direction is suddenly spun me around so that I was immersed in the mystery again. 


I liked that the characters were mature and felt real, Alexis is going through a load of emotions and hasn't been sleeping well and her state of mind is written so well, Lucas doesn't seem too mysterious, he seems like a cute, romantic guy with an edge of mystery, but he isn't as one dimensional as many para-romance guys. The romance developed a little too fast for my liking, but even though it was insta-love it wasn't just "Oooh hot guy, I'm in love", it was more the way that the thing's Lucas said made Alexis feel, making it a bit better, I liked their relationship after they got together and at so many points I was surprised by the direction the relationship turns.


The mystery of the book is something that kept me reading, we are not told what Alexis is and what her dreams are about, or what the mystery around Lucas is until the very end, so I liked reading and guessing. I did find that the paranormal aspect near the end too a popular plot though. The action near the end, where it is all revealed is so well written, it was edge of seat, can't believe this is happening reading and I really enjoyed it.


Overall, Silver and Stone was gripping and pretty original. I was put off by the insta-love and the way that the paranormal aspect manifests, but enjoyed it primarily.


Overall Rating: B

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Book received from author for review.

Review: New Beginnings by Rebecca Emin

Sam Hendry is not looking forward to starting at her new school. Things go from bad to worse as the day of truth arrives and all of her fears come true... and then some.

When Sam meets a different group of people who immediately accept her as a friend, she begins to feel more positive.

With her new friends and interests, will Sam finally feel able to face the bully who taunts her, and to summon up the courage to perform on stage?

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New Beginnings was a very quick and heartwarming read. It deals with issues that everybody has suffered in their life and was a nice departure from the really deep and emotional books that I tend to read a lot of.


I had a few issues with the writing in this book and that was that the writing seemed very stilted, with a lot of information given that wasn't necessary and the dialogue seemed very formal for the characters ages. I also couldn't believe that in today's day and age, Sam had never really been on a computer at 11 years old.


The story was so heart warming - Sam has moved to a new school and has been picked as a target for the schools bully which causes a big knock to her confidence, the story I one about battling bullying, which is a very relevant issue, but it never sounds preachy, it's well integrated into the story. I enjoyed reading about Sam regaining her confidence and her journey and I found her so easy to relate to, as she seemed so much like a younger version of myself. 
There are pop culture references to things like High School Musical and JLS as well as stage musicals, which make this book relavant and modern.


Overall, New Beginnings was heartwarming and sweet, the story and characters were nice but the writing failed to grab me. A nice time-killer to read by the fire in the cold months.


Overall Rating: C+

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Book to be released January 23rd 2012 by Grimoire Books 
Book recieved from the publisher for review.