Fresh Batch (January 6th - 12th)

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Shadowlands

Kate Brian

Publication date: January 8th 2013
by Hyperion

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Kate's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Kate Brian is the prolific author of many books for teens including the Private series, the new Privilege series, and Sweet 16. She lives with her husband in New Jersey. She writes under the pseudonym Kate Brian, instead of using her real name: Kieran Scott.

Review: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Paper Valentine

Brenna Yovanoff

Publication date: January 8th 2013

by Razorbill

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

*A copy was provided by Penguin Canada for review purposes*

Being my first Yovanoff book, let's just say that I now consider myself a fan. I was terribly impressed with the writing: Brenna has a wonderful way with words that makes you feel all the creepy. The story which could easily have been a clichéd murder mystery, becomes a work of great atmosphere inside Paper Valentine. There's murder, romance, ghosts, enlightening characters; this is a good one, folks!

This book has a lot going for it, as stated above, it's not just a murder mystery, it has substance and emotions. It even has a flair of contemporary when we learn of the way her ghost friend died from anorexia. Which, and for obvious reasons, affected Hannah a great deal as she's feeling both sorrow and guilt from her loss. We see this darker, depressed side surface regularly in the novel, giving a very realistic portrayal such a death leaves behind. Furthermore, we have a romance that is satisfyingly budding with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, whom Hannah is drawn to even through her suspicions. Suspicions that put a wedge between them even though they didn't always know it was there.

Clever with a fantastic creepy flair, the mystery part of the book is great with a fairly unpredictable ending. I say "fairly" because it's not that it's impossible to guess, it's how so many people are made suspects that even if you do figure it out, it's hard to be convinced your guess is right, and it will most likely change back and forth while the story progresses. I find these types of mysteries the most engaging; being suspicious of everyone, and trusting no one. There are some details of the mystery, as well as the motive, I wish had been given deeper meanings or explanations, though, seeing this is a stand-alone. I was also disappointed about the non-mystery regarding the dead birds. I expected more than "just because of the heat". I guess this is what I get for not reading the synopsis. Unexplainable bird death is just so awesome! I mean in a creepy way, of course. Not at all because I hate birds. Even if I do. There is just something spine-chilling about flocks of bird found dead. It's something I have heard in the news a time or two and I always think the world must be coming to an end. Birds will be the death of us, people! I can feel it! They are vile, evil creatures!

Hannah herself is a great protagonist for this type of story. She keeps her head in the game and doesn't trust people at the drop of a hat. She also has a side to her, a hidden depression, that only her dead friend and the reader gets to glance at. It makes her a very interesting character study, giving it several layers. The same can be said for the love interest which is filled with intrigue as we get his story throughout the book, little by little.

It may be my first, but it won't be my last novel by Yovanoff. Her style of writing is so unique. Lyrical, yet dark and morbid, it really clicked with me. Even though the ending could have been more fleshed out to give complete closure to the several storylines introduced in this book, it remains a small complaint in the bigger picture where I enjoyed everything else so much. This book does contain a mix of genres, but it was written for readers of dark thrillers; It gets bloody, and it gets eerie. If you see yourself in this description I would hand this one to you in a heartbeat!

4 Hot Espressos

Review: The Dead And Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead And Buried

Kim Harrington

Publication date: January 1st 2013

by Scholastic Point

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

*A copy was provided by Scholastic for review purposes*

Hauntings! In real life I would die of terror if I came upon a ghost, so naturally, I love reading about them to psyche myself out. And if you think mean girls are awful in life, wait until you meet one in death! The Dead and Buried follows such a story when Jade and her family move into a murder house--or at least that's what the rumor is.

Even though the culprit becomes obvious pretty early on (I guessed around p.60), being curious of their motive does leave some of the mystery elements undamaged. What's also great are the regular diary entries that shows us just exactly who this mean girl was, and how everything all ties together. The mystery wasn't my favourite part of the book, however, which is fortunate in this case, having figured it out so early. This book was a regular high school dramatics novel mixed in with a ghost story. I don't always enjoy reading about high school social circles, mean girls, and boy trouble, but in this case I found it worked very well. The creepy ghost appearances that become more sinister as the book moves along balances it out perfectly, leaving us fully entertained. Thus, the story itself--straightening out the rumor-filled details--is more interesting than the end result in this case.

At least, unlike some cliché mean girl novels, The Dead and Buried gives us believable characters that are eccentric in nature. Besides Jade who, herself, has a quirky side and does not fall prey to the lure of popularity, the most peculiar character is Jade's very first friend at her new school: Alexa, the school valedictorian and all around oddball. I found this girl highly amusing with her strange behaviors and nerdy references. It's unfortunate that she takes a backseat for the last half of the book, though; she gave it so much charisma. Stereotype does not completely escape the book, however. The cookie-cutter take on a dysfunctional family being one of them. The dead mother, the stepmother who demands Jade calls her mom (then, of course, thinks Jade is making the ghost story up to get attention), the father who takes Stepmom's side, denting his bond with his daughter, all concluded by an epiphany that makes them realize they simply hadn't accepted their mixed families as one. This part felt a little stale to me, forced even. To give more profundity to the story, maybe. Though all I felt was emotional detachment. This also affected how I didn't get to fully feel the danger in this novel, which does involve her brother. I understood the predicament she was in, but my heart wasn't in it.

There is quite a bit of romance mingling with the drama and chills: two boys who are both pining for Jade. One of which she's using, the other she truly likes. I didn't approve of how she lead one of them on, at all, just to solve a mystery--but again, my lack of emotional connection towards her motivation surely didn't help her case. I did find the relationship she had with Donovan very sweet, though. Cliché broken boy aside, his personality is attractive. Especially his lack of dramatics. There were a few times where I was expecting jealousy or controlling behavior that, to my delight and surprise, never surfaced.

Ghost who taunts and haunts to get closure may not be the most original story out there--but the journey is still engaging. I would recommend it with a warning that it will probably be a lighter read than you're bound to expect based on the synopsis or tagline.

3 Hot Espressos

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Waiting on Wednesday (67)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine 

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

My pick this week:

Velvet

Em Garner

Release date: July 23rd 2013
by EgmontUSA

After the Contamination—an epidemic caused by the super-trendy diet drink SlimPro that turned ordinary citizens into violent, uncontrollable creatures—the government rounded up the “Connies” to protect the remaining population. Now, two years later, the rehabilitated are being allowed home, complete with shock collars that will either control, or kill, them.

Velvet Ellis has struggled to care for her ten-year-old sister since her parents were taken in the round up. When she finds her mother in one of the “Kennels,” Velvet resolves to do whatever it takes to put her family back together. But the danger isn’t over. It’s beginning all over again…

Gritty and grabbing, Velvet is a harrowing, emotionally charged novel for fans of Carrie Ryan and The Walking Dead.

Isn't this cover really awesome? It's so bright and unusual! I approve! And honestly, all I needed to see was "an epidemic" to get me interested. And them "violent, uncontrollable creatures" sealed the deal!

What are you waiting on?

Link me up! :)

Review: Empty by K.M. Walton

Empty

K.M. Walton

Series: Repossession #1

Publication date: January 1st 2013
by Simon Pulse

Dell is used to disappointment. Ever since her dad left, it’s been one let down after another. But no one—not even her best friend—gets all the pain she’s going through. So Dell hides behind self-deprecating jokes and forced smiles.

Then the one person she trusts betrays her. Dell is beyond devastated. Without anyone to turn to for comfort, her depression and self-loathing spin out of control. But just how far will she go to make all of the heartbreak and name-calling stop?

*A copy was provided by Simon & Schuster for review purposes*

A very shocking novel, this one. Yet, as the author pointed out in the end notes, she didn't write a book to shock, she wrote a realistic book on teenage bullying and how it can inflict self deprecation to the point of depression. These are the types of books that teenagers can get something out of. Bullying is not uncommon, and you CAN get help. You can talk to someone about what is happening to you. High school is the hardest, and often lowest, point in some people's lives, thus I'm always satisfied when a book can be so incredibly moving, as well as possibly help those in a similar situation through impossible times.

Empty is the perfect title for this novel, as this is how I felt when I was reading it. Empty. Emptiness for her detrimental self portrayal. Emptiness for her lack of confidence. Emptiness for her loneliness. My heart felt sorrow and pain for this beautiful person who just couldn't see her true self; who she could be. After her father left, Dell turned to food. An excessive amount of food that was matched by an excessive weight gain. Losing her spot on the baseball team is only the beginning of the consequences. Though it's funny--in a very depressing way--that most of the consequences is caused by her attitude. Dell feels like she's losing everything and everybody, making her efforts at dieting a far away thought. Eating, like smoking or drinking, is one of the ways people use to cope with the stresses of life. and this book really shows how this can become the end-all to a once healthy young girl. The more she ate, the lesser she thought of herself, making her want to binge even more. A never ending circle. This is why I could understand her even when her obsession became borderline irritating. You can't just assume she's able to stop, or to control it, even when she knows what it's doing to her. Professional help is what she needs to achieve this. So yes, her self deprecation is excessive, and yes she's incredibly hard on herself, yet she continues in her bad ways, but this is a realistic portrayal of such a situation.

Such a story needs a lot of emotional output, and for this you need well developed characters. Despite her depression, Dell is a very sweet person. The way she takes care of her sister is admirable. I loved the bond that she shared with this toddler, and having a toddler myself, I could easily relate. I also found her secondary characters to be very distinct. You have the best friend, the popular crowd, the jerks, but they aren't just cut personalities to fit the story, they felt real to me; I felt the impact every single one of these people had on Dell.

Frustrating on many levels, this book makes you feel helpless. Every single one of you will want to help her. You will scream at her to realize what she is doing to herself. You will yell obscenities at her destructive thoughts. But in the end, the only thing you will feel is empty. This is both a warning, and a recommendation.

4 Hot Espressos