Fresh Batch (Oct 23rd-29th)

This week's hot releases

Fresh Batch features some of the hottest releases this upcoming week. The books to feature are exclusively chosen by Giselle.

Flavour of the week:                 

     Amplified

     Tara Kelly

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . . In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

 
Other releases this week (click on cover for Goodreads synopsis):

       

       

I bet a lot of you are excited about The Iron Knight, huh? I haven't actually started that series yet but I have the first 3 books at home so I will soon. I'm most intrigued by Amplified. It sounds like a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. 

Which one are you looking most forward to?

Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star
Maureen Johnson
Released September 29th, 2011
by G.P. Putnam's Sons

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I was really intrigued and quite pleased with The Name of the Star. I read it after seeing many dazzling reviews, so my expectations were quite high and though it wasn't perfect, I was very satisfied with it.

Jack the Ripper! That is all it took to entice me. Unless you have been born and raised under a rock, you have already heard about Jack the Ripper. His case is fascinating and very mysterious. I was really curious to find out how Maureen was going to use an extremely known story and make it fresh. I was not disappointed. I loved the creativity she used while writing the plot in this book. She obviously did her research and added quite a bit of actual Ripper facts in the story which was very interesting. Then she added some great plot elements to make it an original and refreshing story.

The first part of the book we have Rory who has moved to London to attend a private school. However, we don't have the usual private school cafeteria drama that you'd expect in this setting. Rory doesn't make instant enemies who happen to be the "it" crowd. Nor does she become the it crowd with the hottest guy in school. Rory is an ordinary high school student who works hard to get good grades and makes friends with her roommate. All the while a new killer is terrorizing London in much the same way as Jack the Ripper. Some may find it slow, but I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and Ripper facts before the furor. The second part is much more fast paced with a lot of plot progression and excitement.

The plot itself was nicely done with lots of fascinating facts and creative spooky encounters. I did have a few issues with the motives of the murderer. I can't say exactly what without going into spoilers, but I didn't understand the reasoning behind his motives. He never had any reason to think he was ever in danger unless he became troublesome. That is all I can say without giving away spoilers, but I think those who've read it will understand. I also understand, myself, that this is the first in a series, so the possibility of getting further explanations is still open.

It was refreshing to have no love triangle hanging in the air, but the romance was scarce at best. The love interest wasn't very attractive or charming. I never felt much of a connection between him and Rory, but since it held such a scant part in the novel, it didn't affect my enjoyment of it by any means. I was reading this for the suspense, not the romance.

I was actually surprised and pleased to find quite a bit of humor added in the dialogue. Rory is smart and witty. I really enjoyed her way of thinking. There are a good number of great and amusing lines that I could have used as quotes in my review, but I was always too comfortable (or lazy) to write them down so I'll let you read them for yourself. :)

The ending will undoubtedly make anyone want to read the sequel right away. It's not a cliffhanger, but it opens the imagination to a great extent. In the end, it's a pretty good start to a potentially great series.

4 Hot Espressos

View on Goodreads

Review: Cicada by Belle Whittington

Cicada
Belle Whittington
Released July 14th, 2011
Format: Ebook

For 17-year-old Blair Reynolds and her friends, being the bearer of secrets is getting really old. But it's something she learns to deal with, because there's no other option. If the people in her small town ever found out what she and her friends discovered in the woods and hid in the storage room, the whole town would be up in arms;literally. You see, folks here don't believe in aliens from outer space. Besides, if they ever found out what two of those aliens did to one of their own, well, let's just say what would follow would be all out war.

As the months unfold, their summer becomes consumed with secrets, puzzle pieces that don't quite fit together, and a fight for their lives that leaves one of them at death's door.

*A copy was provided by Belle Whittington for review purposes*

When you see a paranormal YA novel, you figure it's going to be about angels, vampires, faeries, you know, the usual. What we don't see often is something more along the lines of extraterrestrials. Cicada is one of those. It's a bit strange at times, but It's original and very imaginative.

The story starts pretty quickly with no messing around. We get thrown into Blair's life in the start of what has to be the strangest summer of her life. I did like the characters, in that they weren't annoying or irritating, but I couldn't really connect with them. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but there were a few minor details that I took notice of. The most prominent being the dialogue which was a bit too sophisticated or even professional for their age group. For example, I noticed contractions weren't used very much, and you don't usually hear teenagers say "I am here" as opposed to "I'm here". Some readers may not even notice this, but I found it made them sound less natural. That's not the only reason why I couldn't connect with Blair and the others, though. I couldn't really get a picture of them in my head, especially Blair. I think if the book would have been longer and, thus, with more character development we would have gotten to know them better. I found myself not being able to give them distinct personalities.

The plot itself was pretty fun. The first half of the book is spent trying to decipher the mystery behind Blair's dreams and what they saw in her grandfather's woods. It was pretty exciting and I was creeped out a few times. It had a good steady pace that kept the story intriguing without revealing too much. This is the first in a series, and as it was more of a build-up, we didn't get a lot a of explanations and I was a bit disappointed by that. I wish we'd at least gotten further details about the Cicada and their purpose. We did find out what was lurking in the woods, but we're definitely left with more than a few questions at the end. It could make for a good revelatory sequel.

For a debut novel it's not a bad start. Cicada is a fairly short book - a bit over 200 pages - that kept my attention throughout even though I wish it had a bit more substance. There is room for improvement, but it was still an entertaining story.

3 Hot Espressos

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Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Abandon
Meg Cabot
Released April 26th, 2011
by Scholastic Point

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away... especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, this was a retelling of the story of Persephone, but I won't be able to really compare or critique on that point because I haven't read the classic story (I know I'm lame); I only know the very basic -queen of the underworld- myth and as I read a few of the reviews I've noticed those who have read the classic tale didn't enjoy this as much. Nevertheless, I thought it was fresh and original - a fun read with a hint of mystery and a few twists.

This is going to be a trilogy so the first book is mostly the setup to initiate us to her world and characters. It wasn't full of fluff, though. There is definite plot and interesting story line developments. Of course, there is also Greek mythology involved which is interesting in of itself.

Let's start with the characters. The protagonist, Pierce, is a bit skittish, but likable nonetheless. I could easily relate to her and understand her emotions. The secondary characters weren't especially developed but due to the advancement of the story, I imagine we will get to know them more in the following books. This one was primarily about Pierce and her relationship with John - which is very love/hate. John is… I haven't quite figured him out really. He's like a charming jerk - but that may simply be perception since his motives weren't all disclosed. So we'll see where it goes.

The writing was good. We're told Pierce's story with the past and present interwoven. So we get snippets of what happened in the past that helps keep the story intriguing and mysterious. It does take a while to get all the pieces into place, but I liked the slow pace. The author took time to build up the intensity and details in the story; It was never boring. The ending though seemed a bit abrupt; just when things started to get real interesting, it ends. But I will forgive this since it's the first in a trilogy, so it's obviously not really over.

Oh… and what's with all these men wearing tasseled shoes? Ick!

As a solitary book, since nothing much happened I would have felt underwhelmed, but I know it's only the beginning of a story and I still found the plot and characters very intriguing. It kept my interest and I really hope the sequel won't disappoint.

3 Hot Espressos

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WoW (6) - Halloween Edition, Week 3

Waiting on Wednesday

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. 

With October upon us, my WoWs this month will feature books that would be perfect for a Halloween read.

My pick this week:

                                    Girl of Nightmares

                                    Kendare Blake

                                    Release date: 2012

Anna Dressed in Blood synopsis. (Girl of Nightmares synopsis not yet available.)

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

How incredibly fantastic is this cover? Anna Dressed in Blood's cover was great, but this one is just amazing! When I saw the cover reveal I couldn't resist using it for one of my Halloween WoWs. There is no release date for this puppy yet but I think we're all hoping it will be out very soon! I can't wait to read more about Cas and Anna. If you haven't read Anna yet, the first in the series, I really recommend it!  

Click here for my review of Anna Dressed in Blood.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?