New Releases in YA! (September 7th-13th)

Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!

Here's what you get to look forward to this week:

P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!

               
               
               
               
               
     

What books, if any, do you plan to buy?

Stacking the Shelves (September 6th 2014)

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is where all the book nerds can post about the lovely (or not so lovely) books that they've got this week.

P.S. The covers take you to the book's Goodreads page!

Books I've Read in the Last Week

From the Library

Books I Bought

Physical Copies:

From the Used Bookstore

Ebook Copies:

Ebooks Bought

Books I Borrowed

Thanks to Lendle!

Books I Reviewed

(The covers are linked to my review)

Short & Simple

NEW DISCOVERIES

I add books to my TBR pile so often, that I decided to include the new additions to my ever-growing list.
I DID NOT RECEIVE OR BUY THESE BOOKS. I only added them to my TBR list.

Books Won!

Thanks to The Readers Den!

Anyway, what books did you haul in this week?

Cover Lust: Nil by Lynne Matson

Cover Lust is something that I do every week where I feature a book cover that I absolutely love!

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.
 Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.
 Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 Why did I pick this cover? 

I don't know why, but I'm a sucker for blue covers! I just find blue to be very beautiful on book covers and this cover is no different. I also love how the title is particularly submerged and all the tally marks going outwards. And this cover actually does show some relation to what's inside the book (i.e. the island and the tally marks).

What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments!

Cover vs. Cover: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

This week's pick is...

The Shadow Prince

 VS.  

Hardcover                             Paperback

I have not read this book yet, so I have no idea if either of these cover match what's inside, but I really like the hardcover better! The hardcover looks really cool! I just love that circular (clock?) thing and all of the light coming from it. I also love the general colors to the cover and the title treatment looks pretty neat! Now, the paperback cover... I hate it. It's just some creepy dude photoshopped onto a background. It's not interesting and, frankly, it's been done many times before.

Final Verdict: Hardcover

Do you agree? Give me your thoughts on which cover is the best!

The Empress Chronicles Release Day!

Published by Diversion Books

In thisdazzling first book in the EMPRESS CHRONICLES series by the author of THEMOMENT BEFORE, one courageous girl seeks keys to the past to unlock the future…
When city girl Liz is banished to a
rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiraling out of control.  She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval.  The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons.  But all of this changes in one historical instant.
*
One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own.  Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love.  But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.
*
When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own…
Readers of books like Rachel Harris’s MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY will love THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES

Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ iBooks/ Kobo

About The Author

Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).

Goodreads/ Website/ Facebook

Twitter: @suzy_vitello

REVIEW: Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon

Chemo, radiation, a zillion surgeries, watching my mom age twenty years in twenty months: if that’s part of the Big Dude’s plan, then it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Somebody Up There Hates You.

SUTHY has landed me here in this hospice, where we—that’s me and Sylvie—are the only people under 30 in the whole place, sweartogod. But I’m not dead yet. I still need to keep things interesting. Sylvie, too. I mean, we’re kids, hospice-hostages or not. We freak out visitors; I get my uncle to sneak me out for one insane Halloween night. Stuff like that. And Sylvie wants to make things even more interesting. That girl’s got big plans.

Only Sylvie’s father is so nuclear-blasted by what’s happened to his little girl, he glows orange, I swear. That’s one scary man, and he’s not real fond of me. So we got a major family feud going on, right here in hospice. DO NOT CROSS line running down the middle of the hall, me on one side, her on the other. It’s crazy.

In the middle of all of this, really, there’s just me and Sylvie, a guy and a girl. And we want to live, in our way, by our own rules, in whatever time we’ve got. We will pack in some living before we go, trust me.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

MY THOUGHTS
Somebody up there must hate me because they let me read this book.
I hate writing negative reviews for a book. I hate coming across books that I just don't like, but I did not like this book AT ALL.

The entire plot of this book is basically a horny teenage guy, who happens to have cancer, trying to get into the pants of the only girl his age in the hospital. That's it. There is nothing more to this book besides that.

When I read a book, I like to read a book with an actual plot, not a book about a horny teenager. Yes, he's a teenage guy, a lot of teenage guys are like that! But can't we have an actual plot? Or even something else happening besides two teenagers' quest to lose their virginity? (Yes, the girl actually encourages this!).

Another thing I would like to mention is the "conflict". One main conflict is Sylvie’s, the girl's, dad. Her dad does not like our main character, not a bit, and our main character is constantly complaining about him and fighting with him. Richie, our main character, also doesn't seem to understand why Sylvie's dad doesn't like him and is endlessly frustrated that her dad keeps preventing Richie from sleeping with Sylvie. Hmmmmmmm...why in the world would her dad not like Richie?
Maybe it's because Richie keeps trying to have sex with Sylvie!
I think that would piss any father off!!!

IN CONCLUSION
Okay, I'm definitely not a fan of this book. I really wish I gave up on it (I NEVER give up on books!) and I was tempted to, but it was so short that I decided to go through with it.
I do not recommend this book and I apologize for the rant.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: The Aftermath by Jen Alexander

Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger

or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

MY THOUGHTS
I went into this book with no clue as to what it was about. I had the vague idea that it was dystopian and had something to do with videogames, but that was it. And yes, both of those were involved, but there was so much more to it!

This was a very unique book and yes, it had some videogame inspiration, but the idea is new and very interesting. The  I'm sorry if I'm being vague, but it's much more exciting to go into this book knowing as little as possible (Though, you can always read the synopsis if you want to see how original of an idea this book has). The world-building involved in creating The Aftermath and the dystopian society is amazing!  So much is involved in the creation of this world and you do actually feel like you are within it!

I, honestly, don't have very many issues with this book. Some of the characters felt a bit flat, but that's understandable due to the situation and many of the characters grew rounder as the story went on. There were some things I had a hard time believing, <highlight to view spoiler>Like the fact that Claudia took until now to figure out that she was being controlled by someone else. It was mentioned that she was already somewhat aware, so why didn't she realize this?<end of spoiler> but they were easy to ignore.

IN CONCLUSION
A fast-paced, suspenseful dystopian with a very unique plot! While this book has some video game inspiration, you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy it! I'm not a gamer, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
I do recommend it to those who want to read a brand-new take on dystopians!
And I will definitely be reading the sequel! Especially after that ending!

I hereby give this book

4 Wheels!

Meaning: It was amazing!

Waiting on Wednesday: Eternal by C.C. Hunter

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where you talk about whatever book you are IMPATIENTLY WAITING for!

This week I am waiting for...

All her life, Della's secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she's where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself.
 From bestselling author C.C. Hunter comes Eternal—a must-read for fans of the Shadow Falls series—and the sequel to Reborn.

Release Date: October 28th 2014   Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Why am I waiting?

I love all of C.C. Hunter's books and I am loving this series so far! I need more!

What book are you waiting for this week?

REVIEW: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

MY THOUGHTS
It's The Winner's Curse all over again. The Winner's Curse was an over-hyped book all over the blog world before it even came out! The Kiss of Deception had the same thing happen. ALL THE BLOGS were raving about this book! So I, of course, had extremely high expectations for this book! But having high expectations is a bad thing because it's very hard to reach those expectations, so you generally end up at least a little bit disappointed.
I was disappointed.
I don't know, I enjoyed this book, but I thought this would become a new favorite, but it didn't. I can't rave and gush about this book because, while I enjoyed it, that's basically it.

I did find this book extremely original, though, and for the first half, I thought I was going to be in the same boat as those other bloggers. The story has a majority point-of-view following Lia, but their are two other points-of-view. Two strangers meet her, at the same time, one of whom is The Prince, the other is The Assassin. You get their points-of-view from time to time, but you don't know who is who! I loved this part! It made me suspicious and screwed up my mind a bit, but I love it when authors do that! It's such an original idea and it flowed together! But, when the mystery is all figured out, I began to lose interest.

I don't know why. Maybe it's because my favorite aspect was done with, but I just wasn't as into the book. My main issue was just that I couldn't connect to any of the characters. They felt flat for some reason. Again, I don't know why. And I still liked the book, but I just wasn't enjoying it as much anymore.

IN CONCLUSION
This book is original and very unique, but beware of the hype-monster! My expectations for this book were much much higher than possible, so I was a bit disappointed. I do recommend this book, as I did enjoy it. It's great for fantasy fans and those who just want something different.

And I am definitely continuing the series!

I hereby give this book

4 Wheels!

Meaning: It was amazing!