Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2013

Desert Flower by Angela Scott (Blog Tour)




Bodies have a canny way of finding Samantha Jean Haggert—the first, the dead body of her mama; the second, a naked man in the middle of the Arizona desert. For Sam, dealing with one dead body in her lifetime is more than unfair. Two is downright cruel.

Seven years after running from West Virginia, Sam's now a young woman of nineteen, trying to put the pieces of her life together with the help of her family—Jacob, Boone, and Laura. But the naked man in the desert spirals her world out of control, resurrecting past hurts and revealing old secrets. It also pits against one another the two men who vie for her heart: Carson, her friend, her first kiss, and the one man who knows everything about her past and loves her despite it; and Turner, the stranger who knows nothing, but who excites and frustrates her all at once.

When bad choices made as a child lead to more bad choices as a young adult, Sam finds herself at a crossroads, forced to face her demons head-on if she plans to have any future at all—with Carson, with Turner, or with anyone. But fixing the wrongs of the past takes time, and learning to forgive one's self is damn near impossible.

Visit old friends in this harrowing sequel to Desert Rice, in which award-winning author Angela Scott brings back the characters so many readers have loved. 

Buy Links 
Amazon


Angela Scott

Author Bio:
I hear voices. Tiny fictional people sit on my shoulders and whisper their stories in my ear. Instead of medicating myself, I decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. I’m not crazy. I’m an author. For the most part, I write contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, I found myself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West—and loving it. My zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, I wouldn’t suggest it.
I live on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. I graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of my love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. I can’t spell, and grammar is my arch nemesis. But they gave me the degree, and there are no take backs.
As a child, I never sucked on a pacifier; I chewed on a pencil. I’ve been writing that long. It has only been the past few years that I’ve pursued it professionally, forged relationships with other like-minded individuals, and determined to make a career out of it.
You can subscribe and follow me on my website, where I blog obsessively about my writing process and post updates on my current works. I’m also on Twitter and Facebook, but be forewarned, I tweet and post more than a normal person.
Twitter: @whimsywriting

My Thoughts:

I  read a lot of books and every now and again I get one that I know will stick with me for a while. Desert Rice is definitely one of those books. Scott has done an amazing job of writing characters that you will  not only root for but that you'll also fall in love with. 

Desert Flower is the sequel to Desert Rice and so much goes on in the first novel that leads up to the second that I feel like I need to be kind of vague so that I don't give anything away. I do recommend reading the books in order because the second definitely is written after the first. 

The first book Desert Rice is all about Sam and her brother Jacob as young teens running away from their home town. Now Sam and Jacob are grown up and have all new adult problems. Just like in the first novel this book is full of extreme highs and lows in their lives and how they deal with their decisions and mistakes. 

I can honestly say that I loved both of these amazingly written novels. I became so emotionally invested in the characters and their stories. I highly recommend both of 
these novels, just make sure you have plenty of tissues available because you're going to need them.

I think both of these novels are more for the more mature Young Adults to Adults. Even though the first book is about Sam and Jacob as teens, it deals with some very intense situations. 

Excerpt From Desert Flower by Angela Scott

I catapulted myself at Carson the moment he walked in the door—a wild, crazy woman. My fists pummeled his chest. He just stood there and accepted my onslaught of violence.
"You shouldn't have left me alone with her! You said you'd only be gone an hour!"
"Sam, I tried to hurry—"
I pushed him and then pushed him again. "You should have taken her with you!"
He dropped his armload of groceries on the floor and the broken eggs seeped through the brown paper bag. He took hold of me and shook me violently by the shoulders, as if that would snap me out of my insanity, but it only infuriated me further.
"Let go of me!"
"Not until you calm down!"
I struggled to free myself from his grasp, but Carson pinned me to the wall and held me there.
"Get your hands off me!" But he wouldn't release me.
"Knock it off, Sam! Settle down."
"Settle down! You left me here with her! You said she would sleep, but she didn't. She wouldn't stop crying. I didn't know what to do!"
"Maybe if you held her more and faked some interest in your own baby, then maybe you would!"
He released his hands from me as though I were poisonous, shook his head, and knelt to pick up the spilled groceries. Distaste and disappointment coated his face. He didn't like me any better than I liked myself.
"Hannah deserves better than this," he mumbled, something we both agreed on.
I lowered myself to the floor in a heap and wrapped my arms around my legs. "I'm sorry." Tears fell down my face. "I didn't know what to do. She just wouldn't stop crying. I'm sorry!"
His hands froze midway in their pursuit to clean up the mess at his feet, and he looked at me, really looked at me. "Where's the baby, Sam?"




Tuesday, February 5, 2013

A Song For Julia by Charles Sheehan-Miles Blog Tour & Giveaway


Title: A Song for Julia
Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles
Release date: December 15, 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours














Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0988273659/

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/A-Song-for-Julia/bookZGax6QmN6UKhq8Q4Cgblxg/page1.html?s=bhQX3cKyPkevJmqHjCrIYg&r=1

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-song-for-julia-charles-sheehanmiles/1113891044?ean=2940015799866&itm=1&usri=a+song+for+julia

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-song-for-julia/id584188847?mt=11


Book Description:

Everyone should have something to rebel against. 
Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he's still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn't ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job.  The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success. 

Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC,
threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy. 

When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.

My Thoughts:

I love when I start a book and can tell right away that I'm not going to want put it down. I suggest you don't start this one late at night because if you are like me you won't want to go to bed until you've finished. 

I have know idea how Julia was able to resist Crank as long as she did because I was instantly in love with him. A bad boy rock star that wants to give up his bad boy ways just for you. Oh hell yeah! That's my favorite kind of boy. Add to that he is actually a really sweet guy underneath...swoon! 

Julia has been through hell and has no idea how to trust anyone! Her family has never been there for her, she's been betrayed in the worst way by not only her ex but also her best friend. She's been bullied by her parents and her classmates. She has barely figured out how to hold on and Crank is not helping her situation. 

There is so much about this book that I loved but I don't want to give too much away, I will say that author Charles Sheehan-Miles did an excellent job with the separate points of view. We get to see inside the minds of both Julia and Crank and how they see each other and themselves. A great addition to the rapidly growing New Adult genre and a beautiful, romantic, emotional novel. I can't wait to go back and read Just Remember to Breathe and I look forward to the next novel The Last Hour. 

About the Author:


Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and nonprofit executive. He is the author of several books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America's Future.




Author social media links:

https://www.facebook.com/CharlesSheehanMiles
Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/384693288275181/
https://twitter.com/CSheehanMiles
Website: http://www.sheehanmiles.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/415636.Charles_Sheehan_Miles


Excerpt #1 - Suburban Princess (Crank)
October 26, 2002
Maybe it’s just me. But I would have thought that a girl at the center of the biggest anti-war 
protest since the Vietnam War might not have had such a gigantic stick up her ass. But no … there she was, her mouth moving, and I didn’t understand a word. To be fair, she was wicked hot, even if she did dress like a librarian; she wore a floral knee-length skirt that hugged her thighs and a pastel colored sweater with what looked like a thousand bangles and 
bracelets running up her right wrist. Her eyes were a  striking pale blue, framed with dark 
brownish-blonde hair. She had this schoolgirl look about her that made me want to lick the back of her neck. It was the hostile stream of words out of her sexy little mouth that caused me to step back, both irritated and defensive. 

“What was that?” I asked, hoping to get the torrent of words to just stop.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I grinned.

“What I said was, you guys can’t set up here just yet. Mark Tashburn is about to go on … 
then there’s a fifteen-minute break. You guys can set up after that.”
I rolled my eyes. “And we go on at the end of the fifteen minutes?”
She smiled, her face relaxing a little. I don’t think she liked me that much. Her smile looked 
fake. Those ice cold eyes? Her smile never reached that far. I wondered what a genuine smile from her would look like.
“That’s right,” she replied.
“That won’t work,” I said. “Takes longer to set up than fifteen minutes.”
She sighed. “And why, exactly, are we just finding this out now?”
“Hey, not my fault. I don’t know who organized the time schedule on this thing, but it’s a 
complete mess. If you want us playing in 30 minutes, we needed to start setting up an hour ago. 
Takes time to set up the equipment and tune up.”She huffed a little and said, “Fine. Just … try not to distract the audience too much.”Jesus, whatever. She came running up the moment we’d started to carry equipment on stage. 
Not like the crowd was paying attention anyway, there must be a hundred thousand people out there. Bunch of hippies and peace freaks and what looked to be effing soccer moms. For the hundredth time, I asked myself how the hell I’d gotten roped into playing at an anti-war protest. 
Of course, this was the biggest venue we’d ever played. But seriously, so far, the speakers 
had been a series of retreads from the 1960s. If that didn’t show how disconnected this thing was from reality, I didn’t know what did.
Whatever. This was Serena’s deal. She was big in the anti-war politics. And what Serena was 
into, the band did. We didn’t have a manager, but she was the closest to it. She sang with me and played rhythm guitar and had a magic sense for what music would work and what wouldn’t. 
We rushed to get set up without alarming the natives or hippies. Finished in record time, no 
thanks to the princess who was off to the side of the stage with a clipboard, directing people here and there.
So, between the setup, tune up, and start, I had about fifteen seconds to take a breath and then launched into the first licks. The college kids in the audience started to groove on it right away, but the senior citizens and soccer moms … and holy shit, there was a lot of them … stared up at us as if the stage had been swept with radioactive contamination. I gave the guitar and vocals just an extra twinge for them, blasting out the raunchiest original version of the lyrics to our song“Fuck the War” rather than the extra special sensitive studio lyrics we’d ended up releasing. 
I don’t want to mislead you. Morbid Obesity isn’t a punk band, more alternative rock, with a 
bit of an edge. I’m the edge. To date, our most popular song was “Fuck the War,” which we 
released on an EP a few months back. It’s a love song about my mom and dad, but you’ve got to listen to the lyrics to get that. I put a lot of  emotion into it when I was writing it and when I performed it.
It was a perfect day to be on stage and outdoors: cool, but not cold. The sky was clear and 
cloudless, an occasional breeze wafting across the stage, a hundred thousand people of all 
shapes, sizes and colors spread across the frickin’ National Mall. I’d never seen anything like it. 
I was on the second round of the chorus when I looked to the right of the stage and saw Miss 
Princess. She was grooving on the music. Moving just slightly, her lips were parted in a way that caught my breath. Pouty lips. Kissable lips. I had to laugh at myself a bit. So not my type. Well, except that she was female and kind of hot. Still, not my type. 
Back in high school, some freak accident of the Boston Public School system sent a group of 
rich kids from Back Bay to South Boston High. That was a laugh. It only lasted a year, though I don’t know if that’s because they got the zoning reversed, or the parents just yanked their kids from the public schools. This girl reminded me of some of those kids. Imperious. Superior. Some of them looked at the rats like me as if we were future criminals.
I wonder if that’s why she was turning me on so much?
It made me want to tease her a little, so when I launched into the second verse, I sang right to her, and her alone. I was on the second verse when she met my eyes. I held them. Her eyes, so distant and blue, were arresting. She noticed I was singing to her and froze in place, a deer caught in the headlights. I love it when girls react that way. Showed she was human. If we’dbeen back home in Boston, I’d have grabbed her and pulled her on the stage, but that wouldn’t go over with this audience.
After a second though, she met my eyes and gave a sly grin, as if to say ‘I know what you’re 
up to.’ I grinned back, belting out the lyrics. The bass and drums in this song were powerful and demanded that the body dance. I broke off eye contact and took off across the stage, threw myself into the solo, screaming out the lyrics at the crescendo, and then I brought the song to a crashing halt.
Despite the shock of the soccer moms and lobbyists in the crowd, the college kids loved it 
and screamed for more. Suburban Princess applauded, a mysterious grin on her face. I wanted to know her a lot better. 
That wasn’t going to happen. This was an anti-war protest, not a meet and greet. As soon as 
the song finished, we started breaking down the stage and golden girl jumped up to the 
microphone and shouted, “Give it up for Morbid Obesity and their hit “Fuck the War”!” I paused what I was doing to check her out while she was at the microphone.
The crowd went nuts again, which was nice. Hearing the name of my song on those lips was 
even nicer. But five seconds later, she was introducing the next round of speakers, a bunch of 
broken down Vietnam and Gulf War vets who had been dredged up by the organizers of this parade to give it some credibility.
Mark and I dragged most of the equipment off the stage, while Pathin broke down the drums, and Serena pulled the extra monitors and wiring apart. As I stepped off the stage for the last time, the suburban princess met me at the bottom of the stairs. I stumbled down the last step and ended up less than six inches away from her, looking down into those fantastic eyes.
“You guys were pretty good,” she said, her head tilted back, eyes on mine. “Thanks for doing 
this.”
I shrugged and grinned. “It was fun.” Pretty good? That’s it? Jesus, she was close. I could 
smell her perfume, a faint, pretty smell.
“So …” she said, looking me in the eyes.Awkward.
“How long is this thing gonna go?” I asked.
“Half a dozen more speakers, then they march around the White House. Maybe another 
hour.”
Mark walked up just as she was answering the question. Our bass player, Mark, is a big guy, 
who might have been a football player in an alternate universe where football players smoked too much pot and hung out with the bugs in the Pit in Harvard Square. His eyes widened when I opened my stupid mouth again.
“So, after it’s over, want to grab some lunch?”
For just a second her smile faltered, and she looked … almost angry. I know I’m not exactly 
wearing frickin’ tweed, but I’m not a bad guy, no need to be offended. 
“Come on,” I said, “it’s just lunch. I won’t do anything too offensive.”Mark spoke in a sarcastic tone, “I don’t think she’s your type, Crank.”
She closed her mouth, eyes darting to Mark. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips set in a thin 
line. It looked like she wanted to hit him. This girl was volatile. I liked that. “Sure,” she said. 
“Where?”
I shrugged. “Um … I don’t know the area.”
She looked thoughtful for just a second. “Georgia Brown’s at 15th and K Street. They’ve got 
outdoor seating. See you there … four o’clock?”
Yes! Was it me, or had she moved closer to me?
Mark let out a chuckle and walked away.
“All right, see you at four,” I said, looking at her eyes one more time. 
I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.







a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, June 15, 2012

Review - Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Something Like Normal
Author: Trish Doller
Expected Release Date: June 19th, 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Bloomsbury and NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads:
When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.



Trish Doller has just gotten herself a brand new fan. I honestly can't find one thing to fault with this book. The characters were amazing. The writing was fast, honest, funny and emotional. The story was captivating and unlike any I have ever read.

WOW! My daughter had mentioned that this book was really good but... wow! I was totally blown away. I started Something Like Normal a little while after dinner and ended up staying up late so I could finish. YES, it is one of those books that once you start you won't want to put it down. I became so invested in Travis and everything that he was going through that I had to know how his story would end. 

You see, Travis is not your typical amazing guy. He has faults, plenty of them. Yet, you still fall for him. He's not perfect in anyway! He's understandably messed up from serving in Afghanistan, he's lost a lot, and now he's just trying to make it through the best way that he can.

I was sure that my heart was going to be completely broken by Trish Doller and Something Like Normal, but instead I was left with that happy little smile and sigh that I get at the end of an amazing book. 

I do want to point out that the cover makes this look like a girly romance novel. There is romance, but this is in NO way a book geared towards girls. This is an everyone book. Written from Travis's point of view this book definitely can be enjoyed by guys as well! 

Warning: This book contains mentions of sex, violence, and has plenty of "bad" words. This should in no way stop you from reading this amazing book though! 


Monday, September 12, 2011

Neurotic Thoughts on Betrayed

Betrayed 
Author: Ednah Walters
Released: April 12, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages: 484 according to my nook
Published by: Firetrail Publishing
ISBN: 0012860883
Source: From the author as part of a blog tour through The Bookish Snob Book Promotions
Summary from Goodreads:

Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon-the Kris Dagger. She trains everyday to master her growing powers, gets along with her Guardian trainee friends, most of the time, and cherishes the time she spends with her human friends.

Just when she feels she belongs, her nature-bender father contacts her and warns her about a betrayal by someone close to her. Then Bran, the boy she loves, starts to act strange and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability. While Lil struggles find a connection between these three things, she begins to realize that someone is manipulating her and will stop at nothing, including hurting those she loves, to lure her to the dark side.


                                             This Book Is AMAZING!

Ednah Walters has captivated me once again with her amazing characters and wonderful storytelling. With even more action, heartache, trouble, mayhem, betrayal, and angst than Awakened, Betrayed has definitely exceeded my expectations! 

What to LOVE about Betrayed:
The characters - they are simply amazing, they each have such distinctive  personalities that even if you weren't told who was saying something you would still know who said it. Like you were sitting in the room with them instead of reading a story about them.
The action - there are some great butt kicking scenes in this book. I also love that they are written in a way that I can keep up with what is going on and not have to read it over again to figure out where I missed something
The romance - is beautiful without being saccharine sweet. Plus NO love triangle, at least not yet.

What not to LOVE about Awakened:
I truly can't think of anything that I didn't love about this book. One of my favorite YA paranormal series so far.

I have been looking forward to reading Betrayed since the minute I finished Awakened. Ednah has done such an amazing job of writing a fresh, unique YA paranormal romance. All of my favorite characters were back, and Lil and Bran once again stole my heart. If you haven't yet picked these books up, you are seriously missing out.







Thursday, August 18, 2011

Neurotic Thoughts on Want to Go Private?

Want to Go Private?
Author: Sarah Darer Littman
Released: August 1, 2011
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 336
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0545151465
Target Age: Young Adult but parents should definitely read too!
Source: Around the World ARC tours

Summary from Goodreads:

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.
Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

Usually when I rate a book a 5 it's because it's an amazing read that I just couldn't put down. It's a book that I want to shout about, and tell everyone that I know that they HAVE to read this book.  What's really weird though is giving a 5 to a book that I loved and hated all at the same time.  I loved it because the writing was powerful and gripping. I truly didn't want to put this book down because I needed to know what happened with Abby and her obsession with Luke. On the other hand, I yelled and screamed at Abby about what a freaking idiot she was and why, WHY would you talk to some guy when you've heard over and over and over again about how if you don't know that person in real life then you don't know who that person REALLY is. Abby knows this, she knows it, she even says how it's been drilled into her head. So why???

Then I would catch myself feeling sorry for Abby and those scared, confused and frustrating feelings that she was going through. I remember being 15 and it sucked and sometimes you really did just want someone to tell you that you were right and your feelings were justified and real.  Abby found that someone, only it turns out he wasn't who he said he was. This book was so powerful that it literally took my breath away at times.

However, I hate that a book like this needed to be written. I hate that I feel like I should tell everyone I know that they should read this book. I hate that there are sick people out there that really do this, and that everyone who knows a teen needs to look out for them even when they are in their own home. So now I sadly emphatically tell you all that yes, you should definitely read Want to Go Private because you need to, and because it really is an amazing book.


Thursday, August 4, 2011

Neurotic Thoughts on Without Mercy

Without Mercy 
Author: Belinda Boring
Released: July 8, 2011
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 20 This is a short novella
Publisher: Moonstruck Media
ISBN: 9781452452739
Target Age: Adult
Source: From the author for The Bookish Snob Promotions blog tour
Summary from Goodreads:

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?

When Darcy’s outing takes a turn for the worst and tests her to the point of breaking, she struggles to maintain her humanity. Where loyalty and pack mean everything, she surrenders to the inevitable and only an act of complete trust can touch her. When all is said and done, with memories flooding her mind, Darcy holds tightly to the only thing that makes sense – it was all a dream. Or was it?
 

Seriously WOW!  I think this is my favorite novelette ever!!! Belinda Boring did an incredible job of pulling me right in and not letting go.  So much action and emotion in just twenty pages.  I can't wait for the next installment and more of Darcy and Mason. If you love werewolves, you won't be sorry that you picked up Without Mercy.



Wednesday, July 6, 2011

NeuroticThoughts on Where She Went

Where She Went
Author: Gayle Forman
Released: April 5, 2011
Published by: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 264
ISBN: 0525422943
Target Age: Young Adult

Source: I borrowed this one from the fabulous Jessica of Shut Up I'm Reading
Summary from Goodreads:

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.


AMAZING!!
 First off If you haven't read If I Stay - stop right now! Go to the store, library, amazon, or wherever you get your books from, and RUN don't walk to get your own copy of If I Stay!!!! Yes, it really is that good.

OK, now onto Where She Went.... I've been putting this review off for quite awhile because I'm afraid it's just going to sound all gushy and incoherent because of the amount of love I have for this book and Adam! As wonderful as If I Stay was, Where She Went is even better! This book is told from Adam's point of view and wow, I just love this guy SOOO much.  Adam's heartache is so palpable you feel it right along with him. When he cried, I cried. He's barely hanging on trying to get through his life in the aftermath of what happened to Mia three years ago. While waiting to head off to Europe on tour with his band he takes a few days in New York City and remembers what's happened in the past three years.  Oh my, get ready for the tears during his flashbacks!!! While wandering through the city he stumbles upon Mia, what  happens next you'll have to find out for yourself.
Side note: After reading this book I went to New York City for the first time, and seeing the things that Gayle Forman wrote about just made them so much more for me, it was awesome!!! 

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Gathering - Reviewed

The Gathering
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Released: April 12, 2011
Published by: HarperCollins
Pages: 359
Target Age: Young Adult
Source: my amazing daughter let me read her copy
Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.


Kelley Armstrong is back with the start to what looks like another great trilogy.  As a huge fan of Chloe and the Darkest Powers trilogy I was hoping to like The Gathering, and I wasn't disappointed. This book hooked me from the very beginning and didn't let go until... well, wait it didn't, it left me hanging.  UGH! I can't wait for the next book.
I loved the main character Maya.  She is strong, thoughtful, great with animals, and has a supernatural talent. What's not to love? She also has a great relationship with her adoptive parents which is a refreshing change for a young adult book.  I really liked everything about this book: the characters, the setting, the supernatural aspect, the possibilities for romance, and the mystery all left me wanting more. If you haven't scored a copy of The Gathering then you are really missing out on a great read.