Title: Lies we Tell Ourselves
Author: Robin Talley
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Historical Contemporary
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 30th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "separate but equal."

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.


When I heard about this book last year, I knew I wanted to read it because I love books that are based on real events, and take place in a setting that is historically significant. So when I got the ARC of this book I knew I would look forward to reading it, and I was right. This book was one that demands to be read, because it will make you realize how much our ancestors went through for us to live in the place we do today.

Sarah and Linda are our two narrators and I think that part of the book was my favorite. Those two POVs were what made this book so compelling because we got to see two sides of the same issue. Sarah, and African American who is one of the chosen to integrate into an all white high school. Linda is the the daughter of one of the most outspoken officials against segregation, and yet they are put together on a project and everything changes. I loved reading how these two girls dealt with the issues at hand. Obviously Sarah;s were more severe and honestly I was shocked at how she was treated. I mean I read about this in high school but for some reason reading a personalized story seemed that much more real and hurtful. The author did an amazing job showcasing how these girls were treated on both sides, and how much it affected them as people and those around them.

The only real issue I had with this book was how many subjects the author decided to deal with in the 400 pages. Not only did she tackle the race issue, but she also decided to weave in the lesbian issue as well. Although I have absolutely nothing against these issues, I just though it was too much for one book. I found that at times one issue took more importance than the other, and vise verso throughout the book, and it was confusing to me as to which was worse or better for the characters. In my opinion I think it would have been better if the race issue was the focal point and the rest was left alone. I would have rather the girls become best friends instead of lovers, because for me the two issues together seemed a bit unlikely? It was just too much for me.

Overall this book was a great read, fast paced and full of amazing characters. I had just had a few issues with the overall plot line I just wish that the author would have stuck to one topic and not tried to put both together, because I think they distracted from each other in the end.

Title: Ghost House
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Series: The Ghost House Saga #1
Genre: YA Ghost Story
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: August 26th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC provided from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Halo comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series.

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.


I wanted to read this book because of the author. So many people have loved her Halo series and I was really interested to see how she would do with ghosts, since that is a very big departure from angels. And i will say that I was quite impressed with this story and how it differed from her original series.

I loved ghost stories (on paper NOT in the movies) and i was really looking forward to this book. I will admit that I was bit disappointed in some aspects of this book. one was the pacing. I felt like it was quite slow throughout and I kept waiting for something to happen. There were many great scenes, especially the ones with a particular ghost. She was a great character and I really liked the mystery that surrounded her and the reason why she was haunting the house our main character, Chloe was staying in. There were some pretty gruesome scenes and I thought that the author did a very good job of describing them to us because I could picture them with no problem whatsoever. I think those parts were my absolute favourite.

Insta-love is something I really don't like in YA, and there was this kind of relationship in this book. I hated it. I did not understand her obsession with this boy when she knew nothing could happen because he was A ghost! I think my biggest issue with this book was this love story because to me in made no sense and the way she was describing how much she feels for him after only a few days made me question her as a character and how reliable she really was.

The end. What can I say about the ending without spoiling anything...well it wasn't my favorite. I felt like the resolution to Chloe's problems were too simple and I wanted more of a fight i think? I just felt like it all ended quite quickly and it wasn't satisfying for me. Overall this book was a very interesting read, but sadly it left me wanting more than I got.

Title: The Aftermath
Author: Jen Alexander
Series: Unknown Series
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Release Date: August 26th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received by publisher in exchange for an honest review

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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.


Usually when I read YA books I need to be grabbed from the very beginning because I have so many books to read and if you don't grab me from the beginning then I will usually just out the book back down. So when I picked up The Aftermath I was surprised that the beginning was as slow as it was. I loved the concept of the book going in and I have to be honest and say that in the beginning I was extremely confused as to what was going on. This does happen sometimes but I have to say that this books beginning threw me a bit and i had to make myself keep reading. But I will say that I am happy I did finish this book because the second half of this book was great!

Once our main character, Claudia, met Declan, then everything started to make sense for me and flow a bit better. I really liked their relationship because it felt real. It was not love at first sight, but once they spent some more time together then things started to change. I also really loved the dual perspectives between Claudia and Olivia and how it was done. Both perspectives were from Claudias head so that was very interested to me, and figuring out what was going on with Claudia was a great way for me to get into the book.

I will say that pacing was a huge problem for me in this book. There were times when I was so invested that I could not stop reading, but then there were times were I was bored and would just start skimming to get to another scene. I really wish that there was more dialogue in this book because when I was reading it I learned more about the characters than from the authors descriptions.

The end. The end of this book was my favorite part. I usually do not like cliffhangers but seriously this one was a great one. It reveal something that I was not expecting and it made me really want the next book! I also loved that we got SOME answers but not enough so it makes you really want the next book.

Title: The Stepsister's Tale
Author: Tracy Barrett
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Fairy Tale Retelling
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Release Date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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What really happened after the clock struck midnight?

Jane Montjoy is tired of being a lady. She's tired of pretending to live up to the standards of her mother's noble family-especially now that the family's wealth is gone and their stately mansion has fallen to ruin. It's hard enough that she must tend to the animals and find a way to feed her mother and her little sister each day. Jane's burden only gets worse after her mother returns from a trip to town with a new stepfather and stepsister in tow. Despite the family's struggle to prepare for the long winter ahead, Jane's stepfather remains determined to give his beautiful but spoiled child her every desire.

When her stepfather suddenly dies, leaving nothing but debts and a bereaved daughter behind, it seems to Jane that her family is destined for eternal unhappiness. But a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate...

From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in Tracy Barrett's stunning retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.



Fairytale retellings are some of my favorites in any category of book, including YA. But for me there can be very good re-imaginings and very bad ones as well. I find that the best one keep the concept from the original but either changes the characters or changes the setting. One of my favorite retellings of all time is The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer because she keeps the overall story the same but she changed the setting completely. So when I read the synopsis for The Stepsister's Tale I knew I wanted to read it because seeing a story I know so well from another perspective was something I loved to read.

What I think I liked the most about this book was it connection with the original story. Not the Disney version but the Grimm Fairy Tale version, with the gruesome aspects and all. I liked the little nuggets you saw throughout the book that referenced the original and I loved reading that. I thought it was a great way to get a person who loves fairy tales interested in the book and its characters. I will also say that the author did a great job getting me invested early into the characters, and making me dislike "Cinderella" originally. That was a feat and honestly I did not expect to feel that way going in.

Unfortunately that is where my likes stop. Overall I thought that the story was slow in the beginning and I found that not much happens until the very end of the book. I found myself skimming the descriptions and going straight for the dialogue because honestly that is always my favorite part of a book. I felt that too much time past in this book, I think the books deals with years of these girls lives and I just thought it was too much for me to grasp and become invested long term when I really didn't get a chance to know any of the characters. I know I was supposed to dislike Cinderella, which I did and that was fine, but as for the stepsisters, I honest felt nothing for them. I did not get a chance to get to know them as people, they were always in direct contrast to Cinderella and I really didn't like that.

In the synopsis I was told there would be a love story that was untold in the original story, and I will admit that I was quite excited to read it because I do love a good love story. But sadly I hated this one because it felt forced from the beginning. Will was just OK, he did not illicit any emotions from me whatsoever and I could have cared less what happened to him and hos family. I think I felt like the story happened too quickly and if more happened within the book, and less attention was placed in Cinderella and how she differed from her stepsisters, then I might have cared more. I went into this book wanting a different perspective on a beloved story, but what I got was the story of two girls in the shadow of their stepsister and trying so hard to get away from that.

Ultimately this book was not for me. Although I liked the idea behind the story, the execution was not there to invest my interest enough to enjoy the book. I wanted a new and fresh story but what I got was a sad story of two girls that wished they could have it all, and sadly that wasn't enough for me.

Title: Drowned
Author: Nichola Reilly
Series: Drowned #1
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
Release Date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.


I love books that take a genre and flip its on its head, but ultimately it has to be done right for me to enjoy the story. So when I read the synopsis of Drowned I knew I wanted to read it because it took the Dystopian genre and seems to make it so different from everything else out there. But sadly the longer I read this book, the more I didn't like it.

When writing in the Dystopian genre I find that you need to have a clear picture of the world and how it was created and make the reader understand what is going on around them. This was my biggest problem with Drowned, it didn't make sense. The author tried to explain how this world came to be and what it was like for the characters, but for me it was so confusing. I could not wrap my head around the world and what it meant for the characters. I knew that the tide came in, and everyone had to stand in a line and there were people that disappeared into the tide every once in a while but beyond that I did not grasp what was happening.

Main characters are supposed to grab the reader and make then invested in them and the story. In Drowned I felt none of this because I could not connect with Coe, our narrator. There are A LOT of characters in this book, and for me, it seemed like there were too many, and their names would always get jumbled in my mind. I could not differentiate between all of them and what they meant to Coe. The writing style of this book lead to more heartache for me. At times the writing was beautiful and full of life, but most of the time the writing felt forced, like the author was trying to write higher than the book was meant to be written in. I felt like most of the time the style of writing was distracting me from the story itself. And that ultimately lead to me not enjoying the book as much as I wanted to.

The more I read, the more I kept saying WTF? And that accumulated at the end with a bit WTF because what happened at the end made absolutely NO SENSE whatsoever. I think I put the book down and said, nope not reading this anymore because I did not get what just happened and how it would fit in this world. Drowned was not the book for me, and honestly I hate saying this but I do not think I would ever recommend it to anyone because the storyline just did not make sense and the end was way too much of a WTF moment for me.

Title: The Dark World
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Series: Dark World #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.


World building in any YA novel that involves paranormal elements can be hard, and I find good world building to be hard to find. So when I picked up The Dark World I knew that there would have to be a very clear world because of the subject matter. And I am happy to say that Cara Lynn Shultz did an amazing job with her world and it is quite the awesome read :D

The Dark World is about a young girl named Paige who can talk to the dead. This fact is quite interesting for her because it allowed for the people around her to deem her mentally ill. I really liked this aspect of the book because it gave Paige another dimension to her character and it allows for readers to connect with her on a level that I don't would have happened if she was popular and undeterred by those around her. I loved that she was a shut in and loved to read and be by helrself because is who I am, and yet she still felt genuine and funny. She had some great one liners that had me laughing out loud at some points and that just made me love her more. The sarcasm will always make me love a character, and this one had plenty.

I mentioned world building earlier and I loved what Cara did in this book. she does not overload the reader with facts about this world, she lets us gradually get to know it, just like Paige has to. she also did a very smart thing and made this world an alternate dimension, this allows the reader to still be grounded in reality but with the option of another world. I loved this because it was so smart and it allowed us readers to find the familiar in a world that is very unlike our own.

I will warn that there is a love interest in this book, and honest I thought it was adorable and at times I really did enjoy their romance and relationship. But I did find that some of what happened to them was cliche and I found myself rolling my eyes. But still I loved Logan's character be cause he is so different from Paige and everything her world represents. I liked that he had his own secrets that were revealed throughout the book, and I liked how both and Paige and Logan dealt with those secrets and what they meant for both of them.

Overall The Dark World was a great paranormal read, I loved the characters, the world and the direction this series is going. I will say that there was a bit of a cliffhanger ending and you well know I really do not like them, but I will say it made sense for the series, but I still wish we had gotten a bit more resolution. That being said, I will wait anxiously for the next book in this series because it will be a must read for me!

 It's Time!! The STONE COLD TOUCH cover is here!

We cannot wait to share the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout's STONE COLD TOUCH with you all! STONE COLD TOUCH is a young adult paranormal romance by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is the second full-length novel in The Dark Elements Series being published by Harlequin Teen. You'll want to add this to your TBR pile ASAP. Check out this amazing cover!

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STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis: Every touch has its price Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay… "Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

WHITE HOT KISS!

 
ABOUT WHITE HOT KISS: One kiss could be the last. Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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This is a brand new segment I am starting where I feature a book a day, in the month of December, that I am looking forward to in 2014. It can be any book from any genre, from any author or publisher!

This is a great way for me to help you make you TBR pile bigger! And to share the books I cannot wait to read! Hope you enjoy!

Title: Ink
Author: Amanda Sun
Series:  Paper Gods #1
Genre: YA, Mythology, Paranormal
Format: Paperback, 377 pages
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

 Purchase
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On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Mythology has always been a love of mine, so naturally when an author draws on it in their writing I am all over it. When I heard about Ink for the first time and saw that it was based on Japanese Mythology I was thrilled. One, because its mythology(duh!), and two because its a culture that is so foreign to me that I was excited to read about it.

Ink follows Katie, a young girl whose mother dies and is shipped off to live with her aunt in Japan. What I loved most about Katie was her ability as a narrator to make the reader understand everything around her, even if they are in another language. Katie know Japanese and can speak it so that was an aspect I loved reading and trying to wrap my head around. Amanda Sun did an amazing job at incorporating Japanese language and culture without alienating the reader. although I did not understand all the cultural nuances, it in no way took away from the story, which was great.

Although this novel is about Japanese mythology, it is also about the relationship between Katie and Tomo- A local boy with the ability to make drawings come to life. Their relationship was great because it was not a love at first sight kind of story, it was more a lust/hate kind at the beginning. I loved watching their relationship grow and their ability to trust each other come to light. It was a great relationship to read- not only because of the sexual tension but also because it felt real and like a young first love.

Ink was an amazing debut that blew me away from the very first page. Not only will you fall in love with Katie and Tomo but also with Japan. Ink showcases a culture that is extremely foreign, yet presents it in a way that we can all relate to. A great read.

Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover, 462 pages
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC supplied for honest review

Purchase
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 If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...
When I read Pushing the Limits last year I was so surprised at the level of the writing and how addictive the story was. So when I picked up Dare You To I was expecting the exact same thing, and that is exactly what I got.

This is the story of Beth and Ryan, two characters that should have nothing in common, but ultimately connect on a level that neither expected. Beth is such a hard character to like because she is loyal to a fault, even if it means she is jeopardizing her own life. We see this with her mother, a woman we first heard in Pushing the Limits and she doesn't improve in this novel, for sure.

I hated Beth's relationship with her mother, I wanted to shake her and tell her that her mother will never change and trying to save her is only going to make things worse. But alas, it all continues. Beth herself is hard edged and hard to connect with, but that is where Ryan comes in.

Ryan is the All America Boy, who is being pressured by his family to be this poster boy everyone expects him to be. But Ryan has some secrets to, ones that have torn his family apart in ways that no one knows. I loved Ryan's character because he was real, yes he was obsessed with baseball and winning but that wasn't who is really was. And I love that it was Beth's interactions with him that brought that side of him out. Beth and Ryan's connection was intense and slow building, and I loved how their ultimate friendship helped both of them discover things about themselves they never knew were there.

Did I love Dare You To more than I loved Pushing the Limits? No. But it was very close, Katie McGarry has a way of creating characters that stay with you even after you have turned that last page, and Dare You To will not disappoint. I promise.