Young Adult Books

In My Mailbox is a weekly book blog feature hosted by The Story Siren. It gives book bloggers the opportunity to share the books we get each week with other bloggers, and our followers. Over the past few weeks I got...+ several eBooksThis Strange and Familiar Place (So Close to You, #2) by Rachel Carter (ARC)Thanks to HarperTeenWild Awake by Hilary T. Smith (ARC)Thanks to Katherine TegenThe Dark Shore (The Atlanteans, #2) by Kevin Emerson (ARC)Thanks to Katherine TegenShadow of the Mark (Carrier of the Mark, #2) by Leigh Fallon (ARC)Thanks to HarperTeenDefy the Dark edited by Saundra Mitchell (ARC)Thanks to HarperTeenRush (The Game, #1) by Eve Silver (ARC)Thanks to Katherine TegenThe Distance Between Us by Kasie West (ARC)Thanks to HarperTeenInferno (Chronicles of Nick, #4) by Sherrilyn Kenyon (hardcover)Thanks to St. Martin’s GriffinThis Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (ARC)Thanks to Farrar, Straus, & GirouxTumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts (ARC)Thanks to Farrar, Straus, & GirouxHorde (Razorland, #3) by Ann Aguirre (ARC)Thanks to Feiwel & FriendsThe Revelations of Jude Connor by Robin Reardon (paperback)Thanks to KensingtonThe Whatnot (The Peculiar, #2) by Stefan Bachmann (eARC)Thanks to Greenwillow, via EdelweissEyes Wide Open (The Blackstone Affair, #3) by Raine Miller (eARC)Thanks to Atria, via EdelweissLeap of Faith by Jamie Blair (eARC)Thanks to Simon & Schuster, via EdelweissTo Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones (eARC)Thanks to Simon & Schuster, via EdelweissInvisible by Marni Bates (eARC)Thanks to K-Teen, via NetGalleyTouching Melody (Forever First, #1) by RaShelle Workman (eARC)Thanks to All Night Reads, via NetGalleyPlaying Tyler by T.L. Costa (eARC)Thanks to Strange Chemistry, via NetGalleyAsylum by Madeline Roux (eARC)Thanks to Harper, via EdelweissOutcast by Adrienne Kress (eARC)Thanks to Diversion, via NetGalleyFangirl by Rainbow Rowell (eARC)Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin, via NetGalleyRelic (The Books of Eva, #1) by Heather Terrell (eARC)Thanks to Soho Teen, via EdelweissDragonfly by Leigh Talbert Moore (eARC)Thanks to All Night Reads, via NetGalleySex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian (eARC)Thanks to Carolrhoda Lab, via NetGalleyGated by Amy Christine Parker (eARC)Thanks to Random House, via EdelweissDance of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death, #2) by Bethany Griffin (eARC)Thanks to Greenwillow, via EdelweissHow to Love by Katie Cotugno (eARC)Thanks to Balzer + Bray, via EdelweissOnce We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles, #2) by Kat Zhang (eARC)Thanks to Harper, via EdelweissRock and a Hard Place (The Jamieson Brothers, #1) by Angie Stanton (eARC)Thanks to HarperTeen, via EdelweissSnapshot (The Jamieson Brothers, #2) by Angie Stanton (eARC)Thanks to HarperTeen, via EdelweissShadowlark (Skylark, #2) by Meagan Spooner (eARC)Thanks to Carolrhoda Lab, via NetGalleyLosing It edited by Keith Gray (eARC)Thanks to Carolrhoda Lab, via NetGalleyBelieve by Sarah Aronson (eARC)Thanks to Carolrhoda Lab, via NetGalleyA Wounded Name by Dot Hutchinson (eARC)Thanks to Carolrhoda Lab, via NetGalleyThe Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller (eARC)Thanks to Entangled Teen, via NetGalley

New Releases In Paperback

Publisher: Spencer Hill PressRelease Date: 18 September 2012Format: PaperbackSeries: UnknownSource: BEA 2012Dying sucks...and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life.For real this time.I absolutely love Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing! Obsidian was the first book I read by her, and I have been an Armentrout Addict ever since. I am able to read through the pages effortlessly, and I am always intrigued by the story and the characters. Cursed wasn't any different. I felt like I knew Ember inside and out. I knew what she was feeling, thinking, seeing, and it transferred over to me. I felt, thought, and saw what she did. It was like I was living through her, instead of reading about her. That is a good book.I love Ember's personality. She is fiercely protective of her family and Adam. She sacrifices all of her wants and needs to make sure they are taken care of. She also isn't one of those characters that gets thrown into a skeevy situation and just accepts it. She remains cautious and untrusting, and that's how normal people would respond to a crazy situation. Armentrout doesn't let the fact that her characters can do abnormal things take away from the reality of their lives. They are still human, they still need the basics from life, and they live in a normal world. I love that she can combine paranormal and contemporary so easily.Hayden is a delicious treat that Armentrout has so graciously given to us on a platter. He's gorgeous, and has an unflinching loyalty to Ember. He's there for her when her world is turned upside down, and she has no idea which people she can trust. He cares about her in every way possible, and he's always willing to do what he can to help. He doesn't even seemed phased by her touch of death. That is a good friend.The other characters have strong traits of their own, but I am more interested in their histories. We know a little about Hayden's past, but what about the twins? Gabe? I want to know why Cromwell chose to take them in instead of sending them to the Facility. I want to know what makes them so special in his eyes, and how they got to where they are. Armentrout said this book was going to be a standalone with the possibility of becoming a series. I really hope she decides to make it a series! I would love to know more about the world she has created.

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The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms, #4) by Cinda Williams Chima A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed — Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love. Now, once again, the queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible. Tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she’s falling in love. Navigating the cutthroat world of blueblood politics has never been more dangerous, and former streetlord Han Alister seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it? A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series. (goodreads.com) The conclusion to the Seven Realms series sees a war brought to Raisa’s front door and all sorts of deception and bad guys abound. Thankfully, there are also an abundance of secret tunnels and passageways for our heroes to travel through. Brilliant planning on their ancestors’ parts, I say! The Crimson Crown helped me pinpoint something that had been bugging me throughout the series. I was so mad and annoyed by the Clans’ complete dislike and hatred towards Dancer and Han. Dancer, especially, since his mother was Clan and he was Clan-born. As soon as they found out he was a wizard they wanted to put him to death and they exiled him. This boy grew up with them and showed no signs of being evil, but then they all turn on him just because of what he can DO. Clans have their own magic but apparently the kind of magic Charmcasters (or, jinxfingers, as they call them) can do is evil and never done for good. These Clan people just can’t give up on their past. A THOUSAND years go by and they still mistrust and hate the wizards. I’d have thought that maybe since one of their own flesh and blood showed signs of magic that they’d try and see if he could do good for them. But no. And the hypocrisy with which they treat Han is just infuriating. Not once did I warm up to anyone – other than Willow – in the Clans. I couldn’t stand Raisa’s father or grandmother. I hated Nightwalker and Bird wasn’t really that interesting to me until she sort of started to think for herself – but I still didn’t like her much. I mean, even some of the WIZARDS were willing to listen to reason and see that things needed to change. Not all of them, but some. I could see how the new generation would be forming together to rule with more mixing of the people in the Queendom and around. It made more sense how they should work together and not against each other and because of Raisa and Han they were brought together. Few of the older generations wanted Raisa’s plans to work, but it was time for the younger ones to take up the leadership roles and start to breakdown the walls that had been built between people and races if they were to stand strong as a country. Raisa surprised me throughout the series with the head she seemed to have for getting things to work out, even if she did make mistakes. She is certainly a strong female protagonist and I truly enjoyed reading her. Another thing that stuck out to me in this series is the characters’ – both male AND female – reference to how much they like kissing and kissing before getting married. Raisa surprised me by how many kisses she s

Ten by Gretchen McNeil Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 18th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 294 pages Rating: 5 of 5 stars Summary: SHHHH!Don't spread the word!Three-day weekend. House party.White Rock House on Henry Island.You do NOT want to miss it.It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine? Review: WOW! I still shiver thinking about this story. It's not something you want to read when you are alone at night. No way! This is, by far, one of the spookiest books I've ever read. This story starts out like the perfect high school story (or movie); teenagers spending a weekend away on an island with no parents. Perfect, right? NO! Meg and Minnie are excited to join this little party and, especially, to get to see the school hottie T.J. When they get there the teens do get to have a bit of fun but then things start getting a bit crazy. They find a DVD and the ten of them can't help but watch as ominous messages appear on the screen talking about pay-back. At first they try to brush it off but then the teens start getting killed one by one. The mystery behind this book is so intense! I had no clue who the killer would be or how they would be connected to the story of the house. I kept second-guessing my choices and considering if it could be Minnie, T.J., or even Meg herself. The visuals in this story are amazing. It's dark, stormy, intense! You can't help but be sucked into it and feel like you are actually there trying to run for help but finding that escape is impossible. Beyond that, we do have the connection between Meg and T.J. It was a bit if light in this dark tale. I enjoyed getting to know them and discovering their backstory as well. I thought they were adorable with their little flirtations. Then the killer has to go and ruin it all! :) If you love horror stories, or a book where you can really picture each scene, you need to read this one. I'd love if this was a movie. I'd have to watch it in the daytime with 100 people, but still, I'd love it. I can't wait to read more from Gretchen! Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Emily of New Moon. L.M. Montgomery. 1923. Bantam. 352 pages.Have you met Emily Starr? Fifteen years after introducing children to the oh-so-lovable Anne Shirley, L.M. Montgomery introduces another young orphan to the world: Emily Starr. While Anne Shirley had no memories of her parents, Emily Starr remembers her father very well. In fact, readers meet him as well. When Emily of New Moon opens, Emily is about to learn the devastating truth: her father has only a few more weeks to live. He is dying; there is no cure, no hope for a cure. After her father dies, the relatives gather together. They hated Emily's father and have had nothing to do with Emily all these years. But now there is one question to be settled: who will get the "privilege"of taking Emily Starr home to raise?! She goes with Aunt Laura and Aunt Elizabeth to Prince Edward Island.How does Emily Starr compare to Anne Shirley? Well, she's imaginative, spirited, struggles to adapt to school at least at first, loves to write...but in many ways she is quite unique. While she doesn't automatically love Aunt Elizabeth and her new home, she does come to peace with her new life. And there are many things she LOVES. Aunt Laura, Cousin Jimmy, Ilse Burnley, and Teddy Kent come to mind! But Teddy Kent is not the only boy in her life, there is also that Perry Miller and Dean "Jarback" Priest!I do love Emily of New Moon. I'm not sure I LOVE this book as much as I love the earliest Anne books (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea), but, there are many things I do LOVE about it. It is always great to spend time on Prince Edward Island. And L.M. Montgomery's characters can't help feeling human. She had such a great gift for bringing all of her characters to life! Favorite quotes:“It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside-- but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond-- only a glimpse-- and heard a note of unearthly music.” “Ten good lines out of four hundred, Emily—comparatively good, that is—and all the rest balderdash—balderdash, Emily.""I—suppose so," said Emily faintly.Her eyes brimmed with tears—her lips quivered. She could not help it. Pride was hopelessly submerged in the bitterness of her disappointment. She felt exactly like a candle that somebody had blown out."What are you crying for? demanded Mr. Carpenter.Emily blinked away tears and tried to laugh."I—I'm sorry—you think it's no good—" she said.Mr. Carpenter gave the desk a mighty thump."No good! Didn't I tell you there were ten good lines? Jade, for ten righteous men Sodom had been spared.""Do you mean—that—after all—" The candle was being relighted again."Of course, I mean. If at thirteen you can write ten good lines, at twenty you'll write ten times ten—if the gods are kind. Stop messing over months, though—and don't imagine you're a genius, either, if you have written ten decent lines. I think there's something trying to speak through you—but you'll have to make yourself a fit instrument for it. You've got to work hard and sacrifice—by gad, girl, you've chosen a jealous goddess. And she never lets her votaries go—not even when she shuts her ears forever to their plea.” “Tell me this--if you knew you would be poor as a church mouse all your life--if you knew you'd never have a line published--would you still go on writing--would you?''Of course I would,' said Emily disdainfully. 'Why, I have to write--I can't help it at times--I've just got to.” © 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this on a site (other than Becky's Book Reviews or Becky's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Haston, Meg. How to Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups25 September 2012, Poppy Kacey is back in the band Gravity and hopeful that Zander might like her now that Molly has broken up with him, but Molly doesn't want anyone else dating him! Zander's friend Stevie arrives from Seattle, and she is so fabulous that Kacey is worried, and also really peeved that Stevie's father is dating her mother and making her go all googly-eyed. There's a dance being planned that Kacey gets Gravity a gig at, a school trip to the Shedd Aquarium, and also a big class election that Paige is running in. At the aquarium, Kacey gets Stevie in trouble for writing graffitti on the glass (Kacey and her friends did it), but when things get serious between their parents, the girls try to work together to break them up.Kace4y breaks into her mother's e mail and offers (as her mother) to interview rock star Levi if he will play at Kacey's school dance because Paige is dying of an awful disease. The star falls for this, so her mother has to miss a hot air balloon trip with Stevie's father, which makes him angry. In the end, Paige forgives Kacey for humiliating her in front of all of Chicago (and Paige wins the election); Kacey dates Zander; her mom dates Stevie's dad; everyone lives Happily Ever After.Strengths: Quick, fluffy read for girls who like Lisi Harrison's Clique series. There is also a television series based on the first book. Weaknesses: Didn't personally like, because it was somewhat ridiculous. The fashions alone were absurd (page 70 "In a sleek black moto jacket, low-slung army-green cargos rolled up at the ankle, and round-toed rose-gold snakeskin pumps... her moto jacket lifted, revealing a momentary flash of belly ring." Seriously? Who sends a seventh grader to school looking like this?), and the whole idea of a school election or kids' band playing at a school dance makes me wonder what planet the middle school was on. That said, I would no doubt have adored this when I was in seventh grade! DeVillers, Julia and Roy, Jennifer. Triple Trouble.1 January 2013, Aladdin Emma and Payton are back for their fifth adventure. Read and enjoyed; again, would have loved in middle school. I got a little confused that the triplets that play a large role in the book were NOT on the cover. As for realism-- we have two sets of triplets in our school right now! Definitely a fun series for girls who like realistic fiction.From the Publisher:Emma and Payton are home from Hollywood, but the drama continues: Not only is the Homecoming Dance coming up fast, but there’s someone new in school! Three someones, actually: triplets. Oliver, Dexter, and Asher look exactly the same, dress exactly the same, and—worse—have exactly the same superior attitude.When the triplets mention they’re participating in a regional Twins & SuperTwins Festival that has a Tweens Division and twin-related contests, Payton and Emma are instantly interested. Emma’s been suffering from competition withdrawal ever since Jazmine James managed to get her disqualified from the upcoming science fair, so she’s got her game face on. And once Payton convinces Mrs. Burkle that the festival is perfect for a VOGScast field trip, the whole gang takes a road trip and the games really get going. But attempts to take down the triplets threaten to land everyone in hot water. Can Emma and Payton switch their way out of trouble, or are they stuck in a multiples mess?

Those big-shot writers could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar. Attribution Mickey Spillane

For those readers who are new to the blog or to Show Me The Awesome: Show Me The Awesome: 30 Days of Self-Promotion is being co-hosted by Sophie Brookover, Kelly Jensen & myself for people in library land to share the things they’ve done. It can be about promoting something specific, or about how to promote, or why to promote. The image for Show Me The Awesome is courtesy of John LeMasney via lemasney.com; and if you’re using the image with your post, please remember to give John credit. We are using the hashtag #30awesome on Twitter and Tumblr. Want a taste of what was said in Show Me The Awesome in prior weeks? A round up of Week One’s Show Me The Awesome. A round up of Week Two’s Show Me The Awesome. A round up of Week Three’s Show Me The Awesome. I’ll have a Show Me The Awesome post like this one up every Sunday for the month of May. Every night, I’ll be editing this post to add that week’s contributors, with name of post, blog/Tumblr, and a short excerpt of the Awesome.