2013 Releases for the TBR List: Doubles/Parallels

Way belated post, but here's the fifth (and final planned) installment of the 2013 Releases for the TBR List series. Previous lists: contemporary, space, sci-fi, and dystopia.

Looking through the 2013 YA releases, I noticed that there were quite a few titles that deal with doubles (either in the form of clones, lookalikes, etc.) or parallel (i.e. also doubled) timelines (such as alternate universes/realities).

Pivot Point - Kasie West

February 12th, 2013 | HarperTeen

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Been hearing loads of great things about Kasie West's writing, so definitely excited to check this one out. 

Just Like Fate - Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

August 27th, 2013 | Simon Pulse

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

Tandem - Anna Jarzab

October 8th 2013 | Delacorte

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

I really enjoyed Anna Jarzab's All Unquiet Things (reviewed); it even ranked on my Top 10 of 2010 post way back when. Definitely interested in checking out her newer stuff.  

Linked- Imogen Howson

June 11th, 2013 | Simon & Schuster

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world. 

Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.

The Originals - Cat Patrick

May 7th, 2013 | Little, Brown

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Imposter - Susanne Winnacker

May 28th, 2013 | Razorbill

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. 

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Parallel - Lauren Miller

May 14th, 2013 | HarperTeen

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

2013 Releases for the TBR List: Dystopia

Fourth installment of the 2013 Releases for the TBR List series. Seems fitting to follow up the post on sci-fi reads with one on dystopian reads. For more information, also check out parts one (contemporary) and two (space).

This post has actually been saved as a draft for months now, but didn't get around to finishing and completing it until now. To recap quickly: links lead to Goodreads, where the synopsis descriptions are also pulled from. If you have any opinions on any of these books, or any other recommendations, do drop a note in the comments section below!

Reboot - Amy Tintera

May 7th, 2013 | HarperTeen

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

This one has been receiving a lot of buzz recently, and I've had my eye on it for awhile, after spotting it at the local Indigo bookstore.

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

May 7th, 2013 | Putnam Juvenile

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Another one that's been the object of a lot of hype this year. Had the same release date as Amy Tintera's Reboot.

In the After - Demitria Lunetta

June 25th, 2013 | Harper Teen

They hear the most silent of footsteps.

They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rush - Eve Silver

June 11th, 2013 | Katherine Tegen

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

The Program - Suzanne Young

April 30th, 2013 | Simon Pulse

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Of Beast and Beauty - Stacey Jay

July 23rd, 2013 | Delacorte

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

2013 Releases for the TBR List: Sci-Fi

This is the third installment of the 2013 Releases for the TBR List series. For more information, check out parts one (contemporary) & two (space). Following a feature on YA novels that take place in space, it seems only natural (see below, first one on the list is titled The Naturals) to progress to science fiction.

Same as before, books showcased here are either standalones or the first in new series. Links direct to Goodreads, where the book descriptions are also pulled from. If you have any particular or additional recommendations, please do drop a note in the comments section!

The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

November 5th, 2013 | Disney-Hyperion

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

All Our Yesterdays - Cristin Terrill

September 3rd, 2013 | Disney-Hyperion

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

Mila 2.0 - Debra Driza

March 12, 2013 | Katherine Tegen Books

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

The Testing - Joelle Charbonneau

June 4th, 2013 | Houghton Mifflin

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? 

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

When We Wake - Karen Healey

March 5th, 2013 | Little, Brown

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027—she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies—and wakes up a hundred years later, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened.

The future isn't all she had hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better world?

Control - Lydia Kang

December 26th, 2013 | Dial

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

It's been a while...

It's been a while since a lot of things. Since I've updated this blog (nearly a year!), since I've really had time to read consistently, since I've been as plugged in to the YA blogosphere.

Went for a walk with a friend one night last week, and we stumbled upon a secondhand bookstore. And then I found this gem for only $1! Double Spell by Janet Lunn, first published by Penguin back in 1968. I remembered reading this as a child (which would've been in the late '90s/early 2000s), so it was super exciting to find a copy still in really good condition and for so cheap.

So I think I'm going to try to get back into a pattern of reading frequently, one book at a time. And maybe this blog will see a bit of a revival in the coming days...

So what books from your childhood are you still nostalgic for?

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

Nerve - Jeanne Ryan

*September 13th, 2012 Dial

A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly  

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game "knows" her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it's exhilarating--Vee and Ian's fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they're directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they're playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?  

Debut author Jeanne Ryan delivers an un-putdownable suspense thriller.

This sounds like all sorts of eerie and awesome. Eerie because the whole thing about the game "knowing" her? That's pretty applicable to optimized search engines and social media and the whole internet shabang these days. Awesome because the premise sounds really cool - an anonymous game of dares? Suspense and thrills? Intrigued to check this one out!

What're you waiting on this Wednesday?!

*WoW is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine

Harbinger Trailer

Another awesome book trailer to share! Tonight the selection is a live action trailer for Sara Wilson Etienne's Harbinger, which will be published by Penguin on February 2nd, 2012.

Set in a world in which a diminishing oil supply has lead to chaos and mass rioting, sixteen year old Faye is plagued by waking visions and nightmares. Her parents think the only solution is to send her to Holbrook Academy, the creepy prison-like school for disturbed teenagers. When she and her friends wake up on the floor with their hands stained red, Faye has no idea what it means, but fears she may be the cause. But despite the strangeness of Holbrook and the island on which it sits, Faye feels oddly connected to the place. The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain he is trying to kill her –and the rest of the world too.

The trailer is very well done, and definitely very intriguing! Sara has a blog entry about the making of the trailer, which has some really interesting information and behind-the-scenes footage, so be sure to check that out.

Ripple Review

Ripple - Mandy Hubbard

*July 21st, 2011 Razorbill

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal

teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

Ripple is an adorable YA paranormal romance by literary superpower Mandy Hubbard.

Like its connotatively watery title suggests, Ripple is a mermaid tale of sorts. However, Hubbard puts a distinctively new and unique spin on the age-old concept in an enjoyable and entertaining way. Personally, I devoured Ripple in pretty much one sitting.

Ripple is a fast read, perfect for the beach, a patch of grass underneath a tree or a cool autumn day spent inside with hot chocolate. Lexi, as a character, is fairly well developed. She's the type of leading lady that you'll find yourself rooting for as the plot progresses. The plot is nicely balanced in terms of portions of light-heartedness and darker moments.

These are certain aspects - both of characters' actions and plot development - which require some suspension of disbelief. This is a paranormal romance though, so to some degree, that's to be expected.

All in all, Mandy Hubbard's Ripple is a fun, unique and highly entertaining read! With just the right ratios of cuteness and conflict, seriousness and fun, Ripple caters to its target audience magnificently.

In My Mailbox [53]

Since my last In My Mailbox post, I've received:

` Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
` Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
` Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

and a card, signed postcard, and set of trading cards for Solstice by P.J. Hoover. (Thanks!)

Imaginary Girls was reviewed here, and I reviewed Andrea Cremer's Nightshade, the prequel to Wolfsbane, here.

So there you have it, the contents of my mailbox lately. What about you, what literary goodies have you gotten?

& while you're here - don't forget to enter to win the complete Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher. Go, go, go!

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren

Imaginary Girls Review

Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma
*June 14th, 2011 Dutton Juvenile

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls is as mysterious as the depths of a water resevoir.

In a nutshell, Imginary Girls chronicles the relationship between two sisters, Ruby and Chloe. And what a relationship it is! Magnetic and convoluted, repelling and distorted, attractive and almost magical, their connection is like no other.

Imginary Girls is certainly a very interesting novel, you could say. It's very difficult to categorize - mostly a contemporary coming-of-age story, it has elements of urban paranormalcy and while it's not a mystery, per se, there are definitely mysterious elements to it.

There are long, lavishly looping descriptions and miniature stories within the larger framework of the present day story. For people like intricate descriptions and flowly language, Imaginary Girls may very well be a fulfilling read. (Personally, some passages got somewhat repetitive and unnecessary - ended up skim-reading a couple of paragraphs in a couple of the chapters.) In some ways, Imaginary Girls has YA content and length, but seems to be almost an MG novel stretched to fit the mold. The end of the novel felt unresolved and open-ended. Which does make it haunting, to some degree, though.

For those who are into mysterious reads with flowy descriptive writing, Imaginary Girls would definitely be one to check out.

Haunting Violet Review

Haunting Violet - Alyxandra Harvey
*June 21st, 2011 Walker Books for Young Readers

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

With Haunting Violet Alyxandra Harvey has painted a deliciously chilling gothic ghost story.

It's a little unfortunate that there isn't more historical YA out there these days, especially considering how they could provide the perfect context for [recently in demand] ghost stories. Harvey portrays an immersive world of Victorian society and Lords and cultural aspects of days gone by. It's the perfect setting for her well put together tale. Haunting Violet has a bit of everything - mystery, intrigue, gossip, scandal...

For the most part, the mystery element in Haunting Violet is relatively well done. The more observant reader might catch on fairly in advance of the characters doing so, but the plot line throughout is interesting. The characters are likeable and credible as belonging to the Victorian era. Violet's voice and personality shine with charisma throughout the course of the novel, more than earning her right to be the title character.

If you're looking for a good ghost story or a mystery novel or something set in the Victorian era, or just a good read in general, Haunting Violet is definitely one worth checking out.

Alyxandra Harvey has created a haunting tale with Haunting Violet.

Reviews: Choker & The Sky is Everywhere

Choker - Elizabeth Woods
*January 4th, 2011 Simon & Schuster

First off, how striking is the cover for Choker? The graphic design work on it is pretty cool. Now, Choker. Honestly, kind of mixed feelings about this one. When I'd first picked it up, a couple pages in was the "cafeteria scene" - and it was basically very textbook, cliche, standard "expected" cafeteria scene - described by clique and how each clique sat at specific tables, etc. etc. (Now, let me just say, having experienced multiple high school cafeterias - we're talking upwards of 4 here - nowhere have I encountered a cafeteria with dividing lines laid out so precisely thus.) And that was basically the point at which I put the book down.

A couple weeks later, bored, I ended up picking it up again. The majority of the book is fairly decently written. (There were a couple of instances of characters having already done an action, and then repeating it a few paragraphs later, though.) But the really redeeming factor for Choker is its ending twist. It's the sort of ending that makes you go, "whoa" and quite of re-question all the narrative that came prior. It's the kind of ending that leaves you thinking, leaves you churning the story over in your head long after the last page has been turned, searching, marveling, trying to piece it together.

It's a little unfortunate that the rest of the novel didn't have the same intensity, the same pow! factor as the ending, but Choker is definitely a thriller still well worth reading.

The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
*March 9th, 2010 Dial

There's been a ton of great buzz about Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere. Basically just reporting in that it lives up to the hype!

The Sky is Everywhere is a touching, charismatic sketch of loss and love, of going forward but remembering the past, of growing up. Lennie (who has a very cool name!) is voiced wonderfully and uniquely by Nelson. But what really stands out is Nelson's style. The writing is very different from a lot of what's out there in YA these days (a fair amount of short, choppy phrasing, a fair amount of long, flowy diction, etc.). There's something poetic and lyrical and almost artistic about Nelson's writing.

Basically, Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere is pretty exquisite.

Wake Unto Me Review

Wake Unto Me - Lisa Cach

*March 31st, 2011 Speak

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

Ghosts, an exotic locale, a mystery... Lisa Cach's Wake Unto Me has all the trappings of a deliciously dark story well worthy of its creepy cover¹.

There's a lot of controversy in the literary world regarding prologues, usually against them. But Wake Unto Me is one example, I think, in which the prologue works quite well. Cach starts out the novel on an ominous note, which from the very get-go leaves the reader curious about the tone of the rest of the story. The fact that the majority of the story takes place in France is very cool indeed, lending it an added layer of mystique from being foreign. Although I get that people from numerous countries are kind of requisite with the setting, the inclusion of numerous languages and comprehension thereof is something I'm a little on the fence about.

Wake Unto Me certainly explores a number of paranormal elements in a fresh way. The "Screechers", the timelines, the transcendental lives... Cach puts her own unique spin on each aspect. Overall, the mystery element was nicely done, although parts of it were more predictable than the characters seemed able to put together.

The scenes of the climax and denouement are artfully written and satisfying. The resolution, alas, is slightly less so. It tests the limits of credibility, and the way it came about (and the sheer lack of acknowledgement thereof) is rather disturbing.

With Wake Unto Me, Cach has written an intriguing and Romantic ghost story that shimmers of mystique.

Lisa Cach / Goodreads / Wake Unto Me / IndieBound

¹ Is it just me, or is there something really bizarre about the guy's hands on the cover?

In My Mailbox [51]

In the past two weeks, I received:
For Review:
` Graveminder by Melissa Marr
` Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
` Die For Me by Amy Plum
(Thanks, Harper, for the above!)

` Enclave by Ann Aguirre (Thanks Zeitghost & Macmillan!)

and from a Twitter contest:
` When You Were Mine by Elizabeth Noble (Thanks Penguin!)

And that's my mailbox for the past two weeks. What've you gotten recently?

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren

**While you're here - don't forget to enter the giveaway for a copy of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and a set of buttons, as well as the giveaway for a copy of First Daughter and a copy of Blood Trust, both by Eric Van Lustbader!

Where She Went Review

Where She Went - Gayle Forman

*April 5th, 2011 Dutton Juvenile

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 Julliard'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.

Where She Went is the perfect sequel to Gayle Forman's Bestselling If I Stay. The follow-up is just as poignant, just as bittersweet, and just as beautiful.

I'll admit - when I first heard about Where She Went, I was a little doubtful about how Forman would pull it off. If I Stay functioned so well as a standalone that it was hard to imagine a sequel that would be not only of the same caliber (or better) writing-wise, but also an additional piece that would add to the story. With Where She Went, Forman more than managed to pull it off brilliantly!

Although the follow-up is clearly a continuation of the same story, there are a number of fundamental differences. For one thing, the setting takes place three years later. For another, it takes place in the busy, bustling metropolis of New York. But most importantly, Where She Went is told from Adam's perspective. This, as it turns out, is one of the best things that could've happened to make the sequel as great as it is.

Sure, in If I Stay, we're managed to meet Adam. But everything we learned was filtered through Mia's perceptions, everything told through a biased lens. With Where She Went, we get Adam, raw and real. It's great to get further insight into the enigma that is Adam, the way that he dealt with the aftermath, the inner turmoil he experienced, the emotions that were released in unhealthy ways. The characters - not just the main ones, but all of them - seem almost closer now, having been experienced through an additional medium.

The interactions between Mia and Adam, the way that the events of the past three years are revealed, the fact that this next part of the story, too, occurs in a very short period of time... Forman executes it all with the same precision, skill and beautiful writing present in If I Stay. If I Stay and Where She Went hardly read like two separate novels - if anything, they're perfect complements for each other, two parts of one whole.

With a great sense of pacing, beautiful prose and intricate character relationships, Forman's deft writing skill has been proven yet again. This is definitely one YA author to keep an eye out for!

Giveaway: A Discovery of Witches

May is a wonderful month for a number of reasons: beautiful Spring weather, my birthday month, the beginning of "summer" break (for those in university/college)... the list goes on. So why not start the month off with a big bang?

Thanks to the awesome people over at Penguin, Lucid Conspiracy is pleased to present a giveaway for a copy of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (which I've seen popping up on a ton of IMMs this week!) and a bunch of pins.

Don't forget to pop by Deborah's site to vote for your dream movie casting!

So how would you go about winning these awesome prizes? Read on:

Contest runs until May 15th, 2011 (11:59 p.m. EST). Open to mailing addresses in the US & Canada. Additional entries available for:
` being a blog follower
` linking to the contest
` commenting on a review or interview
` totaling up your entries

First entry is a freebie (just for entering your name & e-mail :)

ENTER HERE

Submit the entry form, and good luck! Happy May :)

IMM [50] + Update + Winners

Summer freedom! First year university has gone by amazingly fast, and it's been an absolutely awesome experience thus far, everything considered. The last couple of weeks have been insane, with final exams, trying to hang out with friends as much as possible before the break, adventuring around the city, etc.

This actually looks like a lot more than it actually is. I got home yesterday, and this is a culmination of everything that's arrived at my house since January and at my dorm since the last IMM post.

` Matched by Ally Condie (Thanks, Sherry!)

` Across the Universe by Beth Revis (autographed, see below; thanks Penguin & Beth! Check out my review & interview :)

And from Penguin (thanks!):

` Where She Went by Gayle Forman (review of If I Stay)

` So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

` Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

` Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Also received some signed bookmarks & magnets from the awesome Hannah Moskowitz - thanks! :)

In regards to the contests recently run on Lucid Conspiracy: Sarah won Mind Gap and Cheyanne won Accomplice. Both winners have been contacted. Thanks to everyone who entered, and better luck next time! :)

So what's been in your mailbox lately?

Interview: Beth Revis

Last week, I posted a gushing review extolling the many virtues of Across the Universe. One of the key things mentioned was that it was very thought-provoking. Well, how fitting is it then, that we have none other than the amazing author herself, the formidable Beth Revis, joining us to answer some questions!

Let's kick it off with a question that's become a bit of a Lucid Conspiracy staple: summarize ACROSS THE UNIVERSE in twenty words - include as many alliterations as you can.

A mysterious murder amid mindless men whilst travelling through SPACE!

Well done! Words of wisdom - what do you do when the muse has gone on vacation?

I don't have a muse. I just have a sore butt--because I make myself sit down in my chair and go at it.

Ah, an advocate for the BIC method, I see. If you were aboard the Godspeed, what role would you fulfill/where would you be?

I'd be one of the crazies in the Hospital Ward. Probably like Victria, the writer, although I hope I'd be less bitter than her...

Can definitely see the writer thing happening ;) There are a lot of interesting, philosophical aspects of human nature explored in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. Which concept did you feel was most important to entertain and explore in this novel?

I like to think that I raised the question of nature versus nurture, but that I left it open enough for the reader to answer himself.

If you had to pick a dystopian world to live in, which would you choose? [e.g. the world of The Hunger Games]

Oh! Oh dear, that's very bleak, isn't it? Hmmm... definitely NOT The Hunger Games...I guess I'd pick Veronica Roth's world in DIVERGENT.

Really looking forward to that one - and by the sounds of it, you enjoyed it as well! In the centuries since the Godspeed has departed from Earth, what has happened to our green and blue planet?

Ah! I can't tell you! *evil author grin* I'll quote an awesome Doctor Who character, River Song, and simply say: "Spoilers!"

Mm - I like the implication there! Why did you write ACROSS THE UNIVERSE?

I love to write, and I had what I thought was a cool twist for a story, and this is the result.

And what a great result it is, indeed. Do you think it's scientifically feasible for humans to inhabit another planet or moon?

Yes, absolutely. We grow exponentially every year, both in intellect and population. I think it's inevitable, actually.

Well, if humans are to survive a solar demise, this may be the way to go. Do you think there is intelligent life on other worlds?

I don't know. Space is VAST. But the miracle of intelligent life is so...miraculous. Has it been replicated? I don't know. I think it much more likely (and probable) that there is unintelligent life on other worlds.

Hmm. Do you have any specific writing rituals/particular quirks?

Nope! I just sit down and do it!

Any literary crushes?

Well, it's not from a book, but...I really wish I could either have my own Doctor (Doctor Who) or my own Captain Mal (Firefly).

Worthy choices! Are there any interesting tidbits about future projects / current WIPs that you're able to share?

I'm in the midst of editing A MILLION SUNS, the sequel to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE right now. I can only say one thing: that two things you think are true in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE are actually lies...

Oh boy, definitely very intrigued to see how that plays out. (What a great title for the sequel, by the way :) Anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks for interviewing me!

And thank you, Beth, for giving me the chance to pick your brain!