Book Review: Night School by C.J Daugherty

Title: Night School
Author: C.J Daugherty
Publisher: Atom
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Format: Paperback 
Source: Won :D

Sometimes school is murder.

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

This is yet another book I put off reading, because well...let's just say there's something seriously wrong with me :S I absolutely ADORED this book! It was dark, secretive and plain EPIC!

Both the main and secondary characters managed to leave a lasting impression on me- I was surprised at how much I loved each and every character in the book! You'll be swooning over the two main male leads; Sylvain (who's FRENCH by the way) and the famous lady-killer bad boy, Carter West. While these two were potential love interests for our kickass protagonist, Allie, let me assure you; this ISN'T one of those cliched love triangles!

It was such a pleasure to experience Allie's adventures in her new school Crimmia; she was one of those characters that was easy to relate to and I pretty much knew I would like her the moment I met her. Having been arrested three times in a year, she probably wouldn't make it onto my "top-10-people-I'd-love-to-hang-out-with-list",but after getting to know her, I think I'm more than happy to announce her as my new BFF:)

One of the things I particularly loved about Night School was the unpredictable mystery seeping through each page. From the very start, it was obvious that something wasn't quite right with the school; but I had no idea what was wrong exactly. Throughout the entire book, I never knew who could be trusted; Cimmeria Academy is a school clouded by lies and it was literally impossible to discern who was actually being genuinely helpful or pretending to, with some ulterior motive. Half the time I was stumbling along blindly,and then thinking "YES! I can trust this person," only to be left speechless after discovering the shocking truth. I was left guessing until the very end about who was trustworthy or not!

The only thing I wasn't quite content with was the lack of explanation about all the strange things happening at the school. I was expecting a detailed explanation about "Night School",but only got a brief outline. I'm certainly expecting  A LOT of explanation in the next book! But other than that, I completely fell in love with Night School <3 It's chilling, adventurous and full of dangerous lies that will literally make your head spin from trying to unravel the mystery! Plus, there's two sexy guys, anyone would die for :) What's not to love? :)

And check out the awesome trailer!!

Blog Tour: STORM - This/That with the Boys of Storm + Giveaway!

Hey Everyone! Welcome to the second stop of the long-awaited STORM blog tour :) Today (or tomorrow- depends where you live :P) is the official release date for Brigid's magnificent YA debut! HOORAY! *throws confetti* Are we all excited? Make sure you go and grab a copy today, because this is definitely one of the  best 2012 debuts :) (It's certainly one of my all-time favourites!)

I hope you've all stopped by Lisa's blog where she interviewed the three main characters from Storm - Chris/Hunter/Becca. (It's hilarious, by the way! I, for one, couldn't stop laughing!) 

Now, I hope you're all giddy with excitement to meet the smokin' hot Merrick brothers & Hunter because they're here today for a quick This/That quiz! Read on :)

This/That

McDonald’s or KFC?

Hunter: KFC

Chris: McDonald’s

Hunter: This is why we don’t get along.

Chris: No, we don’t get along because you’re a tool.

In a girl, do you look for:

Cute or sexy?

Nick: Hi. Both. (Shirley: HI NICK!)

Gabriel: Depends on the day.

Blondes or Brunettes?

Chris: Brunettes

Gabriel: Don’t care, as long as she’s cute and sexy.

Shy or Outgoing?

Hunter: Outgoing

Nick: Shy

Eyes or Mouth?

Gabriel: Mouth

Chris: I’m not even going to follow that.

andd...just because I can’t resist asking:

Aussies or American?

Gabriel: I still don’t understand why “both” isn’t an option for any of these questions. Especially at the same time.

Hunter: It depends on the girl, not the country.

I know ALL of us FEMALE bloggers will be dying to know this one! Soo…

Boxers or briefs?

Chris: You can’t seriously expect us to answer that.

Gabriel: Here. We can pin Chris down so you can look.

***

Did you enjoy that? Don't you just love how Chris & Hunter banter all the time! 

And isn't Chris adorable?!? (He's hot, but...*pinches cheeks*) 

*GASP* Did you read NICK's response to the shy/outgoing question? HE PREFERS SHY GIRLS! *jumps around* Wow, I never thought the day would come when I'm actually glad I'm shy :)<3

Here's the rest of the schedule! Make sure you stop by everyone's posts, because there are some truly spectacular exclusives you don't want to miss! 

Wednesday 25th April: Fantasy Casting - saz101

Thursday  26th April: Brigid Q&A: YOU ask the questions! -  Eleusinian  Mysteries

Friday  27th April: Keeping up with the Merrick Twins + Review  Roundup - Badass  Bookie

Saturday  28th April: Storm Excerpt - Forget-Me-Not

Sunday 29th April: Video chat - Book Probe

Monday  30 April:  Chris Interview - Reading Wishes

Tuesday  1st May: Guest Post by Brigid: Five Secrets of the Elemental  Series - Amaterasu  Reads

Giveaway

There are 14 PRIZE PACKS up for grabs! 

*GASP* That's a lot, right? 

And yes, it's both Aus & International! :)

Check the list of prizes HERE:

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Good luck & Hope you enjoy the rest of the tour!<3

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING: STORM Blog Tour! - Amazing posts, interviews, Giveaways AND MORE!

A Storm is coming! Over the next week, forecasts are predicting a massive Storm front progressing steadily across the Southern blogosphere. Authorities warn of effects being felt across the globe, with multiple storm point touch downs, interviews, exclusive extras and massive prize packs. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to batten down the hatches for one epic storm event.

Whether you're one of these lucky people who've already read Storm by goddess-turned-author Brigid Kemmerer, or you're impatiently waiting, you have to know that this is one of the most exciting young adult paranormals 2012 has to offer. Over the next nine days, nine bloggers are very excited to be bringing you the Storm Blog Tour! Tune in to your feeds and favorite blogs for never before seen character interviews, a video chat, an interactive Q&A with Brigid, and an exclusive excerpt from Storm itself! If that's not exciting enough, there are fourteen massive prize packs up for grabs, both AU/NZ and internationally! Check out tour dates below, and be sure to tune in to each stop to enter the giveaway!

Schedule:

Monday 23rd April:  Chris/Becca/Hunter Interview - Read Me Love Me Bookmark Me
Tuesday 24th April: This or That with the Boys of Storm - Shiirleyy’s Bookshelf
Wednesday 25th April: Fantasy Casting - saz101
Thursday 26th April: Brigid Q&A: YOU ask the questions! - Eleusinian Mysteries
Friday 27th April: Keeping up with the Merrick Twins + Review Roundup - Badass Bookie
Saturday 28th April: Storm Excerpt - Forget-Me-Not
Sunday 29th April: Video chat - Book Probe
Monday 30 April:  Chris Interview - Reading Wishes
Tuesday 1st May: Guest Post by Brigid: Five Secrets of the Elemental Series - Amaterasu Reads

Giveaway Packs:

  

International Prize Pack 1:
Elemental (ebook) + Storm + Spark preorder 

International Prize Pack 2: 
 Elemental (ebook) + Storm + Spark ARC

International Prize 3:
Copy of Storm + Spark Pre-order



Australian Prize Pack: 
Storm ARC + Spark preorder

Australia/New Zealand Prize Packs (10 winners):
1 copy of STORM + 1 STORM book jacket  + 1 SPARK book jacket
Thanks to Allen & Unwin and Brigid!!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY »

Gahhh are you EXCITED?! 'cuz I certainly am! I can guarantee these posts are AMAZING -Tomorrow must come SOONER. A huge thank you to Brigid for devoting so much time to this!<3 And of course, all the fantastic bloggers on this tour have devoted so much of their time into perfecting this tour! I really hope you enjoy the posts & giveaways!!

Blog Tour: Whisper of Memory - Guest Post + Giveaway

Hellooo everyone :) Welcome to my stop on the Whisper of Memory blog tour, hosted by the lovely Misa @ The Magic Attic. Today, Brinda will sharing a guest post on family relationships in YA! I really hope you enjoy it!<3 There will also be a giveaway at the end of the post, so make sure you stick around :)

Weapons training and winter formals...a deadly combination.

All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard. Mia's brother disappeared over a year ago, and agents from the IIA began policing people's movements through dimensions. She'd trusted Dr. Bleeker from the local university when he'd told her the IIA were the bad guys. But even a girl with an extraordinary ability to sense things can make mistakes.

Now two people are dead, and as a portal gatekeeper for the IIA, Mia needs to find Dr. Bleeker before he hurts anyone else. And her boyfriend Regulus, an Agent for the IIA, carries secrets of his own. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?

Family Relationships in YA

One of the most interesting things about YA today  is the variety of family relationships that you will see. I think that today's popular young adult (YA) fiction is very reflective of real, honest family dynamics.  One very popular topic among writers and readers is the portrayal of parents in YA.

There are many single parent homes in the US today. I see this in YA. The 2010 Census tells us that 23% of children live with only their mothers. If real life says this is the case for one child in three, it should follow suit that a portion of fiction represents this family dynamic.

In my Whispering Woods series, Mia lives with her father.  This is not the traditional single-parent home in the US as only 3% of children live with only their fathers.  In the first book, The Waiting Booth, you see Mia at home alone quite often due to her father's work travel.  This situation gives Mia a lot of independence and responsibility. In real life, I know lots of teens who spend their time unsupervised.

The number of parents a character has (or doesn't have) isn't the only noticeable factor lending conflict to YA novels.  I've read  lots of discussion about a prevalence of bad parents in YA. I actually don't see this. I've read several YA novels this year with parents who exhibit love and affection for their child. There are also book parents who are shallow, unaware, unloving, addicted, manipulative, etc.  I do think authors need to give parents some character depth when they write them.  Although the story is ultimately about the teen main character, readers want more than stereotyped cardboard cutouts of bad or good parents.

YA family relationships have changed to reflect what goes on in our society today.  My novels show a young woman who has a strong relationship with a busy working father and no relationship with her mother. Other YA novels may show teens with guardians instead of parents. I think there's a variety out there, and it's reflective of real world families. What do you think?

You can find the rest of the tour HERE         

Anddd now...for the giveaway! The giveaway is for a Kindle Touch and 20 Romance Trading Cards. Just enter using the rafflecopter below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Taste by Kate Evangelista: Trailer + Excerpt Reveal

Taste 

by Kate Evangelista
Released May 2012

Published by Crescent Moon Press


Goodreads | Crescent Moon Press

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Excerpt

I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”

The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.

I smiled and gave them a little wave.

The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features went from shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. I gulped.

“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.

Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “Excuse me?”

They snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare, muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke. 

“You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.

The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from face to face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle came to mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for crying out loud.

I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a ride back to the dorms?”

The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.”

One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”

“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden” like a curse.

The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Not good odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion, now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wanted to beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me up wouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks.

I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and important families got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skills to go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not be crazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reentered Barinkoff.

“None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you gives me a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this never happened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”

“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”

He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t know Barinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?

Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, no one will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?”

The rest of them nodded reluctantly.

“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up if any of them so much as twitched my way.

“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forward and took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.

“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe.

“Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.”

Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I could wrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behind someone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male.

I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He was one of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born to wear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wandered to long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, his hair possessed a sheen akin to mercury.

I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff. His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like I was standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn.

“I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correct me. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”

A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How was it possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to help myself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had their right hands on their chests.

“Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said.

So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to taste me was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off the tongue. Definite yum factor.

“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.

“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl the consequences of breaking curfew.”

“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatened to taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest of investigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”

All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.

Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the hall toward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, he couldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.

Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s cold command must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combination on a guy.

We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly. I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, the thick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listed the benefits of going to gym class.

“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almost forgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t above accepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hot hands and wide shoulders.

Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. I had to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him, praying we didn’t slam into anything.

He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall.

“Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”

He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless. Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I felt naked and flustered beneath his gaze.

“You could have died back there,” he warned.

A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.

***

Author:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

Find Kate on:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

In My Mailbox #24

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they've borrowed, received in the mail or bought in the past week.

Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

I haven't read Legacy yet, but I've heard it's really good! I'll be reading this once I get hold of a copy of Legacy!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

O.M.G I literally squealed and jumped around like a madwoman when I found this in the package from Harlequin Teen! The lovely people at Harlequin Teen ARE THE BEST <3

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins 

Anddd...in addition to the amazing books above, Harlequin also sent along an ARC of Temptation! (releases in July) It's an Amish romance & apparently it's brilliant!<3 Can't wait to read this :)

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

WOW. I died a little when I received this! Unravelling has got to be one of my most anticipated 2012 releases!<3 Will be reading this VERY SOON.

Starters by Lissa Price

This came 2 weeks ago & I'll be reading it like..in the next day or so :) I've heard mixed reviews about this, but I'm still looking forward to it :D

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

I LOVEEEEEE the Aussie cover of Storm<3 Chris looks SO HOT here :) hahaa

Drive by by Jim Carrington

This one came as a complete surprise; it sounds like a fun read though! 

Night Beach by Kirsty Eager

Oooohh, the cover looks CREEPY. I'll definitely be reading this in broad daylight (I probably won't get much sleep if i read it at night!)

Winter's Light by M.J Hearle

Aussie YA books are AMAZING. Can't wait to get started on this :)

An enormous thank you to Harlequin Teen (seriously, I LOVE YOU GUYS <3), Harper Collins, Random House, Allen & Unwin, Bloomsbury, Penguin & Pan Macmillan for the above awesomeness<3

What did you receive in your mailbox? :D

Book Review: Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Title: Choker
Author: Elizabeth Woods
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Release Date: April 2012 (AU); August 11th 2011 (US)
Format: Paperback 
Source: Publisher for review (Thank you!)

Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has always been a loner, even more so since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, a few years ago. Cara mostly spends her time avoiding the popular girls who call her 'choker' after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria, and watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her.

Then one day Cara comes home and finds Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With Zoe back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and before she can blink, Cara is flirting with Ethan and getting invited to parties. And best of all, she has her best friend to confide in again.

But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect ~ including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving very strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to be able to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

Truthfully, I had pretty low expectations when I read this; having heard that this is a creepy read, but with a 'let-down' ending, I didn’t expect much. But after finishing this at 1:30 last night, I literally slept with the lights on. No kidding. That’s how freaked out I was. I guess I finally understand why so many people thought the ending was a huge disappointment, but personally, I thought the ending was perfect. Though there wasn’t exactly an unpredictable twist, the revelation never crossed my mind, and upon finishing it, I actually went “Wow. That is screwed up, but seriously smart!” I really liked how the book had closure, yet there’s also room for readers to wonder what would happen afterwards.

This review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning our main character; Cara and her best friend Zoe. Cara’s been always been an outsider at her school; she’s never really belonged after moving away from her best friend, Zoe. I guess I felt sorry for Cara throughout the entire book; she was always alone, and when Zoe suddenly appeared out of the blue, claiming to have run away and asking to stay at her house, she happily agreed to hide her best friend, and not once did she suspect anything. Yet, sympathy aside, it was a tad difficult to actually like the girl. Perhaps it was because of her reluctance to stand up for herself against the school “bullies”, and even her best friend- it was obvious their ‘friendship’ was unhealthy and dominating, yet Cara was just too afraid to say ‘no’ and confront Zoe. So, basically I was really annoyed with Cara at times; but just this once, the intriguing mystery overshadowed my dislike for our main character.

Intensely addictive, and incredibly creepy, Choker, is (for me, anyway)an unforgettable 2012 physiological thriller. I know for a fact, that I’ll be sleep deprived for at least a whole week, since I’ll be too freaked out to even turn the lights off. If you’re looking for something creepy, a book that messes with your mind, then I highly recommend reading Choker!

Tell Me Something Tuesday #1

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Cambria Hebert, where bloggers can connect & get to know each other better by answering a certain question each week!

I just popped over to Mimi's blog, and saw her "Tell Me Something Tuesday" post,and couldn't help doing this post myself as well! I'll admit, the main reason is because I happen to LOVE this week's question! Can you guess what it is? (*Hint: It's to do with YA book boyfriends<3) And as you all know..(hopefully) I cannot resist HOT GUYS, sooo....when I read this week's questions, I just knew I had to do this post! :D

Soo...this week's question is:

Who are your book boyfriends?

(OMG. You see why I'm freaking desperate to write this post? BOOK BOYFRIENDS? OH HELL YEAH!)

In no particular order...

• ASH from The Iron Fey series - It's common knowledge that I'm overly possessive of Ash..haha, sooo...a little warning : DO NOT FALL FOR HIM.
• JACE from The Mortal Instruments - Dude, the guy's a bad boy. And we all love bad boys, right? *wink*
• FOUR from Divergent - *dies* He's sexy, mysterious and drool-worthy! I LOVEEE HIM<333
• DIMITRI from Vampire Academy - I've always been TEAM DIMITRI (I'm sorry Team Adrian fans!) in VA anyway...I just loved him + Rose!
• ADRIAN from Bloodlines - Right, so he smokes, and drinks. Big Deal. I STILL LOVE HIM! (yeahh...I was T.Dimitri in VA but I LOVEE Adrian in Bloodlines!)
• AIDEN from The Covenant Series - I'm half-way through Half-Blood and God, AIDEN IS HOTNESS INCARNATE.<33
• CHRIS from The Elementals - You've all heard of STORM by Brigid Kemmerer, right? (Of course you have! :D) Anyway...the guy is a total sweetheart in Storm! *pinches cheeks*
• NICK from The Elementals - Awwwwwww...I don't know why, but I just love this guy!<3 (Oh, and I would also mention GABRIEL, but I know a certain someone will probably hunt me down & kill me, sooo...I'll be a nice little friend and stick with Nick <3)
• ST.CLAIR from Anna and the French Kiss -He's British/French/American with a British accent, going to an American school in France. Uh-huh. Multi-cultural much? Seriously, you cannot not love this guy!
• NOAH from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - *faints* He's NOAH SHAW, for goodness sake! Need I say more?
• ALEX from Hunting Lila - I wish I had an older brother with a best friend like Alex! He's soooo swoon-worthy<3
• ALEX from Delirium - *sigh* What he did at the end of Delirium... *sobs* I've heard a lot about Julian, and as much as I LOVE Alex, I have a feeling I MIGHT fall for Julian as well :/ 
• JACK from Everneath - He's like..the sweetest, most caring guy on Earth!!! Absolutely adored him in Everneath!
• ZEKE from The Immortal Rules - He's Julie Kagawa's creation, so how can I not love him?<3 

Anddd...of course there's MORE. Like..LOADS MORE. But I've run out of time since I'm actually supposed to be writing my economics essay :S (Procrastination is what I'm best at <3)

Who are your book boyfriends? :D

Cover Reveal: Greta and the Goblin King

Greta and the Goblin King

Book 1 of The Mylena Chronicles

by Chloe Jacobs

Released 13th November 2012 

Published by Entangled Publishing

Blurb:

While trying to save her brother four years ago, Greta was thrown into the witch’s fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon.

To survive, seventeen-year-old Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young Goblin King, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her determination to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…

Goodreads | Barnes and Noble

Find Chloe:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Well...this certainly sounds fairy-tale-like! And since I LOVE anything fairy-tale related, I have a feeling I'll enjoy this book!<3 The cover actually reminds me a little of MG book covers, but I still really like it!

What do you think of the cover and/or blurb? Like it? Love it? Looking forward to its release? :D

Book Review: Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Elemental (Elementals #0.5)
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Release Date: 27th March, 2012
Format: Paperback 
Source: Won :) 

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.
As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.

Well..this is actually a novella review, but whatever J

I’m really glad I read Elemental before starting Storm, since I was able to meet Michael before being re-introduced to him again in Storm. Why? Well…I won’t reveal too much, but there is a significant change between his character 5 years ago and present time, and I’m just happy that this other side of him actually exists (or existed):)

Being only a few chapters long (I actually have no idea how many pages), I never expected to be able to have this instant connection with the characters – I mean, usually that takes a while to develop, right? But there’s something about Brigid’s hypnotising writing that compelled me to love the characters after a few lines or pages at most, and I was able to instantly connect with them!  

Michael and Emily. Oh, how I LOVED them! There’s no insta-love, no if-i-don’t-be-with-you-I’ll-die drama, but there’s this speck of hope that they may have a chance at being more than just ‘friends’. I actually thought the ending was perfect, but after reading Storm, I really wish I had appreciated their time together more, and that the story didn’t just end there.

Oh, and did I mention I freaking HATE Seth and Tyler with a burning passion? Huh. Must’ve forgot. But yeahh, I HATE THEM. HSDUAHDAIUSHIAHS They deserve to die from being burned (yesss…we need your help Gabriel), or perhaps drown in the Pacific ocean (CHRIS!) or maybe be swept up in an enormous tornado and land on the other side of the world in like, Zimbabwe or something :S (NICK!) Or perhaps just die from being punched in the face and then falling into the cracks formed on concrete from a massive earthquake generated by Michael. I don’t care. Just…DIEEEEE!

Anyway,the prequel to one of 2012’s most anticipated YA debuts, will literally have you itching to grab a copy of Storm, and then immediately devouring it. And yes, that’s exactly what I did :D Oh, and guess what? It’s ONLY 99c on Barnes & Noble! GO BUY IT NOW!

Book Review: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Title: The Night She Disappeared
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: 13th March, 2012
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher for review via Netgalley (Thank you!)

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

The Night She Disappeared is a fast-paced thriller that prompts readers to consider the severity of kidnapping/ disappearances that has happened around the world. While it did have its ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

As a hardcover crime fiction fan, I’ve always been fascinated by crime scene investigations, autopsy reports, transcripts of interviews between police and suspect etc. I loved how in addition to the story, there were also newspaper clippings, phone transcripts and even an autopsy report! I was literally over the moon every time I read a police report/transcript/clipping, since these files are such a rare sight in YA fiction these days! 

The story is told through multiple perspectives – Kayla (victim), Drew, Gabie, and even the perpetrator! While I must admit, had I not read the title of each chapter (which specifies whose POV we’ll be reading from), I wouldn’t have been able to tell.  Drew's and Gabie's ‘voices’ were indistinguishable, in my opinion anyway, but funnily enough, it wasn't a huge problem. But I felt the fact that we got to read from the perspective of the victim & perpetrator defeated the purpose of unravelling the mystery behind the girl’s kidnapping- half the book,everyone were freaking out over whether Kayla was dead or not, but since I knew she was still alive, it just…sort of ruined the mystery :/.

I also had a little issue with the characters. It was difficult to connect with Gabie and Drew; I just couldn’t understand Gabie’s rash decisions and while I did understand her feels of guilt, her actions seemed a little..’over the top’. My biggest issue however, was with the police officer- his actions were unbelievable and just so un-police-like. I highly doubt, even with my very limited experience with cops, that they would yell at a guilt-ridden girl and accuse her of not contributing at all to the investigation? (i.e. yelling “you’ve been no help at all”.) I personally find that a little hard to believe.

And before I finish off, as a crime-fiction freak, I’ve always believed one shouldn’t announce a person has died, until the body is found. (It’s common sense, right? Or…not?) But here, the theories were all over the place and even with inconclusive evidence, it seemed the police, and everyone else, decided to believe this particular theory just to achieve some sort of closure. And guess what? I find that hard to believe.

Overall, I found this a very entertaining read, despite the lack of intense mystery & suspense.Even though it was so short, this still managed to get me thinking about some local, and globally known kidnapping cases. (which reminds me...there was an attempted kidnapping incident near my school! *scary*) Anyway, for a 240-page book, this was pretty good! :)