Book Talk: Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar

I love that this novel works on so many levels. On the surface, it is a fun paranormal story with a breezy tone (and a genuinely creepy reveal regarding the source of the magic), but beneath that it is a thoughtful examination of free will with incredibly high stakes.

Aspen has gone through life with a gift of "reaching" - that is, if he touches something that belongs to someone, he can see inside them and take away anything from motivations to aptitudes for math or even physical markers like freckles or burn scars. Because of this, he's quite selfish and entitled. He uses his power for his own gain without much thought of the consequences to others, despite evidence that his magic has caused people serious harm. He doesn't know them personally, so he thinks "so what?" His justification lies in a family secret: they are the protectors of the town, and if they don't perform a ritual to keep a magic cliff satisfied, the cliff will crumble and the town will be crushed. It's the sacrifice of a few for the greater good argument - but is that what is really going on here? Aspen starts to have his doubts after questions arise about the truth of his cousin's death ...

Ribar has a gift for banter and writing complex relationships between flawed, authentic characters. The magic system is imaginative and logical. I loved the parallels between his romance with Brandy and his parents failed marriage, and the examination of how even our negative qualities are necessary to shaping our identities.

Reminded me a lot of Maggie Lehrman's The Cost of all Things, which I also highly recommend.


And guess what? It's out today!

Buy it on Amazon.

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Giveaway: Half Bad by Sally Green

HALF BAD by Sally Green comes out in paperback on January 13th, just in time to get it read before the sequel, HALF WILD comes out in hardcover on March 24th.

Brew a winter concoction to settle in and read! Enter the giveaway by filling out this form (deadline January 20, 2015).

One (1) winner receives:

· a branded tumbler and hot chocolate,

· plus a copy of Half Bad.

Prizing courtesy of Penguin - Giveaway open to US addresses only

About HALF BAD

He has a powerful Gift. It’s how he uses it that will show if he’s good or bad.

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and sixteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his seventeenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

About HALF WILD 

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world’s most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he’s on the run–but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.



Links!
Book trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIcpalOypmo

Visit the Half Bad website

Find Sally Green on Twitter and Wattpad

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BEA Recap Part 1: The Books

Book Expo America is a book lover's dream, and this year I was lucky enough to be able to attend my 5th BEA since 2009. And this year, I was not only there as press, I was also there as an author signing copies of THE MEMORY OF AFTER in the signing area (dream come true, for reals!).

Like most attendees, I had a list of "must get" books, but what I love most about BEA is the serendipity of discovering new titles. There were so many great finds this year that I ended up bringing back 37 titles with me (not including books I bought at the many bookstores I visited in the city) that I'm excited to read and cover on the blog in the months to come.  Today I'm going to spotlight some of my favorites. (NOTE: I was approved for some of the big BEA titles - such as Jandy Nelson's I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN and Scott Westerfeld's AFTERWORLDS - on Netgally and Edelweiss and so I skipped getting physical copies to save space)

Top 10 "must get" books that I snagged:

GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE by AS King (Oct 14, 2014, Little Brown) - Luckily I was invited to Little Brown's Brunch Preview where I unapologetically grabbed a copy of this before BEA even started. It's no secret I'm an AS King fangirl, so I'm super excited about GLORY.

SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater (July 1, 2014, Scholastic) - My very favorite thing about LINGER and FOREVER? Cole St. Clair. I've been saying for years that Cole needs his own novel, so when I heard about SINNER, I was struck with major book lust. I braved the galley drop at the Scholastic booth to get my hands on this pretty. I also got to chat with Maggie briefly at the Scholastic breakfast before BookCon (delicious smoothies!)

ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Stephanie Perkins (August 2014, Penguin) - this wasn't really at BEA, but it was part of a raffle of all three Stephanie Perkins books at the #YAparty. Amazingly, I won the raffle and instantly became the most hated/envied person in the room. Naturally, I couldn't wait long to read this. My teasers for you? a) It's HOT. Isla and Josh's chemistry is through the roof. b) It's my favorite of the trilogy. c) I can't wait to discuss the ending with you -- squee!

STITCHING SNOW by RC Lewis (Oct 14, 2014, Disney-Hyperion) - A sci-fi fairytale retelling? Sign me up! This debut has been on my radar for some time, and when I heard (thanks Debby!) there were stacks of it sitting in a secret room in the bowels of the Javits (in reality, left over from Book Blogger Con), I dashed over to stash this in my tote.

THE BONE CLOCKS by David Mitchell (Sept 2, 2014, Random House) - Okay, so David Mitchell was signing his newest novel at 2 pm Friday after my own 1 pm signing, so I knew I'd never make it to his line and I was pretty devastated about it. But David also had a panel as part of Book Con on Saturday, and so I went about an hour early to line up for it (making me about #50 in line). A RH publicist gave everyone at the front of the line tickets to pick up galleys at the RH booth after the panel and we trembled with excitement. (Seriously, so much trembling in that line).

The panel between David and his editor was glorious. I loved his advice to "shoplift" from the best writers and his anecdotes about his writing process. And then. After the panel, I made my way to the podium to say hi. I told David it was my birthday (it was) and he gave me a birthday handshake. Here's hoping a tiny bit of his genius rubbed off on me.

ROOMS by Lauren Oliver (Sept 23, 2014, Ecco) - I acquired Lauren's adult debut thanks to our shared agent on a visit to the agency the week before BEA and thus was able to avoid one of her monster lines (I did stand in line for PANIC, however, which turned out to be quite a fun line thanks to Marlon).

MY REAL CHILDREN by Jo Walton (available now, Tor) - I stood in a line to get the hardcover of this signed. It's an adult speculative fiction title about (possible) parallel lives, which is one of my favorite topics right now.

SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Oct 14, 2014, Candlewick) - I had the pleasure of meeting Mac at the Irma Black ceremony and lunch at Bankstreet College the week before BEA (more about that in a later post), and then I stood in line to meet Jon and get an F&G of their newest collaboration. First of all, Jon is super adorable and took the time to show me a video of his cat lounging while signing my book. (!!!) And the book is adorable too. Both Daniel and I love it and the vaguely sci-fi ending.

I'M MY OWN DOG by David Ezra Stein (August 5, 2014, Candlewick) - David Ezra Stein's INTERRUPTING CHICKEN is one of my top 10 picture book favorites of all time, so I was bummed that his signing was directly after mine and I'd never make his line. But, as luck would have it, we ran into each other in the author green room after my signing, and his lovely editor gave me a front of the line pass for his signing. #authorperks! I'M MY OWN DOG is super cute and funny, too.

THE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES by BJ Novak (Sept 30, 2014, Penguin) - Yep, I was more than an hour early and the third person in line for this (behind the YA book twins), the only celebrity signing line that I attempted. Since it was at the Penguin booth, we weren't really allowed to line up early, so we just sort of hovered. I haven't actually read this yet (because only words, no pictures, ha!), but I'll report back when I do.

Top 5 serendipitous finds:

WE ALL LOOKED UP by Tommy Wallach (March 31, 2015, S&S) - Tommy and I share an editor at S&S and that editor gifted me an early copy of Tommy's debut. Then, at the #YAparty, Tommy was playing piano (he's a singer/songwriter too - check out his forthcoming album "I Meant it to be Sweet"), and we got to chat. That weekend, I went up to Bushwick where he took me to a block party. Fun! The novel looks incredibly intriguing, and I can't wait to dig in.

THE ART OF SECRETS by James Klise (available now, Algonquin) - I stopped by the Algonquin booth on Saturday and since it was so quiet, I got to chat with Editor Elise Howard for quite some time. I told her I only had room for one more book, so she pitched me several and I was won over by her pitch for this. Really all she had to say was "twists" and I was sold.

BAILEY BOAT CAT by Louise Kennedy (Sept 2, 2014, Bloomsbury) - This might have been my favorite random find at BEA. There was a small giveaway stack at the Bloomsbury booth and I was instantly smitten by this cat on a boat. Full color photos throughout of Bailey cuteness.

ONE DEATH, NINE STORIES, short story anthology (August 2014, Candlewick) - This was a booth giveaway and I was instantly attracted by the list of contributors, including AS King, Ellen Hopkins and Rita Williams-Garcia. All 9 stories are linked by the death of one 19 year old named Kevin.

EVEN IN PARADISE by Chelsey Philpot (October 14, 2014, HarperTeen) - Chelsey and I share an agent and since he has such great taste, I must read this! I got to meet her in the author green room after our signings (we were signing at the same time -- rivals!!).



If you want to see my entire book haul, check out my instagram.

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Book Review: Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

Nearly has a rough life. Her mother is a stripper, they barely have enough money to eat, and her father is gone. She spends her days studying hard to have a chance at a scholarship which will allow her to improve her future. Once a week she buys a paper to read the personals section, hoping for a message from her dad. 

Her life is about to get rougher. Someone starts knocking off the kids that Nearly tutors and leaving cryptic messages for her in the personals. Nearly becomes the main suspect and she must solve the killer's clues and pair up with a CI who is undercover at her school in order to clear her name. Of course, she might be next on the chopping block ...

There is so much to unpack in this novel, so bear with me. This is going to be a long review.

The Mystery

Nearly's best subjects are math and science, and the puzzles that the killer leaves for her via the personals take advantage of her skills. The puzzles are clever (and I'm clever, too, because I figured out the mystery 70 pages before Nearly did) and a unique frame for the story. However, it requires a pretty big suspension of belief to swallow that the police would be so bumbling and make such a mess of the investigation. Also, I find it extraordinarily difficult to imagine that national media wouldn't be all over a school beset by so many homicides in such a short period of time. 

If you really think hard about it, the killer is pretty easy to narrow down. It has to be someone with a motive to frame Nearly, with the smarts to pull off complicated puzzles, and with close access to Nearly. That's a very short list. That said, I suspect most casual readers will be surprised by the killer's identity as there are numerous plausible red herrings embedded throughout. 

Nearly's Paranormal Power

Nearly is an empath who can "taste" others emotions when she touches them. Unexpectedly perhaps, her paranormal ability mostly serves to inform her character rather than the plot. (There is one showy scene during a rave where Nearly is knocked out due to touching drugged dancers that has a slight bearing on the plot, but that's about it) What I found so fascinating about Nearly is that despite being an empath, she is very cut off from her own emotions. She hates touching people, and goes out of her way to be a loner.  I also think this dissociation is what makes her so reckless. She doesn't have much of a reaction when acquaintances are killed because she doesn't allow herself to feel. She does however start to open up to Reece. And that brings us to: 

The Romance

Nearly and Reece don't get off to a great start. Rumor is that he's dangerous and she overhears a detective at the police station assigning Reece to get close to her in order to spy on her. 

And then there's a uncomfortable scene that I've seen some reviewers label as victim blaming, though I read it a different way. Nearly comes to school to confront Reece. She shouts that she knows what he is and is about to reveal that he's a CI (which would put Reece in mortal danger). Desperate to silence her, Reece pushes her up against a locker and kisses her.  Nearly freaks out (remember - she hates being touched) and ends up biting and slapping him, which attracts the attention of the school staff and results in Reece being expelled. Nearly feels bad  then, going to the principal and saying:

“It wasn’t his fault. I was the one responsible.” I couldn’t let Reece go back to jail for something that was my fault. He’d only reacted because I’d provoked him. My behavior hadn’t left him any choice.

Is Nearly the victim of a sexual assault? I agree that you could argue that she is and that Reece should definitely learn that there are better ways to shut someone up than to kiss them without their permission. BUT. The reason she felt guilty? Not because he kissed her and she reacted badly to it. It was because she was about to reveal information that could get Reece killed. 

In any case, Reece awakens feelings in Nearly that she pretty much thought were dead. Once she learns more about him as a person (that he's essentially a kind person pushed to extremes), she decides to confide in him in a heartbreaking scene. She confesses that she doesn’t want to touch him because then she’ll know for sure how much he hates her. Reese counters with: 

“You think you know how I feel about you? Then touch me.” He took my sleeve and drew my hand to his chest. Slowly, I slid my hand up his collar, and spread my fingers over his bare skin. His pulse thrummed hard. My heart raced with his fear and the rush of his desire.

Empath abilities FTW!

In Summary

NEARLY GONE is the rare mystery that is both character and plot driven. Definitely worth a look, especially if you like puzzles.

NEARLY GONE is available in hardcover now. Find out more about it at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: NetGalley

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Bookanista Review: Control by Lydia Kang

When Zel's father is killed and her sister is taken, Zel ends up in a safe house for mutant teens that officially shouldn't exist. While she plots ways to rescue her sister, Zel finds herself falling for the resident mysterious loner dude, Cy, and discovering long hidden family secrets.

There's so much to love in this novel that I struggled to pick the appropriate Zombie Chicken Merit Badge. Should I go for the romance badge to recognize the sizzling chemistry between Zel and Cy? Should I choose the twists badge to give props to a plot that continually surprised me with it's major reveals? Both could definitely be argued for, but in the end I went with worldbuilding because CONTROL totally immersed me in the futuristic world of 2150 - from the automatic cars to the crazy nightclubs and all the features of the tricked-out safe house. 

CONTROL comes out next Tuesday. Find out more about it at the author's website.

Check out the book trailer! 

FTC disclosure: Copy provided by author

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

What the other Bookanistas are talking about this week:

Shari Arnold is amazed by CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Mass
Christine Fonseca is enthralled with DRAGONFLY by Leigh Talbert Moore
Tracy Banghart is transforming with BECOME by Ali Cross
Kimberly Sabatini is intrigued by SPLIT SECOND by Kasie West

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Book Review: Champion by Marie Lu

All this week I'll be posting reviews on some of the books I read this year.

I'm starting out with the third and final book in Marie Lu's LEGEND series: CHAMPION.

PRODIGY (see my review) ended on a massive cliffhanger and I was seriously biting my nails for Day after his fatal diagnosis. At the start of CHAMPION, Day and June haven't seen each other in months. Day is living with his younger brother Eden and June is working as an advisor to Anden. But then June contacts Day with an impossible choice (I couldn't think of a worse one!) and things go from bad to worse.

In PRODIGY I really enjoyed seeing how the American Colonies (those not part of the Republic) had set up their society to be corporate sponsorship-based. In CHAMPION, we zoom out even further and see what's up in the rest of the world. June's visit to Antarctica was especially fascinating and I loved the idea of a society based on a points system. Not that I would personally like to live there, but the thought behind it is so intriguing. Thus the merit badge for worldbuilding this time around!

CHAMPION is a bittersweet but fitting ending to June and Day's story. I'm sorry to see the series end.

FTC disclosure: Bought

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

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Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron Blog Tour Guest Post

Welcome to the MAN MADE BOY blog tour! I'm in the middle of reading this, and so far, it's lots of monsterly fun.

What's it about?


The son of Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride, 16-year-old Boy has lived his whole life in a secret enclave of monsters hidden beneath a Broadway theater, until he runs away from home after he unwittingly unleashes a sentient computer virus on the world. Together with the granddaughter(s) of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boy embarks on a journey across the country to L.A. But Boy can only hide from his demons for so long…

I'm pleased to welcome Jon to the blog today!

My Monsters, My Protectors

I love monsters. The giant ones like Godzilla, King Kong, and more recently the kaiju in Pacific Rim. The people-sized ones like Dracula and the Werewolf. And even the miniature ones like the Gremlins and the strange little fairies in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.

When I was a little boy, I’d while away lazy sunday afternoons at my father’s house watching Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. At my mother’s house, I remember begging her to let me stay up past my bedtime to watch the rest of The Creature From the Black Lagoon, which was being shown on regular broadcast television in 3D! Over the course of a summer, I wore down my grandmother’s resolve and finally convinced her to buy me a massive Rhodan toy that had working wings. But my favorite toy was an MGM Monsters playset with Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Phantom of the Opera. The playset included a sarcophagus for either the Mummy or Dracula (they took shifts), a cage for the Wolfman, and a laboratory table to strap Frankenstein’s Monster to. And they all had phosphorescent paint, so they glowed in the dark. It was a pretty sweet set. I frequently took them to bed with me. Because, I reasoned, they would protect me from the scary people.

Throughout my childhood, I was a frightened little boy. Not of monsters (obviously), but of real bad guys. Burglars, kidnappers, child molesters, strangers of all sorts. I’m not sure why I was so timid. Most likely a combination of my overactive imagination and a series of traumatic events that took place early on in my childhood. By the age of six, I knew bad things happened because I had experienced them first hand. The world was a violent and capricious place, full of unanticipated dangers that no parent or adult could protect you from. The world did not need monsters to be scary.

I would lay in bed at night with the covers tucked up to my nose, the darkness pressing in all around me. Both of my parents lived in crumbling old houses and the night sounds those buildings made were ominous. Many times I was certain that someone had broken in and was slowly creeping up the stairs to get me. On the really bad nights, when the dread was almost unbearable, I would bring my MGM monsters to bed with me. I would line them up on either side, their little glowing faces peeking out from under the covers. Won’t that kidnapper be surprised to find a pack of monsters waiting for him!, I would think grimly as I watched the doorway for hours until I finally drifted off to sleep.

I can’t remember exactly when it was I went from being afraid of the dark to preferring it. Probably around the time I started reading Anne Rice and listening to Ministry. One way to beat the dark is to become it. And I spent some time dressing like Lestat. This was before there was such a thing as “goth” or “cosplay”, but I think both would have applied. That was when, in a place as unlikely as Sophomore high school english class, I discovered what would eventually become one of my all time favorite books: Frankenstein. Far from the dim-witted brute I knew from old black and white films, the original Monster was eloquent and tragic and utterly relatable.

That book and that character carried me through a great many trials during my teenage years. So I guess it made sense that when I decided I wanted to write a YA monster book, I was drawn back to that story. And once I got going, I couldn’t stop at Frankenstein’s Monster. I had to bring them all with me on that ride. Vampires, werewolves, the lot!

I didn’t know it at the time, but as I started writing Man Made Boy, I was just beginning what would be one of the most difficult periods of my life so far. Writing this book was how I coped with it. And so once again the monsters came to my aid, as protectors and comforters. Once again, they got me through the long dark night.

MAN MADE BOY Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Boy’s father is Frankenstein’s monster and his mother is the Bride. A hacker and tech geek, Boy has lived his whole life in a secret enclave of monsters hidden beneath a Broadway theater, until he runs away from home. Now, the boy who’s never set foot outside embarks on a madcap road trip with the granddaughters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that takes him deep into the heart of America. Along the way, Boy falls in love, comes to terms with his unusual family, and learns what it really means to be a monster—and a man.

About Jon Skovron

Jon Skovron is the author of STRUTS & FRETS and MISFIT. Visit him at jonskovron.com.

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Blog Tour: Proxy by Alex London

Looking for an action-packed dystopian that's different than what's already out there?  You'd do well to pick up PROXY then.  

The synopsis: 

Knox was born into one of the City's wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death. 

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own. 

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

My thoughts:

It's sorta funny that I read this right after putting up my post about animal death in fiction, because PROXY kills off a bunch of zoo animals and some poor horses.  I was able to keep reading though, because although the animal death wasn't entirely justified, it was understandable in the context of the brutal setting. The action flows really well and Syd is relatable and someone worth rooting for.

Even if I didn't 100% buy it from a characterization standpoint, the ending is a great example of poetic justice and sets up some interesting questions for the sequel.

And now, here's the author to talk about the book!

Proxy excerpt: 

“‘…why else do you think I hired you?’
‘Because I have small hands and I don’t steal.’
‘These things are all true,’ Mr. Baram answered. ‘But that doesn’t make them my reasons. Perhaps not even I know my reasons.’
‘I’m sure your reasons are as noble as your visage.’ Sydney joked.
‘My visage, eh?’ Mr. Baram chuckled. ‘You’ve been reading through my library.’
‘You should password protect better if you don’t want readers.’
‘Oh, I want readers, my boy.’ Mr. Baram sighed. ‘A world of readers, I want, and yet, all I have is you. You want information, mere data, just like everyone else. That’s not reading. Wisdom? Inspiration? Phfft! Their time has passed, eh?’ He waved his hand in the air. ‘You cannot nourish the soul with data!’” – page 35, PROXY

Alex London on the best aspect of the society in Proxy: 

I suppose the technology they have in Proxy is pretty great, but it is also that technology that isolates people from each other and from the context in which they live. If you can afford it, you can do or get or be anything you want anytime you want it. Some might say that kind of freedom is ideal. There are no laws-- only corporate regulations, agreements and contracts. It's an entirely free market, where you get whatever you can pay for...and nothing more.

None of this sounds very good does it?

I suppose the good side of that is, that in that society you are free to be awful and to exploit your neighbors and abuse your proxies--no laws will stop you--but you are also free to be kind, to be generous, to be a boon to those less fortunate than you.

Of course, one of my main characters chooses to be like that and one most decidedly doesn't, but they are both free to change. Exploring that, how much of what they think and know comes from the society around them and how much they can defy its expectations is the crux of the Syd and Knox’s journey. I suppose that's true of everyone growing up, in a bleak imaginary future, or now, in our society, in our time. We all have to decide who the best version of ourselves is and how much we are willing to do to become it.

So the best aspect of the world of Proxy? The people in it, just like our world.

About Alex London: 

Alex London writes book for adults, children and teens. At one time a journalist who traveled the world reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he now is a full time novelist living in Brooklyn.

You can find Alex London on twitter and his website.

Find the next stop on the Proxy blog tour on The Compulsive Reader tomorrow!

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Bookanista Review and Blog Tour: Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

STAR CURSED is the stunning sequel to BORN WICKED (my review).

The official summary:

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to BORN WICKED, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

I loved this sequel! We get more of everything I adored about the first book -- Cate's complex relationship with her sisters, sweet scenes with love interest Finn, witches using their magic against the evil brotherhood -- plus terrifying and surprising new developments. The ending crushed me.  I need desperately to know that things will be okay in book three.

As part of the blog tour, each day Jess is revealing an annotated snippet from STAR CURSED.

If you add up the page number from each stop during the tour, you can enter to win a one-of-a-kind annotated ARC plus a star trio necklace! Find the other stops below, and on June 21, enter the Rafflecopter here:


Mon, 6/3: Good Books & Good Wine
Tues, 6/4: Ex Libris Kate
Wed, 6/5: Mundie Moms
Thurs, 6/6: Presenting Lenore
Fri, 6/7: Hobbitsies


Mon, 6/10: Green Bean Teen Queen
Tues, 6/11: I Read Banned Books
Wed, 6/12: Two Chicks on Books
Thurs, 6/13: Forever Young Adult
Fri, 6/14: The Story Siren


Mon, 6/17: YA Bibliophile
Tues, 6/18: Marie Lu
Wed, 6/19: Beth Revis
Thurs, 6/20: Veronica Rossi
Fri, 6/21: Marissa Meyer


STAR CURSED releases on June 18. You can read the first chapter here.


Pre-order links: Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon


Find Jess online: blog | Twitter | Facebook | Cahill Witch Inspiration pinboard


What the other bookanistas are featuring this week:

Carolina Valdez Miller celebrates 17 & GONE by Nova Ren Suma

Carrie Harris awakens you to INSOMNIA by Jenn Johansson…with giveaway

Christine Fonseca praises THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting

Corrine Jackson is wild for WHEN IT HAPPENS by Susane Colasanti

Elana Johson invites you to her ABANDON release par-tay!

Katy Upperman is bewitched by NANTUCKET BLUE by Leila Howland

Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

Tracey Neithercott highlights WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller

Tracy Banghart raves over JUMP WHEN READY by David Pandolfe

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Blog Tour: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker

I read IMPOSTOR last year and really enjoyed it (read my review)! I also got to meet Susanne in person not long ago (we had sushi) and it was a blast.  Today I have a fun interview with her as part of her official IMPOSTOR blog tour.


If you had your MCs ability to take on the form of anyone, who would you like to impersonate for a day?

I’d love to be a man for a day. Maybe because I love the idea that there might be aliens somewhere in the galaxy, and let’s be honest sometimes men act like an alien species. It would be a strange and definitely funny experience to have a male body. Maybe I’d finally understand the male brain a bit better!


If the Weepers from your debut THE OTHER LIFE went up against the Variants in IMPOSTOR, who would win?

Hm, I don’t think the Weepers (zombies) would stand a chance. It would certainly be a challenge for Tessa, Alec and the rest of the gang. I mean if the Variants had weapons (which they often do) it would be easy, but let’s say they don’t have weapons. Alec is very strong and can do martial arts and all that stuff, so he would probably destroy the Weepers with only a few scratches to show for it. Tessa is a good fighter, but her Variation wouldn’t be of much use in a fight against Weepers. They don’t care how she looks. But she would certainly take Alec’s appearance to use his tall frame as an advantage.

You recently went to the Seychelles (envious!) -- what are the must-sees if any of us manages to get there someday?

Ahhh. Yes. It was wonderful. I could gush about it all day. But must-sees:

Cousin Island – it’s a nature reserve that you can only visit with a guided tour. You’ll see endangered birds nesting on the ground inches from your feet, and enormous turtles that want you to pet them! Yes, I touched a turtle! It was 150 years old and huge.

Snorkeling near the coast – The husband and I snorkeled for the very first time when we were there and it was a magical experience. I saw a lionfish, and parrotfishes, and eagle rays, and hundreds of blue and red and yellow fish.

Vallée de Mai – a nature reserve on Praslin island. It’s like a jungle and there you can find the Coco de Mer. A symbol of the Seychelles. It’s about ten times as big as a coconut, so you should be careful not to stand under the trees for too long…


What German words would you like to teach us today?

Hm, I think it’s a bad sign that the first words that came to my mind were cuss words…maybe I can find a “nice” cuss word. Let’s go with “Trantüte”. It’s a word to describe someone who’s really lame, no fun. It’s what I call our dog whenever he doesn’t want to go on a walk.


I hadn't learned that word before, so thank you! What's next for you?

BEA! But I guess that’s not what you meant. I’m working on the sequel – waiting for edits actually. And I’m working on a middle grade and a YA horror!

Check out the other stops on the tour!  And find out more about IMPOSTOR on Susanne's website.

Enter to win one of five finished copies of IMPOSTOR:

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Bookanista Review: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

I'm back from tour in the US, so I'll be posting more regularly again and reading more. Yay! Today I'm talking about 17 & GONE, a book I read and enjoyed last month.

Summary from publisher:

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And . . . is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

One of my favorite things about Nova's previous book, IMAGINARY GIRLS, was the imagery, and 17 & GONE excels in this department too. It's never overblown, or too frequent as to be distracting, but every so often, you get a description that makes you see something ordinary in a new way. I love that kind of writing.

I also really appreciated the characterization. You get a good feel for the missing girls and I thought Lauren's descent into (possible) madness was especially well done.  Lauren's boyfriend Jamie was sympathetic, but also realistic in reactions for a teenage boy.

So is 17 & GONE a book about a mentally ill girl? Or is it paranormal? A strength of this novel is that it leaves a lot up to interpretation. Nova keeps the stakes high, which kept me glued to the page, needing to know what would happen next.

Don't miss this one! Out now.

More Bookanista reviews:

Christine Fonseca marvels at MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza – with giveaway!

Corrine Jackson is blown away by BRUISED by Sarah Skilton

Elana Johson buzzes about STUNG by Bethany Wiggins

Stasia Ward Kehoe fawns over THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Jessica Love raves about THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elton

Shannon Messenger shares an exclusive excerpt from INSOMNIA

Tracy Banghart swoons for THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson
FTC disclosure: bought

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17 & Gone Blog Tour

Welcome to the Presenting Lenore stop on the blog tour for Nova Ren Suma's 17 & GONE! I am super excited for this novel and I am going to read it as soon as I can steal some time away from revising. I'm bringing it with me this weekend to the SCWBI Europe Con, so let's see!

And now ... here's Nova!

Last year, when I was deep into writing 17 & Gone, I discovered an exciting new distraction and way to collect images that fascinated me: Pinterest. What started off as maybe one more thing to keep me from writing turned into a great source of inspiration, and my 17 & Gone inspiration board was born. I’d often write with the images up on my screen, staring at them in pauses between paragraphs. On each stop on this blog tour I’m highlighting one of the photos that spoke to me and helped me find my way through the darkness of writing this book. I first discovered this photo somewhere on Pinterest or maybe Tumblr and blindly repinned it to my own board, not knowing who the photographer was or where it came from. But when it came time to put this blog tour together, I started digging and discovered that this image that spoke to whole scenes of 17 & Gone—blurry and choppy and frightening—was in fact a grayed-out image from this color series by Lauren Treece.

Source: laurentreece.blogspot.com via Nova on Pinterest

She calls it “Dancing at Dusk and Campfire Curry.” 

The girls’ hands are tightly clasped, though there’s no singing. This isn’t summer camp. This isn’t the kind of night for belting out “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and holding a flashlight to ghoul up your face and tell ghost stories. The ghosts tonight have already told their stories.  

—from 17 & Gone, page 317 

There’s a playfulness, a giddiness in the color version that’s stripped bare from the black-and-white version I used as my inspiration for writing. I guess you could see how much it stuck with me, how influenced I was by this image. It’s like a snapshot from a dream, and a scene toward the end of the book brings that dream to life.

 For spotlights on more images from my 17 & Gone inspiration board on Pinterest, keep following this blog tour! Last stop tomorrow Friday, 3/29 at Book Chic  

17 & Gone synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And . . . is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

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Book Review: Elemental by Antony John

Because he has no element, Thomas is an outcast on his island.  People shrink away from his touch for fear of catching the “nothing”. One day a storm comes and the children of the colony are separated from the adult Guardians (who are kidnapped by pirates). Trapped between the plague-ridden mainland and the pirates, Thomas will uncover long-buried secrets that could be the key to saving everyone.

ELEMENTAL is getting the Zombie Chicken Merit Badge for writing because I absolutely loved the way the writing made the setting come alive.  Thomas and the Guardians live on a tiny island separated from Roanoke (yes – the lost colony island!) and when they’re trapped on Roanoke, everyone’s powers become much stronger.  There’s definitely something creepy about this island folks!

Although the novel starts out with a hunter-gatherer society living on a beach, it soon becomes clear that we’re in a post-apocalyptic future.  The islands have escaped the plague, but other survivors are confined to ships.  We’re not sure about the larger state of the world, but it doesn’t look hopeful.

Much of the novel is about Thomas discovering truths about his world, his companions and himself. Though there are moments of heart-pumping action, the tension is mostly supplied by the well-paced teasing out of revelations.

Some things I loved: Alice! She had an awesome “element” and was just so kick-ass and unapologetic about it. The epilogue. Because it promises some awesomeness to come in future installments of the series. The cat. Post-apocalyptic kitties FTW!

ELEMENTAL is available now. Find out more about it at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: Bought

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

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Joint Review Discussion: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

I really enjoy doing these joint review discussions of dystopian reads, and this month I'm doing a cople with Christina of Reader of Fictions. These are more in-depth than my usual reviews and discuss plot points in a (mostly) non-spoilery way. Today we are discussing SHADES OF EARTH,  the third book in the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series.

Publisher's summary:

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. 

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight. 

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing. 

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Christina and I decided to discuss four topics: Plot, Elder, Other Characters, and The Ending. The first two we discuss below, the second two we discuss over at Reader of Fictions.

Plot

Lenore:
While book 1&2 were all about the ship of lies, book 3 is all about the planet of lies. Once Amy and the shipborns crash land on the planet and the frozens are awoken, it’s clear that some people have more information than others - and they’re not sharing. Revis is stellar at delivering an exciting, fast- paced plot with twists galore. We get so many jaw-dropping reveals in this last installment, but they all work with the info we’ve been given so far - which is so hard to do.

And since this is Dystopian Feb, I do have to give Revis props for creating a truly horrifying dystopian scenario on the planet.

Christina:
Oh geez, I hate the “ship of lies” tagline. It may be true, but it sounds so melodramatic! Beth Revis does like to drop the twists and splosions on her unsuspecting readers, and I agree that those are what make the Across the Universe series so un-put-downable. I also loved that there was one last puzzle to figure out, carried over from A MILLION SUNS, which had a sort of treasure hunt plot.

The dystopian culture on the planet is fabulously dark and creepy. I love the way that when they first landed, the first reveals had me really skeptical. I mean, much as I was hoping for some dinosaurs, I was highly unsure about whether they made sense. In the end, though, Revis gets all of it explained, unfolding it slowly and mesmerizingly before your eyes.

Lenore:
Yes! The dinosaurs! However, I was curious about the distinct lack of other wildlife whatsoever. I could have used a dinosaur chomping on a squirrel scene (just kidding!).

The last puzzle clue was very cool. And also the way Orion’s statement “soldiers or slaves” came into play.

There is one major question I still have - it relates to the plague elder and the mono-ethnicity of the last generation shipborns, but I won’t go into it here since it’s spoilery. I’ll just have to ask Revis sometime.

Christina:

Hahahaha! Yes! There should have been more creatures. There were some bugs and birds, maybe, but I don’t remember any mentions of anything else, do you? Though maybe this planet really just didn’t have any life forms before. However, that would seem to suggest that it wouldn’t be a great place to establish a colony.

The whole puzzle things was great, and I was really glad to see that make a comeback. Orion does not present information in the most logical way, but it’s more fun this way. Thanks, crazy!

I am very curious about this thing you can’t say! The mono-ethnicity is interesting in general, because it’s garnered a lot of … concern in the blogosphere.

Lenore:
I’ll tell you on gchat! Let’s see if you can explain it to me.

Elder

Lenore:
If anything has hampered my enjoyment of the series, it’s the character of Elder. It’s not that I object to Elder per se (I actually like his sort of inept yet good-hearted leadership), I just don’t love him in a romance with Amy. The romance was never a big deal in the first two books - with Amy rightfully wary of Elder and attributing her feelings for him to him being the only boy her age.

It was awesome of Revis to bring two major complications into the Elder/Amy relationship in this book: 1) Amy’s father - who naturally doesn’t approve of Elder and 2) Chris - the hot new guy with whom Amy has some great chemistry. But as much as loved Amy’s father ribbing Elder, I don’t think he was enough of an obstacle. And Chris - what do I say about Chris other than #teamchris all the way!

Christina:
Ooh, yes, I very much appreciate the character of Elder for his leadership style. After so many heroes that can do anything, I like that he’s good-intentioned but not actually a particularly good leader. He tries, but that doesn’t mean he’s successful. In SHADES OF EARTH, Revis highlights this by introducing Elder’s foil in the character of Amy’s father. Compared to Amy’s dad, it’s so obvious what a drawback Elder’s youth is and how much he lacks a naturally commanding personality, despite his years of training to serve as Elder.

So far as the romance goes, I’m with you wholeheartedly. What I loved so much was Amy’s hesitance to date Elder because she was sort of shoehorned into being interested in him through the lack of other options. I was a bit disappointed to see reason become less of a factor for in romance so quickly, perhaps because of the added dangers of the new world, making her want to be in love while she can, or the introduction of her parents, making her revert to a less mature, thoughtful place. I would really like to have seen Amy’s father be more of an actual obstacle; I laughed with malicious glee every time he told Elder off. I’ll join you on Team Chris! They do have much more chemistry than she and Elder do!

Lenore:
I didn’t entirely believe that Amy would commit herself so thoroughly to Elder here. She didn’t seem to be doing it to defy her father (but then, I didn’t entirely understand Amy’s relationship with her father, so I could be wrong). Maybe as a way to show she was on the shipborns’ side, despite them not accepting her for so long? Or maybe she really did fall in love with him finally once she realized she cared for him more than his scant competition (c’mon Amy, give Chris a chance - or what’s wrong with all the old dudes? Ageist much? LOL).

Christina:
Yuck! Amy, do not hook up with the old dudes. Please. Maybe it was sort of a pity move, though she might not have realized it. Her dad was really killing Elder’s self-confidence and insulting his leadership. After two books with him, she knows how hard he tries and how much he cares. What better way to show dad that he’s wrong about Elder than by dating him? Other than that, I really don’t see it. She doesn’t really ever seem to like Elder all that much. Wasn’t she laughing and joking with Chris shortly after meeting him? (I could be wrong about that, if my memory’s playing tricks.) I don’t remember her and Elder having too many light-hearted moments.

Lenore:
Yes - she and Chris were having a ton of fun together. I think he was making her remember her old life on Earth and how it could have been. So perhaps sealing the deal with Elder was her way of accepting that she was never going to get her old life back.

Christina:
In my opinion, you always take the guy who makes you laugh. Plus, he’s hotter. And more capable. #TeamChris

Lenore: 

Aww yeah!

Don't miss the rest of the discussion over at Reader of Fictions!


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SHADES OF EARTH is out in hardcover. Visit the author's website for more information.

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: Bought

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