Review: The Replacement

The Replacement

Brenna Yovanoff

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: September 21, 2010

Pages: 352

Ratings: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

The Replacements was a creepy and eerie book, everything that I expected from this book. In a unique debut novel, Brenna Yovanoff has put a creepy twist on creatures that have become glamorized in many YA novels.

I read this book in one sitting and was really intrigued by the plot. I was very intrigued to learn more about these creatures who lived in Mackie’s town and why they would kidnap people. I loved the creepiness of the creatures, who are by most people’s definition are fairies, and the eeriness that was woven throughout the plot. There were plenty of twists and turns in this book that I did not see coming, something I love in books.

I was also interested in the progression of Mackie as a character through the action that occurred. He starts out as fragile, slowly dying and living a lie, to learning who he truly is and becoming stronger and willing to fight for those he loves and to protect other people. Mackie was definitely an intriguing character. I also really loved Mackie’s sister, Emma, and her devotion to her brother, even if she knows he is not truly her brother. She is willing to do anything for Mackie, and her love has been essential to Mackie’s survival. My one wish while I was reading was that I wanted to learn more about Tate. From the summary of the book, it seemed like we would know a lot more about her, but I felt like we knew little about her except that she loves her sister and wants her back. I would have really liked to see more about her and learn more about her because she was an interesting character.

This book was one of the most unique I have read in a long time. I loved the twist on a classic story, and I loved that Brenna Yovanoff was able to make this story her own. If you want a book that is bound to give you chills, in a good way, The Replacement would be that book. 

Waiting on Wednesday (19) - Dark Mirror

Dark Mirror

M.J. Putney

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

To be released: March 1, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted…by magic. When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.

Ohhh…I found this book on Goodreads and it sounds really good. History and magic, two of my favorite things. Can’t wait to read it.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Teaser Tuesday: The Eternal Ones

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the books for others!)
• Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from:

The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller

"The air in the attic grew thick and Haven felt her scalp tingle. She braced for the vision to come just as the walls dissolved into darkness and a warm wind whipped around her."

YASpooktacular Story 2: A Soul Laid Bare Part 10

Welcome to the first ever, and super awesome, YA Spooktacular event hosted by Danielle at frenzyofnoise.blogspot.com and Khelsea at onceuponareview.com . This event has been pretty awesome far and I’m so glad to be a part of it.

So, before I share the next part of the story, I just want to reiterate what is going on. There are currently two different stories being told, each in 13 parts. Each part of the story is written by a different author (some currently published, some aspiring) and posted on different blogs. On October 29th, when both stories have been completed, you will have the chance to enter to win a grand prize pack. There are two grand prize packs, one for each stories, and one open internationally. In order to win a prize pack for one of the two stories, you must comment on each part of the story you are reading to be entered. Along the way you can win extra entries and extra prizes through various Tricks or Treats. To learn more about entering and where each part of the story is being hosted visit here.

Okay, so on to the story.

I’m super excited to share part 10 of the story 2, a Soul Laid Bare. This part was written by the awesomely fantastic Heidi R. Kling. It’s pretty awesome. I hope you like it.

If you’d like to read the story from the beginning until now make sure you check out the first post over at Page Turners Blog.

A Soul Laid Bare – Part 10 by Heidi R. Kling

“My body?” Sami droned, sarcastically, fingers arched and pointing at herselfin jest. “Maybe if I had chest implants he’ d want mine. I’m going to suggest he go for Rosie. She has more to offer. In that, er, area.”

Jareth was gazing down at her with a slant-eyed expression closer to kindness than to mocking. Like he felt sorry for her. Silly kid who just didn’ t get all this murderous witchcraft stuff so she had to blow it off with a joke.

“Oh, I get it just fine,” Sami responsed to his condescending look, which she clearly didn’ t appreciate. And the ‘I get it just fine’ part? Yeah, that was pretty much a lie. She had no idea what was going on in this reality or in Tonya’s for that matter. In fact, how did she know for sure that was Mr. Cooper? Why would the town psychologist, and her old coach to boot, want to KILL her?

The one thing Sami did know? Was that a gorgeous warlock time traveling Hottie Mc Hottiepants was staring down at her, offering his hand, and even though it unnerved her and left her fingers trembling under her skirt in shame? What she really wanted to do, more than anything, was to accept it.

“Hey,” she said, her voice wafting above his head and twisting into a puff of smoke once it hit the dried needles on the evergreen behind him. “If I ask you something, something sort of crazy, you promise you won’ t a) laugh at me or b) say no.”

His look was ridiculously intense, and dark, dark as the sky above them. She waited nervously for his answer. When he finally opened his full mouth his voice was light, so different from his eyes. “I can’t promise you I won’t say no, Samantha. After all, I have no idea what you’ re going to ask.”

A small smile crawled up the corner of Sami’ s mouth. It felt nice to smile, to hear her given name stretched out and roll off his tongue like he was born to utter it. His voice sounded almost Southern in its lilt. Southern and something else. European maybe. The smile, and her real name felt odd, like it’ d been forever since she felt one, since she heard it.

This magic boy took her seriously.

And in that moment she felt powerful, too.

Pressing her palms into the cool, wet dirt she felt the sizzle---a sensation similar to one of those zapper toys you get from the joke aisle of a large Super Store. He watched the ground tremble beneath her hands, he caught her eye, eyebrows raised asking a question she wasn’t sure how to answer.

“ Touche’,” she said as the sensation—the magic—ripped through her blood making her more courageous, and more dangerous, than she ever felt possible. “So, sexy magic boy. Do you want to go to a party?”

You can catch the next part in the story tomorrow over at http://christinasbooks.blogspot.com

Oh, and remember those TRICK or TREATS?? I’m hosting a TRICK.

Here is your trick:

Write a blog post/facebook note/email about your favorite Halloween memory (costume as a kid, best ToT experience, candy, traditions, Halloween book) 1 entry

Click the button above or click HERE to enter.

Also, don’t forget to check out the other story currently going on as well. Check out Frenzy of Noise for part 1 of the other story, Darkness.

Demonglass Cover

The cover to the sequel of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins was revealed today. The sequel is entitled Demonglass. 

Doesn't the cover look pretty?? And it fits so well with the first cover too! Cannot wait to read!!! 

Waiting on Wednesday (18) - The Near Witch

The Near Witch

Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Hyperion Books CH

To be released: August 2, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

I’m really excited for this book. Victoria Schwab just released the cover to the book last week and it looks so great. To bad we must wait until August to read it. Check out her vlog reveal of the cover below:

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Teaser Tuesday: Halo

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the books for others!)
• Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from:

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Suddenly my old life seemed far away. I certainly didn't yearn for Heaven as I knew Gabriel and Ivy did.

YA Spooktacular starts Friday!

Yay! Yay! Yay! The first annual (hopefully) YA Spooktacular: Tales From Under the Grave starts this Friday. We are so excited. It's time to share some of the information with you.

What is the YA Spooktacular? Stories! We have compiled TWO spooky YA stories by some of your favorite authors, debut authors and aspiring writers. You will get to trick-or-treat to other blogs and follow the story of your choice--or even both stories! At the end of the stories, you will have a chance to enter to win a grand prize pack! (We will even have a Book Depository gift card for international participants to win!)

Beware. Some of the blogs may contain a "Trick" or "Treat" along the way. These ToTs will give you the chance to win extra entries into the grand prize giveaway and some more great prizes! Some of them will require nothing and some may cost.....your soul! muahhahahaha.

Ok. Not really. But the tricks are tricky! It's going to be a blast.  

The rules are pretty simple:  

• You must comment on EVERY post in a story to be eligible to win the grand prize pack. 
• You MAY enter for both stories.
• The forms are a must to be entered.
• Winners will be selected at random.

We're so pumped about this event. We hope that you are too! Follow the hashtag on Twitter #YAspooktacular to get teasers that lead up to the story premiere on Friday, October 22. The last piece of the stories will be posted on the 28th. The prize packs will go up on the 29th and the contest closes on the 31st. Basically, clear your calendar. 

This is the list of bloggers that are hosting the story for us! You can follow them to make sure you are ready for the story

http://www.frenzyofnoise.blogspot.com 

http://readingorbreathing.blogspot.com

http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com

  http://booklabyrinth.blogspot.com

http://onceuponareview.blogspot.com 

  http://papaerbackdolls.blogspot.com

http://www.ataleofmanyreviews.blogspot.com

http://thesecretlifeofabibliophile.blogspot.com

http://booksandmakeup.blogspot.com

http://www.tickettoanywhere.net

http://yaaddict.blogspot.com

http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com

http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com

http://www.pageturnersblog.com
http://www.fallenarchangel.com
http://yabreviewed.blogspot.com
http://virginsheets.blogspot.com
http://yabookiemonster.blogspot.com
http://cladestinesanctuary.blogspot.com
http://thesecretlifeofabibliophile.blogspot.com
http://goddessofthelibrary.blogspot.com
http://thebookscoop.com
http://overflowingshelf.blogspot.com
http://christinasbooks.blogspot.com
http://www.readingteen.net
http://abookadventure.blogspot.com

I'm hosting story two, a Soul Laid Bare. Make sure you follow all the other bloggers hosting that story to be up in the action. And follow the bloggers in story one too. This event is going to be awesome. 

Fragment Friday (7) - Beautiful Creatures

Fragment Friday is hosted by James of Book Chic and it is where you read excerpts of your favorite books or what you are reading now. I chose an excerpt from a favorite this week: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Waiting on Wednesday (17) - Across the Universe

Across the Universe

Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

To be released: January 11, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

This book sounds really interesting, and something that is completely new. I cannot wait to read it and see other people’s reviews about this book!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Teaser Tuesday: Nevermore

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the books for others!)
• Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from:

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

"You're really a blond," she said her tone just short of accusatory.

"And if you tell anyone, I will come to you in the night and smite your everlasting soul." (277) 

Stolen Nights Cover

Author Rebecca Maizel just posted the cover to the sequel of Infinite Days (a book which I loved) entitled Stolen Nights!!

Isn't it pretty?? I cannot wait for this to come out! The ending of Infinite Days was sooo good and I want to find out what happens next.

Review: Beautiful Darkness

Beautiful Darkness

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Release Date: October 12, 2010

Pages: 512

Ratings: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Beautiful Darkness had me under a spell that kept me up until 6am. I had to finish it once I started reading. Even after finishing it, I didn’t want to sleep, I just wanted to get up and exclaim how awesome it was, but I refrained. The second book in the Caster Chronicles surpassed my expectations. Beautiful Darkness is a stunning second book in an amazing series.

Initially, I was extremely worried that Beautiful Darkness would suffer from the second book in series syndrome, where the second book is more of a place holder and nothing happens….boy, was I wrong. If anything, Beautiful Darkness had even more going on then in Beautiful Creatures. I really enjoyed Beautiful Creatures, but I loved Beautiful Darkness. If anything, I think Beautiful Darkness was better than it’s predecessor.

Beautiful Darkness picks up were Beautiful Creatures ended. However, if you haven’t read Beautiful Creatures in a while, have no fear. As long as you can remember the major plot points, everything in Beautiful Darkness makes sense. Immediately, Beautiful Darkness picks up and places you under a spell that does not release you until the end of the book. This book is darker then Beautiful Creatures, but it makes sense after the actions in Beautiful Creatures that have stirred up more turmoil in Lena’s life. I loved the darker tone, and the turmoil and the raw, powerful emotions in this book.

Two new characters are introduced in this book who pose unknown risks to Lena and Ethan’s relationships. These new charaters were definitely intriguing and hit seamlessly into the story. I was particularly interesting in John Breed. Wait until you meet him and you will be too.

Beautiful Darkness constantly kept me on my toes. I did not see many of the twists and turns Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl decided to take us on. I frequently was shocked by what occurred that I even gasped out loud too many times to remember. This book was also an emotional rollercoaster for both the reader and the characters. I empathized so much with Ethan and the pain he was feeling when Lena was being distance. Kami and Margaret capture Ethan’s voice perfectly and have created a stunning narrator. All their characters are great and it’s really easy to sympathize for them when they are going through every thing that happens during this book. And poor Ethan. I love Ethan, and I frequently wanted to just give him a hug because everything that happened.

Beautiful Darkness surpassed my expectations. The writing was beautiful, flowing seamlessly as if it was written by one person, the plot was superb, constantly keeping the reader on edge and the characters were well develop and such loveable characters. The ending was perfect and definitely left me anxious for the next book. However, ever all the horrible things that happened in this book, I hope Ethan, Lena, Link and the whole gang would be able to catch some sort of break because I felt so bad for them after the events they had to endure in this book. I cannot wait for the next book though and am eager to see where Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl take this wonderful series next.

Books of Wonder Mega Signing Recap and a Giveaway

Yesterday, on 10/10/10, Books of Wonder in New York city held a huge signing for some debut authors of 2010. The event had eleven fabulous authors: Amber Benson, Josh Berk, Alexandra Bracken, MArgie Gelbwasser, Emily Horner, Shaun David Hutchinson, Phoebe Kitanidis, Jessica Leader, Mini Scott, Laura Toffler-Corrie, and Amy Brecount White.

The event was wonderful. All eleven authors talked about their books, read excerpts, and answered questions from the audience. All the authors were wonderful and it was great chatting with them.

Phoebe Kitanidis and Jessica Leader

Alexandra Bracken discussing Brightly Woven

Mindi Scott discussing Freefall

Josh Berk with copies of his book The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin

And now....GIVEAWAY TIME!!

I have a signed copy of Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken and a signed copy of Freefall by Mindi Scott to giveaway. One winner will receive both signed copies.

To enter leave a comment with your name and email.

Extra Entries:

+1 Become a Follower

+3 Already a Follower

+1 For each link to contest (leave a link in comments)

Contest open to US ONLY.

Contest Ends NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Books of Wonder MEGA Signing This Weekend

This Sunday, on 10/10/10, Books of Wonder in NYC will be holding an awesome signing with ten debut authors. I will be attending this event and am super excited!!

Here is the official event description:

Books of Wonder is pleased to announce that on Sunday, October 10^th, we will be joined by a group of eleven 2010 debut authors as they each present their first novels. On hand will be JOSH BERK for The Dark Days of Hamburger Haplin; ALEXANDRA BRACKEN for Brightly Woven;MARGIE GELBWASSER for Inconvenient; EMILY HORNER for A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend; SHAUN DAVID HUTCHINSON for The Deathday Letter; PHOEBE KITANIDIS for Whisper;JESSICA LEADER for Nice and Mean; MINDI SCOTTfor Freefall; LAURA TOFFLER-CORRIE for The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz; AMY BRECOUNT WHITE for Forget-Her-Nots; andAMBER BENESON for Among the Ghosts. Within these eleven novels, there are books for tweens and teens with stories that span comedy, adventure, fantasy, and drama. Beginning at 1pm, these eleven debut authors will talk about their books, take questions from the audience, and sign copies of their books. Ages 9 and up. 1-3pm.

If your around the NYC area, I recommend you stop by this event. If you cannot attend but would like to order signed copies of any of the books form these authors you can pre-order signed copies here.