Teaser Tuesday: Clockwork Angel

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:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

"'They ate it too,' Will reminisced. 'Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck'"

Review: Across the Universe

Across the Universe

Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: January 11, 2011

Pages: 400

Source: Borrowed from Gail

Ratings: 4 Stars

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.

Across the Universe was a refreshing read, combining sci-fi, romantic, mystery and suspense. Beth Revis has written a stunning debut novel.

I want to start out this review discussing the first chapter of this book. I have never been more in love with a first chapter as much as am with this book’s first chapter. Beth Revis has writing a fascinating beginning to a great story that captivates you literally from page one. The first chapter starts out from Amy’s point view, showing the cryogenic freezing of her parents and herself for their mission on the ship the Godspeed. I was creeped out yet fascinated by the description of the process and the emotion’s Amy was feeling and what she was thinking while the freezing was occurring. This first chapter definitely captured my attention and had me very intrigued to see where the rest of the book would go.

Beth Revis did not disappoint after the first chapter. This book is told in dual point of view between Amy and Elder. While I usually really dislike two or more points of views, I felt that it worked create in the case of Across the Universe. I really have no clue how the story would unfold without the two different perspectives. Amy is a foreigner on the Godspeed, completely isolated from the inhabitants of the ship after her early awakening. Elder is the future leader of the ship, board and bred on the ship. Their differing points of views provide different insight on life on the ship, and the secrets that are kept on the ship.

While I found the plot sometimes slow, overall, I extremely enjoyed the story. I loved the whole idea of having no where to escape, no where to go,  a lot of the feelings that Amy felt. The story was well-written and the emotions felt completely real. However, I found the some of the plot twists a bit predictable, but enjoyed the unveiling of them even if I figured them out in advance.

After reading this book, I wanted to learn more about Elder and Amy. I wanted to know what happens on the Godspeed next. Beth Revis has written a great debut. I truly loved how she was able to capture the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Across the Universe is a very good book that was something a bit different from a lot of other YA books out there, and for that I was glad. I cannot wait to read more from Beth Revis in the future since I highly enjoyed her first book.

Waiting on Wednesday (26) - Enclave

Enclave

Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

To be released: April 12, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms.

Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade.

When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth.

Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

I found this book when going through the list of debut authors for the 2011 Debut Authors Challenge and became extremely excited. This book sounds awesome. I’m so excited to read it. It’s sounds awesome and I wish it was April so that I could read it now!

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

Teaser Tuesday: Iron Queen

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 Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

"'A charming tradition, to be sure. The court love such dramatic tragedies."

2011 Debut Author Challenge

I’ve decided to participate in the Debut Author Challenge of 2011 hosted by the Story Siren. I love reading YA books from debut author’s and feel that this challenge helps expose me to more new authors I have not heard about and allows me to find some new favorite authors. I read a ton of books last year from debut authors but did not participate in the challenge,

The goal of the Debut Author Challenge is to read twelve books from debut YA or MG authors. My personal goal is to read 25 books by debut authors, but we will see how that goes throughout the course of the year.  The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 until December 31, 2011.

To learn more about the Debut Author Challenge read about it here.

To participate in the Debut Author Challenge go here.

Right now, I have a preliminarily list of books I will try to read for the challenge. I plan to update the list as the year goes on. There are lot more than 25 books on my preliminary list, I will try to read as many on my preliminary list as possible. I will keep another list on here of books I have read.

Books I’ve Read for the Debut Author Challenge:

1. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
2. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
3. Clarity by Kim Harrington
4. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
5. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
6. The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
7. Haven by Kristi Cook
8. Warped by Maurissa Guibord
9. Hourglass by Myra McEntire
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth
11. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Preliminary List of Books I Would Like to Read for Debut Author Challenge:

• Warped by Maurissa Guibord
• Unearthly  by Cynthia Hand
• XVI by Julia Karr
• Timeless by Alexandra Monir
• The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal
• The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
• Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
• Rival by Sara Bennett-Wealer
• A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
• Haven by Kristi Cook
• Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
• Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
• Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
• The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
• The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver
• Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
• Wither by Lauren DeStefano
• Entwined by Heather Dixon
• Clarity by Kim Harrington
• Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
• Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
• Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell
• The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• Unlocked by Ryan G. Van Cleave
• Enclave by Ann Aguirra
• Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
• The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
• Bumped by Megan McCafferty
• Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese
• Stargrossed by Josephine Angelini
• Saving June by Hannah Harrington
• Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
• Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin
• Hourglass by Myra McEntire
• Die for Me by Amy Plum
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Hereafter by Tara Hudson
• Possession by Elana Johnson
• Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
• Forgotten by Cat Patrick
• Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
• Wildefire by Karsten Knight
• Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
• Dark Parties by Sara Grant
• The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
• Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 
• Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
• The Girl of Fire and Thorns
• A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
• Human .4 by Mike A. Lancaster

Review: Falling Under

Falling Under

Gwen Hayes

Publisher: New American Library

Release Date: March 1, 2011

Pages: 256           

Source: Different Area Codes Book Tours

Ratings: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Falling Under was a GREAT book. I really loved it. I devoured it in one straight sitting, unable to go to sleep until I finished it. Now where to start…

I just want to start by saying I loved this book, so this review might be a bit long and gushy. The story was great and had me intrigued the whole way through. Gwen Hayes was able to keep the reader engaged in the mystery of Haden without making it feel old. Instead, I kept wanting to know more about Haden, who is he? What is he? I loved how Gwen unraveled his mystery. And let me tell you I did not expect anything that Gwen Hayes revealed about Haden. I was fully intrigued. The plot definitely kept me turning pages. And after the mystery of Haden was unraveled, the plot continued, stronger then ever, and I don’t want to give anything away, but it was great. The whole last section of the book I did not see coming AT ALL! I love when a book can take me on a ride and through unexpected turns at me, and this book accomplished this.

One of my favorite things about this book was the characters. Theia was a great protagonist. She was fully developed and felt like a normal teenage girl, albeit with an extremely over protective father (not something too uncommon). And one thing I loved about Theia was she wasn’t a stupid, unthinking protagonist. She realizes that Haden isn’t who he seems and realizes he is dangerous and acknowledges this. She was a complex character, confused by what is going on in her life and her own feelings. And that brings us to Haden. Wow. Haden. What a hot, mysterious, dark, complex character. I loved him. I felt the same way Theia did towards him, confused and a bit creeped out by him but undeniable attracted by his mystery. He is truly the goth Mr. Darcy, and I wouldn’t mind having one appear in my dreams like he does, even if he is not all good for me (or Theia for that matter). Theia and Haden also had great, great chemistry. While he admitted he wasn't good for Theia, you still wanted them together, no matter what. Theia and Haden definitely have some of the best chemistry I've read recently. 

Not only did I love Theia and Haden, the two main characters, but the supporting characters were great too. I really loved Theia’s two best friends Donny and Amelia. They were great characters and great friends to Theia. I loved that they were fully developed unlike in other books where the friends are just there to give advice to the main characters. Varnie and Gabe were also two very great secondary characters. The secondary characters are great and prove to be important to the plot and provide great scenes.

Gwen Hayes has written a great book. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this but, truly, it was great. The writing was beautiful and lyrical. Hayes’ descriptions were rich with beautiful details, fully establishing the scenes, characters and emotions. I loved the little bits of humor Hayes’ included in the story too. I laughed so hard at the little Twilight reference that my roommate though something was wrong. I also really loved the glimpses the reader has into Haden's mind at times. While the book is primarily told from Theia's point of view, these glimpses at Haden's thoughts enhanced his mystery and added, what I felt were little easter eggs to the action occurring. The writing fit the book so well, beautiful, haunting and lyrical. I loved it. 

Falling Under was one of those books that I desperately wanted a sequel to. Thankfully there will be a sequel because I want more, more, more of Theia and Haden and all the other characters. I cannot wait to return back to the world Gwen Hayes has created. The sequel cannot come soon enough.

While this book is not out until March, so far away, and I already read it, I will be anxiously awaiting it’s release. I was truly enchanted by this story. It was something new, fresh, clever and lovely. Gwen Hayes has written one of my new favorite books for 2011 and the year hasn’t even started yet. I will definitely be picking up a finished copy of this fabulous book come March.

Waiting on Wednesday (25) - Tempestuous

Tempestuous

Lesley Livingston

Publisher: HarperTeen

To be released: December 22, 2010

Summary (from HarperTeen Site):

"I don't love Sonny Flannery."

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.

I love this series and I’m sad for it to come to an end but I cannot wait to see how Lesley Livingston plans to conclude this wonderful series.

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