August 31, 2011

Blog Tour: The Beginning of After

I'm so pleased to be a part of the tour for "The Beginning of After" by Jennifer Castle, which releases on September 6. I really loved the book, and you can read my review here.

Tour Concept:
"Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: it’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy. One part of your life unyokes from the other."

Now here's Jennifer to talk about...


Before and After: High School Graduation

My high school graduating class was relatively small --120 students -- many of which I’d known since kindergarten. When I went up to grab my diploma, I walked past kids I had gone to day camp with, had competed in town swim meets with, had trick-or-treated and slumber partied with. We all shared a history that was stronger than any one of us on our own. In other words, I was sick to death of the whole bunch.

I was lucky -- I wasn’t bullied or persecuted in school. But I did feel overlooked and pigeonholed, and that can be its own hell when you’re trying to figure out who you really are, apart from what others do or do not see about you.

Before graduation, all I wanted was to be more than the SmartShy girl, the Drama Club Geek, the English Teacher’s Pet. I did what I could. As senior year wound down, I got a crazy haircut, long on one side and short on the other. I started dressing in my dad’s old clothes and oddball handmade jewelry I bought off the street in Greenwich Village.

But after I took that diploma, I no longer had to style and accessorize my way to an identity. I just had to be. I went off to college and on that first night of freshman orientation, found myself suddenly surrounded by people who only knew me as the girl in room 407, and it was a total rush. For me, that was the way the world first opened up: not through courses I took, or places I went. It was through the people. We came from all over and we came to one another fresh and new, with no history or preconceived notions. We connected over shared interests and life stories and revolting $4-a-case beer.

I would never want to go back to the Before of my high school graduation. It’s like a gorgeous snowglobe, sealed forever. But sometimes it’s fun to admire how pretty it is, and how in certain light all I see are the good memories and the roots of who I am now (and am still becoming).

And then sometimes I write about different girls, in different high schools surrounded by different people…who maybe look just a little familiar to me.

About the book:
Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. Now, Laurel must navigate a new world in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all, there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

About the author:
Jennifer Castle graduated from Brown University and worked as a celebrity publicist's assistant, an advertising copywriter, and a struggling screenwriter (yes, that's an actual job) before falling into a niche producing websites for kids and teens. The Beginning of After is her first novel. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in New York's Hudson Valley. Visit her at http://www.jennifercastle.com



Be sure and visit La Femme Readers on Friday, September 2 for the next stop on the tour!

August 30, 2011

Top Ten on my TBR List for Fall 2011


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books That Are On The Top Of My TBR List For Fall
(Books releasing between September - December 2011)

1. If I Die by Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers #5): So I've heard there's a lot of awesome Tod in this one. That makes me happy, because Nash was a total idiot in the last book. (September 20)

2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins: As if this isn't on everyone under the sun's TBR list. I just know that even people who haven't heard of these books are secretly wishing they could read more Stephanie Perkins. (September 29)

3. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson: Boarding school in London. Jack the Ripper. Secret ghost police. Oh and it's Maureen Johnson. Yes please! (September 29)

4. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (Heroes of Olympus #2): I lovedddd 'The Lost Hero', so I'm excited to see how this one will play out. Plus: Percy freaking Jackson!

5. The Death Cure by James Dashner (The Maze Runner #3): I freaking ADORE this trilogy, it's so insane and topsy-turvy. I cannot wait to read this conclusion!! (October 11)

6. Last Breath by Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires #11): Oh yes. Hopefully Shane won't be a complete tool in this one. (November 1)

7. Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Thief Errant #2): I read 'StarCrossed' for Alyssa's Best Overlooked Book Battle and I really loved it. I don't think a lot of people have heard of these books, but the first one is awesome. Hence, I can't wait for this one, which I believe includes a romance. (November 1)

8. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: I've heard soooo many good things!! (November 15)

9. Legend by Marie Lu: This looks epic. I love the cover so much! (November 29)

10. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare: More Jem, please. (December 6)

Can't wait to see which books are on everyone's TBR piles!

August 29, 2011

100 Most Popular YA Books

Not sure about the validity of this list or who came up with it, but I'm always interested in list-y thing (that's the technical term, I'm sure) like this and seeing which ones I've read.

Rather Barefoot than Bookless has a linky on her site if you'd like to check out other people's lists.

 Bold = I've read it.
Italics = I own it.

  1. Alex Finn – Beastly
  2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
  3. Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
  4. Ally Condie – Matched
  5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
  7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
  9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
  10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
  12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
  13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
  15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
  16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
  17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
  18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
  19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
  20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
  21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
  22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
  23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
  24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
  25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
  26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
  27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
  28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
  29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
  30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
  31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
  32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
  33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
  34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
  36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
  37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
  38. John Green – Paper Towns
  39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
  40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
  41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
  42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
  43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
  44. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
  45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
  46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
  47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
  48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
  49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
  50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
  51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
  52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
  53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
  54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
  55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
  56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
  57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
  58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
  60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
  61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
  63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
  64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
  67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
  68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
  69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
  70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
  71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
  72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
  73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
  74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
  75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
  76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
  79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
  80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
  81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
  82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
  83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
  84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)
  86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3, 4)
  87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
  88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
  89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
  90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
  91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
  92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
  93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
  94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
  95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
  96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
  97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
  99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
  100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

I've read... 126 of the 321 books list.
I own... 87 of the 321 books list.

August 27, 2011

Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen

Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 314
Series: Past Midnight #3
Review Source: Netgalley


Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
A haunting new tale in the Past Midnight series...

I can’t move forward with my life until I know my demons are confined to the past...

Being Charlotte Silver, the daughter of famous paranormal investigators, means my life isn’t like that of other teenage girls. Especially after what happened to my parents. Things changed. I missed prom and deferred my big college plans. But I still have my boyfriend, Noah. He’s everything I could want—if I can figure out what’s up with him. Suddenly Noah is secretive.

I fear it has something to do with what happened to us three months ago. The bruise Noah suffered during a paranormal attack has never completely faded. Now I’ve learned Noah is researching demons. And when he disappears, it’s up to me to find him—before something else does.

My Thoughts:
I generally love the ‘Past Midnight’ series. It’s spooky ghost hunting fun without being too creepy for those of us wusses. However this volume felt a bit weak. Charlotte was so bland in ‘Beyond the Grave’. She obviously has a lot on her mind, but I don’t know why it had to make her lose a lot of her character. Really the whole book itself came together quite clumsily. There were random characters and random pieces of the puzzle, and it just didn’t flow that well. This book is definitely not as good as the first two, but I would still recommend the series itself.

The Cover:
So pretty! I love the colours and design.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

August 25, 2011

Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Release Date: July 27, 2011
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 314
Series: Transcend Time Saga #1
Review Source: eBook from author


Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

My Thoughts:
When I first read that Taylor Swift’s ‘Love Story’ video was was inspired Michelle Madow to write ‘Remembrance’ I knew I had to pick it up. The whole concept of past lives and past loves sounded absolutely wonderful as well, and who can resist that cover?

I’m so happy I decided to read ‘Remembrance’ because it was incredibly enjoyable. It’s funny, because usually I hate books about fated lovers and the like because it totally goes against my views of free will and choice, but in this book it just didn’t bother me as much. Maybe because despite the draw between Drew and Elizabeth both of them grew to learn that things can be changed.

I love the semi-'Pride and Prejudice' vibe and connection to the story. It was there in some areas but it wasn’t supposed to be a direct reinterpretation which I also appreciated. For some reason one element of the story that stood out for me (in a good way) in this book is that the kids actually attend school and talk about their classes, etc. Somehow this tends to be rare in any book that has a paranormal/fantasy aspect to it, so it was cool to read a book that bucks the trend.

I thought perhaps the ending came together a bit too easily, but overall it was really satisfying. Normally anything within the realm of insta-love completely irritates me, but ‘Remembrance’ totally sold me on the connection between Lizzie and Drew. Maybe it was appealing because despite Drew being good looking Lizzie didn’t go on and on about his looks. I could have used a bit more relationship development to make their relationship seem real instead of just a product of their past lives, but I was still rooting for them as a couple, which I think says something.

I definitely enjoyed Michelle Madow’s writing style and I’m positive that she has a bright future ahead of her as a YA author. I would absolutely read more of her books.

The Cover:
Super pretty. It's definitely what drew me in to begin with.

Rating:
[3.5/5]

Find Remembrance by Michelle Madow on Goodreads. You can buy the eBook through Kindle, Nook, & Smashwords. The paperback is available on Amazon.

August 24, 2011

1st Blogoversary Giveaway


I haven't had a lot of giveaways on Book Labyrinth, mostly for financial reasons, but I thought that my first blogoversary was as good an excuse as any to give away some awesome prizes.

Without further ado, here is what I'm giving away:

#1 - FAVOURITE BOOKS
One winner will win their choice of one of the following books, some of my favourites from the past few years. Open internationally where Book Depository ships for free. Winning book will be subject to ordering availability on their site.

[ Jellicoe Road / North of Beautiful / Fat Cat /
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour / The Liar Society /
Anna & The French Kiss / The Sky is Everywhere /
Shade / Divergent / Blood Red Road ]


#2 - FLAT-OUT LOVE
If you follow my blog you know how much I fell in love with this novel by Jessica Park. One winner will receive an eBook of 'Flat-Out Love', to be gifted from Kobo or Kindle. International, as long as you can accept a gift from either of these sites.


#3 - THE HUNGER GAMES
1 winner will receive a Mockingjay tote bag and a Hunger Games bookmark. Open to Canada/USA.


#4 - SWAG PACKS
3 winners will each receive one swag pack. The contents are random, but each pack will include bookmarks from Jeri-Smith Ready and Megan Crewe, and a bookmark SIGNED by Tera Lynn Childs. Open internationally.



So there you have it. 4 types of prizes, 6 winners in total. Please fill out the form to enter to win. Comments are appreciated, but will not enter you in the giveaway. Each person can only win once. Main entry is your name: all other entries are extra.

TO ENTER FILL OUT THIS FORM.

Giveaway open until September 7 at midnight EST. Winners will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. They will have 48 hours to respond.

Thanks to everyone who has visited Book Labyrinth over the past year. I'd love it if you would check out my other blogoversary post as well. =)

1 Year of Book Labyrinth


I can’t believe that it’s been a year since I started Book Labyrinth. It feels like I just started blogging and yet it feels like I’ve always been blogging at the same time. My first post was on August 24, 2010. I scheduled it purposely on that date to coincide with the release of ‘Mockingjay’, probably my most highly anticipated read since the last Harry Potter book. I still have mixed feelings about ‘Mockingjay’, but I’m glad my blogoversary date has some kind of meaning behind it.

Blogging is such a weird thing. It’s a hobby: something we choose to do, yet so often it feels like a job. I’m not sure why we let it get stressful like that, but I know we’re all still writing posts because we love to do it. We love books and we love sharing our enthusiasm for reading with others. We also love to read our fellow bloggers opinions and discover new great reads that we never otherwise would have picked up. The book blogging community is so interesting and so diverse, yet I feel like it’s so close knit as well. We’re all coming together for a common purpose, and we’re a group who understands and appreciates the love of reading and books on a much deeper level than the people in our every day lives tend to.

Thank you to everyone who has visited Book Labyrinth over the past year, whether you’re a one time visitor or a regular commenter. It almost feels like a geeky reading super power when you hear that another person you don’t actually know in “real life” has picked up a book based on your recommendation. I definitely have a smaller following than some blogs out there, but I truly appreciate the small group of you who keep coming back and are so faithful in your commenting. And for those of you who visit and don’t comment -- well, I appreciate you too, but please don’t be shy! I’d love to say ‘hello’ back on your blog.

Some Stats:
- 275 followers
- Over 1300 comments
- Over 16,000 page views
- Most Viewed Post: We'll Always Have Summer review
- Top 3 Search Terms:
1. “fixing delilah”
2. “orson scott card pathfinder book 2”
3. “jessica park” “flat-out love”

Again, thanks to everyone who has been a part of this last year on Book Labyrinth. Readers, commenters, authors, publishers, etc. You’ve all shaped what Book Labyrinth is, so thank you for that. Here’s to another year!

Be sure and check out my blogoversary giveaway as well, which is running until September 7.

August 23, 2011

Top Ten Books I Haven't Reviewed


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books You Loved But Never Wrote A Review For
(either books you loved and couldn't bring yourself to write a review for or books that you read long before blogging...time to give them a shoutout!)

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth: My Goodreads still says "Full review to come." I loved it so much and it totally lived up to the hype, but there were so many reviews coming out at the same time that I didn't really think I could say anything unique. I'll have to re-read it and write a review then.

2. Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell: I read this one long before I started my blog and even before I was doing reviews on Goodreads. This book is absolutely hilarious! A great travel book.

3. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley: This is one of my favourite books, yet I don't have a review for it. I've book talked it and recommended it zillions of times, but no review! Must change that ASAP.

4. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart: Frankie is one of my favourite characters ever. This is another one of my favourites.

5. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: I adore Sarah Dessen. She is one of my favourites, and I've adored her books since high school, but pretty much all of them were read pre-reviewing days. I went with this one because it's quite possibly my favourite Dessen, though that's sort of like picking a favourite child (not that I have experience in this) or a favourite flavour of ice cream, or other equally impossible choices.

6. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: I was pretty emotionally wrecked by this book so I wasn't really sure what to write as my reaction to it.

7. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John: Not sure why I never reviewed this one. I really loved the characters in it.

8. Warped by Maurissa Guibord: This 2011 debut was really enchanting, and I haven't seen it around the blogs a lot, which makes me want to review it, because it definitely deserves more exposure.

9. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart: The Ruby books are absolutely genius, but, again, I read most of them pre-reviewing. It would be fun to re-read these and do a whole series spotlight on them, because more people should be exposed to their awesome-ness.

10. Bras & Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski: I remember the 'Magic in Manhattan' books being so, so fun, but since I read them 2 or 3 years ago and don't have reviews for them I don't remember the specifics very well. I own them all, so I should definitely do a re-read spotlight for these ones as well.

So there you have it: some of my favourite books that I never reviewed. I'm curious to check out every else's lists this week!

August 20, 2011

In My Mailbox (25)


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is designed to put new books on people's radars, and encourage blogger interaction.

Here's what I received during the past week:



Library:

Won:

**All links lead to Goodreads

Giveaway: 'All These Things I've Done' Audiobook

Thanks to the lovely people at MacMillan I have an awesome giveaway for you today. You may have read my review of 'All These Things I've Done' by Gabrielle Zevin, a book which releases on September 6. The book will be available in hardcover, eBook, and also audiobook.

For those of you who don't know about the book, here is some more information:



In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

I really enjoyed this book, so I'm happy to host a giveaway for the chance to win an audiobook of 'All These Things I've Done'.

To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below... as you can see, commenting on this post is the mandatory entry, and the rest are all extra entries you can choose whether or not to fill out.

August 19, 2011

Torrent by Lisa. T Bergren

Release Date: September 1, 2011
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages: 352
Series: River of Time #3
Review Source: eARC from author


Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series. Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.

My Thoughts:
How much love do I have for this book? So, so much. The first note I made after reading the book is “loveeeee <3”. So yah, that might tell you a little bit about what I thought of ‘Torrent’.

I just adore the characters in these novels so much. I couldn’t help but race through ‘Torrent’ to find out what was going to happen next, but I want to delve right back into it from the beginning and experience it all over again. Seriously, it’s making me sad that my journey with these characters is over.

There are so many epic aspects to these novels that it’s hard to pick a favourite, but I probably adore the romance the most. The love between Gabi and Marcello is so deep and true. It’s not often that I read about the kind of connection they have. Marcello is so kind and he adores Gabi so much, he’ll do anything for her. And Gabi’s love for Marcello? Well, let’s examine the sacrifice she wants to make for him: is willing to give up modern life and stay in a dangerous time period because she loves Marcello so much. Real and deep love? Yes, I think so.

Another awesome part of ‘Torrent’ (and the previously books) is the theme of family. These characters are truly willing to sacrifice for each other. They love each each other so much, and they always consider their family members when making decisions. They protect each other. And then there’s the action. Lisa T. Bergren absolutely knows how to write an action packed book. There is never a dull moment, that’s for sure! But even when there are quieter moments in the plot the writing is always exciting.

‘Torrent’ is the perfect conclusion to the ‘River of Time’ series. It ties things up well enough, but it’s not neat and packaged with a bow either. It feels more like real life to have an ending like that. Basically? This book and this series are so lovely. The characters are amazing and the books are full of adventure and romance. I would definitely label them as ‘must-reads’.

The Cover:
I like the general design of these covers and how they're all similar... the lighting is so pretty. Not the biggest fan of Marcello's model, though... he's a little bit cheesy, which is unfortunate because the books are epic amazing.

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon

August 18, 2011

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 304
Series: The Way We Fall #1
Review Source: Netgalley


Synopsis: (from author's website)
It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you’re dead.


When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn’t?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl’s bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

My Thoughts:
In the end I was completely enthralled with this one. It had a bit of a slower start, but it becomes "unputdownable" toward the middle. In the beginning I was iffy about the way the story is told (Kaelyn is writing letters to a former best friend/crush), but in the end I really loved it. It just felt so honest and straightforward.

I’m pretty fascinated with disease and the way epidemics spread, so it was really awesome (in a sad, horrible way) to read a whole book that revolves around this topic. The whole isolated island setting made the story even more interesting and also believable. There was almost this horror movie vibe going on because all these terrible things were happening, and there was no way to stop it. At times the story is absolutely heartbreaking. You can’t see how there could be a happy ending for this story, but you keep hoping that Kaelyn and those around her will be safe.

I just felt a deep connection to these characters, and I still find myself wondering about them and how everything ended up (because yes, there’s an abrupt ending -- but thankfully it is book one in a trilogy, so we get to read more and find out what happens).

Bonus: this book has a Canadian setting! You have no idea how psyched I was to read in a book about Thanksgiving happening in October! Gosh that sounds sad, doesn’t it? But really, it was nice to read a book set in my home country instead of the States for once.

This book is about family, about friendship, and it has a sweet romance to it as well. There are some lovely moments that make the deeply emotional scenes of loss a bit easier to take. At the heart of this book is the disease and what it does to those who are affected, either directly or indirectly, and it makes for an absolutely gripping story. Highly recommended.

The Cover:
Gorgeous! Very interesting to look at, and it makes you curious about the book, I think.

Rating:
[4.5/5]

Find The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon

Edit: I've updated this post with the new official cover. You can find the original concept cover here.

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