Minder by Kate Kaynak

Release Date: May 21, 2012 (originally May 6, 2010)
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 224
Series: Ganzfield #1
Review Source: ARC for review from publisher

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved the super powers/X-Men element of this book. Books with academies for gifted students are kind of like my kryptonite. I'm basically guaranteed to like them, and 'Minder' was no exception. I loved hearing about all the different abilities, and the fact that there was this sense of danger throughout the book from some unknown person or group made it even more awesome.

The school setting and all the abilities were so interesting that I actually wish less time had been spent focusing on the romance. The relationship between Maddie and Trevor was definitely a form of insta-love, which I normally hate, but in this case I could understand it and accept it more than usual. Their powers led them to a deeper immediate connection, so I bought their affection, though I still found them too mushy. I would have liked the romance more if it were about the connection and affection without leaping straight to "love".

Still, I couldn't help but be intrigued by this book. I was fascinated with Seth, who only appears in the book in mind-to-mind conversations with Maddie. I also loved the action at the end of the book. All the characters with different powers working together to save one of their own was epic, and I wish there was more of this. So despite the romance dominating the middle of the book I still really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely be checking out the 2nd book to see where things go plot-wise.

The Cover:
I absolutely love the concept itself and what they were trying to do, but the execution is a bit strange.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find Minder by Kate Kaynak on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Top Ten Book Romances

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

Top Ten Book Romances That You Think Would Make It In The Real World (outside the book)
1. Zachary/Aura from Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready:
These two were the first couple I thought of. EPIC SWOON. They were a slow burn, and they worked hard to be together, and they absolutely translate to the real world.

2. Anne/Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery:
I mean, OBVIOUSLY. These two have clearly been meant to be since the chalkboard incident.

3. Anna/Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins:
They are each others homes. They protect each other, and they are best friends. It doesn't get more real than that.

4. Violet/Jay from The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting:
They would definitely make it long term in the real world because they understood and loved each other as friends before becoming something more.

5. Wes/Macy from The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen:
I could see a lot of Dessen couples working, but especially these two. They've already been through tough situations and they know how to communicate and to appreciate and hold on to the good in their lives.

6. Adam/Mia from If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman:
Talk about going through a lot. These two made their way back to each other, and their passion and shared history would keep them going.

7. Jordan/Sam Henry from Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally:
I'm clearly a sucker for BFF love, because I see Jordan and Henry lasting outside the book. They know and understand one another, and they just fit.

8. Taylor/Jonah Griggs from Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta:
SO MUCH. Close to the end of the book Hannah asks why they have to be so intense/serious about each other, and it's like they just have to be. Taylor and Jonah are already bound together by more than their feelings... it's their experiences, and the deep emotion that comes with them.

9. Amy/Roger from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson:
I absolutely see a HEA for these two. They became friends and bonded so deeply, and I see both of them working together to make it happen. They know what crappy relationships are like, and they also know how special their connection is.

10. Amy/Jamie from Secret Society Girl series by Diana Peterfreund:
I don't want to say too much because it would really spoil the series, but let's just say that their relationship was a major work in progress, and where it ended up was perfect. This definitely feels real, and I adored them together.

I had so much fun picking these book couples that I could see making it in real life. I love that this week's topic was in honour of Jamie's wedding -- congrats Jamie!

Can't wait to see everyone else's lists so I can swoon some more! ;)

Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell

Release Date: February 21, 2012
Publisher: Pyr
Pages: 240
Series: Widdershins Adventures #1
Review Source: For review from Pyr

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Once she was Adrienne Satti. An orphan of Davillon, she had somehow escaped destitution and climbed to the ranks of the city’s aristocracy in a rags-to-riches story straight from an ancient fairy tale. Until one horrid night, when a conspiracy of forces—human and other—stole it all away in a flurry of blood and murder.

Today she is Widdershins, a thief making her way through Davillon’s underbelly with a sharp blade, a sharper wit, and the mystical aid of Olgun, a foreign god with no other worshippers but Widdershins herself. It’s not a great life, certainly nothing compared to the one she once had, but it’s hers.

But now, in the midst of Davillon’s political turmoil, an array of hands are once again rising up against her, prepared to tear down all that she’s built. The City Guard wants her in prison. Members of her own Guild want her dead. And something horrid, something dark, something ancient is reaching out for her, a past that refuses to let her go. Widdershins and Olgun are going to find answers, and justice, for what happened to her—but only if those who almost destroyed her in those years gone by don’t finish the job first.

My Thoughts:
‘Thief’s Covenant’ was one of those books that it took me a little while to get into. The pacing was a bit slow to start with, and I found it difficult to adjust to the narration which flips back and forth being different time settings (such as “Now”, “Four Years Ago”, “Eight Years Ago”, etc.). However once the main story had been set up, and once I was used to the writing style, I was definitely hooked.

I loved how impish Adrienne/Widdershins was, despite her having been through so much. I also loved her back and forth banter with Olgun. At first it was strange to read about, but I grew to really enjoy how Olgun was a consistent presence. It felt like such a unique concept to have a god as a real part of a character, one who aided Widdershins while also depending on her.

What I appreciated most about this book is that the setting felt real. You could actually believe in this world with its religion and mythology, because there was so much depth to it. The only thing that could’ve made the book better in this regard is a map. Maps in fantasy books are almost a given, so it was too bad that there wasn’t one here; I would’ve enjoyed seeing the different locations in relation to one another. Another addition that would’ve benefitted the book is a glossy of characters. There were so many characters in ‘Thief’s Covenant’ that they were hard to keep track of. Each of them played an interesting and integral part of the story, but I kept getting frustrated when I couldn’t remember their exact role.

Despite these small reservations I truly enjoyed this book. The mystery was interesting, and I’m quite smitten with Widdershins. I loved how she was an incredibly tough character who also had a great personality. I definitely can’t wait to see what adventure awaits her in ‘False Covenant.’

The Cover:
I like it! It's tough to make illustration look more YA and edgy, and this really succeeds.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.