FAR FROM YOU by Lisa Schroeder

The Blurb

Lost and alone...Down the rabbit hole.

Alice thought she knew 
what solitude was: 
Her mother—gone. 
Her father—remarried with a newborn 
daughter.

Now... 
Trapped 
in the icy embrace 
of a deadly snowstorm, 
Alice faces the true meaning of loneliness.

But hope 
may not be as far away 
as she thinks....

The Afterglow

This book is pure genius! If you’ve never read a *verse novel before you must give it a try. Because the language is so sparse every word must be perfect—and they were. I love the way Lisa Schroeder broke up her sentences and chapters. She made the pacing superb.

I instantly connected to Alice and felt her every pain and joy. I wept through the entire second half I was so moved. I must get my hands on another Lisa Schroeder book soon! I’m a true fan :)

-Angie Cothran

*A verse novel is a novel written through the medium of poetry rather than prose.

POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil

The blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.


The afterglow:

Honestly, I didn't know what I was going to think of this book. From everything I'd heard, it was written very well, but it just didn't quite sound like something I would enjoy. But my online book group (YA Today on goodreads, they're awesome!) decided they wanted to read this spooky book for October, so I gave it a go.

It was so not what I was expecting. Even though there were plenty of scenes that made me jump, I was still able to sleep last night because of the humor she included. The characters were believable, and all unique--I especially liked Hector, who I hope we see more of if there's a sequel (I hope there's a sequel)!

And here's the gold: Gretchen McNeil did her research. It's true that I am not a member of the Catholic Church, but from reading others reviews and just from the consistency in the book, it's obvious that she put a lot of hard work into making sure she was accurate. I admire that so much and it made the story so much more enjoyable to read.

There was a little too much language for me at some points, and some of the adults acted too young for their age, but I've been seeing both a lot in YA nowadays. If you're looking for a thrilling read for Halloween, or any other time of the year, pick this book up! I couldn't put it down!

♥tg

SHATTERED DREAMS by Ellie James

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.

*

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

There is so much to love about SHATTERED DREAMS. First, the setting: New Orleans is so vivid in this story, you can practically smell it. And I was fascinated by the post-Katrina images the author gave us. I also loved the concept of a girl who sees visions of people's deaths before they die. Others have complained that this idea is not original.

Most ideas are not original. Find me a completely original plot ANYWHERE, and I'll buy you a Coke.

I enjoyed the author's take on this concept of foresight. It occurs in a teen girl, Trinity, who has always been told that her gift is a curse--and that's on the rare occasion she's told anything at all. Her grandmother, who has recently died, never told her anything about her parents. Not even how they died. She refused to discuss Trinity's visions and treated her ability as something dangerous rather than something to be explored.

Now, there were a few things I didn't completely adore. The dialogue didn't always seem "teen" to me; Chase, the love interest, was not attractive to me; a few scenes were a bit too unbelievable and I just didn't buy them. Also I would prefer a bit more punch at the end--it fell a little flat for me.

BUT. Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I looked forward to reading it every night and was excited to see how it would end. I do think a lot of people would enjoy this book; I know I did. It's a fascinating story and a quick, fun, mysterious read.

This book releases in December!

UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand

The Blurb:
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

The Afterglow:
So, seriously, I finished this book a few minutes ago. And then I googled Cynthia Hand to find out when the next one comes out. (January 2012). I've never read an Angel book before. But this had such a great mix of contemporary romance and paranormal coolness...I loved everything about it. The boys are real. Clara's angst and confusion feels real too--even though it's totally annoying (in an adorable girl-next-door sort of way) that she's so angelic-ly perfect and doesn't have a clue. And there's even a little twist at the end that makes you scream--I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL JANUARY TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!

DESTINED by Jessie Harrell

It's been a bit since I've stopped in and shared a book that's captivated me from beginning to end. I suppose it's because it's been awhile since I've been captivated. However, I just finished the novel that still has me romanced and I knew immediately it had to be shared!

Blurb:

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

The Afterglow:

Jessie Harrell's debut novel was FABULOUS. It won't matter if you know Greek Mythology or not this tale of romance will sweep you off your feet. The retelling of Cupid & Psyche is heartwarming and filled with the inability to put it down the minute you start it.

Psyche is far from ordinary, if a princess isn't enough from the get go she's visited by none other than Aphrodite herself. Given the opportunity to be the daughter of Aphrodite, a very special honor, Psyche isn't ready for all the fame that comes with it... or the rules. She breaks the only rule that Aphrodite had for her when Ero's, Aphrodite's son is the one Psyche must marry. Manners is the last thing he possesses leaving Psyche wanting to be alone rather than spending even a day with him. Of course, as all stories go, disaster strikes, Aphrodite ALWAYS gets what she wants, and the two who don't expect to fall in love do.

Harrell is a mastermind in this tale as you get to enjoy both Ero's and Pysche's points of view. With each passing chapter the romance is even more captivating leaving you to curl up on the couch until it's finished and even then you'll wish it were longer.

I cannot wait to see what Harrell writes next.

Giveaway:

And because I loved it so much I've decided to giveaway a copy of this fabulous book!!! It's due out November 17th but you'll have a pre-ordered copy! This is open internationally, I don't care where you are, this book should be devoured! Just put your email in the comments and I'll choose a winner next week!