Review: Countdown by Michelle Rowen

Countdown
by Michelle Rowen
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 24th 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780373210909
Genre: Young Adult / Dystopia
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape.

GAME 0VER.  (Goodreads)

I was super excited to get my hands on Countdown, as I’m really enjoying dystopia novels at the moment, and the book sounded great! This book definitely did not disappoint!

Countdown is a super-secret reality TV show where contestants race the countdown in order to win the game and stay alive. The secret part of this show is that it is viewed by a very select audience of people, people that enjoy the brutality that comes with this dangerous game. There are only two options for the game; you win and choose whatever you want for your prize, or you lose and then you die.

The main characters in this story were so awesome. Kira had been on her own for the past two years, after her family was brutally murdered. So naturally, she trusted no one, which was totally understandable.  After waking to find herself alone in a dark room with the mysterious Rogan, she has to learn to trust him in order to stay alive. I really enjoyed watching these two characters learn to trust each other, not an easy feat considering both of their mysterious pasts. Both of these characters were strong willed and determined to survive and win the game. 

This book definitely starts off with a bang. It’s full of action and is extremely fast paced. It has been a long time since a book has kept me on the edge of my seat the way Countdown did. I thought the storyline was very creative as well, and even realistic. This is something that I could see happening in our world, and it would definitely not be something pleasant to watch.

Overall, I enjoyed this book SO much! I would absolutely love to see a sequel for this book so that I could see what exactly happens to Kira and Rogan in their new lives.  If you enjoy dystopian type books, this book will definitely be right up your alley. Check it out!

Happy Reading!

Review: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Where the Stars Still Shine
by Trish Doller
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 24th 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781619631441
Genre: Young Adult / Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true. (Goodreads)

Where the Stars Still Shine is the very first Trish Doller novel that I have read. I have heard nothing but good things about this author, so I was super excited to read this book. Let me just say that this book definitely did not disappoint.

** This book contains mature situations.

Seventeen year old Callie has not had a normal life. How much of a life can you have, living on the road, from one town to the next, with her mother? But all that changes one fateful night, when Callie discovers the truth about why they live the way that they live, and the family that she has never known.

Callie was such an interesting character. Yes, she is a teenager, and we see a lot of that through her. Sometimes she frustrated me to no end, not listening to rules that her father set for her and on a few occasions putting herself in danger. But despite that, and despite all that she had been through, she was a really good kid. You couldn’t help but feel for her situation. It was interesting following Callie through this book, and watching her find herself, and change into a completely different person than she was in the beginning of the book.

The love interest in the story is Alex, who is the town’s resident bad boy. Or so it seems. I actually really loved the relationship between Alex and Callie. He is exactly what she needed, even when no one else thought the same. They were absolutely perfect for each other. (Although, I wish they hadn’t started their relationship off the way they did.)

I loved almost all of the secondary characters in the book as well. Callie’s father, Greg, was such a wonderful dad to her. Even when he had no idea what he was doing, he was so great. As was his family, his great big Greek family. (I adore those types of families!)

The storyline is probably part of every parent’s worst nightmare, having a child taken from you, and not seeing them or knowing where they were for years and years. I can’t even imagine. While the kidnapping is what the story revolves around, except for some flashbacks, the story is written after she is returned to her father. There will be many times that the story is absolutely going to break your heart, or at least it did for me. I felt like I had closure at the end of the book, even though I am super curious to see what’s next for Callie and Alex and the rest of the characters I’ve grown to love in this book. If there was ever a sequel written for this book, I would totally buy it.

Overall, this was my first read by Trish Doller, but it definitely won’t be my last! I seriously flew through these pages in no time at all. If you enjoy Young Adult Contemporary books, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #119 - Sisters' Fate by Jessica Spotswood

Sisters' Fate
(The Cahill Witch Chronicles #3)
by Jessica Spotswood
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: April 14th 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England.

To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment. (Goodreads)

I absolutely adored the first book in this series!
It was so amazingly good!
I still need to get caught up with the second book.
I discovered this cover recently for the third book, and I fell in love with it!
So pretty.
I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

What are you Waiting on this week??
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall 2013 TBR List

September 17:
Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

Allegiant - Veronica Roth
The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa
All Our Yesterdays - Cristin Terrill
Crash Into You - Katie McGarrey

The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater
Teardrop - Lauren Kate
Antigoddess - Kendare Blake
Not A Drop To Drink - Mindy McGinnis

3:59 - Gretchen McNeil
Perfect Ruin - Lauren DeStefano


Here is my list of books I am looking forward to reading this fall!
A few I have already read The Dream Thieves & The Iron Traitor,

and really enjoyed the both.

I can't wait to read the rest of the books on the list!

What's on your Top Ten list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: January 10th 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 313
ISBN: 9780525478812
Genre: Young Adult / Contemporary
Source: Own / Gifted

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love. (Goodreads)

The Fault in Our Stars is my very first John Green read. My fellow blogging buddy, Petra at Safari Poet sent it to me last year, and for some crazy reason, I put off reading it until recently. WHY did I do this??? Beats me! This was a wonderful read, and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

Hazel was such a wonderful, witty, snarky character.  Augustus was so very sweet and thoughtful, not your average young man.  Their situations made them so much more mature than the average teenager. I cannot even imagine going through what these two characters went through. They made the most of the life they were given, even when death was staring them in the face. “That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. "It demands to be felt”.  And felt it we did. Through the pages of the book, through the actions of the characters, all of the pain was there for us to feel. Not only through the main characters, but I felt it through the secondary characters as well.

But with the bad, we also got the good. The relationship between the characters was built on sarcasm and humor. What better way to start a relationship, yes? You would think that just by reading the summary of this book that the whole book would be super sad, but it wasn’t all sad. There were moments between the characters that made me laugh and sigh, snicker and full out giggle. I love a book that can make me feel such a wide range of emotions.

I want to say, I am super glad that both Hazel and Augustus both had a really great set of parents behind them. Yes, they were typical teens and treated their parents likewise for the most part, but I’m glad that the parents never gave up on the kids. I love books that have amazing parental support.

Overall; this book definitely brought on the feels, and I loved every minute of it. I’m both dreading and excited to see the movie next year. It should be interesting to watch. And this definitely will not be my last John Green book!  Okay? Okay.

Happy Reading!

**Thank you SO much, Petra, for sharing this book with me!!

Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dream Thieves
(The Raven Cycle #2)
by Maggie Stiefvater
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 17th 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780545424943
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after... (Goodreads)

Last year, I had the pleasure to read The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. So, of course, I jumped on the opportunity to review the much anticipated sequel, The Dream Thieves. The book definitely did not disappoint.

The Dream Thieves pick up right where The Raven Boys leaves off. Blue, and her Raven Boys, Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah still on the hunt for Glendower, but life is throwing difficult obstacles in their paths.  Ronan’s character grew the most through the book, I believe. We watch as he discovers strengths and talents that he didn’t know he possessed. I was a bit scared for him at times. Adam seems to be having the toughest time of the boys. After what he went through in the previous book, he seems to be letting anger run his life. I absolutely love the relationship between Gansey and Blue. Without giving much away, let’s just say there is a really intense moment between the two, and it was well worth the wait.  Noah is pretty much just Noah, and I love him for it.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters in the book. Blue has an amazing houseful of women that she lives with, even when they get on her nerves more often than not. It’s a great support system to have. A new character in the book is the ever mysterious Mr. Grey. He really took me by surprised, and ended up being a character that I really enjoyed.  All of these characters blended so well with the main characters to make the book an amazing character driven novel.

The storyline for the book was fantastic, and even educational. I had no idea that the story of Glendown was true until recently, and I’ve found it quite fascinating. The book is told through multiple viewpoints, and I love that we get to see little peaks into everyone’s mind, even Mr. Grey.

Overall, this was a really hard review to write without giving something away!  Let’s just say, if you enjoyed reading The Raven Boys, you will definitely enjoy this book.  If you haven’t read The Raven Boys yet, you definitely need to check the series out!

Happy Reading!


Books in this Series:



The Raven Boys | The Dream Thieves

Waiting on Wednesday #118 - Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle
(Book #1)
by Rachel Hawkins
Author Website | Twitter

Publication Date: April 8th 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Available for Pre-order:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more. (Goodreads)

Soooo...

I was looking at all my favorite reads this week,
and was remembering just how much I loved the Hex Hall series.

(Soooo good.)

Then I remember this beauty would be coming out soon,
and that I hadn't picked it as a WoW pick before!

So here it is.
I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

What are you Waiting for this week?
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

September 10: Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show
(set in a perfect world...in which movies don't butcher the books we love.)

Delirium - Lauren Oliver
The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi
The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater
Walking Disaster - Jamie McGuire
Easy - Tammara Webber

This Song Will Save Your Life - Leila Sales
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins


This is my list just of a few books I would love to see made into a movie/show.
However, there are SOOOOO many more books that I could have listed.
Seriously, so many awesome books. :)

What's on your Top Ten list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

Review: Bang by Lisa McMann

Bang
(Visions #2)
by Lisa McMann
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 8th 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 256
ISBN: 9781442466258
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Edelweiss / Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Jules should be happy. She saved a lot of people’s lives and she’s finally with Sawyer, pretty much the guy of her dreams. But the nightmare’s not over, because she somehow managed to pass the psycho vision stuff to Sawyer. Excellent.

Feeling responsible for what he’s going through and knowing that people’s lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer’s vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there’s a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang.

Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can’t prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties… (Goodreads)

Can I start off this review by saying just how much I love Lisa McMann? Seriously, the woman has some awesome writing skills! Moving on… I started reading Bang just as soon as I finished Crash. I was so engrossed in the first book that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book to see what was going to happen next. McMann definitely did not disappoint, AGAIN, with this sequel.

This may contain spoilers from the first book. Please proceed with caution!

Bang picks up just a few days after Crash left off. Jules is recovering from her visions and the wreck that left her pretty banged up in the last book. Now Sawyer is the one seeing the nightmarish visions; visions that happen to be SO much worse than the ones Jules had experienced. Poor Sawyer, it seemed liked the visions were even worse for him than they had been for Jules, or maybe he just experienced them differently. Either way, it was painful to experience through him! I just wanted to know what was going on.  I absolutely love Jules and Sawyer together. They are such a great couple. I loved how Jules helped Sawyer through his visions, even though at times she felt completely helpless, which was totally understandable. Their relationship really was super sweet!

As I mentioned in my review for the last book, I really love Jules’ siblings, Trey and Rowan. I love siblings that have such strong relationships. While I loved her siblings, her parents still left me a bit confused. I wonder if we will ever know what exactly is going on with Jules’ dad. I’m curious!

The book definitely leaves you guessing on what’s going to happen and where for that matter. The book builds and builds up to the moment that you’ve been guessing about since the beginning, the plot twist definitely surprised me. I LOVE when that happens; it keeps me engrossed in the book. The ending of the book came together really nicely, with no cliffhanger ending. I am hearing that there will be a third book in the series, and I really hope that there will be. I would love to get to ‘meet’ these characters again.

Overall—If you haven’t read this series yet, you totally should. It’s SO worth the read. All of McMann’s books are worth the read. Check them out today!

Happy Reading!


Books in this Series:



Crash  |   Bang

Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

This Song Will Save Your Life
by Leila Sales
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 17th 2013
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9780374351380
Genre: Young Adult / Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together. (Goodreads)

This Song Will Save Your Life is the perfect read for anyone that never really felt like they fit in before. Elise has done everything just to try to fit in, but sadly, never has. That is until she meets Vicky and Pippa outside of an abandoned warehouse one lonely night. With the help of her new friends, and from a mysterious DJ named Char, Elise will discover that her life is not exactly what she thought it was.

The main character in the story, Elise, was a lot like me when I was a teenager. With the exception being that I did have a few choice friends and I really didn’t care what people thought of me, but I could totally relate to her feelings of never quite fitting in. Elise wants people to like her more than anything. To be honest, I had a hard time seeing how someone like her couldn’t have friends. I thought she was amazingly sarcastic and funny at times, but those are the types of people that I seem to be drawn towards. This girl, I felt so incredibly sad for this girl and what she had to go through. The author did a really great job of describing the emotions that Elise was feeling. I definitely felt her pain.

The most relatable thing between Elise and myself would have to be the music. I love music. It has gotten me through some pretty rough times in my life. Most times, my I put my headphones on and tune out the world. So I can’t definitely relate to that aspect of the book. Music is an amazing and powerful outlet; I wish more people would take advantage of it. I love that we get to see Elise find herself through the music, and she grows and blossoms from the amazing talent that she discovers.

I really enjoyed the characters in the book, and I think the author did a really great job of making them all very realistic. Everyone had their own problems, and I feel like their stories really helped Elise with her own issues, and showed her that people aren’t always what they seem.  I really liked Vicky the most. If Elise had not had Vicky cheering her on, I think she might have given up a lot sooner. But Vicky proved to be a really great friend, and that is exactly what Elise needed.

I really enjoy reading contemporary novels, and this book was definitely thought provoking. I started the book knowing that I would probably really like it, especially because of the music aspects of the book, and I found it to be a very enjoyable read. It’s definitely a book that I would love to share with my teenage daughters. I think they may be able to find parts of the book that they can relate to, just as I did. I think that maybe everyone will be able to find something relatable about the book.

Happy Reading!