Blog Tour | Review & Giveaway: Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

Welcome to Reaping Me Softly Official Blog Tour hosted by AToMR Tours. Special thanks to the lovely author Kate Evangelista for letting me participate in this tour. Once again, I got the awesome opportunity to join. Thanks to ATOMR Tours for including me in the stop even in the last minute. Thanks to everyone of you for being here today and joining me in this tour stop. If you are all looking for a good read this Halloween Season, Reaping Me Softly, published by Omnific Publishing will be a perfect choice! It's available now, October 30th! 

About the Book:

REAPING ME SOFTLY by Kate Evangelista

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Published Date: October 30, 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

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Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

About the Author:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels. (Find her in the following sites: Website | Goodreads | Twitter)

MY REVIEW:

The first word that came to my mind when I first heard about this book was "reaper". I was intrigued and I was hoping that I'd be able to get a copy as soon as possible. This book did not disappoint. From the time I started to read it, I was hooked. It wasn't something I'd expected either and I appreciate a bit of surprise. I enjoyed it and I'm happy that I got the chance to be one of the first people to read this book.

Arianne can hear and see the ghosts of the dead eversince her traumatic experience inside the operating room. This wasn't fun at all and seeing them naked doesn't help either. Crushing on the gorgeous boy in school, Arianne doesn't know that Nikolas is a reaper of Georgia. Actually one of the best reapers Death has in his care and command. Learning about Nico and his world doesn't help things about her ill sister either. Not when Nico is the reaper assigned to reap her sister's soul when she die. 

Reaping Me Softly is a fast read that is exciting and gripping. A good start for an interesting paranormal romance series. The pacing is good, not boring and it doesn't drag. The characters, though I can't say that I loved then just the same as I loved Phoenix and the gang in Taste, Arianne and Nikolas are both likable enough. Plus, the story has some unexpected twists that made me appreciate it more. I can't say that it's particularly a unique story but this book is actually good, and I know that those of you who likes to read paranormal romance will likely enjoy this one too. I also liked the ending of this book because it didn't feel like I was left hanging. But there was a sudden turn of event that makes me anxious to see what will happen to the characters. I loved how the author pulled everything together to create such memorable ending. It was touching, heartbreaking yet beautiful. The next book will surely be something to look forward to.

THE GIVEAWAY (International):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's the list of the other blogs who are participating in the tour or you can also visit AToMR Tours.

Book Review: SHATTERED SOULS by Mary Lindsey

Shattered Souls (Souls #1)

Author: Mary Lindsey

Published: December 8th 2011

Publisher: Philomel/Penguin

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

My Thoughts:

Lenzi can hear and feel the ghosts. She's trying to avoid them to the point of taking medicines to stop the hissing. Her boyfriend has been supportive to her eversince but even him couldn't understand and help her. It seems that only Alden, the mysterious boy he first saw at the cemetery is the only one that can truly help her. This created complications and ended up in a not so pretty situation with her boyfriend.

This book had been on my shelf for quite a while now and I'm glad that I finally knocked it off my shelf. It wasn't a super enjoyable read for me but over all it's still good. I just had too much expectations from the book so I was a bit disappointed when I ended up not loving it much. But as I said, this book is enjoyable and still good. The only thing that was off for me is the heroine--Lenzi Rose. From the beginning Lenzi didn't feel like a strong character for me. It was a little disappointing that I can't get myself to like her as much as I want to. For a reader like me, it is a great deal to be able to find myself connecting with the main characters and in this book sadly, it wasn't the case. When I finally meet Alden, it wasn't the super thrilling, extra-exciting kind of moment either. He is hot. Gorgeous. I get that. But the moment when they first meet didn't do it for me. It was ok, but not the memorable kind of thing for me. While I read the book I was hoping that Lenzi will come out of her shell and be the tough heroine I'm waiting to see. Alden is hot enough so I just need the female protagonist to compliment Alden's strong points. It didn't happen in this book and that disappoint me a little. I guess that's my only problem about this book. Nevertheless, the plot is intriguing, the pacing is ok, the setting is good. I still enjoyed it and I still liked it. Not a favorite book of mine but good enough.

My Rating:

Book Review: GRAFFITI MOON by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon
Author: Cat Crowley
Published: August 1st 2010
Publisher: Pan McMillan Australia
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My Thoughts:

Mum says when wanting collides with getting, that's the moment of truth. I want to collide. I want to run right into Shadow and let the force spill our thoughts so we can pick each other up and pass each other back like piles of shiny stones.

There are books that are easy to read and love but very hard to rate. This book is one of those. It's the kind of book that I like to read again but not wanting to review. Not because it wasn't good, actually it's the opposite and I really enjoyed it. It's just hard to write your feelings about a book that is so full of emotions. Graffiti Moon isn't a perfect book. It doesn't have a perfect love story. It doesn't have a happily-ever-after just like in fairy tales but it doesn't have a sad ending either. This book made me hope for something good to happen, it made me look at the good things behind the bad, and the happy things behind the sad ones. So why is it hard to rate this book? Because even though it's a beautiful story, there are times that I wanted to skip some lines because I just wanted to know the next scene. The pacing isn't slow but maybe I was just too excited to see the what will happen next, I don't know. But why did I give it a 5? Simply because for me, this book doesn't deserve any less. I love the characters, I enjoyed the one-night setting of the story, I like how the complications gave thrill in the love story of Ed and Lucy. The supporting characters and the variation of their personalities even made this book a lot of fun to read. And though I find the place and the setting a little sad, it gives hope and dreams to the characters. This book isn't perfect, but it made me feel.

I guess love's kind of like a marshmallow in a microwave on high. After it explodes it's still a marshmallow. But, you know, now it's a complicated marshmallow.

Characters. I can't love a book if I hate the characters and I think that's one of the reason why I love Graffiti Moon. Meet Shadow and Poet. Think about these two boys--one painting graffiti arts around the city walls and the other writing poems about them. Their arts are one of the best in the city but no one knows their real names. Then there's Lucy who once broke a guy's nose because he grabbed her arse on their first date, a girl who doesn't date ever since, a girl who thinks she can only fall for a guy like Shadow--a guy who thinks art is cool. And then they meet and he's there right in front of her face. And sometimes you can't see what's in front of you when you're busy looking for something else. 

In the story, I also see true friendship. I see true friendships. I see real relationships. I think that made this book so appealing to me. There is no annoying character, and I really appreciate that. There are two lovers who can't seem to get rid of each other though one of them throw eggs to his girl's head, and the girl constantly calling him an idiot. There's Jazz, Lucy's psychic bestfriend who loves lollipops and fall for a guy who writes and recites poems and who can eat sausage rolls in 30 seconds. They are funny, smart, talented. They're so entertaining to read about.

If you treat glass right, it doesn't crack. If you know the properties, you can make things; the color of dusk and night and love. But you can't control people like that and I really, really wish you could. I want the world to be glass.

There is something in the story and the characters altogether that made this book whole. It's a remarkable story, a bittersweet romance, a compelling journey of two people (and some) towards something that is unknown yet hopeful at the same time. Graffiti Moon will be hard to forget and it will stay in my memory for a very long time. I love this book and I think art is cool.

“For a while, for as long as you're looking at it, that painting is the world and you get to be in it.”

My Rating:

Blog Tour | Book Review & Giveaway: BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS by P.T. Michelle

Welcome to the next stop in the Brightest Kind of Darkness Official Blog Tour! I welcome you to my site today as much as I am honored to be part of the awesome lineup of bloggers for this amazing tour. I want to thank my Starbooks friend Dani and RLR Tours for letting me become part of this tour. And thanks to the very talented author of Brightest Kind of Darkness and Lucid--Ms. P.T. Michelle.

As part of the tour, I did a book review of the first book in the series, plus there is a giveaway somewhere in this post. Be sure to enter. Good luck and enjoy!

Brightest Kind of Darkness (Brightest Kind of Darkness #1)

Author: P.T. Michelle

Published: June 27th 2011

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Summary:

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past. 

 Add to TBR 

Read an excerpt

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. All I know was that it is said to be good. Well... this book isn't just good. It's really good! The concept reminds me a bit about Final Destination since it deals with cheating death or fate. Have you seen the movies yet? Yeah? Well, I think this book is a bit similar to that, minus the gross and the super horrible deaths, and then add a big dose of romance. I know that lots of us are suckers for good love stories and this book has it! More than anything, Brightest Kind of Darkness deals with Fate with a capital F. It is a story about a girl named Inara who has this extraordinary gift of seeing her future through her dreams. But she sees only what will happen to her the next day after she dreamed of it. This actually gives advantage to her during exams and soccer games until she challenged fate and tried to change the outcome of one of her dreams. When she saw what would happen to her school when she dreamed about a bomb planted in one of the student's locker, she didn't hesitated to call 911 and report the attempted bombing. She knew that she has to do something about it to save the school and the students. But then, one attempt and everything changes. Still, Nara believes that she has this gift for a reason and so she tried to save everyone from those horrible things that were supposed to happen. Then she met Ethan and later she realized that her dreams began to disappear, and she suspects that maybe this mysterious loner has something to do with it.

Ethan. The swoon-worthy Ethan who--rumor says--was expelled from his last school by beating up a guy. But Nara strongly feels that Ethan is a good guy despite the bad rumors she heard at school. There is something about him and his past that he isn't telling anyone, and though Nara have doubts, she still feels that he's the only one she can trust. He's the only person who remained solid to her when her bestfriend couldn't even stand up for her. With their growing attraction to each other, their journey in defeating Fate begins and no one knows how things will end for both of them and for those people they mostly care about...

This book takes the reader to a journey that is both dark and thrilling. It kept me guessing the whole time! Sometimes it was frustrating when I cannot tell what's "really" happening, but then it's the reason why I was rooted in the first place. It made me even more excited to see what comes next and I found myself flipping the pages until I reached the end of the book. The mystery that surrounds Ethan is very suspenseful, and most of the times I just wanted to jump into the book and investigate it myself. The flow of the story is very well executed, and though I got irritated with Nara a lot, I'd say that the characters remained strong and effective thus making them likable. 

With it's gripping storyline, beautiful plot, and interesting characters, this is surely a great start for a remarkable series. It was an exciting read, something you shouldn't want to miss. 

My Rating:

And now for the GIVEAWAY, just enter in the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.T. Michelle’s Brightest Kind of Darkness

Tour Schedule

September 24th

Confessions of a Bookaholic – Review (Lucid)

Nothing Better Than a Book – Review (BKoD)

Jelly Loves Books – Review (BKoD)

Deea’s Journal – Review (Lucid)

Some Like it Paranormal – Featured Post (Random Trivia about the BKoD series)

Beauty & the Bookshelf – Excerpt

The Bookish Babe – Guest Post + Review (Lucid)

Better Read Than Dead – Review (BKoD)

Hope, Faith & Books – Review (BKoD)

I’m a Book Shark – Featured Post (All about Parkour)

September 25th

The Bookish Brunette – Featured Post (Ethan & Nara character interview)

A Buckeye Girl Reads – Review (BKoD)

I Read Indie – Review (Lucid)

Readers Live A Thousand Lives – Review (BKoD)

Vendea’s Dream World of Books – Review (BKoD)

Seeing Night Reviews – Review (Lucid)

Fictional Distraction – Review (Lucid)

Creative Reads – Review (BKoD)

K-Books – Review (Lucid)

A Book Vacation – Featured Post (Ravens)

Stories of My Life – Excerpt

Winter Haven Books - Review (Lucid)

September 26th

Mundie Moms – Review (BKoD)

I Heart YA Books – Review (Lucid)

Serenity’s Lovely Reads – Review (Lucid)

Book Nerd – Review (BKoD)

Simply Infatuated – Review (BKoD) + Excerpt

Books Over Boys – Featured Post (Playlist)

Step Into Fiction – Review (Lucid)

Nomalicious Reads – Review (Lucid)

Reader’s Antidote – Review (BKoD)

Primrose Musings – Featured Post (BKoD: The Movie)

Panda Reads – Review (BKoD)

September 27th

Kindle Fever – Review (Lucid)

Always YA at Heart – Review (Lucid)

A Dream Within A Dream – Review (BKoD & Lucid)

Rampant Readers – Review (BKoD)

Book Briefs – Featured Post (Top 10: Little known facts about Nara)

Michelle Chew Writes – Review (BKoD)

Into the Hall of Books – Review (Lucid)

Book Passion for Life – Excerpt

Rhi Reading – Featured Post (Building a World)

Shortie Says – Featured Post (How Dreams Can Inspire…)

Jean BookNerd – Review (Lucid)

September 28th

Refracted Light Book Reviews – Featured Post (The RL girls discuss Ethan & Drystan)

Once Upon a Twilight – Review (BKoD)

Vamps and Stuff – Review (BKoD)

Young Adult BookReviews – Review (Lucid)

Sparkles and Lightning – Review (Lucid)

Books With Bite – Featured Post (Top 10: Little known facts about Ethan)

Little Hyuts – Review (Lucid)

Books 4 Juliet – Review (BKoD)

Rants ‘N Scribbles – Review (BKoD)

The YA Sisterhood – Excerpt

Random Acts of Books – Review (BKoD)

Book Review: STAY WITH ME by Paul Griffin

Stay With Me
Author: Paul Griffin
Published: Dial
Publisher: September 8th 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

My Thoughts:

It happens all the time. And it does. Until it happens to you. Then it's something different all right, especially when you're left to wander the wreckage.

I thought that this book was going to be a depressing one... I just felt it and I thought that I wouldn't be able to finish it soon enough. I know that I wasn't in the mood for a lot of drama but there's something about this book that captured my interest and I didn't want to put it down.

The story is about a boy who has learning disabilities but is good-hearted and gifted. But there was something about him than just his reading problem... he heard hissing whenever he get mad or angry or feel bad, and sometimes it was difficult to control. Until he met his bestfriend's sister, Cece. They didn't plan to fall in love but it just happened and Cece is the only person who was able to calm Macky. But Macky did something that changes everything between them and forced them to acknowledge the fact that it is now impossible for the two of them to have a life together.

I think that the author developed the characters very well. They have depth, they have feelings, they have unique personalities that made each of them remarkable. You'll know by reading the book that these characters--major and minor ones--weren't created as a filler. They were there because they need to be there... to make the story complete, to create sense and meaning in the story. 

I'm so excited being alive, I can't  stop smiling... I'm lit up just like the sky. Lighting falls all across it like God brushed a wirehaired jackal and pulled the dross from the comb and just tossed it down on us. - Macky

Macky is a complicated character and reading his mind is sad and heartbreaking. He is kind, compassionate, humble, and good but the circumstances made it hard and unbearable for him. He isn't the strongest character out there, but he is one of the remarkable characters I've ever met. I wish that the circumstances were different for him so he can have a good future but life isn't like that for everyone. Though I couldn't say anything about Cece, since I didn't relate to her much, I think she was a nice character to read about and sometimes her thoughts were funny and entertaining that it made the book a bit lighter to read. But among all the characters, Anthony is the one I liked the most. He has so much faith in Macky and I think that he could never be a much better friend than what he already is.

I think this'll be a defining moment for you. You just have to go through it, kid. When you're ready to stop hurting, you'll move on. But that won't change the fact that you'll always have a part of him with you... It's okay to keep loving him... it's never easy, but it's always great. - Anthony

The story seemed to be progressing really well until I reached the middle part of the book. The story began to pace real slow for me and I wondered where the story was heading. I skipped a few words, even lines, just to hurry up my reading. It's a little frustrating but I still wanted to continue and see how it will end. By the time I reached the ending, I was left open-mouthed. The ending just didn't do it for me and I was left hanging. I don't know if there's even a future for Cece and Mack to be together and it just broke my heart. I guess it just showed that life isn't always a happy ending, and life doesn't always work out as we planned. But no matter how I try to accept it, I still felt heartbroken.

I also think that this book will appeal better on readers who love, love dogs. In my opinion, this book focused a little too much on them, not that I didn't liked it, but it overpowered the story especially the romance flavor. Maybe that's the reason why I was left unsatisfied. Don't get me wrong cos I also love dogs BUT I love a good romance too and I didn't get the happy ending I wanted. I didn't mean it to be a bad thing and it was wonderful to see how they were given so much credit in the story. I just want a happy ending, that's all.

Well, considering how this book made me feel, I'd say that even though there are parts that were slow and that the ending was a bit disappointing for me, I couldn't say that this book isn't good and not worthy of my time. Because honestly, even after days of finishing the book, I still think about it and the characters, wondering the could-have-beens, their present that they have to deal with and the future that awaits them. It made me think about people and how our relationships with our friends and families can make us or even break us. It is touching, sad, bittersweet, and very realistic. Give this book a chance, you might really enjoy it.

My Rating:

Book Review: POINT OF RETREAT by Colleen Hoover

Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: February 25th 2012
Edition: Kindle Format
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

When I look at the page in front of my eyes,  I still can't see anything, just white. The page is blank. I hope I'll find a way, to write what I needed to say. Well, duh, I'll write anyway... Maybe you'll understand and get what I really intend to convey.
If you haven't read Slammed, I urge you to do so. Please read my review, and comment if you want to. Now, I will write about Point of Retreat It's better than Slammed,  I''m sure, you won't be tricked. It's touching,
much emotional than Slammed.
It's an amazing book,
I want a third one!  * * * * * My Thoughts:

Love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Unfortunately, it's also one of the hardest in the world to hold on to, one of the easiest things to throw away.

Slammed is one of the best contemporaries that I read this year and Point of Retreat is much better! I didn't expect to love Point of Retreat more than Slammed, but reading what's on Will's mind was so much better than reading Lake's. 

And that's when it happens...my whole world comes crashing down on me...
Lake looks into my eyes and I see it...I see her heart breaking.

Point of Retreat is more emotional and heartbreaking than the first book. Lake's mom died almost a year ago, and no one better understands Lake more than Will, now that they both lost their parents and left with their brothers to take care of. Their lives should have been less difficult now that their together, but things doesn't go that way. Sometimes what binds two people is the same thing that might tear them apart. And there goes this saying:

In this book, I got to see Will and understand him and love him even more. The storyline is really good, and you won't be able to put this down. It was very engaging, very entertaining. I felt several emotions while reading this book and I'm telling you that it's all worth it. I love how the story was told and I loved how the characters matured and developed. I love the amazing characters and I can only imagine how fun and exciting to have those kind of people around. The author did a great job creating wonderful characters that are so real and very inspiring.

I don't know what else to say, except that I totally loved it and I highly recommend it! It's emotionally gripping, achingly beautiful and surprisingly sweet story. This book is made up of well-blended emotions that will surely give you a delightfully roller-coaster ride kind of feeling. It's a remarkable book and it's butterflying amazing.

If you enjoy contemporary books that is so entertaining, emotional but with funny moments too, sad but hopeful at the same time, adorable, amazing characters, and with just the right amount of swoon, Point of Retreat will be a great pick! Read Slammed first then grab this book immediately afterwards.  I totally loved this series. You won't be disappointed.

My Rating:

Book Review: LEGEND by Marie Lu

Legend (Legend #1)
Author: Marie Lu
Published: November 29th 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Summary | Add to TBR

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

My Thoughts:

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I do now. I'm not a fast reader and with lots of house chores to do, reading has been scarce lately. But Legend is unputdownable. I was rooted in my bed from the first time I open the book up to the end. It was really good.

I take a closer look at Kaede's new opponent...
For a second it seems like the crowd's attention has made her uncomfortable and I'm ready to dismiss her as a real contender until I study her again. No, this girl is nothing like the last one. She's hesitating not because she's afraid to fight, or because she fears losing, but because she's thinking. Calculating. She has a dark hair tied back in a high ponytail and a lean, athletic build. She stands deliberately, with a hand resting on her hip, as if nothing in the world can catch her off guard. I find myself pausing to admire her face.
For a brief moment, I'm lost to my surroundings...

...the instant the new girl steps into the circle and I see her stance...I know I've made a big mistake. Kaede strikes like a bull, a battering ram.
This girl strikes like a viper. -Day

June is the golden prodigy of the Republic. She got the best of genes and is destined for a bright future. She's the only person who got the perfect score in the Trial, and she's been recognized at such a young age, making her the youngest yet the best soldier in the military. Until her brother, Captain Metias died and Day became the suspect. Day is the country's most wanted criminal. And June will do everything to hunt him down and avenge her brother's death.

I think that June and Day are two of the smartest, fastest, strongest, and most brilliant characters I've ever met. And they are probably the most perceptive, intuitive of all. When something arise, they easily figure it out. Most importantly, they can immediately figure out each other. I hope that it will continue up to the next book. They somehow remind me of Tris and Four of Divergent. Brilliant and totally kick-ass. And behind those tough personalities are good hearts. These characters are driven by their fears and heartaches in the past. They were crashed but they remain whole in a world where survival is vital and only possible for the fittest. I loved those characters that exudes such great personalities. I want to see them in the big screen. This book deserves it!

Then there's a voice telling me to get up. When I look to my side, I see a boy holding out his hand to me. He has bright blue eyes, dirt on his face, and a beat-up old cap on, and at this moment, I think he might be the most beautiful boy I've ever seen.
"Come on," he urges. I take his hand.

He doesn't act like a desperate street kid. He has so many more sides to him that I wonder if he has always lived in these poor sectors. He glances at me now, notices me studying him, and pauses for a second. Some secret emotion darts across his eyes. A beautiful mystery. -June

I'd say that my most favorite part in the story is when Day first laid his eyes on June at the Skiz. It was remarkable. I loved how Day described June when he saw her, the same way I loved how June thought about Day when he first offered her his hand. I knew that the romance will blossom eventually, and I've been so ecstatic to see how everything will play out for two people who are enemies and bound by duty and responsibility--one for the Republic, the other one for his family.

I am a huge fan of dystopian novels blended with good romance and brilliantly developed characters, and Legend has both. The story is compelling, gripping and totally intense. It's a kind of book that you don't want to put down once you started reading it. The story is fast-paced and the world building is very well crafted. I cannot ask for more in this book. It has the right amount of action, suspense, romance, and drama that makes it a very satisfying read. Aside from that, I loved how the story were told from two different POVs. If you have the paperback or the hardback copy of the book, you'll see that Day's POV was written using a different color of ink, and with different font. This made the book more fun and easier to read. I got even more excited every time the POV changed.

Legend had everything I want in a dystopian book. The story is impressive and I really enjoyed it. It reminds me why I like dystopian novels so much. It's a fast read, intense, highly engaging, emotionally gripping, and a total page-turner! If you are a huge fan of dystopian novels like me, you'll surely don't want to miss it. I highly recommend Legend. It's a powerful story. It deserves a place on my bookshelf, and I'm sure it'll be a great addition to your bookshelf too. It's a must read!

My Rating:

P.S. Did I mention that I grabbed the audiobook version after I finished this book? It is that good.

P.S.S. Check Ms. Marie Lu's website and you'll find some pretty interesting stuff out there. Go check out her blog and media :) I find some sketches and art made by the author herself. There are games, teasers/trailers that you might find very enjoying. Don't forget to check out het awesome site.

Marie Lu's Official Website | Blog | Media

Book Review: SLAMMED by Colleen Hoover

Slammed (Slammed #1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: January 5th 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart. 

My Thoughts:

I hope Ms. Colleen Hoover won't mind if she see my failed attempt to review her amazing book with a...well...a slam. And please, don't tell me my score. And don't laugh. Besides, the book says:

The points are not the point. The point is poetry. -Allan Wolfe

So without further ado, here's my review entitled "Get Slammed".
Days or weeks ago, my friends recommended a book.
They said it's amazing, so I wanted to read it too.

It took me a moment or so to open Goodreads, 

Minutes to read the reviews.

Then I marked it to-read,

in my wishlist, 2012 release.

I read it in a day and a night to be exact.

It pulled me hard, I think I got Slammed.

This book made me think and care more about my family.

Think and care more about my friends.

Think and care more about death, but most of all about life.

About love.

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the amazing characters that rocked me.

For Lake...

For Kel and Caulder...

For Eddie and Gavin…

For Julia…

Most of all, for Will…

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the beautiful writing--

that made me laugh,

that made me giggle,

that made me smile,

that made me swoon,

that made me ache,

that made me hope,

that made me understand,

that made me feel.

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the beautiful plot and setting--
tragic, 

complicated, 

sometimes sad, 

sometimes happy, 

but achingly real.

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the beautiful story--

blended with amazing poetry,

laughter-inducing dialogues,

weird but amazing true friends,

smart and funny nine-year olds,

great and fantastic mom,

and two hearts trying to find their chance at love.

Most of all,
5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the romance.
Though it felt a bit too-soon for Lake and Will to fall in love,
I don't think it lessen the thrill or the excitement of the ride.
I think...maybe...probably...
there's magic in what we call love at first sight.

Slammed is funny and sad, and witty and emotional, all at the same time.

I recommend this book. 

I recommend Colleen Hoover. 

You may or may not read Slammed, 

But here's something to ponder about even if you decide not to read it,
though I still hope that you will.
'Cos when you read Slammed, you'll see that it isn't good to "carve the pumpkins".
And it's fun and easy to just try slamming.

From Slammed:

Find a balance between head and heart.

Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for.

Always remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.

Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it.

And laugh a lot.

Never judge others.

Question everything. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers.

Be accepting of everything. People's differences, people's similarities, their choices, their personalities. Sometimes it takes a variety to make a good collection.

Choose your battles, but don't choose very many.

Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in.

Never regret.

Days or weeks ago, my friends recommended a book.

They said it's amazing, so I wanted to read it too.

It took me a moment or so to open Goodreads, 

Minutes to read the reviews.

Then I marked it to-read,

in my wishlist, 2012 release.

I read it in a day and a night to be exact.

It pulled me hard, I think I got Slammed.

My Rating:

Book Review: FLAT-OUT LOVE by Jessica Park

Flat-Out Love

Author: Jessica Parker

Published: April 11th 2011

Format: Kindle Edition

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR | Get it here!

Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance.

Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Flat-Out Love comes complete with emails, Facebook status updates, and instant messages.

My Thoughts:

This review will be short. Simply because I won't be able to tell everything without giving away too much. I don't want to spoil the book for you just in case you decided to read it. 

I loved Flat-Out Love. I love Matt. I love Finn. I love Julie. I love Celeste. I absolutely enjoyed reading about these fantastic characters--from the Watkins family to Julie. Every character is something, and it's a book that I want to read again. And again. And again.

Flat-Out Love is one of the best contemporary books I've ever read. The reviews didn't let me down! Now I understand why there are so many readers who loved this book. And I mean *love* this book.

"We move to the edge of the plane again and pause. You cross your arms over your chest and lean your head back into me like I told you. I start to rock us back and forth, getting us ready to jump. And then we go."

The Watkins family is, well, kind of different. Something is off, and Julie is determined to find out what it is--the reason why Celeste is carrying a life-size cardboard cut-out of Finn, and why Matt is overly protective of her. The secret of Erin's family is so intriguing that it didn't let me put the book even when I knew that I badly needed sleep. Even though I have things figured out, I was still so anxiously flipping the page...after page...after page. I want to see how everything played out and it end up beautifully. The story is absolutely stunning, it's nothing like I've read before. The romance... Oh the romance! That's the very best thing I enjoyed about this book. I just loved how everything has been executed. I loved the Facebook statuses, I loved the instant messages between Finn and Julie. It was so entertaining, I was drawn in. I giggled a lot, a smiled hugely, I laughed out loud. It kept me awake until past three in the morning and I didn't regret it. I finished it in one day!

"I reach between us and release the buckles that holding us together. This is when I really panic. The ride up in the plane didn't scare me. Or the height, or the jump, or the noise. None of that scared me. Right now, only one thing does.
I'm terrified that when I undo that buckle and release you, that you'll get up and walk away from me. I can't think of anything more excruciating."

Beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking, and overall captivating. With a dysfunctional family to live with, problems and issues to deal with, and a blossoming romance with an emotionally-available-yet-geographically-unavailable guy, Flat-Out Love will steal your heart in all the right places. I highly recommend this book. Read it. Please *wink*.

"Then I ask you to ignore everything you think you know and to listen only to your heart, without doubting anything. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can."

"Then I kiss you, and I make you feel everything that I feel."

My Rating:

Blog Tour | Review and Giveaway: SILENT SONG by Ron C. Nieto

Welcome to the Silent Song Book Blog Tour! I am pleased and honored to be a part of this blog tour. Silent Song has been released and you can grab your own copy now. But if you are lucky, you can win one of the TWELVE (12) e-books that will be given away in the tour. Or if you are luckier, you can even win a SIGNED PRINT COPY of the book! Awesome right? Be sure to check out all the other participating blogs. I also wanna take this opportunity to thank the author herself, Ms. Ron C. Nieto :) and to Ms. Julie @ A Tale Of Many Reviews for making me a part of this tour. Thank you!

As part of the tour, I had the opportunity to read the book in advance. And I'd say that it's totally worth my time. If you enjoy love stories blended with mystery and paranormal stuff, then you must check this out. Please take a look at my review of Silent Song:

SILENT SONG 

by Ron C. Nieto

July 1, 2012

YA Paranormal Romance

Book description | Add to TBR

The princess of the school, Alice, is keeping a secret that could strip her of her high school fame. She is obsessed with the school’s outcast, Keith, but not just him – his music. 

Since the inspiration for the song hit, Keith can’t get it out of his mind. The song must be played; it demands to be played. He knows the music is changing him, but he is unable to stop it. 

Music has the ability to move you, enlighten you, and take you to places you have never dreamed of. And this particular piece? It has a life of its own and makes you forget who you really are. 

As Keith and Alice learn of one another to the notes of that one perfect tune, they can overlook their roles and discover who they could be together. But they also discover someone else is listening and intends on keeping Keith to herself, possibly for an eternity.

My Thoughts:

"I know you're not faking it when you're with me. And that's enough for me, for as long as it lasts." - Keith

I love Keith.

I know that this isn't a proper way to start a review, but...
Okay, well...
Let me start again...

I love Keith.

The time I started this book, I didn't know what to expect. But the first line already got me: Don't look back. Though the first few pages was a bit confusing since I don't have any idea where the story will lead me, it was no doubt an interesting story. It was a surprise to read a book like this, something I haven't encountered in a very long time.

Alice isn't the usual heroine we read in books. She's not the simple-and-just-your-average kind of girl and certainly not a girl-next-door either. Actually, she's considered as the bitch princess in school. And Keith, well, he is the goth-looking guy with long dark hair dyed with silver streaks and nails painted with black nail polish. He's the school's social outcast. He's probably not your typical guy who will sweep you off your feet on the first day of meeting. But lo and behold, this guy is totally someone you will root for. He's caring, kind, a skinny guy with a big, whole heart. I'm not much into goth boys, but Ron nailed it for me. He made me care for him so much and throughout the book I wish nothing for him but see him loved and happy. I want everyone to see how beautiful Keith is. And surely, this book didn't disappoint me. I think there is no other thing that could capture my heart most than the characters in the story. And Silent Song gave me those characters that I'm happy to root for. It's amazing how they were crafted and made vulnerable but exudes strong personalities. Alice and Keith made a great tandem.

I'd always written off the perfect moments and the love at first sight and the alignment of the stars when finally together, assuming it to be the product of the overactive imagination of writers, hip rock stars, and whatever else.
Right then, in Keith's arms?
It made sense.

Don't you love a beautifully written book? I do. Ron's writing is beautiful and touching. Music is a big part of the story and the way the music was described--intricate, detailed-- there is no doubt that the author knows her craft. It's as if you were there, listening to the music as it was being played... By the way she'd written it, she made the story come to life.

Silent Song is hauntingly, interestingly beautiful story of love and sacrifice. Those of you who appreciates music, romance and mystery, I recommend this book to you. Don't forget to pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed.

My Rating:

Buy the book:
Author's Store | Amazon.com | Kindle | Smashwords

Author's Bio:

Ron C. Nieto is a fantasy and romance author who has been writing in her secluded fortress for the longest time. Recently, she had a talk with her cat and decided that she should share her creations, because it was selfish to hoard them all for herself, and so Silent Song was born as her debut novel.

Author's Website | Twitter | Goodreads

If you want to win a copy of the book, here's the Rafflecopter for the Tour Giveaway. Open Internationally. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silent Song Blog Tour Schedule and List of Participating Blogs

Monday, July 2:
I solemly swear that I'm up to a book ~ Review & Excerpt
A Diary Of A Book Addict ~ Review
A Written Rhapsody ~ Music Related Guest Post
artsy musings of a bibliophile ~ Review
Love of Books ~ The Writer’s Cave Guest Post

Tuesday, July 3:
Nose In A Book ~ Review
Bending The Spine ~ Review
Ja čitam, a ti? (I'm a reader, what about you?) ~ Review

Wednesday, July 4:
Letters Inside Out ~ Review
A Three Way Tie ~ Character Interview with Alice
Books 4 Juliet ~ Review
The Reader Lines ~ Review
Book Haven Extraordinaire ~ Review & Character Interview with Keith
Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf ~ Author Interview

Thursday, July 5:
Book Briefs ~ Review
Just Another Rabid Reader ~ Review
Comfort Books ~ Review
Dreaming Dreams ~ Review & Music Playlist (if available from author)
Refracted Light | YA Book Reviews ~ Excerpt
Waiting on Sunday to Drown ~ Interview
The Autumn Review ~ Review

Friday, July 6:
FireStarBooks ~ Excerpt
Bookshelf Confessions ~ Excerpt
Reader Girls ~ Review & Excerpt
JennReneeRead ~ Review
Chocolate Coffee Books ~ Review
A Tale of Many Reviews ~ 6 Words for Silent Song

Book Review: FALLING UNDER by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under (Falling Under #1)

Author: Gwen Hayes

Publication Date: March 1st 2011

Publisher: New American Library
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

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.

My Thoughts:

If I only knew that I would enjoy this book this much, I would've read it sooner. Falling Under isn't just another Twilight look-a-like book, though there are lots of similarities when it comes to the story and plot. But I guess that's also another reason why I was so drawn to it. I've finished this book in less than two days. I couldn't put it down. It swallowed me whole! I liked the setting--mysterious, eerie, dangerous and beautiful at the same time. I read it non-stop even while on the road, surprised that I made it home without throwing up on the car's carpeted floor. Hubby must have realized how much I was glued to the book because he didn't try to talk to me while he's driving.

Empty of anything that defined as real.
That was how I felt sometimes. I existed in a world for show, not depth, not feeling.
And then along came Haden.

I loved Falling Under.

The pacing of the story is well-developed and it didn't give me any opportunity to bore myself. I enjoyed every minute reading this book and since I'm a sucker for for good romance story, this book didn't fail me at all. The minute I started reading the first page, I couldn't stop. A story that started with a  burning man who fell from the sky... that's intriguing. And as I continue to read, it held me... held me... until the last page. It's so good and I couldn't stop reading.

Why must everyone fall in order to love me? - Theia

The characters are likable, even Theia though she appeared to be weak and not-so-kickass kind of heroine. She's rich, beautiful, raised to be a proper and decent woman by her overly protective father. She felt like she's in a cage and I can almost feel her. She may not be one of the strongest heroine I know, but she learned to come out of her shell and fight for something that she wants, for once in her life. It's nice to see how she matures by the end of the book, and I hope she'll turn out to be a much stronger heroine in the next sequel. Haden, on the other hand, is so wickedly gorgeous, alluring, not to mention dangerous. The mystery that surrounds him made me so giddy to turn the page and see what's beneath his dark personality. His own POVs didn't lessen the intrigue but made the story even more enticing. Haden is a swoon-worthy kind of guy, you surely don't want to miss him.

I didn't recall loving her, but I loved her all the same. It wasn't something I questioned anymore... My brain may not have remembered, but my heart did. - Haden

Each characters in the story are different but they all made the book entertaining to me. They are all unique in their own way that made them interesting and fun to read about. There are times that I didn't liked Donny (Donnatella) or Ame (Amelia), and even Theia. But characters aren't supposed to be perfect or badass or impressive to be strong and effective. They have to be believable. It's refreshing to read about friends who will back you up no matter what, whatever the cost. And for once in while, it's nice to read a book without having to deal with slutty, sexy blonds antagonists who usually gets on my nerve. Almost every book has them, and sometimes it's irritating already. Though they still exist in this book, they aren't big deal to concern about and I liked it. There is also enough humor and funny moments that made me grin and smile from time to time. And the guys spice up the atmosphere especially on those serious and difficult moments.

Fast and very enjoyable, this book is worth the read. The story is well blended with beautiful romance and nice variety of characters.Falling Under will capture the hearts of the readers who loves fantasy and paranormal romance. I can't wait to read the next.

My Rating: