Review: Inland - Kat Rosenfield

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 2.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (I really like this cover.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Page Count: 388 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Callie can't breathe. She hasn't been able to ever since her mother died and her father took her away from the sea. Finally, her father gets a job offer he can't refuse which takes them to the Florida coast. There it is like Callie can take her first real breath in years. Now that they are closer to the sea though, Callie starts to feel it pulling her, calling to her. She knows that the sea is where she belongs, because that's where her mother is.

This was quite disappointing.  I don't know what it was about this novel, but I had the hardest time getting through it. I loved Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone and this one sounded so promising, but then...nothing. It took me almost a month to read this novel, which is crazy. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for a Kat Rosenfield novel.

It was an interesting premise, but a bit predictable. Nothing about it was surprising and I figured things out long before Callie even thought to think about them. There's really not much else to say about this novel. It just wasn't right for me.

Review: The Merciless - Danielle Vega

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Love it!)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 279 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Sofia just moved to a new school in order to outrun her past. She meets the popular girls and they take her under their wings. She sees another girl, Brooklyn, making out with one of her new friend's boyfriend and tells them about it. Next thing Sofia knows is she's getting dragged out of her house in the middle of the night and taken to an abandoned housing development by her new friends.  When they get inside one of the houses Sofia sees Brooklyn tied up. She wants nothing to do with this, but since she's there she's already a part of it. Riley informs Sofia that they are going to perform an exorcism on Brooklyn, because clearly she has been possessed by a demon. Then all semblance of control that Sofia thought she had is lost. Will any of them leave this house alive?

Oh my goodness! What an intense read. This is seriously a one sitting kind of book. The beginning starts of a little meh, but as soon as they take Brooklyn things start racing. I could not put this book down and have already made three other people read it and they all devoured it too. So much awesome.

The only thing I didn't like about this book, was something that barely even mattered in this plot-driven thrill ride. The thing is—I didn't care about any of the characters. I wasn't really invested in who was going insane and all that. The characters were simply part of the plot and I sped through it.

I would love to have some companion novels to this that gave more background of the characters. I also feel like there could be a sequel set like five or ten years in the future. I would love that.

If you are looking for a book that you will not be able to put down, I highly recommend this. It is very violent, but it just adds to the story. Seriously, check this one out as soon as you can.

First Line:
"I snag my thumb on the lunch tray's metal edge, and a crescent of blood appears beneath my cuticle."

Favorite Line:
"Her breath smells like blood and smoke."

Stuff I Got This Week

For Review: Thanks Quirk Books!

Secret Agent Gadget Battle - Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith 

Robot Army Rampage - Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith 

High-voltage Danger Lab - Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith 

  Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.

From Library:

Rooms - Lauren Oliver

Already started this and really enjoying it so far.

Remember Me - Romily Bernard

Tape - Steve Camden

Review: Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (So pretty.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Page Count: 358 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Alina is not really good at many things. She's okay at some things though and that's always been alright with her. Then, while crossing the darkness of The Fold, her group is attacked and Alina discovers a power inside her she never knew she had. She's not sure what had happened until she's being whisked away and told that she is one of the Grisha and that she will be trained by the Darkling himself. This is not ideal for Alina, but she has no choice in the matter and if she cares about anyone at all, she will complete her training.

What a great fantasy. I really enjoyed it. Parts of it reminded me of The Bone Season and I really enjoyed that book too.

The Fold sounds terrifying and not like a place I would ever be willing to cross...unless I was making a run for it I suppose.

The Darkling was a hard character to read and I was very intrigued by him. Alina and Mal make a great team and I'm glad that they were both in this story. One without the other would have been less great. The three of these characters really work well together (well not really together, together) and play theirs roles. I can't wait to continue reading this series.

First Line:
"The Servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke's house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches."

Favorite Line:
"When the tears came, he pulled me close and held me, until there was nothing left but ashes."

Things I'm loving this week

1. Community

Mike and I have watched this show so many times now and are going through it again. It's just so good. All the characters are perfect and it's hilarious. If you haven't tried it yet, you totally should.

2. Crochet Boutique - Rachel Oglesby

This book was suggested to me on Amazon, so I Interlibrary loaned it to check it out. As soon as I started making some of the items I knew I needed this book. I wanted to make everything in it. The patterns are so easy but they make fantastic looking pieces.

3. Inside Amy Schumer

She's funny and I'm quite enjoying Season 2 on Amazon Prime.

4. Lions Brand Heartland yarn

It's so nice to work with and feels great. A bonus is that it's 100% acrylic so you can machine wash and dry without fear. 

What are you guys loving this week?

Review: No One Else Can Have You - Kathleen Hale

Where I got it: My Collection
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Love it!)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 380 p.
Add it: Goodreads

A small town in Wisconsin, where everyone feels safe is shook up when a girl is found murdered. Worse yet, she was strung up in a field like a scarecrow. There aren't many murders in Friendship, Wisconsin, so the police are at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Kippy Bushman is determined to solve this case though even though all she has is the dead girls' diary.

First off, that is one very violent and gruesome death. The description of it gave me goosebumps. What a terrible way to go. The killer is clearly an insane person, completely and totally.

I really enjoyed this book though, it was quite fun for a murder mystery. The murderer was kind of a slap in the face. Not wholly unpredictable, but still surprising. The book was so good though that the mystery was only part of the fun.

Kippy was an interesting character. I don't know if I could be friends with her, but it was enjoyable watching her work. She was weird and blunt, which makes her a great character, but possibly not great friend material (actually, that sounds like great friend material).

If you are looking for a satirical murder mystery, than I definitely recommend you check this one out.

First Line:

"A police officer comforts a woman in the shoulder of a rural highway."

Favorite Line:

"He looks great but I'm trying to be practical."

Happy October!

and I'm actually back this time!

So, it's been a while guys. I've been off doing things and I guess I was in a bit of a blogging slump, so instead of blogging and hating it I just took an extended break from it. I'm back and ready though with a new arsenal of things to blog about. Before, I pretty much was strictly a review post kind of gal, but as I delve deeper into Young Adult services at my job, I found that the YA programming material is a bit lacking on the internet. I hope to post more about that aspect of my life here too. I'm sorry if some of you are not interested in that, but don't worry, I will still post lots of reviews and LOTS of book related fun stuff.

I think to celebrate being back I will start off with a giveaway! This giveaway is open internationally and is for a random box of books. To enter, just fill out this form before October 31st. So hello all my lovelies and it already feels great to be back!