Archive for the Category &raquo;YA &laquo;

my-soul-to-take From the back of the book:

She doesn’t see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who’ll be next…

It’s been a while since I read a YA and I had forgotten how much I love them. My Soul to Take is the first in a series that introduces the reader to several characters. Kaylee a high school student who just wants to live a normal like, but finds out that she is a bean sidhe - a banshee. Nash Hudson, a high school jock who is interested in Kaylee. And Emma, Kaylee’s best friend.

This book offers a very different take on the paranormal. No vampires and shifters, but different characters from mythology and folklore. I loved the way Kaylee had to cope with all the changes in her life and found how it was written to be very realistic. She reaches out to the one person who makes her feel okay and leans on that person. I wish there had been more to the relationship with her father, but I expect we will find out more in the upcoming books. I loved the blossoming relationship between Kaylee and Nash and can’t wait to find out more about them in the second book, MY SOUL TO SAVE.

I’ll be giving away 3 copies of MY SOUL TO SAVE and posting my review tomorrow, so make sure to come back and comment for a chance to win.

the book girl gives MY SOUL TO TAKE a 4/5

to find the book:

Fabulous Friday Giveaway: Ruined by Paula Morris

Category: 4/5, YA, puchased book Leave a Comment

02

Oct

Review: Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard (New Author Challenge)

I am lucky to have five copies of this book to give away to those who comment on this post. Contest is only open to those with US addresses (sorry). Contest will run through Saturday the 10th at midnight (CST).

SYNOPSIS

When Rebecca Brown goes to New Orleans to stay with her voodoo-obsessed aunt, she finds the beautiful city haunted by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Rebecca is also startled to discover a haunting of a different kind: near a graveyard one night, amid the Spanish moss and beneath the moonlight, she meets a ghost girl named Lisette, who has been dead for 150 years. Lisette helps Rebecca unearth an ancient mystery in her aunt’s house, along with some troubling historical truths. Meanwhile, Rebecca must juggle adjusting to her snooty new prep school, developing a serious crush on a handsome boy, and dealing with an elite group of popular girls who may be linked to the ghostly mystery themselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paula Morris has published a short story collection and several novels for adults in her native New Zealand. She’s lived in a number of cities around the world, moving to New Orleans the year before Hurricane Katrina. She teaches creative writing at Tulane University.

Category: Contest, Video, YA 17 Comments

28

Sep

361356151 From the back of the book:

Callie falls head over heels - literally!

Callie is tired of being a clumsy geek-girl. So during a school trip to London she buys her ticket to popularity: a pair of real Prada pumps. But then she wobbles on the cobblestones, trips in her too-high heels, and conks her head. When she comes to, it’s the year 1815!

Luckily she meets kindhearted Emily, who mistakes Callie for a long-lost friend. Sparks soon ignite - of the nice and not-so-nice variety - between Callie and Alex, the handsome but totally arrogant Duke of Harksbury. Too bad Alex seems to have something sinister up his ruffled sleeve…

Can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, win a kiss from Alex, and prove to herself that she’s more than just a loud-mouth klutz before her time in the past is up?

This was a cute read, but there were some things that threw me out of the story. The thing I liked about the story is: Callie is transformed as she pretends to be Rebecca in 1815. She goes from a shy, clumsy girl to a confident young lady. My main problem with the story was Callie’s age. In 2009 she is 15 years old, but in 1815 she is at least 18 because she is the same age as Emily who has already had a season and is engaged. Plus, Alex is drawn to her and he is, in Callie’s estimation (although I’m not sure if it is ever confirmed), 19. I just couldn’t get past the thought that she was a child.

the book girl gives PRADA & PREJUDICE 3/5!

To find the book:

Saturday Book Trailer - Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Books-a-Million

To find out more about the author:

Mandy Hubbard

Category: 2009 New Author Challenge, 3/5, YA Tags: Historical, Prada, Time Travel, YA Leave a Comment

12

Sep

Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

I’m really looking forward to this book. Check out the book trailer!

Category: Video, YA Leave a Comment

20

Jul

frsotbite from the back of the book:

WHEN LOVE AND JEALOUSY COLLIDE ON THE SLOPES, WINTER BREAK TURNS DEADLY

Rose Hathaway’s got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian.

Then a massive Stigoi attack puts St. Vladmir’s on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians - including the legendary Janine Hathaway…Rose’s formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad’s holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined…

I loved this book. I think that Richelle Mead has written a book that is for young adults, but doesn’t treat it as if it is for children. There is sex, foul language, and death. I think that this series is perfect for a high school aged person who can handle the various themes in a mature way. There were several times in this book where I was emotional. I was either holding my breath, sad, or laughing. I didn’t want to put it down. I even read through dinner so that I could finish the book. I have book 3 sitting on my tbr shelf, but I have heard there is a terrible cliffhanger. I think I’m going to wait for book 4 in August before I read book 3.

the book girl gives FROSTBITE 4/5!

to find the book:

Contest: Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Books-a-Million

to find out more about author/series

Richelle Mead

Category: 4/5, YA Tags: Richelle Mead, Vampire Acadamy, YA Leave a Comment

06

Jul

REVIEW: Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (New Author Challenge)

jessica I have a copy of Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side to give away. To enter leave a comment on this post with a high school horror story (or any dating horror story). The contest will be open until Friday night at midnight. The winner will be announced on Saturday!

About the book:

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica’s senior year “get-a-life” plan.

Enter a bizarre new exchange student named Lucius Bladescu who claims Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he’s her long-lost fiance. He’s arrogant, officious, embarrassingly overprotective, and well, incredibly hot.

Armed with a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica tries to imagine the transition from an average American teenager to a glam European vampire princess. But just when things start to heat up with Lucius, a devious cheerleader sets her sights on him. Soon Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war - and save Lucius’s soul from eternal damnation. All of which leaves her to wonder: Wouldn’t life be easier if she could just fall for a nice mortal boy?

US and Canadian addresses only. Winner will have 7 days to claim book or another name will be chosen! Good Luck!

Category: Contest, YA Tags: Contest, vampires, YA book 5 Comments

06

Jul

jessica From the cover:

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica’s senior year “get-a-life” plan.

Enter a bizarre new exchange student named Lucius Bladescu who claims Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he’s her long-lost fiance. He’s arrogant, officious, embarrassingly overprotective, and well, incredibly hot.

Armed with a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica tries to imagine the transition from an average American teenager to a glam European vampire princess. But just when things start to heat up with Lucius, a devious cheerleader sets her sights on him. Soon Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war - and save Lucius’s soul from eternal damnation. All of which leaves her to wonder: Wouldn’t life be easier if she could just fall for a nice mortal boy?

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is a young-adult, but this late twenty-something loved it!! Jessica is excited to begin her senior year of high school and hopes to finally have a social life. On her first day of school, however, a strange exchange student calls her by her real name. The name she was given by her birth parents, and a name that no one at school knows. This sets off a chain of events that change Jessica from senior high school student to vampire princess. I think the thing that I liked most about this book is Jessica’s spunk and her independent streak. She isn’t going to let some boy - no matter how cute - tell her what she has to do with her life. She also grows into a mature young woman throughout the course of the book and I liked that the growth she undergoes seemed realistic. On of my biggest complaints about the TWILIGHT books, was that I felt Bella didn’t change or grow in any way. Jessica does over the course of the year in which the book takes place. I think anyone who read TWILIGHT should read this book and will love it (maybe even more).

the book girl gives JESSICA’S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE 5/5!!

To find this book:

Free e-book from Harlequin Teen

Books-a-Million

To find out more about the author:

Beth Fantaskey

Category: 2009 New Author Challenge, 5/5, YA Tags: Fantaskey, vampires, YA Leave a Comment

02

Jul

MY SOUL TO LOSE free e-book

Soul Screamers Lose_title I am so excited about the Harlequin Teen line that will launch later in the year. I am even more excited that you can download the prequel to Rachel Vincent’s new series for free. Click on the link at the bottom of the post to check it out and after you read it come back and let me know what you think. I am planing on reading it this weekend and will post my thoughts on Monday!

Here is the description from Harlequin’s website:

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it’s the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she’s fine–despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she’s crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities….

An eBook exclusive prequel to Rachel Vincent’s SOUL SCREAMERS series.

Click on the following link to go to the book:

Category: Reading, YA Leave a Comment

27

Jan

Review:Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

vampire-academy From the back of the book:

Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies…

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Stigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires - the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampire education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking Academy hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir’s - inside the Academy’s iron gates, their world is even more fraught with danger. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the moroi perform unspeakable rituals, and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever…

Vampire Academy is the first book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. It is a young adult book, but I think any age group would enjoy it. It has been compared to Twilight, but I found it much more universal than those books. A lot of Twilight felt very high school, while Vampire Academy is more grown up (but the characters do have some “high school” moments. Lissa and Rose share a connection that allows Rose to know how Lissa is feeling, but not for Lissa to feel Rose. I love the character of Rose. She is very upfront and in your face. She doesn’t sit by meekly or deal well with authority. She feels that she knows what’s best for Lissa, no matter what any of the adults say. Their relationship is very complex. The other complex relationship for Rose is her relationship with Lissa’s guardian, Dimitri. There is an attraction between them, that neither can let themselves feel. This book really sets up the rest of the series. I can’t wait to read the other books, Frostbite and Shadow Kiss.

Order Vampire Academy: