Book Review: DEMONGLASS

Title: DEMONGLASS
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Other books by Author: HEX HALL
Publication Date: March 2011
My Rating: 4.5/5--Really good! Worth your time!
One Word Plot: Demons
Good if…you liked the EVERNIGHT Series

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.  That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.  Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.  But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

My Thoughts...  Better than the first!  Action packed.  Funny.  Mysterious.  Everything I loved about HEX HALL was magnified and better in this 2nd book.  I was pleasantly surprised, as I read a few not-so-wonderful-review prior to reading this and very nearly let this one slip me by.  I'm so happy I didn't pass this one up and Rachel Hawkins did an excellent job of filling the reader in.  You really don't even need to read Hex Hall first to understand what's going on.  It was good and I want to buy it since I feel like it's definently re-readable.  :)

Back of the Book Summary: GLITCH

Summarizing your book into a few short words is nearly impossible.  I've been working on my novel--GLITCH--for nearly two years now.  I'm still months away from actually finishing, but today I was playing around with 'back of the book summaries' again.  I can't seem to organize a 60K+ (and counting) story into a few short sentenses.  I did, however, come up with one today and I wanted to see what everyone thought. 

GLITCH by Sarah Darlington

Zadie Hastings comes from a long line of superhumans—Telepaths to be exact—except someone’s wiped her memory and she can’t remember what she is.  Now, she leads a relatively normal life, in a relatively normal town, with her relatively normal family.  And other than the panic attacks and psychic moments that plague her, she doesn’t even realize she’s superhuman.  That is…until Demetrious Thomas—the most popular, most swoon-worthy guy in school—crashes into her life.  You see, Demetrious has a few secrets of his own and all hell breaks loose the week he falls for Zadie.

Wannabe Writers #46 (The Pain of Writing)

Wannabe Writers is an Internet writing group. Everyone is welcome to join. It's a place to meet other writers, ask questions, and get feedback. Bascially, my posts are about my current writing progress, my problems, and any questions I need help answering. If you've created a similar post of your own lately, feel free to link in the comments.

Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished.  2/3rds of the way finished with my current WIP.

My current problem(s):  Self doubt.  UGH!  I'm at it again.  Holding myself back.  I want so badly to finish my current WIP.  I've been working on this thing for well over a year now (nearing two!) and I just want so badly to be finished.  I think what I have so far is decent stuff.  I have a couple of critique partners who at least say they're enjoying it so far.  My problem...finishing it!  I'm stuck inside my own head and dreading and stressing over every single word I write these days.  I want it to be all be perfect but everything I read seems to suck in my own mind.  What do I do?  I'm not going to work on another project.  I can't.  I started this thing and now I have to finish it.  How can I force myself to finish?
It's hard being a wannabe writer. :(

My question(s) this week: Writing through the pain.  How?

Waiting on Wednesday

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

 SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs

So you probably already know Tera Lynn Childs from her book: FORGIVE MY FINS and it's upcoming July sequel FINS ARE FOREVER.  But today, I wanted to spotlight SWEET VENOM which is due out October of this year.  I'm very excited for this one because of it's unique concept.  I understand SWEET VEMON to be about Medusa's daughters (Medusa, as in Greek mythology, the lady with the snake hair)  How cool is that?  I'm pretty sure there are no young adult books like that on the market and I can't wait!

So that's what I'm looking forward to. What books are you waiting on?

And be sure to check out FORGIVE MY FINS; if you haven't already...

Book Review: THE PACE

Title: The Pace
Author: Shelena Shorts
Publication Date: August 2009
Rating: 3.5/5--Decent.  It was okay.
One Word Plot: Cold-blooded
Good if...you want something romantic with a sci-fi twist

Weston Wilson is not immortal and he is of this world. But, aging is not part of his existence, and eighteen-year-old Sophie Slone is determined to find out why. In doing so, she could also uncover something about her own life expectancy that she may not want to know. Suddenly, immortality will mean everything and nothing all at the same time.

My thoughts...This book was okay.  For the most part I enjoyed it enough to  seek out the 2nd novel in the series (BROKEN LAKE; which is already published).  PRO's: The concept was unique and interesting and ultimately what kept me reading.  Loved the whole way the cold-blooded thing fit into the way Wes was aging.  The soul mate quality to Sophie and Wes' relationship.  And I enjoyed how overall Wes was a really sweet guy.  CON's: This book was kind of slow paced reminding me of an adult novel.  It spanned over a 6 month period and lots of conversations between Sophie and Wes were skimmed over when they could have been included. 

All in all it was such an interesting concept that I want to read book 2.  I just wish more of Wes and Sophie's conversations were shown vs told.

In My Mailbox #26

This is In my mailbox a meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren. Here's what I go this week...

POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

POSSESSION is the debut novel by author and blogger Elana Johnson.  I actually first discovered Elana when I started my own novel and was always desperately searching the Internet for writing advice.  Her blog contains lots of invaluable advise for writers so I highly recommend checking it out.  Now on to her book.  Her debut novel--due out 06/07/11--is a YA dystopian.  Here's what it's all about: 
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.  But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.  This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.
That's what I got in my mailbox this week.  What did you get in yours?

Waiting on Wednesday

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

SIRENSONG by Jenna Black

SIRENSONG is the third book in Jenna Black's Faeirwalker Series.  It is due out July 5th, 2011.  I actually started reading this series because I fell in love with the covers!  They're all quite beautiful and tie together by those little silver dots you see on the front of the book.  Cute.  I reviewed the first book--GLIMMERGLASS--nearly a year ago.  For me that one was just okay, but something about it stuck with me and wouldn't let go.  So then I had to read the second book--SHADOWSPELL--and was so totally blown away by how good it was in comparison to the first.  It really sucked me into this series and now I couldn't recommend it more! 

So that's what I'm looking forward to.  What books are you waiting on?

Also--if nothing else--don't you just love all these covers?

In My Mailbox #25

This is In my mailbox a meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren. Here's what I go this week...

TORMENT by Lauren Kate
Hell on earth.  That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.  It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.  At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous.  What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else? 
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, FALLEN (my review), and I hope this one turns out to be equally as good. 

TIGER'S CURSE by Colleen Houck
The last thing teenager Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing over the summer was meeting Ren, a mysterious white tiger and cursed Indian prince! When she learns she alone can break the Tiger's curse, Kelsey's life is turned upside-down. The unlikely duo journeys halfway around the world to piece together an Indian prophecy, find a way to free the man trapped by a centuries-old spell, and discover the path to their true destiny. 
I already read this one and I can't praise it enough!  You've got to check out this book and you can check out my review here.
What did you get this week?

My Top Literary Crushes #2

One year ago I did this post--My Top Literary Crushes--and since it's been a year I felt the need to repost my updated list...Here goes: (This is in backwards order.)
10.  Will from CLOCKWORK ANGEL.  Stubborn, aggressive, outspoking.  Cassandra Clare sure knows how to write the bad boys.  This series is just getting started, but Will might soon be a top contender for Jace. 
9. Daniel from THE DARK DIVINE. He's got the whole childhood crush/bad boy thing going on. Very appealing.
8. Patch from HUSH, HUSH. He's dark, mysterious, and another hot bad-boy. That moment in the kitchen with him was h-o-t.
7. Tucker from UNEARTHLY.  This unseen romance blew me away.  Hold on to your boots!  Hot, country, cowboy! 
6. Varen Nethers from NEVERMORE...this goth guy?  Yes!  He's mysterious, a loner, into poetry, and I fell hard for the building romance in this novel.
5. Alex Fuentes from PERFECT CHEMISTRY. The ultimate handsome, cocky, bad boy type. A modern day Danny Zuko. He'd give up anything for Brittany in the end--and does.
4. Peeta from HUNGER GAMES. Loyal, sweetheart, and I love how he has always loved Katnis. He does everything with her mind. Gale can't even compare.
3. Tamine from WINGS. Boy, was I right about this one!  Move over David, I'm team Tamine all the way!
2. Edward from TWILIGHT. What can I say? I am a twilight fan so I can't forget the one who started it all!

1. Jace from MORTAL INSTRUMENTS Series. Still at the very top of my list!!!  If you don't know who Jace is...you're missing out. Everything single moment I spent reading about him and Clare in the City of Bones books was like book-crack. I couldn't get enough. He's hot headed and arrogant with this dark past. But underneath he's kind and loves Clare. Every time they share a kiss, my heart beats faster.  Jace makes these books very worth your while.
That's my list. Who are your favorites?

Wannabe Writers #45 (Swoon worthy Guys)

Wannabe Writers is an Internet writing group. Everyone is welcome to join. It's a place to meet other writers, ask questions, and get feedback.  Bascially, my posts are about my current writing progress, my problems, and any questions I need help answering.  If you've created a similar post of your own lately, feel free to link in the comments.

Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished.

My current problem(s): Characterization.  (Is that a word?)  Lately I've been really caught up in this idea and struggling to actually incorporate character qualities into my book.  Trust me; this is one of the hardest things I've had to tackle--still am tackling--and will probably never be able to master.  Are my characters believable?  Are they 2-dimensional or 3?  Are my characters consistent?  Do they have motivation?  Would they really say or act like that? 

I've read about all the tricks.  (This post is great for building a character.)  How to work subtle description of physical traits into the novel here and there.  But the way they physically look isn't what I'm really worried about.  I'm more worried about WHO they are.  My main character was the hardest to set straight.  At first she was shy and timid--kind of like me--but after writing 1/2 my novel I decided that didn't work.  She was too predictable and readers love to taken by surprise.  So I changed her.  Now she's still a little shy, but certainly not timid.  Then there's her romantic interest in the novel.  Which brings me to a whole other level of questions?  Is the guy in my novel 'swoon worthy'? 

Late Bloomer Online recently did a post (here) about Swoon Worthy Characters and that got me thinking about the guys in my novel.  What makes a guy swoon worthy?  His hair?  His attitude?  His love?  His actions?  So now on top of worrying about 'are my characters more than 2-dimensional' but are they also 'romantically compatiable'? 

It's hard being a wannabe writer.  :( 

My question(s) this week:  What makes a guy character 'swoon worthy'?  For you?

Book Review: TIGER'S CURSE

Title: TIGER'S CURSE

Author: Colleen Houck

Release Date: January 2011

My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!

In One Word: Shifter

Good if...you want something very original

The last thing teenager Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing over the summer was meeting Ren, a mysterious white tiger and cursed Indian prince! When she learns she alone can break the Tiger's curse, Kelsey's life is turned upside-down. The unlikely duo journeys halfway around the world to piece together an Indian prophecy, find a way to free the man trapped by a centuries-old spell, and discover the path to their true destiny.

My Thoughts...Three days ago I hadn't even heard of this book.  Two days ago I bought it.And today I'm hooked!!!  This is it.  This is going to be the next big series.  Move over Twilight.  Make a little bit of room Harry Potter.  Step aside Hunger Games and Wings.  Maybe those are some bold statements.  I don't care.  I really think this was an awesome start to what's going to be a fantastic 4-book series.  The second in the series--TIGER'S QUEST--is due out June 7th 2011!!!  I won't say anymore--just that you should go out and buy the first IMMEDIATELY!

In My Mailbox #24

This is In my mailbox a meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren.  Here's what I go this week...

Switched by Amanda Hocking
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might have been telling the truth.  With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

The Pace by Shelena Shorts
Weston Wilson is not immortal and he is of this world. But, aging is not part of his existence, and eighteen-year-old Sophie Slone is determined to find out why. In doing so, she could also uncover something about her own life expectancy that she may not want to know. Suddenly, immortality will mean everything and nothing all at the same time.

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel.  Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi.  She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother.  When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do.  She must become a Hound of Heaven.  Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero.  But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble.  Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Waiting on Wednesday

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Release Date: August 16th, 2011

MARCH {Upcoming Releases}

Here's some of the YA books coming out in March that I'm most looking forward to...

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Sequel to HEXHALL

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth. Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers. But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
Release Date: 03/01/2011

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

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.

Release Date: 03/01/2011

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

The Fourth Novel in Claudia Gray's EVERNIGHT Series

Destiny awaits Bianca and Lucas . . . Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a wraith but also turns Lucas into a vampire—the very creature he spent his life hunting—they are left reeling. Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help . . . Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her ghostly transformation has given her. A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life?

Release Date: 03/08/2011

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure. The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.

Release Date: 03/15/2011

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH Book 3

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters. Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again. Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

Release Date: 03/22/2011

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.  When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?
Release Date: 03/22/2011

Wake Into Me by Lisa Cach

Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It's what her dead mother's note suggested, and it's what her recurring nightmares allude to. Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams--and her small town--she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse. But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams? Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever.
Release Date: 03/31/2011