Abandon by Meg Cabot

At the age of 7, Pierce met a mysterious, dark man who was able to bring a bird back to life.

At the age of 15, Pierce hit her head and drowned in her pool, causing her to die and go to the underworld. There, she saw the mysterious man and sought his help to go back home.

While he didn't help her escape, he gave her a rare necklace that tells Pierce when evil is near. Then she ran away and went back home.

Now, at the age of 17, Pierce has had more horrible events happen to her than she prefers. Her best friend died, she was cornered by a teacher and a jewelry shop owner, and she's now moved to her mother's homeland, the name which translates to "Island of Bones".

And Pierce's mysterious man? He's on that island as well.

The more Pierce learns about John, the more bad things start to happen around her. But she also feels a connection with him - and she wants to help him because he seems troubled.

Pierce is always helping any living thing, but will this time kill her again...and keep her dead?

Read the first in Meg Cabot's new trilogy, Abandon, to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I absolutely love Meg Cabot's books! I have been reading them since I was little and I'm glad she is still writing amazing novels today for me to read!

I also love mythology, so this book could not have been more perfect for me to read!

This is the story about Persephone and Hades, and if you look at the characters names (Pierce and John Hayden) we can see that there is a connection. A little bit.

Pierce is very selfless. When she died at 15, instead of being concerned about her own safety, she confronted John and told him that he should give everyone else in line warmer clothes, fix their phones, etc.

I also loved how she wanted to help John, especially when he had scars and she wanted to fix it somehow.

This was very beautifully written and I was sucked into the story almost immediately! I've read another Persephone/Hades story rewritten (Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman) which I really enjoyed, but this story is very unique and I can't wait to read the other 2 novels in this series!

(I actually don't mind that there are more novels to come - which is saying something since series are starting to get tiresome for me!)

As soon as I can order the second novel from the library, I will be reading it immediately and will just have to be impatient until the third one is released.

I would definitely recommend this series to others, especially teen girls and older. Pierce is a strong female character and there's enough romantic tension in here to keep most readers happy and entertained!

Tempest by Julie Cross

After living a decent, normal life for 18 years, Jackson gets a rude awakening when he finds out that he can travel through time.

With the help of a science geek, Adam, Jackson has been practicing going back into time and take notes, doing experiments to try and figure out how and why Jackson can move through time.

Being with Adam to do all of this time traveling stuff is a hinder on his relationship with Holly though.

However, one day Jackson's supernatural life and his normal life meet up when other time travelers find Jackson and shoot Holly. When that happens, Jackson transports back two years - into 2007 - to try and change Holly's death.

Only now Jackson can't seem to go back to 2009 where he left Holly, maybe for dead.

But as Jackson spends more time in other time zones than the one he needs to be in, he finds out secrets about his past, including secrets about his father's life style, his childhood, and grows more knowledgeable about his gift.

Will Jackson be able to go back to 2009 and save Holly? What side will Jackson choose: the government or the other time travelers? Read Tempest by Julie Cross to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
There was a lot crammed into this novel! I always love a good time travel story, so I thought this novel would be perfect.

However, as much as I tried to keep up with this novel, I just couldn't. This isn't your typical time travel story. In fact, there are new rules with new terminology and almost too sciency. I'm not a science person, so when they started describing with scientific words, I was pretty much lost.

I did finish the story, though, and I liked the ending, even if it wasn't the happiest. Although, there is another book in the series coming out spring 2013, but I don't think I'll be picking it up. I'd be too lost from not knowing exactly what happened in this novel to pick up in the next one.

Now, even though I didn't enjoy this novel, I'm not saying it was a horrible novel. It just isn't my thing.

For anyone who likes science or CIA/governmental issues, this is the book for you! And if you can follow what the home base is, different timelines are, etc. you can feel free to try and explain it to me with my very normal brain :)

If that happens, then maybe I'll be excited for book #2 to come out! Insaner things have happened!

Cover Reveal - Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck

I think I'm behind on this cover! But I just saw it so it's new to me and I'm going to feature it on my blog because I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS TO RELEASE!!! Okay, no more caps :)

If you've read my blog before, you might have seen that I've reviewed Colleen Houck's other novels in her Tiger Saga and that I love these novels. If you HAVEN'T seen my posts, you can read them here:

Book #1: Tiger's Curse
Book #2: Tiger's Quest
Book #3: Tiger's Voyage

And now, time for the Cover Reveal (and the blurb from Goodreads)!!

Summary: With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling "Tiger's Curse" series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all. 

Another great cover to add to the series and it's a phoenix! Can't wait to see how this adventure will turn out!

This comes out September 4, 2012 and I will be one of the dedicated fans who will be at the store to buy it that day! Can't wait!

If  you haven't read these, I would definitely recommend them. The story is great, the writing is fantastic, and Houck will suck you into her world full of magic, mystery, love, adventure and so much more!

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The town of Cryer's Cross is not very big. There are less than 250 people. Most of the families are farmers, and the high school consists of 1 room - where all 4 years sit and have one teacher. Think of it as "Little House on the Prairie" if you will.

At the end of Kendall's junior year, a girl, Tiffany Quinn, went missing. They searched for her over the summer, but was unable to find her.

When coming back to school to start her senior year, the news about Tiffany started to die down. Now the buzz was about the new kids: Marlena and Jacian Obregon.

Kendall still did her usual routine at school: put the trash can the right way, put the markers in rainbow order, open the windows and straighten the desks. She has OCD and needs to have things in an exact way, or she starts to get jittery.

After a few weeks at school, Kendall's best friend Nico starts to act odd. He spaces off, doesn't have a conversation, and wanders away.

Then a few days after that, Nico disappears just like Tiffany did...

There was a search party, but just like Tiffany, no one was able to figure out where he went.

When Kendall started hearing voices coming from the desk Nico sat at, she thought she was going crazy. A desk can't talk to her. Later on, though, Kendall forgot about the weirdness of the talking desk and decided to listen to what it was saying.

She could help Nico. But at what price?

My Thoughts/Reflections
I think Lisa McMann is starting to be my new favorite mystery/suspense YA author! She did a fantastic job with this story, weaving mystery and supernatural together to create a great story.

I read another novel by her, (I reviewed Dead to You here) which was a little different than this novel, but just as suspenseful.

I've never met anyone who has OCD (not that I know of, anyway) so while I couldn't relate to Kendall, I thought she had a handle on her disease. She didn't announce it to everyone. In fact, Nico was the only one who really knew about it, so when he disappeared, it made hiding her OCD habits hard for Kendall at first.

Jacian was by far my favorite character. He was the silent, stay-away, moody new guy who was mad about moving during senior year to a town-but-really-country/town-area from a big city. When he found out about Kendall having OCD, he didn't make fun of her, but let her be herself.

The mystery and supernatural aspect of this story could have been stronger. The reader didn't really get answers until the end of the book and it seemed almost rushed.

Lisa McMann did leave this book open for a sequel to come out, with the "ghost" factor after the last few pages. It will be interesting if she writes another one and where she would go with it.

I really enjoyed this story. I read reviews that said they didn't like Kendall and thought this story gave them goosebumps, but I found it a quick read that kept my attention until the very end.

For anyone looking to read a suspense/mystery story with a little paranormal, I would definitely recommend this novel. With the above cover, it could appeal to guy readers, even though it's a female narrator, so I would say any audience could enjoy this novel.

I also think reluctant readers would like this novel as it's unique and dark in some areas. It's very easy to read and, once you get into the story, very fast paced.

Cover Reveal - Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

The new cover for Tahereh Mafi's book Unravel Me has been released! This is the sequel to her novel Shatter Me, which I reviewed here.

And now, here's the cover:

I'm really excited to read this and can't wait until February 5, 2013 for it to come out! I know it's a long time, but I'll be at the store to get it!

If I Should Die Before I Wake: Anthology by Nadège Richards

If I Should Die Before I Wake by Jana Boskey: All her life, Evie's mother made sure that Evie and Callie never went outside after dark. Evie didn't believe the fairytale about the dark elf until he showed up for his "posession". Then Evie had to do anything to protect her little sister...

(Suspenseful story that kept the reader on the seat of their chair, and an ending that was unexpected.)

A Brush With Something Otherworldly by Jennivie Wirries: Jessie thought the item she took out of the time capsule at school was boring - an old Japanese hair comb. But when the comb showed magical abilities, Jessie realized she got a one of a kind object.

(It was alright - not my favorite and a little odd. Although it was unique and something I've never read about!)

The Winter Storms Have Come and Gone by Nadège Richards: Bethany says goodbye to Maxwell. Breakups happen all of the time, but not too many have a permanent ending like theirs...

(What many ex-girlfriends probably want to do, even if they never do so. Very short, but well written and it compels the reader to find out more!)

The Little Sister Who Cried Vampire by Brittany Hiester: Having to babysit her younger sister on Halloween was not part of Rosa's plans. So when Leah kept saying she saw a man in her window, Rosa chalked it up to Leah being annoying. Too bad she didn't believe Leah right away...

(Rosa complained too much for my liking, but that made her realistic as she's 14. A lot of punctuation errors, but the story was very action based, which I liked.)

3:00 AM 'Fun' by Ashley O'Donnell: After leaving her house and small town for 5 years, Abigail comes home when her mother passes away. The thought of staying for awhile crossed her mind, but that was before 3:00 AM came around...

(Was very shocked to read that a 16 year-old wrote this! Very well written and very disturbing. It will keep the reader asking questions after reading this story!)

The Tornadoes are Beautiful by Rhian Parry: Natural disasters are happening all over the world, destroying any sense of civilization. Xavier has been hearing voices all of his life, voices that tell him to do things. When it says to kill his sister, Xavier takes the ultimate risk to save her life.

(This has a mix of "Day After Tomorrow" but with a depressing atmosphere of no hope. There wasn't too much dialogue, which made the story slow for me, but it was a good story.)

I AM by Cody Jonathan Godown: A narrator who reflects on the past, looks at the future, and wishes for changes during the present. About a narrator who states, "I am cautious and curious".

(This is a one page verse story, written in the format of a poem. I'm horrible at reading poems and can't understand them, so I didn't enjoy this story as much as I should have. For readers who like verse, they might like it better than I did.)

They Speak To Me by Melissa Somoza: When she was nine, Rose was forced to leave her parents because The Society was trying to kill Rose. She's half clairvoyance and half necromancer, one of the darkest supernatural being in the world. At the age of 18, she's now on a mission to kill the members of The Society for revenge of her parents death. She is the ultimate assassin. The ultimate weapon.

(My second favorite story in this anthology! It reminded me of Kelley Armstrong's series "The Darkest Power" and I found myself loving Rose. She's sassy, tough, and smart. The ending was disappointing, but different and unexpected.)


A Faery Tale Nightmare by Christina Worrell: All her life, Ebony Frost felt unwanted and in the way. When he mother abandoned her, Ebony was sent to a foster home. Little did she know that was the best thing that could have happened to her. Now she has a new, caring foster mother and new foster brothers - 7 to be exact. And she's also found herself in a relationship! But when things get out of control with her new boyfriend and his cousin, she takes a step back and focuses on her new family. When she gets caught up in another romance, along with a battle for the most magic, Ebony needs to fight for what she wants, hoping that it's not too late.

(A spin-off tale of "Snow White" and a little twist with magic and werewolves, Christina Worrell did an amazing job! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't stop reading until I finished the story. I loved the conflict Ebony had with her feelings, and her struggle with the magic building inside of her. A great read, my favorite in this bunch, and I would definitely recommend it to any reader in love of fairy tales and happy endings!)

My Thoughts/Reflections
I received a PDF of this novel for free to review by Nadège Richards and the staff of "My Home Away from Home". To find out more about this group, you can visit their facebook page, My Home Away From Home, where I have liked to keep up with their updates, or their blogsite: MHAFH.

I have not read any works by the numerous authors of this anthology, so the content and writing styles were very new and refreshing to me.

I really enjoyed this anthology! There were a lot of unique styles in the Paranormal/Supernatural genre that were refreshing and different than what has been written lately, making the stories fast paced and usually leaving me wanting more.

There were some punctuation and grammatical errors in each story, which is common for a self-published novel. Since I've had editing experience, my fingers were twitching to edit and fix the mistakes. However, even with the common errors, the stories were very well written and engaging to the reader.

I put my immediate reaction for each story after a small summary of the stories, saying what I liked or disliked about the individual short stories.

The last two stories were, by far, my favorite. They were also the longest in this anthology, which could be a factor as to why I like them.

There is a variety of writing styles in here. One is verse/poem format, while others are very short stories or longer stories. There's also various narration point of views to keep any reader happy.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good, short story to read, where they can stop after each story if they have a busy, hectic life.

I would also suggest this to anyone who likes supernatural topics (though you don't have to be a hardcore supernatural reader to enjoy this story). I tried to tag the different story subjects (vampires, faeries, etc.) that is located in this anthology to make it accurate for interested readers.

Overall, a great read that will entertain many readers, whether you are a lover of supernatural or just if you want to try something new to read!

Right now this anthology is available as an eBook on Amazon for only $0.99! If you are interested in purchasing it, click here to buy your own copy!

And thank you for letting me review this collection of works! I wish all of the authors luck in their future stories/novels!

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Sara: Decent grades, two best friends, senior year in high school applying for her dream college. All that is missing now is a boyfriend to make her life complete.

The new boy, Dave, has everything she wants in a guy: looks, popularity, sincerity... Or so she thought.

But when Sara finds herself daydreaming more about a different guy than Dave, she needs to rethink about why she wants to be with Dave, or if she should be with Tobey instead...

Tobey: Ever since junior year, Tobey has been secretly crushing on Sara. However, he doesn't think he's good enough with his average grades, his band, and he's not going to college next year.

At the beginning of senior year, though, Tobey makes a goal for him to talk to Sara and see if they could have a real beginning together.

Even when Sara starts to see Dave, Tobey creates plans and scenarios between Sara and Tobey to see if they could have a shot, or if they just weren't meant to be together.

Want to know what happens with Tobey and Sara? Read When It Happens by Susane Colasanti to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a cute novel. Takes me back to senior year when applying for colleges and sticking to my own "clique" at school.

This is the first novel of Susane Colasanti's that I've read, and I loved how she did alternating narration between Tobey and Sara. The reader got a chance to see inside of both characters and their insecurities/thoughts throughout their senior year.

I was also really glad to see character development in this novel. Many authors do that during series, but Colasanti was able to develop both characters within this book and learn from one another.

Tobey learned how to be studious and Sara learned to live a little.

I think many high school readers would enjoy this novel. They would be able to relate to either Sara or Tobey and they could relate to the pressure of senior year and college applications.

The only thing that I wish was different was the cover. Because this is in alternating gender narrations, I think teen guys would like this novel, but the cover is definitely for a female audience.

I don't foresee too many guy readers picking this up, which is unfortunate because Tobey's story is really compelling, especially for aspiring musicians.

I might have to pick up another novel by Colasanti and see if she's the next "Sarah Dessen" or "Maureen Johnson"!