Thursday, January 29, 2015

Top 3 Books of 2014

2014 has ended, and 2015 has begun. And with this New Year comes a new year of books. Here are my favorite books of 2014! Hope you all enjoy!  


Title: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1)
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Time Travel, Romance, Science Fiction
Rating: 5/5

Check out my book review here.
 

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.




Title: Loop (Loop #1)
Author: Karen Akins
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 336
Genre: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Check out my review for this book here

At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels…at screwing up.

After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship. But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn’t go back far enough. The boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he’s in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn’t think he’s a complete pain in the arse. To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her.

Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental. Someone is attacking time travelers. As Bree and her temporal tagalong uncover seemingly unconnected clues—a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium—that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together. Knowledge only one other person has. Her future self.

But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her. In the past, present, or future. 



Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Pages: 352
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5

Check out my review for this book here.
 

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.


Sunday, January 25, 2015

5 Books to Look Forward to (February 2015)

Here are a few of the books I'm looking forward to in February. Enjoy!


Title: Beneath the Forsaken City (Song of Seare #2)
Author: C. E. Laureano
Publisher: NavPress
Date: February 1st, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Conor and Aine have barely escaped Seare with their lives. Conor knows he must return to find the harp that could end the Red Druid’s reign of terror, but in the midst of their escape, he and Aine are torn apart once more. Surrounded by despair and thrown into as much danger as they left behind, Conor and Aine must cling to the whispers of Comdiu’s plans for them and the homeland that depends on their survival. But at what cost? Will they learn to depend on Comdiu completely? Or will they give up hope?


Title: City of Savages
Author: Lee Kelly
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: February 3rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
It’s been nearly two decades since the Red Allies first attacked New York, and Manhattan is now a prisoner-of-war camp, ruled by Warden Rolladin and her brutal, impulsive warlords. For 17-year-old Skyler Miller, Manhattan is a cage that keeps her from the world beyond the city’s borders. But for Sky’s 16-year-old sister, Phee, the P.O.W. camp is a dangerous playground of possibility, and the only home she’d ever want.

When Sky and Phee discover their mom’s hidden journal from the outbreak of the war, they both realize there’s more to Manhattan—and their mother—than either of them had ever imagined. And after a group of strangers arrives at the annual P.O.W. census, the girls begin to uncover the island’s long-kept secrets. The strangers hail from England, a country supposedly destroyed by the Red Allies, and Rolladin’s lies about Manhattan’s captivity begin to unravel.

Hungry for the truth, the sisters set a series of events in motion that ends in the death of one of Rolladin’s guards. Now they’re outlaws, forced to join the strange Englishmen on an escape mission through Manhattan. Their flight takes them into subways haunted by cannibals, into the arms of a sadistic cult in the city’s Meatpacking District, and, through the pages of their mom’s old journal, into the island’s dark and shocking past. Sky and Phee are dependent on each other, and their ragged posse, for survival, but as their feelings grow toward the handsome English boy Ryder, love and jealousy threaten to break them apart.

While primarily a thriller, City of Savages is also a story about the many meanings of sisterhood, told across two generations of New York women—those who survived a terrible tragedy, and those who were raised to live in its aftermath.

Title: Invaded
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Date: February 3rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

Title: The Glass Arrow
Author: Kristen Simmons
Publisher: Tor Teen
Date: February 10th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning


Title: The Last Time We Say Goodbye
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date: February 10th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.


The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Book Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray (5/5)

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1)
Author:  Claudia Gray
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Time Travel, Romance, Science Fiction
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Blurb:

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

I’m taking the risk of sounding like a ditzy fangirl when I say this, but this book is FANTASTIC. Easily one of the best books of 2014. It had everything: the adventure, the suspense, the romance. And the fact that it has the whole dimension traveling aspect definitely makes it seem better in my eyes.

To begin with, let me first describe the protagonist, Marguerite Caine. She’s one of the most strong-willed, obstinate, talented protagonists I’ve read about. Being born in a family of science geniuses left Marguerite the odd one out when she wanted to pursue arts. She was the only person in this book who had a regular person’s point of view. This was exceedingly helpful in describing the book, as I’ll describe later. Another thing I liked about Marguerite is her character. She’s a kind, nice girl who’s a touch shy. Sure, she sounds like someone who will stand back meekly, but read the book and you’ll figure out how passionate she can get over what she feels strongly about.

Now onto the adventure part of the book. As stated in the Goodreads Blurb, Marguerite has gone back in time to avenge her father. She, along with her friend, Theo, journey back hoping to kill Paul. The best thing I liked about the adventures was that the action was nonstop. The adventures that Marguerite, Theo and Paul go on are back to back to back. There wasn’t an overly large pause where I was bored and had to flip the pages to remain engaged in the book. No, everything was smooth and seamless.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the world building. And I know. It comes to my attention that for a time-travel (or in this case dimension-travel) book to be good the author has to be exemplary at world building. But I still can’t stress enough how phenomenal the world building in this book was. The main reason I liked the multiple dimensions, which was described through the creative words used to describe the world, was because of the details provided: Marguerite is as much of an outsider to these strange new dimensions as we, the readers, are. Because of this (as well as Marguerite’s artistic eye) not a single detail flies by unnoticed and readers will be able to truly appreciate it.

I also liked the suspense in this book. In the beginning of the book, the reader (as well as Marguerite) is lead to believe that Paul is the murderer. But as the book progresses, both parties realize that Paul is not the murderer. Indeed, something much more horrible and atrocious is afoot. And this is where the suspense comes in. Ms. Gray is able to skilfully weave a tale where the reader is left guessing to the very end. No one is sure who’s killed the father, but as the book continues there are quite a few moments when it feels like the mystery is about to end. These delicate moments of intrigue just made the book so much better. These were the pages that I paid the most attention to, the pages that were the most crucial.

And then there was the romance plot. If you’ve been reading lately, you most probably have noticed that love triangles are EVERYWHERE. At first, I didn’t have a problem with it. But as more and more love triangles started to pop up in books read, I got quite fed up. When I figured out that this book had a love triangle, I actually debated whether or not to read. I’m really glad, though, that I didn’t let the love triangle bit stop me, because this love triangle is one of the best I’ve ever read about. It is truly brilliant.

Now, the thing in this book that I loved the most in the book would be the Firebird. When I say Firebird, I mean the actual value of the Firebird, as in, how important it is in the book and how deeply complex it is. First of all, Ms. Gray does a great job describing the Firebird. She truly makes it sound like a piece of technology that is evolved and is immensely important to the future of the human race. But beyond that, I just liked reading about the Firebird. All those tiny, seemingly unimportant things the Firebird could do were fascinating. All the parts of the book that seemed slightly geeky with all the technology and physics – those were some of the moments that caught my attention – the moments of the book that were quite intriguing.

I have no complaints with this book. None. Not one. Great adventure, suspense, and romance. I definitely recommend this to anybody who likes young adult, romance, time travel, science fiction, or suspenseful books. Keep an eye out for the next book in this series which is to release sometime towards the end of the year (late 2015).



Thursday, January 15, 2015

Book Review: Loop by Karen Akins

Title: Loop (Loop #1)
Author: Karen Akins
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 336
Genre: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads Blurb:

At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels…at screwing up.

After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship. But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn’t go back far enough. The boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he’s in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn’t think he’s a complete pain in the arse. To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her.

Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental. Someone is attacking time travelers. As Bree and her temporal tagalong uncover seemingly unconnected clues—a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium—that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together. Knowledge only one other person has. Her future self.

But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her. In the past, present, or future. 

First off, wow. This book was great. To begin with, the pros of the book. 1, it was incredibly interesting. Just after reading the Goodreads Blurb. And even though I know that my love of time travel influenced this feeling, I would still recommend this book to people who don’t like time travel. It was that good.

One thing that I really liked about the book was how Bree brought Finn back with her (or more accurately, brought him forward, if that makes sense) to the 23rd century. I know it says she does this in the blurb, but I was still surprised. It was so different from what usually happens in other time travel books (the heroine has to stay back in the past, fix the problem, and then leaves). I was flabbergasted by this twist. But even when you put that aside, when Bree brought Finn forward, watching how amazed he was by the future was hilarious and insightful. When looking through just Bree’s point of view all the high tech gadgets you can’t get a clear insight of how cool they are because she’s used to all of it. But toss in Finn’s questions – some hilarious, some serious – and the reader is provided insight from a person who is a just a stranger to the futuristic world as the reader is. This definitely allowed me to truly appreciate the world that Karen Akins created.

This leads me to the second thing I really liked about this book: how great the world-building was. Everything’s changed, as one might expect buy jumping 200 years into the future. Just figuring out about all the cool techy gadgets and how they worked was mind-blowing. Like the grappling hook that Bree and Finn used– it seems like something totally boring, but the science has evolved to a point that once you read the book it seems so amazing. And this is just one of the neat devices that are used/described. Ms. Akins definitely did a fantastic job of building a new, cool world. And this may sound cheesy, but I definitely hope our future gadgets will match the ones described in the book.

Secondly, the plot. The adventures that Bree and Finn go on – heart stopping. The whole book was filled to the brim with action and adventure. How could it not be? The two of them have to figure out who’s the person who has been pulling the strings, and why. This one person who hurt Bree’s mom, who has every bit of information laid out at their feet, the person who is willing to kill to stop Bree from piecing it altogether – this person will stop at nothing. One thing about the plot that I had a problem with was the speed. Though this only happen a few times there were moments in the book where it was too rushed and the information was being thrown at the reader. Not only was this annoying, but it was extremely inconvenient. I had to go back and reread sections of the book to pick up on information that I hadn’t noticed at first.

A third thing I liked about the book were the emotions. Not the romance plot, I’ll discuss that later, but just the emotions that Bree felt as she was trying to figure out what her future self had to do with this entire mystery. And god, the moments when only Future Bree knew what was going on – the frustration that both Bree and I were feeling. Like, wow. Ms. Akins was playing with my emotions. Everything I felt was so sharp and so real. There were barely any moments when I had to guess at what Bree was feeling – her emotions were my emotions. There’s no simpler way to state it.

Now to the downsides of the book. One thing that I didn’t really like was the romance plot. The romance throughout the beginning and middle of the book was good. There were touching scenes and Bree was falling in love with Finn. It was sweet. But towards the end of the book where the romance plot reaches its climax, Ms. Alkins drops the ball and the romance is practically gone. It was incredibly disappointing. The whole book was extraordinary. It was fantastic, all except for the one part of the romance plot that matters the most – when Bree and Finn discuss how they feel. The romance plot was building up throughout the book – it was really good before the ending - and then it fell flat on its face. That was just a terrible, terrible thing to witness in such a good book. The other problem I had with this book also had to do with the ending. Basically as Ms. Akins wraps up the book her writing was being incredibly rushed. Some of what she said didn’t make sense or didn’t seem relevant – it was like a last minute scramble. She hadn’t drawn out the ending and hadn’t put in the details that were critical to explain how Bree and Finn figured out who was the culprit then the ending.

Basic things to keep in mind: this book is phenomenal in the beginning and middle. Once you get to the ending, the book basically dies. I had really high hopes for “Loop” and the conclusion just didn’t meet them. But besides the sad conclusion, the rest of the book was really good. I definitely recommend it to people who love time-travel or young adult. Keep an eye out for the next book in the series “Twist” which releases March 31st, 2015.



Thursday, January 8, 2015

Book Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers


Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Pages: 352
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads Blurb:

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

‘Alienated’ was a pretty interesting book. It’s a fun ad easy read. It isn’t overly complex to the point where you have to really think about what the author is saying, but it isn’t a light, mindless beach-read.

So let’s start off with all the things I really enjoyed about this book.

First, is the plot. As stated in the Goodreads Blurb, this book takes place in a regular town with a regular high school. And considering the fact that most new YA books all take place in some far off world, reading a book that is centered in a high school is definitely a plus side. Another fresh thing about ‘Alienated’ is the fact that this book isn’t about Cara and Aelyx having to go and fight a bunch of battles in some far off universe. Instead, the plot is mainly focused on the two protagonists of this book getting to really know each other, and in the end falling in love. But that doesn’t mean that this book is all sappy or that it lacks some mysteries. There are quite a few secrets between the two characters. Secrets that are more important than just the two of them: secrets that are important enough to destroy their worlds.

The second thing I really liked about this book was the romance plot. One thing I found quite exceptional about this was how it progressed. It wasn’t too fast and it wasn’t too slow; instead Ms. Landers includes a multitude of details about how Cara and Aelyx fall in love that were exceedingly fun to read and helped build up to the climax (of the romance plot), which was fantastic. I won’t say what happened but I will say this: it more than a little swoon-worthy. But the thing I liked the most about the romance plot was how Cara and Aelyx interacted with each other. In the beginning of the book both characters are more than a bit snooty, but slowly they start to warm up to  each other. In addition, considering that both characters were quick-witted and their banter was fun and entertaining really boosted the romance plot, and book, in my eyes.

Now on to the character analysis of Cara Sweeney, the heroine. She was fantastic. I found it extremely easy to relate to her. This may be for a multitude of reasons, two being that we both debate and we both blog. But besides that, Cara’s a nice, kind hard-working girl who isn’t afraid to play a little dirty. As soon as she accepts the opportunity to have Aelyx come over, she’s bombarded with insults from her own friends. Even the people she thought loved her are quick to turn. The fact that she’s willing to stick with what she believes in truly shows how determined she is.

And then there were the cons. Or really, con, since I had only one problem with this book. ‘Alienated’ was going along perfectly until the conclusion. Up till that point, Ms. Landers was going at a nice pace and was putting in a nice amount of details. For one, the pace at which the conclusion went was a bit too fast for my liking. Because of this, the ending was abrupt and left a lot of questions that the second book will have to answer. Ms. Landers could have definitely slowed down and fleshed out a few more details about the conclusion.

But in the end, ‘Alienated’ was a very satisfying book, and one of the best that released in 2014. It had a fantastic plot, a great romance and very interesting characters. I definitely recommend this book to people who like romances, young adult books or sci-fi. Keep an eye out for the next book in this series ‘Invaded’ which is releasing February 3rd, 2015.


Thursday, January 1, 2015

20 Books Releasing in January 2015

2014 is coming to a close, meaning that a whole new year’s set of books are soon coming out! Here is a list of 20 books releasing in January, 2015.  


Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Publisher: Knopf
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb :
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.


Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven

Title: Ensnared
Author: A. G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

Title: Fire Fall (Dark Star #3)
Author: Bethany Frenette
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
In the exciting conclusion to the Dark Star trilogy, Audrey Whitticomb is faced with a tough decision: save her people from the demons known as Harrowers, or save her best friend from certain death?

Audrey Whitticomb wants to be a Guardian like her superhero mom, Morning Star, and her superhot boyfriend, Leon. But at seventeen, Audrey still hasn't been called--unlike reluctant Tink, who'd rather not deal with all those scaly-skinned, red-eyed demons.

The truth: Audrey can no longer fight her fate. She has a different role to play.

The Beneath is waking. Demons are rising. Friends are falling. And the future is waiting. Will Audrey stop the Harrowing in time to save the Kin? Or will she save her best friend, Gideon, from certain death? Can Audrey find the power and the courage to act before it's too late?

Title: Firefight (Reckoners #2)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.

They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand. 

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. 

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

Title: Frostfire
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?
 

Title: Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2)
Author: Pierce Brown
Publisher: Random House
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Songuarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

Title: Hellhole
Author: Gina Damico
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
A devil is a bad influence . . . 

There was a time when geeky, squeaky-clean Max Kilgore would never lie or steal or even think about murder. Then he accidentally unearths a devil, and Max’s choices are no longer his own. The big red guy has a penchant for couch surfing and junk food—and you should never underestimate evil on a sugar high. 

With the help of Lore, a former goth girl who knows a thing or two about the dark side, Max is racing against the clock to get rid of the houseguest from hell before time, and all the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos this side of the fiery abyss, run out.

Title: Infected
Author: Sophie Littlefield
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
The race-against-the-clock feel of TV’s popular show 24 meets the action-packed romance of the film Run Lola Run. This high-concept teen thriller sends readers on the race of their lives.

Carina’s senior year is spiraling downward. Fast. Both her mother and her uncle, the only two family members she’s ever known, are dead. Their deaths were accidents, unfortunate results of the highly confidential research they performed for a national security organization. Or so she’s been told.

She’s not buying it. 

After finding a unique code hidden beneath the stone in a ring her mother left to her, Carina goes straight to the only family she has left: her boyfriend, Tanner.

The people Carina loved kept dangerous secrets. Secrets that make her question the life she’s been living up to now. Her life is on the line, but more importantly, so is Tanner’s. And if she fails? He dies.

Title: Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga #2)
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Publisher: Disney Press
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled-powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis. The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids can defeat it. To do so, they need to find magical talismans that belonged to the Six.

Serafina believes her talisman was buried with an old shipwreck. While researching its location, she is almost discovered by a death rider patrol led by someone familiar. . . . The pain of seeing him turned traitor is devastating.

Neela travels to Matali to warn her parents of the grave threat facing their world. But they find her story outlandish; a sign that she needs to be confined to her chamber for rest and recovery. She escapes and travels to Kandina, where her talisman is in the possession of fearsome razormouth dragons.

As they hunt for their talismans, both Serafina and Neela find reserves of courage and cunning they didn't know they possessed. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal, as shocking as a rogue wave.

Title: Save Me
Author: Jenny Elliott
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Date: January 6th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Debut-novelist Jenny Elliott’s thrilling romance, chosen by readers, writers, and publishers for the first list in the new Swoon Reads imprint, pours on the tension and danger in an addictive combination that will keep you turning pages!

Something strange is going on in the tiny coastal town of Liberty, Oregon. Cara has never seen a whale swim close enough for her to touch it—let alone knock her into the freezing water. Fortunately, cute newcomer David is there to save her, and the rescue leads to a bond deeper than Cara ever imagined.

But then she learns something about David that changes everything, and Cara is devastated. She turns to her best friend for support, but Rachel has changed. She’s suddenly into witchcraft, and is becoming dangerously obsessed with her new boyfriend….

Cara has lost her best friend, discovered that her soul mate is off limits, and has attracted the attention of a stalker. But she’s not completely alone. Her mysterious, gorgeous new friend Garren is there to support her. But is Garren possibly too perfect?


Title: Never Never
Author: Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
Publisher: Hoover Ink
Date: January 11th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen. Complete strangers since this morning.
He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget.

Title: The Conspiracy of Us
Author: Maggie Hall
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Date: January 13th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. 

They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle of Twelve, and Avery is their missing heir. If they discover who she is, some of them will want to use her as a pawn. Some will want her dead. 

To thwart their plans, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the landmarks of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul and through a web of ancient legends and lies. And unless she can stay one step ahead of beautiful, volatile Stellan, who knows she’s more than she seems, and can decide whether to trust mysterious, magnetic Jack, she may be doomed after all.

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Date: January 13th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Title: Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2)
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date: January 13th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Can your heart be put to a popular vote?

As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for capturing those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents' bitter divorce has left her wondering what a loving relationship would look like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody the “Perfect Couple That Never Was,” her friends have been on her case to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn’t lack in female admirers, but Harper can't see herself with him. He seems confused about why they were matched together, too. They’re total opposites—the last people in the world who would ever be compatible, let alone the “perfect couple.” Yet ever since the class paired the two of them, they've found themselves drawn together--first by curiosity, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they're very attracted to each other and both of them admit this, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating clearly. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But after they walk away, both of them feel so changed from making the effort that they can’t forget each other. What if that means this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

Title: Unmade (Entangled #2)
Author: Amy Rose Capetta
Publisher: Houghton Miffin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
Date: January 13th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Cadence is in a race against time and space to save her family and friends from the Unmakers, who are tracking the last vestiges of humanity across the cosmos. As the epic battle begins, Cade learns that letting people in also means letting them go. The universe spins out of control and Cade alone must face the music in the page-turning conclusion to Entangled.





Title: The Prey
Author: Tom Isbell
Publisher: Harper Teen
Date: January 20th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
A hot debut trilogy and a riveting story of survival, courage, and romance in a future where creating a master civilization is the only thing prized, no matter the method. After the Omega (the end of the end), 16 year old guys known as LTs discover their overseers are raising them not to be soldiers (lieutenants) as promised, but to be sold as bait because of their Less Than status and hunted for sport. They escape and join forces with a girls’ camp, the Sisters, who have been imprisoned and experimented on for the "good of the Republic," by a government eager to use twins in their dark research. In their plight for freedom, these heroes must find the best in themselves to fight against the worst in their enemies.

Title: A Cold Legacy (The Madman’s Daughter #3)
Author: Megan Sheperd
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date: January 27th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.

Title: All Fall Down
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date: January 27th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Grace can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay - in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

Title: Chaos (Fates #2)
Author: Lanie Bross
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date: January 27th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:
Can they change their destiny?

They kissed only once—and it was electric, like the air before a storm. But Corinthe and Luc broke the rules of the universe, and learned too late that their love would have consequences. In the dizzying aftermath, Luc refuses to accept his destiny—not if it means a life without Corinthe. As a fire rages through the Crossroads that connect worlds, Luc must find a way to turn back time and save Corinthe once and for all.

Meanwhile, Luc's 15-year-old sister Jasmine starts to realize things are not as they seem when time begins stuttering, sending her everyday life in San Francisco spinning into chaos. She’s thrown into the path of Ford, a troubled soul with a secret past, who helps her unravel the mysterious threads that connect them all.

Two breathtaking romances interweave across time in this story of what lies on the other side of Fate, as both Jas and Luc discover the incredible lengths they will go for love.

Title: Tear You Apart
Author: Sarah Cross
Publisher: Egmont
Date:  January 27th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...