Waiting On Wednesday (16)

FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS | DIANA PETERFREUND | BALZER + BRAY | JUNE 12th, 2012

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.
But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen’s PERSUASION, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

THAT COVER. AND THAT SUMMARY. AND THAT TITLE. Gah, so much love.

Happy Reading!

Daughter of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor

Who: Laini Taylor
What: Daughter of Smoke And Bone
When: September 27th, 2011
Where: Little Brown
Why: Premise
How: For Review (BEA)

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The plot was astounding. The whole idea behind Brimstone's shop and the wishes and the teeth was so beautifully constructed and woven into Laini's writing that I find myself wanting to look for Brimstone's store myself even though it kind of sounds scary as hell! Maybe i'd just peek inside, I don't want to have to wear one of Issa's scary snakes around my neck. The hidden world in the back of Brimstone's shop was also completely unbelievable and everything that went into it: the chimera myths and the angels and the war? I loved every second of it. AND THE SETTING? Urgh, I want to go to Prague so bad. The whole time I was reading this, my sister knew it was set in Prague and she kept telling me stuff about the city when she'd gone and I was just like: I hate you.

Karou was so kickass, guys. She was funny and fierce but she was also vulnerable and, like Akiva once said, had this sad loneliness about her that made me just want to jump into the book and give her a bear hug. But when things get bad, she doesn't cringe in fear of it! Instead, she bursts out of her shell and becomes this total BAMF, determined to do what she needs to do to find Brimstone and find out that exactly she saw behind that door. I love her courage and also just the way she spoke to people. She always sounded so sure of herself and confident and you guys know I love heroines like that that take charge, even if they're feeling lost. Zuzanna was an awesome best friend and like a true best friend, stuck by Karou no matter how crazy things got! I thought Kaz was hilarious and so full of himself that he provided some funny moments, particularly the opening scene!

Laini's writing is one of those that speak to my soul (a la Maggie Stiefvater, Lauren DeStefano) and her prose was magnificent. The descriptions of Prague and the Other World (which has a name but it's escaping me) were lush and beautiful and seriously made me feel like I was there. Also: the book is divided into three parts by these little sections that give a taste of the story and I loooooved that. One example being:

Gorgeous! And finally, we have the love story. Karou and Akiva were...strange in a good way. They fell together in such a fashion that I didn't know how I felt about the two of them together. I felt the tension and the attraction but it was all rushed and random but THEN. Then everything is revealed. And when you find out everything you find out, their romance is beautiful and lovely and I want more!

Overall? Recommend!
Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox 58

Hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren

For Review:
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Bought:
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

+ Awesome Pledge Swag

Happy Reading!

YA WATCH (4)

COVER NEWS:

TRISH DOLLER | SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL | BLOOMSBURY | JUNE 19th 2012

OPINION? KISSY COVER OH MY GOD. But at least it's not too visible and doesn't irritate me as much.

A powerful debut novel about a young Marine's return home from Afghanistan and the new life and love he finds while fending off the ghosts of war.

When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and the way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.

His sense of humor, sense of his own strength, and incredible sense of honor make Travis an irresistible and eminently lovable hero in this fantastic and timely debut novel.

SARAH BETH DURST | VESSEL | SIMON AND SCHUSTER | SEPTEMBER 11th, 2012

OPINION? I love this cover. Love the colors and the girl and the scarf billowing out and the text and EVERYTHING.

In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.

BRIDGET KEMMERER | STORM |  KENSINGTON | APRIL 24th, 2012

OPINION? this looks like the cover of a book about a Boy Band or something...not a fan. 

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . . .

DEAL NEWS:

all information comes from either Publisher's Weekly or the author's blog.

Tessa Gratton has signed a three-book, six-figure deal with Suzy Capozzi at Random House Children’s Books for a new YA trilogy. Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the world rights deal for Gratton; the series is called the Songs of New Asgard. The series presents an alternate history of the U.S. in which the country was founded on elements of Norse religions, and gods walk among humans, with some maintaining powerful positions in the government. Rennert said Gratton’s inspiration was, in large part, her own translation of Beowulf. The first book, Weight of Stars, follows two teenagers who embark on a cross-country search for a missing god. As the kids travel through the United States of Asgard they encounter, as Rennert put it, “smalltown zealots, trickster gods, and sadistic field trolls.” Gratton’s YA debut, Blood Magic, was published by RH Children’s in May 2011, and the companion book to that title, The Blood Keeper, is coming out in August 2012.

AH! I'm so excited for this, it sounds awesome. You knows how I love mythology!

NYT, WSJ, and USA Today bestselling author Ally Carter's sixth and final novel in the Gallagher Girls series, and the third novel in the Heist series, to Stephanie Owens Lurie and Cat Onder at Disney-Hyperion.

I loved Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter, the second book in the Heist Society Series, SO BAD! I can't wait for the third book for more Kat & Hale! And this sixth Gallagher Girls Book WILL be the last one!

In a six-figure, two-book acquisition, Tamra Tuller at Philomel took world rights to the next two YA titles from its current author, Ruta Sepetys. (Philomel released Sepetys’s debut, Between Shades of Gray, in March.) Agent Ken Wright, at Writers House, brokered the new deal for Sepetys, and the first novel, which is set near the end of WWII and is currently untitled, follows a family aboard the doomed ocean liner the Wilhelm Gustloff, which was sunk by a Soviet submarine as it was carrying thousands of European refugees trying to escape war-torn Europe. Wright said that Sepetys, who had family members aboard the ship, will draw from personal histories for the novel.

Between Shades of Gray was one of my favorite books this year so i'm quite excited!

In a six-figure, two-book pre-empt, Molly O’Neill at HarperCollins’s Katherine Tegen Books bought North American rights to Hilary Smith’s YA debut, Midnight at the Radio Temple. Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the auction for O’Neill and said the novel, which is scheduled for summer 2013, is a coming-of-age story about a teenage musician who uncovers shocking family secrets during “an unforgettable summer of love and chaos, music and madness.” Smith was behind the formerly anonymous publishing blog, The Intern (www.internspills.blogspot.com), in which she chronicled toiling away as an unpaid laborer in the editorial department at a nameless publishing house; the blog became something of an industry phenomenon in 2009, drawing, at its height, 10,000 visits per month.

I LOVE HER BLOG! So excited for this!

MOVIE NEWS:

all movie information comes from the awesome site, Page To Premiere. 
" BEAUTIFUL CREATURES movie is now underway! A script has been written, casting is starting this week, and it's set to start shooting April 2012! "

How exciting!

And that's actually all for this week! See you next week on YA WATCH.
Happy Reading!

Another One Bites The Dust: Keep Your Side Characters!

So i've been thinking about Vampire Diaries a lot lately (but this isn't going to be a post about it, don't worry! YET!) But that got me to thinking about side characters. Because I feel like the show does such an amazing job of intertwining different subplots between characters (evident by the fact my favorite plot line is not Elena's, but Caroline's) and as always, my brain is wired to think about books no matter what the subject:

Acute triangles? LOVE TRIANGLES. Cellular Respiration? OH MY GOD [INSERT BOOK HERE] COMES OUT TOMORROW! Black Plague? I WONDER WHAT DYSTOPIAN I'M GOING TO READ NEXT.

I feel like side characters are an important part of any story and if you do it right, you can incorporate them flawlessly into a story and still give them a voice!

sidenote: not in the way TV shows can, obviously. Unless it's told in Third Person, you can't really have more than one plot line going on and that's alright! But this is something I totally hate:

1. WHEN THE BEST FRIEND DISAPPEARS

Ummm...remember her/him? That kid you've known since you were in diapers that sat next to you in lunchduring Kindergarten and pushed all the bullies that tried to bother you? YEAH THEY ARE STILL ALIVE. I hate hate hate when the Heroine discover her TRUE PATH/LOVE OF HER LIFE and suddenly, it's like they're the only two characters! WHA? No! I understand you can't tell them but dude, don't just pretend your friends don't even exist!

And then the Best Friend tells her something and the Heroine starts complaining and i'm like WELL THEY SHOULD TELL YOU YOU'RE A SUCKY FRIEND.

An example of this that really stood out to me was in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. Jamie. Jamie was Mara's first friend when she moved to her new school and was super sweet and tutored her and was funny and awesome and halfway through the book...WHO'S JAMIE? He just..disappears. You can't just bring in a character and then once he's done serving his purpose, make him disappear!

THIS ISN'T THE MAFIA.

And something I do like?

2. WHEN A BEST FRIEND SERVES A PURPOSE IN THE STORY

My favorite example of this is Hanna from Delirium by Lauren Oliver. If it wasn't for Hanna, Lena's story wouldn't even exist. Hanna is the one that drags her to the party thing that made Lena meet Alex and sent her on this whirlwind quest of love and awesomeness.

And does Hanna disappear? Nope! Hanna sticks around throughout the entire novel, helping Alex and Lena as well as just being a good best friend and being happy for Lena and her new discoveries of love and such. This is what I want to see more of! Side characters (also like Puck from The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa, Jenna from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, etcc) that have their own back stories and contribute to the story and make me want to be their best friends.

And even if the heroine is being a bad friend, stick by then as much as they can.

Here's another post on Best Friends if you haven't seen it by me: Best Friends: You're Doing It Wrong.

Happy Reading!