Release: Hide and Seek by Sara Shepard

My friends and I used to play lying games.

Now my twin sister is living one.

When I was alive, my family seemed picture-perfect. My adoptive parents adored me, and my little sister, Laurel, copied my every move. But now that my long-lost twin, Emma, has taken my place to solve my murder, we’re both learning just how flawed my family really is.

Laurel is shooting Emma nasty looks and sneaking around with my ex-boyfriend. And it turns out my parents are keeping a huge secret—could it be the reason I’m dead?

How far would they go to keep the truth buried? No one can harm me now, but Emma is still fair game. And if she’s not careful, she’ll end up buried, too. . . .

Release: Endlessly by Kiersten White

Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal.

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

Genre: adventure
Series and Book #: Gallagher Girl Series #5
Pages: 294
Summary:

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan—an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an Alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and will stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

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There is a reason I love this author, this series, and pretty much everything Gallagher Girl. Because it's freaking awesome!

First, Carter did an amazing job of writing Cammie's amnesia. This is going to sound really weird, but there was so much mystery. Of course, Cammie couldn't remember what happened, but neither could anyone else. This lead to a race around the world to figure out where Cammie was and what she was doing before the Circle of Cavan could strike again. And they did, and Cammie went all kick ass ninja. Leading to more chasing and adventuring and everything spy!

Cammie and Zach's romance has never been the biggest part of the Gallagher Girl Series, but I think that it was more touched upon in this novel because of Cammie's amnesia and her running away. Like Cammie's friends, Zach was affected when she left, and you see this whole new side to him. More compassionate and protective. For the rest of her friends, everything was mostly the same, except Cammie never got any time alone.

Overall, Carter amped up the adventure and suspense. Since Cammie doesn't know anything about what happened for the past four months she doesn't know why the Circle is after her this time and she doesn't know who else could be after her. Also, the amount of mystery was crazy! First the song that she keeps hearing, then her father's journal that's suddenly gone missing, and when she figures out where she's been.... It was so much fun connecting the pieces with Cammie. Omigod, when will the next one be out!?

The Cover: Hidden identity: out of sight. Running away: out of time.

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Genre: science fiction
Series and Book #: Darkness Rising Trilogy #2
Pages: 326
Summary:

Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connection with animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

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The Calling was jam packed with action and suspense! It just kept coming! Armstrong left nothing for review as she jumped the reader from action scene to action scene.

I loved the mixture of mythology Armstrong intertwined with the novel. Not only Maya's skin-walker heritage, but also Daniel and Sam's banadanti ancestors. That plus the science made this a unique clash of traditional and modern beliefs.

Maya is such a complex character who is always willing to make sacrifices for her friends. Unlike other heroines, she's also willing to accept that she did something wrong, and that she can fix it. She's a nice, head-strong girl that makes this story even more interesting, because you know that Maya will never go down without a fight.

Overall, this was kind of the awkward second book when nothing truly happens. The best part about this, that will fuel my need for the final book The Rising, is that Armstrong is going to bring Maya and Chloe together! :D *dances with joy* I can't wait to see how she mixes the two trilogies!

The Cover: I love how the model is staring at the reader, as if she's daring them.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Genre: science fiction
Series and Book #: Across the Universe Trilogy #2
Pages: 386
Summary:

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He’s finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

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I find that these books are very hard to get into. But once the action starts, and the mystery begins, it's easy to fall headfirst into the story.

Amy got so whiny at the end of the book. And Elder still didn't believe in his leadership! The roles reversed themselves. At the beginning, Amy was fine and Elder was uncertain. At the end, Amy was whiny and Elder was strong. Their dynamic is still interesting. Unlike most stories, Elder and Amy are not star crossed lovers. They've got their problems and Revis addresses them during the story.

I love space. Astronomy has always interested me. Revis obviously loves it just as much because the way she wrote the beauty of the stars was excellent. Both Elder and Amy were fascinated by them, and the sparse moments when they saw them, the writing came alive and it took my breath away.

Overall, I really liked the character changes that came without Phydus. It was interesting to see how Elder acted when he saw disobedient citizens. Reality check the hard way. I understood what Amy wanted to do with freedom and everything, but Godspeed isn't America and it's not made of people who have grown up with what's right and wrong. She bugged me because she didn't understand that. But other than that...the mysterious deaths were a surprise. The romance between Elder and Amy blew up eventually (YAY!). Which begs the question, what will happen in Shades of Earth? What's on the new planet? How are they going to deal with it? WILL AMY'S PARENTS FINALLY WAKE UP? The suspense is killing me!

The Cover: Lovely, like the first. It's very reminiscent of the end, when they can both see the stars, and they're leaving for an unknown world.

Cover Reveal: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Guyzzzz!!! Look at this! Cassandra Clare revealed the cover of the final novel in her Infernal Devices trilogy, Clockwork Princess. Isn't it just gorgeous?! I can't wait to have it on my shelf next March! It comes out March 19, 2013.

Thanks to Midnight Bloom Reads, first for alerting me to the cover and then providing the image. Check her out! www.midnightbloomreads.com 

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: Cahill Witch Chronicles #1
Pages: 330
Summary:

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word…especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill sisters aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

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I was hesitant of this book. I don't read a lot about witches because mostly what I see is the same: girls are witches, they need to keep it a secret, and usually they're evil. But this was different. Cate wasn't my favorite character, but the depth of the story was extremely intriguing. Spotswood shocked me with the plot twists!

Cate just couldn't let go. She couldn't marry Paul because he'd be too far away, she couldn't do anything new or exciting because it would risk revealing their magic, and she couldn't let go of the promise she made to her mother. Of course, she should have kept that promise, but letting it dominate her life was overkill. Tess was my favorite character because she was smart and she knew what to do. Cate worried too much and Maura was a hot-head who was self-involved.

Overall, not only were the characters complex, but the story itself was remarkable. Not only that there were more secrets than Cate (and I, the reader) expected but the prophecy wasn't what I expected. I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel to see what Spotswood is going to do and what the Cahill girls are going to do. I hope there will be more Finn, and much more magic and mayhem!

The Cover: Gothic and lovely. The roses were an excellent add for Cate's love of her mother's garden. It's also dark, which gives the mood throughout the novel. One wrong step and you're dead.

Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter

Genre: paranormal
Series and Book #: Shadow Falls #2
Pages: 383
Summary:

Step into the world of Shadow Falls, a camp that helps teens tap into their special…talents. Once you visit, you’ll never forget it—and you’ll never, ever be the same.

From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies, and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she knew who she was supposed to save. And how…

But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.

Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything Kylie holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

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I wish that Hunter had wrote more about the paranormal stuff than Kylie's personal problems. But it's also a relief from the usually dark paranormal romance types. Hunter's making a series that does focus on paranormal, but it's also mixed with humor, friendship, and an excellent love angle.

LUCAS IS BACK! Don't get me wrong, Derek is great and all, but LUCAS! I will take sexy smokin' hot werewolf any day. *Faints from extreme love of book boys*

Overall, we've gotten a half step closer to discovering what Kylie is, a love angle that's getting more tangled by the chapter, and a dash of mystery and adventure that's giving the book bite. I cannot wait for Taken at Dusk! More Lucas, more mystery, more Shadow Falls!

The Cover: Pretty.... The colors (and the metallic sheen that you can't see in the picture) is eye-catching and beautiful.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: The Iron Fey #4
Pages: 360
Summary:

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feeling the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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Ah-ma-zing! This was a beautiful and emotional roller coaster through enchanted lands and forgotten places that finished off a creative series. Ash's voice was refreshing--his unfailing love for Meghan made the novel stand out from the rest, because we can finally see what Ash's feelings are while Meghan made tough choices.

Kagawa was brilliant as usual. Her books are imaginative and they take place in worlds that other faerie authors don't focus on. This book was no different. I loved the Deep Never, the forgotten faeries, the river of dreams.... Her writing is very descriptive. It takes you into the story rather than just reading the words.

Overall, this was a beautiful end to a wonderful series. The adventures Ash had to accomplish in order to reach Meghan was excellently written and a unique idea. Kagawa remains one of my favorite writers for the life she pumps into every story!

The Cover: LOOOOOVE it!