Releases: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, A Beautiful Dark, If I Die

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

 

It can.

 

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

 

There is.

 

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

 
She's wrong.

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
 

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

 

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

 

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

 

Anything.

--------

Great selection today. We've got one of my Top Ten picks for 2011 (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer), a new read that's gotten great reviews (A Beautiful Dark), and the continuation of the Soul Screamers Series, whick I've only read the first one of, but it was a good first novel! Be sure to check these out!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 310
Synopsis:

Will Grayson, meet Will Grayson

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers cross paths. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, culminating in heroic turns-of-heart and the most epic musical ever to grace the high school stage.

--------

John Green and David Levithan have created a story that is uniquely theirs, and has two different but alike characters, both named Will Grayson.

Will Grayson #1, or o.w.g, was confused and unsure about who he was and what he wanted. He was also mad at himself for messing up his relationship with his Group of Friends, and being stuck with Tiny Cooper (his not-so-tiny gay best friend), and Tiny's fellow Gay-Straight Alliance friends. Will Grayson #2 is seriously pessimistic and depressed, but he has Isaac, a boy he's met on the Internet, to cling to. And that's what's keeping him afloat, while o.w.g's float is Tiny. But when o.w.g and Will Grayson #2 meet, things start to come undone for them and the rules they've built for themselves start to become obsolete as they're lives smash together, and they stop not-feeling.

This book had many, many strengths (including the final chapters with the musical) but the swearing was overpowering, if not unnecessary. I understand that cursing is required to put a point across with more force than someone would usually use, but to use it as often as John and David did, I thought it was needless.

Overall, John Green writes in the usual, poetic way he has, and David Levithan (although I don't think I've read any of his previous novels) makes Will Grayson #2 come across as the person he thought he was, and the transformation was subtle enough that I thought it was nonexistent. Even though the beginning was rocky, and I had trouble looking past the constant swearing, I loved the end and the message it sent: be yourself, no matter who you are.

The Cover: I thought the lights catch the reader's eye, and the Will Grayson's were right to be nearly blending. 

Releases This Week

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (September 20)

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey (September 20)

It was a beautiful, warm summer day, the day Danny died.

Suddenly Wren was alone and shattered. In a heartbroken fury, armed with dark incantations and a secret power, Wren decides that what she wants—what she must do—is to bring Danny back.

But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy Wren fell in love with. His touch is icy; his skin, smooth and stiff as marble; his chest, cruelly silent when Wren rests her head against it.

Wren must keep Danny a secret, hiding him away, visiting him at night, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school, and Wren realizes that somehow, inexplicably, he can sense the powers that lie within her—and that he knows what she has done. And now Gabriel wants to help make things right.

But Wren alone has to undo what she has wrought—even if it means breaking her heart all over again.

Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen (September 20)

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.

After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.

Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.

Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly.

--------

The Girl of Fire and Thorns sounds like an interesting, suspenseful, romantic, dystopian read with unique qualities.

Cold Kiss sounds like other books I've read before, if not a bit creepy. This seems like a novel for a chilly winter day.

Beautiful Days, the sequel to Bright Young Things (which I still need to read) sounds just as great as the prequel. I love the 1920's, and I really liked Anna's novel The Luxe, so these sound amazing!

Daily Dose (34)

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share photos we've found on the Internet.

Release: Away (The Line #2) by Teri Hall

After crossing the Line, Rachel finds herself in a world where survival is never guaranteed - a world where bizarre creatures roam the woods and people have strange abilities. Everything has gone to ruin Away and the survivors have banded into warring clans. Rachel finds her father being held prisoner by a tribe of Others, and she and her new friends set out to rescue him. But when they cross back over the Line, Rachel and Pathik make a foolish decision, bringing them into further danger that can only be resolved with an unthinkable sacrifice.

--------

I have yet to read the prequel to Away, titled The Line, but I can't wait to see what its about. I always enjoy reading dystopian novels just because they're always thrilling, paranormal whirlwinds filled with action and romance. Can't wait to see if this is as great as it looks!

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 245
Synopsis:

How far would you go?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seemed determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far…and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge—and over….

--------

Jennifer Echols first novel was a stunner! The characters were complex and the romance was sizzling. Going Too Far set my expectations for her other novels very high.

Meg wasn't just your average bad girl gone good. She had reasons for her actions, and she didn't speak those reasons until the middle of the novel. John was also much different than I expected him to be. Just like Meg, he had reasons for his attachment to the bridge and his staying in his small town. Each deal with their reasons differently, Meg falling into her reputation as the messed up chick and John becoming an officer. They both helped each other see their predicaments from different perspectives, making the novel not just about their romance but also about dealing pain, fear, and loss.

Overall, I've read reviews of Jennifer Echols books before, and I had high expectations for all of her novels. I read Going Too Far first, because it is her first novel. I was relieved when I finished reading and had a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach, so happy for Meg and John. Jennifer's first novel was a winner, and I'm going to be anticipating any other novels she dishes out.

The Cover: LOVE IT! PERFECT! Goodness, I've always like Jennifer's covers. They portray the books so well!

Releases: You Have Seven Messages, Blood Wounds, Fateful, & So Silver Bright

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

It's been a year since Luna's mother, the fashion-model wife of a successful film director, was hit and killed by a taxi in the East Village. Luna, her father, and her little brother, Tile, are still struggling with grief.

When Luna goes to clean out her mother's old studio, she's stunned to find her mom's cell phone there—charged and holding seven unheard messages. As Luna begins to listen to them, she learns more about her mother's life than she ever wanted to know . . . and she comes to realize that the tidy tale she's been told about her mother's death may not be the whole truth. 


Blood Wounds by Susen Beth Pfeffer

Blood can both wound and heal . . .

Willa is lucky: She has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa’s peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother. Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself been a lie? But as Willa sets out to untangle the mysteries of her past, she also keeps her own secret—one that has the potential to tear apart all she holds dear.


Fateful by Claudia Gray

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.


So Silver Bright (Theatre Illuminata #3) by Lisa Mantchev

All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family—and the Theatre Illuminata—from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate.