Waiting on Wednesday - Always, Forever

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Nothing is as it seems in this darkly romantic tale of infatuation and possession, inspired by Daphne du Maurier’sRebecca.

Becca was the perfect girlfriend: smart, gorgeous, and loved by everyone at New England’s premier boarding school, Thorn Abbey. But Becca’s dead. And her boyfriend, Max, can’t get over his loss.

Then Tess transfers to Thorn Abbey. She’s shy, insecure, and ordinary—everything that Becca wasn’t. And despite her roommate’s warnings, she falls for brooding Max.

Now Max finally has a reason to move on. Except it won’t be easy. Because Becca may be gone, but she’s not quite ready to let him go…

Who doesn't want to let go of a loved one when the break up was so sudden and tragic?  What's a little haunting between lovers?  At the time of this posting, Thorn Abbey was the title of this book but it may have been changed to Always, Forever.

- Christinabean

Fragments by Dan Wells

Published: February 26th, 2013

Publisher: Balzer and Bray

Pages: 576

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Author Dan Wells is back with the sequel to the sci-fi blockbuster Partials, which Pittacus Lore called a "thrilling sci-fi adrenaline rush, with one of the most compelling and frightening visions of Earth's future I've seen yet."

After discovering the cure for RM, Kira Walker sets off on a terrifying journey into the ruins of postapocalyptic America and the darkest desires of her heart in order to uncover the means—and a reason—for humanity's survival.

Dan Wells extends his richly imagined, gritty world and introduces new memorable characters in this second installment in the Partials Sequence.

'Fragments' is the second book in the Partials sequence, which for some reason I missed when it came out last year.  When I noticed that the third book 'Ruins' was due out in March I figured I'd best get my running shoes on and catch up.  And Oh, it was such fun.  Now as you can see from the page count, 'Fragments' is not for the faint at heart.  It is a long book, that requires a fair time commitment, but it is well worth it. 

The whole premise behind the Partials strikes a chord of fear in my heart.  Genetic manipulation is something that we are starting to take for granted - certainly when it comes to our food sources anyway - and it really doesn't seem that far fetched to be 'producing' alternate humans.  As this story progresses and we begin to realise just exactly how much manipulation is going on, I could feel my pulse increase and I started to feel quite uncomfortable.  I guess it seems all too plausible for me.

Kira has gone off on her own into the ruins, Samm is god knows where.  Marcus is on the run and Haru is trying to keep the rest of civilization alive.  Every new revelation leads to more and more questions and the solutions seem farther and farther away.  I loved the uncertainty of everything in this book.  Partials are fighting humans, are fighting partials, are fighting other partials, are fighting guerilla's and so on and so forth.  Everyone is trying to find answers and yet no-one seems to be finding anything. 

I really enjoyed Fragments.  Time is slipping away for everyone and it almost felt like they were under a stop watch.  What is going to happen in 8 months?  Are the partials going to be saved or not? Is there going to be a cure for humanity or is it really going to be the end for everyone?

All I can say is thank goodness I have Ruins set up and ready to read.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027—she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies—and wakes up a hundred years later, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened.

The future isn't all she had hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better world?

Award-winning author Karen Healey has created a haunting, cautionary tale of an inspiring protagonist living in a not-so-distant future that could easily be our own.

Back in March I received While We Run from the publisher and realized that I did not have a copy of book #1 to start with...so I purchased the e-book from Kobo so I could start the series.  I try not to start a series in the middle...it happens sometimes but not very often.  What's on your shelf this week?

- Christinabean

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

 

Published: December 13, 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Pages: 371

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

Review:

I guess since I started reading this one with very few expectations, I can't say that it didn't live up to them, but unfortunately, it did fall sadly short for me.  I never did feel really engaged with the characters and Grayson mainly managed to irritate me.  I think that was because he reminded me of an old acquaintance to be honest but his sense of entitlement irritated me.  Wren seemed like a nice girl, with a strong sense of family responsibility, but again, I just didn't connect.

The setting itself is a little different, the story was kind of cute and the romance is sweet with several moments where I smiled at the humor but my final feeling is basically a solid 'not bad, but not great.' Sadly, it just did not amaze -however, I did see the appeal for younger teens and I'm sure I'll find several takers at work.

Friday Follow

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Have any pets? Tell us or show us

Yes.  We have two.  This is Jake, our dog.  He is 1/2 Sheltie and 1/2 American Eskimo.  Unfortunately, he is kind of skiddish....guess that's why I've never seen any others like him.  :)

I have featured him before so I'll skip to our next pet.  We have a very annoying and occasionally lovable Bengal cat named Blaze.  He is part domestic cat and part Asian leopard.  He has lots of beautiful spots on his belly.  He is...well...challenging at times but still part of the family.  Don't let the cuteness factor fool you...he is LOUD and everything is "all about him"....wait a minute, isn't that how all cats are?

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Geography of You and Me

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

This title is already out but I wanted to make mention of it.  Especially since the inspiration for the story occurred during the 2003 blackout that covered 9300 square miles across the USA and Canada.  I was a part of that and remember trying to eat up whatever was in the fridge that would spoil first, bbq'ing and enjoying time with my family without electronics.  We should have more blackouts and call it family cohesion....or (for those who don't get along with family) the 215th season of Survivor.

- Christinabean

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

I just finished book #1 - Shadow and Bone and I LOVED IT!!  So of course I bought book #2 right away...look for my review shortly...

- Christinabean

Shout Out to Indies - The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan AND The Wish by Dominic Affleck

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here is this week's pick

 

Originally published: October 2012

Pages: 298

Summary: Goodreads

Enter a hidden world of magic, mystery, danger and romance in this YA fantasy from Amazon bestselling author, Rachel Morgan...

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamor follows her into the Fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the Fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

[This novel was originally published in four separate parts: Guardian, Labyrinth, Traitor and Masquerade. It includes bonus scenes at the end that were not published in the individual parts.]

Rachel had this to say when we asked her why she writes for YA

I love writing YA because I love writing about firsts. When you’ve kissed someone hundreds of times, it’s not that exciting anymore, but the first time . . . Well, it’s a kiss to remember, for good or for bad! The first time someone holds your hand, the first date you go on, the first time your heart is broken, the first time you sneak out of the house to do something you shouldn’t . . . Life goes on and you can forget what these things feel like, but pick up a YA book and an author can make you remember exactly what that moment felt like when you were first there. 

For our second choice this week:



Published: April 26th, 2014

Troubled schoolboy’s life becomes even more challenging after he accidentally acquires dark magical powers, in teacher’s exciting Young Adult fiction debut.

“If you could have your very own wish, what would it be?”
When fifteen year old Jamie Lomax moves from London to the countryside, he is plagued by the usual anxieties of fitting in, making new friends, and talking to girls. After he inadvertently offends Spencer, the school bully — who threatens to make Jamie’s life a misery — things get even worse. When Jamie finds himself stuck at home one weekend, sheltering from his new tormentor and the rain, he come across a mysterious glass orb which seems effervescent with life. He soon discovers that the artefact has magical powers; powers only he can activate. Jamie learns from his enigmatic grandmother that whoever has the ability to unlock the orb’s magic must use their powers to help five other people. In return, they will be granted a single wish. Though drawn by such temptation, Jamie discovers that the price of failure is high: he risks losing his soul forever.

Before Jamie has a chance to even consider whom he might help, he accidentally activates the orb and finds himself face-to-face with a sinister figure, known only as The Warrior. He is the orb’s original owner and the malevolent force behind its power, who will come to claim Jamie’s soul should he fail to complete his quest within one month. Will Jamie be able to complete five good deeds before his time runs out? How will he know who really needs his help? And, if he does succeed, what will be his only wish?

We asked the author why he writes for a YA audience:


I've always written stories, but really took up the habit at university. I wrote stories with children for one of my dissertations and have carried on ever since. I have notebooks full of ideas ready to make a break for freedom one day. The Wish was one of those ideas that took a life of its own.

 

As I teach children how to write creatively, I wanted to give something back. Young people don't have the experience of life that we as adults do, but their ideas are priceless and my job is to help them learn the skills of storytelling. In my book, I'd like to think that children and teenagers would enjoy the language and the very idea that they could be granted a wish.

  

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Wish-D-S-Affleck/dp/1910162310

 

Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

Published: January 2014

Publisher: Harliquin Teen

Pages: 304

Copy Provided by: NetGalley:

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. ESPECIALLY not boys.

Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be.

Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means.

Review:

Right from the beginning this novel screams awkward tension within your BFF relationship.  Cardinal sin #1 is to stay away from your BFF's boyfriend.  Every girl knows it but in Anything to Have You, the story unfolds so carefully and slowly that the relationship between Natalie and Aiden is subtle.  I definitely saw the foreshadowing Ms. Harbison used for the future events which would dictate the direction and flow of the novel but there were still some surprises.  

About 1/2 way through the story, the narrating voice switched from Natalie to Brooke.  We were able to see the real motivation behind Brooke's seemingly perfect fun personality and her character gained more depth.  I felt more empathy towards her and her situation.

I liked Aiden as a character as well but I wished we could have learned a bit more about him.  

Ultimately, this would be a great read for young women who have strong relationships with their best girlfriends.  Put yourself in Natalie or Brooke's shoes and ask yourself - What would I do? Paige Harbison nailed the relationship dynamics we have between women and our men.  Bravo!

Sex, language and subject content is why I would recommend this read to an older teen audience.  

The Black Butterfly by Shirley Reva Vernick

 

Published: May 6th, 2014

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press

Pages: 226

Copy: Publisher through Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads 

Penny is furious, and who can blame her? She has to spend Christmas break alone at the Black Butterfly, an old inn at the coldest, bleakest edge of America—the coast of Maine. This "vacation" is the brainchild of Penny's flaky mother, who's on the other side of the country hunting ghosts. Penny most definitely does not believe in spirits. Or love. Or family. Until, that is, she discovers two very real apparitions which only she can see…and meets George, the handsome son of the inn's owner…and crashes into some staggering family secrets. If only Ghost Girl didn't want Penny dead. If only George were the tiniest bit open to believing. If only she could tell her mother. Then maybe this could still be a vacation. But it's not. It's a race for her life, her first love, and her sanity.

Shirley Reva Vernick is rapidly becoming the new hot item in young adult fiction. Her first novel, The Blood Lie, won the Simon Wiesenthal Children's Book Award, was silver medalist for the Sydney Taylor Book Award, and was an ALA 2012 Best Book for Young Adults. Her second novel, Remember Dippy—a feel good adventure about a fourteen-year-old boy shepherding his older autistic cousin through his summer vacation—was released in spring 2013 and won the Dolly Gray Literature Award from the Council For Exceptional Children. This time around, Shirley wanted to let loose with a page-turning coming-of-age romance mixed with ghosts and adventure. Shirley is the creator of the much visited storytelling website storybee.org. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Penny arrives at the Black Butterfly Inn mad at her mother and the world and seemingly determined not to give anyone a break.  I could understand why she was mad at her mother, but that didn't make her behavior any more palatable for me.  She did redeem herself a little as the story went on, but not quite enough.  Her almost insta love with George was another factor that puzzled me.  When she first met him, she was utterly unimpressed, then wham, all we hear about are his dimples and nice eyes.  Still, in the end I was able to accept it, so it can't have been all bad.

The ghosts?  Well, look at the cover of the book - does it say scary ghost story to you?  The Black Butterfly was a quick and easy read that unfortunately never quite hit the 'creepy' scale for me.  Perhaps it is written for younger teens and that is why, but somehow that sense of malevolence that I expect with my ghost stories was somehow missing.  Blue was basically just a nice guy hanging around, and Starla to my mind just needed a swift kick.  The real sense of dread did not materialize.

When all is said and done, The Black Butterfly was only an OK read for me, however I can see its appeal for some younger teens, and I can already think of a few of my regulars who would enjoy it.


Addendum:  I had an email from Cinco Puntas Press apologising for the fact that my copy did not have the final artwork on it and would it be possible for me to change it.  So here is the actual cover:-

 

I have to add, that while I am thrilled that the publisher read my review, thank you, this new cover still doesn't say scary ghost story to me.  None the less, I will still be recommending it to some of my younger teens at work.

Waiting on Wednesday - Double header!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Everyone has a list of crushes.  Or at least everyone I know has a list of secret crushes.  Can you imagine if they all knew how you secretly felt??  Sounds like a shockingly delicious read!

Summary (by Goodreads)

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. 

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

YA mysteries...love them.  I normally don't promote so many contemporary novels but lately I've started to expand my horizons.  Good idea to step out of your comfort zone every now and then, don't you think?

- Christinabean

Grim edited by Christine Johnson

Published: 25th, 2014

Publisher: Harlequine Teen

Pages: 480

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today:

Ellen Hopkins
Amanda Hocking
Julie Kagawa
Claudia Gray
Rachel Hawkins
Kimberly Derting
Myra McEntire
Malinda Lo
Sarah Rees-Brennan
Jackson Pearce
Christine Johnson
Jeri Smith Ready
Shaun David Hutchinson
Saundra Mitchell
Sonia Gensler
Tessa Gratton
Jon Skrovan

Ok, I have to confess, I haven't had the time to get to this one yet.  I brought it home from work, and then had to take it back as there was a hold on it.  I'm back on the waiting list and I will get to it - eventually.  Some of my favourite authors are featured here, and I'm really quite looking forward to it. It has a four star rating on Goodreads, so it must be pretty good.  Has anyone out there in fairytale lovers land read this one yet? If you have, let us know what you thought.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Beautiful Creatures is one our our favourite series (both on Curlypow and my lists).  Although I wasn't keen on the movie, it didn't dissuade me from loving the original story (always seems better in your head, don't you think?).  Dangerous Creatures is a spin-off from the original. Thanks to NetGalley, I get to take a sneak peek!

- Christinabean

Generation V by M L Brennan

 

Published: May 2013

Publisher: ROC

Pages: 319

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.

But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.

But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…

This title crossed my desk at work and to be honest, what drew me to it was the names.  I mean, any  book with a main character called Fortitude has to have some staying power! Right? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)  'Generation V' introduces the reader to an entirely new vampire mythos that is well thought out, and does not fall into the usual 'bite me and I'll turn' category.  Creating new vampires in this world is a messy, nasty business and is very rarely successful.

Fortitude was one of these successes, but  he is still only part vampire, even though he was born one.  He has to mature into the role. This was mostly what I enjoyed about the book - Fort's character growth.  He changes from a moody, resentful, 26 year-old kid, into a thoughtful, caring, responsible vampire.  Sounds a bit weird doesn't it?  But it works. 

With virtually no help from his older vampire siblings, Prudence and Chivalry, (don't you just love those names?)  Fort sets himself up against the interloper and learns a few things in the process - not the least of which is that kitsune (shape changing foxes) can't always be trusted, even if they are kick-ass gorgeous and have a habit of saving your life.

Be warned though, there is a disturbing adult theme in this that is not what I would consider appropriate reading for younger teens.  That said, this was an enjoyable read for me and I'll happily be recommending it to my vampire loving patrons.

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover A short review for a short story.

Published: October 14th, 2013

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 105

Copy: Free download from Amazon

Summary: Goodreads

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

 

I picked up Finding Cinderella when I was offered the chance to review a different book by Colleen Hoover.   I was in the mood for something quick, and knowing my penchant for fairy tale retellings I thought I'd give this a try.  Well first of all it isn't a retelling, but it was kind of cute. 

As you can expect from the title, it's going to have a happy ending, and it did, so there weren't many surprises.  I was able to anticipate most of what was going to happen in the story, and I have to admit that most of it was highly unlikely.  But you know what?  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I certainly wouldn't mind meeting Daniel!  A quick, enjoyable read for fans of contemporary romance.

 

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Tell us about a book that you didn’t like and why we shouldn’t read it (as nicely and respectfully as possible)

Hmm....I would never tell someone NOT to read a book because we all have different ideas and opinions.  One book that I was not able to get through at all was Orleans by Sherri L Smith.  I LOVED the premise of it but the writing format drove me bananas.  From what I remember (and it has been a long time), the slang used and the punctuation is what did me in.  I couldn't even read 20 pages without thinking - HUH???!!

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

The Taking by Kimberly Derting

 

Published: April 29th, 2014

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 368

Copy: Publisher through Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Christinabean and I are both very big Kimberly Derting fans - her Body Finder series is superb - so I was very keen to see what she would do with a new series.  While The Taking still falls firmly under the 'paranormal' umbrella, it takes quite a different direction.  This time it's looking out into the universe, asking the question 'Are we alone?' and coming up with interesting answers.

Kyra finds herself one of many who have been 'Taken' and 'Returned' - yep, there is a difference - and the big mystery is not only why she was taken in the first place, but why it took so long for her to be returned and how it has affected her differently.

There's lots of heart stopping romance here between Kyra and Tyler, but it is of the 'insta-love' type.  I was ok with that, but there were just a few too many references to Tyler's good looks and his 'beautiful' eyes for my tastes.  He's gorgeous, OK, let's move on.  That however was more or less my only negative feeling towards the story.  There is a level of tension that increases as the story progresses and a huge twist that I was not expecting - kind of blew me away actually, until I got to the end of the book when it all made sense.

For those of you who scoff at little green men, there aren't actually any in the book, just the idea of them and lots of questions are raised for those of you who do not scoff.  I enjoyed 'The Taking" and I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings for Kyra and Tyler.

Waiting on Wednesday - Triple WOW!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is a TRIPLE WOW!

Summary (by Goodreads)

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...

Summary (by Goodreads)

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

Summary (by Goodreads)

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 

3 fantastic reads to add to your TBR list by 3 fantastic authors!  Need I say more?

- Christinabean