Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Published: September 2014

Publisher: Balzar & Bray

Pages: 320

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads)

Summary:

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars in Gretchen McNeil’s witty and suspenseful novel about four disparate girls who join forces to take revenge on high school bullies and create dangerous enemies for themselves in the process. 

Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot have nothing in common—at least that’s what they’d like the students and administrators of their elite private school to think. The girls have different goals, different friends, and different lives, but they share one very big secret: They’re all members of Don’t Get Mad, a secret society that anonymously takes revenge on the school’s bullies, mean girls, and tyrannical teachers.

When their latest target ends up dead with a blood-soaked “DGM” card in his hands, the girls realize that they’re not as anonymous as they thought—and that someone now wants revenge on them. Soon the clues are piling up, the police are closing in . . . and everyone has something to lose.

Review:

Get Even was a fun novel about revenge with a bit of mystery.  I would say it was a cross between Pretty Little Liars and the Burn for Burn series by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivan.  There were so many characters right off the bat that I had trouble keeping them all straight.  It got better though after I sketched out a cheat sheet.  KIDDING!!  I considered it but after about 30 pages I was ok.

One of the things I love about Gretchen is that her titles tend to be stand-alone books.  However, this was a SHOCKER.  there was NO WAY Get Even could have an ending like this and not continue.  I LOVE IT when books surprise me like this.  The ending was so abrupt and made me want to scream out WHY??!!  in a half-crying, half-hysterical way.  You need to read this and tell me what you think because I need to pick someone's brain....

This would make a great ISU book...especially if you highlight the bullying aspect.  Loved it.  Try it and then tell me what you think. 

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - Zero Day by Jan Gangsei

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)

Eight years ago, Addie Webster was the victim of the most notorious kidnapping case of the decade. Addie vanished--and her high-profile parents were forced to move on.

Mark Webster is now president of the United States, fighting to keep the oval office after a tumultuous first term. Then, the unthinkable happens: the president's daughter resurfaces. Addie is brought back into her family's fold, but who is this sixteen year old girl with a quiet, burning intelligence now living in the White House? There are those in the president's political circle who find her timely return suspicious.

When the NSA approaches Noah Stark, a nineteen-year-old White House intern the Websters have hired to tutor Addie, he doesn't know what to think. How the hell could this slip of a girl be a threat to national security? But at the risk of having his own secrets exposed by the powerful government agency, Noah agrees to spy on Addie without the White House's knowledge.

It soon becomes apparent that Addie is much more than the traumatized victim of a sick political fringe group. Addie has come home with a mission. Will she choose to complete it? And what will happen if she does? 

Now here is something TOTALLY different from what I've read before.  Sounds intriguing!!
- 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 got: 

Wait a minute...I didn't get anything.  For once I am trying to get through some of the books on my TBR list instead.  :)  How's your list doing?

- Christinabean

Heart of a Dove by Abbie Williams

Published: December 5th, 2014

Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing

Set in post Civil War America, the story follows Lorie Blake, a southern orphan sold into prostitution at fifteen.  Two years have passed, leaving her with little hope of anything more. Meanwhile, three longtime friends and a boy with a heart of gold are traveling northward, planning to rebuild their lives in the north and leave behind the horrors of their time as soldiers in the Confederate Army.

Fate, however, has plans of its own, causing their lives to collide in a river town whorehouse. Forced to flee, Lorie escapes and joins them on the journey north. But danger stalks them all in the form of a vindictive whorehouse madam and an ex-Union soldier, insane and bent on exacting revenge. At last, Lorie must come to terms with her past and devastating secrets that she cannot yet bear to reveal.

Heart of a Dove is the first book in a gripping, sweeping romantic saga of pain, unbearable choices, loss and true love set against the backdrop of a scarred, post-Civil War America.

Review

Historical fiction fans rejoice.  Heart of a Dove is an beautiful historical tale that will have you holding your breath, crying and even occasionally laughing.  Having been born and brought up in the UK, US history is not something I know an awful lot about so this lovely book was a little bit of an eye-opener for me.  This story is set just after the American Civil War and chronicles the lives of Lorie and her companions.  I was amazed and disturbed in turn by the historical facts in the book, and the fact that most of the really disturbing ones were happening to a 15 yr old girl had me cringing as I read.  Ms Williams very quickly made me feel as if I was in the whorehouse with Lorie and it was very emotional. Ms Williams has created a host of characters that, after a very short time, begin to feel like family and I enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them. Sawyer was such an enigma to start with that it felt like peeling an onion getting to know him.  Malcolm was a treasure - everyone's favourite little brother.

The book is fairly slow paced, but manages to retain a sense of urgency as Lorie and the boys run to get away from their hunters.  Yes, I know that is a contradiction, but it's true.   The great distances they have to travel on horseback, with almost no contact with other people are almost impossible to believe in our crazy busy world. One slight negative for me was that it got very, very mushy towards the end.  Now I love a good romance as much as the next girl, but I felt that things were just a little overdone and I could have done with less protestations of undying love, but I do acknowledge that is just my preference.

All in all this was a lovely book to read and I'm only sorry that we have to wait til next year to find out what is going to happen.

My apologies to Central Avenue Publishing.  I had promised to have this review up at the end of November, but I ended up going to England rather unexpectedly, and I just did not have time before I left.  So sorry.

Waiting on Wednesday - Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

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)

Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

Here is a great fairytale re-telling for those of you who are fans of the classics!

- Christinabean

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Published: August 2014

Publisher: Dutton

Pages: 352

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series. 

Review:

I'm fairly certain that I read these all out of order but does it really matter??  What matters is that Stephanie has a special writing gift that allows her to capture the absolute essence of falling in love and spill it all out on the pages of a YA novel.  She did it again.  She took everything passionate, innocent, lust-worthy (in a PG sort of way) and turned it upside down and inside out to make a wonderful novel that I think all teens need to read.  If you can remember Anna and Etienne in Paris chasing one another around and pretending they weren't falling in love, but really were....well, Josh is Etienne's best friend. He doesn't have the same kind of charisma but he has a new sort of confidence all his own.  And Isla has liked him for years.  Are any of your following this? Years.  Put your hand up if you have ever done this. Its like stalking...but more discreetly.  I've done this.  I remember there was this one guy I liked so much that I used to write pages and pages of I love Tony in patterns. With colors. Yes, it was pathetic.  But Isla does something similar so at least I know there are others out there like me.  She knows dates.  Remembers certain events.  Like when he first smiled at her.  Or when they've talked.  Coming face to face with your crush can be mind-numbingly horrific and there are events in this book that made me laugh out loud...and others that made me cry.  As Isla and Josh try to work out what they "have" and "don't have" with one another, it truly is a work of art.  Thank you Stephanie Perkins for capturing so perfectly, those first love moments.  :)

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 got: 

Thanks to NetGalley!!

- Christinabean