Splintered by A.G. Howard

Goodreads Blurb

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

(When I use the word mad in this review, I mean mad as in crazy. Not anger. I repeat, crazy, not anger)

Splintered is a gorgeous retelling of one of my favorite classics, Alice in Wonderland, and I'm thrilled to say, it did not disappoint!  

I can't think of one other Alice retelling (Apparently, Alice in Zombieland is less Alice and more Zombieland!), so when I heard about a debut novel that was focused on Alice in Wonderland, I was both excited and wary! Most retellings I've read haven't done the original justice, but when the Splintered cover was release? I was a goner. It was just gorgeous and has that mad look about it and fits the books so wonderfully! So I decided to let go of doubts and requested!

Thank God I did! Once I started, I was hooked! While the beginning was a little slow, once the crazy things started happening, you'll become simply mad. Splintered was, in a word, stunning. I hate it when retellings erase parts of the original story to fit their plot, pretending like that original was never written. Seeing a book that used the original as a platform? Psh, there's one star already! I loved that A.G. Howard made our main character the daughter of Alice (she is, isn't she?) to explain the craziness and curse that seems to run through her family. 

I loved the "misinterpretations" of the original Alice story! Of course they wouldn't be entirely accurate. After all, Alice was just a kid when she went back home, right? Kids wouldn't want to remember all the dark and twisted things. So the "mistakes" weren't very far fetched, one of those "passed through generations" things that's getting a bit old. That was definitely some imagination on the author's part!

And of course, A.G. Howard had to have a lot of imagination. From the White Rabbit (My mistake! I meant, RABID WHITE.) to Twiddledee and Twilldum (Or rather, Sister Two and Sister One) to the seriously creeptastic flowers. That eat aphids. And humans. And somehow, A.G. manages to make them all seem madly sane and fitting the story so perfectly. Suddenly, this classic book isn't a fictional story: it's a guide. And that? That was just MAD.

As for the love interests, I can't decide who's team I'm on? Leaning towards Morpheus, the sneaky boy who lures Alyssa to wonderland, but loving Jeb, Alyssa's real world crush. They're both such amazing guys, this is possiblythe only time I couldn't decide who's team I was on! Morpheus was just sneaky and smirky with too many dark secrets to hide, but he was just torn apart on the inside. Basically, my favorite kind of fictional guy! Jeb was just...he was just adorable. He gave up so much for Alyssa and I just wanted to cuddle him throughout the book! Except, the end. The end, I wanted to knock him over with a giant flamingo-mallet and shove Alyssa towards Morpheus. But anyways.

one of the best things about Splintered was seeing our old friends: the Cheshire Cat, the *cough* Wise Caterpillar, the Twiddle Twins, and so many more! This one definitely met my expectations and I can't wait to grab a sequel! Because I'm telling you, there had BETTER be a sequel!

Splintered was imaginative and creative and was an absolutely stunning retelling of Alice in Wonderland and a mind blowing debut. With vivid worldbuilding, gorgeously written characters, and a plot as twisted as Wonderland itself, Howard brings to life a world that already haunted our imaginations! 

Pages: 384

Series: Standalone (NOT FOR LONG I hope!)

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy/Romance

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: January 1, 2013

Rating: 10/5 stars

Blog Tour: The Twisted Tragedy of miss Natalie Stewart

Goodreads Blurb

For Natalie Stewart, a normal life has never seemed so far away. Her only solace, Lord Jonathan Denbury, is wanted for murder. To clear his name, Denbury must return to England and assume the role of his demon doppelganger. But Natalie begins to doubt his true motives, especially as a new gentleman begins whispering in her ear. Natalie and Denbury may be able to visit each other in their dreams, but they can't escape the darkening shadows. Amid spontaneous explosions, friends turned enemies and dangerous secrets revealed, there's still a demon who has Natalie's scent, and someone is trying to resurrect the ultimate evil.

I'm an official fan of Gothic literature now! I absolutely adored Darker Still (borrowed from a friend who doesn't appreciate it as much apparently!) So getting on this blog tour? Definitely some exciting stuff for me! I had insanely high hopes and i'm glad to say that Twisted Tragedy (What can I say? The title is incredibly long) met them all the way!

There were plenty of engaging parts that I absolutely devoured, but there were a few boring parts where we went through a ton of unneeded description in some parts, and there were a few filler chapters I ended up skipping. But, thankfully, all together that was only about 20 pages spread across all 336 pages! 

Here's another thing--the synopsis is a bit misleading, but that in no way means that this book wasn't engaging! It makes you thing "A love triangle? Really?" But no. There was no love triangle! We meet Denbury's friend, Nathaniel Veil, and he only shows up, flirting and a possible romantic interest, for about seven pages, then he's gone. And honestly, I loved it that way. Twisted Tragedy would've been too cliche if that'd happened! And since Jonathon is the only love interest, let's talk about him a little...
Lord Denbury really is just as swoony as he was in book 1! He's just as supportive to Natalie and he's just as protective and has all the traits we look for in a YA love interest: Caring, protective, sweet, a bit of a dark side, etc. You just have to love him. Definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends!

Natalie is a great character. She's sharp and she's not one of those girls who're easily unnerved. She can figure out a lot of secrets and I loved her personality! She was a bit quirky and fun and she was definitely one of those sympathetic characters. She wasn't a strong heroine in the way that she wasn't scared by anything--she was. But she was facing a demon who had almost killed her. So she was one of those likeable characters, who didn't necessarily have to be strong to be amazing and still seem not as weak as others would be.

I loved the plot. Especially with Maggie thrown in the picture! Maggie is...deluded, we'll say, that she rescued Jonathon and that she's his. Of course, you'll find out why later, but it was just interesting to see how Maggie interacted with him and Natalie. Maggie, despite her cattiness, was definitely one of my favorite antagonists! But besides Maggie, the plot was definitely indescribable, really. It had twists, it had so many secrets just waiting to be revealed, and then of course, the demon. Natalie is waking up from premonition-dreams and she has runes carved onto her skin while dreaming. Creepy, no? Just goes to show how wonderfully creepy a book can be!

Overall, The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart was engaging and was the perfect sequel to Darker Still, one of my favorite books of 2011. It was new, demonic, and full of things you never expect! Read it, enjoy it, then come back here and tell me how much you loved it! I promise I'll squee with you! And trust me. You will squee.

Pages: 336
Series: Magic Most Foul #2
Genre: Gothic Literature/Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: Nov 1, 2012
Rating: 4 stars

Author Bio
Author, actress and playwright Leanna Renee Hieber grew up in rural Ohio inventing ghost stories. She graduated with a BFA in Theatre and a focus in the Victorian Era from Miami University. She began her theatrical career with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and began adapting works of 19th Century literature for the stage. Her one-act plays such asFavorite Lady have been published, awarded and produced around the country. Her novella Dark Nest won the 2009 Prism Award for excellence in the genre of Futuristic, Fantasy, or Paranormal Romance. 

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Book Haul + Weekly Recap

(CHECK OUT THE TOP OF MY SIDEBAR FOR A CHANCE TO WIN TWO S&S PRIZE PACKS!)

WOOT! I haven't posted in forever. The other posts were scheduled. They don't count. But I'm back! Anyways let's get on with this 2 week haul! I actually didn't get much this week, tons of stuff last week! Also, I'm back with the pictures. Honestly, linking is way harder.

Bought

Publisher

ARCycling

Amazon. Whenever I buy one book from Amazon, it turns out to be a package of over 5! But I'm glad I bought...most of these. I finished Days, Mark of Athena, Angelfall, and I've already read Graceling! I loved all of them and I'm so glad I bought them! As for Graceling, they had a 50% off Black Friday sale on it. I couldn't resist! I'm reading Soul Screamers Vol. 2!!! I have no idea why it took so long for me to start this series! And I DNFed Heaven. I could not STAND Beth. I wanted to bitch slap her for all the 30 pages I read.
YES. I DID GET MY FIRST EVER REQUESTED PENGUIN ARCS.Although I'm pretty sure it was a fluke. Penguin's been sending me all sorts of Adult ARCs and I think that with all the sending outs of the two titles that they wound up on my doorstep...hmmm...BUT IM  NOT COMPLAINING! I read both in a night, loved them, and they currently reside on my favorite shelf. Especially Just One Day! Oh, the FEELINGS. I've already read Tempest, but I love the gorgeous paperback! Though who knows? Giveaway soon? Same goes for Lullaby--I got two copies!
This. Is. Why. I. LOVE. ARCycling!

WEEKLY RECAP
The Gush
Renegade by J.A. Souders
Waiting on Wednesday
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Goodreads Blurb

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Ermmm...wow. That was really my reaction after reading it. WOW. Falling Kingdoms...it wasn't...wasn't what I expected at all. And I say that with 90% all the love in the world. Because the other 10%? It was a bit hesitant. Let me just say, that as the last and final Breathless Read, it didn't let me down, though it wasn't quite as good. But then, I haven't been a fan of 3rd person multiple POVs, so that probably has something to do with it!

And, I'm just saying, the Breathless Reads? I can now fully confirm--all of them will leave you breathless. There is no doubt.

So like I said, I am not a big fan of multiple POVs, especially not 3rd person. The characters are usually not well developed and while the characters weren't completely underdeveloped, they did fall a little under the line. The only really developed character, in my opinion, was Cleo and only because most of the book was from her perspective. But from what I gathered...

Cleo: Cleo was, by far, one of my favorite characters. She acts like a whiny princess at first, because after all, she was raised as one. But when she witnesses the murder of a wine seller's son (killed by her fiance, actually) she's plagued with guilt and it turns out she's a lot less whiny and spoiled than she seemed at first glance. And when her beloved sister gets sick, she turns out to be stronger than anything we expected. She defies her father, travels into enemy lands, all to look for magical healing seeds. Does it sound naive? Yes. But the fact that she'd do things she's definitely not comfortable with, all for her sister?  I loved her. 

Magnus: Can I pretty please kill him? I really wanted to rip my hair out whenever we got to Magnus' chapter. He was just...ugh. He was always thinking about Lucia, which I mean, I get. he's in love with her and wants to protect her and I loved that about her! But did he really just have to kiss her like that? I was expecting him to tell her first, then tell her his feelings, then kiss her. And I think I would've liked it a lot more if he did that. And he was so surprised when (SPOILER) she rejected him, I actually felt a little sad for him, but when he becomes cruel? Well. But then, I'm also a bit biased since he's Cleo's captor and basically her enemy. Not my favorite character in the least.

Jonas: Jonas is the brother of the guy who was brutally murdered by Cleo's fiance, and he's bent on revenge. He wants them to go through his pain or kill them, though the latter one sounds better to him. And he's...well, I couldn't blame him for trying to kill Cleo. She stood by while her companion killed his brother in front of him. But I was a bit disappointed in him for taking that route. But characters are only characteristically human!

Lucia: She's an important character, the "Chosen One" as it may be, and a very powerful sorceress--one who can wield all four elements. But we actually didn't read from her perspective for more than...two chapters? Three? It was just a bit disappointing since I was expecting more magic and practice from her. 

The plot though was...wow. It was seriously quick and action packed. Epic/High Fantasy is usually like that, but...wow. Falling Kingdom's plot was definitely more complicated and quick than I thought (for such a thick book) os plot-wise, Falling Kingdoms completely, utterly, destroyed my expectations for the plot. It was fun, a bit gory and bloody, full of betrayals, war, strategy, and more! 

There's a revolution brewing, a war to be fought and so much more and honestly? Let me say that the plot is the one thing that kept me reading the book. I just wanted to know what happened, but I refused to read the end (no matter how many times my friends told me too!) And that ending, by the way? I need the sequel now!

Worldbuilding? LOVED. I loved the magic, the legends, the goddesses, the whole thing! I loved the three kingdoms, how different they were, how the royal families operated. (Backstabbing mainly.) I absolutely love High Fantasy because of the worldbuilding, actually. It's fascinating, seeing what kind of world an author can create with only her mind and no restrictions! And Morgan Rhodes? She created one of my favorites. It was just a lush world (at least, Auranos is/was.) and the descriptions were detailed enough that we could clearly picture it all, without being boring and monotonous. I absolutely loved the legend of the Watcher and the goddesses and the magic! It was why I was a tad disappointed that we just didn't get to see more of it!

The romance was definitely iffy for me. There was this giant triangle (rectangle?) that was Cleo and her love interests: Nic, Theon, and (possibly?) Jonas. Nic is the boy next door, basically. Her best friend and always there for her, Cleo's never considered him as more than a friend, but when he shows sudden interest, she's a bit...caught in the middle. (SPOILER HERE) Theon was the guy I was actually rooting for, because I mean, come on, a guard and a forbidden love? What more can a reader ask for? But the thing is...when Cleo finally kissed him? He got killed about 5 pages later. And I. Wanted. To. Cry. But I was in school. But the fact remains--I absolutely hated that when Cleo, my favorite character, finally got with my favorite love interest...he died. I'm not sure if this is changed in the final copy, or not. I hope so! Then there was Jonas, and he didn't really show interest besides the fact that she was beautiful, but all us readers know that there's sure to be something between them later on. Right? Right.

Then there was Magnus and Lucia. One couple I was not rooting for, actually. It was just...weird how Magnus could be so cruel as to kiss her first then information-dump her. not necessarily cruel, but you get my drift. Long story short? Magnus holds an unrequited love for Lucia, and we're not quite sure if Lucia feels the same way later in the book. She cares for him, she admits, but we're not sure if it's a sibling-love or a romantic love.

Summary?

Pick this up! There were a few holes in the writing I didn't like, but honestly? I enjoyed the read! The plot definitely lived up to it's title as "Breathless Rebellion" and I think it's definitely worthy to be a Breathless Read! Any reader of High Fantasy will devour this in a blast and they'll love it for sure! There's a lot to be found in Falling Kingdoms! Because, in the end, who will fall? Aren't you curious?

Pages: 412

Series: Falling Kingdoms #1

Genre: High Fantasy

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 4.5--->4 stars

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Goodreads Blurb

When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

I was...a bit disappointed by Princess of the Silver Woods. Not to say it wasn't good! Just...not what I expected and not in a good way.

I was just blown away by the other two books in the series: Princess of Glass and Princess of the Midnight Ball, so I had high hopes for this one! But then...it fell flat, and I just didn't love it the way I loved the other two. I'm not sure if it was simply because I haven't read the other two in a while, so my impression faded, or it just wasn't written as well, or what. But there were a few disappointing things, though there were TONS of things I still loved!

The character's (or rather, Oliver and Petunia) personalities irked me a bit. Petunia wasn't as likeable (in my opinion) as Rose or Poppy. She didn't really had her own distinguished personality, but acted more like Poppy, then a little bit of Rose. I think I would've liked it more if Petunia was...less her sisters and more her, although I get that she had to be a strong heroine or we'd be complaining about her damsel-in-distress -ness.

Oliver...well, this is an interesting case. I had a pretty love/hate relationship and this was one of the things I was a bit let down by. I thought Oliver would be fierce or have one of those cold/smug attitudes. Actually, I was hoping for that. It would've fit the Red Riding Hood story and the Robin Hood story as well, in my opinion. 

I also felt as if the characters hadn't been very well developed. And while I get it, I mean duh. 12 princesses and their husbands/beaus? But Petunia and Oliver...well, even with my complaints about them, they weren't very well developed, I'm afraid.

The plot was...twisty at times, predictable at others, and a tad redundant. (the redundance being the "Oh! She's one of the Nine Princesses of Rashka (that's the name right)). There were so many things I didn't expect, others I did. I knew something was wrong with the Grand Duchess and her son (it even hints so in the synopsis), but I didn't know what would happen. And that was one of the most surprising things. 

And that ending? Definitely the best part of the entire book. It was basically where you were at the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happened, your eyes scanning the page quickly. So the plot definitely earns some points!

The romance was...too insta-lovey for my tastes. So Petunia and Oliver met when Oliver attacks Petunia's carriage, and Petunia holds a gun to his face. And then they fall in love? It was just out of the blue and too sudden. 

Not to mention, I kept wanting Petunia to end up with one of the antagonists, her own prince, Kistalin (heh. Probably got the wrong name!). I've always actually liked the princes. ALL OF THEM, except whoever's currently King Under Stone. Because, seriously. Having that title is like a drug. It sucks the life out of you. So while I knew it wasn't going to happen, I kept rooting for Petunia to fall in love with her (literally) prince, even if he was evil. And couldn't go in the sun. And tried to capture her forever and ever. 

The world building is always my favorite thing in Jessica Day George's books! It's so vivid and fresh and I loved being back in Under Stone (I have no idea if that's what it's called? I forgot! But I dub thee Under Stone if it isn't already). I love how George can seamlessly weave two very different faery tales into one, and still have it all make sense, in the way that makes you think "OF COURSE!". And I love the worldbuilding and storytelling because the world matches the original's descriptions, just giving the items/places different meanings and the storytelling really just merges two fairy tales and, like I said, pretty much makes you feel stupid for not seeing the connection before!

P.S. I have written this at 1 A.M. so if there are any redundant phrases, confusing sentences, or just weirdness, I'm sorry!

Pages: 336

Series: Princess #3

Genre: Retelling/Romance/Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 3 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

This is another of those books I've known about since BEFORE the cover reveal! I actually discovered this about 4 months ago so YES. I'm smug about discovering such an awesome book before the cover reveal.

But doesn't it sound amazing? I'm pretty sure I'd forgive insta-love for this book! It'd fit the book perfectly and I'm scared. "And that's just how River likes it"? WHY. What. Is. He. Planning. Oooh I want this SO bad! It's curious--the synopsis doesn't tell us much about what's going to happen except that something is. It gives us background, a little hint with the "eerie things start to happen" then more background. O_O I definitely need to get my hands on this!

What are you waiting on?