Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Goodreads Blurb

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .
Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . 
Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Josh, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed . . .

I had incredibly, incredibly high expectations for this, which may have something to do with the absolutely gorgeous cover, so I wasn't very surprised when it just fell flat of them, but I was a bit disappointed.

What disappointed me was how completely...shallow Vanessa was. And not in that personality sense. We never got to learn much about Vanessa really, and what we did learn irritated me. From what we see, she misses her sister, she thinks she knows it all, she's naive, and she's stubborn, and not a good sense. But apart from that I didn't really get much from Vanessa and her character seemed to be there only to move the plot forward. In other words, her character just seemed...well, fake and the same honestly goes for the other characters as well. Their personalities only pushed on the plot and honestly, were very stereotypical.

The romance was also a bit annoying. Vanessa seemed to fall for Zep right when she saw him and (SPOILER) seemed to fall for Justin (a.k.a. Josh, but in the eARC it was Justin, so I'll call him that for now) only when Zep was gone, even after bitching at Justin for so long. It was annoying and I really just wanted to say "Really?" She was so desperate and pining for Zep and I just wanted to smack her for being so weak.

The only redeeming things were the plot and world-building, in all honesty. 

The plot was a perfect pacing where it didn't go too fast for this type of supernatural, but it wasn't exceedingly slow. There were many twists I was shocked by, though I admit there were also a lot I had predicted beforehand, but it was still intriguing to see how things played out with this demonic dancing. 
I think that the premise of this is completely original. Since when have you heard of a dance that can destroy you? Never. At least, not that I've heard of! I loved the idea of it, I loved the sinister feeling the school gave off, and I loved each abnormal thing mentioned in the book! 

Dance of Shadows, while it does have it's weak points, was dark and stunning and will steal your breath just as ballet would. The sinister atmosphere, mysterious disappearings, and more will keep rapture you and you'll find this book hard to put down! 

Pages: 447
Series: Dance of Shadows #1
Genre: Supernatural/Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Goodreads Blurb

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.

Just got to say, THANK YOU Eileen for convincing me to get the ARC before preordering. Oh Thank God. And Eileen.

Not to say this was completely bad, it just wasn't for me. You guys know I try to find as many good things as possible, but everything was...less than average. Not completely bad, but...not that good which I'm completely depressed about--this used to be one of my most awaited books. The premise you guys! Killer robots! 

First things first: Characters. Wow did I want to facepalm. Nick was completely reckless and hypocritical, Kevin was just too under-self-confident, and Cass was just deluded sometimes. They all got each other in life threatening situations and I gave them FIVE total chances to redeem themselves, but nothing prominent really happened...I ended up just marking them up as annoying turned almost average characters, but I really feel like they were...flat. They were just boring characters who I read about in 3rd person. Maybe if it'd been done in 1st person, it would've been better...?

The killer robots were...well, less killer, more robot. They didn't seem like the heartless creatures who destroyed everything in their path like I thought (and hoped for). The only time they seemed as creepy as I hoped was in Nick's Re-education time which was basically the only main plot point I liked, possibly loved! I mean, sure chips in your neck tracing your every move and robots everywhere can be scary...if it's written right, and I guess...Revolution 19 just wasn't. Using other books, instead of a wasteland along the lines of The Immortal Rules,  it was more like Matched--a society where each move was tracked and not that severe punishments for any infractions. I was...disappointed to find that the robots were actually ruling an almost civilized world. They were more...bullies on the playground than Terminator material.

Yeah, I'm in a simile mood. English got to me.

Plot wise this book was lacking throughout most of the novel. Only the last 50 pages or so had exciting action and twists (that were slightly predictable) and the pages before had me completely bored. I finished this book through sheer will, honestly, and it may have taken me three days to read this (2 days longer than normal) to finish this since I err...fell asleep. Though that could also have something to do with it being midnight. But the action? Lacking in that area, and I'm sorely disappointed. 

Anyone looking for romance, not here. Go. SHOO! There was a little bit (which ha, you could totally see coming. It was adorable!) of romance and I found the couples absolutely cute! (Though the fact that they admitted their feelings right before they thought they were going to die...) Lexi and Nick vs. Cass and Farryn. Cass and Farryn were so much better, especially in that last scene! I swear I squealed!

Also, for a book that's apparently a stand alone, I'm in desperate need of an actual ending. No offense, but I'm not an open ended person. I need CLOSURE. Sure, I can be fine with it, but...what happens to their parents? What happens to their friends? What about that Epilogue?! 

So even though it sounds like I absolutely hated this, it did slightly redeem itself in the end, and I just didn't get that vibe to give it 2 stars or lower. I'm sticking to exactly 2.5. And you guys! My .5s are special.

Pages: 272

Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopia

Series: Stand alone (I think?)

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: January 8, 2013

Rating: 2.5

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

I've been gone on vacation (which is why there wasn't a Book Haul last week!), but I came back and had a lot of pretty packages waiting for me! (Sadly, not the Level 2 hardback everyone got. I'm moping now.)

Review

Gifted

eBooks

First of all, it's a HARDBACK OF SPLINTERED. Which was dubbed my favorite book of 2012! THANK YOU Abrams! I have no idea what I did to deserve such a...shiny...beautiful...*clutches book*. So I was told by the publicist of Vortex that there were no copies left, so I don't know what this was doing on my doorstep...but I'll take it! Uses for Boys was unsolicited and I honestly want to like it, but from reviews...hmm. Infatuate, sequel to Illuminate which was pretty slow at first, but I'm hoping Infatuate is more fast paced as the sequel! Bruised sounds seriously amazing and I'm in love with almost all Abram-published books, so I DEFINITELY am going to love this.SO MANY THANKS TO SHREYA (Chocolate Coated Reviews) AND LIZZY (Read-a-holicz)!!! XMAS GIFTS!!! Better late than never, right? I've been absolutely DYING for these two! Plus I love the covers. Especially Altered...*cough*
Obviously I bought these, with the exception of Taken! I finished Losing It which was AMAZING by the way, though incredibly cliche and A Dark Grave I read as well and it was...less than I expected. I was really hoping we could see Gavin's POV when he met Evie for the first time...And I can't WAIT to read Taken! I've actually preordered that...

Weekly Recap
FICTIOUS FREAKOUTS 2012
New Year's Giveaway!
Waiting on Wednesday
Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Goodreads Blurb

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

Oh. My. God.This is possibly one of my Top 3 favorite books ever. I'm not even joking. This review will be possibly the most vague and probably won't even begin to describe my feelings for this amazing book. But I promise to try!

(Also, this is probably one of the only times I can't analyze characters, romance, plot, anything. Just One Day was so much more than just those specific things. But I can't explain how! you'll just have to read to see.)

I haven't read If I Stay, Where She Went, or any others. This is my first Gayle Forman book and I can promise that I'll be reading and loving the others. There was not one thing I didn't like about Just One Day. It made me think, it touched my heart, and it was surprisingly deep. The difference between falling in love and being in love really did make sense and I loved how it rang true. I loved how even though Allyson was looking for someone else, she was rediscovering herself all along. And I loved how she wasn't portrayed as some lovesick damsel pining for the guy. The way I saw it, she was looking for answers, for questions, not just for a guy.

So I'm going to try and talk about the characters. These were possibly the most real characters I've ever read about, and that's honestly saying something.They all touched my heart in some way and no matter how small or short their scenes were, I loved them.One thing I found strangely weird though, was that each person was kind and friendly, even though that's far from true. But hey, it's fiction right? And very good fiction too.

Just One Day is a novel that makes us question ourselves in ways we never have before and makes us wonder what love really is and who we really are. It will break your heart, put it together, and do it again and again. Just One Day will make you tear up, and you'll never stop thinking about it, because it just isn't possible to.

Pages: 320
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: Jan 8, 2013
Rating: 7/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

A meth dealer. A  prostitute. A serial killer.

Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.

Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

If you're not intrigued by this, I have no words for you. Zero.  Zip. None. NADA. We're going to have some interesting characters at this school is all I can say! Plus I may or may not be interested in a school that murders its students--as if they don't exist already, right?

Happy New Year's!

That's right y'all! It's 2013! And it's time to PARTAY!!!

By the time this goes up, I'll be staring up at fireworks or reading while listening to sounds that sound like gunshots. Possibly a horror book or a thriller. Watch me squee each time there's a firework.

It seems like it was 2012 only yesterday...

I can't wait for most of the 2013 debuts and books, so I'll likely go broke, but I can't leave y'all without a present! Thanks for being with me, Senior Fiction Freaks, and HEY Newbies! It's a giant time of the year and it'll be an amazing year, I KNOW IT!

ANYWAYS!

Here are some of the notable things that happened this year-

• We survived the apocalypse
• I became BBFFs with Eileen (the craziest person ever whom you all know)
• I started blogging seriously
• I made author and blogger friends which still amazes me
• I somehow turned crazier
• I got 5 $50 B&N GCs which STILL amazes me.
• I realized just how supportive the YA blogosphere is! 

and

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Here are a few of mine...well, I won't put my personal ones since those are sekrit. ;D But here are book related ones! Or blog related. :)

• Be ahead of schedule by more than a month!
• Be more friendly with other bloggers. ;D (i.e. be less crazy and scary)
• SOMEHOW GET PENGUIN TO SEND ME BOOKS. AND HARPER. @_@
• Read more horror. Without being as scared. 
• Actually watch a horror movie. Without covering my eyes. Scratch that, WITHOUT CRYING AND SCREAMING INTO THE HILLS. 
• Meet up with Eileen, Shreya, Nicole, Lizzy, this could go on... (Hey, I wrote this in Nov. If, somehow, I get another bloggy friend who isn't scared of my Nikkiness, then sorry there's no mention!)
• Finish my TBR. Hopefully. I'm doubting the reality of this one.

There you have it! Just a few of my resolutions! NOW, for your present? (think of it as a late Xmas too!)

WIN A $10 Amazon Gift Card! Or, if your INT, a book $10 or less from The Book Depository! And yes, this IS part of the Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway


BUT WAIT! Want to celebrate more?
CLICKY CLICKY!