Week of a Fiction Freak

HELLO HELLO. Yeah, I renamed this since it had such a BORING name. And made a banner. 

I like it! Anywho, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TEAM PERRY TOMORROW IN THE YA CRUSH TOURNEY GUYS! Then head back to this link to enter to win a signed copy of UNDER THE NEVER SKY. 

It's been a great week for books!

Huh. They all look color-schemed.

Author
Venom by Fiona Paul
Thin Space by Jody Casella

Publisher
FML by Shaun Davis Hutchinson
(Not shown) Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Giveaway
Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
When You were Here by Daisy Whitney

Bought
Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
and...

I GOT A NEW PHONE!

I traded with Fiona for the paperback of Venom (now I have the ARC, the hardback, and the paperback, ALL SIGNED!) and oh my gosh, you GUYS. It is SO gorgeous! I got Thin Space through Jody who was SUPER sweet and got me an ARC! You guys, I am extremely excited for this and I ADORE the cover!

FML was unsolicited and I'm not sure if I'll review it. It doesn't sound like my type of book and it's gotten a ton of negative/mixed reviews. I read Dirty Little Secret already and absolutely ADORED it. 

Okay, so I actually DON'T know how Truth or Dare got into my mailbox since I never remembered winning it and it was addressed to my mom...? But I'm not complaining! I got Where She Went from Kimberly Sabatini's blog and am SO excited! It definitely sounds like something I'll love!

YES I HAVE ASHES ON THE WAVES. I AM SUPER STOKED TO READ THIS. Gorgeous cover, loved Shattered souls, love any retellings, ugh. This is like it was written for me lol. AND OMG YES A NEW PHONE. I AM SO HAPPY. And I love my lock screen. Hopefully it creeps out some of my friends (gorgeous pic though.) 

Weekly Recap

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Waiting on Wednesday

Nameless by Lili St. Crow

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Goodreads Blurb

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 
Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.
In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

I had absolutely no idea how much I absolutely loved this. Seriously. Look at my tweets.
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345205363882196994
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345204604650283008
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345200520987828227
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345197273782816768
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345190705213362176
And there were a ton more actually. But they're all pretty much the same.

Walking in, I was a bit skeptical since there were more than enough mixed reviews to make me a bit anxious. But I really shouldn't have worried! Mind Games absolutely blew my mind--and that's a complete understatement.

For a Sci-fi/Supernatural book, Mind Games definitely has some of the most broken characters I've met. They were all so fleshed out--though I do wish we met more "students" besides are heartbreaking sisters and Eden (Annie's friend).
Fia was by far my favorite of the two sisters. She was loyal, smart, and she didn't have to depend on her perfect instinct all the time. She knew what she had to do, when she had to do it, and knew what was unreasonable. I loved her stubborn nature, but her bitterness just broke my heart clean in two. She sacrificed so much for Annie and it definitely wasn't without consequences. She was the broken one, the one that needed saving--but how do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Annie, while not a bad character, just didn't click with me as well as Fia. She was so much more...rude, I guess, and I don't think she fully understood exactly how much Fia was sacrificing and exactly what she needed.

As for the romance, we don't really focus on it, but I adored James so much. He cared so much about Fia and knew exactly what to do and say to comfort her. He may have been an asshole, but he's a sweet one who has all the traits of an arrogant, swoony, love interest.
There's no romance for Annie yet, but I'm pretty sure Adam is her guy. We don't really learn much about him, but he's a very...interesting character.
Kiersten  White did a brilliant job creating characters who matched our heroines personality perfectly. Fia had someone who she could find comfort in, but could understand her pain, while I feel like Adam's cheery personality would definitely help Annie start accepting the fact that she couldn't protect her sister 24/7 and that her little sister's already so much more grown up than herself.

The plot was wonderfully paced and while, I realized suddenly, nothing much happens, you just can't help but get addicted to the pages, and just keep on reading. There's something about the way White writes that just pulls you straight in until the end--where you're still going to be begging for more. What does happen keeps me on my toes though and it definitely sets up the sequel wonderfully! I can absolutely NOT wait!

I absolutely loved how Kiersten White chose to tell this story too. We alternate between the past and the present so that we get to fall in love with our characters from the beginning as well as understand them a bit more. It really is heartbreaking how they evolved into the people they were now.

My only complaint is that I would've loved more plot and more focus on their gifts and how they got them, but that's really about it--it didn't affect my reading enjoyment at all!

Stunning, beautiful, and absolutely breathtaking, Kiersten White lives up to her expectations with Mind Games! Heartbreaking characters, a kickass plot, and enchanting writing, I'm not quite sure how this book isn't loved by everyone!

Pages: 237
Genre: Sci-fi/Supernatural
Series: Mind Games #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Feb 19, 2013
Rating: 7/5 Stars

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Goodreads Blurb

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

So when Annabelle from Sparkles and Lightning recommended this to me, I was a bit unsure about it. I mean, it reminded me a lot, a LOT, of DIVINERS by Libba Bray and I wasn't the biggest fan of it. But she did convince me so I requested it via Edelweiss...and WOW.

Seeing things from a "charlatan's" point of view was interesting--seeing how Anna did her tricks and how her lifestyle was like. She made for an interesting character and I found it interesting how she was pulled between wanting to lead a normal life and wanting to show off her magic tricks, wanting to do both, but knowing that was almost impossible.

The biggest part of this book, really, was the relationship between herself and her mother. It seemed to be a mix of love, hate, jealousy, and greed, but it turned out to be so much more than that. It's definitely something a lot of readers can relate to, that love/hate relationship. I enjoyed it and it definitely came to play near the end and I have a feeling that it'll be a very significant part of the sequel! (Not sure if there is one, but if there isn't, my my, that's a lot of unanswered questions!)

The romance bit definitely was a bit disappointing. It felt much like insta-love, the way the two meet and their reaction. There's literally an electrical charge between them too. Literally. When the l-word came into play, I honestly just rolled my eyes a bit, I'll say that. Otherwise it was pretty sweet! And I loved Cole.

The plot was perfectly paced and I was instantly drawn to this world of conmen and magic. The plot was thick with distrust and there were so many things that just shocked me! ESPECIALLY that ending! While I expected part of it, the other part pretty much blew my mind. There are a lot of subplots that capture your interest and they just built up the suspense until the ending scene. Which I loved!

We don't really learn much about the Society for Physical Research and I found that a tad disappointing, but the way that this story is told fully makes up for that. Born of Illusion is a tale of magic, mystery, and intrigue that will keep you on your toes until the very end! I'd recommend it for fans of Mysteries and HisFics! Especially if you're a fan of In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters!

P.S. while reading this, we were talking about the Roaring Twenties and Reconstruction. Perfect timing!

Pages: 352
Genre: Historical/Paranormal
Series:Born ofIllusion #1
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Nameless by Lili St. Crow

Goodreads Blurb

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.
Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.
New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow thrilled legions of fans with her dark paranormal series Strange Angels. Now she has crafted an evocative update of Snow White, set in a vividly imagined world and populated by unforgettable new characters.

Nameless was so disappointing for me. It sounded absolutely fascinating and I imagined a stunning world filled with intrigue and danger. What I got was actually a pretty typical YA world with shoddy worldbuilding and not much originality. And that was actually one of the better parts.

The writing was super confusing and just horrible. It was all over the place and I was always confused as to what the HECK was going on. The sentences were awkward and choppy at best sometimes and I just wanted to take a red pen to the entire thing. The fact that it was written in third person made it even harder to connect to the story and the character. Then there are several elements mentioned, but we never really understand exactly what the Waste is, what Potential was and why it could be described, etc. We also never really learned much about the world.

Nameless was so slow too. I couldn't get into it at all and it was, as much as I hate to insult, pure willpower that made me finish the book. It didn't get interesting until at least 75% in and I also had only a vague understanding of what was going on.  The last 25% was rather enrapturing, but it didn't make up half of the negative stuff. It was also rather predictable.

Cami was a pretty emotionless character for me, but whiny and not that smart otherwise. She did the most stupid things sometimes and I wanted to whack her over the head. Our other characters weren't so good either, but her friends Ruby and Ellie definitely had more defined personalities than Cami. I also loved how Ruby was the Red Riding Hood in the story and Ellie was Cinderella. Well, I guess we know what the companion novels will be about (I think.)

The romance...was...I'm confused as to whether or not ___ had a romantic attraction because then it'd be incest, but I'm still unsure whether it was romantic or familial. Heh. 

Anyways, I'm on Team Nico (love triangle, yep. Annoying one too) because Tor was just so random. Cami just couldn't stop thinking about Tor, Tor showed up in the most random of places...it was all typical YA. Not to mention a betrayal. somewhere in the love triangle. A predictable one.

Also, what did the apples represent besides the fact that it was a Snow White retelling?

Pages: 304

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy

Series: A Tale of Beauty and Madness #1

Publisher: Razorbill 

Release Date: April 4, 2013

Rating: 1.5--->1

Waiting on Wednesday

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.

Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo. 

Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

I haven't read any of Gretchen McNeil's books yet (I mean, I have an ARC of Ten on my shelf...but...) but this one definitely sounds interesting! Trapped in a parallel world by your other self? Ummm...well. It has to be interesting! Plus I love the cover in it's simplicity!

Also, I love how it's 3:59 instead of midnight or dawn or twilight or something. There's something fascinating about the random time!!! (Yes, 3 "!"'s. It was needed) 

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Goodreads Blurb

I should not exist. But I do.
Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

What's Left of Me was...well, it was good, but it was disappointing in a lot of ways, actually.
I think What's Left of Me is one of those 2 way books where either you completely loved it or it was just disappointing. I definitely went down road number two.

What's Left of Me definitely got off to a great start, but it went downhill after the first 2 or 3 chapters, becoming a long, boring introduction. It did show the strength of the bond between Eva and Addie, but I'm more of an action or cry girl where there a) has to be a giant action scene or b) has to be deep enough that I cry. So the first half definitely didn't go into my type of read, though I'm betting there are a lot of people who will enjoy the depth of the relationships between all these characters, and the way you can easily understand Eva's feelings of frustration and longing.

I'm not quite sure what genres to put this in, not really. Technically, it's a dystopia, but we never learn how we got 2 souls in our body--so it could also be a fantasy/sci-fi kind of book as well since this seemed to take place in a different world, still somewhat similar to ours. But, still, we don't learn much about this world. Worldbuilding is obviously not one of the main points in this book, so we never really got a feel for how harmless this world could be compared to others, or how horrible it could be. There are a lot of holes in the fabric of this world and plot so I was disappointed there as well.

Speaking of the hospital, things definitely picked up there. Suddenly it was fast paced and thrilling, escape plans and all. And the TWISTS? I so wasn't expecting that! I mean, the fading of one soul? That...I can't believe how that happens. It was just shocking and I definitely had a hard time getting over that. The cruelness...

Oh hey, I'm rambling.

The concept of this book was truly fascinating and unique and while this was a bit slow, I think it was mainly because it was the first book. No doubt the sequel will be as action packed as the second half of this and as amazing as I'd expected What's Left of Me to be! I'd definitely recommend this for people who love reading about relationships and understand the wanting of something you can never have.

Pages: 343
Genre: Dystopia/Sci-fi/Fantasy
Series: What's Left of Me #1
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: Sep 18, 2012
Rating: 2.5--->3 stars