The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Goodreads Blurb

Brie is the “biggest, cheesiest, sappiest romantic” who believes that everyone will find their perfect someone, so when Jacob, the love of Brie's life, tells her he doesn't love her anymore, the news breaks her heart, literally, and she dies. But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie revisits the living world to discover that her family has begun to unravel and her best friend has been keeping an intimate secret about her boyfriend. Somehow, Brie must handle all of this while navigating through the five steps of grief with the help of Patrick, her mysterious bomber-jacketed guide to the afterlife. But how is she supposed to face the Ever After with a broken heart and no one to call her own?

I've been absolutely dying to read this book for a while now, but I could never bring myself to actually buy it for some strange reason. Then I saw the paperback cover and it happened to be right in front of me. Obviously, it was fate. (GORGEOUS COVER. DO YOU SEE IT?)

The Catastrophic History complete surprised me. Even though so many people told me how far from a fluff it was, I still somehow expected it to be light--but it really wasn't. What it was? Possibly the most beautiful love story I've ever read. So heartbreaking, so heartwarming, and so, so, powerful.

While it was paranormal/supernatural, Catastrophic History had a contemporary feel to it that made me love it so much more. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we deal with a few issues, but I think it was mainly how amazing Brie's voice was. She was such a raw character who had such a distinct teen personality! She was easy to connect to, sassy and flawed, and I wanted to hug her so many times. The things she had to endure were hard enough--that she couldn't really help? It only made it worse.

The romance was beyond amazing and had a twist to it that I just couldn't predict! But it was so absolutely perfect and it made me want to cry (Again! The feels in this book!) I can't say really anything else about it or I'll be spoiling so much, but it truly was one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read.

The plot was, while a bit slow a few times, was absolutely amazing! I loved most of the pacing and I loved everything that happened, the twists, the heartbreak, all of it. This book was just so completely passionate and so completely perfect. So much love! Though, the ending? A little bit too HEA, but otherwise, so completely perfect. So. Perfect.

Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary/Supernatural
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: Jan 1, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

While I haven't read Something Like Normal (DYING to though!), I've heard amazing things and this book sounds absolutely AMAZING! It sounds like one of those raw books that I know is going to touch me in some way! The fact that the cover is completely gorgeous may be a reason too! But this sounds like a story of heartbreak. And you know readers--we love to cry when it comes to books! But seriously, DYING to get my hands on this! I NEED THIS. LEGIT, NEED.

Mini Freak Out: Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Mini Freak Out

Goodreads Blurb

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.
To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.
In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

So I haven't done these in a while! Basically, a MFO is where I record my reactions while reading the spotlighted book then writing a fairly short review after.

There is cussing. Just sayin'

Page 12: OH YES. Love these kind of scenes! *bounces*
Page 16: OMG. LOL. Too adorable. I just can't.
Page 21: Oh my God. This is horrible. YET I LOVE THESE FLASHBACKS TOO MUCH
Page 22: I really really love Aphrodite right now.
Page 36: O_O *backs away*
Page 50: Oh you've got to be shitting me. CRAP.
Page 64: War makes everyone colder, Claire. (Reflection after I finished:...foreshadow. FORESHADOW)
Page 66: Oh God. I really really really love these.
Page 77: This is cracking me up. Oh gosh.
Page 92: Orion, you are so unbelievably dense.
Page 94: CRAP. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE. Oh God. You're...oh God.
Page 102: Oh fudgin crap. I have a bad feeling about this.
Page 128: BAD FEELING. BAD FEELING. Shit. This is not happening.
Page 134: Did I mention that I HAVE A REALLY BAD FEELING ABOUT ALL THIS.
Page 148: Oh crap. Yeah, I definitely know who's who. I'm getting bad feeling shivers.
Page 156: Oh my God. The Fates are such itchy bees. DON'T SMITE ME
Page 161: Oh. My. God. Yes.
Page 169: Not so make-believe after all, huh?
Page 190: OMG NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T DO THIS WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS.
Page 206: Oh fudging crapness in shizzling twizzlers.
Page 211: Oh I hate you so much. How can you say that?
Page 223: Oh God, he knows. I was so hoping he didn't, but I can't be in denial any longer, can I.
Page 234: I am scared. Terrified. This is all going to Hades. (metaphorically)
Page 241: Oh my God. Ari...you can't...but I agree, I CAN'T BELIEVE ANY OF THIS.
Page 250: Everything's really just a cycle. FASCINATING (and really really horrible)
Page 256: LISTEN TO HIM. OMG LISTEN TO HIM. WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN? LISTEN TO EVERYTHING HE SAYS, NOT JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. THERE ARE MORE BETRAYALS THAN YOU--*muffled sounds*
Page 300: I really really love Aphrodite, you know. Irony. But omg, why aren't all the gods like her?
Page 307: SKLJDHFKAJSHDLKCJNBKLANFLJKSNBDCJNASJDNFHJKSDCKJNDFKJASDNCKJBNSKDJBFKSDBKFJDNSF SDJFHSDJKFKJDSFASD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S COME DOWN TO THIS DEAR GOD. OMG HELP ME. *whimpers*
Page 310: Oh my God. Do I cry or laugh? I AM CRAUGHING. Oh God. I can't take this. My heart is plunging into my stomach acid and slowly disintegrating.
Page 321: LIES LIES LIES DON'T DO THIS TO ME. WTF ARE YOU DOING. LIES. I CALL LIES. BS ON YOU. Oh God this is not happening.
Page 327: I am dying right now. Just dying. Too many favorite characters going poof. Excuse me while I find an empty ocean to fill.
Page 352: WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THAT THEY'D BE ALL LA-DI-DA?
Page 376: She deserves all the freakin' pain in the world.
Page 386: Seriously. Dense. Orion.
Page 403: Do I laugh or do I scream my guts out.
Page 407: YOU GO GIRL. LOOPHOLES FTW.
Page 410: Totally different Poseidon than in Percy Jackson *sniffs* Guess which I like better.
Page 420: What do you MEAN. Of course I'm not crying. There's just a speck of dust in my eye. Or a twig. Or a stick. Or a branch. Or a trunk. Or a forest.

Needless to say, I just absolutely died when I read Goddess. I've been a giant fan of this series since the first book (one of the first YA books I've read actually!) and seeing these characters grow from innocents to warriors, it was sort of heartbreaking. Seeing them die or losing loved ones or being betrayed? Even worse because you can't help but fall in love with all these characters along the series. Saying goodbye is always super hard, but I just absolutely adore this series and that makes it all the harder. (I think my heart has broken too many times because of ending series this year.)

The plot is absolutely fantastic and Josephine Angelini just has a way of making you die inside with every word. There were no end to the betrayals and the twists and, like I said. Absolutely heartbreaking. I had no idea what to expect and shed more than a few tears.
I definitely loved how Angelini managed to basically rewrite the Trojan War into the series. She used the idea of a "cycle" and just brilliantly wrote her own version. The multiple POVs, instead of annoying me, just made me even more antsy and anxious, building the suspense. Until, of course. it just blew up. Right in my face. Oh God.

An absolutely brilliant ending to a brilliant series, I can't help but wish we could watch these characters grow even more, but loved the epilogue and where it left off. It's heartbreaking and unpredictable, exactly like our characters. Filled with betrayals and secrets, Goddess is one of the best sequels I've read, and I definitely recommend the series to anyone and everyone.

Pages: 421
Genre: Mythology/Fantasy
Series: Starcrossed #3
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Rating: 4.5

DNF Review: TMI by Patty Blount

Goodreads Blurb

Best friends don’t lie.
Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.
Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.
Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.
When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.
But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:
Who is Ryder West?

So another DNF review. I'm not sure why, but I was on a slump when I read this, so maybe that's why...?
This'll be short since I really only had one problem with it. One and a half problems actually?

So the characters were ab-so-lute-ly annoying. Like, I-would-love-to-strangle annoying. I wasn't even sure why they were best friends--they really clashed a lot of times, and I was surprised that this was their first actual fight.
Meg had a one track mind, and I found it unrealistic that someone would be so angry that their dad DIED for what? Over ten years ago? Not to mention that I understand that it would be hard for her to get over it, but I couldn't believe how cruel and judgmental she could be. What kind of best friend...?
Bailey was just so dependent on Meg and it annoyed me to no ends. It's like she couldn't do anything without Meg! In the book, it says that Bailey loved Meg's confidence--what confidence though? Meg was only following a slightly outlined plan, not even foolproof.
The characters were absolutely horrible and unerealistic in my opinion. I sort of loathed them.

The romance was also sort of ridiculous. I didn't even see why...what's his name even liked Meg.
And then, Bailey knew Ryder for LESS than a day and was already setting up plans to meet him? I'm all for internet friends *waves at bloggy friends* but that was over, like, months! It was ridiculous. Bailey sometimes did act like a dumb blond.

So yeah. Not the book for me!

Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Rating: DNF

Authors are Rockstars: Fiona Paul

Today, for the 2nd Annual Authors are Rockstars Tour, I'm hosting the ever wonderful Fiona Paul. Sooo...why is Fiona Paul a rockstar? OH I COULD GO ON AND ON. First, she wrote Falco Venom, Belladonna, Starling, she has two author names, and writes contemporaries under Paula Stokes. CONTEMPORARY. If you didn't know, that's my favorite genre. Absolutely favorite.
Annnnnd. She's nice enough to put up with my nagging and my awkward tweets (speaking of, we're both in the self proclaimed Awkward Faction.) And super sweet! I met her at the Teen Author Carnival of 2012 (First time in NY!) and she gave me her ARC of Venom. This was my first ARC guys. And the first author I ever talked to! She's also helped tweet about Merp Squad Blog Tours and is one of the most social authors I know! And she's one of the only people who's on at like, 3 AM, so. I HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO!
Also, I have three PERSONALIZED Venoms from Fiona in all it's stages: ARC, hardback, and paperback. SO THERE'S THAT. :D

Hi fiction freaks! I’m super-psyched to be chilling on my girl Nikki Wang’s blog for Authors are Rock Stars. Thanks to Jaime, Rachel, and Mindy for including me again. What I have for you today is a deleted scene from Belladonna. It originally took place in Chapter 24, after Cass leaves Belladonna’s creepy mansion, AKA Villa Briani, but before she returns home to Venice. Without being spoilery, I can tell you this scene occurs after Falco realizes that Belladonna’s house physician, Piero Basso, has been putting the moves on Cass, so to speak.

Setting: Florence. Cass’s room at Palazzo Alioni (Madalena’s aunt’s house)

There was a crash and a shout from the direction of the portego. Siena and Cass both looked toward the open door.

            “Stay here,” Siena hissed. She went running for the hallway.

            Cass was tired of blindly obeying orders and hiding away in her chambers. She felt steadier on her feet than she had in days, almost back to normal. She threw on a dressing gown and descended to the portego.

            Piero sat dazedly on the floor, in the middle of a pile of broken wood that had previously been the room’s only table. Falco stood over him, wincing, shaking out the fingers of his right hand. A pair of serving girls peeked around the doorframe of the dining room, curious about the noise but unwilling to intervene. They scurried off when they saw Cass.

            “Falco!” Cass cried out. She blinked hard. “What are you doing?”

            He didn’t answer. Instead, he gripped Piero by the fabric of his doublet and hauled him to his feet. He reared back to strike again, but Piero ducked low and then landed a quick punch to Falco’s midsection, sending him reeling toward the brick fireplace, which thankfully wasn’t lit.

            Cass gasped. She clutched at the belt of her dressing gown with her good hand. “Both of you, stop it this instant!”

            The men ignored her. They circled the room, both crouched low, their eyes filled with hate.

            Cass moved to grab Piero as he went after Falco again, but Siena restrained her. “I’ll get help,” she said breathlessly. She turned around and ran for the back of the house.

            “I warned you.” Falco danced sideways, out of Piero’s reach. “I told you to stay away from her.” He lunged forward, fists flying. There was a sickening crunch as his knuckles collided with Piero’s mouth. Cass recoiled as if she were the one who had been struck. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t.

            Piero staggered back a couple of paces. He lifted a hand to his lip. It came away red. “What makes you think you can speak for her?” he asked. “Is she not betrothed to another? Why should you have all the fun?” He coughed hard. Drops of blood spattered the portego floor, along with something sharp and white. Falco had knocked out one of Piero’s teeth!

            “That’s enough!” Cass yelled, her voice spiraling into hysteria. Tears were welling up in her eyes. “Please.”

            “Quiet, whore,” Piero said.

            “Don’t you dare speak to her that way.” Falco lunged for Piero again, who side-stepped just out of his reach. “I will shut you up for good, I swear it.” Falco’s eyes were wild. The veins on his forearms stood out like tree branches. Cass had never seen him look so ferocious.

            Piero spat. His teeth were bared; he looked almost like one of the dogs that had prowled the gravesite outside Florence. “I saw the two of you at Villa Briani. I saw you in her bed.”

            Falco leapt toward Piero and wrapped his hands around the physician’s neck. Piero gagged. Reaching up, he tried to break Falco’s hold but couldn’t. His face flushed bright red as he struggled to escape. Falco just squeezed harder. Flailing out desperately, Piero grabbed a vase off a nearby pedestal and slammed it over the top of Falco’s head.

            Cass swallowed back a scream. Falso didn’t even flinch. Shards of pottery rained down from his hair. “Swear you will never touch her again,” Falco said slowly. Piero’s face went from red to white to grayish. The physician sunk to his knees, mewling and choking.    

            “Falco, stop it! You’re going to kill him!” Suddenly, the stench of sweat and blood in the room was overpowering, and for the first time that day, Cass felt unsteady on her feet. “Please,” she begged. “For me.”

            At last, as though waking from a trance, Falco released Piero and turned toward Cass. “I—”

            Just then, Siena and Signora Alioni rushed into the room. The signora held a partially finished needlepoint in her hand.

            “What is the meaning of this?” she thundered. “I want both of you out, or I’ll call the guard.”

            “Dottor Basso was just leaving,” Falco said, wiping his brow.

            Piero staggered back to his feet and headed for the stairs. “Your days are numbered, artist,” he hissed. “You are finished in Florence.”

            “I’m not afraid of you, or your empty threats,” Falco said. “And if you ever come near Signorina Cassandra again, I will make sure there is not enough of you left for even the worms to take an interest in.”

            

Venom Blurb

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Author Bio

Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)

In addition to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole truckload of novels, not necessarily in that order.She also writes contemporary YA under the name Paula Stokes.

Media

Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

Buy! 

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Goodreads Blurb

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.
As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

So I was a bit wary starting in because of the mixed reviews I've been seeing and while Asylum wasn't exactly picture perfect, it was still a...decent read, I guess.

The beginning is absolutely creepy and chilling (It is not a good idea to read this at night alone in your house. I don't recommend it any time soon.) and I was enthralled, if not completely terrified, by the eerie descriptions and the ghostly writing. The pictures just doubled the creep factor and I absolutely loved it! But then, things sort of went downhill.

While the entire book did retain it's eerie atmosphere, the plot became dull about a quarter in. Almost nothing happened in the next two hundred pages(?) besides a few murders and...relationship problems. For a horror mystery, Asylum focused a lot on the awkward relationships formed throughout the story and the reveal was predictable. The last twenty pages were exciting, but they didn't really wrap up that many questions for me and I was still pretty confused on the worldbuilding and science of the story.

Our main character, Dan, was a flat character and he didn't have much of a personality. What character traits he did have were inconsistent and they changed to whatever the story line needed to progress (although by story line, I mean their relationship.) Jordan and Abby were pretty much the same and I honestly couldn't even begin to understand their actions.

The relationships were just as bad. For someone who was supposed to be antisocial, Dan made two best friends almost immediately and the romance between Abby and Dan seemed rushed and forced. Not to mention the relationships between all three of the characters were strained throughout the entire book and I had no idea how they could retain a relationship at all. What irritated me the most was that they'd just met each other and that they were so close, so quickly, and were nicknamed "The Hydra" in about a week.

While completely haunting and creepy, the rest of the book was pretty disappointing and confusing. It was sort of hard to understand everything that happened in the book and the characters were just flat and were pretty bland, besides the mysterious things that happened. I'm not quite sure if this is a series, but if it is, I don't think I'll be continuing it anytime.

Pages: 320

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Series: Asylum #1 (?)

Publisher: Harper Children's

Release Date: Aug 20, 2013

Rating: 2 stars