Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Goodreads Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.
Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.
Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

Oh dear God.

Before I go into this, know that I actually clung to a wall. Literally. I hugged a wall. I also literally rocked back and forth in both history and Math. My friends can attest to this. One of them is probably even reading this. I screamed. I went on a high pitched rant about this book to 4 of my friends. I laughed hysterically.

Obviously you know you should read it.

I ABSOLUTELY COULD NEVER GUESS ANYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING. I’d have on theory, discard it, think of another, take back the old one, discover that the second one was right…it was so very unpredictable. Everything happens quickly, and you never know what to expect next. This is so my kind of thriller! 

I was in shock half the time while I was reading The Naturals! Remember when I said I rocked back and forth? Blame it on the plot. Actually, blame everything on the plot. It was absolutely mind blowing. In my notes (yes, I take notes…shhh), I wrote “Holy Crap” over and over and over. And then I gave up on notes and just wrote Holy Crap over the entire page.

And, every so often, Barnes would delve into the killer's mind, giving us a creepy look on what was happening, and giving hints on who it was. I guessed but was so sure I was wrong!

Seriously. The plot was wild.

Ah, so, I guess we should go on to talk about the other things. Like the romance. Yes, there was a love triangle. No, it wasn’t annoying! It was more of a subplot, and we never really focused on it. Though the attraction was…quick, it wasn’t insta-love. This is so hard to explain: it created more conflicts, though, and I’m all for that. The romance was subtle, really. And fun. TEAM DEAN ALL THE WAY. I always pick Team Bad Boy. Hmm.

While I was expecting something typically paranormal, the Naturals' "abilities" aren't really paranormal at all--they just seem like natural abilities. They picked up on hints, actions, behaviors, etc. and pieced them together. That was all it was! I was definitely surprised by that and, though I would've liked to learn a little more about them, it didn't take away from the book at all! I loved seeing them practice, and I loved how they still had to work to discover things, rather than having it magically appear in front of them.

I loved our characters! They each had their own flaws, and they were all so individual! I loved them all! Michael's cockiness and arrogance, Dean's mystery and quietness, Lia's...complicated personality, Sloane's quirkiness, and Cassie's all-around personality. I loved their interactions, and I loved seeing all of their relationships build! 

The Naturals is a thrilling must-read for fans of YA. Engaging, hypnotizing, and absolutely creepy at times, The Naturals isn't one that you'll want to miss--it'll have you gasping in shock and clutching the edge of your chair. 

Pages: 304
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Nov 5, 2013
Rating: 10/5 Stars

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Goodreads Blurb

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds. 
It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Oh Anna and Bennett, our time torn couple. How I love your sweet and adorable and heart rendering romance.

I love Time After Time so much more than Time Between Us (although you have to love Anna's POV!). I have no idea why, but I just did and their romance makes me want to cuddle them both, then live in a hole because I will never have as sweet a relationship as them.

Then again, I'll never have one as complicated either, so there's that.

Obviously the romance is the focus point of the book, and it's complexity. Bennett's been breaking a few of his rules and he may have seen something that makes reality crash down. And when it does, and what he did...my heart sort of (read: really) broke apart. Time After Time is one of those books that leads you on, makes you think everything is fine and dandy, before it gives you a blow to the chest that absolutely kills you. There were so many times I worried over the question "What if he can't go back again?" and there was just a lump in my throat. That's how much I loved the couple.

They were both so cute together and they understood each other so well too. Anna rarely got angry over the fact that Bennett couldn't always be there. She accepted it and fought for him, loving him for being him. And Bennett just...well, he loved Anna and it was as simple as that. It's that typical-not-so-typical teenage romance you have to love.

Stone does a wonderful job with character building and we can definitely relate to a few of our characters. Anna, Bennett, Brooke, even Justin with his crush. They're each complex characters and seeing how each of them have changed, even subtly, was great! We meet Brooke as a person for the first time instead of just a missing sister, and I loved how she interacted with her parents and Bennett, even Anna. She was a fabulous sister, and now I totally want to steal her!

Time After Time is a brilliant sequel that, while has a sci-fi element, has that contemporary feel to it that brings out a nostalgic side of you. It'll make you love the characters more than you did before and break your heart a few times before delivering the perfect ending.

Pages: 368

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Time Between Us #2

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: Oct 8, 2013

Rating: 4.5

Waiting on Wednesday

The Fiery Heart by Richell Mead

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

OMG YES. So I'm actually not as big a fan of this series as I am Vampire Academy, but I will do anything to see even a glimpse of Rose. Even if this series mainly just focuses on the romance. Le sigh. BUT THE ENDING OF THE INDIGO SPELL. WTF 

Blog Tour: Resist by Sarah Crossan

EEEP! I feel so excited to be able to host SARAH CROSSAN on my blog! I haven't had the time to read Resist, but I LOVED Breathe, I remember! 

---

WRITING SPACES

When I listen to other writers speak, I’m always intrigued by what they reveal about where they write. Roald Dahl wrote in a shed, as did Virginia Woof. Libba Bray writes in her local coffee shop, while Phil Earle types away on the top of a double decker bus on his way to his day job. It makes me wonder about the ideal space and whether or not there really is one.

I suspect there is, though many writers make do with what they’ve got or where they live because they’ve no other choice.

When I was writing the BREATHE series, I convinced myself that the only way to get it written and to make it good was to find the ideal location for my writing. I tried hunkering down at home in my spare room, but the window looked out onto an intersection and with drivers compelled to honk one another for the most trifling of offenses, not to mention the fact there was a gym below my apartment where people worked out to Gangham Style from 6am-9pm, I looked elsewhere.

What I discovered was that in NYC there are writing spaces you can join where people with a common goal show up every day, borrow a desk, and get scribbling. I joined The Writers Room on Broadway, a loft-like space with around a hundred desks (plus couches for napping and a kitchen for tea breaks) where I could be alone – but not alone – and write.

It was bliss. In the kitchen I could chit-chat with other writers about the misery of the process and then in the actual writing room (which was silent apart from the patter of fingers on keyboards) I could focus and get to work. It meant being away from home and away from distractions and made me feel like I was getting up to go to work every day like a normal human being. The worst thing about being a writer for me is the isolation and having places like The Writers Room solves this problem.

But then I got sick and the doctor told me to stay at home and not to ride the subway, so I was back to my noisy spare room and the sexy lure of laundry and reruns of The Office. I had to find an alternative, so I spoke with my building manager who had a solution: He had an empty building across the street and for a nominal fee would happily rent me a room. I didn’t hesitate. I snapped up the space and dragged a desk across the street. However, what I hadn’t thought about was the fact that I would be alone. And when I say alone – I mean, A-L-O-N-E. I was on the fifth floor of a dilapidated nursing school with no one else about. The other rooms were open and filled with junk and the only space lacking creepy was my office. In short, it terrified me. I kept expecting zombies to appear down the hallway and every time the elevator pinged (which it kept doing even though there was no one else there) I wondered with Jason from Friday the 13^th would appear. I lasted a week before I frightened myself into submission and went back to the spare room. I tried listening to music. I tried a white noise machine. Then I went down to the foyer and got working. 

And that’s where RESIST was born. Between hospital visits (I’m very fit and healthy now btw, thank you) I sat in my apartment building foyer and wrote. I tried to ignore the mailman and the doorman and hoards of folks carrying groceries and the kids all looking at me strangely and wondering exactly what I might be doing. Perhaps they all thought I just wanted to use the free WiFi. Not so. In fact, wherever I write, I turn off the internet because more than gym noise or honking cars, Twitter is a killer to creativity.

And now what?

Well, since then I’ve moved to the UK where I bought myself a real grownup house with a garden. And as a treat I have built a special office which has everything I’ve ever craved. It has space for my desk, a huge armchair and bookshelves. It’s got no internet (Hallelujah!) but even has its own bathroom! It has bright windows for light, it’s quiet, and it’s also close enough to the house so I can mosey on down there when I

need a chin-wag to stop myself from going round the bend.

Is it the perfect space to write? Well it’s what I’ve dreamed of for years. And I guess we’ll see what I produce. What I know for sure though, is that if I don’t just sit down and do it, it doesn’t matter where I am. The most important writing space to keep tidy and silent is the mind – fill that up with clutter and you haven’t got a chance. 

About the Book

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, and shattered society in this wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel.

Author Info

Sarah Crossan is Irish. She graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Literature before training as an English and Drama teacher at Cambridge University and worked to promote creative writing in schools before leaving teaching to write full time.

She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in 2003 and in 2010 received an Edward Albee Fellowship for writing.

The Weight of Water, published by Bloomsbury in January 2012, was her first novel.

Breathe published by Greenwillow and Bloomsbury in October 2012 and Resist in October 2013.

Media

Website

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Giveaway
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Schedule

11/11/2013- Fiction Freak- Guest Post

11/12/2013- Mundie Moms- Review

11/13/2013- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

11/14/2013- Fiktshun  - Character Interview

11/15/2013- Fantasy Book Addict- Interview

Week of a Fiction Freak

I AM SORRY. 

LET ME START OUT BY SAYING I AM SO VERY SORRY FOR NOT DOING ONE OF THESE EARLIER. IT'S BEEN OVER A MONTH I AM THE WORST. 

NaNo is kicking my butt because a) it's taking up all my time and b) I'm behind because twitter so c) Twitter is actually the one kicking my butt. 

Yeah. 

BUT ANYWAYS. HERE'S WHAT I GOT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. That I remember at least.

Bought

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Persuasion by Jane Austen
Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory
Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

• Okay, I totally got spoiled so Allegiant? I WON'T READ YOU UNTIL NEXT YEAR. 
• Persuasion is for school and I actually REALLY want to read it just cuz. First Austen book lol! 
• RECLAIMED! Bought it at Houston Book Rave and I'm super excited to read it! EEP! 
• Crewel I bought at Fierce Reads because I need matching covers. MY FOURTH COPY OF CREWEL. I'M NOT CRAZY. 
• Where the Stars Still Shine has been read and devoured! <3 I love it SO much! 
• Not a Drop to Drink! EEEEEP! I NEED to read this. NEEEEED. Time. I need you. Come. 
• Iron effing Traitor. KIERRAN YOU. OMG I'M STILL NOT OVER THIS. ASH. ASH WAS IN HERE. AND KIERRAN WAS LIKE YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND AND ASH WAS LIKE I DO UNDERSTAND AND IT'S BECAUSE OF MEGHAN AND LIKE CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT ASH HAS GONE THROUGH LIKE I NEED MORE ASH CAN SOMEONE MAKE THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE I CAN'T HOLD ME. 

For Review
Resist by Sarah Crossan
Waterfell by Amalie Howard
Pawn by Aimee Carter
Grim Anthology

• Ah! Resist Loved book one, so YES! 
• Waterfell was pretty good, though I did have some problems with it. But it was still a good read!
• PAWN WAS AMAZING. Ah-may-zing. Like, I'm not even kidding. GAHHHHHH!!!!
• Grim. Yes. Grim. I'm a huge fan of fairy tales and an even bigger fan of retellings. THIS ONE is one you HAVE to read!!!! 

Gifted
Altered by Gennifer Albin
Nil by Lynne Matson
Six Months Later by Natalie Richards
Story Engineering

• THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ERIC/FRODO FOR ALTERED! <3 Came just in time for the Fierce Reads signing! 
• Lynne is such a sweetheart for sending me her last copy of Nil! AND A BAG OF CANDY. Still not sure which part of the package was better, but I'm leaning towards Nil. 
• Natalie was SO SO SO sweet sending me a finished copy of Six Months Later which I absolutely loved and adored! SO SWEET. CAN'T EVEN <3 
• And THANK YOU SO MUCH to Gina Rosati for sending me those for Post-NaNo edits! 

Signed

I also went to two events so I got a few signed books. Eheheheheh. (And I'm not even including all of them in this collage.)

Revelations by J.A. Souders

Goodreads Blurb

Six weeks ago, Evelyn Winters was locked away in Elysium, a city hidden miles beneath the sea, brainwashed into submission. With the help of Gavin, she fought free of her captors and the fog in her own mind. He took her back with him to the Surface, a world she's never known. Now she will begin a new life. 
But her past is closer than she thinks...

Revelations was one of my more anticipated books of 2013, since I loved Renegade so much! And with the ending of Renegade? Hell yes I wanted to get my hands on this.

Diving right into the review, I found that while I did miss the world of Elysium, Mother always chasing at our characters' heels, Revelations was intriguing and chilling in it's own way--just in a different way than Renegade's. We're introduced to the Surface which we now know for sure is a futuristic world and seeing Souders perform her worldbuilding magic here too was stunning. There are certain bits of Renegade and Revelations you can see sort of reflect each other and it was unbelievably fun figuring it out as you went along.

The number one thing I loved about Revelations was how bits and pieces of Renegade, of Elysium, would sneak into Evie's brain. She would say something that we could recognize immediately or she would do something that she'd done before. I always did love amnesia stories--but knowing everything our character's forgotten? I never realized how much the anticipation can kill you! You just keep hoping, waiting, for her to remember everything. And does she?

Evie is a rather fascinating character, even with her memories gone. In some ways, she's more innocent before, without her memories of bloodshed and escape, but we can clearly see the wear on tear on her with not remembering anything. (At times, I just wanted to shove Renegade in her hands and tell her to read anything--but of course I couldn't do that.) Evie is still a fabulous character though. While she could be called a damsel in distress character, her personality just drew her as a strong and independent character--not quite the DID after all.

We are introduced to a new character--Asher. I'll admit, I was completely worried about a love triangle at first. After all, two hot guys? And Evie's traveling with both of them while having a ton of alone time with Asher? Oh yes, I was wary. But REST ASSURED. There's no love triangle here--instead we get a brother like figure who would do anything for Evie--just not quite the same way as Gavin.
Speaking of Gavin, we would get little bits and pieces from his POV and it was rather fascinating putting it all together. His relationship with Evie was absolutely adorable and you could see how fiercely they loved each other, and how desperate Gavin was to keep Evie safe.

The plot was absolutely thrilling. I was always anxious to find out what would happen next and there are some undeniably creepy things that go on. It turns out the world of Elysium hasn't changed much--and Mother? She's still as psychotic as ever, and still the perfect villain. We learn more about Evie's past, and just a bit more about Mother. And the ending? Oh God.
J.A. Souders writes a heart pounding plot in Revelations, making it almost as action packed as Renegade while also introducing us to the new addition to Evie and Gavin's little duo.

Not suffering from Sequel Syndrome at all, Revelations is a brilliant book to continue the series! I'm dying to read the third one and anxious to find out what's next for our characters in their world. A seriously amazing series, I can't stop recommending this to everyone!

Pages: 352

Genre: Sci-fi

Series: Renegade #2

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: Nov 5, 2013
Rating: 4.5 stars