Blog Tour & Giveaway: Flying Away by Caroline Gill

19:30 Cilla 4 Comments

Title: Flying Away

Author: Caroline Gill
Publication Date: 12 January 2016
Genre: Dystopia, Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis: When Iolani Bearse was five years old, she lost her father to war. When she was nine, her mother died in a freak car accident. When Lani was fourteen, eerie green lights invaded, tearing her from the only home she had left.

Living as a runaway, dragging a horse and her cousin Eleanor across the countryside, Lani must learn to survive. Now Lani is the only person between the horrible, greedy lights and the last bit of family she has left. Her own heart is barely beating, but powerful memories pull her to Malcolm St. John. She fights what she feels, buried deep within her shattered soul.

Malcolm St. John always held his feelings in, especially about Iolani. So when she shows up on his doorstep, desperate and determined, Mal must decide if the wild tales she spins are the fragments of insanity or the last hope for a dying nation. This Lani is different from the child he knew. Something is coming for her, for him, and will not be stopped

If the cousins and Malcolm can’t escape the grasping hunters who hound them, the future of a broken America will be destroyed. Everything Lani has ever loved will burn with them. Somehow, she must find a path through friendship and loyalty to save them all.

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Excerpt

My relief at my escape washed away as I saw Eleanor's foot was already under the lake surface. Her leg slid toward the lapping waters, her limp body following behind. “No!” I cried out. Her other leg and then her hip slipped under. The rest of her body fell into the abyss.

With that scream, I jumped up ready for battle. By the time I got there, only the tip of her hands were visible, sinking fast. Laying on my stomach, I yanked as hard as I could on her fingertips, pulling her wrists out of the water. Adrenalin filled me. My head buzzed. I could see every detail of everything around me. Searching under the water, I felt Eleanor's shoulder. Dammit. I plunged both arms in, holding her against the tar's grasp. Her glowing face floated beneath the surface, eyes opened.

Grabbing her under her arms, I pulled against the suction of the lake monster. I refused to lose this battle, this friend. With the strength of seven men, I pulled her body back up, over the rough-hewn wood. Even as I yanked her shining shoulders away from the edge of the wooden dock, the darkness curled itself three times around her leg and strengthened its hold, resisting my intrusion.

“Eleanor! Eleanor, please!” My tears were useless. I was shivering and frantic at the same time.

I fought the malice. Whatever it was, the thing would not be denied. Hungry and determined, it did not pause. It wanted Eleanor. I struggled against the added weight of her water-soaked clothes.

A splinter stabbed my foot while I yanked on my cousin's paralyzed body. The sharp pain of it was distracting. It made me angry instead of afraid.

In the forest, the flies had given me a gift. Because of them, I could see beyond my limited senses. The darkest pitch was real, malignant and intelligent. Baleful eyes that marked the head of the beast shone clear as holiday lights. I wanted to shout something courageous like, “By the power of GreySword!” or some other battle-cry out of a childhood show. I wanted to be special, to have some ability to fight the scary thing that held my cousin. I had nothing but the flies' unintentional gift–that and my own stubbornness.

Standing up straight, I lunged away with all my might, calves straining against the mud and grass at the edge of the lake. “We are gonna make it. We are,” I vowed with each gained inch. Eleanor was almost off the dock, almost free of the bucking wood.

I looked back. The sinuous blackness still held her leg tight. It stretched like gum on the asphalt on the hottest days of August. Naked and shivering, my body started shaking. Pulling against such hunger left me drained. We gained precious ground, but soon I would falter. I felt insignificant trying to resist the lake creature.

Where was my mighty sword that I could use to cut the evil apart? Looking for anything that might sever the connection, I used the glow of Eleanor's body to search the nearby ground. There was a rusty length of chain and a broken shovel a few steps away, too far to do me any good.

Tears sprang to my eyes. Tears that I did not shed at the wrenching agony that killed my mother. Tears that did not fall while my mother's blood ran away, mingling with spilt oil and gasoline on the rain-slicked road–those tears. Each one was now a deluge. My anger and fear merged, a wick in the center of my bright frustration.

With clenched teeth, I started humming my mother's favorite lullaby, Rock-a-bye Baby. I resisted the illness that fed from those baleful eyes, floating ever nearer. It was the only song that came to mind. Weirdly, the predator's grip loosened a little. Anything that worked even a little was a road I would travel willingly.

Sweat stung my eyes. My tear ducts filled again. I started to sway from dizziness. Shouting the song at the tar octopus, I pulled and pulled against the flowing despair. “When the wind blows... the cradle, the cradle...”

With rage and determination, I yanked again on Eleanor's shoulders but to no avail. She was held tight, a rusted iron wedge forgotten in an overgrown tree. Grabbing at the slick tar that held her immobile, I was brought to my knees. The disease flowed out of the lake, full of venom and pesticide.

I spat at its grip, fighting for both of us. The dizziness grew.

A buzzing filled my head, a sound that both cocooned me and rang like the sounding of a tremendous tower bell. “Help me!” I cried out in desperation, confused and weary.

All around me, lights flickered and grew–lights blending with other flickering lights. I watched the starry sky fall to earth. I was at the center of a moving galaxy.

It was beautiful and miraculous, like floating in the middle of a perfectly calm sea and seeing the stars in stereo.

Like ash falling from a newly-made volcano, the fireflies came.

Author

Unusual stories attract me, ones in which the reader cannot easily see the ending or most of the journey. Visiting Rome during university studies, I found a simple truth sitting on buses, traveling all over the ancient city: the joy is in the Journey, in the people I meet, not in the destination. So, I write for you. I write for sanity. I write for chocolate and really good pizza.

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Giveaway

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Plucked: From Page to Screen #1

12:36 Cilla 7 Comments

Welcome to Plucked: From Page to Screen! Inspired by how we watch TV series almost as much as we read books, Cam and I came up with this feature. What if we take a character from a bookish or a television universe and toss them into a different one, in the other medium? Every month, we’ll be sharing our mash-ups with you.

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Because we have been doing a book club of The Princess Diaries series, and we’re both fans of the DC tv universe, we’re kicking off this feature by pondering this question: how would the kids of Albert Einsten High School fare in the world of Arrow and The Flash? For my post, I’ve chosen to focus on Michael Moscovitz and Star City.

From The Princess Diaries books, we know that Michael Moscovitz is highly intelligent; he’s a musician, computer expert, robotic-arm-inventor. He’s level-headed, as indicated by the various conversations between him and Mia in which he puts her anxiety at ease. It’s possible that he’s simply a decent communicator.

As for Star City, it is a metropolitan home to big businesses and corporations. It is also overrun with crime, corruption, and poverty. They have had to deal with a bomb, an army of super strong murderers, and the threat of Ra’as Al Ghul. It’s gloomy, dangerous, and angsty pretty much all the time. I don’t know how much it is like New York (where Michael grew up), but considering he lived a relatively privileged life I’d wager that he’s never come up with the kind of darkness Oliver Queen and his team has had to deal with.

If Michael lived in Star City, I think he would grow up to work in Palmer Technologies, the business formerly known Queen Corporation. He would hit it off with Felicity Smoak, both having an interest and skills in computers. Felicity also has the wit to verbally spar with him if necessary!

I can’t imagine he would have cared for Oliver much, nor would he feel compelled to join the vigilantes. For one, he’s opposed to organised groups and probably wouldn’t take well to Oliver’s leadership style. For another, Michael has never struck me as someone who cares strongly about a cause. I think he’d prefer to find a way out of Star City rather than stick around.

What do you think? Can you picture Michael hanging out with Team Arrow? Check out Cam's post to see who she's plucking from Princess Diaries and into Central City!

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Blog Tour: Jerkbait by Mia Siegert

21:00 Cilla 0 Comments

Title: Jerkbait

Author: Mia Siegert
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Source: eARC provided by the publisher.
Synopsis: Even though they're identical, Tristan isn't close to his twin Robbie at all—until Robbie tries to kill himself.

Forced to share a room to prevent Robbie from hurting himself, the brothers begin to feel the weight of each other's lives on the ice, and off. Tristan starts seeing his twin not as a hockey star whose shadow Tristan can't escape, but a struggling gay teen terrified about coming out in the professional sports world. Robbie's future in the NHL is plagued by anxiety and the mounting pressure from their dad, coach, and scouts, while Tristan desperately fights to create his own future, not as a hockey player but a musical theatre performer.

As their season progresses and friends turn out to be enemies, Robbie finds solace in an online stranger known only as “Jimmy2416.” Between keeping Robbie's secret and saving him from taking his life, Tristan is given the final call: sacrifice his dream for a brother he barely knows, or pursue his own path. How far is Robbie willing to go—and more importantly, how far is Tristan willing to go to help him? (Amazon)

Review:

I grew up in a tropical country, which means I know absolutely nothing about hockey. Despite this, I was drawn to JERKBAIT. I was intrigued by the idea of twins who aren't actually familiar with each other's true selves. I also thought that homophobia in the professional sports world is an important topic to bring up in YA. In regards to these two topics, JERKBAIT shines.

Let's talk characters first. It's fair to say that, on the surface, I have nothing in common with Tristan or Robbie. I don't know hockey or musical theatre or what it's like to have a twin. Yet, I was soon invested in them. I wanted to shake Tristan whenever he made a bad choice. I wanted to scream at their parents every time they made a decision that sacrificed their son's mental health. The emotions are raw and that makes it sometimes difficult to read, but the novel's best pages are when it focuses on the twins' relationship. On the downside, the side characters didn't get as much room to grow as the twins. To me, Tristan's romance in particular felt rushed and, while it presented more diversity, didn't necessarily add to his character development.

The only other complaint I have is that I wish the synopsis hadn't given away Robbie's secret. I felt the revelation would have hit harder had I been left more in the dark about it when I started reading. I can understand why it was mentioned in the blurb, however, and the scene still made an impact within the story.

In terms of story, JERKBAIT touches on a whole range of issues from suicide attempt to homophobia to assault. It's heartbreaking to read, and frightening knowing the things that Robbie and Tristan suffer through are very real. I thought Mia handled these difficult themes with a steady hand and honesty.

All in all, this novel is a worthy read. It might be a bit of a struggle at times if you're like me and have no knowledge of or interest in hockey, but JERKBAIT is so much more than about the sport. I hope teens - athletes or otherwise - read this book and start a conversation about these issues.

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ARC Review: The Bride Behind the Curtain by Darcie Wilde

15:25 Cilla 0 Comments

Title: The Bride Behind the Curtain (Regency Makeover Part 1)
Author: Darcie Wilde
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genre: Romance
Source: eARC provided via NetGalley
Synopsis: Even wallflowers find a way to bloom...

They were dismissed as hopeless—girls too plain, too shy, too gauche to stand any chance in the ruthless competition of the London season. But Helene Fitzgerald, Madelene Valmeyer, and Adele Edmundson have no intention of remaining wallflowers. Aided by the notorious novelist, Deborah Sewell, they form the Wallflower Pact and set out to find true love for themselves—and maybe even their chaperone.

The Bride Behind the Curtain

Adele Edmundson has always been considered too plump and too awkward for the fashionable world. But the girl has a discerning eye for fashion, filling notebooks with designs for beautiful dresses. She also has an eye for the dashing son of French expatriates, James Beauclaire. With a little help from her friends, and a talented modiste's assistant, Adele's gowns take society by storm and she begins a secret flirtation with James, who finds himself torn between family loyalties and true love. But as all Adele's impossible dreams begin to come true, can she resist the temptations of a world suddenly throwing itself at her feet?

Review:

I don't read a lot of historical romance, but two things drew my attention to The Bride Behind the Curtain. One was the author; I loved her Regency mystery novel (as you can see here) and wanted to read more. The other was the premise of the story itself; I'm always drawn to wallflowers and characters who struggle to fit society's standards, and Adele is exactly that. I figured I was going in for a charming read with relatable characters, and that was what I got.

Let's talk about my favourite thing first: the leading lady. Adele is highly relateable to me in her self-consciousness and slightly awkward manners. I was initially wary of the makeover arch, that it might involve that trope where the plump girl loses weight and becomes society-approved kind of beautiful in order to win true love. Thankfully, that didn't happen! There was weight loss involved, but the story didn't focus on what she was or wasn't eating; it focused on her following a passion and gaining autonomy. That made me happy.

I squirm a little whenever insta-love happens, though I can live with it in this genre. There was definitely chemistry between Adele and James Beauclaire, and I enjoyed the course their relationship takes. James is lovable as a romantic hero in his gentleness, and I like his personal journey. I just wish we had more pages to explore that journey.

In fact, the biggest let-down for me is how slim this book is. There were plenty of exciting storylines to follow - The Wallflower Pact, the romance, James' struggles, Adele's family dynamics, James' family dynamics - but not enough space to let them all play out in depth. I'm aware that this is the first book in a trilogy, so perhaps it was deliberate that some things were left vague.

All in all, this was a sweet read with fascinating heroines. I would have liked to have some parts of it elaborated on, but historical romance fans looking for a quick read would enjoy it as it is. As for me, I want to know more about our wallflowers, so I will be reading on!

(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is 15/03/2016.)

Reading this book contributes to the following challenges:

Goodreads Challenge

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Audiobook Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

14:17 Cilla 4 Comments

Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Publisher: Listening Library
Source: Borrowed
Synopsis: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Review (with spoilers ahead!):

“Everything's a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It's up to you.”

I heard SO MUCH about Everything, Everything before I stumbled upon an audiobook of it in the library. In a way, the hype made me wary; I didn't want to have ridiculous expectations going into a book, though by this point it couldn't be helped. The good news is that many parts of the story lived up to those expectations, but there were also parts that didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Maddy won me over instantly. It's difficult not to like her given the way she's made the best out of what is a terrible existence. I'm an introvert who enjoys being alone at home, but I honestly don't know how if I could keep my chin up if I could never step foot outside of my house. I love the snippets we get from her made-up dictionary and the books she's read. I was rooting for her to fall in love with the world the whole time.

The strange thing is, I never quite rooted for her to fall in love with Olly. Olly is an intriguing character on his own, given his family background and his personality, and I like the contrast he provides to Maddy's world. Still, despite the fact that their romance is the catalyst for change in Maddy's life, the book fell flat for me whenever they were together. This is most likely because I was highly skeptical about her sickness, so the glow of their forbidden interactions was pretty much lost on me.

Despite the aforementioned skepticism, the highlights of this book come in the second half. The most intriguing part for me was how Maddy would cope with the aftermath of certain revelations. Her mother is perhaps the most fascinating character in the book, actually, and their relationship is one that gives me the most to ponder.

This was the second audiobook I'd ever listened to. I think having her voice in my head help me connect to Maddy more than I would have with a paperback. At the same time, there is something incredibly awkward about listening to a love scene. All in all though, it was an enjoyable audiobook experience.

Have you read Everything, Everything? How do you think you'd cope with never being able to leave your house?

Reading this book contributes to the following challenges:

Goodreads Challenge

Around the World 2016

#DiverseReads2016 Challenge

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[Book Talk] Dog's Eye View: How Human Can a Furry Narrator Be?

06:05 Cilla 15 Comments

image source

(Disclaimer: as I've mainly read books from a dog's perspective, this post is going to focus mostly on those rather than animals in general.)

I used to think that talking animals belong in fantasy or children's books. This changed after I read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein; I fell in love with the idea of reading books - contemporary, adult books about regular people - with dogs as narrators. Why? Maybe it's the dog lover in me who believes that puppies observe human behaviours all the time. Or it is a unique perspective to take on a story and on human nature, albeit one that is limited at times. Or it's just kind of charming. Whichever the reason, it's still a fun reading experience.

It probably goes without saying that you need some degree of suspension of disbelief when you go into this kind of books. You have to let some anthropomorphism happen. The question then is, how much?

How human can the furry characters be? Animal Farm by George Orwell has its creatures stage a revolution and set up their own government, but it is meant as an allegory. The last time I accepted the idea of animals running a government was while watching Cats and Dogs, and even then that was because it's a movie for children.

books I have read with furry narrators

That said, I fully accept in fiction what I've seen in my own pets. I believe that animals understand your emotional states and have their own feelings. I believe some are intelligent; they can learn new skills and draw conclusions. Some can pull you out of burning buildings. I don't believe that they'd be able to help me pick out a dress, or fully understand the emotional reasons behind my fears or anxiety or even happiness.

Of course, we're talking about books that aim to stay close to animal nature. If anthropomorphism is part of the premise (like in this book), then I won't worry about what I believe to be reality.

What about you? Have you read books with non-human narrators? If yes, recommend one to me please! If not, would you? How much anthropomorphism is okay in a contemporary book?

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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Blackheath by Gabrielle Lepore

18:00 Cilla 2 Comments

Follow the Blackheath tour! Find the tour schedule here.

Title: Blackheath

Author: Gabriella Lepore
Publication date: 12th December, 2015 ll Amazon
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Maggie Ellmes is dogged by a case of chronic bad luck. She figures that’s just her lot in life—that is, until the psychic at Blackheath’s annual carnival reveals that Maggie’s problems are caused by more than just ordinary misfortune; she’s actually been cursed.

Desperate to shake the hex, Maggie has no choice but to seek out the help of Joel Tomlins, a rebellious classmate who’s descended from Blackheath’s most powerful line of witches. After breaking all of his coven’s conventions to help her, Joel discovers that the curse isn’t as bad as Maggie fears. In fact, it’s much, much worse.

Review:

It was the mention of coven of witches that first caught my interest. It has been some time since my last Paranormal YA, and so I was looking forward to reading about how magic works in the Blackheath universe. From the synopsis, I got some insta-love vibe (girl in distress + rebellious boy seems to be a recipe for it to me) and was a little wary of that aspect. In the end, the magic remains my favourite part about this story.

The Tomlins' world of magic is fascinating not necessarily in the power that they can wield, but in the tension and connections it creates. Joel and his brothers have been abandoned repeatedly by both parents, and magic continues to drive a wedge in the family. My favourite relationship in the book is that of Joel and Evan. Communication problems (they are teenage boys) and parental issues occasionally makes their relationship a difficult one, but it's clear that they care deeply about each other. I'm so curious about their mother too! Overall, the family mystery makes a more appealing story to me than Joel and Maggie's relationship.

For the first few chapters, I loved the chemistry between Joel and Maggie. She is cheeky and talkative where he's more likely to keep to himself, and it makes for a good match. I liked the history of friendship between them and enjoyed the level of comfort (which was exactly like that of estranged occasional friends). It's this history that stops me from calling what happens in the rest of the book insta-love. Still, the progression from that estrangement to Joel's willingness to pull out all the stops for Maggie felt very quick to me. I wish they had remained platonic for longer, or that we got to see more of their previous friendship.

Overall, I found this book to be a fun read, but my reservations about the romance kept me from fully enjoying the second half of the book. I would recommend this to bookworms who enjoy their YA with a good helping of magic, brotherly love, and dysfunctional family.