Review: Gone - Michael Grant

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; Reprint edition (April 28, 2009)

n the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

My Thoughts...

I loved The Lord of the Flies, and this struck me as a similar story but with a paranormal twist which should put it right up my alley.  Getting into this book took me a little while but once it had me...it had me. I usually don't like it when the narration jumps from one person to another but it seemed to work here.  I also really liked Sam!  I'm not a fan of Quinn or Astrid so much but Sam is awesome!  There seems to be so much going on in this book that I'm having a hard time here.  One of the things I liked was watching certain kids just all into rolls trying to help or keep things going.  I also at times forgot I was reading about kids.  I couldn't imagine living through what these kids are put through.  I don't want to say too much and spoil anything.  I give this one 3.5 stars and hope the next one is just as good.

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My picks this week are...

The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do. 

Possess - Gretchen McNeil

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Teaser Tuesday (6)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week mt teaser is from...

Possession - Elana Johnson

Except for an occasional low chuckle, he didn't interrupt as I spilled the details about my eight rule breaking episodes.  "You've been bad for a very long time," he said when I finished.  If that's what he wanted to believe, why should I correct him?

Review: Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 31, 2011)

How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

I have a book crush!  I am still trying to sort out my thoughts.  I really enjoyed this one, I struggled threw the first few chapters, but once we met Lucas and crew everything picked up, and the story wouldn't let me go until I was done.  I really liked Helen, flying under the radar trying not to stand out.  Watching Helen grow into "herself" was cool, and Claire made me laugh as she put pieces of the puzzle together.  I also really enjoyed Lucas and his family.  They all played a part and were well written.  Now I am a huge geek mythology junkie so this was really up my alley.  I loved every minute of it! I also really enjoyed the romance in this book.  I liked that Lucas and Helen weren't an insta love connection.  Watching everyone work through one issue after another to try to do the "right" thing made the romance that popped up so much sweeter for me.  I will say that I am dying for more of this series.  I have to know what happens like NOW!  I highly suggest this book to everyone! I have to give this one 4.5 stars.

Cover Reveal!

The cover of Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick.

The third book in the Hush, Hush series.

I think this cover is amazing!! I really liked the cover for Hush, Hush, but wasn't a big fan of Crescendo's cover,  but this one makes up for it in spades!!

Cover Crazy (8)

Cover Crazy is a weekly mem hosted by Tawni over at The Book Worms

My picks this week are...

Awake at Dawn - C.C. Hunter

Kylie Galen thought her life was a mess before she went to Shadow Falls Camp. However, now that she's discovered she's not human, the problems presenting themselves are anything but normal.

She's determined to uncover the answer to her supernatural heritage, but with a ghost insisting someone Kylie loves is about to die, her newly developed sixth sense telling her someone is watching her and a rogue vampire on a murdering rampage, Kylie's quest for answers is on hold. As if her life isn't difficult enough, just when she's about to give her heart to Derek, he starts pulling away. When Lucas comes back, Kylie feels more conflicted than ever. Kylie's weekend with her mom should have been just the break Kylie needs, but it turns out to be her breaking point. Discovering her heritage may not ever matter if she doesn't survive.

I absolutely love this cover! I look at it and all I can think is I want to dive in. I really love how the world looks so big compared to this little girl.

Possess - Gretchen McNeil

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

This cover is so creepy that I love it. I love the dark tendrils, tree branches, or veins(what ever they are lol) that show on the girls face. This cover just seems so haunting that I can't help but love it.

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren

all links go to goodreads =o)

Review:

Where Things Come Back - John Corey Whaley

Blood Red Road - Moira Young

Possession - Elana Johnson

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma

Wrapped - Jennifer Bradbury

Bought:

Abandon - Meg Cabbot

The Lying Game - Sara Shepard

Skinned - Robin Wasserrman

Crashed - Robin Wasserman

Wired - Robin Wasserman

The Ghoul Next Door - Lisi Harrison

Dark Descendant - Jenna Black

Whats in your Mailbox!?!