{ Awesome Ebook Giveaway! }

During my book blog browsing today, I found THIS blog. Bree is having a 100+ followers giveaway and what a giveaway it is! If you are an ebook reader you should check it out and check out Bree's blog!

{ The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan }

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

March 2010 by Random House Childrens Books

Source: Library ebook

From Goodreads:

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches for the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier can not hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seem to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

My review:

Those of you who have read my review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, will know how much I loved it. I was very excited to start this second installment. However, I was sadly disappointed. This book could almost be read as a stand alone. And had I not read the first one, I may have liked it more...or maybe not.

My biggest issue was with the main character, Gabry. Could there really be anyone with worse luck than this girl? Seriously? It just seemed that one disaster would happen and then, bang, another. Then another, and another. And as a result, she was constantly blaming herself and wining about everything! There was so much self-loathing in this story and not just from Gabry, but everyone. Maybe it just comes with the territory. When you are constantly looking death in the face, what else is there really? I found myself loathing everything along with them.

However, Carrie Ryan, redeemed herself during the last 100 pgs or so. Gabry finally finds herself and some inner strength. There was just more depth to the story on a whole towards the end. There were some pretty heartbreaking scenes and some terrifying ones in the end that made the closing of this one quite the page turner. The underlying message in the end? You have nothing without Hope and Love. They go hand in hand. And I have hope that the third book, The Dark and Hollow Places will live up to the first book. And rumour has it? It's even better than the first.

Rating: 3.5 stars

{ Teaser Tuesday - April 26, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a week book meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. 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 SURE 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add it to the TBR lists if they like your teaser!

My teaser:

I walk slowly through the room and my mother starts to follow me. I want her to be with me so badly but I feel as though I need to do this alone.

pg 240 - The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan - ebook version

What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What are you reading? }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what is up next. Here is mine:

Finished last week:

Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Currently reading:

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Up next:

Heresy by S J Parris

City of Bones/City of Ashes/City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - this will be a re-read so that I can read City of Fallen Angels!!

What are you reading?

{ Incarceron by Catherine Fisher }

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Feb 2011 by Firebird

Source: Library paperback

From Goodreads:

Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: It's inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.

Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can't remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside Incarceron. He's going to escape, even though most inmates don't believe that Outside exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl names Claudia.

Claudia claims to live Outside - her father is the warden of Incarceron and shes doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know.

Because Incarceron is alive.

My review:

As I began this book, I found myself really drawn into this world created by Catherine Fisher. It was something new and exciting for me. This was really my first experience into the Steampunk genre...other than Clockwork Angel. But it really is more than just that. It reads like an epic Fantasy. You are drawn into this elaborate world of darkness and decay. Well actually two worlds. There is Finn's world within Incarceron and Claudia's world on the Outside.

I really enjoyed Claudia for most of the book. I found her to be a good strong female character. She is a strong willed individual who is kind of stuck in this life that she does not want. She is about to be married to a dim witted, womanizing, beast of a man whom she can not stand and is being forced into becoming the future Queen. In addition there is the threat of losing her tutor, Jared. Her best friend, her confident, her sanity really. I found Jared to be an interesting character, but I do hope to learn more of Jared's back story in the next book, perhaps.

Finn on the other hand is very interesting character. I quite liked him. Finn does not remember his childhood. He just was, inside Incarceron. Finn believes he came from Outside. He sees visions and believes they are from his life on the Outside. No one else within Incarceron really believes there is an Outside. Even though there are stories, legends of the one who escaped, Sapphique. There are many characters that we meet within Incarceron that follow Finn on his journey. All of them are interesting in their own right, but I felt we did not really get within these characters and get to their core. I never felt I knew much about any of them and their stories were kept very vague. I really want to know more.

As you can tell, I am finding it hard to write a review on this one. I loved this book in the beginning and then there were scenes that kind of went a little over the top for me and lost me completely. Then I found my way and was enjoying the journey again. Although this was a very interesting read, I just found there were even more questions left unanswered than what I would have liked. I am hoping that some of these questions will be solved with the next book...although I have heard rumors that is not the case.

Even though I was not head over heals for this one, I could not put it down. If you are a lover of epic fantasy/steampunk/dystopian I would recommend it. If you are not? You might find yourself lost, confused and uninterested.

Rating: 3.5 stars

{ Teaser Tuesday - April 19, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Mizb over at 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 TO NOT 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser.

My teaser:

" Finn had been flung on his face and chained to the stone slabs of the transitway. His arms, spread wide, were weighted with links so heavy, he could barely drag his wrists off the ground."

pg 5(the first pg, as I am just starting this one today) Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

What's your teaser this week. Leave me a comment and be sure to stop by and leave one for Mizb as well!

{ Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys }

Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys

March 2011 by Philomel Books

Source: Library

From Goodreads:

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they have known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let them know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Grey is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

My review:

As I sit here writing this review, I am at a loss for words. It is hard to say that I loved this book, when you look at the contents within the cover. But, I did love this book. It is a very surreal experience. While I know that Lina and her family are a fictitious group of people. The story behind their life is not. These things did happen to real people. It is a truly heartbreaking story. And what is even more heartbreaking? The fact that myself, and many other people, knew nothing about this horrific evil that was allowed to take place in our history. I truly believe that this book should be a permanent part of our children's school curriculum. This is something that needs to be told. So that this is never, ever allowed to happen again.

There is so much more I could say about this book. However, I am left speachless. I was left with tears running down my face during the last 50 pgs or so. I could not move or do anything other than stare at the cover once I turned the last page. This is a truly heartbreaking story. But it is also a true testament to the love, power and will of the human spirit.

Thank you, Ruta Sepetys.

Rating: 5 stars!

Ruta Sepetys discusses her upcoming novel, Between Shades of Gray from Penguin Young Readers Group on Vimeo.

{ It's Monday! What are you reading? - April 18, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading? This is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where you share what you read last week, what you are currently reading and what is next up in the pile! Here is mine:

Read last week:
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut
Currently reading:
Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys
Up next:
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
What are you reading?

{ Sunday Confessions - April 17, 2011 }

Sunday Confessions is a weekly book meme hosted by Marcie over at 2 read or not 2 read. It's a way for book bloggers to share a bit about themselves. Sometimes it's about books, sometimes not. Anyone can join in. This weeks question is:

"Have you ever been to a book signing?"

Nope. I have never had the chance. From all that I have seen in the book blogging world, they look like a lot of fun though. I have started to keep my eye out for some of my favorite authors, but no one has been even remotely close to me here in Calgary. Most of the authors tend to travel to Toronto or Vancouver and it is just too far to travel. Who knows though...maybe one day. I would definitely travel and stand in line to meet and get signed copies from Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, J K Rowling(like that would EVER happen, but I can dream!) and Susan Collins...just to name a few. Although, I am sure I would act like an idiot and not know what to say, just hand them my book and stare, like some kind of weird stalker.

Have you ever been to a signing? Leave me a comment and let me know and be sure to stop by and say hi to Marcie too!

{ Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut }

Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

June 28, 2011 by Twilight Times Books

Source: Pdf ARC provided by the author for review

From Goodreads:

For Griffin, it's time to angel up.

For centuries, rumour have abounded of lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever. It is their father-and-son relationship, sometimes turbulent, often hilarious, always affectionate, that sings through the story like a pure note.

Masquerading as the average teen next door, Griffin struggles to learn his trade, navigate the ups and downs of modern life among humans(including falling in love with the girl next door), and prepare for the ancient trial-by-combat every apprentice must pass at sixteen or be forced to become mortal.

My review:

I was so very excited to finally get my hands on this one. First off this was my first ebook, read on my new Ereader. And this was my very first ARC copy given to me by an author for review...thank you so much Darby! And? I am bouncing right now. I so, so, so loved this book! All I can say is, Darby Karchut, where were you when I was 14? This is an awesome middle grade book, but I'm 40 and I still loved it!!

I was not too sure in the beginning if I liked the narration as it flowed into the journal entries, but after the first one? I was hooked. We get a look into the two main characters Griffin and his mentor Basil and also later in the story Griffin's neighbour/girlfriend, Katie, through their journal entries. These journal entries added so much to the story. There is so much humor in this book and there were many laugh out loud moments for me. Katie's first journal entry after meeting Griffin, is priceless!!

I have to say though that the main reason I love this book so much? The relationship between Griffin and Basil. It is so real, so human, so loving, so natural, so...everything. I don't know how you could not fall in love with Griffin. He is such a great character. We see him grow from this broken, shell of a boy, at the hands of his original mentor, Nicopolis, to the loving, strong, cheeky, funny young man he becomes thanks to Basil's love and devotion. I want to adopt Griffin.

Then there is Basil. I love Basil. He is such a strong, loving, amazing mentor/father figure to Griffin. He made me laugh just as much as Griffin. It's funny, aside from the British accent? I kept picturing Nicolas Cage in The Sorcerers Apprentice. Not sure why, but I love Basil. He is just that cool.

I love the mythology of this book as well. I have read other angel books recently and quite frankly, some of them have been quite cheesy. Not in this case! This book was more than just a story about angels though. It is a coming of age story, a love story. The growing relationship between Griffin and Katie is very sweet. And although, Katie may not have been as strong a character as Griffin, I found her very believable and likable in her own right. And Katie's best friend, Carlee? This is my daughter! Non-stop, motor mouth.

The only negative thing? This book is not officially released until June! How long must I wait for more Griffin and Basil??? But another positive? The ebook addition is now available at Amazon and Barns and Noble. If you have a middle grade boy or girl who enjoys reading? Go grab it. Or if you are an adult looking for a fast, fun, hilarious, touching read? Go grab a copy of the ebook or wait for the hard copy this summer!

Rating: 5 stars

{ The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan }

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

March 2009 by Delacorte Press

Source: Library

From Goodreads:

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and it's secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

My review:

Since I started my journey into the realm of YA Paranormal and Dystopian, this book keeps popping up. I finally got around to reading it and I must say, I devoured it! This was my first experience with the whole zombie world. Every time I come across a book and realize that it involves zombies, I usually turn the other way. I am so glad that I gave this one a chance. I loved it! Why? I have always said that a good book...to me...should make me feel something. And this one made me feel many things. Yes, it is scary and terrifying. Yes, it is suspenseful and thrilling. Yes, it is heartbreaking and beautiful. It has a little of everything.

I have read many reviews that complained about Mary, the main character, being too selfish and unlikeable. Not! Look at what this girl has lived with. She is surrounded by death on a daily basis. She is being watched by the Sisterhood...which is super creepy and scary and I absolutely loved - Sister Tabitha is the Queen of Creepy/Scary! Mary has every right to some hope in her life and to go after it. Okay, so maybe some people got dragged along with her on this quest for the truth. But seriously? It wasn't like their alternative was all that appealing.

The relationships between Mary, Travis, Harry and Cass were all very believable and perfect in my opinion. I loved all of them and the development of these characters throughout the story. And of course the addition of Argos, the dog, was perfect. Any great story has to have a dog in my opinion. :0)

There were a ton of great scenes in this one. And a few jaw dropping ones that I will say took me by surprise and had me running for the Kleenex! I had no issues with the ending as some readers have. I know there are more books, so I am looking forward to seeing where this story goes from here. If you are a little leery of jumping into a zombie book? Try this one out. I promise you will not be sorry. There is so much more to it than just zombies. It is a story of love, death and hope. I loved it!! And now I am off to find The Dead - Tossed Waves and The Dark and Hollow Places!!

Rating: 5 stars!

I love this book trailer...check it out!

{ Teaser Tuesday - April 12, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

" My mother used to tell me about the ocean. She said there was a place where there was nothing but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away."

~ pg1 The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

I am just starting this one today, so I thought I would give you the first page. What is your teaser? Leave me a comment with your teaser and be sure to stop by and Should be Reading and leave your teaser there too!

{ Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann }

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

February 2011 by Simon Pulse

Source: Library

From Goodreads:

The Community of Cryer's Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman, Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16 year old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany's empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on ... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows its crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she too will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy that she finds irritating ... and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly - and deadly - local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Review:

I have read Lisa McMann's Wake Trilogy. Although, it did not blow me away, I still enjoyed it. This one however? Extremely disappointing. After reading the book and then reading other reviews? I don't know. Did we all read the same book? I found the writing to be very disconnected. Especially the conversations between the characters. It felt like I was missing whole sections of dialog or something. I never felt connected to any of the characters. At all! I like the main storyline and it could have been a good book. It was just very poorly executed...in my opinion. I found the entire book to be very vague in nature. We were being told that this was happening or that, but never explained why? For example, the main character Kendall and her OCD. She was constantly mentioning her OCD, but I never truly understood what it felt like for her. It was all so vague. The story really did not start to get interesting until the last 40 pages or so. The book is only 233 pages. There really isn't much else to say.

If you are a fan of Lisa McMann, then yes, you will probably give this one a read. If not? Maybe this is one for the bottom of the TBR pile.

Rating: 2 stars

{ It's Monday. What are you reading? - April 11, 2011 }

It's Monday. What are you reading is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Book Journey. Participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what they plan to read next.

Read last week:

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Memento Nora by Angie Smibert

Currently reading:

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

What's next?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut -The first book to be read on my new Sony Ereader...I am so excited!!

{ Memento Nora by Angie Smibert }

Memento Nora by Angie Smibert

April 1, 2011 by Marshall Cavendish

Source: ARC - won from Jen @ I Read Banned Books

From publisher:

Nora, the popular girl and consumer, witnesses a horrific bombing on a shopping trip with her mother. In Nora's near-future world, terrorism is so commonplace that she can pop one little white pill to forget and go on like nothing ever happened. However, when Nora makes her first trip to a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic, she learns what her mother, a frequent forgetter, has been frequently forgetting. Nora secretly spits out the pill and holds on to her memories. The memory of the bombing as well as her mother's secret and her budding awareness of the world outside her little clique make it increasingly difficult for Nora to cope. She turns to two new friends, each with their own reasons to remember, and together they share their experiences with their classmates through an underground comic. They soon learn, though, they can't get away with remembering.

Review:

I was very excited to win a copy of this ARC from Jen @ I Read Banned Books. I had heard a lot of good things about this one. I will be honest though. Once I had the book in my hands? I was not too sure what to expect. It is a VERY small book - only 184 pages. How good could it really be? Is there really enough time for proper character development and even story development? Oh ya! I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. The story itself is something different from other books out there right now. The one thing I loved about it is that there are enough slivers of truth in the story that as a reader you can see how this could be totally plausible. It is a very horrifying and sad future world, but still full of hopeful characters. Another thing that I really enjoy on a whole was the absence of stupid slang terms! The only word that is a constant throughout the book is 'Glossy', but it is very fitting within the story.

The 3 main characters, Nora and her two new friends, Micah and Winter, are believable right from the start. I loved hearing from each of their points of view throughout the story. They each come from different backgrounds yet are brought together by their unwillingness to 'forget'. I found each one of them to be very enjoyable, strong characters that you truly care about. I also found myself drawn to Winter's grandfather, Micah's 'guardian' Mrs. Brooks and Nora's mother. Each one of them are very strong secondary characters, that I found myself wanting to know more about.

The overall pacing was spot on. There may have been a few predictable moments, but nothing that really disappointed me. I guess my only real complaint would be that...I want more! It was over in a flash! I am very happy to hear that there is a second book in the works. If you are looking for a quick enjoyable read, I definitely recommend this one.

Rating: 4 stars

{ Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting }

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

February 15, 2011 by HarperCollins

Source: Library

From GoodReads:

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered - and the matching imprint that clings to the killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

Review:

This second instalment into The Body Finder series was just as good as the first. Again the main characters Violet and Jay are so believable and real - aside from her 'special' gift. I really do like this relationship between them. It is so nice to see a relationship between two YA characters grow from childhood friendship into a meaningful YA relationship. As apposed to all the 'love at first sight' obsessive relationships found so frequently in a lot of current YA Paranormal books right now. I just find it so much more believable and realistic. It makes you root for these two even more. I also love the fact that Violet's family is a loving 'normal' family. Too often the main characters are struggling through a life of some type of family dysfunction. It's just nice to see a main character surrounded by a supportive, loving family for a change.

The addition of Sara Priest and Rafe into the storyline is very exciting to me. I am really looking forward to seeing where this will take the next books.

Even though the ending may have been slightly predictable? I found the overall story, and pacing left me with a great page turner that I just could not put down. If you are looking for something outside the Vampire, Werewolf, Angel box that seems to be overpowering the YA Paranormal genre right now? Then I highly recommend giving The Body Finder series a read. You will not be disappointed. Plus. You gotta love that cover!!

Rating: 4 stars!

{ It's Monday - What Are You Reading? - April 4, 2011}

It's Monday! What are you Reading, is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey - One Person's Journey Through Books and Coffee. It is where book bloggers share what they have read during the past week, what they are currently reading and what they plan to read next.

Read Last Week:

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Currently Reading:

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Up Next:

Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

I'd love to hear what you are reading!

{ Sunday Confessions - April 3, 2011 }

Sunday Confessions is a weekly book meme hosted by Marcie at To Read or Not To Read, as a way to get to know a bit about her fellow book bloggers. This weeks question:

Which do you prefer, a physical book or an e-reader?

Right now? Definitely a physical book. Only because? I don't own an e-reader...yet! I have been interested in getting into ebooks for awhile now. And recently I have been approached to do a few ebook reviews, but I have had to turn them down due to my lack of an e-reader or laptop. I never thought I would ever like an e-reader, but I am very anxious to get my hands on one. I still like the feel of a book and I will still buy the books that I fall in LOVE with and have to have in my collection, but an e-reader is something in my very near future.

What about you? I would love to hear your thoughts and if you do own an e-reader...what kind? Be sure to drop by Marcie's blog and say hi too.

{ Across The Universe by Beth Revis }

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

2011 by razor bill - an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc

Source - Library

from GoodReads:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen year old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review:

I had heard many, many great things about this book. I was very excited to give this one a read. I really found the story to be interesting and different. It really did have many different elements. It had a good Murder Mystery element as well as a good Sci-Fi/Dystopian element. I enjoyed the main character Amy, very much. Here is this teenage girl leaving her friends, boyfriend and world as she knows it to follow her parents on an adventure of their own choosing. And then to be 'thawed' into this foreign world - ship - where she is considered the outcast - a freak! She is a very smart, caring, strong female character. I have to say the whole 'freezing' and 'thawing' processes that Amy go through in this book? One of the best elements to the whole story. Gripping!!

Now Elder. I realize that Elder has grown up in this environment and has had to live with Eldest - the leader of the Godspeed - the past 3 years of his life. But really? I found Elder to be so inconsistent throughout the book. I just could never really feel for him all that much. Didn't really care all that much about him. At times he seemed to breakthrough the fog and look like he was going to be this great leader and hero. And then he would fizzle and fade into the background...or at least for me he did.

I loved Harley, Elder's best friend. Harley just has so much character and personality. I would have loved to seen more of Harley...frankly, more than Elder!

The one thing that really bothered me about this book though, is the same thing that others have mentioned as well. The whole 'Season' - mating - thing. I get that it is a critical part of the story. But seriously? If it had gone on much longer, I honestly don't think I would have finished this book. I just found it pointless, disturbing and just...why? One other complaint I have is the slang. What is it with Dystopian slang? Sometimes it is okay and then other times like in this book? Just plain annoying.

Overall, it was a good story and a few really great characters. I would still recommend it if you are a fan of sci-fi/dystopian. And I will probably read the next book in this trilogy to see what happens to Amy...and Elder too...I guess.

Rating: 3.5 stars