Review: Stray

Stray
Author: Elissa Sussman
Publication Date: October 7th 2014        
Publisher:  Greenwillow
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

“I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”

Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.

When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.

But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her-magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.

After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?

STRAY is the first in a collection of intertwined stories, all set in a world where magic is a curse that only women bear and society is dictated by a strict doctrine called The Path. A cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and Wicked, with a dash of Grimm and Disney thrown in, this original fairy tale will be released October 7th, 2014 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins

You could say Stray is very Once Upon a Time-ish on most of it, but yes in one major way that I am not amused with.  I'd disagree mainly because there's a thin line between good and bad, the good are flawed and the bad have good. Take Regina, whose deliciously evil but she's well rounded and as it goes on, you see the depth of her character. The bad characters in Stray? One sided. Everyone's just out for poor, poor Aislynn, for no apparent reason, they look for things wrong with her, even if she hasn't done anything at all, they look the other way when others do something, or do or say something to Aislynn to  get a reaction from her, and then she gets told off for it. Poor, poor Aislynn, and I say that sarcastically because to be honest, I didn't like her but I didn't hate her. My point is, the wicked evils in this story had no reason.

Release Day Blitz: Runaway

Runaway (Camryn Cruise #1) by Brina Courtney

RELEASE DAY BLITZ

Camryn Cruise is not human. But she doesn’t know what she is. Not yet.

The world is falling apart and her only escape is Camp Silverlake where she frequently stayed as a child. But Camryn’s summers weren’t filled with crafting and swimming, they were spent learning combat skills and how to protect herself from the outside world.

Now she must return to Camp Silverlake to learn the truth, about who she is and she’ll discover the secret hidden within her blood. A secret that could save them all.

~*~GIVEAWAY~*~

The Cryptid Chronicles Set!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~*~

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

FIND BRINA AT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brina-Courtney/270546116309774

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5295520.Brina_Courtney?from_search=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brinacourtney

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Brina-Courtney/e/B0073X9KRQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402683149&sr=1-1

Website: http://www.brinacourtney.com/

Stacking the Shelves (#66) & Recap: The Finally Edition

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

So, how was everybody's week? Mines been okay-ish, now, I'm finally doing the physical stack, I'm leaving out some of the ones I've bought since the hauls already big enough. Onto the books!

 

 

For Review

 

 

Review: The Fall

 
The Fall
Author: Bethany Griffin
Publication Date: October 2nd 2014        
Publisher: Orion Childrens
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

For Madeline, the House of Usher is a nightmare to live in - but impossible to leave - in this brand new Gothic novel from Bethany Griffin, author of the Masque of the Red Death sequence.
Madeline and her twin brother Roderick have the Usher name, the Usher house - and the Usher disease. Something is wrong with the family's blood - and it seems to have spread to the house itself. Sometimes Madeline even thinks that the house is alive... When Roderick is sent away to school, the house seems to want revenge on the one member of the Usher family left behind: Madeline herself.

A gorgeous, eerie, darkly Gothic tale, THE FALL is guaranteed to intrigue and enthrall its readers, winning legions of new fans for the talented Bethany Griffin. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Becca Fitzpatrick and Cassandra Clare

I don't know much about The Fall of the House of Usher, and I think, in the case of The Fall it was better for me that way, since whereas it might be familiar to others, I got to see this story with fresh new eyes and it was delightfully strange.

Red Eye Book Trailer

Featuring award-winning authors and rising stars, Red Eye is the killer new YA series from Stripes Publishing. A fusion of pop culture, violence and technology, Red Eye gives horror a frighteningly contemporary makeover that teen readers will love. For fans of all things gruesome and ghastly – prepare to be scared out of your wits…. Dare you read a Red Eye?

 

 

How awesomely creepy is that trailer? I'm also on the blog tour in January, so make sure to check back then, and I'll be reviewing Frozen Charlotte soon!

 

You can contact Stripes Publishing on Tumblr, Website, doYAreadme Twitter  and  Stripes Publishing Twitter

 

 

 

What do you think of the trailer? :)

Halloween Recommendation: Part One

 

Say Her Name
Author:  James Dawson

Publication Date:  June 5th 2014        
Publisher: Hot Key Books

~A proof copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

 

Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... A truly spine-chilling yet witty horror from shortlisted 'Queen of Teen' author James Dawson

 

It takes a lot to scare me with books, whereas if I watch The Ring or anything to do with Bloody Mary, I won't look in a mirror for a week. Which you know, is bad form y hair, but anyway...I can probably count on two hands (probably less) how many YA Horror books have actually scared the crap out of me, not just gave me the creeps,  which I'm kind of sad about because I need more horror. I love scaring myself when it comes to books, the creepier the better, so up until Halloween, I'll be featuring the books that I shouldn't have read before bed.