Review: Afterworlds

 

 

Afterworlds

Author:  Scott Westerfeld

Publication Date: September 25th 2014

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster UK Children's                                                  ~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

 From international bestselling author, Scott Westerfeld, comes Afterworlds, a brand new, thought-provoking, suspenseful thriller you won't be able to put down!

Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings…

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack.

But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most



 

 

Afterworlds is my first Scott Westerfeld and I have to say, I wasn't disappointed in what I was promised in writing style. It's very easy to get into, and though I did have a problem with one half of the story, it kept me compelled to read it. Now, the behind-the-scenes look at publishing in YA was fun, if not a little terrifying to every person out there who are inspiring writers- especially the younger market.

Cosplay Antics: Vengeance VS Wonderland Mash-Up

Hi again all, It's Amber and I'm back! You may or may not have noticed that I've been absent from my Thursday posts on Studio Reads the past couple of weeks. It was my 21st the other week, so a week leading up to and that week were pretty busy for me, so I haven't had the chance to get things done as I would've liked...and since Kirsty already had posts scheduled up, she wasn't *cough* annoying *cough* me about posts. This week's Cosplay Antics will be in two parts again, and then there'll be an Edible Books post.

This was inspired by Michelle Madow's Vengeance (Transcend Time Saga #1.5)  cover.

 Nope, I didn't recreate the mask (which I so wanted to) but I needed something that would go with it, so figured a bag was better than anything. With a mash-up of Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts.

Off with her head.

On with the post!

Waiting on Wednesday (#62)

 "Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Death Date by Victoria Laurie

 

Expected publication: January 13th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty Little Liars meets Medium in this fast-paced thriller and fantastic YA debut from a New York Times bestselling author

Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father's premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she's unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who maybe connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?

 

 

Okay, I'm getting a little sick of seeing Pretty Little Liars meets ---- everywhere, but still. Sounds pretty amazing.

 

What're you waiting on?  

Review: Anatomy of a Misfit

Title: Anatomy of a Misfit
Author: Andrea Portes
Publication Date: September 2nd 2014        
Publisher: Harper Children’s

 This emotional, hilarious, devastating, and ultimately triumphant YA debut, based on actual events, recounts one girl’s rejection of her high school’s hierarchy—and her discovery of her true self in the face of tragedy.

Fall’s buzzed-about, in-house favorite. Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who?

Anatomy of a Misfit is Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Anika’s hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth. The so-sad-it’s-funny high school setting will pull readers in, but when the story’s dark foreboding gradually takes over, the devastating penultimate tragedy hits like a punch to the gut. Readers will ride the highs and lows alongside funny, flawed Anika—from laughter to tears, and everything in between.

Anatomy of a Misfit is one you're (like me) either going to love or hate, there is more endearing things to take and like from it, but there were these little pieces and quotes thrown in that I didn't like (ala No One Else Can Have You- and if you've read that, then you know what I'm talking about.) Rape and abuse, racism and other things are just offhandedly put there in a way that's kind of light and while I wouldn't say it was making fun of it, I just didn't like the way it was put out there. Look, I know what it was trying to do, especially with the racism, but I don't know, it was something that just irked me about it.

Review: The Dolls

 The Dolls
Author: Kiki Sullivan
Publication Date: September 2nd 2014        
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right

Ohhhhhhh, there are so many reasons why I absolutely hated The Dolls. And if I didn't want to bash my head against the wall right now this would probably be a less ranty review. I was past rolling my eyes every five minutes after half way through and began wanting to hit it instead. It's one of those books that are just so ridiculous that you either want to laugh or throw it at a wall. Or stab. Stab, stab, stab. It and its characters are so freaking shallow like some YA are, but let's be honest- unfortunately- most YA is shallow. It's why they have pretty covers to make it more appealing. But, there is shallow and the 'drama' of high school. There's 'reality' TV shallow, and then there's The Dolls kind of shallow- where the characters wouldn't be able to swim in the kiddies pool. I just want a good voodoo book, that's all, just a good voodoo story, YA. WHY IS THAT SO HARD? I'm looking at you, This Wicked Game.

Stacking the Shelves (#60) Harper Collins Edition: Part Two & Recap

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

So, how was everybody's week? The beginning of mine completely sucked, but it's gotten better. I FINISHED HEIR OF FIRE AND OHMYGOD.  It took me a week, since I was dragging my feet through it since I didn't want to finish it because now the wait- but you lovely book, you.

 

For Review