Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
May 29, 2012
Kensington Teen

Synopsis:

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.

My Review:

DARK FROST is another exciting and fast-paced installment in Estep’s Mythos Academy series. This series is unique in that it is light-hearted and heavy at the same time, which I absolutely love. It isn’t too cheesy, and at the same time it doesn’t leave me feeling depressed. Full of myth and magic, DARK FROST is sure to please lovers of this awesome book series!

Gwen is back in DARK FROST and more determined than ever to avenge the wrongs of the Reapers and prevent them from unleashing the evil trickster god Loki. Gwen wouldn’t survive this journey without the help of her friends Daphne, Carson, and Logan. All three bring different elements to the story that add to the world and enhance the enjoyment of the story. All the characters go through their fair share of challenges in DARK FROST and the events in DARK FROST will have a long-lasting impact on them all.

My favorite part about the Mythos Academy series is all of the lore. It brings together different mythology’s and since I’m fascinated with them all, I love it! Props to Estep for being able to keep them all in order and keeping the details in check. I can’t wait to learn more in the future installments!

DARK FROST is another fabulous installment in this fascinating series. The events that happen in this one definitely change things for everyone in the story and I can’t wait to find out the results of it all. Why can’t it be January already?

My Rating:

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
St. Martins Griffin

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Until I Die by Amy Plum
HarperTeen

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
HarperTeen

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Last Rite by Lisa Desrochers
Tor Teen

In this final installment of the thrilling, edgy Personal Demons series, the battle between Heaven and Hell has become critical, and Frannie Cavanaugh is right at the center of it.

With the help of the powerful angel Gabe and demon-turned-mortal Luc, Frannie has been able to stay one step ahead of the forces of Hell. But when the demons killed Frannie’s best friend and destroyed her brother, they raised the stakes. If Frannie wants to keep her family and friends safe, she knows she has no choice but to go on the run.

Their best defense is the power Frannie has been struggling to master, but her attempts to hone her skill go horribly awry. If Frannie doesn’t learn fast, the consequences could be devastating–even apocalyptic.

What happens when you can’t outrun Hell…or trust the ones you love?

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Simon & Schuster

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Fall From Grace by Charles Benoit
HarperTeen

Grace always has a plan. There’s her plan to get famous, her plan to get rich, and—above all—her plan to have fun.

Sawyer has plenty of plans too. Plans made for him by his mother, his father, his girlfriend. Maybe they aren’t his plans, but they are plans.

When Sawyer meets Grace, he wonders if he should come up with a few plans himself. Plans about what he actually wants to be, plans to speak his own mind for a change, plans to maybe help Grace with a little art theft.

Wait a minute—plans to what?

Underworld by Meg Cabot
Scholastic

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Harcourt

It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past – and hers?

First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky
Harcourt

Like his name, Gray is dark and stormy. Dylan, a girl always searching for what’s next, seemingly unable to settle down, is the exact opposite: full of light and life. On the outside, they seem like an unlikely couple. But looks can be deceiving and besides, opposites attract.

What starts as friendship, turns into admiration, respect and caring, until finally these two lone souls find they are truly in love with each other.

But staying in love is not as easy as falling in love. If Dylan and Gray want their love to last, they’re going to have to work at it. And learn that sometimes love means having to say you’re sorry.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
HarperTeen

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
Simon Pulse

In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves…even if that means betraying her own heart.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
HarperTeen

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Dial

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine
NAL Trade

The hotly-anticipated twelfth instalment in the Morganville Vampires series

In Last Breath, the rain brought a new and dire threat to Morganville and its vampires… their ancient enemies, the draug. Now, the vampires are fighting a losing war, and it will fall to the residents of the Glass House: Michael, Eve, Shane and Claire, to take the fight to an enemy who threatens to destroy the town, forever.

Lovers of Morganville, rejoice: Black Dawn takes the intrigue, romance and nail-biting suspense of the series to its highest level yet!

Wrecked by Anna Davies
Simon & Schuster

Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.

But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm.

Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

Destined by Aprilynne Pike
HarperTeen

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea’s reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon’s final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series.

Silence by Michelle Sagara West
NAL Trade

It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
Little, Brown

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.

Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become… The Last Princess.

Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe
HarperTeen

A one-word text message: That’s all Michal “Mike” Garcia needs to gather a crowd. Mike is a seventeen-year-old bookie, and Sanctuary is where she takes bets for anyone at Carson High with enough cash. Her only rule: Never participate, never place a bet for herself.

Then Josh Ellison moves to town. He pushes Mike to live her life, to feel a rush of something — play the game, he urgest, stop being a spectator.

So Mike breaks her one rule. She places a bet, feels the rush.
And loses.

In an act of desperation, she and Josh — who has a sordid past of his own — concoct a plan: The pair will steal from Carson City’s elite to pay back Mike’s debt. Then they’ll give the rest of their haul to those who need it most. How can burglary be wrong if they are making things right?

WANTED will thrust readers into the gritty underbelly of Carson City, where worth is determined by a score, power is derived from threat, and the greatest feat is surviving it all.

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
Simon Pulse

In this intensely romantic, modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told, Romeo’s original intended—Juliet’s cousin Rosaline—tells her side of the tale. What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you: Everything. Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy…and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance. Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends….

Hello everyone! With how tough school has been for me lately and how little time I’ve had for blogging, I decided that I would do a post on how to manage your blog and school without getting too overwhelmed.

First of all, you have to realize that school comes first. This has been a tough one for me, as sometimes I hold blogging on a higher pedestal than school which becomes a big problem. When blogging starts to become the main part of my life, my grades drop and then I have to lose even more time on the blog to get them back up to par.

The most important thing is finding a balance for you. This may mean that you have equal time for both blogging and school, or maybe you spend just a bit more time on either of them. As long as you can handle the load and don’t get too stressed or overwhelmed, you will be fine!

Throughout my blogging time, I’ve learned that breaks are necessary sometimes. When blogging isn’t fun anymore, or the pressure is too much in school, you should definitely give yourself a break. Your readers will still be there when you come back, don’t worry! I took a break for three months a year ago and when I came back, my readers were still there for me. Even better, I was as enthusiastic about blogging as I had ever been! Blogging breaks really do make a difference.

Blogging while in school is very tough. There have been so many times where I just wanted to give up, or felt awful about not posting something when I just didn’t have the time. It took me a while to realize that blogging isn’t a job. It’s a passion of mine and something that I have so much fun doing. It’s easy to get burnt out when you feel pressured to post or just plain overwhelmed with everything. You just need to find your balance and be happy.

Hi everyone! So I decided to start posting weekly updates on Sundays to showcase what I’ve posted this week and what I got book-wise for the week.

Also, I just wanted you all to be aware that I have my IB exams starting this week and they’ll be going on for the next three weeks. If you notice a lack of posting during that time, that is why.

Monday
Breaking Beautiful Tour: Character Interview with Andrew

Tuesday
New YA Book Releases: April 24, 2012

Wednesday
Love and Haight Tour: Author Interview

Thursday
Review of Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

Friday
Review of Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Book Haul for the week:

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Destined by Aprilynne Pike
Once by Anna Carey
So Close to You by Rachel Carter
Fated by Alyson Noel

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
May 1, 2012
HarperTeen

Synopsis:

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

My Review:

There are very few books out there that make me want to run around and jump up and down about, but SWEET EVIL happens to be one of those few. Higgins has created a completely unique and fascinating world that I didn’t want to leave, even when I had gotten to the last page. The writing is gorgeous and the characters crafted so perfectly to their roles. I am praying that there will be more of this world because I don’t know how I would be able to cope without more Kai and Anna!

Anna is quite the young woman. She isn’t your typical completely goody-goody heroine that you are used to in YA. Sure, she is religious and tries to stay on the good path, but there is a dark side to her that is just dying to give into temptation and sin. I was right alongside Anna on her crazy journey of self-discovery and I couldn’t be more happy with the outcome at the end of the novel. That isn’t to say that she can’t grow even more in a second or third or fourth book….

Of course, I couldn’t get through this review without mentioning Kai. Yeah, he’s got that bad boy quality that come up quite often in the YA genre, but there’s just something so irresistibly unique about him that sets him apart from all the other guys. He has this magnetic pull that no one can resist and I knew from the beginning that Anna was in for one heck of a ride with him. He is all that and a bag of chips with a huge load of baggage that makes him more tempting. You won’t be able to keep yourself from swooning over him, I promise you.

More than Kai and Anna, there is the actual world and storyline. It is so intriguing and deliciously complex that you can’t help but get involved in it all. While I couldn’t help but wish that I was in Anna’s shoes because of Kai, I think all the other stuff she has to deal with would scare me off. There is so much to take in, yet Higgins does it all at the right pace, throwing little reminders in here and there when needed. There were no flaws whatsoever.

I don’t have a single bad thing to say about SWEET EVIL, except maybe that I’m mad that I can’t have more! Let’s hope that Higgins will bring her characters back for more adventures in the future, because I know that they will be just as entertaining as the ones in SWEET EVIL.

My Rating:

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday
April 24, 2012
HarperTeen

Synopsis:

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went… a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.

I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos…

My Review:

SOCIAL SUICIDE is the quirky and cute sequel to DEADLY COOL. Full of laugh-out-loud moments and ridiculous situations, SOCIAL SUICIDE is sure to be a hit among those who loved DEADLY COOL. I absolutely love how light this series is. After reading a lot of heavy YA novels, it’s great to find one that I can just sit down and relax with without having too many nail-biting moments!

Hartley is awesome. She is one of the funniest girls in the YA genre and I really enjoy reading about her adventures! Hartley is a take charge girl who doesn’t go along with the easy answers. Whenever something doesn’t feel right to her, she follows her hunch and while it may be right, she sure gets herself into a lot of trouble! Her friend Sam brings more hilarious moments that add to the story and make it that much more enjoyable.

While a lot of the moments in SOCIAL SUICIDE are pretty unbelievable, I still can’t help but love the book. The characters are all so amusing and as their antics get crazier, the pages turn faster! I adore Halliday’s writing and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.

My Rating:

Today I get to share an interview with Susan Carlton, author of Love and Haight. Enjoy!

1. What was your inspiration for LOVE AND HAIGHT?
Love & Haight, set in the waning days of San Francisco’s hippie movement, started as a valentine to my hometown. I grew up in the city and its suburbs, although I was too young for the Summer of Love by a good decade. Still, as a teenager in the ‘70s I spent many weekends with friends getting lost in Golden Gate Park or thumbing through albums at Tower Records. And I was raised in a politically-active family with protests and petitions served up alongside tofu stew and clove tea. I drew on these memories—the serious and the not-so—for Love & Haight.

2. Describe Chloe in three words.
Romantic, befuddled, pregnant.

3. What was your reaction when LOVE AND HAIGHT sold?
There was dancing around the house!

4. What is your favorite YA book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” The first time I read that line….Wow.

5. What should readers know going into LOVE AND HAIGHT?
Chloe is a seventeen-year-old girl who views life as a series of either/or choices (either a fox or a prude; either a hippie or a square). When she finds herself pregnant after a one-song stand, she is resolute—she will find a way to get an abortion in the counterculture mecca of San Francisco without telling anyone but her best friend, MJ. But even in the land of easy love, some things aren’t so easy.

It’s 1971, and seventeen-year-old Chloe and her best friend MJ head to San Francisco to ring in the New Year. But Chloe has an ulterior motive—and a secret. She’s pregnant and has devised a plan not to be. In San Francisco’s flower-power heyday, it was (just about) legal to end her pregnancy.

But as soon as the girls cross the Golden Gate, the scheme starts to unravel amid the bellbottoms, love-beads, and bongs. Chloe’s secrets escalate until she betrays everyone she cares about. MJ, who has grave doubts about Chloe’s plan. Her groovy aunt Kiki, who’s offered the girls a place to crash. Her self-absorbed mother meditating back in Phoenix. And maybe, especially, the boy she wishes she’d waited for.

The Selection by Kiera Cass
HarperTeen

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself- and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
HarperTeen

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday
HarperTeen

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went… a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.

I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos…

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
HarperTeen

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Bloomsbury

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
Simon Pulse

Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend—but she’s picked a bad week to sort out her love life. For one thing, her mother’s romance is taking center stage: After jilting two previous fiancés, her mom is finally marrying Dan Jax, whom Cricket loves. But as wedding attendees arrive for a week of festivities at a guesthouse whose hippie owners have a sweet, sexy son—Ash—complications arise:

Cricket’s future stepsisters make it clear they’re not happy about the marriage. An old friend decides this is the week to declare his love for Cricket. Grandpa chooses to reveal a big secret at a family gathering. Dan’s ex-wife shows up. And even the dogs—Cricket’s old, ill Jupiter and Dan’s young, lively Cruiser—seem to be declaring war.

While Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, she’s also alarmed by her own desires. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her….

Purity by Jackson Pearce
Little, Brown

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby’s father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives — in other words, no “bad behavior,” no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision — to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Andrew Davis, I’m a senior at Pacific Cliffs high school. I have a twin sister named Allie. I’m into cars and computers and I guess I’m pretty smart, okay I’m really smart. I have cerebral palsy which means I spend a lot of time on my butt.

2. What is your relationship with Allie like?

We’re close. We understand each other. We take care of each other. Most guys I know don’t like their sisters very much, but Allie is pretty cool. Yeah, sometimes she lives in the bathroom and sometimes she obsesses over dumb things like guys and clothes and fingernail polish. Sometimes she’s stubborn as hell and she does stupid things, but she’s my twin. I’d do anything for her.

3. What is one thing that you can’t do in a wheelchair that you really wish you could?

Drive. Specifically drive something really cool like a 1966 Shelby Cobra convertible, blue with a white stripe down the middle, but the really cool cars are all stick shift. Give me time though, I’ll figure out how to do it someday.

4. What is your favorite childhood memory with Allie?

One summer when we were like ten or eleven, Allie and Blake found this really cool cave in the cliff by the beach. Allie climbed clear back into it. She was gone for so long we thought she’d gotten wedged in or fallen into a hole or something. When she finally came out she told us that the cave went way back, like it was some kind of lava tube or something. She and Blake took all sorts of cool stuff into the cave and it was their hangout for the whole summer. There was no way I could go back with my chair so I was stuck playing look-out at the entrance to the cave, dumb. I was pretty jealous. I tried not to let them know I cared about being left out, but Allie always knows when something is bugging me. One day she told Blake that they had to take me with them into the cave. I thought they were going to kill me or all of us by the time they got me all the way to the back, but they did it. For a ten year-old boy that was the best thing ever.

We stayed in the cave until it started to get dark. There wasn’t really any place for me to sit so I was covered in sand and seaweed by the time we got out. Mom was furious, but we never told her how I got so dirty. The thing that sucked was I got really sick the next day and I ended up with pneumonia. Allie felt so bad. She wouldn’t leave me for the rest of our trip, not even to hang out with Blake. She was sure I got sick because the cave was wet and that it was her fault. I didn’t matter to me. I wouldn’t have changed that day for anything.

5. What is your favorite thing to do?

Skype Caitlyn… Make that hang out with Caitlyn… Make that kiss Caitlyn. Probably at least as good as driving that Shelby Cobra.

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.