XVI by Julia Karr

XVI by Julia Karr

Release Date: January 6, 2011
Publisher: Speak

Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world—even the most predatory of men—that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past—one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.

XVI is a very well-written 2011 debut novel. I really enjoyed this book! I'm not really a science fiction fan but I'm glad I decided to read this book.  It's set in a futuristic time period in 2150 where being sixteen means you're legal and ready for sex. What?! It's scary to think about living in a world like that. I am turning 16 in a couple of months and I agree with Nina's point of view in this society 100%


The plot was very strong and consistent, I read this book in one sitting. I was confused a bit in the beginning by the new futuristic words that were used but by the middle I was catching on. 


I'm not sure if this will be a series but there is is definitely potential for one. The ending was really great on its own, but i think there were still some questions left open.


Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book and I think it was a really good choice for my first debut novel of the year.

In My Mailbox {1}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

I went to the library this week and brought home some goodies:

Vixen By Jillian Larkin

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

  XVI by Julia Karr

         The Dark Divine by Bree Despian

* I'll have a review up for XVI either later on today or tomorrow.

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Release Date: April 27, 2010

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?         It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the  way it started--at Cousins Beach.

This book was a whirlwind of emotions. After finishing the first book in the summer series, The Summer I Turned Pretty, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. We have a lot of sad part in this book that almost made me want to cry. We also get a couple flashbacks from the summer house when Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah were younger.

Belly finally starts to see that maybe Conrad just wasn't right for her and that Jeremiah is the one who has always been there for her. I was really glad that Jeremiah finally showed his feelings for Belly because Conrad has made her life a mess with his mixed messages.

The ending of this book was abrupt and confusing, but I can't wait to read the third and final book in the series called: We'll Always Have Summer coming out on April 26, 2011.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Release Date: December 8, 2009

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 496
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

      There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.     Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her

WOW! Talk about judging a book by its cover. I picked up Fallen because of its beautiful cover. As soon as I saw it I knew it was going to be an awesome story. And it proved to be right because this book was fantastic! I loved the characters and the plot.The secrets we find out are mind blowing. 


 From what I read in Fallen, I anticipate this series is going to be great! Kate left us with many questions that i cant wait to find out about in the next book of the series, Torment.


Overall Fallen was great and I can't wait for the rest of the series.

Follow Friday & Book Blogger Hop

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View. 


This week's question is:What is your favorite school subject?


I would have to say English. I really enjoy discussing books and reading in between the lines to find furthers meanings of the books. I have been really lucky to have teachers who have furthered my love for it.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and runs from Friday to Sunday.

This weekend's question/topic: What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?

There are so many! How can I pick just one? Let's see...at the top of my list i would be: Where she went by Gayle Forman. I read the first book, If I Stay and it was wonderful. After reading the synopsis to this one, I cant wait for it to come out. 

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Release Date: December 7, 2010

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 594
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

         She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come. Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir. But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?

Ahh! What a great book. If you ask me this was the best book in the series. I am completely content with how it ended. It was everything I hoped for and more! I loved the whole plot of the book, we got to meet new people and go to new places. In my opinion Rose made the right decision in the end and it made me so happy. But the book did end leaving the reader with a lot of question. What was the deal Sydney made with Abe? What's going to happen to Jill? I guess we'll have to wait for the spin off series, Bloodlines to find out. I can't wait to see what tragic love story Vampire Academy fans will be obsessing over this time. 

"Waiting on" Wednesday

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Darkness Becomes Her

By Kelly Keaton

Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 22, 2011)

Amazon Description:

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.


Whats your pick this week?

2011 Book Challenges

As you can see from the title of this post, I have decided to join some book challenges! YAY!

This includes:

The E-Book Reading Challenge

hosted at The Ladybug Reads...

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

-Non-bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.
2. There are four levels:
- Curious – Read 3 e-books.
- Fascinated – Read 6 e-books.
- Addicted – Read 12 e-books.
- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books.
- Possessed – Read 50 e-books.
- Fanatical – Read 75 e-books.
- Monomaniacal – Read 100 e-books
3. Any genre counts.
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. Challenge begins January 1, 2011 and lasts until December 31, 2011.

Im aiming for obsessed in this challenge. Last year I read about 25 books on my Nook, I think I can do it again this year.

And ...

The 2011 Debut Author challenge Hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Challengers are asked to pick and read 12 YA or MG first edition books released between January 1, 2011-December 31, 2011. 

My list is as follows:

The Water Wars – Cameron Stracher
Choker – Elizabeth Woods
Kristi Cook – Haven
Paige Harbison – Here Lies Bridget
Jana Oliver – The Demon Trapper’s Daughter
I Am J – Cris Beam
Those That Wake – Jesse Karp
Between Shades of Gray – Ruta Sepetys
Awaken – Katie Kacvinsky
Dark Parties – Sara Grant

XVI by Julia Karr
Timeless – Alexandra Monir
Across the Universe – Beth Revis
A Touch Mortal – Leah Clifford
The Iron Witch – Karen Mahoney
Entwined – Heather Dixon
Clarity – Kim Harrington
Falling Under – Gwen Hayes
Tessa Gratton – Blood Magic
Future Imperfect – K. Ryer Breese
Starcrossed – Josephine Angelini
Girl Wonder – Alexa Martin
Hourglass – Myra McEntire
Divergent – Veronica Roth
Hereafter – Tara Hudson
Possession – Elana Johnson
Ashes, Ashes – Jo Treggiari
Wildefire – Karsten Knight

Awakened by P.C. & Kristen Cast

Awakened (House of Night #8) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Release Date: January 4, 2011

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey.  Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z.  But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there.  Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it?  Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim?  The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship?  Does he betray his father or his heart? In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

When I started this series I really enjoyed the whole aspect of this vampire world and the plot kept me reading book after book. But lately Zoey has been getting on my last nerve and sometimes I wonder if I should continue the series. It seems no matter how mad I get at the characters or the plot, I still continue reading. It's become somewhat addictive. There are a lot of changes in the point of view and it lets us see what is going on in the heads of the other characters in the story. There are definitley more suprises in this one, a lot of suspense and another cliff hanger that will leave you wanting to know what happens next.

Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Stolarz

Deadly Little Lies (Touch #2) by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Release Date: September 21, 2010

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304

Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon
Synopsis:

Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred. Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her. But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it’s up to Camelia to figure out who—before it’s too late

Deadly Little Lies is the sequel to Deadly Little Secrets and definitely lives up to the suspense and romance of the first book. Starting a few months after Ben leaves Camelia's life, the story immediately takes off with a burst of heart pounding action that just keeps on rolling the entire novel. Right from page one, Camelia is immediately caught up in a new dangerous situation that had me biting my nails. This book kept me captivated until the very last page and I cant wait to  pick up the third book in the series, Deadly Little Games.

Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

Ghost Town (The Morganville Vampires #9) by Rachel Caine

Release Date: October 26, 2010
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

While developing a new system to maintain Morganville's defenses, student Claire Danvers discovers a way to amplify vampire mental powers. Through this, she's able to re-establish the field around this vampire-infested Texas college town that protects it from outsiders. But the new upgrades have an unexpected consequence: people inside the town begin to slowly forget who they are-even the vampires. Soon, the town's little memory problem has turned into a full-on epidemic. Now Claire needs to figure out a way to pull the plug on her experiment- before she forgets how to save Morganville...

Ghost Town is rocking in every which way. Caine is totally on point with this one, giving readers the right amount of action, drama, romance and suspense to keep us turning the pages obsessively. In a true act of genius, we get to re-live the first moments of the Shane/Claire, Michael/Eve romance all over again, without losing the intensity and connection between the characters that the series has worked so hard on developing.

New to Blogging

I am new to the book reviewer life although I’ve always been a big reader. When I’m not doing homework, eating or sleeping, I’m reading. I visit my local library at least once a week and come home with at least three to five books, to keep myself occupied. I decided to put my reading to good use, so here I am!