Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Embrace (Violet Eden Chapters #1)

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: March 6, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are…"

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it's hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother's death. As if that was't enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There's a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn't there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he's only half-human--oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It's a fight Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden...

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington is one of those books that has been getting a lot of attention and hype. While there are cases where that isn't always good, with Embrace it was completely warranted. It was a fantastic read and I loved absolutely every word Jessica Shirvington wrote in this book.

All her life, Violet Eden has been alone with her dad, her mom having died shortly after she was born. But now weird things are happening, and the one person Violet has always trusted seems to know more that he's willing to let on. But when she finds out the truth, Violet is in for a bit of a shock. When the truth is all laid out for her to see, Violet discovers that she is only half-human...and the other half is angel. And as it turns out, Violet isn't the only half-angel around. Lincoln also happens to be one, and to be her destined partner, which means they can't ever be together romantically much to Violet's dismay. But even before any of that Violet has to decide if she will embrace her angel part. ANd that one decision can change the course of her destiny.

Even thought it is only just now being released in North America, Embrace and its author Jessica Shirvington have already received quite a bit of attention and praise in Australia. For that reason, I really wanted to read Embrace. The other reason I really wanted to read it is because it deals with angels and I love those types of stories. What was great here is that Jessica Shirvington wrote an angel story different from all the other ones I have read in the past. It was fascinating to read about angelic hierarchy and the difference between the Grigori and the fallen angels. The other great thing about Embrace was the action. There was rarely a dull moment, which made it quite hard to put the book down. Embrace was definitely a great read and I look forward to reading more about this world in upcoming books. 

Violet was a fantastic heroine. I loved getting to know her throughout the book. One of my favorite thing about Violet was how she didn't accept the whole angel thing right away. So many times I find characters too quick to accept the paranormal part of the story, but it wasn't the case here. The other great thing about Violet was how she struggled with a lot of the decisions she had to make. To me that just made her seem more real. As for the boys in this book, I am kind of torn between Lincoln and Phoenix. Both were great boys, but neither one was exactly perfect. Lincoln should have come clean about the whole angel thing earlier, much like Phoenix should have come clean about who he really was sooner. Maybe future books will help me make up my mind about the two boys.

In Embrace, Jessica Shirvington wrote a fantastic and fascinating angel tale. It was absolutely enthralling, and had me captivated from start to finish. If you are looking for a great angel story, then I strongly recommend Jessica Shirvington and Embrace.

Pieces of Us Blog Tour: Interview with Margie Gelbwasser

Today I have the pleasure of having Margie Gelbwasser, author of Inconvenient and the upcoming Pieces of Us, here on the blog to answer a few questions about her books and about writing in general. So without further ado, here is what she had to say.

Pieces of Us is your second novel, how different was the writing process compared to when you wrote your first novel, Incovenient?

It was very different on so many levels. First, INCONVENIENT was written in a vacuum. I didn't know about reader's reactions and how the whole publishing process worked and what happened once the book hit the shelves. In that way, it was freeing, and I didn't write with anyone in mind. However, I also knew less about revisions, so there were many more drafts of INC than of PIECES OF US. To get INC to the point of where it is today, took years (this includes very early drafts and figuring out the story, etc.). POU was hard to begin because I only had an idea, glimpses of scenes. I saw the lake houses, I saw Katie and this concept of a dual life, but because I was so removed from writing INC by then, I had forgotten how I did it. I also kept hearing voices in my head, censoring this idea or that based on the market. Finally, I remembered that I wrote INC in pieces—a scene here, a scene there, not in any order. Once I remembered this, POU flowed easily. I wrote what I wanted and ignored the voice. The first draft was finished in three months. I then revised for my editor for two more, and did final copy edit revisions for anther two months.

What made you choose to write Young Adult novels as opposed to other genres?

When I was in high school, I always wanted to write the kinds of books I read. My favorites were “issue” books by Norma Klein and Norma Fox Mazer. But by the time I began writing, I had explored other authors I love (e.g. Amy Tan, Maeve Binchy) and wanted to write family and generational stories. In my stories, the teen characters were always the best developed and their stories the richest, so I wrote to my strengths and haven't looked back. :-)

How has your own Russian-Jewish background influenced what you write in your books?

In INC, it heavily influenced the story as it's about a Russian-Jewish girl. In POU, it barely influenced it at all. The characters go to lake houses every summer, which is something many of my Russian friends and I did, but I only drew on the setting, not any customs or anything like that.

In Incovenient, the story focuses mostly on one character, Alyssa. In Pieces of Us, it seems to focus on four characters and how they come together. How different writing one character versus writing four?

I absolutely loved writing in four points of view. It gave me the opportunity to really delve into four different psyches, and the freedom to branch off into a new story anytime a storyline bored or confused me. It was also interesting to see how the four teens stories connected and why. 

What has been your favorite part of being a published author?

The opportunity to reach people has been the best. Having someone tell me that my books affected them means so much to me.

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour through The Teen Book Scene!

In My Mailbox (31)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a post where book bloggers share the books they received for review, bought, borrowed or were gifted each week.

Despite the fact that I keep hoping my mailbox won't be as busy each week so I can make a sizeable dent in my TBR pile, it doesn't really seem to be happening lately (not that I'm actually complaining). This week I received a few books for review and couldn't resist buying some more. And then Chapters has a "Buy 3 get the 4th free" sale going on and that just pushed me to buy some more books. So without further ado, here's what I got this week.

Review:

- Under my Skin by Charles de Lint - I received this one at the beginning of the week and I'm currently reading it. I'm about half way through and I have to say I'm really liking it. I'm hoping to finish it this weekend, and then to go to the launch party for it in a couple of weeks.

- Seizure by Kathy Reichs - I really enjoyed Virals when I read it last week, and I've been looking forward to reading Seizure for quite some time now. I now have a nice finished copy so I'm hoping that I'll be able to pick it up soon.

- A Million Suns by Beth Revis - I have Across the Universe and have read part of it, but had to put it down in order to read some review books. Now that I have the sequel, I am hoping to be able to get back to it and then read the sequel, which I hear is even better than the first book.

Thank you to Penguin Canada/Razorbill Canada for sending me these books for review this week.

Bought:

- Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - I have heard plenty of really great things about this book and I can't wait to be able to read it. I am told though that it is a bit of a tear-jerker so I will be sure to keep a box of tissues on hand while reading it.

- Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - This is where I admit that I've only read one book by Kelley Armstrong but I did really enjoy it. While at Chapters with Ciara from Lost at Midnight, she convinced me that I should also check out Kelley Armstrong's adult series as it's even better than her YA titles. I'll just have to see for myself.

- The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee - I've heard a lot of really good things about this book and after hearing one of the employees at Chapters talk it up to another customer, I decided to pick up a copy for myself. Hopefully I'll be reading this one soon.

- Awkward by Marni Bates - I've heard nothing but good things about this book, and then on the cover it was blurbed by Julie Kagaway (whose books I really enjoy) and she said that it was perfect for fans of Meg Cabot (who is one of my all time favorite authors). So basically, this sounds like the perfect book for me.

- Partials by Dan Wells - Once again, I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book. It sounds like a really great dystopian novels and I can't wait to be able to read it. If I somehow manage to make a dent in my pile of books to review, this will be one of the first books I pick up.

- Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - I pretty much rushed to the bookstore to pick this book up, that's how much I've been wanting to read it. I've started reading it, and I have to say so far I almost like it better than Delirium. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon.

So those are all the books I received this week. Leave me a comment letting me know what you got and I'll be sure to come check it out!

Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed (Matched #2)

Author: Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Source: Gift

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

When I read Matched in 2010, I found myself to have been surprised by the book. By the end, I was really looking forward to the sequel. Crossed turned out to be just as good as the first book, if not even better, and it was a book that I had trouble putting down.

Cassia is slowly breaking out of the bonds of society, when she is thrust in a world where the rules have completely changed. Now on her way to the Outer Provinces in the hoped of finding Ky, Cassia discovers that doing so may be more difficult than she originally thought it would be. But things for Ky are not so easy either. Forced to run for his life on an almost daily basis, Ky and two other boys manage to escape the authorities but survival when on the run isn't easy. And soon enough Cassia also finds herself on the run. But she can't seem to catch up with Ky. And every step of the way, there seems to be something or someone trying to get between Cassia and Ky.

While I had enjoyed it, one of my main issues with Matched was that it took a while for the action to get going. This definitely wasn't the case with Crossed. Right from the beginning there was some action going on and it didn't let up until the end. The whole way thought, there was something happening. One thing I really liked about Crossed were the alternating points of view between Cassia and Ky. It was refreshing to be able to see the story through a new set of eyes. While I had liked seeing things from Cassia's point of view in the first book, also having Ky's point of view this time around really added to the story. And once again, the ending that Ally Condie wrote for Crossed has me looking forward to more to come in the final book. 

I had said in my review of Matched that characters like Cassia are one of the reasons why I like dystopian novels so much. I can gladly say that this is still true after having read Crossed. Watching Cassia continue to grow and come into her own was something I really enjoyed throughout the book. Though sometimes I questioned some of the decisions she made, I liked seeing her learn from those decisions and grow some more. One character I really enjoyed was Ky. I really liked him in Matched, and I loved finding out more of his story in Crossed. Being able to find out more about his past definitely helped me understand him a lot better. The one character I wish I could have seen more of is Xander, but I am told that will happen in the final book.

Crossed by Ally Condie was a fantastic sequel to Matched. I was happy to be reunited with characters that I had grown to love and follow their stories some more. I can't wait to see how it will all come together in Reached, the final book in the trilogy. 

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Title: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: March 1, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Kelsey Finkelstein has a plan for greatness…but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Okay, so let's say you're fourteen and live in New York City. You'd think your life would be like a glamorous TV show, right? And yet…

You don't have a checking account, much less a personal Black American Express Card. The only couture in your closet is a Halloween costume your mom made out of an old laundry bag when you were eleven. You've never been to a club, or had a drink served in a martini glass, or frankly, done anything really NYC-ish at all.

You definitely don't have any secret powers or friends who are vampires. You're about as normal and totally boring as a human being living in the most editing city on the planet could possibly be.

In other words? You're me: Kelsey Finkelstein.

But don't despair, people--this is going to be the year that I live up to all my untapped potential--finally.

I have to say…I'm feeling almost optimistic.

When I first heard about Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters, I thought it sounded like it would be a very fund and light read. After having read it, I can say that it was exactly that. It was definitely a book I enjoyed reading, but I still had some small issues with it.

Kelsey Finkelstein is all ready to start high school, and make her mark during her freshman year. She even has a plan to be the star of the JV soccer team and finally start dating her long-time crush. Except the rest of the world doesn't seem to be in on that plan. Right from the first day of school, nothing seems to be going quite according to Kelsey's plan. When she isn't being harassed by the captain of the JV girls soccer team, unflattering pictures of Kelsey mysteriously appear in the school newspaper. And if that wasn't enough, her group of friends seems to be falling apart and it feels like everyone is keeping secrets from each other. For Kelsey, freshman year is turning out to be a lot more complicated than she originally thought it would be.

As I've said, when I first heard about Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters I thought it would be a fun and adorable read and that's exactly what it ended up being. It was definitely a book I enjoyed and it even had me laughing out lout on more than one occasion. And at the time when I read it, it was exactly what I needed. But that doesn't mean the book was perfect. Since it covers an entire year, parts of the story felt kind of rushed but that was something I was able to overlook. My main issue was with the characters, but I'll get to that later. As far as the story goes, Meredith Zeitlin wrote a pretty great one in Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters, and it's one that made me laugh more than I thought it would.

While I actually liked the characters themselves, what I had a problem with was how their age didn't match up with some of their behaviour throughout the book. Maybe I had a sheltered childhood, but it struck me as odd that fourteen-year-olds would be going to parties and getting completely drunk. And without giving too much away, I also found it a little weird that high school juniors would be interested in dating freshmen, and everyone saw that as normal. But aside from that, I liked Kelsey and her friends as far as their personalities were concerned. There were definitely aspects of their personalities, especially Kelsey's, that reminded me of my own freshman self. And in spite of everything , I still found myself rooting for Kelsey by the end of the book.

Despite some of my issues with the book, Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters was still a really enjoyable read. If nothing else, this is a book that is likely to make you laugh out loud on more than one occasion.