Breakaway by Michael Betcherman

Title: Breakaway

Author: Michael Betcherman

Publisher: Razorbill Canada

Release Date: September 25, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon.ca / Chapters Indigo

Sixteen-year-old Nick Macklin's life has been divided in two. Before and After. Before his father when to jail, and After.

Before, he was an A student and a talented hockey player who loved his girlfriend, Sherry, and had the greatest dad in the world--a man who not only was there for him after his mom died of cancer, but who was also a star player for the Vancouver Canucks. Then the bottom fell out. His father was convicted of murder and given a life sentence for a crime Nick is convinced he didn't commit.

Now living with his dad's agent, Nick is motivated solely by a burning desire to seek justice for his father. Who framed him? And why? Drifting further away from everything and everyone who matters, he spends his days roaming the city, looking for a bald man with a limp--the man his father swears planted the evidence that led to his conviction. Finding him is like looking for a needle in a haystack--until Nick stumbles on a very real clue, an eye-opening revelation that just might get his father out of jail forever.

In all honesty, I hadn't heard of Breakaway by Michael Betcherman until I was offered the chance to be part of the blog tour for the release of the book. The summary caught my attention, especially since it's more of a boy book, which in my opinion there just aren't enough of in YA. All that to say that once I started reading, I read the entire book in one sitting. It was that good.

Nick Macklin thought he had a great life. At least that was until his father was accused of a crime he didn't commit and was sentenced to life in prison. Now Nick doesn't care about anything but finding the one person who could prove his father's innocence. But finding a bald, limping man in Vancouver might as well be the same thing as looking for a needle in a haystack. At his father's request, Nick stops his search and stats focusing once more on school and rejoins his hockey team. And just when he's not looking anymore, Nick might be on the verge of finding out just who framed his father for murder.

I honestly had no expectations when I started reading Michael Betcherman's Breakaway since all I had to go off was the synopsis on the back of the book. Despite that I was still looking forward to reading the book, mainly because the entire story focused on a boy and was told from his perspective even if it was in the third person. There's just not enough "boy" books in YA and whenever I find one I just kind of jump on it and read it. Ultimately, Breakaway did not end up disappointing me. Once I started reading, I just couldn't put the book down. I just had to find out who had framed Nick's father. All along I had my suspicions but I was dying to know if I was right. Beyond that, the story itself was captivating, it drew me in right from the start. It also helps that I'm a sucker for any story that has mystery or revolves around crime in one way or another. All that to say that I pretty much loved this book. 

I loved Nick. He was a great character and I loved getting to know him better as the story moved forward. I could definitely some sort of evolution in his character. When the story first started, Nick was solely focused on finding who had framed his father, not really caring about anything else and thinking that doing that would solve all his problems. But eventually he understood that there might be more to life than just proving his dad's innocence, no matter how important that was. But Nick wasn't the only interesting character in this book. Granted he was kind of integral to the story, I loved that a parent was actually part of the story and played an important role. Nick's dad took me by surprise. I loved finding out about him in the flashbacks Nick had. He just wasn't what I expected and I really appreciated that about him. And Nick's friends of course were interesting just because they were all so different from one another--I'm not going to lie, I smiled when I saw that one of them would be going to my university.

Michael Betcherman's Breakaway was a fantastic read. It took me completely by surprise and it is one of those books that I will definitely be recommending in the future. And if you're looking to find a book for a boy, then I strongly recommend you send Breakaway their way.

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Title: Blackwood

Author: Gwenda Bond

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just a story for the tourists. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people right now, an unlikely pair of 17 year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island's most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can't dodge is each other. 

When I first heard about Blackwood by Gwenda Bond I knew it was the kind of story I would want to read. I am a sucker for any type of mystery and if there's history involved there's very little that's going to stop me from read a book. This one didn't disappoint and it wasn't too long before I found myself completely sucked in to the mystery of it all.

Everyone on Roanoke Island knows the story of the 114 colonists who mysteriously disappeared hundreds of years ago. They have even made a play about it in order to attract the tourists in the summer. But now 114 people mysteriously disappear and everyone can't help but make a link with the Lost Colony. But then how is that even possible? That's the mystery Miranda and Phillips are trying to solve. Brought together by the disappearances, Miranda and Phillips are an unlikely pair but together, they may be able to save everyone and save themselves in the process.

I remember being really excited when Strange Chemistry first started announcing some of the titles it was going to be publishing this fall, and Blackwood by Gwenda Bond was one that immediately caught my eye. The sense of mystery you get from the synopsis and the fact that it's bringing in historical events were enough to get me reading the book. And I didn't end up disappointed. From the start I was sucked into the story, wanting to find out more about everything that was happening, trying to figure out what had happened to all those who disappeared. Wanting to know how Miranda and Phillips were tied to this whole thing. There were so many questions and I couldn't get to the answers fast enough. But eventually all was answered and I loved seeing how everything just sort of came together.

The best part about the book was definitely the characters. I loved seeing Miranda and Phillips grow and develop as the story progressed. When they first came together, I wasn't really sure how everything would work out, but I didn't care, I was rooting for them. But as individuals they were also pretty fantastic. They both had their own story and you could so easily tell that both of them hadn't had that easy a time in the past few years. They just worked well together, romantically and platonically (if that makes sense). Both Miranda and Phillips were just great people and characters. I just wish I could see more of them even though the story ended.

Gwenda Bond's Blackwood was a fantastic debut both from the author and new publisher, Strange Chemisty. It was exactly the kind of book I hoped it would be and it made me turn page after page. 

Stacking the Shelves (15)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews. It's a weekly post where book bloggers showcase the books they received throughout the week.

This week has been absolutely crazy. Things with school have definitely kicked up a notch, especially since this is my last year of university (at least for my undergrad). But I still got plenty of books thanks to Chapters having some awesome YA titles in the bargain section. So here's what I got this week!

Review:

- Breakaway by Michael Betcherman - I am part of the blog tour for this title and it sounds like a really interesting read from a boy's perspective. I'll be reading this one in the next 48 hours so be sure to come back on October 3 to see what I thought. 

Thank you to Razorbill Canada for sending me this book.

Borrowed:

- Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - So I'm pretty excited about this one. Big thanks to Katherine from The Lady Critic's Library for lending this one to all the Ottawa bloggers.

- Black City by Elizabeth Richards - I have been wanting to read this book ever since I first heard about it. It sounds really interesting. Thank you to Katie from Bookishly Yours for lending this to me.

Purchased:

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - This is where I admit that I still haven't read this book and with the movie coming out this is a pressing matter. But now I have a copy and I can't wait to dive in to it.

- Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter - I love fairy tale retellings so I was excited about this title. Though I have been seeing some mixed reviews for this book so I'll have to wait and see if it's as good as I hope it is.

- Wildefire by Karsten Knight - I absolutely adored this book when I read it last year but never got around to buying a finished copy for myself. So when I saw it on the bargain table at Chapters I just had to buy it.

- Possess by Gretchen McNeil - This is one of those books that I was always interested in reading but never acted on despite all the great reviews. So when it was on the bargain table at Chapters I figured I should finally give it a shot.

- Moonglass by Jessi Kirby - This book falls in the same category as Possess so once again, when I found it in the bargain section at Chapters I just couldn't resist grabbing a copy.

So those are all the books I got this week. Hopefully this week will be a little less crazy with school so I have some time to read. But next weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving so that means a 4 day weekend for me and I plan to get plenty of reading done! And as usual, leave me a comment letting me know what you got and I'll try to come check it out.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Title: Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1)

Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY…

THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend--and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And eh's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Ever since I heard about Burn for Burn I have been wanting to read it. Then I got a cop for review in the spring and it took all the restraint I had to hold off on reading it. Now that I've finally read it, I can say that it was even better than I thought it would be. 

Kat, Lillia and Mary all have someone they want to get revenge on. Kat always wanted to do to her former best friend what was done to her. Lillia doesn't want what happened to her to happen to her little sister. Four years ago Mary had to leave town because of what happened to her. The three girls bond over their desire for revenger. Together, they vow to right the wrongs that were done to them. And nothing will stop Kat, Lillia and Mary until they've all had their revenge. But revenge may not be all it's cracked up to be.

While I had read books by Jenny Han in the past, this was my first time reading something by Siobhan Vivian. Let me just say that I loved it. In Burn for Burn, Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han wrote a fantastic read. Even before I started reading I knew that Burn for Burn that I would really enjoy the story. And then I started reading and it definitely didn't disappoint. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the story, wanting to know what had happened to each of the girls to make them want revenge so bad. The fact that the story was told from three different points of view definitely was one of the things that made the book so engrossing. I just kept wanting to know what would happen next. And with every page I turned it just kept getting more interesting and that ending definitely left me wanting more.

I loved getting to know Kat, Lillia and Mary. Each of the girls had flaws and wasn't perfect and I think that's what made me love them that much more. Kat was hellbent on revenge but every so often you were able to see that she was really suffering despite the front she put up. With Lillia, she wasn't quite as perfect as she pretended to be, and you could see that at times she really wasn't so sure about the whole revenge thing. And my heart just went out to Mary. She has suffered so much but still tried to put up a brave front and I have so much respect for her because of that. There is a bit of mystery surrounding the other characters. I still don't feel like I know that much about many of them. Maybe I'll find out more in the future.

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian's Burn for Burn was an absolutely fantastic read. It was filled with a small amount of mystery and a strong desire for revenge--even I wanted revenge by the time I finished reading. If you like the TV show Revenge, then I strongly recommend you give Burn for Burn a try.

Stacking the Shelves (14)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews. It's a weekly post where book bloggers showcase the books they received throughout the week.

This week I got quite a few surprises in the mail and only bought two books. So all in all it was pretty good. I've finally started getting back into the swing of things now that I've figured out my schedule with school, I have found when I have time to read and do blog stuff. But between work and readings for school, this is going to be a pretty busy year!

Review:

- Broken by A.E. Rought - This book absolutely intrigues me. The synopsis makes it sound like something totally different so I'm definitely looking forward to reading it. But that probably won't happen until later this year since this book doesn't come out until January 2013.

- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - I have heard nothing but absolutely fantastic things about this new book by Maggie Stiefvater, so you can bet I will be reading this one quite soon.

- Reaper by K.D. McEntire - This is the sequel to Lightbringer which I've read part of so this is the motivation I need to finish the book so I can find out what happens in the next book.

- The Diviners by Libba Bray - I can't wait to read this one. I have heard that it is absolutely fantastic. I just hadn't realized quite how big it was...but that just means the story will last longer!

Thank you to Strange Chemistry, Scholastic Canada, PYR Books and HBG Canada for sending me these books!

Purchased:

- Embers & Echoes by Karsten Knight - I have been waiting for this book pretty much since I read the last page of Wildefire. Now that I have a copy you can bet I will be reading it soon.

- Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry - I absolutely love the Rot & Ruin books. They are definitely not getting quite as much attention as they deserve. At any rate, I'm happy to now have the third book in this series.

That's it for me this week. If you missed it on Monday, check out my recap of the Smart Chicks event in Montreal. And as usual, leave me a comment and I'll try to stop by and see what you got!