Blog Tour: The Ruining by Anna Collomore

Title: The Ruining

Author: Anna Collomore

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: February 7, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door. 

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.

Right when I first heard about Anna Collomore's The Ruining I knew it was a story I just had to read. I'm a sucker for psychological thriller and I'm not sure what that says about me that I like people messing with my mind this much. But anyways, The Ruining was just as twisted as I thought it was going to be, though the last twenty pages or so kind of left me somewhat unsatisfied.

Annie hasn't had an easy life in Detroit, but now she is looking forward to moving to California, starting university, and becoming the Cohen family's new nanny. And at first, Annie can't help but be excited about all of it and it doesn't take long before she feels right at home with the Cohens. And if that wasn't great enough, there's also Owen, the boy next door, who seems to be quite interested in Annie. But what started out so great quickly takes a turn toward a nightmarish situation. Where Libby was once the older sister Annie never had, she is now blaming Annie for things Annie can't remember doing. And soon enough, Annie thinks she's starting to go crazy and there's nothing she can do about it.

I love psychological thrillers. And apparently that means I really love having my mind messed with…which might not be the healthiest thing ever but that's not really the point. With The Ruining everything started out relatively normal and the story made sense. But then some things just started changing and with them I wasn't exactly sure where the story would go. And for the most part I could figure out how things were going to turn out. Or so I thought. But then the more I read, the more I started doubting everything I knew, and I think that might have been what Annie was feeling as well. And I really loved the story for being as twisted as it was. But then I hit the last 20% of the book or so and things started getting strange. Not that they weren't strange before but it felt like the story took a turn and I kinda missed that turn. For the most part, it seemed like a logical progression of events, but then the end just felt a little rush and while it was the turnout I expected, it didn't happen in the way I thought it would.

So the characters in The Ruining. When I first started reading the story, I liked Annie. I could understand from her background why she wanted a fresh start and just how excited she was to be living in this completely new world. As the story moved on, I wasn't really sure what to think of her. I didn't believe she was going crazy, but at the same time I was getting increasingly annoyed with how easily she was letting herself get manipulated by the people around her, especially Libby. And Libby was the character that truly annoyed me and got on my nerves. Though I think that may have been the point when it came to her. But still, it sometimes felt like the woman suffered from split personality. And Libby's behaviour, I have to say is what messed with my mind the most because I just couldn't figure out when she wasn't being herself. And I also thing that's one of the main reasons I was unsatisfied with the way things ended. It just didn't feel like some aspects of Libby were explained enough.

Anna Collomore's The Ruining was interesting to say the least. And while the story didn't capture my attention for the majority of the book, the ending did leave me somewhat unsatisfied. Regardless, if you are looking for something a little different, you might want to give this psychological thriller a try.

Waiting on Wednesday (72)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer
May 28, 2013
Kensington Teen

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He's learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can't seem to afford any allies.

He's up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there's Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She's not hostile. She's bold. Funny. Hot. But she's got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he'll have to find someone he can trust...

So far I have loved the first two books in Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental series. These books have proven to be quite addictive and I can't wait to find out what happens next. It will be interesting this time around to see things from the perspective of Hunter instead of one of the Merrick brothers. Regardless of it all, I am still really excited about Spirit being released.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

July 30, 2013

Kensington Teen

Here we go again…

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can't get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities--until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I'm still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike's Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I'm still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I've got to get my hands on the antidote fast--otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins--and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there...

Have I mentioned how much I have come to love the Mythos Academy series in the past year? With each book, it seems like it just keeps getting better and better. And with everything that happened in Crimson Frost how could I not be unbelievably excited about Midnight Frost. Though I have a feeling that what Jennifer Estep will do to some of these characters will break my heart a little.

So those are the two books I'm excited about this week. If you haven't yet checked out either one of those series, I strongly recommend you do. But be warned that you may find yourself becoming addicted to them quite quickly. 

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Title: Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1)

Author: Lenore Appelhans

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: January 15, 2013

Source: Borrowed from fellow blogger

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Everything Felicia Ward thought she knew about the afterlife was wrong.

Killed in a car accident just before she turned eighteen, Felicia left behind friends, family, and the boy she loved, Neil. Now trapped in a stark white world known as Level 2, Felicia and the other drones spend the endless days in chambers watching memories from their lives. 

The interminable pattern is broken when someone appears in Felicia's chamber. Julian, a dangerously charming acquaintance in life, encourages Felicia to join a brewing rebellion against the Morati, the angels in charge of Level 2. Instead of shepherding souls to the next level, the Morati have been keeping the dead in Level 2 indefinitely, upsetting the delicate balance of the afterlife. Though Felicia is reluctant to trust Julian, he promises Felicia a way out and the one thing she wants most--to be with Neil again.

Felicia can't resist the chance to find Neil. She joins the rebels, but there's more to this battle than anyone--even Julian--knows. Torn between what she's lost and what's at stake for Level 2, Felicia finds herself at the center of an eternal struggle--and at risk are the souls of all mankind.

When I first heard about Lenore Appelhans' Level 2, I had an idea of what I thought it was going to be. But then I read it and it turned out to be something completely different. And though it wasn't what I thought it was going, it turned out to be something I enjoyed all the same.

Felicia knows she's dead. She spends her days watching memories from her old life, wondering what has now happened to everyone that was part of that life. But one day, that peaceful afterlife is shaken up when all of a sudden, people can't remember who they are or where they are. And that's when Julian walks back into Felicia's life. Felicia knew Julian when she was alive and he wasn't very good news then so why would now be any better. But when he tells her that he can help her see Neil again, Felicia can't really do anything other than follow him. 

The story in Level 2 was definitely something different. Right away when I started reading, I really had to pay attention in order to really understand the world this story was taking place in. I had to make good use of my imagination to picture all the hives where everyone was willing and how they all fit together to make up the level of afterlife Felicia was living in. But beyond just the setting, the story also dealt with something that I haven't really read that much about--the afterlife. It definitely put things in a certain perspective. In this afterlife people are still living, though that life is somewhat reduced. But the people there have a lot of time to think about things and reflect back on different aspects of their lives, something which was really interesting to read about, especially when it came to Felicia. 

Felicia was interesting to read about. She really seemed to be the only person living in Level 2 that that questioned a lot of what was going on or the way things were, especially when weird things started happening. It was also really intriguing to read about how she seemed to be the only one unaffected by certain changes. But what intrigued me the most about Felicia was her relationships with Julian and Neil. It was interesting to see it all unfold, both in the past and in the present. With Julian, it was interesting to see the differences between him as he was when Felicia was alive, and how he was in the afterlife. And he definitely puzzled me because at time he seemed like two different people, but at the same time I could never seem to quite figure him out. Neil seemed to be the complete opposite of Julian, but at the same time that's hard to tell because I only really got to see Neil in flashbacks. And that more than anything is what made it hard to get a clear read on Neil as well. But despite the fact that I had trouble getting a clear understanding of either boy, they were both clearly important and almost integral to who Felicia was…and is.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans was definitely an interesting read. It is really unlike a lot of what is already out there in terms of YA books. There aren't too many books that deal with the afterlife, so if you are looking for something a little different that will also make you think, then I recommend picking Level 2. 

Stacking the Shelves (21)

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

After having gotten no new books last week, I'm back this week with just 2 new books. I'm liking this slower pace because it means I actually have time to get through the books I've been buying and receiving. So here's what I got!

Review:

- Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison - This book sounds so intriguing. It's a murder mystery wrapped up in a ghost story and that just makes me so excited at the prospect of reading this book. Since it comes out later this month, I should get to read it quite soon!

Bought:

- Boundless by Cynthia Hand - While I still have to read Hallowed, I couldn't resist picking up a shiny pink copy of Boundless. I loved Unearthly when I read it two years ago and now that I have the last book, I can read the remaining two books in the series back to back...when I have time...which hopefully is soon.

That's it for me this week. Though I didn't get very many books I did find out about having gotten in to my top 2 choices for post-grad programs so I'm really excited about that too. And as usual, leave me a comment letting me know what you got and I'll come check it out!

Series Catch Up Challenge Month Two

It's already time for month two of the Series Catch-Up Challenge! Can you believe how fast January went by? So fast that by the time I realized I should read one of my books for the challenge, it was already too late. But I will do better this time around! If you're not sure what this is all about, be sure to check out this post. Otherwise you know what to do! Just link up your reviews below and you'll be entered in a giveaway at the end of the month for every review you submit.

Have fun catching up on all those series!