(Blog Tour) Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (ARC Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication.Date	August 23rd 2011
Pages:	432
Published By:	Razorbill
Website	Richelle Mead |
	Bloodlines - Goodreads
My review copy:	ARC from the publisher ❤
Where to get:	Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

     When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

(goodreads.com)

I couldn’t breathe.
There was a hand covering my mouth and another shaking my shoulder, startling me out of a heavy sleep. A thousand frantic thoughts dashed through my mind in the space of a single heart-beat. It was happening. My worst nightmare was coming true.
They’re here! They’ve come for me!

 Evidence? How could I explain that it wasn’t evidence that had driven me to help Rose so much as a feeling in my gut that she was telling the truth? But that was something I knew they’d never understand. All of us were trained to believe the worst of her kind. Telling them that I had seen truth and honesty in her wouldn’t help my cause here. Telling them that I’d been black-mailed into helping her by another vampire was an even worse explanation. There was only one argument that the Alchemists might possibly be able to comprehend.

“No,” said Keith swiftly, turning that steely blue gaze back on me. “There is no way she can come, no way I’m trusting some twisted vamp lover
to screw this up for all of us. We’re taking her sister.”

         

     Let me start my review with a quote that perfectly illustrates how I felt about the first 350 pages of this book. 

 You see, I suffered from a condition in which bitchiness was a side effect at the mere mention of bullshit. “Sure. Just excuse me while I think of a polite way to say hell no.” - Watched by Sharde Richardson

     I have been pining for this book ever since I first heard about it. Like many other YA fans out there, I was super excited for it and, although I didn’t have a chance to read Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series yet, I heard so many awesome things about her previous works that I knew I HAD TO read her newest release and find out what everyone was raving about. I so wanted to love this book! The premise was intriguing and promising, the characters well developed and Richelle’s writing style is absolutely fantastic – I fell in love with it right from the get-go. How could you possibly go wrong with that? Well, apparently you can! While I liked the setting, the pace was totally off. It was insanely slow. The narrative voice was superb: realistic, smooth and engaging, but where was the action? Why was the plot so silly?  Why-oh-why was the story line focused entirely on dating-related issues, making it look more like some cheap soap opera (Days of our Lives? The Bald and The Beautiful?) rather than a badass vampire novel I expected. I’m really sorry to say that, but honestly, this book was a disappointment. 

     Those of you who have read the Vampire Academy series surely remember Sydney, the alchemist that broke the rules to help Rose Hathaway in her quest to save Dimitri. Sydney is back and so are few other VA characters that you might recognize – Eddie, Jill, Adrian… even Rose makes an appearance at the beginning of the book, although she doesn’t really have any major role to play in the story.  Jill Dragomir’s life is in danger. Her sister – Lisa Dragomir – has been elected the new Moroi Queen but not everyone is happy about it. There’s been a lot of protests and dissidence. Not being able to get past Lisa’s security, the attackers targeted Jill. Unfortunately Lisa’s rule is dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Jill, being her only relative, is an easy target. She needs to be sent away somewhere safe until the new law is passed and the “one-extra-member-in-the-royal-family” rule doesn’t apply anymore. Moroi ask the alchemists for help and Sydney gets assigned to protecting Jill. They’re sent to Palm Springs, where together with Eddie, they will be posing as high school students, doing their best to remain undiscovered. “But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning.” 

     Sounds really great, right? In truth, the whole story described above takes place on the first 10 and the last 50 pages of this book, and you could easily skip the rest.  Since the moment Sydney, Jill and Eddie arrive in California all they do is try to figure out who should date who and why. Jill acts like a spoiled bratWhy does she even HAVE TO have a boyfriend? Is it really so hard to lay low for 3 months and try not to attract attention to herself? Is it a Moroi thing? Can’t she really control her hormones for the few weeks it takes to pass the new law? OH-my-gosh, seriously?

     Sydney was a little bit better and I actually felt sorry for her having to babysit the Moroi kids. She was doing her best to keep everyone safe and happy, which proved to be harder than she anticipated, especially with Keith watching her every move and waiting for her to make a mistake. Adrian, on the other hand, was just plain annoying. He was constantly going out of his way to cause trouble. He was partying and drinking, even though he knew what it does to Jill. His constant whining really got on my nerves and made it even more painful for me to get through the boring passages. 

     On the bright side, I really fell in love with Mead’s narrative voice. She definitely knows how to write and if only there was more action and less (pointless) drama, this book would go straight to my top-favorite shelf. Perhaps if I’ve read the VA series before reaching for Bloodlines, I would enjoy this spin-off more. It surely is a character-driven story and I imagine that the Vampire Academy fans will have fun reading about their favorite characters again. I however, didn’t feel the magic here. To me these people were strangers and, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t like them very much.  

     
     While most of the book was rather slow-paced and, well, boring, the ending came as a total surprise. I loved it.  It was everything I hoped for when I picked up this book. Intense, emotional, thrilling, the last 50 pages of Bloodlines were very rewarding and satisfying. For this fantastic ending alone I am giving this book 3/5 starts, instead of 2/5, which officially makes it “an ok read, but nothing mind-blowing” according to my rating system. 

     
      The bottom line is: If you read and loved the Vampire Academy books, by all means go get yourself a copy of Bloodlines, you will most likely love it. There are plenty of small references to the VA series throughout the book, plus, like I said before, you will probably enjoy meeting all the VA characters again. If you’re new to Richelle Mead’s vampire world, well, this is not the book to start with. Don’t make the same mistake I did, start with the Vampire Academy. This will save you a lot of disappointment. 

You can read the first chapter of Bloodlines HERE

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

Blog Tour Stops 

(make sure to visit them all!)

Aug 23 Tynga's Reviews (Cindy Bacon)  http://www.tyngasreviews.com/
Aug 24 Me On Books (Lindsay) http://me-on-books.blogspot.com/
Aug 25 A Cupcake and a Latte (Wendy)  http://mochalattereads.blogspot.com/
Aug 26 whatchYAreading (Caitlin)  http://whatchyareading.net/
Aug 29 Dreaming of Books (Jenny)  http://jennys-books.blogspot.com
Aug 30 Just a Lil Lost (Michele)  http://justalillost.wordpress.com/
Aug 31 He Followed Me Home (Mel)  http://hefollowedmehome.blogspot.com/
Sept 1 Evie Bookish  http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/
Sept 2 Ever Expanding Library (Jackie)  http://www.everexpandinglibrary.com/
Sept 5 Knit Purl Stitch Read & Cook (Aislynn)  http://www.stitchreadcook.com/
Sept 6 Wicked Lil' Pixie (Natasha)  http://wickedlilpixie.com/
Sept 7 Hands and Home (Bonnie) http://www.handsandhome.ca/
Sept 8 Snowdrop Dreams of Books (Chrystal) http://snowdropdreams.blogspot.com/ 
Sept 9 Just Another Story (Sara)  http://unautrehistoire.blogspot.com/
Sept 12 Bibliomama (Allison)  http://bibliomama2.blogspot.com/
Sept 13 Esther's Ever After (Brenna)  http://everafteresther.blogspot.com/
Sept 14 Simply Stacie  http://www.simplystacie.net/
Sept 15 Krystal's Stellar Book Blog  http://stellarbookblog.blogspot.com/
Sept 16 Today's Adventure (Vanessa) http://www.todays-adventure.com/
Sept 19 Lost for Words (Corrine) http://lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com/

(GPT!!!) Terry Tracy, author of A Great Place For A Seizure

I'm really excited to share yet another brilliant guest post with you guys! Our today's guest, Terry Tracy, has worked as a human rights activist, journalist, and US diplomat. Her debut novel, A Great Place for a Seizure,  is now available both in print and ebook format!  Terry is a wonderful person, with a sweet and charming personality, I'm sure you guys are going to love her!

Guys, please give your warmest welcome to Terry! 

About Terry:

   Terry Tracy was born in Virginia, but moved around Latin America in her childhood as a military brat. She is Asian-Irish American with a German husband and a German-American daughter (who tries desperately to teach her mother German). After college Terry worked as a receptionist, then left to work for free in Honduras at an orphanage. She returned to work in a human rights organization in Washington DC, then left for Guatemala to work as a free-lance journalist. By this point, it was clear that she had developed an addiction to moving around. In denial, she jumped over the Atlantic to Cambridge, England to get a Masters in a completely irrelevant, but intriguing, subject matter: Americas in the 16^th century. Upon her return she decided to join the establishment and started working for the US Government. She left her job at the State Department to take turns with her husband and become a stay-at-home parent in London. Terry has had epilepsy for over 25 years and with the extra time at home decided to write a funny, sad, strange, and moving novel about a sarcastic epileptic.

To be loved or not beloved

a guest post by:

Terry Tracy

      
      Before Jane Austen published Emma she wrote in a letter “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” She had recently published Pride and Prejudice and was already weary of the world's singular adoration for Elizabeth Bennett.  Emma, so it seems, was crafted to be the anti-Elizabeth.

     For some reason that remark stayed in the back of my mind as I wrote A GREAT PLACE for a SEIZURE. When I received my first brutal review on Amazon.com my initial reaction was horror as I scrolled down to read one verbal slash and spit after another.  Then the reviewer made an observation about my main character, Mischa, that made me smile from ear to ear:  “After a while the reader may wonder why anyone would bother trying to be her friend and why someone hasn't punched her in the face.”  It was weird. I felt an athletic thrill in my gut, the kind that moved Mia Hamm to pull off her shirt and shout “YES!”.   It was as if I had scored a goal. 

I had created a character that some could love and others could hate.

     Any form of art is an imitation of life. Nevertheless, I believe that any artist, be it painter, sculptor, or writer, hopes that their work comes to life in the mind's-eye of the people who experience it.  After all, that's why we do it. We want to play “creator” and develop our own little world inside a frame, out of a rock, or printed on paper. To be able to create a character that someone hated so much that she wanted to hit her meant that I had elicited a real emotional reaction.  While reading my novel, for those few hours, that reviewer had entered my world and she could not pretend that she left it apathetic. Others had written about how much they admired Mischa.  Those comments left me feeling warm, grateful, and sometimes, truly touched.  But it was that reviewer,who paid me the greatest compliment.

When we are young, running around the playground or walking down locker-lined hallways, we delude ourselves to believe that life would be great if everyone loved us.  As you get older you realize that you would have to be a different person to be admired by types such as Qadaffi, Imelda Marcos, and Donald Trump.  These three, though far different from each other, have one similarity. They have become archetypes of certain undesirable characteristics; cruelty, vanity, and arrogance respectively.  As you mature you recognize that it's OK for people to dislike you, in fact, if everyone liked you it might be a sign that something is wrong.

So back to the question, “Does a writer want the main character to be loved or not beloved?”   It probably depends on the writer, but as for me it's OK if some people love her and some people hate her.  In fact, that's the way I prefer it.

That, in my opinion, is one fantastic guest post. I so often come across reviews that are totally bashing a book just because someone didn't happen to love the main character. The most recent example would be the brilliant Fury by Elizabeth Miles - so what that Ems is a back-stabbing bee-yatch! She was meant to be one! That's how Elizabeth Miles envisioned her. It was essential to the plot! Don't you guys think that judging a book solely based on whether someone liked or disliked the main character implies emotional immaturity and lack of professionalism? Well, I do! Would love to hear your thoughts on that!

Terry, thank you so much  for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us here today! I'm looking forward to reviewing your book!

A Great Place For a Seizure

Published April 18th 2011 by CreateSpace

Synopsis:
Mischa Dunn's family flees Chile in the wake of the 1973 coup d'etat that installs a military dictatorship. She settles comfortably in her newly adopted country, the United States, until one day, an unexplained seizure in a library signals the beginning of her life with epilepsy. With an engaging balance of humor, insight, and sensitivity Mischa draws the reader into a vivid tale that travels across three continents over thirty years.
  (from Goodreads)

Giveaway Time! 
Terry generously provided us with one paperback an one e-copy of A Great Place for a Seizure!!!

Rules:

The paperback giveaway, as well as the e-copy, is open worldwide

Ends: Thursday, September 15th

*Mandatory entry: be a GFC follower of my blog and leave a meaningful comment with your email address, indicating what country you're from!

*Extra entries: 

+1 Follow me on Twitter @SeoEvie

+5 Tweet about this giveaway using @SeoEvie

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

Interview + Giveaway: Lena Coakley, author of Witchlanders

I can't even begin to express how excited and delighted I am to be joined here today by my new favorite YA fantasy writer, Lena Coakley. Lena is a fellow Canadian, who resides in Toronto - which makes me love her even more (yay, Canada~!). Her debut YA fantasy novel, Witchlanders, is the most beautiful piece of fantasy I had the pleasure of reading in a long, loooong time. Beautiful settings, compelling plot line, charismatic characters and exquisite story telling - all that makes Lena's novel a MUST-READ for any fantasy fan (YA or not!).

Guys, please give a warm welcome to Lena!

E: Evie
LC: Lena Coakley

E: Welcome to Bookish, Lena! I’m so thrilled to welcome you to my blog! Your debut novel, Witchlanders, in one of my top favorite reads this year! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

LC: Wow! Thanks Evie! I’ve worked behind the scenes for a number of children’s book organizations like CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, but I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I live in Toronto but I grew up in the states and I’m a duel citizen, so maybe crossing borders was on my mind when I wrote Witchlanders. Other than that, I love reading and I’m a huge fantasy and science-fiction nerd.

E: Who or what inspired you to write "Witchlanders"?

LC: It all started with the two main characters, Ryder and Falpian. I loved the idea of putting these two very different people from two very different cultures together at the top of a mountain to see what they’d do. Many of the issues I tackle in the book—religious clashes, the mother’s drug addiction, the long-term effects of war—I didn’t set out to write about, but there’s nothing like writing a book to find out what your subconscious is chewing on.

E: Do you mind telling us how long did it take for you to write it?

LC: My writing group had its ten-year anniversary just as this book was being accepted by Simon& Schuster. We keep a journal of what we read each month and when we looked back we found that I’d workshopped chapter one at the very first meeting! I didn’t think it had taken me ten years to write Witchlanders, but obviously, it had!

E: How would you describe the "Witchlanders" series in 5 words?

LC:
(5 words?? Eek!)

Witch’s son finds his magic.

E: The lead characters in your book are absolutely fantastic – I love both Ryder and Falpian! The supporting characters are no less fascinating! Which of your characters would you say is most like you? Are any of your characters based on people in your own life?

LC: Oh, I’m definitely most like Ryder. He’s skeptical, an introvert, a bit taciturn, and a bit ironic, just like me. Many people who read the book say they like Falpian better because he’s funny and easier to get to know, but I have a soft spot for Ryder. I really know what makes him tick.

The only person based on someone from my own life was Aata’s Right Hand, the white witch, who I physically based on my niece Jasmine. It was amazing to finally see the cover of the book and find that the model they used actually looked like her! (Jasmine also got to play the part of Aata’s Right Hand in my book trailer.)

E: Where is your favorite place for writing? Do you have any special writing rituals?

LC: I love my writing desk at home, but every once in a while I just have to get out of the house and write somewhere else. If I’m feeling that way, I usually go have breakfast at a great little cafe in the Distillery District in Toronto where I can plug in my mini and write for the morning.

E: What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are interested in writing YA fantasy novels?

LC: Be persistent!

E:  What genres do you like to read in your free time?

LC:  Oh, YA fantasy is definitely my first love, but right now I’m also trying to read the literary classics I haven’t gotten to yet. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of the Bronte sisters. Wuthering Heights is definitely the strangest, most perplexing novel I’ve read in a long time. I love it, but I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.

E: Which of your favorite books would you recommend everybody to read?

LC: Ursula Le Guin never disappoints me. I think everyone should read A Wizard of Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness. Sabriel by Garth Nix is one of my all-time favorite books, along with the dystopian novel Feed by MT Anderson. And for something completely different I’d have to say David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I have to read that book about once every ten years; it’s a whole world unto itself. There is a complete (not really) list of my favorite books over on my website at http://lenacoakley.com/all-time-favorite-books/

E: Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy?

LC: I love to swim and I love to travel.

E: If you could have a paranormal power, what power would you want and why?

LC: It’s not very practical, but I’d have to say flying. Every once in a while I get to fly in my dreams and it’s a great feeling!

Random Questions:

- white or dark chocolate? Dark.

- coffee or tea? Coffee.

- favorite character? Gandalf

- favorite movie? Blade Runner

- favorite Summer destination? The pool!

- favorite TV show? Dr. Who (nerd alert!)

- M&Ms or Skittles? M&Ms

- ebook or printed copy? Printed copy right now, but I might be swayed in the future!

Lena, thank you so much for joining us today!  

I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing your next books!
(DYING to read the sequel to Witchlanders!!!)

I hope you guys enjoyed the interview, for more information about Lena Coakley and her books, please visit his website: Lena Coakley or/and read my review of Witchlanders.

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Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

Expected publication: August 30th 2011 by Atheneum

     High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.
It’s all a fake.
At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?
But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—
Are about him.

Giveaway Time! 

Thanks to the FANTABULOUS people @ Simon and Schuster Canada I have one copy of Witchlanders up for grabs!

Rules:

Open to Canada (sorry Internationals!) if you're International - don't despair, check out my Summer Hottest Releases Giveaway - Witchlanders can be won there!

Ends: Monday, September 12th

*Mandatory entry: be a GFC follower of my blog and leave a comment with your email address (and some love!).

*Extra entries:

+1 Follow me on Twitter @SeoEvie

+5 Follow Lena Coakley on Twitter @LenaCoakley

+5 Follow Lena's blog HERE

+5 follow Simon & Schuster Canada ->  @SimonSchusterCA or/and @SimonPulseCA
+5 Comment on my Review of Witchlanders

+10 Tweet about this giveaway using @SeoEvie and @LenaCoakley!

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

Hottest Upcoming Releases - September 2011

Brought to you by Bookish, sponsored by *Reading Hotties* :D

It's a new Bookish feature designed to highlight hot releases in the upcoming month. 

Since there is no way I could track down ALL the upcoming releases, I apologize if your book hasn't been featured! I assure you, it was purely accidental! 

If you'd like me to feature your upcoming release, let me know! I'll be more than happy to do that!

Hottest Upcoming Releases in September 2011

Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel (September 13th 2011 by Candlewick Press ) 

My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin (September 27th 2011 by Random House Books for Young Readers )

A Beautiful Dark  by Jocelyn Davies (September 27th by HarperTeen)

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan (September 13th 2011 by Knopf Books for Young Readers )

 The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (September 20th 2011 by Greenwillow Books)

Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton (September 27th 2011 byTor Teen / Macmillan)

Bloodborn by Karen Kincy (September 8th 2010 by Flux)

Unbecomming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (September 27th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

 Slayer Chronicles: First Kill by  Heather Brewer (September 20th 2011 by Dutton Juvenile)

If I Die (Soul Screamers, #5) by Rachel Vincent (September 20th 2011 by Harlequin)

 Perfect by Ellen Hopkins (September 13th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry)

All These Things I've Done by  Gabrielle Zevin (September 6th 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR))

Drink, Slay, Love by  Sarah Beth Durst (September 13th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry)

Burnout by Adrienne Maria Vrettos (September 13th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry)

The Isle Of Blood by Rick Yancey (September 13th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

 Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephenie Perkins (September 29th 2011 by Dutton)

Sacrifice by Melinda Metz, Laura J.Burns (September 20th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (September 13th 2011 by St. Martin's Griffin)

You Against Me by Jenny Downham (September 13th 2011 by David Fickling Books)

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (September 19th 2011 by Harcourt Children's Books)

 Enthraled by Various (anthology) (September 20th 2011 by Harper Collins)

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle (September 6th 2011 by HarperTeen)

Going Undergound by Susan Vaught (September 13th 2011 by Bloomsbury USA)

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch (September 1st 2011 by Scholastic Books) 

 The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen (September 27th 2011 by EgmontUSA)

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff (September 6th 2011 by NAL Trade)

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E.Wedel (September 5th 2011 by Bloomsbury)

Damage by Anya Parrish (September 8th 2011 by Flux)

Sister Light, Sister Dark by Jane Yolen (September 15th 2011 by Tor Teen)

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis (September 13th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert (September 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire)

Pure Red by Danielle Joseph (September 8th 2011 by Flux)

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey (September 8th 2011 by Flux)

The Centaur's Daughter by Ellen Jensen Abbott (September 28th 2011 by Marshall Cavendish Children's Books)

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott (September 15th 2011 by Dutton Juvenile)

Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck (September 15th 2011 by Speak)

 Witch Song by Amber Argyle (September 1st 2011 by Rhemalda Publishing)

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin (September 1st 2011 by  Speak)

The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson (September 29th 2011 by Putnam)

Away by Teri Hall (September 15th 2011 by Dial Books for Young Readers)

 Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (September 27th 2011 by Little, Brown & Company)

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey (September 20th 2011 by HarperTeen)

Ashes by Ilsa Bick (September 6th 2011 by EgmontUSA)

Velvet by Mary Hooper (September 5th 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)

 

 The Hidden by Jessica Verday (September 6th 2011 by Simon Pulse)

Shelter by Harlan Coben (September 6th 2011 by Putnam Juvenile)

The Pearl Wars by Nick James (September 8th 2011 by Flux)

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Preffer (September 12th 2011 by Harcourt Children's Books)

 

 Empire Ruins by Arthur Slade (September 13th 2011 by Wendy Lamb Books)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (September 13th 2011 by Doubleday)

Frost by Mariana Baer (September 13th 2011 by Balzer & Bray)

Fateful by Claudia Gray (September 13th 2011 by HarperTeen)

 Hunted by Adam Slater (September 13th 2011 by EgmontUSA)

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (September 12th 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children)

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (September 20th 2011 by Simon Pulse)

Beautiful Days by Ana Godbersen (September 20th 2011 by HarperCollins)

 Cold Fire by Kate Eliott (September 26th 2011 by Orbit)

The Vision by Jen Nadol (September 27th 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books)

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz (September 27th 2011 by Hyperion)

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins (September 27th 2011 by Walker Books for Young Readers)

 And one awesome Indie Read coming out this month that I am SUPER excited for!

Tamara Rose Blodgett - Death Speaks (September 1st 2011)

Jason McIntyre - BLED (end of September 2011)

(I am sure there are tons of awesome Indie reads being published in September, but I spent 3 hours trying to find them and, as you can see, didn't have much luck. You people are so freakin' hard to find!!! _-_)

September is a craaazzzzyyy month - release-wise. SO MANY awesome books to read!

I am reading Drink, Slay, Love right now - it ROCKS!

next for me is Witch Song and Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - so excited for both!

What are you most excited for??? :D

Happy reading! 

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Envy (Empty Coffin #1) by Gregg Olsen (ARC Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Mystery, Crime
Publication.Date	September 6th 2011
Pages:	352
Published By:	Splinter
Website	Gregg Olsen | Empty Coffin
	Envy - Goodreads
My review copy:	Provided by the publisher (thank you!)
Where to get:	Barnes and Noble | Amazon      | Book Depository

Murder is such a dirty word…New York Times bestselling adult true crime author Gregg Olsen makes his YA debut with EMPTY COFFIN, a gripping new fiction series for teens based on ripped-from-the-headlines stories…with a paranormal touch.
Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.
Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.
Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge--and push you right over.

(goodreads.com)

Please note:  Quotes are from an ARC and will be verified against a published copy.

“Merry Christmas, loser,” she said.
She pulled inside of herself, into that place where there was only a little relief.
The bathtub was nearly full. Steaming. Just waiting.
Katelyn had no idea that, not far away, someone else was doing the exact same thing—just waiting for the right time to make a move.
As fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, Katelyn took off the rest of her clothes, threw them on the floor, and plunged herself into the tub.

The fifteen-year-old was slumped over the edge of the old claw-foot tub, her eyes tiny shards of broken glass, her expression void of anything. Her long, wet hair dripped onto the floor.

“I’d rather know how. I mean, really, an espresso machine in the bathtub? That’s got to be a first ever.”
Taylor nodded, brushing away her tears. She could see the absurdity of it all. “Some snarky blogger is going to say this is proof that coffee isn’t good for you.”
“And write a headline like ‘PORT GAMBLE GIRL MEETS BITTER END,’” Hayley added.

Neither girl knew it right then, but the night Katelyn Berkley died was the beginning of something that would change everything.
Everything.
Every. Single. Thing.

     

     Envy is a Young Adult debut novel from the fantastic New York Times bestselling true-crime author, Gregg Olsen. It’s one deliciously dark and eerie read. I devoured it, thoroughly enjoying its creepy atmosphere! Most importantly, the content of this book lives up to its gorgeous cover, which means that if you’re one of the judge-the-book-by-its-cover readers (like me!), you can rest assured - you won’t be disappointed! In fact, you’re in for a quite a treat! 

     Katelyn Berkley, a 15-year-old girl from the small town of Port Gamble, Washington is found dead in her house. Her body, discovered by her alcoholic mother, is slumped over the edge of the old claw-foot tub. There’s also a mini espresso machine floating in the bathtub. An ESPRESSO MACHINE in the BATHTUB – how weird is that? What could possibly have happened? Did Katie commit a suicide? Why would she choose to electrocute herself with a coffee maker of all things? Or maybe it wasn’t a suicide at all? Sure, she was depressed lately due to the falling out between her and her best friend. And no, her family is not by any means a perfect one, but was it enough to make her want to end her life? Or is there something more to the story? Is there SOMEONE else behind her tragic death? 

    Sounds like a typical whodunit story? Well, it’s not! There’s so much more to this book than just the mystery of Katie’s death (which BTW is not what you’d originally assume – in the words of Stephen King, do not assume, assuming makes an ass out of you and me! Get it? Ass+U+Me)! What we have here is a solid, well thought-out and skillfully executed plot, rich palette of really intriguing characters, whole bunch of unexpected twists and turns and a breathtakingly gritty atmosphere. All that sprinkled with a bit of supernatural (not too much,though, just a tiny little bit!) to top off the already delicious read! 

     The lead protagonists of this story are twins, Hayley and Taylor Ryan. These two are not your typical teen girls, although you might not be able to tell that at first. They both attend the local high school and are busy with the regular day-to-day teenage stuff: boys, friends, homework. Their father is a well-known and successful crime book writer and their mother used to be a psychiatric nurse at a state mental hospital in Seattle. The world of crime, murder, mystery and creepiness is nothing new to them. Daily dinner talks about stranglers, serial killers, murder plots and thousand ways to die are basically a routine around the Ryan’s family household. There are very few things that could possibly disturb or shake them, but unfortunately a sudden death of a class mate is one of them. See, there’s something very special about Hayley and Taylor – not only is their sisterly bond extremely strong, but they can also sense certain things. A sixth sense?  An ability to communicate with the dead? Some other mysterious paranormal power? We don’t know that yet, but whatever it is, it makes them very sensitive to their surroundings. They are able to feel things that no one else can detect. Sometimes they’re drawn to certain objects, other times they have visions. Neither twin can explain the sensations, but they both know one thing for sure– they are never wrong. And when they visit Katelyn’s house, they get a feeling that Katelyn did not want to die. Something happened here, someone did that to her, and Hayley and Taylor are now the only ones who can uncover the mystery of Katie’s death. Will they be able to find the person responsible for their friend’s death? To find the answer to this and other questions you are going to have to read the book yourself! And don’t expect to have everything served to you on a silver platter. Gregg Olsen is the master of mystery. He will keep you guessing all the way to the end and even when you hit the back cover you still won’t have all the answers. Quite to the contrary, you will be left with even more burning questions and painful craving for the next book in Empty Coffin series. 

     Hands down, this was really one awesome read. It’s definitely not your typical YA book. There are no vampires, faeries, zombies, angels or any other mystical creatures. There isn’t much of the paranormal stuff, either. It’s a good old crime mystery with a sneak peak of something truly dark and supernatural lurking in the dark. The supernatural part is very vague and almost non-existent, but that only makes it spookier. Olsen did a really great job balancing it out, focusing mainly on the crime mystery and letting us get to know the lead characters in the process – brilliant move! At the same time, the way the book ends suggest that we’re about to step into an unknown, scary and possibly supernatural territory. That makes me want to read the next book even more! Oh, and did you know that the murder mystery is based on an actual cyberbullying crime that took place back in 2006? Go get yourself a copy! It’s worth every penny.

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Vacation Special: 

me reading Envy on top of the mountain in Glacier National Park, Canada.

I carried it all the way up to the top.

And it was WORTH IT.

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing