Book of The Week #2

Book of the week is a weekly post about a particular book coming out sometime during the current week. This was inspired by YA Reads Cover of the Week, a super cool meme that shows of some gorgeous covers. You can check it out here. If you feel that I in anyway copied you, then I am sorry. It was not intentional.

 This weeks book is Starstruck by Cyn Balog. Honestly, I love they way the plot of this book sounds, and another thing that draws me to it is that Dough isn't supermodel pretty.


Released July 12, 2011.


"Gwendolyn "Dough" X doesn't think she has much going for her—she carries a few extra pounds, her family struggles with their small bakery in a town full of millionaires, and the other kids at her New Jersey high school don't seem to know that she exists. Thank the stars for her longtime boyfriend, Philip P. Wishman—or "Wish." He moved away to California three years ago, when they were 13, but then professed his love for her via e-mail, and he's been her long-distance BF ever since. 

At the beginning of her junior year, though, Wish e-mails that he's moving back to Jersey. Great, right? Well, except that Dough has gained about 70 pounds since the last time Wish saw her, while Wish—according to his Facebook photos—has morphed into a blonde god. Convinced that she'll be headed for Dumpsville the minute Wish lays eyes on her, Dough delays their meeting as long as she possibly can.
But when she sees Wish at school, something amazing happens. He looks at Dough like she's just as gorgeous as he is. But Wish is acting a little weird, obsessed with the sun and freaked out by rain. And the creepy new guy working at the bakery, Christian, is convinced that there's more to Wish's good looks than just healthy eating and lots of sun. He tells Dough that a mark on Wish's neck marks him as a member of the Luminati—an ancient cult of astrologers who can manipulate the stars to improve their lives. Is Wish and Dough's love meant to be—or are they star-crossed?"

Review: Bumped

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Book Rating: 4/5 Stars

Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray (April 26, 2011)

 When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

THOUGHTS: This book was a quick but enjoyable read. Lots of people say that they had problems with the slang, but I think it added a certain feel to the world- it shows you this this world encourages sex, and the younger you are, the better. There are 11 year old girls in this book who can't wait to grow up and sell their babies. It's a little disturbing, but necessary to the book. This book was also hi-flipping-lairious, and I love a book that can have a serious plot and still be funny. 

SETTING: Setting isn't really a key element in this one. While it is important about Harmony growing up in Goodside (the religious community) and Melody in Otherside (Not so religious), that's about it. 


CHARACTERS: I do like how the POV alternates. First of all, the story wouldn't have made much since if you just heard it from one of the twins views. I did like Melody better out of the two, but I can't really explain why. I guess it's because she's a bit more easygoing than Harmony. Harmony is really mysterious, in a way, however. You know that, because she is from Otherside, she's highly religious and engaged instead of pro-pregging. But as you get further into the book, you find out a lot more about Harmony and where she's from. She's a really interesting character. Jondoe sort of confuses me. He does something at the end of the book that I won't post because it's sort of a spoiler, but it just doesn't seem like something a guy like him would do. And I wish that we had seen more of Zen- he's got a great personality and huge potential. 


PLOT: The plot in this book feels sort of like a soap opera. Mistaken Identity, Love, Babies..... yeah. The books definitely grabs you're attention, and if you're into drama-ish books, you would definitely like this one. It's just not for everyone. I feel like this book was mainly just a long beginning- it leaves a lot of loose ends hanging. I think this book would have been better as a stand-alone, but now I have to read book two so I can find out what happens to everyone. Like I said, this book is sort of a required taste, but I enjoyed it. 

AHHH! Cover Reveals!

*drools* WANT. NOWW. 

First is A MILLION SUNS by Beth Revis, the sequel to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, who'se cover was flipping amazing, but AHHHH. I always loved the stars, and OMG, I feel like I'm IN them when I look at this cover! I cannot wait to have this book in my hands so I can drool over it and pet it all creepy-like. 

And, again, EEP. I loved Wither, and it's cover is ahh-mazing. So I cannot wait to see what FEVER'S cover turns out like! You can follow up on the cover reveals on Lauren's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenDeStefanoFan?sk=app_176217385757369

Book of The Week #1

Book of the week is a weekly post about a particular book coming out sometime during the current week. This was inspired by YA Reads Cover of the Week, a super cool meme that shows of some gorgeous covers. You can check it out here. If you feel that I in anyway copied you, then I am sorry. It was not intentional.

 This weeks book is The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller- the paperback edition. Honesty, I adore the cover, and it sounds amazing. Because I still haven't managed to get my hands on the book. *headdesk* 

Released July 5, 2011. 

"Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again."

Review: Unearthly

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Book Rating: 4/5 Stars

Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars

Reading level: Young Adult

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (January 4, 2011)

 In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

INTRO & SETTING: I normally keep my reviews pretty spoiler free, but I really cant do that here. There is a lot to be included that is really important and I really can't just cut it out. So if you haven't read this book, GO AWAY. NOW. Anyways. The only way I can think to describe this book is sweet. I feel like a really got to know Clara and her world. After she moves from Cali to Wyoming, her life really picks up, or so it seems. Her happiest days were spent outside in the wonderful natural-ness of Wyoming. It's also where the forest fire occurs- which is, of course, pretty important.


CHARACTERS: Like I said, you really feel like you know Clara. She seems really real. Most of the other characters are the same way, although I feel like the could have been developed just a little better. It felt like Clara's friendship with Wendy was a bit too quick too be real. The whole, "Yay, you were nice to me while everybody else laughed," thing is a bit overdone, I think. Her friendship with Angela is much better, though, seeing how they're both Angel- Bloods (Clara a Quartarius, Angela a Dimidus) and they can both be real with each other. Clara's Mom is sort of mysterious, keeping all kinds of things from Clara. It definitely gets you thinking. Jeffery, her brother, is sport of moody and I'm not really sure what his purpose in the story is yet, but I'm almost positive it's important. And finally.... Christian (aka dream boy) and Tucker (aka Wandy's twin brother and totally hot cowboy guy). I have to say, I was Team Tucker from the start. I never saw a spark between Clara and Christian, even though she thought she was totally in love with him. But then she starts hanging out with Tucker....and things change. Tucker is everything I would love in a guy: funny, smart, completely gorgeous, and outdoorsy. I simply love, love, loved him. 


PLOT: The plot in this book pretty dang awesome. Visions? Evil, baddie Angels that can make you cry just by being near you? A mother that's keeping lots of secrets? *evil cackling laughter* This book has it all. The only problem I had with the plot was that it sort of fell out in the middle of the book- when suspense was supposed to be stacked on, you found yourself relaxing, and then BAM climax. I did really, really enjoy this book, though. The writing style is beautiful, and some of the scenes have become embedded in my brain. It's a really great read, especially on a breezy summer day on a park bench (this is how I read it.) I really hope you'll read and enjoy this book, because it's totally worth you're time. 


FIRST SENTENCE: "In the begining, there's a boy standing in the trees."


LAST SENTENCE: "He doesn't know what's expected of him anymore." 

WOW (8)

Yeah, Okay, I'm aware it isn't Wednesday, but I was camping. I still feel like I need to post one, so here it is.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (January 24, 2012)

" For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. "

 *screeeeeeeeeeeeech* I want this book SOOO bad. I honestly don't think I can wait until February. Not to mention the cover is total gorgeousness. There is a version where the blue is toned down a bit, but I like this one much better. 

IMM (7)

In My Mailbox is a post where, basically, book bloggers get to make other bookish people drool over their newly acquired awesome stuff. And this awesome little meme is hosted by Kristi, over at her epic blog, The Story Siren.

 This week, I got:
BOUGHT:
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Hereafter by Tara Hudson


BORROWED:
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Bumped by Meghan McCafferty

 I don't have any pictures, but thanks to Brielle, who let me borrow both!