Book Review-PRECIOUS BLOOD

PRECIOUS BLOOD
By Tonya Hurley
June 2013
432 Pages
Simon and Schuster

Summary taken from Goodreads:
What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.
My Thoughts:
This is the first book in The Blessed Trilogy by Tonya Hurley.
This book was origianally published as The Blessed last year. It was re-released with a new title and a  beautiful new new cover by illustrator Abbey Watkins.
I can sum this story up in three words: Confusing, Bizarre and Intriguing.
I found myself having a bit of a love/hate relationship with Precious Blood.
Three very different girls, all through tragic circumstances end up at the same hospital on Halloween night. All three have given up on life and are knocking at death's door. Suddenly a mysterious and beautiful starnger named Sebastian visits each girl at their bedside gifting them with identical braclets and promise of better things to come.
Precious Blood is told from four different points of view-Lucy, Agnes, Cecelia and Sebastian which kept the pace of the story moving along but could also be confusing at times.
Although these girls have been brought together for a similar purpose(that remains a mystery throughout Precious Blood) they are all very different from one another. As the story progresses we find out more about each girl-their lives and trials are revealed. Lucy is an out-for-herself, party till dawn, it girl of the moment. Cecelia is a down on her luck musician who speaks to people through her soul baring music. And Agnes is the helpless romantic who just desperately wants to be loved.
Tonya Hurley's attention to detail is exceptional as she describes Catholic sybolism and the history of martyrs and saints. She reveals small bits while building suspense page after page.
On the downside  there were times throughout the book I was literally scratching my head and saying, "What???"
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the things that take place in the basement of the church....
 Is Sebastian crazy? If these girls are modern day martyrs and saints what is their purpose?
o many questions that I' hoping will be revealed in the second book(Passionaries) of this trilogy. But I  have to wait until January 2014!
So here's the beauty of Precious Blood-even with the plot holes and lack of character deveopment I'm sticking with it. Why? Because I'm hooked! I can't get this story out of my head. I REALLY need to know what happens next.
To read about Tonya Hurley, Precious Blood and more details on saints and martyrs she visit her website.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review Precious Blood. This book was passed on in a giveaway earlier this month.

Book Review-The Pregnancy Project

THE PREGNANCY PROJECT
By Gaby Rodriguez
218 Pages
January 2012
Simon and Schuster

Summary Taken from Goodreads:
Growing up, Gaby Rodriguez was often told she would end up a teen mom. After all, her mother and her older sisters had gotten pregnant as teenagers; from an outsider’s perspective, it was practically a family tradition. Gaby had ambitions that didn’t include teen motherhood. But she wondered: how would she be treated if she “lived down” to others' expectations? Would everyone ignore the years she put into being a good student and see her as just another pregnant teen statistic with no future? These questions sparked Gaby’s school project: faking her own pregnancy as a high school senior to see how her family, friends, and community would react. What she learned changed her life forever, and made international headlines in the process.My Thoughts:
I remember when this was all over the media a couple of years ago. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL FAKES PREGNANCY! It was a hot news topic as we tried to wrap our minds around how and why.
So I was very interested and excited to read The Pregnancy Project, a memoir written by Gaby Rodriguez.
Gaby's story starts with an in depth background look at her family history, which explains how she came up with the concept of this unique project. You can tell it's very important to her to explain where she comes from and how she was raised. It really sets the pace for the story and gives the reader insight to Gaby's world.
She then takes us through the planning stages of the project, which had to be very thought out and organized. A few select people knew that Gaby's pregnancy was fake and them keeping a secret was imperative to the experiment.
Gaby explains that although she had really planned out the project from beginning to end, she was in fact not prepared for the loneliness and isolation that "her pregnancy" brought. She was surprised by how people's reactions and opinions made her feel. She sometimes had to remind herself that she was not pregnant and that there was an end in sight for her at the end of her nine months. She learns a great deal about not only those around her but about herself. I loved that she has a huge amount of growth in understanding and empathizing what a pregnant teen does go through.
Finally, we get to the reveal stage of the book where Gaby admits in a very public way-at a school assembly that she is not pregnant. The fallout is surprising in many ways.
I really liked this book. I think that it's an excellent read for middle school and high school. It would also be a great book club selection. Because the story is told by a teenager based on her experience I think kids can very much relate to her tale.
Looking back I wish that "the boyfriend" would have more of a voice in this story. I think his side and what he went through is also important. He had to pretend throughout this pregnancy-not even telling his parents that it was not real. A chapter devoted to that would have been a good addition.
A BIG thank you Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez.
I will be donating this book to my local Middle School Library.

Book Review and Giveaway-fml

fml
By Shaun David Hutchinson
2013
Simon Pulse

Summary Taken from Goodreads:
There’s more than one way to get the girl in this fun and fast-paced novel about one epic party and a kiss that could change everything. Tonight’s the night: Simon’s big chance to finally get with Cassie. Cassie, who he’s loved for ages. Cassie, who is newly boyfriend-free. Cassie, who just happens to be throwing the biggest party of the year. Simon’s plan is simple: He’ll go to the party, she’ll fall in love with him, they’ll make out like crazy, and the night will be a complete success.
But things don’t ever go as planned…especially when it comes to Cassie.
In two alternating plotlines, Simon goes after the girl of his dreams and stumbles toward his destiny. It’s one night, one party, and a thousand ways for things to go wrong…but a million ways for them to go right.
fml is a light and breezy, fun filled summer read.
It's a fast-paced, non-stop action tale that takes place on one crazy night in two alternate realities. Which basically means- this story that has two versions of the same party.
Confused? It can be a little at times.
I saw this movie once starring Gweneth Paltrow called Sliding Doors back in the 90's. The film alternates between two parallel universes, based on the two paths her character's life could take depending on whether or not she catches a train.
Roughly the same concept in fml.
The story is told two different ways depending on the decisions and choices main character, Simon Cross makes throughout the night during an epic party thrown by the girl of his dreams, Cassie.
Simon Cross is bravely pathetic. He's hell bent on telling the girl of his dreams, Cassie that he is madly in love with her. Never mind that his best friends, Coop and Ben think it's a very bad idea. He ignores the fact that she has just broken up with her long term boyfriend. Oh and he also seems blind to the girls that are practically throwing themselves at his feet during the night.
Nope! Cassie's the one.
At times Simon's obsessive behavior with Cassie gets old as does his constant proclamation of love to this girl that he has had exactly one date with three years ago. But at the same time I admired his determination and persistence to at least let her know his love for her.
I really enjoyed this book. His best friends, Coop and Ben were funny, loving and supportive. As well as his bitter and angry ex girlfriend, Aja. The situations that Simon gets himself into reminded me of the movies from the 80's Sixteen Candles and Can't Buy Me Love. Laugh out loud funny. As much as Simon bugged me at times I was absolutely rooting for him. I loved this kid. And it was really fun to see where his choices were going to take him.
Author, Hutchinson keeps the reader on their toes and you zip from one scenario to another at break neck speed. This story never gets boring.
I really liked fml and will be looking for more by this author in the future.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review fml.
I'm passing this book along to one lucky person.
To enter giveaway leave your contact information in comment section below. I will draw winner on August 1st.
Good Luck!

Book Review-WITHER

WITHER
By Lauren Destefano
358 Pages
2011
Taken from Goodreads:
By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?
My Thoughts:
I chose this book off the shelf because the cover took my breath away. It's a piece of art.
The fact that it was a dystopian book was the cherry on top!
This is a debut novel for author Lauren DeStefano and the first book in the planned The Chemical Garden Trilogy.
The story catches you attention from the first page. The main character is literally kidnapped off the street as she is walking to school and thrown into the back of a truck with a bunch of other girls. The story takes off at break neck speed from there.
I was transfixed as the Rhine finds herself taken from a place of desperation and uncertainty and dropped into a world of riches and luxury. Of course this comes with a price. She has been taken to be a bride, to bear children, and live in captivity until she dies.
Every moment is spent planning her escape and reunion with her brother who was left behind. But Rhine finds herself unintentionally growing close to her sister wives and even her new husband who longs for a connection and future with her.
As Rhine searches for a way out she stumbles upon an evil secret her father in law is keeping in the basement. Something much more sinister than kidnappings.
If she stays with Lindon she has loyalty, love and security. If she goes with Gabriel she faces the unknown with her freedom.
Either way Rhine is running out of time.
READ THIS BOOK!

BOOK REVIEW-Poison

POISON
By Molly Cochran
368 Pages
2012
Simon and Schuster
Synopsis by Goodreads:
After the riveting—and romantic—events of Legacy, Katy has won Peter’s heart and is now claiming her place in the magical world. Though half the students at her boarding school come from witching lines, the use of magic is expressly forbidden at Ainsworth, so as to keep the witching world hidden from the blue-blooded preppies, aka Muffies, who also walk the halls.
But the Muffies have at least a notion of magic, because Katy catches them staging a made-up ritual—and to her astonishment, the girls collapse at Katy’s feet and fall into comas. When Katy is blamed, she becomes desperate to clear her name and finds herself battling all odds to harness her growing magical powers in order to save the Muffies and dispel the Darkness once more.
My thoughts:
Poison is the exciting sequel to Legecy and author, Molly Cochran wastes no time picking up where we left off.
Katy is a full time student at Ainsworth School where she does she best to hide her magical abilities from the Muffies who are normal kids who attend the same school.
Katy has adjusted well to small town life with friends, family and sweet boyfriend, Peter. But bad luck finds Katy as she stumbles upon a few mean Muffies trying to cast amateur spells. Unfortunately they unwittingly unleash the Darkness that has been lying in wait for the opportunity to spread death and chaos.
My favorite character in this story would have to be Morgan-a new character to the trilogy with a interesting and complex past. Is she friend or foe to Katy?
Katy and Peter's relationship also reaches a new level of difficulty and maturity as he establishes a relationship with his biological family who can give him wealth and security-but at what cost?
One small annoyance I did have with the story is minor character-Hattie. I was very confused by her role and relationship to Katy. I feel like Hattie(Peter's surrogote mom) was thrown into Poison because she was in the first story but didn't really have a place in the sequel-when she was present she seems to dislike Katy-hissing or snapping at her-why?
All in all I really liked Poison and I've enjoyed the series so far. I would definielty continue to read about the adventures of Katy Ainsworth.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with this ARC to read and review.

Books On My Radar

Two books that are on my radar.....

 

 

THE WHOLE STUPID WAY WE ARE

By N. Griffin
FEB. 2013
368 Pages
Simon and Schuster

What happens when everything you’ve got to give isn’t enough to save someone you love?It’s Maine. It’s winter. And it’s FREEZING STINKIN’ COLD! Dinah is wildly worried about her best friend, Skint. He won’t wear a coat. Refuses to wear a coat. It’s twelve degrees out, and he won’t wear a coat. So Dinah’s going to figure out how to help. That’s what Dinah does—she helps. But she’s too busy trying to help to notice that sometimes, she’s doing more harm than good. Seeing the trees instead of the forest? That’s Dinah.
 And Skint isn’t going to be the one to tell her. He’s got his own problems. He’s worried about a little boy whose dad won’t let him visit his mom. He’s worried about an elderly couple in a too-cold house down the street.
 But the wedge between what drives Dinah and what concerns Skint is wide enough for a big old slab of ice. Because Skint’s own father is in trouble. Because Skint’s mother refuses to ask for help even though she’s at her breaking point. And because Dinah might just decide to…help. She thinks she’s cracking through a sheet of ice, but what’s actually there is an entire iceberg.

THE GATHERING DARK
By Christine Johnson
FEB. 2013
512 pages
Simon and Schuster

A mysterious teen boy knows the secrets of Keira’s dangerous hallucinations in this gripping romantic fantasy from the author of Claire de Lune.Keira’s hallucinating. First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown.
 Until she meets Walker. They have an electric connection, and somehow he can see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira.
 But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense—and frightening—her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions.

My Beautiful Failure GIVEAWAY!!

Seems like a good time for a giveaway....
Up for grabs is a book I just read and reviewed-
My Beautiful Failure By Janet  R. Young
This ARC was sent to me by Simon and Schuster and I  have their permission to pass it along.

Summary taken from Goodreads-A haunting account of a teen boy who volunteers at a suicide hotline and falls for a troubled caller. Billy is a sophomore in high school, and twice a week, he volunteers at Listeners, a suicide hotline.
Jenney is an “incoming,” a caller, a girl on the brink.
As her life spirals out of control, Jenney’s calls become more desperate, more frequent. Billy, struggling with the deteriorating relationship with his depressed father, is the only one who understands. Through her pain, he sees hope. Through her tears, he feels her heart. And through her despair, he finds love. But is that enough?
GIVAWAY RULES**
1. Please enter contact information in comment section.
2. This giveaway runs from January 14th to February 1st.
A winner will be selected on February 2.
3. You must be 13 years or older to participate.
4. If you are selected as the winner, you will be notified by email. If you do not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.
5. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents.