Review: V is for Villain

V is for Villain by Peter Moore
Grade: B
Release date: May 20, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Brad Baron is used to looking lame compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad's basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. And Brad doesn't measure up at his high school, either, where powers like super-strength and flying are the norm. So when Brad makes friends who are more into political action than weight lifting, he's happy to join a new crew-especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret super-power. And with her help, Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.

But when they're pulled into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles, and startling family secrets, Brad must choose which side he's on. And once he does, there's no turning back.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Superhero books are big right now, and this is one of the better ones I've read.  Overall, I felt the writing style was a bit simple and stilted and didn't draw me into the story.  It didn't ruin the reading experience for me, though.  Brad Baron was an interesting character, as were his friends.  The worldbuilding was just enough for me.  I learned enough about the heroes and the Phaetons and their powers to feel satisfied.  There was a good twist towards the end that didn't leave me totally shocked, but I hadn't seen it coming either.  I liked that some lines were blurred on who the true heroes and villains were (although I do like my good guy heroes, too - particularly Captain America).  I can't say too much, but the development of Brad's abilities was great.  However, one of my main complaints is the lack of development for the secondary characters.  We met some great ones (Layla, Boots - who I think could've been really cool, Peanut, Javier, and Blake) but none of them really got a lot of development.  And I wanted to see more of the female heroes and characters.
Romance was tame, although there were some crude conversations; language was fairly mild, but several words were almost used.

The Verdict: This was a decent read.  I was kept interested through the whole thing, but I'm not sure it's something I'd reread.  I'd recommend this for fans of Dangerous, Vicious, and possibly Shatter Me.

In Which I Share Some Wisdom

As of today, I've been reviewing books for exactly one year.  Yay for exciting milestones!  So, since I'm such an old pro now (total sarcasm there, in case you couldn't tell), I've decided to share what I've learned about requesting and reviewing books and running a book blog.

• You need to have at least one social media account where you can link your posts.  I personally think Twitter is the best option, but Tumblr and a Facebook page just for your blog work nicely, too.  Wherever you can get the word out about your posts is a good option.
• There is no right or wrong way of reviewing.  I'm really good at compartmentalizing what I liked, what I didn't like, and what was objectionable content.  Others are better at writing a general review that talks about the book's themes more than specific moments.  Maybe you can write a super long review, or maybe you're better at summing up your thoughts in one paragraph.  Maybe you like including a star rating, or maybe you don't.  It's all up to you.
• Tagging authors in your reviews is a tricky business.  My take on it is, if your review is positive, tag the author.  It's then up to them to read it and take your criticism without causing problems.  I generally don't share reviews with them if my rating is less than 3.5 stars because I know, as a writer, those are the reviews that would hurt my self-esteem.  Besides, we often talk about, in the blogger community, how reviews are for readers, not the authors.
• Your post count is important, yes, but only do what's comfortable for you. I know I'm pretty fortunate because my schedule is fairly open.  I have lots of time for blogging, and I get my posts scheduled months in advance.  So if you only have time for 2-3 posts a week, that's okay.  Don't push yourself to churn out more posts; it will make you resent blogging so much it'll become a chore instead of a fun activity.
• The goal of a review is to critique the book, not the author.  We have to remember that they're human beings, too, and they personally don't deserve harsh judgment, even if their books and writing do.
• ARCs are a tricky business, too.  It can be hard to watch bloggers get the really awesome ARCs (such as anything that comes in, awesome packaging, i.e. The Winner's Curse and Dorothy Must Die) when you're too new to get them or your request was declined.  It can be hard to be continually declined for e-galleys on Edelweiss and NetGalley (trust me, I know the feeling).  But eventually, you'll have reviewed books long enough that publishers will approve your requests.  And don't forget - you can always review books you buy and get from the library.  That's what I did when I started out.  Just don't bother publishers and authors by begging for ARCs; request them professionally, and if you don't hear back, it's best to send just one follow-up email after a couple weeks.  Also, don't let ARC envy consume you.
• Reviews will generally be your least-popular posts.  I'm not sure why, there's really no science to posting and getting tons of views, but a lot of bloggers comment that they don't get a lot of views/comments on their reviews.  That is really no fun, because reviews are the main part of our business.  I'm not sure if it's because people prefer discussion posts where they can chime in.  I know I personally only read reviews for books I'm interested in or have read.  And I'll try to comment on all reviews I've read (especially if I've read the book), but I don't always have the time to do that.

I've probably learned a lot more than just those seven things, but I think those are some of the most important pieces of advice. 

Random Friday: Dream Birthday Party

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

This post was actually really hard to put together because I had so many ideas of what my dream birthday party would consist of.  For example, I'd love to do a bookworm theme in which the food would be based off of food in books, and one of the party favors was a bag of "book worms" (gummy worms), and everything revolved around books.  But then again, I'd also love to do something themed around Disney and princesses, or maybe a masquerade, or just fondue and a sleepover with my best friends.  But finally, I settled on that bookworm birthday party.  So here are some of the things I'd love to see at it.

If anyone asked what I wanted as a present, I'd ask for books, a giftcard to a bookstore, or that they donate to a literacy campaign, a library, or some other bookish charity.

The table's centerpiece would consist of quotes from books, book charms hanging from little trees (see the picture below; they can be found here, although they're not for sale), and "flowers" made out of book pages, similar to the picture below (only they'd be in a vase and not a bouquet).

(Photo credit to Stephanie at Ohana Reads.)

The menu would consist of food from books, and look something like this...

And then, like I said, the party favors would consist of a bag of "book worms," magnets with book quotes, and bookmarks.

So what do you think your dream birthday party would consist of?  Do you have a theme in mind, or perhaps a menu?  Let me know in the comments or do your own Random Friday post and link it below.

So You Like... #3

Last time on So You Like..., I provided options for if you liked the first 6 (well, technically 7) chronological American Girl dolls. (Click here if you missed that post.) Now I'm going to finish that post with the remaining girls.

So You Like THE AMERICAN GIRL BOOKS

(Covers link to the Goodreads pages.)

If you like Addy Walker... (1864)

try...

And this is where everyone thinks I've gone crazy.  Hear me out.  A friend suggested Cinder for Addy, and I agreed.  The cyborgs aren't entirely treated like slaves, but they are definitely treated like sub-par citizens, just like black people were.

If you like Samantha Parkington... (1904)

try...

I chose Dorothy Must Die for two reasons: a) because I'm recommending it every chance I get, and b) because Samantha loves The Wizard of Oz so she would probably be interested in this twist on the original tale. (I also thought of A Mad, Wicked Folly and Cinders & Sapphires when considering books for her.)

If you like Rebecca Rubin... (1914)

try...

Rebecca dreams of becoming an actress, so I thought a book that revolves around Hollywood (albeit 20 years later) would be a good choice for her.

If you like Kit Kittredge... (1934)

try...

Kit loves the tale of Robin Hood, so I decided that this retelling would be a good fit for her. (Fun fact: I also considered On the Fence for her because of the protagonist's tomboyish personality.)

If you like Molly McIntire... (1944)

try...

Set during the same era as Molly, Rose Under Fire is about a female pilot, something I think Molly would find interesting since her aunt became a pilot.

If you like Julie Albright... (1974)

try...

Julie was alive smack dab in the middle of the feminist movement, and I think she'd appreciate these strong, intelligent females.

Well, that's everyone!  I hope you found some new reads, and stay tuned for the next So You Like... Any votes on what you want it to be?

Mighty Mississippi Book Blast

This is a very impromptu post, but since Paula just shared the details on Twitter, it means I can share them here, too!

Do you live in the Midwest (specifically near Minneapolis, Dubuque, Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, Dallas, or Houston)?  Do you love books?  Then you're definitely going to want to go to the nearest stop on the Mighty Mississippi Book Blast tour!  You can check out all the tour details here.  I'll definitely be trying to make it to the Chicago stop (even though it's on my birthday/parents' wedding anniversary).  I'm definitely excited about the line up of authors for the Chicago stop.  Not only do we get Paula Stokes, Philip Siegel, and Lindsay Cummings (all very exciting authors), but also Bethany Crandell, Lynne Matson, A Lynden Rolland, Whitney Miller, and A.G. Howard.  If you know me, I'm most excited about A.G. Howard.  I read Splintered on a friend's recommendation and fell head-over-heels in love with the series.

So will I be seeing you at the July 16th stop?  Or will you be going to another location? (If you'll be at the St. Louis stop, let me know because I have a book I'd love to get signed by one of the authors that'll only be there.)  Also, help them spread the word!

Review: Searching for Sky

Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor
Grade: B
This e-galley was provided by NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Sky and River have always lived on Island, the only world they’ve ever known. Until the day River spots a boat. Across Ocean, in a place called California, Sky is separated from River and forced to live with a grandmother she’s just met. Here the rules for survival are different. People rely on strange things like cars and cell phones. They keep secrets from one another. And without River, nothing makes sense. Sky yearns for her old life where she was strong and capable, not lost and confused. She must find River so they can return to Island, but the truth behind how they ended up there in the first place will come as the biggest shock of all.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Searching for Sky was definitely interesting.  The narrative and words used were very simple, which I think fit the story very well.  However, were it not for some of the subject matter touched on and the age of Sky, this would almost be a better middle grade book.  
The title fits very well because this book is very much about Sky finding herself.  She has to learn about her former life (although she was only in California for about 2 years prior to Island), and who her parents and Helmut were, and about everything in the United States.  River was an interesting character, and I felt his story was handled well.  I really enjoyed Ben, and I do think Sky's grandmother meant well, although she was a bit stereotypical in ways.  I enjoyed how certain things were revealed, and it was interesting how much trouble Sky had settling into her new life in California.  I almost would've liked to learn more about Helmut and what he created, and I wanted to see more of Sky's life in California once she actually seemed to settle in at the end.  Open endings have been popular lately, and I'm not always a fan of them.
There's some mild language (the s-word is used maybe half a dozen times), but that's the worst of objectionable content.

The Verdict: An interesting read that's definitely worth a try.

Dark Days Tour Recap + a Giveaway

On Saturday, I got to go to the Dark Days tour stop at Anderson's Bookshop here in Chicagoland.  Let me just tell you, it was crowded and really warm and I couldn't sit down, but it was SO MUCH FUN.  Kiera Cass is one of the sweetest, most adorable authors ever, and Danielle Paige is awesome.  I didn't talk to Kelley Armstrong or Kimberly Derting much (I did have cards for them, though!), but they seemed cool, too.  I forgot my mom's iPad at home, so I wasn't able to record the Q&A, but I did write down most of the questions and answers to include below.  They're not going to be an exact quote, because I was trying to write down as much as possible and get the main point of their answer.

The Q&A

First, the moderator asked questions for all of the authors to answer and then she opened it to the audience.

1) How does it feel to start, and end a series?

Danielle: Exciting.

Kimberly: She likes both; first and last books of series are always her favorite to write.

Kiera: Weird; she thought she'd be totally relieved.

Kelley: Likes first and last books best when writing, but they're both equally terrifying.

2) How did the titles come about?
Kelley: Sea of Shadows came from the Sea of Trees in Japan, which is a dead forest with the 2nd highest suicide rate.  The working title was Sea of Trees.
Kiera: It was obvious for The Selection. [Then she talked about what the ending of The Selection originally was, but when it changed, it brought about the title of The Elite.] And interestingly enough, the title for The One is different in Brazil.
Kimberly: She is apparently the world's worst titler, in that she's always had a placeholder title.  It's become a collaborative effort with her editor.
Danielle: It's an obvious title, and she likes that it stands out on a shelf.

3) If you could hang out with one of your character, who would it be?
Danielle: Dorothy, even though she's a little scary and would probably kill her [Danielle].
Kimberly: Chelsea from The Body Finder series.
Kiera: She first called us punks because she knew we hoped she'd choose one of the boys, but she said May because May is a fangirl like her.
Kelley: Moria because they could talk folklore and swap monster stories.

4) What's one book you wish you'd written?
Kiera: The Book Thief or The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Kelley: White Cat by Holly Black
Danielle: Cinder
Kimberly: Wicked Lovely

5) How did you decide to write YA?
Kelley: Her daughter.
Kiera: Her soul is stuck in her teen years.
Kimberly: She was writing YA before YA truly existed; her first protagonist was a teen girl so she just went with that.
Danielle: Started in soap operas, and every time she wrote a scene with teen characters, she loved it.  She decided to try writing YA when soaps began to die.

6) If your book could be adapted into anything, what would you want and why?
Danielle: A show on the CW [Apparently that may actually be happening?] or a musical.
Kimberly: The Taking would, according to her, be a terrible musical, but she wanted that after Danielle mentioned it.
Kiera: First she tried to imagine Maxon and Aspen singing, but then she said she'd want a graphic novel.
Kelley: A graphic novel.

7) What's your writing process like?
Kelley: A lot depends on the project, but she'll start with research and do a lot of that until she can research no more and has to write.
Kiera: She says it's like a laser and a cat for her.  She began by asking America what happened next, wrote key plot points first for The Elite, and started at the end with The One.
Kimberly: Doesn't do heavy outlining.  She outlines/writes in a linear fashion and visualizes big plot points/big scenes.
Danielle: She needs an outline and an idea of where the story is going, but she likes the analogy of the cat and the laser.

8) What's up next?
Danielle: The Dorothy Must Die sequel.
Kimberly: The Taking sequel.
Kiera: The prequel novella about Queen Amberly, and a new duology.
Kelley: The sequel to Sea of Shadows. [If I heard correctly, it's going to be called Empire of Night.]

9) What's something that had to be edited out that you miss? (I think that was the question.)
Kiera: The entire middle of The Elite.
[Kiera then borrowed a blogger friend's sunglasses, because she thought they were cool.]
Kelley: She had to change the first 100 pages from 4 POVs to 2.
Kimberly: A major reveal was moved to the second book, so she had to rewrite the last third of The Taking.
Danielle: A few scenes between Dorothy and the Tin Woodsman.

10) If you could rewrite anything of yours, what would it be?
Kiera: The Siren (her self-published novel), but she rarely rereads her stuff.
[Both Kelley and Kimberly don't reread their books either.]
Danielle: She's only written one book, but she'd probably want to take another pass at Dorothy Must Die.

Kiera was then asked about the dedication in The One.  She talked about the dedications in each of her books, and then explained that The One's dedication is for Callaway, her husband because he's a mix of Aspen (the tree house) and Maxon (the crown).  She also said it comes from a verse in Proverbs that talks about a wife being the crown of her husband's heart.

11) If you could be BFFs with any book character, who would you choose?
Kiera: Lily Potter
Danielle: Anne of Green Gables
Kimberly: Scout Finch when she was little; now she isn't sure.
Kelley: Didn't answer.

12) What are you reading?
Danielle: Just finished The One and is currently reading Sea of Shadows.
Kimberly: She's just finished Sea of Shadows, and then something I can't remember but that she described as Southern Gothic.
Kiera: Code Name Verity and her own manuscripts.
Kelley: The Graveyard Book

Then I asked Danielle what her favorite element to pull from the movie or the original books was.  She said Ozma was one of them.

Pictures

(When the authors first came out.)

(Kiera talking about The One.)

(A group of friends with awesome shirts.)

(Team Aspen or Team Maxon?)

(Loved meeting Danielle!  She is so awesome and was such a pro on her first book tour.)

(Totally blurry, but I don't care because I'm standing right now to Kiera Cass.  She's so sweet and adorable and gives great hugs.)

(Two of my signed books!)

Giveaway

I got two of my ARCs signed for y'all (Dorothy Must Die and Sea of Shadows), so I have that, plus Kate allowed me to have her swag from the event for the giveaway.  This is open to all 13 and older, and to US only. (Sorry, guys! I'm on a really tight budget right now.) I will be checking entries, so please be honest and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget!  You can check out the four featured books on Goodreads. (Clicking on the pictures will take you to the Goodreads page.)

 

 

Rewind & Review #14

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

The last two weeks have been CRAZY.  I studied a lot for my final geometry test, and I think I still probably failed (I had to skip an entire page because I just couldn't remember how to solve the problems).  I had my last day of co-op on Friday, attended my last spring banquet/dance as a student, and I went to a big author tour (Dark Days!) yesterday.  Not to mention, I'm learning how to drive, and I went out on the roads (in a neighborhood) for the first time on the 7th.  I managed not to hit anyone or anything, so A+ for me.  Ready to see my bookish happenings?

Books I Received

 
Wanted: Dead or In Love by Kym Brunner (Thanks, Kym and Merit Press!  Looking forward to reading and reviewing it.)
Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore (Thank you to NetGalley and Walker Books for Young Readers!)

Books I Bought

Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton


Parallel by Lauren Miller
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

 
The One by Kiera Cass
Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Books I Won

How to Meet Boys by Catherine Clark (Thanks to Meredith over at Pandora Books!)

Perry's Recommendations

Perry couldn't decide on a book, so he decided to read three at once: Prisoner of Night and Fog, Parallel by Lauren Miller, and The One.

Books I Read

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Nantucket Red by Leila Howland

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
V is for Villain by Peter Moore
Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
Death Sworn by Leah Cypress
Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel
In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau
The Selection Stories by Kiera Cass
Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley
Sekret by Lindsay Smith (dnf)
The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor
Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (reread)
The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel
Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae (reread)
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord (reread)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 4/28-5/3)

• So You Like... #2
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books You'll Enjoy if You Like...
• Review: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout (3 stars)
• Impromptu Post About My TBR List
• Random Friday: Childhood Memories

   (From 5/4-5/10)

• Review: Torn Away by Jennifer Brown (5 stars)
• Review: Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton (4 stars)
• Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers I'd Frame as Art
• Review: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae (4.5) stars
• Review: The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt (3 stars)
• Random Friday: Moving Forward
• Review: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly (4 stars)

Upcoming Blog Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• Dark Days Tour Recap
• Review: Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor
• So You Like... #3
• Random Friday: Dream Birthday Party
• In Which I Share Some Wisdom
• Review: V is for Villain by Peter Moore
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books About Friendship
• Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
• Random Friday: Literary Quotes
• YA Heroines and Disney Princesses

Review: Deep Blue

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Grade: B
Release date: May 6, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: In general, I quite liked this book.  It was slow to start, with too much description and exposition, and overall the invented slang grated at my nerves.  There wasn't enough resolution in Deep Blue, and if it's a series, I need some resolution at the end of each book.  But I was enchanted by the underwater setting, particularly the idea of the many realms and the vitrina (which are human ghosts that live in the merpeople's mirrors).  There were so many characters that I often felt lost, but I really enjoyed Serafina, Neela, and the other heroines.  They're diverse - both in appearance and personality.  They're all strong, yet flawed.  And, guys, there's a legit cat lady, and the way she's manifested in this setting is HILARIOUS.  The book was very light on romance, which was a pleasant surprise.  I like a focus on friendship, particularly since Serafina's world seems to be ruled by strong women.  Language is fairly clean, and violence isn't too terrible.  There are references to several things that could be the merpeople's versions of alcohol and drugs.

The Verdict: Overall, this was a good read.  It had its problems, but I think they'll likely be resolved as the series goes on.

Random Friday: Moving Forward

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

This week's topic is free choice, so have fun talking about whatever you want!

Today is my last day of co-op.  I've been attending since January 2007.  Tonight is likely the last spring banquet/dance I'll attend, although alumni are welcome, so if my parents haven't moved and I get out of college soon enough, I'll be able to come next year (and several of my friends will still be attending the co-op, so I'll want to).  Below are the dresses I've worn to each of the banquets (and if you check my Twitter later, I'll probably have a picture up of tonight's dress).

Next Saturday, I'm graduating, which is a really scary thought.  In August, I'll be leaving for college.  I'll be in a completely new place, meeting new people, attending classes held by an actual school for the first time in eight years.  I'll have a roommate, I'll eat in a cafeteria (that serves some really good food), I'll be able to eventually start horseback riding.  I won't be able to bake as much as I do now.  I'll have to cut back on blogging and reading for fun, since I'll have reading to do for class and what free reading time I have will have to be for books I'm reviewing.  The one thing I refuse to cut is my writing.  Even if it means I'll sleep less, I won't cut how much time I write, although NaNoWriMo may be a no-go.

You're probably wondering if I'll still review books.  I will, as mentioned briefly above.  I'll still request e-galleys from Edeweiss and NetGalley.  I've also worked out something with Read Between the Lynes and my mother.  I'll probably try and get as many ARCs as I can during trips home, but my mom has also agreed to go to the bookstore one day, tell me all the books they have, then go back another day, get the ARCs I want, and mail them to me.  Complicated, yes, but it'll work.

I'll be cutting down on posting here, as I said.  Random Fridays is going biweekly in July, and I probably won't be able to do Top Ten Tuesdays or discussion posts as much as I have.  I might only do Rewind & Review monthly or biweekly instead of weekly.  But I'll still be blogging.  I refuse to cut blogging out completely.  It makes me too happy for me to do that.  So this isn't goodbye.  This is a...guess you'll have to stick around and see how I handle this crazy ride.