Review: Mystic by Alyson Noel

MYSTIC
by Alyson Noel

320 pages

published by St. Martin's Griffin

published May 7, 2013

read as an ARC

rating: 4 of 5 owls

Summary

Since arriving in Enchantment, New Mexico, everything in Daire Santos life has changed. And not all for the better. While she’s come to accept and embrace her new powers as a Soul Seeker, Daire struggles with the responsibility she holds navigating between the worlds of the living and the dead. And with the fate of her boyfriend Dace in the balance, Daire must put aside her personal feelings and focus on defeating Cade, whose evil plans threaten everyone she loves and the world as she knows it.


Don’t miss book three in Alyson Noël’s pulse-pounding Soul Seekers series!

Stacking the Shelves: 5/19

Yes, what a surprise! I'm alive!

Before you all begin resuscitating the barely-breathing form that is me, I just wanted to let you know that I'm back for good now that the hell that is junior year is coming to a close. AP exams are over, finals are looming, and I'm at a perfect time to pick up the pace with reading. I've only read 29 books so far this year! 29! That's an all-time low for me, probably even since I've been born!

Oh well. That number is going to rise now that summer is about to strike. Here are a couple of books that I've received from gracious publishers this past week. Take a look:

Showcase Sunday/Stacking the Shelves (Feb. 3)

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten over the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review.

For Review

The Prey by Andrew Fukuda

Follow Friday: 1/24

Welcome to Follow Friday! The question this week is:

Q:  What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?

That would have to be Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt. Before that, my re-read of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. Both are excellent reads!

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What's your answer to this question? Let me know in the comments! Follow me! Cool stuff!

Panic by Sharon Draper

PANIC
by Sharon M. Draper
On sale April 4, 2013
Read as an ARC
261 pages
$16.99/$19.99 CAN
2.5 of 5 owls

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Goodreads Summary

This gripping and chillingly realistic novel from New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper shows that all it takes is one bad decision for everything to change.
Diamond knows not to get into a car with a stranger.
But what if the stranger is well-dressed and handsome? On his way to meet his wife and daughter? And casting a movie that very night—a movie in need of a star dancer? What then?
Then Diamond might make the wrong decision.
It’s a nightmare come true: Diamond Landers has been kidnapped. She was at the mall with a friend, alone for only a few brief minutes—and now she’s being held captive, forced to endure horrors beyond what she ever could have dreamed, while her family and friends experience their own torments and wait desperately for any bit of news.
From New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper, this is a riveting exploration of power: how quickly we can lose it—and how we can take it back.

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Reading Challenge

Hey, fellow bloggers! How are you today?

...

Good! Anyway, I just wanted to say HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you are all doing fabulously.

With every new year comes a new reading challenge. I do mine on Goodreads, but that's not necessary if you want to do one! This year, I'm challenging myself to 175 books. Are you doing a challenge? What's yours?


Hope you're all having a great day!

-Hayden

USES FOR BOYS by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Check out the book trailer!

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USES FOR BOYS

by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Published January 15, 2013

Published by St. Martin's Griffin

Published in Paperback

227 pages
graphic sexual content

5 of 5  owls

Goodreads Summary:

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.
Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical,  Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

Lullaby / Amanda Hocking Review

LULLABY
by Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: November 13th
Cover: gorgeous! I love the swirls behind the title, and the "Amanda Hocking" font stands out well among the waves. I love the water and horizon in the distance, and the color of the model's dress pops.
Rating: 3 of 5 owls

Goodreads Summary:

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. 
While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life.  Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world.  It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs.  Just as she's drifting far away from her old life,  Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed.  All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?
Prepare to fall under the spell of Lullaby, the second book in the Watersong series from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.

Stacking the Shelves/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday (12/2)

Wow! Can you believe it's already December?! (I know, I'm a bit late, since it was yesterday, but . . .)

I got quite a few books these last couple weeks! Here they are:

For Review:

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Title: Hidden
Series: Firelight, #3
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 280
Rating: Five Owls

Goodreads Summary

Be warned . . . this summary spoils the first two books in the series!

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.