{ARC Review} Mark of the Thief #1: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Rating: 90% 

Series: Mark of the Thief #1 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Middle Grade, Fiction,

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Page Count: 339

Format: Physical ARC

Source: Scholastic 

The Book Depository | Barnes & Nobles | Goodreads | Amazon

My Synopsis: *I believe that the publisher's synopsis gives away too much of the story's plot, containing information from page 300 of the book, therefore I revised it to what I felt would be fitting as a reader*

This is a Middle Grade, historical fiction novel with a touch of magic about a 15 year old slave boy named Nic in the Roman mines who is forced to search for treasure in a sealed cavern. He discovers an ancient bulla or amulet (featured on the cover) that belonged to Julius Caesar thats magic gets transferred to Nic. Against his will, Nic is brought to Rome and finds himself caught up in a war attempting to destroy the Roman empire.   

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

If I were to describe this book in an X meets X formula, I would say Percy Jackson's world meets the protagonists of The Horse and His Boy meets the political intrigue from The Ring and the Crown.

Would I Buy It?

80%
The ARC cover for The Mark of the Thief is beautiful enough and I am dying to get my hands on a finished copy. I'm dying to know if the bulla is embossed in the final copy and if the colors really are as vibrant as they appear to be.

Background & Backstory?

The most disappointing part about all of this is that I had filmed a lengthy BookTalk video for Mark of the Thief. Unfortunately, my computer decided to eat the footage and due to time constraints, I was unable to refill/edit/upload it.

On a more positive note, Mark of the Thief and All Fall Down (Ally Carter) are the first ever physical publisher ARCs I have ever received and I felt so overjoyed to reach that milestone in blogging with what had started of as a hobby.

What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?

Per usual with every Jennifer Nielsen book I have ever read -
Sequel. PLEASE!

Right off the bat you should know that I had A LOT to say about this novel and I mean a lot. While I always try to deter you from looking at my Goodreads Reading Updates (because they're full of spoilers) you will notice that there are over FORTY of them. I had my phone by my side throughout my reading of Mark of the Thief and updated it every time I had some inference/feels-filled response to report. 

Characters | 90% Let's talk about Nic.... Nielsen's strength has ALWAYS been her outstanding male leads and he is no different, but he was far enough from Sage in the Ascendance Trilogy that I didn't feel she had merely copied-and-pasted her protagonist. His snark and sarcasm was a bit more subtle and was fueled purely by emotions and selfish reasons versus Sage who had a greater sense of duty, although with the way Mark of the Thief ended. I wouldn't be surprised if Nic's moral compass improved, as well as his priorities, and his levels of compassion towards others as the series progresses. Sage was under someone's command, but he was still in enough a position of power where he could be reckless. However, Nic had his little sister Lucia to look out for as well as his hide which could have easily been skinned if he acted out too harshly. Nic was a very rough-and-tumble character who only cared about himself and was inexperienced with the ways of society.

And good news.... there was a strong female lead. Aurelia plays an interesting role in the story because of position in society and the way she begrudgingly becomes friends with Nic despite the fact that their relationship started as business-only. She wouldn't take any of his crap, stood up for herself, and put him into his place when he needed it. 

Romance | 70% Nielsen writes Middle Grade and that means that romance is most definitely NOT her speciality. Nonetheless, the relationship between Nic and Aurelia was cute and I can't wait to witness the dynamic between the two of them evolve throughout the series because they feed off of each other's characters very well. 

But, I'm not here to talk about AURELIA and Nic.... I'm here to talk about Corvus. While he's not a main character, he plays a prominent role in the story by helping Nic and Aurelia when they need it. I might sound like I'm jumping the gun with this 100% crackpot theory, but I think he might be romantically attracted to Nic. Wait until Jennifer Nielsen reads this review and facepalms herself repeatedly because she's written Aurelia and Corvus together and bringing in an LGBT aspect is the farthest thing from her mind. Anyways, he seemed uncharacteristically nice -for someone of his status- to them without a clear motive, except, perhaps.... love??? The last big splash of LGBT we've seen as readers was Riordan choosing to make Nico gay which aroused quite a conversation amongst fans. I'm dying to see this become a norm in all/any genre and would applaud Nielsen immensely. 

Or we can just all agree I'm crazy.

How did the book's genre affect the story? 

Despite the fact that I'm having a hard time determining the actual genre of this book, the premise/genre does affect it by giving the author the chance to make use of symbolism, mythology, and prophecies, three of my favorite things. Anyways, this is portrayed in particular with Caela, the griffin, featured on the bulla on the cover of Mark of the Thief. She plays a surprisingly important role in the story and I like the layer of complexity it adds.  

Ending | 100% Per usual, Jennifer Nielsen's ending will either make her readers “want to kill you, kiss you, or be you...” (as Finnick Odair kindly supplied for me). It was completely mind-blowing, plot-twisting, and everything you have come to expect and respect from her.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?

99.9%

While nothing about sequel to Mark of the Thief hasn't been announced yet, Nielsen fans can keep their eyes out for A Night Divided which (according to the vibe I'm getting from the Goodreads synopsis) is a historical fiction thriller with a female narrator this time *waggles eyebrows* I loved the addition Aurelia provided to both the story and the fact that Nielsen's stories can feature kickass females. The different perspective will be an entirely new thing, especially because we won't hear from a snarky MALE protagonist this time. I am SO looking forward to this one.

Conclusion: Another well-paced series starter featuring two strong protagonists, a well-crafted world, and a mind-playing story you don't want to miss.

{BookTalk} All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1): Ally Carter

Rating: 35%

Series: Embassy Row #1

Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction,

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: January 20, 2015

Page Count: 310

Format: Physical ARC

Source: Scholastic 

The Book Depository | Barnes & Nobles | Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: Grace can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay - in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

Disclaimer: I requested this ARC from Scholastic and they so generously sent me a copy to review, but that does not effect my 100% honest opinion. 

Would I Buy It?

10%
There is a smaller chance than usual of me purchasing this novel because I dislike the cover AND I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped to. If I begin to enjoy the series (because as I said in my video, now I HAVE to continue reading because of that ending), I will probably purchase a boxed set in paperback.

Plot: 33%

Premise: 90%

Characters: 35%

Romance: 20%

Originality: 40%

Cover: 30%

Title: 60%

Feels: 50%

Writing Style: 30%

Pacing: 30%

Ending: 70%

Quotes: 20%

How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?

75%
Even though All Fall Down wasn't the best book I have ever read by Ally Carter, but Heist Society #4 will come out someday and I can't miss out on a chance to see Hale/Kat together in an entire novel. Plus, I disliked the first Gallagher Girl Novel and LOVED the rest of the series.

Conclusion: While I usually love Ally Carter's books, this was a confusing, unexpected disappointment in character and plot, but I will be reading the sequel because of the suspenseful ending.

{ARC Review} Ignite (Defy #2): Sara B. Larson

Rating: 45%
Series: Defy
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: December 30, 2014
Page Count: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Edelwiess

Goodreads | Barnes & Nobles | Amazon

Synopsis: Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I don't have the most positive feedback for this novel, but I do not wish to deter you from reading it, I merely bring up some important points for discussion about my personal reading experience with Ignite. I obviously don't spoil Ignite, but there will be spoilers for Defy which are unavoidable pertaining to the plot and other literary elements. 

What was my reaction upon finishing?

After all of that, now I HAVE to read the sequel! *stomps foot in frustration*

Background & Backstory 

The first EVER Netgalley ARC I ever received was Defy, the first book in the series. (Click here for my amateur review and thoughts on the first book) My already click-happy self saw it was on READ NOW, the plot looked interesting, it wouldn't come out for another two weeks, and I was eager to be a "big shot" with a galley to review.

Ironically, my first ever Edelwiess galley I ever received is Ignite. I was absolutely terrified of requesting anything from them because of the whole "fill in your own stats" thing. Yet, I got over my fears, and was (obviously) accepted. 

Who knows, maybe the 3rd book in the series will be my first acceptance from a brand-new galley requesting site in 2015!

Originally, I filmed and partially edited a BookTalk, but I deleted it after I realized how bad it was going between two locations with two cameras in three time periods for one 10 minute video.

Neutral | Plot: In my honest opinion, the plot of Ignite was weak. Confusingly enough, its weakness that I picked up on stemmed from one of the PROS of this novel, and that is the fact that the novel was super fast-paced. I felt that it was entirely too dependent on the action and one event happening right after another. Any lull in pace or stopping to describe something seemed to set things off balance.   

Con | Characters: There were six main character this story revolved around, three who were present heavily in Defy, one who became a more important focal-point of the story, and two entirely new ones. Sadly, I felt that the characters we already knew hadn't developed that much despite being put under all of the pressure that was given in the last book.

Alexa - She seemed almost regressive instead of progressive with who she was as a character. We saw that she was truly naive in areas such as love and large-scale decision making. Besides her ability to fight, she wasn't strong emotionally or physically. She thought either ENTIRELY with her head or ENTIRELY with her heart. When I say that, I mean that she either made a decision, damning the consequences for the sake of herself or the people around her. OR she made a decision that was seeming the "best" for her kingdom which ended up harming some of the other characters.

Rylan - There was quite an intense Team Rylan or Team Damian debate going on upon and building up to Defy's release. I never liked Rylan, and Ignite did nothing to redeem him to me. Besides accompanying Alexa on a mission or two (which could easily have been done by somebody else), he seemed to be a plot device, merely put there so friction could be visible between him, Damian, and Alexa.

Damian - You would think that a month with such a high-pressure job would making a leader stronger. Sadly, this was not the case. Damian seemed insecure, weak, and untested... just as a new king would normally appear. What I disliked about him was the fact that we as the READERS saw his weakness, instead of maybe another character picking up on his inadequacies so we could see what the other characters thought about him instead of what we actually thought.

Jax - He plays into this story and the stakes are raised extremely high BECAUSE of him. Therefore, you would imagine that, as a reader, I would feel an overwhelming amount of both sympathy and love for him. The main characters of this novel are doing so much because they want to keep him alive. Yet, I didn't feel/care if anything happened to him.

Vera/Rafe - They are huge parts of the story in a negative way. They are the villains, but instead of either of them being the "villain you love to hate," I merely felt indifferent to them. I was unfeeling for either, and felt that none of them added to the story or brought anything new and refreshing to the table.

Pro | Cover & Title: There could not have been a better cover/title for this novel. The entire book was a buildup and subtle moving under the story's crust for the sequel. There was a spark that ignited with all aspects of the story such as the plot, romance, and world itself which I can't wait to read about in future. The arrow drawn back was a perfect symbol for instigating what is to come. 

Con | Originality: I felt as if Ignite was a strange hybrid mix of Throne of Glass, Graveling, Mulan, Kiss of Deception, Girl of Fire and Thorns, as well as a lot of other popular Young Adult high-fantasy novels of the 21st century. There were bits and pieces taken by all of them and thrown into Ignite. I would have definitely appreciated seeing some more creativity without some of usual tropes such as royalty falling in love with their supposedly "inferiors," as well as the oh-so-popular kidnapping occurrence.

Con | Romance: The entire love triangle I enjoyed in Defy seemed to fall apart at the hinges. It was flimsy, and unrealistic because of how obvious it was who would end up with who. Without spoiling anything, I will say that a semi-concusion was reached and it seemed like a decision made entirely in the spur-of-the-moment and will easily be taken back in the sequel. 

Con | Writing Style: My biggest issue with this novel was the writing style. It seemed entirely Disney-fied because the characters never had friction or conflict and there were so many grand-scale "happily ever after" gestures made. There were so many tropes such as "and I was whole again" throughout the novel which annoyed me to no end. 

On top of that, Alexa had an uncanny ability to detect Damian/Rylan's thoughts through their body language. It seemed entirely unneeded and excess detail. I could see it as an attempt for a rich, detailed story, maybe Larson was even going for a "June Iparis Effect." Yet I felt like her power of perception wasn't utilized properly, because it would have given them so much more of an advantage if she could sense Vera/Rafe.

Pro | Ending: I loved the ending. There was so much potential in the set-up the entire novel seemed to possess. There is going to be progression and characters put to their limits with the sequel, and although it was agonizing for a reader's feels.... it was done right.

Conclusion: I had multiple issues with this novel in writing style, plot, romance, and originality, but there is a lot of potential for the sequel.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} Induction Day (Butterman Travel #2): P.K. Hrezo

Tour Page & Schedule

Rating: 75%
Series: Butterman Travel #2

Ages: 16+

Pages Count: 247
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Time Travel, New Adult, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: Create Space
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Format: eBook
Source: Candace's Book Blog Promotions

The year 2069 is coming to a close, and eighteen-year-old Bianca Butterman's time-craft license is finally official. She's ready for the Induction Day she’s waited for since she was a kid—the one that will secure her name on the Butterman family tree of time travelers. But ever since the media discovered Bianca is pop superstar Tristan Helms’ latest new honey, everything Bianca does or says becomes a target of criticism. Having her professional credibility topping the gossip sites across social media is an open invitation for the government to step in and regulate Bianca’s Induction. Now she will have to ask herself if saving 1500 people from drowning is worth losing everything she’s ever worked for, including the Butterman family biz.

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated; a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. We’re a family owned and operated business with one hundred years of experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.

Anxious to attend some special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply

Use our Web conferencing to contact our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, who will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.

We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

Goodreads | YouTube

  Information on Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc 

Synopsis: Welcome to Butterman Travel, IncorporatedWe are a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. Family-owned and operated, we offer clients one hundred years of time travel experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.Anxious to attend a special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do applyConference us directly from our Website. Our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

 Goodreads |  Amazon Kindle  | B&N   

About the author:

PK Hrezo is a native Floridian rarely found without her flip flops on. She shares her home with her firefighter husband, their two children, and big dog named Ripley. When not creating characters and their worlds, PK can be found at her other job of rearranging passenger’s itineraries for a major international airline. The only hobbies she loves more than traveling are reading, writing, and music, and when the four are combined she exists in total bliss.

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

Giveaway:

To be entered into a special giveaway, copy one of these ready-made posts and share it. Make sure PK’s name is tagged so she can see it and enter your name into a giveaway. The more you share, the more entries you receive. Five winners will receive a time traveler’s book thong:

TWEETS: Induction Day by @PKHrezo is a #timetravel #mustread. Retweet this to be entered into a special #giveaway. Add it to #AmazonCart here.

FACE BOOK: Induction Day is here! A taut, fast-paced, engrossing read by PKHrezo. Find it on Amazon here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9ADV2O

GOOGLE PLUS: Induction Day by #PKHrezo is a #timetravel #mustread. Retweet this to be entered into a special #giveaway. A taut, fast-paced, engrossing read. Find it on Amazon here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9ADV2O

Share this post for an entry into a special giveaway.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Candaces Book Blog Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Background &Backstory

I was planning, somewhere on my lengthy TBR, to read this book, after all, I had sincerely enjoyed Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc back in January and wanted to know what happened next. I just hadn't planned on reading it as soon as I did in November. Yet, sometime in October, Candace's Book Blog Promotions when they inquired about me wanting to participate in the Induction Day blog tour. I thought, "What the hey?" I liked the first book, I already wanted to read the second, I love supporting authors I have previously worked with. I'll do the tour.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

That was.... somewhat confusing, sequel PLEASE

Pro | Solidity/Deliverance: In terms of self/independently-published books I have read for promotional events, Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc is on my top three list. The first book had an extremely strong plot, interesting take on time travel, a swoon worthy romance, and well-developed characters. I am so happy to say that the sequel, Induction Day, was just as strong and solid of a sequel, delivering on my expectations after reading Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. Sophomore Slumps are a common occurrence amongst all authors and I was so appreciative for Induction Day carrying out my wishes as a reader (I don't sound entitled at all :p). 

Con | The Feeling of Wanting More Well-Roundedness : In Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. The story's setting and focus had a lot more variety. So, while Induction Day was satisfying to me in terms of reading enjoyment, it was not nearly as diverse in terms of where, what, how, why, when everything was taking place. Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. was a big bucket of crazy (of the good variety). Yet, Induction Day was centered in only Alaska and the Titanic versus the multiple locations of Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. I had just wanted a wider scope of vision in Bianca's world and didn't receive it. What I will point out is the fact that this novel did serve as an excellent foundation for the next book.

Pro | Characters & Romance: Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc allowed us to see into the minds, form opinions, and get to know Bianca and Tristan, our leading man and lady. Induction Day put our preconceived ideas of the two of them to the test. The raw, grittiness of Tristan's smoking hot character was upheld with all of the recent issues with his drug addiction. Bianca's Butterman's choice of judgement and intelligence was challenged with her Induction Day, and I respected her so much as a character because of it. On top of that, even though this novel is classified as New Adult (by default with the protagonist's ages), but the two of them have not been to the intimate level so many teenaged book character get to by at least the second book. I commend Hrezo so much for making Bianca hold so strongly to her moral beliefs about her virginity. The couple's relationship was also put to the test. They argued, yet as any reader/author duo knows, that is what makes the story stronger and more believable.

Con | Confusion With Time Travel: Time Travel has always been an extremely confuzzling concept for our inapt human minds to handle. Therefore we are bound to not understand. Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. did not have me confused with this concept, but because Induction Day built on what I had already learned in Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. everything was just multiplied in terms of complexity. P.K. Hrezo did a brilliant job of going into detail with this concept and designing her own rules for this peculiar concept. Therefore it is a personal thing only, with the matter of my finding this book a tad confusing when it came to the time travel aspects.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

40%
Since beginning to book blog/vlog, I have needed to prioritize my TBR and make sure that my bookish needs were satisfied above anything else. (Yes, I am aware about how selfish that sounds) I try my best to only read books that I truly want to read. Therefore, I probably won't obtain this book purely on my own want for a sequel, but most definitely, if the opportunity to promote/support the next book comes up, I will take it.

Conclusion: A solid, satisfying, fast-paced sequel that delivered everything I expected.

{Giveaway+Interview} Lies We Tell Ourselves: Robin Talley

Rating: 92%
Series: None
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Page Count: 368
Format: Physical ARC
Source: HarlequinTeen via My Heart Hearts Books

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

Disclaimer: I received this book from HarlequinTeen via My Heart Hearts Books in exchange for an honest review.

*My guest post on My Heart Hearts Books hasn't been published yet, but when it is, the image above will have a link leading to the review*

GIVEAWAY

(10/22-11/5)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview With Robin Talley

1. The LGBTQ genre has had quite a breakout in 2014 in terms of how many books have been released dealing with these issues and how they are becoming more widely accepted. Each author has their own story of why they write LGBTQ fiction, maybe a family member, close, friend, or even themselves has fallen in the LGBTQ spectrum. Why did you start writing in this genre and when did you become interested in it?

In every book or short story I’ve written so far, my protagonists have always been LGBTQ. Partly that stems from my own life experience, since I’m gay, but it also stems from what I see as a need for greater representation for LGBTQ characters in fiction, especially young adult fiction. Malinda Lo’s statistics show that despite recent gains, this representation is still far below where it should be in YA. 

Also, for the most part, my brain tends to generate stories that focus on LGBTQ characters. So it all works out nicely!

2. Because some people aren’t always accepting of LGBTQ people and many books in this genre have been banned, was there ever a time when you were scared to put Lies We Tell Ourselves out in the world because of this added factor of stress? Instead of just being afraid if people would like/not like your book, was there ever a fear that you would be ostracized because of it or that your book would even be banned in some conservative communities?

This actually hasn’t been something I’ve worried about. Which is good, because there are plenty of other things for a debut author to stress over! :)

3. What inspired you to write this story and come up with such an outrageous premise for this time period? An African American and white person talking to each other civilly, let alone falling in love, let alone the situation being between a GIRL and ANOTHER girl. Did you ever think of your readers would find this unrealistic, or did it just add to the story?

From the moment I first started thinking about the story for Lies We Tell Ourselves, I knew I wanted to explore the question of not just how someone would deal with living through a horrible period in history, but also how it would feel to be living with that and to be dealing with something a slice of the population has always dealt with for all of history, too: having a sexual orientation that doesn’t match the majority’s. 

For millennia, people have been forming across traditional societal lines ― race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, background, etc. Sometimes those connections are friendships, sometimes they’re romantic, sometimes they’re something else entirely. 

So I don’t think it’s outrageous for two people like Sarah and Linda to form a connection in 1959, despite the boundaries that separate them. Nor do I think it’s unrealistic that they’re both interested in girls. I think there’s a tendency to view the idea of “LGBTQ issues” as a new thing, because only in the past couple of decades have openly queer people have been discussed much in mainstream media. But there have been queer people for as long as there have been, well, people. There were just as many queer people in 1959 as there are in 2014. There just weren’t as many openly queer people.

4. While writing Lies We Tell Ourselves, was there ever a time that you felt a scene was hard to write because of the amount of torment you had to put your characters through, because of research that needed to be done surrounding the circumstances, or to get into an individual character’s head?

All of the above! Lies We Tell Ourselves was by far the most difficult story I’ve ever written for all of those reasons and more. The most challenging part of the writing process was getting into Linda’s head. Linda has held a set of beliefs for her entire life that is abhorrent and that also completely defies logic, so it took a huge amount of intellectual twisting and reaching to try to understand where she was coming from well enough to write from her point of view. 

5. I know that I greatly appreciated the fact that Lies We Tell Ourselves was written in two points of view and then the added third at the end. What was your reasoning for this? Why not write the story from just one point of view? And what made you decide to divide the points of views into parts versus every other chapter?

I tried writing Lies We Tell Ourselves in many different ways. I wrote a draft just from Sarah’s point of view, and I wrote the beginning of a draft in alternating chapters. Neither of those worked at all. With just Sarah’s point of view, there wasn’t enough forward momentum to drive the story and provoke Sarah to change. Alternating chapters caused the opposite problem ― it broke up the momentum of the first day of school that makes up most of the first part of the novel, where the story really belongs to Sarah alone. So I tried splitting the difference with an alternating act structure instead. 

6. Lies We Tell Ourselves seems like the type of story that you would need to know from beginning to end, and because NaNoWriMo fever is in the air, I am dying to know this. Are you a pantser or a plotter?  

I’m a plotter, but I didn’t actually know the story of Lies We Tell Ourselves from beginning to end when I first started writing it. That’s usually how it goes for me when I’m working on a new project. I always make an outline before I start writing, but usually the outline either doesn’t have an ending at all or I realize halfway through the draft that the ending I’d originally envisioned won’t work at all. So although I depend on my outlining process to get me from point A to point B, I usually have to rework my original conception to figure out how I’m eventually getting to point Z. 

{ARC Review} Anatomy of a Misfit: Andrea Portes

Rating: 5/10
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic,
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Page Count: 330
Format: ARC
Source: HarperTeen via Once Upon a Time Bookstore

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: This emotional, hilarious, devastating, and ultimately triumphant YA debut, based on actual events, recounts one girl’s rejection of her high school’s hierarchy—and her discovery of her true self in the face of tragedy.

Fall’s buzzed-about, in-house favorite.

Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who?

Anatomy of a Misfit is Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Anika’s hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth. The so-sad-it’s-funny high school setting will pull readers in, but when the story’s dark foreboding gradually takes over, the devastating penultimate tragedy hits like a punch to the gut. Readers will ride the highs and lows alongside funny, flawed Anika — from laughter to tears, and everything in between.

Disclaimer: I received this book from HarperTeen via Once Upon a Time Bookstore in Montrose, California in exchange for an honest review.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of The Truth About Alice (Jennifer Matthieu), 
Fans of the Protagonists from Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver), Falling Into Place (Amy Zhang), Tease Amanda Maciel, Catalyst (Laurie Halse Anderson), Winger (Andrew Smith).

Would I Buy It?
10%

The only way I would buy Anatomy of a Misfit is if it was on a BIG TIME sale, and I felt that the hardcover version was a must-have addition to my bookshelf (aka. an insanely cool texture with the green being matte and the text, floor, and chairs being shiny). 

Background & Backstory

When Maureen (the owner of Once Upon a Time) so generously allowed me to pick out some ARCs I wanted to read, I IMMEDIATELY gravitated towards Anatomy of a Misfit because of all the release-week buzz going on during Tea Time from Epic Reads (HarperTeen's promotional website). There had been so much praise being handed out about the unique, fresh voice in YA literature, quirky protagonist, and insane plot. 

So by the time I saw it on the OUAT's ARC shelf, my mind had pitched the book to itself as, "Andrew Smith meets Before I Fall," which, of course, sounds amazing.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

No! It CAN'T end like that. I won't let it! *crosses arms and pouts*

Neutral Element ~ I normally don't like to put restraints on books, whatever they may be. Yet in the case of Anatomy of a Misfit, I feel that it is fair to warn you about how time-sensitive it is. In my honest opinion, you HAVE to be in the mood for a high-school story featuring a popular girl. This is in the same way you feel the urge to pick up a Stephanie Perkins book after a dark, serious, pulse-pounding psychological thriller. Or how you pick up a fantasy book so you can escape our world when going through a rough patch. I was not in the mood AofM, which greatly impacted my reading enjoyment and rating.

Con ~ The Main Character/Perspective 3/10: I had a serious case of, "Should this story be told in the POV of this character?" while reading Anatomy of a Misfit. My best example of this is how Veronica Roth had had a block while writing Divergent because she started off writing from Four's point of view before she settled into Tris. I believe that this story could have been told by multiple characters -similar to Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang- or by an unreliable narrator, such as Cady from We Were Liars. The reason I had these feelings were because Annika seemed too much like a fill-in-the-blank popular girl in YA fiction with the majority of the story told in high school. You may be thinking, "What the heck Sofia! Name three books with that 'type' of character." To answer you, I will reply, "Just look at how many books I have referred to you." 

Annika is deep. 

Annika's life is far from perfect. 

Annika is a troubled soul. 

This is where I will bring up the fact that I didn't understand what people were referring to when they said, "hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth." My connection with Annika was so weak, that it was kind of pathetic. I never got a feel for who she was and what she stood for. There was so much tell-and-don't-show going on, as well as a lot of unbelievable aspects of her character. The 3rd most popular girl has never been kissed or gone out on a date. How the heck, in Young Adult Fiction, does that work?

Pro ~ Logan 9/10: Ahhh Logan. The tall, dark, smoking hot nerd, and loner. I never could figure him out, but for once, that aspect of mystery didn't annoy me as a reader. I embraced how little was known about him and the mask that he constantly wore for protection.  He seemed so much like Kurt from The Truth About Alice, and he understood and accepted Annika for who she was. To be honest, she treated him like crap, and that made me root for him all the more. To tell you his fate would be to tell spoil the ending, but I will say that you will love him all the more because of it.  

***This next category could be considered spoilers, but aren't because of what is hinted at in the synopsis is merely confirmed. If you don't want know, continue reading after this category is over***

Con ~ A MC Who Doesn't Have Their Act Together 4/10: I'm sorry I'm making a big fuss over Annika again, but I had to mention this in a separate Con by itself. There is a.... love triangle in this novel, AND there is cheating involved. I have a love-hate relationship with love triangles, and in this particular book's case, it was a hate relationship. I personally felt it was a plot device used by the author to create more conflict.

To be frank, this really peeves me off because of the difference between putting an element into your story because it's needed for flow and consistency versus putting it in because you want certain characters to have friction and clash. 

Cheating is also a subject that a lot of people (myself included) are morally against, especially when a character can't accept the amazing person they have opposed to someone they start getting involved in purely for personal gain and/or status. 

Stealing. Why the frick did Annika have to start steeling from where she worked? As always, the main character justified their actions in order to make them appear not totally unreasonable (yes, I know that's a double negative). Yet why?!? This again comes around to the subject of personal preference, but Annika WAS NOT a martyr who was a symbol of purity for the common good. She lied, cheated, and stole for no reason but her own selfish beliefs.    

Pro ~ Ending/Unpredictability 8/10: I have to hand it to Portes. NOTHING about Anatomy of a Misfit was predictable. Even though AoaM was far from a suspense novel, I had no idea what was going to happen next. There were several random events that came out of the blue, adding more depth to the story. And while I do not want to spoil it for you, I just gotta tell you (I'm sacrificing my grammar, I have to tell you so much) that the ending is heartwrenching. My favorite character has something tragic happen to them and the level of feels were a bit ridiculous at 11:30 at night.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

50%
I normally would not even consider a book I didn't think very highly of, but as I have continued to blog and write reviews, my mind has learned to compartmentalize the pros and cons in a novel. With that said, I think re-reading Anatomy of a Misfit, having known what will happen, will give me a whole new perspective as well as appreciation for it.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book Written By This Author?

75%
While I am not dying to get my hands on another Andrea Portes book, I am sincerely interested with what she chooses to write about next and maybe hearing from a different sort of character. Anatomy of a Misfit had the potential in the Sofia rankings to be a strong debut, just in a "wrong time-wrong place" scenario for my bookish mood.

Conclusion: Unique Voice. Dry Humor. Smoking Hot Guys. Cliff-Hangers. If you like all of those,  as well as a certain type of narrator, this is the book for you.

{ARC Review} Falling Into Place: Amy Zhang

Rating: 9.75/10
Series: None
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction,
Recommended For Fans Of: Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver), If I Stay (Gayle Forman), Thirtreen Reasons Why (Jay Asher), Catalyst (Laurie Halse Anderson)
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 296
Format: Physical ARC
Source: Once Upon a Time Bookstore (Montrose, CA) via Greenwillow an imprint of HarperCollins

Goodreads Synopsis: On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

Disclaimer: I received this novel from Once Upon a Time Bookstore in exchange for an honest review.

*trumpets blare* Welcome Falling Into Place! Welcome into the much coveted list of Contemporsry novels that I will always remember and dominate all the "Best of 2014" lists.

Before I start talking about my feelings (because you know they are there), you know what time it is.... Backstory time. Let's see how long I have been waiting to read this book since *calculates time* the 12th of January on Fiction_The New Reality when Amy Zhang was featured on New Year, New Books. That is over 6 freaking months, and I am so glad to have had the oppurtunity to read it now (June 28) and not have to wait another THREE months (at the time I'm writing this review). One of my friends (Thank you Ally!) is friends with her local indie book store owner, Maureen, the owner of Once Upon a Time Book Store on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose California. If you're in the area, DEFINITELY check it out, it's an amazing place. Ally obtained the novel for me, and you would not believe how much I freaked out when she told me over the phone.

[INSERT FREAKING OUT GIF]

Onto the actual review. I honestly think I should wait until tomorrow to write this so it will soak in, but it's been so long since I wrote a "feels review" and even though this will sound incoherent, I don't care because I need to express myself. I will admit, it wasn't an insta-love situation between this novel and myself. The narrator (pause for a freak out because of the genius of the narrator) took some getting used to, and the story kind of seemed all over the place in the beginning. But don't worry, if you stick with the book until you get used to the unusual story telling style, you will thank yourself.

Comparisons: In my Instagram Mini-Review (as well as the Goodreads synopsis, but I thought I was totally original when I came up with the comparison) I said that Falling Into Place was similar to, and for fans of the four well-known novels below.

I said that the main character -Liz Emerson- of Falling Into Place was similar to Samantha Kingston of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The two of them are extremely popular high schoolers, and in normal "popular girl" fashion, they are not the nicest people, and don't always do the right things.

The flashbacks and slivers of memory told to us by the narrator is like Gayle Forman's If I Stay. We get to learn about Liz and the people around her that she has affected, and vice versa. In the duration of both novels, we don't know whether the main characters -Mia and Liz- will make it.

In both Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and Falling Into Place, their the constant question looming over everybody's head. "Why?" Why would these seemingly happy girls want to kill themselves? There is also that touch of romance incorporated into the picture with Liam and Clay, two boys who were in love with the main character, even though the main character didn't know either boy existed.

The entire story had a touch of Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson in pertinence to how science came into play - although it was Physics versus Chemistry. If you have read all of those books, you will know that Falling Into Place is one hell (excuse my langugage) of a novel.

The Narrator.... Is an unexpected one, and very hard to describe. Imagine splotches of paint being seemingly randomly thrown onto a canvas, then an artist drawing lines between those splotches, filling some sections in, and adding shadows to other. The entire time this is happening, you have no idea what this artist is doing.... By the end, the most beautiful, genius image is created. All of those lines, splotches, and shapes make sense and then all you can do is stand back in awe of this artist's genius. The older version of the Goodreads Synopsis (found on Fiction_The New Reality) reveals who this narrator is, but in the final one (found on the site as of 6/28/14 and the back of the ARC) all it says is "an unexpected and surprising narrator." I wouldn't advise you read the older version because guessing who is telling the story is part of the experience. Who sees all this? Who knows all? Is it a relative? A childhood friend? Big Brother? God? All of those options and more ran through my head while I read Falling Into Place, and I am happy to say that I did guess correctly.

The Writing Style: This book was written by a teenager.... still in HIGH SCHOOL. Welcome to the reason why I feel like I haven't accomplished anything in my life. I mean, Amy Zhange wrote this novel during NaNoWriMo (one month writing competition -held in November- where people try to write 50,000 words), balancing school, friends, emotions, and everything else that comes with being a teenager. In the letter from Susan Katz (found in the 1st page of the ARC and may not be included in the final edition of Falling Into Place) the president and publisher from HarperCollins, it says "I think she's a very old soul with something to sat to every one of us." Susan Katz is utterly correct and I have never agreed with a statement about a book more than this one.

Amy Zhang seems like one of the most amazing writers EVER who definitely had something to say to me through Falling Into Place, and I would kill to get to know her in person. What I wouldn't give to see how her mind works. The process of figuring out each chapter, and how everything would connect in the end must have been excruciating. Zhang weaves together all of these events in Liz Emerson's life - from 49 minutes before she drives her car off the road to eight years earlier on the day her childhood ended. And it's not only Liz's life that we get to see. As a reader, I also got to know her best friends Kennie and Julia, as well as her not-so-best friends such as Liam, Jordan, and Mackenzie who she had effected. You know as a reader, that I have to have a clear image of who the Main Character is in order to enjoy the story, and Zhang does not disappoint despite how scattered everything seems.

Conclusion: I order EVERYBODY who has read this review to pick up their copy of Falling Into Place on the 9th of September so I can Fangirl with you about all of the feels Amy Zhang has evoked in this thought-provoking, stunningly incredible, and phenomenal debut novel.