Review - The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Series: 2nd (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer)

Pages: 544

Published: October 23rd 2012 by Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781442421790

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

 

Description: Mara Dyer knows she isn't crazy. She knows that she can kill with her mind, and that Noah can heal with his. Mara also knows that somehow, Jude is not a hallucination. He is alive. Unfortunately, convincing her family and doctors that she's not unstable and doesn't need to be hospitalized isn't easy. The only person who actually believes her is Noah. But being with Noah is dangerous and Mara is in constant fear that she might hurt him. She needs to learn how to control her power, and fast! Together, Mara and Noah must try and figure out exactly how Jude survived when the asylum collapsed, and how he knows so much about her strange ability...before anyone else ends up dead! 

 I Give This ...

The first book really captured my attention.  Mara Dyer is an extraordinary character.  Not only does she possess a special ability that seems really hard to describe, but she's believe to be slightly mentally unstable.  A fact that I was never really sure on...Is she crazy or not?  The funny thing is, even after this book I'm not entirely sure what the answer is.

Mara has a hard time convincing those around her that she isn't crazy.  Her reactions to events tend to bring unwanted to attention.  Those around her don't understand what is happening to her and I fully understand how it can make her come across as crazy.  I often wondered if she had convinced herself that some of the things going on around her were actually happening.   I think the thing that I found most interesting is that she's so focused on finding Jude that she never stops to think about how she is coming across to others.   She has to realize that the just because she thinks she's telling her family and her doctors what they want to hear, does not mean that is what they are getting out of the conversations.  To me, she really just came across as more crazy.  

The events of this book are intense.  As often as Mara is in the custody of psychiatrists, hospitals, or under house arrest, you would think very little could manage to happen.  But Noah has the uncanny ability to infiltrate were ever she goes.   It's no surprise that his access to unlimited money can open doors.  What's also amazing is that Jude has the same kind of access but completely untraceable.   The fact that he's off the radar made wonder if she was really hallucinating everything she thought he was doing.

There are a few hints and the powers the Mara and Noah both have.  I'm curious as to what the connection is between all of them.  I'm sure there's something there.  The ending was also a complete cliffhanger.  That can't be how it actually ends...really.   Please tell me we will learn otherwise in the next book!

 

Review - Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young

Title: Rebel Hearts

Author: Moira Young

Series: 2nd (Blood Red Road)

Pages: 432

Published: October 30th 2012 by Margaret K. McElderry

ISBN: 9781442430006

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

 

Description: It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.  What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion. 

I Give This ...

 Blood Red Road was an excellent addition to the dystopian genre.  I was curious as to were the story might go next because it seemed like things had been solved in the first book.  But, I was hooked and would follow the series no matter were it might go.

The first thing is it really does take determination to read this series.  Saba has an extremely difficult voice.  I remember that from the first one, but it really took some time to get use to what she was trying to convey.  It's kind of like reading a story in another language that you aren't exactly fluent in.   But, I fell into the rhythm of it and was suck in.   

I really felt sorry for Saba in this book.  She did this big heroic thing in the last book, but she's back to defending her thoughts and actions.  According to everyone else, she doing things for all the wrong reasons.  She makes rash decisions and is constantly putting other's in danger.  She should only trust her family and no one else is worth it.   For this alone, I really disliked Lugh.  I get that something horrible happened to him while he was in captivity.  But, he needs to stop and see what he's doing to her.  He may be her twin, but he no longer understand her.  Everything he said about Saba, I felt more directly applied to him.  It really made me want to reach through the pages and knock some sense into him.

Saba really tries to work around to the voice of her brother.  She tries to leave by herself to keep them out of danger.  She seems to have little regard for her own safety, just a stark determination to save those she loves.  But to accomplish these tasks, she beings to realize there is much more at stake here.  All of a sudden it's not just about her, but about the whole country.

There is a major event that occurs in this story that really left me reeling.   I think there's some greater force at work there that Saba left herself open to.  I'm curious how it will play out in the future book.  It can't be good. 

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. Click on the picture to be taken to Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

 

 

Read Last Week:  

• Thorns by Kate Avery Ellison 
• Velvet by Mary Hooper
• Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

 

 

Currently Reading: 

• Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

 

 Up This Week:  

• Redemption on the River by Loren DeShon
• Undeadly by Michele Vail

 

In My Mailbox!

For Review:  

• The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift

Purchased/Free:  

• Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa 
• Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!  It's hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

 

 

 

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren and she was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie!

Review - Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3) by Kiersten White

Title: Endlessly

Author: Kiersten White

Series: 3rd (Paranormalcy, Supernaturally)

Pages: 385

Published: July 24th 2012 by HarperTeen 

ISBN: 9780061985881

Source: Library

 

Description: Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.  The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands. So much for normal. 

I Give This ...

I've been up and down with this series.  I loved the first in the series, but the second was only so-so.  I was hoping that the last book could be just as good as the first and tie up all the loose ends. I think this did a great job of that.

Evie seems to be more herself in this book.  She's doing thing more for herself and she's not trying to run around and save everybody just because everyone tells her that she destined to do so.  She may be stubborn about refusing to help, but I don't blame her.  Very few people have let Evie be in control of her own destiny.  I know she felt manipulated by Reth, but I think showing her the truth was the only way to get her to make a decision.

There's really a lot happening in this story.  It's almost enough that it could have been stretch into a 4 book series instead of 3.  But, it wraps up nicely and I didn't feel there were any loose ends or lingering questions.  I would be curious how Evie's world changed after the events of the story, but its not a question that needs to be answered.

Great ending to the story.   If you read the first two, you should definitely read this one.   If you haven't read any of them, you should just for Evie and her bad ass attitude and her taser.     And of course for Reth and Lend.

 

Owlet Tour by Emma Michaels (Excerpt, Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway)!

OWLET EXCERPT  
***

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just need a minute...it must just be that ‘island fear,’ or something.”

Iris watched Diana and knew she had lied without needing the voice inside her to confirm that fact. She could see it in Diana’s eyes as she stared out the window without actually focusing on anything. She didn’t see the garden...she saw something else. Iris had been wrong, something else was affecting Diana. And while she was afraid of the island, it wasn’t what was hurting her.

“I will check it out...after...could we...?” Iris couldn’t decide what else to say so, relenting, she turned towards the hallway and walked back up the stairs. Diana had turned on all of the lights when she’d been looking for Iris so she didn’t need Diana to tell her which room it was because it was the only one where the doorknob matched the necklace. Its wood was even painted the same distinct dark red as the door. Looking down the hall she realized the ‘apple’ room’s door was painted an emerald green, Iris’ favorite color, and the door of the third room was painted a deep blue.

Iris got up the nerve to open the door with the feather handle. Please, let something be left. When she turned on the light she found more than she could ever have asked for. She hadn't cared if there were items she could keep now that she had the necklace, she just wanted to get to know more about the soul that had brought her into the world. She wanted to feel closer to her mother and the room provided that doorway, offering her a glimpse into a world that her mother must have truly loved.

REVIEW:

Title: Owlet

Author: Emma Michaels

Series: 1st

Published: October 13th 2012 by Tribute Books 

ISBN: 9780985792213

Source: Arranged Tour

 

Description: Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.  Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

  I Give This ... 

  

I've been meaning to read Emma Michael's first series for quite awhile, but just haven't gotten to it.  When asked to join the tour for the release of the first book in a new series, I jumped at the chance.  The premise of this one sounded interesting.

The first thing that stuck me is the book seems very young.  Iris may be seventeen, but the story reads more like middle grade fiction.  There is some violence thats more geared towards the older teens, but overall I think the younger teens will like it better.  Most of the time when I feel this way, it because the characters speech and actions feel more juvenile.  That's not the case here.  I think it's because so much of Iris's life has been in seclusion, she comes across as particularly naive.  But, not annoyingly so.

I was intrigued by Iris's dreams.  I think these dreams are trying to trigger her memory loss.  She's been kept in the dark for so long that she has no clue at the journey she's about to undertake.  It's amazing that it was all able to be kept under wraps the way it was.  She does surprisingly well when confronted with the truth, especially when so little of it is explained to her.  She's just thrown into it all.

The link between the different types of owls and characters was interesting, but also a little confusing.  I often felt that the storyline lead to more questions than answers.  In the end, I feel like the book very little impression on me accept for the fact that I would like to know what makes Iris so special.  And why everyone was lead to believe that she was something different.

 

Creating the Owlet Cover 
I have been blessed enough to get to work with Tribute Books, who allowed me to create my own cover since I have worked as a cover artist for them in the past, but I’m a perfectionist, so I went through a TON of different versions. Whenever I’m working on a cover, my thought process tends to begin with ‘am I going to be able to do this?’ and from there it goes to ‘how’. How am I going to be able to make this a reality? What is that impossible dream for this cover and how can I make it come to life? Finally one day, after looking at the sixteen different versions I had created, the problem I was finding with the covers I had created was that I kept thinking within the parameters of what I thought I was capable of doing. So I decided to think more along the lines of creating a cover for Owlet that was far beyond what I could do. It was a crazy endeavor, one that I was worried might be impossible to achieve. What ended up inspiring me was that first moment in the book where she jumps from the balcony. She is standing there, knowing that she can stay and keep her life the way it has always been, or she can jump, and try to find something new. Yes, it was the beginning of the book, but it was also about her deciding to fly for what she wanted. That’s what I wanted the cover to embody – to capture that moment, that decision, that ended up carrying her to her Never-Never. In the end, a sketch that I did that I call “Iris’ Moment of Freedom”, ended up inspiring me to not limit myself to one scene from the novel, which is why the cover now features Iris in a white dress in the moonlight, framed by an archway. The owl in the background symbolizes the cage that Iris was in, and the changes that she was going to have to face in her life. Overall, I love the end result and hope that you feel the same! I want to say a big thank you to Tribute Books for allowing me to create the cover and placing their trust in me! I am so happy to have the support of a publisher that I know believes in me. I hope you love Owlet! So tell me, what do YOU think of the cover?

Review - The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Lost Prince

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: 1st

Pages: 379

Published: October 23rd 2012 by Harlequin Teen 

ISBN: 9780373210572

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 

Description: Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.  That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.  Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. 

I Give This ...

I can not tell you how excited I was to see this book.  I LOVE The Iron Fey series and was sad to see it end.  I was more the willing to give a new chapter in this world a chance.

I was happy to see that the land of Fey is just like I remember it.  I didn't expect it to change, but I was curious to see how it had moved forward over the years.  All the characters that we know and love are still featured in this book.  I got just enough to please me, plus the addition of a few new characters that took me no time at all to love.

It's nice to see Ethan all grown up (or almost).  I wasn't surprised to see him as the bitter and angry teenager that he is.  The Fey have reeked havoc on his entire life.  His sister has cut his family from her life.  He tries desperately to remain aloof and friendless.  That kind of existence must be terrible.  While the events that lead him to journey into the land of Faery again are not the best, I think it was needed to make him begin to accept who he is.

I was especially pleased to see Kieran make such a prominent appearance in this story.  I just loved him.  I liked how he skates around the truth about who he really is.  He doesn't want Ethan to treat him any differently.  I liked that he wanted their relationship to develop naturally not because it's forced.  

It's a perfect next chapter in this series.   There's some questions brought up in the book that I can't wait to see answered.  I'll be eagerly awaiting the next one!