Waiting on Wednesday (51) -- New Girl by Paige Harbison

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.)

WHY DID A SPOT OPEN UP AT MANDERLEY ACADEMY?

I hadn't wanted to go, but my parents were so excited…. So here I am, the new girl at Manderley, a true fish out of water. But mine's not the name on everyone's lips. Oh, no.

It's Becca Normandy they can't stop talking about. Perfect, beautiful Becca. She went missing at the end of last year, leaving a spot open at Manderley-the spot that I got. And everyone acts like it's my fault that infallible, beloved Becca is gone and has been replaced by not perfect, completely fallible, unknown Me.

Then, there's the name on my lips-Max Holloway. Becca's ex. The one boy I should avoid, but can't. Thing is, it seems like he wants me, too. But the memory of Becca is always between us. And as much I'm starting to like it at Manderley, I can't help but think she's out there, somewhere, watching me take her place.
Waiting to take it back.

New Girl is expected to be released on January 31st, 2012 by Harlequin Teen.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

IceyPick - Winners!

Click here for all the info on IceyPick!

I thought I'd release the winners a little early...
So, without further ado, the winners of August's IceyPick are...


Krista @ Cubicle Blindness and Julie!

Congrats to the winners! You will both receive finished copies of THE NEAR WITCH!
The winners have already been emailed. If I don't receive a reply within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
*winner chosen using random.org*


Just so you know, IceyPick will be taking a break next month because...
September is my blogoversary month!
And because I'm kicking off a new program :D

Blogger Mentorship Program

Hi everyone! It’s Hafsah, Ivy, Katie, and Kelsey here! Over the last few hours we have been working on a secret project, but it’s not so secret anymore since we are now sharing with you all!

Our secret project is called, Big Sib/Little Sib! Big Sib/Little Sib is a program where we help pair novice bloggers with veteran book bloggers. We try to pair novices to veterans to help them get started in the book blogging community.

If you guys are interested, sign up below:

Sign-up to be a Big Sib Book Blogger (Veteran)

Sign-up to be a Little Sib Book Blogger (Novice)

If you guys have any comments, suggestions, questions, etc. please don't hesitate to email us at: bloggersibs @ gmail . com .

We will be creating a page to put all this information on. Please visit my FAQ page to see if your questions have been answered or not.

Thank you! We are looking forward to working with you all!

Hitting Shelves Today (7)

Hitting Shelves Today is basically what it's name calls for - a post featuring books that hit shelves that day. It will be a sporadic post, so don't expect it every release day :) 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
August 30th, 2011
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

Fury (The Fury Trilogy #1) by Elizabeth Miles
August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN -- Review

Damned (Crusade #2) by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
August 30th, 2011
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

Hades (Halo #2) by Alexandra Adornetto

August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley
August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

Dust & Decay (Benny Imura #2) by Jonathan Maberry

August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) by Jana Oliver
August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

The Gray Wolf Throne (A Seven Realms Novel) by Cinda Williams Chima

August 30th, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

So, what are you excited for?

What did I miss?

REVIEW: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood

Kendare Blake

320 pages

Publisher: TOR Teen

Release Date: August 30th, 2011

Source: ARC from Publisher


  

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

   Cas kills the dead. That sentence pretty much somes up the reason why this book is awesome. Because well, how can a seventeen year old kill what's already dead?

   Ever since his father's death, Cas has been hunting ghosts and putting them back where they belong with his father's mysterious athame, which gives our main character some powers, as he likes to say. Anna Dressed in Blood is the latest tip he's received. So he and his mom hit the road with their sights set on Thunder Bay way over in Canada, where Anna lives.

   Things with Anna don't go so easily. Anna's a monster, a horrifying creature that kills more than Cas has ever heard. But she doesn't kill him for some reason.

   Anna Dressed in Blood was pretty much like nothing I've read before. I loved Cas, short for Theseus Cassio, from the very start. I have to say, he sort of reminded me a little of Cassel Sharp from Holly Black's White Cat (and no, it is not because their names are similar).

   Though I'm not a fan of the f-bomb being dropped in books, it was very subtle in Kendare Blake's latest. It didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of the story at all.

   I thoroughly enjoyed Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood. The characters were all fleshed out, the writing was very seventeen-year-old-boy typical, and the plot was fantastically unique. So if you're snooping around for the perfect, creepy read, Anna Dressed in Blood may be just the right thing for you.

The cover depicts Anna just how I pictured her in the book,
from her writhing hair to her house lurking in the background.

Add Anna Dressed in Blood to Goodreads
Follow Kendare Blake on Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

In My Mailbox (45)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It features a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, or from the bookstore.

For Review:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
World's End by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski (MG)
Always Neverland by Zoe Barton (MG)
Dragons of Silk by Laurence Yep (MG)


From Andye at ReadingTeen:

Scorpio Races by Meggie Stiefvater
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin


Thanks to HarperCollins (and HarperTeen!!), HMH Books, and Andye!

So... what was in your mailbox this week?

REVIEW: Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink

Circle of Fire

Michelle Zink
352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: August 1st, 2011
Source: Hardcover from Publisher
Books in Series: The Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate

With time dwindling but her will to end the Prophecy stronger than ever, Lia sets out on a journey to find the remaining keys, locate the missing pages of the Prophecy, and convince her sister Alice to help--or risk her life trying. Lia has her beloved Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James, the man who once loved her sister--and maybe still does. James doesn't know the truth about either sister, or the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way.

There are some secrets sisters aren't meant to share. Because when they do, it destroys them. This stunning conclusion to Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy will make saying good-bye bittersweet for readers.

   Filled from cover to cover in Michelle Zink's lush, descriptive writing, Circle of Fire was a wonderful conclusion to a coveted trilogy. The third, and final, installment in The Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy takes off a few months after Guardian of the Gate left off.

   I found myself diving headlong into Zink's Victorian world filled with gorgeous gowns, Masquerade balls, and lurking evil. Lia and Alice are as alike as ever, so much so that Lia feels like she's morphing into her evil twin. On top of that, Alice is trying to wed James - Lia's previous beau, who knows nothing about the Prophecy that taints their lives.

   Lia's time is running out and there's still so much that needs to be done. Another key must be found, a mysterious Stone, and of course, Lia must still try to gain Alice onto her side. All impossible tasks, made even harder by the fact that no one can be trusted and Lia is growing weaker with each passing night.

   The most memorable aspect of Circle of Fire, and all of Michelle Zink's books (including her upcoming one), is the writing. It's, as I said earlier, lush, descriptive and classy. And then there's the plot - incredibly unique, heartfelt, and action packed.

   If you haven't started this series, all I can say is, what are you waiting for? And if you've read the first two and you're hesitant to pick this up, you should. Circle of Fire is the perfect conclusion we've all been waiting for.

I like the cover, though at first I didn't. The determined looked in the model's eyes resembles Lia perfectly. Even the pendant around the girl's neck symbolizes the story nicely. 

Add Circle of Fire to Goodreads
Read my review for The Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate

REVIEW: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Sweetly

Jackson Pearce
312 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: August 23rd, 2011
Source: Hardcover from Publisher

SWEETLY is a modernization of Hansel and Gretel and a companion book to SISTERS RED.

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

   The world of Sweetly is undoubtedly sweet. With chocolates that wash away your fears and kitchen appliances in pastel candy colors, Sophia Kelly's chocolatier is a place everyone will want to live in, even if the forest looms right beside it.

   Gretchen and her brother Ansel have been kicked out by theuir stepmother, now that Gretchen is eighteen. The inseperable brother and sister have been trying to cope with the loss of their sister, mother, and father for years.

   The best way in Gretchen's mind was to leave Washington. And so the two of them hop into their car and drive off, only for their car to breakdown in a small town close to their destination.

   So begins the new mysterious life in Sophia Kelly's chocolatier. Gretchen has never felt safer or happier or loved in her life. That is until she meets Samuel and sea shells and darker secrets.

   Never having read any of Jackson Pearce's novels, Sweetly was a surprise for me. The world she had created in this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel was nothing like I expected. I loved Pearce's simple writing style that flowed in its simplicity. The characters were throbbing with life and the world was pulsing with vivid imagery. The plot was moving at a pace of perfection, taking me along and never leaving me lagging behind.

   Dive into Sweetly with a cup of tea. You'll be looking for your very own small town chocolatier before you know it.

I love the cover. The purple and black is haunting and compelling,
as are the trees curling into that face.

Add Sweetly to Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday (50) -- Trafficked by Kim Purcell

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.)

Hannah is an ordinary teenager growing up in Moldova until her parents are killed in a terrorist bombing. While she’s still mourning the loss, she gets an offer that sounds too good to be true: a job as a nanny for a Russian family in Los Angeles.

At first, it seems like her luck has finally turned around, but life with the Platonovs quickly spirals into a nightmare. Lillian, the mother, forces Hannah to work sixteen-hour days cleaning, and won’t let her leave the house. Sergey, the father, is full of secrets. And they refuse to pay Hannah.

Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah has become a modern-day slave. And the more Hannah unravels this family’s terrible secrets, the more her life—and her family back home—are in grave danger. Desperate and lonely, she reaches out to the boy next door. But in the end, the only one who can save Hannah is herself.

This one sounds dark and emotional. Though I'm not sure if I'll be in tears in the end, I'm certainly excited for it! Trafficked is expected to be released on February 16th, 2012 by Viking Juvenile.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Hitting Shelves Today (6)

Hitting Shelves Today is basically what it's name calls for - a post featuring books that hit shelves that day. It will be a sporadic post, so don't expect it every release day :) 

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
August 23rd, 2011
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore
August 23rd, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN -- Review

Possess by Gretchen McNeil
August 23rd, 2011
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN -- My Review

Sweetly  (Fairytale Retellings #2) by Jackson Pearce
August 23rd, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel

August 23rd, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

Envy (Empty Coffin #1) by Gregg Olsen
August 23rd, 2011

Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

So, what are you excited for?

What did I miss?

IceyPick (5.4) -- Win it! -- The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Click here for all the info on IceyPick!

This month's IceyPick is...

The Near Witch
Victoria Schwab

288 pages

Publisher: HyperionTeen
Release Date: August 2nd, 2011

Read my review

Those of you who entered Answer it, Redesign it, and/or Blurb it, now's your chance to win it! If you participated in one, you will receive one entry, two will be two entries and so on (yes, if you tweeted you received an additional entry).

So what do you have to do?

Nothing! Sit back and read the set of questions Victoria Schwab answered for us today and wait for the winner's announcement on September 1st (just a head's up, it's the day of my blogoversary, so there will be a week or so of prizes to snag!).




IceyBooks: Describe Near Witch in 7-9 words for us.

Victoria Schwab: A village, a girl, a stranger, missing children, and magic.

IceyBooks: Where did you find the inspiration for Near Witch?

Victoria Schwab: The inspiration actually came from a line, "The wind on the moors is a tricky thing." It came out of nowhere, and I did my best to ignore it because I didn't have a story for it. But 6 months later I sat down and knew what to do.

IceyBooks: As a debut author, what advice do have to other aspiring young writers?

Victoria Schwab: Read, of course, but also, get used to putting yourself out there. If you're serious about publication, you're going to have to be willing to try. Don't be paralyzed by the fear of rejection. You WILL get rejected. Possibly a lot. Learn, and press on.

IceyBooks: What's your favorite hobby (besides reading and writing)?

Victoria Schwab: Exercise is a huge part of my life. It brings me sanity. I run or swim every day, and it is my version of meditation.

IceyBooks: What is your favorite part of nature, the sky, trees, wind, the earth...?

Victoria Schwab:Oh, the sky. I'm enthralled by the notion of something that never repeats itself, but it always there.

IceyBooks: What's your favorite food? Favorite color?

Victoria Schwab: Favorite food: cookies. Favorite color: slate blue.

IceyBooks: As a follower of yours on twitter, I know all about you and cookies and narwhals. If there was anyone you could change places with, who would it be and why?

Victoria Schwab: No one. Honestly. Not because I have everything, but because no one does.

IceyBooks: Ooo, I love that line. Thanks for joining us today, is there anything else you would like to add?

Victoria Schwab: Thank you so much for having me! It's been a pleasure, and I hope you all enjoy THE NEAR WITCH. I encourage you to read it at night and with a cup of tea. And maybe a cookie.


Follow Victoria Schwab on Twitter | Blog | Website
Add The Near Witch to Goodreads

In My Mailbox (44)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It features a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, or from the bookstore.

For Review:

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
The Death Cure by James Dashner
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer
This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Underdogs by Mike Lupica (second copy - hardcover)

And some cool goodies for Bloodlines. And I LOVE the box The Future of Us came in! It was an awesome surprise from Penguin :)

Thanks to the super awesome Penguin, RandomHouse, HMH Books, and Walden Pond Press!

So... what was in your mailbox this week?

REVIEW: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

The Power of Six
Pittacus Lore
352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 23rd, 2011
Source: ARC from Publisher
Book in Series: I am Number Four

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

   Compelling, riveting, suspenseful. Those are the words I'll use to describe the stunning sequel to I am Number Four, the #1 New York Times Bestseller. If you've already devoured the first novel in the Lorien Legacies, I'm sure you can't wait to get your hands on this one.

   But let me tell you, The Power of Six is worth the wait. Once you flip over the last page you won't be able to wait for the next one Pittacus Lore churns out.

   The Power of Six takes off right where I am Number Four left off, although John Smith, Four, isn't the only narrator this time around. We get a glimpse of life through the eyes of another member of the Garde, Seven, also known as Marina. Marina just so happens to live on the other side of the world, in little old Spain with a Cepan very unlike Henri (John's Cepan).

   Of course, life is tough for them both, and the remainder of the surviving Garde. But The Power of Six isn't just about running from danger, it's about betrayal, secrets, and hinting at larger things yet to be discovered in the remaining books in the Lorien Legacies.

   One thing's for sure, The Power of Six won't disappoint. It will be all you've been expecting and more. Much more. The only downside? We'll have to wait another year for the next book!

   A note for those of you who didn't know: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore is the second in a planned six book series (dubbed The Lorien Legacies).

Add The Power of Six to Goodreads
Read my review for I am Number Four

Waiting on Wednesday (49) -- After the Snow by Sophie Crockett

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.)

A stunningly beautiful novel about a young boy’s survival during a winter that never ends.

2059. The snow begins to fall. Only the few are prepared. A new ice-age has begun.

Born after the snows, fifteen-year-old straggler kid Willo Blake has never known a life outside hunting and trapping in the hills. When his family mysteriously disappears, leaving him alone on a freezing mountain, Willo sets off into the unknown to find them.

Meanwhile, across Britain, outlawed followers of survivalist John Blovyn are planning an escape to the fabled Islands talked of in a revolutionary book.

When Willo meets an abandoned girl on his trek across the hills, his world collides with outlaws and halfmen on an epic journey that leads him to the new world of the city - a place where the dog spirit inside his head cannot help him.

It is a journey of betrayal and violence. A journey of awakening love and humanity. A journey that changes everything he ever thought he knew.

After the Snow is expected to be released on March 27th, 2012 by Macmillan Children's Books.


What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Interview with Jana Oliver - Author of The Demon Trappers Series

Jana Oliver is the author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief, releasing on August 30th, 2011. I thoroughly enjoyed The Demon Trapper's Daughter and have a copy of Soul Thief waiting for me on my bookshelf. Why don't we get to know the author behind the book, eh?

IceyBooks: Thank you so much for joining us today! Describe Soul Thief in 7-9 words for us.

Jana Oliver: Smoke and mirrors, love and heartbreak. Unintended consequences.


IceyBooks: Where did you find the inspiration for your YA series?

Jana Oliver: I thought it would be intriguing to examine the bigger issues of good and evil through the eyes of a seventeen-year-old. Young adults have enough of a journey trying to figure out their place in the world, but what if that place was standing between Heaven and Hell? Part of that inspiration came from other urban fantasy books (almost all for adults) and GOOD OMENS (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman). 


IceyBooks: Now that your books are 'out there' is there anything you would like to change, given the chance?

Jana Oliver: Not really. Everything has fallen out rather well. I did note that I made a mistake in The Demon Trapper’s Daughter in regard to a particular building name up near Lenox Square, but other that I’m really happy with the story.

IceyBooks: Which character do you most relate to and how so?

Jana Oliver: I really like Grand Master Angus Stewart. He’s just so cool. Besides being a warrior and a scholar, he’d be fun to drink with. He’s a great storyteller and loves single malt Scotch. *smiles*

IceyBooks: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Jana Oliver: Actually no. I had a number of other jobs before this. Besides being a registered nurse, I've also been a travel agent, a radio deejay and wrote advertising copy for some of the world’s largest retailers. In many ways all those previous jobs prepared me for what I’m doing now.

 

IceyBooks: If you could write a letter to anyone in anytime (let's say George Washington), who would it be and what would you say?

Jana Oliver: It’d be to Ray Bradbury (who will be ninety-one later this month). I’d thank him for the marvelous tales I read when I was a teen and tell him that they are still with me now all these years later. He taught me the power of words.

IceyBooks: What's one question you wish you were asked, and what would be your answer?

Jana Oliver: I wish someone would ask, “Do you ever yell at your characters?” The answer would be “YES!” In Soul Thief I did a lot of shouting at my computer monitor because certain characters (I’m looking at you Riley and Beck) were making some really bad moves. But that’s where the story headed so I had to let it play out or it wouldn’t be true to the tale.

Read my review of The Demon Trapper's Daughter

Add The Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief to Goodreads 

Find Jana Oliver on Twitter - Facebook - Goodreads - Website

REVIEW: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Dark Parties

Sara Grant

320 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: August 3rd, 2011

Source: Hardcover from Publisher

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

  
   I came across countless reviews for Dark Parties. Not all were very good. So when I cracked open my copy, I was a little intimidated.

   In the end, I loved it. As many of you know, I'm more of plot-person, but lately, I've been prone to lean towards characters and their development as well. Though I can't say I liked Neva's selfish character, the plot-person in me was wholly satisfied.

   Sara Grant weaves a dystopia tale with a fast-paced plot. I could see glimpses of Matched woven throughout the Grant's debut, but that didn't seem to take away from the originality of the story.

  The story revolves around Neva, a teenage girl living under the Protectosphere. She and the general public are taught there is no life outside the electrified dome. But Neva thinks otherwise. Where else do the Missing disappear to? The list of people, starting with her beloved grandmother, just keeps getting longer and longer. Are they dead?

   Being the daughter of the Minister of Ancient History has its horrors, and perks as well, as you'll see. Dark Parties was enjoyable for me, though it might be a little difficult to get past Neva's pretty selfish character. She does mature as the story progresses, however.

   All in all, from the very cover, I liked Dark Parties. I won't say I loved it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see what happens to Neva next. 

I like the cover, particularly the bloody snowflake.

Add Dark Parties to Goodreads

In My Mailbox (43)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It features a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, or from the bookstore.

For Review:

Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moarty

Thank you package from Little, Brown:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Shattering by Karen Healey 
Sergio (picture book) towel (you can see a little bit of it on the left)


Won from Library:
Timeless by Alexandra Monir


Thanks to the awesome Little Brown, HMH books, and my library!

So... what was in your mailbox this week?

IceyTween Reviews: Blue Fire by Janice Hardy

Blue Fire

Janice Hardy

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: September 23rd, 2010

Source: Hardcover from Author
Books in Series: Shifter

Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first.

   The second book in the Healing Wars Trilogy was just as I expected it would be, filled with non-stop action. All-in-all it was a good read and I couldn't put in down. I finished it in almost an hour! Usually it's the male authors who make their books gory and filled with violence, but Jane Hardy is the biggest exception I have ever seen. There is fighting on almost every page, and mix that up with the characters Ms. Hardy has created and you've got Blue Fire. The book was great and I would surely rate it five stars due to the fact that book was perfect for kids my age and older. The characters that Ms. Hardy has created also plays a large part in why it was such a great read because Nya's (the main character in The Healing Wars Trilogy) attitude and personality is the top reason I liked it so much.

   And now to the part of a review I always hate doing, the bad things about the book.

   In a way it was a kind of a disappointment, because Jane Hardy didn't really give me the ending I wanted. She really had the book going fast in Shifter, but stuff slowed down just a bit in Blue Fire. But that was pretty much it, everything else about the book was awesome.

   Blue Fire, like I said earlier, was a fantastic read, and I'm positively sure that all ages from 10 to 17 would love it. I'm also sure that both boys and girls would like the book. I can't wait for the third book to come out in October of this year and I hope it'll be just as good as the first two. I'm giving the book as well as the cover five stars because it shows pynvium, one of the main reasons of conflict in this book.

This review was written by my 12 year old brother, Calidude! 

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