Blog Tour: Hedge Witch(The Coven Land Trilogy, #1) by Simon Kewin

Hedge Witch(The Coven Land Trilogy, #1) by Simon Kewin

Publisher: Stormcrow Books
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Read: April 27th - March 10th
Source: Big thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and Simon Kewin for a review copy!
Synopsis:

Fifteen year-old Cait Weerd has no idea she’s being sought by the undain: sorcerous creatures of necromancy that feed off the spirit of the living. She doesn’t know the undain need her blood to survive. She doesn’t even know, descended from a long line of witches. Cait Weerd doesn’t know a lot, really, but all that’s about to change.

At Manchester Central Library she’s caught up in sudden, horrific violence. In the chaos she’s handed an old book that’s been hidden there and told to run, hide the book or destroy it. It contains all the secrets of the undains’ existence. They and their human servants want to find that as much as they want Cait.

Cait learns the fates of two worlds are at stake. Just what she needs. Along with definitely-not-a-boyfriend Danny, she has to decide what the hell to do. Run, fight or hope it all goes away.

It's only then she learns who she really is, along with the terrible truth of what the undain have been doing in our world all this time...

Wow this book really got my mind spinning! I couldn't believe how many things happened at once, I was turning pages like a mad man!

One of my favorite things about this book what the development of each character. You get to learn about Cait, Fer, Ran, Johnny, Cait's mother and grandma, and even Hellen and Ariane. Some of this characters had a point of view to read it from, which was really interesting. I had a few laughs when Fer was talking, she has a fire in her!

Usually, fantasy books that involve witches and the supernatural get me lost the moment  I begin reading. This is one of the rare few that didn't. The names and spells of things were actually really interesting, and made sense! Props to Simon for pulling that off.

I loved the fact how, though this book seemed long, the time span was really only a few days. The big groups' adventure got me thinking about what was going to happen next and if the "police" were going to catch them.

All in all, Hedge Witch was a really great read. I enjoyed picking it up everyday and learning something new about their world. Everyone should definitely check this out!

Purchase:
-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JKIE5KY

AUTHOR BIO:

Simon was born on the misty Isle of Man but now lives deep in the English countryside with his wife and two daughters.

He writes science fiction and fantasy as well as some stories that can’t make their minds up.Find out more on his website at simonkewin.co.uk.

Author Links:
http://www.simonkewin.co.uk/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4013862.Simon_Kewin
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simon-Kewin-Author/139665209438997
https://twitter.com/SimonKewin

I hope you all enjoyed! Again, a HUGE thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and Simon Kewin for letting me be a part of this!!

♦Haley♦

Currently Reading Updates(:

Since I feel like I've abandoned you guys, I'm going to do a a little post about my thoughts on the books I'm reading, just to keep you guys up to speed. Ready? OK lets go!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

1. Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot
                                 
Page Count(e-book Edition): 422
Genre:  Young Adult Romance
Source: Anne Elliot herself! Thank you so much Anne! :')
My progress: 87% done

Synopsis:

After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.
Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is...Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.
When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist...
And that's when things get out of control...

(from Goodreads)

My thoughts so far:
I really, really like this book. Anne Elliot does a great job at balancing humor with  romance. A very cute, quick read. Keep your eyes out for my review coming to a computer near you soon! Haha(:

2. Belle's(Belle's #1) by Jen Calonita


Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 356

Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Source: Library
My progress: pg. 244

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

(from Goodreads)

My thoughts so far:
I like this one a lot too! There are some things that bother me a bit with Mira, like how she has no backbone against Savannah, but maybe by the end, she will stand up for herself and Izzie! I'm hoping so!

And the third one I just started a few days ago and literally have not read a word of it, so I will just give you guys the synopsis, book cover and title(:

3.  Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski (A Harper Teen Impulse Imprint)


Page Count(e-book edition): 36
Genre: Young Adult Novellas
Source: Amazon Kindle Store


Synopsis:

From the critically acclaimed author of Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) and the Magic in Manhattan series comes a fun short story about taking the plunge on the high seas, where not everything is what it seems.

Kristin is ready to take the next step. . . . The only problem is she hasn't found the right guy to take it with her. That's why she agreed to go on the ominously named Cruise to Nowhere with her best friend, Liz. There are plenty of cute guys on the ship to choose from if only Kristin can work up the nerve—and stop worrying about the reports in the tabloids that passengers on cruises have been mysteriously disappearing and that someone suspects it has to do with . . . vampires.

(from Goodreads)
♦Haley♦

Review of: The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Why I have been absent:

This may sound like an excuse, but the real reason why I am having trouble posting, is because of school. Almost every class gives me homework every night, and this all totals up to about 6 hours of homework a night. I am hoping to at least put out one post a week, whether it be a review or a meme. I hope you all understand the pressures of high school, and forgive me for not being on! </3

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Page Count(Paper Back Edition): 288
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Released: February 27th, 2007
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Read: September 3rd-15th
Source: Books-A-Million

Synopsis: 

I am not my illness. "Girl with Anxiety," "Trauma of the Week" -- no. I hate stuff like that. Everyone, everyone has their issue. But the one thing my illness did make me realize is how necessary it is to ignore the dangers of living in order to live. And how much trouble you can get into if you can't.
Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and that's where she first sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.

His name is Sebastian, and he is raising his son alone. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it, she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy with a past.

Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart. Her boy who is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.

Master storyteller Deb Caletti has once again created characters so real, you will be breathless with anticipation as their riveting story unfolds.

This book has been on my to-read list for a little while now. I am so overly happy that I randomly decided to read this! The Nature of Jade was an emotional ride for me, but so worth it because of the great moral behind the story. (:

I was really intrigued when I first read the synopsis. Jade has an anxiety disorder which she has lived with all her life, which made this book stand out a little more than others. Throughout the book, you travel with her and her struggle with anxiety. Jade spends her time as a senior in a repetitive routine; school, watching elephants via webcam and homework. Then she spots a boy, Sebastian. Jade continues to watch him until..She decides to change up her routine, and goes to volunteer at her local zoo, and help with the elephants. Jade wants to change her fate, and finally meet Sebastian. She does, and her whole world is changed forever.

What really amazed me was Jade's ability to calm herself down when she got really stressed out. She reminded herself that physically her body was fine, even though her mind made her think otherwise. Jade would breathe in and out, and focus on smaller things to stay calm. At the end, Sebastian has to help her regain her calmness when she really is spun out of control. That was a really emotional part of the story that helped me understand what it's like to live with a disorder like that.

I really did like the character set in this book. I couldn't get enough of Jade and Sebastian and little Bo. Oliver was really cute, and appealed to me more than anyone else because he loved to read! Jenna, Hannah, Kayla, Michael and Akello were side characters that I didnt really care for that much. They didn't help nor hurt the story, but I felt they weren't all necessary, except for a few crucial parts. Jade's Mom and Dad were a really good add to the story, because along the way, they start to play a big part in Jade's life(I can't really explain it very well). Abe, her counselor, gave me more depth into dealing with an Anxiety Disorder. It was all sort of a learning experience for me when he asked Jade questions, and I really felt like I was there in 1st person. Damian and Delores were the two major people at the zoo that Jade communicated formed a bond with. Damian was like the head boss of the elephant part of the zoo, and trained Jade on how to interact with them, feed them, do enrichment tasks, etc. I found that really fascinating, Jade being able to be in person daily with elephants. Delores was the ticket booth person, but towards the end she bonded with a special elephant who was in need of it.

Every new chapter, there was an excerpt from  the book The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior by Dr. Jerome R. Clade. Each related specifically with what was happening in the story at that time. The facts were so interesting, that I put that book on my to-read list!

Overall, The Nature of Jade was a very touching, emotional read(to me), and I highly recommend this to anyone. Seriously, pick this book up ASAP! ♥

♦Haley♦