Review of: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Page Count(Paperback Edition): 472 pgs

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Released: March 27th, 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Read: April 17th-30th, 2013

Source: Books-A-Million

Synopsis:

Come and mend your broken hearts here.

Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it’s taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest, but there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

(from Goodreads)

Fantasy as a genre is not often a subject I read. I've always strayed away from it because the topics in it were either too creepy to read about or just plain weird. This book though, it grabbed my attention because first of all, THIS beautiful cover is just unf. Plus, the thought of this hidden chamber, mystery, romance and dancing captured me completely.

The first thing I wrote down about this book was dancing. Azalea has eleven sisters, of which those who can talk and walk love to dance. They dance every day, it is there passion, their obsession, their escape. *SPOILER* Unfortunately, when their mother dies, they are under mourning for a year, which means no happy activities, like dancing or dressing up. They complain and whine, but the King, their father, stands solidly behind the fact. The sisters find an enchanted passage way below the castle in which they are allowed to dance as much as they want every day. The Keeper lets them do as they please, only they do not yet realize that they will have to pay a price later.

I also wrote down how after the girls mother passed, he had to go to war. He became very cold and disconnected from his own daughters. You'd think that if a family member passed away, that it would pull a family closer together. Only the girls came close.

Ah, the romance! It wasn't the center of the story at all, which I liked. Sometimes, romance can be overdone. Mr. Bradford was the absolute gentleman to Azalea. His compliments and the way he talked to her pulled at my heartstrings.

This book was a good read. Made me giggle and smile but also race to flip the pages so I could find out what happened next.

♦Haley♦

Review of: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Page Count(Paperback Edition):  373 pgs
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Released: February 17th, 2009
Genre: Young Adult Romance
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Read: April 4th-17th, 2013
Source: Books-A-Million

Synopsis:

I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

"The meaning of true beauty". That really does say it all. True beauty comes from within oneself, outer beauty has almost nothing to do with it. Beauty is how cordial you are with people. Beauty is being yourself, and most important of all, beauty is you and me.

I think the way Headley captured this subject was brilliant. Terra is obviously flawless, besides the port wine stain on her face that she has had since she was a child. Some may even say it marr's her face, or it is a "pity" that she has this awful stain on her cheek. When the author created Terra as a character, she knew what she was getting into with the subject of self love and self acceptance. 

Through ought the story, we travel with Terra on her day to day life,boyfriend, friends and family.  What struck me the most was her family life, and the father she has to live with. I don't want to give too much away, but he is a insulting pig to Terra and her mother. Just plain awful.

I loved the incorporation of maps and facts about maps into the story. I never realized how interesting cartography could be. Headley was able to perfectly intertwine facts about geography right into Terra's life. You could easily make the correlation between the two.

At the beginning of the story, Terra did not have a great self esteem. She covered up her stain with pounds of makeup and powder to just try to convince herself she was normal. Terra has gotten so many stares over the years that she just decided to cover up her beautiful natural self. Towards the end though, she changes her view on that and I basically jumped with glee! She finally realized how perfect she was, inside and out. Makeup covering up who she was on the outside was only keeping her from her full potential. 

The trip to China really pulled the whole story together. Terra and her mother Lois learn so much about themselves, while becoming closer and closer to the family they traveled with, Jacob and his mother.

Overall, this book made me extremely happy! I think this is something all girls need to read to realize their full potential and extraordinary beauty. Too many teens these days struggle with their self image as they have society pressing on them with what they need to look like and act like to be perfect. I admit to being one of those teens to struggle with who I am, but with help of a very close friend, I am now happier with myself and my body than I have in a while. North of Beautiful really opened up my eyes.

♦Haley♦

Cover Reveal: Reap by Christina Channelle

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great 4th of July so far if you live in the States. Today I have an awesome cover reveal and a giveaway of a book coming out soon. Enjoy!

Reap by Christina Channelle

Publication Date: October 11th, 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance 

Synopsis:

Foreign, or rather unfamiliar, would be the word I would use to describe how I felt.

Faintly, I could hear the glimmer of voices surrounding me in this dark haze, caressing my ears like skin against silk. I felt like I was in a cocoon of sorts, protectively enveloped, quietly drifting in some far-off place. I wanted to stay that way forever.

But we all know that what you want never really seems to happen in the real world.

Something’s not right in Mia’s head.

The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his questioning gaze.

And Briggs.

The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.

As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …

Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.

Author Bio:

A dreamer, Christina Channelle holds two degrees in health sciences but has always had a passion for writing. You will find her reading other young adult novels, or typing up a new story on her computer. When not writing, Christina spends her free time at the movies, listening to music, or eating sushi. She’s a reality TV junkie and has a close relationship to many characters on TV that have been a topic of many heated discussions among friends. She resides in Ontario, Canada.

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Giveaway:

I am not the one handling the giveaway, it is the author of this book who is doing so. I am simply sharing it.

Rules:

• To enter,simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
• I ask that all entrants be 13 years or older.
• This giveaway is open to US and Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** Thank you to Giselle@Xpresso Book Tours and and Christina Channelle for letting me be a part of this cover reveal!**

♦Haley♦

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Imperfect Spiral by Debbie Levy


Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 352 pgs
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: July 16th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Synopsis: 

Danielle Snyder's summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, the five-year-old boy she's watching, runs in front of oncoming traffic to chase down his football. Immediately Danielle is caught up in the machinery of tragedy: police investigations, neighborhood squabbling, and, when the driver of the car that struck Humphrey turns out to be an undocumented alien, outsiders use the accident to further a politically charged immigration debate. 

Wanting only to mourn Humphrey, the sweet kid she had a surprisingly strong friendship with, Danielle tries to avoid the world around her. Through a new relationship with Justin, a boy she meets at the park, she begins to work through her grief, but as details of the accident emerge, much is not as it seems. It's time for Danielle to face reality, but when the truth brings so much pain, can she find a way to do right by Humphrey's memory and forgive herself for his death?

 Why I want to read this:

• The cover has a dark meaning but is enticing
• The synopsis grabbed me
• The central theme seems to be forgive and forget, which is what I really need to work on.

♦Haley♦

Top Ten Tuesday #5

This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013. I've read 15 books this year so far, and I'm trying to read 75.

Meme by The Broke and Bookish

1. The Silenced by James Devita

I don't recall a book ever making me think this long and hard about the future world and what the probability is of an apocalypse in the future. I honestly haven't been this aghast after reading a book except for The book thief. It's definitely my favorite book of 2013 so far. I will be putting up a review of it soon, so stay tuned!

2. The Elite(The Selection, #2) by Kiera Cass

At the beginning of the year, I read The Selection, the first of this series, and I LOVED IT. I can't believe I'm saying this but, I LOVE THIS ONE EVEN MORE. I don't know how it's possible that this book had even more action and romance and suspense?!?? I became obsessed, and of course being me, I made sure that my copy would be delivered from Amazon the day it came out, and it did!

3. The Selection(The Selection, #1) by Kiera Cass

So when I first got my copy of this book, I really didn't know that there was a lot of hype about it, but after I read it(let me mention, I more like devoured it in one night sitting okay) I could understand totally! The future-ness and competition like themes pulled at my heartstrings, and I just loved it then as I love it now!

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I read this for my English class, and I really did enjoy the story. Since my class all read it together, we basically picked at the tiniest details, so I totally understood the theme and the mood of the story afterwards. We also watched the movie, and I liked it too! Usually, we read really boring Non-Fiction books in English, so this was a good surprising turn.

5. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen

This was a book that I knew I wanted to pick up, but it wasn't a huge need. One day, I just saw it at Books-A-Million and thought, "Yeah, why not?" I really really enjoyed this book! I wasn't expecting much, but I actually learned a lot about myself while reading it. I have yet to write a review, but it's coming soon!

6. Entwined by Heather Dixon

This was kind of a new topic for me, as dancing and olden times are a focal point in the story. I thought the pace could've gone a bit faster, but it was a really great book!

7. Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

One thing I really thought was intersting about this book was that is was all centered on revenge. I know people say revenge is bad, two wrongs don't make a right, so on and so forth. But somewhere along the line, a girl has to have a guilty pleasure!Also, the fact that this book was co-written by two different authors, while their work fits in seamlessly together, makes it all the more cooler!

8. Ever(Ever, #1) by Jessa Russo

I actually already was included in a  book tour for this, and enjoyed the book. It was fast paced with lots of drama, romance and action just like I like it. Ever definitely kept me entertained!

9. Transfusion(Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, #1) by Nikki Jefford

This was also another book I was included in for a book tour, and this was enjoyable too! I needed vampires back in my life again, because the last 2 major series I read about them were The Twilight Saga and Vampire Academy. Definitely loved this one, hoping for the next soon!

10. Glimmerglass(Glimmerglass, #1) by Jenna Black

Lets start out with this: I don't do Faerie books. They just aren't my thing, my genre, whatever. I've had bad past experiences with them that make me wanna just throw the book away. With Glimmerglass however, this was the first Faerie book I really got into. The story made sense, with good romance and rising plot actions. I would definitely like to read the 2nd book sometime soon, whenever I go back to the library again.

So there we have it! Guys! This is my second post since I've been back!*Gasps audibly* I just hope I keep on this track.

♦Haley♦

Review of: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Possess by Gretchen McNeil 

Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 379 pgs
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Released: August 23rd, 2011
Genre:Young Adult Paranormal
My Rating: 3.5
/5 stars
Read: February 21st-March 18th, 2013
Source: Library

Synopsis: 

Rule #1: Do not show fear.
Rule #2: Do not show pity.
Rule #3: Do not engage.
Rule #4: Do not let your guard down.
Rule #5: They lie.

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

So I guess I'm back! However temporarily that may be, I'm not sure. I'm sorry if this is is a completely meaningless and horrible review; I have forgotten how to write them. But lets just all enjoy this time while it lasts, shall we? Lets get on with this review.

When I first read the synopsis for Possess, I was a little bit frightened but intrigued, because paranormal does that to me I guess. Demons as a topic is a definite first for me. Possess was a pretty short read because it drew me in fast and furious. I was hoping for a second book or even a series, but I guess some books are better off standing alone.

I liked the fact that Bridget was pretty young, like my age, and dealing with banishing demons into who-knows-where. She had her moments as a 15 year old would, but for the most part, she was in control of the situations she was put in. Bridget was dealing with the murder of her father, so being able to pull off all she did was pretty impressive. The demon banishing scenes were the ones that drew me in the most because of the suspense. I felt like I was actually there in the heat of the moment. I also liked the romance between Bridget and Matt. It, unfortunately, was underdeveloped, but from what I glimpsed of it, I really liked their relationship and how Matt was willing to do almost anything for Bridget

I didn't like how predictable the whodunit character was. I do admit that I went back and forth a bit between 2 people, but it became pretty clear about halfway through the book. I like to be surprised, and in this case I wasn't. I also wasn't very fond on how some characters and their background weren't very developed. Hector, Peter and even Matt seemed 1-D because of how so little I knew about them.

Overall, Possess was an okay book. Better than meh, but I didn't totally love it.

So happy I did a review in what seems like forever! See you guys soon, I hope!

♦Haley♦

My absence.

Hi everyone.

It's been a long time since I've posted anything on here, and I want to explain why, and when I will be able to post again.

So lets just start out with school. Being a Freshman is no easy task, especially with the classes I'm taking. From the time I was absent to now, I have been preparing for 2 EOC's(End of Course Exams)for Biology and Algebra 1, and 2 AP Exams(College level) for Environmental Science and Human Geography. My life has been so hectic every night, just coming home from  softball practice or a game, trying to balance doing homework, relaxing and having a social life. As of right now, my softball season has ended with my high school, so I have afternoons clear now. My main focus as of today is studying for my AP exams, one of which I take this coming Monday, and another I take May 17th. After that, everything should be calmed down enough to where I could start posting again. I know it's really far way, but it's the best I can do.

About a month ago, I was in the ER because I hurt my back majorly playing softball. Long story short, I had a muscle strain, then when they squeezed really hard, it caused a pinching of my sciatic nerve. I'm still have a quite a bit of pain in my lower back, and I plan on going to an orthopedic sometime soon. I do have a summer travel season of softball coming up, starting this weekend actually. So I do need it checked out before it gets worse.

All in all, that's why I have been away for so long. I really do miss you guys, and I can't wait to get back to posting again. Now, I do want to share with you what I have just recently read:

Both of them were really great books, especially The Elite! I received it from Amazon the day it was released, April 23rd, 2013! I am currently reading nothing, but I will soon be reading this beauty:

It looks great! I can't wait to start reading it soon(:

So that's about it for me. Up until like the middle of May, I most likely will not be posting on here. Maybe tomorrow I'll try and put a review up, but Blogger has been acting up every time I try to copy and paste a synopsis from good reads to here, which gets very frustrating. I hope to see you soon! Kisses *muah*

♦Haley♦