Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Dead Silence
by Kimberly Derting

Published: April 16th 2013
(today!)

Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: The Body Finder #4
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Source: For review
Amazon | Book Depository

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers… that is until she acquired an imprint of her own.

Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Okay, let's get something clear. Before I read this, I heard this was going to be the last book in the series. But after finishing this, I was convinced I remembered wrong, and this isn't the last book. Then, I read someone else's review saying this is the last book! Is this, or is this not, the last book!?
Because if this is, I need to wipe this whole review and give just one cupcake and be all WTH!?
Okay, I'll just google this, just a sec..

Few google searches and a day later..
Yeah, still have no idea if this was really the final book. But let's presume not, since it definitely didn't feel like it.

It's been a while since Violet got attacked and got the imprint of her own. Things have settled, yet her life definitely isn't what it used to be; she's avoiding her friends, avoiding the group (and Rafe), having trouble with sleeping, you name it.
And like in every book, Violet (stupidly) wonders to places she's not suppose to and finds a bunch of bodies.
After this Violet gets to know her talent better, learns interesting things of the past and finally opens up to at least one of her friends. Prepare yourself!

Violet is pretty much her old self, just a little sleep deprived. Unfortunately she hasn't really learn impulse control, so she just runs off, hunting dead bodies! Never liked that quality in her, since she always gets into trouble that way! But other than that, I do like her.
Actually a little more now, since she did evolve a little; she realized she actually has friends worth trusting, and opens up a little. I always wondered how she can truly be a real friend if she has to hide such a huge part of herself, but now she has another true friend. Yet, that's when things get complicated.. Another thing Violet notices: it bothers her when Rafe gets close to another girl. Like, really bothers her. Someone might say she's screwed, I say YAY! *happydance*
But that's the main reason why it's so hard to believe this would be the last book; there's been a whole lot of hinting towards love triangle, and now something may actually happen, so this can't be it! Violet's realization was the huge cliffhanger for me and definitely makes me crave for the next book!
And yeah, I'm definitely Team Rafe, especially when he does something Jay never thought of. Don't want to spoil it, let's just say it's extremely creepy yet so romantic, you just have to love that kind of guy!

My thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy for review!

Blog Tour: 2013 Belongs to Dante - The Collector by Victoria Scott

Welcome to my stop on the ‘2013 Belongs to Dante’ blog event hosted by YA Bound. Click HERE to see the rest of the blog tour schedule!

The Collector
by Victoria Scott

Published: April 2nd 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Ebook
Pages: 400
Source: For review
Amazon | B&N

He makes good girls... bad.



Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best — a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
You read the synopsis, right? So there's a whole lot of talk about this dude called Dante, and you probably a) rolled your eyes OR b) was like "hell yeah!".
I was something in between, meaning I casually rolled my eyes a little and in a small voice whispered "hell yeah".
Some small part of me was definitely excited for this kind of dude, but so many times I've been disappointed. Cause many times those badass dudes are written by female authors and you can just tell that right away. Meaning, no matter how tough they try to act, they end up being ridiculous douches, just screaming "Look how tough I try to act yet I wouldn't even dare to use word poop."

And now I got some good news: Dante actually is a badass!! He has a huge ego, bad manners and his duty is to lure good girls into trouble. And he actually sounds like a guy when doing all that! So yeah, Dante definitely can make good girls bad. At least in the beginning. And you tolerate his bad manners because you know he actually has a good heart. Despite the fact he's a demon and all.
So the beginning of the book is all about Dante making good girl do bad things, and that was just awesome. But then came the but. The bad boy fells in love with the good girl, and all the bad manners are byebye. Damn! The first actual eyeroll came when I got to the part where Dante swears eternal love to Charlie. Or something like that, can't really remember because of all the eyerolling.

Then there's Charlie, the ultimate good girl. I mean, there's no one better in the world. I'm dead serious. And she definitely would've deserved some extreme eyerolling with all the charity work and beauty flaws. So imagine my surprise when I managed not to roll my eyes until the whole Dante- scene came along! I did occasionally thought about it, but did not roll my eyes! *pat my head*
I still didn't feel that connected to Charlie, her character felt actually pretty distant and I never really got to know her that well.
But over all, writing characters so good and so evil could've ended up being a complete disaster, so the author definitely deserves the applause for doing such a great job! Not only with the characters, but also with the plot, since she managed to bring some new twists for the old good VS. evil story.

And she managed to give Dante a whole new life, as The Liberator, and that's definitely something to check out!

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About the author

I'm a YA writer represented by Laurie McLean.

Author of THE COLLECTOR (Entangled Teen, April 2013) and THE BRIMSTONE BLEED (Scholastic, 2014).

I have a master's degree in marketing, and live in Dallas with my husband.

When not writing, I can be found munching cotton candy and snuggling obese cats.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth

Published: February 25th 2013
(first published January 1st 2012)

Publisher: Allison & Busby
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 542
Source: For review
Amazon |
Book Depository

An utterly captivating reinvention of the Rapunzel fairytale weaved together with the scandalous life of one of the tale's first tellers, Charlotte-Rose de la Force.

Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. She is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens...

Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death, sixty-four years later. Called La Strega Bella, Selena is at the centre of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition, retaining her youth and beauty by the blood of young red-haired girls.

After Margherita's father steals a handful of parsley, wintercress and rapunzel from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off unless he and his wife give away their little red-haired girl. And so, when she turns seven, Margherita is locked away in a tower, her hair woven together with the locks of all the girls before her, growing to womanhood under the shadow of La Strega Bella, and dreaming of being rescued...

Three women, three lives, three stories, braided together to create a compelling story of desire, obsession, black magic and the redemptive power of love.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Bitter Greens ended up being a captivating story mixing both fiction and fantasy! This was both a fairytale retelling of Rapunzel and historical fiction revolving around Charlotte-Rose de la Force's scandalous life. Charlotte-Rose de la Force actually was a French novelist and poet. She was also the one telling the tale of Rapunzel for the first time. This definitely peaked my interested and added something extra for the story!

About half the book is about Charlotte-Rose de la Force and her life. Thanks to some scandals, king forces her to move to a convent, where life isn't fun and games. Especially in the beginning her life is miserable. We also get to see glimpses of her earlier life, which was filled with dancing, flirting, scandals, you name it. And I must say I definitely enjoyed those stories more.
Then there's the story of Rapunzel, which locates to Italy in the 16th century. This is the part containing most of the fantasy, yet I still ended up loving Charlotte-Rose's story more. Somehow it just seemed more relatable and the story just flowed. I could've read a book solely concentrating on Charlotte-Rose!

Through the book there's a lot of jumping back and forth in time, which many times confuses me. I don't usually get easily confused, but I never seem to remember which year we're in, so I always have to browse through earlier chapters. And when you add different stories and characters to that.. Oh my, I should've been completely lost!
Yet, the author managed the jumps brilliantly, even my chicken brain managed to stay focused!

This was kind of a risk for me to read, since I usually stick to young adult literature if possible. And tend to avoid any historical- something. So when I actually ended up enjoying this book, I was so happy! Because it's always a pleasure to find a great read, and it's somehow even more amazing when it's out of your comfort zone.
You don't like historical fiction? You should try this out! Love historical fiction? Again, you should definitely try this out.


My thanks to The Book Depository for providing the review copy!

Blog Tour: The Obvious game by Rita Arens

The Obvious Game
by Rita Arens

Published: February 7th 2013
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Format: Ebook
Source: For review
Amazon |

“Everyone trusted me back then.

Good old, dependable Diana.

Which is why most people didn’t notice at first.”


"Your shirt is yellow."
"Your eyes are blue."
"You have to stop running away from your problems."
"You're too skinny."

Fifteen-year-old Diana Keller accidentally begins teaching The Obvious Game to new kid Jesse on his sixteenth birthday. As their relationship deepens, Diana avoids Jesse's past with her own secrets -- which she'll protect at any cost.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
I know the synopsis doesn't really reveal anything, just gives a little hint. So, if you didn't already guess, Diana has an eating disorder. Well, there's only some small signs in the beginning but after all the problems keep piling up (her mother has cancer, her best friend is a total b*tch, things get tough with boyfriend..), things get worse. Really, her eating is all she has control over in the chaos called "life".

So, definitely not a happy read! And I wasn't expecting anything over the moon- happy, yet I was still surprised about how sad this book was. It's sad and angry, but oh so real and wonderful.
Diana was a lovable main character I could easily relate to and I was definitely on her side the whole time, even when you knew her actions didn't make any sense.
I mean, there's actually no sense at all, except in her own mind. She's drinking, having sex, doesn't eat, or when she eats, she throws up.. Her life is a mess, yet that sounds so familiar, cause when I was a teenager, that's how messed up everyone was.

The author did an amazing job with this book, and you could tell she knows what she's talking about. And even though this book talks about eating disorder and cancer, it's surprisingly fun book. There was laughter and tears, but in the end, I was feeling.. hopeful. I'm confident Diana will be fine and will have a happy life. And yes, I know she's a fictional character.

Now, check out the giveaway!

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Blog Tour: Normalish by Margaret Lesh

Normalish
by Margaret Lesh

Published: October 5th 2012
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Euterpe Young Adult imprint
Format: Ebook
Pages: 175
Source: For review
Amazon |

Fifteen-year-old Stacy questions the strange world of high school, love, her role in a harsh universe, and life, in Normalish.

People tell you high school's so great and wonderful, but they're lying. It's mostly horrible and full of disappointment. It sucks. Your best friend abandons you. The jerk you're in love with pretends to be into you, and then the big dump. The boy you've really clicked with as a friend decides to go all crushy over you, so you break his heart just like yours was -- smashed into little pieces. Your sister goes mental, and you get involved with a guy who’s even crazier than she is (who you know is a very bad idea, but you do it anyway). Math only adds another stink of failure to the whole thing.

High school blows. Just ask freshman Stacy. She’d want you to know.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*

Lately I’ve been thinking about “normal” and how there’s this fine line between being an average, ordinary person and being completely out-of-your-mind crazy.

“Normal” is all about perception. I mean, isn’t “normal” what the majority of people do?
So what if suddenly ninety-nine people out of a hundred decide to walk their iguanas down the street while wearing a tutu? Wouldn’t the one guy who didn’t own an iguana and wear a tutu be the freak?

And isn’t it the ones who seem normal on the outside who, in actuality, know where the bodies are buried in the backyard or are secretly in love with their toaster?

After reading that I knew this was going to be my kind of book! Which was great, since I was on page 2. Totally have to agree with Stacy, especially with the part about those who seem normal. Yeah, I've never been "normal", so even the name was appealing to me.

Stacy is fifteen and in high school. And surprise: high school sucks! Her best friend decides she's just not cool enough anymore, and dumbs her. She's in love with a guy who turns out to be a complete jerk. And her best friend, who happens to be a guy, has a crush on her, and that just.. can't be good. Oh, and Stacy's sister is acting up a little strange, like cutting off her sleeves and stuff. And her dad is dead. So yeah, it's pretty sucky.

After realising Stacy is only 15, I was little iffy, thanks to situation with Confessions of an Angry Girl (too much steamy scenes for a little child!). I was so relieved when I kept reading and noticed this didn't have so much steam, but was a story of a girl who doesn't mind keeping her pants on.
Sure, there's romantic situations, but they are sweet and fitting to a girl her age.

Even though high school was a huge part of the story, it also revolved a lot around Stacy's sister Becca and her getting better. Stacy ends up spending a lot of time in the nuthouse. And of course there's a guy involved. A guy who happens to look like a pirate and is named Bobby.
Man, I just fell in love with that guy! Of course I hoped things would go right for him and Stacy, and I was devastated after.. you know what.
Bobby and Stacy just made me laugh and cry, and then I was crying really hard, and then there was some funny parts and I ended up snorting and sounded like a pig and started laughing harder while crying.. So, thanks for that, my husband already thought I'm not completely sane, definitely didn't lessen his suspicions ;)

This was the first book I read this year, and I'm so glad about it. It only took me a day to read this, since I just couldn't stop reading. I definitely recommend this if you're a fan of YA. And you can definitely try this even if you weren't!

And now, check out the giveaway!

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Mini Reviews: Storm & Starcrossed

| Best of 2012 Giveaway Hop here!

Storm
by Brigid Kemmerer

Published: April 24th 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Format: Paperback
Pages: 353
Source: Borrowed
Amazon |
Book Depository

Earth. Fire. Air. Water.

When Becca Chandler saves Chris Merrick from being beaten-up in the school car park, she has no idea how dramatically this one action will change her life. Chris is no ordinary guy and neither are his three older brothers. The Merrick boys are Elementals. Hot. Powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

Then there's Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. With her life at stake, Becca doesn't know who to trust or whose secrets she should keep. and with two boy vying for her affections, and pressure rising all around her, will she find out in time who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all?

Take Cover.
The storm is coming!

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
I inhaled this book, meaning my every waking moment was spent reading this, it was just impossible to put down!
That probably should mean I absolutely love this book etc., but unfortunately no, in the end, I didn't love this, I was just pretty pissed.

Okay, I liked Becca, had strong feelings toward Chris and absolutely loved Hunter, so what could possibly go wrong?
Well, like I said, I loved Hunter and definitely wished Becca would end up with him. And I was like "yeah, at least the second book is coming out soon, so I can read more about Becca etc.!", and when I started to check out the blurb.. I notice it's not about them. I'm beyong loyal when it comes to main characters, I want to stick with them, I can't read about some other dudes! I WANT HUNTER!
What I don't want to read is three, SORRY, EIGHT!! other books just to see how the author is pimping the other brothers!

That's why I won't be reading the other book, no matter how good the first was. Ignore my cupcakes, they're just making fun of me now!

Starcrossed
by Josephine Angelini

Published: May 31st 2011
Publisher: MacMillan Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 514
Source: Bought
Amazon |
Book Depository

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is - now it's getting harder. She's having nightmares of a desperate desert journey, visions of three women weeping tears of blood. And why is she possessed by the sudden, unstoppable urge to kill the handsome new boy in school, Lucas Delos?

A love written in the stars . . .

A feud started in ancient Greece . . .

A curse not even the gods can break.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
If I start counting all the Greek mythology- related books I've read, it would be.. alot. Probably the most used theme in my read- pile. Yet this book managed to surprise me! Don't you just love when that happens?? This brought something new and refreshing to this old and used category.

Helen's a teenager, but she's pretty sure she's not so normal, since she spends her nights wandering through deserts. And keep waking up covered in dust. That would be totally disgusting and I really love my clean sheets, just an FYI.
And when she sees Lucas, she.. wants to rip his head off, and that's definitely something new! Definitely expected insta-love, not head-ripping.
All of this is explained along the way, so you'll get at least some answers.

I absolutely adored the romance (yes, they start getting along!), and especially appreciated the cousin- twist. I know, it's not illegal to marry your cousin or anything, but for these two it seems to be some kind of turn-off. And when there's Greek gods related you would actually expect something like that..

Anyhow, adored this one, definitely going to re-read it SOON, since I have the second book also waiting in my bookshelf, poor thing.

Mini Reviews: Desires of the Dead & The Last Echo

| Best of 2012 Giveaway Hop here!

Desires of the Dead
by Kimberly Derting

Published: February 15th 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 358
Source: Bought
Amazon |
Book Depository

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered — and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Roses are red,
Violets are blue..

.. and who remembers how it continues?! I have it on the tip of my tongue, but seriously can't get it out! And I don't want to read the whole book again, just so again write a review. So you, nice lady/mister, please leave the right answer in the comments, thank you!

I actually did have a point with all this, since I wanted to share that creepy little note Violet received in the book. Because I absolutely loved it! It was one of the creepiest moments in the book, and unfortunately (Me, the chicken, actually writing this?!) that was one of the rare creepy-moments. I actually missed the first book's creepiness.

The biggest turn-off for me was the FBI involvement. Because I couldn't be sure if they were even real, they could've been just some weirdos faking to be the FBI! Just not that believable.
But something good came with the FBI, meaning.. lovetriangle-vibes! And I do love Jay, but this still made me squeal with happiness!

And what I was trying to tell you with the poem is that Violet (again) has her very own stalker. And like always, reader thinks she knows who's behind all of this, but Derting strikes again and in the end you are proven so wrong, again. And that's why you have to love The Body Finder- series, it's not too obvious, since I just hate obvious.

The Last Echo
by Kimberly Derting

Published: April 17th 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback
Pages: 358
Source: Bought
Amazon |
Book Depository

In the end, all that's left is an Echo.

Before, Violet's morbid ability to sense the dead led her to uncover dark murders and long-buried secrets in her small town. Now that she's working with a special investigative team, Violet hopes she can help even more people--whether by saving a life or catching a killer.

Although she's relieved to finally be honest about what she can do, her instant connection with her mysterious partner, Rafe, is both confusing and unsettling, and their unique bond creates tension with her boyfriend, Jay. When she discovers the body of a college student murdered by "the collector," Violet refuses to give up on the case. With her own relationship on the line, Violet doesn't realize that the serial killer is looking to add to his collection and that she may have caught his eye. Will the life Violet has to save be her own?

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
In the beginning, I had some trouble with getting in to the story. Violet is suddenly working for the FBI nonstop, so goodbye familiar scenes and familiar faces! It was actually pretty odd! She barely went to school, almost never talked to her friends and barely ever saw Jay! Suddenly she's living someone else's life, and I just couldn't understand it. Or couldn't understand how her parents would allow that. They did get pretty pissed off like twice, but still. They hardly saw their daughter anymore!
Okay, so that really bugged me, if you didn't get it already.

And opposite to everyone else, what DIDN'T bother me.. RAFE.
I am going to be so happy if something (more) happens between those two! I know, I know, I'm one sick b*stard and lightning should strike me, but what can you do.

I still wasn't overly excited about the FBI involvement, and I'm sorry to say this: TOLD YOU SO. And what do I mean by that? Well, I was convinced there was something fishy going on, and the end of this book proves I WAS RIGHT. And not happy about it.

Overall, I eventually managed to get into the story and started liking this, but something was still little off. That's why I wasn't able to enjoy this as much as I did the first two books. I blame the FBI.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath
by Brodi Ashton

Published: January 24th 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 370
Series: Everneath #1
Source: Borrowed from library
Amazon |
Book Depository

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished,
sucked into an
underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans.

Now she's returned - to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything.

But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Now I've read this twice, but for some reason I didn't manage to write the review on the first round. But apparently I did make some notes back then! So, I shall quote myself:

my problem: reason why Nikki chose to leave with Cole. Weird how people reacted to her after she came back; where's the police? Her dad's just mad and thinks she's been involved with drugs? How come he didn't ask more about her whereabouts?? Her relationship with her "family" was quite odd, nothing like her and Jack's.

Okay, so I suck at making notes, since even I can't understand half of that. But it's weird how those things bothering me back then didn't even cross my mind this time, and it's also nice to see that even though I'm thinking about different things, I'm still going to give the same rating I gave back then.
But I have no idea what I was thinking when writing those notes. Note to self: MAKE BETTER NOTES.

The book starts with Nikki surviving The Feed in Everneath. It's been a century in Everneath, six months on the human world. Everyone thinks she just took off and has being doing drugs this whole time, and you can't really blame them, since Nikki looks like.. well, like she's been doing drugs for the past six months.
But the truth is, she's lucky to even remotely look like her old self, since that's not what usually happens to humen during The Feed.

Okay, I have to agree little to my earlier thoughts, it is a little odd how everyone's just assuming something and really don't care about the truth. Except Jack, but that's no surprise, since they're like soulmates or something.
But then again, I would be pissed off too, if my daughter just disappeared for six months. Enough of that.

It took me a while to realise the whole Hades and Persephone- thing going on. And usually I'm a huge fan, since I love retellings, but for some reason not this time. Probably cause they aren't Hades and Persephone, living the myth for the first time, but merely telling about a myth that may have happened. Yeah, not such a huge fan of that part, guess I just was expecting something else completely.

Then there's the boys. In the right corner, we have Jack: The loyal puppy with his brown eyes (I'm pretty sure his eyes are brown?). And in the left corner we got Cole: The charismatic bad boy who plays in a band and lured Nikki to Everneath. Yet underneath everything that may actually be some sort of heart that beats for Nikki.
Guess who I like more? That's no pickle, I'm definitely fan of Cole. Yeah, he took Nikki to Everneath, but Nikki was willing. Though he may have manipulated her a little, but hey, Nikki herself expected the worst and took off with Cole. I think that was a sign that she should stay with Cole. They were together for 100 years and didn't get bored to each other, doesn't that count for something?! That's a lot more you can say about Jack's and Nikki's relationship ;)

When I finished reading this, I nearly threw my phone to the wall, cause I had no idea there was going to be more books and there was a huge cliffhanger and I was just so mad when this was over! Guess that's a pretty good indicator for how much I enjoyed reading this book :)

Reflection Blog Tour: Reflection by Jessica Roberts

Reflection
by Jessica Roberts

Published: February 17th 2012
Format: Kindle
Pages: 289
Series: Reflection #1

Amazon | Amazon UK

Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college.

Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.

But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten.
Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind.

What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.

And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
The book starts with Heather leaving her small hometown, excited to start a new life in a new place, even when it means leaving her best friend behind.
After this we'll see a small glimpse of her new life; she's madly in love and ready to come clean about her past. But before she gets the chance to do that, she's in an accident that puts her in a coma.
After that things get pretty interesting, because Heather doesn't really remember her past, just the things she's dreamed about while being in coma.

First I have to warn you: This book ends in a huge cliffhanger, and if you're anything like me, you'll end up harassing the author for the second book. Which she so kindly sent me almost right away, so I got to read the second book too (and the review is coming up in a few days)! But that's always a good sign, when after devouring the first book, I need to get the second one too.

But more about the plot now. So, in the beginning Heather wakes up from her coma, and starts telling her memories to the doctor. It stars pretty slow, so some people may stop reading at this point. I almost did, but I'm so glad I didn't. Trust me, just stick with it, and it gets just so interesting, you won't be able to stop reading.
Heather tells her "memories", and like I said, it's pretty slow and normal, but then things get odd, when Heather starts noticing "glitches" here and there. Occasionally, she sees her best friend appear, until he vanishes in a blink of an eye. Sometimes, she hears people talking (even some medical stuff), when there isn't really anyone around. Some memories just doesn't really make sense to her.
In the end of the book, we'll finally meet some "real" characters in real life, and things finally start making some sense. But then it's time for Heather to get back to normal life. That's when she learns that she's actually been in coma for ages, and some things just can't go back to the way they used to be.

My favorite part in this book was the fact that you could just tell that Heather was living in a "dream world". Dreams can be really weird and dirstorted, and that was Heather's life in the dream world. Like her communicating with other characters actually made me think that if they were "real" characters and the author was describing real life situations and interaction, it wouldn't work. But these characters were made for the dream world, and it worked out pretty amazingly. Their actions were distorted and in occasions exaggerated in such an interesting ways, you could just tell that they weren't "real". That was definitely brilliant job from the author.

Of course the romance was also something I enjoyed. There were rollercoasters, jealousy, fear and loath and everything in between, excactly the right ingredients for a great romance!

I could definitely recommend this to people who loved "Before I Fall" and "If I Stay", because this also gives a new point of view to the question "what's between life and death?". And has some great romance ;)

34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues

34 Pieces of You
by Carmen Rodrigues

Published: September 4th 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Ebook
Pages: 325
Source: Through Pulse It
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A dark and moving novel — reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why — about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.

There was something about Ellie... Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance, and kept watch.

Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are 34 clues she left behind. 34 strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. 34 secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they begin to confront the darkest truths about themselves, they will also find out what Ellie herself had been hiding all along....

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Remember my reaction to Thirteen Reasons Why? (No? Read here!) Overall, I wasn't very pleased with it, so when another book is compared to that, I feel pretty hesitant. Okay, nearly didn't pick up this book. But man, am I glad I did! The bad memory of TRW is nearly erased from my memory, cause this was nothing like it. This ended up being so emotional read, and I do admit I cried, a lot.

Ellie is a charismatic girl, who everyone feel drawned to. But like with so many other charismatic people, she has something dark inside her. Like there's a black cloud hanging above her head. She never trusts people enough to really give them anything about herself. The closest person for her is her big brother, Jake, who knows some of her secrets. But then he has to move away for school, and she's.. not taking it so well. And then..
Ellie's dead. Her friends and family are left behind, wondering what happened, everyone blaming themselves. And everyone has secrets, secrets that involve Ellie and mostly make them blame themselves even more. Through out the book we'll get to see what life is like after Ellie is gone, but also get to see glimpses of life with Ellie.

What I really loved in this book was the emotions. They were real, and like I've said many times before, I usually fell in love with that kind of books. They're real, in all the ugliness and beauty of life.
Characters were also that, both beautiful and ugly, sometimes kind, sometimes awful to each other, but that's just life. So the raw emotions were definitely the strong point in this book.
And of course, where there's emotions, there's relationships. Every person had their own kind of relationship with Ellie, but my favorite was with Jess. It was so beautiful, innocent, real, what ever the word you want to use. It was also the most heartbreaking part of the book, and I cried nearly in every scene they had together. And I ended up heart broken myself because of them, because what happened to them was just awful.

There wasn't that many things I didn't like, but I did have sometimes little trouble with following all the characters, since there was several POV's AND we jumped back and forth in time. After few chapters I did get the hang of it, but usually I strougle with so many changes.
I was also a little disappointed when there wasn't any "let's-gather-and-reveal-all-of-our-secrets!"- moments in the end. I'm kind of a fan of those kind of scenes, so I felt a little empty in the end, since there was still so many secrets left uncovered.

But, this was believable story about broken people and how they deal with the lost of their loved one. It was heartbreaking and painful, but I'm so glad I didn't miss it, since it was all worth it.


Thanks to Simon Pulse for providing a review copy!