Lauren discusses the Delirium Trilogy in a new video
6:24 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Lauren sat down with HarperTeen's people and talked about what it's like for her to write the Delirium Trilogy.
Pandemonium hits stores March 2012, only three months away! Have you pre-ordered it? If you haven't, stay tuned because I'll be posting a giveaway soon!
Announcing... HANA, Lauren's new Delirium Short Story!
6:12 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
While we're all anxiously awaiting for Pandemonium's release next March, Lauren prepared something very special to help us live through these next few months: a new short story told in Hana's POV!
You can buy it through Hodder (its UK publisher) here.
AND, there's a really sweet DIY Christmas Decoration you can download here. Print it, make it, take a pic and share it, because that will help you win a Pandemonium copy when it comes out! Cool, huh?
I'll be making my deco soon, and sharing it with you. You can do the same!
xo,
Ella
Outside In (Insider, #2), by Maria V. Snyder
5:43 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Release Date: March 1st, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 5 Stars
Categories: Sci-Fi, Space Travel, Action
Goodreads Page
Read from November to December 2011
Summary:
Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.
My Opinion:
Thanks to the Insider Series, I now like Sci-Fi books. I didn’t use to; I started Inside Out thinking it was just another Dystopia and ended up being surprised: it was a sci-fi, and I loved it! It was also my first Snyder book, and it got me hooked! Now I want to read every book by her.
Outside In begins where IO left off: the Force of Sheep had won the rebellion, the Insiders learnt they were travelling through Outer Space, the Travas were arrested, a Committee was formed and new levels were discovered. Trella and her friends thought they had nothing else to worry about, but soon they found out how wrong they were.
I truly love how Maria crafts her characters’ personalities, I could sometimes guess how some of them would act, but most of the time, everything was a surprise, which was brilliant!
This book is all about love, trust and betrayal, and making tough choices in the name of everyone on board. Trella must figure out who she can trust and defend everything that’s being threatened in Inside.
A must for Snyder and Sci-Fi fans everywhere!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
3:39 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
And a Happy New Year!
Thank you for being there, always!
Love from the Deliriously Falling Team <3
Ryan Gosling Reads Young Adult
10:47 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Oh, you didn't know? Well, he does. And sometimes he cries.
xo,
Ella
Reviews from Around the Globe: Libros por Leer reviewed DELIRIUM
9:27 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
I thought I'd give it a six over five, but I've remained firm and decided to keep that rating for its sequel, which, I hope, lives up to it. That being said, I can go crazy. Shghgjsuuuwwlliigig!!bgagbjsgigigiigs y también gusaiusdgbjjjguwerbnig. It's such a hard novel to review...
I don't know what to think: if Lauren Oliver is mean, or if she's just a writing goddess.
UK Book Trailer for Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)
10:39 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
WOW. Creepy. I just loved Unearthly and I've requested Hallowed from NetGalley, so hopefully I'll be reading and reviewing it soon. I have to know what happens to Tucker!
And I think I like this style of cover more, don't you?
Borrowing Abby Grace #1: The Shadow, by Kelly Green
10:39 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Publisher: Backlit Fiction
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 3 Stars
Categories: Paranormal, Body-Swap, Mystery
Goodreads Page - Twitter - Facebook
Read in December 2011
Summary:
My Opinion:Sent to repair the lives and loves of teenagers on the edge of disaster, smart and sassy Abby Grace has everything going for her, except one thing: a body.
BAG is a book with a lot of potential, and I felt it really could have given us more. It was all there, but not completely there.
We meet Abby, a ghost (we're not sure about this yet) to give it a term, who's inside a girl's body: Brooke needs her help with something and Abby's here to do the job for her.
When I was asked to review this, I said "Why not? Sounds good!". And it was, but I wish we'd gotten more info about Abby and her handler (?) Will, and also, about her Borrowing businness. I know we'll get all this in the next books, but for a First in a Series, it lacked that thing that makes you want to run to the bookstore and buy the sequel.
Nevertheless, The Shadow is a short book (only 50-ish pages) and a fun read for a cold afternoon when you want to curl up in a sofa and read.
Up next, BAG #2: Girl Steals Guy!
ALEX LIVES!
8:17 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
...maybe. OK, that was mean, I know. But lately we've been getting a lot of comments on the Pandemonium summary post, mostly saying that Lauren can't possibly kill Alex, that he and Lena have to be reunited.
I fully support this! Delirium's ending was heartbreaking, just the thought of Alex getting killed made me cry so bad. I'll be reading Delirium again soon, to prepare for Pandemonium's release.
But in the meantime I wanted to ask you: What would you say to Lauren about Alex being left behind, and Lena possibly falling for someone from the Wilds?
Tell us in the comments, we'll gather it all up and send it off to her!
xo,
Ella
SHATTER ME's Release Day and MARA DYER News!
9:20 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Today's the release day of SHATTER ME, by debut author Tahereh Mafi! I think I'm right in saying it's one of the most anticipated books of the season. Just look at its cover!
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.
Or, look at its trailer (which is ah-mazing!):
*drops jaw*
Happy book birthday SHATTER ME! I shall soon get my hands on you!
And, speaking of awesome books: THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER is on its SECOND PRINT! Just after being on the shelves for 6 weeks! SIX WEEKS! Wow, that's great!
I'm reading this book right now (as a matter of fact, I'll go and keep on reading it as soon as this post it up) and I tell you, I'm loving it. My review will probably be up next week.
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.
I still have uni to worry about, but classes are ending which means I'll have more time to read soon!
xo,
Ella
Root - A new interactive story from Guardian Teen Books
10:06 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Remember I told you about Michael Grant's new interactive project a few months ago? Well, someone from The Guardian has just emailed me something really exciting, and not unlike Grant's project:
How exciting is that? I know it's convinced me! You can go and take a look if you want, click on any of the links above to visit the site.
Guardian Teen Books has partnered with Random House for a new interactive, serialised story called Root - a fast-paced thriller set in the shadowy world of computer hacking and espionage.
ESPIONAGE! I love the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore, I read a few of them -that were not reviewed here-, and ever since I've loved the idea of teen spies.
Every weekday for six weeks a new chapter will be released on guardian.co.uk/teen-books. The content will be directly influenced by readers’ contributions, such as their ideas for characters' personalities and skills.
The story's already begun, it's on its twelfth chapter now. But I'm definitely gonna start reading it as soon as I can!
The heroine Molly Root is a 15 year old computer genius whose friend Danny is killed after being caught stealing priceless data from a ruthless global corporation. Now she's in over her head. So far Molly Root's mission to get to the bottom of her best friend's murder has taken her on a perilous trail across London. Her key lead is a dodgy police detective - and her attempts to expose his shady contacts are testing her ingenuity to the limits.
Yep, I'm loving the summary!
As well as incorporating suggestions from readers, the story will also be brought to life via several social media platforms. For example, Guardian Teen Books' Twitter and Facebook accounts will be providing behind the scenes updates of how Molly is progressing, along with clips on Audiobooks featuring the voicemails that Molly has discovered. This will be accompanied by onsite quizzes and photo puzzles on Flickr.
Happy birthday Lauren!!!
6:24 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Today's our favourite author's birthday! And although we didn't prepare anything special for today* we wanted to greet her and tell her thanks for sharing her talent with us, and for being an overall beautiful person.
*Check back later, we might have something special coming up...
The ReadIt1st Movement
9:00 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
 |
| Right, Doctor? Nerdfighters are cool, he says. |
Nerdfighters are among the coolest people on Earth, and they've created something that deserves to be spoken of.
I only just learned about it, and I already think it's amazing.
Have you ever watched a film based on a book and swore you'd never waste your time reading said book? Well, you might have missed out on reading a really good book, all because of its crappy on-screen adaptation.
The ReadIt1st Movement (I don't know if it's actually a movement, I just like to call it that) is all for reading the book before watching the film! It's something I've always believed in. I haven't watched the Jane Eyre remake because I still have the book waiting for me in a box (I know, tragic, but I still haven't gotten shelves for my new flat).
I love it when you can see on the big (or small) screen something you've previously imagined in your mind. It's magic, isn't it? Of course, a book's adaptation to a film isn't always accurate (The Vampire Diaries is a series I love, but on TV, the show's taking turns that L. J. Smith didn't even write! And it isn't necessarily a bad thing.) and we must remember that when watching a film or a TV show based on a literary work.
So, if you also think like me, and you're willing to take the pledge, you can go to readit1st.com and sign up!
Book Review: The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire, by Various Authors
8:32 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Release Date: July 28th, 2009
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 4 Stars
Categories: Vampires, Paranormal, Romance
Challenge: 100 Books in a Year
Finished in November 2011
Summary:
There’s an allure to vampire tales that have seduced readers for generations. From Bram Stoker to Stephenie Meyer and beyond, vampire stories are here to stay. For those fresh-blooded fans of paranormal romance or for those whose hunt and hunger never dies, these stories have what readers want!This collection of original tales comes from some of the hottest, most popular, and best-selling YA writers, including:
• Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Tithe)
• Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty)
• Melissa De La Cruz (Blue Blood)
• Cassandra Clare (City of Bones)
• Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires)
• Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie (Wicked)
• Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof, Queen of Cool)
• Kelley Armstrong (Women of Otherworld)
• Maria V. Snyder
• Sarah Rees Brennan
• Lili St. Crow
• Karen Mahoney
• Dina James
They will make everyone a sucker for eternal kisses.
My Opinion:
Vampires are among my favourite otherworldly creature, and this book didn't disappoint! What an amazing book from such talented authors!
From romances between vampires and their hunters (the drama!), and vampires who've been so for years to people who've just changed or are hoping to be turned, this book has it all.
I seriously can't remember reading a book so full of action as well as sexual tension, and so well written. Because, let's be honest, teens' hormones are all over the place 24/7, it's no use denying it. And these writers use it to their advantage, creating stories that'll leave you pining for an undead boyfriend/girlfriend of your own! Just subtle kisses (hence, the book's title) that make you feel a chill crawling up your spine and keep on reading until the end are what this book is about.
You'll find your typical gorgeous type of vamp and vampires that are anything but glamourous and living in ghettos, surrounded by police guarding them so they don't leave that place.
Many of these authors I'd never heard of, but now, I'm definitely going to start looking into their work.
If you love vampire stories as much as I do, you'll love this book.
xo,
Ella
xo,
Ella
Lauren is nominated on the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards!
4:12 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Lauren has been nominated in 4 categories on the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards, and she needs our votes!
You can vote for her here.
And in Lauren's words:
Voting ends on November 30, you have to vote for your faves by November 13 to get them into the semifinals! Don't delay, VOTE NOW!!!
Review: ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin
10:49 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Love DELIRIUM? Here's another great dystopian novel to tide you over while awaiting PANDEMONIUM!
Title: ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Release Date: Out Now (Sept. 6, 2011)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/MacMillan
Received: Finished copy for review
Goodreads
SUMMARY:
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
I’ve been wanting to read Gabrielle Zevin’s ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE ever since hearing about it back in 2010. I was so excited to finally get my hands on it. The first book in her BIRTHRIGHT trilogy, Zevin’s new novel is full of all things forbidden: the mafia, coffee, and…chocolate? Yes, it’s true! In this world, chocolate and coffee are illegal substances. Would you want to live in such a world? I know I wouldn’t! The mafia is composed of various families that were once chocolate distributors, etc. The main character, Anya Balanchine, is part of the Balanchine clan, makers of the best chocolate in the world. They still sell chocolate illegally and make a fortune off of doing so. Parts of this book really remind me of both Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER series and Holly Black’s CURSE WORKER series. The book also has a dystopian flair to it, but in a refreshing change of pace, the characters aren’t trying to break free of and take down a controlling government.
The book starts off with a more mature Anya Balanchine narrating in past tense. The year is currently 2083, and “This was back when caffeine, along with about a million other things, was against the law. So much was illegal (paper without a permit, phones with cameras, chocolate, etc.) and the laws changed so quickly, you could be committing a crime and not even know it” (pg. 3, first US edition). Anya and her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend Gable are leaving a coffee speakeasy, having gotten high off coffee (and in Gable’s case, espresso laced with shots of Prozac) and have an argument because Anya wants Gable to leave before the city-wide midnight curfew. Gable, of course, would rather stay and get Anya to feed him chocolate and finally get her into bed. A few nights later, he comes to her begging for chocolate and she gives him two bars from a newly-delivered case. But it turns out the new shipment was poisoned. Gable winds up in the hospital and Anya is sent to Liberty Children’s Facility, where she is treated poorly before her new friend Win gets his dad, the new District Attorney, to free her after it’s discovered that all chocolate has been contaminated, not just Anya’s personal shipment. From here, the story really picks up speed. Anya is falling for Win, but his hotshot DA father doesn’t want his son with the daughter of a notorious crime lord. This adds a little bit of a ROMEO AND JULIET spin to the story. In addition, strange things begin occurring within the Family, and deceit and betrayal linger in the air. Anya no longer knows who to trust or why the Family is suddenly interested in her mentally handicapped older brother Leo. Anya wants to protect her siblings and her grandmother and keep everyone safe, but she no longer knows who to trust, and things will get far worse before they have a chance of getting better.
ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE packs a powerful punch. It starts off slowly, but by the final 2/3rds of the book, I was hooked and knew I wanted to continue on with the BIRTHRIGHT series. Some readers have mentioned a lack of world-building in that they never knew “why” certain contraband was considered to be illegal, but there are still two books to come, so this doesn’t bother me so much. We had everything we needed. The characters are strongly developed and it’s easy to get attached to them. At times, this first book is very much developing everything we’ll need to know going into the second book, which is why I think it has a slower start. There’s so much world-building to do, from creating character motivation and letting readers know who everyone is to building Family ties. I have a feeling the next book will have a steadier pacing that doesn’t wait until the end to throw its final punch. Zevin has a much more mature writing style that’s easy to fall in love with and I look forward to reading more of her novels soon.
COVER DESIGN:
You might be surprised since the cover is so understated, but this is one of my favorite designs of the year. This is one classy cover. It stands out because it looks so different. I love the shiny red, the beautiful chocolate heart that looks real enough to eat (despite its drippy imperfections as it falls apart) and the way there’s pale gray in the background telling the prospective reader more about what lies within. I love the wax-like texture to the dust jacket that reminds me of a bar of chocolate and the way that when you pull out the flap, it looks like candy bar packaging. But most of all, I adore the way there’s a second hidden cover when you take off the dust jacket, making the who book look like a bar of chocolate. The coolest part of THAT is the fact that the chocolate is Balanchine Special Dark. Main character Anya Balanchine’s family produces chocolate and her favorite type was always Special Dark. (Me too, dark chocolate is my favorite!) This cover is genius, but don’t take my word for it…I filmed the cover for you to enjoy!
You might be surprised since the cover is so understated, but this is one of my favorite designs of the year. This is one classy cover. It stands out because it looks so different. I love the shiny red, the beautiful chocolate heart that looks real enough to eat (despite its drippy imperfections as it falls apart) and the way there’s pale gray in the background telling the prospective reader more about what lies within. I love the wax-like texture to the dust jacket that reminds me of a bar of chocolate and the way that when you pull out the flap, it looks like candy bar packaging. But most of all, I adore the way there’s a second hidden cover when you take off the dust jacket, making the who book look like a bar of chocolate. The coolest part of THAT is the fact that the chocolate is Balanchine Special Dark. Main character Anya Balanchine’s family produces chocolate and her favorite type was always Special Dark. (Me too, dark chocolate is my favorite!) This cover is genius, but don’t take my word for it…I filmed the cover for you to enjoy!
Labels:
ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE,
Book Review,
cover design,
dystopian society,
family,
friendship,
Gabrielle Zevin,
romance,
YA
COVER CRAZY: LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver
8:25 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Cover Crazy is hosted by The Book Worms. Each week, bloggers "admire the art and beauty of a book’s design, so I’m going to post minimal words. It is up to you to write how you feel and what you like about it the way you’d like to."
Why I Love This Cover:
So, okay, I'm pretty sure I posted this cover as a Cover Crazy once before...but that was before I saw the final version in person! There's so much more beyond what we all thought there'd be.
I love the way there's a second cover hiding beneath the dust jacket (much like with DELIRIUM). The hidden cover features an image on the back that's integral to the story. Plus, doesn't it look so much more mysterious this way? This alone makes it clear that this book should only be owned in hardcover (if at all possible)!
All that gold is shiny and beautiful. If I had been born a dragon, it would most certainly be the most prized possession in my treasure hoard!
I posted this cover video alongside my review yesterday, but for anyone who hasn't seen it....THIS is why I'm even more in love with LIESL & PO's design than ever before:
YouTube
What do you think? What cover are you crazy about this week?
Review: LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver
2:48 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Title: LIESL & PO
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: Out Now (Oct. 4, 2011)
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s
Received: ARC for review from work/Also purchased first-edition hardcover copy
SUMMARY:
We meet Liesl the night after the day her young father has died. That same day she is visited by a ghost, Po, an eight year old boy who lives on the other side, the territory between life and death that runs parallel to the living world. Po has come to tell her that her father is stuck on the other side, and that she is the only one who can help him cross over.
A couple of wooden boxes. Some ashes. Some magic dust. A ghost, its pet, and a boy who forgot to wear a hat in the cold.
From these seemingly odd, random characters Oliver weaves the enchanting story of how, with the aid of Liesl, these elements come together over the course of one week to restore love and luster to a world gone grey and heartless.
It’s not often that I find a novel as rare and delicate as LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver. This is the type of book I would have owned as a kid, the kind I would have read and re-read until it fell apart. It’s a throwback to so many of my childhood favorites. I’m really rooting for this one to at the very least be nominated for the Newbery Award. Heck, I’d like to see it win—the golden cover would look complete with a golden Newbery to match. I’d even take Silver, because it would be in good company with two of my other middle-grade favorites, ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine and PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale. I think publisher HarperCollins is also eyeing up the big awards. The ARC for LIESL & PO compares the novel to Newbery winners THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman and THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX by Kate DiCamillo. It’s also compared to Newbery Honor book CHARLOTTE’S WEB by E.B. White. AND the final edition has a quote on it from last year’s Newbery winner Rebecca Stead (WHEN YOU REACH ME). What a line-up! To keep comparing LIESL & PO to other childhood staples, when reading it, I often felt like this had a Roald Dahl feel to it (especially MATILDA), that there are elements of Cinderella (Liesl lives locked away in the attic and has an evil stepmother and a stepsister), and that the golden embossed cover with ghosts peeking out is very reminiscent of A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens. On top of all that? The artwork reminds me a little of the care and love put into Caldecott winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick. That litany alone should make LIESL & PO stand out to the committee.
This book is fantastic, destined to be a true classic. It’s whimsical and enchanting. Oliver wrote LIESL & PO after the death of her best friend and pulled together a story from her tragedy, stating that this is the most personal of all her writing. The care and attention she paid to this idea truly shows. Her first middle-grade novel follows a young girl named Liesl who discovers that ghosts are real after her father’s untimely death. A ghost named Po appears in her room along with its pet ghost, Bundle. Liesl can’t tell if Po is a boy or a girl, if Bundle is a cat or a dog…and the truth is, neither ghost knows, either. Those things no longer matter once one has crossed over. Liesl is precocious and smart. Her favorite word is ineffable, because “it meant a feeling so big or vast that it could not be expressed in words” (Pg. 12). These are the types of gems scattered throughout LIESL & PO, humanizing the characters and making them easy to relate to. Liesl’s journey begins when Po informs her that it’s possible to make contact with her father. Because of Po, she’s able to escape from her evil stepmother and step out into the world, where she is joined by Will, a boy who has embarked on a sad journey of his own. Together, Liesl and Po must lay Liesl’s father’s ashes to rest, never knowing that they are actually in possession of the most powerful magic in the world…magic that corrupt adults will stop at nothing to obtain.
I know I’m not explaining the layers and nuances that make this novel so stunning well at all. At the same time, maybe that’s a good thing: It leaves more for you to discover on your own. The inside front flap leaves readers with this: “From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.” Perhaps that’s the easiest way to describe something as perfect as this.
COVER DESIGN:
This cover is beautiful, the kind that would make me instantly pick it up to see what it’s about. I love all the gold embossing and feel it’s a throwback to a lot of classic children’s literature. The gold oval image with ghosts peering out reminds me a lot of A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens for some reason (perhaps it reminds me of the haunted doorknocker?). The fact that you can take the jacket off and see a secondary cover beneath the book really seals my love for this design. The cover is even more beautiful beneath, complete with two images that capture moments from the novel. The only thing that would make this cover better would be a golden (or even silver…but I want gold, darn it!) Newbery Award seal! But don’t take my word for it…this is one of those cases where you have to SEE the cover to believe it!
Labels:
adventure,
Book Review,
cover design,
family,
fantasy,
friendship,
Lauren Oliver,
Liesl and Po,
middle-grade
Book Review and GIVEAWAY!
10:03 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
If you liked the idea of karmic retribution that resonates throughout BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver, you might also like....
Title: THE KARMA CLUB
Author: Jessica Brody
Release Date: Out Now (Apr. 27, 2010)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan
Received: Library copy
Goodreads
SUMMARY:
Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve.
But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe.
It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.
Author: Jessica Brody
Release Date: Out Now (Apr. 27, 2010)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan
Received: Library copy
Goodreads
SUMMARY:
Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve.
But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe.
It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.
Jessica Brody is one of my new favorite contemporary YA authors. Her novels are adorable…and the ones coming out in the future sound amazing. I already have a whole list of her books marked as TBR on GoodReads! This summer, I really enjoyed reading MY LIFE UNDECIDED (which I’ll be reviewing on A Backwards Story in November for Ashley from Basically Amazing’s Just Contemporary event) and moved right on to her debut YA novel, THE KARMA CLUB. While I didn’t like it quite as much as MY LIFE UNDECIDED, it was still really cute. Brody has a way of making readers genuinely care about her characters.
The novel revolves around Madison Kasparkova, a teenager who wants nothing more than to be popular. Maddy submits her boyfriend’s picture and bio to a popular teen magazine, and when he’s chosen as the featured boyfriend, she’s ecstatic. Finally, people will notice her! Only…the most popular girl at school notices her boyfriend, who promptly dumps Maddy despite everything. Maddy’s devastated, of course. Why is it fair that he gets to be happy when she did so much for him? Everyone always says that what goes around comes around, but how long does she have to wait for Karma to rear its head? Maddy decides to take matters into her own hand. She forms The Karma Club with her best friends (who have also been wronged by guys in the past). The club seeks to right the wrongs that have been done to them in a kind of “pay it forward” fashion. They also seek to swear off boys in a fashion that reminded me of last year’s THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB by Elizabeth Eulberg (review here). Whenever a plan’s successful, the girls go out and buy a charm for their special charm bracelets. But what about the fact that Maddy is falling for someone new? Will she be ostracized by her friends? And is playing with fate the right thing to do? What happens when it turns around and wants retribution?
This book was so much fun. At first, I didn’t overly love Maddy or the way she dealt with various situations, but over time, I grew to love her. I really like the way Brody wove characters together and set up a scene that brings everything to a climax in the perfect way. The romance was light and sweet, and the friendship was solid. At times, I felt the girls went to extreme ends to complete their methods of revenge, but it felt like…Like, “Hey, this is a book for all you girls who have ever been dumped for no good reason. Don’t you want to smash your ex’s face in or slash his tires or just shove a pie in his face? Something, ANYTHING to humiliate or aggravate him? Well, here’s your chance to live vicariously!” This is a dream world where revenge CAN come true and the girlfriend CAN get back at the ex dumb enough to let her go. So extreme, yes, but also therapeutic!
COVER DESIGN:
While this isn’t my favorite cover in the world, it pulls directly from the novel. The notebook the model is holding is supposed to the notebook where the girls write down everything they do in The Karma Club. Which, if you think about it, isn’t the smartest idea. Why would you write stuff like that down? Aren’t your charm bracelets enough? So the notebook is integral to the story!
I do like the fact that the notebook’s cover is a fun shade of red, which add a pop of color to the cover. The title reminds me a bit of a sea resort, though I like the way it’s in the yin yang. It also reminds me a bit of a bracelet charm! I also like the way the author’s name is the same color as the logo for the club.
I do like the fact that the notebook’s cover is a fun shade of red, which add a pop of color to the cover. The title reminds me a bit of a sea resort, though I like the way it’s in the yin yang. It also reminds me a bit of a bracelet charm! I also like the way the author’s name is the same color as the logo for the club.
BOOK TRAILER:
(And this trailer is pretty awesome. It’s what first made me want to read this!!)
GIVEAWAY:
Have you entered to win MY LIFE UNDECIDED by Jessica Brody yet? If not, do so now! Just click this link and fill out the form at the bottom of the page (The form is linked to my blog account, so I don't think I can copy/paste it directly here. Sorry for the extra step, DF Fans!).
[But heeeeeey, you get to see another trailer by doing that if you wish!]
So far, it’s my favorite of Brody’s two YA novels and I can’t wait to share my love with a lucky bookworm!
It's also the last day to enter to win two paranormal novels, EARTH BLEND and HUMAN BLEND by Lori Pescatore. Enter HERE!
Labels:
Book Review,
Elizabeth Eulberg,
giveaway,
Jessica Brody,
MY LIFE UNDECIDED,
THE KARMA CLUB,
THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB
Happy book birthday Liesl and Po!
7:26 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
(...which was yesterday, and I completely forgot! Sorry, pretty book!)
Lauren's first MG book was released yesterday, yay!
HarperCollins has created a very beautiful website, which you can visit here to learn more about the book and its characters. Go here to add it to your Goodreads list.
And watch this gorgeous trailer below!
xo,
Ella
GIVEAWAY!!! ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin!
10:14 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Happy Book Birthday, ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE!
To celebrate, publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux/MacMillan is offering a copy of this fabulous new book to one lucky bookworm! The giveaway is for my personal blog, but since the book is Dystopian, I want to offer it to all you Lauren Oliver fans, too!
(And while you're there, you might as well enter to win a copy of HADES by Alexandra Adornetto, also from MacMillan!)
Title: ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Release Date: Out Now (Sept. 6, 2011)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/MacMillan
Goodreads
SUMMARY:
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Here is the book’s official trailer:
Enter now to win your VERY OWN COPY of ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin, courtesy of MacMillan! I've been wanting to have a copy of my own since the book was announced in 2010, and now you can have a copy, too!
All you have to do is fill out the form located at the bottom of the entry on my personal blog, A Backwards Story. The contest is only open to bookworms in Canada and the USA!
Favorites Friday Video Blog Feature!
4:21 PM Posted by Marisa
First Teaser Trailer for...THE HUNGER GAMES!!!!
11:38 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Did you watch the VMAs tonight? I only tuned in because Twitter was buzzing. I'm so happy I didn't have to sit through the whole show just to see a 30 second teaser trailer, lol... Only maybe 15 minutes!!
If you missed it...or want to see it again...
Click this link to see the first Teaser Trailer on MTV's website!
Too bad it can't be enhanced. I wanted to confirm that I saw feet (Hers? Awaiting opponent's? Dead opponent's?) in one clip but it's too small to see such detail.
Not much to go on yet. For now, I'm still going to assume that the movie will be much too bloody for me to even consider seeing! But oh....the trailer is already on fire....LITERALLY!
Oh, the trailer's now on YouTube: Gonna embed:
Burn Bright [Night Creatures #1]
9:24 PM Posted by Cary Cheyenne.
I came across this book on Goodreads and it kind of reminded me of Delirium. However, the main difference between it and Delirium is quite obvious. In this book their beliefs are music and partying, but in Delirium is was the exact opposite. These kind of Dystopian books really intrigue me and I thought some of you might be intrigued by it, too. So, please comment below with if you've read it, what you thought of it, or if you'd like to read it!
Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength.
Retra doesn't want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom. But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother. When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion? Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness? Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.
So, thoughts? :)
- Cary Cheyenne. [The Writing Wonderland.]
Bout of Books!
4:22 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Have you heard about Bout of Books?
From August 22nd to August 28th, read as many books on your TBR as you can! You can participate even if you're not a blogger! Post your progress on your blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, on GoodReads, etc. There will also be fun CHALLENGES and GIVEAWAYS!!
I'll be posting my progress on my personal blog and on Twitter @abackwardsstory. I would love to see you guys participate, too. Let's cheer each other on!
I've listed the books I'm planning to read this week on A Backwards Story so I won't clutter up this space.
But..................how about a challenge just for us?
If you're going to participate, read a book by Lauren Oliver! And...re-reading totally counts. I'm going to try to re-read DELIRIUM for a fun, super-secret reason that you'll hear more about soon!
COVER CRAZY: LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver
11:21 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Cover Crazy is hosted by The Book Worms. Each week, bloggers "admire the art and beauty of a book’s design, so I’m going to post minimal words. It is up to you to write how you feel and what you like about it the way you’d like to."
[This is a meme I usually do solely on my own blog, A BACKWARDS STORY, but since I'm featuring LIESL & PO this week, I decided to cross-post my thoughts on this cover to all of you. What do you think? Are you excited for Lauren's first MG release?]
Why I Love This Cover:
When reading my ARC of LIESL & PO, I realized just how very much I already love this cover. I cannot WAIT to see a final version. HarperCollins threw a *lot* of money into the ARC. The image isn’t flat like most ARCs, but embossed…and gold. It looks more like what the final paperback will most likely look like than it does an ARC. Plus, you know, it comes in an awesome box holding the most powerful magic in the world: The written word!
I love all the gold on the cover. The book is absolutely brilliant and I have a feeling that HarperCollins is going to do a heavy push for awards season. Can’t you just picture this book with a bright, shiny golden Newberry on the cover already? Silver just won’t match as well! I also love the fact that the gilded circular image is full of ghosties. It reminds me a LOT of A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens. Actually, the book itself reminds me of several stories, but I’ll post more on that another time.
The cover features Liesl, Po, and Bundle. It’s only missing Will! The coloring is great and the cover is shiny and eye-catching. Kids are going to gobble this one right up, and rightfully so!
What do you think? What cover are you crazy about this week?
Lauren DeStefano discusses the perils of Goodreads
12:04 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Awesome video. So funny, I had to share!
Kami Garcia sells a new series to Little, Brown!
8:09 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Garcia’s ‘Legion’ Heads to LBBYR… and Hollywood
“Kami Garcia, coauthor of the bestselling YA series Beautiful Creatures, sold the first two books in a new series, called the Legion, to Julie Scheina at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Scheina bought North American rights to Unbreakable and Unbound from Jodi Reamer at Writers House; the series is set to launch in fall 2013. The first book, Unbreakable, is also already in development in Hollywood with producer Mark Morgan (the Twilight Saga and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief) attached… LBBYR called the series a “frightening and thrilling urban fantasy’”full of “suspense, romance, and dark paranormal forces.”
Are you curious yet? Here’s a preview:
Kennedy Waters’ entire life changes when she finds her mother dead and discovers she is a member of a secret society formed two hundred years ago to protect the world from a powerful demon determined to find a way out of his dimension and into ours, and from the dangerous spirits he controls.
(from beautifulcreatures.com)
Wow, awesome news! I'm a huge Beautiful Creatures fan; I love Kami and Margie's writing, and cannot wait to read their solo projects! Remember, Margie also sold her new YA Sci-Fi series to LB. These ladies are taking new paths, and I'm sure they'll do great in their new projects.
Good luck, Kami!
The Scorpio Races New Book Trailer!
7:58 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
How awesome is that?! As usual, Maggie did it all herself (with help, of course, but it's all her anyway). I'm dying to get this book and have already pre-ordered it (the perks of having a debit card!).
Here's the summary if you don't know what the book is about:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. (Taken from Goodreads).
Pre-Order the book: The Scorpio Races
(Amazon)
Win one of 5 PANDEMONIUM ARCs, UK Edition!
5:54 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Hodder and Stoughton -Delirium's UK publisher- is having an amazing contest for UK residents only. You can win one of five ARC copies by entering here. The contest will be up until Sept 1st, so hurry and enter!
And check out this awesome interactive video, where you can choose an option at the end of it!
xo,
Ella
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White will be a film! And opinions on YA books being turned into films.
5:25 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Wow, a lot of YA books are getting film deals lately! Congrats Kiersten!
We only know that the project's been bought by Gil Adler Productions and Reverie Enterteinment Partners and that it'll be directed by Ray Kay. Even Perez Hilton blogged about it. I think it'll be a long time until we learn more about this, but it's great news!
We've got The Hunger Games, Delirium, Thirteen Reasons Why, Wake, and many more coming, but what do you think about this?
Personally, I love the idea of being able to watch my favourite books come to life on the cinema, but what does it mean for screenplay writers?
It's already hard enough for them to sell their stories, but I think it'll be even more difficult to do so when so many producers prefer to buy book adaptations than original work.
And then I'm not so sure about known actors playing these characters. Take THG, for instance. The idea of Josh Hutcherson as Peeta is something I'm still struggling with. I think it's time for these actors to make room for the new ones. (I have nothing against Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, but I do not want to see them in 13 Reasons and Wake.)
Let's hope Paranormalcy makes a nice film debut! With cool actors and an awesome production.
xo,
Ella
THE LOCKET by Stacey Jay
12:12 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Title: THE LOCKET
Author: Stacey Jay
Release Date: Out Now (Feb. 3, 2011)
Publisher: Razorbill
Received: Library Copy
Goodreads Page
SUMMARY:
Life as Isaac’s girlfriend was pretty much perfect for Katie. Until the night she messed everything up. Katie is devastated over her mistake—and she’ll do anything to get Isaac back.
Then, on her seventeenth birthday, she discovers a strange and beautiful locket. Katie puts it on and finds herself going back in time—to the night of The Mistake. Katie is thrilled at the chance to do it all over again. If she can change the past, maybe she can save her perfect future with Isaac. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that second chances come with a dark price.
Should she have tampered with fate? Or is the most extraordinary kind of life the one that’s far from perfect?
Who wouldn’t like to pause and hit rewind whenever something goes wrong in life? Instant re-do! Upon finding a mysterious locket engraved with the phrase “Some mistakes weren’t meant to last” among her grandmother’s belongings when getting reading for her anniversary date, Katie slips it on, thinking it to be the perfect complement to her black and silver outfit. Plus, the phrase has a deeper meaning for her: Something happened, something she keeps referring to as “a mistake.” That night, the mistake bubbles to the surface and ruins everything. Stranded, alone, and upset, the locket hones in on Katie’s emotions and sucks her back to the night everything changed. She now has the chance to fix things and make them right. Only...things are no longer quite as they once were. Little things have changed in this time, from people’s attitudes, to their relationships with one another, to things that never existed before or were in different locations. Not only that, there is a scar left against Katie’s skin from the locket’s blaring heat as it brought her backward, a reminder of the price she paid to return to this moment. And certain things scare Katie, such as the fact that the locket her grandfather had given her grandmother after a mistake no longer has his picture…but that of a completely different man.
Katie isn’t sure what happened, but she’s determined to make things work this time around. She knows what situations to avoid, and she’s able to work her way around things that didn’t go well for her the first time, such as forgetting her math homework and getting in trouble, or getting embarrassed by a fellow classmate. Plus, she’s able to prevent The Mistake from happening. But something goes wrong that never happened the first time around, and the locket takes on a life of its own, sucking her back a few minutes and leaving behind a second scar…and another new reality. This time around, situations are darker, scarier, and after two terrible tragedies that Katie isn’t able to reverse, she begins to realize just how evil the locket really is, but it’s impossible to move from around her neck. In this reality, her grandmother has never seen the locket before, and she has nobody to turn to; there is no one with answers.
THE LOCKET by Stacey Jay reminds me of Lauren Oliver’s debut novel, bestseller BEFORE I FALL. As Sam repeats the last day of her life, trying to change things so that she doesn’t die in a horrific accident, she’s able to repeat various situations and learns a lot each time, as does Katie in THE LOCKET. She becomes wiser, learns truths she’s been hiding from herself for a long time, and forms new opinions of the people in her life, able to analyze them in a way she never could before. Both novels remind me of the Bill Murray movie GROUNDHOG DAY, where a weatherman is forced to live through his most hated holiday again and again and again. Like Sam and Katie, he goes through many revelations and has a different outlook on life by the end. Katie’s story is the most dissimilar of the three; while it shares common elements, Katie only goes backward twice and has no control, so she doesn’t do crazy things that can be fixed the next day the way the others can, having been through the same day again and again and again with no hope of the next one being any different. Jay manages to weave together a story that never gets boring, but leaves readers more tense as the novel progresses, wanting to know what happens next and the secret behind the locket with a life of its own.
Book Review: Crescendo (Hush, Hush, #2), by Becca Fitzpatrick
11:16 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Release Date: October 19th, 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster's Children's Publishing
Overall: 4 Stars
Other books in the series: Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1), Silence (Hush, Hush, #3)
Summary:
My Opinion:Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but atleast she got a guardian angel out of it: a mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever and even worse, he's started spending time with Nora's arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.
Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadnt been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feeling that he's hiding something.
Haunted by images of her murdered father, and questioning whether her nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death, Nora puts herself increasingly in dangerous situations as she desperatly searches for answers. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.
Hush, Hush was such an amazing, exciting, and fun beginning to a series, that I was hoping to be even more in love with Patch in Crescendo. But I was a little disappointed.
It took me a while to remember that Nora's sixteen years old, therefore some of her actions and decisions seemed a little immature to me. Even so, I couldn't help think sometimes that she could make a better choice. Or tell her, "Why don't you see what he's doing to you?" (he being either Patch, Scott or Rixon).
All that aside, I loved how Becca put even more drama into Crescendo, making Nora question her father's death, thinking it might have been Patch who did it, which led to the two of them eventually breaking up. All I could think was, "No! Don't do that! You can't leave Patch, he loves you!" But I've got to admit, she was very determined, and didn't change her mind like some little girl who says first they want one thing, and then they want another. I liked that.
The Marcie Drama was a little too undeveloped, I think it needed more, I needed to know more. But the Scott Issue was really well written! I loved that.
And the ending! Argh, you can't do that Becca, that's mean! Why did you leave us hanging like that? I tell you, it was all worth it for those final chapters!
So, all in all, while I didn't love this book as much as I did Hush, Hush, I still liked it, and that's why I'm giving it 4 Stars.
Have you read Hush, Hush and Crescendo? Are you waiting for Silence too?
Do you love Patch as much as I do? *swoon* (He's no Alex, though!)
xo, Ella
