Blog Tour: Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff

Places No One Knows, by Brenna Yovanoff
Publication: May 17, 2016, by Delacorte Press
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

For fans of Lauren Oliver and E. Lockhart, here is a dreamy love story set in the dark halls of contemporary high school, from New York Times bestselling author Brenna Yovanoff.
Waverly Camdenmar spends her nights running until she can’t even think. Then the sun comes up, life goes on, and Waverly goes back to her perfectly hateful best friend, her perfectly dull classes, and the tiny, nagging suspicion that there’s more to life than student council and GPAs.
Marshall Holt is a loser. He drinks on school nights and gets stoned in the park. He is at risk of not graduating, he does not care, he is no one. He is not even close to being in Waverly’s world.
But then one night Waverly falls asleep and dreams herself into Marshall’s bedroom—and when the sun comes up, nothing in her life can ever be the same. In Waverly’s dreams, the rules have changed. But in her days, she’ll have to decide if it’s worth losing everything for a boy who barely exists.

My Thoughts:

Discovering that I was able to review this book was a dream come true. This, the lovely Places No One Knows, is the first book I have ever read by Brenna Yovanoff, and after hearing mixed reviews about her novels and method of writing, I had mixed feelings myself. But I must say that my feelings/anticipation was more on the hopeful side. Places No One Knows was not the best book in the world, but this story does have every single thing that every contemporary novel needs, and even a little bit more: SASS. FLAIR. LOVE. Those three words can describe my feelings, honestly. And that's a good thing. I normally have a difficult time deciding on what my opinion of a novel will look like, but this, the first work I have reviewed by Yovanoff, is a perfect example of what a good book looks like. Minus my dislike of the dreaming theme, of course.

From what I expected (especially from the cover), I expected an ordinary contemporary built with some coming-of-age theme. Don't get me wrong: this book is solemnly written about Waverly's difficulty of herself coming of age, but I must set a disclaimer straight: I was fooled yet again. Again. The last time this occurred was with Siobhan Vivian's newest, The Last Boy and Girl in the World. Listen, friends: I don't really like to read synopses thoroughly before I read a book, and this occurred with both of these two cases. There is nothing majorly wrong with these two books. Who knows, maybe the authors wouldn't have done such a good job with my original thought? Brenna Yovonoff captured the light and darkness of dreams and romance, whipped together as if they were created a secret recipe of a cake. We have two love interests, Waverly and Marshall, who legitimately have foil personalities (making the story even more scandalous), and I really enjoyed their love story that came together because of the unusual. THEY ARE SO CUTE.

"Let me tell you about blisters: they are irrelevant. They tear, they weep, they scar, but they do not keep you from getting to the finish line. Pain is a series of impulses. It helps from your nerve endings to your brain, telling you to move your hand off the burner, to get that gash stitched up. It's an evolutionary function, a language of survival. Pain as a concrete, factual thing does not exist." (45)

This is a witty story that seems legit. We have an intelligent protagonist, who, makes the right decisions and does not spend all of the pages of the novel thinking about makeup. Boys, maybe, but I really admired Waverly's sense-of-self throughout the story. It never changed, or deteriorated. Waverly simply had, and continued to gain her coming-of-age as she matured and overcame new experiences. Marshall was her exact foil, and the cheesy love quote of opposites attracting really does make sense when we compare these two love interests together. Marshall is your stereotypical guy who drinks, smokes, and doesn't care about school. Stereotypical. No opinions added, I promise. But he does have a dark side to his story that most people do not expect. This just shows how judgmental and prejudicial our society is. Another problem that leaves me for another blog post and another time. I admired his cycle of gaining positivity very highly.

I had major issues with the formatting. This book was written so absurdly, more weirdly than anything else I have read for years. Brenna Yovonoff has that unique style to her writing, absolutely, but, the way it was written just kind of made me dissatisfied and hesitant to continue. I've seen that this is also a big problem to other reviewers as well. We have a back-and-forth rotation of perspectives between Waverly and Marshall, but at the same time, the narration was completely confusing. This book was confusing itself. From the synopsis to the moment I flipped the last page, something was... off. It could have been just me, don't get me wrong. But Places No One Knows is a little too eerie for my liking. That was the only con, to be honest, but I was kind of laid off and a little tinkered with a bit too much by this.

The funny thing is as I was reading, I felt that everything was going downhill. I was on page 100 when I realized that this was not going to well. And something just switched. I grew to like Waverly even more than I initially had, and the romance and everything was put together beautifully. The dream thing... I cannot really still comprehend it, but whatever.

There are books that we will find in life that are just not for us and we end up a little hesitant with the outcome. Places No One Knows was kind of like that, but I felt more, much more satisfied than dissatisfied. If you like complex stories, then great. If you enjoy a novel with a good base of characters and romance, then great as well. Even if you normally do not pick up plain contemporary, for sure there are elements of other great authors such as John Green or Lauren Oliver that give us the vibe to absolute enjoyment.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

What are your thoughts on romance, specifically contemporary mixed with dream-related themes? What are some books like this? (I do like books similar to this, to be honest!)

Release Day Review: I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (I'M MIND-BLOWN.)

I'm Thinking of Ending Things, by Iain Reid
Publication: June 14, 2016, by Galley/Scout Press
Format: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery
Pages: 224
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

In this deeply suspenseful and irresistibly unnerving debut novel, a man and his girlfriend are on their way to a secluded farm. When the two take an unexpected detour, she is left stranded in a deserted high school, wondering if there is any escape at all. What follows is a twisted unraveling that will haunt you long after the last page is turned.
In this smart, suspenseful, and intense literary thriller, debut novelist Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, this novel pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go.

My Thoughts:

Dear Friends and Fellow Reviewers,

One month ago, I was fortunate to attend BookExpo America 2016 and was especially fortunate to grab a copy of Iain Reid's newest novel (by the way, he's Canadian in case that makes things even better for reviewers like me!), I'm Thinking of Ending Things. This was highly anticipated by me and I was meaning to grab a copy of this one as soon as I stepped onto the show floor during that amazing experience. Fellow book lovers, this could easily be your next favourite book of all time. Pull the covers up, grab a cup of coffee (to help you stay awake), turn your phone off and just live in the whimsical mind of Iain and his story that really resembles a lot of other psychological thrillers I've read, but is completely different at the same time. ITOET is unlike your usual read; I was so damn scared that I actually had to put the book away for the night and continue it the next morning.

I WAS SCARED. There was this weird part where the main character (we never discover her name) is sleeping in her room and she wakes up, finding that there is a man outside of her window, and she only sees his torso because he is so tall. I thought that I would pee my pants. I don't think I'll ever forget about that scene, honestly. And those kind of memorable scenes or excerpts are the ones that stay with you and have you believe that the book is more beautiful than one can ever imagine. Yeah, there are a lot of complaints that the bookish community has been giving in terms of the beginning being very loooong, but WHO CARES? This is a short story in general and we readers are just left shocked by the end.

"Getting to know someone is like putting a never-ending puzzle together. We fit the smallest pieces first and we get to know ourselves better in the process." (61)

This is a simple, but complex story at the same time. We have two main characters and they legitimately are just stuck together for the story. The majority of the plot takes place in Jake's car, and the main character, who we eventually discover to be his paranoid girlfriend, is in this car with him, heading over to his parents' house. The parents actually have nothing to do with the story, but they just add that extra creepy vibe to this all. Wait until the high school. That's where my eyes came out of their sockets, kind of. Involved with creepy paintings/photos, abandoned high schools and eerie janitors, this all makes so much sense when we put the puzzle pieces together. This is the kind of story that high school English teachers would want their classes to analyze and write those five-star essays on. There is so much to talk about in relation to this completion of beautiful pages.

You are not reading this book for the romance, but for the completion of the story and how a mastermind like Iain Reid is able to put a story together like this. There are plot twists and such a twisted ending that I am still in shock to this very moment. You realize that there are several meanings to this book and we must pay very close attention to the format, because IT MEANT SOMETHING ALL ALONG. The title does too, of course. I couldn't help but wonder where this was being taken place, and then I realized that Canada was probably the answer, and I got the chills again. It's horrible when you read a book so close to home. *shivers*

"What if suffering doesn't end with death? How can we know? What if it doesn't get better? What if death isn't an escape? What if the maggots continue to feed and feed and feed and continue to be felt? This possibility scares me." (83)

I am in love with this story. Of course, I would never want it to occur in reality because that's just sickening, but I loved everything about it. Being the first book I picked up after returning home from BEA, I am so satisfied and so obsessed with the ending and everything that this book has to offer for readers. Honestly? This is not YA, but there isn't a ton of mature subject matter except for the creepy-jeepy stuff. I'm scared to this day, but I guess that the only thing we could do is move on. Agh. And then we have the overflow of life lessons here and I realize that I cannot trust anyone and now I'm starting to shake and become overwhelmed and... that quote I cited above is started to get me a little more tense. No worries, though. You haven't read this one so I'm betting that it doesn't affect you like it did me. Once you know the meaning...

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is both a suicide note and also something more. We are not reading it because our main character is not named and we do not know much about her except for the elements of depression and stress that she deals with. I AM SO SHOCKED AND MESMERIZED BY IAIN'S WRITING THAT I JUST WANT TO MEET HIM AND TELL HIM HOW AMAZING HE IS. I'm sure you would think the same. So, I'm thinking of ending things right now. (Ending the review, obviously). 

*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

What is your favourite psychological thriller? Do you ever get these moods where you decide that you want to read a specific kind of genre of books?

The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian // Aww! The Title Fooled Me!

The Last Boy and Girl in the World, by Siobhan Vivian
Publication: April 26, 2016, by Simon and Schuster BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?
While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.
And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.
There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk.
Almost.
It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

My Thoughts:

I came into this book, deciding to pick it up at the moment I did because I expected to legitimately read about the last boy and girl in the world. I actually expected to read about a dystopian-like romance with us trying to discover why are they the last, or if they are just the beginning, you know? The title kind of fooled me. But either way, this was so adorable and I must admit, Siobhan Vivian keeps on doing it. Keeps on surprising readers with her flair and beautiful writing that just keeps on making us beg for more. Begging on our knees. At least I am. I would totally want some kind of continuation to Keeley's story and how everything fits together perfectly. But at the same time, it did end more perfectly than I could have ever wanted it to. I must say that there is just one main point in my mind that keeps on echoing in a spiral: love is gorgeous. Listen: I don't think I'll get some kind of personal intake from this, because I know I will not ever form some kind of high school romance, but this story works in so many ways and FOR THOSE WHO WANT ROMANCE AND SOMETHING NEW? READ THIS THING. NOW.

Siobhan Vivian has similar writing to the magnificent Jenny Han. Well, they are best friends after all, and they probably rub off on each other. I remember reading Burn for Burn and discovering that I could not even imagine whose perspective was written by who. I kind of feel the same way now; it was like Jenny Han's presence was in here. That's a positive thing, my friends. This is a cutesy contemporary that comes with (A) a flood that really has you looking out your window for any severe thunderstorms (B) a cute rebellious guy and (C) that back-and-forth motion of a relationship. This is about two love-struck teenagers, after all. There HAS TO BE that back-and-forth motion where we end up expecting that the relationship is going to downfall and plummet into the dirt. I cannot give you any hints if there was a good turnout for Keeley and Jesse (there, that's his name! I almost forgot!)

This story, again, is about a flood that shocks a very small town. That's so interesting to read about, because the flood actually does take a major toll on the plot. We read about the many circumstances that Keeley has to overcome, and most of these hardships involve the flood in one way or another. We read about the hardships of her parents' relationship, and how their opposite personalities really rip their love apart, and it all occurred because of the flood. And in a way, things came together between Keeley and Jesse because the flood occurred. Their "huge school" did not make this happen, but their attraction did. And let's mention that there was a year age gap between them; it's not like they knew each other well.

I had a few issues with this: Levi and Elise. These were two side characters that us readers did not expect to come into play of this book at all. But towards the end, we not-know-it-alls realize that they did play a big role in Keeley's life. Levi is that side-character that just shocks us, and we've always felt his presence by Keeley's side. And then we have Elise, who is that third wheel in the relationship that we do not want to tear apart: Morgan and Keeley's. I've always been told that there can never be a friendship of three people, and this is why. I kind of raged that these two characters were plummeted into the plot, but whatever, honestly.

I read this book on my road trip to Chicago (#BEA16!) and for the majority, it was something that really pulled me in. It took me a few good hours to read, but I was so interested into knowing what would happen next that time literally flew by. Before I knew it, I was in Chicago and more books were being thrown into luggages. YIPPEE! This is Siobhan's usual style of writing, and I thank her very much for that. We don't have some major contemporary confusion, just a nice, rich story about a girl who is torn apart between reality and love.

Me, as an avid reader, occasionally finds contemporaries to be kind of fluffy. Too fluffy sometimes. I found the plotting very detailed in this story and that was a huge highlight for me. This turned out to shock me in more ways than another, and I was so excited to read the ending, and feeling that burst of rainbows inside of me. Siobhan Vivian does it again, she whips a relatable protagonist with so much angst in her that I just FEEL her, alongside friendships and romance. 2016 is not the same without this book, y'know?

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

What are some YA contemporaries that you know of that shock readers by the end? Have you read Siobhan's books before? (If you had, did you enjoy it/them?)

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead // Back At It Again!

The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1), by Richelle Mead
Publication: April 5, 2016, by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.
Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.
When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.
But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands…

My Thoughts:

It has literally been ages since the last time I have picked up something written by the fabulous Richelle Mead. That depresses me. It makes me feel like I have no more connection to fantasy/romance novels, and that the memories I have of reading Vampire Academy, falling in love with Dimitri and Rose, and believing that fantasy, mythical creatures and forces do exist are all gone. Away. Flooded. When I discovered that I had the chance to read and review Richelle's newest stellar story, The Glittering Court, which did sound like Kiera Cass' The Selection if I do say so myself, I JUMPED OFF A CLIFF. No seriously. Do you want to know what I really did? I jumped off the last step in my house like it was a cliff or Mount Everest or something in that context. This book made me so happy.

Before I get to anything, you must prepare yourself a survival kit for this story. This survival kit will consist of kleenexes, awake-pills and your phone/computer so you could update your Goodreads. Why? Kleenexes are for the feels that hit you in the end when we read two soulful letters from Adelaide's friends: Tamsin and Mira. LETTERS ARE BEAUTIFUL. WHEREFORE DO LADS AND GALS NOT SEEK TO WRITE THEM ANYMORE? The awakening pills are for the boredom that strikes around the beginning half of the story, around the first hundred pages when readers really try to see what this is actually about, and the phone because you'll be shocked with the plot twists and romance. I needed to regurgitate this story to the world. I need to. Now. 

The Glittering Court is basically the opposite of what a typical fantasy novel written by the fantasy-author-goddesses like Richelle Mead and Leigh Bardugo would normally be like. THIS WAS RICH, VERY LUXURIOUS AND MOVING. I'm moved by Adelaide's character and the world that Mead created for her characters to live and move around in. THIS IS THE KIND OF FANTASY I ADORE.

Listen: I am not the kind of readers who goes for books about dragons or ogres. I love fantasy with a twist, particularly romance without all of the heirs and bloodlines. (What a funny pun, if you Richelle Mead fans know what I mean!) 

"I couldn't even say who started the kissing then. Maybe there was no true start. Maybe it was just a continuation of what we'd begun that night among the stars. Wrapped in his arms, wrapped in him, I couldn't believe I'd somehow gone the last week without touching him. Really touching him—not those stolen brushes of fingertips and legs. I had danced with dozens of men in this month and never felt a flicker of what I felt when Cedric simply looked at me." (240)

Aw. Cedric and Adelaide are the most adorable couple ever. THEY ARE MY OTP. This is definitely like your Bachelor kind of plot. We have many men who are just dying to get engaged with a pretty, peppy young woman like Adelaide, and of course, there are heirs and those kinds of things mixed in within, but the romance definitely is the key part for me.

The Glittering Court kind of made my life so much better. I mean—hey. There were boring parts, but everything made so much sense and was so entertaining. I love this one, and I am so excited to continue the series and see Adelaide's adventures with Cedric next. *winks* Girl power between friendships, romance and a gorgeous plot—what else do we possibly need?

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

What is one of the best new fantasy novels out there? Do you like Richelle Mead's writing?

Waiting on Wednesday #41: Flower

Flower, by Elizabeth Craft and Shea Olsen
Publication: January 3, 2017, by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384

These are the things that I've always wanted:

To get the top grades in my class.

To make my grandmother proud.

And most of all, proof that I could succeed where the rest of my family had not: a Stanford acceptance letter, early admission.

My mother and my sister were obsessed with boys and love and sex. So obsessed that they lost sight of their futures, of what they wanted. And in the end, they lost everything.

I'll never let a boy distract me. I promised my grandmother that.

But that was before Tate.

Before the biggest pop star on the planet took an interest in me.

Before private planes and secret dates and lyrics meant for me alone.

There's so much I don't know. Like why he left music. Where he goes when we're not together. What dark past he's hiding. But when we kiss, the future feels far away. And now…I'm not sure what I want.

Flower looks gorgeous. This is completely the right kind of book for me; a mix of contemporary with romance that is just the thing to make me smile. Plus, the cover is SO amazing!

What are you anticipating the most this week?

Twenty Questions for Gloria by Martyn Bedford // A Different Psychological Thriller Than the Rest

Twenty Questions for Gloria, by Martyn Bedford
Publication: April 12, 2016, by Wendy Lamb
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

Gloria is tired of her ordinary life. An unadventurous teenager, she barely remembers the free-spirited child she used to be. So when a mysterious new boy strolls into school, bent on breaking all the rules, Gloria is ready to fall under his spell.
Uman is funny, confident, and smart. He does what he wants without a care for what anyone thinks. The only people for him, he says, are the mad ones, the ones who never say or do a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn.
He is everything Gloria wants to be. He can whisk her away and show her a more daring, more exciting life—one in which the only limits are the boundaries of her own boldness.
But Uman is not all he seems. And by the time she learns the truth about him, she’s a long way from home…and the whole country wants to know: Where’s Gloria?

My Thoughts:

Woof. It has been a real long time since I finished this one (way before BEA even), and I'm just writing this review now! This actually tells me how much of a review-procrastinator I am. But please, trust me, I am not like this in reality. In fact, I do call myself the most organized person I know. A little too arrogant, do you not agree? Anyway, I apologize for my babbling. No excuses, Michelle! *bangs head against a table* Twenty Questions for Gloria by Martyn Bedford is a psychological thriller/mystery/whatever you would like to call it that you absolutely need to keep. You need to keep loving it, reading it and devouring it because I promise you, it's so great.

I have heard some things about Bedford's writing, and it's been pretty positive for the most part. After receiving this pretty in the mail one day and adding it to my TBR, I realized that I do have another book of Martyn's on my list: Never Ending. Now that one looks good. Gloria's story is enriching with so many aspects that more mysteries need to take into consideration. Over here, Gloria's story is told from the perspective of her in the police station, getting interviewed by the detective. Her mother is there and Gloria is retelling the story. We get to hear her vivid thoughts and everything that's going on around her and what actually happened. Sure, we could read the news and just make assumptions on everything, but the real truth comes out when the victim speaks.

What I liked about this one was that Bedford took a different approach to your typical thriller slash mystery. This time around, we have a victim who actually wanted to go on this journey, set sail for a new life from her regular life in her small England town. She takes off with the new guy from her school, who she is immediately attracted to. No, this is not your instant-love woods story. This book is written for the people who were close to getting lost in their minds, trying to head on adventures. It's for people like Gloria, who just need a break from ordinary chaos and who just need to swim in their own thoughts. For me, I truly feel that when I am on vacation, or when reading a good book with no distractions around me. That's greatness.

I was immediately drawn to Uman, just like Gloria was, but in a freakish way where I suspected the worst from him. I did not like his background story, or his reason for anything. This just seemed completely unbelievable. I couldn't believe that story where the guy just shows up out of nowhere and picks her. Her is the girl who just tries to make it seem that she's nobody special, that she's ordinary. At the same time, I believe that every character/person has something special in them that makes them stand out, but it's just weird how the whole Uman thing came together.

This mostly was a non-romance story, but you could feel the lust. Anyway, I will not really comment on that factor, but it was interesting to read about, coming from the perspective of a teenage girl who had not really experienced much in the "taking risks" category, just like myself. Gloria was easy to relate to, and it seemed that I would have done much of the same that she did, but at the same time, she had her dumb moments. Her bad decision-making that just made me cry out loud, "WHY?" Like, why not call your parents? Why believe this guy? I would never have put my shoes in her situation first of all.

And when I look at this book from a bird's eye view, I see that it was pretty entertaining. Sure, boring moments occurred, but this is just a quick read that anyone could devour in a sitting or two. I finished it in two, and was extremely satisfied with the pacing and how everything turned out. 

Twenty Questions for Gloria was divided into twenty chapters (from what I remembered), and it took me on an emotional journey that is simply difficult to forget about. I just remember the instant attraction between Gloria and Ulam, as well as the tagline that just drew me in. I read this during one of my psychological-thriller-phases (which I get every now and then), and just really was happy with the turn-out. Of course, this is not the perfect read, but it gives every person, young or old, that whimsical view on the struggles of teenage-hood and dealing with maturity from a relatable line of sight. We certainly do not get that very often in literature these days.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

What are some good coming of age books that tie in with mystery? I sure do love my mystery!

Waiting on Wednesday #40: Carve the Mark

Carve the Mark (Untitled Duology #1), by Veronica Roth
Publication: January 17, 2017, by Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Science Fiction

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not — their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?
Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.
Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuve, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive — no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive — or to destroy one another.

PEOPLE. PEOPLE. PEOPLE. I actually have a sampler of this perfection from BEA, where Veronica Roth actually signed them (I didn't get mine signed), and I'm so excited, but afraid at the same time to read it because I'll long for this more.

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL AND I THINK THE FANS ARE GOING CRAZY. I read Divergent years ago and have needed more forever. This is beautiful, I love the cover.

Do you like Veronica Roth's writing? What do you think of sci-fi these days?