500 Word Critique: YA Paranormal

And, here's yet another request for critique! Please welcome Mflick1 and an exerpt from her YA paranormal novel. Like the last few times, I'm pasting the full story without my comments first, so as not to influence anyone with my opinions.

YA Paranormal
Calm down Ryder!

No! This is freaky!

Ryder you are making NO sense. Who’s there? Why are you so freaked?

Piper, someone was behind me and then they hid. Someone is following me! It’s like in a scary movie, ya know when the actress has that sinking feeling and keeps turning around to catch him, but secretly hopes she is paranoid. Well, I want to be paranoid.

She remembered what had happened so I could see the memory, but I saw no one. She wasn’t afraid, but creeped out, and I chalked it up to the scary movie we had watched last night, in which a pretty blonde girl was followed. Countless times Ryder had on edge feelings in which she was sure she wasn’t alone or was being watched and it never had turned out to be anything. Mom had allowed us to watch scary movies like Friday the Thirteenth and Dracula, when we were tots. Not the best move on Mom’s part for Ryder.

Another difference between us, an over-active imagination went to Ryder.

That’s ridiculous, Ryder, I tried to soothe. You always feel that way and it has always turned out to be nothing.

It was then I realized a boy from my Medieval Literature class was staring at me from where he sat in the library. He was sitting at a table by himself, looking over his book and smiling at me, with a familiar air about him, as if he knew me and more than just as a new classmate.

Piper, pay attention to me!

Relax, Ryder!

He laughed. He laughed as if on cue. I roughed up my hair in frustration, as if trying to shake him and the feeling away. Still he was sitting there, laughing in my direction over his book. I looked over my shoulder to see if there was something going on behind me. No, nothing. He was staring and laughing at me continuously.

Damn it Piper! I need you!

She startled me with her force of voice to the point where I visibly jumped and he chuckled harder. I was hit with this overwhelming feeling that my private conversation was anything but private. He stopped laughing and was deliberately staring at me.

Inquisitive?

He can hear me. He can hear us.

What? What are you talking about?

Nothing. Nothing. Meet me at our room.

I have class. I can’t.

You think someone is following you but you won’t skip class? Yes, yes you can.

He smirked at me.

I picked up my books and lit out of the library quickly. I didn’t dare look at him and I certainly didn’t dare think of anything again. Blank. Could it be? Could someone hear us? No. With everywhere we had been and the people we had met, no, it couldn’t happen.

But, what if?

Hadn’t we wondered as little girls if we were the only ones with the ability? Were we the only freaks?

Were we the abnormal among the normal looking for the abnormal to become the normal?

My Comments
I’m guessing that this isn’t the opening, and that Ryder and Piper’s abilities have already been established and introduced. Working from that assumption, this is an interesting excerpt. It feels like a transition from one conflict to another—someone spying on Ryder to someone listening in on Piper’s telepathic conversation. Even though I haven’t seen what happened before, I can still feel the tension rising. So good job with that. I’m definitely intrigued and want to read more!

Calm down Ryder!

No! This is freaky!

Ryder you are making NO sense. Who’s there? Why are you so freaked?

Piper, someone was behind me and then they hid. Someone is following me! It’s like in a scary movie, ya know when the actress has that sinking feeling and keeps turning around to catch him, but secretly hopes she is paranoid. Well, I want to be paranoid.

She remembered what had happened so I could see the memory, but I saw no one (do we see the memory in an earlier chapter? If not, why not show it to us here?). She wasn’t afraid, but creeped out, and I chalked it up to the scary movie we had watched last night, in which a pretty blonde girl was followed. Countless times Ryder had on edge feelings in which she was sure she wasn’t alone or was being watched and it never had turned out to be anything. Mom had allowed us to watch scary movies like Friday the Thirteenth and Dracula, when we were tots (not really tots, right? That paints a very specific image of a two year old, or something :). Perhaps stating their ages might work better here?). Not the best move on Mom’s part for Ryder.

Another difference between us, an over-active imagination went to Ryder.

That’s ridiculous, Ryder, I tried to soothe. You always feel that way and it has always turned out to be nothing.

It was then I realized a boy from my Medieval Literature class was staring at me from where he sat in the library (all of this tells us what you show us in the next sentence; hence, not necessary). He was sitting at a table by himself, looking over his book and smiling at me, with a familiar air about him, as if he knew me and more than just as a new classmate.

Piper, pay attention to me!

Relax, Ryder!

He laughed. He laughed as if on cue. I roughed up my hair in frustration (in this context, this is definitely a boy-action since most teen girls don’t mess up their hair. Unless, of course, this precedence has already been set in a previous chapter), as if trying to shake him and the feeling away. Still he was sitting there, laughing in my direction over his book. I looked over my shoulder to see if there was something going on behind me. No, nothing. He was staring and laughing at me continuously.

Damn it Piper! I need you!

She startled me with her force of voice to the point where I visibly jumped and he chuckled harder. I was hit with this overwhelming feeling (how does this feel? How would Piper come to this realization in her head? You show us her thoughts later on, which the mysterious boy hears, but we need a way to feel what she’s feeling right here, and also question whether or not this boy could hear her at the same time she’s questioning it) that my private conversation was anything but private. He stopped laughing and was deliberately staring at me.

Inquisitive? (is this the boy speaking, or is it Piper’s prose?)

He can hear me. He can hear us.

What? What are you talking about?

Nothing. Nothing. Meet me at our room.

I have class. I can’t.

You think someone is following you but you won’t skip class? Yes, yes you can.

He smirked at me.

I picked up my books and lit out of the library quickly. I didn’t dare look at him and I certainly didn’t dare think of anything again. Blank. Could it be? Could someone hear us? No. With everywhere we had been and the people we had met, no, it couldn’t happen.

But, what if? (the situation seems to have a bit more to it than ‘what if.’ There appears to be some evidence that he could hear her, so wouldn’t she be thinking about that? Also, this is huge! I’m guessing she’d be having a much stronger reaction, and be struggling pretty heavily with going blank vs. freaking out over this boy. We need to see this)

Hadn’t we wondered as little girls if we were the only ones with the ability? Were we the only freaks?

Were we the abnormal among the normal looking for the abnormal to become the normal? (funny :) )
***

So, what did you all think? Thoughts, questions, comments, gushing? Please do share.

Winner of the February Book Giveaway!

I can't believe February is almost over. This winter has flown by quicker than any other I can remember. Not really sure why...

Anyway, it's already time to announce the winner of this month's giveaway! And that person is...

Serena from Pensive Bookeaters!!!!

Congratulations!!  I'll get your books out to you as soon as I can, but it might be a little while because I'm having knee surgery next week.

As for everyone else, come back next saturday to see what I'm giving away next month. I've got lots more ARCs just waiting for new homes. :)

Or, there is still time to enter the February Reading Challenge giveaway. It ends Monday.

Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?
Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .
Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

I grew up in Illinois, and I’ve lived in Chicago for the past fifteen years. So when I saw this book coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

It’s definitely a high-tension, high-drama story. The girls are being shoved into certain images either because it’s what expected of them or because they’re trying to hide from something else. But they don’t necessarily belong in those little boxes, and it’s interesting watching them try to get out.

I will say, though, that this wasn’t my favorite book. There is lots of what I call ‘girl drama,’ which is girls being mean to each other with very little motivation. There also isn’t much understanding or sympathy between friendships, which makes them appear shallow and convenient rather than deep and strong. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it’s just not my personal preference.

The details surrounding the time period were well done, especially around the speakeasies and dress styles. I had a clear image of the grungy basement turned glamorous, the crush of people, and the smoky air. It didn’t quite capture the complexities of the era, but what was there was very good.

If you like drama, this story has it in spades. If not, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Mixing Past and Present Tense

If you’re writing in present tense, it makes sense to mix in some past tense as you provide back story to your reader. But what about when you’re writing in past tense? Can you mix in some present tense?

I hear this off and on: if you’re writing past tense, you can’t mix in present tense because that violates the rules of past tense. As in, you’re telling a story that happened in the past, so you can’t talk about what’s happening in the present. That statement is logically sound, so it makes sense. But I still disagree with it.

When a story is told in past tense, the main character has had some time to reflect and perhaps understand what happened on a deeper level. Sometimes it changes the way she currently thinks, and sometimes it doesn’t. And it’s perfectly fine to include her current feelings on things that happened in her story.

Basically, you can follow this rule of thumb: if it’s still true in your character’s present, then you can write it in present tense even if your story is in past tense.

For example, if your character has a medical condition that still exists after the story is concluded, then she can talk about it in the present tense. Or, if your character’s family member has a medical condition that still exists, she can talk about that in the present tense. If she has a dog with quirky habits, that can be referred to in present tense (as long as the dog and the habits are still there after the story’s conclusion). Things like this.

The next question, of course, is why would we want to mix present tense with past tense? What purpose does it serve other than to confuse the author, possibly the reader as well?

Well, if you’re not careful, you do run the risk of confusing the reader. So pay close attention to how you mix the tenses. But, if done well, then it adds an immediacy to your story, similar to what you get when writing in present tense.

The big advantage of writing in present tense is that it makes the story feel immediate, like it’s happening right as we’re reading, and we get to watch things unfold at the same time the characters do. But that’s hard to pull off, and it can easily come across as a gimmick. Writing completely in past tense can make the story sound old, like it’s been stuffed in a box for a while and the characters have finally decided to take it down and dust it off. But it’s often a more effective way of telling the story, because we get to add the character’s reflections and gained wisdom. So, each has a strength and a weakness.

But if we mix the two, we get the best of both worlds. We get the reflection and the wisdom that comes with it, plus the immediacy of how the character is feeling at the time she’s telling the story. A definite win-win for both reader and writer. :)

Have you ever mixed the two tenses? Has it worked, or did it leave you banging your head against your keyboard?

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Johnny’s not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it, he is on a mission in the Everglades, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch.

This was a fun story. Actually, all of Flinn's stories (that I've read) are fun. But this is the first one where the fairy tale retelling is a mish-mash of a bunch rather than focusing on one. Such as:
The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Frog Prince
The Salad
The Six Swans
The Golden Bird
The Valiant Tailor
The Fisherman and His Wife
(and a tiny splash of Cinderella, with a twist, for good measure)

Considering the sheer number of tales woven together, I thought Flinn did a splendid job. She was true to the fairy tales for the most part, mixing them up a little here and there as they're woven together. I hadn't heard of a couple of these, so it was interesting to see them played out through Meg's and Johnny's stories. The pacing was quick and it was an easy read. A bit on the predictable side, but that didn't bother me. Fairy tale retellings are often predictable because I know the story ahead of time.

I only had a couple issues. First, the summary above confuses me. The story takes place mostly in the Florida Keys, not the Everglades. And the fox's name is Todd, not Joe. But maybe that's because I read an ARC and it hadn't been finalized.

The other thing that bothered me was how easy it was for the bad guys to fool Johnny. At times, he was very astute and narrowly avoided danger because he was paying attention and reacted quickly. But other times, he...well...wasn't. He even looked right at a big clue a couple of times and dismissed it. I have a hard time with characters who don't see the obvious because it's often a device to further the plot. So, there were a few times I wanted to yell at him to stop being so dense. :)

Still, this is a fun, entertaining read for teens of all ages.

For a chance to win an ARC, go here and enter a URL.

500 Word Critique: YA Paranormal

I got another request for critique, and again the author has decided to identify herself! So, please welcome Christine Danek, and the first 500 words of her YA paranormal. Like last time, I'm pasting the full story without my comments first, so as not to influence anyone with my opinions.

YA Paranormal
3:00 am. Those numbers glowed green, staring at me, letting me know I wasn't sleeping. I couldn't. If I did, who knows what injury I would wake up with. Every night a dream would consume me, and when I woke, something on my body was cut, bruised, or almost broken.

I started at the ceiling. The fan squeaked and wobbled, trying to produce air flow. It wasn't succeeding. I turned over, hugging my pillow. What was happening? Maybe I should see someone, but who? A doctor? Padded room for sure. Is there such a thing as a dream specialist?

A branch scratched the window. I turned over again. 5:00 am. Where did the last two hours go? Adrenaline pumped through my veins, accelerating my heart. My T-shirt was damp and clinging to my back. What happened? Did I dream, again?

Bang. Bang. Bang. I jumped up. Someone was at the front door.

Who could be here? My parents are out of town. As I crept down the steps, I grabbed a brass candlestick from the small glass table in the hall. How I would use it, I don’t know, but I felt I needed something. The shadows of the trees danced behind the sheers.

Bang. Bang. Bang. My heartbeat throbbed in my ears and the candlestick shook in my hands. With my back to the door, I took one deep breath, perched up on my toes, turned, and looked out the peephole. Black bangs with a small purple streak and pale flesh filled my view in a weird distorted peephole way. The tension in my chest lifted. I fumbled with the lock and swung the door open.

“Graham?” I held the candlestick behind my back. He had both his hands on each side of the door frame. His damp hair created points across his forehead and sweat trickled down the sides of his face. “Did you run here?”

His dark, brown eyes searched my face, then behind me. “Sadie? Are you okay?” He stood up straight, his shoulders raised and lowered as he caught his breath.

“Should I be hurt?” I set the candlestick on the bench in the foyer. He walked passed me.

He turned on his heel and faced me. His black T-shirt stuck to his chest, defining every muscle underneath. “You just called me. Frantic. You sounded like you were hurt.” He cupped his hand on the back of his neck.

“I was sleeping. So, no, I didn’t call you.”

“Yes, you did. I was watching a movie with…” He paused. He knew I would be pissed. “Avery, and you called me, crying, hysterically. Saying someone was in the house.”

I crossed my arms. “Avery?” Did he have to say her name? He certainly didn’t wait long to start dating after we broke up.

He cocked his head to the side and rolled his eyes. “Is that why you called me? So you could ruin my night.”

“No. I didn’t call you. You ruined your own night as well as mine.” I fiddled with the tie on my pajama bottoms. Nothing like scaring the crap out of me and rubbing the new girlfriend in my face.

My Comments
A very intriguing beginning!! I’m totally hooked, and want to read more. You’ve introduced a couple really big questions and I’m dying to find out the answers. The prose reads quick and easy, and I settled into this piece with very little effort. Nice job!

3:00 am. Those numbers glowed green, staring at me, letting me know I wasn't sleeping. I couldn't. If I did, who knows what injury I would wake up with. Every night a dream would consume me, and when I woke, something on my body was cut, bruised, or almost broken. (Interesting!)

I started (stared) at the ceiling. The fan squeaked and wobbled, trying to produce air flow. It wasn't succeeding (why? Because it’s broken or because it was so stifling hot? A little bit more here would paint a vivid picture of the setting). I turned over, hugging my pillow. What was happening? Maybe I should see someone, but who? A doctor? Padded room for sure. Is there such a thing as a dream specialist? (these thoughts are fantastic and really raise the tension—now *I* want to know the answers to these questions :) )

A branch scratched the window (I really like this detail, but I think we need a bit more to make it work. Earlier, the fan wasn’t able to create air flow, and now there’s wind blowing branches. I know that two hours have just passed, but if you give us a bit more detail with the setting, like the gust of wind along with the branch, then maybe this will be more seamless). I turned over again. 5:00 am. Where did the last two hours go? Adrenaline pumped through my veins, accelerating my heart (if she was really pumped full of adrenaline, she’d be thinking about whatever had caused it and not so much about the adrenaline itself. I think the focus should stay internal here rather than external). My T-shirt was damp and clinging to my back. What happened? Did I dream, again? (A bit more. If she had dreamed, was she injured? Does she look for an injury?)

Bang. Bang. Bang. I jumped up. Someone was at the front door.

Who could be here? My parents are (were—the rest is written in past tense) out of town (quick note: there may have been some accidental loss in formatting and this looks like it could have been in italics as thoughts. You could put it back that way, or you could just change ‘are’ to ‘were’ and you still have her thoughts. Personally, I prefer that method because it feels more seamless to the story. But other people feel differently and you should do what feels best for you). As I crept down the steps, I grabbed a brass candlestick from the small glass table in the hall. How I would use it, I don’t (didn’t) know, but I felt (not needed—less is more here) I needed something. The shadows of the trees danced behind the sheers.

Bang. Bang. Bang. My heartbeat throbbed in my ears and the candlestick shook in my hands. With my back to the door, I took one deep breath, perched up on my toes, turned, and looked out the peephole. Black bangs with a small purple streak and pale flesh filled my view in a weird distorted peephole way. (awesome! Great voice here) The tension in my chest lifted (why? Let us know who he is so we can feel relief along with her. Wouldn’t she wonder why he was here before she opened the door? Would she wonder if something had happened to him since he looks like he ran there? And, wouldn’t that decrease and increase her tension at the same time?). I fumbled with the lock and swung the door open.

“Graham?” I held the candlestick behind my back. He had both his hands on each side of the door frame. His damp hair created points across his forehead and sweat trickled down the sides of his face. “Did you run here?”

His dark, brown eyes searched my face, then behind me. “Sadie? Are you okay?” He stood up straight, his shoulders raised and lowered as he caught his breath.

“Should I be hurt?” I set the candlestick on the bench in the foyer. He walked passed me.

He turned on his heel and faced me. His black T-shirt stuck to his chest, defining every muscle underneath. “You just called me. Frantic. You sounded like you were hurt.” He cupped his hand on the back of his neck.

“I was sleeping. So, no, I didn’t call you.”

“Yes, you did. I was watching a movie (not sure I buy this, not at 3 to 5 am. Most parents would make their kids’ friends go home, and it’s too convenient for both Sadie’s and Graham’s parents to be gone this particular weekend. So, is it necessary for Sadie to have blacked out between 3 and 5 am, or is it enough to move it up to maybe 11 to 1 am? What’s the most important piece here? The fact that she can’t sleep, or the fact that she blacked out?) with…” He paused. He knew I would be pissed (then would he really say her name here? Or is it enough for Sadie to figure out who he meant?). “Avery, and you called me, crying, hysterically. Saying someone was in the house.”

I crossed my arms. “Avery?” Did he have to say her name? He certainly didn’t wait long to start dating after we broke up. (great way to introduce this info!)

He cocked his head to the side and rolled his eyes. “Is that why you called me? So you could ruin my night.”

“No. I didn’t call you. You ruined your own night as well as mine.” I fiddled with the tie on my pajama bottoms. Nothing like scaring the crap out of me and rubbing the new girlfriend in my face.
***

So? What did you all think? Thoughts, questions, comments? Or, feel free to gush if you loved it. :) If you want to read the full first chapter, go here.

Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.
The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?
As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

I really had no expectations going into this book. I love the idea of a girl being perfectly happy being a geek (especially since I have geek tendencies and am fine with that), and that’s what really made me pick up this book. I ended up loving it.

I thought the plot was well laid out. There is a mixture of story, plus periodic transcripts from an audio recording between Emily and a man named Mr. Savage. These transcripts give the tiniest hints that there is much more to this story that what we’ve been given so far. It increased my interest, and made me want to keep reading faster so I could find out what was going to happen. Inserts like these can sometimes decrease tension, but not in this case. Sampson did a great job with these transcripts.

The plot of the regular story was well laid out as well. There is a big reveal midway through the story, and I didn’t see it coming. Though, as I thumbed back through the first half, the clues are there. So, I’m not sure if I was so engrossed in the story that I missed the clues, or if I was being a lazy reader, or what. But I was as surprised as Emily when she found out what was happening to her, which I loved.

The only thing I didn’t like was Emily’s best friend, Megan. She’s not the greatest friend, and it bothered me that Emily is still friends with her even though Megan kind of treats her poorly. However, she is definitely worse to other people, so maybe Emily measures the difference that way. Not sure. I do wish that Megan had been a little more likable, at least when it came to Emily. I do wonder if there are things going on with Megan that we haven’t seen yet, though...

The resolution was good, and I love that there wasn’t a huge focus on the romance aspect. It was there, and it was well done, but it didn’t overshadow the rest of the story. I also liked how the current story was resolved, at the same time introducing more questions that will likely be answered in the next book. I thought this was a good start to the series. Definitely recommended.

Negativity In A Public Forum

Last wednesday, during #YALitChat on twitter, there were apparently some comments made about book bloggers. It was partly triggered by the fact that some bloggers write negative reviews--bashing the book, and sometimes the author. So, a few people decided to bash them.

A bit of the pot calling the kettle black, if you ask me...

That said, I'm one of those bloggers who writes negative reviews. Because of this, I wanted to share my thoughts on the subject.

I've said this before, but I firmly believe in learning as much as I can, wherever I can. Especially when it comes to writing. For that reason, I will finish every book I pick up (because there is always something I have learned by the time I've read the last page). If I write a review, I will focus on making it constructive and respectful, and it is always about the work (not the author). I highlight both the good and bad, and will never tell people not to read it. I have very specific taste, so just because I didn't like it doesn't mean someone else won't.

So, why do I write negative reviews? Well, I believe in being honest. If I have issues with a book, or if I felt there were pieces missing, I'm going to point that out because I feel there are others who might want to know. Also, it's something I've learned from and I like to share what I've learned. And, whow knows? The author might take this feedback from a reader and file it away for future use.

Not everyone puts so much focus on the work, though. Amazon's review forums are a good example. Some of the people who write reviews (or comment on an existing review) are snarky, mean, disrespectful, or trying to start a fight. Also, there are some book bloggers out there who have attack the author personally instead of the work. Or, they've attacked the work and ripped it to shreds, spewing vitriol.

The big difference between a book blog and Amazon's review forums is this: the review forums are there for readers to share their personal reactions to a book. They may not even be big readers, but they could have had a strong reaction to a book (positive or negative), so they felt the need to share. People know this, so we adjust our expectations accordingly.

Book blogs are different. If someone is writing a blog about books, then it's safe to assume that this person is an avid reader and is there to promote reading. Therefore, the expectation is higher. Not incredibly high--we aren't looking for Kirkus or NYT quality reviews--but definitely high enough that there's no attacking going on.

The problem is this. Writers write stories that we hope will invoke emotion from the reader. Sometimes it’s not the kind of emotion we’d like…to me, that’s part of the nature of the business. Sometimes those emotions come out in a public forum, and they’re not always appropriate. And sometimes an author has a personal reaction, responding with more negativity.

A reader could maybe be forgiven for this transgression (unless the attack is personal), but an author should know better. Writers know what we’re getting into when we put our work out there for all to read, and we have to know when to walk away. Otherwise we are no better than those that bash us.

So, yes, I write negative reviews. But never never never will I attack either the author or the work. It's unprofessional. If a book blogger is doing any kind of attacking in a review, it just shows how unprofessional he/she is and it will turn off readers. Especially if that blogger is an aspiring author--watch what you say, folks, because it could come back to haunt you.

February Book Giveaway!

New month, new giveaway.

This month, I'm giving away two ARCs:

The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver
Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.
But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart – and her life?

Drought by Pam Bachorz
Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.
She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.
So she stays.
But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

To enter the contest, fill out the form below. Then come back here on the 26th to see of you've won. Good luck!!

All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz

Things were complicated enough for Roar, even before her father decided to yank her out of the city and go organic. Suddenly, she’s a farm girl, albeit a reluctant one, selling figs at the farmers’ market and developing her photographs in a ramshackle shed. Caught between a troublemaking sidekick named Storm, a brooding, easy-on-the-eyes L.A. boy, and a father on a human rights crusade that challenges the fabric of the farm community, Roar is going to have to tackle it all—even with dirt under her fingernails and her hair pulled back with a rubber band meant for asparagus.

This was definitely an interesting read. I certainly wasn't expecting to see a horrible car accident in the beginning of the story, especially after reading the summary above. It really intrigued me and I couldn't wait to find out how everything was going to get resolved.

The beginning has so much tension and conflict, and the relationship that builds between Aurora and Forest is exquisite. Through Forest, we learn so much about his mom--the driver who caused the horrible accident. She seems like an evil-type person in the beginning, but we learn she isn't. It was just a bunch of really horrible situations that pushed her actions in the wrong direction, and it happened to lead to disaster. How she handles the aftermath shows us what kind of person she really is, and we learn it all through Forest. I loved that.

The middle and the end don't have the same level of tension, though. Things stop happening. There's always a threat of something happening, but it never follows through. Everything resolves itself and the ending feels like it's been tied up with a bow. So I was a bit disappointed. I wish the author had taken this story and run with it, really delving into the illegal immigrant issue in California. She could have shown us more of what it's like there, the worst that could possibly happen, without it being cliche or derivative. The beginning was so well done that she definitely has the talent for it. Perhaps in her next book...

100 Book Reading Challenge: February

Another month has gone by, and last month's winner was announced yesterday. How's your reading going? I managed to read 9 books last month, so I'm pretty happy.

This month, I've got two books to give away.

ARC of Cloaked by Alex Flinn
Johnny’s not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it, he is on a mission in the Everglades, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch.

Paperback of Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin
My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound. I'm a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, I can usually take care of myself. But when my friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, I find myself wrapped up in more trouble than I care for. I like attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting me down is not my idea of a good time. The amulet they're after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when I take possession of the item, it takes possession of me. Now my moderate powers are increasing beyond anything I can imagine-but is the résumé enhancement worth my soul?

Lisa Shearin's series isn't specifically YA, but it's definitely a good cross-over. Plus, it's chock full of fun.

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FYI--to get to a direct link to your Goodreads reviews, click on the title of the book, and then click on the "My Review" heading just above where you type in your review.