If It’s Not A Rant, It’s a Rave: ROAR by Cora Carmack

Title: ROAR
Author: Cora Carmack
Publication date: June 13, 2017
Publisher:  Scholastic
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy,Romance

About the Book:

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage. 

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough. 

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble|  The Book Depository

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***Warning: This review contains some spoilers. ***

Wow, ROAR is the high fantasy young adult book that I did not know I had been yearning for. Everything from the elaborately described world and clothing all the way to the unique Stormling magic had me hooked. And OHMYGOD, do not get me started on the well-developed and fantastically written characters. With every page scorched with complex characters and enthralling scenes, I highly recommend that you pick up ROAR and prepare yourself for an action-packed journey that follows a heroine worthy of all the praise.

In regards to Roar, our main character, she is not set up as the literary snowflake: a character that is special and is destined to save the world. Honestly, she is a princess that knows she is supposed to hold an innate, ancestral power. She knows that she is supposed to have the gift of a Stormling, allowing her the ability to protect her kingdom from the wreck of storms, but for some reason her powers have remained dormant. Roar is often depicted as innocent and inexperienced, but she is also feisty and headstrong. I really liked that she initiates and holds strong to the idea that she must work hard and go beyond the palace walls to understand her powers (or lack of). Instead of waiting for her powers to come to her, she goes out to find them. YES *air fist pump*!!! 

In reference to the romance aspect of ROAR, I was deeply in swoons and sighs. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Roar and Locke, a character who has the gift of Stormling magic but was not born with it. Locke gives Roar hope that she can awaken her innate power, but more importantly I like that he challenges her mentally, physically, emotionally, and magically. One of my favorite parts of watching their friendship grow is that they are both stubborn characters, so of course, I fell in love with their banter and arguments. And as this fantastical story unfolds, their friendship also starts to twist into something new.

At the beginning of ROAR, I thought there was a love triangle brewing, but thankfully that theory is washed away. But I still wasn’t 100% on board for a feisty friendship to twist into a romantic relationship. Do not get me wrong, I love stories that encompass romance and hot, swoony scenes, but once these two characters, Roar and Locke, become something more than friends, their chemistry became irritatingly fluffy. Locke’s ability to challenge Roar slowly fades and I honestly was not a fan that once the kissing scenes start, he begins to coddle and become overly protective of Roar. UGH, no! Yes, she is often portrayed as vulnerable, but come on Locke, Roar is not defenseless;  she is bold and fierce–there is lightning in her heart and she is ready to strike.

Not only are the main characters well-developed, but the side characters are also unforgettable. Roar is surrounded by all walks of life. And on her journey of discovery, she is given the chance to befriend a group of unique and crazy bandits: a witch, a trickster, and a stealthy spy, to name a few. These individuals challenge Roar and give her an outlet to explore the world outside the palace walls with a new lens. 

Another raving part that I liked about ROAR is the ending. Usually fantasy books end in a gut-wrenching cliffhanger; instead, ROAR ends with hope and a swift glance at an upcoming battle. AHHH!!! So if you are ready for one of the most well-thought out series littered with secrets waiting to be uncovered,  a book with the strongest storms to battle along with many twists and turns, I highly recommend ROAR as your next read. Prepare yourself for an addicting read of perilous magic, steamy kissing scenes, and a group of outlaws worth cheering for. 

Cora Carmack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Since she was a teenager, her favorite genre to read has been fantasy, and now she’s thrilled to bring her usual compelling characters and swoon-worthy romance into worlds of magic and intrigue with her debut YA fantasy, Roar. Her previous adult romance titles include the Losing It, Rusk University, and Muse series. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages around the world. Cora splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City, and on any given day you might find her typing away at her computer, flying to various cities around the world, or just watching Netflix with her kitty Katniss. But she can always be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website www.coracarmack.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and TOR Teen for providing me an e-galley/e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All statements and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Get it Together, Delilah by Erin Gough

 

Title: Get It Together, Delilah
Author: Erin Gough
Publication date: April 4, 2017
Publisher:  Chronicle Books
Genres: Young Adult, Contempoary, Romance, GLBT+
Format: e-arc from Netgalley

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A story about falling in love, literally.

Seventeen-year-old Delilah Green wouldn’t have chosen to do her last year of school this way, but she figures it’s working fine. Her dad is on a trip to fix his broken heart after her mom left him for another man, so Del’s managing the family café in his absence. Easy, she thinks. But what about:
– homework and the nasty posse of mean girls making her life hell
– or how one of Del’s best friends won’t stop guilt-tripping her
– and her other best friend is so in love with his tutor he might go to jail for her if Del doesn’t do something

But who cares about any of that really, because above all else, she can’t stop thinking about beautiful Rosa who dances every night across the street until one day Rosa comes in the café door . . .

And if Rosa starts thinking about Del, too, then how in the name of caramel milkshakes will Del get the rest of it together?

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |  The Book Depository

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***Please note that this review contains some spoilers.*** 

At the very beginning, I found Get It Together, Delilah to be a constant page-turner. Plus I was instantly in love with the cute and creative cover. I really enjoyed how Erin Gough’s storytelling wraps you up in the aroma of coffee, but in the end, I had hard time connecting with the main character and rationalizing some of her actions. 

Get It Together, Delilah spans over about four months, in which the main character, Delilah, takes on an overwhelming amount of responsibilities. For me there were some missing pieces in this book, and some situations that did not add up. For example, while her dad was off on “vacation,” I kept wondering, where is the adult that Delilah’s dad thinks is running the café with Delilah’s help? Is her dad even communicating with him? Did I miss something? Did I read over the explanation? My mind was always screaming, where is the parental responsibility in this book?!

In regards to the main character, I was a fan of Delilah’s confidence and her straight-forward attitude. But as the story progressed, Delilah started irritating me. She began taking on too much and everything started slipping through the cracks for her. In the second half of the novel, I felt that she was overbearing at times, inconsiderate of other people’s opinions and feelings, and she never rationalized situations too well. 

Delilah also makes too many assumptions when it comes to her friends and their actions, and often fails to communicate with them to know the actual truth. At times, Delilah frustrated me, and then I wanted to scream the book’s title, and say “OMG, GET IT TOGETHER, DELILAH!” When it comes to the girls she has crushes on, she is often inconsiderate of their feelings, and sadly only focuses on her own needs and wants. I’m not too sure if it’s my age showing (i.e. I’m not a teenager), but I at least think Delilah was smart enough to use common sense. 

One of my favorite things about the novel was the relationship that starts between Delilah and Rosa. Their interactions are so awkward and cute. I was cheering on their relationship the entire time. In all honesty, I think it was their realistic and adorable relationship that saved this book for me. 

Get It Together, Delilah contains a cast of memorable characters who become Delilah’s support group. I loved the quirky friendships in this novel, and how much love and support they give to each other. Although Delilah was not my favorite person in the last half of the book, I think Get It Together, Delilah realistically portrays the hardships and harassment that young adults face in and outside of school; especially those who have found themselves but society fails to accept them for who they are. This is definitely a book I would share with high school and middle grade students; I feel like they would relate to Delilah’s struggles and frustrations more than I could. 

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books  for providing me an e-galley/e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All statements and opinions are my own.

If It’s Not a Rant, It’s a Rave: ARC Review of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

 

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Publication date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Thomas Dunne
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Format: e-ARC from Netgalley

About the book:

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |  The Book Depository

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Rants and Raves of Wintersong

Once again, another 2017 debut novel has bewitched me, and this time I have been enchanted by Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. Set up as a retelling of Labyrinth, I interpreted Wintersong more as a mashup of Christina Rossetti’s cautious poem “Goblin Market,” the fierceness of “Beauty and the Beast,” with sparks of Jane Eyre‘s “plain-Jane-with-an-independent-will” shadowing the burning flames of Liesl and the Goblin King’s story. I don’t say this lightly, but after reading this novel, I just wanted to shout, “F!!!!CK, this book is so good!” 

First, I loved the storyline and pacing of Wintersong. After devouring 150 pages in one sitting, and noticing that the book was 448 pages long, I slowed my reading speed in order to savor the story a little longer. S. Jae-Jones writing is so beautiful and engaging. I really enjoyed how her writing illuminated such strong passion and raw affection on the page. I personally found her storytelling and characters leaving more than a story buzzing in my ear. In my case, Liesl and the Goblin King haunted my dreams, whispered in my thoughts, and begged that I finish their story whenever I put the book down.

Liesl and the Goblin King’s relationship is not set up as any typical young adult trope. Instead of instant-love, these two characters carried a flame for each other since their youth, where they laughed, danced, and played music in the Goblin Grove. And as they grow older, their infatuation for one another remained an ember slowly bursting into flames of desire. Their relationship is filled with anger, misunderstandings, tenderness, excitement, and such intense devotion. The chemistry between these two characters is breathtaking–it cracks, it sizzles, and it purrs. They are two independent beings, eager to please themselves and each other. 

In the end, I found Wintersong to be a vibrant story about caution, close family bonds, sacrifice, fiery passion, trust, and love. Although the ending is left open-ended, I would love to read a sequel. I’m being selfish here, because I want more Liesl and the Goblin King! (Sorry not sorry.) I cannot recommend this novel enough. If you enjoy the intense and complicated relationships portrayed in Victorian novels, a dash of German language, crossing the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, and the slow burn of two characters connecting in a novel, Wintersong is the perfect book before you. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Dunne for providing me an e-galley/e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All statements and opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Graces by Laure Eve

Title: The Graces
By: Laure Eve
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Supernatural, Fantasy
Format: e-ARC
Source: Netgalley

ABOUT The Graces:

In The Graces, the first rule of witchcraft states that if you want something badly enough, you can get it . . . no matter who has to pay.
 
Everyone loves the Graces. Fenrin, Thalia, and Summer Grace are captivating, wealthy, and glamorous. They’ve managed to cast a spell over not just their high school but also their entire town—and they’re rumored to have powerful connections all over the world. If you’re not in love with one of them, you want to be them. Especially River: the loner, new girl at school. She’s different from her peers, who both revere and fear the Grace family. She wants to be a Grace more than anything. And what the Graces don’t know is that River’s presence in town is no accident.
 
This fabulously addictive fantasy combines sophisticated and haunting prose with a gut-punching twist that readers will be dying to discuss. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars as well as nostalgic classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the 1996 movie The Craft, The Graces marks the beginning of a new wave of teen witches.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

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My Rants and Raves of The Graces

The Graces definitely has an eerie feel to it. Even though I had a hard time connecting to the story, I honestly believe this would be a great book to pick up around Halloween. Because there is a mystery behind the Grace family, I was enthralled in the idea of discovering their secrets. But more importantly, I was intrigued to read this book, due to the strange attraction that the younger Graces had on their peers. Is it magic? Is it lore? Is it a curse? Or is their lure and odd happenings just coincidences?   

Overall, this book was a struggle for me to read. I love books about witches, but the only thing that kept me reading was discovering the truth behind the mystery of the Grace family. I had a hard time connecting to the story, which I thought to be very slow-paced, possibly due to River’s flat, first person point-of-view. River, like her classmates, is strangely attracted to the Graces, but she’s attracted to them for different reasons (I won’t give any spoilers in this review). But once River is “in” with the Grace teenagers, things unexpectedly unravel and become crazy. In the end, I honestly said, “WHAT DID I JUST READ?!”

Even though The Graces was not one of my favorite books of the year, I would highly recommend it to readers that love getting lost in a story of mystery and the supernatural.

My Rating: 2 out 5 Stars

NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet for providing me an e-galley/e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All statements and opinions are my own.

 

ARC Review: We Own the Night by Ashley Poston

Title: We Own the Night
By: Ashley Poston
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher:Bloomsbury Spark/ Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Format: e-ARC
Source: Netgalley

About We Own the Night:

“Happy midnight, my fellow Niteowls…”

As a candy store employee by day, and mysterious deejay “Niteowl” by night, eighteen-year-old Ingrid North is stuck between rock ‘n roll and a hard place. She can’t wait to get out of her tiny hometown of Steadfast, Nebraska (population three hundred and forty-seven) to chase her dreams, but small-town troubles keep getting in the way. She can’t abandon her grandmother with Alzheimer’s, or her best friend Micah–who she may or may not be in love with.

But for one hour each Saturday, she escapes all of that. On air, she isn’t timid, ugly-sweater-wearing Ingrid North. She’s the funny and daring Niteowl. Every boy’s manic pixie dream girl. Fearless. And there is one caller in particular– Dark and Brooding–whose raspy laugh and snarky humor is just sexy enough to take her mind off Micah. Not that she’s in love with Micah or anything. Cause she’s not.

As her grandmother slips further away and Micah begins dating a Mean-Girls-worthy nightmare, Ingrid runs to the mysterious Dark and Brooding as a disembodied voice to lean on, only to fall down a rabbit hole of punk rockstars, tabloid headlines, and kisses that taste like bubble tea. But the man behind the voice could be surprising in all the right, and wrong, ways.

And she just might find that her real life begins when Niteowl goes off the air.

LINKS: Goodreads | Kindle: Amazon | Nook: B&N 

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MY RANTS AND RAVES OF WE OWN THE NIGHT

WOW! WOW! WOW! We Own the Night is the perfect summery read. It is definitely an attention-grabbing and fast-paced novel (I read it in less than 5 hours, maybe 4), with heart-pounding moments, and a main character worth rooting for. From the first page, we are introduced to a young radio deejay named NiteOwl, who is going through the many motions of crushes, teenage life dilemmas, and graduating high school. NiteOwl turns out to be the main character, Ingrid North, a small town Nebraska native who adores music, is on the mends with her three best friends, and at the same time she has to care for her grandmother who has Alzheimer’s. 

I really loved Ingrid as a character. Even though she is cautious, she can also be fearless, and definitely sarcastic and snarky. She has spent months not hanging out or communicating with her friends, because she has been taking care of her grandmother, and to top off her senior year, she has a major crush on her childhood friend, best friend in fact, Micah. But it turns out Micah is in love with someone else, and that’s when hearts start crumbling in this story.

But Ingrid does not let her heartache outweigh her strength to make it through summer. Ingrid hosts her own Saturday midnight radio show, and this outlet allows her to be her true self, which is a smart, spunky, sassy, and determined young woman. I, in turn, loved how gritty and brave Ingrid truly is, especially when she is communicating with one of her notable callers, who she has dubbed “Dark and Brooding.” Ahhh…their banter is sexy, wildly angsty, and romantic all at the same time. *swoons* These two characters bounce off each other so well, that you will be praying for a chance for them to meet in real life.

Ingrid not only exchanges “laugh out loud” banter with strangers on the radio, but she also exchanges sarcastic comments and hilarious repartee with her best friends and her own grandmother. This banter is often used as a comedic relief in all the craziness and sadness that Ingrid and her friends have to face. Additionally, I loved that throughout the book we not only get fun banter, but there is the awesome littering of The Princess Bride and The Office references, just to name a few popular culture allusions. 

This whole story is a mesh of fighting bullies, experiencing both heartbreak and/or heart-pounding confessions of love, and truly understanding the good and the bad moments that life throws at people.  We Own the Night is an all-around, feel good story sprinkled with love and infinite snapshots of a female protagonist enduring change. Friendships are tested. Punches are thrown. Relationships blossom. Gumballs are spilled. Dreams are dared. Life lessons are learned. And in the end, we get a truly remarkable book about maturing, falling in love, adventuring out of your comfort zone, and accepting the contingent events of life.  

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Spark/ Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for providing me an e-galley/e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All statements and opinions are my own.

ARC Review: The Skylighter by Becky Wallace

 Title: The Skylighter
By: Becky Wallace
Release Date: March 22, 2016
Pages: 320 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing
Format: e-galley/e-arc
Source: Netgalley

GOODREADS’S SUMMARY

Johanna and Rafi are in a race against time to save their country before a power-mad Keeper destroys everything they hold dear in the “enthralling magical world” (Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Heir Chronicles) introduced in The Storyspinner.

As the last of the royal line, Johanna is the only person who can heal a magical breach in the wall that separates her kingdom of Santarem from the land of the Keepers, legendary men and women who wield elemental magic. The barrier protects Santarem from those Keepers who might try to take power over mere humans…Keepers who are determined to stop Johanna and seize the wall’s power for themselves.

And they’re not the only ones. As the duchys of Santarem descend into war over the throne, Johanna relies more than ever on the advice of her handsome companion, Lord Rafael DeSilva. But Rafi is a duke too, and his people come first. As their friendship progresses into the beginnings of a tender relationship, Johanna must wonder: is Rafi looking out for her happiness, or does he want the throne for himself?

With war on the horizon, Johanna and Rafi dodge treacherous dukes and Keeper assassins as they race to through the countryside, determined to strengthen the wall before it’s too late…even if it means sacrificing their happiness for the sake of their world.

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My Review

The Skylighter by Becky Wallace is the sequel to The Storyspinner (check out my review HERE), a duology set in The Keepers’ Chronicles series.

If you love a strong heroine, a non-triangle romance, magic, and a well-developed plot, this book (and series) is for you.

At the end of The Storyspinner, the author left her readers in a dreaded awe state. I’m not going to spoil the first book, but I’m just going to tell you, there are some mouth-dropping moments and you will immediately want to read the second book.

The Skylighter picks up with the same routine of weaving between different character perspectives. I really liked that each chapter is a different character’s perspective, because it exceptionally drives the plot and smoothly carries the reader through moments of much awaited kissage scenes; ruthless, but carefully articulated war tactics; and more importantly spies, twists, and sacrifices that I didn’t even see coming. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME, Becky?

As I read The Skylighter, I honestly saw each scene as a strategic puzzle piece that connects and interlocks Johanna’s, the main heroine, past to her present and future. I found the world building to be very reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, in that the characters are not only connected to their heritage, but also to the land and the treasured magic that surrounds them. More importantly,  the idea of choice is critically analyzed among each character, which definitely helped the story progress. For example, it gave the minor characters, like Dom, Jacaré, Pira, and Leão, an extra boost of importance and drive in a story that is mainly centered on Johanna and Rafi. I loved how Wallace took each minor character and threw them into dreadful challenges that tested their perseverance and willpower, which definitely brought them to life on the page. 

The scenes between Johanna and Rafi are gripping, fiery, and swoonworthy. Additionally, as I read The Skylighter, I was really happy how Dom, Rafi’s roguish, young brother, unfolded as a character. Throughout the novel, Dom takes initiative to help his family and Johanna’s cause by making dire, unselfish choices. Overall, all of the characters, even the minor ones, each deal with a conflict that is emotionally binding and/or physically demanding. In the end, their choices dynamically change them, which I think makes the story captivating and extraordinary.

Oh, and the ending! SO PERFECT! I think Wallace’s readers are going to enjoy the calculated decisions that each of the characters make and how the book ends. 

RANTS:      I love that this series is a duology, but I’m greedy and want more. I WANT MORE JOHANNA! I WANT MORE RAFI! I WANT MORE JOHANNA AND RAFI SCENES! AND AFTER READING THE SKYLIGHTER,  I WANT MORE DOM!

RAVES:      The world building in this story is excellently executed, and because the story was so captivating, I couldn’t put the book down. I read this book in ONE sitting, people! I’m a huge fantasy fan, and Becky Wallace definitely creates a magical world that ingrains the reader to be part of the characters’ challenges and life choices–emotionally involving us in an unforgettable world. 

NOTE:         I received this e-galley/e-ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for an honest review. All statements and opinions are mine.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Skylighter is out on March 22, 2016. Purchase your copy from the following retailers:

Amazon   •     Barnes and Noble    •     Blue Willow (Request an autographed copy!)