Read For Your Future: May 2013

May 30, 2013

Review: Eve by Anna Carey

Summary-

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Review-

I had to wait for awhile to get my hands on this book. Trust me when I say it was very, very worth the wait. The storyline & characters certainly lived up to my high expectations. Some of the plot twists even exceeded some of my highest standards. If I pick a book up and become so engrossed that I can't put it down, chances are that it's a very interesting book . With so much going on in daily life it's hard for one thing to hold my attention for very long, lol. When I'm constantly thinking about the book even when I'm not reading it you know it's an exceptional read. Not many stories can do that...however, this one did. The author does a wonderful job of giving the reader a unique incite to her vision of what this story should be. Along with the emotion you get from the author's woven words. The characters are engaging & easy to identify with. Never a dull moment in this book. Can't wait to read the sequel! Happy Reading!!

Publisher-HarperTeen

Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!

Reviewed by~Mechele

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the read for your future book program in exchange for a honest review!

Summary-

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

Review-

WOW! what a fantastic murder mystery. Right from the first page I was pulled into the thick-of-things. The mysterious hints come at you from all sides. I thought I was on the path to identifying the bad guy when...wham! I'd get hit with a new clue. By the time I got to the end I had had everyone guilty at one point or another. Certainly filled with nail-biting suspense! I could not put this book away. I read it all in one day. I just had to find out what was going on & who was tormenting the main character. The storyline is very tricky and detail oriented. The main character desperately tries to unweave the plot to save herself, friends & family. A very endearing and genuinely nice young lady. I was highly pleased with the way this book was so easy to read. It had a very smooth flow to it. Highly recommended! I'm sure you'll love it too. Happy Reading!!

Publisher-Sourcebooks Fire

Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!

Reviewed by~Mechele

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange of a honest review!

Summary-

Sometimes I forget for an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy.
For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.
But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.

Review-

At first I had no idea what was going on. That's how the author hooks you and keeps you turning those pages. The storyline unfolds in a way that keeps you entertained & enthralled with all the mystery surrounding the main character. This is definitely not your average ghost story. That's not really a good description, but I hate to give all the good stuff away. The main character is a little different from the other teens. After awhile you find out why. It's a killer storyline! I had so many theories during the book. I must admit, I was wrong and glad to have been that way. I really enjoyed reading this very different storyline. I just can't say enough good things about this book. It is totally on a level all it's own. I recommend this book very much and to everyone. Hope you give it a chance. Happy Reading!!

Publisher-HarperTeen

Reviewer Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Mechele

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your future book program in exchange for a honest review!

Summary-

Ellie Miller has always needed her space. Literally. With a touch that rots whatever she encounters, Ellie must keep people at a distance for their own good. Not that her classmates are itching to be best friends with the "freak" of the high school.
So when newcomer Nate MacPherson makes it his mission to get close to her, Ellie has her suspicions. But when he identifies her as a viviomancer who can work the forces of life and reveals himself to be a necromancer who can manipulate death, Ellie finds herself trusting Nate and the romance that is blossoming between them. Unfortunately for the two, family secrets can kill, and they will need more than their abilities to keep a zombie mom and a conglomerate of evil-doing supernaturals under control.
After spending her life pushing everyone away, Ellie's realization of the full extent of her power and willingness to let people get close to her may be the only way to save the ones she loves.

Review-

This is yet another unique take on necromancer & viviomancer powers. This author is highly imaginative for being able to put a new spin on this ever increasing type of storyline. I really like the way the main character evolves & matures throughout the entire story. She finally starts to realize the scope & extent of her powers. Thankfully, she has friends with their own powers to help in the fight against the villains. I blazed right through this book. It was a hard book to put down. The storyline is action packed with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I hope there will be a follow book to this one. I'd love to find out how everything progresses & what the final outcome will be. This book will capture your interest & imagination. Totally different from all the paranormal books that has preceded it. Hope you like it too. Happy Reading!!

Publisher-Running Press Kids

Reviewer Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewed by~Mechele

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your future book program in exchange for a honest review!

Summary-

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Review-

I believe that Sci-Fi is fast becoming one of my favorite genres. There are so many different imaginative ways for the storyline to evolve. This book is no exception to that theory. The storyline in this book is exciting & entertaining. It matures progressively into a cliffhanger of an ending. The characters go from naive teens to enlightened young adults. They are put through a lot of trials & harsh situations. Growing & changing with every hardship. The main character is likable and easy to identify with. He has a fiery personality and a thirst for the truth. The book is filled with action and unexpected developments. Just when you think you have the plot figured out something completely off the wall happens. It's mysterious to the end. I can not wait to read a sequel to this book. This is a book that I will definitely be recommending to others. Happy Reading!!

Publisher-Harperteen

Reviewer Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Mechele

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your future book program in exchange for a honest review.

Summary-

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.
We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.
We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

Review-

I have read quite a few books with the Mythological theme. While this is a story of mythology, it is totally unique and so much more. The setting is an ordinary school. In an ordinary town with ordinary people & problems. Except for the main character and her circle of friends. I really like the twists the author weaves in & out of the story. It's not often, if ever, that the main character turns out to be an anti-hero. Usually they are the ʺgood guysʺ. In this fabulous story they are not. Nor are they completely evil....not yet. They go through some pretty bad situations. I found myself trying very hard to identify with their plight. What makes the characters even better is that they are likable people. Teenagers are often misunderstood. Being a Minor-Goddess can hardly be easy, especially when you have Major-Goddesses pulling on your puppet strings. It's a wild ride to find out who wins this little war of good & evil. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is ready for a different kind of hero story. Happy Reading!!

Publisher- Henry Holt and Co. BYR

Reviewer Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewed by~Mechele

Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your future book program in an exchange of a honest review!

Summary-

Allison had the normal life of a small town teenage girl until she turned sixteen and everything changed. After some strange experiences, Allison realizes that she has special abilities. She must learn how to manage these new gifts, and all the dangers that come with them. During her adventure, she discovers things about her family and herself; including how far she is willing to go to protect the people she loves.

Review-

The cover was very simplistic as was the dialogue on the first page. I almost stopped reading right there. Luckily, I soldiered on and kept reading. This book was fantastic!! The subject matter was very gritty and real. Allison and her grandma, Ruby, live in a trailer park which is cause for Allison to get bullied at school. She isn't afraid to swing her fists, though, to defend herself and her family. Her mom is deceased, she has a deadbeat dad, and she has bad taste in men. When Allison turns sixteen, she begins to have visions that come true. Her best friend and sidekick, Vinnie, helps her to try to figure out what's going on. Vinnie has basically been adopted by Ruby since his parents have thrown him away like so much trash.

The characters in Inherited Magic have such realistically rotten lives that it's hard not to feel sympathy and empathy for them even though Allison is a bit of a tomboy. The plot is well-thought out and the story moves quickly. I actually wish the book would have been a little bit longer. All-in-all, it was a 3 and a half star surprise:)

Reviewer Rating: 3.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Cindi

Thank you to the author for the donation off this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange for a honest review.

Stacking The Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is a fun weekly post that RFYF participates in, courtesy of Tynga's Reviews, where we share the books, physical and otherwise, that have been procured for this site for review and subsequent donation to the kids at Franklin High School. We welcome you to join us in sharing the books that you won/bought/borrowed/downloaded over the past week! You may include books in any format, of course.

Tynga'sGuidelines:

Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You may use the graphic supplied on Tynga's page or create your own.

You may set your post in any format that you wish. A book list, covers, pictures, vlogs, the sky is the limit.

I post Stacking The Shelves on Saturday or Sunday, but please feel free to post yours any day that fits your schedule!

Visit Tynga's Reviews on Saturday and add your link so that others can visit you!!

Donated For Review:

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Salvation by Anne Osterlund

Of Triton (Of Poseidon, #2) by Anna Banks

The Huaca by Marcia Mickelson

Hunted (The Guardian Legacy, #3) by Ednah Walters

The Loop by Shandy Lawson

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

The Code Busters Club, Case #1: The Secret of The Skeleton Key by Penny Warner

The Code Busters Club, Case #2: The Haunted Lighthouse by Penny Warner

It's Monday! What are you reading?

This is a fun meme that allows other bloggers

to get an idea of what everyone else is reading

and perhaps help to find our next must-read:)

_______________________________________

Lora is reading The Keep (The Watchers, #4) by Veronica Wolff

and listening to Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Cindi is reading Dance the Moon Down by R.L. Bartram.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dance The Moon Down by R.L. Bartram

It was as if a veil had been drawn over the lamps, casting all else into shadow, until only he and she remained. For a moment, he shuffled the papers before him, pausing only to drag a hand through his shock of blonde hair, a vagrant curl falling back upon his brow. Then, having arranged the manuscript to his satisfaction, he looked up. The pale dancing lamplight banished the shadows from his face, leaving his features as smooth and well defined as those of a marble statue. His voice, as she listened entranced, was strong and deep, filled with eloquence and grace. It fell like music on her ears. Even after he’d finished and sat down, she couldn't take her eyes off him. So much so that Beryl eventually gave her a sharp nudge. [p.10]