Kindle Fire Giveaway

  This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HD 7".

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

  Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

 

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

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  Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire. Sponsor a future Kindle Fire Giveaway by signing up HERE. Ends 8/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Format: ebook (courtesy of the author)
Genre: Paranormal Romance, YA
Publication Date: Dec 14, 2012

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.

An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains. Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

The plot of the book hooked me in right away. A kidnapping, horribly terrifying coven of vampires and... love? Bella Forrest had some awesome ideas for this book that should invite in a lot of readers.

The island Sofia is abducted to is called "The Shade"and because of a powerful witch, is forever in the dark of night. Vampire Prince, Derek, tried to escape the life of a vampire by going under a spell and sleeping for hundreds of years. Unfortunately it has finally came to a time where he needs to awake, and his brother Lucas has to round up girls including Sofia, for Derek. It's just too Bad Lucas wants Sofia all to himself.

The further I got into the story, the more I wanted to know. Especially about Derek and his family. I was worried from the beginning that the book is on the small end, and I didn't think I would get enough entertainment out of it. But surprisingly Forrest did a really good job introducing you to many of the important characters and you go the feel of them right away. Never really any long introductions, just straight to the point. I think one of the only character that I wish were introduced too would be Derek's father. I'm assuming we will meet him in one of the next two books, but he seemed rather important and it felt disappointing that he was only mentioned. Also, there were some scenes that were very predictable and of course, when it comes to vampire stories, there are going to be some over-used ideas but I think it was wonderfully written. Definitely a quick read for a rainy day. I am looking forward to picking up the next two books in the series as well.

My Rating:

Screwed by Laurie Plissner

Publisher: Merit Press Publication Date: May 18, 2013 Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Grace was the girl who always did everything right, until the night she fell for a boy's sleazy line and became pregnant. Nick couldn't care less about pretty math-geek Grace or the baby he fathered. He's had a dozen girls like her, and he'll have a dozen more. When Grace confesses to her super-religious, strait-laced parents, they deliver a shocker: They've scheduled an abortion. All they want is to pretend this never happened.

When Grace balks, they literally throw her out in the street. A rich, elderly neighbor takes her in, and, with the help of the friendship she needs in Charlie, the old woman's great-nephew, she must make the toughest choice of her young life. The people she believed in were only playing a role, while others, in an unlikely way, are true heroes.

Grace can never have the life she planned, but she has one chance to be the person she will have to live with for the rest of her life. Her choice will cost her, big time, either way--and no one can make it except her.

Review: 
I have mixed feelings about this book. When I first saw it online, I thought it had a really good story line to it. How many girls do you hear about nowadays that are getting pregnant at 16...15.... even 14.. I like that Laurie Plissner had the courage to write about such a touchy subject.

Many times you hear about a one-time hook up that ends up in teen pregnancy. When uptight, goody-goody, Grace, finds out she is pregnant in high school, it isn't even her worst nightmare. She never even imagined this happening so how could it have even been a nightmare? It's more like a disaster. Quickly after finding out, her parent's demand an abortion and she refuses. She is then shunned from the family. Her neighbor who Grace really doesn't know anything about comes to her rescue. She gives her a place to live and support that her parents should have shown her.

While staying with Mrs. T, she meets her hostess's great-nephew, Charlie. Throughout the story Charlie and Grace's friend, Jennifer, are there for her through thick and thin. I think some girls would die for that type of support from their peers. 

I give the book 3 bookmarks because it seemed a little unrealistic to me. I mean, I know some girls do have a 'knight in shining armor' or a 'fairy grandmother' type person who can come in to rescue you at trying times in your life but 9 times out of 10, this doesn't happen. When I first read the synopsis, I figured her neighbor took her in just to get her back on her feet for a little while, not that the neighbor was loaded and that she pretty much had one of the easiest pregnancies out there while living in style. This is where my mixed feelings come in. I do see where she had troubles throughout the pregnancy. Her parent's having nothing to do with her, the poor excuse of a human being that knocked her up, and the bullying at school but something about the way it was written didn't really hit me as being 'that bad'. Usually when my emotions get tied into a book, I enjoy them more. Maybe that was what happened, I didn't feel all that bad for Grace. I can't explain why, I just didn't.

On the other side, I did really like the relationship between Grace and Charlie. He was her rock and was never judgmental  What happened happened and there was nothing he could do about it but love Grace like she needed to be. I wish we could have seen more of a relationship with the two of them but I completely understand why we didn't. She was a pregnant teenager. Who would really start  a relationship when they felt like they were as big as a boat and the guy was a hottie. That just doesn't happen unless you were already in the relationship before hand. They were pretty much strangers and were just starting to know each other and I accept that. 

I'm not going to say I don't recommend this book. Because I do. I urge you to. I want you to read it and tell me what you thought. Could you relate with the character or were you just as disconnected as I was? Do you disagree with my rating?

My rating:

Waiting on Wednesday - Proxy by Alex London

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine - make sure you head over and see what other people are waiting for!

I love a good science fiction book, but it make it even better as a Dystopian Science Fiction. What really drew me in was the cover of this book but after reading the synopsis, I think I'm really going to enjoy it.

Proxy (Proxy #1)

by Alex London

Publication Date: June 19, 2013

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox

breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid

.

Teaser Tuesday 5/14/2013

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! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

“I feel a light tugging on my legs and realize he's undoing my restraints. The brush of his skin against mine is abrupt and unexpected, and it triggers something deep and dark within me, enough to make me physically ill.”

                           ~ kindle location: 24, Pg 25 (estimation), "Destroy Me” by Tahereh Mafi

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!


Happy Reading,
Steph

Spellbinding by Maya Gold

Publisher: Point/Scholastic Publication Date: April 1, 2013 Genre: Young Adult

 Synopsis:

There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

Review: 

I LOVE "witchy" stories. Something about how one can call on the elements to do their bidding has always interested me. What really drew me in when I saw this book was the cover. it is mysterious, and.. witchy. After the summary, I knew I just had to read it. 

Abby Silva, a 16 year old nobody, refers to herself as "background". And I got the feeling right away that that is pretty much true to everyone in the book, even her family. Her mom is gone and her dad doesn't really pay attention. Abby is written as a normal high school character. She has best friend Rachel whom is pretty much all she has in the world and has an oh-so-hot crush, Travis, that just so happens to have the meanest girl in school as his girlfriend. 

Because of an assignment that nobody in her history class did well on, she has to do research paper on her family tree. While her dad's side is fairly easy, her mom's side has many holes in it. There are generation gaps that just don't make sense. After talking to her dad and more research, she figures out that she had family in Salem during the witch trials. Freaky. 

During a trip to Salem with the best friend, explainable things happen. There is the burst of technicolor that happens when crossing the bridge into Salem, Rem, the guy at the cafe who couldn't take his eyes off of her (or hers off of him), and then the mysterious diary that 'magically' appears in her purse when she knew she put it back on the shelf in the library. From that day on more and more things start to unfold. She figures out that the diary isn't a diary at all, but a spell book. It teaches her different incantations like how to light candles with your mind and more importantly a love spell to put on Travis. 

What the book doesn't tell her though, is that magic can be tricky and doesn't always work out the way you expect it to.

Reading this book came very easy. It rolled right along and pretty much had no hiccups at all. Some might say that it was too predictable but I think it was just right. I would say that it is aimed at the younger end of the Young Adult spectrum but it is still enjoyable to someone a little older. It's a bit short, I think we could have had a little bit more of character growth, which is why I gave it 4 out of 5 bookmarks but I would definitely recommend it. 

My Rating:

Happy Reading,
Steph

Teaser Tuesday 4/9/13

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! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

“Their screams are unearthly, like night sounds of prey as an owl swoops down, talons ripping through flesh as it carries some helpless thing off to its death. But the girls are alive, fully alive, and whatever is tearing at them can't be seen.”

                           ~ kindle location: 10, Prologue p.3  (estimation), "Spellbinding” by Maya Gold

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!


Happy Reading,
Steph

The Practice Proposal (Suddenly Smitten #1) by Tracy March

Synopsis:

Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
Publication Date: March 11, 2013
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Liza Sutherland isn’t looking for love. Not from a charity-auction date she didn’t even bid on and especially not with Nationals first baseman Cole Collins, the guy she obsessed over as an awkward teenager. She won’t get involved with a notorious player, no matter how attractive Cole is.
Cole Collins is up for contract renegotiation, but after too many late-night parties, he’ll need some positive publicity before he can make the roster. His agent, Frank, pitches Liza as the perfect prop…only Cole didn’t account for Liza no longer being just a teenager with a crush. She’s gorgeous and smart and he’s instantly hooked. 

 When Frank makes Liza a deal she can’t refuse—a bet she will fall in love with Cole or a cool half mil goes to charity—the game is on. But neither bet on the real feelings that surface. Could a fake fling turn into an official forever?

Review: 

I am not really a baseball type of person but something while reading the synopsis hit me and said I had to read this. 

Liza has been hurting for the last 2 years since the of death of her fiance. She has found that it is easier to be alone and sad than put herself back out there. Her meddling mom has other ideas though. She enters Liza into the drawing for a charity-auction date and tough luck for Liza, she won. 

The charity-auction date just so happens to be with bad boy Cole Collins who she used to have a huge crush on as a teenager. She knows his past and holds it against him at any chance she gets. 

She prides herself on being independent but when things fall through with other investors and she needs money fast for their baseball camps, Frank (Cole's agent) makes a deal she just can't refuse. With Liza and Cole both having hidden agendas for this relationship to work, the book has a humor type of appeal because you know what they are hiding, you just wish they would hurry up and figure it out.

I gave it 3 bookmarks because of the slow build up that I felt but this was a very cute, light read. A good change of pace from the young adult books I've been reading but not quite what I refer to as a 'mommy book' in the Adult Romance category. (Something I would never pass on to my teen/young adult.)  

Happy Reading,

Steph

Lichgates (Grimoire Saga, #1) by S.M. Boyce

Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1)
Author: S.M. Boyce
Format: E-book
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication Date: October 15, 2011

Synopsis:

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power.

Discovered by Ourea's royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

I could NOT put this book down. Within minutes of starting this book I was hooked.

We start off with Kara on a hike the gorgeous mountains of Colorado. She stumbles across Lichgate that turns her life upside down. This Lichgate transports her into the world of Ourea and evenutally into the Grimoire's locked library.  From first the first sighting of the Grimoire, I knew it was going to be an adventure. The note along with the book confirmed it.

"From the moment you read these words, you will be hunted."

Now if that doesn't confirm your fate, what does? From there the story moves pretty fast, she instantly captured and meets Braeden. Braeden is the Blood Prince of evil King Cardin. He has been on the run for 12 years, trying to find a way out of his father's control and make their land peaceful again.

Braeden becomes her companion, or guardian, in a way. He helps her throughout the story with her trials and teaches her all about her new home.  Even though Braeden helps Kara out, don't for a second think that she is a 'damsel in distress' character. Far from it actually. She isn't scared to fight back and to talk a little trash while she's at it. 

I'm finding myself babbling, and I know I'm not doing the book justice. Just know that if you are a Lord of the Rings/Eragon type of person, I really recommend Lichgates. There are so many characters to meet, so many stories to learn and they are all woven together with a big pretty bow. All nice an neat and ready to be unwrapped by you, the reader. 

Now, run. Go get it! 

My Rating:

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Format: E-Book
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: March 26, 2013

Synopsis:

When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat with computer avatars). 

The List:

1. Run for pep club secretary 

2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree

3. Sew a dress for Homecoming

4. Find a steady

5. Do something dangerous

But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

Oh my goodness, this book is so cute! I'm usually one that sticks with the dark, action filled books. I love a good dystopian or thriller but this one was an awesome change of pace. 

We've come to be a world that completely revolves around technology. If you go to a restaurant or even your own dinner table, you will usually see heads ducked and nobody talking. Lindsey Leavitt had a great idea when creating this book. Many teenagers (especially the ones I know) would never have the determination to do all the things that Mallory does in this book. 

Mallory is a spunky, quick witted, and not quite in with the "in crowd" type of girl. She's cute, smart and finds herself in a girls worst nightmare. Boyfriend cheating, rumors flying and nobody understanding type of scenario. Throw in a over protective younger sister that has the best intentions, clueless parents and her ex's cousin, you have lots of fun and drama!  

The only thing that I didn't agree with and I would never see happening is the way Grandma's secret was brought to light. Yeah, it would probably be introduced the way it was, but I couldn't believe that a family would be that understanding that fast. To go with the theme of the book, I could see yelling, crying and lots of stubbornness. Besides that though, I recommend this book for a quick, light read. 

I am definitely passing this one on to the teen reader in the family, I know she will like it as much as I do.

My Rating:

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever (The Chemical Garden #2)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Format: E-Book
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Publication Date: February 21, 2012

Synopsis:

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

All I can say is Wow. I am behind on the Chemical Garden trilogy. I read Wither two years ago and forgot to go back to Fever when I received the release notice. I have finally found some time to read the book and I wasn't disappointed. 

If you are familiar with this trilogy, you know how tragic these books can be. A perfect dystopian feel. Fever is definitely not as grave as it's predecessor, Wither, but it still has it's dark, dreary feel to it. I remember at times while reading Wither, I had to put the book away and go read something else. Anything else, actually. Just to get away from the depressing tone.

Fever wasn't as heartbreaking to me but I didn't zip through this book like I normally would. Even though, I loved the book and the way Lauren DeStefano paints the perfect imagery in her writing, this book just seemed to drag. The bad luck for the couple just kept coming and got worse at each turn of the page. At some points, I just wanted it to end because I didn't think I could take anymore. 

Fever picked right up where Wither left off with our couple running for their lives.  They have finally escaped the horrible mansion and are on their way to New York to find Rhine's brother, Rowan. On their way they are side swept into another part of their changed-for-the-worse world; a carnival of girls. From there, we are introduced to some new characters. A mad-woman, Madame, who has many plans for Rhine. Lilac and her malformed daughter, Maddie and a few other thorny characters. 

Rhine and Gabriel out in the real world and away from the mansion brings a whole new light and questions to their relationship. Does Rhine really love Gabriel or was he a way to escape? Are they finally going to be together before the disease catches up to them or are things just so different that they get ripped apart? 

I went into the book with tons of questions and ended the book with even more. I can't wait to pick up the next book, Sever, to find  the answers. If dystopians are your thing and you haven't picked up these books yet, I really recommend that you do. You definitely won't be disappointed. 

My Rating:

WWW Wednesday 3/13/13

This weekly meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


My answers:

What are you currently reading? Fever (Chemical Garden Trilogy, bk 2) by Lauren DeStefano. This book continues with Rhine & Gabriel's story and all the trials they have to go through to be together. I really enjoyed Wither (Bk 1) but this one isn't pulling me in as much, which I find quite normal with the 2nd book in a series. I'll continue to read though.

What did you recently finish reading? Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. "Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder."  LOVED this book. Posted review here.

What do you think you’ll read next? Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. "When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too"



PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog).

Teaser Tuesday 3/12/13

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! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

“Maybe I should give up. Walk through this dilapidated carnival one final time to give myself to Vaughn, and sober up on the long drive back home.”

                           ~ kindle location: 1041, p.82 (estimation), "Fever” by
Lauren DeStefano

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me (#1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Format: E-Book
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Publication Date: November 15, 2011

Synopsis:
I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Many authors try to their hearts content to get the feelings of their characters across the page and to reach the readers. I've read some books that fail completely but then there are some authors like Taherah Mafi who really has the gift for it. From the very first page I could feel the pain that the protagonist, Juliette, felt. The coldness of her surrounding, her family, her life. When she was scared or ready to give up, I felt that way as well. It really leapt off the pages like a 3D movie. 

We join Juliette while she is locked away in a mental institution. She hasn't seen her family in years and hasn't spoken a word in 264 days. She is all alone. Then Adam, her new cellmate, crashes into her world and completely flips it upside down. Adam is the dreamy guy that any girl who would want. He protects you, he loves you, he is your everything. The only problem is Adam has a few secrets. Would you trust him? 

People are trying to make Juliette into a weapon. They see her as a tool, as a means to and end. Is she to the point in her life where she wants to give up and just be what they want? Or can she overcome herself and become a warrior. Fight the wrong and make it right? 

I absolutely could not put this book down. It sucked me in from the beginning and I found myself wanting, no needing, the next book to already be here.

My Rating: