Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
440 pages
HarperTeen
February 1, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Format: E-ARC

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

    Crazy. Insane. Mind Boggling. Amazing. Any of these four descriptions would be perfect for describing the wonder of this novel. Almost instantaneously Lauren Oliver sucks the reader into a world that is so real it’s scary. What makes it so scary is that this “world” isn’t some crazy planet in a far-away galaxy, her story is set in future United States- which makes this unfavorable fate seem way too possible.

   Lena has always been a rule follower. She’s been determined to stray from her mother’s footsteps. Her mother was infected with the Deliria. After three failed operations, she took her own life, leaving her two small children behind. The word suicide had forever tainted the Holoway name, and Lena just wants to blend into the crowd. So in turn, she is always home by curfew, only listens to government approved music and only reads government approved books. She doesn’t want to become what everyone expects of her, infected.

   Ninety-five days. Ninety–four days. Only Ninety-three days till the operation. Lena counts down daily, desperately hoping the days would come sooner. The day she is free from the possibility of love, is the day she is free from danger. The day when she will be happy forever. That is until her best friend starts breaking the rules. Lena feels that it is her duty to protect her. And when this happens, Lena meets Alex.

   From this point on, Lena’s life gets turned upside down. Everything she’s worked for becomes meaningless. She discovers all the lies she’s been told and some impact her greatly. So greatly that she is willing to do the impossible.

   Lauren Oliver’s novel is an absolute must-read. The total absence of love makes the reader see the beauty of everyday things. A hug, holding hands – both simple gestures, yet, what would you do if they were gone? Delirium makes the reader once again see the magic in poetry or fairytales. All the everyday aspect of life we take advantage of become hugely important. What if in ten years every single one of them is illegal? Would you break the law and risk your life, or give in to live “happily ever after”?

   I would recommend this to anyone 13 and up because there are scenes that are a bit violent. I would especially recommend this to fans of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series. Is someone else’s happily ever after enough for you? Or will you risk everything to discover your own “ever after”, even if it turns out not so happy?

*Updated* Beautiful Darkness Winners

I posted the winners of the Beautiful Darkness Giveaway on Monday. I emailed the winners and got three responses (if you are one of those three people, ignore this). However, I did not get a response from the fourth winner, which means... I picked a new one! (there was fair notice people) The new winner is...


Mary D!
Her favorite character is Ethan. 


Remember, If you did not win, there's always hope on the signed copy of Elixir by Hilary Duff giveaway! (Winners can enter too!)

Update

If you've noticed, I've added a page called "Want a Review?". Go check it out! This is a place where you can leave a comment with books that you want me to review. Consider me your guinea pig, I'll read as much of them as I can and review them here. This way you either don't waste your time with a cruddy book, or you will know to get your butt over to the bookstore to pick it up. 

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is a new thing I'm hoping to post about each week. It is hosted by Crazy-for-Books every Friday-Monday. Its a source where bloggers can find new followers and followers can find new bloggers! Go join the fun HERE


This week's question:

"Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?"

I personally enjoy reading in bed. Unless I'm tired, then I will read in a sturdy chair because in bed I will fall asleep-quickly. 

Winners of Beautiful Darkness Giveaway!

Okay, so I didn't get the turn out I would have liked... but, that's not going to stop me from announcing the winners of the Beautiful Darkness Giveaway! So, without further ado...


1.) RJ
-Ethan


2.) Aine
- Macon (she luffs him - haha, love funny comment typos)


3.) Ani
- Lena


4.) Confessionofareadingmind
- Ethan


If you won you have received an email- I allow 24 hours to pass before I draw another name (this is simply because I want to get the prizes out ASAP without multiple trips to the post office)


Remember, I don't choose winners because of creative comments or because someone thanks me for my giveaway (although that is always nice), I use a random number generator and match that up to the corresponding comment (winners were: 2,1,7,4).


Congratulations to all the winners (I mean hey, there was a 50/50 chance)!


Didn't win? Well... Why don't you head on over to my ELIXIR giveaway and enter to win a signed copy of Hilary Duff's new book! (Even if you did win - go enter!)

YA Spooktacular

The first annual (hopefully) YA Spooktacular: Tales from under the grave, started on Friday. You can go to THIS link to see all the rules and a complete rundown, but here is all the info you need to know:


What is it?


The YA Spooktacular is a group of YA authors or aspiring authors who each contribute to a part of a story. There are two fabulously spooky stories this year: Darkness and A Soul Laid Bare. Each story is posted on a different blog and leads up to crazy giveaways at the end.


How do I enter?


To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on every part of the story you choose to read (you can follow both stories if you want). At the end winners will be chosen randomly for great spooky prizes. There are also "Trick" or "Treat" stops along the way that will enter you for more prizes (these are not required- but honestly, why not?) 


When does it end?


The Spooktacular stories go on for 7 days. From Friday the 22nd till Thursday the 28th (If you are just learning about this now, don't worry! You can still enter, just start from Part I). The prize packs go up on Friday the 29th, and  the contest closes on Sunday the 31st. 

*   *   *

So tell me, are you following a story from the YA Spooktacular? I sure am! (Both actually). They are a lot of fun. Comment below and tell me what you think of them! 

ELIXIR GIVEAWAY

I recently had the great pleasure of visiting Hilary Duff on her first ever book signing at Borders in Columbus Circle. She was absolutely a joy to be around even for that little time. She was very into interacting with the fans and made the two and a half hour wait worth while. And since I am such a nice person, I picked up a second signed copy for one of the lucky followers of my blog. 


Winner: Only one lucky winner!


To Enter: All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment (with a valid email) saying what your favorite odd name is. (I know it's random, but I want to know. Clea isn't that normal, neither is Sage)


Extra Entry: If you tweet this contest (and must leave a link) you will get one extra entry.


Contest Ends: Monday- November 1, 2010 at midnight EST


* To all you foreigners out there, I am sorry but this is not open internationally. I am just a mere teenager and shipping internationally is too expensive. I will have more international contests in the future.

*   *   *

See my review HERE

Elixir by Hilary Duff

Elixir by Hilary Duff (with contributor Elise Allen)
327 Pages(Hardcover)
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Source: Bought
Format: Hardcover

As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington D.C. politician, Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. And though she dreads the paparazzi who track her every move, she herself is a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world.

But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life.

When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond.

Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives.

    I have to admit, when I first heard Hilary Duff was writing a book, I thought, “Oh, boy. Another actor turned musician turned writer.” Not that I’ve ever read an actor turned musician turned writer’s book before. But I have listened to an actor turned musician’s music that made my ears bleed. And on top of that, I was still a little peeved at Hilary’s character Olivia on Gossip Girl (I was NOT the only one who thought that!). As soon as I enlisted the help of my old friend, Mr. Google, and read the description of Elixir, my mindset changed completely. It sounded right up my ally (plus the cover looked gorgeous) and I could not wait for its release date. Needless to say, I was presently surprised.

   This is the only book, the only piece of literature really, that I have read that is able to explore the term “soul mate” without seeming abstract and dumb. Actually, Clea’s relationship with Sage beautifully compliments the mythology of the events surrounding The Elixir of Life.

   If you are familiar with my reviews, you’d know that I usually add a little bit of the story of the book. However, Hilary’s book is so complex that even saying a little will give away too much. But I will say that the book is absolutely something you do not want to miss. Somehow Hilary was able to write a story filled with immense amounts of description, back-stories, twists, suspense and love that didn’t come out at all confusing. I would recommend this to anyone thirteen and up, especially fans of Alyson Noel’s Immortals series.

   I’ll let you all know that my opinion of Hilary has changed dramatically and I am ashamed to say I ever thought anything badly of her. I had the pleasure of visiting her first book signing (ever!) at Borders in Columbus Circle, NYC on October 11th. Hilary was in such a good mood and just radiating sunshine. She was taking the time to hug the fans and take pictures with each one. She was striking up conversations, smiling, and the hours of signing didn’t phase her at all.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
512 Pages(Hardcover)
October 12, 2010
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

    Back in September, I reflected on my love affair with Beautiful Creatures, the first book in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Last December when I read that first installment, I honestly did not think a young adult novel (or any novel) could possibly be more suspenseful, more heartwarming, more AMAZING then Beautiful Creatures. ¼ of the way through and I was already proven wrong. The casters are back, and with more power than ever.

    Ethan and Link are here again to end the suffering of absence of our literary crushes, book-boy-toys if you will. Along with the boys are our other favorite characters; Lena Duchannnes (rhymes with rain), Amma even more fierce with her wooden spoonthe One Eyed Menace, Marian the feisty librarian/keeper, Ridley and the rest of Lena’s crazy family. In addition to our old favorites, there are some new kids in town. Liv, the tea-drinking Brit, Marian’s summer library assistant who is there for Ethan when Lena isn’t. And then there’s John Breed, the James Bond mystery man who is progressively inching Lena closer to him, and further away from Ethan. Caught in the wake of the events a few months before, the characters, both old and new, are caught in secrets and magic up to their noses. They are no longer just searching for answers; they are fighting for their lives and the lives of the people they love most.

    The visions aren’t over, they are weaving Ethan even deeper into the caster web of secrets hiding in Gatlin for decades. Secrets that have more to do with the Wate’s than any caster secrets should. Secrets that have a distinct meaning for Ethan, but what could that be? There is a reason Ethan is bombarded with these visions. The question now is, what?

   The sixteenth moon has passed. February 11th is history, weren't their problems supposed to leave with the date? That may be true, but regardless of what is supposed to happen, they haven’t. The seventeenth moon is looming, coming sooner than physically possible, and with it comes more danger than the sixteenth moon could have even threatened to possess.

    It seems the answers found in Beautiful Creatures haven’t resolved anything. They opened new doors to new questions, questions that may cost more than one life.

    Green is good, gold is bad, but when you have one eye for each, what is there to expect?

    I would strongly suggest that you draw this installment out as long as physically possible. You may think that once you start, you will not be able to stop (which is pretty much true), but the anticipation of Book #3 is far worse than reading slowly. Once again at a physical loss for words, my mind is whirling. Kami and Margie’s (Margie and Kami’s to be fair), will draw you back into Gatlin with even more power than Saraphine possess. Beautiful Darkness is what every sequel wishes it could be, but inevitably fails to achieve, better than the first. As Amma would say, I-M-P-E-C-C-A-B-L-E, ten down, as in “You better go read Beautiful Darkness or I’ll tell your Mamma what you were doin’ in my basement when you were nine years old!”

Beautiful Darkness GIVEAWAY!

In honor of Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (see my review HERE) I am giving away some beautiful Caster Chronicles swag! The picture doesn't really do it justice, but I have three Caster keychains, two Beautiful Darkness buttons of Lena's charm necklace,  two Beautiful Creatures buttons of Lena and Ethan hugging and one Beautiful Creatures button of Lena and Ethan's nightmare. 

4 Winners: each will receive either two buttons or a button and a keychain (don't want to be mean, but I cannot take preferences into consideration)


To Enter: All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (including a valid email!) telling me who your favorite character is from the Caster Chronicles and why. But there is one catch (isn't there always?), you must be a follower of this blog. But honestly, why wouldn't you want to be? 


Contest Ends: Saturday- October 23, 2010 at 12 pm EST.


* Because I am a fan of people with funny accents, this contest is open internationally. 

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1)by Sara Shepard
352 Pages (Hardcover)
Harperteen
December 7, 2010
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Galley

New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard’s new series weaves a mystery of long-lost twins, mistaken identities, a duplicitous circle of friends, and cold-blooded murder. Combining juicy plot lines, to-die-for lifestyles, a tangled web of friendship and romance, magnetic characters, and sharp-witted narration from the afterlife, The Lying Game is an alluring cross between Pretty Little Liars and The Lovely Bones.

Foster kid Emma Paxton has only just discovered Sutton Mercer, the wealthy twin sister she never knew she had, when Sutton drops off the face of the earth, asking Emma to cover for her at home, school, and with her friends—just for a few days. At first Emma enjoys trying on her sister’s fabulous life: her fiercely loyal friends, her adoring boyfriend, her close-knit family. But as Emma is drawn deeper into Sutton’s world she finds the friends are not so fabulous, the boyfriend is not who she wants to be with, and the family is clinging to long-buried secrets and a veneer of functionality. And worst of all, Sutton may not be coming back. In fact, someone may have made sure she never could…and that someone knows Emma is not who she claims to be. Emma will need all her wits to survive The Lying Game.

    After reading this book I am utterly ashamed to say I never read the Pretty Little Liars series. The Lying Game was so wonderfully written that I can't believe Pretty Little Liars never came up on my radar (though I do watch the series is that makes my ignorance any less disgraceful). The realistic characters only make the suspense and mystery even more unbearable . Each laugh, fall of the face, and slight hesitation is described so well that vivid mental images of each character come to mind. Whether it’s of Emma, the foster child who’s been thrown into a world of money, secrets and lies; or Laurel, Sutton’s sister who may know more than what she’s giving off; or even Ethan, the outcast boy who’s no doubt been victim of the Lying Game’s pranks more than once. That’s not even mentioning Charlotte and Madeline, the only two possibly guiltier than Sutton herself. Sara Shepard creates a world so intense and imaginable it will have to second guessing everyone you know.

    Going from the comfort, however dysfunctional, life of living with her mother to foster family after foster family gives Emma Paxton more skills than she would have thought - ordinary skills that prove very valuable to her. When an Internet video is discovered by Emma’s conniving foster-brother, more than a few questions come to mind. For instance, who is that girl being choked to death, and why does she look exactly like Emma? Doing a little Internet sleuthing herself, Emma’s “revelation” changes more than she could have ever imagined. Emma has a long-lost twin sister, Sutton, and she wants to meet up. There’s only one problem, and the witty narrator, Sutton, will be the first to tell you, the invite did not come from her… Sutton is dead.

    Torn away from home, just a few months away from the freedom of her eighteenth birthday, innocent Emma is dragged into a life far from her own. Impersonating a privileged girl, wealthy and popular, doesn’t seem like a bad place to be at. However, the situation is dramatically changed when there are secrets, murder and betrayal involved. The new question becomes, can Emma survive the Lying Game? Or will she have the same fate as Sutton, dead without a trace?

    I would recommend this novel five times over. I would say anyone thirteen and up who likes suspenseful, dramatic fiction would love The Lying Game. It could fall under a few different words; amazing, astonishing, remarkable, wonderful, incredible, mind-boggling and surprising. Not predictable at all, you will be consumed by the pages and guessing till the very last word. By the end there is only one thing you will know for sure; the sequel couldn’t seem further away.

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Fixing Delilah by Sara Ockler
320 Pages(Hardcover)
December 1, 2010
Little Brown, Books for Young Readers Source: Publisher
Format: ARC


“We all long for what could have been.”

Things in Delilah Hannaford’s life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can’t seem to keep it together anymore. Her “boyfriend” isn’t much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family’s painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

    Where to start… Picking up this book I was expecting a great story, but I was not expecting anything near the excellence of what I read. This is one of the few young adult books that have ever made look past the obvious ink on the pages and the meaning that those words hold for the characters. Their pain, their secrets, their relationships (and unrelationships), their laughter and their fights all became words written for me. I have not lived Delilah’s life; I have not suffered the way she has, but I still read those words with a realization that within these chapters, there was a lesson for me to learn as well.

    The story takes place the summer of Delilah’s grandmother’s death. Back in Vermont, life seems to pick up where it left off eight years ago at her grandfather’s funeral. The funeral that stopped Delilah’s yearly summertime visits, the funeral that changed everything. The only problem is that Delilah has no idea what happened that day. She begins to see that she is not the only one with secrets and actions that need to be explained. Her family is hiding a generation of Hannaford secrets, secrets that would fill in the missing links of her life. Secrets that are too painful to be retold. One their first day back, Delilah reunites with her summertime best friend, little Ricky- Patrick now, and like everything else, their relationship picks up right were they left it. Except now their friendship is burdened with the complications of death, secrets and adolescence. Then the inevitable happens. The secrets that her family tried so hard to keep from her begin to unravel. With each new detail of her family’s history, a little piece of Delilah threatens to break. Delilah cracks with the tension each of her new questions instigates.

    When the pressure becomes too much to bear, her anger and frustration is projected onto the people she loves. Delilah finds herself playing what if? What if she did this. What if that didn’t do that. She constantly dwells on what could have been and what could be. But there is one thing Delilah knows, she knows that more than anything she wishes she didn’t push her loved ones away. What if she can’t get them back? And what if she can’t get herself back.

    Fixing Delilah made me think about my life and how I treat the people I love. I was distressed to find out that I was doing exactly what Delilah was. Projecting anger I was feeling towards myself and towards things I do not have the power to change on my loved ones - specifically my mother. Much like Claire Hannaford, my mother’s whole life is erratically affected by her work. Constantly tending to ringing phones, beeping emails and trying to appease her frantic clients. Like Delilah, it drives me insane. Why can’t she be there to bagger me about grades or yell at me to turn the music down? I reacted the same way Delilah does, by pushing her away. The tears started to fall when Delilah epiphany arises. This could be her in a few decades - going through the possessions of her dead mother whom she hasn’t spoken a word to in eight years. Delilah’s realization struck a cord deep in my heart. That could be me too, and I do not want to be sitting there playing what if?

    Sarah Ockler, author of Twenty Boy Summer, delivers a remarkable, utterly consuming story that is hilarious at times, heartwarming at others and heartrending as well. I opened the cover to read the first words and hours later I was sitting unmoved staring at the last page. I found myself crying, then laughing through my blurred vision with the much-needed comic relief provided by Patrick or the best-friend-we-all-wish-we-could-have Emily. I would recommend this story to anyone thirteen and up, especially children transitioning into adolescence. This story provided me with the much-needed “bigger picture” that I failed to see before. I am walking away from this book enlightened, something I did expect to happen. Then again, the greatest things in life are unexpected, right?

Teen Reads Giveaway (Not Reading Teen)

The book obsessed people over at TeenReads.com are hosting their very first Holloween related giveaway! Five winners of the "Book o'Lantern" contest will each receive: Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri, The Counseling: Ghost Huntress, Book 4, by Marley Gibson, Dead is Just a Rumor by Marlene Perez, Everlasting Desire by Amanda Ashley, Firelight by Sophie Jordan, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride, House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle, Paranormalcy by Keirsten White, The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks, Supernatural by DK Publishing, The Truth of the Matter: The Homelanders, Book Three by Andrew Klavan, The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #1: Origins by L.J Smith, The Witches' Kitchen by Allen Williams, and Z by Michael Thomas Ford.


I don't know if you guys got this the first time, but thats 14 BOOKS and 5 WINNERS! All you have to do to enter is email Contests@teenreads.com with your address and "Book O'Lantern" as the subject line. Easy. Contest ends Friday October 22, 2010 at noon ET.


There is a link to the post (under Teen Reads Giveaway) in the sidebar. On the post you will find descriptions to all the books being given away. 

Another Crazy Beautiful Darkness GIVEAWAY!

Picture of Swag (photo does not belong to me)

The amazing people over at Lush Budget Productions: A Tale of a Ravenous Reader, are hosting a great giveaway with loads of Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness swag! I mean look at those great prizes! All you have to do to enter is visit the site (Link in sidebar under Ravenous Reader Giveaway) and fill out their form! This is definatly not a contest you want to miss (hello, do you see that Beautiful Darkness ARC? - and it's signed!)


Comment here and let me know if you entered. Good luck to all (and to me, because I entered too!) Contest ends midnight on October 15, 2010

Desires of The Dead GIVEAWAY!

Released March 15, 2011

The lovely Kimberly Derting seems just as giddy as all of us for the first Desires of the Dead giveaway! Desires of the dead is a sequel to The Body Finder. If you have yet to read The Body Finder, I suggest you do that right away! It has the perfect mix of horror, suspense and romance that will grasp hold of you until that very last page (and possibly until after if you are like me). 


Today, over on Kimberly's blog she announced a very special contest. She is giving away an ARC (advanced reader copy) to one lucky winner. For those of you who have been feeling separation anxiety from Jay, like myself, this could be your chance to be with him once again 5 MONTHS EARLY! Here's how you enter:


+1 Entry for following Kimberly's blog
+1 Entry for following Kimberly's twitter
+1 Entry for being a fan on Goodreads
+1 Entry for tweeting about the contest
+1 Entry for being a fan on Facebook


Thats five total entries per person! Next all you have to do is leave a comment on Ms. Derting's blog post (link in the sidebar) tallying up all your points. This contest ends on 11:59 PST on October 15, 2010 So get on it!


Kimberly's Info;
Twitter:            @KimberlyDerting
Blog:                   Kimberlyderting.blogspot.com
Good Reads:     http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2755160.Kimberly_Derting
Facebook:         http://www.facebook.com/people/Kimberly-Myers-Derting/1453296604

What Caster Character Are You?

The lovley people over at The Compulsive Reader have just posted a lovley feature on Beautiful Darkness!(can't you tell I'm really excited?) Take their quiz to find out which character from the series is most like you! (I'm most like Lena by the way...) After you take the quiz, fill out a simple form and be entered to win a Beautiful Creatures swag bag! Woo! (There is a link to the post in the side bar).

Come back here and comment on which character you are most like!

Contest ends October 16, 2010

Have you seen this?

So after countless days and hours of waiting, the (AMAZING) Beautiful Darkness full length trailer was released. ReadingTeen.net was the winner of the premeire contest, the trailer premeired on their website thursday night. For those of you who have yet to fall in love with it's beauty, I have put a link to the trailer on the official book site's homepage. Enjoy!

What do you think about the trailer? Are you excited? I know I am!