Lie by Caroline Bock

Lie by Caroline Bock
224 Pages
St. Martin's Griffin
August 30, 2011
Source: Librarything
Format: ARC

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?

But Jimmy was her savior. . . . When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . . Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

    This book has a very important message and powerful storyline, however; I feel like it was not presented in the best possible way. Certain aspects of the writing style seemed to take away from the potential power the story could have.

    This story is told from nuemorous points of view, which, I can see why the author would choose it. The story line really involves the whole town. In that way, switching points of view, makes sense. However, for me at least, it seemed to take away from the story. I wasn't able to connect to the characters because I wasn't allowed to spend much time with one character before the story switched to the next.

    Also, the main character, Skylar, did not impress me... to say the least. She just seemed too weak, too damsel in distress. I know she's been through a lot, but there is a fine line between in mourning and pathetic. She was on the pathetic side (in my opinion).

    I am kind of upset that I wasn't able to get into this book. This book has a lot of potential, I just don't think it reached it. If this book sounds interesting, read other reviews, I know others liked it a lot - I just didn't.

   

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff
210 Pages (Hardcover)
Carolrhoda Books
September 1, 2011
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC

When you're sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the only choice left is to run. If you're lucky, you'll find a place that accepts you, no questions asked. And if you're really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.

    Sadly, my favorite thing about this novel was the cover. Brooklyn, Burning and I were just not a great match.

    I may have been missing something, but I was constantly confused by the writing style. I feel dumb to admit it, but for an absurd amount of time, I didn't know which characters were boys and which were girls. I really don't think it was that clear... Also, I was confused by what was taking place in the present and what was taking place in the past since the scenes were switching back and forth all the time. There were a few other aspects that just didn't mesh well with me, but I'm not going to sit here and tear apart the book - we just didn't match up.

    I will say though, I did like the setting. I liked how Brooklyn was portrayed in the way it actually is. Filled with bland buildings, bars, and colorful characters. The setting seemed to take on the role of a character in a way. Brooklyn is what kept me reading.

    So, I didn't like it. I'm sorry. It happens. But maybe you will? Check out the other reviews along this tour and make up your own opinion. This book wasn't terrible, it just wasn't for me. The book was published, someone liked it - there's a chance you will too.

Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure Blog Tour (interview + giveaway)

Today as a part of the book blog tour for Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure, I have an interview between myself and the author, B.K Bostick. I also have a giveaway for you guys - I hope you enjoy!

*   *   *

1.) Firstly, can you tell me a little bit about your book in two sentences or less?


When Huber Hill discovers an old Spanish map and gold coin left behind by his Grandpa, he embarks upon an adventure with his sister and friend to find the hidden cache in the surrounding mountains. Unbeknownst to them, a sinister Spaniard by the name of Juan Hernán Salazar shadows their every step and will do anything to obtain the treasure for himself.


2.) What inspired you to write for children?


I taught fourth and fifth grades for several years. We read many wonderful books together as a class and I loved watching their eyes light up. I always thought it'd be wonderful if I could also write something that would make a child's eyes light up. I also see so many kids (especially boys) getting wrapped up in things like X-box and iphones. I wanted to write something that'd inspire them to read and maybe get outdoors and go on an adventure all their own.


3.) What has surprised you most about the publication process?


I was surprised at the the amount of time an author must put into marketing their work. Previously, I thought all an author had to do was write, right? Wrong. While the publisher does put forth a lot of effort into marketing, count on an extra part time job during the months leading up to publication going to workshops, building a fan base, doing giveaways, interviews, planning signings, assemblies, etc.


4.) If you could take your whole publication journey and smoosh it down into one piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be?


Be true to who you are. When I first started submitting queries, I tried to give the publisher/agent what I thought they wanted to hear. It was only when I truly showed who I was, that things started rolling.


5.) Do you have a favorite line or scene from your novel? Could you share it?


I love the scene when Huber finally has enough and puts Scott (a bully who becomes his best friend) in his place. While they're in the lunch room, Scott trips Huber's sister and she falls, hitting her mouth on a bench. Here's what happens afterward:


The blazing ball of hate erupted into a violent explosion.
As if watching himself from a distance, Huber yanked Scott
from the bench and onto the floor. Hatred coursed through
his veins as he pummeled his tormentor for all he was worth.


This part of the novel is the turning point for Huber- he stops being a victim.


6.) Do you have any writing rituals? Must - haves?


I can't just write here and there for a few minutes at a time. I need several hours of uninterrupted silence along with plenty of Mountain Dew and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


7.) What are you doing when you're not writing?


Thinking about writing!


8.) I understand you have a fundraiser coming up called " Treasure for Alyssa", can you explain what it is?




My next door neighbor, Alyssa is a twelve year old girl who was diagnosed with a brain tumor last December. She's had four surgeries and several rounds of radiation. Her positive attitude and outlook through the whole ordeal has been an inspiration for me, personally. I wanted to give back by donating 100% of profits from all pre-orders and book sales during the first two week of launch to Alyssa and her family. To participate, just pre order a copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or purchase a copy during Oct. 1st-16th from any retailer. To top off the event, we're doing a fun run/carnival at her school- www.treasureforalyssa.com.

Now for some random, but fun, would - you - rathers:

Would you rather...


- Eat only fruit for the rest of your life, or only vegetables?


I would eat snozzcumbers for the rest of my life.


- Grow fur or feathers?


Fur in the winter, feathers in the summer.


- Have a mini gorilla or mini elephant as a pet?


Tough one...a gorilla because I could train it to type for me.


- Loose an arm or a leg to a shark?


I could do without a leg- I need my arm to type (unless I have that typing, mini gorilla).

*   *   *

*   *   *

Visit the author or learn more about the book on its website or facebook page. 

*   *   * 

Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a replicated spanish dubloon, a bookmark and an e-copy of the book! How do you enter? Just read the rules below:

Rules

• Must be 13 years or older to enter
• US only (sorry)
• Comments are appreciated, but THIS FORM must be filled out to be entered
• giveaway ends 9/5/2011 at midnight EST
• Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to claim his/her prize before a new winner is chosen

In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi at The Story Siren. This meme is a place where people can learn about great books that they might not have known about, or to freak out over books they can't wait to get! Here's what I got in my mailbox this week...

For Review

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff (Goodreads)

~Thanks to Carolrhoda Lab and The Teen {Book} Scene

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Goodreads)

~ Thanks to Tor Teen and Kismet Book Touring

That's it for this week! What did you get in your mailbox?

Book Blogger Hop (11-22)

For those of you who are new to the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books, this is Jennifer's description of the meme, "In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!" (Crazy-for-books) 
Come join the fun this week HERE!
This week's question is...

Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?

Yes! I have three dogs, all Shih Tzus. They are really cute if I do say so myself. The oldest is Sofia (AKA, Sofie, So, Oofla, or Oof), she's black and white. She's just a few months older than Mario (AKA Marmar, mar, or otter) who is brown and white. Those two are married. Seriously. When I was younger, my siblings and I held a wedding. They even had puppies! They had eight puppies together (an abnormally large litter size), but two died. There were seven girls and one boy. Sadly, we didn't keep any of them. My Dad claimed that we were not going to have more than two dogs.... Well, now we have three because almost two years ago we got Bella (AKA Isabella, bellybutton, or belly) - she is insane, but I love her.

So those are my pets! I'll be interested to see what other bloggers have pets. 

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Mercy (Mercy #1) by Rebecca Lim
288 Pages (Hardcover)
Hyperion Books
May 17, 2011
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC

A fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers. Who will show her Mercy?

Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate.

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.

Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time?

The first in a dazzling new series, Mercy masterfully weaves romance, mystery and the supernatural into a spell-binding tale.

    I feel like because of a few books (which I will not name), "angel books" have been given a bad name. But honestly, if this book didn't have a girl with wings on the cover, I don't think I would have even thought that Mercy was an angel. Is that a good thing? Well, that's for you to decide. My point was that this book isn't to be categorized with other "angel books" because it is not a stereotypical "angel book". Personally, I really liked that aspect a lot.

    Mercy is constantly waking up in the bodies of different girls. She doesn't know much about her actual form, she can't remember. All she knows is that she calls herself Mercy and she is looking for her lost love in every new body she inhabitants. But while she is in whatever body she was given (taken?), she must pretend to be that person, even though she knows nothing about them. She does her best to try and improve their situation, regardless of what it is.

    But this time is different. This time she wakes up as Carmen, a girl who is on a school chorus trip. The family she is assigned to live with is stricken by grief as the anniversary of their daughter, Lauren's, disappearance is coming up. Mercy has to chose between helping Carmen with her dreams, or helping the family find out what happen to Lauren. Mercy's choice may not just lead Carmen, but herself into grave danger.

    I found the plot to be very interesting. I'm not sure if you have, but I haven't read a book like this before. The plot surrounding Carmen as Mercy as she looks to find answers was suspenseful and even creepy at times. But the thing is, not only does Mercy not know anything about Carmen, she seems to not know much about herself either. I was kind of confused by Mercy's actual backstory. The reader is given bits and pieces of her story, but never the full picture. This kind of confused me. Carmen's story is somewhat tied up, but there seems to be a lot of loose ends with Mercy's.

    So overall, if you are interested, I'd say give it a shot. Mercy is a super quick read, I read it almost straight through. After all, this book is the first in a series (some of the consecutive books have been released in Australia, I'm not sure of their release dates in the US), so I'm sure those loose ends I spoke of will be tied up in later books.

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1) by Jennifer Estep
350 pages (Paperback)
Kensington Publishing Corporation
July 26, 2011


*A copy of this book was given to me in exchange of an honest review

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

(Goodreads) 

I really enjoy mythology, especially twists on the normal stories. When I read the description of Touch of Frost, I was really excited because it seemed like I book I would really enjoy. Although there were some aspects of the novel that I really liked, there were others that I liked, uh... not so much.

Gwen is a "gypsy", along with the other women in her family, and because of that, she has a strange magical power. Gwen doesn't really know why she is a gypsy, or what it means, she just has always known that that is what she is. After her mother's death, she is transported to Mythos Academy, a school made up of kids with otherworldly powers - supposedly decedents of the Greek gods, but Gwen isn't so sure she believes all of it. After a student's death, Gwen decides to start looking for answers... Although her search may bring her closer to the truth, inevitably, that means closer to unimaginable dangers. 

Okay, so I liked the plot. Although it did take about 100 pages for the pace to pick up, I was interested in what was going to happen next. The ending - showdown. It was highly entertaining and I will definitely be on the lookout for the sequel, Kiss of Frost, coming in December. 

My problem with this novel was that although I cared about the plot, I didn't really care about the characters. Maybe that's not fair to say... I did care about some of the characters, but not the ones that I normally would, or should for that matter. Truthfully, I didn't really care what happened to Gwen. It wasn't that I didn't like her or that she annoyed me, I just didn't connect with her. I don't know why, there just seemed to be something missing in her development. She didn't seem to really change at all. Although she learned more about her self, none of it seemed to really effect her. It was if she always subconsciously knew the strange things she was about to find out (trying not to spoil), so she didn't seem realistically phased by it. 

I'm hoping I'll like Gwen more in the next book, because I'm really interested to see where the plot goes next.

Dark Souls Giveaway Winners!

Today I am announcing the two winners of Dark Souls by Paula Morris... I'm going to say thank you to Big Honcho Media for providing me with the prizes, and skip the rest of the babble. The winners are...

Katie

Maria (pronounced Mariah) 

Congratulations to the winners! To those who didn't win, better luck next time (oh don't worry, there will be plenty of next times :)

Brooklyn, Burning Book Tour

Today as apart of the book tour for Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff (hosted by The Teen {Book} Scene), I have a guest post by the author himself about why Brooklyn inspires him. I hope you enjoy!

*   *   *

Brooklyn’s a pretty amazing place. I often wonder what it would be like if Kings County hadn’t joined up with the other four boroughs of New York City. 

From neighborhood to neighborhood, it’s made up of a hundred different tiny countries. There’s huge variation in culture, language, wealth, architecture—pretty much ever variable you can imagine shifts wildly, block by block and mile by mile. 

It’s also the place I think of as my hometown, even though I don’t live there and I wasn’t brought up there. (I live in Minnesota, and I was brought up on Long Island.) But in a lot of ways, Brooklyn is a bigger part of who I am now than either of those places, because Brooklyn is where I lived through a handful of difficult times, including a rough breakup (we got back together; we have a kid now!) and the death of my father. Crises bring people together, often creating a lifelong bond. Maybe that holds for places, too. Maybe it’s just me. But I feel more connected with Brooklyn than I do with St. Paul, maybe because I haven’t developed the local accent yet, or even with Roslyn, my home-suburb on Long Island, maybe because I always felt like an outsider growing up. (Didn’t we all?)

But beyond my personal experience of Brooklyn, it’s an inspiring place: narrow cobblestone blocks along the East River, all but forgotten; the quasi-European grandeur of Eastern Parkway at night; the wild interior of Prospect Park; seagulls and horseback riding on hidden trails, Canarsie on one side, the Atlantic on the other. On a twenty block, across the breadth of Williamsburg, you’ll encounter strollering toddlers, slouching hipsters, stoop-sitting Puerto Ricans, and somber Hasidim, and you’ll smell pizza and cigarettes in the north, cumin as you move down, and broth and schmaltz at Division Avenue. 

There’s the bridges, too. Brooklyn is connected to Manhattan by three bridges: the Brooklyn, the Williamsburg, and the Manhattan, and while all three hit Manhattan downtown, actually quite close to each other, they do it with a different style, and they depart from Brooklyn in drastically different ways. The Williamsburg is the farthest north, and it will take you to that diversity walk in the above paragraph. It hits Brooklyn among converted warehouses, the old Domino sugar factory, and newly built condos, glass and steel rising above hundred-year-old ruins. The Manhattan glides in Brooklyn onto Flatbush Avenue, a wide and maddening thoroughfare. Modern office buildings and stout hotels line this street. As a younger driver, I once tried to take the Manhattan Bridge back to Long Island from a day in the city. It didn’t go well. 

But the most famous bridge is, of course, the Brooklyn Bridge. It was the first non-ferry connection between Brooklyn and its skinny, better-loved brother borough Manhattan. Today, it’s one of the most famous images of Brooklyn and all of New York City. Tourists and locals alike walk and bike over its wooden-plank pedestrian bridge in droves. When I see it in pictures, and especially in person, usually from afar, I genuinely swoon. 

Yeah, I romanticized Brooklyn. It’s not the urban fantasy land I make it out to be. It’s expensive, for one thing, and at night much of it is still pretty dangerous. Heck, much of it is dangerous during the day, too. But it’s got the best pizza, and if you want to put your money on the next big thing in indie rock, it would be a good place to start your search. It’s also only place I could have imagined a pair like Kid and Scout having their slow romance. 

*   *   *

Be on the lookout for my review of Brooklyn, Burning soon!

Book Birthday Shout Out (5)

Book Birthday Shout Out is a weekly meme hosted by the girls at Bewitched Bookworms (notice the awesome button Danny made and customized for me above).. It is a way to showcase great new titles close to their release dates, also known as their "Book Birthday"! Today I'm giving a shout out to...

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

312 Pages (Hardcover)

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

August 23, 2011 

SWEETLY is a modernization of Hansel and Gretel and a companion book to SISTERS RED.

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

(From Goodreads)

I LOVED Sisters Red, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and I can't wait to dive into this modern-day retelling of Hansel and Gretel! I love Jackson Pearce's writing style and I'm sure this book will be just as great as the last. Note that although the two books are companions of sorts, one is not required to read the next. They share none of the same characters. 

I actually have a copy of this on my table, and I was struggling when I had to put a few books before it, but I am super excited to get to it soon. So happy book birthday to Sweetly!!!

Check Out This Great New Site!!!

So, not too long ago I was contacted by a representative of CriticsandWriters.com about possibly being a critic on their site. I checked out the website, not expecting much (you wouldn't believe some of the requests I get!) and I was pleasantly surprised. It is kind of like RottenTomatoes.com, but for books and a lot better. It is still in its early stages, but I have high hopes for this one, I really think it is going to do well! 


Critics & Writers is a place where readers can find new books to pick up next. As of now, there are not too many Young Adult books in the database, but I am working with the site (and I'm sure others are too) to improve the number. I'm sure with just a little time, there will be a great database of books and reviews for readers to benefit from. 


What I really like about this site is that you can see a one or two sentence review on a book, if it sound interesting then you can click on the link to see the rest of the review on whatever site it was originally posted on. You can also follow your favorite authors, bookstores, and libraries to see who is on tour and what is going on soon (remember it is still in early stages). You can also follow your favorite critics to see their latest reviews. If that is not enough, there are stats on all the critics so that you can see overall how easy/hard they generally rate books. I really urge you to check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments below! 


www.criticsandwriters.com --> check it out!


HERE is a link to my reviews
HERE is a link to my critic page

** I was not asked, required, or payed to write this post! I wrote it because I wanted to spread the word about this site. I was not in any way obligated or persuaded ***

Book Blogger Hop (2011 - 21)

For those of you who are new to the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books, this is Jennifer's description of the meme, "In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!" (Crazy-for-books) 
Come join the fun this week HERE!
This week's question is...

What’s the LONGEST book you’ve ever read?

I think that the longest book that I have ever read was Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (which I've read more than once ;) I don't care if you roll your eyes, are think something along the lines of "Twilight sucks", I love it and they do not suck. The book is 754 pages long. Any book that long that can get thousands of people, and reluctant readers (like I was) to read can't possible "suck". You know what I think? You suck. 


Sorry about that rant. If you didn't think like that, by all means, ignore the last sentence. I am just sick of people ratting on Twilight because they need something to hate on. Why can't they just not like it and move on? 


Other than Breaking Dawn, I did read Anna Karenina in seventh grade which has about 837 pages (I took the number from goodreads, but I don't know what edition I read). The reason I didn't count it before is because I hated almost every second of it and I don't think I fully understood everything that was going on. 

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
368 Pages (Hardcover)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
July 5, 2011
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover

Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, of course. Passion, romance, drama, humor, and tragedy intertwine in this compulsively readable debut novel, told by a strong-willed, modern-day Ophelia.

    I have never read, nor seen the play, Hamlet. I know I probably should, and I want to, but I've been holding off because I know it is required reading next school year. But that's irrelevant. The point is, this review is not going to be me dissecting the novel and comparing Michelle Ray's words to Shakespeare's. Not only would that be ridiculous, but I have no grounds to do that. I will say that from what I know of the basic plot of Hamlet, Falling for Hamlet was pretty spot-on in some points, and different in others. As the author points out in her Author's note, the play isn't called Ophelia, and since she is the main character in Falling for Hamlet, of course things were changed. Now that I'm done ranting (which I hope didn't turn you off from this review), I'll actually get to how wonderful this modern-day retelling of Hamlet is.

    I really enjoyed this book. Unlike the play, Falling for Hamlet takes place before things start getting all crazy. I found myself so immersed in the characters and their lives and their stories right from the opening page that I completely forgot what was about to come. When tragedy hits and the madness begins, I was just as shocked as all of the characters. I was really that interested by the words. As the story progresses into the horrible events that make up a Shakespearian tragedy, even though I was emotional enough to scare anyone away, I kept reading. I kept flipping the pages because Ms. Ray's words made me care.

    In Michelle Ray's author's note, she says this, "My purpose in writing Falling for Hamlet, besides entertaining myself in asking the many 'what if' questions, was the hope that readers would become more interested in Hamlet". I can honestly say, that in my opinion, she succeeded in reaching that goal. The writing was not only at a simple level of understanding, but it was also captivating. Because of this, I found myself crushed in the end. Why? Because I cared. I really cared about the characters. More so than any Shakespearian play has made me feel before. I know that this is a retelling, and not the original, but the point is that going forward, when I do finally read/see Hamlet, I will care. I will already relate to the characters, and I have Michelle Ray to thank for that.

    I know this review is on the longer side and has been filled with words bordering on ranting, but I really do hope that I encouraged you to pick up this book. As Ms. Elizabeth Eulberg (author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice) so cleverly says in her blurb, "To read or not to read will never be the question for Falling for Hamlet". I totally agree.

Book Birthday Shout Out (4)

Book Birthday Shout Out is a weekly meme hosted by the girls at Bewitched Bookworms (notice the awesome button Danny made and customized for me above).. It is a way to showcase great new titles close to their release dates, also known as their "Book Birthday"! Today I'm giving a shout out to...

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

384 Pages (Hardcover)

Balzer + Bray

August 23, 2011 

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

(From Goodreads)

This book just looks really creepy and interesting. I've been wanting to read it since I first read the description a while back. I don't know about you, I really love the cover, it makes me so much more excited to read it (I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but everyone does, it's a sad fact). This book doesn't come out until next week, so this post is a bit early, but I'm really excited for it! Are you excited too? Leave a comment!