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BOOK REVIEW : All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterdays #1) by Cristin Terrill

December 14, 2014 / Anna

All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterdays #1)
by Cristin Terrill
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet.

Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.

Well, well, well, it does occur to me that I’m living in a high-ratings fantasy world lately.

Basically I have two options here :
– Either I become easier and easier to satisfy
– Or, thanks to my wonderful GR friends ~~and hours spent to go through a ridiculous amount of reviews~~, I’m lucky enough to grab books which perfectly suit my tastes. ← Of course I’m gonna go with that answer, what do you think?

“James leans against the wall, letting it takes his weight. “You two agree on this?”
” I know, it’s weird,” Finn says. “I feel dirty.”

Let’s talk about the plot without talking about the plot (yes, I can do this)
All Our Yesterday brings us in a shattered world where time travel is not only a reality, but also a terribly frightening weapon when hold by delusional and powerful hands. I must admit that while I often love time-travel stories, I usually find myself wondering about the possibility of it – I mean, of course I know I’m reading a science-fiction book, hey, I’m not a fool but I need to be able to rely on some believable explanations or I’m not buying it.

So, here? I have to congratulate Cristin Terrill because I find myself drinking and believing the explanations The Doctor gives us – The Doctor aka The Evil, and no, I won’t say anything else about him, except he’s the creator and user of the time machine, Cassandra (am I the only one to see a messed-up joke in that name? Cassandre? Reaaally?)

Verdict : I finished that book with the almost absolute certainty it could be possible to create such a dreading machine – and what a scaring possibility, I’m telling you!

Why did I love those characters ?
That’s pretty simple actually : they’re so realistic I could almost grasp them. Throughout the story we become witnesses of their evolution and I was very passionate about that experience : Call me cynical, but I never thought there were bad guys and good guys out there – Actually I think sometimes people drive on a thin ice without knowing it, and as we say in French, l’enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions, understand : even if we think we’re doing the right thing, unexpected really bad things can arise from our so-called good actions. We’re in real life here, and from a sci-fi novel, I say bravo. Either Em or Finn grew fiercer and fiercer, all the events and suffering they have to go through making their final resolution completely believable and understandable.

“I glance at Finn to see if he’s starting to sweat and shake the way I am, but he seems unaffected. He’s probably been working out in his cell, the vain little bastard.”

How can we recognize a good characterization?

Huuuum, Let’s see :

☛ Option 1
Character A is character A at the beginning of the story.
Character A is put in the middle of a war-a wild and frightening world-whatever.
Character A never changes and stays Character A in the end of the story.
Character A is a f*cking robot. He bores me to no end.

☛ Option 2
Character A is character A at the beginning of the story.
Character A is put in the middle of a war-a wild and frightening world-whatever.
Character A evolves through the story and becomes Character A’.
Character A’ is believable. I love Character A’.

As you can guess, in my opinion All Our Yesterday belongs to the second option. Plus, icing on the cake, I loved Finn‘s character from the beginning to the end, from the sarcastic and loyal best-friend to the adorable and fierce cell-mate.

Saving the world is not easy, but if I had to choose, he’d seem a really great option. Trust me.

To sum-up, what do we have here?

Convinced?

“But maybe it’s simpler than that. Maybe it’s that Finn has this magical ability to make you smile even when things are grim.”

BOOK REVIEW : Under My Skin (Immortality Strain #1) by Shawntelle Madison

December 13, 2014 / Anna

Under My Skin (Immortality Strain #1)
by Shawntelle Madison
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Everyone wants to either be a member of the Guild or work for them. Little does the populace know that the Guild hides sinister secrets...

For Tate Sullivan, life in her small, coastal town is far from glamorous. The affluent lives of the Guild members and their servants isn't something she has ever wanted. But all sixteen year-olds must take a simple test, and Tate's result thrusts her into the Guild's world, one where they hide horrible plans for those they select. Tate must fight the relentless General Dagon for control of her mind, body, and soul to keep the one precious thing she has always taken for granted: herself.

Her only ally is the same handsome boy she is pitted against in General Dagon’s deadly game. Quinn desires nothing more than to end the life of General Dagon who has taken over Tate's mind. While romance blooms between Tate and Quinn, General Dagon plots to eventually take over Tate's body, and love might end before it even begins.

Well, well… How can I do justice to that original and alluring book?

First I think I can say without a doubt that the writing is compelling, as it was such a page turner for me – even with the sleepy way I acted the whole week – Last event : falling asleep on my couch and waking up in the middle of the night, believing my boyfriend who said to me it was 7a.m. Yes. I was that tired.

Second I grew fond of these characters : We follow Tate‘s journey in the Guild, and well, that’s difficult to tell you more without spoiling you – really difficult – but let’s say she has a hard time staying herself and to see her fight for her believes is truly fascinating and heart-breaking, as slightly creepy her situation is. Because trust me, that’s f*cking creepy. That kind of horror which brings me chills. Not ghosts. Not vampires. Not even a doll or a clown, and the whole world knows how much I’m afraid of those bulging eyes – What? Aren’t you?

No. Just the very kind of monsters I despise the most, the regular ones : those who walk on two legs, you know, humans.

So, Tate. She’s not far from the kind of heroines I love the most : strong-minded, courageous, yet relatable because she goes through moments of doubts – and trust me, she does has valid reasons to. Yet she’s a fighter, and I’m always incredibly pleased to see that side in a character.

Therefore, do I want more female leads like Tate in the books I read?
☛ Yes, pretty please.

As for the love interest, hummm. 3 words, guys : Master. Of. Blades.

“Die trying?” Wow, he was a piece of work.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh, Captain Belfry?”
” That’s the reality of your situation. The name’s Quinn, by the way.”

Whaaaat? Don’t you see where I go with that? Come onnnn. Master. Of. Blades. Nope? Is it only me? Naaaaah, I can’t believe that. Okay, let’s move on.

Quinn is such a mysterious character. Apart from the fact I told you before (master of blades, you know, and no I’m not obsessing here. Nope), I must admit we spend the major part of the book without learning many information about him. But even if I get it can be taken as a flaw, it never really bothered me because I loved every single apparition of him. He even succeeded in waking me up when I struggled to keep my eyes open. Yes. He had that effect on me.

I sighed. “Still offering me an out? You make a great hero, Quinn.”
“All in a day’s service.”

Plus, I kind of share his vision of the dreadful effect the power has on people, even if well, that’s pretty pessimistic : it reminds me of Stello, a classic French book from Alfred de Vigny I studied when I was in college : one of the main character, the “Docteur Noir” – black or dark doctor, explains that in his opinion if we’d choose any person and give him too much power, that person could become a tyrant, no matter how kind he’s been at first.

Yes, that’s depressing and yes I think it’s almost always true.

“He laughed. “You still believe in the human race. I like that about you. But that’s not the way the real world works.”

Oh, and before I forget : no instalove, no What-is-the-plot-I-don’t-care-I-saw-a-cute-boy-let-me-dream-of-his-eyes. Quinn is here, he’s interesting, even adorable sometimes, but he never owns the show. Tate does.

Let’s talk about the plot : In a word? Captivating. And, yes, that’s the only thing you’ll get because I strongly believe the book is actually better if you begin it without any clue. So nooo, that’s not because I’m lazy. I guess.

Why didn’t I give it 5 stars though?
– The ~~lack of world-building~~. No, that’s not right. The lack of world exploration : I might be harsh about it because the plot is wrapped in a way which leaves no room for a world exploration so what I see as a flaw can easily be explained and more than that, justified. But that’s a dystopia and in that kind of book I’m willing to discover a new world and I’m not very indulgent with the lack of details, where many readers might not care about it. Yet this is the first book of a trilogy, so I might change my rating in the future if the sequel provides what I missed here.
– I didn’t laugh. I know, I knooow, all the books aren’t written to make me laugh but still, it stays something I seek out in the books I read and that’s definitely a plus this one didn’t offer me. How can I explain? In dystopias, and harsh stories in general, I need bubbles of laughter to reduce the pressure. What can I say? Funny comments are one of my main peeves.

With this being said, let me answer to the two most important questions :
Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
Will I read the sequel? What don’t you understand in the words “kind of heroines I love” and “Master of Blades”? Huh?

*** ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

Giveaway:

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BOOK REVIEW : The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin

December 12, 2014 / Anna

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3)
by Michelle Hodkin
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived

Now, Here’s how you should end a trilogy.

Reviewing this book without any spoiler?

Well, I guess I’ll do what I can.

Can I remind you something? The sequel was very confusing. Awesome, but you know, it was this kind of plot, when we don’t understand anything. I must admit, I was afraid that Michelle Hodkin lost us in her final, and guess what?! I couldn’t have been more wrong. Because the only thing I can say is the plot ended to be very well-wrapped and even if I didn’t get all the answers I was waiting for, that was good enough for that wonderful mystery.

“One scalpel (held)
One tape recorder (held)
One human eye (brown) (held)
One blood-soaked surgical gown (worn)
One gold Rolex (worn)
I really wished the stupid hospital gown had pockets.”

Let me be short : I got shivers from the beginning to the end. Some parts were so creepy I had to stop reading to breathe, frightened under my blanket like a middle-grade child. Yet it isn’t an horror book, nah, but it contains the exact amount of tension and angst to make me worry all the freaking time – and especially at the beginning. Brrrr. What a rude rude world to live in.

Concerning the characters, that final book kept the flaws present since the very first book in my opinion : That is to say, the relative hollowness of the secondary characters. Of course Stella and Jamie are here, but, you know, I never really cared about them. Maybe that’s just me, but I think Michelle Hodkin failed to improve their characterization unfortunately. It didn’t affect me though, because I utterly enjoyed the fact Mara was finally able to evolve. Freed from her whining or annoying I’m guilty inner monologues, our heroine became much more interesting for me. A bad guy? Let’s kill him, dammit!

Hey, Mom, I’ve been tortured and experimented upon, but don’t worry because my tormenters are dead. Because, P.S., I killed them.

Of course Noah was my hero – even if I was waiting for him a ridiculous amount of time. His personality started to grow in the sequel and he ended to be that multi-layered man whose actions we can’t always understand and let me say, that’s f*cking great, because he’s never, ever boring. Oh, and because he speaks french! That’s amazing, isn’t it? Say it. That totally is.

As for the writing, I found it addictive as usual : Whereas I wanted to savor it, I couldn’t fail to eat that beautiful book. Of course it wasn’t perfect : we came through a cheesy crisis at some point, and I found myself wanting to roll my eyes, but what can I say? I can forgive Noah everything.

“Would I trade one of them to have Noah back?
Would I trade all of them to have him back?
I was stripped of all illusions, about this and myself. I knew without thinking that the answer was yes.”

BOOK REVIEW : The Archived (The Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab

December 12, 2014 / Anna

The Archived (The Archived #1)
by Victoria Schwab
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what she once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

” What if I mess up? ”
” Oh, you will. You’ll mess up, you’ll make mistakes, you’ll break things. Some you’ll be able to piece together, and others you’ll lose. That’s all a given. But there’s only one thing you have to do for me. ”
” What’s that? ”
” Stay alive enough to mess up again. “

See, I don’t know if that’s because :

a) I actually read a lot of slow-paced-kill-me-now books when I was in college – like this one, the riveting story of a man who decides to never go out of his house anymore because “too much luxury, people!” and intends to describe everything he thinks or sees or does in his freakin house during about 3 months (yes, that’s as horrible as it sounds and yes, I had to read it like, 3 times. My eyes are still hurting – and I don’t care how mind-blowing it’s supposed to be – I read French literature so. damn. better.)

b) I used to be a fantasy fan, aka a reader who used to go through 3 books in a series before –
✶ getting in the middle of the action,
✶ understand who is Tennahra and Kileken exactly (yes, I’m typing randomly on my keypad) and why the King/the Queen/The Witch/*add random character here* are such weirdoes.

But what do I know? In my opinion the beginning isn’t dull or boring. It’s called… watch out, big big words! world-building people. Characterization.

I know, that’s pretty rare out there.

Striking fact# 1 : The writing was impressive

The story is told from two different times : in present day, we follow Mackenzie, the youngest Keeper in the Archive organization (whose purpose is to keep the dead quiet on shelves), when her family moves in the Coronado Hotel whereas other parts let us have a glimpse of the memories of her training which took place years before – before her grandpa died.

Before her baby brother died, jeopardizing all her family, leaving an incurable wound in their heart.

I loved the writing, which contains the kind of magical blissfulness I found in The Raven Boys – we’re struck by the way the objects seem to be brought to life somehow. The only thing we have to do is to let ourselves get lost in these corridors, walking through these doors hidden behind our consciousness, and enjoy the enchanted feeling created by Victoria Schwab’s pen.

I ruined my post-it reserve I had created for… work. Bad me.

” Why? ”
You take the cigarette out, jabbing the air with the unlit tip. “That is the most worthless question in the world. Use your words. Be specific. Why is like bah or moo or that silly sound pigeons make.”

Striking fact# 2 : The story fascinated and enthralled me from the beginning to the end : I was hooked.

I won’t get back to the no, I don’t think the beginning is boring conversation, because hey, I’m pretty sure you saw my point earlier.

So let’s go straight, shall we?

– The world-building is inventive and filled with originality. Of course it is! Seriously, have you ever heard about dead people resting on shelves? Keepers whose job consists of hunting Histories, aka dead who’re not so comfortable on their shelves? Well?

– Now, the romance. You’re worried to find another love at first sight/love overtakes the plot/whatever love does?
Try this : friendship, getting to know each other, light and smile-inducing flirting.

– Here’s a mystery book which actually contains a mystery. I know. I’m excited too. That plot? Thrilling. Intoxicating. Slightly creepy at times. Because murderer people! Trust issues! Bunch of lies!

Oh. My. Am I bad to love that so damn much?

– Also, Histories’ waking up? It gets a strong but awesome zombie vibe, without the lame heroine – yes, you got me! I don’t like zombie books! While here I found it fascinating.

Striking fact# 3 : Can I have more of these characters, pretty please?

As I said earlier, I was amazed by the characterization qualities : you won’t believe me, but we get the impression to really know the characters, who are far from the ghosts we’re sometimes accustomed to. Now tell me, how incredible is that?

” Well, there’s this new girl who just moved in on floor three. Her family re-opening the café. I hear she likes to lie, and hit people.”
“Oh yeah? Well, there’s that strange goth guy, the one who’s always lurking around Five C.”
” Strangely hot in a mysterious way, though, right? “

Multiple choice quiz time!

Mackenzie..…
✘~~can’t stop thinking about the eyes of some boy~~
✔ genuinely thinks before acting
✘ ~~makes me want to throw the book in my chimney with her annoying crappie thoughts~~
✔ could be a friend of mine – apart from the fact she can’t really have friends, of course, duh.

“M. That’s what I call her, this normal, nonexistent me. (…) I can pretend to be M ; I can wear her like a mask. But I can’t be her. I’ll never be.
M wouldn’t see blood-covered boys in her bedroom.
M wouldn’t spend her time scouring her dead brother’s toys for a glimpse of his life.”

Wes….
✘ ~~is the savior everybody was waiting for. Hey, what did you expect? He’s a boy dammit!~~
✔ likes blueberry cupcakes and … let’s see… Did I smile so big it hurt each time he made an apparition? Absolutely.
✔ wears guyliner. Okay, I know, nobody cares about that, but –

Riiiiiight?
✔ is genuinely interested in Mackenzie, takes her feelings in consideration, and never tries to take the decision out of her.

” It’s the same for me, you know? This is all new to me. And I’m not going anywhere. It takes at least three assassination attempts to scare me off. And even then, if there are baked goods involved, I might come back. “

Roland….
✔ Is an Archive Librarian whose age isn’t really clear and whose life is a mystery and whose choices are full of selflessness and caring and courage, okay?

Why, thank you, can I have the sequel pretty please?

FRIDAY STARS–Your Weekly Must Knows 12/11/14

December 12, 2014 / Jen / 0 Comments

Friday Stars

Click book covers for ordering. ***Email Subscribers – If you are outside of the US, these links will only work internationally if you access this post on our blog***

Giveaways

Enter to win a $25 eBook Gift card (INT) or 5 Winners to get UNDER MY SKIN Bookmark Pack (INT)

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Just Finished and Loved

The Archived by Victoria Schwab – I make it a habit to stay away from books with people that have black eyes or where there are spirits or ghosts-I’ve learned my lesson and I know my limits. But, as I was reading this beautiful story and I began to realize what I had unintentionally gotten myself into, I couldn’t make myself put it down. It was so expertly written, with a soft finesse that leads you from one scenario to the next. Chelsea’s Review

Golden Son (The Red Rising Trilogy #2) by Pierce Brown – Wow. This author. This author, guys. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been punched in the gut?? Yeah, well, me either-but, I’d like to think that this is what it feels like. Chelsea’s Review

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Reading Next

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones – Charley sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi – Juliette’s story continues…..1st book – No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

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Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo – 5 Stars! Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Chelsea’s Review

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – 5 Stars! Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them–until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her. His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn’t believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. Chelsea’s Review

Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth – 5 Stars! Beatrice Prior’s society is divided into five factions—Candor (honest), Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Amity (peaceful), and Erudite (intelligent). Sje must choose between staying with her Abnegation family & transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community, but the newly christened Tris also has a secret she’s determined to keep hidden, because in this world,what makes you different makes you dangerous. (Jen’s review) (Chelsea’s Review)

If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman – In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Now a major motion picture starring Chloe Grace Moretz. (Chelsea’s Review)

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross – Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas’s life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she’s living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals’ super-hot rookie pitcher.

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake – 5 Stars! Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead. (Chelsea’s Review)

Marked (House of Night #1) by P.C. Cast – In 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed. Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire–that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.

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Never Too Far (The Rosemary Beach Series #2) by Abbi Glines – 5 Stars! Just when Blaire allowed herself to fall for her stepbrother, Rush, he revealed a life-altering secret so devastating that she couldn’t forgive him. Unable to face him again, Blaire leaves the promise of true love behind in Rosemary Beach and returns to the comforts of her small town in Alabama, wanting nothing more than to put the summer behind her. But unexpected news complicates Blaire’s plans, and she’s forced to trust the one man she shouldn’t. Trapped between Rush’s fierce desire to win her back and her own sense of self-preservation, Blaire doesn’t know if she’s doing the right thing…or if she’s making the biggest mistake of her life. (Chelsea’s Review)

Simple Perfection (The Rosemary Beach Series #6) by Abbi Glines – Woods had his perfect life mapped out for him. Rise up the ranks of the family business. Marry the rich girl of his parents’ dreams. Pretend that wealth and privilege was all he’d ever wanted. Then a girl named Della breezed into town, a beautifully imperfect stranger who captured his heart and opened his eyes to a new kind of future. Woods is ready and willing to sacrifice everything for her when the sudden death of his father leaves him with his mother to care for and a business to manage.

$4.99

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks – Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children; and another with her neighbor, Jo. Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her. (Chelsea’s Review)

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iBooks ONLY click here →Existence – Abbi Glines – Pagan Moore sees souls. They don’t speak to her but they know she sees them. It’s a part of her life she keeps hidden from everyone else. She’s different… And he knows it. Pagan begins seeing him everywhere. In her classroom and her bedroom. The soul is stalking her and she can’t make him go away.

The Boys of Summer (The Summer Series #1) by C.J. Duggan – Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

Finding Cinderella: A Novella by Colleen Hoover – A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love has conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

Jen	Chelsea
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Arielle	Cassie

BOOK REVIEW : All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterdays #1) by Cristin Terrill

Synopsis:

“James leans against the wall, letting it takes his weight. “You two agree on this?” ” I know, it’s weird,” Finn says. “I feel dirty.”

“I glance at Finn to see if he’s starting to sweat and shake the way I am, but he seems unaffected. He’s probably been working out in his cell, the vain little bastard.”

“But maybe it’s simpler than that. Maybe it’s that Finn has this magical ability to make you smile even when things are grim.”

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BOOK REVIEW : Under My Skin (Immortality Strain #1) by Shawntelle Madison

Synopsis:

“Die trying?” Wow, he was a piece of work. “Isn’t that a bit harsh, Captain Belfry?” ” That’s the reality of your situation. The name’s Quinn, by the way.”

I sighed. “Still offering me an out? You make a great hero, Quinn.” “All in a day’s service.”

“He laughed. “You still believe in the human race. I like that about you. But that’s not the way the real world works.”

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BOOK REVIEW : The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin

Synopsis:

“One scalpel (held) One tape recorder (held) One human eye (brown) (held) One blood-soaked surgical gown (worn) One gold Rolex (worn) I really wished the stupid hospital gown had pockets.”

Hey, Mom, I’ve been tortured and experimented upon, but don’t worry because my tormenters are dead. Because, P.S., I killed them.

“Would I trade one of them to have Noah back? Would I trade all of them to have him back? I was stripped of all illusions, about this and myself. I knew without thinking that the answer was yes.”

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BOOK REVIEW : The Archived (The Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab

Synopsis:

” Why? ” You take the cigarette out, jabbing the air with the unlit tip. “That is the most worthless question in the world. Use your words. Be specific. Why is like bah or moo or that silly sound pigeons make.”

” It’s the same for me, you know? This is all new to me. And I’m not going anywhere. It takes at least three assassination attempts to scare me off. And even then, if there are baked goods involved, I might come back. “

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FRIDAY STARS–Your Weekly Must Knows 12/11/14

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“James leans against the wall, letting it takes his weight. “You two agree on this?”
” I know, it’s weird,” Finn says. “I feel dirty.”

“Die trying?” Wow, he was a piece of work.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh, Captain Belfry?”
” That’s the reality of your situation. The name’s Quinn, by the way.”

I sighed. “Still offering me an out? You make a great hero, Quinn.”
“All in a day’s service.”

“One scalpel (held)
One tape recorder (held)
One human eye (brown) (held)
One blood-soaked surgical gown (worn)
One gold Rolex (worn)
I really wished the stupid hospital gown had pockets.”

“Would I trade one of them to have Noah back?
Would I trade all of them to have him back?
I was stripped of all illusions, about this and myself. I knew without thinking that the answer was yes.”

” Why? ”
You take the cigarette out, jabbing the air with the unlit tip. “That is the most worthless question in the world. Use your words. Be specific. Why is like bah or moo or that silly sound pigeons make.”