Blogoversary Day 3: Sarah Fine

It was a no-brainer for me to invite Sarah to my blogoversary. Sarah's taught me many things, the most important being that author's aren't untouchable, they can be considered friends. And I have to say that Sarah was the first author friend I have ever made, and one that I still communicate with often today. Her debut novel, SANCTUM, is among my favorites ever, and anything written by her is pretty much pure brilliance. Thank you so much for stopping by, Sarah!

~*~

 I'm a child psychologist with an unapologetically empirical orientation. I'm also an author who writes unapologetically fantastical YA fiction. In that venture, I am repped by Kathleen Ortiz of New Leaf Literary and Media. SANCTUM, the first in my YA urban fantasy series, GUARDS OF THE SHADOWLANDS, is available now (Amazon Children's Publishing). FRACTURED, Book 2 in the series, comes out 10/29/13. My co-authored (with Walter Jury) YA thriller, SCAN, comes out in May 2014 (Putnam & Sons/Penguin). FACTORY GHOST, my gothic YA, comes out in summer 2014 (McElderry/Simon & Schuster). I like to stay busy.

~*~Guest Post On Why Her Novels are Darker~*~

Recently, I did a workshop at a writers’ conference, called “Writing the Teen.” In fact, Lili helped me a lot with that talk [THANK YOU, LILI! Also, HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY, LILI!]. During the presentation, I discussed some research about how teens think and used lots of examples from YA books.

At the end of it, someone said, “Hey. All your examples are pretty intense and gritty.”

I looked up at my slideshow. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga. Enclave by Ann Aguirre. The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith. That person was completely correct! That’s what I like to read. Dark, scary, full of broken characters.

It’s also what I like to write. Sanctum is the story of a traumatized, wary girl named Lela who gives her all to save the soul of her best friend, but it’s as much about her own redemption as it is about her rescue mission.

I’ve always been drawn to the darker aspects of human experience and the human mind (I am a clinical psychologist, after all), but it’s not about reveling in depressing stuff. What fascinates me is people’s ability to overcome all sorts of heartbreak, miserable luck, abuse, genetic vulnerability, grief … and emerge scarred, sometimes terribly so, but still able to love, and to sacrifice, and to kick ass. 

In Sanctum, nearly every character is like that. They’ve endured terrible tragedies and been completely destroyed, and they’re in the process of putting themselves back together. The setting of the book—a vast, walled city that serves as the afterlife for millions of people who have taken their own lives—is essentially the giant crucible in which they do that. And despite it being a terrible place, there are moments of beauty and hope. I think they’re more startling because they occur in such a dark place, and I believe they’re more satisfying because they happen to characters who haven’t experienced much kindness, who are more shocked by the miracle of a gentle touch than they are by an assault.  

In Fractured, the second book in the series, the setting is completely different. It takes place in Rhode Island! The characters are in high school! They can do things like … go to movies! Parties! PROM! Wheeee! And yet, the process of creating the story was quite similar to Sanctum. I once again found myself looking under rocks, exploring places where people are lost and forgotten and abandoned. I couldn’t help it! Thank goodness there are readers who can love characters with a few scars on their bodies and souls, and who enjoy a bit of grit on the page (and if you are one of those readers, hello. I <3 you)

~*~Giveaway~*~

1. Must be 14 years or older
2. One entry per household
3. All cheaters will be disqualified from any and all giveaways
4. Open to US and CA
5. The winner has 24 hours to respond before I pick a new winner
6. The giveaway ends at midnight on June 22nd

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Check out Sarah's books: Sanctum | Fractured | Factory Ghost

 

Blogoversary Day 2: Elizabeth Norris

As I said in my launch post, all authors I asked to contribute to my blogoversary were asked to join because they impacted me greatly. Elizabeth Norris was the first author to ever make me realize that authors and their love of books is equivalent to ours--so much so that they are willing to go above and beyond with their generosity in regards to others. This woman single-handedly donated over 100 books to my charity to help change children's lives, and I have an unlimited amount of respect for her because of it. I'm happy to call her a friend. Thank you so much for stopping by, Elizabeth!

~*~

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter.

She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.

Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray, April 2012), is the story of one girl’s fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

~*~Guest Post On Writing a Sequel~*~

One of the questions I’ve gotten most ever since Unbreakable was released is this: 

Which was harder, writing Unraveling or writing Unbreakable?

I don’t even need to hesitate to answer this question. Hands down, Unbreakable was the tougher book to write.

In fact, it was so tough, that during the few months where I was drafting, I referred to it as, “That Stupid Book.” When a friend would invite me to see a movie or hang out or when a colleague would ask what my plans for the weekend were, my response was, “I have to go home and write that stupid book.”

Now, I am prone to exaggeration and melodramatics so it’s possible I didn’t actually feel that terrible about it, but writing a sequel (and a second book) was a very different process for me.

Here’s why:

With Unraveling, I wrote when I felt inspired. The days that I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, I wrote. I didn’t write in order—I just wrote the scenes that felt like they needed writing.

I also had no pressure. Then writing was a hobby, it was something I did for fun to take my mind off of work. There was no deadline. In fact there was no expectation. Other than the six people in my writing group, I didn’t think anyone was actually going to read it.

With Unbreakable, everything changed. First, it was a sequel. To a book I had envisioned more as a stand alone. I had to come up with a plot from scratch and somehow raise the stakes. I had to stick to a schedule. I had to learn how to force myself to write even if I didn’t feel inspired. I had a deadline looming over me.

And while I was writing, readers were posting early reviews of the first book, and suddenly I had to learn how to handle what people liked and didn’t like about my writing. The glowing reviews were fantastic, but it made writing Unbreakable even harder because I kept worrying about how to “outdo myself and the first book.”

Here’s how I handled it:

1. I outlined. I started with a concept. (to the right).

Then I expanded it into a summary that was about three pages. From there I elaborated until it was over twenty pages, and then I started breaking those plot points into beats—scenes that would turn into chapters. Again I wrote out of order sometimes if I felt more inspired about a later scene in the book.

2. I wrote every day. No matter how tired I was or whether I felt like writing or not, I kept the TV off, I sat down at my kitchen table and I wrote for at least an hour every day. I told myself I need to just get the words out of my head and into a document, that I would be able to throw out and rewrite or revise anything I didn’t like later. I just had to get to the end.

And half the time, 15 or 30 minutes into that hour of writing, I got inspired again. I wasn’t forcing it—in fact, most of those hours turned into two or three hours before I went to bed.

3. I stopped reading reviews. I mean, they’re not really for me anyway. If people tweeted them at me, I told myself I’d read them when Unbreakable was finished. I just wanted to write the best story that I could and stay true to the characters and the plot as I envisioned it. I focused on why I love writing instead of anything else.

Suddenly, the words came more easily. The characters and the worlds and the plot came to life, and I stopped complaining about how hard it was.

Then I finished.

Sure it needed edits and there were things I threw out and rewrote or added and changed, but when I reread Unbreakable for the first time, I realized that this was a book I was proud of, maybe even more proud of than Unraveling. 

And here’s the question people haven’t asked: 
 
Which was more rewarding, the release of Unraveling or the release of Unbreakable?

The truth is, Unbreakable.

I wrote a book that was hard. I spent so much time agonizing over it. I worried a lot about whether it would have higher stakes and not feel like the same story I told in Unraveling. I stressed over whether it would be good enough for fans of my first book. And then I wrote something I didn’t know I had in me, something that I love. 

So when I got the finished copies of Unbreakable and I flipped through it and saw my words staring back at me, I felt giddy and light headed and wonderful all at the same time as the fact that I’m a published author really sank in.  

~*~Giveaway~*~

1. 13 years or older

2. One entry per household

3. Open to US/CA

4. Two winners (1 for each book)

5. Any cheaters will be disqualified from any or all giveaways

6. The winner has 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen

7. Giveaway ends at midnight on June 22nd 

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Check out Elizabeth's books: Unraveling | Unbreakable 

My One Year Blogoversary Kick-Off + Giveaway!

~*~Happy One Year Anniversary To Me!!!~*~

Yup! That's right! Lili's Reflections is officially one year old! I started this blog off on a whim last year. I was searching for reviews of certain books. I had a fifty dollar gift card and decided I wasn't going to waste the money on books I thought sounded good that I ended up hating, like so many times I have done such a thing before. So, I was googling and googling and I found book review blogs! Of all things! And I thought, "Yes. These are my people." An hour later Lili's Reflections was up and running with an ugly blue layout and I was writing book reviews in an attempt to remember everything I could about all the books that I love.

I'm so thankful to have found this community for so many reasons. Firstly, you have solidified my love for reading. I have officially decided to go to college in New York City where I can pursue an accelerated degree to get a Masters of Science in Publishing in five years. Yes, one day, I want to be in HarperCollins or S&S or Macmillian or Penguin or anywhere, really. It's going to happen, just you wait. But the firm realization that I want to do something with books for the rest of my life is not the only reason I love blogging. In truth, I love blogging really because of the people I've met and the friends I've made in both authors and fellow nerdy book bloggers alike. Who knew that this silly little blog would actually change my life.

So, really, I want to take this moment to thank some of the best people I ever could have met. In no particular order...

Krista and Becca at Nawanda Files are possible the coolest twins I know. We're constantly talking, freaking out about random things, and daring each other to read new books. They've been so kind to me and have stood as stand-in role models in regards to the college process. I know that whenever I gift them books they're going into good hands, and I know that these girls are going to be the future celebrity authors of the world one day. Their love of superheroes and movies is adorable, and I'm very thankful to call them my friends.

Nicole at Paperback Princess needs no introduction. This girl and I randomly found each other on Twitter and discovered that we live 10 minutes apart. Suffice to say, we are now nearly inseparable and I have a big sister that mothers me to death whenever we're in a public place, but secretly I adore it. This girl is almost like family, literally the type of person that my parents believe would attend my wedding one day. The book blogging community has literally given me my best friend.

Jennifer from Novel Thoughts Blog (and ARCycling) is my partner in crime. We run ARCycling together and I've totally discovered that it's necessary to have her in my life to calm me down when things get rough. This friendship started on Twitter a mere month into my blogging career, so we'll be celebrating our one year friendship next month. It's amazing to me that I've lived my life without this girl because she seems like such a huge figment in it now.

Inky at Book Haven Extraordinaire is such an amazing girl! While she keeps her head up high when I beat her at word games, she never ceases to make me laugh. She always puts a smile on my face and I can't imagine someone being a better friend than her. She is just great, there's no other way to put it. I love our texts, our word games, our weird inside jokes, her blog hijacks, and everything. If you don't follow her already, you must follow her now.

Special notes to Helene, Jen Ryland, Montana, Eileen, and Lisa Silverlight. They're all amazing women as well. While I'm lucky to say I have many blogging friends, these are the few that have been with me the longest that I hope will remain with  me for a while.

Blogging has also given me some amazing author friends in Sarah Fine, Gina Rosati, Fiona Paul, Jessica Spotswood, Tamara Ireland Stone, Ellen Oh, and so many more. Blogging has introduced me to new authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Gina Damico, and Tammara Webber--all among my favorites that I never would have found if not for blogging. I never thought that I'd consider some of my favorite authors my friends, but look at where I am now because of the confidence blogging has given to me.

~*~How This Celebration Will Work~*~

Frankly, it was really hard to plan this with so many authors trying to reach deadlines and my own hectic schedule with AP exams and a recent trip out of the country. So, instead of having a huge shebang, I decided to take this opportunity to thank authors that meant the most to me. All authors who will be submitting interviews and guest posts over the next few days have all managed to affect me in some way by teaching me something new. So, really, this celebration is a thank you to them. This is my attempt to help re-introduce some amazing authors to all of you, my lovely readers. And, in the process, you may be able to take home some of their books. ;) Some giveaways will be open to Canada too!

~*~Kick-Off Giveaway~*~

So, I will be attending BEA this year! I never knew such a huge way to celebrate books existed prior to blogging, so I'm excited to be able to go and meet other people in the industry. When I first started blogging, I know how envious I was of everyone that was able to attend, so I'm going to share some of my experience with all of you...with BEA books! Yes! You can enter to win a book from BEA!

Before you scroll down below to enter the rafflecopter, I want to throw out a little disclaimer. I am not going to BEA to grab several copies of books. That's wrong and people who do that to profit off of them are sickening. I am going to BEA to grab books that interest me and to meet people. Thus, the book(s) that will be given away in this giveaway are books that I grabbed for me and have decided to let go for you to spread the love. Which books will these be? Well, I can't tell you! But BEA is just around the corner and sometime between the end of BEA and the end of this giveaway a haul will be put up. Pretty much any of the pretties displayed there are eligible for this giveaway based on my own discretion and whether or not the book is signed to me (because I'm not sending out books with my name in them). So...check out the rules below!

~*~Rules~*~

1. US only

2. Must be 13 years or older

3. No cheating or you will be disqualified from all of my giveaways

4. One entry per household

5. You will have 24 hours to respond to my e-mail with your address if you win. If not, a new winner will be picked.

6. This giveaway will end on June 22nd.

~*~Prizes and Additional Information~*~

One (1) mystery book from BEA!

If I gain 100 new GFC followers, than two (2) books will be given away, one each to two different winners!

Pretty much every 100 followers is another book to another winner.

 There is a question asking what books your most looking forward to, I'll try to take this into consideration when choosing which books I grab for myself to send out to everyone. EDIT: I took this option away because 10+ people said "all the books" and it sort of annoyed me. A lot.

This is a follower appreciation giveaway, so you must follow me to enter. If you follow my blog, that must mean you respect my bookish opinions somewhat, so since all books will be nabbed with my thoughts in mind, you should most likely enjoy your mystery book!

Enter now for your chance to win! This is my way of thanking you for sticking with me and continuing to stick with me in the future <3

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Review: The Collector

Author: Victoria Scott

Series: Dante Walker #1

Publication Date: March 25, 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Reading Level: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 352 (Paperback)

Source: Gifted

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

~*~Lili's Reflections~*~

 The second I saw the premise for this book I knew I had to have it. And while I'm happy to report that I greatly enjoyed this one, it wasn't as great as I was hoping it to be. Let me explain...

Firstly, I really enjoyed Dante's characterization. He's pretty much an anti-hero because he's a demon, and a damn good one at that. He's attractive, he's rolling in dough, he knows his way around the ladies--and he'll remind you of it constantly. Dante gets what Dante wants. And while his obnoxious personality easily fit in with his ex-party-boy-while-he-was-alive persona, it was a lot to throw at the reader immediately in the story because it was unexpected. I love the arrogance, the confidence and the high self-worth, but I hate the demeaning of other people. Put it this way...Dante's one of those people who could be a massive jerk since his regular personality is set at normal level jerk. He's the guy who hasn't reached the point of referring to his greatness in third person because he thinks so highly of himself, but one step up the jerk-ladder and he's right there. I mean, imagine a pretty girl walking buy and that random jerkwad going "Dante likey." Yeah, he's right under there. But again, I freaking loved it because, somewhere buried way down deep, our demon has a heart and it's still a-beating for a girl named Charlie.

I do want to point out that I feel like Scott's attempts to make him seem careless were futile. When you have this badass character that's oozing sarcasm, you sort of ruin it when you have him say "whatev." Nobody does that, not even Dante Walker.

Charlie Cooper was great. To put it simple, she was purity in Dante's wake of evilness and darkness. She wasn't the prettiest, but she had a body hiding under there. She's not the smartest and the most confident, but she has the best friends a girl could ask for and she's one of the few people who are genuinely happy with her place in the world despite the fact that she lost both her parents to a fire when she was twelve that gave her a limp. To put it simply, Charlie's going to change the world. And couple her unique characterization (really, when do we see young adult heroines that are realistically insecure) with Dante's confidence and you have one helluva interesting and entertaining ride.

I have to say that one of the best aspects of this novel was the romance. It takes place over only ten days because that's how long Dante has to collect Charlie's soul, but it seems realistic. It's slow-going and legitimately believable compared to many other novels these days. Dante first viewed Charlie as an assignment, then he viewed her as a companion and eventually he slowly developed feelings that had him warring with himself. The flaws that he was so quick to point out in the beginning--like the fact that she hid her body from view, had crooked teeth, and some acne--were the things he missed in the second half of the book when she started to alter her appearance slightly. It was really interesting. You could see he truly did slowly care about her and he went from an insensitive prick to a guy who was willing to give up his entire existence to continue hers. That's true love right there.

But realistically, my biggest problem with this book was the plot pace. I thought that the amazing action in the end was way too fast and the middle was too slow. The beginning, I must admit, was just perfect. But a solid little chunk of the middle of the book was spent with Dante's wishy-washy attitude regarding Charlie. There was this constant battle within him to either collect her soul or to protect her soul, so there wasn't much plot progression. He would do many things in the hope of making her take one step farther into the dark side, but than he'd do everything in his power to halt her from doing so because his feelings for her caused him to worry and question his admittedly negative intentions. While I thought it was necessary to the plot, I would have loved more true plot development, action, and surprises instead of slight predictability because of the aforementioned repetitive pattern.

The literature nerd in me wants to point out one last thing and that's the Dante's Inferno references. I've read all of the Inferno and I really loved the connection with Dante's name to the author, as well as using his Hell as the Hell in the story. There are nine circles of Hell with the Boss Man residing frozen in a block of ice closest to the 9th circle. Hell is full of ice instead of fire because ice is ten times more terrible. Not the traditional Hell, eh? I found this aspect interesting. I also found the fact that every Collector has a seal that they place on people when they witness them sinning to be interesting--though this is something that Scott was genius enough to come up with herself. The bigger the sin, the bigger the seal that covers your soul light. If your soul light is fully covered, a Collector collects your soul and you're going to Hell when the time comes. If you manage not to get your soul light covered, than you go to Judgement day. I found this to be extremely interesting.

Perfect for those looking for an amazingly unique anti-hero, this is an angels vs. demons war and romance story that will make it stand apart from the rest. This is also great for those who try to avoid any religion in novels centering around angels and demons. While very little is mentioned to set up the back-story, it's barely existent and I think what little there is is presented in a very tasteful manner by Scott instead of the type of manner where it's shoved down your throat and in your face. Bravo! I'm eagerly awaiting book two releasing in August!

4 stars

~*~Links~*~

|Amazon|Goodreads|Book Depository|Barnes and Noble|Author's Website| 

Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

In no particular order, my top ten books dealing with tough subjects.

1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green is possibly the best book I've seen that realistically tackled cancer in a respectable, believable, realistic, and emotional manner. 5 stars

2. Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler tackles the concept of bullying and self-hatred when the main characters believes she assists in the death of one of the most popular guys in school after she kissed him and he died from going into shock with his lethal peanut allergy. 4 stars

3. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry tackles a plethora of subjects from broken families, possibly suicide, bullying, and the scary aspects of amnesia while another character experiences the negative aspects of the foster system. I loved this book so much because of its depth. 5 stars

4. Dare You To by Katie McGarry is the companion novel to PUSHING THE LIMITS and it tackles alcoholism, physical abuse, homophobia, and broken families. Katie McGarry's ability to handle tough subjects so respectable is amazing to me. 5 stars

5. Sanctum by Sarah Fine focuses on the concept of suicide and redeeming oneself. This book blew me away because of the expertise and unique interpretation used in regards to a growing problem in the world today. This is among my favorite books ever for its truthfulness in dark times, but ability to exemplify the fact that absolutely anyone can redeem themselves. 5 stars

6. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer tackles the huge concept of insanity. Yeah, this character is losing her mind. It's scary and great all at once because it's such a heavy, dark topic. 5 stars

7. The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin focuses on alcoholism and how it can ruin lives. This novel was a very realistic and true contemporary that really spoke to me, though I don't know anyone who is an alcoholic. 4 stars

8. Easy by Tammara Webber is among my favorite books ever because of the way that it shows attempted rape and forced intimidation from a male to a female. It exemplifies how traumatic experiences only make a person discover new things about themselves, how strong they are, and that they are really worth loving. I highly recommend it. 5 stars

9. Touched by Corrine Jackson evolves around alcoholism and physical abuse. This story was detailed in this regard, but also showed how people who endure such abuse and trauma turn out to be the strongest people you will ever meet. My review for this book will be posted on Tynga's Reviews tomorrow. 4 stars

10. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie tackles the huge subject of racism, specifically towards Native Americans, in present-day society. Alexie manages to use experiences from his own childhood and his wonderful sense of humor to convey the obstacles that stand in his ethnicity's way because of their race and how some overcome such things. 4 stars

*BONUS* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak will never get a review for me because it's so marvelous that it always leaves me at a loss for words. It obviously tackles The Holocaust, which is one of the toughest subjects in history. And Zusak managed to do this in such a respectable and amazingly well-written fashion that blew me away, made me feel every emotion imaginable, and taught me new things about life.

Review + Giveaway: Chantress

Author: Amy Butler Greenfield

Series: Chantress Trilogy

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Reading Level: Young Adult

Pages: 336 (eARC)

Source: eARC for Blog Tour

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion...

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

~*~Lili's Reflections~*~

Sing, and the darkness will find you.

That's what Lucy was raised believing. Stranded on an island since she was eight years old with her elder sort-of maid, Norrie, that's all she knew. Past her fifteenth birthday all she knew was solitude, Norrie's cooking, and the island. She had no memories of her mother and the shipwreck that supposedly landed them on the island. But all she knew was that she was to never take off her necklace and that she was to never sing. However, on All-Hollows Eve she discovered a letter that Norrie kept hidden from her written to her by her mother and in her swirl of emotions she removes her necklace and hears a song in the wind. When the song gets stronger with the removal of her necklace, she can't help but sing the song that bubbles up in her in response. And soon her and Norrie are transported back to her birthplace in London, England via unknown magic and the wind.

It's safe to say the plot line was very interesting and the beginning easily caught my attention. The plot was great, really great. But, unfortunately, it was slow at times. With the concept of an evil lord who controlled the young King Henry the 9th and inspired fear and terror in all of London using his Shadowgrims, Greenfield definitely earned some bonus points. I loved these demented raven birds and their ability to make others physically quake from their presence and then their ability to steal their memories by brushing their feathers against their victims skin. Demented and scary, I'd never want such a creature to become a reality. But in a book, I loved them.

However, with all of that being said, this book was incredibly slow to me. With such an awesome sounding plot Greenfield could have thrown in some really amazing action sequences. And while she threw in a few in the end, they seemed too easy to overcome after a large percentage of the book was spent with Lucy learning how to be a better Chantress. Yes, she learned, but she went to attempt to save all of London much earlier than originally planned, so there should have been more obstacles in her path, you know? I felt like the process was a little too smooth. Though not entirely smooth, it was more butter than mild peanut butter. I have no other way to describe it. I wish the plot was faster. I think another aspect of the plot that hurt it was that it had many info-dumps. I understand she didn't know much about her Chantress roots, but it was all revealed in huge info-dumps. I wish that went slightly smoother as well.

With that being said, I want to touch upon the romance. While overall existent, it wasn't a huge plot point. And I have to say I didn't like that for once. It was a little too in the background and while it was a very sweet point at the end of the novel and watching the distrust eventually disappear between Lucy and Nat was great, I wish there was more. I think it could have made the slow points in this novel progress faster.

Overall, I recommend this to people looking for a truly unique read. However, this is more for people looking for a novel that is laid-back as opposed to packed with action. I am beyond curious to see what Greenfield has in store for us in regards to book two because book one was so amazingly creative and imaginative. I will definitely be on the lookout for her future novels as I eagerly await what else she has in store for us.

3.75 stars

~*~Links~*~
|Amazon|Goodreads|Book Depository|Barnes and Noble|Author's Website|

~*~Giveaway~*~

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Stacking The Shelves #30

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

This week was surprisingly busy for me. 10 books! Most of which were trades/books for review/gifts that I did not expect to be in my hands so quickly. And, of course, there was some bargain hunting in there for me as well. Check it out below and don't hesitate to share your hauls with me!

Please note, this is probably my last STS for this month. I will be attending BEA later on, so my come-back haul will (hopefully) be incredibly impressive.

For Review

 

Thank you for sending these my way, Disney!

 Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette (releasing 2/14 -- thank you Disney!)

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (releasing 9/13 -- thank you Disney!)

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner (releasing 11/13 -- thank you Disney!)

ARCycling

 

These are the first books I've nabbed from ARCycling in over three months, so I'm very happy to be participating again.

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

Trade

I've desperately wanted this book for a while, so I'm so happy to have traded for it! I love me some NA boys!

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines (Thank you, Erin!)

Gifted

 

Krista knew how much I wanted this book, so it was really amazing of her to send it my way. I love her <3

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins (Thank you Krista!)

Bought 

 

A library in a neighboring town had a sale and I noticed they were selling the entire LOOKING GLASS WARS series for a dollar a book, so I naturally had to buy them because that was a perfect steal and they're Alice in Wonderland re-tellings!)

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor