Early Review: The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

The Unquiet
by Jeannine Garsee

Expected publication: July 17th 2012 by Bloomsbury

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother. 

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists. 

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

Genre: Young Adult, Supernatural

Publication Date: July 17th 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: eARC, 388 pages 

Series: ?

Source: Netgalley

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My Review:

First line: Sometimes, when I dream, the deadliest moment in my life happens all over again.

Last line: I don't believe you. 

Favorite quote: As someone who's always drawn to the "bad boy" type, I can't explain my attraction to a certified band geek who'll probably major in animal husbandry and end up inseminating cows for a living.

Corinne Jacobs has been a good girl, taking all of her meds everyday, for 3 months and 13 days. Why she's being so careful and counting all the days like that? Because of what happened 3 months and 13 days ago. The time when she decided to stop with her bipolar meds and ended up killing her grandmother.

Now her stepfather hates her and her mother has dragged her from sunny California to chilling middle-of-nowhere Ohio, where she grew up. Rinn doesn't think that moving to this dinky little town will make anything better. But then she actually starts making friends. And the cute farmer boy next door is starting to look way too yummy. Oh, and she absolutely loves her new house and room up in the attic. Until she finds out that the previous owner killed herself up there, of course. Right after her granddaughter was found dead in the pool at Rinn's new school. Awwwwkward. 

And, as if that wasn't freaky enough, she finds out that very strange things have been happening to the people who cross the 'Tunnel' (the part of the gym with the pool where Annaliese's body was found). Weird things have always happened there before, but now another student is found dead by the pool and Rinn's new friends start to act very bizarre. Is it the ghost of Annaliese? Is she haunting the pool area? Is she haunting Corinne? If so, why?

This book had so much in it! So much mystery, so much drama, so much angst and romance!! It really had everything a good book should have. I especially liked knowing/seeing more about how bipolar people act, what they have to deal and fight with everyday, how they really feel about themselves and everyone else. The pressure. The fear. The regret. The desire to just let go. The strength needed not to. 

The Unquiet gives you very strange vibes throughout the book. You start to think that things are getting better, that Rinn herself is getting better and everything and everyone is going to be alright... then the creepiness starts and you have to control yourself not freak out over what's happening in a freaking book! LOL. Miss Garsee has such an engrossing, enrapturing and right-to-the-pont way of writing things that it sucks you right in and makes you feel comfortable... and that's when you should be careful. She makes you forget, repeatedly, that you're actually reading a ghost story, not an ordinary teenage tale. And it sneaks right up to you. Every. Single. Time. O.o

It's been a while since I've found a book's title that is as absolutely perfect or as fitting as this one is. Unquiet. That's exactly how you'll feel during the entire 'ride' that is Corinne's story. And afterwards. Yup. Even after you close the book and start to try to think of something else. It will stick with you. That unquiet feeling. That little chill behind your neck. And you'll love it.

P.S.: And Nate was so adorable!!! *-* It makes me want to move to Ohio, too. Like, right now.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Scars by Cheryl Rainfield/Reading Romances June Challenge

Reading Romances June Challenge

3) Read a stand-alone book.

5) Read an m/m romance book or a book that has at least one prominent gay or lesbian character.

Scars
by Cheryl Rainfield


Published April 9th 2012 by WestSide Books

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: April 9th 2012

Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 248 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley


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My Review

Fifteen year old Kendra is starting to remember. She's starting to remember things she's been forced to forget for years. Things she know she should remember, but at the same time, is afraid to. She's been abused, ever since she was a toddler. And now her abuser is back, stalking her, threatening her to make sure  she tells no one about him. Or he'll kill her.

Kendra is lost and confused, feeling alone in the world. Her mother doesn't seem to care about her, always ignoring her and pretending everything is fine. Her father is stressed because he's lost his job. And as Kendra starts to recall fragments of her childhood, she sees him in every male around her. In her mother's friends. In her teachers. And everytime she starts to remember his face, everytime she comes very close to really seeing him... she freaks out with the strength of the trauma, of the horrible memories, og the need to NOT KNOW, that she needs release. She needs to somehow distract hersefl, to get this thing out of her. That's why she cuts herself.

But when the memories start to become too much... to show things she's not ready to admit, she knows she needs help. More help than her sweet therapist, lovable art teacher or super nice gay friend can give her. She needs to be loved. To feel something good and pure and bright, to chase away the pain and darkness that fills her. And she's finding that in Meghan, the pretty, messed-up girl at school. 

Kendra is about to find out that her agressor might be closer than she thinks... and that he might be even more dangerous than she ever expected.

I have been meaning to read this books for YEARS now. But, somehow, never got to it. Thankfully, now I had the chance to read this fantastic tale of facing and overcoming your fears, of accepting yourself, of loving and being loved. Kendra touched my heart very deeply. In all her painful and humiliating memories as a child, I felt like I was right there with her, going throught it, too. Every time she cut herself, I wish I could reach in and try to sooth her nerves. I just wanted her to finally accept her memories and try to overcome her fears. I knew, from the start, who the abuser was. It was just very clear, from all the clues, but sometimes I did doubt myself. LOL. And, I guess, so did Kendra. The poor girl.

The book was so heavy and sad from the start that when it ended in such a nice way, with that glowing/ healing/growing up sensation, I felt thoroughly satisfied. And light. I loved it. It was very alarming, touching, and, more importantly, believable.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.* 

Early Review: Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) by Larissa Ione/Reading Romances May Challenge

I chose this book for the Reading Romances May Challenge

2) Read a book by a favorite author or from a favorite genre.

Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) 
by Larissa Ione

May 22nd 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Matthews never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Publication Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 368 pages 

Series: ?

Source: Netgalley

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My Review:

First line: Regan Matthews was going to die

Last line: Too spoilery.

Favorite quote: From virgin to dad in zero to sixty.

Guardian Regan Matthews is pregnant and almost ready to deliver. Normally women in her situation would be thrilled, counting the minutes and preparing everything for the new arrival... but hers is a quite different situation. 

First of all, her baby was conceived in a very unorthodox way, one that made the father-to-be freak out and decide to kill her. So now she's in hiding and he's in an induced 'coma' of sorts, thanks to his siblings. A very strange situation, indeed. But it gets weirder. How? Well, the father is Thanatos, the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. A.k.a Death, if his Seal breaks. 

And in Thanatos' mind, Regan, an OCD Aegis Guardian and psychometric empath with other gifts, has tried to purposefully break his Seal. After drugging him with an aphrodisiac and trapping him in his own body with one of her abilities. Practically 'raping' him to end the world. Even if he did enjoy it immensely and wants to do it again, he's still majorly pissed off and wanted to kill her. Until he found out she was pregnant with his baby, of course. He did get pissed off all over again when she told him they wouldn't be raising the baby.

Regan feels terrible for what happened that day. She really regrets it, but she was drugged as well, by one of Than's vampires, and didn't notice that Thanatos was 'restrained' by her powers at all. She also was not aware that there was a possibility os his Seal breaking and releasing the Apocalypse on Earth. As a matter of fact, she was made to believe quite the contrary. And now she's knocked up by a very, very mad Horseman. Very hot, too. Who wants her to make up for the eight months in which he was trapped by his siblings so as not to kill many people with his rage. And he wants her to make up for this time sexually. While they try to understand each other, his brother, whose Seal broke and is now known as Pestilence, is wreaking havoc all around the world. And he wants to kill his baby.

Oh, man. I've been waiting patiently to read this gem for months now!!! Thanatos is the perfect example of the wounded, flawed hero. And super hot and damaged. How can a girl not go crazy over that? 

It was kind weird to read about a man going on about how his virginity/his seed/his innocence were stolen, though. You usually expect a heroine to whine about that kind of thing. LOL. But it was completely understandable. He wasn't overly whiny about it, thankfully. Just indignant for a while. Then things became much more interesting.


Larissa Ione always manages to surprise me with the depth of her characters and the twists in all of her plots. When you finally think you're getting something... everything changes. LOL. It should be frustrating, but it's really refreshing. Thanatos has been my favorite character ever since the first book in the series, so I was in absolute heaven just reading more and more about him. He suffered so much... it felt good to see him finally find some happiness.


Also, her angels are very different from what we are used to expect from angels, so that, too, is quite fascinating to read about. No perfect little goody-shoes in these books. They are good, of course, but even they are not perfect... and even their goodness can go bad. LOL.


But I particularly want to see more of Harvester. She gives me very mixed feelings. Oh, and I'm dying to know what really went on in Reaper's past. And what awaits him in the future... The curiosity is burning me up!


Not to mention that I want to see more of Reseph/Pestilence. Like, right NOW. You are killing me, Mrs. Ione!!! In a good way, obviously. Sort of. LOL. That first chapter only served to make me squirm! December, come quick. :X


If you don't mind some spoilers, check out the synopsis for Rogue Rider. It sounds like it will be out-of-this-world good. :)


* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

Blackbirds 

(Miriam Black #1)

by Chuck Wendig 

Published April 24th 2012 by Angry Robot

Miriam Black knows when you will die. She’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, and suicides.

But when Miriam hitches a ride with Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be murdered while he calls her name. Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim.

No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try.

Genre: Adult, Supernatural

Publication Date: April 24th 2012

Publisher: Angry Robot

Format: eARC, 416 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review:

First line: Car lights strobe through busted motel blinds.

Last line: "It is what it is."

Favorite quote: "Why, Paul, what do you think of me? I am the very model of chastity." He isn't buying it. She lights the cigarette and waves him off. "Dude, I discarded the key to my virginity belt long ago – just up and tossed it into a river, I did. That being said – no, Paul, I did not bang your uncle."

Once in a while I like to do this thing. That is, I see a book, fall in love with the cover and force myself to read it, regardless of the content. Sometimes, I do the opposite. I go for the blurb, without really caring for the cover. But this particular review is a case of the former.

This time, obviously, it was cover love at first sight.

Blackbirds was one of the most intense, most intriguing and, yeah, sort of the most disgustingly graphic book I've read in a while. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. It was exciting. It was surprising. It was crass and to-the-point and felt like a slap of reality to the face. It was glorious. And I couldn't put it down.

Sure, I enjoy my journeys to fantasy worlds, along with romantic escapades, almost-perfect heroes and even more perfect endings as much as the next girl... but once in a while, crude reality does it for me.

Miriam is damaged goods. She had a traumatic childhood and youth... and she can tell how and and when you'll die as soon as her skin brushes yours. She keeps a notebook with info of some of the people she's touched and have dies, and keeps notes on when others will die. Why? Because a girl needs to eat and dead people don't need their money anymore.

One night, after grabbing a few bucks from a woman beater who died from an epileptic attack after giving her a pretty shiner, she's out in the highway, looking for a ride. A ride to anywhere, as long as it's far away from where she is.

After a brief encounter with a couple of idiot frat boys (who really regretted messing with her, I must add), she jumps in Louis' truck. The interior of his truck is so clean and shiny, and he's so nice that Miriam quickly assumes that this Frankenstein, I mean, Louis is a rapist/murderer/ and/or psycho. Surprisingly enough, he isn't. However, what is even more surprising is what she sees when she touches him. He will die, like we all will. But not from old age or an accident or even suicide. No. He will be murdered. And he'll call her name right before he dies. 

Miriam freaks out and can't jump off his truck fats enough, not accepting his pity and offer of monetary help, but she does listen to him when he tells her there's a bar and motel just a few minutes ahead. Really could use a drink. Or ten. In the bar, she meets pretty boy Ashley, with his feminine name and big smile. But in no time she'll regret ever meeting him.

She knows that it's useless to try and change the future. She's tried before. Countless times. To no avail. And, once again, fate is laughing at her. The more she tries to run from Louis and try to avoid his death, the closer she gets to him. And the date of his death. Which will be her fault. Can she make it in time? Can she stop it? Can she, for once in her life, do something good and useful?

Oh, man. Miriam talks. A lot. Most of it nonsense and usually at the wrong time. And hell if I didn't love her for that. That girl just loved to hear herself talking. She was also a heavy smoker and constant liar. She ate like a lumberjack. And she drank like the world was going to end in the blink of an eye. But she had a hard life (and that's putting it mildly), and those actions fit her perfectly. She was a broken girl with no hope for life or her future, and I loved her. I just wanted her to find some kind of happiness somehow. There was so much wrongness within her, and still I cheered for her.

The entire book was roller coaster ride. That's the only way I can describe it. It kept me on edge the whole time. 'What's going to happen next?', 'Show me more of her past!', 'How is he/she going to die?', 'Will she make it?'. Just... wow. The only thing that still bugs me a bit is that it wasn't very clear how she got that ability. Maybe after that very traumatic episode with the red shovel? Not sure... but I still loved the characters and the story. Sad and bittersweet, as it was. We'll probably find out more about all that in the next book. I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel, Mockingbird. :)

If you like intense books that ensnare you, leaving you unblinking and attentive until the ride is over, and then stick with you even after you're done with it, then run and grab yourself a copy of this crazy good tale.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: The Prophet by Amanda Stevens

The Prophet (Graveyard Queen #3)
by Amanda Stevens

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Mira

My name is Amelia Gray.I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: April 24th 2012

Publisher: Mira

Format: eARC, 352 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

In this exciting new stallment of the thrilling paranormal series, our Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, returns to Charleston, home of her love, John Devlin and all of his ghosts. 

The ghost of Shani, Devlin's daughter continues to follow Amelia around, like she started in the last book, but this time more insistently, begging to be found and to be helped.... but every time Amelia comes even a bit close to finding answers, Mariama's ghost pushes her away. And now Darius, a master of the dark arts and Mariama's cousin, is also in the picture, ready to terrorize  and confuse Amelia.

But his time the ghost Prophet needs her help as well. Robert Fremont, a murdered cop and an old friend of Devlin's, wants Amelia to find his killer. Except that with his memory loss and erratic prophetic powers in the way, the investigation promises to be not only difficult, but very dangerous.

Amelia has broken all of her father's rules. Rules she's been raised with, created to keep her safe from the darkness and evil creatures that walk between worlds. Now she's being followed by something. Something very strong and very dark. And this murder investigation involves much more than she first thought it would. Dark magic, blackmail, betrayal and even more murders threaten to be unveiled...

Surrounded and bothered by ghosts most of the time, Amelia sometimes forget that the living can be just as frightening as the dead... and she's just about to discover that when they work together, things can get very, very ugly.

I can't believe I forgot how mysterious and exciting Amanda Stevens' writing can be! She drives us crazy with curiosity over every small detail that is slowly unearthed throughout the story, tempting us to join in the investigating process, making us writhe with the urge to discover everything that is going on as quickly as possible. Nothing is as simple as we first thought, nobody is completely innocent and everything is somehow interconnected. Really, this author has the gift of writing the best thrillers! With such a thick cloud of mystery over every case, it should become a tiring, even repetitive read, but it's not! It's always powerful, provoking and stimulating tales! She surprises us at every page. With this one you can be sure you'll NEVER guess the ending before you should. And that is such a relief, let me tell you.

It probably sounds a bit like over-gushing, but this series deserve every praise. As soon as we finish one volume we start to think that there's no way the next one will be as good... but then the author comes and hits us over the head with the awesomeness that is her new story. Every single one turns out even better than the next. I have no idea how she does it, but I'm glad her already fantastic writing always manages to improve!

Amelia is such a smart, gifted, independent character. I just love her. And her feelings for Devlin? Gods, they are almost palpable! Their awareness is so strong, their physical link so intense that you almost expect them to slip off the pages. It's almost unsettling, stirring and compelling, all at the same time. I especially like this romance because it didn't just spring up from nowhere. It slowly built up. It was violently ended. It built up again, was denied, tried to be ignored... but they still can't stay away from each other! Even when everything and everyone seems to be against them. Pretty much themselves included, most of the time. That is real, powerful love. Not the instant, fleeting, weak thing that wants to be called real that we get from most books these days.

But, obviously, the book is not all about romance. It is just a part of it, a very important part, sure, but the story is so much more complex than just that. You get horrified over the haunting ghosts and creepy entities and their actions, you get intrigued over the clues and old secrets that are slowly discovered, you get suspicious over new odd characters we are introduced to and very surprised over the actions of old characters you thought you knew. There is never a boring moment with Amelia, that's for sure. That ending was supposed to make us readers feel better, to have some sort of completion... but it only managed to make us even more distressed and desperate to read the next volume! LOL. Way to go, Miss Stevens.

If you like surprises, a romantic and mysterious thriller with a fast pace and very creepy moments, then you'll go insane over this series. I know I did.


* I was lucky enough to receive an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

The Kingdom 
(Graveyard Queen #2)

by Amanda Stevens

Expected publication: March 27th 2012 by Mira


Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town...


My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I’ve been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I’m coming to think I have another purpose here.


Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I’ve discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: March 27th 2012

Publisher: Mira

Format: eARC, 400 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

I'm so glad I had the chance to review this book in advance! I had just finished The Restorer and was dying to read the next book when I saw it available on Netgalley. It was fate, surely. *-* LOL. Well, The Kingdom picks up right where The Restorer ended, but this time, unfortunately, there's no Devlin in sight. There is, however, a much darker story for Amelia Gray to get caught into.

Amelia needs some time away from Charleston and John Devlin, so it was a very good thing she got a job to restore the Thorngate Cemetery in Asher Falls, a small town located in the lush Blue Ridge foothills of South Carolina. Even if the money to bring her there was donated anonymously and the woman who contacted her, Luna Kemper, turns out to be a very strange woman. Oh, and the city is almost deserted. A real ghost town. Literally.

On her way there, Amelia meets the charming Thane Asher, the 'apparent heir' of the Ashers, the family who has ruled Asher Falls for years. He's the one who tells her about the other Thorngate Cemetery. The one that was submerged in the flood that destroyed part of the town in the past. The one now residing under Bell Lake, which graces the view from the house Luna has chosen for her to stay during the restoration process. A house built on hallowed ground, very secluded and almost hidden by the forest. At night, the place is surrounded by the ghosts of the people buried in the flooded cemetery. But a ghost in special seems to be haunting her. And something more, something bigger, something even more dangerous, haunts the forest close by. And it wants her.

Very soon, Amelia realizes that Asher Falls hides many, many secrets. Hidden grave, murders unsolved, dog fights, dark magic, possessions and Evil unleashed. And most of these secrets have something to do with her. But  the people from Asher Falls want to leave the past in the past, and will do anything to stop her from investigating it.

The Kingdom was so beautifully written! Amanda Stevens doesn't disappoint us at all! She still has such a fantastic way with words and descriptions, she really makes you feel like you're there. The story has a very mysterious setting, a plot that thickens but doesn't tire and some passages are downright creepy! Really, this sequel is even darker than The Restorer, and it completely sucks you into a very complicated web of mystery and the Unknown. You can't put it down. Even if you try. LOL. Oh, Amelia is, no doubt about it, one of my favorite main characters ever.

I loved to meet Angus, a 'bait dog' used in dog fights that was left to starve in the forest, only to be rescued by Amelia. Their relationship was very heart-warming and it was so interesting to see how he reacted to the ghosts and how much he helped her throughout the book. Another fascinating character was Sidra, a young teen who happens to share Amelia's burden. Both of them had been behind 'The Veil', and now walk the paths of the living and the dead. 

Thane, the momentary love interest, was very intense and made for great moments in the book, but he's just wasn't for Amelia. And, oh, dear!!! It was SO very satisfying to finally find out about Amelia's past and origins! I can't say the whole thing wasn't predictable, but how   the murder and hidden grave came to be... WOW. It was very eery. Seriouly, it made my skin crawl. Even after I finished the book, it still took me a while to finally quit thinking about it and actually go to bed. (BTW, you might not want to end this book before bedtime. LOL). The secondary characters were all very bizarre, but so very curious! I really wanted to read more about them and their past actions. I hope to see more of some of them in the future.

The book ends with a huge cliffhanger!!! I can't wait to see what happens in The Prophet! And I can't wait to see more of Devlin!! :) Let's just hope the book comes out in the promised date this time. :P

If you like ghost stories with A LOT of mystery, a great, strong main character and generous touches of horror and creepiness (don't you just love this word?), go and devour this book right now!!! And if you haven't started the series yet, what are you waiting for? You're totally missing out!

*I was very lucky to receive an advanced e-copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*