ARC Review: Weather Witch (Weather Witch #1) by Shannon Delany

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
336 Pages

In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.

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Weather Witch plays off a great idea, but dragged was through the dirt and never able to clean itself up. Disappointment doesn't accurately explain my frustration towards this book. There was so much potential and it has a fabulous cover that would catch anyone's eye--too bad what's inside the book didn't take the hint and shape up

Questions that shouldn't need to be asked after finishing a book when the title of said book is Weather Witch: "What the heck is a weather witch?" A full 336 pages of nonsense and I still have absolutely no idea. I don't understand why they are so bad. I don't understand what they do. I don't understand how they do it. Apparently, I'm not the only one slamming my head into a wall from frustration. It's so strange that we are left knowing basically nothing about anything, but the author suffers from severe info-dumpage. How can you tell so much information and then not get to the basics of your book's background? So many questions were left unanswered.

I honestly can't even give you an accurate description of the story because I am still trying to figure out what exactly I read. Nothing about Weather Witch made any sense. It was awkward and chaotic, making it a less than satisfying read.

I was warned by my friend, Renae's updates as she read and her review after she didn't finish the book, but threw caution to the wind and pick it up. I should've paid heed to her advice because she was right. This book is bad. It had the makings of a remarkable and unique story, but ended up being a major letdown and rage inducing one. This book was like a train wreck--exponentially awful, but almost impossible to look away from. Though I was exasperated by more than half of what I read, I couldn't stop reading. That's why this gets two stars instead of one.

Other major issues I had with the book: 

- None of these characters are well written. They are all shallow and annoying and deserve to be kicked.

- There were waaaaay too many point-of-view switches. They weren't even handled well. It was extremely unorganized and disjointed. There was no way to tell who you were going to read about next.

- The world-building was awful. The setting is supposed to be a steampunk-ish version of mid-nineteenth century Philedelphia, but I only know that because of the summary. Plus, the explanation of the contraptions and inventions was abysmal.

- The author made every single adjective, noun and verb a proper noun. There were "Makers" and you could be "Burned Out" or you were a "Tester." I swear, more words in this story were capitalized than lowercase and the reason for that is never really explanation. I made a notation in the very beginning that I would be driven insane by this and I almost was! It was so obnoxious and over-the-top.

- The parts that were understandable were predictable. If you gave me a list of the characters and who they were to the story, I could've told you who died and who was a villain. There were no surprises.

- The characters lacked depth. I felt pity of none of them. They seemed to serve no purpose but to get on my nerves.

- The plot. The entire plot was a jumbled mess. There was no structure. I have no idea what happened. There were so many things going on at one time, and so many characters to keep track of, that the point of the book got lost in the mess.

I don't recommend this book--unless you are in the mood to be confused and angry, then have at it! This is the second book that I've read by Delany and the second one I have not enjoy. It's safe to say I probably won't continue this series, or read any more of the author's work. I'm just not impressed.

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

Top Ten Tuesday (64)

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

This week's theme is: Top Ten Books On Our Summer To-Read Lists

Jenn's List

Okay books at the top of my summer TBR list. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a list of the top books you want to read that will be released this summer or just books you want to read, but I went with books that will be released this summer:

1. Here Without You (Between the Lines #4) by Tammara Webber

2. The Marriage Merger (Marriage to a Billionaire #4) by Jennifer Probst
3. Undertow (Dragonfly #2) by Leigh Talbot Moore

4. Gated by Amy Christine Parker
5. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) by April Genevieve Tucholke

6. Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

8. Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney

9. The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

10. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

Emily's List

My list is of books that are going to be released this summer as well! Jenn and I actually have a few in common!

1. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) by April Genevieve Tucholke

2. The Outside (The Hallowed Ones #2) by Laura Bickle

3. Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend (Confessions #2) by Louise Rozett

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

5. Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2) by Jay Kristoff

6. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J Maas

7. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

8. Dark Halo (Angel Eyes Trilogy #3) by Shannon Dittemore

9. The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1) by Sherry Thomas

10. Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake

What's on your summer to-read list?

Teaser Tuesday: The Marriage Merger & Love in the Time of Global Warming

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can ad the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

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"The darkness flared and swallowed up the light in his whiskey eyes. Her breath hitched at the rage and raw pain she saw, and just as quickly the emotions were gone from his face."
Chapter 2, 5%
The Marriage Merger (Marriage to a Billionaire #4) by Jennifer Probst

"It's been fifty-three days since the Earth Shaker--I've  ticked them off with red marks on the wall by my bed as if this small ritual will restore some meaning to my life. It's early February but that doesn't signify much anymore."

Chapter 2: The Pink Hand of Dawn, ARC Page 9

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

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ARC Review: The Fury (The Fury #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Publisher: Macmillan
688 Pages

From the creator of the Escape from Furnace series, a ferocious epic of supernatural terror, perfect for Stephen King fans

Imagine if one day, without warning, the entire human race turns against you, if every person you know, every person you meet becomes a bloodthirsty, mindless savage . . . That’s the horrifying reality for Cal, Brick, and Daisy. Friends, family, even moms and dads, are out to get them. Their world has the Fury. It will not rest until they are dead.

In Alexander Gordon Smith’s adrenaline-fueled saga, Cal and the others must uncover the truth about what is happening before it destroys them all. But survival comes at a cost. In their search for answers, what they discover will launch them into battle with an enemy of unimaginable power.

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Well, that book was something. 

The Fury was creepy, dark, menacing and long. I mean, look at that cover! I loved the beginning, how we are instantly thrown into the story line with no warning. And what an opening chapter that was. A boy on his birthday is beaten to death by his sister and mom. I was instantly like, what is happening??

Over the next few chapters we meet our main group: Daisy, Cal and Brick. The only thing they have in common is that everyone is trying to kill them. They band together with a small group of other kids/teens who are also like them and over the course of the book they try to figure out why the world wants to kill them. Meanwhile in London, the city is being sucked into a black whole. 

I will not deny that Smith can write. He has a style that sucks you in and makes you want more, even while you are cringing at the scenes displayed before you. All of the characters were very distinct and strong in their own ways. Daisy and Cal were my two favorites by far and I looked forward to all the scenes with them. Their relationship together was by far the highlight.

The few issues I had with the book was first the length. There seemed to be scenes that were dragged out and stories that could have been told in half the time. The second was the ending. I don’t want to give anything away but it was just kind of like, really? That’s how they defeat evil. 

This was my first Gordon Smith book, but I am definitely intrigued to read others from him.

ARC Review: Neptune's Tears (Timedance #1) by Susan Waggoner

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: June 25, 2013

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

224 Pages

London, 2218 A.D. Seventeen-year-old Zee is an intern empath. She’s focused on her job, poised for a great career—until one day an attractive patient undoes her hard-earned calm. As an empath, she cannot afford such distractions, but neither can she stay away from David, even when she discovers he’s one of a mysterious alien race. As London comes under attack by anarchist bombings, and as Zee struggles to get a handle on her unusually strong psychic abilities, David starts pulling away. Although Zee’s sure he’s attracted to her, David has secrets he cannot share. But it’s too late for Zee. She’s losing her heart to the gray-eyed alien boy, and she’s determined to follow him—no matter how far it may take her.

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It's always been hard for me to write a review for a book that I feel pretty neutral about. This is definitely the case for Neptune's Tears. It's not a bad book, but it's not mind-blowing either. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but the summary of the story really caught my eye and the cover is absolutely glorious. I was sure I would love this--and to an extent I did, but I had several issues with the story that took away from my overall enjoyment.

Zee McAdams is an empath. She uses her ability to bring comfort to hospital patients. Her future in her career looks very bright, as she's close to becoming one of the greatest in her unit. As an empath, Zee is forbidden to fall in love. Love and other strong emotions can cause an empath to lose their focus and distract them from their patients. Therein enters David, the alien boy, that she immediately takes interest in. As the city of London begins to fall apart all around her and her empath side struggles to stabilize, Zee must decide where her future lies.

It's the romance that really killed me. I liked the characters, even if I didn't completely understand them and I wanted Zee and David together, but the insta-love was unnecessary. They seemed to be together for like two days and were already declaring love, but that may just be because of how short the novel is… The timeline is a bit sketchy and the pacing obscure, especially when compared to other novels of its genre. While the events that were unfolding were very original and captivating, it all happened too quickly. I don't usually ask for things to drag, but this book definitely needed some fleshing out. Had the author taken her time with the plot and written a couple hundred more pages, I think Neptune's Tears could've easily become one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy novels. The depth is the major issue here. It felt like the author just skimmed the surface.

It's definitely a book that's hard to put down, though. Through all the negatives, I found that I finished the book in one sitting, in a couple of hours. The author composes a truly imaginative story and her writing style really accentuates that. I can't put my finger on what made it hook me in, but Waggoner did it well.

I like sci-fi, but generally the genre lies outside of my comfort zone. I tend to shy away from them, for fear that I won't understand it, or won't love the books as much as the general populace. What really got me about this book is that it is a sci-fi novel that isn't extremely complicated. It's an extremely easy and light read. Because of this, I believe the audience will vary in reader types. I know it won't always be well-received because of the lack of intricacy, but I think it makes for an entertaining read nonetheless. 

The ending is extremely abrupt--so much so that I thought my ARC was missing some pages. It's disorienting and annoying because nothing feels settled at that point. I will definitely be continuing the series because based on the first book, I think the author has a lot of talent and I hope that the rest of the series will be as strangely addicting as Neptune's Tears was. This was a good book, that was a just bit short of being great.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.

ARC Review: Zero Tolerance by Claudia Mills

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
240 Pages

Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother's lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in in-school suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school's ironclad no weapons policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who's known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he's not the person she assumed he would be--and that the lines between good and bad aren't as clear as she once thought. Claudia Mills brings another compelling school story to life with Zero Tolerance.

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There are few middle grade stories that really capture my interest, as I'm an avid romance fan, but something about Zero Tolerance really just spoke to me. Maybe it's because I'd never read a book that brought this topic up and looked at it from a student's point-of-view, or maybe it's because even from the summary, I saw a lot of myself in Sierra's character.

Sierra Shephard is up for expulsion from her school for bringing a paring knife in her lunchbox. Sierra is completely torn up about this as she's been the perfect student, and a good person all-around and is being heavily punished for an accident that she immediately tried to rectify. The small mistake of grabbing her mother's lunchbox rather than her own has quickly unravelled her life. She is stuck with an in-school suspension, the media is constantly around due to the action of her lawyer father and the boy she always thought was bad turns out to be a bit different than she really perceived. Though a harrowing experience, Sierra not only learns the real difference between right and wrong, but that people aren't always what they seem to be.

This book really got to me. I immediately was able to identify with Sierra--not because of what's happening to her, but because she reminded me a lot of myself at that age. Always trying to do the right thing, be a good person and an exemplary student. Her story is very heartbreaking, and very interesting to watch develop. She's unsure of how to handle it, because she's always had a plan and her road has always been set. This accident really throws her, and everyone around her through a ringer.

My only really struggle with this novel was that Sierra didn't really feel like a seventh grader. In a lot of ways, Sierra seems very mature, but the actions she and some of those around her exhibited seemed more elementary. I kept believing she was actually in fifth grade, before reminding myself that she was in middle school. Something about her thought process just didn't fit that age group for me. Maybe it's just because the seventh graders I know are . The other characters that we were given a glimpse of didn't do much for me. I liked how involved Sierra's parents were, and how though they weren't perfect (Mr. Shephard was very often rude and ignorant), they obviously love each other and their daughter. Sierra's mom especially hit home for me. Her compassion for her daughter was much like my own mother's and it was a wonderful thing to see. I love reading books with present parents. Luke, the troubled boy that Sierra slowly befriends, and Sierra's girlfriends were very one-dimensional as well. They didn't add a whole lot of depth to the story, thus their roles were never really expanded on. I liked what I saw of them, but wish they had played a bigger part and really helped Sierra get through this tough time.

The plot moved very quickly, which quite understandable because if I got the time line correctly, Zero Tolerance took place over the course of a week and a half. It is a very short novel, too, but the power behind it was not affected by its length. I think Mills handles this pretty delicate subject well, and bring a fine point into play: What happens to those who those who break the zero tolerance policy by mistake?

This was my first book by Claudia Mills, and based on how I felt about Zero Tolerance, it won't be my last. This author made a real impression on me with this extremely relevant story. I will be sharing this will my step-sister, who is starting middle school in the fall. I hope she, and all other readers, can really take something away from this story.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.

ARC Review: The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

224 Pages

“Take her out back and finish her off.”

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.

In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.

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I am not a big reader of mystery novels, but something about this book really piqued my interest. April Henry is one of the few young adult mystery authors that I've heard of, but until The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, I'd never picked up any of her books. I've heard a lot of good things about Henry's previous books, so I'm not quite sure this was the best one to start with as I wasn't completely blown away.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die begins with our main character waking up to hear two men talking about killing her. She has no memory of who she is, what she's doing there or why this is happening to her. All she knows is she has to get out of there and fast. Her escape leads her into the arms of an surprising young man, who risks his own life to help her. Together they must discover the truth surrounding her situation and save those she loves most, before its too late.

This book started off excellently. The reader will immediately be pulled into the story because of mystery of the main character. That being said, the development of the characters was seriously lacking. Even after the novel was finished, it didn't feel like I knew and understood the main character. In fact, all of the characters felt very one-dimensional, even the antagonists, which was disappointing. None of the characters were well-formed which ultimately means they are forgettable, even for the author it seems because some of them just dropped off the face of the planet. (Where'd ya go, James?) Plus the relationships were so awkward… I mean, the behavior of the MC's mom was atrocious and pretty unbelievable. And what person would risk their life over and over for someone they don't know? That didn't fit at all. There were ways that relationship could've been handled that wouldn't seem so fake.

It's almost immediately obvious that this wasn't going to be a completely realistic story, but some of the twists made me raise a judgmental eyebrow. The setup of the story could've worked had the backgrounds of the characters been expanded and the twists not have been quite so condensed. The length was the main cause of the problems I had. The pace of the plot goes from zero to sixty in no time at all, which does the story no justice when it came to the story of the antagonists and their evil deeds. It really just seemed to get bizarre because the book takes a completely different turn than you'd expect. 

As for the things that I liked, the author's got a knack for suspense. It took all of my willpower not to skip forward to the end to find out the truth. Henry also has an excellent, descriptive prose. The fear the protagonist felt was almost palpable during much of the novel. That was a major plus. Henry's ability to project settings was fantastic as well. She's a great writer, really, she is. This novel just didn't show the full extent of her capabilities.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die really is a thrilling story. It just lacked the depth that it really needed. So while it's an entertaining read, it's tame compared to what it could've been. Even though I wasn't completely satisfied, I plan to read more of her work in the future. The story wasn't perfect, but the suspense and thrills were very much present and that's why I enjoyed the novel as much as I did. If you are looking for a pretty short mystery, with very little depth, it's a high probability that you will love The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.

ARC Review: Reality Ends Here by Alison Gaylin

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: June 10, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
250 Pages

With a major crush on an adorable pop star, annoying younger siblings, and a mom and stepdad who are too strict, Estella Blanchard is a typical teenage girl-except that her daily struggles are plotlines on the reality show
Seven Is Heaven, which relentlessly documents her life as the older half-sister of sextuplets. Estella's an Oscar-worthy actress at hiding her true feelings from the camera.

However, she can't outrun the spotlight when she receives a Christmas present from her biological father...who died ten years ago under mysterious circumstances. Blamed for this "sick prank," Estella is placed in an unorthodox support group for troubled child stars-including a twenty-three-year-old has-been, a backstabbing drama queen, and a super-cute (but very off-limits) boy bander. And, as weird as the group is, when a creepy paparazzo starts stalking her, claiming that her dad is actually alive, Estella's going to need their help to uncover the truth and stay alive.

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16 year old Estella Blanchard is one of the stars of reality tv’s hottest show, Seven is Heaven. She’s your typical teenager, except everything in her life is scripted. While taping their Christmas episode, a present appears under the tree addressed to Estella. The sender? Her biological father who died in a car crash years earlier. Her parents blame her and ship her off to celebrity therapy. Meanwhile, Estella’s just trying to figure out who sent that package and if her father is really dead.

I enjoyed most of this story – the last half at least. I had a hard time in the beginning getting through based on the parents. Her mother and stepfather were horrible people. Everything they said or did was for ratings. After finding a present from her dead father, Estella runs up to her room to be alone only to have one of the sextuplets come in and start quizzing her about her real father – in front of a camera after being prompted by the parents. They were just horrible. The way they treated Estella disgusted me and almost turned me off of the book. There was just so much manipulation and lying going around from people you were supposed to be able to trust. I’m sorry, encouraging bullying between the children and telling one of them to lose weight because she’s chubby is just not right. YOU’RE HORRIBLE PARENTS. 

However, I stuck with it. And we finally moved away from parents and were introduced to two characters who became important figures: Jake, the heartthrob singer and Dylan, the washed up former tv star. I loved the scenes with the three of them. Jake, who I liked instantly, understood Estella like nobody ever had before. Their connection was believable and I rooted for the two of them.

Dylan was pure comic relief. I mean, he created a distraction by having Justin Beiber perform on top of a limo. But he was loyal. He stood by his friends when everything went crazy. He was just so much fun.

The story took an interesting turn about halfway through and became this mystery that surrounded Estella, her father, and other people she thought she knew. Most of it was a little unbelievable and there were a few holes here and there, but I won’t deny that I was intrigued by the mystery. Overall, an enjoyable read.  

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.