ARC REVIEW: THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp

Summary:
10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

Title: THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS

Author: Marieke Nijkamp

Source: eARC via the Publisher

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Rating: 4/5 stars

Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

I don't even know what to say right now. I'm an empty shell of a person after finishing that one. I don't know if I can put into words how great this book is; it was beautiful and heartbreaking. A definite recommended read.

8 Most Anticipated December 2015 Releases

Frozen Tides
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #4
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 15, 2015
Summary: 
Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.

CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.

Preorder:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

--

Half in Love with Death 
Author: Emily Ross
Publisher: Merit Press 
Publication Date: December 16, 2015
Summary: 
It's the era of peace and love in the 1960s, but nothing is peaceful in Caroline's life. Since her beautiful older sister disappeared, fifteen-year-old Caroline might as well have disappeared too. She's invisible to her parents, who can't stop blaming each other. The police keep following up on leads even Caroline knows are foolish. The only one who seems to care about her is Tony, her sister's older boyfriend, who soothes Caroline's desperate heart every time he turns his magical blue eyes on her.

Tony is convinced that the answer to Jess's disappearance is in California, the land of endless summer, among the runaways and flower children. Come with me, Tony says to Caroline, and we'll find her together. Tony is so loving, and all he cares about is bringing Jess home. And so Caroline follows, and closes a door behind her that may never open again.

Inspired by the disturbing case of Charles Schmid, ‘the Pied Piper of Tucson’, Half in Love with Death is a heartfelt thriller that never lets up. 

Preorder:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

--

This Raging Light 
Author: Estelle Laure
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 22, 2015
Summary: 
Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she's about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend's brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure's soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.

Preorder: 

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

--

What's Broken Between Us 
Author: Alexis Bass
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: December 29, 2015
Summary: 
Alexis Bass’s heartbreakingly beautiful second novel is a tale of love, loss, and learning to forgive, perfect for fans of Gayle Forman and of Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything.

A year and a half ago, Amanda Tart's brother got behind the wheel drunk and killed his best friend. Today, he's coming home from prison.

Amanda's been the one living with the fallout, made worse by her brother's recent unapologetic TV interview. People think he's a monster. Still, she loves him. It's her dark secret, until she starts getting close to Henry again--whose sister is paralyzed from the accident.

A year and a half ago, her brother destroyed his life. Now Amanda has to decide if she'll let his choice destroy hers.

Preorder: 

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

--

The Trouble With Destiny 
Author: Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: December 8, 2015
Summary: 
It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey...

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

Preorder: 

Amazon | Chapters

--

Endure 
Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: Defy #3
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: December 29, 2015
Summary:  
The remarkable third novel in Sara B. Larson's bestselling Defy series!

At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy, that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page. 

Preorder: 

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

--

See How They Run 
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Embassy Row #2
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: December 22, 2015
Summary: 
Inside every secret, there's a world of trouble. Get ready for the second book in this new series of global proportions--from master of intrigue, New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

Grace's past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

The twists get twistier and the turns get even more shocking in the second thrilling installment of Embassy Row.

Preorder: 

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

--

All We Left Behind 
Author: Ingrid Sundberg
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Summary: 
For fans of Simone Elkeles and Courtney Summers, this haunting debut novel is about two teenagers battling their inner demons as they fall in love for the first time.

When Marion Taylor, the shy bookworm, meets sexy soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, what seems like a sure thing quickly turns into a total mess. One moment they’re alone in the middle of a lake, igniting sparks of electricity. The next, they’re on dry land, pretending they’ve never met. But rather than the end, that night is the beginning of something real, terrifying, and completely unforgettable for them both.

As Marion and Kurt struggle to build a relationship from the fractured pieces of their pasts, every kiss they share uncovers memories both would rather keep buried. Marion desperately wants to trust Kurt and share the one secret she’s never told anyone—but some truths aren’t meant to be spoken out loud. Kurt is also still haunted by his mother’s death, by the people he hurt, and by the mistakes he can never take back.

Explosive together and hollow apart, Marion and Kurt seem totally wrong for each other—but could they turn out to be more right than they ever thought possible?

Preorder:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD
--
What December 2015 releases are you most anticipating?

Waiting on Wednesday: THE SERPENT KING by Jeff Zentner

This week's WoW is a book that I have preordered twice from two different places in hopes that one will get to me faster. I hope you guys are ready for...

THE SERPENT KING by Jeff Zentner 

Title: THE SERPENT KING

Author: Jeff Zentner

Publisher: Crown Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: March 8, 2016

Summary:
Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

ARC REVIEW: TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS by Leila Sales

ARC REVIEW: TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS

Summary:
Recklessly loyal.

That’s how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Caring for her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she’s grown resentful of everyone—including her needy best friend and her absent mom—taking her loyalty for granted.

Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn’t even met her.

Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.


During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either.

Title: TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS

Author: Leila Sales

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

I liked this one. I had heard from some people that I know that it was disappointing to them and I can get there, but I still liked it. I think it's probably because I *am* Arden: I am a perpetual people pleaser and have written so many blank cheques that eventually one of them might bounce.

Waiting on Wednesday: SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS by Darcy Woods

I don't think I profess my love for this one enough so here is a whole post on why I love...

SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS by Darcy Woods

Title: SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS

Author: Darcy Woods

Publisher: Crown Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: May 10, 2016

REVIEW: I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson

 Summary:

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Title: I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN

Author: Jandy Nelson

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Dial Books

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Rating: 3/5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

I have mixed feelings about this one. I liked the plot and thought that plotwise, it was well executed. But I did NOT like the characters or the writing style. Because while I am a fan of "unlikeable" characters -- which typically means they fuck up and do something that makes them feel more real -- I just couldn't connect with Jude or Noah. Maybe it's because I've never experienced their loss or maybe it is because they were SO artsy that I just couldn't get there. Either way I didn't really care about either of their stories on an individual level. 

Waiting on Wednesday: THE GIRL WHO FELL by Shannon M. Parker

This week's WoW is one that I am highly anticipating. It is being labelled a "dark kissing book" and I am so excited to get my hands on it next year. This week's book is:

THE GIRL WHO FELL by Shannon M. Parker

Title: THE GIRL WHO FELL
Author: Shannon M. Parker
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Summary:
His obsession.
Her fall.

In this dark kissing book, high school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense relationship—by the new boy in school.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.