Thursday, June 30, 2016

Swoon Thursday (#179): P.S. I Like You by Kasie West


- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting


This week, my swoon is from P.S. I Like You by Kasie West!


"P.S." He brushed a piece of air off of my cheek.  "I like you. A lot."

My breathing was shallow, my eyes starting to water from starting too long. "That's a great P.S."

"For our first one, I thought it was solid."

It didn't take much because he was so close. All I had to do was rise up on my tiptoes and our lips met. He tasted like mint gum and all my hopes and dreams. Well, not all of them, but a lot of them. His hands moved to my back where they pulled me against him. He deepened the kiss. My arms slid their way under his, finding his back as well. Why had we waited so long to do this? His breath was warm, his kiss as intense as his stare had been.

- Page 289




I loved West's latest novel! Such a sweet story. If you liked any of West's previous books, be sure not to miss this one!

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (#183): Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This week, I'm featuring:


Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
Book Two of the Passenger series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 3, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.




So excited for this conclusion! Plus, the cover is PURPLE. :D

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: 100 Hours by Rachel Vincent


Hey bibliovores! Are you excited for the official cover reveal for 100 Days by Rachel Vincent? I know I am! I've only read one Vincent book - Menagerie - which I liked and definitely want to continue the series. That's an adult series!

Before we get to the cover... Rachel Vincent has a message for us:

In my upcoming YA suspense 100 HOURS, Genesis and her cousin Maddie come from opposite ends of the privilege spectrum, but when they wind up kidnapped for ransom during spring break in Colombia and have no one else to count on, they discover they have more in common than either of them thought.

If you’ve read any of my previous releases, 100 HOURS probably seems like a departure for a Rachel Vincent book. And that’s what I thought, back when it was just me and an idea. But as I wrote the story and got to know the characters, I realized that even though this book is set in the Colombian jungle and these characters have no supernatural abilities, 100 HOURS is very much a book about the themes that draw me in over and over. Survival. Family friction and loyalty. High-stakes pulse-racing action. Twists, turns, secrets, and revelations. Girls who can fend for themselves—and for anyone else who needs help.



And now, the cover!


100 Hours by Rachel Vincent
Book One of the 100 Hours trilogy
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: March 28, 2017

Official Summary:

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.

While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.


But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.

Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t set aside their personal problems, no one will make it out alive.



About the Author:


Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.



The Giveaway:

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for:

ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED SET of a paperback copy of THE STARS NEVER RISE + an ARC of THE FLAME NEVER DIES

Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on July 11th at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Release Day Blitz: Forevermore by Kristen Callihan


Hey peeps! Today is the publication date of many books, including Forevermore by Kristen Callihan! Don't you love this book's cover? I've not read the book, but it's on my TBR list!


About the Book: 


Forevermore by Kristen Callihan
Book Seven of the Darkest London series
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: June 28, 2016

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Official Summary:

Isolate and alone, Sin Evernight is one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in heaven and on earth. As an angel of vengeance, he hunts down the darkest evil, but when his long-lost friend, Layla Starling, needs him, he vows to become her protector. Even though she will be horrified by the man he has become.

Now a famous singer and the toast of London, Layla believes that Sin is only here to guard her from rabid fans and ardent suitors. However, the truth is far more sinister. Desperate to avoid losing Layla a second time, Sin will face a test of all his powers to defeat an unstoppable foe—and win an eternity with the woman he loves.



About the Author:

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer's Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine's Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

Sweet Talk with the Sweet Sixteens: June 28th


Welcome to Week Twenty-Six of Sweet Talk with the Sweet Sixteens! To see more details about Sweet Talk as well as previous posts, see the introduction post. Thanks to Charlene (Bookish Whimsy), for designing the banner and button for Sweet Talk.


Today, I'm featuring the authors and books publishing during the week of June 28th!


The Questions:

1. Describe your debut novel in sixteen words.
2. Pitch your book! For fans of _____, _____ meets _____, etc.
3. What are you working on now – is it related to your debut novel?


The Authors:

Jenn Bishop, The Distance to Home

1. Baseball superfan Quinnen struggles with her sister's death in a story that unfolds between two summers.

2. For fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Ali Benjamin meets Field of Dreams.

3. A second standalone middle grade novel, 14 Hollow Road, which will come out in summer 2017 from Knopf. Tornado + missing dog + crush rejection = one intense summer before middle school!

Follow Jenn Bishop: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Find The Distance to Home: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository


The Books:


(Click on the cover to go to Goodreads!)


Other Sweet Sixteens Books Publishing This Week:

The Distance to Home is the only one! =)


The Giveaway:

- Finished copy of The Museum of Heartbreak
- The Way to Game the Walk of Shame swag
- Life Before swag
- Ivory and Bone swag
- Finished copy of The Marked Girl
- Genesis Girl swag
- An ARC of Mirror in the Sky
- The Distance to Home swag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 27, 2016

Exclusive Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Returned by Kimberley Griffiths Little


Good afternoon, lovely readers! I hope everyone's Monday has been great so far. I'm here to make it even better - with a cover reveal! Are you ready to see the cover of Returned, book three of the Forbidden trilogy by Kimberley Griffiths Little? Of course you are! Remember these pretties?

  

(Click on the covers to go to Goodreads!)

I adored this books. Here are my featured posts, to help convince anyone who hasn't read the series to start reading:



Well, now you are ready to see the next's books cover - here it is!


Returned by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Book Three of the Forbidden series
Publisher: Harpercollins
Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Official Summary:

She thought she was done fighting. . .

After tragedy strikes on the day they were to wed, Jayden must support Kadesh as he ascends the throne and becomes king of Sariba. But with the dark priestess Aliyah conspiring to control the crown and turn his own people against him, Kadesh’s status as king is at stake.

And then Horeb, the jealous ruler of Jayden’s tribe, and Jayden’s former betrothed, appears at the gates of Sariba. Horeb has amassed a desert army to take back everything that Jayden has worked so hard to protect. And he’s willing to ally with Aliyah and use her dark magic to destroy the kingdom and all of Kadesh’s people. 

Jayden knows that the time to be merciful has come and gone, and that some enemies can only be halted by death. In this gorgeous and heart-pounding conclusion to Kimberley Griffith Little’s epic desert trilogy, Jayden and Kadesh must prepare to fight not only for their love, but also for their kingdom and everything they know to be good.



About the Author:


Kimberley Griffiths Little grew up in San Francisco, but now lives in an adobe house on the banks of the Rio Grande with her chaotic, messy family. She’s drunk so much Land of Enchantment water that some of that ancient magic got into her blood and now spurts out her pencil—um, ergonomic keyboard. 

Kimberley has slept in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland, sailed the Seine in Paris, walked the beaches of Normandy, ridden a camel in Petra, shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria. 

P.S. She also writes award-winning middle-grade novels with Scholastic. :-)



PLEASE NOTE:

If you choose to share the cover elsewhere, please link to either THIS post (on The Eater of Books! blog), or Kimberley's post (on her blog). Thank you!

Huge thanks to Nick for the banner! She is an amazing rockstar, y'all! =)


The Giveaway:

Win one of THREE hardcover sets of the entire trilogy! USA only for the hardcover sets - but if Canadian residents would like to enter, they will be eligible to win the ebook set of the trilogy. Either USA or CAN residents can enter, but USA winners get a hardcover set, CAN winners get an ebook set. Three winners total (regardless of either USA or CAN). Apologies to non-USA/CAN folks!

Review: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West


P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Publisher: Point
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Review copy sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

What I Liked:

***SPOILER FREE REVIEW***

(As in, I am not going to say who the mystery pen pal writer is. Nor am I going to say who the love interest is. In fact, I'm going to name one person - Lily.)

I may not be a fan of YA contemporary in general, but Kasie West writes contemporary that I enjoy. I've loved all of her previous books - Pivot Point, Split Second, The Distance Between Us, On the Fence, The Fill-In Boyfriend - and now, P.S. I Like You!

Lily's Chemistry teacher has had enough of Lily constantly scribbling non-Chemistry things in her notebook during class. He tells her that she can have one sheet of paper out, and she must show it to him after class. No more writing lyrics. No more doodles. So what's a girl got to do? Write lyrics on the desk, of course. And the next day, what does she find? The next line to the song! Someone else in a different Chemistry period wrote on the desk, and knew the song (and lyrics), which was an indie song. Writing on the desk progresses to pieces of paper wedged under the desk, and then to letters. Lily has no idea who her mystery pen pal is, but she knows that he is a guy, he has a tough home life, and he has a rare and great taste in music, very similar to her (eccentric) tastes. But what happens when that mystery boy is the last person she'd expect? Lily must untangle her feelings for an anonymous pen pal and the boy in real life.

Lily is such a wonderful protagonist, as all of West's female protagonists are! She is a little sarcastic, and has a strange sense of humor, not uncommon in West's works. But one thing makes Lily stand out among West's protagonists - Lily is pretty awkward. She has a crush on this guy but she refuses to even smile at him, let alone walk up to him and say hi. She gets nervous and says silly, ridiculous things (which is cute and funny!). And then there are the song lyrics she writes - she refuses to read them or sing or play in front of anyone. Poor Lily!

Lily is the second child of four; she shares a room with her older sister, who is nineteen and in college. Wyatt is ten and Jonah is seven. Lily's family is a large one, and a messy, chaotic one (reminiscent of the Garretts from My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - only I liked this Abbott family more!). Lily often feels like she has to make many sacrifices for her family, like missing out on outings with her best friend, or having to get picked up in the van with her younger brothers (embarrassing, trust me). Lily's family dynamic is a big part of this book, and it's both sweet and heartbreaking. I'm not a middle child (I'm a youngest!) but I really felt bad for Lily. Her family is fun, and nice, but it sucks to be her, stuck in the middle, not yet in college.

This story had it all! Best friend friendship (which was rock solid, and I loved it), academic struggles (I love chemistry - sorry, Lily!), boy troubles (well, not really "troubles"... but there was the mystery pen pal, and then there was a huge jerk who liked to pick fights with Lily, and then there was Lily's original dreamy crush who Lily never wanted to actually talk to... not all of these boys I'm mentioning were present romantically in the story), family troubles. There were some heavy stuff in this book, but I wouldn't even call it heavy? The tone of this book is lighthearted and fun, and even the sad heavy stuff didn't drag the story down.

There is also a little bit of girl drama, but it isn't as extreme and catfight-y as it could have been. By the end of the book, the other girl isn't trying to kill Lily or anything (or vice versa). They kind of just go their separate ways, peacefully. But during the story, the other girl was a bit cruel. But again, not overly extreme in drama!

Let's talk about our mystery guy! He was fairly obvious to me, from the start. But I was totally on board with who he was. The guy in the letters is sweet and sensitive and doesn't mind opening up to a stranger about his home life. His dad left him and his mom, and his mom remarried to spite his dad, and he hates his dad and his stepdad... it's a sad story, and I wanted to hug our mystery man. Mystery man is swoony in the letters and in real life. West didn't always have me sold in terms of liking him (initially, I didn't totally like him), but I loved him by the end.

For those wondering - mystery man's identity is revealed about halfway through the book. He is not someone that Lily expected him to be. She finds out who he is, but he doesn't know who she is yet. She is shocked, but she knows that she has feelings for our mystery man, both on paper, and eventually she realizes, in real life as well. I like that the reveal is somewhat "early" (unlike in Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum, in which the reveal is in the last five pages or so. Great book, by the way).

Obviously I'm not going to say who it is. I'm also not going to say anything about the love interest, because the love interest IS the pen pal/mystery man. But I will say that there is NO love triangle (or any geometry) in this book, and I adored the romance. It was sweet! The relationship between Lily and The Guy progressed both in the letters, and in real life, simultaneously, without Lily (or him) knowing. It's interesting and adorable, how West did this! 

I love how Lily and mystery man fit, by the way. They are perfect for each other. Their personalities rub perfectly, and he is so comfortable with her and her crazy family. I love it!

I could see myself rereading this one soon, and in the future! The story is so sweet and so inspiring, honestly. Lily comes out of her shell, and does things that she wouldn't have done at the beginning of the story. Like go out with mystery man! Or perform in a song-writing contest! I loved this story. I can't wait for more West novels!

What I Did Not Like:

Only a few complaints, and they may seem minor. The first -- the mystery boy seemed so obvious, to me. I think this book was supposed to be more about the "journey" of these two, and not the outcome (i.e. Lily finding out who he was), but still. HE was obviously him. The love interest is always the male that the author spends way too much time describing physically! Or telling backstory or connections to the female protagonist, etc.

Complaint number two: so Lily's songwriting competition... there is an aspect of it that is left to our imagination, at the end. I won't tell you exactly WHAT is left to the readers to dream up, but it's slightly open-ended. I hate anything open-ended! I want authors to lay it all out for me!

Would I Recommend It:

YA contemporary fan or not, I'd recommend this book. It's somewhat shorter than most YA novels, but oh-so enjoyable. I was hooked as I was reading, and I couldn't read fast enough. Rooting for Lily was easy, but rooting for mystery man came easily as well. I'm not usually a YA contemporary fan, but I love West's books, and this book is no exception! 

Rating:

4.5 stars. I was trying to decide if I should round up or down, so in the meantime, I'll round down. STILL, a very solid and excellent novel by West, definitely worth the long wait between West books. I want more!


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Book Blitz and Giveaway: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund


Welcome to the sales blitz for Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars! I adored this book (and its companion sequel!), and I really advise everyone who likes YA fantasy to take advantage of this amazing sale. And hey, there is a giveaway!


About the Book:


For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Book One of the For Darkness Shows the Stars series
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: June 12, 2012

Official Summary:

Fans of Divergent will love Diana Peterfreund’s take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion set in a post-apocalyptic world.

In the dystopian future of For Darkness Shows the Stars, a genetic experiment has devastated humanity. In the aftermath, a new class system placed anti-technology Luddites in absolute power over vast estates—and any survivors living there.

Elliot North is a dutiful Luddite and a dutiful daughter who runs her father’s estate. When the boy she loved, Kai, a servant, asked her to run away with him four years ago, she refused, although it broke her heart.

Now Kai is back. And while Elliot longs for a second chance with her first love, she knows it could mean betraying everything she’s been raised to believe is right.

For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking YA romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.


About the Author:


Diana Peterfreund is the author of a dozen books for adults, teens, and children. A lifelong Jane Austen lover and technophile, she lives outside Washington, DC with her family, her BBC miniseries collection, and her smartphone. You can visit Diana online at www.dianapeterfreund.com.



The Excerpt:


FOUR YEARS AGO

Dear Kai,

The sun is probably streaming in through the big barn windows now, which means you’re awake. And if you’re awake, it means you’re wondering where I went.

I haven’t run away from you, I promise. But I knew that today of all days, they’d need me in the house. Tatiana may be the head of our household now, but she’s not the one the staff will look to in my mother’s absence. And there is so much to do to prepare for the funeral. Also, I have to go tell my grandfather what had happened to his daughter. I don’t want him to hear of her death from anyone but me.

Thank you for last night. I wish I could say I don’t know why you are the one I ran to—you, Kai, not Tatiana or my father or even my grandfather. But I know why. And I have a confession to make.

After you let me cry, after you let me sob and shout and choke on all that pain—after you did all that, and didn’t say a word—I didn’t fall asleep like you thought. Not right away. I lay there, wadded up into a ball, and you curved your body behind mine. You were barely touching me—your thigh against the edge of my hip, your arm draped lightly across my waist, your fingers entwined with mine. How many times have our hands touched, when we were passing each other tools or helping each other in and out of machines? Hundreds of times. Thousands. But last night, it felt different. You cradled my hand in yours, palms up, our fingers curled in like a pair of fallen leaves. Fallen, maybe, but not dead. My hand never felt so alive. Every place you touched me sparked with energy. I couldn’t sleep. Not like that.

And so I bent my head, just the slightest bit, until my mouth reached our hands. I smelled the oil you never quite get off your fingers. I breathed in the scent of your skin. And then, as if that was all I was doing, just breathing, I let my bottom lip brush against your knuckle.

Time stopped. I was sure you’d see through my ruse and pull away. I was sure you’d know that I was not asleep, that I was not just breathing. But you didn’t move, so I did it again. And again. And on the third time, I let my top lip join my bottom.

I kissed your hand, Kai. I didn’t do it to thank you for letting me cry. For letting me sleep in your arms. I thought you should know.

Yours,
Elliot

Dear Elliot,

I know. When will I see you again?

Yours,
Kai


The Giveaway:

(I want to assume this is INT, but I'm not sure. Let's assume so!)

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Review: A World Without You by Beth Revis


A World Without You by Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Galley from First to Read

Summary (from Goodreads):

Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his concerned parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have "superpowers."

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofia, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age. 

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she's not actually dead. He believes that she's stuck somewhere in time — that he somehow left her in the past, and now it's his job to save her. 

What I Liked:

My initial thought upon finishing this book: wow, that was mind-blowing. I didn't have pretty much any expectations when going into this story, other than hoping it would be awesome because it is a Revis book, and I love her books. Reading this book days after reading Paula Stokes' Vicarious worked out strangely for me, as these two books are very, very similar in the "big twist". And I highly enjoyed both books!

A World Without You starts with the memorial service of Sofía, who was Bo's girlfriend, and fellow student at Berkshire. Bo is angry and frustrated; he knows that Sofía isn't actually dead, and that he can go back in time and bring her back. After all, she disappeared because he took her to 1692, and accidentally traveled back in time... without her. But then government investigative officials come to Berkshire, and suddenly everyone except Bo is under the belief that Sofía is really dead, that she committed suicide. Bo is sure that the officials are alternating everyone's perception of reality. But Bo will stop at nothing to bring Sofía back, even as time is breaking around him.

This book is written primarily in Bo's POV, though every now and then a chapter is written from Phoebe's POV. Phoebe is Bo's younger sister, a workaholic and very driven. She's a senior in high school who has excellent grades and is so "normal" compared to Bo. At first I didn't care for Phoebe's chapters, because I wanted to get to Bo's. But then I started seeing why Phoebe's side of things is so important. And her chapters always made sense, whereas Bo's sometimes didn't (especially towards the end). I felt bad for Phoebe, at times! She felt trapped in her house, and sometimes jealous of Bo's freedom. If only she knew...

It wasn't hard to like Bo, or to really feel for him. He loved - loves - Sofía, and his determination to get her back is impressive. He likes it at Berkshire, and feels comfortable there. The group that lives with him specifically within the school is made up of five people - Bo, Sofía, Ryan, Gwen, and Harold. Everyone at the school has some sort of ability, and Bo's is time travel. Sofía's is invisibility. Ryan's is telekinesis. Gwen's is pyrokinesis. Harold's is the ability to see and hear and communicate with the dead.

Time-traveling back to 1692 when Bo accidentally left Sofía is near impossible for Bo. He doesn't have control over his powers, and he never has privacy, with the government officials there to investigate Sofía's death, and Bo's parents constantly hovering. I was anxious to see the first time Bo traveled back in time. I was not disappointed!

This book is sort of told with visits to the past, but not really flashbacks, if that makes sense. Sofía is "dead" at the beginning of the book, and so all of Bo and Sofía's relationship is shown to us readers via the past, as well as Bo remembering times with her. Sometimes he visits her in the past. A lot of times, he daydreams or remembers scenes that he shared with her. They had a sweet relationship, and it was almost tragic to experience it.

A point to make about the romance - since Bo is trying to get Sofía back to present time, there isn't any romance happening in the present. We get to see Bo and Sofía's relationship from the past, sure. And Bo trying to get Sofía back is driven by his love for her. But there is little physical romance in this book!

I'm going to honest - I knew this book dealt with the paranormal (i.e. time travel, and the other superpowers), but I didn't realize how thoroughly entrenched the mental illnesses and health issues were, in the story. Usually I'm not one for those types of books, but I love how Revis worked Bo's mental health into this story. Absolutely loved it.

There were several twists to this story that, even if you anticipate them, they were incredibly and shocking to read and unfold. About a third of the way in, I had a good idea of what I thought was going on... and that was exactly what was happening. But Revis tells the story in such a way that we see everything from Bo's eyes, so genuinely.

I thought the ending was going to be morbid! It was and it wasn't. The ending was uplifting in a way, and I definitely liked it. The story in general was equal parts sad and beautiful, and I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. I knew nothing of the story, but I have no regrets!

What I Did Not Like:

The only thing I might say is that towards the end, things got a little too confusing. Bo starts to lose track of what is real and what is not, and he starts to lose time. We have Phoebe's POV to balance out the storm in Bo's head and life, but I was a bit confused at times, towards the end of the book. Which, realistically, made sense, as to why I was confused. You'll have to read the book to know what I mean! Confusing in a good way, I suppose.

Would I Recommend It:

If you like psychological thrillers, this is definitely a book for you. And if you like this one, try Vicarious by Paula Stokes (or vice versa). A World Without You was sweet and heartbreaking, intriguing and thrilling. It was bizarre, and untangling reality and perception was mind-blowing. All in all, a fascinating and enjoyable read!

Rating:

4 stars. I was very surprised by this book, its content and story! I didn't know much about it before starting to read it, so everything was completely fresh to me. I hadn't even really read the synopsis! Going into a book blind is the best, sometimes. And it was perfect, with THIS type of book!


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Stacking the Shelves (#183)


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books and swag they've received in the past week!


So, what did I get in the week of Sunday, June 19th to Saturday, June 25th?


(all links to Goodreads are provided!)


In the mail:



Unsolicited from Abrams (who I did not know had my address!) - thank you!



Thank you sooo much, Fierce Reads! The package is chock full of AWESOME!



Thank you so much, Scholastic! West's books are soooo good.


From NetGalley:

    
  


Thank you, Random House, 47North, Loveswept, and Forever! I requested Destined for a King on a whim; it sounds great!


My week went well! I can't believe June is almost over though. o_o On Monday, swing by here to see the BEAUTIFUL cover of a super special Harper Winter '17 novel!