Review: Night School by C.J. Daugherty

Night School by C.J. Daugherty 

Book One of the Night School series

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: May 21, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Allie's world is falling apart...

She hates her school. Her brother has run away. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

Now her parents are sending her away to a boarding school where she doesn't know a soul.

But instead of hating her new school, Allie finds she's happy there. She's making friends. And then there's Sylvain, a suave French student who openly flirts with her. And Carter, the brooding loner who seems to have her back.

Soon, though, Allie discovers Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Nothing there is as it seems. And her new friends are hiding dangerous secrets.

What I Liked:

This book was not what I expected! To be completely honest, from I heard about this book, I was totally expecting something paranormal. This book is NOT a paranormal fiction book. It's, like, mystery? Or thriller. But NOT fantasy or paranormal or science fiction.

Anyway. I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked, as soon as Allie got to Cimmeria (which was not too long into the book). The immediate beginning was a bit boring and slightly confusing, but once Allie actually leaves home and moves in at Cimmeria, things start to pick up.

Throughout the book, I was waiting and waiting for the paranormal aspect of the book to make itself appear, but readers never get any paranormal aspect (obviously, because there is none!). BUT, the mysterious scenes and events of the book did not let down. What is Gabriel doing? Why is Sylvain, the smooth French guy, so perfect and always coming to Allie's rescue?

Things don't add up, and Allie has to discover what is going on, piece by piece, disaster by disaster. I think sometimes Allie overlooks some things, but that seems like part of her and her personality, and not necessarily a flaw in her character. I think Allie's spunk and inquisitiveness is refreshing, and not necessarily annoying.

The plot itself is good, in my opinion. The story progresses slowly, but unlike some books, I thought the slow pace was not a negative aspect of the book. It was sometimes predictable, but I liked the story nonetheless. The actual Night School part of the book is kind of cool, but the idea of it is not new. Same with the epic showdown at the end, and the motives of the villains of the story. Nothing new, but still enjoyable to read.

The romance was actually quite nice, despite the fact that there is a love triangle. Allie is not torn between Sylvain and Carter - there is an obvious choice that Allie makes. After meeting BOTH males, readers will know exactly which one Allie will "choose". Look at the characterization: one of the males is a static character, the other is dynamic. Authors often put the heroine with a hero that dynamic, like she is. Very rarely is the static, non-changing hero the true love interest.

All of that is fine by me, because in this case, the male I really liked was the one for Allie! Poor guy - he is judged too harshly. And the other guy - I knew he was a creep, from the first time readers are introduced to him.

The ending was rushed (more on that below), but good. Things are happy, and the heroine and the hero (love interest) ended up together. I liked the ending, even if things ended a little la-dee-dah.

I really only had problems with a few things, and they weren't that bad. I felt like the ending was extremely rushed. We come to the climax, and BOOM! The ending is upon us. It's almost like there is very little falling action, and the author goes straight to the denouement. This wasn't a huge thing with me, but it was something I noticed that stuck out.

What I Did Not Like:

Also, I hate at the end of a story when the heroine or hero gets injured, blacks out, and then we as readers are welcomed back into the story when the heroine/hero comes around from being unconscious. 

The reader misses everything happened between the big climax and when the big climax was over. Instead, we have to hear it like the heroine/hero - from the words of other characters.

This is a first person point-of-view problem, but it's also something author chooses to do. It makes me feel like the author does not want to write the rest of the big climax scene, and just shuts down the scene with the heroine going out cold.

So, not a gigantic problem, but still bothersome. Neither of the things I described detracted from my overall love for this book!

Would I Recommend It:

Totally! It's not fantasy or paranormal or science fiction - but fans of those genres will still LOVE this book. I think it's quite the unique read! Even if it is a little predictable. 

Rating:

4 stars. This is a great book! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

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Review: Faking It by Cora Carmack

Faking It by Cora Carmack

Book Two of the Losing It series

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

**Due to mature content, this book is intended for ages 17+**

Summary (from Goodreads):

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

What I Liked:

Cade. Cade Cade Cade Cade CADE. I wanted to yank him out of my Kindle and give him a giant hug (and then some). I thought I liked Garrick, but GOSH, Cade is so yummy! Bliss did not deserve him anyway. Not that I don't like Bliss. But CADE. He is a class of his own.

Cade. Cade. CADE. This guy is my new favorite. He's definitely my favorite part of the book. He is sweet, caring, and thoughtful, but he is also spontaneous and brave. I love the giant leap of faith he took with Max. He decided to help out a stranger, not knowing where things would end up or how things would play out (and clearly, not the way either of them expected).

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book because of Cade (not ONLY because of Cade, but mostly because of Cade). He is such a good guy, and not at all the usual bad boy, rude and arrogant, dominant-type that we find in New Adult books these days.

I was not a huge fan of Max, but I did enjoy the scenes in her point of view when she did a lot of putting her foot in her mouth. Usually, the scenes occurred when Cade, Max, and Max's parents were in the same room. THOSE were the funny scenes. 

The plot of this book is really slow, in my opinion. When I was reading, I noticed that I had reached the halfway mark, and only a few things had happened! This can be a good thing, for some people, but for others, like me, it was not such a good thing. More on that below!

No real love triangle, although there is an "other" guy (but who cares about him). Go Cade! The romance in this book was HOT! Prepare yourself for some steamy scenes!

What I Did Not Like:

It's hard for me to say this, but I really did not like Max very much. I did not hate her, but I did not really like her either. She is who she is, but I still did not like her. I feel like she is an avoider with serious issues, and while this gets better throughout the novel, I still did not really like her for it. 

And she was not good to Cade for the majority of the book. I would say that Cade deserved even better than her, but he truly likes her, so that's that. I did not like her attitude; it did not strike me as snarky or catty or whatever. While most of her attitude comes from her personality, it still seemed slightly childish to me.

The plot was extremely slow, at least for the first half of the book. I do not like slow plots. When only two things happen in 50% of the book, we have a problem. I wouldn't say that the first half of the book (or the second half of the book) was boring, but it bothered me that so little happened in this book.

Would I Recommend It:

YES! Totally! Such a great read, a great New Adult example, and a swoony romance. For me, Faking It did not beat Losing It, even though I LOVE Cade. Despite my dislike for the female protagonist, I really did enjoy this book, and I would recommend it to any New Adult lovers, contemporary lovers, and anyone who wants a good romance! 

Rating:

4 stars. I liked this book a lot!I hope everyone who read Losing It gives Faking It a chance, whether they liked Losing It or not! But who didn't like Losing It!? :D

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Stacking the Shelves (#22)

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, May 19th to Saturday, May 25th?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

A signed ARC of A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

An ARC of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

An ARC of Dualed by Elsie Chapman

An ARC of Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir

A paperback copy of To My Hero by Danielle Sibarium

Various swag (authors include Tiffany King, Veronica Rossi, Page Morgan, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Susan Dennard, Christine Fonseca, David Levithan)

A ton of swag from Lydia Kang, author of Control

From Edelweiss:

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

For My Kindle:

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Phew! Big thanks to Nereyda at Mostly YA Obsessed, for sending me her ARC of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea to borrow! And Ren at A Little Bit of R&R, Michelle at The Passionate Bookworm, Christine Fonseca, Susan Dennard, Tiffany King, Danielle Sibarium, and Random House, for sending me all of wonderful swag goodies and books!

So, tell me about your week! :)

Feature and Follow Friday (#20)

The Feature & Follow is a creative meme that allows bloggers to get to know each other, and gain more followers! It is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

If you would like, it would be great if you followed me via Email, GFC, Linky, Bloglovin, or Google+ (all on the right). Let me know in the comments if you did, leave a link to your blog, and I will comment and follow back! I always do, I promise! Thank you!

Q: The #FF is 150 weeks old! And we want to hear from you! What would you change about the hop? What do you like about it? Or just suggest a question to be used for next week!

MAKE EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE HOP GET RID OF EFFIN CAPTCHA. Guys. Every time I visit a blog for this hop, and the blog has Captcha? I don't follow the blog, and don't leave a comment. Usually, I will leave a comment and then follow in the way I mentioned in the comment, but if you have Captcha turned on, I will NOT follow you or leave a comment. Too bad.

And guys. I understand the whole spam argument - but for the majority of us who AREN'T spammers, save our sanity. 

Otherwise, I love this hop. It's great to link up to so many bloggers and do them a favor of following and commenting.

Book Blast and Giveaway: Overexposed by Adrianne James

Overexposed by Adrianne James

Publisher: Star Bound Books

Publication Date: May 24, 2013

Official Summary:

In the tiny town of Willowspring, just about nothing ever happens except for layoffs, hockey games, and your average melodramatic teenage angst.

But that was before.

Vi, Ashley, and Macy are just trying to make it through the school year without one more humiliation when they team up for a simple photography assignment: create a story through a series of photographs. Can't be too much trouble, right?

Wrong.

The shutterbugs happen upon Willowspring High School's darkest secret. When everything around them starts to crumble after trying to do the right thing, their only hope is to stick together.

 Amazon | Smashwords

When the door opened to the alley behind the rink, I realized two things. One, it was freaking colder outside than it was in the bleachers by the ice, and two, Brianna Jones (A.K.A Bra stuffer) was already out there.



The three of us walked out as if it was perfectly normal to be there but Brianna didn’t even notice us. We walked to the opposite side of the alley and huddled together. We hoped it would look like we were keeping warm, but we were trying to hide both the cameras.



Watching Brianna was rather dull. She was just standing there, talking on her cell phone and it wasn’t even anything remotely interesting. We took pictures anyway, because like Mr. Bennett said, you need the before, during, and after to tell a story with photographs.



“Look! She is checking that car’s doors! That isn’t her car, is it?” The quiet clicking of the shutters on our cameras was almost deafening to me. I swore each click was louder and louder as we watched Brianna try to break into a car.



Finally, the last door she tried, the back passenger side, was open. She slipped in and a second later, the dark car had a red glow inside. She climbed back out, shut the door, and walked over to the wall, smoking a stolen cigarette.



“She just broke into someone’s car for a cigarette? Seriously?” Ashley was just as flabbergasted as the rest of us. Why would anyone risk committing a crime for a smoke? “Oh! She is moving again!”



Click, click, click. I took more and more pictures. I hated that they were all from the same angle, but spys have to do what they have to do to keep from being caught, all the while still getting the images.



Brianna walked back to the car and put the cigarette out on the hood. Lucky for whoever owned it there was a layer of snow to put it out before it could burn the paint. Then she leaned over and used the mirror. She pursed her lips, showed her teeth to check those, then she lifted her head slightly.



“What is she doing?” I whispered.



“I’m not sure.” Macy said breaking away from the group. “I am going over there, different angle.” Before I could stop her, she had gone back across the alley to the other side. She was braver than I was. Ashley watched her closely before turning back to me.



“Let me take some. I promise I won’t hurt Jilly.” I knew I had to hand it over. I promised her she could use it. Even knowing that, it didn’t make it any easier.



“Okay. Here.” I took the strap from around my neck and quickly placed it around hers. The minute the fabric was firmly against her skin, she took off, too. “Ash, what are you doing?” I whisper yelled to her.



She just put a finger over her mouth to shush me and she got even closer to the car than Macy had. I figured that made me look out so I opened my eyes and ears and tried to make sure my best friends didn’t get caught.



I looked over my shoulder to check the door to make sure we were still alone when all of a sudden I heard a scream.



“YOU LITTLE BITCH! GIVE ME THAT CAMERA NOW!” When I turned back to see what was going on (although I was pretty sure that either Macy or Ashley had been caught by Brianna) I saw my girls running towards me, with Brianna not far behind.



“Run!” Ash and Macy yelled through giggles. I turned and headed to the door and held it open for them. As soon as they passed through I closed it and the three of us went straight out the front door and to Macy’s truck.



“What on earth just happened?” I asked when I caught my breath. Ashley handed Jilly back to me and I flipped it on. The minute I pressed the play images button I began to laugh. The first one was of Brianna screaming at the camera. I pressed the next button and then it was a picture of her finger in her mouth. The next one was a picture of her finger in her nose.



I died laughing. Brianna Jones was a booger eater. I bet her boyfriend would love to know that.



“Oh, Ashley, you are amazing!” Then the truck erupted in laughter and because Macy’s dad had given her a twenty to get food at the overly expensive rink, we headed to the diner for some hot cocoa and French fries for half the cost. Who said teenagers were irresponsible with money?

Growing up, Adrianne couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.

During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.

As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.

Website † Facebook † Twitter † GoodReads

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Swoon Thursday (#19): Golden by Jessi Kirby

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- 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 Golden by Jessi Kirby!

"His eyes run over mine, and for the second time tonight, everything speeds up and slows down in the space of a few second. He steps closer. Brings both his hands to my cheeks. Pulls my into him gently. Speaks words I barely hear.

'That it's taken me so long to - '

His lips on mine finish the rest with a kiss that's light and soft, almost a question. Warmth spreads out in me, and I want to answer him and sink into this kiss, and this feeling. I want to forget about everything that Julianna said and lose myself in this moment, with the rain falling soft and the smell of the wet pavement rising all around us, and his hands on my face like it's where they belong. I want to believe in this moment so much."

- eARC, 87%

Oh, what the heck. How about another?

"And then the door opens, and Trevor's right there looking surprised and confused, and I feel the same way, but I step into him before he can say anything

I bring my lips to his fully, intentionally, their cold meeting his heat, in a kiss meant to tell him all the things I've been too afraid to say until right now. It takes him a second to catch up, but when he does his hands come to my face, then slide back to my hair, pulling me closer as he kisses me deeper, and all the times I've imagined this happening never came close to what I feel right now. I sink into it fully, completely, letting everything fall away so all that's left is this. A moment like a poem. 

- eARC, 98%

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

I think these two are the only swoons of the entire book - which is why I put both of them in there. They come late, but I love them both. The last especially, though.

I love this book! I highly encourage everyone who reads this post to grab this book from a bookstore or online or a library or SOMETHING. My review will be up sometime in the next two weeks!

Excerpt and Giveaway: The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Hey there! I've got an awesome and EXCLUSIVE excerpt from The Liberator by Victoria Scott, and a giveaway! Check it out!

The Book:

The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Book Two of the Dante Walker series

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

The Excerpt:

When I open my eyes, the sun is trying to murder me. It’s shining on my face and making my head pound. Or maybe it’s my hangover that’s giving me the headache, but nonetheless—me and the sun?—we’re not on friendly terms. 

Charlie murmurs beside me. My arms are still wrapped around her waist, and I suddenly realize I must have crashed out in her bed last night. If Grams wakes up and finds me here, she’ll run me a bath…and toss in the toaster. 

“Morning, babe,” I whisper. 

“Morning, hot stuff,” a distinctly male voice responds. 

I whip around, my heart racing, and find Max sitting in a chair across the room. “You look so hot when you first wake up,” he says. He raises a hand to his hair. “Got that whole sexy bed head thing going on.” 

Charlie doesn’t even move from her place, but I feel her laughing against me. “Your friend is kind of creepy, Dante,” she manages. 

“Max, what the hell are you doing in here?” I ask, pulling the covers farther up even though I’m (regretfully) fully-clothed. 

“Real question is, why did I wait so long to join you guys?” Max stands from his chair and cocks his head. A mischievous smile crawls across his face. 

“No,” I say, trying to appear serious. “Don’t even think about it, dude.” 

Max starts running in place, his smile widening farther until he looks deranged. “Ready or not!” Before I can stop him, Max races toward the bed and dives on top of us. “Oh! Oh it feels even better than I imagined.” He rolls back and forth across our bodies as Charlie laughs and I wonder why I’m friends with such a raging idiot. 

With all my strength, I grab Max’s shirt and rotate him toward the edge. He falls off the side, his arms pin-wheeling. There’s a loud thud, and then nothing. 

I wait for several seconds before leaning over to search for him. Max is lying face down on the floor, his arms and legs curled like a dead spider. “You’re not really hurt,” I say. 

“I think you gave me spinal bifida. You need to call someone.” 

“That’s a genetic disorder,” I respond with a sigh, collapsing back onto my pillow. A second later, he raises his head very, very slowly up from the side of the bed. It’s one of the more unsettling things he’s ever done. “Max, is there a purpose to this visit?” I ask. I want so badly to act like he’s annoying me. But he knows, and I know, that we both love this game: the one where I pretend he’s a pain in my ass, and he acts like a damn circus clown. 

He stands up, crosses the room, and plops back down in the chair. “Valery sent me.” 

I throw an arm across my eyes. “Of course she did.” Beside me, Charlie moves to get up and I immediately reach for her. She squeals and wiggles out of my grasp. 

I watch as she walks around the bed and ruffles Max’s hair. The twenty-eight year old pants like a dog. It’s a bit disturbing considering Charlie’s seventeen. She eyes me with a grin. “I’ll make waffles.” 

My face lights up. 

“Yes,” she continues. “And bacon.” 

I glance at Max and nod toward Charlie. “That’s my girl.” 

“Damn straight,” he says. 

“I’m still making breakfast for your birthday,” I call after Charlie. Then, looking at Max, I add, “My girl’s going to be legal soon.” 

Max says, “Boom.”

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The Giveaway:

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