artsy musings of a bibliophile

Review: Going Under by Georgia Cates Blog Tour

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Title: Going Under
Author: Georgia Cates
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Georgia Cates
Release Date: 10 March 2012
Pages: 230 (eBook)


Synopsis
Jessie Boone is a self proclaimed bad boy and doesn’t march to the beat of anyone’s drum, but his own. Growing up in less than desirable circumstances has made him no stranger to the hard knock life and his determination to leave it behind is fierce. When he finds himself transferred to East Franklin High School, he sees his opportunity to use his athletic ability to snag a college football scholarship, but Forbes Henderson, the player Jessie means to replace isn’t giving up his spot willingly. In fact, Forbes is willing to go to extreme measures to retain his place as first string quarterback. When Forbes’ malicious plan to injure his replacement fails, Jessie is furious and determined to show him he messed with the wrong person; not only is he going to take the position of first string quarterback, he’s going to take his girl, too. 
Claire Deveraux is perfection at it’s best. She is beautiful, intelligent and unaware she just became Jessie Boone’s conquest as revenge against her boyfriend, Forbes Henderson. Like her flawless performance as the perfect daughter and student, Claire’s production of being the perfect girlfriend has everyone fooled, except Jessie Boone, and she fears this tattooed bad boy will see her secret desire to explore his crude threats and promises to rock her perfect world. If she decides to give in to one uninhibited moment with Jessie, will she learn too late that it was all an act of vengeance or will Jessie learn the taste of first love is sweeter than that of revenge?
My Rating
* * * *
The Review
I am going to give it straight and I am going to say that Going Under is one of the best reads of 2012. I loved it! It had been so long since I last read a good contemporary young adult book and Going Under was perfect to remind me why I should read more contemporary YA books. Jessie and Claire are so likeable and engaging. I was engrossed from the first chapter.
Jessie is a bad boy with good intentions and so I never can resist a story about an unwilling bad boy. I couldn’t stop wondering about the tattoo on his upper left arm! Jessie just got transferred into a rich and preppy high school and went head-first into conflict from day one. I really liked how he had this thing about never backing down especially from a challenge. I loved his interactions with Forbes, the ex-starting quarterback. 
Claire is one of a kind. The one whose life seems perfect on the outside but in truth, it is just a facade because she doesn’t feel so perfect but is afraid to come out of the comfort zone. Then having Payton as a BFF kind of rubbed off on her and I absotively loved how they had this habit of constructing new words. Payton was hilarious.
Going Under is so much more than I expected it to be. It is drenched in emotions and so be expected to go on one hell of an emotional ride. I loved how Georgia handled the conflict Jessie was in and Going Under was a very unpredictable read for me. But in the best of ways possible. I loved the chemistry between Jessie and Claire!
Jessie accepts who he is which is why he doesn’t hope. He has lived a life unimaginable for an 18-year-old to be living. But he has. While, Claire is not as fragile as everyone believes. She is feisty and stubborn as hell. I really liked how the relationship and the story unfolded for Jessie and Claire. It couldn’t have been better than that. Go on and read Going Under and you’ll know what I am talking about.
Best Quote:

“Dane was encouraging me to hope for something that would never happen,but it was a lesson I learned early in life-don’t allow myself to hope because it was life’s cruel joke of lifting you higher before dropping you flat on your ass.”

About the Author
I reside in rural Mississippi with my wonderful husband, Jeff, and our two beautiful daughters. 
I spent thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before I decided to pursue my dream of becoming an author.

Blood of Anteros, Book One in The Vampire Agápe Series, was my first novel and it was released in September 2011.

I decided to step away from the paranormal genre to try my hand at a young adult romance and I loved it. It was so much fun, I plan to do it again in the near future.
Georgia Cates can be found at 
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Review: Sykosa by Justin Ordoñez Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Sykosa (Part I: Junior Year)
Author: Justin Ordoñez
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: TDS Publishing
Release Date: 20 March 2012
Pages: 320 (eARC)


Synopsis
Sykosa (that’s “sy”-as-in-“my” ko-sa) is a junior in high school. She belongs to an exclusive clique of girls called the “Queens.” The leader is her best friend Niko. Their friendship has been strained lately because Tom—Sykosa’s first boyfriend boyfriend—has gotten all serious about making her his pretty Prom princess. That is if he ever gets around to asking her. Before Prom, there’s a party at Niko’s cottage where parental supervision will be nil. He wants to have sex. She doesn’t. He sometimes acts like that doesn’t matter. 
It matters. 
Sykosa has a secret she has never told anyone about. Although, some people—Tom included—know anyway. It happened last year and it was big and she’ll cry if she talks about it so she’s done talking about it, okay? Never mind, it’s nobody’s business. Except it keeps happening, and it never stops. She doesn’t want to deal with it. He does. She sometimes acts like that doesn’t matter. 
It matters.

The Rating
* * *

The Review
Despite knowing what Sykosa might be about, I really didn’t know what to expect from it. I didn’t expect it to have such strong R-rated language and so, I was unprepared for it. While Sykosa is a young adult book, it is for people above 18. Sykosa is a book that deals with girls who are broken from the inside, who don’t want to feel; who are like Sykosa. Rebellious yet under control, living in denial. All because Sykosa is afraid; afraid of the past, of what happened. It is simply too much to bear, to even think about it. So all there is in her mind about last year is dominated by a void. Emptiness. 
Sykosa is a difficult character to comprehend. She is complex and there are layers upon layers of Sykosa that needs to be uncovered to really know what is Sykosa all about. Sykosa is a book that takes each aspect of life, every little detail there is, into account and so there is a lot of cursing involved; along with drugs, obsession over one’s looks and of course, boys. But Sykosa also feels the blackness which threatens to take over her if she isn’t looking over her shoulder often.
Sykosa comes more under the genre of slice-of-life because it is extremely focused on the incident that occurred last year. The circumstances of ignoring its existence on the part of the very strict Academy and her too-abiding-by-rules parents and the inevitable denial that leads her to react by smoking, buying lingerie, masturbating and meeting with Tom behind the chapel every day after school.
Tom, the boy who was there with her when the incident occurred. Who doesn’t say anything about last year because he knows Sykosa is not ready to handle it. But he saved her and so, her best friend, Nikosa feels that Sykosa is simply into him because she owes him for saving her life. Maybe she does. But it runs far deeper than that. Also, Niko has her own nightmares to deal with what with her mother sliding in and out of her life and juggling between a boy she can’t let go and the one she is dating. 
You see, after last year, Niko went from being simply Niko to Niko 2.0 because of the revenge she wanted from the Bitches at school. But somehow, with everything happening, she became Niko 3.0 which is basically Niko 1.0 without the conscience. So to say that Sykosa is a book that deals with raw emotions and talks with no sugar-coating on them whatsoever would be almost correct. Sykosa is a very character-driven story.
The characters in Sykosa are very realistic, their reactions to things that happen in life are very thought-provoking, their problems are human. When Sykosa finds herself in an unusual situation all she can think about it is, “This isn’t her life, this isn’t her story.” This says a lot about Sykosa, the blackness and the mentality and psychology of a person scarred for life. But this isn’t just about Sykosa, it is about everyone who was there when that incident happened last year.

In all, Sykosa is a very unique story so I would suggest the reader to take it all with an open mind. It is not all perfect in the world for Sykosa. I enjoyed reading about the junior year of Sykosa and I look forward to Part II; the excerpt truly left me wanting more of Sykosa.

Best Quote

“Outside, the sun shines. Inside, there’s only darkness. The blackness is hard to describe, as it’s more than symptoms. It’s a nothing that becomes everything there is. And what one sees is only a fraction of the trauma inflicted.”

The Giveaway

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The Contest
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the tour schedule.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Sykosa eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $550 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
  1. Purchase your copy of Sykosa for just 99 cents
  2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event
  4. BONUS: Leave a comment on this post*
Leave a comment, win $100:
One random tour commenter will win a $100 Amazon gift card. Just leave a comment on this post, and you’ll be entered to win. For a full list of participating blogs, check out the official tour page. You can enter on just my blog or on all of them. Get out there and network!

About the Author
Sykosa is Justin Ordoñez’s life’s work. He hopes to one day settle down with a nerdy, somewhat introverted woman and own 1 to 4 dogs. 
Justin Ordoñez can be found at 
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Buy Sykosa (Part I: Junior Year)

Review: Marked by Jennifer Snyder Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Marked (Marked Duology, #1)
Author: Jennifer Snyder
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 22 February 2012
Pages: 90 (eARC)


Synopsis
A mysterious stranger she can’t stay away from. A birthmark with a hidden meaning and one bite that changes seventeen-year-old Tessa Morganton’s destiny forever… 
Life for Tessa had been steady and calm—with the exception of her overly jealous boyfriend—until the moment Jace Fowler walked into her life. 
Jace—incredibly charming with boy band good looks—is someone whom Tessa can’t seem to stay away from… no matter how much she knows she should. 
After surviving a strange animal attack, Tessa learns just how mysterious and secretive Jace really is and that his secrets not only involve himself…but her as well, making Tessa question everything she’s ever believed regarding her life and those around her.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review

Before I say anything about Marked, I would like to admit that I don’t like werewolves as much as I like other paranormal creatures like vampires, witches, revenants or zombies. That being said, reading Marked totally changed my view of werewolves. They are nothing short of awesomeness and Marked showed me exactly how much! 
I adore Tessa Morganton, she is the embodiment of impulsiveness, she likes the thrill of adrenaline running through her veins. But she doesn’t know it yet. Life is pretty normal in the small town of Breckwater for Tessa. Well, apart from small occasional bursts of jealousy from her boyfriend, Sam and her weird dreams about werewolf bites. But then things literally take a turn for change as soon as Jace Fowler steps into the diner Tessa works at. 
Jace is an excitingly mysterious character. He has the charming act perfected to a tee, but he is honest and somewhat troubled at the same time. Pretty complex, if you ask me. He is very full of himself at times and more confident than Tessa have ever been. The chemistry between Tessa and Jace is there from the first moment they meet which surprises Jace. Then he sees Tessa’s birthmark. And he lives in the creepy house owned by his uncle.
The subplots in the book, such as the boyfriend Sam and the role of Tessa’s parents and Jace’s cousins were perfectly balanced. Sam is a difficult person to deal with and for Tessa he became a bad habit she found difficult to break out of. Tessa’s mom, on the other hand, doesn’t really like Jace. I couldn’t figure out exactly why was that. Tessa’s best friend, Rachel, is an easygoing character in the book who never really took things too seriously. 
Marked is a fast-paced book and so there’s always something happening in it. I like that in books and I managed to finish it in one sitting! I would highly recommend Marked to readers of young adult paranormal books. Changed will be releasing in June 2012 and I can’t want for it to be released!
Best Quote:

“As for the moon, I believe it holds the power to make people do things they normally wouldn’t, sure—but only when it’s full. For some, I believe it can rule their entire existence.”

About the Author

Jennifer Snyder writes Young Adult Edgy Contemporary novels as well as Young Adult Paranormal Romance novels. She resides in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina with her husband and two children. Jennifer finds great joy in blank notebooks and a smooth writing pen.
Feel free to visit her blog.

Jennifer Snyder can be found at 

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Buy Marked (Marked Duology, #1)

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Today is Jennifer Snyder’s birthday! 
So I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Jennifer 
A Very Happy Birthday! =D

The Giveaways

Below are two giveaways for Marked, the first one is US only but there is a second giveaway for International readers. Win Marked and get to read an awesome book!

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It isn’t necessary to follow my blog to enter the giveaway but it would be nice if you could! Good luck!

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Thanks to Jennifer Snyder and EBT for proving me a copy of Marked for review.

Review: Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

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Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: 26 July 2007
Pages: 304 (eBook)

Synopsis
There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They’re even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney — for a girl he met on the Internet.

It’s too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney’s heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la — this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he’s got a secret or two that he’s not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can’t get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review
As soon as I read the backside of Two-Way Street, I wanted to read it. It is always interesting to read such books of conflicting interests. Albeit, I figured out the main conflict about 50 pages into the book. It was predictable. But the thing is that I didn’t mind it because I wanted to read the jibes being exchanged throughout their journey. Jordan and Courtney are not together anymore and Courtney is not aware of the real reason Jordan broke up with her. But both are still pretty much in love. So the jealousy naturally ensues.
It was so engrossing to read about the thinking process of Jordan and Courtney. The way they handled their BFFs and how they both evolved. It was all so different ’cause they actually liked each other before the trip. The flashbacks and the way they brought out the best and the worst in each other were fun to read. All those thing Courtney did to get the attention of Jordan only made him want her more. Ah…what fun!
I liked the character of Jordan more at times, his views on making it hard for the cheerleader to get him. However, it was somewhat player-ish of him. Also, I didn’t really liked the whole night of the party when Courtney wanted to tell Lloyd about her feelings. That was so twisted because of how fast everything happened and it got all messed up at the end of the night. 
In all, Two-Way Street was a hilarious read and the best thing was that we get the point of views from Courtney and Jordan, both. It all fit together so well and I appreciate the book because of what it tried to communicate about. B.J and Jocelyn, their BFFs were awesome, too! Don’t miss out on a great, light, summer read!
Best Quote:

“Maybe it’s our bodies’ way of telling us we were meant to be. Or maybe I, like, cuddle raped him or something.”

Review: Until Next Time by Amy Lignor Blog Tour

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Title: Until Next Time (The Angel Chronicles, #1)
Author: Amy Lignor
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Tribute Books
Release Date: 1 February 2012
Pages: 295 (eBook)


Synopsis
How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?
Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the ‘life’ they’ve been assigned. What they don’t realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.
When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz’s establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel’s path and a warrior’s plans.
From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that’s ripping them apart. 

My Rating
* * * *
The Review

Until Next Time is unlike any other fantasy book I have ever read. It is a complex book that deals with human emotions which does become confusing at times. When I sat down to read Until Next Time, I never expected it to go so deep as it did and to make me wonder all that is about human nature and emotions. Amy Lignor has managed to write a story that is a mixture of everything and not solely focused on romance. Angels in Until Next Time do not merely visit earth, they live human lives to gather knowledge and seek understanding of humans. 
Emily and Matt are soul mates up there who have a duty to live countless lives on earth to discern what really goes on in the minds of humans. Emily chooses to be an angel and Matt, a warrior. The story begins when Emily remembers their first ever lives on earth. As a human on earth, angels neither remember their lives up there nor do they remember their previous lives on earth so as not to be influenced by choices made in the past. This is why Emily reads from the book that holds the stories and the memories. 
As they fall down there, Emily enters the human shell of Liz and Matt becomes Daniel. From then on the tragic and painful life Liz had lived becomes entwined with Emily and her emotions. Daniel, on the other hand, have to choose between the right and the wrong action which have the power to change the course of his life.
As both of them live their lives on earth, they visit up there and the four archangels Michael, Gabriel, Francis and Mark help them guide when they are confused. Emily goes through the process of falling in love with Jason and Matt falls for Angela. The other characters, Charles and Faith, also play important roles in the story. The scenes which tells about the angel Jason looks up to are beautiful and full of faith. Something that I can read again and again.
What I really liked was the way Amy Lignor dealt with what makes humans good or bad. I really liked these lines spoken by Gabriel: “loneliness—the one emotion that is entirely man-made. Humans created it—the mother who didn’t care; the father who struck his family; the schoolboy or girl whose first crush broke their heart, an addiction to drugs—loneliness drags people down and they forget they have someone to turn to. Without faith, they just settle for whoever will pretend to listen. If you don’t believe in anything, you feel abandoned.”
In all, Until Next Time is a chronicle of angels and the hardships they have to endure, the faith they might lose in the face of the true evil which weakens the human soul. The love which is the salvation for humans and how love is what matters in the end. After all, things are bound to get difficult with each passing life spent on earth.
Best Quote:

“That’s one of the facts that I learned from my time down there—the so called crazy ones—seem to know more about life than everyone else.”

About the Author
Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.
Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.
She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.
Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

Amy Lignor can be found at 

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Tribute Books can be found at
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Buy Until Next Time (The Angel Chronicles, #1)

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Thanks to Tribute Books for providing me a copy of Until Next Time for review.