Review: Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Dystopian novels are an acquired taste...and they've started to climb to the top of my must read lists. Each new dystopian world I come in contact with I seem to love even more than the last. Tahereh Mafi proves this once again with Juliette and the rest of the characters found in the pages of Shatter Me. Her writing speaks to readers. Her way of voicing Juliette's character has you empathizing with her before the first chapter is even complete. That's not an easy task and one that I won't forget. While the story of the world suffering in one way or another in our eerily near future has been told before (most dystopian novels set a familiar fear within their plots) it wasn't the focus for me in this case. Here Mafi takes her scene and expands it to have readers paying more attention to what's happening with her main character, than what is going on in the world itself. At times I found myself forgetting this was a dystopian novel at all. I was so focused on Juliette's fate that it didn't matter to me what her surroundings were like.

I was engrossed with this story, there's really no other way to describe my feelings. Each page brought new heartache or tension that had my heart racing with anticipation and anxiety. It was a roller coaster of emotions and her characters refused to fall to the background. It's irresistible and honestly why would you want anything else from a book. You wouldn't, and sadly with work like this, it will be hard to accept just an average piece of writing in the future. Mafi sets the bar very high and I've no doubt that her work with the rest of the series will only continue to raise the stakes.

On a side note, Variety reported that Fox has bought the film rights for this book and is planning on making a movie adaptation out of Mafi's work. How great is that? I am always thrilled when a great piece of writing is turned into film, because it means we have that much more to look forward to, and that much longer of a time frame before we must say goodbye to these characters. At least until we decide to re-read the book again, right?

I gave Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) 4 shamrocks!!!!

Review: Carrier of the Mark (Carrier Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Fallon

From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.

This electrifying debut novel was first discovered on inkpop.com. the online community for aspiring writers. THE CARRIER OF THE MARK sizzles with unbridled romance, a unique supernatural hook, and a breathtaking Irish setting, and will entice fans of the Need series by Carrie Jones and the House of Night series by P. C. and Kristin Cast.

With a beautiful cover like this one, who wouldn't be drawn to this book like a moth to a flame? It's gorgeous and totally fits the writing and story line hidden within it's pages. A breathtaking backdrop like Ireland is the only area I can imagine this book taking place. From the fog covered town, to the mists taking over the green pastures, this book's mood was set right from the beginning.

Megan has recently moved to a small town in Ireland thanks to her father's job and with her starting out in a new place, foreign to her birthplace, readers begin this journey of understanding right along with her. It was fun learning everything with Megan at her pace, it helped draw me in and had me empathizing with everything Megan, and eventually her new friends had to deal with. The story line swept me up in it's excitement and once again I'm loving the originality of it all. The use of the ancient lore surrounding Ireland, as well as the elements and their creations....it's all very romantic in nature and I enjoyed the story the whole way through.

While this was my first experience with Fallon's writing, I think she'll be an author I come back to in the future. Most definitely to see how the rest of this trilogy turns out but also if she decides to try her hand again after the last installment with Megan and her gang has been completed.

Her pages weren't bogged down with too many details, but I'll admit that I was hoping the pace picked up speed a few times throughout the book. Mostly I enjoyed her pace and plot, but there were times where I thought certain elements could have been left out or skipped altogether. It was just a small adjustment I had to make and honestly I was enjoying the story line so much that it didn't take anything away from the experience for me. Hopefully book two in the trilogy, Dawn of the Knights, scheduled to be published sometime this year will follow in it's predecessors wake with yet another memorable addition to Fallon's work.

I gave Carrier of the Mark (Carrier Trilogy, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!

In My Mailbox (38)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

Bought:

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) by Veronica Rossi

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

Dreaming Awake (Falling Under, #2) by Gwen Hayes

She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past—and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love…

When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions.

Now Theia has returned to Serendipity Falls, and she finds herself struggling with the same deadly hungers that have tortured Haden. When students at their high school fall prey to a mysterious illness, Theia can’t help but wonder if Haden’s control is slipping—and how much longer she’ll have a grip on her own.

And still the nightmare realm of Under won’t let them go. Someone from Haden’s past is determined to destroy Theia from the inside out, starting with those closest to her, forcing Theia to choose between family and friends and a love that may have been doomed from the start…

Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1) by Amanda Hocking

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

Touch of Power (Healer, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Review: Touch of Power (Healer, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Maria V. Snyder has done it again! To be honest, I'm no longer surprised to find that each of her new books is better than the last. Every time I pick one of her novels up I get this thrill of excitement because I know it's a winner even before I've cracked the cover. Her Poison Study series captured my attention as well as my heart as a reader, and ever since she just keeps on putting her touch of pure magic into her writing. Where do authors come up with these story lines? Magic and healing may have been done before, but no one comes close to touching on Snyder's Healer series. Anyone who tries...well good luck with that, but don't be shocked when you come up short. There's no matching her ability to draw readers in and capture them to the point where they'll start to believe that her worlds actually exist.

I couldn't have been happier to meet Avry and discover yet another literary heroine to add to my list of favorites. She's hard to resist and after a while you won't even know why you tried. Her band of rescuers (so to speak) are just as impossible not to love. But I will say this. After knowing how many ups and downs Snyder can put her readers through by making her characters go through all their paces and insurmountable obstacles, this series by far put me through the ringer. I laughed (a lot) and cried (even more) but really I just couldn't believe how attached I got to these characters. And after only a few pages...I was relating and empathizing with their tales as if they truly were real and my very own friends and family. Ridiculous some may say, but those individuals have never experienced Snyder's magic. And that's the real shame.

Readers who know and love Snyder, won't find this review hard to believe or far fetched in any way, but what they might find shocking is that Snyder managed to having me falling for a character even more than the immortal Valek. I myself did not think that would ever be possible, but she's done it! I won't go into anymore detail because everyone should really experience this one for themselves, without knowing too much going into it. But trust that you won't be disappointed. Now can we please get book two, Scent of Magic, like immediately!

I gave Touch of Power (Healer, #1) 5 shamrocks!!!!!

Review: Healed by Fire (Artemis Lupine, #3) by Catherine Banks

“The dark approaches. Fire will consume and restore, happiness and pain must be experienced collectively. Death for three will be the end.”

Her memory taken and her whereabouts unknown Artemis is taken in by a coven of witches who give her the name Chandra. After an intense interaction with the Beta of the Werewolves, whom she can’t deny a connection to, Chandra learns that there are people who know her true identity and that she’s not the only halfbreed werewolf alive. Is he really her mate? Just who was she in this previous life? Does she even want to find out the truth? And can she decipher the meaning of her death prophecy before it’s too late?

How can you not love Catherine Banks' Artemis Lupine series? The answer is you can't! It's fascinating and too hard to put down. When I picked up this book I knew full well that I had better put everything else on the back burner until this book had been read in it's entirety because that's how much Banks' writing will consume you. I read all three of these books in her series back to back and despite loving them each so much I was worried I would grow tired of the characters and plot lines by the third book since I was reading them all so close together, but that wasn't the case. I needed more information, craved knowing what was going to happen next with my favorite characters, and after the crazy, unexpected cliffhanger that Banks leaves her readers with in Kiss of a Star, there was no way I would have been able to handle not finding out Artemis' fate along with the rest of her friends and family.

Banks did not disappoint. While I was left devastated in book two with Artemis' turn of fate, Banks kept me on the edge of my seat until about half way through this installment. From there it turned into a manageable tension level. While still biting my nails and ratcheting up my heart rate, I was able to function without snapping at everyone who dared to interrupt my reading. And once again her ending left me reeling. I have no idea how she does it, and honestly it doesn't matter. Her unique writing, the way she wraps her readers up in all the intense situations and outcomes is mind blowing and at the end of the day I don't need to know how she makes that happen. I just need to know that she won't stop any time soon. Her fourth installment in the Artemis Lupine series, Taming Darkness is scheduled to come out in 2013 and to be honest that's just far to long of a wait. I'm not sure how I'll contain my curiosity and craziness but I'm going to do my best!

Go out and check this series out for yourselves and do it quickly!

I gave Healed by Fire (Artemis Lupine, #3) 4 shamrocks!!!!

Review: Kiss of a Star (Artemis Lupine, #2) by Catherine Banks

Artemis’ life completely changed when she met Ares and learned of her true genetics. Achilles comes to her and her life is changed yet again as she learns more about herself and Ares’ past. Now nothing is simple and life is anything but calm. As she adjusts to her new life she learns that shedding a little blood is more than necessary and that she must do whatever she can to stay with her pack and her mate. Can she figure out a way to protect her pack and stand against the man hunting her? Or will treachery and deceit separate her from the first family she’s ever had?

OK so we've covered the fact that these covers are not my favorite. I'm starting to think it's the cartoon like qualities that turn me off, but that's just a guess. Either way, if there was ever a situation where you should NOT judge a book by it's cover, this series would be one of those times. Banks' books might not have covers to covet but the writing she puts behind those covers more than makes up for it. After the cliffhanger Banks left her readers with in Song of the Moon, I could not get this second installment open fast enough.

After meeting Achilles for all of five seconds in book one, though it might seem ridiculous, I instantly disliked him. I can't help it but I'd already decided that if a love triangle was created, that I was firmly on Team Ares. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Achilles was not getting my vote. Artemis and Ares went through so much in Song of the Moon, that I began to wonder how this second installment would live up to all that excitement. But live up to and surpass it, it surely did. While the love triangle added an interesting twist of events, it was everything else that was happening in Artemis' new world that really took center stage. While the werewolves and their pack laws were gripping in book one, adding the sidhe characters and world only upped the ante left readers dying to know what Banks would come up with next. Most of you know Greek mythology has always had a special place in my heart, and Banks managed to hit this one on the head.

Like I said before, Banks draws her readers in and without even realizing how she's done it not to mention how quickly she manages it, but you become addicted. To the series, her characters and where she's going to take them and what all she's got planned to put them through. Kidnappings, fights and battles, bonding, murder attempts, pack hierarchies, royalty struggles...you name it and Banks is putting it on the table. Her characters do not rest and yet she never left me feeling overwhelmed with all that was going on, or even rolling my eyes and saying that enough is enough. Artemis and the rest of the gang are pushed to their limits, but it's always bordering the line of just enough, yet never crossing over. I simply can't get enough of Banks' writing and her series has me craving more!

I gave Kiss of a Star (Artemis Lupine, #2) 4 shamrocks!!!!

Review: Song of the Moon (Artemis Lupine, #1) by Catherine Banks

What if you found out that there was another world inside your own? What if all of the things you thought made you weird, actually made you powerful?

Artemis's life is changed forever when the mysterious man from her dreams, Ares, comes to claim her as his mate. The seventeen year old girl must find a way to adapt to her true life and accept her fate or run from it. She must overcome her fears and human ideals to give her self to the dangerous world, and man, that is her destiny.

Can I please just tell you that I still cannot believe how quickly Banks had me hooked to her Artemis Lupine series. I'm honestly still in shock! I took one look at this cover (I'm ashamed to say) and almost put the book right back down. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that bothered me so much but I immediately felt like relating to these characters, let alone coming to enjoy myself in Banks' world would be nearly impossible. I can't stress enough how wrong I was. Banks had me hooked I think after the second or third chapter, and at that point I was doing everything I could to fly through the pages as quickly as possible.

Don't even get me started on how excited I was to find that the second and third installments in the series were already out and available for me right away, or how depressed I was to find out that the fourth book had not yet been released. Finding that out was a bad day to say the least. Artemis, Ares, Koda, and the rest of the gang had me invested from the first moment they entered the pages, and I'm still wishing I could find out more about them. Artemis was hard not to feel for and so I became a cheerleader for whatever decisions she made...with the exception of the moments she was doing her best to resist Ares. I can't be alone when I say that he was beyond adorable and everything a girl would want if they were Artemis, right? Banks had me sympathetic to Artemis' situation with the people she grew up with and the less than welcoming vibe they always put out when she was around. Brent was the exception, but that's a whole different story, and one that frankly I'm still trying to figure out.

So after Artemis won my heart as far as heroine's go, Ares and his pack were next in line. They had me drooling, laughing, tearing up and rooting for them all each and every step of the way. If you haven't had the chance to come across this series, do yourself a favor and pick up all three installments immediately....you won't regret buying them, but you might regret not buying them all in advance when you finish book one and wish book two was right there to crack open.

I gave Song of the Moon (Artemis Lupine, #1) 5 shamrocks!!!!!