Rook Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

 

Publish Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 450
ISBN: 978-1-4424-3239-0
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Source: ARC from Publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

My Review:

Well Ms. Hodkin, you have written yourself one heck of a book! Hands down, one of the best books I've read this year.

I'd had my eye on this book for quite some time, and was thrilled when a copy from the lovely people at Simon and Schuster ended up in my mailbox. From the first page, I was hooked!

Michelle Hodkin isn't just a great writer, she is a great story teller. Everything about the way she wrote The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, her debut novel, is extraordinary!

Ms. Hodkin clearly has a way with words. They draw you in and make you want more. The story was painted clear in my head and I love when the author can do that. I felt like I was there, experiencing things with the characters. The other thing I loved about Mara Dyer were the short chapters. I love that I can read here and there (like on my break at work, waiting for my ride, whenever I had a few minutes) and I wouldn't have to worry about being in the middle of something big and important. But honestly, the way Ms. Hodkin ends the chapters...HOLY COW! At some points, it's almost impossible to stop reading.

Let's talk characters. I loved the characters in Mara Dyer. Obviously, we have Mara, a girl who was the only survivor of her friends in an accident. She is such a great character. Everything about Mara is honest, believable and real. She was going through a tough time, dealing with the deaths of her friends. As I was reading, I could really relate to Mara. Her parents were great characters too. And her brothers played key roles in the book, which was great to see. (Not like other books where the family is there just for the sake of having a family) Then we have Noah...oh Noah. I love him! (He's everything I want and more :) !) He was the bad boy with the bad boy reputation (and yes, admit it, we all adore the bad ones) He was sweet, with a gentleman quality and I saw some modesty in him too. Together, Mara and Noah were wonderful. Michelle Hodkin got the characters perfect! Their playful banter and smart remarks always had me smiling and actually laughing out loud.

Engaging characters aside, the story and the plot really had me going. Hodkin had me guessing from the beginning as to what was going on, why Mara was the only survivor and I was a little worried that it would get cheesy at the end when the final plot was revealed. But trust me, there was no cheese in this book, just twists, turns and a whole lot of guessing.

I really can't say enough good things about Michelle Hodkins book. Everything was fantastic. Michelle is a great writer and I believe we will be seeing a lot more greatness from her in the future.

Read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, if you don't read anything else, just read this!

In My Mailbox (August 21, 2011)

In My Mailbox credit goes to The Story Siren

It's been a slow for the last few weeks, but I'm ok with that, I have so so many books I need to read, not all of them are for review, but some have been sitting on my shelf for ages now. So I've been reading tons.

For Review:
The Isle of Blood (The Monstrumologist #3) by Rick Yancey | Goodreads Synopsis
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld | Goodreads Synopsis

Won:
Ron Poster, Ron Lego Keychain, and blogger bookmark (not shown) - Thanks to Vamps, Weres and Cassay!

Thanks once again Simon & Schuster!

Make sure to comment and leave a link to your IMM and I`ll be sure to stop by.

And don't forget to enter my 1 year Blogoversary giveaway!

Mini Book Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Synopsis:

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My Mini Review:

Since I'm a Bloodlines blog tour hosr, I wanted to save my review for then, but I really liked Bloodlines and with the release just days away, I've been telling so many people about how great this book is. So I wanted to share this with you - my readers! Here's my mini review...

As I've said, I loved Bloodlines. I haven't read any of Richelle Mead's books before so this was a first. The story, the characters, the writing, it was all done so well that I guarantee this wont be the last of Meads books that I read.
I really liked Sydney, I think she is a strong character and I enjoyed reading about her. I am very intrugied about Adrian and Rose as they are mentioned in this book. (Adrian does have a role in Bloodlines though not to the extent of Vampire Academy series)
I can't wait to read more in the Bloodlines series, and I hope and encourage you all to pick up this book, whether you're new to Richelle Meads books or not, I'm sure you wont be disappointed!
Stay tuned and come back for a visit when I post my full review and participate in the Bloodlines Blog Tour. (My date is scheduled for September 25th, 2011) Hope to see you all then!

My Blog is 1 year old today & Giveaway!

CONTEST NOW CLOSED

 * Happy Blogoversary to Me! *

1 year ago today, I started Krystal's Stellar Book Blog. It's a place where I can write my thoughts on the books I read. I have had so much fun posting my reviews, and I was thrilled when I started to get followers. And even more thrilled when I started to recieve ARC's from publishers and authors.

Throughout the year, I've recieved many ARC's, I've interviewed a few authors, and had the opportunity to chat via email to some authors. Not to mention, I've had the chance to read some amazing books that I may not have thought of reading.

I'm going to keep this short and simple...

Thank you everyone, for everything.

*Thank you followers, for making me feel special*

*Thank you publishers, (huge HUGE thank you to Simon & Schuster, you guys have been behind me from the beginning sending me surpirses in the mail!!), for giving me the chance to read*

*Thank you authors, for writing great stories*

and

*Thank you fellow bloggers for the inspiration!*

And to celebrate, I'm going to giveaway a book that I have read and loved within the last year:

     
These are the books to choose from:
*clicking on the picture will take you to Goodreads

Rules:
1 winner will choose 1 book from the above list
Contest is open to wherever The Book Depository ships - check the list HERE.
Contest closes September 8th, 2011 at 11:59pm

Mandatory entry:
Must be a follower of my blog
Comments will NOT be accepted as the mandatory entry, form MUST be filled out.

Extra entry:
Comment on this post. Whether it's to wish me a happy blogoversary, to recommend a book/series, it's up to you!

Nothing too complicated (I hope!)

FILL OUT FORM HERE

Good luck!

Fury Blog Tour!

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Release August 30, 2011

Simon & Schuster

I was lucky enough to read and review an ARC of Fury, you can read my review here. Also, I was lucky enough to be part of this blog tour, and today you get to read my exculsive Q&A with the author, Elizabeth Miles.

Here we go:

Stellar Book Blog: What made you write about Furies? Have you always been fasinated with them, or is it just the direction your novel took?
Elizabeth Miles: The Furies are a lesser-known creature in Greek mythology—I hadn’t heard of them myself until I was in my twenties. I was immediately drawn to their vengeful and disproportionate sense ofjustice. I thought it would be a great foundation for a contemporary novel.

SBB: Do you know the outcome of the characters before you write them, or does it play out in your head as it's happening and as you're writing?
EM: I work off of a very detailed outline. Of course individual scenes and emotions develop organically, but I’m always conscious of where I am in the story and where I need to go.

SBB: Which is your favourite character in Fury and why?
EM: It’s hard to choose a favorite! It was fun to write Chase—I enjoyed exploring the male perspective. I certainly have some key things in common with Em. The Furies are deliciously bad and I love watching them do their thing. And some of the minor characters, like JD and Drea, are people who I would actually be friends with.

SBB: Since this is your debut novel not due to be released until August 30, now that it's circulating around reviewers and such, and people are reading it, what does it feel like? Is it what you were expecting? You must be so excited for Aug 30 to come!
EM: Thank you, I am super-excited for August 30th! I’m also: overwhelmed, nervous, proud, insecure, gleeful…am I doing a good enough job demonstrating that I’m dealing with a lot of conflicting emotions? I poured a lot of energy into Fury and I’m happy with the result. No matter what happens, that will remain true.

SBB: Fury isn't over yet, what can we come to expect in this trilogy in the upcoming books?
EM: It sure isn’t…Fury is the first book in a trilogy. The next book, which I’m revising right now, is called Envy, and it will follow some old characters and some new ones through increasingly terrifying ordeals with the Furies. We’ll find out more about where the Furies came from, and more about how the Ascension teens will choose to banish these beautiful persecutors.

Thank you Elizabeth for taking the time to answer these questions!


And for your listening pleasure, the Fury Series Playlist:

For more information on Elizabeth Miles and Fury

The Fury Series * Goodreads * Twitter *
Facebook * Elizabeth's Blog

Book Review: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

Publish Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-1-4424-3229-1
Series: I couldn't find any info but it seems as if it will be a series...
Source: ARC sent from the publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:
High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

My Review:
Straight up, Witchlanders wasn't my cup of tea. It took me so long to get into the story. I started it, than started another books - finished them - then went back to this one. I just couldn't get into it. Witchlanders started out dull to me, there wasn't enough to keep me interested. Ryder, the main character, worked in the hicca fields to support his family. Mabis was dependent on a drug like flower and everyone wanted more than what they had. And there was some background information on the Witchlanders and the Baen, but as I said, there wasn't enough.
Lena Coakley's writing wasn't terrible, I just couldn't get into it. Though after I finished about half the book, it started to look up! Ryder set out on an adventure and the story took shape. The characters grew, the plot thickened and I was captivated. But this didn't last till the end unfortunately. It was over within a few chapters.
I really did like Ryder though, he was a strong character and it was nice to see a female author write a male main character and do it easily and make it work. Ryder has to take on a lot of responsibilities and his stubborn and reluctant attitude flow well with the story.
The idea of witches, witch magic and throwing bones to see outcomings is original and I was definitely intrigued. But I just couldn't get into it. There were so many good moments throughout Witchlanders that had me on the edge of my seat, pushing me to read more, but not enough of those moments to make this debut novel a memorable read for me.

Gripped Into Books is having a massive giveaway!

Gripped into Books has reached a pretty amazing milestone - 1000 followers! Congrats!And because of this, they have decided to hold this awesome contest with so many books to win! The button at the beginning of this post shows just a handful of the prizes. If you want to read/own :
The Iron KingSummer and the CityHereafterSupernaturallyWitherBloodlinesand many, many more,
than this is the contest for you! Go here have a look, but just don't enter, I wanna win this one! Good luck, and congrats over at Gripped into Books.

Spotted: Cover of Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Exciting news for those of us who are HoN fans! The US cover for book #9, Destined has been revealed!

What do you think? I've seen that some people thought this was Stark, and I was like NOOOO....this isn't Stark, it's Aurox - see the Bull shadow behind him?. (Thankfully, I mean, Stark is way cuter than this guy on the cover)

Whether you're a House of Night series fan or not, you'll probably agree that the covers for the books are so pretty.

Enjoy, and remember we only have to wait a little longer for Destined as it's due to be released October 25th.