(ARC) YA Book Review: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Release Date: 6 September 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Pre-Order It! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

My Thoughts...

This novel blew me away.  With the proliferation of post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, I always start a novel like this is the slightest bit of apprehension because surely this one can't be as good as "X." As is the case so often, there was absolutely nothing to be worried about with this book--it was probably one of the most riveting novels that I have read this year.

When the novel opens, we are introduced to Alex, who has set off on a hiking/camping journey to Lake Superior.  Although we're not privy to her reasons for the trip, there is the distinct feeling of running away from something and an attitude of finality and closure to her journey (which makes more and more sense as you learn about her history and reasons for the trip later). Alex is immediately an intriguing character who captures your imagination with her slightly brash personality. She has a slight air of self-pitying at the beginning but that is quickly overshadowed by her fiercely independent nature coupled with her deeply caring spirit.  There's no denying that she's been through a lot and that may have caused her to be slightly wary of and abrasive toward people, but as you see her interact with the other characters, you quickly learn that she has a compassionate side that can't be shut away or overlooked.

The characters are a major factor in what made me fall in love with this book.  Alex was obviously well-developed and incredibly realistic in her strengths and flaws.  However, each and every character that we meet has a complex, fascinating nature. First, there is Ellie.  Ellie has all the signs of being a bratty, spoiled child unaccustomed to not getting her way, but she is slowly revealed as simply a truly scared child with a rough past and also as a fiercely loyal child as we watch her become attached to Alex.  Tom is just as mysterious with his uncertain past in Afghanistan and guarded personality.  As Alex becomes attached to Tom and we slowly learn more about him, he becomes more complex and appealing. Even the character we don't get to know quite as well later in the novel, including Jess, Chris, and the Reverend, are all engaging characters that you easily find yourself drawn to.  I definitely look forward to the second book so that I can learn more about these characters.

Now, the characters are fabulous, but no story could truly be as spellbinding as this one without fabulous storytelling and writing. Ms. Bick's writing is so fantastically realistic that it is absolutely terrifying at times to be reading this novel. The ideas that she brings forth about mutually assured destruction and the true weapon capabilities that we have in our world are terrifying, and that makes the story that much more engaging. The ending to this novel will leaving you gasping for breath and begging for more! I seriously kept attempting to turn to the next page on my Nook because I could NOT believe that was the end of the book.  I will definitely be waiting on pins and needles for the next book in 2012.

In My Mailbox (13)

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren where we can show some love to all the books that we got in the mail or otherwise!

Hello, my lovelies!!! So, this week, I bought a few because I made the mistake of spending the hour between work and book club at B&N. Oops! :-) 

Bought:

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson
Between by Jessica Warman

(ebooks)

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers Book 1) by Rachel Vincent

The Predicteds by Christine Siefert (pre-order)

Witch Song by Amber Argyle

Eden by Keary Taylor

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Tour:

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (thanks Around the World ARC Tours)

Borrowed:

Vanish: A Firelight Novel by Sophie Jordan (thanks to my friend, Angel!)

For Review (all from NetGalley):

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (thanks to Random House)
Double by Jenny Valentine (thanks to Disney-Hyperion)

What's in YOUR mailbox?!

:-D
(Be sure to leave a link so I can stare in reverence and awe at your books!)

Hop & Follow Friday (22)

Happy Friday, lovelies!

I hope you had a wonderful week and are looking forward to an awesome, book-filled weekend! I know I am (even if I do have to work this weekend). :-)

The Book Blogger Hop is a fun bookish Friday meme hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy for Books! Be sure to jump over to her post, read the rules, and link up your post!

This week's question:

What's the LONGEST book you've ever read?

Well, that's a fairly easy question! When I was a sophomore in high school, I read Les Miserables cover-to-cover for honors language arts because I thought it would make me "cool." :-)  I looked it up on Goodreads and it is listed as 1463 pages (and I can't believe how many of my friends have marked it "To Read." Really guys? It wasn't that great. You read a 50 page detailed description of a Bishop and then he DIES. I was SO MAD. Just watch the musical, lol.)

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads where she poses a thought-provoking question to prompt some blogger discussion!

The Reviews We Don't Write: 
Have you ever read a book and not wanted to review it? Are some books too personal that we want to keep our thoughts our own?

For me, the books that I find I don't want to review are sometimes the ones that simply make me happy to read. If you ask me about it in person, chances are that I'll recommend it and even gush about how much I enjoyed it.  Chances are that I may have read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. For me, contemporary reads tend to be this way.  They are super sweet stories and I honestly enjoy reading every once in awhile because they make my heart smile. I think that it's probably partially because of this soothing feeling that they give me that I don't want to analyze/review them.  They hold a special warm fuzzy place in my heart and I want to keep them there all for myself. Make sense?

"Follow My Book Blog Friday" is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Allison at Allison Can Read where bloggers make new friends, including this week's featured bloggers--Belle Bookshttp://bellebooksx.blogspot.com/ & Stuck in Books!  Pop on over to Parajunkee's blog and join in the follow fun!!

This week's question: 

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

As a character in a book, I think I would see myself as the quiet character who surprises everyone at some point.  That's probably the most honest portrayal of my that I could come up with because I'm a little (or, really, a lot) shy and difficult to get to know but fiercely loyal and easy-going once you get to know me. I think you could write me into a post-apocalyptic or dystopian novel as the best friend (sidekick) who rebels alongside the main character and will do anything for him/her. I'm too shy to be the real leader or figurehead but I'll gladly lead behind the scenes and get right in there to fight for what's right (or survival, depending on which scenario we're talking about here).

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today! I love your comments and try my best to return follows! 
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

YA Book Review: Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

Release Date: 12 July 2011

Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Source: Banned Book Tours

Buy It! B&N | Amazon

Goodreads description:

For Daphne, the glass is always half full, a situation is better managed with a dab of lip gloss, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.

For Gabby, nothing ever works out positively; wearing any form of makeup is a waste of study time, and boys will only leave you heartbroken. Her best friend, Mule, is the only one who has been there for her every step of the way.

But when the richest boy in school befriends Gabby, and Daphne starts to hang out more and more with her best friend, Mule, Gabby is forced to confront the emotional barriers she has put up to stop the hurting. And for once, her sassiness may fall prey to her definition of stupidity

My Thoughts...

Having grown up with a sister who is just 18 months younger than me, I tend to love and strongly relate to stories that explore that sister relationship--especially because my sister and I have run the gamut in terms of our relationship, from friends to enemies and back again. I really expected to fall head over heels in love with Sass & Serendipity, but I'm sad to say that I was slightly disappointed.

The premise of this novel is intriguing and relatable--one practical sister and one dreamer sister struggle with their personal relationships with friends, boys, and each other.  From the start, you know exactly who you are dealing with. Gabby is the ever-practical older sister--the one with the part-time job to help the family, the one who worries about everything, and the one who refuses to fall in love.  Daphne is the dreamer--the one who constantly forgets responsibilities, falls in love at first sight, and dreams of the day her prince will swoop in to save her.  While I understood the sharp contrast between the girls needed to be front and center, each girl struck me as a bit over-the-top in their actions.  Gabby won't relax for a second, not even with her best friend, and Daphne can't take two seconds to think about the reality of their family situation. There were moments in the book when I wanted to reach in a slap each sister silly!

My favorite part of this book was probably watching the minor characters of Mule and Prentiss develop and move slowly into the forefront of the story.  I liked watching how they creeped slowly into the lives of each sister and how they changed the girls for the better.  There is definitely a lot of growing-up to be done in this novel and Ziegler has really shown the reader the complexities of such a task.  I loved the realism that she uses to create the school environment and the real fears and heartache that teenagers can and do experience.

There was a lot of potential in this story, but for me, it simply missed the mark by a little.  If the story had focused more on the "growing up" that happens in the second half, I think that I would have enjoyed it more.  I would have loved to see the relationships that creep in toward the end fleshed out and explored.  Ziegler's writing is realistic and compelling, such that even when you find the characters annoying you keep turning the pages.

(As a side note, I thought I'd mention that this book struck me as a great read for the younger teens.  There's no violence or strong language.  There's a little kissing but nothing more.  I probably wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to the 13-15 age group.)

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)

This week I'm waiting on...

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

© 29 September 2011 by Dutton


Pre-Order It! Amazon

Goodreads Description:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Stephanie Perkins left me dying for more after I finished Anna and the French Kiss way back in February.  Her writing is simply fabulous and finishing Anna was just an incredibly satisfying moment.  I've heard so many good things about Lola that I simply can't wait to get my hands on a copy! I am first in line for it at the library when it comes it, but there's a chance that I'll just go ahead and buy my own copy!

Also, I figured I would combine this post with W.W.W. Wednesdays...so here is some more info about my reading for this week! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…Grab the logo...and post your link at Should Be Reading!


What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?
 

What do you think you’ll read next? 

What are YOU waiting on this week?