Review: Someone Else's Life

Someone Else's Life
Katie Dale
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
February 14, 2012

When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, joining her ex-boyfriend on his gap year travels, to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.

Someone Else's Life was..intense beyond all else. In a good way. It was such a roller coaster. There were surprises and twists around every corner. Even when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I would still be surprised. 

This book read like a soap opera (or what I imagine a soap opera would be like since I've never actually seen one). It was very dramatic and intense. Even though I felt that a lot of times it was too overdone and too dramatic, it was still very addicting and I couldn't get enough. It was definitely a guilty pleasure kind of book.

As stated, this book was almost too intense. There was just so much going on that at times I felt that I just needed a breather. But at the same time I was addicted and just had to keep going. 

There are to main characters in this book, Holly and Rosie. They were both selfish and, after everything they were going through, I couldn't blame them in the least. I did, however, like Rosie better than Holly. Holly was a bit immature and irrational at times. Again, it is still hard to blame her with everything that was going on. Both of them did grow over the course of the book. 

Someone Else's Life is intense and addicting. A guilty pleasure though and through. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Peculiars

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

May 1, 2012

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance.

On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena's father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.

I have to say I would read this book because of the cover anyway. But it sounds so good! I just love everything about it. The cover, the description, how it is steam punk. It just seems awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday (12): Favorite Covers that AREN'T Girls in Dresses

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For more information or to participate, visit here.

This week's theme (if you didn't know from the title of the post) is Top Ten Favorite Covers. I decided to go specific and do covers that aren't girls in dresses. It seems that those covers have been popping up more and more in the past year. While I thought they were pretty at first (which they are) they are kind of getting old. I want more original covers that tell me more about the story.

 1. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb- I just love how creepy this cover is. I feel that it goes with the book really well. 

2. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan- This book manages to be pretty and yet still keep the creepiness and the feel of the book. I also like the second cover in this series. I'm not a fan of the first, since whenever I see the girl on The Forest of Hands and Teeth it reminds me of Wednesday from The Adams Family. 

3. Bleeding Violet by Ria Deeves- I just think this is pretty. It doesn't completely capture the craziness of the book, but I still think it keeps the feel. 

4. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton- I like how this looks all pretty at first, and then you see the swords. Deadly. 

 

5. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr- This cover is really pretty and it has this magical feel to it. 

6. In Honor by Jessi Kirby- Yes, I am kind of cheating because this is a girl in a dress. But it's not just some girl in a pretty fancy dress. I think you can tell a lot about this book from the cover. It has a very country and cute feel to it. I haven't read this yet but I want to just from the cover. 

7. The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jenson- I just love how cutesy this cover is. It's original and I like that about it. 

8. Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols- This is the first Jennifer Echols book I wouldn't be embarrassed about being seen reading. It's not overly cheesy like her romantic comedies and it doesn't have a boy and a girl like her other dramas. I actually think this is very pretty and I can't wait to read it. 

9. John Belushi is Dead by Kathy Charles- I don't know why I like this cover so much. I love the pink hair and where the words are placed. 

10. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith- This is a very cute cover but still manages to stay series. It's not too cheesey. 

Review: Rock On

Rock On: A Story of Guitars, Girls, and a Brother (not necessarily in that order)
Denise Vega
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 5, 2012

High school sophomore Ori Taylor, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter in a nameless rock band, has always been known as the overlooked younger brother of Del, a high school sports star. But when Del suddenly returns home from college just as Ori is starting to gain some confidence in himself, Del expects everything to return to the way it used to be.

I am a big fan of books that have to do with any kind of music, which is what drew me to Rock On in the first place. That, and that it has a  male main character, which is very refreshing. Rock On was a very cute and fun read. I quite enjoyed Ori and his story. 

I really liked Orion. He was kind of nerdy but he was very sweet. At the beginning of the book his whole life is centered around his guitar and band. As the book goes on he starts to focus on other things, his music always right behind him. 

I also liked the other characters in this book. The other band members, Vela, Alli, Gwyn. They were all funny and entertaining. And Jane and Ori were very cute together. 

The main conflict with this book is focused around Del, Ori's brother. Through flashbacks, we see that once upon a time Del was a good older brother to Ori. But now, Del is moody and a total jerk to Ori and everyone in general. This part of the story was predictable, but I still enjoyed it. 

Rock On was very fun. It wasn't too serious yet it was still able to maintain a realistic aspect. I really enjoyed the characters. I can't wait for more by Denise Vega.

In My Mailbox (88)

We have Kristi at The Story Siren to thank for hosting IMM every week. 

So, it's been a couple of weeks since I've done an In My Mailbox. This isn't all that I have gotten in the past few weeks, but they are the ones I could round up.

Bought:

My local Hastings went out of business which is sad, but it means I got all of these books (hardcover) for a grand total of $13. Not bad.

Library:

Ebooks:

(From library and NetGalley)

So that's about all I got in these past few weeks. 

What's in your mailbox?

Charming Covers [29]

Charming Covers is a feature here at Book Fanatics where I show off covers that have recently been revealed/that I've recently found. 

Hidden by Sophie Jordan 

September 11, 2012

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. 

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning.... 

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy

I'm not going to lie, I am not a huge fan of this cover. The others are so gorgeous (especially the first one) and I just don't think this one is very pretty. I don't know if it's the girl's face that bothers me or the green-ish color on the title or both. It's not hideous. But nothing compared to the others in this series. 

However, I am in love with this series, and I'm dying to read the conclusion. Although, I'll be sad when the series is over. 

E-book Deal!

I am pleased to announce that The Dark Divine and The Lost Saint are available in ebook for for only $1.99! It's just in time for the third and final book in the series, The Savage Grace, which comes out March 13.  Now if I were you, I would take advantage of this offer. This is a fabulous series, one of my favorites as a matter of fact.

 

This offer only runs for two weeks so get them soon!