OMG A PARTY! Yes, you're going to one fabulous party set up by the coolest person you know, the one with an island home right near your town. But whoops, your parents say you can't go. Bummer...

As if you're going to let your parents stop you! No, you're going to get your red dress on and get ready for dancing in the moonlight! First, you'll have to sneak on the party yacht this dude has (yeah, he's loaded). But piece of cake.

Now you're on his island! No one else inhabits the island so his house is in the centre, surrounded by trees. It's fall, and all the leaves are on the ground, but there are still enough trees and the island is still big enough to block all light from the party from mainland.

And what a party it is. The bass is rockin', and everybody is dancing and singing and what's behind that tree? Whoops, better not look. It's epic.

At some point, the party starts and people start to leave. This is the part where everything goes horribly wrong. You passed out, and shit, it's almost morning and your parents are going to wonder where you've been. You wake up to a bloodcurdling scream.

But here's the deal: everybody outside of the room you're in, the kitchen, is dead. Like, brutally murdered. So what happens next? Let's talk about what NOT to do.

1. Do NOT wander around saying "Hello? Hello?" Do you seriously want to alert the murderer about a potential new victim?

2. When you hear a creepy noise in the back yard, stay put! Run in the other direction!

3. When you're running, don't look back but the enemy is always in front of you!

4. Don't you dare stop to take a picture of something.

5. Leave the goddamn Ouija board alone.

6. Do not start to walk toward the trees that suddenly have creepy fog all over.

7. That little girl you see, outside the window wearing a cute little white nightgown? Don't follow her.

8. Stay away from sheds.

9. Don't even think about going in the basement.

10. Rocking chair? Don't touch. Back away slowly.

11. Don't touch the dead people either. For all you know, they're zombies.

12. Are you serious? WHY ARE YOU WALKING AROUND IN HEELS. Take those off and find some sensible shoes that you can run with.

13. If you have to pry it off a dead body, so be it.

14. Now don't go having a panic attack. Sobbing and freaking out won't help you- it's actually detrimental because now you're being loud.

15. Find a weapon.

16. Find a backup weapon.

17. Find some salt or a cross or any religious symbol (hey- you never know!)

18. Cut a slit in your dress so you can move better.

19. Stay away from the creepy dolls.

20. See the 'stuffed' clown sitting on the rocking chair? Yes, the one that looks like a murderer in disguise. Stab it!

21. No, leave dead Johnny alone and stop screaming.

22. Did you hear that? Over there in the woods, it looks like someone with blonde hair. Maybe a friend? NO! Run the other way!

23. Congratulations, you didn't die in the forest! Now get to the boat. And for heaven's sake, make sure no one is on it and there's no random hole before you leave.

24. You know the weird thing you see in the water that looks like a corpse's hand? Ignore it.

25. Don't turn towards that lovely, sirenic music you're hearing.

26. Uh oh, the engine stopped. You're now stuck in the middle of a lake. And now there seems to be a lightning storm going on. As the waves grow stronger, the boat rocks back and forth and you feel sea sick. Don't go to the edge- you might fall out.

27. Now, you're miserably crouched on the boat trying not to get sick. It's been an awful day, but you're still alive. You're surviving.

28. But then, with a gust of wind a giant shark flops on board and it eats you. #Sharknado

29. You never should have gone to that party in the first place.

30. There is no way not to die a gruesome, painful death. You can prolong your life for as long as you want, but people in horror movies die, and it's absolutely brutal.

31. And with that, Happy Halloween!

-P.E. & Mari

Author: Ripley Patton
Date of Publication: January 8 2013
Pages: 368 
Source: For Review- Thank you!

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Black has a rare birth defect known as Psyche Sans Soma, or PSS. Instead of a right hand made of flesh and blood, she was born with a hand made of ethereal energy.

How does Olivia handle being the girl with the ghost hand? Well, she's a little bit morbid and a whole lot snarky. 

Her mother thinks her obsession with death, black clothing, and the local cemetery is a bid for attention. But when Marcus, the new guy in Olivia's calculus class, stares at her like she's a freak, Olivia doesn't like it. And when her hand goes rogue, doing things she never imagined possible, Olivia finds herself running for her life with Marcus from a group of men bent on taking the power of her hand for their own nefarious purposes.

Review:

It started with a bang. Ghost Hand has a take no prisoners approach to plot, which basically means that the action is nonstop. This results in an extremely readable and entertaining read. It doesn't come without a cost.

The story begins with Olivia in class. She has this condition called Psyche Sans Soma where her hand isn't a real hand, it's more of a spirit thing. In Olivia's world, this is a rare but known condition. As Olivia is writing a test, something happens and her hand pretty much goes insane. It reaches out and grabs something out of the girl in front of her. Thus begins  a very crazy turn of events.

To enjoy this book, there were a few things I had to accept. First, there wasn't going to be much character depth.

You know those scenes that are all about characters' feelings and reactions to events? Scenes that aren't that necessary to the plot but make the characters more real? Frankly, there was not enough scenes that featured characterization. This left me very distanced from the characters. I had a first impression of each and it didn't go beyond that.

In general, a lack of detail was one issue I noticed. Some characters acted in ways I truly didn't understand. The parameters of the world went unexplained and I'm still fairly in the dark about the world set up. If there are anti PSS groups, wouldn't there be pro PSS groups? Some of the magical and ghostly stuff also didn't make sense to me.

The plot was great but the way I see it, this story was fascinating yet needs some more colouring in the lines. I'd like to be able to understand the characters and their relationships more. Olivia and her mother have an extremely strained relationship that I was curious about. I want to know more about PSS and people's reactions to it. Tell me more about Emma.

Considering the length of the book, I would have welcomed more. However, I tend to enjoy detail in writing. For people looking for pure entertainment, Ghost Hand is more than adequate.

One aspect to the story I enjoyed a lot was some parts of dialogue. I noticed it right away because the dialogue felt  natural. I've recently read and complained about the way swearing is used in YA and Ghost Hand pretty much did it perfectly. Olivia was spunky and not afraid to drop an f bomb here and there, in the right situation of course. Her narration was funny and a plausible voice for a teen, and the foul language totally helped that.

In general, a book I liked. It didn't call to me. I would have liked more character depth and connections, as well as some more explanations considering the premise and world building, but I enjoyed the plot and the story never failed to entertain. 3 hearts.

Cover Wars is a weekly showdown of two beautiful covers. The winner, as voted by you, goes on to face a new cover, and wins bragging rights. This is basically a fun way to discuss what we like in covers.

After a long stance, Undertow finally fell to A Shard of Ice.This week the winner is back to face a new cover, Across A Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund.

Both the covers incorporate a bright dramatic blue to add some pop. A Shard of Ice is more classical with the mask and the shards of ice around the edges. Across A Star-Swept Sea however, is bathed in blue. May it be from the tranquil sky or the roaring tides, it's stunning.

Let the Cover Wars begin!

Which cover should win Cover Wars?
	Across A Star-Swept Sea
	A Shard of Ice
pollcode.com free polls

An Ice Princess Heart 

(A Shard of Ice Novella)

Author: Alivia Anders

Purchase on Amazon

Purchase on B&N

When a string of men vanish without a trace along the coast of France, Lilix Morgan seeks to uncover the source of the mysterious deaths. Aided by four other immortal Originals, they comb the coast, only to find out the horrible dark truth; one of them is the culprit.

An Ice Princess Heart is the first book in a novella series leading up to the release of A Shard of Ice on
 April 14, 2014.

Goodreads

THEIR SOULS, REAWAKENED.

When 13-year-old Lilix Morgan is found alive and floating on a bed of ice at sea, everyone counts it a miracle. Kidnapped nearly four weeks earlier, she remembers nothing of her mysterious abduction. When she tries to remember what happened, she hears only a melody – a faint and delicate set of notes, strung together in a tune she doesn’t understand.

THEIR POWER, UNMATCHED.

A year later and desperate to put the lingering nightmares of her past behind her, Lilix crosses the country to enroll at Baelmorte Academy, aiming to become the violinist she once dreamt of. Things seem to be finally going well, and Lilix settles into a routine of sheet music and inspiration among new friends.

Then the dreams start.

The melody and night terrors she thought she’d left behind return with a vengeance, threatening to ruin her fragile version of normalcy. Then an unlikely ally tells her that she isn’t alone. That there are others just like her, fighting to hide their own shocking truths from coming to light. That they know who she is, and what she’s been through. Now, accompanied by four other girls, Lilix discovers her nightmares are larger than a single trauma; they’re a window to a hidden part of her soul, a place of immense power with a destiny that cannot be ignored.

THEIR BATTLE, IS ONLY BEGINNING.

 With this knowledge comes a new and frightening reality. For Lilix has been reawakened to stop an age-old enemy, one thought to have been destroyed centuries ago. Trapped by her destiny, Lilix is torn between what feels right and what she remembers. Her memories tell her of a star-crossed love waiting to be reunited, of friendships and trust broken in the past. But can she save that love when reality brings her an enemy, and an evil that will be the undoing of them all if they don’t destroy it?

Giveaway

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About Alivia Anders

Alivia Anders was thirteen when she fell headfirst into the world of internet fanfic and RPG-forum board sites that showed her the 'back door' into the world of writing. Four years and many hours spent glued to a computer screen later she found her true calling in writing.

Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn't so intolerant to dairy she'd live at her local ice cream shop called The Inside Scoop.

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Mari's Thoughts

How can I not be excited for this one?

 It has a gorgeous cover and it seems TSC readers agree as it's leading the race in this weeks Cover Wars. It also, looks action packed and filled with adventures and high fantasy, my favourite genre.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

Last week was a pretty busy week and I didn't have the chance to post TWP. This week is looking a lot better so hopefully I'll have a lot more time to blog!

Books Read

The Burning Sky wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still an entertaining read. I'm ashamed that I didn't read more last week. Hopefully, this week I can catch up on reading. 

Currently Reading

I've read just a few pages and it looks really good! I'm super excited for this one. I won it in a contest from the library and it's been a book I've been wanting to read since forever. 

Blog Recap

For a while, Mari and I were struggling to think of cool post to write. And then, somehow, we got inspired and both of us have been writing like crazy recently, which means that this week had a nice melange of posts. 

Monday began with my review of Sapphire Blue. 

Mari did a post on covers from different parts of the world. Oh, and which book is featured? 

I did a post on Technology in YA which sparked some interesting discussion in the comments. 

Next, I posted another review, this time for Nova Ren Suma's 17 & Gone.

Mari closed off the week with a post on Happily Ever Afters. I know she's a big proponent of happy endings so I was happy to see her admit that they're not always necessary, and join the dark side of #TeamTragedy.

The Week That Was

Tests, school, homework, and oh yes, it was my seventeenth birthday. I didn't do much for it and I think I have a bit of a Peter Pan complex. That being said, there's a lot to look forward to this week. I'm going to the library on Wednesday which means I'll be bringing home six to ten fabulous new books. YAY! :)

Song of the Week

Maybe this song isn't for everyone, but I LOVE it. The high energy, imperial sounds, the rhythm, everything is so good. The description for this song is "a bomb" and that's pretty much what it is: dramatic and big. Enjoy African Dreams by Jetfire. Turn the music up and enjoy the beats!

Have a great week!

-P.E.

Many reader, like myself, want a happily ever after. I mean why are you reading a feel good book if it's going to make you feel bad? That defies the laws of its genre. However, is the want for happiness worth the loss of realism? 

Don't get me wrong, I am a die hard happily ever after gal. I'm guilty of skipping over books because I was told that it had a bad ending. But the few times that I read a book that didn't necessarily have a good ending, I fell in love with them. Obviously this has more to do with the contents of the book rather than its ending but all I know is that these books were memorable. 

When thinking back to why they were memorable, one thing that stands out is the fact that these books were not afraid of telling you the ugly truth. The ugly truth includes sometimes being left off with out the safety of your favourite character.

Life is unpredictable and books like most other forms of media are an author's representation of life. Many times than not, life sucks and people suffer. We walk in and out of lives like we jump in and out of books. Unless a book continues until the day the character dies, which would be a bad ending. It will stop at some point in the characters life once the conflict is resolved, however insufficiently. 

Similarly, we humans walk into each others lives without knowing and then leave for various reasons. The time is the important part and one may leave at a bad time of another's life, leaving their story unfinished in your mind. But this doesn't mean that because last time you saw Johnny, after his girlfriend dumped him, that he will still be sitting there moaning for the same girlfriend.

Had to add Mulan!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, unhappy endings are not the end of the world, unless the character died then yes, it is the end of the world for them. We walk in and out of lives, books, school but the story doesn't end until the person end.

So lets celebrate realism and life because although it sucks at times most of the time if you know were to look, it's pretty damn awesome!

-MARI

Author: Nova Ren Suma
Date of Publication: March 21 2013
Pages: 354
Source: Library

*I think this synopsis is kinda spoilery so beware!* 

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

Review:

There is no definitive statement I can make on 17 & Gone so I'll just jump straight into the review. 17 & Gone can be split, in my mind, into two parts. Before and after the twist. I'll first review the before part. 

I thought the story was extremely vague. I even explained it as "abstract" when talking to a few people because I didn't know where it was going. There were mysterious scenes and stories of the girls Lauren encountered. There were creepy scenes and honest goosebumps, but I couldn't be sure of the focus. 

Lauren herself was hard to imagine. It became pretty obvious early on that I didn't know her. Her descriptions and actions didn't make logical sense to me and that's how this book went, for the most part. It flowed along. I didn't like that. I wanted a concrete purpose. Several times, I wondered about DNFing this book because this type of writing wasn't drawing me in. Many people will tell you the writing is beautiful, but Nova Ren Suma's writing doesn't seem to be to my taste. I found it so scattered. 

There were profiles of the missing girls which were cool, and while I sympathized with the poor girls who were far from their homes, I couldn't connect completely with any one character in the book. 

At some point, something happens. (Well, duh. But trust me, I need to be vague on this.) The story is transformed and there are hints and clues but the most amazing thing is that I fell into Nova Ren Suma's trap and so this twist was like a blindside hit. I had no idea it was coming even though I should have. 

The after section fixes one of my complaints, but I still can't connect to Lauren or the characters very well. This isn't a fun story and I can't say this was a page turner for me. The after did effect my overall opinion on 17 & Gone, but not enough to change my opinion significantly. 

I already said how the writing wasn't to my tastes. While Nova Ren Suma wrote a very smart book, this isn't my type of read. I will say that if you're someone that likes more abstract, character driven stories, you might enjoy this one. Also, I picked this book up based only on the cover (and the author's name) and a cursory look at Goodreads ratings and top reviews. I didn't read the synopsis beyond maybe the first sentence or so, which I think impacted my reading because I was expecting something completely different. 

Although 17 & Gone wasn't my typical read, I have to say it definitely is original and very different from what's out there. I have mixed feelings in terms of actually enjoying the story, but I was impressed by the writing. I really can't say much more.  2 hearts.

**

-P.E.

I have a love affair with my cell phone. I'm exaggerating when I say this, but only barely. My cell phone accompanies me everywhere I go, from room to room. I will never forget my phone while I may forget money or ID or house keys. Heck, I'll even forget my glasses before my cell phone.

I'm not obsessed with it, but it's my link to the world. To the internet, to social media, to friends and family. I spend a lot of time with my phone and online. My phone is where I organize my life. It's my camera, my diary, and the most important device I own.

My dependence on technology could be considered unhealthy, but I'm not alone. Technology has always been a part of my life, and I use it even more in my teenage years.

Technology has made life much easier. People can contact me instantly. In class, I will Google what I don't know and take pictures of homework questions or work. I had Facebook, and I left Facebook. I use my instagram often and I spend an embarrassing amount of time on Twitter.

The internet is a source of inspiration and creative expression. It improves my writing and introduced me to new concepts and ideas. That's not to say everything in internet land is perfect.

There are problems with social media. Not even the obvious problems like cyber bullying, but what happens when everything you do is there to be seen by everyone? Or randomly being attacked by some troll when you tweeted something negative about their favourite hockey team? There are so many times that I love the Internet and technology but it hurts to. Even small things like being addicted to Candy Crush and the compulsion to keep playing matter.

What I'm getting at is that social media and technology is a part of day to day life. It's something I don't see enough of in YA. You could argue it's the YA I read, but there are so many little things that come with this dependence in technology that deserve some more light.

Technology almost never gets name dropped in YA beyond those books that namedrop everything because they're about rich people. I think that's unrealistic to teenage life, and so I'd like to see books use technology better. One amazing example was in Boy Nobody. The main character had this badass iPhone that was wired to do incredible and special things because he's a solider.

Technology can make books so much more realistic, and it should definitely be used more often.

-P.E.

We are all cover lovers here. It's like the icing on top of the cake to have a pretty cover along with an awesome book. But the cherry on top of the icing is when a cover not only has a great cover in your region but also international ones. I love icing and cherries on top of my cake. (I know, I'm a cheese ball.)

Some awesome international cover of books we know and love:

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

This is the more well known cover, I believe it's the North American cover. I really like this one. It's interesting to both genders and it tells you that it's set in Russia with the russian architecture on the cover

German                               United Kingdom

As for the German one, I like how it's like a water painted canvas. I'm not too fond of the colour though and I wouldn't have minded if there was more going on around the borders or in the background. The cover is pretty minimalistic.

Winner: North American

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I don't actually like the North American cover for this one. It just doesn't do anything to make me want to read the book. Apparently she is the daughter of smoke and bone, but neither are present.

UK                                    German

I like these too cover much more.The UK cover is very bright with the red arch door. I love the handprint on the wall and how the base of the door the colour is going off. It's a cover that makes you want to stop and study it closely.

The German cover much more preferable over the NA one. I like the city being show in the bottom, the colours are more vibrant, and the girls face is nice with some mysterious white blue eyes and blue hair.

Winner: UK

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This cover is breathtaking. I love how the eye is decorated with trees and a waterfall, very creative and captivating.

Polish                                      Czech

Tahereh Mafi is one lucky girls. Not only does she have some an epic North American cover but she is multiple fantastic international cover. Ahh! I chose these two from an initial 6 or so covers.

Lets start with the Polish cover. 

Likes: 

• Font: It's big, it's attractive and it meshes well with the cover.
• The girls hand on the glass, shattering it. This is probably the first cover that is more relevant to the book, as those of you who have read the book would know. I like that in a cover.

Dislikes:

• Her face. Putting models faces into covers is a risk as they tend to clash with our pre-imagined image of the character. This one clashes with mine and I don't like it.

Czech Cover

Likes:

• The girls face. Yes, thank you it looks much better. I kind of imagined Julia to look like Tahereh kind of and that model looks like Tahereh to me, I like it.
• Colour scheme, it's nothing special but I like it.
• The diamond thing-a-majig. 

Dislikes: NOTHING

Winner: Czech, I just like that model way better!

I wish I could speak all these languages so I could justify buying these beautiful editions. But alas, I cannot so I'll settle with sharing them with you!

Which Are Your Favourites?

-MARI

Cover Wars is a weekly showdown of two beautiful covers. The winner, as voted by you, goes on to face a new cover, and wins bragging rights. This is basically a fun way to discuss what we like in covers.

For the third week in a row, Undertow has put one cover after another to rest. But will it continue it's winning streak? This weeks its up against the frosty cover of A Shard of Ice by Alivia Anders.

Both covers are really nice on the eyes. A Shard of Ice is different from most covers. The mask adds a nice sense of antiquity. The ice is another interesting feature, it seems as though the girl is turning to ice, curious.

So, which'll it be?

Let the Cover Wars begin!

Which cover should win Cover Wars?
	A Shard of Ice
	Undertow
pollcode.com free polls

Author: Kerstin Gier
Date of Publication: October 31 2012
Pages: 384
Source: Library

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

Review:

I'll start with a quick note on the cover. I usually love girls in dresses, but the hardcover (the image I included in this post) is so much classier. I don't see why they needed to change it for paperback, but what do I know, right?

Sapphire Blue is a very entertaining read that grasped my attention very well. It's one of those books that you can read for fun and it won't require too much dedication. It's an extremely readable book that I think has some issues, but in general they don't stop the book from being enjoyable, they just keep it from being great.

The first issue is Gwen herself. She's a very likable, emotional teenage girl who's a little all over the place. Gwen cries and jokes and laughs and generally, I liked her. She's the type of character you can have fun with. However, Gwen is also very irritating. She cries a lot over some uh, not bawl worthy things. Somehow, her pain feels superficial. It feels a little childish. She was immature for her age, and I think she was written that way by design, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

The other issue I have is that Sapphire Blue felt like an installment, not a complete story. I don't feel like the ending was adequate because even more questions were raised. The storyline didn't exist and wrap up. Sapphire Blue was a transition book, and sometimes the lack of obvious direction was frustrating as a reader. After I read the final chapter, I had no idea that the story would end there so I continued on flipping pages and was shocked to see an epilogue. It feels like a random place to end a story. Scratch that- it's a cruel place to end a book, especially because it's a bit of a low.

Gwen's attraction to Gideon is also a little strange. I mean, it takes a week for them to fall in love. I'm glad to see there's some doubt, but it's too fast. I wouldn't even call it love for that reason. Maybe infatuation, but not love.

Now that I got the negative off my chest, I'll move on the positive. Sapphire Blue was charming in a way. The phrasing of the words and the dialogue was different from what I normally read and I'm not sure if it was accurately British, but it did read differently than most North American books. I enjoyed that.

There is also some delightfully humourous aspects to the story. Maybe you won't connect emotionally with Gwen but you will be amused by her behaviour. She's very out there and honest in a way most people aren't. The other characters bring some charm as well. None of them are particularly deep, but they are fun to read about.

And that's the key to this series: fun. It's not too serious. It's a light read that has minimal sci-fi complications with entertaining characters. I liked it, and so it gets 3 hearts.

-P.E.

A discussion with P.E. and Mari.

The amount of YA books becoming movies is insanity. It seems like Hollywood ran out of movie ideas or they aren't sure what works, so they go with books that already have fanbases  Why do you think there are so many books becoming movies these days?

Exactly, it's like a YA movie apocalypse  I'm on the fence with this one, I obviously love them when they are done well (i.e. Harry Potter, Hunger Games, hopefully Divergent), but a lot of the time the movie kills the book for me. For this to happen the movie doesn't have to suck, it is sometimes the never ending buzz the follows, it's almost like all anyone can think of is that movie. It happened with Twilight. I was 13 when I read the books, I enjoyed them and watched the first movie a couple times until I noticed it was nothing special and moved on but it seemed like the world was stuck in time. Every year with the next movie coming out everyone would go crazy, name their babies after characters etc. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if the movie is good then sure, but the fan following gets to me. How about you, have you ever felt this way?

I'm a renowned not movie person, which basically means I watch about a little more than a handful of movies a year. I'm not as excited about them as most people just because I've already experienced the story and I'm not always into seeing a visual representation of what I read. For the most part, movies are the exact same story so I don't understand what makes people go crazy over them. What movies do, that I appreciate, is highlight some of the best of YA. How many people got into reading after Twilight became a huge hit? Remember when everyone at our school was reading The Hunger Games? People get to see that cool stories come from books, and then maybe it can push them into reading more. However, I still enjoy TV shows based on books much more. 

That's definitely a plus side of movies based on books but how about when the movie doesn't do justice to the book. I'm not inclined to reading a book before watching the movie, and it works out fine when the movie is good. But movies that don't do a good job portraying the book kind of kill the book. Have you had that problem? This can apply even if you read the book before. It's partly what's kept me from watching the City of Bones while it was in the cinemas. I don't want to take that chance with one of my favourite series. Somethings are just better off being left the way they are, books are a great medium of entertainment and if done well their story can be a great movie but is it really necessary to make a movie? I can't answer that fully because I'm dying for the Divergent movie but I don't think I would've minded if the theory never caught my attention. You?

It's for this reason that I won't watch The Fault in Our Stars movie. I'm more emotionally connected to books than movies and that book wrecked me. I want to keep that between me and the book, and while the movie may be excellent, I don't want to give up my mental images of all the characters. Even if a movie is excellent it changes the way I view the characters when I read and sometimes I don't want that.

I think we both agree that movies are great. They bring more attention to books we love, they present them in another light and widen their reach. But there are risks associated with them, risks that sometimes we don't want to take. So while it's fun that all of these great books are being turned into movies, I think it's only fair that some hesitation is present as well. After all, movies can be hits or misses and as book lovers it hurts to see our favourite books fail on another stage. 

What do you think?

Author: Julie Kagawa
Date of Publication: October 23 2012 (solid day)
Pages: 377
Source: Library

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Review:

I would normally be sleeping around now, but I just finished The Lost Prince and I want to finish this review first. I read the book in one go. After I started it, I couldn't muster the self control to put it down except to eat dinner. Now I'm finished and as always, dying for the sequel.

The Lost Prince builds off of Meghan's story, albeit years later. That means there is a new cast of characters featuring Ethan, Mackenzie, Kierran, and more. Ash and Meghan are still in the story. They're just not the focus.

My biggest issue with The Lost Prince is that I wanted the old story. I'm a hopelessly loyal reader so whenever there is some sort of spinoff, I always prefer the original characters. That means my favourite scenes were within Meghan's court to see how she has grown and everything has changed. I frankly still connect emotionally and care more about the first few books.

That's not to say the cast of The Lost Prince isn't likable. They're different and sometimes irritating due to the awful decisions they make (like, it's a wonder they're still alive). Ethan is interesting. Finally, we get the PNR romance from the guy's POV. And Kenzie is meant to be likable, but does that mean I like her? Yeah, but not too much.

Ethan harbours a lot of rage and that's very obvious in his narration. He's bitter and angry and feels completely alone. I sympathized with him. While he does get into a relationship, I thought it was not instalove. Maybe insta-attraction but there is definitely buildup.

I won't say much more about the setting and premise beyond how much I adore it. I love reading about the courts and the faeries are quite entertaining. There's this stunningly enchanting feel to Kagawa's series that brings the world to life.

There was one thing I didn't like early on that still stands out to me. Ethan seems to be a bit of a judgmental character and it's annoying. I hate how he thought of the jocks and cheerleaders. I don't think it's fair to look down on them the way he does. Obviously, all jocks aren't meatheads and not all cheerleaders are bitches. I'm particularly sensitive to this issue and while it wasn't present for the vast majority of the story, I was irked by it when it existed. That being said, this is probably just the way Ethan views the world.

It's hard to rate The Lost Prince because so much of my love and enthusiasm for the book comes from the series. Ir's hard to judge how good this book right here was. After some consideration, I feel like 3 is appropriate. I liked the plot, nice characters, amazing world. However, Ethan still hasn't won me over. So, 3 hearts.

-P.E.

This post is meant to be satirical. So um, don't get offended. I write weird posts when I'm bored.

Dear Authors, 

Do you want to be part of an elite few? A group of people of uncharted levels of awesomeness? Do you ever tire of visiting Chicago and New York, and Dallas, and wonder, is there more to life? Is there more than these bustling American metropolitan cities? Do you ever sit back and think, "Eh, this is cool, but I need something more in my life." 

You may be pondering this as you stand in line at a donut shop, about to order some delicious donuts, when you come across a life-changing thought: where does the middle of the donut go? Now, you could go somewhere like Dunkin' Donuts, but you are an author! You, amazingly intelligent you, want more than the middle of a donut. You want to go somewhere where these forsaken pastry puffs are part of the goddamn culture. 

You need to go to Canada. The land of beavers, moose, maple leaves (and Maple Leafs, although those are considerably less cool) and Tim Hortons. A land based on a culture of multiculturalism. A land with an insane amount of love for skates, body checks, and winter. 

Oh! Some of you have been to Canada? How delightful! Yes, Toronto is an enormous world class city with such a pretty skyline. And oh my, Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with both a mountain view and an ocean view. Maybe you've even visited bilingual and stylish Montreal. But you know what truly will distinguish you? Everyone has heard of the top three Canadian cities. What of number four? 

HA! You thought I would post a picture of Parliament Hill didn't you?! Ironically, this picture isn't even technically of Ottawa.

Yes, Ottawa, Ontario. Big city amenities with a small town feel. Ottawa is essential to every fabulous authors' book tour or visit.

Visit the picturesque Rideau Canal, the longest skating rink in the world (and what's more Canadian than skating?!) in the winter, and the most beautiful accompaniment to bike paths in the summer.

Experience the True Canadian Experience™ by visiting the most Canadian place in Canada: Parliament Hill.

Inspire your creative spirits by visiting the fifty gazillion million museums and enjoy delicacies such as beavertails, poutine, and authentic maple syrup (the latter you should enjoy before all our reserves are emptied!).

Ottawa is an awesome place so don't you forget about us when you're planning your book tours!

Love you guys,

P.E.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Prisoner of Night and Fog

  April 22 2014

Obey. Smile when Hitler comes closer. And never, never question him.

These are the three rules in seventeen-year-old Nazi Gretchen Müller's life. They've kept her safe since Papa died, protecting old family friend Adolf Hitler during a street fight years ago. Until the night in 1931 when Gretchen meets a young, fearless Jewish reporter she's supposed to despise. But she can't stop herself from listening to his story -- that her father, the adored martyr, was actually murdered. Together, Gretchen and the reporter vow to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth. Even if it means breaking all of Hitler's rules. Especially the most important one of all: don't fall in love with the enemy..

 

Goodreads

There are so many reasons as to why I'm excited about this one.

1. It's historical fiction set before the second world war. I like to think of myself as somewhat of a historian, I'm not good with dates but I love history.
2. This one is pretty interesting because our main character is actually close to Hitler. It's unlike anything I've read before. Most books focus on the people Hitler impacted directly i.e. the Jews, the soldiers and their families, other European countries. 
3. It's also set before Hitler gained power and I don't know much about what he was upto around then besides dreaming for power.
4. Love the cover. I had to fit that in, it's so .... historical. It captures the essence of the book well, I feel. The girl seems to be scared, she has the aryan face as well (without the blue eyes though). Also, the fog enveloping her is another interesting tidbit. 

What Are You Waiting On?

-MARI