Insignia

the new and hottest book that is not only original but/and does not have a shared narrator but is put in a male point of view. its amazing how s.j kincaid has created and written Insignia but now i cant wait for her next one Vortex.

Blurb:

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom's drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone's been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he's offered the incredible--a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom's instincts for combat will be put to the test and if he passes, he'll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War III. Finally, he'll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom's always wanted--friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters--but what will it cost him?


Pros:

• Has great plot and is fluent with story line

• Great Characters

• They are also likeable characters

• original

• Male POV

• suspense and thriller

• fun read that all YA readers will enjoy.

• loved start of chapter pages where it is filled with binary

• is a fun read that many serious YA book reviewers will look too deeply into and will eventually dislike but thats not really a con.

• there are none really i was too into it to pick any bad mistakes

Cons:

First Line:

new town new casino-same old plan.

Last Line:

"all right, no killing an eating me okay? i'm ready to go."

Discussion:

i really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down whilst reading i was texting my bff urging her to read it because the characters are humorous, intelligent and know how to fight. as i dont normally read sci fi it was extremely intense and awesome. i really have no cons on it because it was just a book that you could easily flick through and you would never ever pick up on a story line fault unless obviously you are a really intense reader that just cant read for fun and has to write bad reviews which i find kind of selfish but the top four reviews on the internet were all bad, but they are so wrong! this book has spread itself wide covering, friendship, little tid bits of love, geniuses (wanting me to bring out my glasses ), villians, gamers/gaming and dystopia. Insignia has all the cool well executed ideas that definitely -although the world is in war- make the new world look  and sound cool for example the idea of neural processors, gadgets that are ptu in the smart teenagers brains to make them smarter and more complex.great read fantastic book cannot stop raving about it and i really could go on all day about it.

OVERALL SCORE: 5/5 stars (no surprise there)

BTW i have asked to interview SJ Kincaid about Inisgnia and her new book Vortex so excited that she accepted!!!

Hugs and Wishes 

Candi

Undeadly

an original story that just cant seem to finish i sat there on the edge of my seat waiting want to know what comes next in Undeadly by Michelle Vail as it came to an abrupt halt making me fill with need for the next book. Undeadly not only is original and fantastic but is almost certain to start a new book trend.

Blurb:

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. 
Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble....

Pros:

• original

• enticing

• mysterious

• has hanging onto the edge of your seat

• great character relationships

Cons:

• confusing plot

• although i said there were great character relationships there were also some fairly dodgy ones that were totally out of whack.

• misguidance in blurb

First Line:

"this is the third time" groused mrs. woodbine.

Last Line:

"Molly Bartolucci, you are here by charged with illegal use of necromancy and the use of forbidden objects. you will be taken into custody by the Guardians and confined until your trial"

Discussion:

i thorouhly book and couldn't pick up many faults i definitely cannot believe how michele left undeadly. some of the great things about this book was that i hadn't read many/if any good reaper stories and was thrilled to like this one. the one thing that looks predictable from the blurb which is sort of a disappointment in the book is it sort of comes off as if molly and rafe will become gf/bf and then rafe sort of disappears. so i definitely hope that they get together in the next book the other guy is just creepy and sick. the one thing that really caught my eye is the cover although its just a plain models face the graphics including the title graphic are quite delicate and very beautiful. the other thing i liked was the different quote from made up books in molly's world at the start of each chapter.

Overall Score:i have decided to give it a 3.79/5 

great read! loved it and i have ore reviews for you over the next couple of days!

Hugs and Wishes 

Candi

Hysteria

what an amazing second book Megan Miranda has produced it has all the intensity as the first book but so much is different and i think Hysteria will still grab the readers that have read Fracture and more readers that are looking for something new to read. hysteria is one fantastic book that will keep you hanging onto your bones and sticks just to keep you together

BLURB:

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

PROS:

• good character relationships (meaning high intensity between characters)
• great idea for and of the plot
• doesnt drag the story on forever 

CONS:

• plot was a little bit hazy and the last bit of the plot to finish the story was sort of rushed out
• the cover: for the first time its felt like the cover doesn't fit well with the story i was a bit disappointed
• i would of liked a bit more of a snarky/snobby side to Krista she came off sort of hidden until the end

FIRST LINE:
my mother hid the knife block.

LAST LINE:
i closed my fingers around him and held onto this moment and the next

DISCUSSION:
 now i kind of lack in the pros and cons department in  this book but theres not much i can say about it there. i loved reid he was so cool and not over the top with everything, colleen was another favourite character although she wasn't really in  the bookm until the end she seemed like one of those unique type of girls that just does her own thing. so the characters were great i was really into the whole storyline and its story, although it did keep flicking back to a past time without really changing the context sometimes. as the reader and the main character Mallory uncovered the true story it was quite horrific and frightening but a good surprise/ non surprise to us all. i realy enjoyed the book and its characters

OVERALL SCORE: 4/5 stars
this book is out on February 5 be sure to get  it

Hugs and Wishes

Candi

What's Left Of Me

lets take you into the future where a human body now has two souls and america has banned anyone from having two souls making them seperate themsleves from their other self. but there are two girls named addie and eva who are not settled and just try to act like normal people and it works out for them until they run into the wrong/right people.  an AMAZING book what's left of me was so original and fantastic and i have read quite a few original pieces lately but kat zhang seems to show some potential . i have trouble getting to review them. ok so onwards and forthwards

BLURB:
I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything
PROS:

• Original
• Heart warming
• difference between characters
• emotion portrayed by the character 
• the story line

CONS:

• difficulty understanding who was narrating 
• no plot ( the story line of them all getting out was good but there was no destruction to what was happening there were small ones but not one big one that did very much damage)
• ending didn't take as much form as it should have it was almost cliched with the mysterious hero coming and rescuing them almost went unsought and just put in there to finish the story, it didnt have much sense to it.
• had sort of a slow beginning. 

FIRST LINE:
Addie and I were born into the same body, our soul's ghostly fingers entwined before we gasped our very first breathe.

LAST LINE:
but I-I was eva, eva, eva all the way through.

DISCUSSION:
although i have been pretty harsh on this book  i really enjoyed it and to find out that the author was only 19 made me quite impressed and i have future hopes for my friends in the Kat's notes she says she has been writing this book since she was 12 and that was pretty amazing too.
talking about the book a lot of it was great but the whole beginning plot and ending well connect with eachother although apparently this is a trilogy so i cant wait for the next one. i love the idea of runaway hybrids trying to take on the world
OVERALL SCORE: 3/5 stars

Hugs and Wishes 

Candi

Dance of Shadows

ok so when you think of ballet you think of pink tutus and leotards and girls dancing around swinging arms and legs right? and when you think of shadows, you think of stalkers, ghosts and demons right? would you ever combine the two? well this crazy but utterly fantastic author, Yelena Black, has and called it the dance of shadows. now readin this it gave me the chills all the way through it all though i had finals and read it over a couple of days i dont think i managed to sleep very many of them. this book has intensity to the max making you squeem and aaah in romance and horror.

BLURB:
Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . 

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed 

PROS:

• has a nice long plot that draws out all the suspense

• thought out characters that dont ever break 

• Suspension: takes away all your other thoughts and hooks you in 

• Emotive/Emotions: uses emotive language through out the book and has the reader drawing their emotions to the book (crying) 

• Original

CONS:

• gives nightmares although i said it has great suspense stopping half way in the book and going to be may give some night mares

• in some parts is given to make the plot sound really romantic but makes it almost sound lunatical (one of my own creations)

• doesn't really solve what started out to be the plot

FIRST LINE:with a swish her mother opened the curtains, letting the afternoon sun stream into the room

LAST LINE:
And when she did she would take down whoever was responsible, or die trying

DISCUSSION:
ok this book is overall creepy but it has some romantic bits in it. this book has a naive main character that becomes stron and fearless and the romantic guy turns into a prop in some evil demonstration and then there are the weird side characters that annoy Vanessa (Main character) right through the book and dont really have any story to them until the very end. the other bit there was no real ending to some of the best friends to vanessa. there was an ending for the evil people, Anna and clique and the side freaks but we didnt hear much about them. overall i found this a fantastic scary book hidden behind a beautiful cover. speaking on the cover it really suited what the story was about.

OVERALL SCORE: 3.75/5 Stars

Hugs and Wishes 

Candi 

ARCs ARE NOT FOR SALE!!

now i know that i recieve ebook ARC copies so that i can promote self published and the new books coming out and i do this respectfully abiding by guidelines but the sad thing is not all of us do and its sad that that happens because i really appreciate books and i'm sure you all do too, but you see on ebay i have found some ARC books on sale. now that is a terrible thing to do and i advise you not to even think of buying it because in all honest its a rip off and its not a cheap one.

What ARCs are made for?
ARCs are made for reviewers (like me) and sellers/librarians to read a preview copy of a book that might not be completely finished. it is unedited version of the final copy. reviewers are handed to give their mind sight on wgat they liked and what they didnt and to also give insight into if the book is worth buying. authors then finish off the book just before their deadline and print out millions and millions of copies just for you and the book lovers around the world.

How Can YOU get an ARC?
 these days authors are so socially communicative to the world around them that you could easily score a unpulished verison of their new book, but it is normally just for your eyes to read it.

Why ARC are not for sale (and a rip off)?
ARC  are not for sale because as i have already stated they are unedited meaning you are selling something that clearly states its for review only and if you dont follow the rules these  days the publishers have contract to sue you and a lot of us bloggers are only teenagers/early twenties. there are also other problems like that it may have a few spelling and grammar mistakes and it could be missing paragraphs. the last statement i am going to say is you are being a pirate by doing this nobody gets credit for the book and you make a small amount of profit and for authors to keep selling they have to have people keep buying their books.

How Can You Stop This From Happening?
 As a blogger you can use that ARC book for anything as it is not real or it is but its not complete. you can also report anonymously  by pressing a flag/button that usually shows next to ads sending producers of these ads to that ad. Finally if you do receive ARC books give back by swapping them with another blogger giving them to your local library, building a fire and making smores or by giving them to charities where they will be useful for other kids and teens that are not as privileged as you.

well thats all today i hope you in future look at what book you are buying.

Hugs and Wishes Candi

Article 5

OK this book has come in the long running a long way making it so incredible and i cant believe i hadn't heard of it before November. article 5 is written by a debut author Kristen Simmons only making her venture into writing last year Kristen has made heaps of fans writing about the future time zone in a more catastrophic way   and she doesn't leave any gruesome or romance behind this book is filled with new aspects of what length people can go for love and revenge.

BLURB: New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved

PROS:

• captivates audience and keeps interesting
• explained well in detail the surroundings of characters
• states  clearly in blurb what has happened and what the book is about
• has thought out characters that contrast what is happening around
• is originally written

CONS:

• following same in genre (dystopian/post apocalyptic)
• has complimentary main character Chase being switching from hard core to loving and affectionate making it very confusing whether to figure out if he is good or bad or even FBR or not.

FIRST LINE:

Beth and Ryan were holding hands.

LAST LINE:

we were safe and together and that was all that really mattered now.

DISCUSSION:

 the characters in this story weren't overtly stereo typical but if you had look at ember she was the softie turned hard core but she turned hard core from like the fiftieth page and it was hard to tell if she was ember or another character like Katniss or Tris. the story itself puts a lot of shape on where they are and what might happen which i think Kristen spent a lot of time on  but the twisting and turning of characters almost felt chaotic and at least every complimentary side-main character changed over the space of 362 pages. all in all her descriptions and emotive passages had me crying with ember as she went through all her distraught and torture.

Overall Score:  3.5/5

although i have put this book under the glass i shouldn't deter you from reading it i really enjoyed it!

Hugs and Wishes

Candi

this is so not happening review

oh wow i cant believe the he's so she's so trilogy is finally over i read this trilogy over the pats three years and she's so dead to us was one of the first books i ever flicked through in under 24 hours and thats pretty memorable and with each book of the trilogy they have always left it on the hook and makes you feel all tingly and with me just want to rip the book apart until the next one comes out in a good way of course! it made high school sound fun and dramatic. cool yet frightening and i could go on all day but i wont.

now as i am writing this review i am setting up a  new review policy. consisting of the blurb a pros and cons list and the first and last line and overall rating.

The Blurb: 

After their long summer apart, Ally and Jake were hoping for a drama free senior year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things will work out that way...again. — It turns out that Chloe is pregnant and says that Jake is the father. Hammond is pissed at his best friend, but mostly can't believe that Ally would stay with Jake. But Ally is tired of being apart from Jake and is willing to make it work. But that is easier said than done when Jake starts blowing Ally off to go to doctor's appointments with Chloe and Ally joins the school play and meets a new cute guy.

But as graduation approaches, things get more complicated as new secrets come out and Ally realizes maybe Jake isn't the guy she thought he was. After everything they've been through can Ally and Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship intact?

PROS:

• ally and jake decide to stay together considering the "baby" 
• chloe stands up for herself
• the crestie girls overcome issues with the norms and have a boy suck night 
• ally discovers drama again
• all of the characters got what they wanted for the future (not going any further)
• ally's mom gets married to gray (quinns dad)

CONS:

• jake and ally fight all the way through the book
• the gossip pages almost make it out to be seeking revenge
• the whole group falls apart
• hammond hates jake
• chloe starts to ignore ally

First Line:

"chloes pregnant?" jake blurted, pushing himself up off the ground

Last Line:

"we do," i said with a grin, "anything we want to."

OVERALL 4/5 stars 

Hugs and Wishes

Candi