Out This Week (May 6-12)

So many beautiful covers this week! And several beach themes starting to show up... check it out:

• 5.8.12 Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman
• 5.8.12 Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

• 5.8.12 Underworld by Meg Cabot 
• 5.8.12 City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

•  5.10.12 The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
• 5.8.12 The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

•   5.8.12 See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles
• 5.8.12 Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

•  5.8.12 Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
• 5.8.12 Until I Die by Amy Plum

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Title: The Ask and the Answer
Author: Patrick Ness
ISBN: 9781441891938
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Released: September 8, 2009
Page #: 13 hour audio
Source: My public library

Summary:
"Separated. One to the government. The other determined to overthrow it. Will Todd and Viola be able to survive and keep their trust in each other?

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's terrifying new order. But everything is shrouded in secrets. Where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then one day, the bombs begin to explode...."
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First Lines:

"'Your Noise reveals you, Todd Hewitt.'
A voice -
In the darkness -
I blink open my eyes."
Page 3
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Review:

HUGE WARNING: If you haven't read the first book, you absolutely have to do that before reading this review... or the summary... or anything, really. And it's totally worth it. Go ahead. I'll wait. :)

So, a couple of days ago, I finished listening to The Knife of Never Letting Go. I immediately requested the next audio in the series because I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I'm so glad I've gotten sucked into this series... now, if only my library had the audio for the third one! Drat. But I was definitely as enthralled with this second book as I was the first one.

Todd and Viola made it to Haven - not in the way they expected, but they got there. Unfortunately, the Mayor beat them... and pretty much took over with only a couple of words. The two of them are separated and given different jobs to do. Viola in a house of healing and Todd doing odd jobs with the Mayor's son - and his arch enemy. They both think about the other all of the time - how to get to each other, how to find out if the other is even alive. There's a lot of worry and concern when it comes to the two of them. They spent weeks protecting each other and now they are lost from one another.

While Todd settles into his odd jobs - and becomes distant from anything going on around him, Viola has decided to take up the fight against the Mayor and his regime. But not as much as many other women in this story - they make up The Answer... who are mostly called terrorists for the things they do to the town. But Viola just wants to contact her ships and get out of town - and take Todd with her. There's almost more connection between the two main characters in this book, even though they are never together.

Again, I listened to the audio for this book - which I highly recommend. There are some things about this story that I feel like I might have a hard time reading. Like the Noise. And the voices of the horses. Things like that. And the readers did such a great job. I did like that they added a female voice for Viola's chapters. The readers were both amazing and I loved listening to them.

I already highly recommended the first book, but I have to give the same thumbs up to the second one. It's a different story in that they are in one place - no active running away. But it's just as action filled and you find out even more secrets about the planet and the things people have been doing. I thought it was well done and I cannot wait to get my hands on the audio of the third book.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Loving Books
Recovering Potter Addict
Bookalicio.us
Busy Bookworm Reviews
Iris on Books
Writing from the Tub
YA Bibliophile
There's a Book

Waiting on Wednesday (103)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Here's what I'm waiting on this week...

This is Not a Test

by Courtney Summers

To be released: June 19, 2012

Summary from Barnes and Noble:

"It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?"

So, this book sounds super creepy... just what I need! And the whole witnessing the apocalypse through other's eyes sounds really cool. I've read and liked other things by Courtney Summers, so I have high hopes!
 
What are you waiting on this week?

The List by Siobhan Vivian

Title: The List
Author: Siobhan Vivian
ISBN: 9780545169172
Publisher: Push
Released: April 1, 2012
Page #: 333
Source: My public library

Summary:
"It happens every year before homecoming - the list is posted all over school. Two girls are picked from each grade. One is named the prettiest, one the ugliest. The girls who aren't picked are quickly forgotten. The girls who are become the center of attention. Each one has a different reaction to the experience.

Abby's joy at being named prettiest is clouded by her sister's resentment.
Danielle worries about how her boyfriend will take the news.
Lauren is a homeschooled girl blindsided by her instant popularity.
Candace isn't ugly, not even close, so it must be a mistake.
Bridget knows her summer transformation isn't something to celebrate.
Sarah has always rebelled against traditional standards of beauty, and she decides to take her mutiny to the next level.
And Margo and Jennifer, ex-best friends who haven't spoken in years, are forced to confront why their relationship ended.

With The List, Siobhan Vivian deftly takes you into the lives of eight very different girls struggling with issues of identity, self-esteem, and the judgments of their peers. Prettiest or ugliest, once you're on the list, you'll never ben the same."
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First Lines:

"For as long as anyone can remember, the students of Mount Washington High have arrived at school on the last Monday in September to find a list naming the prettiest and the ugliest girl in each grade.
This year will be no different."
Page 3
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Review:

8 girls. 1 list. Lives changed - both for the better and the worse. While I was reading this book, I tried to imagine what it would look like from my high school. And it's hard! I couldn't even think of who would qualify for either - prettiest or ugliest. Just too hard.

Every year, a list is posted the week of Homecoming. It's anonymous, but everyone knows about it. Everyone talks about it. And everyone judges people based on it. This book is about those eight girls and the week after the list is posted - how their lives are affected and the choices they start to make based on their new status. One thing everyone wants to know: Who makes the list?

Not to start this review on a bad note, but I had a hard time with eight different viewpoints. It helped that the characters were so vastly different. But I was constantly flipping to the front of the book to remember which grade which girl was in. Toward the end, I mostly had it figured out... but it was a lot to keep up with.

I thought the most interesting character was Sarah - she was the Junior chosen for ugliest. She had already been sort of an outsider... a rebel. But once this list is posted, she decides to go on a hygiene strike. I guess to show them just how ugly she can get. I think we all knew "that kid" in school who would do anything to prove a point. I just thought it was interesting to see into her point of view on the whole list situation.

You would think that only the girls listed as ugliest would have concerns about their new social standing. But really, it was much more widespread than that. Being prettiest could backfire - and hard. I was sort of glad to see both sides of the fence... though I wasn't expecting to see eight sides of the fence :). And I really liked how things tied up in the end. It felt like the world might start to make sense again for all of these girls - in different ways. I can always appreciate a good wrapped-up ending.

I have read other books by Vivian, and I have loved them all. I would say this book is very interesting, but it wasn't my favorite thing by this author (Same Difference was my favorite, for sure). But do give it a try. I look forward to reading much more from them.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Sarah Reads Too Much
The Book Scout
Early Nerd Special
Waking Brain Cells
Chick Loves Lit
Fabbity Fab Book Reviews
Y.A. Love
21 Pages
Sophistikatied Reviews
Reading Everywhere
Krazy Book Lady

Out This Week (April 29-May 5)

There are some awesome things coming out this week - but this is only a small portion of them! So exciting ;):  

 

• 5.1.12 The Drowned City by Paolo Bacigalupi
• 5.1.12 Black Dawn (Morganville Vampires #12) by Rachel Caine

•  5.1.12 Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
• 5.1.12 So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

•  5.1.12 Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
• 5.1.12 Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy

 

•  5.1.12 Back and Deader Than Ever (Monster High #4) by Lisi Harrison
• 5.1.12 Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

•  5.1.12 Destined (Laurel #4) by Aprilynne Pike
• 5.1.12 This is So Not Happening (He's So/She's So #3) by Kieran Scott