Double review: Hunting Lila and The Sky is Everywhere

The Sky Is Everywhere
Goodreads blurb:


Lennie plays second clarinet in the school orchestra and has always happily been second fiddle to her charismatic older sister, Bailey. Then Bailey dies suddenly, and Lennie is left at sea without her anchor. Overcome by emotion, Lennie soon finds herself torn between two boys: Bailey's boyfriend, Toby, and Joe, the charming and musically gifted new boy in town. While Toby can't see her without seeing Bailey and Joe sees her only for herself, each offers Lennie something she desperately needs. But ultimately, it's up to Lennie to find her own way toward what she really needs-without Bailey. A remarkable debut novel perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block.


Personal opinion:
Have you ever read a book, that made you laugh and cry at the same time, that made you feel the happiest but the saddest person in the world? A book that gave you that special butterflies in stomach feeling? 

Well, I have. And the book is The Sky is Everywhere. 
And I think I just said more with three sentences than with a hundred. 

Definitely one of my new favorites, forever. If there was a ten star rating, this novel would deserve it. 

*Bat. Bat. Bat.*

Hunting Lila

Goodreads blurb:

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them...

Personal opinion:

Oh, this novel. So freakinglybrilliant. (yes, one word :P) 

For months now, I've been hearing all these things about Hunting Lila, and every one of them was positive, saying that it is such a good novel, you'd never say it's debut. And that is so very true! 

Sarah Alderson's got a way with words that will make you and then break you. 
Hunting Lila is full of suspense, adventures, lies, sercecy, romance, twists and turns that will make your head spin. 
And then there's Alex ;) 

I loved Lila, the main heroine, because she was fierce but vulnerable, and she was determined. 
Alex, oh Alex. He was soo swoon worthy. There was one scene where I was just awww-ing. You cannot not love him. 

BUT, that end was a KILLER. Made me curse a bit hah. Can't wait for Losing Lila! :) 

Big 5 stars

Review: Obsidian

*thank goodness for NetGalley - if it weren't for it, I'd have to wait till Dec 6th to read this one*

Goodreads blurb: 

Starting over sucks. 

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. 

And then he opened his mouth. 

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Perosonal opinion:

Seriously?

This just happened?

Daa-yum.

Okay, after reading first Daimon, then Half-Blood and now Obsidian, I can absolutely certainly say that Miss Jennifer L. Armentrout is a freakin genious!!

Obsidian is a fresh story, nothing like I've read before, filled with humor, butt-kicking, and hawt boys (well there's only one that mattered to me ;) ) and, mostly, it was a fun rollercoaster.

Ups, downs, more ups, more downs… this novel has action, which trough the second half of the novel becomes more and more present, and more dangerous and more exciting.

But, the thing I wanted to ramble about here is DAEMON. Come on, say it with me – Daemon.

A.K.A. total- uber- ultra- damn- hot- bad boy Daemon. That boy spells trouble with a capital T.

He was frustrating, rude, cocky, cold, hot, adorable, sexy. Perfect.

You could say he's a bad boy just like others, but you'd be wrong. Because he's not only a complete ass in the beginning, but stays like that the whole novel ;) But trust me, you want him to be your neighbor.

Next one up is the main character, Katy. 

4 reasons I loved her:

1.) Her snarkiness.

2.) She's bold (the cafeteria scene, anyone ;)?)

3.) She showed Daemon he's not the only one in charge

4.) She's a book-blogger - I mean, how awesome is that? She does Waiting On Wednesday, In My Mailbox,  gets comments on her reviews etc. And it's instantly easier to relate to her :D

To sum up, pick Obsidian up as soon as it's out!

Huuge shining 5 stars!

Review: The Scorpio Races

*first, a huuge thank you to Sarah and Rachel from Scholastic for sending me the novel to review*

Goodreads blurb:

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. 

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. 

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Personal opinion:

 Okay, so. When I finished reading The Scorpio Races, I was torn. Torn between loving this novel and hating it. Loving because it is, like all Maggie Stiefvater's novels, written so extraordinarily and beautifully. And hating it, because I just couldn't get into it. At first, at least. 

The pace was a bit slower, and there isn't much romance in the novel, so that, if you are not a fan of this kind of novels, might throw you off of reading it. And, at times, I felt like it would do the same to me.
But I stuck with it and finished it in matter of days, though it's a pretty thick novel. And, everything added up, I do not regret reading it.

The Scorpio Races is different. For one, Maggie's writing is something out-of-this-worldly. She has a way with words that will make you smile and cry at the same time. Little "tricks" she does, like repeating a word two or three times define the atmosphere and mood and it's a perfect touch.
Also, the novel is unlike any novel I've read, with its unusual plot and creatures.

The characters were unique, Puck in her brave and fearless, and Sean in his graceful and loveable way. When they are together, magic begins. 
They work so well together, just fit each other. And now, as I write this and remember the novel, I see more and more how love is in this novel, hidden behind a bush of roses, lurking in silence. But it is there.

So, overall, the good prevails by a lot and I must give The Scorpio Races five stars :)

The Broken Destiny Blog Tour

Hi there! Today, it's my stop at The Broken Destiny blog tour and I have not one, but two! excerpts from the novel for you!

But first, a bit something about The Broken Destiny:


Her Destiny is to Rise against the fall that threatens to take her soul. Her soul is the Key to unlocking a secret weapon.But to know her soul she has to hate it first, and then come back from that. Her Destiny starts with Betrayal.

It is written by Carlyle Labuschagne and it will be released in 2012, and it doesn't have a cover yet. (but I don't doubt it will be pretty)

Okay, now, excerpt number one: (both are from Chapter 9)



The Broken Destiny
Chapter 9
The Fall

The icy air stung my cheeks. Shivering, I pulled my legs in close to my chest, not taking my gaze off the ocean. I wondered about the creatures in the ocean and tried to imagine what swimming beside a school of fish would feel like. I wanted to touch the coral. It had seemed so beautiful in all the pictures I had seen of it. I drew in a deep breath of the crisp ocean air. Things are changing again. The return of the seasons is a sign, I mused. I attempted to steady my breathing and take control of all the emotions that were welling up inside of me. I was sad, angry, lonely, frustrated and hurt. It hurt that Sam could betray me like that. Then, all of a sudden, I smelt a putrid odor somewhere near me. I recognized it immediately. I should not have walked out so far, I scolded myself. Panic swept over me. I quickly looked behind me. The beach was deserted. I jumped down from the rock and scanned every inch of bush and searched behind every rock in the area. I crouched down beside the rocks, trembling. Think, think, think. There is no one here but you. My skin came alive with adrenalin. It began to burn and became sensitive to the fibers of the cotton shirt beneath my many layers of clothing. I could feel the vibration of the water pulling away from the coarse sand. I was on full alert. The sharp odor stung my nose and made me feel nauseous. He was nearby. I grabbed a piece of rock near my feet, the coldness of the stone stinging my palm. I jerked myself up again.
“Come and get me!” I yelled.
My knees were weak and trembling and my heart pounded against my chest. A sharp pain shot through my head, a white fire burned in my mind and the air blew out of my lungs. I was struggling to breathe, but I held my ground, squeezing down harder on the stone. The pain subsided for a moment and I drew in a deep breath, the air in my lungs very welcome and greatly comforting.
“Coward!” I screeched. “Come out and face me!” I yelled, although deep down inside I was hoping he wouldn’t. My throat pulled tight. I will not cry, I adamantly told myself.
The breeze twirled around the bushes beside me. The air was thick and stifled my lungs. The waves crashed gently. All else was silent.
“Just as I thought,” I murmured to myself.
I needed to make a run for it if I was going to get back to Arriana’s alive, but once again pain shot through my head like a rocket was taking off inside of me. He was toying with me. I fell down to my knees and compressed my head between my hands as hard as I could. The pain was insane. It felt like my head was about to burst open. There was nothing but the pain. It blocked out all my other senses. Using all my might, I tried my hardest to squeeze the white fire out of my brain.
“Help!” I yelled as loudly as I could, but I knew that it wasn’t loud enough for anyone to hear.
It was as if I was in one of my dreams where I kept calling out but no one could hear me. The sharp pain hit me once more, but this time it did not come alone. There in my mind was the white painted face. It taunted me with its big, jagged, yellow teeth and its hard black eyes. I have been here before and I have won before. I will win again, I tried to convince myself, but the doubt crawled back in. No one knows where I am, I started to panic again. I screamed as the pain shot into my chest. The white fire in my mind intensified and the face’s prominence tripled. I’m losing consciousness, I realized. I could feel my feet going numb and the sounds around me were disappearing. I’m dying.. A moment later I opened my eyes and frantically searched for the rock I had dropped. The potent odor still hung in the air around me. I noticed a pair of legs walking over to me. I knew it was him. The smell was settling in the sand before me. At first I didn’t register the a red bike was standing in the background. I lay coiled up on the cold sand, my hands still clamped over my head in an attempt to push the pain out. I drew on every shred of courage I had and swung myself up, fully ready to strike him with the rock in my hand. I hoped I could knock him down before I passed out from the pain. I tried to focus on the figure in front of me, but the white face was right in front of me, leering. Is it real, or is it still in my head? I wondered. Confused, I lunged forward, swinging wildly. I felt a warm hand encircle my wrist. As soon as I felt its warmth on my skin I let go. The white fire burned into my brain and the face, that horrid face, imprinted itself in my mind. I yelled out in frustration, or it might have been pain. I felt myself being lifted off the ground. I stopped resisting when I realized how easily my body cradled around his. It was Troy. I still couldn’t see his face, but I could smell his signature scent of sandalwood, the ocean and something sweet. I no longer fought for consciousness, but let myself drift away, and into him forever.

Aaand number two:



The Broken Destiny

Chapter 9
The Fall



He pushed me back onto the couch and kissed me fiercely. My head was spinning, my legs a cold fire. I grabbed him by his collar and held him away from me.
“No!”
“What now?”
He got off of me, sat next to me, put one of his long arms around my neck and gave me a wicked smile.
“Is this all I am to you?” I asked.
“I like you, Ava. I like you too much for my own good.” He pulled me closer.
“He’s no good for you, Ava.”
I turned my head to where Maya was leaning against the wall. Her arms were crossed over her chest. I hadn’t heard her approaching. I had been too distracted. I felt myself turn scarlet. I got up from the couch, glared at Enoch and walked over to Maya.
“Goodnight,” I said to both of them and retreated to Maya’s room.
I couldn’t sleep at first as excitement and anxiety built up inside of me every time I thought of Enoch and how wonderful it felt when he kissed me. I couldn’t imagine what Maya and him were discussing. I wondered if I would be asked to leave in the morning. I knew it had been wrong to do what I did, but I couldn’t figure out why, if it was wrong, it felt so good. I fell asleep before Maya climbed back into bed. I didn’t dream that night. It felt strange for me to not dream. It felt like I wasn’t breathing properly.


Weeks had passed without Enoch mentioning what he and Maya had said to one another that night. We had begun to live in a distinctive pattern. The warriors were gone most of the day. They spent their time training, or recruiting younger warriors. Arriana and Anaya ceased their usual village duties to intensively train Maya and me in the ways of mental focus. They taught us to build on our existing talents. Kronan brought small injured animals for Maya to practice on. At first she could only heal cuts and bruises, but she could eventually heal broken bones. I couldn’t harness my powers. I couldn’t do anything with my mind. Nothing had come to me yet. It was as if I had no powers at all. An important lesson we learned was that our actions had consequences. I didn’t see it at first. Maya tried to read my mind and I tried to read hers, but after numerous fails we guessed that our species didn’t have that ability. So far, healing was the only ability she possessed.
When Enoch came home from a day of training he was exhausted, battered and bruised. I used to tease him about getting old. We were seeing each other on the sly. He wouldn’t admit it, but I knew it. I denied it too after a while. I could feel passion in his kisses and in his touch. I was totally infatuated. When we were together nothing else mattered. The heat between us was self-explanatory. I mistook it for love. Even though he had never said it, I had assumed it. He became gentler and less angry with each passing moment we spent together. I mistook that for love too. For a while it felt like I was on top of the universe. I didn’t realize that I was about to fall.


Me - loves them! You? Tell me what you think about in the comments.
AND make sure you check out Carlyle's website:
http://www.carlylelabuschagne.com/

Follow her on twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/CarlyleL

Add The Broken Destiny on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12537426-the-broken-destiny-1-in-the-broken-series

And check out her FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Carlyle-Labuschagne/189835811074342

Review: Touch (Blog Tour)

Touch, by the lovely author Jus Accardo - you can find it on Goodreads here http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11882171-touch

(okay, so since it's very late here I have to make this quick, and I'll edit this post tomorrow. oh and I'm sorry for the lame review)

Review:
I loved this book. It was creepingly brilliant!
The tension, the action, the secrets, the rescue missions, the romance.. it was all in here.
I loved Deznee, her character is witty, but in a dark way. So, when she meets Kale, things get interesting.
Kale, on first hand, seems very odd. Later, we found out he has secrets and dark past of his own, but it wasn't his fault.
Also, Deznee finds out that her dad's law firm isn't quite so innocent and that she isn't quite so ordinary herself.

The relationship with Kale was strikingly haunting and awesome.
And Jus's writing has something special to it, with just the right balance and details and she just knows how to keep a reader intrigued :)
So, overall, 5 shiny stars!

NaNoWriMo!

Hello everyone!
Before I start, I know I promised a huge giveaway and a winner announcment a few days ago, and I didn't do it. For that I apologize, but don't worry, that post will come during this week, and this time, I promise for real!

Second, yesterday I spontaniously decided to sign up for NaNoWriMo aka National Novel Writing Month. And due to that, I will not update the blog very frequently in the month of November.

Currently I am on chapter 4, and things are going so far so good! I'm really glad I'm doing this and I'm enjoying it because I really have strong fate in this novel...

So, if you are a NaNoWriMoer too, you can find me as Tamara28 and be sure to add me, I'll add back :)
Also, feel free to comment here which kind of novel you're writing and such..
I'm writing a YA contemporary, right now titled Incantation.

That's it from me for now, tty soon. Also, you can follow me on twitter if you want to see my progress...