Blog Tour: Scintillate by Tracy Clark - Review and Giveaway

Title: SCINTILLATE
Author: Tracy Clark
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 304
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

SYNOPSIS:

A mighty flame follows a tiny spark

Cora Sandoval’s mother disappeared when she was five and they were living in Ireland. Since then, her dad has been more than overprotective, and Cora is beginning to chafe under his confines. But even more troubling is the colorful light she suddenly sees around people. Everyone, that is, except herself — instead, she glows a brilliant, sparkling silver.

As she realizes the danger associated with these strange auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a
gorgeous Irish exchange student who makes her feel safe. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and
primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother orders him home to Ireland upon hearing he’s
fallen in love. After a fight with her father, Cora flees to Ireland, both to follow Finn and to look for her missing mother.

There she meets another silver-haloed person and discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and
their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…and end her life.
 

MY THOUGHTS:

 4.5 out of 5 stars

This book went above and beyond what I was expecting when I first started reading.  I've read several good books this year, but there have only been a few that fall into the "I don't even want to stop reading to eat" category.  Scintillate by Tracy Clark was one of them.

I've been thinking about my review for a few days now because I like to at least seem like I know what I'm talking about when I put my thoughts out there...but I still come back to where my thoughts went immediately after reading the last sentence, which is that I really really enjoyed reading this story.

And after all, that is why I read.

I found Cora to be a believable 17 year old...I remember how it feels to be like I was living life on a leash, convinced that my parents were on a mission to squash all my dreams like a bug.  I also remember what it was like to lose all rational thought when talking to a cute boy -- the ones I could gather up enough courage to talk to, anyway.

And there weren't any cute boys with Irish accents and tattoos when I was in high school.  Trust me, I would have remembered. 

What I can't imagine though, is what life would be life if my mom had not been in my life, or what it would be life to be able to see auras and to have all these questions and not get any answers. 


Why is she seeing auras?  Is there a man really following her and what does he want?  Why are people dying?  What does her father know?  

 That is what Cora deals with.  She KNOWS there is more to her life than what she is being told and is unbelievably frustrated when roadblocks are constantly put in her path.  Still, she is determined to find out the answers, no matter what she has to do to get them.

I have to admit, when I first read in the synopsis that she takes off for Ireland on her own, I seemed a bit far fetched but once I started reading, I didn't even think twice about it.  I got so caught up in the story that I was able to take off my common-sense hat and see where the adventure was going. 

I am so glad I did.

Once Cora gets to Ireland, Ms. Clark's story really takes off.  Adventure, history, romance, deception, fate, hope...all the feels are there.  I found myself thinking I wanted one thing to happen and then maybe I didn't...but then maybe I did, but only if other things happened.  And even then, when the book reached the end, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the way there was enough open ending to make me want the next book as soon as possible, but I didn't keep trying to find the pages that just had to be missing from my Kindle because I can't believe it ended there. 

All in all, I am really glad that I had the chance to be a part of the book tour for Scintillate and I look forward to seeing where the adventure takes us.

There are some amazing blogs on this book tour.  Click here to see the schedule and to check out their reviews.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Tracy Clark is a young-adult writer because she believes teens deserve to know how much they matter and that regardless of what they’re going through, they aren’t alone. In other words, she writes books for her teen self.

She grew up a “Valley Girl” in Southern California but now lives in her home state of Nevada, in a small town at the base of the Sierra Foothills. Her two children teach her the art of distraction and are a continuous source of great dialogue. She’s an unapologetic dog person who is currently owned by a cat.

Tracy was the recipient of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Work in Progress Grant. A two-time participant in the prestigious Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program where she was lucky enough to be mentored by bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins, who taught her so much about the art of writing and cured her of her ellipsis addiction.

Her debut novel was inspired by her enchantment with metaphysics as a teen, seeing it as the real magic in life. Tracy is a part-time college student, a private pilot, and an irredeemable dreamer.

 Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads


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Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

SYNOPSIS:

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

MY THOUGHTS

4.5 out of 5 stars

Gah, I love dark and gothic stories.  And when those elements are blended into a unique retelling of my favorite fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast???  I don't know why I wasn't all over this book the very second I heard about it.

Nyx is the chosen one.  Stemming from a selfish promise made by her father, the time comes when she must leave her family and marry Ignifex, the demon responsible for the death of her mother and the ruler of Arcadia.

What I like most about Nyx though, is that she doesn't wake up and live every day with an "I'm going to save the world and I'm going to do it with a smile" mentality.  She HATES her destiny, despises her father for getting her into this situation, and resents her sister for being able to live a carefree life.  In other words, she is hardly a Disney Princess.  Still, deep down inside she does truly loves her sister and the country she is pledged to save.  As such the battle between such conflicting emotions starts to festers in her heart until she begins to maybe even loathe herself a little bit.

Still, she does what she must and life as she knows it changes forever.

She is thrust into a world of shadows and demons.  Ignifex lives in a house that changes at will and a life filled with secrets -- secrets that tease and taunt with hints revealed at almost every turn.  As the days and nights pass and with every moment she spends with Ignifex and with his shadow, Shade, she learns that maybe things aren't always what they seem.  Maybe SHE isn't what she seems.  Maybe the entire world isn't what it seems.

Did I mention this story is dark and twisted?   And that is is so so so good?

I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the relationship between Nyx and Ignifex.  From the moment Nyx walks into his house, she is determined to kill him - not exactly the recipe for a healthy marriage.  What she finds, however, is that even with the knowledge that he indirectly killed her mother, there is something there that pulls her to him.  Neither is what the other expected and the banter between the two characters is spectacular.  I love good snark almost as much as I love good swoon. 

Rosamund Hodge takes you on an emotional journey through a deliciously dark and thrilling world that I am already dying to reread.  Cruel Beauty is solidly in my top reads of the year - I'm calling it now.   

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for allowing me to read Cruel Beauty in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blast and Giveaway - Pendomus by Carissa Andrews

Ok, it is no small secret that I am a sucker for a good book cover, so when I saw the cover for Pendomus, I jumped at the chance to take part in this book blast.  I mean, just look at it!

SYNOPSIS:

Humanity has colonized on the tidally locked planet Pendomus. 

Residing between extreme heat and frigid cold is the complex known as the Helix. Within lies a highly sophisticated society functioning solely on humans fulfilling their life’s purpose as determined by their natural aptitudes and daily brain scans. 

Seventeen-year-old Runa Cophem has found her calling studying the ancient trees nearby and anxiously awaits a professional placement which will allow her to continue her work. 

Runa’s life takes an unforeseen turn when she’s brutally attacked and left for dead in those woods. Rescued by a stranger with blue hair, she’s immersed into a surprising way humanity has survived without the Helix. Fueled by a yearning to understand and an attraction she didn’t even know was possible, Runa tries to make a new life for herself. Yet, there’s much she doesn’t know about herself, about the planet, and the forces controlling her from afar. 

What she needs are some answers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in central MN, Carissa Andrews has always loved books. She started her career at 15 in a bookstore, just to be able to afford her book fetish. By 19, she worked for a magazine publisher. At 22, she was working for printers to learn their trade. At 27, she went back to school for graphic design, and became an award winning designer. Little did she know all of her experiences would lead her to becoming a self-publishing power house.

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Waiting on Wednesday - Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

From Goodreads:


Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair - or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker – unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

I am fascinated when authors take a traditional fairy tale and recreate it into something all their own, so it is no surprise that I loved the first 2 books in this series - Cinder and Scarlet.  Knowing that there is another one coming makes me want to happy dance :)

Now for the sad part -- it isn't published until February of 2014.  BUT, that does give you plenty of time to go check out the other two books, just sayin'.

Now that you know what I can't wait to read, what are YOU waiting for?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a meme hosted by the lovely bloggers at Breaking the Spine - head on over and see what other readers can't wait to read. 

Weekend Words -- Shadow and Bone & Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone has been on my Kindle for a while now and I've heard that Siege and Storm was amazing, so here we go.

Oh, and there is also the not-so-small fact that the author, Leigh Bardugo, will be at a book festival near me in the fall.

What are YOU reading this weekend?  Comment and let me know!

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

Holy crow.  I was absolutely blown away by this book.  Blown. Away.   Assassins and magic and fairies (but not like Tinkerbell) and challenges and this whole fantasy world...gah, I loved it.  You know how when you get really really excited about something but can't really put it into words so you just smile and wave your hands and smile and maybe giggle a little bit and smile some more...  Yeah, that's me right now.

I absolutely love stories with strong heroines and this story has the strongest of them all.  Celaena Sardothien is an assassin.  Yup, assassin.  And the best there is...except, when the story opens, she is imprisoned as a slave in a salt mine. 

Prince Dorian selects her as his champion in a contest to become the King's Assassin.  Pitted against thieves, soldiers and even other assassins, if Celaena can win, she must serve the King for 4 years.  Then she regains her freedom.  If she loses, she goes back to the mines and certain death.

Choal Westfall is Captain of the Guard and is in charge of Celaena's training.  He also doesn't trust her for a second...at first. 

“You have the skills,” Chaol said, “but some of your moves are still undisciplined.”
“That’s never stopped me from killing before,” she spat.
Chaol chuckled at her agitation and pointed his sword at the rack, allowing her to get to her feet. “Pick another—something different. Make it interesting, too. Something that will make me sweat, please.”
“You’ll be sweating when I skin you alive and squish your eyeballs beneath my feet,” she muttered, picking up the rapier.
“That’s the spirit.”
She practically threw the rapier into place, and drew the hunting knives without hesitation.My dear old friends.
A wicked smile spread across her face.”

As they train and as rounds of the competition progress however, he starts to see her as a person and not as a danger to his Prince or King. 

As the story advances, things happen -- well, obviously or it would be a very short book :)  But really, there are murders and Fae and deception and maybe even a hit of a love triangle...but romance isn't the focus of the story.  This is truly a fantasy book and after reading it, I wonder why I don't read more in this genre.  I am clamoring for more!

Sarah Maas has created a fantasy world that has totally drawn me in.  It was balanced and well-written and there wasn't a sub-plot or character that annoyed me -- not even the bad guys.  Crown of Midnight, the next book in the series, is out this August and I WANT IT NOW!   

Pantomime - Laura Lam

I need to figure out a way to review this book without giving anything away because even the tiniest of spoilers will be detrimental...but I enjoyed every page of this book. It was unlike anything I've ever read.

Ok...lets try this.

Pantomime is the story of a boy and a girl and their quest to live freely. Micah and Iphegenia have grown up living a lie. The rigid rules of a noble society cause them to live a life of lies and deceit until one night when an act of desperation sets them free. Or does it.

This review would be so much easier to write if I included spoilers, but I refuse. A huge part of what makes this story is the twist. Just trust me.

Laura Lam creates a beautiful world filled with nobility, adventure, romance and pain. I've never read a story dealing with the particular issue in this book and the awkwardness and pain I felt in parts totally enhanced my ability to understand the life of the characters. I can't imagine living my life not able to identify who I was or what I was meant to be through no fault of my own.

I can only hope that based on the way the book ended that there will be more to come. I'm not afraid to beg.

Click on the cover to learn more.