Book Girls Don't Cry - The Books I Wanted To Love, But Couldn't

This week on Book Girls our topic was books we wanted to love, but coudn't. It was suggested by Ruby @ Feed Me Books Now!!! Don't you hate that? You are super excited for a book, perhaps you have already seen some awesome reviews for it, then you just aren't feeling it. It's such a icky feeling. It makes me sad that I couldn't just love this book that I was so excited for!! This isn't really a vlog type post so I will just put a post together for you.

Other Book Girls Posts This Week

Jenni

Giselle

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Oh guys!! I really, really wanted to love this!! I was so excited when I won an ARC of it and I tried... I picked it up at least 5 different times and it just wasn't doing it for me. If a book needs a full glossary in the back and has like 5 maps in the front, it's usually not a good sign for me. It feels too much like homework. And that cover is so, so pretty. I wanted to love you Stormdancer, but I have passed you along to someone who I hope can since I failed!

Level 2 by Lenore Applehans (Name Changed to The Memory of After and also has a new cover)

Okay, so this one was totally misleading to me. I knew that it was about the afterlife obviously, but I didn't know how much religion was a part of it. It seemed like it was almost constantly talking about God or sinning or something. And the MC pissed me off. She just let the guy, whatever his name was, tell her what to do and basically push her around. No backbone that one! I honestly tried very hard. No joke, I read probably almost 70% and was pissed off that it wasn't getting better and I was not enjoying it. It was at that point I said "Eff this!! I wasted almost 3 hours of my life on this and I refuse to waste more. DNF!" I know a lot of people loved this book, but I just was irritated and angry reading it so I figured I should just stop. I did read the end because I was curious though. It wouldn't have been enough to save it for me even though it was quite a twist.

Mind Games by Kiersten White

How I wish you were as awesome as your cover!! This was one of my most highly anticipated reads too and it totally didn't do it for me. I'm all about dual POV's when done right. I also enjoy the whole past and present thing. What I don't like is them combined, but in no order whatsoever. It jumped from sister to sister and back and forth from past to present. Neither sister was very likeable either and there was a huge lack of action. Don't get me wrong, there was some, but I expected more. The one great thing about this book besides the amazing cover though... the ending. Now that was brilliantly awesome!! Too bad that it didn't make up for the lack of awesomeness throughout the book for me.

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

This was another one that I was super excited for and it just didn't do it for me. I only tried like three times to read this one and gave up. I don't know if maybe I wasn't in the mood for something like this or what, but it was like torture trying to make myself read this. I wish I could say why I didn't like it, but it's nothing particular except I couldn't get into it. I DNF'd this after I decided to stop trying to force it.

Taken by Erin Bowman

Another case of the pretty cover lure!! The premise of this sounded great and add in the awesome cover and I couldn't wait for this!! Too bad that it had shitty characters that made me want to throw myself over the wall of doom to a fiery death. And I hate when there are conveniences thrown in to make the story flow. Like all of the sudden when things are bad, there this person comes out of nowhere and sacrifices herself for you. Ugh!! Not that this dude was even sacrifice worthy anyways!!

I'm leaving it at those five. I could keep going, I have like 7 more written on the list in front of me lol!! I know that Giselle had mentioned Unspoken and that is one that I also didn't like. In fact after four days of trying to read it I DNF'd it. Anyways, what are some books that you wanted to love, but just couldn't?

Review: Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (Imprint of HarperCollins)
• Publication date: 5/28/2013
• Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

My Thoughts

I love contemporary books. Especially ones where things all seem to go wrong. I think my mistake going into this one was thinking it was going to be similar to Ten Things We Did (That We Probably Shouldn't Have) because it was nothing like that. I have been thinking about how to write this review actually because I honestly didn't know how I felt about it at all upon finishing. I still really don't, but after thinking about it, I didn't hate it. I just left me not feeling anything. Not much happened and the characters were all out of their minds in my opinion. Not just the ones that are supposed to have mental illness. My brain was starting to hurt after a while and I was questioning my own sanity at points. I don't think that I really liked a single character in this whole book, but somehow, I still liked it... I think.

Kiri is the main character of the story and I honestly couldn't decide what to think about her. She is absolutely, out of her tree crazysauce! At first she just seems a little rebellious and perhaps made a stupid decision or two, but then she keeps making them. For instance, why would you go to some random stranger's house at night in the most horrible neighborhood ever? Yup, she does that... a lot.Okay, so after the first few times she actually kind of knows him, but still. Then, she's supposedly this amazing piano player, but she starts spending all her time running around, doing drugs, and just generally acting positively insane. Then she gets upset when her piano instructor calls her out on her lack of focus! And OMG she gets all excited that her and Lukas kissed and she touched his earlobe (which is mentioned more than once in the book) and it's like the most sensual thing in the world to her, but then she makes out with another boy for hours and runs around naked with him and never talks about that being sensual, or erotic, or whatever. Then, she's horrible to her parents, which really, they kind of fail in the parents of the year department, but still. Anyways, it seems like before her parents went away on vacation she was a pretty good kid, and now all of the sudden she just flips and is out of her mind? I don't know. She was a difficult character's head to be in. I felt like I needed some meds after reading this.

Onto the romance. So she's like totally pining for her bandmate Lukas, but he doesn't like her. He's a total freaking tool anyways, so I don't even get what she sees in him. The real romance is some random guy who she meets in the shit part of town that she had gone to to get her sisters things. Umm kind of weird right. And then, she's in love with him after two days too. *cue eye roll* He was nice and all, but it was obvious there was something not right with him too. They sit around, drink tea, frolic around naked, and read some spiritual book together. They know almost nothing about each other, but yet, they are in love. They even have sweet nicknames for each other. Crazy Girl and Bicycle Boy. How sweet right?! *gag*

There are other characters of course. Her neighbor and band mate, Lukas. He wasn't very likable at all. It's like he could care less that Kiri was around unless it's convenient for him. And her parents. From what we kind of learn, they are more worried about what they want then what Kiri wants. They kind of seem to blow off her feelings or what she might want. Though, I'm not sure if they are really that way, or if we just see it that way through her crazy head. The worst was her brother. He was not only a jerk, but he was violent and I couldn't stand him. I don't care how infuriating Kiri was, he smashes her things and practically throws her off of her piano bench. I wanted to punch him.

So there's not much of a story here except Kiri unraveling and going crazy years after her sister died. She is competing in Battle of the Bands, she meets the love of her life, and she finds out his deep dark secret. The thing is, even with nothing happening, and me feeling like I was slowly losing my mind along with Kiri, I think I did enjoy this. I think it's really saying something when I just can't wrap my head around my thoughts. I only wish that the mental illness had been addressed a little better, but it was an intriguing book that I couldn't stop reading, even when I couldn't stand the characters. Overall I did like it.

*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.

Book Blitz: In Darkness We Must Abide by Rhiannon Frater

What a super exciting Friday. I couldn't be more thrilled to be taking part in the book blitz for Rhiannon Frater's serial In Darkness We Must Abide. Season one which contains five episodes is out and you need this people! I have read it and it's fantastic. You can see my review of the entire season here if you are interested. Anyways, I will get on with this. You want to know all about it right? Here is the info. 

In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season by Rhiannon Frater
Genre: NA Modern Gothic Horror
Publication date:  May 24th 2013

Synopsis:
In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

This paperback includes all five episodes of the first season of the serial.

Purchase:

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ Autographed copies from author store

In Darkness We Must Abide

Q & A

Q: In Darkness We Must Abide is a supernatural serial. What exactly does that mean? What is a serial?

A: It means I’m crazy and just had to put more on my writing plate! Okay, in all honesty, In Darkness We Must Abide is sort of like a television show I’m writing for your brain. A serial used to be a very popular form of literature. It was an ongoing episodic form of storytelling much like popular television shows today. Each part builds on the one before it, creating a very rich story for the readers to enjoy. Serials followed pretty regular schedules for their installments (weekly, biweekly, monthly).

Q: So what genre is In Darkness We Must Abide?

A: In Darkness We Must Abide is gothic horror set in modern times. It has all the classic gothic horror trappings like a big, gloomy mansion, the deep dark secrets, the tormented lovers, and terrifying monsters. It’s an epic tale about a young woman who is caught up in the supernatural world of vampires, werewolves, witches, and ancient prophecies. 

Q: This story is a bit different from most of your books though, right?

A: Though it’s still a character-driven tale of horror, and has some truly scary moments, at its heart it is a very tragic sort of love affair between two people who are drawn to each other even though their worlds are tearing them apart. Upon reflection, I can definitely see how my love of Jane Eyre and other gothic romances influenced the central relationship. Armando and Vanora are wounded people that you want desperately to somehow be together, but you’re just not sure if/when/how it might happen.

Q: We only see bits of Armando in the prologues of the first two episodes before he appears as a central figure in episode three. He instantly became very popular in the first season. Why do you think that is?

A: Well, he’s delicious! LOL. Armando is not only very handsome and charming, he’s very complicated. He’s a man of many secrets and conflicting emotions. Though he’s an older vampire (400 years old), he’s eternally 22 years old and has a youthful spark to him. He’s a bit sarcastic, naughty, and playful despite the fact that he’s not all that he seems to be. Armando doesn’t come across as cruel, so I think that adds to his appeal. Yet at the same time, he’s dangerous in that he can totally break Vanora’s heart and possibly betray her to his Master.

Q: Tell us a bit about Vanora, the heroine of the story.

A: Well, we start our journey with her when she’s ten years old and her life is altered forever when her brother has his ancestors from Romania transferred to the mausoleum on their estate in Houston, Texas. Immediately, a chain of events starts that sends her plunging into a very dark world. That being said, not all is bleak, because she has a much older brother and sister who take care of her and love her. They’re a very strong family unit. As season one continues, we see Vanora grow up to be a charming seventeen-year-old on the verge of her adulthood. Of course, that’s about the time when things between her and Armando start to significantly change.

Q: Vanora is an albino. How does that affect her life?

A: Vanora’s albinism affects her life quite a bit. She can’t be out in direct sunlight, she’s legally blind (though her sixth sense powers allow her to “see”), her appearance draws unwanted comments and negative attention, and isolates her a bit from others as she’s growing up. That being said, the difficulties she has to overcome make her a formidable person. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself, though she may not be entirely confident at times.

Q: We finally got a good look at the villain at the end of episode 5, the first season finale. He’s an albino, too, and quite imposing. Will he take on a bigger role in Season 2?

A: Armando’s Master is definitely the villain of the story. In Season 2 we learn a whole lot about him and what exactly he’s up to. We also learn why he’s so fixated on Vanora and why he sent Armando to watch over her. That Vanora and the villain are both albinos is significant.

Q: What can we expect in Season 2 that starts June 7, 2013?

A: Well, the intensity of Episode 5, the season finale, is amplified. It becomes very, very intense and all the characters are in considerable danger. Of course, Armando and Vanora continue to be at the center of the storm. By the end of Season 2 the readers will definitely know where Armando stands and exactly what Vanora must battle against.

About the author

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

Author Links: Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

*Note from the author:

"On Friday, 5/24, I'll be doing two video Q & A's via the TinyChat application on Facebook. You'll just have to download the app and follow the link when I post it here. You'll be directed straight into the chat room.

The first chat is scheduled with Europe in mind. 1 PM Central Time will place this chat in the early evening. You'll have to check a time zone converter for the exact time in your country. This also can work for people who work in the evenings in North America.

The second one will be at 8 PM Central Time.

Basically, I'll be on live webcam and you guys and gals get to ask me questions about IN DARKNESS WE MUST ABIDE or anything else you'd like to discuss about my writing career, my books, or the horror genre."

 Giveaway

One signed copy of In Darkness We Must Abide Season 1 (Paperback) and a bookmark. (US/Can)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours

Cover Reveal: Darker Days by Jus Accardo

Happy Friday everyone! I have a fantastic cover reveal for you today from Entangled's DigiTeen imprint. 

Darker Days (Darker Agency #1) by Jus Accardo

Coming August 2013

Synopsis

Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course...

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.

Seven deadly ones, in fact.

They’ve got five days to recapture the Sins before they're recalled by the box, taking seven hijacked human bodies with them. Easy peasy—except for one thing...

There’s a spell that will allow the Sins to remain free, causing chaos forever. When the key ingredient threatens the life of someone she knows, Jessie must make the ultimate choice between love and family—or lose everything.

Excerpt

“So not your biggest fan at the moment,” I said, closing the office door behind me. The runofffrom my jeans had soaked my sneakers pretty good. With each step, I gave a slight squishing noise accompanied by an annoying squeak against the old tile floor.

From across the room, Mom stared. “What happened to you?”

            “It attacked me.” Tossing my bag on the couch, I sank into her chair and made sure to grind my butt into the cushion. Got it nice and wet. I was all about sharing the love—and right now, the love was soggy.

            She laughed, waving a folder in my direction. “Surely you’re overreacting. It was one little zombie. They don’t attack people.”

            “I’m serious, Ma. It tried to drown me. And the client assaulted me with ugly footwear. As far as punishments go, I’d say we’re probably square. I’ve learned my lesson.”

            “You’re serious?” Amused expression now replaced by concern, she crossed the room and leaned over her desk to get a better look at me.

            “As a coronary.” Once I was sure the chair had sponged up all it could, I stood and huffed past her. Pulling at my favorite T-shirt—the word Fate inside a blood red heart, is a four letter word on the back—I said, “Child welfare would not be happy to hear you tried to feed your only child to a walking corpse…”

“But why would it attack? Did you provoke it?” Folding her arms, she frowned. “Insult it, perhaps?”

            I winked at her. “Provoke it? Sure. I went and wiggled my ass in front of it yelling lunch just to see what’d happen.” I’d called it Stinky, but that didn’t count as an insult. Something couldn’t be considered an insult if it was true, right?

            Right eyebrow twitching, she fought against a smile. “But you’re okay, right? No bites, broken bones, head injuries, possessions…?”

I smiled and did a little twirl. “All in one piece and still me.”

Mom had a checklist she went through at the end of each job. I was known for taking almost as much damage as I inflicted.

“Oh, and you’re probably going to get a call from the client. I sorta smashed her fence in the process.”

            Mom groaned. “I told you to be more careful.”

            “It’s not like I tried to break anything.”

            “Something tells me you didn’t try hard enough not to break anything, either.”

            “In my defense, it wasn’t a simple trap and slap…”

            “We can’t afford this.” She reached down and pulled a white envelope out from under a stack of papers. “This is the bill for that Mercedes you smashed.”

            “Oh! So not my fault. How was I supposed to know that Spring Heel was gonna land on the car? If it makes you feel any better, I think he was aiming for my head…”

            “If you keep this up, we won’t even be able to afford the rent.”

            She was right, of course, and it made me feel horrible. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a wrecking ball wrapped in blue jeans. Take my cut of this job and put it toward the repairs. Keep my paycheck for the next month, too.” A good start, but it didn’t feel like enough. Sure, it would cover the damages—I hoped—but I felt guilty about upsetting her. The bills that were piling up kept her awake at night. This was only going to make things worse. We got a fair amount of business, but the overhead in our line of work was sky high.

As much as I hated the idea, I knew what would cheer her up. “I’ll even throw in pet possessions for the next month.”

JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. At the last minute, she realized her path lay with fiction, not food, and passed on the spot to pursue writing. Jus is the bestselling author the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing and is currently working on the first book in a new adult series due out summer 2013. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

Find Jus Accardo

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

So what do you guys think of the cover and excerpt? I think this sounds pretty good and I can't wait for it to come out!

Review: PODs by Michelle Pickett

• Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
• Publication date: 6/4/2013
• Pages: 288
• Source: ARC provided by the publisher for review

 Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

My Thoughts

End of the world by killer virus has been done plenty of times, but I loved the idea of people living in these PODs and emerging into a world that is so much worse than expected. The mutated virus has left any infected survivors violent, and hungry for human flesh. Zombies of a sort I guess if you want to think of it that way, except they aren't actual dead people reanimated. I loved the desperate feel of the story and I found it to be interesting and enjoyable.

Eva is one of the chosen people to live in the PODs while the virus kills itself off. Or so they think anyways. She was a character that took me a little while to warm up to, but I really did like her. I know that she didn't really have much of a choice, but it seemed like she got over losing her family pretty quick. She adapts to the POD pretty well also. I can't really say that I wouldn't do the same because I couldn't imagine being in that situation. Her "roomates" are quite a diverse bunch, and she gets along with them well. Most of them anyways. She is very smart, which is one of the reasons she was chosen for the POD. She discovers that this was no random lottery. All of them in the pods are within a certain age group and all super smart in a certain subject. She knows that they will be the start of the new world once they are out.

David is the love interest and I pretty much adored him. He was sweet and he would do anything for Eva. He does get a little of the male dominance thing, and the need to keep the women safe, but he doesn't do it to be a chauvinistic jerk, he just really cares and wants them to be safe. His devotion to Eva is amazing too. I loved the little things he would do for her that seem totally simple, but mean everything.

We meet a large cast of characters since she is stuck in the POD for a good portion of the story. I liked most of them, but one character made me want to throw things. I couldn't stand him. I get that he is pissed off at the world, but you would think after time he would kind of get over it or stop being such a tool, but he doesn't . I was not so secretly hoping he got eaten the second they are out in the real world. The others in the POD were great though, and they really became a family. The characterization was a big part of the story, and I am glad that I was able to care what happened to most of them.

The first half is slow, but not in a boring way. We are really getting to know the characters well and it's setting up for the investment we have in them once they are secluded anymore. The last third of the book is creepy and awesome. It's filled with plenty of action as they are constantly fighting for their lives against the people infected with the mutated virus. The romance is a huge part of this book too, but it is woven into the story well so it's not overshadowing the issues at hand. I think the creepiest thing about this book was I could actually imagine something like this happening. It had so much realism to it and I think that made it all the more chilling. This was fantastic.

 

*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.

Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Publication date: 5/14/2013
• Source: eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss for review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

My Thoughts

I have a thing about parallel universe books. I think they are super cool and I am always looking for great ones, so I couldn't pass this up. I have to admit that I was quite confused in the beginning as we see the "here" and "there" Abby's. It took a while for me to get my head straight and start enjoying the story. Not only are there parallel universes, but everything that Abby in the "there" universe does something differently than what she originally did, it throws things off in the "here". Lost? Yeah, I felt that way for a little while too. It does get better though I promise.

Abby ends up in Hollywood as an actress. Her meticulously crafted plans for her future not going as she thought they would. Then after her eighteenth birthday party as she's going to bed, there's an earthquake. This somehow makes the parallel universes collide. Abby, unlike everyone else remembers her other life. That isn't supposed to happen apparently. She can only remember certain things though since there is a year and a day gap between "here" and "there". Makes things awkward when she has no clue who her roomate is, or her boyfriend. I have to say that she handles things pretty well. She's a smart girl. I had a hard time connecting with her at first, but by the end of the book I was able to feel emotion toward the characters and the story.

Caitlin is pretty much her rock. Luckily she believes Abby when she tells her about what happened. Caitlin helps her by filling her in on the things that she has missed in the past year since something the other Abby did changed the way things are now. I really liked Caitlin. She was the super smart, honest, faithful friend. She would do anything to help Abby, even when Abby is selfish and not really thinking about what's going on with Caitlin.

I can't really say too much since it's really something you have to read and experience on your own. There is a bit of a love triangle type thing, but it is really great because it makes sense. What the "there" Abby does affects the "here" Abby, even if she doesn't know what has changed, so mistakes happen and it's not like she can just erase things. It vaguely reminds me of the movie The Butterfly Effect and how each action changes the present or future, except for in this case, it changes the Parallel Abby's world. I also want to note that the chapters go back and forth from her waking up as "here" and "there" Abby.

Overall I really thought this was good. Despite being a little confused and disconnected for a better portion of the first half, I was still quite intrigued and couldn't stop reading. As I got into the last third of the book, that's when the emotions started to kick in. After finally starting to connect with both Abby's and the other characters, all the changes and situations that were happening really affected me. I was close to tears at one point. This is full of twists and turns since you never know what the "there" Abby is going to do to change things. It wasn't perfect, but it was entertaining and interesting. A great debut. I will be looking forward to reading this authors other work!

*A copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.

Waiting on Wednesday 5-22-13

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine  to share what book you are highly anticipating the release of.

This week my WoW is Quick Fix by Linda Grimes. I really enjoyed In A Fix and can't wait to see where the story goes. 

• Publisher: Tor Books
• Publication date: 8/20/2013

The second installment of the original urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan

Ciel Halligan, an aura adaptor with a chameleon-like ability to step into the lives of her clients and fix their problems for them — as them — is working a job at the National Zoo with her boyfriend, Billy, and his ten-year-old sister, Molly. It's supposed to be a quick fix, giving her time to decide if it's wise to pursue the romantic relationship her charming scoundrel of a best friend wants, or if she should give Mark, the CIA spook she's crushed on since hormones first rattled her pubescent brain, a chance to step up to the plate.

Molly has already begun to show signs of being an adaptor herself. She's young for it, but she's always been precocious, so it's not impossible. What is impossible is her taking on the form of the baby orangutan she touches — adaptors can only projecthuman auras. Until now, apparently. Worse, Molly is stuck in ape form. She can't change herself back.

Escaping from the zoo with their new baby orang, Ciel and Billy head for NYC and the only person they know can help: Ciel's brother James, a non-adaptor scientist who's determined to crack the aura adaptor genetic code. But when Billy winds up in jail, accused of attempted murder, Ciel begins to suspect Molly's unusual adapting ability is more than just a fluke. Who's been experimenting on Molly, and what do they hope to gain? And will Ciel survive to find out?

This one sounds really fun. If it's half as fun as the first one I will love it. What are you waiting for this week?