Cover Reveal: Feral by Holly Schindler

Feral by Holly Schindler 

 Release Date: August 26, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

About the Book:

It’s too late for you. You’re dead.

Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who found Serena, battered and most certainly dead, surrounded by the town’s feral cats.

Now Claire vows to learn the truth about what happened, but the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to discovering a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley. . . .

With an eerie setting and heart-stopping twists and turns, Holly Schindler weaves a gripping story that will make you question everything you think you know. 

Links:

Add Feral on Goodreads

 Pre-order Feral  

 Holly Schindler's website 

 Creepy and mysterious. If the description hadn't already convinced me that I need this book in my life, the cover very likely would have. *grabby hands*

What do you think of the cover? 

Waiting On Wednesday (25)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine! 

 

The One by Kiera Cass 

 

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: The Selection #3

 

Description from Goodreads:

The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned. 

 

Why I can't wait: 

Because I'm me, I am totally here for the luuuuuurve. LOVELOVELOVELOVE. I am DYING to find out how this one ends. And I honestly think I may ugly cry if she doesn't end up with Maxon. Also, I do not like Kriss. Because I'm jealous like that. But for real, I cannot wait for more Maxon. I want more of his sweetness. This trilogy can easily end up as one of my favorites if this book goes well. PLEASE LET THIS BOOK GO WELL.

 

What are you waiting on this week? And are you excited for The One right along with me? If so: WHAT TEAM ARE YOU ON? *stares* 

Valentine Book Boy Chat ♥ Kaiden from Sweet Evil!

As we announced on Saturday, each day this week, we're interviewing some book boys in honor of Valentine's Day! So today we have...

 

Kaidan

from Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins!

 

I'm sure y'all already know what Kaidan looks like, but just in case...

 

 

And because I couldn't choose between the two pictures...

 

**Courtesy of model Wade Poezyn!**

 

So yeah. SWOON TIME OVER. Now for the interview!

 

Kaidan Rowe! Hello, sir, and welcome to my blog! I am so honored you'd take the time to drop by! Thank you so much.

~Thanks for having me, luv. Glad to be here.

So we're here to talk about Valentine's Day. What is YOUR opinion on V-Day? Do you think it's a silly holiday or one that deserves to be celebrated?

~Personally I think it's a bloody brilliant sham.

I got Sweet Evil for Christmas and have not read it yet but I hear that you, sir are, ahem, "cocky" and "arrogant." I'm taking this to mean that you always have someone to celebrate V-Day with, if you want to celebrate it. So do you plan for whatever it is you do on this day, or do you just wing it?

~You shouldn't believe everything you hear, luv. I can be quite charming, as well. When I want. Okay...almost never, unless I'm trying to get in your knickers. As you can see I'm not a V-day kind of bloke.

My birthday is on February 12. Two days before Valentine's Day. Because of this, a lot of people like to mush the two days together. Valentine's Day-themed gifts and stuff. I think this is silly because my birthday and V-Day are in no way related other than their proximity to one another. I always love to hear other people's takes on this, so what's yours?

~Do you mean you get heart-shaped chocolates for your birthday? That's bollocks, luv. Unless you really love chocolate. Honestly, people can be so tacky in their attempts at thrift. Poor idiots. If you need some cheering on February 12th, I'm your man. ;)

How much value do you put into Valentine's Day? Is it special to you or does it depend on....I don't know, THINGS, or what?

~I've never had a girlfriend, so I've never been expected to do the whole ridiculous song and dance of candies, balloons, flowers, posh dinner, etc. Every day with Kaidan Rowe is a special day to be remembered and savored and...(you see, I'm playing up the "cocky" thing here, yeah?)

For my last question, because I really like to know these things, I just want to know some of your favorites!

Holiday? Halloween

Movie? Pulp Fiction

Band? Hm, too many to name

Quote? "I'm bringing sexy back." ~JT (hahahaha)

 

Sorry to break in, guys, but HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I swear, that is probably the best answer to my "favorite quote" question EVER. Hahahahahaha! I seriously can't stop laughing. HA!

 

Song? currently "Sail" by Awolnation

Person? Anna Whitt (what? don't look at me like that.)

Book? Fight Club

Food? everything

All right, and I guess that's it for our little mini-interview. Thank you so much for dropping by and putting up with...well, ME! I hope you can drop by again sometime!

~~~

 

HA! That interview is sadly over. Head on over to Jana's blog to check out her interview with Kaidan! Just click HERE!

 

Be sure to stop by our blogs again tomorrow to check out our last book boy interview with...

 

Dante!!!!

from The Collector by Victoria Scott!

 

I love Dante and V so much, you guys...I CAN'T EVEN. *squee!*

 

Now, if you've missed any of our Book Boy Chat posts this week, just click on one of the specified links below to head on over to the specified post:

Day 1 interviews with Dean from Dracian Legacy: ME.......JANA

Day 2 interviews with Daniel from the TOUCHED series: ME......JANA

Day 3 interviews with Trevor from Touching the Surface: ME......JANA

 

Don't forget to stop by for some Dante tomorrow! Goodness knows *I* wouldn't miss it for the world... <3

 

♥Jessica(:

Blog Tour: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook (Review + Giveaway)

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Format: eARC, 272 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher for blog tour!
On Amazon!

Description from Goodreads:
Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

Nobody But Us.

That title alone was enough to make me completely spaz over this book. It's so sweet. And then the cover? So much sweetness.

They're young. They're in love. They're on the run.

That tag line got me, too. Young and in love would appeal to me in and of itself, but then on the run? Heck to the yes.

So I was excited going into this book. COMPLETELY. And you know what? I love this book to pieces. It was good and it made me feel so, so much and it was what I expected and more. There were the sweet moments I was expecting, but then there were also a bunch of moments that just...they just had me. Killed me, hurt me. Surprised me. This book was a beautiful debut from Kristin Halbrook.

Character Rundown:
Zoe: I. Do. Not. Like. Zoe. At all. Okay, so she was 15. Right? I get that. But still, her...unintelligence just ticked me off time and time again. Another thing: she cried. A LOT. Seriously, pretty much every one of her arguments with Will ended in Zoe balling her whiny little eyes out. And she makes horrible decisions. The only decision she ever made that I wholeheartedly agreed with was her choice to stay with Will. I'd stay with this boy.

Will: THIS BOY. MY boy. I heart him so hard. His character just got me. He really, really did. He cares so much, and he tries so hard to be good, and protect Zoe, and I just AH. My heart aches for him. It truly does. All in all, he's an amazing guy. If only he'd been thrown into better circumstances, everything could have been so different. So much better for him. Goodness, I wish so hard.

Plot. The description/tagline pretty much tell it all. Or, well, most of it. There are other little elements thrown in that were not expected. This is a story about more than just two kid on the run. It runs deeper than that. I felt that. And then there were little surprised weaved in here in there. But the overall story? Pretty much expected. Except for the ending.

Will & Zoe. I don't like having to put those two names together because I adore Will and do not like Zoe. But there is no doubt in my mind that they care for each other more than anything. Honestly, they are a completely adorable couple. And I feel for them, too. Though I didn't like Zoe, I wanted things to work out for them so bad.

The ending. And this was just soooo frustrating. Don't get me wrong, there was a tear or two, but then I was just so mad. Angry. AHH. Why, goodness, why? And that is all I'm going to say. Because I refuse to spoil and I know y'all are probably trying to guess what I'm so upset about. Why my heart hurts so flipping much. But I'm going to tell you right now--YOU'RE WRONG. Trust me.

Overall, I love this book to pieces. It was beautiful and emotional and a gorgeous debut from Kristin Halbrook. I am so looking forward to reading more from her in the future!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristin Halbrook is a Seattleite who loves good coffee, good food, good music, good sports, good causes, and good reads. She’s both intense and a goofball, introverted and gregarious. Nobody But Us is her debut novel.

Find Kristin on:
Her website!
Goodreads!
Twitter!

 

GIVEAWAY:

Enter the tour-wide giveaway with the Rafflecopter below!

**I am not running this givewaway, therefore my policy does not apply. I am not responsible for the prize or entries.**

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

♥Jessica(:

Review: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Format: ARC, 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Won from Tera Lynn Childs!

Description from Goodreads:
Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

I've heard so much praise about this book--the most prominent to me being from Anna from Literary Exploration, of course--so I was super excited when I got this book. Seriously, it messed up my to-read stack because I could NOT wait to start this. Which is okay because this book? EPIC.

This book is so different from others I've read. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology, which I'm sure I've mentioned before, but I haven't really paid much attention to Norse mythology. But now, thanks to Valkyrie Rising, guess who is officially VERY interested?

ME.

Yeah, me. It was awesome to read about the Valkyries and Ellie figuring out what she should do, and how she would get her brother back. Plus, we also have Tuck thrown in, which added so much more awesome sauce to this whole wonderful story.

Character Rundown:
Ellie: This girl is fierce. She knows what's up and she can kick some booty when she has to. Or she can take a hit, too. Either way, fierce is the perfect word for her.

Tuck: OHMYGOSH I LOVE THIS BOY. You want to laugh? Go find Tuck. This guy is great. He's hilarious, gorgeous, and so completely swoon-worthy. He does have a little...let's just say a little trick up his sleeve, but that makes him all the more adorable.

Graham: Hello, good big brother. I love reading about big brothers like this; it's so sweet! He does have to learn how to listen to Ellie, but still. This boy is a sweetheart.

Other characters: Grandmother...badass in disguise. Kjell. It looked like this guy could be a third point in a love triangle for a while, but don't let that fool you. How could anyone compete with Tuck? Astrid, she's just a badass. There is no disguising it. And Loki...hehe.

The plot. This was one of those books I loathed putting down to do things I NEEDED to do, like sleep or eat or something. I was literally consumed by this book. And goodness...I was surprised in some parts. Yay for not being totally predictable! Something worth saying: this book is not a bunch of info-dumps. Just so you know. The mythology that ties in with the story is given to us with good timing.

Relationships. Two relationships in particular: Ellie & Tuck and Ellie & Graham. Let's start with Tuck because I love that boy. Ellie and Tuck don't haev the run-of-the-mill relationship. It started out as something that would never ever happen, and grew until it was something that would be silly NOT to happen. I enjoyed very much watching this shift between them. It was so precious. And Tuck was amazing, too. Now, Ellie and Graham. Graham is so protective. At the beginning, a little TOO protecive, even. It was nice to watch their relationship change to become more open and les of something Ellie wishes she could change. Plus, I adore Graham. As I said, he's a sweeteheart.

The ending. OOOOOO! There's going to be a sequel, right? Becasue if not, I think I'm going to cry.

Overall, I loved Valkyrie Rising! If you're looking for something epic to read, go pick this one up right now!

♥Jessica(: