Waiting For Wentworth: 11/01/2011

Waiting On Wednesday - November 30

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Zero by Tom Leveen
Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Random House Books for Young Readers

Description from Goodreads:
"For aspiring artist Amanda Walsh, who only half-jokingly goes by the nickname Zero, the summer before college was supposed to be fun—plain and simple. Hanging out with her best friend Jenn, going to clubs, painting, and counting down the days until her escape. But when must-have scholarship money doesn't materialize, and she has a falling out with Jenn that can only be described as majorly awkward, and Zero's parents relationship goes from tense to relentless fighting, her prospects start looking as bleak and surreal as a painting by her idol Salvador Dali. Will life truly imitate art? Will her new, unexpected relationship with a punk skater boy who seems too good to be real and support from the unlikeliest of sources show Zero that she's so much more than a name."

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created at The Broke and The Bookish. Top Ten List of Books on my TBR for Winter (in no particular order).

1. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand. I am currently in the middle of reading Unearthly. I can't wait to read the second in this series.

2. Dreaming Awake (Falling Under #2) by Gwen Hayes. I may have to read the first book again since it was slightly confusing and I can't recall all the details right now.

3. Destiny and Deception (13 To Life #4) by Shannon Delaney. Hopefully we get more from Pietr's POV in this one.

4. Everneath by Brodi Ashton. I already have this on reserve at my library. I should be the first person to get a copy. Can't wait!

5. Fracture by Megan Miranda. A stand alone book. Not a series thank goodness.

6. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.

7. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood.

8. Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall #3). Hmmm, Archer or Cal?

9. Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard.

10. The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols. Pure fluff. This will be much needed fluff after the other dark books I have listed.

The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the eArc.

The Juliet Spell was cute and all, but not very deep. The characters didn't really get a chance to develop personalities at all. There was very little emotion in the story - the characters did and said things, but we never got a chance to know what they were thinking and feeling. For me, this made it hard to connect with either the characters or the storyline (which turns out really wasn't all that interesting!) Who doesn't love a handsome guy with an accent? But there needs to be something (anything) more to attract readers to the male lead.

Miranda is just an ordinary teen girl who uses her handy dandy magic kit to wish herself to be cast as Juliet in a local play. Something goes wrong, and instead she conjures up Edmund Shakeshaft, William Shakespeare's younger brother. Edmund takes his new reality hard at first (he cries for 12 hours. Who does that?) but he quickly adapts to his new surroundings. Amazingly, when Miranda introduces Edmund to her mother, she takes the news quite easily. Miranda's friends accept Edmund's presence like it's no biggie. They are all eager to 'help' Edmund adjust to the 21st century.

Edmund becomes Romeo to Miranda's Juliet, and zany times ensue during the play rehearsals. Lots of using the word 'ye' follow.

The Juliet Spell has a very cute premise, but the author just didn't pull it off. He should have stuck to the original 'magic' as explanation instead of trying to go high tech and math geeky to rationalize why Edmund appeared. And the sudden ending came.... suddenly. Not what I was expecting at all. It was very much of a let down.

For me The Juliet Spell was just okay. Enjoyable, but not overly so. Light and slightly entertaining, it could have been so much more. Maybe it will inspire teen readers to read Romeo and Juliet.

View all my reviews

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature hosted by The Story Siren that allows bloggers to showcase the books they have received, bought or borrowed from the library.

Bought:
Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Bought:
Nocturne (Claire de Lune #2) by Christine Johnson

Borrowed from library:
Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Original Cover:

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Hardcover, 272 pages

Expected publication: January 19th 2012 by Viking Juvenile

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again."

Redesigned Cover:

Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Page Count: 284
Published by: Entangled Publishing
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Touch was enjoyable. The author created an interesting world. The idea of a corporation controlling the Sixes was unique and intriguing. However, I found myself confused sometimes when information was being thrown at me so fast that I couldn't keep up. I had to re-read some passages to figure out what I had missed the first time around. A little more background information on Denizen and the Sixes would have helped. I want to know how it all started.

I liked the characters. Deznee is an adrenaline junkie. She was strong and fearless and never backed down. Although I would have liked to see a little more vulnerability from her. Kale was innocent, yet strong and protective, especially when it came to Deznee. He was also cute, but totally clueless! I enjoyed watching Kale experience a lot of 'firsts'. The secondary characters are quite varied - from best friend to very bad men, everyone played an important role in the story.

Touch is fast paced, exciting, and sick and twisted. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars