Cover Reveal-- Victoria Scott's "The Collector"

The Collector (Dante Walker #1)
Victoria Scott
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Expected Publication Date: March 2013

 

Victoria Scott's cover for The Collector looks AMAZING!! If I didn't want to know about Dante Walker before then this cover has me wanting to know all about him. I know that I will definitely be finding out all about Dante Walker when the book comes out in March 2013. I know it's a ways away but I can be patient when I need to be. I can't resist a bad boy.

Book Description:

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

The Author:
Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. She has a master’s degree in marketing, and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.

Her first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2013. And her short story, FOUR HOUSES, is available now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She currently lives in Dallas with her husband, Ryan

Connect with Victoria:
Website     l     Twitter     l     Facebook
Add The Collector to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

I must say thanks to Entangled Publishing for letting me be a part of the cover reveal for The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel.

What do you think about this cover, Like it, Love it? Leave a comment and let me know.

Swoon Thursdays (34)

The ladies at YA Bound have created a hot and fun new meme called SWOON #YABound. If you want to join in here's what you need to do.

All you need to do is pick up the book you are currently reading or just finished reading. Find what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding and your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Then shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag  #YABound, post in the comments, or grab the awesome button from YA Bound (above) and share it on your blog!

I haven't gotten very far into my current read so I was unable to find any swoons yet. So I will use another swoon from one of my previous reads, A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink.

She could find nothing to say as his hand slid from her face to the curve of her neck, his fingers sliding into the waves that had come loose during her fight with Darius. The distance between them closed further, filling up with their bodies as they moved together. When he lowered his face to hers, she leaned up and met him halfway." SWOON #YABound

That's what have this week. If you found a swoon leave the link so I can check it out.

Review "Entice" by Carrie Jones

Entice (Need #3)

Carrie Jones

Publication Date: December 14, 2010

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Hardcover: 266pgs

Summary:

     Things in Bedford are a mess. The evil pixies that escaped are wreaking havoc on the town and its residents. On top of everything Zara is now a pixie, a pixie Queen to be exact. She's on a mission to find a way to Valhalla to try and get Nick back. It turns out finding Valhalla is not so easy and her mission is becoming extremely dangerous. If she can find Valhalla and Nick what will he think about what she has become?

Review:

     The characters in Entice are dealing with change especially Zara. We continue to learn about pixies since Zara is discovering what it's like to be one. Zara is different yet the same but she has to try and figure out how to come to terms with being pixie. I liked that even though she turned pixie some of the old Zara is still present. Which can be seen in the way she continues to think about phobias as well as Amnesty International. Zara believed that she had to become a pixie in order to be strong enough to bring Nick home. It will also help her deal with the evil pixies in Bedford. She's overwhelmed throughout most of the book by all she has to do. Though she has friends and family to depend on she feels as if it's all on her.

    There is quite a bit of new information on Astley's past, which allows readers to get to know him much better. Not only do we learn about his past but we get to see what kind of person he his through what he says and does. Zara spends a lot of time with Astley and the nature of their relationship changes throughout the course of this novel. Astley has become one of my favorite characters in this series. He's strong, dependable, and yet at times a little vulnerable. I really liked what we learned about him and can't wait for more of Astley in, Endure.

     Like the two previous books, Entice has very original chapter headings such as blog entries, tweets, status  updates and more. Entice was a good book that I felt added needed information to the Need series.I have to say I'm conflicted about who the better match for Zara would be, Nick or Astley. As of now I'm leaning towards Astley, I just think he fits with her better. Not that it is up to me or anything:) It's interesting to see how  a teenage girl deals with the growing demands that have piled up on her. I have enjoyed watching Zara become stronger as her life got more and hectic and weird. 

Cover:

     I like that this cover is similar to the others in the series. All the books have had different views of a girls face and some type of gold element. I love the way the gold glitter she's exhaling looks as well as the dust that has fallen on her lip. It's a simplistic yet appealling cover.

Teaser Tuesday (13)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading. Anyone can join in. Here's what you need to do.

♥Grab your current read.

♥Open to a random page.

♥Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

♥Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)

♥Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"It was pitch-black under the trees, the moon and stars lost behind a thick layer of storm clouds. If anyone started shooting, she wondered if she'd even dare to shoot back--how could she tell which shapes in the darkness were enemies, and which were friends?"

Dan Wells, Partials, pg 47

If you have a teaser leave a link so I can stop by:)

Review "Sweet Evil" by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil 

Wendy Higgins

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Paperback 454 pgs

Summary:

      Anna Whitt is a good girl; she doesn't lie, she gets good grades, and always does what she's told. But Anna is different from those around her, she can sense and see emotions in the people around her. When Anna meets bad boy Kaidan Rowe her life begins to change. Anna discovers she is the daughter of a fallen angel and there are others like her including the super hot Kaidan. She also learns that being a Nephilim is dangerous. Children of the fallen are required to be bad influences, not obeying could be deadly. How will Anna survive this new world she has been thrust into?

Review:

     I have to say I'm not sure if my review will express how much I LOVED this book, but I'll try anyway. There are twelve fallen angels (Dukes) on earth, each one has a job based on either the Seven Sins or the Ten Commandments. Their children must work for them promoting the sins of their fathers. Sweet Evil has such a unique take on angels/fallen angels lore, I was immediately captivated by what I was reading. Since this book is about bad influences, it could have gone overboard and moved out of the YA genre pretty quickly. I thought Wendy Higgins did a good job of saying what the Nephilim did while not going into too much detail about their activities.

     The characters in Sweet Evil are so engaging that I found myself instantly invested in what was happening to them. First there is the main character, 16 year old, Anna. She has lived a pretty sheltered life which has left her naive as well as innocent to the world around her. What I really liked was even though she may have been sheltered she had a backbone. When it counted Anna stood up for what she believed. Her life goes from normal to crazy pretty quickly and at times it's like she is living on an emotional roller coaster. Like most people she has ups and downs and I thought her actions made her even more believable and interesting. 

     What can I say about Kaidan Rowe besides the fact that he has an awesome name? He is the drummer for the band Lascivious and he also has a British accent. Kaidan is a very complicated character. At times it's hard to tell what he is feeling. He tends to keep his emotions to himself. Only allowing people to see what he wants them to see which is usually indifference. Which means I really want to get in his head to see what he's actually feeling and thinking. Kaidan and Anna spend a lot of time together during which time we learn a lot about him. The reader gets information on Kaidan's father, what his job is, as well as the ability he has that helps him with his work. I'm really hoping there is another book because I definitely need more Kaidan, one book is just not enough.

     There are quite a few secondary characters that helped to create Anna's world. We meet a couple of the Dukes including Anna's father(Belial) and Kaidan's father(Pharzuph). There are several Nephilim who help to illustrate what offspring of fallen angels go through. Not all the characters are supernatural, there are some humans who have a connection to Anna. The characters were vibrant and entertaining allowing me to enjoy Sweet Evil even more. 

     Being a fan of YA paranormal books I have read a ton of angel books but I have to say this one blew me away with it awesomeness. A lot happens in Sweet Evil but not so much so that I found it hard to follow what was going on. There is never an overload of information. Everything is explained bit by bit allowing the reader to digest the details while not being overwhelmed by them. During my first reading of Sweet Evil I got so caught up in the world and the relationships that were developing that I forgot to take notes. To fix this problem I immediately did a re-reading. And yes the book was just as amazing during my second reading. The ending made me want more but I didn't feel as though I was left hanging thinking wait it's over? Overall, I thought Sweet Evil was a amazing book with imaginative characters, a well developed world, and a creative story that has me eager for more. 

Cover:

     I like the cover of Sweet Evil but I'm not loving it. I like how "Anna" is dressed in a vibrant red dress and "Kaidan" is looking all mysterious in black. I also think the background with it's foggy forest is appealing. I'm just not really fond of the poses the cover models are in, they look a little awkward. Since they are the focus I keep zeroing in on their weird poses.  

Swoon Thursdays (33)

The ladies at YA Bound have created a hot and fun new meme called SWOON #YABound. If you want to join in here's what you need to do.

All you need to do is pick up the book you are currently reading or just finished reading. Find what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding and your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Then shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag  #YABound, post in the comments, or grab the awesome button from YA Bound (above) and share it on your blog!

This week my Swoon comes from A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink.

"At first, his lips lingered gently on hers. She wasn't sure what to do. What came next. But it didn't matter. Even this was enough, and she stood as still as she could, not wanting the moment to end. Wanting his mouth on hers forever. Then the passion between them erupted, and all at once, his mouth opened on hers and she fell into the warmth of his kiss." SWOON #YABound

Sweet right? That's what I found. How about you?

Review "A Temptation of Angels" by Michelle Zink

A Temptation of Angels

Michelle Zink

Publication Date: March 20, 2012

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

ARC 435 pgs

Summary:

     Helen's life is unexpectedly changed when her parents are murdered. After losing everything she is forced to go to strangers for help. Helen has more in common with these strangers, Griffin and Darius than she first thought. Helen soon realizes that she is different. She is actually the descendant of Angels and she has a job to do. But Helen is far from safe, someone wants her dead. Helen will have to use all the strength and knowledge she possess in order to stay alive as well as figure out who is hunting her. Will she be able to find out who is trying to kill her before it's too late?

Review:

     I'm not certain when A Temptation of Angels takes place but I liked the ambiguity. It allowed me to focus on the characters and the story, letting my imagination take care of the time. The novel is set in London, so I kept trying to imagine the characters with accents which worked some of the time.At other times I was to caught up in the novel to think about things like accents. I liked the concept of the Keepers a group responsible for keeping the world turning. Then there is the Dictata whose job it is to maintain the balance between good and evil. Throw in some demons and you have the makings for a really intriguing book. 

     Helen Cartwright is the type of character I love reading about. She may be innocent but she has an inner strength that she draws on to get her through difficult times. She has a strong desire to be independent, a girl capable of standing on her own. She believes she can do anything the boys can do, and sets out to prove it which she does. I loved watching her develop and realize that she was a strong young women able to handle herself in extreme situations. She may have been afraid but she never let her fear stop her from doing what she needed to do.

     We don't get a lot of background on the other characters. We mainly get to know them through their actions as well as their interactions with Helen. Griffin and Darius are strong and reliable, but while Griffin is easy going and patient, Darius can be condescending and stand-offish. What I found to be interesting was that we are able to see other sides to the boys which allowed me to see that there was more to them than meets the eye. I enjoyed learning about both Griffin and Darius and I thought each one helped Helen in their own way. We also meet Galizur and his daughter, Anna who both help the Keepers with their responsibilities. Galizur came off as a mad inventor type while his daughter seemed to be the one keeping things in order. Then there is Raum, a childhood friend of Helen's that causes her great distress. Of course there is a bad guy but I don't want to spoil all of the fun, you must read A Temptation of Angels to find out who he is and what he is after.

     I really enjoyed reading A Temptation of Angels, though it did take me awhile to get drawn into the book. The pacing in the beginning was a little slow, for me, but once I got into the story I was hooked and I couldn't put the book down. Even though I would have liked to see more information on the Dictata as well as the Blackgaurd, I did feel as though the book wrapped up nicely leaving me feeling satisfied with the story I just read.  

Cover:

     I really like this cover. It's mysterious, compelling, and immediately made me want to see what this book was all about. It just screams: I'm pretty read me.

          

Teaser Tuesday (12)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading. Anyone can join in. Here's what you need to do.

♥Grab your current read.

♥Open to a random page.

♥Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

♥Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)

♥Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"He looked down at her hand, a mixture of surprise and growing fury clouding his eyes. But she couldn't stop. Not now. She had too much in front of her." 

Michelle Zink, A Temptation of Angels (ARC), pg 192

If you have a TT leave the link so I can check it out:)

WHY (19)

Each week I try to come up with a question that has been on my mind in regards to reading or blogging. This week the question I have been thinking about is: WHY do I feel the need to discuss a book after I'm done reading?

     What I mean is, I will read a great book or a bad book and then have to share my thoughts about what happened, could happen or should have happened with those around me. Luckily my sister has the same taste in books that I do so I have someone to discuss my thoughts with. Sometimes I'll read something and I just have to talk about it. I can't leave my emotions all bottled up I have to let them out. 

     For example I just finished Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (loved it!!) and I felt the need to gush about what I just read. So I found (trapped) my sister and went over what I loved about the book. Since she's awesome she listened to me blather for over an hour about the greatness that is Sweet Evil. After my gushing session she decided to read the book for herself to see if it was as good as I thought it was. She loved it too!! 

      I also love to rant about the books I read that annoy me. For example, there is a book that I'm reading that has a love triangle in it that is bothering me. I normally don't mind love triangles but when the main character is really indecisive about who she wants to be with I get really annoyed. As I'm reading I get to go on tirades that go something like: why won't she just choose? I can't stand all the back and forth just pick someone. I then go over the pros and cons of the guys and why she should pick one of them. Yep, my sister listens to these rants as well. For this book we want the main character to be with a certain guy so we go over why we think she should be with him. 

     It's cathartic to have someone to talk to about what I read. I get to rehash what happened and I know that the other person is just as interested in what happened as I am. Okay I'll admit that once I'm done talking about the book with one sister I'll find (again trap) my other sister and go over why I loved the book with her. Since she not really a reader she just listens and hopes I won't go on forever but she knows me better than that;)

How about you, do you feel the need to discuss what you just read? And if so with whom?

Swoon Thursdays (32)

The ladies at YA Bound have created a hot and fun new meme called SWOON #YABound. If you want to join in here's what you need to do.

All you need to do is pick up the book you are currently reading or just finished reading. Find what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding and your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Then shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag  #YABound, post in the comments, or grab the awesome button from YA Bound (above) and share it on your blog!

This week my swoon is from Become by Ali Cross. 

"His lips landed on mine, lightly at first. A touch. A pause. His breath caressed my lips then he bit my lower lip oh so gently, until I pressed into him, begging to feel him against every inch of me. He groaned, a soft rumble of desire that left me quaking and reaching for him. He crushed his lips against mine and my world exploded with sensation." SWOON #YABound

That's what I found this week. What about you, find anything to swoon over?

Review "Captivate" by Carrie Jones

 

Captivate (Need #2)

Carrie Jones

Publication Date: January 5, 2010

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Hardcover: 273 pgs

Summary:
     Zara and her friends have trapped her father and his pixies in an old mansion but unfortunately pixies keep showing up in Bedford. The group believes they have no other choice but to trap the new arrivals with the other pixies in the mansion. When Astley a pixie king shows up, Zara's weird life gets even stranger. He claims to be different and seems to think Zara is meant to be his queen. Is he telling the truth about being different and if he is what does it mean for Zara? When things in Bedford take a bad turn Zara will make a life changing decision that she believes will help her protect the people she cares about.

Review: 

     I was glad to get back into Zara's world as she is once again compelled to deal with the pixies that continue to invade Bedford. In Captivate, Carrie Jones starts to tie in Norse mythology with pixie lore which I though was an interesting choice. I'm looking forward to seeing how this mythology will develop throughout the series. Some of the questions I had from the first book were answered, but this book left me with more questions that I hope will be solved in book 3. Captivate is full of new information as the group continues to learn more about pixies. I also really liked how the chapter headings in this book were pixie tips. Very different but very original. 

     Zara begins to struggle with her feelings about pixies. She doesn't see everything in black and white, she realizes that there are shades of gray in between, areas that they others don't seem to see. She knows the pixie situation is more complicated than she wants to believe. It's something she will struggle with throughout the book. One thing I enjoyed was that Zara continued to be involved with Amnesty International which is something she's always done, it's a part of her, and I think it adds a little normal to her crazy life. I did notice that she seemed to be ruled by her hormones and she let things go when normally she wouldn't. Her friendship with Issie grows as the two spend more time together. Issie is so adorable I was happy that the two were able to depend on each other. Devyn, Issie, and Zara decide to compile a pixie guide that has all the information they have gathered in one place. The book is also to help others if they ever come upon a pixie problem in the future. Zara and Nick have gotten closer, they have bonded over their shared experiences with the pixies. We are introduced to a new pixie king, Astley.  I was quite happy with the addition of Astley. He's funny, confident, and a huge mystery. I am definitely hoping for more of him in Entice. 

     Though I liked Captivate there were some things that bothered me. Nick calls Zara "baby" a lot, at times it felt forced and was a little annoying. It took me out of the story because I just didn't find it believable. I also noticed that Nick and Devyn were demeaning to both Zara and Issie. The boys seem to think that they are they strong ones because the are male which makes them more capable of making rational decisions than the girls. This type of behavior just aggravated me. I can't remember how prevalent it was but it occurred at least once. I also had mixed feelings about Nick. Sometimes he got on my nerves at other times he was the guy I grew to like in Need. I took issue with the group's use of the word "Tinked" when dealing with pixie issues around those not in the know. It doesn't stop people from asking questions and it seemed unoriginal to me.

Cover:

     Just like the cover of Need, I really like this cover. It continues the theme of gold dust with the eyelid and the tear. It's simple yet captivating ( oh yeah I went there) It's just different enough from Need but also similar enough that the reader can tell it's part of a series.