Teaser Tuesday (11)

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 wasn't until I slipped the key Lucy'd given me into the lock, and stepped inside her apartment, that the fog lifted and I realized where I was. What I was doing. There wouldn't be any comfort for me here."

Ali Cross, Become, pg 99 

Review "Need" by Carrie Jones

Need (Need #1)

Carrie Jones

Publication Date: December 8, 2009

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Paperback 306 pgs

Goodreads

Summary:

     Zara White is having trouble dealing with the death of her stepfather. She's going through the motions but not really living. Her mom decides to ship her off to Maine to spend time with her grandma, Betty. While in Maine weird things start happening to Zara. First, she thinks she might have a stalker. Then, someone keeps calling her name trying to get her to go into the woods. Lastly, she keeps finding trails of gold dust in unusual places. What is going on in freezing Maine and what does it have to do with Zara?

Review:

     One of the things I really felt set this book apart are the unique chapter headings. Each chapter is started with a phobia and what that phobia means. I also like that the main character is a member of Amnesty International showing how she cares about improving the world even though her world has fallen apart. Need is set in Bedford, Maine which is described as a snowy, frigid place that can be quite scary after dark. Bedford can be a creepy place it fuels her imagination, the sun sets early and is surrounded by eerie woods. I think the setting helped shape the eeriness that the characters felt throughout this novel. It sounds like the perfect town for some weirdness to take place.

     As I mentioned above Zara is sent to Maine because of her inability to move past the death of her stepfather. Zara slowly begins to move forward as she makes friends and gets into school activities like track and starting an Amnesty International chapter at her new school. Zara is set apart from other female leads because of how she memorizes phobias which she uses to calm her down whether she's nervous or scared. Her devotion to Amnesty International made me like her even more because it shows that she thinks about more than just herself. Even though she is still hurting Zara still wants to help others, especially those who can't help themselves. Zara is not into violence but will stick up for herself and her friends if she feels they are being threatened.

     When Zara goes to Maine we are introduced to all the new people in her life. Her grandma Betty takes Zara in hoping a change of scenery will help Zara move forward. Betty is sarcastic, caring, protective and makes Zara feel loved as well as welcome in her home. While at school she meets Nick, a loner, who Zara is instantly attracted to. Her excitement about Nick is cute and is contagious especially to me. I couldn't wait to see if something was going to happen between them. Nick like Zara has a need to save people which comes out when he is around Zara. Then there is Issie. She is full of energy, always optimistic, and completely adorable. She also meets Devyn a friend of Nick's and Issie's who she becomes friends with as he helps her deal with the craziness that has invaded her life since coming to Bedford. we also meet Ian who seems to like  Zara, he shows her around school and walks Zara to her classes. Of course there is a mean girl in Zara's new school, Megan. She dislikes everything about Zara and doesn't mind letting her know.  I really felt that these characters were able to make connections with each other that were believable. They seemed to gravitate towards one another.

     Need is an engaging story with great characters that came alive as I read. I loved the pixie lore that they discovered as well as the information they revealed about weres. Instead of just blindly walking into danger the foursome did research to try and figure out what was going on. I'm not sure why their local library had a ton of books on pixies but the books did come in handy for the characters. This was a re-read and I enjoyed it this time as much as I did the first time I read it.

Cover:
     I'm a big fan of this cover. It's simple yet totally drew me in. I like how the gold dust that is talked about in the book is found in several different places on the cover such as on her lips and around the title. Plus, her neck is covered in creepy trees that seem to be pulling her in. Very Nice!

Review "Hollowland" by Amanda Hocking

Hollowland (Hollows #1)

Amanda Hocking

Publication Date: October 5, 2010

Kindle Edition 291 pgs

Summary:

     A mutated form of the rabies virus is unleashed on the world, essentially turning those infected into zombies. Though the virus has only been around for a year it has completely shut down the United States. Remy, along with other survivors are forced to flee when the high school they are quarantined at is attacked by zombies. She takes off in search of her brother when she finds out he has been relocated. She'll stop at nothing to try and find him no matter how dangerous the journey may be.  

Review:

     I found Remy King, the female lead, to be an amazing character. She is dealing with a bizarre new world and surviving as best as she can. When she is forced to desert the only safe place she has known since the outbreak the only way to keep going, for her, is to find the only family she has left, her brother. Though she has no idea where her brother might be she can't stop looking for him despite the dangers she faces. The deaths she has seen have hardened her which helps her survive. She has great survival instincts, she's resourceful, takes charge, and is very determined. My kind of leading character. She takes control of her life even though everything else around her is out of control. It was refreshing for me to read about a character who could depend on herself and didn't fall apart when things became difficult. My main reason for really liking this book is because Remy was such a tough female character. Not that she didn't get upset or sad but she knows to keep those emotions locked down so they don't overwhelm her. Through it all she realizes that she has forgotten who she used to be before the outbreak. Which was sad, even though she can now fit off zombies the girl she was before the outbreak is gone. 

     As Remy searches for her brother she is joined by Harlow, a young girl who was at the high school with her. The two meet up with two other survivors who end up becoming traveling companions: Blue, an almost doctor and Lazlo, a rock star. Blue adds a calmness to the group while Lazlo adds humor. Blue and Lazlo decide to go with Remy because they really don't have any other plans or options. They become a group, looking out for each other and help one another survive. As the group heads out in search of her brother the reader is able to see what has happened to the U.S. since the virus appeared a little over a year ago.Which I should say is disturbing. The group discovers pockets of people all trying to survive in various ways. There are several instances where they are attacked by zombies and we see how they are forced to fight them off. In these scenes we are able to see how resourceful Remy is along with why it's good to travel in groups instead of alone. Plus, I have to add killing zombies sounds really gross and I'm glad this book is fictional because ewww. 

     Though I really enjoyed Hollowland, I have to say it's kind of depressing. There are a few bright moments but the rest is kind of disheartening. At times it seems like Remy is fighting her way through hell to find her brother. For me, Hollowland is about how people have adapted in order to survive as well as how far people are willing to go to for one another.Although Remy has a hard time getting attached to people she has found good and loyal companions that help her with her search. The ending left me sad but wanting to know how the rest of the story plays out. 

Cover:

     I think the cover is okay but a little plain. I like the colors and the font used for the title but I don't think it really represents what the book is about. 

Swoon Thursdays (31)

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!

Unfortunately I didn't get much reading done this week so I'm going to go with last weeks book Sweet Evil again. I know rude but it's such a good book and there were several swoon worthy moments that I wanted to choose. So now I get to pick another steamy scene. 

"His mouth found mine in the dark, fiery and rough. I gave a tiny whimper before melting into him and pulling his face down to mine even harder. In that kiss we spoke all of the things we couldn't say. He kissed me with an urgency born of strong, unstable emotion: fury. Was he angry because of how I made him feel? Angry that he was powerless to change tonight's outcome? I didn't know, but I welcomed it". SWOON#YABound

That's what I found this week. Let me know what you think.