In My Mailbox (53)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea and explores the contents of our mailbox on a weekly basis.

For Review:

• Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler - no image yet! (GGMH)

Won:

• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - my review (Thanks Cindy!)

Bought:

• The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Random Buzz: (a site where you participate in fun bookish activities -including giveaways- and earn points that can be exchanged for books!)

• Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

And Then I Found Out the Truth - Jennifer Sturman

Young Adult
Pages: 272
Publisher: Point
Release Date: July 1, 2010

Delia Truesdale is still searching for the truth about her mother, who is in hiding somewhere in South America. But for now, Delia has to make do with ...more Delia Truesdale is still searching for the truth about her mother, who is in hiding somewhere in South America. But for now, Delia has to make do with her mystery-solving in New York City, alongside her Aunt Charley (a downtown hipster), her Aunt Patience(an uptown ice queen), a detective with a questionable taste in neckties, an eccentric psychic, her brainiac friend, and Quinn, the wealthy, gorgeous boy who--gasp!-- seems to return Delia's affections. Too bad Quinn's shady CEO dad may be involved in the scheme Delia is trying to crack. And a trip to South America may be in order after all...

On the same fun note as And Then Everything Unraveled, this sequel was equally witty and fascinating. Delia's voice is the best part of it once again, and the suspense of finding answers takes all the way to Argentina. The setting felt fascinating and it was so atmospheric I felt like I traveled with them. I love the way the author makes the time-line and the events feel so natural, any teenager can relate to the story.

All the characters were wonderful, except Quinn. I was really expecting more depth to his character all along. He disappears for the first part of the book, which made me dislike him quite a bit. Then makes his appearance again and sticks to his non-personality by being extremely perfect and not letting us know much about his feelings or showing any flaw. The pace of the book also felt a little awkward because while not much happens in the first half, the ending felt crammed and full of developments with no time for the reader to fully process and digest it. Still, it was the right ending and I felt fully satisfied. It just felt kind of abrupt to me.

Overall, another fantastic mystery/teen story so fresh and fun that I highly recommend it to everyone.

Goodreads / Amazon

And Then Everything Unraveled - Jennifer Sturman

Young Adult
Pages: 256
Publisher: Point
Release Date: July 1, 2009
**Book received from publisher
 

Delia Truesdale has no idea her life's about to change forever. She's too busy enjoying the California summer. Her internet tycoon mother, T.K. Truesdale, is out of town, and that means Delia can spend all her time at the beach, surfing. That is, until everything unravels.

Her mother suddenly goes missing, and everyone thinks she's dead - except Delia, who knows T.K.'s way too organized to simply disappear. But Delia's still sent to New York to live with her two aunts - a downtown bohemian and an uptown ice queen.

And in case that's not bad enough, she also has to deal with a snooty new school and trying not to fall for the wrong guy. Oh, and finding her mother.

As she delves deeper into the tangle of conspiracies and lies surrounding T.K.'s disappearance, Delia begins to suspect that the wrong guy may be the right guy...and that some secrets - especially the dangerous ones - were never meant to be unraveled.

Oh, wow! I loved this book! A very witty and fun detective-type of story. The writing was fantastic. It pulls you in right away. Delia's voice is one of the best voices I've read in a while. She's a down-to-earth, hilarious, no-nonsense character. The type of character anyone would love to read about. You'll laugh out loud with her sarcasm.

The plot was rich and delightful. A mixture of a coming of age story with the suspense of a conspiracy. Delia's mother is dead, except Delia thinks she's not, and she's determined to prove it. But first, she has to face her aunts in a new city, a new school, which includes a hot mysterious guy... you get the point. The characters were wonderful; all so different and unique, it's hard to believe they're not real. Quinn, the male lead, needs a little more depth, I feel I don't quite get him yet, so I'm hoping for more of him in the sequel, And Then I Found Out the Truth.

Overall, I think this is a must read for any YA lover for it's uniqueness and originality. A fresh mystery/adventure that will have all readers begging for the next book.

Goodreads / Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday (55)

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

CLARITY by Kim Harrington

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

 Release Date: March 1, 2011

Goodreads / Amazon

Super Fun Go Green Contest! (Giveaway)

Ever since The Story Siren did her angels guess-the-cover contest, I've been wanting to do one because I had SO MUCH FUN doing it!

Finally I had the time (it takes time) to do it, honoring my favorite color and urging you guys to remember to GO GREEN in life! Seriously, I have no way to check on it, but I'm trusting all entrants to do something for the planet this month, okay? (you know, recycle, buy a hybrid... whatever) Hopefully, you'll also figure out how the world needs it right now and you'll keep on doing it! :)

Here's the deal: guess the titles of these green-cover YA books. For each book you guess correctly, you get one entry. And they are all very easy!! :) Plus, one entry if you share, adds up to 11 possible entries!

Rules:

• Fill out the form below (You must guess at least one cover to enter)
• Share the fun (twitter, facebook, sidebar...)
• Contest open worldwide and ends August 28, 2010.

Winner gets:

• LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater (hardcover)

YA Releases

This is a weekly post to spotlight (some) YA books that will be releasing during this week.

• Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt
• Girl Parts by John M. Cusick
• Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels

 

• The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller
• The Body at the Tower (The Agency #2) by Y.S. Lee
• Winter Longing by Tricia Mills