Review: Beautiful Disaster

Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Atria Books
Rating: 5/5

This book is sneaky. It has a cover that’s pretty enough but nothing special; a synopsis that again sounds average. Ratings are for the most part split down the middle: one and two stars versus five stars. All of this had me convinced I wouldn’t like it very much. And what did this book do? Sneer at my lack of faith and shove its brilliance in my face. So before I go any further - Beautiful Disaster, you have my sincerest apologies.

What’s strange for me is that I can see exactly where people would criticise this book. I can see where, in normal circumstances, I would have criticised it – the plot, the characters, the relationship. These were the exact same problems I had with Fifty Shades of Grey. I’m not even talking about the disturbing elements of it, I just mean the huge flaws in the characters, the unhealthiness of the relationship, the way they always came back to each other despite events and intentions. Yet something about Beautiful Disaster kept me turning the pages, had me smiling and laughing and being so thankful I’d bought this book.

A lot of it centres on the relationship between Abby and Travis. Travis is known for his one-night stands, so the consistent familiarity between him and Abby is unprecedented. Abby herself begins resistant to his charms, but after a while she can’t help but accept their friendship. The bet they make at one of Travis’ fights seals her fate: she’s stuck at his apartment for a month and they inevitably grow closer. I have to say, the way they acted towards each other and the scenes where they were getting ready for bed just constantly made me think they were acting like an old married couple (add in the puppy and the family is complete). They were either at each other’s throats or blissfully happy. When it was bad, boy was it bad. But when it was good...you see where this is going. Their relationship was completely all over the place and it would always impact everyone else. It wasn’t particularly healthy, but endearing all the same.

Abby wasn’t the girl I was expecting to meet. The description isn’t entirely accurate because it paints the image of a good girl, but in actuality she doesn’t have many of the traits you’d associate with such a person. I liked Abby for her initial resistance to Travis in comparison to the flirting of almost every other girl that approached him. She did have some measure of strength. When she says she’s going to walk away, she does actually walk away, and I felt sorry for her when I learned the truth about her dad. There were, however, some choices she made that weren’t exactly wise, particularly for someone so young and supposed to be studying, and the thing she had going on with Parker (it wasn’t what I’d call a true relationship) was stupid and pointless.

Travis...Travis. What can I say? I think I fell for him pretty quickly. Everything about him, from the tattoos, to his lack of commitment, to his possessiveness, are not things I exactly appreciate...yet the picture in my head and the way he came across completely got to me. And the thing about Travis is that he changes. Yes, his dependence on Abby is unhealthy (again with that word!), but she makes him into someone who cares and has respect for a girl; she turns him into a complete softie, at least as far as she’s concerned. He is very over-protective, but he learns to give Abby her space and restrain himself (at times) from acting irrationally. He can be really sweet. He...ugh. I just cannot explain how much I love Travis, despite all his ridiculous, fatal flaws. I loved meeting his family – from his description of his childhood I didn’t think I’d like them, but then we see that they changed and so the family we meet are close, warm and welcoming.

There is more to the plot than just the journey of Abby and Travis, but I will admit not much. There’s the truth about Abby’s relationship with her father, but that doesn’t come until late in the book, plus something else that comes even later. It can be quite repetitive – up, down, love, hate, argue, make up. I honestly don’t understand how the author made me fall in love with this book, because all of the flaws in here are ones I usually take issue with. But love it I did and honestly? I’m looking at the book right now and thinking I need to re-read it. I need to get back into that crazy world. I think I will be very soon.

Beautiful Disaster is not for everyone. It’s so obviously good and so obviously bad at the same time. If you do decide to take that step and go for it, I hope you enjoy it. If you decide to give it a miss, that’s definitely understandable. Myself, I read this out of curiosity and was lucky enough to fall in love. And that’s all I can ask for.

Waiting on Wednesday (#s9&10)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.  I realise this post is early, but I'm travelling tonight, will be out tomorrow, and won't be home till after midnight. Since I was away last week, I also have another double. :)

Title: Finale (Hush, Hush #4)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Released: 23rd October 2012

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?


Title: Conjure (The Hoodoo Apprentice #1)
Author: Lea Nolan
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Released: 16th October 2012

Be careful what you search for...

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.

Summaries taken from GoodReads.

OK, so Hush Hush.  I have been aware lately of how quite a few people are getting tired of it, of how they don't like the title, etc etc.  But I am so excited for it!  I can't even tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing where Becca Fitzpatrick takes this story and how she wraps up such an amazing series.  Recently I also saw that Conjure has a cover, and it's only peaked my interest.  I love the whole mysterious atmosphere of it.  Plus, the synopsis is just...*shakes head*.  A mention of the 18th century?  A message in a bottle?  Treasure?  Flesh-eating Creeps, demon dogs and walking skeletons?  I think I just died.  I need to see where this goes.

What about you?  What are you waiting for this week?  Link me up and I'll be sure to check out your WoW posts. :)

Review: Blood Red Road

Title: Blood Red Road (Dust Lands #1)
Author: Moira Young
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Released: 7th June 2011
Rating: 5/5

Blood Red Road is not your average dystopia. Saba is not your average heroine. This is not average book.

And that makes is brilliant.

Saba is content with her life. Sure, she doesn’t have a good relationship with her younger sister, and her father is crazy, and they don’t live in the best of conditions – but as long as she has her brother Lugh, everything’s fine. Until one day, Lugh gets taken. Clueless as to why it was him specifically the kidnappers were after, Saba sets off on a journey to get him back to matter what. Along the way she meets both trouble and friends, and learns just how strong she really is an a world both ravaged and harsh.

I was warned that the writing would be something of a shock before I read this. So of course, I opened it and prepared myself for what might come. I was surprised when I found out the cause of all the fuss, but it didn’t hold me back from turning the page. If anything, it kept me going. I loved how it reflected a particular dialect and way of speaking, and how it sort of emphasised how backward society is in the book, as it is in other dystopias. Moira Young has taken an incredibly brave step; I can see how some people might instantly dislike it. Fortunately for me, I loved it, and I adapted to it surprisingly quickly. Then again, I have read A Clockwork Orange. If I can read that, I can read anything. ;)

Saba was a fantastic protag. She is so. Utterly. Focused. When her brother is taken, all she wants is to get him back. Everything she does it meant to help her get him back. No distractions allowed. Sometimes I’m reading a book and I’m shaking my head or raising my eyebrows at how quick the girl is to let the guy get under her skin and distract her. Not Saba. I was surprised at how fiercely she felt about her brother, and it was sweet. Certainly nothing like the relationship between me and my brothers. She’s tough and independent and her character goes through a lot of growth, making reading from her perspective a real pleasure.

Jack was just a treasure. He’s a vivid, lively, dimensional character. Funny, sweet, serious, you get to know exactly what kind of a person he is. There’s very much this push-and-pull sort of relationship between him and Saba. Jack is very unwilling to lay out his feelings for her and forgive her every time she pushes him away until she recognises what she’s done and actively try to do something to reverse it. The dynamics between them were constantly changing and I appreciated the difference between their relationship and a tonne of others I could mention. Initially when I met DeMalo, the King’s second-in-command, I thought there was going to be a love triangle. There wasn’t. There was, however, something. DeMalo has an edge to him that makes me very hopeful of seeing more of him in the second book.

The Hawks were another set of brilliant characters. The King, while dangerous, was also quite comical, to me at least. The way he dressed and something he said in a fight scene just made me smile. I loved the grittiness and the world-building, and just almost everything in this book. I had every scene and image clear in my head. A truly wonderful book that has me excited to see more, Blood Red Road definitely makes one of my favourites I’ve read this year.

*Collapses onto sofa*

Ok, so technically I didn’t collapse.  But I was very tired by the time I got home yesterday.  The week was packed with so.

Much.

Stuff.

I am not even joking.

Can you believe I went for two or three day without even thinking about the internet?  Then on Thursday night in bed I realised with a jolt that that was exactly what had happened.  What does that say?

But the week was amazing.   Annnnnnnnd...check out these pics.



DR&Co walked here

DR&Co passed here

DR&Co were here

For those of you who don’t know, this is the courtyard in Harry Potter.  That’s right.  I went there.  Be jealous.  This is the part where if you’ve seen another part of Hogwarts you don’t say anything.

Anyways.  I did miss you guys!  While it was sad to leave, I’m also happy to be back.  There’s so much to catch up on.  I do have a review for you, though it mostly was written last night.  Apologies if it’s not up to par, I read the book a week-that-feels-longer-than-a-week ago.  So I guess I’ll finish this post here and go on to put the next one up. J

-A

Heads up!

Hello lovelies!  (I’ve wanted to say that for ages ;))

Sooo, as the title says, just a heads up:  I’m going to be gone for a while.

Wow, is it me or did that sound ominous?  But relax, because I’m only going to be away for a week! 

I have a summer school at a university that runs from tomorrow to Friday 24th, where I get to study more about a subject that I love and do other fun stuff, and just generally get a feel for somewhere I’m considering applying to.  At my age, this is the kind of stuff we have to think about and act on.  Cue tears.  The thing is, I have no idea how often I’ll be able to get to a computer.  My guess is, not much, at least not outside of whatever computer time we have for our work.  And that’s OK, because it’ll give me time to (hopefully) sort of get over my internet addiction.  Because let’s face it: ever since I got really into GR, and then started blogging, I started going on the computer all.  The.  Time.  Now by the time I come back, I may be an inch away from the grave as a result of it, but at least I will have been forced to do something else.  Lots of somethings.

I don’t know how much reading time I’ll have.  I’m storing lots of lovely books on my Kindle just in case, plus the train journey there and back is going to be long anyway, so if I do get to read something, I’ll pen a review and put it up when I get back.  Be warned, you may see me pop up in a thread or conversation somewhere, maybe on Twitter, all depending on phone signal.  Or not.



So, assuming I don’t get lost at the train station or get on the wrong train (I’ve never been on a train by myself before.  A tube yes, but a train??  Help!), I’ll see you all in a week!

Missing you guys already ;)

Happy reading

-A

Review: Gone

Title: Gone (Gone #1)
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Released: 24th June 2008
Rating: 4/5 stars

I actually started this about two years ago and I have to admit, I only got so far before I stopped reading it altogether. I think it was just because I wasn’t really getting into it at the beginning and I was too impatient to stick with it. But this time I did, and honestly? It was so worth it.

Sam Temple is sitting in class with his fellow students, listening to Mr Trentlake teaching them about the Civil War when suddenly, he disappears. No warning. Just poof. Gone. And it’s not just his teacher. It’s every teacher, every parent, everyone, in fact, aged 15 or over. Following this strange and disturbing event is the discovery of a barrier, something the kids come to call the FAYZ. What then begins is a battle – a battle to keep order and structure in a world that suddenly has no rules and, ultimately, a battle to survive.

Michael Grant is a truly brilliant writer. The world he has constructed here is, I think, quite true to what would actually happen if such a thing occurred. There’s always going to be someone who jumps at the chance to exploit a bad situation – in this case, someone who wants power over everyone else. Likewise, there’s always going to be someone to balance it out and fight for what is right. This makes a power struggle inevitable and Grant has really portrayed and developed this idea well. Vivid and realistic, I was able to visualise this world clearly and share in the brutality and peace, the hope and despair. The author does not shy away from the dangers and realities of such circumstances, and so the harshness is reflected here, making it all the more believable. I also liked the fast pace. There were times when I found my interest waning, but it always picked up.

Sam Temple blew me away by how strong he was. He was a compelling mix of strategic fighter, capable leader and regular guy. Sam knew how to step up to a situation. Sure, he didn’t want to be the one everyone looked up to, but when it came to crunch time, he accepted that responsibility. Modesty was his response to people’s claims of his heroism. Mixed in with that were moments of self-doubt and anger that it all came down to him. Mixed in with that was a school crush which then evolved into something deeper. He sounds too good to be true here, but when you read the book, you know what he comes across as? Real. Sam Temple is real.

When I started this, I had misgivings about reading from what is, for me, such a young perspective. But those soon went away, because it struck me that that perspective grew to sound a little older. A lot of the characters sound slightly older than their years. I think that it really worked in this case, because the events these characters go through are gruelling. Tough. Yet Grant doesn’t do this unrealistically. There are still youthful turns of phrases and behaviours that keep these characters true to their ages and all the more real.

One character I took exceptional issue with was Sam’s supposed best friend Quinn. To be honest, I reached a point where I was just sick of hearing his voice. I found him to be such a weak character, personality-wise. I can understand him freaking out, but in light of all the stronger characters around his, I couldn’t understand how consistently pathetic he was. Constantly whining and resentful, he dithered between being the puppet of Caine and Orc (those in favour of power and brutality) and trying to stay in Sam’s good books. He didn’t have the guts to pick one side and stick with it. Any trace of his morality evaporated. And he wasn’t the only one. Jack was another to earn my disdain.

Orc was someone I really didn’t like. Not in that I was scornful of him, like with Quinn, but in the sense that I couldn’t believe what he was doing. His sole focus on becoming someone to be feared disgusted me. The acts that focus drove him to, disgusted me. It’s strange because while Caine was just as evil, if not more so, I didn’t have quite the same reaction to him. I didn’t like him, but Cain was different. Much as I’m less than impressed with these characters, I do think it’s a sign of good writing here, because all of these character types can be found. Plus, it all gets a reaction. Grant wrote in third person, but from different perspectives, and I enjoyed reading from all these different voices.

Overall, Gone was much more impressive that I thought it’d be. I seem to have this thing where I read books after all the hype, so I’m pretty late on this one. Fast-paced, action-packed and less straightforward than this review owns to, Gone is not a book you want to have missed.

Waiting on Wednesday (#s 7 & 8)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine the spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.  I didn't put one up last week so here's a twofer.

Title: Mind Games (Mind Games #1)
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: 19th February 2013

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.
In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.


Title: Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1)
Author: Lenore Appelhans
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Released: 15th January 2013

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

I loved Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, so I'm definitely looking forward to see what else she's come up with, especially as the premise for this is completely different.  Level 2 sounds like an intriguingly different take on the whole story of angels and the battle between Heaven and Hell.

What about you?  What are you looking forward to this week?

Review: A Beautiful Dark

Title: A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1)
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: 27th September 2011
Rating: 5/5 stars

When I’m fully engaged in what I’m reading and it’s all cute and exciting, I have this thing where I can’t stop smiling and I’m in a good mood and a little bit random. Yes, I’m weird, I know. One brother looks at me like I’m crazy, the other tells me to be quiet (not so politely) and my dad just says, ‘She’s off again’ in a tone that says he doesn’t expect anything less by this point. But the point is, I’ve been in kind of a haze lately, like my brain was full of cotton wool and though I was enjoying some of the stuff I was reading, I wasn’t really connecting with it. A Beautiful Dark got through that fog.

Skye’s seventeenth birthday triggers a chain of events she didn’t see coming, and it all starts with the birthday party – one she never wanted in the first place. Just seconds after two mysterious strangers get into a fight, what’s first assumed to be an earthquake forces the party to a head. Thinking that to be the end, she’s shocked to find that those same strangers, Asher and Devin, are now going to her school. Not only that, more weird stuff is happening. She soon realises there’s more to Asher and Devin than it appears, that they belong to two different sides, and their story is going to bring her life crashing down around her, and with it, a question: which side will she choose?

I know what you’re thinking. Angels, Nephilim, you’ve heard it all before. Think again. This book doesn’t even use the word Nephilim. I guess, now that I think about it, I can see some parallels between the angel story here and elsewhere, but the way it’s set out makes it seem completely different – in some ways, is different. I love the idea of there being two opposite sides, neither one quite what you’d expect despite their obvious labels of light and dark, good and evil, Order and Rebellion. The conditions that come with being a part of one of these factions aren’t exactly ones you’d accept lightly and Davies does a great job of showing that, however great or ideal something seems on the surface, there is always more to it.

Skye was definitely likeable. She’s remarkably mature: persevering, very academically focused and her experiences mark her more than they would someone else. What I found moving was that it was all for her parents, who died when she was six. Mostly she was tough and tried to get on with things as best she could, but occasionally that vulnerability would show. Despite such a tragedy, it didn’t make her resentful of legal guardian Aunt Jo. It was sweet to see how much they loved each other. Skye’s best friend, Cassie, was a little annoying at first, but that soon went away and she proved to be a good friend. Ian and Dan weren’t hugely present for me, though I did appreciate Dan’s concern for Skye. There was a bit of confusion in her when it came to Asher and Devin, which I can see putting some readers off, but I think there was a heavy incline toward Asher.

This brings me nicely to the two angels, or as Devin corrects Skye, Malakh, meaning messenger. Devin, blonde-haired, blue-eyed and white-winged as he is, belongs to the Order, the faction responsible for peace. Being on the side of the light, you’d think he’d be friendly and understanding, right? That’s what I’d expect, anyway. But actually, he’s more on the pushy and less on the understanding. In a way I feel bad for being critical of him, given that he has no choice – literally. In the Order, you either set the rules, or you follow them, and Devin falls into the latter category. Despite that, I couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated at how closed off he could be. There were times when another side to him emerged, but no sooner did that happen than he was back to his old self. But then again, the last time we see him in the book...you see how there are two completely different angles to look at him and how confusing it can get.

Asher, our traditional tall, dark and handsome, is a Rebel. He was cheeky, flirtatious, always joking around but also serious at times – in short, completely lovable. When you think of a group being ‘light’ or ‘good’, you immediately assume or are told that the other is the exact opposite. In this case, I don’t think that applies. Neither side is good and neither side is bad, something the author explores well here. Davies keeps you on your toes. There’s one obvious point where the reader isn’t sure whether to trust Devin or not, but when it came to Asher, no sooner do you completely put your faith in him than something happens to make you realise, perhaps you were wrong.

Overall, this book completely surpassed my expectations. I’ve seen quite a few negative ratings for this and a friend of mine warned me expressly, so I was a little cautious, but thankfully it worked out fine for me. With an engaging plotline, some great characters and a killer ending (no pun intended ;D), this is definitely one to get your hands on.

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Released: 30th August 2011
Rating: 4 stars

Those of you who know me know how wary I am of books with hype. When I saw this in the shop, I was excited that I’d get to (finally) read it, but also a bit cautious. Now I can happily say that this book was good. It started off a little bland, but a few chapters in it picked up and made me want to see it through to the end.

When you hear the word ‘ghost’, what do you think of? White sheets with holes for eyes? Translucent shapes that go around opening and slamming cupboard doors? Peeves the poltergeist, with all his mischief? Cas Lowood would tell you different. Ghosts can get much worse. And sometimes when they die, they stick around to inflict their cause of death on clueless passers-by. It’s Cas’ job to send them to...wherever it is they need to be. Now he’s off to go kill Anna Dressed in Blood. Only she’s not so straightforward a job as usual. No, instead he finds that she doesn’t want to kill him like she does every other person who enters her house, and he doesn’t want to kill her – even less when he finds out the true story behind her death.

I should probably warn you now, this is not for the faint of heart. If you’re not into blood and gore, you might want to consider before you read it. I was surprised at some of the scenes and details that were in here, but at the same time I appreciated them. It was grisly, but not so much that it crossed the boundary into truly horrific. Or maybe that’s just me. Strangely enough, I wasn’t disturbed by the gruesomeness. I think there was only one small part where I felt mildly uneasy, and the rest I was OK with. While I try not to think about what that might say about me, what I will say is that I loved how different it was from a lot of other reads. I haven’t read many ghost books – actually, I can’t think of any that I’ve read where ghosts were the main focus – but the way this was written, the refusal to shy away from all the gory details and just the general concept, definitely kept me interested.

Cas was such a great voice to be narrating the story. There’s something to be said for reading from a guy’s point of view. It’s refreshing and if done well, it can really work. I enjoyed reading from his – often humourous –perspective. He was what you might call an interesting guy. It was amusing and slightly bewildering to see how he preferred things that that the average person doesn’t and how talking about killing ghosts and preparing for the next one flowed naturally from him. Having said that, it showed him to be both a practical person and also someone who likes things and people to be straight and upfront. No sugar-coating, no pretence, and I really liked that about him. Later on the other sides to him were shown, like how he felt about what he was doing, and his ultimate mission that linked back to his father, all of which strengthened the connection between him and me as a reader.

Thanks to the behaviour of typical jocks Mike and Chase, Anna was a character I bonded with and had sympathy for even before we were properly introduced. When she appeared, the description of her was beautifully vivid so I had a very clear picture of her in my head. Again, she was very multi-dimensional. There’s the impressively creepy ghost side, her battle to stay in control when Cas was around, and of course the events surrounding her death, the fears and memories she kept at bay until she was forced to watch it play out right in front of her. I have to say, I did not expect what actually happened. The truth was far sadder than I imagined. All of this showed her strength and gave an understanding for her actions. I adored the dynamics of the relationship between her and Cas. It started off simple and then evolved into something sweet and heart-warming, culminating in an end that I wasn’t hugely prepared for. While it created the perfect opening for the sequel, that did not make it any less tragic.

Overall, Anna Dressed in Blood is definitely one that lives up to the hype. Kendare Blake did a fabulous job of linking different parts of the plot together and creating characters that had me emotionally invested, not just Cas and Anna, but also Cas’ friends. Full of creepy goodness and some welcomed humour, this book is not one you want to miss out on.

Waiting on Wednesday (#6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights our eagerly-anticipated reads.  And for this week, here's mine:

Title: Altered
Author: Jennifer Rush
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Released: 2nd January 2013

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Summary taken from GoodReads

Lately I've been reading a bit more of the sci-fi stuff and the idea of genetically altered boys intrigues me; it's sounds quite sad as well.  Also interesting to note is that I just read a book with an Anna and Sam and really enjoyed it! Talk about coincidence.  I wasn't sure about the cover initially but I think it kinda works.

What about you?  What are you waiting for this week?