Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont, 397 Pages (June 14th 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Review: 5 Stars - Hourglass from author Myra McEntire is in one word – AMAZING! With exquisite writing and characters, McEntire is one of the newest rock stars to join the others within the ranks of the Young Adult genre. How can I sum up my love for this book?… I’ll try but I highly doubt my words will even touch the surface of my love for this book or will even comes close to what McEntire has done with her words.

Life for seventeen year old Emerson hasn’t been easy. She sees things that no one else can see, people from the past, ghosts from another time, which all started right after her parent’s death. She lives with her loving, caring brother and his wife who are concerned about these visions – as any one would be - and as a result her overall health. I was quickly drawn to Emerson and wanted to know – just as she does – the reasons behind why she can’t stop seeing people and places from a different time. She’s extremely caring and has a strength about her that made me in turn care about her as a character. Her strength makes her one of those characters that shows just how much she can hold her own and won’t take being pushed around. She has her fair share of great lines throughout the book – many moments that I ended up with a huge smile plastered on my face and even a few moments where I laughed out loud. And really, it’s all part of what makes a great book even better.

Her brother Thomas and his wife Dru only want the best for her and while they don’t understand what she’s going through, they try hard to find a way to help Emerson. Through many different people who have said they could help, she’s ready to give up. Her relationship with her brother and sister in law was close in many ways, yet distant in others. They each wanted to protect the other, as families do, but this one had more to loose due to all that had happened to them in the past with the death of their parents.

When Emerson’s brother comes to her with something else to try that could just help her, she’s against it. She’s tired and burned out on all the false hope. I mean I would be too if I was in her shoes, that’s when Michael, from the Hourglass institute walks into her life. He’s mysterious and gives us little to go by as to really who he is, but I can say he turns out to be an amazing male character.

While reading the book we chipped away at both Emerson and Michael to get to the root of who they really are. It was through their relationship – professional that it was, as the rules were laid out by Thomas – we find out more than just who they are, but also the what and the why of all Emerson’s visions. Michael might be a little older by a couple of years but nonetheless, the attraction is there. It’s one of those attractions that smolders and lingers, that you just wait with bated breath to catch fire and set off into a massive blaze. Darn those rules set by her brother!

There are tons of twists and turns throughout, it’s more than a rollercoaster ride that’s for sure! I can honestly say that I had no idea what was about to happen numerous times. I was shocked and10rilled over and over again and was always looking for the next helping after each chapter.

It’s easy to fall head over heals in love with this book, not to mention the characters. I did and still find myself thinking about the world McEntire has shared with us and of time travel. Without a doubt, this is a new favorite of mine that I’ll be able to read over and over again and look forward to more in not only this series but truly anything that this author writes, I’ll read it. If you are looking for amazing wrapped in nice warm blanket of epic with a double shot of win, look no further than this book, right here with the pretty cover. I’m so eager for the next book, I have no idea how I’ll deal with the wait.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Blood Magic (Blood Magic Journals, #1)
Author: Tessa Gratton
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 405 Pages (May 24th 2011)
From: the Publisher and the Amazon Vine Program, Thank You!

Synopsis: This page-turning debut novel will entice fans who like their paranormal romances dark and disturbing. It's a natural next-read for fans of Stephanie Meyer, Carrie Jones, and Becca Fitzpatrick. But instead of mythical creatures, blood magic has everything to do with primal human desires like power, wealth, and immortality.

Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can't stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What's a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there's Nick—the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do anything to take the book and magic from Silla.

Review: 4.5 Stars - Debut author Tessa Gratton’ first book in the Blood Journals series – Blood Magic, was so much more than I thought it would be and then some! With a thrilling story and extremely likeable characters, it was easy to see just how much they made me love this book! It was apparent from the first few pages. Blood Magic is one of those books I could have easily read in one sitting, so make sure you have time to devour this title whole.

Told from three different perspectives, two main characters and a journal, moving between the three voices gave not only insight, but back story. The back story revealed snippets to the past to further explain things as the story progresses. I loved how the pieces of the story from the journal fit into the present and continued right through to the end, letting us learn what was happening just as the characters did. I’m a huge fan of multiple points of view, so it was an added bonus.

Speaking of characters, let’s talk about them for a few. First off we have Silla, she’s been through a lot and is coping as best as she can. With Gratton’s writing it made it easy to feel what her characters were feeling, and I found I could better relate to what each was going through. Silla’s strong, caring and is trying to understand many different things in her life when she’s been mailed a book from a stranger that just happens to have belonged to her father. Mystery, magic and blood surround her and her family and tie her to past she could have never imagined existed.

Then we have Nick… he’s the new guy who lives next door to Silla. Well, with the woods and a cemetery between them. Nick is a city guy now living out in the sticks and is just trying to make it to graduation day so he can get away and move on. He has some issues as well so when Nick and Silly meet, the attraction is inevitable and maybe even has a bit of fate involved. While their relationship might have come on fast, there were things that happened up until the very end that somewhat explained this instant rapport.

I have to admit that for me, it was easy to speculate who was the evil doer, but there was enough in the rest of the story that I wasn’t too bothered in knowing who was who.

There was also a bit of a creep factor to the book, and one scene was hard to read. I didn’t agree with the scene, but felt more like it was there to prove a point, at least to me the point was made and I think it was made to the character involved as well.

Over all Gratton is a new shining star in the YA genre and an author I am excited to read more of in the future. If you’re looking for a great new author, fresh voice, entertaining story and characters be sure to pick up this one when you’re at your local book store or when you’re placing your next online order. You won’t be disappointed. Now, where’s the next book?

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Cut
Author: Patricia McCormick
Publisher: Push, 160 Pages (February 1st 2002)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Fifteen-year old Callie is so withdrawn that she's not speaking to anyone including her therapist at the residential treatment facility where her parents and doctor send her after discovering that she cuts herself. Her story unfolds primarily through dramatic monologues, gradually revealing the family turmoil that led to her self-destructive behavior. Her little brother, Sam, is ill he nearly died in her care. Since Sam's illness, Callie's mother has become so worried and fragile that she rarely leaves the house. Her father has responded to the psychological and financial stress of Sam's illness by disappearing into his work, and when that doesn't work, into his drinking.

Callie's efforts to understand herself and her family illuminate her process of recovery honestly and with hope. Cut provides an insightful look at the psychology of cutting a form of self-abuse an estimated 2 million teenage girls inflict on themselves.

The 10^th Anniversary edition of Cut includes a brand-new afterword from author Patricia McCormick, an author Q&A, and added resources.

Review: 3 Stars - Cut by author Patricia McCormick is an extremely realistic portrayal of a 15 year old girl dealing with issues through cutting. This year celebrates the 10 year anniversary of Cut, bringing it back in the spotlight, at a time when a broader audience of YA readers will have a chance to connect with a troubled girl and her struggle to understand why she does what she does.

Cut tells the story of Callie, a 15 year old girl with issues and how she deals with them. Growing up, we all have them. Issues are a part of life. We deal with them differently and it just happens that Callie cuts herself to feel normal again. We readers are merely a witness to her struggles while she struggles to come to terms with why she does what she does. It might take a while for the story to unfold and for the reader to learn more about Callie, but the conclusion was well worth it in the end.

All in all Cut is a story about struggles and being a teenager. It’s about family and feeling like you’re not alone. Most importantly it’s about healing and finding out there are different ways to deal with things, such as talking and working through things.

Happy 10 Year Anniversary to author Patricia McCormick and Cut.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

About the Author:

Patricia McCormick spent three years researching and writing her first novel, Cut. She is also the author of the National Book Award finalist Sold, as well as Purple Heart and My Brother’s Keeper. She lives in Manhattan. Learn more at http://www.pattymccormick.com/.

Please link to This is Teen & the author’s site for more information about the title:

www.facebook.com/thisisteen

http://www.pattymccormick.com/

TWO winners will each receive a copy of CUT!

Rules and how to enter:

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter
Please fill out to the easy form below for your entry to count
This giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry!
Giveaway ends: June 29th, 2011

Good Luck to everyone who enters!!!

Many thanks to Push for the two copies of Cut to giveaway to two lucky winners!

As always, for any questions check my policy page or feel free to email.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Love Story
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: MTV Books, 243 Pages (July 19th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen.

Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college.

At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be.

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton, 382 Pages (September 29th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, The Book Depository

Synopsis: For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.


When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Two books about crushes and love and boys and I'm sure kissing... yep, MUST READS if you ask me. Added plus - A boy named Cricket. Love it!


*covers are always subject to change.
*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this post.

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton, 372 pages (December 2nd 2010)
From: Barnes and Noble

Synopsis: Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Review: 4.5 Stars - Anna and the French Kiss by author Stephanie Perkins was a much anticipated title for 2010. We were all excited by the synopsis, then giddy over the cover and then melted after reading. Yep, melted. Into a puddle. The setting – the magical streets of Paris, the characters interesting, true, honest, likeable and realistic - Perkins has taken crushes and boys and teenage life in general, and forged a story – girls and boys alike - will find themselves completely caught up in.

When Anna finds out she’s not going to be spending her senior year of high school at home, going to school with her friends she’s scared and not sure how she’ll survive in Paris. The reader gets to watch her struggle and grow as she finds friends, finds her way around the new school and language and most importantly, herself. She’s a typical teenage girl with a love for movies and the knowledge of cinema that run deep. I liked reading Anna’s story and see her change throughout the book. See her grow into a stronger person because of the choices she makes and because of the people around her.

And then we have St. Clair. What girl could resist his charm? And he is extremely charming. With his own set of teenage boy insecurities Perkins found a perfect blend of insecure boy and charming boy and created a character that could be found in high school boys around the world. With his own issues with home life and relationship with his girlfriend, we see him struggle through Anna’s eyes, making him more real to Anna and me as a reader.

Their friendship was sweet and came through in that awkward and confusing “Does he like me? Or doesn’t he like me” way that many of us have faced at one point or another of our lives. The characters themselves have flaws everyone can relate to as well. Perkins did a fantastic job layering her characters into teens that could be the girl or boy next door.

Anna and the French Kiss was sweet and charming. It’s an entertaining addition and welcomed breath of fresh air to contemporary Young Adult fiction. Without a doubt I was an instant fan of Perkins writing and her characters. If you are one of the few who haven’t picked up this title yet and enjoy a good contemporary story with realistic characters, you don’t know what you’re missing. I for one can’t wait to read Perkins next book – Lola and the Boy Next Door… or for that matter anything she writes in the future.

FTC Disclaimer: I DID pay for this book and have NOT been compensated at all in any way or means for reading this book and or writing this HONEST review.