Hush Little Mockingbirds

Synopsis (Goodreads): Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way-the Themis way. So when Alex Patrick is date-raped during her junior year, she has two options: Stay silent and hope someone helps, or enlist the aid of the Mockingbirds-a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of the student body.

In this account of a teenage girl's search for her voice and the courage to use it, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that standing up for someone, especially yourself, is worth the fight.

----- 

I have a set of mixed emotions when it comes to Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds. 

The first being admiration.  I admire that Whitney set out to tackle the incredibly sensitive subject of rape. And the fact that she did so in both a realistic and approachable way. It made the story come alive without being overbearing and I never got the sense that Whitney had an ulterior agenda with this novel.

What I loved most, however, was the concept of The Mockingbirds. The secret-society, created to right the wrongs at a really stuffy prep-school where the higher-ups purposely overlook the issues that lie right under their noses.  I was seriously intrigued! It was such a unique twist to the story and I loved how it all played out throughout the book.

As for the characters, I definitely enjoyed the secondary characters more than the book's protagonist, Alex. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the fact that she didn't let her rapist get the best of her, but she just felt so flat to me.  The secondary characters were the driving force of this novel. They picked up the pieces, made me laugh and without them, I probably would have stopped reading.

Now, I can't put my finger on it but there was something about this book that just didn't hit home with me.  I really couldn't connect with what was happening. It was like I was reading this story, but was completely detached from it all.  And its weird because sometimes it's so  easy to become consumed in someone else's world -- to just slip into the shoes of it's characters, even if it's just for a short bit of time. With this book, however? Nope. Not a thing.  I mean, the book builds up to this big moment and when it happens the only thing I could manage was "Oh, that's it?"

Yeah. That was it.

I really wanted to love this book because it addresses a topic that isn't discussed much in YA fiction (and SHOULD BE), but I couldn't. Not to say that it was a bad book, because I know a lot of people have really enjoyed it, it just wasn't my favorite.

Despite my thoughts on the book, I'm giving the novel's sequel (The Rivals) a chance. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

**Special Thank You to Little, Brown and Company for the Reviewer's Copy**

In My Mailbox (9)

I

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where we showcase the books that have made their way into our lives/bookshelves that week.

SQUEEE!!!

I got a VERY  special surprise in my mailbox this week so this may just be one of my favorite IMM's to date! 

INSURGENT by Veronica Roth 
(*hyperventilating* SQUEEE!!!!)


For Review from Publishers:  

Purity by Jackson Pearce

Belles by Jen Calonita

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad and Tara Chace


(HUGE thank you to Little Brown and Co. for the last three titles)


So...what did you get this week?
Leave your links below and I'll make sure to drop by!!

Blogspiration (11): Be Someone Else

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video  is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

I've chosen TWO pictures this week.

The first I love because it so accurately depicts the magic of literature.

The second? Well...it spoke to my very heart and soul.

Happy Sunday!!

-----

Share your Blogspiration with the Linky Thang!

In My Mailbox (8)

I

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where we showcase the books that have made their way into our lives/bookshelves that week.

Hey guys!


The book buying ban is still very much ON and my To Be Read list doesn't seem to be going down either.


#bookbloggerproblems

For Review via NetGalley:  

Hollyweird by Terri Clark

The City's Son by Tom Pollock

The Shapeshifter's Secret by Heather Ostler

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay


For Review from Publishers:

The Secret Me Book by Rachel Kempster and Meg Leder
(Thank you to the AMAZING people over at Sourcebooks!!!)

Leave your links below and I'll make sure to drop by!!

Blogspiration (10): This Week

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video  is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

I've chosen these pictures because they best represent my life this week.

Enjoy!

 

(I started my bootcamp on Monday. I am sore but I want to be a pretty little unicorn!!)

(Because there will always be an argument...or two)

(at the end of the day)

Happy Sunday!!

-----

Share your Blogspiration with the Linky Thang!

Follow Fridays (11)

Follow Friday is a weekly Blog Hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. This meme gives both bloggers and readers an opportunity to discover new blogs and get to know each other a little better.

This week's featured Blogger is Reading with ABC whose question is...

What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month.

The best book has definitely been Embrace by Jessica Shirvington.

And while I wouldn't say this was the worst, my least favorite was Passion by Lauren Kate.

What's the best book you've read this month? Which one is the worst??

Post your #FollowFriday links below!!

Author Interview + Book Giveaway: Cecilia Gray + Fall For You

Hey, everyone!! Today I have a very lovely surprise for you!! I've managed to snag a quick Q&A with the fabulous & hilarious Cecilia Gray, author of Fall For You!! Not only that, but she's giving away a digital version of the book to one lucky GrowingUpYA reader!! *SQUEE*

Here goes...

Synopsis (Goodreads): To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He's a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She's a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It's obvious that Dante thinks he's way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pushing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie's quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets... Secrets Lizzie can't seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries...

**********

1. Twook! (Tweet your book): Describe FALL FOR YOU in 140 characters or less. Go!
Sensible Lizzie collides with sexy Dante when he threatens her college admission - and her heart - in a modern Pride & Prejudice retelling.

2. We all know what inspired Fall For You. But why Jane Austen?? Why Pride and Prejudice?? How did this book come to be?
I wanted to write a story about girls from different groups (not cliques – I wanted the girls to be defined by themselves and not by external groups) who become close friends as they fight to save their school’s traditions when they come under attack from a new headmistress.

While I was brainstorming, I kept coming back to Jane Austen. She really nailed the sense of unfairness and powerlessness that can come with being a girl. I realized that each Jane Austen heroine represented a different girl type. Elizabeth Bennet is the witty, smart girl. Emma is the popular, fashionable one.  And so on.

Once I had that revelation, the whole series came together for me – six Jane Austen retellings featuring a different heroine set in a boarding school over the course of a school year. That way the stories could be about so much more than snagging a cute guy (although, of course, that’s a very important part of it). The stories could also be about friendships and school and fighting against an unfair system.

The first title, FALL FOR YOU is based on Pride & Prejudice because I think it’s the most accessible of Jane Austen’s books and also because a modern-day recreation of Elizabeth Bennet would be just the character to start a revolution at her school.

3. Name 5 items in your author survival kit?
1. My couch, currently imprinted with my butt, unfortunately.
2. Coffee. So. Much. Coffee.
3. My laptop. I know other authors who hand-write their scenes (and how about Kristin Cashore who hand-writes her entire book? Argh) but I need technology.
4. Music to get in the right frame of mind for each scene.
5. Diet Coke. Because sometimes I need a break from coffee.

4. If you could have dinner/drinks with any fictional character, who would it be and why??
An adult version of Frankie Landau-Banks from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. If a girl, at fifteen, can take over, dismantle and outsmart a secret society of boys, then I just have to know what she’s doing at thirty.

5. What book quote best represents your life? Why?
Nathaniel Hawthorn has an introductory essay before The Scarlet Letter where he writes:

"Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted…in the same worn-out soil. My children…shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth"

 First off – that’s just a beautiful saying – unaccustomed earth. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpha Lahiri even used it as a title for her second collection of short stories.

Second, I feel the same way about life – that the only way to grow and to learn is to dig your toes into unaccustomed earth and for many people, given the realities of job/family/economy – the best way to do that is by reading.

 6. Who is your book boyfriend/girlfriend?
Peeta because we’re going to get married and have babies and I’ll get to wake up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls every morning. What? It could happen…

WAIT just a second! Why is Cecilia Gray trying to steal my Peeta dreams!?? You're not the only one who dreams of waking up to fresh-baked cinnamon rolls and cheese bread, you know!

*shakes fist at Cecilia*

Uh...but back to why we're here :)

7. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Some people write to tell a story. Some people write to spin words every day. Some people write to uncover the human condition. Whatever your reason, really understand why you’re writing. No reason is better than the other and it will help you make decisions down the road – like whether to take certain writing jobs or editorial feedback.

8. Why should readers buy your book? 
Yikes – I hate telling people why they should do things. J Let’s just say that if you’re looking for a fun, flirty read with a touch of glamour and a little mystery, FALL FOR YOU does the trick.

**********

Fall For You Giveaway!!!

Thanks to the very lovely Cecilia Gray, I will be giving away an e-book copy of Fall For You to one of you lovely readers. 

**Giveaway is Open INTERNATIONALLY**

To enter, leave a comment below with your Name and Email.

Winners will be chosen on April 6th, 2012**

Don't want to take a chance?

Click on the links to purchase on...
Amazon
Barnes and Nobles
iTunes

Guest Post: The Mortal Instruments

Hey guys!  Today we're doing something different. Changing it up! We're getting cray-cray up in this piece!

*cough*

Sooo, I've invited my BFF Natalie to write up a guest review post on the blog. I gave her the option of choosing whatever book her heart desired, and in true book soul-mate fashion she chose The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. 

So, without further ado, I present to you...

City of AWESOME!
a guest review by Natalie Alamo

       

While thinking about Cassie Clare's The Mortal Instruments series, one quote in particular comes to mind. It's from one of my favorite cartoon characters: Roger Rabbit. Of course, I may have taken some liberties...

  "Dear Cassie, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Jace, Jace, Jace, Jace, Jace…"

In my mind, and in the minds of many a lusting teen, it all boils down to one name: Jace.

Okay, I'm just gonna throw it out there. Toss it back if you don't like it, but be prepared for me to chuck it right back at you. Jace Wayland is THE hottest YA hero. PERIOD. He has it all: ridiculously good looks, semi-superhuman strength, angst, a firm set of ideals, he's always ready to do what he thinks is right, no matter what the cost, and...wait for it: Sarcasm. Win!! IDK about the rest of you, but I absolutely MELT for witty heroes. Witty characters in general, actually.

Which brings me to the other characters. Yeah, believe it or not Jace is not the only character in the series. Don't get me wrong, it's hard to match Jace in the smart-ass semi-finals, but Simon, the video gaming musician, and Magnus, the flamboyant warlock are pretty close behind. I constantly find myself laughing out loud!

Obnoxiously.

In public.

Uh...It's awkward for everyone

But that's a story for another day... Back to the review, yes?

Lucky for us, in the world of The Mortal Instruments, it's not all laughs and witty comebacks. In fact, there are plenty of heart wrenching scenes that may leave you screaming, sobbing into your pillow, or throwing your book at the wall...because said scene is likely a cliffhanger (Cassie Clare is EVIL).  The characters certainly face a lot, and I really do mean A LOT, of hardship. But I love that because we then get to see them develop and grow. You become completely and emotionally invested in their lives and struggles. 

     Now, if I had to mention a weak spot (for me personally, so don't jump down my throat about it!) I'd have to say it's the heroine of the series, a Miss Clary Fray. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Clary. I root for Clary. I just wish she was a little more...er...bad-ass? Yeah, that works!

I like my heroines to be just as, if not more, bad-ass than my literary heroes (i.e. Rose in Vampire Academy or Katniss in The Hunger Games) and I often find myself yelling "Come on, Clary! Get it together!" Now I understand that unlike those aforementioned characters Clary is new to this magical realm/world and was unexpectedly thrust into it, but we are coming up to the fifth book here (City of Lost Souls) and I'm ready for a more take-charge Clary! A Clary that defends herself mentally AND physically. Quite frankly, I'm ready to see her kicking ass and taking names.

    With that said, The Mortal Instruments is still one of the best YA series out there! It has it ALL: a strong love story, plenty of action (of both the steamy and violent kind), authentic characters (even the villains), and a realistic world (even if it is paranormal). And it obviously explains the crazy amount of attention the movie is garnering.

I truly can't say enough good things about it and I can't recommend it enough. This series IS and probably always will be in my Top Three. 

   

----------

Carmen Sandieg--er...Natalie Alamo is a Milwaukee native and aspiring author. She considers herself a foodie, a ghost hunting enthusiast and a supporter of all things awesome. Let's not forget to mention that she's a proud Puerto-Rican and my half-Dominican sistah! Also, I am pretty sure she jumped at the chance to guest review because she's too lazy to maintain her own blog.

Don't worry, Natalie. I won't judge you...To your face!

Follow Natalie on twitter: TheRealNatAlamo

Blogspiration (9): On Random

 

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video  is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

I think of my life as a playlist.  

That playlist is currently set on Random.

Enjoy!!

(This one makes me smile)

(Seriously, I am SO over being normal)

(I'll raise the roof to THAT!)

Happy Sunday!!

-----

Share your Blogspiration with the Linky Thang!

Follow Fridays (10)

Follow Friday is a weekly Blog Hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. This meme gives both bloggers and readers an opportunity to discover new blogs and get to know each other a little better.

This week's featured Blogger is Hesperia Loves Books whose question is...

Have you ever looked at a book's cover and thought, This is going to be horrible? But, was pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.

This one is easy. 

Now, it's not that this cover is absolutely horrid, because I've definitely seen worse, but it did absolutely nothing for me

Regardless, A Banshee's Tale by Veronica Breville was a book that definitely took me by surprise. I quite enjoyed Breville's take on Banshees.

What do you guys think of this cover??

and of course...

What book did YOU judge by its cover??

Post your #FollowFriday links below!!

Embrace

Synopsis (Goodreads): Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

-----

Funny enough, I read this book right after reading Lauren Kate's Passion. Now, while both novels tackle Angel mythology, they're definitely incomparable. Please know that where Lauren Kate failed to grab my attention, Jessica Shirvington completely succeeded.

Oh, how she succeeded...

This story was everything I could have hoped for...and maybe a little more.  Shirvington definitely set the bar with Embrace.

I mean, I was fully consumed by this book. My attention was snagged by Shirvington's unique take on Angel mythos. It was seriously hard to step away from the book and not wonder what was going to happen next. And even then, she still managed to surprise me and keep me on the edge of my seat.

And, like any great author, just when you think things can't get any better, they give you something to REALLY love. In this case? It was definitely the characters! 

I fully connected with them. And they, in turn, led me through the story. I couldn't help but fall in love with each and every one of their vibrant and remarkably intriguing personalities. 

And then of course there are the boys.  It couldn't be a GrowingUp YA review if I failed to mention the PERFECT, SEXY-in-every-way, BOYS.  To start there's Lincoln, the guy any girl could ask for. *swoons* And then you have Phoenix. *fans self* Whose name just goes to show you that this boy really is on FIRE. *continues to fan self while she drools on the keyboard*  It's a love triangle at its finest. In the most glorious way possible.

Seriously. there's just SO MUCH to love!

Like a magnet, Shirvington pulled me into a world full of secrets, deception and blood-binding ties. And as we all know, in the YA world this can only mean drama, a healthy dose of romance...and uh...did I mention drama??

LOVE IT!

I don't know what I am going to do! I don't think I can wait for the next book in the Violet Eden Chapters, Enticed (September). Maybe I can just take a quick flight over to Australia and pick up a copy...

*looks up flight prices to Australia*   

:o  

*sobs*

Uh...so maybe I can just wait. 

BUT, please know that I won't be happy about it!  *grumble, grumble*

**Thank you to Sourcebooks for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Embrace**

Don't forget to check out my Q&A with Jessica Shirvington 

where you can enter to win a copy of Embrace!!

Author Interview + Book Giveaway: Jessica Shirvington and Embrace

Hey guys!! 

Today we're joined by the lovely Jessica Shirvington, author of EMBRACE, for a quick Q&A. 

....................

1. Twook It! (Tweet your book): Describe your book Embrace in 140 characters or less. Go!

It’s an ancient battle: light and dark. Now Violet is a part of it. Sacrifice, heartache, consequence chase her as she must choose; Embrace her Grigori destiny or not.

2. Where did the inspiration for Embrace come from?

It started with simply writing a scene - an introduction to the main characters and discovering who they were. From there, I knew I wanted to write a story that was based on choice and consequence. This is often at the heart of coming of age stories - I just wanted to delve deeper. The concept of angels worked brilliantly for this as they are often caught up in the predetermined destiny vs freewill debates. And then the research began and the story took shape.

3. Name 5 items in your author survival kit?

1. Laptop 

2. My notebooks that hold all my research

3. Coffee

4. Excellent backup systems

5. Bull clips

4. If you could have dinner/drinks with any fictional character, who would it be and why??

The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. Hey, a tea party would never be so much fun!

5. What book best represents your life? Why?

I have no idea. I think every book represents an emotional aspect of my life - there are few I can't find some way to relate to, but I haven't ever read a book and thought - wow, that's a lot like my life. Probably because most people would fall asleep a quarter way through reading it! :)

6. Who is your book boyfriend/girlfriend?

I do love the relationship between Yelena and Valek in Maria V Snyder's Magic Study Series. I'm also never averse to spending page time with Ethan Sullivan of Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire Novels.

Pardon this Q&A interruption, but did she say VALEK???!!! SQUEEEEE!!

*drools*

Uh...and back to the interview :D

7. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Write. Go for it. Be interested and excited about the prospect of rewriting - it isn't just something you should be prepared for. Invite opinion and advice, and know when to stand your ground when you believe in what you have written. 

Giveaway Time!!!

Thanks to the AMAZING folks over at Sourcebooks (Thanks Taylor!!!), I'll be giving one of you fab readers your own personal copy of Embrace.

**Giveaway is Open to US/Canadian residents ONLY**

To enter, leave a comment below with your Name and Email.

Winners will be chosen on March 21, 2012

Blogspiration (8): Fight!

 

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video  is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

I read Embrace by Jessica Shirvington this past week and I absolutely LOVED it. This quote in particular really stuck out to me!

Enjoy!!

Happy Sunday!!

-----

Share your Blogspiration with the Linky Thang!

Follow Fridays (9)

Follow Friday is a weekly Blog Hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. This meme gives both bloggers and readers an opportunity to discover new blogs and get to know each other a little better.

This week's featured Blogger is Mercurial Musings whose question is...

What book would you love to see made into a movie or television show and do you have actors/actresses in mind to play the main characters?

I am gonna have to go with Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

If only for this lovely, drool-worthy, sex-panther of a man:

Come on! Don't act surprised. I am about this close to starting a Melina Marchetta stalki-- err...FAN club. Yes, fan club.  

Aaaaand, if you guys didn't already know, the Jellicoe Road film is actually in production. The lovely Miss Marchetta penned the script and words can not describe how excited/nervous I am about this movie. It's such an incredible book and I can only hope they do it justice.

What book would YOU like to see as a movie or television show??

Post your #FollowFriday links below!!