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Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Glitch (Glitch, #1)
Author: Heather Anastasiu
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: 7 August 2012
Pages:  308 (eARC)


Synopsis
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
My Rating
* *
The Review

“Order first. Order always.”

A world where order, logic and peace is above all else. A world which is an interminable gray. Zoel Q-24’s world where people are stripped off of every emotion to the extent of being called subjects. It seems like a perfect world because there is no fear, no anger, no hate and no greed; emotions that were the cause of the downfall of Old Earth. The Community is the be all and end all. Perfection.

But technology can only go so far and humans are evolutionary creatures. Subjects are sometimes able to feel emotions and see colors. To glitch. Zoe has been glitching and while she cannot control her glitches, she works hard to keep them under control. To clear herself of any emotions.

An ideal situation calls for a diagnostic to fix the V-chip so that the subject can be fixed. Glitching is an anamolous behavior in the Community. More anamolies mean the subject are useless, to broken to fix. Deactivation is the logical solution to such subjects unable to contribute to the community.

But Zoe doesn’t want to let go of the glitches because then, instead of the retina display of the Link News, she can access her thoughts, feel and see. She also has a Gift. A Gift that she is afraid of because it will cause her immediate deactivation. So she goes on, pretending.

However, there is a boy whose glance lingered on Zoe for more than a split second. The one with the aquamarines eyes. Is he a Monitor or someone she can trust herself with? It is hard to believe that anyone else could also glitch and be a cause of destruction in the Community. But Adrien helps her and tells her about the lies the community has fed about themselves and about the Old Earth. Adrien’s Gift makes it easier for Zoe to trust him.

Then there is Max. Max with a Gift which makes her afraid for him, the risks he is willing to take. But he is reckless and seem to be hiding something. Almost unable to deal with emotions. It makes Zoe question things. But being in the dark about human emotions for so long, it’s quite easy for her to be in the dark about uncertain emotions.

The Regulators and Monitors watch the subjects for any anomalous behavior and the Officials do the rest of the work. It all seems perfect. Too perfect. Glitch is a fast-paced dystopian novel about a perfect world of technology where nothing could go wrong as long as there are V-chips, memory erasers and deactivation.

Glitch offers characters unable to think, unaware and linked together as moving, breathing robots. It is a very intriguing concept where technology fails to deliver perfectly. Zoe is caught between her obligation to the community and the taste of diversified beauty the world has to offer her. Where will her decisions finally take her? I must admit I am only slightly curious how Zoe’s story will move forward in Override.

Best Quotes:
“Pain was one thing we were still able to feel, because it was necessary to safety; otherwise alloy workers would burn their fingers off by touching a hot kiln and not feeling it.” 
“I could breathe again. I felt myself expand in the same moment, color and sound and sense flooding back in, overwhelming me with a rush of smells and sounds.”
About the Author

Heather Anastasiu grew up in Texas and recently moved to Minneapolis with her family. When she’s not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.

Glitch is her first novel.

Heather Anastasiu can be found at 

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Buy Glitch (Glitch, #1)
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The Giveaway

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and Shane for providing me a copy of  Glitch for review.

Review: My Paper Heart by Magan Vernon Blog Tour + Giveaway + Interview

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Title: My Paper Heart
Author: Magan Vernon
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Calta Press
Release Date: 1 August 2012
Pages:  130 (eARC)


Synopsis
There are worse things in life than failing out of college- such as having your parents receive the letter that you’ve been kicked out.
Now to appease her parents self-proclaimed sorority princess Libby Gentry is packing up her Prada bag and heading to work for her great aunt’s antique store in tiny Elsbury, Louisiana. She’s pretty sure she can tackle the swamp and deal with her great aunt and tom boy of a little cousin, but what she doesn’t know is if she can handle the local town playboy, Blaine Crabtree. 
As Libby’s feelings for Blaine grow, so does her need for acceptance and all of the insecurities she has kept inside are coming out. She may have survived the Louisiana swamp, but she may not survive Blaine’s reluctance to say the ‘L’ word. When Blaine finally commits to the three words Libby’s been waiting for, she only hopes they haven’t come too late.

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

A piece of a dead tree makes it way to Libby’s home and her immediate future is decided. In a matter of few hours, Libby goes from being a sorority princess at the Illinois State University to working at her great aunt’s antiques shop in Louisiana. Talk about a major demotion! Well, it is what it is, so Libby begrudgingly packs her bags to leave her home for who knows how long.
It’s not like Libby can say much to defend her party-hard-and-get-drunk-harder image because no one really wants to know her. They form opinion on what they see and why her parents should be any different? 
However, when it comes to adjusting, Libby is a pro. She is also a pro when it comes to pretending but I will save that for later. Libby is pretty sure she can mend her paper heart along with her insecurities with Aunt Dee’s heavenly cooking while trying to give a makeover to her tomboyish fifteen-year-old cousin, Brittany.
But Libby is like a moth to a flame in the town of Elsbury when it comes to attracting the attention of the town people. In particular, Blaine Crabtree. What is with the guy with his annoying habit of commenting on her slutty ways. He’s the one to talk, after going at it with half the town! 
Like Libby though, Blaine has a story of his own and as he realizes and apologizes for his inappropriate behavior towards Libby, things take a turn for the better. Now Blaine and Libby cannot get enough of each other’s company. However, Brittany have a crush on Blaine (which Libby is aware of and is sorry for) so she makes Libby insecure with all the boyfriend talk. Things that makes Libby question everything over and over again for Libby has a bad experience with Beau, her ex.
Now, each small progress in their relationship seems like a burden to Libby and she keeps thinking if she is not good enough. Libby is a product of bullying and being made fun of for years haven’t settled well with her. Even though she has hidden all of that in layers of great fashion sense and what-not; it never really went away.
Blaine is a very humble character who has turned to wrong ways trying to make himself feel better about himself. So when Libby barges in speaking her thoughts out loud and daring him to feel again, Blaine realizes the error of his ways. But he needs little more than a push to move forward. Libby, on the other hand, is a very upbeat character and finds the fun part in any aspect of her life. But just as quickly, her spirits also gets diffused so it is intense to see her grow.
So while Blaine is helping Libby overcome her fear of bad relationships, so is Libby helping Blaine with his relationship issues. Nothing like something that makes you want to step out of your comfort zone to embrace the better. After all, it is darkest before the dawn and I always find such books beautiful.
My Paper Heart is a great contemporary debut by Magan Vernon which should not be missed at all. I hope she writes more contemporary books. It makes you think about all the possibilities in life and how each moment in life builds up to the moment of realization. Of need. And of what it takes to finally grow up.

Best Quotes:
“Mom held the piece of paper in her hands. It was as if she was holding my heart. Thin and frail. My paper heart to be torn to shreds.”
About the Author
Self-proclaimed geek-to-glam poster child who channels her inner geek by writing science fiction for teens. Even though she slept with a night light until she was in middle school for fear of alien attacks.

She now lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in central Illinois where she still sleeps with a night light…just in case.

Magan Vernon can be found at 

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The Interview
Hello, Magan. I am so glad to have you on my blog today! I really enjoyed My Paper Heart and so let’s get started with the interview to know more about it.

I read in your bio that you’re “self-proclaimed geek-to-glam poster child.” What’s the story behind it?
Well, my husband says I’m still a geek, but I digress. I was always the geeky girl growing up that preferred to read a book (mainly comic books) instead of going out. Then I went to college, put down the comic books, joined a sorority and all of a sudden the girl who others looked at as being the geek in the back of the room turned into the girl who made sure not to let her heels slip in the drool that had pooled on the floor from people staring.
Okay, maybe a little bit over the top, but you get the picture 🙂 
The title of your book is very intriguing and describes Libby very aptly, how did you come up with it?
The title of the book was originally ‘My Own Summer,’ but then I found out that was a song by The Deftones that definitely gave off the wrong message. One of my critique partners helped me come up with the concept because it had a lot to do with the paper that Libby received that said she had been kicked out of college and following her heart. 
What was your favorite part about writing My Paper Heart?
Blaine, most definitely. I’m a sucker for a southern gentleman, but he was really complicated. He was gruff yet sensitive and for a long time I didn’t know what his deal was. He was a mystery even to me! 
The hardest?
Libby’s sorority life. I am a sorority girl and there were some parts of the whole process that I loved and there were other parts that tore me to shreds. Some of the stuff Libby goes through were made up (not from my own experiences, but some I’ve heard that other sororities did), but some of the stuff took me to my darkest times living in the house. 
What is the one book that has most influenced your life and why?
No laughing, but Twilight.
I was in my senior year of college and my roomie was OBSESSED with the books. I never had time to read for pleasure (I was working a job, an internship, and going to school full-time), but she let me borrow them anyways. I ended up being hooked. I found myself sneaking the books under the table during class just to finish them. This drew me to the young adult genre and it was how I got started writing My Paper Heart…eventually. It took me another year before that was actually started. 
Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer?
People can be mean. There are some reviews that rip me to my core, one review even said they wanted to ‘effing slap me.’ I try and be the better person, but sometimes it feels like people forget the author is human. I respect reviewer’s opinions and I value them, but I think there is a difference between attacking the words the author puts down and attacking the story itself. 
What genre did you relate to more when writing: paranormal or contemporary?
Ohhh tough one!
There are parts to both that I related to. Of course, I’m not dating an alien, but there are real struggles that Alex deals with in My Alien Romance series that I deal with on a personal level. With that said, contemp is harder in some ways because then I have to be rooted in reality and make sure that I’m not throwing things around that don’t make sense. Sometimes I wish my life was a little more paranormal and I could explain where the helter all my missing socks go! 
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question?
Is your husband really an alien?
My answer? Yes. He won’t admit it, but I watched enough Roswell to know that a guy who eats that much hot sauce cannot be human. 
What book are you currently reading?
I’m critiquing a friend’s manuscript right now, which is hard to read while I’m critiquing, but I’m still hooked to CK Bryant’s BOUND (which is free on Amazon). 
You never leave your home without?
Cell phone 
Favorite time of the day?
The morning. If I sleep in too late then I feel like my whole day is gone. 
Everyone should know that you are – ?
A working mother and author. People do always ask ‘when is the next book coming out?’ or wonder where I am during the day. I work a normal day job in auto claims, come home to my daughter at night, and write when I can. If I don’t get stuff out as fast as others, it’s because I’m saving the world one auto accident at a time 🙂
Thanks again for having me!
The Giveaway
Magan has generously provided an eBook copy to giveaway. Rules are in the rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Magan Vernon for providing me a copy of My Paper Heart for review.

Review: Starring Me by Krista McGee + Giveaway

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Title: Starring Me

Author: Krista McGee
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: 10 July 2012
Pages: 320 (eARC)

Synopsis

Kara McKormick is told she’s auditioning to star in a new teen variety show. But it’s what she isn’t told that could change her life.
The feisty New Yorker moves to sunny Orlando to participate in a month-long audition, where she’ll live with nine other contestants and an eccentric housemother. Kara knows that the show already has a big-time celebrity lined up for the co-host, but she doesn’t know who it is.
Chad Beacon quickly rose to fame after winning America’s Next Star, but he doesn’t want his entire career to be about singing. There is so much more he wants to do-like act. The new variety show sounds like the perfect next step for him, but his parents want him to have a co-star who shares his faith since they’ll be spending so much time together.
Acting is high on Kara’s priority list. But a relationship with God? Not so much. In fact, she’s tried to stay away from anything religious. But God is after Kara’s heart and He’s put people in her life who are showing her there’s far more to Christianity than rules and judgment.
And just when it seems that Kara’s going to have to give up her acting dream, God reveals that she may have a starring role after all-in a story so big only He could write it.
My Rating
* * * *
The Review
All Kara McKormick wants is to be an actress. With a talent of blending perfectly into her character that brings her a thrill of performing, Kara believes she has it all. But does she? When she doesn’t have an agent and the her only claim to fame is being on The Book of Love.

So armed with a passion for acting and a determined will, Kara goes to audition for a show when she gets a call. All she knows is that she will be competing with nine other girls and at the end, one girl will get her own SNL-ish show with a famous male co-star. The show that will broaden her horizons like she always wanted.

Starring Me is more about the auditions than the show itself so there are actual scripts in between chapters which are just amazing to read. I got excited every time there was one because they are funny and witty.  Kara is a very humble and likeable character; I liked getting to know her and the way her mind worked. She’s friendly, confident and knows what she wants but she can also be such a girl when it comes to certain things. I admired her strong emotional side and the fact that nothing can deter her from her path. However, she will put all the stops if it has something to do with her family.

Then there is Chad. I liked that I got to know his part of the story as well. His personality is very mature and fame hasn’t really gotten over his head. His parents are protective of him and he respects that. I loved the part about him being home-schooled, it all sounded pretty cool.

The roles of Addy, Jonathan, Flora and Kara’s family compliment each other and I liked how it all connected and fell into place for Kara. Flora is a very wise character however much her appearance says otherwise. Addy and Jonathan each play a significant role in Kara’s life in the book because she never knew what was missing in her life until she started questioning. It isn’t about the belief in God alone, it’s about the willingness to do something. Anything. Determination is key.

In all, Starring Me is a light summer read complete with competitive girls willing to stomp on you to win, killer auditions, a best friend who gets red in the face every time a certain boy is mentioned, a cool bibliophilic housemother, a strong love for family and a dream of a lifetime. I enjoyed reading Starring Me a lot. Really, it’s as much about the journey as it is about the destination itself.

Best Quote:
“Cleansing tears poured from her cheeks and she let them flow, feeling a sense of peace like she had never known before.”

The Giveaway
Thomas Nelson has generously offered two copies of Starring Me for giveaway. Rules are in the Rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me Starring Me for review.

Review: The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman Blog Tour

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Title: The Jelly Bean Crisis
Author: Jolene Stockman
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 1 August 2012
Pages:  269 (eARC)


Synopsis
A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.
When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.
Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love. The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on. 

My Rating

* * * * *
The Review

If anyone told Poppy Johnson on a Thursday that she would be a career-oriented yes-person starting Saturday, she’d have laughed in your face. Poppy’s priorities are as solid as a rock and taped inside her locker door: from the Denton Award right down to the smiley face. But then she goes for her English class, where everyone is reading their career essays. And what do you know, after English, Poppy’s Jelly Bean theory is giving off splinters! All because of Lucy who breezes through life and writes with glitter pens.

Nothing like a I-can-do-or-have-anything-I-want-just-because-I-want-it teenager to get you to have second-thoughts on your err- whole life. Especially if you thrive on a Jelly Bean theory. How can Lucy go for the red jelly beans without getting rid of the green sucky ones, or the getting-there purple and orange ones? Then her path crosses with Mrs Young’s, the guidance counsellor, who offers her a chat on Columbian insolence. Poppy cannot get the thought out of her mind that maybe she has done it the wrong way her whole life.

So along she goes and gets her way with her parents. But only for a month, her snap month, where everything just clicks into place. Hopefully. From cookie dough to chicken tractors to media releases and free labour, Poppy dives head-on to take initiative to find the thing that makes her happy. She definitely has the energy!

With friends who might just almost miss the whole point of a gap month and running into the Stratford guy everywhere, what’s a girl to do? Also, Nana, her grandmother, has taken the plunge herself and is going to college. At seventy. Does that mean Poppy has all the time in the world to figure out what to do? Maybe.  It’s a good thing that Poppy writes in her journal when an idea strikes; her jumbled thoughts making sense on paper. The way she writes is so classy that the words just popped out of the pages at me.

Poppy is one feisty and bubbly character, she’s outspoken but sophisticatedly so. She’s reserved, but not so much that she passes on the joy of living. Poppy is a very alive character and I loved every minute I spent with her. She catches on fast with a great learning insight and uncertainty because of that smiley she definitely wants in her life. And if the Denton Award and Columbia cannot give her that, then what’s the point?

The Jelly Bean Crisis is surely a very entertaining, gaining and an engrossing fiction debut by Jolene Stockman. Poppy is such a likeable character, a nice straight-A student who has had a meltdown. No pressure. I loved the writing style of Jolene, it just grabs you and keeps on surprising with such wonderful lines. It’s also hilarious, case in point: “The whispers bubble up from all corners of the hall. My nightmare has surround sound.” So when I finally got to the last page of The Jelly Bean Crisis, I was smiling a happy smile.

Best Quotes:
“All free brain-space is marinating in gap month fizz. I chew my pen, candy-cane style. The million possibilities ahead make it hard to care about right now. I write my answers slowly, each letter carved in stone not ballpoint. I’m going to explore the world, find my passion, try everything! The fizz shoots up my spine and a smile sprouts.“
“A darkened theater. Final whispers. Black. The projector streams through. The picture surrounds. I fall away. You reach me.” 

“Poppy, there’s something deep down inside you that never changes. It just waits to be more of itself. That little, shiny glow knows who you are meant to be. It knows all the good you are capable of doing and being. It believes in you. It tingles when you think about how you want this world to be. It’s made of the same stuff as stars. The same stuff as Shakespeare. That’s the only part worth listening to.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award.
Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of Total Blueprint for World Domination. The Jelly Bean Crisis is her debut fiction.

Jolene Stockman can be found at 

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Thanks to Jolene Stockman and ATOMR for providing me a copy of The Jelly Bean Crisis for review.

Review: Otherkin by Nina Berry

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Title: Otherkin (Otherkin, #1)

Author: Nina Berry
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifters
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Release Date: 31 July 2012
Pages: 320 (eARC)

Synopsis

I thought I knew myself. Then I met Caleb.
Dez is a good girl who does as she’s told and tries not to be noticed.
Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself.
Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her.
Everything is about to change — and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review
When secrets lie just beyond a veil of shadow magic and shifters exist alongside the callers of shadows, it is guaranteed that I will be hooked. And I was. There is never a dull moment in this fascinatingly fresh and a whirlwind of a book called Otherkin.

Dez’s life is defined by her back brace so she adjusts to it despite the frustration it brings. But it’s been two years and Dez is bound to snap and boy, snap she did! Before Dez knew what was happening, she was looking at a tiger in her bedroom mirror who winced when she did. It unfortunately gave a green signal for her to get drugged, shot and then caged.

There she meets Caleb in the neighbouring cage and they both end up escaping the wrath of the Tribunal. But it’s really just the beginning because the Tribunal’s sole purpose is to eliminate the remaining otherkin: bears, cats, birds of prey, rats and wolves. Hell be damned if these five shifters tribes ever unite to fight the Tribunal!

But Dez knows that the life as she has known is over when the Tribunal attacks again. Her last option is to go to a shifter school in a secret location with Caleb. With a family on the run, Dez has no choice but to at least learn how to shift into her animal form and back at will.

Through it all, Dez remains a strong and independent character who seems to be always battling with her body; first with the back brace then as a shifter. It really emphasizes her human and the animal form and gives her the courage she needs. I admire her will. Caleb is a pretty mysterious character but he is also charming and have the etiquettes of a gentleman. Their chemistry is hot!

The secondary characters from Ximon, the Tribunal head to Morfael, the mysterious teacher to the other shifters: November, London, Arnaldo, and Siku blends well in the world of shifters. The shifter school turns out to be an adventure for Dez and with Caleb becoming distant, Dez really has no way to gain confidence than to embrace what she is. What is Caleb hiding and why is Morfael becoming more secretive every day?

The concept of otherkin is so thrilling, it’s like a whole new world. Just like the tagline says, “On the edge of our world lies the shadow of another…” Some of the description in the book took me by surprise with such vivid detail especially that of Morfael’s cabin that I was awestruck. Nina Berry has written a fantastic debut that I ended up wanting more; it’s that good!

Best Quote:
“I tiptoed to the edge, looking down into the yawning void. For the first time, I felt no dread. That mysterious place, that maelstrom that drew forth the tiger, that was me. I’d been so afraid that I’d cut myself from . . . myself. I’d had no idea what would happen if that girl was ever unleashed.

But now I knew.”

Thanks to Kensington Teen and NetGalley for providing me Otherkin for review.