Book Review: The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi!

The Icarus Girl
Author: Helen Oyeyemi
Publication Date: April 11, 2006
Published: Anchor

My Rating: 

Jessamy "Jess" Harrison is eight years old. Sensitive, whimsical, possessed of an extraordinary and powerful imagination, she spends hours writing haiku, reading Shakespeare, or simply hiding in the dark warmth of the airing cupboard. As the child of an English father and a Nigerian mother, Jess just can't shake off the feeling of being alone wherever she goes, and the other kids in her class are wary of her tendency to succumb to terrified fits of screaming. Believing that a change from her English environment might be the perfect antidote to Jess's alarming mood swings, her parents whisk her off to Nigeria for the first time where she meets her mother's family--including her formidable grandfather.

Jess's adjustment to Nigeria is only beginning when she encounters Titiola, or TillyTilly, a ragged little girl her own age. To Jess, it seems that, at last, she has found someone who will understand her. But gradually, TillyTilly's visits become more disturbing, making Jess start to realize that she doesn't know who TillyTilly is at all.
Helen Oyeyemi draws on Nigerian mythology to present a strikingly original variation on a classic literary theme: the existence of "doubles," both real and spiritual, who play havoc with our perceptions and our lives. Lyrical, haunting, and compelling, "The Icarus Girl" is a story of twins and ghosts, of a little girl growing up between cultures and colors. It heralds the arrival of a remarkable new talent.

I am going to start at the beginning to make this easier. I bought this novel (and it is signed by the author) 11 years ago. I still have the receipt in the book from Housing Works. I bought it August 11, 2005.

It has been on my to-be-read piles all this time (along with other books I've had for years.)

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard! (@victoriaaveyard)

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Published: HarperTeen

My Rating:

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

As if living in a world where the color of your skin could get you killed, now there’s a world where the color of your blood, is everything.

Guest Book Review: Every Ugly Word by Amiee L. Salter!

Every Ugly Word
Author: Aimee L. Salter
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Published: Alloy Entertainment
Reviewer: Lametria

My Rating:

When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.
Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

There is no escape, every word, every ugly word is always there. In the school hallways, and coming from the mouth of the person that is supposed to love you most in the world. Ashley can’t escape the words, she can’t escape all the people around her who hate her and literally tell her to “Just died already,” and her mom who uses every chance she gets to tell her, “You would be so pretty if you just lost a little weight.”

Guest Book Review: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer! (@marissa_meyer)

Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Published: Feiwel & Friends
Reviewer: Lametria

My Rating: 

The enchantment continues....
The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?
With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

I usually hate prequels, because they’re so predictable and boring. Especially after the cliché and really annoying Fairest novella, that told the tale of how evil Queen Levana claimed the throne. However, this prequel was far from annoying, because all the beloved characters from the Lunar Chronicles are back, and we finally get to find out what happened before the events in the series.

Guest Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell! (@rainbowrowell)

Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publication Date: October 6, 2016
Published: St. Martin's Griffin
Reviewer: Lametria

My Rating:

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.
That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.
Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.
Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

I didn’t think I could ever love a book based on Harry Potter fanfiction. The Potter universe is untouchable, but Rainbow Rowell touched it and I think it’s awesome! The story chronicles the life of Simon Snow, a teenager in his last year at his magical school, Watford, who is also the chosen one, but lacks skill with his wand. Of course, he has to fight something that’s taking over the magical world known as the Humdrum, with the help of his best friend Penelope and evil roommate, Baz. Not only do these three have to tackle the Humdrum, but they also have to figure out who murdered Baz’s mother all those years ago.

Guest Book Review: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renée Ahdieh! (@rahdieh)

The Wrath and The Dawn (The Wrath & The Dawn #1)
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Reviewer: Lametria

My Rating:

One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

Just when I thought I was growing out of the YA fantasy genre, I came across this story. I’m not a big fan of Aladdin and I’ve never read Arabian Nights, but I do know that this story is based off of those stories.

Guest Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer! (@marissa_meyer)

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Published: Feiwel & Friends
Reviewer: Lametria

My Rating:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

I can’t believe it’s over! The conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles has finally arrived and even though it wasn’t the greatest novel in the series, because Scarlet will forever by number 1, it was still great. 

Blog Tour: Arrows by Melissa Gorzelanczyk - Review & Favorite Quotes! (@MelissaGorzela)

Welcome to the last day of the Arrows Blog Tour! Today, we have a review from guest reviewer Lametria and a couple of her favorite quotes! Don't forget to check out the Giveaway below as well!

Arrows
Author: Melissa Gorzelanczyk
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Published: Delacorte Press
Reviewer: Lametria
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

My Rating:

People don’t understand love. If they did, they’d get why dance prodigy Karma Clark just can’t say goodbye to her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does or how he hurts her, she can’t stay angry with him . . . and can’t stop loving him. But there’s a reason why Karma is helpless to break things off: she’s been shot with a love arrow.
Aaryn, son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma andDanny but found out too late that the other arrow in his pack was useless. And with that, Karma’s life changed forever. One pregnancy confirmed. One ballet scholarship lost. And dream after dream tossed to the wind.
A clueless Karma doesn’t know that her toxic relationship is Aaryn’s fault . . . but he’s going to get a chance to make things right. He’s here to convince Danny to man up and be there for Karma. But what if this god from Mount Olympus finds himself falling in love with a beautiful dancer from Wisconsin who can never love him in return?
This fast-paced debut novel explores the internal & external conflicts of a girl who finds herself inexplicably drawn to a boy who seemingly doesn't reciprocate her feelings, touching on the issues of love, sex and responsibility, with a heroine struggling to control her destiny--perfect for fans of Katie McGarry's novels and MTV’s 16 and Pregnant.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository | iTunes | Kobo

I always thought Cupid was just a myth, but in this novel being cupid is a HUGE responsibility.

Guest Book Review: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher! (@longshotauthor)

The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Series #1)
Author: Jim Butcher
Publication Date: September 29, 2015
Published: Roc
Reviewer: Stephanie

My Rating:

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.
Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predatorto its fighting glory.
And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…