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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
by April Genevieve Tucholke
Release Date: August 15, 2013 by Dial
Pre-order It: Amazon | Book Depository

Add it on Goodreads

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery…who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Gah, this book. It sounds SO good, does it not? Really hoping it lives up to the synopsis! I’m looking forward to meeting River West in August.

What are you waiting on this week?

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren that allows book bloggers to showcase the books they’ve received in the past week, whether it be your own purchases, from publishers, library checkouts, borrowed, won, etc.

     

Unbroken by Melody Grace (for review)
That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard (NetGalley)
True by Erin McCarthy (NetGalley)
Crash by Lisa McMann (free from local theater when I saw The Host, and yes, I’ll be having a giveaway with the extra copy! )
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (purchased)
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead (NetGalley)
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch (from publisher – thanks St. Martin’s Griffin!) — Read my review here
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (purchased)
The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar (NetGalley)
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (from publisher via NetGalley – thanks St. Martin’s Griffin!)
Altered by Jennifer Rush (Easter gift from my momma!)

What did you get this week?

REMINDER:
There is only 5 days left to enter the giveaway for Emily Murdoch’s debut novel, If You Find Me. 2 winners will receive a finished copy of the book.

If You Find Me
by Emily Murdoch
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 256
Source: ARC for review
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Review: I wasn’t entirely sure If You Find Me would be the book for me. I had a little trouble adjusting to the backwoods dialect in the beginning, thinking it was just so distracting that I’d never get into the book. But after the first chapter, I grew accustomed to it and realized it appropriately added a bit of character to the novel. Emily Murdoch takes us on a journey into the lives of two sisters who were kidnapped and abused but come to find that a second chance at life isn’t always impossible. If You Find Me is a compelling and emotional debut that I am so happy to have read!

Carey and her younger sister Jenessa were recently abandoned by their drug addicted mother in an old camper in the woods. They’re left thinking she has just gone out for supplies but they soon discover that she has left them when one day, a social worker and a father they can’t remember appear in the woods. Carey and Jenessa are then taken from the life they’ve always known to live with their father and must learn to adjust to living in the real world.

The bond between the sisters was one of the highlights of the novel for me. Though Jenessa didn’t talk much, Carey always had some sort of sixth sense when it came to her sister. They had such a powerful connection that really affected me emotionally. Carey is a mature, level-headed lead character that you can’t help but sympathize with knowing how she had to grow up far too soon so she could raise her sister. But it was Jenessa that I fell in love with. She’s just so precious and I found myself continually wishing I could just scoop this poor child up and give her all the love and care she deserved.

It was so heart wrenching to read about all that these two had survived in their short lives, far more than any child should have to go through. Poor Jenessa eating herself to the point of sickness because all she’s ever known is canned beans had me tearing up, and even Carey being so grateful for something as simple as toothpaste. But it was so fulfilling to see the girls get a real home and family to take care of them. While Jenessa seemed to take to this new life immediately, Carey is left conflicted, constantly warring on whether she should hate her mother for what she put them through and missing the home she’s always known but determined to get comfortable with this new way of living being presented to her, at least for her sister’s sake. The feeling of still having to be the adult seems to be permanently ingrained in her and I was constantly yearning for her to realize she could just lay back and finally be a kid.

The ending was a little too abrupt for my tastes; I would have enjoyed a short epilogue to see what things could’ve been like for Carey and Jenessa in the future. But all in all, Murdoch beautifully tells a touching story that held my rapt interest until the very last page was turned.

Giveaway

St. Martin’s Press has been kind enough to offer up two finished hardcover copies of If You Find Me for two lucky readers! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and will end on 4/11. Please read the rest of the terms & conditions in the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Isla and the Happily Ever After
by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 17, 2013 by Dutton Juvenile
Pre-order It: Amazon | Book Depository

Add it on Goodreads

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

I adored Anna and the French Kiss, it’s one of my most favorite books and what inspired my desire to travel to Paris. I enjoyed Lola and the Boy Next Door too, it was really cute, but I didn’t fall in love with it like I did Anna so I’m hoping Isla and the Happily Ever After wow’s me as much as Anna did. I didn’t get a chance to post the reveal of the cover so I’ll put my thoughts on it here. I’m honestly not big on the cover, I don’t think it’s anything that stands out. I thought the old ones were cute and fun so I kinda wish they waited till the paperback release of Isla to change them so that people could have matching sets. Plus, I was really curious to see what Isla and her boy would look like.

What are you waiting on this week?

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)
by Jessica Spotswood
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 330
Source: Purchased
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word… especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Review: I thought for sure that Born Wicked was going to turn out to be another one of those books with a gorgeous cover and lackluster story. I was happy to find that not only is Born Wicked not just another “pretty face”, it is an enchanting, unique debut that quickly became one of my favorites.

After the death of their mother, Cate Cahill and her sisters are left to teach themselves to control their magic whilst keeping it a secret from not only their father and everyone they know, but also from the Brotherhood. In this society, girls are meant to act as proper ladies. They are not allowed outside without their cloaks drawn over their head and they are forced to decide whether to marry an upstanding suitor or join the Sisterhood (the Brotherhood’s counterpart), otherwise the Brotherhood will choose a husband for them when they come of age. Witchery is considered a crime that girls, often wrongly accused, get thrown in the insane asylum for or disappear completely, never to be seen again.

Cate is a brilliant protagonist with her fiery attitude that brought life to the story. She has a good head on her shoulders and she’s just so selfless and responsible which isn’t easy for a girl in her situation. Her bond with her younger sisters Maura and Tess is an integral part of the story that I greatly enjoyed. Their bond felt genuine, all the more adding to the story. Being an older sister myself, it was easy to connect with Cate on how fiercely protective she is of her siblings.

Naturally, Cate has two men vying for her affection. Paul – her childhood friend that she hasn’t seen since he went away to school years before – is the one she is expected to marry. She’s fond of him and thinks he’s attractive but it is the dreamy Finn Belastra, the town bookshop owner’s son (and also her gardener), that she starts to fall for. He’s kind, intelligent and adores Cate for who she really is. Did I mention that he had me swooning throughout the entire novel? Their scenes together had me eating up the pages, dying to read even just a little more about the two. I applaud Jessica Spotswood on her talent to write a believable romance that has the power to captivate readers. It’s not one of those “Oh my God, I love you and can’t live without you!” insta-loves. It was gradual, subtle and sweet and unlike other books, wasn’t the focal point of the story.

I haven’t read many books with historical aspects, but Born Wicked has definitely made me a fan and I will be looking into other books set in historical times. There is only so much that I can say about this book without spoiling it, but I feel that I do have to say that it ends rather horribly, but definitely in a good, leave you wanting more kind of way. Waiting for the sequel is going to be painful but oh so worth it.

Born Wicked is a wonderful and engaging debut that had me up into the early hours of the morning, eagerly absorbing Jessica Spotswood’s breathtaking prose. She has most definitely caught my attention as a magnificent debut author and I am anxiously looking forward to the coming books in The Cahill Witch Chronicles and anything else she pens in the future.