Review: A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Title: A Touch Mortal
Author: Leah Clifford
Pages: 418 (ARC copy)
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: February 22, 2011

Eden didn’t expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.

And that’s only the beginning of the end.

My Thoughts (contains spoilers): Close to evening on a summer day, Eden sits on the sand at the beach, wondering why her family and friends have been ignoring her for weeks. No one seems to care about her anymore, and it's as if she doesn't even exist to them. So, lately, she's been thinking about suicide. But as she's sitting there, contemplating what to do, she is approached by two strangers. Eden is immediately drawn to one of them, the one who calls himself Az. And because of Az, she finds a reason to keep living. At least for a little while.

I liked the first two chapters. Eden and Az had an instant connection, but I wasn't bothered by it because that's usually the case for romance in books. Once I got to chapter three, though, my feelings about the situation changed, and I even started to feel a bit lost. Because chapter three takes place about two weeks after chapter two. Meaning the romantic development I was hoping for wasn't shown at all. The time jump made the pacing seem a bit off to me. It was almost as if the romance wasn't that important to the story...except it was. It was one of the main reasons all the things went down afterward. And no matter how much Eden and Az kissed and said they loved each other, I wasn't convinced. I could not find the romance believable, even by the end of the book.

The two-week skip wasn't the only one in the story. Later on in the book, there was a two-month skip. That one also made me feel like I missed something important, such as information and development, during the time in-between. An example of the important something I felt like I missed was the meaning of the terms used like Sider, Screamer, Basement, Upstairs, etc. Explanations were scattered throughout the book. I did get the hang of it eventually, but it made me wonder why it took so long for a simple definition.

Eden's character, I admit, was another reason I didn't enjoy the book. She wasn't very likable. It seemed like she felt she was the only one going through a tough time. *spoiler* [Az, the love of her life, dies in a horrible accident. Then she finds out his death was all a lie, and she feels completely betrayed. And if that's not enough, Eden's also a "special" type of Sider. A Sider was once a mortal who had no path and committed suicide. Not all mortals who commit suicide become Siders, only the ones without paths. Once a Sider, the person is immortal. Siders have Touch, which can cause mere mortals to either become suicidal or...the opposite. Basically, mortals will be very depressed or very happy when touched by a Sider. And Siders must touch mortals so that Touch doesn't build up inside of them (the Siders). If Touch builds up, the Siders become Screamers. Screamers...scream? (That's about all I can remember. I honestly don't know the purpose for Siders or Screamers or Touch.) For some reason, Eden can do more than give Touch to mortals. She can also...kill other Siders! Confused? Of course you are. You should be, if you haven't read the book.] *end of spoiler* I can understand why having an extra ability was a burden for Eden. But I didn't like how she sounded irritated with the Siders who wanted her help, especially when she kept going on about how she's at least giving those Siders a choice and wishing she was given a choice. And I know some of her attitude was caused by receiving too much Touch and the betrayal, but I don't think it was enough to excuse how unappealing it made her character.

There were a couple other reasons why I didn't enjoy A Touch Moral as much as I wanted, but I pretty much covered the main reasons. The book didn't end with a cliffhanger, but it ended in a way that made me assume that there will be another book. If you believe the reasons I mentioned won't be a problem for you, and if you're looking for another angel book or even a possible angel series, then I suggest you check out A Touch Mortal.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

ARC provided by Different Area Codes Book Tour.

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went (sequel to If I Stay)
Author: Gayle Forman
Pages: 258 (ARC copy)
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: April 5, 2011

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My Thoughts: This review was difficult to write. I didn't even know where to start. All I wanted to do was pick up the book and reread it. Because it was amazing, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I loved it even more than If I Stay.

"She kissed me good-bye. She told me that she loved me more than life itself. Then she stepped through security.
She never came back."

I loved reading from Adam's point of view. The writing was so, so good. Some moments were really intense. And I felt like I could feel everything he was going through. His love, anger, loneliness, and anxiety. I just wanted to comfort him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Adam's emotions were so strong that, even though I love Mia, when he got angry and upset at her I couldn't help but to get angry and upset with her too. Like Adam, all I wanted to know was why she left and why she did this to him. When Mia finally told him, I was shocked. I was not expecting what she said, and it hurt so much. But it made complete sense, and I couldn't hold it against Mia.

Like Mia's story, the majority of Adam's story is told in one day and includes flashbacks, which were really great. But Where She Went is a bit different. There are chapters this time. The book is longer. And there is some other things. But I don't want to reveal too much, and I won't say whether or not Adam and Mia have a happy ending. I will say though that I believe Gayle Forman gave us everything we wanted to know and more. Closure being one of those things.

I hope I haven't overhyped the book. I don't want anyone to feel disappointed. (Although, I do think the hype is deserved, and I believe it lives up to it, but this is only how I felt.) If you loved If I Stay, I don't see how you won't love Where She Went. And if you didn't love the previous book, I think you should seriously give this sequel a chance. Where She Went made me appreciate If I Stay even more.

Thanks to Penguin and LibraryThing for the opportunity to read this ARC. And of course, the biggest thanks goes to Gayle Forman! For writing this amazing book that a lot of us readers desperately needed.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In My Mailbox #35

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Bought:
Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Won:
The Demon Trapper's Daughter (Demon Trappers, #1) by Jana Oliver from St. Martin's Press.
The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2) by Bree Despain from Susan @ Wastepaper Prose.
Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)  by Gayle Forman from LibraryThing.

I'm very, very excited to have received an ARC of Where She Went this week! Love the cover; it's so pretty! Won it through LibraryThing in their November batch, so I've been impatiently waiting for nearly two months. But I'm just glad it finally arrived. Will get to it once I finish rereading If I Stay. The book also came with a letter from Gayle Forman, which you can see on the right. (I really hope there's a happy ending for Adam & Mia! T_T)

Also got ARCs of The Lost Saint and The Demon Trapper's Daughter. I honestly can't remember what happened in The Dark Divine. I know I liked it, but I'm going to have to reread it before I get to TLS. And I wasn't expecting TDTD. Was surprised when I saw it in the mail. Curious to read it though. Finally, I also received Fall for Anything. It's the first book I'm reading by Courtney Summers, and so far so good. Can't wait to finish it.

That's it for this week. Have a great week! :)

Book Postcard: Like Mandarin

The other day I received a postcard from Kirsten Hubbard of her debut novel Like Mandarin! Her novel will be released this year on March 8 through the publisher Delacorte Press.

I can't remember how I found out about the author and her book (maybe GoodReads?), but I started following her blog when I saw that she was a fan of Melina Marchetta. The interesting thing is Melina Marchetta blurbed Like Mandarin a few months ago!

Back of postcard.

"A beautifully crafted, bittersweet story about an unlikely friendship that sets two very different people free." - Melina Marchetta

Cool, huh? :D Can't wait to read this book. I also can't wait to read Kristen Hubbard's second novel Wanderlove, which will be released next year. It sounds very good too! (By the way, the book cover looks way better than the picture you see up there. The sorting machines used by the US Postal Service messed up the postcard. :p)

In My Mailbox #34

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Bought:
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

For Review:
A Touch Mortal [ARC] by Leah Clifford [from Different Area Codes Book Tour]

Gift:
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin
Matched (Matched, #1) by Ally Condie

Finished reading A Touch Mortal yesterday, and my review will be up in a week or two. (If anyone wants to know...I didn't like it. :\) Let It Snow I read last year. I really liked the first two stories, so when I saw it was on sale for about $4 at Books A Million, I decided to get it. That's all I bought. That BAM didn't have much of a selection as the other BAM in my previous IMM.

I honestly haven't heard great things for Low Red Moon or even Matched. But my fellow book friend, Tina, didn't want her copies anymore. And I'm willing to give them a try. (I love the book jacket for LRM! It's blazin'! O_O) Thankies, Tina!

And here's something really cool that isn't pictured above...

Yes! Mockingjay officially signed/stamped by Suzanne Collins! Meaning... I have a copy Suzanne Collins, the one who wrote the amazing trilogy and came up with the awesome characters Katniss & PEETA, actually touched! *awe*

I won this from Down With The Capitol through their Twitter. I was completely shocked when I found out. Wasn't even expecting it. So happy and grateful though! :D I now have two copies of MJ, but I won't be getting rid of my other copy because this stamped copy will stay at the very top of my bookshelf. And no one will be allowed to read it. Normally I wouldn't do that to signed books, but...c'mon! This is Suzanne Collins! :p hehe Thank you, DWTC!

Okay, that's it for this week. Really hope I find something in my mailbox next week (*cough*Fall For Anything). Have a great day! :)

Detour Postcards - Canada

After reading and loving Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, some GoodReads friends and I were inspired to send each other postcards! Since we weren't able to go on road trips ourselves, we figured postcards would be the next best thing. A couple months ago, about eight of us (from 5 different countries) participated in sending each other postcards. Now, I'm showcasing the postcards I've received.

I know, I'm late! It's been almost 2 months since the first post. I just got lazy, and then completely forgot. I have a couple postcards left, so I will try to keep up with these posts from now on.

Canada postcard/stamp.

This postcard is from Tina in Canada. On the back of the postcard it says that it's a sunset in Northern Canada. Sunsets are great! Always so orangery. The picture makes Canada seem a lot less cold than I imagined. Thanks to Tina for the postcard! :)

That's it for North America! Next up will be Australia. Check out more Detour postcards here.

Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Title: Desires of the Dead (Body Finder, #2)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 15, 2011

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

When Violet Ambrose's morbid ability to sense the echoes of those who've been murdered leads her to the body of a young boy, she draws the attention of the FBI. She is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that will endanger more than just her secret...but her relationship and possibly her life as well.

My Thoughts (contains some minor spoilers):

Desires of the Dead starts off a few months after The Body Finder. Everything seems to have pretty much returned to normal for Violet after the incident during the Homecoming dance. Things change, though, when she discovers the body of a young boy stashed in a cargo ship container in Seattle. Violet is later contacted by the FBI, who want to know exactly how she managed to locate the body. This is when Violet's problems begin.

It's hard not to compare this book with The Body Finder. Both books are similar in that there's chapters for the 'stalker' and Violet needs to figure out that person's identity before an innocent person gets hurt or even killed. Some of the differences in this book are that there's a couple new characters and Violet is much more secretive. I will admit that those are the reasons I didn't love it like I did the previous book. Of course new characters are to be expected, but I didn't have much of a feel for them. The brother and sister felt random. And the FBI characters seemed really important, but they didn't get much scenes. (Maybe the author is saving them for a third book?) As for Violet and her secrets, I got pretty annoyed with her when she kept information from everyone, including Jay. Those secrets just led to more problems and caused her to be upset throughout the book. Sometimes it was a bit too much.

There were some other issues I had with the book, but they were minor compared to how I felt about the new characters and the secrets. And while I didn't love it as much as The Body Finder, I did enjoy Desires of the Dead overall. The moments between Violet and Jay were probably my favorite parts to read. I would recommend this sequel to those who liked The Body Finder and want to know what happens next with Violet (and Jay).

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Kimberly Derting for the ARC!

Review: You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Title: You Against Me
Author: Jenny Downham
Pages: 416
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Release Date: December 2, 2010

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.

My Thoughts: I had high expectations before I started this book. I can safely say my expectations were pretty much met. The book didn't blow my mind or leave me emotional. (Not to say the book didn't make me feel anything. There were times I was happy and angry and worried.) But for the most part, I had a calm feeling. The setting even felt calming. I liked that.

I thought the author did great with the characters and relationships. They felt realistic and believable. There were times when some of the characters would say or do something that pissed me off. I thought they were being unfair, selfish, or stupid. But then later on, those same characters would say something that made me completely understand why they said what they said or why they did what they did. I'm glad for that. I never like going through books hating characters.

As for the main characters, Mikey and Ellie, I really liked them. I thought their relationship was done well. My favorite line in the book was from Ellie's brother Tom, the one being accused of the crime. He said this: "You want this to be a love story?" Well, I know I wanted it to be, between Mikey and Ellie. And after reading it, I think it is and more. The book's summary states it perfectly: 'It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.'

Not everything is resolved by the end of the book. We don't exactly know what will happen to the characters, but it's not that hard to imagine. I don't believe the author left us hanging, which I'm grateful for. And like I mentioned before, the ending even left me with a calm feeling. So for me, it was a satisfying read, and I definitely recommend it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Contest @ Veronica Roth's Blog

my extra entry

Author Veronica Roth is giving away 3 ARCs of her debut YA novel Divergent at her blog. The giveaway is open to those with US addresses and ends Saturday, January 8 at 12:30 PM. All you have to do is leave a comment with your email address at her giveaway post. There's also a way to gain an extra extry:

"BUT if you want one and don't mind being ridiculous, you can take a picture documenting choice-making in the spirit of Ze Divergent Tagline (One Choice Will Transform You) and I will enter your name twice instead of once."

"Do note that the picture doesn't have to be of you. It can be of your dog. Or of some kind of indecision-related object. Or some wacko MS Paint drawing you did at 3 in the morning."

I decided to do my extra entry on MS Paint! (It's the picture on the right. I didn't draw the computer or the face. All found through Google.) I seriously could not decide what to make the picture about, so that's why it's about my indecisiveness about the contest. :P

POC Reading Challenge 2011

Art by PET.

This year I'm going to participate in the Persons of Color Reading Challenge. The POC challenge is for readers to read books with characters of color or books written by authors of color. To find out more about the challenge and to sign-up, visit the 2011 sign-up page at the POC blog.

Updated June 29
My goal is to read at least three POC books, which is Level 1. Here are the books I have read so far this year:

Legend by Marie Lu [my review]
Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra [my review]
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder [my review]

The Bridge by Jane Higgins [★★★★]

If I Tell by Janet Gurtler [my review]

And these are books I am hoping to read next for the challenge:
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Be sure to check out the POC blog, if you're interested in participating. :)

In My Mailbox #33

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Bought:
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, #4) by Richelle Mead
Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms, #1) by Kristin Cashore
If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) by Gayle Forman
Paper Towns by John Green
You Against Me by Jenny Downham

For Review:
Timeless [ARC] by Alexandra Monir from Different Area Codes Book Tour.

Gift/Won:
Cryer's Cross [ARC] by Lisa McMann from the author.
Second Kiss [eBook] by Natalie Palmer from a friend.
Shades of Atlantis [eBook] by Carol Oates from Jennie @ Random Chalk Talk.

If there's a Books A Million in your area, you really need to have a look at those tables or bins they have around the store because I found a table full of marked-down YA books (probably overstock). I got Blood Promise, If I Stay, Paper Towns, and Graceling for under $5 each. I know, great deals! I wish I had noticed earlier. I'll have to take a look at the other BAM in my area.

I won an ARC of Cryer's Cross from Lisa McMann through her newsletter. We had to tell her our favorite read in 2010 and why it was our fave in one sentence. Probably random drawing, but I like to think I won because of my amazing recommendation. hehe ;P Guess which book I recommended? Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, of course! I wonder if she'll actually read it... Hope so!

After about 3 weeks, You Against Me finally came in the mail the other day from The Book Depository. I can't wait to read that one! I've already read and reviewed Timeless here. (Different Area Codes Book Tour has had some really great tours so far. You should check it out if you're a US resident.) Second Kiss and Shades of Atlantis are eBooks that I'll need to find the time to read because for some reason, I get extremely distracted when I read books on the computer. :p

That's about it! I was going to babble a whole lot more, but I decided to get straight to the point. heh Happy 2011!

Top Books Read in 2010

I can't do a top 10. It's just not possible! So here's my favorite books read in 2010, in no particular order! :)

Favorite Book of 2010 (in case you didn't already know):
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

Contemporary

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nealson

Dystopia & Fantasy

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Mockingay by Suzanne Collins

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Paranormal

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Honorable Mentions (I couldn't resist):

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

That took forever. I had to force myself to narrow it down to four per category, especially the contemporary list. Now it's time to get started on reading books for 2011. Happy New Year by the way! :D