Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death

Author: Bethany Griffin

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 320

Rating: 5 Stars!

Team: AHH! I don’t want to choose but IF I HAD to...if it was a LIFE or DEATH situation...I’d pick Will. NO ELLIOT! No Will! Actually, I’d prefer the Red Death. I love both boys too much to choose! :P 

Everything is in ruins. 

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them. 

So what does Araby Worth have to live for? 

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all. 

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does. 

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.~Goodreads

I was not expecting to fall for Masque of the Red Death as hard as I did! I loved every page, every character and ever plot twist. This book was simply fantastic!

The world in which this story takes place is a dark one. Where death is a daily occurrence and rain is almost always on the downpour the whole book has this very eerie vibe to it. The setting and mood really played its own role throughout the whole story and i loved that!

I also really liked the main character Araby! She's a super compassionate character and she puts all of her emotions into every decision she makes (even when she tries not to.) She cares so deeply about everyone she knows and she’s not above giving out second chances. But she’s also extremely guarded and closed off. She puts up this front and tends to hide who she really is from others. So to escape not only the terrors of the outside world but also her inner struggles, Araby goes to local debauchery club on a regular basis with her friend April.

There, Araby meets Will and Oh. My. Perfection. He is everything you could ever possibly want in a fictional boy. Holy Gods. Jus...UNFF! (And that’s a technical term...) He has this unruly dark hair, a sly smile AND he’s all tatted up. *THUD* All of those glorious attributes make him totally mysterious, seriously sexy, and slightly dangerous.

Which makes it even more surprising when Will takes Araby back to his home. When she gets there, she learns that Will’s parents died from the plague leaving him to take care of his little brother, Henry, and little sister, Elise. And that was absolutely endearing to read about. He is so good to them and so protective that it made me want to cry. I could feel how much they meant to him through the pages. GAH! I just want to marry this boy. He’s completely charming and sweet and he’s someone that Araby really opens up to and starts to not only trust, but fall for as well. But, Will is not without faults...and I’ll leave that tidbit right there...

When Will’s not around another boy seems to always be close by...April’s brother, Elliot. *sighs* Oh, Elliot, you semi-insane stud with a hero complex, how could I not also grow attached to you too?  This boy has issues—major issues. Issues so deep that it seems almost impossible to get through to him. He’s arrogant and stubborn and selfish, but something about him drew me in. And it also drew Araby in as well.

When it comes to the boys in this book, picking a team is out of the question. The love triangle is done so amazingly well that I have no words as to describe its brilliance.

With an intense ending and no clear-cut future for Araby, I’m dying for more of her story! Masque of the Red Death is a stunning, seductive and incredible novel! I HIGHLY recommend it!

Hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer & Good Choice Reading!

The characters in these books are some of the most ferocious out there. Okay...maybe not ferocious, but pretty kick-butt nonetheless! Assassins, criminals and ghosts—doesn’t get any more fierce than that, right!?

One winner will pick one book from the above choices! Just fill out THIS FORM to enter! :) 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week i am waiting on:

Sixteen-year-old Cleo has grown up in luxury, the royal heiress to a prosperous kingdom. But beneath her nation’s seemingly peaceful surface lies dangerous unrest. Whispers of war are growing ever louder—intensified by a murderous incident for which Cleo’s betrothed, Aron, is accused. 

Amidst the ongoing intrigue, Cleo has a more desperate mission. She defies her father’s orders and sets off on a secret and perilous journey into a neighboring country, seeking a magic long thought to be mythical. If it’s real, it could be the cure that heals her ailing sister. If it’s only legend, Cleo will be stranded in a kingdom that has just declared war on her own.  This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with unforgettable characters and vibrantly imagined magic. Falling Kingdoms is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Cinda Williams Chima, and George R.R. Martin.~Goodreads

Is this high-fantasy? It sounds like high-fantasy. And it also sounds absolutely amazing! It has a BOMB cover as well! Really looking forward to this one! 

Teaser Tuesday: Arise

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stupidly, recklessly, I leaned in close enough to feel the warmth of his presence, to breath in the sweet, musky scent of his cologne. These were things I’d wanted to experience in full since we first met. And now I had to act like a thief, stealing this moment from him. ~ARC P. 290

JOSHUA MAYHEW ♥ That is all.

Revived by Cat Patrick

Revived

Author: Cat Patrick

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 304

Source: Magical Urban Fantasy Reads ARC Tour

Rating: 4 Startling Stars! 

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life. 

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.~Goodreads

I adored Cat Patrick’s first novel, Forgotten, and her second did not disappoint me either!

With a synopsis like THAT, you’d think the plot would be the element that shines through the most, but I found that the characters are what really stood out in this one!

I liked the main character, Daisy, a lot! She was super down to earth and she handled her situation with so much maturity. She also had a snarky side and I love that in an MC!

But the character who I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOVED was her guardian, Mason! For being an older gent he was highly attractive and extremely charming! His relationship with Daisy was completely adorable as well. He took on the roll of being her father figure perfectly and he is just the epitome of what a parent should be; supportive, trustworthy, loyal, and understanding. I think he should get a spin-off!

So, any who! The book starts off with Daisy getting stung by a bee and ultimately dying.....again. Mason then has to use the drug Revive to bring her back to life....again. Annnnd they are forced to move to a different city and start over....again. God, that would suck so bad! But at least in this town, Daisy got to make some really good friends!

Daisy first meets Audrey in the school hallway and then later she meets Audrey’s brother, Matt. Both of them were awesome characters and the more I learned about them the more I grew to love them. Matt was such a compassionate guy, not only towards his family but towards Dais as well. He’d known the girl all of a week and he drove a super long ass way to take care of her drunk. That whole scene?! Was just way cute!  There were a lot of cute moments in this one! :)

Not only was Daisy balancing school, Mason and her new friends, but she was also looking at secret files on Mason's computer about the Revive program. And she happened to find some pretty...strange things which caused her to question the entire program as a whole. Some freaky, cover-up stuff was going on and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.  

In the mean time as the story progresses, we find out about Audrey’s condition and it causes Matt to act...different. Which is totally understandable, considering. BUT, he takes a lot of things out on Dais and asks A LOT of her. (I’m not even going to lie, I really wanted to smack him at one point.) After a MAJOR plot element happens I found myself not liking Matt as much, I couldn’t really connect with him anymore. Just...I feel like he went about handling the situation all wrong. 

When Daisy drifts away from Matt, she starts to get some threats from "God", the head honcho who runs the Revive program, and holy snap! *INSERT HUGE PLOT TWIST/REVEAL HERE!* Yikes! Did not see THAT one coming! 

So overall, with a crazy plot and lovable characters, Revived is sure to give you chills and stick with you for a while! I would definitely recommend it!

Much Needed Rant

I’m currently reading The Selection by Kiera Cass and I’m absolutely loving it! I’ve been updating my goodreads statuses like cRaZy because I’m laughing or gasping or swooning with every turn of the page! And I canNOT hold my excitement in!

So, when I went onto The Selection’s goodreads page and was browsing the reviews I was simply appalled. I heard about the whole “scandal” that went down with the agent/author/reviewer or whatever and, pardon my language, but who gives a fuck.

God, I am SO genuinely pissed off right now. People are saying that they’ll never read the book or that it’s now “shit listed” or that Kiera “ruined her whole career.” News flash people: The Selection is probably going to be a FUCKING HIT show on the CW. Not to mention that The Selection is book ONE in a trilogy, you dumb-asses. I think Kiera will do just fine.

Also. What the hell? You don’t make judgments on books based off of the ratings. You just don’t. Sure, I’ve been known to LOOK at the book’s average but that does not effect, in ANY WAY, if I pick up a book or not. Honestly.

Just like you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover? Don’t judge it by its rating. You should look at a book’s synopsis and see if it’s something that you’d really like, something that you’d want to read about. I REPEAT you should NOT judge a book solely on it’s effin’ rating.

Just because Sally Jane rates a book two stars, does not mean that the book sucks ass. It only sucks ass to Sally Jane.

Dude. You’re a member on goodreads. You obviously like reading. It’s about the books, the world building, the characters, THE STORYTELLING— NOT the author and the agent— you should already know this. 

So I HIGHLY encourage people to un-“shitlist” The Selection because it’s pretty brilliant entertainment. (Key word: entertainment. Something done for enjoyment. Get your head out of your ass and read a book FOR. FUN. Because YOU. LOVE. To. Do. It. Not to bitch about an author.) 

Sorry if you hate me now buuuut that’s wass-up!

~End rant~ 

btw- i personally love Kiera and think she's adorable! *waves* 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week i am waiting on:

About a high-school senior, who, in the aftermath of a car accident that kills her boyfriend and throws her carefully planned future into complete upheaval, retreats to the deep woods of Maine to live with the artist father she barely knows and meets a boy who threatens to pull her from her safe, hard-won exile. ~Sara Crowe Lit Agency

 I love the title of this and the cover is seriously gorgeous! Can’t wait for  it! Do you like it too? Go add Lovely, Dark and Deep to your goodreads list! :)

Teaser Tuesday: Masque of the Red Death

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If you take off your mask, I guess I’ll know you’re ready for a kiss. Like in the park today. With Will.” ~ARC P. 249

Will! Elliot! Will! Elliot! WILL!! ELLIOT?! I don’t know which boy I love more!

<---This book? Was bomb! I totally want to do a reread because it was just... fantastic! You should definitely pick it up when it hits shelves next month! 

ARC CLEAR OUT

• ·      Also Known As Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher
• ·      You Are My Only by Beth Kephart
• ·      Between by Jessica Warman
• ·      Fateful by Claudia Gray
• ·      My Favorite Band Does Not Exist by Robert T. Jeschonek
• ·      The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
• ·      The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
• ·      Supernaturally by Kiersten White
• ·      Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes
• The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

If you’re interested in any of the above titles leave a comment saying which one(s) you’d like, and a way to contact you!  I’ll randomly pick 3 or 4 peeps to adopt them! (Depending on how many people are interested!)

Open until 3/15  ENDED


Oh! And US/CAN only! Sorry! 

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Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die (Revenants #2)

Author: Amy Plum

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 352

Team: Is it possible to be Team Jules? Is that even an option?!

Rating: 3.5 Stars! 

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.~Goodreads

To be honest, I struggled a little getting through this one. There was a lot more information on Revenants in this installment and at times it felt a little info-dumpy (is that a real term?). Until I Die was much slower paced than Die for me, but with new characters, old nemeses, and relationship roadblocks, it was a good addition to the series nonetheless!

Kate and Vincent are a bit at odds in this book. They’re both trying to find a way to have a normal relationship where Vincent doesn’t need to sacrifice himself so often...or...um, ever. That’s all beautiful and great but then they start keeping things from each other and that is a BIG no-no in any and ALL relationships. Vamp-human relationships, mermaid-human relationships, human-human relationships annnnnd Revenant-human relationships. I really didn’t understand why they went behind each other’s backs when they’re supposed to be totally and completely in love. It really irked me.  

With that being said there were also a lot of things I loved about this book! Amy Plum delivers again when it comes to her descriptions of the Parisian setting. Some scenes I would reread because they were simply that gorgeous! Her fight scenes were also totally kick-butt! I LOVED THEM but wish there would have been some! You're holding out on us, Plum!

I also LOVED Georgia in this sequel! I don’t know if she’s necessarily in this one more than the first, but her presence shines through tenfold! There are a ton of cute snarky sister moments and I loved that she was in on the Revenant loop! Oh! And her plus newbie Arthur equal win! <3 o:p="o:p">

Then we have my Jules! *sighs* Can he please get his own spin-off? I love this boy SO MUCH. His flirty-protective-sexy self caused me to swoon hardcore. He kinda makes me wish that this series revolved not only around Revenants but a love triangle as well! And I am not a fan of those buuuuuuut I’m still holding out for Jules/Kate make out sesh! :P

With plenty of twists, not nearly enough kisses and a SHOCKING (and I mean devastatingly shocking) ending, Until I Die is a slow-paced but captivating sequel! I can’t wait to find out what happens in If I Should Die, the final book in the Revenants trilogy! 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week i am waiting on:

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.~Goodreads

I absolutely adored The Girl in the Steel Corset and I canNOT wait to read more about Fin and her Steampunk Squad!

p dot s- I heart Jack Dandy :P

Teaser Tuesday: Tiger Lily

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the days that followed, I often wondered if Tiger Lily thought about Pan like I did. Sometimes her mind was foggy to me.

   Was he a boy? A ghost? A cannibal? How may people had he killed? Would she ever try to go back and retrieve her necklace? And if so, how would she find him?

   But Tiger Lily didn’t have to track her way back to Peter Pan. Four days later, she was invited. 

GOOSE. BUMPS.

Also, this book is INCREDIBLE and it now owns my heart. That is all. ♥

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

The Hunt

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Publisher: St. Martin’s Grffin

Pages: 304

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Team: Sissy 

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood. 

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?~Goodreads

This book was intense. Like, intensely intense. There was never a dull moment and I was on edge until the very last sentence!

Everyday the main character of this story, Gene, puts his life at risk. He can’t sweat or laugh or sneeze or clap or get goose-bumps or roll his eyes or do anything that will cause him to stand out. As soon as he’d make one false move, he’d be a goner.

This is because Gene is a heper. Or what us fine folks would refer to as a normal human being. And unfortunately, Gene lives in a world where hepers are a delicacy, a food source, the prey. DUN...DUN...DUN...

The townsfolk are basically creepy ass vampires. And their idiosyncrasies are so disturbing that I can’t even begin to tell you how freaked out I was by them. These people are seriously messed up and in order to survive, Gene has to disguise his true and pretend to be one of them.

Then, as luck would have it, Gene wins a lottery that allows him to be a part of the Hunt, a competition to seek out and devour the last remaining hepers. As soon as he wins he’s immediately whisked away to the Institute to train. OH. MY. GOD. He doesn’t even have his fang cleaner or razor or nail clipper or dormant with him. *ensure panic attack*

There were so many times I was FREAKING OUT thinking he’d (literally) get sniffed out by someone and then attacked. He had so many close calls! I WAS FLIPPIN'! Especially when he started to sweat and he became dehydrated! AH! His only option was to run to the closest water supply...in the Dome.

 

THE DOME! This is where the hepers for the hunt are forced to live until the actual event. It opens up at dawn so they can wander about and then it closes at dusk. And when Gene enters the Dome, that’s when I fell in love with this story.

There's this one scene that takes place while Gene is in the Dome and oh my gosh you guys! The imagery!? Brilliant! The fact that Gene has to suppress all his facial expressions and emotions, so the others won’t find out that he’s actually human, caused every expression depicted in this story to be that more powerful. Just...just take a look whouldja?

“It is squinting; I stop in my tracks. I’ve never seen anyone squint. It is so...expressive. The eclipsed half closing of the eyelids, the wrinkles coming off the corners of the eyes like a delta, the brows contracted together, even the mouth frozen in a snarl of confusion. It’s a strange expression, it is a lovely expression.” 

How fantastic is that?? I loved it. And the heper squinting at him? That would be none other than the leader of the hepers, Sissy! As soon as she hooked Gene’s briefs on a dagger and threw them over the Dome...I was in love with her. She is seriously SO BAD ASS. And I was hoping-praying-anticipating a romantical connection between her and Gene! GAH! I wants that so badz.

But alas, Gene has already fallen for someone else, Ashely June, a girl from school who had also won the lottery. I’m sorry, I just did not like her one bit. I didn’t think she was anything special and she was a tad bit pushy and slightly manipulative. I don't know, I just couldn’t connect with her character. And I most definitely did not want Gene to end up with her! *huffs*

Also, the ending?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! UGH! SUCH a cliffy!

Overall, The Hunt is a chilling debut with tons of action and 

suspense! It will be on your mind days after you finish!

Day and June PART II and GIVEAWAY

Welcome to the Day and June interview Part II, the This or That round! 

Dust bomb or Electrobomb?

June: Electrobomb.

Day: Dust bomb! My favorite.

Rain or Snow?

Day: Definitely rain. Snow makes tracks obvious, but rain covers them up.

June: Well, it depends on whether I’m the predator or the prey.

Dogs or Cats?

June: Dogs, of course!

Day: Can’t afford to have a pet on the streets.

Nectar Wine or Water?

Day: Are you kidding? Nectar wine. Delicious.

June: Water. Nectar wine dehydrates you.

Fall or Spring?

Day: Spring, I guess.

June: It doesn’t make a big difference here in Los Angeles, though.

Hot Dogs or Goose Eggs?

Day: Hot dogs. Gotta love street food.

June: I’m not that accustomed to eating hot dogs or goose eggs.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Day: Night owl. The most exciting stuff always happens at night.

June: Night owl. I seem to stay up late quite often.

Lake Sector or Alta Sector? 

Day: Lake Sector. I mean, it’s home base, yeah? It’s my beautiful, shabby little sector.

June: Honestly? Ruby sector.

The Book or The Movie?

Day: Poor folks don’t watch a lot of movies. We don’t get to read much either—but yeah, I’d pick books.

June: Books, clearly.

Day, boxers or briefs?

Day: You’re not getting that one outta me, sweetheart.
Brooke: Dang it! :P

Thanks for checking out my interview with Day and June! Aren't they AWESOME!? Want to read their story? Leave your name and e-mail in the comments for a chance to win a copy of LEGEND!