Review: Blackwood

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond Series: Stand Alone Published by Strange Chemistry on September 4th 2012 Genres: Young Adult- Fantasy/ Paranormal Source: FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher Goodreads "On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back. Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the...

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Review: Before You Go

Before You Go by James Preller Series: Stand Alone Published by Feiwel & Friends on July 17th 2012 Genres: Young Adult-Contemporary Source: FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher Goodreads "The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much—it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her. Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again. Acclaimed author James Preller explores life, death, love, faith, and resilience in his first young adult novel...

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Review: Burn

Burn by Heath Gibson Series: Stand Alone Published by Flux on August 8th 2012 Genres: Young Adult-Contemporary Source: FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Netgalley Goodreads "William Tucker loves being a volunteer firefighter (maybe it's no coincidence that a pastor's son would enjoy saving people). And after he rescues his crush, Mandy Pearman, she undergoes a profound transformation for the better. In fact, it seems like a lot of good comes from the embers of tragedy in his small Alabama town. William may not be able to meet his father's expectations, force his mother to ditch the gin, or protect his gay brother, but for those who need a second chance at life, William isn't afraid to light the match--and become the hero the town needs." These are the types of...

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Review: Defiance

Defiance by C.J. Redwine Published by Balzer + Bray on August 28th 2012 Genres: Young Adult- Fantasy/Dystopian Source: Edelweiss, FTC: Exchange for honest opinion Buy on Amazon Goodreads "Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her...

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Review: Dark Companion

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta Series: Stand Alone Published by Tor Teen on July 3rd 2012 Genres: Young Adult- Fantasy/ Paranormal Source: FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads "When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove. Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to...

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