"Waiting on" Wednesday (10)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Forbidden
Author: Syrie James Website | Facebook
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Date of Publication: January 24th, 2012
ISBN:  9780062027894 
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . .

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

Title: Fallen in Love 

Author: Lauren Kate Website | Twitter

Genre: YA Paranormal

Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Expected Date of Publication: January 24th, 2012

ISBN:  9780375990670

Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | 

Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

What makes your heart race a little faster? Just in time for Valentine's Day, it's FALLEN IN LOVE, four wholly original new stories collected in a new novel set in the Middle Ages by Lauren Kate. FALLEN IN LOVE gives fans the much-talked about but never-revealed stories of FALLEN characters as they intertwine with the epic love story of Luce and Daniel. The stories include: Love Where You Least Expect It: The Valentine of Shelby and Miles , Love Lessons: The Valentine of Roland; Burning Love: The Valentine of Arriane; and Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda.

What are you waiting for?  

{Book Review}: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Title: Fateful
Author: Claudia Gray Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen (Sept 13, 2011)
Hardcover: 328  pages
ISBN:  9780062006202 
Source: Purchased
Available on: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .
Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

My Review

First Impression: Have I ever mentioned how much I loved the movie Titanic? No? Well I absolutely do. I watched it like a million times. You can imagine my enthusiasm when I heard that Claudia Gray would be writing about about Titanic and adding paranormal creatures to it.


Plot & Characters: Fateful is like Rose and Jack backwards and with werewolves. Tess Davies is aboard the Titanic to change her life. She plans to leave the Lisle family and make a new life in America. Tess is a strong determined character that fights for those she loves. I enjoyed that even though she was just a girl from an underprivileged background and without supernatural powers she is able to stand up to everyone and fight for what she wants. 
     Alec Marlowe is not one of my favorite young adult paranormal swoon worthy guys. He constantly puts Tess in danger and does almost nothing to protect her. It seemed like it was the other way around with Tess protecting him.That however, did not stop me from enjoying their love story. As you can expect their falling in love happens rather quickly since they only have a few days in the Titanic. The limited time frame does not hinder this book from keeping you on the edge of your seat. I was constantly trying to figure out who would survive the voyage. The plot also adds a few twist that had me crying and rejoicing.


Final Thought: A great historical paranormal romance! Yes, we all know how the voyage ends but accompanying the characters on their journey to a new world is incredibly entertaining in Fateful by Claudia Gray. 


My Rating:
                   
Book Trailer:

{Book Review}: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Title: Switched
Author: Amanda Hocking Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: Series  (Trylle, #1)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin (Jan 3, 2012)
Paperback: 293 pages
ISBN:  9781250006318 
Source: Publisher for honest review*
Available on: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

My Review

First Impression: I love the cover of this book. The girl in white sitting there with a castle in the background is just amazing. After reading the blurb on the back I was intrigued and had to start reading right away.


Plot & Characters:
With our bookshelves full of werewolves, vampires and fairies, Amanda Hocking brings us something refreshing with her story about trolls. Not the ugly under a bridge troll but a beautiful, wealthy, and magical Trylle, as they like to be called. 


In Switched, we follow the story of Wendy Everly. Her mother tried to kill her when she was six because she was convinced that Wendy was a monster. Now seventeen Wendy is trying to not get into any trouble at her new school because she wants to avoid problems for her brother Matt and her aunt Maggie. Even though she tries to live her life normally and ignore her past Wendy is still unable to forget and has a hard time fitting in. Her trying to be normal comes to a halt when she meets Finn and he introduces her to a world he claims she belongs.


In Förening, Wendy is confronted with trying to fulfill the role that is expected of her as well as deal with her own  problems such as love problems, attempting to learn her abilities, eagerness to fill her emotional gap that only a mother can fill, missing Matt and Maggie and also fight enemies that want to use her abilities. As you can see, Wendy does not have an easy life but it is a joy to read.


Amanda Hocking did a great job with the characters. I enjoyed reading about Wendy and her journey and discovery of Förening. I found Wendy to be a relate-able character in her struggle between what she wanted to do and her duty. The romance was great because it was not instant and the characters got to know each other and it allowed the reader to fall in love a long with Wendy. 


Final Thought:
If you enjoy reading YA Paranormal Romance and are a bit tired of the usual werewolves and vampires you should definitely check this book out and who knows maybe trolls will become your favorite paranormal creature. 


The best part is that Torn and Ascend, book #2 and #3 will be published February 28th and April 24th respectively, so we don't have to wait that long to see what happens in the Trylle series.


My Rating: 

Book Trailer:


*Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for allowing me to read this book.