Book Review: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Title: Take a Bow
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg 

Number of Pages: 278

Published: April 1st 2012 by Point

Source: Library

Genre: Contemporary

Reading Level: YA

Star Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads | Purchase

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Young adult Contemporary novels are huge right now and I myself have developed a love for this genre of books. Take a Bow is a prime example of why I love contemporary. I feel in love with the book right from the beginning. The story is told from 4 different points of view and while I have not been a big fan of these types of books; Take a Bow was just perfect to a tee. The author did a wonderful job with melding the four character's stories together. Sophie, Emme, Ethan, and Carter each had there own unique and enriching tale to tell. I found myself wanting to keep reading more and more so I may find out what happen next.  

Emme is a songwriter and writes many songs for her best friend Sophie to sing. She is too shy and scared to be up in the spotlight for herself. 

Sophie wants nothing more than to be a STAR with a capital S! She will do anything to climb to the top even if that means using her BFF Emme in the process.

Ethan is part of a band called Teenage Kicks and his teammates are Emme, Jack, and Ben.  He also is a songwriter and singer.  Ethan's one flaw is not speaking what he feels in his heart.

Carter is a child star and best known for his role is the movie Kavalier Kids. He is currently dating Sophie and is keeping a secret. He loves art and painting. 

They are have one thing is common. They go to an elite school called New York High School for the Creative and Preforming Arts. Each on them are on a separate journey to find their way in the world. 

Take a Bow is full of physical and emotional trials and tribulations. I love that each character grew and learned from events that took pace in the story. They helped each other to find happiness, to take chances and even stand up for what they believe in. Elizabeth's writing is smooth, and rich with emotion. I dare say take a bow was one of the best young adult contemporary I have read this year. This is my first book read by the author and I will be definitely read all of her work. 


A 5 ★★★★★ masterpiece, Take a Bow is in a spotlight of it's own!

In My Mailbox (#28) + Stacking The Shelves (#5)

 A weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we post about all the books we have received whether in the mail, if we purchased it, or got it from our local library.

Stacking The Shelves ( hosted by Tynga's Reviews ) is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Books I have received for Review:

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins (Signed by author | Giveaway)

Books I have won:

(ARC) Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard + Signed swag
Thank you Justin @ Justin's Book Blog


Books I have got from the library:

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg 
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson 
Try not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard 


Books I bought:
None.

Thank you for stopping by. Be sure to leave your mailbox links so I can come check out your posts. 

Have a nice day and Happy reading!

Book Review: Oracle: Fire Island by C.W. Trisef

Title: Oracle: Fire Island (Book #2)
Author: C.W. Trisef 

Number of Pages: 323

Published: March 2012 by Trisef Book LLC

Source: Author (paperback)
Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: YA

Star Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads | Purchase

The adventure continues! With the first element (earth) painfully collected within the Oracle, Ret Cooper and his friends return home to find that things are only heating up. Thanks to some mischief caused by the peculiar Benjamin Coy, Ret’s second scar makes its explosive debut. But what does it mean, and where will it take them? These questions gnaw at Ret as he begins his sophomore year at Tybee High. 

With challenging twists, inspired turns, and a few unexpected surprises, our hero once again confronts danger and disaster, while discovering newfound feelings for a certain female companion. Old friends and foes, along with a few new ones, follow Ret as more of our world’s mysteries lead him to Fire Island and the second element (fire). Ancient artifacts, a hot-air balloon, lines in the desert, a city in the mountains, tribal societies, and even the navel of the world all play their parts in Ret’s continued quest to fill the Oracle.

This second installment in the Oracle series is a must read, full of fun, adventure, and wholesome purpose. Hang on tight as author C.W. Trisef takes you to places and predicaments you have never seen before or even imagined, and makes you feel like you are a part of Ret’s destiny, to cure the world.

Oracle: Fire Island picks up where the first book left off. Ret, and his family/friends just got back from there journey to the Sunken Earth where they retrieved the first element; earth. The Oracle is still missing five remaining elements and must be completed to save the world. Ret and his gang must now set out once again to try to find which element is next and where it can be found. He is now having to rely on his friends for guidance but becomes overly worried about what is to come. Many new twists and turns will soon lead Ret on a course to find what he seeks but not without some trouble along the way.

Author C.W. Trisef has done it again and wrote another thrilling adventure through a unique and face paced urban fantasy world. As the second in the series I found Oracle: Fire Island to be much more developed and enthralling. The story went much more into greater detail and understanding about the elements. The book held my attention all the way through unlike the first one.  A very fun read, and with the mix of new characters added in made the book to be so much more exciting and evolved. I really do love that there is a hint of romance starting between Ret and Paige. I hope that in the next novel we will see more of this romance in bloom. 

Honestly, I was not sure what to expect from the second book in the series, only because after reading Orcale: Sunken Earth was not as good as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, I did not hate it but I did not love it as much as I did this one. I feel that may have been a good thing because it really shows how much more developed the authors writing has become in the process of the series. After finishing this book I am very much looking forward to finding out what will happen next. Even more so because the ending of the book left off on a HUGE cliffhanger. I was like "Noooooo!" I need to find out what happens. So not fair. O_o

All in all Oracle: Fire Island is a tremendous addition to the series and bring new life to this already magical world that the author has created. Very original and captivating, this book is one not to miss! 

Read my review of book one of the Oracle Series – Oracle: Sunken Earth.

Giveaway Winners! Wake & What's Left of Me (ARC).

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the the following Giveaways and for following my blog. You all are beyond awesome! My readers really do meant the world to me! 

With that said.... here are the winners for the closed giveaways.

A finished copy of WAKE by Amanda Hocking

Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop (a ARC of What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang)

Winner of the finished copy of Wake is:

Mandee

Winner of the ARC What's Left of Me is:

Kaitlyn

Yay for the winners! Be sure to enter the other one giveaway going on now. Just click the Current Giveaway link above. Thank you again for being such awesome friends, and readers! I will have my review up for What's Left of Me with the next week or two.

Have a great weekend and happy reading!

What's Next? (#1)

I have decided to do a new Thursday book meme called "What's Next?" hosted by IceyBooks. I am always have trouble deciding what book I should read next so this will be a great way for you my readers to help me with my decision.



Here's how it works (for those of you who want to participate):

-Every Thursday, select three-five books (not too many, not too little!) that you want to read but can't decide which one to read first. 

-Post the cover, and if you want, the synopsis or even a random line from the book, for each of your selections. 

-At the end of your post, ask readers to vote on which one you should read next!

For more info: Click Here

So here we go...

Choice One: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Take a Bow

by Elizabeth Eulberg

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary 

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Choice Two: Tiger lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson 

Tiger lily

by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Genre: YA > Fantasy > Fairy Tale Retellings

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Choice Three: Try not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard 

 Try not to Breathe

by Jennifer R. Hubbard 

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bounds of friendship and forgiveness.

What book do YOU think I should read next?

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey - FREE on Kindle!

With Glass Heart (book #2 in the Cold Kiss series) soon to be released on Sept 18th HarperTeen has lowed the price of Cold Kiss to FREE! Now that an awesome deal. Even though I have read the book once before I could not pass this one up. I downloaded my copy yesterday. 
 

To Download your copy CLICK HERE.

Cold Kiss 

by Amy Garvey

Published September 20th 2011 by HarperTeen

Be careful what you wish for. . . 

When Wren's boyfriend, Danny, died, Wren decided that what she wanted—what she had to do—was to bring Danny back. And so, in a heartbroken fury, armed with dark incantations and a secret power, she did.

But the Danny who returns isn't the boy Wren fell in love with, and she must hide him away while her life unravels around her. Then Gabriel transfers to her school and somehow he knows what she has done—and he wants to help make things right.

But Wren alone must undo what she has wrought—even if it means breaking her heart all over again.

For those who have never read Cold Kiss I would highly recommend you do. A very fun and light read. Wren would do anything to not loose Danny even bringing him back from the dead. 

So, did you pick up your copy?

Giveaway Winners! / Foretold + The Dirt & Hollywood Car Wash

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the the following Giveaways:

+ 

Welcome to all new followers! =D

Signed print copies of The Dirt & Hollywood Car wash

Print copy of Foretold

Winner of the signed print copies of The Dirt & Hollywood Car Wash:

Natasha

Winner of the print copy of Foretold is:

Robin Woods

Yay for the winners! I will be contacting each of you very soon. Be sure to enter the other three giveaways going on now. Just click the Current Giveaway link above. Thank you again for being such awesome friends, and readers!

Book Review: The Possession of Cassie Quinn by Kathryn Knutson

Title: The Possession of Cassie Quinn

Author: Kathryn Knutson 
Number of Pages: 200

Published: June 1st 2012 by North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc

Source: Author (paperback)
Genre: Paranormal Romance > Horror

Reading Level: YA

Star Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads | Purchase

A long, dark driveway towards an old farmhouse. A new stepsister with a nasty streak. A little sister who runs off. Something sinister lurking in the woods. Cassie Quinn's new home comes with . . . complications. Cassie never believed in ghosts before. But now she is receiving strange messages, telling her to stay out of the woods. Are the messages just a ploy by her stepsister? Or are they warning her of an evil that stalks the shadows of the woods beyond her home?

I am slowing becomes a huge supernatural horror fan. The Possession of Cassie Quinn just reminds me of why I fell in love with this type of book. Honestly this book just totally freaked me out and made me have goosebumps most of the way through. So if your like me and like a good scare than I would definitely read this one but be sure to keep one eye open when you sleep. I know I did. 

As the book begins we learn that Cassie's Mother has just gotten remarried to a man named Dave and is now stuck with a new step-sister, Ashleigh. Cassie and her little sister, Andie are forced to move away and live in a large house in the country with her new family. Cassie just wants to be done with the move and carry on with her now fractured life the best she can. Cassie begins having frightening and confusing dreams about something that happen in the house years ago. She'll find out that the house holds many secrets, ones too dark to be told. So when things become even weirder for her upon moving it she is all but happy.  In her bedroom she receive terrifying messages that is from beyond the grave. LEAVE! Someone or "something" does not want Cassie and her family to live there. With no one to turn to she begins to make friends with the local kids and discovers they are the key to finding out what really happen and what she can do to end this. But finding the truth may end up killing her or..... worse! 

No spoilers there because I don't want to give away any of the good scary parts. I must say I was very surprised but how amazing the story was. I love a good scare but this just has me looking over my shoulder for a week after. The Author Kathryn Knutson really did a excellent job at making the me feel like I was right there with Cassie while the events were taking place around her. Cassie is a strong female protagonist and reading from her POV was much more thrilling than it would have been from a 3rd person POV. The book was short read but all the more reason to want to reach the end. The last few pages I found to scare me the most and was definitely a conclusion I was not suspecting. 

The one and only thing that I did not care for was the pace of the book. I found myself stopping and coming back a lot. While the author's writing was very edgy and predominant it got a little choppy at times during the book. Other than that I would say I truly enjoyed the book and would love to read the next installment.

The Possession of Cassie Quinn is a beautifully hunting tale. A thrilling ride from start to finish. A MUST read for all supernatural/horror fans. This book left me with the chills long after the last page.

Find Kathryn @ Website | Facebook | Goodreads

I am so excited to have my first book published with North Star Press!  I have been writing stories since I was five years old and it has always been my dream to be an author.  I love to write for children and teens.  I have two boys who keep me very busy, but somehow I find the time to write.  I hope to meet you at one my events (check out the Events page) or you can follow me on Facebook or email me at author@kathrynknutson.com.

If you live in the St. Cloud area and you are a kid who loves to write, consider joining the Teen/Tween Creative Writing Club.  It is a club I started and it is offered through St. Cloud Community Education.  

Thank you for reading! ; )

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins | Author Guest Post + Giveaway

Hello there!  

Today I have the great pleasure to bring you a guest post from author Karen Ann Hopkins. She is the author of the debut novel Temptation published by Harlequin Teen. Karen has given me a copy of her novel for review, which I am super excited to read. She has also offered to giveaway a copy to one lucky reader, open for everyone to enter. 

So please help me in welcoming Karen Ann Hopkins!

Thank you for being here today.

Temptation

by Karen Ann Hopkins

Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

Goodreads | Purchase | Fan Page

Your heart misleads you.That's what my friends and family say.  

But I love Noah. And he loves me.  

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. 

It should be  

ROSE & NOAH  

forever, easy. 

But it won't be. 

Because he's Amish. And I'm not.

 When I moved to the Mays Lick Amish community four and a half years ago, I was both excited about making friends with my new neighbors and intimidated. I was somewhat prepared for the cultural differences, having done some prior research, but I was mostly going on a lot of the same pre-conceived notions that many people do about the Plain people.

I’ve done several guest posts lately, where I talked about the Amish young people, their lifestyle, and my experiences with them, but today, I’d like to discuss another aspect of being Amish that most outsiders rarely consider—the inherent danger of being Amish.

One of the first times I drove down my road I came upon several buggies in front of me. The terrain here in northern Kentucky is gently rolling, and if you’re driving in a car, you hardly notice the small hills, but as I slowed behind the buggies, it soon became apparent to me how hard the horses were working to pull their charges up the roadway.

Being a horse-person myself, I was in no hurry, and settled into a snail crawl behind the line of buggies whose horses were now walking up the incline, unable to continue at the trot. The driver of the car behind me wasn’t as patient. The white minivan stayed right on my backside until we crested the hill and then passed me and the buggies in a burst of speed. The van was able to pull ahead of the first buggy just before the blind curve in the road.

We were lucky. There wasn’t any oncoming traffic on that day, but the people in my community have experienced many accidents, some with tragic results, due to the juxtaposition of buggies and motorized vehicles sharing the roadway.

Even though there are several bright green neon signs posted on the surrounding roads in my neighborhood, there have been several accidents involving buggies since I moved in. An Amish man was taken by ambulance to the local hospital after his buggy was hit by a car. He refused to leave the scene of the accident until he shot his horse himself, putting the pure animal out of its misery. He broke several bones, including his pelvis. In another accident three young girls were ejected from the buggy, one suffering a broken wrist, when a small car rammed their buggy. The horse was lucky in that case, running home without injury. Then there was the episode in front of my own home when a young, newly trained horse, pitched a fit in the roadway causing the woman and her small children to scramble out of the buggy to safety before the horse’s hooves struck them.

Each of the above incidents were frightening, but the one buggy wreck that sends shivers down my spine each time I think about it took place in Indiana about a year before I moved to Kentucky. An Amish family living up the road from me was in the process of moving their family from Indiana to Kentucky at the time. Some of their older children had remained in Indiana to finish up the move while the parents were settling here in Kentucky when a terrible tragedy occurred.

Three teenagers were in a buggy on their way home from an Amish youth event when their buggy was hit by a semi-truck going at a fast rate of speed. The girl and her boyfriend were killed and the girl’s brother was paralyzed from the waist down in the accident. The sister and brother were my neighbor’s children. They rushed to Indiana to be with their son and daughter, not making it in time to say goodbye to their daughter. The truly shocking part of this sad story is that several other buggies filled with teenagers came upon the wreckage before the emergency personnel arrived. The images will always be in their minds of that fateful day.

I personally have ridden in open buggies several times and as long as the roadway is clear, it’s exhilarating, but the second I hear the rumble of an engine, my body tightens with tension. The Amish accept the dangers of sharing the road with cars, believing that whatever happens to them is God’s divine purpose. Most of them certainly don’t worry as much about it as I do, but I’ve noticed that the family who lost their daughter, hire drivers to take them to town and events more often than the other Amish families.

The dangerous roads are just one more hurdle that the Amish cross each and every day in their lives. I don’t even have to ask them if the lifestyle choice is worth the risk, it’s apparent in their smiling faces as they wave at me when I meet them on the roads—their perfectly content with the risk.

 Images are taken from Karen Ann Hopkins amish neighborhood.

Find Karen Ann @ Goodreads | Facebook 

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Thank you Karen for being here today AND offering a copy of your book to one of my readers. :) She is giving away ONE print copy of Temptation. Everyone is can enter!

Details:

Giveaway is open from August 19th-Sept 1st.
OPEN to EVERYONE!

Use rafflecopter form to enter.

Have questions? E-mail me

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop | Win a ARC of What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang!

Hi Everyone!
Welcome to the Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. So what you may be asking am I giving away? Good question....are you all ready for this? 

............


An ARC of What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang! Yeah, I know. Very cool! I happen to be given a extra copy for a giveaway for my blog. Thank you very much HarperCollins!

Here is what you can win: 

Giveaway Rules:

• Please do not cheat. I will check all entries.
• Mandatory entry: Follow via GFC
• You may do any or all bonus entries.
• Use Rafflecopter form below to enter
• OPEN ONLY to US residents. (sorry,INT friends)

Good luck everyone! YOU GUYS ROCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Wicked Sense by Fabio Bueno

 Hi everyone!
I have been asked by the lovely ladies at The Readiacs to share with my readers a great cover reveal for the book Wicked Sense by Fabio Bueno. 
Enjoy!

Wicked Sense (Singularity, #1)

by Fabio Bueno

Witches inhabit our world, organized in covens and hiding behind a shroud of secrecy—the Veil.

Skye’s London coven sends her to Seattle’s Greenwood High to find the Singularity, an unusually gifted witch who may break the Veil and trigger a dangerous new era of witch-hunting. Things get complicated when Skye meets a charming new classmate, Drake. Skye’s job becomes even trickier when she clashes with Jane, an intimidating rival witch.

Drake falls for the mysterious Skye, but odd accidents, potion mix-ups, and the occasional brush with death kind of get in the way of romance. Once he discovers Skye is a witch, he goes to war for her, even though his only weapons are a nice set of abs and a sharp sense of humor.

Fighting off wicked Jane and the other dark forces hell-bent on seizing the Singularity's immense power, Skye and Drake will risk everything to save the covens.

Going on a date has never been harder.

 Publication Date: August 9, 2012

BUY @ Amazon | Smashwords

Thank you for stopping by!

Have a beautiful day.