Waiting on Wednesday {36} The Merciless

Jill @ Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly meme where we can share a book that we are so excited for and are anxiously awaiting their upcoming release!

This week my WoW pick is...

The Merciless by Danielle Vega
Release Date ~ June 12, 2014

Synopsis:

Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . .

In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?

So I've been meaning to do a new WoW post for AGES and when I went to pick a book for this week, I had such a hard time choosing! There are so many great books coming out soon... but I quickly picked The Merciless!

I've been craving more scary books lately - but they can be so hard to find in YA. And I love that The Merciless considers the question of innate evil. That's a hotly debated topic, and I'm incredibly curious to see how The Merciless tackles such a tough question.

Also, I think this cover is so neat! Wouldn't it really pop on a bookshelf??

I'm curious - will any of you be picking up The Merciless? Or a story like this just too much horror for you? Anyone else interested in reading more scary books? 
And here's a really tough question - are some people just born evil? Is there a little bit of evil in all of us? I'm not too sure myself... but I think there might be. 

Review: Half Bad

Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy #1) by Sally Green
Release Date ~ March 4, 2014
Viking Juvenile ~ Penguin
ISBN13: 9780670016785)
ARC received from Penguin Canada to review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.
You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.
You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.
Easy.

The story in Half Bad is one bursting with emotion and tension. The writing is thoughtful, and Nathan's character stayed with me long after I finished reading this book.

1. A story that simmers (slowly):
   
   The main character, Nathan, is absolutely filled with pent up emotions but the plot progression is fairly slow - don't expect action-packed excitement. Despite the external circumstances endangering Nathan, much of the story revolves around his internal struggles. I found that worked very well for the story in Half Bad, but you have to prepare yourself for a slow-moving plot.
2. Harry Potter (without Hogwarts):
   
   Let me explain what I mean by this: Half Bad is not at all the same story as Harry Potter. However, it felt to me like it could very well be set in a similar type of world - but not Hogwarts. Think of the United Kingdom where there are social divides between witches, and the magic is subtly woven into the real world. More like the later books in Harry Potter where the Ministry of Magic takes a more prominent role in the story. The way the magic works is interesting as well, because it isn't exactly something that can be learned but more like a skill inherited or gifted to the witch. 

The story isn't quite told in chronological order though, and I found it jarring at times to jump around in the book's timeline. There were some ways in which it was effective and kept my focus narrowed on certain aspects of the plot. But overall, it felt mostly jumbled to me as a reader. 

I was most confused by the second person narration used briefly on occasion. Second person narration is so hard for me to connect with as a reader! And it didn't feel like it added anything to the story. I had no problem relating to Nathan's character or his circumstances otherwise and the second person narrative was just confusing. And the use of this technique was so minimal, it seemed out of place.

That being said, Half Bad is a remarkably emotive book. Sally Green's storytelling is beautiful, and she touches on a wide range of issues and feelings with it. I felt a complete connection to Nathan and I was fully invested in what happened to him. For that reason alone, I would recommend reading Half Bad along with the benefit of a curious magical world. This story is utterly heartbreaking and the events endured by Nathan are horrific and shocking - which is why his story has stuck with me. 

Review: The Diviners

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray
Release Date ~ September 18, 2012
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ~ Hachette Book Group
ISBN13: 9780316126113
Review copy received from HBG Canada

Goodreads Synopsis:
Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Libba Bray is a master of Young Adult paranormal (in my opinion) and The Diviners is perfect proof of that claim. The Diviners is a creepy, bold tale that will leave your heart pounding in anticipation.

1. An eerie, macabre storyline:
   
   I'm the kind of person that likes to be scared... but just a little bit. And The Diviners struck a perfect balance between some of its more disturbing scenes and humour/mystery to ensure my nightmares weren't horrific.
   
2. Part murder mystery, part ghost story:
   
   There's a difference between reading true crime and ghost stories, but somehow the lines end up blurred here. The evolution from one to the other is flawless with its gradual development and slow reveal of the mystery. And I liked the inclusion of both aspects, which are similar yet distinct, because it appealed to both my curious nature and my imagination.
   
3. A real Roaring Twenties atmosphere:
   
   This is positively brilliant on Libba's part. I have rarely read a book with such a strong sense of atmosphere which completely consumed me, and without losing my interest. The incorporation of appropriate slang, attention to detail in the descriptions, and the setting itself all reflected the time period and it really stood out to me.

I had some mixed thoughts on the characters, however. I didn't love Evie but I didn't hate her, either. She's clearly a flawed character and far from perfect - I don't mind that at all and think that's a rather accurate reflection of a teenage girl. I don't want perfect characters. But I never felt like I truly connected with her, and I think that can partially be attributed to the sheer number of characters introduced and the switching points of view. For this reason, it also seemed to take a while for the plot to build, and overall that's where the book suffered.

Importantly, there were a few too many subplots which were briefly introduced yet without any follow up. It's clearly a set up for future books in the series, but I wasn't a big fan of the simple introduction without any development whatsoever. 

This story is so unlike other books I've read that even with its weaknesses, I adored it! It's an exceptional YA book, and Libba Bray has impressed me yet again with her talent for weaving a story and immersing me in the reading experience.

)

Review: Tsarina

Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick
Release Date ~ February 27, 2014
Razorbill ~ Penguin
ISBN13: 9781595146939
ARC received from Penguin Canada for review 

Goodreads Synopsis:
Natalya knows a secret.
A magical Faberge egg glows within the walls of Russia's Winter Palace.
It holds a power rooted in the land and stolen from the mystics.
A power that promises a life of love for her and Alexei Romanov.
Power, that, in the right hands, can save her way of life.
But it's not in the right hands.

When I was younger and became a voracious reader all on my own, it was historical fiction which captured my attention. One book in particular was Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess from The Royal Diaries collection. And then I went through a phase where I read every book about Anastasia Romanov that I could get my hands on!

I was thrilled when I first heard about Tsarina's upcoming release. As I read it, I was incredibly pleased with the story Jackson Pearce (under the pen name J. Nelle Patrick) created for a fascinating historical character and event.

1. Writing with rich details:
   
   Jackson's writing in Tsarina is STELLAR. I'm wary of books bogged down in too much detail, but there is a perfect balance here which painted a breathtaking picture in my mind for the setting. The storytelling in Tsarina completely swept me away!
   
2. The sweetest love story:
   
   It was interesting starting the book with the romance already intact - so many stories explore the build up to a relationship, but Natalya and Alexei are already together and looking to the future. This adds such a different perspective from other YA books, plus the love story is kind of the grounding element for this book. This provides Natalya's motivation for most of the book. And yet, it's so difficult watching it all unfold!
   
3. A magical, historical re-imagining:
   
   Historical fiction always takes some artistic liberties with filling in some knowledge gaps or changing certain details - but I hesitate to call Tsarina true historical fiction. It does follow a very important period in Russia's history, however it truly felt to me more like a fanciful re-imagining of this event rather than true historical fiction. 

The only thing I didn't love about Tsarina was the ending - it felt like such a stretch to me after reading through the whole book. I just wasn't happy with the closure we were given! Partially because it isn't what I wanted but the rest of the story didn't convince me that this is how the characters would respond to the situation they were put in. 

But this is a perfect read for those looking for a swoonworthy, heart-wrenching love story and a little bit of magic in a tragic time. It's a story many of us are familiar with, but with its own unique twist. 

Review: Tin Star

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci
Release Date ~ February 25, 2014
Roaring Brook Press ~ Macmillan
ISBN13: 9781596439146
ARC received from Macmillan Kids for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist's leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

Cecil Castellucci has this remarkable talent for storytelling - her stories are thought-provoking and raw. I was swept away by the story told in the first book I read by her, First Day on Earth. Tin Star delivered, although it left less of an impression on me than I had hoped.

1. Breathtaking storytelling:
   
   Cecil's writing is stunning, it's the kind that stops a reader in their tracks. It is filled with atmosphere and every word is brought to life! And the story is so carefully woven, it's like this intricate web being spun. This book is relatively short compared to other recent YA releases, but it's packed with more story than most.
   
2. A story about passion:
   
   The kind of passion that spurs people into action. Tula is motivated by an immense betrayal which happens to her in the very first chapter. She meets others who are motivated by love - the familial kind and the romantic kind. In a dreary world, it seems to be passion that keeps the characters going through awful circumstances. 

This futuristic world filled with aliens is truly unique, as well. And I wish that I could have spent more time immersing myself in all of the fine details but the book is simply too short for that. 

And as moving as the relationships were, in one sense I felt like they were forced upon me as a reader - there wasn't quite enough development for them to feel very real to me. They were beautiful and touching, yes. But in a world that comes across as cold and sterile, it felt a bit out of place to have so much longing and deep connections by the very end. 

Mostly, it didn't feel finished to me at the end. I'm not sure what I expected, but I still feel a sense of longing for something more from this book. It ended, and there aren't really any loose ends left... but it still felt unfinished somehow? 

Overall, this is an imaginative story unlike any other stories out there. Perfect for readers who want a taste of something different or who are looking for a story that will leave an impression on them.

Recap: Marissa Meyer's Cress Signing

Last night, I had the exciting opportunity to attend Marissa Meyer's book signing in Toronto to celebrate the release of Cress! :)


I was especially excited because I missed her signing last year after Scarlet came out, so I was thrilled to finally get to meet her and have a signed copy of Scarlet and Cress.

Marissa was absolutely enchanting! This was easily one of my favourite book signing events. She was lovely in person, and so incredibly friendly.

Marissa shared her road to publishing and a little bit of her background (her love of Sailor Moon, how she wrote 150,000 words during NaNoWriMo!) It was inspiring to hear how much work Marissa put into Cinder before it was published and how much the first draft changed from the final product...

I also loved hearing about how she has always loved fairy tales - and not just the Disney versions! A few of you may know that I chose my blog name (and design) for its fairy tale theme :) Growing up, I loved fairy tales as well (thanks, Disney!) but I also started reading some of the older versions before they were Disney-fied when I was younger, too. Marissa even told us the (gorier) version of Rapunzel (and summarized a few others)...

And she took a few questions from the audience for a Q&A session. The crowd was HUGE and the majority of attendees were standing during the event. We pretty much took over the whole teen section/Starbucks area of Indigo!

A little tidbit from the Q&A session as tweeted by Michele from Just a Lil' Lost... ;)

 It was a fantastic event overall! It was great to see so many readers and fans come out to support Marissa and have the chance to meet her. Indigo did a great job organizing the signing line as we were all given a number on a post-it note once we arrived so we didn't have to stand in line the whole time - they'd just call out our number and we knew it was our turn! And to give you an idea, I was #79 and I arrived an hour before the event started!

And you can check out my FIVE STAR review of Marissa's latest book in The Lunar Chronicles series, Cress, here!

Review: Cress

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
Release Date ~ February 4, 2014
Feiwel & Friends ~ Macmillan
ISBN13: 9780312642976
ARC received from Macmillan Kids for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

There aren't very many YA book series I recommend to everyone - but The Lunar Chronicles is one of them, and Cress convinced me of that!

Cress is a great addition to Marissa Meyer's series, and fits in nicely with the first two books. On top of that, Cress stands out as its own book with its own story and characters - with this third book, you can readily see how different the characters are and how each book has a different "feel" to it!

1. Complex, detailed plot development:
   
   You see hints of this in Cinder and Scarlet, but by the time we get to Cress it's becoming clearer how much detail and thought Marissa has put in to this story. There are all sorts of secrets and twists that begin to make a lot of sense!
   
2. Cress' character stands out on her own:
   
   One of my favourite things about The Lunar Chronicles is how each female protagonist (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress so far) is so unique from the others. And Cress is so naive and anxious, yet such a dreamer! I kept telling my younger sister that she HAS to read this book because Cress reminds me so much of her - and I think Cress is going to resonate with many readers (particularly some younger ones is my guess) or for all of us with our awkward moments.
   
3. Fantastic balancing of a large cast of characters:
   
   At this point, there are a lot of characters bouncing around in Cress and it would be very easy for them to become muddled and confused but amazingly, they aren't. The story is set up with each character in a very specific position with their own unique purpose. To me, this is the best way to appreciate so many different characters at once. 

Of course, the downside of having so many characters is that even with 500+ pages, some characters just won't get the attention I'd like them to have (Scarlet, for example). I think Marissa does a remarkable job of keeping this from happening too much. 

Overall, I think Cress is the perfect addition to The Lunar Chronicles and an incredible third book! There's plenty of action, intrigue, and romance to easily hold the reader's attention and I easily and quickly read through its many pages.

You can also stop by Marissa Meyer's website for a chapter teaser here!