Review: The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison

I would like to extend gratitude to the Shut Up & Read group on Goodreads along with the author for the opportunity to read this book

Genre

YA Paranormal Romance

Publication Date

May 14th, 2011

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Paperback

When Bee is imprisoned in a magical, cursed house because of her father's selfish choices, she has just one plan... escape! But she must solve a riddle and help her fellow prisoners break the curse that binds them all before she can leave, and that is proving more difficult than she originally thought thanks to the bitter young master of the house, Will. 

Will wants nothing to do with Bee or her help (and he certainly isn't planning on falling in love with her), but he might have underestimated just how determined and clever--and irresistible--she can be.


Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


Beautiful cover, right? Plus, who doesn't like Beauty and the Beast? This story is bound to capture a lot of attention. It instantly captured my attention, but I would have liked to see more.


I like this book, the concept derived from Beauty and the Beast was extremely interesting. The story quickly grabbed my attention, making me entranced by the gorgeous words.


"A shattered chandelier lay three feet away, crystal droplets spread like frozen tears across the marble."


See? Gorgeous. Great imagery. Even the characters were fun, without any downright flaws, but my biggest thing with The Curse Girl is that it would have benefited greatly from a longer length. I liked the characters, but there wasn't really enough time to connect with them in a way that would have brought forth an even greater investment. I would have liked to see more of the budding feelings between 'Curse Girl' and 'Beast Boy' that would have lessened the instantaneous feeling that I got. I also would have liked to see a bigger interaction with the the other characters, because of the length, the story pretty much solely focuses on Bee and Will which isn't a bad thing, but it would have brought more emotion and better ties from me, the reader, to them, the characters. In other words, it would have rounded out the story more, adding depth. I know I'm not the only reviewer that has stated that the length should have been longer and honestly it's great how it is, but it would have been beyond fabulous if there was a little more detail. I know this because Kate Ellison has a talented writing ability that draws you into the world that she has created. There were just so many things that could have used more elaboration which would have only added layers to an already great story. Plus, there definitely should have been a more romantic ending!


The plot successfully kept me interested as they searched for the clues to break the curse, even twisting in unexpected ways at times. There were the obvious things that came from Beauty and the Beast, but there were also fresh ideas that made the story as fun and great as it was. There was one huge inconsistency that I found that didn't hugely subtract from my reading experience, but it was a big part of Bee as a character so it did take away from the magic of the story. If you've read the story, I'm sure you'll know what I'm referring to. It is firmly stated that Bee experiences something for the first time in a long while when I precisely remember reading about it happening twice prior to that moment. 


A fast, fun read that shouldn't be missed, especially if you are a fan of fairy tales and um, Beauty and the Beast! 

Would have benefited from a longer length, more time to develop those feelings instead of it being almost instantasouly. Definetly would have liked to see more character development with the secondary characters, could have also bennifited from that. Enjoyable, fun, but didn't produce a huge connection to Bee.

Review: Water (Akasha #1) by Terra Harmony

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author for allowing me the opportunity to read Water in exchange for an honest review

Genre

Paranormal Romance/Eco-Fantasy

Publication Date

September 26th, 2011

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Elemental powers in the palm of her hand...and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


When Terra Harmony contacted me to review Water, I took one look at the cover and knew that I had to read this book. That and it was already sitting in my TBR pile over on Goodreads. The gorgeous simplicity of this cover drew me in before I even cracked the book open.


Kaitlyn is just an extremely awesome character. The minute I started reading her voice I instantly fell in love with her. She's sassy, sarcastic, fun and resilient to no end. The surrounding characters are a different story all together, and in a completely good way. I found them to be mysterious, never truly knowing their true intentions. You start out thinking one way about a character but then you would be quickly carried in another direction. This was true for all of the characters except Kaitlyn and maybe Alex. 


To further my love for Kaitlyn, Terra Harmony wrote Water in first-person. You all know how much I love first-person, and it allowed me to connect to Kaitlyn on a deeper level.


I have always loved stories about elemental power, but Water takes it in a different direction becoming a story about so much more. There's a whole history that comes together piece by piece, not just about The Seven, but also for each individual in the story.


The plot is thick with mystery and struggles just as the characters are. I was glued to the pages, anxious and sad as the pages dwindled down. There were light-hearted, carefree moments, sexy moments, tortuous moments, sad moments; there are so many little things in Water that accumulate to make this an enjoyable, unique read that is addicting. I can also say that I was so focused on Kaitlyn and her struggles to become part of The Seven that I was blindsided by the twists. Let's just say, I'm so happy that Air (the second book in the Akasha series) is already out! The ending isn't really a cliff-hanger, but it still has that little bump that will have you NEEDING to read more as soon as you finish.


If you are looking for a fresh, unique Paranormal or Fantasy, then you need to pick this book up because it will swiftly sweep you away. Reader Discretion: This is a novel written for adults, while it's true that maturity has nothing to do with age, I will say that there are some scenes that will make even some adult readers uncomfortable, but they are necessary to portray a certain level of desperation that turned selfish and evil.

Review: Beginnings (The Plague): Book 1 by Danielle Blanchard Benson

Thank you to Making Connections(a group on Goodreads) and the author for allowing me to review this book!

Genre

Apocalypse/Zombie

Publication Date

February 5th, 2012

Publisher

Midnight Engel Press

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Format

Ebook
Paperback

June, 2012: A couple of small bombs are exploded in a Rio de Janeiro favela and Tijuana, Mexico; few casualties but riots and looting follow.

July, 2012: A mysterious plague which turns normal humans into flesh-eating cannibals destroys Central and South America and decimates large swathes of Europe and Asia.


August, 2012: Governments worldwide collapse, chaos ensues and the plague mutates into something much more than anyone could have anticipated.

Join a group of survivors from Europe and the Americas as they search for a way to patch their lives back together while dealing with personal issues from their former lives which continue to haunt them. Nothing lasts forever, not even the beginnings of the plague.  


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


When I first started reading Beginnings, I have to be honest and say that I couldn't get into the story. I found the bouncing around from each different person too distracting, never giving me a connection to any of the characters. I set it aside for a couple of days then picked it back up determined to finish and find something that I liked. I mean, zombies? Yes! I will forever be a fan of zombie books, so when I say I was determined, I was determined!


I must have been able to switch my brain off and just let the story lead me, because once I picked it up again, I became a fan. The multiple POV's became insightful and needed with so many different characters coming and going. The zombies, of course, were a huge plus and the mystery had my interest piqued.

 I'm not a huge fan of political reads, there's nothing wrong with them, they just aren't for me. Beginnings delves into politics and conspiracies. Oddly, it never bothered me, it made the story and continued to add to it. I did find it a little odd that every single character was well versed in the worlds politics. Each character comes from different backgrounds (American, Brazilian, Irish, French, and many mixed) yet they ALL knew soooo much about the politics of most continents, nations and governments. This never subtracted from my reading experience, just something that I found odd. 


There are so many characters in Beginnings that I can't and won't talk about each one. I'll highlight: they were all well-developed. I never found them lacking in any major way. I did have some issues with the dialogue, it was good for the most part, but some conversations just didn't roll out naturally. Mostly, it was when someone would talk about love or their feelings, it seemed forced and took a little bit away from the story, but not enough to greatly disappoint me. Just mildly. And along those lines, the most natural character (in my opinion) was Rousin. Everything about her just flowed in such a natural way, she quickly became my favorite.

I'm excited to continue the series! The ending will have those wheels in your head spinning as you try to decipher which way the story will go. Reader discretion: There are some scenes that might make some readers uncomfortable. Definitely an adult read, but one that shouldn't be missed out on!

Review: Grave Morality by JC Finch

I received Grave Morality from the author in exchange for an honest review

Genre

Crime Mystery

Publication Date

March 15th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Formats

Ebook
Paperback

A mysterious stranger, with access to the shadiest parts of people's lives, seeks to manipulate those with the most to lose into an elaborate game in the name of repenting for their sins. Those drawn into the game are forced into killing their coworkers for a long list of atrocities previously unknown to most others. The murderer hits close to home for teenagers Ronald Persey and George Hart and they're determined to find out who is behind the killings and to stop the one pulling the strings, but will they be able to deal with the consequences that come next?

Review

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

I liked Grave Morality, the plot was quite intriguing as the murders kept piling up. I was constantly trying to figure out who was the murderer, but JC Finch successfully kept me in the dark, fueling my need to read.

Grave Morality seems to be a plot driven story rather than a character driven story. Which isn't a bad thing, the plot has many intricate layers that get deeper and deeper and more mysterious as the story unfolds. It was a great plot that sucked me in, but I wish that the characters were just as great. At first the many POV's irritated me, but as I kept reading they simply meshed with the story. They were a must in properly shrouding the reader in mystery, but it didn't allow me to connect to the characters. 

I had a simply adoration for Ron and GC, but nothing more than that. I liked the fact that they were so supportive of each other and also the fact that they were in love with each other. It helped the story, but I was still lacking the proper investment into them as characters. I wish that there was more from them because they are two characters that could have pushed the story to unbelievable levels.

There was some unnecessary recapping that seemed to dominate the story, it usually took place without enough space in between the original information and the recapping, making parts come across as repetitive. There was also one inconsistency that I found while reading, it has to do with who was driving a car, but I don't want to give away any of the significant details.

The ending was done in a way that it could end here or be continued, I'd be curious to see how the continuation would pan out if the author was inclined to write one.

I did enjoy this book regardless of the minor drawbacks, and will recommend to anyone who has a love for stories that can successfully keep you guessing. Would I read more from JC Finch? Definitely! The plot and details were well thought-out, and the mystery almost made me forget the non-investment into the characters. Almost. Still, it was a great read!

Review: Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read an egalley

Genre

YA Contemporary

Publication Date

May 1st, 2012

Publisher

ABRAMS
~ Amulet Books ~

Available At

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Formats 

Hardcover
Ebook

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Review
Rating: 5 out out of 5 Stars


What an amazingly fun yet deep story! There was a perfect blend of witty, light-heartedness and meaningful, deep issues that made Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe an irresistible, umputdownable read.


Chloe is a fabulous female protagonist. She is quirky, fun but also has to deal with issues that threaten to drag her down. She allows herself to have fun, finding or making fun when situations get to serious. A disposition that is rare and beautiful while also still allowing her to see the struggles of others and want to help. For me, I love everything about Chloe. From her love of vintage shoes to her fun, loving attitude that drew me in. She made the seriousness of each dire situation bearable, leaving a hopefulness that wouldn't have been there without her. She's not the only great character though, there are many. From Duncan, the sweet yet kind of shy boy, to the snarky Dragon, to Chloe's deteriorating but still completely amazing Grandma. The others are also just as great, each one bringing a new level and aspect to the story that makes each of them important and not just an afterthought.


Shelley Coriell braided mystery into this contemporary story. I wasn't always aware of what was happening, what each situation was caused from. It was fun trying to figure it out as the pieces slowly came together to allow us to see the whole story. Like I said before, there were many issues within this one story that were brought forth by different characters. They are all serious issues that many teens face within there own lives. It was a fun, sometimes laugh-out-loud, story but the issues were never ignored or pushed to the far edges. Shelley Coriell wasn't afraid to show us the ugly side of humanity, she just served it up in a way that was less painful to swallow it down whole. This I appreciated, because although I'm a huge fan of emotional reads, Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe allowed me to feel the suffering emotions, but also made me laugh through my tears. Have you ever done that? Had someone make you laugh while you are miserable? It's a natural high, the feelings of those two emotions combining to make you feel alive in that very moment. That is the effect of Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe. 


Also, another cool thing that I fell in love with is that Shelley Coriell added a piece of media-like material at the end of each chapter. A voicemail, an email, an add, a text, etc. It was a brilliantly fun way to add in important tidbits.


Powerful, unique, engaging. Those are the tree words I will use to describe not only the story, but Shelley Coriell's writing. Make sure to add Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe to your TBR pile. Now, go find your FUN for the day!

Review: Uncertainty (Gravity #2) by Abigail Boyd

I was very luck to win a copy from LibraryThing

Genre

YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Publication Date

March 22nd, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Last year, Ariel's life was ripped apart. She's finally started to put the pieces together again, and is looking forward to summer break. That's when a dream brings her back to the mysterious Dexter Orphanage. 


With the return of an unlikely person in her life, Ariel begins to find out answers to the secrets that plagued her -- what was wrong with her grandmother? Why did Henry suddenly start dating the popular snobby girl whom he seemed to previously hate? And what really happened to Jenna?


As the threads are unraveled, Ariel realizes that she's peering into a world that no one else can see. 




Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 


There's no way to go, but up. And that is what Abigail Boyd has done. There were still some issues, such as grammatical errors and also some things that were mentioned twice, one example, someone jumped off a stage and a few sentences later jumped off the stage again. These are errors that are hard to ignore and something that isn't expected from a published work. There is no doubt that Abigail Boyd has a talent in weaving tales, but the story still came off as slightly unfinished.

One thing that stands out without any blatant flaws is the characters, they are all well-developed with Ariel pulling forward as a strong female protagonist. Abigail Boyd is definitely strong when it comes to characterizations, there is never a moment where the characters or dialogue seem forced or unnatural. 

The plot still feels a little drawn out, there are things that are obvious, but the characters are oblivious to. Maybe that is the authors intentions, it's hard to tell. I can say that even though I know where the series is going, I have no idea how I will be taken there, and that's somewhat of a good thing. It lengthens the mystery yet at the same time frustrates me because it's a constant one step forward, two steps back plot. I want more information then what I'm fed, but I can admit that I'm fully reeled in.

My emotions were tugged at more than Gravity, most likely due to the fact that there were less errors,  allowing me to concentrate on the story rather the wording. Also, there was more descriptive prose rather than bare sentences, which was a HUGE plus. I'm looking forward to the next installment, and if this is any indication, the writing will only keep getting better.

Review: Gravity (Gravity #1) by Abigail Boyd

Genre
YA Paranormal/Fantasy


Publication Date

May 13th, 2011

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Format

Ebook

One summer night in the town of Hell, Ariel Donovan's best friend goes missing. Everyone else believes Jenna ran away, but Ariel thinks something more sinister may have happened. She dreams of Jenna running to the abandoned orphanage in town, and then the building catching on fire. What does the orphanage have to do with Jenna's disappearance?

To complicate matters, a handsome new boy named Henry Rhodes has arrived in town, plaguing her with unwarranted attention. Even though she tries to stay away, she's drawn to him despite her best efforts, and can't help giving in to her attraction to him. Though he doesn't believe in the supernatural events that Ariel begins to witness, she enlists his help to figure out what is going on.
But when she discovers the truth, it's much worse than she ever feared.


Review
Rating: 3 stars out of 5


I was really intrigued not only by the cover(both of them), but by the blurb. I mean, a town called Hell? Yes, please! Possible ghosts? Pretty please!


I do like both covers, but I think I prefer the first one. I'm curious to know why the author changed it. 


In a book where I should have been scared of the shadows the night casts, I wasn't. I was left feeling like an editor or beta reader. I liked the characters, I liked the direction the story takes you, but it just was not polished enough for me.


So here goes a nit picky review. . .


There were grammatical errors left and right. Simple things that happen to everyone as they type, but they should have been found and fixed. For example: she instead of the; ot instead of to; the instead of they or them; things like that. Things that usually don't bother me, bothered me. And I think it's because the sentences seemed to leave me wanting. They didn't have any emotion behind them, they weren't choppy, but close to it. They were bare. And, there was an actual sentence in the book that was an outline/placeholder, "She dreams she's in a white hallway with doors lining either side". How do I know it was an outline sentence/placeholder? Because it came after the paragraph explaining the doors and it's in third-person when Gravity is written in the first-person.


Like I said above, I did like the characters and the plot, for the most part. I kind of felt that the book was at a stand still, not really moving forward, just adding to the infuriating mystery of this town called Hell. I say infuriating because by the end of the book, I wasn't left with any spectacular, all-revealing information or the reasoning behind what was happening to Ariel. One thing did catch me by surprise, but that was eclipsed by ever present mystery that was never adequately solved. 


Potential. That's the key word for Gravity. There is so much potential! The author, Abigail Boyd, successfully reeled me in, I just wish that the editing errors weren't present and there was more of an adventure to unravel the mystery. I was originally going to give Gravity two stars, but the author does have a creative mind that introduces a unique world and like I said, I was reeled in despite my aggravation of the many errors.


And, just so you know, I will be reading the next book, Uncertainty, because I simply need to know what the hell is going on in Hell. And because I do like the characters. Ariel has an endearing mix of toughness and shyness. 

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an e-galley!

Genre
YA Paranormal

Publication Date

April 24th, 2012

Publisher

Harlequin Teen

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Formats

Hard Cover

Ebook

Add it on Goodreads

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First, take a gander at the cover, doesn't it make you want to take a peek inside? For me, it instantly drew me in, rendering me incapable of passing The Immortal Rules up.

The bar for YA female protagonists has been risen. To my delight, I've noticed that more and more of them are rising above the whiny brats that you would shake if you could. Allie, the female protagonist in The Immortal Rules, is no exception. She has risen to the top, but let's be honest, she probably hacked her way to the top with her ever-present katana. Yeah, she's a sword wielding bad-ass! In vampire books the reader is usually introduced to a human, but in The Immortal Rules, we get to see the first-hand struggles of a newborn vampire. One that fights against all odds to try to keep her humanity intact, a struggle that was brought to life by the first-person perspective. You all know that I'm a lover of first-person, it allows us to see into a character first-hand. Know what they are thinking and feeling at all times, it lends us an insight that is sometimes lacking in third-person. I am so glad that Julie Kagawa wrote this book in first-person, it wouldn't of had the same drive with anything less.

The Immortal Rules is split into three parts, each part takes on a different tone as the story progresses and little revelations are untangled, leading Allie in a new direction in her life. There isn't a huge amount of mystery, but there is still enough to slide the story along without it coming to a stand still. What pushes this story above is the dystopian/post-apocalyptic setting. The descriptions of the crumbling buildings and overtaking wildlife add the perfect touch of desolation. There's a lot of fighting and blood(duh!), but it never overpowers the story, if anything it pushes it another step forward. The sweet budding romance brought a lighter touch that balanced out the destruction. Sometimes the lighter romances can hinder instead of adding, but that was not the case. It's a slow build, with tantalizing teasers that will have you wishing the next book was already out. Each different aspect was a perfectly chiseled puzzle piece that fit into the bigger picture, bringing forth a vampire tale that will take the YA reading populace by storm.

If you are looking for a vampire book, pick this up. If you like zombie(or zombie-like creatures), pick this up. If you like dystopians with a post-apocalypse twist, pick this up. Just do yourself a favor and pick  up The Immortal Rules. 

Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

I was fortunate to get a copy of Breaking Beautiful from Netgalley!

Publication Date

April 24th, 2012

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

~ Walker Books for Young Readers ~

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Formats

Hardcover

Ebook

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Review
Genre: YA Contemporary/Realistic Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


A haunting tale of re-discovering courage, overcoming fear, and finding hope.


Sometimes, reviews are really difficult to write. I'm stuck in what to sat about Breaking Beautiful, not because I didn't like it, but because I LOVED it and it's going to be hard to convey the proper emotions that were wrung from me as I read this book.


Allie induces pure compassion as I tried to piece together a shaky past. She's beyond damaged, but I was still able to see a little flicker of hope as the story continued on. The undeniable pain that Allie experiences drips out of the pages, wrapping cold, invisible hands around your heart. The characters are all flawed in their own ways, not from any lack of the author, but because they were supposed to be flawed. Nobody was perfect. They were all brought to life in an extremely life-like manner, reaching beyond the pages to convey a story that was focused on one individual, but wide enough to show the many facets, good and bad, of a population encompassed by a serious issue.  As I got to know each character I discovered that each of them represented a different side of our societies. I'm not going to go into specifics and to keep it short I'll say this, present in this novel are characters that do or don't have courage, characters that can or won't make a difference, characters that react or turn a blind eye, there are characters that are oblivious and characters that refuse to look further. They are all there in Breaking Beautiful, they all have something to add to the story and an array of emotions to evoke. These aren't flat, barely-there characters, these are characters that could quite literally get up and walk right out of your book.


The plot line is set-up in such a way that it allowed me to get a sense of things to come, but still kept the future twists to be a surprise. The flashbacks are integrated into the present time story adding a goosebump generating aspect that can't be ignored. I was propelled to different levels of suspicion that never went away until all was revealed. Jennifer Shaw Wolf writes with extreme perfection, capturing each minute detail, never skipping over the ugly. Any author that ensnares me into a story, has every single one of my emotions flying in such a way that my chest is vibrating, has exceeded their job. This is an author that has gone above and beyond to bring something so consequentially infecting to readers.


I wholeheartedly recommend Breaking Beautiful to every reader. This is a book that needs to be sitting on your shelf, ready to enjoy whenever you get the urge to revisit Allie and her courageous battle. An impactful read that will definitely touch the heart of many.

Taste (by Kate Evangelista) Book Trailer and Excerpt Reveal

I am so excited to be participating in this Taste reveal! You guys are in for a treat. Not only do you get to see the book trailer(just listen to the beautiful yet haunting music), but you will also be able to read an excerpt from Taste by Kate Evangelista. I've just read it and I can say that I'm extremely anxious to get my greedy little hands on the book! Oh, and there is a link hidden within this post that will lead you to an extra excerpt, I hope I didn't make it too hard to find ;)

Publication Date

May 2012

Publisher

Crescent Moon Press

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.


When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.




So, first I'm revealing the book trailer. . .








And now, without further ado, here is the excerpt! Enjoy!
I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mindand said, “Excuse me.”The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and theboys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyxstones.I smiled and gave them a little wave.The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features wentfrom shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. Igulped.“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “ExcuseThey snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare,muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke.“You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from faceto face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle cameto mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for cryingout loud.I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a rideback to the dorms?”The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.”One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden”like a curse.The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Notgood odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion,now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wantedto beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me upwouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks.I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and importantfamilies got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skillsto go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not becrazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reenteredBarinkoff.“None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing mymistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you givesme a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this neverhappened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t knowBarinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, noone will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?”The rest of them nodded reluctantly.“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up ifany of them so much as twitched my way.“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forwardand took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe.“Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.”Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I couldwrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behindsomeone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male.I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He wasone of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born towear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wanderedto long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, hishair possessed a sheen akin to mercury.I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff.His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like Iwas standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn.“I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correctme. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How wasit possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to helpmyself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had theirright hands on their chests.“Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said.So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to tasteme was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off thetongue. Definite yum factor.“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl theconsequences of breaking curfew.”“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatenedto taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest ofinvestigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the halltoward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, hecouldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s coldcommand must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combinationon a guy.We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly.I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, thethick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listedthe benefits of going to gym class.“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almostforgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t aboveaccepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hothands and wide shoulders.Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. Ihad to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him,praying we didn’t slam into anything.He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall.“Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless.Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I feltnaked and flustered beneath his gaze.“You could have died back there,” he warned.A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.

Doesn't that get you excited? I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Kate Evangelista for allowing me the opportunity to participate in the reveals for Taste. I'm looking forward to being transported into this story!
Here's a little about the amazing author,

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the nextbest thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next DoogieHowser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university andnever looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the worldshe owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses increative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered.What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of hercomputer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.
Make sure to visit her on her website here!