The Next Forever by Lisa Burstein

* * *

One night in college can change everything…

Away at college, Amy just wants one night alone without her high school sweetheart, Joe. So when he invites her to go to the library, she heads off on her own instead. How she ended up at a house party with the mysterious bad-boy Trevor is another story…

Joe so isn’t going to the library. He needs space from Amy, too, so he’s decided to rush a fraternity, to get back the swagger he had in high school. But it doesn’t take long for the brothers to invite him to the real rush—where the beer is flowing and one particular girl has set her eyes on Joe.

Over the course of one wild night, both Amy and Joe will have to decide if their futures belong with two new people, or whether the next forever will have their first loves in it.

The Next Forever is an interesting story about two people whose relationship is at an impasse. Amy and Joe have known each other since high school. While there’s something comforting for Amy about being with someone who knows her so well, she’s feeling restless and thinks of Joe as stifling her. Having a shared history is great but it no longer feels like the anchor it once was. The alarm bells go off when Joe casually suggests that they move in together. She’s unsure if this is where she wants to be with her life and with whom. Joe happens to feel the same way where he’s grappling with his feelings about Amy. There's some misunderstanding and apprehension happening on both their parts. Going their separate ways this one night is a test of their commitment to each other and what they want out of their relationship.

The sense you get from Amy’s point of view is that she’s rather unhappy and is unsure if she should stay with Joe. Joe’s perspective is that he knows how much he loves her and doesn't want to lose her - hence his suggestion to move in together. However, he also wants more independence. Since it’s very short, I found elements of the story to be wanting. For example, I would have liked to have known what was so bad about Amy back in high school that worries her so much. Her persona back then is mentioned many times and worries her but it’s not elaborated on. She's very much stuck in her head and doesn't really offer much up in the way of conversation. Joe's issues in contrast are more obvious so I knew where he stood.

Overall, it’s a quick and simple story so if you’re looking for something decent with a tidy ending then this is a good pick.

~ Bel 

Waiting on Wednesday (50)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By Tahereh Mafi
Publication Date:  February 5, 2013

tick, tick, tick, tick, tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young

* * * *

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

All the things that captured my attention in Blood Red Road were intact in Rebel Heart. It was a much needed distraction and it felt great to be transplanted back into that world again.

You’d think it would be a happy reunion now that Saba has found and rescued her twin brother Lugh. Wrong! Their separation at the hands of the Tonton have scarred and changed them. Lugh, who was once the protector of his family now feels displaced as a result of his time away.  He has experienced things that have obviously affected him but he’s not ready to talk about them. Jack’s presence in his sister’s life only adds to his insecurities. They are increasingly at odds with one another especially when Saba receives word that Jack may be in trouble. To everyone else, he's a traitor who betrayed their closest ally, the rebel Hawks. Saba though trusts her heart and her instincts tell her that she should go after Jack to save him. This decision only deepens the chasm between her and her brother.

Moira Young does not skimp on the action. The plot twists and turns as many times as the characters end up changing direction on their many quests. It’s every bit as exciting as the first book and this time there are events in motion that are bigger than Saba could have even imagined. Aside from the rift between brother and sister, Rebel Heart also explores the strange connection that was hinted at between Saba and the mysterious Tonton leader DeMalo who she encountered when she was captured previously. Though I'm uncertain how I feel about the direction of that story arc, it added an element of surprise, a new layer to the already growing questions about her destiny. My only disappointment - there is not enough Jack in it. I had to satisfy my Jack addiction by staring at the rather lovely cover. He is quite stunning, isn’t he?

Okay, back to the book.  The Dust Lands series is one of my favorites. And since Blood Red Road the movie is currently in development according to IMDB with none other than director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Blade Runner) at the helm, I couldn’t help but picture this sweeping tale in widescreen. I love the language and the landscape. Above all, I love Saba. Her abrasive exterior masks an independent and frustrated young woman whose allegiances are torn between family, friends and visions of a hopeful future. The problem is that there seems to be a cost no matter where her loyalties lie. But knowing Saba, she won't be anyone's pawn. Whatever happens, it will happen her way and she'll kick some major ass along the way!

~ Bel

A Peek In The BiblioBin #48

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our Biblio-Bin this week. Tell us what's in your biblio-bin!

For review:

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath #2) by Anne Greenwood Brown

Bruised by Sarah Skilton

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story (Heist Society 2.5) by Ally Carter

Received as a gift:

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans


Purchased:

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

Double Play (Pacific Heat #1) by Jill Shalvis

Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

* * 3/4

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

Uses For Boys has stumped me. I had a hard time with this and it took me a while to come up with this review. Why did it take me close to a month to write this review? Mostly because I found the entire dysfunctional relationship between Anna and her mother so disturbing. Her mother is a self-absorbed, absentee parent leaving Anna to grow up alone. Seriously, this girl has not one adult in her life to guide her, comfort her or talk to her. She's left to her own devices and frankly I was amazed that she didn't end up in a ditch somewhere.

David Levithan, a writer Nat and I absolutely adore, had said before that we should treat books not as just mirrors but also as windows into other lives. Keeping that in mind, I still found looking through this window to be immensely upsetting. I dreaded every moment of watching Anna being left to fend for herself. What a lonely life! As she got into various predicaments especially sexual situations, I was so uncomfortable and repulsed. I understood why Anna did some of the things she did to feel close to people but her idea of emotional and physical intimacy are so distorted. Now I readily admit that I felt so strongly because I am a mother and I can’t fathom a parent being so completely useless and uncaring. I know that this has colored my perception of this book and I am genuinely interested in hearing another reader's point of view.

Here is a good point though: it's provocative. Despite its graphic nature, Scheidt's delivery of Anna's story is emotionally raw and blunt. There are many painful and disturbing moments throughout  that will make you shake your head and want to punch something. But the silver lining is that Anna despite all the crap that happens to her is resilient and does eventually come into her own. Don't get me wrong - she confused the hell out of me. There were times when she was almost robotic about the events happening around her. I don’t think she fully comprehends some of the things that have happened to her in the past but she ends up with more clarity about her mother and her best friend, Toy. To be honest, her empathy towards her mother shocked me.

So I give Uses For Boys 2 and ¾ stars - only because I can't describe it as an enjoyable read. While it was difficult for me to read this, I'm glad to have had something that pushed me out of my comfort zone and given me plenty of food for thought. 

~ Bel

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

****

From Author’s Website:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

I did not think it was possible, but Uncommon Criminals was even better than Heist Society.  The situations were more fun, the interactions between the characters more interesting and well, it was just awesome.  I love the way Ally Carter has brought Kat’s crew together.  I love the glimpse we get into the past and the future in this installment.  I cannot wait to see what Carter does with Perfect Scoundrels (coming in February just in time for my birthday!!!  Ally Carter does love me!!!)! 

And for some serious fun, check out Carter's cross over between Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls Double Crossed (I may have to call in sick to read this one!).  

~Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (49)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.

By Courtney Allison Moulton
Publication Date:  January 29, 2013

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.






By Megan Shepherd
Publication Date:  January 29, 2013

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect