Friday, June 29, 2012

YA Crush Tourney 2.0 Advocates



And now... the moment for which so many have been waiting-- it's time to announce this summer's YA Crush Tourney Advocates!  All of these advocates are more than qualified to represent these amazing crushes!  Go check out their blogs and follow them on twitter!  They will have all the up to date info you need to know about the Tourney, the matches, and their crushes!  Plus, they are all just awesome!  You can also see the full schedule of matches on our Tournament page.  The tournament will officially begin July 6th!

Will, Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare:  Katie @ Mundie Moms and Alyssa @ TMI Source
Adrian, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead:  Anna T @ The Bursting Bookshelf
Dimitri, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead:  Stacey @ Fantasy Book Addict
Four, Divergent by Veronica Roth:  Becky @ Bibliognome
Jem, Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare:  Pixie(Amber) and Stacey @ Pageturners
Peeta, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:  Brenna @ Ever After Esther
Patch, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick:  Jen @ Jenuine Cupcakes
Eddie, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead:  Chandra @ Unabridged Bookshelf
Christian, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead:  Gabbi @ Bookbreather
Simon, Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare:  Benji @ The Non Reluctant Reader
Daemon, Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout:  Valerie @ Stuck in Books
Finnick, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:  Juli @ The Reviews News
Magnus, ID and TMI by Cassandra Clare:  Michelle @ Oh! For the Love of Books
Ash, Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa :  Amy @ Bookgoonie
Alec, Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare:  Steph @ Steph Likes Books
Zachary, Shade Series by Jeri Smith-Ready:  Amy and Jen @ Fictitious Delicious
Alex, Delirium by Lauren Oliver:  Emily @ Falling for YA
Noah, Mara Dyer Series by Michelle Hodkin:  Amanda @ Stuck in YA Books
Aiden, Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout:  Kaleigh @ K-Books
Tod, Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent:  Ina @ Smiling_Ina's Bookish Corner
Kaidan, Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins:  Tara @ Tater's Tall Tails
Augustus, Fault in Our Stars by John Green:  Brooke @ Brooke Reports
Etienne St. Clair, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins:  Jesse and Kira @ Pretty In Fiction
Adam, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi:  Hannah @ The Girl in the Cafe
Sam, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater:  Rachel @ Beauty and the Bookshelf
Percy, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan:  Kayla @ Bibliophilia, Please
Lucas, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini:  Emilie @ Emilie's Book World
Gale, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:  Tiffany @ Paranormal Reads Reviews
Tucker, Unearthly by Cynthia Hand:  Kris @ Imaginary Reads
Archer, Hex Hall Series by Rachel Hawkins:  Mag @ Geek Chic
Cricket, Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins:  Avery @ Avery's Book Nook
Vincent, Die for Me by Amy Plum:  Moire the Fates and Emberchyld

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Bracket for 2nd Annual YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney

Well everyone.....the time has come!  And let me just say, after the hours upon hours of counting nominations--this is how we felt:


But this is where the extreme fun begins!!!


Here are the final tallies for the top THIRTY-TWO (yes... what can we say? We couldn't bear to make it smaller than that. As you can see... some of them were EXTREMELY close). 



Will Infernal Devices 1070
Adrian VA/Bloodlines 1068
Dimitri VA 914
Four Divergent 813
Jem Infernal Devices 710
Peeta Hunger Games 654
Patch Hush Hush 642
Eddie VA 578
Christian VA 524
Simon Mortal Instruments 470
Daemon Obsidian 465
Finnick Hunger Games 456
Magnus Mortal Instruments 455
Ash The Iron Fey 431
Alec Mortal Instruments 410
Zachary Shade 359
Alex Delirium 353
Noah The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer 316
Aiden Covenant 277
Tod Soul Screamers 265
Kaidan Sweet Evil 264
Augustus The Fault in Our Stars 261
Etienne Anna and the French Kiss 253
Adam Shatter Me 249
Sam Shiver 241
Percy Percy Jackson 240
Lucas Starcrossed 224
Gale Hunger Games 217
Tucker Unearthly 215
Archer Hex Hall 211
Cricket Lola and the Boy Next Door 202
Vincent Die for Me 201


AND here is the Bracket!!!!!!


(click me!!!!)



At this point, we will begin narrowing down the list of advocates, and we will be contacting those peeps as soon as possible-- so keep an eye on your emails over the next few days. (We'll keep you updated on our progress via twitter.)  After we have contacted them, we will set up a schedule for the matches. All three of us sisters are attending ALA Annual together, so we'll work everything out while we're there.  We will post the schedule after the advocates have been chosen.

POTENTIAL ADVOCATES: HAVE YOUR WISH LIST READY FOR WHEN WE EMAIL YOU!  

Thank you to everyone who participated in the nominations, and we hope you enjoy the 2nd Annual YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney!!!  So get ready to rally the troops and sprint to the polls.  Happy Voting! 

(I know....I'm obsessed with Big Bang Theory!)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

An Announcement about the Tournaments

We at the YA Sisterhood are sorry to have to do this, but we've decided that this will be the last YA Crush Tournament for the foreseeable future.


We know that you all love these tourneys, and so do we. We have made so many friends in the blogging community because of it. We love hearing stories about how someone picked up a book because of one of our Tournaments. It's a fantastic feeling.


But unfortunately, those great things just don't outweigh all the negative things that are happening to us as a result of the tournament.


There was a great deal of drama surrounding The Heroine Tourney involving what constitutes a Heroine. And though we are just a platform for this event, and don't choose the characters who participate nor write the defenses-- we ended up taking the majority of the heat. People attacked us personally. And unfortunately-- a beloved author of ours-- Cassandra Clare got tons of hate mail from fans angry that her characters won. That was the LAST thing we ever wanted to happen. These tournaments were meant to celebrate not degrade. We dealt with that drama and reasoned that the Crush Tourney would be more laid-back.


So despite our reservations, we committed to another YA Crush Tourney because we knew so many people loved the last one.


And sadly-- we're finding ourselves attacked yet again.


Several people were upset that Sebastian was nominated for the tournament. We hadn't even read the latest TMI book yet, so were unaware of the controversy surrounding him. But regardless-- we didn't think it was right to remove a character that nearly a hundred people had voted for because we disagreed with him being on the list. Why let people vote if we are just going to manipulate things so that it turns out the way we want it? That wasn't what we intended this tournament to be.


So, we dealt with the issue the best way we knew how. We posted a disclaimer so people would know that the nominations were 100% based on people's votes and not our own opinions. We reminded people that we were planning on having a Villain's Tourney in the winter (which we will no longer host), so they could save their bad boy votes for that. And we encouraged people to spread the word about other crushes, so that perhaps Sebastian would get pushed farther down the list (which, in fact, worked as he went from 24 to 29th). We turned on comment moderation, because unfortunately we were getting comments attacking us personally. One particular commenter called us sick and said we were supporting rape and rape culture. We deleted that comment, but left all other comments that rationally detailed why Sebastian should not qualify. We're approving all comments that come in as long as they are appropriate and respectful.


We thought we'd handled this as best we possibly could. But apparently that still wasn't enough.


On twitter, a few users continue to tweet that we support rape culture. They also say that we're not allowing any comments talking about the issue (which if you'll only look at the comments from the nominations post, you'll see that's completely false). Then, someone even made a tumblr post, wherein they posted about the issue, along with pictures of our tweets on twitter that were taken completely out of context. They also said we weren't letting them comment about the issue (which again, the only comments we refused to allow were ones that personally and hatefully attacked us).


(Edit: The owner of the tumblr contacted us and was kind and civil, and we've managed to work things out. She is not the one continuing to send us hateful messages. Please-- don't turn around and do to her what was done to us. She's certainly allowed to have her opinion about whether or not Sebastian is in the Tourney. Our only complaint was that we were personally being dragged into it. The last thing we want is for this to continue to be dragged out. We apologize for linking to her post, and hope that all of us-- both sides of the issue, can settle this peacefully).


We understand that this is just a few people, and there are a lot more of you out there being kind and awesome and doing this for fun. And it's for you all that we will continue this tournament this year (though we thought about canceling it altogether).  But as much as we enjoy these tournaments, all three of us sisters have felt sick to our stomachs all day long. It just isn't worth the heartache that this has caused. We've come to the conclusion that when an event gets as large and as popular as the Crush Tourney, there will always be a few dissenters. So, we've decided to indefinitely suspend the Tournaments. We're not saying that we won't do small events like the Jennifer L. ArmenTourney from earlier this year. We're also not saying that we won't ever return to doing YA Crush Tourneys. But this whole mess has broken our spirits. These Tournaments take up SO MUCH of our time, that we've neglected our own lives, jobs, and families to run them. And we just can't continue to do that with the way things have been going.


We're sorry that things ended up this way. We hope you'll understand. And we hope you'll make this YA Crush Tourney, the last for the foreseeable future, as amazing and positive as it can possibly be.


We love you guys!


Best,


Brittany, Amy, & Jennifer
YA Sisterhood

Friday, June 15, 2012

YA Crush Tourney 2.0 Nominations!!!!!!!



It's time! 



Yep.... That's right. NOMINATION TIME. 



I know you're all SUPER excited (we are too)! But before we start, there's a couple of rules and such we must lay down. 

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU NOMINATE!

  • Each person  may nominate TEN book crushes. ONE TIME ONLY. If you submit more than one form-- all your nominations will be deleted. If you can't think of all ten now, you may want to wait, because once you submit, there's no adding more for places you left blank. 
  • You MAY NOT nominate the same character 10 times (or any more than once). If you do, your nominations will be deleted. 
  • They must be from a YA BOOK. If it's Mature YA/New Adult-- that's fine. But books that are definitely not YA will not count. 
  • You MUST, MUST, MUST put your character's name AND the Book Title. There are lots of characters named Adam and Alex and James, etc.... and we have no way of knowing which character you mean to nominate. Nominations without a book title will be DELETED. 
  • As WINNER of our 1st Crush Tourney-- JACE WAYLAND/LIGHTWOOD is not eligible to be nominated. All nominations for that lovable bad boy will be deleted. SORRY. 
  • Please be patient as we count nominations. It takes a very long time. We'll try to update you once a day. And while we are widely read, we haven't read EVERYTHING. If we spell a character's name or Book wrong, we're sorry. Please let us know. 
  • NOMINATIONS CLOSE JUNE 19TH AT 11:59 PM (CENTRAL TIME)




Did you get all that? We know it's a lot of rules... but we're trying to keep things running as smoothly and fairly as possible. We know your brains are probably pre-occupied with fictional yumminess. 


Well.... I think we've stalled long enough. Keep checking back on this post for updates on nominations! 

Nominations are closed, and the final tournament contestants have been posted





Thursday, June 14, 2012

YA Crush Tourney Banner Contest Winner!!!!!!!!

We sisters want to give a huge thank you to everyone who submitted a banner in this contest! It was extremely difficult to pick a winner! I mean, we pretty much plan our summer around the amazingly fantastic, super-addicting, add-him-to-my-dream-list Crush Tourney--so the banner had to make us want to jump up and dance like we do when we discover a new YA hottie!

 

So....without futher ado.


The Winner of the 2012 YA Crush Tourney Banner Contest is...

Amanda Marie @ BookLove101!

Check out her awesome banner!



And icon:





And Sidebar Banner:






Thanks Amanda for the Ah-Mazing banners! 

We would love it if you would put the icon on your blog to help us promote the YA Crush Tourney 2.0!  Since I'm technologically-challenged, I don't know how to create the HTML code to grab the button (don't judge me or I'll sic Sheldon on you), you can copy and save it and then add it to your page!

EDIT: Thank to Amanda Marie for helping us figure out the html, too! Now you can grab the html for both the icon and the sidebar banner! Sorry Jen, you'll have to sic Sheldon on them another time. :D



And don't forget--Nominations start tonight at Midnight!!!!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Goddess Interrupted Giveaway and Q&A with Aimee Carter!

Hey everyone!  Today we have the pleasure of hosting a Q&A with author Aimee Carter!  If you haven't read her novels, you are totally MISSING OUT!  They are a reinvention of the Hades/Persephone myth, and I must say that they are sexy and intriguing!  The Goddess Test and The Goddess Interrupted (Books 1 and 2) are available now!  Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post for a chance to win a copy of Goddess Interrupted!

To read my review of Goddess Interrupted click here


Q&A With Aimée Carter, Author of the Goddess Test Series



How familiar were you with Greek myths and folklore before writing the Goddess Test series?  Was a lot of research required?


+ I first fell in love with Greek mythology when I was a kid learning how to read, and my infatuation only grew from there. I’ve studied various kinds of mythology for years, sometimes for class and always for fun, but even then I put a great deal of research into the Goddess Test series. Mostly as a refresher to make sure I was getting my facts right, but I also researched the various myths looking for ways to tie the plots and characters together in unexpected ways.


Was Goddess Interrupted any easier or harder to write than the first book in the series, The Goddess Test?


+ It was both easier and harder, in a strange way. I rewrote The Goddess Test multiple times, and I’ve never edited a book more heavily in my life. Goddess Interrupted did require some editing, of course, but it was much easier.


However, the pressure to deliver a sequel worthy of the series made the writing process for Goddess Interrupted more difficult than I’d anticipated. There’s something called the “sophomore slump”, where sequels or second books generally don’t quite match up to the second, and I wanted to avoid that at all cost. So that added a lot of stress, but in the end, I was very happy with the results.


You give the gods and goddesses in the series “ordinary names” – Zeus is named Walter, Aphrodite goes by Ava, Hermes is named James.  Why did you do that and do the more contemporary names have any significance?


+ This was something I went back and forth on multiple times. Initially the characters Kate encounters weren’t council members at all – I changed that very, very quickly though. By the second draft, I had a place for each of the Olympians, and I did some heavy rewriting to replace my first draft characters with the gods. I wanted to find a way to keep their names the same, but since they’re supposed to live among us in secret in the modern world, it didn’t really make sense. How many men named Zeus do you know, or women called Aphrodite? On top of that, keeping the council’s identities secret was incredibly important to the plot. So eventually I decided they would have changed their names when Western civilization stopped worshipping them as gods, allowing them to live freely among us.


I did choose each name for what it means, some more than others – Walter, for instance, means “army leader”, while James means “supplanter”. The exception is Calliope, which in the story was chosen by her counterpart for its Greek roots. The reason the gods changed their names – and why Artemis didn’t wind up with the name Diana – is explained throughout the series, but you get to actually see this happen in The Goddess Legacy (July 31). 



Goddess Interrupted begins with the main character Kate Winters adjusting to her new life as an immortal.  Given Kate’s innate strength and stubbornness, was it difficult to switch gears to portray her as a bit more vulnerable and unsure of herself in her new role as goddess AND wife?
 

+ Not so much, to be honest – her progression felt natural to me. While Kate is very tough in certain ways, she’s extremely vulnerable as well. She’s emotionally dependent on the people around her (her mother in the first book, Henry in the second), and that in and of itself carves the path she takes in the sequel. She’s spent six months with Henry, falling in love with him and forming a relationship she thinks is going to last for eternity. But Henry is battling his own demons and isn’t ready to be the person she needs him to be, and because Kate is so stubborn, she has a hard time coming to terms with that. In the sequel, Kate really is her own worst enemy emotionally – her entire world has changed, after all, and that’s a lot for anyone to take – but it’s all part of her development into a goddess and queen.


Kate finds herself trying to work through her rather complicated relationship with James, as well as her relationship with her new husband, Henry (Hades).  Neither seems to be black and white, but rather varying shades of gray.   Were any of Kate’s feelings or situations based on any relationship struggles you’ve been through?


+ Not personally, no, but I did try to make Kate’s relationships with the people in her life as realistic as possible. She isn’t perfect, and neither are they, and that’s something they all have to work through at varying points in the series. None of the relationships in the books are based off of specific experiences I’ve been through though. 


What is your favorite part of the writing process?  Least favorite? 

+ Outlining is by far my favorite part of the process. I love the idea stage, where anything’s possible, and it’s such a shiny place. All of that comes crashing down when I write the first draft though, which is the hardest part for me. I tend to get mentally exhausted about two thirds to three quarters of the way into the manuscript, and it’s always a struggle for me to push through it, especially if I’m on a deadline. And inevitably there are a ton of problems I didn’t notice in the outline stage that have to be fixed for the story to work. I’m a perfectionist, so in order for me to continue writing the story, everything I’ve already written has to make sense.

Do you have a favorite quote or line from a poem or book?


+ I love so many quotes that I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite.


How did you get your first publishing deal and how did that feel?


+ My agent, Rosemary Stimola, sent the manuscript out to various publishers, and after a long submission process, Harlequin TEEN offered to publish it! I was stunned at first, but that quickly gave way to giddiness. It was an incredible feeling to know I’d be published, and to this day, I still can’t quite believe it. 



When is the next book in the series due out? Any hints on what will happen in book 3?


+ Goddess Interrupted, the sequel to The Goddess Test, came out in late March. The next book in the series, The Goddess Legacy, will be out July 31. It’s a collection of five novellas told in the perspectives of Calliope, Ava, Persephone, James, and Henry, and together they form one story.


The third book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is currently scheduled to be released in March 2013. Unfortunately I can’t say too much about it, but the challenges that Kate will face are pretty clear by the end of the sequel!


After the huge success of The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted is on many, many TBR lists for this summer.  What’s on your TBR list?


+ I’m so excited for a slew of books coming out – The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, Grave Mercy, The Selection, The Serpent’s Shadow, Philippa Gregory’s YA novel, and a ton of others. I never have as much time to read as I want, but I’m definitely making time for all of those and more!



Yearbook Superlatives! If you went to high school with the Greek gods and goddesses, who would you vote for?

·         Most likely to succeed? - Hera

·         Class clown? - Hermes

·         Nicest? – Demeter or Hephaestus

·         Best dressed? - Aphrodite

·         Best dancer? - Apollo

·         Most school spirit? - Iris

·         Most likely to attend summer school? - Ares

·         Teachers pet? - Athena
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

TIMEPIECE by Myra McEntire Blog Tour



Attention ladies and gentlemen... Timepiece is out TODAY!!! So, if you haven't bought your copy yet, please go do that RIGHT NOW, then you can come back and read this interview!!!  There's no time to waste, you are going to LOVE THIS BOOK!!!  Now down to business, today, we have the absolute privilege of being a stop on the Timepiece Blog Tour!  (yelling like a 14 year old at a Justin Beiber concert) I LOVE YOU MYRA! She is hilarious and a freaking amazing writer.  Everyone should read everything she writes forever and ever, AMEN!  On this stop, we have a fun interview with Emerson!  We love her too!!!

**Also, everyone that comments on this post, will be entered to win a snazzy Timepiece Poster!!!** (Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you.)


Hi Emerson, it's so great to have you on our blog today! I have to tell you, that you are our literary sister! The things that you say and think are exactly what would have come out of my mouth! I can't tell you how many times in Hourglass, I said, "That's what I would have said!" So, welcome to our sisterhood! We are so excited to have you here!


I'm excited to be here. Y'all are my PEEPS.

Our first question for you is, for those who haven't read Hourglass yet, can you tell us a little about your special, shall we say, power?


I can travel back in time. I know, I didn't believe it either.




How did you feel when you first found out that you had the ability to time travel?


Awkward? But that's the standard for me.




With the time travel, comes the rips, what's the craziest rip you've ever seen?


A rip used to live in my friend Lily's apartment. He liked to be ... naked. It took forever to make him go away.




If you could time travel without any consequences and go anywhere at anytime, what time would that be?


Way, way far back. When there wasn't any history to speak of, so I'd know everyone I talked to was real.




What time would you NEVER go back to or hate to accidentally get stuck in?


I'm going to go with 1350 Europe and the Black Death.




Ok, I would be remiss if I didn't ask you questions about Michael and Kaleb, and our fans might hurt us! So, what is the most romantic thing Michael has ever done for you?


Told me the truth. (Also, he sings to me regularly. And yes, it IS as spectacular as it sounds.)




And, what's the craziest or funniest thing Kaleb has ever done since you have known him?


Have you read the first chapter of Timepiece?


THAT.




Now for our last question, if you could switch abilities with anyone else in the Hourglass, who would that be and why?


Nate. I have the need ... the need for speed.



Okay, time for some this or that! Just say whichever pops into your head first!


Past or Future No thank you.


Kissing or Cuddling Yes please.


Dr. Pepper or Coca-Cola Coke.


North or South South.


Peeta or Gale (We won't tell Michael!) Peeta.



Thank you for being here with us today Emerson! This is definitely one of the biggest highlights to date on our blog!


Like I said, y'all are my PEEPS.




Thursday, June 7, 2012

Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

ARC received from Entangled Publishing
Release Date:  6-12-2012
Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say:  Charming, Cool and Captivating

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Set in a post-apocalyptic America, Chosen Ones follows Tess into the dark world of the chosen ones, genetically engineered superhumans, complete with strength, intelligence, and good looks who are programmed to hate humanity’s downfalls.  In light of the war that was destroying the world, Americans put all their wisdom and resources into creating this race meant to protect us, but, will their programmed hatred of us be our own undoing?  As Tess falls deeper and deeper into their cruel world, she discovers a conspiracy that will shake the foundation of their world.  What will happen when the truth comes out?

I loved the idea behind the Chosen Ones—I mean, who hasn’t at one time or another, wondered if technology would bring forth the end of humanity?  Am I being melodramatic here?  I’m gonna go with no…after all, if I was the only one who ever ventured into this type of thinking, then we wouldn’t have movies like Terminator or The Matrix, or books like Chosen Ones!!!  Technology is both light and dark; and I love when authors bring forth the darkness that can come from too much power in machines.

But, the themes of science are not the best part of the book.  For me, the best part was the references to Frankenstein.  I might be biased because in my own book that I am currently writing, I also use quotes from Frankenstein.  However, I just love that the parallel is there between the ugly and grotesque monster created by Dr. Frankenstein and the beautiful and strong chosen ones.  They are completely the opposite in every way—Frankenstein’s monster wanted to be gentle, but through difficult circumstances, he was forced to become a monster.  The chosen ones care nothing of gentleness—they are there on a mission and the mission is the only thing that matters.  I loved seeing how the two books relate!

If you’re not a person that likes to dissect the different themes of a book, you will still enjoy this book because the characters are great!  I loved Tess as a heroine—she’s smart and doesn’t take any flack from anyone.  At times Tess is not smart and she finds herself in difficult and dangerous situations—but isn’t that realistic?  We don’t always do the smart thing—many times our emotions guide us, and for Tess, her emotions are her guiding light.  She might try to suppress them and feel nothing because its easier that way, but I think that shows her true feelings and passions even more.  It’s great to watch her grow and learn to love, even when she knows it could bring great pain.

And then there’s James…the blue-eyed, imperfect (because of a small scar) chosen one who will completely steal your heart.  He struggles with his true nature, and he wants more than anything else, not to be Frankenstein’s monster.  The insight we see into him as we get to read his notes on this book are captivating and heart-wrenching.  Plus, I love a guy that fights against his nature!  He’s not your dark, mysterious and hauntingly handsome ya boy.  You know where he stands from the beginning—you see his struggle and his desires all over him, and that just makes me love him more!  He’s a sweet-natured, loving guy who was built to be a killer—I can’t wait to see what happens when he’s pushed to his limits.

The only flaw in the book is that the flow can be slow at times.  Instead of your steady built up to a climax followed by a resolution, there are quite a few up and down moments…more like multiple hills on a roller coaster instead of one big hill.  But, that truthfully didn’t bother me that much.  From other reviews, many people are complaining about the lack of background for why the war started, etc.  That, again, didn’t bother me that much.  I mean, America’s a post-apocalyptic wasteland—and the afterward is where the story lies.  So who cares how it got that way??

Tiffany Truitt created a world where nothing and no one can be trusted—where the future is wasting away and freedom is a relic of the past.  This debut novel is gut-wrenching and heartfelt, and I can’t wait to find out what’s next for Tess and James.  Full of secrets, lies, and betrayal; Tiffany Truitt creates a world where desperate humans become Dr. Frankenstein, creating a monster no one saw coming.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday: Venom by Fiona Paul

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that we are anxiously awaiting is VENOM by Fiona Paul.  VENOM releases on October 30th from Philomel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.

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I was captivated by this one the moment I saw the gorgeous cover!!!  I mean, what's better than a girl in a masquerade mask?  How bout a hot boy named Falco in one!!!  Murder and mayhem + romance and betrayal = The perfect YA book!  The setting of this one just makes me want to do a happy dance!  Renaissance Venice!  I'm hoping this one is a suspenseful and romantic as it sounds.  I can't wait to read it!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown


Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
ARC received by Delacorte Books for Young Readers via Netgalley
Release Date:  6-12-12
Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say:  Seductive, Sinister, and Spine-tingling

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Where you ever afraid to go into the water when you were young?  I know I was terrified—even of the deep end of the swimming pool where you could see all the way to the bottom.  Was this just an irrational fear?  Forget all your Ariel notions of mermaids and dive straight into your childhood phobia!  After reading Anne Greenwood Brown’s Lies Beneath, you will never look at mermaids the same again.

I’ve seen quite a few mixed reviews about this book, comparing the plotline to Twilight but just with mermaids.  I absolutely disagree!  There was nothing in this book that screamed Edward to me.  From Chapter 1, I was mesmerized by the idea of these monstrous mermaids.  It was like stepping through the looking glass hoping to find a beautiful wonderland, but instead falling into a dark, ominous fantasy full of deadly creatures.  I really enjoyed Brown’s macabre underwater world, in fact, I was in the middle of reading this when a tornado outbreak was starting to occur (I live in Tornado Alley), and instead of hiding in a safe room below the stairs, I stayed on the couch and read, determined to fight down any tornadoes that might impede my finishing the book! (I’m not crazy, promise.)

I really enjoyed the character development—even the evil characters.  Calder White and his sisters are out for revenge on Jack Hancock, and even though Calder is one of the bad guys (or just in a Catch-22 situation), I felt myself rooting for him.  He’s gorgeous, mysterious, arrogant, and dark—a wonderful combination in a young adult guy.  And I love him even more as he starts to fall for Lily and we begin to see a different side of the monster.  I know there's plenty in store for Calder in the future, and I can't wait to see more of his chillingly sultry personality!

Calder’s three sisters are perhaps my favorite characters.  You would think that mermaids would be similar (at least in some regards) to humans, but these three are truly inhuman, capable of the most treacherous evil.  I (along with my sisters) have always been fans of the villain--I mean, who doesn't wish for all-consuming power every now and again.  Am I alone here??  There is something about the sisters that I found intriguing, and I can’t wait to see more of them in the next installment.

And then there’s the damsel in distress, Lily, who proves to be anything but “in distress.”  She’s calculating and doesn’t fall for the gorgeous guy right away.  It isn’t some “love at first sight” type of thing, which is a nice change of pace.  We get to see Lily’s strengths and flaws, which makes her a great heroine.

With the enormous amounts of paranormal romance novels out there, it is nice to see something fresh and different.  Brown takes the perfect fantasy world, the one where we all pretended we were Ariel on the side of the pool and would shoot up out of the water singing, “Part of Your World,” and she completely turns it upside down, adding hatred, revenge, murder, and deceit. 

Dive into her world, and you won’t regret it!

Friday, June 1, 2012

YA Crush Tourney Banner Contest


Alright YA Fiends, I mean, Friends!

It’s that time of year again. That’s right…. you guessed it.

THE 2ND ANNUAL YA SISTERHOOD YA CRUSH TOURNEY IS ALMOST HERE!!!!

*THE CROWD ROARS*

We’ll be beginning the application period for ADVOCATES on June 10th (so more information about that will come later).

We’ll be beginning nominations on June 15th (so start brainstorming who your favorite YA guys are now).

But first—

We want to ask you guys for a little help! While we sisters love all things reading, we’re not so compatible with all things technology.

So, we’re hosting a contest to design and create the official YA Crush Tournament Banner.

Here’s what the chosen design will win:

Signed Hardback of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
ARC of Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
Signed ARC of Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

And here’s what you have to submit:

·      One Banner (width no longer than 500 ) featuring the following information:
o   YA Sisterhood’s 2nd Annual YA Crush Tourney
o   The official Twitter account: @YASisterhood and Tweet with the hashtag #YACrushTourney
o   All other content on the banner is up to you
·      One (or more) matching Icon(s)

THE LAST DATE FOR BANNER SUBMISSIONS IS JUNE 9TH AT MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME.

Email yasisterhood@gmail.com with your submissions and any questions!

We look forward to seeing what you create!

Peace, Love, and Hot YA Boys,

Baby Sister Brittany