Hourglass by Myra McEntire: A Review

Photo taken from Goodreads for review purposes only (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304810997l/9182478.jpg). I do not own this picture.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Source: Library

Publisher: Egmont USA

Publication Date: June 14, 2011

Blurb from Goodreads (I do not own this blurb. Used for review purposes only): 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Genre: YA paranormal, no vamps, werewolves, or demons. It's a YA Time Travel novel. I've never read a time travel novel, YA or otherwise, so this smacked of originality. I'm semi-resistant to a lot of fantasy sounding books, but this wasn't anything like I expected.

The Cover: Really intriguing. I don't know if I would have been dying to read it based on the cover alone, but it does have an "Hmm, let's see what that's about" element. The girl's hair on the cover makes you know something will be off about the book, in a good way. I do like simplistic covers with a new element, and this book cover definitely applies.

The Plot: Emerson (love the name) is going through a lot, namely her parents' deaths and her unwelcome ability to see people from other time periods at inopportune moments. She's fed up with dealing with them, and her brother decides to help by bringing in Michael to give her ways to deal with what she's seeing. The plot was original to me. I hadn't read anything like it. It had enough plot movement to keep you from being bored with the sciency bits and to keep the pages moving almost by themselves. When one thing may have gotten burned out, something new happened between Emerson and Michael, or to them, rather, and that kept things really interesting. I love when a book can keep my attention.

The Romantic Element: Huge props to McEntire for her romantic prowess. She manages to make an awesome MMC (main male character), while having, you guessed it, a love triangle. Color me pleased. The love triangle really didn't feel contrived at all like some novels fall in danger of having, and she even had a gut-wrenching tension-y moment. I live for them, almost literally, when I read YA. I re-read that section like three times. Not going to lie about that.

Carry-on Factor: Hourglass will stick with you. Emerson was perfect-y enough to make you want to be like her but real enough to make you not hate her while you're reading about her. You get invested in her story, and Michael, and another character who will remain nameless but makes it worth looking forward to read Hourglass #2…

Overall: McEntire's spin on making YA paranormal romances new again is definitely appreciated by me. I'm looking forward to reading the next one as she did leave some things undone in the typical YA fashion. BUT, don't be afraid to start this book for fear of a cliff-hanger. McEntire did not leave us saying WTH, I promise. She just left some things to be resolved. That's all.

Have you read this book? If you did, what'd you think? If you haven't, do you want to? Let me know below! :)

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Who Knew " by Pink. I was hooked on this song something crazy when it came out, still am. I <3 Pink.

Final Note: Huge congratulations are in order for Marlena Cassidy who won a copy of my book Glittering Ashes from The Character Depot interview and giveaway by J.L.Campbell! Thank you to everyone who entered, and I hope you check out my book anyways :)

Note: I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this review. However, I do have several Amazon affiliate links in this blog post.

Wanderlove: A Review

 Picture Source: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GtnctYikL.jpg*

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Delacorte BFYR

Publishing Date: March 13, 2012

Blurb from Goodreads*:

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story

I chose this book because I loved the cover. I had a hankering for a YA contemporary, so when I saw this title, I thought, "This is what I was asking for."

My version of the blurb: When Bria, the artist, decides she wants to break out from the norm and travel abroad, she wasn't expecting a middle-aged tour group to be her companions. But after meeting a care-free, ponytailed, free-spirit, travel-bitten backpacker Rowan, and his sister Starling, Bria will find her own adventure and a way to find herself away from her fighting parents, best friends, and heart-breaking ex-boyfriend.

Genre: YA contemporary/romance. I wouldn't say contemporary romance because the story is a lot about traveling (the love of) and Bria finding herself. So even though romance is important in the book, there's a balance between the story and the romance.

The Cover: I like it. It caught my attention. It's simple, but effective. I think it's spot on to what the book is about, and Bria's description matches the cover perfectly to me.

The Plot: This book is travel heavy. If you're into travel at all, this is the book for you. I felt like I was in the islands with Bria, that Rowan was guiding me as much as he's guiding her. It's very setting heavy, because the fun of the book is that you're traveling without the plane fees. If you haven't been bitten by the travel bug, it might not be as interesting to you, but if you've even wanted to just pretend like you could up and go off to wherever, this book will be fascinating. Bria is a novice traveler on an exploration, and you can be too as you travel along with her and Rowan.

The Romantic Element: This book is definitely a slow burn in the romance department. Bria and Rowan travel, and you get little bits of them. You want to read the book to see if anything will happen between them, and it keeps you guessing if it really will.

Carry-on Factor: The descriptions of the setting made the book. Hubbard seemed well-versed in the places described, and after finding out that she really does know about back-packing, the book seems pretty authentic in that respect. I know I've gained knowledge about places, and in some instances, I feel like I could have been there.

Overall: This is a travel YA. If you've been looking for a no magic, backpacking adventure, then this is your book. From the opening, you're with Bria as she goes off the grid, finds friends, and tries to find herself. If that sounds like something you'd dig, then this book wouldn't disappoint.

Now for a song to write by, which is eerily perfect for this book, "Kihei Town" by The Throwdowns. I found this song randomly a while ago. I love the laid back vibe. Perfect for Wanderlove!

*I do not own this picture, book, or the book blurb taken from Goodreads. The use of these things are for review purposes only. 

Disclaimer: I did not receive anything in exchange for this review (or any review), although there are several Amazon affiliate links on this blog post.

Reminder: Don't miss out on a chance to win a copy of my book Glittering Ashes! Stop by my interview at The Character Depot and comment--that's all you have to do to enter. Drawing is Friday! Thank you much :)

Where She Went: Review

Today, it's time for another book review. After much cajoling by people online, I was encouraged to read Where She Went by Gayle Forman, the follow-up novel to If I Stay, which I read earlier this year. 

If I Stay, if you hadn't heard of it, was a book about Mia, who after suffering a HUGE tragedy, has to be painfully aware of everything going on around her as she decides whether or not to stay on earth.

When I first read about If I Stay, I thought it would be hokey. The premise sounds good, but it also sounds hard to pull off, right? Well Forman did. It's a weirdly poetic, purposefully awkward, heart-wrenching kind of book. It's not something I clamored to read or had to tell everyone and their mom about when I finished, but it was extremely well-written and had a soft power to how it was told. If you wanted something emotionally charged and out of the regular, If I Stay is your book.

Where She Went is no different. The book is basically a slightly later on in life follow-up to If I Stay. Where If I Stay is from Mia's point of view as she works through everything, including watching her boyfriend Adam watch her, Where She Went is from Adam's point of view after he has everything he supposedly could want but still isn't happy. He's trying to reconcile his thoughts about Mia, and they have one night together, years after the first book, to figure out who they are to each other and what all happened between them.

I loved Adam in If I Stay. He's the rocker, literally, who has the heart of gold. Music is paramount in both books, and it was refreshing to see a YA really championing having a passion for something, and having a dream to be big in something. So, reading Where She Went was great for me because it was Adam all the time. I think Gayle Forman, overall, had a decent grasp on a 20-year-old hot guitarist male perspective.

Oh, and for those of you who were like me and had read If I Stay, but hadn't gotten to Where She Went yet, If I Stay dealt mainly in the past, out of necessity, through flashbacks. I'd say Where She Went dealt in the past of Adam too, also out of necessity, but also dealt a lot with his future anxieties.

I liked Where She Went more than If I Stay, but you need to read If I Stay to get the full weight of Where She Went.

Okay, here's for the traditional review points:

The Cover: Pretty. Doesn't make me clamor for it, but it matches the mood of the book, so it's effective.

The Plot: Like I said, Forman can write. Well. And it shows in this book. Her ability to weave in and out of the present without giving the reader whiplash is something worth reading about.

The Romantic Element: Confusing in this book. I don't think that's the right word. Romance is obviously there, and it's more authentic feeling than most, but overall, I felt more like saying "Hmm" than "Awww" at all times. It's still a good romance, but I liked the romance in If I Stay better, personally.

Carry-on factor: A lot of people love Gayle Forman, and they have lots of reasons to. If I Stay stuck with me. Where She Went fills in the gaps left from If I Stay. I'd say If I Stay has more carry-on factor, but Where She Went is the rest of the story, so you have to read it if you've read If I Stay.

Overall: Like I said, if you even remotely liked If I Stay, Where She Went is a must. If you like emotions, not just romantic, for a charged story, then these are your books and Gayle Forman is your writer. It's not about action; it's about loss and life and passion and talents, and love. So if that sounds like something you'd dig, these books, especially the second, are done well enough to satisfy. Good emotional reads all around.

Now let me know what you thought of If I Stay or Where She Went below, or if you're just now hearing about them, are they something you'd like?

Now to leave you with a song to write by, "I'm Not In Love" by 10 CCs. It is old school, funny, and I just like it as an untraditional romantic song. So, I feel it's appropriate, lol.

Note: I got my copy of Where She Went from the library, and I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this review (except if I sell any books through affiliate links). Thanks!

The Apartment Romance

Earlier this week, I saw an amazing movie. I want to watch it again because it has so many quotables in it. <3 I love quotable bits. The movie is called The Apartment:

It came out in 1960, and it's in black and white. I know, some of you out there will be like me, very judgy, and might want to back away now. BUT, it was amazing.

Here's a sloppy blurb by me: A man decides to pimp out his apartment to the higher up men at work that have all these mistresses but no where to take them. The plan works to help him get ahead, but he falls for the elevator girl in the mean time, only to find out that she has an affiliation with his apartment already. Hilarity, romance, innuendos, and issues ensue.

I really liked it, and you should check it out if you have the chance. Funny side-note story, I told my mother about it, and she told me she had just picked up that movie that very day at the library, but had put it back because it was black and white. Weird huh? She then got it from there, watched, and loved it. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled blog post…

This movie got me thinking about what it is about romance that makes me clamor to read it. With very few exceptions, I'm not a big romance movie person. I have to want to watch something predictable to get into them, and I have to be forced by other parties to watch them at all (mostly). But, with books? You all know by now that romance is a must for me. A big must (also mostly).

I like:

• Non-traditional
• Hard to attain
• Complicated but sweet
• All worth it for their first moments

Love.

And I've read love stories in all kinds of their variations (chick-lit to Ya to horror with some lovey bits), and I never get tired of it. Seeing how people make a connection and come together in all kinds of circumstances just is the bee's knees for me.

So, now I ask you, because I really want to know, do you have to have romance in the books that you read? What makes you like that element (or hate it)? OO, and if you have examples, then, you're awesome. Let me know below.

Now to leave you with a song to write by, which is perfect for this occasion, "Nicest Thing" by Kate Nash. If you never listen to any other song I list on here, listen to this one. It's worth it. ---à strong words for an AMAZING song.

Also: I really want to get the word out about my book, Glittering Ashes (The Dark Artist Series), and I have some things in the works already (VERY excited about that). So, if you're interested in receiving a free ebook copy in exchange for a bookie blog review, let me know (below or by email). Also, I'm more than game for author interviews if you want something to fill in one of the days on your blog :)