Divergent Official Teaser Trailer!

All I can say is WATCH THIS!!!!!!

Monument 14

Book Title: Monument 14
Author: Emmy Laybourne
Number of Pages: 294
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Adventure, Sci-fi
Books like it: Struck, The Lost Code
My favorite quote:

“Night came and fell hard.
Not like God drawing a blanket over our land
But like someone snuffing a candle.
Sudden and total.
Out—just like that.
Now we are waiting.
Waiting in the dark
To see if someone
Will switch on the light.
We can cower,
We can fear,
We can get lost together or
Get lost alone.
But the truth is:
I am the light. You are the light.
We are lit up together.
We are silhouettes of sunlight
cast against the night.
Shining now, let us
Shining, hold the light,
Shining, so that our families
Can find us.
Shining.”          

Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:
 Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

My Summary:
Just finished Monument 14, an action packed sci-fi book about fourteen kids trapped in a supermarket. I heard about this book from Jack at The Book Stop, so check out his website. It's awesome! Anyway, when I first picked up this book, I was like....whoa. I mean, my number one wish is to own a fully stocked Walmart and live in it for the rest of my life. I mean, you would have junk food, books, movies, electronics, toys, BEAN BAG chairs, music and cd players... it would be heaven.
And they have no adult supervision. Party time, right?
 In this book, not so much. It's the end of the world. Literally. An eruption from a volcano causes a mega tsunami that wipes out half of the U.S. Also, in their small town in Colorado, a nuclear plant has been knocked over and now chemical gases are in the air. The chemicals are affecting each blood type in a different way. For Dean, type O, it isn't good. He turns in to a crazed monster that wants to hurt people.
Blocked from the outside world with no way to know what's going on, these fourteen kids and teenagers learn that sometimes, being trapped in a fun place is no longer fun.
This book by Emmy Laybourne was action packed and brilliant. My only problem was some character development with Jack and Astrid. (I will get to that later.) Here are the fourteen kids trapped in the superstore:

Sahalia, a thirteen year old girl who dresses and acts like she is seventeen and just wants to be treated like an adult. She definitely wants a boyfriend. Niko, who is the leader of the group and wants everything to be perfect and structured. He's also a former boy scout. Batiste, who is one of those characters that cracks you up. He is a little religious kid who goes around preaching to everyone and insisting everything they do is a sin. Then you have Ulysses, a Spanish speaking kid that no one can understand but who can make some delicious food.
Also in the group is cute little twins Caroline and Henry, who have grown up living next door to Dean and adore him. The funniest character was probably Max, a little boy who has lived a messed up life with his terrible parents, but thinks everything that he has experienced is perfectly normal. Then you have Alex, Dean's little brother and a mathematical genius. Chloe didn't have too much character development, so I will just say she is sweet and loves dogs. Josie is a sixteen year old girl who acts like the mother to all the little kids and takes charge of the living quarters. Both Brayden and Niko are fighting over her.

Off to the more main characters. Brayden, someone who might seem like a complete loser and jerk, is actually pretty nice if he isn't drunk. Jake is a jock who believes there is no hope left and is losing his sanity. Astrid, who I believe is supposed to be the main female character in this story, is actually pretty minor and I really don't like her. She thinks she is a monster because she has O type blood and keeps herself locked up until the end of the book when BAM she is suddenly Wonder Woman. Yes, not the best character. Dean, the main character of this book, (a really unpopular guy who can cook and is really nice) has a huge crush on Astrid. Who doesn't notice him much unless she needs his help.
Welcome to my world.
Just kidding.
This was a thrilling book and I personally enjoyed it. I was celebrating that it was clean of language! Whoopee! It does have one kind of mildly inappropriate scene, which I skipped and just kept reading. I know. I'm weird.


Pros: This was a really great Apocalyptic book (whenever I say Apocalyptic, I just get the song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons in my head. Serious.)

Cons: One kind of inappropriate scene, and a h*** or a d*** here and there.
Cautions for Parents: (Refer to cons section)

Review: 4

Reading Next: The Uprising by Lisa Strasse

Ten

Book Title: Ten

Author:  Gretchen McNeil

Number of Pages: 296

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Horror

Books like it: And Then There Were None

My favorite quote:

Is this book yours? No? THEN STOP READING IT. NOW.

The words were centered on the title page, written in red ink. It should have been ominous. It should have kept Meg from turning the next page.

Not so much.

Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:

SHHHH!

Don't spread the word!

Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.

You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Trailer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Summary:

If you know what I like to read, you know one of my favorites is definitely horror/thriller/mystery type of thing. My favorite board game growing up was Clue, I loved reading Nancy Drew, and to this day my favorite show is Monk. So, basically, when my librarian told me about this freakishly scary and intense book, I was like, where is it?!?! I don’t review horror books very often because I can never find some that are horrifically awesome.

If you haven’t watched the trailer, do it. Now.

This book was AMAZING. (It could have been a lot better for me if some of the language was taken out, though. ) I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, trying to guess the killer before the last page and gasping at some surprising parts. Do you want to know what it is about? Read on.

Vengeance is mine.

Meg, the main character of the story, sneaks out to a three day party on an abandoned island (ding ding ding! That’s a no brainer, don’t go on creepy islands when nobody knows you will be there!) with her best friend Minnie. It is supposed to be fun, and the two friends are excited for the time of their lives.

When the two girls show up at the party, Meg sees her crush, TJ, and her heart starts beating faster. Then they meet the seven other people they will be spending the weekend with. (Mother Nature is not on their side, it is hailing and pouring rain.)  As time goes by, their host never shows up, so they eat dinner and entertain themselves. When Meg goes downstairs in the middle of the night to get a drink, she discovers that one of the guests has hung themselves by a rope. The death seems sort of suspicious, but when they find the suicide note, they convince themselves that it was not a murder.

Ha, wrong!

The nine surviving kids decide it is probably best to call the police, and that’s when they find out that the phone lines are dead and the internet is not working. (Dun dun dun.) So  T.J and Meg go to the boathouse to see if they can find a radio to call for help. No such luck, the radio is not in the boat. When they return to the house, they find out there has been another “accident.” When two accidents turn into three, the guests at this creepy party begin to think there is a killer in the house.

A killer that could be one of them.

    When Meg finds the journal of a dead girl from her school, she realizes that these strange ways of killing have been done that way for a reason. But why? Is the killer one of them, or is it a ghost seeking revenge? As the death toll rises higher and higher, Meg must find out who the killer is before she becomes the next victim.

Or maybe she already is.

With twists and turns and a whole lot of suspense, this book will send a chill up your back and keep you constantly looking behind you.

Pros: This book was probably the most well-written horror book I have read in a long time. It was very creepy and the killer is not someone you would expect. I can’t deny that I’ve been a little more cautious than usual.

Cons: The only cons in this book for me was the language. The f-word is in there, once in the middle of the book and once again near the end. Watch out for those, especially younger readers. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of twelve. This book is pretty scary, and if you have younger readers, stay away from this book, or they might be up at night with nightmares. However, if you want a good adrenaline rush, this would definitely give you one.  

Cautions for Parents: (See in the Cons section) Brief strong language and scary elements.

Review: 4.5 (.5 off for language. I hate language.)

Upcoming Book Reviews

Came home with a whole bunch of books yesterday. Book reviews coming up next week/this weekend:

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
The Uprising by Lisa M. Strasse
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

and many others! Stay tuned!

DIVERGENT OFFICAL FIRST LOOK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSITk9...     

CLICK ON THE LINK TO WATCH!

Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer, author of The Lunar Chronicles, has agreed to be a part of the Author Tour 2014! Now you all know how much I LOVE her books, so I am so excited for this!

As part of her promotional post, we will be doing an interview. If you have any questions to ask her, email me at: enchantedbyabook@outlook.com .
Only one question per person, please. You must submit them by August 29th. I will only be choosing five questions to ask her. Thanks!

Love,
Sarah

CALLING ALL AUTHORS

Calling all Authors Out There!!!!

Whether you are a popular author or just starting, this is a promotional author blog tour that will take place as my New Years Event in January of 2014. Our goal is to get 31 authors, one for every day of the month. If you are an author or you know an author, please have them contact me at: enchantedbyabook@outlook.com by December 25, 2014.
 This is how the tour will happen for each author. On December 29-31, I will be posting a list of the authors (hopefully there will be one for each day) and every day in January I will announce the author of the day for the tour. Here is how the promotional post will look:

• A written introduction of the author (by me) about them and how they got started, and possibly the books they have written.
• A review of one of their books from right here at Enchanted by Books. (If I have reviewed it already, a link will be included, but if I have not, I will write one before the promotional post. If the author can include a copy of the book for me to read, that would be easiest.
• A picture of the book and author
• A promotional little paragraph
• And finally, a 3-5 question interview.

Thanks so much for your time and effort, and as I get more authors to sign up, I will be posting them on the NEW Tour 2014 page.

Love,
Sarah

BLOG BUNDLE

Instead of Book of the Months, I will now be starting Blog Bundles at the beginning of the month. For August I have a lot of special treats for all of you out there who actually read my blog. BTW, thanks so much for looking at my blog and commenting. I love all of y'all-and I am so grateful that you take the time to read my reviews and listening to my fangirling. Anyway, Blog Bundles should be a lot of fun, because I will include a new review, new snippets of info about upcoming book-movies or books, occasionally an author interview, cover releases, and new released books. This Blog Bundle is totally awesome including the cover release of Cress, The Lunar Chronicles #4, and also a NEW BOOK RELEASE I am so excited for. Okay, first thing is first, the Cress Cover Release with synopsis and teasers.

Teasers

“The sahara desert the Rapunzel the charity the gifted tales.”

 

“He leaned forward to inspect her closer. "Is that all hair?"

... Sudden, overwhelming panic clawed up Cress's throat. With a squeak, she ducked out of view of the camera and scrambled beneath the desk. Her back struck the wall with a thud that rattled her teeth. She crouched there, skin burning hot and pulse thundering as she took in the room before her— the room that he was now seeing too, with the rumpled bedcovers and the mustached man on all the screens telling her to grab her imaginary partner and swing them around.

"Wha—where'd she go?" Thorne's voice came to her through the screen.

"Honestly, Thorne." A girl. Linh Cinder? "Do you ever think before you speak?"

"What? What did I say?"

" 'Is that all hair?' "

"Did you see it? It was like a cross between a magpie nest and ball of yarn after it's been mauled by a cheetah."

A beat. Then, "A cheetah?"

"It was the first big cat that came to mind.”  

 

 

 

“I don’t mind the scars.” He shrugged, his eyes taking on a mischievous spark. “They hold better memories now than they used to.”

 

 

Opening paragraph:Her satellite made one full orbit around planet Earth every sixteen hours. It was a prison that came with an endlessly breathtaking view—vast blue oceans and swirling clouds and sunrises that set half the world on fire.

 

Synopsis

Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair - or her guard.
In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

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

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

 

And Finally.... THE COVER!!!!

 

Isn't that cover gorgeous??? Okay, anyway, next up we have my favorite new release of this month (review coming soon), the Uprising by Lisa Strasse!

Teasers

I adjust myself in the dress, trying to get comfortable. It feels too tight in the wrong places. “I look terrible,” I mutter. I push back my hair, trying to flatten it. Shampoo is limited here, like so many other things. “I’m a mess.”

Liam gently takes my elbow and steers me over to a small circular mirror hanging on one of the rock walls. “Look,” he says softly.

I gaze into the mirror and lower my hands.

The girl staring back at me doesn’t look like one I’ve known very much. Not in the UNA, and definitely not on the wheel. The girl in the mirror has surprisingly decent hair, and is wearing a knee-length, flowing blue dress with a beaded neckline. The girl almost looks glamorous. Almost.

“Okay, I’m officially embarrassed,” I mumble, glancing away.

Liam pulls me toward him. “Don’t be. You look fantastic.”

“You better not expect me to always look this good,” I tell him. “Iyt’s not like I’m Meira or something.” I can’t help but think of her right now. Meira was the only girl in our village on the wheel who always looked good—with spotless clothes, perfect skin, and sleek blonde hair.

“You’re way better looking than Meira.” Liam gazes into my eyes. “To me you always look great.”

 

Synopsis

In this dystopian sequel to The Forsaken, Alenna has survived the brutality of life on the wheel—and now she’s going back for more.
Alenna escaped. It was expected that she would die on the wheel, the island where would-be criminals are sent as directed by the UNA—the totalitarian supercountry that was once the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But Alenna and her boyfriend, Liam, made it to safety. Except safety, they will soon learn, is relative.

In order to bring down the UNA, they must first gain control of the wheel. If the mission succeeds, the wheel will become a base of revolution. But between betrayals, a new Monk leading a more organized army of Drones, and the discovery of a previously unknown contingent, Alenna, Liam, and their allies might be in over their heads. One thing Alenna knows for sure: There will be a reckoning. And not everyone she loves will make it out alive.

Cover

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE CITY OF BONES MOVIE comes out this month!!!!!!! HERE ARE the TRAILERS!!!

Plus a TV Spot:

See you all next time, please comment!

 

 



Hope's Daughter

Hey everyone! I apologize for not posting in such a long time, but school will start in two weeks and I will be back to one book review every one-two days. My school library is full of exciting new reads, and I am most excited to read Ten by Gretchen McNeil. Also, Allegiant is coming out VERY soon, which you all know I am so excited for.... also United We Spy by Ally Carter and The One by Kiera Cass will be released within the next ten months. Anyway, enough of my blabbering.

This review, along with all my others, may be seen at: www.enchantedbyabook.blogspot.com

Book Title: Hope's Daughter
Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones
Number of Pages: 390
Genres: YA Fiction, Mystery-Romance, Dystopia
Books Like It: Uglies, Across the Universe
Favorite Quote:
“Oh! I know what I wanted to tell you – you’ll never guess who Thomas is chasing after now…”

Hmmm, never guess or can’t be bothered to guess – it was a hard call. I yawned again, glancing at the bed, which was inviting me to clamber back inside and pull the sheet over my head. So tempting, but not practical.”

Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:

For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have.

Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.

As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.

My Summary:

Hope's Daughter is yet another dystopian read, and I must thank the author and the Young Adult Dystopian Book Club on Goodreads for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review. And to be honest, this book did not excel my expectations. It was an average read but nothing to unique.

Cassie's world is a complete fake. As the human population began to decrease rapidly, society took action and put the rest of the human survivors on a spaceship called Space Station Hope. Everything is controlled, including the meals. Married couples and retired citizens may enjoy peace in other sections of the spaceship. The sky and grass and rocks might not be real, but it makes Cassie happy, and she has always trusted the world she has lived in.

Until she meets Balik, a shy but gorgeous boy she has grown up with who surprises her one day when he begins a friendly conversation. As Cassie spends more and more time with Balik, their relationship becomes something more than friendship. That is when Balik starts telling her things that make her begin to question the society she has been raised to believe.

Soon people Cassie knows start mysteriously disappearing, and her parents start acting strange. Not to mention the strange dream that has haunted her...... but the thing that Cassie should be mostly worried about is what is happening to her.

Cassie is hearing thoughts that are not her own.

This average YA read was quite intriguing, and I was constantly wondering what some of the creepy parts in the book meant and how the author was going to explain it. Some times I was surprised, however, that was not always the case. A lot of things in this book did just not work for me. I hope the series redeems itself in the second and third book. This is a book that I would recommend for readers who have a lot of time on their hands, because some parts required a lot of patience to push through. Although I was grateful for the copy of the book, I was not entirely pleased with it.

Pros: Although many readers of this book might beg to differ with my opinion, I found this book eerily creepy. I love creepy books, and especially found one of Cassie's nightmares to be bone chilling. Although it was not fully developed, the main idea of this book was brilliant and I enjoyed it.

Cons: The romance side to this story was completely predictable, which is not exciting for me. At times I felt the romance was moving too fast for the characters and I to keep up with. In fact, most of the romantic tension was built in Cassie's boy obsessed day dreams. Some parts of this book were very cheesy. However, every book has its flaws and as a book reviewer I will do my best to overlook them. :)

Cautions for parents: Mild language.

Review: 3 stars