Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 438
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly Trilogy holds a special place in my YA heart. The first book Unearthly was one of the first books I read when I started contributing to Wastepaper Prose (despite the fact that I didn’t review it), and I just adored it—the characters, the romance, the world of angels.  I also loved the sequel Hallowed, though it broke my heart in so many ways. I expected to feel more bittersweet upon reading Boundless, the third and final chapter of Clara’s story. However, I’m far too pleased with everything to concentrate on the fact that one of my favorite series has come to an end. Boundless is just what a closer should be: it’s plotted and paced to perfection, it sufficiently answers all the Big Questions, and it keeps you hooked right through to the very last word.

Boundless picks up not long after the events of Hallowed (and mere weeks after the not required but incredibly interesting e-book Radiant), with Clara and Angela back from Italy and preparing to set off to Stanford University. Oh yeah, and that Christian Prescott guy is coming along as well. Clara’s having visions of fear-filled darkness while being followed by a nosy crow and dreaming about the hottest cowboy ever (and her former flame) Tucker Avery, Angela’s burdened with glorious purpose (and possibly other things), and Christian… well, poor Christian’s wielding a sword of fire. That’s when the archangel Michael shows up, and things go straight to hell. Honestly, it will all make sense once you’ve read the book. 

One of the things that this series does so well is create and explore realistic relationships that are exciting to read about. Angela and Clara don’t always agree—in fact, in this case, they are often at odds and trying to convince the other to see their side of things—but their true affection for one another is always evident. And speaking of relationships, this series also boasts one of the only love triangles I find to be compelling (see also Cassandra Clare and Tahereh Mafi). I’m definitely on a team here, but I can absolutely see why the other side is a viable option. To her credit, Hand keeps you guessing until the very, very end… and I may have skipped to the end to see how it all turned out before I started. It was a total accident, I swear. Either way, I think it’s a very satisfying ending.

I haven’t read many other books about angels, but I’ve never wanted to branch out because I like this one so much. The world building is intricate yet organic. Even when you’re reading words like Quarterius or Triplare, when glory makes their hair glow or travel through space and time, it doesn’t feel like fiction.  Clara’s angel world is tangible, and that’s one of the reasons I truly enjoy being there.  I could read so much more of these angels. While I think Clara’s story might be done, I think there’s so much potential to stay in this world and explore different characters (ahemJEFFREYahem).

If you have read Unearthly and Hallowed, then Boundless is a must-read.  If you’ve never read Unearthly, I suggest you pick it up immediately and get lost with the angels of Jackson Hole.

Waiting on Wednesday (43)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine 

that highlights eagerly anticipated books.

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Furious by Jill Wolfson

Release Date: April 16, 2013

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BFYR 

Author Website: http://www.jillwolfson.com/

Pre-order: Amazon / IndieBound / Barnes & Noble

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

Why can't I wait? 

I'm a sucker for myths and legends. As soon as I heard about this novel I needed it. Three girls turning into furies? Bring it on. 

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past. But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

I'm going to be honest. I've been in a major reading slump lately, and have been desperately waiting for that book that would exceed my expectations and get me psyched about reading again. Boy, did Hysteria do the trick! It was just the novel to get my blood pumping. 

From the novel's first line, "My mother hid the knife block," to the very last chapters, I was hooked. A mere three hours was all it took for me to plow through Megan Miranda's sophomore novel. Effortless in its construction and perfectly paced, Hysteria is an engrossing tale that's easy to lose yourself in. Give it less than your full attention and the clues to solving this psychological mystery might just breeze right by you. 

Mallory's been haunted since the night she killed Brian. Haunted by his ghost, by her surroundings, by her memories... or lack of memories. She's desperate for a moment's peace, free of the feeling that someone or something is following her. Even sleep doesn't offer safety since she drifts off every night to the last sounds she recalls hearing before Brian bled out on her kitchen floor. 

In hopes of getting away from the town where she's known as a killer, Mallory goes to her father's prep school alma mater, but the promise of a fresh start is short-lived. She realizes that some of the students know what she did, and worse she begins to believe that her past is coming after her to make her remember and possibly to make her pay. It's only when another tragedy occurs and all clues point to her that Mallory is forced to reconstruct both bloody nights. As she struggles to clear her name once again, she'll finally unlock the memory that reveals what set events in motion on the night Brian died. 

Hysteria pulls off what so many novels of its kind fail to do, flip-flopping between past and present without muddying the timeline of the story. Told in flashbacks within chapters, Mallory gradually pieces things together. While non-linear, the flashbacks are easy to follow and are seamlessly woven into the story so that you're never taken out of the moment for too long. 

The plot was outstanding and not even worth trying to nit-pick because I enjoyed it so thoroughly as it was whizzing past. Characters on the other hand left me wanting since they don't run very deep outside the core  group. Mallory, her best friend Colleen, love interest Reid and even Brian's little brother Dylan are three-dimensional enough that they stand up to the emotionally wrought story. The flashbacks of Brian even make him seem like a fully developed character, regardless of the fact that he's dead when the story begins. However, the Monroe school crew come off as alterations of archetypes. The cocky boarding school boy. The mean girls. Recognizable, but not the least bit relatable since they never truly evolved into fully formed people. 

The good news is that Hysteria has such a strong backbone in its story and writing that it carries the handful of characters who don't seem to pull their own weight and evoke emotion from the reader. In fact, it was only after finishing the book and digesting it a bit that I realized how few of the characters resonated with me. 

As intricate as it is intense, Hysteria is breath of fresh air in the YA genre thanks to its crisp voice, focused plot and sobering portrait of how quickly lives are redefined in the midst of tragedy. If you're looking for a break from love triangles, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It's sure to leave an impression.

Blog Tour: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

I'm thrilled to be kicking of the Hysteria Blog Tour today with a visit from the author now and a review that will post tomorrow. Author Megan Miranda is here for a quick interview about her heart-pounding sophomore novel Hysteria in which she discusses how the story got its start and the keys to its construction. Hope you all enjoy!

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Megan Miranda was a scientist and high school teacher before writing Fracture, which came out of her fascination with scientific mysteries—especially those associated with the brain. Megan has a BS in biology from MIT and spent her post-college years either rocking a lab coat or reading books. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, where she volunteers as an MIT Educational Counselor. 

Bio from author's website.

Where to find her... 

Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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Tell us a little about the story seed that grew into Hysteria. Was there one image or line that started it all? If so, what?

I usually start with characters instead of premise. In this case, a girl (who was, at the time, nameless) who killed her boyfriend. I knew the story was going to start after this, and that this girl would be pretty different from the girl who existed before this event. But I didn't really have a sense of story yet. So I gave myself a writing prompt—a first sentence—to help me set the tone of the book and to discover where the story might go. So I guess you could say that first sentence was the seed of Hysteria: "My mother hid the knife block."

But the first sign that this would actually grow into a story didn't happen until I got about 100 pages in to the first draft (and then went back to the beginning). My main character was being haunted by something, and I wasn't entirely clear on what that something was. But then I got sucked in to the idea of haunting, and all the ways that word can be used, and all the things that can haunt… so when I sat down to write the story that became Hysteria, in my mind, it was going to be about "a girl who can’t be charged for murder, and things that can haunt."

In your mind, what is the key to writing a psychological thriller? How's does it play into Hysteria? 

Oh, I’d be curious to see answers from different writers, because I’d imagine we each approach it pretty differently, and I am by no means an expert on the topic. For me, I think there are two types of psychological thrillers: the type where you question what's real (like in Black Swan), and the type where the main character is being challenged, or harassed, in a game of minds… like in Silence of the Lambs.

For me, the key is that the narrator has to question… question what’s really happening, question themselves, question if things are real. This can be either because the narrator is unreliable, or because someone is messing with the main character's head in the context of a thriller. I think the main character and the mechanism of the implied danger are the two key components to creating a psychological thriller.

I definitely kept this in mind when writing Hysteria. I tried to have two different thriller-esque elements. The internal: What is happening to Mallory? And what happened in the past? Is it real? Is she losing her mind? And also, something external: Is someone messing with her? Is someone after her? And if so… why?

Mallory has two tragedies during the course of the novel that she is forced to remember. How did she, in essence, reconstruct the crime scenes?

The interesting thing about the first crime scene, for me, was that Mallory remembered some of it. She remembered enough to reconstruct what some people believed was the truth. This was something I was very interested in while writing the book—the way eye-witnesses remember parts and their minds can fill in the rest. It’s not until she remembers a pivotal moment, which is triggered by a big moment in the story, that she pieces together that key middle section that was missing, and sees the scenes anew with that other element.

As for the latter crime, well… it’s harder for her to reconstruct that one, I think, because she’s not quite an eye witness. She has to rely on observing the actions, and words, of others, and that one is a little more like solving a mystery.

What's the next project you are working on? Describe it in five words.

Fracture sequel. Decker’s story. Cursed.

Release Days Round-Up: Jan. 27 - Feb. 2

New Releases

In Paperback

The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand Giveaway

The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand

by Gregory Galloway

Release Date: Feb. 21, 2013

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Adam Strand isn't depressed. He's just bored. Disaffected. So he kills himself—39 times. No matter the method, Adam can't seem to stay dead; he wakes after each suicide alive and physically unharmed, more determined to succeed and undeterred by others' concerns. But when his self-contained, self-absorbed path is diverted, Adam is struck by the reality that life is an ever-expanding web of impact and forged connections, and that nothing—not even death—can sever those bonds.

In stark, arresting prose, Gregory Galloway finds hope and understanding in the blackest humor.

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Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Release Date: Oct. 6, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 448
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Google
Description: Goodreads
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

Hello, readers! Since a general reading slump and the holidays have combined to put me already almost a month behind in getting this review out, let’s just jump right in to my thoughts on Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan.

There are a lot of things to like about the novel’s style, not the least of which is the shift in voice depending on which character the chapter is focused on. The dichotomy is most obvious in Deryn’s chapters simply because the entire vocabulary shifts. Alek’s chapters are written in a rather standard style while Deryn’s are littered with Darwinist words and phrases, such as all fabrications being referred to as “beasties.” As a result, her chapters always seem a bit more fun, which works well since everything is an adventure for her, while Alek only has the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. 

The novel is also filled with tiny touches that show just how much thought and detail Westerfeld put into it, such as shifting units of measure between metric and imperial systems depending on the chapter, which also leads to a somewhat funny exchange where both sides are converting into each others’ units and back again as they try to work out an exchange. Westerfeld also employs one of my favorite tricks to let language sound normal without veering off into Parental Advisory territory: simply replacing a curse word with something else. It’s a simple trick, but it’s so much better than having people say, “Oh, shucks,” as things are exploding around them. 

On a few occasions, Westerfeld has characters react to and understand the other side’s technology in terms of their own, such as Alek thinking that the Darwinist’s war birds are swooping like fighter planes. It seems like a simple enough trick, but it’s the kind of believable touch that shows care and really rounds out a world or a character. 

While there quite a few clever stylistic touches, there are a few stylistic niggles as well. Most of these problems exist in a large number of books and movies and it doesn’t seem fair to take Westerfeld to task for them. That said, there is one stylistic thing I couldn’t figure out: Why the point of view changes every other chapter. It would make sense if it switched every chapter, but having two chapters in a row for each character seemed like an odd choice. I couldn’t figure out why they weren’t just combine into one chapter. Maybe there’s not a reason for it, but in that case it seems like an even weirder choice. 

As far as the technology is concerned, I’m going to talk mostly about the Darwinist fabrications both because they’re were most of the creative ideas lie and because giant robots are always cool. Nothing else needs to be said. Each of the fabs seemed quite well thought out and it was fun seeing what combination of form and function Westerfeld was going to throw at me next. The vision of the Leviathan as an entire ecosystem rather than a single creature was particularly inspired. 

Westerfeld seems to know exactly how each piece of his imagined technology works, even if he doesn’t tell us. He also does an excellent job at introducing both side of the tech gradually and without exposition. For instance, fabs are mentioned as Deryn passes a few early in the novel, then she rides in a flying one, and then this massive, flying ecosystem is introduced. There’s no giant info dump, just a slow introduction designed so each new bit of technology seems like a logical extension of what we’ve already seen.

Perhaps surprisingly, I don’t have any huge gripes with the Darwinist technology. One of the few issues I had originally was that using something filled with hydrogen, which could explode as a result of a stray bullet, seemed like a really stupid idea. Then Westerfeld reminded me that the Germans used zepplins during the real First World War. That said, I do have two minor issues with the tech. First, it seems to me that you wouldn’t really want war machines that could decide not to work because they get nervous. If I fire a gun or a missile, it would be nice for it to actually move in the general direction in which I pointed it, rather than it getting scared because there’s a thunderstorm.

Upon further reflection, though, actual real-world Clanker-esque tech wasn’t always the most reliable thing at the time, either, and you could probably convince me that the cheap production and maintenance might be worth the trade. My other complaint is more thematic in nature and is similar to my style complaint: I’m not sure what the point is. I thought originally that the differing technologies were supposed to be some sort of nature vs. science struggle, but the fabs only exist because scientists screwed with nature, so that seems out. Maybe it’s supposed to be something as disappointingly simplistic as our protagonists overcoming their deep philosophical differences. Maybe there isn’t supposed to be a thematic point. Maybe it’s just supposed to be cool, which is a completely fine answer.

As far as the main characters go, I found Deryn to be far more interesting than Alek. Alek feels like little more than a plot device, despite some lip service being given to a few interesting ideas. For instance, there’s a moment where it’s revealed that Alek, despite being able to speak many languages, can’t even read the local paper his would-be subjects read because he doesn’t understand their language. The divide between rulers and their subjects could have come into play in some interesting ways, but instead it’s never mentioned again. 

On the other hand, Deryn is interesting not only because she’s our window into the Darwinist tech, but also because Westerfeld handles her attempts to pass as a boy quite well. He smartly writes out the possibility of her being discovered based simply on physical traits, instead putting the focus on her need to behave like a boy by, for instance, checking her nails by curling her fingers instead of splaying them. He also doesn’t belabor the point by having her get almost-discovered every few chapters. In fact, she doesn’t really even come close to being discovered. Somehow, Westerfeld managed to turn what I thought was going to be the most annoying part of the book into one of its strengths.

As this review is already getting pretty long, I don’t have too much to say about the plot. I enjoyed the book just fine when I was reading it. The action is well written, the pace is good, and at least a few of the characters are fun to spend time with. There are also some really well-written, spy-gamey exchanges among the characters where they’re each trying to pry information out of each other while not giving up any themselves. That said, when I finished the book, I didn’t really feel like anything important happened. The Leviathan still flies. Alek is still on the run, just not in his ice fortress. About all that actually happened was that our characters met and, apparently, will be parting ways. Rather than feeling actually dire or epic, the weight of the actual conflict driving all of the action comes because I know about the actual, real-world World War I, not because of anything the novel itself did. In the end, it felt a lot like a popcorn action flick: Fun while it lasted, but not much more than that.

More Author Insight: Publishing Misconceptions (and a winner!)

What was the biggest misconception you had about publishing before you got a book deal?

"That getting published would rid me of self-doubt." - Sara Walsh, author of The Dark Light.

"I had no clue about distribution to bookstores, the importance of shelf placement, etc. I didn't know anything about indie booksellers or the book buyers for the big chains. They are gatekeepers, too, maybe more so than editors and agents, and I didn’t even know they existed until a little while ago. Getting a book deal is, unfortunately, just a tiny part of getting your book out in front of readers. Which is depressing, so I try not to think about it too much." - Stefan Bachmann, author of The Peculiar.

"That a book deal was the end-all, be-all of my aspirations. I believed that once I sold a book or a series, that the rest of the publication process would be stress-free. Ha. A publishing contract is just an entry ticket to an entirely new set of aspirations and new challenges." - Robin Bridges, author of The Unfailing Light.

"I had no real concept about how slowly the business operates or all the factors that go into what books are carried in bookstores, which books are faced out, what libraries decide to purchase copies. The whole publishing experience has been such a learning process, which is both exciting and very entertaining at the same time." - P.J. Hoover, author of Solstice.

Waiting on Wednesday (42)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine 

that highlights eagerly anticipated books.

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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 19, 2013

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books 

Author Website: http://www.cassandraclare.com/

Pre-order: Amazon / IndieBound / Barnes & Noble

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.

Why can't I wait? 
The Mortal Instruments may be the more popular series, but I don't care-- I adore The Infernal Devices like Jem adores Tessa.  I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen, but I do know it will be a heart-wrenching, undeniably bittersweet, and exactly what I love about the series.  Team Everybody.

Author Insight: Publishing Misconceptions

What was the biggest misconception you had about publishing before you got a book deal?

"That bestsellers happen as a result of reader demand rather than being manufactured by the publishing industry." - Daniel Marks, author of Velveteen.

"I didn’t realize the process was so glacial. In my case, book deal to publication is 22 months. Now I totally understand authors at events when they have trouble remembering details of their just released book." - Lenore Appelhans, author of Level 2.

"My biggest misconception was that once the book was sold, the book was done and ready to be published. The book selling is really just the beginning. There’s still so much to be done in terms of rewriting and editorial work. It’s a long and arduous process so you better eat our Wheaties every morning." - Lili Peloquin, author of The Innocents. 

"I always looked at signing a contract with a publisher as the 'finish line' of the writing process. And what I learned was that it's actually the starting line. Yes, it took a lot of work to get there, but I hadn't even started running the race yet." - Steven Arntson, author of The Wrap-Up List.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Release Date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 396
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

My Life Next Door is one of those books that I’d heard all of the great things about from all of the people whose opinion I trust, but it was also one of those books that I couldn’t fit into my ridiculously busy reading schedule. So I let it slide. Once it started showing up on so many Best Of 2012 lists, though, I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I threw the TBR list out the window (because I’m wild and crazy like that) and stepped into Samantha’s world. I knew I would love this one, but I didn’t realize just how much or why it would resonate with me.

Due to the recommendations I’d received, I went into this thinking it would be a sweeping summer swoonfest where it takes from page one to page end to get these two rascals together. Instead, it was something even better—a sweeping summer swoonfest where the rascals find each other quickly and swoon you to pieces until page end. This is the kind of romance I love to read.  It’s the sweet, sincere, and so believable. Samantha’s draw to Jase and to the Garrett family made complete sense to me, seeing as she came from a regimented, overly planned life. Jase is easygoing, talented, and able to keep a level head in any situation.  He’s sensitive but masculine. Basically, he’s swoontastic. They complemented each other so perfectly. And his family… oh my goodness. That kind of chaos is magnetic. 

Speaking of the Garrett family, I loved every single one of them from Mom & Dad Garrett straight through to baby potty-mouth Patsy. I spent the majority of my senior year of high school at my then-boyfriend’s house who was one of 7 (now 8), and Huntley Fitzpatrick gets it exactly right. The big family dynamic has always interested me (partially because of the time I spent with them), and this was one of the truest-to-life examples I’ve read before. Like Samantha, I was once proposed to by a pantsless four-year-old.  Ah, awkward memories. Clearly, my favorite Garrett, besides Jase, is George (and frankly, Jase barely wins).

About two-thirds of the way through, I realized that everything was peachy… too peachy. Samantha and Jase were living in blissful cuteness, her mother accepted their relationship for all intents and purposes, Tim the Bad Decision Maker seemed to be back on track. And that’s when the craziness hits. In the moment, it felt like it came out of left field, but now that I’ve had some time to process, I see how beautifully the big, big moment was set up. I could not turn the pages fast enough, but I certainly tried. Drat, I’ve only mentioned Tim briefly but Tim! Love Tim! I’d love to read more of Tim, if that could be a thing that happens.

Again, I went into My Life Next Door knowing that I would love it, but honestly, I didn’t know it would be like this. Judging by my ranty-raviness, you can easily tell that I didn’t want to tear myself away from these characters. Huntley Fitzpatrick is absolutely on my must-buy list from here on out, and she should be on yours too.

Notes from Ghost Town Giveaway

Notes from Ghost Town

by Kate Ellison

Release Date: Feb. 12, 2013

Publisher: EgmontUSA

They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it's only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death.

There's a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there's a good chance she's losing her mind completely--just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn't really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It's the only way she can save herself.

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Release Days Round-Up: January 20-26

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