Month: September 2010

Tales From Under the Grave, a YA Spooktacular Halloween Event

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With Halloween around the corner, it is time for some spooktastic events. 

Danielle at a Frenzy of Noise and Khelsea at Once Upon a Review are going to be hosting this Spookacular Halloween featuring some of my favorite things! Authors, reviews, mini-challenges, giveaways, “trick-or-treating”, ghost stories and CANDY!! Sounds awesome right? More details to come once the event date gets closer and trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

(You can follow #YASpooktacular on twitter if you want some as-they-happen spoilers.)

Participating Blogs
Ashley – Book Labyrinth
Christina – Christina’s Books
Courtney – Courtney Reads
Reading Teen

ATTENTION AUTHORS!!! WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR MORE YA AUTHORS TO WRITE A 200-600 WORD PIECE OF A SHORT STORY WITH OTHER AUTHORS.
If you know an author you think would be interested please contact talesfromunderthegrave@gmail.com and let us know! Thanks!

Review: Personal Demons

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Personal Demons
Lisa Desrochers
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Pages: 364
Ratings: 4.5 Stars
Summary (from Goodreads):
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She’s spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same…until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him. What she doesn’t know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.
Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.
Wow. Personal Demons blew me away. I am in love with this book. Personal Demons kept me franticly turning pages and staying up way too late, but in a good way. A stunning debut from Lisa Desrochers and definitely one of my new favorite series.
What can I say about Personal Demons? I spent a day when I was sick reading this whole book. I was addicted. I love the whole concept of Personal Demons with demons and angels vying for a person’s soul. I’m so glad this book focused on demons as well as angels; demons deserve some more attention in YA lit in my opinion. While I’m usually not a fan of dual point of view, having split point of between Frannie and Luc worked so well. I really enjoyed seeing the story unravel from both Frannie and Luc’s point of view since they were such different characters. Frannie and Luc were also well developed characters and each had their own voice that made the dual point of view really work. I felt Luc was a strong character than Frannie and better developed but it makes sense for Frannie to be a bit less developed since Frannie is battling her own “personal demons” and very torn on who she is. Overall, I felt the book was completely spot on with narration throughout and I found myself enjoying the two different point of views more then I thought.
At first, I was worried that this book would have a religious tone since it is a battle between heaven and hell for Frannie’s soul and because Frannie is from a very religious family. However, though the plot is focused on the battle for Frannie’s soul, I felt the story was more focused on the characters and the characters internal struggle more then anything else. I loved that the characters and the choices they have made and make through out the book drove the plot and book. The characters were such great characters and really three dimensional it was hard for me not to like them or relate to them. While Luc is a demon, he has that cocky, bad boy attitude, but he begins to question himself and his mission throughout the book and I love seeing him battle his own “personal demons” along with Frannie battling other personal demons and real ones. Frannie was a very complex character and I loved being able to see what was going on in her head and why she felt so guilty. Lisa Desrochers did a great job writing great characters that were interesting and fun to read.
I could go on and on about my love for this book (and my love for certain characters) but I won’t. This book left me wanting a lot more. While the ending of the book didn’t answer all the questions I had while reading, I hope the next book in this series will answer them. I cannot wait to find out more about Frannie and her power that makes her soul such a valuable commodity, about Luc, who I loved, and his relationship with Frannie. Personal Demons is one of my favorite books published this year. I’m excited to see where Lisa Desrochers takes us next in this series with these wonderful characters.

Waiting on Wednesday (15) – Prom and Prejudice

Danielle Johns5 Comments

Prom and Prejudice
Elizabeth Eulberg
Publisher: Point
To be released: January 1, 2011
Summary (from Goodreads):
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single guy in his spring semester at Pemberly Academy must be in want of a prom date.
After winter break, the girls at very prestigious, very wealthy, girls-only Longbourn Academy are suddenly obsessed with the prom, which they share with the nearby, equally elitist, all-boys Pemberly school. Lizzie Bennett, who attends Longbourn on scholarship, isn’t exactly interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be – especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance, but less than impressed by Will Darcy, Charles’s friend, who’s as snobby and pretentious as his friend is nice. He doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. It doesn’t help that Charles doesn’t seem to be asking Jane to be his prom date, or that Lizzie meets George Wickham, who tells her that Will Darcy sabotaged his scholarship at Pemberly. Clearly Will Darcy is a pompous jerk who looks down on the middle class–so imagine Lizzie’s surprise when he asks her to the prom!
Will Lizzie’s prejudice and Will’s pride keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? From Elizabeth Eulberg comes a very funny, completely stylish prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.
I loved Elizabeth Eulberg’s first book, The Lonely Hearts Club (it helped me get over not getting into my  number school) and I cannot wait for here next book. Prom and Prejudice is a spin on Pride and Prejudice and I love that book and adaptations of it, in anyway, I usually love. Can’t wait to read this. 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.


Teaser Tuesday: Firelight

Danielle Johns6 Comments



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading.

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the books for others!)
  • Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
My teaser this week comes from:



Firelight by Sophie Jordan

For a draki, he’s death. Ironic, huh? To keep that part of me alive, I have to be close to that which kills it (93).

    Forever Cover Revealed

    Danielle JohnsLeave a comment

    Yesterday, Maggie Stiefvater released the cover for Forever, the final book in the Shiver trilogy. I’m loving the red! I think the cover fits in great with the rest of the series and I’m excited to see how this series ends. What do you think of the cover?

    You can pre-order a signed copy of Forever from Fountain Bookstore. You can also order signed copies of other books from Maggie Stiefvater from them too.

    Along with revealing the cover, Maggie Stiefvater is also giving away some really cool prizes in celebration, so stop by her blog and check it out.

    Review: Paranormalcy

    Danielle Johns1 Comment

    Paranormalcy

    Kiersten White
    Publisher: HarperTeen
    Release Date: August 31, 2010
    Pages: 352 Pages
    Ratings: 5 Stars
    Summary (from Goodreads):
    Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours, but still. Normal.
    Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie’s dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
    So much for normal.
    This book was bleeping fantastic (sorry I couldn’t resist). Kiersten White has written a clever, witty, humorous, awesome book.
    Paranormalcywas a breath of fresh air for me. I am currently very tired of werewolves and vampire stories, but this book is about other aspects of the paranormal genre. The story line was completely unique. I loved the idea of a secret organization like IPCA, working to collect all the “paranormals” from our world. I was immediately hooked from the first chapter and didn’t want to put the book down.
    Evie is truly the star of this book and who makes this book awesome. I love Evie’s voice. She was smart, sassy, stubborn, and I-could-kick-your-butt kind of girl. She constantly had me in giggles more times then I could count. While Evie is not a normal girl, having grown up working for the IPCA collecting paranormals for as long as she can tell and having the ability to see through paranormal’s glamour, she seems like a typical teen. Evie was just a fun character to read and truly made the story for me.
    Paranormalcy was definitely not what I was expecting, but in a good way. The plot was truly amazing. I had no idea where Evie would take us next or what was going to happen. When I thought I had the plot figured out, something else unexpected would happen. The characters were all great. I loved all of them, from Evie, to Lend, to Reth and Lish. And the romance? Perfect. I loved Lend. He as a particularly interesting paranormal who could change what he looks like whenever he likes. Lend and Evie had create chemistry and I could not wait for them to get together.
    The ending of Paranormalcy left me frantically hitting the forward page button on my nook looking for more. I didn’t want it to end!! I cannot wait for the next book in the series so I can learn more about Evie and what she really is. Kiersten White is an author to look out for and I highly recommend Paranormalcy to anyone who wants a sassy, intriguing, fast-paced read. 

    The Contemps Challenge

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    Take The Contemps Challenge!

    Recently, I’ve been reading and wanting to read more contemporary fiction. I feel like the YA genre is overwhelmed by books in the supernatural genre, but I always love sitting down to read a good contemporary novel.
    Since I’m a fan of contemporary fiction, I’ve finally signed up for the Contemps Challenge. The challenge entails that I read 18 out of the 21 books from the authors at The Contemps.
    Here is the list of books I plan to read. Books that I have read and reviewed will have links posted, while books I have read, yet haven’t reviewed will be bolded. Books that I have but haven’t read yet will be italicized.
    Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
    The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
    Girl, Stolen by April Henry
    Freefall by Mindi Scott
    The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
    Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
    Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers
    Trapped by Michael Northrop
    Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
    Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt
    Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
    Family by Micol Ostow
    Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith
    Pearl by Jo Knowles
    Saving June by Hannah Harrington
    The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
    Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
    Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
    The third book in the Carter series by Brent Crawford
    Sharks & Boys by Kristen Tracy
    Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

    Crescendo Trailer

    Danielle JohnsLeave a comment

    PhotobucketThis Saturday, September 25 at noon EST, Fallen Archangel the official fansite of Hush, Hush will be debuting the trailer for Crescendo. Besides just premiering the trailer, Fallen Archangel also has special treat in store. They will be hosting an ARC giveaway of Crescendo courtesy of Simon and Schuster. There will be TEN ARCs up for grabs, so make sure you visit there site. The contest will be open until Sunday at midnight. Visit fallenarchangel.com to learn more and to check out the trailer!

    Waiting on Wednesday (14) – The Mockingbirds

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    The Mockingbirds
    Daisy Whitney
    Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
    To be released: November 2, 2010
    Summary (from Goodreads):
    Some schools have honor codes.
    Others have handbooks.
    Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
    Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way–the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds–a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
    In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl’s struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone–especially yourself–you fight for it.
    First off, I just want to apoligize that this week and most of last week was all memes. I have been swamped with school work (mostly Shakespeare) and haven’t had time to finish the reviews I’ve started. I’m going to catch up on blogging this weekend.
    Okay, onto the Mockingbirds. I’ve heard such great things about this book and I cannot wait to read it. This book looks like it might be a challenged and possibly banned book, and that makes me incredibly sad. Stories like this need to be told an accessible to readers, especially teenagers. I will definitely be buying this book when it is released even though I am a poor college student.
    Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.