Review: Death Sworn by Leah Cypress

Death Sworn by Leah Cypress
Publisher: Greenwillow
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.

But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world

My Thoughts:
Oh how I love assassin books!  For some reason I am all about this type of book lately and Death Sworn was another great addition to my collection!

Ileni has been sent by her people to train assassins how to use magic.  This has been the agreement set by her people and the assassins in return for their teachings the assassins help keep them safe from the Empire who exiled them long ago.  Problem is that every teacher they send winds up dead from mysterious causes.  Ileni is positive she will find out what happened to the previous teachers so she goes willingly down into the caves.

I felt like I was walking a high wire the whole time I was reading this.  I never knew if the next sentence would make me finally misstep and fall off.  In my eyes this makes this type of book beyond exciting.  It was dark and creepy with assassins lurking in the dark every where she turned. 
Ileni never knew who to trust which in turn made me question everything.  It was awesome!  

I loved the whole storyline behind this idea.  The master of the assassins really intrigued me and I am left wondering more about him and how his operation came about.  I would love a prequel so that I could understand this world just a bit more.  We are given facts but honestly those took a backseat in my mind, all I wanted was to read more about the caves and find out more about the assassins...yes I know I keep repeating the word and yes I love it ha!

The only part that bothered me was toward the middle where things took a little detour into romanceville. Don't get me wrong I love romance just as much as the next reader but I don't think this story needed one.  I felt like the world and idea were strong enough to hold the story up by themselves.  Maybe in later books this relationship could have been developed, but for this book I really wish the author would have stayed more with the major storyline.  I would have preferred more development and information on that then a love struggle between two characters.

I did like the characters in the story and Ileni proved to be quite the badass.  I wasn't sure how she would turn out after something happens (you need to read to find out) but I have to give her major credit for doing what needed to be done and she did it herself.  I was beyond thrilled that she was in a cave full of assassins and she still chose to finish what she needed to on her own.  The last part though I think was a little rushed and the author did a great job of detailing why it happened and how it happened, but I am not sure if I completely buy it.  I think other players would have been more involved and it wouldn't have been as easy as it was.

All that being said I did really enjoy this book and I cannot wait for the sequel!  It is sure to be explosive since the decisions that Ileni made have yet to be revealed to certain characters!

4.5 snowflakes

Review& Giveaway: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott & Exclusive final sneak peek!

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: February 27, 2014

Amazon / B&N

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Final Exclusive Sneak Peek...

“If you are hearing this message, then you have successfully completed the Pandora Selection Process. It also means you are now at the official starting line.”

Around me, Contenders whoop with excitement. Seriously? They’re about to plunge into a wild jungle, and that brings them happiness? Once again, I realize how out of my league I am. I don’t even have a change of clothes, for crying out loud.

“As you may have realized, you are on the outskirts of a rain forest. This will be the jungle part of the course. You will have two weeks to arrive at the jungle’s base camp. You will find this base camp by following the path of blue flags.”


Contestants glance around, immediately looking for the first blue flag. As for me, I’m watching the taillights of the semi and having a massive coronary.

“If you are the first to encounter a blue flag, you may remove it, but you may not remove the stake it is attached to. Doing so will result in immediate disqualification.”

I wonder why anyone would want to remove the flag to begin with. No one else seems concerned by this.

“While the Cure will be awarded to a single winner at the end of the last ecosystem, we will bestow a smaller prize for each leg of the race. The prize for the jungle portion will be monetary.” The woman pauses dramatically. “I’d like to officially welcome you to the Brimstone Bleed. May the bravest Contender win.”

That’s it? That’s all she’s going to say? Because it seriously sounds like she’s wrapping up. So why aren’t I running after the trucks? Why am I not chasing after my only way out of this jungle like my life depends on it? I know the answer — though I wish I didn’t. Cody would do this for me. I am his only hope. I have to believe his cure exists. My only other option is to return home and watch my brother die. If I could even get back home.


I glance around frantically, looking for someone to tell me what to do. The Contenders have formed a long line, the kind you see at the start of a marathon. A few yards down from where I stand — I see him. My throat tightens when I realize his cold blue eyes are locked on me. It’s the guy from the Pandora Selection Process. The serial killer–looking dude who I thought was going to kidney punch me. He glares in my direction like he might take this opportunity to finish what he never started. I raise my hand in a small wave, hoping it says something like: See? Look how friendly I am!

He lifts his own enormous hand. For a moment, I brighten. I think maybe that — even though it looks like he hates every fiber of my being — he’s going to wave back. But he doesn’t. He holds up two fingers — his pointer and his middle — places them under his eyes, and then points in front of us.

Oh no, he didn’t. I think he basically just told me to pay attention. I’m still processing this when the woman’s voice rings in my ear.

“Go!”

My Thoughts...
Once again, I am amazed by the unique story Victoria Scott has crafted. Fire & Flood is a hit!
She broke through a heavily weighed down genre and slipped in a unique and refreshing action-packed story that will be a hit with tweens and teens!

Tella's family moved from the city to nowhere Montana. Her brother Cody is deathly ill and there hasn't been hope of a cure. Tella discovered a small device. Once she placed it and pressed the little red button, an announcement came on. It was an invitation to the Brimstone Bleed. Her father immediately took it away from her and in an attempt to destroy it, he threw it into a fire.


She recovers the device and listened to the announcement. She was selected for the Brimstone Bleed. All contenders were to report within forty-eight hours. The Pandora Selection Process is where the contenders select their Pandora and it's their only source of assistance throughout the race.
The race lasts three months and takes place across four ecosystems: desert, sea, mountains, jungle. The winning prize will be the Cure; a remedy for any illness, for any single person.


Tella sneaks away for an adventure of her life with one goal in mind: win the race, and save her brother, Cody.
The love Tella had for her brother was touching. Of course they bickered back and forth, but you could really tell she cared so much for him. She had no clue really as to what she would be faced with entering the competition. She's a strong protagonist and one easily relatable to.
Unlike many of the other contenders, Tella named her Pandora Madox (which is a fox). I knew right away that he was special and unlike the others. I loved the way these Pandoras were crafted into the story and became such a HUGE part of the race. They aren't a normal animal. They were genetically engineered with special capabilities to assist their Contenders.


This race was brutal to say the least. You never knew who was good or bad. It was like survival of the fittest out there. But, along the way, Tella made some friends, which she knew in the long run only one would win.
Enter the mysterious Guy. I have to say, I was very intrigued by this character. For some reason, he has been somewhat of a Guardian Angel to Tella. And I think there are developing feelings there between the two. Honestly, I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book between those two.


Each of the Pandora's were so unique and had a personality of their own. I was amazed by Madox, though. The chemistry between Tella and Madox was realistic and sweet. She cared for her Pandora unlike some of the other Condenders who treated theirs more as an object than a living, feeling creature.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Fire & Flood. And don't let prejudices and opinions that say this is another 'Hunger Games' sway your vote not to read this. It isn't. Yes, there is a similarity when it comes to it being a survival game, but this is a totally different world, different circumstances and in my opinion, it's not even close.

I knew it would be good (No doubt there), but as far as how the competition would go, and the blend of Pandora's, it was fascinating to say the least. Lots of action, emotion, and chemistry between the character and their Pandora's. I'm really excited for this series. I know there is so much more to come and I look forward to it.

I'd like the Thank Scholastic Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. In no way has this changed my opinion or rating.

                                                            4.5 Snowflakes

Now for the giveaway!!  I am giving away a copy of Fire & Flood to one lucky follower!  This giveaway is open to anywhere The Book Depository ships to!  

Good Luck!

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Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The Taking by Kimberly Derting 
Publisher- Harper Teen
Released- April 29th 2014
Pre- Order- Amazon / B & N

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.
When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.
Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.
Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

My Thoughts: 
It kills me that I couldn't love this book. Seriously, it hurts. One of my favorite series is The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. It's a great mix of thriller and romance and stars the cutest couple I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I was really looking forward to reading The Taking. The blurb has a very Flight of the Navigator feel to it, which is one of my favorite childhood movies, but at last I just could not love this one.

In a nutshell, this was just to dang fast. I had no time to feel connected to Kyra's life before the flash of white light that changed her life, so I couldn't feel any real sympathy for the time and people she lost. I didn't find Kyra to be very likable and thought she was closed-minded and immature. I totally get that yes, she’s been through this unspeakable ordeal, but I just couldn't understand why she didn't get that the people in her life missed her, loved her and mourned her, but after 5 years of believing she had died, had to go on with their lives. But I think it was the relationship between Tyler and Kyra that was my biggest issue. It was too much to soon and crazy instant. Like 7 days- I love you- fast. I had a hard time processing this new found love since Kyra was so hell-bent and head over heels in love with Austin just a week ago. I did find Tyler to be pretty adorkable -obsessed mind you- but he had some sweet moments. There is also a lot of loose ends, meaning we get zero answers as to why this happened to Kyra and others like her and what her new funky powers mean. I would have liked to have learned a little bit more then what we got.

With that said, I still thought the overall concept idea was fascinating. The storyline was freaky, thought provoking and filled with so much potential. But when it’s all said and done, I just didn't feel emotionally invested or personally connected by any of these characters and while the story had some entertaining factors, it wasn't the solid escape I was hoping for. This one wasn't for me, but keep in mind, this is probably just me. Kimberly Derting is an amazing writer and while I couldn't love this particular novel, it won’t stop me from reading more books by her in the future.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                                2 Snowflakes

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Love Letter to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Purchase: Amazon / BN

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

My Thoughts:
Okay I know I am supposed to be feeling heartbroken and tearful but I am TICKED!  This book is a prime example of what happens when parents are too wrapped up in their own problems and end up losing something precious because they were too self involved to notice signs.  Yep I am TICKED!

Love Letters to the Dead is about Laurel and her struggle to move on after losing her older sister.  All Laurel wanted to be was May.  To her May hung the moon and much much more, but Laurel knows deep down that May wasn't always on the straight and narrow.  Nope May would sneak out, lie, drink, and hook up with older guys.  To Laurel though this was just about growing up and she felt left out when May changed.  Mays sudden change took place right after her parents decided to split up after years of telling May that she was the reason her family was together in the first place.  Yep pretty harsh right.  Their mom moves out and well May just kinda goes in a different direction to hide her pain.  Unfortunately Laurel wants to be just like May and things go downhill from there.  When tragedy strikes and May dies Laurel is the only one who really knows what happened. One minute May was there the next she was gone and Laurel has to go on knowing that she might have been able to change everything.

I really loved the way this book was written.  It was really interesting to see Laurel connect with so many famous people that have passed away.  I learned so much more about quite a few people that she wrote too and it honestly changed my views on a few of them.  What was heartbreaking to see was Laurel taking the same wild path that May did.  I wanted to scream at her parents to wake up and see what was right there!  Laurel needed help working through so much and her mom just up and leaves her!  Yes I get it is beyond tough to lose a child but you have another one who needs you! STEP UP!  I am so infuriated that so much that happens to Laurel could have been prevented.  What happened before May dies was something that should have been prevented but I can see where it might not have been obvious but it is now so why did both her parents check out??!!  Laurel deserved better than what she was handed.

Another thing that really bothered me about this is that nothing was done to a particular character that abused another character.  I get that it happened a long time ago, but I still think criminal action should have been taken.  Nobody should ever be allowed to get away with that and I wish the author would have said just a few lines about something being done.  I'm not saying I wanted to see the whole trial and case, but please tell me that this person was being dealt with.  I think that was the toughest for me.  I know in real life these things don't always get punished but when I read a book I want them always to be punished.

All in all I did feel sympathy for Laurel but I just honestly feel enraged at her parents.  She needed  both of them and they both just checked out on her.  Her friends weren't the best in the world but at least they were there for her in the end and they cared enough to let her cry on their shoulders.  I am not sure if I got out of this what I was supposed to but it was a good read that will stay with me for quite a while.

3 Snowflakes

Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
Publisher- Point
Released- Feb 25th 2014
Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

My Thoughts: 
Daww, this book was just too sweet. Better off Friends, is my favorite kind of romantic since I simply adore friends-turned-romance above all. But this isn’t in the traditional swoon-worthy way I typically find in my reads, instead this really focus on the friendship and going through the motions of having a best friend of the opposite sex and trying to figure out how to handle all of the wonderful and conflicting emotions that comes with it. This book asks the question everyone at one point in their lives asks, can a guy and a girl really be just friends? Since I married my best friend, I’m not sure how to answer that one, but it’s still a rather profound question and absolutely charming and lovely to see how these two best friends experience the comfort and complications of their relationship.

Levi and Macallan meet in 7th grade, bonded over a television program nobody knows about and have been friends ever since. They’ve helped each other out in so many ways. Levi was the new kid in town but Macallan made him feel welcome and made him see what home really means. Mac lost her mother in a car accident and Levi was there to help her cope with the loss. They banter like an old married couple and have wicked witty wars, and inside jokes no one else understands. They work through the angst and drama of high school and dating and try to push aside any resentments or jealousy. They are simple a solid couple that made me laugh out loud and smile a stupid smile, but they also made me want to shake them straight a few times when they were being stupid or stubborn. They’ve made their share of mistakes, but through it all, they are undeniable and you really can’t help but root for these two best friends and hope they finally get it together long enough to realize how perfect they are for one another. 

I really adored Elizabeth Eulberg’s writing style. The natural ease and flow of the story was brilliant, making this an unputdownable and absorbing read from start to finish. The commentary conversations at the beginning of every new chapter were my favorite part. Combining the present as we learn about their past and giving us a hint for what’s to come was so amusing and touching to see what Levi and Macallan think about the moments that cemented their history together. Cute, cute, cute!

I really loved all of these characters. Macallan is a firecracker! Feisty and full of spunk. I love how she doesn’t take any crap and that she stands up for what she believes in. She doesn’t care about what people think and tries to do the right thing. But she also has a little bit of a wall that fortunately Levi always seems to be able to break through.

Levi is your dude’s dude. While he loves having Mac in his life, he still seems like he’s looking for more in his life. He wants to have a girlfriend, be on teams and be with the in crowd at school. While he’s made a lot of mistakes with his friendship with Mac, he’s always been there for her and I love how protective and sweet he can be.

Both of their families are such good people and I loved that Mac was able to have a mother to go to when she needed one. I also liked all of their friends and even though they have their share of drama and angst, it wasn't overly done or distracting.

Bottom line, this book is so sweet and so adorable. It’s the kind of read that makes you feel good, makes you smile and makes you laugh. It’s warm and touching and tugs at your heart. I recommend this to fans that are looking for a light, funny, clean and quick escape as you follow Levi and Macallan's friendship as they struggle with their fears and excitement of the possibility of needing and wanting more. A great read!! 

Find the author:

Goodreads / Website                                 4.5 Snowflakes