Shatter Me

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Supernatural, Adventure
Amazon Price:
       Hardcover - $9.88
       Paperback - $9.99
       Kindle Edition - $11.39

Summary:

"You can't touch me," I whisper.

I'm lying, is what I don't tell him. He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him. But things happen when people touch me. Strange things. Bad things.

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

Rating:
✰✰✰
3 out of 5 stars

"Her touch is lethal. Her touch is power," this is Tahereh Mafi's tagline in her debut novel Shatter Me. It focuses its story on a 17-year-old girl named Juliette Ferrars set in a dystopian setting. Her dilemma was her unknown power which she considered as a curse, a fatal touch that render anyone who touch her paralyze, limp or dead. If you're having an idea picturing her powers, well, it's very similar to Rogue of X-Men. Like her, Juliette, seems to have the ability to suck the energy out of humans and kill them.

So what can I say about the book? First, I was really interested about it because this book was released during the time Hunger Games became a hit in the screen and made few book worms interested in reading dystopian novels. Aside from this, it has an interesting plot, a heroine who (finally) has a power to take care of her damned self or so I thought. Okay, so the story start with Juliette locked up inside an asylum because she was seen as a threat to everyone because of her uncanny gift. One day, she was introduced to a cellmate, a guy named Adam Kent, which she recognized to be a schoolmate back in the past. With them sharing a cell/room together, slowly Juliette and Adam grew accustomed to each other and yet still wary with each other. Later on, she figured out that Adam wasn't a prisoner like her but a soldier sent from The Reestablishment to monitor her mental and social stability because they are planning to make her a weapon because of her ability. This is the point where she met the dashing and ruthless leader of the Reestablishment, Warner, who happens to be interested and obsessive with Juliette for no reason at all besides from her power.

Beautiful Creatures Another Awaited Film in 2013

New York Times bestselling fantasy young adult novel Beautiful Creatures will soon hit the screen early next year starring 19-year old Australian actress Alice Englert and Stoker star Alden Ehrenreich. With the novel originally written by authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures, the film rights was bought by Alcon Entertainment in 2009. The film was directed by American screenwriter and occasional film director Richard LaGravenese, who was popularly known as the writer of Fisher King.

Early in 2012, it was announced that Jack O' Connell and Alice Englert were announced to play the lead characters of Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate. But not long after, O' Connell dropped the role and Alden Ehrenreich was picked for the role of Ethan Wate instead. Other casts include Emmy Rossum as Ridley Duchannes, Viola Davis as Amma, Emma Thompson playing dual roles as Sarafine and Mrs. Lincoln and Jeremy Irons as Macon Ravenwood. Stars Thomas Mann, Kyle Gallner, Zoey Deutch, Tiffany Boone, Margo Matindale, Andrea Frankle, Camille Balsamo, J.D. Evermore, Lance Nichols and Leslie Castay are part of the casts.

Filming for the said film started in May 2012 in New Orleans and ended in late July. According to Director LaGravenese, he "chose to incorporate real special effects and computer-based ones for certain scenes."

Most Popular YA Books Released this November

Although November is about to end, this post I'm sure won't be late to update your To-Read-Books list because we're bringing you the top ten most popular YA books released this month under the "fantasy" and "supernatural" genre. So better grab a pen and a paper, and take note of these books that will sure be a hit to all YA book lovers.

• Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Book 2) by Laini Taylor

Goodreads Rating: 4.45 out of 5 stars | 2,124 ratings

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Summary: "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war. This is not that world."

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

• Undeadly (The Reapers Diaries Book 1) by Michele Vail

Goodreads Rating: 3.95 out of 5 stars | 384 ratings

Release Date: November 20, 2012

Summary: "The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird..."

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. 

• Deity (Covenant Book 3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Goodreads Rating: 4.62 out of 5 stars | 2,675 ratings

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Summary: "History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time."

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden. 

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed. 

• Touched (Sense Thieves Book 1) by Corrine Jackson

Goodreads Rating: 4.18 out of 5 stars | 240 ratings

Release Date: November 27, 2012

Summary: "Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own."

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

• Reached (Matched Book 3) by Ally Condie

Goodreads Rating: 3.97 out of 5 stars | 2,877 ratings

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Summary: "Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without."

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

YA Books to Read this Thanksgiving (Part 1)

I bet I'm not the only one excited this coming Thanksgiving. Who wouldn't be? It's a non-working holiday which means there's plenty of time to rest, and of course, an ample of time to read books! I could only imagine how it will feels like, lounging at our sofa, with my comforter keeping me cozy as I smell the delicious aroma of the turkey being roast. Yes, heaven. And I'm sure, my fellow bookworms' idea of Thanksgiving will not be any different from that.

But the question is, do you have a specific book to read this coming Thanksgiving? Well, if not, then here are five Young Adult novels and series, I will definitely recommend to keep you company this coming Thanksgiving holiday:

• Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Summary: Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.

Just to touch the nostalgic cockles of your heart, the Chronicles of Narnia, for me, is one of those books that won't tire me from reading it again and again. It's a classic for the young adults, we grew up with this book's characters and together became charmed with the enchanting world of Narnia, and mystified with its great ruler Aslan.

Thanksgiving seems to be one of the perfect days to reminisce Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy's adventure as they face Jadis, the White Witch, and learn to trust each other as they defy the odds and fulfill the prophecy that lies in their hands.

• InkHeart by Cornelia Funke

Summary: A young girl discovers her father has an amazing talent to bring characters out of their books and must try to stop a freed villain from destroying them all, with the help of her father, her aunt, and a storybook's hero.

InkHeart is the first book in the Inkworld trilogy written by no other than multiple award-winning German author Cornelia Funke. The best thing I love about this book is you can read it with your younger brother and sisters, perhaps cousins, while waiting for your parents to prepare the Thanksgiving table in the backyard (Yeah, I don't help with the preparations).

It's a good book that tells about a twelve-year old girl named Meggie Folchart and her father Mortimer (Mo) who has an uncanny ability which is that when he reads aloud, he can bring characters and items from books into the real world. The story starts when Meggie was only three years old and her father Mo read a book entitled InkHeart aloud to her mother. "In an instant, Meggie's mother, Resa, and the family's two pet cats vanished into the Inkworld and three men from the novel (two of whom are murderous villains) entered into the real world. Nine years later, these men have come back into their lives and Mo, Meggie, and Resa's aunt Elinor need to return the villains back to the book's pages." - Wikipedia

The story like other of Funke's book delivers us the essence of family and how important it is in our lives.

Rapture by Lauren Kate (Official Book Trailer)

"When evil triumps. When the world ends. Trust your love."

RAPTURE is the fourth and final book of the FALLEN Series. The thrilling conclusion of Luce and Daniel's seven thousand years love story...cause Heaven can't wait any longer.

Sypnosis

The sky is dark with wings...

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

About the Author

Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York. She is the author of The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and now lives in Los Angeles.

References:

• Fallen Books RandomHouse Australia
• GoodReads
• IndieBound

Passion by Lauren Kate (Official Book Trailer)

"Search time. Search history. Break the curse. Defy the past. Change the future. Risk it all for love."
PASSION is a young adult fantasy novel from the FALLEN series written by Lauren Kate. The sequel to TORMENT which was published on June 14, 2011.
Sypnosis

Luce would die for Daniel.
And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way…
Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime… going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.
Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.
Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames… forever.
About the Author
Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York. She is the author of The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and now lives in Los Angeles.
References:

• Lauren Kate Official Website
• GoodReads

Torment by Lauren Kate (Official Book Trailer)

"How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?"

TORMENT is the second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.

Sypnosis

Hell on earth.

That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.

What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

About the Author

Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York. She is the author of The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and now lives in Los Angeles.

References:

• Lauren Kate Official Website
• GoodReads

Red Riding Hood

Book Review

Title :  Red Riding Hood

Author: Sarah Blakley-Carthwright

      Based on a Screenplay: David Leslie Johnson

Genre: Young Adult, Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Romance

Price:

Amazon.com:

        (Paperback) = $9.99

        (Kindle Edition) = $8.99

Tagline: “Believe the legend. Beware the wolf.”

Summary: 

The blacksmith would marry her. The woodcutter would run away with her. The werewolf would turn her into one of its own.

Valerie’s sister was beautiful, kind and sweet. Now she is dead. Henry, the handsome son of the blacksmith, tries to console Valerie, but her wild heart beats fast for another: the outcast woodcutter, Peter, who offers Valerie another life far from home.

After her sister’s violent death, Valerie’s world begins to spiral out of control. For generations, the Wolf has been kept at bay with a monthly sacrifice. But now no one is safe. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them—it could be anyone in town.

It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The Wolf says she must surrender herself before the blood moon wanes… or everyone she loves will die.

Rating:

✰✰✰

3 out of 5 stars

Review:

Red Riding Hood is a classic children’s tale transformed dramatically into a gothic romance love story of a girl who didn’t seem to fit in her small village and her childhood friend, Peter, who she described was the only person in the whole world that deeply knows her. First released as a movie and shown at the wide screen, Red Riding Hood was described by its Director Catherine Hardwicke as “a new, dark, layered version of the classic story.”