Review: All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Title: All I Need

Series: N/A

Author: Susane Colasanti

Publisher: Penguin Group/Viking Children's 

Publication Date: May 21, 2013

Genre:  Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Reading Source: NetGalley

Reading Level: 12+  

Length: 240 pages 

Format: ebook

Cover Art: 4/5

Overall: 3/5  

Goodreads:

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

Review:

I was excited to start this one because the cover looked so adorable and the synopsis sounded cute, I did like it but it didn't live up to my exceptions.

 Told in alternating POV's between Skye and Seth. 

 Skye and Seth meet one summer at a beach party and instantly fall head over heels in love. They part ways after spending just two days together and can't seem to get each other out of their heads for the next few years.

 When they bump into each other things resume as if they didn't go anywhere. 

The characters were a little bit flat. Skye was whiny and annoying.

It was boring in some parts, maybe not boring but slow, it came to a standstill in the middle of the book. Along with the break, a three year time break, that made things a little confusing.

This was the second Susane Colasanti book I have read, the first being Keep Holding On, and while they were very different stories, I could definitely tell they were from the same author. 

I think All I Need is a quick, fun, sweet summer read. Perfect beach read that's for sure! 

Thank Penguin and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun

Title: Sworn to Raise

Series: Courtlight #1

Author: Terah Edun

Publisher: Amazon Digital

Publication Date: April 10, 2013

Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy

Reading Source: NetGalley

Reading Level: 12+ 

Format: ebook

Cover Art: 4/5

Overall: 3/5

Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the kingdom. But beneath her kingdom’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations.

Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron. 

But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.

This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with remarkable characters and unforgettable magic. Sworn To Raise is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Michelle Sagara, and Maria Snyder.

Review:

The cover is really pretty.  

There was things I liked about it and things I didn't enjoy. It was a fairly quick read, I sped through it, the end of it was a little too fast for me though. The last few chapters felt rushed. 

 I liked the magic in the book and also the originality of the idea but the story line was a bit choppy.

There was no romance, so it would be great for younger audience. And fantasy lovers might like this.

The characters were a little detached, I didn't or couldn't connect with them.  

It was a good story but needed just a little polishing up.

I will continue to read the series.

 If it sounds like something you'd like it's on Amazon for only 3.00! 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ecopy for an honest review.

May TBR Pile

Here is what I want to read this month.

I chose seven different subjects from my own books. 

Graphic/Manga:

Kind (The Good Neighbors #3) by Holly Black

YA Paranormal:

Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Contemporary:

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

&

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

Adult:

Stray (Shifters, #1) by Rachel Vincent

M.G.:

The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles #1) by Rick Riordan

Sci-Fi:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Dystopian:

Empty by Suzanne Weyn

Re-Read:

Monument 14 (Monument 14 #1) by Emmy Laybourne

Library books:  

Dystopian:

Shards and Ashes by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

Historical Fiction:

Guilt by Katherine Longshore

Fantasy:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

YA Paranormal:

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Adult:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Netgalley:

Sworn to Rise by Terah Edun
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

&

Ink (Paper Gods, #1) by Amanda Sun

I'm back... for now...

Hi guys, I'm just letting you know I have not forgotten about the blog, and to thank you all for sticking with me and to all my new followers, hello!

I won't be making excuses for why I've been absent, but if anyone wants to know I will tell you what has happened. 

I can not say when I will be posting again seeing as I barely have time to do anything but I'll try. 

Top Ten Tuesday & Teaser Tuesday 12/18/12

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & The Bookish

            Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read this Year!: 

I've only read books 1-5 so far

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab you'r current read

Open the book to a random page

Share with us two (2) "teasers" sentences form that page

Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure what you share doesn't give away too much! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title of the book so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR pile if they'd like   

Today my teaser comes from... 

No teaser this week, I'm reading the same books as I was reading last week.

*Photos are from Goodreads*

What An Animal Reading Challenge VI 2013

This challenge is hosted by Yvonne@

Socrates’ Book Reviews

Challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
That’s a full year to read at least 6 books (you can read more if you’d like).

The rules are really simple…
1. Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:
a. there is an animal in the title of the book
b. there is an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal plays a major role in the book
d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you’d like).

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)–dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark…dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf…you get the idea…

Wishlist Wednesday & Waiting on Wednesday 12/12/12

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Dani at Pen to Paper & Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Paper Valentine

Author:  Brenna Yovanoff 

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: 01/08/13 

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.

Why I need it: 

A little ghostly love story? Yes please! 

*Photo from Goodreads*