Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott

Title: HEAR THE WOLVES
Author: Victoria Scott
Pub. Date: March 28, 2017
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 240
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

It’s survival of the strongest in a contemporary, girl-versus-wild middle-grade debut from Fire & Flood author Victoria Scott!

Sloan is a hunter.

So she shouldn’t be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it’s been hard to talk to people, and near-impossible to go anywhere or do anything without her dad or big sister within eyesight — it makes her too scared to be on her own.

When they leave her home alone for what should only be two nights, she’s already panicked. Then the snow starts falling and doesn’t stop. One of her neighbors is hurt in an accident. And the few people still left in Rusic need to make it to the river and the boat that’s tied there — their only way to get to a doctor from their isolated Alaska town.

But the woods are icy cold, and the wolves are hungry. Sloan and her group are running out of food, out of energy, and out of time. That’s when the wolves start hunting them .

Hear the Wolves is another captivating tale told by Victoria Scott. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading. The characters, the wolves and the fight for survival are all addictive elements in this story.

The main character Sloan is struggling with anxiety of being alone. After her mother left her alone to run off and Sloan got lost in the woods chasing her. She has trouble not keeping someone in her sights. In order for her to get over her fear, her father and sister leave her behind. Unaware of the events that are put into motion by the blizzard that ransacks their small town. After finding other people who stayed/were left behind, they have to make the journey to the town of Vernon in order to find a doctor for someone severely injured. I really loved Sloan, she is strong but also has lots of insecurities. It’s not just her anxiety that holds her back but the fact that she is missing a certain pizazz. She learns along the way that being “smart” and “brave” are actually broad terms that can be interrupted in many ways.

I loved the misfit crew that forms on the way to Vernon. Each character had their own part to play in the story. There are definitely some heartbreaking moments and I’m not just talking about the loss. Each character exposes a piece of themselves as they are going along. I think each character has to face themselves in the mirror of the others.

You can really tell that Victoria researched the habits of wolves. I liked how information about them was spread out throughout the book. One character would mention something they know here another there. So it wasn’t info dumping about wolves but interesting to get the next tidbit. I like the emphasise that wolves are not dogs. Of course I also like to emphasize dogs are still animals (I’ve had my face bitten off by one, literally). I think people sometimes have the misconception that they can be tamed. At the zoo where I live they have a sensory room. My son was really interested in wolves because of Twilight Princess (Hey Zelda can teach you many things) so we went into the room. They make it pitch black and then all you hear is the wolves howling all around you. It’s pretty freaky. I thought about it many times while reading this.

I absolutely loved Hear the Wolves. I felt like the characters, writing, pacing and everything was spot on. The minute you pick it up you can’t put it down.

Victoria Scott is the author of eight novels including Titans, Fire & Flood, Salt & Stone, the Dante Walker trilogy, Hear the Wolves (March 2017), and Violet Grenade (May 2017). She is published by Scholastic and Entangled Teen, and is represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties.

Victoria’s latest novel, Titans, received two starred reviews, and Fire & Flood has been selected as a 2017 Spirit of Texas Reading Program book. Victoria’s novels have been bought and translated in fourteen foreign markets. The author currently resides in Philadelphia, and loves hearing from her readers.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/20/2017- YA Books Central- Interview

3/21/2017- Just Commonly- Review

3/22/2017- Falling For YA- Guest Post

3/23/2017- MEREADALOT- Review

3/24/2017- BookHounds YA- Interview

Week Two:

3/27/2017- A Backwards Story- Review

3/28/2017- A Gingerly Review- Excerpt

3/29/2017- Book Briefs- Review

3/30/2017- Mundie Moms- Interview

3/31/2017- Library of a Book Witch- Review

Myths of Mish by Katie Hamstead

Title: Myths of Mish (Fairytale Galaxy Chronicles #2)
Author: Katie Hamstead
Genre: YA Space Opera/Scifi/Fantasy
Release Date: March 28th 2017
Curiosity Quills Press

Hansel and Gretel Herrscher survived the witch in the woods, but the experience has made Hansel paranoid for the past ten years. He sees dark magic at every turn. When Gretel has a marriage arranged to a much older man, and Hansel discovers he's about to be sent halfway across the galaxy, he knows something sinister is afoot.
Wilhelmine Nordon has plenty of experience with Hansel's quirkier side. So when she catches him and Gretel running away in the middle of the night, she follows to keep them from getting killed. The siblings have never left the capital of Mish on their own, so they need a babysitter. Except when she's discovered, Hansel gives her his usual cold shoulder, and Gretel secretly begs her to take them back.
The problem is, Hansel's paranoia turns out to be well founded, and they're all being hunted.

Amazon : Goodreads

Books in the Series:

I really enjoyed Myths of Mish. I’m always a fan of any kind of sci-fi, especially ones that include flying ships. I thought the mixing in of the fairytales was perfect.

The story takes the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel and gives it a new twist. The brother and sister pair are now grown up but still living with the stepmother that left them in the woods. Hansel is convinced that what happened to them as children was no accident and becomes obsessed with finding proof. In fact he has spent since they were lost until now trying to do that.

Hansel and Gretel might be the foundation of the story but my absolute favorite character is Wilhelmine or Minna. She is extremely strong and caring. Kicking butt and taking names, saving Hansel’s butt even when he doesn’t deserve her kindness. I really loved her personality and the rational ways she approached situations.

I would find Hansel to be the most interesting character because he changes so much from beginning to end of the story. He is cruel at the beginning to everyone except Gretel. I couldn’t believe the things he often said to Minna. She should have thrown him overboard from the start. I liked that she could see there was more to him. There is no excuse for his actions and she knows that but she helps to coax out the softer side of him. Also his paranoia is what makes him so crazy but as pieces start to finally fall into place, I think it tames his madness. By the end of the story he is still the same person but also not. He finally feels validated.

I had difficulty liking Gretel. I know that she is sheltered but she is such a ninny. I’m glad she stayed by her brothers side for the most part but even Minna had to point out to her why Hansel was the way he was. His main focus is protecting Gretel. I couldn’t understand how she couldn’t see that Berta was no good, even with Hansel showing her things that seemed suspicious. Believe the person who lost you in the woods or the person who saved you from being eaten in the woods? I feel like that shouldn’t have been a tough choice.

I loved this plot so much. Not only do we have the witches from the original Hansel and Gretel tale but also Merfolk and Sirens mixed in. There is the appearance of Elves, Fairies and Pirates even if only for brief moments. They really enriched the story. I love a good adventure and Hansel’s quest for Mythos definitely brought plenty of that. Even if they don’t end up finding what they were originally looking for. It was such a fun story to read!

I’m not a big fan of the cover for this book. It does relate to the story but still.

I would definitely say pick this one up. I really liked the writing and the plot and can’t wait to go back and read the Princess of Tyrone. Since I haven’t had the chance yet. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Born and raised in Australia, Katie's early years of day dreaming in the "bush", and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.
After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.
She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing.
When her debut novel, Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh, climbed into bestselling status, she believed she was onto something, and now has a slew of novels now available, and is published through Curiosity Quills Press, Soul Mate Publishing, and REUTS Publishing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports, and be a good wife and mother. She now works as an Acquisitions Editor to help support her family. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

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Dating the It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Title: Dating the It Guy
Author:Krysten Lindsay Hager
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: March 21st 2017

Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brendon Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator's son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon's world and it doesn't help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren seems determined to get back into his life along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her family issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you're dating the it guy.

Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

Dating the It Guy is a cute story. That takes a typical teenage experience and shows how insecurities can have an impact on our relationships.

Emme is a sophmore in high school and just starting to get the feel of having relationships. Her previous boyfriend, John, cheated on her with his ex. This causes Emme to be cautious and insecure. When she is paired with Brendan for a school assignment, her insecurities come into play. Brendan turns out not to be what she quite expected. Instead of being a rich boy with a pretty face that gets everything handed to him. He’s actually a hard worker and kind person. Eventually this leads to their relationship.

I had mixed feelings about Brendan. Although he is definitely a sweet and caring guy. He works hard and doesn’t take the easy way out of things. I think he had a tendency to be oblivious to things. I know that Emme has insecurities but he often did things that no boyfriend should do. Like letting girls hang off him. There comes a point where you say, hey please stop hanging off my arm I have a girlfriend. I understand he argues that she should trust him but I could argue back that he should respect her.

I think in the beginning of the book, Brendan and Emme have more of a surface relationship. I think as they learn and grow, that changes toward the end.

I really liked the side story of the families and the grandparents. I loved how kind Brendan’s parents are because being wealthy doesn’t automatically make you mean. You could see that they loved thier sons no matter what they were doing. I also like Emme’s close fit family and felt sad for her with the issues her grandparents were having. She dealt with it in a very teenage way and I like how that added to the story.

I did think this was a cute story. If you enjoy the blossoming of a new relationship, I think those parts are definitely sweet. There were some times where it felt a little slow but it definitely leads to a great conclusion.

Krysten Lindsay Hager is an obsessive reader and has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and humor essayist, and writes for teens, tweens, and adults. She is also the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series (True Colors, Best Friends…Forever?, and the soon to be released, Landry in Like) and her work has been featured in USA Today and named as Amazon’s #1 Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values and Virtues Fiction and Amazon’s #1 Hot New Releases in Children’s Books on Values. She’s originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and southwestern Ohio. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

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A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Title: A Crown of Wishes
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Published: March 28th 2017 by St. Martin's Griffin
Buy: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

I had loved The Star-touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes definitely holds up as a companion. I enjoy how Roshani Chokshi weaves the mythology into her stories and the characters she creates.

I loved the Fox Prince, Vikram. He was such a fun character, I loved that he wasn’t necessarily a strong knight but he was cunning and clever. Using his mind to get out of situations and to get himself in trouble. He made me laugh and I liked that he was always engaging Gauri in banter. Purposely pushing her buttons, knowing she would rise to the occasion.

I felt sad for Gauri. I had loved Maya and her relationship in the first novel and it made my heart break she had to go through so much strife. I also like the twist that between her and Vikram, she is the soldier. She knows not only to fight with a sword but also with her beauty. It made her someone really interesting and someone to be reckoned with. I would get frustrated with her lack of trust though, especially when Vikram would show her time and time again that he was her partner. She slowly softened as the story moves along but it definitely took a lot of convincing. She learns a great deal about her true self.

Aasha was a great addition. I loved how the story begins to branch to include her. She was one of my favorite characters, if not the favorite. Especially when she would try to eat anything just to experience it. Her willingness to follow her curiosity.

Always great side characters. I loved all that were included in the story from the monsters to Kubera himself.

The tournament. I always love plots that involves games and tournaments of some kind. I think there are so many creatives things that can come out of it. The Tournament of Wishes is no exception. Again I loved the way the mythology is woven into the tournament itself. I found those parts to be absolutely fascinating.

I really enjoyed the story and I’m glad to have a little more of this world. I can’t wait to see what Roshani writes next.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Title: The Bone Witch (#1)
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.

Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learn-ing to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

Amazon : B&N : BD : Goodreads

The Bone Witch caught my eye because I loved Rin Chupeco’s writing in her The Girl from the Well stories. She has this way of making things have this haunting feel to them that really brings the best out of stories like these. I really enjoyed her writing once and again as well as the story itself.

I love how this story is told. Present Tea is relating the story of how she got to where she is to a bard. It was interesting to go back and forth because you start to see Tea in a different light as things begin to match up. I loved her as an MC. She was just such an interesting character, especially for the fact she often mentions that it feels good to draw from the dark magic. As the story goes along you start to wonder what side is she one. Is she good or bad? The lines all seem blurred. I loved how intelligent she is, even if at times she can be impulsive. I love her fondness for her brother and her Asha sisters. I also really like that Tea wants to do the right thing by her friend, who is a boy but loves to dance and sing more than be a soldier. She understand why he has to be forced into a role he doesn’t want.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read Memoirs of a Geisha, but I have to say the Willows reminds me of that a little. I guess the Asha are similar to Geisha except of course they have magic. They also have their own political world outside that of the kingdom politics and each House is kind of like it’s own kingdom. The Asha system used to be a bigger part of the political game I think but then they started to veer off in their own agendas. We spend a large amount of the story with Tea learning to be an apprentice and the ins and outs of the world. It’s very intriguing. I also love the time that is taken to describe all the different outfits and adornments. An Asha’s Hua can tell a lot about her.

I find the relationship and the Oracle to also be intriguing. It’s only lightly explored in this book but I’m curious to see how much more details there are in the next book. As Tea walks this line between what is considered to be good and evil (I think the considered is important), I want to know what part the oracle is really playing.

There are some other great side characters. Like the Heartforger and his apprentice, the different shop owners and of course other Asha. Of course there is the light love interest, again it’s not deeply explored...yet.

So the ending….leaves you like, okay I need the next book. It’s a cliffhanger of sorts. I really liked it though and am looking forward to see more of the story.

So Rin made these adorable chibi characters of the different Asha. I'm in love with them.

Arhenkosho, Daanoris, Kion

 

Istera, Yadosha, Drycht

Tresea, Odalia

Rin Chupeco wrote obscure manuals for complicated computer programs, talked people out of their money at event shows, and did many other terrible things. She now writes about ghosts and fairy tales but is still sometimes mistaken for a revenant. She wrote The Girl from the Well, its sequel, The Suffering, and The Bone Witch, the first book of a new YA Fantasy trilogy. Find her at rinchupeco.com.

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Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

Title: Seven Days of You
Author: Cecilia Vinesse
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 7th 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.

Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?

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Seven Days of You takes a cute and emotionally charged story and puts in the amazing setting of Tokyo. I loved not only being transported into the story but to another country as well.

I loved many things about this book. Most of all the setting. I have every subscription box under the moon, Japanese snacks, Japanese noodles, Japanese toys, Japanese cosmetics,...but I’ve never been to Japan. It’s definitely something on my bucket list. So there were things they talked about that I completely recognized. Whether if it’s from watching Anime or trips to Japantown in San Francisco. I loved how submersed in the setting I felt when reading the book. I felt like I could picture all the different places in my head and would get excited like a tourist. Ohhh I know about how you are supposed to wash for a shrine! And so forth. It was fantastic.

I also really really loved the friendships. In all their complicatedness. When the story starts out with characters it a twinge of familiarity. I can’t say they are exactly like anyone in my friends group in high school but there was something about the dynamic. It might not be exactly the same characters but the dynamic definitely felt like typical high school.

I loved the high running emotions of Sophia. She is moving from a place that she loves, from friends she loves and from the familiarity of the the things she does. Of course you should be an emotional mess. So everything that happens around her feels ten times worse because she is already in the emotional turmoil. Plus she is starting to see things that she decided not to see before, especially with her family. It’s an emotional roller coaster of seven days.

Sophia and Jamie. They hooked me the night they spend all night out together. Running all over the place. I like how the are getting re-acquainted and re-understanding each other after being separated for so long. It’s not all ups for them either. Again Sophia’s personal turmoil does have an impact, which it should. It only makes sense. I really like how their romance is played out. Although there is a part where I’m like, seriously Sophia what are you doing!

I really enjoyed the book. I love different settings like this and just all the emotions.

I was born in France but then moved to Japan. And then to the States. And then back to Japan. And then back to the States. When I was 18, I moved to New York where I was homesick for nearly seven years. After that, I got a job in a cold, snowy city in northern Japan and, from there, I headed to Scotland where I got my master's in creative writing and lived off tea, writer tears, and Hobnobs.

I still live in the U.K. and spend most of my time writing, reading, baking, and getting emotional over Tori Amos albums. Hobbies include pretending Buffy the Vampire Slayer is real, collecting a lipstick to match every Skittle flavor, and listening to a thousand podcasts a day.

A pup named Malfi and a Renaissancist named Rachel are my favorite things in the world. That, and books. I should probably mention the books again.

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Hunted by Megan Spooner #BookReview

Title: Hunted
Author: Megan Spooner
Published: March 14th 2017 by HarperTeen
Buy: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

I have so much love for Hunted. My grandparents were immigrants from Russia/Lithuania and one of the stories I devoured as a child over and over again were that of the Firebird. Taking the story of Beauty and the Beast and combining it with one of my favorite mythical creatures made my heart happy. Megan Spooner’s writing of the story was spot on and I devoured every single word.

I loved so many things about this story. Yeva is the kind of main character that I really enjoy. She’s strong and independent but also has her moments when I get frustrated with her. She feels like there is something she is missing and is searching for it, not settling for her life the way it is. I also like that she is able to take a step back and see things that are not in plain sight.

I really like how the POV is done with the Beast because he is obviously taken over by the more feral self. I like that we see glimpses in his humanity by the way he thinks.

The writing is just perfect and lyrical for the story. I really loved how Megan was able to capture that Fairytale style. I also really liked the pacing of the plot, although I always get impatient when main characters are separated. That’s just me though.

I felt like this was a story of Beauty and the Beast but also with other stories weaved through. It’s definitely a read if you are looking for a Fairytale retelling.