Review and Giveaway: Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison

NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN
By: Kate Ellison
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Feb. 12, 2013
Series: None
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery / Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publicist
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death.

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.



I really enjoyed Kate Ellison's first novel, The Butterfly Clues. It was a mystery that really revolved around the characters, and that was the case in Notes from Ghost Town as well. Even though the mystery was present, it was Olivia's journey that made the book memorable.

"I thought that all my mourning and pining for Stern meant that there was no room for another person. But maybe the heart is an organ on constant-ready, always waiting to try again, always open to the next best thing."

Olivia Tithe never expected to lose her best friend and first love. But she did. In the aftermath of everything, Olivia fears that she's losing her mind, just like her mother did. She's going colorblind, finding herself trapped in the "Gray Space" her mother always talked about, and she's powerless to stop it, powerless to bring Stern back, powerless to help her mother. Until Stern's ghost appears to her and says that the police have the wrong killer. As Olivia works to uncover the true person behind the murder, she finds herself caught up in emotional struggles she wasn't prepared for - trying to come to terms with her father's new marriage, trying to hold on to Stern, trying to move forward like everyone tells her to, all while trying to stay sane. Time is running out, and if she isn't careful, Olivia could end up losing everything - even herself.

"I stare up with him at that same blackness, the bigness of it spinning all sorts of strange philosophies through my head. All the usual, corny stuff about how small we all are and how far the ocean goes and how getting swallowed up in the unendingness of it all is both the loneliest sensation in the world and also the most comforting."

Notes from Ghost Town left me with mixed feelings. I already knew that I enjoyed Kate Ellison's writing, and the opening of the book was so striking, that I expected to love it. However, I kept finding myself pulled out of the story by little things, even though I wanted to be engrossed in it. It was fairly easy to guess the actual murderer early on, and although I had been excited to see the ghost element incorporated, it somehow didn't turn out to be what I hoped for. Her losing her sight and her seeing Stern never seemed to be connected, and I wish that those could have been integrated more.

Beyond the mystery element, however, the story was very emotional. Olivia had an overwhelming amount of change to deal with, and I sympathized with her through everything, especially her fighting her lingering feelings for Stern with her growing crush on Austin as well as her colorblindness impacting her ability to do art. Yet Olivia was stronger than she gave herself credit for, and I appreciated this. Even though she was struggling, and even though she was tempted to push everyone away, she still wanted to help her mother when everyone said she could no longer be helped, and despite the issues she had with her stepmother-to-be, she always loved Wynn, her future stepsister. But what really made this book was the writing, the inner monologue and insights that Olivia had. When I felt myself being pulled out of the story, the more introspective moments would pull me back in again. Everything else aside, these moments alone would make the book worth reading.

"You remember that it is important to be alive because there is love, even if you cannot touch it with your hands or your lips. There is love."

Although it is a paranormal mystery, Notes from Ghost Town is, at its heart, a book about the power of love - the strength it has, the strength it gives, and the importance of giving, receiving, and allowing love into your life. Kate Ellison certainly has a memorable way with words, and I'll look forward to seeing what she writes next.






~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one hardcover copy of Notes from Ghost Town and one paperback copy of Kate Ellison's previous book, The Butterfly Clues, to give away! Please note that the book will be coming directly from the publisher; please allow ample time for the book to arrive if you win.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Friday, March 15 at 12:01 AM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and Giveaway: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

NOBODY
By: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Series: None
Pages: 400
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publicist
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.



Who can resist a good assassin story? When I first read the summary for Nobody, it struck me as a unique, inventive story, and it didn't disappoint. I was intrigued by Nix and his world from the very beginning and quickly drawn into the story, eager to learn more about him the world that Jennifer Lynn Barnes created.

Less than shadow, less than air - that's what Nix has been taught to be. He is Nobody, he is invisible, and he always kills his targets. Until Claire. Even though he has his assignment to eliminate her, has his gun trained on her, he can't bring himself to pull the trigger, because Claire can see him, and she might be the only one who can. Instead of killing her, Nix goes so far as to help protect Claire from The Institute. Together they learn the full extent of what Nobodies can do, especially when they are together. But Nix knows better than to think that The Institute will simply forgive his failure to follow their orders. As he tries to figure out what to do, he and Claire come to learn shocking truths about The Institute, leaving them with only one choice - to expose The Institute and hope that they make it through the ordeal alive.

In Nobody, Jennifer Lynn Barnes has created an interesting world in which basic human interactions are guided by energy; those who can't transfer energy are denied those interactions. I really enjoyed seeing how this premise translated into people being divided into Nobodies, Nulls, Sensors, and Normals. As Nobodies, Nix and Claire don't have the ability to transfer energy, and so they have lived their lives unseen, unimportant. Whereas Nix became an assassin for The Institute, Claire spent her days trying to be good enough. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her at the beginning, but over the course of the book, Claire learned to embrace the abilities that being a Nobody brought her. The third-person point of view that alternated points of focus allowed for seeing both Claire and Nix's emotional journeys, which were interesting to watch, as they were opposites in many ways. I also enjoyed watching their time together, especially in the fade. Nix slowly transformed from someone who had been taught to subjugate emotions - which admittedly made him slightly flat at first - to someone who tried to express them, and that allowed for some very sweet moments between him and Claire.

Even though this book was 400 pages, it never felt long. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing style was concise and direct while still spinning a gripping story. Even though this was the first book of hers that I read, it made me want to read her others, as there was never a dull moment here. There are so many possibilities with the world she created, and I can't help but wonder if there will be a companion novel to this one.

With enough science fiction elements for intrigue, dystopian elements for suspense, and romance for a swoon-worthy moment or two, Nobody makes for a quick, fun read. I will look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!






~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one hardcover copy of Nobody and one paperback copy of Jennifer Lynn Barnes' previous book, Every Other Day, to give away! Please note that the book will be coming directly from the publisher; please allow ample time for the book to arrive if you win.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Friday, Feb. 15 at 12:01 AM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and Giveaway: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

SHADOWS
By: Ilsa J. Bick
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Sept. 25, 2012
Series: Ashes (#2)
Pages: 528
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: TLA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Note: Shadows is the second book in the Ashes trilogy, and the summary below may contain spoilers.

Goodreads Summary: The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love. But she was wrong.

Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.

Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.



Ashes was one of the first post-apocalyptic books that I read, and it set a very high standard. So much happened, and yet there were still so many questions that left me eager for Shadows. Shadows was darker and more intense than Ashes, and even though it is long the book was impossible to put down.

Before starting Shadows, I read this recap of Ashes Ilsa wrote for anyone who had forgotten all of the details. Having read Ashes a year ago, I found that this helped me jump right into Shadows. A new world order is settling in after an EMP ended the world as everyone knew it. But that doesn't mean that anyone is safe from the Changed or from the other Spared, least of all Alex. She knows that there will be a hard road ahead of her, especially if she wants to keep the promises she made. But keeping those promises will bring her face to face with danger as well as some startling truths...

It's hard to say much about Shadows without spoiling Ashes or Shadows itself, but there are no shortage of things that happen throughout the book. Shadows traces parallels journeys of several different characters, and the point of view switches with every chapter. I enjoyed getting to know more about some of the characters from Ashes as well as the new ones introduced here. And because each chapter ends with a cliffhanger and every situation the characters face is fraught with instability, suspense and tensions are always high, and it's impossible to stop reading. Each of the narratives was equally compelling, and I want to know how everything comes together in the final book. Shadows certainly proves that it is a small world, and it was interesting to see how everything intersected.

As I said before, Shadows is darker than Ashes, with some vivid descriptions of unpleasant things. Even though the descriptions are never gratuitous, it is something to know before reading. Also, throughout Shadows, it seems like things are always just out of reach - be it knowledge for the reader or opportunities or people sought after by the characters. I can't wait to see how everything plays out at the end of the trilogy.

Shadows is an incredibly complex book and a great sequel to Ashes. I'm looking forward to the final installment of the trilogy!





~GIVEAWAY~

Thanks to the publisher, I have one finished copy of Shadows to give away! To enter, please fill out the form below.

This contest is open to US residents only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Friday, Nov. 2 at 12:01am CST.

Review: The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

THE BUTTERFLY CLUES
By: Kate Ellison
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.



I'll admit it - I first wanted to read this book because of the cover alone. In a sea of books with covers full of pretty girls in elegant dresses, this book stood out. (In fact, I did a whole feature on this book because of its cover - you can see that here.) However, once I started reading, it became clear that this book stood out for many more reasons, including great writing and an engrossing story.

If Penelope "Lo" Marin had to be described in one word, it would be this: obsessive. She collects beautiful trinkets, stealing them when she has to, and arranging them all just so in her room. She suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder and feels an urge to tap and whisper to herself (in multiples of three, of course) to make everything alright. And finally, when she learns that a young girl named Sapphire has been murdered when it was almost her instead, Lo won't rest until she finds out who the murderer is. However, finding the murderer takes Lo to a new world, an area of the city known as Neverland. There Lo meets Flynt, a street artist who has the possibility of becoming so much more than just a tour guide. Even with Flynt's help, tracking a murderer isn't easy, despite her clues. But these clues could reveal more to her than she ever imagined...

I know what you're thinking - another murder mystery that can be easily solved. Think again. The Butterfly Clues might be a mystery, but it is more than that: It is truly a story of the characters. Almost everyone that we meet has their own story to tell, and I love that we get to learn them all through Lo's memory and investigation even if we don't meet them directly. Lo herself is such a memorable character. Not only is she forced to deal with constant relocation and the death of a sibling, but also she suffers from OCD; I'm sure I will remember her constant "tap, tap, tap, banana" for a long time. Because Lo is on her own and an outcast, she views the world differently, and this was refreshing to read. I also loved getting to know Sapphire. Her journal entries added so much to the story, making my heart break for her and for her life cut short. Finally there is Flynt...but I think I will leave you to find out for yourself about him.

Even though Lo's OCD habits took some adjusting to and the mystery could be predicted, there were definitely still surprises. Beyond that, though, the story was very well-written with both wonderful descriptions and insights. The dark, seedy world of this book came to life and made me fear for Lo's safety, and yet the characters and their stories were still moving. The mystery might be solved, but the characters' lives weren't, and I would have loved to know what the future had in store for them.

The Butterfly Clues was a fantastic debut novel from Kate Ellison, providing just what you would want in a murder mystery and more. I'll look forward to reading more from this author!

Review: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

ASHES
By: Ilsa J. Bick
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Sept. 6, 2011
Series: Ashes Trilogy (#1)
Pages: 480
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: BEA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Alex has run away and is hiking through the wilderness with her dead parents' ashes, about to say goodbye to the life she no longer wants to live. But then the world suddenly changes. An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky zapping every electronic device and killing the vast majority of adults. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who has changed... Everyone still alive has turned - some for the better (those who acquired a superhuman sense) while others for the worse (those who acquired a taste for human flesh). Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the zombies that are on the hunt, Alex meets up with Tom - an Army veteran who escaped one war only to find something worse at home - and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse. This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to find food, shelter, while fighting off the 'Changed' and those desperate to stay alive. A tense and involving adventure with shocks and sudden plot twists that will keep teen and adult readers gripped.



Ashes is, without a doubt, unlike anything that I've ever read. With an interesting cast of characters, imagined situations that became all too real, and constant surprises, Ashes is an edge-of-your-seat read the entire way through.

Alex is tired of living with a brain tumor, tired of the constant treatment attempts, tired of having other people not know how to react to her. She decides to go on a final wilderness hike and spend some time in the seclusion of nature. And then an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the world, killing a vast majority of people, rendering electronic devices useless, and changing the world as Alex knew it. She soon finds herself with an unwanted traveling companion and trying to survive with just what was in her pack. And then Alex meets Tom, a former soldier who is also trying to survive in this world. They work together to make a life in the wake of all the destruction, all the while worrying that they may end up changing into little more than animals, as other humans have. But they eventually realize that they can't stay hidden in the woods forever, and then the real adventure begins...

Because of the nature of this book, it's hard to say much without giving something away. The suspense, the constant obstacles, and the emotional journey are what make this book riveting; the characters were just as compelling as the action. Ashes is post-apocalyptic rather than dystopian, and both Alex and Tom have some basic survival skills; this allows the story to focus on deeper issues, including learning who to trust in a world with people gone mad and what to live for when it seems there are no reasons left. Everything was so vividly described (including the behavior of the "changed" people) that I felt like I was right beside Alex and Tom, both in the woods and out of it. In Ashes, elements of science fiction, dystopian, and coming-of-age books merge into something new and exciting.

I will say that this book left me with some unanswered questions. Because of all the hardships that Alex and Tom face, this book is not exactly an easy read. There were a few times that I was frustrated because I just wanted something to go right for them. But despite the sadness, and despite all of the loose threads left at the end, the intensity of this book left me wanting more.

Ashes is a book that you will stay up late into the night to read - I know that I did. I am already counting down the days until the next book. I cannot wait to see what else Ilsa has in store for this trilogy!

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

HOURGLASS
By: Myra McEntire
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Series: Hourglass (#1)
Pages: 397
Genre: Paranormal / Sci-Fi
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.



The possibility of time travel is always fascinating, but it raises a lot of questions. What would the rules be, and would anybody be able to travel? These are some of the questions Myra McEntire explores in Hourglass, all within the confines of a small southern town, an institute designed to protect the secrets of time manipulation, and a budding romance.

Ever since her parents died, Emerson has had a rough time. But even before the accident, she had begun to see people from the past, people who would disappear if she touched them. After being hospitalized and spending two years away at boarding school, she has to come home to live with her brother and his wife. Her brother has hired a new consultant from the Hourglass Institute, Michael, who is supposed to help her with her "gift." But not only do Em's visions of people from the past get stronger, but also she finds herself attracted to Michael, and the tension between them is hard to ignore. As she learns more about herself and her gift, she becomes caught up in the world of Hourglass and all of the people there. She discovers that she isn't alone; other people have time-related abilities, and yes, time travel is possible. When Michael asks her to help him change the past, Emerson has to decide if she's willing to risk her life so that others can live.

First of all, I loved the premise of Hourglass. It is fresh and inventive, and it explores science fiction in a way that isn't overly technical. I enjoyed delving into this world and learning about the different abilities that McEntire created. I also loved Emerson's voice. She's smart, sharp, and snarky, which was by turns amusing and frustrating when she used her razor tongue to keep people away. Then there were the guys - Michael, the Hourglass consultant, and his best friend Kaleb. Michael was the obvious hero, with his brooding nature and devastating looks, but I actually found myself more drawn to Kaleb; he had a much more interesting history, and he made no secret about his feelings for Emerson. Kaleb was at times the bad boy and at other times the boy next door, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

However, as much as I wanted to love this book, I didn't. It may have been because of the hype, but I wasn't blown away like I thought I would be. The last 100 pages were riveting, with constant surprises and intense emotional scenes, but before that I was at times confused, frustrated, and left wanting more. While I liked Emerson, the relationship between her and Michael didn't come alive for me. I wanted their relationship to grow instead of jumping from tension and avoidance to love. That being said, I am curious to see where McEntire will take this story in the sequel.

Hourglass was an inventive debut novel that brings a new voice and a different story to the paranormal genre. Complete with romance, secrets, and time travel, Hourglass is definitely worth the read.