Review: Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters by Emily Roberson

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters
by Emily Roberson

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 352
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication date: October 22, 2019
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy, mythology



From the publisher:

"Greek mythology meets the Kardashians in Emily Roberson's Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters, a fresh, fast-paced debut young adult novel about celebrity culture, family dynamics, and finding love amidst it all.

Sixteen-year-old Ariadne’s whole life is curated and shared with the world. Her royal family’s entertainment empire is beloved by the tabloids, all over social media, and the hottest thing on television. The biggest moneymaker? The Labyrinth Contest, a TV extravaganza in which Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill a monster. To win means endless glory; to lose means death. In ten seasons, no one has ever won.

When the gorgeous, mysterious Theseus arrives at the competition and asks Ariadne to help him to victory, she doesn’t expect to fall for him. He might be acting interested in her just to boost ratings. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and she can help him survive. If he wins, the contest would end for good. But if she helps him, she doesn’t just endanger her family’s empire—the monster would have to die. And for Ariadne, his life might be the only one worth saving.

Ariadne’s every move is watched by the public and predestined by the gods, so how can she find a way to forge her own destiny and save the people she loves?"

This was a nice escape from reality for a bit! I wanted to read it because it had a lot of elements I like: retellings, mythology, reality TV, competitions... and it delivered on all of that for me! The synopsis is accurate: it does feel like the Kardashians (or what little I know about them, since I don't watch their show or anything), with Ariadne's two sisters famous for their, um, anatomy and the things they may or may not be willing to do on camera, and their mother pretty much running their lives and focused only on making them all famous... They all live in a huge palace with cameras following their every move, and everything revolves around The Labyrinth Contest and its ratings.

The romance between Ariadne and Theseus was a bit... eh, for me. It didn't really do anything for me. I know it's part of the story and it explains why Ariadne would be willing to help him, but I just didn't really feel it while I was reading. It's said a few times that it's Eros (god of love) who's making people fall in love, and that's kind of how it felt: someone else was telling them they should be in love, so they were.

But honestly, I didn't need the romance, because I thought the best part of the book was Ariadne's interactions with the monster. Her motivations for wanting to care for and protect him were really well explained and I loved reading the parts where she went down to the maze to be with him.

The ending wraps up a bit neatly, but it felt right for this kind of book - an escape from reality. When I'm reading a book to escape, I want everything to work out and end on a positive note, and I got that here. It definitely left me with good vibes. 


Final verdict: I liked it! I thought this book was good! I enjoyed reading it and I would probably recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for providing me with a review copy.
My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

Review: Berserker by Emmy Laybourne

Berserker
by Emmy Laybourne

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 352
Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Publication date: October 10, 2017
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fantasy, western, Norse mythology



First in the Berserker series. From Goodreads:

"Are Hanne's powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?

Her brother Stieg swears their powers are a gift from the old gods, but Hanne Hemstad knows she is truly cursed. It's not Stieg's fault that their father is dead, their mother has left, and their brother Knut has been accused of a crime he didn't commit.

No, the fault lies with Hanne and her inability to control her murderous "gift"--she is a Berserker. When someone she loves is threatened, she flies into a killing state. The siblings must leave Norway for the American frontier or risk being brought to justice.

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

Will they be able to reach their uncle, the one man Hanne believes may be able to teach her how to control her drive to kill? With Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, presents her vision of an American west studded with Viking glory."

I mean, I was sold at "American west studded with Viking glory," but I loved this one! Really well done historical fiction, making the small frontier American towns come alive with all their dust and dirt and hard-scrabbleness. (...is that a word? meh, I like it, I'm keeping it.) There's also a lot of wild west type stuff - shootouts! saloons! loyal horses! dog companions! And with Norse mythology mixed in! I loved it all!!

It was so interesting to see how the siblings used their "gifts" and how they felt about them. There's just enough romance between Hanne and the "young cowboy," Owen - I was more into the siblings' story and their adventures traveling from Norway towards their uncle in Montana, but Owen's appearance in the story added to rather than distracted from their storyline, for me. Hanne truly was on her own adventure and just happened to find a guy she liked along the way, rather than being a character who only existed to have a romance, and I loved that.

The *only* small tiny thing that bothered me a bit was the author sometimes did just a liiiittle too much telling rather than showing for my taste - she would kind of spell out how a character was thinking or feeling rather than writing it in a way that let us learn it on our own, or feel it along with the character. But that didn't keep me from enjoying the book, just something that stood out to me here and there... Because when she did let us feel things with the characters, it was so powerful. Man, the regret and shame Hanne feels when her powers get away from her and she realizes what terrible violent things she's done... I really felt it along with her, and I love when an author can do that. 

All in all, I really enjoyed my first western historical fantasy! It sounded awesome but I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did, and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the duology, Ransacker, published in January 2019, where Hanne's sister Sissel discovers she has a gift too. (Not-so-spoiler alert: she's a Ransacker, which means she has a gift for finding precious metals... and here she is, right in the middle of Gold Rush era America, surrounded by some new characters who *shocker* may not have her best interests at heart... Yessss dramaaaaa I am here for it...)



Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.

{ I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

{ Waiting on Wednesday } April 4, 2018

Man. It's been so long since I've done one of these, and that makes me sad because I love them! It's so fun to see what everyone is looking forward to reading!


{ Waiting on Wednesday } is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we can share upcoming releases that we just can't wait to get our hands on.



Beyond a Darkened Shore
by Jessica Leake

Expected publication date: April 10, 2018
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy, mythology



From Goodreads:

"The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores.

The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world.

Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world.

With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all."

This sounds like a mix of fantasy, history, and Celtic/Norse mythology. And I've heard fairies too? Um, yes please. To all of the above. I'm so glad this comes out on the 10th so I don't have to wait for it any longer!!



What reads are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Ink
by Amanda Sun

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 369
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: June 25, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mythology



First in the Paper Gods series. From Goodreads:

"On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive."

{ I received this as an ebook ARC from NetGalley. }


For me, Ink's strengths are its dedication to sharing Japanese culture and its use of such an intriguing mythology. First, the detail that Sun put into bringing Shizuoka to life was so great. I've been fascinated with Japanese culture for quite some time, so I really enjoyed seeing Japan through Katie's eyes, a gaijin learning her way around a new school in a new city with a completely different way of life.

Second, the mythology. Paper gods? That's pretty awesome. I loved the scenes where ink dripped and drawings came to life. I haven't read a book with a paranormal aspect quite like this one before, which made it really interesting and exciting.

But I hate to say I kind of lost interest in Ink towards the end when Katie and Tomo got mixed up in two different groups fighting for Tomo's powers. Which is weird, because I feel like this is where the book was really picking up and I should have been really into it. But I kept wanting to just flip back and sit with Tomo and his drawings again.

From the synopsis for the next book in the series, Rain (due out in June 2014), it sounds like the attention is back on Tomo and his connection to the gods (and Katie's connection too), so I feel like I might like Rain more than Ink. Not that Ink was bad - I just didn't really like the direction it took at the end. I know it needed conflict and I'm sure plenty of readers found the run-in with a notorious Japanese group really exciting, but it just didn't do it for me. But I am looking forward to reading Rain and seeing where things go from here.


Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

{ Ink book trailer }

{ More about Amanda Sun }

Amanda Sun's Goodreads profile
Amanda Sun's website
Follow Amanda Sun on Twitter
Follow Amanda Sun on Facebook

{ Paper Gods series }

Book 1: Ink 








Book 2: Rain 
Expected release date: June 24, 2014

New Release Round-Up: March 10-16, 2014

Young Adult


Don't Even Think About It
by Sarah Mlynowski

Release date: March 11, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Suggested tags: young adult, contemporary, paranormal



From Goodreads:

"Contemporary teen fiction with romance, secrets, scandals, and ESP from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have).

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening."

The Shadow Prince
by Bree Despain

Release date: March 11, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 512
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy, mythology



First in the Into the Dark series. From Goodreads:

"Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Hope Is a Ferris Wheel
by Robin Herrera

Release date: March 11, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 272
Publisher: Amulet Books
Suggested tags: middle grade, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Ten-year-old Star Mackie lives in a trailer park with her flaky mom and her melancholy older sister, Winter, whom Star idolizes. Moving to a new town has made it difficult for Star to make friends, when her classmates tease her because of where she lives and because of her layered blue hair. But when Star starts a poetry club, she develops a love of Emily Dickinson and, through Dickinson’s poetry, learns some important lessons about herself and comes to terms with her hopes for the future.

With an unforgettable voice with a lot of heart, Hope Is a Ferris Wheel is the story of a young girl who learns to accept her family and herself while trying to make sense of the world around her."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week:

Review: My Date From Hell by Tellulah Darling

My Date From Hell
by Tellulah Darling

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 288
Publisher: Te Da Media
Publication date: October 31, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mythology



Second in The Blooming Goddess Trilogy. From Goodreads:

"Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.

Yeah, right.

With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?

The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.

Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?

The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly."

{ I was kindly provided an ebook ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review. }


Ok. It is now official. Anything Tellulah Darling writes, I will devour. I was a big fan of the first book in this trilogy, My Ex From Hell (you can read my review here), so I was very excited (reality: I freaked the heck out) when the fabulous author herself invited me to join the Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney and read book 2! My Date From Hell brings us right back to the saga of Sophie and Kai as they work out their own issues along with their budding romance, and some pretty epic battles with other gods and goddesses too.

First of all, Sophie and Kai, since their issues are kind of central to the story: I love the on-again,-off-again-ness of their relationship. They struggle against each other, yet they're pulled together (literally, at some points). Throughout the book, Sophie fights the feeling that Kai is not really into her, but rather acting on his feelings for Persephone, which made my heart break for her. (SPOILER - highlight to read: Although the events between her and Kai later in the book TOTALLY made up for it! So many adorable moments!)

On that note, I really liked seeing Sophie struggle to separate herself from Persephone - it felt real, and despite the fact that I've never been in any situation remotely close to being a reincarnated goddess with missing memories, I could relate to her. She's trying to make her own path, to shake off what others expect her to be and do... and really, who can't relate to that at some point in their lives? I feel like we get to see Sophie grow a bit and start to find herself in My Date From Hell. There's also plenty of sarcasm and snark from Sophie too. She had a lot of great moments in the book, but the scene at prom was one of my favorites. I felt like it really captured that sort of blindingly wonderful bliss of high school first love, along with Sophie's trademark spunk... one of her friends is in mortal danger, but Sophie still takes a moment for herself:

I'm not saying I was a good person for dancing but yeah, I took the four minutes that the damn song lasted and danced.

We also get introduced to some awesome new characters, including Festos, who might just be my favorite character in the series so far. (Seriously. Read this book and tell me you don't LOVE Festos.) (SPOILER - highlight to read: And then try and tell me you don't LOVE Theo and Festos together too! I wasn't sure about their relationship at first, since Festos was just introduced in this book and I thought it might feel too rushed, but it didn't - it was done just right!) Pierce is a great new character also. (SPOILER - highlight to read: Although I wasn't crazy about the Pierce + Hannah pairing. They were cute together, but it didn't feel as natural as Sophie + Kai or Theo + Festos.)

And there is lots of interaction with other gods and goddesses, including battles, torture, mind trips, trickery, and other god/goddess-induced mayhem. I loved the scenes in the first book with the gods and goddesses, and I thought the scenes in this book were even better! Aphrodite and Hermes are introduced, and they're both great. I tore through the pages that covered Hermes's twisted game (which was awesome).

And that ENDING. God(s and goddesses) help me. That was intense. I can't wait to see how Sophie's story wraps up! The next book, My Life From Hell, is due out in 2014!


Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

{ More about Tellulah Darling }

Tellulah Darling's website
Tellulah Darling's Goodreads profile
Follow Tellulah Darling on Twitter
Follow Tellulah Darling on Facebook

{ The Blooming Goddess Trilogy }

Book 1: My Ex From Hell 
Read my review!







Book 2: My Date From Hell 







Book 3: My Life From Hell 
Expected release date: March 20, 2014

Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney Challenge #1

We've been given Challenge #1 in the Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney!

Decide in which tropical location here on Earth, Kai first kidnapped Persephone all those years ago. Then find a photo of that place and tweet the photo along with the following message.

#SassyGirlSwoonyGodTourney http://bit.ly/1cNXx2b Kai kidnapped Persephone here. #MyDateFromHell

When I think "tropical," I think Tahiti. It's so exotic and gorgeous. I think it's the perfect place for Kai to kidnap Persephone!

#SassyGirlSwoonyGodTourney – spread the word.

Tellulah Darling's Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney

Woo!! I'm a part of this! I'm so crazy excited!! :D

So, background info: I'm a pretty big fan of Tellulah Darling. She writes such fun, spunky books. The first one I read was Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls (read my review here), and then through Netgalley I got to read the first book in the Blooming Goddess Trilogy, My Ex From Hell (read my review here). I was totally hooked on her trademark snarky style mixed with a creative take on Greek mythology in the first book in the series, so I was thrilled when she offered to let me read the second book, My Date From Hell, and invited me into the Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney!

Over the course of 6 weeks, us tourney participants will be getting video challenges that we can take part in. In mid-October, we'll be posting our reviews of My Date From Hell. And there will be prizes too! The fabulous Ms. Darling is offering:
- a signed copy of My Date From Hell
- a T-shirt with a design of one of Kai's tattoos
- a character named after the winner in the final book of the trilogy

(That last one made me do a little dance in my chair. How awesome would it be to have a character named after you in a series you really enjoy??)

The first challenge has already been posted - I need to get on the ball! I'm so excited to get into the tourney! I love getting the chance to really be invested in books I read. Thanks for the opportunity, Tellulah Darling! :)

#SassyGirlSwoonyGodTourney – spread the word.

Review: My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling

My Ex From Hell
by Tellulah Darling

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 272
Publisher: Te Da Media
Publication date: April 1, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mythology



First in The Blooming Goddess Trilogy. From Goodreads:

"Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)
b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a romantic comedy/Greek mythology smackdown. Romeo and Juliet had it easy."

{ I received this as an ebook ARC from NetGalley. }


I got hooked on Tellulah Darling's style when I read Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls (you can read my review here), so I was really looking forward to My Ex from Hell - and it did not disappoint! Her snarky humor and witty banter make this one just as fun and addictive as Sam Cruz.

I can't really add anything to that awesome synopsis up there. If you read that and you think the story sounds interesting and you like the style that it's written in, then you must pick up My Ex from Hell, like, immediately, because you will love it. It's got a hilarious narrator (Sophie), snappy one-liners, and quirky side characters (the "psycho nymph" mentioned in the synopsis was one of my favorites). Also, it has some interesting and elaborate settings (the trip to the Underworld was fun, and I thought the labyrinth scene was really well done - I was glued to my Kindle reading that part) and a pretty epic battle scene towards the end.

I loved Sophie's BFFs, Hannah and Theo. They really brought a lot to the story and had distinct and endearing personalities. Kai... I'm kind of torn. I like the idea of him and Sophie together, and I liked their on-again, off-again type relationship as it formed throughout the book... but Kai's actions at the end of the book left me shocked. (SPOILER - highlight to read: There's got to be some kind of *something* behind Kai's betrayal, right? He had to have a good reason for leaving Sophie to die, right? I'm hoping so. And I'm hoping he redeems himself in the next book. Because right now I'm kind of hating him.)

My Ex from Hell pretty much solidified my Tellulah Darling fan status. I can't wait to read the next book in the Blooming Goddess Trilogy, My Date from Hell, which is due out October 31, 2013!


Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

{ More about Tellulah Darling }

Tellulah Darling's website
Tellulah Darling's Goodreads profile

{ The Blooming Goddess Trilogy }

Book 1: My Ex From Hell 







Book 2: My Date From Hell 
Read my review!






Book 3: My Life From Hell 
Expected release date: March 20, 2014

Teaser Tuesdays: May 21, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Each Tuesday, you grab the book you're reading, open to a random page, and share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page.
NO SPOILERS - make sure the sentences you pick don't give too much away!

My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling "Am I going to be left out of stuff now? The mere mortal as you two very important deities do your high and mighty god stuff?" {ebook ARC, 46%}

My Ex From Hell
by Tellulah Darling

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 272
Publisher: Te Da Media
Publication date: April 1, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, mythology


First in The Blooming Goddess Trilogy. From Goodreads:

"Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)
b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a romantic comedy/Greek mythology smackdown. Romeo and Juliet had it easy."

New Release Round-Up: May 6-12, 2013

Young Adult


The 5th Wave
by Rick Yancey

Release date: May 7, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 480
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Suggested tags: young adult, dystopia, science fiction



First in The 5th Wave series. From Goodreads:

"The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

Reboot
by Amy Tintera

Release date: May 7, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, science fiction



First in the Reboot series. From Goodreads:

"Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Loki's Wolves
by K.L. Armstrong, M.A. Marr

Release date: May 7, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy, mythology



Part of the The Blackwell Pages series. From Goodreads:

"In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters--wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world.

The gods died a long time ago.

Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history--because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke.

However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids--led by Matt--will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world."

The Reluctant Assassin
by Eoin Colfer

Release date: May 7, 2013
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 304
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Suggested tags: middle grade, science fiction, time travel



First in the W.A.R.P. series. From Goodreads:

"Riley, a teen orphan boy living in Victorian London, has had the misfortune of being apprenticed to Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims' dwellings. On one such escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along and urges him to commit his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit the grisly act when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP) Riley is unwittingly transported via wormhole to modern day London, followed closely by Garrick.

In modern London, Riley is helped by Chevron Savano, a seventeen-year-old FBI agent sent to London as punishment after a disastrous undercover, anti-terrorist operation in Los Angeles. Together Riley and Chevie must evade Garrick, who has been fundamentally altered by his trip through the wormhole. Garrick is now not only evil, but he also possesses all of the scientist's knowledge. He is determined to track Riley down and use the timekey in Chevie's possession to make his way back to Victorian London where he can literally change the world."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: