...To Be Continued in 2012!

photo by Elements of Persuasion

While browsing my "must-reads" for 2012, I realized there are quite a few books that happen to be follow ups to a new series that I started reading this year.  Below are a few of those, second in the series, must-reads that will be published in 2012.

This past year introduced me to a lot of new authors & genres in YA lit.  I found myself immersed in some of these stories and can not freaking wait to read what happens next for these characters.  Share your thoughts in the comments if you've read any of the books prior to these. Or, if you have not read any of them yet, then perhaps this post will entice you to do so.  2012 can not get here fast enough!!!!

*WARNING: some of these book descriptions may contain spoilers if you have not read the previous book.

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

January 24, 2012

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. {taken from goodreads.com}

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

March 6, 2012

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again. {taken from goodreads.com}

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

May 28, 2012

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. {taken from goodreads.com}

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

June 19, 2012

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought. {taken from goodreads.com}

More sequels to be continued in 2012:

A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young - July 2012
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer #2 by Michelle Hodkin - 2012
Shatter Me #2 by Tahereh Mafi - 2012
The Eve Trilogy #2 by Anna Carey - 2012
Shine (Shade #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready - May 1, 2012 (I know it's the 3rd in the series, but it's HIGHLY anticipated in my to-be-read pile for 2012 & I wanted to mention it!) 

A list has been created on goodreads of several more 2012 YA/MG Sequels.  Click here to view that list.

I receive a small commission from books purchased through the Amazon links provided.

Delirium Giveaway WINNER!!!

Thank you SO much to everyone who entered my giveaway for a signed copy of Delirium! I was blown away by the response! Over 100 entries!! But then again, we are talking about a pretty AWESOME book & author!

There was a slight hiccup with this giveaway though... due to bad weather, I was unable to meet Lauren Oliver. Boo! However.. a little birdy reminded me that she had left some signed copies behind at the Andersons Bookstore in Chicago.  So what did I do? I picked up the phone & got you that book I promised!  From one fan to another.. ENJOY Delirium! It is, by far, my most favorite read at the moment :-) So on to the winner (in which I chose using random.org & yes! I am showing proof this time! lol)...

CONGRATS JAMIE!!!!

Jamie from writers write, right? is lucky #49!

Lauren Oliver Signing - TONIGHT!

**UPDATE: Unfortuntely due to the winter weather storm that is rolling in later today/tonight - Blue Willow had to cancel the Lauren Oliver event!  I'm sad, but I totally understand why.  Houstonians are not equipped to handle this weather!  So I wouldn't want anyone out in it.  Best of luck to Lauren in her travels!  I hope this bad weather leaves her path soon!!!

I am so, so excited to be meeting this lovely lady tonight! Lauren Oliver is fabulous.  If you have not read her books yet, GO DO IT NOW. Seriously. I'm not sure I've gushed over a book as much as I have when it comes to Delirium.  That book is epic. 

The awesome peeps at Blue Willow Bookshop will be hosting this event!  If you're in or around the Houston area, you should definitely stop by.  This indie bookstore is cute & quaint and perfect for intimate book signings.  I have a feeling tonight's might be crowded - good thing I'm going early!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Delirium! Yes, I will be picking up a copy for one of my very lucky readers!  Hurry! Contest ends tomorrow.  Click here to enter.

Delirium Giveaway *Signed*

Who wants a signed copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver?!

This book has already generated so much buzz through out the book bloggers world, that I am BEYOND excited to be giving a copy away to one lucky reader!

I will be attending the Lauren Oliver signing here in Houston on Feb. 3rd & plan to pick up a copy for one of you!  If you'd like to get your hands on this, then please fill out the form below! Good Luck!!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my review for Delirium here.

Giveaway Rules:

*Open to US/Canada residents only

*Giveaway ends Friday, Feb. 4, 2011

*One entry per person

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love. 
{taken from goodreads.com}

 

I just read the final chapters of this book moments ago, so bare with me as I type this very emotional & very raw review.  Because that is exactly what it will be.

I wish there was a word that I could possibly think of to encompass my feelings about this book.  Greatness? Thought-provoking? Immaculate? Bold? Honest? Gut-wrenching?  Those are just a few words that wrap around my brain as I try to process what I just read.  Lauren Oliver has created something so powerful, that it speaks to me much further than just a book.  She has created & manifested a world so inspiring & emotional that it is no longer just words on a page.  Delirium is a piece of art that I want to frame & put on display for the whole world to see, because EVERYONE needs to experience this.

This dystopian novel is set in the future, in Portland, Maine.  The government has found a cure for what they call amor deliria nervosa.  It is a known fact that the people understand love is the ultimate disease that will infect & ruin mankind.  So when Lena is on the verge of turning 18, and set to under-go the procedure to be "cured", she feels that her life is about to change, and not in the way she always assumed it would be.  On the day of her evaluations she meets a young boy who is responsible for that change.  Could this be fate? Or is it an accident that she too is walking in the same footsteps that her own mother did, not so long ago.  Lena has spent the majority of her childhood living with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins.  She has been told that her mother was never cured & eventually the disease brought her to her death: suicide.  With these facts drilled in to Lena's brain, she is frightened of becoming her mother.  A tiny voice toys at the back of her mind & slowly creeps insider of her, revealing a world she never knew existed.  That same boy who she met on the day of her evaluations, Alex, creeps back in to her life as well.  From then on Lena is forever changed.  Lena has fallen in love.  Lena has become infected.

The world that Lauren Oliver has created pulls the reader in & makes you believe that such a place exists.  That love is the ultimate threat to society.  We see examples of how their society treats this emotion as something awful & forbidden.  We witness those who have been cured & feel saddened for the robots they have become, full of nothing, no emotion what so ever.  Their every day lives are mundane & meaningless.  Seeing this provokes an even deeper sadness for Lena & Alex.  We want them to live a happy & fulfilled life together.  They deserve it.  So when reality comes down on the both of them, decisions must be made.  Does Lena stay and follow through with the procedure, as so many others have done so before her?  Or do Alex & Lena escape beyond the borders, to a world known as the Wilds, where people do exist & carry on with a life full of love & meaning?

Reading the story through Lena's eyes, feeling her thoughts being pulled between what is right according to society & what is right for her, was beautifully tragic at times.  Imagining a life without love, without feelings, without purpose is blackness.  The answer appears to be easy, the choice is hers.  However, following through with that decision is not easy at all.  I stormed through this book in a little over 2 days.  Never wanting to put it down.  I cried.  I screamed.  I caught myself holding my breath.  Delirium will remain on my mind, seeped in to my skin, crushed in to my bones for days to come.  I can feel it.  I have definitely been infected.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.
{taken from goodreads.com}





Let me just say this first before you read my entire review.. I am probably in the minority when it comes to my opinions about this book.  I have read numerous rave reviews for this book & this author.  I even picked up this book from Barnes & Noble's 'Most Popular Teen Fiction' shelf.  I get that many people love this book.  I, however, am not one of those people.  It is very rare for me to write a review that I am not jumping up & down telling you to go read this book.  I tend to enjoy most of what I read.  And if I don't, well then I usually don't finish the book & there's no review to read. But with that being said, here is what I thought about Before I Fall...

Sam Kingston is the narrator, as we see everything through her eyes.  She is a teenage girl who once wasn't so popular, but by chance found herself at the right party at the right time & made best buds with Lindsey (the most popular girl in school).  From then on Sam surrounds herself with Lindsey & 2 other girls (Ally & Elody).  They thrive on being the best of the best.  The feeling that whenever they walk in to a room everyone stops what they're doing & just stares at them in awe.  Think Mean Girls x's 10.  They play practical jokes on the people who they view as 'beneath them'.  Some jokes go way too far though & literally push one girl over the edge (of the road).

It's just an ordinary day in Sam's life, but this day gets put on repeat seven times no matter how many changes she attempts to make in order to save her own life.  The first day ends with Sam being in a car crash with all 3 of her best friends, coming home from a party.  Sam knows she died.  But instead of waking up to the 'after life', Sam wakes up in her bed with the alarm going off signaling that the same day is starting over again.  At first we go through the motions with Sam.  She is confused as to what is happening, feels almost in a dream-like state.  But then as the days begin to repeat, she starts to realize that she has the power to change things.  One day she lives to the extreme by dressing as inappropriate as she can get away with & telling everyone the harsh truth that no one ever wants to hear.  She figures she's already going to die, so what difference does it make?  Another day she spends mourning the fact that it is her last day & wants to cherish each moment, live life to the fullest.

I had a hard time following the story at this point because I started to lose the POINT of it.  I get that the author was trying to send a message that any day can be your last day & that what you choose to do with it, is ultimately up to you.  The decisions you make & the choices you decide effect not just you, but everyone around you.  It can spiral out of your control and leave you weightless.  I felt that this message kept being repeated though & we just saw different versions of it.  It took me a good 200 pages before I even felt connected to the story.  Once there became a real connection between Sam and her childhood friend Kent, then I started to flip the pages.  I found some substance and wanted to know what happened next between the two of them.  Sadly, that is the only reason I kept reading.

I got bored with the same day scenario and how would Sam choose to live her life this time around?  Finally by the 5th or 6th day she realizes she can try to make things right & a little less painful.  The girl that I mentioned before that her & her friends tormented attempts to commit suicide at the end of each day.  Sam takes on the mission of trying to prevent this from happening.  She feels that if she can stop this one girl, then maybe it will change her ultimate outcome too.  I will not give away the ending for those who have not read it yet, but I was very disappointed in how this all wrapped up.  It just stopped.  And I didn't feel closure to the story.  Lauren Oliver could have made Sam wake up for an 8th day if she wanted to.  I guess maybe that was the point?  No matter how many chances we get, no matter what changes we make, things happen.

I know that Lauren Oliver has a new book titled Delirium that is due out in 2011.  I read Before I Fall so that I could get a sense of her writing style before I read the next one.  Some authors grab you from page 1 and pull you in immediately.  Other authors, it takes a while to simmer between the pages before it finally takes a hold of you and that may be how I feel about this author.  I applaud Lauren Oliver for writing with such depth & I do want to check out her next novel.  This one will not be on my top reads list for 2010 though.