A Kid's Perspective: Judging a Book By Its Cover #6

A Kid's Perspective: Judging a Book By Its Cover is a feature hosted by Sara @ Forever 17 Books where Sara gets her six year old son Shawn's perspective on a few Young Adult covers.

Hello everyone, my sister is finally back with another interpretation of a YA book cover. My sister hadn't done one of these posts since September, (this was largely due to the Disney channel), but according to my sister because nothing caught her eye on my shelf. But I've been on a bit of a book splurge as of late, so hopefully my sister will have more frequent posts for you guys. So without further ado, the book my sister picked out was...

I think The Madman's Daughter is about a mad scientist, who has a daughter. His daughter is normal until one day she realises that she has these strange habits. It's from here that she realises she's mad like her father. But she's only half mad and half normal. Her strange habits is to do with hearts and in the story she's always trying to control her madness.

I actually started this book the other day and really like the interpretation my sister has come up with. Her obsession with hearts I think does a great job of getting the sinister vibe that the book is trying to convey. 

Review: Goodbye Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell

Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Publication date: October 1st 2013
My rating: 3 stars 

Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself.  

Rebecca Blue or Rebel as she prefers to be known as is a rebel; she’s been a rebel at heart since a young age. Instead of going to school as a regular child, she was “home schooled” whist she and her mum travelled. Her mum was a photographer and loved taking shots in the moment. However the care free fun life that Rebel led was soon ripped away when her mum died and she had to go live with her uncle and family. Rebel still had the rebellious side to her growing up; she streaked her hair blue, was barely passing at school and just floating by through life. That was until Kennedy Green and her bucket list strolled into her life. After one life changing detention with Kennedy, Kennedy ends up crashing her car and leaving behind a bucket list only Rebel knows about. Rebel wasn’t a friend of Kennedy, but she feels like she’s left with all the responsibility of checking off some of the items off the list.

Deciding to attempt some of the items of Kennedy’s bucket list was a sort of life changing experience for Rebel. It made her want to become more involved and actually wake up and take notice of things around her. Things weren’t all that bad, she had a family who cared about her and provided a roof over her head and a friend in Macey who needed a comfort and encouragement the most at this time. Also by doing some of these things off Kenney’s list, they made Rebel attempt things she would never have considered; planting trees at her school, volunteering, taking up running and meeting Nate. Nate was the best thing that could have happened to Rebel. I just wished she would quit continually pushing him away and cutting him short when he was speaking the truth and she thought she was lying. Through Nate, she also got to meet his family and learn some great life lessons along the away.

Rebel went through a pretty big learning curve in Goodbye Rebel Blue, and despite her trying her hardest to not want to be part of it was an important thing that she had to do. There is great character growth along the way for Rebel; nice escapades of watching her complete her tasks and some eye opening scenes too. Goodbye Rebel Blue may not have been one of my most memorable reads of the year, but it’s a poignant story nonetheless.

Cover Fever #3

 

Hello readers.  Jasprit and I are back for another edition of Cover Fever. Below is a book that I haven't read yet, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, but I've always drooled over the US Cover. The book was brought back to my attention with Siiri over at Little Pieces of Imagination reviewed it.  Take a look and tell me you don't think it's lovely! 

             US Cover                               Re-issued Paperback Cover 

  French Cover                                Spanish Cover

Rachel: I still salivate over that gorgeous US cover! From the vivid colors of the flowers against the muted lush green forest, to the girl in the simple cotton dress.  It's just beautiful!  Even the font and scrolling in the title and then the top part: The Cahill Witch Chronicles with lovely side bits of design. If I picked a cover for a book I wrote, this would be it.  Perfection! The other covers don't come close, IMO, but if I had to choose a second it would be the French cover. I appreciate the pretty girls in capes with scrolling overlaid at the bottom.

Rachel's Final Verdict:
The original US cover. Hands down.

Jasprit: I think that the US cover is absolutely gorgeous, without even knowing what this book is about, I know I would immediately be drawn to this book in a bookstore. The colours of the cover and cursive font I find highly appealing. I'm not really a fan of the re-issued paperback, to me it doesn't really stand out amongst all the paranormally witch themed books out there. I actually don't mind the French cover either, I used to love the show Charmed, so I like the vibe I'm getting off this book. And whereas the Spanish cover is pretty neat, I think it would probably appeal more to my younger sister.

Jasprit's Final Verdict: The pretty US cover for sure. 

Which book cover would you like to have on your shelves?

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: November 26th 2013
My rating: 3.5 stars 

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

I’ve been a huge fan of Katie McGarry since Pushing the Limits and then Dare to Me so I’ve been anxiously awaiting Isaiah’s story.  While Crash Into You wasn’t my favorite of the three it was still a compelling read.

When we last left Isaiah he was angry and hurt by Beth.  They had been best friends but with Isaiah always hoping for more.  Unfortunately, Beth didn’t feel the same. Because he doesn’t want to stay with Beth’s aunt and uncle anymore, Isaiah is now on his own renting a crappy apartment with Noah, but barely getting by.  Trying to stay afloat he gets embroiled in a street race gone wrong and this is where he meets Rachel and is completely knocked over: 

God does exist and he sent an angel in a white Mustang to prove it.

Rachel comes from privilege and wealth and from all outside appearances she leads a perfect life. But if you look closer, she’s quite a mess.  She was conceived basically as a replacement for a sister who died of cancer, so she lives in her shadow. Trying to live up to expectations and fill the hole left in her family, there’s no room for the real Rachel, and she suffers panic attacks from all the pressure.  Real Rachel loves cars, working on them and driving them fast. This is how she meets Isaiah. 

Isaiah and Rachel’s lives become intertwined and even though they come from very different social circles, there’s an immediate attraction. Because Rachel has led such a sheltered life she’s socially awkward and very different from any girl Isaiah has met. He finds her innocence and honesty refreshing.  There are no games when it comes to Rachel. Isaiah is used to everyone having an ulterior motive or only looking out for themselves with the exception of Noah and Echo, so the fact that Rachel worries and cares what happens to him touches him deeply. The fact that Isaiah sees Rachel how she really is and likes it fills her with joy.  In his eyes she’s strong, capable and far from the weakling her family considers her to be. There shared passion for cars just seals the deal for these two and it’s not long before they’ve fallen head over heels.

“You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I'm awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you."

With danger, expectations, and self-doubt, Isaiah and Rachel’s relationship is not smooth sailing.  However, Ms. McGarry has a talent for writing swoony scenes that make your heart race, and she manages to gift us with these juicy moments often, in between all the drama.

Like I said in the outset Crash Into Me wasn’t my favorite of the three and I think it’s partially because so much is going on not any one thing is dealt with in depth.  There was the drama of Isaiah’s mother coming back into his life, Isaiah trying to make it on his own, and then we have Rachel with her family troubles and resulting panic attacks. On top of all that Rachel and Isaiah have a street racing thug after them for money.  Add in their romance, and I just think there were too many issues to do any one of them justice, even with the near 500 page count.

I’m still a huge fan of Katie McGarry. I don’t expect an author to write a 5 star story for me every time, and even with my issues was a very addictive read.  I’m still anxious to read anything she writes, and I can’t wait for West’s story next!

Connect with Katie McGarry:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Review & Giveaway: The Chocolate Thief (Amour et Chocolat #1) by Laura Florand

The Chocolate Thief (Amour et Chocolat #1) by Laura Florand
Narrated by Teri Clark Linden
Publisher: Audible/Kensington Books
Publication date: July 31st 2012
Length: 11 hrs 12 minutes
My rating: 4.5 stars 

Paris

Breathtakingly beautiful, the City of Light seduces the senses, its cobbled streets thrumming with possibility. For American Cade Corey, it's a dream come true, if only she can get one infuriating French chocolatier to sign on the dotted line. . .

Chocolate

Melting, yielding yet firm, exotic, its secrets are intimately known to Sylvain Marquis. But turn them over to a brash American waving a fistful of dollars? Jamais. Not unless there's something much more delectable on the table. . .

Stolen Pleasure

Whether confections taken from a locked shop or kisses in the dark, is there anything sweeter?

Reading (listening to) the The Chocolate Thief was a heady and sensual experience.  Laura Florand completely bewitched me with her decadent descriptions of chocolate: making, tasting, and consuming and thoroughly swept me off my feet with a romance to die for. Oh my heart, Sylvain!!

Cade Corey’s family is famous for their Corey Chocolate Bars sold all over the world making her family worth billions.  However, it’s been Cade’s dream to make a premium line of chocolate rather than her mass produced family’s bar.  To make this dream come true she hunts down the number one chocolatier in Paris, Sylvain Marquis, in hopes of hiring him to develop this line for Corey Chocolate.  Cade is already half in love with Sylvain before she meets him because of his ability to turn chocolate into culinary masterpieces. She doesn’t count on him being quite so darkly handsome as well!  Unfortunately their meeting is a disaster. Sylvain is insulted that Cade would ever think he’d put his name on a mass produced line.  He’s rude and arrogant when he rejects her offer, and Cade is humiliated and hurt! Harebrained ideas and the bad influence of a loving, but mischievous grandfather have Cade cooking up a plan to break into Sylvain’s laboratroire and steal his chocolate. And this is where things get interesting! 

This story was a pure delight.  The romance completely seduced me. Sylvain and Cade start off hating each other, but we all know that line between love and hate is so very thin!  

It excited the hell out of him when she looked at him like that, all silk and luxury and control but her blue eyes bubbling with the desire to strangle him. Go ahead, he thought. Launch yourself across that table and go for my throat. We can grapple together anytime you like.

Sylvain hates the idea that Cade thinks she can buy anything, including him with money, yet the fact that she’s so seemingly obsessed with him and his chocolate draws him to her.   Sylvain does come off as an arrogant jerk, and he is arrogant—about his chocolate, but underneath the surface his vulnerability shows through.  The story gives insights into his thinking and his vulnerabilities.  When he utters the most offensive things and puts his foot in it with Cade, we immediately see how he wants to kick himself.  In some ways he’s still the awkward, gangly teenager trying to get the girl, and getting his heart broken which completely endeared me to him.  This quote totally won me over:

He wanted to find that one person and just give her all of him, his heart, his head, his body. He wanted the sound and scent of her in their apartment, he wanted to be cooking with her in the kitchen, he wanted babies eventually, waking them up every two hours and leaving toys for him to trip over.

Cade in turn is enthralled by Sylvain, his way of life, his talent, but he infuriates her with his arrogance.  She does see the other side of him, though, with gestures that melt her heart. These two are intensely drawn to each other and it’s not long that they can resist the pull. Oh, I loved it when they didn’t resist! Aside from all of that, Cade wants to live a life like Sylvain, passionately, and leaving her corporate life behind before it sucks the light out of her.

The prose in The Chocolate Thief was gorgeous.  Chocolate is a huge part of this story and the descriptions of it and the romance, a lot of the times simultaneously, brought a dreamy, sensual feel to the story.  Plus, the setting of Paris was sublime making me feel like I was there.  I used my Google Translate App, on my phone, frequently to translate phrases in the book, and I highly recommend doing that.  It brought so much to the story.  You can even have the phrases read back to you on your phone after typing them in. I listened to the audio version, but I would switch back and forth between the e-book and audio frequently, especially when I wanted to look up the phrases in French.  I took my time getting through The Chocolate Thief, re-reading passages I had just listened to on the way home, because I loved this story so much.  Like I said, it bewitched me entirely! Teri Clark Linden’s narration and pronunciation of French was lovely. The only bits I wasn’t entirely won over with was Sylvain’s talking parts.  The cadence was a little slow, but everything else was superb. 

I must thank Keertana @Ivy Book Bindings for her amazing review! If not for her I wouldn't have picked this book up.   

I loved this story so much I have to give away a copy to one lucky reader!  Simply fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Must be 18 to enter.  The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as The Book Depository ships to you.  Click HERE for a list of countries.