[Waiting on Wednesday] The Book of Ivy

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming can't wait to read.

Series: the Book of Ivy #1
Author: Amy Engel
Genre: young adult, dystopia, romance, science fiction, post apocalyptic
Expected Publication: November 11, 2014

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.  

This year, it is my turn.  

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.  

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy. 

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

[REVIEW] Dead Girl Walking

Series: Royal Reaper #1
Author: Ruth Silver
Genre: young adult, romance, paranormal, supernatural, fantasy
Published: April 24, 2014
Publisher: Patchwork Press

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Forget everything you know about grim reapers. 

Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she's brutally murdered. 

Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.

[Waiting on Wednesday] Challenger Deep

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming can't wait to read.

Series: N/A
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: young adult
Expected Publication: April 21, 2015

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench. 

Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior. 

Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence, to document the journey with images. 

Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head. 

Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn. 

A captivating and powerful novel that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by one of today's most admired writers for teens.

[REVIEW] The Girl Who Came Back to Life

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: N/A
Author: Craig Staufenberg
Genre: middle grade, fantasy, adventure
Published: April 16, 2014
Publisher: Createspace
Purchase: Amazon

A book about love and loss, and how to live in a world filled with both... 

When you die, your spirit wakes in the north, in the City of the Dead. There, you wander the cold until one of your living loved ones finds you, says "Goodbye," and Sends you to the next world.  

After her parents die, 12-year-old Sophie refuses to release their spirits. Instead, she resolves to travel to the City of the Dead to bring her mother and father's spirits back home with her.  

Taking the long pilgrimage north with her gruff & distant grandmother-by train, by foot, by boat; over ruined mountains and plains and oceans-Sophie struggles to return what death stole from her. Yet the journey offers her many hard, unexpected lessons-what to hold on to, when to let go, and who she must truly bring back to life.

[Book Blitz] Confessions of a Teenage Rape Survivor

full blitz schedule can be found at Itching for Books

Series: N/A

Author: Holly Dae
Genre: contemporary
Published: October 16, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Before she was raped, almost sixteen-year-old Allison Sommer knew exactly what she wanted and was in total control of her life. Get through high school, go to college to appease her dad, somehow stay fit, lithe, and athletic through all the stress and become a professional cheerleader. Normal teenage stuff. Simple. At least it was simple before she was raped.  

Now Allison's whole life is out of her control. She can't trust in her own choices, can't rationalize anything anymore, so she just goes through the motions, hoping that eventually she'll go back to normal, can stop pretending. That doesn't happen, especially when she's forced to reveal what happened to her family and closest friends. 

On the MTV commercials and reality shows that emphasize that she has nothing to be ashamed of and guide viewers to some website like don't-be-a-victim.comand a support hotline, no one warns her that the aftermath is more difficult than the rape itself, that her family's efforts to be supportive make her feel more alone and confused. 

And being raped has more devastating consequences than Allison ever imagined, forcing her to make one of the most difficult decisions she's ever had to make. It should be a no-brainer, everyone says, but being raped makes Allison question everything and everyone she thought she could trust. 

Either way, Allison won't let anyone force her to do anything again, not like her rapists did, even if it makes her already difficult enough circumstance more difficult. Uncensored and unflinchingly honest, these are the confessions of a teenage rape survivor.

[REVIEW] Following Zippy

full tour schedule can be found at Itching for Books

Series: N/A
Author: C.B.Burdette
Genre: young adult, realistic fiction
Published: July 2014
Publisher: Flower Child Publishing
Purchase: Amazon

At fifteen most kids only have to worry about their homework or the style of their shoes. Gabe Perkins isn't most kids. When diagnosed with a terminal illness, he begins to make friends with a girl so ethereal, he starts to question his own sanity.

[STACKING THE SHELVES] my pre-sembreak book haul

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted at Tynga’s Reviews.

Sooooo this post is more like my comeback + update post! :D

The semester just ended and I’m crossing my fingers for a great outcome (Dean’s Lister please >_<). After those tiring and sleepless weeks, I’ve decided that I’ll dedicate my three-week vacation to enjoying myself – reading + watching anime! First off, here’s my book haul!

Cinder + Scarlet. AND you can all say FINALLY! Yes, finally I have my copy of Cinder and Scarlet. I’ll definitely read them later on this year. I won’t be getting Cress anytime soon since I’ll be getting it in paperback (yes, I’m a bit OC… I NEED my books in the same edition).
The Dark Side of Nowhere. I got this on an unexpected book sale and I feel really great after grabbing another Shusterman book :)
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares. I’ve been eyeing this book ever since I saw it in goodreads and I’m really glad to finally get this. I got this along with the Dark Side of Nowhere.
The Young Elites. Paperback copy because I can’t find the hardcover one && I don’t really have so much money lately… but either way, I am so glad to get it the moment it came out… at exactly Oct7 here in the Philippines! XD that was totally unexpected (and I was actually looking for another book when I saw this).
A Thousand Pieces of You. Soooo this was another book I’ve been meaning to grab. I was expecting this on November and seeing it this early really pumped me up. I can’t wait to read this soon along with the Young Elites! AND I bought this because I was thinking of going to Claudia Gray’s book signing :3 Who’s going? :D