Spooky Scares: Scary Stories Spectacular! IT'S A FRIGHTFEST!

Welcome, my prey, the Wake Up at Seven's first annual FRIGHTFEST!

And without furthur ado, Kaede presents:

Ah yes, the beauty of a story that can scare the shit out of you. I was never fond of them. *laughs*

So why did I decide to torment myself by reading all different kinds of scary books, from the ones with only spiders and bugs crawling around in a few scenes to the ones where murders and death are a common thing, you may ask.

Because of you.

Yes, you. You there who made me read scary books to review during Halloween. Yes, all of you who requested these scary books to be read that I absolutely just can't stomach. So I altered your request slightly - just slightly! And the result? A FRIGHTFEST! Oh yeah, that's right. So this is the product of certain people - I'm not naming names - constant bugging about reading a semi-scary book because apparently if I don't, I'm a chicken. *shakes head*

Whatever. Not like I care... pfft.

So this is how it's gonna work. This little post today will be longggggggggg. No point avoiding saying that. But I'll make it easy on you (see how much I love you people? And all I get in return is mean friends trying to force me to read Stephen King's scariest book written. *huffs*). This post will be split up into different sections, and at the very end, well I have everyone's favorite thing. A giveaway! Oh yeah, that's right. Kaede is gonna stop being a cheapo now...mostly. More to come on that later, my friend.

First, we must move on to the first section of this Festival of Fright. Which is...

Death and His Prey! Halloween Themed Interviews with Awesome People! 



Unfortunately, since this was kind of a last minute thing, I didn't have much of a chance to ask anyone to participate. So I truly appreciate the awesome people (hence the title) who put in the time to respond and answer my questions.

So who do I have for you guys today?

I have participation from my ridiculously nice best friends Aria & Lily and fellow anime fanatic Kristina!

ARIA:

Kaede: What is your favorite thing to do during Halloween?

Aria: Egg Kaede someone. That's always fun. [Insert Kaede rolling her eyes here.]

K: Favorite paranormal creature?

A: Vampires! EDWARDDDD!!! Only bad thing is that he sparkles. Bleh! Vampires aren't suppose to sparkle! >_<

K: Top three favorite scary books or movies? You can do a combination of both, or one.

A: Number three is a movie: Night of the Living Dead. Two and One are books: And then there were none and all the Goosebump books. Oh those where classics. And no, I did not cheat by saying all the Goosebump books. I DENY YOUR ACCUSATION.

K: Currently reading any horror, love?

A: Because Ten was soo good, I'm reading Possess by the same author, who is Gretchen McNeil! Check her outt! She's awesome.

 Thank you Aria! And of course, she has me to thank for recommending her Ten by Gretchen McNeil, which is in fact, pretty damn awesome.

LILY!

Kaede: Scariest Halloween experience?

Lily: There was a time when I was 4 and I was playing in the attic with my brother and then suddenly he disappeared. Since I was young I got really scared and started running down the stairs. Then my stupid brother appeared behind me and yelled FREAKING, "BOO!". I'm pretty sure I started crying. Not that you're sharing this answer. :l

Kaede: Do you believe in ghosts?

Lily: Hell to the no. What am I? 2? And if I did, I have mom to blame for telling me all those scary stories when I was really small.

K: Do you watch scary movies often?

L: Nah. Only when there are people over who want to. And since KAEDE *glares* NEVER wants to because she's too scared to *rolls eyes*, I rarely do. But I do love them!

K: Do you enjoy doing any traditions during Halloween that don't include teasing me and trying to strap me to a chair while you play a horror movie that runs for like 5 hours of plain torture?

L: Haha. Well, I have to say, other than craving pumkins, N-O. Cause teasing you is the funniest thing to do.

Ah well, thank you Lily! Guys, ignore her! She's rude and mean! -_-

And last but certainly not least,

KRISTINA:

Kristina has a Goodreads account, which you can find here.

Kaede: Are you huge on the creepy?

Kristina: It depends! I luv trick or treating but I can't go near any house that has any sort of bug deco. cause I'm really scared of them!

K: Favorite scary book?

Kristina: I just finished Velveteen and it was AMAZINGGGGG!!:D So I'd say that one.

K: Do you have any Halloween traditions?

Kristina: Does trick-or-treating count? Becuz I have to do that or it's not really Halloween for me!! It doesn't matter how old I am! :D

Thanks so much Kristina for participating! And yes, trick-or-treating does count. I used to love taking all the candy from people.

Well, that was that, now on to the next segment!

So I've read quite a few scary books over the course of this month. And I've read some pretty good ones, some dude-this-freaking-blew-me-away ones, and ones that were...not so blew-me-away. And I realize I can't review them all here. So what I decided to do is give some excerpts and quotes from the book or reviews you can expect coming in these next two weeks. Books are organized from level of enjoyment starting from the lowest rating - Indentured servant.

INDENTURED SERVANTS {3 stars}:

Damn right, that board is empty. All books I've read for the FRIGHTFEST! this month were FOUR stars and UP. I'd say October was a fangtastic (DO NOT roll your eyes) reading month.

THE CROWN PRINCESSES {4 stars}:

Here lies the four star books written by female authors.

*RATINGS MAY CHANGE*



DAMN THIS BOOK. Why must you be so good, book? I'm 99% certain this will be a 5 star review when the day ends. IT WAS SO. SO. GOOD! DJ;ADAS.

“Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones.”

This book wasn't as scary as I had originally planned it to be. But it was still kinda creepy and I did need to read it with the lights completely on at night. Plus, the scene when Anna's first introduced. OH MY GOD. *shivers*

“Move, hunt, kill. Like lather, rinse, and repeat.” 

Yet another book that'll probably be bumped up to a five, if not a 4.5. The first half was the shit, yo. The second half was not as good, but still freaking amazing. As expected from Michelle Hodkin. However, there were multiple scenes in which I wanted to load up twitter and ask Michelle, "Uhm, where here the heck did this come from exactly?" That's not a bad thing, by the way... ._.

"We are far too screwed up for a goddamned love triangle.”

CROWN PRINCE {4 stars}:

Here lies the prince of this year's FRIGHTFEST event! Ladies and gentlemen, may I present:

“She walks a tightrope between psycho and smokin'.”

Ah, this book, this book. What can I say other than the fact that it was flipping awesome. Should I push this up to a 5 too? I'm thinking it's more of a really high four though. Perhaps 4.5. After reading this book, if I get to meet Velveteen there, I'd happily visit purgatory. Okay, well, maybe not happily.... But I'm forced to live in purgatory forever, and Velveteen's there, I could always make her and Nick be my BFFs FOREVER and I'd be able to get my happily ever after. But I'd need to tie them down first, though. Cause I don't think this idea would sit well with Velveteen. Anyone got rope?

THE KING {5 STARS}:

See this month, there were so many possible choices I could've made. But this book, this one, made it impossible for me to select another book to fill this spot. And that's when I knew I had to give it the big prize.

With utmost pleasure, I present to you, my friends, a book that will change everything:

“You think I tell you stories to teach you lessons? the monster said. You think I have coming walking out of time and earth itself to teach you a lesson in niceness?”

Oh, Patrick Ness. How you never disappoint. I expected something amazing out of this book, and boy did I get it. I really didn't realize what I signed up for when I sat down three days ago and cracked open the first page. A Monster Calls isn't a long book, with stunning and haunting artwork woven through the stories, filling up multiple pages. And really, there isn't much I can say that hasn't been said about this fantastic work of literature. I think A Monster Calls is a book that can sell itself simply by being in your hands. Just take a look at what awaits within the pages, I encourage you:

A Monster Calls is written with a young audience as it's primary target. But it's written in the way that the respective work of J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl are, where the surface provides a compelling story, but underneath it all, it tales the tale of loneliness and uncertainty and how a young child tries to cope with it all.

CURRENTLY READING:

 

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. DUDE. You know how you're certain you found your soulmate in the realm of fictional male characters. Well you're WRONG. Cause if your choice isn't Jeb, you obviously...well...I don't know what's wrong with you. *sequel* JEBJEBJEBJEBJEB. He really brings me back to all those times I annoyed my mom with questions to why I still don't have a big brother. And even now, I crave a big brother. And Jeb's character provides me with all I need to satisfy that yearning. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. PUT IT ON YOUR PRE-ORDER LIST. I'd make this Queen of all books today but I'm not quite yet finished. I must savor this book, since I believe it isn't a series. *grumbles in disbelief*





And that ends that! One more segment before the giveaway I know you are all so interested in seeing, if you didn't already skip to the bottom, that is.

So what's the last event?

A GAME of course. Duh. Because what's a festival without a game? Especially a FRIGHT festival. So how this game works is simple. I have two contestants here, the ever so lovely Hailey and Kristina. And as judges, we have Aria, Lily, and me (of course)! What one of the judges is gonna do is give a sentence, and our two contestants have to come up with a book that they believe is most fitting to the sentence's meaning. Sounds easy? It's really not. Especially since Aria is the world's strictest judge.

"One by one, away they go, off to some place yet unknown." - Kaede



Only one choice here. Both contestants chose the same book.

"Go," said the ghost. "Death today does not suit my taste." - Lily

 
  



The Space Between - Hailey
Anna - Kristina

"Oh, sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me." - Aria





Kristina's choice



Hailey's choice

After careful precision, the judges have come to the conclusion that Kristina is the winner! Our sincerest apologizes to Hailey, as what Aria did have in mind for her part was in fact Twilight and she was ridiculously impressed that you were able to guess it. However Kristina did manage to perfectly score Lily's too, and have a very close guess for Aria's. But Lily apparently never heard of The Space Between. *sigh* Sorry Hailey! You were so close! Mine? I was going for the more modern version of And Then There Were None, which is Ten by Gretchen McNeil.

You were awesome, Hailey. Really.

Congratulations Kristina! You won a signed copy of Across the Universe by Beth Revis! I'll be contacting you shortly after this.

Lots of thanks to everyone who was able to participate in Wake Up at Seven's first annual FRIGHTFEST! We hope you enjoyed.

And of course, I can't leave without presenting the giveaway!



So what can you win?

What better than a scary book to celebrate Halloween?

All you need to do is comment down below, tell me you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, and tell me about your most anticipated 2013 release. Also, please remember to leave your GFC follower name. As these giveaways, and this post, was crafted just for my awesome followers and readers. Not that you're not awesome. I'm sure you are.

Also remember to leave an email address where I can reach you if you'd like to be entered in the giveaway! Also, if you are 13 years old or younger, please have a parent's permission. And no cheating, please. If worse comes to worse, I will track IP numbers. Cheaters never prosper!

So the giveaway...

You can win any of the books mentioned above. However, if you chose the Diviners, it'll have to be my personal ARC copy. So if you don't like ARCs, best chose another option.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS U.S. ONLY!

Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

**GIVEAWAY ENDS: NOVEMBER 13TH!**

*EXTRA ENTRIES*

With your comment it's one automatic entry.
If you were one of the awesome people who participated in today's FRIGHTFEST, you get another free extra entry.
 But if you tweet this post and link back to it in your comment that's another plus one.
And if you can tell me who sang this song:




"...Comin' down with goosebumps!
You dared to go there
Ima-Ima get you so scared."







That's FIVE bonus entries.

Good luck and have a Happy Halloween!

Kaede out.

ARC Review of Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Rockoholic

By: C.J. Skuse

Review by: Kaede

 

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 358

Source: ARC via NetGalley

 

She's got it bad, and he ain't good -- he's in her garage?

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me..."

Gonna have to face it: Jody's addicted to Jackson Gatlin, frontman of The Regulators, and after her best bud Mac scores tickets, she's front and center at his sold-out concert. But when she gets mashed in the moshpit and bodysurfs backstage, she's got more than a mild concussion to deal with. By the next morning, the strung-out rock star is coming down in her garage. Jody -- oops -- kind of kidnapped him. By accident. With a Curly Wurly candy bar. And now he doesn't want to leave.

It's a rock-star abduction worthy of an MTV reality series...but who got punk'd?!

First off, my lovelies, I must give props to Ms. Skuse for nailing the obsessiveness and slightly scary factors of being a female fan of a rising idol. Especially a hot male idol. Jody, our main character, as much as I may try (but I won't) to deny it, is a lot like quite a few people I know.

 

Quite a few One Direction obsessed friends I know, to be exact. And if I said that Jody's lack of sense and brain cells annoyed the hell out of me, and I couldn't stand her as a character - I'd also be saying that to 99% of the female population.

 

99% of the female population of obsessive girls in love with One Direction currently, or any other band.

 

And I have to say, in all honesty, I don't belong in that 99%. Sure, I like One Direction's songs and I may on occassion play one of their songs and maybe even sing along, but I'm not obsessed like Jody is. And I certainly would. NOT. Kidnap. A. Boy.

 

Not even a popular boy.

 

Nope.

 

And I also have no problem handing that insult of lack of sense and brain cells to every One Direction fan I know. So HA. Cause I DON'T CARE IF YOU SAY THE BOY IS GONNA BE YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND BECAUSE I DON'T GIVE A DAMN AND IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. But yeah...

 

So you can only imagine all the thoughts and little talks I could think up for Jody on the spot the moment she said DECLARED screamed to the world, "I MUST GET JACKSON TO DATE AND MARRY ME."

 

Or something along those lines...

 

I didn't like it. I didn't understand it. I didn't care for it. But oh, was she realistic. And I give credit where credit is due. And Jody's character deserves some sort of messed up credit. Because while I didn't understand where she was coming from (Me being from the 1% of the female population that does not appreciate One Direction and their noisy annoying fans), I'm sure many of my friends - and even fellow bloggers - could and would relate to Jody's obsession with Jackson. Obsession is becoming a very common word in this review, isn't it? *sighs* But it is what it is. And what Jody's connection with Jackson is as simple as it can be:

 

OBSESSION.

 

No, it is not love. And yes, I do think the only character who had some sense (Not including the parents) was Mac, who was my favorite character. And no, I do not approve of Jody's conclusion that her best friend was gay because he likes to sing and dance. And yes, I admit this book did make me laugh often and appreciate it's honesty.

 

Rockoholic, which may seem light and silly, and depending on your reading tastes, may seem like a book to dismiss - it is actually so much more than that.

 

This book explores what fame can do to people, and the stress it can have on regular people. How it can easily alter a boy who used to love to sing and perform to a boy who needs to take drugs to perform and then calm himself down afterwards. Jackson's feelings and the reasons behind his refusal to return to his band was understandable, and after the initial experience and idea I had of him (which was nothing more than JERK, JERK, JERK), I began to grow accustomed to him and wanted to learn more.

 

But Jody has a story of her too, one that doesn't just include Jackson and her infamous boy kidnapping, that's worth telling. One that isn't so obvious to the eye, one that may be overshadowed by the general plot but is still a tale of loss, search, and realization. One that includes a grandpa who Jody loved dearly that just couldn't stay with her. And just because of one little gift that was left to her from him, a moonstone, Jody is able overcome many difficulties and trials. 



 

Funny as it was senseless and without story at times, I still think that this is a story you won't want to miss. Do I recommend throwing this to the top of an already way too big TBR pile? Probably not. Do I recommend reading it eventually.

 

Without a doubt.

 

4 coffee cups!

 

An advance copy was provided from the publisher for review via NetGalley. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.

 

--

 

Contact Kaede: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Spooky Scares: Scary Stories Spectacular! IT'S A FRIGHTFEST! Invites YOU to Participate.

So darlings!

 

I do so enjoy our little talks. Or, if we're being realistic here, me writing on a keyboard hoping someone actually reads what I have to say.

 

But that's not what I have in store for you guys today.

 

So what does Kaede have in store, you may ask.

 

Well I'm glad you did, my friend! Because, today is when Wake Up at Seven's first annual Spooky Scares: Scary Stories Spectacular! IT'S A FRIGHTFEST! goes live. And I'm inviting YOU to participate in it.

 

Now good senses tell me I should've probably mentioned this somewhere or sometime before the very day the post is suppose to go public. But you know, with the problems going on with the lack of ability to edit all different aspects of the blog (Review archive, banners, etc.) and the very fact that Hurricane Sandy knocked out all power for two days - I didn't want to. I couldn't.

 

Yep. Plain and simple.

 

I was far too busy being a lazy bum, 'kay. *shrugs*

 

Hey, it's not often I get a 5 day vacation from school. I wanted to enjoy it. -_- *grumbles*

 

But I'm telling you guys now, and that's what matters, right?

 

So for all the awesome people who are able to come across this post or any of the random updates that are scattered over the next two to three hours and would care enough to respond for participation, please do! I would love to have you on board for the first launch of this hopefully annual Halloween event. It doesn't matter where you respond - whether via my Goodreads updates, Twitter tweets, or this post - as long as you respond with the intentions of contributing, you're in! Just remember to check back soon to see me response, or leave an email where I can reach you. ;D

 

There are actually quite a few things you, my lovelies, can participate in:

 

•Blogger interview (Halloween themed, of course)
•Spotlight review (Book must have some sort of Halloween or scary aspect)
•List of Top Five favorite Halloween or scary books or movies.
•FRIGHTFEST Game ON! (If you chose this one, I'll get into furthur detail then because it's quite a handful to explain)
•Or any other Halloween themed thing you can think of. :p

I'm getting pretty excited, how about you? *giddy smile*

And for a sneak peek at what's to come, would you like a look at the banner I designed myself for this event? 'Cause I'm pretty proud of it since I suck at all things that don't involve reading and typing up reviews. Since apparently, that little routine has become my life now. *sighs*

So the banner, huh? Here ya go:

Likey? Then remember to give me a smiley. :)

Oh yeah, I'm that lame.

And if you are particularly shy, you can always contact me @ kimberlyho75@yahoo.com.

Thanks again my darlings,
Kaede. ~♥~

 

 

 

BLOG TOUR STOP: Jessica by Laura DeLuca

 

Wilbur was used to going to his college formals alone. He thought the Halloween Ball would be no different. He’s amazed when a beautiful girl in a Victorian costume displays an interest in him and even more amazed to find himself alone with her on one of the campus nature trails.

What Wilbur doesn’t realize is that another woman has her eye on him too. The White Lady returns every Halloween to take revenge on the men of the campus for her brutal murder. She has chosen Wilbur as her next victim.

**The first chapter of Laura DeLuca's new book, Morrigan (Release Date October 31, 2012), is also included with this short story**

Amazon - FREE download Oct. 31 - Nov. 1!

 

 

It brings me utmost pleasure to have Ms. DeLuca today for a stop for her Bookmark Blitz Tour.

 

To celebrate, Jessica will be available for FREE download during the duration of her blog tour, October 31st to November 1st only!

 

You can also read an excerpt from the short novel here:

 

Wilbur thought he was going to collapse when Jessica wrapped one arm around his waist. He could feel her fingers, soft as silk, touching the nape of his neck with her other hand, and it made his flesh tingle. She even went so far as to lay her head on his shoulder. Her hair brushed against his cheek and the fresh, flowery scent made his vision blur. At first he thought it was just his allergies, but then the whole room and all the people in it seemed to change. The woman all wore full lacy gowns with their hair piled up in fancy up dos, while the men waltzed beside them in tailored suits with long tails and top hats. Even the music had changed from the typical sappy love song to a classical ballad played by a string quartet. He swore he saw the musicians in the corner; their bows sliding effortlessly over the strings of their instruments while their fingers pulsated in perfect vibrato. Even the floor under their feet had changed from the faded gymnasium floor, marked with the lines and circles of the basketball court, to hand laid tile in intricate patterns reminiscent of a Victorian ballroom.
As they circled the dance floor in an oddly quickened pace, the faces of the dancers started to transform even more. The beautiful nineteenth century ballroom aged and decayed, as did the men and women that surrounded him. Grotesque monsters with bloated skin and empty eyes dragged their decaying limbs in slow motion. Wilbur watched them with growing horror, almost forgetting about the girl in his arms. The monsters noticed the stranger among them. They reached for him with fingers green from rot. Catching his breath in fear, Wilbur pulled away from Jessica and very nearly stumbled to the ground.

 Was that enjoyable? Then you know what to do. *cough, download the book, cough*

 

Now on to thy awesome author!

 

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. She is the author of four young adult novels including: Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, and Morrigan and has many other works in progress.

Amazon, Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so that concludes my stop, darlings. But it's not over yet!

 

Visit Bookmark Blitz Tour Page to see where Jessica is headed next!

 

Kaede out...

 

For now.   

 

*Check back later today for awesomeness to kick off your Halloween!*

 

Oh and, of course:

 

 

--

 

Contact Kaede: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com



 

TEASER TUESDAY: Splintered by A.G. Howard (1)

 

 

The rules, yo:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

So what does Kaede have in store for you guys this week?

 

 

Splintered by: A.G. Howard, that's what. This is 377 (ARC edition) pages of awesome and epicness. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.

 

So for the teasing...well...let's see:

 

Page 145:

 

"Jeb," I whisper. He mutters something indecipherable, and my trembling hands clutch his neck.
 

Now what our darling Alyssa is doing, you'll just have to wait and read to find out.  But you can rule out a neck message, that's a given.

 

"We've defeated their enemy," I whisper. "They want to help us."

 

--

IT'S COMING. I swear. I know the Stacking the Shelves post is late. So maybe I should move it to next week...and combine three week worth of books? I'm just so lazy and with all the destruction caused by the storm, well, life hasn't been easy. And all the work I have still yet to finish for school? This little vacation is going to last forever. I should probably start working on my homework soon. Like now. *groans* Life. I hate it.

But in the mean time, you have Spooky Scares: Scary Stories Spectacular to look forward to tomorrow! Oh, I'll have fun making that post on my phone. It's going to be torture. Not for you, though. 'Cause you, my lovely readers, get to learn about awesome Halloween-themed books that will make you cry, laugh, or slowly walk away in fear and win books while I get to slowly type it all up on my iPhone. Let's trade roles, shall we? ._.

--

Contact Kaede: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com



ARC Review of Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Dante's Girl

By: Courtney Cole

Review by: Kaede

 

Publisher: Lakehouse Press

Pages: 356

Source: ARC via NetGalley

 

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.

Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.

2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.

3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.

4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.

5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference?

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So one with a brain that actually functions correctly would probably think to just put down a book they didn't enjoy and attempted to read for a period of two months consistently.

But I've always been told I'm not like other people, you know? And I have this thing that if something in a book I hate seems at the very least redeemable, I'll put in effort to continue on to the end. Just cause I like giving things a fair chance. Well, I gave Dante's Girl that chance. Whether or not this book met my expectations, well, you'll just have to read on to find out.

*sighs* Here goes nothing...

So Dante's Girl begins the story of Reece, a teenage girl who is just about to board the plane for her flight to London to visit her father. But she runs into something on the way.

Some very hot thing, in Reece's eyes. Not mine. Just putting that out there.

In fact, Reece runs into the son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise. (Hey, I can't deny how I much I'd love to live in Dante's home.) And because of her close little encounter with Dante, the hot boy Reece crashed into, she finds herself in the midst of a plane hijack, a team of big men also known as security guards, and a love life with a off-limit prince.

One thing that really bothered me was not just Reece, but her declaration of love every. Two. PAGES.

But the worse part is? She even admits she's known Dante a little short of three days when she first announces her undying love for a boy she knows nothing about. Why don't you just pick up a random stranger off the street and ask him to marry you? *shakes head*

What I first set out for in August 2012 was light fun read that I could enjoy and not want to make me fling my NOOK Color against the wall than out the window. But I didn't get that from Dante's Girl. Lasting for over 300 pages, I felt like I wasted two months of my time reading this. I did. But something, or someone, made me want to read on. And believe me, it's far from Reece or Dante. Far from.

But anyway, that someone was Nick. Nick's role brought in mystery, intrigue, and plot. *claps hands* I never thought it'd be possible. Seriously.

I know someone is going to think this review a bit too harsh, and I know Dante's Girl isn't suppose to be more than a fun read. But I'm a reviewer. I have a duty to look at things at all angles. And that includes comparing characters, story, and writing.

And writing was a huge part in the down factor. Repetitive and slightly amateurish, I didn't really appreciate the fact that, "I thought the way his beautiful hair shined in the moonlight was gorgerous. And so I told him that", or something along those lines, was basically found somewhere IN EVERY CHAPTER.

Seriously Reece, did the hot boy mess with your brain so much that you lost all ability to talk using diverse vocabulary? *frustrated anger*


Like seriously. You'd think someone her age wouldn't fall for a dude 5 years older than her. It's not right. Nor is fawning over the same boy you just met five minutes ago. Please. There's a reason you were born with a brain. USE IT.

I liked Mia well enough, as I did Gavin. But they were too typical best friend material. The fact that they were awesome wasn't deniable, but they seemed so...common. Like everyone single young adult book has an awesome bestfriend that's so deserves more appreciation. *cough Puck, cough*

And while we're on the track of things that are common, how 'bout we switch things up so that we're talking about stuff that's from from that?

Let's talk Dante.

So Dante is basically everything you'd want your boyfriend to be...probably. Handsome, charming, polite, and sprouts chessy lines like second nature. He also has no problem pretending to dress up as a fake shark to scare the crap out of a girl who fears them. But I have no problem admitting someone like him, and a story like this, won't happen to one out of a million of girls. Scratch that. 99.99% of the female population is more like it. I liked Dante well enough, but his perfection bothered me. I like my characters to be, well, real. And Dante seemed way to far from that. Especially after the ending. I'd love to see any boy I know do that. It was a sweet ending though, that much I'll admit. Sweet and impossible. But I guess that's the point. A hopeless romantic likes to hope.

But what about Reece, our lovely annoying main character?

I didn't like her. Not one bit. Plain and simple. And because crushing on your best friend's boyfriend is so not cool. More reasons explained above since I'm too lazy to re-word them.

But in the end, if you're looking for a break from action and high-fantasy, this just may be the book for you. And for those people who've never eaten gelato before, well boy, aren't you in for a real treat. But me? I think I'm going to take a break from contemporary now. *eyes Splintered and Through the Ever Night* I must physically restrain myself from running to those two books and reading them straight through over and over again, throwing my giant TBR pile out the window. Oh how I wish. How I wish...

P.S: Gelato is amazing. Shrimp is good too. And I don't see why Reece doesn't like it. *grumbles & stomps feet*

 

Two and ½ coffee cups!

An advance copy was provided from the publisher for review via NetGalley. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.

 

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UPCOMING POSTS: Stacking the Shelves (11,12),  Fierce Reads, Lauren Oliver, and AFTER Launch Party Signing Recaps, Fierce Reads Swag Giveaway, Behind the Scene: ARCs, Contacts, Questions and More.

 

UPCOMING MEMES: School Selections & Spooky Scares, Waiting on Wednesday, Stacking the Shelves.

More information to come when the gray colored memes become public.

 

UPDATES: There will be a whole post on this soon. If the storm doesn't kill all power, that is. It will be titled Rainbow Rewinders cause I suck at coming up with names. It's that or Lazy Layouts. (I'm trying to think of something that'll fit our completely inappropriate banner! Blame Isabelle. *points finger*)

 

And rest assured, the Stacking the Shelves is coming. Pictures are a lot of work, you know? I give up trying to show the signatures. I'll just tell you what they say cause I'm lazy and tired and want to read.

 

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Contact Kaede: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

 

 

 



 

The Great (Lunar Chronicles) Pumpkin Contest

So yeah...

Hi.

So this post is going to be a bit random and out of place, and depending on your tolerance level, it may or may not be the worst thing you ever seen.

But I'm giving this a shot anyways. Sucks for you, I guess.

So the fabulous author of Cinder is hosting a contest. And all you need to do is create a Cinder inspired pumkin. So I decided to try. Try, I said. I know it's bad. I'm more fit to draw manga and anime anyway. *sticks out tongue* But who cares? It's all in a days fun.

So without furthur ado, here's my failed attempt at creating something that looks anything like a pumkin:

 

INFO, YO:

 

Oh, and by the way, the writing in the middle of the pumkin? It says Cinder's Castle. My camera sucked and I used a shiny silver sharpie so it didn't turn out so well. But if you squint really hard at the screen, I'm sure you can tell what it says...sort of. Also, the yellow explosion in the corner? It's meant to be there. Promise. It is not a mess of glitter, 'kay. And then there's the black C shaped thing-y on the outline of the "pumkin". It's suppose to stand for Cinder. Get it? C for Cinder? No? Whatever. Okay, let's see, what else? Oh, there's lots of moons on the picture. I know. That's cause a moon is on the back of the hardback of the book. And I like moons. They're pretty awesome. Don't be jealous.

 

And that's about it.

 

Kaede out.

 

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UPCOMING POSTS: Fierce Reads, Lauren Oliver, and AFTER Launch Party Signing Recaps, Fierce Reads Swag Giveaway, Behind the Scene: ARCs, Contacts, Questions and More.

 

UPCOMING MEMES: School Selections & Spooky Scares.

More information to come when the posts become public.

 

UPDATES: I got a twitter. Yeah, hold the shock. I've always had one, just never thought to share it. But if you are interesting in my life and updates about what I'm reading, or just to chat with me, do with this information what you will. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kami178xx

 

I also got a book in that I'm STOKED for. Can you guess what it is? *sequels in excitement*

 

Hint, hint: It was my first WoW pick.

 

Ah, well, I'll just tell you anyway. I'm so excited I refuse to wait until tomorrow's Stacking the Shelves.

 

Now there's a sneak peak of what's to come in tomorrow's EPIC edition of Stacking the Shelves. I'll have to contact Isabelle and Sarah to see if they'll respond with what they got. So later.

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Contact Kaede: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com