REVIEW ARCHIVE UPDATE: June 2013

Hello darlings! 

So some of you may be aware but Wake Up at Seven has been experiencing problems, and it's regretful, but I feel like I owe it to all of you lovely readers who have stuck with us through it to inform you that we don't know if it'll ever be fixed. This might sound odd, but for those unaware, Wake Up at Seven was going through an admin transfer and somehow - please don't ask me how, because if I knew I'd be yelling at Blogger for it - along the way, it seems like the admin role just...disappeared. This is about as far as I'm aware of the situation, that none of the bloggers at Wake Up at Seven have access to things such as updating Review Archives or tour banners, because those rights fall under an admin. I really don't know what else to do, and believe me when I've gone through periods of just wanting to give up or attempt to start all over again, but I can't just find it in myself to abandon Wake Up at Seven. Especially with Isabelle and Sarah on hiatus *kicks both*, and really just because I love blogging here. So I've come up with what I hope is a satisfactory resolution - at least for the Review Archive issue. At the end of each month, I'll try my hardest to remember to have a post up that'll give you a list of all the reviews on Wake Up at Seven up to that point, with the ones from that month added on and so on. Make sense? I hope it does and that you'll continue to stick with us and read what we have to say! 

Note: The titles that have been reviewed on Wake Up at Seven are alphabetically organized, but those that begin with "The..." or "A..." will be listed under the first letter the second word. Example: The Iron King will be found under I, instead of T. We apologize for any inconveniences! 

If you would like to contact me for a review of your book, please send an email to: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

- Kaede

~♥~

• Above World by Jenn Reese (Kaede)

• Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund (Kaede)

• Angelfall by Susan Ee (Isabelle) 
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Isabelle)

• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Isabelle)

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Isabelle)
• Between You and Me by Marisa Calin (Sarah)

• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (Sarah) 
• The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle (Kaede)
• Broken by A.E. Rought (Sarah)

• Chasing Mrs. Right by Katee Robert (Kaede)

• The Collector by Victoria Scott (Kaede)

• Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (Isabelle) 

• Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep (Kaede)

• Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole (Kaede)

• The Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (Sarah)

• The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (Kaede)

• Daughter Of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Isabelle) 

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Isabelle)

        •    Delirium Review War (feat. Kat Kennedy)
• Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy (Kaede)

• Eon by Alison Goodman (Kaede) 

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Isabelle)

• The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jenson (Kaede)

• The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter (Kaede)

• The Gods Among Us by DC Belton (Isabelle) 

• The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (Sarah)

• Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (Kaede)

• How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer (Kaede)

• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Isabelle)

• Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle (Guest Review by Lucie)

• Legend by Marie Lu (Kaede)

• The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (Kaede)

• Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell (Kaede)

• A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger (Kaede) 

• Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (Sarah)
• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Isabelle) 

• Normalish by Margaret Lesh (Kaede)

• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Sarah)  

• One Shot Away by T. Glen Coughlin (Kaede)

• Preloved by Shirley Marr (Sarah) 

• Prototype 2 by Dan Jolley (Kaede)

• Rape Girl by Alina Klein (Guest review by Lucie) 

• Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse (Kaede) 

• Rules of Entanglement by Gina L. Maxwell (Kaede)

• Saving June by Hannah Harrington (Kaede) 
• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Kaede)
• Secret for a Song by S.K. Falls (Kaede)
• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Sarah) 
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Kaede) 
• Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep (Kaede)
• Speechless by Hannah Harrington (Kaede) 
• Splintered by A.G. Howard (Kaede)
• Starring Jules: As Herself by Beth Levine Ain (Kaede)
• Survive by Alex Morel (Sarah)

• Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (Kaede)

• Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (Sarah)

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Isabelle) 

• Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Kaede) 

• True by Erin McCarthy (Kaede)

• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Kaede)
• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (Kaede)

• Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (Sarah)

• Veer by Alyssa Rose Ivy (Kaede)

• Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (Isabelle) 

• Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire (Kaede)
• Want by Stephanie Lawton (Isabelle) 
• What Kills Me by Wynne Channing (Guest post by Lucie)

• What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (Sarah)
• Wings of Arian by Devri Walls (Kaede) 
• Wings of Tavea by Devri Walls (Kaede)

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

Review of The Collector by Victoria Scott

THE COLLECTOR (#1)
By: Victoria Scott
Review by: Kaede
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback, e-ARC
Source: Bought, NetGalley (Thank you, Entangled!)

 

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

He'll show you how good it feels to be bad. 

Dante Walker has it all. So what if he's from hell and he's come to collect your soul? You won't be able to resist this bad boy with a hidden heart. 

If nothing else, I think readers will definitely find Dante's voice hilarious. He'll have you laughing every few pages whether you like it or not with his sarcastic lines, and even just his thoughts. But don't mistake him for the good guy because he's everything but.   

I adored Dante, because honestly, what's not to love? A hot anti-hero who doesn't lack confidence and charm, but also has a caring side too that is slowly revealed in time. There were many layers to not only Dante, but Charlie also. And I've come to the conclusion that the two are absolutely perfect together. I loved Dante and Charlie as individuals, but I also really liked them together. Because I will forever be in love with awesome and hot romances and boys that only exist in fiction. (Story of my life.) 

She'll be the light in your darkness.

Charlie Cooper is far from perfect. She's not flawless and absolutely beautiful - she's real, and I think that's what made me like her so much. I found Charlie to be really sweet. She has her vulnerabilities, like Dante, but she's also strong in her own way. 

The chemistry Charlie and Dante had was done in a way that I was extremely happy with. The attraction was gradual, especially for Dante, but I think that's what made it that much more satisfying in the end. There was no insta-love at first sight, and Dante's first thoughts were not of falling madly in love with a girl he just met. He spend time with Charlie, and when he began to get to know her, that was when attraction started and made the fangirl inside me a little way too excited. 

So there was a cast beyond our main characters and I loved them too! Scott has a talent with her words to draw the readers in and not let go until the last page. The "soul collector" aspect was interesting and fun to learn about, and I'd love to see more of Dante it! 

So I tried to limit any excessive, potentially scary makes-you-want-to-turn-off-your-computer gushing, but if there's only one thing I can say that you take away from this review, let it be that I really do feel that there is something in The Collector for everyone. Whether you are looking for comedy and a book to make you laugh the whole through, a romance that'll have you keep turning those pages to watch it develop, or a bit, or you know, a lot of action, you can't go wrong with Dante. Literally. You can't go wrong with Dante. At all. Trust me. And while you may not have been outright evil in your ending, my dearest The Collector, I am certain you planned it all out so that I'd be sitting here waiting in agony for yet another sequel. 

Oh why do hot fictional boys awesome books continue to do this to me? 

5 coffee cups!

**An advance copy of this book was provided  for review. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.**

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

Waiting on Wednesday: Frigid by J. Lynn (10)

FRIGID

By: J. Lynn 

Release Date: July 30th, 2013

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary

 

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Because I've really liked all of Jennifer L. Armentrout's books I've read so far, I'm fairly certain Frigid won't be an exception. 

So therefore I WANTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. 

The good news is that you can read the first three chapters of Frigid  HERE (tehehe) and more! The bad news is three chapters is not a whole book, and I want the whole book. :o *sulks until release date* 

 ~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com
Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

Review of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer + Audiobook Clip

SCARLET (#2)
By: Marissa Meyer
Review by: Kaede
Release Date: February 5th, 2013 

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 452
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought

 

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I've been fairly certain for some time now that Meyer's retellings cannot be reproduced - with all of it's captivating characters and the futuristic world it is set in. Before I began Scarlet, I had realized that there was so much story that could be told in the Lunar Chronicles series. But I also wondered if perhaps there'd be too much story to be told, that the older characters might fade into the backgrounds as the new ones took the stage. However, as far as I could see with Scarlet, Meyer had no problem in making both Cinder's and Scarlet's story equally as prominent and likable in their own ways.

While Cinder started off a bit unsure of herself because of what she is, Scarlet is fierce and determined. She has her goal - to rescue her grandmother - and she'll do everything she can to see it through. Brave and just maybe a little bit deadly, I found myself really drawn to Scarlet's loyalty, and just her character in general. 

Queen Levana is still somebody you hate to love and love to hate. She is so evil and corrupted, and I just wanted somebody to wave that magic wand and make her disappear. We do meet a few new characters though, such as Thorne, that I did like and were quite comedic and entertaining. 

For those of you who are unaware, I love my romance as much as I love a good plot. That's why with Kai and Cinder separated, I missed a lot of their chemistry in Cinder, and looked to Wolf and Scarlet to fill that void. Honestly, it is possible not to love Wolf? He's that bad boy you won't be able to resist, with his charismatic personality and extremely good looks. However, Wolf is also caring on top of mysterious, which only increases my love that much more. 

To give you that final push you need to finally pick up Scarlet, the story is also set in France! Guaranteed to leave you wanting more, I'm extremely excited to see where the characters go next on their journey and down with Queen Levana. Here is one story (and one very charmingly hot guy) you won't want to miss! 

Macmillan was extremely kind enough to provide a clip from the audiobook of Scarlet for all you lovely readers out there! If you enjoyed it, I've also included a link to the Audible page where you can purchase the full edition! Don't forget to share the love in the comments! 

Purchase SCARLET by Marissa Meyer on Audible

5 coffee cups!

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

Why Hello My Pretty Cover: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

FIRE & FLOOD

By: Victoria Scott 

Release Date: February 25th, 2014

Publisher: Scholastic 

In a perilous race across the world, having the best Pandora can be the difference between life and death. 

Sixteen-year-old Tella Holloway isn’t happy. Her mother rushed them out of Boston and into a craptastic house nestled in Middle of Nowhere, Montana. To make matters worse, Tella’s brother is sick, and though a dozen doctors can’t determine the cause, her mother is sure Montana’s “fresh air” will help. Now Tella spends her days being homeschooled, and uses her imagination as entertainment.

But when a small blue box appears on her bed, Tella’s world is rocked. Inside the strange package she finds a white ear bud—and after she fits it into place and touches its blinking button—an unknown voice fills her head. Tella is invited to join the Brimstone Bleed, a race across four ecosystems: desert, sea, mountains, jungle. The voice in Tella’s ear explains she has 48 hours to retrieve her Pandora, an animal genetically designed to help her win.

Tella has never been the sporty type; she’s more a cheerleader than an athlete. But despite her mother’s warnings, she’s determined to compete in the race. And she’ll do anything to win, because if Tella is the Brimstone Bleed victor, she'll be granted a specific gift—the cure to save her brother’s life.

Add FIRE & FLOOD to Goodreads

So, so, what do you guys think? I personally really like the cover for Fire & Flood, it has that kind of appeal to everybody feel. It reminds me of a mix of Phoenix by Elizabeth Richard and maybe Antigoddess by Kendare Blake's covers. 

I'm super excited to read Fire & Flood, and I have pretty high expectations. I'm hoping to see a lot of Tella and her brother's relationship, and I can't wait to read about Pandoras. 

Share your thoughts! I'd love to hear! 

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx

Short Story Review: Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

SPARTAN FROST (#4.5)
By Jennifer Estep 
Review by: Kaede
Release Date: June 25th, 2013
Publisher: Kensington 
Pages: 60
Format: e-ARC 
Source: NetGalley (Thank you, Kensington!) 

 

"I'm Logan Quinn, the deadliest Spartan warrior at Mythos Academy. At least I was--until the day I almost killed Gwen Frost.

Professor Metis and Nickamedes say that I'm fine, that Loki and the Reapers don't have a hold on me anymore, but I can't risk it. I can't risk hurting Gwen again. So I'm leaving Mythos and going somewhere far, far away.

I know Gwen wonders what's happening to me, whether I'm safe. I can't tell her, but this is my story. . .

Taking place after the events of the fourth novel, Spartan Frost explores the emotions going through Logan after he realizes the full extent of what was done by his hand. Even with the assurances that he was not at fault, Logan can't escape the doubt. The doubt that he will once again be forced by Reapers to do what he'd done. 

But now, I realized that he was mortal, just like the rest of us - and that he was hurting, just like I was. 

What really stood out to me was that during the novella, Logan's only focus wasn't Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, oh and can't forget, Gwen. He did of course think about her (it would have been weird if didn't considering why he left Mythos in the first place) but he had other concerns, and I liked that. It built character and added to Logan as an individual, as well as to the fact that he's more than just the boyfriend who can kill with the simplest of things. 

So it's come down to this. I will ask myself a small series of questions and answer accordingly, and you can decide from there whether or not you're interested in Spartan Frost. Before anything else though, I would highly recommend the Mythos Academy series as a whole, with it's Norse mythology and captivating characters and story that you will fly through. 

- Is Spartan Frost a crucial read to understand the rest of the story? 

I am currently around slightly more than halfway into the fifth book in the series, Midnight Frost, and so far I see no issues that a reader who had skipped over Spartan Frost would have in terms of not understanding what's going on. The author doesn't expect you to have read Spartan Frost and have the knowledge of what went on, and therefore leaving out information. I think Spartan Frost does a great job at keeping to what a novella was meant to be - extra bonus content that is optional for the reader. 

- Is Spartan Frost only available as an e-book? 

To my knowledge, I don't think Spartan Frost will be in print - whether on it's own or attached to Midnight Frost or any future installments in the series as a bonus. However, if you want a solid confirmation, I'd recommend directly asking the author through twitter, or however method you'd prefer. On the bright side, Spartan Frost is currently less than two dollars, and you are receiving a quick, fun and easy read, as well as more Logan time (and who wouldn't want that?). 

- Is Spartan Frost worth the read? 

I think I pretty much have answered this question throughout the review, and if you couldn't tell, it's a definite yes. But what I think it does best though is hold you off until Midnight Frost releases, or before you can get your hands on a copy, especially since Crimson Frost's ending ended like...that. Though there is a slight possibility that after you finish the mere sixty pages, your want for the fifth book in the series will increase that much more. Overall, Spartan Frost is a nice addition to a fun series, but the books are not without their flaws. Such as whenever a character's name is substituted for their style of magic - this issue is more of encompassing the entire series than Spartan Frost specifically-, such as Amazon or Valkyrie, it sometimes disconnects me from the story. I don't have that bad of a memory that I need to be consistently reminded that Logan Quinn is a Spartan, and I'd like if maybe the reference to a person's magic style rather than their name be reduced. (Except maybe in the case of Logan's nickname for Gwen, because there's a reason for it.) There are cases where it does work, but when characters are just talking, it just seems a little bit...out of place. I do understand that it could very well just be Estep's style, and not everyone will find that slightly irritating, and it's probably just a personal problem. 

4 coffee cups!

**An advance copy of this book was provided  for review. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.**

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx