Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

 

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala 

Paperback: 299 pages 

Release date: January 3rd, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen
Goodreads Rating: 4.12 

Goodreads Summary: Joy Delamere is suffocating... 
 From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. 
Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far. 
 Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late. 
 Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Don’t Breathe a Word is an incredibly touching story about Joy Delamere, a girl undermined in the protective cage of her parents because of asthma and her boyfriend’s abuse. Her life radically changed within a year when she met Asher, whose words reduces her self-worth slowly— driving her to abandon everything in her life behind and change her name to Triste, and seek help from the person who’s willing to provide her safety. 

The first thing I noticed and loved about this book is Holly Cupala’s writing. I usually steer away from darker contemporaries but I made this one an exception and read it as a challenge to myself. I can say it was well worth the risk. Holly Cupala worked her magic by weaving lyrical and candid words. These words hooked me more than I thought it would and taught me things without being preachy. It made me examine the dynamics of family and friendship. Blood or not, people who treat and love each other like family is considered one. It also took me into a journey of looking into the real world—the homelessness, the abuse and so much more. 

At first you’d think Joy’s running away from home is a drastic decision. But throughout the story, Joy slowly reveals to the readers her reasons and in the process transforms into a stronger person. From the Joy who was driven by fear, she became the Triste who has courage and strength to stand up on her own. This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her street family. Meet Creed: the alluring street musician who saw through Joy’s misery and let her join his street family. Their family consisted of two other persons, May and Santos, who have provided comfort for Joy and helped her adjust as well. 

This book is full of emotions that Holly Cupala effectively conveyed to her readers. I finished it in one sitting and I was emotionally involved the whole time. The ending wrapped up with everyone getting their paths straight. It ended a little bit too neatly but other than that, I have no other complains. 

If you love Contemporary and want something that deals with some issues not often tackled in YA, then this one is for you.

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Dark Seraphine by KaSonndra Leigh (Cover Reveal + Excerpt)

Hi everyone! Today we're pleased to be a part of the cover reveal for KaSonndra Leigh's new book called Dark Seraphine to be released on September. Also, watch out for a blog tour hosted by Reading Addiction complete with reviews and a giveaway soon. So without further ado, here's the cover and summary of Dark Seraphine plus an excerpt!

Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Title: Dark Seraphine (A Lost Immortals Prequel)

Author: KaSonndra Leigh

Publication Date: 9/20/12

Synopsis: "Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."

Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same again.

      Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating Gia have of making it out alive.

Excerpt

There was no one in the classroom besides the two of us. To admit this girl made me feel a little shaky sounded weak. I put on a manly face, squared my shoulders, and sat in the desk behind her. The little kid in me still wanted to run away like a baby, though. 
And then she laughed. 
It was a high-pitched giggle, a normal girl’s sound. That wasn’t right. I don’t remember any of the other spirits laughing before. 
“So you wanna run from me, huh? Go ahead. I’ll just find you like I always do, Caleb,” she said, still facing the chalk board in the front of the classroom. Her voice was smooth like a musical instrument, maybe a flute. Nah. It was more like a harp. I could listen to it all day. 
But even her sexy pipes didn’t change the fact that she just read my mind. How did she do that?
“Are you going to run, or stay? I need a quick answer, because I have a lot to do today.” She turned her head to the side a bit. 
“I don’t run from anything,” I said, trying to ignore the prickle in my underarms. Good thing I used my dad’s deodorant this morning. That old-timers stuff was strong enough to knock out anything. 
She didn’t scare me as much as some of the other walkers, my nickname for them. But I wasn’t ready to get her digits either. As a baby, I remembered talking to a few of them. That ability disappeared sometime around my thirteenth birthday. This was the first time I spoke to one in four years. 
“What are you people: angels, ghosts, or zombies?” I asked, my voice squeaking on the last syllable. What a dork. 
“Can’t you be a little more creative?” She turned around in her seat to face me, an amused expression on her ridiculously gorgeous face. I sucked my breath. Her strange amber-hazel eyes pierced through me. The word beautiful didn’t do enough for this walker-girl. 
“I thought I was pretty creative,” I said.
“Nope. Your ideas suck,” she said with a smug face. 
“Nice. Thanks,” I said, getting annoyed.
“And I don’t sparkle in the sun, either. So scratch that one off your list too.” 
I frowned. “Then tell me the right answer. And you can go ahead and explain how I won the honor of being stalked?”
“I’m a creative mix of many things. Feel better now?” She tilted her head. Blue-black hair flowed around her face as if it were made of silky thread. “So others have come before me?” She seemed to be talking to herself rather than asking me. 
“Maybe,” I said. Why should I tell her everything? One thing I did know. At this rate, I was probably going to be committed to the loony ward on the first day of school. 
“I’m going to need your help soon, Caleb. You have to be ready,” she whispered, her face suddenly serious. Right then, I knew my world was about to change…forever. 

Who is the Dark Seraphine? Find out in September, 2012.

 

Author Bio

KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about people doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next. 


 She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

Follow her on these sites: Facebook ││Twitter││Website

Waiting on Wednesday: The Collector and Poison

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Collector (Dante Walker #1) by Victoria Scott 

Release date: March 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Goodreads Summary: He makes good girls...bad. 


 Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has 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 10 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.

Poison by Bridget Zinn 

Release date: March 12th, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Goodreads summary: A teen girl finds herself a would-be assassin, hunting down her former best friend, the princess of the realm, via the aid of an enchanted piglet.

What are you anxiously waiting on this week? Just leave a comment of the link to your WoW post!

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Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

 

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Paperback: 341 pages

Release date: March 2nd, 2010

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads Rating: 4.00

Goodreads Summary: They say ‘live every day as if it’s your last’—but you never actually think it's going to be. At least I didn't.

The thing is, you don’t get to know when it happens. You don’t remember to tell your family that you love them or—in my case—remember to say goodbye to them at all.

But what if, like me, you could live your last day over and over again? Could you make it perfect? If your whole life flashed before your eyes, would you have no regrets? Or are there some things you’d want to change...?

I’d be honest the first time I started to read this book I always end up being stuck on the prologue part, uhm…like three times (he he). I did not like, at first, the concept or the story of Before I Fall but then as I started to read it again—and because of the good responses from a few friends that this is a good book—I saw that it was indeed a good one after I read it.

How Samantha changes the course of events on her life—the day of her death-- even after her death was like spinning through a whirlwind. The way you end up being on that same date, same events and the same people was somehow confusing for Samantha. I love how she changes the pieces of events on the day she died. How she figure out what was the purpose of living again for a week on the same date (Feb.12th). Readers will definitely have to read every part of the story, just like I did out of curiosity. Because if you end up flipping through the pages and just like pass through it, you might miss some important parts on it. The lesson in this story is the thing that strikes me as the strong point of the book, that it’s never too late. Never too late to change the wrong things we’ve done, to make up for the lost time, to save someone and… to save ourselves from falling.

This is one of the books I like this 2012 and can’t wait to read more of the book that will be a worth read just like ‘Before I Fall’! ;)

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan

Paperback: 281

Release date: December 1st, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Rating: 3.98

Goodreads Summary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.

First and foremost I like the cover of this book, with its vibrant and exquisite image of two persons walking hand in hand. To be honest some of the reasons why I read a book is when it captivated  my eyes but it doesn't mean that I rely too much on them. 


Catching Jordan isn't the typical Young Adult contemporary, it isn't the ordinary Boy-meets-Girl situation but instead it holds its own kind of romance with enough conflict and in my opinion I was pretty impressed on the romance part although it is quite obvious that Henry has hidden feelings for Jordan. I rarely read a book where best friends of the lead character gets an "Ever After" with them because most of the time they were just confidants or become rivals and there will always be some new boy/girl that'll be introduced whom the lead character is going to end up with so this book is new for me.
Plus Football fans would like to read this book because the story does not only revolves around love and conflicts but also on one of the famous sports, Football, which is Jordan's passion and her life. It added spice and uniqueness that makes it ain't lacklustre. 


Catching Jordan is a story of friendship, dreams, being strong despite the reasons that life gives you for you to let go and most of all...falling in love when you least expected it. I enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait for its movie. Great Book!