Waiting on Wednesday: In the Shadow of Blackbirds

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

This week, I am eagerly waiting on...
In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters

Summary (from Goodreads):
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds will be released April 2nd 2013 by Amulet Books.

What are you guys waiting for this week? Leave thoughts and links in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: Poison

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

This week, I am eagerly waiting on...

Poison, by Bridget Zinn

Summary (from Goodreads):
Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Poison will be released March 12th 2013 by Disney Hyperion.

What are you guys waiting for this week? Leave thoughts and links in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: Strands of Bronze and Gold

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

This week, I am eagerly waiting on...

Strands of Bronze and Gold, by Jane Nickerson

Summary (from Goodreads):
The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

Strands of Bronze and Gold will be released March 12th 2013 by Random House Children's Books.

What are you guys waiting for this week? Leave thoughts and links in the comments!

Friday Face Off: Staring Eyes

Friday Face-Off is a weekly feature hosted by Misty at The Book Rat. 

This week's FFO compares Peeps by Scott Westerfeld and Gothic!, a short story collection by Deborah Noyes (Editor), Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Celia Rees, Barry Yourgrau, Janni Lee Simner, Vivian Vande Velde, Joan Aiken , M.T. Anderson, Neil Gaiman, and Caitlín R. Kiernan. Both covers give me the creeps. Which do you prefer?

Now it's your turn to choose...

Which cover did it better?

Click on any cover to enlarge.
Leave your thoughts in the comments!

On the last FFO: Ordinary Magic won against Rump: The True Story of Rumplestilskin with three votes to none. It's been quite a while since then!

As usual, you are still welcome to comment with your thoughts on old FFOs, and I will update this page accordingly.

Waiting on Wednesday: Requiem

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

This week, I am eagerly waiting on...

Requiem, by Lauren Oliver

Summary (from Goodreads):
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Requiem will be released March 1st 2013 by HarperTeen.

What are you guys waiting for this week? Leave thoughts and links in the comments!

Trailer for Dark Triumph now available!

The first book in Robin LaFevers' His Fair Assassin triology, Grave Mercy, was one of my top 12 of 2012. I loved it, as I wrote in my review. And now we are approaching the release date for Dark Triumph! I can't wait to read about Sybella, who was one of the most interesting characters in Grave Mercy. I am so excitied to dive back into LaFevers' world. I may even reread the giant Grave Mercy before I pick up Dark Triumph.

Anyway, today, the trailer for Dark Triumph was released on Entertainment Weekly. Check it out here!

There's only a few short weeks until Dark Triumph comes out on April 2nd! Mark your calendars, everyone!

Review: Article 5

by Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5, #1
Hardcover, 362 pages
Published January 31st 2012 by Tor Teen
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Looking over the summary now that I've finished Article 5, I wonder what initially drew me to it. Although I don't really understand my reasoning now, for some reason, it stood out among the many, many dystopians published in the last year or so. Whatever the reason,  I had high hopes for Article 5. While it was not a great read, it managed to avoid completely falling flat.

In the beginning, I had some hope for an interesting and engaging dystopian, but what I got was a medium-boring romance that I felt like I'd read before. The book was pretty evenly split between the two main characters trying to find their way to a safe house (pretty much the entire plot) and Ember trying to figure out exactly how she felt toward Chase. That said, in terms of keeping me interested, it was fine, but it wasn't amazing.

The main drawback for me was that I never felt really invested in the characters. Had Article 5 ended with Ember's capture and Chase's death (spoiler: it doesn't), I wouldn't have minded much. Perhaps if there had been more complex characters (and complex supporting characters as well, something Article 5 was noticeably lacking), I would have cared more, but I never connected with Ember or Chase enough to care about their fates.

Another thing Article 5 seemed to be lacking was a reason for the dystopian setting. There was very little explanation either for how the world worked or even why the characters were living in a dystopian society to begin with. How did this highly regulated and militarized society come to be? Without these answers, the dystopia seemed like little more than a backdrop. You could stick the characters into any setting or time period and the story would work with very minor adjustments.

Overall Thoughts: Article 5 wasn't a terrible read, but it wasn't great either. I would recommend it to dystopian fans who have high tolerances for wishy-washy characters.