Spring Blog Carnival

Welcome to the Spring Blog Carnival! This hop is organized by Pure Imagination, Candace's Book Blog, The Book Swarm, and Reading Angel. For this hop, I am giving away a copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Good luck, thanks for stopping by and don't forget to visit the other participating blogs! UPDATE: Along with the book, I am also giving away two bookmarks: The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong bookmark and a Dark Days of the Supernatural bookmark!

Contest Rules:
- Must be 13 years old or older to enter
- Fill out the form below
- You must be a follower through Google Friend Connect (GFC) to enter
- Have a US shipping address
- Giveaway ends on May 8, 2011
(Truly Bookish is not responsible for any products lost or damaged during shipping)

Review of Die for Me by Amy Plum

Release Date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 341 pages
Author Website: Amy Plum
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC from the Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind. While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Review:  After the tragic death of their parents, Kate and her older sister, Georgia, move from Brooklyn to Paris to live with their grandparents. The sisters handle their sadness in different ways. Georgia surrounds herself with friends and parties a lot, telling Kate that when she is out, she does not have to think about what happened. Kate, on the other hand, cuts herself off from everyone and drowns herself in depression and books. It’s only after she meets Vincent that she slowly starts coming back to life and feeling somewhat normal again.

I have read some other reviews that say Die for Me, Amy Plum’s debut novel, is a lot like other YA paranormal romances out there and in some ways, it does share similarities. However, the story’s unique elements and good writing makes this novel memorable and stand out from the rest.

Kate’s character is likable. Her sadness over her parents’ death feels so real. It deeply affects her life and her ability to get into a quick relationship with Vincent. Even though they are attracted to each other when they meet, Kate and Vincent do get to know each other before there are any declarations of love. Both characters have emotional baggage and I appreciate that. The secondary characters are well written and I see a lot of potential for them in upcoming novels.

The paranormal element is very cool and I really love the fight scenes. They were bloody and well played. Romance lovers will adore this book and I am looking forward to the sequel, Until I Die.

Content: Violence, kissing, references to sex

Waiting on Wednesday – Damage by Anya Parrish

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Damage
Author: Anya Parrish
Publisher: Flux
Publish Date: Sept. 8, 2011
Genre: Paranormal

Summary: There was a time when I prayed for Rachel to be real. Until the night I learned she'd always planned to kill me. When Dani was eight, she fell from a building. No one believed her claim that she was pushed by Rachel . . . her imaginary friend. It took years of therapy to convince Dani that Rachel wasn't real. Now fifteen, Dani wants to make it as a dancer. But a deadly freak accident sends Dani a terrifying message: Rachel is back, she's real, and she'll stop at nothing to kill Dani.

Complicating matters is Jesse, the school bad boy who's being stalked by his own invisible childhood nemesis. Dani and Jesse join forces to learn why their astral tormenters are back. Their investigation leads to a horrifying discovery—and the terrible experiment that binds them to each other.

I have read some fantastic debut novels so far this year and this seems like it will be one of them! The summary sounds mysterious with a great creepy element to it.

What books are you waiting on?

Hoppy Easter Eggstavaganza Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop, chosen by Random.org, is Donna S.!

Thank you to everyone who participated, you guys are the best! I plan to do many more giveaways, the next one will be on May 1 so make sure you enter!

Review of Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

Release Date: March 31, 2011
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 306 pages
Author Website: http://lisacach.com/
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School. And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

Review: In Wake Unto Me, we meet Caitlyn Monahan, a 15-year-old girl who knows she is different from everyone else and always feels misunderstood and alone. She has very vivid, frightening dreams that feel very real to her but in the past, when she told her father and stepmother about them, they thought she was going crazy. Caitlyn is desperate to get away from her small Oregon town and when she gets an unsolicited and fully paid offer to attend an exclusive private school in France, she jumps at the chance for a new start.

Wake Unto Me has a little bit of everything. Mixed in the unique paranormal elements are bits of European history, some real, some created by the talented author and a gorgeous castle setting in rural France. This story is not what I expected. It starts a little slow, but the mystery behind it keeps you reading and it does pick-up. I don’t want to give too much away, the novel’s mysteries are best discovered layer by layer.

Something that bothered me was how depressed Caitlyn got. She felt so unloved in Oregon and even though she does not have a very emotional relationship with her father, her stepmother and friends were very affectionate but Caitlyn made no effort to reciprocate. It seems like she chose to be lonely. It’s hard for me to read that a 15-year-old decides to give up on her (loving) family and prefers to use some tarot cards her dead mother deals her in a dream to guide her through her life instead. She also gets very depressed toward the end of the book as well, not healthy behavior.

Wake Unto Me is a haunting, well written story with a satisfying ending. I am not sure if there will be a sequel, but it works as a standalone book. I am giving this book away, so stay tuned, I will be announcing the winner of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop!

Content: Profanity (in French), Caitlyn uses someone else’s prescription drugs to help her fall asleep and induce dreams.

Cover Reveal: Frost by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: Oct. 11, 2011
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 336 pages
Author Website: http://www.wendydelsol.com/
Genre: Fantasy

Here is the synopsis I found from Ms. Delsol’s website:  
After the drama of discovering that she’s a member of the Storks, a mystical order of women endowed with powerful abilities, Katla Leblanc is finally settling into her life in chilly Minnesota. In fact, the ex-California girl even hopes for a white Christmas. But Katla’s wintry wish unexpectedly turns into the snowstorm of the century, drawing the attention of Brigid, a gorgeous environmental researcher with an amazing array of fur coats and an unusual interest in Katla’s boyfriend, Jack.

 Stork, the prequel to Frost, was such a fun book that featured very cool Norse mythology, an original element in YA books these days. It was one of my favorite books last year and I am very excited about this sequel. I am intrigued by this cover because the cover of Stork featured Katla is was very bright and this new cover is a dark contrast. I have included the cover of Stork below so you can compare. I think the covers complement each other, I love them both and can’t wait to read Frost!

Follow My Blog Friday - 4/22/11

Happy Friday everyone! The Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.  If you're a new follower, please leave a link to your blog in the comments so that I can visit your blog.

Currently, I am giving away a copy of Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach. Click here to enter.

This week's question is: What’s on your current playlist?

Right now, I am loving You Are More by Tenth Avenue North, Third Day, Owl City, OneRepublic, The Fray and I have been on a Michael Jackson kick for a looong time now. It’s so great to listen to Off the Wall after a really tough day….

What are you listening to?