Giveaway: A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

Thanks to the lovely people at HarperTeen/Harper Collins, I have ONE copy of A Golden Web by Barbara Quick to giveaway to one very lucky reader.

In cause you have no clue what it's about here's the summary, as well as a link to my interview with Barbara:

Alessandra is desperate to escape.

Desperate to escape her stepmother, who's locked her away for a year; to escape the cloister that awaits her and the marriage plans that have been made for her; to escape the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There's no tolerance in her quiet village for Alessandra and her keen intelligence and unconventional ideas.

In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee -- and an enduring fame.

In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world's first female anatomist, acclaimed novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten -- and unforgettable -- heroine.

And since I will be sending this out when the contest is over, I'm having this be INTERNATIONALLY open!

Though, as with anything, there are still rules:

~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Open to participants world wide.  
~ To enter please fill out the form. Don't comment below to enter or you will not be entered! 
~ This contest will close on June 15 (my last day of school!) with the winner being announced June 16 or 17.

In My Mailbox: Week 74

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

Even though I didn't have the chance to go to BEA this year and get a ton of amaizing books (*cue sad face*), I still did get several fablous ones through the mail and library.

For Review/Giveway Copies:

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick (I'm really looking forward to reading this. It looks fabulous! Thanks Laura/Candlewick!)

Insatiable by Meg Cabot (I LOVE Meg Cabot, so as you can probably image, I am stoked to read this novel! Thanks Pam/Harper Collins!)

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick (This one will be given away here to tomorrow, so be sure to check back to enter! Though I think I will give it a read before the winner is picked; it just looks too good to pass up! Thanks Elyse @ HarperTeen!)

Salvaged by Stefne Miller (I just finished this one and it was AMAZING! It truly ended up surprising me in some big ways, though more on that later. And lucky enough for all my readers out there I'll be interviewing Stefne soon and giving away my SIGNED copy of Salvaged, even though it's going to pain me to do so.)

Summer Sanctuary by Laurie Gray (I love the cover of this one. It's so pretty yet very simple. Thanks Marygleen!)

Ghost Huntress Book 3: The Reason by Marley Gibson (I haven't read the first two, though I just ordered the first one from the library and have the second one already in my TBR pile, so I shall hopefully be getting to them shortly. Thanks Graphia!)

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (I haven't heard anything but amazing things about this series, so I'm looking forward to reading this one, as well as the first two this summer. Thanks Laura/Candlewick!)

From Library:

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson (I haven't heard much about this one but it looks great!)

Raven Speak by Diane Lee Wilson (Looks good! Plus I love the cover.)

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Has a creepy looking cover.0

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Ever since I read The Summer We Read Gatsby, I've been wanting to read this novel. Lucky enough for me, my local library had a copy.)

In all, a pretty great week! I'm looking forward to reading all of these. Also, please note that there will not be an IMM posted next Sunday, since I will be in Florida for my sister's graduation, so I'll either be posting one later that week or just combining two weeks together.) Though, enough about me what did you get this week? Anything exciting? Let me know. :)

Winners and Tiger Press Young Writers Award!

Hey, everyone! I hope you all are having a great Saturday! :)

~~~

First off, the winners of Morpheus Road: The Light are:

Lisa Basso
Kelsy Alexandra
Angie D
Terchil
Debbie penny

Congrats, you five! I'll be sending each of you an email shortly so be sure to reply in 72 hours or I'll have to pick a new winner. Didn't win? Well, be sure to check out my Shade and Amy & Roger's Epic Detour contests which are ending soon. The links to both are above. ^^ Also, I have several more contests coming up in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back!


~~

Second of all, I was recently sent an email regarding the Tiger Press Young Writers Award, a national campaign to promote literacy and creative thinking amongst kids and they are doing this through a Young Writers competition.

Here's some information taken directly from their site:

We’re looking for budding writers and illustrators, aged between 5 and 11, to take part in the very first Little Tiger Press Young Writer & Illustrator Awards, sponsored by PriceMinister.

This national competition is designed to tie in with Key Stages 1 and 2 of English Writing and Art and Design, and will give children a fantastic opportunity to develop their own stories and artwork inspired by ideas from some of the best-loved Little Tiger Press authors and illustrators.

We have lots of exciting prizes to offer including:

◦Up to £800 in PriceMinister vouchers for the winning school or organisation.
◦Up to £75 in PriceMinister vouchers for the individual winning entries.
◦A chance for pupils to meet the authors and illustrators at a special prize-giving and to join them in a free workshop.
◦Plus the winners of each award will have their work professionally designed and framed.

Know anyone who would be interested in participating? Well, head over to their website to find out more.

~~~

It's my BLOGIVERSARY (AKA 2 YEARS, Everyone! 2 YEARS!)

*Word of warning: this will be a tad bit of a ramble.*

A couple of mintues ago, I was sitting at my computer bored and trying not to think about the terrible day I had (A long story that I will not get into here, because it does not at all relate to blogging), when all of sudden I realized what today is, got in a way better mood, and decied that I must post about it and use a fancy font to go along with it.

So what is it you may ask? Well, today, May 28th, is my blogiversary! That means it's been exactly TWO YEARS since I made my first post here, and I simply can't believe it.

When I first started Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf, I had no clue that not only would I keep at for years, but that it would become such an important part of who I am. Going with the last part of that statement, I just want to say just how much I love blogging, because I feel that I don't say it often enough here.

I love and enjoy so many things about it that I've even decided to make a list. Because I love lists, as well:

So, I love blogging because: 

• I get to share my love of reading and talk about all the books I read from the fab to the truly awful.
• Comments. While I'm terribly bad at replying to them, I read each and every one, and they usually make my day in some small way. :)
• The people I've 'met' through this. All the bloggers/authors/ publicists/etc. I have 'met' have helped in some way make me a better book blogger each and everyday.
• I get FAN MAIL even once in a blue moon. I mean everyone loves fan mail, right?
• I get to read so many other great blogs also and hear about so many books (as well as TV shows like GLEE, which I have one huge obsession with)  that I would have no clue about it I didn't blog.
• The opportunities. From review requests to interview requests staring me .... it's endless, and they never fail to make me think, "They like me! They really like me!" lol. ;)
• And many other reasons that I can't think of now.

Now here's the part where I would link to my past posts and do a 'first' list, but I did that last year, and I really don't want you to read my early reviews. They make ME cringe, so I'm don't even want to think about what you would think about them.  XD

So in all, thanks to everyone who who has been a reader from the start to all the new ones who have joined me in this last year! I'm so glad that you read my blog, and let's get hoping that THIS year is even better than the last! :)

Lastly, people usually have Blogiversary contests (I even had one last year...), but I already have so many contests running, as well as new ones coming up this week, that I don't want to host a big shin-ding yet. Though, there will be one, and there's a 99% it will occur in August, just in time for my B-day! So keep an eye out for it! 

~ Lauren  

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.

Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

Review:

If you've been a long-time reader of my blog, you'll know that I've been looking forward to reading this book for quite awhile now, since the cover was eye-catching and the premise seemed mysterious (and I do like my mysteries, you know). So when the chance came up to read an early copy of it, I jumped at, and I'm so glad I did!  Since while Siren didn't always live up to expectations, it still was one book that proved to be an exciting and un-put-a-down-able guilty pleasure!

Vanessa is a character who to put it lightly seems to be afraid of everything. Water, heights, life... you name it and she'll probably be at least a wee bit afraid of it, but when it came to her sister's death, she puts aside her own fears and became a fighter with only one mission. That mission? Find out who killed her sister along with all those other men.

While sometimes I was put down by the fact that Vanessa constantly let her fears get the better part of her, I did like her. I could feel her sorrow for loosing her sister too soon radiate off the page, as well as her exciting non-friendship feelings for the alluring, brilliant Simon. And seeing her find out the mystery behind her sister's death made me proud of her in a way that I wasn't before. Also her friendship with Paige was anther aspect of this book that I enjoyed because it was easy to see what great of friends they were given the short amount of time.

The plot of this was also proved to have me hooked, as it will any reader who loves mysteries, siren stories, and romance. I was always rushing through the pages, eager to find out what happened to Justine and whether or not Simon and Vanessa would ever get together, as well if the two of them would ever overcome each road-block thrown in the way to figure out the mystery. Though I felt that some of it could have been better explained, especially in the last few chapters were everything seemed to be a rush of excitement with no real, logical explanation. Though don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this story, but I felt that it would've been better if explained.

Overall, Siren proves to be an easy, light read that will be perfect read for the summer season, since it does drop on July 13. And the ending has left me with the hope that there will be sequel, thankfully.

Grade: B-

Siren will be released July 13, 2010.

Source: Around The World Tour

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's website:

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Review:

Team werewolf is one that I'm not usually on, but with the nearly spectacular thing that was Raised by Wolves, I think I'm really close to making the jump. 

To me Raised by Wolves is Vampire Academy meets a government of werewolves.

Since with Bryn's feisty, sarcastic, and fearless personality, she's very close to being a young Rose, which made her be one character that I had no trouble liking from the get-go. I loved the fact that she never gave up no matter what almost insuperable challenge came her way... even though I do admit that I thought she was a bit loco for doing so at times. Also, with her friendships with Devon, the most flamboyant werewolf ever to grace the pages of a book, and Lake, yet another fearless, charming young girl, and her relationship with Chase, the new werewolf who loves Bryn to pieces, you have one unstoppable team of teens that would make any subject, no matter how dry, exciting and page-turning fun. 

Adding that to the plot of Raised by Wolves, you have one great werewolf YA, one that I'm sure most teen readers out there will be gobbling right up come June. To me it's always fascinating to see how an author chooses to structure the world paranormal creators, like vampires and werewolves, live in and the one in this novel was no different. I liked the fact that the werewolves created a democracy of different werewolf groups leaving in territories spread out across the US, and how the bonds between them made the pack leader always in charge (of course, young, human Bryn would change that fact..). Plus, this is one story that constantly had me guessing about what would happen happen next: Would Bryn find the Resilient in time? Would she ever find out what the pack was hiding from her? What about Chase did he only mean good or was there an evil side to him hidden? Only further pages would tell me the answers to these burning questions of mine.

The only complaint I really have about Raised by Wolves is the length. It was a bit wordy and too drawn out for my tastes in the middle, leaving me to become uninterested several times, since I felt that some scenes were unnecessary.

Though, boy, oh boy, did I love the ending! Since it was far from lacking suspense and one that has made me officially have a craveing to reading the sequel that drops either next year or the year after!

In all, if you love werewolves, feisty main characters, and fights to death, this is the novel for you!

Grade: B+

Raised by Wolves will be released June 8, 2010.

Source: Around The World Tour

Waiting On Wednesday: Week 80

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
My pick this week is:

John Belushi Is Dead by Kathy Charles

Set in a glamorous and seedy Los Angeles, Hollywood Ending (Titled John Belushi Is Dead in US) is a story that will make your heart skip a beat.

Pink-haired Hilda and endearing punk Benji, both seventeen, have an obsessive hobby—they haunt the places where Hollywood celebrities have died.

In rundown Echo Park, once the hub of the movie business, they find the squalid apartment where a second-rate silent movie star stabbed himself to death with nail scissors. Its current tenant is Hank, an old man with a mysterious past.

While Benji dives deeper into the cult of celebrity death, Hank and Hilda make an unlikely pair. Then Jake the screenwriter turns up. What’s his story?

Kathy Charles has talent to burn and takes the reader into the heart of the movie world, and the shadows of our own personal histories. Hollywood Ending is a thriller, a comedy about the weirdness of growing up, and a wry love-letter to Los Angeles.

Doesn't this look/sound spectacular?! I think so! (I LOVE the pink hair of the girl on the cover, and from the summary it seems like the main character has pink hair as well.) Plus, it's been receiving a ton of raving reviews since it's debut last August in Australia (some include Adele's at Persnickety Snark and Steph's at Steph Bowe's Hey! Teenager of the Year). Sadly enough, people in the US don't get to read John Belushi Is Dead until August 24, 2010.

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Summary/Image from Publisher's website:

When Tessa's best friend Noelle disappears right before the start of eighth grade, Tessa's life changes completely--she shies away from her other friends and stops eating in the cafeteria. Now, two years later, Noelle has escaped her captivity and is coming home, in one piece but not exactly intact, and definitely different. Tessa's life is about to change again as she tries to revive the best-friendship the two girls had shared before Noelle--now Elle--was kidnapped; puts up a futile resistance to the charming new guy at school; pursues her passion for photography while trying to build the bravado to show her photos to the public; and tries to balance her desire to protect and shelter Elle with the necessity to live her own life and put herself first.

Review:

For the most part, debut books always blow my mind. And Kristina's McBride's debut titled The Tension of Opposites? Well, it was no different of course, because when it comes down to it, this book is a keeper. It's chilling, romantic, well-written, and makes the reader think- four qualities that always make a book a star in my opinion!

From the first page, you are thrown into Tessa's life, the friend and girl left to be forgotten after her best friend's disappearance four years prior. And Tessa's fine with the forgotten part, since in her opinion, why does she deserve to have an amazing teen experience, when her best friend never received such a thing?

Tessa is one of those main characters that while you adore and root for them to pieces, you can't help but what to shake their shoulders every once in awhile in frustration and remind them that while they may think the opposite, life IS worth living no matter what the criticisms, and that while friendships are important, especially in the case of Noelle and Tessa, you shouldn't let their lives rule your own.

The Tension of Opposites also displays different relationships from friends to boy-and-girl thoroughly in many different lights, leaving this aspect to be one of many that that made The Tension of Opposites be the rock star book it was meant to be from the start. For example, you got to see the before between Noelle and Tessa, then and Elle and Tessa in current time. It was easy to be like Tessa and naively think that when Noelle made her return two years latter, she would be the same bubbly, reckless girl she was before. Though, she isn't. Because replacing her long-forgotten best friend is someone named Elle who has seen a lot and because of it had grown stronger than any sophomore should be. Leaving their relationship to be one that's rocky and hard, but to the reader it also appears that in the long run they'll always be there for each other, because no matter how much life changes and moves around, they'll always be the same girls they were that summer in eighth grade deep, deep down inside. I also want to touch briefly on the relationship between Tessa and Max, and because I don't want to give too much away I'll just say it'll make any reader go "aww!" inside no matter how tough they think they are.

The plot was also something I enjoyed in The Tension of Opposites and constantly had the story moving along at a great pace when tied together with McBride's writing! Also, I loved the fact that Kristina's made Tessa's photographya big part of the novel because it added a great little, fun addition to this mostly serious story.

In all The Tension of Opposites is yet another fantastic 2010 debut among many that will make any reader wonder, no matter how young or old, what if they were Noelle or even Tessa? What if their life went up in flames that one summer ago? And how for would they go to fix what is  not meant to be broken?

Grade: A+

The Tension of Opposites is now out!

Source: Around The World Tour
 
Book Trailer:
 

Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

Summary/Image from Publisher's website:

Told in a voice that’s honest, urgent, and hilarious, Struts & Frets will resonate not only with teenage musicians but with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they’d ever find their place in the world.

Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend.

When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together.

Review:
 
I don't know about you but I love it when books are inspiring in a way that makes you have the impulse to chase after your own dreams as soon as possible.  If you haven't guess already, Struts & Frets was exactly that- and more!
 
If I were asked to quickly sum up Struts & Frets in a few words, a lot would come to mind. One being inspirational, obviously, along with moving and poignant. Since in all honesty that's just how Sammy's coming of age tale was.
 
Sammy is a character who has a lot on his plate. For one, his band, the one thing that means the most to him, is on the verge of splitting because of one pompous lead singer; his grandad is going literally crazy; and he may or may not have feelings for his long-time best friend Jen5, another struggling artist in her own right.
Sammy is boy that not only is unique but whose struggle to be who he wants often hit a chord in me that related to his desire and need to be someone who not only he liked but who others could appreciate as well. I also enjoyed seeing his relationships with other main characters be a big part of the novel. My favorite out of the bunch would be the one with his grandfather. Since it was so perfectly done and often made me think of that one adult among many in my life who always will support me and offer advice in the way that Sammy's grandad did with him. Becaus of this all, it was often heartbreaking to see Sammy dealing with the fact that this one major influence in his life was simply slipping away from him. Lastly, I liked how his relationship Jen5 showed how special yet frustrating young love can be.
 
While the plot of this was exciting and always tried to keep the novel moving, it often did not prove to be un-put-a-down-able, a fact that has overall brought my enjoyment of this novel down. Though I did enjoy the parts with the band and Sammy and his friends. I just feel that it could have been simply fantastic if upped up just a bit. Also, while I can see promise in Jon Skovron, one that may include in maybe, just maybe, becoming the next John Green, I felt that the writing was sometimes bland and his plot turns were, at times, predictable.
 
Though, in all, the fact of how inspiring this novel was, as well as the main characters, redeemed Struts & Frets, and leaves me to suggest this to all teen boys out there, as well as all you dreamers out there dreaming of something bigger and brighter; since this is the book for you! 
 
Grade: B
 
Struts & Frets is now out!
 
Source: Publicist at Amulet Books. As always thanks Laura.
 
Also be sure to check out Jon talking about Struts & Frets below:
 

In My Mailbox: Week 73

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

This week I got a bunch of books that I've been dying to read! And let me tell you, I'm so, so, so very excited to read them!

Around The World Tour:

Siren by Tricia Rayburn (Pretty good...review will be up this upcoming Friday.)

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride (Amazing. Look for my review this upcoming Tuesday!)

Review:

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (I can't even begin to express in words just how excited I am about this one! Figers crossed that it's as amazing as I think it'll be. Thanks, HarperTeen!)

And Then I Found Out the Truth by Jennifer Struman (Loved the prequel to this one so I'm hoping this one is just as great! Thanks TKPublicRelations!)

Gigged by Heath Gibson (Not my typical read but I'm looking forward to reading it. It's a debut, by the way. Thanks Courtney!)

The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum (Again not my typical read but it looks spectacular! Thanks Tala!)

Never After by Dan Elconin (I've heard a bunch of amazing things about this one. Thanks Dan!)

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart (A surprise from the lovely people at HarprCollins! It looks great, and there's a high possibility that Ms. Hart may be a guest here on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf soon. Though it's not set in stone yet.)

Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renée Russell + gift bag (It's official; I love Simon and Schuster! I mean, seriously how cool is the packaging of this one? It makes me want to read the book even sooner, which is what I'm sure they're aiming for! :) Thanks Simon and Schuster! You never cease to amaze me with your generosity!) Also to give you a better look what was contained in side:

The Won:

Wicked: Witch & Curse (Wicked, #1-2) by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié + Wicked 2: Legacy & Spellbound (Wicked, #3-4) Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié (I won this from Writer's Block Reviews, thanks Holly! I've heard great things about this series, so I'm looking forward to checking it out!)

Tell Me a Secret Prize pack (I love the fact that the week I get a surprise review copy of thisI also get a prize pack for the novel. Irony never ceases to amaze me. Anyway, thanks Holly/ Princess Bookie! I love the pack, and the CD is great as well.)

The Bought:

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (LOVE Vampire Academy!!)

Jump by by Elisa Carbone (I've heard got a lot of great things about this one around blogging world, so I'm looking forward to checking it out!)

From Library/ Gift:

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell (Looks good!)

Airhead: Runaway T-Shirt that reads " The Paparazzi Have Just Gotten So Out of Control!" (Very cute! Thanks Chelsy!)

Overall: What an amazing week! Though enough about me, what did you all get this week? Anything similar to me?

Winner of The Cinderella Society Blog Tour Giveaway!

Hey, everyone!

I have yet another winner to announce this Saturday. This time for my Cinderella Soicety Blog Tour giveaway of a glass slipper book mark. And that winner?

Well, it's Anna of Good Gone Girl: Book Reviews & More!

Congrats, Anna! I hope you love the bookmark.

Didn't win? Well, be sure to check out my other three giveaways going on right now above!

Anyway that's all for now! I hope you all have a great Saturday. :)

~ Lauren

Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone

Summary from publisher's website:

When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie’s Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie’s queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up for who she is.

Brilliant newcomer Mary Hanlon Stone delivers a compulsively readable insider’s view of growing up in a world where money and privilege don’t always glitter.
 
Review:

When a publisher goes so far to say the phrase "brilliant newcomer" in correlation with the author's name, you begin to get high hopes. Well, at least I do. So going into this I was expecting well brilliancy or at the least a compelling, captivating read. Though, while I did somewhat receive that, I felt that Invisible Girl wasn't as nearly as fantastic as it could have been.

First, let's start with the aspects I did like; one would be the characters, Stephanie in particular.

Stephanie was a girl that you couldn't help but feel the need or want, perhaps, to save. Since, in her short fourteen years of life she's felt more pain and sadness then most people have in a lifetime. From the lack of love her abusive mother shows to the unwillingness from her father to stand up for his own child, Stephanie feels like she's unwanted and that begins her feelings as an invisible girl.

It was outright compelling to see her journey as she attempted to find her place in this world apart from her worthless parents. It's an absolute given, in my opinion, to say that I was rooting for her because who wouldn't? Plus, I really enjoyed how Ms. Hanlon made her emotions jump right off the page from the start and become a part of you.

While some of her new California friends weren't the greatest out there, a few did manage to shine with one being Amal. Amal is the new girl from the South that quickly falls into the group Stephanie herself had months before, and even though Amal and Stephanie are completely different characters, I still felt that they complemented each other a way that only best friends can. Since through their time as friends, they pulled each other as the other fell down and with that implied they would be there through the good and bad times; something that most don't mind having in a best friend.

Sadly enough, the plot wasn't as nearly as great as the characters. Since because of the lack of a fast pace, I had to push myself to get through parts of this. Also I sometimes felt that Invisible Girl was one story that I've heard before.

With saying that though, Ms. Stone still contained to shine through her characters and writing, which left this to become a mostly venial problem.

The one other aspect that brought this down a couple of grades was the ending. I felt that it anti-climatic and left some key plot points wide open by shoving them aside, which made me somewhat angry. Since, I would have loved to seen more closure. Though, as I think of it, maybe the point of this is to let the reader decide were Stephanie goes next and whether or not she gets her happy ending. (<< highlight to see. It's not really a spoiler, but I don't want anyone mad at me.)

Overall, Invisible Girl is still a stunning book even with the flaws it had.

Lastly, it's a book dealing with a very important issue that needs more light, so with that I'll leave you with these last words: READ IT!

Grade: B-
 
Invisible Girl will be published on May 27, 2010 by Philomel.

Source: Publisher/ Publicist for reveiw. Thanks Penguin/ Anna!

Giveaway for Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Today, I have FIVE copies of Shade from the lovely people at Simon & Schuster to give away. And let me tell you; this book is fantastic! A new series that you just simply can't miss!

In case you don't know what this one is about, here's the summary:

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

To enter, please fill out the following form.

Also, here are the 'rules':

~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail).
~ Fill out the form below to enter!
~ This contest will close on June 3 with the winners being announced June 4.



Lastly, be sure to check out the fab book trailer:



*Giveaway copies provided by the lovely people at Simon and Schuster*

Waiting On Wednesday: Week 79

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My pick this week is:

The Miracle Stealer by Neil Connelly

There was a time when Anderson Grant believed. She never doubted the goodness of the people at her church. She trusted both her parents. And she felt unshakeable faith in a kind and all-powerful God.

But then a freak accident nearly killed Daniel, her three year old brother. After his rescue, strange rumors about Daniel began spreading around town. The faithful claimed he could intercede with Jesus, cleanse a soul, heal the sick, even raise the dead.

The media trumpeted Daniel as a Miracle Boy, and the number of those believing in him swelled. They descended on Anderson's small town, along with a horribly scarred preacher and a deranged stalker. Now Anderson is certain of only one thing: she has to stop this.

With the help of her once-and-maybe-future boyfriend Jeff, she dreams up a dangerous scheme that will forever cast doubt on Daniel’s so-called divine gifts. If it works.

But as the plan comes together, the true believers grow more bold, the psycho stalker draws near, and the disfigured preacher challenges Anderson’s resolve. She finds herself wrestling with her own beliefs in God and her brother, and she’s left wondering if what she really needs to save Daniel might just be a miracle of her own. (Summary/Image from Author's Website)

Doesn't this one sound simply amazing? I think so and I can't wait to read it. I love the cover as well; it's so simple yet beautiful in a eye-catching type of way.

The Miracle Stealer will be released Oct. 1, 2010.

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Summary from Amazon:

Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

Review:

Beginning Claire de Lune I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy it.  Since when it comes to werewolf novels I'm usually not too pleased with them (Well, with the exception of Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. Though that book wasn't told from a werewolves POV, so maybe I shouldn't put it under this category. Hmm.). Anyway, starting it I liked it a lot for the first couple of chapters, and then it started to drift off and disappoint for a while, but then an amazing thing happened. What was that, you may ask? Well, it started to get really interesting, leaving me to be quite pleased by the end of Claire de Lune.

Claire is a character that's facing a lot right now because her long-time crushing is finally noticing her, her town is facing a terrifying werewolf killing people epidemic, which may or may not cause her best friend to leave for the summer, and, oh yeah, she just found out she comes form a long line of werewolves. So that means that she's a werewolf too! Leaving her carefree summer to suddenly get a lot more interesting as she  faces her new fate as a werewolf and tries, along with her pack of werewolves, to find out who is behind the attacks.

I found Claire to be likable from the start because she was brave and smart even if she did make some immature decisions at times. Also, I loved seeing her relationship with Matthew grow over the course of the book and how she came to  terms with her mother too. Though, with saying that, I really felt that a lot more character development was needed in Claire de Lune. Since beyond Claire, you didn't really get much back-story and understanding of the other characters beyond what was at the surface. Hopefully more will be reveled in the sequel that Christine is currently working.

The premise of this was great! I loved how Christine crafted Claire De Lune in way that only women could be werewolves and that each werewolf, except for ones that choose to be alone, belonged to packs. It was interesting seeing the back-story on all of this along with seeing Claire's transition from being a normal teen into being a teen who was also a werewolf. Plus, I enjoyed the murder mystery she featured because it often made for me to be on the edge of my seat, eager to find out who was behind the killings. 

And the ending was definitely something I wasn't expecting, which made me happy because I love unpredictable endings.

Even with the faults Claire de Lune had in character development and pacing, I still suggest this book to teens looking for a new and unique werewolf story! Lastly, I'm looking forward to reading the sequel even though the ending of Claire de Lune basically cleared everything up.
 
Grade: B

Claire de Lune will be released May 18, 2010.

Source: Simon and Schuster for review. Thanks Venessa!

Giveaway for Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Today, I have a digital photo frame keychain to store your road trip shots plus a copy of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour from the lovely people at Simon & Schuster/Big Honcho Media to giveaway!! And let me tell you; this book is one you simply can't miss!

Here's the summary, in case you're not sure what it's about:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

And here's the link to the book's website, as well as a link to read an excerpt from the first chapter.

Here are the rules:

~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prize by mail).
~ Fill out the form below to enter!
~ This contest will close on June 1.



Please note that I received a review copy of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour in support of this post from Big Honcho Media, as well as the copy to giveaway.

New Bookish News

Hi, everyone! I hope you all are having a great Sunday! Anyway I thought I would post about some new bookish type news since I haven't in a while, so without a further ado.

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First off, as you already know I'm very excited about the Pretty Little Liars TV debut this June (even though I'm sure it will disappointment in some way), so when someone (Thanks Meg!) sent me the new character promos, I became even more excited! And because I'm sure there's some other PLL fans out there eager to see the show, I thought I would include them below.

Aria:



Spencer:



Emily:



Hannah:



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Also have you check out 100 All-Time Best Book Club Books? Well, check it out here. (Much thanks goes to Jesse for the link.)

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Edit: I keep failing to mention this, but I was also interviewed over at Starry Night a couple of weeks ago, so head over here to check it out if you would like.

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Thoughts? Leave them below! :)

In My Mailbox: Week 72

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Here's what I got this week:

Around The World Tour:

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Loving this one so far!)

For Review:

Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci (Looks good!)

The School of Possibilities by Seita Parkkola (As does this!)

From Library:

After by Kristin Harmel (I've heard some great things about this one! Also has anyone else noticed the trend with including the word After in titles?)

A slow week but I still got a few books I've been dying to read, which makes me happy. Plus I've been loving the slow weeks lately because I've been catching up on my blog TBR pile, which is always a good thing. ;)

Anyway what did you get this week? Anything similar to me? Let me know in the comments!

The Cinderella Society Blog Tour Giveaway!

Kay Cassidy has been nice enough to donate a Cinderella Society glass slipper bookmark, like the one below, for me to to giveaway here on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf.

To enter, please fill out the following form. And since secret societies (the Cindys in particularly) are part of the book, in order to enter, I'm asking you the following question:

"If you were offered to be part of the Cindys, the secret society in TCS, would you say yes? Why or why not?"

For me, I would love to be part of the Cindys! It just has a really distinct aspect of coolness to it. Plus, I love the good deeds they do for others!

Here's the rules for the contest:

~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prize by mail).
~ Fill out the form below to enter!
~ This contest will close on Friday, May 21st, so be sure to enter ASAP.

Also here's the summary for The Cinderella Society in case you haven't heard about it before:

Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

To check out my interview with Kay head over here.

*Bookmark provided by Kay Cassidy*

The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's website:

Nobody can know your secret.

Nobody can know your power.

But if nobody knows who you are to begin with...what's stopping you?

I whisper, "What's so special about me all of a sudden?"

Nick says, "The Turning."

Mary feels different, but can't explain why. The fainting, the strange cravings...and worse, the things she's noticed about her body.

Mary doesn't know where to turn. If she tells her parents or her sister, she'll risk losing everything. She has no other family, no way of knowing if what she's going through is normal. Everyone she's ever known and loved could reject her...

Review:

Lately it seems that when it comes to books published by Sourcebooks and me it's either a hit or a miss, and sadly enough What Curiosity Kills was the later of those two.

When What Curiosity Kills first landed in my hands I'll admit that I squealed a bit...well maybe more than a bit. The cover was stunning, the premise seemed intriguing, and Ellis's wrote a highly acclaimed novel prior to this, leaving this book to have endless possibilities of amazing coming my way, so I dived right in, eager to see if this book leaved up to my exceptions.

And at first it did. The characters, while never fully developed, still had my full attention, as did the plot. Though as What Curiosity Kills continued it also started to loose my attention bit by bit with every passing chapter, leaving this to ultimately be a book I had trouble finishing.

Don't get me wrong, I did like the characters. Mary, a girl who has never truly felt at home in her own skin, especially with her new ability, was someone who I rooted for in many different situations. Since from her getting the boy of her dreams to overcoming her abilities there truly wasn't a time when I didn't want her to get the best of both worlds. Also I truly felt sadness to what Mary, as well as Octavia, had gone through previously as foster children, but happiness for the happy, loving family they now had. The secondary characters were interesting too.

Though there was just something missing with the characters, in my opinion, and that was development. Sure I knew who they were on the surface but as the reader I never truly felt that I really knew them personally; I was more like a passer-by, even with Mary.

The premise was no doubt exciting and something new and thrilling. I mean turning into a cat? That's something you never see too much of. Though sometimes the whole turning business got to be a too much for me personally. I'm sure others will not have this problem but it was a big one for me when it came down to my overall enjoyment of What Curiosity Kills. Adding to this, I never was a big fan of Ellis' writing since it often felt that there was never a great balance between dialogue and descriptions. 

While What Curiosity Kills had it's faults and was a book that I didn't mesh well with, I still have a feeling that it will find a fan-base within some people out there, so hopefully if you're going to give this one a chance, you're one of them.

And the biggest question of them all: Will I be reading more Ellis? Well, that's one thing I'm as yet undecided on, so maybe, just maybe. Since, as anything like this goes, I could truly end up loving her next book...or not.

Grade: D

What Curiosity Kills is now out!

Source: Publicist at Sourcebooks

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Summary/Image from Publisher's Website:

Str-S-d-

I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.

As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.

Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?

The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.

In the spirit of stories like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Todd Strasser updates the teen thriller for the techno age with Wish You Were Dead, the first installment in a new “thrill”-ogy.

Review:

I'm always on the search for new books to scare the living daylights out of me, so when Wish You Were Dead, a book that had a high possibility of doing so, ended up on my radar, I couldn't wait to check it out. Sadly enough, Wish You Were Dead proved to be a huge disappointment.

One of the reasons it did so was because of the lackluster characters. For example, the main character Madison always felt like an accessory used to move the story, rather than someone the author wanted you to connect to and feel their fears, needs, and desires. Also I could never really understand her liking of Tyler because he for the most part he never seemed to be quite right, I guess you would say, as well as why she felt so strong about her friendships with Madison and her boyfriend when it felt that they really were not that close. Lastly, the add on of the blogger Str-S-d often proved more questions about the person behind it than answers, something that also left me to feel disappointed.

The premise of this, as mentioned above, was something that had a lot of promise. Since I loved how Mr. Strasser included not only a narrative to the next with several main characters telling the story but the addition of blogging and other social networking, that allowed for this novel to go in many directions. This often worked to Wish You Were Dead's. Though while I did love that part, I often felt that while the mysterious atmosphere to the plot kept me reading, it never really was too scary, suspenseful, or developed in way that made it jump of the page and come to life.

In all, while Wish You Were Dead certainly had great promise and some great points, I often found it to not be for my likings. Though, while I felt this way, it may still work for some out there who are looking for a scary read to keep them tied over until their next read. And who knows, maybe they'll end up loving it; I mean some did; just not me.

Grade: D

Wish You Were Dead is now out!

Source: Good Man Media. Thanks Rebecca!

Contest for The Light: Morpheus Road #1 by D.J. MacHale

Thanks to Simon and Schuster I have FIVE copies of The Light: Morpheus Road #1 to give away. While I wasn't always too fond of this book, I still found it to be thrilling and scary fun, so I hope you do too!

Here's the summary from the publisher:

Marshall Seaver is being haunted.

It begins with mysterious sounds, a fleeting face outside a window, a rogue breeze—all things that can be explained away. That is, until he comes face-to-face with a character who only exists on the pages of a sketchbook—a character Marshall himself created.

Marshall has no idea why he is being tormented by this forbidding creature, but he is quickly convinced it has something to do with his best friend, Cooper, who has gone missing. Together with Cooper’s beautiful but aloof sister, Sydney, Marshall searches for the truth about his friend while ultimately uncovering a nightmare that is bigger and more frightening than he could ever have imagined.

Number one New York Times bestselling author D. J. MacHale launches his eerie new trilogy with a story so packed with chilling suspense, readers will want to sleep with the light on.

To enter, please fill out the follwoing form. This contest is limited people ages 13 and older who live in the US. Though, as always, if you're international reader but can have someone in the US mail it to you if you win, feel free to enter!

This contest will close on May 26, 2010!



*Giveaway copies provided by V at Simon and Schuster*