Feral Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway


Feral by Holly Schindler

 Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iTunes ● Kobo
Goodreads ● Website
The Lovely Bones meets Black Swan in this haunting psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you question everything you think you know.

It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words continue to haunt Claire Cain months after she barely survived a brutal beating in Chicago. So when her father is offered a job in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out will offer her a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire feels an overwhelming sense of danger, and her fears are confirmed when she discovers the body of a popular high school student in the icy woods behind the school, surrounded by the town’s feral cats. While everyone is quick to say it was an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it, and vows to learn the truth about what happened. 

But the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to realizing a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley….

 Holly Schindler’s gripping story is filled with heart-stopping twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

 When I first started Feral, I was so taken with the writing. Schindler’s descriptions, though horrifying, were absolutely beautiful. I was completely enraptured by the book from start to finish. I enjoyed how dark and twisted it was, and the end completely caught me by surprise. I really enjoy books that catch you in the moments right before the person responsible is revealed, so this book had the right amount of shock and suspense, as well as great execution and delivery of story and motive.

I liked Claire’s character– I found it interesting how amidst this larger event (Serena’s death) she has her own personal struggle which definitely plays into the climax of the story. I liked how the two events intertwine and there’s a constant creepy atmosphere whenever it does. Claire is definitely a lot braver than I am or will ever be, and I totally respect that bravado in a character. Her determination to get to the bottom of what actually happened is what really kept me going through the book! Plus, it’s a bonus that a very cute guy called Rich appears throughout the novel.

 Like I mentioned before, everything falls into place moments before Claire figures out the whole mystery. Seriously, I think my heart stopped beating for a while. I love shocks and twists, and holy hells, this is a good one. While some reviews complain that everything falls too easily into place, um, NO. I totally did not see this coming and I think the reasons behind certain things are absolutely justifiable and make sense. Very Slaughterhouse-Five, I must say.

 Feral was flawless, intriguing and deliciously deadly– I’m completely head over heels in love with this book. Schindler truly is a master of her craft and the sheer power her words carry have left a lasting impression on me. More please!

If you like this, try...


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 EXCERPT

Scrambling to free herself, Claire turned to see exactly how badly her feet were tangled in the fallen limb.  But the shattered branch that had just tripped her was a strange shade of blue—purple—gray.  

She was staring at a human hand.

“No—no,” Claire screamed as she attempted to get away from the limb and the dead body, tripping on the hem of her coat in the process.  She stumbled back to the earth, falling on her backpack.

An angry hiss pried Claire’s eyes upward, away from the waxy, blue fingers.

A cat edged forward from its perch on top of the limb that pinned the body; a pair of yellow eyes with black stripes narrowed at Claire; pink fangs flashed.  Nearby, another yellow set of eyes popped from the shadows as a tail curled up onto a black curved back.  More fangs.  More eyes.  More angry, fat tails.

Ferals.
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HOLLY SCHINDLER

Holly Schindler is the author of the critically acclaimed A BLUE SO DARK (Booklist starred review, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year silver medal recipient, IPPY Awards gold medal recipient) as well as PLAYING HURT (both YAs). 
Her debut MG, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY also released in ’14, and became a favorite of teachers and librarians, who used the book as a read-aloud. Kirkus Reviews called THE JUNCTION “...a heartwarming and uplifting story...[that] shines...with vibrant themes of community, self-empowerment and artistic vision delivered with a satisfying verve.” Bloggers also quickly fell for the book; Susan at Bloggin’ ‘bout Books said of THE JUNCTION, “Triumphant and compelling, this is one of those books that will make you cheer. And look a little bit closer for the unique beauty in all of us.” 

FERAL is Schindler’s third YA and first mystery / thriller. She encourages readers to get in touch, and can be found at hollyschindler.com, hollyschindler.blogspot.com, @holly_schindler, Facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor, and http://hollyschindler.tumblr.com/

 Goodreads

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Giveaway time!

Enter to win...

One (1) SIGNED hardcover of Feral!

Open to US/CAN only.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Click on the button below or on the tour banner at the top of the post to follow the rest of the tour!


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Thank you so much to FFBC Blog Tours for having me along!
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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 124

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming books that I’m DYING to get my hands on!
This week’s WoW is:
A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd
**WARNING: may contain spoilers from The Madman’s Daughter and Her Dark Curiosity**
After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.
January 27, 2015 ● Goodreads

First off, the covers in this series are absolutely GORGEOUS. I’m a huge fan of Shepherd’s The Madman’s Daughter trilogy (read my review for The Madman’s Daughter here and Her Dark Curiosity here) and can’t WAIT to get my hands on this one! Hopefully review copies will be available soon, whether it’s a physical ARC or on Edelweiss :D

What are you waiting on?
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The Summer Invitation by Charlotte Silver

The Summer Invitation by Charlotte Silver

 Release Date: May 20, 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads
Two sisters are summoned to their aunt's Greenwich Village flat, where they must start dressing like young ladies, cultivate their artistic sensibilities, and open themselves up to Life with a capital L.

 When Franny and her older sister Valentine are summoned by their Aunt Theodora from foggy San Francisco to sunny New York City for one summer, they are taken to old-world locales like Bemelmans Bar, the Plaza, and the Sherry Netherland by their chaperone, Clover, Aunt Theodora’s protégé. As they discover New York City going lingerie shopping and learning about the simple elegance of a cucumber sandwich, they also begin to unearth secrets and answers about Aunt Theo's glamorous and romantic past, and they have a few romantic adventures of their own.

While I did enjoy some parts of The Summer Invitation, it felt like more of a guide book rather than a novel with an actual plot line. Most of the story consists of Franny and Valentine going shopping, eating or walking around New York with their chaperone Clover. Loads of places mentioned here – some which I’d love to visit next time I go to New York – and it felt like we as readers are just witnessing two girls as they “tour” around the city.

 Franny was sweet and innocent, and I liked how we got to see the world through her point of view. However, there was an awful lot of “telling” and not “showing”. The writing was really on-the-surface, and you can’t really much past that. Valentine annoyed me till the end: she got bored of everything too fast, was too melodramatic and was pretty superficial. Also I hated how everything became about romance and sex when it concerned her character. I mean, really? and Clover was no better– she encouraged young girls to buy lingerie and have lovers and all that stuff. While it does seem to have the elements of an old film that I’d love to watch, it was sometimes too shallow for me to get in to.

 The Summer Invitation, while having an interesting look at New York City and some of the classy places located within the city that I’m now DYING to go to, fell flat for me. I’m unsure whether or not this is aimed at younger readers or slightly older ones, due to the topics discussed in the book, but nonetheless, it felt childish and plain for a young adult novel.

If you like this, try...

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The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise


The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

 Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed – Thanks Richa (City of Books)!
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

I did get a few stares from my friends when I walked hand-in-hand with this book. The Boyfriend App– who wouldn't want that? Get the perfect guy for you and live happily ever after. Unfortunately things don’t always go as planned, but sometimes things find a way of working out. While I did love some of the plot and characters, I found myself thinking how ridiculous the story sounded at times. I thought it was going to a contemporary novel, sticking to a more realistic story, but there was some slightly paranormal (maybe?) bits to the story which made it really weird.

I liked Audrey’s character. She was really interesting! She reminded me of Wick from Find Me (minus the whole hacker trying to find a dead girl thing) and I really enjoyed her snark and sarcasm. Her narrative was great to relate to. I also liked Lindsay’s character. I love how different she was from Audrey and how girly she could be in contrast. Of course, Aiden was also a favourite of mine. Such a cute, sweet guy! Xander wasn’t bad, and the scene with him in the cafeteria was hilarious, but I mean Aiden? Wowie. LOVED HIM.

 There was one little part of the book though that got on my nerves. It wasn’t the whole paranormal thing, and it was just a little bit of the book, but it really stuck with me the whole time, because I HOPE it got corrected in the final version, but I seriously doubt it. The author should have really checked because WOW was she wrong. At one point of the story, when Lindsay meets Nigit, she actually utters this line: “The worship of Ganesh isn’t restricted to India and Hindis, Nigit.” (p. 73, ARC). Um, what? HINDIS? I may not be one, but I’m pretty damn well sure, being from India and having actually lived there for a part of my life, that it’s HINDU not HINDI. HINDI is a language. Problem number two followed up on the next page. Nigit’s character says this: “It was a gift from my mom for Ramadan. I keep it on my puja table when I’m not here.” (p. 74, ARC). WHATTTT. Ramadan? REALLY? I’m Muslim, and unless Nigit is half-Muslim (which he is NOT), why on earth would he celebrate Ramadan? Seriously, the inaccuracy kills me, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

 Then, of course, there’s the paranormal parts of the story. I mean, couldn’t it just have been based on the matches that the app gives? Not turn it into a device that makes people fall in love with the person who points it at you? That would have seriously been a better story. I’m now afraid of reading Katie Sise’s next book, The Pretty App, because even though it would be cool to see events play out from Blake's, aka Queen Bee, point of view, I’m afraid it’s going to be a repeat of events.

 Meh. I don’t know what to say. The Boyfriend App really didn’t live up to my expectations and I’m sad to admit that while I probably will be reading The Pretty App, I’ll be bracing myself to expect version 2.0 of The Boyfriend App. While some bits were fun, this novel fell flat for me. Katie Sise’s concept was a great one, but what it lacked was execution and believability.

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