Waiting on Wednesday – Week 128

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:

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

October 7, 2014 ● Goodreads

I swear: I just do this meme so I can look at pretty covers. *ehem* Anyway, I loved Jessica Martinez’s Virtuosity (read my review here) and I seriously can’t wait to start this one. Sounds original and thrilling, no?

What are you waiting on?

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Release Date: February 18, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Mind Games, Book 2
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed – thanks Richa (City of Books)!
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Read my review of Mind Games HERE.

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

I’ve learned from the past: if you see a Kiersten White book, READ IT IMMEDIATELY. I am so in love with her writing style. It’s got a twisted sense of humour, the kind that you giggle at despite it being horrifying and bloody, or so absurdly unrealistic that it just works. Of course after reading Mind Games I’ve been DYING to read the sequel, but I only got to reading Perfect Lies recently. After leaving this lying on my shelf for so long – and this isn’t even my book (sorry Richa!) – I decided to finish this duology, once and for all. Okay, maybe not once and for all, but you know what I mean.

I think my experience with reading this one was slightly hindered due to the fact that it’s been around a year since I’d read the first part of this two-book series. Yeah, so names, places, groups, etc. were totally unrecognizable for me because I had no idea who was who, how the last book left off, and who was on who’s side. It took a little re-reading of my review, other people’s reviews and guessing while reading to get a grasp on previous events and where exactly this book picks up.

This time round, I liked Annie’s story more than Fia’s. While Mind Games was more centered around Fia, I enjoyed how we got to see more of Annie and how as reader’s we learn more about her character as well. BONUS: there is also some romance that develops! Fia’s story though was just really confusing. I liked the addition of “Pixie”’s character, but my confusion mainly had to do with the fact about the time that the story takes place. IT JUMPS AROUND SO MUCH. In the first book I could take it but with this one I was left dazed, wondering what was going on. As for the love triangle that kind of developed in Mind Games– yeah, that’s gone. Adam barely makes an appearance during the book, which is strange since I remember him having quite a big role in the previous book.

Perfect Lies was a fast read, jam-packed with action, swoon-worthy guys and an ending I did not see coming. While I’m sad to say goodbye to this series, I’m definitely looking forward to more hilarity from Kiersten White. Can’t wait to start Illusions of Fate!

If you like this, try...

• Glitch by Heather Anastasiu ● Goodreads
• Wake by Lisa McMann ● Goodreads

Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen

Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen

Release Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: Shipwreck Island, Book 1
Rated: MG 11+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Sarah Robinson is deeply troubled in the wake of her dad’s second marriage. She now has to deal with a new stepmom and two stepbrothers, Marco, who is her age, and Nacho, who’s younger. Even though they’ve all moved from Texas to California to start life as a new, blended family, none of the kids seem remotely happy about it.

Sarah’s dad and stepmom then decide to take the whole family on a special vacation in order to break the ice and have everyone get to know one another. They’ll fly to Tahiti, charter a boat, and go sailing for a few days. It’ll be an adventure, right? 

Wrong. Dead wrong.

I had the pleasure of meeting S.A. Bodeen during ALA 2013 (very, very briefly – her book signing line was HUGE), and I really enjoyed her novel, The Raft. I was really taken by the cover illustration when I first found this book on NetGalley. Like any sane person, I am a sucker for amazing covers and I knew that I had to get my hands on this book. Shipwreck Island was a really short read, and while I don’t read that many middle grade books anymore, I still found myself intrigued by the story and left wanting more.

At first, Sarah’s character annoyed me intensely. I mean, she acts all bratty and unfriendly when her new stepmom and stepbrothers move in. However, when I think about it, if I was in Sarah’s shoes, I would TOTALLY act the same way. Sure, I mean after her mom died six years ago, her dad does deserve some happiness, but I know I would be unwilling to move on as well. So, I totally see where she’s coming from. I thought Nacho’s character was adorable, and Marco... well, let’s hope I get around to liking his character more in the next book. Ahab is adorable – and reminds me of my own dog – and I liked John and Yvonna. Great set of characters and I liked the tension that grew between them (particularly with the children), but I also enjoyed how they stuck together during tough situations.

The island – which they call Shipwreck Island (hence the book title) – that they end up stranded on is an interesting setting. Things start to get a little weird, but I’m glad. It reminds me so much of the books I used to read when I was younger and I’m yearning for that adventure-type novel again, where everything is unrealistic and in no way could happen in real life, but you wish it could happen.

I was a little confused by the ending because it cut off so abruptly that I thought the eGalley was wrong or something, but I hope that this continues into multiple books because I’ll be sure to read them. Shipwreck Island was a fun start to what looks like a promising series which middle grade readers will love immensely. Can’t wait to find out what happens next!

If you like this, try...

• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull ● Goodreads

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed – thanks Richa (City of Books)!
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they're real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There'd be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn't feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what's on film. They've all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else's eyes.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, You Look Different in Real Life is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what's personal and what's public aren't always clear.

It’s sad to say that I’ve had this book on my shelf for WAY too long. I borrowed this from one of my best friends and fellow book blogger, Richa (City of Books) – I’m so sorry for keeping this too long! – and unfortunately because there was never a good time, I kept putting off reading it. I HAVE SO MANY REGRETS. This book was amazing. Nay, it was awesome. You Look Different in Real Life had the right amount of humour, emotional trauma and a unique concept that really made this stand out from other contemporaries. 

First of all, the storyline: so original! I mean, contemporaries about movies and TV shows have been done, but something like this, a documentary series that follows five children every five years is pretty amazing. Plus, I don’t think I’ve read anything, other than Secrets of My Hollywood Life, that deals with someone who’s been part of the film business for a while. There was such a good range of characters and such diversity of events that occur throughout the novel, so much that there wasn’t a dry part of the novel for me at least. I would have thought that being followed around with a camera crew would have it’s perks, but after reading this novel, I can definitely see the problems that arise and the consequences that it creates.

Speaking of characters, I loved ALL of them. Seriously. I enjoyed Justine’s humour and personal conflict as she comes to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. I adored Felix’s outgoing personality and the little twist that comes up later on in the novel– his story definitely gets interesting. Nate at first seemed a little cold, but I totally warmed up to his character as he and Justine interact more. Kiera was the only one who I thought was really distant from the four, but her story definitely dominates most of the story and is the undercurrent to the plot. Rory I couldn’t help but feel bad for. However, I also liked that she was okay with being different and accepted herself. I even liked Leslie’s character, because even though she was kind of went Effie-Trinket all over the five kids, like The Hunger Games character she truly cares for the kids.

There is a teeny bit of romance between two of the characters – not gonna mention which two – and while I think it was fine, it didn’t make much sense to me. They haven’t talked for a very long time, and because they suddenly start to open up to each other, that means that they fall in love? Maybe I missed something, but this was the only part that was slightly off-putting. However, the relationships that form between all five of the children is so real– Castle has certainly done an amazing job portraying it!

You Look Different in Real Life was an honest portrayal of what goes on behind the camera lens, and I loved how real and sincere it was. I couldn’t put this one down for a second! Jennifer Castle is an author that will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen's and Elizabeth Scott’s novels, and is a fresh voice in YA that I can’t WAIT to hear more from.

If you like this, try...

• The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus ● Goodreads
• Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway ● Goodreads

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