YA Bachelor Month

Guys! It's almost here! Tomorrow starts July and also my month of hotties, giveaways, author interviews and more. Make sure you check back tomorrow for all the excitement!

The Time Will Come (6): Abandon by Meg Cabot

The Time Will Come is a weekly meme started by Books for Company which spotlights books that have been sitting unread on our shelves for too long.*

From Goodreads:

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Why the time hasn't come: 


I've got so many other books on my shelf but I've really been looking forward to this one. I have to get to and soon since I'm going to the this is Teen event in Miami on July 23rd. I can't wait to dig in. I'm such a huge fan of the Hades/Persephone story! 


What's been sitting on you bookshelf for too long?


*This explanation is from the wonderful Kate of That Book Blog

Happily Ever Endings... From Bad To Cursed by Katie Alender

Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous installment. I hope this saves someone else the frustration that I went through!

From Bad To Cursed (Bad Girls Don't Die #2) by Katie Alender

Alexis is the last girl you'd expect to sell her soul for beauty and popularity. After all, she already has everything she needs--an adorable boyfriend, the perfect best friend, and a family that finally seems to be healing after her sister Kasey's unfortunate possession by an evil spirit.

But then Kasey tells Alexis about the mysterious new club she has joined, and the oath she has taken to someone named Aralt. Worried that Kasey's gotten in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend Megan decide to investigate by joining the Sunshine Club, too. At first, their connection with Aralt seems harmless. Alexis tries a new -- normal-- look, and finds herself reveling in her elegance and success.

Still, despite the Sunshine Club's outward perfection, the group is crumbling from within, and soon Alexis finds herself battling her own personal demons. She can hardly even remember why she joined in the first place. Surely it wasn't to destroy Aralt...why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

Click "Read more" to read the ending of From Bad To Cursed so you'll be ready for the next installment of the Bad Girls Don't Die series! 

Waiting on Wednesday (43): Under the Never Sky, The Last Echo and Blood Song

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to.

This is a wonderful chance for blogger to show off what's coming out soon that they are excited about! Every week my wishlist balloons thanks to this awesome meme.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—nicknamed The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms eventually will. In this dystopia, even the very air she breathes could kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild, dangerous—a savage. He’s also her only hope. 

Perry needs Aria, too. She alone holds the key to his redemption. And their unlikely alliance will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky. 

Debut author Veronica Rossi is accumulating fans from all over the globe—the book has already sold to more than twenty countries. It’s not surprising that foreign rights for this title have been flying off the shelf. It’s a tantalizing romance in any language.

Why I need this: I've always been a fan of dystopia and up pops another interesting novel. I love the idea of the heroine going forth into the dangerous unknown and falling for one of those people on her way to finding herself. Can't wait for this debut!

Under the Never Sky is out February 7, 2012 by HarperTeen.

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye...

Why I need this: Because I'm a huge fan of this series. The first novel blew me away, the second was just as good. Violet is a great lead, Jay makes all the fangirls swoon and I can't wait to find out what type of evil awaits me in this novel!

The Last Echo comes out April 17, 2012 to HarperCollins.

Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart

I wanted to turn but I was held captive by the song on the wind. I’m coming, I told the voices. Please, wait for me. 

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated. 

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more. 

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares.

Why I need this: Vampire or what? I want to know what secrets Zeraphina is holding and I love that it's set against a fantasy backdrop. I was a fantasy buff before I even knew I liked YA so I have have a craving for paranormal fantasies quite often!

Blood Song comes out September 1, 2011 to Random House Australia.


What are you looking forward to?

Author Tweets & Giveaway with Angela Fristoe, author of Songbird

Today, I'm chatting with Angela Fristoe whose debut novel Songbird was just recently released. My review is coming up later but I will say that I loved this novel. It was all the right things-- sad, beautiful, and moving. Definitely recommend you check it out and hopefully this interview will help boost that statement.


The name of the game for this one is to answer in Tweet so 140 characters or less. Check out what Ms. Fristoe had to say about her novel, some of the music that is behind it and what YA book she's looking forward to!


1. Will you describe Songbird for us?


A heartbreaking novel about loss, friendship, love and moving on.


2. At the beginning of the novel, what type of tweet would likely be posted?


Songbird is sooo sad :(


At the end?


The tears were worth it!


3. Songbird is about loss. What is one thing you hope the reader takes away?


No matter how bad things are, keep yourself open and hope.


4. What is one of your favorite lines from Songbird?


A lot of people complain about the smell of hospitals, but for me it was comforting. The lingering scent of bleach mixed with the thick smell of cafeteria food always made me think of how frail life was and how in this one place it was safe to be weak.


5. Can you give us a soundtrack to the novel in 140 characters?


Shelter and Skinny Lovely/Birdy, Everywhere I go/Lissie, Arms/Christina Perri, Nothing Moves Me Anymore/Wonderland.  Think European indie music.


6. What YA books are you excited about right now?


Bad Taste in Boy by Carrie Harris. I love zombies, so I have high hopes here.


A big thanks to Ms. Fristoe for agreeing to do an interview! If you;d like to know more about Songbird, hop over to Ms. Fristoe's website or check it out on Goodreads!


Now it's giveaway time! Teen Book Scene is offering up a gently used print copy of Songbird for some ridiculously lucky person. So here's all you have to do:

• Fill out the form below
• This is a US contest only
• Contest ends July 5th
• You may only enter once
• Leave a comment here for Ms. Fristoe
• You must be 13 years or older

Good luck to everyone!

This interview was brought to you by:

TEAser Tuesdays (44): Frost by Wendy Delsol

TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

Frost by Wendy Delsol

" "The contests are about to begin," Afi said. "First is tug-of-war."

Perfect, because that's exactly what was going on in my head: plain old common sense versus the weird and wacked, And dang it if the freaks weren't gaining ground. "

--Pg. 246 of "Frost" by Wendy Delsol

I'm getting pretty close to finishing this novel and I've got to confess that it is absolutely wonderful. I really enjoyed the first one but I love this one. If it isn't on your list, it should be!

What's your teaser?

Cover Alert: The Last Echo, Slie and Hallowed

This has been a holy grail day for cover reveals. Getting right down to it, Ms. Kimberly Derting (who I am a fangirl for life of due to her extraordinary writing and amazing personality) revealed the third cover, name and a bit of the synopsis in her The Body Finder series and like the rest of them, it's pure magic:

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her familyand her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye...

This is going to sound funny but I'm really surprised it's purple. I like that it is but I was expecting either green or yellow (don't ask me why). Another thing that really makes this cover stand out is how as Violet is starting to master her ability, the "echoes" (or flower thing) is getting closer to the page, more zoomed in on. I think it really works. And look at the beauties together:

Can't wait to find out what is going to happen to Violet and Jay! Ms. Derting hinted that Rafe was going to be bigger in this novel at The Dark Days of Supernatural tour so we'll just have to wait and see.

Next up, Jill Hathaway revealed her debut novel's cover Slide and the summary. I'm going to tell you all now that I read an early draft of this novel on my computer and was up for like two days straight with my eyes glued to the screen. It was a pleasure to read and really something you al need to be looking out for. Don't believe me? Check this out:

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. 

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Vee is such a strong lead and the mystery will keep you guessing until the end. Plus, you gotta love Rollins who "wields his sharpie marker like a sword". Seriously, this is one to get excited about and get behind! I've been sitting on my hands waiting to talk about my love of this novel for far, far, far too long!


Finally, Cynthia Hand released the cover to her second novel Hallowed. If you didn't read the eight hundred posts I put out on the first one, I am in love with that cover. Hallowed is no exception:

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

This cover is blue and as Ms. Hand mentions on her blog, it will have the same silvery sheen on the words as Unearthly did. I'm so glad they brought back the same cover model and that relaxed pose is just gorgeous! They look marvelous together too:

So there are all of the cover reveals I know about today! What do you think? Personally, I'm thinking we have a lot to smile about in 2012.

Cover Envy (26): Everneath, Wings of the Wicked and Goddess Interrupted

It's that time of week again! I'm showing another couple of covers that make me green with envy and stuck sitting on my hands until the novels they cover come out.


I hope you enjoy!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton- Everything about this cover is drop dead gorgeous. The red fading into grey, the pale skin tone. I just wish the background color was a little more popping and her lips were as shocking red as her dress. These are minor things though. Her dress curling into smoke is gorgeous.


Goodreads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

Everneath is out January 2012 by HarperCollins. 

Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton- I really like the contrast between this and the last one. Ellie looks just as fierce as the previous cover and I really like the relaxed pose. I also like that the model is slightly off center because it balances the moon on the book.


Goodreads:

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined. 

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night. 

She’s been warned. 

Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself. 

She’ll be betrayed. 

Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Wings of the Wicked will be out 2012 from HarperCollins.

Goddess Interrupted (The Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter- I like that this one is really different than the first. In this one, the model looks like she was caught off guard and even though I generally hate the sting on forehead look, I think it really works for this cover. Plus, I really like that they carried the Greek pattern from the last novel to this one on the right hand side.


Goodreads:

Kate Winters has won immortality. 

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it. 

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Goddess Interrupted is out April 2012 from Harlequin Teen. 


So these are my cover choices for the week. What do you think of them?

In My Mailbox (43)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren that encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!





*My best friend Ashley decided she wanted to be in the video too so that's her talking there too!


From The Teen Book Scene:

• Frost (Stork #2) by Wendy Delsol

From Tor Teen (Big thanks to Tor Teen):

• ARC of Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
• Original Sin (Personal Demons #2) by Lisa Derochers

From St. Martin's Griffin (Thank you, thank you, thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Jana Oliver):

• Soul Thief (The Demon Trapper's Daughter #2) by Jana Oliver

Purchased at Books-A-Million:

• Spellbound by Cara Lynn Schlutz
• Heist Society by Ally Carter
• The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
• A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
• It's Not Summer Without You (The Summer I Turned Pretty #2) by Jenny Han
• The Curse of the Wendigo (The Monstrumologist #2) by Rick Yancy

I also got some kick butt shirts from Ashley which she talks about. I know what I'm wearing to The Hunger Games movie premiere!


So what did you get in your mailbox this week?

Saturday Discussions (13): Does knowing an author help or hurt when their book comes out?

With the semi-recent explosion of Twitter and blogs and general online-ness, authors have become more accessible to their audience with every blog post, tweet or status update they post. This is one of the most fascinating things internet has done for the book world. So what I want to talk about today is if that's impacted your book buying decisions in positive or negative way.

Libba Bray

Way back when I was first getting into books, I stumbled across one Miss Libba Bray's livejournal account and experienced the shock of a lifetime. The lady that wrote Gemma was freaking hilarious. So not only could she write really great paranormal period pieces but she could be laugh out loud funny. I would have never guessed from the tone of her Gemma Doyle series. A light bulb flicked on and I've been google stalking my favorite author's ever since.

Recently joining Twitter, I have found even more ways to get closer to my favorite authors. But I've also found that while knowing them makes me want to buy their novels, it can also make me not want to.

For me, the biggest drawback to being able to "know" author's online is that sometimes it can lessen my opinion of them. Hey, we're all human and I get that everyone is going to have their off days. What I can never forgive though is a published author whining about writing. I don't mind the "ugh, do not want to write today" occasionally or even why it's hard, etc, etc, etc. But if I see constant whining about writing and it feels like the author is ungrateful then it's a serious turn off for me. I've been busting my ass writing since I was 15 years old, trying to perfect my craft daily. So to see an author constantly whine about writing (and again, I'm talking very negative things all the time) when they have a book they can hold in their hands just makes me very, VERY upset and I'm likely to not by said book or next book.

Another thing is when authors try to dispute bad reviews. You can call me a "unknown good-for-nothing who wouldn't know a good book if it bite me in the ass" to the computer screen and your friends as much as you'd like. Get it out! Vent! But never, never, never go on a website and try to fight a bad review. Pretty much every author I follow would never do this but if an author is going around running their mouth online, I am much less likely to buy that book.

Also, for the record, don't write an article about writing a book in a genre and then dog said genre. Do. Not. Want.

Maureen Johnson

But on the reverse side of this, going to an author's website/blog or reading a few tweets have sold plenty of books on me. Perfect example? Maureen Johnson.As I mentioned before, Libba Bray brought me into the online world of authors and you can't go to her website without being introduced to Maureen Johnson at some time. From there, I jumped on her site and quickly bought Devilish. Then I started following Maureen Johnson on Twitter and just a few days ago she was campaigning for gay rights via her tweets. I wanted her novel The Name of the Star before this happened but I want it even more now because of the type of person she is. Following her on the web has sold me on her as author and I plan to read everything she's written.

Same goes for so many other authors.

Katie Alender

Author interviews will also always sell me on a writer. If I'm conducting them and an author responds back to me pleasantly (which they all do) and promptly (which they all try to do) that totally makes me love them more. Katie Alender is a great example of this. I read her story Bad Girls Don't Die last year and got in touch with her for an interview. She was just so kind and sweet and made sure to announce the giveaway everywhere and drop by to comment on it that her dedication to my McMini blog cemented my love for her. Now I talk about her whenever I get the chance, thrust the book in people's hands in the bookstore and make sure I'm out the day of to get myself a copy and one for all my friends. Another really good example of this is Jana Oliver and her personal assistant CJ, who worked hard to make sure the interview arrived prompt and just like Ms. Alender, Ms. Oliver stopped by to comment on comments.

Jana Oliver

It works when I read others interviews as well. I read an interview for Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters and then headed over to her website where she was constantly checking in and commenting back and forth with people. I went out and bought her book the next day.

I like knowing through Twitter or blog posts or interviews which scenes where hard to write, what characters are based off who and how author's reward themselves for their hard work.

My response to this question is a resounding yes to the positive and also the negative. The author's attitude will always affect if I buy a book. Maybe not the first time but if they are a joy to "know" online, then you can bet I'll be a fan through thick and thin!

So what about you? What do you think about the closeness the internet has brought readers to their authors? Does it affect your book buying?




Got something we should discuss next week? Let me know!



Next week's question: What comes first, the character or the plot?

Book Review: Stork by Wendy Delsol

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 357 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (October 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780763648442
ISBN-13: 978-0763648442
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Cover: The cover is kind of ironic since Kat hates cold but also perfect since she is in a very cold climate. I love the intense look on the girl's face and the light blonde hair. This is really eye catching cover, especially with the icy blues and bright red lettering.
First Sentence: "One minute I was fine, and the next it felt like an army of fire ants was marching across my head."

Mini-review: Blending Norse mythology and the modern day world, Stork is one heck of a good time that will have most paranormal buffs out of their comfort zone and loving it!

Book summary:

Family secrets. Lost memories. And the arrival of an ancient magical ability that will reveal everything. 

Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated. With a nod to Hans Christian Andersen and inspired by Norse lore, Wendy Delsol’s debut novel introduces a hip and witty heroine who finds herself tail-feathers deep in small-town life.

Book Review: 


Stork yanked me out of my paranormal comfort zone (you know, vampires and werewolves) and into a rich world steeped in Nordic legends. I was lost and loving every single detail I could soak up on off-beaten path. Katla was a take charge character, the small town Minnesota felt like home and the cast of characters were as rich and diverse as the legends in the story. Stork was an absolute pleasure!


The thing that set Kat apart for me was her willingness to accept what she was, When it is revealed that she is a stork, instead of denying it, she sort of just goes with it. I wish she'd been a little more inquisitive about what her powers actually mean but it was nice to see a character not freak out. It was also nice because she was pretty open-minded. Instead of shunning everyone, she welcomed friendship with Penny and even put herself out there. Her sarcasm and quick-wit provided some laugh out loud moments and her passion for fashion was fueled in every decision she made.


Because of Kat's love of all things runway, it provided a lot of comedy and contrast between her and Jack. Their relationship was sweet and I really liked how opposite they were.Jack was simple, Kat complicated. Jack liked the cold, Kat didn't. They worked well as a pair, alike enough to be attracted to each other but different enough to challenge each other. The ladies of the Stork Society were great. Hulda is one of the endearing memorable characters and I loved listening to her advice and watching it play out. In a lot of ways, she replaced Kat absent amma (grandmother) who had passed. Grim was delightfully strict and poor Penny for having her as a guardian. I loved watching Penny's confidence grow as the novel continued and she was a great friend to Kat. Even the little town where Kat lived was like a character, rich in history and lovably familiar.


The mythology in the novel was by far its shining star. I'm not familiar with Norse mythology and while I found it frustrating that I didn't know much (I kept feeling like I was missing clues) it was also very interesting to learn it. One minor problem I had with the story was I felt like some of the words were unnecessarily complex and took away my enjoyment a little bit. I felt like some of their meaning was lost on me and it pulled me out of the story.


Stork is definitely a novel you'll want to traverse. Like a snowy field, it is straightforward but upon closer inspection the detailing and magic sparkle. With an able lead, fun characters and an amazing setting, Stork shines. The mythology will capture you and Kat's journey will hold you. I loved this one!

Rating: