Oct 18
Scion of the Fox by S.M. Beiko: Review, Giveaway & Beiko’s Top Ten Addictions

Scion of the Fox by S.M. Beiko: Review, Giveaway & Beiko’s Top Ten Addictions

Author Top Ten Lists, Current Giveaways, Reviews 0 ★★★★

I called this book Urban Fantasy because that’s what it feels like to me, though I don’t generally associate the genre with YA (that’s why I also added Paranormal as a genre). It’s set in the modern-day world, but one steeped in ancient mythology and fantastical magical creatures. It’s an exciting combination! What Fed My Addiction: The worldbuilding. The basis of this world is that there are some people who have animal spirits and magic (at least, that’s the best way I can describe it). There are five of them: foxes, rabbits, deer, owls and seals. Each type of animal has its own qualities and magic, and the people who embody each animal seem to be racially distinct. I recognize the fox (with nine tails) from some Asian folklore, but I honestly don’t know if all of the animals have these origins or not. (I felt like many of the other… Read more »

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Oct 17
Brooding YA Hero by Carrie DiRisio: Review & Broody’s Top Ten Addictions

Brooding YA Hero by Carrie DiRisio: Review & Broody’s Top Ten Addictions

Author Top Ten Lists, Reviews 7 ★★★★

If you’ve seen Brooding YA Hero’s Twitter feed, then you pretty much know exactly what to expect from this book. Many of the witty gems that Broody shares with us on a daily basis can be found here, only he gets to expand his wisdom far beyond 180 characters. I decided I was going to underline some of my favorite lines in my ARC as I read, and I was worried I just might run out of ink. The book is great fun, but even better than that, it rings so very true. I mean, let’s face it, there are about a million YA tropes out there that have been beaten to death—this book highlights them all, often breaking them down by genre (after all, the broody vampire has some of his own particular quirks which might be different than those of, say, the broody fantasy hero). But, don’t get me… Read more »

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Oct 15
Sunday Post & Giveaways Galore – 10/15/17

Sunday Post & Giveaways Galore – 10/15/17

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The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on my blog and share news about what’s coming up in the week ahead. This past week on FYFA (and in my life): We had a week off from our homeschool co-op this week, which SHOULD mean that I got lots of work on my book done, right? Well, somehow the week slipped away much more quickly than I expected it to. Still not sure where it all went. I’ve pretty much determined that the ONLY way I can get writing done is if I go to Starbucks. If I’m home, I end up doing… other stuff. Random other stuff. I did get a bit of writing done, and I also worked on my latest editing project. Should be done with that one this… Read more »

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Oct 13
Realistic Depiction of Mental Health in YA: Let’s Discuss.

Realistic Depiction of Mental Health in YA: Let’s Discuss.

Let's Discuss 14

Recently, Kelsey Macke contacted me and asked if I’d help her promote the 3rd anniversary of her book, Damsel Distressed. I loved the book, so I jumped right onboard and agreed! But I didn’t want to just post a spotlight that most people would completely overlook (I probably would, if I’m being honest). So, I thought back to the book and wondered why it sticks out in my mind so much. After all, I read it over two years ago. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering a book two months later, much less two years. It didn’t take me long to realize that the reason I loved this book so much was because of how honest it was when it came to the issue of depression. I might not remember every detail of the plot, but I remember how Imogen struggled with deep feelings of depression, even though she… Read more »

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Oct 12
The 16th Academy by Spencer Yacos: Review & Yacos’s Thoughts on YA Perfection

The 16th Academy by Spencer Yacos: Review & Yacos’s Thoughts on YA Perfection

Reviews 8 ★★★½

This book is perfect for the adrenaline-junkie teen (or the wannabe adrenaline junkie-teen). It’s full of non-stop action with plenty of death and destruction along the way, but it also has believable, flawed characters that I think teens will relate to. The plot revolves around a group of teen spies who find themselves on a dangerous mission that goes south fast. They determine that someone on the inside is sabotaging them, but figuring out who is the much more difficult task. And their lives depend on it. The book tackles the issue of moral ambiguity—each kid on the team handles the fact that they kill differently. The main character, Davy, especially, struggles with his part in missions where people are killed. On the one hand, he believes that they’re helping to rid the world of bad people, but does that mean that any actions are justified? And will he lose himself… Read more »

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Oct 11
The Knowing by Sharon Cameron: 5-Star Review & Giveaway!

The Knowing by Sharon Cameron: 5-Star Review & Giveaway!

Current Giveaways, Reviews 12 ★★★★★

Oh. My. Goodness. Do I love these books! If you haven’t read my gushing review of The Forgetting, you should go read it. And then come back here and find out why this second book was just as good. The Knowing is a companion to the first book and takes place a few hundred years in the future—so, by this point, Nadia and Gray’s story is ancient history. (If you go in expecting to see more of them, you’ll be disappointed, so I want to set your expectations accordingly. But we do still get a few little reminders of their story.) What Fed My Addiction: An exploration of memory. So, just like the first book, this book explores how memories shape our lives, but it comes at the subject from a completely opposite angle. Hundreds of years after the events of The Forgetting, we find that Canaan’s society has completely changed… Read more »

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Oct 09
Otherworld by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller: Review & Giveaway

Otherworld by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller: Review & Giveaway

Current Giveaways, Reviews 15 ★★★★

If you’ve ever tried virtual reality, you can probably imagine how advanced it might be in the future—how we might be able to practically live in it someday. What if it got to the point where you could actually taste and smell and truly feel everything within the game? Would it still be a game, or would it be reality? What Fed My Addiction: Simon. Simon feels like a realistic teenager—he isn’t perfect (by any means). In fact, he’s a bit of a mess in a lot of ways. At first, I was worried he wasn’t going to be likable, but it soon becomes apparent that he’s doing his best in some pretty miserable circumstances and he has a good heart. Simon’s loyalty is what sets him apart. He’s also pretty intelligent and courageous when he’s forced to be! High stakes and danger! Simon starts out just wanting to rescue his best… Read more »

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Oct 08
Sunday Post & Giveaways Galore – 10/8/17

Sunday Post & Giveaways Galore – 10/8/17

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The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on my blog and share news about what’s coming up in the week ahead. This past week on FYFA (and in my life): Between homeschooling and an editing project I’m currently working on, my week was packed! But I still found time to attend an Adam Silvera/Lauren Oliver event with my mom to celebrate her birthday. Very fun! On the 11th, NetGalley is featuring me on their blog for their YA Blogger Spotlight! Make sure you check it out!! Here’s what you may have missed on the blog this past week: Invictus by Ryan Graudin: Review & Giveaway (Plus My Invictus Haiku) Quick Recap of the Adam Silvera/Lauren Oliver Author Event (& a Giveaway!) September Wrap-Up Round-Up Giveaway (with a Make Me… Read more »

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Oct 07
September Wrap-Up Round-Up Giveaway (with a Make Me Read It Twist)

September Wrap-Up Round-Up Giveaway (with a Make Me Read It Twist)

Current Giveaways, Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up 3

I created this giveaway to encourage people to visit people’s wrap-ups. There are entries for commenting on the wrap-up posts in the link-up. Last month’s winner was AJ @ Read All the Things. She chose for us to read Dreamland Burning, and I’m really glad she did because it was a fabulous book! Watch for our dual review, which will be coming soon. (She needs time to read the book first!) The Link-Up Check out the September wrap-up posts in the linky below. These are the posts that can be used for the giveaway. Didn’t have a chance to link up your September wrap-up post? That’s okay—you can still link up until the giveaway is over! An InLinkz Link-up The giveaway is open to everyone! You don’t have to link up to the wrap-up round-up to be eligible. The Make Me Read It Giveaway This giveaway got a really positive response last month,… Read more »

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Oct 06
Quick Recap of the Adam Silvera/Lauren Oliver Author Event (& a Giveaway!)

Quick Recap of the Adam Silvera/Lauren Oliver Author Event (& a Giveaway!)

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I had a chance to go to an author event at Anderson’s Bookshop last night with my mom (in celebration of her birthday), so I thought I’d share a quick recap. I’m doing it in bullet-point format to make it easier! Adam Silvera just plain makes me happy. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to an event that featured him and not fallen a little more in love with the guy. You know, in an authorly sense—not weird, I promise. Adam Silvera + Lauren Oliver is even better! These two are both just incredibly fun and interesting and listening to them chat together is like listening in on two old friends who you just know adore each other. They both talked about the struggles of writing and how often the last thing they want to do each day is sit down to write their current book. Not because they don’t love writing, but because it’s hard…. Read more »

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