In My Mailbox (13)

Here are the books I received in the past two weeks:

Tomorrow When The War Began-John Marsden

Australian teenager Ellie and six of her friends return from a winter break camping trip to find their homes burned or deserted, their families imprisoned, and their country occupied by a foreign military force in league with a band of disaffected Australians.

Witch Child-Celia Rees

Enter the world of Mary Newbury, where being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her secret diary, fourteen-year-old Mary’s story begins as she flees the English witch-hunts to settle in an American colony. How long can she hide her true nature from the Puritans? How long can she keep running?

Karma For Beginners-Jessica Blank

Fourteen-year-old Tessa has never had a normal life. Her mother, a frustrated hippie with awful taste in men, has seen to that. But when her mom pulls her out of school to live at an ashram in the Catskills, Tessa goes from being a freak among normal people to being an outcast among freaks. Freaks who worship an orange robe-wearing guru. And while her mom is buzzing with spiritual energy, and finding a little too much favor with the guru, all Tessa feels are weird vibes. Unless she's with Colin, the gorgeous boy who fixes trucks for the ashram. The connection they share is the most spiritual thing Tessa has ever felt. But he's older-like illegally older-and Tessa's taking dangerous risks to spend time with him. Soon her life is blooming into a psychedelic web of secrets and lies and it's clear that something's about to give way. When it does, will she have anyone to hold on to? Will she even know herself?

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Bad Apple by Laura Ruby

Junior Tola Riley doesn’t care what people say about her. She knows her ever-changing hair color and goth clothes make her an easy target. Whatever. But the latest rumor is different.... The entire school believes she had an affair with her art teacher. The rumors may be a lie, but the fallout is all too real. Will Tola finally stand up for the truth?

I am very excited for this book! I've seen the beautiful around the web for a while and just found a summary of it--it looks great! Laura Ruby's third book for teens will be released on October 6th.

Prism by Faye Kellerman and Aliza Kellerman

Kaida Hutchenson isn't exactly psyched for the class trip to Carlsbad Caverns. Fourteen hours in a van with preppy jock Zeke Anderson and high school loner Joy Tallon? No, thank you. But when a tragic and explosive accident turns the journey into a nightmare, Kaida would give anything to be back on the road. Stumbling at midnight through the unforgiving desert, Kaida, Zeke, and Joy take refuge in an abandoned cave . . . until the world goes from pitch black to blinding. The next thing Kaida knows, she's back home in California and everything is just as it was. Or is it? Increasingly unnerved by the distorted world around her, Kaida starts receiving unexpected help from mysterious people. Soon she must band together with Zeke and Joy in hopes of making it back to the reality she remembers . . . and surviving the one she's fallen into.

Prism is a truly captivating read. The mother/daughter team of Faye and Aliza Kellerman take us to a “slightly alternate universe in which medicine and health care do not exist, and in which sick people are allowed to die without any care.” This aspect of the book was very imaginative and thought-provoking, leading the reader to ponder “what if?” Prism has the perfect blend of action, suspense, chills, and thrills, combined with great characterization and writing. This was a great start for first-timer Aliza Kellerman; I’m sure we’ll be seeing more from her soon.

In My Mailbox (12)

I only got 2 books this week, but they both look fantastic!!

Bought:

Meridian-Amber Kizer
On her sixteenth birthday, Meridian is whisked off to her great-aunt’s home in Revelation, Colorado, where she learns that she is a Fenestra, the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead, and must learn to help human souls to the afterlife before the dark forces reach them.

The Weight of Silence-Heather Gudenkauf
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

Feathered by Laura Kasischke

First off, a huge apology to my readers!! I have had a whirlwind of events going on in my life the past few weeks, resulting in my pathetic posting as of late. I promise I am out of my funk and more reviews should be pouring in soon. :)

“Afterward, Terri will tell everyone that, from the beginning, she knew something terrible was going to happen on spring break.” So begins the story of two best friends spending spring break in Cancun, far away from home, with no parental supervision.

Filled with twists, turns, and tension from beginning to end, Feathered is the perfect quick read for a day at the beach. The book is told through alternating chapters by the two main characters, Michelle in third-person present tense, and Anne in first-person past tense. What may be seen as uneven writing blends easily to bring forth two unique voices. Michelle’s chapters show the true emotion of what is going on with her and her friends, while Anne’s chapter’s transport you into a magical realm as she discovers the Mayan world. From the very beginning to the very end, Kasischke delivers a mysterious and eerie tale that will stay with you long after you’ve put down the book.

In My Mailbox (11)

I got some absolutely amazing books this week and cannot wait to read them!!!

BookMooch:

Scribbler of Dreams-Mary E. Pearson
Despite her family’s long feud with the Crutchfields, seventeen-year-old Kaitlin falls in love with Bram Crutchfield and weaves a tangled web of deception to conceal her identity from him.







Bought:
My Soul To Take- Rachel Vincent
She doesn't see dead people, but… She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…




Eyes Like Stars-Lisa Mantchev
Where real fairies fly on wires and pirates sail the painted seas, welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.





Shiver-Maggie Stiefvater
In all the years she has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yellow-eyed wolf who, in his turn, has been watching her with increasing intensity.








Prism (autographed copy)-Faye Kellerman and Aliza Kellerman
Prism takes us to a slightly alternate universe in which medicine and health care do not exist, and in which sick people are allowed to die without any care. Set in New Mexico and California, the novel features three teens who fall through a cave at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico while on a field trip. They are plunged into a frightening parallel universe—seven weeks in the past, in which their "normal" worlds of family and high school remain the same…except for the fact that no medicine exists and when people die in the street they are picked up and disposed of.



In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie