[Review: Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch]

"Perfected"
Author: Kate Jarvik Birch
Series: Perfected #1
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Date Published: July 1st, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format Read: Purchased eBook

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Summary:

Perfection comes at a price.

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows…and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving…and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.

For fans of Kiera Cass’ Selection series and Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous—and dangerous—bow.

-Goodreads 

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Perfected,

Hello there, you diabolically, twisted, messed up, book! I love that you had me inwardly and outwardly cringing as I read your pages. The things inside of you are screwed up on so many levels, but you also use them in a way that reminds us of what it means to be a person. You're unsettling and I like you even more for it all...

-The White Unicorn

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Birch has a way with writing stories that set you on edge as you read them. She's not afraid to tell a story with uncomfortable story devices. This time around she's telling a story of humanity through the eyes of a girl who's been genetically created to be something like a pet to people. The creepy factor is that Ella has emotions and feelings and is in all actuality a person. A person who is forced to be treated like a pampered poodle. It's a disgusting thought, but Birch gives us strong story building and characters that you will love.

While reading this book, I was left with a creepy feeling. The fact that people were out there creating other people for their own pleasure makes me sick inside. These girls are being created in kennels to be the perfect doormats, but Birch reminds us that you can't take humanity out of someone, so things don't always go as planned. Going in to the book I had no idea that it was set in an dystopian future. I'm not sure what I thought it was going to be, but I'm glad that this was the case. It made it even more unsettling, knowing that the technology might be out there to do something like this.

Ella doesn't even have a name while she's in the kennel. It isn't until she ends up at the congressman's house that they decide on her name. I can't even imagine what it's like to go 16 years without a name and only a number to your person. She shows up, get's a name, a necklace with a dog tag on it and a world full of luxury. She's clueless. She's been raised to listen and that's about it. Well, they also taught her how to play the piano as a way of entertaining her owners, but that wasn't originally for her, though she loves it with everything inside of herself. She doesn't know how to read, or cook, or do much of anything but sit around and look pretty. This could have been terrible for her as a character, but it actually makes the world that Birch created even more vivid. It makes Ella someone that you can root for as she starts to see things as they really. As she starts to see that she has options in the world, options that she never thought she'd have. 

She starts to gain a personality as the book progresses, so even though she seems like a weak character to begin with, you see that she's made of so much more as the book moves along. She starts to realize that she wants things and that she's been cheated out of the human experience and when she starts fighting for it, you'll want to cheer her on too. 

Perfected happens to be fueled by a romance. In this case it works and I think that it also softens the blow of all the intense things that are happening to Ella. How was she supposed to know that she'd fall for her owners son? I enjoyed Penn. He's what Ella needs. That being said, I felt like he was the weakest part of the book. For some reason I just didn't love his voice. I liked him, but every time he opened his mouth, it was like his words didn't match up with his personality for me. I can't put my foot on what was off, but this little thing didn't mess with my enjoyment of the story, because in the end, the book is about so much more than the love story, even if that is used to move the plot along.

Birch manages to slowly peel back the layers on what is actually going on with the pets and as more and more comes to light, the more you want to rip the pets out of the pages of the books and free them from the hell that Birch has created for them. I have to admit that I saw a few of the twists coming, because they weren't very hidden, but a few things still snuck up on me.

If you want to read a book that's going to set you on edge and make you feel like every person on this earth counts, this is the book for you. It's got so many blood boiling moments in it that will make you happy that Birch's world isn't a reality.

Rating:

   4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

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The Marked Son by Shea Berkley

When Dylan sees a girl in white in the woods behind his grandparents’ farm, he knows he’s seen her before…in his dreams. Only he can save her world from an evil lord—a world full of creatures he’s only read about in horror stories. Worse, the human blood in his veins has Dylan marked for death…

Inbetween by Tara Fuller

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with Emma, a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs

Four years ago, Greta fell through a portal to a world where humans are the enemy. Now a bounty hunter, she’s caught the attention of the darkly enticing young Goblin King, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena…

Conjure by Lea Nolan

Twins Emma and Jack Guthrie hope for a little summer adventure when they find an eighteenth-century message in a bottle revealing a hidden pirate treasure. But when it unleashes an ancient curse, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex on her secret crush, Cooper, all before the last days of summer—and her friends—are lost forever.

Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas

Beatrice had her first vision at the age of twelve, and now the Institution depends on her to keep the City safe from the Dreamcatchers. But Beatrice has a secret that could put everyone in danger. A secret that could kill her and everyone she loves. The enemy has been coming to her in her dreams, and she might be falling in love with him.

Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

The government, faced with humanity’s extinction, created the genetically engineered Chosen Ones. When Tess begins work at a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Amelie Bennett was born to slay Crossworld demons. Until her new trainer, Jackson, shows up, and the chemistry between them explodes. Now she’s trying to thwart the pesky prophecy that foretells his death by her hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult. Getting it done without falling in love…that might take a miracle.

 

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[Review: Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes]

"Olivia Twisted"
Author: Vivi Barnes
Series: None
Pages: 352
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Retellings
Date Published: November 5th, 2013
Publisher: EntangledTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher for honest review

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Summary:

Olivia

He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z

I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.

It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

Olivia Twisted is an interesting retelling that flips Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist into something more assessable to the modern teen.  It stays fairly true to the original, though Barnes doesn't make it quite as dark as the original.  (which can either be a good call or a not so good one, depending on how dark you like your books)  It's got a lot of the same themes and yet also provides a high dose of romance, which ended up working better than I thought it would.  I can't tell you that I'm well versed in Oliver Twist, the novel, but I am familiar with the musical and a few of the movies.  I just can't get into Dickens' writing style and trust me, I've tried.

This book also played into my nerdy side.  It was cool that Barnes decided to use hacking instead of normal everyday theft and it was a brilliant decision.  She also managed to keep it all on a level that made it easy to understand for everyone, which is a good thing in my eyes.  It was kinda fun to see a whole bunch of teenage hackers running around a mansion stealing money.  It made sense for the retelling and it really worked for the plot as well.

Olivia was an interesting character.  She was primarily a good girl who just couldn't get out of a bad situation.  Seriously, weird stuff followed her around.  Barnes really had fun playing with her internal conflict and it really worked and helped you get to know her main character.  Plus, once the love story comes in Olivia really gets twisted (as in she doesn't know what she really wants)

Z was the bad boy with a heart of gold.  He's also a player.  I think it would have been a bit interesting is he would have been a bit more of a bad boy, but at the same time that might have been a little weird.  He was interesting and caused a lot of internal conflict in Olivia and himself.  Plus the way he liked to stick his foot in his mouth was always entertaining.

The book is told in duel POV, switching between Z and Olivia.  It worked here, better than I would have guessed.  The voices were distinct and really blended well to tell the story.  Plus, I think it made the romance feel a bit more real.  Cause Z was a tough nut to crack and it was nice to be able to see what he was thinking.

The rest of the characters filled their roles well too.  You had Bill and Nancy and a handful of other hackers who filled the roles of the other thieves from the original tale.  It was cool to see more female roles placed into things.  

Overall Olivia Twisted was a great retelling that hit all the right notes and will introduce a whole younger generation to one of the classic stories in literature.  

Actual Rating: 3.5

 

    I liked it a lot, but it had it's issues!

[Cover Reveal: Scintillate by Tracy Clark]

Today Tracy Clark and Entangled Teen  are revealing the cover for book 1 in The Key of Light Trilogy, SCILTILLATE. Coming out February 2014!

On to the reveal!

About the Book
SCINTILLATE
Author: Tracy Clark
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1622661459
Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Cora Sandoval’s mother disappeared when she was five and living in Ireland. Since then, Dad has been more than overprotective and Cora is beginning to chafe under his confines. But even more troubling is the colorful light she is suddenly seeing around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—she glows a brilliant, sparkling silver.

Troubled by these strange flickerings and fearing she is being stalked, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student who makes her feel safe. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves and Finn’s mother orders him home to Ireland upon hearing he’s fallen in love. After a fight with her father, Cora flees to Ireland, both to follow Finn and to look for her missing mother.

There she meets another silver-haloed person and discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—a conspiracy that could end her life and change mankind forever.

Scintillate is the first book in this lush and exciting new trilogy, full of romance, adventure and metaphysical mystery.

                                      Exclusive Excerpt 

Finn began to play. Voices descended into a respectful hush. Soft strums of the guitar lifted and fell on shafts of daylight from the windows. A small patch of sun warmed my exposed neck as I listened. The orange beads of his bracelet flashed as he plucked the strings with slender fingers. His head hung over the guitar in reverent concentration.

His playing was amazing, sweet and peaceful. For a while I let go of how bizarre my life had become. I was entranced long before Finn closed his eyes and opened his mouth to sing. His voice was rich, smooth suede, perfectly suited for the blues: soulful and vulnerable. The kind of voice that reaches inside and squeezes what’s tender.

When he sang an Irish bar song called “The Wild Rover,” he got the entire crowd to join in on the chorus. A couple of times during his performance, his gaze fell on me and lingered as if he sang directly to me. I rested my chin on my hand, hiding my smile behind my fingers. The last song was in a language I didn’t understand, but my soul spoke that language. Deep inside, something cracked open so that a bit of my truest self could peek out. His music was bluesy and mournful, eerily familiar, and it opened my heart in locked places. A tear landed on my wrist.

When the final chord of the last song reverberated through the coffeehouse, the audience jumped to its feet and applauded wildly. The force of energy from the crowd knocked the breath out of me, making me dizzy. I dared a look at the people in the room. The colors were unbelievable! Such power. It rolled toward Finn in a wave, a tsunami in slow motion. I had the impulse to leap in front of him, to protect him from it.

My body jerked in response to the thought, and I squeezed the sides of the wooden chair, willing myself to sit still. I couldn’t trust myself and the strong urge to protect him. But from what? The big, bad colors I could see but that were invisible to everyone else? He’d think I was crazy.

Maybe I was.

A chill spidered up my spine. The man with the crazy eyes and pure white aura leaned against the brick wall a couple feet away, staring intently at me. Icy fear spiked through me, making my fingers tingle and my breath come in quick bursts. The sounds of the room fell away. My heart sped and my aura sparked as I saw the roiling ball of the crowd’s energy pass over the man and collide with Finn. But rather than crush him, the energy crashed and blended with his own bright aura, making it grow and pulse fiercely. He seemed to absorb the light until the room grew dim to my eyes.

Untouched by the energy, the strange man moved closer and closer to me. I called out to Dun, but he couldn’t hear me over the shouts and clapping. I was so small in my chair amid the standing crowd. The man and his dark eyes were all I could see. I tried to leap up to run, to grab Dun’s arm, to call for help, but my chest jerked toward the stranger as if I’d been punched in the spine. I couldn’t draw breath, couldn’t move through the thick ice of my draining energy and rising panic. I was hit in the face with a blast of air. Then, a sudden flash of white.

The world tilted sideways, and I slid off.

About Tracy:

Tracy Clark is a young-adult writer because she believes teens deserve to know how much they matter and that regardless of what they're going through, they aren't alone. In other words, she writes books for her teen self.

She grew up a "valley girl" in Southern California but now resides in her home state of Nevada with her daughter and son. She's an unapologetic dog person who is currently owned by a cat. She is the recipient of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Work in Progress Grant and a two-time participant in the prestigious Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program.

Her debut novel, SCINTILLATE, was inspired by her enchantment with metaphysics as a teen, seeing it as the real magic in life. Tracy is a part-time college student, a private pilot, and an irredeemable dreamer.

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway!

1 ebook of SCINTILLATE and a charm key US Only

1 eBook of SCINTILLATE International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

[Stacking The Shelves: Episode Thirty]

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

It was a small yet mighty week this time around in the book department, but I'm really excited about these titles.  Especially the EntangledTeen ones!  I'm becoming a big fan of their stuff.  Anyways, here are the goodies that I got!

The Books:

 

Books I Bought:

• "American Girl on Saturn" by Nikki Godwin

Review Books:

• "Definitely, Maybe in Love" by Ophelia London (Thanks Entangled Teen!) 
• "Olivia Twisted" by Vivi Barnes (Thanks Entangled Teen!)

ARCycling:

• "Falling For You" by Lisa Schroeder

Won, Swag or Gifted:

• "Delirium" by Lauren Oliver (Big thanks to Epic Reads and Harper Collins for all of the goodies, Including this book!) 

This Week On The Blog:

• Reviews: "The Girl of Fire and Thorns" by Gail Carson
• Waiting On Wednesday: "Since You've Been Gone" by Morgan Matson 

[Review: Relic by Renee Collins]

"Relic"
Author: Renee Collins
Series: Relic #1
Pages: 400
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Date Published: August 27th, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format Read: eARC provided by the publisher for honest review

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Summary:

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

What can I say?  I thoroughly adore this book!  Is it odd to adore a book with so much death and magic and craziness going on?  Well, if it is, I don't care, I still adore this book!  Relic is the perfect book that shows when the right person puts weird elements together and mixes them up in a blender, it can turn into something magical.  And yes, for your information that was a pun and it was totally intended.  (the magical part, not the blender part)  Collins has created something that is completely unique, pulling inspiration from so many different things and making it all work together.  

All in all Relic is a western.  It's got horses and guns and hunky cowboys and rich Spanish ranchers and Indians.  It's got bars and small towns and sheriffs.  It has dance hall girls and people fighting for justice and every other thing that makes a really good western.  It has the feeling of a John Wayne movie.  It's a story that makes you want to climb up on the back of your own trusty steed and jump into it's well rounded, seemingly historically accurate pages. 

But on the flip side there is this whole other thing going on.  Magic and weird creatures lurk in the darkest corners of the open lands.  People don't dig up gold and silver, they dig up the old bones of mythical creatures and use the magic that has been horded by the familiar beings of myth.  Collins also plays with the animals that we know, tweaking them, molding them into the living ancestors of the dead things, long gone and buried in the ground.

I guess what I'm saying is that Collins' world building is fantastic and even though none of the relic magic is real, she still makes it all believable.  I think that this is brought on by the mixture of a story that is easy to relate to and characters that have you rooting for them the whole time.  She doesn't go easy on any of the cast that she has assembled in the pages.  No one is safe from being drug through hell, but it makes the story that more interesting.

Maggie, Adelaide, Landon and Alvar only scratch the surface of the awesome characters that bring this story to life.  They might be the main characters, but it's some of the smaller roles that really propel the smaller story lines.  Basically there are no throw away characters to be found.  And even when you think you've found one, they jump up and laugh in your face while doing something extraordinary.   

Maggie is one hell of a protagonist.  She was so strong and sad and brave.  Things happen to her that should never happen to someone so young and yet she pulls herself back up and keeps fighting even when most people would give up.  She had spunk and really knew what she stood for, even when the people around her doubted her motives.  Her convictions and strengths made her someone to look up to and someone that you wanted to win.

As corny as it sounds Relic wasn't just a book, but an experience.  Honestly it was an experience that I didn't think I'd be getting, but I'm so glad that I did.  In my opinion you can never go wrong with a good old fashioned good vs. evil story.  And who am I kidding, that's what this book was.  I can't wait to return to the world of Relic, can I get the sequel now?         

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this now!