Mundie Moms

Friday, December 31, 2010

Book Review- Vampire Crush

By A.M. Robinson
Published by Harper Teen
Released on December 28th, 2010
Source- ARC from The Publisher
4.5 Stars- Go Pick This Book Up

I swear, my life was always totally normal.

Normal house, normal family, normal school. My looks are average, I don't have any superpowers, no one's showing up to tell me I'm a princess—you get the picture. But when my junior year started, something not normal happened. There were new kids at school . . . new kids with a wardrobe straight out of a 19th-century romance novel, and an inexplicable desire to stay at school until sundown.

And on top of that, James Hallowell showed up. James, who stole my sandwiches in fourth grade and teased me mercilessly through middle school. James, who now seems to have the power to make my heart race any time he comes near.

But something weird is going on. Because James rarely goes out during the day. And he seems stronger than your typical guy. And he knows the new kids, all of whom seem to be harboring some kind of deep secret. . . . (quoted by Goodreads).

Vampire Crush is a fun, quick, enjoyable read. This debut book is nothing that I thought it would be and I enjoyed that element of surprise. It has a cast of great characters, an indulging plot and brings to the table a mix of charm, wit and sarcasm all rolled together. What makes this book so much fun is it's narration. It's hilarious and at times laugh out loud funny, especially when Sophie makes a comment about what she thinks vampires should do- sparkle in the sun, be invited into the house and so on.

Vampire Crush starts off with Sophie wanting to be chosen as the high school paper's editor in chief. When she's given the assignment to interview 6 of the new students, she's faced with a problem. They don't want to talk to her and they're harboring secrets. When a childhood friend and next door neighbor returns, Sophie finds James is a different, hotter and has a connection to the 6 new students.

What I like about Sophie is she's witty, sarcastic, strong willed, and stubborn as she doesn't back down when she wants something and doesn't take much crap from people. I mean that in a nice way, as Sophie's world is about to get rocked with the unimaginable, vampires. Don't think this just another Twilight book, as it's not even close. Sophie's just can't seem to stay out of trouble as her reporter side wants to get to the bottom of what this group is hiding.

I liked that Sophie, who is some what of a loner at school, turns into this protective person once she learns why the new students are here. After all they are a clan of vampires with a volatile leader, Vlad. If it weren't for James, she wouldn't know much about their history. The more she investigates, the more trouble she gets into and the more James is there to help her. I also liked the way Sophie befriends two of the female vampires from the group.

The characters are fun, the high school setting was well written and the romance was great. Okay, I really loved the romance as it's the sweet boy & girl next door type. James and Sophie have a long history together, as they've known each other for years, never acted on the crushes they've both had, but it's their snarky comments to each other I enjoyed the most. I couldn't help myself but laugh out loud when these two dish it to each other. It's done in such a funny manner, like when Sophie finds out what James is and makes the comment he doesn't sparkle in the sun. Their romance is one I enjoyed, as the crush they've both secretly had for years slowly develops into something more. Plus James takes on the protective role and I'll admit I have a weakness for the "knight in shinning armor" role.

Vampire Crush is a such a fun, engaging, laugh out loud read, and I'm so glad I didn't shrug this off to being "just another vampire book." A.M. Robinson's debut book is one I'd highly recommend. She's created a wonderful vampire world complete with history, clans/families, and I enjoyed being apart of her vampire lore, as she adds a unique spin to her story and what brings Vlad's clan to Sophie's town. If you're looking for an enjoyable read with great paranormal characters, lots of snark and a sweet romance, go pick up Vampire Crush.

MM Favorite 2010 Series SIGNED Swag Winner

Thank you to everyone enter our Favorite 2010 Series *Signed* Swag giveaway! Our winner is...

#112- Cathie Veres

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

There's still time to enter to win a pre-ordered book from a Debut Author and/or a pre-ordered book from one of our highly anticipated 2011 releases. All the giveaway links in our right hand side bar.

New Year's Eve- 2010 At A Glance

(image found on google)

I can't believe 2010 is coming to an end! This year has flown by. This year has been a fantastic year on Mundie Moms. THANK YOU to all of you for being apart of it. We've enjoyed getting to meet some of you at the various author events signings and book festival in TX, and we look forward to meeting more of you this year. Sadly it may not be at BEA, but luckily it will be at the wonderful book festivals and author signings that will be in TX in 2011.

Thank you to all of you for your support, for being apart of our author chats, for taking part in our giveaways and for discussing books with us and being apart of our forum. Thank you for your friendships! We've enjoyed the friendships we've made and we're looking forward to having you apart of site in 2011. We have a lot more author chats, giveaways and more planned for 2011.

Thank you to all the authors who have been a huge support to us and for your friendships! We have enjoyed having you our site this year and are grateful to you for taking the time to come on and chat with us, for allowing us to interview you and for allowing us to escape reality for bit and get lost in your books. Your stories have moved us, your characters have made us laugh, and they've made us cry, and we've enjoyed every moment of it (well except when our hearts get ripped out and you leave us hanging for you next book. Okay, even then we still enjoy it as we want more). Your writing has moved us in some way and made an impact on our lives.

Thank you to the publishers for your support, your friendship and allowing us to share our reviews so many others. We thank you for allowing us to host so many wonderful giveaways this year. This year was a huge year for book releases and we have enjoyed being apart of it and we're looking forward to the releases in 2011.

There as so many things we've enjoyed from 2010. We've enjoyed being apart of some awesome blog tours, helping out with The Smart Chicks Kick It Tour's TX stops, The Beautiful Darkness Tour and The Austin Teen Book Festival. We've enjoyed meeting the authors who came through TX this year and have had the honor of having a character named after me in The Lost Saint (Thank you Bree Despain)!

It's been so fun being apart of such a wonderful book blogging community. We've talked about books, we've shared reviews, we've become friends both in the blogging world and outside of it, and we've supported each other through memes, giveaways, on Twitter for various things and we've had fun teaming up for blog tours, ARC tours and various other things. One of the things I've enjoyed most this is the book challenges. Unlike last year, this year I actually hit my goal of reading over 100 books for the 100 book reading challenge on Twilight Moms/Eve's Fan Garden. Last year I read like 70 something and this year I read 162 books by 149 different authors and 34 debut authors. We also took part in The Story Siren's Debut Author contest and collectively read close to different debut authors. Our list of to reads for debut authors next year is already bigger than this year's reads. You can see our list for our 2011 Debut Author Challenge here

Don't forget to enter to win our Favorite 2010 Reads Giveaways (see the giveaway box on our right hand side bar). Thank you for such a fabulous year!! We hope that you have a wonderful New Year and we look forward to all that 2011 has in store.

What are some of your favorite highlights from 2010?

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Book Review- Quest For Merlin's Map (The Jumper Chronicles)

By W.C. Peever
Published by Savant Books & Publications LLC
Released on December 25th, 2010
Ages 10 & Up
Source- Author & Publisher
4 Stars- A Great Book To Read

Charlie is an awkward twelve-year old living a normal life till he is abducted and thrust into a world of ever-looming danger, a world of Magic, of Angry Gods, and Creatures that are should only exist inside of fairytales.

Charlie and his three friends must unravel the mysteries of their new found abilities, save the father Charlie has never known, and uncover a secret that will change their lives forever(quoted from Goodreads).

Quest for Merlin's Map was such a fun, magical read. I didn't except to be so swept up in the fantasy, adventure and lore than made up the story. It's a book that has very minor similarities to other books out there, but enough that it will draw fans of magic, and fantasy in.

Twelve year old Charlie Burrows has a gift that he inherited from the father he never knew, World Jumping. In finding his talent, Charlie is suddenly whisked away from his mother and home, and brought to a magic school in England where kids with special powers attend. Luckily Charlie has his best friend Bailey with them, as the two are about to learn about their father's past, a whole another magical world they never existed and about the powers that they have, and never knew existed until now.

Charlie is a brilliant witty character, and his best friend Bailey is one a character I also really like. She's this bigger than life character, who deep down has a fear for losing Charlie, as she too grew up without a father. Through Charlie and Bailey's dangerous adventures, they learn more about their fathers, their quest and the war that's taken place both in the new world that once laid just beyond their imaginations.

Along with Charlie and Bailey is a cast of great characters who's powers range from a World Jumper to, Shape Shifters, Guardians, Elementalists, Influencearians, Telecons and Seers. Lord Grayson and Joelle (the shape shifting were cat who lives in the library), are two more characters I really enjoyed getting to know. They added a rich history to the story and in getting to know little bits and pieces of their ancient characters. I got to know more of Charlie's destiny, while learning along side Charlie about the history of the new world he's now apart of.

I really liked the way W.C. Peever molded together a fun adventure full of paranormal characters, lore, magic, and a well known historical character like Merlin and gave it his own spin. The Quest for Merlin's Map is a unique and richly detailed story that both middle grade and young adult readers will enjoy. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Thoughtful Thursday- New Year's Resolutions

The New Year either brings a sense of wanting to hurry and see the last year behind us as we hope this next year will have a lot more glad tidings in store OR it brings a sense of excitement & a lot of gratitude of what the last year gave us, and we wonder what it's in store for the new year as it's full of fresh ideas, a clean slate and endless possibilities.

Of course, this time of year is also a time for self refection and goal setting. I don't know about you, I enjoy goal setting, but I feel it can also be a huge burden, which is why I break my goals down to monthly to do lists (okay, I've got a problem and I completely admit it). For me, I don't feel so overwhelmed if I see my small list of things to do each month, vs a huge list for a full year.

This last year on Mundie Moms was a fantastic year! We enjoyed being apart of blog tours, having so many wonderful authors on our site via author chats and interviews, we hosted a lot of fun giveaways, met so many of you at the wonderful author's who came into town. We want to make next year and even more memorable year, and hopefully we'll have our site upgraded like I had planned to do (but have yet to finish it) which is one goal that went left unfinished.

Here's a few of my goals for Mundie Moms in 2011:
* More Debut Author Chats & Interviews
* Continue and simply our Book of The Month Club
* Complete the MM's blog upgrades
* More Giveaways
* Comment on more blogs
* Get together with more bloggers
* Read more diverse books
* Simplify

We want to know from YOU what we can do to make next year even better. Please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts (please feel free to be respectfully blunt, not rude, when leaving comments). What are some things you're looking forward to in 2011? Or leave us a comment and tell us what one of our New Year Resolutions will be.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Book Review- The Twin's Daughter

By Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Published by Bloomsbury Teen
Released on September 1st, 2010
Source- the author
4 Stars- It's A Wonderful Read


Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?

Filled with shocking twists and turns, THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end (quoted from Goodreads).


I adore Lauren's talent for writing historical fictions, as she paints a vivid picture of the era and has this ability to make me feel like I'm apart it. Like The Education of Bet, The Twin's Daughter is a well written historical fiction/ victorian era book.

The Twin's Daughter has a cast of great characters, a fast paced plot full of twits and turns that left me quickly turn pages to figure out the "who done it", and a beautiful victorian era setting. The mystery unfolds within the very beginning of the book when young Lucy, the main character answers the door to find her mother's (unknown) twin sister. From there, the plot thickens and becomes much more twisted.

Through the education of Aunt Helen, the twin sister to Lucy's mother, Lauren allows us to be educated in the ways of society during this era. Lucy's is an only child, and comes from a well to do family. Helen's transformation not only gave me the chance to see what she needs to do to be accepted into London's higher society, but also what's excepted of women during this time.

I liked reading the book from Lucy's perspective. While she's innocent and at times seems naive, her voice is strong and what surprised me most about her, is her ability to observe. I know that's weird to say, but with all that goes on with the story, if Lucy's observance of the little details hadn't happened, than she never would have been able to solve the murder-mystery. Lucy is a very likable characters, as her family's wealth and privilege put her in the higher class in society, but she isn't a character who's snooty or a snob. She's humble, and has a silent strength that is well developed as she privately tries to unravel the mystery behind horrific death that occurs in her families home.

My two favorite supporting characters are Helen and the love interest Kit. They were the most realistic to me and were also well developed. Lauren did a wonderful job at growing Helen and Lucy's relationship, as well as Kit and Lucy's. I liked the immediate connection Lucy and Kit had. Their relationship wasn't one that was rushed and one I felt grew naturally and was very fitting for their time period. I really, really adore these two characters.

The Twin's Daughter is a wonderful read, as it offers a little bit of everything to it's readers. It's a brilliantly written historical fiction, as it's vividly detailed historical setting, realistic family dynamics, and sweet romance draws you and makes you feel like you're apart of another era. It's the suspense wrapped around it's twisted murder mystery that will leave you glued to the pages until the very end and as you try to figure out what really happened.

Waiting On Wednesday- All Things Cassandra Clare

Today's post is a little different, as it's not a book who's release I'm anxiously awaiting today, it's a movie. Let me give you a hint.....

Why hello Jace! All the recent buzz surrounding The Mortal Instruments movie has got us anxiously awaiting the announcement of who's playing Jace and finding out more about the movie. I don't know about you, but this is one movie I can't wait to see. Luckily we'll be treated this year with 2 books from Cassie- City of Fallen Angels & Clockwork Prince, that will help contain our excitement leading up to the movie's release. I don't know about you guys, but I'm just as excited to read City of Fallen Angels & Clockwork Prince as I may about the TMI movie being released .

SO why the picture? Do I really need to explain it?! Kidding... recently Hollywood Crush had a post (where this picture was taken from) talking about why Alex P is the perfect casting choice for Jace. Yes, we agree with what they said as he will always be our Jace, BUT the reality is he may not be cast as Jace. Either way we're all anxiously awaiting the announcement of who will play Jace. In the mean time head over to Hollywood Crush's post about Alex P playing Jace and leave them a comment (http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2010/12/10/alex-pettyfer-city-of-bones/).

It's going to be an exciting year in the The Mortal Instruments world and we're looking forward to it!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Book Review- Entice

By Carrie Jones
Published By Bloomsbury Teen
Released on December 14th, 2010
Source- Bloomsbury Books
3.5 stars- It's A Good Read

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned. She's Astley's queen (quoted from goodreads).

I have really enjoyed Carrie Jones's Need series. I can't pin point exactly what it is that makes me sit down and devour her books in one sitting. The characters are fun, the story is fast paced, I enjoy the setting and Carrie's paranormal twists and fairy mythology.

Zara is on a quest to get Nick back, while she's trying to accept that fact that she is a fairy Queen, whether she wants to accept it or not. Zara is trying to save everyone and keep them safe, and find Nick and bring him back. Her quest is one that at times makes her seem selfish, as she will do anything to bring Nick back and it will cost her. At other times I was able to see her inner struggle to save everyone and do the right thing.

Astley was my favorite character out of the story. I really enjoyed getting to know him more and being able to understand why he makes some of the choices he does. His love and devotion for Zara was well written and through out most of the book I wanted Zara to pick him (I can't believe I'm admitting this, as I love Nick's character). Astley and Zara share some great moments together and I like the bond they've formed.

With Entice, I found myself not being able to connect with it as much as I have with the two previous books. There are times I felt the thought process of some of the characters wasn't complete which hindered the flow of the story for me in a few places. I had a hard time in the beginning of the story, as I felt there was a little too much recapping of what had happened in Captivate. Entice is still a good read and with it's bits of humor, great chemistry, action and lot more twists, Entice is a book that I would suggest Need fans picking up.

I'm so excited there will be one more book in the series. When I started reading Entice I thought this was the third and final book in the series, but it's ending has left me looking forward to finding out how the war will turn out, what will happen to Zara & Nick and Zara & Astley.

You can find out more about the series by visiting Carrie's site here

Happy Release Day To The Lost Saint!

Happy Release Day To Bree Despain's The Lost Saint!!! Thank you to everyone who joined our chat last night. We had a lot of fun and congratulations to all of our winners. To celebrate today's release, we are giving away our last copy of The Lost Saint and The Lost Saint nail polish!!

To Enter-
* Please fill out the form below

You can find out more about Bree and The Dark Divine series by visiting her site here:

You can read my 4.5 star review here

Don't forget to watch The Lost Saint trailer-

Thank you to Egmont & Goodman Media for making our giveaways possible.

Twitter Tuesday - Beth Revis


We're so excited about the January 11th release of Beth Revis' Across the Universe. Here's a link to Katie's review where she described the book as " full of twists and turns, which made for an unpredictable plot and a fantastic ending!".

I'm in the middle of the book right now and I love the alternating POVs as well as Beth's powerful descriptions of life on board a large spaceship. The feeling of predictability and claustrophobia is evident in the prose. But it's the suspenseful writing that keeps me turning pages.

Yesterday, Beth tweeted  a post about her upcoming Launch Party. So if you're near Forest City, NC on January 11th be sure to attend.  It will not be at all like her 16th Birthday Party!!  NC MMs if you're around go meet Beth and perhaps you will win that fantastic gift basket!

Monday, December 27, 2010

We're Having A Pre-Launch Party with The Lost Saint Author, Bree Despain TONIGHT!!!


We are so excited that Bree's sequel, The Lost Saint is releasing tomorrow! Thank you to Egmont, we will be giving away a couple copies of the book & some blue nail polish! You must be on tonight's chat to WIN!


*Our chat will start at 8 pm CST/ 9 pm EST. To join, hit join and enter a screen name.

*Please know that we will be having a SPOLER FREE chat discussing The Lost Saint with Bree Despain!

*We do our best to make sure all comments are published, so that Bree can answer your questions. With the high volume of guests expected tonight, not all the questions may be answered in the hour time frame of the chat.

*In respect to Bree's time, we will only publish comments that pertain to their current writings, and book.

*We will not post any personal questions or comments.

* Any rude, disrespectful, or spam like comments will not be published.

*Thank you and we look forward to chatting with everyone tonight!

**No part of this chat is allowed to be used with out our permission**

Book Review - Prom and Prejudice

Published by: Scholastic
Release Date: January 1, 2011
Source: Scholastic
5 out of 5 stars - I loved this book and highly recommend it!

Synopsis (from Scholastic):  It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single guy in his spring semester at Pemberly Academy must be in want of a prom date.


After winter break, the girls at very prestigious, very wealthy, girls-only Longbourn Academy are suddenly obsessed with the prom, which they share with the nearby, equally elitist, all-boys Pemberly school. Lizzie Bennett, who attends Longbourn on scholarship, isn't exactly interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance, but less than impressed by Will Darcy, Charles's friend, who's as snobby and pretentious as his friend is nice. He doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. It doesn't help that Charles doesn't seem to be asking Jane to be his prom date, or that Lizzie meets George Wickham, who tells her that Will Darcy sabotaged his scholarship at Pemberly. Clearly Will Darcy is a pompous jerk who looks down on the middle class - so imagine Lizzie's surprise when he asks her to the prom!


Will Lizzie's prejudice and Will's pride keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? From Elizabeth Eulberg comes a very funny, completely stylish prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

I approach any re-telling of Pride and Prejudice with a lot of caution. Why? Because it's one of my Go-To-Books. You know those books; they are the ones that you read over and over again for comfort, predictability and to re-capture that moment of "that did NOT just happen"?
 
But what Elizabeth Eulberg did with Pride and Prejudice makes me want to shout things like "perfect" and "brilliant" and "go, run, buy it now". In Prom & Prejudice, the protagonist, Lizzie, is a girl in a very elite boarding school and she's there as a Scholarship Student based on her incredible musical ability. And here's where Elizabeth's style of writing really takes off. She illustrates the prejudice Lizzie faces with such quick, touching and cringe-worthy moments that you feel like you want to reach out and help Lizzie in any way you can. As a reader, I understood Lizzie's stubborn pride and her feelings of not fitting in and just wanting to get through it all for the sake of her talent.
 
The plot sticks closely to the original's even maintaining some of the familiar quotes. And yes, all the major characters are there but there are delightful twists that showcase the modern feel of the book.
 
Now, the romance. The reason I re-read Pride and Prejudice is for the romance. Sure the character studies are interesting but oh, the perfectly paced romance is what I really want to experience. Once again, Elizabeth gives the reader that push and pull between Lizzie and Darcy. Those moments of misunderstanding. Those moments of "that did NOT just happen". Like here from page 88 when Darcy asks Lizzie to dance with him:
I was in a daze on the dance floor. It was like having an out-of-body experience. I found myself going through the motions, but also looking around trying to figure out where the ambush was coming from. Darcy slipped his arms around me, with much more ease than Colin had, and before I knew it, we were in something approximating an embrace. Darcy was several inches taller than me, and he leaned his head down so our eyes locked.
 
I was face-to-face with the enemy.
Did you sigh along with me or shake your head knowing what Lizzie felt? I had to give you a taste of Lizzie's voice because I understood her from page one and she drew me in with her logic and stubbornness.
 
As a busy mom of three, I have very little time to myself and I can honestly say that I finished Prom & Prejudice in a day. I just couldn't put it down. So go to your favorite bookstore and if you're in a mood for a well written, romantic read be sure to pick it up. I loved Elizabeth's style so much that I turned around and downloaded her first book,  Lonely Hearts Club , to my ereader. And now, I can sit back and read what is surely another well written story.

Mundane Monday #65

I can't believe how fast this past week went and that we're now in the last week before the new year!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!!


"Is it a curse? Being a vampire?" Tessa asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "No. We think it is a sort of demon disease. Most diseases that affect demons are not transmissible to human beings, but in some cases, usually through a bite or a scratch, the disease can be passed on. Vampirism. Lycanthropy-"

"Demon Pox," said Will.

"Will, there's no such thing as demon pox, and you know it," Charlotte said. "Now, where was I?"

"Being a vampire isn't a curse. It's a disease," Tessa filled in. "But they still can't enter hallowed ground, then? Does that mean they're damned?"

"That depends on what you believe," said Jem. "And whether you even believe in damnation at all."

"But you hunt demons. You must believe in damnation!"

"I believe in good and evil," said Jem. "And I believe the soul is eternal. But I don't believe in the fiery pit, the pitchforks or endless torment. I do not believe you can threaten people into goodness."

Tessa looked at Will. "What about you? What do you believe?"

"Pulvis et umbra sumus," said Will, not looking at her as he spoke. "I believe we are dust and shadows. What else is there?"

Clockwork Angel, pages 174-175

This Week's Releases 12/27-1/2

We're very excited about some of the releases this week! We'll be sharing our reviews shortly for a few of these and can't wait to get our hands on the books we don't have yet. Here's what you can find out on book store shelves this week:































*The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
* Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
* Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
* Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen
* Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz
* Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
* Once In A Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
* Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson
* My Soul To Steal by Rachel Vincent
* Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz
* Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

You know you can't walk into a book store and buy just one book..... HAPPY READING!!!!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Book Review- The Candidates

By Inara Scott
Published by Disney Hyperion
Released On August 24th, 2010
Source- Inara Scott
4 Stars- I Enjoyed It

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden.

But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome.

And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy (quoted from Goodreads).


The Candidates wasn't at all what I was expecting, it was even better. I really enjoyed the characters, the mystery, the love interests and the story itself. Danica is a teenager who has tried to make herself invisible to hide her secret, but when two recruits come to offer her a chance to attend the prestigious Delcroix Academy, Danica's life changes. I liked Danica's character. She comes from a humble back ground and has been raised by her awesome grandmother. I really adore her Grandmother! I wish there was more of her in the story. Danica and her Grandmother don't live a life of privilege, but have enough to get by, like many of the other folks in their small WA town.

I loved the setting. I know, I'm biases as I'm from the NW, but I love a well detailed setting that takes me back to the small towns that make up parts of Oregon and Washington, where the story takes place. The weather, the scenery and the town's vivid descriptions made me feel like I was back there for just a moment.

Danika is a character who grows into her powers as she learns to accept what she is and what she can do. I really enjoyed the tension between the two hot love interests for Danika, Jack and Cam. I my heart goes to Jack, as he's the bad boy who comes form a broken home and wants to protect Danika. After all, she does save his life, twice. There's a genuine friendship that forms between the two of them, as they both can relate to one another. Cam has an air of mystery to me. I'm still leery of him. I can't say more about him with out giving away part of the plot. I'm anxious to see what his motives really are.

I really liked the mystery that surrounds Delcroix Academy as well as some of the staff and students there. This unique boarding school is described well and allowed me to get a glimpse of it's character. There's something going on at this academy that recruits kids with amazing paranormal powers and helps them grow into them. Inara does a great job at keeping me guessing as to what's really going on at this highly guarded academy. She gave me enough answers to keep reading the book, but left enough questions unanswered that I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel. I want more!!

The Candidates is a great first book in what looks to be a wonderful series. It did start off a little slow for me, but it quickly picks up pace and I found myself reading it in one sitting. I liked that it had some minor similarities to a couple other YA books I've read this year, but it's unique in it's own right. The Candidates is a great Tween/YA cross over book, and it's one I think that would appeal to readers as young as 10 and older, as Danika has just gone through the transition from Middle Grade to High School. It's a great read that has a little bit of everything, but doesn't over do it with older YA themes. I can't wait to read it's sequel, The Watchers.

Be sure to visit Inara's site for more information on the series http://www.inarascott.com/

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