Mundie Moms

Saturday, April 17, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @TheStorySiren & inspired by Alea @PopCultureJunkie. It explores the contexts that we received for review, bought, checked out at the library or borrowed. Sorry for the bad picture, my camera battery is dead, so I used my cell phone to take the picture.

From Publishers/Authors For Review:
* The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan (bound manuscript from Simon & Schuster)
* Picture The Dead by Adele Griffin (from Source Books)
* We Hear The Dead by Diane K Salerni (from Source Books)
* Guardian Of The Gate by Michelle Zink (from Michelle & Little Brown)
* The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood (from HarperCollins)
* Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
(from Anastasia & Egmont)
* Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner (from Random House Kids)

Bought:
* Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (bought)
* Thirteen Days To Midnight by Patrick Carman (bought)
While I bought more of than these two books, I didn't think posting books that have some great parenting tips would be appealing to anyone reading this blog. LOL

Checked out from the Library:
* Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block (not pictured)

To Giveaway:
I am so excited, as Saundra Mitchell sent us some of her amazing *signed* book marks for Shadowed Summer. I mean, really, the bookmarks are amazing! We'll be giving them away sometime in the next week or so!

What goodies did you receive this week in your mail box?

Book Review: The Mark by Jen Nadol

The Mark

By: Jen Nadol

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, January 2010

5 out of 5 stars

Summary from author’s website (You can also read an excerpt!):

Sixteen-year old Cassie Renfield has seen the mark since forever: a glow around certain people as if a candle were held behind their back.

The one time she pointed it out taught her not to do it again, so Cassie has kept quiet, considering its rare appearances odd, but insignificant. Until the day she watches a man die. Mining her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person's imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Cassie searches her past, her philosophy lessons, even her new boyfriend for answers, always careful to hide her secret. How does the mark work? Why her?

Most importantly, if you know today is someone's last, should you tell?

Great News for Fans of the Book:

COMING SOON:
Vision – Sequel to The Mark, 2011, Bloomsbury Children’s Books

My Thoughts:

Have you ever wished for a super power? What if the power was one that was more of a curse than a gift?

These are the tough questions that Cassie Renfield must ask herself. She has the power to see death before it strikes. The mark as she calls it is a shimmering light that cloaks on person on the day of their death. Cassie has always seen this mark, but doesn’t realize exactly what it means until her teen years when a man on the bus has the mark. She follows him and watches his death. Her worst fears are confirmed before her eyes. Should she use her gift to warn people of their fate? Can she prevent their deaths and if she does what are the consequences?

I originally wasn’t sure if I would like this book. It seemed like just another in a long stream of paranormal young adult novels hitting the bookshelves in recent months. However, Jen Nadol’s writing style and characters sucked me into Cassie’s world. The settings of small town life in Pennsylvania and Kansas are beautifully described. Cassie’s gift leads her on a quest to find out who she really is and where the mark comes from. I found this to be the most exciting part of the book for me – I wanted to know about her family history. I also loved how Nadol ties in Greek mythology. That was something I didn’t see coming, but I loved how she wove it into the story.

I also felt like Nadol had a firm grasp on the teenage experience. That time of life is often hard for many. I can’t even imagine taking all of those issues and having to deal with seeing death all around me on top of it. I think Cassie’s responses to the obstacles in her life is realistic, however, others I have talked to disagree with some of the choices she makes. What do you think? Does Cassie make the typical choices of a teen in her situation?

I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in 2011! This gives plenty of others time to fall in love with Cassie’s story before the next part arrives.

Read, Remember, Recommend Giveaway Winner!

Our winner was chosen using Random.org and the number picked was 1! CONGRATULATIONS to Brittany Landgrebe!! We have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to reply back with your address. If we don't hear back in that time frame, a new winner will be picked.

Thank you to everyone who entered!!!

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