TOUR + GIVEAWAY: Starglass by Phoebe North

Starglass by Phoebe North

Publisher: Simon and Schuster     
Publication date: July 23rd 2013
My rating: 4 star

Terra has never known anything but life aboard the Asherah, a city-within-a-spaceship that left Earth five hundred years ago in search of refuge. At sixteen, working a job that doesn't interest her, and living with a grieving father who only notices her when he's yelling, Terra is sure that there has to be more to life than what she's got.
But when she inadvertently witnesses the captain's guard murdering an innocent man, Terra is suddenly thrust into the dark world beneath her ship's idyllic surface. As she's drawn into a secret rebellion determined to restore power to the people, Terra discovers that her choices may determine life or death for the people she cares most about. With mere months to go before landing on the long-promised planet, Terra has to make the decision of a lifetime--one that will determine the fate of her people.

Starglass was a challenging book for me. I usually stay away from  books featuring religion and old-fashioned way of thinking about topics such as marriage, sex and race equality and freedom to be and love whoever you want. Since I'm one of those people who doesn't like being told what to do so it was difficult to hold my tongue when some of the characters were acting like primitive old bats. I'm well aware of the fact that most dystopian novels talk about those things but it bothers me more when there's a lot of religious talk thrown in there because my country has gone through a war almost 20 years ago and so many people still think they're better than others. 

Over a year ago I bought Across the Universe by Beth Revis mostly because of the beautiful cover and because I was curious. You see, I'm not a huge fan of outer space adventure but I wanted to give it a try. You never know what's good until you try it, right? Well, I didn't like it and it's still sitting on my nightstand, unfinished. 

I'm glad I took a risk and read Starglass.  It's a story about Tarra, who's traveling in a spaceship to another planet after asteriods hit the Earth. Her father drinks after her mother died of cancer and her brother moves when he gets married which leaves Tarra alone with a drunk father. She gets her assigned job after she turns 16. She also has 2 years to find a husband or the Council will pick one for her. 

There are so many things I liked about this novel. Women don't have to give birth any longer. Every couple gets to have two artificial eggs/wombs which takes all the work while both parents get to do their assigned jobs. Men are being sterilized when they get circumcised. A lot of people weren't what seem to be and I was surprised a couple of times when secrets were being revealed. Terra also had vivid dreams about someone in the woods. I could almost picture myself being there with them. Not in a pervy way.

Can't wait to find out what happens in the sequel! Why do I have to wait a full year till I found out more about the mysterious dream guy?

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Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Publisher: MTV Books    

Publication date: July 16th 2013

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.
Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

I was so happy when I heard Jennifer Echols is writing a book about music. She's been one of my favorite authors since I read Going Too Far three years ago. You can never go wrong with her books. They are perfect beach reads, even if you're not really anywhere near the sea/ocean. 

Bailey and her younger sister Julie have spent their whole childhood playing as a duo when Julie, who sings and plays guitar got offered a contract, which left Bailey all alone. Her parents moved cross the country to help Julie out and Bailey went to stay at her grandpa's house because she was acting out. 

Who would blame her. If my parents completely deserted me while they ran around my brother or sister I would be mad too. Bailey's parents raised her to fight for her music but they turned their backs on her as soon as she did something appropriate. Something that might hurt Julie's image. What kind of parent would do such a thing? Not a good one, that's for sure. 

Bailey's torn up with following her dream and listening to her parents. When she meets Sam everything changes. He invites her to play with his band and Bailey slowly opens to performing again. They also have unmistakable feelings to one another which makes playing in a band even more difficult because Sam is a known ladies man. But he is not your guy who dates a lot of girls. 

What I loved about this novel is it sends out a great message to never give up on your hopes and dreams. You need to work hard before you get everything you wanted. 

I would recommend Dirty Little Secret to people who love to read more realistic YA contemporary novels with interesting characters. And it's Jennifer Echols we're talking about here! 

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Publisher: Balzer + Bray    
Publication date: April 24th 2012
My rating: 3.5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle's mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.
And that was before she died...and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth's destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet.

Well, this was interesting!

Even though I wasn't sure what was happening in the first half of book I couldn't get enough of it. I usually get frustrated whenever I don't get some answers by the first half of the book but I didn't mind the suspense in Unraveling. 

Elizabeth Norris knows how to create a captivating world. Her writing is never tiresome. Her heroes are intriguing and likable. I only wished they didn't swear since I'm a little bit uncomfortable with characters in YA novels using that kind of language. I do swear but if I wrote a book for younger audience I wouldn't use cuss words in it. 

It's hard to explain what this book is about without spoiling it big time. I didn't read any reviews before I started reading Unraveling for the same exact reason. 

Sorry for this short review. I didn't want to discuss the plot because of the spoilers so if there still are people who haven't read Unraveling yet, pick it up! You don't want to miss this exciting roller coaster ride! 

Since I was listening to the audio version of this book I would like to give props for the narrator, Katie Schorr for doing such an incredible job. 

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Publisher: Harper Teen     
Publication date: July 2nd 2013
My rating: 3 star

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.
She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Caymen works in her mother's doll shop when a rich, totally gorgeous guy comes in looking for a birthday present for his grandmother. They have an instant connection and slowly start to hang out. He is Caymen's perfect guy but her mother would not approve because she was burned in the past, after Caymen's father left her mother when she got pregnant. Due to her mother's past Caymen is afraid to show her feeling towards Xander. 

What I liked the most about this book is the main character, Caymen. If I had to describe her in just one word I would use, sarcastic. She's like the long lost Rose Hathaway twin, without the ass-kicking. She's not only afraid of Xander but also of the future. Since her mother's broke she can't afford to go to college and she doesn't want think about it at all. 

I have a soft spot for guys named Alex and Devyani does too. *sigh* There's just something about that name I find so appealing.  Alex, or Xander, in this book,  was a wonderful male specimen. Like a guy who can make your skin on fire with a single touch and can also hold you when you're having a bad day. I kind of pictured him as Nolan Gerard Funk's character Collin from Awkward. Even though his family owns a bunch of hotels he isn't a snob and isn't afraid to get dirty and dig up a grave, literally. 

I didn't like how the author resolved the money problem in this novel. I highly doubt anything like that happens outside books and movies. I don't want to reveal what really happens but those who get the chance to read it will understand what I'm talking about. 

All in all, The Distance Between Us was a light summer read and I will check out Kasie's future contemporary novels.