In My Mailbox - 9/11/11

I'll keep this short and sweet. The only book in my mailbox this week was "Shut Out" by Kody Keplinger. I already shared the book trailer on here on Wednesday since I did the voice over for it. You can find that post here. Let me know what you think! I'm really looking forward to reading this on my way to KidLitCon next weekend!

That reminds me - let me know if you'll be attending KidLitCon! Allison and I will be presenting on Saturday about podcasting as well as doing a special Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast. I can't wait! Now, to start packing. Gah! I am a t-shirt & jeans kinda gal, so dressing up always causes me headaches. I'm sure I'll figure it out though. Can my "TARDamask" shirt be dressy enough? It looks super cute with a skirt (I got the scoop neck version).

Anyways, enough rambling from me. See you next time! Oh and don't forget to sign up for my monthly giveaway. There are SO many awesome book choices this month.

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. I'm just happy to participate! Also, I vlog regularly over at Michelle Writes!? Check it out.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Wow. That was the first word that entered my mind as I finished reading “Ashes” by Ilsa J. Bick. This story was intense and definitely not my usual read. It’s a thrilling tale of a survival in a world of chaos. Plus, um, it takes place in dah U.P. of Michigan, my college turf. It gets a little gold star for that.

So basically, Alex, a seventeen year old girl with a brain tumor, goes out into the wilderness. It’s kind of a last hurrah, a need to feel alive and connected with her deceased parents. Her treatments aren’t working. She’s out of options. She can’t smell, so she’s losing memories along with her sense of taste, etc. She’s out in the woods and runs across a Grandpa and his sassy young granddaughter. They share a cup of coffee and then BOOM! The world goes cra-zay due a bunch of EMPs going off. Some people, like the grandfather, drop dead while others are changed into something not quite human. Desperate to figure out what is going on, Alex takes the granddaughter and begins the journey to the ranger station. Along the way, she meets Tom, a soldier on leave from Afghanistan, and the three join forces and become a family of sorts, doing their best to survive in this strange new world full of familiar landscapes.

This story is essentially two stories (both about Alex and this apocalyptic world), put together. It seems a lot of my fellow reviewers enjoyed part 1 far more than part 2. The first part follows the story I summarized above, while the second part moves into Alex settling into a culti-ish community for protection. She battles with the decision to stay safe and accept the strange culture or to be free out in the wild. While I agree that the survival story was much more exciting, I really enjoyed seeing Alex in captivity, having her deal with the emotional troubles caused by her actions in part 1 and becoming attached to members of her new town. I’m not usually a reader of thrillers/survival stories, so had it continued to go on I probably would have put the book down. It was INTENSE. Wonderful, cinematic, but super intense. I needed a breather and so did Alex. It makes sense why she ended up where she did and why she struggled, trying to decide whether to stay or go. I liked it, but readers who prefer that level of intensity all the time, may be disappointed.

“Ashes” is NOT a book to read before bed or to give to young teens. It is chock full of violence in Alex’s battle to survive. Some of the descriptions are quite graphic and grotesque, but are appropriate to the story. As I said before, it’s intense. Be prepared for an adrenaline rush and the inability to put the book down.

"Ashes" came out this week by Egmont Publishing. I received a digital ARC via Netgalley.com for review. This book was also my Pick of the Month for the September Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

I just had to share this book trailer! As you all know, I'm a voice actor. I did the VO for this one. I cannot wait to read it!

Spot Goes to the Park by Eric Hill

We're back! Sorry about not posting a "E's Pick of the Week" last week. E came down with a really bad cold, then I caught it! It was a rough week, but we're back and ready to roll. This week's pick is "Spot Goes to the Park" by Eric Hill. Yup, another Spot book. E is obsessed with Spot (or as he calls him, "fot" because his "sp" sound is still coming along). This is another flap book with lots of fun things for your little guy or gal to find. E has all the flap parts memorized now and he is in charge of "reading" them to me. It's so adorable! It's a must read for any little one who loves puppies and going to the park.

"Spot Goes to the Park" is published by Putnam Juvenile and is available in hardcover, paperback and board book form.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healy

If you’re looking for something to read that is very different from your run of the mill paranormal, then you should check out “Guardian of the Dead” by Karen Healy. This book takes place in New Zealand and is full of beautiful descriptions of the lush landscape and unique cultures. A lot of the book revolves around Maori myths, which I found fascinating. I’m not familiar with this culture at all, so I loved learning their different origin myths. Despite its refreshingly unique setting, I found this book tedious to read.

Here is part of the description from Goodreads.com:
Set in New Zealand, Ellie's main concerns at her boarding school are hanging out with her best friend Kevin, her crush on the mysterious Mark, and her paper deadline. That is, until a mysterious older woman seems to set her sights on Kevin, who is Maori, and has more than just romantic plans for him. In an effort to save him, Ellie is thrown into the world of Maori lore, and eventually finds herself in an all-out war with mist dwelling Maori fairy people called the patupaiarehe who need human lives to gain immortality.

My problems with this book:

• Overwhelming - This applies to the cast of characters, the overall plot line (by the time I got ⅔ through, I just felt enough was enough!), the amount of myths being thrown at me, you name it. This book is overwhelming and it left me feeling agitated throughout reading it.
• Romance - It kind of fizzled out for me after a lot of the mystery is revealed and I didn’t like the way it ended.
• Boarding school - I am tired of this plot device.

Despite its faults, it is an interesting read that many people seemed to really enjoy. Perhaps if I didn’t have a bunch of other books waiting for me that I am dying to read, I would have enjoyed this book more. By the time I finished, I was just happy to be done so I could move on to something else.

I received a copy of “Guardian of the Dead” from the publisher, Little Brown. It was just released on paperback this month.

Monthly giveaway time!

It's time for my monthly giveaway. This month, I'm doing something a little different. You can either choose an August release or you can choose a book I reviewed in August (since I reviewed a few that were already on the shelves).

Here's the low down for those of you who are new to Never Gonna Grow Up! Reviews.

• At the start of each month, I'll put up a Google entry form for you to fill out. You can earn 6 entry points - 1 for just signing up, 1 for tweeting or putting it up on Facebook, 2 points for being a follower of my blog, and 2 for commenting on one of the July release reviews. It's that easy!
• For tweeting, the phrase to tweet is "I'm tweeting to win a book of my choice over at http://www.NeverGonnaGrowUpReviews.com! (@nggu_reviews) I hope I win ___. " and put whatever book you'd like to win. :)
• The winner gets to choose what book they'd like me to send! The only restriction is that it has to have been released the previous month or that I reviewed in the month of August.

Your Choices: (Reviews of August 2011 Releases)

• Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
• Possess by Gretchen McNeil
• Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
• Fury by Elizabeth Miles
• Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
• Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
• Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
• Vanish by Sophie Jordan
• A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
• Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Deadline to enter is Sunday September 18th. I'll announce the winner on the 19th! (EDIT: Date changed. Just realized I was going to be gone at KidLitCon, so I extended the deadline!)

EDIT: This contest is closed. The winner is Ashley H. Thank you so much Ashley and thank you to Random.org for helping me choose a random number.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

What can I say? This series holds a special place in my heart. I started blogging because I loved the Iron Fey series so much (read my review of “The Iron Queen”). Julie Kagawa finishes off this story with a bang. I stayed up way past my bedtime and had tears in my eyes by the time I reached the end. I do not think I’ll be able to do this wonderful finale justice, but I need to tell you all about it anyway.

This book is told from the perspective of Ash, as he pursues his quest to be reunited with Meghan in the Iron Kingdom. Team Ash fans, you are going to LOVE this book. Ash is such an interesting character. He grew up in the Seelie court, where emotion is a weakness and life is cruel. Somehow, he found love, not once, but twice. His first love was killed before his eyes due to the carelessness of his friend, the infamous Puck. He thought he’d never love again, but then he met Meghan, the half human daughter of the Summer King, and his world was turned upside down. As a faery, he can not step foot in the Iron Kingdom, the part of the Nevernever that Meghan now rules. He must figure out someway to be with her, even if he loses a part of himself in the process.

As I said above, I cannot tell you enough how much I loved this book. There are so many faery stories out there, but this one is seriously the best one ever written. Ms. Kagawa gracefully combines traditional faery lore with creative elements to compose a world that is both magical and frightening. Though Ash can be a somewhat cold character (wah wah, winter prince = cold, get it?), you really get to know him emotionally in this book. His quest is heartbreaking at times so be sure to have a box of tissues nearby, you’ll need them.

“The Iron Knight” is scheduled to be released on October 25, 2011 and is published by HarlequinTeen. I received a digital ARC from the publisher for review via Netgalley.com. The first three books in the series, “The Iron King”, “The Iron Daughter”, and “The Iron Queen” are available now.