Early Review: The Culling by Steven Dos Santos

The Culling

(The Torch Keeper)

Author: Steven Dos Santos

Publisher: Flux, 2013

Genre: YA Dystopia

Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

Lucian “Lucky” Spark has been recruited for training by the totalitarian government known as The Establishment. According to Establishment rules, if a recruit fails any level of the violent training competitions, a family member is brutally killed . . . and the recruit has to choose which one.

As the five recruits form uneasy alliances in the hellish wasteland that is the training ground, an undeniable attraction develops between Lucky and the rebellious Digory Tycho. But the rules of the training ensure that only one will survive—the strongest recruits receive accolades, wealth, and power while the weakest receive death.

With Cole—Lucky’s four-year-old brother—being held as “incentive,” Lucky must marshal all his skills and use his wits to keep himself alive, no matter what the cost.

Waiting on Wednesday (82)

Hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Clockwork Princess

Cassandra Clare

March 19 2013

Goodreads:

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.

Why am I waiting for it?

Another series that ends! I’ll be crying both because it ends and because that gorgeous cover will be sitting in my shelf and the trilogy will look freaking beautiful complete.

Teaser Tuesday (77)

Hosted by Should Be Reading. 

The Culling
by Steven Dos Santos

~What it is~

          “Every Recruit is given an equal oportunity to advance to the next level of their training." He hold up his hand before I can protest. "Yes, it's unfortunate that the Recruit who achieves the lowest score after each round must undergo The Culling--"
"Stop sterilizing it!" I hug my knees. "The loser of each trial has to choose between the lives of two people they love, and if they can't do that, all three of them die. That's sick.”

It's Monday! What are you reading? (65)

Hosted by Book Journey

Just Finished Reading: 

The Witch's Betrayal by Cassandra Rose Clarke
(Naji! The perfect story to tide me over until the June release of The Pirate's Wish!)
      

Currently Reading:

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
(47% into the story and I still don't feel the excitement of the previous books. I'm quite...bored with it.) 
Nice Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

(OMG what am I reading and why have I not read it before?! This is awesome!)  

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
(Couldn't resist the temptation of getting the book now that the movie is out)  

        

Planning To Read:
Same as last week :P 

Unraveled by S.X. Bradley
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnet 

Out This Week!

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
 

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

 

The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test 3) by Aimee Carter

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
 

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Early Review: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Dualed

Author: Elsie Chapman

Publisher: Random House, 2013

Genre: YA Dystopia

Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Waiting on Wednesday (81)

Hosted at Breaking the Spine, spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

With All My Soul

Rachel Vincent

March 19 2013

Goodreads:

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America?

It's time to kick some hellion butt...

After not really surviving her junior year (after all, she did die), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to the find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity and the rest on each other. And so she–and her gang–make plans to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath. And Kaylee realizes that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. Especially when one more person she loves is taken...

Why am I waiting for it?

I can’t believe it’s the end of this series. I know it’ll be all kinds of heartbreaking but still awesome and memorable. They MUST make a box set of the series then, and I will so buy it!

Teaser Tuesday (76)

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

Dualed
by Elsie Chapman

~Chord and West~

          “You’re not weak, West. You’ve always been a fighter, for as long as I’ve known you. Since we were little kids. You’re like…I don’t know…a bulldog refusing to let go.”

          “A bulldog.”

          “Well, yeah. You’ve always been so stubborn.”

It's Monday! What are you reading? (64)

Hosted by Book Journey

Just Finished Reading: 
 
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
(...I've nothing to say)
Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
(I've read 3 chapters so far and ofc, I'm loving every. single. word.)

Currently Reading:

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
(Oh Gods. I hope I can remember everyone’s role x_x) 
Nice Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
 
Planning To Read:
Had to change my reading options since review requests come first. But don't think for a second that I've forgotten Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead or Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. If I could, I would pack a suitcase, take these three books, and disappear for a whole week.

Unraveled by S.X. Bradley
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnet 

Out This Week!

Override(Glitch 2) by Heather Anastasiu 

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
 

Shards & Ashes by Kelley Armstrong 

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
 

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
 

 

Neferet’s Curse (House of Night Novellas 3) by P.C. Cast

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
 

The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Valentine's Day and YA Crushes

Happy Valentine's Day! 

I hope everyone will have a wonderful day filled with love, hearts, joy, and goodness! In this day of love and romance, I couldn't help but think that YA fictional boyfriends are everywhere. There are those that make you smile, those that make you want to slap and then kiss them at the same time, and those that make you swoon and reach for the nearest fan. These are my top 5 YA crushes EVER.

Adrian Ivashkov from Bloodlines

Tod Hudson from Soul Screamers

Daemon Black from the Lux Series

Tristan Archer from The Archers of Avalon

Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments

Special Non-YA Mention~

R from Warm Bodies 

Who is your top YA crush? :)

Waiting on Wednesday (80)

Hosted at Breaking the Spine, spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Mila 2.0

Debra Driza

March 12 2013

Goodreads:

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Why am I waiting for it?

I’m very interested in the story of a robot girl!