Review: Blaze by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillians) by Laurie Boyle Crompton
309 pages, ePub eBook (via Overdrive Media Console)
Finished on 24/7/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: Thanks to the wonderful participants of #YAStands twitter chars, the first time I joined in I got 15 recommendations, including this one. (Sadly, it's the only one I've gotten around to reading.)

Review: Can I say BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!? I believe I just did. And I meant it, too. I don't remember exactly who it was that recommended this to me that night, but thank you for expanding my life reading bubble! I owe you quite the hug!

Well, if you can't tell already, Blaze has most definitely left a mark on my memory. She was a wonderful heroine, what with her comic-drawing superpower. But even more than that she was a charrie that constantly believed in people and strived after what she wanted.

The comic theme was the best part of the book, which is why the entire book was so enjoyable! I don't know how Ms. Crompton came up with the idea for this novel, but I'm very glad she did! I think this has made itself onto the list of books that anyone can enjoy. Especially the comic junkies ;).

Shelf-Worthy

Review: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

This book has very big spoilers!!!! If you are really looking forward to reading this book, I suggest you don't read the review because I would hate to ruin the book for you.

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Unraveling (Unraveling, #1) by Elizabeth Norris
464 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 16/7/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I saw this on my Goodreads feed one day, and the cover and title made me hit the "Want to Read" button.

Review: This book had me ensnared after a very short period of reading. I remember when Janelle died I was just like, "OMG.
Yes. Ghost story!" Of course, all that was ruined when Ben brought her back to life, but oh well.

Janelle and Ben were really great characters to me. Janelle was another determined heroine. She had a lot to deal with mentally, especially with her dad dying in the middle of all the craziness. Ben was mysterious but didn't start as one of those "You're not on my level" types of people. He cared so much for humanity, unlike his buddies, and was very far from not blaming himself.

The book's occurrences were great, too. Unraveling will definitely be one novel that keeps you guessing the answers to the questions until the very end. It was action-packed in a mental sense, by which I mean that there weren't a billion fights or battles, but as I stated previously Janelle had a lot to deal with -- what happened to her dad, how does she feel about Ben, the radioactivity. So much and so little time, and counting.

This novel was a marvelous series opener and author debut! I will most assuredly be getting Unbreakable as soon as possible to continue the mystery (and the romance!).

Satisfying eBook/Shelf-Worthy

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1) by Josephine Angelini
487 pages, hardcover
Finished on 13/7/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Action
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I've been wanting to read this novel for quite a while. Ever since it came out, really. I finally broke down at the library and checked it out.

Review: It's been a while since I've read a PNR with gods and goddesses. This novel made me remember why I loved them so much.

Helen and Lucas were so wonderful to read, Their relationship is now one of my favorites. They cared so much and just sounded absolutely perfect together (as controversial as that is).

The plot in Starcrossed was great as well! I wanted to read this book every moment it was possible. Everything kept happening one after another. It's like everywhere Helen turned there was some disaster occurring or another part of her demigod heritage being revealed to her. She had quite a lot to toss around in that head of hers.

I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series, and I made sure I put Dreamless on hold at the library as son as I finished!

Shelf-Worthy

Book Tour Review: Chameleon by Kelly Oram

YEAR THREE. This is the third Kelly Oram book tour I've participated in. Like last year at the start of my third blogging year, I'm very proud to have made it this far.
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Chameleon (Supernaturals, #1) by Kelly Oram
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 10/7/2013
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: It's Kelly Oram. Come on now. But she asked me to be on the tour, if that clears things up for you :).

Review: Wow. I didn't think Oram's books could get any better. But ... wow. Oh, and did you catch that this is another PNR novel? Well, let me tell you -- this is one of the best ideas I've ever seen in a PNR plot.

The plot was so amazingly magnificent that I'm honestly at a loss for what I feel are the proper words to explain my love for it. On a less poetic note, though, this story line was very intriguing! It wasn't necessarily action-packed, but there was enough heart-wrenching, raging romance that it didn't even matter. I found myself yelling at Danielle for keeping Ryan around more than anything.

Speaking of romance, the characters in general were really great. Danielle really handled everything well if you ask me. Most people probably would've given up and said whatever a long time before the end of the book; but as Dani said, she "wasn't anyone else."

Gabriel was without a doubt my favorite character throughout the book. He is so sweet and innocent and actually truly cares for Dani, which is nice to know with all the back-stabbers and people wanting to use her that she had in her life. On the exact opposite page, you'll find that Russ was my absolute least favorite character. In the very beginning he was cool, and I felt bad for him and Dani, but when Gabriel was brought into the mix, Russ made me want to beat the crap out of him. All the time. Literally.

But when you think about it, those are the kinds of characters you want books to have -- ones that you either can't it through the book without or ones that make a few violent tendencies come out. As long as they're wonderful enough to spark serious emotion, the charries are doing their purpose in helping to give you the story.

Overall, I, of course, loved Chameleon. I'm so excited for the second book in the series! While I'm sure Oram won't disappoint, second-in-the-series books always bring a little hesitation, no matter how good the first was. Either way, I shall have quite the amount of time to wait on the sequel since this one just came out.

Shelf-Worthy

Review: Defiance by CJ Redwine

Yesterday I realized that, going along with the fact that each blogging year will be represented by a post, each day's post has something to do with the number 1 2 3 or 4. So that shall be interesting :).

So today is YEAR ONE. In representation of the day I started this blog as a new hobby/obsession, Defiance is the first novel in a series, and we all know that series can become obsessions. :D
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Defiance (Courier's Daughter, #1) by CJ Redwine
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 6/7/2013
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult, Some Action, Adventure, Romance
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I'm honestly not sure how I found out about this one.

Review: As I noted above, I have no idea how I came across this book (probably Goodreads), but I'm glad I did! This was a wonderful read, but I hate that it was a library book because I had a big gap in the middle of my reading.

The plot was definitely intriguing for me. I loved the idea of a Cursed One terrorizing the continent's remaining population, although I did feel for Baalboden's ending tragedy. The little choose-your-husband thing (for lack of memory) was interesting as well. After that point in the story, everything was fast-[aced and happening at once. It made it very easy for me to hold my phone or Kindle all day while I read.

The characters were a great part of the book! I couldn't help but fall in love with them immediately. Rachel was so stubbornly set in her ways, but it was a great asset for her to have with this plot because it assured you that something would be done about the situation at hand. Logan ... oh, Logan. He was unquestionably my favorite character in the story and has earned a spot on my mental Book Boyfriend list. He cared for Rachel so much that he risked his life for her, more than one time might I add. Logan was very caring and loving and did what he could to keep those he loved safe. Redwine's characters in general were simply amazing, and I'm excited to read them again in the next book.

Just read it already. You know you want to. It's a great read, and I'm happy that I ran into it!

Satisfying eBook/Shelf-Worthy

Book Reviews: Mash-Up #3

Sweet Peril (Sweet Trilogy, #2) by Wendy Higgins
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 13/6/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Action, Adventure
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I loved Sweet Evil and bought this sequel before I was even finished reading the first.

Review: The second installation in the Sweet trilogy wasn't as great as its prequel. I'm not sure exactly what it was missing, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was action. A good cause for the lack of action was the constant mention of the romance between Anna, Kaiden, and Kope. Of course, this is probably just to me.

I did love the army-building, though. It was nice to meet other Nephs as well as catching up with oldies. I'm so excited to read the next book in the series! Oh, and did I mention that Kaiden is my fictional husband now?

Satisfying eBook

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Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 23/6/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Adventure (in reference to her quest)
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I'm determined to read all of Dessen's work, and since I've only read This Lullaby before this, I've still got quite a few books to read!

Review: The unique life of the main character (Auden) kind of reminded me of Kelly Oram's novels and their rare charries. I think that might have been what made Along for the Ride even better for me.

Auden hasn't had the best life, but through  it all I'd say she's been pretty productive with her schooling. Not that it could have possibly been any other way with the parents she had . . . actually.... Nevermind. I forgot about Hollis. Guess it was a possibility lol.

Anyway, the summer Auden spent with Heidi and her dad seemed like so much fun. Heidi especially tried to make her feel at home and welcomed Auden with open arms. My favorite part about the summer, though, was Auden's nightly escapades with Eli. It honestly made me want my own quest to go on!

Sarah Dessen continues to live up to the reputation I've heard given to her, and I'm hoping another of her books will come across my path soon!

Shelf-Worthy

Book Reviews: Mash Up #2

Candle in the Darkness (Refiner's Fire, #1) by Lynn Austin
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 11/5/2013
Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Some Romance
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I saw it on Kindle Diary (an app that tells you about free Kindle books), and the synopsis interested me so I bought it.

Review: This was the first Christian novel I'd ever read, and I must say it was pretty great! Usually I stay away from Christian Fiction (not really sure why), but this one had me halfway through it before I realized what genre it was. And by then there was no turning back anyway.

Caroline, Eli, and Tessie were definitely my favourite characters. You could have a real connection with them and not just be reading another character's dialogue or actions. Eli and Tessie were so confident, caring and loving of Caroline that they easily replaced the Fletchers as Caroline's parents in my mind. Caroline herself was quite the determined woman and that made me respect her even more.

I will most likely be spending money on the next book in the series. Hopefully the characters carry over!

Shelf-Worthy

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Sweet Evil (Sweet Trilogy, #1) by Wendy Higgins
464 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 20/5/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: It's one of those YA books/covers that I look at once, remember forever, and eventually make myself read it because I'm tired of procrastinating. (Thank you library.)

Review: Wow. This book was absolutely amazing. It was something about it that just pulled me right in.

Anna and Kaiden -- especially Kaiden -- were some of the best characters I've read in a while. Wen they hurt, I hurt; but honestly, the love they (and shouldn't have) for each other is so emotionally pulling that I couldn't help but adore them even more. The plot was also a wonderful part to their story. Kaiden being in a band was a good little "different" facor that Higgins provided to the story. He was a bad boy, you could say, but not your average one at least. The plot carried you so well. Even though you knew the temporary happiness was indeed temporary, you knew the juicy drama (can we appropriately call it that?) was up ahead and ready to be devoured.

Usually I talk about how I'm going to buy the sequel soon, but, well..... I already have it lol. I'll post a review of Sweet Peril by the end of June (I hope), so be on the look out!

Shelf-Worthy

Review: Earth Sim by Jade Kerrion

Earth Sim by Jade Kerrion
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 30/3/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I was contacted by Ms. Kerrion asking if I would be interested in reviewing her book. I took an interest to the synopsis and things went from there!

Review: I absolutely loved this book! It didn't take me very long to realize where the title came from, and I really enjoyed being carried through the Earth's history. (Noted history nerd here. Now if only textbooks could be written like this.)

Jem and Kir (unique names ♥) will definitely be going on my favorite characters list. Jem's constant sarcasm and overall seriousness were marched very well with Kir's ever-present good mood and humour. One thing that I didn't notice until the end of the story (and is still kind of surprising -- but in a good way) is that there was barely any romance. During the entire novel my brain just assumed that Jam and Kir would end up together. And so when it didn't happen, my mind was momentarily shocked. At the same time, I'm glad the romance was unobtrusive because I feel as if it might have taken away from the main aspect of the story.

The plot was really magnificent. Kir and Jem messed up the progress of the simulation so many times that it was truthfully kind of funny reading about Europe's suffering from the Black Death. (Yes, very inhumane.) I also liked how Kerrion mixed in the plot with Lukas and Jem's true form I suppose you could call it. The situation even had an effect, albeit a small one, on the Earth simulation that made it an even more interesting part of the story.

All in all, Earth-Sim was a great read. It really makes you think about how the Earth actually got here, and while that probably wasn't Kerrion's purpose for writing it, it's quite appealing to the human mind.

Shelf-Worthy

Review: Outsiders by Bailey Vaughn

Outsiders by Bailey Vaughn
65 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 21/3/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Action
Goodreads page, Amazon page

Motivation to Read It: I was contacted with a request to read the new work, and after reading the synopsis I was interested to indulge in the pages.

Review: Let me start off by saying that this book was a lot shorter than I thought it was going to be. However, don't take that as a con to reading it; even though it was shorter than most, it was very well written and captivated me from the beginning.

Bailey Vaughn has a way of writing that made me long for the next part of the story. The plot carried along nicely. Due to the book being short and the author wanting the plot to cover a certain period of time, you sometimes had big time gaps summed up in a paragraph or two. I liked this, however, because I felt as if it fit really well with the story. It wasn't necessary to be updated everyday or even every week with what the main characters went through.

Speaking of characters, I absolutely loved Hannah, Jaise, and Nickolai. All the charries had a lovable asset about them, but the formerly named three were definitely the ones I fancied the most. Hannah and Jaise were favourites for obvious reasons. The main notion, though, was that their love for each other was so constantly solid. It was never "It could be actual feelings" or "I might be in love with him/her"; they knew they were in love and acted as such (as much as they could anyway). In Nickolai's case, I adored the fact that he never gave up trying to get with Hannah, although I'm sure he realized she didn't want him. Takes some dedication to keep pursuing even after rejection, wouldn't you say?

Overall, Outsiders was a great book to read, and I'd gladly recommend it to others that were interested in indulging themselves in Patterson Falls.

Shelf-Worthy

#TUSBlood Book Tour: Initiate by Tara Maya

Although the book tour is for Blood, the sixth book in the series, I have indulged myself in the first due to my not having read any of the series before.

Initiate (The Unfinished Song, #1) by Tara Maya
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 20/2/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I was contacted about the Blood tour and was interested in the series.

Review: I must say that I sometimes judge books by their covers, but only in the sense of "Is this YA or Adult?" That's the very question I asked myself when I saw the Blood cover, but I think I've finally learned my lesson this time. From the content of the first book, this series is nowhere near adult.

It took me a while to remember that Dindi and a few other main characters were actually teenagers. I'm not sure why, but my brain just wanted them to be adults. Once I got past that, however, the story was so captivating and intriguing to me that it became easier and easier for me to get lost in the . . . pages? (I mean, I was on my Kindle, so what do I say? I was lost in the Kindle Locations? Someone please enlighten me on this matter.)

Anyhow, the plot and setting were definitely interesting. I loved how it was about tribes; with all the books I've read, I've only run into that once so I really wanted to keep reading because it was so refreshing to have something different. The plot carried pretty swiftly, I think. At times it felt like we were just getting used to one thing and then they were moving on to another place or the story had moved on to the next big event. However, I don't necessarily think this was a bad thing because I was so into the novel that I wanted to know what Dindi did next quickly (most times quicker than was really possible).

The characters were also really great. One thing I loved was that we got to see several different perspectives. I always want to know some of the other characters' thoughts and reason for doing things because sometimes that actually helps me to clear up the story. Anyway, Initiate's characters were just amazing. The things they went through, the way they talked -- that made it kind of hard to remember that they were younger teenager. They seemed so much older than what the author wanted them to be. But overall, the charries really were fantastic. They had a lot of life to them, especially Dindi and Gwenika, and that was fun to see.

Initiate as a whole was truly a marvelous book, and I'm excited to start the second novel of the series, Taboo. Take my word for it: you'll really like this book if you're into paranormal!

Shelf-Worthy/Satisfying eBook

Book Reviews: Mash-Up #1

So this is basically just going to be a combination of all the books I read in January that never got reviews. I'll leave the last one or two so I can write actual reviews for them. Below won't be a complete review, just kind of a paragraph of feelings, really.

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The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (The Coincidence, #1) by Jessica Sorensen
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 6/1/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I saw this one somewhere, Goodreads I believe, and the cover intrigued me. I searched it in the Kindle Store, and it was only a dollar. People were also giving great reviews about it, so there was no way I couldn't buy it.

Review: I can't remember how I came about this book, but I'm glad it happened. It was truly captivating; I only wanted to read this book. It was as if reading another novel while in the middle of Coincidence would've been disrespectful or something. But either way, I couldn't put the book down.

Callie and Kayden have had a hard time growing up for sure, and the way they, especially Callie, were introverted was so interesting to read. The characters - all of them - found a way to entertain me. The main ones throughout the novel were developed really well; Seth had a great sense of humour that made me love him even more.

This is a really great book, and the sequel is seriously taking too long to get here. :)

Shelf-Worthy

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Until the End (Final Friends, #1-3) by Christopher Pike
846 pages, paperback
Finished on 13/1/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Action, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: All I have to say is: Christopher Pike.

Review: I mean, really though: what IS their to say? Besides "Christopher Pike has done it again," of course. The book was truly amazing.

The Final Friends series follows Jessica  Mark, Polly, Sara, and some of the other kids at their school through a "suicide," a disastrously-ending prom, and a sinking ship. What do all those things have to do with each other, you ask? Why darling, I can't tell you that....! Sorry (not really; buy the book lol).

Everything about this series was just really awesome. The characters were so funny (esp. Jessica & Sara) and realistic that you could totally imagine the scenes happening. The plot was set at both a good pace and a stressful one. The former due to the fact that it was well-balanced -- not too fast, not too dragging; the latter because you constantly want to know the next major thing that happens. However, much to our unliking, Pike builds the suspense by keeping us waiting. Not that I'm complaining. There's always a surprise with Pike.

Anyway, just get this book. Or any of Pike's books really. They're just so "perfectly" written. He is a definitely my favourite male author. For now, at least, anyway.

Shelf-Worthy

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Tall Cool One (The A-List, #4) by Zoey Dean
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 19/1/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Chick-Lit
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I've been wanting to get around to reading this book for quite a while. Finally plugged it into a challenge and put it (literally) at the top of the list to read.

Review: It's been a while since I've read one of Zoey Dean's books, but I don't think I'll ever stop liking them. They are always light reads and, for the most part, cheerful (which is a good little break from the constant Paranormal stuff). Tall Cool One didn't disappoint.

Anna ends up going on a trip to Mexico that was really the main contributor to the book's "fun" element. Sam is still having a hard time with Poppy (her new stepmother if you don't remember); you  kind of felt bad for the situation, but at the same time Same was just a little too harsh sometimes.

The characters overall really were great. I won't dwell into that much more because I'm sure I've expressed my love for them before. The plot was awesome, too. Like I said: light, funny, and a quick read. It's definitely a book to read if you want a break from the serious.

Satisfying eBook

Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen (Fallen, #1) by Lauren Kate
452 pages, paperback
Finished on 8/7/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Some Action, Fantasy
Synopsis via Goodreads:

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Motivation to Read It: I started reading this last year, and gave up on it near the beginning. I figured it was high time for me to try again.

Review: I really liked this book! I was just really getting into it last year when I stopped in the middle of it, and I hate that I did because I could be reading Rapture right now!

Luce sees shadows, and these shadows come around during the weirdest times -- when she's in dark, creepy places by herself, for example. The last school experience she had ended very badly, so she really wants to fit in at Sword & Cross and forget her past.

The characters were spectacular. I honestly couldn't tell where Arrianne's motives were headed in the beginning, but I'm glad with where they led; her character is very bouncy and happy and carefree. Cam started off as a great charrie. Honestly, even after you learn of his motives you must admit that he was played out nicely. Luce was a good one as well; she was really curious as to what Daniel's problem was. Daniel was very mysterious and, at times, a serious butthole. He honestly was starting to tick me off after a while. His constantly pushing Luce away made me want to know every last thing about him, simply to explain his actions.

The plot was absolutely spectacular. It's really easy to get caught up in it; I was so into it, and I didn't want to have to put the book down. It was like it was one thing after another at Sword & Cross (at least for Luce it was anyway), and those periods of time where Lauren Kate gave her characters a little break, were politely skipped over and summarized in a couple of sentences. I love fast-paced books, and this one definitely hit the spot.

To conclude, I really enjoyed reading Kate's debut novel, and I can't wait to get my hadns on a copy of Torment!

Shelf-Worthy

(Rating System)

Review: Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram & Interview w/Kelly!

Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 29/6/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Action, Romance
Synopsis via Goodreads:

Ellie’s sweet sixteen is a summer of firsts. First car. First kiss. First boyfriend. First serial-killing stalker?

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy’s affection before. So when the hottest boy she’s ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she’s the center of his universe, naturally she’s going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right?

The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she’s convinced he’s a psychopathic killer. The problem is he’s the sweetest psychopathic killer she’s ever met. Not to mention he’s brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

Motivation to Read It: Kelly contacted me asking if I would like to read it, and being that I'd heard how good Being Jamie Baker was, I was all for it!

Review: This novel was ahmazing! As soon as possible, I'm going to get a copy of Being Jamie Baker to indulge in.

Ellie was a really great character; she's a complete tomboy to the core -- the absolute opposite of her older sister Angela. She was known for punching people and being a seriously good hockey player. Seth has just moved in across the street, and for him it's love at first sight when he sees Ellie. His timing for moving in, however, is not exactly making everything between them honky-dory. Especially when you add in the creepy things he says sometimes. Yeah, kinda scary.

The plot was really great! It sucked me in from the beginning and just wouldn't let go of me. I wasn't really able to predict anything with this book, which I really liked. It's one of those where you think the characters will do one thing, and they do the complete opposite. I have to say, when they revealed who the killer was, I had a hunch that it was going to be that person, but even still, it wasn't just a "I'm totally sure" hunch. The novel keeps you guessing until the end.

The romance that Oram mixed in with everything was really good, too. You had the annoying guy that needs to stop being a player, the guy that was a good friend and somehow ended up trying to get her a girlfriend. In the middle of her sister trying to play matchmaker, Ellie is constantly drawn to Seth. Even while she's worrying that he's going to kill her as soon as he can, she can't help but be fascinated by him at the same time.

The characters were really just spectacular. They all had really defined personalities, and none of them were cliche to me in the least. I think my favorite charrie might'be been Seth, but Ellie wouldn't be too far behind. Seth was just so determined to prove to Ellie that she shouldn't be scared of him, and he was always trying to make her trust him and protect her. That's what I loved the most: him wanting to keep her safe so bad. He totally deserves an award for that.

Overall, get this book. It's amazing, and I'm really glad I had the chance to read it! I'll definitely be on the lookout for Oram's next novel, V is for Virgin.

Shelf-Worthy

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Help me give a big warm Butterfly welcome to Kelly Oram!!!

Q: What gave you the idea for Serial Hottie?
A: Honestly I can’t remember what first made me think “serial killer.” It was more the tone of the book that I set out to write. I wanted to do something a little offbeat and funny. I was also in love with the idea of that “one crazy summer.”


I’d read so many YA novels that had all the same scenes—new town, new high school, mean girls, cafeterias, lockers, lab partners… (I’d even just written one of those in Being Jamie Baker.) I wanted something totally different, with not a single scene that took place at school. That meant summer break. Summer breaks when I was in high school meant running around the neighborhood unsupervised, playing street hockey, and spying on hot boys with my best friend The next thing I knew New Hot Boy lived across the street and had a definite mystery too him. (Ellie totally gets her overly active imagination from me.) The plot then grew from there.

Q: What's your favorite part about being an author?
A: Being able to tell stories! I always have so many ideas floating around in my brain. I love being able to make all those crazy ideas and daydreams come to life. Even when I thought no one would ever read my stories but me, I still wrote them. I will always write them. I need the creative outlet.

Q: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
A: I am a reading addict! I probably read one-two books a week on average. I’m a sucker for YA. (Sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, you name it.) The more romance the better! Aside from that my life is pretty much consumed with my children. I have four of them and I love the little monsters to pieces!

Q: What are some of your favorite authors of all-time?
A: Meg Cabot for sure tops my list, with Jennifer L. Armentrout coming in a close second. Meg & Jennifer = Love! I’m also a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, Scott Westerfield, Simone Elkeles, Sarah Dessen, John Green, and now Josephine Angelini.

((I must interrupt my own interview to try to tell you how happy this makes me that I've found another John Green fan. *swoons* I love his work. SO much. You cannot believe. I can't even explain. Okay, back to the questions.))

Q: What would you say is the best book you've read so far this year?
A: I absolutely fell in love with Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed and Dreamless this year. These books are so wonderful I could gush all day. They’re a modern spin on the Helen of Troy mythology. Awesome characters, great writing, super fun story, exciting, and home of my newest YA crush. *Cheers for Team Orion!*

Q: What advice would you give people who are aspiring to be an author?
A: READ! Anything and everything you can get your hands on. Reading other’s work is honestly the best tool you have in improving your own writing. Also, that very first manuscript is the hardest one to finish. If you’re having trouble completing it, forget your delete key exists. Disable it if you have to. Just get the book finished first and then go back and worry about rewriting.

Q: Just for the fun of knowing, do you prefer your chicken grilled or fried?
A: Grilled on the BBQ. Dark meat. Mmm, now I’m hungry.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming work, V is for Virgin? When can we expect to see it on the shelves?
A: V Is For Virgin is about a girl who gets dumped for her decision to stay virgin until she’s married. After a bit of a public breakdown, she gets tired of the ridicule and decides to start a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. The controversy catches the entire nation’s attention when a famous rock star learns about Valerie and decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge. Good times.

Hopefully this book sparks a little bit of thought from those who read it. It’s about knowing who you are, making choices for yourself, and standing up to peer pressure. (In a fun, sexy, getting-chased-by-hot-rockstars kind of way…)

I think it’s a little more risqué than my first two books, (with the subject matter being sex, that was sort of inevitable) but it’s still relatively clean. Hopefully people really enjoy it because I had a lot of fun with it, and am very proud of it.

I should have a cover to share soon. I saw the mock-up recently and totally love it, and I’m working on getting a short teaser posted on my blog in a few days.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your books?
A: Well, I try to keep my blog updated. The website is www.kellyoram.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter. And I am hopelessly addicted to Goodreads, so you can always find out what I’m up to on there. (I love friends!)


Thanks, Kelly, for stopping by! It's been fun getting to know you a little :D