Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman | ARC Review

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vengeanceroadStats:

Title: Vengeance Road
Author: Erin Bowman
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult – Western
Page Count: 327
My Rating: 4 stars
Where to Purchase: Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

My Thoughts:

When I picked this up, I wanted a straight-forward Western and it delivered just that. I wanted a spunky girl disguised as a boy. I wanted old Western film tropes. I wanted saloons. I wanted bandits. I got all of that wrapped up in a pretty bow.

The synopsis gives the impression that there might be a love triangle. Never fear, for that is not the case. I will say that I originally thought this was going to be a series (which is completely my fault because nothing should have led me to believe that) so I found the relationship development to be a bit lacking. But once I figured out that it was a standalone, it was fine. I found that the ending did wrap up rather quickly, and was a tad unsatisfying. There were things that happened that felt unresolved.

Vengeance Road will satisfy anyone craving an old John Wayne movie, if John Wayne was a stubborn, teenage girl.

Back from Hiatus!

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Hello all! I’m finally bringing this blog out of temporary and unplanned hiatus.

While I’ve been ill, I’ve continued to upload on my channel but I had to let the blog fall behind a bit. It was unplanned, and by time I realized I had to put it on hiatus, it had already been that way for a little while. But now it is up and running again. I’ve queued up a number of reviews, including reviews that had been posted on my channel during this hiatus, as well as new written reviews.

I also plan on doing some spring cleaning, and sprucing up the design a bit, so if anyone has recommendations for some good places for layouts, I’d be grateful 🙂

Thank you all for sticking with me!

xoxo

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ARC Bundle Giveaway!

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In celebration of the holiday season, I decided to give away some ARCs that have been collecting on my shelves for just such an occasion. This giveaway is only open to US residents, due to shipping costs, but don’t worry international friends! More giveaways will be open to you in the future.

Giveaway will run through December 20, 2015. The winner will be randomly chosen via Rafflecopter and contacted via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to me before another winner is chosen.

Good luck and happy holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARCs:

  • A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
  • Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
  • The White Rose by Amy Ewing
  • Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
  • Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa
  • A Thousand Nights by EK Johnston
  • Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul
  • Tonight the Streets are Ours by Leila Sales
  • Sky Key by James Frey

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman | Waiting on Wednesday

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Waiting on Wednesday bannerWaiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Stats:

Title: Blackhearts
Author: Nicole Castroman
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult – Fairytale Retelling
Release Date: February 9, 2016

synopsis (From goodreads):

Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything. This is their story.

Edward “Teach” Drummond, son of one of Bristol’s richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There’s just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents’ deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she’s stuck in England?

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

my thoughts:

A Blackbeard origin story?! With star-crossed lovers?!?

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Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys | Waiting on Wednesday

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Waiting on Wednesday bannerWaiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Stats:

Title: Salt to the Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: February 2, 2016

synopsis (From goodreads):

In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

my thoughts:

I love historical fiction, especially World War II and especially the lesser known stories of the time period. I’ve heard wonderful things about Ruta Sepetys, and cannot wait for this one.

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Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto | Waiting on Wednesday

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Waiting on Wednesday bannerWaiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Stats:

Title: Revenge and the Wild
Author: Michelle Modesto
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult- Steampunk/Fantasy
Release Date: February 2, 2016

synopsis (From goodreads):

The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

my thoughts:

STEAMPUNK. WESTERN. KICKASS HEROINE! I need it like I need air.

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Passenger by Alexandra Bracken | Waiting on Wednesday

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Waiting on Wednesday bannerWaiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Stats:

Title: Passenger
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult- SciFi
Release Date: January 5, 2016

synopsis (From goodreads):

passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.

my thoughts:

This has been one of the most talked about upcoming releases since the stampede at BEA. All I need to know is parallel universes and pirates, and I’m sold.

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Truthwitch by Susan Dennard | Waiting on Wednesday

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Waiting on Wednesday bannerWaiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Stats:

Title: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: Young Adult- Fantasy
Release Date: January 5, 2016

synopsis (From goodreads):

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

my thoughts:

I have a copy of this that I got at BEA, but haven’t read yet because I know I’m going to love it and I didn’t want to wait over a year to get the sequel. This synopsis speaks to my soul. An interesting magic system. A friendship between two kickass ladies. A hot-headed protagonist. A CUNNING PRINCE WHO IS A SHIP CAPTAIN. This book was made for me.

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