Waiting on Wednesday #69: Illusive

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Illusive 
by Emily Lloyd-Jones 
Hardcover, 416 pages 
Expected publication: July 15th 2014 
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals. 

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief. 

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't? 

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.

So many YA books are claiming to have that X-Men quality. I just hope that Illusive have that extra something to make it memorable.

Review: Rebel Belle

Rebel Belle 
by Rachel Hawkins 
Hardcover, 384 pages
April 8th 2014 
by Putnam Juvenile
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts. 

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth. 

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

I really had high expectations for this book, considering that Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall series was one of my all time favourites. But I'm guessing that it's hard to achieve the same  level of success when you have such an amazing debut series. Rebel Belle first chapter is even set almost similar to Hex Hall first chapter. Both of the main characters are attending their high school dance and some last minute crisis drove them to the bathroom. And through fate and unexpected timing, just like in Hex Hall something happened to the main girl which sets the plot going.

In this book, the main girl; Harper was an unwilling witness to the janitor's murder and just before he died he kissed her and voila! Instant superpowers! Apparently the janitor is a Paladin assigned to protect an Oracle. The Oracle in question is the school biggest geek and also Harper's long time nemesis; David Stark. And with that the popular girl and biggest nerd are thrown together into some unexpected situations as they navigate high school and their secret paranormal life while trying to find out what's really going on.

Harper is likeable enough but she's not an underdog like Sophie in Hex Hall. She's rich and popular with the best looking jock as her boyfriend. And she's also not as funny as Sophie either. And while there's a lot of Southern attitude in her, I find her to be a bit shallow at times. But the saving grace of the book is the string of colourful characters that live in Pines Grove. From Harper's hilarious great aunts, to the domineering Saylor Stark, to Harper's circle of friends. Their antics and conversations made me laugh. Do check this out if you're into over the top Southern antics but those expecting another Hex Hall series might be a little disappointed.

Review: The Here and Now

The Here and Now
by Ann Brashares 
ebook, 288 pages 
April 8th 2014 
by Delacorte Press
ARC from Netgalley
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to. 

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love. 

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves..

I never expected to like this book so much when I started reading it since it's hard to find a really good time travel YA books. With all the mixed reviews on Goodreads, I can't help but feel a bit wary. But in the end, I'm glad to say that my doubts were unfounded. Although the beginning was kind of slow, the ingenious of the plot hooked me till the end.

The instant romance is kind of hard to believe and I can't help but cringe when Ethan falls head over heels by the sight of the unclothed Prenna when they first met but he turned out to be Prenna's knight in shining armour which is kind of sweet. And as Prenna slowly realised that her tight knit community from the future is hiding some really big secret, it is Ethan who she turns to for help.

For me , the real draw of the story is figuring out the events leading up to the plague and the how the future looks like. It is kind of unbelievable for the US to be so hot and humid enough through all the pollution that dengue fever can cause widespread death but well I'm thinking that this may be some kind of mutated form of dengue. Yup, a suspension of belief is needed if you really want to enjoy this book.

But the final twist of the story is kind of creepy, tragic and amazing in my opinion especially regarding Traveller One. And just like countless time travel stories before, the most important lesson to be learned is that sometimes no matter how hard you tried to change the future or past in this case, it turned out to be just the same.

Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Only Boy

Hi, everyone! Today I'm having a Book Blitz for the book The Only Boy by Jordan Locke.

The Only Boy
by Jordan Locke
Publication date: December 17th 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Sypnosis:

Mary is stuck in Section One, living with three hundred women in a crumbling hospital. She wonders what life was like two centuries ago, before the Cleansing wiped out all the men. But the rules—the Matriarch's senseless rules—prevent her from exploring the vacant city to find out.

Taylor's got a dangerous secret: he's a boy. His compound's been destroyed, and he's been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he'll be exiled. Maybe even executed.

Mary's never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn't suspect Taylor's secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him.

Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound's boundaries.

Goodreads |  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Were you always good at English?

Honestly, English was not my best subject in school. When I was younger, I never, ever thought I would someday be writing novels.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I had an idea for a scene for a book or movie, wrote a few pages and stuck it in a drawer. Four years later, while listening to a radio show about books, the ideas started coming, and I HAD to write them down. In a couple of weeks, I wrote the entire plot.

Do you write full-time or part-time?

I write at night and on the weekends. Most of us writers have day jobs.

Do you work to an outline or plot, or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?

I have a very rough idea of a plot and characters and just start writing.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

About a year—a few months for a first draft, and then six to nine months of editing.

Tell us about the cover and how it came about.

I’m a graphic designer in my day job, so I designed the cover myself. The idea, a graphic depiction of rows of females and only one male, came to me while I was writing the book. When I designed the cover, I added the teenage boy holding the page to give it a human touch.

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

Definitely. It’s a potential reader’s first impression. Of course, it’s the writing that’s going to convince them whether or not to buy the book.

How are you publishing this book and why?

My agent was unable to sell The Only Boy to major publishers (many of them had overfilled their quotas for dystopian novels), so I decided to publish it myself.

What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing versus being traditionally published?

Advantages: You have more control when you self-publish, and you can get your book out really quickly. Disadvantages: You have to do everything yourself (design, edit, market, etc.), and your chance of success is much, much lower.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Persistence is key. Keep reading, keep writing and keep learning the craft.

 

AUTHOR BIO:
Jordan Locke lives in Connecticut with his wife, two lively daughters and a well-behaved whippet. A graphic designer by trade, his creativity spilled over into the literary world. After years of writing, reading and learning the craft, his fifth novel, The Only Boy, brought him offers of representation from two well-known agents. Now, after the dog is fed and the kids are in bed, you will find him tapping away at the keyboard.

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