The Body Finder Giveaway!!!

Okay, this is my first giveaway. I happened to buy an extra copy of The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting-I was on vacation when my copy was shipped to me, yet I just could not wait to read it. So, you readers, are benefiting from my impulsiveness. If you haven’t read the Body Finder yet, it was amazing, so fill out the form for your chance to win.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads.com:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

The winner will be chosen and contacted by email on May 26th (the contest was extended from its original date of May 12th). Winners must be U.S. residents. I would like it if you were a follower of my blog, but that’s not required. Good luck!

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Stars: 4 1/2  

Published: March 23, 2010 (Hardcover)

Pages: 368

Part of the 2010 Debut Author Challenge

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

Summary from Goodreads.com

Brightly Woven was one of those books that it was very hard for me to put down.  (But I have a daughter who’s nearly two, so reading it straight thru was not an option.) 

I loved the characters: Sydelle was strong and fiery, yet still female.  North was cocky, yet witty and sensitive.  I was afraid when I opened the book and saw the map in the front.  It’s not that I’m against geography, but usually where there is a map, there is a lot of traveling in the book.  Brightly Woven was a book where most of the story took place along the road, yet I felt like there was enough action and development that I did not sigh in frustration.

The magic in the story was well explored, and I enjoyed the new world that Alexandra Bracken brought us into.  The ending of the story was ambiguous enough that a sequel may be in the works, yet one is not completely necessary.  I can’t wait to see what Alexandra writes next.

For another, more in depth review, Sarah at GreenBeanTeenQueen just reviewed this as well.

Review of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Released: March 2, 2010 (Hardcover)

Pages: 336

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Overall, Hex Hall was a likable read.  With so much paranormal literature these days, I think I’m a harder critic of it.  So, Hex Hall I liked, but did not love.  It was a debut novel for Rachel Hawkins, and one thing that I can say for her is that she writes great twists.  I did not see them coming and was very impressed by that.  There were some big cliff-hangers at the end, so do expect to read the rest of the series to feel closure about Sophie’s life.

I like the cover, I like the other cover better though:

It’s more eye-grabbing.  The tagline is a bit lame, but this is the cover for the paperback which should be out now (released April 1).