The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

When she was just five years old, Lucinda Chapdelaine’s parents left her home while they attended a ball and never returned. Ever since that fateful day she has been stuck in servitude in her evil Aunt’s jewelry shop.

One fateful day though, Lucinda’s life takes a new turn. First a mysterious woman named Beryl comes in looking for a new setting for her even more mysterious emerald-like stone. Then a perfectly dreamy man comes in looking for the perfect wedding gift that says “forever” for his bride to be. The thing is this man just isn’t just any customer, he happens to be the crown Prince of the kingdom and he seems to find something very familiar in Lucinda’s face.

These two strangers set Lucinda on a journey beyond her wildest dreams. She befriends a thief named Peter, inherits a pet goat named Dog, attends royal balls, deals with the Amaranth Witch, discovers herself, has a few run ins with the law, and even finds the truth to the mystery behind her parent’s death.

A tad reminiscent of Cinderella, but yet still its own fairy tale, THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT is truly a delightful read. It has every aspect needed to create the perfect story. There’s love, adventure, a dashing prince, thieves, a witch, evil relatives, and of course the ever loyal pet goat Dog! I loved how the author pieced together the story, never letting out too much at a time and letting the reader really get a chance to take the whole story in. While at times it was a little bit predictable, the story line was still unique and magical and made you crave more. I loved how Lucinda slowly uncovered her past and seeing it mesh up with her current life. It made the story that much better. Younger teens would get the most out of this novel, but readers of all ages are sure to still feel the magic of the story. Julie Berry surely outdid herself with her debut novel and definitely has a knack for story telling. I am very curious to see what she has in store for us next!

Winner of Death by Denim

The winner is.....

Ann Diana Dinh 

I've sent you an email, so please get back to me within 72 hours, so that I can send you your book.

Thanks to all who entered. Don't forget to enter for the chance to win one of five copies of Twenty Boy Summer!

The Glass Maker’s Daughter by V. Briceland

Cassaforte is a medieval city full of magic, enchantments, and intrigue. While there is a king that rules the general city, the magic lays within the seven main families of the city, who each contribute a gift. One such family is the Divetri family, makers of the finest glass, whom Risa Divetri belongs to.

Risa is a feisty spirit who is just coming of age to be chosen for one of the two schools in the city where young adults learn to develop their gifts. Risa is prepared to go to school and excel in creating enchanted glass, just like her father, but then the unthinkable happens. When the Gods come down to direct Risa as to where she must go, they leave her unchosen destined to remain at home.  While she is devasted, she soon discovers that there might just have been a reason why she must stay at home.

The city’s magic soon starts to unravel and the threat of corruption becomes apparent, Risa is determined to stop it. Discovering more about herself then she could have ever imagined she sets off on an adventure to save the home she loves, as well as finding her own self.

This was definitely a stunning novel! The cast of characters, as well as the plot was both extremely unique and left the reader wanting more. Also on a totally non-content based note, the cover is magnificent and completely eye catching!

First I must start with the storyline, which absolutely made the book. It combined a historical element, albeit it was fictional, that made the setting really interesting and magic, but not in an over-the-top manner. While many of the objects, houses, etc. were enchanted in the city; none of the characters had powers, which made the fantasy angle of the book just mesh with almost a normalcy. Anyways I also loved how Risa had to take a journey to find herself and not just follow the same path that everyone else in her family had to follow in order to find their gift.

Now, onto the characters. While most of the time I really enjoyed Risa’s personality and drive to fulfill her mission, I sometimes found her to be rather whiny and unsatisfied with what she got. As the story progressed though she became more comfortable with herself and started to stand up for herself and her decisions and became a much stronger character. By the end of the book she had a keen sense of adventure which radiated through the pages of the book.

Overall this was an excellent novel that all readers will enjoy, regardless of their taste in genre. As I mentioned before the fantasy aspect isn’t all encompassing and there is plenty of action to satisfy even the most rambunctious of readers. The author is definitely full of talent and I hope for more novels from him with just as exciting a storyline. 

Win Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Are you all ready for summer? I know I sure am! What better way to celebrate than with an awesome book, namely Sarah Ockelr's debut novel TWENTY BOY SUMMER.

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

- I have five (5) copies to give away, so what are you waiting for...leave a comment for a chance to win

- U.S. Residents only

- Also if you link to my contest I'll give you an extra 2 entries.

- For some added fun, the 75th commenter is an instant winner!

- Contest runs until June 30

For more information visit Sarah's website or Little Brown Teens

Traveling To Teens: Sarah Cross

This is my first Traveling to Teens tour and I couldn't be more excited to participate as well as share this opportunity with all you readers! I get to share this special day with an amazing author, Ms. Sarah Cross with her new debut novel DULL BOY which hit shelves May 14, 2009.
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Sarah Cross grew up in Ohio. She started writing at the age of 12 has written tales of suburban girl-gang warfare, overly ambitious high fantasy, campy romps through time, pop-culture parody, 'zines, plays, literary fiction, and ultra-derivative comics. Sarah went to college in New York and Japan and she now resides in New York. Dull Boy is her debut novel.
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Avery is desperate to just be dull and normal. Unfortunately though, that will never be the case as he as superpowers. Yes that’s right – superpowers - as in he can lift a car like one lifts a can of pop and of course he can fly! The thing is though Avery has lost all of his friends as he tries to fade into the background, hoping no one will figure our his secret. As he goes through his day-to-day life he always seeks a new way to help people, but then one day he goes too far. In an attempt to stop a robbery he creates a lot of damage and ends up meeting a mysterious lady named Cherchette who can cause a room to be chilling cold and creates ice. When his parents find out about the damage he caused in his attempt for a good deed they opt to send him to reform school, hoping to get him back on the right track.

Avery actually finds his new school to be somewhat cool. Yes, there are a ton more bullies and guys that can’t stand him, but he meets Darla, the girl genius. The two quickly become friends and Darla soon introduces him to Sophie, Catherine and Nick, three other super children. Together the four children embark on adventure after adventure anywhere from saving lost campers to just having fun together.

Of course, as with any great superhero (or in this case superheroes) there comes an evil mastermind. This group of heroes must go on their toughest adventure yet to hopefully destroy this mastermind once and for all.

*Please excuse the brief fangirl moment*

This book was AMAZING. By far the best debut novel I’ve read so far this year. It had all the elements needed to make a book amazing.

Now onto the real review (although the few sentences above completely describe my feelings!). Sarah Cross told a story about a super guy wanting to be dull and turned it into a supercharged adventure, making the reader wish they were not just normal, but super, just like Avery. This book literally has everything - smarts, hilarity, a little bit of romance, tons of action, and of course, phenomenal characters.

The story itself was fun, down to earth, and anything but dull. The author really developed the plot, making sure the main plot was showcased, but also creating a few little side plots that were just as good. There were lots of twists and turns that I never saw coming always urging me to keep on reading. What would have been really cool is if we had gotten to see the story from a couple different perspectives, but hey I’m not complaining, Avery’s voice was great. That’s another thing that was really impressive, the fact that Sarah Cross was able to create a male protagonist and make him sound and feel authentic without overdoing it and making him perverted.

This leads me into the characters, which I believe absolutely made the book. Each and everyone was well developed and had their own quirks. Avery and Catherine were by far my favorite characters. Their personalities jumped off of the page and they were extremely realistic. I instantly felt a connection with both these characters, sympathizing with them at their low points and cheering them on for their high points. I thought it was splendid how well the author was really able to make the characters stand up from the pages and make the story come to life right in front of your eyes.  Oh, and then there is the evil mastermind (you must read the book in order to identify this mysterious character) who was just sooo evil that all I wanted to do was strangle them…ahh the reality of it all!

Overall this was such a great book. There was some great dialogue between the characters that made me giggle and I loved how each character came to accept themselves over time. Adventure, superpowers, and even a little bit of romance combine to make a super strength novel by debut novelist Sarah Cross. I absolutely cannot wait for more from Ms. Cross and very much hope that the DULL BOY adventures continue.

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Now on to the interview!

With a name like Sarah Cross you must be some form of secret agent/spy/superhero. So please spill…which are you?

I'm a perfectly normal civilian!! Please ignore those pictures you've seen of me wearing a pink ninja costume. And that subterranean lair I sometimes disappear into? That is just ... um ... I am performing routine maintenance work on a, uh, drain pipe. Yes ...

In DULL BOY Avery has a hard time finding the right “group of friends.” Was this an event you pulled out of your own life, or do you think it is something that all teens struggle with?

Wow, yes, nice job spotting that, LOL. I definitely had a friend-shift in high school. My BFFs went in all different directions, and I went in another--although I do think a lot of teens struggle with that. You're often a different person in 9th grade than you were in middle school, and a lot of those friendships don't carry over. It's natural to drift apart from people; the sucky part is that, yeah, it's pretty obvious you don't belong with your old friends--but who DO you belong with? It's a huge relief when you realize that the things that make you a freak to some people, make you awesome to others.

What started your love for comics and superheroes?

The old 1990s X-Men cartoon (now on DVD!) was what really set me on a superhero-loving path. Was there anything surlier than cartoon Wolverine, who, in a fit of rage, used his claws to slice off the top of Cyclop's car, inadvertently giving him a convertible? Anyone more quotable than cartoon Beast, who ensured I'd be saying "Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry" for years to come? And who didn't love Gambit & Rogue's over the top accents--which went perfectly with their over the top romance?
Once I saw that cartoon, I was hooked. I found my local comic shop and waved goodbye to all my money.

As a debut novelist I’m sure you’ve been surprised by some things in the literary world (maybe not, as I am convinced you have superpowers). What shocked you the most?

I was shocked that hazing exists in the YA literary world. Like, in order to be admitted into the community, you have to endure horrible things, like having a vampire crawl through your window to watch you sleep at night. I was lucky that my assigned vampire was friendly, and knitted me a hat, scarf, and matching poncho to pass the time while I was unconscious. But not every author is so fortunate.

As I am your latest fangirl, I am eager to know what you have in the works? Will Avery and the gang return again?


I hope they will!! I definitely have plans for them. It all depends on reader demand, though, so if you want my publisher to know you want more Dull Boy, tell your friends about it, ask your library to order it, etc. It's totally your reader/blogger superpower. ;)

Who’s your favorite superhero? Why?

My favorite superhero is Batman (surprise, surprise, right?), but let me tell you about my favorite lesser-known superhero: Wildcat.


Wildcat is a boxer turned crimefighter. He doesn't have any special powers, and honestly, I have no idea why he dresses in a cat costume. BUT: He dresses in a shoddily constructed cat costume! It has whiskers! And he once fought a kangaroo. No, really, look:

He's also trained heroes like Batman and Black Canary to fight. Pretty badass for an old dude wearing a whiskered cat mask.

Last, but not least, is there anything else you wish to share/ask/comment about? 

No, I think that about covers it! Unless you want to tell me who your favorite superhero is. ;) 


Well my favorite superhero would have to be Wonder Woman...don't really know why, but she is!


Thanks so much Sarah for answering my questions and I hope all of you readers enjoyed the interview and review. 

Win a Copy of Death by Denim

Well I think the title says it all! This is a great summer read and a great conclusion (although I would love for there to more) to a super cute trilogy. And if you haven't had the chance to read the preceding books, don't fret as it is really not that necessary to read them in any order.

Contest is open to anyone and everyone regardless of where you live. This is an ARC, but it is SIGNED by the author. Just comment for your chance to win. If you want an extra entry, post about the contest and leave the link. All entries must be received by midnight E.S.T on June 7. Good luck everyone!

In My Mailbox (VI)

Thanks to the wonderful Story Siren and Alea for their creation/inspiration of this fun meme. All descriptions are from Amazon!

This week was tons of fun for me, so here's what I got!

Prophecy of Sisters by Michelle Zink

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-One good...One evil...Who will prevail?
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust. They just know they can't trust each other.

Geektastic edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castelluci
Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside)and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!

Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita
When Sam's best friend gets her first boyfriend, she's not ready to spend the summer listening to the two of them call each other "pookie." Sick of being a third wheel, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines camp in the New York Catskills. But what she doesn't realize is that it's not going to be all Kumbaya sing-alongs and gooey s'mores. If Ashley, the alpha queen of Whispering Pines, doesn't ruin Sam's summer, then her raging crush on the surfer-blond and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has playful Cole, who's always teasing her, but is oh-so-comfortable to hang out with, and the singular gang of girls that become fast friends with Sam-they call themselves the Sleepaway Girls.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.



The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson
Being an heiress in 1920s Austria with nothing but a broken-down castle to your name and nary a penny in your purse could be frustrating for anyone but the Princess Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein. “Tessa,” however, is thrilled with her situation, as it allows her to concentrate on her love of the arts—and no one in the Viennese opera company need know that their delightful and charming under-wardrobe mistress is really a princess. But when the dashing self-made millionaire Guy Farne arrives at the opera in search of suitable entertainment for his high society guests, Tessa realizes that there may be more to life—and love—than just music. But while the attraction between them in undeniable, Guy’s insufferable snob of a fiancée only solidifies Tessa’s determination to keep her true identity a secret. Yet, after a chance meeting with the handsome Englishman, Tessa’s reserve begins to melt, and she starts to wonder if it’s not too late for a fairytale ending…

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter
It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose.

Overall a great week. Now I'm curious to know, what did you get in your mailbox?