Review: Swipe by Evan Angler

Swipe by Evan Angler
Young Adult / Thomas Nelson
Series: Swipe - Book One
Amazon / Goodreads

About the book:

Everyone gets the Mark. It gives all the benefits of citizenship. Yet if getting the Mark is such a good thing, then why does it feel so wrong?

Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, Swipe follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn’t even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship.

The Mark is a tattoo that must be swiped by special scanners for everything from employment to transportation to shopping. It’s almost Logan Langly’s 13th birthday and he knows he should be excited about getting the Mark, but he hasn’t been able to shake the feeling he’s being watched. Not since his sister went to get her Mark five years ago . . . and never came back.

When Logan and his friends discover the truth behind the Mark, will they ever be able to go back to being normal teenagers? Find out in the first book of this exciting series that is Left Behind meets Matched for middle-grade readers.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Swipe was a great action read that I think is fantastic for younger readers, but that some adults will also enjoy (I did!).

Some of the things in Swipe were very plausible, which made for a more realistic/believable story. While the beginning of the book was good, I enjoyed the second half much more that the first.

There are a few things in this book that, while I didn't have a problem with them, others might, so I thought I'd mention them: some name calling (but the names were really silly, like tightwad, miser, and piker to name a few) and a few kids punched each other, fought, etc. As I said, none of that bothered me.

There were a couple things in Swipe I didn't see coming, but they were nice surprises and made the book more interesting to read.

All in all, a good book that I recommend more for younger readers, but if you enjoy middle grade/young adult books, you'll probably like this one as well. The ending was great and leaves me wanting to read Evan's next book, Sneak, which releases this fall.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click yes on Amazon. Thank you!

Envy by Elizabeth Miles Signed Copy Giveaway

Today I've got a wickedly good giveaway going on thanks to the folks at Paper Lantern Lit. Up for grabs is a copy of Elizabeth Miles' second novel Envy and as you can see from the photo above, the series has gotten a cover change. I really did enjoy Fury so this is definitely one to aim for guys!

Up for grabs is a signed copy of Envy! Here's more about the book:

The Furies are back in the second book of a chilling paranormal trilogy where revenge rules the day—and “sorry” isn’t going to cut it.
Spring is coming, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath. 

Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her. 

Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all… 

It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

 Envy is out September 4th 2012 by Simon Pulse.

Now, since Envy is one of the 7 deadly sins and since most of the people in Fury suffer from at least one of these, I thought that it'd be fun to talk about them. I happen to know of a really cool set of drawings depicting the Seven Deadly Sins so I want to know which you like most and why! To win this book, all you need to do is fill out the form below and tell me which of the Seven Deadly Sins photos below is your favorite. Check them out:

1) Vanity by Dahlig

2) Gluttony by Dahlig

3) Avarice (to covet wealth or gain) by Dahlig

4) Sloth by Dahlig

5) Wrath by Dahlig

6) Lust by Dahlig

7) Envy by Dahlig

Rules:

• You may only enter once
• Must be 13 years or older
• Must fill out the form below and follow all instructions
• Giveaway is international
• This giveaway ends August 15, 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alright guys, that's it! Good luck to everyone that enters!

Monthly Reflections (#7) ~ July

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Monthly Reflections, where we take the time to reflect on the previous month.

My goals for July were...

☑ I want to read at least 10 books in July - including:
☑ 2 eBooks
☑ A book starting with the letter "E"
☑ 1 "Just for Fun" book
2 Non-fiction books


In July, I...

Read 11 books!
2 eBooks!
A Book starting with the letter "E" (End Game)
1 "Just for Fun book (End Game)
0 Nonfiction books. :(

Books read:



 

Out of the books I read this month, my favorite was Prince Incognito by Rachelle McCalla! LOVED IT! :)

Reviews:

Conception by Jennifer Hartz
Prism by Rachel Moschell
The Rogue's Reform by Regina Scott
The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd
Prince Incognito by Rachelle McCalla
Small Town Protector by Hope White

Interviews:

Ashley Townsend
Evan Angler
Keli Gwyn
Darlene Shortridge
L.N. Cronk

Special Posts:



I asked for feedback on having book discussions. Today is the last day to nominate a book that will go a poll tomorrow.



I did a "Thank you" giveaway (ends 8/18).



I signed up for the "Review Copy Cleanup" which starts tomorrow! Super excited about that! :)



I was interviewed on Sherri's blog.

Reading Challenges:

I am doing really well (in my opinion) in the challenges I signed up for!

Here is my progress so far:

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012! - 67 of 100
Christian Suspense Reading Challenge - 26 of 50
50 States Challenge - 29 of 50
Mount TBR Reading Challenge - 4 of 12
The Mini YA Reading Challenge - 7 of 12
2012 eBook Challenge - 9 of 10
Bookie Friends Favorites - 0 of 5
2012 Contentment Reading Challenge - 0 of 5
2nds Challenge - 15 of 20
Non-Fiction Non-Memoir Challenge - 5 of 15
Just for Fun Reading Challenge - 7 of 12
Reading Challenge Addict - 5 


I've completed these challenges:


New Authors Challenges - 25 of 25
Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012 - 3 of 3
Around the Stack in How Many Ways - 10 of 10
Read Your Name Challenge - 7 of 7 (Just completed this month!)
1st in a Series Challenge - 20 of 20


There are also some Goodreads challenges I am participating in, but I'm not going to list all of those. :)

My thoughts on this month:

Even though I didn't finish any nonfiction book this month, I still think it was a great reading month for me - I read 11 books (one more than my goal!) and I finally finished the "Read Your Name" challenge (which I've been trying to do for a while)!

Looking ahead:


Here is what I hope to accomplish in August...

I am going to try and really push myself this month, so I'm hoping to read 15 books including:
Read 12 Review Books
3 eBooks
1 Just for Fun book
2 Non-fiction books

Yikes! That is a really large goal for me (I don't know if I've ever read fifteen books in one month!), but I'm hoping I'll be able to complete those goals. :)


Now it's your turn! What did you accomplish in July, what do you hope to accomplish in August?


If you want to do your own Monthly Reflections, feel free to grab the button and post about it on your blog, then leave a comment with the URL - otherwise, please share your thoughts in a comment!

Shelfmates #10

Some covers just work together...and some, not so much. I've decided to start up a semi-regular feature called Shelfmates to showcase series covers. I love getting the sequel to a novel and putting it up next to the first book so I thought this might be a fun way to do that on my blog! So here are some series covers and my opinions on how they look as a couple (or series...)!

Fallen World by Megan Crewe

I'm not sure these covers are anything special but I do like the way they look because they are different than a lot of what's out on shelves now. The first novel looks like a big warning sign with it's bright yellow and the second looks so forlorn. I think separately and together these are pretty solid if not a little dull.

Shades of London by Maureen Johnson

We're dealing with a cover change here. I know the opinions for The Name of the Star hardcover were split. People either really liked it or really didn't. I was one of the people who liked it so I'm a little sad to see the change. However, I think these new covers are really interesting. There isn't really anything new about a girl's face on the cover but it's the cracked skin that makes this unique. I like these a lot together too. The second cover is just different enough but they look good together.

Tempest by Julie Cross

We've got another cover change here for Tempest and I've got to say that I'm really not too wild about it. I loved the first cover and this one is sort of cheapens the first one in my opinion. I mean, it's okay and it works well with the second one but I'm just not a fan of these after knowing what it used to look like. I do think the backgrounds look really neat though and I love the color usage.

Mythos Academy by Jennifer Estep

My favorite of these covers by far is Kiss of Frost because it feels beautiful and magical. I'm really not a fan of the first cover but the thrid and fourth are alright. Overall, I feel like they don't necessarily fit together very well. The first and second covers look like they belong in their own separate series and the third and fourth look like they work together. It's no contest for me which cover is the best in this series!

Nightshade Prequels by Andrea Cremer

So these books are the prequels to the Nightshade series. They look a lot like the new Nightshade covers but I like these a lot better. They both have a lot of drama and look like they are part of the series. My only compliant would be that the girl on the Rise cover looks drawn whereas the girl on Rift looks like a photograph. I just wish they were a bit more consistent together but I still like them.

I think my favorite of this bunch is most definitely Shades of London series but the Nightshade Prequels are a close second. What do you guys think?

Writing a Mosaic

I've been working on writing my middle grade verse novel while my contemporary YA is out with one of my fabulous critique partners (thank you, Kristin!).

Writing a verse novel, after writing mostly prose, is scary. It's a completely different type of challenge.
 
If I were an artist, I might compare it to working in oils one day and switching to mosaics the next.

Verse novels consist of bite-sized bits that you have to piece together perfectly in order to tell a larger story.

But each of those bits has to stand alone as a work of art.

So yeah, although I'm at a little over 13,000 words and will probably wrap up the entire novel in another 1000 words, it's tough. My hammer-it-out and get-the-first-draft-over-with approach isn't serving me so well.

I worry about each poem's placement.

I worry I've missed some vital piece of information, because I'm working so hard on brevity.

I worry about my audience. Am I being too vague? Am I using too many symbols for this age group? Is anyone going to understand any of this?

Part of writing a verse novel is reading lots of verse novels, and I've been trying to do that. Here are a few titles I've been devouring lately:

LOVE & LEFTOVERS is a YA and I LOVED the voice. Such a beautifully written story and so totally YA at the same time. I was impressed by this author and would like to read more from her.

In this MG verse novel, the main character struggles with a learning disability that makes reading difficult. Easy read with some moments of truly beautiful writing. I also adore the cover. MG novel covers can be such works of art!

I wasn't as crazy about this verse novel. The subject was heart-wrenching and I did enjoy learning more about this aspect of history, but unfortunately I felt most of the story was telling, which meant I didn't connect with the main character. The premise was excellent, however: a deaf girl  has to flee the Nazis during WWII and falls in love with a gypsy disguised as a homeless man.

I loved this book. Beautifully written and such an interesting premise: the main character must flee Vietnam with her family after the fall of Saigon. There are themes of culture shock and finding your identity in a new land. INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN deserved those awards on the cover (and what a beautiful cover it is, too!).

I haven't started this one yet, but it's on my night stand calling my name. Karen Hesse's OUT OF THE DUST is my favorite novel of all time (yes, I'm serious), so I'm really excited to read WITNESS.

Have you read anything captivating lately? If you're a writer do you usually read within your "writing-genre" or do you branch out?

And, in a completely unrelated vein, are you following the Olympics? (Of course you are!) Which is your favorite event? Mine is gymnastics. I'm always in awe of how those athletes can defy gravity. Incredible!

In My Mailbox 86

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren that encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!

From Simon & Schuster:

• Crazy by Amy Reed
• The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

I also bought a few funny shirts this week but none of them came in yet for me to show you. It was a pretty slow week for me but that's cool since my TBR pile is insane. I do want to thank Simon and Schuster for sending me these finished copies!

What did you get this week?

Review: Small Town Protector by Hope White

Small Town Protector by Hope White

Love Inspired Suspense / July, 2012

Amazon / Goodreads

About the book:

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT 

Sending his family away years ago was the hardest thing FBI special agent Garrett Drake ever did. But it was the only way to shield them from a case turned terrifyingly personal. Now a serial killer has come to town. To safeguard his estranged son-and the entire Port Whisper community-Garrett needs help. And that means reaching out to Lana Burns, a captivating woman who cuts through his defenses. Garrett would willingly risk his life to uncover the killer. But to get a second chance at happiness, Lana has to convince the wary agent to risk his heart....

My rating:

My thoughts:

Small Town Protector is the third book in Hope White's "Port Whisper" series and the second book of hers I've read (the first being Christmas Haven back in December).

I found it very nice that some of the characters from Christmas Haven were in Small Town Protector - it was great to find out what was happening in their lives.

The suspense in Small Town Protector was really good - I especially liked how there were little segments in the story where we got to see inside the serial killer's mind, and, since it didn't reveal his/her identity, I feel that it heightened the suspense.

I liked the characters in Small Town Protector: Lana's like an open book and very trusting/kind; Garrett was very protective and it was sweet how much he cared for his son; and Steven (a.k.a. Sketch), who was one of my favorite characters from this book, had a lot to deal with - both emotionally and physically. It was really interesting to see how he reacted to certain things and I liked how computer savvy he was.

There was romance, which is to be expected with Love Inspired Suspense books, and I enjoyed that part of the story as well.

Overall, Small Town Protector was a great book that I loved reading - in fact, I finished it in a day! I didn't know whether to give it 4.5 or 5 stars, but in the end I went with 5 stars. I don't know whether or not there will be another book with these characters, but I'm kinda hoping there will be. There were a few minor things that didn't seem answered in the end.

I recommend Small Town Protector if you enjoy romantic suspense books, but I suggest reading "Witness on the Run" and "Christmas Haven" first - although it probably isn't necessary in order to enjoy this book.

*I received this book for free for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks! :)