Waiting on Wednesday: Outside + Everblue

Hi everyone! I missed Teaser Tuesdays again yesterday. I was using a different computer and…it won’t cooperate with me. I’m more comfortable blogging in my laptop. This Wednesday, I have two books for you.

Outside by Shalini Boland

Publication Date: July 2011

OUTSIDE is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel. A romantic road-trip thriller with a series of twists and turns.

In the near future Riley hunts her sister's killer, travelling across a ravaged and unrecognisable Britain with her neighbour, Luc.

The story jumps to the present day, where Eleanor is falling in love, but she has no idea what's coming. This time next year, civilisation won’t be quite so civilised...

Why I Chose This:

Lately, I’m starting to like post-apocalyptic novels. I like to see how the society will be deconstructed and reconstructed again. I’m fond of novels with thrilling scenes, romance and element of surprise. So, why not? Plus, present and past narration! I’d love to see that.

Everblue by Brenda Pandos

Publication Date: July 31, 2011

Published by: Obsidian Mountain Publishing

Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she’d thought to be true her whole life, wasn’t, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.

Why I Chose This:

Brenda is one of the nicest authors ever! From vampire novels, I’d like to see how she would deliver her mermaid tales! I know I’ve been super excited about the amount of mermaid novels this year but sadly I wasn’t really able to read them because…my TBR won’t let me and because I haven’t gotten copies of them. But. I’ll really try to read this one. I want to. The cover is so gorgeous, I don’t think I can resist at all. Heck, it’s more gorgeous than the others I’ve seen!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? :)

Winners & Announcements!

Thank you to everyone who participated and joined the giveaways during Dystopian Domination. It’s been really fun and I’m excited to do this again next year! I have a few winners to announce today.

The first contest had 401 entries.

The winner of a signed ARC of Dark Inside is…

Marg K!

The second had 457 entries.

The winner of a signed finished copy of Possession by Elana Johnson is…

Jay2xA!

The third contest had 292 entries.

The winner of a signed finished copy of Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres is…

Vickyvak!

The winners have been contacted. You all have 48 hours to reply!

I’m currently counting the entries for Glow.

You can still enter the following giveaways:

Pre-order of Ashes by Ilsa Bick (will end soon)

Here are two blurbs for Ashes:

“Gripped me from the beginning to end—-dark, creepy and suspenseful. I loved it” - James Dashner

“A haunting and epic story of survival in a shattered world. ASHES is a must read.” - Michael Grant

YA Contemporary Giveaway (2-3 winners)

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf Giveaway

5 Bloodspell Ebooks Giveaway

Dystopian Domination Prize Pack

I’m extending the dystopian domination prize pack giveaway until June 30!

Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Book Description via Goodreads:

Egalley, 320 pages

June 28, 2011, Simon & Schuster

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

Source: S&S Galley Grab (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

In the beginning, I had to catch up with the switching from present to past. I was trying to piece together Amber’s life. It was confusing at first. But when I stopped trying, it came out clearly. Slowly, a problematic life unfolded before me. Amber was stuck in a difficult situation. The things that have happened in the recent past have made Amber declare that life was unfair.

She wanted to spend a day at the beach, away from everything. There, she met Cade. Cade was a sweet, sensible guy who wanted to be by himself too. They spent the day together. They lived in the moment, cherished it and hoped that it would last forever. The connection between them was the kind that we usually find in romance movies. It was ever-present, surprising and undeniable. I found their scenes sweet and longing. But there were also times that darkness slipped through and wrapped around them. The mystery that Cade exuded was enough to drive me insane. There’s nothing more motivating than a mysterious character. He was so fun and charming but at the same time, he had something dark inside him.

The verse captured every moment, turned an ordinary moment into a special one. With so little words, Schroeder successfully delivered the intensity of every moment and the emotions of the characters. I never got to predict anything in this novel. I liked that it was that surprising. I loved reading about Amber’s family and how close she was to them. The imperfection of it was made beautiful because of each member’s attempts to keep their ties strong and unbroken.

The Day Before is a fast-paced contemporary that will awe and engross readers into the lives of Amber and Cade. Beautifully written with bits of song and movie references in it, readers will feel more attached to it. Although the romantic in me wanted more Amber and Cade scenes, I was satisfied with how the story developed. Schroeder is an amazing writer. If you’re up for a quick, worthwhile read, try this one. I recommend this to contemporary readers and verse readers.

Rating: