White Cat by Holly Black (Audio Review)

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers #1)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Release Date: May 4, 2010
Received From: Library

Summary:  The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn't fit in at home or at school, so he's used to feeling like an outsider. He's also used to feeling guilty--he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago. But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas-- and a plan to con the conmen.

Review:

I listened to this book on audio so this review will have two components; my review of the book and my review of the audio itself.

 

Book:

Ok, so I know I’m like one of the last people to read this book. But even though I saw it everywhere I just never picked it up. But boy am I glad I finally did!

 

I am a huge fan of fantasy and that word describes this book perfectly. White Cat had most of the elements that I look for in a book, a strong relatable main character, something that makes me feel for him, and a relatively fast moving plot.

 

Cassel was a great main character! Black made me feel bad for him, I mean, how could I not! The book starts with him waking up on a roof in the middle of the night!! But even though I felt for him, he was no pansy. Cassel was determined to not get pushed under the sofa when it came to his family. And even though he was not a Worker like the rest of them, he still attempted to make a place for himself through his minor cons.

 

There are numerous twists in White Cat and while I saw the major one coming knowing didn’t make it any less exciting to find it out. I think this was because Black made me feel like I was discovering it along with Cassel even though I had already guessed. But there were some more minor twists that I was totally not expecting.

 

Now with most series nowadays there was sort of a cliffhanger, but not really. I mean, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. But the overall storyline of White Cat was resolved for me, which I really appreciated.

 

Overall a great read, perfect for boys and girls!

 

Audio:

Now I normally am not a huge fan of single reader audiobooks. I love full cast audio books but I am always let down by single reader audiobooks. But I actually enjoyed this one. I think it might have something to do with the fact that the book had a male protagonist, because one of the things that bugs me is having a girl read the hot boy’s voice.

 

Besides that I thought Jessie Eisenburg did a good job. (Yes, the guy from The Social Network) I was engaged and his voices were good for the story.

 

I would recommend this audio to even reluctant audiobook listeners!

 

 

New domain

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great day!

For the last 2 1/2 years my blog’s URL has been a .blogspot account, so I finally decided to switch to a new domain. So my blog is now at AReadersAdventure.com. My old site will redirect to this new site but I hope you will start to visit through AReadersAdventure.com

Hope you have a good day!

The new covers of the Possession Series

Hi everyone! Okay so every once in a while publishers will change the covers of a series either for a reprint or in the middle of the series. This is usually to draw more potential readers to the series who may not have picked it up originally.

Well another series is getting re-covered. I am happy to show you the new covers for Elana Johnson’s Possession series.

Now I really liked the old covers: (Surrender was never printed with this cover)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I liked them because they were clean and symbolic and just plain beautiful.

But I honestly really like the new covers as well. I mean of course new covers in the middle of a series can be kind of a bummer if you have one of them in hardcover (Possession) and then when you pick up Surrender when it comes out in June it has a different cover style.

Now keep in mind that these are the new covers for the Possession paperback and the Surrender hardback (both available early June 2012):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really like them! I like how they kept the symbols that were on the original covers and I like how they took a color from the symbols and made it into the background!

These covers are very similar to the original and the only thing I don’t like about them is the new font. I feel like it is too large and takes away from what is still such a simple cover. But overall I really like them (especially Surrender).

What do you think? Do you love them? Hate them? let me know in the comments!

WOW: The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I’m eagerly anticipating.

Title: The Butterfly Clues

Author: Kate Ellison

Pub Date: February 14, 2012

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary:

Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.
But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.
As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.

Why I can’t wait!: I love mystery books! They are some of my favorite books and this one sounds really good as well. Also I really like the cover, it’s really different!

 

How to Save a Life

Title: How to Save a Life

Author: Sara Zarr

Publisher:  Little Brown

Release Date: October 18, 2011
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary: 

Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.
Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?
As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.
Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.

Review:

This book was very interesting. I had heard amazing things about Zarr’s books and so I was excited to read this new title. But even though I was excited it was not really what I was expecting.

 

First of all this book is told in alternating points of view between Jill and Mandy which I really liked because then I could see the motivations of both of them and get to understand them better.

 

But I have to say one thing. Mandy and Jill both really annoyed me. I mean I am not sure how I would react to either of their situations but I did not like the way they handled the pressures. But I will grant that their reactions were understandable and seemingly realistic.

 

This book is not a light book and I really appreciated that. I felt that Zarr could have trivialized some of the issues and I am really glad that she didn’t.

 

While this was not my favorite book I did like it and I wanted to know what was going to happen and how it was going to be resolved. I would recommend it to anyone who likes books about growing up and learning to accept different types of people.

 

 

 

 

 

WOW: Goddess Interrupted

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)

Author: Aimee Carter

Pub Date: March 27, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Summary:

Kate Winters has won immortality.
But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Why I can’t wait!: I liked the first book in this series, The Goddess Test and I really enjoy mythology retellings. So I cannot wait to read this next installment!

 

 

WOW: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Wings of the Wicked

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton

Pub Date: January 31, 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins/ Katherine Tegan Books

Summary:

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.
She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.
She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Why I can’t wait!: I read the first book Angelfire and I never got around to reviewing it but I cannot wait to find out what happens next!