Waiting on Wednesday #56

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

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Summary via Goodreads:
16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is Arkwell.

And then it comes true.

Now the Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

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Why am I looking forward to The Nightmare Affair? It has a gorgeous cover, the setting is a boarding school, supernatural stuff is involved (yes, I know, I'm terribly eloquent tonight), and there's a murderer. In short, it sounds like it's going to be an exciting read--one that I can't wait to get my hands on!

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett is published by Tor Teen and its expected publication date is March 5, 2013.

What are you waiting on this week?
.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

I'm of two minds when it comes to Article 5. On one hand, I absolutely loved it and spent most of the book flipping pages like a madwoman. However, at the same time, Ember (the main character) drove me insane. She's irrational and hysterical at several points during the book and they get her in trouble... frequently. On the upside, she should be a different girl in the next book. I am seriously hoping that Ember will gain some common sense and toughen up... and well, stop running headfirst into situations as well as going with the first plan that comes to mind. *shakes Ember*

Chase Jennings on the other hand? I loved him. Seriously, I may have a crush on the boy. He was Ember's childhood friend, crush, and now? Now he's a far cry from who he used to be. He's a soldier and a member of the Federal Bureau of Reformation; perhaps more importantly, he's one of the soldiers who comes to take Ember's mother away for being in noncompliance of Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. Trust me, he'll grow on you.

Also, it needs to be said that the world that Article 5 is set in seems like a frightening place. And by frightening, I mean ridiculously so. If you violate one of the rules, you'd be taken away and if you're unlucky (most are), they'll kill you. The reformatories are equally as frightening and they'll keep you there until you're eighteen; that is, if you survive that long. On the upside, there is a resistance and as the government continues to enforce their rules (that they continue to edit) the resistance is definitely growing in popularity.

In all, Article 5 is definitely a page-turner but Ember can drive the reader crazy for a good portion of the book. Chase is definitely my favorite character out of Article 5 and there's definitely some romance present without going overboard--in my opinion. Ember does begin to redeem herself towards the end but I think it'll take the second book to convince me that she's really changed. This is a book that I'd encourage you to form your own opinions about as I can definitely see some people enjoying it, if they can get past Ember's stunts.

Overall Rating: ★★★★

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: January 31, 2012

Edition: Hardcover

* Purchased on my own.

Waiting On Wednesday (11)

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

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton


Summary from GoodReads:

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty.

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Why am I looking forward to The Faerie Ring? You do mean asides from the fact that I'm always game for  a good novel involving the Fae, right? Well, there's the fact that it's set in 1871--since I adore historical fiction, particularly from the 1800's. And then there's the fact that there's a romantic element to the story as well--I'm hoping that it's not going to overpower the storyline though. In short, it seems like my sort of book to read--and the cover is certainly both pretty and appropriate.

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton is published by Tor Teen (a part of Macmillan) and its expected publication date is September 27, 2011.

So, what are you waiting on this week? :D

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Personal Demons
Author: Lisa Desrochers
Publisher: Tor Teen (an imprint of Tor Books)
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Edition: Paperback
*Purchased on my own.

Summary from GoodReads: Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.

My Thoughts: 

What happens when my internet router dies? I read like a maniac. Anyways, Personal Demons is told from two different points of view--Frannie's and Luc's--and well, it was certainly interesting. Luc was sent to Haden High--nicknamed Hell or Hades High--to tag 'The One' who happens to be Frannie. Needless to say, she's attracted to him--after all, he throws off the bad boy vibe--and just as he's starting to push her a little closer to sinning (with him) Gabe shows up. Yes, Gabe is an angel and he's there to protect and tag Frannie too--which means that yes, they're going to fight for her (minus the actual punches). For the record? I'm definitely Team Luc and the reasons for this I can't discuss without including spoilers, so I'll just say that Frannie has a profound effect on people--or more importantly, Luc. 

Due to Gabe being around too, Luc has his work cut out for him and it ends up taking a lot of time and planning to even get close to tempting Frannie into sinning. Now, the part about this that I loved was that Frannie does judo and she uses what she's learned to keep her emotions from raging out of control which causes Luc to be unable to figure out what she's feeling at times which drives him crazy. As Luc starts to fall for Frannie, Hell steps things up a notch and sends a pair of demons to do the tagging that Luc seems incapable of doing. In a battle of good versus evil, who will manage to tag Frannie's soul and claim her for their side? And well, I'm sure Frannie would like to know what makes her so special too--though she does find out. 


Overall, I really did enjoy Personal Demons and I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop in the next book (Original Sin). And yes, I did like Frannie although I did wish that she could stop getting hit on by the human guys too--and Reefer (yes, he's human, but in particular I had/have a slight problem with him), whom I couldn't help but feel that she needed to let go of, completely (as in tell him off from the beginning). Other than that, if you're into angels and demons fighting over Earth--and souls--you might want to check out Personal Demons. That is to say though, I can see why it's not for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it. 


Overall Rating: ★★★★