The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

Sophie Sophia can see things that other people can't. Well, asides from her dad who also has episodes where he travels and comes back with souvenirs. Travels as in sees crazy things. What sort of crazy things? Well, shaman pandas for starters. But her mother thinks Sophie might need to see a psychiatrist and the only other person who can understand what Sophie is going through--her father--is missing.

I feel like The Theory of Everything would make a great movie. There, I said it. Why? Because it's magical realism and if you decide to read it, it'll be hard not to see why this would translate so well to the screen. Sophie is an eccentric main character who is once again the new girl at a new school; she makes friends with Finny, a boy obsessed with science and physics, and he ends up helping her on her journey to better understand what causes her to travel. There's also mix tapes, music video-like episodes, a (music) band of panda bears, and a journey to New York City for answers.

However, I feel like I have to point this out: I feel like I would've liked to have closure when it came to her father. That was probably the one thing that bothered me and when you get to the end of The Theory of Everything, I'm pretty sure you'll understand what I mean. I really don't want to say anymore than that because, well, spoilers.

In all, the plot kept a steady pace and it was fun to see how Sophie handled things. I would point out--again--that this is more magical realism than anything and it does make for a very interesting read. If you've been thinking about giving The Theory of Everything a whirl, definitely go for it!

★★★★

The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

Publisher: Philomel, an imprint at Penguin Group

Release Date: July 11, 2013

Edition: e-ARC

Received for review via NetGalley and publisher.

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

This is--in all likelihood--going to be a pretty short review and it's not because I didn't love the book (because I definitely did), but because I don't want to give you any spoilers. However, to give you no spoilers, I'm going to have to limit my review to my overall impressions of the book without going into detail. If you've read Nightshade and Wolfsbane then you're already familiar with where Bloodrose begins and if you haven't read the first two books yet, read on at your own risk.

Things are tense in Bloodrose and although there is a bit of comedic relief, things are pretty somber. There are definitely some romantic scenes between Calla and Shay--and one that I particularly liked with Ren. But yes, she does make her choice in Bloodrose--but I'll let you learn about that on your own. The ending? Well, I'd say that it was pretty darn perfect. Seriously, I couldn't imagine it ending other way and as usual, the pacing was excellent. Andrea Cremer's writing style continues to keep me enthralled and I found myself getting lost in the story.

In short, Andrea Cremer has done it again and Bloodrose proves to be a thrilling conclusion to the Nightshade trilogy.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

Publisher: Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group.

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Edition: Hardcover

* Purchased on my own.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Wolfsbane
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel (a part of Penguin Group)
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Edition: ARC
* Received for review via publisher.

I'm warning you now that there will be minor spoilers in this review; it's literally impossible to review Wolfsbane without giving spoilers for Nightshade. So if you haven't read Nightshade just yet, now is the time to stop reading my review (and probably borrow or buy a copy of Nightshade to read if paranormal is your thing). 

Where do I even begin? Wolfsbane picks up almost exactly where Nightshade left off, with Calla waking up in an unlikely place, the Roving Academy, home to the Searchers. But the truly crazy thing is, they want to form an alliance of sorts with Calla, one that includes the pack and the alpha that she left behind. In Wolfsbane, Calla will have to learn to trust her enemies or face losing her pack and the war.

I know that my summary seems really short, but it's difficult to say much more than that; after all, for the most part, Wolfsbane focuses on Calla learning more about who the Keepers are, how the Searchers work, and getting her pack back. For the record, she's still pretty torn between Shay and Ren for most of the book; also, if you've seen my review of Nightshade, you know that I'm team Ren and well, Wolfsbane didn't contain a ton of Ren and Calla interaction, but when it does happen in Wolfsbane, it's heartbreaking in its own way. Seriously, if you're team Ren, you'll see what I mean.

Asides from that, you'll get more of the lore behind the Searchers and the Keepers; also, I'd have to say that I wouldn't mind being a Weaver. After all, how awesome would it be to be able to make doorways/portals? Speaking of Weavers, you'll get to meet Adne in Wolfsbane, the Weaver for the Haldis team. She's one of my favorite new minor characters, asides from Connor (a serious flirt), and Silas (a Scribe who has an office that's literally covered in books and he's a bit awkward to boot).

As with Nightshade, Wolfsbane is a page-turner; things continue to build until you come to the last page and then you're left hanging. As I'd been warned earlier in the year by one of the lovely ladies at the Penguin booth at ALA Midwinter, I was left wanting Bloodrose immediately after finishing Wolfsbane and the wait until February 21, 2012 is already feeling extremely long. Honestly, if you haven't read Nightshade just yet, I'd definitely suggest doing so. Yes, it's hyped, but rightly so and Wolfsbane is--in my opinion--a flawless continuation of a great trilogy.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Waiting On Wednesday (10)

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

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Summary from GoodReads:
Lenzi hears voices. She also sees visions--gravestones, floods, a gorgeous guy with steel gray eyes. She knows she must be going crazy, just like her dad did. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't do anything to help, and the voices just keep getting louder, the visions more intense. But when Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, everything makes sense.

Sort of.

He tells Lenzi that she's a reincarnated Speaker--someone who can talk to lost souls and help them move on--and that he has been her Protector for centuries. But instead of embracing her abilities, Lenzi struggles between her life as the girlfriend of a sexy musician and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. Yet time is running out; a malevolent spirit has been trying to destroy Lenzi for ages, and he will surely kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Her choices are clear: Destiny or normalcy. Alden or Zak. Life or death.

-----

Why am I looking forward to Shattered Souls? Well, what part of the storyline doesn't sound good? On top of that, it has a gorgeous cover! Lately I seem to be drifting away from the stereotypical paranormal books (vampires and werewolves) so this sounds particularly good! 


Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey is published by Philomel (a part of Penguin Group) and its expected publication date is December 8, 2011. 


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

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel Books (an imprint of Penguin Group)
Published: 10/19/2010
Edition: Hardcover
*Purchased on my own.

Summary from GoodReads: Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

My Thoughts:

Admittedly, I wasn't too sure about Nightshade at first. Sure, there was a lot of hype behind it, but hype doesn't always guarantee a good book. Gladly, I can say that Nightshade did indeed live up to the hype. The Guardians (werewolves) were extremely interesting as were the Keepers (whom I'm hoping to learn more about in the next book). But more importantly, you have Calla Tor, our main character and a powerful Alpha female Guardian at that. She's definitely likable although no one would dare call her weak and for most of the book, she's completely torn between Shay (our human boy) and Ren (the Alpha she's to be paired with) and though I feel like a terrible person for saying it, I loved the tension between the three--and well, I'm definitely all for Ren.

I loved the individuality of the characters and the fact that as a pack, they were loyal to one another. Of course, then there were the Keepers (whom I hope we'll see much more of in the next book) who are a rather odd bunch--and then there are individual Keepers assigned to keep their Guardian pack in line. Their rule over the Guardians is an accepted fact--as is the story of why they keep the packs in line. Then there are the Searchers, whom are enemies of the Keepers and thus, the acknowledged enemy of the Guardians as well. Although I could say more than this, I'd rather not include spoilers.

I will, however, say that if you're thinking about picking up Nightshade, go for it. The writing style is very smooth and you may very well find yourself reading at an alarming pace. Again, the characters are all wonderful and I adore the fact that the Guardians get to keep their clothes when they shift back to their human forms. I mean, wouldn't it be terribly inconvenient if every time you changed you had to well, have a spare outfit around? Also, don't get me wrong, there's romance. However, there's also a giant spider, a cave, secrets to be uncovered, and plenty of shifting.

Overall Rating:  ★★★★★