juniper berry by mp kozlowsky

4/26/11
Juniper Berry | MP Kozlowsky
Walden Pond Press (HarperCollins)
Hardcover/227pp.

Juniper's parents have not been themselves lately. In fact, they have been cold, disinterested and cruel. And lonely Juniper Berry, and her equally beset friend, Giles, are determined to figure out why.
On a cold and rainy night Juniper follows her parents as they sneak out of the house and enter the woods. What she discovers is an underworld filled with contradictions: one that is terrifying and enticing, lorded over by a creature both sinister and seductive, who can sell you all the world's secrets in a simple red balloon. For the first time, Juniper and Giles have a choice to make. And it will be up to them to confront their own fears in order to save the ones who couldn't.
M.P. Kozlowsky's debut novel is a modern-day fairy tale of terror, temptation, and ways in which it is our choices that make us who we are.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
The cover and synopsis of JUNIPER BERRY make it sound it’s everything I want in a good story. Dark, creepy middle grade is the absolute best, and the cover gives off this larger-than-life feel. When my good friend Jessica recommended I give it a try, I listened. (Oh yes, I listened. You should always listen to your friends, especially when they are speaking of books.)

JUNIPER BERRY is the story of Juniper Berry (a fine name indeed) a lonely girl whose parents are the most famous actors. When she notices a change in her parents—they don’t give her the same amount of attention they did a year ago, they don’t cook dinner, they aren’t interested in Juniper period—our marvelous protagonist sets out to get to the bottom of this peculiar behavior. With her best fried, Giles, Juniper enters the woods behind her house with nothing but fervor. Little does she know, she’s going to need much more than love for her parents—or rather, her OLD parents—to defeat the sneaky creature responsible.

JUNIPER BERRY was a delightful book. Honestly, I expected more—the tone was a little flavorless, and the story was a little stale—but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I felt sympathy for Juniper Berry and was oh so scared for her well-being once I hit those final chapters. (NO, don’t go through that door Juniper Berry! RUN! RUN! RUN!) I also loved her friend Giles, who may or may not resemble a scared cat.

JUNIPER BERRY is the perfect read for the season coming up, I think. But it now, read it in October. The beautiful illustrations only add to the dark and creepy atmosphere.

the incorrigible children of ashton place, book 1: the mysterious howling by maryrose wood

3/1/10

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling | Maryrose Wood

HarperCollins

Hardcover/288pp.

Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.
Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.
But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
I think I said this a while ago, but I’ll repeat: one of my favorite MG-subgenres is historical. There’s nothing better than wacky characters in a lush historical setting! It reminds me that while a lot of things have changed (society, technology, etc.) the big things like childhood, human nature, and everything else has not.

The cover looked cute, the story sounded great, my Nook Color was sitting on my shelf, empty of a fresh new story, and I just had to download it. And I’m so glad that I did!

THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING starts off with Miss Penelope Lumley, our lovely protagonist that we must first get acquainted with as Miss Penelope Lumley and then later simply Penelope, trekking her way through the European countryside. You see, Penelope Lumley—I mean, Miss Penelope Lumley, as you are not yet acquainted with her—has just graduated the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and is now in search of a possible job. What job? Well, what else might a Poor Bright Female be than a governess to three wolf children?

When Miss Penelope Lumley arrives to Ashton Place, she is shocked to see that three children she is to take care of aren’t even human children. Or maybe they are. Or maybe they aren’t. All she knows is, they have a ferocious growl and the gait of an ill-groomed dog.

I seriously ADORE this book! Usually when I love a middle grade so much I call it “cute,” but that word doesn’t fit. The words “lovely” and “lavish” and “fun” fit. The moments when Miss Lumley Penelope is attempting to train the children, and there are many (oh yes, they so need all the training they can get), were my favorite. Their interactions are laugh-out-loud funny.

Here’s my inner-publishing intern coming out: The protagonist of THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING is 15-years-old, yet this book is nowhere near a YA. It never reads as anything but MG, and I’m in awe of Maryrose Wood’s talent for keeping the MG voice with YA-aged characters. In the slushpile, I see a lot of these situations that just don’t work (the protagonist has a YA voice when the story is supposed to be MG, and vice versa). This is a perfect example of how to master the middle grade voice with hard-to-tackle characters.

Really, just go out and get your hands on this book! Maryrose Wood is a marvelous story-teller.

personal demons by lisa desrochers (this review is totally PG! just sayin’)

7/5/11

Original Sin | Lisa Desrochers

Tor Teen

Paperback/400pp.

Luc Cain was born and raised in Hell, but he isn’t feeling as demonic as usual lately—thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and the unique power she never realized she had. But you can’t desert Hell without consequences, and suddenly Frannie and Luc find themselves targeted by the same demons who used to be Luc’s allies.
Left with few options, Frannie and Luc accept the protection of Heaven and one of its most powerful angels, Gabe. Unfortunately, Luc isn’t the only one affected by Frannie, and it isn’t long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too…tempting. Rather than risk losing his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of her recently-acquired guardian angel.
Which would be fine, but Gabe is barely out the door before an assortment of demons appears—and they’re not leaving without dragging Luc back to Hell with them. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Frannie’s guardian exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell’s grasp.
And not everyone will get out of it alive.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
I want to hack Lisa Desrochers’s computer. I want to hack her computer, open up every single word document there is, and print out LAST RITE. I don’t recommend this series to anyone who isn’t up for major cliffhangers.

Lucky for me, the book starts off with very little Gabe! I’m fucking thrilled glad to report that most of the novel was spent developing the wonderful, perfect relationship between Luc (!!!!!!!!!! love him) and Frannie. 

I love writers that bend and blend and test out new stuff and push the limits. Lisa Desrochers, the fine lady, she doesn’t just push limits. She flips them off! The PERSONAL DEMONS is seriously hot. Like, borderline-adult romance hot.

But it’s not just the romance that makes these novels sizzle. It’s the action. It’s the suspense. It’s the twists, the break-neck pacing, and the jump-off-the-page characters. I seriously LOVE these books.

WARNING: The ending to ORIGINAL SIN will make you want to cry and fight and send Lisa Desrochers little cards with cute teary-eyed puppies with a “How could you do this to us?” tagline.

ANOTHER WARNING: Say on the internet that you “love Luc, he is totally mine and no one else can have him!” and see what happens. Don’t try me.

wolfsbane by andrea cremer

7/26/11

Wolfsbane | Andrea Cremer

Philomel

Hardcover/400pp.

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
Even though I read this nearly half a year ago, I can still remember it clearly. Let me tell you: I savored every last word of this story. The NIGHTSHADE series is probably the only paranormal romance I still read and am still addicted to.

Before I start talking, let me set everything up.

Brent before reading WOLFSBANE: TEAM SHAY TEAM SHAY TEAM SHAY TEAM SHAY!

Brent after reading WOLFSBANE: TEAM REN TEAM REN TEAM REN TEAM REN! BUT OH, WHAT ABOUT SHAY? I FORGOT ABOUT SHAY. I CAN’T DECIDE. I JUST CAN’T.

WOLFSBANE is a completely different story than NIGHTSHADE. Same characters, same everything, but in the second installment of this thrilling series, we get to see a different dynamic. We meet tons of new characters in WOLFSBANE (the Searchers), and let me tell you: you will love them.

Now, about the switching-teams thing. While we definitely learn more about Shay, and he takes the lead, we also get to see how far Ren’s love for Calla goes.

While I have a foggy memory (I read it in freaking December! Don’t judge me) I remember being captivated by Andrea’s intense writing and marvelous characters that I love OH SO MUCH. I’m so glad BLOODROSE’s publication date was moved up to January. :-)

SOLSTICE Blog Tour: Character Interview w. Shayne

Today I present you PJ Hoover and her debut YA dystopian novel, SOLSTICE. SOLSTICE is one of the first titles to be independently published by the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and it was also the first ebook I ever accepted for review! Below is an interview with the character Shayne, who, let me tell you, is very endearing indeed.



Author website:
http://www.pjhoover.com/

Link to Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWezTGdTkg

BIO:
P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is also a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice, takes place in a Global Warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade fantasy novels, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, and The Necropolis, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he’s part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea.

*****
SOLSTICE by P. J. HOOVER: CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH SHAYNE
Thanks for letting me be here. Ever since I read that interview with Reese last week (http://www.thereadiacs.com/exclusive-interview-with-pj-hoover), my blood has been on fire. He’s always trying to get the spotlight, but now, I have my chance. So thank you for that. Seriously.
So you have some questions. I’ve been known to keep secrets from time to time, but in this case, there’s no reason to hold out on the truth.

1) How do you deal with all the hot weather?
Hot weather? You think this is hot? Let me tell you hot. Hot is walking through a wall of fire to get into Tartarus. Hot is fired coals that melt in front of your eyes. Hot is the steam that comes out of the factories in Asphodel. So this global warming stuff on Earth…it’s really not even worth mentioning.

2) What's your favorite story of Greek mythology?
The stories that hold the most merit with me are the ones I see on a daily basis. Like Prometheus, for example. Poor guy thought he was doing humans a favor. He brought them fire. Of course Zeus was going to get mad. Zeus ordered him not to help. So even though I visit Prometheus in Tartarus, I can’t help him. He disobeyed the command of the king of the gods. And trust me, I know how order can begin to slip just by one person disobeying. Because then there’s another. And another. And before you know it, chaos reigns. It’s what I need to make sure never happens in the Underworld.

3) If you could be one Greek god (or goddess) for a day, who would it be and why?
Um…really? Besides myself? Absolutely no one.

4) Describe yourself and the role you play in SOLSTICE in 140 characters or less!
I’m a god. I maintain control of the Underworld and help Piper find freedom. And I kick the snot out of Reese.

5) I must ask: do you enjoy reading mythology-based fiction?
Of course, I love to read. And mythology-based fiction…it’s my favorite genre. The myths are so rich, and they tell the story of heroes over the ages. And these stories of heroes are no different from the stories we hear about today. People find themselves involved in a quest, and they change the world. It’s a great genre, and it’s timeless.

Thank you again for the interview!

The Lying Game #2: NEVER HAVE I EVER Blog Tour

Readers of Naughty Kitties very well know: I am a huge Sara Shepard (you can follow her on Twitter @Sarabooks) fan. So of course, I just had to be a part of the NEVER HAVE I EVER blog tour. For those of you that don’t know, NEVER HAVE I EVER is book two in an all-new series from Sara Shepard. While it has nothing to do with PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, it’s filled with the mysterious and thrilling charm of Sara Shepard’s writing.

NEVER HAVE I EVER released August 2nd. The ABC Family original series premieres on August 15th.

Monday through Friday this week, participating blogs will host a different game of NEVER HAVE I EVER, featuring three “Never Have I Ever…” statements from a different set of twins. Readers must post a comment below correctly identifying the lie, as well as answer whether the Never Have I Ever statement from The Lying Game’s Emma and Sutton is true or false. Readers who successfully comment on each of the 5 blogs with all the right  answers will be entered to win Sara Shepard’s books (all nine Pretty Litte Liars and the first two Lying Game books)!

The blog tour schedule:
August 1st: Katie’s Book Blog: http://www.katiesbookblog.com/
August 2nd: Forever Young Adult: http://www.foreveryoungadult.com/                                                            
August 3rd: I Swim for Oceans: http://www.iswimforoceans.com/                                                          
August 4th: Naughty Book Kitties: http://naughtybookkitties.blogspot.com/     
August 5th: Princess Bookie: http://princessbookie.com/

****
Quiz: Jenna and Barbara Bush
A.   Never have we ever graduated from the same college
B.    Never have we ever campaigned together at the Democratic National Convention
C.    Never have we ever joined the same sorrority

Bonus Round: Emma and Sutton True or False:
Never have we ever attended the same high school

**The deadline to enter the comment on each post is 11:59 PM EST on Friday August 5th and readers must include their name and email address in order to win.

EXCITING NEWS! + digital publishing

Good morning, gracious readers of Naughty Kitties.

Today I have TWO things to tell you guys.

The first: I am now employed.

The second: Two fabulous writers (who just so happen to also be linked to my place of employment) have just digitally published some of their stories, for the first time ever.

One is a short story, priced at $0.99 | And the other is a full-length novel, priced at $2.99

Trust me when I say that these are two writers you don’t want to miss! DARK BEAUTY is a great prequel to one of Taryn’s stories currently out on submission with editors, and REMEMBRANCE is one of Michelle’s first-ever full length novels. While I haven’t read REMEMBRANCE, I’ve read Michelle’s last few projects, and she is just bursting with talent.