Poison Review

Poison
by Bridget Zinn
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: ARC from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Midnight Minute: Young potions master Kyra is determined to save her kingdom, even if it means killing her best friend and future ruler. 
Expected Publication: 03.12.12
From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ This read a little younger that I expected, but I loved it.  It reminded me of the book Ella Enchanted and makes me think I need to read more fairytale like books.
~ I liked that it takes awhile before we know why Kyra thought she had to murder her best friend.  There were lots of twists and turns, a few I guessed at and a few I didn't see coming. 
~ Fred is charming enough to make the name Fred not seem lame and old man-ish
~ Rosie, the tiny pig Kyra ends up with, is the cutest dang creature in the universe.  The Hubs is not on board with getting a pet pig though. 
~ Kyra is a totally self-sufficient young woman.  She has her own career, makes her own decisions and usually rescues herself.  While there is a little romance in the book, it's not the entire center of Kyra's existence.  She's got a mission and she isn't going to be deterred by a pretty boy. 
~ I loved the medieval fairytale setting of the book.  It was like spending a few days inside a really elaborate Renaissance Faire. And unlike that band from Free Credit Report dot com, I would totally run away and get a job at a traveling faire.  I'm seriously just one bad day at work away from it. 
~ The potions and poisons described in the book were fascinating!  I would have read full chapters on just what was in the Master Trio Potioners house. 
~ I really liked how everything resolved in the end, and I could definitely envision a sequel, but the story works as a standalone too. 
~ The flashback to how Kyra and Ariana became friends was really nice, and it makes you realize what a sacrifice Kyra is making to save the kingdom by destroying her friend.
~ Fred and Kyra are kind of adorable together in a 1940's screwball movie kind of way- Fred's the charming Cary Grant and Kyra's the slightly stuffy Katherine Hepburn.   
~ During the course of the book, one of Kyra's pursuers is Dartagn, a solider who trained her.  I thought Zinn did a good job hinting at their connection, but I really wanted more background on him.
~ Poison has everything- witches, potions, poisons, royalty, magic tracking pigs, thieves, chases, humor, be-ribboned undergarments, lies, adventure and breaking and entering. Basically, all the things I look for in a book. 
~ Arlo has the potential to be a very fascinating character, and I'd love to know more about his band of merry thieves. 
~ This is Bridget Zinn's first book, but I am definitely looking forward to her future novels!

Timeless Characters:

Kyra- founder of the Master Trio Potioners, on the lam for the attempted murder of the princess, who just happens to be her bff. 
Princess Ariana- destined to unleash bad things in the kingdom if Kyra doesn't off her first.
Fred- Kyra meets cute with him and his huge dog Langley, then can't get rid of him.  And trust me, she tries.
Hal- Kyra's ex and one of the Master Trio Potioners
Ned- the one she didn't date and the third member of the Master Trio Potioners.
The Duchess- Ariana's aunt and thorn in Kyra's side.
Arlo Abbaduto- King of Criminals, he and Kyra have a nasty history.
Ellie- hermit neighbor of Kyra's. 
Dartagn- soldier 
 

Midnight Moment:

I really loved the Hansel and Gretel moment Kyra and Fred have in the beginning of their journey!  But my favorite part was what Kyra discovered at the dress shop. 

Stop The Clock:

Cute, charming and fun!  If you like Gail Carson Levine then you'll probably like this too!  I just had a lot of fun reading this one.


Bridget Zinn — Website | Bridget Zinn

Poison gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

 And I actually did stay up late reading this!

Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) Review

Sever (The Chemical Garden #3)
by Lauren DeStefano
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: ARC from Around the World ARC Tours, in exchange for my honest review.
Expected Publication: 02.13.13
Midnight Minute: Rhine is reunited with Linden and sister-wife Cecily, more intent than ever to find her brother Rowan.
From Goodreads:

Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Okay, I love green, but the cover needs a little darkening.  I have to agree that it looks a bit too much like a green screen.  That said, everything on the cover fits nicely with the book, and I like when the cover actually depicts stuff found inside the pages.  Because this is the ARC, it might not be the absolute final cover.  I found this one on Goodreads too, and it's much better:

~ In the beginning Rhine is in the hospital, recovering from all that Vaughn put her through in the last book.  The poor girl deserves a spa day!
~ Cecily, of all the characters, has grown the most through the series, she is by far the most interesting character.  Despite her very young age, she's a great mom and wife, and to Rhine, a great friend.
~ Love Vaughn's mad scientist brother, Reed! Lots of 'r' names in this series though.
~ I forgot how much Rose looked like Rhine... and I kept expecting that to be more than a coincidence, but in the end it was just that.  Or is it? 
~ I've always preferred Linden over Gabriel, but only because Gabriel doesn't do much for me.  Linden is a good man, but he's weak.  For that matter, Gabriel is too weak for Rhine.  I'm glad that the love triangle isn't a major focus of this series, because I wasn't really feeling it. 
~ Rhine stays true to herself throughout the series, determined to reunite with her brother Rowan.  Personally, if I only had a few years to live left, I'd have lived it up at the mansion.  I'd be squeezing out mini-Lindens and sipping cocktails by that amazing pool while my sister-wives braid my hair and cute servant boys feed me chocolates.
~ Several sad things happen, and even though one thing in particular was personally upsetting to me, I thought it fit the characters. 
~ Perhaps I forgot from the other two books, but the term "the chemical garden" and Rhine and Rowan's parents work is explained. 
~ Madame is back!! At first I was like, "NO!", but she adds a lot to the plot.  A lot. There's a few gaspy gasp moments when we find out things that I never even knew to guess at.  Well done, DeStefano, well done!  
~ We FINALLY get to meet Rowan, and he's not the complete douche I've come to believe that he is.  That said, he's still a little douchey.  He acts like he's older by years than Rhine instead of being her twin.  I wish Rhine would have just smacked him a bit and told him what all had happened to her over the past year, but she, for some reason, loses a few IQ points around her bro.
~ Gabriel is missing from the majority of this book, which was fine by me since I maintain that Rhine has better chemistry with almost every other man she encounters (Linden, Vaughn, Reed, her own brother).  Sorry, Team Gabriel-ers, I just never felt the spark.
~ The last third of this book felt a bit rushed, and some of the plot didn't make a lot of sense to me- like the fact that to quell the uprising some brainiac President in the past created super-humans.  Because super long lives and exceptional immune systems will show them to protest against the government!  Also, something happened that I was very unhappy with.  I'm not going to spoil it for everyone, but it was similar to my biggest complaint with the ending of Mockingjay.  However, it's a mark of good writing that I cared as much as I did. Although I didn't like what happened, I appreciate what it did to the overall story.  I guess. *grumbles*
~ Also, although I suspected a plot twist that comes up, it just seems implausible.  Completely implausible, even for dystopian.
~ Vaughn is such and interesting character- part sociopath, part genius, part concerned dad. He's complex, which makes him a good villain. 
~ The ending is a real ending and even if everything didn't go my way, I was satisfied with it.  Again, it felt like everything just fell into place very quickly once Rhine met up with Rowan, but I'd rather have a quick wrap up then trying to stretch this out over another 3 books.  
~ I have to give some points on the names of each of the books, as all three were very fitting, and Sever is suitable in many ways. 
~ Even with some of the plot issues I have problems with, DeStefano has created a interesting dystopian world- I never confused it with any other dystopian book or series I've read (and people, I've read a lot).  I like her writing style and I'm down with whatever she comes out with in the future.
 

Timeless Characters:

Rhine- our heroine, still determined, stubborn and smart.

Linden- Rhine's hubby, nice but weak, he's having a tough time learning his pop's true colors.

Cecily- the last sister-wife standing, she continues to be kind of kick ass. 

Vaughn- Linden's dad, he's not unlike Darth Vadar with a medical degree.

Reed- Vaughn's crazy brother, he's sarcastic and eccentric.  I like that in a person.

Rowan- Rhine's twin, he's lost the script a bit since losing his sister. 

Madame- she kidnapped and imprisoned Rhine in the last book, and she captures her again in this one.  

Gabriel- he really isn't heavily featured in this book, but if your a fan of his, he does make an appearance. 

Rose- yeah, she's Linden's dead wife, but she continues to haunt the present.

Bowen- Cecily and Linden's adorable little boy. 

Midnight Moment:

The airplane scene.  Both of them.  But I kind of suspected the one with Vaughn.  The other one shocked the heck out of me.

Stop The Clock:

I really liked Wither (still one of the most gorgeous covers ever!), but both Fever and Sever failed to really hook me like the first book did.  I'm glad to have read the series though, and I can't wait until the book comes out and I can discuss it with all of you!!


Lauren DeStefan0 — Website |Lauren DeStefano

Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

 Book Challenges:
A to Z Challenge
Series Catch Up Challenge
Book Bingo Challenge

Under the Never Sky Review

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardback borrowed from Kim.
Midnight Minute: Aria, exiled from her protected world, teams up with outsider Perry, both needing the other to complete their goals.
From Goodreads:

 Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ So, I avoided this book for a long time.  I love dystopian, but there's so many of them and it can feel like too many.  But I'm going to a Veronica Rossi book signing, so I finally caved on this one- and lucky I did!
~ I love the title of this book, it's beautiful and poetic.  
~ Soren was crazypants and I really thought his role would be bigger.  
~ So in the Outside, there's people who have highly developed senses- sight, hearing, scent.  I think the scent one has to be the worst, because, really, how often are people really showering in these post-apocalyptic dystopians?  
~ Aria has a beautiful singing voice, which at first had me rolling my eyes because her name matches her gift and usually I find that people do not live up to their names (I know a Sunny that should be named Gloomy), but it turns out her mom genetically altered/planned her so that's less eye roll worthy. 
~ I was a little off put by Perry's certainty that he'd make a better leader (Blood Lord) than his brother Vale, but Vale didn't score a whole lot points with me in the book.  But it's got to suck for Vale, his kid prefers his brother, and his kid brother is all like: You suck, I can do better!
~ I don't like Brooke.  Mostly because she's a potential rival for Perry.  
~ I have seldom wanted someone to die in a YA book than I want Soren to.  May he suffer some nightmarish Greek Mythology punishment in Hades- the kind where buzzards eat his organs for all time.
~ It must be nice to know who your enemies are just by the scent or emotions.  It would have made high school a lot less confusing.
~ LOL- Perry having to tell Aria about her first period! It was very after-school special. 
~Also, wow, eating berries can be sexy as hell. But then bacon cheeseburgers can turn me on...
~ This whole rendering thing, is there a chance I can get Alexander Skarsgard to render to me?  Would the Hubs be cool with that?
~ Am I the only one that kept calling the Crovan the Craven?  
~ It's got to be awkward if your boyfriend can smell you ovulating!
~ I like Perry, but I'd be cool with Aria hooking up with Roar because he is all kinds of hot. 
~ The ending throws some punches.  To the gut. Ouch.  Can't wait until I get the second book!

Timeless Characters:

Aria- having grown up in a protective settlement, she's unprepared for the harsh outside world.
Perry- blonde dreadlocks, super hearing, super scent, super sexy.
Roar- even hotter, funnier and perfect than Perry.
Vale- Perry's bro, Blood Leader of their village.
Talon- Perry's cute lil' nephew, but a bit like Carl from The Walking Dead- should have stayed on the damn porch!
Paisley- Aria's friend, don't get attached.
Soren- crazy creeper.
Marron- the Doc to Perry's Michael J. Fox. He's awesome.
Cinder- young boy that follows Roar around, his name kind of says it all.
Reef- a guy Perry befriends the hard way. 

Midnight Moment:

When Perry saves Aria from some Crovan (they're cannibals), he does so in a shocking way.  At least I was shocked. 

Probably you should be shocked too, or you need to lay off the Tarantino movies and the ID channel.  I kid, I watch those too.  No better way to keep the Hubs in line than to have him catch me watching the Deadly Women marathons. ;)

Stop The Clock:

How could I have not read this book before?  Everyone else has, and they liked it, but nope, I had to be the one person who didn't pick it up.  I think I was on dystopian overload, but Under the Never Sky definitely stands out from the crowd. 



  Veronica Rossi— Website |Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky  gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Challenges:
A-Z Challenge
What's in A Name 6 Challenge
Book Bingo Challenge

2013 Challenges: Master List

Since it's that time of year to sign up for all kinds of new reading challenges, I thought I'd go ahead and create a master start up list of all the challenges I sign up for.  So here they are:

Christopher Pike Reading Challenge hosted by... Me! 

 I'm doing the highest level : 
13-and more: Final Friends level

 

The A-Z Challenge Hosted by Kim from On the Wings of Books 

The purpose of the A to Z challenge is to read through the alphabet by Title or by Author,or both if you’re really ambitious!

The rules:

• Author must be by last name
• You may exclude a, an and the from the title
• Books can be in any format
• Books can be any genre
• Books can be used in other challenges
• Books must be read from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 (books maybe started in December 2012, as long as it’s finished in January 2013)
• Review the book that you’ve read. It does not have to be a full review, a sentence or two on Goodreads is more than sufficient.

I failed in 2012 (I didn't get J, Q or Y) but I'm plan on succeeding in 2013!  Plus, I'm going to try the author last name thing too, although I'm going to consider myself good if I accomplish 80% done on that!

Series Catch Up Challenge hosted by Emilie's Book World and Lost At Midnight Reviews

 

The Details:

- Runs from January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013

- Goal is to catch up on as many series as possible 

- Two ways to meet your goal: number of books you've read to catch up series/number of series you've caught up on.

- On the first of each month there will be a post here and at Lost at Midnight Reviews so you can link up your reviews. For every review you link, you get one entry into a monthly giveaway.

- There will be a big giveaway at the end of the year.

Goals - Series Caught Up On
1 - 5: Series Newbie
6 - 10: Series Lover
11 - 15: Series Expert
15+: Series Fanatic

Goals - Books Read to Catch Up on Series
1 - 5: Book Novice
6 - 10: Book Aficionado
11 - 15: Book Connoisseur
15+: Book Maniac

I plan on doing the first level of the series, and the second level of the books.  Here are some series I want to catch up on:

The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carringer
Thirst by Christopher Pike
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
The Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot

2013 Audio Book Challenge hosted by The Book Nympho & Hot Listens

Levels:
Newbo (Not quite addicted) 1-5 audios Ear Worm (Narrator's voice gets stuck in your head) 5-10 audios Tickle Me Audio (Seriously, I'm getting serious) 10-15 audios Plugged In (I can quit anytime) - 15+ audios

I'm signing up for Plugged In, since I love listening to audio books already and have quite the commute to work. 

Anne and Kristilyn's 2012 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

Here's what the challenge looks like and why I want to do it so freaking bad!

I don't know if I'll be able to fill the page, but I'm hoping for some chances to yell out Bingo!

 Beth Fish Reads: What's in a Name 6: 

 Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title: Deep down True, The Girl Below, The Diva Digs up the Dirt
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title: Loose Lips Sink Ships, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Breadcrumbs
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title: A Feast for Crows, A Wedding in Haiti, Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: Burning for Revenge, Fireworks over Toccoa, Catching Fire
5. A book with an emotion in the title: Baltimore Blues, Say You're Sorry, Dreams of Joy
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: The Book of Lost Fragrances, The World We Found, A Discovery of Witches

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

I love, love, love this challenge!  This one is going to be tough, but I've successfully completed the last two years and I'm determined!

Midnyte Reader's 2013 Horror Reading Challenge

You know I couldn't resist this, right?
Here's some books I'm hoping to get to:

 This is just a partial list, and I'll be adding some new releases and audio books in the future!

Midnyte Reader's 2013 New Orleans Reading Challenge

 Rules:

• Write a post about this challenge with a link back to this post.
• If you want to make a list of books you wish to read you can, but it's not mandatory.
• Your list is not set in stone.  You can change, add or subtract books
• Sign up on the designated Mr. Linky below.
• Choose a level: 
• Gator: Read 1-4 books. 
• Jazz Musician: Read 5-8 books. 
• Mardi Gras King: Read 9-12 books. 
• Voodoo Queen: Read 13-16 books.

 I'm going for Gator level but the only book I have right now is

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice, which will be a re-read. 

Roof Beam Reader's 2013 TBR Pile Challenge

The Goal: To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months).

1. Thirst No. 4 The Shadow of Death by Christopher Pike pub. 2011

2.  The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater pub. 2011

3. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis pub. 1920

4. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray pub. 2011

5. Feed by Mira Grant pub. 2010

6. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf pub. 2011 

7. Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger pub. 2010

8. Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate #3) by Gail Carriger pub. 2010

9. Heartless (The Parasol Protectorate #4) by Gail Carriger pub. 2011

10. When Autumn Leaves by Amy. S. Foster pub 2009

11. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler pub. 2009

12. Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso pub. 2011

Alternates:

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay pub. 2011

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble pub. 2009

My Reader's Block's 2013 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

I'm shooting for Mt. Vancouver, but I'm really hoping to at least start on Mr. Ararat and Kilimanjaro...

My Reader's Block's Color Coded Challenge 2013

*Read nine books in the following categories.

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc) in the title.

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgandy, etc) in the title.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) in the title.

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc) in the title.

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc) in the title.

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc) in the title.

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc) in the title.

8. A book with any other color in the title (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magneta, etc.).

9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).

Okay, this one just sounds fun!

 

The Book Garden's Tea & Books Reading Challenge 

 

This challenge was inspired by C.S. Lewis' famous words, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

Welcome to the second edition of the TEA & BOOKS Reading Challenge! Once again, you better settle in with a large cup of tea, because in this challenge you will only get to read ... books with more than 650 pages!

Here goes ...

You may pick both fiction and non fiction books!

Contrary to last year short story collections, anthologies or collected works in one volume are now allowed!

Re-reads will now also be ok (though preferably you should read one of those unread tomes that have been collecting dust on your shelves)!

Last year you had to read 700+ pages but I reduced this to 650+ for 2013 (and no, this is not further negotiable)!

And as a little incentive - books with more than 1.200 pages will count for two books (so theoretically you can read four such super-chunksters to reach the Sencha Connoisseur level)!

Last but not least - no large print editions of a book, please!

Are you ready? Go ahead and pick your level!

2 Books - Chamomile Lover

4 Books - Berry Tea Devotee

6 Books - Earl Grey Aficionado

8 or more Books - Sencha Connoisseur

 

I was going to go just for Chamomile Lover, but I think I'm really going to reach for Berry Tea Devotee- which makes me sad that I'm all caught up on The Game of Throne Novels!

Reading Challenge Addict

How addicted are you?

• Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
• On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
• In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
• Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

Rules:

We're not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it's going to be very simple!

1. The newest edition of the challenge will begin on January 1 and end on December 31, 2013.
2. Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.
3. Track all of your challenge accomplishments - good & bad.
4. Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year.
5. Comment like crazy and offer support for your fellow addicts.
6. Have FUN!

I'm shooting for On The Roof!  I signed up for about 10 challenges and I'm fairly hopeful that I'll complete at least 6 of them.