Horrifying & Haunting: If You Find Me - Emily Mudoch

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Date Released: March 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 256 Pages
Format: ARC
Source: For Review by St. Martin's Press
Rating: Amazing
Series: Standalone! 

Goodreads Synopsis: Here are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

From Goodreads

“We make attachments to what's familiar. We find the beauty, even in the lack. That's human. We make the best of what we're given.” 

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch was one of the most haunting, heart - churning  and captivating books I read this year! It's a book you pick up not because of its cover but the characters that are beautifully crafted and it's a book that doesn't try so hard to be poignant. In one word: haunting.

It's amazing that this is Emily's first YA debut,because she definitely mastered how to write YA! She captures the perfect tone and plot of this moving and haunting theme about secrets and lies and weaves it beautifully in the story. Carey and Jenessa are sisters living in the wood with their mom. They have instincts for survival and they depend on each other for survival, but when their mother disappears and they are thrown into a life that is new, she has to overcome her past and the secrets it holds. Carey was absolutely real and honest. She had a flow to her that easily helped the book move at a great pace. Jenessa and Nessa were also great characters also. :) But the situations they were all thrown into was intense. Especially dealing with a troubled mom and thrust into this new world that you should just accept but you don't know how to enjoy. Carey was a gustsy and strong willed character that I just love to read about! She was amazing :D

One thing I noticed while reading is how Emily blends scenes from Carey's past into the situations she faces. In addition, it actually flowed and help us see this whole dark side of their mom. It was so real that I could easily picture everything happen in the story including in the past. It was horrifying!! Emily explores the concept of child neglect and how everyone suffer because of it. You have to be a brave author to write something that is so poignant and touching. 



Absolutely stunning, evocative, real, and slightly poetic; If You Find Me shines in the YA contemporary section that is a must read for mature YA readers and adults! It's a debut that shows how kindness from the people you love can heal the past and the suffering. LOVED THIS! It's a real gem to find and read for review!

Find If You Find Me On:
Amazon| Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday (#29) - Reboot by Amy Tintera

Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

Why I'm Waiting For It: 0.0 This sounds freaking epic! Seriously, the title matches how great this book is going to be and when it said:  "After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional." I was seriously hooked! I really hope Edelweiss accepts my request for this one! Or my email I sent to the author! *crosses fingers* Hopes this doesn't disappoint! :))

Reboot by Amy Tintera comes out May 7, 2013 from HarperTeen

Find Reboot On:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

New To Shelves (#23) - The One At LA Festival of Books!

New To Shelves is a way to share all the great books I got this whole week and to add to my TBR Pile! It also includes a roundup of what's going to happen next week on the blog. It's a new name but similar meme.

I'll be linking up to:

Wow! This week was so amazing! I went to LA's Festival of Books at USC and it was so amazing! It's my third time heading here and I love everything about it with all the authors, books, and tents! It was serious amazing and overwhelming with everyone there. The heat was horrible especially at signings but it was worth it! Here's a recap of all I did while I was there:

First off, I actually came an hour late than I did last year and the year before that..but it the feel of the place was easy to get use to and I remembered why I loved it! One main thing I did this year was telling more publishers about my blog, especially when I approached California Library Association! They were so impressed with how far I was blogging and it was amazing seeing it get appreciated! I also shared them with Nelson's Bookshop and Vromans Bookstore.

But the main the I love about the festival of books is the authors! Yes! Who doesn't love seeing their bubbly personality shine when you talk to them. I got to meet Tahereh Mafi, Kristen White, Rachel Cohn, and Michelle Gagnon all at the YA Stage. 

Here is Kriseten White and Rachel Cohn sharing scenes from their books:

Here is Tahereh Mafi sharing scenes from Unravel Me:

These video took forever to be on this post so enjoy them! Isn't  Tahereh Mafi's voice so strong and powerful, or is it just me? Ahh! They were amazing!

And many of you know of The Great Gatsby being a movie right? I managed to get a poster and meet some flappers at the booth! So much fun! I'm dying to see the movie and I have to pick up the book. 

I also had to treat myself to one book, I killed myself with schoolwork this week and I totally deserved to get something! I picked up Anna Dressed in Blood signed with a bookmark! Finally, right?

  

The YA Signings After The Panels:

Wow..the line for all authors was crazy! Everyone was dying and burning in the head and seriously I thought I was not going to make it! But I did and I had the amazing Tahereh Mafi and Rachel Cohn to sign my books!

Both Shatter Me and Unvravel Me both say "Be Extraordinary!" Thank You!

Beta signed saying "Patrick, with lots of love" Thanks so much Rachel and I feel the love! :))

Tahereh did mention that she might have a blog tour for the next book but she really want to focus hard on book 3! She is also super proud of me blogging for 2 year in YA!

For Blog Tour (Netgalley): 

This Week At The Blog:
2 Year Blogaversary Post + Giveaway! - *Faints*
Waiting on Wednesday: The Rules for Disappearing  
Blog Tour: The Shadow Girl Review + Interview

So sorry of the lack of posts this week! I was just so busy with school this week and I had like 5 tests I had to plow through! It was crazy!


Coming Up on The Blog:
Review of Imposter by Jill Hathaway and more!
Waiting on Wednesday and Follow Friday
Teaser Tuesday 

P.S After today, I'm dead tired and this post took forever but enjoy!! It was worth it! If you were a local LA blogger tell me if you went!!

Now..What's New To Your Shelves?! 

Blog Tour: The Shadow Girl - Jennifer Archer (Review) + Interview!

First off, I'm so happy I was part of this tour hosted by Shane @ Itching for Books! It was a great book and I'll be sharing my interview with Jennifer Archer before sharing my interview :) Enjoy :D

The Bookshelves: 1.) What was the inspiration for The Shadow Girl?

Jennifer Archer: Several things, actually. My love of psychological thrillers and mysteries, for one. Also, an incident that took place when I was in elementary school. When I was in 6^th grade, I went into the girl’s restroom one day while class was in progress. I was the only person in the small restroom, and while standing at the sink washing my hands, I glanced up, my gaze connected with my own image in the mirror, and I instantly thought: Who are you? That feeling of disconnection from my reflection lasted only a second, but I never forgot it. That memory – that long-ago experience – inspired Lily’s story all these years later. I started wondering what it would be like for a girl if she sensed a presence with her all of the time. Another girl whose whispers tickled her ear and wove through her mind. An essence that felt like a part of her, but a separate part, if that makes sense! And then I started asking myself not only what that presence might be, but who it might be. I began wondering about the “shadow girl’s” story – how she came to be and how she might be connected to my main character, Lily.

TB: 2.) What character resembles you the most and why? Was there any "you" in any of the characters?

JA: There’s usually a little bit of me in all of my characters, even if it’s only a very small sliver. When I consider The Shadow Girl’s cast of characters, I think I most closely resemble Lily. Like her, I’ve been somewhat of a loner all of my life. At times, I’ve felt like I don’t fit in with the people around me. I love the mountains and the forest, as Lily does, and share her love of hiking. But aside from those things, I’m not as outdoorsy as Lily. I can’t ice skate or play hockey or any other sport. I don’t have an athletic bone in my body! Although I’ve become more adventurous as an adult, when I was Lily’s age I was somewhat wary of adventure. I preferred to experience it in the pages of a book or at the movies.

TB: 3.) Tell us about that cover! How was the process to getting the cover art like? Did you love the cover?

I wish I could take credit for the cover, but it was a complete surprise. When my editor emailed the earliest version, the artwork literally took my breath away. I think it is a perfect fit for the story – it’s beautiful, eerie, and a bit unsettling. While writing the book, I imagined Lily looking almost exactly like the girl pictured. Her long red hair – everything. I feel very fortunate that the artist “got” my story and captured the essence of it in every way.

4.  TB: 4.) A guilty pleasure. One Wish. Favorite Movie

JA: Guilty pleasure: Braum’s chocolate vanilla swirl frozen yogurt in a waffle cone. (Large, please!)

One wish: Three more wishes.

Favorite movie: Only one? I have several that I love equally. Chocolat, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are two of them.

TB: 5.) Tweet Review! In 140 Words or less, tell us about The Shadow Girl!

JA: Secrets. A whispering presence urging Lily to solve them. A boy who knows more than he'll say. The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer #yamystery

TB: 6.) If a person was living under a rock and just woke up looking for a great read, what would you suggest and why?

JA: The book that first came to mind was To Kill A Mockingbird because the reader would learn about both the best and the worst in human nature.

TB: 7.) What was the writing process like? Any tips for aspiring writers?

JA: My writing process is typically a slow one. I call it the ‘three steps forward, one step back’ method. I write new material – a scene, a chapter – then the next day I read what I wrote the previous day and revise it before moving on to write more new material. The next day I re-read yesterday’s new material and revise it before writing more new. And so on …until I reach the end of the book. The result is that I end up with a more polished first draft than I would if I wrote through to the end without doing any light revising along the way. However, once I do reach the end, I still go back to the beginning and revise a few more times. The number of times depends on the book.

My advice for writers is to find the process that works best for you and make it your own. There is no right or wrong way to write a book. What works for one writer may not work well for another. Also, write as much as you can and read as much as you can. That’s the best way to learn and hone your craft.

TB: 8.) What can you tell us about any other books you’re writing?        

JA: I’ve just started working on a new book that I’m really excited about. The working title is Before I Wake. It’s

another psychological mystery, and it involves graffiti or “street art,” and dreams – what’s real and what’s not. That’s all I’m going to say about it for now!

TB: 9.) What is your current YA read? How are you liking it?

JA: I’m reading Chime by Franny Billingsley. It was a National Book Award finalist last year. I’m not far enough into the story yet to decide if I like it or not, but the writing is wonderful, and Billingsley’s  2001 novel The Folk Keeper was one of my favorite reads all those years ago. I remember it being dark and creepy, unique and poetic – the kind of story and writing that draws me in and holds me there until I’ve turned the last page.

The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer
Date Released:April 9, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 336 Pages
Format: ARC
Source: Blog Tour @ Itching for Books
Rating: Liked
Series: Standalone

Goodreads Synopsis:  Sometimes I forget for an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy.

For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.

But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.

From Goodreads

The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer is one of those book you have pretty high expectation because the the ARC's synopsis was blurbed as "for fans of Gayle Forman and Lauren Oliver"  and since are those as popular authors, I was so excited for this. I ended up liking it but not loving it, but when the pieces in this mysterious and quirky story began falling in place, it was addicting and I loved it. I definitely love to see more of Jennifer Archer's books too and hopefully this isn't her last! 

The Shadow Girl is one of those twisted, realistic, YA books that has that sudden plot twist you never saw coming and it has you racing for more. The main character  Lily was someone relatable and real. I could see where she was coming from and maybe a little more development could have been done but I loved her and when she started seeing everything make sense it was interesting seeing how she plays it all out, especially as a standalone. The other characters like Ty, Wyatt, and Iris were great. Jennifer also manages to weave both Lily and Iris's perspective was fluid and finding out what happens is crazy! 

The Shadow Girl is one of those books that depends on the characters to discover the plot and secrets. One thing that could have made the book even better was more development in the characters since it's a character driven book. Iris could have been more in the story, but we do discover so much about her, Lily, and their whole family, it had me gasping for the pages! And to my surprise, it's a standalone that leaves such an ending! Great job!



Overall, if you love a good YA contemporary with a little more pick up The Shadow Girl! It has suspense, action, and an ending that will leave you breathless! 

Find The Shadow Girl On:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday (#28) - The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

Why I'm Waiting For It: Wow..this one sounds like I can devour it in less than one day! I love those survival books, where the main character is always running and finding answers! It's so fun to read and I can't wait to pick up my netgalley copy of this for the blog tour!

Find The Rules for Disappearing On:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

2 Year Blogaversary Post + Giveaway!

I'm so excited that The Bookshelves is finally turning 2 Year Old! That means two years of hard blogging, post, followers, and awesomeness! I'll be sharing a giveaway, stats, and extra things :)

Stats:

GCF Followers: 432 Followers

Networked Blog Followers: 23 Followers

Feedburner Reader: 33 Readers

Pageviews: 56, 731 Readers

Posts: 350 Posts

The more I look at this it's such an achievement for me! I'm so happy I got this far and I can't wait to see where more blogging will take me!

The Giveaway:

Since I promised I would continue my 400 follower giveaway, I'll transfer the entries from there to a new giveaway. It's the same giveaway to win a whole box filled with books and swag! US only and must be 13+ to enter! I continue you to thank all of your awesomesauce followers for following and commenting! It means a lot! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Extra Things :)

Everyone who blog knows that it isn't easy at all. You can't do every single thing to the exact level and there must be some awesome people who helped who right? Here are some amazing blogger's that helped me along the way:

Jen @ YA Romantics: Jen is amazing! She writes review literally so fast, faster than me lol! We both did a readathon last year called, "Last Reads of 2012 Readathon" and it was great seeing how it turned out and the same goes for The Golden Lily trivia 2 years ago. Jen always has the latest reviews and cool features! She's definitely someone you can ask for help and experience :)

Eileen @ Singing and Reading in The Rain: Eileen is a super young blogger like me and her blog is huge! She's so fun to work with especially when both me and Jen organized the readathon with Eileen. Eileen has great organizational skills I picked up from her and she does great covers of songs too! Ask her to get a perspective as a young blogger!

Hayley @ YA-Aholic: Hayley is such a bubbly blogger that really is good on the design aspects like HTML in blogging! She helped me make the slideshow of the books above and her reviews on indie books are great! If you have any design questions she helps on her blog's facebook page a lot! Thanks!

and others like Sara @ Forever 17 Books, Janina @ Synchronized Reading, Valerie @ Stuck in Books etc! Thank so much! 

And that's it! Yet again, thanks so much for all the followers, reader, and bloggers who came and helped shape this blog! I'm happy with how far I came with publisher especially St. Martin's Press and great authors. THANKS SO SO SO MUCH!!

New To Shelves (#22) - The One where I Just Don't Have Time..

New To Shelves is a way to share all the great books I got this whole week and to add to my TBR Pile! It also includes a roundup of what's going to happen next week on the blog. It's a new name but similar meme.

I'll be linking up to:

I'm so excited for this week! Since..IT'S MY BLOGAVERSARY! Yes! The Bookshelves is turning 2 years old! I'm going to be doing a giveaway and a whole big post on Monday, that's when it's offical :) Hopefully, April turns out to be a good month and I get a lot of posts and have fun too. And CST here in California is at the end of the month so I'm basically going to be looking at textbooks the whole time. :D

Edelweiss: 

Starglass by Phoebe North

I'm on the blog tour for this one and I'm dying to pick it up! It looks so good and sounds good, I can't wait for my stop to share it with you!

Song On The Week:

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

That's all for me this week and hope you had a great week in blogging and reading! I'm loving the song above! I love Imagine Dragons and this one is a must listen! I also believe it's on The Host trailer so I got to see it soon!

This Week At The Blog:

Review of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - A heart warming romance

Waiting on Wednesday: Another Little Piece 

Follow Friday: Book Conventions

Coming Up This Week On The Blog:

Reviews of The Shadow Girl (For Blog Tour) 

Blogaversary Post + Giveaway on Monday! (Excited!)

Waiting on Wednesday, Follow Friday, and Teaser Tuesday 

Hope you had a great week! What's New To YOUR Shelves? :)

A Wondrous Debut: Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Date Released: January 3, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel and James
Pages: 387 Pages
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought at Barnes and Noble
Rating: LOVED
Series: Cinder #1

Goodreads Synopsis:  Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

From Goodreads

Cinder was one of the best debuts I read this year! It was such a great dystopian, that had a mix of a new concept of both cinderella and technology, it was smart. Marissa Meyer is so skilled at creating such a fast paced and well thought out world with an amazing hereoine  Cinder is a debut that will have you seeing the similarities of the fairy tale but also a new side of Marissa Meyer's smart imagination!

One of the best things I loved about Cinder was of course Cinder! She was so easy to relate to and she had a spunk to her that I was enchanted by. I can see where she came from living with her stepmother, Adri and her two sisters, Peony and Pearl. And a fairytale similarity we see is that she has a poor status working as a mechanic in the vast, technological city of New Beijing. I absolutely loved her gut, her wit, and the way she comes to society. She's true, real, and honest and Marissa Meyer does and skillful job of doing that. Plus the other characters, Kai and even Dr. Erland were amazing to read! Kai was surprisingly relatable, the same goes for Dr.Erland too!

Cinder focuses a lot on the plot with a touch of the characters to build the world and suspense. It's a book you have to read to find out how amazing it is! Everything, the writing, characters  and action! It all sizzles together to come up with an amazing book we call Cinder! The 3rd person POV actually worked in this book, we get into see the POV of Cinder, Kai, and others and it was done flawlessly. I loved that it wasn't as focused on the romance than the plotline which was a relief, especially in YA! One problem that I had with Cinder was maybe adding a bit more depth with Cinder's life to make it flow just a touch better. The ending was absolutely heart racing and action packed. Cinder goes through a lot and discovers so much about herself, I SO CAN'T WAIT FOR SCARLET!

Pick up Cinder quickly since you'll want to devour the next one instantly! If you're a fan of Veronica Roth or Suzanne Collins pick this one up! You'll love Kai and Cinder!

Find Cinder On:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Follow Friday (#22) - BEA, ALA, and RT Time! + Button?

Today's Question: 
We are about to see a lot of posts & tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend? Where and why?

My Answer:
I'm so jealous of all the people heading to BEA, ALA, and RT! They get to meet a whole bunch of authors, publishers, and books. ITS AMAZING! But luckily  I get a taste of it but here in California we have LA's Festival of Books at USC. I've been going for 2 year and I love everything about it! All the book tents, author panels, food, and the experience of just walking around it amazing! And it's this month it happens on April 20 and 21. I'm so excited to meet more authors like Cassandra Clare *Dies*, Lemony Snicket, Veronica Roth, Gayle Forman, etc.





Also, since I started a new design blog, would anyone want a button for a meme, giveaway, or blog button? Send me an email at naurto100200(at)hotmail(dot)com I'm excited to work with anyone for a perfect button

Button Me Up Designs

Exactly! This is going on my new to shelves on that week :D


What's Your Follow Friday? :)

Waiting on Wednesday (#27) - Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine

The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

Why I'm Waiting For It: Any book that mentions Stephan King and Sara Shepard is an intsa like for more already! I'm excited to pick this one up because of just the cover alone! It's so eerie and mysterious and the synopsis does the same! Also, I can't wait to share my interview with the author around the time the book comes out. 

Another Little Piece by  Kate Karyus Quinn comes out June 11, 2013 by HarperTeen

Find Another Little Piece On:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads