Banned Book Week Giveaway Blog Hop

 

This hop was organized by Kathy from  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Jen from I Read Banned Books.

Every year, the American Library Association, in conjunction with other organizations, sponsors Banned Book Week, a week for highlighting books that have been banned or challenged and encouraging discussion about banning and censorship. For more info, see this post.

Over 200 participating blogs are offering a banned book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. (See links at bottom of post.) The hop runs from Saturday, September 24th through Saturday, October 1st.

As part of the hop and in celebration of Banned Books Week, I have organized a series of guest posts and a couple of guest reviews of banned books by various authors. Additionally, many have generously donated books or gift cards. Please take a minute to stop by their sites or send them an email and thank them for participating this week. Of course, you can also buy their books. :P

Giveaway Details:

To enter the giveaways please 1) follow this blog, then 2) comment below. One comment will enter you in all of the giveaways for which you are eligible. Please note that some giveaways are international and some are limited to the US or Canada. All of the gift card giveaways are international. Please note in your comment what country you live in so I know which giveaways to enter you in, AND leave a way for me to contact you if you win.

ETA: Please DO NOT USE Kontactr to enter. You need to comment on the post. You should only use Kontactr if you do not want your contact info posted publicly. ALL other entry info MUST be in your post comment. I have many people who have incorrectly entered via Kontactr and whose entries will not count.

Each giveaway has one winner unless otherwise specified.

The Last Day to Enter is 10/1/11, 11:59PM EST.

See my Giveaway Policy. 

Optional Extra Entries:

+1 Be or become my friend on Goodreads.  (if you'd rather, you can just follow my reviews, it will still count)
+1 Follow on Twitter
+1 Have a confirmed email subscription

If you choose to do any of the optional extra entries, please note them in your comment and include a link to your profile. You only need to comment ONCE - put all of your entry info in your comment. Thanks :)
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Giveaway #1 International

From the blog, one winner can choose any one of the banned books listed below and I will order it from The Book Depository. As long as you live in a country that they ship to, you can enter this giveaway. 

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Hard to read but gripping)
2. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (I like this series)
3. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (I love this series)
5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (one of my all time favorite books)
6. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George 
7. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
8. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
9.  Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Giveaway #2 US & CA

Paranormal Author Kelley Armstrong, author of "Women of the Otherworld" and "The Darkest Powers", has generously donated 5 books from the ALA's 2010 "most frequently challenged" list. There will be one winner for each book, so five winners total. This one is open to US residents only.

1. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, paperback 
2. Twilight: The Twilight Saga Book 1 by Stephenie Meyer, mass market paperback 
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, paperback
4. Lush by Natasha Friend, paperback
5. Crank by Ellen Hopkins, hardcover

Giveaway #3 International

PNR & UF author, Keri Arthur, is kindly donating an Amazon gift card in the amount of $20 US, 20 UK or 20 Aust. (winners choice)  :)

Giveaway #4 International

Erotic romance author Morgan Ashbury has generously donated a $30 gift card to Amazon. 

Giveaway #5 International

YA authors Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman, are donating a $25US Amazon gift card. 

Giveaway #6 US

PNR Author Yasmine Galenorn is donating a copy of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Giveaway #7 International

Speculative Fiction author Laura Anne Gilman is donating a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.

Giveaway #8 International 

UF author Nicole Peeler is donating a banned book of the winner's choice, up to $15US, shipped from Amazon.                    

Giveaway #9 US & CA 

Urban Fantasty author Linda Poitevin, whose debut novel Sins of the Angels, releases on the 27th, is donating "And Tango Makes Three". 



Giveaway #10 International 

PNR author D.B. Reynolds is donating a banned or challenged book - winner's choice, shipped directly from Amazon.  

Giveaway #11 US

Simon & Schuster is donating a copy of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

Giveaway #12 International

Mystery and YA author Kari Lee Townsend is donating a $25US Amazon gift card.

Review of "Targets of Opportunity" by Jeffrey S. Stephens

Publisher: Gallery Books

Release Date: Aug. 30, 2011

Buying Info:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Amazon):

THE ENEMY HAS A THOUSAND WAYS TO STRIKE. WE HAVE JUST ONE WAY TO RETALIATE. HIS NAME IS JORDAN SANDOR. 

 In Targets of Deception, which suspense master Robert K. Tanenbaum called “a fast-paced thriller,” Jeffrey Stephens introduced CIA agent Jordan Sandor, whom bestselling author Steve Alten praised as “terrific.” Now Sandor is back, playing for bigger stakes and facing deadlier challenges. 

Whisked from his Manhattan town house to a gabled CIA safe house in Virginia, Sandor faces off with a top terrorist agent from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In exchange for protection from his own side, Ahmad Jaber is offering the CIA explosive information: word of a secret, unholy alliance forged among operatives in the Middle East, a ruthless South American, and Kim Jong-Il’s North Korea. Jaber claims not to know specific details, only that the strike will target the heart of America. 

The fanatics stage a stunning diversion in the Caribbean, mercilessly downing a passenger jet and unleashing an assault on a French intelligence installation. Sandor, however, has already moved in a different direction. Leveraging Jaber’s information, he assembles a small strike force to penetrate North Korea. The team knows they will not all return, but the intel they gather will be vital to American security.

As a storm rages in the Gulf of Mexico, word comes that two submarines have penetrated U.S. waters. With the U.S. military hampered by the hurricane, Sandor turns to a few daring U.S. Navy SEALs to duel with the enemy they cannot see . . . for now they know only that there are two nuclear weapons aimed at a target of opportunity whose destruction would change the world order forever. 

Brilliantly conceived, electrifyingly paced, Targets of Opportunity captures a terrifying twenty-first century reality: terrorists can—and will—try as many times as they need to attack the United States. For the brave men and women who defend our country, failure is not an option.

Teaser: "If he doesn't give us everything he has, and I mean right now, then all deals are off." "Understood." "You tell him from me, if he screws with us I'll feed him to Jordan Sandor, one piece at a time."

My Thoughts:

Stephens takes current events, mixes them with common thriller and suspense tropes and ends up with a fast paced political thriller that will keep you engrossed to the end. He shows us events from the perspectives of  the book's hero, Sandor; the defector whom Sandor hates but must now deal with, Jaber; and the mastermind of the events, Adina. Adina and Jaber are better fleshed out while Sandor is more of a cardboard thriller hero - rogue and rule breaker, check; ladies man, check; only man who can save the world, check; a loner, check; a true blue American patriot who sees the world in only black and white. There's not a lot of depth to his character. Sandor, like most political thriller heroes (or even other thrillers) is the type of hero who works hard, plays hard, and lives life to the fullest. He's loyal to his country, right or wrong, and his men, and would willingly sacrifice his own life to save theirs. 


Adina started as an idealist, he believed in his causes, but that slowly changed over time. Now, he delights in causing mayhem to his enemies and firmly believes that might makes right. He despises the materialism of Western society while indulging himself in it; he acknowledges his hypocrisy but doesn't care. He is also a master at manipulating events and people and though he's a careful planner, he is able to adjust rapidly when circumstances demand it.

I have to say that I actually sort of liked Jaber. He's a terrorist, and proud of it but Stephens takes us deeper. I wish he had done that with Sandor. Adina is in the middle, more developed than Sandor but less so than Jaber. Anyway, we spend time in Jaber's head and also see his genuine feelings for his country, his religion and his wife. I even, at times, understood why he did what he did while disagreeing with his actions. Stephens presents him in a sympathetic light while never letting us forget the atrocities that he committed.
     
Stephens spins out the story a bit at a time, never completely revealing what's going on but unveiling the details, and the twists and turns, so that most of the time, we learn what's going on at the same time that  Sandor and his associates do. This despite the fact that we spend part of the book in Adina's head. Stephens is careful to not reveal anything before he's ready for us to know it but it never feels like he's straining to hide anything. The plot is complicated and a bit over-the-top but it also felt scarily real. The story is fast paced, there's a lot going on, and with all of the twists and turns and secondary characters, I sometimes felt that I needed a scorecard. It's definitely not a book to read in fits and starts like I did. It's best read in a few sittings.

About one hundred pages into the story I was wondering how on earth the book was going to stretch out to over four hundred pages, things were going so fast. I was worried that Stephens might pad it and unnecessarily stretch it out. Instead, the books length comes from the twists and turns and the details that Stephens sprinkles here and there. It could have a bit of trimming towards the end, but otherwise it's length

 I received this hardcover from the publisher for review.

Review of "Garden of Secrets" by Barbara Freethy

Publisher: Pocket Star


Release Date: September 20, 2011


Series: #5 (and final)  in Angel's Bay

Author website: Barbara Freethy

Buying Info: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from press kit):

Charlotte Adams is torn between two men.  Her first love from high school, Andrew, is now a minister, following in her father’s footsteps.  He wants a second chance, but she can’t imagine living her mother’s life.  Joe is the compelling and charismatic chief of police, who until recently belonged to someone else.  Does she want to be his second choice?

Her attempts to resolve her feelings and make peace with the secrets from her past put Charlotte in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Suddenly, she is under investigation—forced to face not only an old nemesis, but also the lost dreams of her youth.  And with love, marriage, family and friendships all at stake, Charlotte, Joe, and Andrew must discover that the truth is best seen through the eyes of love.



Teaser: A reckless yearning filled her heart, and her mother's words echoed through her head. She didn't want to end up alone, but she did have a problem giving up control. Wasn't that the reason she'd dashed up the stairs at the manor? Because she'd been afraid that she wouldn't be able to control the situation?


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My Thoughts:

Reading "Garden of Secrets" reminded me at times of the seventies song, "Torn Between Two Lovers" - like the singer, Charlotte loves both men and has a hard time choosing between them. Unlike the singer, she's not actually involved with both men, partly because she doesn't think it's the right thing to do and partly because she's scared and uncertain. One man, Andrew, was her first love but things ended badly between them. Now, he's a minister at the church where her father, now dead, was the minister. The other man, Joe, is the town's police chief and getting a divorce from his wife, but technically still married. She's attracted to both but also hesitant.

Charlotte has a deep need to be in control and falling in love requires letting go. She's finished with medical school, her internship and her residency so she has time now for a social life since she's no longer working 70+ hours a week, but she has trouble letting people in, including her family and friends.

Charlotte is an Ob/Gyn who returned home to Angel’s Bay over a year ago. She returned when her father died and ended up staying, living with her mother and getting a job at the local hospital. The story opens up with Charlotte reluctantly attending a fancy New Year’s Eve party at the mayor's house. He and his wife bought the house recently and want to show it off. They're not very well liked in town but everyone wants to see their house. At midnight, Charlotte runs away from both Andrew and Joe, to avoid deciding which man to kiss, and gets caught up in an attack on the mayor's wife.


Before long, Charlotte is a suspect in the attack and subsequent jewelry theft. Joe, the police chief, believes she is innocent but proving it is another matter. The mayor is convinced she is responsible, unreasonably so at times. As you might imagine, the investigation, and Charlotte's status as a suspect don't help the relationship between them. Nor does Charlotte help herself by ignoring warnings to stay away from the mayor and his wife: she visits Theresa, the mayors wife, in the hospital; goes for an early morning run by their house after the attack; pesters their housekeeper when she shows up for an appointment with another doctor; etc. 


Meanwhile, Theresa's sister Pamela has returned to town and that causes problems for both Charlotte and Andrew. Pamela was her nemesis in high school and even as an adult has the ability to make Charlotte feel gawky and awkward. It doesn't help that  Pamela slept with Andrew while he was involved with Charlotte in high school and was responsible for their breakup. Pamela's back and wants to rekindle her fling with Andrew, who is only interested in Charlotte. They also share a secret past, one Andrew would rather that his parish didn't find out about.


It's all very soap opera-ish but enjoyable. Andrew and Joe both could have been fleshed out a bit more but what we saw was likable and they both seemed like people I might actually know or meet. Charlotte was more fleshed out and felt very believable, especially her difficult relationship with her mother. Despite the mayor's assertions, no one else in town seriously considers Charlotte a suspect in the attack. I admit, the mayor harping on her as a suspect never made sense, it didn't feel believable. The alleged motive he cast for her was utter crap but he was very insistent and I kept wondering where Freethy was going with it. Ultimately, nothing came of it except to conveniently cast Charlotte as a suspect and thus force her and Joe to spend more time together. 


I liked both Andrew and Joe but I was rooting for Joe and Charlotte to get together, they seem a better couple to me. The qualms she has about both men were realistic and I could see the appeal each man held for her. Who gets together? Read and find out.


The mystery was so-so, but the romance was sweet and all of the characters in the book were pleasant and enjoyable. Although it's the fifth book, it works well as a stand-alone. I hadn't read the previous books and I had no difficulty following the story nor did Freethy give us the dreaded info dump. I did wonder if the previous books might have given some insight into the mayor's enmity towards Charlotte, but otherwise, reading it as a stand-alone was no problem.


A few quotes to whet your appetite:

He wondered if one of the reasons she held back from truly allowing him back into her life was that he'd taken over for her father. When she saw him, she saw her dad. When she thought of being with him, she saw her mother in her role as the minister's wife.

'Pamela.' She stopped. 'I buried her underneath some tree branches! We have to go get her.'

His hand slipped inside her panties, making her even hotter. She kicked off her jeans, impatient to be rid of her clothes and his. 

 I received this paperback from the publisher for review.

Birthday Giveaway! Red's Wolf by PJ Schnyder

September 25th would have been my mother's 86th birthday. She died when she was 58, after a 2 year battle with breast cancer. I was a senior in high school. My oldest sibling had died six months earlier in a car accident and her doctor warned us at the time that we would probably see a deterioration in her condition in response to his death. We did. Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children. Still, she didn't give up fighting entirely and she even continued to smoke cigarettes until she was put on oxygen. When she was first diagnosed with cancer, they checked her lungs since she was a heavy smoker for 30+ years. Her lungs were clear, surprisingly so, and so she kept smoking until she absolutely couldn't.

So what does all of that have to do with the giveaway? Well, the publisher of "Red's Wolf", Decadent Publishing, has a program called "Read for a Cure". Each month, they choose one book and donate all of the the publisher profits to the Relay for Life, a series of annual events (marathons, etc.) that benefit the American Cancer Society.  This month's book is "Red's Wolf".

The author of "Red's Wolf" also had her birthday this month and is an acquaintance of mine. My mother, before she had to retire due to her cancer, was an English teacher and loved books and reading. She introduced me to my first romance book (I'm pretty sure it was a Rosemary Rogers title; I have no clue what my mother was thinking, lol.)

Soooo, in honor of my mother, to celebrate her birthday, and as an easy way to donate to the American Cancer Society, I am giving away a Kindle version of this book. It's open internationally. The winner will have the book Kindle gifted to them from me via Amazon. You don't have to actually have a Kindle, you can have the app on your computer or smart phone. Go here to see the options and download the app, if you want it. Using the app, you  can purchase (or receive) Kindle books and read them without ever buying a Kindle.

ETA: I just looked at Barnes & Noble and it's available there too, so the winner can choose the Kindle book or the Nook book. They also have free apps for reading their digital books so you don't actually need a Nook.

There's more! PJ has offered to donate some signed cover flats. I'll mail those out to the lucky winner of the book. And, if the winner is interested, I'll also throw in a bar of hand made glycerin soap with the breast cancer ribbon on it. The winner can choose from unscented, rose, lavender or lavender vanilla.

What do you have to do to win all this? Well, I'd love it if you made a donation to whatever organization in your state/province/country works to fight cancer, but that's not a requirement. Leave a comment about something you might do, or have done, in honor of your parents. Simple as that. Oh, don't forget to read the giveaway policy.

The giveaway will run from now through 11:59 PM EST of September 25th. If in doubt about the time, see the clock widget in the right hand column.

Review of "Senior Year Bites" by J.A. Campbell

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Release date: June 22, 2011


Buying Info:  Amazon     Decadent Publishing

Book Blurb (from Decadent Publishing):

Senior year is supposed to be fun: boys, dances and graduation.

It's significantly harder to enjoy it when you’re dead.
Truth or Dare is supposed to be fun too. It’s not even close to dangerous, so playing at Steph's house didn't seem like a bad idea. My dare? Spend the rest of the night in the graveyard next to her house. It was only a couple of hours until false dawn, my proscribed return time, so no big deal right? Right.

I survived the attack, but it took me a few days to figure out what was going on. I mean vampires might stalk pop culture, but they're just myths. Yeah. Not so much.

School is a lot more difficult when you're a nocturnal creature of the night. I was managing, but I couldn't keep it hidden from my friends for long. After I managed to accidentally save one of our cheerleaders from her drunk and ill-intentioned boyfriend. Steph decided that we should be cool, like superheroes, and fight crime.

Only I’m a vampire, not a hero, and we live in a sleepy New England town, so crime's a little harder to come by. At least it is until a serial killer moves into the area. He’s got the authorities stumped, but then again, the cops don't have a teenage, blood-sucking, non-hero on their team.

Word count – 54k

 

In my last couple of reviews, I added quotes to give readers an idea of the writer's style and what I liked or didn't like about it or just thought was fun or interesting. I'm going to do that for most reviews from now on. With this one, I'm adding a teaser feature also, a mini excerpt, a paragraph usually, that might pique your interest in the book. I'll do that for most future reviews, also.

 

 *This review contains minor spoilers*

 

My Thoughts:

Teaser: I wondered what her name was. Though I could identify her by her reek, I didn't think either Steph or Ann would appreciate me calling  her "reeks of lavender" out loud.

That was almost too much, even for me. I had to believe in vampires, but I couldn't help picturing Tinker Bell flying around and sprinkling faerie dust on people that had been killed. I snorted.

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I've been a fan of Campbell's writing since her first installment of her "Into the West" series (and I'm impatiently waiting for the last two installments.) This book has similarities in style to that short story series: a minimum of angst (though there's more in this one, but it's not overdone), humor, an easy, light way of writing, and teens who are a little bit goody two shoes but believable. She also avoids details that might date the story - music, cars, clothes, etc are not referred to by brand except generically ie Meg drives a Jeep but that's all the detail we get. I like that sparseness, there's enough detail to visualize what's happening and fill in the blanks but she doesn't drown you in detail or get all trendy or drop names. The focus is the story and the characters. 

The main characters are Meg and her friends, who are high school students and college students; what few adults we see have little page time. I was somewhat disappointed actually that we didn't see more of Meg's mother. We're told, often, how worried she is and we see her worry but we learn little about her and her interactions with Meg are mostly "honey, why aren't you eating?" (she doesn't know that Meg's a vampire now), "you're so tired these days" and "Yes, you can go to a sleepover at Steph's" house. The focus is on the teen characters but I really would have liked more depth to the adults.

That aside, I really enjoyed this book. The story starts after Meg has been bitten. Her attacker didn't stick around but took off and Meg is taking the sink or swim course in learning how to be a vampire. Later in the story she gets help from an unexpected source. Meg has a lot to learn - how to live as vampire (simple things like remembering to wear her coat while outside in the middle of winter are a challenge for her), dealing with her family, friends, and even high school as a vampire, and, when a supernatural killer comes to town and starts targeting her food ie humans that she's fed from, she grapples with hunting him down and embracing her inner vampire. The scene near the end, where she lets lets her vampire self have full reign in dealing with the killer, is both bittersweet and victorious. She stops the killer and saves her friends but has to let go of a piece of her humanity to do so.

As the story goes along, Meg's friends also have to learn how to cope with her and their relationships change. They also collect some new acquaintances and form an updated Scooby Doo gang, inspired more by Buffy's version than the original, cartoon version. The interactions are enjoyable and come off as believable, something that can be challenging for YA authors.

The world building is light, but she's working on the next book so we may see more in that one. The supernatural world in this book is has vampires and faerie so far; I hope will see more supernatural species, maybe werewolves (bats eyelashes), in future books. We get a glimpse of the faerie world via one of the characters, who also gives us, and Meg, info about vampires. The faerie, who seem to be traditionally based, and vampires, who also seem to have traditional characteristics, do not get along. At first, he doesn't trust Meg, simply because she's a vampire and she dislikes him, he makes the hair on her neck rise and she's suspicious of his relationship with her friend Ann.

The story is set in New England but there's little of a New England feel to the story; it really felt as if it could have happened in any state in the US that has four seasons. (I live in New England and have for most of my life) Also, the school closing for heavy snow was unlikely in the manner in which it happened. The sparseness of details, which I mostly like, may have contributed to the lack of place; I don't know how much research she did but I know she has researched the setting for the next one.

There were some loose ends at the end of the story - Why does Ann speak in a somewhat unnatural, very formal manner? ("It is okay. She is very self-centered. Candice is much better." and "Okay, then we will not have to fight traffic.") What's the connection between the group of teenagers, including Ann's new friends, who moved here simultaneously, and at the same time as Meg's "accident", and recent events? Is there a connection or is it just a red herring? Why did the killer change focus from targeting Meg's victims to girls who resembled Ann? Was Alexander just using Ann to get to Meg? I hope these will be addressed in the next book.

When you get down to it, despite my quibbles, I enjoyed this book and have read it several times now. I like the characters, her mix of vampires and faerie, her style and the overall story.

The reviewer owns this ebook.

Review of "The Little Bride" by Anna Solomon

Publisher: Riverhead Trade

Release Date: September 6, 2011

Buying Info: Amazon     The Book Depository


Book Blurb (from ):

When 16-year-old Minna Losk journeys from Odessa to America as a mail-order bride, she dreams of a young, wealthy husband, a handsome townhouse, and freedom from physical labor and pogroms. But her husband Max turns out to be twice her age, rigidly Orthodox, and living in a one-room sod hut in South Dakota with his two teenage sons. The country is desolate, the work treacherous. Most troubling, Minna finds herself increasingly attracted to her older stepson. As a brutal winter closes in, the family's limits are tested, and Minna, drawing on strengths she barely knows she has, is forced to confront her despair, as well as her desire.

My Thoughts:

I wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting - a young Jewish girl emigrates to the US as a mail order bride and what she finds isn't what she expected. As if emigrating to another country with a different culture and language aren't challenging enough, she's off to marry a man she's never met and basically knows nothing about. There were so many possibilities here that I was sure I'd like the book. But, although Solomon is an evocative writer, especially with description, the book fell flat for me. I had a hard time finishing it, I didn’t really enjoy reading it. 

It's a well written book, with delineated characters, evocative descriptions and enough historical detail to add depth and atmosphere without drowning you in it. But, I was never able to connect with Minna. She is walled off emotionally for much of the book, and our lives are so different that there were few commonalities. As a result, with no connection of any kind, much of the time I simply didn't care what happened.Additionally, Solomon's writing could be very dry, it ranged from almost lyrical to dry as dust. 

"The Little Bride" is in some respects a coming-of-age book. Minna, despite a hard life, is, at times, not as mature as you might expect of a girl her age, in her circumstances; at other times, she seems mature, if not wise, beyond her years. We see her grow, change and mature over the novel.

The very first chapter was promising as we see Minna undergo her exam to be approved as a bride for the service that she signed up for. There's a physical exam and some mental tests and we see, and to a lesser extent, feel her anxiety, her discomfort and her shame while she is stripped, poked, prodded and treated as lesser. The disconnect that we see between Minna and what's happening made sense under the circumstances but that disconnect continues all through the book. It may be that Solomon was trying to show us her isolation and alienation with this technique, but in my case, it left me unable to connect with or care about Minna. I don't think I'm adequately explaining why it didn't work for me, I don't seem to be able to accurately put it into words. 

A few random samples of Solomon's descriptions:

The horse and mule, hitched together, formed a maimed, listing beast.

 She tried not to be annoyed that the talk of an attack had passed, too; that the glitter in the streets wasn't broken glass but the fog's residue, lit with sun; that she had not been anointed a refugee.

 But before she could find God, or even the sky, her eyes were drawn to an open window, where, next to a tall red geranium, a thick, strong arm was waving.

In the end, this was a decently written story, and Solomon has a gift for description, but it was also dry and often emotionless.

I received this paperback from the publisher for review.

Review of "Drink, Slay, Love" by Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Buying Links:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Amazon):

Pearl is your typical sixteen-year-old vampire—until the night a unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops. Now she’s experiencing a number of alarming symptoms: noticing her own reflection, feeling sympathy for a human victim, and being able to withstand the sun. Pearl’s immunity to sunlight thrills her family, who enroll her in high school so she can lure home tasty friends. Pearl quickly discovers that high school is very similar to vampire culture with its rigid rules, clear social hierarchy, and a might-makes-right attitude. But having a conscience makes it hard to cope with an evil plot the Vampire King has in store for the local humans. Will Pearl overcome her bloodsucking instincts in favor of her newly acquired conscience? 

This acerbic antidote to other vampire romances is rife with gorgeous vampires, handsome were-unicorns, high school drama, and lots of action! 

My Thoughts:

I couldn't resist a book that had both unicorns and vampires. I can't believe I never before thought of a unicorn's horn as a stake. Oh, probably because stakes are traditionally wooden. Well, that detail aside, a unicorn horn seems to be an obvious stake - unicorns are all about goodness and light and purity whereas vampires are not. They also seem, in retrospect, an obvious choice for being vampire hunters. If you agree, you'll probably like this book.

Though this is a paranormal YA book, it lacks much of the angst often found in YA or paranormals. Nor do these vampires sparkle, not physically and not emotionally. Emotions are viewed as a weakness and family is not a loving, supportive unit but one full of minefields, high standards (not that those can't be found in human families) and intense physical and mental discipline. Vampires in this world are mostly born, not made. Made vampires are considered lesser and treated as such. Humans? Food. That's it. Nothing more and sometimes less.  Pearl is out hunting for food early in the book, and see some teens gathered around a table. 

Seniors, she guessed, pulling the traditional spring-semester all-nighters. Otherwise known as, dessert.

Pearl is smart, sassy, snarky, arrogant, very cyncical for being only sixteen and in a fix. After being staked by a unicorn, her family believes she's lying because unicorns don't exist, but suddenly she can tolerate daylight. Her family is quick to take advantage of this new ability, despite believing that she's lying about the unicorn, and set Pearl to hunting up sufficient food, ie humans to feed an entire gala's worth of vampires. The vampire king is coming to town and the honor of Pearl's family is at stake (ha ha). She does this by joining the local high school. Pearl in a human high school is a sight to see. Her internal monologue is sharp, witty and pointed. Durst skewers much of the traditional goings on and teen behavior in an American high school.Pearl's new duties don't excuse her from the ones she already has and she quickly becomes tired, staying awake all night and all day. Her family cuts her no slack and won't tolerate complaints. There are a few scenes involving punishment that had me squirming but for the most part, it's not a violent book.

We see the gradual changes in Pearl that occur as the result of her staking, her subsequent healing and return to unlife, and her exposure to human teenagers in high school. She even makes friends, a concept that puzzles her at first. Humans are food, maybe occasionally pets, but equals? friends? Unthinkable. Impossible. And yet, Pearl has a new BFF, Bethany, who is so relentlessly cheerful, bubbly, friendly, kind and helpful that you just KNOW she's more than she seems. Evan is a sort of boyfriend and not what he seems either, at times he seems too kind, compassionate, polite and well mannered to be real. Despite Pearl's changes, she doesn't lose her arrogance, her confidence, her sass or her snark. She's still Pearl, but a Pearl whose worldview has changed.

The secondary characters are well developed and Durst takes the teen stereotypes and stakes them through the heart. The grownups are slightly more stereotypical but still manage to be neither nincompoops nor abusers. The story is a bit slow at the beginning as Durst sets up the storyline but it picks up. This book is smart, funny, clear eyed, and original. It takes the vampire tale, blends with unicorn mythology and creates a delightful, hilarious, occasionally creepy story.

I did a lot of laughing while reading this book. Below are a few of  my favorite quotes:

"Chubby said, 'Yeah, we totally want to worship you.' Pearl smiled at them. 'That would be lovely.' "
 
" 'A brush with extinction does not excuse unladylike behaviour. You weren't raised by in a barn.' "  (Pearl's mother talking to Pearl.) 


" 'You smell of humans,' Mother said.....'Stand,' Mother said as Pearl reached the chair. 'I do not want the smell to seep into the upholstery. "

" 'Well, this is all very nice. but I have to run. Go on, shoo. Go poop...rainbows...or whatever it is you do.' " (Pearl's first encounter with the unicorn, pre-staking.)

I received an eARC from Simon & Schuster.

One Lovely Blog Award

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I received my first blog award, from the very kind Book BagLady. As you see from the picture above, it's called "One Lovely Blog Award". This was a delightful surprise. Thanks so much Louise, aka Book BagLady. :)

There are two very simple rules that accompany this award:

1.  Share "7" facts about yourself and...
2.  Pass this award on to "15" other deserving blog owners

"7" Random Facts About Me:

1) I'm scared of burns - sunburns, grease burns, etc. I'm terrified.
2) My paternal grandmother hated my given name and right up to my baptsim, tried to convince my parents to change it.
3) I can eat an entire can of black olives in one sitting.
4) I love to watch NCIS and Law & Order.
5) I once dated a guy  I met via a wrong number.
6) Despite all of the social media that I do, I'm actually pretty shy and awkward in social situations.
7) I was an Air Force brat. My siblings and I were each born in a different state.


Ok, now to pass this onto 15 other deserving bloggers:


1) Jax at Tangled Yarns
2) Kyla Holt
3) Reading the Paranormal
4) There's A Book
5) Mary (Bookhounds)  
6) D.B. Reynolds
7) J.A. Campbell
8) P.J. Schnyder
9) Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories
10) Krista D. Ball
11) Seleste deLaney
12) Book Chick City
13) Simply Junebug
14) Pia Newman
15) Brittanys Thoughts

Now, go forth and spread the loveliness. :)