Blog Tour (Review) of SPILL ZONE #2: THE BROKEN VOW Written by Scott Westerfeld and Illustrated by Alex Puvilland (YA)

*A finished-hardcover copies of  SPILL ZONE and THE BROKEN VOW (Spill Zone #2) were sent to me for free by the publisher, Macmillan, for an honest review. All thoughts here are my very own. Any problems, concerns, questions, etc. please contact me via email - thebumblegirl@rocketmail.com - Thank you!

SPILL ZONE: THE BROKEN VOW

Spill Zone #2

Written by Scott Westerfeld

Illustrated by Alex Puvilland

Release date: July 10th, 2018

Published by First Second (Macmillan) 

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian/Sci-Fi Mystery 

Format: Hardcover, eBook

Format read: Hardcover

SUMMARY

All hell breaks loose in the second volume of New York Times-bestselling author Scott Westerfeld's visionary graphic novel duology.

Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Strange manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. Addison got close enough to the Spill Zone to touch it, literally. She survived the encounter but came back changed.

It turns out she's not alone. North Korea has its own Spill Zone, and a young man named Don Jae is the only one who made it out alive. Alive, but changed. Now Addison, Don Jae, and, curiously, a rag doll named Vespertine, share an unholy bond and uncanny powers.

From Scott Westerfeld, the inspired imagination behind the New York Times bestsellers UGLIES and LEVIATHAN, comes THE BROKEN VOW, the second volume of our highly anticipated new graphic novel series. 

MY REVIEW

*A finished-hardcover copies of  SPILL ZONE and THE BROKEN VOW (Spill Zone #2) were sent to me for free by the publisher, Macmillan, for an honest review. All thoughts here are my very own.

Another page-turner! So much action and the story continues to flow effortlessly!

THE BROKEN VOW picks up right where book one left off... 

Addison has sold off the last of her pictures from the zone and now has enough money to "retire" and take care of her sister, Lexi. But. It seems that Addison may have spent too much time in the zone and she is feeling a bit off... and she not only learns that her Lexi's crazed doll has a huge role in why the Spill happened; there is also another survivor from a different Spill that happened in North Korea who comes looking for Addison for help. Together, they try to understand and figure out why the Spill happened and how to either control the Zone or end it all... 

And guys - the creepy doll, named Vespertine, is still creepy as all heck!

But she's also sassy and kind of grows on you. Trust me - you'll be rooting for her halfway through the storyline! 

Again, the illustrations are so vividly bright and yet still so eerie! The colors make the "monsters" look animated enough to jump off the page. And the style is just right - realistic enough to make the story creepier than it is already, but hard to look away. You really don't want to miss a single detail.

My one and an only TINY little bit of gripe with this book - I want more! 

Although we do get some answers and things seem to end on a well enough note, there is still potential for more and I still have a few questions...

I definitely recommend this series to those who not only enjoy graphic novels and comic books but to someone who really loves to immerse themselves into a new world with an open mind and vivid imagination. There is just so much that these books have to offer!

Check out the first volume in the

SPILL ZONE series now!

SPILL ZONE

Written by Scott Westerfeld

Illustrated by Alex Puvilland

Release date: May 2nd, 2017

Published by First Second (Macmillan) 

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian/Sci-Fi Mystery 

Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Format read: Hardcover

Paperback edition

SUMMARY

Nobody's ever really explained the Spill. 

Was it an angelic visitation? A nanotech accident? A porthole opening from another world?

Whatever it was, no one's allowed in the Spill Zone these days except government scientists and hazmat teams. But a few intrepid explorers know how to sneak through the patrols and steer clear of the dangers inside the Zone. 

Addison Merrick is one such explorer, dedicated to finding out what happened that night and to unraveling the events that took her parents and left her little sister mute and disconnected from the world.

Here is my 5-star review of it!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld is a New York Times bestselling author of YA. He was born in Texas and now lives in Sydney and New York City. In 2001, Westerfeld married fellow author Justine Larbalestier.

He is best known for the Uglies and Leviathan series, and his next book, Afterworlds, comes out September 23, 2014.

His book Evolution's Darling was a New York Times Notable Book and won a Special Citation for the 2000 Philip K. Dick Award. So Yesterday won a Victorian Premier's Award and both Leviathan and Midnighters 1: The Secret Hour won Aurealis Awards. Peeps and Uglies were both named as Best Books for Young Adults 2006 by the American Library Association.

GOODREADS / WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR - Alex Puvilland

GOODREADS

Cover Reveal: ECHOES by Alice Reed (YA)

"Trust no one. Fear everything."

I am so excited to be able to share this cover reveal with you today!
ECHOES by Alice Reed sounds like an amazing, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat kind of book!
The summary sounds similar to the TV show, LOST... 

I cannot wait to read this book!

But first, a look at the stunning cover... what do you think???

ECHOES

by Alice Reeds

Expected release date: August 7th, 2018

Published by Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult 

Format: Paperback, eBook

SUMMARY

"Fast-paced and thrilling. ECHOES is a heart-pounding and addictive love story."

- Mia Siegert, author of JERKBAIT

They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to.

Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discover, something else is on the island with them.

Something that won't let them leave alive.

ECHOES is a thrilling adventure about confronting the impossible, discovering love in the most unexpected places, and, above all, finding hope in the face of the unknown.

Pre-order ECHOES now!!!

Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Entangled Publishing

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Alice Reeds

Alice Reed was born in a small town in Germany but spent her first eight years in Florida, USA. Later on, she moved back to Europe, where her family moved around a lot. She was raised trilingual and has a basic understanding of Russian, read and spoken. 

After getting her International Baccalaureate Diploma, Alice is studying English Language and Literature at University. 

In her free time, Alice mostly writes, reads, figure and/or roller skates, or watches countless let's plays and figure skating videos.

Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon / Entangled Publishing

Cover Reveal: DECEPTION SO DARK (Deception So #2) by Clara Kensie (YA)

I am so happy to be able to share the cover reveal to the next book in Clara Kensie's DECEPTION SO series today!!! And even more happy for Clara, who has finally been able to release her stories the way they were meant to be told... the DECEPTION SO series was originally published as the RUN TO YOU serial series and the winner of the prestigious RITA® AWARD for BEST FIRST BOOK!!! It is a wonderful psychic thriller, with a swoony romance... and the next book will be released in just a few short weeks!!!

 So I hope you're ready for Tristan's... I mean, for another thrilling part of Tessa's AND Tristan's story :) 

And if you haven't read the first book yet, you must!!!... or, I may have to rethink our bookish friendship ;) 

* * * * * 

DECEPTION SO DARK

Deception So #2

by Clara Kensie

Expected release date: February 13th, 2018

Published by: Snowy Wings Publishing

Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi, Thriller, Romance

Format: Paperback, eBook

Cover design by Key of Heart Designs

SUMMARY

Dark as a starless night and black as a cavern of coal...

With no more secrets to keep them apart, Tessa and Tristan embark upon a desperate search to find her missing brother and sister. But not even Tristan can keep Tessa safe from her new - and volatile - psionic power, or from the Nightmare Eyes that seem to watch her even when she's awake.

As the Nightmare Eyes grow stronger, the hope of finding her siblings fades - until a new lead sends Tessa on a dangerous journey, one that a psychic has foretold ends in her death. And one that will force her to choose between Tristan and her siblings - and defeat an enemy she never knew she had in order to save them all. 

Originally published as Run to You parts 4 – 6, Deception So Dark is Book Two of the RITA® Award-winning Deception So series, a super-romantic thriller about a psychic family on the run from a deadly past, and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies, and danger. 

Deception So Dark is available for preorder now! 

You can also add it to your Goodreads here.

* * * * * 

Praises for DECEPTION SO DEADLY

"A dark, suspenseful, and romantic ride!" - USA Today

"The perfect blend of mystery, romance, paranormal thrills, and danger." - Mundie Mums

"A well-written YA paranormal read, with welcome dashes of thrills and plot twists, Kensie has written a gripping and engaging series that features great family dynamics and the enormity of first love." - RT Book Review 

* * * * * 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Clara Kensie

Clara Kensie grew up near Chicago, reading every book she could find and using her diary to write stories about a girl with psychic powers who solved mysteries. She purposely did not hide her diary, hoping someone would read it and assume she was writing about herself. Since then, she's swapped her diary for a computer and admits her characters are fictional, but otherwise, she hasn't changed one bit.

Today, Clara is a RITA Award-winning author of dark fiction for young adults. Her debt, the super-romantic psychic thriller DECEPTION SO series, was named an RT Book Review Editors Pick for Best Books of 2014, and DECEPTION SO Book One: DECEPTION SO DEADLY, is the winner of the prestigious 2015 RITA Award for Best First Book. The first two books in the series, originally released as the six-part RUN TO YOU digital serial in 2014, are being released in print with new DECEPTION SO titles and gorgeous new covers, starting with DECEPTION SO DEADLY in August 2017 and DECEPTION SO DARK in February 2018. The series continues with DECEPTION SO DANGEROUS in August 2018.

Clara's critically-acclaimed novel AFTERMATH (Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse), a dark, ripped-from-the-headlines drama about hope, healing, and triumph over tragedy in the tradition of ROOM and THE LOVELY BONES, is on Goodreads' list of Most Popular Books Published in November 2016, and Young Adult Books Central declared it a Top Ten Book of 2016.

Clara's favorite foods are guacamole and cookie dough. 

But not together. That would be gross.

LINKS

NEWSLETTER / GOODREADS / WEBSITE / FACEBOOK GROUP - The Insiders 

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER 

Cover Reveal: HIDING LIES (The Eleanor Ames Series #2) by Julie Cross (YA)

Good morning!
I am so very happy to be able to share the cover reveal to the next book in Julie Cross's ELEANOR AMES series today! Please let us know what you think of it...?
And, how excited you are to read it soon :) 

This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled Teen.

HIDING LIES

The Eleanor Ames Series, #2

by Julie Cross

Expected release date: April 17th, 2018

Published by: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Format: Paperback, eBook

SUMMARY

Fans of Veronica Mars or Ally Carter will love the snarky, whip-smart former con artist Eleanor, in this sequel to CHASING TRUTH.

At Holden Prep, dirty little secrets always have a way of coming to the surface.

Eleanor Ames has never been what she seems. Average high school student on the outside, but reformed con artist trying to break free of her past on the inside. When Eleanor receives startling news about someone from her previous criminal life, plans for a new operation coinciding with her school's upcoming field trip quickly consumer her. 

But operations rarely go according to plan. And this is one her irresistible teen FBI agent boyfriend, Miles, would never approve of.

Now, more than just Ellie's reputation is at stake. If she fails, it could be her life.

* * * * * 

Continue on with the series by pre-ordering HIDING LIES now!!!

Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Entangled Publishing

* * * * * 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Julie Cross

Julie Cross is an NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the TEMPEST series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes TEMPEST, VORTEX, and TIMESTORM (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of LETTERS TO NOWHERE series, WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU, THIRD DEGREE, HALFWAY PERFECT, CHASING TRUTH, OFF THE ICE and much more to come!

Julie Cross was a longtime resident of central Illinois but has recently moved her entire family across the country to continue her academic studies at Stanford University.

GOODREADS  /  WEBSITE  /  FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  AMAZON

Blog Tour (Review): MURDER AMONG THE STARS (Lulu Kelly Mystery #2) by Adam Shankman and Laura L. Sullivan (YA)

MURDER AMONG THE STARS

Lulu Kelly Mystery #2
by Adam Shankman and Laura L. Sullivan

Release date: June 13th, 2017

Published by: Antheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)

Genre: Young Adult Mystery (12yo+)

Format available: Hardcover, eBook

Format read: Hardcover from the publisher 

SUMMARY

After being framed for attempted murder, Lulu Kelly has earned a rest.

Unfortunately, there is no rest in Hollywood for a rising starlet.

Lulu and her boyfriend Freddie are invited to post Hearst Castle, where Lulu will be competing against other young actresses for the role of a lifetime. But what's a house party without a little murder? 

After a rival actress is found dead under the dining room table, Lulu makes it her mission to solve the mystery. But the illusion is this town's number one export, and it's hard to tell the ambitious from the truly evil. As the clues pile up, Lulu and Freddie race to find the killer, even as Lulu becomes the next target. 

MY REVIEW

First, I was not aware that this was/is the second book in a series - I failed to be thorough in investing time in what I agreed to read and review... Second, I've learned a valuable lesson in being more aware and thoughtful when accepting books to read, review, etc. And to be more forward in asking for more details, questions, etc... And lastly, though I strongly feel that by not reading the first book and getting the main character's backstory I may not have understood the story completely which may have affected my reading experience, opinion, and rating of this book. However, with patience and pacing, it does/did seem that the book can be read as a standalone... so, here are my thoughts based on it being thought of as a standalone story:

All the up-and-coming starlets have been invited by the owner of the biggest film studio to come to his mansion and participate in a contest of sorts for the opportunity to win the lead in the next box-office-hit... as soon as the guests start settling in for their first dinner together, our main character Lulu discovers that one of the young actresses has been murdered. From there we get to see the true colors of every single guest, how materialistic and odd Hollywood can be, and many secrets start to unravel and controversial truths are revealed, ones that can easily destroy many reputations and lives. 

Although we aren't told, I believe that the story seems to take place in the 1930's or 1940's with the mention of Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Joan Crawford, and most definitely by the way they speak using words like 'skedaddle' and 'abso-tutely'... also, the unfairness of women being weak and single-minded, and also many having to hide their true lineage and heritage because of segregation and bigotry.  

Lulu's character was quite interesting - she played her role perfectly! She was able to stay in character and be professional and try her best to stay in the game while showing genuine concern over everything that was happening around her. While others were busy with their own worries and problems, Lulu took it upon herself to care and try to help solve the mystery before more people were hurt. She was an equal to her boyfriend Freddie, also a security guard for the mansion, who in turn, treated her as an equal as well and often sought her out and consulted with her on the mystery while other men would just brush her off as just a curious women who should mind her business. I find that this era must be quite difficult to write about since times have changed so much, it was sometimes surprising to see how much women have modernized and changed. 
The one character that I found extremely intriguing but very confusing was Sal. He and Lulu have a history together where he tried to control her and quite possibly may have attempted to kill her (in the first book). Meanwhile, now, it seemed as if none of that mattered anymore and that Lulu may have even misread him...? That didn't quite make sense to me, I feel that she would have still harbored bad feelings toward him and should have been more guarded... which brings me back to the fact that I really need to read the first book to answer these questions!

Although I did guess as to who the murderer is/was, it did have me doubting my choice a few times - Lulu was quite convincing in a few of the clues she found that pointed the finger to others. But in the end, I really enjoyed everyone's quirky "who cares" Hollywood attitudes and how these cliches still show up in today's modern world.

*I've been told that the first book in this series, GIRL ABOUT TOWN, is "original, savvy, fun and a page-turner" where you'll fall in love with Lulu and Freddie as you get to see the two meet, join forces and get to know each other... fall in love! And that you too will fall in love with them throughout it all! Knowing their story is a huge plus and would more likely make you enjoy MURDER AMONG THE STARS even more!!!

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Old Hollywood style stories and movies and for those who really enjoy murder mysteries with lots of twists and a touch of old-school 'whodunnit' glamour! 

*A copy was sent to me by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts here are my own. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Adam Shankman

LINKS:  GOODREADS 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Laura L. Sullivan

LINKS:  GOODREADS / WEBSITE / TWITTER

Cover Reveal: DECEPTION SO DEADLY by Clara Kensie (YA)

I am so thrilled to be able to share this cover with you all today!

I have been waiting for a very long time for Clara Kensie to not only give us the new cover to her series, but to also release her story the way it was meant to be told... the DECEPTION SO series was originally published as the RUN TO YOU serial series and the winner of the prestigious RITA® AWARD for BEST FIRST BOOK!!! It is a super romantic psychic thriller that will be released in August!

I seriously cannot wait to read DECEPTION SO DEADLY this Fall!

I've missed Tristan so very much :) 

Cover design by Key of Heart Designs

DECEPTION SO DEADLY

Deception So series #1

by Clara Kensie

Expected release date August 15th, 2017

Published by Snowy Wings Publishing

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Format: Paperback and eBook

SUMMARY

Book One in Clara Kensie's YA paranormal thriller DECEPTION So series, DECEPTION SO DEADLY was originally published as the RUN TO YOU serial parts 1 - 3, and is the winner o the prestigious RITA AWARD for BEST FIRST BOOK.

RUN.

It's all sixteen-year-old Tessa Carson has ever known. Hunted by a telepathic killer, Tessa and her family have fled home after home, hiding behind aliases to survive. Her scars are more than just physical, and as the only one in her family without a psychic ability, she lives a life of secrets, lies, and fear. 

After the Carsons flee to a new hideout and take on new identities yet again, Tessa meets confident, carefree Tristan Walker. Their attraction burns fierce, but she runs from him too, knowing their love can never be true when she can't even tell him her real name. 

But Tristan has secrets as well - secrets that will either save Tessa or destroy her. The only way Tessa can save her family - and uncover the real reason they've been hunted all these years - is to forget everything she's learned from a lifetime of running away and run straight into danger head-on.

Danger. Deception. Betrayal. 

It must be first love.

Praises for DECEPTION SO DEADLY

"A dark, suspenseful, and romantic ride!" - USA Today

"The perfect blend of mystery, romance, paranormal thrills, and danger." - Mundie Mums

"A well-written YA paranormal read, with welcome dashes of thrills and plot twists, Kensie has written a gripping and engaging series that features great family dynamics and the enormity of first love." - RT Book Review 

"A thrilling story, packed with twists, secrets, a swoon-worthy romance. I couldn't read it fast enough!" - Erica O'Rourke, author of the TORN trilogy (Kensington) and the DISSONANCE series (S&S BFYR)

PRE-ORDER LINKS

AMAZON / For more links, click HERE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Clara Kensie

Clara Kensie grew up near Chicago, reading every book she could find and using er diary to write stories about a girl with psychic powers who solved mysteries. She purposely did not hide her diary, hoping someone would read it and assume she was writing about herself. Since then, she's swapped her diary for a computer and admits her characters are fictional, but other wise she hasn't changed one bit.

Today, Clara is a RITA Award-winning author of dark fiction for young adults. Her debt, the super-romantic psychic thriller DECEPTION SO series, was named an RT Book Review Editors Pick for Best Books of 2014, and DECEPTION SO Book One: DECEPTION SO DEADLY, is the winner of the prestigious 2015 RITA Award for Best First Book. The first two books in the series, originally released as the six-part RUN TO YOU digital serial in 2014, are being released in print with new DECEPTION SO titles and gorgeous new covers, starting with DECEPTION SO DEADLY in August 2017 and DECEPTION SO DARK in February 2018. The series continues with DECEPTION SO DANGEROUS in August 2018.

Clara's critically-acclaimed novel AFTERMATH (Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse), a dark, ripped-from-the-headlines drama about hope, healing, and triumph over tragedy in the tradition of ROOM and THE LOVELY BONES, is on Goodreads' list of Most Popular Books Published in November 2016, and Young Adult Books Central declared it a Top Ten Book of 2016.

Clara's favorite foods are guacamole and cookie dough. 

But not together. That would be gross.

LINKS

NEWSLETTER / GOODREADS / WEBSITE / FACEBOOK GROUP - The Insiders 

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER 

Cover Reveal: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN by Renee Collins (YA)

 "UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN by Renee Collins - 

a time-slip romance where love, murder, and mystery make for a swoon-worthy read. It is The Time Traveler’s Wife for teens, and meets 1920s glamour that’s perfect for fans of The Great Gatsby and Bright Young Things."

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

by Renee Collins

Expected release date: November 3rd, 2015

Published by Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction/Time Travel/Mystery

Format: Hardcover, eBook

SUMMARY

They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time.

Cassandra is a headstrong teenager craving drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants it to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger named Lawrence shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own - and that the year is 1925 - she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. 

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love - and Lawrence's life - in jeopardy. 

Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history - 

or risk losing Lawrence forever. 

MY THOUGHTS

Oh my, this cover fits the summary so very well!

There's a feeling of mystery and nostalgia; longing and vagueness... 

I am SO intrigued!!!

Time travel! Romance!... Can't wait!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Renee Collins

Renee Collins grew up on a beach in Hawaii. 

Sadly, she never met anyone from the past on those shores, 

but she did go on to get a degree in History, which is almost the same.

Goodreads / Website / Twitter