Sweet Evil
by Wendy Higgins
Genre: young adult,  paranormal romance
Publication date: May 1 2012
Pages: 454 (paperback)
Source: copy provided by author
Format: paperback
Purchase this book | GoodReads 

SYNOPSIS: What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

What I liked:

• The characters. They weren't one-dimensional. They had layers upon layers, waiting to be unraveled. I'm not lying when i say that I really really adored them all.
• The relationships. Anna's relationships with everyone was such a joy to read about. The emotions were very raw, very real. She actually legit cared for everyone around her. It wasn't in a sappy nun from the vatican way, she saw what was there. If she says that she cares for you, she really does care for you. Faults and all.  Also, I loved the neverending sexual frustration between Anna and Kai. Which leads us to...
• Kaidan Rowe. I know, I know. I already have a 'characters' bullet up there, but Kai deserves a bullet of his own. Kaidan Rowe is a very complex character. He screams 'danger!' but you can't help but fall for him. He's a smart ass, he's rude, he's cocky, manipulative, stuck up, and he doesn't know the meaning of 'personal space'. BUT, he is caring, witty, gentle when he wants to be, and he is very thoughtful. He has a soft side deep deep deep deep deeeep inside him that I just loved so much, he's now on my list of fictional boyfriends. Plus, he has a british accent.
• Patti. Another character that deserves her own bullet space is Anna's adoptive mom Patti. She has such a big heart and an amazing soul. She cares a lot for Anna, and will even slap a duke demon just to keep her baby safe. She's the closest thing to an angel a human can ever be.
• The story development. The story is paced nicely, with twists and turns that will make you tear your head off in confusion. I read this book within four hours, staying up til 3AM just to finish it. 
• The story; period. There are so many books out there about angels and demons, but Sweet Evil is one of a kind. It doesn't sugarcoat, and you're introduced to a world full of sex, drugs, and booze that you never knew existed. It's not another one of those 'good girl falls for bad guy and bad guy turns good and they live happily ever after' books. Anna's not a stupid girl who will defy everything for love. She knows the consequences, and she chooses to do the right things even if it hurts. The story is very true-to-life and it doesn't follow any cliches. It stands on it's own ground.

THE NUB AND GIST: 4.5 STARS

• Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
• Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button.
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Sounds fun, right? RAK is hosted by Isalys and Vanessa over at Book Soulmates. It's my first time to join, so i'm really looking forward to this. I'm a bit low on moolah because of my other giveaway and etc., but hopefully i'll be able to give to two or three participants ;D

Oh, and if you're feeling a little generous or a teensy bit kind, you can find my wishlist here~ *wink wink, nudge nudge*

And here's the top 5 books I want, if you feel like giving me a RAK:

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
2. The Book Thief by  Markus Zusak
3. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. KING

Links you will need:
Sign up for June 2012 [HERE]
See who else is participating [HERE] 
for questions regarding RAK, please contact Book Soulmate via the following: rakbybooksoulmates@gmail.com

Darwin, Singer
by Nadria Tucker
Genre: young adult, dystopian
Publication date: March 28 2012
Pages: 196 (ebook)
Source: e-copy provided by author
Format: paperback and ebook
Purchase this book | GoodReads 

SYNOPSIS: Darwin is a singer, and music is illegal. Real music, anyway. 
The Wagner Initiative bans the practice of all non-educational forms of art. Darwin has worked for these jerks her whole life, singing about crosswalk safety and body odor, living with the WI's strict code of morality (no art for art's sake, no flashy clothes, and no massive rainbow-colored sock collections like the one hidden in Darwin's closet). When she finds out the WI may have had a hand in her father's death, Darwin starts asking questions. She explores the Private Library's dusty basement archives. She discovers rock and roll. She meets Brax, a handsome (if you like the rebellious type) double agent whose recurring disappearances give no clue whether his loyalty lies with the state or the resistance. Brax gives Darwin a media drive filled with illegal music. No bigger than a stick of gum, it's the most dangerous thing Darwin's ever touched. And once she presses play, she refuses to stop listening.

In this young adult dystopian novel, author Nadria Tucker tells the story of Darwin, who moves through the underground; a network of basements, artists, and rebels prepared to fight‑violently if necessary‑for the freedom to sing, dance, write, juggle, or do whatever else lies in their hearts.

This was a very unassuming yet beautifully written book. I have to admit that I almost gave up on it and  that I almost marked it as 'did not finish' because it started so painfully slow. I gave it a chance and continued reading though, and I am so glad that I did. The slowness of the pace was easily forgiven, because as I continued reading, the pace built up slowly yet surely and continued on to turn into something so brilliant, I can't even explain it with words. 

Darwin's world was so vivid and was written with care. The streets of DC and New York came to life in front of my eyes, from the fancy high tech buildings to the underground societies. The author also did a superior job of weaving a story line with so many intriguing characters. She does an excellent job humanizing them and lacing them with depth. The heroine, Darwin, is now one of my favorite fictional characters. She's an intelligent and civilized rebel who doesn't whine and complain. She doesn't let her emotions get the best of her. She's completely harmless though, and not remarkable in any way. But she knows what she needs to do, and she will stop at nothing to do them. I guess that is what makes her special.

The storyline and plot blew my mind. It's not your average dystopian novel where everything seems close to impossible. There's no trace of something paranormal like a zombie infestation or a vampire take-over. Darwin's dystopian world is very very real, and it could really happen to us. The fact that a future like Darwin's is slowly forming around us terrified me to the core. It's not just Darwin's story- it could be our story, yours and mine. (Ever heard of how people rally at Lady Gaga and Screamo concerts because they think it's 'vulgar'? yeap.)

I love that the author did not try to sugarcoat our society's problems. She wrote about politics, corruption, and greed. She took all the facts and threw them at my face, screaming for me to listen. Darwin and I went through a journey. We found out that everything in this world is in the hands of people pulling the strings. Except, the people pulling the strings are puppets too. There's no bad guy, no man in a bowler hat smoking cigar. Everyone's the big bad wolf. But guess what? Everyone can be the woodsman, too. Everyone can save little Red. 

Nadria Tucker's novel is hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful, with a sense of reality, and writing that's just perfection. It has the right nuts and bolts to compete with every other young adult book in the market, it just needs a little greasing. So what if it's not from the big leagues? It can easily compete in the olympics of books. Take note of Darwin's rule #56: the message is more important than the messenger. 

THE NUB AND GIST: 5 SUPER SHINY STARS!

About the Author

Nadria Tucker was born in Atmore, Ala., and grew up living the small-town Southern life, which had a great influence on her work. She received an English degree from Auburn University before getting her master's in creative writing at UAB. Her work has appeared in several literary magazines including Fiction 365, New Southerner, THE2NDHAND and Luna Station Quarterly. She's published a collection of short stories entitled The Heaviest Corner on Earth. Darwin, Singer is her first novel. Find her online at nadriatucker.com. Find out more about her novel Darwin, Singer at http://nadriatucker.com/darwinsinger/

• Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology by Larissa Hinton
• Darwin, Singer by Nadria Tucker
• Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson (ARC)
• Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown (ARC)
• Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle (ARC)

thanks to all the authors and publishers who sent me these books!

• Starters by Lissa Price
• Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

What did you guys get this week? Link me up so I can stop by! :3
P.S. I made a formspring account, so fill up my inbox with questions~

Q: You are a matchmaker — your goal, hook up two characters from two of your favorite books. Who would it be? How do you think it would go?

Fire with Fire (Demonblood Series)
by Penelope King
Genre: young adult, paranormal romance
Publication date: December 27th 2011
Pages: 292 (paperback)
Source: copy provided by author
Format: paperback and ebook
Purchase this book | GoodReads

SYNOPSIS: It's been over two months since Lucky and Liora decided their fate outside the cave. Over two months since Kieron left to finish his mission.

So why hasn't he returned?

Crushed and confused, Liora finds comfort with a mysterious stranger, a guy whose motives include more than just healing Liora's broken heart. Meanwhile, Lucky finds herself in the arms of an old friend...the one who has always laid claim to her true soul.

When the reason for Kieron's disappearance becomes known, loyalties will be tested, friends will be betrayed, loves will be lost, and hope will be found. Once and for all, Lucky and Liora will have to chose their destiny. And not everyone will survive their choice.