Of Silver and Beasts (Goddess Wars #1)
by Trisha Wolfe
Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy
Published: April 19th 2013
Source: ARC from the author
GoodReads / Author's website

In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.

New Adult Dark Fantasy: Intended for readers 17 years of age and older.

Kaliope has been chosen to become the leader of the Nactue, a group of female soldiers entasked to protect the Empress of the City of Cavan. A neighboring kingdom falls under the force of the Otherworlders and Kaliope becomes the reluctant protector of Caben, a rebellious prince who is heir to the throne and the last of his line. The Otherworlders attacks the City of Cavan and kidnaps Kaliope and Caben, taking them to their underground realm and forcing them to fight other contenders in a battle to the death in hopes of reclaiminng their freedom. There is more to this barbaric game than what the contenders realize and Kaliope's secret is the only thing that can save them all.

Let me just go straight to the point and tell you that Of Silver and Beasts is one of the best books I've read this year. I haven't had much luck with liking the fantasy books I've been reading these days but this book got me out of my slump. The book introduced me to different worlds that had me instantly intrigued and there was enough action, drama, and romance to keep me turning the pages.

Kaliope was an all-around kick-ass heroine. She placed her duty and the safety of the people she loved over her own well being. Kaliope's not one of those stoic and emotionless heroines, no. She defines the true meaning of fearless- to accept that you are afraid, but to have the courage to overcome it. Kaliope's been through a lot- her father stole mercury and injected it into her system to hide it from authorities. Her mother took her to the temple of a healer goddess and had a priestess pray over her while a doctor placed a clamp to stop the mercury from coming into contact with her heart. Her father's wrongdoings has led her to have a slight distrust towards men, but she still respects them to a certain point. Kaliope was a concrete character but Trisha Wolfe makes her transparent to the reader. Kaliope's emotions of compassion, bravery, loyalty, sense of duty, anger, frustration, and desire practically radiated from the pages.

I couldn't stand Caben when he first appeared in the book. He was reckless, stubborn, and placed too much value on his princely pride. I started to like him when I found out his back story and the reasons for his demeanor were explained. Caben and Kaliope are alike in so many ways, but Caben is the more sensible one. He keeps Kaliope in place and stops her when Kaliope acts before thinking about the consequences of her actions. A few days after I finished the book, I still couldn't stop thinking about Caben.

Of Silver and Beasts mainly focuses on the dark fantasy aspect and introduces us to a world of kingdoms and underground communities with their own set of goddesses, both good and bad. The world building was astounding and I understood every bit of the realm that was shown to me. Trisha Wolfe's writing makes it as if the events in the book unfold before your very eyes. It has some similarities to Battle Royale- like a darker and less forgiving Hunger Games. Of Silver and Beasts doesn't sugarcoat the evil and terror in the book. It doesn't mince on the vivid descriptions of the brutally high-adrenaline fight scenes and bloodshed. There is also romance in the book, but it isn't rushed and annoying. The developments and relationships develop in their own pace and aren't overdone.

Trisha Wolfe did not just create a book, she created a whole new world. Of Silver and Beasts finds strength in it's superb world building, comparable to the realm of A Song of Ice and Fire. The book and it's uniquely intriguing plot wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't as highly detailed. The ending completely took me by surprise and I love and hate Trisha Wolfe for it. Kaliope and Caben's story inspires and gives strength, telling us that there is a reason behind every bad experience- sometimes a curse is a blessing in disguise.

THE NUB AND GIST: 5 STARS 

Come Back to Me by Coleen Patrick
Publication date: March 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

I took a few leisurely steps toward TEA (after all, I was undercover, just call me Gucci P.I.), until I found myself in front of a large storefront window, which undercut my entire stealth factor.   Not that it mattered, since the place seemed empty.  I leaned toward the glass.  The place had wood floors and tables, and a large counter bar in the center.  From the outside, through the smudged glass, it looked cozy and warm.   

No sign of Evan, though.  I shielded my eyes and peered closer.  There was a low stage in the back with a mic stand and a piano.  Still no people.  Was the place even open?

My gaze slid downward, checking for a sign that displayed the hours, and I noticed the couple.  They sat at a table right next to the window, shooting me sideways glances.

Uh, yeah, it was open.  

I jumped back, and offered a sorry smile and wave to the couple, only to step on a shoe.

“Hey!”

I turned to see the scowling face of a man in scrubs and a white coat—a doctor, probably heading back to the hospital two blocks down.

“Sorry, so sorry,” I mumbled, holding up my hands in surrender as I twirled away from the sidewalk traffic.  I ducked into TEA.

Inside, it smelled awesome, an intoxicating combo of cinnamon, pepper, and vanilla.  

That was where my original view of cozy and warm ended.  Upon closer inspection, I saw scratched wood floors and tables, legs gouged with dents.  The two plush but lopsided chairs in the opposite corner reminded me of the chair I used to love to read in on my grandmother’s screened in porch—if her porch had been exposed to the wind and the rain.   Tired baskets crammed with books were wedged between chairs, and the piano was just a dusty, upright that appeared to be missing a couple of keys.  Spanning the length of the back wall was the main counter with a glass pastry case underneath, displaying cupcakes, giant cookies with crumbly edges, and something that sort of resembled a scone.   

I stared at the cupcakes.  What was that color of frosting?  Neon and gray, it was the first time I ever saw a cupcake that didn’t look appetizing.  

How was this place in business?  I understood why they stuck with such an unimaginative, generic name—TEA.  The smells of their obvious variety of teas was the only appealing aspect of the place.  Actually, the place smelled perfect.   

I closed my eyes and inhaled.

“Whitney?”

My eyes snapped open.  Evan.  He stood next to a tall, wooden table, with a bowl of haphazard sugar packets and a lone silver milk thermos. He stirred a paper to-go mug that had a square tea bag tag hanging over the side.

“Oh.  Um, hi,” I said.  I cleared my throat.  After more than two hours of aimlessly riding around on a bus in silence, my words sounded rusty.   

“Hi.”  He smiled, effortlessly, but I caught how his eyebrows lowered ever so slightly.  Was he confused?  Did he know I followed him there?

“What are you doing here?”  I asked, mentally cringing the moment my words fell out, because I totally sounded like I belonged at TEA, and Evan was the one stalking me.  

“I was going to ask you the same question,” he said, pressing a black plastic lid onto his cup.  He stepped toward me and, for a second, I thought he was going to extend his arm out for a handshake. Instead, he moved his hand to push a book deeper into his back pocket.  His shirt lifted slightly, and I couldn’t help but notice a hint of skin where the last button ended.  Warmth crept up my neck.  I didn’t need to be caught stalking and checking him out.  Although it was surprising to note he was actually kind of cute.  I never noticed that before.

I focused on a spot near his ear.  His hair was dark, neat but for a slight upward curl at the ends.  After adjusting his book, he stuffed his free hand in the front pocket of his jeans.  His white sleeves, rolled almost to the elbow, contrasted with the tan of his forearm.    

“I’ve never seen you here before,” he said.  

I smiled a little because it sounded like a variation of Do you come here often?

But after the smile, I had nothing.  Not even the tiniest glitter speck of sparkling conversation.  I couldn’t lead with the night he took me home.  It was beyond cringing and awkward, not your average jumping off point.  But of course, my mind was blank.   It wasn’t like I could say something normal like TEA was my favorite place, or that I was meeting someone there.  

I glanced at the couple by the window, a pot of tea between them.  I imagined myself walking over to them.  Remember me?  We met through the window?  

“Well, I like tea,” I said. It was true, even if he didn’t know whether I was talking about the shop or the beverage.  After all, I did like the social, civilized, even soothing aspect of tea.  I used to choose it over coffee when I went to Starbucks at Bloom Town Center.  

Next up?  A scintillating recap of the day’s weather.  

“Then you’ve come to the right place,” he said, but he looked unconvinced, and his gaze dropped to my outfit.  “Unless you’re looking for cucumber sandwiches and high tea?”

I rolled my eyes, but I knew my silk suit clashed with the laid-back atmosphere.  “I thought it was no shirt, no shoes, no service.  Where does it say no Gucci?” 

Evan smiled, and I felt a bit of triumph over the fact that I was actually having a conversation, one not prompted by Emily or one of Vivienne’s group games.  Okay so it was still kind of pitiful, as was my reaction, but I needed to start somewhere, especially if I was going to get anywhere close to talking about that night.

The End Games
by T. Michael Martin
Genre: Young Adult dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: May 7th 2013
Source: ARC from publisher
Author's website | GoodReads

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh.

And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

When I first picked up The End Games, I thought I was going to get a fast-paced survival story with zombies along the lines of the third season of The Walking Dead. The End Games was more than that. It tells the story of a young boy's will to survive and the lengths he was willing to go through to protect his brother and reach the safe zone.

I have to be honest and say that I had a hard time reading this book. It wasn't that it was bad or anything, it was just so difficult. The book handles a lot of heavy themes like Patrick's mental and social issues, antagonists that may possibly be insane, and Michael's struggles to stabilize his state of mind. The End Games had themes similar to that of a psychological thriller, and I had to invest a lot into the story and really think because it was so easy to get confused if you didn't pay attention to some minor details.

The writing is really different from what we're used to in the world of YA. It's much more complex and literary, reminiscent of the writing used in well-loved contemporary classics. The main character in the book is a teenager, but the narration treats the reader like an adult. Michael still sticks to his teenage jargon and is known for shouting out internet lingo like the word 'newb' but there was just something about the writing that made it sound so grown up. The book doesn't scrimp on the gory details and harsh realities either. The unique writing style may have taken a while for me to get used to but I learned to appreciate and enjoy it.

I struggled with the narration a bit because the main character, Michael, had a lot of issues with himself that were dealt with so vividly and I felt like he brought me along for the ride. He didn't understand himself completely, making it hard for me to understand him. I really admired his strength and dedication to his brother Patrick though and I really felt his growth as the story progressed. Patrick, on the other hand, was so hard to bear with. He's just a five year old boy and most of his actions were understandable even though he ruins everything almost every time. He really annoyed me but since I guess that is what the author wanted, I think he's a really well-written character. The supporting characters and antagonists were also very well-rounded and entertaining, and I enjoyed their contributions to the book.

The world that T. Michael Martin created for The End Games was new to me, but I welcomed it with open arms. When I read a post-apocalyptic novel I have to believe in it completely and leave no holes for plot holes and doubts, and that's exactly what this book gave me. Unlike most dystopian books, the story doesn't take place years or centuries after the end but places us just a few weeks after the supposed 'end of the world'. I also loved the author's fresh new take on zombies and the living dead and how they came to be.

The End Games actually opens up right in the middle of the action and we're immediately thrown into this world of darkness and monsters. The plot was evenly paced and even though a lot of major details were kept a secret early on, they were gradually revealed throughout the book during the perfect times. There was never a time that I had a question that would go unanswered. There were a lot of instances where I thought that it was done and over, but another curveball gets thrown our way and the book kept me on my toes.

I'm With Stupid
Felton Reinstein #3
Young Adult Realistic Fiction
To be published May 8 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire
Goodreads page / Author's website

Felton Reinstein has never been good with stress. 

Which is why he's seriously freaking out. Announcing his college choice on national TV? It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Deciding on a major for the next four years of his life?Ridiculous! He barely even knows who he is anymore without football. And so...he embarks on The Epic Quest to Be Meaningful.

Which leads to:
1. Mentoring a freshman called Pig Boy.
2. The entire state of Wisconsin hating him.
3. His track coach suspending him.
4. The funniest viral video the world has ever seen.
5. A whole new appreciation for his family, his friends and what's really important in life.

Buy a copy of the book from: The Book Depository 

Geoff Herbach is the author of the award winning Stupid Fast YA series. His books have been given the 2011 Cybils Award for best YA novel, selected for the Junior Library Guild, listed in the year's best by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association and many state library associations. In the past, he wrote the literary novel, The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg, produced radio comedy shows and toured rock clubs telling weird stories. Geoff teaches creative writing at Minnesota State, Mankato. He lives in a log cabin with a tall wife.

1. Authors aren't robots. Okay, I was sort of scared of authors and publishers before.  I thought authors were grumpy people who locked themselves inside dark caves and only came out when they ran out of coffee. But I was wrong. They actually plant themselves in front of twitter. Kidding aside, blogging made me realize that there were actual faces behind the name below the title of my favorite book's cover and they're actually nice faces who ate kind and approachable and just plain magical.
2. Jealousy isn't healthy and it won't do you any good. Jealousy came in various forms when I started getting into the book blogging world. Thoughts like Why does she have more followers than me? That's a huge book haul, I wish I could read those books too. Nobody's commenting on my post but thisandthat posted a really useless one and it already has 1234 responses!  came racing into my head at varying intervals and I just had to tell myself to stop. I got over the jealousy after a while and I just told myself that I didn't blog to win a popularity competition. I taught myself to be happy for the bloggers who got pretty books and lots of readers because they obviously worked hard for it- and they deserve it.
3. Don't bite more than you can chew. When authors started contacting me and when I first discovered Netgalley, I said yes yes yes and clicked the 'request' button for every seemingly good YA book I found without bothering to learn more about them, and I ended up not liking them at all. There were also a lot of instances where a Netgalley book I got approved for would get archived before I could even start reading it. I got so caught up in the prospect of reading a lot of books for free and ended up not having the time to read them all. I've learned my lesson now and I try to limit myself and stop myself from saying 'yes' to every offer that comes my way.

• My first book blogger friend, Sel. She was the first one to reach out to this little newbie book blogger who was as lost as grandpa in a rock concert. We're both asians and I always try to get her to say chingchongchang. Where are you, Sel? I miss our chingchongchang days :(
• My author friends! Thanks for not freaking out when I freaked out about you following me on twitter/spammed you with my up-to-the-minute reactions while reading your book/freaked out when you talked to me on twitter/etcetcetc. Thanks for not freaking out, in general. And thanks for writing the best books in the whole entire multiverse.
• The filipino book blogger community. I can't name all of you, but from the top of my head: Kai, Precious, Louisse, Michelle, Charlie, Leslie, Erleen, Von, Kazhy, Dianne, Dea, and everyone else! Thanks for talking to me on twitter, squealing and fangirling over books with me, and for answering all of my questions. Going to a book signing event with all of you is a new dream of mine! Hopefully, someday ;)
• Jenna and Alyssa, the Davao book bloggers. I can't wait to meet you girls!
• My publisher contacts. I never would have known about some of my favorite books if you guys didn't introduce them to me. Thanks for giving this little international book blogger a chance!
• All the lovely indie authors who contacted me. Thanks for entrusting your books to me and for giving me the chance to read and review them. 
• You! All of you! My lovely readers and followers! You guys make me want to turn The Selkie Reads Stories into the best blog it could possibly be. I never would've gotten this far without you guys. 

Nantucket Blue
by Leila Howland
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication date: May 7th 2013
Source: e-galley from publisher
Author's website | GoodReads

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

I don't know how to describe the intense love-hate relationship I had with Nantucket Blue. The plot of the book was so simple, perfect for a quick summer read. The writing style was uncomplicated and the characters were ordinary  However, there was something about this book that slowly captured my full attention.

Cricket Thompson is probably the most realistic young adult protagonist that I have ever come across. She had a lot of flaws; she was heavily reliant on other people and thought too much about the opinions of others, and she let other people walk all over her without defending herself. Cricket was overly attached to her friend Jules to the point that she refused to realize the way Jules was mistreating her and made excuses for Jules' actions to reassure herself. She was very stubborn and refused to face the hard truths in life.

The relationships portrayed in Nantucket Blue were also very believable. The bases of old relationships were clearly portrayed and the process of how new relationships were formed was very intricate and gave the readers a play-by-play of it all without being too over detailed. The 'friendship' between Cricket and Jules was complicated and messy and I think that they just used each other without knowing it. The romance in the book was predictable but still extremely cute and sweet, as how any summer romance should be.

What I liked is that even though Cricket denied her flaws so much, they were so evident in the book because of little tidbits that were seamlessly weaved into the story and the dialogue. It was so easy to get annoyed at Cricket because of the decisions she made but you can really see her growth as the story progresses. The Cricket Thompson who went to Nantucket to chase her summer dreams became a different person at the end of the summer, and that, I think, is what's important.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the supporting characters and the subplots in the book. Nantucket Blue isn't just a story about Cricket's summer, it is about the summer of an incredibly diverse set of people who eventually find themselves connected to one another. Strangers, old friends, and family members played a huge role in Nantucket Blue and helped Cricket discover her capabilities and self-confidence.

The beauty of Nantucket Blue, I think, is in the sheer simplicity of it. The book was written in a beautiful yet unpretentious and simple prose that somehow brought life to every word. A reader could easily visualize the things Cricket was seeing, showing us the true glory of Nantucket through words. The dialogue was, again, so simple, but was incredibly raw and transparent. Every kind of emotion and vulnerability was thrown at me through thoughts and expressions and body languages, and the entire experience was surreal

Leila Howland wrote a beautiful coming of age book that resonated with the allure of a masterful contemporary: bold, honest, real, and speaks to the heart. It did not end on a high part; the book sort of fell flat somewhere towards the ending and a lot of problems were unresolved, but it did not matter. It didn't matter because that's the way life really goes; love, death, drama, fear, and hope. There are some things that we cannot take back, but there is always hope. Cricket started to believe in herself and she started to hope, and she made me believe and hope along with her.

THE NUB AND GIST: 3.5 STARS