Trailer Reveal: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

Guys, I have to be honest, I've been avoiding requesting for review The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel. Quite frankly, I'm a bit overcommitted on reviews these days, but this book looks like something I could *really* love. So I keep going back and forth with myself on it. Well, the book trailer, which I'm helping reveal this week, is fantastic and completely convinced me that I have to buy this one.

Due to be released from Entangled Publishing on November 11, 2014, The Book of Ivy is a YA tale set in what sounds like a dystopic future. 

Check out the blurb:

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Such Sweet Sorrow by Jenny Trout

The Basics:
Such Sweet Sorrow by Jenny Trout
Entangled: Teen
YA
Published Feb 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

The cover has this amazing Gothic feel, and I loved the idea of Romeo fighting for Juliet even beyond death.

Salt by Danielle Ellison

The Basics:
Salt by Danielle Ellison
Entangled: Teen
YA, Romance, Paranormal
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.

When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.

Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own. 

Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.

Why I picked up this book:

Witches and demons sounded like something I would enjoy.

My thoughts:

I was not wrong, I did enjoy this.

So Penelope's life is a complicated mess of lies - she's a witch who can't actually be a witch without a family member nearby until she meets Carter - a guy whose sitting on a bunch of his own secrets. Secret agendas abound as these two navigate the witchy world that Nons - that'd be me and you (I presume, unless you're part of the paranormal community) - know nothing about but rely on to stay safe from demons.

Yes, this book has a few cliches, but I felt like the sum of the book overcame them. I'm getting a wee bit tired of the mysterious guy who periodically pops up to save the day, and who may or may not be harbouring some serious lust/love for our dear heroine. At least the author is bold enough to evade the unnecessary love triangle - Penelope's best friend is a guy, but Ric is gay. Penelope's waffling over whether to tell Ric about who/what she really is was an interesting dilemma alongside his openness. I liked that Ric's sexuality was a non-issue, but then Penelope's witch status was a deep, dark secret.

Carter was an appropriately dreamy young man - he's got some snark, he's fully supportive, he's hot, he's powerful. He's got secrets. We know this type by now, inside and out. Carter doesn't disappoint any expectations, though he doesn't really break outside of the box at all either.

There's a lot of action in this book and Penelope more than holds her own. She's one tough lady, which is as it should be given that she's been working towards being an Enforcer since she realized it would help her towards the goal of finding 'her' demon. There's no flailing about for her - she's got moves and she uses them to repeatedly beat down the bad guys. 

Overall, I liked the flow of Salt. The pace was quick but not so hectic that I didn't have a chance to reflect on everything I was learning about the world and Penelope's unique position within it. There's a lot of good worldbuilding here.

Bottom line:

I liked Ellison's spin on the paranormal YA romance - witches and demons duking it out while humans remain clueless. There's some material left open that screams sequel: I will be watching for it.  This wasn't the most original entry in the genre, but it was a fair amount of fun, and that counts for a *lot* with me.  

I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the genre (and I'll suggest it to my family members who read this type of thing).

4 stars
For fans of YA, paranormal, witches and/or demons, young love

Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher

The Basics:
Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher
Entangled: Teen
YA, Romance
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods—vodka, black hair dye, and pretending thepast didn't happen—are more traditional, but who is she to judge? Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley¹s trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate¹s recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn'tsure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.

Why I picked up this book:

Who doesn't want to fall in love with a hot guy living in their garage?

My thoughts:

I pick books up for the most superficial reasons, and then they turn out to be full of heartwrenching material. Up front, I read to escape. I want to enrich my life by living as many lives as possible via reading. I can fall in love for the first time over and over, rule kingdoms, learn how to cast magic, save the day, solve the murder, catch the bad guy - the sky's the limit when I read. So, as you can imagine, I have to make a very conscious decision to pick up books with heavier material in them.

This book managed to be both a fun teen read, but also about very real and heartbreaking issues. I won't spoil any of it, because part of the book's journey is working through the revelations as the characters are ready and/or forced to confront them. Certainly, there's a lot of grief and guilt and love in this book, and they're not fluffed off in favour of a romance.

Hanley's a typical teen in that she feels isolated by her own view of the world, her own experiences, her emotions. She's trying to avoid feeling anything too deep by launching herself into a world of partying and superficial friendships. When she finds Nate living in her garage, she's forced to confront some hard truths. I can only imagine what it would feel like to discover someone so like herself - a teenager from a reasonably well-off family - forced, for whatever reason, into homelessness in the middle of the winter. It strips away petty concerns, bringing Hanley's own pain that much closer to the surface.

Nate's another one of those mysterious good-looking guys with a secret. I like what this book does with his character - he's a source of emotional strength and turmoil for Hanley and I like that he's not in a position to save the day for her.

Bottom line:

I definitely recommend this one. I think that what Hanley and Nate are both going through is something worth pausing for and really considering. I'd love to sit and chat about this one with a group of friends (or fellow readers... future friends?)

4.5 stars
For fans of YA with depth, teen romance, stories of grief and loss.