Ensnared {A Review}

Title: Ensnared
Author: AG Howard
Series: Splintered #3
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Source/Format: Own/Hardcover
Rating: 5 freaking stars

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

 

I finished this series with a heavy heart. I have immensely enjoyed my stay in this world that AG Howard has created and was very sad to know that it was ending.

Starting the end of a series that I love is always so emotional for me. It's going to either make or break the love for me, as far as my undying love and devotion goes. But I usually trust the author to do what feels right, to have to story end true to the characters, to the plot. And this one? AG Howard succeeded... far beyond any expectations I could possibly have. I had no inkling which of many routes her characters would choose to make her take. But I was not disappointed.

I want to tell you all everything I loved about this book. But to do so would be to ruin some of it for you if you haven't read it. So here's what I can say (which mostly applies to the series as a whole):

1. The imagery. Howard gave herself the task of creating vastly different worlds. And that's not like moving a setting in a story from Paris to the United States. We're talking going from the human realm, with which we are all familiar, to Wonderland, and then to Any Elsewhere. And each world had its own feel to it. They were characters in and of themselves. I could see them, I could feel them, I could touch them. I was there.
2. The characters. They were 100% real... realistic. They could my brother, sister, parents, friends. I wanted them to be those things. I wanted them all to be happy, to be loved, to find themselves, to discover their own abilities, to cherish each other and what they had with one another.
3. Chemistry. I have read very few authors who can write a scene so sizzling hot yet entail very little detail (for lack of a better word at this moment). Where a touch in the book can send shivers down my spine. A mere kiss being shared can make my own lips tingle.
4. I'm not sure of a "heading" for this one, but everything that happened felt true to the story, to the characters. There were times I felt my heart ripping in two. There were times I cried. Times I laughed out loud (making the hubs look at me strangely, per usual). A few times I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle people, hug them, slap them, love them. 

Needless to say, I will be reading anything AG Howard decides to write. Going on blind faith... I'll just buy them without a care as to what they're even about. Even if it turns out to be her own take on the alphabet or dictionary, I won't care. She's that awesome. ;)

To keep it completely and utterly spoiler free, that's all I shall say. Other than if you haven't read this series, WHAT IN ALL THE WORLDS ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

I'm Gonna Love It, Hug It, Squeeze It, and Call it George {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

I've been in and out here recently. Every time I think I'm going to post more often; weekly, twice a week, daily... life just seems to get in the way. Lack of internet at home, daughter having surgery, my own personal issues, kitchen remodel, keeping busy at work... the first thing to go is always the blog. Which, in the grand scheme of things, makes total sense. I mean, in reality, it's the least important thing. But I love doing it. So...  yeah. I'm just going to keep on tryin'. :)

Because I love doing the Top 10 Tuesday Meme... Here we go!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books I Read in 2013 ♥

Since, as I've said, I've been flitting, it seems fitting that today's Top Ten was a Rewind - choose one you've missed or would like to re-do! :) So I chose this one. Due to my inability to be consistent, some of these may link to reviews and some may not. I thought about doing on about the books I *didn't* love, but then thought I'd rather rave than rant. :)

Splintered by AG Howard

 

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Unhinged by AG Howard

The Moon & More by Sarah Dessen

What books did you love that you read in 2013?

Smiles,
B

It's A Birthday, Time to Party

Just like you, I get excited about upcoming releases. Authors I love, series I can't wait to see what happens, and debut authors as well. I rarely pre-order books, but I will buy them the day they are released. I was lucky enough for NetGalley to grant me a copy of one of these, so I'm already one ahead of the ten I'm going to list today. :) But that's only one of a few. And MANY more to be added as the year goes on and I learn about all those other books that've stayed under my radar.

Unhinged by AG Howard (Splintered #2) - January 7

   

This is the one I was lucky enough to get an eArc from NetGalley... and I can't wait to have a physical copy to sit alongside Splintered! :)

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson - January 7

  

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me #3) - February 4

  

Panic by Lauren Oliver - March 4

  

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3) - April 8

    

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - May 13

  

Landline by Rainbow Rowell - July 8

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff - August 14

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (Anna #3) - 2014

   

Untitled by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #3) - 2014 

Coverless at the moment... :(  So here is the cover to The Raven Boys... :)

     

What are some books you're looking forward to in 2014?

Smiles,

B  

Follow Friday ♥ Reluctant Reader Recommendations

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

Pick a book in your favorite genre that you would recommend to a reluctant reader.

I'm supposed to have a favorite genre? Eek. ;)

There are so many great books out there that I would love to recommend. In my job as a librarian, I often have to think about books to recommend to a wide range of reading capabilities and a wide range of willingness to read. For those who struggle with either reading itself or a want to read, I try to find books that are known to be attention grabbers, books that are more action driven than character driven (since for a "non-reader" those can sometimes seem slow and they lose interest more easily), or books that feature a subject that particular person really enjoys (for example, if they love horses I would probably recommend Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races).

All that being said, in general, not knowing a specific person to recommend to, I'll do it this way:

Dystopian:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Divergent by Veronica Roth (not only great books, but if they love it or even like it enough, they will continue reading the series... it's a win-win) 

 

Contemporary:
Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins or Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert (either a sweet, light-hearted, and fun story, or a dark and gritty one... pick your poison... both are so well told and captivating).

 

Fantasy/Sci-Fi:
Splintered by AG Howard (Such an amazing world Howard has created... I, personally, can't wait to dive back in... and again, if they enjoy it, they'll continue on with the series... yay!) or Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (An awesome story in a vivid world... joins the mystical with the real-world in such a convincing way).

 

Just Creepy:
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (Have you seen that cover? If that doesn't get a reluctant reader (who's interested in creepiness) to take a gander, I don't know what will...) or Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (I loved this one. I didn't love Girl of Nightmares as much (the sequel), but this one I still think would be a great recommendation for a reluctant reader.)

   

So I didn't do a straight recommendation from my favorite genre (I still don't know what that is... lol), but these are ones I would definitely think about for a reluctant reader.

What about you? What would you suggest?

Smiles,
B

♥ Showing Some Author Love ♥

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

 This week's featured author is:

AG Howard. Her Spintered series is nothing short of amazing. She can write chemistry like none other. The world comes alive while I'm reading and I have no problem feeling like I'm traveling right alongside Alyssa. I look forward to seeing what other worlds she has in store for us once she is done with Wonderland.

And she interacts so much with her fans. She seems to genuinely love hearing from us and finding out what we think about her stories. 

Smiles,
B

Find AG Howard
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Next Week's Author:
Hint: She's written one series and a few stand alone novels. While I loved the end of the series, there were quite a few people who did not.
_ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _
Any guesses?

2014 Releases I'm Anticipating {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten 2014 Books I'm Super Excited For ♥

I always get excited when I know there's a sequel coming or an author I love is coming out with a new book. This coming year's full of goodies I'm looking forward to. (That being said I did not include Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle #3 book officially, since it doesn't have a title, cover, or an exact release date yet...)

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

 

Unhinged by AG Howard

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Panic by Lauren Oliver

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

 

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

 

 

What are you looking forward to?

Smiles,

B

Unhinged {An ARC Review}

 

Title:  Unhinged
Author:  AG Howard
Series:  Splintered #2
Publisher:  Amulet
Expected Pub Date:  January 7, 2014
Source:  NetGalley
Format:  eBook
Rating:  Five Freaking Stars

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

 

  

***Although I always intend to have no spoilers in my reviews, please note that this is a second in a series. Therefore, there will most likely be spoilers from Splintered. :)***

 

Oh. My. Goodness. What the hell did I just read? I absolutely loved Splintered. So did Malissa. As you can tell from our review. So I was quite anxious to read Unhinged. But, now I'm sad. Mad. Because I was so anxious and requested a copy off of NetGalley, and read it already, I now have to wait even longer to read Ensnared. Boo! But we can't rush this world, this writing, so I'll just have to be (im)patient.

 

I went back and read my review of Splintered before I started writing this one. And there's definitely something both of these books have in common - I took forever to read them. Part of it had to do with timing, but mostly? It had to do with the fact that I love love love the world Howard has created. So much so I don't want to leave it. The good, the bad, the horrific, the terrifying, the darkness... all of it. It's so vivid, so terrifyingly real. We don't get as much Wonderland in this book as we did in the first, but all the elements are still there. I can't wait for the chance to dive back into the rabbit hole with Alyssa in Ensnared. :)

While I really felt that Splintered was very plot and action driven, Unhinged felt more character driven to me. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of action and the plot definitely moved forward, but we got a lot more insight into all the main characters. We learn much more about her mom's past, her dad, Jeb, and, possibly most importantly, Morpheus. 

While I was quite upset with Howard in Splintered for making me doubt my complete dislike of Morpheus, now I'm even more upset with her. Howard has created a perfectly plausible, believable, tangible, love triangle triangular connection. (Trying to avoid those dreaded words... totally not working... lol). And it's left me flailing. My heart is as torn as Alyssa's here. My confusion as real. (As I imagine AG Howard's is as well.) Seriously. There's so. much. chemistry. Not just Jeb and Alyssa. But Alyssa and Morpheus. Before, when I said I was totally down for Alyssa and Jeb? Yeah. Not sure where I stand on that one anymore. Thanks, Howard. Thanks. ;)

I loved seeing Alyssa and her mom try to reconnect after so many years. I was happy to see that it wasn't all sunshine and roses between them, either. There was still so much that they were hiding from one another. Still so many secrets. And her poor dad. In the first book, in the beginning, he seemed so oblivious to things. Puzzle pieces are starting to come together, though, and I can't wait for the completion.

If you haven't started this series, I truly hope when/if you do, you love it as much as I do.  :)  

Have you read Splintered and/or Unhinged? What'd you think? Want to read it? Don't want to? Let's talk! 

Smiles,
B

Recommended Reads {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books I Would Recommend To... ♥

I have no problem recommending books... sort of. I mean, I will recommend stuff all the time, to Malissa, Mindy, Danielle... but there's always the nagging thought...

What if... what if I feel:

 

  And then they feel:

 

Yes, I realize that it's better if we all have varied opinions, that what works for one may not work with another. But, and I know you feel me here, when it's something we absolutely loved, that touched us on some deeper level, we want that person we're recommending it to to grasp the awesomeness that is that book as well. Right? But, alas, that doesn't always happen. Such is life. Plus, it'd be pretty damn boring if we all liked the same stuff, right?

All that being said, to my sister-in-law (one of the slowest readers I've ever met, so the book has to be quick/easy to get into...) I would recommend the following:

        
     
        

I've loved each of these at one time or another. And definitely could see (or maybe just hope) that Michelle would love them just as much. :)

What books would you recommend? To anyone specific?

Smiles,
B