Waiting on Wednesday #13

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

I have been waiting on Of Poseidon for months! For the longest time I thought it was released in 2011 and I actually went into a bookstore once and asked the clerk where it was because I couldn’t find it on my own, only to be told that it was yet to be released. Next week, this will certainly be in my hands! 

What are you waiting on this week? 

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Author: Aimee Carter

Pages: 304

Release: March 27^th, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

My Thoughts:

My initial feelings before reading Goddess Interrupted were excitement and anticipation. I not only loved The Goddess Test, but I claimed it to be one of my favorite books of all time. I love greek mythology and Aimee Carter’s take on the myth of Hades and Persephone. Unfortunately, I feel that the sequel, Goddess Interrupted fell flat for me.

One of the reasons I loved The Goddess Test so much was the main character, Kate. She is a strong and is taking care of her dying mother but she doesn’t seem like a robot. She has her humanity, real emotions as well. This time around, I felt like a completely different character greeted me, one who was needy and weak. She doubts herself and her love with Henry.

I also wasn’t impressed by the story. In the months of waiting for this book to come out I was very excited to see how Kate would do as queen and to get more into the whole world of the underworld. I feel like Kate was hardly even the main character in this story. It was all about Calliope and how the main Gods would stop her; Kate was just kind of following along the whole time whining and worrying. It got stale and tiresome.

I will say the good thing about this book is that the rest of the Gods are fantastic and it was great to have them back, as well as being introduced to Persephone who I was eager to meet. Toward the end, the story did improve and I couldn’t help but to think how I hope the next book gives me more to look forward to. I guess for this one my expectations were set too high. If you liked the first one, you might want to give this a shot.

In Short:

Rating: 2/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Check Out

Would I read it again?: No

Positive Reviews:

PARAFANTASY

A Cupcake and A Latte

When She Reads

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Pages: 293

Release: April 19^th, 2011

Synopsis:(from Goodreads)It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

My Thoughts:

We’ve all experienced that moment when you finish a book and you feel so awestruck that you don’t even know what you could possibly read next that would top it, right? Well, that was my reaction upon finishing The Goddess Test.

When you think of the traditional story of Hades and Persephone, you think of a cruel God kidnapping a woman and forcing her to stay in the underworld. I always think of him as heartless and evil. Well, in this book that is simply not the case. In fact, all bets are off with Gods and Goddesses; just throw out all of the stereotypes you have spent years learning about through mythology. It’s such a creative and fun book to read and I was surprised at every turn throughout the entire thing!

I will admit that at the end I got a little emotional. I won’t give anything away and if you have any sort of control over your emotions when reading, you probably won’t have the same reaction that I did, but just in case…be prepared! It’s such a great book with likeable characters, some interesting twists on traditional mythology, and the ever sexy Henry who is close to the top of my sexy YA men list!

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton

Pages: 370

Release: January 24^th, 2012

Synopsis:(from Goodreads) Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's…

My Thoughts:

Oh my gosh, guys! Oh my goodness, gracious, gosh!!! This has got to be my favorite book I have read so far in 2012! I can’t even explain how much I love this book, but I will sure try!

Beautifully written and heart-wrenching, I found myself reading until I lost track of time on several occasions. The story of Nikki and the Everneath is unlike any other book I have read in a long time, and it was so refreshing! Unlike many YA novels that start with a normal person and build the fictional world around the main character’s discovery of the paranormal, Everneath launches you right into the turmoil and just constantly grows from that through the entire book.

I loved every part of this book, but I really loved the storyline of how Nikki was lead to the Everneath. I liked how it was woven throughout the story, and in addition to that, it was very believable. I can understand how everything that was going on with her would have made her desire an escape. It added to the deep emotional tug I felt through this book. I also must mention how realistic everything about this book felt, the emotions of the characters was so real to me. Responses of her return, the way her friends and family reacted. Let me not forget how easy it was to believe in the love that Jack and Nikki had for one another. Jack Caputo has earned his rightful place on my list of YA boys I adore.

To be honest, forming words about this book is hard. There is so much I would love to share and talk about through this review, but I wouldn’t dare want to spoil it, so all I can leave you with is, PLEASE, purchase this book, read it. You will not regret it.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out? PURCHASE!

Would I read it again?: Yes!