Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: The End of Everything by Megan Abbott


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It gives people a change to share what books we're so excited about that we can't wait for them to come out.

Here is this week's pick:

The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

Summary from GoodReads:

Thirteen-year old Lizzie Hood and her next door neighbor Evie Verver are inseparable. They are best friends who swap bathing suits and field-hockey sticks, and share everything that's happened to them. Together they live in the shadow of Evie's glamorous older sister Dusty, who provides a window on the exotic, intoxicating possibilities of their own teenage horizons. To Lizzie, the Verver household, presided over by Evie's big-hearted father, is the world's most perfect place.

And then, one afternoon, Evie disappears. The only clue: a maroon sedan Lizzie spotted driving past the two girls earlier in the day. As a rabid, giddy panic spreads through the Midwestern suburban community, everyone looks to Lizzie for answers. Was Evie unhappy, troubled, upset? Had she mentioned being followed? Would she have gotten into the car of a stranger?

Lizzie takes up her own furtive pursuit of the truth, prowling nights through backyards, peering through windows, pushing herself to the dark center of Evie's world. Haunted by dreams of her lost friend and titillated by her own new power at the center of the disappearance, Lizzie uncovers secrets and lies that make her wonder if she knew her best friend at all

This book looks quite good and it comes out July 7th, 2011. What's on your wishlist this week?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Canada Day Blog Hop

Canada Day Blog Hop
In celebration of Canada Day (which is July 1rst for all you Americans) I am partaking in the Canada Day Blog Hop which is hosted by Aislyn from Knit, Purl, Stitch... Read and Cook! and Chrystal from Snowdrop Dreams of Books
I am very proud to be Canadian and I think that it's important to celebrate that. I live in Ottawa, which is the capital of Canada and Canada Day is always a blast. They shut down all of downtown and this year Prince William and Princess Cate are coming to visit and I can't wait!

Anyhow, I am sure you will all be excited to know that I am hosting a giveaway. I am going to be giving away one of my favourite books and it's by a wonderful Canadian author.

Here it is:

In Canada and the UK it is called The Book of Negroes and in the States and Australia it is called Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. Just fill in the form below to enter. Winner will be announced July 2nd.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme where people share what they got over the week.

Since Canada Post is on strike I definitely didn't get anything in the mail but I did buy some books at Chapters. Here they are:


What did you get in your mailbox?

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Publisher: Puffin Books
Publishing Date: March 22, 2011
Genre: YA/Historical Fiction
Pages: 344 pgs
ISBN: 9780399254123

Rating: 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.


My Review:
This book was such a good read. It was an emotional read and I couldn't put it down. Lina, her mother and her brother are captured and sent to a prison camp. While this book wasn't about the Holocaust it had some disturbing similarities. I took History as a minor in university and I was mostly interested in social history. I loved hearing people's stories and this book was a little piece of someone's life set in a horrific history. Lina is so full of strength and courage and is always trying to take care of others. I also like that even throughout all that she kept her character flaws like stubborness and jumping to conclusions. My only negative with the book is the way that it ended. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but I felt like the whole book was so detailed and I felt like the ending wasn't. That's not to say that it wasn't good I just wanted more. I know this review was short but I really don't think that I can give the book justice. I think it is one of the best books of 2011 and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Book Blogger Hop: Passion

Book Blogger Hop
This week's question for the hop is:

When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?

Well, I have to say I have always been a reader. I used to visit the library once every 2 weeks I would take out the maximum number of books. It has been in the last few years that I have really been collecting books at my house. I took an English degree so I always had 3-4 books a week to read for class. Since graduating I have been enjoying reading for my own pleasure and not to write essays. Anyhow, I guess that's a long way of saying I'm not sure if there was a particular moment when I realized that reading was a passion, it's just always been a part of my life.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Review: The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan

Publisher: Penguin
Publishing Date: June 9th, 2011
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages: 290 pgs
ISBN: 9780525952190

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from GoodReads:
Marissa Rogers never wanted to be an alpha; beta suited her just fine. Taking charge without taking credit had always paid off: vaulting her to senior editor at a glossy magazine; keeping the peace with her critical, weight-obsessed mother; and enjoying the benefits of being best friends with gorgeous, charismatic, absolutely alpha Julia Ferrar.

And then Julia gets hit by a cab. She survives with minor obvious injuries, but brain damage steals her memory and alters her personality, possibly forever. Suddenly, Marissa is thrown into the role of alpha friend. As Julia struggles to regain her memory- dredging up issues Marissa would rather forget, including the fact that Julia asked her to abandon the love of her life ten years ago- Marissa's own equilibrium is shaken.

With the help of a dozen girls, she reluctantly agrees to coach in an after-school running program. There, Marissa uncovers her inner confidence and finds the courage to reexamine her past and take control of her future.

The Art of Forgetting is a story about the power of friendship, the memories and myths that hold us back, and the delicate balance between forgiving and forgetting.


My Review:
I got this book via NetGalley and it was the cover that drew me in. The cover for this book is AMAZING! At first I thought the book would have more to do with ballet though so when I started reading and I was surprised to find that there was a very small link to ballet in the book. When I did read this I had just finished a book about a woman who loses her memory and wakes up everyday thinking she is 20 years younger. This book also has a component of memory loss. Julia is hit by a cab and is left with an acquired brain injury and her friendship with Marissa is changed forever. I have to admit that I was once in a friendship like the one in this book between Julia and Marissa. Julia was quite a dominant person in the relationship and Marissa oftentimes just agreed to things to avoid causing conflict. I was the one avoiding conflict and so I could relate to Marissa in one sense. I have to admit though that she frustrated me sometimes. She allowed this type of friendship to continue for years and years. In the friendship that I was in I eventually had to say enough is enough. I wanted to yell at Marissa when they cut to scenes of the past. After the accident, I could see that Marissa would be in a difficult predicament. How do you stand up to bad behaviour when the person acting that way has a brain injury? I like that in the end Marissa is able to learn new things about herself. Overall it was a good read and I give it 3.5 stars.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It gives people a change to share what books we're so excited about that we can't wait for them to come out.

Here is this week's pick:

Never Knowning by Chevy Stevens

Summary from GoodReads:
From the acclaimed author of STILL MISSING comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers.

All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…

This book comes out July 5th, 2011 and it looks like quite a good mystery. What's on your wishlist this week?

Monday, June 20, 2011

So Sorry

Well, I've been missing in action for about a week now. I have been super busy. It's report card writing season and on top of that I am taking a course for teaching French as a Second Language. Once I am done this course I can teach French in schools in Ontario which greatly increases my chances of finding a job. So I have been plugging away at this (of course, I try to find time to sneak in a little reading too) and I am happy to report that I finished my course today at about 5pm.
I also had a job interview for a permanent teaching position with my school board. So, I spent a few days running around making sure my portfolio was up to date.
All that to say, I've been busy and as a result something had to give and it was my blog. Priorities, priorities. Don't you wish you could just read and blog all day rather than actually work? I sure do. I am actually looking forward to a summer off from work. This is the first time since I've been 15 that I am going to have a summer and it couldn't come at a better time since I'm getting married in August.
Anyhow, I feel like I'm rambling away but I just wanted to say that I am going to start really keeping on top of my posts. Thank you all for putting up with me and as a thank you I'm hoping to host a giveaway in the next few weeks. Any requests?
Happy Reading!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It gives people a change to share what books we're so excited about that we can't wait for them to come out.

Here is this week's pick:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Summary from GoodReads:
Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.


This book comes out on June 14th (which was yesterday but I still want to read it!). What's on your wishlist this week?

Monday, June 13, 2011

Review: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Publisher: Harper Collins Canada
Publishing Date: June 14th, 2011
Genre: Adult Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 336 pgs
ISBN: 9781921758157

Rating: 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

S. J. Watson makes his powerful debutwith this compelling, fast-paced psychological thriller,reminiscent of Shutter Island and Memento, in which an amnesiac who,following a mysterious accident, cannot remember her past or form newmemories, desperately tries to uncover the truth about who she is—and whoshe can trust

My Review:
I have to say this is one of the scariest books I have ever read. I can't even begin to think of what I would do if I or someone I love had to deal with what Christine is facing in this novel. Christine wakes up every morning not knowing where she is, who her husband is and thinking she is much younger than her middle aged self. She relives this every morning because she has amnesia and her short term memory is never processed into her long term memory. Many people are comparing this book to the movie Memento and while it did make me think of Memento this book is quite different. It outlines the struggles that Christine goes through but it also outlines the struggles her family and friends have with this condition. I don't want to give too much of this book away because I think you should read it but Christine begins keeping a journal at the suggestion of her doctor and she begins to find out things about her life that she has been oblivious to in the past. This is when a mystery begins to emerge and at this point you are already sucked into the plot and you can't put the book down. I love the Watson puts this book in the point of view of the character with the memory problem. Many books focus on how the family feels when it comes to amnesia and I love that this book chose to tell the story from Christine's point of view.
This book also makes you think about the idea of memories. Who are you without your memories? Without your memories do you still retain your personality or is your personality formed based off your memories? It also makes you question how reliable your memories are. Many people fabricate or slightly change their memories and also everyone seems to remember the same situation in different ways as well. I found myself asking these questions as I was reading this book. I love when a book makes you question things!
Overall, I give this book a perfect five out of five stars. Watson has an amazing writing style and I can't wait to read more by him.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Publishing Date: June 2nd, 2011
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Fantasy
Pages: 496 pgs
ISBN: 9780061689376

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all.

My Review:
This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. It is about a little girl, Lisa, who goes missing and it switches from the time she goes missing to 15 years later. 15 years later her brother, Sam, and his girlfriend, Phoebe, is trying to figure out what happen to this little girl. Mixed up in this mystery is a fairy story. Did Lisa get kidnapped or did she go into the land of the fairies? I really liked the writing style in this book and really like the character of Phoebe. She is full of curiosity and also self-doubt. She never seems to have much confidence in herself and is always trying to save others rather than dealing with her own issues. I don't want to give too much away but the fairy element to the story was really intriguing too. I kept reading and reading because I needed to know what happened. Were there really fairies or are the fairies a result of the childrens' imagination? I have never really read a book quite like this. It had all the elements of a mystery novel but it had the added element of fantasy as well. I have to say at times it did get a bit confusing (near the end). I also have to say that I'm not too sure how I feel about the ending. Again, I don't want to give anything away but a part of me thinks it was a perfect ending but in another way I feel like it left a lot of questions. Overall I did enjoy reading this book and I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Blogger Hop: Author Sighting

This week's book blogger hop is hosted at Lori's Reading Corner and the question is:

Who is the one author you are dying to meet?

Well this is a tough question because there are a few. First of all I would love to meet Marian Keyes. I love love love her books and from her newletters I think she is so entertaining. She seems down to earth and humorous.
I would also love to meet Libba Bray. I have not read her books yet but from her Twitter feed she just seems hilarious and well spoken. I don't think it would be awkward at all and I think there would be some good conversation. Beauty Queens is next on my list to read.

Anyhow that's my answer. I can't wait to read yours.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It gives people a change to share what books we're so excited about that we can't wait for them to come out.

Here is this week's pick:

The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan

Summary from GoodReads:
A moving and insightful debut novel of great friendship interrupted. Can the relationship survive when the memories are gone?

Marissa Rogers never wanted to be an alpha; beta suited her just fine. Taking charge without taking credit had always paid off: vaulting her to senior editor at a glossy magazine; keeping the peace with her critical, weight-obsessed mother; and enjoying the benefits of being best friends with gorgeous, charismatic, absolutely alpha Julia Ferrar.

And then Julia gets hit by a cab. She survives with minor obvious injuries, but brain damage steals her memory and alters her personality, possibly forever. Suddenly, Marissa is thrown into the role of alpha friend. As Julia struggles to regain her memory- dredging up issues Marissa would rather forget, including the fact that Julia asked her to abandon the love of her life ten years ago- Marissa's own equilibrium is shaken.

With the help of a dozen girls, she reluctantly agrees to coach in an after-school running program. There, Marissa uncovers her inner confidence and finds the courage to reexamine her past and take control of her future.

The Art of Forgetting is a story about the power of friendship, the memories and myths that hold us back, and the delicate balance between forgiving and forgetting.

This book looks quite good and I don't have much longer to wait as it comes out June 9th, 2011 which is tomorrow! What is on your wishlist this week?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Top Ten Tuesdays: Where It's At


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's edition is Top Ten Settings in Books.

I'm hoping that I can come up with 10 but I guess we'll see.



Hogwarts from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling- I mean who wouldn't want to visit Hogwarts. It is an amazingly magical place.


Lothlorien (The Refuge of the Elves) from Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- Really it's just beautiful.



The Beaches of North Carolina- found in any Nicholas Sparks book


New York City- found in books like J'Adore New York, Sex in the City and Something Borrowed


Anne of Green Gables House in PEI- by Lucy Maud Montgomery




Well, I found 5 I suppose that is all I can think of. I'm interested to see what the rest of you have. Happy Reading!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publishing Date: June 7th, 2011
Genre: YA, Supernatural
Pages: 416 pgs
ISBN: 9780062026774

Rating: 4 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

My Review:
There has been a lot of hype for this book around the blogosphere and I was excited when I was approved by NetGalley for this book. I love a good ghost story and I found the summary of this book intriguing. I have to say that I spent all day Saturday reading this book when I should have been writing report cards for my grade 1s. I couldn't put this book down. I really liked the flow of the writing in this book. It was written in a way that made you want to keep reading to find out what was really going on with Amelia. At times I even found myself feeling really bad for Amelia; she died really young and has no memory of her life. When she starts to piece together her life with the help of Joshua she becomes very sad. I couldn't imagine missing that much of my life and being stuck between two worlds. Amelia is never fully at rest. There were a couple things that bugged me about this book though. I have to admit that the fact that Joshua and Amelia continue to carry on a relationship seems a bit unhealthy to me. One is a ghost and the other is alive. Another thing that bugged me is that things with Eli and the "bad" spirits ended abruptly. I know this is part of a series but I would have liked a little more development in that area. The book focused mainly on the character development of Amelia which was good but I was really curious to know what was going on with Eli. Overall, as I said I couldn't put this book down and I really enjoyed it. Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Review: Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal

Publisher: St Martins Press
Publishing Date: March 29th, 2011
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 293 pgs
ISBN: 9780312667573

My Rating: 2 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood. WANT MORE SWEET VALLEY RIGHT NOW?? Become a fan of Sweet Valley Confidential on Facebook or Twitter.


My Review:

I was anticipating this book for a while because I was a huge Sweet Valley High fan when I was younger. I have to say though that this book was a huge disappointment. I had fair warning from different reviews but felt like I should read it and form my own opinion. I really wish I could have said that it was amazing because I think it could have been but it wasn't. I have to say that if I slightly disliked Jessica before, I really dislike her now! She basically carries on an affair with Todd, Elizabeth's high school sweetheart and then wonders why her relationship with her sister is ruined. The author also overused/misused the word "like". Here is just one example of this: "And like I feel a bit of an edge, that same edge that was so exciting when I first met him. Now it feels like almost dangerous." I mean I can understand if you are trying to speak like a teen during the 90s but this book is supposed to be ten years later. I know I definitely don't speak like that anymore and this is only one example of the overuse of like. There are millions more found throughout the book. Anyhow, I don't really have much else to say about this book except that it was not the greatest. It was nice to revisit Sweet Valley High and see what all the characters were up to but it kind of shattered my view that Sweet Valley was awesome when I was younger. Overall I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It gives people a change to share what books we're so excited about that we can't wait for them to come out.

Here is this week's pick:

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

Summary from GoodReads:
Vibrant, fresh, and intelligent, The Little Women Letters explores the imagined lives of Jo March’s descendants—three sisters who are both thoroughly modern and thoroughly March. As uplifting and essential as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Gabrielle Donnelly’s novel will speak to anyone who’s ever fought with a sister, fallen in love with a fabulous pair of shoes, or wondered what on earth life had in store for her.

With her older sister, Emma, planning a wedding and her younger sister, Sophie, preparing to launch a career on the London stage, Lulu can’t help but feel like the failure of the Atwater family. Lulu loves her sisters dearly and wants nothing but the best for them, but she finds herself stuck in a rut, working dead-end jobs with no romantic prospects in sight. When her mother asks her to find a cache of old family recipes in the attic of her childhood home, Lulu stumbles across a collection of letters written by her great-great-grandmother Josephine March. In her letters, Jo writes in detail about every aspect of her life: her older sister, Meg’s, new home and family; her younger sister Amy’s many admirers; Beth’s illness and the family’s shared grief over losing her too soon; and the butterflies she feels when she meets a handsome young German. As Lulu delves deeper into the lives and secrets of the March sisters, she finds solace and guidance, but can the words of her great-great-grandmother help Lulu find a place for herself in a world so different from the one Jo knew? Vibrant, fresh, and intelligent, The Little Women Letters explores the imagined lives of Jo March’s descendants—three sisters who are both thoroughly modern and thoroughly March. As uplifting and essential as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Gabrielle Donnelly’s novel will speak to anyone who’s ever fought with a sister, fallen in love with a fabulous pair of shoes, or wondered what on earth life had in store for her.

Some things, of course, remain unchanged: the stories and jokes that form a family’s history, the laughter over tea in the afternoon, the desire to do the right thing in spite of obstacles. And above all, of course, the fierce, undying, and often infuriating bond of sisterhood that links the Atwater women every bit as firmly as it did the March sisters all those years ago. Both a loving tribute to Little Women and a wonderful contemporary family story, The Little Women Letters is a heartwarming, funny, and wise novel for today.

I love Little Women and this book looks so good. It comes out June 7th, 2011. What's on your wishlist this week?

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: May 31rst, 2011
Genre: YA
Pages: 496 pgs
ISBN: 9780062011992

Rating: 4 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

My Review:

I do not know much about Greek mythology and I read The Goddess Test earlier this year and I really enjoyed reading more about Greek myth. When I was approved for this book by NetGalley I was really excited to read it. Now I know I just mentioned The Goddess Test but I should say that Starcrossed is nothing like The Goddess Test. I have mentioned in other reviews that I really dislike when a character completely changes when they find out they are something paranormal or supernatural. This does not happen in this book and I loved Helen's character. She does want to rebel a bit but she doesn't completely change who she is. She continues to hold her relationships dear and she makes an effort to try to fit into her new lifestyle. I loved that Angelini made the characters similar to particular greek gods. Helen is like Helen of Troy and Lucas is like Paris. She didn't bog down her story with too much background on greek mythology. She added this into her story in a way that flowed really well. Her writing style creates an element of suspense and you end up reading the whole novel quickly. I was done within a day and I couldn't get through it quickly enough. I loved all the minor characters in this novel as well. I am interested to see what happens in the next book in terms of character development. I am wondering if Daphne will stick around and if Helen and Lucas end up together. I was a little sad when the book ended because I just wanted to know more. I can not wait for the next installment of this series and I highly recommend you go out and get this book if you haven't already.