Stacking The Shelves #16 - The One Where I Import A Book

Hello Lovely Bloggy People!

It was a super stressful week college wise, because I had a whooping 23 SUBMISSIONS to make yesterday (WHAT EVEN) and after finishing all of them, the professor changes the deadline to THE 16TH OF AUGUST. That's HALF A MONTH AWAY. SIGH.

So, I'm going to be sitting here, sipping my iced tea and enjoying my weekend after college today and FINALLY read The Mirror King!

But, more importantly, WHAT DID I SHELVE THIS WEEK?

FOR REVIEW:
From Netgalley:

1. Glitters by Aprilynne Pike (Thanks You Random House Childrens!)

CAN YOU LOOK AT THAT COVER? I am DYING inside at the sheer AWESOMENESS of the work of art. ALSO THIS IS A FANTASY NOVEL IN VERSAILLES WITH TECHNOLOGY AND DRUGS AND GOD HELP ME I'M FLAILING AND I CAN'T STOP.

From Edelweiss:


1. Fear The Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh

THIS IS ABOUT WITCHES. AND ECCENTRIC WITCHES. AND CONSPIRACIES. I AM SO SO SO IN.

From Serial Box:

What is Serial Box?
They are a publisher of high-quality, serialized fiction. It's like a TV show--episodes each week building to a season finale-- but written by some of the top authors in the biz. 

I recently got contacted by a lovely intern and they offered me the first two episodes of ReMade:
Written By: Matthew Cody, Kiersten White, E.C. Myers, Andrea Phillips, Carrie Harris, and Gwenda Bond

Synopsis From Goodreads: You live. You love. You die. Now RUN. ReMade.

Every minute, 108 people die. 
On October 14th, 2016, from 9:31-9:32 p.m. EDT, 23 of those deaths will be teenagers. 
Now they are humanity’s last hope for survival. 

Awakened in a post-apocalyptic world and hunted by mechanical horrors, these teens search for answers amidst the ruins of civilization. Fate, love, and loyalty face off in this adrenaline -pumping YA adventure.

ReMade will unfold in 15 episodes.

BOUGHT: 

1. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon:

This cover is SO BLOODY gorgeous I could not stop staring at it for at least three hours after I got it. I've heard nothing but great things about this one, and I'm SO excited to finally own it!

2. Some Boys by Patty Blount:
(YES, This is the book I imported!)

I've been obsessed with finding new books about rape and abuse as good as Asking For It by Louise O'Neill, and I stumbled across this one that I read about a while ago and I just HAD to have it!

What books have you got this week? Any on here that you're dying to start or get your hands on too?

Link me up and I can't wait to visit your blogs!

Mini Reviews #1 - Outlaws! Beetles! Deadbeat Dads!

Some lovely publishers sent me review copies that are a little out of my reading zone, but I LOVED nonetheless!

I didn't have much to say about them, since I haven't read very many books like them, BUT LET'S START THE MINI-REVIEWING!

NEWS!: It is my BIRTHDAY in a month, and I would LOVE your opinions on what to giveaway to all of you lovely people!! I was thinking an Empire Of Storms preorder AAAND a whole Throne Of Glass Series Set (1-5)? Let me know in the comments.

***

Title: Counterstrike (Urban Outlaws #4)

Author: Peter Jay Black

Publication Date: April 7th 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 4 

I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)

Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US

Blurb Description: The Urban Outlaws face their biggest challenge yet. They have to break into the Facility and find the ultimate weapon – Medusa – before Hector does. But there are five levels of security to crack and a mystery room that has Jack sweating whenever he thinks about it. 
But the clock is ticking. Hector is determined to have the weapon and release doomsday, and it is down to the Urban Outlaws to stop him. Can Jack come up with a plan in time?
The tension is high and the shocks are breathtaking in the fourth book of this high-octane adventure series for fans of Robert Muchamore, Anthony Horowitz and Alex Scarrow. 

Though this is the fourth book in a series, and I haven't read the others, I actually found it rather easy to catch up, AFTER reading all about the Urban Outlaws on their website, http://urbanoutlawsbunker.com/outlaws

If you want to start this series, I would also recommend it because IT IS REALLY QUITE AMAZING! 

One of the first things that struck me about this book was HOW YOUNG the characters were. Wren is only 10, the oldest Jack and Charlie are both aged 15, and I FEEL SO OLD, not having saved the world at one month away from 18! There was something about the writing that showed me, a newbie to this series, how worldly the Outlaws are, something which normal 10 or 15 year olds wouldn't have, especially Jack! This made it feel extremely realistic as I imagine after four adventures Jack, their leader, WOULD be tired of Hector and all his schemes.

In their (supposedly) hardest mission yet, the outlaws need to find a way to get into the secure building, gain access through the security check points and secure doors. This mission is intricate and every detail needs to be in place, and again, I adored the adrenaline that rushed through every word.

Counterstrike is a SERIOUSLY gripping read even when nothing seems to be going right for the team! I did however, love the tricks they always had up their sleeves, because what's the point of reading a book if you can predict it, right?

All in alll, if the synopsis of the series seems interesting to you, i suggest you pick it up without a second thought, because IT IS WORTH IT!

***

Title: Beetle Boy (The Battle Of The Beetles #1)

Author: MG Leonard 

Publication Date: March 3rd 2016

Publisher: Chicken House

Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/3

I Got A Copy Through: Scholastic India (THANK YOU!)

Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK ||

Blurb Description: Darkus is miserable. His dad has disappeared, and now he is living next door to the most disgusting neighbours ever.
A giant beetle called Baxter comes to his rescue. But can the two solve the mystery of his dad’s disappearance, especially when links emerge to cruel Lucretia Cutter and her penchant for beetle jewellery? A coffee-mug mountain, home to a million insects, could provide the answer – if Darkus and Baxter are brave enough to find it …

I haven’t read a Middle Grade Book since, well, middle grade? (I’m now a college veteran*, in case you were wondering) and yet, when the lovely folks over at Scholastic offered, I thought, why not? What could I possibly lose?

*College Veteran: I’ve been in college for a grand period of one month and one day. See Also: Broke

What is Beetle Boy all about?

Darkus lived a normal life, nestled between his loving parents. He was just a normal boy. Until his mother died suddenly and his dad had Bad Days. Darkus helped in pulling him out of his fuck, and everything was back to normal again.

Until one day when his dad went into a vault, locked the door and was never came out.

How could he have left his son to fend for himself? Where did he go? Why hasn’t he made contact? Who is Lucretia Cutter? And what is up with all of the beetles?

I’ll be honest, I surprised myself with falling in love with this book fairly early on. The writing was fast, Darkus’s narration heartfelt and simple, the story was quickly paced and the characters (including the beetles) were wonderful.

For the first time in ever, I also adored the villain. Lucretia was determined, badass, scary and knew what she wanted. She really seemed like an MG villain.

What simultaneously managed to freak me out and impress me to no extent were the beetles themselves. There were scenes where Darkus were covered with beetles, and I wanted to shout ‘RUN! HIDE!’ and then I was amazed by how they helped him. I’m not putting a beetle in a cage anytime soon and calling him my pet, but #veryimpressed

I should also mention the side characters – Uncle Max, Bertolt, Virginia and Novak because they were awesome in their own right!

4 stars!

***

Title: Deadbeat Dad (Dead Dective Sries #2)

Author: J.R.Rain

Publication Date: September 13th 2016 

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Part of a Series?: Yes, Books 2 

I Got A Copy Through: Audoibook via Curiosity Quills Press!

Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes & Noble || The Book Depository || Audible

Blurb Description: Hard-boiled police detective Richelle Dadd is back. And in a whole world of fresh trouble. Still... well, dead as the result of a Gypsy curse, she must now face life as a single mom. Not only does Richelle have to worry about all the usual stuff—her baby’s health and well-being and keeping a roof over their heads by working a precarious dead-end job—there’s also her homicidal ex-boyfriend to fear, the father of her child, stalking them both day and night with the avowed intent of kidnapping baby Tamara.
Not to mention a mysterious Russian agent hell-bent on “recruiting” Richelle into a suspiciously perfect overseas job, plus there’s a vicious Ripper-style killing to investigate, one that ties in with the Black Rose Murders that terrorized the city nearly ninety years ago. Throw in the increasingly bizarre behavior of Richelle’s ex-husband Devon and the fact that somebody’s bugged every inch of Richelle’s house—and it all adds up to a recipe for disaster…
But once again, just as in the Dead Detective, the first book in the series, some very off-beat characters come to her aid. There’s her love-sick ex-detective partner Malena Ayon, for one, and the long-dead ghost cop Bull McGuinness for another. And Richelle’s equally dead new boyfriend, a dreamy World War I vet cut down in the prime of his youth. Last but hardly least, the roguish old Irish Traveler and scam artist Dicky Dadd, who claims to be Richelle’s vanished father, but who may be something else entirely; a half-Gypsy wizard sent to watch over her by the kriss, or Romani High Council.
On the eve of a second ‘Ripper’ murder at a nearby theme park, Richelle and Malena must race to save an innocent victim’s life—along with that of Tamara—while battling shadowy forces both real and supernatural, as the story builds to a shattering and unexpected climax.

 *THIS IS AN AUDIOBOOK REVIEW*

Full disclosure? One of the reasons I requested this book from the awesome team over at Curiosity Quills was because it was an audiobook! And, as you might know, I'm only a slight sucker for them!

While it took me a long while to listen to this second book in a paranormal series, I would really recommend reading the first book before getting into this one, because some places I was just sitting there, scratching my head.

Detective Sergeant Richelle Dadd is undead, stuck between the realms of the living and the dead. Deliberately made this way by her ex-boyfriend Val Tabori, to father a Moroi child, a half human, half zombie boy.

I don't really read paranormal books, having gotten over my vampire phase a while ago, but Deadbeat Dad was just in the realm of the extraordinary and the not too out there that I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I loved the complexity of Richelle's home life and just who she was in general. All the secondary characters were well narrated and written as well

This is a fast paced book with several minor storylines all adding to the tensions, which definitely surprised me!

What was the last book YOU read that was out of your reading comfort zone? Do you like the adventure? What do you think of these books?

Top Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want To Master (Or Want) (Top Ten Tuesday #11)

BOOKS ARE GREAT SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE, OKAY? We learn SO SO much from books such as:

1. Which authors have the power to break your heart?
2. How Much can you strain your emotions, or rather, experience #AllTheFeels?
3. HOW MANY TIMES YOU CAN FALL IN LOVE.
4. What to look for in real life boys/ girls (#FictionalBoysFTW)
5. How to deal with problems.


AND EVERYTHING ELSE, that real life will only ever teach you the hard way.

And in all my reading adventures, I've found SO many things that my favourite characters in books know that I need to learn. This is such an awesome Top Ten Tuesday topic, so thanks to the ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish!

1. The Hunger Games made me want to master ARCHERY:

I have always thought archery is THE COOLEST FORM OF WEAPONRY in the world. I cannot, and I mean CANNOT even knock an arrow into the bow and shoot it straight without it falling onto the floor (#fail) but its so BLOODY COOL.

Other Archery Inspirations:
a) Feyre from A Court of Thorns And Roses
b) Allison Argent from Teen Wolf

2. The Princess Diaries made me want to become a PRINCESS:

IT WILL HAPPEN, OKAY? I am secretly the heir to a throne to a GORGEOUS country in Europe and I will get a makeover and fall in love with my best friend's ULTRA HOT/ SMART nerd brother (even though said boy doesn't exist) IT WILL HAPPEN.

I even have a journal to prove it.

3. Bombmaker made me want to master BOMB MAKING:

(This is never actually happening because my mother (and I) would freak. SO)
Though this is a very little known book, it is so so so awesome! A dystopian novel that is so adrenaline filled I could barely process things happening around me, and the MC makes BOMBS! nd she's self taught!

This is probably not a very good skill to have, but if I know how to build bombs, I could DIFFUSE them too, right?

4. The Truth About Forever made me want to work for a CATERING COMPANY:

This will be called Wish, okay? I loved the CHAOS and the people and EVERYTHING about this catering company, but especially Wes. AAAAH.

Again, I would probably blow up a kitchen before I actually produce something edible. So.

5. Throne Of Glass made me want to become an ASSASSIN:

DO I REALLY NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS? IT'S THE COOLEST THING EVER.

6. Asking For It Taught Me It's Okay To Speak Up:

For the longest while, I shut up and bottled my feelings but only a short while after reading this book, I had the strength to come clean to one of my best friends about some stuff I'd gone through as a kid, and It was the best felling ever.

Kudos to the author for the inspiration she gave me through the book!

7. Six Of Crows made me want to BE A PART OF A CRIMINAL CREW:

Again, my WONDERFUL talents in said crew would include:
1. Tripping over flat surfaces/ Staircases
2. Not being able to use ANY sort of weapons
3. Being terrible with In Real Life People

YES. MY CREW WILL BE ULTRA SUCCESSFUL.

8. We Were Liars made me want to GET RICH AND OWN MY OWN ISLAND:

THIS IS MY DREAM. (Okay, my dream is to live in a bookshelf) but I WANT A BOOKSHELF ISLAND. WHILE BEING A PRINCESS ASSASSIN CRIMINAL.

9. Rebel Of The Sands made me want TO WRITE ABOUT CHARACTERS I WOULD FALL IN  LOVE WITH:

I fell madly madly in love with these diverse badass characters and I've never ever wanted to write more than after reading these characters that must have been such a ball to write about!

WHERE IS BOOK TWO?!

10. A Court Of Mist And Fury Made Me Want RHYSAND:

A post about things I want CANNOT be complete without Rhysand. HE IS EVERYTHING. EVER.
Here's why.

Top Ten Reasons Why Rhysand Needs To Be A "Real Life" Boyfriend.

IN SUMMARY: I want to be a PRINCESS/ ASSASSIN/ CRIMINAL/ ISLAND OWNING/ ASSASSIN with Rhysand as a Boyfriend and also Write and Work at a catering company.

#RealAchievableGoals 

What about YOU? What have books made YOU want to master or WANT? Link me up, hit me on the head, I CAN'T WAIT!

Let's Fangirl: Mirror In The Sky by Aditi Khorana

Title: Mirror In The Sky
Author: Aditi Khorana
Publication Date: 21st June 2016
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin Teen)
Part of a Series?: No, Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: ARC via the author (THANKS ADITI!)
Buy Links: 

Blurb Description: For Tara Krishnan, navigating Brierly, the academically rigorous prep school she attends on scholarship, feels overwhelming and impossible. Her junior year begins in the wake of a startling discovery: A message from an alternate Earth, light years away, is intercepted by NASA. This means that on another planet, there is another version of Tara, a Tara who could be living better, burning brighter, because of tiny differences in her choices. 
As the world lights up with the knowledge of Terra Nova, the mirror planet, Tara’s life on Earth begins to change. At first, small shifts happen, like attention from Nick Osterman, the most popular guy at Brierly, and her mother playing hooky from work to watch the news all day. But eventually those small shifts swell, the discovery of Terra Nova like a black hole, bending all the light around it. 
As a new era of scientific history dawns and Tara's life at Brierly continues its orbit, only one thing is clear: Nothing on Earth--and for Tara--will ever be the same again.

Do you guys remember during my blogaversary, I had over the amazing Aditi Khorana on my blog, for an interview?

Well, after, this EXTREMELY KIND LADY offered to send me an ARC of her debut, Mirror in the Sky, and I just HAD to accept!

“There are endless versions of us and none of us even knows about each other. That’s sort of beautiful.”

Tara Krishnan is the odd girl out at Brierly, her rigorous prep school. Not only is she the scholarship kid, she also has different skin colour – Tara is Indian.

It doesn’t matter, though, that her only friend is going to Argentina and the boy she is in love with loves someone else because Earth itself is changing.

Everything they knew is changing.

For out there, there is another Earth. Another America, another Brierly, another Tara. A parallel universe that they can’t reach, but one that has now been found.

Another life for you to imagine yourself living.

As news of Terra Nova spreads and affects people on Earth in ways you could never even imagine, Tara’s life begins to change as well. The popular crowd becoming her friends, her mother retreating out of Earth and into Terra Nova and Nick Osterman.

It’s a whole different world, so get ready to be amazed.

“I think that’s one of the best things about the discovery of Terra Nova. We go about our lives assuming we know everything we need to know, but there’s no end to the mystery of the world. It’s brought back a feeling of sheer wonder.”

As an Indian, who identifies as an Indian-American purely on the basis of how my mind works, Tara was a character I was REALLY hoping I would connect with. I was hoping she would be someone who would really get me, for the most part. There were a lot of things I could identify with, like wondering what the world(s) had in store for her, problems with her mother, and even wanting to be in with the popular crowd, but she wasn’t all she could have been.

I wish she was stronger and more self-confident but most of all, I wish she wasn’t such a wallflower, content with sitting around and letting everyone else make all of her decisions for her.

I love Aditi Khorana’s writing style. She managed to capture the everyday teenager’s thoughts on the small things without making them seem too overdramatic, but not monotonous as well as the big questions going through everyone’s head. It was a gorgeous interpretation of what a teenager thinks and feels – one of the most accurate I’ve read in a while.

I think some of the ending was beautifully done, so BLOODY REAL it makes me hurt, but some other parts – specifically with her mother was SO RANDOM, I re-read the scene again and again, and I just did not get why where her mother was turned into a war zone.

 Khorana’s emotionally charged writing will leave you craving more, and her characters will stay with you for a while to come. 

What do YOU think about parallel universes? Do you believe they could exist?

What do you think you would be doing in a parallel universe? I can't WAIT to hear your thoughts!!

Stacking The Shelves #15 - The One With The Last Guardian Parcel

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely bookish folks over at Tynga's Reviews and is all about showing off the books you received this week, whether they were bought, borrowed, received or gifted!

LIFE UPDATE: I had a HUGE event at college last Saturday where I played the piano (as a part of a band) (Yes, I'M IN A BAND! ACK! *freaks out*) and we came third and I had a creative writing competition that I came first in and my tam won the overall event (EEK!) So yeah. that's about it.

I was only in college for seven hours (rather than 12) like a relatively normal person, but my fine arts professor is a crazy lady and is making my life a living hell.

So, what did I haul over the last two weeks?

FOR REVIEW: 

From Guardian Children's Books:

This is my FINAL Guardian Children's Books Parcel, and it was sent to me as a thank you from the awesome book elves over at the Guardian Towers! THANKS EVER SO MUCH ALL OF YOU!

1. GEMINA BY AMIE KAUFMAN AND JAY KRISTOFF:

HOLY CRAP. When I opened my surprise parcel, THIS IS THE LAST BOOK I WAS EXPECTING IN EVER! I haven't even read Illuminae which I got only a few weeks ago, but ACK! I'm so beyond excited!

If you've read Illuminae/ Gemina I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts!

2. The List by Siobhan Vivian:

This was quite literally on my immediate to-buy list, and so when it showed up I WAS SO EXCITED! This book sounds so great, with the whole concept of a Prettiest and Ugliest list and well, I'M SO EXCITED FOR MY FIRST SIOBHAN VIVIAN BOOK!

3. Cruel Heart Broken by Emma Haughton:

THIS SOUNDS SO BRILLIANT! Two ex-best friends, something toxic and a huge secret! I hope it drives me insane.

4. London Belongs To Us by Sarra Manning:

This seems like such an awesome read, that I'd never heard of until I actually received a copy. I just hope it's not overdone, though!

FROM SCHOLASTIC INDIA:

1. Beetle Boy by MG Leonard:

I don't usually read Middle Grade books, but Scholastic India sent me this lovely, and I'm currently reading it.

FROM NETGALLEY:

1. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (Thanks Sourcebooks Fire!)

IT IS MY FIRST 2017 BOOK! AND I MIGHT BE DYING ONLY SLIGHTLY!

NECROMANCERS? Differnet kinds of Necromancers? Training? Gold help me this better be epic.

2. Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige (Thanks Bloomsbury USA!)

A girl in a mental institute, who figures out she shouldn't be there and has
some world saving quest? She reminds me of Winter from TLC, and I haven't even started yet!

3. Mistrust by Margaret McHeyzer

I decided to take a chance on it and requested it on NetGalley Really hoping this is a good book!

4. Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (Thanks Random House Childrens!)

I've been dying to read this book ever since it was announced and Kathleen is an awesome human being. I can't wait for this awesome sounding story!

BOUGHT:


1. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials Of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

I promised I'd give up all Rick Riordan books after the monstrosity that was Blood of Olympus, because after FIVE YEARS OF EAGERLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT BOOK, and that ending that was so UNREAL, I just couldn't anymore. I always liked Apollo though and HERE I AM. I don't know how I'm going to do this again until 2020, but. Sigh.

2. Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve:

After reading Laure Eve's August 2016 release, The Graces, I just HAD to have her other books. I'm hoping this is as awesome as the first one.

Have you read any of these books? Which do you think I could start with?

What books have you received this week? Link me up and I'll be visiting tomorrow!

BLOG TOUR: Smash and Grab by Amy Christine Parker - Guest Post + Review + Giveaway

Title: Smash & Grab
Author: Amy Christine Parker
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 19th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

Synopsis: Ocean’s Eleven meets the star-crossed lovers of West Side Story.Grab some popcorn and get ready for an adrenaline-filled heist!
LEXI is a rich girl who loves a good rush. Whether it’s motorcycle racing or BASE jumping off a building in downtown Los Angeles, the only times she feels alive are when she and her friends are executing one of their dares. After her father’s arrest, Lexi doesn’t think twice about going undercover at his bank to steal the evidence that might clear his name. She enlists her hacker brother and her daredevil friends to plan a clever heist.
CHRISTIAN is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The local gang has blackmailed him and his friends into robbing banks, and he is desperate for a way out. When the boss promises that one really big job will be the last he ever has to do, Christian jumps at the chance for freedom. In fact, he’s just met a girl at the bank who might even prove useful. . . .
Two heists. One score. The only thing standing in their way is each other.
Told in alternating points of view, this caper is full of romance and fast-paced fun. Hand to fans of Perfect Chemistry, The Conspiracy of Us, and Heist Society.

“These moments are the only times I ever feel truly alive.”

When I read the synopsis for Smash and Grab, I was SO excited! I own all of Amy Christine Parker’s other books but I haven’t read them yet. (See BookDragon Phenomenon #21: Own 12093430923 books, but never read them)

I rarely ever find young adult books about heists and adrenaline and just the thrill of being a criminal. And so, when I got approved for this one on NetGalley, I was ecstatic!

And now, just a bit after finishing the book, I realise I have no strong feelings about the heist, or the characters, and that just disappoints me.

Let’s break this down, yeah?

Lexi is a rich kid. Lexi’s dad was arrested for mortgage fraud, making her whole life implode. Lexi and her friends are a bunch of daredevils, looking for the next big thrill, be it drag racing or jumping off a high rise in the middle of the city.

Christian is the polar opposite. Living under the control of the Mexican Mafia in Florencia Heights, he’s forced to do unlawful things (aka rob banks) just to keep his family safe and pay off his father’s gambling debts. 

Under normal circumstances, these two would never have been friends, but with a twist of fate, a bank robbery and a makeover later, here they are. Planning a heist that will be worth over 50 million dollars, and the possibility of clearing someone’s name. What can go wrong?

“I think it’s better if we keep this strictly professional,” she says. I laugh. “Baby, there is nothing professional about what we’re doing.” Her mouth quirks up. “Okay, so we keep it strictly criminal then.”

While the idea behind Smash and Grab was brilliant, and the characters were brilliant as well, the execution just wasn’t done well enough, on Lexi’s side. I love the criminal and the rich girl storyline, the overprotective brother, the gay best friend, the abused other friend and everyone else. When it was Lexi’s point of view these otherwise amazing characters were barely given thought to, and I wish there was more of them and their personalities in the book, because they seemed really awesome.

When it came to Christian, however, his side of the crew, their families and their motivations were REALLY well done. I supposed they needed it more too, but still. I would have love more secondary character depth.

That would have all been acceptable too, if I had, even once after the first chapter, FELT THE ADRENALINE. There was a fifty million dollar heist going on, and I was feeling NOTHING.

All in all, I just wish this book was MORE, but I did like it because it was definitely different.

Three stars. 

The Best Part of Publication

The single best part of publication is meeting readers. Seeing your book on shelves is heady stuff, but it can’t compare with hearing from readers who love your book or were inspired by it in some way. I’ve been lucky enough to have some pretty cool reader experiences so far. Here is just a sampling:

1.       Gated, my first book, has been used in a program that counsels nonviolent juvenile offenders using literature to help them make better choices. It’s called Reading for Life. They invited me to go visit the kids in a juvenile detention center. Hearing their thoughts on the book and what it meant to them in terms of making better choices was the coolest, most touching thing ever. You can find out more about this program and how to support it here.

2.       A trio of teen writers hired me through my agent to come do a writer’s retreat with them. They actually went together to cover my expenses to meet with them and talk writing and my books. They even made me a certificate afterwards!

3.       Getting emails from people who were actually in cults who related to my first two books and felt like they captured some of their personal experiences. That was amazing and gratifying. I hoped to get it right and it’s nice to know that they felt I did.

4.       Visiting schools and having kids confide in me about their own writing and how something I wrote inspired them.

When you are writing a novel, it’s so solitary. You deal with so much doubt even if you’ve been published before, maybe especially if you’ve been published before. Having my stories available to a wide readership from around the world who sometimes benefit in a positive way from it despite my misgivings during the writing process is mind blowing. I will never get used to it! I’m really looking forward to getting out to see Smash & Grab readers in the next several months. 

Follow the Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

AMY CHRISTINE PARKER writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and one ridiculously fat cat. Visit her at amychristineparker.com and follow her on Twitter @amychristinepar.

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