[Book Review] Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source: eARC courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss

Summary

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

My Review

Note: I received and advance readers copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free review.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch is a great new book in the young adult fantasy genre. I liked the story and the characters but because it was so hyped up, I had really high expectations going in, which is never good a thing. I had a little trouble getting into the story at first because of the amount of background information. However, the suspense and plot twists kept me reading and I'm glad I did because it turned out to a solid start to what looks to be a fantastic fantasy series.

"Waiting on" Wednesday [8]

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), an imprint of Macmillan

Synopsis 

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira does not appear to be your typical contemporary YA book. It looks a lot more gritty and introspective, especially since it deals with a hard topic, death. I'm excited to see how Dellaira develops the plot that we are given in the synopsis.

Check it out on Goodreads!  

New Release Tuesday...The Ones I'm Psyched For [8]

Ruins (Parials #3) by Dan Wells

Summary

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

I read Partial back in February and it has to be one of my favorite books I've read so far this year. I have yet to read Fragments but even so, I am very excited for the release of the final book in the Partials sequence.

Check it out on Goodreads.
Check out author Dan Well's website.

Other notable new releases

• Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski - I received and early review copy courtesy of NetGalley and you can read my review on this book right here.

Book Review: Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/Paranormal
Source: NetGalley

Summary

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

My Review

I have to say I was unexpectedly surprised at how good Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski is when I finished reading it. I was expecting a fluffy YA read with a little bit of paranormal mixed in but it turned out to be a lot more. I really enjoyed all of the characters points of view and they all had their own unique flavor.

"Waiting on" Wednesday [7]

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis 

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

Who isn't excited for a retelling of the Wizard of Oz? The last one we had was Wicked by Gregory Maguire and this one seems very different in both tone and plot. In Dorothy Must Die, the first book in a trilogy, Danielle Paige is re-imagining and recreating the Dorothy character and instead of being the heroine, she's the new villain. I can't wait to see what's in store with! 

Check it out on Goodreads!