Raven by Allison van Diepen

Everyone is more than they appear on the outside, and everyone has their own secrets. Beneath her cool exterior, Nicole harbors some family troubles, but she can forget all that when she break dances with her friends.

Ever since she stepped into Evermore, the home bar of the Toprocks (the local breaking team) Nicole has been drawn to the break dancing scene—and to Zin. Zin, the mysterious dancer whom Nicole has felt an undeniable connection to since day one. But Zin has his own secrets, and is careful not to let Nicole get too close.

Her work at Evermore aside, things couldn’t possibly get worse at home for Nicole. Her brother has become a drug addict and keeps asking his parents for more and more money—money that Nicole’s parents are quick to hand over, believing that they are actually helping him, even though they know he’ll spend it on more drugs. As he becomes less and less like the brother she once knew, Nicole is afraid she soon might lose him forever.

As Nicole gets more and more involved in the breaking scene and with Evermore, she finds that Zin is not the only one with secrets. It seems that all the other staff members of Evermore have a secret past and an even darker secret. But does dark necessarily mean evil? Zin and the others at Evermore are friendly to Nicole; what horrific secret could they possibly harbor? And why does Evermore owner Carlos, keep calling her Raven?

But with danger brewing on the horizon, the careful walls Zin and the others have been keeping up might just begin to crumble…

Ms. Van Diepen really knows how to craft a story! The tension and passion between Nicole and Zin was amazing—believable and sustained through the whole book! The break dancing terminology throughout the book may be confusing for non-breakers, but I thought the terms added a cool effect. Although I thought the end wrapped things up a little too nicely, the rest of the book well-written. Ms. Van Diepen captures emotions wonderfully and paints vivid pictures of the various scenes and situations!

Sorry!

Hey everyone!

I'm sooo sorry for my long absence! Life got wayyy too hectic for a while, and then exams hit. So I wasn't able to read much or write any reviews :( But since summer's around the corner and the workload seems to be decreasing a bit, I'll do my best to get caught up!!

thanks for visiting & for all those who started following my blog--it is all very much appreciated!!

I'll have a review up tomorrow morning! :)

In Too Deep winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the In Too Deep contest!
The winner (chosen via random # generator) is Katie! (bball11kt@sbcglobal.net)

Congrats, Katie! Please email me (bookvault(at)yahoo.com) you address so I can get your prize out to you!

thanks to everyone who participated!

I should have some reviews up soon--life's been hectic because of several productions I've been involved in lately!

Contest: Win a copy of IN TOO DEEP!

Jennifer Banash has generously donated a signed copy of In Too Deep to giveaway!
In Too Deep is the fabulous sequel to The Elite, and book 3, Simply Irresistible, is on its way this summer!

So what do you have to do to win this great book?

Just leave a comment before March 15th (midnight, EST), with:
- your name
- your email
- and your favorite moment or character from The Elite!

Want an extra entry? Just post about this contest somewhere and leave me the link in a separate comment!

Sorry, this contest is open to US residents only!

Good luck!

Interview with Jennifer Banash, Take 2!

I recently got the chance to interview the lovely Jennifer Banash, author of The Elite series, again! The most recent book in her series, In Too Deep, has already hit bookstores, so go grab a copy if you haven't already! Fans of the first book will not be disappointed!!

Check out my review for In Too Deep here, as well as my review for The Elite and my first interview with Ms. Banash!
And keep you eyes open for a giveaway of In Too Deep soon!!

**warning: there is a spoiler for In Too Deep in this interview; nothing that'll ruin the plot for you, but you've been warned!

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1) Which moment/scene has been the most fun to write so far?
Definitely the scene where Drew discovers his dad is having an affair. That was just so fun and exciting to write. I loved the fact that Drew finally had some drama if his own, above and beyond the whole Casey/Madison dilemma.

2) Which is your favorite cover out of the three fabulous ones for your series so far?
The cover for SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE. Even though it’s a bit different than the previous two covers, I just think it’s both eye catching, and beautiful. If I was a reader perusing bookstore shelves, I’d pick in out in a heartbeat.

2) Going back to a question from our last interview, if you had to be any character from your series for the events in In Too Deep for a day, would you still want to be Madison? Or someone else?
She has in pretty rough in IN TOO DEEP—but so do all of the characters! I’d definitely still want to be Madison—she’s my alter-ego in many ways.

3) If you had to spend a day as a character from any book, who would you like to be?
Alaska in John Green’s LOOKING FOR ALASKA.

4) Your favorite designer?
Marc Jacobs.

5) Your one, must-have accessory?
A fabulous handbag, or pair of stilettos.
6) Describe yourself in three words?
Intense. Driven. Emotional.

8) How would Madison describe herself in three words?
Fabulous. Bitchy. Elegant.

9) Casey?
Shy. Unsure. Intelligent.

10) When will Simply Irresistible hit bookstores? (I can’t wait for it!! :D)
July! So you won’t have to wait TOO long to find out what the girls are up to :)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why. Thirteen sides of cassette tapes. Thirteen sessions that will change Clay Jensen’s life.

When a box shows up on Clay’s doorstep, the last thing Clay was expecting was tapes. Tapes that contained Hannah Baker’s last words—her thirteen reasons why she committed suicide.

Hannah Baker was in Clay’s grade when one day, she took her own life. Now an ominous cloud hangs over Hannah’s vacant desk at school, but no one seems to know the full reason why she killed herself.

Rumors had swirled around Hannah Baker, but Clay did not think those stories about Hannah made sense—she seemed like a much nicer, sweeter girl than those rumors made her out to be. But despite liking her from afar, Clay did not get a chance to know Hannah very well. They shared a few moments together during a party, but Hannah was gone—completely gone—before Clay could really get to know her. Hannah died not long after that party, and if Clay wants to know why, all he has to do is hit play…

There’s no going back once he hits play, but Clay needs to know what happened to Hannah. What drove her to such extreme measures? And what was his part in it? He is one of Hannah’s thirteen reasons; what was his role? And who are the others that pushed her over the edge?

Thirteen Reasons Why is an unforgettable book. Powerful and well written, I could hardly put it down. Readers will really go on a journey with Clay to learn more about Hannah Baker, and the events that pushed her towards that fateful decision. Author Jay Asher really knows how to capture heart-wrenching emotions in this haunting tale!

Cave of Terror by Amber Dawn Bell

Cheyenne Wilde pretty much like any other teen; she attends school, has some good friends, and practices gymnastics. Oh, that and she’s a vampire. The surprising news was sprung on her the day of her sixteenth birthday, but that’s not all! Cheyenne also happens to be the first Vanator born into her clica (sort of like a vampire coven) in five hundred years. Being a Vanator means that she will hold immense powers in her hands, including the power to either destroy or strengthen the opposing, dark clica, the Liliacs.

But her new vampire and Vanator life is far from a dream life—terror and enemies lurk around every corner, and a creepy, sinister being is starting to spring in and out of Cheyenne’s life a little too often for her taste. Cheyenne wants to protect her friends from these malicious beings, but must also protect her friends from her deepest secret. Before long, all Cheyenne wants is to go back to her old life—the normal life she once had without crazy bats, the obligations of a Vanator, and without the shadow of danger looming over her.

She tries to be ‘normal’ and continues her gymnastics and eventual goes on a few dates with the new hottie in town; Ryan. But this happiness is not destined to last, as Constantine, the leader of the Liliacs, is closing in on Cheyenne and her loved ones. Can Cheyenne protect her friends without revealing her secret to them? Can she still be with Ryan, even though she’s a vampire? And why on earth is Constantine so appealing to Cheyenne? Shouldn’t she be completely repulsed by him?

However, when the unspoken conflict between Cheyenne’s clica and Constantine’s clica escalates, Cheyenne will have to embrace her full potential as a Vanator, or those close to her may be the ones to suffer.

Cave of Terror was, overall, a good read. Cheyenne’s voice really comes through and the characters in general were well developed. However, Cheyenne’s repeated use of “that’s so gay” (and similar phrases with the use “gay”) bothered me. It is an offense phrase that I do not support. Other than that, Cave of Terror is an enjoyable novel for anyone looking for an adventure with a taste of romance!