Review: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. 

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.


My thoughts:
I really enjoyed Possess, it was the perfect October read, although I wish I had waited to read it closer to Halloween. The plot has a great mystery to it- left me guessing til the end and there were a few scenes in this book that gave me the heebie jeebies! This book definitely reminded me of the exorcist.


Bridget is very mature for a fifteen-year-old, in fact, I was really surprised to find out she was so young. She definitely has sass. I actually thought she was on the borderline of mean, but I think it's just a defence mechanism, to keep her from getting close to anyone. Her sarcasm was refreshing and realistic amongst most teenagers.


I loved Matt! Literally could not get enough Matt time in Possess. He's the popular jock that everyone loves and the son of the local Sheriff, so many cliches in this one character, but I LOVED every single one of them. Matt is relentless, supportive, caring, charming and sexy. Basically the perfect guy :). 


I can't wait to read Gretchen's next book and see where she takes Bridget and Matt.


Happy Reading!!!

Waiting on Wednesday

I've been hearing nothing but good things about this title- So excited!

Release Date: January 3rd/12.

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...

In My Mailbox #6

This was a big week, I got so many exciting books!

ARCs I received from publishers:

Fever by Lauren DeStefano - Holy Crap so exciting!
Release Date: February 21/12.
Simon and Schuster Canada

Saving June by Hannah Harrington - Very Excited!
December 2011
Harlequin TEEN

Books I bought

Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Balzer and Bray

Daimon (novella) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Spencer Hill Press
I actually already read the e-version of this, but I had to get the print version to go with Half-Blood on my shelf :)

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Tor Teen

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
MTV Books (Simon and Schuster)
This is my book clubs October pick!

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Simon and Schuster
Seriously though, who didn't have this as part of their In My Mailbox this week, right? :)

Here are the egalleys I received from Simon and Schuster this week!

Release Date: November 15th/11.     Release Date: December 2011

This was a great week for books, I don't know which one to start first, what do you guys think? What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Happy Reading Everyone!

Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted by Breakingthespine.blogspot.com

If you're as big a fan of the Tiger's Curse Series as me, than you know this has been a LONG awaited release. I actually want to jump up and down- it comes out next month!


Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck
Release Date: Nov 1st/11.
Sterling Publishing
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

In the third installment of the Tiger series, Kelsey Hayes pushes through the pain of lost love and strengthens her friendship with Kishan. Despite his strong feelings for her, Kishan has agreed to be her ally in helping her reunite with the man she still loves. Together, they seek to help Ren regain his memory and begin the search for the third magical gift—an object of power that will help break the curse that causes them to live part of their lives as tigers. 

They board a luxury yacht and seek Durga's aid once again, who supplies them with her golden weapons. With Nilima, Mr. Kadam, Ren, and Kishan at her side, she soon learns that the task ahead will be even more difficult than the others. Confronting a dark magician, multiple dragons, and terrifying denizens of the deep seems easy when compared to facing the daunting task of stitching up her heart. Just when she thinks she's ready to set her feet on a new path, she is yanked back with a jolt to the one she's determined to leave behind. 

The jarring tug-of-war that ensues for Kelsey's heart leaves her anxious and confused. Combined with the stress of almost being killed every other day, it would appear that saving the tigers is almost more than she can handle. Still, she presses on, knowing that a choice is looming on the horizon. One she cannot put off making for long. 

Review Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: Sept 19th/11
Spencer Hill Press

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.


My Thoughts:


I loved this book! Well worth the wait. 


I enjoyed the witty sarcasm of Armentrout's heroine, Alex. She's a strong, brave character that many readers will be able to relate to.


Aiden is the perfect counter-part to Alex's rebellious nature. He's calm, experienced, kick-ass, o yeah, and sexy as all hell! :) I'm Team Aiden all the way!


The tragic Romeo/Juliet romance these two share gave me butterflies repeatedly throughout this book, and there is a steamy scene towards the end of the novel that had me blushing in the best possible way! :) - Loved it!


The action in this book was a bit muted, with that said, I never felt bored while reading this novel the opposite in fact. Armentrout has a talent for writing witty dialogue between her characters that will keep her readers thoroughly entertained.


I'm still a little conflicted with Seth though- I didn't really care one way or the other for this character, but I have a feeling I'm going to like him in the second Covenant novel, Pure.


This book works like a love letter to all Vampire Academy fans- order this book! Read this book! You will not be disappointed.


Dear God, how am I going to be able to wait until 2012 for the release of Pure?


Happy Reading!!!

In My Mailbox #5

I bought

Half-blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout (I've been dying to read this!)

ARCs received for review from publisher

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
HarlequinTEEN
October 25th/11.

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (Yay for Werewolves!!!)
Delcorte Press
November 22nd/11.

What did you get in your mailbox?

Happy Reading!!!

ARC Giveaway!!! Cinder or Dark Inside

Release Date: January 3rd/12.
Feiwel and Friends
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

OR

Release Date: Nov 1st/11.

Simon Pulse

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies.

Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.

Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

Contest details:

That's right guys- I'm holding another ARC Giveaway!!!!!

There will be one winner, and that winner will get to pick ONE ARC they would like sent to them (see above two options)

This contest opens today (Oct 1st) and ends Halloween (Oct 31st) midnight, the winner will be announced on my blog November 1st after 12pm.


Edit to add: It has come to my attention that some people are having trouble entering this contest. I apologize for any difficulty you guys may be having, if you do have any questions or concerns please email me at hgillis15(AT)gmail(DOT)com. As an apology for the inconvenience, and because I received some GREAT news today, I have decided to open this contest up to international entries! Good luck to all!!!

To enter, you need to be a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post, and do ONE of the following three options.

To earn extra points you can do the following

1) Tweet this contest -  Be sure to tweet @HayleyAG otherwise it won't count.

2) Facebook this contest -  please leave a link in the comments below

3) Blog this contest - please leave a link in the comments below

This contest is  INTERNATIONAL!!!  open to Canada/U.S. residents (International if you're willing to cover the costs of shipping- please feel free to enter.)

Good luck to all and Happy Reading!!!