Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Now Available!!!
Publisher: Poppy
Source: ARC swap with other blogger
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.


My thoughts:
Keplinger is always my go-to author for fast, fresh, contemporary YA!


Like it's two predecessors, A Midsummer's Nightmare is full of teenage angst and sarcasm. Whit definitely has some Daddy issues to work through, but her sarcastic and frank narration truly make for an enjoyable read. 


The Johnson household is definitely not your nuclear family home- there's dysfunction and taboos galore, but they make for an interesting read TRUST ME! 


Sexy times are to be had in this read, while Nate and Whit aren't your average couple (being step-siblings and all) you'll still be rooting for them all the way to the end. This is definitely the case where opposites attract. Nate is a great guy, smart, fun, kind o and gorgeous! haha. He's exactly the kind of guy Whit needs to help get her life back on track.


The dialogue between Whit and her father was poignant and emotional, you truly see how a parents love and attention (or lack thereof) can impact their child's choices.


Thanks you Kody, for always tackling difficult but realistic issues, with heart and humour!


I must admit, while I enjoyed A Midsummer's Nightmare, The DUFF still remains my favourite Keplinger read (I would love to see a sequel to The DUFF someday!)


This is a great Summer read and I would recommend it to all Keplinger fans and if haven't read her work yet, what are you waiting for? She's AMAZING! :)


Happy Reading!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Enticed by Jessica Shirvington

I flippin LOVED Embrace, so it's no surprise that I can't wait to get my hands on Shirvington's sequel! :)

Please note: the cover art is from the Australian edition

Enticed (Embrace #2) by Jessica Shirvington

Release date: September 2012

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

Enticed is the second compelling book in The Violet Eden Chapters.

What title(s) are you dying for this week???

Happy Reading!!!

Teaser Tuesday: Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Happy Tuesday! This week's teaser brought to you from Rachel Vincent's BEFORE I WAKE, which hits shelves Jun. 26th!!!

Enjoy! :)

"I think death looks good on you." He took my other hand and his fingers wound around mine, my arm stretched over the chair rail between us. "I look forward to the day when I won't have to share you with roving bands of high-school gossip mobs."

Before I Wake, p.42

Happy Reading!!!

Stacking the Shelves

Hello All!!! Sorry for the late post but I was away this weekend for a bachelorette party in Niagara Falls!!! Had fun ladies, only two more months til Liz and Brandon's BIG DAY! :)

But... let me show you the goodies I've been stacking my shelves with :)

From HarlequinTEEN

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent - Finished Copy!

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter - ARC Oct'12. - So freakin good!

From HarperTeen

So Close to You by Rachel Carter - ARC Jul'12.

The Selection by Kiera Cass - Finished Copy!

That's all for me this week, what are you stacking your shelves with this weekend?

Happy Reading!!!

Review & Author Interview: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

Release Date: June 19th/12.

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Source: E-ARC from Publisher

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually wantto live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what doyou hold on to?

My thoughts:

"THIS IS NOT A TEST... I REPEAT...THIS IS NOT A TEST..."

This was my first Courtney Summers book, but I promise you, it won't be the last!

I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book, definitely my goto title for a horror/zombie fix.

The opening is so gripping! Sloane's narrative keeps the pace exciting right til the very end. The reader can tell right from the first page, that Sloane has a dark, violent past- which foreshadows the events about to come in her life. Her quiet demeanour juxtaposes the chaos surrounding her (i.e. epidemic of ravenous flesh-eating zombies).

This read is definitely not for the faint of heart. The gruesome violence and death surrounding Sloane's past and future create a melancholy atmosphere in the beginning. That is until Sloane joins forces with five other teens who actually want to survive this epidemic. Summer's writing combined with the stellar cast of six uniquely different characters, all forced into close quarters, makes for a truly action-packed read. 

Believe it or not, with all this going on Summers still manages to incorporate a romance full of hot tension.   No love triangles in this read (so I won't mention my favourite character and give it away). 

I do have a couple of issues with this read though. I'm hoping this is the first in a series because some things were kind of left up in the air for me:

1)Unanswered questions, especially concerning Mr. Baxter

2) Ending, to ambiguous for my liking (PLEASE HAVE A SEQUEL!!! :))

With all that said, I truly enjoyed THIS IS NOT A TEST. I went through it in one sitting I just couldn't stop! I think Summers has done a great job of giving the reader six very different perspectives on how one would react when forced into a life or death situation. I look forward to reading much more from her!

If you like some bite, action and gore galore in your YA, than pick up This Is Not A Test, it'll have you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover!

Happy Reading!!!

Now please join me in welcoming Courtney to the blog today!!!

1. This Is Not A Test is very different from your contemporary works, what inspired this
shift?

They say "write what you love" and I've always loved zombies, from the time I was
twelve/thirteen.  It was inevitable!  :)

2. Sloane is a very complex character, what inspired you to create her?

Thank you!  In a lot of zombie survival narratives the main character is usually someone
who has an unwavering will to live.  I was really eager and interested in exploring a
character who doesn't want to live during the zombie apocalypse.  I knew it would be a
challenge to write and I always like a challenge.

3. It's the end of the world, what's the first thing you want to do before it comes to an
end?

Tell the people I love them that I love them.  And then probably cry!  A lot.

4. We're introduced to six very different teens in This Is Not A Test, which one would
you say you relate to the most? Least?

I think I relate most to Grace and Harrison.  Like Grace, I don't like conflict but I am
fiercely protective of the people I love.  Like Harrison, I am extremely emotional (but
hopefully less annoying!)--I'm not the best person in a crisis.  I relate least to
Rhys--I understand him but in the same situation, I'm not sure I would make the same
decisions he does.

5. If you could pick one song that best describes This Is Not A Test, which one would you
pick?

Such a hard question!  It's not so much a song that best describes THIS IS NOT A TEST,
but I think it's perfect for Sloane:  Exile, Vilify by The National.

Thank you for stopping by today Courtney!


Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Hayley!

Waiting on Wednesday: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Isn't the cover just GORGEOUS?!!!

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Release Date: September 2012

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

What titles are you waiting on this week??? 

Happy Reading!!!

Teaser Tuesday: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Happy Tuesday to you all! This week's teaser is brought to you by Kresley Cole's upcoming debut YA Title, Poison Princess!!!

Releases: Oct. 2nd/12.

Enjoy!!!

And all I could say over and over was "You!" Finally I managed to yell, "You disgust me!"

He gave a bitter laugh. "Do I? I didn't last night when you were wettin' your lips, hoping I'd kiss them, no. You wanted more of me then!" 

Poison Princess, p. 101

Happy Reading!!!