Review: Grey Eyes by B.Alston and Quinteria Ramey

Grey Eyes  

by B.Alston and Quinteria Ramey

Published: March 2011

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

15 year old Anastasia Adams has spent her entire life on run. She and her mother have never spent more than 18 months in any one location, often times leaving with just the clothes on their backs. Despite the havoc that this is wreaking on Ana's social and academic life, her mother offers no explanation as to why it is they're constantly moving, or even what it is they're running from. But that all changes one night in the woods of Pelion, SC--the night the terror catches up with them.

Fearing her mother dead, and having barely escaped with her own life, Ana is whisked away to world of privilege and tradition. It’s a fairytale come to life. The poor girl used to living out of a suitcase is now a resident of one of the most exclusive addresses in the world. The people there adore her and she catches the eye of a young guardian who sees her as a refreshing change to the girls he’s grown up with.

If only they could find her mother. If only she knew the consequences of being born a “conjurer.” If only she knew who that green eyed stranger was, the stranger who’ll tell her about a past too romantic, and too tragic to be real. In the end, she’ll have to choose between the boy who has captured her heart and the stranger she can feel down in her soul, assuring at least one of them an almost certain death.

Review: 

I'm trying right now to focus on my review, but my eyes keep straying to the blurb. The extremely long blurb. There's a definite problem if you can't sum up your plot in two paragraphs. With Grey Eyes it wasn't so much that the plot was overly complex or even lacking an interesting concept. Witches at war with vampires seemed pretty interesting, especially considering who Ana turns out to be. It was just too much of, well, everything.

The story starts off with some great action and mystery. Then it shifts into a love triangle that just seems too forced. Ana discovers she's some kind of witch royalty, a princess of course and she immediately draws the attention of the hottest guy at school, all while having a secret relationship with a hot vampire. She's rich, has someone to turn her into a beautiful princess and even has a bunch of parties where she is the center of attention (even her mother's birthday party is all about Ana). It all became a bit too eye rolling worthy. 


Ana doesn't have a stand out personality. She's okay. Her love interests are typical. Tristan, the vampire, is mysterious, constantly running hot and cold, the only unique things about him is, well nothing. The love story between them is straight out of Fallen by Lauren Kate only with a vamp thrown in, and then mixed with Twilight and Edward's obsession with Bella's soul. Darren is the local hot guy all the girls lust after that instantly falls for Ana, because she's not like the other girls he's been with. Gee, the fact that she's a princess and rich and powerful doesn't hurt does it? The best part of the love triangle are the choices Ana makes. There's a few twists and I actually liked her final choice and reasoning.


Secondary characters were actually a bit better. London is the popular girl who everyone thinks is a b****h but is really nice and I wish she'd had a bigger role. Then there's Taylor, oh how I wish Texans could be portrayed with something other than stereotypes.After living in Texas for almost ten years, I only ever saw young girls wear their cowboy hats to the rodeo. And most of the Texans I know do not have thick southern accents. It's like assuming all people from California are blond surfers who talk in slang. 

Probably what I loved most was the origin stories behind witches and vampires. The explanation behind the vampires was especially interesting, and felt unique. The reasoning behind vampires not going into the sun actually made sense, something I think is pretty hard to do without making them sparkle.

The action really speeds up near the end, almost to the point that if I tried to skim a page, I'd be lost by the next. And it's at the end where it really feels like the authors went to far. Already the story had so many typical YA paranormal elements and then angels were added in and I became completely confused as to the point of the story. It was like the author's wanted to hit all of the YA trends at once, and POW! we're hit with it and are supposed to just go along with them. Which I feel is a real shame. I think if there had been more focus on the witch and vampire war things would have worked better.

This is the first in a series and even though there were things that bothered me about this book, I would be interested in continuing to read the series.     

Blog Hop Giveaway ~ Switched by Amanda Hocking

I'm really starting to love giveaways! I've joined a YA Giveaway Hop for my first Giveaway of 2012! I really debated on giving away this book because I loved it, but in the end I looked at my overflowing bookshelf and decided to go with it. So the book I'm giving away is an ARC of Switched by Amanda Hocking. It was just released to stores on January 24th and best of all the other two books in the trilogy will be released very soon after (2/28/12 and 4/24/12).

So enter for your chance to win Switched by Amanda Hocking and then check out the other blogs participating in the YA Giveaway! Good Luck!



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Review: Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

Savannah Grey 

by Cliff McNish

Published: April 2011

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab TM

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

Savannah Grey needs to keep moving. She doesn't know why, but she can't let herself get tied down by too many people. It's almost like she's being chased by something. And now something strange is happening with her neck—with her throat.Savannah Grey never thought she'd meet someone like Reece—a guy who seems to understand her. He even knows about her neck. The same thing is happening to him. It's as if their voices are becoming weapons, warming up for some kind of attack.Savannah Grey has no idea what might be chasing her or why her voice suddenly feels like the most powerful weapon on the planet, but she's about to find out.Nature is preparing for battle with the universe's ultimate monster. The time to fight is almost here. The weapon is Savannah Grey.

Review:

I was expecting creepy when I picked this book up (based solely on the cover, which I think is amazing!), but I didn't quite know what it was going to be like. This was beyond creepy. Maybe it's because I have a bit of a neck phobia, with fears of choking. McNish does an excellent job of describing exactly what Savannah is going through and it really brings to life her terror over what is happening to her.

Savannah was a likable enough character, believable in her fear and in her sudden crazy desire to protect what is in her throat. She confused and scared pretty much the entire book and it works well to keep the suspense going, wondering if the thing inside of her is good or evil. 

But it's the monsters that are amazing. They are described in a way that brings them to life and unlike so many other storybook monsters we get inside their minds and are able to understand what is driving them to do what they are attempting. McNish does such a good job of this that there were points that I even felt sympathy for them.

The best part is that I was completely surprised by the ending. Looking back I can see the little things that would have pointed me in the right direction, but even then I wouldn't have expected it. Wonderful book and definitely a read for anyone looking for a bit of creepiness. 

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched  

by Amanda Hocking

Published: January 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

Review:

As an author, the success of Hocking's self published series was fascinating. Until her million dollar book deal, I'd never even heard of her. What I heard after was a mix of fanatic love and disdain for her writing style. In the end I refrained from reading her self-published works because of the editing issues I'd heard about. Then I won an Arc of Switched. 

Switched is not ground breaking in its concept, but it is a good read. Wendy is a likable character, and although she is set up as having a disagreeable nature, she's not a b***h. I actually liked the idea that part of her trylle (troll) nature is to not to be overly emotional. 

The trylle world and culture was done well. It's set as a hidden part of the human world and I really did enjoy the background into how and why they use changelings to keep their lives they way they desire. Wendy becomes more likable once she starts to understand the injustice of their methods, especially after she realizes that one of her new friends is the human who's place she took. There is some cheese to the story, pretty much a Cinderella concept, but it's not overwhelming, and Wendy's reaction to everything keeps it within a reasonable dose.

The love interest with Finn, starts off pretty typical for YA paranormal. He's portrayed as being good looking, but creep with all of the staring he does. He's a bit rude and she's a bit put out but there is something undeniable between them drawing them together. Once the romance gets going it is entertaining, and it did get me cheering for them to be together. 

The ending was a nice touch. Not entirely what I expected and I really hope that Wendy's choice is developed in the second book of the series. I will definitely read the next in the series. 

Review: Lark by Tracey Porter

Lark 

by Tracey Porter

Published: May 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

When sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is kidnapped from her Virginia hometown and left to die in a snowy forest, she leaves behind two friends who are stunned by the loss. As Lark's former best friend, Eve can't shake the guilt that this tragedy was somehow her fault. Meanwhile, Nyetta is haunted each night by Lark's ghost, who comes through the bedroom window and begs Nyetta to set her soul free. Eve and Nyetta realize that Lark is trapped in limbo, and only by coming together to heal themselves will they discover why. 

Review:

Let me start off by saying I hate sad books, and if I'd read the blurb before reading the book, I probably wouldn't have picked Lark up. As it was, the cover reminded me of Maggie Steifvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. That said I am so glad I did. This was my first read of 2012 and I managed to finish it in under three hours. The chapters are short, and it is an extremely fast read.


Part of the fast read is that the characters are engaging. The three points of view made everything even sadder by how close they were to what was happening. There is very little in the way of extras. We learn about Lark's relationships with Eve and Nyetta, what they were like together, what drove them apart and ultimately how they really felt about each other. Nyetta's perspective was especially moving because she is younger and struggling with something that the adults in her life can't even begin to comprehend.

Listening to Lark relive her death and her relentless efforts to get Nyetta to help her move on was heartbreaking. The idea Porter builds around what happens to girls who die in the woods was really interesting. I don't want to say more for fear of giving away too much, but this is definitely worth a read.

Review: The Truth About Guys by Chad Eastham

The Truth About Guys 

by Chad Eastham

Published: January 2012 (ebook)

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

Okay, it's a fact. God made guys and girls different in more ways than just the physical.

But how different could we really be? After all, we are all made in His image, right? Well, yes, but let's say that guys and girls view the world in such different ways, that it's a miracle we communicate at all. What's worse is that girls this age often think they know what makes guys tick. That couldn't be more wrong!

Chad Eastham tells it like it is . . . to girls . . . from a guys perspective. As a popular presenter at Revolve conferences, he is known for his ability to speak truth and to give girls clearer perspective about guys and themselves as well as understand their own value. Chad explains, "You are incredibly valuable and worthy simply because God created you."

Review:

So, this was an interesting read. When I received the galley copy for review I was really excited. I'm no longer in my teens, but even with a husband there are things about guys that I just don't get. So, I thought this was going to be some great insight for when I'm writing my male characters. Well, not so much.

I was almost halfway done the book before it even started talking about how guys think, and even then it's not much. This is really a book about girls, and how they should act if they want positive, healthy relationships when they are older. It had some great advice on how girls should love and respect themselves, and how they should have the expectation that guys do the same. I would want my niece to read this. I would want my daughter to read this (when she can read, of course). And most importantly I would want to talk to them about it. This is really a group reading book for female teens on respecting yourself and even has discussion/reflection questions at the end of chapters.

Yes, there are small pieces of how guys think, such as if you don't respect or love yourself then neither will guys. But I wanted to be in the brain of a guy, and understand what drives him. There is also a lot about girls having a deep relationship with God, and an entire section on their fathers (Which had absolutely nothing about how guys think, even though it would be a great place to talk about how guys view their own parents). Eastham goes on about guys loving fire, video games, anything dangerous, etc. and I wanted to know what are guys thinking when they're doing these things?  What drives guys to laugh when they have gas? What is up with everything they do?

I don't think this is a terrible book, or even remotely bad, but I do think it is mis-titled. This is not the truth about guys. It is simply a girl's guide to staying unharmed in the dating world of teens and young adults. There were a few funny parts, but overall it didn't really come through for me. I discussed some of the points with my husband and even he was in doubt about the few 'truths' shared about guys.

Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence 

by Becca Fitzpatrick

Published: October 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Review:

Okay, so let me start off by saying that although I read the second book in the series, I have absolutely no recollection of what happened in that book, which is why I don't have a review posted on my blog, although apparently I gave it a 3/5 on Goodreads. That's not to say I didn't remember things as they came up in Silence, but I couldn't tell if they were from Hush, Hush or Crescendo. 

Luckily for me that didn't matter.

It didn't matter because Nora doesn't remember either.  Yes, her memory has been wiped clean by some dark magic, and even Patch is gone. Oh, the book blurb is completely misleading. It makes it sound like Nora and Patch are together and spend the book fighting which is pretty much not what happens. The blurb actually gives you a hint about the last quarter of the book.She goes through the first half of the book, closer to two-thirds actually, having pretty much no memory of anything that had happened since meeting Patch. Which makes this novel very convenient if you didn't read the previous two books, or have forgotten them, because Fitzpatrick pretty much spends all of those pages reviewing what most of her readers already knew. Even with forgetting some of the events I found it boring.

I couldn't believe how stupid Nora was in this book. Even with her lost memory she couldn't make the connection between Jev and Patch, and after finding an angel feather she wants answers, demands answers from Scott, but never brings it up to Jev/Patch.

Oh, there is new stuff added in, especially with Nora being enraged by her mother dating Marcie's dad. Which was interesting with him being the known villain, but it was overwhelmed by her petty fighting with Marcie. It was just too pathetic. What's even worse is the way her mother acts. What mother has time to find a boyfriend and date in the three months her teenage daughter is missing???? ( I really wanted to put some bad words there, but I've refrained from cussing here)  I get that she's under some kind of spell, but she wasn't the greatest mother to start with in the other books either, so I doubt she would have really fought against  the spell that hard.


I just didn't get it. Patch had started out as a bad boy who was sexy, arrogant, and actually bad, who turns good. In this one he's just an idiot, and his reasoning behind not wanting Nora to remember anything was plain stupid. That he seeks her out and then tells her to forget him was totally pointless.


I'm going to end this review now, before I start tearing the book apart more, because it wasn't as awful as I could make it sound. I just thought the majority of this book was pointless.

Review: Cardsharp: A Vincent Ward Adventure by Paul Westmoreland

Cardsharp: A Vincent Ward Adventure 

by Paul Westmoreland

Published: December 2010

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

Burning houses. Daring robbers. Motorway chases. Exploding boats. Flying daggers. Brutal policemen. Ruthless pirates. Beautiful women. Deadly bullets. Racing hearts. International Criminals. Narrow escapes. Tricks, stings and electrocutions. And a priceless painting by one of art’s world’s most notorious masters.

Welcome to the adventures of Vincent Ward, where getting through each day alive just isn’t enough.

Review:

Overall I thought this was a pretty good read. There was a lot of action, and the sequences were detailed and fast paced. The writing was solid, although as a Canadian American the British terms used sometimes threw me off. There seemed to be something going on with the kindle formatting of the novel as the letter l was missing consistently from words with double l, such as wall, filling, etc. 

I thought the description of the art central to the plot, a piece by Caravaggio named The Cardsharps, was well done, and I loved how Vincent was constantly seeing comparisons between himself and the young man in the painting. I think Westmoreland's ability to be so descriptive not just with the actions scenes but also with an art that is so visual is a definitely strength. 

The only aspect of the story that I struggled with was its intended audience. YA is a genre that can be hard to define, and I'm not sure Cardsharp falls into that genre, yet I don't see it as an adult novel either. First, Vincent is well out of his teens. He's graduated from university and is working full time at the National Art Gallery, a number of times he appears at a bar drinking wine (not that drinking can't be part of YA, but it needs to be realistic) and most importantly he does not deal with any young adult issues. Instead he is dealing an international theft ring, that endangers his career and life. 

That said, it is not an adult novel either. Even though Vincent is an adult, he often thinks like a child, like his continued belief that the man wearing a suit and tie, driving with a police siren is a real police officer, despite trying multiple times to kill Vincent, breaking into his hotel room, and never once identifying himself the way a police officer is legally bound to do. The love interest plot line is chaste, and the over all readability is more appropriate for a younger teen audience.


Then again, I'm not a teen age boy, and I think that is who this series is geared more for. 

 

Review: Growing Pains: Kendra's Diaries by K.P. Smith

Growing Pains: Kendra's Diaries 

by K.P. Smith

Published: May 2011

Publisher: Do It Publishing

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

Growing Pains; Kendra's Dairies is the first book in the series chronicling the journey of Kendra Foster from adolescence to adulthood.

I aspire to encourage, entertain, and inspire young adults. Life has its ups and downs, its bumps, and its bruises. But with perseverance, determination, and faith you can be all you were born to be.

Never Give Up!

Review:

There were certain elements of this book that I really loved and others that drove me nuts! So, let me start off with the things I loved :)

Kendra. She is flawed, she is real, she is African-American and she is facing real problems that many other young girls face. Kendra's one of those characters that isn't overly perfect and can be related to easily. I love that she is an African-American living in New Orleans, because it is representative of the population there and, although she could easily have been written as white, it is a nice change in a market flooded with white protagonists. (As a teacher this is a very frustrating fact). I especially love that she is a normal 13-year-old girl that isn't obsessed with one boy, and constantly going on about how he is her life.

The other characters in the book are also believable and again the situations were believable and relateable for a younger teen audience. Kendra goes through a number of experiences that most girls will. Preparing to enter high school, first crush, fighting with her best friend, first kiss, jealousy, arguing parents. Her life is very normal. And that leads to my first issue.

Normal can be, well, boring. There was no sense of urgency in this novel. Things happened and Kendra learned to move on. We didn't necessarily see or feel her confusion or despair when her dad walked out on them, and the love interest is only mildly developed. As much as I am for non-obsessive teen love, preteen and younger teens tend toward the obsessive, especially with first love. I think more narration about her feels would have given more importance to the issues she was facing.

Setting was another area I thought the author should have given more consideration to. New Orleans is a city full of life and culture. Sadly there wasn't really any details that made New Orleans different from any other city in the US. But more important was the time frame. It took me until I was almost half way through the book to realize this story was taking place during the 1980's. Later on there were references to 80's specific people or items that made it clear, but then it felt more like a trip down memory lane for the author. Will today's teens really want to read two pages of comparisons between the the love lives of Kendra and her friend being compared to those on Dallas?

The dialogue was the final area I felt that needed strengthening. Listen to any teen, even way back in the 80's and they spoke casually, using contractions and slang. Everything the characters said sounded very formal. And from my experiences living in the South for over ten years, people down there are anything but formal in their speech. I just wanted to shake these characters and tell them to speak normally. This is Smith's debut novel, and I think that as the series continues Smith will find a more natural voice for her characters. 
 

Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever  

by Maggie Stiefvater

Published: July 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press, Inc

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Review:

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Shiver was amazing and Linger was one of those books that I felt just went in a complete circle. I had high hopes that Forever would actually move the story forward.

While I didn't love Forever as much as Shiver, I did love how Stiefvater handled it. With Grace turning at the end of Linger, I was really worried that she was going to drag out the separation between Grace and Sam. There was separation, but it felt so important to the story because you know how much these two characters love each other and that with every day the possibilities for them to be together become harder. When they finally come together, it's in such a simple and comfortable way. I love that they're aren't constantly gushing over each other or doubting each other just to make it more dramatic. They are a simple love story and I love that.

But even with Grace and Sam keeping things simple in the love department, Cole and Isabel bring the drama. They fight, love, despise, lust. And they finally feel like solid characters that are developed enough to share in Grace and Sam's plot.

I've read a number of reviews by people who were disappointed in the ending of this trilogy, but for me it was perfect, at least for Grace and Sam. Now Cole and Isabel are a different story. I would have liked one more chapter for them, but it comes back to who's story is it? Grace and Sam's.

Review: Tempest by Holly Hook

Tempest by Holly Hook
Published: September 2010
Available: Amazon


Blurb:


Sixteen-year-old Janelle never thought the gray spiral birthmark on her arm meant anything special. That is, until she meets Gary, a boy her age with a birthmark exactly like hers. Gary’s attractive, brooding, and perfectly normal…except for the fact that he materialized out of a dangerous hurricane right in front of her. Janelle’s certain of only one thing. Gary’s mark—and hers, too—mean something, but he’s reluctant to tell her what.


At last she squeezes the truth from Gary about their markings. And the truth is utterly terrifying: Janelle and Gary are more connected to the destructive power of nature than she ever dreamed possible. And learning the truth about herself is only the start of her nightmare.

Review:

I really loved this concept. The idea of hurricanes as people was really interesting and I think that it's an original idea in a market flooded with vampires, angels, and witches. The action gets going right away and there's very little down time in it. It really felt like a fast read and that was a nice change after some of the other books I've read lately.

The characters were interesting and I really liked that there was no love triangle. The only issue I did have was with Janelle's voice. It was hard to believe she was sixteen, especially during the first half of the book. She definitely felt much younger and I had to go back to the book blurb to see just how old she was. This does seem to clear up later in the book.

The last third of the book moves very fast and I think it could have been fleshed out a bit more, slowing things down just to get more time for an emotional reaction. Then again that would have taken away some of the urgency. I think this is a pretty solid start to the series, and the resolution in this book definitely leads to another book, while not being frustrating by leaving the reader hanging.

Review: Unidentified by Rae Mariz

Unidentified 

by Rae Mariz

Published: May 2010

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Available: Amazon

Book Blurb:

Kid knows her school’s corporate sponsors not-so-secretly monitor her friendships and activities for market research. It’s all a part of the Game; the alternative education system designed to use the addictive kick from video games to encourage academic learning. Everyday, a captive audience of students ages 13-17 enter the nationwide chain store-like Game locations to play.

When a group calling themselves The Unidentified simulates a suicide to protest the power structure of their school, Kid’s investigation into their pranks attracts unwanted attention from the sponsors. As Kid finds out she doesn't have rights to her ideas, her privacy, or identity, she and her friends look for a way to revolt in a place where all acts of rebellion are just spun into the next new ad campaign

Review:
So this was one of those books that the library recommended for people if they enjoyed The Hunger Games. Well, I'm not sure the person recommending it had ever read both books. It's not that this isn't a good book, because it is. It's just that they are not comparable. The only thing I could see as a similarity is that they are both set in the future.So if you've seen a similar recommendation be prepared.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. The concept is awesome. It's one that I could actually see happening in today's society. A school funded by companies, used to push test and push their products, is a viable concept. I can remember in high school having a vote about whether we would have Coke or Pepsi products on campus. In the end, the school administration decided based on how much money the company would pay to be exclusive. Tweens and teens are probably the most influential consumers. Would your parents or grandparents really have the technology they have if the younger generation was there to introduce it to them, teach them how to use it?

Mariz took the idea a step further. Students weren't just using or trying out the products, they were also becoming the testers and creators, and this is where I see the idea as becoming practical. I've read a few reviews of this book that said they were playing games and had no real classes. But what is more real than the application and evaluation process?


The characters were for the most part interesting. Kid seems like that perfect mix of an outsider who doesn't want attention but wouldn't mind it at the same time. She is fine with her social standing and actually thinks the 'branding' process is stupid. But once she is 'branded' she doesn't mind the benefits it brings her. Kid is average. And this makes her very easy to believe and relate to. Her friends Cory and Hannah are complete opposites of each other. Cory is more of a nerd, and he is a believable and likable character, there are a few inconsistencies with his character, but he's not constantly being followed and so we can't be 100% sure what is going on with him. Hannah though, is a complete bitch. I have no idea why Kid and Cory would even want to hang around with her let alone be her best friend. She's rude, snotty, stuck up and she bails on them countless times, until she finally stabs Kid in the back because of jealousy. She contributes nothing to the storyline that I can remember and is so unlikable that every time she was mentioned I wanted to skip ahead.


The mystery of 'the Unidentified' is slow to start and and once it does it becomes pretty obviously very quickly who is part of the group. What drags on is the question of what are their ultimate motives. It's during this last quarter of the book that things start to get convoluted. I felt like Mariz had been told to cut a few thousand words and the pieces that connected and made the story flow ended up cut.  


Overall, this is a good read. Not amazing, but solid and worth the time. 

Winners of the Best of 2011 Giveaway!

I had so much fun hosting this giveaway and I loved being part of the blog hop! The winners were randomly selected through Rafflecopter and they are:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Sidne
Tempest by Julie Cross - Beth Chantille Good
Torn by Erica O'Rourke - Alaina

Thanks to everyone that visited my blog and entered the giveaway. I am hoping to do another giveaway in a month or so, maybe in time for Valentine's Day :)