March's Brood of Bookalicious Brews

Hey, there! So you might be wondering, what is Brood of Bookalicious Brews?

Really, it's a simple post dedicated to showcasing new releases within the month that I haven't read yet!

It's a little reminiscent of The Story Siren's Books to Pine For posts, however this post will be featured monthly and is only limited to my choice of books releasing within the month.

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Spell Bound (#3)
by Rachel Hawkins

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Amazon / BookDepository

March 13, 2012
» Disney Hyperion «

DO NOT READ IF YOU'VE NEVER READ THE SERIES.

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Why I Want to Read It: Ya'll had to know this one was coming, right? Cos, BRO, that ending was unreal. I can't even... I'm just so anxious to see in what way Hawkins has tied the bow, so to speak. I like Cal, okay, but I need to know if Sophie and Archer can have a future together *throws palms up in defense*. Archer is sarcastic, swoon-worthy, and kick-ass. There is nothing that boy can't do. And I'm just not over him.

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
by Meredith Zeitlin

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March 1, 2012
» Putnam Juvenile «

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…

Why I Want to Read It: I LIKE HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA. *face-to-palm* I love it, and I just can't help it. It's why I can't get over my addiction to teen television dramas, not to mention because I, you know, AM a teen, but that's besides the point. The point is... I like a girl who can speak her mind, a moan and groan kind of character but one who also arms herself with sheer wit and sarcasm to counteract the negativity. One who refrains from pulling the Whining So Much She Deserves A Smack routine. I like the funny, so give me the funny.

Pretty Crooked
by Elisa Ludwig

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March 13, 2012
» Katherine Tegen Books/HarperTeen «

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?(

Why I Want to Read It: Did you guys know that this bad boy is going to be a series? I sure as heck didn't. And, not going to lie, that kind of takes the shine off of this one. I seriously don't see, from the reviews I've read, how this can evolve into a series in a manner that's actually appealing. But, WHATEVS. Who am I to make that call, right? Another cutesy-looking read is just what I need to counterbalance the angstiness of my more usual paranormal romance reads. I also like that it's based a bit on Robin Hood though set in a contemporary setting. That's kind of... ingenious. Whether or not Willa will rise to the occasion remains to be seen, but it should be fun getting under that cover *waggles eyebrows*.

The Savage Grace
(#3)by Bree Despain

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March 13, 2012
» Egmont USA «

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES.

A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

Why I Want to Read It: So, technically, I don't have any right to be pining for this one since The Lost Saint has been sitting in my Kindle, untouched, for months. But, I did what any curious soul would do: I peeked at the summary. Now, I'm thinking, HOLY COW BABIES, ALL THE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED ALREADY AND... AND.. WHERE THE HECK WAS I? It's very clear that I have to read The Lost Saint at the first opportunity so I can dig right into The Savage Grace ASAP.

What January releases have you doing the antsy-pants dance?

Review: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

WARNING: If you haven't read HEX HALL, then you probably shouldn't read this review. Especially since it may contain spoilers!

D e m o n g l a s s (H e x  H a l l  #2) by Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: 3/1/11

Publisher: Hyperion Books CH
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 359

Source: Own/purchased
Challenge: 2nds Challenge
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kindle

Word Blurb: Darker, riskier, and troubling!

"Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?"

The thing I loved most about this novel: the pacing! While this book may be a three-hundred-something-page turner, the events just seem to fly by. Don't get me wrong, you grasp what's happening, but... It's like when you're watching a really good movie, or when you're eating a boston creme doughnut, the experience is so stunning, so wonderful and then when you realize it's over, you feel less than satiated. That's how I felt this time around with DEMONGLASS, too! I was spellbound starting with page one, the feeling never leaving me, even after I'd already put the book down.

Sophie is without a doubt one of my all time favorite young adult heroines! She's, as Archer so eloquently put it, "smart, fluent in sarcasm, and, Bad Dog incident aside, pretty kick-ass at magic" (263). I don't think I've ever encountered a more delightful, more hilarious narrator in all my first person POV-filled reading experiences. I can always count on Sophie to wrangle a laugh out of me, no matter how dire or serious the situation may be. Or my mood going into reading the book. I always come out with memories of intense laughter. And I love that about both books. It takes a way just a smidgen of the angst clouding the story, and loosens me up, so I don't feel so damned tense by the time I'm done reading. And somehow, with a girl like Sophie to read about, I know that anything that goes down during the course of the book, will be resolved by the time the series is done. Sophie's just too stubborn to let anything turn out badly.

And, besides her, I had no choice when I fell in love with both Archer and Jenna. Archer, Sophie's ridiculously hot so-called ex-crush, suits her so perfectly. He has this snarkiness that's just hard to get over, and can't be replaced. That's why, when Cal became a more prominent character, particularly in Sophie's life, I couldn't be swept away by him. I was still so obsessively in love with Archer, that I couldn't fall for Cal, though he did give me the heart-tingles. And I couldn't live without Sophie's totally cool vampire bff, Jenna, and I hope that with the developments at the end, everything turns out alright. I just love that girl! Surprisingly, I'm a huge James fan! I didn't expect to like Sophie's dad, but am I the only one who hopes that he and Sophie's mom have a shot at reuniting?

All that aside, Hawkins nailed the plot this time around, too. The suspense... the mystery... that sense of betrayal and lies... power-hungry enemies and scared-out-of-their-minds paranormals... the fighting... This book took the story to new heights, expected or unexpected. And yet, somehow, Hawkins still managed to conceal some much-needed info that's clearly going to be slowly unveiled throughout the remainder of future books in the series. And let me tell you, while she may have talent in reader-torture, it is not fun.

In fact, it sucked! I was so ridiculously pissed by the end of the book, I nearly hurled it across the room, not caring where/how it landed. (Being a stickler with my books, prevented me from rash actions, however immensely (and temporarily) satisfying the result.) The cliffhanger was ten times more agonizing than in book one! Hawkins seriously gives a whole new meaning to the word cliffhanger, emphasis on the hang part. Because by the time I got down to the last word of the last page, the exact words to describe my dilemma would be: I was left hanging. How awful of her!

My body is going through some serious DEMONGLASS-induced withdrawal and obsession. I need the next book! Need it!

Total ROFL-moment:

"'Ghouls,' I heard Archer say. His voice was low and tense, like a person who's being confronted by a wild animal. 'Reanimated human flesh, used as guardians. Seriously dark magic. Someone obviously didn't want us finding--'
'Oh my God, less talking, more stabbing, please.' My voice was squeaky with fear, and I knew my eyes were huge when I swiveled around to look at Archer.
He already had the sword in his hand, and he was crouched slightly. 'I can slow them down...but...You're the one who has to stop them.'
'Come again?' I nearly squeaked" (273 | 359).

Thanks for reading! And happy blogging!

Want to see some more Demonglass scenes? Go to my first Teaser Tuesday post and read my teasers! 

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

H e x  H a l l by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion CH
Age Group: Young Adult
Sequel: Demonglass (3/1/11)
Pages: 323
Source: Local Library
Go Buy It: Amazon★Barnes&Noble
★BookDepository

Word Blurb: Clever and charming!

Synopsis- "Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her."

Quick Thinking: Fun, hilarious, and incredibly satisfying, Hex Hall is a definite must read! This novel is lush with a delicious array of enchanting, supernatural characters ranging from fairies to werewolves, shapeshifters to witches, and one lone vampire student, that either leave The Reader in fit of laughter or with the urge to punch someone/thing. The plot was clever and engaging, the enemies real and terrifying, and the ending riveting and frustrating, all equally the cause of my desperation for the release of the sequel. Come and join Sophie Mercer as she's sent to Hecate/Hex Hall filled with Prodigium, thrilling mysteries and shocking reveals, heartbreaking lies and betrayals, and sad, sad pasts. Delve into the world Hawkins has built, watch as Sophie comes into her own, and enjoy this delightful, entertaining read!

My Thoughts In-Depth: *Warning: May not be spoiler-free.* For such a light and easy writing style within the pages of the book, Hex Hall captivated me from the get! I don't think I've ever read a more hilarious prologue! Right away The Reader is thrust into some adolescent angst and gets to see a little bit of how Sophie's magic works and how she ends up helping people with her magic though she isn't supposed to, isn't meant to. Sadly, the spell she conjures only backfires and consequently, she gets sent to Hex Hall, a school for--what was it?--"a reformatory institution for Prodigium adolescents" (9).

First of all, that whole concept of a "reformatory institution" for wayward supernaturals is downright ingenious! I mean time and again I've seen the trend of academies/boarding schools for supernaturals in the past when I started reading YA; you've got Evernight, Vampire Academy, Dead Beautiful, House of Night, and it doesn't stop there. So, you'd think that this school idea for paranormal teens would be well, old and unoriginal. But, it wasn't. In fact, ironically enough, it seemed quite refreshing! I know, crazy, right? But, these teens are not only freaking hilarious, but they're troublemakers too. Every time you meet a character in Hex Hall, you have to wonder what they did to end up there.