WITCH EYES - Review

Witch Eyes - Scott TraceyPublisher: Flux
Pages: 332
Release: August 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Description: 
A boy who can see the world's secrets and unravel spells with just a glance.


Braden's witch eyes give him an enormous power. A mere look causes a kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. But this rare gift is also his biggest curse.


Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything--lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder--to seize control of Braden's powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing's son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.


My Review:


When I first heard about Witch Eyes I knew that the novel would be something special. I wrote up a Waiting on Wednesday post and started sharing the word. It was the first time that I had actually felt excited about the release of a YA LGBT book, not to mention a fantasy novel.


Witch Eyes is easily one of my favorite novels of the year. Tracey has woven a page turning treasure with a touch of snark and an amazing history. This book will not disappoint any fantasy lover, the story is unique as are the characters. 


I'm happy that Tracey introduced Braden as a gay teenager who had already figured out he was as a gay male. I find too often authors wish to focus on romance or sexual discovery when coming to a LGBT novel.


Authors so easily forget to tame down the romance aspect in teen fantasy novels these days which is something I find annoying. That wasn't the issue with Witch Eyes, fantasy took the front seat while hints of romance remained at the back. 


This is an unforgettable debut novel and I'm impatiently waiting the second (Demon Eyes) of the series expected in 2012.


Visit Scott-Tracey.com, follow him on Twitter: @Scott_Tracey and be sure to buy your own copy of Witch Eyes.

While I've been away.....

I figured I'd share a few photos of what I've been up to the last few months, while I work on new content. As most of you know I've been working closely with Mitali Dave and several publishing houses to put together the Teen Author Carnival! The event turned out great--considering a year of planning were changed last minute to fit a new building. Next year everything should be back to normal though (with tables & air conditioning too!) ;)

Here's a snapshot of a few authors at the event, I swiped the photo from Courtney Allison Moulton!

And can we just take a moment to talk about the MASSIVE amount of people that showed up this year? We were blown away! 

Below's a photo from FLUX, this is just ONE ROOM of our event!!

When I wasn't busy with BEA or TAC I was busy enjoying New York and New Jersey with some of my closest friends! I think that's the most important thing about BEA--you should go to CONNECT and talk books. If you talk about how chaotic BEA is all of the time, you're clearly doing something wrong. It means so much more than just BOOKS! :D

That's the main excuse for being away--planning an event like TAC and trying to have a social life is something that causes a challenge at times. However I balanced out TAC, living my life and traveling pretty well. I wouldn't give it up for anything--even if I abandon the blog for spurts at a time know I'm always working on something BIGGER and BETTER. :) 

On a side and final note, last week a few friends and I went to the zoo to see the three week old baby elephant, he's pretty adorable--He's still unnamed. I'm calling him Magnus. ;)

XO

Devyn

JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD - Review

John Belushi is Dead - Kathy Charles
Publisher: MTV
Pages: 320
Release: August 24, 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Description: 


IN THE END WE ALL FADE TO BLACK.


Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji are not your typical teenagers. Instead of going to parties or hanging out at the mall, they comb the city streets and suburban culs-de-sac of Los Angeles for sites of celebrity murder and suicide. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and their social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Hollywood history and collecting odd mementos of celebrity death.


Hilda and Benji’s morbid pastime takes an unexpected turn when they meet Hank, the elderly, reclusive tenant of a dilapidated Echo Park apartment where a silent movie star once stabbed himself to death with a pair of scissors. Hilda feels a strange connection with Hank and comes to care deeply for her paranoid new friend as they watch old movies together and chat the sweltering afternoons away. But when Hank’s downstairs neighbor Jake, a handsome screenwriter, inserts himself into the equation and begins to hint at Hank’s terrible secrets, Hilda must decide what it is she’s come to Echo Park searching for . . . and whether her fascination with death is worth missing out on life.

My Review: 

It's funny how books find their ways into our lives. I came across JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD (JBID) because a friend from California had mentioned it to me. However, the book sat around the house for some time. I'd read the description several times over and couldn't work up the courage to crack it open.

That's when my new fascination grew. Death. Having Lupus, death is something that I think about on a daily basis, sometimes even hourly. You'll go mad if you start thinking about it all too much. Luckily for me I had an amazing book on hand JBID.

JBID Follows the story of Hilda, a pink-haired outcast living in California. She, like me, has her own fascination with death. Suicides and murders to be exact. I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. Hilda is one of my favorite characters ever, I'm really proud of how she grew though the story. It was almost like watching a young adult mature before my eyes.

This book made me feel many emotions and to take a look at my own personal demons. It takes a special kind of book to make me sit and think about my life once I finish reading. If you're looking for a fairytale this book isn't for you. If you're looking for a raw story about life, if you've ever taken time to realize the world is so much bigger than you--then this book is for you.

Check out the authors website, buy the book or read about the death of John Belushi here!

Thank's for following my blog; An update...

I'm known on Twitter for being very opinionated about blogging in general. Blogging is taking a very interesting turn and I honestly cannot wait to see what direction everything goes in. With that being said there is also a very dark light in blogging as well, to put it simple it's exhausting. Anyone who has a hand in publishing will be the first to tell you that.

In the past years I have spent a majority of my time planning the Teen Author Carnival, running a hospital book charity Book Transfusion and teaming up with authors, doing behind the scene marketing. That's everything you see online, however my life has been much more complicated for as long as I can remember.

As some of you may or may not know, I was diagnosed with a disease when I was twelve. When I was fourteen I was given a Make-A-Wish. When I was sixteen(ish, possibly seventeen) I almost had my leg amputated. My disease is what causes most of my irritation when it comes to blogging, a major example; when I talked about publishers sending books I do not want.

Long story short, I have Lupus. If you watch House you may have heard of it, sadly in my case it really IS Lupus.

What is Lupus?

Sort Version: My body reads all cells as horrible virus and tries to kill off any good cells.

Long Version: 

Wikipedia:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (pronounced /sɪˈstɛmɪk ˈlupəs ˌɛrɪˌθiməˈtʰoʊsəs/ ( listen)), often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease (or autoimmune connective tissue disease) that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune systemattacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.^[1] It is a Type III hypersensitivity reaction caused by antibody-immune complex formation.

SLE most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. The course of the disease is unpredictable, with periods of illness (called flares) alternating with remissions. The disease occurs nine times more often in women than in men, especially in women in child-bearing years ages 15 to 35, and is also more common in those of non-European descent.^[2][3][4]

SLE is treatable through addressing its symptoms, mainly with cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants; there is currently no cure. SLE can be fatal, although with recent medical advances, fatalities are becoming increasingly rare. Survival for people with SLE in the United States, Canada, and Europe is approximately 95% at five years, 90% at 10 years, and 78% at 20 years.

 Hopefully that should explain my illness in a nutshell, I've mentioned it before, however most people do not see the seriousness of it because of House. :P

I spend most of my time TRYING to act healthy, when I'm at events or even in New York I put on my HEALTHY face. After some time everything really does get to you, sometimes even holding a book up is nothing but pure exhaustion.

I think it's important for me to "come out" with that information to all of my bloggers, I haven't forgot about the blog and hope to get a few posts up soon. But when it used to take me a few hours to finish a book it now takes me weeks.

So bear with me and hopefully I can get the gears moving again, I've never really been a blogger, I'm just Devyn, with the hat, who does THINGS and knows PEOPLE. ;)

I'm not looking for sympathy, so please refrain from comments of that type.

I love you all,
Devyn

 

A TOUCH MORTAL Review - Leah Clifford

A TOUCH MORTAL - Leah Clifford
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 432
Release: February 22, 2011

My Rating:
4.5/5.0

Description:


Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

My Review:


I have deep interests in ghosts, the afterlife and angels. It’s not easy to pick up a YA book that can easily feel that need of mine. I really wasn't expecting much when picking up A Touch Mortal. I was terribly excited about the concept but wasn't sure anyone could pull off something original, something to make my gears turn again. I had never finished a book based on the afterlife, I was looking for something to change that.

The book had a bumpy start; I’m not going to lie. I remember thinking “Oh God, not another love story.” But I kept pushing myself through the book, by the third chapter I was completely sucked into this new world. A world full of Touch, Siders, The Fallen—a world that is so much more than ‘just an angel book.’

The book kept me thinking “What next?” which in turn kept me turning pages. Clifford gives the reader several pieces of the massive plot puzzle and slowly puts the pieces together around the middle marking point of the book

I was very pleased with this book. It was nice to pick up a book with twists and turns that actually took you by surprise. It was a beautiful debut novel. I can’t wait for the sequel. A Touch Mortal isn’t a small book, it’s a book you want to dedicate a book to because I assure you won’t want to put it down!

Buy The Book!

About Leah:

Leah Clifford has been an extreme cave tour guide, a camp counselor, a flight attendant, a pizza delivery girl, a waitress, and a grocery store clerk. Now she adds author to that list. She lives outside Cleveland, Ohio. This is her first book.

You can find Leah on her website and Twitter.


XO
Devyn

It Gets Better - Chelsea Swiggett (The Page Flipper)

I said yes to writing this because yes is my standard answer. I’m kind of an impulsive person. Yes, I’ll drive to New York with you tomorrow. Yes, I’ll go camping. Yes, I’ll go parasailing. Yes, yes, yes. Because, in my mind, I want to be the kind of person that does that kind of stuff. I want to be that person so badly. But unlike Jim Carrey, I back down from a lot of the stuff I say yes to. Because I’m terrified. I love the idea of being brave and courageous and spontaneous, but a lot of the time I’m way too scared to be.

But when I said yes to writing this post, I knew I wouldn’t back down. I’m actually glad Devyn put me on the latter half of the schedule, because reading everyone’s posts has been completely inspiring. I’ve taken some bravery from every one of you who’s said “it gets better.”

I’m not a witness to suicide. But I know people who are. I know someone who’s talked someone down from the edge of it. I know someone who’s thought about it. I know someone who was completely scarred by it. I’ve seen the wounds on people who’ve been completely altered by it.

I remember, when I was younger, some girl behind me kicked the back of my seat. I was sitting, cross-legged, feeling horrendously crappy because I had a bad day. And she kicked my seat. I turned around and glared at her, one of my all-encompassing bitch-glares, but she did it again. So I walked up to the bus driver and complained about her. It felt somewhat satisfying.

A couple months later, I found out that girl, sitting behind me, died from cancer. She didn’t commit suicide. But she died. She was way too young. I wondered what she would have grown up to read, to watch. Wondered who she would have married. If she would have had kids and watched Toy Story with them. I barely knew her, but part of that moment still stays with me and I feel completely guilty about it. I think the reason I’m telling this story is because no matter how little significance you think you have – and you have to feel unworthy if you’re willing to take your own life – you affect people. You change people’s lives. You leave a mark. Even on people you don’t expect. And you can choose to leave a good mark or a bad mark. You can be there to witness that mark or you can not be there. You have worth and you will have worth. There is so, so much left to see.

I’ve always been terrified to live. To say yes and follow through with it. To travel and to write how I’m feeling and to speak my mind and to breathe. My anxiety has crippled me, a lot. I’ve been to a point where I didn’t think I could go on living, at all. I’ve been to a point where all I was doing was living, but I wasn’t really living. I was just sinking. I’ve been to a point where I’ve questioned if life was worth living, hundreds of times. Because life is horrifying, terrifying, crippling, ugly. But it’s also absolutely beautiful. There are people who are good and who want to leave a mark on you. There are places, cultures, other lives to see. There’s something outlandishly gorgeous about this Earth and the people in it, the tragedy and the passion. Is it worth living? I decided yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And this yes, I will absolutely follow through with. 

It Gets Better - Carrie Jones

Despite the fact that people keep sending me emails that say that I am super cool (Thank you people!) I have never been super cool, not in the traditional sense.

When I was little, I had glasses and slurred my s’s so badly that I basically stopped talking in first grade, just so Jayed Jamison would stop tormenting me and mocking my voice.

When I was in seventh grade,  I had a teacher who told me that because I slurred my s’s I would:

1.      Never be loved
2.     Never get a job
3.   Never be taken seriously
4.     Always, always be laughed at.

Both of these times broke me all the way down. I believed that I would never get anything, that I would always be mocked, never taken seriously. But friends, and something weird inside myself got me through and made me realize that Jayed and that teacher were totally, undeniably assy.

Then, when I was a freshman in college, I got mono. The virus also attacked my brain and gave me seizures.  It didn’t matter to me that 25 million people in just the U.S. have had seizures. It didn’t matter. There’s a stigma. And it was very hard for me to get it under control because the anti-seizure medicines kept making my blood toxic or giving me side effects.

Once during all this, I wanted to die so badly that I stood on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine and tried to decide which car to jump in front of. There were lots of reasons I felt that way at the time and one of those reasons was my seizure medication had thrown my entire body totally out of whack. But honestly? The reasons don't matter any more. What mattered was the pain. What mattered is that I wanted to die because I thought that I hurt too much to live.

One of my friends, Eric Stamper, got me through it. He was an angel boy.

That and I felt too badly for the driver of the car. Because honestly? It wouldn’t be fair of me to screw up someone else’s life like that. Then I thought about the police who would respond to the scene. Then I thought about my mom. And, yeah, I didn't want to get paralyzed. The plan didn't seem fool-proof enough. And, I also thought about God and life and existence being a gift even if it is a TERRIBLY difficult gift sometimes.

But for five minutes I stood on the side of the road and hurt and thought about ending the hurt.

Lately on Live Journal and Facebook, in friends-locked posts and in private messages and in conversations on the phone, in news reports and in YouTube videos, I have seen so many people feeling the way I did when I stood on Lisbon Street. I am very lucky. I have never felt that way again, but I remember the feeling.

And I also realized that it's hard to talk about it even though so many people have felt that way too. But it isn't shameful to hurt. It isn't shameful for the pain to be too much for you to handle alone and anyone who says it is? Well, they are full of crud. Sorry. It's true.

But it can get better. And some days it can get a little worse. But mostly? Mostly, it can get better.

And that’s why you don’t listen to Jayed Jamison.

And that’s why you don’t listen to a stupid seventh-grade teacher.

And that’s why you don’t even listen to yourself sometimes.

Because it does get better.

This weekend, I got a message from a girl who is made of awesome. She wanted to kill herself last year, and I got involved. Her year has been amazing, she said. She thanked me for saving her, but I didn’t. She saved herself, but I got to witness how strong and amazing and powerful she is. And that is one of the zillion reasons why I am so glad I didn’t step in front of that car. I am glad because by being alive I get to see people do amazing things. I get to witness people have the power to live and grow and change, to watch as their lives become unbelievably, undeniably better.