The Dystopian Tour hits Toronto This Week

I've been counting the days, to this and tomorrow can't come soon enough! This week Torontonians have not one but three opportunities to experience the Dystopian Tour 2011. I am planning on heading to Yorkdale right after work with my bestie & fellow book blogger Jackie from My Ever Expanding Library.


Anyone else as excited as me for this? Are you planning on hitting up one of these stops? Hope to see you there!
Mel

Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Hardcover, 336 pages

Released: April 26, 2011

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

ISBN: 9780061962745

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

My Rating: 4 / 5

My Thoughts:
This a book for those days when you need to laugh at the world. I would have given this 5 stars but found the start awkward as I went in only remembering the basic premise of the story before diving in. The story beings in the thick of things so it took me about 40-50 pages for I really got hooked, understood the world and felt anything for the characters. Why were the girls together, what the heck is Babies R U, why the veil? These are things that left me confused at the start. So what kept me going you ask? The humor! Once the world & characters fell into place, the book was on fire. I was in their mindset which at first is hard to grasp (teens being approached to have babies, how they view sex etc.) To give you an idea of how much I loved it, I came home & locked myself in the bathroom to escape from disruptions so I could finish the book! I must also say that the music the kids listen too was catchy and way to funny, I could totally picture the teens singing along!

A quirky dystopian, Bumped is a unique take on what would happen if adults became infertile. Full of humor, lots of twists and turns, characters trying to find themselves (they are teens after all), McCafferty's story is a refreshing take on what is normally a serious dystopian genre.

Here's a sneak peak at what silliness you can find inside:

I watched them swap MyTurnTees, share tubes of You Glow Girl! stretch mark remover, and share bag after bag of Big Belly Jellies. I watched them bond with each other because they were forbidden to bond with their bumps.(from ARC page 118)

I have to say, when an author can make you chuckle then gasp (in that order) at the passing of a mucus plug, she is mega talented in my books. Give me the next book, this was such a fun ride.

Meg Cabot in Toronto Next Week!

I was excited to find out that Meg has a stop in Toronto promoting her newest novel, Abandon. As a lover of mythology, I am eager to spend this weekend devouring this modern tale of Hades & Persephone.

I hope to see you there!

Mel

About the book:

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Review: Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

Hardcover, 375 pages

Released: May 3, 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN13: 9780061668098

Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

My Rating: 4 / 5

My Thoughts:

The third book in the Wings series, Illusions starts of with Laurel back at high school in the human world and surprise, surprise, Tamani shows up as a foreign exchange student! Spells made me Team Tamani, so I was so curious how this was was going to play out. Although I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that partway I was getting tired of the David/Tam love triangle...both boys pining over Laurel but her being ignorant to David's jealousy issues. With what was happening, it is fair to say that David had reasons to feel this way so Laurel annoyed me. I can justify Tamani's undying love as part of his nature but come on David! A majority of this book deals with Laurels conflict over David/Tamani.

Ms. Pike rounds out this storyline with the possibility of danger from the other foreign exchange student, Yuki, the mysterious Klea and disappearing Trolls. Not much is finalized here but hints at what is to come next. The ending is a major cliffhanger and I think we will get back to more action next year in what is supposed to be the last book in the series. Seeing the fae world in Spells captivated me, I am crossing my fingers we get to see more of that too!

Contest Winners!

It's so fun when you get to start of the dreaded Monday morning knowing you are making someone's day/week/month telling them they've won your blog contest...this morning I got to make THREE people happy!

The winners from my SHIFT tour stop are:

Jamie (signed copy of SHIFT plus button) and Katie (copy of SHIFT)

I had a great time discovering so new-to-me Canadian talent in the responses to my CCBC membership contest. The winner is:

Christinabean

All winners have been contacted by email & have 24 hrs to respond. Thanks to everyone who played along, I hope you had fun too, happy Monday!!!