Waiting on Wednesday #81

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Taken by Eric Bowman
Published : 16th April 2013
Publisher : HarperTeen
I'm not reading as much dystopia at the moment and I am quite fussy with which ones I do like. However this one definitely sounds like one of the type of dystopia which I am enjoying at the moment. 
This one sounds so different, so many dystopia books seem to follow on with the same theme but this one just sounds so different. The concept of the boys disappearing when they turn 18 just sounds terrifying but also so intriguing. I look forward to reading this and going on a discovering journey with Gray. 

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The Blurb :

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Top Ten Tuesday (#1)

This is my first ever Top Ten! I have wanted to and been meaning to take part for ages. Well now it's a new year I decided to join in! 

Top Ten is run by The Broke and the Bookish 

Jodie's Top Ten Bookish Goals For 2013

1 - 70 Books : Well my main aim and hope it to read 70 books. Now this may not seem like much but I work long days and spend my evenings walking my dog, getting my hamsters out and with my boyfriend and family. That usually leaves for a few hours reading time at the weekend. I hope to make more time this year though.

2 - Old Bookshelf : Even though I say this every year I REALLY want to finally pick some books of my chick lit shelf which I haven't took a book off for 2 years! 

3 - Reviews : One I really plan to stick to is writing reviews as soon as I have finished the book and then scheduling the review to go up. I have so many reviews to still post.

4 - Non Fiction : I want to try to read more non fiction in 2013. I really enjoyed the one non fiction I did read. 

5 - Children Books : This is more blogish than bookish but I want to introduce children book reviews to Books for Company from the help of my nearly 4 year old nephew. 

6 - Kindle : This year I really want to read my kindle more. I have had it for around 1 and half years and probably read around 20 books on it! 

7 - No Sleep! : I need to stop reading in bed so I don't keep falling asleep! 

8 - Thriller : I would like to try a thriller book this year and see if I like it! 

9 - Series : I tend to read the first in the series and never get to the next in the series so this year I hope to be able to read a whole series in a row (When possible)

10 - ENJOY READING! : Sometimes I get so stressed I find myself rushing a book because I know I have so many other things to do. I really just want to enjoy reading again. I mean I still do but I want to get rid of those times when I am stressed and don't.

USA/CAN Giveaway - Nobody + Every Other Day

Egmont USA has very kindly let me run a giveaway for Nobody and a paperback copy of Every Other Day! 

Rules : 

USA/Canada Only - Sorry but publisher request

Ends 20th January

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find Jennifer

Website

Goodreads

Amazon (UK/USA)

Buy Nobody 

Amazon (UK/USA)

Book Depository

Cover Crazy #81

Thing's I Can't Forget - Miranda Kenneally
How adorable is this cover? I love it! It gives off such a great feeling. 

I love this cover because :

- The old fashioned feeling of this cover is awesome, it's really different. 
-Isn't it adorable? How they are holding hands while on their bikes, so sweet!  

- I love how it's a different sort of romantic cover and not the usual kissing or cuddling cover. 
- Simple but definitely grabbed my attention!  
Dislike :
- It would have been nice if the colour of the title went better with cover. It doesn't really suit the feel of the cover. 

Racing Savannah - Miranda Kenneally
This is the 4th in a series and comes after Thing's I Can Forget (The cover above!).
Another awesome cover which I love and goes so well with the rest of the series!   

I love this cover because :

- I like that the colour of the title goes well with the actual cover this time. 
- I don't know why but I love her yellow boots, it adds a bit of 'flavour' to the cover and is quirky. 

- Another sweet and different cover but at the same time isn't too cheesy. 
- I like the surroundings, all the countryside and the fence. Just different and refreshing.   
-I tend to prefer covers where you can't see the faces and this definitely works for this cover, it gives it a bit of a mysterious feel.  

*Review* The Disappeared by C.J. Harper

The Disappeared - C.J. Harper

Series : Yes (I think so!)

Released : 31st January 2013

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Format : Paperback

Source : Publisher (Thank you!)

Buy : Amazon Paperback (UK/USA)/Book Depository

Overall rating

 .................................... The Blurb  ....................................

In a future where children are segregated into institutions that range from comfortable “Learning Communities” to prison-like “Local Academies”, seventeen-year-old Jackson is an academic high flyer, living in a top Learning Community and destined for a position in the Leadership. But when he is sent with his best friend Wilson to deliver a package to a factory block, the two boys are attacked, leaving Jackson badly beaten and Wilson dead.
Confused and upset, Jackson returns to his Learning Community only to be dismissed by his teachers who claim not to know him. Sent to an Academy, an institute set up to train factory workers, Jackson finds himself immersed in a world that couldn’t be further removed than the comfortable life he’s used to; a harsh, violent, semi-articulate society where the students have created their own hierarchy based on fighting ability.
Using his wits to survive, Jackson starts to realise that his whole life has been based on half-truths. And in order to survive he needs to expose the lies that surround the Academy and find out the truth about who he really is. As he builds alliances and begins to educate those closest to him, a plan for rebellion and escape gradually comes into shape...

 .................................... My Thoughts   ....................................

In Short

- The action starts pretty much from the first chapter.

- There are constantly new twists with lots of action and character building. 

- Harper really pushes some boundaries in this book. 

- I disliked how Jackson felt a lot younger than he was. 

In Long

I haven’t read much dystopia lately and The Disappeared appealed to me so I decided to give it a go! Any doubts were straight away put to the side. I haven’t read a book in ages which gets into the storyline as quickly at The Disappeared. Pretty much within the first chapter the action started and I was able to get into the storyline.

The action didn't slow down throughout the whole book. There were constantly new twists, lots of actions and character building. I was totally wrapped up in this whole new world which Harper had created. I felt throughout the whole book that Harper really had created a new world which is shocking yet was able to feel so real to me. So often I read books I just can’t believe because they are too far-fetched.

It was so refreshing that Harper really pushed some boundaries in this book. Some parts are really violent and which made me a little uncomfortable as the people involved in the violence were the characters I had gained a bond with. I guess for some people this will be a negative but for me it added to the book in a strange but good way.

There’s not much you can dislike about this book. The only thing which I struggled with was the age of the characters. Jackson is 17 but throughout the whole book I struggled with this, I just felt he didn't act like he was 17. He was so strange about things like physical contact with girls when I think most 17 years old are past that stage. Apart from that I can’t actually explain why i just couldn't view him as this 17 year old but the whole book felt less mature than I would have liked.

Final Thoughts

The Disappeared is a real page turner which will engulf you into a new world you would never have considered before but becomes the only world you know.