Review: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Source: Received a copy for an honest review from Scholastic Canada

Publisher: Point

Release Date: Already Released
Number of Pages: 278 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom and Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

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I've read quite a few music-influenced stories in the last little while, and I was extremely happy with Take a Bow. It isn't exclusively about music, but about some students at a performing arts school. So, music, acting, painting, composing, and other fine arts rather than just music. :) I think that the variety makes it pretty original, and the multiple points of view from different types of artists definitely added to book's originality. :)

I wasn't sure if I would like the fact that it has so many point of views (it has four if you were wondering ;D), but I actually ending up really enjoying that aspect of the book. It was interesting to see different perspectives from different characters, especially ones who are so different. You have a child actor, a musical prodigy, a fame-seeking singer, and a shy composer who is more comfortable being the writer behind the singer. I loved seeing such different characters, and seeing them interact with each other.

The characters had me all over the place as far as emotions go. I was laughing with them, smiling with them...angry with them, but above all, I was completely wrapped up in their story. I have to admit, I did have my favourites out of the characters. I loved Emme, and I also really liked Carter. Sophie...well, she was my least favourite, but she was that character that you love to hate. Now, Ethan...I was very conflicted about Ethan. I really liked him sometimes, but at other times he was kind of a chauvinistic pig. His reasons for behaving that way were incredibly flawed, but he still managed to make me come around to liking him by the end of the book. I still don't approve of his behaviour lots of the time though...dude needed a smack in the head sometimes. :P But, his feelings for Emme, and the way that he was so protective towards her just completely won me over. Out of the two male characters though, I still liked Carter better. ;)

Personally, for me the best part of Take a Bow was the fact that it showed how human the characters were. Often, I feel that celebrities, or artists of any kind get glamourized or somewhat dehumanized. We think they're so different from us, and they almost don't get seen as people anymore. Take a Bow showed how they are human. They have flaws, feelings, and get self-conscious just like everybody else. It's great to get to see these young artists behind the curtain, and to get to know them for who they really are rather than who they pretend to be. I think that Elizabeth Eulberg did an amazing job showing how these four young characters are just trying to figure out who they are, and to be as true to themselves as they can. And in Sophie's case, she shows the reader the truth behind her phony persona, and it kind of shows you how maybe those artists you look up to aren't that great after all...then again, they could be even more amazing then you thought, like Emme. :)

Overall, I found Take a Bow to be a quick read, and I really enjoyed getting to see the real people behind these four young artists that Elizabeth Eulberg has shared with us. :) I think that people who love music and seeing artists behind the scenes will love this, especially if you're a fan of the whole "Behind the Music" thing. :D

Have you read Take a Bow?
How about any of Elizabeth Eulberg's books?
I haven't read any of her other books, but I've heard great things. :)

Anastasia Forever Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway!

 What’s Love Got to Do with It?: The Anne/Ethan Romance

 Joy Preble

The guiding force of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series is the relationship between Anne and Ethan. Anne knows from the second she catches blue-eyed Ethan stalking her at the ballet that there is just something about him. And in fact, he proceeds to turn her life upside and sideways because it is Ethan who peels back Anne’s normal world and reveals a world of Russian fairy tales brought to life, of a hidden princess and an illegitimate royal son driven by vengeance. When they touch – and I always knew that their story would begin with a physical touch setting things in motion—everything changes.

Anne is no longer just the girl who dances ballet and goes to school and mourns the death of her brother to cancer. She is a girl with power to save a princess, power to right ancient wrongs and ultimately, the power to break a curse that is holding her birth grandmother captive. But power comes with a steep price. And when Anne accepts Baba Yaga’s bargain so she can save Ethan in book 2, she steps into the witch’s forest in a way she has up until then refused to do. Of course, I wanted her to do this for love, even if she has trouble admitting that’s what it is.

This is problem for Anne and Ethan: they do not come easily to loving each other. Or rather, Ethan comes easily to loving Anne, even if he feels that he does not deserve her or a second chance at life. Which is exactly what she gives him when she rides out of the witch’s forest with Anastasia, allowing Ethan to regain his mortality. While Viktor yearns to live forever, Ethan wants only to have what he lost for a cause that was never what he believed it to be: to live and die in the proper time. That he has found the love of his life makes him both deliriously happy as well as guilty as hell.

And Anne, well, she’s a smart girl. Even when she’s not, she has Tess watching her back, making sure she sees things as they are. Anne sees loving Ethan as an impossibility. He is too old even if he looks young. He has secrets and a long, long past. She is only sixteen. And yet I think she loves him from the moment he tells her his story. But she holds back; she is indecisive. In fact, these traits hurt her in all aspects of her life. She has trouble committing. Ethan, on the other hand, is an all-in kind of guy.

So what did I do to these two? I made them inhabit a reverse fairy tale. It is Anne who ends up saving Ethan over and over. It is Anne who is the hero. And ultimately, it is Ethan (no spoilers for book 3 quite yet) who needs redemption and forgiveness before he and Anne can be together. A happily ever after, but hard won. And not without suffering and sacrifice. This is after all, a Russian fairy tale. No one knows endurance like the Russians

And so it goes: Ethan and Anne, circling and circling love, each running from the other, each doing the hero’s job. The question becomes, will they figure out that they belong together before it’s too late?
Of course they will!

But with these two, love isn’t simple. I think that makes them equal parts of smart and stupid. Not forbidden love. Not crazy love where the passion burns out everything else—and I think we all need some of that in our lives.

When Anne and Ethan finally figure out that they belong together, it will be a love that entwines them like two puzzle pieces, marveling at how perfectly and easily they fit. And how foolish they were not to know it.

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  The Dreaming Anastasia Trilogy (with Goodreads Links):

Book 1: Dreaming Anastasia 

Book 2: Haunted

Book 3: Anastasia Forever

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Giveaway! 

Details:
 - US and Canada Only! (Any entrants not from the US or Canada who are drawn as winner will not be eligible to claim their prize)

-1 Winner will win a physical copy of Anastasia Forever

- Prize is being provided by Sourcebooks and will be sent by them

- Ends on September 22nd (12:01 AM EST)

-Winner will be drawn with Rafflecopter and will have 48 hours to claim their prize

 I'm keeping this giveaway pretty simple. There are no mandatory entries either, so you can pick or choose whichever ones you'd like to do. :)

To enter use the Rafflecopter Widget: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck and Thank You for entering! :D

So, have you started this series yet? 

And what did you think of the guest post?

Big Sky Mountain Blog Tour: GIVEAWAY!

I meant to post this giveaway before, but it totally slipped my mind, so I'm doing it now! :D I'm going to keep it nice and simple with a rafflecopter widget, and get straight to the details. 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

-US/Canada Only

-1 winner will get a copy Big Sky Mountain

-Ends on Sept.14th at 12:01 am (EST).

-Winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter

-Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize (Winner will be contacted through email and a winner's post will be posted once they are chosen)

ENTER USING THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck and Thank You for entering! :D

Lost in the World of Westeros...

You might've noticed that I haven't been posting very often lately. There are a couple of reasons for that. :P

Number 1: I've been working this summer, so I've been kind of tired once I get home. I know this is a lame excuse but life happens, right? I've actually gone to bed before 9 during this summer...which is seriously weird for me. haha

This is how I've felt about my laptop  lately. :P
(Image  Source)

Number 2: My computer's been acting up, which has been making consistent posting a little difficult. I mean it still runs, but it's taken to deciding that it constantly needs updates and then restarts on me...which would be fine with a normal, well-running computer, but with my laptop it causes issues. When my laptop gets turned off...there isn't always a guarantee that I'll be able to see what's on the screen when it's turned back on, which is why I've ordered a new one! So, by next week hopefully I'll have my new laptop and this issue won't be a problem anymore. :P


Number 3: I've had no free weekends this month, or at least I wasn't supposed to. I had three family reunions for the first three weeks, and I worked those weekends, too. I didn't end up going to one of the reunions, but I did meet up with my fellow Edmonton Book Bloggers that weekend. :) Then this past week, my cousin got married. So, needless to say, my weekends have been rather full. :P

This guy's been keeping me up at night....reading, that is. :P

Jon Snow ♥

Number 4: I started reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin (yes, the one that has been made into the HBO show, Game of Thrones), and I put the one book down a while back....but I picked it up again recently, and I kind of got caught up in the series. The title of this post kind of gives that away. I have been completely and utterly lost in the world of Westeros, and the other places all around it. I've gotten seriously addicted to this series, and I've kept reading until my eyes literally start closing on their own. I'm especially looking forward to the next season of the TV show now, too! :D At first, I thought the books were kind of dense, but now I'm in so deep that I just can't stop reading. It's a constant feeling of HAVING to know what's going to happen next. This is also why I haven't been doing too many memes lately. I've been reading these books pretty much exclusively because there are so many characters to keep track of, so I've been sticking to reading just the one series pretty much. I'm on book three though, and I'm getting closer to finishing, so I may take a break between A Storm of Swords and A Feast For Crows, and read something else. :P I've also been very behind on my Stacking the Shelves posts, so I'll start fresh next week. :)

So, those are my excuses, and I know they're lame, but I'm hoping to blog more soon. I have a few reviews that I still need to write, and a giveaway to post (I'm gonna try to get it up tomorrow actually, so keep your eyes open for that!). My new laptop should be here soon too, so that will definitely help with blogging, and I'm going to try and pace myself better with A Song of Ice and Fire...but if you don't hear from me for a little while, I just might've gotten lost in Westeros once again. :P

I hope that you're all having amazing summers, and that the weather has been great wherever you live. :D I also hope that you've gotten caught up in some amazing books...even though they might keep me from blogging, I think it's amazing to get so caught up in a series that you can't even think of anything else.

What do you think though? 

Do you like the feeling of getting lost in a book, too?

Also, how's your summer been? I'd love to hear about it. :D

Also, here are a few more pictures from Game of Thrones...just because I love it so much! :D Jon and Daenerys are my favourites! :D

Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

 Source: Received an egalley for an honest review from Netgalley and the publisher

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: Already released! :D
Number of Pages: 320 (Paperback)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

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Glitch was one of my most anticipated books for this year, and I am extremely glad to say that it completely lived up...and even surpassed all of my expectations! :D As I always do when I read dystopians I payed attention to the way that the world has changed and how the author has crafted their world...and I loved the way that Heather Anastasiu created hers! She described it so well, and made it stand out. I could actually picture it the way Zoe did, with everything grey and monotone until she glitched, and then there would be bursts of colour! It created such a dynamic story and made it so easy to visualize...which I absolutely loved! :D I also loved the way that Zoe's character was revealed. In the world of Glitch, people don't feel the way that they do now. They're basically computers; like little worker bees...acting like droids to accomplish day to day tasks. It's kind of depressing. They don't feel or think on their own, but Zoe, or Zoel (her full name :P), is glitching...so she's able to actually experience life on her own. :D

Not only was Heather Anastasiu's world in Glitch flushed out and incredibly intricate, the characters were fantastic! Considering that the majority of people in Zoe's world are drones with no mind of their own...it's pretty amazing that the characters that we meet in Glitch have such life and vibrancy. Each character stands out so well, even the ones that remain under the Community's control. Zoe characterizes them for us. Her brother in particular stands out a lot considering he actually doesn't play a large role in this book, and I loved that Heather Anastasiu was able to make characters stand out so well, especially in a world where everyone pretty much just blends in. :)

So let's summarize so far: the world...amazing, the characters....also amazing, and the plot...fan-freaking-tastic! :D I loved it! Dystopians generally share the whole underground-rebellion-trying-to-overthrow-the-society factor, and Glitch definitely has that, but I felt that Heather Anastasiu did a wonderful job at keeping her story unique. The fact that people are basically computers with no feelings kind of makes this story stand out on its own, and the glitching aspect makes it even more so...especially since glitching (as the description tells you) also leads to other abilities. Together all these elements create an amazing and addictive story...and I haven't even mentioned boys yet! :D I'm not going to say too much about them because if I do I might give away some spoilers, but I will say that I have a definite favourite and I don't think that the other guy even comes close to competing...I don't even really consider it a love triangle, but I'll keep quite and let you make up your mind about it all when you read it. ;)

Overall, I loved this book! I can't even begin to think of or use enough words to describe Glitch with as much praise as I want to. I seriously LOVED this book, and it's definitely my favourite out of all the new series that I've started this year. :D Heather Anastasiu is an amazing story teller, and I definitely think that it'll be hard for readers to read this one without quickly becoming swept up in Zoe's story. :D I recommend this one to dystopia fans, and anyone who loves the whole sci-fi element with people being linked to computers. I was also a fan of the romance in this book, and I can't wait for the story, the romance, and the characters to further develop in the next one! :D

Have you read Glitch yet? If so, what'd you think?
Are you just itching to get yourself a copy?
Any other thoughts on Glitch that you'd like to share?