Extraordinary - Nancy Werlin

What does it mean to be extraordinary?

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school. Soon the two girls are as close as sisters. . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, appears. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe--but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she'll discover the shocking, fantastical truth about Ryland and Mallory, and about an age-old debt they expect Phoebe to pay. Will she be strong enough to resist? Will she be special enough to save herself?

Title: Extraordinary

Author: Nancy Werlin

Genre: Young Adult, Faeries

Publisher: Dial Books an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Publication Date: September 7, 2010

Source: Received from publicist. Many thanks goes to Vimala from Penguin Canada for sending me this book for review. This book was received free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4/5

WARNING: May contain mild spoilers.

Extraordinary is a compelling story about the journey one girl will take to discover herself, and learn what makes a person truly extraordinary. Phoebe becomes fast friends with the new girl at school, Mallory. Everything is going quite well until Mallory's older brother enters the picture. Ryland immediately captures Phoebe's interest, but something doesn't feel quite right.

I found that Extraordinary unfolded slowly with a natural and elegant grace. The story was brilliant in its execution. I was really enjoying the storyline, until Ryland made his presence known. 

Ryland was a character that I despised. He was manipulative, abusive, and controlling towards Phoebe. He was insulting, and he did everything he could to hurt Phoebe. He only cared about calling in her "debt". With that said, I have to say that he really did love his race, as he went to great lengths to save them. 

Phoebe was at first, a mouse of a girl. She was timid, and didn't really know herself. She didn't ever have to examine herself closely, and so had never gone out of her way to learn more about her true self. I really liked her character, and felt bad when she took to heart every cruel comment uttered by Ryland. I loved her development though, and found myself appreciating her standing up for herself. 

Mallory had been best friends with Phoebe for 4 years, and I found that she was a truly complex character. She spent 4 years forming a strong connection with Phoebe, yet was torn by the duty imparted to her by her Queen. She faced a moral dilemma, and I empathized with her. With that said, I didn't agree with the route she took, but I could understand why she did what she did.

At times, I found myself disgusted with the book (more so with Ryland), but ultimately, it was an astounding read. I will admit, that I would have loved to have read more about Benjamin, as I found I really enjoyed his character.

All in all, this book shines a hard, and unbiased light on the topic of abuse, and manipulation. I have some qualms with the ending, but it still was a good, solid read. It was emotionally draining, yet remarkable in the message that it ultimately imparted.

In My Mailbox -34- Contest News and a Winner!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.

For Review

1. No Way Out - Joel Goldman 

2. The Absolute Value of -1 - Steve Brezenoff (and bookmarks for giveaway during the blog tour.)

Many thanks goes to Dana from Kaye Publicity and Kelsey from The Teen Book Scene for the books I received for review this week. 

Bought

1. Rampant - Diane Peterfreund

2. The Hollow - Jessica Verday

3. Married With Zombies - Jesse Petersen

4. Halo - Alexandra Adornetto

5. Losing Faith - Denise Jaden

6. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

7. Firelight - Sophie Jordan

All of the books I pre-ordered came in at least a week early!! I'm pretty happy about that, however that means my book buying ban went out the window again this week! We'll see how well I do next week, eh? (I'm not holding my breath...) ;)

Contest Winner

The giveaway for Ondine: The Summer of Shambles is now over. Thank you all for entering the contest! The winner was brendajean. Congratulations!! I have already emailed her, and am waiting to hear back. If I don't get a response in 48 hours I will have to pick another winner.

Contest News

This week has sparked off a lot of contests! First up, I'll be celebrating my birthday later this month, and I thought I'd have a giveaway to share the birthday fun with you guys. :) Four books are up for grabs: Paranormalcy, Losing Faith, Firelight, and Shadow Hills. I've had a phenomenal response already and hope you all enter the giveaway! It is international! :) 

Cynthia Roberts, author of Wind Warrior, has kicked off her month long blog tour and giveaway. I urge you all to check out the giveaway, and help spread the love for her and her book! Some of the prizes up for grabs are amazon giftcards, a pearl and crystal necklace, a chocolate prize pack, and a deluxe picnic basket for two. The official giveaway post on my blog can be found here. You can see all of the blogs that are participating in the tour on Cynthia's website.

Scott Nicholson has kicked off his blog tour as well. His tour started September first and will end November 30th. He will be promoting his horror and thriller books. He will be giving away some of his books, as well as a couple of kindles. He will be hosted here on October 7th, but you will have more chances to win if you follow along from the beginning of the tour. You can find all of the details on his website here. 

I think that's about it this week... I hope that all of you have a happy and safe (holiday) weekend. 

I almost forgot! ;) What did you get in your mailbox??

Happy reading! :) 

The Secret of the Scarlet Stone - T.L. Clarke

MG and YA mystery and adventure writer T.L. Clarke, author of the Gabby Girls Adventure series, debuts a sleuth tale that embraces the true meaning of “Girl Power”……

Can You Help The Gabby Girls Solve The Clues?

The Gabby Girls Adventure begins at the Vineswell Academy a very formal and strict elite all-girls school located just outside of upstate New York. The Gabby Girls, Gabrielle who is street-smart and very opinionated, Zora who is super-smart, Jessica who is painfully shy and a bit clumsy; and Rosalinda who is a diva and daddy’s little-girl. They are drawn together by the only thing that they have in common, which is the mysterious scarlet pendant they each possess.

After all, Gabby Girls always stick together and every day is a………Gabby Girls Adventure! 

(Synopsis taken from the author's website.)

Title: The Secret of the Scarlet Stone (A Gabby Girls Adventure)

Author: T.L. Clarke

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Mystery

Publisher: One Wish Publishing

Publication Date: June 3, 2010

Source: Received from author. Many thanks goes to T.L. Clarke for sending me a copy of her book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4/5

Gabrielle, Jessica, Zora and Rosalinda are The Gabby Girls. They are four girls who have befriended each other in the elite all-girls boarding school, Vineswell Academy. They all have been drawn together by the mystery surrounding their necklaces, and they embark on the adventure of a lifetime to unravel The Secret of the Scarlet Stone. 

This was a cute read. I found that it was aimed more at middle-grade readers more so than young adult readers. The four girls are quite independent and have their own personalities, so it was interesting to see how they interacted with each other. I think that most girls will be able to identify easily with one or more of the characters. I know that I identified the most with Zora, and hoped that she'd step up and tell Gabrielle and Rosalinda to stop their constant bickering. 

The premise of the book was intriguing, and I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the necklaces, and the journey the girls ended up taking. One of the only complaints I had with the book was the overuse of adverbs. Regardless, it was still a fun and imaginative read. The book was interactive and those that read it are made to feel part of the story as they get to follow along and help figure out the answers to the clues that are given.

All in all, a cute and imaginative book by debut author Clarke. It is the first in a series, and with the end results the mystery deepens further. I can't wait to read what happens next in the Gabby Girls series.