Trailer for HOUSE OF SECRETS by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

Ned Vizzini has teamed up with Chris Columbus and Illustrator Greg Call on the new book House of Secrets. Today I'm sharing the fabulous trailer with you featuring Chris and Ned talking about the story!

House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini
Published: Balzer + Bray (April 23rd, 2013)
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Hardcover: 496 pages
Series: House of Secrets, #1
Summary:

The Walker kids had it all: loving parents, a big house in San Francisco, all the latest video games . . . but everything changed when their father lost his job as a result of an inexplicable transgression. Now the family is moving into Kristoff House, a mysterious place built nearly a century earlier by Denver Kristoff, a troubled writer with a penchant for the occult.

Suddenly the siblings find themselves launched on an epic journey into a mash-up world born of Kristoff’s dangerous imagination, to retrieve a dark book of untold power, uncover the Walker family’s secret history and save their parents . . . and maybe even the world.

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Review: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins 
Publisher: Hyperion (March 13th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Series: Hex Hall, #3
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Review: 

*sigh* I was so sad to see this series end. I am a sucker for books that have a strong plot, but are also funny. It never failed that Sophie would always say or do something to make me laugh. This book starts after a crazy cliffhanger so I was interested to see where the story took Sophie. 

Sophie meets some new people, the Brannicks, and realizes she shares more of a connection with them than she could have imagined. I thought it was awesome that this family was made up of amazingly strong women who could really kick major butt! 

It's hard to review this book without it spoiling the previous titles but I'll try. I really liked the continuation of Sophie and Jenna's friendship. They really had a strong connection. Then, of course, we have Archer and Cal. I gotta admit, I love Cal! I had a soft spot for him early on and that just continued the more I read. He was quiet but his strength and compassion for Sophie was so wonderful to see. 

There is a lot going on in this book! Sometimes I felt maybe it was a bit too much. Like a lot was being thrown in because this was the last book. But regardless of that fact, I enjoyed seeing everything come full circle and getting some questions answered. 

If you haven't started this series yet, do it! There are so many funny moments but it's well tied into an amazing plot. I am excited to read the next series by Rachel Hawkins! 

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Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (July 31st, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 384 pages
Source: Author (Thank You!)
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER...AND YET SO RIGHT.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review:

  
I'm behind on my reviews (by a lot!) but I just had to share my thoughts on this book. Pushing the Limits was such a fantastic, emotional rollercoaster. Katie did a brilliant job developing the characters and explaining what they had been through. 

First, Echo's life changes drastically and she can't remember what happened to cause it. She knows that something terrible happened to her but the memories of that night have vanished. Through therapy she is trying to piece together that night. At school, people whisper about her and her popularity changed overnight. I felt horrible for Echo. I truly felt her pain and anguish about her situation. I can't imagine having a memory completely gone like that. 

Noah, unlike Echo, has always been a bit of trouble maker. It's as if he has a shield that he uses to keep him from getting hurt. When Noah meets Echo the sparks fly, but I'm not talking about romance. They share quite a few unpleasant words and it's fun to see their relationship change. 

We get to hear from the POVs of Noah and Echo, which is needed for this story. This allows us to really get to know the characters and see their past. I honestly had no clue what had happened to Echo and that mystery kept me on the edge of my seat. Through Echo's relationships with Noah, it's as if she can finally start to figure out the tragedy she went through. The flashbacks are more frequent. 

I fell in love with Noah in this book. Truly, head over heals, in love! He may have been a bad boy but it was obvious how strongly he felt for Echo. Their romance was beyond a teenage love. I really felt they shared a stronger bond. 

I was so excited to find out this was a series. I know the next book focuses on Noah's friend Beth, but I'm still looking forward to reading about her and hopefully getting an update on Noah and Echo!

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