Haunted Halloween 2011: Updated Posts and Giveaways

Here you will find all the posts and giveaway information for the Haunted Halloween Event. It'll be updated throughout each day to give everyone a place to come to see if they've missed anything. I'll also link all the posts and giveaways from my co-host's blog -

Lisa from A Life Bound By Books

Feel free to bookmark this page and check back everyday for all the news and exciting things happening all month long between our two blogs!

STORY DUE: October 15th, 2011 Click HERE for Details 

VOTE BY CLICKING HERE

COVER DUE: October 15th, 2011 Click HERE for Details

VOTE BY CLICKING HERE!

COMMENT CONTEST RUNS THROUGH October 31st, 2011

Click HERE for Details

YA GIVEAWAY #1 ENDS October 25th, 2011 

Click HERE for Details (ENDED)

YA GIVEAWAY #2 ENDS November 3rd, 2011 

Click HERE for Details

ADULT Title GIVEAWAY ENDS October 31st, 2011 

Click HERE for Details (ENDED)

POSTS & GIVEAWAYS

Giveaways will be marked with an *
(L) = Lisa's blog at A Life Bound By Books

EXTRA = Features giveaways that are a new "bonus" this year! 

October 1st

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

*(L)  Marissa Meyer and a giveaway for a an ARC copy of Cider (ENDED)

October 2nd

Jennifer Estep and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Touch of Frost (ENDED)

*(L) Sarah Beth Durst and a giveaway for a copy of Drink, Slay, Love (ENDED)

October 3rd

* Megan Miranda and a giveaway for a SIGNED ARC (UK edition) of Fracture (ENDED)

(L) Sherry Soule

(L) Carol Oates

*(L) EXTRA- Author-designed Bookmark Giveaway - 3 winners (ENDED) 

October 4th

* Sonia Gensler and a giveaway for a copy of The Revenant - 4 winners (ENDED)

EXTRA- Giveaway for a Fearless Rune Pendant -TMI book themed- (ENDED)

*(L) Syrie and Ryan James and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Nocturne (ENDED)

October 5th

* Jill Hathaway and a giveaway for an ARC of Slide and bookmarks (ENDED)

EXTRA-  Giveaway for a Hunger Games beaded bookmark (ENDED)

*(L) Julianna Baggott and a giveaway for a copy of Pure (ENDED)

October 6th

* Courtney King Walker and a giveaway for an On the Fringe swag pack (ENDED)

(L) K.A. Tucker

October 7th

* Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie and a giveaway for an ARC of Unleashed (ENDED)

* (L) Jessi Kirby and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Moonglass (ENDED)

* (L) Elana Johnson and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Possession and swag (ENDED)

October 8th

* Amy Garvey and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Cold Kiss and swag (ENDED)

EXTRA - Mighty Bright Book Light Giveaway (ENDED)

* (L) Tessa Gratton and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Blood Magic and swag (ENDED)

October 9th

* Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown and a giveaway for Tighter, Picture the Dead, and Where I Want to Be (ENDED)

*(L) Trevor Shane and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Children of the Paranoia and swag (ENDED)

October 10th

* Jonathan Maberry and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Dead of Night and original artwork (ENDED)

EXTRA - Author-Designed Bookmark Giveaway - 5 winners (ENDED)

* (L) Jennifer Rush

October 11th

* Jennifer Castle and a giveaway for a copy of The Beginning of After (ENDED)

EXTRA - YA Giveaway #1 - 3 winners win books and swag (ENDED)

*(L) - Mike Mullin and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Ashfall (ENDED)

October 12th

* Gretchen McNeil and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Possess and swag (ENDED)

EXTRA - Win 3 bookmarks featuring Paranormalcy, Divergent, and Evernight (ENDED) 

*(L) - Veronica Wolff and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Isle of Night (ENDED)

October 13th

* Stasia Ward Kehoe and a comment contest for a SIGNED Audition Poster 

EXTRA - Forks bookmark and Mockingjay bookmark (ENDED)

(L) Anna Carey

*(L) Amy Plum and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Die for Me and bookplates - 6 winners (ENDED)

October 14th

* Jennifer L. Armentrout and a giveaway for a Half-Blood swag pack (ENDED)

*(L) Jo Treggiari and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Ashes, Ashes or audio book (ENDED)

October 15th

* Andrew Nance and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Return to Daemon Hall (ENDED)

EXTRA - Win The Mortal Instruments Book Thong featuring Jace (ENDED)

*(L) Jackson Pearce and a giveaway for a copy of Sweetly (ENDED)

October 16th

* Victoria Schwab and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Near Witch - 2 winners (ENDED)

EXTRA - Mighty Bright Book Light Giveaway (ENDED)

*(L) Jennifer DeLucy and a giveaway for an ebook prize of Seers of Light and Whisper of Light (ENDED)

October 17th

* Kristen Simmons and a giveaway for a SIGNED ARC of Article 5 and a pin (ENDED)

EXTRA - Adult book giveaway - 5 winners (ENDED)

*(L) Whitley Strieber and a giveaway for an ARC of Melody Burning (ENDED)  

EXTRA - Author-Designed Bookmark Giveaway - 3 winners (ENDED)

October 18th

* Brenda Pandos and a giveaway for a SIGNED ARC of Everblue and swag (US only - Ends 11/1)

*(L) Marcus Sedgwick and a giveaway for a copy of White Crow (US only - Ends 11/1)

October 19th

* P.T. Michelle and a giveaway for an ebook copy of Brightest Kind of Darkness (International - Ends 11/2)

EXTRA - BookLover's Prize Pack #1 (US only - 11/2)

*(L) Sara Grant and a giveaway for a copy of Dark Parties (US only - Ends 11/2)

October 20th

* Josephine Angelini wth an excerpt of Dreamless and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Starcrossed and swag (US only - Ends 11/3)

* Kristie Cook and a giveaway for a Soul Savers swag pack (International - Ends 11/3)

EXTRA - YA Giveaway #2 - 3 winners win books and swag (US only - Ends 11/3)

*(L) Jon Skovron and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Misfit (International - Ends 11/3)

October 21st

* Angeline Kace and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Descended by Blood (International - Ends 11/4)

EXTRA - Win a Hunger Games bottlecap necklace set (US only - Ends 11/4)

(L) Cat Patrick

October 22nd

* Lani Woodland and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Intrinsical, a CD, and swag (US only - Ends 11/5)

EXTRA - Win a Mortal Instruments metal quote bookmark (US only - Ends 11/5)

*(L) Marianna Baer and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Frost (US only - Ends 11/5)

October 23rd

* E.J. Stevens and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Legend of Witchtrot Road (US only - Ends 11/6)

*(L) Marie Lu and a giveaway for a SIGNED audio book of Legend - 2 winners (International - Ends 11/6)

October 24th

* Jana Oliver and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Demon Trapper's Daughter, Soul Thief, and a t-shirt (International - Ends 11/7)

*(L) Janice Hardy and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of (winner's choice) book (International - Ends 11/7)

October 25th

* Leanna Renee Hieber and a giveaway for a copy of Darker Still (US only - Ends 11/8)

EXTRA - Mighty Bright Book Light Giveaway (US only - Ends 11/8)

*(L) Ilsa J. Bick and a giveaway for a copy of Ashes (US only - Ends 11/8)

October 26th

* Leigh Fallon and a giveaway for a Carrier of the Mark swag pack (US/Canada only - Ends 11/9)

EXTRA - BookLover's Prize Pack #2  (US only - Ends 11/9)

*(L) Alexander Gordan Smith and a giveaway for the first three books in the Furnace series (US only - Ends 11/9)

October 27th

* Jennifer Sommersby and a giveaway for an ebook of Sleight - 2 winners (International - Ends 11/10)

EXTRA - Win a Hunger Games book pin charm set (US only - Ends 11/10)

*(L) Cat Clarke and a giveaway for an ARC of Torn (International - Ends 11/10)

October 28th

* Lynn Weingarten and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers and swag - 2 winners (US only - Ends 11/11)

EXTRA - Win a Black Dagger Brotherhood (Winner's Choice) Book Thong (International - Ends 11/11)

*(L) Kristie Cook and a giveaway for an ebook of Genesis (International - Ends 11/11)

October 29th

*(L) C.C. Hunter and a giveaway for a copy of Born at Midnight and Awake at Dawn (US only - Ends 11/12)

October 30th

(L) Jason Letts

October 31st

Gretchen McNeil and Stasia Ward Kehoe and a Halloween VLOG

*(L) Gemma Halliday and a giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Deadly Cool (International - Ends 11/14)

EXTRA-  Author-Designed Bookmark Giveaway - 3 winners (International - Ends 11/14)

Tour Review: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
Publisher: Philomel/Penguin (December 8th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Source: ARC Tour
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Review: First, I have to say that this cover was the first thing that made me want to read Shattered Souls. So pretty and unique! 

Lenzi hears voices and sees terrifying visions that she can't understand. Soon she meets Alden and she knows him immediately because he is from her dreams. Alden shares some details with her that she can't even begin to understand. She is a reincarnated Speaker, she has lived several times- always with Alden- and her job is to help lost souls. Alden is her Protector. A Protector never abandons their Speaker so they are together no matter how much Lenzi wants to go back to her normal life.

Lenzi does have a boyfriend, Zac, and needless to say, he is not happy with her new friend. Zac was a character I really enjoyed because he seemed so real. I could easily see that he cared for Lenzi and he didn't want her to be hurt. But, Zac had a lot of problems too. Although he wasn't perfect, I felt bad for him because once Alden arrived, he took a backseat in Lenzi's eyes. Lenzi did what she could to juggle the new life she had but it was just too difficult. She wanted to do the right thing but sometimes that got in the way of her normal day-to-day life.

Alden and Lenzi had a lot of history but Lenzi knew none of it at first. She slowly learned more about their past and, with that, some secrets that Alden may not even know. I really enjoyed following their story because as much as their relationship progressed, we still get a better understanding by seeing their past.

Shattered Souls puts a wonderful, unique twist to a plot with reincarnation. This book is full of action and suspense! Mary Lindsey did a great job describing the characters and plot (including the intense visions!) in a way that really puts a picture to the words. The romance between Lenzi and Alden was sweet and although they were immediately drawn to each other, readers get a explanation of why as the story progresses.

Shattered Souls is full of heart-pounding moments and an intense plot that will have you guessing. It is a really enjoyable read! I am crossing my fingers that there will be a book 2!


Find Mary Lindsey
Website   |    Goodreads    |    Twitter    |     Facebook

Purchase Shattered Souls
Amazon    |    Barnes & Noble    |    The Book Depository

Book Trailer

Cover Reveal: Enemy Within by Angeline Kace

I was a huge fan of Angeline's first book, Descended by Blood and can't not wait to read Enemy Within! 

Here is the summary

*WARNING: SPOILERS ahead, so if you want to avoid them, wait to read the synopsis until you have read book 1!*

Half-vampire, Brooke Keller, rid the world of her worst enemy, only to find out the world's most powerful vampire wants her dead. And this time, she's not only fighting vampires, but a deadly disease that threatens to take her best friend's life.

Torn between Jaren and Mirko, Brooke struggles to convince her best friend to change over, keep her monster at bay, and learns her enemies are deeper within than she could have ever imagined.

Will love be enough to quell the darkness?

Does good really conquer evil?

Publisher: Accendo Press

To be released in 2012!

Find Angeline Kace
Website       |        Twitter        |         Goodreads        |     Series Site

Purchase Descended by Bood
Amazon      |       Barnes & Noble       |       The Book Depository

Are you ready for Haunted Halloween: True Tales of the Paranormal?

Guess what ladies and gentlemen? It's that time of the year again. For those of you who are already well-aware of Haunted Halloween, you know what crazy things are about to happen. If you are new to the event just click here to see what we did last year. 

This is the 2nd year of Haunted Halloween: True Tales of the Paranormal and Lisa (from A Life Bound By Books) and I have been working tirelessly to try to make this year's event even better! 

What Can You Expect?

Last year we gave away around 150 books and featured over 65 authors. This year we are expecting it to exceed that amount by quite a few! And, that's not all. We have added other giveaways to the mix. We have some incredible donations from a few etsy stores and other "bookish" places. 

But it gets better! You know how we all love authors, right? They are pretty much our celebrities? Well what if you had something unique and custom made from one of your favorite authors? Not just signed...but actually designed by them and completely one-of-a-kind. Stay tuned for more information on that! We gotta keep a few things secret :) 

Contests

We will be having some large giveaways and those include the Cover and Story contests. We will also be running the Comment Contest throughout the month of October. Information on all of this will be posted tomorrow and Saturday. 

Pretty much each day we will be posting an "extra" giveaway during the evening. Those are special items that have been donated. 

Each day both blogs will have an author guest post. Most of those posts will have a giveaway attached. Those items were donated by the author or are from the publicist. 

Twitter Party

Last year we had a twitter party and it was insane! It absolutely exceeded my expectations and we had a blast. We plan to do that again this year but we will have even more giveaways going on. People will have the chance to answer trivia questions (related to the author posts) and win books or swag. We will post more details on that next week.  

Thanks to Tawni from Forever Design Studio for making this year's graphics!

Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Publisher: HarperTeen (October 4th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 352 pages
Source: ARC from publisher
Series: Carrier Trilogy, book #1
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Their love was meant to be.
When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.
But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Review: The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Carrier of the Mark is the setting. This book is a rare find because it is set in Ireland. It really made me wish I could be transported there! Leigh Fallon did a terrific job describing the beauty of the land. Carrier of the Mark explores a puzzling paranormal world where powers are related to the elements and fate cannot be ignored. 

Megan and her dad have just moved to Ireland for his job. Megan was an enjoyable character. She's nice, smart, and interesting. She gets to know a few people as soon as she starts at her new school and they really helped me get a better sense of her personality. They also help explain the mysterious Adam DeRís and his family. Adam was another character I really enjoyed. He is very protective and strong--which is something I love! Megan and Adam notice each other immediately but it goes beyond attraction. Oh, and I do admit that it was hilarous to watch a boy stumbling around after a girl for once. So cute! After a while, Megan starts to notice a few odd things about Adam and his sister. She wonders if the rumors about them could be true. 

Carrier of the Mark not only introduces us to Megan and Adam, but we also meet Adam's family-- his twin sister Aine, older brother Rian, and guardian Fionn. It's rare to find a book that contains more than a few main characters so this was something that really helped me to better "get" the plot of this book. Adam's family really made this book shine for me. Their love for each other was very visible and it was good to see that Megan had people to turn to. 

This book contains a lot of mythology and I admit that at times I was confused by what was being explained. I think it might have been that those parts were a bit long and I lost focus after a while. But overall, that part of the story contained a lot of unique twists! 

Leigh Fallon is a terrific author and Carrier of the Mark is a very solid debut novel. I think that if I wasn't a little burnt out on the "instant attraction" aspect of some YA books, I would have enjoyed it a bit more. But don't let that detour you, this book is very mysterious and fast-paced. I will definitely be picking up the next book to see how this story turns out for Megan and Adam.


Find Leigh Fallon
Website      |      Goodreads     |      Blog      |      Twitter

Purchase Carrier of the Mark
Amazon     |       Barnes & Noble     |      The Book Depository

Book Trailer

Interview & Giveaway: If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Janet Gurtler is here today to talk about the emotions behind writing stories like her book I'm Not Her, and teen dilemmas seen in her upcoming novel If I Tell. 


Check out the information below for a chance to win a copy of If I Tell.

1. I'm Not Her deals with the difficult topic of cancer. Did you have to prepare yourself to write about such an emotional situation? How did you develop the character of Tess? 

I actually really love to explore deep emotions, so while the topic and situation in I’M NOT HER were difficult ones to explore, I truly enjoyed it. The same way I enjoy a great movie or book that makes me cry. I find it cathartic to go to those dark places in fictional situations. I prepare myself by really trying to dig deep and imagine what my characters must be feeling based on who they are and where they are in their lives. I do try to compare it to things I’ve felt and draw from that. 

Tess is someone I just wanted to squeeze with a big hug. I took parts of myself and injected them into her, the insecure teen who really wants to fit in, but also wants to walk her own road and be accepted for who she wants to be. I wanted Tess to be a person who is pretty honest with her emotions. I wanted to her face some of the more unpleasant truths about herself and to learn and grow because of that honesty. 

2. In your newest book, If I Tell, Jasmine seems to be faced with a very difficult dilemma. What do you feel teens need to do when faced with problems with parents or issues of forgiveness? 

It’s tough to be a teen and to have troubles with your parents, but in all honesty, what teen doesn’t? Those of us lucky enough to have parents who truly love us –sometimes still have to deal with our parent’s mistakes and flaws and when we’re teens is when we start to see those faults in a more glaring light. When we’re smaller children our parents can do no wrong, but that changes as teens struggle to become their own person, with their own thoughts and dreams and opinions. 

I think that because I write about this time in our lives from a time when I am a parent, I am able to “see” both sides of the story. I think I’m still really in touch with my inner teen and I remember the difficulties I had with my own parents, who are good people but like all of us, weren’t perfect parents. I also know I’m not a perfect parent. 

I am a strong advocate of talking about things, but I also know that in some instances, when there are problems with parents, those parents may not be the ones who can help. There are people who can and want to help though. I know teens often feel alone and feel problems they have are not something they can or should talk about, but I think talking about things is the beginning of dealing and learning to move on. There are Teen Help Lines. Counselors. Aunts. Trusted Family Friends. Doctors. I encourage teens to reach out when they have problems with their parents. As for issues of forgiveness, again

it is a big thing for teens to learn. When to forgive and when to move on. It’s often a question of self-worth. Teens need to know they deserve respect and that it’s okay to walk away from people or situations that are toxic to them. If it’s relatives who are toxic, like parents, well the situation isn’t as black and white, but there are people who can help teens deal and maintain their own emotional health in tough situations.

If I Tell by Janey Gurtler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (October 1st, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages

Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a onenight stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

Giveaway

Prize: 

• 1 winner will receive a copy of If I Tell by Janet Gurtler.

Rules:

• You must be at least 13 to enter. 
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US Only and ends October 20th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter. 

 
Find Janet Gurtler

Website    |     Goodreads     |     Twitter     |     Facebook

Purchase If I Tell

Amazon    |     Barnes & Noble    |    The Book Depository

Review: Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt
Released: September 6th, 2011
Reading Level: Age 17+
Source: Author (Thank You!)
Series: A Breanna Blixen Novel, book #1
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

Review: As I have mentioned in the past, I am a huge fan of love triangles. If you are too, you will probably really love this book! Double Clutch introduces us to Breanna. She just got back from Denmark and is jumping back into her old neighborhood and her new high school. 

The characters in this book are terrific. Breanna is smart, funny, and strong. She doesn't take crap from anyone--including the hot Saxon! There were a few times she confused me with her personality. She would be very likable then say something that kind of bugged me. But I do realize teenage girls often do that and may have a variety of moods. 

Then we meet Saxon--my personal favorite. He's (from the outward appearance) the "bad boy". He loves nothing more than to make Breanna angry so he does it often. I completely enjoyed their intense battles and sexual tension. Breanna meets Saxon during her first day at school but that's not all. She also meets "good guy" Jake. But is he really a good guy? He's not perfect, but Jake was super sweet. He seemed to be polar opposites from Saxon but that isn't the case. The two guys used to be best friends. 

While Breanna gets to know both guys, she finds out exactly how much they dislike each other. She is determined to find out what happened between them and what is hiding beneath Jake's good guy personality. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is aimed at older teens and for that reason, I felt Breanna's age (15) was a bit young for some of the sexual situations she was in. Also, I understand instant chemistry but I guess I would have liked to have seen one of the relationship progress a little slower. I'm not sure I really understood her falling for both boys on the same day. I think that her relationship with Saxon seemed much more realistic because of the love/hate vibe going on. In the end, I missed some of the action or drama I was expecting. However, this book does provide a nice base for the rest of the series. I guess I just wanted more. 

Double Clutch is a surprising read and very much the love triangle! I will definitely be reading the next book in this series!

Find Liz Reinhardt
Website    |     Facebook     |      Goodreads

Purchase Double Clutch
Amazon    |    Barnes & Noble

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Poppy (September 5th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 273 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming. 

Review:  I honestly love Kody's books. Not only is she a fabulous writer, but she writes story that really capture adolescence. It's not all about girls being shy or awkward, boys being superstars or jerks, or any elements beyond what a normal teenager goes through. She creates true teen life! I can see each character being real. All teens are different and not all of them are fearless. Some teens just struggle with typical day-to-day issues of boys, peers, and out of control hormones. And no one tackles these issues better than Kody Keplinger! 

After reading The DUFF I knew I had to read every other book Kody wrote. Not just because it was good, but because she dives into issues no one else does. I mean really, when was the last time you read a YA book about friends-with-benefits, or a sex strike? So these book are for older teens but that is an area of YA literature that cannot be ignored. Older teens need books they can better relate to. They deal with sex issues daily and, if anything, this book shows young girls and boys that they shouldn't think everyone is having sex. 

Lissa is the focus of this book but there are so many amazing characters throughout the story. Lissa is tired of her boyfriend and his football teammates fighting with the soccer team. It doesn't make sense to her that a bunch of guys, from the same school, would choose to play pranks on each other. She soon gets all of the girlfriends together to talk about the issue. They agree with her that the fighting must stop and the best way to make that happen is to withhold all sexual activity. Brilliant idea! 

Situations in this book go deeper than it may seem. The girls soon find out that they are not all the same. Some of them are still virgins, some dislike sex, some have other issues with it-- but they all have been too afraid to talk about it. This is something that happens to teens all the time. They feel they are alone and have to go along with what they see as the "norm". But as Lissa and her friends learn, no one should be afraid to have an open conversation about the hard issues. It may lead to some surprising finds! Especially when you consider what some guys are willing to do when they can't have sex. 

As Lissa struggles with her boyfriend, Randy...a new guy swoops in and takes her mind away from the drama, Cash. Oh how I wish I'd known someone like Cash in high school, haha! He is sweet, funny, and sporty! He soon makes the sex-ban even more interesting by joining in..on the boy's side! Cash and Lissa had so many hilarious moments. 

If you are looking for a book aimed at older teens, you gotta read Kody's books. Shut Out accurately explores teen drama and all the issues surrounding sex.

Find Kody Keplinge

Kody Keplinger       |       Blog       |        Twitter       |        Goodreads 

Purchase Shut Out

Amazon     |      Barnes & Noble      |     The Book Depository