Letterbox Love #35

Letterbox Love came about after some drama with the American book haul memes, so the UKYA bloggers came together on Twitter to organise one of our own. Summaries are taken from the cover, or Amazon/NetGalley/Goodreads in the case of e-books, unless otherwise stated. Hosted by Narratively Speaking.

I’ve had an incredible week in books. Read on for jealousy of massive proportions.

For review:

The Break-Up Artist, Philip Siegel (e-proof)

Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash.

Some work at the mall.

Becca Williamson breaks up couples.

Becca knows from experience the damage that love can do. After all, it was so-called love that turned Huxley from childhood best friend into a social-world dictator, and love that left Becca’s older sister devastated at the altar. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Becca strikes back – for just one hundred dollars via PayPal, she will trick and manipulate any couple’s relationship into smithereens. And with relationship zombies overrunning school and treating single girls as if they’re second-class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even Becca’s best friend, Val, has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.

One night, Becca receives a mysterious offer to break up the most popular couple in school: Huxley and the football team’s star player, Steve. To succeed, she’ll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date – starting rumours, sabotaging cell phones, breaking into cars...not to mention sneaking back into Huxley’s good graces. All while fending off the inappropriate feelings she may or may not be having for Val’s new boyfriend.

No one said being the Break-Up Artist would be easy.

I thoroughly love the sound of this – something completely different! Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin Teen!

The Fearless, Emma Pass (e-proof)

The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect – anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother – and when Jory is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their hellish lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

Yay! I loved ACID so I’m super excited for this. Thanks RHCP and NetGalley!

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, Leslye Walton (hardcover)

Foolish love appears to be a Roux family birthright, and for Ava Lavender, a girl born with the wings of a bird, it is key to her inheritance. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to ft in with her peers, Ava ventures away from home, ill-prepared for what awaits her in a world that does not know whether to view as girl or angel.

Ava’s search and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo until, on the summer solstice, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air and Ava’s fate is revealed.

A mesmerizing, lyrical tale of longing, desire and the pain of love.

This sounds gorgeous. Thanks Walker!

Goddess, Laura Powell (paperback)

Strikes, starvation, riots. Britain is at breaking-point.

The Cult of Artemis is the only home Aura has ever known. Enclosed in its luxury lifestyle, the unrest gripping the country seems to belong to a distant world. Her dream is to serve the goddess, and taking a vow of chastity and obedience seems a small price to pay.

But days before Aura is due to be initiated as a priestess, she meets Aiden, the rebellious son of a cult insider, whose radical ideas and unsettling charm force Aura to question everything – and everyone – she knows.

Taken, David Massey (paperback)

A young crew of six are toughing it out together, sailing around the world. They are used to being pushed to the limit, but nothing could have prepared them for being kidnapped.

When they are taken hostage, the trip of a lifetime turns into a one-way journey into the heart of the African jungle.

When hope is all you have, survival is all you can fight for...

I’m really interested in this – it sounds different. Thanks Chicken House!

Feed, MJ Howes (paperback)

Fourteen-year-old friends Lola and Patrick are in desperate trouble – along with the rest of the world. Monstrous enemy invaders have increased their human raids. Those taken face a terrible fate: like animals they will be transported, processed and eaten in a food chain like no other – unless Lola and Patrick can find a way to save them.

Love the sound of this debut! Thanks Chicken House!

Fire & Flood, Victoria Scott (paperback)

Tella’s brother is dying. He’s got cancer and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thoughts/ when an invitation arrives for Tella to complete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn’t think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness. But Tella will be facing more than just the elements...

Hmm, I’m intrigued. Thanks Chicken House!

Lobsters, Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison (proof)

Sam and Hannah have just one epic summer before uni to find ‘The One’. Their lobster.

But as fate works to bring them together, they must navigate social misunderstandings, the plotting of well-meaning friends, and their own fears of being virgins for ever.

In the end, it all boils down to love...

Ahhh! One of my most anticipated books of 2014! Thanks Chicken House!

Darcy Burdock: Hi So Much, Laura Dockrill (e-proof)

The second book starring Darcy Burdock – the cool, all-conquering new character for tweens.

Ten-year-old Darcy sees the extraordinary in the everyday and the wonder in the world around her. This second book sees Darcy move up to Big School – and all of a sudden EVERYTHING changes. Her best friend Will isn’t sure he should talk to girls anymore, her new teacher may in fact be a cauldron-bubbling witch and, horror of horrors, her precious pet Lamb-Beth goes missing. Can Darcy face these challenges head-on, armed with only her curious, whip-smart mind and eye for a story?

I'm reading this at the moment and really enjoying it. I love darcy's voice. Thanks NetGalley and RHCP!

I also got a second copy of Where the Rock Splits the Sky by Philip Webb if anyone wants it?

Bought:

The Vast Fields of Ordinary, Nick Burd (paperback)

It’s Dade’s last summer at home in a suburban wasteland, and things are pretty hopeless. He has a crappy job, a “boyfriend” who treats him like dirt, and his parents’ marriage s falling apart. So when he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid, Dade feels as if he’s finally experiencing true happiness. But real love has consequences, and its power soon sets in motion a tragic chain of events that will change Dade’s life forever.

I hadn’t heard of this until I spotted it in Waterstone’s Piccadilly and fell in love with the summary, the cover and the first bit that I read.

The Distance Between Us, Kasie West (paperback)

Money can’t buy a good first impression.

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers learned early that the rich are not to be trusted. And after years of studying them from behind the cash register of her mom’s porcelain-doll shop, she has seen nothing to prove otherwise. Enter Xander Spence – he’s tall, handsome, and oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and the fact that he seems to be one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But just when Xander’s loyalty and attentiveness are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realised. With so many obstacles standing in their way, can she close the distance between them?

I’ve heard so many good things about this that I could resist no longer!

Ignite Me, Tahereh Mafi (paperback)

The fate of Omega Point is unknown.

Everyone Juliette has ever cared about could be dead. Juliette may be the only one standing in The Reestablishment’s way. But to take them down, Juliette will need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together to defeat their mutual enemy, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew – about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam – was wrong.

*sings* I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it! I know, I know, I know I want you – want you. *bows* Think that says it all, really.

Sophie