YA Crush Tourney: St. Clair vs. Puck (Match #2) goes to St. Clair

AND WINNER IS...

ETIENNE ST. CLAIR

Here it is, folks. A battle between two hot YA guys that together span several centuries, continents, languages, realms, and even species. Sensitive Gorgeous English/French/American guy vs. Hot Hilarious Trickster Fairie. Who will it be? Well, two super fans of each are here to help you decide!

Some general rules before we begin:

There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware.

Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled.

Now. Let the games begin! (May the odds be ever in your favor!)

St. Clair (Seed 9)

St. Clair is represented today by Melissa, follow her on twitter @3fixedhearts. Etienne St. Clair is a character from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. It's a fabulous read, which we unfortunately haven't written a review of yet, but you can learn more here.

Personality

Étienne St. Clair...there is so much charm in him it is difficult to know where to start. He is adored by everyone because of his magnetic personality. MAGNETISM: the phenomenon of physical attraction; the strong attractiveness of something. That is St. Clair. He is smart, witty and 'ridiculously attractive'. But it is his charm - he is so charming to everyone, drawing all types of individuals to him - that makes him stand out. Though he sometimes hides it, he has incredible depth in his emotions. St. Clair feels things on a deeper level than he lets on. Deeper than most boys. He knows just what to say, how to say it and when to say it to make anyone feel better. He is also extremely intelligent. Oh, and he is romantic and flirtatious without even trying. He will draw you in with his charm. He will flirt with you - forcing you to surrender. Yes, he does have his moments when he seems to disappear but he never runs away - like many boys do. And he always defends his girl (his 'true' girl). He will defend you, as his love, forever. He will move mountains for you - he will move to another country for you. While witty and funny and a wonderful friend he may be, there is no escaping his charm and magnetic personality. He will draw you in and turn you in to one of 'them' - one of those girls who swoon.

Looks

First: The hair. The "I-pretend-I-don't-care-but-I-really-do' hair. Breathtaking, dark, thick 'you wanna run your fingers through it when you are making out with him' hair. You wanna run your fingers through it even when you are not making out with him. Hell, you want to run your toes through this perfect head of hair - hair that looks so beautiful and smells so clean and boyish. Then the eyes: big, brown beautiful eyes. Eyes that look deeply into you, reading your every thought. Described as weapons against the female race. Perfectly shaped lips- very useful. White teeth, with a twinge of imperfection making him real. Stylish - dresses cute! Wears cute pajama pants when he has a sleep-over with you. The way he carries himself...confidence and charm ooze. Though he is not tall, he carries himself tall - and having him your size, ladies, has tremendous advantages (wink). The whole entire St. Clair package deal: ridiculously attractive, charismatic look that, like his personality, draws you in. You can't help but stare at him.

Talents

Bilingual. OH. MY. GOD. What is hotter than hearing a boy speak with an English accent? What? Oh, Étienne saying sweet nothings in your ear in FRENCH. Helloooo! Girls. Étienne St. Clair - first, his French name is hot and fun to say. He will speak to you in his sexy, English accent - which every girl knows is a deal-maker. Then, he will bust out (BRADLEY COOPER STYLE) in perfect French, sealing the deal. He draws - an artist. But sort of an undercover one, one that does not boast. He is rather shy about his talent. Another talent? Knowing amazing facts, especially history. He is definitely the one you want on your team for trivia games. Did I mention he speaks with an English accent and can talk to you in French, while kissing your neck? TALENT.

Special Attributes

Back to the charm and magnetism. Rarely does a boy posess such traits as does St. Clair. Rarely does a boy have the ability to draw you in with such power that you are forced to surrender. You actually give up and fall into the crush. It is unavoidable with St. Clair. He is strong and yet vulnerable at the same time - making him so attractive to us girls. He is a history expert and actually enjoys reading everything he can about history. Like I said, pick him for your trivia team. He will back you when you need it. He will stand by you. His wit and friendly sarcasm will keep you laughing - especially when you need it most. It is really his magnetic personality and good looks that make him special.

What makes St. Clair better than Puck?

Both Puck and St. Clair are friends to the girl throughout the book. Both have you wondering, "Will they ever get together?" I have to say, Étienne is much more charming and flirtatious. Though Puck is funny as hell and a best friend who would stand by you, he doesn't have that magnetism that Étienne was born with. Étienne is sort of a bad boy because he is such a flirt and he is taken - so the 'I want him but can't have him' factor is there. But having him as only a friend is unacceptable. The way he charms you, enthralls you, captivates you...flirts with you...turns you on so you think about totally wanting to make out with him...that is what makes Étienne St. Clair so crush-worthy and so entirely hot! You don't want to be just a friend. He is fun, fun-loving and funny, yes, but you totally want to jump his bones...and that is no laughing matter. With Puck, you laugh at his jokes, want to elbow him in that 'you're so funny, like my brother' way and are glad he always has your back. But you don't really look at him and get chills and heat in your body at the same time. To borrow a line from a movie (since Anna loves movies), Étienne makes your heart beat faster and slower at the same time. Definitely more crush-worthy and holding more swagger and swoon-factor. I DO NOT want to be only his friend. Puck, sure, buddy, we can hang out. Étienne...just hanging out would kill me. I would surely die a painful death having to just sit next to you, while you flirt and charm.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Did I mention he speaks with an English accent and can bust out hot sexy French stuff while kissing you? Oh my.

Puck (Seed 24)

Puck is being represented today by Krazzyme. Visit this advocate here: http://youngreadersathome.blogspot.com/ or follow on twitter (@kadburytweets). Puck is a character from The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa. If you'd like to know more about the series, check out our review here.

Personality

Puck is charming, funny, sarcastic, playful, mischievous, trustworthy (if he really likes you, i.e), and has a wicked sense of humor.

Looks

He has striking red hair, green eyes and a killer smile.Can't imagine it? You might wanna look at

Talents

Puck can shift into a raven,so obviously he can fly.

He can kick @$$ without breaking into a sweat!

He's quickwitted

He's nerveless

AND his BEST TALENT: He can lighten up any situation!

Special Attributes

He's immortal and a faerie,so he can't grow old!

He's also the court jester.

He's been around forever(remember Puck from A Midsummer's Night's Dream? That's him).

What makes Puck better than St. Clair?

Puck has always been there for the woman he loves.

He's willing to die for her and he expects nothing in return.

He's warm and never tries to push people away.

He's fun and very HOT.

He's reliable and goes to extreme lengths to make his friend happy!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Puck=PURE AWESOME

You'd be a fool not to vote for him!

Team Puck, work your magic, don't let St. Claire win!!!!!

Now the time has come to weigh your options. Think carefully. This post will be open for 40 hours (8am Wednesday- Midnight Thursday). Now...

Vote!

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!

Teaser Tuesday: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that

what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Released June 14, 2011

Teaser #1:

"He pulled away from me, his eyes searching my face. I wondered if he could see my pulse pounding in my throat. I could feel it. I needed to think, and when he was close to me, thinking was impossible." (page 74)

Teaser #2:

"He bent down, burying his face in my neck. I reached back to grab onto the iron bars behind me to hold myself up. My jacket slipped off my shoulders. I was pretty sure I was on fire, and at that moment I would have sworn that bursting into flame was a glorious way to go." (page 105)

This book is AMAZING!!! Hot guys, snarky protagonist, and plenty of page turning intrigue. If you are looking for a great read that you won't be able to put down, read this book! Look back on Thursday for our review of this book.

Stay tuned this weekend for the review of Hourglass that unconsciously turned into a top ten list because we couldn't stop listing things we LOVED about this book!!!

Possession by Elana Johnson

Possession by Elana Johnson

Released: June 2011

Reviewed by: AmyG

Summary from bn.com

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Have I mentioned how much I love Dystopian? Well let me say it again "I LOVE DYSTOPIAN!" There are so many amazing Dystopian books that have come out lately, and go ahead and add Possession to that list. Possession is a bit different from other Dystopians though. If you are an avid reader of supernatural YA and have not read any Dystopian, this would be a good first to sink your teeth into. It is a classic dystopian in the sense it has a setting in future sometime after the fall of modern day society, but surprise--some of the characters have supernatural abilities!!! I have yet to read a book that encompasses both, so I must give props to Miss Johnson for being the first!

We've already covered the awesomeness of supernatural characters placed in a dystopian society, but Possession has so much more. Let me list them for you:

1. Snarkie female heroine

2. Hot love triangle

3. Killer ending

Let's snark I mean start (excuse my grade school humor) with Violet, "Vi" for short. If you are a fan of Sophie from Hex Hall or Evie from Paranormalcy you will love Vi. She's a strong character with a razor sharp whit. Vi's been dealt a hard hand in life with the death of her sister, her father and the neglect of her mother, but those hardships have matured her into a worthy heroine. Instead of this pain turning her into a whiney, weak young woman, it's made her strong and unbreakable, which she needs to be able to face what hits her throughout the book.

Of course, we couldn't have a young adult book without a steamy love triangle! In one corner weighing with an amazing tan and jet black spiked hair, we have baddie Mr. Jag and in the other corner weighing in with ocean blue eyes and beautiful blonde locks we have the goodie Zenn! Plus, with names like those, how could any girl resist either one? Each of them also have their own little secrets (that I will not divulge; you'll have to go find them out yourself).

Oh my, what an ending! I am really big on book endings. You can basically have a horrible book, but if you give me a killer ending, then I will love you forever! And, ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, this has a killer of an ending!!! The aspects of the dystopian world with the addition of the supernatural powers some of the characters have makes for one explosive ending! I sensed it coming, but not quite the way I expected, and I was still greatly moved by it! Ms. Johnson has left me craving more, and I'm so sad it will probably be a whole year before I am able to get more!

If I had to warn readers about anything in the story, I would say that at times it was a little confusing. So many books have these huge setups for their world where you are getting all your information right at the beginning. Possession does not have that. It jumps right into the action and explains the world as it goes along. With that, you have to read carefully or you'll miss something. I tend to skim books, reading for plot first then content later, and I found myself having to double back because I missed something important. On the other hand, all you readers out there that find world setups boring and slow, this book is for you! The first chapter throws you right into the action and just keeps going. However, if you like information overload on the world that you are entering, be patient with this book. You'll get it, but just gradually. After everything is said and done, regardless of the style that you prefer, read this book!!! It's an exciting read that will make you question what really is bad? Is everything that is not good automatically bad or can some things be both?

REMINDER: Wednesday is our first throwdown between our YA Crushes! Be sure to drop by then and vote for your fav guy!!!

Tournament Finalists Announced!

We are excited to announce the participants in the

1^st  Annual YA Sisterhood Summer Crushin’ Tournament!

According to your nominations and votes, we compiled a list of the Top 25 Most Popular YA Heartthrobs. We’ve ranked them by seed according to the number of votes they received. In instances of a tie, we decided seed order by drawing characters randomly out of a hat (can you tell I’m a teacher?). There were no ties broken to decide what characters made the tournament, only to determine seed.

Now, before we can move on in the tournament, we need your help! We need advocates for each character, which is a person who is willing to take the time to write up why they think their character is the most Crush-Worthy of them all! Characters names that are in white below STILL NEED an advocate. Those in blue font are already taken. If you are interested in helping out, please email yasisterhood(at)gmail(dot)com with a list of characters you’d like to defend in order of preference.

Secondly, we also need people who are willing to be what I call pinch-hitters. That is—if someone who volunteered to be an advocate must drop out at the last minute, we need people willing to step in on short notice. If that is you, please please please let us know!

When we’ve filled all the advocate positions, we’ll start scheduling the matches! We’re looking to do 3-4 matches a week (Advocates, you’ll know in advance when yours is). Once the Match is posted first thing in the morning, you guys will have 24 hours to vote! Those votes will determine who moves on in the tournament!

And now… without further ado….

*DRUMROLL*

Summer Crushin' Tournament

*NOMINATIONS AND VOTING ARE NOW CLOSED*

THE CHARACTERS WHO MADE THE CUT FOR THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY. 

Thank you all for your enthusiasm!

And now for a very exciting announcement!!!

We at the YA Sisterhood have decided to celebrate the summer with a bit of a fun YA-Crush fest!

Or as we like to call it...

Here's the idea: Using a traditional tournament bracket, we'll be matching up the Young Adult genre's most crush-worthy males to find out just who is #1. For each matchup, (Ex: Peeta from the Hunger Games vs Jace from Mortal Instruments) we'll have one blogger to represent each crush. They'll present their case as to why they think their character should win, then with the help of all of you, we'll vote to determine a winner. The Tournament will continue until there is one winner!

So here's what we need from you all!

First up-- Comment below and tell us your favorite YA crushes! We'll take nominations and votes through the end of the day (midnight) on Friday, July 1st. Feel free to list as many as you would like! Also, include your crush even if it's already been mentioned in order to help break ties! When we make the bracket we'll pair up matches based on their seed (from most popular to least popular), so second away!

Second-- if you're interested in being a crush advocate (duking it out for your guy to win), please email us at yasisterhood(at)gmail(dot)com or leave your email in a comment. If you have a blog, please leave a link so we can check out your writing. We make no guarantees that you'll get your requested crush, but we'll do what we can! It would be in your best interest to tell us several that you might want to represent!

Third-- Follow us here or on twitter (@YASisterhood and @brittanydhoward) to stay updated on Tourney news!

Here's who's been nominated as of 6/28 (Plus signs denote multiple votes):

*Jace Wayland- Mortal Instruments+++++++++++++++++++++++++

*Will Herondale- Infernal Devices+++++++++++++

*Four-Divergent+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*Archer- Hex Hall++++++++++++++++

*Vincent- Die for Me+++++++++++++

*Ren- Nightshade++++++++++

*Peeta-Hunger Games+++++++++++++++++++++

*Hale-Heist Society++++++++

*Michael- Hourglass++++++++++++++++

*Kaleb- Hourglass+++++++++++++++

*Etienne St. Clair- Anna and the French Kiss+++++++++++++

*Ash- The Iron Fey Series++++++++++++++++

*Daniel- Fallen+++++++++++

*Jules- Die for Me+++++++++

*Zachary- Shade and Shift++++++

*Edward- Twilight++++++++++++

*Patch- Hush, Hush++++++++

*Lucas- Starcrossed++++

*Will- Firelight+++++

*Valek- Study series+++++

*Draco-HP++++

*Xander- Matched++++

*Dimitri- Vampire Academy++++++++++++

*Lend- Paranormalcy+++

*Jem- Infernal Devices++++

*Cal- Hex Hall++++

*Cassel- White Cat++

*Tucker- Unearthly+++++++

*Finnick- Hunger Games++

*The Weasley Twins-HP++

*Puck- The Iron Fey Series++++++

*Jay- The Body Finder++++

*Jesse- The Mediator++

*Gale- Hunger Games++

*Ky-Matched++

*Gabe- Personal Demons++

*Luc-Personal Demons+++

*Conrad- The Summer Trilogy++++

*Drake Brothers- Drake Chronicles+

*Alex- Perfect Chemistry+

*Brenden- Spellbound++

*Brigan- Fire+

*Logan- Shade/Shift++

*Shane- Morganville Vampires ++++++++

*Michael- Morganville Vampires+

*Nash Hudson- Soul Screamers++++++++

*Ash Redfern-Nightworld

*Jack Force- Bluebloods++++++

*Tamani- Wings++

*Cam- Fallen+++

*Sirius- HP

*Tod- Soul Screamers+++++++

*Nick- Demon's Lexicon++

*Haden- Falling Under+

*Joe- The Sky is Everywhere+

*Adam- If I Stay++++

*Ari- Study Series

*Janco- Study Series

*Marcus Flutie- Jessica Darling+

*Hamlet-Falling for Hamlet

*Hunter-Love Story

*Giedon- Ruby Red

*Daniel- The Dark Divine+

*Edric- the Faerie Path

*Sebastian- Darkness Becomes Her

*Simon- Mortal Instruments

*Ron Weasley- HP

*Rosto- Provost's Dog

*Trevor- Ganzfield

*Alex- Delirium

*Derek- The Darkest Powers++

*Sam- Shiver+

*Cole- Linger+

*Po- Graceling+++

*Roger- Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

*Finn Mac Cumhaill- Goblin Wars

*Adam Kent- Shatter Me

*Jasper- Twilight+++

*Damen- Immortal Series++++

*Ian- The Host++

*Graves- Strange Angels+

*Dexter- This Lullaby+

*Wes- The Truth About Forever

*Zach- Gallagher Girls+++

*Noel- Ruby Oliver

*Seb- Ashbury High

*Caspian- The Hollow+

*Lucas- Evernight+

*Balthazar- Evernight

*Ren- Tiger Saga

*Stark- House of Night+++++

*Jondoe- Bumped

*Fade- Enclave+

*Adrian- Vampire Academy+++++++

*Sinjin St. Sinin- Beauty Queens

*Richard -13LBE

*Barron- Curse Workers

*Spencer- Suite Scarlett

*Ambrose- Die For Me

*Emmett- Twilight

*Callum- Raised by Wolves

*Simon- Siren+

*Shay- Nightshade+

*David- The Thirteenth Chime

*Oliver Wood- HP+

*Alex- Angelburn

*Aiden- Half Blood

*Lux- Virtue

*Jack- My Blood Approves

*Peter- My Blood Approves

*Loki- Trylie Trilogy

*Finn- Trylie Trilogy

*Jacob- Twilight+

*Seth McCoy- Freefall+

*Prince Charmont- Ella Enchanted

*Luthe- The Blue Sword

*Kartik- A Great and Terrible Beauty

*Nate- Eyes Like Stars

*Ariel- Eyes Like Stars

*Ethan- Fairiewalker

*North- Brightly Woven+

*Kade- Glass series+

*Astley- Need Series

*Pietr- 13 to Life

*Justin-Harmonic Feedback

*Miles- Torment (Fallen Series)

*Spencer- Countess Nobody

*Adam- Things I Know About Love

*Xavier- Halo++

*Dante- The Hourglass Door

*Adam- Mercy Thompson

*Sam- Mercy Thompson

*Charles- Mercy Thompson

*Lenoir- Burn Bright

*Dorian-Breaking Point

*Bennett- Deception+

*Justin- Clarity

*Wesley- The Duff

*LAZLO- Hallowland

*Noah- Mara Dyer

*Lochan- Forbidden

*Cassian- Firelight+

*Dante- Dead Beautiful

*Jag- Possession

*Xan- Iron Witch

*Varen- Nevermore+

*Rafe- Desires of the Dead

*Jack- Stork

*Daniel- Darkness Rising

*Christophe- Strange Angels

*Christian- Unearthly

*Kishan- Tiger Series

*Elder- Across the Universe

*Christopher- Airhead

*David- Wings

*and Vordak the Incomprehensible (He's always watching...)

Keep up the comments and please second any of these you like! I'll update the list as often as I can. :)

Edit: As you guys can see, we've had a large number of nominations! Which is great! But right now, there's more than will fit in our Tourney Bracket, and a large majority of them are tied at one vote, so please spread the word about the Tourney via Twitter, Facebook, etc. to help us get more votes!

NOMINATIONS/VOTING END FRIDAY, JULY 1ST @ 11:59 P.M.

Breathe by Abbi Glines

Breathe by Abbi Glines

Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany

The Sisters say: Fun and Flirty

Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationship's never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie.

But can their love overcome the disparity in their lifestyles? Or will they have to learn how to without each other breathe again?

Before I start this review, I must sing the praises of its author, Abbi Glines. She is an unbelievably awesome person who went above and beyond to make sure we got to read her book! I would have gladly taken the time to read any book (even if it was awful) if the author was a nice as Abbi.  BUT… as it so happens, this book was awesome! So it was a double win for us!

This is our first contemporary book here on YA Sisterhood, and I, for one, enjoyed the break from all things paranormal and supernatural. Normally, I throw a contemporary book in my reading list every once and while to break things up, though it usually ends up being something sad and heartbreaking a la The Book Thief or Revolution. I dove into this book looking for a fun summer escape read, but I found that and so much more! 

This book is over 400 pages, and I devoured it all in one night (and well, early morning)! It was a fun read that took me back to high school, only throw in a cool rockstar. It makes for the perfect sizzling summer read.

HOWEVER…

It also has a lot of depth that I wasn’t expecting. Sadie has a rough home life with an irresponsible mother that makes Sadie take care of everything. And Sadie does it all—she cooks, cleans, makes the money, even takes care of her mother’s new born baby—without ever complaining. She’s got a strong soul, and it really makes you champion her story. You want her to have every happiness because she hasn’t had a whole lot up until now.

As a teacher, I have a couple students who are in similar situations—students who are infinitely more mature at 16 than I ever was. In real life, I offer these students what I can—advice, hope, friendship—but it gets disheartening when I can do little more than encourage these students to survive. Perhaps that’s why I had such a strong emotional connection with this book. Sadie is a survivor, and her actions and emotions were so realistic and true to life that I saw my students in her. And I wanted her to succeed, to do more than survive. I wanted her to live.

I loved this story! And I look forward to seeing what Abbi Glines writes next!

P.S. Guess what? The Nook and/or Kindle Editions of BREATHE are only $5.99!!!

Giveaway: Win a SIGNED copy of Divergent by Veronica Roth!

We've officially hit 100 followers! WHOO-HOO! *Does Happy Dance*

To celebrate, we've got an extra special treat!

We're giving away a copy of Divergent, signed by the author, Veronica Roth! Plus, some Faction inspired temporary tattoos (for those of you not quite Dauntless enough to sport the real ones)!

If you haven't heard of Divergent, check out our previous post that's a top ten list of what we loved about it most!

This contest will be open until Midnight, central time on June 25th, 2011!

You can get up to five entries in this contest! By following the blog, tweeting or facebooking about it, telling us about your faction, or having previously commented somewhere on this blog!

Edit: This contest is U.S. only! We apologize for not putting this up originally. When the contest closes, we will choose the winner using a randomizer, and then contact them. If we don't hear back from them within 48 hours, we will choose again.

*CONTEST NOW CLOSED*

*****drumroll*******

Out of 136 entries, the random number generator chose number 39!

which is....

****more obnoxious drumrolls******

DIANA @ THE LOVELY GETAWAY!!!!

Congrats, Diana! 

We've got another signed book lined up for our next giveaway later in the summer, so stay tuned!

Top Ten Reasons We Love Divergent!

THE YA SISTERHOOD’S TOP TEN THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT DIVERGENT BY VERONICA ROTH!

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

We, at the YA Sisterhood, do solemnly swear that we love all things Divergent. So much, in fact, that we couldn’t decide who was going to get to write the review!

So instead, we’ve decided to bring you our favorite things about the book in top ten form. Believe me, there are so many other wonderful things about this book (yes, it’s that good)! We’ll try to be vague enough to not be spoilery! So here goes:

10. The Setting- Divergent is set in a dystopian future Chicago. I loved that we got to see a major U.S. city besides NYC represented in the Dystopian genre. Not that I don’t love the Big Apple, it was just great to see something new!

9. Dauntless Headquarters- Dauntless is one of Five Factions in the world of Divergent that represents the citizens who are brave, and believe that courage is the most important attribute in a person. And of course, their living space can’t just be a  normal apartment building—no that’s too boring! It has to be an epic, dangerous compound that you have to be willing to jump off moving trains and fall off buildings to get into. And even every day living is dangerous when there's a 200 ft. chasm in the middle of your home. Yeah, that’s how we do it in Dauntless. :)

8. Will and Christina—These two are some of Tris’s friends, fellow Dauntless recruits. They have just the right amount of humor, sarcasm, and severity with just a dash of romance. Love them.

7. The simulations—one of the ways that they test the Dauntless recruits is through simulations. But don’t think that just because they’re technically not real, they aren’t dangerous. These simulations were as exciting and hardcore as it gets!

6. The Tattoos—the Dauntless have this thing for tats, as in, they love them. One of the first ways that Tris proves she wants to be in Dauntless is by getting some wicked tattoos. I loved that the tattoos started as Tris daring herself to see if she could handle the pain, but they became so much more than that. She didn’t mark herself to prove a point, she marked herself to keep from forgetting the point to all of it. Veronica Roth may be single handedly responsible for a spike in the number inked YA fans (I know I want one)!

5. Veronica Roth—by all rights, Veronica should be number one on our list since she created everything else on this list, but we wanted to take a second and applaud her for her willingness to make bold choices. She knew that in real life, people don’t have safety nets. In real life, people get hurt, even main characters, and she wasn’t afraid to test her characters emotionally and physically. Bravo! And since we at the Sisterhood were lucky enough to meet Veronica Roth not long ago at a signing, we can personally attest that she's just as awesome and witty in person as her books! 

4. Tris’s Mom—All mom’s are cool! But this one has a little extra oomph! Don’t want to spoil anything here, but let’s just say that Tris’s mom is more than meets the eye!

3. The Factions—Like I said, the community is divided into five factions, each defined by a different attribute: Dauntless (Brave), Abnegation (Selflessness), Erudite (Intelligence), Candor (Honesty), and Amity (Peacefulness). These were like the Hogwarts Houses, but amped up to full volume. I believe my first thought was, Dauntless is like Gryffindor on crack!

2. Tris—Oh, Tris. I loved her character—as both Beatrice and Tris. I loved how strong she was, how determined she was to prove her worth. I even loved her faults—her impatience and lack of compassion. She was a fully developed, wonderfully complex character whose story was simply captivating!

1. Four—Oh, man. Here’s the biggie. Four is Tris’s love interest. He’s also her instructor for her Dauntless initiation. He’s the ultimate mystery! As her instructor, he has to put her through grueling, dangerous, painful tasks, but there’s clearly a connection between them, and he hates to see her hurt. He’s strong and dark and closed off—which makes him all the more intriguing when he starts to open up. Easily my favorite YA boy in a long time (possibly ever)! Look out, Jace Wayland, you may have to make some room up on that pedestal.

And in case you haven't heard, Book Two is going to be called INSURGENT! Squee! So excited! It's perfect. We're already brainstorming possible titles for the third book that ends in "gent". Somehow we don't think it will be Detergent, Pungent, or Astringent. 

Well, that’s it folks. Our Divergent top ten. If you’re not already following us, please do! Because when we reach 100 followers, we’re planning to give away a SIGNED copy of Divergent! Trust me, you won’t want to miss this!

P.S. Here's a picture of us with Veronica Roth and Tara Hudson (Hereafter)

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany

The Sisters say: Superior. Yeah. That’s right. Just Superior.

I have this regret.

You see… a couple months ago, I was in NYC at the same time as a teen book festival. Unfortunately, I was only there long enough to go to one event, but it was an awesome one! It featured the Young Adult band TIGER BEATS (led by the awesome Libba Bray) along with readings of books that were related to music. Jeri Smith-Ready just happened to be one of the authors reading. I’d seen Shade on the shelves, but I must admit, I was guilty of judging a book by its cover. I’d seen it, but never really felt inclined to pick it up. So when I heard her read at the event, I didn’t have any idea who she was. I vaguely recognized the title, and put it on my very long to-be-read list, and didn’t think of it again. Now, several months later, I finally got around to reading Shade. And after reading it in one sitting (after which I immediately moved on to Shift), all I wanted to do was invent a time machine, go back a few months, punch myself in the face, and say, “What are you thinking? Read this book! Then go meet that awesome author!”

Unfortunately, I can’t go back in time and make myself read Shade and Shift. Here’s what I can do: I can stress to you guys not to make the same mistake as me! J

I’ll be focusing on Shade in this review, but honestly, in some ways, Shift (Book Two) is even better!

Here’s the Goodreads summary:

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

So… I loved the concept of this book. The shift was a single point in time after which every child born had the ability to communicate with the dead. As I read, I just sat there imagining what it must have been like as these post-shift children grew up, and toddlers everywhere were able to see and talk to ghosts. I imagined parents just chalked it up to imaginary friends, but then the friends didn’t go away, and some of them weren’t exactly friendly. I imagined the slow realization of the entire world that surely every kid in the world couldn’t be imagining the same thing, could they? I believe there was a line in the book that said something about how people finally realized that 5 million toddlers couldn’t be telling the same lie.

If the concept isn’t enough to hook you, the characters in this book are so much fun! Aura is a relatable and interesting main character, whose story sucks you in! Logan is every teen girl’s fantasy--  a rockstar that only has eyes for you. And Zachary is every older teen girl’s fantasy (the ones who’ve grown up enough to realize the rockstar is the one you fall for, but not the one you stay with). Did I mention Zachary is Scottish. Even though I can’t hear his accent, I can imagine it, and even in my imagination it makes me swoon.

This book was so good, I practically inhaled it. And while it was a fun, fascinating, easy read, it also had enough complexities that it stuck in my brain even after I was through reading it.

I absolutely, 110% recommend this book. Don’t make the same mistake I did! Read it now! And the great thing is that as soon as you’re done, there’s already a second book waiting!

Just a quick warning: There are some mentions of sexual situations, though nothing graphic. But if that’s a concern for you or your teen, I wanted you to know before going in! 

Solid by Shelley Workinger

Solid by Shelley Workinger

Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany

The Sisters say: Smart! Surprising! Super fun!

P.S. You can get the Nook and/or Kindle version for $4.99 right now! :)

The author, Shelley Workinger, was kind enough to lend us a copy of Solid in anticipation of the upcoming release of book two, Settling which is available on July 4^th. Solid was the first book we’ve had the opportunity to review thanks to a gift from an author, and can I say how awesome it was? If she hadn’t sought us out, I might never have read Solid, and believe me—that would have been a shame!

Alright. So. Solid.

It’s a pretty solid read. :)

Here’s the goodreads summary:

Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are brought together at a classified military site where they forge new friendships, find love, develop "super-abilities," and even unearth a conspiracy.

Solid was such a refreshing concept in a genre that’s currently dominated by vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, etc. I loved the genetic side of it—each of the approximately 100 teenagers brought to this secret government camp had their C9 chromosome altered while their mother’s were pregnant. Even though it’s summer, and we all love those fun, romantic reads—a girl also needs to think! And this book is perfect for that! It’s really got the total package—an interesting, intelligent plot, likeable characters, and a sweet romance!

Now about those likeable characters. What can I say, but that I REALLY liked them. And not just in the sense that they didn’t bother me or get on my nerves. I genuinely liked all of the characters! Clio is sensible, strong, and a very relatable lead character. Jack is a delicious love interest with major woo-ing skills. Garrett is the hot, class clown that will make you laugh and swoon at the same time. Bliss is sweet and shy, but loyal. Miranda is likeable meangirl (I know, oxymoron, right?). All in all, I felt like I was at home with friends while reading this book! I liked them all so much!

And last, but certainly not least, we all know we need a good love story. And Solid is definitely not lacking there! Jack was the epitome of crushable—easy to talk to, but somehow unreachable, handsome, but not conceited, smart, clean-cut, but with his special forces family—a little bit dangerous.

My only small dissatisfaction with solid was that it tended to drag a little early on. However—the characters and the promising plot kept me pushing through, and I was so glad for it. And from the small tidbit of Settling, book two, that was at the back of my ebook—I can’t WAIT to see what happens next for Clio and her crew.

So if you’re looking for something new and refreshing, that will require you to use your brain a little more than most of the paranormal romances out there—give Solid a try. And then be on the lookout for Settling—a second book that promises more romance, more cool supernatural genetic mutations, and more fun!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Favorite Book Settings

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish.

10. China- North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley: I’ve never really been that interested in vacationing or living in Asia (I’m more of a Western Europe or Mediterranean kind of girl), but after reading North of Beautiful (which is a fantastic book, btw), I was dying to visit China!

9. Nantucket- Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini: The gorgeous (and very very rich) island made a wonderful place to see a modern day Greek tragedy/love story. The story will quite literally take you flying over the beaches, cliffs, and waves. Also… it’s got a cool name. NAN-TUCK-ET! J

8. Deep South- Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: As Texas natives, we have a special love for the south, but the Deep South makes for a lush, historical, tragic, and simply to die for setting! There’s been several great books recently that have taken us to the deep south (like Rachel Hawkins’s Hex Hall ), but the darkly gorgeous Beautiful Creatures/Beautiful Darkness takes it in our opinion!

7.  Boston (and the Northeast)- Deception by Lee Nichols: Boston and the rest of the northeast (I’m a Philly-girl, myself) make for beautiful, historic settings no matter the story. But imagining all of the ghosts that would make such historic places their home creates an even more fascinating (and creepy) place for a story to unfold.

6. The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women (Virginia)- Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter. Again, we love the south! So small town Virginia is lots of fun to read about. But do you know what’s more fun? SPIES. Especially, a top secret school for teenage girl spies! It doesn’t get much better than that!

5. Austin, TX – Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith: Like I said, we’re Texas girls, so we couldn’t leave out our capital city. Austin is known for being trendy (and a wee bit weird), but the weird soars to new heights in Tantalize where vampires are real (and have restaurants themed after them). Keep Austin Weird! J

4. Nevernever- The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa: The world of fairy was a given for this list, considering that many humans were so enraptured by it’s beauty that they never left (not that they always had that much of a choice). And several faerie books have beautifully depicted the world of fairie (The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, for example), but the most imaginative goes to Julie Kagawa in our opinion—where Summer, Winter, and Iron meet to form a deadly and beautiful place.

3.  New York City- The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare: Who doesn’t love New York City? But do you know what we love even more than the Big Apple? Downworlder/Shadowhunter NYC! J Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, JACE! New York City is quite the place! (Teehee… that rhymed).

2. Paris (Oh! La! La!) There are a number of recent books that have taken us to the City of Love and left us quite literally enamored! Die for Me by Amy Plum submerges the beautiful city into a war of epic proportions between two supernatural races (awesome!). Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins made me want to go back to school, just so that I could study abroad in Paris. And Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly made me fall in love with Paris’s past and the real Paris that isn’t overrun by tourist. I travelled to Paris a few years ago, but these books have me dying to go back!

1. Hogwarts- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: Do we really even need to elaborate? Every speech class I ever had where I got the question, “If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?” Easy. HOGWARTS. I would go there and never co me back.  (The Wizarding World makes a pretty good alternative, but I’m still holding out hope that Hogwarts is real. My letter just got lost in the mail… thirteen years ago).