The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

Review Time! Most of you would not have heard of this book because it's an Australia 2012 YA Debut! The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina published by Walker Books Australia this month is a MUST READ. You can purchase a copy of the book at Fishpond | Booktopia | Dymocks | Angus and Robertson. Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy!

(Goodreads) The Reckoning destroyed civilisation. Rising from the ashes, some people have developed unique abilities, and society is scared of them. Guided by the ancient spirits of the land, Ashala Wolf will do anything to keep them safe. When Ashala is captured, she realises she has been betrayed by someone she trusted. When her interrogator starts digging in her memories for information, she doubts she can protect her people forever. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?

The Short Story? - This one took me by utter surprise. I still can't believe how much I enjoyed it! The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is definitely one of my favourite YA dystopians that I've read this year! Bringing YA dystopian together with elements of the Dreaming ( aboriginal legends), The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is a show of fresh talent with an authentic narrative voice and a intriguing plot! Kwaymullina's debut is absolutely breath-taking!

The Long Story? - To be honest I had no idea this was a dystopian YA. The blurb and title and cover are all so sneaky! I went into this novel expecting some kind of paranormal romance with a wolf pack. I WAS WRONG. The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is such a beautifully written story. The premise of the novel is quite unique as this dystopian society does have a supernatural touch. The "outlaws" are people who have been gifted with special talents. I also loved how the author brought some of her indigenous heritage into the novel. She has used parts of the Dreaming to explain the back story for the novel and she's also kind of incorporated australia in general into the novel which is something I loved! It's so unique and combined with the refreshingly authentic narrative voice, I definitely recommend this one to EVERYONE! The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is something special indeed!

The characterisation was great. Ashala Wolf was a unique character. Firstly, she was an indigenous australian and I really enjoyed that perspective of the novel as YA novels seem to never feature characters with different coloured skin tones. I also loved her personality. She was fierce, loyal, kind and more than anything readers can connect with her. The pain she has endured makes her more human, more like us. I also really liked Justin, initially he came off as a little bit of a jerk which I guess is how the author has chosen to portray him but as the novel progresses, I felt myself forming a bond with this beautiful boy! Other notable characters include Ember, Georgia and Jaz. All very wonderful characters!

In a nutshell, The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is definitely one novel you don't want to miss out on! Not only is it Aussie, it's dystopian WITH an australian twist! Fantastic characters, wonderful plot and beautifully written. Kwaymullina is a brilliant writer with a authentic and refreshingly YA voice, I can't wait to see what she has install for us next! The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is a phenomenal debut!


What's it Worth? - Break Out the Piggybank


Badass Bookie xx

The Forsaken

Review Time! The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse is a 2012 YA Debut! It's also one of Badass Bookie's July Debut of the Month books! Check out Lisa's debutante profile HERE and win a copy of The Forsaken HERE (Int'l). AND if you're not going to leave it to chance you can purchase a copy of The Forksaken at The Nile | Fishpond | Booktopia | Dymocks | Angus and Robertson. Thanks to Lisa M. Stasse and Hachette for both review copies! :)

(Goodreads) As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

The Short Story? - A fast-paced dystopian debut with something for everyone! The Forsaken is a brilliantly written dystopian with excellent world-building, an original and exciting plot and captivating characters that stay with you long after the last page! A brand new concept mixed with the much loved dystopian elements of YA fiction, The Forsaken is a memorable debut! Must-read!

The Long Story? - The Forsaken is definitely one of the most unique YA dystopians I've read. The premise is rather unique because why it does have a controlling government-like figure, the novel is more of a survival-based post apocalyptic YA. The story is set on an deserted island which kinda serves as a penal colony for teenagers who shows signs of rebellion against the government. On the island, the kids are split up into two groups. One group are devotees to the Monk ( a mysterious unknown man) and one group is "normal" and the "normal" group of teens are trying to find a way off the island. That's a little on the background, I absolutely loved the plot of the novel! It has been described as Lost meets Lord of the Flies but I can neither confirm nor deny because I haven't watched Lost or read Lord of the Flies. However, it's a very fast-paced, action-packed plot. It's quite a dangerous adventure that leaves your heart-pounding. Stasse has kinda incorporated the "and then there were none" element into The Forsaken so along the way, people die and others go missing or get taken. It's definitely one of the darker dystopians that I've read. I would highly recommend loves of Divergent or Enclave to read this one!

While Stasse introduces a lot of characters into the novel, the characterisation of these characters is rather brief. This is probably a good thing because along the way of their journey to freedom, a lot of them either a) die or b) get taken so forming an emotional bond with each and every one for them would probably cause you a lot of grief. However the characterisation of "main" characters was done really well. Alenna, our protagonist, went through one heck of a transformation. She really had toughen up to survive on the island and eventually she become a little bit of a leader. She was determined, level-headed and easy to connect with. Alenna lost her parents at a young age so she was pretty independent to begin with but getting put on the island really gave her a backbone. I adored her. Gadya was a great supporting character, feisty, quick temper and a lot of fun but in the end proved to be a loyal friend. There was a romance thread through the book but it wasn't even remotely important in the big picture. I personally thought the novel would probably have been better without. It was a little rushed and felt a little unnatural but the idea of Alenna and Liam as a couple still makes me HAPPY!

Overall, The Forsaken is a highly recommend YA dystopian. It's beautifully written and narrated, the plot was unique and the premise was very different. Loved the characters, loved the setting and the ending definitely calls for a spectacular sequel! I look forward to book 2 and to see where the plot takes Alenna. A remarkable debut that is probably one of the most impressive dystopians I've read in 2012. Put this one on your radar!

What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck

( UK/ Australian Cover)


Badass Bookie xx

Burn Mark

Review Time! I feel like if I leave Burn Mark any longer on the review pile, I'm going to have to go to confession because it's been there for weeks and guilt is eating away at me! Burn Mark by Laura Powell is paranormal romance that I very much enjoyed! If you're looking to purchase the book, here are some of my favourite bookstores - Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Angus and Robertson | Dymocks. Thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . . .

The Short Story? - A very original approach to YA paranormal! Beautiful world building and a thrilling plot, Burn Mark was filled with action, drama and the endearing romance of first love. Told with a unique narrative voice, Burn Mark is a brilliant novel with so much to offer readers! With fantastic characters, a british setting and the paranormal touch, this is definitely one to put on the radar!

The Long Story? - Burn Mark was a solid read, there were parts in which I was a little iffy about but all in all, I very much enjoyed it! One of my favourite things about Burn Mark is it's premise. Set in modern day Britain where witchcraft is openly accepted ability (although feared) - the novel offers something different and unique. I loved the world-building Powell took upon, she has somehow weaved witches into her story in way that seems less paranormal romance and more futuristic reality. One of my main concerns with Burn Mark was the pace, the plot was really slow to pick up and I thought it would have been better to be more direct. However once we passed that slow curve, I very much enjoyed Burn Mark. The plot is well planned, it's an entertaining novel and it's definitely worth putting on your radar. Brilliant unique!

The characterisation was very well done. The novel is told from the dual perspectives of Grace and Lucas. Both characters are a little young in my opinion, I don't know many 15 year olds that can handle this kind of excitement in their life but YA is YA. I really liked Lucas, he was a very likeable character. That softly spoken personality of his is very attractive and he's a very nice boy! Over the course of the book I also grew to really like Grace, initially I thought she was too brash. Lacked manners, bad attitude, not very ladylike but her attitude is really just protection. Losing her mother at a young age has really done a number of this girl! Both characters played key roles in the novel and they compliment each other beautifully. The whole opposites attract theory really shows through! :) Overall, great characters!

All in all, Burn Mark was definitely a solid novel with a  unique premises and an interesting plot. I would definitely recommend everyone to give this novel a try. I certainly enjoyed it and I'm sure many of you will too! The pace was a little slower than what I would have like but in the end, it didn't really matter! I can't wait to see what the sequel brings us after the bombshell Powell dropped right at the end! Put this one on your radar!

What's it Worth? - Squeeze Into the Budget/ Hand Over the Paycheck


Badass Bookie xx

Breakfast with the Bookie - Underrated YA Books

Breakfast with the Bookie is a irregular feature here @ Badass Bookie. Every other Wednesday morning, let's all grab our teas and coffees to gather and discuss and share our opinions! Everyone is welcome to join and make sure you leave a comment to state your opinion. Don't be shy!

This Week's Topic - Underrated YA Books


It's been a while since I've done a Breakfast with the Bookie post with other posts eating away my Wednesday slot but FINALLY today, I have nothing else planned! Today I wanted to talk about Underrated YA books, this isn't really my typical discussion post but I feel like there are so so so many wonderful YA books out there that people haven't heard about or haven't read because of the lack of hype circuiting around the YA Blogosphere about them! Some of these are older releases, some are new but they're all fantastic and I would highly recommend everyone to read them! 


Also, if you have any wonderful underrated YA books that you would recommend - post them in the comments so I can check them out and so other people can check them out too! Anyway, here's a list of them!

10 Underrated YA Books ( In No Particular Order)

1) Entangled by Cat Clarke - This was one of my favourite books of 2011 and it's definitely one of my all-time favourites. Grace, the protagonist is such beautiful character and her tangled story left me in tears. It's so heartbreakingly beautiful!


2) In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane - This was another one of my 2011 favourites. Probably one of the most underrated YA books I can think of, a psychological thriller with a supernatural twist - this one is just amazing! 


3) The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - This is probably more of a adult novel but it crosses over into the YA genre. I loved this book! I think I called it a "modern-classic" in the making! Beautiful novel!

 

4) Victoria and the Rogue by Meg Cabot - Everyone's heard of The Princess Diaries and pretty much read them but this is probably my favourite Meg Cabot of all-time! It's like historical romance for teenagers and it's brilliant! 


5) Nichola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot - This is the another one of Meg Cabot's YA historical romances! I loved this one too, maybe not as much as Victoria and the Rogue but this one was so so so good as well! Read it!


6) Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel - Probably my favourite vampire novel ever. I cried. It takes a lot to make me cry. Especially with vampires but this book was so so so beautiful! Not your typical vampire novel. 

  

7) Enclave by Ann Aguirre - After Divergent, this is my favourite YA dystopian. I love survival based dystopian where the controlling society doesn't exist but ZOMBIES ( or things like zombies) exist! This one is so good! :)


8) Emerald by Karen Wallace - One of my favourite YA historicals yet very underrated. Just checked on Goodreads and only 75 people have rated it!?! WHAT? This one is amazing with mystery, romance and action! Must-read!


9) Au Revior, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber - A fast-paced adventure with car chases and assassins - what's not to love? 


10) 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad - This is the scariest book I can remember reading. This book really creeped me out yet it was so good! Sci-fi at it's best I would say! And I still can't look at the room the same way!

That would be my ten underrated YA books! There are plenty more but these are the only I can remember right now :D Let me know which one's you've read and which underrated YA books you think everyone else should read!


Badass Bookie xx

Cold Fury

Review Time! Happy Book Birthday to Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein and before you even read my review, you should all go get yourself a copy because this debut is EPIC! You can buy online from The Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon. If you're looking for a 2012 YA Debut written by a male author through a females perspective - I would go with Cold Fury! Thanks to T.M. Goeglein for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).

Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.

The Short Story? - This is probably one of my favourite debuts of the year... I don't know yet for sure since it's "only" July but OH MY GOODNESS, this book was EPIC. It was so good, I can't even find fault it in - IT WAS PERFECT. Fast-paced, action-packed, mystery, suspense, thriller, mobsters, boys, money, sidekicks, Chicago, those are just a few words about Cold Fury. If that hasn't perked your attention, how about we add a kick- ass protagonist to the list? And let's not forget a refreshingly unique narrative voice! This is an incredible debut, Cold Fury is a MUST-READ.

The Long Story? - Everyone is more then welcome to stop reading my review right now and go buy the book because I have nothing but good words for Cold Fury. Cold Fury was phenomenal. It's a very fast-paced book where everything happens over only a short period of time. It was almost like one thing happened and then you turn the page and OH NO something else has gone wrong! Unpredictable, Goeglein drops plenty of bombs throughout the novel that really surprised me (in a good way). I loved how the novel is about the Chicago Mobs, I don't know about anyone else but I LOVE books and movies about mafias etc etc. Cold Fury is definitely a book that will appeal to both girls and boys. If you're not a fan of romance, this would also appeal to you as romance really does take the backseat. Filled with car chases, bare knuckle fights and more villains than a comic book, Cold Fury is a remarkable debut that I recommend to everyone!

Feel free to stop reading now and buy the book because I'm now going to gush about how amazing the characterisation is. Sara Jane is probably one of my favourite protagonists ever in terms of badassness. This girl has clearly got her priorities straight because family always comes first and no boy will get in the way of that! She's also a old movie lover, boxer chick and italian  - if you're not in love with her already, read Cold Fury and you will be! There were lots of characters in the novel but there they were more of a come and go sort and there are too many of them for me to list but some of my favourites were - Willy who might have been old but could still kick ass, Tyler who had that bad boy quality that I  really liked, Max who was adorable boyfriend material, Doug who was an awesome sidekick and Lou because he was so so so strong and brave! Definitely great characterisation!

In a nutshell, Cold Fury was a roller-coaster ride of a debut! I can't recommend it to you enough, seriously this might be one of my favourite debts of the year! Goeglein's beautifully written debut is pure entertainment from cover to cover. A brilliant protagonist, an incredible plot and a unique take on the YA genre that will appeal to both male and female readers!

What's it Worth? - Break Out the Piggybank


Badass Bookie xx

No Such Thing As Forever

Review Time! No Such Thing As Forever by Ali Conin is the first in a series called Girl Heart Boys that Penguin has recently acquired. They are novels about real life relationships and romance so none of the sugar-coated happy endings that frequent YA fiction. They're more like companion novels rather then a series I think... Anyway, thanks to Penguin for the review copy!

(Blurb) Real love. Real lives. The real thing . . .Four girls, three boys, turning 18. Get set to follow their eventful final year at school.

Cass is Ms Monogamy. Ashley is a player. Donna is a party girl. But what about Sarah? Her friends tease her for being uptight, but she's waiting for The One. Now she's found him, but is he forever - or is Sarah just his summer fling?

The Short Story? - Cronin just about broke every cliche about YA contemporary romance. No Such Thing As Forever is far from your typical YA contemporary yet it's every bit as beautiful and enjoyable! A bittersweet love story about real teens dealing with real problems in the real world. Gritty and confronting, No Such Thing As Forever is perfect for those who look to venture into the ugly side of teen romance! Beautiful!

The Long Story? - No Such Thing As Forever is pretty self-explanatory. There is no such thing as forever! That is the ugly truth and while we all want to fall in love in high school with cute boys and then have babies with them - that's just YA "fiction". Cronin's No Such Thing as Forever really explores the "real" teen world where guys are jerks, girls are nasty and where love is pretty much non-existent. Cronin has incorporated several very confronting issues about growing up in the plot including sex, family, relationships, friendship and love. It's a real gritty kind of novel, no sugar-coating, it's the ugly truth with a bittersweet THE END. It's not the novel that I would normally pick up and read but I very much enjoyed it. It's refreshing, it's unique and Cronin has a beautiful narrative voice. I highly recommend No Such Thing As Forever for those who like "dark-ish" contemporary!

Overall, I liked the characterisation. I really liked Sarah, she was dependable and nice and I think many readers would find her easy to relate to. There was this chunk of the book where Sarah became overly obsessed with Joe and I know Cronin intentionally made her that way to portray the clingy girlfriend but that's not my thing. That obsession made Sarah do stupid things and blinded her and I really wanted to just shake her and say "OPEN YOUR EYES". However, Sarah was definitely a good protagonist. Sarah's friends play a major role in the novel and I thought that was great because friends are so underrated in teen romance when really, it's friends over boys - ALWAYS. The importance of friendship is definitely one of the highlights for me because my friends mean the world to me and Sarah really values her friends so we're like TWINSIES.

In a nutshell No Such Thing as Forever is a novel that you should definitely put on radar because it's unique and authentic and it's enjoyable. No Such Thing as Forever is a bittersweet story about a girl and a boy and the love story that was never there. It's about opening your eyes, setting your priorities straight and learning the importance of friendship. It's about growing up, love, sex, alcohol, drugs, sexuality. Cronin has absolutely everything in her plot! Go read it! :)

What's it Worth? - Squeeze into the Budget/ Hand Over the Paycheck

Badass Bookie xx

In My Mailbox #53 - Massive Hurl Edition

Morning Lovelies! While you're reading this IMM post I'm prolly still asleep because what else are you meant to do on Sunday mornings??? This week I have massive hurl to show you! As always, it's a fortnight hurl but it's still pretty big (I think!). In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Week One Hurl -

Sorry for the Blurry Picture!

For Review -

Survive by Alex Morel 

Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar 

No Such Thing as Forever by Ali Cronin

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

ARC Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett 

ARC Speech by Hannah Harrington 

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse ( UK Copy - Trade? Aussies?)

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting ( 2nd Copy - Trade? Aussies?)

( Thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont, Bloomsbury, Penguin, Hachette Childrens, HarlequinTEEN, Hachette!)

Gifted -

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

( Thanks to my lovely blogger mommy Sarah @ Saz101 who is one my favourite book bloggers because she is just the BIGGEST sweetie EVER! Make sure to follow her!)

Week Two Hurl - 

For Review -

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas ( 2nd Copy - Trade? Aussies?)

Traitors by Tom Becker

Ransomwood by Sherrye Jordan

When it Happens by Susane Colasanti 

Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo

( Thanks to Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Simon and Schuster and Hachette!)

Gifted - 

ARC The Darkest Mind by Alexandra Bracken

( Thanks to MY OTHER HALF. Twinsies. Gurllll x0x0x0x0x0, BFFL for LYFE - Sash @ Sash and Em - LOVE THIS GIRL and Matt Bomer <3 <3 <3)

And that's all people! Link me!


Badass Bookie xx

Skylark Blog Tour: All About Skylark + Giveaway

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Book Profile

Name - Skylark (Goodreads)
Author - Meagan Spooner
Genre - Dystopian Fantasy
Release Date - 1st August 2012
Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond 

Sixteen year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky.

Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped.

Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret – but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

The Insider's Scoop

I thought I would echo my post yesterday, and instead of telling you more about the premise of the book (which you can read about in the blurb above), I’d go for stuff you might not know. So, without further ado, here are five things you might not know about SKYLARK!

1. Lark’s home city is Washington, D.C. Of course, it isn’t, really—she lives in a fantasy world, an alternate reality to our own, where magic powers technology, not electricity. But it was based on D.C., and the buildings in the Institute are based on the Smithsonian museums on the Mall in D.C.

2. The book’s original title was THE IRON WOOD, the name of the safe haven Lark is trying to reach when she flees her city. We changed it because “Iron” in YA fantasy novels is so often code for “faeries.” And while there are pixies in this book, they are not faeries. Not even close.

3. There are two big twists in the story. One of them, I knew was coming before I even started writing the book. The other, I didn’t know until I got to the point where it’s revealed in the manuscript. I didn’t have to rewrite the story at all to fit it in—it was there all along, I just didn’t notice myself!

4.  SKYLARK first sold overseas a few weeks before it sold in the US because it went on submission during the Bologna Book Fair. There was a brief window of time in which I wouldn’t have been able to read my own book, because I didn’t speak the languages it was being published in.

5. There’s a secret phrase hidden somewhere on or in the physical hardcover book itself, a touch my book designer snuck in. It’s beautiful. But you’ll have to look to find it, and that’s all I’m saying!

I also thought I’d share with you guys a snippet of a deleted scene from the book. This was the very original first draft of SKYLARK, back when it was called THE IRON WOOD. A lot has changed about the book since then—it’s set in a straight-up fantasy world now, not a future version of ours. There are no cars, no electric lights, and the Facility is now the Institute. It was before Lark’s voice had come through, before I’d even settled on what kind of story I wanted to tell. And so I started, as I often do when I don’t know how to start, by telling myself a story. These are the first words I ever wrote for SKYLARK.

—

There are stories about what lies beyond the Wall.  No one who leaves has ever come back to tell about it, but still the stories persist.  Tales of ghosts, of cannibals, of wolfmen and carnivorous stones.  My brothers once told me a story that everything on the other side of the Wall had melted away, leaving only the shadows of what had once lived there.  I dreamed that night of being chased tirelessly by ragged shadows with teeth.

But there were other kinds of stories, too.  Somewhere on the other side of the Wall was a city like ours, but filled with food, with wealth, with power.  Somewhere on the other side, they’d discovered how to make things work again, lights to shine and cars to drive, and no one went to sleep with an empty belly.  Somewhere on the other side was the sun.

These stories were why the Facility had outlawed talk of what lay beyond the Wall. It wasn’t a very well-enforced rule, not like the rules about stealing food or using magic.  Everyone told the stories, and everyone listened to them.  And most of us dreamed at night of teeth, whether they belonged to shadows or stones or men who howled at the sky.

~Giveaway~

Meagan is giving away (1) SIGNED First Edition Hardcover Copy of Skylark!

Rule of Entry -

- US Only

- Ends 20th of August

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of Meagan's posts +1 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Meagan on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

Skylark Blog Tour: All About Meagan Spooner

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Debutante Profile

Name: Meagan Spooner

Debut: Skylark

Genre: Yong Adult Dystopian Fantasy

Website: HERE

Twitter: HERE

Facebook: HERE

Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She's traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there's a bit of every trip in every story she writes.

She currently lives and writes in Northern Virginia, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there's no telling how long she'll stay there.

In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.

She is the author of SKYLARK, coming out August 1 from Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Books. She is also the co-author of THESE BROKEN STARS, forthcoming from Disney-Hyperion in Fall 2013.


Dream Debutante Dress - Meagan, this is such a beautiful dress! :D

Notes from a YA Debutante

Hi everyone! I’m so psyched to be here. I got all dressed up and everything. It took me about an hour to get my hair like the model’s in the picture above—but I just had to do it, because she looks rather like an understated Effie Trinket, and there’s no way you could possibly go wrong dressing up for your debut with Effie Trinket as your fashion goal.

So! I guess I should tell you a little about myself. But you all read my bio (or you skipped it, because you saw the dress down here and that was far more interesting) so I thought I’d share five things you probably DON’T know about me. Things you’re not gonna find in any official bio.

1. I am six feet tall. One of the most common first things people say to me when they meet me in person is “Holy %@$!, you’re really tall!” Only once have I managed to make a snappy comeback and say, “Oh, thank goodness. I thought it was just that you were unfortunately short, and was trying not to stare!”

2. I can stand on my head indefinitely—or, at least, until the blood pooling there becomes too painful and/or makes me start to pass out.

3. I was once so absorbed in the book I was reading while waiting for a flight at the airport that I not only missed the boarding announcement, I also missed them paging me over the loudspeaker by name for ten minutes before they gave up on me. When I went up to the desk about half an hour later to ask when the flight would be boarding, they just stared at me.

4. I've been to all seven continents, but until recently I hadn’t visited a single national monument in D.C., where I've lived almost my whole life.

5. When I was little, I had a book of bloody, old-school fairy tales complete with bloody, kid-inappropriate illustrations. Whenever I built a fort out of couch cushions, it became my troll cave, and I’d pull the heads off my Barbies so I could adorn the cave entrance with them. I’m hoping I got this idea from the fairy tale book. If not, that’s a little concerning. (Note: No one who has read anything I’ve written will find this particular anecdote at all surprising.)

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As you can see I'm participating in Meagan's Blog Tour (Full Schedule HERE)! After some thought, we decided to do a Debut of the Month feature however because Skylark is an AUGUST release, it's not called Debut of the Month ;) Hehe. Anyway Meagan, YOU'RE QUITE THE WORLD TRAVELLER!!! I wish I've been to all 7 continents. So far only two. Three next year I think :P And I've mentioned this already but 6 feet tall - that's pretty tall :D Haha. Anyway, lovely readers please come back tomorrow for the second half of Meagan's feature and a giveaway!

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - All About The Little Woods + Giveaway

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Book Profile

Name - The Little Woods (Goodreads)
Author - McCormick Templeman
Genre - Thriller
Release Date - 10th July 2012
Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond 

Are the woods behind St. Bede's Academy really haunted, or does bad stuff just happen there? When Calista Wood, a new student, arrives midway through her junior year, St. Bede's feels like a normal school . . . until she discovers that a girl had disappeared a couple of months earlier. Some kids think she ran away, others think she was murdered, but it's only when Cally starts digging around that she finds the startling truth.

Watch as Cally enters a world of privilege, weekend-long parties, high school romances, and . . . well-kept secrets. This page-turner will appeal to teens looking for a fast-paced thriller. Written in a voice at once gripping and crystal clear, debut novelist, McCormick Templeman, will take readers on a twisting and turning journey as only a "new girl" can experience.

The Insider's Scoop

1.     I went to boarding school, and while St. Bede’s isn’t my high school, it does share some similarities in terms of the campus layout.

2.     Originally, the book was set in a small town in upstate New York in 1910 with a doctor as the main character.

3.     The seed for the book came to me while reading a very old book of medical examiner’s notes I discovered in the New York Public Library.

4.     There is a freshman girl in The Little Woods who is mentioned only in passing, but who plays a very large role in one of my other books.

5.     The original title of The Little Woods was The Puzzle Box. My publisher asked me to change it, and it took me months to come up with something that wasn’t awful. The worst intermediary title was probably The Death and Life of Great American Children (a play on the urban planning classic by Jane Jacobs). Luckily, that one didn’t stick.

6.     The titular little woods behind St. Bede’s have a counterpart on the east coast with an accompanying story that I hope to write one day.

7.     The book went through a total of three permutations before I landed on the idea of setting it in present day at a boarding school. At one point it was an experimental choose-your-own-adventure.

8.     Iris and Jack are the only characters who made it into every version of the book.

~Giveaway~

McCormick is giving away (1) Copy of The Little Woods + Swag!

Rule of Entry -

- International 

- Ends 18th of August

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of McCormick's posts +1 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow McCormick on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx