Perfect Scoundrels

Review Time! One simply does not review an Ally Carter novel without abusing CAPLOCKS and EXCLAMATION MARKS!!! After a long and painful wait, we finally have the 3rd book of Ally Carter's Heist Society series! This is one of my favourite series in the world and ugh, I'm still fangirling. You can purchase a copy of Perfect Scoundrels from Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Bookworld. Thanks to Hachette Childrens for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting--or stealing--whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir--this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

The Short Story? - If there is anything I know for sure, it's that Ally Carter never fails to impress. If any author can keep a reader hooked without a cliff hanger ending, it's Carter. Perfect Scoundrels was everything I hoped it would be and more, my favourite novel of the series so far, Carter pushes boundaries to a whole new level with this action-packed instalment of Kat's life of crime. Putting both Kat's abilities and her relationship with Hale to the test, Carter's Perfect Scoundrels is a phenomenally epic read!

The Long Story? - Ally Carter is a genius because ordinary people don't just don't have the brain capacity to spin such a complicated plot yet manage to tie every single loose thread before the last page. What a mind-blowing plot! I definitely wasn't expecting this heist to be so personal to the gang and I wasn't expecting all these developments between Kat and Hale. The feels I got just reading about all the obstacles that Kat had to go around romantically and on the job, just broke my heart. Perfect Scoundrel was nothing less than an emotional roller coaster. Unpredictable, complex and incredibly clever, the detail in this plot was just astonishing. I still cannot get over how sneaky Carter is, I'm half convinced her books are actually based on her own life because no one can write fiction THIS WELL. This is action-packed perfection. If you like edgy, dangerous and exciting books about teenage criminals, I definitely recommend Ally Carter's Heist Society series to you!

I'm a sucker for characters with charm and if there is anything that this group of teenagers have, it's charm. They're all charming in their own way and it's not just the looks although Hale is definitely very, VERY good-looking. It's the way they act and the manner their hold themselves. It's the cool and collected nature of their personalities. I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE THEM. Kat has grown so much from the first book, she's the same girl but...not. I feel like she's more confident and that her emotions come through better. She's easier to connect with and her relationship with Hale is just so natural and cute in the "not all in your face way". Their love for each other is subtle but it's very much there. To see their relationship strained under the intense plot that is Perfect Scoundrel really affected me because these characters are just so real to me. Hale definitely stole the show in this book, the death of his grandmother really affected him and his emotional unstableness in this book was heartbreaking to read. Perfect Scoundrels was definitely a book filled with emotional ups and downs and that's what makes a brilliant book. Fantastic!

I can't tell you how much I loved this book, Perfect Scoundrels was perfection in bookish form. Ally Carter is a literary genius. Filled with action and seductively dangerous and exciting, I highly recommend Perfect Scoundrels and the series as a whole to everyone who hasn't read it. This rush I get when reading this series is indescribable, absolutely fantastic! I await whatever Carter has planned for us next! A MUST READ!

What's it Worth? - STEAL IT. 

Badass Bookie xx

Life in Outer Space

Review Time! Life in Outer Space is the first book published through Hardie Grant Egmonts Ampersand Project. A project dedicated to publishing YA works of fiction by unpublished authors. Melissa Keil  is the first author to be published through this project! YAY for Aussie YA fiction and 2013 YA Debuts! You can purchase a copy of Life in Outer Space from Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Bookworld. Thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Sam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft – and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, he doesn’t have to worry about girls.

Then Sam meets Camilla. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his life. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a life of her own – and she’s decided that he’s going to be part of it.

Sam believes that everything he needs to know he can learn from the movies ... but now it looks like he’s been watching the wrong ones.

The Short Story? - Keil's Life in Outer Space is a heart warming story about growing up and pushing social boundaries. The story of a group of high school misfits and the girl who changes everything, Life in Outer Space is everything that I imagined it would be. Funny, quirky and adorkably cute, Keil's debut is unlike anything I've ever read. With a brilliant yet socially awkward male protagonist and his equally as awkward motley crew, Life in Outer Space offers readers a refreshingly realistic and relatable take on growing up and the power of friendship, love and everything dorky!

The Long Story? - Under normal circumstances, this probably wouldn't have been my cup of tea. I'm not normally one to be found reading novels about growing up (unless there are hot boys involved) or books with geeky references throughout it (because I don't get 95% of them) but somehow I found myself enjoying Life in Outer Space very much. There is something refreshingly about this debut, I loved that it pushed social boundaries, I loved the emphasis on friendship and I like the routine of the whole novel, it's so steady yet funny and not at all boring. I would have liked to see a little more romance which is funny because everyone else LOVES this book because of the minimalistic romance but I'M A GIRL (sue me!). I can't say that I understood many of the geeky references made throughout the novel but I enjoyed it nevertheless. There is something light and fluffy about this plot and I can definitely see why this book appeals to readers of both genders. Definitely a debut worth checking out!

The characterisation really did it for me. I wouldn't say I'm typically geeky or a "misfit" but I could definitely connect with Sam. I loved that the book was written through the perspective of a boy, honestly it's such an interesting perspective, authors should write through boys more often! Sam was so cute and adorkable, I just wanted to cuddle him and never let go! I loved reading about his adventures with his friends and his relationship with Camilla. His awkwardness and wittiness was irresistible and I want more than anything to plop down on the couch next to him and watch horror movies! His character development was well done, I'm glad to see him become more confident because there is no reason for him to have low self esteem, he's absolutely brilliant. Camilla was one of my favourite secondary characters, she's so down to earth and groovy! She doesn't care about what everyone else thinks and yet somehow everyone adores her for being who she is. She's such a lovely girl! All of Sam's other friends are all so lovely as well, I simply adored them all! I want to be their friend!!! Great characterisation!

I would highly recommend Life in Outer Space to any readers looking for a light hearted contemporary YA without a heavy emphasis on romance. This is the kind of novel everyone should read because it shows true appreciation for friendship which is what high school is about. It's about friendship not boys and I liked how that came through in Keil's debut (although you know I wouldn't hate the book either if it's overly romantic :D). All in all, I very much enjoyed Life in Outer Space and I'm sure many of you will too!

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

Badass Bookie

Prodigy

Review Time! Prodigy by Marie Lu is the long anticipated sequel to Legend, a phenomenal 2011 YA Debut. You can read my review of Legend - HERE (It's really good!!!). I was so excited to read Prodigy and it was an added bonus that I read it so soon after I finished Legend so the story was still fresh! You can purchase a copy of Legend from The Book Depository | The Nile | Fishpond | Bookworld. Thanks to Penguin for the review copy!

(Goodreads) June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

The Short Story? - Inspired by Les Miserables, Lu's dystopian YA series is an absolute stunner! With the perfect combination of action and romance, Prodigy exceeded all my expectations for the series! Beautiful character building, well written and the plot was exploding with secret agendas, twists and turns! A land mine of a plot, a beautifully flawed yet strong romance and two characters that stole my heart in their own ways. Lu has truly outdone herself with this extraordinary sequel to a phenomenal debut. Prodigy was completely and utterly amazing!

The Long Story? - One of the worst things that can happen with a series or trilogy is a downhill story. You don't want to read a mind blowing debut and then a completely lacking sequel. Fortunately in this case, Prodigy met all my expectations and then some! I absolutely loved it! There was drama, tension, action, mystery and to wrap it up, a romance tagline. It was just the perfect combination of everything that I love all between a beautiful cover. Well written and brilliantly planned, it's going to be pretty hard to beat a plot like this, I feel sorry for whatever book I have to review next! I also loved the introduction of new characters, the new turn of events AT THE VERY END are going to be very interesting. Undoubtedly, the next book is going to be even more amazing than Prodigy and I can't wait for it! Lu has done a spectacular job with this dystopian YA series, truly a polished gem!

To fall in love with a book, you must fall in love with the characters first and I fell head over heels in love with both June and Day. Initially I was a little hesitant about the characters because they're awfully young for such a dramatised plot, I mean at 15 I wasn't starting revolutions or saving the republic however both have shown outstanding maturity and ugh, I just love them soooo much! June, it's astounding how much she's grown since Legend, she's really had it tough and the way she's dealt with everything is just so brave! Day, apart from being incredibly good looking was so perfect. He wasn't too nice and yes, in parts he was a little bit of a jerk but the way he always pulls through and his love June is so sweet! One of the best coupling in the YA genre, I couldn't be any happier! Although I love June and Day together, I can't help but wonder whether there will be anything between June and Anden. It probably won't be a love triangle but the best romances are the ones that survive all the obstacles!

I like to think of myself as a reasonable book critic, I always try to see the positive and the negative and in this case, I just can't find a negative! I enjoyed it immensely and while it wasn't The Gathering Dark ( which is my favourite book in the entire world!), Prodigy was as close to perfection as I'm willing to say! I highly recommend checking out this series, definitely worth a read! Lu better have something mind shattering planned for book 3 if she wants to meet all my high expectations! Two thumbs up for Prodigy!

What's It Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck/ Break Out the Piggy Bank

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - All About The Ruining + Giveaway

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Book Profile

Name - The Ruining (Goodreads)
Author - Anna Collomore
Genre -  Psychological Thriller
Release Date - February 7th 2013

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play? 

Available - The Book Depository | Indiebound | Bookish | Barnes and Noble

The Insider's Scoop

1.) I am a part-time nanny, just like Annie, my protagonist. However, I wrote The Ruining several months before my friends here in Paris contacted me to offer me the job. It's 100% coincidental that I wrote a book about a nanny...then took a job as a nanny.

2.) I wrote three different endings for The Ruining. They were all drastically different, and sometimes I go back and wish I could swap out the one I went with for a previous (more sinister) one!

3.) Bits and pieces of Owen, Annie's love interest, were drawn from real life. My boyfriend at the time I was writing the novel had a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Zizzy (Owen's dog is Izzy), was known to eat sardines from a can, and liked to play Words with Friends. Another previous boyfriend was a volunteer EMT. And like Owen, one of my brothers competed in the National Spelling Bee. (There really was a crying room.)

4.) I had a marathon writing session with one of my good friends (Jess Rothenberg, author of The Catastrophic History of You and Me), just before my first draft was due. I wrote 40+ pages over the course of two days, fueled by sparkling wine and an array of gourmet snack items. It was one of my favorite friend-writing-sessions ever.

5.) I wrote The Ruining during lunch breaks, nights and weekends (while working full-time) over the course of 2 1/2 months...and my mental state (as a result of stress and a lack of sleep) was really weird. It's probably why I was able to portray Annie's slipping sanity in a somewhat convincing way.

"Gripping, unputdownable stuff."--Booklist

"This story unwinds as a corker of a read...gripping stuff." --Kirkus, Starred Review

~Giveaway~

Anna is giving away (1) Hardcover Copy of The Ruining 

Rule of Entry -

- US ONLY

- Ends 18th of March

- Must be 12 or older

- Optional Entries :

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

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Anna on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - All About Anna Collomore (The Ruining)

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Debutante Profile

Name – Anna Collomore 

Debut – The Ruining 

Genre – Psychological Thriller 

Website– HERE

Facebook -  HERE

Twitter - HERE

Anna Collomore is the debut author of The Ruining (Penguin/Razorbill, February 2013). A former book editor from New York City, Anna now lives and writes in Paris. When she's not reading or writing, Anna can be generally be found in patisseries, thrift stores, parks, flower shops, or (embarrassingly) bars that mimic Brooklyn.

Dream Debutante Dress -  It's Vera Wang bridal, but I figure the blush pink tone makes it versatile.

Notes from a YA Debutante

10 Things About Anna: 

1.) I have only 1.12 remaining kidneys.

2.) I was really little when the AIDS crisis was full-on emerging. My childhood friend had recently kissed me, and I became convinced I had AIDS. For months (it felt like a year), I thought I was going to die. I was afraid to tell my parents. Finally I asked someone how you get AIDS and realized my error. It was probably the most anxiety I've ever felt in my life.

3.) I went through a short phase one summer in which I searched for dead animals (with a wheelbarrow) and gave them funerals.

4.) I lived in Mumbai, India, for about 15 months. Once when I was bopping around town, my friend Salim (who was driving the car we were in) drove over a man. The man did not have any legs and had been crossing the street on his wheeled platform--then the light changed and Salim gunned it. Thankfully, the man wasn't hurt--but our car was almost the focus of a mini-riot. 

5.) I live in a tiny chambre de bonne (servant's room) on the very top floor of a 6-story building in Paris. My floor is technically the 7th, but it is unnumbered and the elevator only goes to the 6th. So you go to the 6th, enter a secret door, take a spiral staircase up to another floor, and then walk down a hallway of unmarked doors...until you get to my room. I have a sloping roof with one little window, but it is not without it's charm--it's a storybook Parisian garret. 

6.) I nearly got kicked out of my dorm in college (and could have been kicked out of college altogether) for lying to my RA in order to protect a friend.

7.) I interviewed LeBron James for the teen section of my local newspaper when I was 17, and he had just been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He gave me an autograph signed, "Thanks, beautiful," and I pinned it to my bedroom wall, where it stayed for about 6 months.

8.) I used to be able to quote along with every single Saved by the Bell episode in existence. 

9.) My junior year of high school, I received a fake detention. My teacher thought it would be hilarious because I was such a big nerd. However, I wasn't that fazed--I served it and he had his laugh, and a couple years later he got fired for harassment...so I guess the joke's on him?

10.) My favorite song to sing loudly in or out of the shower is Lady in Red. 

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Bookie's Note: I just absolutely adore our February Debutantes don't you? Anna, what an INTERESTING life you've had, so many fun and quirky memories. I must ask, 1.12 kidneys? O_o What an unusual number of kidneys to have! I'm so jealous that you live in Paris and that you've lived in India, honestly I would love to pack up, spin the globe and just live somewhere exotic for a couple of months! :D

Remember to come back tomorrow to see the second half of Anna's feature and for a giveaway! :)

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - All About Blaze + Giveaway

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Book Profile

Name - Blaze (Goodreads)
Author - Laurie Boyle Crompton
Genre -  Contemporary
Release Date - February 1st 2013

Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now...

Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The Insider's Scoop

While talking about Blaze in other interviews I’ve alluded to the fact that the first version of the book went in a very different direction and was rewritten considerably. I’m excited to share here for the very first time just how much of a drastic change the manuscript went through. The book was originally titled Fangirl and Her Subatomic Sweatmobile of Doom but that’s not the drastic part. That title could still work for this book. The big, huge, completely gigantic difference is that in the original version Blaze actually…wait for it… oh, and this is a little spoilerly, since after you read this you’ll know this isn’t what happens in the book, so you may want to stop and go read it first… but what I’m trying to tell you is that… in the first version Blaze actually… gets pregnant!

Yes, her encounter with Mark the Shark at one time ended with a positive pregnancy test! I’m sure you can imagine just how much of a different direction the book headed from that point on. Of course Blaze handled her situation with just as much humor and strength as she now handles getting slut shamed. It wasn’t easy for me to decide to make such a big change, especially since the original version was polished and ready to go at the time. Not to mention the fact that the pregnancy was, yanno… the whole plot of the book! But I’m so glad I went ‘back to the drawing board’ and rewrote the second half. It was the right thing to do and the two versions are still similar in many ways with serious issues adding weight to the light overall tone of the novel. I’m as happy with the results as Blaze was to get that now negative pregnancy test! I hope folks enjoy reading her story as much as I enjoyed writing it. And thank you so much for having me!

~Giveaway~

Laurie is giving away (1) SIGNED ARC of Blaze +Bookmarks!

Rule of Entry -

- US/CAN/AUS ONLY

- Ends 16th of March

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

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

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Laurie on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - All About Laurie Boyle Crompton (Blaze)

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Debutante Profile

Name – Laurie Boyle Crompton 

Debut – Blaze

Genre – Contemporary

Website– HERE

Facebook -  HERE

Twitter - HERE

Laurie Boyle Crompton's debut, BLAZE (or, Love in the Time of Supervillains), is available now! Her next book with Sourcebooks is titled THE REAL PROM QUEENS OF WESTFIELD HIGH and her novel ADRENALINE will be published by FSG/Macmillan in 2014. Laurie caught the writing bug back in high school while reading one of her essays aloud to her classmates. They laughed in all the right places and it was like the opposite of that nightmare where everyone laughs as you stand there in your underwear. It made her giddy with power and she’s been happily writing ever since. Laurie and her family split their time between Queens and New Paltz, NY.

Dream Debutante Dress - What fangirl wouldn’t love this dress with a built-in cape? And if there’s one thing Batman has taught us all, everything comes down to who’s got the coolest accessories. 

 

Laurie has truly gone all out with her debutante gown, not only has she picked a mysterious yet beautiful dress, she has also found a mask (of sorts) and shoes to match. All she's missing a secret identity :P

Notes from a YA Debutante

10 Things About Laurie: 

1. She’s very excited to be a Badass Debut! As a superhero fangirl she loves to think of herself as Badass in as many ways as possible!

2. She grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania the small rural town where Blaze also happens to live. This is not because she is too lazy to research new settings. Okay, that may be part of the reason.

3. She got the heck out of Butler as soon as humanly possible and now resides on Long Island close to NYC. But she loves to steal away upstate to New Paltz which is a town quite similar to Butler in many ways. The irony of this is not lost on her.

4. If she could choose one superpower it would absolutely be the power to fly. Like, honestly more than a grown woman should wish she could fly.

5. She graduated first in her class from St. John’s University. This is because she loves to read and was an English major and not because she is actually all that smart.

6. Among her numerous jobs she once wrote for a toy magazine and appeared on television as a ‘toy expert.’ Yes, it was every bit as cool as that sounds.

7. She and her husband lived in England for six months before having children.

8. She likes feeling jet-lagged and wishes she could travel overseas more often. Just for the jet-lag. And maybe for the travel, too.

9. Her absolute favorite author in high school was Stephen King. One of the minor characters in Blaze has a seriously twisted backstory as a result of this. Laurie will never tell anyone what that backstory is unless she maybe meets Stephen King one day and he asks her about it.

10. She painted her first car hot pink when she was seventeen years old. Blaze gives her minivan a similar makeover in the book. This was in order to pay homage to that legendary car and not because Laurie is too lazy to make new stuff up. She genuinely loves making new stuff up. 

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Bookie's Note: What a great way to kick start 2013 Debut of the Month! Laurie thank-you so much for agreeing to be a February Debutante! Out of all the jobs in the world, Toy Expert sounds like it has it's perks, I'm sure my brother would definitely agree :') I LOVE TO TRAVEL TOO and I'm not a whiner about jet lag either, I don't exactly loveeee it but hey, it's all gewd! When I get my car, I'm going to stick stickers all over it, not as badass as your idea but I guess I'm not that brave! :D

Remember to come back tomorrow to see the second half of Laurie's feature and for a giveaway! :)

Badass Bookie xx