{Blog Tour} Overboard by Elizabeth Fama: Review & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Overboard Blog Tour, hosted by Dianne of Oops! I Read a Book Again. I've got a review and giveaway for you, but be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more awesome content, including reviews from other bloggers and excerpts from the book!

Title: Overboard
Author: Elizabeth Fama
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: June 9, 2015 (first published January 1, 2002)
Source: PB provided by author for review
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

She swam up for what seemed like an eternity, with her chest so achingly empty it felt as if it had collapsed, seeing only white bubbles in front of her face until she broke the surface.

One moment of rashness, and fourteen-year-old Emily Slake finds herself amid hundreds of panicked and drowning people in the dark ocean waters off Sumatra. Miles from shore without a life vest, she resolves to survive. But in facing the dangers of the ocean, the desperation of her fellow survivors, and her own growing exhaustion, Emily must summon wits and endurance she's not sure she has.

Striking out on her own, Emily encounters Isman, a frightened young Muslim boy, floating in a life vest. Together they swim for their lives, relying on Emily's physical strength and Isman's quiet faith.

Based on a true story, Overboard is both a riveting tale of survival and a sensitive portrayal of cross-cultural understanding in a time of crisis.

I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Fama's after reading her dark and haunting Monstrous Beauty, and I was even further overcome by her beautiful words in Plus One. Plus, she's just an all-around awesome individual. So I was beyond excited to be given the opportunity to read her first book now that it's gone to print again.

I'm not always the biggest fan of survival accounts, but Emily's story had my heart in my throat the entire time. Initially, I found her character a tad immature and more than a little whiney, but then I remembered how I behaved at fourteen, and yeah, I would have loathed having my parents drag me to some developing country where I had no friends and little chance at a more conventional life. Plus, Emily really grows up over the course of the narrative and proves to be much more intelligent and quick-thinking than I ever was at that age.

Emily encounters a lot of situations that require her to pull from her life experience thus far, and it's her ability to think on her feet that ensures she survives to meet the next problem head-on. First and foremost, she has to make it off the sinking ferry, which is no small feat, but then she's thrown into a series of surreal episodes that would change any adult, let alone a kid of fourteen. I think her experience in the sea left her reevaluating everything, and she'll be quite a different person coming out the other side of such a tragedy.

This is not just a book about survival but also one of friendship. When we meet Emily, she feels rather desolate and longs for home. I think Beth so beautifully portrays what Emily's life is like as an American girl in a developing foreign country. After two years, she's learned the language and the customs, but she still feels like an outsider, as if she'll never fit into this life. And yet she does, without even realizing it. It's never more evident than when she meets British tourists on holiday in Sumatra, with their lack of knowledge of the local culture and the fact that they don't seem to care to know. It so obviously rubs Emily the wrong way, but she doesn't mention it.

Despite all of that, friendship presents itself in the most unlikely of scenarios, with Emily tying her life to that of a nine-year-old boy who needs her as much as she needs him to make it out of this situation alive. The fact that there is no language barrier makes it that much easier for Emily to convince Isman to let her help him. I wholeheartedly believe that if Emily was truly as unhappy in Indonesia as she believes she is in the beginning, she never would have made the effort to learn the language and she would have been much less successful out in the open sea -- much less dry land -- especially when it came to communicating with the other survivors.

I had planned to read this with my seven-year-old daughter because it sounded like such an inspirational story, and one with wonderfully diverse characters at that, but after much discussion with the author and after reading through it myself first, I decided that I'd wait a few years before letting Katie experience this fantastic book. Beth believes that this book reads younger, like a middle grade, and I'm inclined to agree, but there are still some situations that would likely give younger children nightmares, or at the very least, have them asking questions that they're maybe not quite ready for the answers to yet. But I have no doubt that when she's ready, my daughter will absolutely love this story of a heroic girl in a strange land as much as I did.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Plus One was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in April, 2014. A 2015 RITA award finalist, Plus One was also a highlighted book in VOYA magazine, and was listed among the "Top 12 Young Adult Books of 2014" in the Huffington Post.

Monstrous Beauty, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in September, 2012. It won won the 2013 Odyssey Honor Award, and was included on the 2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list and the 2013 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults list.

My first novel, Overboard (Cricket Books, 2002), was named a 2003 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association (one of only eleven books selected unanimously by the committee that year). It received the 2002-2003 honor award from the Society of Midland Authors, and it was nominated for five state readers' choice awards (New Hampshire, Texas, Illinois, Utah, and Florida).

Find Elizabeth:

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour here! Thanks for stopping by & happy reading!

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Labels: amazon children's publishing, blog tour, diversity, elizabeth fama, favorite authors, giveaways, middle-grade, overboard, tough subject

Review: End of Days by Susan Ee

Title: End of Days
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, book #3
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Source: ARC and FC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

Penryn and the End of Days is by far one of my favorite series, and I am so glad that it ended on such a spectacular note. My expectations for this series finale were high, and not only were they met, but the author far exceeded what I had hoped for in this final installment. I loved this book -- and series! -- so much that I already pre-ordered the audio of End of Days so that I can listen to all three books back-to-back.

Everything that I loved about the previous books is still intact, but Susan Ee has done us a solid and kicked it all up a notch. Penryn is still her fabulous, angel-killer self, still coming to terms with her sister's situation and her mother's delusions and everything else the angels have unleashed upon the world. But she never turns her back on humanity, even though she's fallen for an angel of the highest order. Even though some humans are responsible for her sister's plight. Penryn has always made the hard choices, and they don't get any easier for her when the end of days arrives.

Truths about the angels' plans here on Earth finally come to light, and Raffe finds himself with some difficult decisions, as well. Don't expect him to take it easy on Penryn, though. The banter and tough love are still very much a part of this story. Both characters have shown tremendous growth, over the course of the series but most especially in this book: Penryn as a leader of her people and Raffe as a more forgiving hero.

There is so much working against them in this story that I was concerned I might not get the ending I was hoping for, at least where these two are concerned. But there are more tender scenes than I expected. Stolen kisses. Moments fraught with sexual tension. Steaminess that's unrivaled up to this point in the series, even if it left one or more parties feeling guilty, unsure, and completely angst-ridden. Not only do Penryn and Raffe have to come to terms with their feelings for each other, but they have to do it in a world where nothing is certain and there is little to no chance that their pairing will be accepted...by humans or by angels.

Getting the romance right, and having it come to fruition in just the right way, was key for this final book...at least for me. But I had faith that the author would do it justice, and she so did. She always manages to surprise me with her unusual plot lines, like that near-sentient sword and the humans-turned-locusts. So, it really shouldn't have caught me off guard that she coerced me into actually feeling sympathy toward one of the more vile characters in this series. More than sympathy, actually, but you'll see. And the method in which she makes this happens..it was incredibly unique, even for a fantasy novel.

Humans and angels battle it out in this finale -- and that is one epic last stand, let me tell you -- and I couldn't be more ecstatic about the outcome if I were to discover that Susan Ee still planned to write more in the series. I would be over the moon with that announcement, but alas, it is not to be. So I guess it's a good thing that End of Days was more than a satisfying conclusion to the series. If you haven't started this series yet, you absolutely must. And if you're already a fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed by this final book...it's everything we've been waiting for and more.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Susan Ee has eaten mezze in the old city of Jerusalem, surfed the warm waters of Costa Rica, and played her short film at a major festival. She has a life-long love of science fiction, fantasy and horror, especially if there's a touch of romance. She used to be a lawyer but loves being a writer because it allows her souped-up imagination to bust out and go feral.

Find Susan:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, amazon children's publishing, angels, demons, favorites, must-read, penryn and the end of days, post-apocalyptic, reviews, susan ee

Waiting on Wednesday: Immaculate & End of Days

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: Immaculate
Author: Katelyn Detweirler
Series: n/a
Publisher: Viking Childrens
Publication Date: May 26th, 2015

Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant.

Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

I am fascinated by the description of this book, and I'm not sure why. Everything about that last sentence screams that it will be preachy. I don't do preachy. Religion is not a part of my life. I do not believe in God. However, I do not believe in Vampires either, butI like books about them! From what I've seen through goodread status's, readers believe Immaculate will be a retelling of The Virgin Mary. I'm completely cool with that, as long as it doesn't turn into a sermon. Crossing my fingers, because otherwise, this one sounds pretty good. :)




's Pick:



Title: End of Days
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn and the End of Days, book #3
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: May 12, 2015

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! I can't believe it's almost here! And that it's the end! What will I do with myself when this series is over?!? It's the best, most kickass angel series EVAR!!!! BUT, I heard that she's working on something new! Eeeek!!! I can only imagine how kickass it will be after this series! =D


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: amazon children's publishing, angels, demons, favorites, immaculate, Katelyn Detweirler, penryn and the end of days, post-apocalyptic, pregnancy, susan ee, viking childrens, virgin, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Chaos by Sarah Fine + Vigilante & Stories from the Shadowlands

Today is the release day for the final book in Sarah Fine's Guards of the Shadowlands series, and if you know anything about me at all, it should be that I'm a total fangirl for these books...or any of Sarah's books if we're being honest. But Sanctum was the first book of hers that I ever explored and I was captivated from the very start.

These books follow Lela as she heads to the Afterlife in hopes of saving her friend Nadia, who's just committed suicide. Because of the way in which she died, Nadia is sent to a not-so-nice place in the Afterlife, and Lela can't stand to see her suffer. Lela sneaks into this place where Nadia is sent, and things progress from there. Lela makes a lot of sacrifices over the course of this series, but so do many of the people she comes into contact with.

I'm celebrating the release of Chaos today -- even though the fact that the series is ending is rather bittersweet -- and in doing so, I'm reviewing the last three pieces of this story: Vigilante, Chaos, and Stories from the Shadowlands. Since it's the end, I can't really reveal any details without risk of spoilers, so I'm just going to provide you with feelings-based reviews...they should more than get the point across. ;-) I've come to love all of these characters so much, and I'm sad to say goodbye to them, though I'm glad to have discovered them in the first place. And Sarah's created so much bonus content in addition to her full-length books...it's clear that she loves her characters every bit as much as I do.

Title: Vigilante
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Guards of the Shadowlands, book #2.5
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: July 25, 2014
Source: freebie for pre-ordering Chaos
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ana has done her time as a Guard in the dark city and now that she’s finally been released into the Countryside, all she wants to do is find Takeshi, the love she lost to the Mazikin so many years ago. The only problem? He’s nowhere to be found. Now Ana faces a choice—remain alone in paradise or venture into the depths of the Wasteland in an attempt to rescue the man who still owns her heart.

I haven't read the other novella in this series entitled Captive, but I'm here to tell you that you absolutely should read Vigilante prior to starting Chaos. It's told from Ana's perspective and it gives you a ton of insight into her mindset going into Chaos. Otherwise, you might be a little...thrown by some of her actions at first, especially considering what you already know about her character from the previous books.

Also, you get to meet Takeshi. At least in Ana's flashbacks, anyway. And you'll get to see some seriously swoony parallels between their relationship and that of Malachi and Lela. Plus, you'll meet someone only vaguely referenced in a previous book, and things will all start making sense finally. Or at least as much sense as the will of the Judge can ever make to us mere mortals.

Vigilante is short and sweet and, in my opinion, totally necessary for full comprehension of these characters and what they mean to each other. It was free with your preorder of Chaos, but I'm not sure if that's a thing after the fact or how you can go about getting it now. :( I'll try to find out, if anyone's interested.

Title: Chaos
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Guards of the Shadowlands, book #3
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Source: from publisher via Netgalley, PB won from Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

With Juri in control and everything in absolute chaos, Lela plunges into the depths of hell to free Malachi from creatures that have waited decades to exact their revenge. But the Judge has her own way of doing things, and Lela must work with Ana, the new Captain, who has a very personal mission of her own. Together, they infiltrate the most horrifying realm either has yet encountered in the Shadowlands—the bitter landscape ruled by the Mazikin.

The stakes could not be higher, and Lela must accept the help—and love—of people she barely knows or trusts. As alliances and loyalties shift and she realizes the soul she came to save isn’t the only one in need of rescue, can Lela summon the strength to see the fight through to the very end?

I could not have asked for a better ending to one of my favorite series...seriously. Some things went the way I'd expected, but there were a lot of surprises, as well...and not all of them welcome. But I can honestly say that this final installment was everything I was hoping for, and then some.

Obviously, with the way Fractured ended, we knew Lela was going before the Judge again and that she wasn't going to let Malachi go without a fight. Lela's fierceness and her willingness to sacrifice herself for those she cares about are what I like best about her, and that hasn't changed. And now she's got Ana -- or rather, Ana's got her -- as they trek through the Mazakin realm to rescue both of their loves.

This novel is kind of split between the Mazakin city and the rescue attempt and then what happens after. This final book is fraught with emotional moments: tearful reunions -- and amorous ones! -- heartbreaking goodbyes, daring escapes and startling realizations. It wouldn't be any kind of finale, though, if it didn't make you feel the whole gamut of emotions. I've always felt that there was a good balance between the darkness and the light in this series, though, even if it didn't always feel like it at the time. And nowhere is this balance more evident than in the dark, chaotic atmosphere of the Shadowlands and the nearly palpable romantic tension between Malachi and Lela.

I love happy endings as much as the next girl, but I'm also okay with a realistic ending, one in which the hero doesn't get the girl or the world isn't saved. I honestly couldn't tell you which type of ending I prefer because it really depends on the story thus far. But I can tell you that it is much easier for me to let go, to say goodbye to characters if I see them on their merry way before doing so. With this series, though, I don't think either ending would have made saying goodbye any easier. (Make of that what you will.)

I will say that this conclusion to the Guards of the Shadowlands series was completely satisfying. And it made everything these characters have been through totally worth it. This series has been so intense and so emotionally draining at times, but it has also been completely lovely at times, too. I cannot fathom never having experienced this world or never having met these characters.

GIF it to me straight:

I don't want it to be over. :(

Title: Stories from the Shadowlands
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Guards of the Shadowlands, book #3.1
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: October 6, 2014
Source: gifted by author
Purchase: Amazon

Not ready to leave the Shadowlands yet? From Malachi’s earliest days in the dark city to some of the characters’ experiences after the final scenes of Chaos, this bonus volume gives readers an in-depth look at other realms within the Shadowlands and what it means to be a Guard, whether in the dark city, or the land of the living.

It includes:

--All of Malachi’s journal entries (more than 200) including 30 exclusive, never-before-published entries that reveal his perspective during the events of Fractured

--A 50-page novella from Jim’s perspective (Libertine)

--Three bonus scenes from Sanctum from Malachi and Ana’s perspective (She is the Mission, An End and a Beginning, and The Dark Tower)

--Two lengthy scenes that show some of the surviving characters post-Chaos

This collection is available in e-book format, only.

When Sarah sent this to me, there was a warning not to view the two post-Chaos scenes until I'd actually read the final book because they were very spoilerish. So, I'm warning you now. I waited and read this collection of journal entries and short stories last, and I think that's the best order, especially when it comes to the short stories themselves.

I'd read some of Malachi's journal entries here and there over the years, but never have I sat down and read them all back-to-back. It was insightful, to say the least. Also, there are entries that have never been shared before, from during the time period that Fractured covers, and those are well worth reading, especially if you know what transpires in that book. Very entertaining and very enlightening.

I knew there was so much more of Jim's story that we weren't getting in Fractured, and I'm glad that Sarah decided to write it and share it with all of us, especially since she fed us more of Henry's story in Chaos. As both were part of Lela's team of Guards in the Land of the Living, it's only fitting that both of their stories be told.

I am so thankful for this bonus content because after I finished Chaos, I was kind of a pile of goo and yet still wasn't ready for the final goodbye. It was nice to get even more from Malachi and Ana's perspectives, though I think my favorite part of this book was having all of Malachi's journal entries in one place finally. This collection is a must-have for any fan of the Guards of the Shadowlands series.

About the author:

Sarah Fine was born on the West Coast, raised in the Midwest, and is now firmly entrenched on the East Coast, where she lives with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, she’s working as a child psychologist. She is the author of the young adult novels Sanctum, Fractured, Chaos, Of Metal and Wishes, and Scan. Her first adult fantasy novel, Marked, releases on January 1st, 2015, from 47North.

Find Sarah:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

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Labels: afterlife, all the feels, all the swoons, amazon children's publishing, favorite authors, favorites, guards of the shadowlands, novellas, paranormal, reviews, sarah fine, souls