Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

    Thank you to Penguin/Viking for allowing us to reveal the cover of Stasia Ward Kehoe's The Sound of Letting Go!  Personally, I love the cover.  It's simple, but in a perfect kind of way that I think suits the book.  Make sure you visit the bottom of the post for the giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Arrows, because I feel like making you work to get to the cover...

and giveaway...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hah, you're almost there...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

And now the cover 

 

Title: The Sound of Letting Go

Author: Stasia Ward Kehoe

Publisher/ Expected Publication Date: Penguin Group/Viking, February 1, 2014

 

Synopsis

     For sixteen years, Daisy has been good.  A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly.  A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad.  She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave. 

 

     But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal.  Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy?  Should she side with her parents or protect her brother?  How do you know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

 

The all important links

For more information on Stasia Ward Kehoe

Stasia on twitter On Facebook At Goodreads At her blog

And now for the giveaway!

 

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Movie Review: After Earth Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Title: After Earth
Director:  M. Night Shyamalan
Writers: Gary Whitta (Screenplay), M. Night Shyamalan(Screenplay), & Will Smith (Story)
Release Date: May 31, 2013
Rated: PG-13 Sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images (For additional rating information for After Earth visit the Internet Movie Data Base)

Thanks to 100.7 Jack FM, I attended an advanced screening of After Earth on May 29, 2013.

My Thoughts

I know that I am a little late with posting my thoughts about After Earth. Let me start by saying that After Earth had a great message about the relationship of a father and son. It was entertaining, but it didn’t have that wow factor. Yet, I felt that the movie captured what it takes for a service member to reintegrate into the family and the difficulties in the relationships between some parents and their children as a result of extended separations.

After Earth is the story of Cypher Raige (Will Smith), a Commander General, who comes home and is distant with Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith), his son. The family had experienced a great loss in the past and there were some unresolved issues related to  the death of Kitai’s sister. The father requires Kitai to say “yes sir” each time he addresses him, and it is apparent that their relationship is strained. Cypher takes his son on a mission with him so they can bond and that’s when their adventure begins. One problem I had was that some of the events seemed out of place. In particular, I found it odd that it was so easy for Kitai to locate his father after the accident. The accident was a turning point in their relationship. Cypher had to depend on his son, and they began to develop mutual respect. Yeah, the movie was slow and the acting fell flat at times, but once I could see the direction of this film, I started to enjoy it. After Earth—a father and son who work on rebuilding their relationship through adversity and are dependent on each other for survival…How can you go wrong with that?

I recommend After Earth to those who like films with a strong message and a touch of action and adventure. FYI-Be aware that there are some disturbing images.

Check out the official site for the summary and additional information.
 

Rating

After Earth Trailer

Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Title:Days of Blood & Starlight (Click title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Purchased, Hardback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, November 6, 2012



My Thoughts:

     I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into Days of Blood and Starlight, but I sure as heck wasn’t disappointed.  Laini once again did a fanciful job on capturing the world Karou lives in.  The writing was just amazing, descriptive, and really kept the story going. 
 

     Days of Blood and Starlight, was a true sequel, which continues Karou’s story.  As always the characters were fantastic and their reactions to things were realistic.  This book was set up way different than Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  Zuzana was just awesome, and she kept right on looking for Karou, which just showed how much of a friend she was to her.  I’m glad that Zuzana found some happiness in Days of Blood and Starlight.  Then there was Karou and Akiva.  Both were facing major changes in their lives, and I’m glad that they were able to work through some of them.  Still, I was rooting for Karou and Akiva—and their complicated relationship—from the start.

     The plot moved at a fast past, and with each chapter I found out something new. It was a truly amazing story, and I definitely recommend this one to anyone.  Now I just have to wait for the next one to come out.

 

Early Movie Review: Now You See Me

Title: Now You See Me

Director: Louis Letterrier

Producer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Bobby Cohen

Written by: Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: May 31, 2013

For more information about the movie visit the official site here

My Thoughts:

     My first thoughts about Now You See Me were:  What?  How?  Where the heck did that come from?  Oh, ok, I did not see that coming.  After the end of Now You See Me, I was left reeling from it, and feeling like the movie was one giant illusion meant to trick the audience into believing they’re seeing something they’re not—well, at the very least, that’s how I felt.  It really made me think about the plot as it progressed as new details emerged.  Now You See Me is the kind of movie I’d eventually buy when it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray, just to see if there were any small details I missed the first time I’d seen it.

      The plot follows “The Four Horsemen,” a team of talented illusionist, who go up against an elite team of FBI agents, in a series of thrilling heists.  Jack Wilder, Henley Reeves, Merritt McKinney, and J. Daniel Atlas start off as separate performers, unable to work with one another.  Through a course of mysterious events, the four end up working as a team.  The Horsemen were really the world’s greatest illusionist in this movie, as time after time, they always managed to stay one step ahead of the agents who were closing in on them. 

     Now You See Me was truly different from the other movies coming out this year.  I mean, come on.  How many times are you going to get a movie about illusionist pulling off heists?  I was so sure it was someone else, but it wasn’t.  I can’t say much more without spoiling the plot, but the secrets, oh the secrets will leave you questioning what you saw throughout the movie.  The greatest trick of Now You See Me was the movie itself, and the hidden details within it.  The only issue I really had with the movie was that there was some inappropriate suggestive content at seemingly random parts of the movie, and instances of crude humor that could have just been left out.  Otherwise, it was a pretty good movie.

 

Thank you to Summit Entertainment for the advanced screening tickets!  Another thank you to Z90.3 for the awesome Now You See Me hat!

 

Check out the trailer below:

Review: Double Vision by F. T. Bradley



Title: Double Vision
(Click on the title link for synopsis)
Author:  F.T. Bradley
Publisher/Publication Date: 
HarperCollins Children's, October 16, 2012
Source/Format:  Borrowed from Library,
Hardback

Double Vision, Double agent, Double Fun and Excitement! That explains the debut novel Double Vision by F. T. Bradley in a nutshell. The cover appeared exciting enough and the synopsis drew me in, but I approached this book with reservations since I was unfamiliar with Bradley’s work.  Now, I suggest removing the caution tape and approaching the book full speed ahead. You will not be disappointed because this middle-grade spy novel provides non-stop action and adventure.

Lincoln (Linc) Baker is a mischievous twelve-year-old prone to causing trouble, and one wrong decision lands him and his family in a world of trouble.  With a lawsuit pending against his family, and not enough funds to cover it, Linc decides to take up an offer from a shadowy government agency called Pandora. F.T. Bradley did a phenomenal job on Double Vision as she transformed a mischievous kid who used the context of the world for knowledge into a not so skilled but effective spy.  Linc’s mission was to find the “evil Mona Lisa.”  It leads Linc on a whirlwind adventure in Paris, full of action, humor, cool gadgets, spies, betrayals, and a plot that had me guessing till the end.  Along the way Linc made a few interesting friends such as a cab driver with crazy driving skills that had me nervous for Linc, and then a girl from a bakery, a strong female character, who has mad-skills with a stick.  What’s not to like about that?

I would definitely recommend Double Vision by F.T. Bradley.  Ok, ok, ok, let’s just say that it was the perfect spy themed novel that needs to be adapted into a movie!  End of discussion.                                    – Review  written by Andrea M.  & Breana M.

 Browse Inside

 

Watch as F. T. Bradley Discusses Double Vision