HUGE Giveaway and Review for Auracle by Gina Rosati

*A HUGE thank you to Gina Rosati for providing me with an ARC of Auracle to review! Thank you, thank you! *

Auracle by Gina Rosati

Release Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Author Information: Website / Twitter / Facebook
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Available Formats: Hardcover and eBook

My Shelf: Own (ARC)
Other Information: Debut

Pre-Order: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Books-A-Million

Add to Goodreads!

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

Review:

I point to my chest, mouthing the word me.

“Me,” he says softly. “‘That’s not me.’ That’s not you? Well, then, who is it?” He looks more confused than ever. Over at my house, the front door opens. Taylor comes out barefoot and walks slowly up the driveway toward the mailbox. She doesn’t look over, but Rei sees her, and he knows I can’t be here and there at the same time.

I mouth the word very slowly. “Taylor.” 

Auracle was a real treat to read. Rosati smoothly blends vivid details and evocative writing with an original, emotional story, heartfelt and down-to-earth characters, and a plotline that will keep you reading until the very end.

Growing up, I watched the show Charmed religiously, and I remember thinking Prue’s ability of astral projection was one of the most amazing abilities ever. To be able to escape from both your body and life, traverse to places of unforetold wonder, experience things such as sight, smell, and sound more intensely than in your physical body, it would truly be a life-altering experience. While the concept of astral projection was what drew me to Auracle initially, I quickly discovered there was so much more to love about it.

The characters themselves were exquisitely rendered, each with their own strengths and imperfections, and they felt genuinely real. Roasti brilliantly constructs deep bonds between the characters, and portrays what it means to be a true friend. Personally, I found the strongest and most compelling part of this story to be the growing relationship between Rei and Anna. Having been best friends since childhood, there were already close to one another, but I loved watching their relationship realistically and gradually change as they became aware of the romantic connection between them. (I was totally giggling the first time Anna realizes that Rei has abs! Yum! :D)

Utterly unique and emotionally gripping, Auracle is easily a book I would recommend to anyone. It has quickly been added to my list of top favorites, and it is the type of book you will reach for again and again. To put it simply, Auracle was an absolutely mesmerizing read, and I hope it dazzles you as much as it did me.  

The Greatest Escape!

Well, if that is not enough to inspire you to read Auracle, I’ll share a funny story from the author –

“I was having trouble visualizing Rei, so one day while I was using my husband's computer, I decided I needed to find a picture. Rei is half Japanese, so I Google Image-searched "Hot Asian Guys". NEVER do this from your husband's computer (or boyfriend or parent, etc.) because there is this little thing I was unaware of called Google Search History. Later that night, my husband asked me 1) why I had been Googling "Hot Asian Guys" on his computer and 2) why his computer was infested with malware. Oops! (I now know that anything Googled with the word “Hot” can lead to big trouble!) Fortunately, my husband has a really great sense of humor and he's a whiz at fixing computers.

As soon as I saw this picture, I knew I’d found my Rei (although this is really actor/singer Takeshi Kaneshiro!) And since he looks so good all drippy wet, I felt compelled to keep Rei wet as much as possible, which explains Rei’s shower obsession. Seriously. This is character development at its finest! ;)”

To view the picture of Rei, click here!

And now it is GIVEAWAY TIME! Gina is giving away a bunch of awesome prizes: a signed ARC of Auracle, two bags of Auracle swag, and a Swarovski crystal bracelet! (^o^) This giveaway is international, so anyone can join! The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. To enter, just sign up below!

The prizes (detailed): Signed ARC, beaded bookmarks, buttons, magnets, silicone bracelets, Swarovski crystal bracelet and stickers! About the bracelet: The center star and fastener are lead-free pewter. The blue crystals are Swarovski, but the large clear beads are quartz crystal, which (according to newly minted crystal geek, Gina) absorbs negative energy. Leave your bracelet on a sunny windowsill from time to time to let the crystals clear and charge up.  The bracelet pictured measures seven inches. If you need your bracelet bigger or smaller, let me know and Gina will restring to fit.

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Review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Travel

Available Formats: Hardcover and eBook

My Shelf: Own ARC (eBook)

Buy the Book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Books-A-Million

It all begins with a stupid question: 

Are you a Global Vagabond? 

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. 

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. 

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back. 

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

Review:

Wanderlove, simply put, was breathtaking. This book tugged at my heart and just really resonated with me. It made me want to wander, and it made me want to love. I was captivated from the very beginning, and I have wholly fallen in love with this book.

Wanderlove tells the story of an 18-year-old named Bria Sandoval, who is desperately looking to escape her life in California. She has always loved art, but after a disaster of a relationship with her jealous boyfriend comes to an end, Bria finds herself unable to do the one thing that brought her joy. In attempt to reclaim her art and find some independence, she spontaneously plans a trip to Central America with the Global Vagabonds. Unbeknownst to her, these Global Vagabonds are not the rugged, seasoned backpacking adventurers she thought they would be, but rather a group of older tourists sporting suitcases and sunscreen-white noses. When she comes across siblings Rowan and Starling, who just so happen to be backpacking veterans, she decides to live on the edge, ditch the group and her suitcase, and travel with them. Throughout their explorations and travels in the Central America, Bria learns more about herself, rediscovers her art, and finds love.

Hubbard has written an astonishingly beautiful story in Wanderlove. This book is so much more than a girl who finds love abroad, or a girl who matures and achieves self-actualization through her travels. Bria’s story made me feel so much, and there were honestly moments where I thought I was feeling too many feelings. The end of the story almost had me in tears!

As the main character, Bria was amazing. I understood her need to get away from the impasse at home and reclaim her love for art. I liked how when someone told her she could not do something, she was determined to prove to them, and even to herself, that she could. She is stubborn, and even a little snarky at times, but that is just who she is. It is almost scary how well I connected to her character. Her moments of wondering what the future holds for her resembled mine from a few years back.  I had similar doubts and concerns, enabling me to connect and relate with her, and I got really invested in her story. Rowan was also perfect in his own way. Looking to escape a past chocked full of wrongdoings, he lives by his self-made policy of wanderlove: live in the present, look to the future, and never look back or dwell on what has already come to pass. He is adventurous, confident, and just downright swoon-worthy. While his demeanor says he’s uncaring, he is actually extraordinarily kind, and he is always there for those he cares for. I feel like nothing I say does him justice! I just loved, loved, loved him.

The chemistry between Bria and Rowan was excellent! Their relationship starts out rather rocky, with Rowan being a rather unwilling tour guide and Bria being standoffish. It takes a while for them to start opening up to one another, and very slowly, their relationship builds into friendship and then something more. I really liked how their relationship progressed slowly, for it made their feelings for one another seem real. They both have trust issues resulting from past relationships, and it takes them some time to feel comfortable around each other. They are also a great balance for one another. Rowan helps Bria become more audacious and adventurous while Bria shows Rowan the benefits of trusting someone and never running from the past. They really complement one another, and I loved watching their relationship develop.

It would be wrong of me to not talk about Hubbard’s prose and extensive details. This book is packed full of beautiful descriptions, more than I have ever come across in any book, and it provided a nice touch to the story. An artist pays attention to the little things, such as people, clothing, and even lighting effects, and these details just helped define Bria’s character and her love for art. The descriptions were breathtaking, and they made me feel like I was in Central America myself, experiencing and seeing everything as Bria did. Hubbard definitely has a way with words, and I think she is an exceptional writer. 

Hubbard is also an extraordinary artist. There were a few of her drawings intermittently placed in the story, and each picture correlated to what Bria was drawing and/or feeling. These drawings added a nice touch to the story, and also helped bring out Bria’s love for art. I do not know much about art, but I thought the pictures Hubbard drew were AMAZING! I read the eBook on my computer, which was not the optimal way to view them, so I am looking forward to seeing how these pictures look in the ‘real.’

Overall, this book was one the best books I have read in 2012. It is a beautifully written story, set in some alluring areas in Central America, and you should not miss out on it. I have to say, this book really made we want to travel. I have never been backpacking before, nor really even cared to try, but I am rethinking that decision now. I really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to see what Hubbard has in store for us next!

The Greatest Escape!