Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Ironskin
Author: Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor Books
Publish Date: October 2, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 304

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War — Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

It's actually been a good while since a paranormal story really excited me. I feel like I've read and seen it all lately, and I keep waiting for something to break the mold. I've yet to really read a story involving fey that I love, so I'm excited to read Ironskin. Not only is the cover to die for, but the synopsis is fantastic and it sounds like it could be a great start to a brand new series! It seems a bit upper YA, and it seems a whole lotta dark, which makes me incredibly happy. What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

Title: Revived
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: May 8, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

Daisy is used to dying. Actually, she’s died five times. Each time, her life is uprooted, she has to change schools, towns, lives and identities and, frankly, she’s not entirely sure it’s worth it anymore. Nothing is familiar. Nothing is sacred. Everything is temporary, and she wants something a little more solid. Revived has been her saviour each time she’s passed, but Daisy is beginning to see that the silver lining of invincibility isn’t quite as glamourous as it seems. It’s tiring, and nothing is real anymore. Plus, Revived is carefully controlled and God, who controls Revived, his subjects and his agents, is a little more meddlesome than she’d anticipated, and life’s great adventure is a frantic search for normalcy now.

So, colour me crazy, kids, but Revived has one heck of a premise. Death isn’t the end anymore. There’s a world beyond death and this drug is the key to it all. Veteran author, Cat Patrick, has crafted one heck of a plot filled with twists and turns, sending you on whirlwind adventure that’s sinister, realistic and incredibly mysterious. The fast-paced plot speeds you along as you grasp at straws to discover the hidden meaning and capture this character that we so desperately want to help and travel along with. Revived takes reality, turns it on its head, and thrusts an illustrious and unpredictable storyline upon the reader.

Cheating death; now that’s one heck of a crux for a story, eh? Honestly, I love that it makes you think. I’m a religious person. I believe that there is a reason for everything, and I believe that death, while inevitable, isn’t the end. However, Revived presents a reality where death, literally, doesn’t have to be the end…because you can live past it. It’s like a catch-22 though. You can live, but your life changes each time, and that presents questions. Would you still want to live if your life is going to be ripped away? What’s the point of coming back if you can’t come back to the life you love? Those questions run like a fuming undercurrent throughout the story. Revived also lends a touch of contemporary complexity to the story. While the premise is overtly supernatural and paranormal, the story itself, takes a very human approach. The intense characterization helps you become involved in and enmeshed in the journey, and you watch as Daisy carefully cultivates relationships through family, friendships and even first loves. This decidedly human approach makes Revived an interesting blend of contemporary and paranormal – though perhaps clouds it, as well. Finally, I have to remark on that cover. Holy beautiful. Someone buy me an art print, please and thank you!

All in all, I found Revived to be an immensely enjoyable read. I think that, although it was a bit too hasty and speedy at times, it was a solid read overall. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal and contemporary elements.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 464
Source: Publisher

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Anna is strong, determined and fearless, but like everyone, she has a past – whether her own, or her destiny – that seeks to bring out her true nature every day of her life. Yet, she’s managed to control it her whole life. Anna can sense people’s emotions, their auras and she sees their true colours…literally. Darkness lurks everywhere though, and it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with her. When Kaiden enters the picture, gorgeous, alluring and oh-so insidious Kaiden, she’s nearly powerless to his charm. The truth is about to come out, and Anna has to figure out which side she is on before it’s too late.

I have a confession to make, guys. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins is a novel that latches onto and utilizes pretty much every element of YA paranormal that I hate, and yet, for some reason, it was utterly captivating. From start to finish, the novel is rich, alluring and sweetly sexy, lending a tension-filled tone to each and every page. Rather than spinning a tired tale from the age-old angel and demon storyline, Sweet Evil tackles the Nephilim, spinning the reader into a whirlwind of action, rage and an epic plot. With perfectly balanced characters and a haunting and nearly melodic tone, Sweet Evil will take your breath away.

There were so many incredible strengths to Sweet Evil that I hardly know where to being. It’s a first for me; I’ll tell you that much. Anna was such a brilliant character. There was a sweet vulnerability to her, but it was never misconstrued as weakness or lack of character. Rather, it was her heart that sang through, giving her strength of both mind and will. I felt drawn to her because she was so subtly charismatic, and despite the fact that this is, indeed, another paranormal tale, she was tangible. Kaiden, was her perfect complement. Naturally, he just oozes darkness and boy-boy character, but he somehow does so without becoming the riddled cliché that’s obsolete. His darkness and blatant disregard for rules was perfectly juxtapositioned with her personality so the two balanced and offset one another, adding another layer of depth and intrigue. Plus, the first that burns between them is equal parts engaging and dark, making you just wonder…maybe because that sexual tension was just so dang strong. These fallen angels amp it up a notch, kicking Sweet Evil into the next gear and letting it embody it’s title because it’s oh-so-sweet but Lord, is it deadly. With characters to die for and an ending that should be outlawed because it was so dang brutally awesome and crazy, you’ll be dying for the next installment. Like yesterday.

Honestly, I was just floored by Sweet Evil. It was everything I thought I’d hate, but it was so well done, that’s one of my favourites for 2012. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal, paranormal romance and fallen angels.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.