Waiting on Wednesday is weekly event hosted by Jilli 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 am particularly excited for...

Title: Her and Me and You
Author: Lauren Strasnick
Release Date: October 5, 2010



First love, broken friendships, and heartache all play a part in this evocative, voice-driven novel about Alex, a girl whose world is ripped apart when her father’s affair splits her family in two.

Alex moves with her mess of a mother to a new town, where she is befriended by hot, enigmatic Fred—and alternately flirted with and cold-shouldered by Fred’s twin sister, Adina. Others warn Alex to steer clear of the twins, whose sibling relationship is considered abnormal at best, but there’s just something about Fred—and something about Adina—that draws Alex to them and makes her want to be part of their crazy world…no matter the consequences.
Taken from GoodReads.

Her and Me and You sounds perfectly edgy, dark, and twisty for my liking, eh? I think the dynamic between the brother and sister will add an interesting and engaging twist your average teen romance, and that intrigues. It sounds like a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but I think the emotions seem like they'll be genuine and chaotic...all which make for a great read (in my opinion). Plus, my cover lust love is perfectly satisfied by the lovely cover!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Raquel straightened and brushed my hands off her arms, her face an emotionless mask as she turned to the group of people. I dropped my hands to my sides, shattered by her rejection.
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

And now, for my Tuesday Teaser...For those of you who don't know, I do my Tuesday Teasers differently (and yes, I add this disclaimer every time). Each week, I feature two sentences (or more) of something I've written, leave it up all day, then remove it around 11 PM. You're welcome to comment on it, love it, hate it, or simply read it at your leisure...if you'd like, of course. This week's teaser is from my current WIP, RACE.

The Tuesday Teaser is down! Check back next week for more :)

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she's summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can't quite figure out.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he's never met Riley...
Taken from GoodReads.

Radiance follows the story of perpetually twelve-year-old Riley Bloom as she enters the afterlife, or Here, after the car crash that only her sister, Ever, walked away from. Reunited in the afterlife with her mother, father, and her her beloved dog Buttercup, Riley learns she must work Here, and she must figure out her place in the Now.

Now, I never read Evermore, or any of that series, for that matter. It just never struck me as the type of read that I just had to push to the top of my pile, so I never did. Radiance, however, intrigued me with the idea of the afterlife being more than just a peaceful place of rest. I also thought Riley was sweet. She was definitely a tween, but she was a sweet main character and, for the most part, I enjoyed her voice.

I do, however, have a few issues with Radiance. First of all, as much as I loved Riley's character, I found that her voice was somewhat inconsistent. For the most part, she had a perfectly middle-grade voice with appropriate phrases, then she would suddenly lapse into what I can only assume is Alyson Noel's voice with words like "vicariously," or phrases way beyond her maturity level. Perhaps I read too much into it, but that was my biggest qualm. For the most part though, Alyson Noel does a great job of creating a likeable and friendly main character that you'll want to get to know.

Radiance is a quick read and uses a lot of fragmented sentences to get into Riley's head, which was a useful tool, though began to weigh on me a bit. It's a sweet and enjoyable book with an original story, but it's definitely more middle-grade than I had expected. I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 simply because I think it's more suited to those who particularly loved Middle-Grade. I would also recommend it to those who enjoy Fantasy and Paranormal.