Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

Release Date: May 14th, 2013

419 Pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

It's a standalone! Really, that's the only bad thing I have to say about this novel. When I read the summary, I expected great things from Parallel and it sure delivered them! With a refreshing premise about parallel lives, compelling and entertaining characters, Parallel will provide you with one of the best reads of 2013.

Admittedly I had some trouble in the beginning to understand what was going on and it IS a complex plot, so you do have to stop sometimes and think about what you read. But that was the beauty of it for me; it has been a long time since a novel has kept me enthralled throughout it. The parallel lives are so different so that you could easily identify which Abby it was, furthermore each chapter's title would clarify about when the scene was happening. Foremost I enjoyed the twists and turns that had been caused by her parallel decisions in the past, so it was really interesting to see how the relationships and events would change because of them.

The characters were really easy to read and identify with. Abby is a normal teenager that is a bit of a control freak (she planned out her entire life!), so when everything went crazy with her parallel calling the shots, you can guess how she reacts. Caitlin was a favorite of mine because she is just unexpected (a beautiful girl who loves physics!), even though I don't enjoy maths as much. I think every character is really realistic, and the romance as well. It's not an insta-love by any means and some twists and turns in her love life were not in the least expected!

I have read many books in this year already and I have to say that Parallel was one of the best. It certainly will be added to my list of favorite books. I'm certain many people won't enjoy that they may have to reread a paragraph (or more) to understand the concept of parallel lives, but for me what won me over was the novelty of it. It was refreshing and unfortunately it's a standalone. The ending is a bit open and that's the only thing still bugging me about this novel!

Huge thanks to HarperTeen for providing me with a copy of this captivating novel!

ARC Review: Transparent - Natalie Whipple

Release Date: May 22th, 2013
368 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.


You know that kind of book that goes exactly how you expect it to but you still can't seem to dislike it? Well, that was Transparent for me. Even though it wasn't full of surprises, I still found the story sweet and a good pastime.

So, the first and probably one of the only surprises I experienced throughout this novel was that I didn't know that there were more people with special abilities. And I was pleased that they found a great excuse for the development of these abilities. After reading this synopsis, I kind of expected to read more about Fiona's life with her dad yet the story goes through this part of the story rather fast. Furthermore some things felt superfluous to me, like Graham's (her brother) storyline and Radiasure (the drug which caused this special abilities but it doesn't play a big role). Her father wasn't a very good villain, either. Nonetheless I fell in love with the world-building; I really enjoyed that many people had special abilities.

Fiona was a different main character; I liked and disliked her a lot. I do understand that it must be difficult to be invisible but she also shouldn't be so clueless this often. Nevertheless I really liked her snarky side though it was hard to take her serious sometimes. Bea and Brady were great secondary characters. However I think that I would have liked to read more about The Pack (Bea's brothers) because they were so much fun to read.

Transparent was a great novel to pass the time but I was actually expecting a little more from the storyline; maybe that was the problem because I had set my expectations so high. I thought we would see more from Fiona's past as a thief. However the romance was really sweet and the great set of secondary characters really added some spark to the story. I would recommend this book to the lower YA crowd.

Thanks to HarperTeen for providing me with a copy for review!

Blog Tour: Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield & Giveaway

Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Hardcover: 336 pages

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.
Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion...
Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

An enchanting story about a girl who can draw magic into being just by singing a song. A plot that is mostly uncomplicated and great characters make for an entertaining read. I was certainly pleasantly surprised that even though things are simple in the novel, I was still greatly captivated by the originality of the idea and its execution. 

Lucy was hidden away on an isle and forbidden to sing because it would be really dangerous. Chantress are almost extinct and Lord Protector is trying to kill the remaining ones so that they disappear once and for all. When in London, Lucy finds protection with the Invisible College, who wants to see Lord Protector gone. The execution of this plot is mainly simple but really captivating! However I do have to mention that even though I enjoyed the story, there weren't many remarkable aspects to it. The romance was nevertheless really refreshing, since it was slowly developed.

The characters were all easy to like, even though many were also as forgettable. Lucy was a nice main character. She lacked a bit of charisma, maybe, but throughout I liked her determination to learn magic and to help the others (and even learn more about herself as a chantress). Nat was so swoony! He was handsome but intelligent and as scientist, a bit skeptical about the whole chantress thing, but that made the whole character more unique (if compared to other YA boys). 

I would certainly recommend Chantress to anyone. It's an easy read with paranormal aspects and a nice romance. Although I thought the pace of the story to be a bit slow, I think that it was normal for such a series' beginning (Lucy does have to learn everything from scratch). I'm excited to get my hands on the next one; for I think the story will have more bite.

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