Waiting on Wednesday (26): All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. I love it because it is basically a squee-fest where book lovers can choose one book that they are DYING to get their hands on. Check it out!

All Our Pretty Songs

by Sarah McCarry

Book cover for All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry

Amazon | Goodreads

The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

GUYS. THIS BOOK sounds so freaking intriguing and wonderful, right? I’m completely taken with this talk of mystical goings on, mythical creatures, a talented musician, ancient evils, romance, heartbreak, AND MORE. Also, it’s a debut. AND AND! What is the deal with the narrator being nameless in this summary? Methinks this is a THING, no? One more little thing that endears this book to me: ALL OUR PRETTY SONGS takes place in the Pacific Northwest, home to bands like Nirvana. The title of this book is a lyric from my favorite Nirvana song, In Bloom. Quite frankly, it’s the only Nirvana song I like (always had a softer spot for Pearl Jam), but the title reminds me of when I was a youngster and Nirvana was new and cool, not classic rock like it is now. It makes Sarah McCarry‘s book strike another chord with me.

ALL OUR PRETTY SONGS by Sarah McCarry comes out on July 30, 2013 from St. Martin’s Griffin

Book Review | This Is Not A Test | Courtney Summers

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review | This Is Not A Test | Courtney SummersThis Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Series: This Is Not a Test #1
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on June 19, 2012
Genres: Contemporary YA, Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult, Zombies
Pages: 326
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreads
four-stars

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

[Read more…]