Coming Attractions: Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Coming Attractions is inspired by The Perpetual Page Turner's Save The Date. Coming Attractions showcases a book that is not released for a while that I've read, and gives you a sneak peek (like a pre-review, if you will) as to what I thought about the book, since I can't post the review until closer to the release date.

Taste Test
Kelly Fiore
Series: None
Release Date: August 27th, 2013
Publisher: Walker Children's
Rating: 2 stars
Word Rating: What happened?
Reviewed by: Blythe

Nora Henderson has been basting baby back ribs for as long as she could reach the counter of her dad's famous barbecue joint. When she's accepted to Taste Test, a teen reality cooking competition, Nora can't wait to leave her humble hometown behind. On set, run-ins with the maddeningly handsome and talented son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, make Nora wonder if it's him or the win she really wants, but as she and Christian emerge as front-runners for the final prize, Nora can't ignore the mysterious accidents plaguing the kitchen arena. Someone is conducting eliminations of their own, and if Nora doesn't stop them, she could be next to get "chopped" for good. 

With romance and intrigue as delectable as the winning recipes included in the story, this debut novel will be devoured by all.

Funny, yesterday I was contemplating giving this book five stars, and now I am tempted to give it one.

BUT, I have to keep in mind how much I loved the first quarter of this book, and that is practically this book's only saving grace from getting one star from me. We'll see how I feel once I write my review. Perhaps I won't be so generous. I have many, many thoughts, and have little to no idea as to how I'm going to organize them into a coherent review.

But first, a quick rundown of the things that pissed me off about this book:

THE CHARACTERS. They're awful. The MC, while snarky, is judgmental, slut-shames, can't make up her mind, and is just annoying as hell. The semi-love interest, Christian, is one of the biggest assholes ever, and he can take his infuriatingly arrogant self and go hump a cactus. The fact that the synopsis is making him look like a charming love interest just...ugh.

THE "COMPETITION." One of the main reasons I loved the first quarter of this so much was because of the competitions, and really the only reason I was interested in this book was because I wanted to read something that would be like a novelization of a MasterChef episode with some extra fun that would come with a YA novel. You will not find that in Taste Test. There are two or three competitions that are actually described (and irritatingly briefly and bluntly), and then for the remainder of the novel we're told the outcomes of the competition: who stays, who goes, who won the challenges, etc. Of all the things in the novel, I am probably most disappointed about that.

THE ROMANCE DESCRIBED AND PROMISED TO US IN THE SYNOPSIS? Practically nonexistent, unless you consider Christian going up to Nora and taking off her belt buckle without her consent romance. The only inch of actual romance throughout this entire book is towards the end, and even then, it's just...no.

Full review to come in July.

 This will not be a happy review. 

Showcase Sunday (38): The One With Sequels

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten over the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review, etc.

For Review:

 

Taste Test: Okay, so if you take Big Brother and MasterChef (two of my absolute favorite shows every), and you put them in a room and...science happens...the outcome would be Taste Test. I am not joking when I say that Taste Test is the lovechild of Big Brother and MasterChef, which means I absolutely love it so far. (Did I mention how fun it is? Because it is SO. MUCH. FUN.) Thanks, Walker Children's! 

The Mirk and Midnight Hour: So this is book 1/3 for the title of this post, meaning it's a sequel. A sequel to a book that hasn't been received quite well amongst good friends of mine, but granted that it's a companion novel set in the same world and not a direct sequel, and that it's a retelling of Tam Lin, I'm all in. Thanks, Random House!

Hereafter: Did I mention that all three of the sequels I got this week are for books whose predecessors I haven't read? (Oops? Also, yes, I might be weird to use 'whose' when concerning books, but shhh.) Anyway, I've heard that Shadowlands is really fun, and that this sequel is really creepy, so I jumped the gun and requested it. It's not that bad when you wholeheartedly plan to eventually read the first book! Shush! Thanks, Disney-Hyperion. 

Never Fade: Okay, now I have a good reason for requesting this one having not read The Darkest Minds, and that's because apparently The Darkest Minds ends in some monster cliffhanger and, while I have been dying to read it since it was published, I promised myself I would only read it when the sequel is released, or if I get an ARC of the sequel. And, now that I have an ARC of the sequel, I'm fully prepared to read The Darkest Minds! (But perhaps not emotionally prepared. Seriously, I've heard that this cliffhanger is a life-ruiner.) 

What did you get this week? Let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your haul, and I'll check it out as soon as possible!

Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Ink
Amanda Sun
Series: Paper Gods, #1
Release Date: June 25th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating: 2 stars
Word Rating: Disappointing
Reviewed by: Melanie

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

'The liquid dropped down the stairs, and after a moment of panic, I realised it was ink, not blood.'

Review: The Impossibility of Tomorrow

The Impossibility of Tomorrow
Avery Williams
Series: Incarnation, #2
Release Date: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Rating: (A Very Generous) 2 stars
Word Rating: Ugh
Reviewed by: Blythe

The immortal Seraphina is forced to face the darkness of her past—and risk losing the love of her life—in this second novel in the Incarnation series.

Seraphina has been living for centuries, thanks to a special method of alchemy, but only recently has she really felt alive. She’s finally broken free from her controlling boyfriend, Cyrus, and after years of swapping bodies to preserve her immortality, is happily settled into a life worth sticking with. Because in this life, she has Noah.

But Noah might not be as trustworthy as he seems. After he delivers an ominous message that could only come from Cyrus, Sera is worried that her new friends and family will find out her secret. And as her suspicions extend beyond Noah, Sera is forced to wonder about her new friends as well: Could her old coven be disguising themselves right under her nose?

Will Sera have to move to another body—and take another life—or can she find a way to keep what she’s got, forever?

I won't make an attempt at sugarcoating it--The Impossibility of Tomorrow was a really, really frustrating read for me, in a variety of ways. Having been an impressed reader with Avery William's debut, as well as this novel's predecessor, The Alchemy of Forever, I went into The Impossibility of Tomorrow with reasonably high expectations, predicting for all of those expectations to be surpassed. Ultimately, The Impossibility of Tomorrow proved to be an entirely disappointing read, meeting a portion of if not none of my preconceived expectations. 

Waiting on Wednesday - The 100 by Kass Morgan

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is The 100 by Kass Morgan. 

The 100

Kass Morgan

Series: The Hundred, #1

Release Date: September 3rd, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Waited on by: Blythe

In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

Aside from the cover that makes me want to fall asleep just by looking at it, and the title that makes me twitch (why couldn't it have been The Hundred? Neither The 100 nor The Hundred are very good titles, in my opinion, but why have the number '100' in the title?), this really does sound like it could be awesome and fun. It also sounds a lot like After Earth, which I was interested in seeing until I found out M. Night Shyamalan directed it, but I digress. Also, this is apparently going to be a TV show on the CW at some point, which also really intrigues me. Here's to hoping this is as awesome as it has the potential to be! 

What are you waiting on?

 Let me know in the comments!

MEET THE NEW BLOGGERS!

Eeeee, it's finally time for that announcement. The announcement! First, I want to give a huge thank-you to every single person who showed interest in co-blogging and -reviewing with me; it really does mean a lot to me that so many of you were interested in blogging with me. This may sound cliche, but I truly do wish I could have chosen you all, but ultimately I chose two awesome applicants of the however many there were, and now it's time for you to meet them! Below is a little something about them, personally, and you'll also get to see some more of them on the blog through their awesome reviews and whatnot. 

Showcase Sunday (37): Quality Over Quantity!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten over the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review, etc.

For Review:

Parasite: I've heard absolutely fantastic things about Grant's Newsflesh trilogy, so I'm crazy excited to get to this one. Thanks, Orbit!

Crown of Midnight: Starting this one after I'm done with Teardrop (which...ugh), and I cannot express my excitement. CHAOL, LET ME LOVE YOU! Thanks, Bloomsbury!

Where the Stars Still Shine: Another author whose work I've heard fabulous things about! I've yet to read Doller's Something Like Normal, but have heard that it's great, so I'm really, really looking forward to this. Thanks, Bloomsbury!

Still Star-Crossed: Um, a YA novel depicting the aftermath of Romeo and Juliet? YES, PLEASE. Thanks, Delacorte!

What did you get this week? Let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your haul, and I'll check it out as soon as possible!