First We Were IV Blog Tour (Review + Giveaway!)

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy

Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Synopsis: A group of friends start a secret society in this out-of-control thriller from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it.

Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2lx6UyI

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of the young adult thrillers THE CREEPING, the Bram Stoker Award® Nominated THE TELLING, and the upcoming FIRST WE WERE IV. Alexandra attended a women's college as an undergrad and received her graduate degree in International Studies. When she isn't writing, she loves to travel, read, eat, and get into mischief. She lives with her husband in Northern California.

THE REVIEW

First We Were IV was a dark and engaging read from Alexandra Sirowy. As someone who doesn't normally read books in this genre, I was extremely surprised to find that not only did I like this book, I LOVED it.

Sirowy managed to grab my attention from the start and never let go. Although immediately thrown into the thick of things, Sirowy presents it in a way that intrigues rather than confuses. Once engrossing the reader, Izzie's narrative rewinds to the very start of everything and brilliantly leads back to that last moment, intwining the plot with various flashbacks, recordings, and other tidbits that added a little extra oomph to the story. Although I haven't read a lot of novels like this one, I feel like it's easy to mess up with this type of storytelling method, but Sirowy manages it with grace and ease, with great transitions and precision.

I was fascinated by Izzie and her friends' attempt at a last hurrah before college. While there were elements of the group and some actions that freaked me out, the bond shared between the members was unbreakable. The dynamic was so interesting and the characters felt so real and flawed and wonderful. And surprisely, they also felt kind of innocent? Even though some of their actions definitely were not, their hearts were often in the right place, in their own twisted way.

I don't want to talk about the plot since even the tiniest bit might give something away, but I will say that Alexandra Sirowy definitely threw me for a loop with this one. Although I don't read many mysteries or thrillers, when I do I usually see things coming or have at least a vague sense of what is going on. This book was different though because I never anticipated ANYTHING.

Also, a bit of a side-note but this book also had so many good quotes. SO MANY. I compiled a list of some favorites for the other tour back in March/April and I HAD SO MANY LINES HIGHLIGHTED AND HIGH-KEY STRUGGLED TO NARROW IT DOWN TO JUST 10. But I digress.

Ultimately, First We Were IV was an unexpected gem for me. I highly recommend people give it a try, even if it's not a genre they usually read because they may be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

MY RATING: 4 stars

THE GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC disclaimer: US entires only. No purchase necessary to enter, giveaway items provided by Alexandra Sirowy.

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THE TOUR!

Week 1

July 10:  Bookish Lifestyles - Review + Tote Design
July 11:  Brittany's Book Rambles - Guest Post
July 12:  Emily Reads Everything - Review
July 13   Biscotto's Books - Moodboard
July 14:  Forever Lost in Literature - Review

Week 2

July 17:  My Friends Are Fiction - Guest Post
July 18:  Literary Legionnaire - Review
July 19:  The Reader and the Chef - Review
July 20:  Novel Novice - Guest Post
July 21:  Dark Faerie Tales - Interview

Week 3

July 24:  YA and Wine - Review + Guest Post
July 25:  YA Book Central - Spotlight
July 26:  Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Review
July 27:  A Perfection Called Books - Guest Post 

Windwitch (Review)

Windwitch by Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #2
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Format: ARC (received from Susan Dennard)
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: January 10, 2017

I'd like to give a million thanks to Susan for sending me a copy of Windwitch. Although she provided me with a copy of her book, it in no way whatsoever affected my thoughts/opinions about this book. These opinions are completely my own.

About Windwitch (via Goodreads):

Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

I hate to bring in a pun from the start (it was not intended), but I have no other way of describing my feelings for this book: Windwitch completely blew me away. While I thoroughly enjoyed Truthwitch, Windwitch went above and beyond all my expectations and had me on the edge of my seat, captivated from start to finish. Susan’s writing truly shines through in this newest installment in the Witchlands series, and her hard work definitely paid off because the end result was absolutely magnificent.

The interwoven plots and character arcs throughout the story were so well done. I’ve never been the biggest fan of third-person, multi-POV books, but Dennard crafted this book masterfully. Although I’d sometimes wish that I could know what was happening to a character immediately after their chapter closed, I was quickly drawn back into the next character’s story again and loved the change of pace the new POV provided. The characters were so fleshed out and real to me, and I felt so attached and connected to them as they struggled and fought back against their enemies, whether those obstacles were people, their own raging emotions and thoughts, or something else entirely. Although this is a fantasy world, their emotions and struggles were no less real to me, which was quite refreshing.

Another amazing thing was that I actually liked every single character's POV, even those of the characters you are told to dislike in book one (particularly Vivia). In Windwitch, you really get to see a different side to all the characters, and it really makes you doubt everything you believed about them, especially those you believed were the antagonists of the story. I know some readers have mentioned how they disliked the separation of characters and friends from one another throughout the plot, but I have to disagree. I thought it was overall a positive thing. As I kind of mentioned before, the characters felt a lot more realistic and flawed to me in Windwitch, and I think those traits and their identities were made more clear and distinct due to the separation and individual struggles each had to face. Obviously a support network is a wonderful thing, but some battles have to be fought alone, especially when trying to discover one's identity/sense of self.

I'm not going to go into detail about the plot itself because I don't want to spoil anything, but Windwitch continued to raise the stakes for the characters and continued to pick up the pace. It was such a fantastic second installment in the series, and I can't wait to see what happens in Bloodwitch and beyond.

My rating: 5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (74)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee
Series: yes, first in the series
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Page Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: August 8, 2017

About The Epic Crush of Genie Lo (via Goodreads):

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo's every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged.

Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven.

Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined…

I've only heard AMAZING things about this book from my friends who've read it. Plus CHINESE FOLKLORE???? YES PLEASE GIVE ME THIS BOOK NOW.

Daughter of the Burning City (ARC Review)

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Mystery
Format: ARC (received at BookCon)
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: July 25, 2017

About Daughter of the Burning City (via Goodreads):

A darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires.

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.

Daughter of the Burning City was one of my most anticipated novels of the year, and it definitely did not disappoint. The was as twisty and dark as I had hoped, and Amanda Foody did not fail to conceal the many tricks she had up her sleeve. Even when I started suspecting people or started to piece together the details in attempt to solve the mystery, Foody threw me for a loop, revealing and connecting even more underlying details to the schemes that took place in and out of the festival.

I loved Sorina as a protagonist. She was so imperfect and human and real. She was a strong and powerful person overall, but she also wasn't afraid to let her emotions show and allowed herself to grieve and feel hurt and all the feelings when she needed to. On top of being strong though, she did face a lot of internal struggles, especially with her self-confidence and appearance. It was definitely a difficult journey for her (emotionally and just overall), but I felt myself rooting for her throughout all the different obstacles and conflicts she faced. Although there definitely were times where I wish she had been more assertive and inquisitive, I still thought she was a great main character.

All of the characters were super unique and probably one of my favorite aspects of the story. Although a lot of the characters were Sorina's illusions come to life, they all had their own unique personalities and minds of their own. Their different abilities and personalities both harmonized and clashed (I know that sounds oxymoronic but it's hard to explain) at the same time and it was a wonderful sort of family dynamic, which is not very prevalent in the novels that I normally read. (I do wish the other characters were explored a bit more though, especially Iosef and some of the other residents of the Gomorrah Festival that weren't a part of Sorina's family.)

The plot definitely varied in speed a lot, which was frustrating at times, but also kind of nice? For example, there was a decent stretch in the book where there was a lot of sleuthing and not much actual action, but it did give me some emotional reprieve and some answers, which was nice. All in all though, I will say that I had trouble putting it down, even when there were slower parts because I was so intrigued by the story.

The only other issue for me throughout the novel was the world-building. The fundamentals were mostly covered, and Foody's descriptions of the festival as a whole were wonderful, but there were a decent amount of underlying political problems in the world outside of the festival that played a role in the story that were not fully fleshed out and a bit difficult to understand. The descriptions and explanations of the magic system were also a bit confusing and not fully developed, which were not a huge problem for me as I was reading, but as I thought more about the book as a whole afterward, became more problematic. A lot of the major workings of the magic system that made the plot possible were not ever explained or made clear. Although the magic system was a bit messy, I still loved the concepts for all the different styles of jynx work and loved seeing how those different abilities shaped the festival and the story as a whole.

Overall, Daughter of the Burning City was an immensely enjoyable read full of twists and turns, a fun and exciting cast of characters, and an intriguing world I loved to explore.

My Rating: 3 stars

Mid Year Book Freak Out 2017

The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag was created by Chami @ ReadLikeWildfire (video here) and Ely @ Earl Grey Books (channel here) and even though I wasn't tagged, I thought it would be super fun to do it with my friend Izzy!

Questions:

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2017.

Alexandra: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. It was such an incredible, unique, and delightful debut! I absolutely loved all the banter and the mystery and atmosphere of the novel. Highly highly recommend (but definitely be wary of the gore).

Izzy: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2017.

Alexandra: Definitely Windwitch! It's actually the only sequel I've read so far this year, but it's one of my favorite reads overall this year. (I know some people liked Truthwitch more, but Windwitch is hands-down my favorite book in the Witchlands series thus far.)

Izzy: The Rose Society by Marie Lu. It is the only sequel I have read so far this year, but I don’t think my answer would have changed otherwise.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.

Alexandra: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. I absolutely loved Simon Vs., so I'm super excited to read another Becky Albertalli book!!!

Izzy: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Alexandra: The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, and Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh. I AM LIVING FOR ALL THESE ASIAN-INSPIRED SFF BOOKS.

Izzy: So it says on Goodreads that Marie Lu's Batman novel is supposed to come out in 2017, but I HAVE HEARD NOTHING. I really don't think it'll arrive for another year, so Julie C. Dao's Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is my next choice.

5. Biggest disappointment.

Alexandra:

Finished - Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. I did overall really enjoy it, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Unfinished - Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves. I got about a third into it and enjoyed the writing style and world (historical European fantasy!), but the plot seemed overdone and there was this weird part where the cousin was trying to make moves on the main character and I felt really uncomfortable.

Izzy:

Finished - Splintered by A.G. Howard was really fun at first and then devolved into emo fanfiction (sorry).

Unfinished - This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee had me scratching my head at lost potential and didn’t deliver on an interesting concept.

6. Biggest surprise.

Alexandra: First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy for sure. Honestly I was terrified that the book would be too creepy for me (I tried reading one of her other books and couldn't get past the first few chapters), but I ended up really enjoying it!

Izzy: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. I was surprised by how much FUN I had with this book!

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Alexandra: Nic Stone. Dear Martin was such a poignant yet hopeful debut and it told such an important (and extremely relevant) story that is an absolute must-read for anyone and everyone. And I had the pleasure of meeting her at BookCon, and she is one of the nicest people ever. And I probably say that a lot, but it's true.

Izzy: Francesca Zappia.

8. Newest fictional crush.

Alexandra: Thomas Cresswell from SJTR. That is all.

Izzy: Magiano from The Rose Society. (UGH I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. -A)

9. Newest favorite character.

Alexandra: Maybe Merik (from Truthwitch/Windwitch)? Or Simon Spier (Simon Vs.)? Or Audrey Rose Wadsworth (SJTR)? I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?!? THERE ARE TOO MANY STAND-OUT CHARACTERS FOR ME THIS YEAR.

Izzy: Arsinoe from Three Dark Crowns.

10. Book that made you cry.

Alexandra: I've never been gladder to have a Goodreads shelf specifically dedicated to books that have made me cry. Apparently I cried reading the fifth volume of the Sailor Moon manga... And I cried reading Simon Vs., Death and Night (The Star-Touched Queen prequel novella), Daughter of the Burning City, and Love, Hate & Other Filters.

Izzy: Look - I don’t cry when I read novels.  I can tear up rarely, but I almost never cry when I read.  But Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia made me tear up and want to bawl.

11. Book that made you happy.

Alexandra: Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. IT IS SUCH AN ADORABLE BOOK AND THE CHARACTERS ARE SO LOVABLE I JUST WANT TO SMOOSH THEM ALL IN A GIANT HUG. AND IT IS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT BOOK AND HAS AN AMAZINGLY DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS.

Izzy: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year.

Alexandra: I haven't seen any movie adaptations yet this year (tbh I think I've only been to the movies maybe twice this year?)

Izzy: Do comic book movies count?  If so then Logan.  It totally counts.

13. Favorite review you've written this year.

Alexandra: I have been a horrible blogger this year and only published 5 reviews so far, but my best review is probably the one for Windwitch by Susan Dennard. Or my review for Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody, both of which are coming soon!

Izzy: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)

Alexandra: Monstress by Marjorie Liu. The story is so intricate and gorgeously written, and the illustrations by Sana Takeda are the most glorious things I've ever seen *heart eyes*

Izzy: RoseBlood by A.G. Howard or Monstress by Marjorie Liu.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year

Alexandra: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, the last two Shades of Magic books by V.E. Schwab, Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, and (if I'm feeling particularly ambitious) all the Leigh Bardugo books.

Izzy: Monstress by Marjorie Liu, One Dark Throne and Antigoddess by Kendare Blake, Bonfire by Krysten Ritter, No Good Deed by Goldy Moldavsky, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, Atonement by Ian McEwan, and The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (sorry Alexandra).

And that's it! Thanks again to Izzy for joining me again today for this tag!

 and

May + June Wrap-Up

Hi guys! Soooo I haven't written a wrap-up since December, but I'll just recap the past two months because I didn't really keep track of all the things going on during the past six months (I can't believe we're halfway through 2017 already...)

Books Read in May
- Windwitch by Susan Dennard - 5/5
- Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - 4/5

Books Read in June
- Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody - 3/5
- Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed - 4.5/5
- Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu 3.5/5
- The Universe of Us by Lang Leav - (rating pending)
- Dear Martin by Nic Stone - 5/5

Book Haul
- Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (ARC)
- Umberland by Wendy Spinale
- Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman
- BookCon haul
- Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
- Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart (ARC)
- The Fashion Committee by Susan Juby (ARC)
- When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Blog Things - Literary Legionnaire turned TWO in June! Thanks to everyone who has supported me the past few years (and sorry for not having a fancy blog post/giveaway or anything this year. Will hopefully do something for next year!) <3