The Paige Turner

A blog for young adult book lovers

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Ask Me Blog Tour and Review

Synopsis: Ask Aria Morse anything, and she must answer with the truth. Yet she rarely understands the cryptic words she‘s compelled to utter. Blessed—or cursed—with the power of an Oracle who cannot decipher her own predictions, she does her best to avoid anyone and everyone.

But Aria can no longer hide when Jade, one of the few girls at school who ever showed her any kindness, disappears. Any time Aria overhears a question about Jade, she inadvertently reveals something new, a clue or hint as to why Jade vanished. But like stray pieces from different puzzles, her words never present a clear picture.

Then there’s Alex, damaged and dangerous, but the first person other than Jade to stand up for her. And Will, who offers a bond that seems impossible for a girl who’s always been alone. Both were involved with Jade. Aria may be the only one who can find out what happened, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she becomes a target. Not everyone wants the truth to come out.

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Number of pages: 304

My review: My goodness this book was fantastic! I had such a good time reading it and it is definitely going down as one of my favorites for the year. I honestly didn't expect to like it very much because the story line seemed a little weak based off the summary, but I was so wrong!

We start out learning that our main character, Aria Morse, is an oracle and must answer every single question that someone asks, whether or not it is directed towards her. She must also answer all these questions honestly, so the combination of those two factors makes her life very difficult. I actually liked reading about how she struggled with going about her everyday life. It was interesting to see how she dealt with things in different ways.

When, Aria learns that someone has been murdered, she starts to act as her own sort of detective and figures out more clues and facts about the girl who has been murdered and who actually is the murderer. This was also very interesting to me because everything she did seemed like it was possible in real life (despite the fact that she was an oracle). I loved reading from Aria's point of view, she was very honest (haha) and brought a fresh voice to the novel.

The whole book kept me glued to it from beginning to end, though I do think the ending was wrapped up rather quickly and I wished there could have been an epilogue at least. Nevertheless, this was fantastic and something I just could not put down!

About the author: Kimberly Pauley is the award-winning author of Sucks to Be Me, which was honored on the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list, and a paranormal mystery starring an oracle, called Ask Me. Born in California, she has lived everywhere from Florida to Chicago and has now gone international to live in London with her husband and son. She is also the founder of YA Books Central, one of the first and largest teen book websites in the world. Visit her online at www.kimberlypauley.com

http://www.kimberlypauley.com/

https://twitter.com/kimberlyrpauley

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Pauley/81688255502

http://sohopress.com/books/ask-me/

The Terrorist's Daughters (Book One of the T.O.G.G.L.E. series) by Brian Arthur Levene

The Terrorist's Daughters (T.O.G.G.L.E., #1)

Synopsis: Born in Chicago, Illinois, three sisters are uprooted and brought to Pakistan, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. After becoming oppressed and abused by their radicalized father and drug-sedated mother, two of the girls decide to run away from home and soon they discover their inner selves. One is a twelve-year-old blessed with a gift she does not know she has, the other, a seventeen-year-old proficient in the methods of psychological warfare. Along the way they encounter a handsome young man, and his family who are also looking to start a new life away from their terrorist state. Their travels takes them to Afghanistan, Dubai, Mexico and the United States, leaving a chaotic but interesting trail behind.

Developing a family among a group of outcasts, including a young Asian girl who is prolific in computer hacking, their adventures continue with the girls making daring escapes from authorities, and fighting Al Qaeda extremists working for their father. The Terrorist's Daughter all leads to a dramatic conclusion revolving around love, faith, family, and the potential destruction of an entire city.

Release Date: February 20, 2014

Number of pages: 252

My review: This was such an amazing read! I finished this in about 2 hours because I could not put it down. There was so much action and adventure through the whole story. From the very beginning we are thrust on this chase where this terrorist's daughters are running from their father because they are afraid he will kill them. It goes a little deeper than that, but that's the main gist of it.

Basically the entire story is like a high speed chase where these two girls are running from their terrorist father and all of his henchmen. While some of the situations were a little far-fetched I still immensely enjoyed the story and I hope there will be a second one coming out because the ending was a bit of a cliff-hanger.

I also really enjoyed the writing style which was simple to understand, yet quite complex in the way the story was woven. I also liked the switching viewpoints, even though it did not continue through the entirety of the story. I quickly felt for these characters and can't wait to read about the next part of their adventure!

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

Synopsis: Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Number of pages: 352

My review: This was such a fantastic read! I blew through more than half the book in one day because I simply could not put it down!

Our two main characters, Lucy and Owen, take us on a journey of love and travel that makes you feel like you're being transported to all the different places their going, and you develop this deep and unique connection with each of them.

I simply loved how the viewpoints switch back and forth between the characters because you could get both sides of their stories and see what each one was thinking. In the end this was even better because you became excited when things began to line up for each other and they told the opposite character what they were thinking the whole time.

There is something about Jennifer E. Smith's writing that is so flawless and easy going, that while you're reading you don't even notice you've gone through 100+ pages until you reach the end of the book.

The ending left me completely satisfied and this being the first Jennifer E. Smith book I've ever read I can't wait to pick up her other one's. I hope they are as fantastic as The Geography of You and Me was! Make sure to pick this up when it comes out later in April! Also, this cover is simply gorgeous!