Pretty Little Pages: May 2015

The Edge of Forever
by Melissa E. Hurst
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Rate: 4 STARS

Synopsis:

In 2013: Sixteen-year-old Alora is having blackouts. Each time she wakes up in a different place with no idea of how she got there. The one thing she is certain of? Someone is following her.

In 2146: Seventeen-year-old Bridger is one of a small number of people born with the ability to travel to the past. While on a routine school time trip, he sees the last person he expected—his dead father. The strangest part is that, according to the Department of Temporal Affairs, his father was never assigned to be in that time. Bridger’s even more stunned when he learns that his by-the-book father was there to break the most important rule of time travel—to prevent someone’s murder.

And that someone is named Alora.

Determined to discover why his father wanted to help a “ghost,” Bridger illegally shifts to 2013 and, along with Alora, races to solve the mystery surrounding her past and her connection to his father before the DTA finds him. If he can stop Alora’s death without altering the timeline, maybe he can save his father too.

This is one of those sci-fi books that defy the stereotypes. Even those who aren't fans of sci-fi will find something to love about The Edge of Forever. The start of this book does drag a bit, but it didn't take long for me to become invested in the story. It quickly becomes a fast paced, intriguing read!

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Alora was a very normal girl, and it was refreshing. She wasn't obsessed with the normal teenage girl things, so I felt a huge connection to her. Bridger was also a great character. Watching their story unfold kept me on the edge of my seat!

I'm usually not one for time travel books. They can be confusing, but I didn't have that issue with The Edge of Forever. The writing was concise and enjoyable. All in all, I really liked this book! It may have its flaws, but I definitely recommend it to all YA fans!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Hayden Panetierre as Alora and Vika

Logan Lerman as Bridger

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Melissa lives in the southern US with her husband and three kids. She writes YA science fiction and fantasy, which means she considers watching Star Trek and Firefly as research. She dreams of traveling around the world and maybe finding Atlantis one day. You can usually find her with a book in one hand and a Dr. Pepper in the other. Or consuming lots of chocolate.

THE EDGE OF FOREVER is her debut novel.

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Spelled
by Betsy Schow
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Rate: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

How fun! That was my first thought going into this book, and it definitely stayed with me as I read Spelled! I'm not very big on fairy tales. (Shocker, I know!) BUT. I love retellings and other incorporation of them into stories. And Spelled definitely hit it out of the park with that. I was instantly hooked and drawn into the world of Dorthea!

I love how Schow used her imagination to reassign things we're familiar with to align with her fairy tale. It added another element to this book that was just fun. The clothes designers were one of my favorites!

Dorthea was a great character. She was realistic. You won't find a Mary Sue in Spelled! I loved her spunk. By the time I finished Spelled, I felt like I had a friend in her! Her character progression was fantastic to watch unfold. The slow burn with Kato was also brilliant! Thank you for no insta-love! Just a swoony boy and a girl you can't help but love. More please!

Even though Dorthea is realistic, she can be hard to handle. But I appreciate that. I appreciate her flaws. All in all, I really enjoyed Spelled! Fairy tale lovers will immensely enjoy this one!

Camilla Belle as Dorthea

Alex Pettyfer as Kato

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BETSY SCHOW is the TODAY Show featured author of the non-fiction book, Finished Being Fat; however she’s been mixing up real life and fantasy for as long as she can remember. If someone were to ask about her rundown truck, she’s 100% positive that mechanical gremlins muck up her engine. And the only reason her house is dirty is because the dust bunnies have gone on strike. She lives in Utah with her own knight in geeky armor and their two princesses (that can totally shapeshift into little beasts). When not writing, she acts as the Tournament Director for Odyssey of the Mind and helps teach kids creative thinking (or how to turn their toasters into robots).