Wild Beauty

by Anna-Marie McLemore

 

Hardcover, 320 pages

 

Expected publication: October 3rd 2017 by Feiwel & Friends

 

Love grows such strange things.
For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens. The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family. 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             ♥My Thoughts♥
                                                          (sorry for my lateness)
Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore deserved a special font (which wordpress wouldn't allow me to use :( ). This is the first book that I have read from this author and it did not disappoint. Reviewing Arc’s is tricky because you don’t want to give anything away but at the same time you want to tell people how much you love this book. Wild Beauty took me on a wild ride with multiple ups and downs and that is a good thing. For me, this is the sort of book that you would have to read more then once to fully grasp the beauty within the pages. I truly loved the magical realism, the floral imagery, the family loyalty as well as the strong female characters. I enjoyed the freedom of love and the fear that came along with it. Wild Beauty is filled with magical intrigue, mystery, and the power of love and family. This book should be on your list of what to read this fall and I hope you all pick up a copy or pre-order.

                     Some Book Love

photo by: Asma Iceybooks via Goodreads

About The Author: 

ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and grew up in a Mexican-American family. She attended University of Southern California on a Trustee Scholarship. A Lambda Literary Fellow, she has had work featured by the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, CRATE Literary Magazine's cratelit, Camera Obscura's Bridge the Gap Series, and The Portland Review. She is the author of The Weight of Feathers, When the Moon Was Ours, and Wild Beauty. She lives in Sacramento, California.

 

Arc Review: Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

     Black Bird of the Gallows

 

 

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Release date: September 5th 2017
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Pre-order: Barnes&Noble

Synopsis via Goodreads:

 

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

 

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town.

When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

 

What's more, she knows something most don't. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of 

death.

               Praise

💖💖💖💖  "One of the most successful elements of Kassel’s debut novel is its myth making. Rather than drawing on tired tropes such as vampire, werewolf, or fairy lore, she creates an original set of cursed beings with hints of a still-wider mythology…
—Kirkus Reviews

“Gorgeous writing, unique mythology, and epic sacrifice. Do not miss this one!”

— New York Times best selling author Pintip Dunn

“A dark, twisty thrill ride from beginning to end.”

— Mary Lindsey, author of Shattered Souls and Fragile Spirits

          My thoughts

                               Meg Kassel created a Book you thought you never needed.

I was lucky enough to have both gotten a copy and met the author, who was amazingly nice. I don't want ti give too much away because I really want everyone to enjoy this book as much as I did (i don't recommend reading while crossing the street). 'Black bird of the Gallows' follows Angie Dovage, our heroine and Reece Fernandez. Reece’s arrival brings about a variety of alarming incidents in Angie’s hometown– crows arrive in large numbers and begin behaving strangely( i don't really know how normal crows behave), if that isn't strange enough bee start stinging people and making them act crazy in the middle of winter. Between Reece’s familiarity with the crows and his warnings to keep away from the bees, Angie is certain there is something unusual about this boy. Nevertheless, she feels continuously drawn to him despite her better judgment, and despite his dodgy behavior. So you guys get the point and are thinking how is this story any different from books you have read in the past. well, its all about the story itself and the unique mythology around it. I love when authors stray away from whats common and safe and develop their own unique path that can compete with the rest of the book world (if that makes any sense). The story itself is unique. I haven't read anything in the past or recently about crows or deranged bees. some of the elements in this book reminded me of the movie 'The Birds' directed by Alfred Hitchcock, instead the evil villains were the bees. Like all debut books, there are going to be little things you didn't like or wish that were added. for me, i wanted an ultimate showdown between the beekeepers and the harbingers of death. Hopefully the story continues and I get my wish. From the cover to the story, i definitely enjoyed the originality of this book and the the drama escalated as the story came to an end. For a debut book, it ranks high on my list. Meg Kassel created a fascinating tale with crows and bees that will capture the attention of many readers. I truly wish this book great success when it comes out in September and hope everyone will pick up a copy and enjoy it.

I will never look at the birds that congregate outside of my window the same again.

Meg Kassel is an author of fantasy and speculative books for young adults. A graduate of Parson’s School of Design, she’s always been creating stories, whether with visuals or words. She worked as a graphic designer before realizing the thing she did for pleasure (writing) was something she should do for real. Meg is a New Jersey native who lives in a log house in the Maine woods with her husband and daughter. A fan of ’80s cartoons, Netflix series, and ancient mythology, Meg has always been fascinated and inspired by the fantastic, the creepy, and the futuristic. When she’s not writing, Meg is reading, hanging out with her family, hoarding peanut butter cups, or playing video games. She is a two-time finalist and the 2016 winner of the RWA Golden Heart© contest in YA.

 

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