Meridian By Amber Kizer

***4.5 Stars***

I loved this book!  It was an exciting read from front to back!  Meridian by Amber Kizer is about a 16 year old girl named Meridian Sozu.  She desperately wants to be "normal".  Unfortunately, she has been anything but since the day she was born.  As a small child she always awoke in the morning sharing her bed with an assortment of dead insects and small animals.  As she got older the dying animals continued seeking her.  Death is her constant companion and the dying are drawn to her.  She never understood why this was happening to her or why she was always sick and in pain until the day of her 16th birthday.  After witnessing a horrific car crash she was immediately debilitated by intense pain and a sense of dying.  It was then that her father came to her rescue and drove her from the scene.  He was frantic to get her away from not only the crash site but from her family as well.  He told her that she was a fenestra (half angel/ half human) and that she was in grave danger.  He also told her that she had to leave right away to go live with her "Auntie" in Colorado.  There she could learn more about what she is and how to protect herself from the unknown danger that is after her.  She arrives in Colorado heartbroken, confused and sad.  It is in this small town of Revelation, Colorado that she learns the truth about what she is, what she is destined to do and that everything in this small forgotten town is not what it seems.  Fortunately, she is no longer alone in her journey.  She meets Tens, a handsome teenage boy that helps take care of Auntie and also happens to be Meridian's sworn protector.  Together with Tens and Auntie, Meridian must face her destiny and find a way to restore the balance of good and evil in a war that she never knew existed.

Amber Kizer's Meridian is a fast-paced story that includes danger, intrigue, romance, spirituality and hope!  I enjoyed the refreshingly original story line and feel that the author did a great job with making the characters likable and believable.  The book's unique take on death and the afterlife will give its readers something to think about.  What a wonderful start to a new YA paranormal series!  Teens and adults alike will be hungry for the next installment!

In My Mailbox (3)

**Thank you to The Story Siren for hosting IMM! Don't forget to enter my contests- win an arc of Hush, Hush (ends 11/7) and enter to win a copy of Fade Out by Rachel Caine (ends 11/21)!!

I had a big week in books!  I bought some great books and received some good ones from BookMooch too!!!

Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler- I have been wanting to read this book!  The summary sounds awesome.  I really like the cover too.

Life As We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer- I have heard great things about this book.  I am looking forward to reading it.

Gone by Michael Grant- Another book that I have heard great things about!  The story sounds very original.

Hunted by PC Cast and Kristin Cast- The next installment in The House Of Night series!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman- Everyone I have spoken with loved this book.  I can't wait to find out!

I got two good books from BookMooch!

Need by Carrie Jones and Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I love weeks like this!!

Win a copy of Fade Out by Rachel Caine (The Morganville Vampires #7)!!!!

Do you want your own copy of Fade Out by Rachel Caine?  In celebration of well nothing in particular :) I am giving away a spanking new copy of the seventh installment in The Morganville Vampire Series!  This contest is open to anyone and everyone!  All I ask is that you are a follower of my blog!  Leave a comment that includes your email address.  I will give an extra entry if you follow me on Twitter @ ExtremeReader!!  The contest deadline is November 21st @ midnight.  Thanks and good luck!

Jen

Check Out This Contest!

Check out this awesome contest for Fallen by Lauren Kate at The Neverending Shelf @ http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com/2009/10/fallen-contest.html ! I am dying to get my hands on this book and you should be too!!!!

Win An ARC of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick!!!!*Closed*

*Contest Closed*

Would you like to have your own ARC copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick?  Here is your chance! I started my blog around two months ago and now that it is up and running it is CONTEST TIME!!!  The rules are simple.  You just have to be a follower of my blog and leave a comment to this post (include your email address).  This contest is open to everyone!  That's it!  The contest ends on November 7th at midnight.  Good Luck!!!!!

In My Mailbox (2)

Thanks to The Story Siren for hosting IMM!!

This week I got some REALLY good books!  I can't wait to read all of them.  My TBR stack keeps growing..... I need more time to read!!!!

This week I got

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler


**Now I must get off this computer and READ.. READ .. READ!!!!!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner is the first book in an exciting and action-packed new series by author James Dashner.  I was very excited about getting this book because there was so much hype surrounding its release.  I am pleased to say that the book lived up to its hype!  The book begins with 16 year old Thomas waking up inside a lift with no memory except for his first name.  When the lift stops and the doors open Thomas finds himself among a group of teenage boys in a place they call The Glade.  The Glade is a makeshift community that is surrounded by an enormous and terrifying maze.  Thomas soon finds out that he isn't alone in his memory loss.  All of the inhabitants of The Glade entered under the same conditions.  Life in The Glade has been somewhat predictable for the group since the first boys arrived two years ago.  Every thirty days a new teenage boy would arrive in the lift. The new "greenie" would be assigned a job and everyone else would continue to do their assigned jobs maintaining The Glade.  One of these jobs was being a runner.  Runners were in charge of exploring the maze in hopes of solving it and freeing everyone.  The runners only went into the maze during the day because at night the doors to the maze closed and the dangerous and terrifying "grievers" came out.  Grievers are animal-like machines that had one purpose: kill anything in the maze!  Thomas couldn't explain the strange pull he felt to become a runner, despite the undeniable danger, nor could he ignore the feelings of familiarity he felt while in The Glade.

Just as Thomas was becoming used to his "new life" an unexpected event occurs that throws the entire Glade into chaos.  The lift alarm sounds signaling an incoming "greenie".  This wouldn't normally be an unexpected or troubling event, but Thomas had just arrived the day before and instead of the normal newcomer this one was a girl!  The girl also arrives with a message that things will change.  Thomas and the rest of the Glade must now figure out who the girl is and what her message means.  They have got to find a solution to the maze and uncover why "the creators" put them there as well because time is running out and their very lives are at stake.  The maze is the key to their freedom but no one knows how to solve it and the danger inside the maze is very real.  Thomas and the Gladers know one thing is for certain: if they are going to get out of The Glade they must do three things: REMEMBER. RUN. SURVIVE.

I can't even express how much I loved this book!  It was action-packed, fast paced and gripping.  The story line reminds me of The Hunger Games in that these young kids were placed somewhere against their will that was extremely dangerous and forced to survive while others "watched" them.  The ending was awesome too!  It answered many of the lingering questions I had while reading the book but caused many more that open the door for the next installment in the series.  I highly recommend this book to all readers of YA fiction, but this is definitely a book that will appeal to boys.  There are hints of romance but overall this is a kick-butt action packed book that will keep you up all night trying to see what happens next!!