Blogoversary Day 7: Jessica Shirvington

Happy Monday! I'm back with day 7 of my blogoversary celebrations and today I have Jessica Shirvington on the blog :D Jess is one of my favourite authors of all time - I fell in love with her debut Embrace back when it first came out and have been loving her books ever since! I finally got to meet Jess last year at an event and I can say it was one of the awesomest days of my life.

So without further ado, I present to you Jess' 2014 release, Disruption, which will be published by HarperCollins Australia (:

Jessica Shirvington - Dispruption

First of all, a huge happy blogoversary to Jaz!!! Hope everyone if having lots of fun with all the cool posts she has been putting up!!
For my part, I am thrilled to be able to give you all a sneak peek at the first few pages of my new book -DISRUPTION - which will be out in March this year. I am so excited about this new duology and in big part because of the main character, Maggie. She is unlike any character I have come across before and was born a little from the idea that I was getting tired with the girl who has no idea she is special getting dragged into a new world by a guy who is often manipulating her and keeping secrets. Well, I suppose you could say Maggie is the opposite and she is about to drag poor unsuspecting Quentin Mercer into a very surprising new world - and she is keeping all the secrets and calling all the shots!
Anyway, hope you all enjoy this little sneak peek!!!
Jess xxoo

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I made myself a promise.

I would do whatever it took. I’d see this through to the end.

Make it right.

THREE WEEKS AGO …

I’d been tracking him for most of the day. I had other things to do, but it had been over a month since I’d monitored his weekend activity. And sloppiness wasn’t an option. Not now.

We were in DC, waiting in Dupont Circle Metro. He’d opted for a rare driver-free day, making it easier than usual to tail him, and I wondered why. Perhaps because he’d spent the morning touring Georgetown University and wanted to appear normal – not that everyone didn’t recognise him and point. I suspected it had more to do with not wanting to explain to Daddy why he’d explored a university other than Princeton. His family hailed from a long line of Princeton graduates and I knew it was assumed he would attend, like his brothers, after graduation. He probably already had a wing named after him.

Hidden beneath my faded blue baseball cap, I fidgeted with the edge of my sweater as I studied his movements carefully, with calculated interest. Carrying out my plans wasn’t going to keep me up at night. Not after all the things I’d already done.

He never noticed me anyway. Not once. Not even when the large lady with the foghorn voice asked me if she was on the right platform for Chinatown. It wasn’t because I was particularly stealthy. It was just that, standing there in his waist-hugging suit pants and crisp white shirt, he had no need to see me.

A commotion erupted at the other end of the platform. All eyes turned to watch as five M-Corp security guards stormed down the escalators, closing in on a short, balding man wearing wire glasses. I had barely registered the man before he was blocked from my view.

My attention returned to him. He had only just turned eighteen, but the tailored pants and shirt made him look older. I heard one of the M-Corp guards demand the man with the glasses activate his Phera-tech. The command was followed by a number of feeble attempts at refusal. Of course, the balding man knew it was futile. You could already hear the whispers of the other commuters.

‘Is he?’

‘He must be.’

‘A neg.’

‘I hope they take him away.’

It wasn’t that I was immune to the situation. I’d just seen it a whole lot worse. A whole lot more personal.

He on the other hand …

My interest heightened as I watched his reaction. Oddly, he observed the situation with a kind of reluctant curiosity, even taking steps towards the scene others were quickly distancing themselves from. His eyes widened as the guards restrained the man, fixing plastic ties to his wrists. One guard plugged in a portable linkup system to the man’s M-Band so that they could hack into his personal data while another recited the Negative Removal Act.

My view to the man cleared briefly. He was visibly shaking. He attempted to drop to his knees, though the guards held him up. He begged them to let him go, crying out in broken sobs for a chance to make right whatever it was he’d done – or was going to do – wrong.

No one made a move to help him, even though I heard one or two heart-rate monitors sound an alert. People’s hearts weren’t racing for him; it was fear for themselves that caused the spikes.

The man’s pleas fell on deaf ears.

I knew my expression gave away nothing but detachment. He, on the other hand, watching everything with a look of revulsion, and I felt a sick sense of justification that he should see this now. Nothing could better prepare him.

The spotlights that lined the platform began to pulse red, indicating a train on approach. I glanced one more time at him and noticed he was moving towards the guards. I straightened, suddenly intrigued. Was he going to step in? Surely not.

I never found out.

The sounds of struggle intensified and I turned my attention back to the balding man in time to see him break free of the guards and leap straight off the platform.

The man – the neg – collided instantly with the oncoming train.

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O_O woah... WOAH WOAH WOAH. Need this in my life, March seems so far away :(

Thank you Jess for sharing this suspenseful start - I was immediately hooked! And thank you Manda @ HarperCollins Australia for organising this!

Tomorrow I will be joined by Trish Doller so don't be a stranger!

Review: Empower (The Violet Eden Chapters #5) by Jessica Shirvington

Firstly, thanks to Hachette Children's Books Australia for this review copy <3

This is my last review of the year and I purposefully left this one to last because it’s the epic conclusion to one of my favourite series of all time – I think a very fitting closing out post for 2013.

My Background and History with the Series:

I first picked up Embrace in 2008. I was casually strolling through the book section of Target looking for books to read when I stumbled across this book with a gorgoeus lilac cover and a girl on it. Very intriguing and not like other book covers of the time. I immediately called my friends to ask them if they’d read it and one told me she liked it and for me to try it out. I finished Embrace that very night and when I found out it’s a series and Enticed wouldn’t be out for another year I nearly cried. It was one of the most refreshing angel books I’d ever read – actually, at the time it was THE best angel book I’d read. Let’s be honest, it still is.

Anyway, every year since then I bug my local bookstore looking for the next book as it comes out on release day. Luckily for me I bought Enticed, Emblaze and Endless all on their release days and finished them that night. I’ve given the whole series 5/5 and when I got to meet Jess this year I was just gushing and hugging her. Even luckier I managed to get Empower 11 days before its release! And yes I did finish it on the day I got it because it’s THAT good.

If you haven’t read the series, there are some spoilers. But there are no Empower spoilers so don’t worry (:

Date Read: November 1 2013
Release Date: November 12th 2013
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Paranormal
My rating:  (Not enough stars)

Synopsis:

"It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future and - most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves.

Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London.

But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice.

Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission.

Violet is going back to New York ... and she knows exactly who is going to be there.

With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made."

---

“I need you to live for me.”

Fast track two years from the ending of Endless and Violet Eden’s living the Rogue life in the UK, travelling around like a nomad and killing off Exiles for a form of income. She works alone. Vi’s strength is something I have always admired. She has grown into such an indepenent woman over the course of the books. What I love about her is that she has never complained about the large weight on her shoulders; she has taken everything in her stride – the sacrifice, the pain, the heart break. Her resilience and willingness to fight for her loved ones AND the greater good result in her decisions being occassionally conflicted as she tries to decide what’s best. But in the end she always manages to pull-through. She’s definitely a lot more distant and colder compared to the previous books. Shirvington did a great job with her character – the change over the years as a result of everything really reflected through Vi’s thoughts and actions. Once upon a time I may have been slightly annoyed with her, but not anymore. I love this girl so much.

“We do not run. We do not quit.”

Then, by a thrilling turn of events, someone goes missing and Vi is the one commissioned to find them. A knock at her door one night makes her go back to the Academy and face-to-face with Lincoln Wood again. ERMAGHERD *SWOON* Linc Linc Linc <3 Love this boy… wait man? Yes man omg I keep forgetting he’s 9 years older than Vi and OMG IS HE REALLY ALREADY 29 HERE? Woah yes he’s definitely a man. A very yummy one at that. He’s matured so much in Violet’s absence, filling out his suit ;) and becoming a real leader. I think my heart just automatically stutters of its own free will whenever he’s mentioned. And when we/Vi meets him head on? That tension was palpable and I’m just sitting here like “SODJFSDLHFSLDFKJSDJFD;LSAJDKASD GET TOGETHER ALREADY”. But the great thing is they didn’t. Ha. Hahaha. I’m such a masochist. The pain of reading Linc as he struggled with Vi’s reappearance was heart-wrenching. I loved that Shirvington didn’t just throw them together again. Linc had issues he had to work through – trust issues and the need to constantly protect Vi that he needed to let go of so that they could be real partners again. The great thing was him slowly learning to treat Vi as an equal in every respect. His trust, ability to love unconditionally, sweetness, kind heart and honesty make him of the best book boyfriends ever. Also, just… The sexy. Lots of it.

“It was painful. Incredibly so. It surpasses anything imaginable.”

Phoenix also makes an appearance in this book. How can he not? From the beginning he was integral to the story and I’ve always had a soft spot for him. As the series progressed he became more important and then Endless happened and I was like “BBY I’M HERE FOR YOU” *cries*. Phoenix has changed so much throughout the series… Or rather, is he finally showing his true self? Either way, Shirvington has created a complex character with so many edifices – one that looks different if you look on at different angles… Just like his hair really. The things he does, the acceptance and belonging he strives for, the love he yearns to have… This beautiful and broken person made me bawl my eyes out.

“Say the words I came to hear.”

What makes a series great and the main characters stand out are the supporting/secondary characters. The stronger they are, the more personality they give to the story and protagonists. The Violet Eden Chapters has some of the most memorable people I’ve ever met. Each one leaves a lasting imprint. Onyx and Dapper, Spence, Vi’s parents, Griffin all have their stories. But who I adored the most was Steph. Steph has been a constant to the series and her friendship with Vi since Embrace has been one of the most endearing things I have ever read. Their friendship is basically indestructible. Steph herself is another strong, young woman. Being pulled into the Grigori world, staying by Vi’s side, supporting her, being surrounded by people who will outlive her – that takes a strength and willpower of one’s own. Then there’s Gray, whose presence in Empower just took my breath away. I immediately fell in love with him at the beginning of Empower and his character is just brilliant. Funny, charming, witty and just so full of life he really had a huge impact on the story.

“Steph… well, Steph is one of the good ones. She doesn’t hold a grudge. She isn’t cold.”

So that romance aye? What we’ve all been waiting for. *Flails around wildly* My heart. My poor heart. That is all.

“This was real. Understood. Fought for. Against. Lost.”

Shirvington has managed to tie up every loose end in Empower. Seriously it’s an achievement. I’ll be honest, I was quite confused when I read the blurb of Empower. What did Shirvington have in store? What else could she put them through? Really hadn’t she done enough damage. Well thankfully she picks up the pieces and puts everything together. Everything from book one to what’s introduced in book five all fall into place as the story progresses. The complex plot explains many things that were left unanswered, the story never faltering in its purpose. Her writing is as addictive as ever, her words pulling you in to the Grigori world and anchoring you there until the story’s over. There is no shortage of emotions in Empower. With the squealing of happiness and swooning comes heart ache and heart break; with the healing comes new wounds and with the love comes bittersweet hope. As Shirvington has taught us, there must be a balance and she has done just that with Empower – balanced every emotion, every person and death and love. With it all, comes an amazing sense of completeness and peace once the last page is turned. In your heart, you just know this was the way things were supposed to end.

“May your dreams be many.”

Review: Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington

Date Read: April 25 – 26 2013

Release Date: May 1^st 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins Australia

Source: Bought

Genre: Sci-Fi

My rating: 

Synopsis:
“Above all else, though I try not to think about it, I know which life I prefer. And every night when I Cinderella myself from one life to the next a very small, but definite, piece of me dies. The hardest part is that nothing about my situation has ever changed. There is no loophole.

Until now, that is...

For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ′other′ life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other.

With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what - and who - is she really risking?”

---

"Because some things are so real you can feel them to your core. It doesn't matter where you go, they go with you. Anywhere."

From nearly the beginning I had my suspicions and from the middle I had a feeling about how things were going to end. But the way everything played out. WOAH. Absolutely amazing!

I loved all the characters, Sabine was smart, practical and I loved her voice. She was so believable and relatable - and that's something really hard to achieve in a story like this. I followed her through each of her lives perfectly; I felt her qualms about each life, what she liked about them and the love she had for each of the people in them.

“I want to live each day once, to the best that I can live it.”

Secondary characters like Sabine’s little sister Maddie (my absolute favourite) really enhanced the story and added to the difficulty of Sabine's conflicting emotions for each of her lives. I think it's rare to see such a loving sister bond between siblings with a 12 year age gap. Despite her rich friends in her Welleseley life having a materialistic exterior, I saw that underneath they really did care for each other. I really liked Sabine's family in her Welleseley life, hiding behind the money and clothes, her mother really cares for her and her brothers would come to her aid at any time. I loved that about them.

“If things feel right for you, then they probably are. But if they don’t, I know you’ll listen to that too.”

I can't come up with a fitting word to describe Ethan. Wise? Caring? Sweet? Selfless? Amazing? Loving? Yes all of them and many more! His role in the book was perfect - forget the fact that he's the love interest - he taught Sabine the beauty of living, showed her that what she has isn't a curse, but a gift. The power of living. Gah everything he said was so quotable!

“We only exist because others see us.”

What I really loved was the juxtaposition Between the Lives provided. On one hand, Sabine is living two lives, having lived twice as much as everybody else but she's sick of the living. On the other hand we see how ephemeral life is - how easy death can come about. We want to live, but is it worth living every day twice like Sabine? If death is the answer, is it the RIGHT answer? This book portrayed all these things perfectly, especially in regards to choices and existentialism – how would Sabine’s choices in her lonely world affect her future?

“What if you’re giving up something you don’t even have yet, a future in this world that would give you more happiness than you could have ever imagined?”

The perfect love. Ethan. Again Shirvington shows how fleeting everything in life is. But what wonderful things can bloom in such fleeting moments. Ethan and Sabine’s romance is one of these. The course of the book doesn’t play over very long but during that time, the bond that develops between Ethan and Sabine is amazing. They’re so very different yet so perfect for each other. There was no insta-love, but there was definitely attraction and slight hostility during the beginning. In a way, the two of them needed each other – to show one another what they’re missing in life – but there was never any co-dependence. The encouragement to live because of yourself was always there. Their romance was sweet and Ethan was always there supporting Sabine even when she didn’t know it.

I can’t find a single thing wrong with this book. The pace was perfect, the characters all amazing and the plot was so original I loved it! I also love books that have a cyclic nature so that by the end, it becomes full circle and I have this completed feeling in me – that all the questions and things that got mentioned in the beginning get answered create a perfect ending. And this book did exactly that.

Between the Lives made me think, it made me really appreciate life, it made me cry (A LOT, for like 30 pages straight) for what could have been but also gave me hope for the future. Jessica Shirvington never disappoints.

“I was lost. But you found me, between the lives.”