Remember Yesterday

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Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the advanced reading copy of Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn! The cover is even more beautiful than Forget Tomorrow’s cover. I posted my Forget Tomorrow review on October 2, 2016.

Jessa’s point of view ten years after Forget Tomorrow. Jessa has been living in the Harmony compound with Logan’s older brother, Mikey, along with Angela and Ryder. Mikey convinced Angela to marry him after Callie proved that the future can be changed. After they were married, they adopted Ryder and took care of Jessa as their own also, since her mother feels the need to stay at home just in case her husband returns from his time travels. Olivia was found to be the precognitive that the community was looking for and she hasn’t been seen in over a decade, since her abilities were discovered.

The suspense, mystery and emotional turmoil are pumped up in this sequel to Forget Tomorrow, which makes it a more interesting story. Remember Yesterday brings to life more characters and I felt their struggles while reading. I hope there is a third book to this series! My rating: a solid 5 stars!

Check Out This Teaser from Remember Yesterday

Pintip Dunn has been nice enough to share an excerpt, guest post and interview with me, so I can share with all of you!

GUEST POST:

Author: Pintip Dunn

Title: REMEMBER YESTERDAY

Release Date: Oct. 4, 2016

Publisher: Entangled TEEN

Synopsis:

Companion to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning novel, Forget Tomorrow.  

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries, if only she’d let TechRA study her. But ten years ago, the scientists kidnapped and experimented on her, leading to severe ramifications for her sister, Callie. She’d much rather break into their labs and sabotage their research—starting with Tanner Callahan, budding scientist and the boy she loathes most at school.

The past isn’t what she assumed, though—and neither is Tanner. He’s not the arrogant jerk she thought he was. And his research opens the door to the possibility that Jessa can rectify a fatal mistake made ten years earlier. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister—even if it means teaming up with the enemy she swore to defeat. 

Author bio:

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL.

Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other novels include THE DARKEST LIE and the forthcoming REMEMBER YESTERDAY.

She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com

Social Media Links:

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Goodreads

Buy Links:

Goodreads  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Kobo  Book Depository  iTunes  

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EXCERPT:

I lift my eyes to meet his, and I reach into the future—his future. The vision pours into me. The future Tanner grabs me and kisses me. Without warning, without hesitation. It is hot and searing and exquisite. And I like it. Oh, how I like it.

“No!” I fall out of the vision and scoot away from him, so far that I approach the edge of the platform. My pulse is thundering; my nerves are jumping. Oh, Fates. What’s wrong with me? Is it because I don’t want him to kiss me? Or because I want it too much?

His eyes turn watchful. “Come back here, Jessa. You’re too close to the sky.”

I look into the open space, fluffy with wads of cotton-ball clouds. I take a breath, hoping to inhale some of the sky’s serenity. He doesn’t know about the kiss. Why would he? In the vision, he acted impulsively, without premeditation. The desire to kiss me hasn’t arisen in him yet. Maybe I can prevent it from cropping up altogether.

“Look, you don’t want to kiss me,” I babble, staying where I am. And hope I sound more reasonable than I feel. “It’s only because we talked about kissing the other day. When you talk about something, you give it life. Make it real. Like an annoying song you can’t get out of your head.”

He creeps toward me, his eyes flicking between my face and the sky. “So you can’t get the idea of kissing me out of your head?”

“I said it was annoying. Like a song. Not based on anything real.”

He stops five feet from the edge of the platform. “So let me get this straight. You saw into the future and we kissed. Right?”

“Y-yes,” I stutter, shocked that he guessed the truth so easily. “But it doesn’t have to happen that way,” I add quickly. “As my sister proved, we’re in control of our own fate. We can make any future we wish.”

“Unless this is our Fixed.” His voice is low, rough. And yet, every syllable imprints into my memory forever. “Unless this kiss is so important, it happens in every one of our worlds.”

“It’s just a kiss. How can it be that important?”

His eyes glitter with the challenge. With one last look at the platform’s edge, he crawls to me, slowly but steadily. “The path of our particular world might depend on this kiss. Would you risk our future just to be stubborn?”

And then, he’s right in front of me. He rests his hands lightly on my back. They slide down to my waist, until his fingers brush against the strip of bare skin between my pants and top. I shiver, and my skin pebbles into a million goose bumps. He pulls me against him. So much of my body is touching his that I can’t think; I can’t breathe. All I can do is feel. His trembling breath. My hammering heart. His shaking hands—or hell, maybe that’s me, vibrating against his touch.

Our lips are inches apart. Time blends together. You couldn’t move me from this spot if the world were crashing down around us.

“I thought I wasn’t your type,” I whisper.

“You’re not,” he says. “But for the fate of our world, I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”

And then, he closes the gap between us.

My 5 Favorite Passages in REMEMBER YESTERDAY

I had such a blast writing this book, not only because I had a chance to revisit all of my favorite characters from FORGET TOMORROW, but also because I got to explore little Jessa’s story, who is now sixteen. 

Jessa was such a fascinating character for me to write. She’s grown up with a tremendous amount of guilt over her sister’s sacrifice, and I loved seeing how she forges her own path from underneath her sister’s shadow. Oh, and she also has a swoony relationship, with Tanner, who might just be my favorite hero. 

I’d love to share with you my five favorite passages from REMEMBER YESTERDAY (without giving away any spoilers!) 

  1. “This is who you are. Accept it. Perhaps your sister was able to fight Fate. But you will never be able to fight your very nature.”

A weariness descends on me, one that goes beyond my bones to the molecules themselves. Maybe it’s from the infection. More likely, it’s from this guilt I’ve been lugging around like the hydration packs seen into my hoverjerseys. She’s right. This is who I am. 

Poor Jessa! This is the crux of her struggle. It is a different battle than the one her sister Callie fought in FORGET TOMOMRROW, but in my mind, it is just as worthy. I still can’t decide which battle I think is more difficult! 

  1. I see a lean, chiseled jaw and soft, kissable lips. Tousled black hair brushing up against dark eyes framed with thick lashes. But the eyes don’t pierce through me. Instead, they’re…laughing…at me. 

Oh, good Fates. Was I actually checking out Tanner Callahan? What in Limbo is the matter with me? 

This passage just makes me smile. Jessa is so determined to keep this scientist-boy at arm’s length because of her deep-seated hatred of the scientists. Little does she know just how impossible this task will turn out to be… 

  1. Our lips are inches apart. Time blends together. You couldn’t move me from this spot if the world were crashing down around us. 

“I thought I wasn’t your type,” I whisper.

“You’re not,” he says. “But for the fate of our world, I’m willing to make sacrifice.” 

I adore this quote! Not only does it display Tanner in all of his arrogance, but it also showcases the themes of fate and determinism that is so central in this series. 

  1. Tears drip onto his face. Such small bits of moisture for such a large man, and yet, each drop gathers in my lungs, suffocating me. You don’t need an ocean in order to drown. Sometimes an inch of bathwater is all it takes. 

I promised no spoilers, so I will just say that the “large man” referenced here is one of my favorite secondary characters from FORGET TOMORROW — Zed. I’ll also say that in this series, every vision of the future that the characters receive will be played out, in one way or the other, before the series’ end. 

  1. One flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. The killing of a single moth in the prehistoric era can set the world on an entirely different trajectory. A single action, no matter how small, may cause ripples that extend far into the future. 

Ah, here’s the reason for the book cover, which features those gorgeous butterfly wings! The books in this series deal a lot with time and time travel, and what this quote gets at is the idea that a single, tiny action can change…everything. We get a glimpse of this idea in FORGET TOMORROW, but it is explored in much more depth in REMEMBER YESTERDAY. I find this concept endlessly fascinating.

INTERVIEW:

After earning degrees from prestigious universities, what path did you travel to become an author?

After earning degrees from prestigious universities, what path did you travel to become an author? I’ve wanted to be an author since I was six years old, but I wrote my first novel after college, while I was working at my first job as a business analyst. This was perhaps the happiest six months of my life, although I’m not sure if that book even had a plot! I went to law school soon after that, although I still cling to my dreams of writing. I graduated law school and then worked as a litigation attorney at a corporate law firm. I wrote my second and third novel during this time. I left the legal profession when I had kids, and for three years, I was a stay-at-home mom. Almost seven years ago, I started writing again. I signed my first contract five years later and then proceeded to sell seven books in the next seven months.

The idea of a future memory can be quite confusing, but you pull it off well and make it completely understandable.  How did you come up with this idea for your books?  

I had been writing seriously for years and was getting frustrated with the publication process, namely the rejections. My editor friend send to me: “I wish I had a crystal ball. Then, I could tell you five years from now, you will definitely be published and you wouldn’t worry about it so much.”

A few days later, I was taking a nap with my toddler son and in that hazy state between being sleep and awake. “Wouldn’t it be great,” I thought, “if we could send memories to our younger selves? Then I could see myself as a successful author and know that all this sweat and blood and tears were worth it.” My next thought was: “Hey, that would make a great idea for a book!” And presto: the Forget Tomorrow series was born.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Persevere. The path to publication can be a long and hard road. But the difference between an unpublished and published writer is that the published writer didn’t give up.

Thank you, Pintip and good luck with your series, Forget Tomorrow!

The Grisha Trilogy

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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the start of the Grisha Trilogy about two orphans, Alina and Mal. Alina and Mal are being interviewed by Grisha as children, then the story jumps ahead to their young adulthood. Mal is a tracker in the army and Alina is an assistant to a cartographer. The army is crossing The Fold, a place where monsters called Volcra live. Volcra attack and Mal and Alina protect each other. As the Volcra claw at her back, Alina lights up. She’s suspected of being a Sun Summoner and people will want her to light up The Fold so traveling can be safer and ports can be used once again. The Darkling takes Alina to Os Alta for her safety, her training and to serve the kingdom. Alina feels like she doesn’t fit into this life any better than her last dwelling and job as a mapmaker. She hasn’t seen Mal since she was taken to the palace. Alina has a revelation as a forgotten memory resurfaces. Alina’s power comes forth and as her power grows, it becomes easier for her to call upon and she learns who she can and cannot trust and who she truly loves. I like how the author has woven Russia into the story. Leigh Bardugo is an impressive author and her debut novel, Shadow and Bone, brought anxiety to my mind and tears to my eyes – 5 stars!

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Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo is the second book in the Grisha Trilogy. Mal and Alina escape from the Darkling and are trying to earn enough money to travel to a place where no one has heard of the Grisha. Before they can move on, the Darkling finds them again. The White Stag captured in the first book was only the first of the amplifiers the Darkling wants. He is now after the Sea Whip. The crew is overthrown by a privateer who rescues Mal and Alina from the Darkling, just as the Sea Whip is captured and killed. Alina now has a second amplifier and reads a story about a third one, the Firebird. The privateer, Sturmhond, has many tricks and secrets up his sleeve. While Alina is put in charge of the Second Army with Mal as the Captain of the Guard, the kingdom is searching for the Darkling and preparing for war. Alina learns that the amplifiers were not discovered, but created, which makes their safety more questionable and makes them even more of a mystery. Lives are lost and some are forever changed in the battle with the Darkling. Once again, Leigh Bardugo has entered the Grisha’s world with magnificent writing and dynamic characters- 5 stars!

 

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Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo is the third and final book in the Grisha Trilogy. The Apparat is supposedly caring for Alina, the Sun Summoner, while all of her allies have been accused of treason. The group escapes and goes in search of the Firebird, the third and last amplifier. Once again, Nikolai saves them and he brightens up everything with his clever wit and resilient personality. The elevator scenes made me laugh, with the great dialogue! The group fights the Darkling again and horrible things happen. The author brings the characters to life with her details and the development of Genya is impressive and creates empathy for her struggles and amazement for her bravery at the same time. The descriptive world building made me feel as though I was in the middle of the action. I could feel the air move as the Firebird flew by and my ears hurt with its screech. Unpredictable, suspenseful and touching in all the right ways – 5 stars!

I look forward to reading the Six of Crows Duology that is set in the same world as the Grisha Trilogy!

The Devil You Know

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Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read and review The Devil You Know by Trish Doller. This young adult thriller is the perfect horror story with just the right amount of suspense. Trish Doller brings the characters to life and makes them believable. Cadie is a young woman in need of a break from taking care of her father and younger brother. She has kept their household together since her mother passed away from cancer, years earlier. All she wants is a little adventure for a few days, but she gets so much more than she expected! I read this book straight through because the writing flows well and the suspense pulled me in. I was right alongside the characters, rooting for Cadie! I highly recommend this book for any reader that wants a bit of scare – 5 stars!

Chasing Truth

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Entangled Teen for the arc of Chasing Truth by Julie Cross! Wow, what a ride! This adventure, mystery, thriller, romance, young adult story held my attention from beginning to end.

Chasing Truth is cleverly written, with complex main characters and side characters, and mysterious because the main character has hidden agendas and a secrecy surrounding her. I like Ellie (Eleanor) with her clever, quick wit and the fact that she seems to care about people and also values integrity in others. Ellie’s friend, Simon, supposedly committed suicide but the investigation into his death is ongoing. This book is hard to put down and I just wanted to keep reading, but alas, life needs to be lived;).

I loved this line, “This makes me hate him 2 percent less, which is useful when I have to pretend not to hate him”. I laughed out loud! It’s priceless! Out of context, this line doesn’t make much sense, but when you get to know Ellie and how she is dealing with her con-artist background while trying to be normal, it makes great dialogue!

The mysterious background of Ellie and the mystery surrounding Simon’s death kept me riveted throughout the book, 5 stars!

The Reader

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Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc of The Reader by Traci Chee! Sefia and her “aunt” Nin are hiding from people who want them. Sefia thinks they’re wanted because of Nin’s thievery skills. Sefia goes to a village to sell animal pelts and when she returns, Nin has been captured. The story falls back to when Sefia was younger and living with her father. He was killed and his body torn apart and Sefia had been with Nin at the time. When she returned home, she found her father’s body like this. Even though she was terrified and distraught about her father, Sefia hid as always told to, since her family expected danger eventually but never telling Sefia why. Her parents had given her three explicit instructions: use the secret doors, go through the tunnel, find Nin. At the last secret door, a rectangular object fell out, a book. She took it with her, not knowing what it was.

Many alternating points of view confused me for a while. Lon is a young man with special sight and Erastis, the master librarian, takes him in as his apprentice. Captain Reed and his ship, Current (a remarkable captain and a remarkable ship). Assassins and trackers searching for something. Sefia reads about these people and the complicated stories found in the book turn out to be real people and their actual lives.

The Reader is interesting and complex with diverse characters, 4 stars.