Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Release Day! Book Review and Giveaway! Wildefire by Karsten Knight

 GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
AS OF 8/1/11

Wildefire by Karsten Knight
                                                                        
Simon and Shuster

Release Date: July 26, 2011

Young Adult

ISBN-10: 1442421177

ISBN-13: 978-1442421172

Fantasy/ Paranormal

400 pages
Wildfire is the YA debut of Karsten Knight and several factors set it apart: Being a young man distinguishes Knight in a crowded young adult genre that is bursting at the seams with female writers. His decision to write from a female point of view adds to the interest level. He also pays homage to diversity by making his protagonist Polynesian—now that’s an ethnic group we don’t hear much about.

Wildefire follows Ashline Wilde as she goes through one of the toughest years of her life. She thinks things are bad enough as she tries to find her place in the pecking order at her high school as the lone Polynesian, and comes to terms with a cheating boyfriend.

But then things, as they often do with teens, soon quickly spiral out of control. Her runaway sister returns, exhibiting a violent streak that Ash could never have imagined before she left. Then her sister’s involvement in the death of a student traumatizes Ashline and sends her packing to a private school across the country to start life afresh.

As she makes new friends and a new romance comes into bloom, Ash is sure she’s made the right decision to leave her old life behind—until she discovers that she’s a volcano goddess and her new school is full of gods and goddesses. This has to be more than coincidence, but what does it mean? Ashline and her classmates are determined to find out. Ash’s sister, Eve makes a surprise visit and things go from bad to worse in short order. Another death isn’t far behind—and Ashline has to decide where her loyalties lie.

Karsten Knight easily captures a teen girl’s voice, doing so with snap and wit. He writes a crisp, tight tale, propelling the reader through the narrative in a linear and forthright manner while exploring a fresh mythology. There is a far amount of violence in this story, but it isn’t anything that the teen audience can’t handle. As a romance junkie, I would have liked more of the romantic element to have been explored in the story, but I'm hopeful for the sequel. A guy did write this; afterall, and maybe he put in as much of it as he could stand...lol...

The author ends the first installment of this trilogy with a surprise ending that begs to be continued.

I'm giving my ARC away. If you're interested in receiving it, just leave a comment that answers this question: How much romance do you like in your YA novels? Don't forget to include your email so you can be contacted if you're the winner. That is all. I'm busy over the next week, give or take some days, so I haven't decided when this giveaway will end. I'll just announce a winner from the people who have entered up to that point.

Giveaway open to residents of the US and Canada only.

Toodles!

27 comments:

  1. How much? i do enjoy some but i dont like it super mushy lovey dovey. I still want action without teen hormornal angst.

    trancespiderx@gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Umm..I like a little. I don't like the teenage childish kind but I love when it seems like it could be a real relationship, like soulmates.

    jessilyn22@live.com

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  3. I like some, but not too much. And nothing too detailed. If I want more there are plenty of full on romance novels to get it from.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  4. I enjoy romance in YA novel, but only if it's a GOOD romance, not some cheesy/forced love-at-first-sight and can't-wait-to-jump-out-off-my-pants kind of thing :) I didn't like the romance in Airel by Patterson and White, but I really, really enjoyed the one in Watched by Sharde Richardson :)

    Thanks for the chance to win Wildefire. I've been watching Karesten's vlogs and he is just soooo hilarious! :D Love him! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. forgot my email^^"
    evieseo(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just finished Wildefire on ebook:D Great review:D

    I like me some romance, but it's got to be done right, most important and it's not got to be easy. A great romance is worth fighting for.

    Michelle A

    tintinbrains@bigpond.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just the right amount with difficulty ...can't be boy meets girl and they live happily ever after ...needs to be obstacles
    Viajeradelmar@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just a little but not a lot.

    gomezrose61@yahoo.com

    savanna

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like some romance, but only if it is mature: not cheesy, goo-goo-eyed stuff :)

    I'd love to win this book - sounds great! Please enter me in the draw. My email address is darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like a little bit of romance, but nothing mushy, no love triangles and no love at first sight. Those are my romance pet peeves. :-P

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I like romance in ya as long as its clean! Please enter me for this one.

    follow on gfc

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like the romance in a YA novel to be balanced, not to much. I think I prefer it not to be the whole plot of the story, rather something that comes out of the plot or main conflict.

    maidenveil(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like romance somewhat, but I like paranormal romance better!

    ashleysbookshelf at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Some, but not too much! I'm more interested in the fantasy or supernatural stuff, which is usually mixed with romance, but to me that's of lesser interest.

    reneelasater(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm a new follower from Book Blogs!

    acydrose@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love the romance! But in YA what I love the most is when an author can describe the emotions of the first love--it is so exhilarating. There is something so fun in those scenes.

    Shanan (new follower)
    http://thebookaddictnet.blogspot.com/
    shananthebookaddict@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for this amazing giveaway! I like some romance but also a good balance of that with the action/mystery and the fantasy/supernatural parts. I would love to win this book!

    susanw28 (at) mindspring (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for the giveaway! I love romance, but of course, everything has to balance out, and if there's no action or adventure, it's not really my thing.
    twigerina@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Romance--I can take it or leave it. I don't like when it dominates the plot of EVERY novel. That being said, I really want to read Wildefire! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Amy // amyismyfriend at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I like a bit of innocent romance in my YA. Thanks for hosting - please enter me. I am an old follower.
    bsharp88@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I do enjoy romance, but I don't want it to be the only element in the book I'm reading! Thank you for this giveaway :D
    golfgirl96@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I like just enough to keep it real..

    (\___/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
    http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  23. Don't enter me. I have the book and I'm just paying a visit.

    I can't wait to read my copy.

    Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I prefer the story to take front and center while the romance happens as an organic extension of the story rather than the main focus.

    snifflykitty@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hope I'm not too late! I love a lot of romance in my YA, and I've wanted to read this one for a while now. Thanks for the chance!

    lisapottswriter at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Sounds like a great read. Please enter me!

    givingreadingachance AT gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

I enjoy reading what you have to say. Seriously!