Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

Release Date: Available Now from Random House Book for Young Readers

Source: Personal Kindle Copy

Synopsis:

In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. And for Elspeth Gordie, it is also dangerous. That's because Elspeth has a secret: she is a Misfit, born with mysterious mental abilities that she must keep hidden under threat of death. And her worries only multiply when she is exiled to the mountain compound known as Obernewtyn, where—for all her talents—Elspeth may finally and truly be out of her depth. Then she learns she’s not the only one concealing secrets at Obernewtyn.

So this is the book, the book that made me want to blog again. It's been a long while and here's the reason: I just wasn't enjoying it anymore. I felt overwhelmed by review books and I felt like I was missing out on older titles that I wanted to read, but couldn't find the time. Plus, I have to blame my Kindle. I was one of those who said I would never enjoy and eReader, that I would miss the smell, the feel, of books. Yeah, I was wrong. I love my Kindle. I still read paper books every once in awhile, but I do love that Kindle. So, in order to spend some quality time with my Kindle, I stopped blogging for awhile to alleviate the review book stress. Plus I was writing a research paper, working, yada, yada, yada.

Then a couple weeks ago, I decided on a whim to try out Obernewtyn. I'd heard some good things here and there and I'm always up for some post-apocalyptic action, so I figured, why not? I'm so glad I made the leap.

I loved this book. I have since read two more in the series and I have 3 more to go. This book completely swept me away to another world. I love the characters, the premise, and just the overall feel of the book. I love that Carmody has created a whole new world and yet, since it's merely a what if of our own world, there are all these recognizable little pieces of our everyday lives. She really seamlessly places us in this new world and gives us just enough clues so that we never forget that this is could be our future.

Elspeth is one of the most amazing characters I've read about in a long time. She's one of those heroines who I would strive to me, strong and yet flawed. It's just an awesome read. And thanks to Isobelle Carmody, Elspeth, and Obernewtyn, Carrie's YA Bookshelf is back with a new outlook. I will keep on blogging, read what I want to read and share my love of books with whoever chooses to read.

I've missed you all and hope you're still out there!