Friday 14 March 2014

REVIEW: SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE by Erica Cameron (plus competition)

REVIEW: SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE by Erica Cameron



Title: Sing Sweet Nightingale
Series: Dream War Saga #1
Author: Erica Cameron
Release date: March 4th 2014
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Stars: Five big fat stars
Synopsis:  Mariella Teagen hasn’t spoken a word in four years.

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.
Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.
Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.
Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella’s life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.
 

What first attracted me to this book was the name initially. SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE. Every time I thought of it, Disney’s Cinderella would be singing the song inside my head. And when I read what it was about, Beyoncé’s Sweet Dreams would kick off as well. Basically this book has created a (very strange) mash-up of epic proportions. 
Right! Where to start? The cover. Gorgeous isn’t it? Before reading this book, I wondered if the light in her hand symbolized something, or the mask… and they do! Once you’ve read Sing Sweet Nightingale, you’ll be able to pick out a whole host of things from the cover that is included in the book.
And now we turn our attention to the characters. Mariella isn’t as strong as your usual YA heroine, but that doesn’t mean she’s one to be ignored. Even while saying nothing, she’s a feisty little thing that will bring a smile to your lips and even make you laugh a few times. Her weakness does not make her a coward. At all. Mariella is human. And humans constantly make mistakes. It’s what makes us who we are, really. Mariella’s flaws are simply a result of being human, and taken in by a beautiful lie that we all would be deceived by.
And now for Hudson. 
I’m pretty sure everyone these days knows how much I  (obsess over) like guys with white-blond hair and black eyes.  This totally has nothing to do with a certain murderous figure in Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments. [shifty look]
2013 was the year of YA ‘bad boys,’ don’t deny it. But with 2014, I’m seeing less of them. Is this good or bad? I’ve not decided yet. Hudson Vincent is a type of YA guy you don’t see very often at all. Totally committed to his cause, Hudson is a genuinely nice guy. A little weird, but hey- all the best people are weird. He’s lost so much in his life and constantly fighting a battle he’s neither winning nor losing. Hudson is an amazing character. And hot too, we can’t forget that.
All through the book, he and Mariella were slowly growing closer and you could see it.
You had level
  
and then level
 

And maybe one day in the future…
 
Okay so I really like the idea of that last GIF.
~
SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE was a beautiful read that also took place in another world. A dream world. I won’t say anything else because I don’t want to spoil it for those who are going to read it, but you’re going to love this book and it’s unforgettable characters.
SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE is out in the US already and  for UK readers from the 15th of March 2014. 
~
Also, today is the last day of the blog tour and competition! Have you been keeping up? No? Well here are all the locations and interviews in one snuggly link. Today’s blog posts are not on there just yet, but if you pop back soon, they should be.
My favourite post has to be Lost in Ever After’s though. Why? You’ll see. You can also enter the competition from that link as well. US only I’m afraid, and again, it is the last day, so hurry hurry!
 ~
On Tuesday night, Erica and Reading With Me held a live Q+A session on YouTube. There was a lot of craziness, chair spinning and laughing. Also, a ton of information about her book that you will find nowhere else! If you missed it, or just want to watch it again, you can find the hour-long recording HERE


 
Erica Cameron knew that writing was her passion when she turned a picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn’t her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psychology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality.
Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dancer, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.
Her debut novel Sing Sweet Nightingale releases March 4, 2014 from Spencer Hill Press. It is the first book in The Dream War Saga.

Links
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads |


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