Waiting On Wednesday ... The Ravens

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate — that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.

Witches are definitely having a moment in young adult literature right now. There are so many amazing sounding witchy reads coming out within the next year.

The Ravens is witches in a sorority which I am very much here for. It doesn't come out for almost an entire year but I am already eagerly awaiting its release.

Expected release date - January 5, 2021

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOKS

Cover for The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige (goodreads)

Paranormal, particularly in young adult, is back and I could not be happier. Witches seem to be part of the upcoming trend and I am here for all of it. I am especially looking forward to this modern take on witches set in a sorority.

The colour scheme of this novel is what immediately caught my eye. The splashes of pink on the black fit the witches in a sorority vibe perfectly in my opinion. This one doesn't come out until January of 2021 so we have a bit of a wait but the cover certainly got my attention.

MOVIES/TV

Trailer for Locke and Key

I recently devoured the Locke and Key series and fell in love. It's a story of grief and childhood that plays against a sort of horror backdrop. I was hesitant about the television series after reading it, but the trailer has brought me fully on board.

Bode's casting is PERFECTION and so much of the tone of the story seems to have been captured here. I am cautiously optimistic.

Promising Young Woman Trailer

I have not been able to stop thinking about this trailer since I first saw it. It's smart, biting, and already causing a lot of discussion.

Carey Mulligan looks to be giving a goosebumps giving performance in this and the subject matter could not be more timely.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

The 100 by Kass Morgan

The 100 by Kass Morgan
Release Date - September 3, 2013
Publisher Website -  Little Brown Young Readers
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 277 pages
My Rating - 2.5/5
**obtained for review from publisher via BEA**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In the future, humans live in citylike spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland...before it's too late.
Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust-and even love-again.

The 100 is a high stakes, compelling idea that fell a little from the mark for me. A novel that reads like a tv show, but lacked the character connection I needed for this type of plot to really draw me in.

The writing is quick, readable, and keeps your focus. The fact that the novel is 277 pages will also have many flying through this. The premise behind this novel, as mentioned, is very compelling. I found myself wishing more were done with it, because it could have resulted in a pulse pounding read.

The danger is real in this world. There is death, and the various threats aren't just coming from trying to recolonize Earth. The politics on the ship that are threaded throughout the narration left a lot of promise for the storyline to built upon. The story spends equal time both on Earth, and on the ship the delinquents have left behind. The threats on the ship are just as pressing as those found on Earth, so it creates maximum drama. The only issue is that while the plot is compelling, the characters left me feeling disconnected. 

The romance is the main focus, with many of the characters having story arcs that deal with the fallout of various romantic entanglements, and betrayals. Some of these pairings have some promise, and I felt the connection. However, because I didn't form a strong enough bond with them, due to lack of other development, I didn't grow attached. This series is going to thrive on killing off these characters, or at least putting them into perilous situations, and for it to work the reader has to care.

A novel whose plot holds a lot of promise, and the glimmer of intrigue is there. A little more from the characters would serve this type of plot even more. An tepid start to what might end up being a pretty engaging series, but this installment left me hoping for more in the sequel.