Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Match 2: Micah (3) vs. Alex (6) Goes to Alex


Welcome to The YA Sisterhood's 3rd Annual YA Crush Tourney!  We hope that through this all you will meet a lot of book loving people, discover new books, and of course be introduced to many more dreamy crushes!  

Be aware that we have tried to keep all the posts pretty general, but there might still be some spoilers.  If the spoiler is big, it will be marked.  However, still proceed with caution!

Matches will run for 24 hours, 12am to 12am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  For more information please check out our Tournament Page.

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WINNER OF MATCH #2 IS ALEX!

Micah from Mythology by Helen Boswell


There it is. At last. The rumble of a motorcycle out front. My heart stops for a few beats. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this moment – the moment when I finally get to meet the love of my life, the star of my dreams, my fictional fantasy come to life.

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“It’s Micah, and he’s on a black classic Triumph. His golden hair is windblown and tangled. He looks glorious in the sunlight…And I know that his smile is meant for me.”
Micah Condie is 6’2” of blonde hair, blue-eyed sexiness. A devoted brother, loyal friend and loving boyfriend, he has the biggest heart of any YA crush I’ve ever read. He isn’t afraid of his feelings, and he will do whatever it takes to protect the people he cares for. The only thing not perfect about him is that he isn’t real, and I can’t tackle hug him and swoon over him in person! But there is more to Micah than heart and looks. You see, Micah is a demon – as in literal, fire-and-brimstone, demon from hell. To survive, he must take souls, and if he doesn’t, he will die. It’s a horrible choice, and it would be so easy for Micah to just give up and be the monster everyone claims he is.

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“You can’t reduce me down to that, like I’m some sort of wild animal that only acts on instinct. I made a decision to be with Hope. And she made the same decision to be with me.”
Micah doesn’t believe in taking the easy way out. He refuses to accept that he is somehow “destined” to be a bad guy because he was unlucky enough to be born a demon. So instead, he fights. Every day he wages a war with the darkness, battling his own nature for the right to create his own destiny and be with the girl he loves.
“I’ll choose you. I’ll always choose you.”
(c) 2013 Helen Boswell. Design by Allie B Designs, original images by Shannon Eberhard/James Stamos

Micah is the ultimate good bad boy. Yes, he has blackness inside of him, but he won’t yield to it, no matter what. And isn’t that what we all do? We all have our dark sides, and we all strive to be the best person we can be. Micah reminds me of that, and when he wins the fight, it’s like I’m winning too. That’s why I choose him as my YA Crush. Because he is the most real, the most human. Demon darkness and all.

Exclusive excerpt from MYTHOLOGY: THE WICKED. Coming September, 2013.
© 2013 Helen Boswell. Used with permission.
“I’m fine,” she says, a small smile playing on her face.
"Convince me,” I say.
She slides her hands up my chest, around my neck. Her eyes don’t leave mine, the uncertainty of the moment gone for both of us.
We step toward each other at the same time, my arms drawing her even closer at the moment our lips meet. Her mouth opens, lips meld with mine in total perfection, and I take in her breath as my own. I run my hands down to the small of her back, and she knots her fingers in my hair and curves into me. The slight movement of her body pressing against me stirs up an entirely different sort of hunger.
Nothing matters except for her.
Nothing.
A small sound escapes from her throat, and my need ignites like flames against all of the darkness.
Way too soon, the bell rings, totally killing the moment. Doors burst open, and the hallway overflows with people and commotion.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” a voice says.
I groan and press my forehead to Hope’s for just a second before breaking away from her.
“Hey, Sylvia,” she says brightly, linking her fingers with mine. She squeezes my hand before letting go and turns her face up to mine. “See you later.”
Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted. I let out my breath slowly.
“See ya.”
I drag a hand over my face as I watch her leave, the urge to chase her growing exponentially with each step she takes away from me. It’s not just some stupid possessive needy thing. I know she’s mine as much as she knows I’m hers.
But the second she disappears around the corner, the feeling resurfaces. The one that will always stick with me. The one when I thought she was leaving me for good, right after she saved my life last semester. That moment when I was full of regret that I let her down.
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Alex from Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Hola, book lovers! I'm Rachel from Beauty and the Bookshelf, and I'm honored to be an advocate in the YA Crush Tourney this year! I know I'm biased, but I really, truly love my crush; he's one of my top book boyfriends! I hope you've got a fan ready to cool you down and 911 on speed dial, because you're about to meet...
Alex Fuentes
He's the lead male in Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, and he's muy caliente. Alex is made up of several different aspects, and in the end he'll steal your heart and take your breath way. If you've already met Alex, then you probably know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, then you're about to find out. He's the boy your madre warned you about. But beware: the following text is highly flammable.
This is Alejandro Fuentes. When he wasn't hanging out on street corners and harassing innocent people this summer, he toured the inside of jails around the city, if you know what I mean. His secret desire is to go to college and become a chemistry teacher.
Cocky
Alex has his issues--he's in a gang, he's trying to keep his younger brothers out of the gang, his family doesn't have a whole lot of money--but he hides that. He does his best not to show weakness, so instead he emanates confidence like it's a cologne he's wearing. Sometimes it smells vial, and sometimes it smells mouth-watering, and that's when the good, light-hearted cockiness makes an appearance.
“Makin' mistakes ain't a crime, you know. What's the use of having a reputation if you can't ruin it every now and then?”
Heart
Family is a very big thing for Alex; they mean the world to him. And when the right girl comes around, she becomes part of that, too. A handful of people get a special place in Alex's heart, a place that means he'd do anything to protect them. He's not an overbearing bodyguard (most of the time)--he's protective in a way that makes your heart stop a beat then pick up at an extremely fast pace.
“I want to know how to make this girl laugh. I want to know what makes her cry. I want to know what it feels like to have her look at me as if I’m her knight in shinning armor.”
Espanol
Chico is a Mexicano, a Latino--and he's not afraid to show it. Alejandro Fuentes rolls an r off his tongue so smoothly, like a cat purring. Some of what he says is foul, but a lot of the time it's just another name to call Brittany, his love interest in Perfect Chemistry. Some guys call their girls "babe" and "sweetheart"--Alex'll call you "mi vida," "mujer," and "mamacita."
Mi vida, if I kiss you, I guarantee there’s gonna be tongue.”
Mechanic
What is it about guys working on cars that's so hot? Alex spends a lot of his time in the garage and shop, working on cars and fixing things. Not to get all English-class on you, but working on cars could symbolize Alex's life and what's happening in it. There's also the fact that some, um, interesting things happen at the shop...
“We’re actors in our lives, pretendin’ to be who we want people to think we are.”
Indescribable
I may be describing Alex throughout this post, but there really isn't a true way to say or show who he is. (You just have to meet him yourself.) He's just Alejandro Fuentes, the boy everyone warns you about but your heart leaps for anyway.
“You are the one girl that made me risk everything for a future worth having.”
Sexy
I've only been saying this for, like, the entire post, but chico es muy caliente. Seriously, he is worthy of some major swoonage. It's not just the obvious sexiness--it's who he is, deep down, as a person. And it's also his smokin' hot looks. (Tattoos. I love tattoos.) He rides a motorcycle. (Holy hotness.) The things he says are pretty sexy, too. Oh, and what he does--woo! Excuse me, I need to go stand in front of a fan for a few days and cool myself down. Alex Fuentes is almost too hot to handle!
“He has eyes so expressive they give a hint to more than what he portrays. He’s dedicated to his friends, family, and even his motorcycle  He touched me as if I were made of glass. He kissed me as if he’d savor it for the rest of his life.” 
Trouble 
"I knew you were trouble when you walked in..." So, Alex isn't an angel. (But really, who is?) He makes some bad decisions and does some bad things. He has tattoos (not that I'm complaining) and is marked up with evidence that he's part of LB, Latino Blood, a gang you really, really don't want to mess with. Boy can handle a gun and take care of himself in a fight. He's trouble, all right. But trouble isn't always a bad thing.
“I'm not starting any fights. I might finish one though.”
Rebellious
To add to being trouble, Alex can be quite the rebel. (He's a Fuentes; I think it runs in their genes.) His mouth can run off and say not-so-nice things, and he also does some very not-so-nice things. He may use you, depending on who you are. Alex isn't always fond of rules, either. However, that rebelliousness has the potential to morph into something great.
It's your image, what Alex Fuentes is all about. It's your brand, your logo...dangerous, deadly, hot and sexy Mexican.
Yours
Once he finds the one, that girl that's his life, that's it. He's done. He's pretty darn committed and he's yours, and you're his. He'll say sweet things and do sweet things, all of which put butterflies in your stomach. (For reals, this book will put some major butterflies in your stomach.) Alex Fuentes will make you weak at the knees, and you can't help falling for him. And if he falls for you, then you are one very, very lucky girl. 
Mujer, you own my soul.

So that's Alex Fuentes: sugar, spice, and everything hot. He's the guy you hate to love and a delicious dose of danger that you need in your life. If you haven't met him, I'd highly suggest reading Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. In the meantime, join Alex's Gang and vote for him--you know you want to, amigos! And muchas gracias!

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