Monday 30 April 2012

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blog tour)

For Review: Mira Ink
Published: 4 May 2012
From Goodreads:  
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.
I freaking love this book!  Being a big fan of Kagawa's Iron Fey series I was really excited about this post apocalyptic vampire story and it certainly lived up to all my expectations.
The story is divided into three parts and this works really well - it not only gives us sound world building but also creates a escalating level of tension and excitement.  By part three I was so engrossed in the story there was no way I was putting it down!

I loved Allie.  We really get to know her in the first part of the story.  Everything she has been through and continues to go through.  Her whole life is driven by a need to survive so I wasn't at all surprised by her choice to become one of the monsters she despises.  And it is really interesting to see how she evolves as a character.  How she deals with her loss and how she has to embrace who she has become.

Kanin is just awesome!  So compelling and I do hope we get to see much more of him.  And as for Zeke - be still my heart!  I adore that boy! He is definitely right up there with my favourite YA character creations. 
There is so much about this novel I loved and I'm could easily rave about it for a long, long time.  But I think I will just say read it!  You wont regret it - it really is as awesome as it sounds!



Wednesday 25 April 2012

I want to read that...

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
From Goodreads:  Freshman Rose Zarelli has rage issues.

First of all, her father lost his job, took work as a contractor in Iraq...and never came home.

Second, she likes the wrong guy and his super-intense, scary cheerleader girlfriend is now her nemesis.

Third, her fashionista best friend, Tracy, is suddenly infinitely cooler than she is—and talking about losing her virginity. (What?!)

Rose is ahead when it comes to studying for the PSAT, but she’s so far behind socially that she might as well be moving backward. She needs Tracy’s help choosing the right clothes, she likes all the wrong extracurricular activities, and she can’t even make a decision about which photo of her father to put on the memorial website she’s making (and hiding from her adolescent-shrink mother).

With her brother away at college and her mother always locked in her office with her messed-up teen patients, Rose struggles to get through each day without inflicting bodily harm on anyone.
This sounds like my kind of book! 
It's published by Harlequin Teen in August 2012

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Unrest by Michelle Harrison

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: 26 April 2012

From Goodreads:  Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn't slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they're terrifying.

Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out-of-body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something that wants to live again - and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

A chilling new novel for teen readers from the best-selling author of the widely acclaimed 13 Treasures sequence.


Ever since I’d heard the synopsis for Unrest I knew I had to read it! And I’m very pleased to say it lived up to my expectations.

The story sucked me in straight away. I loved the voice Michelle Harrison gives to Elliott – he’s very likeable but not perfect. And the situation he finds himself in after his accident makes for compelling reading.

It is apparent a great deal of work has gone into constructing this story – it reads in such a believable way which makes it very creepy! I loved all the ghostly, night time scenes when Elliott fell asleep. But the story is more than that – at its heart it is a contemporary mystery and I loved solving it alongside Elliott.

Not only is Elliott trying to deal with the repercussions of his accident – and the strange out of body experiences – but he also stumbles upon a ‘situation’ at his new place of work. Forced to investigate when his out of body experiences take a more threatening turn – Elliott has no choice but to undercover the truth…

One of the other aspects of this novel I loved was the romance between Elliott and Ophelia. It builds slowly and a genuine friendship develops between them. One thing that did bug me though was Elliott’s constant references to the fact that she wasn’t ‘that pretty’ – it really started to annoy me after a while. But the gentle way he actually treats Ophelia makes up for it! And the two have great chemistry.

I also really enjoyed the relationships Elliott has with his father and his brother Adam. Actually I kind of fell in love with Adam – he’s a bit of a bad boy with a heart – and I loved the scenes with the two of them.

Michelle Harrison has written a brilliant story that I’m sure will be a fan favourite. The story is so addictive I didn’t want to stop reading - I had to know what was going on! And I loved the way it unraveled – there were definitely a few surprises! And although this works perfectly as a standalone story – I can’t help but hold out a secret hope that there is a way for it to become a series. I loved the concept so much, and Elliott and Ophelia are such brilliant characters I’d love to return to the world!

Highly recommended.

Sunday 22 April 2012

In My Mailbox (140)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren




Review

How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro
Insurgent by Veronica Roth (I forgot to put this in the photo - d'oh!)
Until I Die by Amy Plum
The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Thanks to everyone who sent books for review:)

Bought:

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz

Hope you all had a great week:)

Saturday 21 April 2012

0.4 by Mike Lancaster

From Goodreads: It's a brave new world. 'My name is Kyle Straker. And I don't exist anymore.' So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on to old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world...If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie. And if everything we know is a lie does that mean that we are, too?

O.4 is one of those books I've been meaning to read for ages, and now I have finally read it I have no idea why I didn't read it sooner.  It is seriously good!

The story is told through Kyle Straker's tapes and intercepted with the occasional narrative of the editor. Kyle's voice really shines and I loved having the story told from his perspective.

The story is really creepy! And very different from anything else I have read. I absolutely loved the concept - I was completely and utterly engrossed. I'm trying not to give anything away as it's one of those stories you really need to go into without knowing much about it and just let it unfold.

Clever, well written and with an ending that will make you really think! I still can't decide what I would do. I can't wait for the next book, 1.4 when it is published in May.

Friday 20 April 2012

I want to read that...

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

From Goodreads: Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.

The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day.

As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.


This sounds goooood! It's published October 2012.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Surrender by Lee Nichols

For Review: Bloomsbury
Published: 12 April 2012

From Goodreads: After a devastating battle at headquarters in New York, the ghostkeeping world is in shambles. When Emma and Bennett return home, they are determined to defeat the wraithmaster, Neos, forever. But it's not going to be easy. Bennett's parents kick him out when they realize he is still using drugs to enhance his powers. Emma is convinced her aunt has come back from the dead to warn her of a new threat. And worst of all, Neos is using wraiths to possess the students at Thatcher Academy. If the ghosts manage to take over the entire school, even Emma won't be strong enough to stop them. But if either she or Bennett sacrifice his or her powers, they might be able to save the ghostkeeping world once and for all-and break the "ghostkeepers lose their powers when they fall in love" curse. The question is: who will be the one to surrender all power?

Fast-paced and romantic, this conclusion to the Haunting Emma trilogy will thrill readers as it brings the ghostly mystery to a close.


I've really enjoyed reading Lee Nichols' Haunting Emma series and the final instalment is a brilliant conclusion to the saga.

The story picks up from where we left off in Betrayal. Neos is still a threat and gaining power, Bennett is using desperate means to gain the power he believes he will need to beat him. And, of course, there is still the problem of ghostkeepers losing their powers if two are together...

One of my favourite aspects of this story is the romance between Emma and Bennett so I really enjoyed this one. There were some really great scenes between the two. I'm also please that her friends played a larger part in the story, especially Natalie and Coby. I really liked Coby and his friendship with Sara and Harry.

I liked the showdown at the end too - and how it all turns out - and the way all the pieces fit together. The characters all really develop and become stronger over the course of the series so it's really nice seeing them get to this point.

I'm really excited to see what Lee Nichols writes next. Hopefully it will be as romantic, and action packed as this series!

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Sneak Peek: Burn Mark by Laura Powell

From Goodreads: Glory is from a family of witches. She is desperate to develop the ‘Fae’ and become a witch herself.

Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition and his privileged life is very different to the world of witches that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, Glory and Lucas both develop the Fae. In one fell stroke, Glory and Lucas’s lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . . .


Burn Mark is published June 2012. In the meantime here is a sneak Peek. Enjoy:D


Burn Mark Extract

Sunday 15 April 2012

In My Mailbox (139)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.



Review:
Bringing the Summer by Julia Green
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Thanks to Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster and Hodder for sending books for review:)



Bought:
Falling in Love with English Boys by Melissa Jensen
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nichols
Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser
How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Fifty Shades of Grey by  E L James

Hope you all have a great week:D

Saturday 14 April 2012

Dead Rules Blog Tour (Guest Post)


As part of the blog tour for the release of Dead Rules, R S Russell stopped by to talk about ghost encounters...
---

A Whisper Ghost & A Ghost with One Song

By R. S. Russell, author of DEAD RULES (Quercus Books UK, March 2012)

When I wrote DEAD RULES, I set out to explore what a ghost encounter with a human might be like from the ghost’s point of view, of what it might be like for a ghost to interact with someone they love, someone as yet very much alive.

I am an academically trained folklorist. I collect true ghost encounters by interviewing people have experienced ghost in their lives. Ghosts are experienced in such a variety of ways, including in dreams, that I often find myself being asked if this experience or that was a ghost experience. I've learned to keep an open mind.

It’s true, I do have the outline of a heart, filled in red, tattooed on my left earlobe. It’s to remind me to listen with and to my heart.

Many ghost hunters don't accept a visit in a dream from a dead person as a ghost encounter. They can't measure it or take its temperature or test it for magnetic-electricity fluctuation, so to them it’s not real. I think these ghost hunters are too quick to judge. They listen to their gadgets, when they should be listening to the beating of a human heart.

I've collected numerous accounts of ghost visits in a dream, of people waking to find a ghost in the room that began as a dream, of messages delivered from the afterlife in a dreams. I am never quick to say that dreaming a ghost isn't real.

Of the hundreds of ghost encounters I have collected in interviews, I am happy to leave to you to decide whether the experience involved a ghost, whether the experience was real of imagine. Here are two recent examples.

I met a young woman a few years after she moved out of her ground-floor college rental following two terrifying weeks of hearing someone whispering her name when she woke up in the morning. An old house nears the local university had been divided into two apartments downstairs.

She said she felt as if she were being softly touched... and it was this touching that woke her. Then she heard the voice. It was voice filled with malevolence. She said she felt molested simply by hearing her name being whispered close to her ear. She had never experienced anything similar before moving in or has since leaving the rental. She told me that even driving on the street where the old house is located still fills her with a sense of ominous dread.

Do you believe this is a true ghost experience?

Dave, a man in his forties, waited at library event to tell me his encounter once everyone else had gone. Over the years, I have learned that when adult males attend my little ghost events alone, they (usually) want to talk to me. Dave said he was raised in a musical family. His parents, aunts and uncles, siblings and cousins, all performed music publicly as regularly as most people eat toast.

The oddity among his family, Dave never took to music. Or vice versa. He could pick a little guitar, but it never really interested him and he had set it aside, he said, for many years. When his mother died, he got out his guitar and decided to learn to play her favorite song.

The song was difficult for Dave. He got most of it down, but there was one part of that song he just couldn't get right. He would go to bed at night with the guitar propped in the corner of bedroom. And the next day, every day, he would try again. Dave longed to play the entire piece of music from beginning to end as a tribute to his mother.

I sat across from Dave in a folding chair as he told me the rest of his story, his eyes occasionally dampened by emotion.

One night, he dreamed his mother. In this dream, she showed him how to pick the portion of the song he couldn't get right. His mother showed him how to adjust his fingers on the frets to get the licks moving smoothly from chord to chord. The next day, Dave played the song smoothly from start to finish.

"I never told anyone this," he said. "I was wondering, though, do you think that was her ghost in my dream?"

Do you?

# # #

---
Thanks Randy!

You can check out the author's website here, and there is an extract below!   Enjoy:)

Thursday 12 April 2012

Wednesday 11 April 2012

I want to read that...

Send Me A Sign by Tiffany Schmidt

From Goodreads: Mia’s used to being the perfect teenager: pretty, popular, smart, caring. But that was before she was diagnosed with leukemia. Now, her father has become Captain Cancer Facts and her mother is obsessed with maintaining Mia’s image. Her maybe-more-than-a-friend, Gyver, is judging her decision not to tell the other cheerleaders that she’s sick. Her life’s about to change and she’s terrified by the loss of control.

Mia’s always been superstitious, but as her body starts to feel like it belongs less to her and more to the doctors and their needles, she becomes irrationally dependent on horoscopes, fortune cookies, and good luck charms. As chemotherapy replaces cheerleading and platelets replace parties, Mia just wants normal back. But despite searching for clues in everything from songs on the radio to her Magic 8 Ball, her future is coming up Outlook not so good.


This sounds really good - plus it has a recommendation by Courtney Summers on Goodreads so I'm sold!

It's published October 2012

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Series, Companion novels or Standalone?

I am starting to believe I've been spoiled by series.  I now read a standalone novel and I want more.  It's not enough - even when the story is perfectly crafted and wrapped up at the end, I want to revisit the characters.  I want the world that's been created to continue.

As much as I love them I know some people are fed up with books constantly being part of a series.  I think that may be in part to do with the dreaded cliffhanger (don't get me started on cliffhangers!)  but I also think that sometimes the book doesn't always work in it's own right, instead it becomes one part of a larger story. Not that this is bad - there are many books that I absolutely love that follow this format -  but it does mean they work better when you can actually read all the books.  And you have to read all the books in order for the story to reach a conclusion. 

Then, of course, there are some series where it can feel as if the story is being dragged out unnecessarily so that it can continue when it would work much better if the story was wrapped up and a new one started instead, or just finished altogether.  It can be a shame because it can make you think less of the previous books in the series when you once loved them to death!  This happens more to me with TV series but I'm sure it happens with books too.

So I guess the series that really work for me are ones that have a great story of their own, but also continue an arc of a story that runs across the whole series.  Think Vampire Academy or Harry Potter (and many others I can't think of right this second!)

Companion novels on the other hand are kind of the best of both worlds.  You get to revisit characters that you've grown to love but you are getting the story from a whole new perspective.  And you are not just rehashing the same things all over again.   I think companion novels are great for romance books - Stephanie Perkin's books are a great example of this working brilliantly.  I was really excited to catch up with St Clair and Anna but I also fell completely in love with Lola and Cricket. 

So what do you think?  Do you still love series fiction and get excited about being able to catch up with the characters.  Or does it just fill you with a sense of dread?  Would you prefer a companion novel so that the perspective of the story changes?  And what about those seemingly rare standalone novels?  Do they satisfy you now, or are you like me and wish for a continuation somehow?

Monday 9 April 2012

Crave by Melissa Darnell (Review and Interview - Blog Tour)

For Review: Mira Ink
Published: 6 April 2012

From Goodreads: Bloodlust. Magic. Forbidden secrets.

When Savannah Colbert returns to school after a mystery illness, the fact that she has changed is clear to everyone. None more so than every school girls golden boy Tristan Coleman. Ever since their first kiss in fourth grade, Savannah and Tristan have been cruelly and inexplicably banned from associating with each other. Now, as the pair navigate the tricky social life of high school, the truth is about to be revealed.

As Savannah learns of their paranormal ancestry and Tristan deals with the repercussions of her new powers, the relationship they have been denied for so long becomes utterly irresistible and all consuming. Like Romeo and Juliet centuries before them, Savannah and Tristan’s love is destined to fail; and Tristan’s powerful magical family, the Clann, are watching.


This was such a pleasant surprise - I really enjoyed it and it's one of those books that gets stronger and stronger as the story goes on.

Told in dual narrative - which I love - this gives us a great insight into both Savannah and Tristan.  The format is slightly different than I am used to - in previous books the dual narrative has alternated by chapters but here it continuously swaps back and forth.  It works really well but I did get a bit confused to begin with - I couldn't work out why Savannah had started to talk about herself in third person.  But, of course, that could have just been me!

Both Savannah and Tristan are really easy to like - and I really liked them together too.  They have a shared history that make their connection really believable, as well as something I really invested in.  And I loved Savannah's friends, especially Anne. And I loved Savannah's interactions with her father, and her family in general.

The mythology is great too.  It felt fresh and different, and there is a real reason why Savannah and Tristan possibly shouldn't be together.  I loved the whole Clann thing!  Plus all the different revelations throughout the story were absolutely brilliant and really addictive! I'm really excited to see where Melissa Darnell takes this - the ending wasn't a major cliffhanger (thankfully) but it does mean I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series!



----
As part of the blog tour Melissa kindly took the time to answer a few of my questions...

What inspired the idea for Crave? And did it evolve as you wrote?

When the YA vampire craze started to take off, as a long time lover of vamp romances I was thrilled but felt the genre was really missing something...namely a vampire heroine. Why should the boys get all the fun here?! But I wanted to see her start off as a normal, clueless human and then have to experience this crazy transformation process as well as learn how to deal with the final result of becoming a vampire.

I also wanted a real Romeo and Juliet forbidden kind of love, one where both the hero and heroine were equally powerful, equally interesting in a paranormal way, and equally dangerous to each other so the forbidden aspect of their love would have a huge rippling effect not just on each other but on their worlds as well. When I considered what kind of hero could possibly be as strong and powerful as a vamp, the answer seemed natural...a male witch.

I'm a massive fan of dual narration! What made you decide to write Crave from both character's point of view?

While I dearly love the intimacy of 1st person point of view, as a reader I always yearn to know what the other protagonist in a romance is thinking. I also love to see the misunderstandings and miscommunications that often occur between two characters in love. The dual 1st person points of view seemed the best way to have both, and now feels like a very natural way for me to tell a romance. So I'll probably be sticking with this technique for a long time.

What is you favourite aspect of being an author? And the most challenging?

My favourite part of being an author is the writing, especially the plotting and rough draft stages. The most challenging used to be the revision stage, but now I'm growing to love this process as well.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

I don't really have a typical writing day. But when I do settle in to write, I like to have a few key things...

-- I prefer to be in a closed room somewhere (part of the inspiration for Savannah's "supersonic" hearing ability is because I've always had extra sensitive ears and even the pressure changes in the air from room to room can distract me!). I also need to be alone; otherwise I'm tempted to ask anyone who's there to give me feedback on what I've just written!

-- As a former dancer, I've always been nuts about music and really rely on it to help me mentally stay in the right mood for each scene in the story. So before I begin to write any story's rough draft, I always start by creating a soundtrack specifically for that story. This is why you'll always find a playlist on my websites for every story of mine that's published.

-- Since I have two young boys and a hubby who all love to be noisy, I listen to that soundtrack (set to loop for hours if necessary) on headphones to further help me focus.



-- When both writing and revising, I've also been known to call upon the powers of Nacho Cheese Doritos, Crunch N Munch, and my new love of Snapple Peach Tea when flying through a rough draft. I swear they're superfuel for the brain!

Are there any authors who have been a strong influence on you and your writing?

I used to believe that you had to have a lyrical, almost poetical style of writing to tell a good romance. Nora Roberts' more straight forward style, while still having a certain lovely way with words, eased me into the concept that the story itself is more important. And then I discovered Laurell K. Hamilton's totally blunt, no-punches-held writing style in the Anita Blake series (adult paranormal) and I realized that, while I can admire others' beautiful writing styles, for me it's always going to be first and foremost about the story itself, not how poetically it's told. Once I understood this about myself, I was finally set free to tell the stories I'd always wanted to tell.

Thank you for having me here on your blog. Readers can also read more about the history of Savannah's race of vampires as well as the Clann, listen to each Clann Series book's playlist, and more at www.TheClannSeries.com, and contact me anytime at www.melissadarnell.com.

---
Thanks Melissa!

Make sure you check out the rest of the tour! 



Sunday 8 April 2012

In My Mailbox (137) & (138)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren



Review

Unrest by Michelle Harrison (Finished copy)
Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (ARC)
Ghost Flower by Michelle Jaffe
I'll be There by Holly Goldberg Slone (Finished Copy)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
The Out of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty
Secret Breakers: The Power of Three by D H Dennis

Massive thanks to the publishers who sent books for review:D



Bought

Stay by Deb Caletti
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth
Radiate by Marley Gibson
In Too Deep by Amanda Grace
The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jay
Immortal City by Scott Speer
Out of Sight Out of Time by Ally Carter
Dear Dylan by Siobhan Curham
Life at the Shallow End by Helen Bailey
Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delaney
Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delaney

Gifted:

Green Rider by Kristen Britain (Thanks Gavin!)

Hope you all had a great week:D

Saturday 7 April 2012

Slide by Jill Hathaway

For Review: Harper Collins
Published: 1 March 2012

From Goodreads: Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.


I really liked the premise of this one.  It's a really great concept - it felt original and exciting.  I'm not overly bothered that it wasn't explained how Vee was able to do what she does - I've always loved anything to do with psychic phenomenon and this ability kind of fits in with that so I found it easy to believe in.

I must admit I was a bit disappointed in the mystery element as it felt a bit too predictable.  I managed to work out what was going on but I still enjoyed seeing Vee work it out.  I did like the reasons why it happened though - I thought that was really good.  And on the plus side there is much more to the story than just the mystery.  The author really manages to capture the characters and their relationships - I was completely invested in those elements of the story. 

I really loved the relationship between Vee and Rollins.  He's so awesome!  And they have a great friendship.  It's also really obvious he cares about her - which kind of put me off Zane a bit.  I liked him but I never really loved him.  I was all about Rollins!

I'm really glad this will be a series.  As I said I loved the concept - and I loved both Vee and Rollins.  I'd be more than happy to catch up with them.

Friday 6 April 2012

Cover Wars: Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris



US / UK

I actually really like both of these but I think the UK one just captures my attention that bit more. I like the way it has the countdown on it, plus I like the way her face is 'breaking up'. 

Either way the book is a must read!  I really enjoyed it - I'll have a review up nearer the release date -but my advice in the meantime?  Add it to your wish list!

So, which cover do you prefer?

Thursday 5 April 2012

Wonder by R J Palacio

For Review:  Random House
Published: 14 February 2012


From Goodreads: I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.


I completely and utterly fell in love with this book! It's definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of 2012.

Beautifully written I found myself drawn into the story straight away. The voice R J Palacio gives August is truly mesmerising - I couldn't help but love him and the way he sees the world. He could have been completely self pitying but he wasn't at all. He saw things many of us overlook and his story shows us the real meaning of who people are, and how they can be.

I loved the decision to tell the story from different points of view. It really adds to the story and gives us a much bigger insight into Auggie's family and friends. I loved his sister Via - she loves her brother unconditionally and her acceptance that he will (nearly) always come first. Jack Will was a great friend - even if he did make a rather awful mistake - he more than makes up for it. And I adored Summer - she befriends Auggie unquestionably and isn't afraid to stand up for that friendship when she is essentially bullied for it. And seeing Auggie through their eyes - how much respect they have for him and the way he deals with all the negative things in his life - makes his story even more powerful.

I have to say the story really did make me stop and think. It really made me realise how much importance we place on how a person looks. It is almost as if looking good is equated with being a good person and that shouldn't be the case. I don't doubt for one second that many of the horrible reactions depicted in this book have probably happened in real life and it angers me that people can be that cruel. But at the same time I also don't doubt that there are families out there just like Auggie's. Parents who love their children unconditionally, who fiercely protect them and who create a home where their children know how much they are loved.

A truly beautiful, inspirational and heartwarming story. An absolute must read!

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: 29 March 2012


From Goodreads: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?


I'm always a bit apprehensive when I'm reading the last book in a series - just in case I don't like how it ends but I devoured this one! I was really excited to catch up with Sophie (and Archer!)

Everything I loved about the first two books is present in this one. Sophie is as sassy and sarcastic as ever. Archer is still wickedly hot and Jenna is perfect as Sophie's best friend. And, of course Call is still his sweet and caring self. We also get to meet a whole host of new characters and I loved them all!

The story is fast paced and totally addictive. I enjoyed every minute! I'm sad the series has ended but I'm glad Rachel Hawkins ended it on a high! While I would have liked a different outcome for one of the characters (you will know what I mean when you read it) I still loved the end and the sacrifice made. Contradictory I know - but I think it worked really well.

I'm super excited for whatever Rachel Hawkins gives us next!

Tuesday 3 April 2012

I want to read that...

1.4 by Mike Lancaster

From Goodreads:  In the far future, people no longer know what to believe...Did Kyle Straker ever exist? Or were his prophecies of human upgrades nothing more than a hoax?

Peter Vincent is nearly 16, and has never thought about the things that Strakerites believe. His father - David Vincent, creator of the artificial bees that saved the world's crops - made sure of that.

When the Strakerites pronounce that another upgrade is imminent, Peter starts to uncover a conspiracy amongst the leaders of the establishment, a conspiracy that puts him into direct conflict with his father. But it's not a good idea to pick a fight with someone who controls all the artificial bees in the world.


I am really excited about this one. I have finally read 0.4 and it is seriously good! And I love the cover - it's kind of pretty but eerie too once you really look at the bee.

1.4 is published by Egmont 7 May 2012

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