Don't Look Back

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary (via Goodreads)

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 
Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.
But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review

Where to start, where to start! There's not much I can say about this one without giving the game away so forgive me if I'm a little cryptic - just pretend you're in some 1940's spy film or something.

I've never read anything by Jennifer L. Armentrout but I think I might have to make my way to her special corner of Amazon because I loved the way this book was written! The plot had a couple of holes but the writing itself was effortless. It was gripping and enticing, even once I'd put all the pieces together it still kept me moving forward. As if maybe - just maybe - there was something else still to come. For the record, there was.

Okay what can I say about Sammy without saying too much? She's a little dense at times, don't get me wrong it's completely understandable - with her having no memories and all. But jeez, what did she need? A big flashing neon sign spelling it out for her? I liked her, honestly I did, but it felt like all her common sense had gone out the window along with her memory.

And onto the boys... Carson vs Del! There was a rather obvious winner but at the same time there are so many twists and turns in this book everyone's a suspect and you're never 100% sure you're not rooting for the bad guy. I went back and forth so many times on Carson I didn't know my left from my right. But what I will say is that I was happy with the outcome of this little boy battle.

Character to watch out for I here you ask? I think this time I'm going to go with Scott, Sam's twin brother. He was my favourite character out of this whole ragtag group. There was just enough sarcasm to his caring and he makes for a really interesting read. And then there's the fact he's probably the only person you don't think could be a raving physco at one point or another!

Armentrout is VERY good at leaving clues within the subtext and even better at misdirection. Seriously, if I didn't have sure a suspicious mind I don't think I would have figured it out! Overall I really enjoyed this book and even though it dragged on a little in the middle it was a good read and I'd recommend it to pretty much anyone. A great thriller for a teenage audience.

Billy and Me

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)

Sophie May has a secret. 

One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - and actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. 

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

Review

I'm going to start off by saying sorry, because this is going to be nothing but a gush-fest. I love this book, it's not strictly YA but every girl at one point or another imagined what it would be like to fall in love with a hansom movie star. Not to mention having him fall in love with you. It's chick-lit at it's best and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a love story. 

The story's pretty much been covered on the back cover, Sophie May falls in love with Billy. Billy falls in love with Sophie May. Their whirlwind romance takes Sophie from her little village and drops her into the middle of Billy's celebrity bubble, and she's faced with the - sometimes harsh - realities that come with dating a movie star. 

The concept of a movie star falling in love with you may not happen to everyone, although the fight within Sophie is something I think most people will relate to. Her secret - which I wont give away - is something that's plagued her life and stripped her confidence, giving her nasty anxiety issues and a quite life she may not have always wanted. But when she moves to London to be with Billy she has to find a way to stay true to herself amongst all the chaos in his life. She doesn't want London to change who she is as a person. She doesn't want to get lost in Billy's life and not have one of her own.  

Now I'm no expert on dating an actor, although I like how Fletcher doesn't keep to the rose-tinted ideals we have of falling in love with someone famous. It's hard, not just because Billy's flipped Sophie's world upside down but also because the insecurities you have in a relationship are heightened. For example I have way too many friends who are constantly worried about their other half cheating, but what happens when those lines are blurred? It's Billy's job to kiss someone else, to act like he loves someone else, and even if you know it's not real it's going to drag on a relationship. Especially if your not used to it and if that someone else just happens to be the love of your life's ex! 

Billy. Can you buy him on amazon? Because I'd really like one of my own please! At times he's a bit of a idiot, but what boys aren't (at times)? But in all honesty I don't care, Fletcher's written my perfect man! That's all I have to say on my fictional crush really.

Overall it's a great book, well worth the read. It's not YA but I think any young adult reader will love this book as much as any classic YA's because the love story is so current and sweet. A great book to take on holiday with you, or just snuggle up in bed and read. 5 out of 5. Pretty impressive for a debt.

Giovanna Fletcher talks Billy and Me...

City of Fallen Angels

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
Clary is back in New York and life is good: she's training to be a Shadowhunter and is finally able to call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price, When Jace inexplicably begins to pull away from her, Clary is forced to acknowledge that she herself has set in motion a chain of events that could lead to the loss of everything she loves. Even Jace.

Review
Like the second book I found myself a little disappointed in this instalment. The only thing I can think of is that after loving City of Glass my expectations were raised and, inevitably, it just fell short. In the past we've had a strong focuses on the Shadowhunters and the werewolves but in this book it's all about the vampires, or more specifically Simon. The mark of Cain may have saved him in the last book but it's turning out to be a right pain in the butt, especially if you get on the wrong side of him! That's not even mentioning the fact there are dead Shadowhunters turning up around the city. Valentine may be long gone, but as the old saying goes, there's no rest of the wicked.

The obvious threats are revealed pretty early on in the book, which include a new vampire - who is in fact a VERY old vampire - called Camille Belcourt. She's the 'rightful' leader of the Manhattan vampire clan, however, isn't exactly welcome at the moment. This is where Simon comes in, she thinks if she turns up with the Marked Daylighter, they'll all simply revert back to following her. But when is it ever that simple? Simon has to decide where his loyalties lie and come to the realisation that he's no longer one of the humans, he's going to out live everyone he cares about. So can he really afford to abandon the vampire community?

As far as our favourite star crossed-lovers, everything's peachy. At least it is for a grand total of five pages. Then it all pretty much turns to sh*t. Jace starts to pull away from Clary, which inevitably leads Clary into doing a whole bunch of things she shouldn't to try and figure out what's wrong. I hate to say it, but in this book I'm swapping teams. I'm getting a little sick of Jace and Clary. I wish Clare would simply let them be together and find a different threat to keep us interested.

A person to watch out for in the book is Kyle, he's Simon's band's new singer. I would name the band but I've lost count of how many different names it's had and honestly can't remember what it's currently called. Kyle's got some secrets of his own and when Simon's mum finds out he's a vampire it's Kyle who takes him in.

Overall this instalment was okay. Not bad, but not great either. I don't know if TMI was initially meant to be a trilogy, but the last book seemed to wrap everything up pretty nicely so going into City of Fallen Angels it feels a little forced. But, that doesn't change the fact Clare has a way of writing that makes you go through the emotional bingo.




There's no official book trailer or anything for this one, that I could find, but I did find this...