This is a quick post, I just wanted to say a BIG congratulations to Mr & Mrs Fletcher on the arrival of their baby boy. The Author and Mcfly/McBusted singer tweeted the good news yesterday.
AND that little boys name is... Buzz Michelangelo Fletch.
If you didn't know then Giovanna Fletcher is the author a Billy and Me, not to mention the up coming You're the One That I Want (which I'm really excited about). So a massive congrats again to the couple, as well as a good luck for Mrs F's upcoming book!
Summary (From Back Cover)
What if you knew exactly when you would die?
Running away from her forced polygamous marriage leads 17-year-old Rhine Ellery straight into a trap: a twisted carnival whose ringmistress desires the beautiful and unusual Rhine as her start attraction. But with Gabriel - her lover and fellow escapee - Rhine remains determined to reach Manhattan, find her twin brother, Rowan, and start a life far from the gilded prisons the have confined her.
The road to freedom is long and perilous - and in a world where women only live to age 20 and men die at 25 - time is very precious. And worse still, Rhine's sinister father-in-law, Vaughn, is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion... by any means necessary.
Review
In Wither you got an idea of that harsh world Rhine is a part of, although with the majority of the book set in the Florida mansion with is locked windows and holographic illusions you don't get to see the whole image. For Rhine leaving the mansion is freedom, but once she and Gabriel have escaped you come too see the full extend of the cruel world outside the gates. Was running away the right decision? After all if she had just placed nice she could have lived the last four years of her life in luxury... but what is luxury worth when you're a prisoner?
First things first I have to say that I feel a little sorry for Gabriel going into this book, he's obviously in love with Rhine and I think she may have started to develop something resembling affection towards Linden. And things don't get better for the poor guy, it's just one thing after another with this book, with the land outside the mansion's gates turning out to be nothing but hell for the couple. But at least Rhine knew what was coming, Gabriel had been told only half truths about the world he now finds himself in.
I really liked the story line with Fever, it's constantly moving forward where as with Wither it was all very much about Rhine's escape. Now outside the gates the evens unravel quickly, with everything developing in an eery way that tells you that nothing is ever going to go right for these characters.
Although being the second book it had some of the classic blunders that sequels have. For instance the way certain character's act in this book were every similar to the character's in the previous book, giving you a serious case of deja vu. Another thing about the writing that frustrated me a little was the amount of times we were told about the musty perfumed smell of the carnival tents and it's tacky ringmistress. You can barely go a page without it being mentioned, and if Rhine had stayed there much longer I don't think I would have been able to cope!
Overall though it's an exciting continuation of the first instalment and shows the reader exactly what this kind of world this dystopai future is capable of. Can't wait to read the third and final book and find out how DeStefano concludes one of my favourite dystopain series.
Official Book Trailer:
If you haven't read my review for the first The Chemical Garden's book Wither that click the link below and give it a gander.
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Summary (From Back Cover)
"Don you ever feel like you're invisible? I know I do - just call me Cammie the Chameleon. But at my school, that's seen as cool. Why? Because the Gallagher Academy might say it's for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies."
Cammie Morgan might be capable of killing a man in seven different ways, but she's about to begin her most dangerous mission yet: falling in love.
Review
We all have out guilty pleasures, for some it might be chocolate or horror films or maybe you're into Justin Bieber (I'll try not to judge you if you fall into that last category) but for me it's The Gallagher Girls series. It's target audience is more towards the younger YA readers - 11 to 17 year olds i'd say - but, I mean, who didn't want to be a spy when growing up? Not to mention it's such an easy read, I'm pretty sure I read this book in less than two days.
So the story, Cammie Morgan is the daughter of the Gallagher Academy's Headmistress Rachel Morgan, who also just happens to be one hell of a spy. Instead of the traditional lessons you'd expect a teenager to be taking the girls at the academy are taught covert operations, including surveillance, detecting threats and deception.
But on one of Cammie's class assignments with her spy-in-training-classmates she's spotted by one of the townies, Josh. During the course of the book Cammie and Josh get to know each other and young love blossoms, however, being part of a secret spy school isn't exactly an advantage when dating an ordinary boy.
So my thoughts on the book are pretty black and white. It's a fun read, it's not the most intelligent of books - I mean it's not going to have to questioning they way we live our lives or what true love really means. But it is a sweet story of young love and the way a secret (or several) can affect the relationships in a young girls life. It's a amusing and enjoyable read with some exciting story plots that will make you wish you had gone to Gallagher Academy. It's the prefect book for teens and maybe the odd older reader who has always dreamed of being one of Charlie's Angles.
Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.
And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.
But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems...
A rebellion is rising.
And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.
Review
After everything that's happened there's no way Cassia is just going to let Ky go, and with the help of Xander she doesn't have too. Told from both Ky and Cassia's point of view this instalment of the Matched trilogy follows Ky on his quest from answers and Cassia in her hunt for Ky.
After being taken from his home in Matched Ky finds himself on the edge of The Outer Provinces, segregated from The Society, fighting an enemy that might not even be there. Knowing that he can't go back to his previous life Ky finds a way to leave and heads into The Carving's hoping to find some form of freedom.
Cassia meanwhile has been taking assignments that will get her closer to The Outer Provinces, closer to Ky. Finally making it, she finds she's always one step behind him. She's got nothing left, just her determination to find the truth, to find the boy she thinks she loves and a stash a the blue pills.
In the first book, Matched, we were told about the three pills all members of The Society are forced to carry at all times. The GreenPill will instantly calm you, The Blue pill is said to have enough nutritional value to keep you alive for several days and then there's The Red pill. The Red pill is only ever allowed to be taken when the officials tell you to do so, no one knows what it does. That is, not until now. At the end of Matched everyone was forced to take the red pill but Cassia didn't, and she finds out that this pill clears your memories. No one remembers what happened with Ky, no one remembers taken the pills but Cassia does. However, it would seem that there may have been more than one lie told about the pills The Society makes them carry, and Cassia is about to find out the hard way.
Cassia's chosen her side, she's chosen Ky, but will she be able to survive the harsh world that lies within The Carving's? Will she be able to stay strong long enough to find the person she loves? Or has she chosen the wrong boy entirely?
Personally I'm team Ky, and that's not because I think he's the better choice. In fact if I had to choose I would choose Xander every time. But I hate stories of unrequited love, it's over used and clique, which makes me want Cassia and Ky to find each other and have that happy ending. That way Xander can go off and meet someone who actually likes him. But even if Cassia id find Ky, according to The Society Xander is her Match so I'm wandering what Condie will do in book three. I'm imagining the whole of The Society crumbling down at the hands of a teenager. That's how these books usually go. As I've said before I enjoy reading these books but they all have every similar base-lines.
Overall it's a good sequel. I'm always a little worried about the first sequel in a series because it can fall flat in comparison to the first book. However, this continues on from the first book nicely answering some of our unanswered questions from book one and giving us a handful of new ones for the third instalment. Although, I will admit at times I found it a little frustrating how the two main character's continues to narrowly miss each other. After a while the whole you just want to skip ahead until they find each other. But in general I think if you enjoyed Matched you will be happy enough with Crossed.
But before that moment comes, she has an awful lot of living to do...
So she's made a list of everything she wants to do before she dies. Number one is sex. Starting tonight.
Heartbreaking, devastating, yet sparkling with life, this internationally bestselling novel celebrates what it is to be alive by confronting what it's really like to die.
Review
Now Is Good, originally published as Before I Die, is (as the back cover says) a heartbreaking story of a young girl dying of cancer. But in the last months of her life Tessa isn't willing to give up, she fights to do everything she wants to do, no matter what damage she might leave behind once she's gone.
I loved the story, but not the characters, and I really didn't love Tessa. Throughout the whole book I found her irritating and it wasn't until the end that I started to feel any form of compassion towards what she's going through. I think my biggest problem was the relationship between her and her dad, she's a monster towards him at times and you just want to jump into the pages and tell him it's all going to be okay. There's a thin line between sarcasm and viciousness and Tessa crosses it.
Tessa isn't the only character that I found overly tedious, I also struggled with her best friend Zoey. Zoey has her own issues throughout the book but her lack of empathy towards her dying friend does seem a little over the top at times. Cal on the other hand was much better written, as Tessa's little brother he refuses to admit his big sister is sick at times, but he also complains that he hasn't had a holiday since she got sick and asks that when she's gone if he can have her things. But you never feel anything but compassion towards him, unlike Zoey and Tessa where you just want to shake them. I'm not even going to start on how much you'll want to slap Tessa's mum...
Redeeming quality... Adam. Tessa's next door neighbour and true-love (well he's her only love). His struggle with falling in love with a dying girl is probably the most devastating. He's already had a difficult couple of years and the last thing he needs is this. He's the kind of ordinary guy any girl would want to have fall in love with her.
There's no sugar coating with this book, I think that's why some of the characters are so frustrating. Because, in real life you're not going to like everyone. It's a raw and honest account of what it's like to know you're going to die, to watch yourself wither away knowing you've still got so much more to give. There are some funny moments woven into the story, not laugh out loud funny but they will put a smile on your face and break up the morbid undertones a book like this has. For instance Tessa's dad and his constant advances on her nurses is quite amusing.
I'd recommend reading this book, it's well written and the ending will have you close to tears, even if you don't like Tessa. However, be warned it's not all rainbows and sunshine, so I wouldn't recommend it as a holiday read or anything.
The last decade has seen so many YA book make there way to the cinema screen. From Percy Jackson to Twilight, The Mortal Instruments to Beautiful Creatures. I think it's because they're so full of vivid characters and engaging story plots, not to mention a huge enthusiastic fan base! This year is no different with several YA books making there way to the big screen, with sequels and a couple of new faces.
Bellow are the two I'm most excited about. John Green's The Fault in our Stars, which I read at the end of 2012 after my flatmate recommended it and also Divergent, which by now you all know I'm a little obsessed with.
Fault In Our Stars, book by John Green (4 out of 5)
Summary (From Back Cover)
Jace is now a servant of evil, bound for all eternity to Sebastian. Only a small band of Shadowhunters believe he can be saved. To do this they must defy the Clave. And they must act without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?
What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Review
Book number five is The Mortal Instruments series. It's also the penultimate and most recent instalment of Shadowhunters and Downworlders. I'm not going to lie, after being a tincey disappointed in City of Fallen Angels I was reluctant to even read this one. However, I'm glad I did, even if it was a little slow getting off the ground.
Lets start with the plot... This book takes place two weeks after the last one finished, the Clave are up in arms about Sebastian and Jace's vanishing act and have been working non-stop to find them. However, downworlders are being killed and the wardings are being disabled taking the Claves focus away from finding the love of Clary's life. And if there's one thing we can count on is that when Clary is told to stop she's going to push forward and break about a million laws along the way. There are several other underlining plot stories going on, mainly to do with the love lives of the characters in the book as well as delving a little deeper into the Fearie and Vampire worlds.
There's a HUGE focus on the character's love lives in this book, I think the only character not getting some was Mrs Lightwood. Maia and Jordan get closer in this book and so does Simon and Isabell. Simbell, is quickly becoming my favourite coupling, I think this may have had something to do with Simon reciting the entirety of Star Wars to her as a bedtime story! Alec and Mangus are on thin ice and Alec's new connection with the warlocks ex Camille isn't helping matters.
It wasn't until about half way through the book that it started picking up. I think that the lack of Jace, however winey he may be becoming, hinders the first part of the story. Give the reader what they want and all that.
Overall it was an okay read, and the character's and story are developing nicely. Although I'm not loving these books as much as I did when I started them. I hope the last instalment, City of Heavenly Fire (out later this year), has something more to offer than the last two books and answers some of the questions left unanswered so far. I'll be pretty damn annoyed if it doesn't!
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...
When a girl says she's not going to buy anymore books what she's really saying is, I'm not going to buy anymore books today. That last little world on the end it kind of important. I hold my hands up to being a book buying addict, I have a library card but I like waking up and seeing my room filled to busting with books I've read and am going to read. My bank balance on the other hand isn't so found of my little - well, not little at all really - addiction.
Today's buy in Shatter Me byTahereh Mafi. It keeps getting mentioned to me and I've come to the point where I just need to read it. It's been added to my list, and as soon as I've finished with The Chemical Garden trilogy I'll get on it. On it like a car bonnet!
Summary (From Back Cover)
What if your whole world was a lie?
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is read. Perhaps beyond the fence she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties and painful memories.
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.
Review
I don't know about you but I have a habit of reading ahead. Specifically, I almost always read the last page first. Now sometimes it makes me want to read more and most the time I want to slap myself for being an idiot, for example books not to do this include: Noughts and Crosses, The Madness Underneath, Gone Girl and most importantly Allegiant! DON'T shoot yourself in the foot, this is an epic book and reading ahead will just spoil Roth's dramatic, and quite frankly, heart breaking conclusion to - in my humble opinion - one of the best YA series around right now.
Okay now for the story, we left Tris in Insurgent after she managed to betray Four (again) and reveal the secrets that have kept her society together. Now the Factionless are in charge, but instead of giving the people of the city a choice in who they want to be they've ended up taking away the only choice they had. In this instalment we see Tris, along with Four, Caleb, Christina, Cara, Uriah, Peter and Tori all leave the city in hopes of finding what's beyond they're crumbling society. However, not everyone makes it. Outside the city they discover more than they ever thought they would, more than they wanted to, and have to come to turns with what life within the city walls actually mean. They have to decide what's worth fighting for and who's worth saving.
Unlike the past two books, this is told not just for Tris' perspective but also Four's. Personally I think I would have preferred it to have just been Tris (that's why it got marked down slightly), although I can see why the second point of view was important. It gives you a greater understanding of all the events unfolding within the book.
Being the last book in a series it's almost mandatory that the author kills off a couple of our favourites. Roth has had no problem with killing characters in the past. Divergent saw us loose both of Tris' parents and Will (some others too, but they're the important ones). Then in Insurgent we lost quite a few of our love-to-hate baddies like Eric and Jeanine, but it's the people we loose in Allegiant that are the most devastating. But unlike with *Spoiler Alert for Mockingjay THG* when Finnick dies, you're not left wandering why did that HAVE to happen? Every death fits within the story and makes it stronger, even if it does have you blubbering like a baby.
I feel like I've said it 100 times but I really do love these books and I'm sorry these reviews have turned into a bit of a gush-fest but once you read them I'm sure you'll understand. Allegiant in the perfect ending to a series I'll probably be re-reading for a long time. There are no unanswered questions by the time you've read the final page.
Enjoy the last Divergent book my lovelies and try not to cry too much.
Official Book Trailer for Divergent series, if you want to watch the movie trailer check out my Divergent review.
So I'm currently in my Mortal Instruments bubble, which means I'm loving anything related to the books, movie, etc. This most certainly includes one Jamie Campbell Bower, and his little hidden talent! Naughty, get your mind out of the gutter! No, I'm talking about his voice. Check out these videos of him singing from Ont' Sofa.
PS if you haven't heard of Ont' Sofa check out there *youtube page (link at the bottom of post) they have some pretty amazing artists on there channel!
I've mentioned in a previous post that I don't particularly like eBooks. However, there are a few short storied that you can only get electronically these days. I shared The Bane Chronicles with you last time and now I want to make sure you know about Veronica Roth's eBooks, A Divergent Story.
In these short stories she follows Four, giving us as the reader an insight into his point of view. Also a much needed look at his back story - that's in the second one, The Transfer. There will be 5 in total, which you can buy separately. The first two are out now, the next three are out in July. You can buy the whole Four collection in one (I think it works out to be cheaper), but you will have to wait until July of this year if you want to do that.
I love the Divergent series and these are like the cherry on top. Enjoy reading them my lovelies.
Summary (From Back Cover)
What if you knew exactly when you would die?
In our brave new future, DNA engineering had resulted in a terrible genetic flaw. Women die at the age of 20, men at 25. Young girls are being abducted and forced to breed in a desperate attempt to keep humanity ahead of the disease that threaten to eradicate it.
16-year-old Rhine Ellery is kidnapped and sold as a bride to Linden, a rich young man with a dying wife. Even though he is kind to her, Rhine is desperate to escape her gilded cage - and Linden's cruel father. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in what little time she has left.
Review
I'm currently re-reading this book as I wanted to refresh my memory before I started on the third and final instalment of The Chemical Gardens trilogy. I started last night and I've almost finished. You're thrown straight into the harsh world, that is future America with no apologies or a chance to hide it's forth comings. A dangerous world for women and a concept that feels all to real. The science behind the book makes it feel like this could be a possibility, which in a way makes it all the more heartbreaking.
DeStefano wastes no time getting started, throwing you straight into the story. There's no setting the scene, instead it integrates the back story into the first couple of chapters, dropping little snippets of Rhine's past here and there. Which, makes it a very easy book to get into. When I started reading Wither it had a kind of Beauty and the Beast feel to it, in the sense that there's a young girl locked in a mansion with an a monster of a capture and a handful of warm, loving servants. But as the book goes on and the story begins to unravel you start to connect with the House Governor, Linden, and come to realise the threat is coming from a different source entirely.
Stolen away from her life in New York, Rhine is sold to a rich man named Linden. Along with two other girls, she is forced to marry the rich House Governor. Locked in the Florida mansion, half a world away from her home Rhine becomes close to Lindens first wife, Rose. Rose is at that fatal age of 20.
After Rose passes Linden starts to focus on his new wives. The only relief she has in this world is Gabriel one of the house attendants. The book follows Rhine as she tries to escape from her luxury prison, and Housemaster Vaughn's wicked clutches. But in doing so she discovers things within the mansion she was never meant to see. Will she be able to find away out of this new hell? Or is Linden a kinder man that she thought? Is there a chance she could be happy here? And if so, will she stay long enough to find out?
I'll admit I have a soft spot for Linden. I mean, I don't support buying wives off men in grey coats but at the same time I can think of worse people to be married to. He has a kind heart, and I feel reading this that the real monster in this story is his father, Vaughn. But at the same time I can't blame Rhine for wanting to leave, she has a family that she has to get back to. After all she didn't choose this life.
It's a story full of danger and surprises. A vivid world and written in such a way that you will find it easy to get lost within it's pages. A must read for any lover of dystopian fiction, and even if you're not, it's a great story that will make you wander...
Official book trailer:
Summary (From Back Cover)
I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am.
Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she much be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.
Review
Okay first things first, if you've not read Divergent then stop reading this and go read that instead! This is one of my favourite series so I'm not going to hold back, so there may be quite a few spoilers. Okay, formalities out of the way, lets begin...
Insurgent starts where Divergent finished, there's no two week gap like a lot of sequels, throwing us straight into the chaos left behind from the attack on the Abnegation. The Dauntless are having to decide whether or not they accept their factions new affinity with Erudite, while Tris, Four, Caleb and Marcus are forced to flee the bodies they left behind in the Dauntless headquarters. But with both her parents being killed in the attacks Tris' world seems to be falling apart.
After a short and eventful stay at the Amity compound our rag-tag group of heroes make there way to Candor where the Dauntless that haven't sided with Erudite have set up camp. There, with a little help from some truth serum they are made to divulge everything they know about the Divergent and Tris is confronted with what she did to Will. Lets just say Christina and Will's sister Cara aren't best pleased to see her. Although no one can make Tris feel worse that she already does, after all, why didn't she shoot him in the leg?
The only reason I haven't given this book 5 out of 5 is because I thought the first instalment was better, even if ever so slightly! However, saying that the plot flows without not so much as a hick up and whole new levels of our favourite character's are revealed. For instance you'd think after the first book Eric couldn't get much worse, well you would be very wrong indeed! That's not even mentioning Caleb, dear lord that boy needs a good smack!
It's one thing after another with this instalment of the divergent series and will put you through your emotional paces. I will say though if you're planning on reading this make sure you have the third and final book, Allegiant, on hand because it ends one hell of a cliffhanger.
There really is no one left to trust.
Watch the book trailer bellow, for the movie trailer check out my Divergent Review.
Review
There are a handful of books that I will read over and over again and even fewer series that I will read more than once. However, I've read all three of these books twice, and as soon as I get them back off my friend I plan to read them a third time. The Divergent series is one of my favourites, it's thrilling and heartbreaking, it will make you laugh and the third book with may you cry so much you'll think you'll never stop. Then there's the fact I think I'm madly in love with Four, to the point where i'm worried no non-fiction boy will ever compare.
So here's the idea, when you turn sixteen you have to choose where you're going to spend the rest of your life. Who you're going to be. The cities divided into factions, each faction believes the key to surviving is different. The Dauntless believe you have to be brave and strong. The Abnegation's believe you should be selfless and serve others. The Erudite think knowledge with solve everything. The Amity values peace. The Candor tell the truth and that honesty is the key to survival. In this society it's not an option to be more than one thing, and if you are, your Divergent. If your Divergent your life is in danger, because the one thing all factions believe in is that the Divergent are unpredictable and above all else dangerous.
The story follows Tris, an Abnegation transfer now working her way into Dauntless. She's moved from her family, her home, into a violet and cruel faction. She has to prove herself as one of them and not the 'stiff' they all believe her to be. Because if they found out about her Divergent status, they would kill her.
There are so many twists and turns in this book you'll get dizzy. It constantly keeps you guessing and will shock even those of you who always know what's coming. The character's are vivid and real, you'll hate them and love them. You'll want to give them a hug when things are going badly and want to smack them right in between the eyes when they're being idiots. I have nothing but praise for this book and think that anyone who is into the YA genre would be missing out if they DIDN'T read it.
Oh and did I mention Four? AKA the man you'll fall in love with? He isn't the stereo-typical heart throb, he's broken, with a haunted past that makes your hearts ache. You know that he'll do anything to protect Tris, that he'll do anything that he believes to be right. He doesn't care about the chains that bind the fractions, he wants to be kind, smart, honest, brave AND selfless. But the question is, whether or not that's really a possibility. I think that's why he's drawn to Tris, he see's all these things in her. It should scare him, I think it might, but not because she's a threat but because she might just be the one person to see beyond his Four facade.
When it comes to book a series each book has to have it's own unique cover, as well as fitting in with the rest. Now sometimes they do this perfectly, take Morganville Vampire for example. But then sometimes they don't do such a great job, no names *cough* The forest of Hands and Teeth *cough.*
So I wanted to share with you my FAVOURITE cover series. Drum roll please...
Fallen, by Lauren Kate.
There's something about these cover's that makes me want to read the books. I'm a little on the fence about Passion, but the other's completely make up for it. Also there actually pretty decent books, which I will review at some point this year. A love triangle that last's a lifetime, or several lifetimes I guess.
Amid the chaos of war, the Shadowhunters must decide to fight with the vampires, werewolves and other Downworlders - or against them. Meanwhile, Jace and Clary have their own decision to make: should they pursue the love they know is forbidden?
Review
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is by far by favourite of all the Mortal Instruments books so far. The story follows our favourite Shadowhunters and Simon to Idris, the capital of all things Shadowhunter and Valentine's evil plots come to a dramatic conclusion. You're introduced to some new character's that will both excite you and creep you out all at the same time. Not to mention a possibility of a whole new order to this magical world. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
This book takes place in Idris, aka Shadowhunter home turf. It's been mentioned several times in the first two books but this time Clare takes us into it's old worldly streets. The Jace/Clary situation is still a main focus of this book, with Clary struggling to say no to Jace's continuing affections.
I don't really want to say much about this book as I feel too much will spoil it's constant plot changes. It's jam packed with exciting new characters, enchanting new settings and enough bombshells to satisfy the greediest of readers.
So give it a read my lovelies, you wont be disappointed.
On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her match. Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life. Except he's not.
In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love.
How many children they have.
Where they work.
When they die.
But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own.
And that's when her whole world begins to unravel...
Review
The first thing you notice with this book is that it has quite a few similarities to a couple of other well loved YA books. It's set in a a future where there have been strict rules and regulations put in place to make controlling the human population easier, but of course there are pockets of rebellion that can't be tamed. Think Divergent or The Hunger Games. Saying that it doesn't make this any less of a good read, in fact I really quite enjoyed it, even if I did get a serious case of deja vu at times.
So the story starts with Cassia's matching ceremony. The matching is something every person must do when they reach the age of seventeen. They've all been matched with someone who society has decided is they're idea partner, however, when Cassia goes up to find out who her match is there's a technical fault and shows her someone else. So now Cassia has to go through the process of courting her match with the knowledge that there may be someone else out there, someone she may be more suited to. The story follows her as she tried to figure out what went wrong and what she finds will tare apart everything she believes about the world she lives in.
Overall it's a good story, even though it's another love triangle. However, unlike a lot of other ones you'll be torn between the two boys as neither of them have any obvious faults. I really liked the way Condie creates, what on the surface, seems like an ideal world. Pushing the idea of an organised society that works. Though, as they book goes on you come to question whether or not the sacrifices these people have to make are worth the piece of peace?
It's a easy read, which lovers of The Hunger Games and Divergent will really enjoy. Definitely worth a read.
Official Book Trailer:
The rights to Matched were sold to Disney in 2010 and is in the process of being turned into a movie. Adam Shankman is set to produce the feature while Kieran Mulroney has been hired to write the script. As of present this is no release date for the film.
Summary (From the Back Cover)
Surviving a near fatal attack by a ghostly killer will leave its mark. Seventeen-year-old Rory Devereaux has painful scars and deadly new powers at her fingertips. But without her secret ghost-fighting squad she feels brutally alone. She's lying to her boyfriend, failing in class and, worse still, Rory fears that a terrifying horror stalks the streets of London.
Review
This is the second in the Shades of London series, which starts weeks after The Name of the Star concludes. Rory has been set away from London to try and come to terms with that happened in the last book. However, no matter where she goes she'll never be able to escape the ghost's of this world.
Eventually she returns to school, where everyone is trying to move on from the Ripper copycat killer by focusing on their end of term exams. Rory however is a little preoccupied with finding her ghost-fighter friends and her new ability to kill Shades with a single touch.
Unlike the previous book the human's in this are just as dangerous as the ghost's with new untrustworthy characters being introduced to our favourite ghost hunter. Rory's life in London has never been easy but this term things are about to get a whole of a lot worse, being as the events of her last mission ripped a hole between this world and the next and a couple of crazy ghost's have escaped.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the unsuspecting twist in Rory's love life that was hopelessly sweet and heartbreakingly devastating all at the same time. I can't wait for the next in Johnson's Shades of London series as it ended on quite the stomach retching cliffhanger!
Official Book Trailer:
For those of you interested this is the GoodRead's page for the third book, The Shadow Cabinet:
YA is such a wide genre, to the point where it can really be just about anything that a teenager would find interesting. The majority of the books i'm going to look at and review to start with are going to be more Fantasy based as those tend to be the ones I like to read. However, one of the core parts of any YA novel is a love story.
So as in case I don't get around to reviewing these for a while here is a list of some Romance books I've read and would highly recommend:
Morganville is a small town filled with unusual characters - when the sun goes down, the bad come out. In Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows - one that will spill out into the bright light of day.
For Claire Danvers, high school was hell, but college may be murder. It was bad enough that she got on the wrong side of Monica, the meanest of the school's mean girls, but now she's got thee new roommates, who all have secrets of their own. And the biggest secret of all isn't really a secret, except from Claire: Morganville is run by vampires, and they are hungry for fresh blood...
Review
Where to begin, if you haven't read this series then now is probably a good time to start as all 15 books have now been released. Yes I said 15. Now, on paper this really shouldn't work as a story, it's completely bonkers and on more than one occasion you will have to do a double take and ask yourself 'Did that just happened?' But for some bazar reason, I really enjoy these books.
Okay so the jist of it is a sixteen-year-old brainiack goes off to college, a college that just so happens to be in a town run by vampires. However, after a couple of weeks of complete torture from the mean girl on campus Claire decides to move into the town rather than say in the Dorms.
Introducing Shane, Michael and Eve, aka the residence of Glass House.
Shane is the guy you will fall in love with, he's just enough bad boy to keep you interested with a sprinkling of wounded puppy to melt your heart. Not to mention a heap load of damn boy! As for Michael, he's a recluse who mysteriously disappears every time the sun comes up, also devastatingly attractive. Then we come to Eve, the goth with a heart of gold... She'll make you smile more than anyone else in the book.
It's the perfect fantasy book, where the vampires are ACTUALLY vampires. Non of this wishy, washy, glittery crap. It has a series or twists and turns that will keep you guessing and reading into the early hours.
Oh, and heads up, if your going to read this make sure you have book two The Dead Girls Dance on hand for when you've finished. It's got one hell of a cliffhanger!
The Morganville Vampire's series is currently in the process for becoming a Web series. However at present there isn't a release date. So keep a look out: http://www.morganvilletheseries.com/index.html
Haunted by her past, Clary is dragged deeper into New York City's terrifying underworld of demons and Shadowhunters - but can she control her feelings for a boy who can never be hers?
Review
Before you go any further, do NOT read if you haven't read the first book as I will be dropping serious spoilers.
Okay now that's out of the way, City of Ashes is probably my least favourite out of the series. I've tried to figure out why this is, and the only thing I can think of is it just wasn't as exciting as some of the others. Let me try to explain that better.
With this book you get a deeper look into Simon and Clary's relationship as well as Simon in general. He's becoming a much more integrated part of the paranormal side of the story, not just Clary's sarcastic best friend. In fact you get a better look at the Downworlders in this instalment, and the inner workings of the Clave. In general I think my problem with it is it just seems to be a lot of setting things up and dropping little clues that will only really come together in the next book.
Now for all of you who have read the first book (which should be all of you, if you're still reading after I told you not to then you only have yourself to blame) we now know that Clary and Jace are brother and sister. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to stop Jace from wanting to do unspeakable things to her. Which of course leads to two character's fighting with their feelings for each other and trying to find a way to live with the fact they've fallen in love with their sibling. Although by the end of the book even I was rooting for them. Team Clace!
The one thing this book doesn't disappoint on though is it's sarcastic wit! As ever the character's a sharp lipped and amusing from start to finish. My favourite quote from the whole book has to be this one liner from Jace...
"I make rude gestures at nuns."
Overall this book was a little unsatisfying, however important to the series it may have been. It just wasn't as gripping as I've come to expect for Clare.
The third instalment, City of Glass is my favourite (I may have said that before), so do keep reading!
Okay for those of you who don't know Cassandra Clare has realised an eBook series that follows our favourite Warlock. I haven't gotten around to reading yet but I just wanted to make sure you lot knew it was out there. There are ten short stories in total, the first is called What Really Happened in Peru. I hope it's as exciting as I think it is, because she's mentioned Peru a couple of times in the Mortal Instruments books.
I'm a huge technology fan, even if I don't know how to use half of it. However, the one thing I just can't seem to get behind is eReaders. I can see the plus sides to them of course. They're easy to transport, you could take our whole library out with you if you wanted and the piece is more often than not a lot cheaper. But does that really matter when you loose that new book smell?
When I was 11 my english teacher came up to me and a couple of friends when we were working in the library and started smelling our books. Now, at the time I thought she was bat s**t crazy, but as we're getting to a point where technology is making the printed page redundant I've come to love the smell of a good book. Or any book come to think of it. Not just that but, I think we'd all be lying if we didn't say cracking the spine of a new book is rather refreshing!
So I guess I'm just wondering how long we have left before publishers decide to give up churning out books when people are so tech-minded? For example you may have noticed Cassandra Clare and Veronica Roth both have short stories that you can ONLY get on your eReader.
Maybe it's just me, but I like waking up in the morning and seeing all my books around me. Makes me feel at home. I can see what worlds i've been too, and what universes I'm yet to discover. For instance I was wondering around my room this morning and out of the corner of my eye spotted Giovanna Fletcher's brilliant novel Billy and Me, which instantly made me smile thinking about Sophie May in her little village teashop.
I Guess I just wanted to voice my opinion on this, because I don't want it said that people don't still love their old paperback books.
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Check out Billy and Me on GoodReads by clicking the image bellow:
Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux flies to London for the start of a new life at boarding school. But her arrival is overshadowed by a sudden outbreak of brutal murders, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific work of Jack the Ripper.
'Rippermania' grabs hold of London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory has seen their prime suspect on the school grounds. But her friend Jazza didn't see anyone.
So why could only Rory see him? And why is he planning to do next?
Review
I have serious respect for this woman after reading 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Which, if you haven't read yet, get off your computer and down to your local library immediately. Even so, I was a little worried when I read that this was going to be a book about a school girl, however, Johnson has managed to escape the dreaded winey school girl stereo-type that a lot of YA books have and created a world that, in parts, can be truly terrifying. There's this one part with a kidney that made my skin crawl, but you'll discover that little gruesome gem on your own.
She captures London in a way that makes the reader want to set foot on its busy streets and try their hand at ghost hunting. There is no denying the supernatural in this novel, with enough ghosts in it to satisfy even the greediest of readers.
The quintessential YA love story is slightly less prominent in this one, with the main focus of the book not being who Rory falls in love with but how and if she can help save the people of London from a mad ghost. It was actually quite refreshing not to read a character that falls madly in love with the first guy she sees after knowing him a grand total of two seconds.
Overall The Name of the Star is well worth a read if you want a little spook in your life. I won't lie to you though, there were moments I wish I didn't have such a vivid imagination and had the common sense not to read this before I went to bed.
And to finish off this review I wanted to share with you one of my favourite quotes from this book...
"Welsh is an actual, currently used language and out next-door neighbours Angela and Gaenoe spoke it. It sounds like Wizard."
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The Official book trailer from PenguinYoungReaders:
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