LiyanaLand

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Title: A Long, Long Sleep	Loved it	Graded
Author: Anna Sheehan
Genre: Fantasy/Sci fi
Publisher: Candlewick
Elements: Retelling, Futuristic
Series: Stand alone

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew.

Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose— hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire— is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.

Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes— or be left without any future at all.

This review contains spoilers, big ones. Warning you now! Proceed at your own risk! Dun dun dun! And all that.

Reading the description and looking at the cover, I thought A LONG, LONG SLEEP was going to be a serious and depressing book. The first half was almost as I thought, as Rose dealt with depression at having everyone she had ever known, now dead, and herself sixty years older in spirit, but still a teenager in body and mind. The Sleeping Beauty elements were so subtly intervowen in the story that I read through completely oblivious until someone mentioned it.

ALLS reminds me of JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE, in that it surprises me halfway throughout the story from just an okay book to one that was truly great. Every event from then left me breathless as the action was amped up, the emotions were heightened and I grew to fear for the character's wellbeing.

Rose as a narrator is not particularly... She's one of the girls I wouldn't notice in real life: nondescript, shy, quiet, always alone in her own world. Her growth of self-acceptance was a very sad journey to go through, and I was proud of her by the end.

Despite her extenuating circumstances, she takes it all in stride, and becomes hearty and resilient with the help of an unlikely friend. If it had been me in her situation, let's not even talk about getting out of the stassis chamber. I'd just be sitting there half submerged, bawling my eyes out. This friend's perhaps the main reason why she grew over the course of the book, and without him I think we'd still be stuck with the Rose at the start of the book. I loved this friendship, because Rose opened up to him and showed us a glimpse of who she could potentially be, which she herself has not shown to us readers in her internal musings. This was frustrating at the start, because she was just so agreeable with whatever happened to her, even when it came to her disadvantage. Only in light of the revelations of the events leading to the start of the book did it all make sense, why she couldn't even trust herself even when she was alone with her own thoughts.

The revelations... it's the first time I've felt all around disgust and revulsion for a YA character's parents. It makes me rage like no other, that a parent can do this to their own child, just willingly not bother with them, literally putting them aside like a discarded toy. That people are capable of such simple cruelty is heartbreaking.

Whether the bravery portrayed during the last few chapters during the climax is a lasting effect, I don't think so. I do believe she has grown out more, trusting in herself more, and actually believing that she has a right to basic decency--a recurring theme here--but it feels like the sort of growth that would be shown more growing internally and then externally. A growth that wouldn't culminate in one showy display, which while satisfying, doesn't feel lasting. I'd love to see how she fares if there's a sequel.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Title: Cinder	Loved it	Graded
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Elements: Cyborgs, futuristic
Series: Book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles series

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness.

But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Cinderella as a cyborg. Let's take a minute to absorb that fact and continue. For all that I love the Cinderella aspects, and the futuristic re-imagining such as the pumpkin carriage and the prosthetic foot as the glass slipper, it was the Lunar dynamics and sci-fi elements unrelated to Cinderella that completely captured me.

The Lunar Queen, particularly. I love me some crazy tyrant who is at risk of losing her absolute power. *rubs hands together gleefully*

The struggle between Kai and the Queen was electric. Kai's internal struggle was that of a new King: keeping the peace that had been established by his father, and wanting to make a stand for himself/ wanting better for his people. I'd love to see more development of Cinder and Kai's relationship, as well as that between Cinder and her family.

That the moon, our moon, is now a kingdom by itself, and its people now not considered Earthlings not just by place of birth, but by the genetic mutation/evolution that occurred after eons of living there--that was my favourite, favourite, favouritest part.

CINDER would have gotten full marks, but it left me hanging right at the moment I was expecting some pretty heavy payoff. It was horrible, and I was left wondering if I'd gotten a book with half the story cut off. I was literally flipping through several copies at the bookstore, until I verified that nope, unless that store was particularly unlucky, that was where the book ended. The other customers had slowly been edging around me, and I wondered if it was due to the increasingly hysterical glint in my eye. ;-;

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Title: The Scorpio Races	Loved it	Graded
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Elements: Kelpies
Series: Stand alone

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Kelpies. It's a freaking book about kelpies.

Somehow I imagined them to be more bloodthirsty, magical and awe-inspiring rather than bloodthirsty water horses. It's been explained that Stiefvater chose to focus on this version of the kelpie, and it's perfect as the antagonist and main draw of the novel. I just expected more.

Puck's story is meant to be the main storyline, with Sean's as a slightly smaller storyline. While Puck's story has all the flash (First girl in the Scorpio Races! Has to save the family from ruins!), I found myself feeling for Sean's quieter struggle.

Told from Sean and Puck's views, I found myself worrying more about Sean than Puck. Puck had a family, people to support her when things went south, but Sean had been alone his whole life. Even without my maternal instinct kicking in, being in debt to and an employee to a cruel and calculating employer is quite horrible. Sean might say that he's used to taking care of himself, but urgh, someone save that boy! Chemistry... they have some. Their romance, the slight hint that we see, was so low key that I felt bored by it.

And that's the thing. I was bored throughout the whole book.

THE SCORPIO RACES has a great concept. It has a gloomy atmosphere, some pretty bloody action sequences and the characters go through dilemmas that make my heart squeeze. The main problem is that I'm just not a fan of her style of writing, nor any of the characters, and so this translated into a situation whereby I skimmed through the book to find out what happens in the main conflict.

Maggie Stiefvater books are not doing anything for me, with the exception of her fairy series. I've read five of them, and this is the third that hasn't captivated me. Following these odds, this will be the last Stiefvater book that'll be reviewed here. I just don't think it's fair to readers or the author to review when I know I won't enjoy the book.

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:05:00 +0000

Title: Deadly Cool	Loved it	Graded
Author: Gemma Halliday
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Elements: Mystery, murder
Series: Book 1 of the Deadly Cool series

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

I didn't think much of DEADLY COOL when I first heard about it. I thought it was going to be the type of light-hearted fun that crossed over into trashy territory, and I wasn't in the mood for that at the moment. Then Gail from Ticket to Anywhere raved about it on Twitter, and I picked it up.

In a word, DEADLY COOL is adorable. While the murder mystery wasn't exactly thrilling nor suspenseful, the narrator, Hartley is exactly what makes this book gold. Hartley is the epitome of the good girl that my parents would have loved for me to be when I was a teenager: sweet, smart and hardworking. She's funny and witty without having any mean undertones. If Hartley wasn't such a captivating narrator, I'd hate her on principle. *cough*

Halliday captured Hartley's voice well. It's nice to read about a character who's just so optimistic and cheerful, and doesn't have so much drama in her life. Someone who actually enjoys school, which is rare in YA books. It's just nice to read about a character who sounds like an actual teenager I might know. Hartley's school, HHHS has a major presence even without the murder, and it's as much a character as the living, breathing humans in DC. Sam and Chase complement Hartley, and their interactions made me laugh a lot. Let's not forget Hartley's ex-boyfriend Josh, who for all his faults, manage to be endearing.

How much do I love that the romance with Chase didn't really go anywhere, and was left to be further developed over the sequels in the series? I'd have been disappointed if the burgeoning sparks between Hartley and Chase led to an immediate conclusion in DEADLY COOL, because it did feel like they barely knew each other. It's the first time in a while since I've felt pleased that the author did so, and at the same time, displeased at having to wait for the sequel.

Perfect for one of those times when you just want to escape from the world with a light, funny read that captures the voice of the 21st century teenager. It's exactly what I've been looking for, and I'll be waiting for the sequel. Readers. When we get what we want, we just want more. Now.

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:16:00 +0000

Title: Under The Never Sky	Loved it	Graded
Author: Veronica Rossi
Genre: Post-Apocalypse
Publisher: Atom
Elements: Romance
Series: Book 1 of the Under The Never Sky series

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY was one of the books being heartily recommended on Twitter a while ago, and I picked it up on a whim. In full disclosure, romance in post-apocalyptic times has never been one of my favourite themes, and the whole love across two different worlds is terribly overdone.

UTNS is told from the point of views of our two protagonists, Aria and Perry, who live in two vastly different worlds. Aria lives with the best of technology, coddled in Reverie, whereas Perry lives in the harsh outback, where living is barely more than existing. Most of the setting is on the outside, where readers get to experience the harsh heat along with the dangers of the Aether, which looms over our characters during the journey.

Despite their very different upbringings, Perry and Aria sound alike half the time. This is partly because their speech pattern and underlying thoughts seem to be in line most of the time. There's some slang and mentions of accents, but other than that, it's hard to tell that Perry and Aria do not come from the same place. This happens for the other characters too, who serve their purposes and then disappear after doing so. I wouldn't mind mostly, except that I kept forgetting who they are, and flipped through the previous pages to remember.

The outside world where Perry lived crackled under Rossi's descriptions. The Aether is a constant reminder, which works well to heighten the danger of the terrain, but unfortunately it has more presence than our two main protagonists. There are some sub-plots and mysteries which were sadly underused, and I wished had more focus given to them rather than being skimmed over and replaced by the romance, which bogs down the story.

This is a romance in post-apocalyptic times, but there's not much chemistry between the characters. I don't care about Perry and Aria enough despite their personal struggles, and find the romantic actions they go through (e.g. flying into one another's arms, not an actual quote from the novel) wooden, and at times slightly cringeworthy. It feels like they're going through the motions rather than actual feeling and falling in love. Separately, they have some struggles and personal development that I loved reading about. I wished more time could have been spent on that rather than the romance, but I suppose it'll be elaborated more in the sequels.

While the world that Rossi created was intriguing, and the setting was one I appreciated, given its unforgiving nature, the forced chemistry between the characters was not enough to sell me on the romance that is the main focus of UTNS.

Favourite Bookish Things 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

So! Another year's ending. 2011 has been a wonderful year full of great memories: graduating from poly, starting uni, going to work for the first time. I reached the second decade of having two digits in my age, and I might be biased, but every year I'm alive is a great year. An achievement. A blessing.

What? I like to stay positive and recount good memories.

In that spirit, here are some of my favourite bookish things of 2011.

Favourite Romance

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins

(review)

For all the awesomeness that Lola possessed, it was Cricket that sold this book for me. Cricket, your pining squeezed every last bit of empathy and feeling from this cold, cold heart.

Favourite Fantasy

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

(review)

A book where every word has a purpose. Every action and event was not just filler, but fodder for readers to gnaw on during the reread after the epic conclusion.

Favourite Author Event/Signing

Margaret Stohl for the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series

(parts one and two)

I went to only one author event this year, and it was awesome. Read the posts for my gushing.

Favourite New Author

Jennifer L. Armentrout

(reviews of all her books)

Dude. DUDE. This lady is crazysauce talented. The plots are always out there, but she makes it work with all the banter and witty sayings and putting the characters into precarious positions thing. I don't know, it's just addictive. I've read every book of hers that's been published so far, and I'm kind of going "Hmmm" at how the books get high ratings on this blog. Also, her books are on a publishing schedule where a new book comes out every few months and I don't know how she does it, but I like it. /greedyreadersyndrome

Favourite Greek Mythology Adaptation

Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

(review of TLH and SON)

I cannot choose between Jason or Percy. I'd like to say that I'll be loyal to Percy because he's the first, and Jason would seem like a rebound with the fact that he's similar to Percy, but I don't know. Greek mythology and Rick Riordan is a winning combo. I haven't found any series that's topped it so far.

Favourite Spin Off

BLOODLINES by Richelle Mead

(review)

One of the things I appreciate when authors create a spin off book or series is the handling of the universe. Too many references to the previous series, and it gets irritating. Too little, and it feels weird, like a cameo of your favourite author in a movie which gets you confused because 1) what's he doing there, and 2) what does this universe have to do with him? Mead balances this extremely well, by firstly, not having everyone fawn over Rose, highlighting her perfect~ qualities and secondly, by focusing on Sydney. It seems silly that I'm pointing it out, but there are books that are marketed as the book about 'side character from first series', only to have that character remain in the sideline for the spin off series. Sydney is quite clearly the main protagonist for this series.

Favourite Promotion

with regards to a book/ movie adaptation of a book

The Hunger Games movie by Cathay Organization

(link to awesome promo)

Have you read my post? They went to a lot of effort for it, and I enjoyed every single thing they set up, even if some of it feels excessive (Promo in the bathrooms. *cough*). Hey Cathay, if you have more Hunger Games promo, call me. Really.

Favourite Non-Fiction

(aka I had a craving for history)

MULTIPLIERS by Liz Wiseman

This book helped me to be a better leader and learn how to better manage people. I love it.

Favourite Singaporean book

S. RAJARATNAM: THE PROPHETIC AND THE POLITICAL by Chan Heng Chee, Obaid Ul Haq

I had my eye on this book for a while, and borrowed it twice because once is simply not enough. It's a collection of selected speeches by the late S. Rajaratnam, one of Singapore's founding fathers. I'm ashamed to say that my knowledge of Singapore's political history is lacking, and I'm currently trying to rectify that by reading books from Singapore's leaders to learn their perspectives about building Singapore from the ground up. Always inspiring, always a reminder that great things have to be built, that Singapore didn't become this first world country without some serious effort and sacrifices. I'm going to get a copy of this for myself.

I'm looking forward to another busy year with school, CCA, work, book blogging, family, friends, outings and just everything that's made 2011 and the years before awesome. What are you looking forward to?

Here's to another great year ahead!

Clarity by Kim Harrington

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:03:00 +0000

Title: Clarity	Loved it	Graded
Author: Kim Harrington
Genre: Fantasy, thriller
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Elements: Visions, psychics
Series: Book 1 of the Clarity series

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats. Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away.

Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

CLARITY is a thriller similar in concept to Kimberly Derting's THE BODY FINDER series, whereby a girl with an ability to see things assist in murder investigations. Unlike TBD, Clare has no connections to the police force, and she is pulled in through the son of the new detective, who is one of the main love interests in this story.

One of the things I asked myself is: how often do the police force bring in psychics or people with similar abilities into an investigation, particularly a teenager? And how reliable is this information going to be in the course of the investigation? Can it hold up in court?

It's just something to ponder about, and it didn't affect my liking of CLARITY. The thriller was well-paced, with some twists I didn't see coming. I appreciate those things happening in thrillers because it's those last-minute scares that get you the most.

Clare and Perry have one of the best portrayed siblings relationship in books, one that's both full of respect and jokes. It's refreshing to read of a main character who doesn't feel the need to take care of everyone in her life, and Harrington shows this by having Clare be pampered and act like the baby in the family.

Gabriel and Clare have a good chemistry, one that I would love to see explored in further books. I liked that Gabriel felt like Clare's partner, and helped each other out accordingly. Clare has a temper that she's not afraid to show, and it makes the dynamic in the relationship feel real.

This is one of the best books regarding psychics in YA that I've read. I found that some YA books from the psychics POV tend to be preachy and self-righteous, and I'm glad to find one that neither rubs the powers in my face nor make it the central point of the story.

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Title: Half-Blood	Loved it	Graded
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press; 2011
Elements: Boarding school, Kick-ass fighting, Greek mythology
Series: Book 0.5 of the Covenant series

"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee!' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life."

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals--pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. According to her mother, that's a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death... because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.The daimons have found her.

It was interesting, getting to know more about Alex and her mother. How their relationship was, how the woman who brought Alex up was, and how different Alex was before HALF-BLOOD.

Alex was more uncertain of her standing, and she cared more about what people thought of her, which is unlike the Alex we know now. The quips were also lesser, with more heartfelt moments between her mother and her, and while they were fun to read, it shows how they served less as witty banter and more a way for Alex to guard herself from everyone.

I understand more about Alex through this prequel, and I think it's great that Armentrout chose not to elaborate more on the events that Alex went through in D, instead leaving it as a mention in HB and putting it in a novella close to HB's publication date.

For those who've read HB, you know we came across Alex in a wild state, and when Armentrout goes into the details what happened in the days prior to that, it was so heartbreaking it made my eyes tear up. Poor girl.

DAIMON is the prequel to HALF-BLOOD, and it ends right where HALF-BLOOD starts. Like if you tape them both together, there's no seam.

Talk about goodness packed in bite sized pieces.

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Title: Nightspell	Loved it	Graded
Author: Leah Cypess
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 2011
Elements: Ghosts, political intrigue
Series: Part of the Mistwood universe, companion to Mistwood

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister... if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

I don't know how Leah Cypess does it. You know, churn out one book after another that doesn't really have any romance, but have character interactions that make me swoon with the banter and the possibility of romance.

This is the companion novel to Mistwood, set in the Mistwood universe, but probably nowhere near where Mistwood the book was set as it consists of absolutely different mythology and history of the land. The most interesting aspect of Nightspell, were the two new cultures introduced. Both these cultures are unique, but they have aspects that are similar to us.

1) Ghostland, where most of the book takes place. Here, the living and the dead cohabitate, the dead as spirits rather than zombies ala Torchwood: Miracle Day. They live in a normal society, similar to kingdoms we see here, the difference being that death being a necessary hurdle into immortality. Then it's a never-ending party for those who once lived, with the court and palace being one big playground.

2) Darri's land. They are self-proclaimed barbarians, both in lifestyle and way of managing their empire. They live in tents on the plains, hunting is a hobby, etc. Where the ladies at court in Ghostland play the dangerous game of seduction and secrets, Darri is a warrior princess, a Xena in her own right. On the topic of ghosts, however, her people are similar to us: ghosts are unnatural. People that are dead should stay dead, and not have their spirits linger. The fact that they can solidify at a thought and trick foreigners is horrible to Darri, and to me as well.

When these two cultures clash, it's because Darri, daughter of the ruler of has been sent to wed the prince of Ghostland. And in the process, save her little sister Cassie, who was sent there years before for the first failed political union.

I loved that I learnt so much about the two different cultures, and come out understanding both lifestyles and not siding with either one.

I'm intrigued by Darri. She's strong, and at times brash compared to the cultured elegance of Ghostland, but what struck me the most was that she stayed true to herself, which is the refreshing and at times, I felt relief at not being part of the court intrigue and politics.

This is not a pretty book, with loose ends that are tied. This is a book that shows us almost gently, what we don't want to acknowledge: that uncertainty of what happens after death will stay, and most importantly, we can't cheat death. It's bittersweet.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer	Loved it	Graded
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Elements: Ghosts, mystery, thriller
Series: Book 1 of the Mara Dyer series

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

I didn't know what to expect when I read MARA. Was it a thriller with supernatural aspects? Psychological with an unreliable narrator, ala Justine Larbalestier's LIAR? Horror?

I remember anticipating its release like crazy, refusing to read anything other that the first paragraph. No reviews, no sneak peeks, no Teaser Tuesday excerpts. Nope, I kept myself in the dark, which with the internet available 24/7 was pretty hard to do.

Did all that pay off. I devoured the entire book. I ate up every word, every scene, every description. How much do I love that Mara's partly of Indian ancestry? These people who are of mixed ancestry are gorgeous, at least those I've met in real life. And how much do I love that she doesn't bother about her looks?

It's of two reasons. One, I believe Mara just doesn't care about her looks so much other than the usual, and two, it's to keep her identity secret. That's my favourite part, that I can't trust that what Mara describes is the whole and actual truth. For all I know, she's not actually part Indian, her father isn't a lawyer etc etc. It's insanely fun.

I can't lie, I'm a huge fan now. The characters are all fun to read, even Mara's best friend, who does seem like the all around gossip whose sole purpose is to report of Noah's past and current activities. Noah and Mara do have some chemistry, though those relationships that start off with bickering and end up with make out sessions seem subpar compared to the Katy and Daemon scale of hotness.

The supernatural aspect was made all the more twisted when you add Mara's increasing loss of control, and there were some scenes where I genuinely feared for Mara's sanity, and everyone else's life. The events were tied together well, with threads that led naturally from one plot point to another. Hodkin knows how to leave her readers in suspense, dangling some information here and there, then upping the stakes to some pretty scary places that I didn't think she would go, but was made all the better for having occurred.

READ IT.

Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:29:00 +0000

Title: Always A Witch	Loved it	Graded
Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Elements: Time travel
Series: Book 2 of the Witch series

The adventures of Tam and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spy work, and of course, the evil Knights. Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever.

When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight.

As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.

I came into this book with lowered expectations, and boy, were they exceeded! There's more of time-travel in in ALWAYS A WITCH, bringing us to one of my favourite parts in the book: Victorian-era New York, where Tamsin, along with Gabriel, goes undercover to find out more about Knight's mission and her family.

This is a book that focuses more on family and familial expectations more than anything else. I've already pointed out more of the cons of having such a close family in the previous review, and this book sets out to show the pros, and in showing that sometimes your parents (or grandparents) do know what's best for you.

I love the moral, and the ending left me all teary.

This series is a case of the whole being stronger than its part. Alone, there are some weaknesses that can be improved on, for example the baddie factor and the execution of the scenes. It's only when you put them together that you realise how each book depends on the other to keep the series strong and sensible, and overall heartwarming in its conclusion.

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +0000

Title: Once A Witch	Loved it	Graded
Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 2009
Elements: Time travel
Series: Book 1 of the Witch series

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family.

But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all.

Ah, I have such fond feelings for this series. The first time I read it, I thought it would be just your average time travel, paranormal YA book. And Once A Witch does start off like that.

Poor Tamsin. She held the expectations of all her relatives on her shoulders, and never once in her life was she able to run away from them. What makes it especially hard is knowing that she's not as Talented as her family members, but plain unTalented period. Add some sibling rivalry with the most irritating older sister ever, and it's easy to pity Tamsin.

Despite the occasional (altogether justifiable) self-pity party she has once in a while, it's commendable that she takes it all in stride. Her family is close-knit, and with all that closeness comes the gossip and blunt comments that are supposed to "make you a better person." It is mostly irritating, because I'd love for Tamsin to have a family who loves her and doesn't judge her based on her abilities. In this story, there are only a couple who are like that, a sad percentage and an even sadder truth.

With this home environment, it's understandable that she just ups and goes to help an admittedly suspicious professor in a bid to prove herself to her family. What follows is an adventure that sometimes makes me smack my head at Tamsin's actions, and comes across as somewhat unsatisfying.

Overall, it's a nice book to read, neither light nor heavy.

Singaporean YA: Fact or Myth (Guest post by J. Damask)

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:43:00 +0000

Joyce Chng writes SFF and YA fiction, urban fantasy with Chinese werewolves under a pen-name. She is Singaporean and promises she is normal. Her writerly blog is found at A Wolf's Tale.

Does the Singaporean YA writer really exist?

Is this elusive writer as mysterious as the Loch Ness monster? Where do we find him or her? Wait, is the Singaporean YA writer even a real person?

Comb through the known bookstores like Popular and Kinokuniya, you get a profusion of young adult novels ranging from Julie Kagawa's The Iron King to Shaun Tan's gorgeous The Arrival. Tables and shelves are thick with new arrivals and new releases. Urban fantasy, fantasy, science fiction and contemporary – Singaporean teenagers (and adults) are lapping them up.

But have you ever wondered about Singaporean YA? Perhaps the story is set in Singapore, filled with teen angst. You might expect to see stories written about the rigorous education system or even teen love. I mean, the teenage years in Singapore are not easy: hormones, trying to find a place to belong and – gosh! - the examinations! You might think that these ingredients make a perfect YA novel... but, besides Adrian Tan's The Teenage Textbook and Workbook, there seems to be a dearth of Singaporean YA.

Harder still, if it is genre. Are Singaporean publishers that leery of local talent? The recent Asian Festival of Children's Content seems to indicate otherwise: they want local and Southeast Asian stories. I would say that the local publishing industry is slowly opening up, but it would take years for Singaporean YA to take root and take off.

I write urban fantasy under a pen name. I also write YA fiction, choosing the 'Net as a platform. Most of the stories are genre (science fiction, steampunk etc). At first when I started writing, I worried about the marketability of such stories. I self-published Winged, a novel comprising two novellas (one steampunk and one science fiction). The National Library of Singapore reviewed an e-book version of it. Yet no one seemed willing to pick it up. Later, Oysters, Pearls And Magic was released with several platforms and formats (Smashwords and Lulu). Printing is expensive and I am only able to print limited copies. Yet again reception seems weak and lack-lustre.

At the same time, the Happy Smiley Writers' Group published Happiness At The End Of The World and Bubble G.U.M. It looks like genre fiction for young adults is emerging. The Singaporean YA writer does exist. Only that the scene is extremely nascent and dominated by the US and UK markets.

There is Singaporean YA. It is just that it does not follow the usual route or keep to the familiar patterns. Do teenagers like dystopian worlds? Do they like vampires and werewolves? Or are their tastes dictated and shaped by popular culture? Most importantly, are we cultivating a new generation of readers open to read all genres?

Singaporean YA writers, if you are reading this: write what you know. Vampires and werewolves or dystopian worlds are only trends. The most critical thing is to hook the teenage reader right in with a good story that would last for years.

So, is the Singaporean YA writer fact or myth?

You decide.

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Title: Fairy Bad Day	Loved it	Graded
Author: Amanda Ashby
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Speak
Elements: Fairies, boarding school
Series: Stand alone

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot.

Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help.

Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day?

This is such a fun, entertaining read. It feels geared towards younger readers, but I enjoyed the heck out of it. There's non-stop action and conflict, and I love that Ashby makes all her characters cute, and in the case of the main characters, strong and sensible.

I sure wasn't that sensible or career-oriented when I was fifteen.

Curtis is charming, just as the summary says. I understood why Emma kept pushing him away, though it wasn't his fault. It was a losing battle, poor kid. The baddies in this case are the mostly the fairies that Emma had to dispatch of, and they were so cute and generally non-lethal that you can see how badass Emma thought it was beneath her.

FBP takes place in a boarding school that's dedicated solely to the defense of us nonsuspecting humans and fighting creatures that threaten us. It's a great idea, and seems a bit too much for a group of school kids to handle until one remembers Harry Potter and er, basically almost every YA fantasy book nowadays. I loved the different kind of creatures, and Ashby surprised me with some very interesting twists.

I'm hoping there's a sequel, because there is no way things are ending on that note. *spoilers* Would Principal Kressly let her stay on and be a fairy slayer if the fairies are like Rupert, Trevor and Gilbert, and she's waiting on the possibility of encountering a darkhel again, which seems pretty rare? She'd kinda be getting a free ride for the rest of her life. I would think that she would get bored with the inactivity.

Also, are there rules against slaying another elemental?

The Cathay Singapore: Hunger Games Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:58:00 +0000

I went to The Cathay the other day to check out The Hunger Games promotion after The Hunger Games Singapore's post. Cathay has invested a lot in the promotion, and I've never seen such a movie being promoted on such a big scale. It's three months before the movie will be released here, and if The Cathay were a collectible, it'd be labelled "The Cathay: The Hunger Games limited edition (available until March 2012!)"

If you are wondering why The Cathay is promoting ‘The Hunger Games’ on such a large basis, The Cathay belongs to Cathay Organization which also houses Cathay-Keris Films. Cathay-Keris Films is ‘The Hunger Games’ movie distributor in Singapore.

- The Hunger Games Singapore

Below is a collection of photos from my trips there. A lot of them are similar to what THG Singapore posted, but I felt a little bit like a tourist, and wanted to capture the magnificence for myself. You can check out their post for more photos.

Here's the main attraction, a giant snow globe. A ticket can be purchased to enter the snow globe. Up to four people can be admitted per ticket. Every person in the globe gets an instant Hunger Games themed photo.

Deflated.

In action.

It looks so... bouncy.

Side view: Cute reindeer! Capitol invention? Is it a pod?

Next time I'm bringing all three books inside with me.

Inside the snow globe. Photos are taken with permission.

You look so shiny.

Logo!

*swoons in over-excitement*

The mall has these hanging boards of various sizes on all its floors. I wonder if Cathay will let me keep one for souvenir?

Pillars at the main entrance of The Cathay.

Hello Mockingjay ornament!

Before the event was open, this themed poster was placed on a stand. Replace the 'NO ENTRY' with a photo of you in the snow globe, and tadah! Instant photo. With a stand. *squee*

The other main reason why I went there: HUNGER GAMES poker cards! One free with every ticket. The cards are circle, and you can see them from THG Singapore's post. The packs are now stacked nicely in my room right below my Hunger Games/Mockingjay poster that I bought off eBay. /moneywellspent

Now, if you think that's pretty run of the mill, check this out. This is the signboard outside the male and female public toilet/bathrooms. It usually features some art, but it's been covered by a poster of two of The Hunger Games characters.

Peeta and Katniss?

Nope. Gale and Katniss. Gale for male, Katniss for female ...of course. They're really playing up this love triangle aspect of the movie. I guess this means that Peeta will only be heavily featured in the second movie, Catching Fire?

I bet that's what you say to everyone!

Ahem. It's slightly disconcerting how they're staring into the entrance of the bathroom, but it's much better than staring at the wall. Or through the wall, pining for the other ala Rose and Ten in Doctor Who's Doomsday.

Hi Katniss!

Taking things to another level: a Hunger Games feature on the bathroom mirrors.

Some normal promotions.

Movie poster. Want. March is not soon.

And this is the part where I actively encourage you to do as I say, not as I do: Do not take photographs or videos in the cinema hall!

This is a photo of the screen/promotion slides flashing in the theaters before the movie started. My sister and I were posing for some self-shots when this came up and I snapped a quick picture of it. I immediately felt guilty. (I'm sorry Cathay! Please don't penalise me. D:)

As you can see, they're really promoting Gale and Katniss. It's interesting, the angle they're taking. As a Hunger Games fan, I'm excited to see how far this will go. As a Peeta fan, I'm shooting glares at Gale.

I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeves as we enter 2012. It's going to be mind-blowing.

ETA: Playing up the Gale and Katniss angle feels odd, because there's not a lot of interaction between the two in the Games. You can say that there's not a lot of interaction between Katniss and Peeta too, but the thing is that Katniss and Gale's relationship has already been established: as best friends and more potentially. Katniss and Peeta's relationship however, grows within the scope of the game. They're both friends, and enemies, fighting for their lives and it's a much more interesting dynamic that I feel should be promoted rather than the lost sweethearts from District 12 that they're working on now.

Please credit LiyanaLand.com if you're going to use any of these photos. Thanks!

Once Upon A Time 1.01

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:30:00 +0000

ONCE UPON A TIME is undoubtedly one of the small screen's best offerings this season. It's going to be interesting to see how, and whether, the writers will be able to pull off the storyline of fairy tale characters living in our world. As the writers of LOST, they're adept at unexpected twists, so we'll see if they're able to bring this fairy tale mixture to life. Yep, I went there.

SEASON 1, EPISODE 1: "PILOT"

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Scenery: *Is pretty*
Hot guy: *Rides*
Land, plain, forest: *Parts for hot guy*

Dwarves: You're too late!
Snow White: *Lies prettily in glass coffin*
Hot guy (aka Prince Charming): Noooo! I must say goodbye this time. OPEN SESAME.

Coffin: *opens*
Charming: I must save you, my love!
Dwarves: We just applied her-
Charming: *smooches Snow White*
Dwarves: -make up. Fine, in the name of twu love.
Magic waves: *radiates*
Snow: I LIVE ONCE MORE! Why aren't I a zombie?

SNOW: You. You found me.
CHARMING: Did you ever doubt I would?
SNOW: Truthfully? The glass coffin gave me pause.

Audience:

Snow and Charming: *is the wedding cake centerpiece*

Snow's hair: I'm not having a good day.
Officiator: It's done. You can kiss Snow again.
Snow and Charming: *smooches*

Doors: *slam open* We tried, your majesties! But she just pushed so HARD. She's a pusher, that one.
Evil Queen: I have come to ruin your wedding, and make threatening threats and just make you miserable today. THAT IS MY GIFT TO YOU. And you. You too. ALL OF YOU. I'm in a good mood today.

Snow: *brandishes sword* NEVER. You are nothing more than an evil witch!
Evil Queen: Aw Snow, you're so cute. You can't even say 'bi'-
Snow: DON'T SAY THAT WORD, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

Evil Queen: I shall take my leave now. Ignore the red feathers on my cloak.
Charming: HEY QUEEN. IMA KILL YOU NOW. *throws sword*
Evil Queen: *disappears into black mist*
Liyana: *headdesks*

OUR WORLD
Little boy: See, I'm reading a fairy tale book. You can use me as an example when people ask if boys read books.
Cab driver: Yo, kiddo! Where you and that fine book of yours going? And why are you alone?
Little boy: I haz credit card.
Doors: *open*

Blonde in red dress: Hi! I'm Emma! I'm on a blind date! And it's my birthday! And I don't have any friends or family so I'm all alone today. ):

Blind date: Ur hot. Hottest, friendless orphan I've met this year!
Emma: ...I don't like you anymore. I'ma turn you in to the authorities.

EMMA: You are handsome, charming, the kind of guy who...
BLIND DATE GUY: Go on.
EMMA: And stop me if I get this wrong, embezzled from your employer, got arrested and skipped town before they were able to throw your ass in jail.

Blind date: *escapes* WHY IS MY CAR NOT-
Back wheel: *clamped* *muffled cries for help*

Emma: *home*
Apartment: *is pretty*
Emma: Heels, you kill me. *kicks off*
Heels: *hit the floor* Oomph!

Emma: I'm going to celebrate my birthday all alone because I'm friend- and familyless. ):
Cupcake: It's okay Emma. I'm here to signify that underneath that hard shell of yours, you're still hopeful at heart, because who else will eat a cupcake alone on their birthday? *preens*
Emma: IMA MAKE A WISH. Pleez make it come tru this year, Santa. *blows out candle*

Doorbell: *rings*
Emma: *open door* Why's there no one at the door?
Emma: *looks down... down... down* Oh, little boy travelling alone. Whatchu doing here?
Boy: I'm your son that you gave up for adoption, and I'm here to take you back home to Storybrooke.
Emma: Shouldn't this work the other way around?

Emma: Ima call the cops.
Little boy (aka Henry): Ima tell them you kidnapped me.
Emma: Why you little- I know you're lying. I have SUPERPOWERS.
Henry: I think I maxed out my teacher's credit card. Bring me back please? ):
Emma: Okay.

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Pregnant Snow White: I'm cranky, this baby's been sitting on my bladder for hours and I can't move because I have to be PRETTY. And there's a stupid witch out for our blood.
Charming: Gurl, you need to sit yo ass down and chillax.

CHARMING: She can't hurt us!
SNOW: She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her.

Charming: She's just jealous. Sticks and stones, Snow. Sticks and stones.
Snow: She hurt my feelings. I wanna meet The One.
Charming: Neo? He's not in our world, and Snow, that's just a character. They're not real. Pssh.
Snow: You know who I mean.
Charming: Voldemort's not real either, Snow.
Snow: JUST BRING ME TO RUMPELSTILTSKIN. I bought an extra year's worth of guarantee, and I'm not going to waste it.
Charming: Oh. Okay.

OUR WORLD
Henry: I'm hungry.
Emma: Shut up kid.
Henry: I have a name, you know.
Emma: Whatever kid.
Henry: Stop calling me-
Emma: OH A BOOK. What's that fine book of yours, kid?
Henry: ...you have issues.

Henry: They're fairy tales. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened.
Emma: And you think I have issues?
Henry: Use your superpowers.
Emma: Just because you believe something doesn't mean it's true. Like Santa. I wished for a holiday, and what did he give me? A PLAIN OLD ROAD TRIP.

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Guards: Wear the cloaks. We haven't imported the new ones from Hogwarts, so these might be a bit wonky. Budget cuts. Don't tell you know who your name. Names have power, don't you know?
Rumpelstiltskin: I'm the all-seeing, the all-knowing in this world. Oh hey, Snow and Charming.
Snow and Charming: Heyyyy.

Snow: Help us.
Rumpelstiltskin: In exchange for your child's name? Deal.
Snow: Okay.
Charming: Snow, why?
Snow: Well, it's not my name. Tell us how to get rid of the queen's curse.
Rumpelstiltskin: You cannot. Time is your prison. You shall live in a world with no happy endings, sitting at a cubicle in a dead end job...
Snow and Charming: D:

Rumpelstiltskin: The child is your only hope. She will save you on her 28th birthday.
Charming: That's a long time for a happy ending. Naah, let's go. This deal sucks.
Rumpelstiltskin: I NEED HER NAME! I NEED HER NAAAAMMMEEE!
Snow and Charming: You need to chillax.
Rumpelstiltskin: Ahem. I need her name so I can enter her in the final battle against the Queen.
Snow: Deal! It's Emma. Anyone wanna take bets?
Rumpelstiltskin and Charming: That's not a fairy tale name.
Charming: And this is the last we shall ever agree on anything.

OUR WORLD
Emma: Okay kid, what's your address?
Henry: 24th-
Car: *brakes to a stop*
Henry: This is not where I live.
Emma: *slams door* It's been a long night! It's almost 8.15!
Henry: That clock hasn't moved my whole life. Time's frozen here. The Evil Queen did it. Everyone from the enchanted forest is trapped here, in this small town.
Emma:...
Henry: It's true.
Emma: I need my beauty sleep. And a drink. Possibly two.

Archie: Hey Henry, what you doing out so late with a stranger?
Henry: She's my mom! My real mother. My fake mom's the mayor, you know?
Emma: You're the mayor's kid?
Henry: Yeah. Life sucks.
Archie (aka Jiminy Cricket): You missed our session just now. Remember, don't give in to the dark side. Their cookies suck.
Henry: Life sucks.

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Charming: I say we fight!
Jiminy Cricket: Don't give in to the dark side.
Charming: We need to take the Queen out before she takes us out.
Snow: The future has been written. We're all going to die.
Charming: Good cannot lose! Not if we have each other. <3
Snow:...
Charming: And Emma as The Saviour, of course.

Door: *slams*
Fairy: Our one and only hope is here!
Charming: Emma? She's not born yet.
Fairy: Nope. A tree. It's an enchanted tree, one that can ward off any curse.
All: Yay!
Fairy: It can protect only one.
Grumpy: And that's better how?

OUR WORLD
Henry: I don't wanna go hooome. My mum's evil. She doesn't love me. ):
Emma: You're well on the way to a pity party, aren't you?
Door: *opens*
Evil Queen (aka Mdm Mayor): Henry, are you okay? *hugs*
Henry: I found my real mom.
Mdm Mayor: Really?
Emma: I guess?
Hot Sheriff: I'll just... uh, go now.
Hot Sheriff: *escapes*
Mdm Mayor: Want some apple cider?
Emma: Something stronger please.
Mdm Mayor: You have no idea what you're asking for. :>

Mdm Mayor and Emma: *bonding session*
Mdm Mayor: So how long are you staying in town?
Emma: Awhile.
Emma: *escapes*
Emma: *gets in an accident*
Emma: *is staying awhile*

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Snow and Charming: Ah, bliss. Everything's perfect, we have a cure!
Snow: Uh oh, Emma's coming.
Everyone else: The curse is coming!

OUR WORLD
Emma: *wakes up in jail*
Hot Sheriff: Hey, girl. You so fi-
Mdm Mayor: Henry's run away again!
Emma: I'll help you find him. I haz SUPERPOWERS.

-some time later-

Emma: Who'sYourMomma.org? Sounds legit. And he has a credit card?
Mdm Mayor: Pssh, of course not. He's ten.
Emma: Who's this Mary Margaret Blanchard lady? Its hers.

Mary Margaret Blanchard: *is Snow White with a pixie hair cut*
Mdm Mayor: WHERE'S MY SON? And why is he using your credit card?
Snow: He stole my card?
Mdm Mayor: I didn't raise no felon! I'm the mayor!
Snow: Henry's a special boy.
Henry; Wait till you see the charges. :>

Emma and Snow (aka her mum): *bonding session*

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Emma: *is born*
Charming: Yay!! <3
Snow: Nay! Magic tree can take only one. Save Emma. ):
Charming: Okay. ):

Baddies: *charge*
Charming: *fights and protects baby Emma, is a multi-tasker*
Sword: *bites Charming*
Charming: *stuffs Emma in Magic Tree Closet*
Charming: *dies*

OUR WORLD
Henry: I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me the best chance!
Emma: ..?
Henry: Just like Snow White did for you.
Emma: That lady who's the same age as me?
Emma: *angsts*

FAIRY TALE WORLD
Snow: *finds Charming, tries to revive with a kiss*
Kiss: *doesn't work that way*
Snow: Noooooo!
Evil Queen: Phase two of my plan is complete! Execute phase three!

Fairy tale world: *is broken*

OUR WORLD
Mdm Mayor: You found Henry. You can go now. Kthxbai.
Emma: I'll be staying awhile.
Mdm Mayor: Not here, you're not!
Door: *is slammed*

-hospital-

Snow: *finds in-a-coma-Charming*

-Mdm Mayor's house-

Mdm Mayor: *finds book*

Mdm Mayor: *looks in anguish at mirror*

-Granny's B&B-

Emma: *finds room*
Emma: *meets Red Riding Hood and her Grandma*
Cash: *meets Mr Gold, aka owner of town, aka Rumpelstiltskin*
Granny: So how long are you staying?
Emma: Awhile.

Dead clock: *is alive*
Dead clock: *ticks*

-end-

So far, so good. I'm enjoying the fairy tale aspect, and I have some theories about it.

1) This is all wishful thinking on Emma's part. She wished to not be alone on her birthday, and dreamt this whole encounter.

2) The fairy tale world is part of Henry's delusions. Staying home with a mother who's constantly busy with no time for him, he dreamt up a whole new world where everyone has their place. Knowing that he's adopted, finding his real mom provides a means of escape from the neglect he experiences, aka saviour from the Evil Queen.

I love the additional dimension, how, if we weren't told told that there was a fairy tale world, this would seem like a little kid having a tantrum and on the search for his real mother, at the same time pushing away his adoptive mother's who's taken care and loved him his whole life. That's got to hurt. Going along with the 'fairy tale world is nonexistent' thing, Regina has the right to be suspicious that Emma wants to get to know Henry more, after the closed adoption, and fear that she'll somehow want Henry back.

Angelfire by Courtney A. Moulson

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Title: Angelfire	Loved it	Graded
Author: Courtney A. Moulson
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
Elements: Angels, reapers, reincarnation
Series: Book 1 of the Angelfire series

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

It's been months since I read Angelfire, and I remember two things clearly. One, that I enjoyed it very much, and won't mind reading the sequel when it comes out. Two, that Ellie sure is privileged, and doesn't seem to appreciate it much.

I loved reading about Ellie's lifestyle. Mostly absent parents, all that luxury and freedom, the brand names... it was like Gossip Girl: Supernatural down there. Included in all the parties and cars are baddies crashing them, figuratively and literally. I'm envious, and a bit steamed at how Ellie doesn't feel any responsibility. For example, her car was destroyed during one of the attacks, and all she did was get pissed when her father called her out on it. The name-calling was hurtful, but it made me incredulous that she refused to take any blame for it, expected a replacement right after, and didn't work to pay for damages.

And then she forgot about it.

Pssh, Ellie.

I do have to state that this was all in the midst of her learning about her past and her destiny, so she did have more important things to worry about. Like say, evil creatures trying to kill her anytime, but conveniently whenever Will was around.

It was convenient but she just 'remembered' how to fight, was it something like muscle memory? Which would require her to actually have fought in this body and lifetime. But I went along with it, because one thing Moulson excelled at was in creating an entertaining world. One with villains that didn't have a shred of humanity in them, whose one sole purpose was to destroy Ellie.

It was fun to read.

Legend by Marie Lu

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Title: Legend	Loved it	Graded
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Elements: Militaristic, spies
Series: Book 1 of the Legend series

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

It's been a while since I've read a great dystopian book. LEGEND's setting feels realistic, like something that could actually happen sometime soon. Taking place in the United States about two hundred years from now, it features a country governed by the military. The US is having another civil war against the Colonies. Its people are poor and practically live on the street, where one works a heck of a lot to afford a chicken.

You know things are bad when the average citizen cannot afford a chicken, which I'm guessing is a rare commodity in that time. *whimpers*

Every child undergoes a standardised text called the Trial, and having scored low, will start working. Those who score high enough, their esteemed prodigies, will be sent to one of four colleges where they have their future practically handed to them working for the military.

LEGEND is character driven, has tight pacing, features likeable protagonists and in-depth, realistic world building. It is narrated by two protagonists, Day--a criminal in the eyes of the military, a hero to the people, and June, the military's most valuable asset. This is the first I've read of two protagonists who are equally matched in every measure, from their skills to their emotions. They're both fearless, dedicated to their cause, and unwavering in their loyalties.

I can't decide whom I like better, which has never occurred before, and I'm fine with that. I adore both of them and their devious minds. I love how neither of them swayed in their beliefs throughout the course of the book, and had to make harsh decisions that impacted the people around them. Lu doesn't pull any punches when it comes to building the world and its characters. They suffer horrible consequences, and really, no one is safe in that book.

It's kind of sad that I read LEGEND so close to its publication date, because I'm now super impatient for the sequel. Like, it's ridiculous, but the wait for book two would have been much shorter had I read LEGEND later. What does a reader have to do to get more information here? Stalk the author's website for more news, of course.

Aside: Brodie, Kai and I were having a discussion where we wondered: what is it with YA heroes and their parkour skills? It's crazy, that's what it is. There must be a workshop for aspiring YA heroes.

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Title: Son of Neptune	Loved it	Graded
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion
Elements: Greek and Roman mythology
Series: Book 2 of the Heroes of Olympus series

In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Who are the other four mentioned in the prophesy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea...

The son of Neptune! Who might it be?

I hope you know the answer, because this review has it. And many more. Spoilers!

Three heroes were introduced in the previous book, and this book continues to introduce the other four. I love TSON a bit more than TLH, because it signified the return of the one, the only Percy Jackson! I liked Jason, and he is awesome, and in many ways he is similar to Percy, but he's just not Percy.

TSON is from Percy's point of view, where he suffers from selective amnesia, courtesy of one very kind-hearted gooddess. He's now in the Roman camp, which, just wow. That is one camp I do not want to go to. It's a mini-civilisation down there, and there are a lot of pros and cons to that.

I loved meeting the other half of the ragtag crew, and the new setting and gods. It's so much more interesting and explores a whole new branch of mythology, complete with Roman military designations and the hierarchy and games of each league.

I loved how the Roman camp has the same basic set-up as the Half-Blood camp, just that it takes things to a more... orderly and serious level. I sped through the book in a few hours, and now I'm waiting for book three, The Mark of Athena. Guessing it's about Annabeth?

Well! I could say more about the plot and characters, but you can refer to my previous review for that. Another wonderful edition to the series.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:18:00 +0000

Title: The Lost Hero	Loved it	Graded
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion
Elements: Greek and Roman mythology
Series: Book 1 of the Heroes of Olympus series

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first book in The Heroes of Olympus series.

THE LOST HERO is set in the same universe as the Percy Jackson series, with some of the same characters from the previous series playing a part now, and not just a cameo. I knew I was a fan of Rick Riordan's PJ series, and being my cynical self, I didn't think anything could ever live up to the original.

Lucky for me, this is a continuation of the same series, just with a second major plot arc. Woo! *raises the roof*

TLH has all the qualities that I loved about the PJ series. It was heartwarming, engaging and humourous at every moment. There's always a light-hearted tone, even during sad scenes. This book is not heavy. It has characters who are so likeable, even the antagonists whom I won't ever root for, but who are just so earnest in their quest to destroy the world that I can't help rooting for them to achieve that wee bit of happiness before they're taken down in the climax.

The main characters are a trio who almost exactly mirror the characters from the PJ series. You have your hero, the girl, and the sidekick with the quips. It's familiar territory.

My favourite part has to be the weaving of Roman and Greek mythology, and how each is actually just another aspect of the other. There are Easter eggs for readers, and explanations about events from the previous series.

Loved this book. Recommend it for readers of all ages.

Happy Birthday To Me by Brian Rowe

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:46:00 +0000

Title: Happy Birthday To Me	Loved it	Graded
Author: Brian Rowe
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Createspace
Elements: Enchantment
Series: Book 1 of the Birthday trilogy

Seventeen-year-old Cameron Martin has a huge problem: he’s aging a whole year of his life with each passing day!

High school is hard enough; imagine rapidly aging from seventeen to seventy in a matter of weeks, with no logical explanation, and with prom, graduation, and the state championship basketball game all on the horizon. That’s what happens to Cameron, a popular pretty boy who's never had to face a day looking anything but perfect.

All Cameron wants to do is go back to normal, but no one, not even the best doctors, can diagnose his condition. When he finds love with a mysterious young woman, however, he realizes his only hope for survival might be with the one person who started his condition in the first place...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME intrigued me. Its premise was unique, and exactly what someone in their prime or youth would fear: growing old. Rowe took it one step further, and increased this fear by accelerating the symptoms by up to a year per day.

Brr, scary.

Cameron, the narrator here seems to have it all, and by design he's shallow, though seemingly mature enough to know that he's being shallow. The story was engaging, and I could feel Cameron's pain, both emotional and physical, as he counted down the days he had left.

There was more telling at times, and I couldn't feel the relationship between him and Liesel growing. They were thrust together and they did have a lot of chemistry, despite Liesel being by far the most interesting and charismatic character in the book.

There were a few stilted dialogue, and that contributed to the surreal tone of the book. I enjoyed the relationship in Cameron's family, their support as he reached their age, and soon old enough to be his parents' parents. His father's change of mind was odd and out of character, but I didn't know much about him, so I didn't really care. My favourite character has to be Cameron's sister, the one person he seems to be most emotionally distant from. She has the least interactions with him, but she had presence, and was the conscience of the book.

I was disappointed by the book, because I expected to care more about the characters and what happened, but I didn't.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:15:00 +0000

Title: Obsidian	Loved it	Graded
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Elements: Aliens, Small Town
Series: Book 1 of The Lux Trilogy

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

There is no doubt that Armentrout is talented; her books are always character driven, tightly plotted and paced, and her main characters are interesting, have amazing chemistry and quips.

I thoroughly enjoyed OBSIDIAN. Daemon and Katy's banter were at the most part funny, with a sizzling undertones, though it became a bit tiring reading Daemon's insults after a while. I'm not the only one, even Katy was tired of it. Guessing Daemon still has a lot to learn in terms of mating skillz. *shrugs*

...I, erm, I guess some of it rubbed off on me? Why, double entendres, why?! And can you believe that that's the tamest joke I could make here? The things I learn nowadays... *tries to scrub mind*

This is the first book I've read with aliens at its centre, and the sci-fi aspects were explained such that my brain neither felt stuffed to the brim. What couldn't be explained was made into a plot point, whereby Daemon couldn't explain to Katy why (and in turn, us readers) some things because he just wasn't paying attention.

Another aspect I loved was that Katy is a book blogger, just like myself! I'm assuming that Armentrout did it as a sort of homage to us book bloggers? Which is sweet. Loads of wink, wink, nudge, nudge moments in that aspect. Now I can believe that Daemon was created specifically for us. Right?

Other things I appreciated were Katy's spunk, her loving, joking relationship with her almost-always absent mother, her very open friends that I could relate to. The kinship between Dee and Daemon was adorable, if sometimes a bit uncomfortable to read about due to how close they are. Daemon's familial loyalty was admirable, and at the same time frustrating to read from Katy's point of view.

I was just a wee bit disappointed that there weren't enough consequences to justify what happened in the climax. I understand what happened after, which is a positive development in Katy and Daemon's relationship. When you have an event that's not only mind-, soul- and body- shattering, but death-defying, there should be some realisation that occurs to make you appreciate life more, given a second chance.

Guessing that'll be covered in the second book, along with their relationship with the DoD?

I'll be waiting anxiously for the sequel. So many upcoming books from Armentrout, I can't wait to get my hands on them.

Margaret Stohl Book Signing (Singapore) Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Today, Sarah, Sanzochan and I went to the event at Central Public Library, hosted by NLB, brought by MPH. Margaret had some great stories to tell. Here are some excerpts.

Only picture I managed to sneak with the very audible camera.

On world-building
I learnt a lot about building universes by actually building universes, by building characters and art for imaginary worlds. That was really helpful. I'm able to write fantasy worlds because I spend so long thinking about, dreaming about, fantasy worlds.

How she met Kami Garcia
I loved reading books about teenagers. My daughters had a teacher in school who also loved to read, and we became close. We looked around, and books in the classroom were always fantasy books. One day, we came up with an idea, and we sat down to write a book. In a way, it was a response to some of the books that were out there. So we sat down, and we came up with a story.

My family's from a really small town in the Western US, and Kami Garcia is from a really small town from the Southern US. We realised our family stories were quite similar so we invented this fictional town that were really a mix of our families. We set it in the south, because the southern US is an interesting area that's full of history, and it seemed like a place where magic could really still happen.

About Gatlin
It was a trading port town, similar to Singapore actually, a stopping point for ships that would come from Africa, traders coming from France, so there was a sort of mix of African-French and American culture there. There's a lot of supersition and magic... voodoo left from the Caribbean culture. There are all kinds of stories and it's interesting!

When I speak at libraries or schools in the south, it's a very different ambience because the people I was speaking to really believed in ghosts, and hauntings and supernatural things. It's always interesting to speak with our readers. Meantime, you have a lot of cultures coming together like that. Like here! It's a fascinating place to tell a story.

The writing process
[The readers, their children] would ask a lot of questions about what happened next, and the questions that they would ask us changed what happened next. For example, they kept asking about Link, and ask if he's coming back And I'd say "Yeah! He's coming back, just give me a minute." *writes* "And there he is!"

This book was written in a collaborative way for a group of teenagers, and I think that was one of the ways that I was able to work with a writing partner, because it wasn't really about us. It was about them.

About the Beautiful Creatures movie
They're just making it now. It's supposed to come out in 2013, in the spring. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

The Young Adult industry in the US
The people who write for teens in US are largely women, and they're more collaborative. It's much more a group environment. You can look on the backs of the books and find quotes from other authors because we want each other to succeed! And it's rare. There aren't a lot of industries that are like that.

Knowing Ally Condie, author of the MATCHED series
We became good friends because her family is from the same town that my family's from! So when I'm writing about Gatlin, she's always laughing because she knows where the real things are.

About the upcoming Icons series

The YA science fiction series, which is set 16 years after an alien invasion, follows a group of teenagers who become swept up in a resistance movement looking to unseat the extraterrestrials who've taken control of the planet.

The writing is closer to THE HUNGER GAMES in terms of plots. Each book takes place on a different continent. The first takes place in the US. The second takes place in the general area of South East Asia.

Why South East Asia?
I'm really interested in the river concept in the south, the delta, where many rivers come together to make one river. I'm obsessed with this cultural flow, the way different belief systems and cultures come together.

The ending of Beautiful Chaos
The ending of our third book is somewhat controversial. Part of our commitment to this series is about consequences. I hate books where massive things that happen in real life would be devastating, and in books they just keep going [on carefree].

We've always said that the decision characters make must have consequences. And in the concept of the series, it's like pulling a thread where it unravels more and more. You have to see that happen.

The fourth and final Beautiful Creatures book
All I will say is that the fourth and final book - its only going to be four books. It'll come to a conclusion, and come out next October. All I can say is that you should just... keep reading.

Please credit LiyanaLand.com if you use excerpts from this.

Margaret Stohl Book Signing (Singapore)

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:14:00 +0000

Margaret Stohl was in town yesterday (9 December 2011) and a few lucky readers and I got to meet her! Margie was in the middle of conducting a few interviews with some regional publications, and kind and gracious to wait for us as we rushed to meet her.

We rushed through the pouring rain (how dramatic) and were drenched when we met her. Margie is super sweet and nice, and we were all starstruck. Loads of babbling on my part. Got our books signed, photos taken, squees uttered. We met the lovely MPH publicist, and a nice gentleman. All of them were very welcoming despite the fact that we might have crashed a few interview sessions.

You know she waited an extra hour just to meet my friend, an absolute fan of her, who rushed all the way from school to meet her. And she called us sweet. What only. * blushes*

Amazing. I'm still inwardly squeeing.

So hey, you people in Singapore now. There are three events you can find Margie at tomorrow (10 December 2011).

Prologue bookstore at ION Orchard
1.30pm

(It's right above Orchard MRT station.)
Multi-purpose room (B1) at Central Public Library
3.30pm
(Bras Basah, City Hall, Bugis MRTs. You choose.)

Programme Zone at Serangoon Public Library
5.30pm
(near Serangoon MRT/NEX. Don't take my word for it! Better to ask the locals.)

I'll be there at Central PL tomorrow with Sarah and Sanzochan. If any of you are there, say hi! Side note: Why does Serangoon Public Library have all these great author events? Lauren Kate was there a few months ago. Lucky patrons.

Malaysian readers, don't fret! Margie will be heading there right after Singapore, if I'm not wrong. For more details, contact her at her Twitter account (@mstohl).

Margie, me, Sarah, Sanzochan

Polaroid. Proving my point that I don't know how to take photos of photos.

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

noreply@blogger.com (Liyana) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Title: Kiss of Frost	Loved it	Graded
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Kensington
Elements: Norse mythology, boarding school
Series: Book 2 of Mythos Academy series

At Mythos Academy, teen warriors in the making train to take up their roles protecting humankind. With her snarky, self-deprecating voice and strange gift of psychometry - the ability to know an object's history just by touching it - Gwen Frost is an outsider both to the students of the Academy and the rest of the world.

But now that she's taking private tutoring with the Academy's most notorious young Spartan, and has Nike's own sword to protect her, she's ready to make mark...

I've been looking forward to reading TOUCH OF FROST's sequel for a while now!

Things are more streamlined in KISS OF FROST. I was glad to see the diversity I touched upon in the previous review being addressed. Would have loved the addition of an actual character who's one of the minorities, though.

KOF is set at the school's annual Winter Carnival, and oh man, I can feel chills already. Lush descriptions, fun activities... I wish I was there! The mystery was straightforward and fun to go along with, even for readers like me who suspect every newcomer to the series. I loved that Gwen's increasing powers had an explanation that made the development seem natural rather than just brushed off.

There wasn't a lot of Gwen and Logan scenes, but the ones that happened were amazing, at times ridiculously funny within the context, and at others heart wrenching. There was a lot of pining on Gwen's part, enough that I sympathized with her, but not so much that it changed Gwen, who is still all around awesome.

I appreciated that Estep showed Gwen getting to know Logan's friends, and developing actual friendships with them based on mutual fondness, rather than just being friends by proxy. It shows Gwen blossoming out of her shell, but more importantly, it's more realistic as part of developing Logan and Gwen's relationship.

Logan's taken on the Batman persona of brooding from afar, and he does it pretty well. As a reader who knows that Logan and Gwen are endgame, I was in equal parts impressed by how much he genuinely put in effort to get over Gwen, amused by his non-stop make-out sessions with an Amazon, and indignant for poor Gwen.

Estep included some fun extras for readers. There's a glossary and explanation of the different cultures co-existing in this universe for those who like that sort of thing. I absolutely love that it's added for interested readers, and not as an info dump in the book. Overall, my interest in this series is being kept well-maintained by the developments both in and outside the story. I'll be reading the third book when it's out.