Project Read and Review

Update: Hiatus

2014-02-04T18:49:00.002+00:00

Hey guys,

I think this update has had a long time coming. I started Project Read and Review in August 2011 when I was fourteen years old, and I've been dedicated to it ever since. Reading books and writing reviews of them...it felt like I had found my calling, and I fell in love with both the hobby and the blog. However, as the blog grew bigger, I started to post more and more often - which was great until I started my A-Levels. Although throughout secondary school your teachers rant on and on about how stressful they can be, I don't think you fully understand just how stressful it is until that first week of the school year. The jump between GCSEs and A-Levels are huge enough as it is - combine that with the fact I'm taking three heavy subjects, and it can get pretty difficult to find time to pleasure read (especially since I'm taking English Literature, which requires a lot of outside reading).

There's also the fact that reading has kind of turned into more of a job than a hobby. I've been a bookworm since I can remember, but recently I've been so busy with a backlog of review books that I just can't find the time to read and review them as well as enjoy them. I miss reading books for pleasure, not rushing through them so I can start another one.

Finally, I think I'm slowly outgrowing the Young Adult genre. There, I said it. For a long time, I think I was in denial about this - my blog, my baby, is specifically for YA reads - what was I going to do if I got bored of the genre? Recently (and I mildly blame English Lit for this) I've been yearning to read some of the classics - Pride and Prejudice, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Great Gatsby - as well as longer, adult novels, like the Game of Thrones series. Whilst I won't completely abandon the genre (I don't think I could do that to John Green) I do want to broaden my reading tastes.

Because of all these factors, I've finally decided that the blog will be on hiatus for a while. I don't know how long for or if it will ever be up and running again. But before I go, I just want to say thank you - thank you to all you 600 individuals out there who have read my reviews, cried with me over TFiOS, and put up with my random text posts containing an extensive amount of gifs. These last three years have been amazing, and I have loved being part of the blogging community. Although I won't be posting reviews on here anymore, I will be posting on my new Goodreads account, so if you fancy still reading my random rants, then you're more than welcome to add me.

Thanks again,

Nina

Fallen by Lauren Kate

2014-01-28T22:04:00.000+00:00

Title: Fallen

Author: Lauren Kate

Publisher: Doubleday

Released: January 1st 2009

Pages: 452 (Paperback)

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Add on Goodreads

SOME ANGELS ARE DESTINED TO FALL.

Instant. Intense. Weirdly familiar . . .

The moment Luce looks at Daniel she knows she has never felt like this before. Except she can't shake the feeling that she has . . . and with him - a boy she doesn't remember ever setting eyes on.

Will her attempt to find out why enlighten her - or destroy her?

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic....

The first time I read Fallen was when I was twelve years old and it had first been released. It was love from the very first page, and I remember anxiously waiting a year for the sequel, Torment, to be released. Yet when it was finally released, I didn't feel the same spark I had when reading Fallen, and so I never continued on with the series. However, recently I haven't been able to get the series out of my mind and so I thought hey - why not?

I definitely remember why my twelve year old self loved it. Who couldn't resist a reform academy full of gorgeous fallen angels? But there were a lot of things that I'm sure I loved then but just found plain irritating now, characterisation being one of them. Luce is incredibly annoying, and Kate seemed to go to extreme lengths to make her appear idiotic - which totally worked. In my eyes, she was on par with our friend Bella Swan, chasing around after some hot mythical being who just so happens to be deeply in love with her in all her plain human-ness. Oh wait, I'm sorry, did I say plain? Kate characterises Luce to be beautiful, and damn is she all too aware of it. We can't go a chapter without her talking about how silky and wonderful her hair is, or how soft her porcelain skin is, or how she's so perfect. It just added to her overall annoying personality.

Daniel stressed me out. He is so disagreeable, so moody, so temperamental that I just wanted to smack him around the head to knock some sense into him. I get that he was supposed to be the elusive and mysterious heartthrob, but he just came across as an utter arse. I know that lot of the storyline revolves around Daniel and Luce's supposed soul-mate compatibility, but I don't get why she stuck around for so long. Even if you're drawn to a person, if they're that rude to you, you don't just sit back and take it (which, as a side note, is exactly what she did). I almost preferred Cam - but alas he turned into a slimy creep and I just found him altogether uncomfortable. (He wants Luce too, by the way. Just in case you were wondering if there was a freakin' pointless love triangle somewhere in this novel. Kind of the cherry on top, am I right?)

I think the biggest problem I overall had with this novel is that the fallen angels thing isn't explained. Yeah, nearly everyone in the college is an angel or somewhat involved, but why are they there? Who are they fighting? What are the sides? Where is the background information? I'm sure you find out more about them in the following three books, but I really would have liked to have been told just a little bit in this instalment. Since we weren't, Luce blindly accepting that they are all angels and are fighting some crazy war seems a bit ridiculous. I don't know about you, but if a hot guy told me he was an angel, I'd kind of definitely get the heck out of there.

I'd recommend this book to twelve year olds, I really would. I loved it at that age - it has just the right amount of darkness and seduction to lure in a preteen, but not anyone older. So any YA bloggers reading this: don't pick it up. I'm 73.9% sure you won't like it.

Rating: 2/5

Enders by Lissa Price

2014-01-22T21:06:00.000+00:00

Title: Enders

Author: Lissa Price

Publisher: Random House Children's

Released: January 7th 2014

Pages: 288 (eBook)

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Add on Goodreads

Someone is after Starters like Callie and Michael - teens with chips in their brains. They want to experiment on anyone left over from Prime Destinations -With the body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save her life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too . . . and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body?

No one is ever who they appear to be, not even the Old Man. Determined to find out who he really is and grasping at the hope of a normal life for herself and her younger brother, Callie is ready to fight for the truth. Even if it kills her.

It tied all the knots and ticked all the boxes that Starters created, but despite my complete adoration for the first instalment, Enders left a lot to be desired. I don't know whether it's the fact I've grown up a lot since Starters was released or what, but it just didn't impact me as much as I had hoped it would.

Everything was...convenient. Too convenient. It's like the main protagonist, Callie, had a permanent dose of felix felicis. Any task she faced that would normally take a character at least three books to solve would take her a few chapters at the most. I'm going to post a few spoilers now but it emphasises my point:

Need to find Emma? BOOM there she is at this random place I randomly decided to go to.
Need to get rid of this young child because he'd cause the story to lag? Oh look, a log cabin and a maid who adores him! There you go.
Created another bad guy but the story has finished? Well, it just so happens that he's the good guy working with the military and the government!
Need to find the bad guy and getting sick of writing? No worries, let's just conveniently get a guy working for him to chase them and then check his GPS and then miraculously drive to a desert.

It was unrealistic to the max, and I think a key feature of any dystopian is to make this future world appear realistic - as if this future and these events could happen. I don't believe this at all of Enders.

One twist I did like, however, was Hyden. Now it seems so obvious, but until it was revealed, I was utterly clueless! I loved Hyden's characterisation on a whole - incredibly charismatic but also down to earth, which nicely matched Callie's own personality. However, there was a bit of insta-love between them, a factor that I also picked out in Starters. Although they're cute, Callie just suddenly developed these feelings, and despite emphasising the fact that she couldn't trust anyone, she easily trusted him - just like it was with Blake.

And let's not forget about Michael. Michael is the friend-zoned best friend who seems to live for no one but Callie. In most novels, the lovesick best friend is usually given another love interest to nicely tie up their end of the story. Michael isn't, and I feel like this contributes to a number of unanswered questions. I mean, are you trying to tell me that all he feels for her is platonic, and that he'd risk his life for her despite the fact that she is more interested in some other random guy? I don't believe it, not for a second; I want Michael to have his happily ever after, too.

That's another thing that has become evident with Price's writing: the secondary characterisation is practically non-existent. The reader knows every single little detail about Callie, but is clueless when it comes to someone like Emma or Jeremy. As I mentioned earlier, to me it felt like Price needed a hole to fill in order for the plot to continue, so just created a random character to do the job. That character though, has no depth, no backstory, no real description; no nothing. Whenever one of these people were mentioned, I honestly had difficulty in recalling which one was which because each was as hollow and as dull as the rest.

Although I have complained a lot about the novel, I'd be lying if I said it isn't addictive, because it definitely is - despite the flaws, I couldn't put it down. I kept saying to myself, okay, read on until the end of the chapter - five chapters later and I'd still be at it. Whilst I wish this had been extended to just one more novel (Starters, Middles, Enders?) in order to extend the plot and increase character development, it was a good read. If you liked Starters and want to know how it all ends, then go and purchase Enders as soon as possible.

Rating: 3/5

Waiting on Wednesday (#40)

2014-01-15T16:08:00.000+00:00

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

The cover for the last TMI instalment was finally revealed today, and I am super excited. Admittedly I'm a bigger fan of The Infernal Devices and think this should have been stopped as a trilogy, but I still want to know how it all ends! Hopefully Jace will quit it with his stupid sparkling...

So what are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment below!

Cover Reveal (#17)

2014-01-15T15:47:00.000+00:00

SAJKNHFVALEAKKLafggerhjdf

We have a cover.

And I think it is potentially the best cover yet.

And I want to cry.

Please excuse me and look at all the prettiness whilst I compose myself.

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

Okay, right, I've managed to compose myself. Despite being ill, I literally shrieked when I saw that the cover for the last TMI instalment had finally been revealed. And isn't it gorgeous? I think Cassandra Clare's book covers are potentially some of my favourite out there - I love the mix of colours, the overriding theme of it all. I will admit, I'm still slightly disappointed that none of them feature Magnus Bane (I love him, okay?) but it is still insanely cool. I'm not entirely sure who is it, but I'm going to guess Clary and Sebastian, which I think is an awesome twist. Although I'm not looking forward to sparkling Jace, and although I still think this series should have stopped at the trilogy, it's alright. I'm excited.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

2014-01-15T12:00:00.000+00:00

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Indigo
Released: September 3rd 2013
Pages: 419 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

Before I even began this read, I was torn - despite the interesting premise, vampire novels and I do not get along, and haven't since every one has become just another version of Twilight. But like I said, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown had a synopsis that caught my attention, and after picking the book up, putting it back down and picking it back up again, I finally got around to reading it. And now? I'm not sure what to say.

The book opens on a chilling scene of a human bloodbath, setting the tone for a perfect vampire novel. I have to say that this was probably one of the best openings to a paranormal novel I have ever read - the language was rich and evocative, creating a creepy atmosphere that sent chills up my spine. However, I'm afraid to say that this was the only time a scene in this novel truly wowed me - not saying that the rest of it wasn't well-written because it was, but it just didn't have the same affect over me.

The main protagonist Tana was...unbelievable, to say the least. The idea is that she is a small-town girl thrust into an impossibly scary situation and has to battle against all odds to save herself and her friend. Yet as soon as she finds her ex-boyfriend tied up to a bedpost and bitten, she becomes some fearless, badass heroine who manages to escape from a horde of ancient vampires and avoid constant vampire attacks and jump from a wall to a chandelier and out of a freaking window. Does anyone else see the impossibility of this? She flirts with death countless times, yet somehow comes out unscathed in an environment known for its cruelty. She isn't even a vampire yet, so what's with all this immortality?

Although I didn't warm to Tana, I definitely loved Gavriel. Goddamn...I think I have a mild fetish for sexy-ass vampires who are mildly insane. Although I say that the opening chapters were my favourite, I think that's a lie - the make out session between Tana and Gavriel? I seriously couldn't cope. Note to all YA authors: Now THAT is how to write a steamy make out sesh! Black has won all the awards, you can now go home.

The characterisation of all the vampires was fantastic. They were egotistical, temperamental maniacs, yet there was something about them that lured you in. More-so than a lot of YA vampire novels, these vamps reminded me of the classics; powerful, dangerous, and seductive. However, the good characterisation of secondary characters still didn't make up for Tana or the lack of plot, which I think was this book's ultimate downfall. Overall, I enjoyed it to a certain degree, but I'm not over-enthused about it.
Rating: 3/5

Blog Tour: Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins (Review + Giveaway)

2014-01-13T12:00:00.000+00:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.

I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

REVIEW

Title: Stir Me Up

Author: Sabrina Elkins
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Released: October 1st 2013
Pages: 268 (eBook)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated…

I know what you're thinking - Nina, if you know you don't get on with the New Adult genre, then why on earth do you keep signing up for NA blog tours? Well, I guess the answer is that I hope to find out what the masses seem to love with this kind of book, since despite the fact I'm almost at the age NA books are targeted at, I just don't seem to get it. However, Stir Me Up has changed my opinion of this genre - yes, we still see typical NA features throughout the novel, but for once it held the depth I have come to look for in good reads.

Cami is starting her senior year of high school, and suddenly her future seems far too big and far too close. Wanting to pursue a career in catering but being pushed to fill out university applications by her father, Cami is at a loss as to what to do. So imagine her surprise when another variable is thrown into the works: Julian, Cami's stepmother's nephew and ex-war veteran is coming to stay with them to recover from an amputation after he was hit by two bombs in Afghanistan. At first Julian is nothin more than a nuisance to Cami, and she tries her best to avoid him. However, as the two begin to get used to each other's company, Cami begins to realise that maybe Julian holds the answers to some of her problems.

Cami is such a likeable character. NA characters are typically very gorgeous, perfect at everything, wanted by everyone, and just downright irritating. Cami, whilst not the exact opposite, definitely has the characteristics of a realistic human being. Yeah, she's pretty and the reader knows this - but it's not thrown in our faces every other page as if it is all that matters. Actually, I loved how despite the romantic elements within the book, a lot of it is Cami concentrating on cookery and making something of herself - all too often as soon as the love interest turns up, the rest of the plot is lost to the romance. I like my plot and characters to be more than their love life.

Continuing on with the theme of love...dayum, these NA males are going to be the death of me. Hotness and swoons, hotness and swoons everywhere! I'd like to pack one up and put him in my pocket - preferably Julian? He's the typical grumpy and badass love interest that commonly feature in NA novels, but in Stir Me Up I actually found him - wait for it - bearable, nay, enjoyable! (Okay I'll never use the word 'nay' again, I feel liked I just skipped out of Twelfth Night) The point is, Elkins gets her characterisation spot on. The characters are fully developed, each with a backstory and a reasonable degree of depth, and they even turn out to be pretty nice. Who would have thought it possible, hey?

The plot wasn't flawless, but again, it was definitely enjoyable. I was actually surprised that I didn't get bored during the cookery scenes (let's just say that I really can't cook, okay?) Whether you are a talented chef or don't even know how to reheat a pizza, Elkins makes the language and activities available and accessible to you.

Overall, I really liked Stir Me Up. I've seen a few bad reviews about it, a few DNFs that made me nervous - but honestly? It's really good, one of the best New Adult novels that I have read to date, and I'd really recommend it if you want an easy, romantic read with a little bit of depth and a gorgeous love interest!
Rating: 4/5

GIVEAWAY

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Panic by Lauren Oliver

2014-01-11T10:00:00.000+00:00

Title: Panic

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Hodder

Release: March 4th 2014

Pages: 416 (eBook)

Pre-Order: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Add on Goodreads

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

I was so excited when I received an ARC of Panic. Having read Before I Fall and the entire Delirium trilogy, I have become a solid fan of Oliver's writing and imagination, and as soon as I saw the synopsis for this, I knew I was going to love it. Whether she is writing a series or a stand-alone, Oliver delivers.

Post-graduation and summer for the seniors in the small town of Carp means only one thing: Panic. Panic is a summer-long game where seniors compete against one another to win the jackpot of money collected throughout the school year. As they pass challenge after challenge, the stakes are raised and the difficulty intensifies. However, not everyone is out to play fair, and not everyone is out to win the money. For some, it's pride; for others, it's revenge. As Heather and Dodge compete in the games alongside friend Natalie with the ever-loyal Bishop watching, they are about to find out that Panic is a whole lot more than just a pot of gold.

Panic is like Fight Club. The first rule of Panic? Don't talk about Panic. I immediately thought it was an ingenious idea, the kind of thing you'd expect to see in a horror film - as soon as you hear about it, you just know there's going to be danger and death at every corner. The idea of Panic filled the plot with tension and curveballs - you suspected everyone and second-guessed every motive behind whatever was said. This one idea turned the book into an intense thriller - I can only imagine what it would look like if the novel was transformed into a film.

I didn't think I'd like Heather to begin with. The first glimpse we get of her is just after her boyfriend (who is a slimy idiot, shudder!) breaks up with her, and we're privy to her emotions of desperation and loss. I thought she was going to be another one of those heroines who can't function without a man on her arm - you know, the really annoying ones - but she actually surprised me by doing a complete 180. Heather is a surprisingly strong and resilient character, not only going through the trials of Panic to prove something to herself, but also battling with a bitter home-life and an uncertain future.

Dodge I didn't warm to, despite wanting to. As soon as I read his description I was jumping for joy - an ethnic main character, everyone! Hallelujah! However, he was the owner of the worst personality possible, and I spent his POVs wanting to slap the heck out of him. He's just a bit vile and a little too hell-bent on revenge for my liking. I can appreciate his part in the plot and his contribution, but I far preferred reading the story from Heather's viewpoint.

Although I've only thoroughly gone over the characterisation of the main protagonists, I have to say that the characterisation on a whole was brilliant, as per usual. Many secondary characters are given backstories and you get a sense that each and every one of them has the potential to be a real human being. This added to the realism of the thriller in general and made it a believable story.

It safe to say that I really enjoyed Panic, though I never believed I wouldn't. Whilst part of me (the Delirium-hangover part of me) wants Oliver to just keep writing a series, it was nice to have a stand-alone novel; it was short but brilliant, and I've got my fingers crossed that this isn't pushed into a trilogy because I think it would ruin the uniqueness of the plot. If you love Oliver's books, I'd definitely recommend you read this. If Oliver is a new author to you, I think I'd recommend trying the Delirium trilogy first, just because it makes you realise the extent to which this author is capable of.

Rating: 4/5

Follow Friday (#33)

2014-01-10T20:19:00.003+00:00

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: Resolutions: Put together your blogger resolution list for all of us to see!

Participate in at least one meme per week
Attempt to read at least two books every week
Comment on other blogs more often
Request less on Netgalley (because I request so much and it's building up)

A very boring list I'm afraid, but I need to do all these things! I've let a lot of the blog slide, especially since beginning my A-Levels. I need to make it more active again.

So what are your blogging resolutions? Leave a comment below!

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

2014-01-09T12:00:00.000+00:00

Title: Monument 14

Author: Emmy Laybourne
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books
Released: June 5th 2012
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong ...
Fourteen kids stranded inside a superstore. Inside they have everything they could ever need. There's junk food and clothes, computer games and books, drugs and alcohol ... and without adult supervision they can do whatever they want.
Sounds like fun?

But outside the world is being ripped apart by violent storms and chemicals leaking into the atmosphere that, depending on blood type, leave victims paranoid, violent or dead.

The kids must remain inside, forced to create their own community, unsure if they'll ever be able to leave. Can they stop the world they've created inside from self-destructing too?

As a kid - and I'm sure I'm not alone in this - I dreamt of being locked up overnight in a superstore. I mean, just imagine all the different items at your disposal (and how many games of The Floor is Lava you could play in the bedroom section); it'd be the best sleepover ever. Laybourne brings this childhood fantasy to life, but with a dark twist: the world outside is suffering from some of the most extreme natural disasters on record, and you are not trapped in the superstore for one night, oh no. You are in there for almost two weeks.

Despite the seventeen characters we encounter during the narrative, the characterisation is extremely poor throughout. I get a sense that they are real kids, but as the reader we never penetrate beneath the surface of their character. However, this is the difficulty with many books that have several main characters - you lose their individuality to the mass. I mean, I'm not even sure I had a clear image if Dean throughout his time as the protagonist - he was just a dark figure. A lot of them were.

The idea is very clever. I don't know whether it's just because the fact that a lot of natural disaster documentaries are airing at the moment, or the fact that I watched The Impossible for my mother the other day, or even the fact that crazy storms are hitting the UK, but it felt like Monument 14 really targeted an issue that is growing increasingly more likely by the minute. The weather they face, it is possible that we will face stuff like that too in the future. And that's scary; this novel is scarily realistic.

I didn't really gel with the writing style. Laybourne talks down to the reader as if we're stupid, often repeating earlier events as if we'd forgotten all about them. An argument could be that this is a book meant for preteens, but considering the mildly explicit content involving Astrid's upper regions, I don't think so. It's difficult to like the writing style of a novel that ends up being patronising - you know, just as a note.

Another part about this book that don't endear me to it was that it reminded me of two books - one of which I don't know why I enjoy, and the other of which I really don't like. The vague plot line resembles Golding's Lord of the Flies - a bunch of children trapped together in a small location with war raging around them? Yep, sounds familiar. Good idea, but I hate LotF. The second book I'm reminded of - or series - is Gone by Michael Grant. I've read four of the instalments, and a common statement of mine is that I keep reading it although I don't really like it. So having this as a comparison to Gone? Not such a good thing. So many of these post-apocalyptic stories resemble one another nowadays. Is it too much to ask for something that's a bit original?

I know I've complained about a lot of points to do with this book, but it wasn't all bad. I read it within a day - there's something addictive about the storyline that keeps you coming back for more. It's definitely worth a try.

Rating: 3/5

Angelfall by Susan Ee

2014-01-07T17:52:00.000+00:00

Title: Angelfall
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Hodder
Released: May 21st 2011
Pages: 325 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Travelling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I get the hype. I so totally get the hype. As soon as Angelfall was published, it was all that the blogasphere could talk about - an indie novel that no one could believe was just in eBook form. Earlier this year it finally got released as a physical copy, so I've had this on my shelf for a while. I wish I'd picked it up sooner.

In a post-apocalyptic world where the Earth has been ravaged by ferocious angels, day-to-day life is uncertain for many humans, including Penryn. So when they witness an angel's wings being cut off and her little sister is dragged away from her, she strikes up an unlikely companionship in order to get her back.

In Angelfall, you really never know what direction the plot is going to take next. The world is so so different from our own, and the paranormal aspects within the novel go far beyond just angels; there are demons, Nephilim, and other creations that I won't mention because spoilers. Ee has created a flawless diegesis where every aspect of it is carefully thought out.

Penryn is a fantastic narrative to follow, as well as being a grounded, strong-willed heroine. Although she is going through unbelievable events, she is still a believable character, and I think the reader relates to her on a level where we can put ourselves in her shoes and react the same way to the same scenario.

I was kind of hoping to get more from Raffe. He's an angel (and, quick spoiler, an archangel no less) I never thought I'd relate a book to a television show, but I adore Supernatural, and each of the angels in it carry with them a certain presence. Comparing our Raffe to the Raphael in Supernatural, it's no contest as to who holds the title of Badass. Raffe was gorgeous, sure, but he didn't have an evangelical presence about him - none of the angels did. They were made to be sleazy, like some kind of gangster mafia rather than "above" humans. His characterisation just fell a bit short for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Angelfall and did a complete double-take at the plot twist at the end. It's one of the best indie reads out there, and I'd definitely recommend it to any paranormal fan.
Rating: 4/5

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

2014-01-03T12:54:00.000+00:00

Title: The Importance of Being Earnest
Author: Oscar Wilde
Publisher: Penguin
Released: 1895
Pages: 67 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

Oscar Wilde's brilliant play makes fun of the English upper classes with light-hearted satire and dazzling humour. It is 1890's England and two young gentlemen are being somewhat limited with the truth. To inject some excitement into their lives, Mr Worthing invents a brother, Earnest, as an excuse to leave his dull country life behind him to pursue the object of his desire, the ravishing Gwendolyn. While across town Algernon Montecrieff decides to take the name Earnest, when visiting Worthing's young ward Cecily. The real fun and confusion begins when the two end up together and their deceptions are in danger of being revealed.

If I could go back in time and have tea with just one writer, it'd have to be Oscar Wilde. This man was an utter genius, and I swear I have never laughed so hard at a play. Writing in the Victorian era, Wilde somehow managed to come up with pieces that not only kept his audience entertained, but also proved a point about the society he was living in. In this case, it's the behaviour of the upper class.

The play is based around this character called Ernest, who actually doesn't exist. A key part of Victorian life in the upper classes was that they had different personalities and identities depending on where they were, something Wilde coined as 'Bunburying'. The main characters of John Worthing and Algernon Montcrieff both use this fictional character of Ernest as an excuse to travel from the countryside to the city and from the city to the countryside. However, when they both attempt at using the identity to woo two different women, naturally their Bunburying comes crashing down around them.

Since it was a quick read and a play, I don't have too much to say in terms of a review. All that I do know is that you should definitely read it, whether plays are your thing or not. Wilde is a genius with such a wicked way with words, and you know what? I'm not too worried about studying this for my English Lit class.
Rating: 5/5

Book of the Month: December

2014-01-03T12:26:00.002+00:00

This month it was a close call between two YA contemporary reads: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales. However, TSWSYL has got to take the crown.

This is one of those books that somehow manages to change your life. I knew it'd be good, and I knew for certain I'd enjoy it - however, I didn't realise quite the extent of my adoration. Sales manages to dive into the minds of every teen, plucking out their hopes and dreams and fears and mashes it all together in this breathtaking piece. If there's one book you need to pick up this year, it's this.

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

2013-12-31T14:51:00.000+00:00

Title: Let It Snow
Authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Speak
Released: October 2nd 2008
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House ( and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.

So this was the one John Green book I hadn't read (excluding Zombiecorns but I have a copy of that so ssssh) and that's ultimately what lead me to buy it. What I thought would be quite a cheesy romance novel was actually pretty interesting, and whilst it had it's cheesy moments, it still managed to hold my attention. I mean, I'm pretty sure I devoted more of my Christmas Day to reading this than conversing with my family.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

After reading a total of three of Johnson's books and only liking one of them, I was really sceptical about this. I mean, if I didn't enjoy her novels, how was I going to enjoy a short story? The weird thing was, I actually really really liked it. Would I go so far as to say it was my favourite story of the book? I don't know. But it was pretty great.

The story circulates around a girl called Jubilee who boards a train to Florida after her parents are jailed for causing a fight at a Flobie convention. However, Jubilee's train breaks down, and her adventuring outdoors to the Waffle House is what initally sets in motion all three storylines. At the Waffle House she meets a guy called Stuart, and his mother insists that she spends Christmas Day with them. (And since it is a cheesy romance novel, guess what happens? Yes. Yes.)

Jubilee is a kickass character. Maybe she doesn't kick anyone's ass exactly, but she's witty with a quirky personality that immediaely endears the reader to her. Although parts of her story are unbelieveable, it's in the best way possible and you are still able to relate to her, especially given her romantic situation. As the reader, we get emotionally tied to her and everything she is going through, meaning that every page is a constant cliffhanger and you can't turn the pages fast enough to keep up. It was fun, interesting, and just overall enjoyable.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green

I think it's impossible for Green to write a story that isn't full to the brim with smartass comments and quirky characters. However, as per usual I am in love with his writing style and hilarious plot lines - I never expect what he will throw at me next!

When the Waffle House is invaded by cheerleader's from the train, friends Tobin, JP and the Duke (otherwise known as Angie) get a call announcing that the race is on to get to the Waffle House first. Thus ensues a crazy expedition into the snow, involving car tires, twins, Twister, and a whole lot of running.

Tobin and JP are classic Green characters - intelligent, nerdy, and completely loveable. Although I tend to find reading from a female perspective more enjoyable, I don't mind either when it comes to Green as you can't help but become absorbed in the storyline. However, the Duke definitely had to be my favourite because she is so real. She's that typical platonic gal pal that may as well be one of the boys - and I've got to say it, I'm like that too; my two best friends are guys, and sometimes I think they forget that I own a pair of boobs. Despite the story not being told in her perspective, I was still able to empathise with her situation, and I'm so glad that the ending was what it was. I nearly died from adorable overload.

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

Myracle is the one author whose writing I have never read before, and I have to say that for first impressions, it was pretty great. However, it's got to be said that this one just wasn't as good as the other two. Whilst I enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped, and I think a lot of that is to do with the fact that the main character was incredibly hard to like.

This last story focuses on our last character from the train, Jeb. Throughout the previous two stories we hear about this girl named Addie and how he's late seeing her - so guess who's point of view this story is from? Yep. Addie. In true Christmas spirit, this tale is about her learning to become less selfish and becoming a better friend.

I tried to like Addie, I really did, but she was so breathtakingly annoying that in the end I just gave up. She is so self-absorbed, and yeah, I got the fact that she was a bit of a Scrooge who develops into this absolutely wonderful human being, but still. Annoying. But despite that, I did enjoy the story, and it nicely rounded up the rest of the book.

Overall, the best way to describe this book is nice. Now my English teachers would be having a fit if they saw this because apparently "nice" is the worst descriptive word ever. However, I disagree. Sometimes I think that we all just need something nice in our lives, especially at Christmas time, and this is it. It's a very cute and enjoyable read, and I definitely recommend it to be read at Crimbo time.
Rating: 4/5

The Best of 2013

2013-12-31T10:00:00.000+00:00

I can't believe another year has gone by! And what an incredible year its been, especially for the blog and all the amazing followers I have gained! So here's my yearly review, with my top three picks from several different topics.

Top Three Anticipated Releases of 2013

the releases that i last year stated i couldn't wait for

3. Splintered by A.G.Howard - I will still stand by it - gorgeous cover, but the read really wasn't what I had hoped it would be. But I'm still intrigued to read the sequel. What can I say; Morpheus has me wrapped around his little finger.

2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth - When I chose this last year, it didn't even have a title! Allegiant was incredibly disappointing, but I guess it was a fitting end to one of my favourite trilogies.

1. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. UGH. MY FEELS. The reception for this read was quite controversial, but personally I really liked it. No matter what team you were on, you got your happily ever after, and Clare managed to do that in a realistic way. Well, realistic for Shadowhunters, anyway.

Top Three Covers

the most beautiful covers from books i have read this year

3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - For this I'm talking about the UK cover. I could stare at it for ages - it represents literally everything about this book in the most beautiful way. Note to self: I need a copy.

2. Mystic City by Theo Lawrence - The book wasn't all I thought it would turn out to be, but the cover is absolutely breathtaking.

1. Ink by Amanda Sun - When I found out about this novel, I was intrigued. But when I saw it - well, it was love at first sight. The fact that the novel is set in Japan and has a cover that links to Japanese culture is wonderful as well as gorgeous; I need a copy to stare at...in a non-creepy way.

Top Three Debut Authors

first novels from authors that were absolutely amazing

3. M. P. Attardo - I read Intermix Nation for a blog tour, and I absolutely loved it. It took the idea of racism, of a kind of apartheid, and brought it together to create an amazing read. It's one of the best indie books of the year.

2. Kara Taylor - I was really surprised - though definitely in a nice way - when reading Prep School Confidential. At first I just thought it'd be a nice, light, interesting read - a bit of Gossip Girl mixed in with a murder mystery? What more could I want? However, I found it held so much more depth than your average Gossip Girl episode. I adore this series, and I am so excited for Wicked Little Secrets.

1. Katie McGarry - author of the Pushing the Limits series. I read the first three books this year, and I loved each and every one of them. I really can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Top Three Book Boyfriends

men that made me swoon

3. Chaol from Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - Oh, Chaol. When I first read Throne of Glass, I couldn't choose whether to side with Dorian or with Chaol. But after reading Crown of Midnight...it just had to be Chaol. Whilst not your typical bad-boy, there is a ruggedness and fearless aspect about him that makes him seem so.

2. Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - I will always love Jem, and I am so sad that The Infernal Devices series came to an end this year. However, it had the ending I wanted and Clare definitely did him justice.

1. Étienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss - I do love me some French boys (even if he isn't actually French...but sssh) Étienne swept Anna and myself off our feet, and although this isn't the end of the series, I'm sad that the books focus on different characters - I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet.

Top Three Couples

the most adorable couples

3. Eleanor and Park from Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - I only recently finished this book, but heck did I adore it. This is one of the most realistic relationships I have ever come across in a YA novel, and I could see endless similarities to teen relationships of my own. It made me nostalgic in the best way.

2. Allyson and Willem from Just One Day by Gayle Forman - I want them to get married and have babies. Why does this not happen? They sewed my heart up and then broke it all over again.

1. Anna and Étienne from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - So. Much. Chemistry. It was like every single page would just fizzle up it was so hot! I don't believe I've ever shipped two characters as much as I shipped these two (well, apart from Destiel...but still...)

Top Three Favourite Reads

the ultimate reads this year

3. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - I was expecting this novel to be good, but not as good as it turned out to be. Weirdly, this novel taught me a lot about myself, and I was able to relate to Elise in more ways than I can count. It's strange when an author manages to target your feelings and experiences so precisely - but Sales did just that, and I will forever remember this book.

2. Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe - Wolfe had a reputation that I was aware of, but I'd never read a book of hers myself. This was my first, and it was absolutely breathtaking. It combined elements of several genres and bundled it into a single novel, and it was so addictive that I had difficulty putting it down. I need more *grabby hands*

1. Wonder by R. J. Palacio - Wonder left me speechless and mildly broken. I don't think I will ever be over this read.

Top Three Anticipated Releases for 2014

most anticipated books to be released the next year

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - The title says it all really. I'm a fangirl, both for a range of fandoms and Rowell's writing. Hopefully I'll be getting an ARC of this in the new year.

2. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano - Since finishing the Chemical Gardens trilogy, I was mildly disappointed but still excited to see what DeStefano would churn out next. And then this. A floating island in the sky? This has never been done before and I just can't wait to get my hands on it.

1. This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl - I joined the Nerdfighteria just after Esther's death, and from what I heard, it seemed like an amazing voice had been lost from the world. This book captures aspects of that voice and her personality, bringing together and compliation of her diary entries, stories, and much more.

So that's my year in books! I managed to reach my goal of 100 books and have overpassed it by almost half. I think next year I'll aim for 125 books - oh look, and that's tomorrow! Here's to another great year in the blogasphere.

Perfection by J. L. Spelbring

2013-12-27T15:29:00.000+00:00

Title: Perfection
Author: J. L. Spelbring
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Released: May 7th 2013
Pages: 320 (ARC)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

The personification of Aryan purity, Ellyssa's spent her whole life under her creator's strict training and guidance; her purpose is to eradicate inferior beings. She was genetically engineered to be the perfect soldier: strong, intelligent, unemotional, and telepathic.

Only Ellyssa isn't perfect.

Ellyssa feels emotions--a fact she's spent her life concealing. Until she encounters the epitome of inferiority: a dark-haired boy raised among renegades hiding since the Nazis won the war a century ago. He speaks to her telepathically, pushing thoughts into her mind, despite the impossibility of such a substandard person having psychic abilities.

But he does.

His unspoken words and visions of a place she's never visited make Ellyssa question her creator. Confused and afraid her secret will be discovered, Ellyssa runs away, embarking on a journey where she discovers there is more to her than perfection.

Oh dear....I really don't know what to say. I couldn't wait to read Perfection when I received it through the ARC share - I mean, imagine a world where Hitler had succeeded and won the war? It's an understatement to say I was excited. However, halfway through and I just knew it wouldn't get any better than disappointing. I think this is a classic example of a book with an amazing concept that just isn't delivered in a way that makes it interesting.

As I said above, the initial concept is that Hitler managed to win World War II, meaning that the world as we know it is completely different. In his dying moments, he told Doctor Hirsch that he wished for the world to one day be full of a singular superior race, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a mass of superpowers: an Aryan army. Hirsch put Hitler's plans into action and began to believe that he had succeeded in creating this super-race. However, Ellyssa is different - unlike her other siblings she can feel emotions, and when she finds out what her father is planning, she runs away. Unfortunately she doesn't get too far before she's found by the Renegades - basically people who differ from the Aryan norm. Perfection follows Ellyssa as she comes to terms with the lies she has been fed her whole life, and the reality of the world.

I thought that the world Spelbring created was actually quite realistic in terms of what the dystopian was based on. I think if Hitler had succeeded, maybe it wouldn't be much different from this. However, this was the only aspect of this book which was actually believable - the writing didn't help me to slip into the tale; I didn't get lost or absorbed in it; throughout the entire novel, I was concious that someone had written this and that it wasn't real. I think the escapist side of books is one of the most important factors.

I didn't really like Ellyssa. I didn't dislike her as she didn't have any traits that were annoying...but at the same time, there was nothing about her that made her interesting. She was meant to be a genetically engineered human being with emotions - instead, she pretty much acted like a robot until she cosied up to Rein - and then suddenly, her blood is lava. Yeah, that was actually the term used to describe how his kissing made her feel.

And about that - there was literally no chemistry between the two of them. Was that because she acted like a robot? Or was it just bad writing? And also, since she was the most boring being in existence, why did so many different guys want her?! It's so flippin' cliché, and you know what it reminds me of, despite having completely different storylines? The Host by Stephanie Meyer. It's robot-y alien-y thingy stumbles across rebellious community, meets guys, falls in love, has some fight, wins, huzzah, the end. I never thought I'd ever be saying this, but I think Meyer did it better.

For me, Perfection just didn't work. It had amazing potential but just didn't work, ending in a novel that fell completely flat. In the end, I skim-read about the last third of the novel, and you know what? Just from paying attention to the dialogue, I got a good idea of what was going on. Whilst I really wouldn't recommend this novel, I think it'd be pretty awesome as a film.
Rating: 1/5

Waiting on Wednesday (#39)

2013-12-25T11:00:00.000+00:00

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

What initially drew me to this novel was the title. I'm a self-diagnosed fangirl - Harry Potter, Supernatural, Doctor Who...you name it, I watch it and obsess over it. So for me, I already feel like I can relate to Cath without reading a word of it. I'm truly excited - please can it be released now?

So what are you waiting on this week? And before I forget - Merry Christmas!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

2013-12-24T11:00:00.000+00:00

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: Orion

Released: April 12th 2012

Pages: 325 (Paperback)

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Add on Goodreads

Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.

Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he's made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor... never to Eleanor.

Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose.

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK! I hate romance novels, I'm sick to the back teeth of them, yet adored this (Yeah I know; go figure.) I think there is just something about Rowell's writing that you can't help but fall in love with. I've read good review after countless good review, but I never realised it'd be as amazing as this.

Eleanor is one of the most amazing female characters I have ever come across. Yes, half the time she was a moody cow and she had moments of being truly unreasonable - but she was so realistic! So many protagonists in romance novels are just drop dead attractive: Eleanor isn't. She is fat, she has a mass of curly red hair, and she sticks out like a sore thumb. But she is unique - Rowell celebrates her individuality, celebrates the fact that she doesn't have the classical good looks but is still beautiful. She's such a believable character, and all her flaws just make her shine even brighter - just like a real human being. Thumbs up for characterisation.

Can we just take a step back for a moment and appreciate the fact that Park is ASIAN?! Hallelujah everyone, it's a miracle - we finally have a ethnic minority who not only is the joint-protagonist, but is hot too! In YA novels, there just aren't enough characters, let alone main characters, who are anything other than Caucasian. Again, Rowell celebrates human beings of every shape, size and ethnicity - so I guess that's now a double thumbs up for characterisation.

The romance was...weird. In most novels you will get crazy chemistry between the couple, scenes that will make you hot under the collar. The reader doesn't get this here - to be honest, I don't really "get" their relationship at all, which strangely makes it more believable. It made me oddly nostalgic of the first teenage relationship I ever got into - a fat mixed heritage girl dates a skinny white kid who doesn't quite fit in (okay, kind of the other way round ethnicity-wise in Eleanor & Park but ssssh) No one but the two of us understood what we liked about the other. It wasn't steamy, it wasn't erotic; it was awkward and cute and just all over weird. This is the truth of teenage relationships, and I loved Rowell's brutal honesty. She didn't sugar-coat anything.

Rowell's writing was quirky - you could get a strong sense of her quirky personality through her use of wit and her overall characterisation. I'm not saying it was a work of art; it wasn't. Yet her use of language dug it's claws into me, rendering me helpless and hooked on their story.

I liked the controversial topics Rowell attempted to deal with. A lot of tales of abuse can end up being very dramatic and not very realistic - we never really understand what the character is truly going through. In this, you are faced with brutal facts - you cower with Elwanor; you feel her constant anxiety, her constant dear that

Eleanor & Park definitely has to be in my top five favourite romances ever. It was cute with just the right dose of quirky, and despite the fact that the ending was incredibly cliched, I did end up in a sobbing mess on the floor. If you love romance, you'll love this; if you hate romance, try it anyway. You never know - maybe it'll take you by surprise?

Rating: 5/5

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

2013-12-22T17:19:00.000+00:00

Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: February 26th 2013
Pages: 290 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…

There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London.
Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…

But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery.

Do you ever read a book that you just don't know how to review? For me, this is one of them. I'm trying to find the words to explain how I feel about this read, but nothing I think of really sums up what I mean. I guess the closest thing to it would be disappointing.

In this sequel to The Name of the Star, we see protagonist Rory returning to Wexford in the wake of the Ripper attack. As the only terminus available, Rory offers her services to Stephen, Boo and Callum once again - and just in time, as more ghosts are making an appearance. Could it be simply a coincidence, or is it interlinked with the previous attack? And who can she really trust, when no one is as they first seem?

I've missed Rory's sarcasm the most. In The Name of the Star, she was this bright fireball of wit who lit up every single page, whether it was a flag in the storyline or an intense battle sequence. However, in this novel, that fire of hers just sputtered out. She became dull, irrational, annoying and needy. She wasn't the Rory I had come to know and love, so although it was nice to see a return of her sarcastic nature, it just didn't have the same effect.

The secondary characterisation just fell through. In the first book, it seemed like every character was bathed in Rory's brilliance and was able to excel, bringing plot twists and turns to the narrative. I loved Jerome and Jazza, loved Stephen, Callum and Boo. But yet again, it just didn't seem to work out like last time. They barely starred in the book, and when they did they were just washed-out versions of their former selves. If that doesn't scream disappointment, then I don't know what does.

The plot itself was okay enough. I'm not usually one for ghosts, but Johnson's imagination just creates scenarios that you can't help but love. Again, the plot wasn't as good as the first book, but it was by far the best part of this book. It's only the plot that makes me consider reading the next book - if it was for the characterisation, I'd just have to shove it onto my No Thank You pile.

This is a classic example of second book syndrome. The first book is amazing, but the second book just seems to trip over every single hurdle. When I started The Name of the Star, I went into it hesitantly, as I'd really not liked Johnson's other novel, 13 Little Blue Envelopes. However, TNotS put my faith back in the author, because it highlighted all of her best abilities. This has given me reason to doubt her again.

Rating: 2/5

Waiting on Wednesday (#38)

2013-12-18T10:00:00.000+00:00

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on Alienated by Melissa Landers.

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

Hot aliens...where have I seen this before? JLA may have done it, but Landers seems to have created such a unique concept surrounding a topic that is increasingly becoming overdone. I honestly cannot wait to get my hands on it!

So what are you waiting on this week?

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

2013-12-17T19:59:00.000+00:00

Title: This Song Will Save Your Life

Author: Leila Sales

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Released: September 17th 2013

Pages: 288 (Paperback)

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

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All her life, Elise Dembowski has been an outsider. Starting a new school, she dreams of fitting in at last – but when her best attempts at popularity fail, she almost gives up. Then she stumbles upon a secret warehouse party. There, at night, Elise can be a different person, making real friends, falling in love for the first time, and finding her true passion – DJ’ing.

But when her real and secret lives collide, she has to make a decision once and for all: just who is the real Elise?

I feel as if it'd be wrong to review this without sharing a bit of personal information. This novel hit me hard - it was as if Sales had crawled into the very depths of my brain and dug up my past, writing down a story that I just wish fourteen year old me could have read (it sure would have saved a lot of teen angst!) I'm a year older than main character Elise, but I still face many of the problems she conquers. I've never been a "popular" kid - heck, I stick out like a sore thumb, not just in looks but in personality, and that doesn't exactly endear anyone to you. I've never been without friends, but I get glares and snide comments made all the time from people who know nothing about me, and I just end up floundering around wondering what the heck I have done to deserve it. The truth that Sales reveals is that, as sad as it is, teenagers don't need a reason to dislike you; they just can, and they will. Sometimes this can push you to the breaking point - sometimes you wonder if suicide really is the only way out. In this novel, Sales shines a light onto the other pathway available to you; accepting yourself. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.

Elise's character held the perfect balance between being comical an serious. Her quirky personality and witty comments immediately endear you to her, and her realistic characterisation is easy to relate to no matter your gender. Sales emphasises the uniqueness of her personality and gets the reader to celebrate all aspects of themselves even if others deem it odd or wrong. She's a true heroine - a figurehead for readers to rally behind and champion and learn from. She has to be one of my favourite characters ever.

Amazing secondary characterisation. Vicky and Pippa were a terrific twosome, and I'd love to see a sequel of this book but following Vicky's story. I mean, after that ending surely it's got to go somewhere? I loved everybody that Elise met at Start, and it was pretty heart-warming to watch her go from a silent nobody to the loved one of the club.

One thing I loved the most was how there were romantic elements in this book, but it didn't dominate the storyline. Romance novels aren't my thing - the realism genre is about more than an awkward love triangle. It's about identifying issues that society is aware of but chooses to ignore, and then investigating the background behind it and how to overcome such obstacles. Whilst there was an interweaving of Char x Elise, the plot focused on Elise coming to accept herself. This is my favourite kind of romance - there but not dominant.

Sales is amazing at writing for the YA genre, as her language is "down with the kids" without being boring or too simple. It's evocative and rich, as well as being full to the brim with humour tinged with sarcasm. It's the kind of language that you can easily slip in and out of - you read it as easily as you breathe air. Or eat chocolate, since that's pretty easy to do too.

This Song Will Save Your Life is an amazing novel that absolutely sweeps your imagination off of its feet, transporting you to Start and the lives of Elise and Char. When I finished, I actually called up my best friend and told him that one day we'd go to America and we would find an underground nightclub and have the time of our lives. He agreed that we should - watch this space, people! Sales is an author to watch out for.
Rating: 5/5

Waiting on Wednesday (#37)

2013-12-11T10:00:00.000+00:00

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Will I ever get enough of JLA? The answer to that is no, not at all. So this week I'm waiting on Don't Look Back.

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

THECOVERISSOPRETTY I don't think I will ever be able to get over it! Mystery, tension and a hot guy - what more could a girl want when it comes to a contemporary YA novel? I am thoroughly excited to see what Armentrout next has up her sleeve.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

2013-12-10T19:41:00.000+00:00

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: October 22nd 2013
Pages: 526 (Hardback)
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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 ready. 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.

In a way, this feels like the end of an era - and to a certain extent, I guess it is. I've spent the past year anticipating the release of Allegiant after the godsmacker of a cliffhanger Insurgent left us on, and in a weird way, I don't think it could ever live up to whatever expectations I as the reader had - every fan wanted something different to happen, but nothing would ever be quite right for everyone. However, I think that's the difficulty with most trilogies - it will never be the perfect goodbye because we just don't want to let it go.

Allegiant picks up immediately after Insurgent, as the factionless have taken control of the city and are now organising every faction to be torn apart. It's just like another dictatorship, and the Allegiant - those loyal to the faction system - want to stop it. In an effort to find out more about the experiment they have been forced into, the Allegiant sends a small group out beyond the borders of the city to find out what lies outside.

As I said in my most recent review of Insurgent, I don't really like the direction Roth went in with the plot. I liked the idea of the faction system, and now that entire concept has been completely torn apart, leaving only chaos in it's wake. In Allegiant, it's basically a rebellion within a rebellion within a rebellion with another bit of rebellion on the side - there are so many different teams to fight against that in the end, I don't think the reader nor the characters really know who they are fighting for. Everything just became incredibly confusing, and halfway through the book, I gave up trying to understand what was going on.

Tris redeemed herself in my eyes. In Insurgent she became reckless and irritating, and her narrative was a displeasure to read. In Allegiant, she gains back her common sense and groundedness, becoming likeable again in that quirky way of hers. However, Tobias does the complete opposite - damn, is he a whiny bitch! "Oh look at how damaged my genes are, look how damaged I am, look how awful my life has been, pity me everyone, pity me!"

No Tobias, I have utterly no sympathy whatsoever. He seems to have taken up Tris's abandoned role of making stupid-ass decisions and now HIS narrative was the one to avoid! Though if I'm being completely honest, I sometimes forgot who's POV it actually was, since Tris and Tobias sound exactly the same.

In my review of Divergent, I complimented Roth on the characterisation of the secondary characters, as they each held the potential depth to be a main character. However, I've now got to take that back. Not meaning to spoil anything, but pretty much everyone gets killed off in one way or another, and whenever new characters are introduced, they just don't have the same individuality that I found in the beginning initiates. Do I care about Nita, about David? Nope, I don't. And actually, David is just a combination of both Evelyn and Jeanine. They are mere shells and failed reproductions of the characters before them, holding a certain anonymity that is impenetrable. I feel unattached to their lives, and I lack any of the former sympathy I developed over the storylines of the likes of Will and Uriah.

Ever since Allegiant's release, I've been excited but apprehensive. Review after review critiqued that something bad happened and that it ruined the entire book. Finally I reached the point that everyone was talking about - and you know what? I actually liked it. (The rest of this paragraph will be spoiler central, so skip it if you haven't read this yet!) Basically, Roth kills off Tris. I can see why it is controversial - she has been our main character since the very beginning, and for her to suddenly be dead showers the plot in a negative light. However, I thought it was realistic. Of course I didn't want to see the back of Tris - she's our heroine, we root for her - but she has avoided death so many countless times that it just felt right, somehow, for it to eventually happen. And the way in which she dies - shot whilst saving Chicago - seems like an honourable death to me, as it highlights the Abnegation, the Dauntless, the Erudite within her; it highlights her Divergence, and gives her story and the series a just send off.

Overall, I feel mixed about this read. On one hand it was disappointing, as the characterisation and the world-building have drastically fallen in my expectations, becoming loose and unbelievable. On the other hand though, I am after all a fan of Divergent and Allegiant did manage to reduce me to tears. Despite all the holes I could pick in it, the plot really got to me. The world she created and the amount of things the characters have been put through is horrible - although it wasn't the happy ending we were all hoping for, it gave each of the remaining characters a chance at redemption, something they all deserve after the horrors they have faced. Maybe I haven't loved every single aspect of this trilogy, but I am sad to say goodbye. I can't wait to see what Roth brings out next.

Rating: 3/5

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

2013-12-09T13:26:00.001+00:00

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins

Released: May 1st 2012

Pages: 525 (Paperback)

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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 must be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

It's always the way, isn't it, in dystopian trilogies? Fantastic first book and then second book syndrome. The first time I read Insurgent, I was swept away by the trilogy on a whole and it could do no wrong. But now that I've reread it, I can actually pick out some major faults. Whilst I still enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy it enough to warrant the previous five star rating.

After the Erudite try to gain control of the city by putting the Dauntless under a simulation and killing the Abnegation, those who are left are now factionless. This is a name for those who belong nowhere - and Tris is now one of them. In Insurgent, the group who remain loyal venture out to seek refuge and comradely amongst the two remaining uncorrupted factions. However, many secrets still remain undiscovered, and as the factionless seek to recover what the Erudite took from them, they will discover things that will change their perspective on life forever.

My ship is ruined. I was a big fan of Tris and Tobias, but in Insurgent, they both turn into unstable gits. Tris has never been a nice character, and that's part of the reason why I liked her - you could see her flaws and she embraced them like an amour. However, she has now become plain ridiculous. She is full of self-bloody-pity, and all she does is argue with any rationality people try to throw at her - including Tobias. See, him I still love, but Tris just stresses me out. I think because I didn't like her character, it made it difficult to enjoy the narrative as much as I did in Divergent. Most of the time, I was concentrating on not screaming at her through her pages rather than the actual story.

A problem I didn't have but noticed is that Insurgent picks up literally immediately after Divergent. If you've had a big gap between reading the first installment and this one, you will be lost. Roth seems to presume you remember every single event and character from Divergent with not even the tiniest of recaps. Thankfully I did pick up Insurgent immediately after Divergent - but if I hadn't, I really wouldn't have cared less for the first few chapters, the decease characters, and the new ones.

The plot seemed to take a complete one-eighty turn! I loved the idea of factions, I loved the originality they brought to the novel, but now it is just confusing. Half of the factions are in tatters, and without that base to build up from, it's just a bit of a mess. You can kind of compare it to The Hunger Games - in the first two novels you have that arena, but as soon as you take it away, it kind of falls apart. The difference between the two is that whilst Collins managed to pull off this completely chaotic society on the verge of revolution, Roth hasn't.

It all just felt a bit rushed. Like Roth wanted to get from point A to B as quickly as possible whilst at the same time providing the depth she delivered in Divergent. It's safe to say that it really didn't work. However, her use of language is still as beautiful as ever, and although I don't like where the plot is heading, it's imaginative and clearly well thought out. Overall, I'm still going to go out and read Allegiant - despite my distaste for the cliffhanger, I'm intrigued to know what Roth has up her sleeve next.

Rating: 3/5

Bitter Like Orange Peel by Jessica Bell

2013-12-07T10:00:00.000+00:00

Title: Bitter Like Orange Peel
Author: Jessica Bell
Publisher: Vine Leaves Press
Released: November 1st 2013
Pages: 179 (eBook)
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Six women. One man. Seven secrets. One could ruin them all.

Kit is a twenty-five-year-old archaeology undergrad, who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. Life seems purposeless. But if she could track down her father, Roger, maybe her perspective would change.

The only problem—Roger is as rotten as the decomposing oranges in her back yard according to the women in her life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed archaeologist, with a slight case of nymphomania who fled to America after a divorce to become a waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her feelings with medical jargon, and named her daughter after "Intravenous."

Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger.
Enter a sister Kit never knew about.
But everyone else did.

What a bloody awful book. I'm sorry, but it has to be said. I've read some bad books in my time, but this is most definitely in the top five. The synopsis held the promise of a novel that wasn't delivered.

The basic premise is a group of six women who all have ties to this one man - to some of them he was a lover, a husband, and to others he was a father - or an absentee one at that. Kit, one of the daughters, is desperate to find out about this man who she has never met, so sets out on a journey to meet him. However, in doing so she unveils a whole load of buried family secrets.

One thing I can't get over is the awful language. It's so unnecessarily vulgar! Swearing I don't really care about, but it was several times per page and it just...why?! There was also constant references to genitalia - just randomly it would say something like "He itched his scrotum and then farted." As the reader, do I really need to know about his itchy balls? No, no I don't. Or - and I actually quote - "A drop of sweat tickles Kit's crotch. She scratches herself and wipes her wet fingers on the carpet beside her thigh." It's highly sexualised for no reason, and eventually it just made me cringe. It also happened at the most random moments - as if the author thought the book was getting a bit too serious so hey, why not have a random sex scene in the middle!

I also didn't connect with the characters. Like, at all. I hated every bloody one of them and their stupid life problems. They were all so selfish, so self-centered, and they all seemed to start crying for no reason. They are the weakest female characters I have ever come across, and I'd just like to point out that if you want to make a character seem 'strong' it doesn't mean making them into temperamental bitches (I think this is the first time I've ever sworn in a review, but it isn't more fitting).

The plot was almost as scatterbrained as the characters. There's going to be serious spoilers here, but it's bloody awful. The initial premise of them finding out about this lost father intrigued me. However, the secrets grew and grew until they were borderline ridiculous. First we meet the "secret" half-sister who one of the sisters conveniently already knew. The second secret we uncover is that the father has had a stroke, so one of the mothers spent a daughters uni fund on making sure he got well again (and when the daughter finds out, she SLAPS the mother! Overreaction Central right here - and it's not as if she'd touched the money for ten years). There is then a subplot of Ivy (the selfish, going-to-slap-my-mother one) having sex with this guy and it turns out he has a wife he's divorcing which he didn't tell her about (oh horror of horrors!) Then Ivy returns to Australia and meets up with HER ex husband and they decide to get remarried (sigh). Then Kit (the indecisive one) finally decides to make a damn decision after 90% of the book and they meet the father. THEN (and this is literally right at the end) Kit's mother accuses the father of molesting Kit when she was a young girl. We're then privy to a really confusing cut scene that tells us f-all about whether this accusation is true or not, and then the book ends. It was one disaster after another, and not only was the ending anticlimactic, but it produced more questions than it answered.

The title reference to the book was another terrible aspect. The author force fed oranges and orange peel into the storyline - if you cut out all the bits about oranges, the story literally wouldn't change one little bit. It seemed to me as if the story was being written and suddenly the author would turn around and be like "Damn, I haven't written about orange peel in a while! Better make Ailish really upset that her daughter's boyfriend picked the fruit off of their rotting orange tree!"

Bitter Like Orange Peel is truly terrible. It makes no sense, and I'm really confused as to how books like Harry Potter had a difficult time getting published when there are stories like this out there. If there is one recommendation I have after all of this, it's do not read this book. See it and avoid it, because it is a train wreck. I think Bell meant well, but it just went horribly wrong.

Rating: 1/5