The Paper Planes

Waiting on Wednesday (33)

2013-02-13T17:47:00.000+13:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!

Spies and Prejudice
by Talia Vance
Publication Date: June 11th 2013
Publisher: Egmont USA
NZ Pre-order: Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-Order: Amazon US / UK | Book Depository

Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

I... haven't read Pride and Prejudice yet, but this still sounds amazing! Mystery is my favorite genre after all and this sounds like a really fun read C: Plus yeah, I know this is really shallow, but any summary hinting at a swoon-worthy love interest usually has me wanting it on my shelf right this freaking minute! ;)

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

2013-02-10T22:10:00.000+13:00

Title: Deadly Hemlock (Hemlock, #1)
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Publication Date: July 1st 2012
Publisher: Penguin NZ
Pages: 416
Rating:
Links: Goodreads | Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus | Mighty Ape

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Deadly Hemlock, I admit, was a bit of a struggle to get through. And seeing as this is the first review I've written in what—three months?—I can't exactly say it was the easiest to write a review for either. While it does produce some fairly interesting and engaging characters, even that is surreptitiously ruined by forced drama through an unneeded love triangle and a baddy who's as one-dimensional as they come. Thankfully however, Deadly Hemlock was saved from being completely unbearable by Peacock somehow pulling, out of freaking nowhere, an astonishingly compelling murder mystery, one even I really can't deny I had a lot of fun trying to figure out!

Now, I'll start by saying that this mystery... is one where I figured out the culprit's identity pretty quickly once all the foreshadowing started rolling in. Yet even knowing the culprit, Peacock artfully swerved around all the obvious plot twists and kept me guessing—once again, remember dear readers, that I already knew the culprit—right up until the end. It's a testament to Peacock's creativity that even when you think you know everything and nothing more can surprise you, Peacock indeed, does just that. And if the romance and the villain manage to turn you off, you can be sure that this will be the one thing you can take out of reading Deadly Hemlock and say you hell of a lot enjoyed!

And yet, it's such a shame that with such a fantastic mystery backdrop and characters that—albeit not the best—are solidly nice on their own, Peacock had to pounce on the idea of a love triangle as soon as she saw two prospective love interests roaming in the wild. Suddenly the focus isn't so much on the mystery of an important dead friend, but of petty arguments and teen angst between two guys who, you know, have been best friends for like ever, brawling over that one girl whenever they cross paths. See, I could totally imagine this if they didn't really know each other, but these guys have been friends since third grade. Surely a long-lasting friendship has to outweigh crushing on the same girl? Not to mention, it's another one of those books where the two guys in question fall for the oblivious, supposedly average looking female for no reason except drama, drama and—oh yeah!—drama. All the bad bits aside though, I do have to give Mac her rightful props for not being the typical love triangle center and hooking up with both guys secretly. She's sure of her feelings and knows who she wants, while slowly backing away from the one that, well... she doesn't want.

But oh lord, I'm not even done yet! When an author creates a villain you want to knee in the crotch every time he appears on the page, I suspect that is normally a good sign. However, when said villain is a villain just because the author needs someone evil to give the main characters hell, instead I want to bring the book to life and knee it in the crotch. Because that is just cheap storytelling, quite honestly, and Deadly Hemlock could have done much better than that. I can't even remember the villain's name but if Mr. Evil—what I'll be calling him instead—had had some sort of legitimate reason to be such a douche, then I would have been happy and this might have gotten a higher rating. It tries, it does—the cliché route as well—but this villain's past feels so out of conjunction with his character in the present that I feel like it really did have no impact on his ideals today and he's just evil because the author wants him to be. Yeah, there are people outside of fiction who are very much like Mr. Evil here, but this is fiction and plastic characters make plastic books.

...so in a nutshell? Well, I'm honestly not too sure whether I'll be reading the next book or not. With the mystery dead and gone, I'm not expecting this series to go to grand new heights since the next installment is hinting at a full-fledged romance which, as I've made clear in this review, was not exactly the highlight of Deadly Hemlock. But perhaps I'm wrong and I'll have to eat my words! If you want to take one thing out of this review though—don't go in it for the romance, or really, if you're just too easily frustrated by love triangles. No. Go into this for the mystery. Because no doubt, this is how write you write a good one!

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

2012-11-10T17:10:00.000+13:00

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke
and Bone, #2)
Author: Laini Taylor
Publication Date: November 8th 2012
Publisher: Hachette NZ
Pages: 528
Rating:
Links: Goodreads | Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus | Mighty Ape
*Thanks so much to the lovely Ruby over at Hachette NZ for sending me a copy for review!

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living – one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel – a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.

I'm shocked, dumbfounded, completely and utterly in awe at how Taylor was able to change my opinion of this series. I swear I came into it fully prepared to dislike certain aspects of Days of Blood and Starlight, yet Taylor somehow blew all of those worries away the moment eyes touched words on paper. Honestly! Color me stupefied.

Beginning a little while after the departure of Karou from Akiva, initially it is indeed a little hard to get back into unless you've had a proper re-read of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Not much time is spent recounting the events of the previous book and things such as the history of Eretz and character names were lost on me. Ultimately though, it is Taylor's alluring prose that subtly draws you back in before the memories begin to trickle their way back into consciousness again. Her writing is just as flawless and spell-binding as in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, if not better, artfully managing to paint vivid images in your mind until it's like you're really there alongside all the other characters.

However, what surprised me most about Days of Blood and Starlight was how much I enjoyed both Karou and Akiva's presence in this book. Perhaps it was the separation of our two star-crossed lovers, but it enabled me to see them in a new light, in the home of their respective races that was never really dwelled on much before. Karou is ridden by enormous amounts of guilt and it's heartbreaking to see how low her flame has diminished and characters using that dying flicker to their own advantage. However it made me smile to see that no matter what, she'll always choose family over love. More than that though, it's Akiva whom I must give credit to. He is much the same as he was in Daughter of Smoke and Bone—heartbroken, tormented and still irrevocably in love—yet he overflows with a loyalty, courage and gentleness I once thought was cheesy but now see are his greatest strengths. And that is only two characters of a strong cast of many! A range of new characters are introduced with some old ones returning and every single one of them manages to stand on their own with a radiance that is uniquely theirs. What's so great about Taylor's story-telling is that we get to jump into the heads of these new characters and see the war from their point of view, the toll it is taking on their sanity and how this war between seraphim and chimaera isn't so simple as right or wrong, good and evil. It's layered with surprising depth and we're shown that while it may be hard enough to stop a seemingly endless war, it's even harder to accept that one's own side may be wrong.

I'm also assuming that part of the reason I enjoyed Days of Blood and Starlight so much was that this time, it didn't focus so much on the romance, but instead built upon the world we were first introduced to in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The world-building was definitely a strength of the first book, but Days of Blood and Starlight proves that it can make a once great thing even greater! I loved learning about the different races of chimaera and area's of Eretz where storms rage on mountains and creatures hide under water. Even with those beautiful landscapes though, this book is incredibly dark, made even more so in contrast to the more light vibe we saw in the first installment. We're witness to a rush of new information about the chimaera and seraphim and it opens our eyes to a reality that is as much harsh as it is enchanting. Karou and Akiva's dreams for a better world, their eagerness to stop a blood filled war makes sense now in the face of so much grit and horror. And it really helped, to get more insight on these brazen creatures because what felt like a distant concern in the first book, now feels real and overwhelming, like we're as much a part of as our two main characters.

Laini Taylor has done wonders with this second installment, from the increasing character development, the luscious writing and a magical realm of beasts and angels from which I was unwilling to leave! She's created a land not known in reality, but when reading feels so real—so tangible—it's as though you have lived in it all your life. I was hesitant in picking this up because of my reservations with Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but I see now that I need not have worried. Days of Blood and Starlight is beautiful, tragic and no doubt, the final book in this trilogy will continue to contribute to Taylor's growing place in my heart!

Stacking the Shelves (5)

2012-10-13T17:56:00.000+13:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. It gives bloggers a chance to share what they bought, borrowed, swapped or got for review that week!

I haven't done a STS post in two months! :o And really, the amount of books I got in those two months is kind of pathetic for a book blogger haha! I just haven't been buying or requesting all that many books since it's exam time for me and I need to limit the amount of books tempting me to read them :P However, the few books that I did get... well, I am sooooo excited to read them!

For Review

The Edge of Nowhere (Saratoga Woods #1) by Elizabeth George
I'm pretty sure I started this last month and I'm still only halfway through. I thought I'd love it since I love mysteries but honestly, it's really, really slow :/

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
Hadn't heard of this before it showed up in my mailbox but it sounds really interesting plus I've heard Annabel's other book is amazing!

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor
So I was EXTREMELY surprised to find this in the mail! I hadn't requested it because I had a few issues with Daughter of Smoke and Bone (I know, I'm in the minority here) but I still loved Laini's writing and world-building. So despite my issues, I'm really excited to read this and dive back into Laini's fabulous storytelling x)

Bought

Deadly Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock
I've been hearing soooo many good things about this! I think the only books about werewolves that I've read are the Wolves of Mercy Falls series so I'm hoping this will be just as good!

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine
COVER LOVE. I absolutely adore the cover of this, not to mention it sounds amazing as well <3 I've seen mixed reviews of it though, so I have no idea what to expect :S

Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan
ASDFGHJKL THIS BOOK. It did craaaaaazy things to my heart! Seriously, Riordan is the author who first got me into reading and as long as he keeps writing, I don't think I'll ever stop c:

Thanks so much to the lovely Ruby over at Hachette NZ

What are you stacking on your shelves this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

2012-10-10T15:23:00.000+13:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!

Ink
by Amanda Sun
Publication Date: June 25th 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
NZ Pre-order: Fishpond | Whitcoulls
International Pre-Order: Amazon US / UK | Book Depository

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

I'm a huuuuuuge fan of all things Japanese—anime, manga, food, language, pokemon—heck, my own blog design is based on origami. So it comes as no surprise that I would want this book SO SO BAD. And ohmygoodness, JUST LOOK AT THAT COVER *o* It looks like one of those really beautiful ancient scrolls and I could seriously hang it up on my wall and stare at it all day! Not only that, it's about drawings and Japanese mythology? Two of my favorite things? This book was made for me. I just know it.

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

2012-10-08T23:14:00.000+13:00

Title: Second Chance Summer
Author: Morgan Matson
Publication Date: June 1st 2012
Publisher: Penguin NZ
Pages: 468
Rating:
Links: Goodreads | Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus | Mighty Ape

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

Four months later and I can still remember every detail, every feeling that I felt while reading this! Undeniably a summer book, there are also deeper elements that make it a whole lot more than what it appears to be on the surface and it's raw, emotional side completely and utterly swept me away!

Taylor Edwards is anything but perfect, which is, ironically, what I think makes her such a perfect character. Perhaps she may not be the most likable protagonist out there, due to the many flaws and mistakes she demonstrates throughout the novel, yet it's those imperfections that make her so real. The way Matson develops these flaws is done so in a way that is both humanly and mentally possible and it displays itself strongly by how much I could relate to Taylor by the time I finished reading Second Chance Summer. Moreover, Matson's captured a teenage voice that somehow really, really fits and every word, every thought, every moment Taylor shared with anyone sounded, well... like a teenager.

So what about the other characters then? Honestly, I don't even like to think of them as the 'other characters' since they're all just as well developed as any main character! Every character each has their own distinct personality, from flirty former best friend, Lucy, to sweet, first love and baker boy, Henry, as well as a depth to all of them that is rarely seen in young adult secondary characters. Inseparable as children, the three friends have grown apart due to an incident that happened all those years ago, a reason that keeps Taylor from ever wanting to return to the lake house during summer. Admittedly though, said incident is what stopped the rating from being a full five stars. After all the build-up and highlighting of said incident being huge and unforgivable, I was, to say the least, slightly disappointed to find out it was something so small and trivial. That's not to say I would have acted any different, given the circumstances, and in a way, Matson suited the problem perfectly to fit a petty child's way of thinking, but I guess I just wanted something bigger after all the drama it caused!

Moving away from that though, the most prominent aspect of Second Chance Summer was undeniably the way Matson explores the wonderfully delicate relationships between family and friends. Taylor's relationship with her father is incredibly touching and heart-breaking, made even more so because of how close and fun they are when they're together! The puns they share always made me laugh, because well, they are in fact, pretty genius. Even those with a heart of steel will find themselves questioning why tiny droplets of water are falling from their eyes by the end of this. However, this story of loss is also a story of second chances and Matson expertly develops the broken friendships and romances in an altogether, very sincere and genuine way.

Second Chance Summer is beautiful, in a way that only very few books can be. With complex and intricate relationships, authentic and convincing characters, Second Chance Summer is one of those books that really gets under your skin without being entirely overdramatic, instead allowing the story to unfold until you really do believe that this is how it should end. It's needless to say, but Morgan Matson has beyond any doubt made a fan out of me!

Waiting on Wednesday (31)

2012-09-05T14:08:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!

Falling Kingdoms
by Morgan Rhodes
Publication Date: December 11th 2012
Publisher: Penguin NZ
NZ Pre-order: Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-order: Amazon US / UK | Book Depository

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Yay for high fantasy! I am seriously so excited for this; the cover is W O W, characters seem like they're going to be well-developed and the whole magicical war/rebellion thing just sounds amazing. I'm a little wary about the multiple POV's though, however I'm willing to risk it because of how everything else seems to be calling to me hehe! x)

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR List

2012-09-04T16:02:00.000+12:00

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers answer the specific list of the week!

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I know, I know! I still haven't read it yet! And yes, yes, I know it's amazing and it's going to make me bawl my eyes out and there are going to be SO MANY feels when I finish it... so it's definitely my goal to read it by the end of Spring x)

2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Maggie <3 Aside from my love of the author herself, I've heard that this book is endlessly confusing with plot twists that leave your head spinning. So definitely my type of book! xxxxxxxx

3. The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
I only heard about this recently but it's already at the top of my wishlist. Assassin's + Pirates? MUST READ.

4. Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
I love, love, love Riordan's books! Harry Potter may have been your childhood but Percy Jackson was mine and I am sooo insanely excited for this to be released!

5. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
That cliffhanger at the end of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer still has me reeling a year later. How can you read that and not be desperate for answers?

6. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
I have some serious cover love for this <3 IT'S SO PUUURTY. This will probably be the first Gena Showalter book I read but I'm expecting it to be amazing since I love both Alice in Wonderland and retellings c: xxxxxxxx

7. Defiance by C.J. Redwine
I'm expecting this in the mail real soon and once it arrives, I'm diving into it straight away! It sounds AMAZING and totally kick-ass and I have seriously been waiting way too long to get my hands on this.

8. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Yes, I'm aware that this is the second Stiefvater book on my list but I'm in a Maggie mood these days. That mood where I want to read books that are written well and uhh... I can always count on Maggie for that!

*is it just me or are the models on both of these covers the same? o.o

9. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Time weavers? Seriously, this sounds like it's going to be so completely unique and original!

10. Speechless by Hannah Harrington
I LOVED Hannah Harrington's Saving June and well, I trust Harrington to pull off another fantastic contemporary :)

What made your list? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

One Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

2012-09-02T13:10:00.000+12:00

IT'S BEEN ONE YEAR, GUYS. ONE YEAR.

Seriously, I can't even.

This is crazy. Exactly one year ago, I didn't even know there was a whole book blogging community out there! And my mind is still blown that people actually visit my blog and take the time to actually read what I write :O I know I probably go AWOL a little too much... but despite the stress of school and exams and all that, this year of blogging has been A M A Z I N G and so much F U N. It's been my stress relief, I guess you could say c:

So because I absolutely love you all so much for sticking with me and commenting and reading all the useless stuff I have to say and just totally making me smile... I HAVE A GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!

One winner will get to choose ONE of my most highly anticipated upcoming releases from the list below!

+ Fill in the rafflecopter below.
+ Must be 13 years or older.
+ Giveaway ends on October 3rd 2012.
+ Open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you.
+ The winner will be contacted via e-mail and have 48 hours to respond.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

2012-08-29T17:05:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!

The Nightmare Affair
by Mindee Arnett
Publication Date: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
NZ Pre-Order: Fishpond | Paperplus
International Pre-Order: Amazon US / UK | Book Depository

16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is Arkwell.

And then it comes true.

Now the Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

2013!? What. What. What. Although I'm not a huge fan of the name Dusty, E V E R Y T H I N G else about this sounds amazing! I looove books set in boarding schools and well, this is just so unique with the whole being-an-actual-nightmare-thing c: Plus, mystery is one of my favorite genre's so I'm really excited to see what this one is like! x)

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

2012-08-26T23:15:00.000+12:00

Title: The Forsaken (The Forsaken, #1)
Author: Lisa M. Stasse
Publication Date: August 1st 2012
Publisher: Hachette NZ
Pages: 426
Rating:
Links: Goodreads | Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus | Mighty Ape
*Thanks so much to the lovely Ruby over at Hachette NZ for sending me a copy for review!

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy for fans of The Hunger Games.

Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.

But when she unexpectedly fails ‘the test’ - a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals - she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.

Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Liam, a boy who will become her love... and her lifeline.

Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there’s more to the island (and her past) than she could ever have guessed... But who can she trust? And can she ever escape?

The Forsaken is a far cry from being the next Hunger Games because hell, The Hunger Games is just one of those novels that are almost impossible to surpass. However, if you take away all those misconceptions, you're left with a novel that perhaps is a page-turner all of it's own!

I like to think that my love of dystopia's will never die out despite the hundreds popping up everywhere these days. And H O O R A Y, The Forsaken is just one more that fuels that love into something I hope never ends! While the world-building of the UNA itself is a little bit vague, when we get swept up into the skies and dumped in the middle of Prison Island Alpha, or more commonly known as 'the wheel,' I could just feel the excitement bubbling inside me. It promises a mystery and it certainly delivers, offering twists and revelations that can shock the reader just as much as it does the characters. And with each new turn of a page, you're never quite sure what to expect—whether you're going to encounter action, the tail-end to a particular question or even the drop of a tear as it blurs words on paper.

Perhaps it's a good thing then that Stasse doesn't create huge attachments between readers and characters, otherwise we could be expecting a bucketful of tears to be unleashed throughout the entirety of the novel! Because yes, people are right when they say that this book is gritty and more often that not, the good side suffers the brunt of the damage. However, that disconnection with characters can also be seen as a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Stasse's writing style is very simple, with short, to-the-point sentences that don't offer much room for depth or elaborated thoughts. And so it's because of this that the reader doesn't often feel the need to evoke sympathy or any type of emotion for certain characters and ultimately, many scenes lack a sense of suspense in that way.

Yet, in spite of this, I still enjoyed Alenna's character, and quite a few of the supporting characters as well. While naive at first, our main protagonist definitely grows and I was impressed by her ability to cope with the wheel's harsh lifestyle as time went on. She's incredibly loyal, brave and eventually by the end, I could probably even label her as one of those 'butt-kicking heroines' right up there with Katniss and Tris! However, there was definitely that one thing that irked me to no end—I N S T A - L O V E. Liam himself is charming and sweet, but his relationship with Alenna seemed to stem from almost nothing, despite what we're told at the end. I feel that perhaps The Forsaken might have been better without all the mushy, lovey-dovey scenes stuck dead in the middle of a crisis. Though thankfully, the book doesn't rely on the romance to push it forward, so for some it may be easy to overlook!

Yes, it has it's flaws, but oh boy, was it a fun read! If it weren't for school, I would have flown through this book in a single day. The plot and mystery behind the structure of the wheel is enough to have you flipping pages like crazy but even the characters themselves might be the thing to keep you going! Oh, and should I also mention that it doesn't end in a cliffhanger? :)

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

2012-07-22T01:24:00.000+12:00

Title: Unravelling (Unraveling, #1)
Author: Elizabeth Norris
Publication Date: June 15th 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins NZ
Pages: 445
Rating:
Links: Goodreads | Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus | Mighty Ape
*Thanks so much to the lovely Bonnie over at HarperCollins NZ for sending me a copy for review!

STOP THE COUNTDOWN. SAVE THE WORLD…

Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.

And killed.

Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…

Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.

That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…

Unravelling, quite literally, starts off with a bang—so powerful and explosive that right from the get-go, you're already preparing yourself for a mind-blowing experience! And the good thing is that the initial excitement never really lets up, but grows and grows and grows into something completely original, exhilarating and ridiculously exciting till the very last page.

The first thing I should first mention about Unravelling is it's 100% genuine characters! Norris doesn't soften the blow of teenage reality—in Unravelling they act like the proper, chaos-wreaking teenagers that they are and the amount of swearing really made me smile because lets face it, I bet you we all started cussing when we were like, thirteen. But aside from that, I appreciated that Janelle's family was full of realistic complications and relationships, plus Janelle's friendship with Alex, her guy best friend since childhood, was so sweet and altogether perfect!

Janelle herself, is probably everything you want in a perfect protaganist. Intelligent, logical and always ready to kick butt! However, I found that sometimes her need to be the hero outshone all those other amazing points and I cringed at some of the decisions she made during her search for a solution. Still, it's easy to look past all that just because of how awesome she is otherwise. There's also Ben, who's pretty much the perfect amount of bad-boy-stoner and perfect sweet boy mixed together! Although while I loved both characters individually, I was never really invested in their relationship itself. It was enjoyable, don't get me wrong. But the fact that the only reason Janelle ever noticed Ben—who she for years thought was stupid and drunk 24/7—at all was because he saved her and it was only a few days after that when she started to fall for him... well, it does makes me a little critical.

Yet, what made me able to look past the faults of the romance and enjoy the book as a whole was undeniably the many winding twists and turns of the plot. It's hard to quite pin a description to it, because there are so many subplots and things in-between that I'm not too sure where to even start! The concept was just so original. Though some sub-plots were predictable and some I felt were unnecessary, most of them kept me on edge and constantly teased me with exceptional foreshadowing. And when everything finally came together in the end? Mind. Freaking. Blown. I'll admit I may have even shed a tear or two while reading this because this book does that to you. You get so caught up in the characters and whats happening that certain points in the story can send you into a waterfall of tears.

Unravelling is definitely a book I promise you won't get bored of easily or feel the urge to put down at all once you've started. Why? Because in each new chapter beginning with the daunting countdown to the end of the world, we're presented with an ever increasing length of thread spurring us on in the quest to unravel this book's many, many questions. Not to mention the non-stop action! Characters grow on us, twists surprise us and the realistic image of a collapsing world will shake us, and in the end, that's what makes it so bloody fantastic.

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

2012-07-18T16:56:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!

Pivot Point
by Kasie West
Release Date: February 12th 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
NZ Pre-Order: Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-Order: Amazon US / UK | Book Depository

Addison Coleman's life is one big "What if?" As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It's the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie's parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with–her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the "Norms," or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it's not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school–but she never wanted to be a quarterback's girlfriend. When Addie's father is asked to consult on a murder in the compound, she's unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she's willing to live through...and who she can't live without.

All my 'WoW' posts these past few weeks have literally been "OMG I LOVE THIS IDEA" and this one is no different! Seriously, all these debut novels coming out at the end of 2012 and the start of 2013 are brimming with such creative ideas~ And the cover for this is so pretty and sparkly! *o* I love how it seems to actually represent something in terms of the story! But what? 2013? Are you kidding me? :/

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Stacking the Shelves (4)

2012-07-14T17:33:00.000+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. It gives bloggers a chance to share what they bought, borrowed, swapped or got for review that week!

So I kind of regret buying so many books these past few weeks since I'm a broke high school student and all... but can you really blame me when hardbacks here were only $2.50 NZD? That's like two US dollars and one British pound! :o And they were books that have been on my wishlist for ages so even though I literally have no more money in my wallet, I shouldn't feel guilty at all right? ...or really, that's what I want to keep telling myself :S *cringes*

For Review

Unravelling (Unraveling #1) by Elizabeth Norris
Squeee! I've been wanting to read this for so so sooo long so I was incredibly excited when it finally arrived in the mail! Thanks so much HarperCollins NZ!

Bought
I'm not going to bore you to tears with my commentary of each book so I'll just leave the links to their goodreads! :)

Slated (Slated #1) by Teri Terry
Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2) by Jenny Han
Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks
So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti
Angelfire (Angelfire #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton
The Eternal Ones (Eternal Ones #1) by Kirsten Miller
Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols
Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick
Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman
Destined (Wings #4) by Aprilynne Pike
Shade (Shade #1) by Jeri Smith-Ready
One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Thanks so much to the lovely Bonnie from HarperCollins NZ!

What are you stacking on your shelves this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

2012-07-13T19:52:00.000+12:00

Title: Sweetly (Fairytale Retellings, #2)
Author: Jackson Pearce
Publication Date: July 10th 2012
Publisher: Hachette NZ
Pages: 336
Rating:
Links: Goodreads | Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus | Mighty Ape
*Thanks so much to the lovely Ruby over at Hachette NZ for sending me a copy for review!

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone -- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

Gretel, Gretchen
Gretchen is such an amazing heroine! She aches for the sister she left to the witch, however as the story progresses, she grows stronger and more determined than ever to find out the truth surrounding that years-old mystery. It's her courage and initiative that made me lover her, because she's definitely not just some damsel-in-distress looking for an out of the danger! Instead she races towards it, facing it head-on. She even learns how to shoot a gun.
Caaaaandy!

"Behind the glass are bright, ripe pieces of fruit dipped into chocolate—white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dotted with nuts or dusted with cocoa powder."

Sweetly

Sophia Kelly, the Patron Saint of Candy.

coincidentally

She keeps it real!

Hansel and Gretel

Sweetly

The romance.

Unless you wait till the end...

Sweetly

good

Just like Sophia is the Patron Saint of Candy, Pearce might just be the Patron Saint of retellings! Though it certainly does have it's fault, I fell in love with this new take on Hansel and Gretel. Predictable yes, however that doesn't mar the enjoyment level of it and it's still fun to figure out and watch how everything ultimately comes together in the end. Fan of fairytales? The paranormal? Or even just a nice simple, no-nonsense romance? Then I think you'd love this!

Waiting on Wednesday (28)

2012-07-11T16:52:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!

Auracle
by Gina Rosati
Release Date: August 7th 2012
Publisher: Macmillan
NZ Pre-Order: Fishpond | Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-order: Amazon US / UK | Book Depository

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

So I'm loving the idea of astral projection—it sounds really different and creative! And adding to that awesomeness is the fact that there's probably not going to be any insta-love since the two main characters start out as good friends so YAY for that :P Plus, even though the cover is another girl in a dress, it's still incredibly pretty!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

2012-07-09T16:35:00.000+12:00

Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Publication Date: June 12th 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 385
Rating:

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Male point of view? Whoa, wait—really?
Having a male narrate a story in YA is such a rarity! It was so refreshing and different to read a mermaid and romance story from Calder's perspective. His voice made it a whole lot more interesting than if it were narrated by a female character like Lily!
So yeah, Lily.

tried to avoid him.

really

And then there's Calder, a.k.a. Edward Cullen turned fish.

him

creepy.

slept in her backyard

But they're killer mermaids! They eat people!

eat

I hadn't killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that

The romance.

there

When there's a wall, you can't get through.

Lies Beneath

depth

Maris, Pavati and Tallulah

disliked

evil.

The ending.

strange.

Deep Betrayal

It was so slow! Like a turtle!

Nothing happened.

The cover.

Lies Beneath.

had

maid

man

There are just as many positive's as there are negatives when it comes to Lies Beneath, but it's definitely worth the read if you're into mermaid tales! The characters may not have been the best, but the lore itself is interesting enough to, well... keep you interested. While I probably won't be the first one in line to get the second book installment, it's still a book that I would recommend reading if you ever have enough time to read it, though perhaps borrowing instead of buying it would be a good idea :-)

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo

2012-07-06T18:27:00.000+12:00

Title: The Gathering Dark
US Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publication Date: July 1st 2012
Publisher: Hachette NZ
Pages: 442
Rating:

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

How best to describe The Gathering Dark? Perhaps mind-blowing, of the awesome variety? I was completely blown away by the depth of Bardugo's imagination, the scope of which her creativeness stems. There's never been a fantasy quite like this one, a world full of it's own history and magic—but here it is, and it's an easy contender for what's possibly the best book of the year.

It sounds like any and every other young adult book out there. And Dear Lord, in every right mind, it should have been like any and every other young adult book out there. Yet it's not. I tell you, fair readers, if you go into this book thinking that, your initial perceptions of it will be stripped clean and dried the moment you're met by what of which is Bardugo's powerful characterization and incredible story-telling!

For one thing, Bardugo's gifted us with a heroine that could very much be my new favorite protagonist and she comes in the form of Alina Starkov. She's a sickly thing, this Alina—weak, pale, perhaps the ugly duckling reincarnated in human form, you've heard it all before. However, much like the ugly duckling turns into the swan, Alina possesses a power, a power that could lead Ravka to a freedom their generation has never known—freedom from the advancing form of the Shadow Fold. And that might be what scares Alina most, because hope is a dangerous, dangerous thing. Yet it's this newfound purpose, the urge to succeed and not disappoint a praying country, that spurs her development on. That's when it becomes clear that Alina is a character to grow attached to, a character that will stick in the back of your mind for a long time coming. She's flawed, makes bad decisions, trusts the wrong people, struggles with the task of being a Grisha but as it goes, you realize that behind the wavering, uncertain shadow of a pale figure, she's strong, inside and out, with a fair heart and evocative voice that garners trust and admiration from characters and readers alike.

Though the story is very much centered around Alina, it's the other characters in The Gathering Dark that provide a stage for her to stand. Bardugo doesn't just place a community of flat, uninteresting barbie-like things onto a painted playing field, rather she builds them from her rich creation, making them a part of the story. Characters such as Genya made me impulsively ache for their problems, eliciting emotions that are usually far out of reach of mere secondary characters. And what make of Alina's childhood friend, Mal and the tantalizing, Darkling? Ah, well that deserves a paragraph all of it's own.

If Alina is the fleck of grey, then Mal is a brilliant glowing white and the Darkling is the cold black of a nightmare. Easily separated by the color of their personalities, it doesn't necessarily mean they're simple, however. Mal doesn't quite strike you as enamoring at the beginning but as the story picks up, when you see his protectiveness and dedication towards his childhood friend, you'll find a sweet side to him that is impossible to disregard. Yet it's the mysterious Darkling that captures your initial interest. Perhaps you'll find that you prefer Alina with Mal, but the Darkling is a character not to be simply categorized as 'the other love interest.' Because it's not a simple love triangle by any means. The Darkling drives the plot through it's perfect pace, he makes it what it is. The secrets and dangers of Bardugo's lavishly created society is abundant in it's mysteries and it's the Darkling himself that carries them all. And ultimately, it's in this sublime, formidable world in which the Darkling rules—where magical Grisha wear beautiful keftas and the Shadow Fold threatens to dominate the whole of Ravka—that you'll find yourself unwilling to return from!

Compulsive, addicting and just plain amazing this is definitely high fantasy in it's finest form! Boasting many endearing qualities, The Gathering Dark is worthy of the praise it's already recieved and all the many more compliments to come. Fresh from the jar of creativity, this won't be a book easily forgotten!

Grave MercyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGraceling

A huge thanks to Ruby over at Hachette NZ for sending me a copy for review!

Waiting on Wednesday (27)

2012-07-04T16:07:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!
Crewel
by Gennifer Albin
Release Date: October 16th 2012
NZ Pre-Order: Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Well, for one thing, I LOVE that the cover isn't another girl in a dress! Because for a book that sounds as unique as this one does, it definitely deserves a cover that strays from the norm :) But seriously, isn't the synopsis enough to leave you squealing in excitement, impatiently waiting for it's release? I mean, it just sounds so good.

Leave a comment so I can come check out what you're waiting on!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

2012-06-25T19:25:00.000+12:00

Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Publication Date: June 1st 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins NZ
Pages: 327
Rating:

Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals…

It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon's love.

Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others.

Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret — one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever.

The Selection is a royal whirlwind of those fairytale-ish dreams we once had as children and a world as much a fantasy as it is a dystopia. Perhaps the prose isn't quite as elegant as the cover might suggest, but the set in which America Singer takes center stage is enough to leave you breathlessly anticipating whatever may happen next! It's a simple fact that The Selection may not be a writing masterpiece, but for all it's worth, it was undeniably enjoyable.

Coming from a lower caste—the underprivileged and poor folks of Illéa—America Singer knows that being chosen to participate in The Selection is one of the greatest chances at a life without hunger, at a chance to save her family from poverty. Yet she feels anything but lucky when she's one of thirty-five girls selected. It means she has to leave behind her secret relationship with the protective and caring but completely forbidden because of his lower caste, Aspen. However, it's her initial inability to fall in love with the highly coveted bachelor, Prince Maxon—awkward, yet still utterly sweet and charming—that made me love her. Indeed, she's an incredibly selfless, compassionate person and altogether has a very bubbly, very contagious voice—one that you feel like smiling and bouncing around to constantly. Yet it's the fact that what begins between America and Maxon is a friendship—an I-can-cry-on-your-shoulder-you-can-cry-on-mine relationship as bittersweet as the perfect cupcake, that made The Selection such a compelling read.

Secondary characters in The Selection don't pretend to be important. They're everything you imagine them to be like—flat, two-dimensional, and well, it's a bachelor competition guys! Of course there's going to be some extreme cases of vanity, verbal cat-fighting, dress ripping—think Next Top Model without all the cussing. But they're fun. It felt like I was at a never-ending sleepover with make-up and dress-up and gossip forever the main events of the night. Some of them frustrated me to no end and I wanted to jump into the story and claw at their hair, but others were adorable and like watching your favorite reality TV show, you do start to pick favorites to win!

However, if you're looking for a book full of kick-ass fighting scenes, then The Selection probably isn't for you, instead opting for the slow drama-soap-opera kind of pace. Yet there's still something that continuously drives and spurs you on. Perhaps the urge to see if your favorite characters gets their happily after like you so often dreamed of for yourself? Or the energetic, open voice of our singing narrator? Whatever it is, it's definitely there—that additive quality to it that makes you want to turn the pages faster and faster to get to it's conclusion. And on that note, I did find the conclusion satisfying, as it definitely leaves it open to what could be a complicated love-triangle and story! I was unfortunately though, a little disappointed by the abrupt way it was executed and how it just seemed to... well, end. Cliffhanger? Huh. Maybe if you count feeling like you just walked straight off a cliff instead of hanging on desperately. But still, it was a very fun read.

The Selection is everything it's cover promises—sparkly dresses, a princess-like reality for your storybook self and well, it's one of those books that you'll love and love and love, but have no idea why! Perhaps a guilty pleasure is the best way to describe it? Nevertheless, The Selection brings together the excitement of your very first school ball and the dreams of meeting the perfect Prince Charming we all secretly wish—or wished for, creating a magical blend of reality TV, fairytale-like dystopia, and a story that will sweep you off your feet.

A huge thanks to Bonnie over at HarperCollins NZ for sending me a copy for review!

Stacking the Shelves (3)

2012-06-23T14:57:00.000+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. It gives bloggers a chance to share what they bought, borrowed, swapped or got for review that week!

Personally, I'm happy with the books I got this week—all of them are books that I've been waiting AGES to finally read! And now I have them and I've already read two of them and AHHH, they were SO GOOD. So I'm pretty sure I can expect the others to be great as well :)

For Review

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Honestly, I was hesitant about this at first because of, you know, all that drama a while back but then I read some very enthusiastic and shining reviews of it and well, I did always have my eye on the cover hehe :) I'm so glad that I decided to read it because I surprisingly liked it a lot!

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
I've heard fantastic things about Jackon's books and ahhh, I just LOVE fairytale retellings ever since I read Cinder! I'm betting this will be just as good, if not better!

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo
If you've not yet heard about how amazing this is, then you've definitely been living under a rock! There's been hype for this book everywhere and I don't think I've ever seen a negative review of it so far so I'm incredibly excited to start reading it!

Bought

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
SQEEEEEEEEEEE! Finished it. Loved it. What do you mean I have to wait eight more months till The Indigo Spell!?!??!

Thanks so much to the lovely Bonnie from HarperCollins NZ and Ruby over at Hachette NZ!

What are you stacking on your shelves this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Top 10 Books On My Winter TBR List

2012-06-19T14:31:00.000+12:00

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers answer the specific list of the week!

Top 10 Books On My ~~Summer~~ Winter To-Be-Read List!
Again, it's the opposite season for us down here in the Southern Hemisphere and well, I can't say that makes me happy or anything because damn, winter is cold. But as usual, there are many, many, many, great books coming out this season and I had another terribly hard time narrowing it down to just ten!

1. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Cover! Cover! Cover! Okay, well aside from the cover love, it sounds a lot like Dearly, Departed a book that I fell completely in love with last year. So I'm hoping this one will be just as good!

2. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
So dystopia's are quickly taking over the writing community, but this one just sounds so different. Maybe it's the fact that it's Jane Austen reincarnated into dystopia or the intriguing synopsis about childhood sweethearts, but I'm absolutely dying to read this!

3. Defiance by C.J. Redwine
I already have this one on pre-order, but it's killing me every waking minute not having it here right now! It sounds fantastic and while it kind of reminds me of some other dystopia's out there, I'm still insanely curious about the world Redwine's built!

4. The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo
After reading Graceling, I've kind of gotten into the high-fantasy genre, and well, sooooo many bloggers have been going on and on about this that I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it just as much :3 Plus, mention phenomenal world-building anywhere, and it's instantly on my wishlist!

5. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
I'm in need of a good contemporary at the moment, and this one just sounds so sweet! It sounds like just the right amount of fun and fluff, and when you're stuck dead in the middle of winter, it always brightens your day to read something without all the dark and serious paranormal stuff :)

6. The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent
Steampunk <3 This was my WoW pick last week so it's kind of obvious that I would be eager to read this haha! I honestly don't read a lot of steampunk because I usually have a hard time finding them, but when I do I always end up loving them to the extreme!
7. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I really admire how the author didn't start out professionally, it's one of the reasons I'm so curious about it! It also sounds kind of similar to Poison Study and Grave Mercy, both of which are reigning high on my favorites list, and with all the positive reviews so far, it's kind of hard not to want this!

8. Auracle by Gina Rosati
The concept sounds so unique! I mean, astral projections? It's the first time I've heard of something like that in a book, and I'm always one for trying new things! Plus, isn't the cover just magical? :)

9. Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson
Hunting Lila was so so good! And I'm desperate to continue her story but judging from the synopsis, it sounds like it might just break my heart a little :S

10. Rapture by Lauren Kate
Considering I'm really not the biggest fan of the Fallen series, even I'm kind of surprised to see it on my list! But after reading all four books so far, I have this desperate urge to finally finish it after sticking through the long, agonizing journey :P

What made your list? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

2012-06-13T16:57:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly waiting for!
The Dark Unwinding
by Sharon Cameron
Release Date: September 1st 2012
NZ Pre-Order: Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository

A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

The Unnaturalists
by Tiffany Trent
Release Date: August 14th 2012
NZ Pre-Order: Whitcoulls | Paperplus
International Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository

In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

I absolutely adore steampunk books and it's definitely been a while since I've read a good one, so I thought I'd feature the two that I'm dying to read! I'm ridiculously intrigued by the mystery in both of them and the heroines sound like they're going to pretty butt-kicking and logical, if you know what I mean! :) Plus, I love how steam-punk-ish the covers are!

Leave a comment so I can check out what you're waiting on!

Adorkable by Sarra Manning

2012-06-11T20:49:00.000+12:00

Title: Adorkable
Author: Sarra Manning
Publication Date: June 1st 2012
Publisher: Hachette NZ
Pages: 385
Rating:

Welcome to the dorkside. It's going to be a bumpy ride...

Jeane Smith’s a blogger, a dreamer, a dare-to-dreamer, jumble sale queen, CEO of her own lifestyle brand and has half a million followers on Twitter.

Michael Lee’s a star of school, stage and playing field. A golden boy in a Jack Wills hoodie.

They have nothing in common but a pair of cheating exes. So why can’t they stop snogging?

Adorkable is, well... adorable. But what may seem like a fun, light read is actually so much more! It's cute, it's quirky but it holds a message that anyone and everyone who's gone through high school will always find themselves able to relate to.

Sassy, bizarre, peculiar, fierce---there are probably about a million and one words out there that could be used to describe Jeane Smith, but not one of them would ever be able to do her justice! In this case, however, that's not particularly a bad thing. Jeane is no one but her, she's herself whether people decide they want to judge her for dyeing her hair grey and wearing granny-like second hand clothes or not. She embraces her dorkiness, even converts it into her own lifestyle brand and better yet, she's no beautiful face hiding under a flock of ugly clothes, but simply a plain, slightly chubby girl marking her place in the world by being what most high schoolers are afraid to be---different.

...which Michael Lee is definitely not. Sporting all the latest trends and exclusive Abercrombie & Fitch clothes, Michael is your typical run-of-the-mill, wish-i-was-his-date-to-homecoming teenage guy. That is, until he finds out his girlfriend has been cheating on him with Jeane's boyfriend. When Michael and Jeane's world collide, it's like a layer has been stripped away from behind their eyes and they change with a development of character so palpable yet completely believable, it's a wonder they were never like this before. It's true that in fact, I thought both of them were entirely too arrogant, judgmental and opinionated to be relatable in any way when I first began reading this. But see, that's potentially why it gets good. When you get into the deeper depths of Adorkable, you'll find that somehow, through some untamable section of your mind, that you like them specifically because of the way they both are. Plus, Michael Lee is half-asian and his parents are the embodiment of most every other strict asian parentage out there---something that I could relate to on an entirely different level!

What's more is that while some interactions induced much eye-rolling---the majority of them starting or ending with the immature "whatever!"---Manning actually does write some of the best and realistic teenage experiences I've ever read. Sometimes you read about the perfect first kiss, the perfect first time, where time seems to slow down and all that crap but in reality, not everything is perfect, is it? Which is why Adorkable's easy, light dialogue between characters was refreshing, because well, in real life, we do often make mistakes, and though rather ashamedly, we do make rude, probably dirty jokes on a day-to-day basis but we're also able to laugh and try to make light of any and all kinds of awkward situations!

Perhaps Adorkable isn't a perfect book but what makes it good really stands out! The highlights are what many authors fail to perfect and while probably not suitable for teens twelve and younger, it's a book that will leave you smiling and laughing because of how much you can imagine everything happening in your everyday life!

A huge thanks to Ruby over at Hachette NZ for sending me a copy for review!

Stacking the Shelves (2)

2012-06-09T15:55:00.000+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. It gives bloggers a chance to share what they bought, borrowed, swapped or got for review that week!

I didn't get many books these past few weeks because it was exam season for me and well, I always try to limit the amount of books on my shelf that may try to tempt me out of studying! But I guess the saying is "Quality over Quantity" right? And this might be the most appropriate time to use that because I'm in LOVE with the books I got!

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
This was my "Waiting on Wednesday" pick waaay back last year and I have NO IDEA why it's taken me so long to finally buy it! But I'm really looking forward to reading it after all the amazing reviews so far!

Adorkable by Sarra Manning
This one came in the mail as a complete surprise from the lovely Ruby from Hachette NZ! I've read it already and it was sooo cute! My review will be up sometime soon :)

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Another "WoW' pick that arrived in my mailbox! Super excited to read this though I am INCREDIBLY sad that it got creased while being shipped here! :/ I'm always just a bit OCD about books being in perfect condition :S

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer
Well, after the INSANE aussie hype thats been going around the blogosphere and the amazing blog tour a few weeks ago, I knew I had to get this no matter what!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Like mostly every other blogger out there I was very, very excited to finally get my hands on this and so I was ecstatic when I found out I'd won this from Zac over at My Best Friends Are Books! I've already read it though and I was unfortunately just a little bit disappointed by it :(

Divergent by Veronica Roth
I already own a copy of this but it came with the Insurgent I won. But hey, it's freaking Divergent, one of my favorite books so you know, I really don't mind having two copies ;)

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
Oh my goodness, I've been craving this one since what... the middle of last year? AND IT'S FINALLY HERE! *cries tears of joy* Haven't had much time to read it yet but it's been very good to me so far :D

Another huge thanks to Ruby over at Hachette NZ and Zac from My Best Friends Are Books!

What are you stacking on your shelves this week? Leave a comment so I can come check it out!