Recovering Potter Addict

Review: Hana by Lauren Oliver

2012-02-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: February 28, 2012

Pages: 144

Source: Read online for free (limited time only)

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The summer before they're supposed to be cured of the ability to love, best friends Lena and Hana begin to drift apart. While Lena shies away from underground music and parties with boys, Hana jumps at her last chance to experience the forbidden. For her, the summer is full of wild music, dancing—and even her first kiss.
But on the surface, Hana must be a model of perfect behavior. She meets her approved match, Fred Hargrove, and glimpses the safe, comfortable life she’ll have with him once they marry. As the date for her cure draws ever closer, Hana desperately misses Lena, wonders how it feels to truly be in love, and is simultaneously terrified of rebelling and of falling into line.

I adored Hana, Lena's best friend, and her vivaciousness in Delirium, so I was excited that she would be getting her own story. Hana takes place during the time of Delirium but now we're seeing the story through Hana's eyes. I was bummed that the fun-loving girl we knew from Delirium is gone, but considering the events that take place in Hana, it is understandable. The best part of Hana is the best part of any Lauren Oliver read, in my opinion: the writing, which was lovely and powerful, just like it always is.

Would I say that Hana is a must read? Well, no. I don't think it's critical in the overall series as for the most part, it is just a rehash of some of the events that took place in Delirium from a different point of view. However, there was one very significant reveal right at the end of Hana - a true OMG moment - but I can't say I liked it. Highlight to read spoiler: I find it difficult to believe Hana would rat out Lena to the regulators for such an immature reason. I needed more development and explanation in this instance. I hope we will get this explanation in Pandemonium or Requiem.

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Waiting On Wednesday (16): Random House Spring 2012 Catalog

2012-02-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which an upcoming, eagerly anticipated release is highlighted on the blog.

Is anyone else tired of winter and excited for spring to finally get here? I know I am - not just for the weather to change, but also for the great books that will be released in the springtime. This week, I've chosen a few picks from the Random House Spring 2012 Catalog:

Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse
Date: March 27, 2012

Add to Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Hild has always been a favorite of her uncle, king of the Shylfings. So when she protects her cousin the crown prince from a murderous traitor, she expects the king to be grateful. Instead, she is unjustly accused of treachery herself.
As punishment, her uncle sends Hild far away to the heir of the enemy king, Beowulf, to try to weave peace between the two kingdoms. She must leave her home and everyone she loves. On the long and perilous journey, Hild soon discovers that fatigue and rough terrain are the least of her worries. Something is following her and her small band of guards—some kind of foul creature that tales say lurks in the fens. Will Hild have to face the monster? Or does it offer her the perfect chance to escape the destiny she never chose?

I love me some historical fantasy. I also love me a sword-wielding heroine, and if the cover of Peaceweaver is anything to go by, that is exactly the kind of heroine we'll get with this read.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
Date: April, 10, 2012

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It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.
But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.
Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

The beginning of this synopsis - girl wakes up in hospital after having learned of an accident involving her, her boyfriend, and two friends, and must figure out the mystery - reminds me of the premise of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, which I loved. Here's to hoping The Book of Blood and Shadow is as intriguing as it sounds!

The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks
Date: April 24, 2012

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When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick's mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.

I adore mysteries - when they're done right. And fortunately, I tend to be a bit slow on the uptake, not figuring out the mystery until the end reveal, so I am usually left very satisfied by them. I also love New York City as a setting so I'm looking forward to The Girl in the Dark!

How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Random House Spring 2012 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Random House Spring 2012 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

Review: Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

2012-02-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: September 1, 2011

Pages: 307

Source: Read online for free

Rating: 5 STARS

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone. That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

In short: Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver is a wonderful and whimsical MG fantasy that reminded me how much I love the genre.

Reading Liesl and Po reminded me how much I love MG and how much I miss reading it. I get so caught up in all the YA releases that everyone is reading and loving that I forget about all the MG releases that also sound amazing. Liesl and Po is truly a special gem of a book, a wonderful MG fantasy that had me smiling at the adorable characters and tearing up at the poignant premise.

Every element characteristic of an MG fantasy was present in Liesl and Po - unexplained and whimsical phenomena, magical elements, cartoonish characters, etc. - so much so that at times, it almost seemed cliched because it was so ideal. This may be irritating for people who are looking for an MG read that breaks the mold a bit, but I was fine with it because I adore these elements, personally.

Lauren Oliver's signature beautiful writing was of course present in Liesl and Po - fantastical and gorgeous and effortless. The use of the third-person omniscient point of view lets the reader see the story through the eyes of many different characters, which makes for very effective storytelling. I was impressed that Lauren Oliver was able to translate her usual realistic teen writing into whimsical MG writing - if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that she's been writing MG all along!

I read Liesl and Po when it was made available free online by HarperCollins for a limited time, but I will most definitely be purchasing a beautiful finished copy. I look forward to seeing Kei Acedera's wonderful illustrations in ink. And I also look forward to reading a lot more MG in the future!

Other Reviews:
Alison Can Read
i swim for oceans
Poetry to Prose

Author Links:
Website
Blog
Goodreads
Twitter

Waiting On Wednesday (15): Penguin Spring 2012 Catalog

2012-02-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Date: March 20, 2012

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

I love the combination of paranormal plus historical fantasy. Also, because I've read a lot of not so great angel stories, I'm eager to have my mind changed about them and I'm hopeful that A Temptation of Angels can accomplish that!

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Date: June 14, 2012

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen year old Samantha wishes she was one of them… until the day Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything.

Jase can sense that his beautiful neighbor is missing something in her sterile home, and as the two fall fiercely in love, his family makes her one of their own.

But when the bottom drops out of Sam's world, which perfect family will save her–and will her perfect love survive?

Ever since reading Anna and the French Kiss last year, I've been opening my mind to the possibility that maybe contemporary romance isn't as bad as I thought it was. Maybe it can even be kind of amazing? And I'm thinking My Life Next Door might be kind of amazing too.

Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn

Date: June 14, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Violet loves reading manga and wearing scarves made from kimono fabric, so she’s thrilled that her father’s new painting commission means a summer trip to Japan. But what starts as an exotic vacation quickly turns into a dangerous treasure hunt.
Her father’s client, the wealthy Yamada family, is the victim of a high-profile art robbery. Someone has stolen van Gogh sketches from the Yamadas’ Seattle mansion, and is holding them hostage until the Yamadas can produce the corresponding van Gogh painting.
The problem is that nobody knows where this painting is hidden, and until they find it, all of their lives are in danger. Violet’s search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery deepens, Violet’s not sure whom she can trust.
But she knows one thing: she has to find the painting and the criminals—before it’s too late.

Ever since reading and loving White Cat, I've been really into the heist/con concept in novels. It takes a considerable amount of intelligence in an author to pull off a considerably good heist and mystery, and I'm hopeful Diana Renn will deliver in Tokyo Heist. Plus, I love Tokyo as a setting!

The Vindico by Wesley King

Date: June 14, 2012

Led by the sinister Baron, the Vindico are a group of super villains who have been fighting against the League of Heroes for as long as they can remember. The Vindico kidnap a group of teenagers and train them to be the next generation. Mysteriously arriving at the Baron’s mansion together, James, Lana, Hayden, Emily and Sam are forced to train with their mentors and given powers beyond their wildest dreams.

While struggling to uncover the motives of this evil group, the teens learn to trust each other and even form friendships. They plan to rebel against their mentors as soon as they are deemed ready to fight against the League of Heroes, but then they learn things may not be as cut-and-dry as they seem: both in their new roles and in their outside lives.

The Vindico sounds super fun! I adore superhero stories. I also love multiple narrators, but I think it's pretty tricky to get it done right, so hopefully Wesley King can pull off having distinct voices in all of his characters.

How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Penguin Spring 2012 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Penguin Spring 2012 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

Review: The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #2 and #3) by Patrick Ness

2012-02-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: September 8, 2009/September 28, 2010

Pages: 519/603

Source: Bought

Rating: 6 STARS

The Ask and the Answer:
Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...

Monsters of Men:
"War," says the Mayor. "At last." Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge.

In short: The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness are emotionally taxing reads, but the payoff is so worth it - beautifully written, tremendously complex in plot, and powerfully inspiring in message.

I've decided to combine my reviews for the second and third book in the Chaos Walking Trilogy (The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men) because I realized there was so little I could tell you without revealing some major aspects of the plot. If that isn't a testament to how dynamic and surprising the plot of these final two books is, than I don't know what is.

One of the most fascinating aspects of The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men is the introduction of some very complex politics and character dynamics. A Mockingjay-esque situation is introduced in which there are two power-hungry leaders on opposing sides, one of them acting under the guise of the "good guy". The character complexities are so well done that in the span of chapters, I would change my mind about the alleged goodness and badness of these characters and then back again. Who is the relative good guy in this situation? Who is really telling the truth? Who should Todd trust?

The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men take a decidedly darker turn in the story (and anyone who's read The Knife of Never Letting Go knows that it wasn't exactly a light read either). War, genocide, and torture are major themes in these last two books making for a heavy, emotional read. It took me quite a long to make it through them - not only because of the mammoth page numbers - but also because of the depth of the subject matter.

Ultimately though, despite the seemingly helpless situation, there is one thing that is always present in The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men that keeps you reading - hope. It would've been difficult to make it through these books without the promise of a happy ending. There was hope that peace would win out in the end. There was hope in one of the most inspiring and powerful romances I have ever read. And there was hope that Todd would never completely compromise his morality in situations when almost every other character did. He is, after all, The Boy Who Can't Kill.

Read this series.

Previously, my review of The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Other Reviews:
All of Everything
Tahleen's Mixed Up Files
Teen Readers' Diary

Author Links:
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Waiting On Wednesday (14): HarperCollins Spring 2012 Catalog

2012-02-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which an upcoming, eagerly anticipated release is highlighted on the blog.

Is anyone else tired of winter and excited for spring to finally get here? I know I am - not just for the weather to change, but also for the great books that will be released in the springtime. This week, I'm "waiting on" books from the HarperCollins Spring 2012 Catalog:

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Date: April 24, 2012

Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Masque of the Red Death is a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's story of the same name. I've always adored the dark atmosphere created in Poe's stories so I'm thinking I will love this retelling. The synopsis sounds appropriately grim for a Poe retelling, anyway.

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Date: May 1, 2012

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Okay, who isn't waiting on Insurgent?! After the ending of Divergent, I was left wondering, "Where can the story go from here?". Divergent was one of my favourite reads of 2011, so you can bet that Insurgent is one of my top most anticipated reads of 2012.

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

Date: May 29, 2012

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.
Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....
Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.

I've taken a break from vampire books for a few years now, due to the overload of them in our culture, but I think I'm ready to get back into them again. Plus, Darkness Before Dawn is also a dystopian, one where the vampires have won the battle, which intrigues me.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Date: June 12, 2012

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.
But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.

How flipping amazing does For Darkness Shows the Stars sound? I am amazed that even with all these dystopians that have been coming out these past few years, authors are still finding ways to reinvent the wheel and making sure that there's always another new, intriguing dystopian that has us all dying to read it.

How about you? Are you waiting on any of these HarperCollins Spring 2012 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the HarperCollins Spring 2012 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

Review: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

2012-02-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: February 21, 2012

Pages: 341

Source: For Review from Simon & Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 3 Stars

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

In short: Though Fever by Lauren DeStefano lacks a lot of the intrigue that carried Wither, DeStefano's gorgeous writing is still a treat to read.

Fever picks up right where Wither left off - with Rhine and Gabriel fleeing from the mansion, away from Rhine's husband, Linden, her sister-wife, Cecily, and her disturbingly creepy father-in-law, Vaughn, who likes to perform experiments on bodies (living and cadavers alike). The thrill of freedom only lasts so long though, as Rhine realizes that though she was imprisoned in the mansion against her will for a year, at least she was safe. In Fever, Rhine and Gabriel end up in various horrible predicaments while in search of Rhine's twin brother, Rowan.

I didn't enjoy Fever as much as I did Wither and the problem lies in the plot. The pacing was very slow and I found myself a little bored throughout most of the book. That's not to say that Wither wasn't also on the slow side of pacing - because it was - but there was an intrigue in Wither that managed to keep my curiosity that was somehow lacking in Fever. Sure, the demented carnival-brothel that Rhine gets herself mixed up in in the beginning was interesting (and obviously, very disturbing) and the last 50 pages were exciting and mind-bending (and also, very disturbing), but everything else in the middle dragged a bit.

The high point of Fever is the same as it was for Wither: Lauren DeStefano's writing is gorgeous. DeStafeno is able to craft and incredibly dark (and yes, again, incredibly disturbing) dystopian world that makes you cringe and want to turn away but are somehow unable to. Interwoven through all the darkness are little tidbits of flashbacks from happier times when Rhine was still with her family, which are beautiful and poignant. Character development is mixed, however - I feel like some characters are wonderfully developed and enigmatic, while others are lacking - especially Rhine and Gabriel, unfortunately. I also noticed quite a few plot holes and scientific inaccuracies, which were frustrating due to the sheer number of them.

Overall, though Fever lacked the intrigue present in Wither to truly carry the story, I would still recommend it to people who loved Wither. There is still some interest in the plot, especially near the end, as well as Lauren DeStefano's beautiful writing, that are worth reading. Fever will be published February 21, 2012. The third and final book in The Chemical Garden trilogy, as yet unnamed, will be released in 2013.

Other Reviews:
IB Book Blogging
Just Another Story
A Tapestry of Words

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In My Mailbox (15)

2012-02-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren (and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) to showcase any books that I have received for review, bought, borrowed, or won to read.

For Review

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3) by Holly Black (Thanks to S&S Canada!)

Bite Me by Lori T. Strongin (Thanks to Lori!)

Gifted

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Thanks to the bf!)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Thanks to the bf!)

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis (Thanks to the dad!)

I had an excellent few weeks in books and I can't wait to read them all! What's in your mailbox this week?

The Knife of Never Letting Go Giveaway

2012-02-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

So, you may have seen my 6 Star review of The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (and my extreme fangirling and my intense love for Manchee, the talking dog). I can't recommend this book highly enough and I really, REALLY want other people to read it if you haven't yet. So I'm having a giveaway.

One person will win a copy of The Knife of Never Letting Go from The Book Depository!

Alternatively, if you already own or have read The Knife of Letting Go and you would like to win either of the last two books in the Chaos Walking trilogy (The Ask and the Answer or Monsters of Men), or even Patrick Ness' latest book A Monster Calls, then that can absolutely be arranged! Really, I just want people to discover the brilliance of Patrick Ness if you haven't done so yet!

Rules
1. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below
2. Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository delivers to your country
3. Ends February 29, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST
4. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
5. The winner will be announced on the blog and will have 48 hours to send me an email with their address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness

2012-01-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: January 1, 2008

Pages: 479

Source: Bought

Rating: 6 STARS

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

In short: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness was an outstanding novel with inspiring, heart-breaking prose and an utterly fascinating premise.

So, I'm giving this book 6 Stars. I know that's kind of cheating my rating system, but I need some way to indicate how much I LOVED this book more than anything else I have reviewed on this blog without resorting to rerating every other book one star lower. I'm going to say this, and I don't say it lightly: The Knife of Never Letting Go is one of the best books I've ever read, second only to Harry Potter. Those that know me - and have eyes and know what my blog is all about - know how truly significant that statement is.

Noise, as depicted in the Chaos Walking Trilogy

The Knife of Never Letting Go is so difficult to describe without revealing too much about the plot. But I'll give it a shot: Todd lives on a strange new planet in which men's thoughts can be heard by everyone - an effect known as "Noise". He lives in a town that is populated only by men after the events of a war with the native alien species, called Spackle. One month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd must escape his town when it is made apparent that the men who run everything are after him for a terrible reason. So, what genre is this? Sci fi, dystopian, fantasy? I think it's somehow all three. This aspect is what makes The Knife of Never Letting Go so utterly bizarre - and yet so utterly awesome, as well.

Patrick Ness' writing is just achingly beautiful. Written in a sort of flow of consciousness of Todd's thoughts with limited grammar and phonetic spellings, it is meant to reflect the ever constant Noise that men on the planet have. I was nervous a bit about the style of writing at first, thinking I would find it hard to get into and it would feel awkward. But the reverse of that couldn't be more true: the flow of consciousness of thoughts made the writing flow quickly and smoothly. I also felt that it had the effect of making me feel very deeply for everything Todd goes through. The Knife of Never Letting Go was an extremely emotional read for me because of this. There was one scene in particular in which I had to stop reading and I did not continue, nor read anything else, for a few days until I had calmed down.

This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning one more thing: Manchee, Todd's talking dog. You heard right: animals on this planet also have Noise, so they can, in essence, talk. I can't adequately express the deep love I felt for Manchee. He is a legit dog who says things a dog would actually say - none of that ridiculous sarcastic talking dog stereotype that seems so prevalent in our culture to be had here. Think Dug from Up.

Overall, The Knife of Never Letting Go was the best, most interesting, and most heart-breaking book I read in 2011. I'm not sure I did a good enough job in this review describing how truly incredible this book was - I find it's hardest with the books that you are most affected by. But I hope that doesn't deter you from reading it. Also, don't be afraid of the page count! I found the plot to be very fast paced. I highly recommend adding The Knife of Never Letting Go to your TBR pile.

Other Reviews:
365 Days of Reading
Tahleen's Mixed-Up Files
Tina's Book Reviews

Author Links:
Website
Twitter

Review: Ashfall (Ashfall #1) by Mike Mullin

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Tanglewood Press

Published: October 11, 2011

Pages: 466

Source: Won from "That's Swell!" (thank you!)

Rating: 4 Stars

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

In short: Ashfall by Mike Mullin presents a very real and scary post-apocalyptic setting, one which showcases the very best and the very worst of humanity in equal amounts, at every turn.

A supervolcano erupts, plunging North America into darkness and a deluge of ash. There is mass chaos as people struggle to find shelter and food in an atmosphere of so much destruction. This is something author Mike Mullin does very well in Ashfall: both the science behind such a destructive explosion and the actions people take in such an intense post-apocalyptic setting were very realistic and well done. Ashfall showcases the very best and the very worst in people; you are equally as likely to run into a good and honourable person as you are a bad and nefarious one.

I adored Alex, the protagonist of Ashfall. Though inherently nerdy and a bit ungrateful towards his family in the beginning, he soon learns after being separated from them that he shouldn't have taken them for granted and treks 100 miles across the country to be reunited with them. Alex is one of the most moral and noble characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. Even in the face of extreme danger and hunger, he manages to put others before himself and does the honourable thing. I was also pleased that Mike Mullin had written a male character with legitimate male feelings towards sex. Too often the male narrators I read about have only the very most chaste thoughts about girls and sex, which is frankly ridiculous.

My one quibble with Ashfall was the writing style. There were an excessive amount of details, everything from every step taken to prepare a rabbit for a meal to every bathroom break taken, which seemed unnecessary and pointless. At 466 pages, Ashfall was a lengthy read that could have easily been edited and made shorter, I feel. I will say this though: despite the excessive details, I was never bored. Mike Mullin maintains the action and intrigue throughout Ashfall, which I appreciated.

Overall, Ashfall was a very realistic post-apocalyptic read with a lovable and moral narrator. Ashfall is in stores now and the sequel, Ashen Winter, will be published in October 2012.

Other Reviews:

Author Links:

*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Busting the Newbie Blues (Version 2.0)

2012-01-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Busting the Newbie Blues is an event hosted by Small Review that aims to help put new bloggers on the map and increase interaction between new and established bloggers. I took part in this event last year when I was a newbie blogger, and it was a complete success! A good chunk of the people who's blogs I follow, read regularly, and comment on, I met through the Busting the Newbie Blues Event last year. Without it, my blogging experience wouldn't have been nearly so enriched and probably a little more lonely. So I'm eager to find even more new blogs this year! As I am an "established" book blogger now, I will be completing the Established Blogger Questionnaire. Any blogger, new or established, can participate in this event by signing up here.

When did you start your blog?
A little over a year ago.

Do you ever still feel like a newbie?
Absolutely. I think I've gained plenty of experience in over a year of blogging, but I often still feel lost and shy about certain aspects of blogging. For example, even after over a year of blogging, I still feel as though I am unworthy of receiving ARCs. So I don't request them.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? Did you make any mistakes new bloggers can learn from?
Blogging often and regularly is tough for me. When I was a new blogger, I used to try and fill in the gaps between my reviews with tons of memes. It took me awhile to realize that those memes weren't exactly quality posts, just filler. Don't get me wrong, memes don't have to be filler; I can think of many that are either entertaining or informative or both. But I would recommend keeping your focus on creating quality review posts, and then on memes if you have the extra time. Don't let your blog get completely bogged down by memes.

What did you find most discouraging about being a new blogger? How did you deal with this?
I was completely overwhelmed, and still am, by the amount of books some people seem to be able to read in a year. How can I compete with that? I've always been an extremely slow reader; I've even been tested for any reading disabilities, but they found none. Just slow. I still struggle with the pressure I feel as a blogger to read many books in a year and read them fast. I just have to remind myself that it's not a race and I enjoy myself more when I read at my own pace anyway.

What do you find most encouraging?
Other bloggers! I used to be shy and intimidated around other bloggers, afraid to try to interact with them. I soon found out that I had nothing to worry about! Everyone I've "met" have been quite nice and perfectly friendly.

If you could go back in time and speak with your newbie self, what five bits of wisdom would you tell yourself?
1. Don't get too caught up with reading all those hot, new releases and forget about older releases that you've always wanted to read.
2. Don't let your blog get too bogged down by memes; focus on writing reviews (this is a book review blog, after all).
3. Schedule posts to save time (hmmm, still not too good about this one).
4. Take your time and savour the book you are reading, or else you won't enjoy the experience at all.
5. Don't stress and have fun! This is a hobby, not a chore.

What do you like best about the blogs you read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?
My favourite thing is always the reviews, in all shapes and sizes. I like 'em long and wordy and I like 'em short and concise. I like 'em thoughtful and informative and I like 'em personal and silly. And I especially like 'em honest, but never mean. This is important.
I constantly wish I was a better writer, but yes, I do strive to at least try to write honest, quality reviews to the best of my ability.

What do you dislike about blogs you’ve seen? Do you try to avoid this?
Again, I feel less is more when it comes to memes and other "fluff" posts. But if you have the time to spend drafting out numerous, thoughtful, and interesting meme posts for every day of the week, then go for it. I certainly don't have the time for it though.

How did you bring your blog to the attention of so many people?
I sought out blogs that I felt were similar to mine or else had a "voice" that I found interesting, followed them, and left meaningful comments on their posts, which people appreciated and usually followed me back. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Hosting a giveaway is also a good way to capture lots of people's attentions all at once, though it does not usually result in the type of follower who will actively read and comment on your blog.

When and how did you get your first ARC (or first few ARCs)?
This is still a mystery to me. I entered a contest to win a book on Simon & Schuster Canada's YA Book Blog one time when my blog was only a few months old, and they've been sending me ARCs ever since without me even having to request them. Talk about lucky.

In My Mailbox (14)

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Gifted for Christmas

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Thanks to my mum for giving me these three books for Christmas!

Ebook Deals

Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

These eBooks were all super cheap on Amazon. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side was even free!

2011 End of Year Book Survey

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jamie of The Perpetual Page-Turner has put together an End of Year Book Survey. Here are my answers:

Note: I reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this year but have decided to exclude it from the running of this survey because I could pretty much use it to answer every question.

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. This was the last book I read in 2011, and also the best, most heart-breaking, and most interesting. I'm going to say this, and I don't say it lightly: The Knife of Never Letting Go is the best book I've ever read, after Harry Potter. Those that know me - and have eyes and know what my blog is all about - know how truly significant that statement is.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?
I didn't love Possession by Elana Johnson, Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney, and XVI by Julia Karr. Premises with great promise, all of them, but ultimately, they weren't the books for me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. Who knew I could ever love an all out horror story with that much gore?

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?
Same book it's been for the past few years now: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Finally, pretty much everyone I know has read it now, so I can move on.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?
The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness and The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?
Patrick Ness and Rick Yancey (seeing a pattern here?).

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I don't do contemporary, I don't do romance, and most definitely DO NOT do contemporary romance. But I loved this.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?
Across the Universe by Beth Revis and Divergent by Veronica Roth. Addictive.

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?
Divergent by Veronica Roth. So much hype and thankfully, for me, it lived up to it.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I would love to see more reversible covers in 2012.

11. Most memorable character in 2011?
Manchee, the talking dog, from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness! Manchee is a legit dog who says things a dog would actually say - none of that ridiculous sarcastic talking dog stereotype to be had here.
Also, Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. A fascinating enigma, and the only real interesting part of the Millennium Trilogy in my opinion, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Lisbeth giving all the men who ever abused and raped her their rightful comeuppance. Dang girl. Good on you!

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey. A large part of the reason I love them so.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I had to stop reading at one particular moment in this book and I did not continue, nor read anything else, for a few days until I had calmed down. A huge impact.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. This was recommended to me as my ideal book years ago. I should have listened.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?
Can I just put the entirety of The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey in this space here? Every single sentence was a masterpiece.

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?
Delirium by Lauren Oliver. It was the first book that I read in 2011 and as such, the least fresh in my mind. Plus, I adored it.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
The ending of Delirium by Lauren Oliver!

Looking Ahead...
1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?
The last two books in The Chaos Walking Trilogy, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men, by Patrick Ness, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and Blood Red Road by Moira Young.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?
Lots. Probably Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, Insurgent by Veronica Roth, and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare the most.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?
Reading: I would like to not get so caught up in the newest, hottest releases of 2012 and completely forget about the books I had sworn I'd read before. Also, I would like to read at my own pace and not feel so frantic all the time to get as much reading done in every spare moment because I tried that and I found it very stressful.
Blogging: Similarly, I would like to keep blogging at a good pace, bearing in mind my busy schedule, but not ever feel too pressured or stressed. Because then blogging would become a chore for me and I don't ever want it to be that. 2011 was a great blogging year: I passed two major milestones (though never posted about them) - my one year Blogoversary and reaching 1,000 GFC Followers. Thank you to anyone who ever took the time to stop by my blog and read a review, comment, or just browse around in 2011. Here's to another great year in 2012!

2011 Challenges Wrap-Up and 2012 Challenges

2011-12-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say that I managed to complete or surpass every reading challenge that I signed up for in 2011 (with the exception of the 2011 A-Z Reading Challenge... somehow, forcing myself to complete this challenge became much less important to me than reading books that I actually wanted to read). Then again, I only signed up for four (including the Goodreads Challenge). So for 2012, I'm going to be challenging myself harder by signing up for 13 reading challenges! Yeah, this probably means I'm going to have the potential to fail, and fail hard, but isn't the point of a reading challenge to actually challenge yourself? Here they are, in alphabetical order:

2012 Audio Book Challenge (hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner)

I want to add some variety in my reading, so I hope to listen to 12 Audiobooks (Level: Going Steady) in 2012. I have a hard time reviewing audiobooks however, so I'm not sure I will be doing so for each audiobook that I listen to.

2012 Debut Author Challenge (hosted by The Story Siren)

I was surprised at how easily I completed the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, so I feel like I will have no problem completing 12 2012 YA/MG Debuts.

Dusty Bookshelf Challenge 2012 (hosted by Books: A True Story)

I get so caught up in reading the latest new releases that I often forget about the books that are literally or figuratively in my TBR pile. I hope to read 10-15 Books from my TBR (Level: Cobwebs) in 2012.

2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge (hosted by The Non Reluctant Reader)

Dystopian (post-apocalyptic and non) was the most common genre I read in 2011, so I feel it shouldn't be too hard to read 8-14 Books (Level: Medium) in 2012.

2012 E-Book Reading Challenge (hosted by The Eclectic Bookshelf)

Again, I want to add some variety to my reading style, so I hope to read at least 10 E-Books (Level: Fun Size) in 2012.

Finishing the Series Reading Challenge (hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews)

I hope to finish up at least 3 Series (Level 3) in 2012: Chaos Walking, The River of Time Series, The Infernal Devices, and The Monstrumologist Series are possibilities.

First in a Series Challenge 2012 (hosted by A Few More Challenges)

I read tons of firsts in a series in 2011, so I figure it should be easy to read 12 Firsts (Level: Series Expert) in 2012.

2012 Just Contemporary Reading Challenge (hosted by Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing)

It's embarrassing how little contemporary I read, even though I am constantly getting recommendations. In 2012, I hope to read at least 5 Contemporary Books (not very many, I know, but for me, this will be a challenge).

2012 Mammoth Book Challenge (hosted by Darlene's Book Nook)

I hope that by signing up for this challenge, it will encourage me to not shy away from mammoth-sized reads. I hope to read at least 6 +450 Page Books (Level 3) in 2012.

2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge (hosted by Chic Loves Lit)

I read lots of debuts in 2011, so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to read 10 Sophomore YA/MG Books in 2012.

2012 Time Travel Reading Challenge (hosted by Library of Clean Reads)

I adore time travel so I know I'm going to love participating in this challenge. I hope to read 4-6 Time Travel Books (Level: Great Adventure) in 2012.

Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012 (hosted by The Unread Reader and Reading the Paranormal)

I've downloaded quite a few free ebooks from Amazon since I've started blogging, but have read very little of them. I am going to attempt to read 12 Free Ebooks (Level: Coupon Clipper) in 2012.

And of course, the Goodreads Challenge. These are all that I've signed up for currently, but it may be that I just forgot about or didn't know about other reading challenges, which I might sign up for later.

Review: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Penguin

Published: January 11, 2011

Pages: 398

Source: Won from Looksie Lovitz (Thanks!)

Rating: 5 STARS

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

In short: Across the Universe by Beth Revis was a completely enthralling novel, with stellar world building and a fascinating story.

This is going to be an odd review because though I did in fact find a few faults with Across the Universe, the positives managed to outweigh the negatives resulting in a five star rating, surprisingly. Ultimately, I was just so enraptured by the world building, the dual narrative, and the story written so wonderfully by Beth Revis that despite some problems, Across the Universe still managed to rank as one of my favourite reads this year.

My main fault with Across the Universe was the mystery surrounding the identity of the murderer on the ship: it was so incredibly obvious, which is so incredibly unfortunate. However, I was happy at least that the motivations of the murderer were a mystery to me right up until the end. Furthermore, even with the main mystery being spoiled, there were plenty of surprise reveals and plot twists that made Across the Universe a very fun and exciting read.

My other problem with Across the Universe was that there were a few plot points that weren't entirely scientifically believable... I won't go into them here though. People who know me know that when aspects of the plot are not scientifically accurate, it can severely affect my enjoyment of a book or movie. Surprisingly however, this was not the case with Across the Universe. I was so caught up in the story and stellar world building that I found I didn't even care if there were some inaccuracies, which is quite impressive indeed.

Overall, despite finding fault with the obvious mystery and scientific inaccuracies, the captivating world building and intriguing story in Across the Universe won me over. I can't wait for A Million Suns, coming out January 10, 2012.

Other Reviews:
Bookmarked
The Bookworm is Here!
Unputdownable Books

Author Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads

*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Review: XVI by Julia Karr

2011-12-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Penguin

Published: January 6, 2011

Pages: 325

Source: Won from Logan E. Turner (Thank you!)

Rating: 2 Stars

Every girl gets one.
An XVI tattoo on the wrist--sixteen.
Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay.
Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past.
But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure...
For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet.

In short: XVI by Julia Karr was an unfortunately obvious satire that suffered from awkward writing and a lack of urgency.

XVI by Julia Karr is set in a world where the government is controlled by the Media and girls are encouraged to seek out sex when they turn sixteen. This makes for a rather ham-fisted and obvious satire, unfortunately, and this was my main problem with XVI. It's not that I don't agree with the overall message presented, it's just that I don't need to be hit over the head with it. A more subtle approach would have been much more appreciated.

I did like Nina as the main character, however. She was a strong and moral girl, determined not to be just like every other teenaged drone. She had an admirable ability to stay strong and not break down in the face of terrible events and her love and protectiveness she had for her little sister was sweet. Still, she had a few TSTL moments.

Julia Karr's writing was a miss for me. It was awkward and repetitive. There was also a distinct lack of urgency throughout the novel that made for a bit of a boring reading experience. Despite the seemingly serious events that would routinely take place in XVI, Nina would be back to normal and hanging out with her friends the next day. And I lost count how many times Nina and friends would get together and rehash the situation again and again, barely progressing.

Overall, XVI didn't work for me. Though I appreciated Nina as a strong, female character, I was put out by the obvious satire, the awkward writing, and the lack of urgency. I will not be continuing with this series.

Other Reviews:
A Blog About Nothing
Avery's Book Nook
That's Swell!

Author Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads

*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge
*The Letter X in the A-Z Reading Challenge

Winner!

2011-12-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to announce the winner of the Book Lover's Giveaway Hop! There were a total of 163 people who entered and 455 entries. And the winner, according to random.org, is:

Small Review!

I mean, what are the chances? I swear on my life that I did not rig this. I hope people believe me. Anyways, congrats Small! I hope you find the Hush, Hush series at least as entertaining as I did. Please email me with your address within the next 48 hours at ayleejaine(at)gmail(dot)com.

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop!

2011-12-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hop! Welcome to my blog! The Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Kid Lit Frenzy and runs from December 2nd to 6th.

For this hop, I am giving away Hush, Hush and Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick!

Full disclosure: I won these in a giveaway, read the first one and found it to be a very addictive read, but I feel no compulsion to finish the series. It just wasn't for me, but I can definitely see why other people love the Hush, Hush Series.

Rules
1. To enter, fill out the form below
2. Open Worldwide
3. Ends December 6, 2011 at 12:00 AM EST
4. Entrants must be at least 13 years old
5. The winner will be announced on the blog and have 48 hours to send me an email with their address or else I will choose someone else.
Note: Hush, Hush is a paperback and Crescendo is a hardback.

Good luck!

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Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

2011-11-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: December 6, 2011

Pages: 497

Source: For Review from Simon and Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them. Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

In short: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare is an exciting sequel featuring heart-wrenching story developments that make for a truly addictive read.

Cassandra Clare has a true talent for messing with her characters' emotions, putting them through hell just when you think they might get a happy ending. This in turn causes the reader to be put through hell too as she also does such a good job at making us fall in love with her characters that it is all the more heart-wrenching when terrible things happen to them. Heart-wrenching sums up my feelings for Clockwork Prince pretty well. And I loved every second of it.

I know I say this in every review of Cassandra Clare's books that I write, but I am terribly fond of her characters. Somehow, Cassie has managed to come up with a whole slew of enigmatic characters just waiting for us to read about to uncover their secrets and mysteries. Every character, main and side, have their own unique and well defined personalities and their own intriguing back stories. It's addictive, this need to uncover the new additions to the seemingly endless backstory reveals for each character. From the moment I opened Clockwork Prince, it was a race to the finish.

The plot progresses nicely in this sequel. Not only are characters changing and developing (in Will's case, drastically), but the plot line surrounding The Magister, his clockwork creatures, and the mystery behind what sort of magical being is Tessa, continues in a rather intriguing way, with lots of action and surprises. It still came off as the second book in a trilogy in that there was a definite building up of even greater things to come, but at no point did the plot seem like unimportant filler as is often the case in second books.

My one quibble is the introduction of the love triangle. I find that they mess with my mind too much, and not in a good way. I find them a bit stressful, to be honest. I would have preferred to have seen more action scenes in the stead of all the love triangle drama that crowded the end of Clockwork Prince. Despite this, Clockwork Prince was an exciting and addictive sequel to an amazing series. I would highly recommend giving The Infernal Devices Series a try if you haven't yet, and checking out Clockwork Prince when it's released December 6, 2011!

Also, check out the newly released (and amazing!) book trailer!

In case you missed it, my Clockwork Angel Review and my Clockwork Prince Teaser Review.

Other Reviews:
Mundie Moms
Planet Print

Author Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Fansite - MortalInstruments.net
Fansite - Mundie Moms

In My Mailbox (13)

2011-11-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

For Review from Simon and Schuster Canada

Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this ARC! I loved Wither, the first in The Chemical Garden Trilogy, and I'm interested to see where Rhine's story is going to go from where Wither left off.

Bought On Sale

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Heist Society (Heist Society #1) by Ally Carter

I broke my Book Buying Ban again to buy these books, but we're talking hard covers for $7 here, so I figured it would be okay. Get I get a "Whoop Whoop" for the Sales Shelf?

Review: Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie

2011-11-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Penguin

Published: November 30, 2010

Pages: 366

Source: Won from Ally Condie (Thank you!)

Rating: 5 STARS

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

In short: Matched by Ally Condie is a captivating dystopian read due to its impeccable writing and perfectly developed world building.

It seems like everyone was initially in love with Matched before it was released, hyping it up and raving about it, and then at some point people were let down from that high and started to find fault with it. They seemed to be legitimate problems, too, from what I read. However, after having read Matched myself (finally!), I have to say that these faults didn't bother me. The following are, to my eyes, the most common problems that people found with Matched and my reasoning behind why I didn't see them as weaknesses (please allow me this unusual review format):

The pacing is very slow. This is very true. Matched is a quiet novel, one without any intense action or earth-shaking events, that people more inclined towards fast paced novels may find boring. Fortunately for me, I seem to have a very high tolerance for slower paced novels as long as the writing is impeccably done (which is why I also adored Beautiful Creatures and Delirium). I was completely swept away in Ally Condie's writing, always held captivated and interested. The flawless incorporation of poetry and symbolism into the text was genius. Consequently, I wasn't bothered the least bit by the lack of action.

The world building wasn't original. The dystopian world in Matched was derivative of other dystopian novels, particularly The Giver. Lucky for me, I've never read The Giver (The shame! I know, I know. I will read it eventually.). I can't say with complete confidence that Matched had a never-before-seen literary world, but among the sea of dystopians I've read this year, it definitely stands out as being the best described and most intriguing (along with Divergent). I loved reading about Matched's perfect-on-the-surface dystopian world that was slowly revealed to be anything but as Cassia discovers disturbing truths about the Society that she has felt safe in her entire life.

So, there you have it: the reasoning why I loved Matched but can understand why other people didn't. I would love to know in the comments how you felt about Matched and if you had similar thoughts regarding the above common issues.

Other Reviews:
Books: A True Story
IceyBooks
She Known As Jess

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Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: November 1, 2011

Pages: 336

Source: For Review from Simon & Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies. Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd. Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

In short: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts is an intense post-apocalyptic read, but unfortunately lacks distinct character development for its four narrators.

An ancient evil threatens to destroy the world. Countless people are turned into mindless killers and brutally murder the leftover good people one by one. Dark Inside follows four survivors - Mason, Aries, Clementine, and Michael - in their quest to stay alive, find their families, and fight their darkness. Needless to say, Dark Inside is a pretty intense read. It was very fast paced with lots of action and lots of close-calls. Unfortunately though, it just didn't work for me.

My main problem with Dark Inside was there were too many perspectives to keep track of. The four main characters had different backgrounds but ultimately did not have as fully fleshed out personalities as I would have liked, making them difficult separate and difficult to relate to. Also, it did not make for a fun reading experience to have each character's chapter end on a cliffhanger only to return to them finally three chapters later. And often the promised action at the end of the chapter was completely skipped over by the time that character's story was returned to, making the experience even more frustrating.

If there was one interesting aspect that having four perspectives provided though, it's the differing outlooks and actions taken by each character and using this to evaluate what would be the best course of action for me should I ever find myself in a post-apocalyptic setting. You never know. It could happen. What's best: not risking it and staying hidden in a secret hideout or not being a sitting duck and never staying in the same place for more than a night? Grouping together with many people to have safety in numbers or going it alone so that it's not as easy to be tracked? These are important questions that we should ask ourselves in case the world ends tomorrow.

Overall, I can appreciate the intense plot and psychological undercurrents that debut author, Jeyn Roberts, created for Dark Inside. But ultimately, Dark Inside needed more in depth character and world building to keep me interested. I'm confused as to whether this one is a planned series or a standalone, but there were certainly a ton of unanswered questions leftover.

Other Reviews:
Books of Amber
The Bursting Bookshelf
Cheezyfeet Books

Author Links:
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*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Winner!

2011-11-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

It's time to announce the winner of my Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway! There were a total of 305 people who entered and 1067 entries. And the winner, according to random.org, is:

Hafsah @ IceyBooks!

Congrats Hafsah!! I hope you love this book! Please email me with your address within the next 48 hours at ayleejaine(at)gmail(dot)com.

Teaser Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

2011-11-02T22:00:00.000-06:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: December 6, 2011

Pages: 497

Source: For Review from Simon & Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I plan on posting my full review for Clockwork Prince closer to the release date but I thought I would post a teaser review consisting of my thoughts page by page. Sorry if this is considered cruel for those of you who have been dying to read this book... my goal is just to make everyone excited to read it (as if you weren't already)!

Page 24: Excited for Tessa to get some Shadowhunter training! She is way too much of a lady.

Page 71: Oh, how I've missed Cassandra Clare's trademark humour.

Page 98: Victorian England is my favourite setting ever.

Page 143: Will's secret revealed! Holy crap.

Page 173: I love bookish heroines.

Page 195: Ha! Will totally deserved that. Good one Jem.

Page 206: Wow. Cassie sure knows how to write racy kissing scenes. That was hot. I am once again impressed by Jem.

Page 210: Oh, Henry. I like eggs too.

Page 218: Go Sophie! She is fast becoming my favourite character.

Page 250: I think I love Will and Jem's bromance even more than Tessa's relationships with Will and Jem.

Page 254: Again, Sophie?! She's fierce.

Page 278: Who knew Benedict Lightwood was so kinky.

Page 292: Love triangles are confusing and mess with my mind.

Page 318: Teehee. You so silly, Magnus.

Page 386: Cassie has a true talent at writing action scenes. So intense.

Page 423: Aw! So happy for them. Very sweet.

Page 428: !!!!

Page 439: Heehee. I quite like giddy Will.

Page 474: Again, this love triangle is messing with me.

Page 498: Grrr... what a way to end this!

Hope you enjoyed that tease. I strongly urge everyone to read this series if you haven't yet! Interested in getting a chance to read Clockwork Prince early? Enter my Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway!

Also, check out this amazing book trailer: