saz101

New Girl, Paige Harbison

2012-01-28T00:00:00.005+11:00

I'm IN LOVE with this cover! Gorgeous!

Title: New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison (author website)
Release Date: January 31st 2012 by HarlequinTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery
My Rating:

I was ambivalent about New Girl for a while. Like its main character’s love interest, I ran hot and cold—for a good third of the book. Then it sucked me in, and I was drawn into Manderley’s imposing stone walls, mysteries and social cliques. Not so much a scary tale or mystery, New Girl is a tale of social isolation, manipulation, and identity. So bring your flashlight, because New Girl is a dark little story.

From Goodreads:
They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me a...moreThey call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

New Girl

New Girl book is told from split point of views: The titular ‘New Girl’s first person and Becca Normandy’s third. Two very different characters, starting out in two very similar places.

The new girl I mentioned? That’s all you’re getting for a name. Throughout the story her name remains a mystery, and this little riddle is woven into the book so well, I barely noticed. It’s strips away another of her layers, because that’s what this book is about: Identity. Who you are, who you’re perceived as, who you try to be, or even try not to be.

The book starts out with New Girl (who I’ll refer to as NG from now on, to avoid confusion :D) being shipped off to an exclusive boarding school for her final year at school, and as it progresses, NG seems to lose herself even more in the shadow of the last new girl at the school: Becca Normandy. Pretty, popular, and missing. While she’s not being openly bullied so much, she’s subjected to painful psychological torment. NG starts out seeming slightly whiny, though outwardly stoic, but as the story moves forward, she starts asserting herself. But more than asserting herself througout the novel, she grows to be OK within herself, without lashing out, or telling people how it is. She develops a quiet core of strength that is stable regardless of the cruelty she's subjected to, and I loved watching this side of her grow. She grows to understand that she's worth knowing, she's a good person, and she has the confidence and composure to understand that it doesn't matter what other people think, but what she does.

Becca

NG is great, but oh my, she's nto half as compelling as the infamous Rebecca Normandy.
Becca starts at Manderley one year prior to NG, and we’re given the story of the year preceding NG’s in alternating chapters. Now Becca is interesting. Likable? No. But interesting? Oh yes. While it’s never implicitly stated, the fact that Becca Normandy is a textbook psychopath has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Becca manipulates, lies and cheats, but she hides it behind a mask of the perfect popular-girl. She seems friendly and kind, but it’s hiding a deliciously cold, calculating core. As the story of Becca’s year progresses in tandem with NG’s, her web of lies and manipulation unravel. The mystery of her disappearance, as well as the reasons for her classmate’s cruel behaviour towards NG, is slowly revealed, and Harbison handles this artfully.

Prince Un-Charming

While New Girl has a lot going for it, it’s certainly not perfect. One of the major plot points in the book is NG and Becca’s shared love interest, Max Holloway. While NG genuinely likes him, Becca sees him as a tool and a pawn. One she’s not afraid to use. Max has obviously been burned, but he sets himself up to be used by Becca by using her, and his behaviour towards NG is on/off, hot/cold, and his capriciousness irritated me. Prince Charming one minute, cold and aloof the next, I found him difficult to like.

Sex, Drugs, and...

New Girl is dark. It’s brimming with teen sex and alcohol and drug use. They’re certainly not glorified, but constantly present. Becca sees these as tools for her manipulations, but NG finds herself caught up in the Manderley student body’s reckless behavior... not that she’s so very unwilling. New Girl is certainly not meant for young teens. The characters in this book are reckless. The sex? Unprotected. The drinking? Out of control. Like I said, not glorified: This is a plot point, and the repercussions are shown.

The Verdict

New Girl is gorgeously written, with lines of prose so beautifully crafted they verge on poetry. It’s a tale of finding one’s identity, and losing it. It’s an unexpectedly dark story, with interesting, though not necessarily likable characters, and while its mystery didn’t quite deliver the tension and menace I’d hoped for, I liked it. New Girl is a dark, psychological story, beautifully written, for older teen readers.

Waiting On Wednesday (12): Dead To You, Lisa McMann

2012-01-25T09:31:00.000+11:00

What is it?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Dead To You
by Lisa McMann (author website)
Pub Date: Feb. 7th 2012 by Simon Pulse Australia

From Goodreads:
Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

I am a massive Lisa McMann fan. From the first page of her first novel I was hooked. I loved Wake, I loved Fade, I loved Gone. Love doesn't quite sum up how I feel about Cryer's Cross. It was extraordinary. Well, the magnificent Ms McMann has a new book coming out! Lisa's writing is beautiful and unique, though perhaps an acquired taste, but she also has this incredible knack for delivering chillis and thrills, heartbreak and heartachingly sweet romance in a very unique, completely wonderful way that is entirely her own. Excited? Err... that's a word for it, I suppose.

So you guys, are you a McMann fan? Just curious.
And what are YOU waiting on this week?

Pure, Julianna Baggot

2012-01-24T00:00:00.013+11:00

Title: Pure
Author: Julianna Baggot (author website)
Release Date: Feb. 8th 2012 by Grand Central Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian
My Rating:

Pure deserves the praise it’s garnered. It’s beautifully written, frightening, intensely emotive, very well thought out and researched. It’s so many amazing things, bundled into what should be an amazing book—but I didn’t enjoy reading it.

From Goodreads:
We know you are here, our brothers and sisters...
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers... to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash...
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Ten years ago, atomic bombs destroyed the world, leaving two groups of survivors: those maimed, burned, and horrifically deformed by the fire and radiation; and ‘Pures’—a lucky and select group who escaped the explosions unharmed, safely tucked away in a massive glass bubble called The Dome.

Pressia survived the explosions outside. Life is hard, food is scarce, and Pressia is nearing her sixteenth birthday—the time when she will be drafted for military service with OSR. She’ll be forced to kill, or be used as target practice.

Partridge escaped the Detonations unscathed, safely tucked away in the Dome, which is more or less ruled by his cold and distant father. His mother and brother dead, Partridge doesn’t quite fit in with the other boys and people of the Dome. He has an independent streak that is dangerous in such a controlled community, and when a slip of the tongue from his father suggests his mother may still be alive—outside—Partridge decides to escape.

As a series of coincidences drive Pressia and Partridge together, they must fight together to survive... but who are they fighting? Who’s the enemy? The pieces start to come together into a much, much bigger picture, as the two discover their lives are more closely intertwined than they could have imagined.

P1 & P2:

Pure is told (mainly) through the shifting POV of Pressia and Partridge. They’ve both suffered, and both of their lives were long ago stripped down to one defining purpose: survival. But they both seemed very naive, and very young.

When Partridge escapes the Dome, we see through his eyes, and it gives the reader a lens of relatability. And I tell you what, I needed that lens, as Pressia, for me, felt detached, cold and aloof. She needs to be to survive—but it made her hard to relate to. In this, she reminded me a lot of an early-era Obernewtyn Elspeth. And this book started moving at about the same pace. Read: glacial. Which brings me to:

I love the cold, but this is ridiculous:

Pure gets off to a VERY slow start. While Baggot had me enthralled with her achingly beautiful prose and vividly imagined world, it seemed as though very little actually happened. So much of the book was spent setting up the world, the politics, the characters; but not a lot happened with them. I suspect that book two will feature more action, but the gorgeous prose quickly lost its appeal to became flowery, and left me agitated and impatient for the book to get on with it.

Squick!

I struggled with the descriptions of the bizarre physical deformities of the Detonation survivors. They’ve become fused with objects, other people or animals, and it left me squirming. While the healthy and whole people running the Dome are deliberately subjecting their children to procedures designed to genetically alter them for strength, intelligence or obeisance, the survivors outside struggle with mutations that will eventually kill them. It’s creepy and sinister. This isn’t a criticism of Pure, rather, it’s praise: Baggot is uncompromising in presenting the uncomfortable truth of survival in this world, but it’s hard to read.

Seriously?

Pure is peppered with implausible coincidences, yet the plot wouldn’t make sense without them. The whole storyline is held together by a thread so thin it constantly threatened to break. This is meant to be set in a large city, right? Yet Pressia, Partridge and co keep stumbling across people, places, clues or objects from the past to help them on their way, and I kept thinking ‘yeah, right.’ Finding familiar places or people from ‘the before’ over a place that size, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, with so many people dead is hugely unlikely.

The Verdict:

Julianna Baggot creates a disturbing world in Pure, too close and familiar to our own to be comfortable. It’s an uncompromising picture of what humanity is capable of, and I hated it, because I could actually believe it—but I didn’t want to. Yet, while Pure is packed with fights, flight and conspiracy, lengthy descriptions and sparse, sometimes stiff, dialogue made it feel very slow.

Pure deserves the praise it’s garnered. It’s beautifully written, frightening, intensely emotive, and well thought out and researched. It’s so many amazing things, bundled into what should be an amazing book—but I didn’t enjoy reading it. I struggled through all bar sixty-odd pages of it, and it had a rather open, unstatisfying ending. Turning the final page I was left feeling, sad, emotionally drained, but mainly just relieved it was over. Nevertheless, Pure will appeal to lovers of dystopian fiction—especially fans of Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn. At the end of the day, it just wasn't for me.

To be fair: if I was to rate this book completely objectively, based on writing, world building, imagination and execution alone, it would deserve 4 stars. I’ve decided to rate based on my enjoyment of it... and I struggled with this book. So, forgive me, but: 2 stars.

Don't Take My Word For It:

Pure was kindly provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thanks you guys!

Blogspiration (2): How Books Work

2012-01-22T17:46:00.003+11:00

I couldn't say this any better myself. Exactly how they work. From demotivation.us.

What's Blogspiration? Find out below the jump!

Blogspiration is a Brand Spankin' New weekly meme hosted by both GrowingUp YA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation and just a little SOMETHING.

Le Rules:

Blogspiration posts will go live on Sunday. While you don't have to post on Sunday, you have one week to drop by and share your links.
Go check out the participating blogs! Feel free to comment/follow
Most importantly, HAVE FUN with it!!

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a button and spread some BLOGSPIRATION!!

PLEASE NOTE: Saz101 and I will use the SAME Linky, so please enter your Blogspiration links on one blog.

Buttonses!

Linky!

In My Mailbox (8)

2012-01-22T16:08:00.001+11:00

In My Mailbox: What is it?
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.It's an opportunity to share the books we've bought or received in the last week!

I don't know about you, but books arriving in the mail is one of the single most exciting things to happen to me any given week. Bad day? Well, if there's a book in the mail, it's forgotten. Maybe that's sad, but it's true. I don't think you can get much better that Divergent and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight arriving in one week, and then it was topped off with Hallowed! That noise you hear? Oh yeah, that's just me squeeing and doing the happy dance. Please ignore ;)

From top to bottom:

Hallowed, Cynthia Hand (won) *
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Jennifer E. Smith
Divergent, Veronica Roth

A huge THANK YOU Erin at Tales of the Inner Book Fanatic and HarperCollins Australia for the copy of Hallowed! SO excited to read this. If for some reason you don't know Erin, go check out her blog. She writes some of my FAVOURITE reviews.

So you guys, what'd you bag this week? Share!

Firelight (Darkest London #1), Kristen Callihan

2012-01-20T09:53:00.001+11:00

Title: Firelight
Author: Kristen Callihan (author website)
Release Date: Feb. 1st 2012 by Grand Central Publishing
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Romance/Historical
My Rating:

I’ve been excited about Kristen Callihan’s genre-bending Firelight for months, ever since reading about its sale on literary agent Kristen Nelson’s blog. It didn’t disappoint. Firelight is, like Gail Carriger’s Soulless, hard to define. A delicious mix of paranormal, gaslight and historical-romance, it defies classification. A mysterious, sexually-charged and suspense-filled tale, I couldn’t put this book down. Callihan owes me a good night’s sleep.

From Goodreads:
London, 1881
Once the flames are ignited...
Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity...
Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

Set it in gas lamp-era Victorian London, we meet one half of our dynamic duo slipping through the night, on route to commit murder. He’s distracted when he shadows a young boy, making sure he makes it safely home. Well, as it turns out, the young boy Lord Benjamin Archer encounters is anything but—and hardly defenseless. Miranda ‘Pan’ Ellis is many things—including the daughter of the man Archer was on his way to kill. As the two spar in the foggy night, they share an instant attraction, and quickly part ways...

Three years later, the dread-Lord Archer returns to England to claim Miranda as his bride. Little does she know the masked, brute of a man she’s to marry is the mysterious stranger she encountered in the London’s dark alleyways years before, and never quite forgot. The two are quickly married, and against all odds, fall in love. But both are keeping deep, dark secrets… the least of which is what’s hiding behind Archer’s mask.

I was excited to read Firelight from the get-go. I expected something similar to the aforementioned Soulless, but while the two share a number of commonalities, they’re very different creatures. While Soulless is an unashamedly absurdist tale, Firelight forgoes the slapstick and is a far darker, edgier story.

Miranda is a seriously fabulous heroine. Brave, quick-witted and intelligent, the girl is fierce. Forced into thievery to keep her and her once-wealthy father off the streets, she holds an enormous capacity for love and kindness, despite the abuses she’s suffered in her short 20-odd years. She’s neither a damsel-in-distress nor a totally invincible tomboy. She’s a balanced mix of both... she can defend herself in any situation. She holds a very dark secret; one that will keep her safe in any situation, but using it costs her a great deal. While strong and defiant, she has a certain emotional fragility at times that makes her relatable. I loved this girl.

Archer is tall, dark, huge and handsome... and an utter enigma. The truth of his curse, and the reason for his mask, is revealed in tiny pieces throughout the story, and despite a riveting mystery driving the plot of the book, it was the question of his identity that kept me utterly rapt. The sexual tension between Miranda and Archer is palpable, and it’s backed up with a growing love between the two that felt so profound and genuine it made my insides ache.

The Verdict

I was taken aback by just how utterly compelling Firelight was. Combining fairytale-like qualities with a melting-hot romance, it’s the characters in this book, and their developing relationship, that kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. This is a romance novel at its smoking-hot best, combined with a riveting mystery, to make a delightful, page-turner of a read.

Books in This Series:

Firelight (Feb. 1st 2012)
Moonglow (August 1st 2012)
Winterblaze (March 2013)

An enormous thank you to Grand Central via Net Galley for providing a review copy of Firelight!

Fated, Sarah Alderson

2012-01-17T10:00:00.001+11:00

Can I steal her eyes?
Jeepers Creepers style?

Title: Fated
Author: Sarah Alderson (author website)
Release Date: Feb. 2012 by Simon & Schuster Australia
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating:

Excitement! Action! Gorgeous boys and obscure prophesies! Add to that a kickass heroine, and Sarah Alderson’s Fated has it all.

From Goodreads:
What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

Seventeen year old Evie Tremain is a waitress in a backwater diner, and she’s just trying to make it through the day... so she can make it through the week, the month, the end of school, and get the hell out of the town she grew up in. The town that has grown way, way too small. Meanwhile, Lucas—half human, half Unhuman Shadow Warrior—knows nothing but revenge. Hunters killed his family... and Evie Tremain is his next target.

Evie doesn’t know she’s a Hunter, the last in the line of hundreds of generations of demon slayers. She doesn’t know the life she wants to escape from could never last, even if she wanted it to. But when she’s attacked in the alley behind the diner by a girl with green skin and a boy with a tail, Evie’s plunged into a world she never knew existed and embroiled in a millennia-old war... the outcome of which rests firmly on her shoulders. Now Evie’s training to kill Unhumans—beings from another dimension... and she has to deal with the new boarder at her house... a beautiful boy named Lucas.

Evie! Evie! Evie Let’s Her Hair Down... After Losing An EAR:

Training to be a kickass hunter is tough.

After her father’s death, a year ago, Evie became numb, an icy, crystalline shell enveloping her heart. She didn’t think anything could hurt her anymore. Months later, her best friend is killed. The pain and the betrayals stack up and now she’s just angry. It’s this anger, coupled with the fact that she’s so jaded, that makes Evie so fun to read. She’s never without a smartass retort, and her anger drives her. She takes nothing lying down, and she’s tough. Watching her come into her own, and discover her own strength—both the physical and inner kinds—is a joy. One of the things I loved most about Evie—and Lucas—is that they ask questions: Of themselves, of each other, of the people around them. And they ask the right questions. I love smart heroes.

I don’t know if anyone’s a Buffy fan, but I got serious Buffy vibes from Fated. Which I LOVED. From Evie’s cheerleading history and smart-mouthed sass, to her reluctant acceptance of a destiny thrust upon her and a world filled with monsters she has to fight, I loved this side of Fated. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new Chosen One. Meet Evie Tremain. She even has a stake.

Fated is an emotionally intense journey for Evie, and I felt her pain throughout it. When the icy numbness she’d shed begins to creep back in, I felt her emptiness. She has to make tough choices, but when she finally makes her own choices I was so damn proud of her.

Romeo:

Fated is told in dual narrative: Evie’s and Lucas’s. While we definitely see more of Evie (who I loved), I loved being in Lucas’ head. Equally as broken and tortured as Evie, Lucas turns up to assassinate Evie... but finds he can’t. He’s drawn to her instantly, and finds himself torn between his oath to The Brotherhood—the Hunter-killing organisation he belongs to—vengeance for his parent’s deaths, and protecting this strange, fierce girl. There’s a Romeo & Juliet vibe going on with this pair, which I loved. The two are drawn to one another by forces almost outside of their control. And Lucas? *sighs* Another swoon-worthy male lead. Fierce, gorgeous, tortured... we watch him grow into himself, choose his own path and discover something worth living—really living—and dying for again.

Cloaks and Daggers... and Tails:

I love the world Alderson’s created in Fated. The history of conflict, the six other realms, the acid-skinned Mixen demons and razor-tailed Scorpios. The whole history of the Hunters. While we get only sketchy details—the conflict is mainly centred on Evie and Lucas in the here and now—we get teasing glimpses into a far larger world. There’s a large cast of secondary characters for a 300-page book, but they’re fascinating. They add layers and depth to the world, and repeatedly surprised me by revealing sides and agendas I didn’t know were there. Not everyone is what they seem.

The Verdict:

Smart, fast-paced and relentlessly entertaining, Fated delivered everything I want from a book and more. From the sharp, witty dialogue and kickass action, to the bone-melting romance and long awaited kiss, Fated never failed to keep me enthralled. I fell in love along with Evie and Lucas, and, while there’s nothing certain at this point in time, I’m hoping for a sequel. Sarah Alderson provides a satisfying conclusion to Fated, but with a prophecy to fulfil, destinies to claim, and foes left undefeated, Fated holds all the pieces to a fantastic series.

An enormous thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for providing a review copy of Fated!

Blogspiration (1): Magic Bookstore

2012-01-16T16:53:00.002+11:00

By now, you may have seen this INCREDIBLE video. Hey, BFF has already posted it on her blog. But sometimes, when something's THIS GOOD, it has to be shared. Only problem? Now I want to live in a magic bookstore... and I don't think husbandman will agree to the move.

What's Blogspiration? Find out below the jump!

Le Rules:

Blogspiration posts will go live on Sunday. While you don't have to post on Sunday, you have one week to drop by and share your links.
Go check out the participating blogs! Feel free to comment/follow
Most importantly, HAVE FUN with it!!

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a button and spread some BLOGSPIRATION!!

PLEASE NOTE: Saz101 and I will use the SAME Linky, so please enter your Blogspiration links on one blog.

Buttonses!

Linky!

In My Mailbox (7)

2012-01-15T15:27:00.000+11:00

In My Mailbox: What is it?
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.It's an opportunity to share the books we've bought or received in the last week!

WHAT A WEEK! First, we get our long-awaited threaded comments in Blogger, then, THESE BABIES ARRIVE! I squealed like a thirteen year old girl at a Bieber concert when I opened my letterbox and found these within. I can't even explain. Across The Universe was one of my top 3 books of 2011, and I've been so excited for A Million Suns! Not to mention Mara Dyer. I read this immediately and Oh. My. Word. SO! without further ado:

From top to bottom:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin *
Fated, Sarah Alderson *
Everneath, Brodi Ashton *
A Million Suns, Beth Revis

A huge THANK YOU to Simon & Schuster Australia for review copies of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Fated and Everneath.

So you guys, what'd you bag this week? Share!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin

2012-01-14T00:00:00.006+11:00

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin (author website)
Release Date: Feb. 1st Release by Simon & Schuster Australia
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Not telling ;) Let's say Mystery
My Rating:

I’m in shock. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer has nearly left me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Is Post Unbreafreakinglievable Book Disorder a thing? Well. Mara Dyer is a rare beastie indeed. Twisty, dark and haunting, Michelle Hodkin’s remarkable debut left me guessing from the very beginning, to the very end, and long, long past that.

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

It can.

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

There is.

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

She's wrong.

I’m not joking about the state Mara Dyer left me in. Shock is the only word for it. Or perhaps a quivering ball of nerves. I wish you could have seen my face as I read the final chapter of the book. A tap-dancing tortoise bursting into my living room to the tune of Hey Ya! could not have elicited as strong a response. Hauntingly reminiscent of a teenage Shutter Island, Mara Dyer has garnered a lot of gushing reviews. It deserves them all.

Mara

We join Mara as she wakes in a hospital room. She doesn’t know where, how or why, and so, from the very beginning, we’re thrown in the deep end along with her. Mara’s friends are dead in an accident she doesn’t remember, but miraculously survived. Her world’s turned upside down, and she’s now suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To pre-empt her psychologist mother having her put in a residential care program, Mara herself suggests they move. A fresh start. Move from the memories and shocking events. And so, before we know it, we find ourselves in Florida along with Mara.

Mara is... sick. Truly. Suffering the effects of her PTSD, she experiences waking dreams and hallucinations. She’s haunted by the memories—or perhaps ghosts—of her dead friends. As the book blurs from dreams to reality and back again, the narrative flows so smoothly, you’re given the sense of hallucinating right along with her. Mara is unravelling, and struggling, and there’s this eerie feeling of menace—of being watched—hanging over her throughout the book. My oh my is she a splendid protagonist though. Intelligent and wry, the book sparkles with Mara’s wit and humour, despite it’s incredibly heavy subject and increasingly dark tone. Despite Mara’s emotional and psychological fragility, she’s brave, stoic, and desperately trying to play with the cards she’s been dealt. She’s compelling, and her, well, unbecoming is fascinating and frightening.

Nearest and Dearest

As you’d hope with a book named after her, Mara is extraordinary. Layered, nuanced, unpredictable, but always believable. I loved this. But one of the brightest lights in the story are Mara’s friends and family. From Mara’s lone new friend at high school, Jamie, to her mother, amazing older brother (I WANT Daniel as my older brother!) and adorable and hilarious younger brother, Joseph, there is a cast of supportive, well rounded characters in this book. And they ground it. Whether endearing or contemptible school bullies, I was engaged, I cared.

Noah. Effing. Shaw.

You’ve no doubt heard about Noah Shaw at this point.
Perhaps even warned.
Mara was, and it didn’t work. It didn’t work for me, either.

Gorgeous. British. Badboy.The chemistry between Noah and Mara is electric, and the teasing and banter between the two is delicious. But this is not the dreaded insta-love. There is an instant flirtation, yes, but that’s it. As Noah carefully insinuates himself in to Mara’s life, and the two get to know each other, we watch another part of Mara unravel... but in a good way. Oh Noah was a delight. Layered, cheeky, reckless, beautiful, and just as broken as Mara in his own way, Noah has secrets of his own—just as big as Mara’s. And that’s... pretty huge.

A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma

Oh my word Mara Dyer kept me guessing to the last page. Every time I thought I’d figured a mystery out or gathered a clue, it blew up or slipped away. Masterfully crafted and impossible to pin down, the mystery is far larger than one book, or, it would seem, one broken girl. As Hodkin carefully offers ephemeral clues and small scraps of information, she deliberately muddies the waters. For every question answered, she creates several more bigger, trickier, even more terrifying. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is clearly the first in a series, and I’m unbelievably excited and terrified to see where this goes. There is a bigger game being played in Mara Dyer... and I still have no idea what it is.

The Verdict:

Gathering my scattered thoughts enough to create a meaningful sentence renders this the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. It left me speechless. Guys, that doesn’t happen often. Getting better and better as it goes along, it’s a slow build from strange to stranger to ‘OH MY GOD WHAT’S GOING AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE OR BREATH OR FUNCTION WITHOUT MOREMOREMORE RIGHT NOW.’ The mystery within its pages had me guessing and grasping at straws, and the ending—well, the entirety—has left me in shock. I raced through its pages with my heart racing, and its haunting me now it’s over. Confusing, disturbing, dark and twisted, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is extraordinary. It should come with a warning: This book will mess with your mind.

Books in This Series

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (February 2012)
As Yet Untitled Book #2 (slated for 2012/2013 release)

Want More of Mara? Read These Reviews:

An enormous thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a review copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer!

Feature and Follow Friday (9)

2012-01-13T14:32:00.004+11:00

'Follow My Blog' Friday is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The idea is to meet other book bloggers, and get to know one another. What a fun idea, and opportunity!

Featured blogs: Badass Book Reviews & Musings of a Booklover

Q: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

There are way way way too many answers to this question. But, well, I'll go with the boring. I listen to Radiohead constantly (my go-to music when I can't decide what to listen to), I swoon every time I hear Johnny Cash's voice, and I'm ~~slightly~~ in love with Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley. I'm a big Muse fan. I love to listen to them LOUD.

I love anything kind of... folksy. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes, Jose Gonzalez, Sigur Ros and Angus and Julia Stone.

I've recently discovered a love of more electronic-sounding alt music. Um, so the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kasabian, The XX, MGMT, Temper Trap.

But then I really like heavier music... Umm, System Of a Down, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Mars Volta. And I was raised on classic rock. When I was 10, I listened to nothing but The Beatles for a year. David Bowie, Cream, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Led Zeppellin, The Eagles, The Doors I adore. I get epic nostalgia.

Anyways! Here's the end to my rambling answer. Honestly, here's the honest truth: I love music. ALL music. Well, almost all music. I even like opera. I LOVE classical (Chopin! Saint Saen! <333). The only music I really, truly can't abide is disco. I can't stand the Bee Gees.

But, well... 2012 particularly? The Shins are releasing a new album I'm ridiculously excited for... but I'm well out of the loop at the moment, and that's as far as my brain will stretch :D

So here, I'll leave you with one of my favourite songs:

What about you guys? Who's your FAVOURITE band? Honestly, if I had to give one answer, it'd be Radiohead. I practically worship them. Et tu??

Waiting On Wednesday (11): Fallen In Love, Lauren Kate

2012-01-11T11:47:00.001+11:00

What is it?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Golden Lily
by Lauren Kate (author website)
Pub Date: Jan 25th 2012 by Random House Australia

From Goodreads:
What makes your heart race a little faster? Just in time for Valentine's Day, it's FALLEN IN LOVE, four wholly original new stories collected in a new novel set in the Middle Ages by Lauren Kate. FALLEN IN LOVE gives fans the much-talked about but never-revealed stories of FALLEN characters as they intertwine with the epic love story of Luce and Daniel.

The stories include: Love Where You Least Expect It: The Valentine of Shelby and Miles , Love Lessons: The Valentine of Roland; Burning Love: The Valentine of Arriane; and Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda.

This one is so SO close now, and I'm really excited. One of the most interesting aspects of the Fallen series is its secondary characters (Cam! Cam! TEAM CAM!), so I'm really anticipating a chance to get to know them better. For obvious reasons, they've taken second place to Daniel and Luce in the past, and I'm relishing a chance to learn their histories :)

The February Valentines Event being run by the fabulous Australian bloggers Lisa and (the diabolical) Brodie have put this series back on my radar in a massive way, because a certain fallen angel and badass demon just might be showing in a love-triangle debate I am SERIOUSLY excited for. Wait... you're not signed up to defend your fave book boyfriend yet? AND ADRIAN AND DIMKA ARE STILL WAITING FOR A DEFENDER? What, precisely, are you waiting for? Go! Go!

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2), Richelle Mead

2012-01-09T00:00:00.024+11:00

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead (author website)
Release Date: August 16th 2007 by Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating:

Oh. My. Goodness. Rose Hathaway is back, and she’s the reason we have the word BADASS. Frostbite, the second instalment in the Vampire Academy series, is rather obvious evidence that there is a real reason this series is so colossally popular.

From Goodreads:
Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

I honestly don’t know why it took me so damn long to read Vampire Academy... and then waited months before reading Frostbite. After (finally) reading it, I’m sold... but where do I start? The amazing BFF relationship? Unique, fascinating mythology? The swoon-worthy-doesn’t-even-cut-it Dimitri? Hmmm... how about kickass, smart-mouthed, VAMPIRE SLAYER, Rose.

A Rose By Any Other Name...

ROSE. She’s tough, gutsy, and fiercely loyal. I love the relationship she shares with her best friend, Lissa. She cares and she believes in her convictions. She’s smoking-hot-drop-dead-gorgeous—and knows it—and an outrageous flirt, which is enormously fun, but I think what I love most is her impulsivity and recklessness. She acts first, thinks later. She’s gotten better than she was in Vampire Academy—she’s grown and developed—but, rather than this making her a bit ‘too stupid to live’, it makes her unpredictable, and fun to follow.

Politics Come Out To Play

Frostbite really ups the political game, and I get the impression it will continue in this direction even more as the series progresses. The question of the sustainability of a society (and, well, species) completely reliant on minority group they treat as inferior, while allowing themselves to become more and more physically weak and defenceless is raised, and there are some really ugly questions asked about just how far the wealthy and privileged will go to maintain their lifestyle and feel safe. It really seems like the privileged Moroi Royals look down on their Dhampir Guardians as being sub-human, and I mean, guys, come on, how long do you think they’ll let that go on for? Who actually holds the power here?

If I’m Honest, The Real Reason I’m Reading...

Dimitri... My heart melted when Dimitri called Rose, Roza. *Happy sighs...*
The tension between Rose and Dimitri in Frostbite is palpable. My chest ached every time the two shared a page... but something else showed up in Frostbite that caught my attention. Something interesting. SOMEONE. The infamous Adrian Ivashkov.

Things get messy in Frostbite. Trying to force herself to get over Dimitri, Rose is getting closer to Mason... then Adrian shows up. Who she doesn't like, but does. My heart broke for Mason, who it's very clear Rose likes a lot... just not the right way. Eevery time she convinces herself she could make this work, Dimitri walks round a corner, and her reaction to him is almost physical. And then my heart breaks for them.

Um, so, in the past, I’ve complained—heartily, loudly, and... well, at times, constantly—about love triangles (dirty words! dirty words!). And I can see where this is going... but I like Adrian. And I like Dimitri. This would be the first book I’ve ever read where I like both potential suitors, and it’s not an obvious choice... I mean, other than Dimitri.

The Verdict

Frostbite left me with a tonne of unanswered questions. While Vampire Academy (being a first book) worked as a standalone, Frostbite feels a lot more like a series instalment, but this is not a criticism. It gave me a fabulous sense of more fabulous—and terrifying—things to come. Progress has been made, new dangers and questions have arisen, and some unresolved issues from VA have been poked and prodded, and danced around. Mead ends it on a note artfully balanced between leaving me rabidly demanding resolution and a sense of satisfaction at the story’s conclusion. Evil, evil, EVIL WOMAN.

Frosbite is exciting, gripping, fun, and heartbreaking. Vampire Academy took me by surprise, and Richelle Mead has upped the game again. A fantastic follow-up and addition to the series!

Books in This Series:

Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promis
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

J'aime Étienne St. Clair

2012-01-08T15:11:00.001+11:00

Just sayin' ;)

In My Mailbox (6)

2012-01-08T14:53:00.000+11:00

In My Mailbox: What is it?
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.It's an opportunity to share the books we've bought or received in the last week!

I was so excited about this week's mailbox. I'd been waiting for these books to arrive for what feels like EVER (read: two weeks), and checking my letterbox 5 times a day on weekends. When they finally got here? I squealed like a loon. These are really more Christmas presents. I was very lucky to get some monies for Christmas, so of course I ordered books ;)

From top to bottom:

Touch of Power,
Maria V. Snyder
Lola and the Boy Next Door,
Stephanie Perkins
Anna and the French Kiss,
Stephanie Perkins
Across the Universe,
Beth Revis

So you guys, what'd you bag this week? Share!

Anna and the French Kiss, Stephanie Perkins

2012-01-06T19:33:00.001+11:00

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins (author website)
Release Date: December 2nd 2010 by Dutton
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating:

I love moments like these in reading. I love closing a book completely charmed. Those moments when a piece of fiction is so splendid it delivers pure and unadulterated joy. For me, Anna and the French Kiss was perfect. It's not high literature or an epic Greek tragedy. It's fun. Pure and simple. And this is what I read for.

From Goodreads:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Page 1: I'm sucked in by Anna's chatty, delightfully paranoid voice. Page 3: Anna's dad is, for all intents and purposes, Nicholas Sparks. Jokes at Nicholas Sparks' expense? Awesome. The world needs more. Hilarious. Page 3, line 19: Hogwarts reference? I'm sold.

And it kept getting better and better. Who knew anything could better than Harry Potter references?

I'm so in love with Anna, and warm/fuzzy/numb from its afterglow, I'm genuinely struggling to make my mind produce words beyond an entire page of 'SQUEE!' I don't know where to start. Light? Yes. Funny? Yes. Tooth achingly Sweet? OH YES. But it's not a light piece of throw-away fiction I'll be forgetting anytime soon. This book burrowed its way into my heart, grew roots and won't leave. It had this resonance for me... something beyond light and fluffy. A certain je ne sais quoi that had me falling as deeply in love as Anna and Etienne do with each other.

For all its sugar sweetness, Anna touches on deeper matters: the feeling of belonging, of home, and, of course, of love (throughout this book I had the Princess Bride looping in my head "Tuna Sub?"/"True LOVE! TRUE LOVE!"). And it's beautifully written. Could this get any better?

Anna herself is a delight. She's funny, runs at a million miles and hour and has this slight edge of paranoid self-awareness that I'm sure we all can relate to. I love this girl... her obsession with film, her love of her friends, her silly mistakes and her dreams for her future. I loved being in her head. Stephanie Perkins writes her in such an incredibly authentic way. She felt so, so real to me.

And Etienne St. Clair. English French American Boy Masterpiece. Words. Can't. Describe. I've liked a lot of literary boys in my time. YA and Adult... I think I have a new favourite. His Briticisms, his humour, his teasing. Watching the relationship and genuine friendship develop between Anna and St. Clair is one of the single most rewarding reading experiences I've ever had the pleasure of. And the pleasure of reading this remarkable/delightful/adorable (take your pick) novel doesn't end there.

The relationships between all the characters in Anna, even the despicable ones, is a delight. These people talk like real people. They laugh, they joke, they rib each like crazy. I felt like I was hanging out with my best friend reading this book with the teasing going on. Like it just got my sense of humour. And the setting. Oh, la! Has there ever been a more perfect place than Paris? As Anna slowly discovers the City of Lights, so do we. And I don't know if there's a more perfect tour guide than St. Clair. I walked the streets of the Latin Quarter with Anna and Etienne, crossed la Seine, saw the glorious cathedrals, pâtisseries and ran, giggling, past memorials to Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie in Le Panthéon, .

And throughout it all, Perkins held me utterly enraptured.

The Verdict:

I want Anna and the French Kiss to be real so badly it aches inside. I want to crawl inside its pages and never leave. Bold, sweeping generalisations and statements irritate me no-end, and it's not lightly that I say--with complete sincerity--that I'm not sure I've ever taken so much pure joy from reading a book as I have from reading Anna. A sweet, fun, almost heart achingly gorgeous read, Anna and the French Kiss is practically guaranteed to delight. This. Is. What. I. Read. For. I'm in love.

P.S.

SQQQQQQQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Books in This Series:

Anna and the French Kiss (December 2010)
Lola and the Boy Next Door (September 2011)
Isla and the Happily Ever After (2013)

Feature and Follow Friday (8)

2012-01-06T14:28:00.002+11:00

'Follow My Blog' Friday is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The idea is to meet other book bloggers, and get to know one another. What a fun idea, and opportunity!

Featured blogs: Pawing Through Books & Book Den

Q: Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf. How many?

Oh, COME ON. This is embarassing and CRUEL.
The books I currently OWN, but haven't read: 60. Including eBooks.

Huh. That's not so bad... I actually intend on reading most of those... some of them are books I've bought, but probably won't read. Like... classics I had to own for posterity's sake. And, well, because they were pretty.

And, uh... I'm not counting my Jane Austen collection (I've only read any finished P&P)... but it's sitting there. And I've counted one omnibus which has 3 books in it as one >___<

What about you guys? I suspect (hope) yours will be even worse. This makes me feel better about myself :D

Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000+11:00

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead (author website)
Release Date: August 16th 2007 by Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating:

I hate long, drawn out love stories and contrived love triangles, and before I started Vampire Academy, I had totally made up my mind about exactly how all this was going to play out, exactly why it was going to annoy me, and exactly why I hadn’t read it yet, and wasn’t going to like it. Well, you guys... this is me: eating my words. Vampire Academy is, indeed, fantastic.

From Goodreads:
Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever...

Vampire Academy's more than just alright. It’s in a whole other league to a lot of the young adult paranormal vampire fiction (I swear it has its own sub-genre) available. For me, one of the coolest things about Vampire Academy—and really, this applies to the entire cast of characters—is the authenticity of Rose. Her voice, her actions, her myriad of imperfections. I love that these characters feel like real teenagers, without being whiny or weak impersonations. What this series doesn’t have is stereotypes. Every character is real, fleshed out, with good and bad, light and dark. Even the most snotty, hateful of characters aren’t maniacally chuckling villains.

Vampire Academy portrays a believable teen world. The teenage characters that populate this world drink, they have sex, they talk like teenagers, and they care about teenage things. They make mistakes, and feel the consequences with a painful intensity, just like teenagers. A certain character who shall remain unnamed lets it go too far with a boy, and her classmates brand her slut. Fair? No. Realistic? Yes. But what makes this situation readable instead of depressing is said character’s core of inner strength.

Vampire Academy has a major plot point involving teen depression and self harm. I get really worked up about this issue (mental health, particularly depression), and feel the need to highlight that this is not teen angst, but real, authentic, crippling and overwhelming depression. Richelle Mead handles it admirably, and the character dealing with depression and self harm acts and expresses herself in a way that was so authentic and real, I wondered if Mead was drawing from personal experience. What makes this is amazing, though, are her friends. They don’t try to pretend it’ll all be ok, distract her, or try to cheer her up with glib comments, they [eventually] do the right thing, the right way: they seek help, from the right people, and support her.

At the core of Vampire Academy is something wonderful: a real, true, strong friendship between Rose and Lissa. YA authors take note: having friends and a support network is GOOD. A girl can have a friend who's there for more than backstabbing, a backdrop, or just making the heroine look good.

And all of this? Made even better by a smoking hot hero. I’m not going to get started on Dimitri, ‘cos I won’t stop. But SERIOUSLY. The scenes between Rose and Dimitri are smouldering.

The Verdict:

Despite some totally erroneous preconceptions of Vampire Academy going into, I loved this book, and I love it even more in hindsight. Mead has created something truly magical here with some of the most vivid, real, authentic and entertaining characters to have graced a page.

Books in This Series:

Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promis
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Waiting On Wednesday (10): The Golden Lily, Richelle Mead

2012-01-04T11:19:00.000+11:00

What is it?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Golden Lily
by Richelle Mead (author website)
Pub Date: June 19th 2012 by Razorbill

From Goodreads:
Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher

OK, I've spent pretty much the entire last week completely absorbed in the Vampire Academy series. I've only 100 pages to go in Last Sacrifice, then Bloodlines, then... WHAT DO I DO NOW?!!!!!!!

To say I'm 'waiting' seems to imply a degree of patience, but at the moment, I'm wondering if I can put myself in some kind of cryogenic freeze until June. There's an episode of South Park where Cartman tries to just do this... I may watch it again and take notes...

Lord Of The Abyss, Nalini Singh

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000+11:00

Title: Lord Of The Abyss
Author: Nalini Singh (author website)
Release Date: November 22nd 2011 by Harlequin
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
My Rating:

Lord Of The Abyss is a rather quirky retelling of Beauty and the Beast. For grown-ups. Grown-ups who prefer their fairy-tales with a bit of hot sauce. I love Nalini Singh (she’s like caffeine and chocolate: addictive, and I know can’t be good for me), but I really wasn’t sure what to expect going in. So I'm really not surprised I thoroughly enjoyed it.

From Goodreads:
Once upon a time... the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs... and time is running out...

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

I seriously have no idea how to summarise this one... it’s a bizarre little tale. On a dark, stormy night, Liliana turns up at the gateway to the abyss. Micah, the guardian of the gateway to hell, is intrigued. Used to fear and unquestioning deference from the people around him, this strange little creature talks back, argues, and isn’t afraid of him. Well this almighty beast of a man likes a gal with backbone... but as it turns out, this girl is the daughter of the evil sorcerer who killed his parents, and she’s here to help Micah overthrow him, and return his kingdom to its former glory. Problem: Micah’s hiding a 'beastly' secret. That, and he doesn’t remember who he is.

Firstly: Lord Of The Abyss is actually the fourth book in a four-part series, each written by a different, powerhouse of a romance author, but works as a standalone. Though I haven’t read the prior three, the story was fun and easy to follow.

Once Upon A Time...

Lord Of The Abyss isn’t a complex story. It’s a sweet one, a fun one, with, as all good fairy tales do, a moral twist (more on this later). The book actually reads a lot like a fairy tale. There is, of course, the obligatory Once Upon A Time, and Happily Ever After, but it has a very fairy-tale tone, present in the light, humorous, knowing narration, which carries through to the two main characters. Despite having seen his fair share of horrors, perversions and wickedness, Micah came across as very... while not naive, perhaps a little childlike. Lilianna is a little more wordly, but still has a touch of that inherent innocence and inner-purity that all good Snow Whites, Cindarellas and fairy tale heroines possess (having said this, she's scarred, ballsy, brave, and fiercly intelligent. Do NOT cross this lady). I enjoyed this, and it’s one of the things that makes Lord Of The Abyss so fun and unique. But the whimsical tone seemed, on occasion, a bit odd in contrast with what at times is a very *ahem* ‘grown-up’ (read: explicit) tale.

Pretty On The Inside:

Seriously, I kept picturing Lilianna as
something like this, but dantier XD

Now, as I mentioned, all good fairy-tales have a moral side, right? Just ask Disney. The Lion King has the Circle Of Life/Animals are People Too; Aladdin eventually learns to put other people’s needs, and happiness before his own, and wishes for Genie’s freedom; in Beauty and the Beast, there’s more than meets the eye/it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Wait, did I mention Beauty and the Beast? Well, in Lord Of The Abyss, yes, we have Micah as The Beast, but Lilianna’s a bit of one, too. She’s hook nosed, shaggy haired, and one of her legs is shorter than the other. Others consistently remind her she’s a crone. And she knows it. But Micah, golden surfer-boy gorgeous (most of the time), doesn’t even notice. And as he starts to love her, Lilianna learns to love herself, learns to believe that maybe she is beautiful, because Micah sees her this way. It's sugar-sweet, and I loved this.

The Verdict:

Fairy tale aside, Lord Of The Abyss doesn't shy away from being very hot and very steamy. Despite the slightly sinister sounding name and intimidating man-titty on the cover, Lord Of The Abyss left me with a silly grin and a happy sigh. Well, actually, I lie. I turned the last page, kicked my cat off my lap, and went ‘Aaaaaaww!’ No sighing involved. A fun, quirky, (very) adult twist on the much loved fairy tale, Singh fans will enjoy this quick little read.

Want It?

Get it from Booktopia
Get it from Amazon

Waiting On Wednesday (9): Fated, Sarah Alderson

2011-12-28T00:00:00.007+11:00

What is it?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Fated
by Sarah Alderson (author website)
Pub Date: Feb. 2012 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Yes yes, like always, I REALLY like the cover. So atmospheric and intense! Look at her gaze! She's GAZING! But anyhow! Vampires! Demons! Shapeshifters! And SLAYERS? Oh HELL YES. Something about this one sounds so exciting and action-packed, I'm CRAZY excited!

What about you, lovlies? What are you waiting on?

Only a few more days to enter my Christmas Giveaway and win 1 of my fave '11 books, or $15 Gift voucher! Open INTERNATIONALLY!

Unravelling Isobel, Eileen Cook

2011-12-27T01:29:00.001+11:00

Title: Uravelling Isobel
Author: Eileen Cook (author website)
Release Date: January 3rd 2012 by Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating:

I knew almost nothing about Unravelling Isobel going into it. I’m not sure I’d even read the blurb... and I really enjoyed it. As the story unfolded, and Isobel, well, unravelled, the book got creepier and creepier, I was sucked into its pages, jumping when Isobel did, and nearly screaming out loud along with her. Turn on the lights, and settle in for the ride...

From Goodreads:
Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

So The Story Is...

After her mum meets a guy (online), accepts a proposal and decides to move to an island—all within the space of seven months—to say Isobel isn't exactly feeling real happy about the change in her life right now would be an understatement.

To make matters worse, ten years ago, Isobel's dad abandoned the family after getting treatment for his schizophrenia. When she starts seeing and hearing things in the creepy new MANSION she's now forced to call home, well, she starts seriously doubting her own stability. Its just the creepy new house, and the move. Because ghosts aren't real... Right?

I’d Like To Thank The Cast...

I really enjoyed Isobel. Snarky, sarcastic, and believable, she felt real to me. I enjoyed her expression of herself through her art. The feeling of being misunderstood, so common in YA lit, well, Isobel has fair reason. I loved being in her head, and her internal dialogue. She's deliciously self-aware, and the banter between her and new stepbrother Nathaniel is laugh-out-loud funny and oh-so cute. You guys: be nice to Rudolph. You don't want him to develop Reindeer Issues. Nathaniel is. Just. Umm... Perfect?

Uh, which brings us to Dick. As Izzy's BFF likes to remind her: “Dick's a DICK.” and you guys? He is. He really, really is. Smarmy and slick in all the wrong ways, this guy was born to be a politician. He is the reason we have the word ‘creep’. Honest to goodness. He’s listed next to it in the dictionary. Go look it up. I’m waiting.

And lastly, Isobel's bloody mother. What a freaking BITCH. I don't know about the States, but here, your final score (what you guys call SAT's, I think)? It’s based on class work and exams based on what you learn in year Eleven AND Twelve at school. So uprooting your kid In their final year of high school? Well, essentially, they’re screwed. If the school doesn’t offer the exact same subjects, you can't start a new subject in final year, or you miss half the learning and fail your exams. That, or you don’t have enough units and you don’t even QUALIFY for an SAT type thing. So, uh, to say I thought Isobel's mother was an immature, thoughtless, self-obsessed bad-word is putting it lightly. And she still has the gall to accuse Isobel of being selfish. This is one messed up family. It was ever so slightly AWESOME. I appreciate an author who can illicit that depth of feeling in my reactions.

So really, what I'm getting at? Fabulous, believable, lovable and utterly despicable characters. That's what we're after, right?

Leave The Lights On

But oh. My. Word. This book is creeeeeeeppppy. I'm talking seriously not a great choice to read at home alone with the lights off creepy. In one particularly memorable scene, Isobel's 'friends' decide a séance sounds like a good idea. I couldn't get out of bed afterwards. You know, monsters. Under the bed. Or ghost girls. I'm TWENTY-FREAKING-SEVEN.

Unfortunately, that fantastic creep factor? It seemed to fizzle out in the last third of the book, and as much as I loved 95% of this book, it was let down by a very abrupt ending with a lot of loose strings. These unresolved questions (and I have a few) made me wonder if Unravelling Isobel may be the first book in a series... or perhaps the issues affecting Isobel throughout the book aren't so much meant to be resolved, as indicators of just how badly her life is falling apart.

Who You Calling Crazy?

On a more serious note, I really appreciated the novel confronting mental health issues in an accessible, approachable way. And one particularly memorable scene where Izzy tells it like it is: Schizophrenia is an illness. Just like cancer. So is depression. So are anxiety disorders. I don’t know about you, but I know more than one person who has been directly affected, or afflicted by these conditions. You don’t choose it, you can’t just ‘snap out of it’. Unravelling Isobel is not a ‘serious’ book, but it handles these matters well and sensitively, without being weighed down, dreary, or ever seeming to take itself too seriously.

Verdict:

You guys want creepy? Spooky? Unravelling Isobel is bringing it back. Turn on the lights, and settle in: it’s deliciously reminiscent of an adolescent The Shining... at first. My only criticisms of the deliciously chilling book were an abrupt ending, and a slight loss of that Shining vibe and spooky factor towards the end.

While a truly fun, and at times scary, read, Unravelling Isobel seems to lose steam in its last third, and its rather abrupt, open ending is slightly dissatisfying. Despite this, Unravelling Isobel delivers: A snarky, sarcastic protagonist gives this wonderfully spooky ghost story some giggles, and truly, Unravelling Isobel is a delight.

In My Mailbox (5): The VERY Merry Christmas Edition

2011-12-26T23:21:00.001+11:00

In My Mailbox: What is it?
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.It's an opportunity to share the books we've bought or received in the last week!

Uh, yes. I have a serious thing for owls.
That is an owl POCKET WATCH... well, technically,
it's a necklace. But that is equally as awesome.

EEEEEEEEEEE!
OK, so: YOU GUYS! I'm so SO excited! This is the first time I've posted an 'In My Mailbox' without feeling guilty. Because Santa was VERY kind this year... well, him and my Mum, BFF, and the amazing Gabby at Harlequin TEEN Australia (who I love even more for releasing Touch Of Power early, so BFF didn't have to wait for her Christmas present).

Also, AAAAAAAHHH! Neil! Gaiman! Is! My! Hero! Two Neil Gaiman Books? I'm in Sarah heaven. I ADORED American Gods, and Anansi Boys is a sort-of sequel. SO. EXCITED. And I've been dying to read Neverwhere.

What I'm saying is: I LOVE Christmas.

From left to right, top to bottom:

Blood Bound, Rachel Vincent *
In The Arms Of Stone Angels, Jordan Dane *
New Girl, Paige Harbison *
Saving June, Hannah Harrington *
Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
The Iron Knight, Julie Kagawa
Hereafter, Tara Hudson
Daughter Of Smoke And Bone, Laini Taylor
Inheritence, Christopher Paolini

* I want to say a huge, ENORMOROUS T H A N K Y O U to Gabby from HarlequinTEEN Australia, who very kindly sent me Blood Bound, In The Arms Of Stone Angels, New Girl AND Saving June to review. After reading (and LOVING) Jordan Dane's On A Dark Wing I'm so so SO crazy excited to read In The Arms Of Stone Angels.

What'd you bag this week? Share!

The Demon Lover, Juliet Dark

2011-12-23T00:00:00.006+11:00

Title: The Demon Lover (Fairwick Chronicles #1)
Author: Juliet Dark (author website)
Release Date: December 27th 2011 by Random House
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating:

The Demon Lover is so not the book I thought it was going to be. Let's face it: the name? The cover? It even has the word 'virile' in the cover copy, for pete's sake! We all know what type of book it's going to be. Except, well, it's not. At first I felt kind of cheated... but I really enjoyed this book.

From Goodreads:
Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the incubus, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this demon lover from her heart.

The Demon Lover is an odd creature. From 'Juliet Dark', the pseudonym Carol Goodman, it starts off a lush, gothic mystery/horror, with an almost meta-fiction feel to it, which I both loved and loathed. Filled with literary references from Sookie Stackhouse to Jane Eyre, it's at turns funny and witty, and at others painfully self-aware. The Demon Lover knows what kind of book it sounds and looks like, and at times revels in it, and others seems to almost distance itself from it... Like, 'yes, I'm totally your grandma's trashy romance novel... But I'm cool! I swear!' It's almost like a kid trying to fit in at a party by making fun of himself. I really struggle to explain how I feel about it... I'm conflicted, but the more I think about it, the more I feel this slightly conflicted, dualistic start is completely the point: Callie's made a living of the study of gothic literature and paranormal romance. It stands to reason that, finding herself in a gothic romance, she's going to be super self-aware and question what's going on, or write it off as an over-read, overactive imagination.

The thing is, this 'start' to the novel? It goes in for ONE HUNDRED PAGES. That's one hundred out of three hundred and seventy. And it's sloooooow. Very slow. I struggled through, and had basically made up my mind that I didn't like this book. Then it got GOOD.

The Demon Lover comes into its own when Callie discovers that, well, she's not nuts. There really IS something rather supernatural going on in Fairwick. In fact, the whole town has been founded around the existence of the supernatural. Welcome to the Hellmouth, baby. From this point, the book takes on a rather delicious Sookie Stackhouse feel, and only gets better. Demon Lover is like a mash-up of Sookie Stackhouse, the Caster Chronicles, and a delicious touch if its own brand of quirky.

Cailleach (That's Kay-lex, or 'Callie' to you):

Callie is an interesting heroine. Intelligent and independent, she can be really fun to read... at others a tiny bit stupid, careless, and that's not to mention a total snob... not even snobby in a deliciously-fun-to-read way. Nevertheless, past page 100, I liked her, and immensely enjoyed her journey of self discovery (golly that sounds hackneyed), because that's what this is: Callie coming to terms with a very, very strange new world.

I also LOVED her love interest, but let me tell you guys: this really isn't a romance. Romance readers will be disappointed by the open-ended close to the book. The romance aspect, though? It has me clamouring for more. I really want to see how Juliet Dark resolves this, or at least where she takes it in Water Witch, slated for a 2012 release (there's a bit of info on Juliet Dark's Facebook page--there's no website or blog).

The Verdict?

What surprised me most about Demon Lover is just how much I enjoyed it. After a very slow--and slightly awkward--start, it turns into something witty, sexy, magic, sad and compelling. Sookie fans, rejoice: if you can get past the first half of this book, you're in for a real treat. What Dark has done brilliantly in The Demon Lover is set up a tantalizing start to a VERY promising series, and now that set up is done? Oh boy is this going good places.

Want It?

Get it from Book Depository
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The Demon Lover was kindly provided by Random House via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thanks you guys!

Waiting On Wednesday (8): Everneath, Brodi Ashton

2011-12-21T00:00:00.008+11:00

What is it?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Everneathby Brodi Ashton (author website)
Pub Date: March 1st 2012 by Simon & Schuster Australia

From Goodreads:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Uh, OK, so, once again, GORGEOUS COVER, but seriously? Based (loosely) on the story of Persephone and Hades? Oh, yes. I'm all over that. I LOVE myth-based stories (Oh my goodness, Neil Gaiman! Neil Gaiman! American Gods! Stardust!) You have NO. IDEA. how much I love ~~Neil Gaiman~~ myth stories.

While you're here, don't forget to enter my Christmas Giveaway to win 1 of my fave '11 books, or $15 Gift voucher! Open INTERNATIONALLY!