Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Monday, 13 August 2012
Rampant
Publisher : Harper Teen
Pages : 402
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...
Real
unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and
razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and
fifty years. Or not.
Astrid had always scoffed at her
eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the
monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking
her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a
unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for
centuries.
Review
Unicorns are known to be nice creatures in stories for children. Diana Peterfreund changes that with Rampant. Astrid knows of her mothers fantasies that unicorns are real, creatures not like those told of in childrens stories. They have fangs and kill. Astrid learns quickly that her mothers fantasies are actually real. Her boyfriend gets attacked by one of these killer unicorns, so she can't deny they're real. She however, is unharmed, is she special? Well, she is part of a long line of Unicorn hunters and with unicorns showing themselves, she is wanted to do just that, hunt.
Astrid is sent to Italy, to a place where she will become the hunter she is. Learning that being a normal teenager isn't part of that and meeting with boys has to be secret. Lots of hunters travel to Italy, to the Cloisters. They along with Astrid learn the hard way, what being a hunter means. They attract the unicorns.
Astrid irritated me somewhat because of her attitude towards boyfriends. Like having a boyfriend and sleeping with them so she could go to the prom was alright. But i suppose some teenagers are like that. Other than her attitude towards sex, Astrid was alright, she is a distinctive character. The other main characters are that also. Her cousin, perhaps the most. She has a fun aspect about her, calling her cousin by funny names and so on. To be honest i think there were too many hunters in the story. It was hard to keep up with the girls, knowing which girl was which.
When any of the girls go out of the cloisters, it was obvious what would happen because they attract the unicorns. So it was a bit boring in a way. However, something happened probably half way through the book that changed it. Suddenly it was interesting and i wanted to know what was going on.
This review sort of sounds like i am saying it's rubbish, it isn't. The story is well thought out, written well and is full of action and detailed gorey scenes. It is different from the usual fantasy book with the subject being what it is.
Labels: Book review, Diana Peterfreund, Rampant, Young Adult
The Witches Of The Glass Castle by Gabriella Lepore
Thursday, 28 June 2012
The Witches Of The Glass Castle
Publisher : Book Guild
Pages : 255
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from Author
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from Author
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Mia’s life is thrown
through a loop when she discovers her family secret — that she and her
brother Dino are witches. After they are sent away to study their craft,
they begin down a path that will change their lives forever. Suddenly
thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature
and people’s thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and
Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to
be right when everything around them seems beyond their control.
Review
Brother and sister find out they aren't who they think they are. Their lives change when they find out they're witches and they have to go live at the Glass Castle, a place where witches go to learn to use their skills. Dino and Mia have different powers and learning what they are will come easier to one than the other.
This story is written really well, the relationship between Dino and Mia is realistic, the typical brother and sister way, funny comments and irritation.
When Dino becomes distant to Mia, she decides to look around the castle, getting herself into danger with the alternate type of witch to herself. Hunters although part of the castle, are trained differently, to be almost animalistic. Danger seems to follow Mia when she starts to have meetings with Colt, one of the hunters. He is sure of himself and thinks seeing Mia is pointless, nothing for him to gain and wrong. He is very funny though and his sureness just adds to him being a very attractive character. So when he helps Mia she finds herself falling for him.
While all this is going on, Dino is having meetings with someone. These shape the story into the drama of Dino finding himself, will he go with the temptation of power?
The characters in this are brilliant, each having been thought out, worked on to the point they appear real. This story is full of twists and turns, it's interesting with not a part being boring. Something is going on around every corner and i can't wait for more books by this author.
While all this is going on, Dino is having meetings with someone. These shape the story into the drama of Dino finding himself, will he go with the temptation of power?
The characters in this are brilliant, each having been thought out, worked on to the point they appear real. This story is full of twists and turns, it's interesting with not a part being boring. Something is going on around every corner and i can't wait for more books by this author.
Labels: Book review, Gabriella Lepore, The Witches Of The Glass Castle, Young Adult
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Friday, 22 June 2012
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Publisher : Atom
Pages : 376
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.
DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for
someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at
staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.
Review
This is a difficult book for me to review. There were parts i liked and parts i didn't. This is the first Dystopian book i have read, having not been interested in the genre. I didn't realise this book was about that.
Aria is a young girl that gets pulled into a situation that she thinks will help her mission, but actually it's a horrible experience that gets her exiled from where she lives. Having thought that being in the Pods where she lives is the only safe place, that outside she would not survive, Aria struggles at first to realise that she could survive outside the Pods.
She comes across a Savage, a person from outside the Pods. They are believed to be what the name implies, savage. To Aria, they are thought to be disgusting beings but to the outsider Aria is an outsider, she is a disgustion being. So they both hate the idea of working together but it seems to be the only way to get what they want. Aria wants to get home and to find her mother. Perry, the savage wants to find someone also.
At first they don't talk, loosely getting to know one another by actions. Talking comes and they learn that although some things they know of one anothers kind are true, a lot of it isn't.
Their relationship grows too quickly to me, they are looking at one another with disgust then they can't take their eyes off one another. Aria's character mostly i found to be whining, on and on. I liked the secondary characters more than her.
As i said this is difficult, some parts i thought Yes, i really like this. But other parts just didn't work for me and there was more of them. But, i think the most important thing is that i would like to read the next book so there was potential with this story and there is more to it than i have described it.
There is action and suspence in this story so if you're interested in it, give it a go. A book to me that i didn't really enjoy, to you could be a favourite.
Labels: Book review, Under The Never Sky, Veronica Rossi, Young Adult
The Watchtower by Lee Caroll
Thursday, 7 June 2012
The Watchtower by Lee Caroll
Publisher : Bantam
Pages : 397
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from publisher
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from publisher
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Each encounter leads Garet closer to finding Will Hughes, but she realizes that she’s not the only one who’s trying to find the way to the magical world called the Summer Country. As Garet struggles to understand her family legacy, each answer she finds only leads to more question and to more danger.…
Review
This is the second book in the Black Swan series. It, like the first is brilliant. The story continues with Garet now on her journey to find Will. It's filled with various interesting characters, all of which are sturdy, making you want to learn about them. All the characters adding to the story, making it richer. Garet, with the help of these characters progresses in her search for Will and finds out more about herself and him. Like the first in the series, this is full of detail and a continuation of a well thought out story. We get to see into the past, how things happened to create the current circumstances. I can't wait for the next in this series, it was left with such a twist.
Labels: Book review, Lee Carroll, The Watchtower, Young Adult
Halflings By Heather Burch
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Halflings By Heather Burch
Publisher : Zondervan
Pages : 288
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardcover
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from author
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardcover
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from author
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
After being
inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost,
seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship
of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to
defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe
while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.
Review
Normal young girl Nikki, begins to wonder if she is normal as she thinks when she is chased by creatures in the forest. She thinks she has no chance against them , so when she is saved by a beautiful boy, whose eyes she falls into, she thinks it can't be real. However she comes across the boy again and it becomes clear that he is very real, not human though.
This boy, Mace, is sent to protect Nikki with his brothers, Raven and Vine. They aren't human and they don't know all the reasons for them being sent, is it really Nikki they are to protect? If so, why? Mace feels something for Nikki, even though he knows it is against the rules. Nikki also has those feelings, but as she gets to know these boys, she can't not find Raven interesting too. Perhaps the good in her is going towards Mace, while the other, her daring side, is going towards Raven. He is a bad boy, sure of himself and offers things that Mace can't.
As Nikki starts to realise that she really isn't normal and neither are the boys, danger surrounds her forcing the boys to do their job, she is wanted by an evil she had no idea about.
All the characters are strong in this story and i enjoyed the relationship that played out between Nikki and Mace, along with the hint of something with Raven. This is a series, so not everything was answered, i think this story will get really interesting.
All the characters are strong in this story and i enjoyed the relationship that played out between Nikki and Mace, along with the hint of something with Raven. This is a series, so not everything was answered, i think this story will get really interesting.
Labels: Book review, Halflings, Heather Burch, Young Adult
Ransom My Heart By Meg Cabot
Monday, 21 May 2012
Ransom My Heart By Meg Cabot
Publisher : Macmillian
Pages : 396
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
He's a tall, handsome
knight with a secret. She's an adventurous beauty with more than a few
secrets of her own. Finnula needs money for her sister's dowry, and
fast. Hugo Fitzstephen, returning home to England from the Crusades with
saddlebags of jewels, has money, and lots of it. What could be simpler
than to kidnap him and hold him for ransom?
Well, for starters, Finnula could make the terrible mistake of falling in love with her hostage.
Review
I honestly want more of this. Finnula, with such a strong personality can be considered a young girl who is quite sure of herself, in some ways she is. But also she's a innocent young girl who knows not of the lust from a man, or the lust that can be created within herself by one.
She wants to help her sister, who has found herself in a situation that would not be favoured by her brother. So, Finnula, being the strong sister, although younger chooses to take a hostage. She is able to detain a man, being the best shot around with her arrows. It's a sure way to get money and she likes to help people, even going against orders to help the towns people.
The man she chooses however, isn't quite who he seems. She has no idea he is a higher rank than a knight, he has been away fighting so is covered with facial hair. This man however irritated by the prospect of being taken hostage by some girl who seems a bit sure of herself, likes the idea, she is pretty and he is a ladies man. He wants to see how this plays out.
Surely his charms can't create love within Finnula?
But this hostage, not being who she thinks he is, isn't someone she should be falling for. People are waiting to take the status from him, he has quite a fortune and a cousin will do anything for it, getting unexpected people on side to do away with Finnula and her hostage.
This was a brilliant book, full of adventure, romance and characters that are fun but well thought out, also the setting, this being a historical story, is well written for that era, it flows with elegance and authenticity.
Labels: Book review, Meg Cabot, Ransom My Heart, Young Adult
Blood Tide by Tess Oliver
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Blood Tide by Tess Oliver
Publisher : Createspace
Pages : 254
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For Review from Author
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For Review from Author
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
When four strangers move
into Blackpool Cove the same week a tragic shipwreck befalls its
shores, Trixie Muldoon waves it off as coincidence. Even the arrival of
the appealing, young investigator, David Durham, does not convince her
otherwise.
But when a girl disappears, it’s obvious something sinister has gripped the quiet, coastal town, and it all leads back to the town’s newest inhabitants, including the mysterious Beck Ryker.
Everything about Beck Ryker, his scarred face, his hypnotic gaze, his seemingly tortured past, says heartbreak and regret. Yet Trixie finds herself drawn to him.
But when the tangle of secrets surrounding Beck unravels, Trixiefinds herself caught between terror and passion.
But when a girl disappears, it’s obvious something sinister has gripped the quiet, coastal town, and it all leads back to the town’s newest inhabitants, including the mysterious Beck Ryker.
Everything about Beck Ryker, his scarred face, his hypnotic gaze, his seemingly tortured past, says heartbreak and regret. Yet Trixie finds herself drawn to him.
But when the tangle of secrets surrounding Beck unravels, Trixiefinds herself caught between terror and passion.
Review
Trixie, a young girl, living in a small village gets pulled into a tale of danger and lust. When four strangers come to the villiage after a ship wreck that has no survivors, trouble descends the villiage.
Two of the men are well presented, the perfect of gentlemen as such. The other two could not be more opposite. Shabby with that rough edge that would make people avoid them. Beck, one of the shabby men, however dangerous he seems, takes the interest of Trixie, who can tell whether someone has good or bad intentions by reading their colours. Those being something she has always been able to sense, wanting to find the man whose colours, along with hers, mix and create something special. Somehow Beck appears to be that man even though everything about him is warning her to not get too close. Beck is more dangerous than Trixie realises and as she falls for him it becomes clear that his arrival along with the others, was related to the ship wreck and that other things have been planned for the villiage. These strangers are not what they appear to be, are they even human? Can someone not being human change your feelings if you're falling for them? Trixie, with her pet pelican is the person to find out the secrets and choose whether Beck's pull on her, is lust or something different, danger.
This is a different take on the vampire genre, something that could change your view on it. Characters that are sturdy, a story full of passion and intrigue, streaked with danger and excitement.
Labels: Blood Tide, Book review, Tess Oliver, Young Adult
Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson
Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson
Publisher : Puffin
Pages : 389
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star...
Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for...and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.
Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star...
Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for...and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.
Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.
Review
With despcriptions of the 1920's social scene, this book really pulls you in with the glamour and lust. Three girls come together with a twist of fate and although at first things seem to be everything they thought it would be, exciting and new, danger quickly shows them that even in the big city, it isn't all about money and pretty faces.
Letty, a girl who has always wanted to be a singer, goes to the big city, like she has always wanted to. She finds her way to a bar, a place to work and a place to meet people. Various wealthy patrons and rich youngsters go to that bar, it's the place to be and it's where Letty is thrust into the singer she wants to be. But perhaps the attention of a rich patron goes to her head, because she finds herself in a awkward situation.
Cordelia, a girl about to be married, who decides the big city is more for her than her fiance. She is searching for someone, but surely a handsome stranger can't get in the way of that? He does and brings danger with him. A girl can be drawn to danger though, especially when it's in the form of a dapper gentleman.
Astrid is a girl who has everything. Can get anything she wants with a pout of her lips. But when her lover wants more than she wants to give, only the nervous blush of a young boy can have her smile but even that isn't enough.
This book is perfectly vintage, bringing the reader into the 1920's. Full of dresses and dapper young boys. These girls are all different and yet their stories string together an exciting tale of what it's like to be a girl of whatever status and what troubles temptations can create.
Astrid is a girl who has everything. Can get anything she wants with a pout of her lips. But when her lover wants more than she wants to give, only the nervous blush of a young boy can have her smile but even that isn't enough.
This book is perfectly vintage, bringing the reader into the 1920's. Full of dresses and dapper young boys. These girls are all different and yet their stories string together an exciting tale of what it's like to be a girl of whatever status and what troubles temptations can create.
Labels: Anna Godberson, Book review, Bright Young Things, Young Adult
Dark Angel By Eden Maguire
Monday, 16 January 2012
Dark Angel By Eden Maguire
Publisher : Hodder Childrens
Pages : 398
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart. Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains. And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?
Review
This story was different, with a cult theme it seems to evoke various sensations. One more than others, creepy. You don't really know what's going to happen next, and when it does, it wasn't what you were expecting. You think it's going to go the usual YA way, it doesn't though.
This story was different, with a cult theme it seems to evoke various sensations. One more than others, creepy. You don't really know what's going to happen next, and when it does, it wasn't what you were expecting. You think it's going to go the usual YA way, it doesn't though.
We get introduced to Tania, a girl who is seemingly in love, along with her friends, all having a partner. A party is the event where the book really starts, you would think the three girls, including Tania, would go there with their boyfriends, but somehow they go alone because of various happenings, which wasn't the plan. There, Tania experiences things she isn't sure are possible, things that only drugs could create. Her and her friends, after meeting three rather gorgeous and strange guys, get swept away into a dark world which is beyond what they know. There is more to Tania than meets the eye and she quickly catches on to what she thinks is going on at the Black Lodge, the rock singers house, where the party took place. But it's more intense than she could imagine. To save her friends and her love life, she has to realise who she is and learn to resist temptation.
At first it might seem a bit slow, i wondered why Tania would keep putting herself into the situations, it's obvious something's going on, and although she wants to save her friends, she walks so easily into these situations. However, as the twists and turns reveal themselves and Tania learns she is the only one to stop this, you will want to keep reading.
Labels: Book review, Dark Angel, Eden Maguire, Young Adult
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Publisher : Harperteen
Pages : 336
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Love is never ugly
I am a beast. A beast! Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster. You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever — ruined — unless I can break the spell.
I am a beast. A beast! Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster. You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever — ruined — unless I can break the spell.
Review
This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, in a current setting. Although it isn't exactly the same. We get to know Kyle, the usual sort of popular guy in school. He's gorgeous and very sure of himself. Not giving anyone, who he thinks isn't gorgeous, his attention. Perhaps good looking on the outside, but inside, a horrible person. Therefore, he has a spell put on him which turns him into a monster. The only way to change back would be to be kissed, by someone who loved him for who he is, not what he looks like. He doesn't think it's possible, everything is based on looks.
Obviously, he can't go out, doesn't go to school and when his father finds out, he tries to pay people to change him. But they can't do it. So, his father buys him his own house, a place to have him hidden. Sending a blind tutor to teach him what he wants. Kyle sees how sure of himself he was, it becoming obvious that there are more to people. He learns his mistakes, changes his ways, but finding someone to learn to love him when he can't even go out, that's something else.
I liked this book, not exactly for the version, but for the meaning, which i suppose is from the original. Although people know of Beauty and the Beast, perhaps they don't think of it being in this era. This version brings it right to this era, letting it's readers relate to various aspects of it. Girls and guys that don't think they are gorgeous, will understand and probably have known someone like Kyle. But, people who think like Kyle, if they read this, i would like those people to realise just how they can hurt someone, how looks aren't everything. That's wanting a lot.
Labels: Alex Flinn, Beastly, Book review, Young Adult
Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
Publisher : Puffin
Pages : 260
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Library
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Laura della Scala knows nothing beyond the convent walls which have trapped and bound her since she was twelve years old. A single night will change her life. She will soon learn the difference between an arranged marriage and true, reckless love. Venice is a dangerous city. Intrigue, romance and power lie at its heart and secrets run through the blood of its rulers. They call Laura 'La Muta'. The Silent One. She is about to break her silence ...but at what cost
Review
Laura, a venetian girl who has been in a convent is brought back into venetian life when her sister is killed. Her father is out for himself, wanting status more than what Laura wants. She is arranged to be married, to none other than the fiancee of her sister. However, the letters she wrote to Laura are far from the truth of what this man is like. A secret she learns could be the only way out of the arranged marriage, but with the top players of Venice involved will it be worth the risk for her? She joins a society which takes secrets, she isn't sure whether they are doing good or not but that's the only choice. She meets a man, a painter, who she falls in love with, but is he who he seems? The story is based on two families who both lost a son to the other. Everything links with that and Laura has to find out the secrets of that, to find out who killed her sister and who really isn't who they seem to be.
This story was good, different with a depth of history. The setting is described well and the characters have personality, to the point where you trust who Laura would, not thinking those people could be the bad players in Venice. There are lots of twists that will keep you hanging on, wanting more. The love story of Laura and the painter is sweet, innocent, but not without depth. Their forbidden love makes this perfect for the historical romance genre. There is some action too, where you don't know if Laura will be able to save herself or her lover.
Labels: Book review, Cross My Heart, Sasha Gould, Young Adult
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Publisher : Atom
Pages : 496
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Three angels are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, their superhuman powers, and their wings. Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and they are unable to resist their attraction to each other. But the angels’ mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?
Review
Bethany, an angel, is sent along with her brother and sister to stop evil. She is the youngest and this is her first time here, so she's quite naive about her position and with her strange connection with human ways, it's easy for her to slip into this. Her brother and sister have done this before and are both high up the ranks. Bethany meets Xavier, a young boy who goes to the school she is to attend along with her brother, who will be a teacher. The connection between her and Xavier leads her into the teenage girl she is pretending to be easily, her reason for being there quickly becoming less important to the feelings she has for Xavier. It gets harder as the feelings turn to love, to keep her secret. She wants the secret to be his, wants him to know who she is. But it's against the rules, even the feelings towards him are. She's so into her role as a teenage girl, that when evil presents itself to her, she can't see it. It takes advantage of her and gets her into a position she would rather not be in.
I really enjoyed this book, it's long, so i can see how it can be seen as slow. But i see it as being well explored and full of detail. Every situation is well described, leaving nothing to the imagination. With the story being slightly different, lots of the book is taken up with explanations for why the angels are there along with what they have to do to make things right. The characters are all different, from a friend of Bethany's who is only worried about clothes and makeup, to Jake whose seductive ways of speaking and striking features, can be taken the wrong way. Bethany's brother and sister worry that she is losing her reason for being there, being taken in by the feelings of a teenage girl, and she is. Having feelings for Xavier leads her into situations she shouldn't be in and make her purpose change. Instead of stopping what she is meant to, she wants nothing more than to be with him even if it means going against everything.
Labels: Alexandra Adornetto, Book review, Halo, Young Adult
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Publisher : Atom
Pages : 344
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity. When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent. Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile.
Review
The romantic flavour of Paris, the sweet and steamy romance. Although that's enough, it isnt all this story has. It's well written and has detail that puts you right in the setting. Thrust right into the beauty of Paris, Kate, finds herself in some strange situations after meeting the interesting Vincent, she slowly becomes infatuated with him and wants to learn about this boy. When she learns it, even his true identity can't keep her away. All the characters are developed strongly, not one seeming out of place, all having enough detail and individual personality. Everywhere Kate visits is described with an intensity and her feelings of love towards Vincent are clear. This story compliments the genre with an edge.
Labels: Amy Plum, Book review, Die For Me, Young Adult
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Friday, 23 September 2011
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Publisher : Corgi Childrens
Pages : 312
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.
Review
This is tough to review, i expected a lot from it but i felt quite confused with it. The base of the story wasn't that different, with Donna, the main character, having had a hard life after having a run in with the wood elves. She's different and the people at school make it so obvious they don't accept her. However she wore gloves constantly, because of the marks on her arms, and the story that came with that, was interesting. Although you don't feel like you've missed a chapter while reading, it does seem quite fast. The girl meets the guy and that's it, there is action, stuff does happen but it's so fast that it feels to be not important. It was an alright book though, it was interesting enough and the romance between the two characters was good enough for me to want to read the others in the series, along with the answers still to be found out about.
Labels: Book review, Karen Mahoney, The Iron Witch, Young Adult
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
The Eternal Ones By Kirsten Miller
Publisher : Puffin
Pages : 384
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
What if love refused to die?
Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.
Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.
Review
This book is focused on love, this emotion has the main character, Haven, thrust into a spin considering her feelings. Are her feelings real? Is this boy who she thinks he is? Haven is a young girl who has visions of past lives she has lived. Also Ethan, a boy who she believes to be her true love, a boy she has shared all these lives with. But as she finds out about her visions and has more, she builds up a picture of what she has to do. Her character is strong, despite all the things she has to contend with. Her friend, Beau, is interesting, the sort of person one would want a friend to be. All the characters are well thought out, each having enough description to make them have big slots in the story. When it comes to Iain, he is the typical bad boy, seductive and mysterious aswell. The twists and turns in this book have you wondering where it's going and some of the choices Haven makes will make you cringe, but that's what love does, and like it, this book is brilliant.
Labels: Book review, Kirsten Miller, The Eternal Ones, Young Adult
Dark Souls by Paula Morris
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Dark Souls by Paula Morris
Publisher : Point
Pages : 292
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : From author for review
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : From author for review
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Welcome to York, England.
Mist lingers in the streets.
Narrow buildings cast long shadows.
This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .
Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . .
Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls?
Review
Dark Souls is a gothic story with depth, not only having the various elements you expect from this genre, it also has a back story that fills it with emotion. We meet Miranda, an American girl who, with her family, are having a holiday to York. She wants to escape a part of her there, leaving it in America. But she quickly sees that wherever she goes, this part of her will follow. Miranda can see ghosts. An accident in her past started this off and now she sees the tortured souls, the only thing is, sometimes she can't tell who is or is not real. The ghosts can seem so real that she finds it difficult to tell. On her holiday, she meets a mysterious boy called Nick. Also another boy, a beautiful ghost who she wants to talk to, wants to help but can't. Her presumption of him is wrong and with Nick, she learns more about her ability and how nasty it can get. The detail in the surroundings make this story even more tantalizing, it's romantic and gothic, creepy and mysterious. The characters are strong, each having a significant part to play. This is an addition to the genre that everyone should have a look at.
Mist lingers in the streets.
Narrow buildings cast long shadows.
This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .
Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . .
Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls?
Review
Dark Souls is a gothic story with depth, not only having the various elements you expect from this genre, it also has a back story that fills it with emotion. We meet Miranda, an American girl who, with her family, are having a holiday to York. She wants to escape a part of her there, leaving it in America. But she quickly sees that wherever she goes, this part of her will follow. Miranda can see ghosts. An accident in her past started this off and now she sees the tortured souls, the only thing is, sometimes she can't tell who is or is not real. The ghosts can seem so real that she finds it difficult to tell. On her holiday, she meets a mysterious boy called Nick. Also another boy, a beautiful ghost who she wants to talk to, wants to help but can't. Her presumption of him is wrong and with Nick, she learns more about her ability and how nasty it can get. The detail in the surroundings make this story even more tantalizing, it's romantic and gothic, creepy and mysterious. The characters are strong, each having a significant part to play. This is an addition to the genre that everyone should have a look at.
Labels: Book review, Dark Souls, Paula Morris, Young Adult
Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
Monday, 22 August 2011
Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
Publisher : Bantam press
Pages : 400
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : From publisher for review
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Paperback
Cover : UK Cover
Got : From publisher for review
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
About
When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches her ring. Garet can’t believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening
Review
This book has everything a fantasy enthusiast wants. Action, romance, mystery and one thing that some books don't have, an interesting and well thought story. The story is thorough and full of detail. We get to know Garet, a young woman who makes jewellery, her father owns an art gallery and she lives with him above it. Garet comes across a shop, which she enters and finds herself shocked when the shop owner questions her about her ring, showing her a box which has the same emblem on its clasp. He asks her to open it, it is solded shut and seeing as she makes jewellery, he thinks she can open it. That's when everything starts to get strange. Garet is thrust into a journey of not only trying to find answers about the box but also herself. She can't see how she can be connected to the box really, but her new acquaintance, Will, seems to know otherwise. He is very handsome and ever the gentleman, but there's something about him. With stunning detail and strong characters, this book had me hooked, i couldn't not read on to see what happens, stumbling along with Garet on her journey.
Labels: Black Swan Rising, Book review, Lee Carroll, Young Adult
Books for review
Thanks to the publishers of these books for sending me these for review.
Along with the author of Dark Souls who sent me a copy.
Labels: Books for review, Young Adult
Withering Tights By Louise Rennison
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Withering Tights By Louise Rennison
Publisher : Harpercollins
Pages : 351
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardcover
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardcover
Cover : UK Cover
Got : Bought
Rating : ♥ ♥ ♥
About
Picture the scene: Dother Hall performing arts college somewhere Up North, surrounded by rolling dales, bearded cheesemaking villagers (male and female) and wildlife of the squirrely-type. On the whole, it’s not quite the showbiz experience Tallulah was expecting… but once her mates turn up and they start their ‘FAME! I’m gonna liiiiive foreeeeeever, I’m gonna fill my tiiiiights’ summer course things are bound to perk up. Especially when the boys arrive. (When DO the boys arrive?) Six weeks of parent-free freedom. BOY freedom. Freedom of expression... cos it’s the THEATRE dahling, theatre
Review
I really enjoyed the first series by this author, and was expecting this to be as good. It wasn't though, it just didn't have that laughable edge. It was funny, but not to the extent of the other series by the author. We are introduced to Tallulah, who is the typical character in a Louise Rennison book. Her flaws are at the front of her mind, like any young girl. She has just moved to attend a college for the summer, it's a performing arts college, this gives plenty of opportunities for a laugh and people acting out of the ordinary. However, even though not as funny, the laughable content in this book, is still of the sort that most people can relate too. As in, you probably know someone like a character in the book that is joked about. Tallulah quickly makes friends and then the all important boys come into it. Lots of her friends getting paired off with boys, while she has various options, different sorts of boys that interest her in different ways. This is book is full of cringe worthy situations and young girls trying to get the attention of boys. Although that sounds quite baseless for a story, the funny aspects pull it together and make it an alright and light story.
Labels: Book review, Louise Rennison, Withering Tights, Young Adult
Blood and Flowers by Penny Blublaugh
Monday, 18 July 2011
Blood and Flowers by Penny Blublaugh
Publisher : Harperteen
Pages : 352
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardcover
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from author
Pages : 352
Genre : Young Adult
Type : Hardcover
Cover : UK Cover
Got : For review from author
Rating : ♥ ♥
About
Persia ran away from her drug-addict parents and found a home with the Outlaws, an underground theater troupe. This motley band of mortals and fey, puppeteers and actors, becomes the loving family Persia never had, and soon Persia not only discovers a passion for theater but also falls in love with Nicholas, one of the other Outlaws. Life could not be more perfect. Until an enemy with a grudge makes an unfair accusation against the group and forces them to flee the mortal world and hide in the neighboring realm of Faerie.
Review
I really wanted to like this book, i thought it would be brilliant. We meet Persia, a girl who lives with the Outlaws, a theater troupe. They are trying to make themselves known while avoiding the unwanted attention of Major, a man who has a grudge and is giving them a bad name. In this world faerie isn't a secret, however it is frowned upon. Dust and coloured drinks come from Faerie and they have allowed the tasters to become addicts. The Outlaws have a Faerie member called Floss, who has chosen not to live in Faerie because of her parents. When things get bad with Major, Floss takes them to Faerie.
There was no plot to me, it was all quite baseless and the characters were basic, not built enough. One of the characters, Lucia, really irritated me, she seemed so childish and whiney. There was a romance between the main character and Nicholas, which was hardly a romance. There was no plot for that either. No building of the feelings or relationship, It didn't feel realistic. There was no need for them to go to Faerie, the threat of Major didn't force them there and when they got there, although the main character hadn't been before, the descriptions were so basic. She had entered another world and yet nothing really seemed to shock her. Really, there was no magic in this book. A Faerie book should be overflowing with fantasy and magic.
Labels: blood and flowers, Book review, penny blublaugh, Young Adult
