The Whispering of the Pages

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

2012-05-28T10:00:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 272
Publisher: Walker
Published on: 28th of Febuary 2012

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

(Special thanks to the author for providing me with this copy ^^)

What I Have to Say

This book was amazing. I honesly didn't expect it to be as good as it was, which is why I should never let first impressions of a book sway my judgement xD

I've never really thought about the paparrazi as anything more than a bunch of people who bother celebrities and take their pictures. This really gives an insight into their point of view. Why they do it, how they think about it. I'm not saying that it's good, but there are some really good arguments made in this book.

Jo was a really cool character too. I feel in love with her really quickly! She just had such an interesting voice and it was easy to sympathise with her. She was also really funny! My sort of humour I think.^^

The best thing I think about it though was how real it felt, which is especially impressive considering the plot.

I really recommened this book!

Katana by Cole Gibson

2012-05-21T13:46:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 375
Publisher: Flux
Published on: 8th of March 2012

Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline had given her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn't explain her dreams of 15th-century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings.

While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.

Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana—a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

What I Have to Say

I was really surprised by this book! I was expecting it to be enjoyable, but I thought that, as I know quite a bit about Japan, I would be bugged by a lot of inaccuracies! But there are only a few and the story more than makes up for it (and it's pretty funny to imagine samurai warriors tripping over her kimono. Anyone who's tried to wear one will appreciate how hard it is to run in them, let along fight! :P).

Also, I was really impressed that they used the Japanese nunchyaku rather than the Korean nunchuck. But I won't bore you with random Japanese knowledge :P

Rileigh was a really cool character. It was easy to imagine her as both the high school skater chick and the fierce samurai warrior.

Anyway if you have any interest in the samurai or martial arts in general, I recommend this book. Really enjoyable story.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

2012-05-14T10:00:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pages: 288
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd
Released on: 6th of June 2011

Here's the thing about me: I can see the future in flashes, like memories. But my past is a blank. I remember what I'll wear tomorrow, and an argument that won't happen until this afternoon. But I don't know what I ate for dinner last night. I get by with the help of notes, my mom and my best friend Jamie, and the system works ...Until now. Everything's falling apart. Jamie's going of the rails. My mom is lying to me. And I can't see the boy I adore in my future. But today, I love him. And I never want to forget how much.

What I Have to Say

This book had such a cool idea behind it! I knew just from reading the blurb that I was going to love it. Not being able to remember the past must be very disorientating. Plus knowing what's going to happen in the future always makes for an interesting story!

London's condition was shown in a very straightforward way. It's something that she's suffered with since she was 6 years old and she's found ways of dealing with it, by writing herself notes.

I loved the way that the mystery of it all was so essential to the plot. The memory problems left the character in much the same as the reader is when starting the book. She doesn't remember her past and we haven't been told about it yet. As she found out things, so do we! It works so well.

London is also a very good character. The way she explains things and talks about her condition seem very realistic. Also the way Patrick starts some of the chapters with the notes that London has left herself was nice to read.

I only wish that this book had been longer! It's a shame to have finished it really.

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

2012-05-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pages: 448
Published by: Abacus
Released on: 2nd of Febuary 2012

Yasuko lives a quiet life, working in a Tokyo bento shop, a good mother to her only child. But when her ex-husband appears at her door without warning one day, her comfortable world is shattered. When Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that day, he finds himself confronted by the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances he has ever investigated. Nothing quite makes sense, and it will take a genius to understand the genius behind this particular crime...

What I Have to Say

Probably the main attraction of this book was that it was by a Japanese author and set in Japan. Still whether you like Japan or not, it's a really wonderful story. It's got a few aspects of the culture in there, which I found really cool, but not intrusive if your not interested in the culture.

The characters were really interesting. Each of the point of view characters had a different outlook on life and very different voices. Ishigami was the most interesting, the reasons why will be obvious if you read the book. I also really liked Yasuko's voice. She had a very straightforward outlook on life.

There were so many mind games and false clues in this book, that it was pretty much impossible to work out how it was going to end. If anyone has read this or is going to, please let me know in the comments if you even had a suspicion, because it was a complete surprise to me and I'm usually pretty good at working these things out! :P

This book is really a must if you're interested in Japanese culture. And if you're not then I would recommend it to people who like Crime. Especially those looking for something that will really surprise you.

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Steal

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

There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save and My Soul to Keep. If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of the first book in the series, My Soul to Take here! If you've already read My Soul to Take, then my review of My Soul to Steal is here! And my review for My Soul to Keep is here!

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pages: 304
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Published on: 21st of October 2011

Sometimes dreams do come true... and that's the last thing Kaylee needs working things out with Nash - her maybe boyfriend - is hard for Kaylee. She's already coping with being a teenage banshee. Worse, Nash's gorgeous ex-girlfriend just transferred to their school. Sabine's no ordinary girl. She's a mara, a real-life walking nightmare. Draining people's energy through their darkest dreams sustains Sabine...and makes her Kaylee's top suspect in a cluster of super-creepy deaths. To win back Nash, Kaylee's determined to unearth the truth. But Sabine knows the deathly secrets of Kaylee's subconscious - and she's not afraid to use them to get whatever and whoever she wants...

What I Have to Say

This book conjured up a few too many RL emotions for me, so I'll apologise in advance if this review isn't as good as usual. Still the plot was really good. I was great to see more of Tod. But the Nash/ Sabine/ Kaylee storyline was just too much for me right now.

I've decided that I really like Alec. I hope that we see more of him in the other books.

It's also really good to see Kaylee telling Emma a bit more about the Neverworld stuff. She really needed to know!

That's all I can really say about this book. I'm sorry. Maybe in the future I'll reread it and put up a better review.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

2012-04-30T17:11:00.001+01:00

Do not read this review unless you have already read both Uglies and Pretties or don't mind being spoiled. My review for Uglies is located here and my review for Pretties is here.

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pages: 400
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: 4th of March 2010

"Special Circumstances" - These words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a rebellious Ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumour - frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary...Now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the Uglies down and the Pretties stupid. The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember...most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more. Still, it's easy to tune that out - until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: carry out the mission she's programmed to complete, or listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat telling her that something's wrong...Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

What I Have to Say

With every book I read of this series, I wait for the idea to become stretched and unbelievable, but Westerfeld keeps making it work.

I love the way he's combined Tally the Special, Tally the Pretty and Tally the Ugly. In both of these later books he's managed to put the 'bubblehead' or predatory-cruel-pretty persona onto her without losing the voice of Tally that we grew to love in the first book. It's easy to believe that no matter how much they muck around in her head, she'll always be the same Tally underneath. It works so well because the different versions are so different but still leave room for the character underneath to peek through.

I really love this series and don't want it to end. It's just such a great dystopian world that he's created.

If you've not already taken my advice and read Uglies, please get hold of a copy and read. I hope that you'll fall in love with this world as much as I have. :) I'll probably reiterate this in my review of Extras later on ;)

Unrest by Michelle Harrison

2012-04-23T15:15:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: 26th of April 2012

Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn't slept properly for six months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Now he is afraid to go to sleep. Sometimes he wakes to find himself paralysed, unable to move a muscle, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around, while his body lies asleep on the bed. According to his doctor, sleep paralysis and out of body experiences are harmless - but to Elliot they're terrifying. Convinced that his brush with death has opened up connections with the spirit world, Elliott secures a live-in job at one of England's most haunted locations, determined to find out the truth. There he finds Sebastian, the ghost of a long-dead servant boy hanged for stealing bread. He also meets the living, breathing Ophelia, a girl with secrets of her own. She and Elliott grow closer, but things take a terrifying turn when Elliott discovers Sebastian is occupying his body when he leaves it. And the more time Sebastian spends inhabiting a living body, the more resistant he becomes to giving it back. Worse, he seems to have an unhealthy interest in Ophelia. Unless Elliott can lay Sebastian's spirit to rest, he risks being possessed by him for ever, and losing the girl of his dreams...

What I Have to Say

I was so excited when I found this book in waterstones the other day. I felt really lucky since it's not technically out until Thursday ^^ And I wasn't disappointed!

I've read and loved Michelle Harrison's faery books. This one was even better! Though if you want to sleep, don't read it after dark ;)

I think the thing that I most loved about this book was the realness of it. Harrison has really done her research on paranormal sightings and sleep disorders. The characters were also really well built and the relationship between Elliott and Ophelia was really easy to believe.

Harrison is also really good at creating mystery and tension. She built up almost every revelation to bring more questions. There were also a few surprises. I always try to guess the end of the book and feel really clever when I do (well, doesn't everyone really :P) but with this book she slipped in two revelations at once, one that I guessed and one that I hadn't. It made me feel clever and surprised me at the same time!

So if you like realistic characters and ghost stories then this book is definitely for you! Just don't read after dark!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

2012-04-16T03:55:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pages: 512
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Series: Blood of Eden (Book 1)
Release Date: 4th of May 2012 (US: 24th of April 2012)

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who killed her mother and keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked - and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must work with her vampire creator and learn the rules of being immortal. Including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. When Allison is separated from her creator, she flees into the unknown, the world outside her vampire city, beyond the wall. There she joins a ragged band of humans who don't know what she is, seeking a legend - a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

What I Have to Say

First up, I want to say that I am eternally indebted to Sophie at So Many Books, So Little Time for sending this copy my way. I am so, so grateful for so much that she's done for me and this blog (without her it wouldn't exist xD) and this is just the latest and best thing she has done to help me.

Another thing I just want to get out of the way before I start my proper review, is the fangirling. I can't possibly write this review without turning into a squeeing pile of goo. So I'm just going to just let it all out so that I can be reasonably calm and intelligent. Just bare with me a moment (feel free to skip the next paragraph):

Oh my god! This book was so incredibly amazing and I love Julie Kagawa so much and would read her grocery list if she were to publish it! She's just has such a beautiful way with words and I just love all of her books, but this one was even better and- and it's too much *excitable squeeing*

*breathes a few times* Okay. I'm calm. Everyone still here? Great! Thank you for your patience with that. ^^

Basically, the main thing I have to say is that this is the best book I have ever read. It has gone straight up to the position of my favourite book and I think will stay there for a long time. It was so well constructed and beautifully written that I just loved every word of it. I think every single one of you reading this right now should stop what you're doing and go pre-order this book (or just buy it if you're reading this later on). This is how much I recommend this book.

Honestly though? I knew that I would love this book since the moment I heard of it. A Vampire Dystopia written by Julie Kagawa? I'm in! Add in the surname Sekemoto and a katana and it was like the book was written especially for me ^^

Vampires have got a bad name recently. The whole Twilight thing got out of hand and brought in a string of books with soft, cowardly vampires who didn't drink blood (although it must be said that I do love a lot of the vampires who don't drink blood), but Kagawa has attempted to bring back the really evil, twister monster vampires!!! And she's done it cleverly too. Not only has she got the really messed up ones who run everything and treat humans as cattle, but she's also kept the Dark Fantasy angle going by having a vampire- main character who we can sympathise with and love.

There are some very, very sad bits though. The relationship between Zeke and Allison is very tragic. I've never really felt that a relationship between a vampire and a human couldn't work out before. Maybe it's because I know of too many examples where it has all turned out fine. But this just broke my heart.

I'm also amazed by how much I cared about the character too. There are some characters that I really care for in books and I'm scared they're going to die. But Allison is a tough character, I never really worried about her not being able to face off any danger that she faced. The thing I worried about was that she'd lose control of herself and be revealed as a vampire. But that worry was so intense. I was just willing her to have some blood and get herself out of danger every time she went too long without any!! It's the first time, I think, that I've cared for a book character more like the way I would care about a friend, with concern and worry rather than the more common I-hope-she'll-be-okay kind of worry.

The last point I want to make is about the YA tag. I don't think that Young Adult books are only for Young Adults. In fact, I don't think any book is only for a specific audience. But this book especially I think is one that can be enjoyed by adults as well as teenagers. It is gritty and it is dark and it's really just an amazing world to read about. Plus the cover isn't too YA looking so you won't be looked at weirdly if you read it on the bus ;)

So yes. I have so much more I can say about this, but I feel I should stop before it gets too long a post! If you would like to hear more of my thoughts, then leave a comment and maybe I could do a Part 2 or something. Also, I'm sure that if you know me or follow me on Twitter then you will hear much, much more of me babbling on about how great it is.

And in absolute seriousness, if you're only going to take one of my recommendations then make sure it's this one.

Night School by C.J Daugherty

2012-04-09T10:00:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website

Sometimes school can be murder...Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested. Again. This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers. But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch. When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

What I have to Say

I loved this book so much! I wasn't sure what to make of it at first but it's just so well written. Allie is a really strong character and the plot is intriguing and gripping in all the right ways!

What I think I really liked though was the way that friendships were shown. In fact all the relationships were so real. A lot of books show people being the absolute best of friends where nothing can ever go wrong, but this shows the bitchiness that people can have. Especially with girls and especially at a boarding school.

In some books, it's fine. Especially if the book needs a really close group of friends, but in others, and especially in this one, the fluctuating friendships really add something to the plotline.

The other thing I think that really made this books something special was how well the mystery element was done. It was constantly hovering on the line between mysterious and frustrating, enough to keep people guessing, but not too much that they give up reading it. Also it means that you can really emphasis with Allie about being left in the dark all the time, because you're in the same position.

Oh and the tea. There was a lot of tea in this book. But in a good way. It made it feel real and wasn't too intrusive. And it was very British :P It really caught the attitude that a lot of us have about being able to solve everything with a cup of tea. When something bad happens, you go and get tea, when something good happens, you go and get tea, doing homework? Why not have tea to go with it. I know that feeling well :)

So I really highly recommend this book! If you like dark, mysteries set at British boarding schools then this is something that you just have to read.

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Keep

2012-04-03T14:31:00.004+01:00

There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of the first book in the series, My Soul to Take here! If you've already read My Soul to Take, then my review of My Soul to Steal is here!

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

KAYLEE HAS ONE ADDICTION:HER BOYFRIEND NASH Like Kaylee, Nash is a banshee. So he understands her like no one else. Nothing - supernatural or otherwise - can come between them. That is, until something does. Demon breath - a potent paranormal drug with the power to kill. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. Kaylee and Nash need to cut off the source and protect their human friends - one of whom is already hooked. But Kaylee's plans are soon derailed when she uncovers another secret demon breath addict in their midst. Nash. Now she's ready to kick some serious Netherworld butt - but is it too late to save the boy who's stolen her heart?

What I Have to Say

I loved this book so much more than the other two! I was expecting something much the same, a stability in quality that doesn't make the series better or worse, but this was a real step up in quality. The emotions that she brings into her writing are just so touching.

The dangers of drug use (a very human issue) combined with the element of the Neverworld was really well written and led to a good story.

I did miss Todd though. There really wasn't enough of him in this book. Still when he did show up it was great. And I really want him and Emma to get together! They'd be a great couple and he clearly likes her!

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2012-04-02T14:59:00.001+01:00

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

Pack life is about order, but Bryn is about to push all the limits, with hair-raising results. At the age of four, Bryn watched a rabid werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by Callum, the alpha of his pack. Now fifteen, Bryn's been as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule. Little fazes her. But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum's orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her parents come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It's Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

What I Have to Say

This book didn't impress me at first, but it really grew on me as I got to know the character. She's really well built so that you can really see the Bryn as a fairly normal teenage girl, but at the same time the influence that being raised as part of a werewolf pack has had on her is very apparent.

The pack society is really interesting as well. A lot of portrayal of were-creatures show a lot of human influence. But in this book it was much more animalistic with just a few bits of humanity there. I found it really realistic because I think that a were-wolf society probably wouldn't have that much humanity in it, not if they're raised so far away from humans.

The decision to make the main character human was also a really good choice. She's in the society but at the same time she's not.

And Werewolf babies ftw!! They're so adorable! I've been waiting for someone to do proper werewolf pups for ages! Because babies who can change into little wolf pups are so cute and finally I've found someone doing it! The fact that they change in their childhood also adds more realism to the society. These aren't humans who start turning into wolves at adolescence, they are raised as both human and wolves.

If you like werewolf books and want to see adorable little pups then this book is definitely for you.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

2012-03-26T15:26:00.000+01:00

Synopsis (from Amazon.co.uk)

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

What I Have to Say

So after reading the Fault in our Stars, I went on a bit of a John Green binge. Well I say binge. I read this and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (which I won't be reviewing, not because it was bad, just 'cause it was nothing special. If you want to hear my thoughts, feel free to drop me an email). So a lot of my thoughts about this are in relation to the Fault in our Stars. If you haven't read my review of it then go and read it before reading this. Go on. I can wait.

Okay is everyone back? All on the same page? Great. :) So I think that John Green has some sort of amazing ability to make readers fall in love with normally unlikable characters. In the Fault in our Stars, there's Augustus. I mean come on he puts cigarettes in his mouth and doesn't light them just for the irony! What's there to like? And in Katherines, it's Colin. Colin is the typical child prodigy. He doesn't exactly think that everyone is beneath him, but he's smarter than them and knows it. In any other book I would hate both of them! But I love them so much.

I came away from the Fault in our Stars, thinking that it was the humour that did it. People like humour and if someone makes them laugh it makes them like the person. But in the Fault in our Stars, it was Augustus's sarcasm that the humour came in. A typically, cynical, teenage sense of humour. I love it. In anything, I love that sort of humour. But with Katherines it's different. Colin is jokey and funny but what makes him lovable, in my opinion, is the simplistic view in which he sees the world. The very premise of the book shows this view. He dates girls called Katherine. He tries to use maths to solve his romantic problems. It's almost naive and that's why I love the Abundance of Katherines.

I'd love to hear other peoples opinions about this. Go read the book and then come back and comment. Or if you've already read the book, just comment. I'd be really interested.

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

2012-03-19T13:00:00.083Z

Do not read this review unless you have already read Uglies or don't mind being spoiled. My review for Uglies is located here!

Synopsis (From the Waterstones Website)

Tally has finally become 'pretty'. Her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are cool, her boyfriend is totally gorgeous, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun - the non-stop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom - is a nagging feeling that something is very wrong. Something important. And sure enough, when a message from Tally's 'ugly' past arrives, the fun stops cold. Now Tally has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life...

What I Have to Say

I think that Pretties really lived up to the standard set by the first book. For one thing Westerfeld managed to smoothly do the recapping the story thing, that authors seem to think they have to do. Because Tally's pretty-brain is affecting her memory she is slowly getting her memories back. It means that the reader gets reminded what's previously happened without it being intrusive or info dumpy. It's just smoothly worked into the story.

I thought that the book was really well written and it was just as good as the last one, so if you enjoyed Uglies you're likely to enjoy Pretties! :)

My comments still stand about the world and characters, I still love the world Scott Westerfeld described with it's dark secrets, but what struck me most was the slang that was used throughout the book.

Slang can be done badly in books, but it's really fun to read when it's done well. And I think that part of the reasons is how integral the slang was to the plot. Tally and Zane seemed to find it much easier to hide what they were saying and indeed the fact that they were bubbly because slang is very prominent in the Pretty personality.

It also made it very easy to adapt what they where saying. Slang is often very easy to understand what they were saying. Slang is often very easy to adapt into code and the fact that the crims could convey that they where feeling less pretty-brained by being bubbly. It really works well to convey how much they're having to hide their conversations and how clever they're being. It's just very well constructed, with so much detail. It really feels that Westerfeld has thought about everything.

If every book had this much detail without becoming too infodumpy, then books would be so much better than they are now.

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

2012-03-13T19:04:00.000Z

There will be spoilers in this post from My Soul to Take. If you want to know more about the Soul Screamers books then check out my review of My Soul to Take here!

Synopsis (From the Waterstones Website)

When teenager Kaylee screams, someone dies...So when teen pop star Eden dies onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul. The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld - a consequence they can't possibly understand. Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk.

What I Have to Say

I didn't think My Soul to Save was any better than My Soul to Take, but I didn't think it was any worse either. They're both really great books, so this isn't a bad thing at all. Too many books try to escalate the drama until it becomes unrealistic - sustainable quality is a really good thing in a series and Rachel Vincent really pulls it off.

I liked seeing more of Tod and exploring other sides of his character. It made him more of a main character and less of just someone who's there. I also really love the relationship between Nash and Tod. It works so well because it's both funny and realistic.

Another good thing about this book is that we get to see Kaylee develop and start to learn about what she can do as a Bean Sidhe. She's getting more integrated into the supernatural world.

Also we get to learn more about the Netherworld! Which is always cool and Vincent shows that she can be just as imaginative in creating faery worlds/ demon dimensions as the other writers around her.

It's completely worth reading more of this series and I can't wait to read the next book (which I will do much sooner than I did this one!!! >< you can blame the reading I've had to do for uni for that xD).

Pride by Rachel Vincent

2012-03-12T16:28:00.002Z

Synopsis from (from Amazon)

The werecat council has three cardinal laws and headstrong Faythe stands accused of breaking two of them: infecting a human with her supernatural skills and killing him to cover her tracks. With the death penalty hanging over her head, Faythe has no escape route left. Until a shapeshifter informs the pride of a rash of rogue strays terrorising his land. Yet this threat is nothing like any they've seen before. Only Faythe has the knowledge to save the pride, but can she prove her worth? Or will the councils verdict condemn them all?

What I Have to Say

About the Series in General

The best thing about Vincent's characters are the strong female protagonists. I think my favourite is Faythe. She's very tough and refuses to be talked down to. It makes it really easy to believe that she's a werecat raised among a bunch of older brothers.

It's the way that all the characters act that makes it feel real. It's very normal and human, but at the same time it's all very catlike.

There are just little things that are scattered throughout the books: They can hear through most walls, identify each other by scent and have to eat much more than humans. Just these small details team up to make a really believable storyworld that's easy to immerse yourself in.

About Pride in Particular

Pride was heartbreaking, but at the same time it's got a lot of action and humour. The other thing that was really well done was the pace and action of the storyline. The fact that the main plotline is Faythe's trial means that it could very easily become slow and technical, especially since the main character is banned from partaking in the action. But as we all know, trouble finds it's way in.

In all, I loved the book just as much as the others in the series. It has a really well built world and a good range of characters.

Now I have to go and buy the next book to find out what happens!

Plague by Michael Grant

2012-03-05T12:00:00.002Z

Synopsis (FromThe Waterstones Website)

(Contains mild spoilers for the rest of the series so I'm whiting it out. Highlight if you want to read it!)

The FAYZ goes from bad to worse...The darkness has been foiled once again and the resurrected Drake has been contained. But the streets of Perdido Beach are far from safe, with a growing army of mutants fighting against the humans for power in the town. In a small room of a house near the edge of town, Little Pete lies ill on a bed. In his fevered dreams, he continues his battle with the hidden evil that seeks to use his power to bring about anarchy and destruction.

What I Have to Say

About the series in general

This is another really good story world. What happens when kids are left alone? Maybe throw in a few power mad kids. And then why not go the whole way and give them superpowers? What could possibly go wrong?

In some ways it's rather like a modernised version of Lord of the Flies, but then the superpowers come in and it's a whole different thing. It's gives a new angle and updates it a lot by bringing in mental issues such as sociopathy and autism.

I also think that Sam is perfect as the main narrator. The weight of responsibility and the decisions that he makes really show how hard it is to suddenly have responsibility for a lot of people. Especially when they're kids who just expect him to just solve everything.

So I would really recommend the series. Especially if you like dark storylines and really, really twisted characters.

About Plague in Particular (SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES)

I don't think I liked this book as much as the last one. It was still really good, but I'm feeling that it might be time to bring them out of the FAYZ now. Or at least put something new in there to make it feel fresh again. I'm so curious to know how everything would change without the FAYZ. I mean are Sam's worries really going to take place or is it just paranoia on his part? But for now, especially since the Blink, it's just feeling quite stretched out and just becoming the same fights over and over.

Don't get me wrong, plague is still really worth reading. I just feel that the series needs something new for the next book.

Anyway, that's just my opinion on the matter. Feel free to disagree in the comments. Then we could have a debate! :P

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

2012-02-27T11:49:00.000Z

Synopsis (From The Waterstone's Website)

Tally lives in a world where your sixteenth birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation which erases all your flaws, transforming you from an 'Ugly' into a 'Pretty'. She is on the eve of this important event, and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time.
But then she meets Shay, who is also fifteen - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape ' turning'. Tally won't be persuaded to join her, as this would involve sacrificing everything she's ever wanted for a lot of uncertainty. When she is taken in for questioning on her birthday, however, Tally gets sent to the Ruins anyway - against her will.The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she could ever imagine: find her friend Shay and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. What she discovers in the Ruins reveals that there is nothing 'pretty' about the transformations...And the choice Tally makes will change her world forever.

What I Have to Say

I've fallen completely in love with this series. It just feels so real. All of the new ideas that Westerfeld has come up with have a basis in today's society. The whole "Size Zero" thing that we have today seems like it could really grow into the "Pretty" society that Westerfeld describes.

But I think the scariest thing about it is that the logic behind it is understandable. I'm not saying that it would be good, just that you can see where they're coming from. Mostly, it's the making people Pretty so that everyone looks the same thing. It's true that a lot of conflict comes from differences in appearance and one way to stop those arguments would be to somehow make everyone the same.

I think that's the way to make a good realistic "Utopian" society. Start with one thing that could make the world a better place and then find all the problems with it.

Secrets also tend to be good, 'cause they give a mystery into the plot. It's especially so because when you see a Utopia you instantly start looking for underlying problems.

Anyway, I think this is a really, really interesting story world and I'm looking forward to reading more of it.

In a few weeks they'll be another review for the next book in the series. In the mean time, I really think that you all should get Uglies, because it's just an amazing book.

Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2012-02-20T12:00:00.076Z

Synopsis (From Julie Kagawa's Official Website)

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

What I Have to Say

I'm splitting this section into two parts so as to give both the book and the series justice whilst not spoiling anyone who hasn't read the previous books. If you don't want any of the previous books in the series please don't read the section about Iron Knight.

About the Iron Fey series in General

Julie Kagawa is one of my favourite authors. I will buy everyone book she writes without question (or even stopping to read the blurb). The Iron Fey series is a really original but still pretty classic fey story. She intertwines the normal rules of Faerie with this new idea of combining fey creatures with iron to show the human effect on Faerie. Then she goes to show how damaging this is to the original fey.

I love reading about fey. I love the stories people are finding to tell about them. But Kagawa takes it even further by finding something new that she can create by basing her iron fey on the age of technology. Her inventions range from powerful creatures such as Iron Horse, Glitch and Virus to adorable little things like packrats and gremlins (even if the latter is a bit of a nuisance xD).

So not only has Kagawa described in wonderful detail her interpretation of the land of Faerie, she's also made it very original and interesting to read.

If you haven't read the other books in the series I strongly recommend you read them before reading the rest of my review. It's your choice, of course, but they're amazing and you should read them :p. You can get them all off Amazon or from a decent bookshop (Order them from your local independent bookshop!!! They need the profit. Amazon will survive without your money!!!!)

About Iron Knight in Particular (contains spoilers for previous books in the series)

I think that Iron Knight is my favourite of the Iron Fey series. First of all because it contains Ash who I absolutely love, even if he's gone soft since falling for Megan. He's change a lot from his hard, cold, unseelie self, but there's still traces of the ice prince in there as well as flashbacks of him in his prime. I like evil guys!! I can't help it!!!

I also really love him and Puck together. I love the way they bicker and threaten each other even though they kind of like each other really. They also make a really good team, which goes some way to show what they were like before their feud got in the way.

All that said, I think the thing that made me love the book so much more from the rest of the series (which I didn't even think was possible before I read it) was the whole Arthurian feel it had about it. It was set out as a traditional Knight's tale: a group of companions setting out to face challenges together with the purpose of gaining the power to go back to the side of their leaders one True Love. You can imagine that it could big King Arthur trying to get back to Guinevere. Or you could if Arthur was an unseelie fey who'll throw ice daggers at anyone who annoyed him anyway xD.

The book is also so emotional. You go through the trials that Ash faces with him and experience what he has to give up in the hope of being able to be with Megan again.

I strongly recommend the whole of the Iron Fey series.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

2012-02-13T19:45:00.000Z

Synopsis (from the Watersones Website)

'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead. Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins. This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...

What I Have to Say

Dark Fantasy has really brought a lot of new plots into the world. Nowadays there are Werewolf romances and Faery romances and way, way too many Vampire Romances. But the one thing that was the genre was really missing was a good zombie romance. Now Warm Bodies has filled the gap in the market. Marion has characterised R so well that you want him to succeed so badly. It's so good at making you feel things that you don't expect to.

It's such a reversal of the normal zombie stories that it brings a freshness that was really needed in Zombie stories.

And it's awesome to tell people that you're reading a zombie romance xD

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

2012-02-06T19:32:00.002Z

Synopsis (From the Waterstones Website)

Every November, the Scorpio Races are run beneath the chalk cliffs of Skarmouth. Thousands gather to watch the horses and the sea that washes the blood from the sand. The mounts are capaill uisce: savage water horses. There are no horses more beautiful, more fearless, more deadly. To race them can be suicide but the danger is irresistible.

What I Have to Say

I've loved absolutely everything that Stiefvater has written so far. She has a way with words that few authors have. The Scorpio Races is something really special. It contains in it a few pieces of writing that you just have to read aloud and share with anyone who'll listen. That includes you so listen up:

"This last exclamation is because we've just got to a high point where we can see the ocean and the area around us. The land is perilous, low cliffs, cracked and cut deeply into the green pasture and then suddenly empty air and then pasture again. Below us and beyond us, the sea is whitecaps and foam and black rocks like teeth. A busy sea."

This is such a wonderful piece of description of the sea, a central part of the plot. It shows its beauty and it's danger without slowing down the pace or being extraneous.

I really, really loved every moment and every component of this book so I highly recommend it.

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

2012-01-31T20:31:00.000Z

Synopsis (From the Waterstone's Website)

Being a teenager just got much more complicated. There is something very wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh: she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

What I Have To Say

The thing I think I love most about this book is how realistic the characters are. I like how damaged Kaylee is. Here's a main character who's been struggling with a condition which she doesn't know anything about and as a result is being treated for mental health issues. She doesn't just live out a normal existence until one day she finds out that she has special powers. No, Kaylee has known that there's something different about her for her entire life and has suffered the consequences of this, with noticeable side affects.

And what's more, she doesn't hide that much of her problems from those around her. Although, there aren't many people to hide if from and she does have to conceal some stuff once she finds out what is actually different about her. But mostly this is something that can't be hidden from those close to her (the screaming is a bit too much of a loud reaction to be able to hide). And because of this Kaylee has suffered. She's been institutionalised and strapped down with padded straps and she has the scars to prove it!

It's just too common these days for characters to go through hell and then just walk away unscathed. Not that it's that much of a bad thing in a book. I think most people can enjoy books that don't have realistic features of trauma. But it's really good to get a book where there are characters who do have that kind of depth and reaction.

Another thing I like is that all of this has happened in the past. I think a lot of authors feel that if something dramatic happens it has to be included in the book. It's good to have a story where they refer to it when we haven't seen it happen. And in such little ways too. Ways like just having the character shaken and afraid from someone holding her wrist.

So I think this is the thing that I'm taking away from this book. The characters. It's really good depth. Rachel Vincent is an amazing writer and she writes Kaylee well.

Next month I'll mention whether or not My Soul to Save keeps up this realism. Don't let me forget!

Affinity by Sarah Waters

2012-01-30T19:16:00.000Z

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website )

Now you know why you are drawn to me - why your flesh comes creeping to mine, and what it comes for. Let it creep. From the dark heart of a Victorian prison, disgraced spiritualist Selina Dawes weaves an enigmatic spell. Is she a fraud, or a prodigy? By the time it all begins to matter, you'll find yourself desperately wanting to believe in magic.

What I Have to Say

I'm not a big fan of ghost stories. I get scared too easily and then can't turn off the lights at night. It was a problem as a kid, but now I can just amuse myself until the sun comes up and then sleep then.

Insomnia has brought me a lot of things, one of them being the ability to read ghost stories without it being a problem. And I'm glad, because if I still couldn't read ghost stories, I'd never have found the beautiful writing of Sarah Waters.

It can get really spooky in parts but in a good way and you really feel for the characters. So if you like lyrical prose and ghost stories then this book is for you.

And this is the last of my catch up posts. From now on it's all books that I've read since making this blog! Hope you've enjoyed my posts so far and continue to do so in the future. Leave a comment! :)

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

2012-01-23T10:34:00.000Z

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk)

Set in Talia, a parallel world very similar to 16th-century Italy, the narrative follows Lucien, who in our world is very ill. Given a marbled notebook to use as a diary, the notebook is the unexpected means that transports Lucien to this dangerous new world; a world that thrills to the delight of political intrigue and where a life can be snuffed out with a flash of a merlino blade.

What I Have to Say

This is the first book in the wonderful Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman. I first read this book when I was pretty young. I fell in love instantly with both the world that she had created and with the city of Venice, though I fear that when I do finally get to Venice (which should be soon \o/) it will be a disappointment in comparison to the beautiful city of Bellezza that Hoffman describes. I just love the world she's created too much.

The series is still going and the next book in the series is due to come out this year. Go and check it out. There's time to read the books so far before the next one comes out.

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

2012-01-16T17:41:00.000Z

Synopsis (from the Waterstones Website)

There is a fire and they are in There. They are in there ...Black smoke stains a summer blue sky. A school is on fire. And one mother, Grace, sees the smoke and runs. She knows her teenage daughter Jenny is inside. She runs into the burning building to rescue her. Afterwards, Grace must find the identity of the arsonist and protect her family from the person who's still intent on destroying them. Afterwards, she must fight the limits of her physical strength and discover the limitlessness of love.

What I Have to Say

My mum recommends me a lot of books. She the one who told me to read Sister by the same author, which I still haven't read >< sorry mum! But I do know now that it's one to look forward to reading.

With Afterwards, she brought me a copy and didn't let up until I read it. I'm really glad she did because I really loved it. So now I'm doing the same to you and if I could I'd buy you all a copy and bug you until you've read it. Alas I'm a poor uni student and can't afford it.

It's got that need to read thing going for it, which I think is really good in a book because it means you care about the characters. Also, it's a really cool idea. It's sort of supernatural, but at the same time it isn't.

Anyway, trust me. It's a brilliant story. Go read it! Yes, right now! I'm watching you >.>

Fiktshun's Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

2012-01-10T19:49:00.001Z

So just another quick update to let you guys know that I'm going to be doing the Soul Screamers reading challenge. I read the first book a while back and really liked it but haven't gotten around to reading the rest so now I'm going to.

I need to reread get the first book from my parents house so it'll be a couple of weeks until the review of it comes up. When I start doing the reviews I'm going to post them up separately to my normal reviews so there will still be a weekly review alongside the reviews of the Soul Screamers books.