The Name of The Wind (& The Wise Man's Fear)

 The Name of the Wind & The Wise Man's Fear
Patrick Rothfuss

The first two books of the Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss. Telling the story of Kvothe, the unrivaled sword fighter, musician and magician.

So how did I feel about these books, you ask? Simply put; I fell in love.

I started off pretty skeptical as they are very heavy on imagery and at first I wasn't sure where the description ended and the story begun, but once it did and once I'd fallen in love with Kvothe, I was a goner.        

I didn't put either of these books down until I finished them. Rothfuss's style of writing is addictive, it has a fast pace to it yet still manages to include enough imagery and extra information to keep the world he's created developing. Every word is devoured and I couldn't help re-reading paragraphs in order to make sure I had drained everything from it.

I'm not fond of books written in first person, and I don't usually like switching time frames (the books alternate between Kvothe's past and Kvothe's -disguised as a innkeeper Kote- present). However I can appreciate why Rothfuss does this and it adds to the book and plot enormously.

I have one complaint - the third isn't written yet (or at least is in progress). But to be honest all good things come to those who wait and I am definitely waiting!

The Kingkiller Chronicles are brilliant for young adults and adults alike, a great one to put on your shopping list for people's birthdays etc. The world is incredible, the characters wonderful and the writing itself topnotch.

You don't want to miss out, I promise you.

Good Reading!
Tabs
X

Twinmaker

I needed a book to pull me out of my post-Christmas depressive slump and Twinmaker by Sean Williams did just that. I had started it before Christmas and hadn't felt it but when I picked it up again I was sucked right into the twisting traitorous plot of betrayal, misused global technology, best friends, terrorists and corrupted powerful corporations. 

A near-future thriller that fans of the GONE series and Doctor Who will love

Clair is pretty sure the offer in the ‘Improvement' meme is just another viral spam, though Libby is determined to give it a try.

But what starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when her friend vanishes.

In her search for answers, Clair seeks out Jesse - a boy whose alternative lifestyle might help to uncover the truth.

What they don't anticipate is intervention from the mysterious contact known only as Q, and being caught up in a conspiracy that will change everything.

Set in the relative new future after global warming has caused huge tidal surges and humanity has taken great steps to reduce their impact and emissions, Twinmaker follows Clair Hill on her mission to save her best friend. Although Libby (the BFF) wasn't a character who endeared herself to me, it wasn't a Yin Yang - you complete me - relationship but more of a let Libby walk all over Clair and Clair will be there to fix everything Libby breaks, Clair was a great character who really progressed and developed throughout the novel.  Libby has taken part in Improvement, the new viral meme circling the Air (not happy with your body, say what you want to change, jump in a booth, teleport a lot of times and you'll be Improved) but Improvement isn't what it appears to be. Something more sinister is evolving in Sean William's world.

Williams concept and plot was original (the basic theme was of the power of technology and the way it is the user who abuses the system not the system itself that is corrupt) and he explored it thoroughly to each little detail. However what was missing for me, and what I look for in a dystopian novel, is the creation and exploration of the world it's set in. And Williams' world would have been amazing, especially due to his creation of the d-mat (a teleportation system that transmits users all over the world to booths, wherever they wish to go), which would have given him the opportunity to really enhance and embellish his world. Although there's plenty of time for that in his sequel Crashland. 

Twinmaker is all action, fast and furious, relentless to a certain extent, once Williams gets going there was no stopping him. Definitely a novel I'd need to re-read before I read the sequel it was excellent all the same. Williams has a talent for creating characters, both villains and heroes were realistic, the former dastardly scary and all too real, the latter glorious normal and attainable. Jesse (an Abstainer boy) and Q (she's a secret you'll need to discover for yourself) really stood out for me and I was glad that their parts grew as the book progressed and their importance to Clair increased.

A solid 5 out of 5 for Twinmaker and I can't wait till Crashland is out and I can join up with Q, Clair and Jesse and have some strings untangled. Published by Electric Monkey an imprint of Egmont I promise Twinmaker is a book you need to read. Especially so you can learn that you really should accept that you're great as you are. Improvement is not the way to go.

Good Reading
Tabs
X

Crown of Midnight

Sarah J Maas has delivered again. I've been meaning to write this review since it arrived in the post in August, however a selfish part of me just hasn't allowed me too. Contrary to my first review of Throne of Glass (Book 1) http://justthisteenager.blogspot.fr/2013/08/throne-of-glass.html  after reading Crown of Midnight I didn't want Maas to have a huge fan following - not just because I found there are a lot more people out there who have discovered and already love Maas - but because I'm a selfish bugger. Crown of Midnight topped Throne of Glass. It was so gloriously good that I wanted to keep it to myself, I didn't want to do my bit in spreading the word, I wanted to be the only Celaena Sardothien fan and revel in the world of Erilea alone. But after reading it again (in 3 hours - I was pretty enthralled again) I decided I had to swallow my greed and do my bit in increasing the popularity of this amazing series especially if it means it secures Maas's contract for books after the 3rd one - don't want another L. J. Smith scenario. No ghost writers for our assassin please. They could NOT pull it off in the same way as Maas. Desperate scared rant over! Take note Bloomsbury!

Anyway Crown of Midnight exceeded my expectations again and the characters developed, the setting developed, everything developed. And all I can find to criticise  is the fact it's another whole year until the next books out. I can't wait!! Luckily though she's publishing a new novella in a grand compilation along with the existing 4 novellas called the Assasin's Blade in March. I still don't know if I can cope that long. Well that's my glowing commendation which really just consisted of stressing HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK and how I am slowly perishing waiting for the next one..... haven't felt this desperate since Harry Potter was still going..... and that's something!!

Read, Weep and Enjoy,

Get reading,
Tabs
X

Acid

2113. In Jenna Strong's world, ACID - the most brutal, controlling police force in history - rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed - or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID - and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

Well once again, I find myself in possession of a futuristic dystopian novel based in a world that feeds on and breeds fear, decay and cruelty. However Emma Pass has managed to create a relatively new story in this overworked over popular genre. Her story follows Jenna Strong in what used to be Britain, but is now a police state. A ruthless strict country where the slightest infraction of the many rules can lead to being thrown into a maximum security prison with no chance of seeing the grey dreary lights of the polluted sky again. And Strong hasn't just committed a minor infraction she's been convicted of the bloodiest betrayal there is: murder of her parents.

Pass writes with an urgent passionate voice throwing numerous curve balls into the thrilling plot that unravels and unfolds with increasing speed, snowballing at several occasions to intense climaxes where the story recovers it's breath before continuing again at a breakneck speed blurring characters, plot twists, relationships into a churning mass of addictiveness. 

I was hooked from the second chapter. Strong is a strong character who develops as the book progresses. Pass possesses that treasured skill of the best writers, able to treat characters like onions - peeling a little of their layers away one after another, providing new depths and new memories forcing the reader to continue to change their opinion and perception on her characters. Providing new insight into the minds of her heroes and her villains Pass creates a story where the reader becomes emotionally invested and on the edge of their seat from first to last page.

My only criticism is it finished with a few loose threads. However I suppose it offers Pass a chance to return to this realistic horrific world and create the next step, to tell us whether things work out, or as always happens that one person who was granted a second chance has used it to commit heinous crimes against mankind. I hope Pass does revisit Jenna Strong and finishes where she left of, I enjoyed Acid immensely.

A 5 out of 5 for this original realistic novel from a well-worn genre. For fans of Hunger Games, Throne of Glass and the Alex Rider series a new kick ass heroine has arrived and awaits their approval. Get purchasing! Published by Random House Children's UK (another good book - cheers!) Acid is a credit to Pass as a debut novel.

Good Reading

Tabs

X

Resist

Oh Wow!

Resist picked up from where Breathe left of and took you higher and higher. It exceeded my expectations and was twice as good as Breathe.

Crossan continued to weave a delicate story, tying up loose strands of deceit, twisting plots, love, and leaving a colourful tapestry of a story; with so many things to look at you are at a risk of missing something. Resist was an action packed story with a bittersweet ending. Paced well throughout the novel Crossan incorporated flashbacks, different viewpoints, new characters, each adding to the plot and none detracting from her climatic finish.

Her characters continued to develop and her main characters (Alina, Bea, Quinn and now Ronan) were as before given their own viewpoints which made for a gripping read with different perceptions contributing to the readers overall view of the worsening political situation, and challenged the reader to adjust previous opinions. Although Quinn remained quite bland the other characters had so much to add that I didn't really notice, though I suppose that could be considered a bad thing? Anyway he did mature slightly  but not quite enough for my liking.

Resist contained so many plot twists that for the majority of the time I was perched on the edge of my seat, a shriek soundlessly escaping my mouth every couple of pages. So much more than Breathe I was completely and utterly emotionally invested in Resist and so I can solemly mark this book SWMLT (sealed with my loving tears.) Amen Pod.

A solid 5 out of 5 for Resist which is published by Bloomsbury Publishing and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £6.99 (paperback) or £5.75 (Kindle).

Good Reading
Tabs
X

Time Between Us

Every so often a book comes along that makes you, or at least me, feel proud to be an avid reader of YA fiction. 

It makes me feel like I could show it to my mother, make her read it, and say:

'Yeah, they don't seem so crap now. Do they??' - I don't know about you, but my mum says the books I read are generally crap - she tells me to read The Time Traveller's Wife or Tale of Two Cities. Well, in Time Between Us I feel I have read The Time Traveller's Wife but in modern times, written by a contemporary author. Time Between Us makes for its own classic read, I fell in love.

It's one of those books that just resonates inside you, it seems real, the characters are relatable, touchable, within reach, and you don't want to stop reading. Tamara Ireland Stone created a story I didn't want to end, I would quite happily have read Anna and Bennett's life, their day to day life, as Stone made even the most boring things interesting! Her writing style is simple and the plot itself is simple but she ties it together with a elegance that lifts the story up and makes it shine.

It follows Bennett who can travel between time and places, and Anna who is stuck in Evanstown but dreams of travelling the world. (I know on reflection it's obvious she'd love him!) Anyway Bennett is in Evanstown because someone disappeared in his own time (2012) and he has had to go to 1995 in order to fix it. He warns Anna that he can't stay for long but they still fall in love.

What I loved about Time Between Us was that the novel wasn't fixated on Anna and Bennett, Tamara introduced other characters and gave them back stories and we got to know them, meaning the novel was about more than just A and B's tummy tingling relationship; there were other characters we grow to love. 

Also Time Between Us doesn't involve any villains or evil plots, it simply is the two lovers and how their situation works out for them.

I'm giving Time Between Us a 5 out of 5  and it is published by Doubleday, a division of Random House UK and can be bought from Amazon.co.uk for £5.29 (paperback) and £4.74 (Kindle). Also made my day when I found out there was a sequel Time after Time! Woohoo!

En Bon Lu!

X

Hurt, Tabitha Suzuma

I cried; plain, simple; this book is now sealed with my loving tears. SWMLT.

What I found bizarre about this book was that I hated the writing style for the majority of the novel, it was written in present tense as if someone is watching from the sidelines (so you feel very removed from the situation). Although it proved very effective in the emotional heart-wrenching  sections of the novel, it made the flow of the novel very stilted and it took me a while to get involved in the novel. But most bizarre was that Suzuma's handle of the language is amazing and so whilst hating the way she writes it I love what she writes! Needless to say I was experiencing pretty conflicting emotions as I read this book!

The plot itself was simple but extremely effective, poignant and captivating. Matheo is tipped to  represent Britain in the Olympics next year, he is a world class diver, extremely young and talented, he has an amazing girlfriend, a popular life in school with supportive, rich and smart friends. He has it all until something happens the night after he wins the Nationals and suddenly his perfect world seems full of cracks and Matheo is spiralling downwards into madness, depression and fear. Matheo is now hiding a secret so terrible it could destroy everything, but by keeping it hidden it, in turn, is destroying him.

Revealing his secret would ruin the essence of the novel, Suzuma builds the tension and hypersensitive emotional situation around the hidden secret, the fact the reader is always guessing, and when it is revealed it creates a emotional rollercoaster that left me in tears. And so it is an adventure, a ride, each reader must take for themselves as unaware of what will happen as Matheo himself, as otherwise it will end in an anticlimax; and Suzuma specialises in bringing the novel to a teetering pinpoint of emotions, as the world as we saw it, as events we hear of and don't dare dwell on, crumbles and we are forced into someone else's shoes and we realise that shame, guilt, fear is so wrongly present in the victims when they are really not to blame, yet they cannot believe they are not responsible for what has happened to them.

Suzuma expertly portrays a troubling issue with a sensitivity that stresses the cruel, destructive, violating nature of the secret poor Matheo is hiding because of fear and shame.  I will definitely revisit Hurt as it is a book I think that will get better on a second read though there's no denying it was a whirlwind of emotions even on this first read. Hurt gets a conflicted 5 out of 5, I couldn't decide whether the halting narrative would mean it deserves a 4 but I think on the whole it was a pretty stunning book of gigantic emotional dimensions!

It's published by Bodley Head, a division of Random House Childrens Book UK and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £9.09 (hardback) and £8.54 (Kindle).

En Bon Lu! SWMLT.

X

The Paladin Prophecy: Book 1

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and is being followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

Co-creator of the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks, Mark Frost brings his unique vision to this sophisticated adventure, which combines mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural.


I loved this book so much, it was such a relief to read a refreshing piece of fiction, a YA novel that wasn't focused on romance, aimed for girls etc. It was a brilliant unisex novel very similar to Artemis Fowl, the Gone series and to some extent The Gallagher Academy, as well as Rick Riordan's  the Percy Jackson series.

I was a bit apprehensive when I saw that Mark Frost had wrote Fantastic Four and co-wrote Twin Peaks,as I couldn't decide how a screenwriter would translate his skills into writing novels for teenagers. However I shouldn't have worried and should have trusted the fact he is already a New York Times Bestselling author. The first book of the Paladin Prophecy series was epic, plain and simple, once I got started I couldn't stop!

What I really enjoyed was Frost's original ideas, I loved the way Frost inserted some of Will (the main character and hero) West's father rules of life all the way through the book, it lent the story structure and also allowed the reader to feel familiar with Will and how his mind works. (My favourite was #17 START EACH DAY BY SAYING IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE. EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL IT, SAYING IT - OUT LOAD - MAKES IT MORE LIKELY THAT YOU WILL. #18 IF #17 DOESN'T WORK, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.)

The characters were like-able and weren't placed on such a high plane of perfection that the reader couldn't relate - instead they all had flaws and distinct personalities - Frost was creating characters with enough depth to carry them through the next series. I don't believe any of the characters will become boring as the series progresses instead I believe they will continue to develop under Frost's nurturing careful watch.

*The Paladin Prophecy was also, thank god, a decent length  - over 500 pages of well written addictive story, what else is better?!?!*

The first book in the Paladin Prophecy is granted a saucy 5 out of 5 and is a book for the family, your brother, your dad, everyone. It's published by Corgi a division of Random House Childrens Books UK and can be bought from Amazon.co.uk for £5.99 (paperback) or £4.74 (kindle).

Good Reading! 

Starters

Starters by Lissa Price was a page-turner. Plain and simple. I wanted, needed even, to know what was happening over the next page.  It follows Callie Woodland as she surrenders her body to the Body Bank in return for enough money that would enable Callie to save her and her brother from the grasps of the Marshalls until they turn 18.

However for Callie, something goes wrong in one of her switches with her Renters, she finds herself back in her body halfway through her rental period. Even worse, her Renter is still able to communicate with her, she's still slightly connected to Callie's brain, and they're both fighting for control of Callie's body. A control Callie doesn't want to relinquish as she's discovered her Renter intends to use her body to murder.

This in itself makes for an intriguing rollercoaster ride of a plot, with plenty of twists and turns, but throw in the fact the Body Bank is not all it seems, the political system is completely corrupt, and everyone around Callie aren't who they seem, Starters has enough excitement, thrills and spills, action to fuel several more novels and Callie Woodland definitely deserves a series.

The concept of Starters is extremely well executed and  eerily voice some of those deep fears that horror films and the recent flood of dystopian post-apocalyptic novels have caused to form.  Ever wondered whether the person next to you, is who they claim, who you believe? If you loved Host by Stephanie Meyer than Starters  is the book for you; loved Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins get a hold of Starter; basically it's worth the read. Price expertly develops her characters and plots with an ease that allows each layer to unfold smoothly and allows the reader to really familiarize and like the characters. Well, apart, from the Old Man but we're meant to hate him!

I eagerly await Enders and look forward to reading more of Price's inventive intense stories. She delivers.

Starters can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for (paperback) £5.24 or (Kindle) £4.74. It's published by Corgi an imprint of Random House Children's Books. 5 out of 5 for this seductive, intense original debut novel.

En Bon Lu!

Tabs

X

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Where to start with Arclight?

I fell immediately in love with the story, the characters, the plot, the setting. The only flaw was the love story, it was too predictable and obvious for my liking. Though to give credit where it's due the love story didn't impede on the pace of the story, my love of the characters themselves or the way the story read.

McQuein has a lyrical gripping way with words that sucks you into the story and make it very hard to leave the story even for a little break. Her whole plot is unique and original from the setting to the characters within the story; you won't find yourself comparing the leading girls or the 'villains'.

Arclight explored many themes but the one that stood out for me, maybe because it was the most prominent and obvious, was light vs dark, good vs bad. Arclight really explored what happens when people don't question what they have been told, when they assume that the bad is really 'bad', it told the typical story of the bad really being the good, or at least less corrupt, than the good had become. Confusing I know, but I can't think I can put it any better! It also explored the issue of identity, which centred around the main character Marina, who through a series of circumstances (which I can't disclose as it would spoil it for you) has to question who she is, and whether she should really be that person. For me Marina as a character came to the wrong decision and I think McQuein could have done a lot more with the situation she created, and it felt like she chose the easy way out, and the way that would make it easier for her to write the second novel, I.E. from a human point of view rather than a Fade.

'I take his face in both my hands, testing the temperature of his skin, the way it feels under my fingertips to see if there's any movement besides his pulse - anything to prove this is Tobin, and not some Fade-riddled imposter.'

Arclight is based in a post-apocalyptic world after a terrifying race of monsters called the Fade have taken over the world. The Arclight is the last refuge for the human survivors, but only as long as they remain in the light. The connotation of the pure human with the light and the 'evil' contaminated Fade with the Dark lended the novel a sense of thrill and danger, as I don't know about you but I'm always a little afraid of the Dark and the monsters hiding in the shadows. McQuein cleverly used the setting to instill the senses of right and wrong, good and bad, and also when the perception of the Fade began to change McQuein managed to make the oppressive Dark a thing of beauty, no mean feat!

The characters are all brilliant to follow, I felt like McQuein played on the fact they were only young and teenagers well throughout the novel as it always infuriates me when the leads are ridiculously self assured, brave and omniscient despite the fact they are in impossible situations. Basically McQuein made them easy to relate to and believe in. The main characters are the confused loner Marina, the only girl to appear alive from the Dark, Tobin, the angry messed up fiercely protective kid, Anne-Marie the only human willing to give the 'freak' Marina a chance and a hand of friendship, and Rue the misunderstood boy from the wrong side of the Light. Together these guys form a gang that we follow through the novel, though Rue is a slight exception, and I look forward to seeing them again in the next installment of Arclight.

Arclight is a good chance to indulge yourself in a more than decent dystopian post-apocalyptic novel of a ..... wait for it..... DECENT LENGTH!!! No stupidly quick ends from this one! And is well worth the trouble. Amazon.co.uk offer it for the bargain price of £5.57 or the amazingly cheap price of £3.84 on the Kindle. It's published by Egmont and please read the guest post by Josin L. McQuein on this blog as well as it gives you a little taster of what Arclight can offer: http://justthisteenager.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/blog-tour-josin-l-mcquein.html   It earns a 5 star and would have been more if not for the slightly unexciting, too predictable, love story. (Although it had its fair share of twists and turns I knew who Marina would choose halfway through the book - however do not let that detract you from Arclight!)


Good Reading,

Tabs
X

Smuggler's Kiss

Smuggler's Kiss by Marie-Louise Jensen was another masterpiece to add to her already amazing collection. Jensen has been an author that I have followed and collected since I found one of her books The Lady in the Tower in a bookshop. She has a conversational tone to her writing and I find it makes for a welcoming smooth read, books that I can pick up, sit with a cup of tea, and fall into, transported to whatever magical scene Jensen has concocted. In Smuggler's Kiss this was a smugglers ship in 1720. Jensen weaves humour, danger, intrigue, suspense, intricate plots and romance to create this novel and quick note here - all Jensen's books are set in the past which I really adore as not only do I get to read an amazing story but I also get to experience a glimpse into the past made all the more accessible by Jensen's vivid and detailed descriptions of life in the 18th century (in this case).

Smuggler's Kiss follows Isabelle as she attempts to drown herself in the sea but is rescued by a band of smugglers and taken aboard their ship, The Invisible. Fearing that she will betray the smugglers keep her captive onboard but Isabelle being a blueblood, upper class woman, is unused to being alone amongst so many men and without servants. For the first couple of chapters she is a spoilt and unpleasant character acting more like a spoilt child than a teenage woman and you can't help wanting to slap her. However as she gets used to her situation and begins to warm to some of the smugglers she becomes a more pleasant character to follow. The romance between her and one of the smugglers Will is one of sparring and snide quips and sarcastic comments which makes for some very humourous and endearing (as you can guess it'll work out OK) scenes. It's always nice not to have a romance where the characters fall deeply and unrealistically in love and the reader has to cope with a ridiculous amount of gush and drivel for the whole novel.

I struggled to put down Smuggler's Kiss whilst I was reading it but looking back I wish I had as it would have made it last longer! It was lovely to read a book that had its own plot and didn't follow the generic outline of so many YA novels nowadays and being set in the past offers a break from this recent spat of dystopian futuristic novels that appear to be so popular. Jensen has again delivered a comforting read that I know I will enjoy reading again especially on a wet and windy night so I can imagine the howling cold wind rattling through the Invisible's sails as Isabelle would have. Though to be honest Jensen's description paints as vivid a picture as any and I could probably still imagine the punishing wind and sheets of rain, the waves from the rolling sea, even on a warm summer's day!

I will give Smuggler's Kiss a solid five as it was an enjoyable, original read and I will definitely revisit it as I do all Jensen's novels. It is published by Oxford University Press and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £4.82 and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

En Bon Lu!

The Scorpio Races

This book combined everything I love, horses, the sea, romance and determination. Maggie Stiefvater has managed to weave a beautifully intricate story that will entrance you from the beginning. I was amazed at how well Maggie manages to capture horses through out this novel,  normally authors have a tendency to anthropomorphise horses making them seem less of an animal than they really are. I think the harshness and deadliness of the capall uisce helps keep the animalness of the horse intact. Part of what really attracted me to this novel was the interesting way the seahorses were portrayed as lethal animals, but it stresses that this is because they are animals, they do not consciously make the decision to be vicious instead they are like the sea from which they are borne. Unruly, beautiful and completely its own, I enjoyed the way the magic of the sea was portrayed as neutral and ancient, it is what it is, nature/mother earth itself.


Thisby the island on which the novel is placed is woven with it's own unique magic, seemingly the only island to have the capall uisce. Thisby is beautiful and I loved the way it is part of the sea, Maggie managed to make the boundaries between land and sea minimal, the islanders respect the sea and are aware more so than others of the strength and power of the sea. Thisby itself is almost a character of this novel, it's beauty and presence in the decisions of the characters as well as their developments qualifies it as a character really!

Puck
Puck is great, a tom boy, determined, stubborn and in love with her island and her home she'll do everything she can to save her home even f it means racing in the Scorpio Races against the deadly capall uisce on her island bred pony. She is a great character to follow and, oh you will, you'll be willing her to come through, to win, to do what's right, and figure out what's right. Puck's got a hell of a lot on her shoulders and someone needs to help her lift..... and in comes Sean.

Sean
Sean is basically the human equivalent of the sea. He feels it, he moves like it, he is fluid and graceful, and he loves the capall uisce: he recognizes their danger but he is attracted to them and has more control over them than other people. Sean is also stubborn and passionate, he has had to fight for himself for so long that he finds it hard to trust other people, yet he finds himself attracted and interested to the determined whirlwind that is Puck.

Although individually Puck and Sean are great, together their romance is amazing. It is gradual and sweet and based on deep attraction and trust. Their mutual respect for each other is so endearing, that you'll wait, practically drooling, for the next sweet advance in their relationship. Their romance was so sweet you didn't need them making out every second in fact that would have ruined the powerful magic Maggie manages to weave through this novel.

I've read Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls and I have to say this surpasses them by far. And they were pretty dead awesome. A solid 5 out of 5. This book was amazing and you really can't afford to miss it.

It's published by Scholastic and you can and should and will get it from Amazon for £5.99. A late Valentine treat for any fellow single people out there or a belated present to ask for from your sweetheart!

Good Reading!
Tabs
X

Survive

Woah Woah Woah, this novel was deep. Alex Morel's debut novel packs a hefty punch! First of all it throws you in with a suicidal main character something I've never experienced or read about before. For me this book challenged the definition of life to various people and how in the face of death even the people who want to die will strive to live. It outlined the point that people want to be in control of when they die, for instance the main character was happy, even looking forward, to dying when she was arranging it but when death was offered and presented, practically forced upon her, on a silver shining plate by the wilderness she was not up for accepting it.

It made me really think about life and how everyone interprets their lot in different ways. Jane, the main character, comes from a family where suicide is practically a tradition, three generations before her have committed suicide including her beloved father. Following her own attempt on her life Jane was institutionalised in a rehab centre and the novel begins as she prepares to visit her family for Christmas, leaving the hospital for the first time in a year. However Jane doesn't intend to reach her family instead she intends to take a lethal dose of pills on the plane heading towards her home.

Someone will find us soon, don't you think?
I wouldn't count on it?
But they always find people when they crash. They must know we've crashed.
Not in a blizzard and on a mountain in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Even if they know where we were, it could take days or weeks to get climbers up here.. With this amount of snow, we might not be found for weeks, maybe months.
Bob what?
Bob Marshall Wilderness. There are no roads. It's two hundred and fifty miles of roadless mountains, and I think we've landed somewhere in it.

The novel really begins after the plane crashes and Jane and one of the other passengers, Paul, are the only survivors stuck on a snowy mountain range miles from the nearest village. And Paul begins to challenge everything all of Jane's previous life values, as they both fight to survive in a desolate terrain.

Jane
I grew on Jane as the story went on and more of her past life was revealed. At the start of the novel she appears to be a spoilt, bizarre, sad girl whose life values are pretty messed up. However towards the end she has really developed and the primitive love relationship between Paul and Jane that has evolved is touching, and rather emotionally testing on the reader! As Jane begins to accept and embrace life, just as life seems to begin trying to elude her the reader becomes very proud and rather upset by the horrific ironic twist in the whole situation with Jane.

Paul
Paul is annoying, egoistical and a little spoilt, but despite this outer attitude he has his heart in the right place. What I really liked about Survive was the relationship between Paul and Jane wasn't whimsical it was based on something deeper - trust and the understanding that they really need each other to survive. In the real world they probably wouldn't have been romantically involved even probably friends but because of the circumstances they do fall in love gradually. He helps show Jane what should be important in her life and why she shouldn't want to end it.

Survive is a heartbreaking account of two plane crash survivors struggling to survive, fighting for their lives. I cried several times, especially at the sad bitter end, again a unique feature of this YA novel - not necessarily a completely happy ending. The reader can really see Jane change as a character and although the story itself is depressing Morel weaves it sweetly and calmly, there is no rush to the pace of the plot despite the desperation and need for hurry in the story. It is planned precisely and carefully, well thought out and really easy to follow and read. Although Survive doesn't quite achieve stunning Skinny rating it definitely gets a solid 5 out of 5 and is one I'll revisit.

It's published on the 4th of February (Monday!!!!) and is honestly worth every penny of the £5.24. It's published by Electric Monkey an imprint of Egmont and for a debut novel is absolutely amazing!

En Bon Lu!
Tabs
X

Raven Boys

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater follows Blue Sargent as she becomes drawn to a group of 'Raven' boys, one of whom she is predicted to kill with a kiss. Stiefvater weaves an brilliant story filled with sinister twists, young love, hardships and true friendships. I loved the fact that it was based around a Welsh legend and I liked the vulnerability the tough Raven boys gained through their obsession with  the Welsh king.

I was delighted to see Stiefvater had written a new book - I loved the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (a 5 star series if there ever was one!) Her characters live in your mind and you find yourself chuckling along with their private jokes, gasping at the brilliant discoveries and crying at the various disappointments and shocks. Her descriptions are infallible and the magical surroundings of the ley lines beautifully described and presented. Her characters are her strong point though :

Blue
The strong sensible passionate pillar that is Blue is wonderful. Her caring nature and wry dry sense of humour  struck a chord with me making me one of my favourite characters so far! She is similar in characteristics to Grace - both have a strong backbone beneath their caring facade. I loved how she fell for Adam, despite his strong desire to not rely on anyone, and how she also falls for Gansey, though this relationship will be further explored in the next books I think.

Adam
Adam is attending Aglionby Boarding School on a scholarship which he has earned by working extremely hard. He becomes firm friends with Gansey but is unable to become comfortable with Gansey's wealth and this provides a rift between them during the book. (I appreciated this divide as it brought reality back to the novel as it is perfectly life-like that a boy would be unwilling to live off a wealthier friend especially if his home predicament is far from rich). Adam brings a breath of reality to the airy fairy world of Gansey and the small budding relationship between Blue and Adam is gorgeous and delightful to read.

Gansey
Gansey is absolutely minted, yet although he presents himself as a boy, sure of him self, his place in the world, and his family, the real Gansey is kind, caring, funny and obsessed with a Welsh legend. His thirst for the Welsh king pours out of the books and overwhelms you as you too become obsessed with their quest and the outcome. His 'love' relationship with Blue does not develop in this book but promises to in the next one (I'm assuming there is another one).

Ronan
Ronan is the dangerous boy, as dangerous as a shark and about as friendly, the damaged one. Mind you, I slowly became quite attached to his unpredictable, cruel but honest, blunt ways and he kept me on my toes.

All in All Maggie Stiefvater keeps the paranormal to the minimum and I love her for it! It's an incredible piece of story telling, and the inclusion of Blue's curse just tops it! I have to give Raven Boys 5 out of 5 and tell you all - I'm definitely keeping my eyes out for the second one!

You can get Raven Boys from Amazon.co.uk for £3.86 (get it while the price is down). IT'S AMAZING OK?! It's published by Scholastic and really worth the read... I can't stress this enough!

Good Reading!

Tabs
X

Eve And Adam

Eve and Adam is a mystery (with a little science) romantic thriller written by Michael Grant and Katherine Appleton. The book follows Evening Spiker, daughter of the multi-billionaire Terra Spiker owner of Spiker Bio-tech (basically a scientific institution), after she is hit in a car and brought to her mother’s workplace to recover. Eve recovers way faster than humanly possible and this forms a basis for the scary evolving plot that chops and changes meaning the reader can’t guess what’s going to happen. I really enjoyed this as so many of these YA books are generic and you can guess what’s going to happen by page 54! Eve is coaxed by her mum to occupy her time by creating her ‘perfect boy’ on a software program……. of course this is completely stimulated……right??

Another major character is Solo who has been looked after by Terra after his parent’s died (Solo’s parents were part-owners of Spiker Bio-tech…. hmmm suspicious huh?!). Solo and Eve are both lacking in the romantic department and the chances for them getting together, which the reader is obviously convinced they will (you know, us readers thinking we have the whole novel sussed out), becomes slimmer and slimmer as the book goes on….. much to my disappointment I must say! My other two characters that I loved was the delightful Aislin, (the slut as Terra calls her) Eve’s friend who is just so down to earth, she might be unable to make good decisions all the time but she is there for Eve no matter what,  and the beautiful Adam…. Eve’s perfect man.

With the usual delectable supply of foul baddies, that as much as the plot this book really keeps you on your toes and interested. I finished the book in a day for fudge’s sake! It was just so good - it’s the sort of novel you can read again and pick up bits that you missed as well as getting to drink in the whole story again. The book incorporated biology and romance and thrills something I wouldn’t have thought humanly possible… mind you this book does stretch the boundaries on what you did think was possible…. it makes you wonder what’s going on behind closed doors.

Because this book got me interested in things I hadn’t been before, a little bit of genetics, a bit of scientific thriller, as well as a huge dollop of Romance….. Ice-cream sundae with banana chunks and chocolate shavings…. yum yum!

I would give this book a 5 out of 5, congratulations to the authors and Electric Monkey for getting this book out there! I love it and can’t wait to get it back off my friend!

Tabs

X

Amazon.co.uk sells this brilliant book for £4.54, another one for your Christmas list!