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.

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Seraphina

Imagine watching the T.V. and your favourite character is watching something spectacular, unsuspecting as a mysterious figure clothed in dark and intrigue creeps closer behind them, producing a long, sharp, shining dagger preparing to thrust it between his shoulder blades and just as the darting tip pricks his flesh your character spins and deflects the blade much to your anxious relief causing you to release your breath you didn't realise you were holding. Only for 3 more assailants to appear out the shadows and begin attacking him and as he grows steadily weaker and things begin to seem dire and hopeless your characters love interest arrives and sparks explode as they protect each other whilst arguing over who is taking whom and going where.

This scene portrays the mixed emotions and rollercoaster ride I embarked on whilst reading Seraphina. Rachel Hartman has in her fantastical debut spun a bittersweet story of politics, romance, music and dragons. Her characters are so well developed and I fell in love with them all, even the villains. Her style of writing is so lyrical and smooth that I just fell into the rhythm she weaved even though I was desperate to speed ahead and find out what happened. Hartman knows how to control and direct the reader without losing their interest, instead allowing your involvement in the story to spiral constantly feeding titbits to fan your flame until it all explodes in a shower of fabulousness.


Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page

However I have one complaint..... it has a sequel which isn't out until March 24th 2015.. Cruel Hartman very cruel. I await it with bated breath meanwhile naming Seraphina my book of 2014 so far and awarding it the coveted Skinny rating.

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Grimm Tales for Young and Old

The Grimm Tales, for young and old, by Philip Pullman was a delight. A retelling of the magical fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers, Pullman weaves in a little of his own magic with sprinkles of wit, reflections and swift direction into these iconic famous tales.

I was smitten from the moment I saw it in Waterstones; not only was it a collection of popular and not so popular fairy tales but it had been retold by one of the best fantasy authors of our time Philip Pullman, with each tale ending with a small concise and often funny analysis by the man himself.

A collection of 50 folk stories there are some classically brilliant ones (variations of Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the Three Musicians of Bremen) and some less known, however no less entertaining.

Pullman has selected the best of the Grimm Tales and given them a new lease of life for the children and adults of today to read and enjoy in a far more modern manner.

A extremely obvious Skinny Rating for my new fairy tale collection of all time.

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Cross my heart

Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid was an inspirational adventure set in the Second World War. Following plucky bold Nicole as she joins the Belgian resistance, determined to do all she can to make it harder for the Nazi Germans who have stolen her city for them-selves, Reid tells a emotional heartbreaking story with vivid threads of truth sewn through it which gives it an edge over other fictional novels.

Brussels, 1940. Fifteen-year-old Nicole watches as the Nazis invade Belgium. Determined not to stand by as her country is brought to its knees, Nicole vows to fight back and joins the Belgian Resistance. Under her new alias - Coco - Nicole embarks on a dangerous new life as a spy, where the only question is not if you'll be caught, but when...

Cross My Heart was well written in that it managed to include scenarios where some warmth was instilled again - it wasn't an overly cold distressing desolate novel as many WWII novels are (it wasn't exactly a period where many good things happened). Reid's character creation was brilliant and her characters extremely real. I was completely invested in Nicole's life and actions and fell in love with kind strong Anton at the same time as her.

Reid also conveyed Nicole's steeled determination to resist but also the fear and guilt she felt at endangering her family excellently. Reid's imagery and description was spot on and the Ravensbruck part of the novel was real enough without being too real. Reid didn't need to overload the reader with horrific graphic descriptions as the dire atmosphere of the camps and the defeated scared feelings of the inhabitants was reinforced throughout her writing and didn't need the overload.

All in All Cross My Heart was a good historic fiction and was a welcome addition to the growing YA market. A solid 4 for  Reid's novel and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for her next novel for YA.
Published by Corgi, an imprint of Random House Childrens Publishers Cross My Heart  can be bought from all decent book stores.

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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.

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Every Day

Every Day by David Levithan was sweet, sincere and touching. It could almost be considered heart breaking. Levithan has a light touch to his writing, he lent a tentative feeling to his words which was perfect for the narrative of A.

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

As I've seen from other reviews readers had a similar problem to me. It's very difficult to sum up how you felt after reading Every Day. It was everything and nothing, confusing yet clear as crystal. Mad but brilliant. The variety of characters Levithan was able to  provide was mindboggling, especially as nearly every new character Levithan introduces is really A in a different body, and no matter the race, the gender, the age, it's still A. And I never found out who A was. A was and is everyone. It was incomprehensible to a certain extent. The rules that bind him to bodies for a day and how they dictate where and who he is. However that indicates we know what the rules are but we don't - they're invisible and apart from one or two things A clarifies for us, we have no idea. And that is the main thing I took from this novel is how if we don't know who we are, where we'll be when we wake up, who will be there for us then we are really lost. And A is lost. He's never known where he'll be when he wakes up, who he'll be and he's never had anyone he cares about or wants to be with. Until Rhiannon. And that simple connection provides a root for A - he starts to become an identity, an individual living in other people's body. A becomes someone.

This book was about identity and people. How everyone is similar but completely different. Levithan managed to tell a story without ever really telling a story. Yes Every Day had the makings of a plot with a villain and heart wrenching selfless decisions to be made but really Every Day didn't actually go anywhere.

I really enjoyed Every Day but it is so difficult to say why. Normally I dislike reading stories where I feel sorry for the main character, pity is a destructive emotion for readers as it means you lose respect and faith in the characters ability to lead you through the story. But in a talented twist of events it's this pity that Levithan exploits, all the way through the book Levithan is building up the pity the reader feels for A in order to really get the reader to empathasise with A's plight. I can feel this review descending into rambling and it's because Every Day is so complex and different. It is a new approach. A lot of people have complained about the fact there are a lot of questions unanswered but the minute you pick up a book you have to suspend some ounce of logic otherwise you will never enjoy it. It's called imagination, artistic license and fun. Revel in the craziness and implausibility of it that's what it's there for. An escape. And A and Rhiannon under the guiding hand of Levithan definitely offered an escape from life.

Its a 4.5 out of 5 for Every Day as I can't quite give it 5 but it's better than a 4. It's one of those rare gems of sane insanity in the literary world and worth stretching your mind to read. Published by Egmont who have recently announced their acquisition of Rhiannon, the companion novel to A, it was an experience to say the least!

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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,
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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

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The Almost Girl

The slight figure is lithe and quick, a shadow of a shadow in the darkness. It runs along the edgy gloom of the halogen-lit streets, flying over electric fences and scaling walls with the practiced ease of a skilled athlete. One would never suspect that it was being chased by an entire army of soldiers, but it was, several hundred of them.

I actually defy anyone to read The Almost Girl and not be captivated by the sharp bold worlds Howard has created. Spanning two worlds - Earth and our much more advanced counterpart - Howard has created the ultimate setting for a series of books. Her detailed dry fluid writing style is a joy to ride and to be carried by, and she transports the reader to and from each world with admirable ease and skill - there is no awkward explanation each time we transit worlds, Howard lays everything flat and everything just makes sense.

Her characters are incredible. They are extremely realistic and admirable. They mature and develop throughout the novel and I did not want to stop reading about them especially about Riven and Caden.

Riven
Riven is from the domed city of Neospes, on the parallel world of Earth. She is really strong and willful, and determined to see things through to the end. The way she was brought up with her insane genius of a father has meant she sees loving as a weakness and isn't prepared to trust anyone apart from Cale and at the beginning Caden is just her target, her assignment from Cale. And she is ready to use all means necessary to complete her mission, even disabling her sister.

Caden
An average teenage boy who suddenly has way more to worry about then whether his physic homework is going to be done on time. The moment Riven steps into his life, bad things start to happen - his aunt is killed, Vectors are tracking him trying to kill him, and the girl he's falling for switches off every time she starts opening up. It's not going to be an easy year!

Howard weaves a fast paced thriller full of conspiracy, plots, family drama, romance, defiance, courage and many many fights! She sets herself up brilliantly for a sequel without detracting from the epicness of The Almost Girl and I can NOT wait to read the next one - there has to be one!

A well deserved 4 out of 5, I await with bated breath! Published by Strange Chemistry The Almost Girl  will be published on the 2nd January 2014. One for the wish list guys, pre-order now!(£7.49 at the moment from Amazon.co.uk for pre-ordering!) The Riven series is one to watch! Indulge, be blown away and then be very very grateful that you got to read it!

En Bon Lu,
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Rolling Dice

But when people have this opinion of you, it's very hard to change it. They've judged you, and they like to label you, and they like you to stay with that label for ever. You've been allocated a place in their society  and that's where they want you to stay.

Again Random House have delivered another Young Adult literary gem. Rolling Dice might not deal with any obvious issues but Reekles expertly tackles and highlights the daily troubles and turmoils of ordinary teenagers, the issues we have to deal with all the time, not just the one-offs. For this reason I fell in love with Rolling Dice as it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It is a simple love story set in a normal high school (in America) with normal problems.


Okay, Reekles employs some artistic license but it wouldn't make for a good story if she didn't! I really related to Madison and Dwight and although I also knew Bryce would turn out to be a douche I liked the opportunity he gave for Reekles to allow Madison to affiliate with the populars. It was a predictable plot with the many expected twists, the leading popular girl becoming really bitchy, the various kisses behind people's backs, the convoluted political social situations of American high school cliques.


However the one thing that really stood out in this novel was Reekles amazing precise sum-ups of teenage life - for instance the quote at the top? Who hasn't felt like they were forced into a mould at school and just weren't allowed to change, any change was ignored and you stayed as the geeky fat kid who lived in the library? When really you had lost weight, started playing volleyball and did drama productions? You just weren't allowed to change. And throughout this novel there would be a paragraph where I would just stop and go 'yeah that's completely right'. And some books need to do that, they have to put what you've felt into words and make it real but also allow you to distance yourself from it and realise it isn't just you, nearly always someone feels or has felt the same way.

'I'll just do what I've been waiting to do all night'.
And then he kisses me.
It's a cheesy line, and I roll my eyes at it - but it almost makes me blush, and I wonder if it's true; if he actually has been waiting all night to kiss me. It's kind of a weird feeling, being kissed. But a good kind of weird. I don't know what I'm doing at all, but I just follow Bryce's lead and press my lips back against his.

I'm giving Rolling Dice a deserved 4 out of 5 and will definitely look out for more of Reekles work. Thank you Random House! Rolling Dice can be purchased on Amazon.co.uk for £5.24 (Paperback) and £4.74 (Kindle).

En Bon Lu
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Endless

*Publishing on the 8th October 2013*


Jenny knows she’s different. After all, she sees the past lives of people she touches. But when Nikolai, the mysterious boy she painted, shows up claiming to be a love from a past life, Jenny is forced to accept that he has traveled through time to find her. Now, Jenny and Nikolai must fight against the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time. The Order is determined to send Nikolai back. And fighting them could tear Jenny and Nikolai apart -- this time for eternity.

Endless is a timeless classic by debut author Amanda Gray. Gray's romantic writing rivals that of Alyson Noels, Lauren Kate and Richelle Mead. It follows Jenny as her life becomes more chaotic and disrupted by the appearance of two boys; both she seems to already know and both seem to carry hidden dangers as her soul recognizes and associates them with distressing and horrific memories.

Exploring the idea of reincarnation and time travel Gray instills a new breath of life into the over used idea of soul mates. Her writing is tinged with a bitter-sweetness that prevents the novel from becoming too light, instead creating a story about love and the darkness it has to attempt to conquer if it is ever to come to true fruition. 

Gray span a complicated love triangle between Jenny, Nikolai and Ben, always leaving the reader doubting whether Jenny would be completely dedicated to her soul mate, and wondering if it was possible for another to replace her soul mate. It wasn't a predictable story and it finished on such that I am anxious to read the second book.  The cover art captures the haunting theme of the love story and it is definitely a series to watch.


A 4 out of 5 for this debut novel which is published by Month9Books and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £6.50 (paperback).

En Bon Lu
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Wild Cards

Read the Perfect Chemistry trilogy? If that's a no, get out there and buy them. These books are pure romantic chocolate gold, they melt on your tongue, leave a warm feeling coursing through your body, they are the ultimate YA contemporary romance books.

Ashtyn wants to prove that she can lead her school’s American football team to the championships, but this might mean losing her boyfriend, the team’s star player. Things get complicated when her older sister walks back into her life after ten years – with a gorgeous stepson in tow. 

The last thing Ashtyn needs is to be distracted by Derek’s sexy drawl and perfect body. It looks like her life is going off track. Ashtyn has to get a game plan and fast. It means trusting Derek – someone born to break the rules. Will she put her heart on the line to try and win it all, or will Derek be just too hot to handle?


Elkeles is a master story teller, they may not be challenging reads, they may be predictable, but it doesn't matter: they are indulgent and sometimes we need a break. Wild Cards is guaranteed to deliver that break. We all love to read about someone struggling to prove herself, with all the odds against her, while that one arrogant drop-dead gorgeous player who in real life wouldn't fall for any girl, falls for her. Of course there are the various trials and tribulations, the tentative trust forming to be thrown back in the girls face, or the turmoil the boy faces of showing any feelings at all. 

I can't put it any simpler it was a thrill to read and was as good as the Perfect Chemistry books and I'll definitely re-read it on a rainy day where I need some warmth.

Wild Card gets a solid 4 out of 5 and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £6.67 (paperback) - not until Jan 2 2014 - or £4.61 (Kindle) - out now - and so worth it. It's published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

En Bon Lu,
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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
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Daughter Of Camelot

Daughter of Camelot by Glynis Cooney is the first book in the Empire of Shadows series. I was immediately tempted by The DoC when I saw it was based in the time of Arthur and Merlin, a time which allows magic, bravery, courage, honour, battles, love, and fantasy to roll into one: providing a breathtaking backdrop for any novel.

Cooney delivers; her world is well developed with various forts and courts all differing slightly or greatly, but still with the same underlying themes of deceit, intrigue and politics. Her characters vary from false greedy men seeking power, to pure noble true men (often whose appearances would lead someone to believe they were the former), from brave characters desperate to prove themselves to cowardly sinister characters stabbing the most honorable in the back, disregarding the true values of the Knights Of Camelot and of Arthur's Court.

Although on occasion the grammar was poor or parts badly phrased, this did not subtract from the novels overall brilliance and Cooney weaves a world of power, that is still imprinted on my brain, thrumming to the beat of time running out and armies marching. The plot itself follows Deirde, who thirsty for adventure, is determined to defy Fate and safe the King from those plotting against him. Cooney employs artistic license to change the legend of King Arthur to suit her story's needs but there was little indignation on my part, at least, when the story took a detour from the original legend as Cooney knits a story that stands both beside and aside the legend; in its own way it is a unique story but parts still ring true to the famous saga.

Any one brave enough to tackle such a well-known legend deserves applauded but Cooney deserves special acclaim for this novel that bolsters and adds to the already glorious fable. Also as it doesn't directly follow King Arthur but instead some-one in his various courts it doesn't feel too familiar.

The Daughters of Camelot receives 4 out of 5 and I eagerly await the next book in the Empire of Shadows. It is published by Mabon Publishing and can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk for £3.59 (Kindle).

En Bon Lu.
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Popping The Cherry

 So basically this story revolves around the degrading of sex to a meaningless act - an act that if you haven't ever performed it - you're a virgin - it means you're uncool, abnormal, frigid.

Popping the Cherry exaggerated normal life in order to portray how the world is based on images and how people present themselves, and how people perceive something as the way to do it and feel if they don't do it that way they're a total failure.

You only get one first time… From driving tests to relationships, Valentina Bell thinks she’s a failure, with a big fat capital F. At this rate, she’s certain she’ll be a virgin forever. So Lena’s friends plan Operation: Popping the Cherry to help her find the perfect first time. Yet somehow disastrous dates with bad boy musicians and fabulous evenings with secretly in-the-closet guys aren’t quite working out how Lena planned. Soon Lena’s avoiding Operation: Popping the Cherry to spend time with comforting, aloof Jake, her best friend’s older brother ,who doesn’t make her feel self-conscious about still clinging to her V card. But could Jake show Lena that sometimes what you’re looking for most is right by your side? A Forever for the 21st Century.

Although there was occasionally grammatical issues and the odd weird story twist Rowl's novel came together pretty well and made for an easy stimulating read. It isn't like the storyline implies - all about sex - but instead about relationships, drama, expectations, a bit of sex, and well, highschool and the bitchiness it entails!

The characters were well developed - I loved Nathan, the gay best friend - and Jake the love interest was suitably saucy and sultry. Although there were a few awkward 'romance' scenes where it failed to deliver real chemistry Popping the Cherry portrayed high school bullying at its worst and also examined the results of peer pressure and how standing up to people can often make for the best result even if it's the most difficult option.

All in All it is an excellent debut novel from Rowl and I will look forward to her other books. It was an extremely decent length with multiple sub-plots and created a whole micro-life for the characters. It gets a well deserved 4 out of 5 and I'll undoubtedly read it again. It is published by Harlequin (UK) limited and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £3.29 (Kindle) and will keep you occupied for a good wee while!

Good Reading!
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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!

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Teardrop

Teardrop by Lauren Kate made for an interesting read. Although her writing might not be the most spectacular, her characters might not be extremely well developed and likeable, the overall piece makes for an enjoyable, gripping novel. I wanted to read it to the end; I wanted to know what was going to happen; I wanted to see the romance develop (although on this aspect it was very predictable, and was left until the very last pages).

It is an average novel but with enough action, story, intrigue, fantasy to encourage the reader to keep reading and it is hard to seriously pinpoint any one thing that was wrong with the novel, it was just missing something. In other words it was an enjoyable story, a series that I will look out for the next book but not one I will wait for with bated breath. However if you loved the Fallen series, then Teardrop will surely be for you as well.

Teardrop weaves the legend of Atlantis, the drowned mythic city, in a contemporary setting following Eureka (I know, bit of a stupid name - there's also Brooks and Ander.... Sorry Kate but given characters interesting names doesn't make their personalities more interesting). Basically Eureka is from a magical line of Atlantean sorcerers although she isn't aware and if she properly weeps she will cause a flood that will cause the lost city of Atlantis to resurface. However the Seedbearers are committed to preventing Eureka's floods of tears from ever happening and feel the only way to do this is to kill her, kill one to prevent the murder of thousands.

The love triangle between Eureka and Ander and Brooke would have been good if *spoiler* we hadn't guessed that Brooks wasn't possessed by Atlas, the evil Atlantean king (who hardly features bar from the end) and so everything he says some of which is so true is disregarded as the 'evil' talking and Eureka can continue on her boring slightly brattish path as she is right *spoiler end*. That was the major issue I had, none of the characters develop bar maybe Ander but that was just because we actually got to hear him speak towards the ends, rather than him hanging around in corners.

Now I'm going to give Teardrop a 3 out of 5. I keep edging towards a 4 so it's a solid 3.5 but veering towards a 3 unfortunately.... it feels like this was quite a harsh review!  It is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Childrens Books. It can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk for £6.49 (paperback) or £6.15 (Kindle).

apik maca (javanese)

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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.

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Everyday Book Trailer

Hey y'all -
Have a wee look at this book trailer - I've read the book and it was incredible, a review will be forthcoming, - but for the meantime let this whet your appetite!

Harry Potter, or at least the wizarding world, resurfaces :D

In breaking news on Thursday , Warner Bros have announced that they are working with bestselling author J.K. Rowling to create a film based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This will be J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut and likely to be set in New York 70 years before Harry Potter attended Hogwarts. The full press release from Warner Brothers along with contact details is below.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (isbn 9781408803011, £4.99) was first published in 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. It is an extensive introduction to the magical beasts that exist in the magical, non-Muggle world. The book is on the reading list for all first year students at Hogwarts and includes an introduction from Albus Dumbledore. Bloomsbury re-issued the book in 2009 with its current cover (attached).

NEWS RELEASES

Warner Bros. Announces Expanded Creative Partnership with J.K. Rowling

Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expanded creative partnership with world-renowned, best-selling author J.K. Rowling. At the center of the partnership is a new film series from Rowling’s world of witches and wizards, inspired by Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and the adventures of the book’s fictitious author, Newt Scamander. The announcement was made by Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be an original story and will mark Rowling’s screenwriting debut. It is planned as the first picture in a new film series. Set in the wizarding world, the story will feature magical creatures and characters, some of which will be familiar to devoted Harry Potter fans.

“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” said Rowling. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.” (Expanded Rowling quote at bottom of release.)

“We are incredibly honored that Jo has chosen to partner with Warner Bros. on this exciting new exploration of the world of wizardry which has been tremendously successful across all of our businesses,” said Tsujihara. “She is an extraordinary writer, who ignited a reading revolution around the world, which then became an unprecedented film phenomenon. We know that audiences will be as excited as we are to see what her brilliant and boundless imagination conjures up for us.”

In addition to the film series, “Fantastic Beasts” will also be developed across the Studio’s video game, consumer products and digital initiatives businesses, including enhanced links with Pottermore.com, Rowling’s digital online experience built around the Harry Potter stories.

Rowling’s expanded quote regarding “Fantastic Beasts” is below:

“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.

Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.

I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”