Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (Lynburn Legacy #1)
Release Date: 13th September 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Simon&Schuster (UK)
Reason for reading: SRB is an all-time fave author and insanely funny!
Rating: 4/5
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads description:

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

My thoughts:

Sarah Rees Brennan secured her place as one of my favourite authors ever with her fantastically twisty, utterly brilliant The Demon's Lexicon trilogy and her parodies of various tv shows/movies (seriously, they're hilarious, I'm more excited that the return of TVD means the return of SRB's parodies than that I actually get to watch it again) so I was naturally insanely excited for Unspoken.

Kami was such a fantastic character; headstrong and determined, possibly a little too curious for her own good, very witty and with just the right amount of quirk. She was everything you could want in a main character, she took risks and made decisions and had feelings about things that were happening, all of which brought you into her world and made you love her. One thing I love about SRB's books is that she focuses on the concept of relationships quite a lot, which is something I find intriguing. Not just the whole boy-meets-girl-they-fall-in-love thing, but the intricacies and dynamics of a variety of different relationships.I sometimes feel that relationships in YA can be a little one-dimensional and often rather cliche, as though it's the last thing on the author's mind, but they are like a central point in Sarah's stories I think that adds a richness to them. I loved the exchanges between Kami and Angela, who were clearly close friends, and then the addition of both Rusty, Angela's brother, and Holly, another of their friends, into the mix. While I loved the connections between the Lynburns, the Lynburns and the villagers and Kami and the various people in her life, it was the connection between Kami and Jared that interested me most, because both thought the other was imaginary...until they ran into each other in an elevator. 

I think SRB handled this aspect of the story, the relationship between Kami and Jared, superbly. Kami wasn't all "Oh hey, you're like, the person who knows me best in the world and, whaddaya know, you're kinda cute, let's go out". It was so much more complicated than that, so much to do with how you handle the idea of not knowing where your emotions end and the other person's begin, of whether anything you feel is actually genuine or the result of this bond that you have no control over and whether you can actually get past all that. It was interesting that Kami and Jared had such different approaches to their bond. Kami, who has always had stable, loving relationships in the form of friends and family, wanted the bond severed, wanted to see what remained when that was taken away, whereas Jared, who'd never had anyone in his life who cared about him apart from Kami was desperate to keep it. He idolised the idea of their bond, building it up to be proof that they were soulmates, destined to be together rather than the result of anything else.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from a gothic mystery, but Unspoken definitely delivered. There was the mystery in the sense of Kami figuring out what the hell was going on in Sorry-in-the-Vale, but more so than that there were all the other, smaller mysteries that added up to create the big picture; just who or what are the Lynburns, what is Kami's mum hiding, why isn't Angela answering her phone and what is WITH that woman in the sweet shop? You never knew who to trust, who was lying, who had ulterior motives and whilst a lot of that was pieced together, there are still enough unanswered questions to make reading book 2 an enticing prospect. The gothic element was wonderfully captured through the mansion and the creepy, creepy dead stuff, but more than that through the atmosphere. Through the sense of foreboding that lingered at every turn and through  the symbolism and spookiness captured in the writing style. Being a gothic mystery it was quite slow-burning, but I didn't have an issue with the pacing at all. I still found it exciting and gripping, I was still itching to get home and read more (because I got an eARC so I had to read it on my computer only and couldn't take it to work, sob). I think the pacing actually added to the whole atmosphere of the story. 

You wouldn't have thought you could have a funny gothic mystery....but you really can. SRB brought her trademark wit to Unspoken, giving it some genuine laugh-out-loud moments that often broke the tension nicely. I don't often do this, but I'm going to include a quote, because I don't think I can accurately portray just how hilarious this book is without one:

‘ Kami wound her arm back, took careful aim, and threw.

The “pebble” crashed through both glass and curtain.

There was the creak of an old sash window being thrust open, and Jared’s head and shoulders appeared at the window. “Hark,” he said, his tone very dry. “What stone through yonder window breaks?”

Kami yelled up at him, “It is the east, and Juliet is a jerk!”

Jared abandoned Shakespeare, and demanded, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Throwing a pebble,” said Kami defensively. “Uh . . . and I’ll pay for the window.”

Jared vanished and Kami was ready to start shouting again when he reemerged with the pebble clenched in his fist. “This isn’t a pebble! This is a rock.”

“It’s possible that your behavior has inspired some negative feelings that caused me to pick a slightly overlarge pebble,” Kami admitted. ‘

The end....I really can't write a review without mentioning it. Oh it was so perfect. I bet everrrryone hated it but it was the sort of ending I adore. It was so tragic, so fitting. I can't wait to see what happens in the second book off the back of it.

So why is this not 5/5 I hear you ask, seeing as I loved it so? Well, it is really. There were just a few, totally personal niggles I had that reflect more on me than the book. Firstly, the writing felt a little off every now and again, and was quite Americanised in parts for a book based in the UK with mainly British characters, BUT I was reading a really early proof copy (and the US edition), so I'll be interested to see if that changes when I read my finished copy. Secondly, I figured out the vast majority of the plot before it happened.  I am that annoying person that tries to figure out plots. I don't know why, I'm always disappointed when I'm right. But I'm also always disappointed when I'm wrong. I'm just awkward that way. And I was always so floored by everything that happened in The Demon's Lexicon trilogy that I expected A LOT from this book which, again, my own fault. What's that quote about expectation? So that is why it gets a 4, but really, it's worthy of a 5.

Unspoken is an atmospheric, clevery crafted gothic masterpeice. If I could buy you all a copy, I would.

But you will just have to settle with a giveaway for one! Because I loved it so much (and because I've been AWOL for so long) I'm gonna give one awaaaaay. Just fill in the widget-y thing below, it's open internationally!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon&Schuster
Released: 8th May 2012
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 2/5

Goodreads description:

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

My thoughts:

I was insanely excited for this book, the cover the description, the road trip element, I couldn't wait for it. I preordered it to my kindle (never done that before) and eagerly counted down the days till release. Then, disappointment. I just didn't like it. Everything about the book felt off to me.

I really didn't like Honor. She was spoilt and selfish. Her grief for her brother never felt real to me, and though she left on the spur of the moment she was still woefully unprepared for the road trip.She didn't even put socks on for God's sake. I never felt any true emotions or growth from her character at all and I found this really disappointing. Everything about her situation felt cookie-cutter, like she was going through the motions of loss but none of it was real.

I really didn't like Rusty either, he wasn't the sort of 'bad boy' character I like, he was just a jerk. I seriously couldn't find one redeeming feature in him and his relationship with Honor never felt natural, and was very confused. To be honest, he kinda reminded me of Haymitch in The Hunger Games, only less charming and sneaky. 

One thing that really bugged me I mean really, really bugged me, was the lack of descriptions. Now, I don't need every minute thing laid out for me in paragraphs of endless description, but I don't even know what Honor or Rusty really looked like or anything! And Honor and everyone around her kept going on about her boots, but again I don't even know what the sodding boots looked like. It just made it really hard for me to visualise anyone or anything. Maybe the description was there and I missed it, it's kinda hard to go back and check on a Kindle, but either way there just wasn't enough general description for me which made it harder for me to get into the story.


The road trip itself was a pretty bleak one, not much music or snacking or chatting or anything really. There were the usual mishaps and side adventures that you get from road trip books, but overall I was a little disappointed by this element of it. 


The ending I found really predictable, and most of the revelations just highlighted for me how selfish and self-absorbed Honor really is. I kind of hated her in a way, and I didn't feel like enough was resolved to make this a book about growth or anything like that. So overall, I was just immensely disappointed. I expected a lot from this book and it just really didn't deliver for me. Having said that, there are many, many glowing reviews on Goodreads, so you should probably check those out before you make a decision about whether to read this!


Stop by Liz's blog today for a review of An Abundance of Katherines

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ( Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Books
Release Date: 1st March 2012 (UK)
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads description:

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

It can.

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

There is.

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

She's wrong

My thoughts:

It's not often I write a gushing review. I can usually be fairly level-headed, lay out my likes and dislikes and give a reasonable rating. But when it comes to Mara Dyer, the only thing I want to say is:

"AHHHHHAAHHHHHOMGOMGOMGONGWTFISHAPPENINGAAHHHNOAHNOAHNOAHNOAHNOAHOMGHEJUSTSAIDVAGINAANDAGAINANDOMGWTFISHAPPENINGAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

*takes a breath*

However, I realise that isn't exactly a satisfying review, so I will try to review it properly. Emphasis on try.

We wake up, with Mara, in a hospital bed, her being asleep for 3 days. That is the last thing I am sure of. Everything that happens from there on out has such a dream-like, surreal quality to it that I'm still not quite sure which parts were real. It's rare for me to get that "What the FRICK is going on" feeling but I revelled in it. I loved it. I enjoyed not having a fricking clue. It was interesting, it kept the book fresh and it kept me riveted.  


Mara herself was a fantastic heroine. You felt her confusion, her frustration, her fear and her determination. I loved her, because she tried. She was a little bit scary, vaguely sociopathic and altogether awesome. She didn't just give in to what was happening to her, and she didn't just give in to Noah either.


Noah....sigh. I feel like Michelle Hodkin looked in my brain, plucked out my favourite male qualities and made Noah just for me. I loved him, I loved his humour and enigmatic behaviour. I loved his ultimate reason for pursuing Mara and I loved his chase of her. I also love that she didn't give in straightaway, like I'm pretty sure I would've. She stuck to her principles until he SHOWED her that he actually wasn't a complete dick. I loved that he basically admitted to creating that persona for himself, because it was easier and more fun. I loved their relationship, how slow-burning it was. The amount of TENSION between them was insane. Their conversational exchanges were hilarious, I often found myself laughing at the things they said, having an actual physical reaction to the atmosphere they created. 


The writing was exquisite; it really captured the feel of every scene and emotion. I genuinely felt like these were real teenagers too. They spoke the way teenagers spoke, about thing teenagers talk about. There was no censorship for more sensitive readers. The book mentions words and topics I don't think I've really seen much in YA which I found refreshing because honestly, I really think these things are handled far too delicately in a lot of books. The language often felt lyrical and added to the atmosphere created by the plot; the feelings of confusion and disorientation that permeated the pages. 


The ending was just...wow. I kinda loved how it was so abrupt and a bit confusing because it embodied the themes of the rest of the book. I seriously cannot wait for the next one.

Essentially, I adored it. It's the best book I've read so far this year (out of over 40) and it's one of the few books where, as soon as I finished it, I wanted to flip back to the front and read it all over again. 
 

 

Blog Tour Stop: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
Released: 2nd February 2012
Publisher: Simon&Schuster Children's Books
Challenge: 2012 Contemporary Challenge
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:
When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...


My thoughts:


The main thing I felt when reading this book was pity. Masses and masses of pity. I just felt so sorry for everyone involved because the whole situation was such a MESS and whilst it felt extreme, the thing that caused it, 2 babies being switched at birth, was so minor, done so thoughtlessly, that it felt utterly real. 


Poor Rosie. As if she didn't have enough to deal with after her mum's death but then to have the added shock of finding out she wasn't actually her mother...her reaction to the news was totally realistic. She went out, she got pissed and she made a few poor choices as a result. I'm pretty sure I'd've done the same thing in her situation. That's what I liked about Rosie--the things she did were what you'd imagine yourself doing in her situation. At times her decisions were frustrating and yet, when you stepped back, you knew you'd probably be doing the same thing. Holly's reactions were a bit more extreme and yet again, utterly realistic. You could see how she totally felt screwed over by everyone in her life, how it seemed as though Rosie had waltzed in and taken everything good out of her life, leaving her with awful revelations that Holly struggled to deal with. I liked all the other characters too, even the ones with more minor roles. They all felt really fleshed out and had distinct roles to play. 


I loved the switched POVs and how they linked up...I didn't actually expect the second POV to be who it was, I totally thought it was someone else but that was a really clever aspect and I liked seeing the other side of it. The writing was engaging, emotive and really got to you. The pacing was fantastic, I found myself racing through this to get to the conclusion.


I did actually know about Huntington's before reading this (Thirteen is my favourite House character) but  the thing about this book was it made you think. Would YOU want to know if you had a chance of developing an illness like this? Or would you choose to live your life in ignorance? Would you have kids, knowing there's a 50% chance they'd get ill too, and you'd die before you could see them grow up fully? 


The only criticism I have is that some elements were a little bit dramatic for me. I read most of this in one sitting and found myself getting slightly...overwhelmed by it. It's the sort of book you WANT to read in one sitting because you need to know what happens but at the same time I wish parts of it had been toned down slightly. Especially all the stuff with planes at the end. I also disliked the fact no one seemed to have an issue with hopping on a plane to the other side of the Atlantic at the last minute...are they all made of money? 


A fantastic example of contemporary literature, Someone Else's Life is fast-paced, gripping, thought-provoking and emotive. 

Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Ekeles

Released: April 2010

Publisher: Simon&Schuster Children's Books (UK)

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. 

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

My thoughts:

For Brittany, getting partnered with Alex Fuentes is the end of the world. For Alex, it's an opportunity. An opportunity to win a bet with his mates and fellow gang members, to get one over on his rival, and to bring perfect Brittany Ellis down a peg or two. What neither of them expect is the true impact their partnership will have on their lives and the lives of those around them. 

The story of Alex and Brittany is told in short, alternating chapters, perfect for getting inside the character's heads. It also makes the book virtually unputdownable as "one more chapter" turns into "two more chapters" "three more chapters" when the short insights leave you wanting more and more. The writing is gripping and undeniably teenage, very easy to read and  get lost in. 

 Brittany is your typical all-American teenager on the outside, but on the inside lies a desperately insecure, desperately unhappy girl who wants nothing more than for her disabled sister Shelley to be happy. Brittany was really easy to like a result of this; you didn't get the 'poor little rich girl' vibe at all: it was really easy to sympathise with her and her situation. Alex was the perfect bad boy, with the gang bandanna and tattoos to prove it, yet surprisingly intelligent and caring. His character was totally realistic and I found myself saying his lines in a Spanish accent in my head because they were written exactly how I imagine he'd speak. I really liked the supporting cast of characters too--especially Isa, Brittany's unexpected ally. 

The basic story is a fairly simple one: bad boy + good girl + parental/peer disapproval = sneaking around + intense relationship. But mixed up with this was the social issues of the differences between the people all living in the same town, going to the same school and yet completely divided, plus the strains that Alex  being in a gang placed on everyone involved. Then there was the undercurrent of tension from Brittany's family wanting to send her sister away to a hospice, all of which added more dimensions and a bit more originality to the plot. 

I read this in two sittings and, whilst I found the plot predictable, it was in more of a formulaic-for-this-type-of-book + a 'OMG I can tell what's going to happen and I'm just sat here waiting for it' way than in a negative cliche way. I really enjoyed reading it and I enjoyed the tension and the dread of knowing what was going to happen. The only things I will say, is that I would've liked the back-and-forth foreplay element of their relationship to have lasted a bit longer, the sort of covert flirting dressed up as snarky insults with undercurrents of sexual tension bit. That was over a bit too soon for my taste, but that's merely a personal preference. The only other thing I didn't particular like was the epilogue, which was a bit too sweet and slightly vomit-inducing in its perfectness. Remember the HP7 epilogue? Yeah.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary romance read with a bit of a twist to it, the niggles I had with it are minor and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. 

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Released: 24th Jan (US) 2nd Feb (UK)

Publisher: HarperCollins (US) Simon&Schuster Children's Books (UK)

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

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

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

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

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

My thoughts:

I was dragged into this book from the very first chapter--it draws you in, making you wonder what's going on,desperate to find out more. It was a really clever beginning. It's rare that I'm drawn into a story so early on, and this was definitely one of those times.  I love the back and forth narration--allowing you to see the present and the past at once. It was less confusing, removed the need for endless exposition and kept the story interesting. It wasn't hard to follow because each section was clearly labelled. I loved how it counted down the time left in her Return--it added a frantic feel to the story that I appreciated. 

I really liked Nikki. Her struggle to regain the emotions she thought she'd lost forever was really touching, as was her desire to make amends for leaving. I connected with her pretty much immediately. she was a really sympathetic character. She had resigned herself to her fate, but not in a negative "I've given up" way. She was strong, she resisted Cole despite the attractiveness of what he offered her, and I really respected her.  The only thing that bugged me about Nikki was the reason she went to the Everneath at all. It felt more like a plot device than a genuine reason. Plus, whilst I loved the absence of emotion in the present scenes, I felt this sometimes spilled over to the flashbacks, removing some of their impact. Having said that, this technique worked really well in the present. Funnily enough, they were still really emotive. I ached for Nikki, for the emotions she did feel and struggled with, for her emptiness. For her pain at interacting with Jack. 

Jack and Cole may seem like the traditional 'good' and 'bad' boy characters, but both are so much more. Jack is sweet, considerate, understanding and yet at the same time he's pretty tough. He's not all goody-goody and he's not a doormat. I was almost swayed over to the goodside (I said ALMOST) as a result of him. Cole was...confusing. and confused. He has trouble understanding and expressing the fact he had feelings (what kind of feelings I don't think anyone knows) for Nikki and so fell back on traditional badboy behaviour (snark, smirks, jealousy-inducing actions). I liked that the boys were a bit more layered and a bit less stereotypical. They were recognisable as typical YA love interests, yet different enough that I didn't find myself sighing in annoyance at yet another interchangeable boy. 

In fact, that's the main thing I liked about Everneath. It followed the formula, but it diverged from it in ways that made it interesting and unique and yet didn't feel like it was being different for the sake of it. The solution to Nikki's problem wasn't easy to find. There was no convenient internet page will all the answers (seriously, I HATE that. The internet has ruined research in stories). The answers had to be pieced together gradually, from different sources and with increasing urgency. 

My absolute favourite part was the second-to-last chapter. So brave. So much happened in that short space of time, and I was left thinking "wow, I can't believe she had the balls to end it like that!" But then I read the last chapter and realised it was going to be a series and felt...a little disappointed. Like the author had backed out of the ending she really wanted. I mean, it's good there's going to be MORE but...I really liked what I thought was the ending. That's mainly what lost a point for me...

Overall, Everneath is a fascinating read. The characters are well developed, the story is the paranormal, mythology-based fiction we all love with careful twists and a delightful lack of cliches. It's beautifully and cleverly written, a must-read for anyone. 

Everneath has already been released in the US and is released in the UK on the 2/2/12 by Simon & Schuster UK. 

Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Released: 2nd September 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Challenge: TBR 2012
Rating: 3.5/5


Goodreads Description:

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

My thoughts:

The concept was really intriguing, I liked how everyone under a certain age could see ghosts, and how they were now violet instead of normal coloured. The world-building was really effectively mixed in with the dialogue, ensuring there was no irritating info-dumps. I loved how ghosts could be called as witnesses, and were still bound by the law. All very clever.

Another thing I really liked was the feeling that this series will have a massive, conspiracy-theory-type twist in there somewhere, what with all the secret acronym'd governmental departments and mysteries. I love that sort of thing. I especially loved how it was sort of hinted at, leaving you wanting to read the rest of the series to find out what happens. One of my pet hates is when a book feels all wrapped up and then the author goes and writes a sequel anyway. So I was really glad Shade didn't fall into that trap.

I also loved how realistic the book felt. The dialogue never felt forced or un-adolescent to me, and the teenagers did actual things like have sex (or not have sex), drink, take drugs. I feel like too many YA books shy away from these things that ACTUAL TEENAGERS ACTUALLY DO. And pretending they don't in fiction isn't going to stop them, it's just gonna make your book less real.

Onto what I didn't especially like; the characters.  Logan was just an absolute idiot--I felt nothing for him beyond sheer annoyance, which I guess is how you're supposed to feel, but still, that annoyed me. Aura I could pretty much take or leave really, there was nothing exceptional about her. I really didn't like Zach either; I felt a bit like the author relied on him being Scottish to carry the hotness factor and didn't actually bother to create him a personality. Being British, I was unimpressed by the Scottish accent and therefore completely underwhelmed by Zach. I also didn't like how he treated Aura, I thought their whole situation was really unfair seeing as her boyfriend just DIED. What did he expect from her?

So the book kinda cancelled itself out for me, hence the middle score of 3. The extra .5 came from the realism of the whole underage drinking/sex thing. I really liked that that was included. 

Review: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Release Date: 2nd June 2009
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads description:


Nick and his brother Alan are on the run with their mother, who was once the lover of a powerful magician. When she left him, she stole an important charm - and he will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Now Alan has been marked with the sign of death by the magician's demon, and only Nick can save him. But to do so he must face those he has fled from all his life - the magicians - and kill them. So the hunted becomes the hunter...but in saving his brother, Nick discovers something that will unravel his whole past...


My thoughts:


Liz from Planet Print bought me this, and insisted it was amazing. Naturally I believed her, but it ended up on my TBR pile until I picked it up a few weeks ago and discovered the absolute amazing-ness that is Sarah Rees Brennan.


 I have to start this review by talking about Nick. He's pretty much my perfect male protagonist. Completely morally-bereft, borderline psychopathic, yet utterly smoking hot and sharp-tongued. I absolutely adored him. I identified with him really easily and loved him just as easily. It's funny, because really, you shouldn't love him, he's EVIL. But you do. YOU DO. You love him and you think to yourself 'I could totally fix this boy.' but if you did, he just wouldn't be the same. I've found my new top book boyfriend and I think it'll take a lot to usurp him.  Jace? Who's Jace...?


Onto the other characters. Mae's such a feisty female protagonist, but not in that over the top way that sometimes annoys me with heroines.She's fierce and wildly protective of her brother.Her posturing annoyed me at first, the hair, the outfits etc, but by the end I'd forgotten all about that.  Jamie is so cute, his humour is hilarious, and yet it felt really realistic.  Alan is the only character I had a problem with. In a way, he's almost as psychopathic as his brother, Nick. I found it very hard to like him, yet I don't actively dislike him either, I'm just...wary. I actually really admire Sarah Rees Brennan for her characterisation in these books.I've read a few reviews where people have claimed the characters aren't 'likeable' and they've given low ratings as a result; but really, why does EVERY character in every book HAVE to be likeable? I didn't like Mae and Jamie at first; I thought their imposition into the lives of Nick and Alan was really unacceptable and at first this blinded me to them. Normally, they would have been totally self-sacrificing but no, they were selfish, their actions their motivations, everything was fairly selfish. But this is how people ARE. No one is inherently noble and self-sacrificing, so whilst they irritated me for a while, I appreciated how real they were. I enjoyed that you had to work to like them, it made reading the book less passive and more of an active process on my part. 


The plot is so imaginative, I loved that the setting was England, and the urban fantasy leanings were perfect. The concept of the goblin market was intriguing and I loved all the mythology surrounding the demons and the magicians and the talismans. The world Sarah Rees Brennan has created is so rich in detail and yet utterly realistic. I can almost imagine that the goblin market really does exist. The ending was...wow. You think you know exactly where the plot is going, and then suddenly you're hit with twists and turns you really didn't expect. The plot is so, so complex, tiny details early on, minor things hinted at and missed out end up being pivotal in the end and this is excellent storytelling from Sarah Rees Brennan. You can tell a lot of work went into the conception for this novel and I really appreciated that. 


I loved Nick's narration, his struggle to be what his brother wanted him to be and his unrelenting dislike of most people. It's weird to empathise with someone who lacks empathy, but you DO feel for Nick throughout this whole book, and then you realise he'd probably kill you if he knew that. The humour as I mentioned is perfect. Nick and Mae have a very dry sense of humour that I really appreciated, and Jamie's quirky babble, whilst irritating at first, really won me over by the end. 


I already had the rest of this trilogy, and I think the mark of a good series is when you want to drop everything else and read the rest of it immediately. I was thinking about this book at work, analysing Nick's behaviour, really thinking about the psychology of it, and a book like that, a book that stays with you when you aren't reading it, is a triumph of literature. This has become my absolute favourite Urban Fantasy series, knocking The Mortal Instruments and The Strange Angels series down my rankings. I think it's severely underrated and EVERYONE should be reading this! 

Review: Wildefire

Wildefire by Karsten Knight
Published: 26th July 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Goodreads description:

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

My thoughts:

I was drawn into this book immediately; the way Karsten Knight writes is both entertaining and imaginative. Unfortunately it mostly went downhill from there. A lot of people have commented that they found Ash to be too violent, but it wasn’t the violence that bugged me-it was the constant changes to her personality. One minute she’s like “violence is the answer” and the next she’s being all diplomatic. She’s a total prude at one point then invites an older guy she barely knows into her school dorm room.

 I didn’t really see the need for the 8 month gap between the first and second parts, nor was it explained what the purpose of this gap was. Yes okay, she moved schools but why pick 8months later? It was such an arbitrary amount of time.The ending before the second interlude threw me as well, the parts just did not relate. I’m trying not to give too much away, but after the interlude it was as though the part beforehand just hadn’t happened. I didn’t get how we’d moved from that to the next bit.

I found the character dialogue really entertaining but it was all the same. They might as well have all been the same character for the difference it made. The only distinctions in their personalities were the ones we were told were there, they all appeared the same with their pithy comebacks and sarky commentary. Whilst I enjoy that, I think sacrificing character development for funny one-liners is not a good policy. 

Ash’s relationship with Colt both confused and disturbed me. It’s mentioned at one point that he was a minor the previous year which would make him 21, right? And Ash is 16 and at school. There was just something about that that didn’t sit right with me. Plus the whole “I saw you in a bar and knew if I didn’t speak to you I’d regret it the rest of my life” sorry, what? Not only does that make me want to vomit, it’s so unrealistic. I’ve seen plenty of fit people in bars, but I don’t regret not talking to them like, a week later let alone remember them 40 years down the line. How can you have such a strong reaction after seeing someone briefly in a darkened room? Also, I’m 21 and I definitely don’t fancy 16 year olds. Sorry to come back to that point but it really bugged me. 

The main thing that really bugged me was how easily the characters adapted to their roles. It was just like “okay”. I really didn’t get that at all. Surely you’d like, doubt it a bit? And then they could use their powers so easily, no training or practise required; they can jump into combat mode automatically. I felt this was unrealistic and felt a bit like the author didn't want to waste time having them hone their skills but given that I felt there was alot of excess pages in this I definitely think it could have been squeezed in somewhere. 

The last 50 pages were definitely the best part of the book. A lot happened and it happened fast. Some of it I expected but the majority of it I didn’t. The end pretty much saved the book for me; whilst I enjoyed it, nothing much happened for the first part and I felt like a lot was unexplained, not in the sense that it would be elaborated on in the later books but that it just wasn’t made clear enough for me to fully understand what was going on. I think some of the middle of the book could easily have been sacrificed to make for a more concise and less confusing book. 

All in all, I give it 2/5. It was enjoyable and an interesting take on mythology, but I’m not desperate for the sequel.

Review: Red Glove

Red Glove (Curse Workers book 2) by Holly Black
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publishing date: 5th April 2011
**DESCRIPTION AND REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR WHITE CAT**

Description (from Goodreads):


Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else. 

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does. 

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself? 

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose


My thoughts:


It took me an age to read White Cat, and when I eventually got round to it I absolutely loved it. So when I could get the sequel from S&S galleygrab I was thrilled! (cheers Simon&Schuster!!) The book starts with Cassel and his mum pulling cons in Atlantic City. It's obvious Cassel's not feeling too happy with his mum right now, and he's really not getting into the swing of things with her. Eventually he gets to go back to his posh school for senior year. In true Cassel style, the first thing he notices is that a ground floor room will make it easier for him to sneak out. I've never really been enamoured by the idea of a Male narrator, and it's put me off reading a lot of books I'd probably really enjoy. Despite that however, I LOVE Cassel. Not in the sexy way most people seem to, I just really like him as a narrator. I love his moral ambiguity, I find it really refreshing. I'm probably not supposed to say that.  A lot of reviewers have been saying they didn't like Lila and the first book, but I actually really did. She was turned into a cat for years, she's bound to come out a bit loopy. I think Holly Black handled her forced infatuation with Cassel really well, it wasn't at all undignified for either of them, yet you really grasped the scope of just how difficult the situation was, especially for Cassel. 


I did figure out a lot of the main plot; but I think Holly always adds extra, surprise twists which I find harder to figure out and they're the ones I really enjoy. I've not seen any review even hint at the twist with Daneca's character...does that mean everyone else had her all worked out (forgive the pun, I'm sorry) or that they didn't really think it was a big thing? Eitherway, that knocked me for six. Did not see that coming. And I loved the way it was delivered too.


I enjoyed watching Cassel come to terms with, and investigate his powers, and Holly showed his situation of being stuck between a rock and a hard place exceptionally well. I especially enjoyed the development in his character; the way he was trying to be more open with his friends-it was great to see that. 


I give this book 4.5/5 it's extremely enjoyable and overall, the Curseworkers series is, like Holly Black's other works, a refreshing and interesting take on YA fiction.