Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.
Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he's made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor... never to Eleanor.
Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose.
I adore Rowell's writing but boy, she can pull on my heartstrings! The whole story was bittersweet: the delicate first love woven with bad family drama and hatred. Their interactions were slow and easy, neither wanting to upset the cart of high school hierarchies. They fall in love over comic books and mix tapes on the bus, then grow braver in every encounter. Although they might be in some ways complete opposites, Eleanor has horrible secrets and Park is almost an open book, they are so similar in that they are outcasts and find a sense of belonging in each other.
Let's discuss Eleanor first. She was a big girl, with red hair, likes to wear ribbons, golf shoes and men's shirts. There is plenty about her for the mean girls to pick on. Yet she is brave and stubborn and mature enough to let it slide off her back. She might have been a bit stand-offish at first, making it difficult to understand her, but she was very sweet, nervous around Park and I really loved her, with all her accessories and secret box for special things. As for Park, he was a fresh take on the school-boy-crush: son of war veteran and Korean national, he is used to the funny looks due to his appearance but nothing prepares him for the emotional onslaught that is Eleanor. After a bit of adjusting, he takes it in his stride, realising (as you should) that appearances don't matter, not compared to what's in your heart.
It was adorable but also, more importantly, real. Yes, it was pretty rude and some of the content was plain deplorable, but things like that happen and I think Rowell did an amazing job in dealing and describing so many personal issues. The most obvious one being bullying, in all its shapes and sizes; from mean girls to jackass step-parents. Eleanor was incredibly brave and mature in dealing with the school-yard bullies, especially when Park could only punch things. Like Steve's face. And the development in their relationship, both in terms of holding hands and trusting each other with their deepest secrets, was subtle yet dramatic. It was obvious they were perfect for each other and the slow build-up made it realistically beautiful. That is what made this one of my new favourite books.
Published 1st February 2013 by Orion.
A stellar cast of acclaimed fantasy writers weave spellbinding tales that bring the world of witches to life. Boasting over 70 awards between them, including a Newberry medal, five Hugo Awards and a Carnegie Medal, authors including Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix and Holly Black delve into the realms of magic to explore all things witchy.
Another fantasy anthology! I really liked this one, it was full of cool, funny and magical stories. Most, luckily, I really liked and I'm going to talk about those in this review. But I have mention that some I didn't like. Maybe because of the content, or the writing style, whatever it was, I sometimes wished I'd skipped them. But they all offered something unique and I can appreciate that.
So, a few stories that I liked. First up, the first story of the book in fact, was Stray Magic by Diana Peterfreund. It told of a poor old stray dog that turns up at an animal shelter and the volunteer there suddenly realises she can hear its thoughts - because it's a wizard's familiar! Not only was this a great way to start the anthology, but it was sweet and funny and had a great happy ending. Next up was Payment Due by Frances Hardinge, where a girl swaps bodies with a cat to get into a bad guy's house. Not just any bad guy, the repossession man that took her grandmother's furniture and prized possessions. It might have been about revenge but it wasn't vindictive, it showed that not all important things are expensive and the value of family. Which Witch by Patricia A McKillip described a young witch, in a band no less, getting to know her new familiar, a crow, while saving the world from a creepy hag/creature. It was a bit weird but I liked it, it was funny, surprisingly sweet and you know, good conquers evil and all that.
On to some proper witches and wizards now. There's a witch living down the road and Carlos's sister has run away to be her apprentice. But he knows its dangerous, and what's with all the tree stump statues? In The Carved Forest by Tim Pratt, the witch has appointed herself the town's protector, but it is far from selfless, she's stopping them from moving and growing and I thought it was was really sweet that Carlos helped her ease her grief. Anderson's Witch by Jane Yolen is the story behind Hans Christian Anderson's inspiration for his fairy tales. Probably. Either way, it was sad and sweet and quite clever how Yolen wove the story to be true to Anderson's life and also how Hans tricked the witch in the end by doing what he loves. And finally, B Is For Bigfoot by Jim Butcher. The only wizard in the phone book is hired to protect Bigfoot's son from being bullying. But not even that is what it seems. Full of equally funny and brave moments, this was a great tale of overcoming bullies, even if they are mythological creatures training to hunt. It was one of the longer stories but I liked it, with its blend of real and magical.
Published 4th October 2013 by Hot Key Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honnst review.
Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!
So, I didn't do this last week, I sort of forgot. News from the last fortnight include some new books, plenty of reviews and starting the new job! It's going pretty well so far, and it's only part-time so it shouldn't suck up too much of my reading and blogging time but we'll have to see. But back to the books: I've managed to keep the reviews going up twice a week, and I got some pretties from awesome friends!
On The Blog
Review of After Eden by Helen Douglas (3.5 stars)
Review of Daylighters by Rachel Caine (5 stars)
Review of Hooked by Liz Fichera (3 stars)
Review of Myopia by Jeff Gardiner (4 stars)
Netgalley November update: you may have forgotten, but I am actually participating in Netgalley Nov and so far I've read three and am on my fourth, but one of those wasn't actually for Netgalley. Maybe cheating, but I'm justifying it because it was for review and I've had it since before summer! I'm well on track to read the 4 ebooks I set out to, so doing well!
Currently Reading
Onto my fourth ebook for Netgalley Nov: If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan. Also, having finally finished Under My Hat, I'm treating myself to Eleanor And Park by Rainbow Rowell.
On My Bookshelf
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it. Then, at last, they found the cure.
Now, everything is different. Scientist are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable...
A pretty good find in my charity shop - can't resist a pretty-ful hardback!
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don’t lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved kidnapping. Most teenagers can’t tell who you are, where you’re from and how you’re likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don’t get chosen to join The Naturals.
Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilites.
For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a serial killer begins recreating the details of her mother’s horrific crime scene, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be...
Long Live the Queen by Kate Locke
Xandra Vardan thought life would be simpler when she accepted the goblin crown and became their queen, but life has only become more complicated. Everyone -- vampires, werewolves and humans -- wants the goblins on their side, because whoever has the goblins -- wins.
Queen Victoria wants her head, Alpha wolf Vex wants her heart, and she still doesn't know the identity of the person who wanted her blood. What she does know is that a project from one of the 'secret' aristocrat labs has gotten free and she's the only one who can stop the perfect killing machine -- a sixteen year-old girl. With human zealots intent on ridding the world of anyone with plagued blood and supernatural politics taking Britain to the verge of civil war, Xandra's finding out that being queen isn't all it's cracked up to be, and if she doesn't do something fast, hers will be the shortest reign in history.
These two are hand-me-downs from Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time - thank you Sophie, they both look awesome!
Twinmaker by Sean Williams
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.
And this is from Debbie from Snuggling on the Sofa - thank you very much, Debbie, it looks so cool!
Jerry is bullied at school. Pretty severely, in fact, just because he wears glasses. But his short-sightedness gives him a different view point on the world and allows him to overcome this horror-story of secondary school.
Having been a victim of bullying myself, I could completely sympathise with Jerry's feelings of fear and anger, and I really do commend him on how he handles it. Although he has a low moment of lashing out, Gardiner writes Jerry to have the strength to take the higher ground and report it to a teacher. Of course, much like at my school, not much is done until Jerry himself gets creative. I loved how Jerry handled himself and tried so many ways of getting the bullies off his back; some were funny, others very effective, but some were just bad. But in the end, Jerry does really well for himself and his school by beating the bullies and helping to create a better atmosphere of zero-tolerance.
It was the characters that really built this book. Jerry interacts with a myriad of amazing and brave characters, like Mr Finn, the deputy headteacher with the strength to carry out anti-bullying ideas; Jerry's love interest Mindy, who was adorable and smart; Silu and Matt, Jerry's friends who stick with him, even when it doesn't seem like it. Then there was Wayno and his gang were just awful; violent, racist, rude, jeez I could completely understand students and teachers alike hatred of them.
What I really liked about this book was how Gardiner tackled not just bullying but the reasons behind it. It is a common thought that bullies bully because they are victims in another part of their life. And I think Jerry realising this about Wayno was an important part in both Jerry dealing with his fear and Wayno realising the error of his ways. It does take a while but they all get there, and I loved how the whole school got behind Jerry's anti-bullying ideas. Because it is a big problem and it takes a whole force to deal with. Most importantly, as it is Anti-Bullying Week, what this book reinforces is that no-one should go through it alone.
Published 14th December 2012 by Crooked Cat Publishing. Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.
But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.
But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...
This combines two things that I haven't seen in YA before: golf and Native American customs. Considering I know as much about golf as I do any other sport, i.e. none, I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed reading about it. It was original and quite sweet how Fred used golf as her escape. As for Native Americans, it was incredible to get an insight into their lives and customs, which I have always found interesting.
Using alternate perspectives between Fred and All American lover-boy Ryan, it told of Fred joining the boys golf team at her local high school, creating unimaginable tension. Especially as one of the boys were kicked off to make room for her. Fred was pretty cool, although she didn't grow into her own until the second half of the book. I liked her, she has got some major guts for not backing down when the boys don't want her on the team. Especially Seth. God, that boy needs to be institutionalised! I was honestly scared for Fred at several points when it came to Seth, the whack-job. And her Native American history was interesting, but it took me a while to connect with her.
Ryan was the typical American teenager: bit of a brat, used to getting his way, but comes from a lousy family. You know you should hate him, especially as he does not stand up for Fred when he knows he should, but the way he falls head-over-heals for her and her golf swing did make me melt. Eventually. He was so adorably in over his head when it came to Fred; it was obvious neither of them knew what they were doing when it came to love. Which was pretty damn annoying! But despite them both being complete fools, their story was sweet and developed slowly to allow both of them to overcome previous prejudices and dramas.
The blend of romance and sport was well done, the details basic enough for anyone to understand (and I did!). Fred and Ryan had some troubles to overcome, both socially and at home, and I liked how both their families had this back story that effected the teens in their everyday lives. The balance between the budding romance and them growing as individuals was well written; add in the competition of the sport, their family/friend drama and some racist bullying, I was pretty invested in these characters! And while this story, or its characters, wasn't perfect, I really did enjoy it.
Published 29th Janurary 2013 by Harlequin Teen. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one…
Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.
It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation—even for the vampires themselves—the truth is far more sinister and deadly.
Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end
I entered the final book with both excitement and trepidation - I always fly through these books, I literally cannot put them down, but at the same time it's the end! I don't want it to end!
So, the Daylight Foundation have wormed their way into Morganville and the vampires are no longer in control. In fact, they've been penned in and shackled, and the gang have a horrible feeling that what Fallon, Daylight leader, has in mind for them is not what he promised. So they have to be the bad guys and save the vampires. Because Claire knows that it is just prejudice to punish them all for a few's crimes. I really liked the moral implications here, it's a problem that Morganville citizens all have when faced with vamp problems and if anyone thinks it's a black and white solution then they're as heartless as Fallon.
The Foundation was incredibly scary, like Umbridge from Potter-verse, they honestly thought what they were doing was the right thing. Like therapy for vamp-lovers, to have them drained to point of death, and forcing a so-called cure on vampires that had a 20% success rate! Speaking of the cure - even though I wouldn't understand it, I kind of wanted the science behind it. Knowing later that Fallon was a priest and a student of alchemy made a bit more sense but come on, turning vamps back into humans? Even for Morganville, where apparently humans can turn into werewolf-vampire hunters, it seemed a little far-fetched. Oh yeah, the werewolf-hunter creatures, or hellhounds as Shane so affectionately calls them; these things are quite possibly the creepiest thing I've ever heard of. I really must commend Caine, her description of them hunting for Amelie gave me shivers!
I so love how all the characters have grown, especially the Glass House gang. Claire and Eve are all grown up, fighting for themselves selflessly, the boys are as funny and endearing as ever, while still being the kickass hero's they are. As for the vamps, Amelie and Oliver were incredible in this, especially how Amelie dealt with the Foundation. She was brave and regal and showed real leadership in setting an example for all the vampires. And Myrnin. I don't really have anything to say about him, except: I LOVE YOU! He is by far the best thing in these books and his interactions with the group made me laugh out loud, especially Jesse. Although I will miss his flirting with Claire, Jesse really is sort of perfect for him.
It's the end! I honestly could not think of a better ending for this series - it was typical HEA but with a Morganville twist: of course the good guys had to win but of course it wasn't tied up with a neat little bow. Come on, it's Morganville! It still needs a lot of work but this ending gave us the readers and the town some closure. Not to mention hope.
Published 5th November 2013 by Allison and Busby.
Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.
As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.
Firstly, I have to say I really liked the concept, the mix of science-fiction and contemporary romance. Yet while I liked the story, it wasn't amazing. Which isn't fair because it was good, it just didn't fulfil its potential.
After Eden tells of Ryan going back in time to save the world. Nothing exactly new there, but it was still a fun story as Ryan is so lost in the past and Eden is his only hope of not completely failing. Obviously, Eden was not supposed to find out about Ryan's mission but really, not knowing how Hitler was? Bit of a give away! It was about half way through when Eden had discovered the truth so for a moment I was worried the second half would fall flat. But surprisingly it didn't, it continued to be funny and with a few twists. Nothing I didn't guess correctly but still enjoyable. Plus, it set in Cornwall, which was a welcome surprise! The setting and the secondary characters really made this story, for me; the bitter sea breeze and the group of friends hanging at the beach after school made it real. The normalcy of GCSE's and friends and boy troubles was a nice balance to the secrets of the future and the truth behind Ryan's mission.
Eden was quite an interesting character; she wasn't typical but she didn't have many outright flaws. I liked her well enough, I could completely understand her falling for Ryan, but I didn't really connect with her on any deep level. She was an interesting character, especially as a love interest, as she was quite stubborn and shy, hard-working and loyal. Although she did buy that Ryan was from the future a little too easily. There wasn't a big breakdown that I'd have thought anyone would have. But I suppose Eden was a very logical character so she asked the right questions and didn't give in to her panic.
As for Ryan, he was sweet, naive to the ways of the world which made it funny, and basically a normal teen. He wasn't good at hiding secrets, or maybe just with Eden he wasn't, and he... actually that's about it! Considering he's from the future, he wasn't all the interesting! Ryan did play the role of "futuristic hero" well, as he was smart and focused, but I did like how Eden saved the day a couple of times!
I'm not going to ruin it and say whether they saved the future or not; you should read it for yourself! But the big climax did seem early in the book, about 75% on my kindle, which left me wondering what else could possibly happen. But actually, thinking about it, I liked how we were given a delayed ending to allow for loose ends to be tied up. It was quite neat, which I can appreciate; plus it was a happy ending which I always love.
Published 7th November 2013 by Bloomsbury. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!
No big news this week, just a couple new books, a big review for the final book in the Divergent trilogy, and the final book in the Morganville series. Been a good reading week too, finished After Eden and Daylighters in days!
On The Blog
Review of Allegiant by Veronica Roth (4 stars)
Currently Reading
Hooked by Liz Fichera. Just started it but seems very interesting so far. Haven't read anything about Native Americans, or golf, so should be good!
On My Bookshelf
The Look by Sophia Bennett
Ted doesn't think of herself as glamorous. But her gorgeous sister Ava is. So when it's Ted who spotted by a model agency, at the same time that Ava is diagnosed with cancer, things have clearly gone very wrong. Ted isn't interested in modelling but Ava wants her to give it a try. Just how far will Ted go to please her sister? And what sacrifices will she have to make?
Found this in The Works, and after You Don't Know Me, I snatched this up right away! It was only sheer will-power and the reminder that I had no more money that I didn't get 3 for £5.
Daylighters by Rachel Caine
While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one…
Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.
It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation—even for the vampires themselves—the truth is far more sinister and deadly.
Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end.
Picked it up on Tuesday, the day of publication, finished it yesterday morning. And oh my God, it was so good!
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
The highly anticipated third book of this mind-blowing series is finally here! And although I was so excited, I was also a little nervous. I mean, it had been months since I read Insurgent so I had a couple of mind blanks on some specifics, but luckily it was surprisingly easy to fall back into the world of factions, fear landscapes and memory serums.
I know some had trouble connecting with the characters and the story, maybe because of the gap between books, but I really liked the main story. The idea of the outside world being so remarkably broken and the Divergent being "genetically pure" was fascinating, even if it was just a very picky form of racism. Maybe I'm just easy to please/shock but I found the whole idea very good; I really liked how Roth had made sense of this world, relating the city and its factions to the outside. The memory serum bit was interesting too. The moral dilemma that Tris faced was tough; even if it was for the greater good, it was still pretty horrific. The whole situation was just awful and I do commend Roth on painting a dystopian world with real themes. Even if they were painted rather obviously, it was still an interesting commentary.
One thing I'm sure most people did like was the alternate perspectives. I haven't read Four's spin-offs, although I really should, so it was interesting to read from his perspective. Especially as Tris and Tobias were separate for many of the dramatic parts of the story, plus Tobias is a very complex character and I did enjoy reading from his perspective. But unfortunately through the book, they did get blurred together and I had to double-check the names to remember who's P.O.V I was reading from. Also, as much as I liked the characters, I didn't really connect with them like I wanted to. Not entirely sure why, which is annoying, not just for me reading it but also because I can't pin it down for the review!
And finally the ending. This is a bit of a hot topic! I'm definitely not going to ruin it but I will say that I did quite like it, although the Big Drama didn't make me cry but a certain someone's reaction did. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, the Big Drama that is, but I did like the overall ending; both the city and the outside world finally had some hope to hold onto for a better future, one that wasn't dictated by genetic-politics or strict rules. That I loved.
Published 22nd October 2013 by Harper Collins.
This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.
This is real. This is life. This is how to love.
BEFORE:
Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.
AFTER:
Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again?
I had heard great things about this before I picked it up. I already knew I had to like it because I can't resist a good realistic love story and this promised just that, and more. It tells of the development of Reena and Sawyer's relationship, both before and after he left. The spilt between 'before' and 'after' was very effective. I'm not talking a split right down the middle, like Looking For Alaska, I'm talking alternate chapters. Sometimes I thought it would get annoying but the slow drip of information was addictive, like putting pieces of a puzzle together.
The way both of them had changed between the 'before' and 'after' was very plain to see, and considering how much had happened, not all that shocking. But I liked the drastic, visible changes to both of them because it showed that they were now ready for each other, ready for that sort of relationship. Although, typically, it took a while. Reena and her family had to come to terms with Sawyer inexplicably disappearing and then just as suddenly returning, while coping with a new addition to the family.
I really disliked Sawyer in the 'before' part; he was so ridiculously selfish and foolish, especially when dealing with his feelings for Reena. Although his rebellious streak was hinted at, Reena really had to get to know him 'before' to get rid of her rose-tinted glasses and see him for the self-destructive moron that he was. And I was rather proud of her when she stood up for herself when Sawyer was being stupid. As expected, it was having Hannah at such a young age that changed Reena. It made her mature and realistic to the point of a bit bitter. I liked Reena in both 'before' and 'after' but I think I preferred in the 'after': having Hannah made her wise beyond her years but at the same time she was still silly and inexperienced and didn't know what she was doing with her love life.
I adored this story. I honestly have no idea why, because it was sad and frustrating and at many points I really did not like many characters, but it was so easy to read, addictive and most importantly: realistic. Honestly, I fell in love with Reena and Sawyer's love story, as tangled as it was.
Published 3rd October 2013 by Quercus. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!
Not a lot of news this week. I didn't get any new books last week which is why I was absent. And I'm trying really hard not to get any new books, although often I cannot resist, which is especially difficult when I volunteer in a charity shop filled with books!
Oh no, wait, I do have news! It's not book news, but still good news: after months of hunting and thinking I was doing something wrong, I finally found a job! It's not anything glamorous, just a Christmas temp at Argos. But it's money and experience and I feel a lot less useless now, so that's nice!
On and Around The Blog
Review of Resist by Sarah Crossan (4 stars)
Review of Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman (3 stars)
In other news, I am participating in Netgalley November, hosted by A Daydreamer's Thoughts, K-Books and Bookish Treasures. I have quite a few Netgalley books that I need to catch up on, as well as two review ebooks. So in total I have 7 to read; I'm going to try to read all 7 but realistically I'm hoping to read at least 4 of them. Check out Faye's goal post, and link to sign up post, here.
Currently Reading
Just finished Allegiant by Veronica Roth yesterday. Still not sure how I felt about it, but I know I liked it. Now it's onto After Eden for Netgalley November. Am also making my way through Under My Hat, an anthology of witch-y tales.
On My Bookshelf
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
One choice will define you.
What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Yes! I may be a bit late to the party but I finally know what it's all about!
After Eden by Helen Douglas
Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.
As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.
Heard about it before but saw it on Raimy's Letterbox Love last week and sought it out on netgalley. Thanks Bloomsbury and Netgalley!
Undone by Cat Clarke
Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.
Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.
Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.
I have yet to read a Cat Clarke, despite having Entangled on my shelves, but Kerrie's Two Pound Tuesday said it was 56p! Bargain or what?
Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories about the fantastical things that exist only in our minds—collected and introduced by beloved New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.
The sixteen stories gathered by Gaiman, winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, range from the whimsical to the terrifying. The magical creatures range from werewolves to sunbirds to beings never before classified. E. Nesbit, Diana Wynne Jones, Gahan Wilson, and other literary luminaries contribute to the anthology.
I don't read anthologies very often but I do enjoy them. Something about a collection of short stories is so easy to read, and ones written and picked out by Neil Gaiman must be good!
I'm not going to talk about all sixteen stories, I'm just going to highlight some of them. The one's I really liked and would like to talk about. So first one was Blob by Gahan Wilson. It isn't actually called Blob, it's title is actually a picture of a squiggly line but I'm gonna call it Blob. This tells of a dark ink blot on the tablecloth that moves and grows. I really liked this one, it was easy to read and very entertaining. Next is Sunbird by Neil Gaiman, a story about a group of people that ate every living thing and had run out of animals to try. They go on the hunt for a Sunbird to eat, which is supposed to be simply delicious. This reminded me of Queen Victoria's club in Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists which was odd but I still really enjoyed it. Then there was The Flight of the Horse by Larry Niven, where a man goes back in time to find a horse, from a future where no such creature still exists. It seems he goes back a bit too far and the animal he finds is a bit different than the one in the pictures. I loved this one, how it was both science-fictional and mystical.
Another sort of mystical one was The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me by Megan Kurashige. The story itself was quite weird but fantastical enough for me to be intrigued. But really, I liked it for the mixing of animals, like sewing together a monkey and a fish to make a fake mermaid, and the behind-the-scenes at the Natural History Museum. The Smile on the Face, by Nalo Hopkinson was more modern than the rest, where a girl swallows a cherry pit and goes to a party. She gets groped in a cupboard and turns into something amazing. Sounds weird, I know, but I really liked this one, with its blend of magic and folklore in the modern world. And finally, Come Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle. A rich and bored Lady in London invites Death to a ball, who turns out to be a beautiful young woman. I'm not entirely sure why I liked this one so much, maybe just because I am fascinated by Death, but it sure wasn't because I liked the Lady what's-her-face, because she was awful.
All sixteen tales had an original twist on the mystical and science fiction, which I loved. Although I didn't love all of them, they were all enjoyable for one reason or another. Some for the amazing creatures, some for the incredulous characters, and some because Death featured!
Published 23rd April 2013 by Harper Collins.
Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.
