This time, there’s no
fire in the dream. All I see is a hazy yellow glow. Then a beautiful
girl’s face slowly appears. She’s smiling at me, but a tear is trickling
down her cheek. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can say a
word a snake slithers out from between her lips, its fangs bared.
For
Grace, being shipwrecked on a deserted island has brought two good
things: new friendships . . . and Cruz, her soulmate. But as her romance
with Cruz intensifies, so do the strange happenings on the island. A
girl haunts Grace’s dreams – but what does she want? And will she ever
let Grace leave?
Love, betrayal and voodoo darkness, beneath a seething sun . . .
The second in the Shipwrecked series held even more surprises and spells for Grace and the gang. Even though I read Shipwrecked a couple of months ago, details were sketchy but luckily, everything came flooding back as soon as I opened the book. I fell right back into the terror of the unknown with Hortense the voodoo queen lurking over Grace's shoulder.
I so needed to find out what happened to them all and what a surprise, they couldn't make it off the island. Hortense still needs Grace for something and is keeping them all on the island until the moon is its darkest and the spell will work. For what, we had no idea until the very end. So, they were lured to the other side of the island where there is a spiritual retreat, completely cut off from the rest of the world, where they meet Ruby, Lola and Michael. Things there didn't quite make sense and understandably they couldn't relax, even with proper food and real beds! But at least they were all back together, as the few that had split off didn't make it far and were forced back to the island.
For most of the book, I was distrustful of Ruby, the retreat's owner; she didn't make it difficult, being all weird and forceful and distant. Then there were her guests, Lola and Michael. I could see why Grace instantly clicked with Lola but I was still wary of her, it was all a bit too easy that she had found them. As for Michael, he was angry and rude and while that was annoying, I could completely understand why.
And on the ending! The last few chapters held so many shockers I nearly dropped the book! I was so scared for her, she really was blind-sided with where her enemy was. Hortense's plan really was brilliant and of course terrifying, and unfortunately executed very well; I'm not sure how Grace is going to get out of this one!
Published 3rd July 2014 by Electric Monkey.
When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…
There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London.
Fresh
from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found
hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…
But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions.
The sequel to The Name of The Star continues on with Rory's life in the aftermath of the Ripper craze. She is being forced into therapy but unable to tell them anything without revealing herself as a crazy person.
I loved Rory's snark and even after the attack she kept that attitude. But of course she'd been through an ordeal and is hurt, both physically and mentally. She was bored out of her mind in Bristol and did want to be back at school but she had her reservations. Understandably, she was scared to go into the bathroom where she was attacked; she was also terrified of losing her fellow ghost hunters, the only ones who understood what had happened.
The story itself was quite slow; I was over halfway through and I realised nothing had really happened! But then there was the whole 'friend turned out to be a nutjob' thing that ran throughout. That was a nice little twist. Anyway, there wasn't much of a bigger overarching plot, just lots of little ghost problems that added up to the dramatic ending. But I think it was important that Rory had her resting period, got accustomed to her new power and her place in London.
Even though this read mostly like a filler novel, I still really liked hearing more from Rory and the gang, especially Callum and Boo who have amazing interactions. We also learned more about Stephen and something rather surprising happened before it all hit the fan - I admit I fangirled a little, then of course cried at the bad timing. All in all, this is Maureen Johnson as her hilarious and talented self, with witty characters, tough decisions and bad ghosts. I cannot wait for the next installment!
Published 26th February 2013 by HarperCollins.
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 might have sort of forgotten to do this last week, partly because I had work all weekend, partly because it was my birthday! I had a lovely day off on Thursday, went shopping and spent the evening with my boyfriend. Oh, speaking of, I have news. I feel a little weird putting it out like this because you are my friends but I do want you to know: Jordan proposed on my birthday! He got down on one knee and had a ring and everything! Needless to say I - we - are deliriously happy and I haven't really stopped smiling.
On The Blog
Review of Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz (4 stars)
Review of Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes (4 stars)
Review of Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (5 stars)
Review of The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard (4 stars)
Review of Breakdown by Sarah Mussi (4 stars)
Currently Reading
The Mediator series by Meg Cabot - a nice little trip down memory lane for the Lucky 14 Challenge.
On My Bookshelf
Captive by Aimee Carter
The truth can set her free. For
the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to
impersonate Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, in a hostile
meritocracy on the verge of revolution, Kitty sees her frustration grow
as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden
and the Blackcoat rebels she is secretly supporting keep her in the dark
more than ever.
But in the midst of discovering that her role in
the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's
accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A
prison where no one can escape.
As one shocking revelation leads
to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not
even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the
wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the
rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?
The sequel to Pawn, which I read last year and loved. Can't remember many of the details but still really looking forward to it. Thank you to Netgalley and MiraInk!
The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…
There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London.
Fresh
from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found
hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose… But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery.
I've read it already and I fell in love all over again with Johnson's hilarious writing style. It's also the only book I got for my birthday. Well that's a lie, I also got a bound Grimm's fairy tales collection from my brother, which is very pretty.
Dark of The Moon by Siobhan Curham
This time, there’s no
fire in the dream. All I see is a hazy yellow glow. Then a beautiful
girl’s face slowly appears. She’s smiling at me, but a tear is trickling
down her cheek. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can say a
word a snake slithers out from between her lips, its fangs bared.
For
Grace, being shipwrecked on a deserted island has brought two good
things: new friendships . . . and Cruz, her soulmate. But as her romance
with Cruz intensifies, so do the strange happenings on the island. A
girl haunts Grace’s dreams – but what does she want? And will she ever
let Grace leave?
Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
For Nora Grey, romance
was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the
boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes
them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes
that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better
judgement.
These two I bought during our Bath shopping trip - the first because I needed the sequel, which I've already read and it was amazing! The second because my Waterstones is doing an event with Becca Fitzpatrick and I haven't read anything of hers. I will be working it as well, my first book signing on the other side of the tape.
In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin
Anya Balanchine is a
teenager with the responsibilities of a grown woman. Now eighteen, life
has been more bitter than sweet for Anya. She has lost her parents and
her grandmother, and has spent the better part of her high school years
in trouble with the law. Perhaps hardest of all, her decision to open a
nightclub with her old nemesis Charles Delacroix has cost Anya her
relationship with Win.
Against the odds, the nightclub becomes an
enormous success, and Anya feels like she is on her way and that nothing
will ever go wrong for her again. Until a terrible misjudgment leaves
Anya fighting for her life...
The final book in the Birthright trilogy, I am really looking forward to this one and seeing how it all ends.
Terminated by Rachel CaineAlready addicted to the
pharmaceutical drug that keeps her body from decomposing, Bryn Davis has
survived Pharmadene's attempts to destroy her. But in doing so she may
have sacrificed something massive - her own humanity. Made even more
dangerous than before, even to her own friends, Bryn must stop a group
of rich and powerful investors from eliminating Returne addicts
altogether. And meanwhile, the investors' undead assassin is on the hunt
for anyone who stands in their way. It's time to terminate the oncoming
corporate zombie apocalypse for good ...even if it means terminating
herself along with it.
Another final book in the series - sensing a theme, huh? I read the first two books year before last do details are foggy but I need to know what happens!
It is 2084. Nuclear
radiation has poisoned the country. Society has fallen apart. Starvation
is rampant, and power shortages have resulted in piles of obsolete
gadgetry. Necessity has driven those who've survived to complete
self-reliance, if they have the means to do so. For Melissa and her Nan,
survival is just about possible, so long as they can guard the tiny
crop of potatoes in their back garden and find enough fuel to cook on -
and as long as they are safely barricaded inside their home by curfew.
For
after dark, feral dogs hunt, and violent gangs from the old Olympic
Stadium (now a miserable ghetto) roam to loot and plunder. If they catch
you, they are not merciful; so when Melissa falls into the hands of
Careem's gang, her prospects look bleak. But Careem soon realises that
she might just be more valuable alive, as a ransom victim. However, he
hasn't reckoned with Melissa's resourcefulness. Soon part of his young
gang are completely beguiled by Melissa and her story of a hidden valley
in Scotland - a place that sounds like a comparative paradise, if they
can get there. But apparently only Melissa knows the way, and only she
can lead them there. But Melissa is hiding a secret. She has never been
to Scotland in her life, let alone a mythically Elysian valley there.
Can Melissa's stories keep her alive long enough to escape - or will
they get her killed?
Set in a world where all the bees have disappeared and the food stock is running low, Melissa and her Nan are just about surviving in London. But then cornered by a pack of hungry dogs, her Nan sacrifices herself to keep Melissa safe but she still ends up in the hands of the Game City Gang, with a powerful and violent leader that realises Melissa is a valuable commodity to trade to the General. The world building was amazing, from the rundown London to the dwindling population and the every man for himself attitude. It was harsh and tough and you could not trust anyone, least of all a gang member who said he will trade you to a sadistic nutjob as a plaything. The whole thing made me a little sick; not only was the world dying, the remaining people were just making surviving worse.
Melissa uses her Nan's advice to set about escaping. Hearing her voice to stay tough and don't let anyone in, Melissa sets about using her rescuer, Tarquin, and his little brother Lenny to help her run away, to a made-up safe place in Scotland. Lenny, only being 6, eats this up and wants to hear everything about it. Even before we really knew them, I could understand why they needed to believe in a place like the cottage; their life sucked. And as Melissa got to know them, she began to feel guilty to lying to them and they became her family.
The overall story was much more fast-paced and action driven than I expected it to be; very much a survival thriller where they have to outrun violent gangs, vicious dogs and the army. Of course they nearly don't make it, with plenty of obstacles that don't want them leaving, Careem being the main one. As they attempt to leave London, they are taken by the army and used to work on a farm. There, we learn much more about the corruption that is limiting the food going to the city or any other place that actually need it. Figures that even in a world where just growing vegetables is a minor miracle, someone is still trying to make money and power off them.
Written in a colloquial bad-on-purpose slang, Melissa and the boys' stories drag you in and pull at your heartstrings. Even knowing she had to ditch them, Melissa came to care for them and vise versa. Their incredibly tough journey was an amazing story to read, a classic UK dystopia with stubborn and sweet characters that you just have to cheer for.
Published 2nd October 2014 by Hot Key Books. Thank you to the published for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
In Beacon Heights High,
Nolan Hotchkiss is king. His charm, wealth and good looks are
deceptively seductive, and many are the students whose lives and
reputations have been ruined by it. All while Nolan continues to reign,
unquestioned and undisrupted. Until now, that is.
Mackenzie, Ava,
Julie, Caitlin and Parker seemingly don't have much in common. Each has
their own friends, dramas and goals. But one thing they do share: they
all have a deep hatred of Nolan Hotchkiss. And they all think it's about
time he paid for what he's done. They come up with the perfect murder -
a hypothetical murder, of course. It's all wishful thinking ... until
they wake up one morning to find that their wish has come true. Nolan
has been killed - in exactly the way they planned. The thing is, they
didn't do it. So who did?
This is my first Sara Shepard book - I did watch Pretty Little Liars which I immensely enjoyed, and this had the same sort of feel.
It was all typical high school until a classmate died and someone was trying to frame the girls for it! Not always entirely clever, some stupid teenage decisions made, but still very fun and gripping story. It told of 5 girls bonded by their hatred of top-dog Nolan so they plan a little revenge at his party. Quite harmless, just taking compromising photos, but then it seems someone killed him right after. The girls all had their reasons for despising him, all of them reasonable but some more serious than others.
Nothing was revealed straight away, which was both a really good writing style and incredibly annoying! Each of the girls reasons for hating Nolan was revealed one by one, along with their home lives, their secrets and their fears. I really liked getting to know them all; they were scared and a little selfish but they held together to protect each other, which was commendable.
The other side of the story was of course the murder. The girls were understandably terrified that they would be blamed for it and so have to clear their names by finding the real killer. Much like Pretty Little Liars, there were lots of misleads and creepy people that may or may not be the murderer or just a pervert. It was very fun to guess and of course have all my guesses turn out to be wrong! All in all, I really enjoyed this, and I can only hope that the answers will be revealed in the next book!
Published 2nd October 2014 by Hot Key Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Tessa Gray should be
happy—aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a
net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London
Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to
Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the
Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one
last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the
boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
Warning, this review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.
This is it, the final installment of the Infernal Devices. I launched myself straight into it, literally immediately after Clockwork Prince. I could not wait to find out what happened next with everyone. And as I expected, Clare did not disappoint. We went from battling a giant demon worm - both hilarious and terrifying - to the final dramatic clash with Mortmain. Tessa was kidnapped, Will runs away to save her while Jem's on his death bed. Add in the threat of Charlotte losing the Institute and you have one incredible book.
We learned much more about the characters, new and old; I completely fell in love with Charlotte and Henry and their relationship, and it was both weird and adorable seeing Cecily and Gabriel. Then of course there was the complex relationship of the trio; I wanted everyone to be happy and it was quite heart-breaking seeing Will around as Tessa and Jem prepared to get married. Speaking of which, this part of the story was quite emotionally driven; considering this is the final book, it wasn't hugely action-packed but it was still an amazing story. I honestly couldn't put it down as we went from London to middle of nowhere Wales to fight Mortmain and his robotic army.
Now, the ending. After Mortmain has been destroyed once and for all (which was amazing by the way), the final few chapters were like a goodbye. While it was quite long, I liked that the whole summary and happy endings weren't rushed; the characters' futures weren't left to chance and speculation, I for one needed to know that. And finally, one last thing, because trust me I could gone on for quite a while otherwise: I really need to read the Mortal Instruments series now to understand all the references!
Published 5th September 2013 by Walker Books.
Love and lies can
corrupt even the purest heart... In the magical underworld of Victorian
London, Tessa Gray finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, while her
longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her.
But something is changing in Will - the wall he has built around himself
is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and
give Tessa the answers to who she is and what she was born to do? As
their search for the truth leads the three friends into peril, Tessa's
heart is increasingly torn, especially when one of their own betrays
them.
Warning: this review may contain spoilers for the first book.
I was so looking forward to carrying on with this series, to finding out what Tessa was and why the Magister wanted her, knowing more about the Shadowhunters and their heritage and of course what the deal was with Will. Clare can tell one heck of a story, winding different character stories together and pulling them all together all the while keeping up a fast pace to the overall plot. I absolutely adore Clare's writing style, it is almost lyrical in its mimicked-Victorian descriptions which was incredible to read.
We finally found out Will's secret, the reason he's the way he is and while I'm not going to ruin the secret, can I just say it completely broke my heart? Jem came out of his shell too, sometimes showing a lighter side as well as his strength. We got more from well-loved characters as well as some new ones. I especially loved Woolsey Scott, the London werewolf pack leader and the return of Magnus Bane. The wide variety of characters and their individual development was very well done and even with so many, I never felt lost.
Onto the main storyline, the threat of Mortmain looms closer but there was no sign of the great evil one, instead we learned more about his motives and his minions. Speaking of, Nate makes a comeback. He was truly weasel-like in his actions and every time he opened his mouth, my skin crawled. And the betrayal was quite a shock as well; it was a horrible thought that anyone would hurt the Shadowhunters' cause but one of their own did, and it hurt.
This might have been the middle book in the trilogy, it never felt like a filler. The story kept moving at a fast pace, and Clare definitely kept me in suspense! I quickly fell in love with this story and its characters and the second book didn't change that feeling.
Published 1st May 2013 by Walker Books.
Outside, Anika Dragomir
is all lip gloss and blond hair - the third most popular girl in school.
Inside, she's a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and,
if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father
is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social
position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular
girl in school, will make her life hell.
This reads like a teen movie in the best way. It was sarcastic and funny and heartfelt, with stupid and embarrassing moments intermingled with truly touching ones. It told of Anika as she navigates high school as the third popular girl, completely under the thumb of the most popular girl in school and all around bitch, Becky. She was the typical mean girl ruling the school even though no one actually likes her, with her followers too scared to do anything about all the horrible things she does.
Anika actually wants to be a good person, but is initially scared of what would happen to her reputation; she cares too much about the opinions of people that ultimately don't matter - you know, the teenage condition! As she grows in confidence, she learns about the falseness of social positions and what it means to actually know someone, not just their reputation. Despite her sometimes-annoying inner voice, she was very easy to like; self-deprecating, full of sarcasm but vulnerable.
Amongst the teenage trivial nonsense, there was also serious issues discussed, the most serious being the implications and consequences of domestic abuse. One of the boys Anika likes is a quiet geeky lad who turns out to be adorable romantic but has a horrible home life. Throughout the book there are odd glimpses into the future, where something terrible is about to happen and while I had several guesses, the truth was just awful. It was in many ways the final straw in Anika's life of self-doubt and pretense, for which I was incredibly proud of her for coming to terms with. The whole story was just beautiful, the way it transformed from a typical teen rom-com to a journey of self-discovery and heartbreak. Well worth a read.
Published 2nd September 2014 by HarperTeen. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Welcome to New Vegas, a
city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the
destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature - freezing. But
some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a
24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the
casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its
shadows.
At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young
blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a
mythical land simply called "the Blue." They say it's a paradise, where
the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly,
it's a place where Nat won't be persecuted, even if her darkest secret
comes to light.
But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not
impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries
led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson there. Danger and deceit await
on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to
each other. But can true love survive the lies?
In a futuristic frozen wasteland, it figures that Las Vegas survives. But outside the city, there is a different set of rules in this world of ice, with poisoned water, sub-zero temperatures and icebergs made of trash scattered in the sea. And with the ice comes weird new sub-species, magical people with special powers, from witches to dwarves. Not really sure how ice made paranormal creatures but I just decided to go with it. The fear of these people was much like reality anyway, the unknown making people do stupid things. So, it told of Nat as she makes her journey to the Blue, a safe and lush place where she won't be feared and where grass and plants still grow. Every hopeless pilgrim tries to get to the Blue but Nat has a map, one that many other people would love to get their hands on.
Even with all the weirdness and secrets surrounding her origins, Nat was easy to like. She worried about herself and the people around her, she was beginning a terrifying new adventure and she was attracted to this strange new hero in her life. Speaking of which, Wes was pretty cool, typical dark hero with a tragic past. He was quite sweet once he relaxed but he and the rest of his team struggled to fend for themselves and so were often left hungry. Wes especially suffered from the shakes.
The story had a real action/adventure feel once out on the open sea, with deadly pirates roaming the waters looking for easy prey. It did take a while to warm up, I think because the world building wasn't the best it could have been. Which is unfortunate because the writing was very good but a lot of things weren't explained or explored properly, for example the fact that America had taken over the world before the ice could. Plus, the ending was both insanely weird and sort of made sense. All in all, I think the overall story was entertaining and interesting but there was too many little things going on that confused me.
Published 2nd October 2014 by Orchard Books. 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!
On The Blog
I'm so sorry guys! I was called into work on short notice Monday and Tuesday after working all weekend, then I caught my dad's cold and felt like crap the rest of the week. Blogging, and in fact most things on the computer, went out the window. No brain power, fuzzy head and snotty nose meant I spent the latter part of the week in my dressing gown.
Currently Reading
Over half way through Clockwork Princess. Ahh, I am loving this so much but it's breaking my heart!
On My Bookshelf
My True Love Gave To Me by Stephanie Perkins
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.
Another steal from the staffroom, I had wanted this one anyway in the run up to Christmas. A great set of authors, I will be saving this for December.
Breakdown by Sarah Mussi
It is 2084. Nuclear radiation has poisoned the country. Society has fallen apart. Starvation is rampant, and power shortages have resulted in piles of obsolete gadgetry. Necessity has driven those who've survived to complete self-reliance, if they have the means to do so. For Melissa and her Nan, survival is just about possible, so long as they can guard the tiny crop of potatoes in their back garden and find enough fuel to cook on - and as long as they are safely barricaded inside their home by curfew.
For after dark, feral dogs hunt, and violent gangs from the old Olympic Stadium (now a miserable ghetto) roam to loot and plunder. If they catch you, they are not merciful; so when Melissa falls into the hands of Careem's gang, her prospects look bleak. But Careem soon realises that she might just be more valuable alive, as a ransom victim. However, he hasn't reckoned with Melissa's resourcefulness. Soon part of his young gang are completely beguiled by Melissa and her story of a hidden valley in Scotland - a place that sounds like a comparative paradise, if they can get there. But apparently only Melissa knows the way, and only she can lead them there. But Melissa is hiding a secret. She has never been to Scotland in her life, let alone a mythically Elysian valley there. Can Melissa's stories keep her alive long enough to escape - or will they get her killed?
How amazing does this sound? After I read Riot by the same author in a day, I have high hopes for this one! Thank you Hot Key Books!
Vendetta by Catherine Doyle
When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion next door, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling into an underworld governed by powerful families. When Sophie's own family skeletons come to life, she must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break...
A very early review book from Chicken House, I'm really excited by this, it sounds very cool. Thank you Chicken House!
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!
Nothing to report. When you're reading this, I will be at work (again), and if you're reading it any time between 10 and 11, be pleased to know that I will be hoovering the shop floor.
On The Blog
Review of Anomaly by Krista McGee (3 stars)
Review of Under The Never Skies trilogy by Veronica Rossi (5 stars)
Currently Reading
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare - ah, I love this series so much, I just want to hug it! I'm about half way through, because geez this book is huge, and I am absolutely loving it.
On My Bookshelf
Half Bad by Sally Green
Wanted by no one.
Hunted by everyone.
Sixteen-year-old
Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a
modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst
humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's
most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan's only hope for
survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the
three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it's
too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe
to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?
Something of a surprise review book - I couldn't host a sample chapter of the sequel without reading the first so they gave me the first book! Thank you Penguin! I'm really looking forward to reading it at last.
The Perfectionists by Sara Sheppard
In Beacon Heights High,
Nolan Hotchkiss is king. His charm, wealth and good looks are
deceptively seductive, and many are the students whose lives and
reputations have been ruined by it. All while Nolan continues to reign,
unquestioned and undisrupted. Until now, that is.
Mackenzie, Ava,
Julie, Caitlin and Parker seemingly don't have much in common. Each has
their own friends, dramas and goals. But one thing they do share: they
all have a deep hatred of Nolan Hotchkiss. And they all think it's about
time he paid for what he's done. They come up with the perfect murder -
a hypothetical murder, of course. It's all wishful thinking ... until
they wake up one morning to find that their wish has come true. Nolan
has been killed - in exactly the way they planned. The thing is, they
didn't do it. So who did?
How amazing does this sound? A great mix of contemporary and murder mystery! Thank you Hot Key!
October TBR
First up I have the finale to the Infernal Devices trilogy. Then I have a couple of review books (see above), as well as The Maze Runner before I go see the movie. I'm not going to pick anything from the TBR jar this month because it's my birthday! So come the 16th, I am fully expecting at least a few books and a shopping trip so I can use my staff discount!
Under The Never Sky
Everyone in the Reverie lives in a virtual world where nothing is real and everything is perfect. So when Soren takes Aria and friends into an open dome and starts a fire, things start to get out of control. Aria gets the blame for it all and is dumped in the Outside to die. Outside the Reverie, Aria essentially has to re-learn everything and it was very strange seeing things for the first time through her eyes, like the lack of pattern in the stones and her fingernails growing. I immediately warmed to Aria, with her absentee mother and non-existent father, her tough lot in life along with the sudden desertion of her home.
Aria and Perry are thrown together as they both hunt for the same thing: a dome called Bliss. Their budding relationship takes a while to warm up of course but is a deep contrast to the secrets they uncover when they reach Bliss. This is a great start to their story, an amazing introduction to the world with lots more to explore in the rest of the trilogy.
Through The Ever Night
Picking up nearly where we left off, Perry is now Blood Lord of his tribe and is struggling with all the troubles that is causing. The Tides don't trust Aria and that rift is undermining Perry's rule. Meanwhile, Aria is really coming into her own after discovering her heritage, but that doesn't make things any easier to be accepted by the Tides. So Aria leaves Perry behind and she and Roar go on a mission to the Rim, to find Sable and Liv. Speaking of which, I loved how there was no competition for love between Aria and Roar. It wasn't just that he was already taken, there was simply no jealousy in their relationship. Of course the way they ran away didn't stop Perry from feeling a bit jealous but it wasn't warranted and he knew that.
Rossi has got the balance between the heart-stopping action and the burning romance exactly right. As the Aether storms get worse and supplies dwindle and friends are no longer so friendly, things are looking tense. Aria and Roar's mission doesn't exactly go to plan and what happened broke my heart into tiny pieces. We also get a bit more information about Cinder and his connection to the Aether. Which is vital information that could change everything for the Tides, until Cinder is kidnapped. What I especially loved about this book was that it didn't feel like a filler between the intro and the grand finale; great and terrible things happen relating to their journey and survival, and I loved every page.
Into The Still Blue
They have all come a long way, but they still have a ways to go before they are safe. The effects of Through the Ever Night are still being felt deeply (which I will not mention for fear of spoilers). Let's just say that Perry and Roar are distant due to differing ways of showing loss. Revenge and desperation are the emotions of the day so when they attempt to rescue Cinder from Sable and Hess, things go quite wrong. At the end of the last book we learned about the alliance between Sable and Hess, and in this one we discover more about Sable and the Horns, and Hess's place in their partnership, which is to say a crappy one.
Things are looking pretty bleak as they are trapped and separated and literally beaten. But then an unexpected friendly helps, which I will also not mention because spoilers. Sable forces Cinder to use the Aether to open the storms to get to the Still Blue and he was so very brave even though he might die doing so. But of course finally getting to the Still Blue is not the end of the trouble with Sable and once again things look awful for all their futures.
This was an incredible finale, full of action and breaking points and love and fear, and all these amazing characters that just made this story. I think this is one of my new favourite trilogies and definitely one of favourite relationships between Aria and Perry. They have all grown so much and I loved following every step of their journey.
