Wednesday 30 April 2014

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday

 A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that people are eagerly anticipating.


My choice for Waiting on Wednesday this week is: 


Remember Me 
by Romily Bernard 

September 23rd 2014 HarperTeen, 368 pages

In the sequel to Find Me, Wick Tate, sarcastic teen hacker, is back and once again dealing with criminals and corrupt cops…and a brooding new love interest. Will Wick persevere when some secrets refuse to stay hidden?

Wick had thought her troubles were over.

But she should’ve known better.

Not only is she embroiled in a new murder case, which starts with a body with “Remember Me” carved into it and doesn’t stop there, but she also discovers new evidence surrounding her mother’s suicide…which leads her right back to her imprisoned deadbeat dad. And she has to deal with her flirty new hacker friend, Milo, sniffing around—which her boyfriend, Griff, isn’t too happy about.

The pressure might be too much as secrets—including Wick’s own—climb to the surface.

Remember Me is an edge-of-your-seat thrilling read that’ll have readers turning the pages at lightning speed! The paperback of Find Me is on sale simultaneously, and a digital original novella from Romily, featuring Griff, is on sale just a few weeks before!

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Find Me by Romily Bernard

Find Me by Romily Bernard 


“I thought, maybe, keeping a diary would break my fall.” 

Wick is the type of girl who’s always getting thrown in dumpsters for speaking up, the girl who’s got people who wait outside her house early in the morning because she can’t be trusted and the type of girl who’s scared because she’s not free of her enemies.

“There’s no end to this, you know.”

Tessa is the old friend, the girl that was in the past. The girl who had the perfect life or is it the perfect façade? The girl so broken and terrified that she chose to jump. The girl who chose death over life. She was hiding a secret, the secret that ruined her life.

“Fairytales have it right. There are monsters, but in our world the monsters can’t be killed”

When you find a dead girl’s diary on your porch, what do you do? Do you solve the mystery or do you tell the cops?

But what if your sister’s next and by solving the mystery you save her?

Wick has the skills to find out who raped and abused Tessa and if Lily’s next she’s going to do everything in her power to stop them.

“If I do this, what will happen to me afterward?

Every chapter starts off with a passage from Tessa’s diary and by having them in a non-chronological order it shows how in different moments in Tessa’s life she changes her mind on “the guy”. She goes from dressing up, looking pretty and feeling wanted to being scared, wrecked and afraid.

I really like the idea that even though Wick is quite a stubborn person and she can hold her own against bullies she’s also afraid and clever enough to know that sometimes you have to do your revenge behind the bullies back and that includes behind the computer screen.

Not only does Wick have to deal with her father being on the run and coming back at anytime, a cop being creepy and Tessa’s father being creepy she also has to deal with family problems and a sadistic abuser that’s after her sister.

There are three main suspects but you pretty much know who the person is earlier on in the book. But throughout the book it confuses you because you think its one person and then you think it’s the other and this keeps the mystery.


“It was never supposed to end like this”

Monday 28 April 2014

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner Review 



“Tom, I just triggered the Ending.”

The main character, Thomas wakes up with no memory of anything other than his name and he’s in a lift. That’s when he finds himself in the Glade and meets the Gladers. When Thomas arrives everything starts to change and a lot of things go down.

The Maze Runner is the type of story that you just expected more from.  It was good but it had so much potential to be better.





The Good–

Thomas was curious; he asked a hell lot of questions – as you should do! Thomas is put in this new environment and unlike other protagonists he’s not afraid of making people angry and making enemies by finding out the truth.

Thomas is very determined to become a runner and find out the truth and he does what his instincts tell him too.  

The relationship between the boys wasn’t perfect and this made it real – stick a group of people together not all of them are going to get along!


The Bad –

The Grievers – They weren’t even scary!

The Maze – holy shit you have an entire maze that keeps changing, there’s endless possibilities of what could be in the maze but all we have is Grievers.

Too many minor characters – all the names you have to remember

Teresa was in a coma for more than half the book and when she comes out of it she’s solving half the clues that the Gladers couldn`t in their two years living in the Glade! Also her relationship with Thomas was really awkward – he didn`t fight on her side and they’re connected somehow.

Action – There was too much arguing between the characters and there was only like two scenes of action and in the last fight scene- Thomas wasn’t even fighting in it so we didn’t even read about it!

Mystery – Just because Thomas is the MC doesn`t mean he has to solve everything

Chuck – All Thomas did was complain about him


The Ending – It wasn`t rushed or anything. 

Saturday 26 April 2014

Stacking The Shelves

Stacking The Shelves


Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews  

 Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course eBooks! 


Books I brought, borrowed or received :



Wednesday 23 April 2014

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday

 A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that people are eagerly anticipating.


My choice for Waiting on Wednesday this week is:  



The Murder Complex 
by Lindsay Cummings 

Publication: June 10th 2014 by Greenwillow Books, 400 pages


An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish 


This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is  Top Ten Characters Who Would Be Invited To My Birthday Party 

As today is my birthday, I might as well... 







Daemon from Obsidian
I can just imagine him sitting at the back trying to be all mysterious and making really sarcastic/rude/funny comments and making me laugh like an idiot!

Rose from Vampire Academy
Her sassiness will probably cause arguments with others and I’ll love to see someone go against her – especially Daemon!

Four/Tobias from Divergent
He’ll probably be sitting stiffly all hunched up trying to be invisible in a chair right next to me and awkwardly trying to eat chocolate cake – ignoring everybody else.

Harry from The Harry Potter series
It’s HARRY POTTER! Need I say anymore! Also he’s a Wizard!

Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone
I’d love to hear the stories she would tell about demons, angels, new bodies and battles.

Ethan from Beautiful Creatures
He’s just seems like the perfect gentleman, you know the charming and sweet type.

Hazel from The Fault In Our Stars
I wouldn`t mind hearing Hazel’s and Gus’s love story in person – not just reading it

Sybella or Beast from Dark Triumph
One of my favourite couples ever with such sad back stories

June from Legend
One of my favourite heroine and to put it plainly she’s kickass – no invite needed

Percy from the Percy Jackson series
He’s a hilarious demigod!

Monday 21 April 2014

Half Bad

Half Bad by Sally Green


Title: Half Bad  

Author: Sally Green

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Published: March 3rd 2014, Penguin

Pages: 400


Blurb: Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.

You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

Half Bad is the story of Nathan who is a Half Code, a child of a white witch and black witch.  From a very young age Nathan knows he will never belong because he’s one of a kind, there’s no one else like him.

My Thoughts;

. Writing Style –

Half Bad starts off with a second person narrative in which Nathan is in a cage and it then goes on to show a day in his life. The second person narrative is written as if Nathan is speaking to himself and this shows us how he puts himself though training and chores. How he feels about Celia and his own inner battle for freedom. After the first section the story goes back in time to show how he was put into the cage and it turns to first person narrative.

. Family –

After Nathan’s mother commits suicide Nathan and his two sisters and his brother all live with his grandma. All of them except his oldest sister are protective/caring of him even though he’s a half code and rejected by the “leaders” of the white witches. Nathan and his brothers relationship was strong because he was the first person that Nathan trusted fully.

. White Witches and Black Witches –

Traditionally/stereotypically white=good and black=bad, right?
Is every single black witch bad? Is every single white witch good?
How can White Witches be good and yet hunt Black Witches ruthlessly and kill them disregarding if they’re innocent or not. How can they treat Nathan like a weapon just because he’s half black?

.Abuse and Scars –

Nathan goes through a lot; I mean a lot of physical abuse. This ranges from getting tattooed on his bones, getting acid on his hand, getting beaten up, and also having the words WB cut into his back. But through this all you realise that Nathan is a survivor/fighter and if someone hurts him he will hurt them back or try too. Nathan can hold his own.

. Is Nathan all good?

No he isn`t. Nathan has a “bad half” and this is shown through his anger issues and his self control - how he finds it hard to stop when he starts fighting.

. The Romance –

The love interest in Half Bad is Annalise; their love story was really short but cute. Throughout his time in the cage Nathan constantly remembers Annalise and their forbidden love. For he remembers his first love. After Nathan is taken away Annalise is branded as untrustworthy and is continuously questioned about Nathan by the White Witches leaving her desperate for freedom. And freedom she gets but at a price.

. The Training –

When Nathan is with Celia he exercises and trains everyday as well as learning how to fight, this is the White Witches way of training Nathan to be their puppet and kill a certain Black Witch. But if Nathan does get free he could use this training against them and The Hunters – which he does.

. The Journey –

I love when books include the main character going on a journey and meeting different people and each of them affecting/helping the MC in different ways. There were a lot of minor characters but each of them were introduced in a way that made them important even if they’re minor characters.

. The Bad –

The story had two thirds of it consisting of the abuse/violence that Nathan had to endure and only one third of it with action and something faster paced.  The ending section was really rushed with a jumble of deaths, injuries and meetings put together.

. The Cover –
I really love the double covers!      

Sunday 20 April 2014

Cover Characteristic

Cover Characteristic


This is a new meme hosted by Sugar & Snark. 


Each week they will post a characteristic and you choose 5 of your favourite covers with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great! Don’t forget to stop by the other participants!


Today’s cover characteristic: Ghosts



Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar

The Fall by Bethany Griffin

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Hereafter  by  












Stacking The Shelves

Stacking The Shelves


Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews  

 Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course eBooks! 


Books I brought, borrowed or received :


This week I purchased two books



The rest I got from NetGalley 


Saturday 19 April 2014

Reveal It

Reveal It

Reveal It is a post I do on Saturdays that concludes what I did this week and what I found



About Me

My Easter holidays  are nearly over meaning I have to go to school next Tuesday - on my birthday - yay! At least I got a lot of reading done in the past weeks! Also the last few days I've been in a book slump so I decided to join a read-a-thon. Check it Out -
http://treesofreverie.tumblr.com/post/82085614393/treesofreveries-april-read-a-thon

Entertainment

First of all a Tfios Clip was shown in the Pre-show for the MTV Awards
 

Secondly the If I Stay trailer was revealed 


Two songs from TFIOS Soundtrack 


 Also check out this song 

Book Related


Book Covers I Spotted 



Friday 18 April 2014

Hysteria

Hysteria by Megan Miranda 


Title: Hysteria 

Author: Megan Miranda 

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Published: February 14th 2013, Bloomsbury Children's

Pages: 352

Blurb: Mallory's life is falling apart. 

Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear...

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. 


Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?


Hysteria is the story of Mallory dealing with the consequences of what happened to her boyfriend as well as moving to a new boarding school. She is forced to move to her father’s old boarding school because her boyfriend’s mother keeps terrorising her. Every night she has nightmares of the choice she made and slowly she remembers the night her boyfriend died.

Things get worse when she moves to the boarding school; everybody pre judging her; bruises appearing on her body and her never feeling safe when she is alone. She also meets the love interest who she used to know back before she killed her boyfriend.

Spoiler Alert

There’s also another story mixed in with Mallory’s in which a popular boy is murdered and the blame is put on Mallory. The boy is a jackass who physically abuses people and his sister murders him with the help of his ex girlfriend and current girlfriend. The three girls work together and frame Mallory; they also try to dispose of Mallory’s friend by dumping her in a ditch (?) after hitting her with a brick.

The person who’s been stalking her and breaking into her room is revealed to be her boyfriend’s brother and her ex friend. Dylan also was with Mallory on the day she killed her boyfriend, Brian. Dylan was the reason that Brian attacked Mallory forcing her to choose her life over Brian’s. The entire mystery/suspense that has been built up only to be revealed that that it was also Dylan’s fault was so pointless. You’re waiting for the big reveal only to find that Dylan just ran away scared.

Sister Assassin

Sister Assassin  by Kiersten White


Title: Sister Assassin

Author: Kiersten White

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Published: February 19th 2013, HarperCollins Children's Books

Pages: 241

Blurb: She never chose her deadly gift but now she’s forced to use it. How far would you go to protect the only family you have left?

Annie is beset by fleeting strange visions and a guilty conscience. Blind and orphaned, she struggles to care for her feisty younger sister Fia, but things look up when both sisters are offered a place at Kessler School for Exceptional Girls.

Born with flawless intuition, Fia immediately knows that something’s wrong, but bites her tongue… until it’s too late. For Fia is the perfect weapon to carry out criminal plans and there are those at Kessler who will do anything to ensure her co-operation.

With Annie trapped in Kessler’s sinister clutches, instincts keep Fia from killing an innocent guy and everything unravels. Is manipulative James the key to the sisters’ freedom or an even darker prison? And how can Fia atone for the blood on her hands?


There are specific things you look for when reading a book for example the structure, the plot and the characters. The structure for Sister Assassin didn`t work for me at all, it made the book annoying and incredibly boring and I just couldn`t connect with any of the characters. It contained both multi povs and flashbacks. Multi povs only really suit some books mostly romance novels and if you’re going to add flashbacks make them useful! Adding both together was so bloody awful. The flashbacks made the story so dull that it got on my nerves and made the story repetitive. In total the book literally told me three things; Fia is a crazy ass fighter who is forced to do the dirty work for the Keane organisation, Annie is a seer who is locked up as bait for Fia and they both have issues.

Fia is an impulsive, mentally and physically scarred 17 year old who from a very young age knows to trust her instincts. What really annoyed me in the beginning is that she gave up everything; her sister and her life for a frickin boy who she doesn`t even know! And she’s supposed to be this psycho killer – yeah, no, she wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong she could kick butt.

Fia has good instincts but she hardly ever trusts them, all she ever does is pity herself and then think of the consequences of her actions on her sister after she’s done whatever she’s done.

Annie is the older sister by 2 years and she’s a blind seer who has visions of the future and that’s the reason the girls are at this school. When Annie first came to the school she trusted to easily and now that Fia is more useful to the school than Annie they’ve locked her up. All Annie’s povs were just of her feeling guilty and worrying over Fia. Real interesting

Then there was the romance element – two boys, one good and one bad. Which one does she go for – it isn`t hard to guess.

However at the ending- I was like you spent most of your life protecting your sister just to do that…

Thursday 17 April 2014

Thursday New YA Book Releases

April 22nd YA Book Releases


The Inventor's Secret 
by Andrea Cremer 

New from Andrea Cremer, the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade novels, comes an action-packed alternate-history steampunk adventure.

In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape  or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel,ScottWesterfeld's Leviathan and Phillip Reeve's Mortal Instruments.

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Philomel, 368 pages


Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman 

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Balzer + Bray, 416 pages


Deception's Princess by Esther M. Friesner

Some lies lead to true adventure. . . .

Maeve, princess of Connacht, was born with her fists clenched. And it's her spirit and courage that make Maeve her father's favorite daughter. But once he becomes the High King, powerful men begin to circle--it's easy to love the girl who brings her husband a kingdom.

Yet Maeve is more than a prize to be won, and she's determined to win the right to decide her own fate. In the court's deadly game of intrigue, she uses her wits to keep her father's friends and enemies close--but not too close. When she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the son of a visiting druid, Maeve faces a brutal decision between her loyalty to her family and to her own heart.

Award-winning author Esther Friesner has a remarkable gift for combining exciting myth and richly researched history. This fiery heroine's fight for independence in first-century Ireland is truly worthy of a bard's tale. Hand Deception's Princess to fans of Tamora Pierce, Shannon Hale, and Malinda Lo.

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Random House Books for Young Readers, 336 pages


TALKER 25 
by Joshua McCune 

Debut author Joshua McCune's gritty and heart-pounding novel is a masterful reimagining of popular dragon fantasy lore, set in a militant future reminiscent of Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and Ann Aguirre's Outpost.

It's a high school prank gone horribly wrong-sneaking onto the rez to pose next to a sleeping dragon-and now senior Melissa Callahan has become an unsuspecting pawn in a war between Man and Monster, between family and friends and the dragons she has despised her whole life. Chilling, epic, and wholly original, this debut novel imagines a North America where dragons are kept on reservations, where strict blackout rules are obeyed no matter the cost, where the highly weaponized military operates in chilling secret, and where a gruesome television show called Kissing Dragons unites the population. Joshua McCune's debut novel offers action, adventure, fantasy, and a reimagining of popular dragon lore.

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 432 pages


The Hunt 
by Stacey Kade 

Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.

But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.

Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?


Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion, 400 pages


The Last Best Kiss
by Claire LaZebnik 

Anna Eliot is tired of worrying about what other people think. After all, that was how she lost the only guy she ever really liked, Finn Westbrook.

Now, three years after she broke his heart, the one who got away is back in her life.

All Anna wants is a chance to relive their last kiss again (and again and again). But Finn obviously hasn’t forgotten how she treated him, and he’s made it clear he has no interest in having anything to do with her.

Anna keeps trying to persuade herself that she doesn’t care about Finn either, but even though they’ve both changed since they first met, deep down she knows he’s the guy for her. Now if only she can get him to believe that, too....

With her signature wit and expertly authentic teen voice, Claire LaZebnik (the author of fan favorites Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting) once again breathes new life into a perennially popular love story. Fans of Polly Shulman, Maureen Johnson, and, of course, Jane Austen will love this irresistibly funny and romantic tale of first loves and second chances.

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by HarperTeen, 320 pages



Don't Call Me Babyby  

All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.

Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.

When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

Don't Call Me Baby is a sharply observed and irrepressibly charming story about mothers and daughters, best friends and first crushes, and the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can see only in real life.

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by HarperTeen, 304 pages