Friday 31 May 2013

NA review: A Moment by Marie Hall

Published by: Marie Hall
Release date:
12th March 2013
Series:
Moments #1
I got it from:
ARC via GR New Adult Book Club

Goodreads summary:
Ryan Cosgrove and Liliana Delgado are on a collision course with destiny. They don’t know it yet, but before the night is over their lives will be forever changed.

Spending Valentine’s Day at a burlesque bar, hadn’t been Liliana’s ideal way of spending a Friday night. She’d much rather be back on campus doing homework… until she meets Ryan. Tall, athletic, and gorgeous, Lili can’t keep her eyes off him, and despite his gruff manners and drunken disposition she’s intrigued.

Ryan’s got demons, and they’re deep, dark, and eating him alive. Regardless of his attraction to the petite brunette he’s tired of fighting, of pretending the last fifteen years haven’t been a daily struggle just to get out of bed every morning. That night he decides to end his pain, to leave it all behind and float away into the blessed darkness of oblivion. But fate has other plans for him, Lily finds and rescues Ryan, determined she’ll not only save his body, but his soul too.

This is their moment…


My review:
Phew, the air between Ryan and Lili is electric! What these two have going on is steaming hot. What's more, it feels real. A lot of the time when two characters get together it's like 'oh please, no-one acts like that!', but the burning lust and budding love between Ryan and Lili feels like something very real. I think it's because it's tempered by so much awfulness that it works so well - awfulness for the characters that is, not for the reader! Lili has had a harsh few years, ever since getting pregnant at 14 and giving birth to a severely autistic little boy. On top of that she has to deal with her mother's illness, all while trying to earn enough money to keep her family and study to better herself. This girl has a lot on her plate.

Ryan is a fighter. He comes from parents who, although they loved each other very much, had no time for him. He's been in the marines, and now he's fighting for money. All that makes for a tough guy, but Ryan has a real dark side. Something happened in his past to seriously mess him up. He's broken, and what girl can't resist trying to fix a hot guy who's hurting inside? This is not just a case of 'take my love and let it heal you' though. There is that aspect, but there's also a lot more going on. Ryan knows that he's not good for Lili. She has enough baggage of her own, she really doesn't need to add his to it. Lili is also fully aware that he is not the type of guy she should be getting involved with. But he can't resist her, and she can't resist him.

A Moment deals with a couple of very heavy issues. I'm not going to tell you what they are because that would be a major spoiler, but be aware that it's not all kittens and puppies. Like most NA romances, there are problems that need working through before the relationship can really blossom, and A Moment is different only in that its issues are deeper than most. I liked that it didn't shy away from the harsh reality of depression, and the many ways in which it can eat away at you. It also didn't rely on love being a cure-all. Ryan had to figure things out for himself, and because of that A Moment gets a lot of respect from me. It's not an easy read, but it is worth it.

I have one issue with the book in that Lili is too damn perfect! Not only is she this incredibly gorgeous, sex-on-legs figure of a woman, but everything about her is just so flawless. She's kind, considerate, caring, intelligent, funny, blah blah blah. She makes me a little bit sick. Couldn't the author have given her a couple of little flaws? It wouldn't make anyone love her any less, in fact I think it would have made me love her a lot more. Also, in my opinions the epilogue was unnecessary. But that's just me - I'm very picky when it comes to endings.

The supporting cast of this book is brilliant. I loved Ryan's cousin Alex, and Lili's Mama. Lili's son Javier is relegated to the sidelines a little, but what we do see of him is interesting and from what I know of autism, well-portrayed. Alex is probably the most important character - he is there for Ryan constantly, even when Ryan tries his best to push him away. I can't wait to read Alex's story in Hall's next book. I think I like him even better than Ryan in fact, so I hope he gets a good life!

Thursday 30 May 2013

Review: Shadow Embraced by Cheree Smith

Published by: Dark Cherry Press
Release date:
29th April 2013
Series:
Haven #1
I got it from:
NetGalley


Goodreads summary:
No escape.

Those words haunt Scar's dreams. She thinks the creature that terrorises her while asleep isn't real, but when she's abducted and taken to a reform school meant to contain creatures too dangerous to function in society, she starts to wonder whether she isn't some monster.

She turns to an underground fight club full of vampires, werewolves and witches established by the students to control her urges, and who is she kidding, she loves to fight.

When fighters begin to disappear, turning Scar into the prime suspect, she must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.

The only problem is that she's not entirely sure she's innocent.


My review:
Back to good old vampires, werewolves and witches - diss it all you like, in my opinion you can't beat a bit of dark monster action now and again. After a spate of 'let's avoid vampires, they've been done to death so we're going to come up with a random new paranormal thing', returning to the old style freaks is like meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen for ages. 

Scarlet has attitude - a lot of it. She's a fighter, literally. Her dad's a cop but that doesn't stop her from getting into fights when she goes out to clubs. Not only that, she has dark dreams and draws things in her sleep. Oh and she's faster and stronger than your average human, with enhanced sight and hearing too. Scar does her best to ignore these things, trying instead to just live her life, but her friend Alex is always getting her into trouble and then one day, the unthinkable happens. Scar's enhanced abilities step up a notch, she grows fangs and attacks her best friend. 

Luckily, before Scar can drink Alex dry, she's saved. Taken to a school full of vampires, werewolves and witches, where the other students have all grown up knowing what they are and preparing for it. Scar has to pretend that she's just like the other vampires, otherwise her life will be forfeit. She's not like the others though. She has a voice inside her that's becoming increasingly strong, she can't feed on blood without losing control, and she's being encouraged to take part in an underground fight club. Life couldn't get much weirder. 

I enjoyed Scar's transition from normal girl into vampire. She showed credible disbelief at first, but it must be pretty hard to ignore the evidence when you're the one growing fangs and developing a taste for blood. When she starts at the new school, she is submerged into a completely new world, but she copes well. She's not going to lie down and take the crap that some of the others give her just because she's new and doesn't know what she's doing. Scar is strong, and she's determined to make the best of the situation she's landed in. It certainly helps that she's gained the attention of the gorgeous Daemon. 

There's a lot of fight scenes in this book. A LOT. Personally, I didn't have a problem with that - I found it fast-paced and exciting, like watching an action movie. There's more action than substance, but as long as you're not expecting a deep, emotional story or a slushy romance, that's not a problem. Choose this book if you like vampires and you want entertainment. It's fast and frantic, with just a hint of a love interest and a lot of kick-ass moves. There are some elements that could do with improvement - the characters aren't the most developed, there are a few editing issues and some obvious YA/vampire cliches, but overall I enjoyed reading Shadow Embraced and would happily go on to read the next installment.

Review: Hush by Stacey R Campbell

Published by: Green Darner Press
Release date:
23rd January 2013
Series:
Lakeview #1
I got it from:
NetGalley


Goodreads summary:
For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princes. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.
Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.
Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way?
When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.
From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakeley’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?


My review:
I think I'm getting too used to reading New Adult and enjoying the maturity, because when I started reading Hush I couldn't believe how totally Young Adult it is. For starters, the fact that the author has just invented a new country in Europe, complete with glamorous royal family that Americans are obsessed with, took a lot of work to get my head around. If I was American it would probably be easier to take, but being English and knowing Europe pretty well, the concept of a make-believe country was hard to accept. Follow this up with the journalism student being sent from Scotland to Canada, to investigate a possible princess? Beyond far-fetched. Having said that, I determined to give it a chance, to put my 'blind acceptance' hat on, and I wasn't sorry.

Hush is a bit of fun. A lost princess, an evil villain trying to take over the throne, a hapless journalist going undercover to discover the princess' true identity. It's never going to be deep and moving, but it is an enjoyable bit of escapism which makes a nice change.

Blakeley is the sort of loveable character who can do no wrong. She has plenty of friends, she's pretty, outgoing, happy in herself, secure in her home life and she's a genuinely nice person. Is it too rude to yawn now? Okay, I'll suppress it. Like I said, I've been reading a lot of NA lately, and the contrast between the tortured, messed-up souls that reside in the pages of NA books, and the fluffy, happy-go-lucky characters of Hush, is hard to accept. I did enjoy Hush, honestly I did, I'm just finding it hard to write about. It's a light, fun romp, pleasant to read. It's well-paced, has a good flow, the characters interact well with one another. It's not going to set the world alight, it's not going to pull you in an make you get all emotionally attached, but that's okay. It is what it is.

I do question slightly the age range Hush is aimed at. Blakeley is 17, suggesting the older end of the YA market, but the book reads like something written for younger readers, so it's a bit confusing in that respect. The content is certainly suitable for younger YA readers - there is some kissing but not much more of a sexual nature, and I don't recall any swearing. The whole princess thing would certainly appeal to a younger reader, so I think that is who I would recommend it for. If you're a 15 year-old girl who goes to boarding school and has an interest in European royalty, Hush is just about perfect for you! 

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Review: Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

Published by: Orion Children's
Release date:
4th February 2010
Series:
n/a
I got it from:
Library

Goodreads summary:

15-year-old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. They are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature and it wants Savannah Grey to help realize its savage intent.
 
My review:
This is a strange tale. I've noticed when reading British fiction that it tends to be a lot less formulaic than its US counterparts. A lot more... different. Savannah Grey is more different than most. Part sci-fi, part supernatural, part nightmare.

Savannah is a normal(ish) 15 year old girl, but she is changing. Strange things are happening to her body, specifically her throat, and she doesn't know if she has some hideous disease or she's turning into a monster.

The Orcrassa is the monster to end all monsters. It has been on Earth for millenia, evolving and upgrading. It wants to devour everything. To help it on its way, it has created two lesser monsters - the Nyktomorph and its child The Horror. All of the monsters are wonderfully realised, crafted in such a way that they are at once faintly ridiculous and incredibly scary. Like a child's picture of an imaginary monster come to life. The Orcrassa has a terrifying intelligence and the complete psychopathic detachment of a super-villain. These are the most monstrous monsters I've ever come across.

It's hard to know what to write about this book - it's so unique. There's action, but it's not an action story; there's superpowers, but it's not a superhero story; there's horror, but it's not a horror story; there's romance, but it's not a romance story. What it is, is something brand new, and that's rare. The weird thing is, I'm not sure if I liked it or not. I can see the quality of it, the talent of the author and the genius of his work, but I can't identify with the characters. Savannah is at once brilliant and remote. She's moved from foster home to foster home, of her own accord. She's not a messed-up care system child though, she's independent and brave, surprisingly well-adjusted and level-headed. Even when she's turning into a monster, panicking and not knowing what to do, she's also somehow aloof and confident. 

I think readers on the younger end of the young adult scale would enjoy this more than older readers - the pacing, the weird nightmarish monsters, the elusive romance are all what you would expect from an older children's book. This is most definitely the type of book I can see being included in a GCSE English Lit syllabus, to be read and discussed and have essays written about. This a compliment, in case you're wondering! 

Read Savannah Grey if you're in the mood for something different, something genre-defying that will make you think and inspire your nightmares!

Monday 27 May 2013

New Adult Monday Review: Faster We Burn by Chelsea M Cameron

Published by: DRC Publishing (All Night Reads)
Release date:
20th April 2013
Series:
Fall and Rise #2
I got it from:
Review copy from author via GR

Goodreads summary:
Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?


My review:
Another great read from Chelsea M Cameron. As a companion book to Deeper We Fall (see my review here), this is a wonderful story. Starting sometime during the events of Deeper We Fall, we follow Katie and Stryker, with their unlikely and eventful relationship. On the surface, these two couldn't be more different. Katie is a girlie girl, with an obsession with the colour pink, while Stryker is tattooed and pierced and plays random instruments. This is a story about smashing assumptions based on appearance though, and these two are not what they seem.

Katie may seem like the typical cheerleader type, but if you've already read Deeper We Fall (and I suggest you do so before you start Faster We Burn), you'll know that there's more to Katie than that. The very fact that she and Lottie have become friends shows us that she has more depth than previously suspected. Actually though, there's more than two sides to Katie. There's the pink girly girl, the girl who has Law & Order marathons with her roommate, and then there's the side that she keeps carefully hidden - the one who hasn't ever known what she wants to do with her life, who secretly loves singing and who sleeps with guys when she's avoiding an issue or decision.

Stryker is a bit of a walking contradiction. With his bleached hair, tattoos and piercings he's well aware of the image he portrays. Definitely not the type of boy you take home to meet your mother. He comes from a very broken home and has done his share of bad things. But behind all the ink and metal lies an impossibly nice guy. He's very intelligent, artistic and sensitive. He's cared for his sister Trish for years, and when he sees Katie getting mauled by the repulsive Zack he wants to care for her, too.

What neither of them were expecting is the crazy chemistry that comes up between them. Katie kisses Stryker 'because she's never kissed a guy with a lip ring', but one kiss turns into something way more and both end up out of their depth. In true NA style, this is a book about falling in love, even though it's the last thing the characters want or expect. It's a common thing to fight against the feeling of falling for someone when you're young - you don't want to be tied into a commitment, it's scary and unknown and you might get hurt. Few people have ever fought as hard as Katie though.

Because FWB starts part-way through DWF, we already know about some of the events, but this time we're seeing them from a different perspective. It's nice to see Lottie and Zan's relationship progress too. Katie and Stryker are a very different kind of couple from Lottie and Zan. Neither of them is into commitment - it's a purely physical thing... for a while. The thing is though, these two are more alike than they know. The way Cameron has written them is perfect - their 'voices' are very similar, but not in a 'written by the same author' way - it's more of a kindred souls thing.

One slightly strange aspect of the book is that it kind of feels like it carries on beyond the end. There's a point at which the story could easily end in some ways, but not everything has been wrapped up, so it carries on. We're left with a feeling of priveledge that we get to read on, but it's also a weird feeling when it does actually end.

I just hope Cameron is planning to write Audrey and Trish's stories next, because I really need to know what's going on with those two!

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Review: Outcast by Adrienne Kress

Published by: Diversion Books
Release date:
9th May 2013
Series:
n/a
I got it from:
NetGalley 

Goodreads summary:
After six years of “angels” coming out of the sky and taking people from her town, 16-year-old Riley Carver has just about had it living with the constant fear. When one decides to terrorize her in her own backyard, it’s the final straw. She takes her mother’s shotgun and shoots the thing. So it’s dead. Or … not? In place of the creature she shot, is a guy. A really hot guy. A really hot alive and breathing guy. Oh, and he’s totally naked.

Not sure what to do, she drags his unconscious body to the tool shed and ties him up. After all, he’s an angel and they have tricks. When he regains consciousness she’s all set to interrogate him about why the angels come to her town, and how to get back her best friend (and almost boyfriend) Chris, who was taken the year before. But it turns out the naked guy in her shed is just as confused about everything as she is.

He thinks it’s 1956.

Set in the deep south, OUTCAST is a story of love, trust, and coming of age. It’s also a story about the supernatural, a girl with a strange sense of humor who’s got wicked aim, a greaser from the 50’s, and an army of misfits coming together for one purpose: To kick some serious angel ass.


My review:
This is an interesting take on angels, a more traditional view of the heavenly creatures in my view. I'm always a bit wary of angel-based stories, because I'm not a believer. Granted, it's not necessary to believe vampires and werewolves are real to enjoy reading about them, but I think when God and the angels are involved a bit of faith helps. There have been tons of books involving fallen angels and such-like, usually sexy boys with a few handy superpowers. Those are the ones I tend to steer clear of. Outcast is different though. Kress' angels are more alien, more removed from humankind and more believable because of it. Oh, and I love that it doesn't assume angels are pure, good and kind. They have their own agenda.

Kress plays on the phenomenon that is small-town America. A God-fearing town is blessed by annual visits from angels. Okay, so the angels take away a few residents each year but that can only be a good thing, right? Who doesn't want to be taken to heaven? Of course, the logical thing to do is the build a church to praise to the angels, and make sure the media don't get a hold of it. Folk can get awfully possessive when it comes to heavenly glory. And don't think you can get away with living in this blessed town but going on 'holiday' when it comes to the day of the taking - you have no right to be a part of this community unless you offer yourself to the angels, same as everyone else.

Riley has lived through the 'glory' for the past six years - she's grown up with it, seen it take a hold of her town, and steal her best friend. She's not as convinced about the goodness of the angels as she should be. I loved Riley. She's been grieving for a year, since her best friend Chris was taken by the angels. Her best friend who she shared her first kiss with just a few days before he was taken. Riley feels justifiably hard-done-by - just when things were starting to get interesting, the boy she loves disappears up into the sky. So when she comes face-to-face with an angel a year after Chris was taken, she shoots it in the face! That's quite some come-back. But then things get complicated when the angel turns into a hot boy from the 1950s with a big hole in his memory.

There's a whole back-story going on here, a tale of shyster priests and faith that's really fear. It's surprisingly easy to get people to believe the unbelievable when you have an incontrovertible occurrence such as people disappearing into the sky to point at. If that can happen, surely anything can happen. Luckily there's always a few who aren't taken in by it all, and our Riley takes reluctant control of a little band of unlikely crusaders to a rollicking ending.

I think I'm being a bit vague, a bit teasing with my review here, but there's a lot I can't say for fear of spoilers. What I can say is that Outcast is a breath of fresh air, a delightful, slightly spooky piece of whimsy. Riley rocks, and 50s rocker Gabe is a suitably swoon-worthy distraction. The dialogue between these two is just great. As for the angels? Let's just say keep an open mind...

Monday 20 May 2013

New Adult Monday Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Published by: Atria Books
Release date:
13th November 2012
Series:
n/a
I got it from:
NetGalley
Quote:
"I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck."

Goodreads summary:
Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.
 

My review:
I read some of the gushing reviews on GR before I started reading this book, which is unusual for me as I like to come to a new read unbiased by others' opinions. But for whatever reason, I caught sight of a few reviews and thought, I really need to read this book now. For a while, I was nonplussed. I didn't see what all the fuss was about. But then I started to get it - The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-burner. It's like the literary equivalent of an old black and white film. It starts out slow, much like the relationship between Nastya and Josh. And without us realising it, it pulls us in bit by bit, until we couldn't let go if we tried, but we're not going to even try because it would be like torture.

The feeling you get reading this book is an exact echo of Josh falling for Nastya. At first it's just a bit confusing - you don't know why certain things are being said, or not said, as is often more to the point. But for some reason you persist because you can't help feeling that there's something important to be discovered just out of reach. Then before you know it, you need it more than you want to admit to. You don't want to put it down, because you're enthralled by it, and even when it breaks your heart you want nothing more than for it to come back to you and make everything alright again.

I love the reversal of roles here - rather than the good girl/bad boy popular New Adult formula instead we have Josh, who is as good as it is possible to be, even if he is broken and doesn't let anyone see his goodness. Then we have Nastya, who wants to be bad and wants everyone to see her as bad, even though she is really just lost. You just know that two such broken people should never work. You need one strong, whole person to support and fix a broken person. Or do you? Because the only person who can ever really understand is one who is just as broken as you are. So even if it means that the path will be a lot bumpier, maybe two broken people are best for each other after all.

I loved all of the characters in the Sea of Tranquility. Josh is the perfect brooding unattainable hottie, while Drew is the man-whore-with-a-good-heart who is the ideal foil for Nastya's slutty alter-ego. Even Drew's annoying sister is just perfect for the part she's been chosen to play. There is just so much to love about this book.

I was reminded of two other books while reading - Speechless by Hannah Harrington, because it's not that often you come across someone who is voluntarily mute so it's impossible not to make the connection. The other book is Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, in which our protagonist has a secret nighttime relationship with a broken boy who's best friend died. Ring any bells? The good thing is, those two books are both brilliant YA books. And while I was reminded of them, it wasn't because The Sea of Tranquility is the same or a rip off in any way, it's just because there are similar situations, and it's interesting to compare different characters' take on them.

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Review: Found by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Published by: All Night Reads
Release date:
24th February 2013
Series:
Penny Black #1
I got it from:
NetGalley

Goodreads summary:
Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.

Wyatt Adams is excited and intrigued when his sister Melody assigns him to be Penny’s Lookout. Being the youngest, and hopelessly ordinary in the family that created the New Society, has left Wyatt feeling like he has a lot to prove -- and Penny is a big deal. She’s got abilities that surpass any he’s seen before…and pretty much every quality he looks for in a girlfriend, but no one needs to know about that, especially Penny.


My review:
Firstly, I need to admit that I haven't read the Zellie Wells Trilogy, which is a bit of an oversight on my part. I thought because this was stated as a companion trilogy rather than a follow-on, I'd be okay with not having read the original trilogy. However, I would advise you to read the Zellie Wells books first, because I did spend the first couple of chapters being a bit confused and trying to work out how this world works. To be fair, it wasn't that hard to work out - the author does a good enough job of making it possible to start on this book without the benefit of having read the first trilogy, but I think anyone who hasn't come across Stacey Wallace Benefiel before would do well to start with Glimpse and work your way along from there. Personally, I wish I'd read the Zellie books simply because I really enjoyed Found, and the references to the characters from the Zellie books made me wish I knew them better.

Penny Black is a Retroact - someone who has visions of the future, and can pause and rewind time in order to alter it. That right there is a pretty big thing to get your head around. It's best not to think about it too hard or you'll give yourself a headache. Benefiel handles the complexities of altering time really well in the book - offering just enough detail to make what a Retroact does kind of plausible (in a fiction way!), whilst not getting bogged down in the whole butterfly effect thing.

Penny is a great character. Strong, prickly and sassy, she's someone who's been on her own for most of her life, relying on no-one but herself. She doesn't even realise how special she is - she heals ultra-fast but she assumes it's normal because she's never talked to anyone about it before. There's a great girl/guy role reversal here, as Penny is the one who's had a lot of experience with guys, and love interest Wyatt is the sweet and innocent one. I'm a big fan of dual PoV books, and Found is no exception. Penny and Wyatt are such different characters, even though they seem like they're made for each other, and getting both their sides makes the story that much more interesting. First person writing makes it much easier to get really into the main character, but you often feel like you're missing out on what other characters are thinking, so dual PoV works perfectly.

Benefiel's characters are all good - we have the gang from the Zellie Wells trilogy who are obviously really well-developed characters, then we have some of the other kids at the x-men-style school, making up a large, complex but interesting cast. I enjoyed the way there are both gay and straight relationships between characters, and the whole Trigger thing (Retroacts all have a soulmate type person that they're drawn to sexually) was a great new take on relationships.

The story gets a bit Scooby Doo, with a major mystery, a group of kids running around trying to foil the baddies and so on, but it works, it really does. It's fast-paced, fun, exciting, full of brilliant characters and the ending is just crazy. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.

Monday 13 May 2013

New Adult Monday Review: Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron

Published by: DRC Publishing (All Night Reads)
Release date:
24th January 2013
Series:
Fall and Rise #1
I got it from:
NetGalley

Goodreads summary:
Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.

Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.

Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.

Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.

The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.


My Review
It's often hard to tell just by the blurb on the back of a book, or a synopsis online, whether a book is really going to suit you. If I'm in a bookshop, I can dip in to a random page and see if I like the writing style, but when I'm ordering a book online that's not an option, so I have to take a chance. Some books I get to review don't really grab me, and reading them becomes something of a chore. Then there's the books that come along now and again which just suck me right in, until I'm living, loving and breathing them. Deeper We Fall is one of those books.

I've totally fallen for a certain kind of NA book - the ones about that first love, a love so deep and intense that you know it's forever. I'm lucky enough to have that love, so I know it's real, and I love reading about it. But I loved Deeper We Fall particularly because of the way Cameron has shaken up the usual formula. You know the one - we spend the first half of the book watching the girl and the boy get together against their better judgement, everything is sweet for a while then something happens to mess it all up and we spend the second half of the book watching them put it all back together again. Deeper We Fall doesn't really work like that, because everything is messed up from the start...

Lottie blames herself for what happened to her best friend Lexie. If she had stopped Lexie from getting in the car, then Lexie wouldn't have ended up brain-damaged and needing 24 hour care. Even more than she blames herself though, she blames Zack, the guy who persuaded Lexie to get in the car, and his brother Zan - the one who was driving when they crashed. Lottie has been full of grief and hate ever since that night, so when, two years later, she discovers that the very objects of her hatred are going to be living in the same dorm building as her, she doesn't know how to handle it.

Another difference in Deeper We Fall, is Will - Lottie's twin brother. Sometimes our heroine has a sibling that they're close to, but the extremely close relationship that twins share is uncommon. Will is always there for Lottie. She doesn't need the shoulder of a nice guy to cry on, because she already has her brother. The two share a special connection, a 'twindar' that means they know what each other is feeling and can tell if the other is in trouble. This interesting and unusual relationship gives the book much more depth - it's not just about the romance. The friendships that Lottie strikes up add a further dimension to the book and the way we see Lottie. Also, the characters around Lottie and Zan are not just there for support - they're fully-fledged people in their own right, and I wanted to follow their stories just as much as Lottie's. It's rare to find such a well-developed cast along with such a multi-faceted story.

I got on well with Lottie - I like to think that if I was in that situation I would react in a similar way. Her hatred of the guys who caused her best friend to be taken away from her is totally understandable. Her involuntary reaction to Zan is also understandable - sometimes chemistry just hits you, and something inside of you calls to something inside of someone else. We don't see Lottie making a ton of bad decisions, messing up her own life and being a drama queen. We do see her struggling with the blame that she has taken on herself, and her belief that she is in some way betraying Lexie by even talking to Zan, and I find those feelings and reactions perfectly believable and real. The only part about Lottie that I found a little hard to swallow was the fact that she's apparently this gorgeous blonde bombshell who doesn't realise it, and who hasn't really had a proper boyfriend. Sure she could be a late bloomer - I was myself, so I know it happens, but then I'm not a sexy, hot, beautiful blonde! But I'm just going to accept it, because maybe the beauty we see in her is the inner beauty that shines through to her friends. Sorry, that sounds sappy, but she is clearly a lovely person. She has a good heart, she wants to make the people around her happy, and like Zan says, she loves deeply, and that makes people love her deeply back.

So now we come to Zan... he's messed up. He's been in juvenile detention and a special school. He needs his therapist like he needs air, and he's supposed to be on medication to level him out, only instead of taking his meds he runs and reads philosophical poetry. Oh, and he kind of stalks Lottie. Just a bit. He can't help it - he's loved her from afar for a long time - since way before the accident. Now that she's so close, he doesn't quite know what to do. He wants to talk to her, to make her not hate him somehow, but he also wants to run away from her, and from all the feelings that she stirs up in him.

I like the way Zan is handsome in an old-fashioned kind of way. He's a bit dark and mysterious, he exudes an essence of danger, he tries his best to be unapproachable, he broods like a champion, and he has unusual taste in music. He's the archetypal hot weirdo. You can't help falling for Zan, because when you hear what's going on inside his head, you know that even if he did cause a terrible accident, he's not a bad person. He's been through a rough time ever since it happened, and it's made him prickly and lacking in social skills, but inside he's sensitive, deep and full of love and goodness. This is turning into a bit of a flowers and hearts review, which is unintentional, but I'm just going with it. The thing with Zan is that he doesn't know how to express himself, particularly around Lottie, so she doesn't see the real him for a long time. Just getting past the hate that's eating her up is hard enough. She has to try to let go and see him as a normal person, to pretend that he hasn't had this huge and horrible impact on her past, but it's easier said than done.

Cameron writes like I think a lot of the time - I think that's why I loved this book so much. I liked the fact that it's not overly American. It is American, but not in that over-the-top way that can be annoying. The characters like literature and drink tea, and they speak in a sensible way. The only all-American hero is Zack, and it's easy to hate him. I think Cameron must be a bit of a secret Anglophile, and she's certainly a lover of books. Deeper We Fall makes me want to read her other work.

Friday 10 May 2013

Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Published by: Harlequin Teen
Release date:
25th June 2013
Series:
Paper Gods #1
I got it from:
NetGalley

Goodreads summary:
On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.


My review:
This one's a grower - it starts slowly, and I was actually a little bit disappointed by it at first - I was so looking forward to reading it that I'd built it up a bit too much in my mind I think. But as I kept reading, it picked up the pace and started to really grow on me, to the point at which I couldn't put it down and was disappointed when I got to the end - not because of the ending, but because now I have to wait ages for the next one!

One thing I did love from the beginning was the gentle immersion into Japanese culture that Sun gives us. Just as Katie has to get used to the culture shock of moving to Japan, we readers need to get used to the vast differences in culture and the way it affects the story. Sun does it perfectly - from the bits and pieces of language she uses to the descriptions of the food and the way Katie feels when she gets something wrong, we are slowly taught about the differences between the western and eastern ways of life.

Because the Japanese culture is so very different, the book had that fantasy kind of feel to it -the feeling that you're in a different world, and you don't quite know how it all works. Katie feels the same - she's just lost her mum, and now she's been dropped into a world where she can't speak or read the language, she has to  eat weird food using sticks, and drawings come to life. Life doesn't get much weirder. Katie's a good character - it takes a while to get to know her, but once you do you see that she's a person worth knowing. She has a certain strength even though she doesn't realise it - the way she throws herself into speaking Japanese as much as she can, the way she sees through Tomohiro's cold facade and goes after him even though he discourages her, even to the point of taking up kendo! I think that just getting used to being a blonde giant surrounded by dainty Japanese girls was enough to give her the courage she needed to deal with the strange inky happenings.

Tomohiro is a shady character (no pun intended!), at turns reticent, cold and caring. I'm not sure I would have had Katie's patience with him to be honest, but then I guess someone who can make drawings come to life deserves a bit of effort.

I would have liked to hear a bit more about the mythology behind the kami gods, but maybe that will come with the next book.Worth the hype? Eventually!

Thursday 9 May 2013

Review: Dare You To by Kate McGarry

Published by: Harlequin Teen
Release date:
28th May 2013
Series:
Pushing the Limits #2
I got it from:
NetGalley

Quote:"The words sting, but I struggle to keep the pain from surfacing. What more should I expect? He's everything that's right with the world. I'm everything wrong. Guys like him don't go for girls like me."

Goodreads summary:
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...


My review:
It took me a while to decide whether Dare to You should be classed as Young Adult of New Adult. I decided on Young Adult in the end, as the characters are still at high school and there's not a whole lot of steamy sex scenes. That said, there is a fair bit of intimate action and the whole feel of the book is somewhat New Adult-ish - the issues that the characters have to deal with and the way their lives play out, and the formulaic on/off romance. So I'm still a bit undecided - please feel free to let me know what you think!

The New Adult aspects of the book made me have a hard time putting it down - I'm becoming a little bit addicted to the intense relationships and messed-up lives of the NA character set. I found the whole 'using a dare as a plot device' thing a bit jaded and over-used - it's not exactly a new idea - but McGarry makes good use of it and allows it to be a fun starting point while not over-egging it too much. After all boys will be boys, and they do stupid dares that sometimes hurt people. Ryan did a lot of growing up between asking for Beth's number for a dare and the end of the book, and let's face it - it was necessary. There's a reason why YA heroes are usually old before their time - teenage boys are annoying! Especially jocks.

Now, I haven't read McGarry's other book in the series - Pushing the Limits. While I was reading, that didn't bother me - the two books focus on different characters within a group, and while there are references to the characters in the other book in each of them, they stand alone as stories in their own right. But, having read others' reviews, I might have felt a bit differently about the whole Ryan vs Isaiah thing if I had read Pushing the Limits. To me, Isaiah was a slightly annoying side-character. I get that Beth has known him for a long time and he's been there for her when she needed him, but I also think that he's a bit too needy himself, and has been taking advantage of Beth when she's been in a bad place. So sorry to all you Team Isaiah people, but maybe I'll feel differently after I read Pushing the Limits.

There are some pretty hefty issues dealt with in this book - Beth's mother is a drug addict and alcoholic, and the mother's boyfriend is really bad news - so much so that Beth can no longer live at home for fear of her safety. When her uncle rescues her and takes her to live with him, Beth is torn between the opportunity to start a new life, one which might take her places, and looking after her mother who can't be relied on to look after herself. Beth's uncle's tactics are serious - no contact at all with her mother. He's seen what getting caught up in that life can do, and he wants to give Beth the opportunity to get out. Of course, by forbidding contact he only pushes Beth back towards her mother harder. Uncle Scott isn't the brightest, but his intentions are good.

Everything about Beth and Ryan is wrong - these two people should not be together in any way, and yet there's no denying the chemistry between them. There's also that thing going on where they each make the other a better person. When Ryan's with Beth he's not just a jock, and she gives him the strength he needs to deal with his own problems - which shouldn't really be problems at all. When Beth is with Ryan she can actually start to see that there could be some good in her life. As is to be expected, these two young people are each messed up in their own way. Beth more so - she's had a hard time so far, and it's made her so utterly convinced that she can't have a chance at a good life, that she actually fights against it until she's forced to face it. It's hard for her to trust anyone, which is understandable but drove me a bit crazy. It's always the way though - you're screaming at a character to sort themselves out and do the right thing, but if they did that in the first place then the book wouldn't be what it is.

Ryan's little issue threw me to start with - I'd forgotten just how narrow-minded some Americans can be, but then when Beth found out and we saw her attitude, and Ryan's reaction to her attitude, things started to fall into place. For me Ryan was a lot harder to understand than Beth. I haven't had to deal with anywhere near the problems that Beth has, but my mindset is still closer to hers than Ryan's. I've never even known a jock, so I don't really have a point of reference apart from US teen movies! So to start with I didn't really get him, and I didn't especially like him. But by the end, I knew that he was the one for Beth.

It's emotional, it's gritty, and it's addictive. Now I need to get me a copy of Pushing the Limits!

Tuesday 7 May 2013

New Adult Monday Review: Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Published by: Atria Books
Release date:
2nd April 2013
Series:
Beautiful #2
I got it from:
NetGalley
Quote:
Once she kissed me, my heart slowed, and every muscle in my body relaxed. How much I needed her terrified me. I couldn’t imagine love was like this for everyone, or men would all be walking around like lunatics the second they were old enough to notice girls.” 
 
Goodreads summary:

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster.

Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.


My Review:
Oh yum! Travis Maddox is all kinds of yummy. After reading Abby's side of the story in Beautiful Disaster, having the chance to hear from the delicious Travis Maddox is a wonderful treat. In fact I think I actually enjoyed reading Walking Disaster more, although that might be because I didn't have to deal with the stress of not knowing the outcome.

I loved Beautiful Disaster, and I love both Abby and Travis (you can read my review of BD here). As a couple, they totally rock - the intense relationship that they have makes for a very emotional read. While Abby's story was an emotional rollercoaster, when it comes to reading Travis' side, it's quite a tear-jerker. If you can read about that kind of commitment and adoration without being reduced to mush then you're a hard person!

It's not easy for a woman to write how a man thinks, and either Jaime McGuire had some help from her husband, or she has an extraordinary insight into the workings of the male mind, because Travis seemed so very real and so very male.We get to explore his relationship with his brothers and friends a lot more here, which is good - we see a more developed, well-rounded character when taken in context with the people around him.

Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster are the epitome of the New Adult genre. They're all about the intensity of falling in love for the first time, about the fact that life isn't easy, and sometimes you have to fight for what you want. Abby is brilliant in Beautiful Disaster (ok, so lots of people don't like her, but while she's not always a good person she is a great character), but Travis is even better in Walking Disaster. He's a certain type of dream guy - the reformed rake. He meets the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with, and he becomes a different person. I think all girls dream that they can do that to someone on some level, even if it's a deep, dark secret - who doesn't want to change someone for the better - not because you're trying to change them, but just by virtue of being yourself and inspiring them to be more.

It is essential to read Beautiful Disaster before this book, and you really want to have it fresh in your mind, so that you can remember Abby's point of view during all the drama. Getting intimate with both sides of the argument is necessary to really understand what's going on - there's so much that these two think but don't say - they really could have sorted out their relationship a hell of a lot sooner if they just ignored their pride and said out loud what was going on in their heads! But they're only human, and we all do it. It takes time to learn to trust someone with your innermost thoughts.

The end totally blew me away - I really wasn't expecting to get a snapshot of Abby and Travis' life years down the line, and if I had thought about it, that is not what I would have expected from it! I need to get a proper paper copy of this book - seeing just Beautiful Disaster sitting on my bookcase, it looks lonely - it needs its companion!

Saturday 4 May 2013

Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

Published by: HarperTeen
Release date:
23rd April 2013
Series:
The Selection #2
I got it from:
NetGalley
Goodreads summary:

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Iléa.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

 
My review: 
I have kind of a love/hate thing going on with this book. I got the opportunity to read it on NetGalley, but The Selection was still on my 'to read' list. So I grabbed a copy and blew through it (sorry, no time to review!), before moving on to The Elite. The first thing I noticed was how similar the books are. It's not unusual for book 2 to be a continuation of book 1, but in this case there wasn't really enough of a difference in the storyline for me. In fact looking back it seems almost like The Selection is the set-up and The Elite is the main book. Then of course there's a third book still to come, so who knows what will happen there.

Here' the thing - if you have a penchant for love-triangles, you will love this. Personally, I'm not a huge fan. Sometimes they work okay and seem believable, but a lot of the time it seems like they're either the main reason for the book, or just stuffed in for the sake of it. I haven't had the misfortune to fall in love with two people at the same time myself, and I'm afraid I have little sympathy for those who do. So whilst I was intrigued by the world that Cass has created, and I actually quite liked America as a character, I did spend a lot of time wanting to give her a good shake and shout 'get on with it!'.

America's first love, Aspen, didn't really do it for me. I know his type - obsessed by class and too proud for his own good. Prince Maxon was more interesting. He has a certain goodness in him, a way of wanting thing to be right, which was attractive, but he was also rather immature. His lack of even the potential to be a good ruler was a problem, and the way he could quite happily date, get off with and lie to several girls at once brought him down in my estimation. I did feel for him, the way America kept stringing him along, but he didn't react to it in the best way. So between the sweet, romantic scenes where our two main protagonists do manage to act towards one another with maturity and sensitivity, and the many and varied examples of back-stabbing and two-timing, The Elite is quite a rollercoaster.

I would actually liked to have seen more of the conflict and politics that are shaping the young kingdom of Ilea, which makes a change for me as usually I find myself skipping a line here and there when it comes to the serious stuff. In this case though, it offers a welcome distraction from the raging teen hormones! I hope that the glimpses of unrest, the raids and issues with the caste system that we get in The Elite, will be made more of in the next book, as I think the story needs the substance they provide.

Thursday 2 May 2013

Review: If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Published by: HarperTeen
Release date:
7th May 2013
Series:
Revenants #3
I got it from:
Amazon
Goodreads summary:

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?
 

My review:
I have been waiting for this book for a whole year. I absolutely adored the first two books in the trilogy, and I've lost count of the amount of times I've read them, despite the incredibly frustrating cliffhanger at the end of book 2. It's been a long, long year waiting for the end to the trilogy. Was it worth the wait? Definitely!

I have to admit, I was a teensy bit worried after reading the Jules PoV novella Die For Her - don't get me wrong, I lurve Jules, but his story didn't quite do it for me - too much back-story stuffed into too few pages. I kept faith though, believing that If I Should Die would be back to the Amy Plum we know and love, full of romance, action and amazing revenant lore, and I was right. It couldn't be more perfect.

I really can't say much at all about the story without dropping some fairly hefty spoilers, so I guess this is going to be a short review! Suffice to say, if you've read the first two books, you need the third one in your life. It will complete you.

Now, either I'm a bit psychic or a couple of parts of the story were a bit predictable, but I didn't mind that, because what I predicted was exactly what I wanted, so if it hadn't happened I would have been upset. But there were plenty of surprises along the way too, with some brilliant bits of revenant magic and legend coming into play. Plum's romantic zombies are the best monster I've come across in a long time - so original, and with such a wonderful story behind them. It also makes a change for the monster that the girl falls for to be a real good guy - no bloodsuckers denying their thirst here! Not even a numa who wants to change his ways - well, not for Kate anyway.

One thing I really love about the revenants books is that Plum gives us a few side-stories to keep things interesting throughout. The group of revenants at La Maison, along with Kate's family, are all great characters in their own right and I loved the parts they had to play in this final book. Kate and Vincent may be the main event, but the support acts are not to be missed! Another thing I can't get enough of is Kate herself - as the one telling the story we really get to know her well, and she has a wonderful voice. She's been through so much and come out of it with such inner strength, she's the perfect heroine really.

Now if I'm honest, I'd have to say that there are a couple of loose ends left flapping around at the end of the book, but maybe that's a hint that Plum will return to the world of the revenants one day. A spin-off for Jules would be ideal! On the whole though, I really think that If I Should Die is a great book. I have to admit that I'm biased as I'm a huge fan, but I can still write objectively. The pace is good, the writing is exactly what we've come to expect from Plum, and the story is amazing. You'll be on the edge of your seat, sighing with joy at the perfect romance one minute and mopping up tears for the fallen in the next. If you're reading this and you haven't yet read the first two revenant books, read my review of Die For Me then go away and read all three books now! I'm off to read them all again...