Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Rating 4 out of 5
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Publisher: Delacorte Press (June 9, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553536516 ISBN-13: 978-0553536515
ASIN: B00QDGVFDG (June 4, 2015)


Summary
A laugh-out-loud romance from the bestselling author of the Shopaholic series. Meet Audrey: an ordinary teenage girl with not so ordinary problems. Aside from her completely crazy and chaotic family, she suffers from an anxiety disorder which makes talking to her brother's hot new best friend a bit of a challenge. But Audrey has a plan to help her face her fears and take on the world again. First stop: Starbucks.

I have to confess I am not a big Kinsella fan. I have read a few of her adult books and found them hit and miss. However I was intrigued to learn she had written a Young Adult novel and that it dealt with mental issues. For me this book was a hit and I think this is one of my favourite Kinsella books.

Personally I think mental issues is a topic that needs to be address more in the media and in publications and not in the "they are mentally disturbed so there for a serial killer" kind of way. Awareness is growing within community but there is still a lot of stigma surrounding people who suffer mental illness. Sophia Kinsella has done a good job of writing about a difficult and poorly understood issue and she made it non-threatening, light hearted and relatable to teens.

Through Audrey's eyes we learn about her life, her struggles to over come her anxiety, and accept who she is. We also learn about the impact her illness has had on her family and how they adjust to her recovery.  It is not a smooth road they are traveling. Kinsella has done a good job of showing how mental illness impacts everyone around the sufferer.

I think this is the major strength of this book. Through Audrey's eyes and her recovery she becomes aware of the impacts on her family. This in turn allows the reader to really understand how mental illness impacts everyone. We also get a good insight into how someone withe anxiety and depression thinks and its not rationally. The reference to 'lizard brain" I thought was prefect as Audrey's way of dealing with her anxiety (it is also a psychological term). I have never suffered from anxiety or depression. However a few of my friends have, and some of the ways they expressed themselves I saw written on the pages as Audrey's thoughts.

The summary makes this book sound a lot lighter then it is. However this is not a heavy or depressing book, it is a positive book, and I will confess to giggling a couple of times. The "laugh-out-loud" part comes from her families antics and dealing with the issues that they are presented with.

While there is a romance of sorts it is a very sweet element to the story. It is also not the main theme of the story but is one of Audrey's drivers. Linus is a good fit for Audrey and I liked their relationship.

I would be curious to learn why Sophie Kinsella chose to write this topic for her Young Adult debut.

This is a great book which tackles a difficult subject in a light-hearted,positive and sensitive way. I think this could be a book that all teens should read to give them a better understanding of people who live with mental illness. I do recommend this book for teenagers and anyone who wants understand mental illness a bit better.

If you would like to read an extract then head over to Sophie Kinsella's website for more.

This review book was provided to me by Netgalley.

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner

Rating: 4 out of 5

Title: The Scorch Trials

Author: James Dashner

Series: Book 2 in a trilogy

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Ember; Reprint edition (September 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385738765
ISBN-13: 978-0385738767

Thomas and his friends are free, free from the Maze. But things are about to get a whole lot worse, because they have another trial to endure. The Maze was the first trial now the second trial is to cross the Scorch; the waste land around the equator where the diseased Cranks with the flare live, weather is wild, and the sun bakes everything to a crisp. Will Thomas and his friends survive this trial and get the reward they have been promised?

It is always hard to review a series, especially a trilogy and not give anything away, so this review will be short.

The Scorch wasteland is barren and harsh. The sun burns almost on contact with the skin and the storms when they hit are vicious and wild. Almost nothing survives out here except Cranks, people who are infected with the disease that inhabit the only remaining crumbling city.

While Thomas and his friends manoeuvre through the city the reader gets to learn about the Cranks, their lives, and how the disease effect them.

We get to meet new characters who add an interesting dynamic to the band of merry Gladers. Brenda and Jorge being the most notable new comers.

There is a lot of action and a far higher death count in this book compared to The Maze Runner.

New story threads are revealed and old ones explained. I was happy with some, not sure about the direction of the new threads but all in all not bad.

A good instalment in the series.

Elemental: The First (Primord #1) by Alexandra May

Rating: 3 out of 5
Title: Elemental: The First
Author: Alexandra Ma
Series: Book 1
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 509 KB
Print Length: 275 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1463708343
Publisher: Pauma Publishing (9 July 2011)
Language: English
ASIN: B005C1R1HM
ISBN-10: 1463708343
ISBN-13: 978-1463708344

Book Summary
Rose Frost is special. Her family has spent the last 16 years trying to hide her from the world. But now only her estrange grandmother can help her and she moves in to her grandmothers house near the tiny English town of Warminster. But then strange, terrifying and vivid dreams haunt her sleep and her migraines are getting more and more frequent. As if they were not troubles enough she has feelings for two local boys and is trying not to get on the wrong side of the local kids. But when her friend's father disappears it is up to her and her friends to find out what is going on and solve the mysterious disappearances and maybe solve the mystery that is Rose Frost.

Initial Thoughts
This is a hard book for me to review as I did like aspects of it but disliked other aspects. I have written and re-written this review over and over not happy with either version of my review. Having read the book in its entirety I think a significant point needs to be clarified upfront before someone reads this book; its part one. The ending is a to be continued. I strongly suspect if I had known this I would have enjoyed reading the book a lot better, but at the time I didn't so my review is a little on the negative side.

What I Liked
I found the premise interesting and refreshing for the young adult sci-fi fantasy romance genre (is that a genre? it is now). Rose has a really cool ability and there is a secret society doing battle for a long time. There is also super powers, aliens and romance (though the summary implies it is more of a fantasy book) which all come together for a fascinating story.

The world the author built is great. There is a great story surrounding  Halika Dacome and I wished we had learned about it sooner and explored it further (I am guessing that is where book two comes into it. I hope).

What I Disliked
I found the book to be quite slow to start with. Nothing really happened till about chapter four. Even half way through the book Rose and her Grandma had not had “that talk” about Rose’s abilities and the secret security surrounding her. They were supposed to have this talk virtually the second day Rose arrived but it never seemed to happen.

My biggest gripe with the book was the feeling that the relationships and even characters were “forced”  to fit the story. Rose in particular had really strange reactions to new friends and people, she acted like they had been best friends for years and got super offended and mad when they didn't trust her when she had only just met the person.

The two biggest offending scenes were (potential spoiler but I kept the information vague):

1. Where Rose had just met two new people, then precedes to have a major tanty and threaten to walk out because they didn’t trust her with their deepest darkest secret.
2. When Rose meets the acknowledged toxic girl from school who already hates Rose’s guts, for the first time. Toxic chick tells Rose she “almost got it on with the guy she likes” who is Morgan the guy who is so clearly into Rose. But the worst part was Rose believes her! Even cries about Morgans betrayal? OMG seriously? You would believe a girl who you have only just met, and had been warned to stay away from because she is one nasty over the guy who you have spent some time with and even spent the night with (not in that way)?

Those two scenes really had me struggling to believe the reactions of Rose and her friends. Especially the last scene, I wanted to just reaching into the book and slap the girl silly. There were a few other smaller incidences but they didn’t bother me as much as those two incidences.

In Conclusion
You might think I would say this is a terrible book but it isn't. It had faults for sure but it wasn’t terrible and I did enjoy the mythology the author created. Also I am pretty sure if I had known upfront this was a part one book I would have felt a little differently about the book.

I think for its target audience, young teenage girls, this would be a hit.

This copy of Elemental: The First was provided by Netgalley and in no way influenced my review.

Extras
I have added some images of Warminster to my Pinterest Board - Images Relating to Fiction.

Seraphina (Seraphina #1) By Rachel Hartman

Rating: 5 out of 5
Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Series: Book 1
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (July 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375866566
ISBN-13: 978-0375866562
ASIN: B007OWBZQK

I decided to do a slightly different review writing a report from the character Eskar who had previously worked with the Censors (dragon police of sorts) on Orma. In the book the Censors had been investigating Orma so I extrapolated on that and had some fun. The report is set at the start of the book. Hope you enjoy it.

On a personal note this has got to be one of my top reads for 2012. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Please note while every effort was taken to not reveal any major plot developments there maybe some very minor ones. 

Censor Observational Report  
Orma and his attachment to Seraphina Dombegh
By Eskar

Background
The dragon citizen known as Orma has been under observation for the last 16 years due to his initial refusal to denounce his sister, his father's exile and his mothers instability. It has long been suspected by the Censors that Orma would be susceptible to human emotions while in his sarataas. Recommendations have been put forward previous he have an  excision. However to date not enough evidence has been collated to enforce this recommendation.

Human Interaction
Orma has spent a significant amount of time acting as teach to the human known as Seraphina Dombegh. This relationship has required close interaction with each other and it is clear the human girl has developed feelings for Orma, but believes they are not reciprocated.

Previously we have created situations to test Orma's emotional attachment to Seraphina. To date all tests have failed to show any emotional attachment to the human subject.

For his part Orma has managed to not drawn the focus of the The Sons of St. Ogdo or the general public. With the 40th Anniversary of the signing of the treaty tension and fear amongst the humans is growing daily. It is becoming dangerous for dragons in the city. Orma being able to avoid such scrutiny in these times either displays a cleverness not yet recognised in this dragon or an empathy for the humans that helps him understand their drives.

Seraphina Dombegh
The human known as Seraphina Dombegh has a cloudy family history. Her father is Claude Dombegh the human lawyer who worked on the treaty and her mother died during birth. As a human she is quite interesting. She shows a dragon like intelligence. She has a natural ability for mathematics, history, politics and analytical skills. She has a sharp tongue which is an interesting quirk. Her ability to hide her emotions is a great asset for her future. I am told her proficiency with music moves the human masses in emotional ways we can not comprehend.

Seraphina also appears to have a growing close relationship with the Princess Glisselda and the Captain of the Guard Lucian Kiggs. She seems to have a great influence over these two young but powerful members of the Goreddian court. This could be advantageous to us in terms of influencing the court and getting information about what the future Queen and King are planning.

Orma appears to have taught her ways in which to speak with and handle our kind. I have personally witnessed her ability on many occasions. This ability could be useful if relations between dragons and humans inflame further then it already has.

Conclusion
If Orma shows any human emotion he hides it very well and we must be more inventive in trying to ascertain if he has any emotions. Orma is a clever and cunning subject and will be difficult to get him to reveal emotions if they exist. There is still insufficient evidence to warrant an excision. It might be worth him maintaining a relationship with humans if relations between our kind disintegrates.

This will be my last report on the matter as my position as ambassador makes it difficult to keep a close eye on Orma. Also the recent murder of Prince Rufus has inflamed tensions and ensuring the safety of the Comonot during his visit.

Eskar

Extras
Check out other bloggers reviews of Seraphina.
Polishing Mud Balls
The Book Smugglers

The Maze Runner (Book 1 Maze Runner Trilogy) by James Dashner

Rating 5 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press; Reprint edition (August 24, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385737955
ISBN-13: 978-0385737951

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind

Let me just say straight up wow just WOW! This book had me hooked form the start. I devoured this book in a weekend as I just needed to know what the heck was going to happen next! This is certainly one of my best reads for this year.

An interesting concept which was in my mind well executed. As a reader you only know what Thomas and the gladers know, which isn't much. While the reader is given very tiny snippets of information about the world outside of the maze, it isn't much. The gladers world is the Maze and the Glade so the information we are given concerns life and trials in the maze. I enjoyed the invented language the gladers had, and while there is a little adjustment (learning the meanings etc) it wasn't hard to get the gist.

The characters were good (if a little stereotypical). Gally is the most interesting as he is pretty much nuts and you can't help but feel sorry for him. Minho and Newt would have to be my favourite characters, they have a sense of humour despite their situation and uncanny knack for reading people. Thomas was a smidgeon annoying at times because he came across as a little bit of a know-it-all, but I could forgive the behaviour as he was the new kid and trying to work out the riddle of the maze. But then again if I woke up with out any memories, in some random glade, surrounded by a maze, that moves and has creepy creatures in it....I might be a bit of whingey whiney cranky pants too. Oh heck I would be a sobbing blubbery curled up ball in a corner.

I was a little perplexed as to why more of an incentive to get out hadn't been presented earlier, as in before Thomas rocked up. I don't recall if it was explained why the first group into the maze decided to actually investigate it and not just stay safe in the glad (as it had food and shelter and lovely year round weather). I suspect if a note had been left telling the kiddies "there is an x-box, pizza, cake and coke for you if you get the heck out" or some sort of similar motivator, they would have been out waaaayyyy sooner. But then it would have been a very short book.

The target audience for this book are teen boys. So when you read and review the book in that context it is a great book. Lets face it teen boys really want a few things from a book action, things that go boom, fight scenes, maybe some sort of tech/mechanical thing to drive, oh and some more action. If your looking for a soppy romance or love triangle then this is not the book for you.

I have seen some reviewers complain about the suspense (at the expense of the narrative) and convenient plot fillers, and lack of information. But I must have read a different book because I didn't notice any of these I just sat down and held on till the reading roller coaster was over and I loved every minute of it. The lack of info argument to me is daft because the characters didn't know so how could the reader know what was going on?

Overall I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the apocalyptic genre. This is a clever story and different from a lot of the stuff out on the market at the moment. It is a fun and thrilling read that should leave you scrambling for book 2 at the end.

Extras
I found this interview of James Dashner and he talks about The Maze Runner.

The Dark and Hollow Places (Book 3) by Carrie Ryan

Rating 3.5 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385738595
ISBN-13: 978-0385738590

 Annah has been living and surviving on her own sing Elias left her three years ago. When she finally decides to do something and move on with her life she meets Catcher, her sisters traveling companion and former boyfriend, and discovers her long lost twin sister is alive and well but now in the Recruiters hands.

The third book in the series seems to be the darkest and bleakest of all. While Annah herself and her story is pretty bleak set in the ruins of the city (that was supposed to be safe), the Zombie horde hitting the city, the cruelty of the Recruiters, death being at every turn and a certain last stand feel to the story.

The previous two books always had hope attached to it. For Mary there was the place the girl from the woods had come from, for Gabry there was the City. The girls all had somewhere else to go, somewhere safer. In this book there is no where to go. As I said previously this book is really dark with no hope to balance the horror the character witness and participate in.

I really can not decide if I liked this book or not. I found the book to be a a bit too dark and depressing  for my liking, plus there were somethings (mostly story threads) about the book and series as a whole, that irked me. Having said that I kept turning the pages wanting to know what happened next, if the group would survive, and  what would be the fate of the city.

I didn't really like Annah. There I said it. She just didn't gel well with me. Her personality for me didn't fit someone who had been surviving in extreme conditions for a few years on her own. She just seemed so wimpy, defenceless and clueless. For someone who had led her life I would expect her to be really tough physically or mentally (possibly both), or a hermit who never went out side. Instead she was this wishy washy character who was annoying in most instances. The only time I felt I saw the person I felt she should have been was towards the end after her night in the snow storm which is about half way through the book.

It really bugged me again that we have no idea of what caused the zombie invasion or even why there was a rebellion. This time the characters were in a place where they could get answers yet seemed unwilling to dig deeper and ask why. Which to me would have been important to figuring out how to survive. Also why would know one want to do tests on Catcher's blood? or what research was done in the past? The science nerd in me was very frustrated with this lack of wanting to know more. But maybe this was just me?

I liked Gabry a lot better in this book, as a lead character (and whose point of view the story was told from in book two), she didn't impress me much. But in this book I liked her a lot more. She was more well rounded as a character and less annoying.  Elias on the other hand was a bit of arrogant bastard in this book, but I was not turned off his character. I think the revelations about these two characters this book made them far more relatable.

The ending I thought was great for the series as a whole. It was a little on the Walt Disney happy ending side of happy endings but nonetheless I still thought it was a lovely way to finish the series and this book in particular that had been so dark and then right at the end was a small glimmer or more accurately the possibility of hope.

By the end of the book I was happier with the story and the trilogy as a whole. The third book did round the trilogy of quite nicely (despite all my criticisms!), and even though there were elements that bugged me I was still drawn into this world and enjoyed reading about it.

If you have read books one and two you can not decide to stop at book two.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Rating 3 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061726826
ISBN-13: 978-0061726828
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.8 inches

 Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love--the deliria--blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: she falls in love.

What I liked
The story concept was interesting and the world created fascinating. The whole premise is that love is a disease and scientists have cured it. By having the procedure done when you roughly turn 18 (it can be done earlier) you can live your life with out sadness, anger, happiness, any emotion at all it seems.

The story is character driven. It focuses on Lena and her struggles. She is terrified she is really like her mother who the procedure didn't work on, and struggles with her emotions leading up to the procedure. She wants to do what is best by her family and bring some honour back, but at the same time starts to question her society and the world she has been brought up in.

I enjoyed the second half of the book far more then the first. In all honesty I felt the first half of the book probably could have been cut in half, it didn't really add value to the book as a whole really.

What I didn't like
It was pretty slow paced for the first half. This was in part due to the nature of the book being a character driven more drama type book. Don't expect a Hunger Games or Pretties type book, this is not that kind of book. To be honest I nearly gave up after about 100 pages. I was on holidays though so persevered (as I didn't have anything else to read). It was just a big info dump about Lena and her life, with out really explaining why the world was the way it is. This was a problem when Lena really wasn't that interesting.

There was not much "history" about how the world Lena lives in came to be. Events are hinted at but no real detail is given as to why they wanted to cure love and then why and how they did it. Apparently this is the first book in a trilogy and it certainly felt that way. Maybe the history side will be revealed later.

This book felt to much like a first book in a trilogy. There were story threads not really finished off and information not given to the reader. This was annoying because by the end of this book I wasn't sure if I would read the rest but I will probably have to now so I can get some answers.

Summary
This was not a terrible book and perhaps my timing was not the best (reading it after a fast paced action book). Sometimes I find it hard to shift from writing styles and might have been more critical as a result. But I did like this book and for someone who likes this type of book they will probably enjoy it more then I did.

Extras
If you would like to read and extract of Chapter 1 of Delirium then head over to Lauren Oliver's web page.

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments Book 1) by Cassandra Clare

Rating 3 out of 5

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; First Edition, Later Printing edition (March 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416914285
• ISBN-13: 978-1416914280
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches

Given there are heaps of reviews on this book I thought I would do more of a Q&A style review with some basic questions. I found this book hard to review as it would be very easy to give away spoilers.

What is the book about?
City of Bones follows the story of 15 year old Clary. One night Clary and her friend Simon go to the Pandemonium Club and their lives change forever after witnessing a murder where the body then proceeds to disappear into thin air. Clary then finds herself thrust into the middle of world she never knew existed

Who was your favorite character?
Probably Jace. He was witty and interesting.

Which character did you dislike the most?
Easily Alex. I know the reader does get some back story to him at the end of the book which goes some way to explaining his character. But I didn't like him on any level. He could probably easily be voted "character most likely to turn to the dark side".

How does this book compare to A Clockwork Angel?
I can honestly say I liked A Clockwork Angel better. A Clockwork Angel came well after this series was written (even though it is a prequel), and it felt Clare had a better feel for the world in that book compared to City of Bones. Plus I liked the characters better. I cant really put my finger on why I liked A Clockwork Angel better I just did.

Is the story original?
Not particularly. You could see the plot twists coming. There are no surprises.

Is there much action?
There is quite a bit of action in the second half of the book. But the teen love triangle is more the focus I thought.

Is it like Harry Potter? 
Not really. There are some parallels yes, but its not like that story line is really original, even before JK Rowling got it. The whole "orphan discovers they are a wizard/witch and there is a magical world existing next to ours" story line was being used for years before Harry Potter so don’t act like JK Rowling invented it.

What is the mythology used? 
The book taps into the angels and demons mythology and builds on those. For instance the Shadow hunters are descended from the people the Angel Riezel mixed his blood with. I haven't read the whole series so do not really know the whole mythology attached to this world, but it seems interesting so far. There are also Vampire, Werewolves, and Warlocks. That side is not really developed in this book.

Would you recommend the book? 
To a teenage girl, yes definitely. That is the target audience and I think they will love it. For older readers, not so sure. While I didn't mind the story, it didn't grab me and make me want to read the rest of the series on the spot. There are better books in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre that I would recommend over this one.

Extras
Head over to Cassandra Clares page and read Chapter One City of Bones.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 239 KB
Print Length: 256 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0545230500
Publisher: Point; 1 edition (March 1, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004P5NVIO

Hi guys, for this review I am going to try a letter style review again. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Irishyz

You are lucky I know how much you did try to book bully me into getting this book, otherwise you would be in BIG trouble. I can not believe I waited so long to read this book! I was setting it aside as a holiday read. But I wanted a bit of a change from the last few books I have read, (you know I get the jitters if I don’t get a good dose of paranormal stories) so thought I would give it a go. I blitzed this book in 24 hours, which I have not done since March when I was stuck on a plane for 5 hours.

I liked the basics of the story which focuses around Clarity (Clare) Fern who is Psychic. As you know she lives in a small American town with her mother and brother who also have gifts. I liked that her whole family had abilities, but different forms; her mother is a telepath and her brother is a medium. After a tourist is murdered Clare is brought in by the Mayor to help the new police detective solve the mystery. As the death toll rises, the pressure is on for Clare to solve the crime, and prove her brothers innocence. Phew did I miss something? I think that sums up the plot which while simple was still engaging.

Clare is a wonderful character. I instantly took to her as she is likable with a wicked sense of humour. She has snappy retorts, is quick thinking and intelligent. She is not perfect, and not “mature beyond her years”. Plus the girl likes pizza, and orders pancakes for lunch! She is a girl after my own heart. The supporting characters were all enjoyable as well, especially Clare’s family who I just wanted to adopt.

The love triangle with Clare, Justin and Gabriel felt believable and not to "teen agsty". I will be interested to see how Clare’s relationship with each guy develops over future books. Clare could easily be with either of them. Which team am I? Team Justin or Team Gabriel? As yet, I cant call which team I am on but so far I like Justin (despite his boo boo which lead to his ex status, which I personally think was a frame up!) however to be honest, I preferred Nate to Justin and Gabriel!

I really enjoyed the mystery side of it, as it was well written. It felt more like cosy style but as I like that style of writing I am not fussed. Clare, Justin and Gabriel never magically knew more then they could realistically find out, and there were limited to what her gift could show her. I guess the only quibble would be that in the real world I doubt the police would hire a 16 year old psychic, I’m sure there would be all sorts of problems with that ethically, legally and stuff BUT that would have made the story incredibly boring really, and to be honest I didn’t care enough to get upset about. I can normally guess pretty early on who the murderer is but this time I couldn’t make my mind up. The murderer was a surprise and the author, Harrington, did a good job of throwing the reader of the scent.

I really, really liked this book and I am so glad you talked me into buying it. I can not wait till the next book in the series comes out. This looks like a really promising series that is fun and light, and well written. Thanks again for letting me know about this book, I will definitely be spreading the word, and letting others know about it.

Cheers
Caspette

PS How was the Doctor Who finale?

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Rating: 4 out of 5

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 500 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 141330864
Publisher: ePenguin (August 26, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003YUC0MY

Age: Teen

First Sentence: "The door starts shaking."

John Smith is just your average teenager. Average as long as you don't notice the fact he is actually an alien. John is from the planet Lorien, which he fled as a child with nine other children, as it was being destroyed by another alien race called the Mogadorians. John with his keeper Henri now live a life on the run, constantly hiding, always running, waiting for the day his powers will arrive. Then they can fight back.

The first three of the nine children are dead, and now the Mogadorians are after John who is number four. The numbers and their order are important but I wont reveal why here. This eventually leads to John having to fight for his life, and some great action scenes.

I was confused though as to why the Mogadorians were so gun-ho on killing the children? they destroyed the planet, and killed their race off. Are nine children and their keepers really such a big threat? But perhaps all will be revealed in the next books.

There is a thread of romance which is not over powering to the story. I have some suspicions about the girl John is in love with, after what was said in the book but I wont give anything away. On love, there is a strong bond between John and Henri which is more like father and son, it is not surprising as Henri has raised John from when he was a young boy.

The book is surprisingly emotional. Edge of your seat action one minute, touching and tender moment the next. I was expecting the action but the tender moments that made me almost shed a tear.

The "world" created is an interesting one. The author puts a lot of thought and detail into Lorien society. However I find the contrasts interesting (as well as the message of the book). Lorien is a world that was nearly destroyed by pollution, war, and progress but changed their lifestyle. They renounced and gave up their wicked ways becoming a harmonious and peaceful race. The Mogadorians however kept going on their wicked ways and destroyed their planet. They then moved on to Lorien and destroyed it.

Now this to me is where the message (maybe I am reading to much into it?) gets confusing on one hand the book says war, pollution modern ways are BAD. The Mogadorians who still do it and don't care are evil. But then the Lorien get their butts kicked and are annihilated by the Mogadorians because they were too peaceful and didn't see it coming. So war is good? because then you can kick baddy alien butt?

Clearly this book is the start of a series so there were a few loose ends left at the end of the book. I saw somewhere there are six books planned. Not sure how true that is but I am going to guess each book will follow the remaining aliens and their quest to survive.

The author of the book is a character from the book. The actual author is Jobie Hughs who wrote it in collaboration with James Frey.

Overall this was a great book. I look forward to the other books in the series.

The Iron Witch (Ironbridge Chronicles #1) by Karen Mahoney

Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Flux (February 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 073872582X
ISBN-13: 978-0738725826
Due Out: 8 February 2011

First Sentence: "My father died saving my life when I was seven years old".

Donna Underwood is branded. After a near fatal accident as a child, that claimed the life of her father, she was put back together using magic. As a result her arms are covered in tattoos from the tops of fingers to her elbows, so she is literally branded. Donna comes from a long line of Alchemists and is being groomed to join the order. She has never had the need to question her life or do anything different. That is until her best friend Navin is kidnapped by wood elves, and Donna must rescue her friend or risk having him killed. As Donna races to save her friend she must make a decision that will either betray her family and the alchemist community, or betray her best friend.

Iron Witch is the debut novel of Karen Mahoney (though she has previously had some short stories published in two anthologies). I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance reader copy, which I don't get very often so I was pretty excited to have it. Not as excited as discovering the hidden Christmas presents before Christmas, but pretty close.

From the start I was hooked. I read this in about two days which is great for me, but bad for my house because my house chores got a smidgen neglected doh. Mahoney does a really good job of creating her world where alchemists and faerie have done battle for centuries. She has balanced information with story development so you don't feel bombarded with information and loose interest. You have the right amount of information to understand what is going on.

Donna, does not seem to fall into the usual paranormal female lead cliched traps. There are no hang ups, ditzy moments, or stupid moves (like going into a known murderers house with-out telling anyone). She is a well balanced, likable character. Donna is a tough, practical cookie, but is also caring and insecure. She does have her romance moments with the lead male which she acknowledges, and even makes fun of it, but doesn't let it lose her focus. Also she has had a really tough life but seems for the most part ok, not bitter, or destructive.

The support characters are also good. They all seem to have secrets and troubled pasts. There was not a character I disliked (other then the baddie) which is refreshing. The male love interest is not a tosser which is also refreshing and the best friend is not there purely for comic relief. Also both guys get a decent role in the book being part of Donna's life.

While the book is not an action thrill ride from start to finish, it does have spots of action, and then a good dose right at the end which makes it exciting. There is quite a bit of intrigue and mystery in this book which I am assuming will be addressed/revealed in later books.

On a non story note, the cover art is lovely. It also fits in with the book.

I will definitely read the next book in the series (rumoured to be The Wood Queen) when it is eventually released. For all those who enjoy paranormal and young adult literature then this will be right up your ally.

The Dead - Tossed Waves (Book 2) by Carrie Ryan

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Gollancz (8 April 2010)
ISBN-10: 0575090898
ISBN-13: 978-0575090897

First Sentence: "The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going."

Gabry lives a quiet and safe life behind the barrier. But her world is about to shattered when one night of fun turns into a disaster. Now Gabry has to decide to live her quiet but safe life at the light house, or take a chance and leave everything she knows behind. Can she save her friends? what secrets is her mother keeping? and who is Elias?

This is the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The story picks up roughly 20 years after the events in Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary is the lighthouse keeper responsible for killing the unconsecrated (or Mudo as they are known in this town), and she lives with her 16 year old daughter Gabry. The story is told from Gabry's point of view.

The reader gets to learn so much more about the world Mary inhabited. Vista is similar to the village Mary fled from. It is controlled by the Protectorate a government that rules, from what I can tell, the remaining surviving cities. Young men are volunteered or dragooned as punishment into the military known as the Recruiters. Everyone else is encased behind solid walls and are forced to follow strict rules. I feel we also get a sense of the bigger picture here, of what has been happening in the forest and beyond.

There was not as much action in this book compared to the first book. Towards the end there was a lot of action, but I felt up to about halfway through the book, the pacing was fairly slow. The death toll of the main characters is pretty low too compared to the first book.

Gabry is a little bit of a strange character. I found on one hand she annoyed me, but on the other hand I liked her and felt sorry for her. Somehow she has grown up completely afraid of her world and even who she is. So she really struggles with the turn of events, and beats herself up over it. I enjoyed Elias as a character he has the whole mysterious stranger with a dark past thing happening.

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT - I was a little confused about Mary's story though. She apparently returned to the forest for a year or so, and its indicated she knows how to return to her home village. Yet she apparently has never returned even though it says in this book she spent some time in the forest previously (after fleeing originally). I am a little baffled as to what she was doing in the forest for that time?

DISCUSSION POINT - Another thing I don't really get plot wise is the zombies themselves. While Ryan does a decent job explaining why there is still so many around. It still doesn't ring true for me. I am positive in the first book Ryan said that the zombies sort of disintegrated the older they were. To me this would mean eventually the zombies would just decompose eventually. So why are there still so many around? I dunno maybe I misread, or I am misremembering that passage. Oh also I don't understand why the infection stopped the remainder of humanity using things like planes, cars or other technology? Wouldn't we have made power stations, airports etc safe to use? Also food, how are the remaining people living because farms don't seem to exist? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

This book sets up for another book as it ends with a bit of a cliff hanger then an epilogue. Looking on Carrie Ryan's website a new book The Dark and Hollow Places is due out March 2011. I will be interested to see where Ryan takes the story. If you have read the first book and liked it, then this is a must read to learn more about the world.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Book 1) by Carrie Ryan

Rating: 4 out of 5Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN-10: 0575090863
ISBN-13: 978-0575090866

First Sentence: "My mother used to tell me about the ocean. She said there was a place where there was nothing but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away."

Mary is like any normal teenager. She hangs out with her friends, she has a crush on a boy, and she never goes beyond the fence. Mary lives in a village in the Forest of Hands and Teeth where the unconsecrated live. The world as we know it is gone, an infection that turned humans into Zombies ravaged the planet leaving only Mary's village as the sole survivors. The village is controlled by the Sisterhood, who govern and protect the inhabitants. But Mary is curious and in the Sisterhoods eyes dangerous. Eventually Mary must decide between her village or her dreams, and keep her friends safe at the same time.

A fascinating debut novel. Even though the story is set in a world full of zombies, its not really about zombies at all. The story is character driven and is about Mary figuring out the world around her and her place in it. Mary is a great character, not a typical YA novel protagonist. She is a little selfish, and shallow, but at the same time brave and loyal. She is a likable character though, and realistic.

I was a little disappointed while reading the book, about the lack of elaboration on what happened with the world. At the time I read this book (middle 2009) I didn't know there was another book. However after I finished the book I thought the lack of information was appropriate. Mary and her friends only know what they have been taught about the outside world, so it would seem silly for them to tell the reader all about it. Also it would seem and obvious story filler, if they stumble on a book/room/person that could tell them exactly everything they needed to know. Life doesn't get tied up in a neat little bow so why should this story?

There are some pretty emotional scenes in this book. With out giving much away, two main scenes stand out. One with Mary and her Mother as they say goodbye, and the second was when Mary was in the tree houses with her friends. I will leave it at that.

Ryan has done a fantastic job drawing you in and making you care about the main characters. She also makes the story suitably creepy, with a touch of horror. This is where I think the lack of information really helps to build the suspense. As they don't know what expect they are shocked or discovered by discoveries. Also there is a lot of action and carnage in this book.

All in all a really solid first book. It was a great read which was hard to put down. If you like zombies this would be a great read, but even if you don't like zombies (like me) this is still a good engaging read.

Mockingjay (Hunger Games Book 3) by Suzanne Collins

Rating 4 out of 5Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (25 Aug 2010)
ISBN-10: 1407109375
ISBN-13: 978-1407109374

First Sentence: "I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather"

Book three picks up where book two left off. The rebellion is in full swing and war is now declared.

The action is ramped up even more in this book. Lots of violence as well. Again Collins seems to balance progressing the story, with action and drama. The whole story never feels bogged down at any point. I managed to finish this off in three days and that's only because I had to go to work grrr.

I think Collins captures peoples thinking during war really well. It was interesting to see the different characters reactions to it. For instance some thought they should fight the way President Snow fought, and others thought they should preserve life. You could say the war really brings out the best and worst of people, and this story illustrates it.

There were some twists in the story line which will surprise you. Also by the end of it I was wondering if poor Katniss would survive both physically and mentally. She just cant catch a break. I actually really enjoyed Joanna as a character. Even though she is a little broken and a touch horrible, something about her was just enjoyable.

The ending - a lot of book bloggers have commented they were disappointed with the ending. They felt it was made to happy, and neat. I felt the ending was good until I got to the epilogue. The epilogue its self was fine, but not necessary. I suspect this is where the ending criticisms have come in as I felt the epilogue did not add anything to the story.

On a superficial note I much prefer the American cover to the cover released in Australia.

Other Reviews:The Eclctic Reader

Books and Musings from Downunder

Musings of a Bookish Kitty

From my Bookshelf

An Adventure in Reading

Catching Fire (Hunger Games Book 2) by Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5 out of 5
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (7 Sep 2009)
ISBN-10: 1407109367
ISBN-13: 978-1407109367

Opening Sentence: "I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air"

In Catching Fire we return to the world of Panem and continue the story of Katniss. The Hunger Games they won is long over and they are safely ensconced in the Victors Village. The only problem is the Capitol is not happy with what Katniss did, they want revenge. Katniss has a decision to make, does she fold to the Capitol's demands or does she fight?

Wow what a great second book! I couldn't put it down. I find second books in trilogies tend to be long winded and spends to much time explaining and setting up book three. Not the case with Catching Fire. It manages to finely balance expanding the story with action and excitement. I will not discuss the book in too much detail as I do not want to give the book away.

I must confess though Katniss annoyed me for about half of this book. I got a bit tired of her "oh woe is me" mantra. She just grated on my nerves even though I concede she probably had every right to it after what happened in Hunger Games. But by the second half of the book came around, Katniss was back to her old kick ass self. We do get to learn more about our favorite characters as well as get introduced to some new ones. Collins is able to make all the characters just come alive. I cant really discuss the characters with out giving anything away.

Some powerful themes are explored here. Oppression, violence, rebellion, survival, friendship, starvation, and revenge to name a few. Collins manages to address these issues with out being preachy or condemning.

There is quite a bit of violence in this book. Most of it demonstrates the worst of society and oppression. But it is there, and it is reasonably graphic. If your child is under 15 and wants to read this, perhaps read it yourself first and see if it is suitable.

To be honest don't bother reading this unless you have book three Mockingjay on standby. The book is left on a cliff hanger so you will want book three straight away to continue on with the story!

Other Reviews:Books and Musings from Down under
Ticket To Anywhere
A Buckeye Girl Reads
Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Valiant by Holly Black

Rating 3 1/2 out of 5

Summary: When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system. But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-coloured powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals with creatures that no one else can see. And then there's Luis's brother, timid and sensitive Dave, who makes the mistake of letting Val tag along as he makes a delivery to a woman who turns out to have goat hooves instead of feet. When a bewildered Val allows Lolli to talk her into tracking down the hidden lair of the creature for whom Luis and Dave have been dealing, Val finds herself bound into service by a troll named Ravus. He is as hideous as he is honourable. And as Val grows to know him, she finds herself torn between her affection for an honourable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

Review:This is a pretty dark tale of humans and faeries interacting. Do not expect to see any Tinkerbelle’s here. Faeries are nasty, really nasty. They get pleasure out of human’s suffering and delight in torturing, killing and in some instance eating them. Though to be fair they do the same to their own as well. Val walks smack into the middle of this world completely clueless and falls deeper and deeper into trouble.

Valiant is the sequel to Tithe. It is set some time after the events of Tithe. However you do not need to read Tithe to read Valiant. Valiant is a stand alone story.

"There is only one human who knows this place. So what did Luis tell you?" The troll took another step toward them, his voice soft and furious."Did he dare you to go inside? Did he say there was a monster?"

The story touches on drug use, teenage sex, dysfunctional families, romance, loyalty and friendship. In fact there is very little Valiant does not touch on. I found the teen issues dealt with here were darker then that addressed in Tithe. However due to the “faerie” angle for some reason they were not as confronting then if this had been a normal runaway teen story. I don’t know why but for me it was not as shocking, but it still managed to
get the message across. Though having said that there was one moment for me
that did stun me but I will not mention it here so as not to spoil the book.

Holly Black has an easy style of writing that flows well. She is a good writer and was able to get her points across without me have to scrounge around for a dictionary.

If you like your faerie tales dark and edgy then you might want to consider picking up Holly Black. I am not sure why but I was reluctant to give this 4 out of 5 stars so I settled for 3 1/2.