teaser tuesdays 3

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I know before she says it. “Beck’s not coming back.” I hear nothing else because the world goes black."   Larkstorm - Dawn Rae Miller

I'm really liking this book so far! Sorry for my lack of posting, I've just started a new job and have a really important exam in 5 weeks so I don't have much time for blogging at the minute! However once this exam is over I'll be free 5 days of the week so I'll have plenty of time for reading and reviewing :)

review: the last princess -galaxy craze

THE LAST PRINCESS
Galaxy Craze
Release Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Poppy Books
Pages: 295


Rating: 2 out of 5

"A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.

Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess."

This was one of my most anticipated books of this year, so I was ecstatic when I finally had it in my hands. The cover art is amazing! From reading the synopsis I was absolutely certain I would love it: it's post-apocalyptic, located in the UK and about a plot to revolt against the royal family, perfect right? Except the only feeling I had when I finished it was one of pure disappointment.

The main reason I didn't connect with this book was due to the writing style. I felt that everything was so rushed, everything happened at such a pace it was impossible to understand what was happening. I was constantly re-reading pages to check I hadn't missed important information, I hadn't, the information just wasn't there in the first place. It just felt disjointed and off to me :( There was just not enough details or depth.

Because of the fast pacing I also felt characterisation took a backseat. The plot was nicely thought out, and definitely appealed to me, but the characters felt somewhat lacking. I never really felt any connection to Eliza despite liking her as a main character. The romance was an additional thing I didn't like, it just seem sorta random and there was no development to it.

I also felt the world building could have been enhanced. We are kept in the dark about the 'Seventeen Days' which led to the destruction of the world, and I really would like to know more. However I'm pretty sure a sequel is planned, so I hope that it's expanded on and the crazy pacing issue is sorted. Despite what seems like a really negative review, the plot of the book was really interesting and if these issues were worked on I would definitely check out a sequel.

teaser tuesday 2

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"It was silent. I focused my hearing around the house, scrunching up my face with the loud onslaught, and I said into the air, “I’m not finished with you, Kaidan Rowe.” From somewhere in the kitchen a solitary accented voice replied, “Likewise.” Despite the night’s warmth, I got a chill. ."   Sweet Evil - Wendy Higgins

review: obsidian - jennifer l.armentrout

OBSIDIAN
Jennifer L.Armentrout
Release Date: 6 Dec 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Pages: 299
Source: bought

Rating: 5 out of 5

"Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all.

 But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is."

 Jennifer L.Armentrout is fastly becoming one of my favourite authors. She's amazing! I fall in love with everything she writes it seems and Obsidian is no different. Jennifer's writing is beautiful, her characters likeable and three dimensional. I read this after reading Half-Blood and Pure, so I was expecting a lot from it and it did not dissapoint.

Jennifer's characters are always so well written, Katy I could immediately connect with. She's strong, independant and determined. I loved that she had a tendancy towards stubborness aswell. I thought it was cute that she was a book blogger, as we all can relate to that! It was nice to see her videoing her IMM posts, and writing up her Waiting on Wednesday post too!

 Daemon, well I absolutely adored him. He's cocky, arrogant and sarcastic. Oh, and also an alien from a planet called Lux. It's hard to describe my actual feelings about Daemon, as I just loved him... Jennifer is an expert at crafting tension between characters, and she doesn't fail here. The chemisty between Katy and Daemon was unreal, and I loved that it was a love/hate relationship which developed throughout the novel instead of happening straight away. Dee also deserves an honourable mention, I loved how perky and happy she is. Like a little ball of sunshine!

 
There's not much more that I can say about Obsidian as I'm afraid it'll just turn into fan girl mushiness! This is a captivating story with fantastic characters, a brilliant thought out plot, buckets of sexual tension and plenty of action. If you've not read anything by J L.Armentrout before I highly reccomend this, and I promise you won't be dissapointed.  

review: die for me - amy plum

DIE FOR ME
Amy Plum
Release Date: May 11th 2011
Publisher: ATOM
Pages: 344
Source: bought

Rating: 2 out of 5

"My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. Suddenly, my sister, Georgia and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen. Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies. . .immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind."

I bought this book on a whim as a very good friend wouldn't stop raving about it! However personally I didn't really enjoy it, which was a shame as I really love the plot but it just didn't grab me emotionally at all! It started off really slow paced, and it was a while before anything exciting happened which I found a little dull :(

The parts that I did like included the romantic setting, Paris has always been a city I've loved and Amy Plum described it so beautifully I was about ready to book a plane ticket there! It was nice to actually have the action unfold within the city, we get to follow Kate to art museums and quaint cafes among other places. It added a unique charm to the setting. I also enjoyed the plot line, the idea of revenants and numa is like nothing else I've read before, and I hope we find out more about their origins and backgrounds in the next books.

Unfortunately there was just something missing in this book which stopped me engaging emotionally with it. I found the main character dull, she didn't come across strong to me at all. Kate is self depreciating, and to put it bluntly has no other life than Vincent. I didn't feel empathy for her mourning at all, I just couldn't connect. Her sister Georgia, also came across as completely shallow. She cared more about partying than she did Kate, and for her to pick a relative stranger over Kate just showed that.

The romance also lacked chemistry for me. There wasn't much intimacy between them, and I don't know I just didn't believe it really. Vincent seems to become obsessed with Kate, without much reason. I just wanted more! More tension, more build-up but unfortunately I didn't get it :(. Maybe I've just been spoilt by reading books with abudance of romantic tension in, so when I read this it had no chance of comparing. Another thing I find strange is Vincent also seems far too perfect to be real? It was just too cliche for me.

This book just lacked that special something for me, even though plenty of others absolutely adore it! I don't want my review to put anyone off, as this book will be something the majority love. I think I will read the sequel as I adored the setting, and the idea of revenants so I want to learn more about them.

review: grave mercy - robin lafevers

GRAVE MERCY

Robin LaFevers
Release Date: April 3rd 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 549

Rating: 5 out of 5

 Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't sure what I'd think of this book from reading the summary. But it completely took me by surprise and I loved it! I really liked the descriptions explaining the historical and political background of the story, and found myself wishing I was part of it! The plot was really intriguing and had me guessing incorrectly what would happen next at various points in the story. When I first got introdced to the idea of the covenant I found it really cool and interesting, but doubts about it seeded in my mind. I really liked how the plot developed and ended up in a 'castle' setting, I loved all the descriptions of the pretty outfits!

 As soon as I began reading I knew I'd love Ismae, she's such a good main character in that she uses what she's been through as a source of power. She is intelligent, strong and pretty handy at knowing how to kill someone in various ways to suit her need, I absolutely love how this is reflected flawlessly on the cover by showing her holding her trusty crossbow. The beauty of this story though is that we are first shown Ismae at the age of 13, and see her grow and find herself throughout the novel. I really enjoyed seeing her start to question the covenant and it's teachings, as let's be honest the covenant was kinda creepy! It was also nice to see her hardened heart open up and for her to begin to feel love for people as well.

Duval is another outstanding character, his complete loyalty and love for his sister Anne is heartwarming. It was clear that he is truly a genuine and lovable man, and I definitely was routing for him and Ismae the whole way through. I really liked that he was never described as being beautiful, as most YA books seem to label the romantic interests recently. It focused less on his looks and more on his character. I really loved how Duval's and Ismae's romance developed. It was a slow burning romance, occasionally overshadowed by everything else but I liked that, it made it seem more real. This might be slightly spoilery but there definitely were a lot of tears shed relating to their romance at a few key points! The secondary characters are definitely not to be overlooked, as I grew attachments to many of them: Beast, De Lornay, Anne and Isabeau.


In conclusion this was a page-turning, intriguing and beautifully written novel. The blending of various elements of different genres was great, and I liked the slightly paranormal elements involved. The characters, plot and setting are all well developed, which made the story so believable. The ending was also nice, in that it wasn't a cliffhanger and left me with a sense of conclusion. I'm really hoping though that as this is part of a series that it still continues with Ismae's story, as I hate POV switches in series'! I can see the sequel being from Sybella's POV which makes me sad :( But in anycase, for fans of series' like Graceling, and Poison Study I would definitely check this out!

review: illuminate - aimee agresti

ILLUMINATE
Aimee Agresti
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Book
Pages: 534
Source: bought

Rating: 4 out of 5

"Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.
As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel? "

I've been excited to read this book for a while, and I wasn't disappointed when I finally got the chance to! I do wish the blurb of the book didn't give as much of the story away though, it doesn't leave much room for surprise. At over 500 pages this could be considered far too long for a YA book, but I liked that the book was lengthy. I found it allowed Aimee to fully explore, and her writing was a treat to read as it was full of imagery, atmosphere and crafted intrigue and mystery beautifully.

Haven was a main character I think a lot could relate to, however at first I found her boring to be completely honest! However I did enjoy her evolution throughout the novel, and  found the further I read on, the more I warmed to her. The character of Dante was a breath of fresh air for me, it was really nice to see a gay character portrayed in a YA novel, and for one to be portrayed well. He reminded me of one of my own friends, so needless to say he was a favourite of mine. I loved the character of Lucian, even though his sudden interest in Haven at first was sort of creepy, he definitely grabbed hold of my heart and I found myself rooting for him! Lance, I was less enthralled with. I can't say his character stood out to me, I found him bland. There is a slight love triangle in this book which might put a few of you off, and I can't say I'm happy with who Hazel ended up with but as this is a series I'm holding out hope!

Although this is an 'angel' book, the lore is handled in a way that is dissimilar to the variety of other angel books I've read, this is probably my second favourite, only to Angelfall, and that says a lot! There were so many good things about this book: the length, the writing, the majority of the characters and the plot twists. I really wanted to give it a 5 but due to my dislike of the 'resolution' of the love triangle I really found I couldn't, however I guess this is a testament to Aimee's writing that she could make me care that much about how it worked out. I will definitely be buying the sequel, as I'm waiting anxiously to see what happens next!

review: the scorpio races - maggie stiefvater

THE SCORPIO RACES
Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: October 22nd 2011
Publisher: Scholastic UK
Pages: 482
Source: bought

Rating: 5 out of 5

"It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live.
Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen"

Maggie Stiefvater is without a doubt, one of my favourite authors. With this in mind, my review might be slightly biased! I don't think I could recommend this book enough, to me it's perfect. The premise is unlike any other book I've read, it completely sucked me in and would not let go until I had finished reading it.

Maggie's writing is just wonderful; it's descriptive, lyrical and captivating. I loved the setting, a tiny island called 'Thisby' off the coast of Ireland. It was atmospheric and mysterious, which suited the plot incredibly. The descriptions of the island were beautiful, and it was hard for me to believe it was an imaginary island, to me Thisby was alive. It had a heart and a soul, it was easy to see why Puck loved it.

I also loved the dual narrative and the development of the relationship between Sean Kendrick and Puck. It was a subtle, not overstated development and I really liked that. I became invested in their relationship, and was willing them to have a happy ending which I didn't believe was possible: only one of them can win the races and therefore what they desire the most. Sean is completely swoon-worthy, and I will admit I'm a little in love with him! The relationship between the riders and their respective horses was also a highlight for me. You could feel the love Puck has for Dove and Sean Kendrick has for Corr, and as a previous horse owner I could relate completely.

I became completely and utterly emotionally attached to the intertwining stories of Sean Kendrick and Puck, and found myself in tears at the ending, and thinking about this book for days after I read it. I kind of wished it wasn't a standalone novel and that it was part of a series because I didn't want to stop reading about this island and it's inhabitants.

This book is one I've already re-read so many times, it is captivating, heart wrenching and beautifully written. If you haven't picked it up yet I highly suggest you do. I'll leave you with perhaps my favourite quote from the whole book.

"I say, "I will not be your weakness Sean Kendrick."

Now he looks at me. He says, very softly. "It's late for that Puck."

review: the other life - susan winnacker

THE OTHER LIFE
Susanne Winnacker
Release Date: February 1st 2012
Publisher: Usborne
Pages: 320 pages
Source: bought

Rating: 4 out of 5

"3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world.

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation…and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.
When Sherry’s dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua – an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers. But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?"

When I read the summary of this book, I was immediately intrigued. Underground bunkers, savage mutant zombies and a romance? Right down my street! I read this book in the space of a couple of hours, once I had started reading I couldn't stop. It was fast paced and enjoyable to read.

I really liked the characters in this book, reading the first chapter, I was sold on the idea of a family at breaking point, being confined to a small space for 3 years would cause tension and Susanne captured family discord perfectly. Sherry I also found was a good main character, and Joshua, well who doesn't love a cynical, gorgeous male who's also out for revenge?

One part of the book I really liked was the flashbacks to 'The Other Life'. I found it interesting how they showed you a little about how the virus started and also gave valuable insights into Sherry's character; they helped endear me to her.

The ending was interesting and had a few twists, which I was unprepared for and left off nicely for the sequel. I would definitely give this a read if you are a fan of dystopia/zombies, as while not completely original or groundbreaking it was a really enjoyable read.

review: fever - lauren destefano

FEVER
Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: February 21, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 341 pages
Source: bought

Rating: 3 out of 5

"Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the beautiful prison of Wither’s mansion, but they are far from escaping danger. First they’re chased for stealing a getaway boat, and then the fleeing pair ends up in the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects girls and sells them to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Vaughn, Rhine’s sinister father-in-law, seems to be on her trail every step of the way. Rhine remains determined to get to her brother in Manhattan—but the road they are on is long and perilous.

Now that Rhine has finally regained her freedom, what lengths will she need to go to in order to keep it?"

Honestly, I was soooo excited to read this book as Wither probably has made it onto my list of favourites. I'm not sure if because I was SO hyped for this book and created unrealistic expectations, that it fell flat for me? I was pretty dissapointed! Lauren picked up immediately from where she left off, and I was excited to see where she would take this. However I found whilst reading the plot didn't really seem to go anywhere, and the pacing was really slow. I feel bad saying it, but this left me bored. It wasn't really an exciting read, as Rhine and Gabriel just seem to wander, with occasional exciting points.

I was dissapointed with the characters aswell, Rhine seems to have to carry the story. Whilst I connect to Rhine and find her a good main character, I was dissapointed at the lack of development in Gabriel. I was hoping we'd find out a little more about him but we don't really. However I did like finding more out about Jenna, and Rhine's realisation that she didn't know her aswell as she thought she did.

Another factor that dissapointed me was the lack of romantic development between Rhine and Gabriel, it felt like instead of there actually being feelings between them, they were just together by coincidence. Maybe this could easily be explained by what they go through throughout the book, but as I'm quite a romantic I was a little disheartened!

I will say the last quarter or so of the book was definitely the saving grace. There were interesting plot developments which completely gripped me. The reappearance of Linden was welcome, as I will admit I have a soft spot for him! I was practically in tears the last few chapters of the book, I just wish it had been the same throughout! The ending sets the way for an interesting conclusion to the triology, and despite the slight dissapointment I found Fever to be, I will definitely pick up the next. I would highly suggest if you haven't already, to read the first novel Wither, definitely a 5 out of 5 in my books (no pun intended!)