Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Pages: 366
Series: Matched #1 

Publication Date: 30th November 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. (Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesday #5

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.(Goodreads)

I was first struck by All These Lives' cover, it really does stand out and reminds me of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. I've also seen lots of good reviews of this about this being 'not just another cancer book' so I'm all for looking at subjects differently. Also I love stories about sisters, having two of my own I find that sibling relationships aren't explored very complexly in most YA books. 

Blogspiration #8

Blogspiration is a Brand Spankin' New weekly meme hosted by both GrowingUp YA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

Thought I'd go for something a little more light hearted this week! Laughter is always a good way to start the summer, so when I found this I burst out laughing and knew I had to use it for Blogspiration! 

Hope everyone has a great week! 

Quote of the Week #11

"I'm wishing he could see that music lives. Forever. That it's stronger than death. Stronger than time. And that its strength holds you together when nothing else can," 

"Because nothing is more dangerous than hope," 

"She also knew that one must meet the world's madness with more madness,"

“History is a Rorschach test, people. What you see when you look at it tells you as much about yourself as it does about the past.” 

"I don't like hope very much. In fact, I hate it. It's the crystal meth of emotions. It hooks you fast and kills you hard. It's bad news. The worst. It's sharp sticks and cherry bombs. When hope shows up, it's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt," 

"They wanted the best possible things, some of them—liberty, equality,and fraternity for all. It was a nice dream. Too bad they didn’t pull it off. Too bad we haven’t.”

“Becuse God loves us, but the devil takes an interest."

“For mad I may be, but I will never be convenient.” 

"There is only one thing I fear now - love. For I have seen it and I have felt it and I know that it is love, not death, that undoes us."

  

"It goes on, this world, stupid and brutal. 

But I do not.

I do not"

As you can tell by the number of quotes I have here that I liked Revolution. It has so many great messages and a great protagonist  (who I want a mix tape from) My review for Revolution is here. 

Book Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Revolution

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Pages: 496

Publication Date: November 2010

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart. (Goodreads)

Revolution is something special. Something else. Not only was it completely different from what I was expecting it to be but the story also surpassed my expectations considerably.

I loved the writing style, it’s incredibly unique and enthralling and I found that Andi’s narrative voice was a darker cross between Juno and Olive Penderghast – both of whom I love.  Along this line there were some great word play used throughout the story, all of which I found hilarious,  such as Boredoisie, the Shamptons and many to do with Vijay’s mum – Vietmom, Atom mom, Momsoon, Momshell, Flesh eating Mombie – the list goes on!

Speaking of Vijay’s mum there was also great secondary characters that seemed realistic and essential to the enjoyment of the story, who although you didn’t see character development added an extra dimension to the plot. My favourites were Vijay’s mum and Jimmy Shoes.

The majority of the book is set in Paris, I loved how it was presented through Andi’s eyes; as someone who could speak fluent French and immersed herself in the artist culture of the city. (This aspect was probably enhanced because whilst I was reading it the French elections were going on and the day I finished it was the day Francois Hollande won) I also found it hilarious the frequent references to striking. In Paris she meets Virgil, a French rap artist; I loved his relationship with Andi, especially their phones calls. Its gradual progression made it sweet and endearing and also I loved the emphasis that having a romantic relationship with someone is so much more than making out or sleeping with them. Whilst there was this relationship it definitely was not one of the key parts to the story and its understated nature made me appreciate it more.  

A major part of the plot was Andi and her obsession with music, especially Amadé Malherbeau.  I loved her passionate reverence for it and you could tell how much she truly appreciated it. There’s nothing I hate more then when a character apparently has some hobby or favourite thing yet it is never shown. Not Andi -  her fervent and fanatical love for music was apparent, “Because there’s nothing I love more than a good, freaky tritone,” and how she used music as an escape, like most people do, using it as a coping mechanism. The music helped her get by, “One note at a time,”

Another thing I loved was that Revolution had a great balance between light and dark in both plot and humour. Whilst the plot has many dark sides - Andi’s brother has died and she has gained another obsession, a dead girl’s diary from the French Revolution – but this only enhanced Andi’s journey for me. I couldn’t help but feel compelled to hope the best for her whilst Donnelly presented her hardships in one of the best manners I’ve ever seen. Andi’s pain felt tangible and real – the realist pain, anger and heartache I’ve read in a long time.

I would say now, something I know I didn’t expect and some might find off putting, Andi travels back in time to the French revolution. We, as readers, never know if this was real or was just in Andi’s drugged mind but I think that’s important to know if you are going to read this story. I found myself enjoying this part of the story. It is an incredibly interesting period of history that I'd love to learn more about. Going back in time emphasised Andi’s relationship with Alexandrine, the girl from the diary. This regression or vision helped Andi move forwards and with it gained an insight into all that she was suffering from - I loved the message and moral of the story. Also the balance between present day and the historical part of the novel was very well executed and you didn't feel like you had too much of either. 

How to sum up Revolution? It made me laugh, cry and left me smiling and feeling grateful that I took the time to read this. I can’t express my love anymore except by saying that Revolution probably will be on ‘The Shelf’. Revolution is a brilliant and worthwhile read that I believe has something for everyone.

My Weekly Book Haul #5

'My Weekly Book Haul' is a weekly meme where I show you lovely readers what books I've bought or borrowed this week. 

As you can tell the book buying ban was broken, I have failed. But by failing I have won by getting books! Book buying is always a win win situation. So the ban was broken mainly due to me finishing my exams! Yay for two weeks off!

Bought:

On the Road by Jack Kerouac - Ever since I heard the famous 'the only ones for me are the mad ones' quote I've wanted to read this (I've posted it twice on this blog - on my Blogspiration and quote of the week). A book about road trips with beautiful prose? Sign me up. I'm about 70 pages in and I love it. 

Legend by Marie Lu - I've loved the sound of this one and have heard many a great thing and am looking forward to seeing what it's like.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young - This is similar to Legend, I've seen many good reviews, I also want to read more Dystopians, I think they are amazing and I love the great social commentary. 

What did you get this week? Hope everyone has a great weekend and a great start to the summer! 

Book Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristen Cashore

Pages: 352

Series: Graceling Realm #1

Publication Date: 22^nd January 2009

Publisher: Gollancz

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king.. (Goodreads)

It’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve read a high fantasy, especially a good one. With high fantasy I think there is a fine line between it becoming overly complex and difficult to read to being an utterly fantastic and intricately woven story – thankfully Graceling falls into the latter.

With the release of Bitterblue (the final instalment of this series, released in May this year) I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about this trilogy and I wasn’t let down. What surprised me reading Graceling was that this was Kristen Cashore's debut! It astounded me that such a complex story, with excellent world building was her first published work.

Katsa was amazing – a strong, resilient character battling with the darker power of her grace – the ability to kill and injure so easily. Her strength was incredibly empowering not just physically but mentally, when she stands up to those who have been pushing her down and her continuation in the face of so many trials and tribulations made me admire her immensely. She was also a no nonsense sort of character who knew what she was capable of. Katsa’s power and strength came from her self – awareness, she knew she didn’t need anyone to do the things she could do for herself.

The concept of Graces was incredibly interested, something that gives a person a super ability made me wish I had one. I also loved how the identifier between those with Graces and those without were having two different coloured eyes, an image that makes that person seem striking and unique.

Another big positive I have for Graceling is the pacing and speed at which the plot progressed, it was fantastic and there were no pointless ‘filler’ scenes, nothing was included that wasn’t necessary which made me appreciate the narration. The narrative style as a whole was excellent; the third person narration from Katsa’s perspective allowed Cashore to have showcase a great social commentary of the time in which Graceling is set; such as how girls, the most vulnerable at the time, were taught nothing in self – defence.  The plot was complex without being overwhelming, it was incredibly nuanced with so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming – which I always love.

Now for Po (I may or may not be a little in love with him) his character was just warm and welcoming and his relationship with Katsa, and it's development, was beautiful – I also loved how this was given the time it needed in the story without completely taking it over. I also loved Raffin, Bitterblue, Oll – almost everyone, they had such great characterization and development that made them seem real.

Graceling was also genuinely funny, none of those forced jokes that you feel were put in amidst all the troubles that the characters are going through. The funny scenes and jokes that were used felt natural and legitimately hilarious.

However it did take me a little while to get into it (I even took notes to begin with, of the information we were given, so I wouldn’t get confused!) but once you get into it, Graceling will amaze you. I loved the ending, it was finite yet open and hopeful and I will definitely be reading Fire as soon as I can!

I’d recommend Graceling to anyone who loves a good fantasy story or anyone whose loves great writing, characters and a plot that’ll keep you guessing. 

UK vs US Covers #10 - Graceling by Kristin Cashore

UK vs US Book Covers is a feature on Books Worth Remembering. I've seen it done on other blogs and thought it was a really great idea because I am strongly opinionated when it comes to having different book covers!

I can't pick which one I like most, they both seem pretty good to me. The UK cover, the one I had, has this motif of snowflakes which are also on the pages which I thought was in keeping with the theme and setting of the book. I also like the background image of the storm and the sea, once again reflecting the storyline but also Katsa herself.  However I do know that girls on front covers are not incredibly original but this silhouette is quite striking and powerful. 

The US cover on the other hand is a little bit more unique, I love the more medieval looking background and the mixture of blue and green to represent Katsa's eyes. I also like that the focal point is the sword which makes it stand out. 

This time I think it's a draw.

Which cover do you prefer? Which cover would you buy? Which one do you think stands out the most?

I hope everyone has a great Friday and I'll see you tomorrow with my review of Graceling. 

YA Watch List 25th - 31st May

YA Watch List is a feature on Books Worth Remembering. In order of release date here are my personal picks of YA releases that you should watch out for and add to your TBR pile this week! (Click on the pictures to be taken to their Goodreads page)

Which new releases are you looking forward to this week? Are any of these on your TBR list?

Let's Talk Books - Childhood Favourites

Today I wanted to talk about some of my favourites books of my childhood, the ones I loved and still do to today.



What were your favourite books as a child? Do you still have them? Are any of yours the same as mine?

Blogspiration #7

Blogspiration is a Brand Spankin' New weekly meme hosted by both GrowingUp YA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

Pretty much sums up everything we need to remember! Hope everyone is having a good week, it's been incredibly sunny and warm today (In England?! I know, it's too strange to comprehend) and I've only got one exam left so I'm feeling pretty good.

Quote of the Week #10

Here are a few of my favourite quotes from City of Bones by Cassandra Clare:

"If you insist on disvowing that which is ugly about what you do, you will never learn from your mistakes"

"All knowledge hurts,"

"Where there is love, there is often also hate. They can exist side by side,"

"Not everything that's true needs to be said"

Book Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title: Fracture

Author: Megan Miranda

Pages: 262

Publication Date: 17th January 2012

Publisher: Walker Childresn

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? 

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death. (Goodreads)

Just one quick little rant that I have before I start the review – Delaney and Decker? I mean what were their parents smoking when they named their children? I know these aren't the weirdest names that YA fiction has to offer but maybe that's because they are American names, ones which I'm not used to. 

Fracture is just one of those books that sends chills up your spine. I was describing certain scenes to my sister and it just gave me that thrilling feeling. One scene that literally gave me goosebumps was Delaney describing how many minutes she was underwater and also when they talk about your knowledge due to where you live – One thing people from Maine can do? Rescue people who have fallen through the ice.

Fracture as a concept was a good one, it's one where you don't know what to expect, will it be paranormal? psychological? I liked that it leant both ways making you question everything that Delaney was thinking. It was an incredibly short, conciese read that went by without you realising. I love that there were some more creepy/ eerie moments due to Delaney's 'power' or attraction to those who are dying, those scenes had a scary feel, but in a good way.  

My only negative was something that I don’t think many other people would find off putting. I think in Fracture’s case there was some negative timing involved. I recently was in hospital with a serious illness and the prospects weren’t all that great (to put it delicately) so Delaney’s view that because she cheated death she should have died or that her life was made as a trade to others, hit a little too close to home.

I also felt that the plot kind of stopped and started, the pace slowing and then speeding up suddenly. It made it hard to get used to but then it set the tone for those sections; such as the slower section were normally the creepy ones that just added to the suspense.

Fracture is a great standalone that'll you'll find simple, enjoyable but utterly thrilling. 

My favourite quote from Fracture:

"Funny how everything can change in an instant. From death to life. From empty to full. From darkness to light. Or maybe I just wasn't looking. I hadn’t known that a light could be a feeling and a sound could be a colour and a kiss could be both a question and an answer. And that heaven could be the ocean or a person or this moment or something else entirely."  

My Weekly Book Haul #4

'My Weekly Book Haul' is a weekly meme where I show you lovely readers what books I've bought or borrowed this week. 

I've been successful in my book buying ban for this week! Which is probably the most self - restraint that I've had for a while, mainly due to me spending all week doing last minute cramming for my exams and silently praying to all the powers that be that I don't epically fail. I doubt my ban will last another week but until then I wanted to post something book related on Sunday - My TBR pile.

The physical pile that made me think 'Actually I have quite enough books to read already' which initiated the book ban but then there's this constant voice inside saying 'There's never enough!' so we'll see. But for the moment this is the state of affairs.

I feel incredibly lucky to have so many great books within my reach, I like that I can go into my room and pick out whichever kind of book that I feel like reading at that moment in time. And in case your wondering this is actually how they are stacked and left all the time, on my floor, patiently waiting to be read. 

I'd love to see other people's TBR piles! I'd never encourage people to stop getting books but if you like me needed a ban I'd love to hear how long you stuck it out!

Hope everyone had a great week and got and read some lots of lovely books and that you'll have an awesome Sunday! :)

YA Watch List 17th - 24th May

YA Watch List is a new feature on Books Worth Remembering. In order of release date here are my personal picks of YA releases that you should watch out for and add to your TBR pile this week! (Click on the pictures to be taken to their Goodreads page)

Which new releases are you looking forward to this week? Are any of these on your TBR list?

Book Review: The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith

Title: The Forbidden Game (The Hunter, The Chase and The Kill)

Author: L.J. Smith

Pages: 750

Publication Date: Originally published 1994, rereleased in 2008

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

To capture the love of Jenny Thorton, Julian--a visitor from a dark world--draws Jenny and her friends into forbidden games; the contest for a human soul. The prize is Jenny's freedom. The stakes are all of their lives. Jenny's friends are determined to help her win. But Julian is the master of the Game. Jenny's most desperate fight will be with him, this eerily handsome boy with electric blue eyes. He knows her deepest secrets, her darkest fears. He has almost infinite power. And the only thing he wants is for Jenny to surrender to him--body and soul (Goodreads)

The Forbidden Game was originally published in 1994 and republished in 2008, with its new and improved funky cover. I first read Dark Visions, another three - in - one book by L.J. Smith; and thoroughly enjoyed it. I went in search for more and found this great book. The Forbidden Game is about a girl, Jenny, who buys a board game from a very creepy shop and whilst playing with her friends they become trapped in the game - pandemonium and adventure ensues.


I love L.J. Smith's writing and the three part style of this series in one easy to read bind up. This allows the story to have a more complicated and in depth plot, but without the waiting for other books and it's always nice when after finishing one section you can go straight onto the next part - Which you will definitely want to do! 


My favourite of the three was 'The Hunter', maybe because it introduced the characters and starts the story's ball rolling, showing the beginnings of this big adventure for this group of teenagers. The concept of creating people's nightmares into reality was intriguing even though it scared me at the thought of it, inside of the board game there were many scary scenes that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. 


The story progressed steadily with this complex intertwining plot - even in the last part it still incorporated previous developments and events from the other two parts. To begin with the characters got on my nerves for falling into the obvious traps – Why play the creepy board game? Have you not seen any horror movies? - but by the last part, after learning more and seeing them suffer through the different trials and tribulations I couldn’t help but admire their bravery and like them. 


I also liked how the characters developed when dealing with what they'd learnt and seen within the game, this aspect - the aftermath - is something you don't always see so it was interesting how character grappled with this knowledge, without being able to tell anyone else for they could potentially be seen as insane.


The strangest thing about the book was when L.J. Smith was describing some things, such as how attractive Julian was, it didn't really work for me and other descriptive aspects of the story so I had to repeat, “Imagine you're in 1994” to myself and guys with ponytails and leather pants are the in thing.


Three times the fun with this great easy read.

Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Pages: 416
Series: Across the Universe #1

Publication Date: 11th January 2011 

Publisher: Razorbill

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming (Goodreads)

I know I've been having a lot of vlogs this week but I've felt like doing something new. I think I may be posting a vlog review most weeks in the future but here's my first shot at it! I hope you like it. 

Lets Talk Books - 'British Accents'

Something that bothers me, as someone British with an English accent is how frequently my accent is referred to in YA as a 'British Accent'. I know this term isn't something particular to YA and is used all over the internet and in all forms of modern culture but I still find it incredibly frustrating. So I thought I'd make a video expressing these opinions.

I'd love to here from both sides of this argument. For everyone out there who isn't British, do you know the difference between British and English accents? What is your opinion? To all those Brits out there does it annoy you? Do you notice it a lot when reading a book? 

Hope everyone had a great Wednesday! My exams are over for this week, so I think it's time to celebrate! Well at least until Tuesday...

Blogspiration #6

Blogspiration is a Brand Spankin' New weekly meme hosted by both GrowingUp YA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

My friend Alex recently posted this on her Facebook, she has it drawn on her wall as a constant reminder to just keep on keeping on. I think that it is very true and I love that she did it! I'm definitely not brave enough to draw on my walls, I've been doodling quotes on my desk but that's taking it to a whole other level. 

Good luck to all those who have exams this week or soon, I've just finished my first mere moments ago. One down three to go!

Quote of the Week #9

This week the quote comes to you in video form! I've been wanting to make more videos even if they are not that great quality. I think there is something about being able to speak the words instead of just writing them that gives them extra power. 

This quote, from Andrea Gibson's The Madness Vase, reminds me of how important words are and the influence they can have, the comfort they can provide and the solace they can give to all those who are lonely and think that they have no one else.  I've known books and poetry to have been the thing that has saved people, it's definitely saved many more times than I can count. 

Book Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Title: Need (Need #1)

Author: Carrie Jones

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 23^rd December 2008

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now. She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara. In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear. (Goodreads)

The first thing I loved about reading Need was the length -  it was short, snappy and to the point, it had one of those very focused plots that make it easy to get into and to finish. Another great stylistic feature was how each chapter was titled with a phobia that related to what is happening in the story - I really loved that.

Initially I found myself thinking that Need had a very ‘samey’ storyline. It’s about a girl who moves to a small, cold town where she misses the heat. She starts a new school where everyone already knows her because it’s a small town. And two guys immediately like her – Sound familiar to anyone? Once the storyline got going it was different, I liked that once things started unravelling the pace picked up and continued to move fast. I hate when as a reader you know what the mysterious man is, a pixie, yet you have to wait 100 – 200 pages for the main character to figure it out and accept it. Not with Need, I think it was around the fifty page mark where she first hears about pixies, which was pretty refreshing.

As for the main character, I feel very conflicted about Zara, I liked her narration, it was very easy to read and I loved how passionate Zara was about Amnesty International but at certain points I found that her passion was kind of a token gesture. However I really loved that Zara was good at running and was actually looking forward to P.E. This is so unlike me but I found it refreshing because sometimes you wonder if authors are just writing characters that are more like their readers -  bookish, uncoordinated girls like myself.

As for other characters I was very fond of Nick with his hero complex and constant need to protect others. However I wasn’t too keen on Issie and Devyn.  I liked Issie but she just seemed a little bit… unrealistic? I can’t describe it, she was like a child on a constant sugar rush, the kind of person I've only seen in books. However she was kind of on the periphery and not very involved in the plot. She didn't get a lot of page time that would have allowed her character to be show cased better and more developed. I think she may grow on me after learning more about her character/background. 

As for Devyn, I was glad to see a character in a wheelchair, I hate how under represented such characters are. However I just really disliked his character - one time Zara is rambling on about Amnesty International, he covers her mouth to shut her up and won’t take it away until she agrees to stop. I had to try and refrain from throwing the book against the wall because this made me want to slap him. The thing that upset me most was that Zara thinks that it’s okay. He also did this, or variations of this, to Issie, and it just frustrates me because it is not acceptable. This is even more frustrating since if it was a girl doing it to a guy he'd have a go at her but no, we females have got to sit there and listen to these alpha males apparently. Also the supreme irony of Devyn shutting Zara up about Amnesty, an organisation all about the freedom of speech.

While Need isn’t my all time favourites series I think it is a simplistic, easy, fantasy series and is perfect for fans of fantasy or those first trying out the genre. 

My Weekly Book Haul #3

'My Weekly Book Haul' is a weekly meme where I show you lovely readers what books I've bought or borrowed this week. 

Bought:

The Immortal Rules by Julia Kagawa

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth

Though I'm going on a book buying ban - I've got so many to read and my to be read pile seems to only get longer. I doubt this ban will last very long but I'll try! It's not my fault, I have no will power against not buying books. You shall see if I'm here next week with any!

What books did you get this week? I hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Reading :)

Book Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Replacement

Author: Brenna Yovanoff  

Pages: 375

Publication Date:  21^st September 2010

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | The Book Depository

Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattoed princess. He is a replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago when it was stolen away by the fey. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs (Goodreads)

The Replacement had a wonderfully dark, chilling tone and I think that was reflected perfectly in the setting and its description – Brenna Yovanoff captures Gentry perfectly. Gentry is a dreary, perennially raining and grey town full of secrets and I had a very specific and complete image of Gentry in my mind whilst I was reading, everything was in monotones, and I think this enhanced my reading experience.

Also, along the lines of description, I loved how Mackie’s allergies to thing such as blood and iron were shown and how debilitating they would be, such as when you injure yourself or getting into a car or washing your clothes all of which would include touching something that was harmful to you - this highlighted how different Mackie was and made you realise how he doesn’t fit into our world.

The protagonist, Mackie took some time to get used to, he’s extremely detached from the world which I felt, made it hard to connect to him. Despite this he seemed like a real guy; you know sometimes when a woman is writing from a male perspective you can really tell and they kind of end up like the perfect guy. Mackie? Not so much but I liked that. This realism was reinforced with Mackie’s passion for music, my specific example was Chapter Thirteen – ‘Applause’, in which Mackie plays the local club, Starlight, for the first time. The gig was beautifully described, it really captured that feeling music creates inside of you, it was pure and raw and it showed you Mackie’s passion. That chapter was probably my favourite part of the whole book.

Another plus point was that the characters, who would swear, did. I’m no big fan of swearing and personally don’t use swear words often but I hate authors who skirt around the issue by not including them, especially when a character would so obviously swear – I mean I probably would be swearing a lot if I knew my sister had just been kidnapped and been replaced by this weird creature.

Speaking of creatures… The darker side to Gentry, the one full of dead girls and monsters was definitely intriguing but I feel like this wasn’t used to its fullest potential. I don’t know why, because I’m a complete scaredy cat, but I wanted more suspense and creepiness. I just found that that aspect was lacking somewhat -  I think this was more to do with my heightened expectations.

However, something completely unexpected was the relationship between Mackie and his sister, Emma. It was sweet and incredibly endearing and the kind of sibling relationship that you don't see very often in YA.

Now this paragraph will be dedicated to my love of Tate (excuse the feminist fangirling) Tate could be described as ‘Mackie’s love interest’ and whilst that is true I think she’s so much more, not only is she this reminding presence of what Mackie wants to be fighting for but also just a symbol of strength. Tate was strong, independent and will definitely not suffer fools gladly. Mackie himself says, “She knew exactly who she was,” and I think strong female characters, who are defiant and get angry and take the bull by the horns etc, are few and far between in YA. 

However engaging I found The Replacement it wasn’t completely engrossing, I wasn't compelled to read it in one sitting and it took me about a week to finish. Overall it was an entertaining read, a great story of a small town packed with secrets and mystery.

UK vs US Covers #9 - The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

UK vs US Book Covers is a feature on Books Worth Remembering. I've seen it done on other blogs and thought it was a really great idea because I am strongly opinionated when it comes to having different book covers!

This is once again a case of I wished both covers could be combined, I love the font and background on the UK cover but the guy who is supposed to be Mackie doesn't look anything like I pictured him. I know more often than not people on the covers of books look nothing like their characters but I think it's best when the reader can make up the picture in their mind. 

I prefer the pram on the US cover not only because it looks more creepy but due to it's relevance to the story, how children are stolen from their cribs and replaced with strange creatures. I also think the knives and scissors, once again relating to the story, give a more scary/eerie vibe than the UK cover.

So I think it's a draw this time.

What do you think? Which cover do you prefer? Which cover would you buy? Which one do you think is the creepiest? 

I hope everyone has a great week full of fantastic books, I will see you tomorrow with my review of The Replacement! Until then, Happy reading!