Review: On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.

Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

   
Review:

 ON THE ISLAND is one of the best books I have read this year.

I can’t stop thinking about it.

Actually, I think I’ll read it again after I’ve written this review.

On The Island blew me away because of how incredible it was. I love it when you go into a book feeling uncertain whether you’ll like it because the blurb is so unassuming and then stay up all night reading obsessively, devouring page after page.

The story opens when the plane on which TJ (a sixteen year old cancer survivor) and Anna (his thirty year old tutor) crashes into the Indian Ocean after the pilot suffers a heart attack. Through sheer fear and determination, the pair make it to an uninhabited island. Hoping for rescue, Anna and TJ must try their best to survive on the island with their limited resources. As the days turn into months, they try to survive in their unforgiving surroundings, deal with danger and understand their growing and complex relationship.

On The Island was a phenomenal book for a number of reasons. Graves wrote a well-researched and thus believable story about survival. I appreciated all the layers of detail. I sympathised with Anna and TJ from the outset. They were such great, realistic characters. I loved them. Their reactions to the different situations throughout the story rang true. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I never felt annoyed by any decisions made by the characters in the story. They were well-rounded, loveable characters who thought through their choices before making them. I loved their maturity.

Most of all, I loved the relationship between Anna and TJ. Graves wrote it in such a sensitive, sophisticated and realistic way that it took my breath away. I won’t go into it for fear of spoiling it, but seriously, wow. I also loved the suspense. I felt like I was there with Anna and TJ on the island going through their many trials and tribulations with them. I asked the same questions that were going through their heads. What will they eat? What happens if one of them is seriously injured? Will they make it?

The fact that the story is embedded into reality just made it all the more perfect. On The Island is a sensational book, one that I will be reading time and again. I can’t believe I haven’t heard about this book long before now, but I am so glad that I have read it now. On The Island is a definite must-read! Go and read it now!

Rating: 5/5
Author: Tracey Garvis Graves

Review: From Where I Stand by Tabitha Suzuma

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Raven is a deeply disturbed teenager, who, after witnessing the death of his mother, is placed in foster care. The Russells do their best to earn his trust, but only little Ella manages to get through to him.

Meanwhile, at school, bullies are making his life a living hell. An unexpected companion comes in the form of Lotte, a classmate bored by her 'ordinary' friends.
Together, they track down Raven's mum's killer, with the goal of exposing him to the police. But their carefully crafted plan goes dangerously wrong and suddenly nothing is as it seems.
Everything is falling apart and, ultimately, there is only one, final way out.
 
 
 
REVIEW:

From Where I Stand by Tabitha Suzuma was an amazing book! I read it in one sitting in the early hours of the morning. What kept me awake and reading? There's a simple answer- Suzuma's writing is gripping and fluid. She writes with confidence and gets into her characters' heads really well. There wasn't a point at which I thought- oh, it's getting boring now, I can stop here. That was why I had to keep reading.

From Where I Stand is about a 14 year old boy called Raven in foster care. At the start of the story, he meets his new foster parents, Jackie and Dan- and also their five year old daughter, Ella (who can speak really well for a five year old;).

Raven is monosyllabic and uncommunicative and you can tell he's been through a lot. He's lost his mother, he doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere and he's being bullied at school.

Enter Lotte. She's the only friendly person at school and Raven confides in her about his mother's death. His mother was murdered, Raven knows who the murderer was and he's going to do something about it.

Raven was a fantastic character. He had problems but won't talk about them with anyone, not even with Lotte in some cases. He keeps himself at a distance, so much so that we, the reader, don't know what to think of him and his actions at times. This balance of how much the author let the reader know was brilliantly balanced.

I really liked all the characters- well, except Kyle and Brett, who we're not meant to like anyway. Lotte was kind and helpful, but I thought she was slightly naive. I have to remind myself that she is only fourteen, but still... Dan and Jackie were great foster parents and Ella was cute (sometimes :).

Overall, From Where I Stand was a great story and I would recommend it to everyone who likes fantastic writing, well-developed characters and shocking twists.

 

Book Rating: 5/5

Cover Rating: 4/5

Author: Tabitha Suzuma

Review: The Talent Thief by Alex Williams

Synopsis:


Cressida, Adam's talented sister, is invited to perform at Fortescue's festival of young talents and Adam tags along. But once the children arrive at the festival, in a mountain-top hotel, their terrific talents begin to mysteriously disappear. A piano virtuoso suddenly forgets how to play, a maths genius finds she can no longer multiply.

There's a sinister shadow that only Adam ever sees, a strange glow emanating from behind closed doors. With the help of an erratic ex-racing driver, dashing Amy Swift, Adam and Cressida rip-roar off through the mountains in perilous pursuit of the dastardly talent thief.

Review (Spoilers):

The Talent Thief was an interesting book set in an alternate world in the 1920’s or 1930’s. It explored both the advantages and disadvantages of having special talents. The author aptly described the attitude of some talented individuals who believe themselves to be the only ones of importance through his characterisation of Hans, a gifted musician who was spoilt by his fame.

The main characters of the story are sixteen year old Cressida who has an amazing singing voice and her twelve year old brother Adam who believes he has no talent. They are invited to a festival of young talents in the city of Paralin.

Williams demonstrates how talented people such as Cressida can feel so put upon and pressurised by their respective gifts that they can become quite cruel even though they might not ordinarily be so cutting and spiteful. I think that in the book Adam was more accepting of Cressida’s cruel remarks and petulant behaviour than was realistic. However, Williams did show the change in Cressida’s character over the book.

The mysterious Talent Thief called Nipso did not really have much opportunity to develop in the book as he was always uncertain and easily fooled. However, he does begin to make some sensible decisions instead of simply doing as he is told as the book progresses. It would be interesting to observe what further progress he makes in understanding peoples’ intentions. Also, a more detailed explanation of how the Talent Thief can use the talents of others should have been given.

This book was highly enjoyable and worth a read as it had action, adventure and humour; all essential ingredients for a good book. The conclusion of the book was slightly disappointing; though the main adventure had drawn to an end, a number of questions remained unresolved.

Did Cressida and Adam go back to live with their horribly selfish uncle or did they stay with Amy Swift? Will the creature Nipso choose to return to the jungle or journey to find Cressida? How wil Adam and Cressida go about returning all the talent spheres they have salvaged to the right people? Also, surely they will have to attempt to catch the real talent thief.

Book Rating: 4/5
Cover Rating: 4/5
Author: Alex Williams

Review: The Resistance (The Declaration #2) by Gemma Malley

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The year is 2140. Having escaped the horrors of Grange Hall, Peter and Anna are living freely on the Outside, trying hard to lead normal lives, but unable to leave the terror of the Declaration — and their experiences as surpluses — completely behind them.

Peter is determined to infiltrate Pharma Corporation, which claims to have a new drug in the works; "Longevity+" will not just stop the ravages of old age, it is rumored to reverse the aging process. But what Peter and Anna discover behind the walls of Pharma is so nightmarish it makes the prison of their childhood seem like a sanctuary: for in order to supply Pharma with the building blocks for Longevity+, scientists will need to harvest it from the young.

Shocking, controversial, and frighteningly topical, this sequel to Gemma Malley’s stellar debut novel, The Declaration, will take the conversation about ethics and science to the next level.

 
Review:
 

I was very excited to read The Resistance as I enjoyed the first book, The Declaration. In The Resistance, Anna and Peter are finally in a position where they can enjoy some freedom as they have become legal through a tragic event at the end of the first book.

Though Anna and Peter are living together and are both legal now, Peter still wants change and is therefore still working for the Underground. For this reason, he works as a spy when he goes to work for his grandfather whom he hates. His grandfather, Richard Pincent, offers him the job at Pincent Pharma and wants to make amends with Peter.

Anna, meanwhile, is busy raising her baby brother in the hostile neighbourbood and finds it hard to make friends or acquaintances. No one seems to like the sight of the young. One day, a woman approaches her and they become friends. Anna believes that she is different.

The Resistance was an enjoyable book to read, but I found it slow and frustrating because of the lack of communication between Anna and Peter. The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Anna, Peter and a new character, Jude.  Their seperate storylines come together very nicely for the finale.

Jude was an interesting new character but I found what he did on a day-to-day basis-hacking into big companies' networks- somewhat unbelievable as he was sixteen years old and self-taught.

Some aspects of the storyline and the characters' questions and dilemmas were repeated throughout the book. I thought a lot of the problems would have been solved if only Anna and Peter communicated with each other more. The honeymoon period was definitely over in this book.

The story picks up pace towards the end and there were some shocking truths revealed which I felt horrified by. Overall, I did enjoy The Resistance. Though it wasn't as strong as its predecessor- The Declaration, it was still a thought-provoking story.

The story definitely gets more interesting towards the end and I looked forward to reading the last book in the trilogy, The Legacy. If you enjoyed The Declaration, I would recommend you continue. Furthermore, if you enjoy the dystopian genre and questions on ethics, you should pick this one up.

(Okay, I read this about three months ago so forgive me if the review's not that good:)

Rating: 3.5/5
Concept: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Author: Gemma Malley
 
This review is part of Dystopian February at Presenting Lenore.

Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy - an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack - who has already killed Bod's family.

Master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel about life and death, love and growing up, and finding family in the most unlikely places.

 

Review: (Contains Spoilers)

 

The Graveyard Book was very exciting. I was immediately gripped by its dramatic opening and avidly read about the way in which the protagonist, Nobody Owens or Bod, experiences life amongst the dead. The novel contains plenty of excellent description which vividly illustrates the narrative and brings the story alive.

 

The Graveyard Book is thrilling and action-packed. Bod moves from one adventure to another over his childhood, from escaping ghouls to facing an ancient malevolent creature called the Sleer. There is not a dull moment in Bod’s unconventional life. However, the book makes room for serious contemplation and also explores various relationships such as friendship and family. The characters are 3D and well-developed.

 

There are a range of interesting characters in the book including the strict Miss Lupescu, his adopted parents, Mr and Mrs Owens and his rather mysterious guardian, Silas. Bod’s own development can be seen through the various challenges he faces and show him to be brave, kind and to have a great deal of curiosity which is both a good and a bad thing as he is meant to keep a low profile for his own safety.

Although Gaiman does not explicitly state that Bod’s guardian, Silas, is a vampire, it becomes increasingly evident through the course of the book that he is, especially at the very end of the book when Bod sees that he has a trunk filled with the soil of his homeland.

I think that it was very interesting that Silas said that he had done many terrible things in the past as he must have undergone a drastic transformation in order to become a member of the honour guard. Perhaps we will learn more about his past if there is a sequel.

The reader did not get a detailed enough explanation of how the Jacks of all trades gained supernatural powers by killing people and why they believed that Bod would be the one to destroy their order if he lived to adulthood.

Furthermore, I did not at all like the way in which Scarlett had all her later memories of Bod removed or suppressed in order to save her from acknowledging his supernatural abilities or having to come to terms with the climactic events at the end of the book.

Gaiman definitely leaves the ending of the book open so the reader may get a chance to read about the further adventures of Bod as an adult. I saw some of what the Honour Guard were dedicated to doing, ridding the world of evil beings such as the Jacks and the terrible sacrifices they were faced with but I would certainly like to find out a lot more about them.

Rating: 4/5
Concept: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Author: Neil Gaiman
 
Thank you to my sister for reviewing this book.

Review: The Prophet of Yonwood (Ember #3) by Jeanne DuPrau

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It’s 50 years before the settlement of the city of Ember, and the world is in crisis. War looms on the horizon as 11-year-old Nickie and her aunt travel to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina. There, one of the town’s respected citizens has had a terrible vision of fire and destruction. Her garbled words are taken as prophetic instruction on how to avoid the coming disaster. If only they can be interpreted correctly. . . .

As the people of Yonwood scramble to make sense of the woman’s mysterious utterances, Nickie explores the oddities she finds around town—her great-grandfather’s peculiar journals and papers, a reclusive neighbor who studies the heavens, a strange boy who is fascinated with snakes—all while keeping an eye out for ways to help the world. Is this vision her chance? Or is it already too late to avoid a devastating war?

In this prequel to the acclaimed The City of Ember and The People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau investigates how, in a world that seems out of control, hope and comfort can be found in the strangest of places.

Review:

I was highly excited to read The Prophet of Yonwood after having loved both The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. I didn't hesitate in purchasing a copy. However, to put it plainly, the third book of Ember was one of the most disappointing books that I have read in my life.  

I started reading the novel; the 'prequel' to the two previous books, expecting an explanation of how The City of Ember came about and that I would learn more about the disaster that had lead to the city of Ember being created. What I got instead was the life story of an eleven year old girl. 

There's nothing wrong with that. DuPrau could have made her into a phenomenal character and akin to the protagonists from The City of Ember, Lina and Doon. However, what I read instead was the trivial, boring and random happenings of the small, nosy neighbourhood Nickie moves to with her aunt Crystal for some months.


Unbelievably, Nickie's aunt leaves her, an eleven year old girl who doesn't know anything about her new surroundings, to her own devices, while she goes gallivanting around town nearly every day. I was seriously worried for Nickie's safety.

What would happen if a stranger knocked on the door and kidnapped her? What if the house was unsafe and she injured herself? More worryingly, this continued to happen throughout the entirety of the novel and therefore I didn't learn anything about Nickie's aunt, except that she gets married at the end of the book and I couldn't even care by that point.


So many aspects of this book continue to irritate me and I shall list some of them here. Her aunt didn't know of any of the random events that were taking place in the town and Nickie had to explain everything to her at the end which was rather exasperating to read as everything was repeated.


Nickie and her aunt always ate soup or drank herbal tea. This may seem like a little gripe, but it's not. How unrealistic is it that this would be the only things they would eat? I think you would get sick of eating the same thing after the second or third day.


This book was called 'The Prophet of Yonwood' and therefore one would assume that we would see a lot of this person and discover the meaning behind their prophetic messages. That was not the case. The 'Prophet', Althea, has a vision of a future apocalyptic world (something the reader figures out for themselves) and loses conciousness for the majority of the book. Her incoherent words are interpreted by Mrs Beeson, the local busybody. For some unstated reason, the whole town and even the police, take her word for what Althea might be saying and follow her laws, however silly they may be.


Nickie wasn't the curious minded, clever heroine I wanted and I found her lacking in every way. All in all, she was childish, bratty and annoying. She never sought out the 'Prophet' for herself to uncover the true meaning of her words and she never went against Mrs Beeson's strict rules (unless you count her hiding the dog).

It's not until very end-I literally mean the last five pages or so- that you see any connection whatsoever to The City of Ember and its sequel and that connection was rather frail and insignifant to me as I'd realised these obvious epiphanies from the beginning of the book.


Other random events include but are not limited to:


1) Nickie discovering a journal in which ghosts and siamese twins are mentioned. She would read about two sentences from the journal and then become bored, tired or have something else to do, sometimes it was all three. This added nothing to the plot and I'm still wondering why on earth it was included in the book.


2) A strange astronomer who reveals nothing and therefore adds nothing to the plot.


3) A boy named Grover who liked snakes.


The major problem was that Nickie was so, so far away from anything to do with The City of Ember. I would much rather have preferred the story to be from her father's point of view as he had much more to do with Ember. He sent her postcards about the building work he was doing. It was very obvious what his connection to the City of Ember was.


I really could go on as there were so many ways in which this book failed me. I would not recommend this 'prequel' to anyone at all. It added nothing at all to the plot or background information of The City of Ember.


The characters were dull, one-dimensional and cardboad cutouts with exactly one boring agenda each. It felt like DuPrau had just flung together random bits of material to create something that resembled a book. I'm sorry that I ever read this and will never read this again. In comparison, The City of Ember and its sequel were very good. I'm still hesitant to read the last book, The Diamond of Darkhold because it may turn out to be major letdown similar to The Prophet of Yonwood.


Book Rating: 1/5
Cover: 3/5
Concept: 0/5
Author: Jeanne DuPrau

Review: Matched by Ally Condie (Matched #1) Spoilers Included

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

Review (Spoilers included):

I was really excited to read Matched as I'd heard so many great things about it and it seemed like it was going to be a fantastic addition to the dystopian genre. All in all, it was. Cassia was a likeable and relatable character who begins to question the Society that she lives in and can't quite decide between her best friend Xander and the boy whose face appears on the screen for an instant; Ky. Matched has a strong focus on Cassia's feelings for her two love interests, but this is closely followed by her conflicting opinions of the Society.

 

Matched was an emotionally powerful book. The most emotional point for me was Cassia's grandfather's last day. It was sickening that the Society could accept this form of quick death without blinking. Furthermore, I loved the way in which new poetry and literature (apart from the 100 songs, poems, stories etc) were so valued by Cassia that she cherished them.

 

The love triangle between Cassia, Xander and Ky was interesting as I liked both love interests. Xander was a perfect gentleman. At the beginning, Cassia mentions him a lot, however, once Ky, the outsider, enters the story, it's as if Xander has been pushed out of the novel through no fault of his own. He's left with no chance for Cassia's love and I could not help but feel slightly put off by Cassia's behaviour. I am interested to learn how Cassia's feelings will change in the sequels, but I really wish it's not the main focus of the trilogy, but rather, I hope the Society is.

 

I welcomed the fact that Cassia got on with her family; she respected her parents, protected her brother and loved and remembered her grandfather. Cassia has the perfect, sensitive family who get on really well. One aspect that I found unrealistic was how understanding her parents were at some points and how quickly they, more specifically her mother (who previously always obeyed the Society's rules) accepts Cassia's choice to find Ky even though she has a perfectly good and devoted Match and their whole family has to be uprooted and perhaps in danger due to her actions. This could have been realistic to me if I'd seen more of Cassia's mother and learnt the reasons for her change in behaviour, because what I did observe, wasn't enough.

 

Whilst reading Matched, it was easy to notice the rigid structure of Cassia's life- she went to the same places over and over again and there wasn't much of a change in scenery throughout the book. In regards to Cassia's grandfather, I was left with some questions on how the process of preservation would occur. Taking a sample of a person and trying to recreate them would only lead to a clone surely?

 

This clone, while looking exactly the same as the person the sample came from, would not have any of the memories of the original person. This means that the word preservation is only utilised in the sense that the person's DNA would carry on into future generations, and not their memories. I really did need some more details about this in Matched to come to a solid conclusion about what really happens.

 

The only way to describe Matched in terms of its genre is that it is a quiet, dystopian novel. That does not mean that Matched wasn't powerful as it did have an impact on me and it was highly memorable. It is quiet in the way of action and adventure. For me, Matched felt like a prequel to the rest of the story. It is not possible to read a book without comparing it to similar books in its genre and thus I compared Matched to the Hunger Games and Uglies.

 

These are dystopian novels with female protagonists. However, whilst Katniss in the Hunger Games travelled away from her district, travelled through the rest of Panem and entered the Hunger Games in the first book alone and Tally in Uglies not only questioned the City where she lived but also travelled to The Smoke, Cassia's story focusses solely on the small area in which she lives for the whole novel (barring the final chapter). 

 

For this reason, I believe Matched could have incorporated more action and adventure, rather than just questioning the Society and Cassia's romantic feelings for it to be at its optimum. Cassia's perspective was therefore narrow due to the reasons stated above. Though I wanted to know about what was going on in the wider Society and more about the rebels, I didn't learn this information. In the end, Cassia decides to find Ky who has been taken to become a soldier. However, her lead of the 'Sisyphus River' is surely not enough to go on and I felt it was unrealistic that she would venture out into a war zone of which she knows nothing about based on a hunch.

 

I would have been interested to learn more of what was going on in the Society as I have some vague impressions and have been left with questions such as:

 

When Cassia's father was burning the books and the data was saved, where did that data end up?

 

What is the exact process for food to be delivered to every house?

 

What event was Xander talking about when he said they used the red pill once before?

 

What disaster happened that caused the world of Matched to occur?

 

Who is the leader of the Society?

 

Is it really possible for the world to be like this within such a short space of time?

 

Overall, I really enjoyed Matched as it was a powerful, emotional and compelling novel that makes the reader reconsider what is valuable to them. The romance aspect was important to the novel and interesting to read about. I would recommend this book to everyone. I look forward to the next book in the trilogy to discover what happens to Cassia, Xander and Ky and the Society in general.

 
Book Rating: 4/5
 
Cover: 5/5
 
Concept: 5/5
 
Author: Ally Condie

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...


A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Review:

If I Stay was a beautiful and heart-renching story in which our main character, Mia, has to make the biggest decision of her life; whether she should stay or go. At the start of the story, we are introduced to Mia and her family. They are a lovely, ordinary family- it could've been anyone's family- that is until they fall victim to a car accident.

It was at this point that the book really caught my attention. The detail that Forman gives in describing the destruction in all its gory graphicness means that those images are forever engraved into my mind. The story continues to be told from Mia's point of view, except her body is injured and she is not conscious. Therefore, the point of view is whatever left Mia's body at the time of the accident; either her consciousness, her soul/spirit or something much more abstract.

 

As Mia's body begins to fail, she recounts memories she has of her family, her friends and her boyfriend. Music is also an integral part of If I Stay as Mia plays the cello and music is what brought her and her boyfriend, Adam, together. Though there is some romance in If I Stay, it does not overshadow Mia's recounting of her life, her love for her family and friends  and of course the dire decision she has to make. Her memories felt very realistic and I wouldn't have a problem believing that Mia exists in reality.

 

The writing flows gracefully and seamlessly, almost like a ghost floating past and of course, this suited the story exceptionally well. If I Stay is a serious and emotional book which you have to sit down and think about to really digest and to appreciate it. It asks some life changing questions. What would we stay on this earth for? What would we go for? Could we choose if we were ever in that position and is it right to?

The main theme, as the title suggests, is choosing. Though Mia is exposed as a vulnerable character due to the accident, she still has the strength to choose her path. Mia somehow knows that the choice is hers and not up to someone or something else.

 

The actual story-from the time of the car accident to the end-spans a day, however, by this time and through Mia, we learn about everything important to Mia and are privy to her memories. I appreciated the fact that If I Stay came to a sound conclusion and didn't have me pulling my hair out, but I'm happy to learn that there will be a sequel. Without revealing too much, I will say that I was pleased with the ending.

 

In conclusion, If I Stay was a highly-charged, emotional story which made a great impression on me. There were some moments that I felt were repetitive and extraneous. Also, I did think the story could have moved along just slightly faster and I don't believe that this would have affected the high quality that the story is currently at. I would recommend If I Stay to other people, but warn them to have a tissue box at hand as this book did make me emotional at certain points. I look forward to reading the sequel of If I Stay which is entitled Where She Went.

 

Book Rating: 4.5/5

 

Cover: 5/5

 

Concept: 5/5

 

Author: Gayle Forman

Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

 

Review:

 
Hunger pleasantly surprised me. It was clever, intriguing and offered an important message to contemporary young people. Hunger is about one girl's struggle against anorexia and Kessler has realistically and seriously shown what young people today are going through.

The characters are relatable and complex. I empathised with both Lisa and Tammy's (Lisa's new best friend) conditions and wished that they would go through an epiphany and realise the error of their ways.

I was already familiar with some of the information and habits that anorexia and bulimia consist of as I studied it in school, but it was shocking to read about this in Hunger, which made it into much more of a reality. 

I loved the fact that though the synopsis hinted at a very strange story inside, it was actually one of the most down-to-earth and emotional novels I've read this year. Kessler superbly balanced (balance being a key word in the book) Lisa's problems; friends, family, her love life and of course, most importantly, her anorexia.

While reading Hunger, I had a very strong feeling that the author must have gone through something similar because she could describe Lisa's feelings so well and so realistically. The emotional and heartfelt note at the end of the book supported this.

There were so many scenes that moved me in Hunger, but the two scenes that are engraved in my mind are when Lisa (as a Horseman) watches Tammy making herself sick in the bathroom. I thought this scene was perfect in its vividness and truth. The reader can feel everything Tammy goes through, but through Lisa's eyes. It was a strange and surreal passage.

The other scene is when Lisa is angry at her mother and uses her powers on her. The description was very vivid and graphic. I really liked the ways in which Lisa could use her power and this was a very unique aspect of the novel. While I have been saying that Hunger is very realistic, at the same time, it also felt like a moral story or a fable.

I believe this is because the story was on the short side length wise (180 pages) and because some of the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked them to be. Characters such as Death and War played their roles but the novel didn't explore them further and to the extent that it could have. While I liked the character of Death, he used the expressions 'Do you now?' and 'Well now' too much, however this is a small criticism.

Also, though Hunger ended satisfactorily, I would have liked  a more detailed ending in regards to Lisa's situation. Also, what ever happened to Tammy? This wasn't resolved.

Also, in my experience of YA books, parents are usually absent/dead/useless, so it was nice to see that Lisa's parents were actually 3D and though not the perfect parents, they developed well throughout the novel.

Overall, Hunger is a very exciting and important novel and I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone. I believe it reflects on important, sensitive and serious subjects yet at the same time, it is a very fun book to read. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Rage.

Book Rating: 4/5

Cover: 5/5

Concept: 4/5

Author: Jackie Morse Kessler

I received this book from Netgalley for review.

Review: The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong: A Zombie Love Story by K. A. Schloegel

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Teenage writer Eleanor Armstrong tells the story of her life as a collection of Facebook-esque entries interspersed with the chapters of the novel she is writing. She starts out writing a nice, quiet high school romance, depicting the love triangle between ultra-hip and smart Sarah – who is really just Eleanor with great hair, her geeky pal Marky – who is Eleanor’s pal in real life too, and popular jock Brandon – a character based on a boy who once spoke to Eleanor. But to her dismay, the novel turns to horror after zombies attack the school and kill Brandon. You know, just the usual “Boy meets girl. Boy turns into zombie. Zombie-boy loses girl. Zombie-boy gets girl.”

Huh?

Write what you know, Eleanor’s teacher tells her. And what she knows is a high school teeming with bored kids who will prey upon each other, can be kind, cruel, fall in love, or anything in between just to relieve the tedium of their existence. In other words, a school full of zombies. So Eleanor goes with it. Zombie attacks abound, both in her novel and her real life as an overlooked teenager with peculiar superpowers.

Goodreads~Amazon UK~Amazon US~Barnes&Noble

Review:

The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong is humorous, action-packed and memorable. The main character, Eleanor, describes herself as a ‘plain-unusual’ girl; however, similarly to the character of Sarah that she creates in her story, she can be witty and spunky. Eleanor created the character of Sarah to project the traits that she wanted in herself, but thought she was lacking. I believe that by the end of the novel, Eleanor accepts herself for who she is.

The novel is laid out in such a way so that there is a chapter from Eleanor’s zombie story first and then Eleanor’s blog entries detailing events in her life, such as her feelings on the breakdown in the relationship between her friend Marky and herself, questions about her father’s safe and her feelings for a boy named Elijah- who spoke to her once. Interspersed with these are comments on the criticisms her teacher gave her story and a glimpse into the shocking relationship between her brother and a teacher.

The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong was interesting as it depicted how Eleanor wanted to be in her ‘alter-ego’ Sarah. Therefore, the novel has a lot to do with the struggle to find an identity. This is mostly evident towards the end where Eleanor confronts her father about the reasons why her mother really left them and blames herself. I found this scene highly emotional as it expressed her vulnerabilities along with the scene where Elijah talks to her for the second time:

“Oh. Fat girl in the weight room,” he said. In the exact same tone of voice he had said, “What do you think of the assignment?”

The other boys laughed.

And I almost cried... because it was the second thing Elijah had said to me. What do you think of the assignment? And then fat girl in the weight room. (P.100)

The zombie story she writes is always fun and constantly moving. It was in total juxtaposition to Eleanor’s real life which, though interesting, was mostly ordinary. I thought that Eleanor could have explained the finer details of her zombie story more. In some instances, Sarah would know certain facts without anyone telling her and would act upon it and it wasn’t until the end of the story that I was told how she knew.

Additionally, Sarah told me how she knew certain facts (like where another character was) instead of showing me. Therefore, the revelation of how she had known a lot of things wasn’t as strong as it could have been as there was a lack of foreshadowing in the zombie story that Eleanor wrote and the explanation for it was somewhat complex. A last criticism was that there were a few spelling and grammar mistakes in the novel.

The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong is well-paced and easy to read. There were times I was laughing out loud at the visual images formed. Most of the characters felt believable but the weakest were Doctor Who and the Zombie Queen from Eleanor’s story.

The story Eleanor wrote was highly entertaining and it certainly played on stereotypes of what a hero should be like and what a villain should be like. Eleanor went through a series of epiphanies throughout the novel and finally leaves us with some words of wisdom. The zombie story she wrote also concludes in a satisfying way.

Overall, I highly enjoyed The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in zombies, identity and lots of humour.

Read a preview here.

Book Rating: 4/5

Cover: 3/5

Concept: 4/5

Author: K. A. Schloegel

-Received from author.

Review: H.I.V.E by Mark Walden

Summary from Goodreads:

HIGHER INSTITUTE OF VILLAINOUS EDUCATION

Otto Malpense may only be thirteen years old, but so far he has managed to run the orphanage where he lives, and he has come up with a plan clever enough to trick the most powerful man in the country. He is the perfect candidate to become the world's next supervillain.

That is why he ends up at H.I.V.E., handpicked to become a member of the incoming class. The students have been kidnapped and brought to a secluded island inside a seemingly active volcano, where the school has resided for decades. All the kids are elite; they are the most athletic, the most technically advanced, and the smartest in the country. Inside the cavernous marble rooms, floodlit hangars, and steel doors, the students are enrolled in Villainy Studies and Stealth and Evasion 101. But what Otto soon comes to realize is that this is a six-year program, and leaving is not an option.

With the help of his new friends: an athletic martial-arts expert; a world-famous, beautiful diamond thief; and a spunky computer genius -- the only other people who seem to want to leave -- can Otto achieve what has never been done before and break out of H.I.V.E.?
 
~~~~~~
 
Review:
 
H.I.V.E was a highly enjoyable book to read. The first in a six book series, it promises to make good reading. After reading the blurb of the book I was worried that the main character Otto Malpense would be a real villain who would thoroughly enjoy and thrive on evil.

However, the book was highly interesting to read as it relates the story of an unwilling inmate of the Higher Institute of Villainous Education and his attempts to escape the school with his newly made friends Wing, Laura and Shelby.


This is all complicated by his realisation that he is beginning to enjoy the lessons taught at H.I.V.E. The story begins with Otto’s arrival at H.I.V.E and his first impression of the school before detailing the key moments of his life and the momentous events leading to his sudden abduction to H.I.V.E in the form of a flashback.


I believe that this was a very effective device utillised by Walden as up until the very end of the flashback I was intrigued to know what Otto could have possibly done to end up at H.I.V.E.


H.I.V.E is fast-paced, action packed and gripping. The characters are well developed and 3d. Over the course of the book we learn a great deal about some of the characters such as the exploits which earnt them a place in H.I.V.E and the history of Otto Malpense as he is the central character.


However, the pasts of other equally interesting characters are shrouded in mistery which only makes me eager to read more. At the beginning of the book the most dangerous character which seems to pose a threat to Otto’s plans is Maximillian Nero, the headmaster of H.I.V.E who immediately recognises Otto as trouble and someone who will be difficult to control. Surprisingly, we find out that Otto’s real enemy is Nero’s boss, a mysterious character known by the codename Number 1.


Although the book was entertaining, one criticism is that Otto’s plan to put the Prime Minister under hypnosis and to make him recite a false and incriminating speech which was broadcast to the nation on television was unrealistic. Also, Otto’s power to soak in any information he reads almost instantaneously is robot-like.


Most of the action takes place in a top secret school on an island in an undisclosed location. The school complex is mainly underground and is very impressive. The pupils are taught a wide range of classes such as the best ways to avoid detection, how to assemble all sorts of villainous devices and how to use plants with highly unusual properties in their dastardly schemes.


There are various types of technology featured in the book. H.I.V.E Mind is an extremely complex artificial intelligence computer system that has the ability to experience emotion and has the task of running the school’s many systems smoothly. Some of H.I.V.E Mind’s duties include providing and monitoring security for the school and establishing personal interfaces for students and staff at the school to give them whatever information they require.


There were grapplers reminiscent of Batman which provided the students with the means to navigate the ceiling. One staff member managed to develop a mind transferring procedure which moved the consciousness of another teacher into the body of a cat. As well as this, there was the development of a gigantic bloodthirsty plant which had the characteristics of a voracious carnivore.


I really enjoyed reading H.I.V.E and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to people who like the Alex Rider series , the Harry Potter series and the Young Bond series.


Book Rating: 4/5


Cover: 3/5


Concept: 4.5/5


Author: Mark Walden

-Reviewed by Loralin, a new contributor to the blog.

Review: Mockingjay (Contains Spoilers)

Summary from Goodreads:

"My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead."

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.



Review:

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

OVERVIEW:

Mockingjay, the final part of the Hunger Games trilogy did live up to most of my expectations. I was very keen to read the final instalment after I finished the previous two books, however I did not want to raise my expectations and then be disappointed when I finished the book. Luckily, for the most part, Mockingjay was a satisfying end to the trilogy.

CHARACTERS:

KATNISS:

Katniss remained a strong, unique and memorable character. I loved being able to see things from her point of view. Mockingjay had time for Katniss to reflect on and absorb everything that had happened to her and those surrounding her in the past two books. Once again, Katniss is used as a pawn in other people’s power games.

Katniss is perhaps one of the strongest heroines I’ve had the pleasure to read about. I really appreciated the fact that the love triangle was somewhat low key and that she had time to reflect on all that had happened. I really would like to read more about characters like this one. Recommendations?

There were times that I was annoyed with Katniss’s perspective. She didn’t get to witness some major events that were catalysts for the plot and we as readers missed out on a lot because of that. Katniss was told about certain events after they’d happened and this disappointed me because she was usually in the centre of action in previous books.

PEETA:

Peeta was the character who shocked me the most. I was not expecting the dramatic change in his character and I was very surprised in the twist of events that Collins inflicted upon us. I felt so sorry for Peeta and I really sympathised with him. He had been used just as much as Katniss. The trauma he went through sounded appalling-however, this was mostly told about and not shown. However, that was gruesome enough.

I did like the fact that there was a change in Peeta’s character. For the past two books, he was always there for Katniss and was strong. However, now we got to see the effects that the Hunger Games had on him and see him reacting to Katniss in a totally different way. It was shocking, scary and horrifying. I would have liked to have seen more on how he got better but for a long time Katniss stayed away from him so we didn’t see him as much as we could have.

GALE:

Gale was okay. I can’t say I cared much about Gale throughout the trilogy, I’d say I’m indifferent. However, the ending left me miffed. Was he the one that caused Prim’s death or not? I know you can’t have all the answers, but this is one that I think Katniss should have tried to find the answer to. Katniss and Gale talk very briefly at the end of the book and I didn’t think it was enough for two people who had been lifelong friends and looked after each other’s family.

PRIM:

Prim had a bigger role in Mockingjay. I didn't really care that much about her in the Hunger Games or Catching Fire, but in Mockingjay I finally got to see more of her- which is because Katniss didn’t have to go into the arena again. Prim was a good character. She was nice, nursing and wise. She offered Katniss words of wisdom. I was surprised that Prim died.

DEATHS:

There were a lot of deaths in Mockingjay. This was a given I suppose as a war was taking place. I was expecting one of the three main characters to die: Katniss (it could’ve happened as the book was in the present tense and she could’ve died at the end), Peeta or Gale.

PRIM: I really wasn’t expecting Prim’s death. However, it really did show how cold-blooded both District 13 and the Capitol were. Coin probably ordered Prim to go and Prim, being so good-natured did and of course she was also just a pawn in the game.

SNOW: I really wished that Katniss had killed President Snow herself. This was a letdown. He either choked on his own blood or was crushed by the crowd. We’ll never know. Katniss should have had two arrows-instead of one- and done the job properly for reader satisfaction! Nothing by halves, please.

COIN: Katniss did kill Coin who was just another power-hungry villain! This was good!

BOGGS: He was a really nice character and of course it was sad that he died but it just shows the brutality and uncertainty of war.

FINNICK: I didn’t know Finnick was going to die when he did. I mean, I knew he might, this was a war after all, but he died earlier than I expected to and by the end I realised it was because there wasn’t a huge battle at the end where there would be a storming of the President’s mansion. Finnick had such a sad life and it had only just got a bit better as he married Annie-but alas, it was not to be.

CINNA: In Catching Fire, I was quite sad that Cinna was beaten up and, in all probability, dead. However, I was never certain that he really HAD died and wasn’t just locked up somewhere and being tortured. I guess he did get killed as he didn’t appear in Mockingjay, but I would have liked this to have been confirmed through the characters’ dialogue.

DARIUS AND THE AVOX GIRL- LAVINIA: Horrific. Even hearing it second hand, the description of what happened to them was enough to disgust me. Perhaps this was a reason that Collins didn’t show it through Katniss’ own eyes. The brutality and reality of it was really shocking. I don’t think they’ll show it in the movie either if they want it to be certified 12.

LOADS MORE: There were so many more deaths. The list includes but is not limited to the patients and the medics at the hospitals, the children at the end, the citizens of the Capitol, most of District 12, the others that were in Katniss’ team.

PACE:

The beginning and the middle were quite slow and the ending was where things really speeded up; this was both good and bad. It was good because there was a lot of action and because of the rapidity of events. But it was bad because this should have happened sooner. I really wanted more to have happened at the beginning.

The ending felt rather abrupt, abstract and open-ended. Many questions that I really wanted answers to were not answered. Katniss also missed out on a lot of the action so I felt like I missed out on some of the book.

There were a few times when I got annoyed that Katniss didn’t know about something until after it had happened. Scenes such as when they rescued Peeta- although in retrospect, I can understand why this had to be this way.

While I was pleased by the final instalment, it could have been better. I wanted more HOPE for the future at the end of Mockingjay and while I did get a little bit, the uncertainty was the overriding factor.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:

The biggest disappointment was the epilogue. It just felt too general and sketchy. Perhaps Collins wanted to leave it up to us to decide what happens next, but the information was not enough to satisfy me and I wanted answers. Come on, I got answers in Lord of the Rings!

The questions that I wanted answers to were:

1. Why did Katniss say ‘yes’ to there being another Hunger Games after all she’d been through?

I really thought she would say no so I was shocked. I can understand why she said yes, because it really is human nature to want the people that inflicted you with so much pain to go through what you went through- losing a loved one and participating in the Hunger Games-but I wanted Katniss to tell me this herself and not assume it.

2. What does Katniss DO for the rest of her life?

I know she has two children-the boy and the girl- but as stated in the epilogue, this wasn’t until a long time later. I really thought it would have been great if Katniss and Peeta ended up being advisors to the government or something of that sort.

3. Also, what were her children’s names?

This is a small qualm but when Katniss talks about ‘the boy’ and ‘the girl’ it sounded really awkward. Why wouldn’t you call your children by their names? Strange.

4. Paylor was the new President. What do we know about her?

She could be just another Snow, just another Coin. There was no character development of this character that holds the most important office- so readers are left ignorant of what will happen in the future. Will the future be full of hope or bloodshed? We’ll never know. I need answers.

5. What happened to Gale?

Seeing as he was a main character, I wanted more details as to what happened to him after the ending. Does he ever see Katniss again? What does he do with the rest of his life?

6. Does Peeta recover fully or does he have trouble with his condition?

7. Was there another Hunger Games for the Capitol's children?

8.I'm sure there are more. I'll add them here when they come to mind.

WRITING STYLE:

Collins wrote beautifully in Mockingjay, as she did in the Hunger Games and Catching Fire. There were times I was really sad and because I was reading aloud, my voice shook. I’m really impressed with the way that Collins has managed to stay in character and not go off course.

Previous to reading the book, this had been a big fear of mine. I put off reading it due to the fact that I don’t like to finish off series' that I really enjoy because then it WILL DEFINITELY be over and also, because I don’t want to be disappointed. It even happened with Harry Potter- but that’s a whole other story.

CONCLUSION:

I enjoyed Mockingjay a lot and would recommend this trilogy to anyone. It really is the cream of the crop of both dystopian fiction and YA fiction. Though there were some qualms (which are stated above) that I had with the book, I liked it very much overall and was sad to have finished. I hope to read more from Suzanne Collins soon!

Book Rating: 4.5/5

Cover: 4/5

Concept: 5/5

Author: Suzanne Collins

Review: Clockwork Angel

Summary from Goodreads:

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.

As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.



Review:

Clockwork Angel was an exciting and well-written story. Clare had researched her facts very carefully and I appreciated the effort she put into Clockwork Angel. The novel was mysterious and kept me on my toes for the most part. The characters were mostly well-developed and interesting.

I haven’t read Clare’s other series, The Mortal Instruments, so I did not know what to expect from this author. I had heard a lot of praise for her books though, so my expectations were high. I was not disappointed. Clare’s writing is solid, active and descriptive. She writes with flair and passion. I could visualise the streets of London that were sculpted with her artful words.

I liked Tessa Gray. She was a strong, somewhat fierce heroine. I don’t think Tessa was as great as she could have been though and this is chiefly for the reason that there was a big gap in the middle of the book where she did not use her powers. Because of this, I did not feel that Tessa was used successfully in the novel and it was down to other characters to move the story along. Therefore, Tessa’s character let the story down. She had such a unique and interesting power but I just did not see enough of it in use to understand the extent of her powers.

The two love interests-Will and Jem- were both very fun characters. Will was more of a dark, rogue-like character whereas Jem was more patient and kind-however he does have a secret. They felt like two sides of the same coin.

Furthermore, I do not feel like Jem had a real chance in this book for Tessa's affections as Tessa was very much focussed on Will. However, after Will’s gross misconduct at the end of the book towards Tessa, I feel like Jem will have a stronger chance in the next book. Will surprised me at the end of the book because of the way he treated Tessa.

Also, I didn’t feel that the clockwork angel was important enough in the story for the book to be titled that. However, that is a very minor complaint. The plot of the story was very interesting and Clare managed to keep me on my toes and keep me guessing which I enjoyed very much. I particularly liked her take on vampires.

The other characters, such as Jessamine, Charlotte and Henry, were good. I can’t say I loved them, I can’t say I hated them. I felt indifferent to them as they weren't that well-developed. I was surprised at the twists and turns in the novel, mostly that of Tessa’s brother, Nate. For a long time, Nate was a character who was spoken about but does not appear in the book. I found Tessa’s constant worry and devotion to him expected but I didn't feel the same way because I didn’t ever see Nate first hand until the end.

At the end of the book there was an epilogue. The epilogue wasn’t what I expect of epilogues because it ended halfway through a scene-which is never a good thing in my opinion. I’m jaded as to what could be the matter with Will because Jem’s secret did not feel so taboo to me. Perhaps, this will be a repeat performance.

I would have liked to see more Shadowhunters and more of the Downworlders. I heard more about it than I saw of it. However, what I did see, I liked very much!

Overall, I very much look forward to reading more by Cassandra Clare because she is a great author and Clockwork Angel was fantastic. I would recommend this novel to everyone.

Book Rating: 4.5/5

Cover: 4/5

Concept: 5/5

Author: Cassandra Clare

Here's the cover that won me an ARC of Clockwork Angel from Tales of a Ravenous Reader (whose blog is awesome!):

Review: Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

Summary from Goodreads:

Choose: A quick death and hell or slow poison and hell.

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear.



Review:

The synopsis of Poison Study intrigued me and it was this that made me want to read the book. Poison Study started off really well. The characters were interesting and seemed to have a lot of history that I wanted to know more about. Unfortunately, this didn't happen.

As the title of the book was 'Poison Study' I would have liked a deeper focus on poison and the study of poison. I enjoyed the moments when it was discussed, unfortunately, there weren't that many moments. I wouldn't have carried on reading the book if I hadn't enjoyed it. At first Yelena was a character I wanted to know about.

However, Poison Study was more than 400 pages long and I believe some of the scenes could have been cut out as they added nothing to the story. The plot became unfocussed in the middle and this was a continuing theme.

Also, a criticism of Poison Study is that the characters never seemed to sleep. This may seem like a small thing but it made the story very unrealistic. How was I meant to believe that Yelena couldn't sleep most nights due to bad dreams and could still function very well in the day? Actually, this is true of Valek too.

Valek, Yelena's mentor and later, lover, was a good character. However, I didn't know why he suddenly fell in love with Yelena. It all seemed pretty cliche by the end. I didn't like the fact that they made love in a prison cell either and it was just after Yelena had vomitted too (even if she did wash her mouth once).

Their declaration of love to each other was so quick and for me, unexpected and unrealistic. I don't think they could have realistically fallen in love that quickly. Especially as both Yelena and Valek (especially Valek) were closed off characters.

The secondary characters were very flat. The villains were 2 dimensional. They were all quite easy to work out. The only character that gave me pause for thought was the Commander-who was in actual fact a woman pretending to be a man? And Yelena found out about this and kept it to herself? And Valek, the Commander's bodyguard/foodtaster/adviser doesn't know...? This was all very hard to believe. I wondered what purpose this storyline added to the plot but I really couldn't find any answers in Poison Study as the author remained very vague about this.

Overall, the opening held a lot of potential, however the plot wasn't gripping enough to maintain my attention. I would have liked to learn more about poisons and magic. Synder did not focus on it enough in my opinion. The pace of the story was okay, not too bad. The ending was somewhat average and set itself up for the next in the trilogy. However, there were plot holes and some questions were not answered in Poison Study. I am expecting more of the next books and hopefully they will meet my expectations.

Book Rating: 3/5
Concept: 3/5

Author: Maria V Snyder

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary from Goodreads:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review:

I really wanted to like Shiver. I came across so many great reviews for it so when I began reading it, I went in with high expectations. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to start reading a book with high expectations, whether or not the author can deliver it is the question. In short, I did not like Shiver at all. I found it dull, waffling and monotonous.

Grace, the heroine, is obsessed with a wolf she first saw when she was being attacked when she was eleven. Before Grace realises that her wolf is actually a human being- I couldn’t understand why she would have so much love for a wolf. Grace’s emotions upon finding out that Sam was in actual fact a human didn’t feel very realistic to me- she would have been much more shocked/scared/angry/confused than she was.

Shiver made me very frustrated. One of the major reasons was that Grace’s parents were very unrealistic in my opinion. I know there must be parents out there who don’t take interest in their children’s lives, but come on- not noticing a strange boy sleeping in the same bed as their daughter (in their house) for weeks on end? That takes a lot of ignorance and stupidity.

Furthermore, when her parents do find out that she has a boyfriend; they didn’t even ask anything about him as normal parents would. For example, they didn’t ask what school he goes, how old he is, where he works, anything. That was totally ridiculous.

Also, one of the worst things was how disrespectful Grace was to her parents. The author went a long way to present Grace’s parents as dumb (not knowing about Sam) and forgetful (leaving Grace locked in a car when she was really young). The second one cannot be excused.

The way Grace was so condescending to her parents really annoyed me. She ranted on and on about how she did all the cooking, how her parents wouldn’t be able to function without her, how they were so stupid. Actually, it was very reminiscent of Bella from Twilight. But what about Grace? I think Grace needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. All she ever cared about in the book was Sam.

I’m seeing a trend in YA books where the parents are shown as ignorant/stupid. As I mentioned previously, I noticed it in Twilight. I have no idea why this is happening. Is it a reflection of society?

I didn’t feel any emotional attachment to Grace. I found her cold, hard and unemotional. I didn’t get any real clue as to why Sam was so enraptured with her and I didn’t know why Grace was so obsessed with someone who was very opposite to her.

Grace was very stoic, closed off and robotic whereas Sam was somewhat more open about his feelings and was very emotional. Sam kept remembering things that happened in the past, whereas I wanted to know what was going to happen now-in the story. When I was reading it, I kept imagining that Sam was a girl. His narrating voice sounded exactly like Grace’s which put me off.

The constant swapping of POVs annoyed me. I think only a few authors can do it very well. Instead of speeding along the plot, it slowed it down. Not much happened in Shiver. There was a lack of plot. 400 pages were filled with waffle, repetition and changes in narrator.

In most of the book what happened was: Grace mooned over Sam, Sam mooned over Grace, Grace and Sam slept in Grace’s bed, Grace was angry at her parents for an unknown reason, Grace and Sam slept, Grace smelt Sam’s armpit and proclaimed it smelt very Sam-like in there!, Grace and Sam read, Sam drove Grace to school Grace and Sam slept. Her parents didn’t know.

I wanted to know more about wolves.

I didn’t find it sweet that Sam drove Grace through freezing temperatures to go to a sweet shop for their date. I was expecting something amazing, not a sweet shop. I didn’t find Grace and Sam at all interesting. I willed myself to finish off the book. Most of the interesting action happened to secondary characters like Jack and Grace’s friend. I would have been more interested in reading about them as some action would have happened.

At the end, Jack died very abruptly and I didn’t even get a reason why he died and Sam didn’t. The ending was a bit of a cheat in that respect and I won’t be reading the next book to find out if there was an explanation for it because I don’t want to wade through 400 more pages of sleeping, eating and driving to get what will most likely be a half-explanation. There were just too many unanswered questions in Shiver. Why hasn't Grace changed? Why did Jack die? Why didn't Sam?

Overall, I did not like Shiver at all and will not be reading the sequel, Linger, which is already out.

Book Rating: 1/5

Cover: 4/5

Concept: 1/5

This review is part of September Spectacular Reading Challenge at The Thoughts of a Book Junky.