REVIEW: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis:
Battling against a society in which love has been declared a disease, Lena now finds herself at the centre of a fierce revolution. But the Wilds are no longer the haven they once were as the government seeks to stamp out the rebels. And Lena's emotions are in turmoil following the dramatic return of someone she thought was lost forever...

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Lena and her best friend Hana, Requiem brings the Delirium trilogy to an exhilarating end and showcases Lauren Oliver at the height of her writing powers - emotionally powerful and utterly enthralling. (goodreads)

Review (contains spoilers for ALL 3 books):

I read Delirium and absolutely loved it. I read Pandemonium and thoroughly enjoyed it. As for Requiem I certainly LIKED it, but I did have a few issues, which I will submit you to now. ;)

I suspected it from the moment I picked up book 2 and by the end I knew it was inevitable. Brace yourselves... the love triangle is coming. I'm afraid I rather dislike love triangles. I think it was sparked by Twilight, and then bolstered by countless other books with the same tired formula. I'd rather just focus on the one couple, and bypass all the drama that comes with a second suitor. I'm certain love triangles can be done right but... I'm just a bit tired of seeing them done wrong.

In Delirium I completely fell for Lena and Alex. I relished every scene they had together; they seemed such a sweet, perfect couple. As a result I went into Pandemonium ready to hate Julian and... didn't. In fact I really love Julian, and that only intensified with this instalment. He's been through so much and his world was turned upside down, yet he never wastes a moment feeling sorry for himself. Instead he focuses on adapting to life in the wilds, and soon proves his worth to the rebels. This is all in spite of Lena's complete lack of support, as she is absolutely awful to him from the moment Alex reappears. I was really, really disappointed with how petty and mean she becomes. The only time she is nice to Julian is when she's using him to distract herself from Alex, or trying to make him jealous.

Speaking of Alex, I didn't find him very sympathetic in this instalment. At the end of Pandemonium I was actually (unpopular opinion alert!) not that happy about him turning up again. Because I knew the love triangle was imminent, and because I really. like. Julian! After the big Alex shaped space in book 2, I needed Requiem to remind me why I adored him so much in the first place and sadly, it didn't deliver on this front. He has a much less significant role than I expected, and spends most of it either cosied up with Coral or trying to rival Lena in the pettiness factor. I was really annoyed with his whole "I never really loved you" thing, and I can't believe Lena bought it. Pleeeease! You are both better than this.

Luckily there is much more to Requiem than the relationship drama. After the events of Pandemonium the government have stepped up their campaign against the 'invalids', and the time has come to make a stand. The tension had me glued to the page throughout and there was a certain fatality that absolutely ripped my heart in two... As well as following Lena's story we also rejoin her former best friend Hana, who has been cured and is preparing for marriage to Portland's mayor to be. At first this may all seem a bit irrelevant, but we soon learn Hana's new life is not as simple as it seems, and eventually the two story lines converge in the finale.

I really did enjoy this final instalment to the Delirium series, despite my issues with the love triangle setup. I liked the hopeful, open ending and the last few paragraphs gave me goosebumps! (the good kind) By the way, was I the only one who wanted to belt out this song as I turned the last page? 

Probably... but doesn't it fit well?!

What was your opinion on this book, or the rest of the series for that matter? :) Let me know!

Feature & Follow Friday (#3)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View. This week's question is...

Q: Have you ever read a book that you thought you would hate? Did you end up hating it? Did you end up loving it? Or would you never do that?

I don't think I've ever really started a book thinking that I'm going to hate it- I'd rather read something I think I'm going to like! But I did procrastinate for a long time on reading George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. My friend kept on recommending them to me, but I thought I would find them boring as I dont usually read much high fantasy. Also I felt like I'd be wasting reading time I could be spending with something better, as all the books in the series are so long!Even after I started watching the (brilliant) TV series I still resisted reading the books for quite a while. I couldn't believe how obtuse I'd been when I finally got around to starting A Game of Thrones. AMAZING! I raced through the whole series after that and never once got bored. :) sometimes it's good to take a chance!

Hello to anyone hopping through! Make sure to leave a link to your FF so I can check it out. :)

REVIEW: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them. (goodreads)

Review:
We've had vampires, werewolves, angels, merpeople... and now Let the Sky Fall brings us air elementals, also known as sylphs or windwalkers. What a breath of fresh air! (ahahah gosh I'm so funny) Anyway, I was intrigued enough by the concept to pick this one up, and it definitely does not disappoint.

Messenger has created a detailed and interesting mythology around the sylphs and the different ways they manipulate and communicate with the winds. One of my favourite things was the description of the four different types of wind (northerlies, easterlies... get the drift? ;). They all have unique qualities; for example the Northerly winds are rough and powerful, the southerlies soothing and inviting... Messenger explains it all better than myself though and so beautifully, you can almost feel the breeze on your skin.


The tale is told from two POVs: that of Vane, a boy haunted by dreams of a strange girl and the tornado left him orphaned, and Audra, the sylph who is sworn to protect him. Dual POVs can sometimes be hard to pull off; I've read books where there was so little differentiation between voices I couldn't always remember which was which! In this case though the two voices are very distinct, as Vane comes across very light-hearted and humorous, whilst Audra is serious and lyrical. I also sometimes find male POVs difficult to deal with, as it is hard to hit a good balance between "sounds like a teenage girl" and "OMG BOOBS", but Messenger triumphs in creating a realistic and likeable guy.

Vale is also pretty funny. I enjoyed the humour in this book, and there were quite a few lines which made me smile. As well as Vale's wisecracks, I found Audra's unfamiliarity with basic human concepts like seat belts to be very funny and sweet. In fact, I would have quite liked to see more of this! After all Audra is not human, and she hasn't really had any contact with humans besides following Vale and his family around. I really felt for her on that front, she must have been so lonely.

The plot was fairly slow (though not boring) for the first two thirds, but then it really picks up and gets a lot more exciting. The twist at the end really took me by surprise, but it was completely plausible. The very end was a little bit annoying, but then they tend to be that way when setting things up for a sequel...

There was really only one element of Let the Sky Fall which I actively disliked, and that was the romance. It was very obvious from the beginning, despite the whole "oh you're so annoying" thing they had with each other for the first few chapters. I just never buy it when sparks fly and the characters are instantly in love. Partly because I'm a mean ol' spinster, but also because it really is so unbelievable! I know Vale had been dreaming about her for years already and there may be further explanations coming up, but I still wanted to gag on his sappiness sometimes. Oh and obviously it had to be not only a fated love, but also a starcrossed one... Only not really; I didn't see the reasons they couldn't be together as particularly insurmountable.

I may have heaved a tired sigh when Vale started breaking out the L word, but overall I did really enjoy this book. It was a good read, with some interesting and original world-building and sympathetic characters. I will definitely read the next book, though I am not super-super excited about it. I wavered for quite a while on whether to give Let the Sky Fall a 3 or 4 star rating. This time I'm going to be a little harsh and go with 3. Really I'm not being too mean as its still a good rating for what was an enjoyable tale, but I don't think will stick with me long enough to justify a higher rating.

Waiting on Wednesday (#2)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Release date: 2nd July 2013 (Harper Teen)
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company. (goodreads)

I've seen some positive reviews of this one floating around, and I just can't wait to read it myself! I've read a lot of contemporary YA but only a few which really stuck with me. I think this is going to end up joining that short list though! It sounds a lot of fun and even though it's very cliche I am a sucker for the whole rich guy-poor girl thing when it's done right. July seems a long way away right now, but it doesn't seem too bad when I think about my second pick, which is...

The Winds of Winter by George R. R. Martin.
Release date: ???
There's no cover or even a hint at a release date for this one yet, but the start of Game of Thrones' third season this week has got me excited about all things A Song of Ice and Fire! I was lucky enough to race through this series after discovering them last year, so I thankfully didn't have to experience the infamously long wait for a Dance of Dragons. Let's hope The Winds of Winter comes around a bit more quickly!

Anyone else excited about these books? Or Game of Thrones S3 for that matter? Let me know in the comments below! :)

Books in Brief: Zombie Edition!

Whilst its fun writing reviews for the books I'm reading now, I keep regretting that I've read so many great books previously. I really want to share them, but they just aren't fresh enough in my memory for a full review. As a result I've decided to try out a new feature of sorts: Books in Brief, where I will write a very diddy review of 3-4 books I want to talk about, linked by some sort of common theme. Today, I'm starting with zombies.

First up is The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell. 

In one of my favourite books of 2012 we follow 15 year old Temple across a devastating wasteland as she runs not just from zombies, but a vengeful man determined to see her dead. Temple is brilliant, and broken. Growing up post-apocalypse has made her tough, and she does what it takes to survive with a hardened calm which masks the terrors of her past. Although written in third person, the narrative carries Temple's distinctive voice, which is part of what makes the book so memorable. You can see what I mean from the very first line:

“God is a slick god. Temple Knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe.”

I was hooked from there, and even once I finished the book her voice seemed to linger in my head. This quote also leads into another thing I loved about this one: Temple's ability to see the beauty that exists even in her ravaged world. It's a reminder that no matter how dark your situation, the sparks of light are always there if you look for them.

A beautifully written book, with a protagonist I adored and some memorable supporting characters. I had to give it 5 stars.

Next is This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers.

In This is Not a Test Sloane Price and 5 of her schoolmates take refuge in their old school to hide from a world which is falling to pieces outside. As they listen to the zombies clamouring at the doors, fear and mistrust stretches the tensions between the group of teens to breaking point.

Sloane stands out from other zombie apocalypse protagonists in that instead of fighting to stay alive, all she really wants to do is die. In an ironic twist of fate, the disaster actually saves her life in the first chapter, when she is preparing to end it. Swept up in events, as her companions cling to survival she remains detached, quietly working out the best time to leave for good.

This is Not a Test is a book which contains zombies, but is not really about them. It is what happens within the walls of the school which is important, and the way humanity, when frightened, can be as dangerous as any supernatural monster. Summers' characters are believably flawed and sometimes frustrating, but hard to dislike. In terms of plot and pacing I was always on the edge of my seat, as the tension was palpable throughout. Whilst it wasn't on the same level as The Reapers are the Angels for me, I rated This is Not a Test a very decent 4 stars.

Finally we have The Infects by Sean Beaudoin.

After an incident at the chicken processing factory where he works, Nick is sent to boot camp with an assortment of misbehaving teens. However things take an unusual turn when their camp counsellors suddenly develop a taste for human flesh. Joining forces with another group, which happens to include Nick's school/work colleague and crush, Petal, they fight to stay alive.

Honestly, I can't say I enjoyed this one very much. I never really cared about any of the characters, and the pervasive puerile humour wasn't really my style. I also felt like it tries just a bit too hard to be clever, which turned me off. There are a lot of references to popular Zombie films, most of which I haven't seen, so its possible parts were going over my head. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book more if this wasn't the case, but I do have to point out that my ignorance never stopped me enjoying the equally derivative Shaun of the Dead.

The Infects just escapes a 1 star rating because despite my complaints it did keep me reading, and an interesting twist made it just about worth making it to the end. I also thought Nick's relationship with his sister was quite sweet. As a result, I'm bumping it up to 2 stars.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Any other zombie books you would recommend?  Let me know in the comments below. :) Happy Easter all!

Feature & Follow Friday (#2)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View. This week's question is...

Q: Tell us about the most emotional scene you've ever read in a book - and how did you react?

The only book I can think of that really made me properly cry is Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go. I don't want to give away too much but if you've read it you'll know what I mean when I say "Manchee". I bawled reading the scene, and then I put down the book and bawled some more. I think I probably gave myself a headache. A lot of other books have made me very teary (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green springs to mind) but I don't remember ever having quite so strong a reaction before. I just love dogs..!

What was your most emotional scene? Drop a comment if you're passing through,and if you're a new follower make sure to leave a link so I can follow back! :)

REVIEW: Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Synopsis:
1987. There's only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that's her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June's world is turned upside down. But Finn's death brings a surprise acquaintance into June's life--someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart. (goodreads)

Review:

When her Uncle Finn dies, shy and reclusive June feels she's lost the only person in the world who truly understands her. Whilst she is still reeling from his loss she meets Toby, a stranger who claims to be a 'special friend' of Finn's but according to her mother was also his killer. At first she is repulsed, but against the odds an unlikely and awkward friendship blossoms between the two. As they trade memories, June is forced to confront how little she really knew about her Uncle and his life, as well as her true feelings towards him.

I think anyone who was ever labelled as a quiet child in their younger years will identify with June on some level. She is a dreamy girl who prefers fantasizing about the middle ages to living in the real world. She is at her happiest when she escapes deep into the woods, far enough from civilisation that she can pretend it doesn't exist and she really has gone back in time. She has no real friends bar her Uncle, and her sister Greta is apparently dedicated to tormenting her. At just 14 years old, June already seems to be on the tipping point of completely withdrawing into herself, and my heart was aching for her. On the other hand I admired her sense of wonder and imagination and so much. For this reason I loved the introduction of dungeons & dragons fan Ben. He doesn't have a large role but, by declaring her fascination with all things old timey cool rather than weird, he shows that she doesn't have to enjoy it entirely in isolation.

Greta is also a very interesting character. At first she seems to be just a cardboard cut-out "mean older sister", but her unpleasantness towards June is not at simple as all that. With each turn of the page cracks begin to appear in her seemingly perfect life, and we see that she may not be entirely to blame for the deterioration of the close friendship they had when young. I felt a lot of sympathy for her by the end. Carol Rifka Brunt also explores another sibling relationship: that of Finn and June's mother, Danni. Whilst it goes some way to explaining Danni's pushy and controlling nature, it wasn't quite enough to make me like her.

This is not a happy book, but it is not thoroughly depressing either. It speaks of grief, loneliness and the unspeakable unfairness of life, but there is also hope; the suggestion that maybe we don't have to be so alone, after all. It's been a month or two since I read Tell the Wolves I'm Home yet I still find my mind wandering to certain characters and events within it. The raw, messy realness of it makes this a tale which won't be easily forgotten.

REVIEW: The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson

When I was little my favourite film was E.T. I loved it so much that at one point I insisted on watching it every single day. Needless to say, my family were soon sick of it, but apparently I was a difficult child to bore. I never got tired of watching that movie and a while later, when I learned to read, I was exactly the same with books.

Whenever my current stack of library loans was exhausted, out would come the favourites. Harry Potter, The Hobbit and His Dark Materials were all very well-thumbed. I could never get tired of diving back into those worlds, drinking up the details I might have missed before and greeting the characters like old friends. And I'm definitely not alone in that! But there are some books which, whilst they're absolute classics in my eyes, don't seem to get quite the attention they deserve out in the wide world.

so, to finally reach the point of this rambling introduction, I decided to revisit and review one of my childhood treasures: The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson.

Synopsis (Goodreads)

The magic in the Valley is dying.

In the forest, the cedar trees whisper the news. The age-old spell can no longer protect the land from its enemies.

Four companions must find the sorcerer who conjured the ancient power. He has not been seen for centuries, hidden in the dark heart of an evil Empire. Their journey is desperately dangerous, and the travellers are shadowed by a mysterious figure. Is the shape-changing Ropemaker their ally? Or a deadly enemy? And does he command the deepest magic of all? That weaves and unweaves the great rope that is time itself...

Review

Our heroine, Tilja, lives in a small community isolated from the rest of the world by impassable mountains and a forest which strikes down all men who enter with a mysterious sickness. This is a miraculous boon for the people of the valley, as it allows them to live in peace, protected the cruel empire which lies beyond. However, as we enter the story the legendary magic of the forest is failing and danger looms. To save the valley, Tilja and her companions (a boy called Tahl and interestingly, their grandmother and grandfather respectively) must venture beyond it, in search of the magician who cast the original spell of protection. The hunt takes them into a tyrannical realm where magic is real but strictly regulated, and you cannot even die special without permission from the emperor.

Though The Ropemaker takes place in a fantasy world, the focus is very much on the characters rather than the backdrop (although this doesn't mean the setting isn't both well thought out and compelling- it is!). I fell in love with nearly everyone in this book, especially the grandparents, Meena and Alnor. Having two elderly characters playing such an active role in a YA novel is so refreshing. And then there is Calico. She may just be a pony, but with her cantankerous personality she as memorable as any of her human companions (And I'm a real sucker for books which treat animals as significant, rather than background props).

I must have journeyed with Tilja and co. at least 10 or so times over the years, so I feel qualified enough to recommend this book unreservedly. It's original and highly readable, whether you are exploring the twists and turns for the first time or gleefully anticipating them.

REVIEW: Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan by JamieZeppa

Summary (Goodreads)
At age 22 Jamie Zeppa, a Canadian who had never been outside of North America, said goodbye to her fiancé and her plans for graduate school and moved to Bhutan, a remote Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas. 

Beyond the Sky and the Earth is an autobiographical work that details her experiences and transformations after spending three years in Bhutan. It is as much a book about Zeppa's day-to-day life in Bhutan as it is about the personal awakenings and realizations that she had while living there. 

Review
I absolutely loved this book; it felt like a story I've been waiting for, and I think anyone else who has considered dropping all their plans for a safe, solid life in favour of the unknown will feel the same. When Jamie Zeppa decides to leave behind her marriage plans and graduate school applications behind to teach English in a remote corner of Bhutan she is not entirely sure of her motivations or whether she has what it takes, but she does know that she is determined to try. At first it all seems like a horrible mistake. She is horrified by her living and working conditions, lives in terror of a plethora of tropical diseases, subsists on a diet of crackers and biscuits and cannot communicate at all with her students, let alone teach them anything. Yet slowly she learns how to cope and eventually thrive, discovering that "anyone can live anywhere. You think you can't in the beginning, but then you do". 

Zeppa's memoir is many things. It is a vivid love letter to Bhutan, and her descriptions of the spectacular landscapes make it easy to fall for the country as well, despite having never laid eyes on it. There are some wonderfully touching moments with the people she meets as well, especially her first class of eight year olds, who bang on her door at all hours asking to be let in, teach her how to cook and "roam" with her in the nearby forest after school. She does not shy away from the harsher aspects of reality though; accepting that whilst Bhutan may be beautiful in many ways it is still no "Shangri-la-di-da". It is also an account of her own personal development and whilst some may view this as overly self-absorbed, it didn't seem that way to me at all. Zeppa's self-reflection is well-balanced and does not take away from the exploration of Bhutan, its people and its culture. In particular I loved following her exploration of Buddhism, especially her struggles to come to grasp with mindfulness and the concept of impermanence. In fact, I think there are some really nice explanations of the basic tenets of Buddhism scattered throughout the book.

My copy of this is riddled with highlights; there were so many lines which resonated with me, especially as I am on the brink of a short teaching stint in Cambodia, and have been agonising over whether or not I have what it takes to live overseas long-term after that. Beyond the Sky and Earth is not a sugar-coated version of that experience. It is honest about the challenges faced by both Zeppa and Bhutan and the ending is bittersweet, supporting a message woven throughout the book, in Buddhist doctrine as well as warnings from friends. Nothing lasts forever. Yet that is not necessarily a bad thing. And even taking the bad with the good, finishing this book has left me even more eager to “throw myself into an experience that's too big for me and learn in a way that costs me something”.

Tune in Tuesday (#1): Book Playlists Edition

Tune-in Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Ginger from GReads. The theme for March is Book Playlists! Ever heard a song that reminds you of a book? Or maybe while you're reading you think, wow I know a song that would be perfect for this scene! If so, share it!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver & Lions in Cages by Wolf Gang

One of my favourite books and one of my favourite songs! When I first heard "Lions in Cages" it instantly made me think of dystopian novels as a whole, but in particular of Delirium. I think the lyrics and the overall tone fit both Alex & Lena's story and the atmosphere of their world in general pretty well. It's not too hard to guess which line always chills me a little.

In the city where I'm from,
There are lovers 'til the dawn.
and you stayed up to see the sun,
I couldn't wait that long. 

Who's gonna get up after we're gone?
Who's gonna get up after we've fallen?
who's going to pick up what we've done wrong?
Who's gonna get up after we're gone?  

In the city, where I'm from
Lions in cages, just for fun
But you will pace around your cage, and wait for night to come
In the city where I'm from
they shoot you down, if you run.

This is Shyness by Leanne Hall & We are Young by fun.

The slightly off-beat, quirky sound and the theme of being young and the idea of feeling limitless for one night really reminded me of This is Shyness.

Tonight, we are young
So I set the world on fire,
We can burn brighter,
Than the sun.

REVIEW: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Summary (Goodreads)
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite

Review
WOW. Okay, I have to admit I was putting off reading this book. I absolutely love-love-loved Delirium, but I was so scared that Pandemonium would go off in the wrong direction, I didn't dare start it! Now of course I realise how stupid that was, because it was wonderful and had me glued to the page from start to finish.

The chapters in Pandemonium switch between two time frames: "Then", which follows Lena when she first arrives in the Wilds, and "Now", in which she is involved in a Resistance mission. I actually really liked this format as it kept things fresh. I could never stop reading because I was so desperate to keep finding out what was happening in the different sections! Lauren Oliver kept them very well balanced, and I never found myself aching for one and skimming the other, as I sometimes do when two stories are intersected in this way.

I loved Lena in Delirium and I love the new, tougher Lena just as much, if not more. I don't want to give too much away, but I think it's pretty much a given that there's going to be some sort of romantic element going on here. As worried as I was that I wasn't going to like this, I really did. Perhaps not as much as I adored Alex & Lena in Delirium, but still!

Of course there were plenty of new characters to meet and there were quite a few who stood out to me. Raven was deliciously complex and though I hated her at times, I could completely understand whey she behaved the way she did. From the very first scene with Julian I was dying to know more about him and I wasn't disappointed. I felt so sorry for him and admired his bravery throughout. I also liked Tack a lot, I really hope he'll have a decent part in book 3 because he remains a bit of an enigma here.

I'm really struggling to come up with any negatives for this book. I suppose at times the foreshadowing was a little heavy-handed. There was one point when I wanted to scream at Lena because she kept saying that she had a bad feeling about something but she never did anything about it. Also the ending... I just knew it was going to happen and when it did I have to say it felt like a bit of a cheap trick. Also: meanest cliffhanger ever! It does makes me worry a little about the direction Requiem will take. However I'm pretty sure even if my fears were to come true, Lauren Oliver would still pull it off wonderfully.

She is definitely amongst my very favourite writers. She has such a beautiful way with words and I often found myself wanting to stop and flag or copy down a particularily lyrical phrase. Whilst some books get bogged down with pretty words and forget about the plot and characters though, Lauren Oliver keeps both very engaging throughout. There are a lot of tense and action-packed moments in this book and at times I honestly found I was holding my breath and could feel my heart beating faster as I read! Overall it's easy for me to say that I absolutely adored this book, and I cannot wait to read the final instalment in 2013, no matter what happens!

Feature & Follow Friday (#1)

Q. What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis has got to be the best book I've read this month, and one of the best I've read in ages. It's a heart-wrenching read but I felt deeply for all the characters involved and the writing was absolutely beautiful, especially considering it's been translated from German. On the other hand I just could not get into Fallen by Lauren Kate.  I didn't like the main character, Lucinda, very much and every time she had a scene with Daniel I found myself rolling my eyes... I ended up giving up on it.

Waiting On Wednesday (#1)

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights the upcoming releases we're really looking forward to!

Kat Zhang- What's Left of Me
Release date: September 19th 2012 (Harper)

NEVER LET ME GO meets HIS DARK MATERIALS in a beautiful, haunting YA debut, the first book in The Hybrid Trilogy.

Eva and Addie live in a world where everyone is born with two souls, but where only the dominant one is allowed to survive childhood. Fifteen years old, and closer even than twins, the girls are keeping Eva, the ‘second soul’, a secret. They know that it’s forbidden to be hybrid, but how could they ever be apart?

When a dramatic event reveals what really happens to hybrids if they are discovered, Eva and Addie face a dangerous fight for survival, neither wanting to be the one left behind…

Both Never Let Me Go and His Dark Materials are amongst my very favourite books so it's no surprise I felt a little bit dizzy with excitement when I saw this blurb. The premise sounds so interesting and the cover is beautiful too, I just wish September wasn't so far away!

REVIEW: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Summary (Goodreads)
"It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead."

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival.

As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Review

Ever since I first learnt about Black Death in primary school (pretty sure I didn't sleep for a week!) I have been both terrified and morbidly fascinated by the idea of deadly pandemics. It's hard to imagine anything more horrible than watching your loved ones being picked off by a silent, invisible killer, never knowing when or whether it would finally sink its claws into you. And worst of all it could strike at any second, as the unsuspecting Kaelyn and the rest of her small island community soon find out.

First of all, I love Kaelyn. When we meet her at the beginning of the book she is quiet and socially awkward. She is far more comfortable in the company of animals than her peers, but doing her best to face her fears and make some more friends. Little does she know that she will soon have bigger challenges to contend with than inviting a classmate to sit next to her, but when the time comes she definitely rises to the occasion. She develops a great deal through the course of the book and was, to me, a very likeable and relateable protagonist.

The story is told through a diary which Kaelyn writes for Leo, an old friend of hers who left to study on the mainland. Events start out quite slow, but I was definitely never bored. There is a gradual build-up of dread as the virus affects its first victim, and then the second, before quickly beginning to snowball out of control. Events are almost entirely constrained to the quarantined island with little insight as to what is going on in the rest of the world, which reflects the claustrophobia and isolation its inhabitants feel.

Naturally there is a love interest for Kaelyn, and whilst it didn't blow me away I did think that their relationship was very sweet and believable. I definitely gave a little internal cheer when they finally kissed! I was even more impressed with the emerging friendship between Kaelyn and Tessa, whom she originally thinks to be aloof and boring.

I would definitely recommend The Way We Fall to any fans of dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. There are many likeable and well-developed characters, and it is interesting to see their relationships are affected by the circumstances they face. I will definitely be reading the sequel, The Lives We Lost, as soon as I can get my hands on it and am looking forward to finding out how things are faring for Leo, Kaelyn's brother Drew, and everyone else outside of the island.

My Top 5 YA Trilogies

Since it's impossible for me to review all the wonderful books I've read over the years AND have some sort of life (even if it mostly revolves around reading new ones), I decided to do a little feature on some of my favourite YA trilogies! The comments are mostly just my impressions, but I've also put a link so you can nip over to Goodreads for a summary if you aren't familiar with the series. Anyway, without further ado, number 5...

5. Garth Nix: Abhorsen
Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen
It's actually been quite a while since I read these books but, like another trilogy that's going to pop up later in this list, they were staples of my childhood. I read them over and over again and those battered old copies on my bookshelf at home show it! I usually tend to favour the first book in a series but in this case it is the second, Lirael, which I always enjoyed the most. I loved reading about her adventures in the library (needless to say the Clayr's library held more than just books!) and I was hopelessly jealous over The Disreputable Dog. The. Disreputable. Dog! Come on, just that name sums up how much you need to read this series!

4. Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay.
I'm willing to bet this one came as no surprise! Like everyone else and their mother I loved The Hunger Games, and am waiting with bated breath for the film to come out (not long to go now!). It's possibly a little bit sadistic but I absolutely love dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, and The Hunger Games is definitely up there with some of my favourites. From the beginning these books refuse to let up, once you start reading it is just impossible to put them down. I am not a fan of love triangles but I really liked both Peeta and Gale (unusual for me as I'm usually quick to take sides!). It's hard to believe that anyone could have missed The Hunger Games series now, especially with all the film hype, but it definitely live up to the reputation.

3. Diana Wynne Jones: The Castle Series
Howl's Moving Castle, The Castle in the Air, The House of Many Ways.
I absolutely had to get one of my ultimate favourite authors, Diana Wynne Jones into this list! I first came across her after watching the Miyazaki anime adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle and whilst I loved that, the actual book just blew me away. What I love most about DWJ is her deceptively simple prose and convoluted plots, which are always pulled together in the most magical way at the end! And of course like anyone else who has read these books I can't help but adore beautiful, infuriating Howl. Who can say they don't love Howl? Whilst actually quite unrelated to each other in ways, these three books tie together nicely and are all equally brilliant in their own ways, though I have to admit have a soft spot for the one that started it all.

2. Patrick Ness: Chaos Walking
Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask & The Answer, Monsters of Men.
What can I say about these books? I've been recommending them left, right and centre ever since I started The Knife of Never Letting Go. There's a lot of YA Dystopian novels about these days (as we all know) and as much as I adore a whole lot of them, Chaos Walking easily takes the crown for me. The series gripped me throughout and I loved Todd's unique voice, but I have to say my favourite character by far was his brilliantly simple-minded and heartbreakingly loyal dog, Manchee. I've never met a more realistic "talking" animal in fiction before; he really is the quintessential pup! Characters you can't bear to let go of and a pace that never lets up, I just cannot recommend these books enough!

1. Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials
Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass.
It was a hard choice but it just had to be this at the top of my list. I first read His Dark Materials when I was about 11 but I've read it countless times since. It used to kill me how much I wanted my own daemon- and it still does! What I love about HDM is that despite being a "children's" book it doesn't skirt around difficult issues. There are certain scenes in Northern Lights which chill me more than any horror or thriller, and some in The Amber Spyglass which break my heart more than the most tragic romance. Philip Pullman was my ultimate inspiration when I was a child and I won't be losing my admiration anytime soon! (PS: never talk to me about golden compasses... it's called an alethiometer! ;)

REVIEW: 0.4 (Human.4) by Mike Lancaster

Summary (from Goodreads)

It's a brave new world. 'My name is Kyle Straker. And I don't exist anymore.' So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on to old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world.


Review

This was a really, really interesting book. I think part of what makes it so good is the way it unfolds and so I’m going to try and give as little away as possible, whilst still giving a tiny bit more information than the blurb. The gist of it is this: Kyle Straker, his friend’s girlfriend Lilly and two adults volunteer to be hypnotised in a backwater village talent show. However whilst they are under this influence, everything changes. Suddenly their parents and friends are acting strangely, and it is left to the four of them to out why...

The story is presented as a transcript of some mysterious old tape cassettes recorded by Kyle, interspersed with author’s notes which explain apparently archaic concepts such as reality television and Coldplay. It was a refreshing format and I especially looked forward to reading the notes, which were often funny little digs at pop culture and academia. As for Kyle and co. themselves, whilst I did not exactly dislike them I did not feel particularly attached to them either. The one exception to this was Mr. Peterson, despite the fact his back story was condensed into a few paragraphs. Possibly it is an effect of how short and fast-paced the book is, but I never really felt like any of the characters were fully developed. Similarly the attempts at romance felt rushed and thrown in; I really felt the book would have worked better had those been left out altogether.

Despite the flatness of the characters I did find this to be an extremely gripping read. I got through most of it in one night and yes, there may have been a few times I felt a little bit creeped out walking around in the dark after reading it! The scenes in which Kyle realises there is something wrong with his parents were especially thrilling, and there were a few moments which made my heart jump into my throat.

This was a very quick read but definitely not a shallow one, and it leaves you a lot to think about. However I did find my final view of it was slightly bogged down not only by the characterization but also by some logical inconsistencies, especially surrounding the 1.0’s interest in Kyle’s tapes and his being able to record them in the first place! But despite its flaws 0.4 was still a very compelling tale. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the premise for the sequel, 1.4, but I will definitely give it a shot!

REVIEW: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Summary (from Goodreads)

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose— hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire— is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes— or be left without any future at all.


Review
I’ve had this book sitting in my kindle for quite a while and I finally got around to reading it recently. I was expecting it to be an okay read, but I ended up enjoying it an awful lot more than I thought I would.

When we first get to know Rosalinda Fitzroy, she is admittedly infuriating. Passive and frankly insipid, she doesn’t seem to react very much to anything that happens to her and is zealous in telling everyone how stupid she is. There were times I really wanted to scream at her, such as when she gets attacked early on in the book and then doesn’t tell a soul, and of course when she decides to abandon her beloved dog for two weeks(!!). However there are reasons for Rose’s behaviour and as they slowly came to light I found she became a very sympathetic character.

But even before finding out everything about Rose’s past, I did feel for her. Lost, lonely and pining for her parents and the boyfriend she inadvertently left behind, it is no surprise that Rose attaches herself to Bren, the first person she meets in this strange new world. As much as I rolled my eyes at how quickly she falls for him I did find it believable under the circumstances, especially as no one else really seems to have time for the poor girl! And though I felt awful for Rose when her confession doesn’t work out, I really liked how things turned out between them in the end.

I think possibly what really sold this book to me was the relationship between Rose and Otto, an odd alien hybrid born from a disturbing science experiment. Unsurprisingly Otto has a heart-breaking back-story, and is drawn to Rose, who has her own troubles. Otto does not talk and as the two are unable to communicate through his usual means at first, they resort to sending messages to each other. I loved these scenes; they felt very cosy and intimate and offered a great deal of insight into both of the characters. Otto was prone to poetic turns of phrase and on occasion this veered on awkward (a line about the “tea tone” of Rose’s eyes really made me cringe at one point). However was largely forgivable, seeing as they were communicating in writing and he was hardly a normal boy after all. The nature of their relationship is left pleasantly ambiguous, which is very fitting considering, and I’m really interested to see how it develops in the sequel (there WILL be a sequel, right?).

However, although I adored some of the characters, some of the others left little impression on me. In particular I never really warmed to Xavier for some reason (well, maybe a bit more near the end), whilst Rose’s foster-parents and Bren’s school friends were all very one-dimensional. Also whilst the new slang was inventive there were a couple which I found a little clunky; ‘conn’ and ‘burning’ threw me off a couple of times. On the other hand though I thought the use of ‘coit’ as a swearword was amazing.

In the latter half of the book there are quite a few shock revelations and whilst I’m sure some people saw them coming a mile off they took me by surprise, and one really did take my breath away! Another left me feeling more than a little uncomfortable, something I believe I’m not alone in. However it did not spoil my enjoyment of the book and I can see how it made some sort of sense, under the circumstances.

The world created by Anna Sheehan here is an engaging one and I am definitely interested to read more about it, especially regarding the thorny ethical issues surrounding the Unicorp firm, to which Rose is heiress. There were also some really nifty new technologies- and some really creepy ones too. (one word: Plastine) However for me the world-building was mostly just a nice background to Rose’s personal story, which really has stuck with me. The not-so-perfect aspects of her life before stasis were very skilfully revealed and when Rose realises the extent of it... it really is heart-breaking.

Overall whilst A Long, Long Sleep lacked that special something which places a book amongst my favourites, it was enjoyable and highly readable. I’ll be looking forward to reading more of Anna Sheehan’s work!

Coming Soon

Starting a blog at the height of my final semester of university is probably not the best idea, but here we go anyway! I already spend a lot of time reading books, and I already spend a lot of time reading other people's reviews once I've finished reading books, so surely I can eke out a little time for writing about them?