Stacking the Shelves {1}

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we showcase all the books we got over the week and discuss random things.

A collage of what Nicole got for the holidays to read (glares jealously):


(Note from Nicole: If I owned all of these books I would be super rich. These are actually library books.)

Books mentioned in the video: The Last Echo (The Body Finder #3) by Kimberly Derting, Saving June by Hannah Harrington, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard, Pure (Pure #1) by Julianna Baggott, Liar by Justine Larbalestier, The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta, Silvermay (Silvermay #1) by James Moloney, The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies Trilogy #2) by Pittacus Lore, James Frey and Jobie Hughes, I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies Trilogy #1) by Pittacus Lore, Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion and Betrayal by Mal Peet, Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Article 5 (Article 5 #1) by Kristen Simmons and Enduring Love by Ian Mcewan.


What did you guys get? Leave a link to your Stacking the Shelve's posts, and we'll be sure to check them out!

~Maxine~

Giveaway Winners!

So I realise that this post is long overdue and that the follower giveaway winners were announced ages ago, but congratulations to

Laura H

Gracey

Alex

Christina T

who were all prize-winners! We've contacted all of these lovely people (and Alex, Laura, and Gracey have already received their books) and thank you to everyone who entered. Also, a billion thanks to Lexie for co-hosting the follower appreciation giveaway with us. Watch out for more giveaways in the future!

Review: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Series: Uglies #3
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: School library                                                    Goodreads//Amazon                                                                  
"Special Circumstances":                                                                         The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

Spoilers for those who haven't read books 1 and 2.

Continuing from the synopsis:

We know that Tally will never be the same, because every book in this series brought with it a new and weirder change. First we had Tally as an Ugly, escaping to New Smoke. Then we had her taken back to Pretty Town and turned into a Pretty. Following Prettifying, we had Tally think her way around the brain lesions that caused the typically apathetic, insensitive, and drunken--or, should I say 'bubbly'?--Pretty behaviour. Now we have her turned into a Special, with so many different powers it just blows my mind.

It seemed to me like the author was really running out of plot ideas, and since having Tally as a regular Pretty was just kind of boring, he just had to make her more cutting-edge, more tricky, more special than ever.

Specials was the sort of book that I read with the primary purpose of simply finishing, because I'd already invested in the trilogy by reading Uglies and Pretties, which, come to think of it, probably wasn't a smart decision. If only the author had chosen to direct all the effort he'd put into writing about gadgets and parties to character development, the series would've been so much more readable.

Sadly, the characters were flat and tired by the end of the books, Specials peaked to a disappointing climax, and I found myself having to take continuous breaks from the novel, which was so much different to the compulsive and highly readable Uglies. It seemed like the author was getting tired at the end, and instead of taking the harder route and carefully exploring character development, Tally's emotional changes, and the interesting concepts of body image and the mind and its consciousness that he'd brought into this dystopian trilogy, we are left with nothing but a shallow recess of action.

Another issue was the love triangle. I've written about the seemingly meaningless plots and subplots that the author used to avoid dealing with messy character developments, but the love triangle was really out of place. In an action novel, focus on the action. In a character-driven novel, focus on the characters and their relationships. But really, at the heart of the Uglies trilogy is nothing but a constant tangle of action and fighting with the occasional bout of world-building thrown in. The love triangle, apart from being a major annoyance on my part and a frustrating development in Tally's character, honestly had no place in either book.

Overall, Specials really exhausted me. I found myself putting off reading it--telling myself that I'd finish it later, later, but not wanting to pick it up because I'd had enough of the constant, nonstop action, the laziness and lack of character development, and the constant whinging in Tally's narration. This is not a book that I'd recommend to anyone but fans of intense action. If you liked The Knife of Never Letting Go you might like this one--again, a read that failed to impress me when it came to depth and thoughtfulness.

~Nicole~

Waiting on Wednesday {23}

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we showcase books that have not yet been released.

Goodreads

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. 

Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with.

To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly—against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

Expected publication: November 20th 2012 

So, what's your WoW this week? Leave a comment below and I'll be sure to check it out! 

~Maxine~

Review: The Hunting Ground by Cliff McNish

Series: Standalone
Publisher: Orion
Source: Local library
Goodreads//Amazon                                                                  
When Elliott and his brother move into the old and crumbling Glebe House they don't expect to find themselves sharing it with ghosts. But soon sinister events are unfolding. An old diary reveals glimpses of the mansion's past - and of a terrible tragedy. An old woman talks to ghosts - but is she in fact being controlled by them? And what of the sinister East Wing - a hideous labyrinth devised by a truly twisted mind? Can Elliott and his family escape the clutches of Glebe House? Or will they end up trapped in the endless maze of corridors, forever hunted by the dead?

It's been a while since I've read a ghost story so I thought I'd borrow this for some fun.  I shouldn't judge since I haven't read all that many horror books, but frankly I was not impressed.  I'm not the type to get nightmares after reading or watching something scary so maybe this will influence the rest of this review, just a word of warning.

It says at the very first line of the back cover "The Hunting Ground is not for younger readers" (in capitals, mind you) so that perked my interest.  I think McNish did an alright job of the introduction - the first few lines are quite absorbing and you want to know more.  It was interesting and I was really fixed on the book for the first few chapters before I felt it getting a bit 'repetitive'.  Not in the way that a similar thing occurs again and again, but in a way that made me feel as if I was half-conscious of reading it at all.  There were no particular stand-outs to make me feel on edge or nervous for the most part of the book.  For a ghost story, it was captivating enough to make me keep reading but not enough to make me excited.

The brothers Elliott and Ben were alright as characters, even though Ben did weird and confusing things sometimes.  That was planned as a part of the tricks done to him, but either way it was unclear and I couldn't make much sense out of it.  One really big flaw is in the Dad.  He made the story really unrealistic and you just can't believe it.  He's too gullible and doesn't depict the stereotyped fatherly figure.  That's good because it makes him pretty original and unique as a character, but in a ghost story he can't just believe what his sons are telling him like that.  He gets too absorbed into the whole 'lets face the problem together' scheme with his sons that it's ridiculous.  Sure, there were plenty of clues and evidence that there were ghosts in the house, but he just took it too seriously.

THRILLER STORY, Y U NO THRILL?  I'll admit that when I was around three quarters through the book I began to get more into the book because we were getting near to the end but it could have been a lot better.  I was particularly disappointed with the last few chapters much to my disbelief - I thought it would finally get better and come up with a magnificent surprise ending but no.  Surprise ending yes, sort of, but only because it wasn't all that great.  A typical 'happy ever after' ending which can be alright when used appropriately at times, but it just didn't work for me in The Hunting Ground.

Overall, it wasn't great.  I need to emphasize this point - where's the scary?  I read into the night before bed and I didn't feel scared, nor did I get a nightmare.  I think I dreamed but It wasn't even remotely scary, as my memory recalls.  Maybe I'm just really emotion-less or something, because I think I kept a pretty blank face throughout the whole book.  If you like to read ghost stories but is scared of getting freaked out, you should read it.  Two and a half stars from me this time.

~Alvie~

Book Review: City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Series: Trilogy- then a sixology thing

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased

Goodreads//Amazon                                                                     

 When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

I'm not even sure how to approach this book. On one hand, Cassandra Clare has made some awesome side characters that I have come to adore, as well as some amazingly hilarious and witty one liners (which I have mentally noted down in hopes of using it one day). On the other hand, I felt as if the actual main characters and the plot and just everything was, well, meh.

I've read Cassandra Clare's works before- I read The Infernal Devices (a prequel series) before I even touched these books and they were pretty good. Not amazing or anything, but good. So, since this was the 'origin' of the whole franchise, I decided I had to try it. People had been screaming in my face (in the non literal sense you get on the internet where they use caps locks and talk about it all the time) about it, so there must have been something that made it click. So I read. And got bored. And finished the novel. Then I read the rest of the trilogy for the heck of it.And then I found out there were three more books. Easter eggs rule.

Now, I've heard a lot of speculation about the whole 'Cassandra Clare uses other stories as a basis' theory. Yes, I've heard about it. No, I don't want to talk about it because this is a book review. End of story.

Let's talk about the things I liked first- the side characters. From Alec Wayland, best friend and parabatai (which is basically like having a best friend be your warrior soul mate) to Jace and Simon Lewis, Clary's so called best friend, Cassandra Clare has managed to make some pretty awesome side characters. They had their own backstories, weren't cardboard plot pieces and to be frank, any of them would have made better main characters than the actual main characters. We'll get back to that later.

What I really, really loved about this book though- was the dialogue. The dialogue was amazing- and I felt that it showcased Cassandra's writing skills more than her flowery descriptions ever did. I'd seen some of it before in a Victorian time period with Infernal Devices, but the dialogue was really something that I enjoyed. Cassie was just really in touch with her characters- she knew how they spoke and none of the dialogue was awkward. Take a passage from my favourite character, Simon:

“That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I' am a badass, and I recognize that you, too, are a badass,' but they don't say anything because they're Wolverine and Magneto and it would mess up their vibe to explain.” 

The awkwardness is so beautiful. Now, talking about beautiful, let's mention some people who were somewhat less beautiful in my eyes as they graced the pages.

Clary Fray and Jace Wayland, our two main characters.

What can I say about them? They're just very standard YA characters in today's world- especially in the paranormal world, it seems. Clary is whiny and isn't very interesting but boys adore her. Jace is a bit of a prick (and has a dark, dark past), but girls adore him. Don't defend Jace here- he admits it right here (as a shameless way for me to show you more pretty dialogue):

“The meek may inherit the earth, but at the moment it belongs to the conceited. Like me.” 

It was the dialogue and the fact that Jace knew he was being a jerk that saved him just a little bit, but he was just very standard and I didn't have a huge swoon fest as I did with the boys in Infernal Devices. I mean, I got the appeal- I just didn't like it as much as others did. 

The plot was pretty much the same as Jace and Clary- not particularly interesting, nor amazingly spectacular. It was passable, and while there were some areas where I was vaguely interested, it wasn't the most exciting read, plot wise. The world building was decent- maybe it's just the whole paranormal thing that put me off.

Speaking of things that put me off- the writing. It was just so flowery and over similised (which is not a word,but it refers to the overuse of similes) and it was just so unnecessary at times. A small description would have been fine, and I felt that some areas were just overstated. It would have been nice to keep it simple.

Overall, City of Bones was a pretty unremarkable read. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't say it was anywhere near my favorites. The dialogue and side characters were a saving grace, but I never really connected with the story. 2.5 stars.

Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Purchased
Goodreads//Amazon                                                                     

‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs. Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again..

This book didn't make me cry, but it came pretty damn close. 


It's been a while since I picked up a YA novel that truly made me think, made me tear up, made me clench my fists and bite my lips and flip through the pages with a ferocity that only increased as the book went on.


It's been a while since a YA novel moved me the way this book did, made me truly feel for the characters and break my heart the way this story did.


It's been a while since I liked a YA book so much, period.


I haven't been posting as much or reading so much YA fiction lately, because in the haze of paranormal romances and dystopian romances and contemporary romances that have been crowding the Dymocks shelves, young adult sometimes seems like a genre that cares less about the stories and more about the commercial value. Up until I picked up Saving June, I'd been hitting somewhat of a YA dead end.


Good girl meets dangerous boy. Dangerous boy declares love for girl. Repeat my previous two sentences a few thousand times and you have a standard paranormal romance. It's so, so easy for authors to fall into this trap.


Hannah Harrington didn't.

It's not to say that Saving June is perfect, or an easy read for someone who's lost a loved one to suicide. Heck, it might be totally untruthful and melodramatic.

But for me, the emotions were captured perfectly.

The road trip was written perfectly.

Lacey was written perfectly.

I loved almost all of it.

The only exception was Jake's character, why Harper let him go on the road trip, and the romance. I didn't like that, because I felt it was an unnecessary addition to what would've been a near-one hundred percent contemporary.

But I feel that I can let that element, that one element of the story, go. Because I loved the rest of it so much.

Because I fell in love with almost all of the characters.

Because it was what rekindled my interest in YA and reminded me of why I love this genre so much. I think it's a full five stars.

Waiting on Wednesday {22}

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we showcase books that have not yet been released.

Goodreads  

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.


At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.


As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Expected publication: August 28th 2012 

So, what's your WoW this week? Leave a comment below and I'll be sure to check it out! 

Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: Hush, hush #3
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Source: Local library
Goodreads//Amazon                                                                  
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Well typical me to be reviewing a book from a series and not starting from the first book. In some cases though, maybe it's best to learn about the ending before you even start. I've seen a few reviews of Silence and found that people are either like OMG I LOVE THIS or OMG THIS SUCKS. But then there's me, sitting on the fence. Before I begin the review, I need to notify you all of an amazing coincidence. It just so happens that on my copy of Silence there was a sticker with a link to a website.  So I went on, and at the bottom right hand corner of the page ... Becca Fitzpatrick has tweeted a new update regarding the series.  Take a look at the site yourself, it's funny.

Well, it's been a while since I last read Hush, hush or Crescendo, and at the beginning of the book I couldn't remember what the book about or what had happened.  By the time I got to the end of the book, I still couldn't remember exactly and I've got random holes in the plot despite all the 'flashbacks'.  To me, Silence was a bit like a reminder - it kept jumping back and forth to the previous books in the series all because Nora lost her memory.  It sounds like a lame excuse for putting in fillers if you ask me, but the fans absolutely loved it.

I thought that since Silence wasn't a thin book, I'd remember the events leading up to it from before.  Every now and then I'd remember small cut-outs, but it wasn't enough to act as 'background information'.  The first few chapters I was pretty lost with the flow and got confused in some occasions.  Some times the things that Nora thinks are really contradictory, which I found pretty hilarious.  I can't find the exact quote, but somewhere in the middle of the book she just seems to repeat something she had thought a few pages back.  The characters were also pretty weird, take Hank Millar for example.  He's the Black Hand and supposedly really powerful, so why is it that at times he can't even tell he was being fooled? Especially at the end, when he was confused as to what was happening. For someone that apparently had 20 men trailing behind him for protection, how can just not realise that his own daughter was plotting against him? I mean, what?  Nice character building there.

And then there's Nora. Why you so contradictory?  You need to be a stronger character and actually do something about your life.  So you like Patch, then you think about sticking with Scott for a bit, but then you decide Patch is better and so on so forth.  At some point you even got close to Scott but then brushed him off again?  Make your mind up, lady.  Her friend Vee got me really confused.  After a long break between Crescendo and Silence, I pretty much forgot everything - including the characters.  I'm pretty sure I've read another book with a Vee in it as the best friend, and I'm not sure it was written by Becca Fitzpatrick.  As much as I think, I just can't put my finger on it.  I'm pretty sure the plots were relatively similar between the two books, which made things even more confusing.

Did I mention the cheesy love?  Nora forgetting Patch, and then remembering him - the whole reunion was just horrible.  It was either really unrealistic, or Nora is just really dumb.  I think maybe both.  Romance in this book was pretty exaggerated, but I guess that boosts Patch's fan-girl hypes.  Shouldn't they be jealous of Nora, in that case?  The link that I found on the sticker of the cover? "I love Patch dot com" in case you didn't click into it.

The ending was really rushed.  Between the last three or four chapters, the action was all jammed into a small section.  There are about, what, thirty-four chapters in the book? Things were progressing along the way at first, but it was really pushing it at the end.  Race for the finish line, yes, but don't sprint in this race.  It doesn't really end well.  There was also a bonus section at the back of the book where the pages were in black and the text was white.  That was sort of painful to read, and I skim read quite a bit of it.  "A never-before-seen look at the real first time Patch and Nora met ... from Patch's point of view!" Well let me ask you, who seriously remembers in detail the first time they met?  That would have been at the beginning of the very first book, the little introduction that people wouldn't really remember after all the action in between.  Not a really great place to put in a bonus section, I reckon.

You know how I said I was sitting on the fence, in terms of judgement?  Well, the fence is sort of tilted and I'm leaning towards the 'NO' side.  It's not exactly an original idea, writing about fallen angels and whatnot, and there weren't any particular peaks for me in Silence.  I have to say that it did amuse me a bit sometimes, and it was alright as a time-passer.  Personally I wouldn't have chosen it to pass time, but it worked as a laugh.  Because of the comedy factor - 2 stars.

~Alvie~

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Series: The Maze Runner Trilogy #1

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Source: Owned

Goodreads//Amazon

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them, open. Every night they are closed tight. And that every 30 days a new boy is delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. Only the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets that are buried within his mind.

For a review of the second book of the series, The Scorch Trials, check out Alvie's review here.

Well. Hi again. Remember me, Hayley? The one that left for a month and is now going to magically reappear like a magical unicorn? Well. Yeah. So hi. ON WITH THE REVIEW.

The Maze Runner has been on my 'to-read' list (which, as you know if you see me on Goodreads only goes up in numbers and never back down again) for a long time- it was first recommended to me when I read the Hunger Games, and since then it's been popping up on all of my recommended and to-read lists, though I fully blame that on the ridiculous amounts of dystopian novels I read being the cause. So I had high expectations for this novel. I expected it to knock me off my feet.

And it did.... well, kind of. 

See, The Maze Runner was technically a good book. It had a really nice main character, the secondary characters were fleshed out and everyone was generally quite interesting. The idea was fantastic. It was a perfect dystopian setting, and the plot and action and everything should have been awesome. So why didn't it give me ALL THE FEELINGS? Why didn't I get the little excited shivers I usually get when reading about dysto worlds and how they worked

After a fairly small amount of thinking, I had the answer. *que dramatic horns*

There was very little world building. Yes, it existed, on a minimal amount about the small area they were in, but not even the way they behaved indicated they were in a dystopian area. There was close to no information gained about the world throughout the entire novel, and it was only at the end where you got a tiny glimpse of what the world was like, though I have to say by then I wasn't really paying attention. World building is crucial, and I mean crucial to dystopian novels, and that was what James Dashner lacked.

Another thing I have to nitpick on was the fact that I felt no connection to the other main character- the girl/love interest/plot point/soul mate/magical unicorn. She's supposedly very important, but all she did throughout the novel was be in coma and communicate telepathically. There was just no information, and that frustrated me immensely throughout the entire novel.

Overall, The Maze Runner was an action packed book full of mystery but I felt as if the world building was lacking and I never connected with some of the main characters. I do wish I loved it, but I don't. 3 stars... or more circles, now that I think about it.

Review: Timothy and the Interchange by Adam Hutchinson

Series: The Kingdom Heir #1
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author for review
Goodreads//Lulu                                                                     
After taking a ride on a transport without purchasing a ticket, Timothy Stokes finds himself stuck in an imaginative world completely new to him. By obtaining a position at the Interchange, the Ministry of Trans-World Transportation’s complex headquarters, Timothy is able to uncover a secret conspiracy along with the help of his two new friends James and Nancy, his co-worker Alice, and a mysterious woman known only as the Agent. With the fate of an entire kingdom at stake and the truth about his parents’ secret lives on the line, Timothy must unveil the conspiracy before the Ministry can put its shocking plan into action.

I know it says on our policy page that we are not reviewing self-published books at this time, but  this arrangement was made way before we updated it.  Please note that this action is not at all related to Timothy and the Interchange.


Firstly, when I first received Timothy and the Interchange I was a little put off by the cover.  I know well enough not to judge a book by its cover, but I couldn't help feeling a little 'disheartened'.  Honesty here, I got to like the book a lot as we got further in, so this idiom really applies here.  Before I continue, this book is aimed at middle-grade audiences so please bear that in mind.


The first few chapters really settle you into the book, slowly we get absorbed inside; even if other things are running through your mind you can still concentrate on reading.  After a few more chapters, I felt as though things weren't really progressing very much.  There was quite a lot of description and information to tell us about the setting and the characters in the book, which was interesting to know about, but I think it lingered on just a little too much.  I would have liked to see the action and the happenings in earlier that it is.


All the characters were really unique, and the cousins James and Nancy constantly managed to amuse me.  The king gave off a bit of a 'gullible' aura, sort of not knowing much and not particularly intellectual or royal.  I understand that the king was meant to portray a kind and almost 'grandfatherly' character, but it's a point where its almost unrealistic.  Some characters were also a bit strange, and I got pretty mixed up between all these different Ministers and their special rank names.  I'm glad that I didn't pick up a single spelling mistake throughout the whole book, although at some point I would question the grammar.  I didn't look to check its accuracy, because I wanted to move on in the book.  Yep, it was that interesting and I'm not even sarcastic here.  Not that I have been in previous reviews, I don't think.


I haven't read very many self-published books myself, only heard a lot of 'gossip', so I can't say for sure but this was a pretty good book.  I liked the plot - it was pretty original, the characters were good - at intervals I could really connect with them, and the writing wasn't bad - I couldn't find any mistakes.  I think this book would really appeal to the middle-age readers and maybe to a few older teen readers if they were interested in a different read.  It's quite a bit of a change to all the young adult books I've been reading lately, so it was nice.  At no point in the book did I ever feel bored or wanting to skip any parts (apart from to find out what happened next) so that's a good sign!


One more comment - the ending was a little bit childish in the 'happily ever after' fashion, but it left off a mini cliffhanger.  There are still quite a few unanswered questions and no set resolution, which is yet to come out in the second book of The Kingdom Heir series.  It told a nice story and overall was a good read to take a break from my everyday routines.  I'm actually pretty interested in reading the next book in the series, when it comes out.  Four out of five stars.

~Alvie~

Waiting on Wednesday {32}

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we showcase books that we're desperately waiting on.

Goodreads
In a world constructed to absolute perfection, imperfection is difficult to understand—and impossible to hide.
Elysia is a clone, created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen year old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of teenaged clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to be created.
Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air there induces a strange, euphoric high that only the island's workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.
At first, Elysia's new life on this island paradise is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, the most privileged people in the world who should want for nothing, yearn. And, she comes to realize that beneath its flawless exterior, there is an undercurrent of discontent amongst Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations clouding Elysia's mind?
If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When Elysia's one chance at happiness is ripped away from her with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

Firstly, this book sounds absolutely amazing, and I'd love to read about Elysia's character as she sounds wonderfully complex. Secondly, have you even seen that cover? I mean, I'm not that shallow, but I do love it. And thirdly, this concept sounds pretty unique--I don't think I've heard of a very similar idea before.

So what are you guys waiting on this week? Leave a link and we'll be sure to check it out.

Review: Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions by Melissa Marr

Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Local library
Goodreads//Amazon                                                               
"Enthralled" is a collection of 14 original teen paranormal short stories from some of today's bestselling YA talent, united with the common theme of road trips.

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions was a book I picked up from the library in a rush.  We were running late to attend a lunch with family friends and I had plans to go to the library so I sprinted in to return my books and pick up a few books in the 'New Releases' section.  I absolutely loved the cover so I picked it up and left without even reading the blurb, which was pretty reckless.  I'm pretty glad I picked it up though, because it didn't really disappoint me.


This book is a collection of short stories put together by sixteen different authors writing on one main theme: journeying.  Each paranormal tale was roughly 30 pages long, which was great because it meant you could easily finish one story in a short time period and not need to worry about 'what happens next' while you're trying to fall asleep or whatnot. It also meant that if you got really bored of one story, you could just flip back to the contents page and skip to another story.  Just a note that I read the whole book and didn't skip any parts, so it wasn't horrible.


Each writer had their own different style and it was pretty interesting reading a collection of stories one after another.  I need to point out this one thing that aroused my curiosity a bit- apart from all writing about a common theme of 'journeying', almost every story contains the f-word.  Something worth an eyebrow raise if you read the whole book in one go and it just kept reoccurring.  I've got nothing against the characters swearing and such, but it was something that was obviously pointed out.  Most of the books I have read in my experience don't contain swear words at all, and here they're all sort of grouped together in one, which was interesting.  That's just the book overall though, so let's look at each story separately!


Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray: The first story in the entire book, it was a pretty good starter.  I remember when I first started reading I thought it would be each author building on to the first plot so that we'd get a long story made up by different authors, but no, it didn't work that way.  It was a good story to begin with since it warmed me up and got me ready to keep on going. Four out of five stars.


Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan:  When I got up to reading Scenic Route, I thought it was linked to the previous story and so I was a bit confused.  I took some time out to take a look closely at what I was reading, and realised it wasn't related at all.  I was pretty distracted and confused throughout the story so I didn't really get it.  Three out of five stars.


Red Run by Kami Garcia: This one was really interesting and I liked it a lot more than the first two.  It really got me absorbed as soon as I started reading, and it was more action packed which made it fast moving.  The main character was quite a risk-taker, which made it more interesting.  Four and a half out of five stars.


Things About Love by Jackson Pearce: It was quite different to Red Run, which was before it.  More peaceful and calming in a way, so it was quite a contrast to a fast-paced story.  Being a more romance-y book it got a bit cheesy, but it's alright overall.  Three out of five stars.


Niederwald by Rachel Vincent: This was really different too, bu in a good way.  Like Red Run, it got me really absorbed and ready to keep page flipping.  Four out of five stars.


Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr: The romance in this got slightly cheesy at times too, but I really liked the plot and the language used.  Three and a half out of five stars.


Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong: Yet another fast paced story, it really got 'dangerous' at times.  It started off in an interesting manner, and ended interesting too.  The paranormal part of it was a bit different to the others so far, so it was a nice change.  Four of five stars.


Let's Get This Undead Show On The Road by Sarah Rees Brennan: Well i'll be honest, I didn't really like this one much.  I think it was the first vampire story in the book, but I may be wrong.  I don't have anything against vampires, but I didn't like the plot much and it was slow moving for me.  Even in the 'peak' I didn't feel much.  Two out of five stars.


Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready: The one and only 'verse novel' in the book, it immediately stood out.  It was really fast to read because of the way it was set out and I maintained my interest well.  It was also a little moving at the end, which made it a good ending.  Four out of five stars.


Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting: Yet another capturing book, although some may find it a bit cheesy. It begun a little shaky but as I progressed I got to like it.  Four of five stars.


Leaving by Ally Condie: Around this time in the book we see lots of variation in the different paranormal powers each character has that ranges from the authors.  This one was cool and I loved the ending, that's all i'll say.  Four and a half out of five stars.


At The Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday: It started interesting, but I lost my enthusiasm and interest pretty soon, not far into the book.  I especially disliked the ending.  Two and a half out of five stars.


IV League by Margaret Stohl: I didn't understand what was going on in this one, from beginning to end. Some parts I got, but for the majority I was pretty confused and not interested. One and a half out of five stars.


Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson: Wounds.  The first thing we read about are the character's wounds and then her recovery.  This brought us straight into the plot, but I lost track about halfway through.  Three out of five stars.


The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I really liked this one.  I could really feel the intrigue that was occurring all throughout and I really wanted to find out more when I got to the end.  Four and a half out of five stars.


Automatic by Rachel Caine: I didn't really like this one at first, but slowly I got to really like it.  The ending was a little cheesy too, but what can you expect from a paranormal story? Four out of five stars.


So, that's the 'in-depth' look.  Overall, I'd rate the book about three and a half out of five stars.  I'm thinking that if you do an average of all the ratings you might not get this result but this is what I think of the book as a whole.  Not bad.

~Alvie~

ARC Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Series: Lies Beneath #1
Publisher: Random House Children's
Source: ARC from NetGalley
Goodreads//Amazon                                                                     

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

(I am currently running a fever and feeling icky in general, so sorry if this review doesn't completely make sense.)

I love mermaids.

As a child, I was obsessed with The Little Mermaid, and I remember begging my parents for an Ariel costume one birthday (luckily, they did not give in). Anyway, I have long since grown out of mermaid-mania, as I like to call it, but I have to say that I still admire Ariel's perfect complexion and pretty dresses. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, my first reaction was ooh, mermaids! Pretty, charming, bikini-donning mermaids. I MUST GET THIS.

Being the wise one that I am, I did not read the synopsis properly, and little did I realise that the mermaids in the story were not kind, shellfish-befriending creatures, but scary monsters that made killing humans a sport.

The first thing I noticed while reading this story was the remarkable similarities between the portrayal of mermaids and vampires. While vampires crave blood and most books claim they will go crazy without it, mermaids in this book crave human emotions and will go crazy without it. This began to annoy me a little further into the story as I realised how similarly these mythical creatures were being described. However, I did like the idea of creepy evil mermaids, and it was an interesting addition to the story. Mermaids are far from overused in paranormal/fantasy stories, and I'd love to see some other similar stories being written.

The author paints a very dark picture of what mermaids are really like, and despite the mermaids not really creeping me out, I did like the juxtaposition in the story--it's set in a nice town with a pretty lake, and yet within this beautiful lake lies deadly creatures. Despite enjoying the setting, I thought there should've been far more backstory with the mermen/mermaids. We learn how they are created later on in the story during a slight info-dump, but I want to know more about the history of mermaids, stuff about mermaid lore, things like that, since I haven't explored this sub-genre before. Hopefully, the author will delve further into the mermaid-world in the next book and explain a little more.

The characters were likeable for the most part, if not rather bland. However, I have to give credit for the main love interest, Lily. It's sad that an overwhelming majority of YA authors portray stalking by a male character as romantic these days, and luckily for readers, Lily actually notes that Calder is stalking her and finds it mildly disturbing, which is more than what I can say for many other fictional girls. The only thing that didn't exactly make sense in this relationship was the mild sprinkling of insta-love potion. At times, Calder's obsession seemed to blur into love and vice versa, so I was scratching my head for a good portion of the story as I tried to figure out whether the romance was ~true love~ or stalking.

(Also: The sisters were so cool. They were evil, scheming, and awesome. Kudos to the author for adding them in.)

I did enjoy the male POV, as you don't get many of them in YA, and I did enjoy Calder's confusion as he tried to figure out exactly what attracted girls. Although he was slightly cocky and the narrative did come across as arrogant or annoying at times, it was quite enjoyable, and despite not knowing how authentic the voice was, it was a refreshing change.

Overall, Lies Beneath isn't something I would necessarily buy, but it was a fairly decent read. With slightly two-dimensional characters and romance bordering on obsession, but a great setting and sensible love interest, I'd give this book three stars. Recommended for lovers of stalky romance (e.g. Twilight fans), creepy-cool mermaids, and stories with waterside settings.

An e-galley of the book was provided for review purposes (and received with thanks!) but did not influence this review in any way.

Sunday Wrap-up {5}

Sunday Wrap-up is a meme where we showcase all the books we got over the week and discuss random things.

Books mentioned in the video: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) by Michelle Rowen, Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1) by Anne Greenwood Brown, The Children's Bach by Helen Garner, Nightlight: A Parody (Lampoon Parodies) by The Harvard Lampoon, Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong , Rachel Vincent , Sarah Rees Brennan , Jeri Smith-Ready , Mary E. Pearson , Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Jessica Verday, Claudia Gray, Jackson Pearce, Carrie Ryan, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Kimberly Derting, Ally Condie, Chinese Cinderella: A True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah, Silence (Hush, Hush, #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick and The Lost Stories (Ranger's Apprentice, #11) by John Flanagan.


What did you guys get? Leave a link to your IMMs/Showcase Sundays/'what we got' posts, and we'll be sure to check them out!

~Maxine and Nicole~

Blog Tour Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux #1
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Purchased
Goodreads//Amazon                                                                     

Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.

I know you guys all realise this already...but Daemon is full of win.

Seriously...when Katy and Daemon make out, lightning flashes outside? *cue fangirl squeal* I'm going to format this review a little differently to usual, just to try out something new:

+Have I mentioned that Daemon was super hot? The kissing scenes were thoroughly swoon-worthy and I have to say that I absolutely loved them, even though I'm not the hugest fan of paranormal romance to say the least.

+Katy was a book blogger! There was a downside to this which I will mention below, but needless to say, it was pretty awesome. I was able to click with her pretty easily, and she also had a real personality and real feelings, which I loved.

+The action was pretty good. The book hit that perfect spot between descriptive and fast-paced.

-This book reminded me of Twilight a little too much:

1. The aliens hang out in a clique at school
2. Katy is saved from a car by Daemon
3. Daemon's response for everything was 'I'm horrible to you because I'm actually in love with you and just can't admit it'

-There was too much insta-love. It seemed like they were glaring at each other one moment and smooching the next.

-I can easily see why non-book bloggers might get confused with the mentions of memes and things in this book. For me it added a fun element and made Katy a little more real, but for people who don't even know what a book blog is (some of my friends are like that! The shame! Le gasp!), it might be annoying and cryptic.

Overall, though, I fell in love with all the characters in time, and I really can't wait to start reading Onyx! Check out the other tour stops on today's tour: FireStar Books and Planet Print.