Review: Minder

Minder by Kate Kaynak



Synopsis (From Goodreads):Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn needs to learn how to use her special abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control.A stray thought can burn a building to the ground.And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads.But it's still better than New Jersey,especially once she meets the man of her dreams?

After getting attacked one night, Maddie Dunn does the impossible. She fights back with her mind. Her life is turned upside down, told she is a "Minder", a person who possesses telepathic powers, she is transported to Ganzfield, a secret training facility with people just like her, but they're not. The majority of kids here possess pyrokinetic (fire) powers and mind control, she is the only minder.

Here, she meets Trevor, a person who she instantly connects with. It could be the fact that he is also a loner at the facility. He is telekinetic, someone who can control objects with his mind. He also feels he is dangerous to be around, just like Maddie. They fall hard and fast in love as if nothing can tear them apart. But, there are some secrets bout this facility that are kept hidden and some enemies that want it destroyed.

Kate Kaynak has created an interesting world that is similar to X-men in many aspects, but also resembles an ordinary high school. There's the popular kids/bullies (mind controllers) and the lovable geeks (pyros). All characters a very well-rounded and it was good to see all the flaws and weaknesses that teenagers with such powers have.

Even though the relationship between Maddie and Trevor happens too quickly, and it felt a bit unrealistic at times, I felt they were the perfect couple. Both of them were outsiders at school. Maddie was the only Minder and Trevor was the only telekinetic, and both of them were dangerous to be around when they were asleep. It can easily be seen why both would turn to each other.

Minder is the fantastic introduction to the world of Ganzfield, and the perfect start to this series. The book was a quick read, packed full of emotion and turmoil. I look forward to picking up Adversary and the rest of the books in this series to see where Maddie and Trevor go next.

Source: e-book

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #30 of 50

Review: Shatter Me

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi


Synopsis (From Goodreads):Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. 


The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. 

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in 264 days, not since the accident which made the reestablishment lock her up for murder. Juliette has the power to kill someone by just touching them. Locked in an isolated cell with no contact, Juliette thinks that's how she's going to spend the rest of her life. That is until Adam gets placed in the same cell as her. This must be a test or a trap because not only did they place a boy in her cell, his is familiar. Juliette knows him from some place before her life in the cell.

When the two are forced from their cell, only then does Juliette realise she was right. It was a test. Adam was planted in her cell, a direct command of the military general, Warner. Warner is obsessed with Juliette, ever since he discovered what she is capable of. He pulls her out of the life of solitary and gives her food and beautiful clothes, and the chance to have the world at her feet. The only catch is that she agrees to work for Warner and use her touch to torture his enemies.

And then there's Adam. He remains close to her, and is the only one capable of helping her escape. Juliette must keep fighting Warner's advances until she can get away or be forced to use her curse for his psychotic purposes.

Tahereh Mafi has created a thrilling debut in a dystopian society where the world is falling a part and diseases and food shortages are destroying the population. Even though Juliette is despised and feared, mostly by people who don't understand what she can truly do, she has remained strong and kind.  Juliette's voice comes through strong with every word, especially the contradictory thoughts that has been scratched out, such as:

It's a home, a centre for troubled youth, for neglected children from broken families, a safe house for the psychologically disturbed. It's a prison.


It's easy to see how all the horrors Juliette has faced could lead her to kill herself, but still she doesn't. Her life is the one thing she can control.

Adam and Juliette go perfectly together. Both of their lives have been hard and it is easy to see why they need each other to lean on, but then there's Warner who would do anything to have Juliette all to himself. He is venomous and would do anything to have power, which includes having the power Juliette has. Warner dangles all the enticing, but poisonous, fruit in front of Juliette expecting her to do whatever he wants because he can provide her with food and clothes and attention, the things she has not had in her life.

Mafi's writing is beautiful and unique. From the first word the reader is pulled into Juliette's head and stays there. It reads like it is actually inside a broken 17 year old's head. I really loved how Juliette still has a value of life, even though no one else has shown her any courtesy like that before. She is only one of the elements that makes this book a page turning rollercoaster.

With an X-men feel in a dystopian society, Shatter Me is an exciting read and I can't wait until the sequel to see more of Juliette and Adam.

Source: ARC courtesy of Allen and Unwin

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #29 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #14 of 20

Review: Liar

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

Micah is a liar. Everything she says is a lie, so how can you know what she's telling is the truth? Now her "after school" boyfriend is found dead in Central Park, a place where they spent so much time together, she is forced to tell the truth. But how can anyone decipher what the truth is when everything else out of her mouth is a lie? Rumours start to circulate around the school about who killed Zach, but it's not just Micah who is being accused.

As Micah tells her story, there's only two questions left to answer. What is Micah's secret? And, what really happened to Zach?

What can I say about this book that won't give away all the secrets? Justine Larbalestier does an excellent job of creating a confessional type story told from Micah's perspective. From the first page where Micah promises to tell the truth all the way to the end the reader is kept guessing as they try to figure out which version of the story they should really believe.

Even though Micah is an unreliable narrator, it works. Throughout the story, Micah changes the story and announces that what she's told the reader has, in fact, been lies. This kept the twists and turns coming and had me thinking about what was really happening. Even some of the truths that I thought were lies turned out to be real, or so she leaves the reader believing. The story is split into three parts Before (Zach's death), After and family history. This helped build Micah's character and showed her motivation and reasons for why she's the way she is.

I can't really say much more about what lies or truths she did say without giving away any of the twists. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to be kept guessing or for those who likes to solve a good mystery, because that's what Micah is, a good mystery, as the reader tries to figure out if she is telling the truth, or everything is a lie.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #28 of 50
2011 Aussie Reading Challenge: #4 of 12

Review: Die for Me

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Synopsis (From Goodreads): In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Amy Plum has created a thrilling debut set in the romantic setting of Paris. Kate is struggling to deal with her parents deaths after they die in a tragic car accident. Moving to Paris with her older sister, Georgia to live with their Grandparents doesn't help her to feel less depressed. Instead of spending night after night out like her sister does, Kate recludes to Parisian art and reading at coffee shops.

When Kate meets Vincent, he helps her to move on and feel happy for the first time since her parents deaths. As she begins to fall in love with him, she learns that he is a revenant, someone who has died while protecting others and is destined to save the lives of others over and over again. Kate is pulled into a war that has existed for centuries between Vincent's revnants and those who are destined to destroy people. Kate must decide whether the safety of her own life is more important than Vincent.

From the moment I'd heard of Die for Me it was at the top of my list to-read, and I'm glad I did. The idea of Revnants were interesting. Beings destined to die over and over again so that they can rescue other people, now who wouldn't want to read that? Kate was an honest and typical teenager who's dealing with a lot of grief, but that doesn't stop her from doing what needs to be done, and she is also very protective of her older sister.

The relationship between Vincent and Kate developed at a believable rate, and with it being set in Paris, you can't go wrong. The twists and turns Plum throws at the two as they move through their relationship, which leads up to a thrilling conclusion. Plum has created a unique and thrilling paranormal romance and I can't wait to see where the story continues in the sequel.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #27 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #13 of 20

Review: Stolen

Stolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Amelia knows one thing... she's dead. She doesn't know how she died and she doesn't know who she was before drowning. She is forced to relive her death over and over in what she can only call nightmares. But, when she finds a boy, Joshua, drowning in the same river she did, she knows she has to help (but doesn't know how since she's already dead).

Lucy Christopher has created an intense tale of kidnapping and survival written as a letter from 16-year-old Gemma's eyes to her captor. Gemma is on her way home to London from Bangkok when she is kidnapped. When she wakes up, she finds herself in the Australian outback.

Gemma soon discovers that even if she tries to run, there is nothing or nowhere she can run to. As she gets to know her kidnapper, Ty, she has to find the will to survive if she ever wants to see home and her family again.

Christopher has beautifully written a story on such an intense topic. The letter allows the readers to become close and to understand her emotions as she becomes conflicted over whether to hate, pity or care for Ty. Ty is indeed an intriguing character. Yes, he did kidnap her, but he was always kind to her and did not force her to do anything she didn't want. In his mind, he kidnapped Gemma to get her to a better place.

The Australian outback is painted perfectly. Even though I'm Australian, it is some place I haven't bee yet, but the scenery surrounding Gemma and Ty created vivid images which made Gemma's survival and need for Ty even more apparent.

For such a serious topic, Christopher has created a captivating story that paints the intense scenario that is all-too real through the eyes of the victim. Overall, Stolen was a non-stop rollercoaster as the reader becomes close to Gemma, and even Ty, as she tries to escape, survive and wonder if she's ever going to see home again.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #25 of 50
2011 Aussie Reading Challenge: #3 of 12

Review: Hereafter

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Can there truly be love after death? 

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

Amelia knows one thing... she's dead. She doesn't know how she died and she doesn't know who she was before drowning. She is forced to relive her death over and over in what she can only call nightmares. But, when she finds a boy, Joshua, drowning in the same river she did, she knows she has to help (but doesn't know how since she's already dead).

When Joshua makes it out of the river alive, they form a bond and he focuses on trying to find out who Amelia was when she was alive. After the two discover that Joshua can only see Amelia because he is a seer, someone who's purpose is to hunt ghosts and exorcise them, they have to fight the coven headed by Joshua's own grandmother, avoid another ghost determined to get Amelia to himself and discover the truth about Amelia's death.

Hereafter was definitely a different paranormal romance. Amelia is already dead so no one apart from Joshua can even see her. This romance proved to be interesting and developed well.

Hudson has created an intriguing debut with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Eli, the ghost determined to get Amelia, is a devious villain, while Joshua is sweet and caring. These two guys are the only ones that have any real contact with Amelia and it makes the story interesting to see which side she will choose. Even though the love story between Amelia and Joshua is a bit silly with the fact that she is a ghost and Joshua is not, the tension between them is enough to continue reading.

Hereafter is a fast read with great characterisation and an original spin on the paranormal market. I look forward to reading more about Amelia and Joshua's romance in the next book.

Source: NetGalley

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #24 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #11 of 20

Review: Mercy

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Mercy ‘wakes’ on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business… or thinks they do. But Mercy has a secret life. She is an angel, doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new ‘persona’ each time she does, in an effort to resolve a cataclysmic rift between heavenly beings. The first of a brilliant new series sees Mercy meeting Ryan, an eighteen-year-old whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is presumed dead. When another girl is also kidnapped, Mercy knows she has to act quickly and use extraordinary powers to rescue her, even if it means exposing her true identity. Ages 13+

Mercy is an angel who doesn't know what she's done to be living in this limbo called her life. She is doomed to return to earth repeatedly, sliding into someone else's life in order to fix a problem. Mercy doesn't remember much of the previous lives, all she knows is that the girl's she leaves have ended up in a better place.

When Mercy wakes up on a school bus bound for a small town called paradise where Carmen, the girl she's taking over is participating in a combined school choir she doesn't know what she's in for. The family taking her in while she's in the town has a sad past. Two years ago their daughter was kidnapped without any trace. Almost everyone has given up on finding her alive, except for her eighteen year old brother, Ryan. Mercy knows she has to do something, that this is the reason for her being placed in this life. But can Mercy find the missing girl without putting Carmen in danger or making her life worse for when she wakes up?

Rebecca Lim has created a very unique angel story. Mercy is very confused about who she is and why she has been placed in this life, but she is also a strong and believable character. And as Mercy fumbles to get a grip on this new charge and understand everything about Carmen, this allows the reader to get even closer to her as it really feels like she's experiencing everything for the first time.

There is enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning and heart racing as Mercy discovers more secrets and lies that the family and town has. This book not only has one mystery about the missing girl, but also the mystery surrounding Mercy's past. She is searching for her soulmate and answers as to why she's living these girls lives, and it's hinted throughout the novel, but as the first mystery is solved there are still those questions that makes me want to read the next in the series just to find out more.

Mercy is a perfect book for any angel or paranormal fan. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Source: NetGalley

2011 Aussie Reading Challenge: #2 of 12
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #22 of 50
 

Review: The Cellar

The Cellar by A. J. Whitten

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.

But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she’d ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she’s dating the living dead before it’s too late for both of them?

A. J. Whitten has created a Romeo and Juliet story with zombies. Meredith and Heather are sisters constantly haunted by the tragic loss of their father from a car accident which has left Heather with scars. Meredith is scared for her sister because she is withdrawing into herself and they aren't talking like they used to.

Meredith has more to worry about when the new guy next door takes an interest in Heather. When Meredith dares to investigate him she sees something in the cellar that makes Meredith believe he's a monster, but no one will believe her. In fact, every one who comes into contact with Adrien absolutely loves him. How can she make Heather and everyone else in town that he's a monster before they all become dinner?

I didn't know what kind of story I'd find when I first started reading The Cellar. The Cellar is a horror with a central love story. The writing was pretty good and graphic, but that's how I like my horror stories. The one thing about this story is that nothing came as a surprise due to the story being divided into three POVs (Meredith, Heather and Adrien), and because of Adrien's perspective, it didn't keep the reader trying to guess what's going to happen. Because I love mysteries in my horror about what/who the monster is, this is the one main part that let it down for me.

This divided POV also hindered me from really feeling any connection to the characters. Each of the POVs were individual and unique, and from viewing every side of the story it was hard to decided who to root for, or feel sorry for, more.

That being said, The Cellar was an interesting story full of action, romance and horror, the perfect companion to sitting at home during a stormy night and reading.

Source: NetGalley

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #21 of 50

Review: The Vespertine

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Synopsis (From Goodreads): It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

A hauntingly beautiful historical fiction set in the 1800s. Amelia van den Broek is sent to Baltimore to attend school and partake in other ladylike events. When she receives glimpses of the future she is suddenly the centre of the town with not only her friends but also strangers calling on her to tell their fortunes. With the start of a forbidden romance with an artist, Nathaniel, Amelia tries to hold onto the life that she is building. But, when her visions turn dark, she finds herself accused of causing the misdeeds herself.

The Vespertine was beautifully written and drew me into the historic setting of the 1800s. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but the plot and the mixture of the historical setting with the supernatural kept me reading. Amelia is a strong character who, despite the era this is set in, has a very independent voice. All of the characters were believable and enjoyable, but I would have liked to have learned more about Amelia's and Nathaniel's powers a bit more throughout the story.

Saundra Mitchell has created an elegant story, perfect for curling up on a sofa and reading.

Source: NetGalley

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #20 of 50

Recommend:

Review: Cryer's Cross

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

The small town of Cryer's Cross isn't supposed to have anything bad happen, that was until a freshman girl disappears without a trace. But life goes on and for 16-year-old Kendall she pushes forward even though with her OCD she is freaked at seeing Tiffany's desk empty each day. Everyone thinks it's just a sad occurrence that would only happen once in the small town, that is until Kendall's boyfriend, Nico goes missing. The town is put into crisis mode, but still no one is able to find any trace of Nico. Kendall does know something is wrong with this situation and when she starts receiving graffiti messages on the desk where Nico used to sit she knows deep down that it could only be from Nico, meaning that Nico could still be alive. As Kendall jumps into the mystery of the disappearances with the help of the new, and irritating, Jacian, she comes to learn that the small town of Cryer's Cross has some dark secrets and a dark past that doesn't want to stay hidden.

Cryer's Cross was an intriguing story full of quirky characters. Kendall, even though she had OCD, was a strong character who was not afraid of who she was or of letting her OCD define her, in fact it was the one part of her that helped her throughout the story and in pushing her further into the mystery. 

Even though I did not find the story scary, the mystery kept the plot moving forward and some of the scenes created were chilling with the twists and turns that Kendall had to face. This was definitely a story that had me on the edge of the seat as I waited for the mystery to unfold.

McMann does a good job of creating the characters and their relationships as they struggle to uncover the truth of the small town and what really happened to the missing students.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #18 of 50

Recommend:

Review: The Royal Treatment (Princess for Hire #2)

The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Desi Bascomb's job as a princess substitute has gotten a whole lot more glamorous now that she's advanced to Level 2 within the Facade Agency. Magical make-up, roller-skating celebrities, and the chance to see Prince Karl again are just some of the major perks. Not to mention, she's landed the role of Fairy Queen in her school's production of Midsummer's Night Dream (opposite her best friend's crush. Which is a little weird, but at least he wears a donkey head during their kissing scene). Life should be perfect, but Desi can't seem to shake the feeling that there is more going on with the agency's magic than she's told. Like why is this mind-bending power exclusive to royals? Is it possible that there could be a bigger way to make an impact in both parts of her life?

After progressing to a Level 2 in the Facade Agency, Desi thought life couldn't get more glamorous. But, life has just got a little bit more complicated. She's landed a role as the fairy queen in a Midsummer's Night Dream where she has to kiss her best friend's crush, she's crushing on a prince she knows she'll never be able to have and she has a strange feeling that the Facade Agency is hiding a big secret about the magic it uses. Desi doesn't have much time to ponder about the Agency when she's got a list of talents she needs to perfect for her princess subbing duties, a play to prepare for and also trying to figure out her own magical gifts. So much to do, but that's only the life of a princess sub.

Once again, Desi's life is a rollercoaster as she gains a promotion within Facade and now has other responsibilities put on her as a Level 2 sub, making this an exciting and fun read. All of the characters are  larger than life with unique personalities that makes you want to laugh, cry or scream. The Royal Treatment fits in perfectly with Princess for Hire.

This story finds Desi trying to work out the secrets of the Facade Agency and also her own magic potential, all while struggling against her conflicting feelings over her prince charming and her best friend's crush. Put all this with the adventures Desi finds herself in as she subs for princesses and you have a funny and charming story. I would suggest the Royal Treatment to anyone who is looking for a light-hearted read or can imagine themselves subbing for royalty.


Source: Netgalley
Release Date: May 3rd 2011
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #18 of 50
Recommend:

Review: Savannah Grey

Savannah Grey by Chris McNish

Synopsis (From Goodreads): 15 year old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realise its savage intent.

15 year old Savannah Grey is just trying to find a place she belongs. She's moved from foster family to foster family, never really able to settle down and fit in. She doesn't know why she always has to be on the move or why she keeps her distance from everyone around her. But, when a strange attraction to the new boy, Reece brings her to realise that there's something growing in her throat that has great supernatural powers, she discovers that she has to protect it and learn how to harness it before the evil creature that's hunting her catches up and destroys her. When the time comes, will Savannah be able to harness the power within her to save herself and all the ones she cares about? Or will she do anything to give it up and just be normal?

Chris McNish has created a unique horror story in Savannah Grey. It started off slowly, but by the time the true evil had made itself known it was into a captivating story that was probably rushing a bit to much to reach the end.

Savannah Grey is a guarded character. She doesn't like anyone to get close to her, especially with the unconscious need to protect whatever it is that's growing inside of her throat. But she does have a big heart and care a lot about her best friend Nina and her foster mother, this is the character that I really loved. Too bad she was full of a lot of insecurities that nearly overshadowed the caring heroine.

I loved the monsters that McNish created. They were full of originality and personality (yes, even the monsters had personalities) and they were definitely what made this story interesting. Also I have to say that the romance created between Savannah and Reece was fantastic. He was a character created who gave her strength and also provided obstacles which gave the story plenty of twists and turns.

This doesn't mean that I didn't like Savannah Grey. It was an interesting story, and definitely an original take on the monster story. The one thing that I felt was a let down was the pace with it being either too slow or too quick, I found myself having to re-read parts to see if I missed parts. Besides from that, Savannah Grey is definitely a novel for anyone that loves horror and dark paranormal.


Source: Netgalley
Release Date: April 28th 2011
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #17 of 50
Recommend:

Review: What Can't Wait

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez

Synopsis (From Goodreads): “Another day finished, gracias a Dios."

Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. And they expect her to marry a boy from the neighborhood, to settle down, and to have grandbabies. If she wants a job, she could always be an assistant manager at the local grocery store.

At school, it's another story. Marisa's calc teacher expects her to ace the AP test and to get into an engineering program in Austin—a city that seems unimaginably far away. When her home life becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere—and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants—other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over.

What Can't Wait—the gripping debut novel from Ashley Hope Pérez—tells the story of one girl's survival in a world in which family needs trump individual success, and self-reliance the only key that can unlock the door to the future.

Marissa wants to be more than what her family expects her to be. Her family expects her to marry, work hard and stay around her family to help them out. Marissa wants so much more. She tries hard at school and is even taking AP calculus to get into a good university to become more than an assistant manager at the local grocery store. With all her family and work obligations, Marissa finds it hard to keep up with her advanced classes and sometimes she even thinks that she will never be able to achieve her goals, but her calculus teacher believes she can be so much more than Marissa even believes.

When her life gets unbearable Marissa will have to decide whether she should, or even could, put her needs before her family, and when the time comes, will she be able to leave everything behind to live her own life.

What Can't Wait is a gripping debut novel about making the hard decision between family commitments and personal desire. Marissa is a very strong character who really cares for her family. She watches her niece, cooks for her family, works long hours and gives half her pay to her family, and she even manages to keep up with high level courses in order to gain admittance into a proper college. Even for people who don't know the Mexican culture that Marissa comes from will be able to relate to her because of her desire to please her family and not let them down, but also the desire to achieve more than what her family expects. 

What Can't Wait is a roller coaster of emotion as Marissa is faced with the ups and downs of high school and family commitments, all leading up to her making the biggest decision of her life. When it comes time, will she actually be able to leave her family and start her life?


Source: Netgalley
Release Date: March 28th 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #10 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #16 of 50
Recommend:

Review: The Lipstick Laws

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Synopsis (From Goodreads): At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her.   For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.   But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?


April Bowers isn't just unpopular, she's practically invisible. When her best friend, Hayley transfers schools, April is forced to start the new school year alone. When she gets the attention of popular girl, Britney Taylor, she isn't going to say no even though Hayley keeps warning her to stay away from Britney. Everything seems to be going great for April, she's been able to talk to her crush Matt "hottie-body" Brentwood and she's even sworn an oath to the Lipstick Laws, making Britney and her followers her friends... or at least she thinks.

When April breaks a law she is tossed out of Britney's group and they do anything to make April's life hell, like they have for so many others before her. April isn't going down without a fight and she decides that there might be others to help her. She forms the Lipstick Lawbreakers, a group bent on dethroning Britney Taylor. But, how far will April go to get her revenge? And, is it all worth it, especially when she might not get the boy she wants in the end?

With drama, boys and good old fashion revenge, The Lipstick Laws is a high school roller coaster about how far bully victims will go before they fight back.

The Lipstick Laws was a cute and easy read. There are plenty of ups and downs as April tries to find her place in the school. April is a really likeable character, and I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to her. I'm sure a lot of people either know or have known a Britney Taylor and would have given anything to give her some payback. This is the exact book for that.

Mix it in with two guys, the hottie and the geek and you've got the exact formula for high school chaos. Amy Holder does a great job at creating a fun little read that targets the more serious issue of Bullying and how far the victims can go before they become the bullies. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Amy Holder can deliver.


Source: Netgalley
Release Date: April 4th 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #8 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #14 of 50

Recommend:

Review: Bumped

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Synopsis (From Goodreads): When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

In a world where infertility is a disease that occurs when one turns 18. With the population declining, teenagers have become the most important people. People would pay good money for good surrogates, so teenagers are being represented and search for contracts.

Melody is one of those girls. She has been prepared for this ever since she was young, and her file is nearly flawless so she should get only the best prospect. There is only one small flaw and that is her identical twin sister Harmony. When Harmony comes from the church culture of Goodside to find Melody to persuade her that "pregging" for profit is a sin and Melody is paired up to "bump" the famous Jondoe, a case of mistaken identity causes both girls to think about what they want. Is what they've been taught and prepared for all their lives really what they want?

This story was interesting and I'm torn between loving and hating it all at the same time. Okay, let's get the bad out of the way first. The story was intriguing, but the one thing that did catch me up was the amount of foreign slang. I understand that it's a dystopian future, but if I have to think about the word and try to work out the meaning it's actually pulling me out of the story. The other bad thing was that at times Harmony's side could be a bit preachy about marriage before sex, but I don't think that could have been helped much.

But, this novel has a lot of things you've got to love. There are the characters. All of them are fleshed out and easily to relate to. The twins have exact opposite personalities even though they are identical. Zen is so adorable, he's always there for Melody even though he knows that she's going to be paired to someone else to be "bumped" with.

The story was interesting and I just had to keep reading. It's a fully realised dystopian world and the story of the two sisters is well weaved. It's a page-turner as each chapter alternates between Melody and Harmony and the reader follows them through the story of desire, mistaken identity and self-discovery.

I look forward to when the next one comes out.


Source: Netgalley
Release Date: April 26th 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #7 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #13 of 50

Recommend:

Review: Wither

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Synopsis (From Goodreads): What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

In a world where girls die at 20 and guys die at 25, it is dangerous for girls to even wander the streets. Rhine knew this, and when the Gatherers collect her and she is forced into marriage with two other brides, she is taken away from the only family she has left, her twin brother. She can't forget about him and she vows to return home, if she can just get away from the mansion she's locked in. It's not just her husband. Linden that she has to worry about.  It's Linden's eccentric father who is bent on finding a cure, even if that means gathering the bodies of the dead to perform his crazy experiments on.

Together with a servant boy, Gabriel who she's managed to get close to, they try to find a way to escape. But as Rhine's time is running out, will she be able to escape and find her way home?

Lauren DeStefano has created a confronting world where girls are being sold into marriage and prostitution. The writing is hauntingly beautiful as the reader is introduced to Rhine who is kidnapped and forced into marriage. The character of Rhine has been created with great depth and emotion that you can't help but feel sorry for her predicament. In order to be free, she has to pretend to love Linden, her husband, but at the same time the only thing she can think about is escaping. Then there's Linden's father, a man that is scary because he cares about his son too much and would do anything to make him happy and keep him alive.


The setting created was beautiful and very contrasting to the world that Rhine had known previously. She was forced to make the decision to live in luxury for the remainder of her short life or escape to the dangerous world and back to her brother. But, her mind never waivers from finding a way back to her only family.

There were enough twists and turns to keep me reading and hoping that Rhine will find a way to escape from her captors. I look forward to reading more about Rhine and her world.


2011 Debut Author Challenge: #6 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #12 of 50

Recommend:

Review: The Liar Society

The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

Kate,
I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

One year ago, Kate lost her best friend, Grace. No one would believe her when she said it was not an accident and she didn't know what to do to prove it, until she gets a mysterious email from her "dead" best friend.

Kate is thrown into the mystery surrounding Grace's death, and together with her two nights in-not-so shining armour, conspiracy theorist and love-sick neighbour, Seth and the hot bad boy, Liam, they search for the truth about what happened that night. But, how can she know what the truth is when everyone and everything about that night is twisted up in lies and the closer she gets, the more apparent it is that someone doesn't want her finding out the truth.

I was eagerly anticipating the Liar Society. The Roecker sisters are very entertaining on their blog, and I was not disappointed with their debut novel. The Liar Society had enough twists and turns as Kate finds herself in a full-blown mystery involving secret societies, archaic traditions and murder.

I absolutely loved Kate and everything about her right down to her spunky attitude to her pink hair and pearl necklace. She was a character that, even though she was still mourning for her dead best friend, she didn't want to give in and she definitely knew how to take care of herself.

And, then there are the boys. Two very different characters and both very loveable in their own way. Seth, the nerdy neighbour is so sweet and would do anything for Kate just to get some attention from her, and then there is Liam (mmm Liam), definitely a misunderstood Bad Boy who doesn't want to see Kate hurt. All the characters were fleshed out and each had a very specific motive and purpose for being in the novel. I loved that.

The Liar Society is definitely one page turner that will keep you turning the page until the end. I look forward to seeing more adventures of Kate and her school Pemberly Brown.



2011 Debut Author Challenge: #5 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #11 of 50
Recommend:

Review: Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Lena has been told all her life how the disease of deliria nervosa (aka love) is dangerous. It is the disease that caused her mother to take her own life. Lena has been counting down until she is old enough to take the procedure to be cured because she doesn't want to end up like her mother - she wants to be happy.

That changes when she meets Alex. Alex is wild and different and through the words he says he makes her feel beautiful. When Lena feels herself becoming infected, she starts to wonder whether the disease is really as dangerous as the government makes it out to be. As her procedure draws near, Lena has to make the choice of whether she wants to live this "happy and pain-free" life that will happen after she's cured, or find a way to escape and be with Alex without getting caught.

Lauren Oliver has created a world that is believable and slightly unsettling. It's hard to imagine a world that has banned "love", but through Lena's eyes the world becomes horrifyingly real. Lena is the perfect character to tell the story. She has been harmed by the disease with her mother's suicide, and she can't wait to become cured so she doesn't have to worry about becoming infected. As Alex shows her that love isn't as dangerous as everyone thinks it is, Lena grew exponentially as she started to question the world she has grown up in.

The story and pace had me hooked from page one as Oliver created this original "Romeo & Juliet" style story. It contains plenty of ups and downs that kept me turning the page. I can't wait until the next one gets released so I can find out more of Lena's story.



Recommend:  Uglies (Uglies Trilogy, Book 1)

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #10 of 50

Review: The Marbury Lens

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury. 

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.
 
Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay. But, it’s not. 

Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.

When Jack escapes from a deranged man's house after being kidnapped, the only person he tells is his best friend, Connor. Since he is going to England, he doesn't see the need in telling any one else. Jack leaves for England, a couple of days before Connor, and he meets a strange man who says he knows him from a world called Marbury. He gives Jack a pair of glasses, which when he puts on takes him to the world of Marbury where there is a great war going on.

The more Jack visits Marbury, the more he's losing touch with reality, but he can't stop himself from returning. Andrew Smith has created a story that questions what is real and what is just an effect of trauma.

The story is told through Jack's eyes and intermediately the reader is drawn into his world and his experience as he's tied to a bed in Freddie's house. As the novel progresses and Jack questions what is reality and what is just an after effect of the kidnapping, the emotions are portrayed exceptionally well, which made me wanting to read on to find out what was happening to Jack.

Both worlds, the real world and the world of Marbury, have been vividly painted and it's easy to imagine what they look like and how the characters feel towards each of the world's.


The Marbury Lens is a pageturning rollercoaster, that will keep any reader on the edge of the seat. Andrew Smith has created a wonderful story that delves into a nightmarish world and explores the effects that trauma can have on a person.




Recommend: I haven't read anything like this before. I would recommend to anyone who likes dark and thrilling stories.
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #9 of 50

Review: John Belushi is Dead

John Belushi is Dead by Kathy Charles

Synopsis (From Goodreads): IN THE END WE ALL FADE TO BLACK. 

Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji are not your typical teenagers. Instead of going to parties or hanging out at the mall, they comb the city streets and suburban culs-de-sac of Los Angeles for sites of celebrity murder and suicide. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and their social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Hollywood history and collecting odd mementos of celebrity death.


Hilda and Benji’s morbid pastime takes an unexpected turn when they meet Hank, the elderly, reclusive tenant of a dilapidated Echo Park apartment where a silent movie star once stabbed himself to death with a pair of scissors. Hilda feels a strange connection with Hank and comes to care deeply for her paranoid new friend as they watch old movies together and chat the sweltering afternoons away. But when Hank’s downstairs neighbor Jake, a handsome screenwriter, inserts himself into the equation and begins to hint at Hank’s terrible secrets, Hilda must decide what it is she’s come to Echo Park searching for . . . and whether her fascination with death is worth missing out on life.

Hilda has always felt a bit odd. Together with her best friend, Benji, they prowl the sites where celebrities have died, sometimes taking away a piece of history to remember it. When one apartment they come across has an old man living there, Hilda and Hank form a bizarre friendship. When Hank's downstairs neighbour, Jake, brings himself into the equation, Hilda starts to discover that Hank is hiding a dark secret. As Hilda's new relationships grow, she starts to question whether her fascination with death is making her miss out on life.

I did not know what I was getting myself into when I opened the first page of John Belushi is Dead, but I was not disappointed. From the first page, the reader is introduced to Hilda and her macabre friend, Benji. The two have a bizarre fascination with the dead - especially dead celebrities. All the characters are well thought out and believable, which made some parts of the story gut-wrenchingly realistic. I loved Hilda (and her pink hair) and the journey she took throughout the novel was full of enough twists and turns to keep me reading.

The premise of this story is unique, and even though some of the scenes were confronting and graphic, I couldn't put it down. Besides the melancholic tones, there's also the subtle romance that blooms between Hilda and Jake. His introduction to the story turned the whole plot upside down, which is a good thing because I was never able to see where it was going.

This is an emotional story which will appeal to anyone with the slightest bit of morbid curiosity, or anyone who has ever been interested in a death of a celebrity.

Recommend: Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe
2011 Aussie YA Reading Challenge: #1 of 12
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #8 of 50