Favourite Quote:"He really was perfect. If only he was perfect for me."
Wow! What an impressive start to an awesome new series! I was surprised at howFavourite Quote:"He really was perfect. If only he was perfect for me."
Wow! What an impressive start to an awesome new series! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Deception.
Deception was so easy to get into with it's engaging writing and perfect pacing. It is a slightly eerie tale that never has a dull moment. At the beginning I thought the plot was going to be a little predictable (but in the enjoyable sense) but there was quite a few completely unexpected twists. I like the fact that Nichols' manage to surprise me. It definitely makes me craving to find out what shocking surprises Nichols' has installed for us in book two Betrayal.
Emma was a fun and likeable character. Despite her struggles she never really moped around but rather got on with things as best with things as she could. I certainly don't think I would have been as strong as her with her family missing, moving into a strange town and suddenly being able to see ghosts. Then you have the mysterious Bennett. He was a hard to character to read at first but by the end of the book his secrets are starting to unravel. I found the more he opened up the more I liked him.
However, the romance fell a little short for me. Emma love life is a little complicated and I don't quite feel the chemistry with a certain guy. I certainly see the potential of a amazing romantic relationship but I don't believe it yet. Hopefully book #2 will change my mind.
Overall, Deception was a fun yet haunting tale with intriguing characters and a fantastic premise that kept me constantly entertained. I can't wait for more....more
All These Things I've Done was surprisingly good. I was completely captivated by this intriguing and tension filled story.
I have been reading quite a All These Things I've Done was surprisingly good. I was completely captivated by this intriguing and tension filled story.
I have been reading quite a bit of dystopia lately and I loved that this novel did not focus on matching people or the government trying to control everybody. In the year 2083 they are plenty of problems and changes but overall it feels more like a realistic future. Chocolate is illegal (EEK! no chocolate would make me crazy) together with a million other things like caffeine, paper without a permit, phones, cameras. I felt the world was very convincing as it feels similar to the stories of the 1920's when alcohol was banned and smuggled in.
This is the first book of Zevin's I have read. I found her prose sharp and alluring. Writing that draws you in immediately. It was perfectly paced story that had a cleverly constructed plot and world.
Anya is part of the Balanchine Family, one of the most well known crime syndicates in the world. Her father use to be the head of it before he was murdered. Anya mother was also killed in a hit gone wrong. Now Anya is trying to do the best she can caring for her ill grandmother, her older brother Leo, who has a learning disability and her younger sister Natty. Anya is a mature, brave and compelling character. I love that she always but her family first. I found the secondary characters to be just as well crafted and likeable as Anya especially Leo and Natty.
Win, is the son of the head of the District Attorney Department and Anya's love interest. So it is has a little bit of the star crossed lovers thing going on. The romance between Anya and Win was passionate and yet sweet at the same time.
The mafia part of the storyline was probably the highlight for me though. I found myself fascinated by this mysterious and dangerous element of the story. I would definitely like to see it play an even bigger part in the next installment.
I am so happy All These Things I've Done is going to be a trilogy. Even though it ended in a good place I felt like the story was just getting started and it has left me desperately craving more.
Overall, I found All These Things I've Done to be a clever and engaging read. Zevin definitely delivers all the right elements in this impressive novel. ...more
The Taste of Apple is written in verse and it is done well. It is the coming of age story of Pedro who's father walks out on him and his Filipino mothThe Taste of Apple is written in verse and it is done well. It is the coming of age story of Pedro who's father walks out on him and his Filipino mother forcing them to move into commission housing. There he meets and becomes friends with Johnny, a street busker who lives in his housing estate and Pedro's life changes.
I love the mix of cultures in The Taste of Apples with Pedro's Filipino background and the Australian setting. I also adored all the Aussie references like James Marsden and the old Olympic Games Village as I love it when an Aussie book actually feels like home.
The story is gritty and raw in places but also hopeful. I felt like Laidler never held back and therefore it felt a true reflection on life.
The Taste of Apple comes with an accompanying CD (although you can read it without it). I like the mix of media, it added a refreshing take.
The only thing that I found disappointing about The Taste of Apple is when I put it down I found myself losing interest. I was in no hurry to get back to it.
Overall, The Taste of Apple is a good solid read. And I will leave you with my favourite passage from this enjoyable and moving story.
I walk beside him in a daze, soaking up the snippets of his life; tired but totally unable to pull myself away from his strange incandescent glow....more
Favourite Quote:He pulls back, grins, and she is just young enough to mistake this feeling - this rough, violent swell - for love oRating 3.75 stars.
Favourite Quote:He pulls back, grins, and she is just young enough to mistake this feeling - this rough, violent swell - for love or something like it.
Wow, Cargo is such a breathtaking story. I wasn't quite expecting so much emotion from this book. My heart is still feeling a little raw and tender after finishing it.
Cargo is a real and honest read that captures the lives of three teens Gillian, Frankie and Jacob set in an Australian beach side town, the year 1992. It is a quick read at just 200 pages told in alternating chapters between these three characters who aren't friends but yet their lives are intertwined. While it captures some blissful moments of life as a teen and it really focuses on those heart aching times.
Jessica Au's writing is stunning. Her prose is gorgeous and is full of emotion. She makes every sentence sound beautiful.
The window grates open under her hands and the breeze is a shock of cold across her cheeks. When the horn calls for the third time, she feels the sound like the lowest note of a tuba through her ribs. She can just make out a lone cluster of lights that might be carrier navigating the darkness. Welded steel on great tracts of open water: she reminds herself that there have been swimmers who have crossed these same distances, some not much older than fifteen.
The characters are compelling. They each deal with issues that we all struggle with as a teen and you can really feel their angst and pain. While each of their stories held my interest, Gillian's point of view was my favourite. Completely absorbing and moving. It really got under my skin and nearly brought me to tears a couple of times.
Overall, Cargo is an impressive debut that is full of heart. Jessica Au is definitely an author I hope to read more from....more
Favourite Quote:"The two of us refusing to look back, knowing it's better to look forward, toward the future, than to long for a past that's gone forFavourite Quote:"The two of us refusing to look back, knowing it's better to look forward, toward the future, than to long for a past that's gone forever."
When I got asked to review this book, I said yes for one reason. I wanted to know if Ever and Damen finally do it..... uh-hum I mean find a cure of course ;)
The Immortals series and I have certainly had our ups and DOWNS but I have always been fascinated by this spellbinding world Noel has created. I remember reading the blurb for the first book and thinking this sounds good. The concept of being immortal, spending centuries fighting for love is perfect for the romantic at heart which we all know I am. And then you have magical Summerland and being able to manifest whatever your heart desired (like red tulips - although that trick gets a bit old when Damen is driving you crazy) and it adds a refreshing element to this story about out of the ordinary love.
One thing I like about Noel's writing is that plot is constantly full of surprises. No other couple has had to work as hard for a happy ending then Ever and Damen. They have had so many struggles that have provided many nail-biting-edge-of-my-seat moments. While there was still a few completely unexpected twists in Everlasting it's pace felt a little slower or maybe that is because we know a happy ending is in sight.....or is it?
A lot of my difficulty with this series has been with the character but I felt you could really see how much Ever has grown in this final installment. I swear she didn't annoy me once! In the earlier books she frustrated me with her decisions as I felt she would make mistake after mistake and never really learn from them. But she is now making smart choices. It makes me very happy to see her turn into a stronger and smarter young women. Now Damen, I felt he was disappointing. I didn't feel he had the charm and confidence and was a bit too brooding for my taste but I did like the way he will do anything to protect Ever and his unconditional love for her.
As for the romance between Ever and Damen it was very sweet. (view spoiler)[That big finally DO IT moment was rather too perfect and a little boring. A four post bed in front of a fireplace and there was no mention of protection. However my favourite romantic scenes were the flashback of their moments together in previous centuries. It was passionate (well compared to the other scene) and you could see the sparks flying. (hide spoiler)].
Overall, fans of The Immortals are going to love Everlasting. It is a perfect and surprising end to this popular series....more
Solid was a fun and engaging read that I devoured in one sitting.
Workinger writing had a really great flow making it an effortless Rating: 3.5 stars
Solid was a fun and engaging read that I devoured in one sitting.
Workinger writing had a really great flow making it an effortless read from start to finish. The plot had a familiar feeling yet it managed to still surprise me a couple of times. The first half of the book had great pacing but the second half felt a little rushed and I would have liked it to be a little more detailed. That being said it is only 220 pages so I think Workinger fitted in as much as she could in that small amount of pages.
The characters are instantly likeable and definitely will bring a smile to your face. Clio, does feel like the average girl making her easy to relate too. While the secondary characters were an entertaining bunch. There is also some romance. But that is were I had a little trouble. While I thought it was sweet I couldn't understand why Clio and Jack had a instant connection. I would have like a little more build up.
Overall Solid was a good start to the series. It definitely left me wanting to read more....more
In one sentence: Glow is an out of this world love story that takes you on a fast paced thrill ride.
I know some of yRating: 3.5 stars but just barely
In one sentence: Glow is an out of this world love story that takes you on a fast paced thrill ride.
I know some of you are reading the synopsis thinking spaceships, sci-fi, that is so not your thing but Glow isn't just for sci-fi fans. It definitely will appeal to fans of paranormal or dystopia reads with it's great blend of romance, adventure and suspense (I would call it light sci-fi). I know that with other sci-fi reads I have struggled with the world building but this is an effortless read that you become quickly absorbed in.
I loved that the action happened less than 50 pages in and from there on in it was a completely pulse pounding read. Every page seemed to be full of excitement and suspense. Although some events in the story seemed a little too convenient and hard to believe. But despite that I think the plot and the world Ryan has created is the strength of this book.
Glow is told in two points of view, Waverly and Keiran. I am a big fan of dual narration especially when it works well and flows seamlessly into each other and it definitely did in Glow. Without it I think I would have been lost as Waverly and Keiran were apart for majority of the story and it really helped give you the complete picture of what was going on.
Waverly is a compelling character. Mature, strong, a fighter and most importantly likeable. I love that she doesn't give up easily and isn't afraid to ask the hard questions.
However with Keiran I struggled to get a real sense of who his is. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed his point of view, it provided plenty of heart-stopping moments, but at times I felt his character was a little inconsistent. I also felt this way about Seth another important character. Sometimes they were nice honorable guys but the next minute they were being cruel and heartless. This may have been just because of their world was falling apart around them but I felt a little confused. I look forward to figuring them out in the next book.
Overall, Glow was a gripping and intense start to this series. I can't wait to see what happens next....more
Favourite Quote: "I felt changed, soiled by the brutality of all I'd witnessed. Something had finally replaced teenage girls on my list of most heinoFavourite Quote: "I felt changed, soiled by the brutality of all I'd witnessed. Something had finally replaced teenage girls on my list of most heinous, and I didn't even know what to call it."
Gateway is good. Really good. I enjoyed everything about this novel - the strong writing, the believable characters, the captivating plot and the subtle but sweet romance.
Garner has written an impressive debut. Her writing is quick and engaging and the plot has quite a few surprising twists. Like I completely didn't see that coming twists and I mean none of them. And that is a hard thing to find these days. I really got caught up in this enthralling and convincing world and finished it within 24 hours.
Gateway is not all paranormal. At the start of the book Ember wakes up in a hospital after an attempted suicide. So it does deal with some serious issues briefly adding some more emotional depth to the story but it isn't a depressing read. It is still more of action-packed, mysterious type of story.
The characters are well rounded and well written. Ember, the main character, struggles with being different. She has a genuine narrative making it easy to relate and connect with her. While Taren is an intriguing character. He is the type of guy that is the first one there if anybody needs anything. Just a great guy.
There is a touch of romance between Ember and Taren. They have plenty of tension that builds up nicely as the story goes. It definitely has you eagerly reading to see if these two will act on their attraction.
Overall, Gateway is a exceptional dark and appealing paranormal novel. I can't wait to read more of this world....more
Favourite Quote:Luck is a strange thing in the life of any thief and halfway decent con man. What is it that keeps the mark from counting the till or the guards from looking up at precisely the wrong moment? Kat had learned at a very young age that luck is for the amateur, the lazy---those who are unprepared and unskilled. And yet she also knew that luck, like most things, cannot be truly missed until it is also truly gone.
When it comes to sequels they can be a scary thing especially when you love the first book. But Uncommon Criminals is just as good as Heist Society. Once again Ally Carter offers all the right elements for another fun read - clever writing, a quick and suspenseful plot and entertaining characters.
Again there were plenty of twists in this cleverly constructed plot making it impossible to put Uncommon Criminals down. And when I did I was thinking about all the ways Kat could possibly get herself out of trouble this time. I also love how Carter brilliantly describes the settings. She really knows how to capture the beautiful places like Monte Carlo the crew visits and you can picture everything perfectly thanks to Carter's wonderful writing.
Kat is a genuine and likeable character. She is independent, smart and stubborn. In this instalment Kat has to learn to that she doesn't have to do everything on her own even if she doesn't need help. That it is okay to want help from her crew. Kat showed a lot growth. I also love the distinctive bunch of secondary characters. As soon as I started the book I was eagerly awaiting when Hale, Gabrielle, Simon or the Bagshaw brothers would pop up in the story and when they did they didn't disappoint.
I know fans of the first book will be wondering about the romance. Does anything happen with Hale? Well all I can say is the spark is still there and you will have to read the book (I recommend immediately).
Overall, this is one addictive series that I highly recommend. I really hope Carter writes a Heist Society #3....more
Favourite Quote:With my poor heart pounding wildly, his kiss spilled through my soul, and I was lost. His lips never left mine, yet he was all over mFavourite Quote:With my poor heart pounding wildly, his kiss spilled through my soul, and I was lost. His lips never left mine, yet he was all over my mouth. Never before had I felt anything this wonderful. I knew I'd pay dearly for my surrender, but I'd gladly pay it. I hoped this kiss would never end.
Wow! Unlovable was fantastic. It is such a sweet and tender tale that will appeal to any romantics at heart.
Unlovable is definitely an effortless and addictive read. I had other review books that I was meant to read before this but I thought I would have a little look just to see what it was like and ended up getting caught up in the plot (or should I say the romance) and finished it one sitting. Gammon is a debut author but you would never tell from her wonderful writing. Although it does feel like a guilty pleasure type of read.
While I found it easy to read the plot felt a little too perfect at times though. Did it stop me personally from enjoying it? No but it may bother some readers so be warned. (I could list though a bunch of my Goodreads friends who this would drive crazy).
Both Maggie and Seth are well rounded characters. Maggie has a rough life but shows a lot of strength for a a character that has had such a tough time. She is a sweetheart that always seems to put others first. Then you have Seth. A lovable guy with a big heart that would do anything to keep Maggie happy and safe. It would be impossible for anybody not to like these two.
There is also some interesting secondary characters like Cole and Booker. You just get the sense you are beginning to know them so it will be great to get their stories in Unbelievable and Unbearable.
Now on to the romance. For me it is the strongest part of the plot and my favourite aspect of the story. It definitely will make the the heart of any romantic melt. Seth and Maggie have plenty of dreamy romance moments that will make you go awwwwww (warning: some of Bookers friend may find it too sweet for their taste). But there relationship is not perfect as they have a few obstacles to over come but they never waiver about the way they feel for each other.
Overall, Unlovable is a passionate and engaging read that is perfect for fans of romance. Can't wait more of the Port Fare world in Unbelievable. ...more
Favourite Quote:"What do you think you are doing?" she asked. Luke smiled the first genuine smile she'd ever seen from him. He yankeRating: 3.5 stars
Favourite Quote:"What do you think you are doing?" she asked. Luke smiled the first genuine smile she'd ever seen from him. He yanked her back to him. "I have no idea". And he kissed her with even more fervor than he had a few moments ago.
Elemental is part adventure, part love story, part supernatural and a whole lot of FUN. It wasn't a perfect read but I had a blast reading it and for me that is the most important thing.
Dominguez's writing is engaging. It was full of action and suspense and the pages just flew by. It is written from both Luke's and Eva's perspectives alternating each chapter and allowing us to get know both characters.
However there were times I found the story a little predictable and I wish it flowed a little more effortless but that been said it didn't stop me from enjoying it.
Eva and Luke are both terrific and entertaining characters. Eva is smart, strong, determined and the class valedictorian. While Luke is dangerous, protective, gorgeous (of course) and the guy at school that everyone avoids.
Their relationship starts from dislike, to tolerate, to like, to finally something more. I love watching it change. It's progression felt natural and they had great chemistry.
The ending wraps up nicely while never feeling rushed but at the same time leaves it open for more.
Overall Elemental was a pleasure to read. I will be definitely keeping an eye out to see what Tiffany Dominguez has install for us next.
Note: (view spoiler)[This book had a Luke I am your father moment. I couldn't help but laugh and think Star Wars. I still enjoyed it though (hide spoiler)].
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