Review: As You Wake (In Your Dreams, #2) by Amy Martin

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the In Your Dreams series and so this review will contain spoilers from the first book. If you haven't read the 1st book then you can read my review of In Your Dreams here instead. You have been warned!

Author: Amy Martin Website|Twitter
Published: 30 April 2013
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 293
Amazon: Kindle
Smashwords: E-book

Source: Received free copy from author in exchange for an honest review

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Zara "Zip" McKee and Kieran Lanier thought they had put the threats from Kieran's past behind them in the first installment of the In Your Dreams series. But when danger comes for them once again, Zip, Kieran, and their families find themselves on separate summer road trips that none of them had anticipated. When all paths converge in North Carolina, the two families are forced to deal with each other and the secrets they've kept out of love and fear.

My Review:
I really enjoyed In Your Dreams so I've been eagerly anticipating this book! And I was very fortunate to receive a copy from the author a few days before the release. As You Wake picks up with Zip and Kieran still fearing they may be in danger and with Kieran strill having to deal with his visions.

There are so many things I loved about this book! It's one of those reviews where I don't really know where to start. Firstly, there was plenty of little bits of recapping weaved really nicely into the story which I always like, as I have a memory like a sieve and can't always remember little details from previous books in a series. In As Your Wake it was done perfectly and straight away I was back in that world. I think I enjoyed it more now Kieran's problem is well established, whereas in the first book there was still a lot of figuring out what was wrong with him. It meant I was able to completely lose myself in the story.

Okay so I really love Kieran and Zip's relationship. They're so sweet together! And in this book they have a lot of obstacles to deal with and it was great seeing how they tackled with them. Not only was it tricky knowing that they both could still be in danger with people possibly still out there wanting to get to Kieran, but they have all those teenage issues to deal with when it comes to their relationship. How are they going to deal with Zip going away for the summer? How will they cope when they're off at college? And the things like saying I love you and taking their relationship to the next level. I think they're probably one of the best written couples I've come across because everything just feels so natural with the two of them.

One of my favourite parts of As You Wake was definitely Kieran's sister Kayla. I thought she had great potential in the first book but she was just brilliant in this one! I especially liked the road trip scene where we get to see her bond more with Zip. She's just so honest and brutal but in a caring way, and I found myself really enjoying the scenes where she took more of a focus. I liked that we still get to see what's going on in her life as well and that she was able to share things with Zip.

There was definitely plenty of tension and suspense throughout As You Wake. I was constantly wondering what would happen and I could really feel Zip and Kieran's worries. I liked that there were some great characters to try and figure out as well, both people from the past and some great new characters who you had to decide whether to trust or not.

It really did have a bit of everything, from romantic relationships to family relationships, high school worries and a little bit of mystery. It delivered in all departments and I thought it was kept fresh by the fact we got to see characters in different physical settings. The pacing was spot on and I couldn't put it down. Every time I got to the end of a chapter there'd be another great cliffhanger that meant I just couldn't stop! And the climax was really exciting and made all that build up worth it.

I enjoyed this book even more than In Your Dreams so I can't wait to read the next book! If, like me, you've been waiting to read the sequel then wait no longer. You won't be disappointed!

Rating: 5*
Books like this: Shift by Em Bailey, Justice by Jade Varden

Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Author: Louise Rozett Website|Twitter
Published: 4 January 2012 (Mira Ink)
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 266
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some CONFESSIONS to make...

#1: I’m livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I’m allowed to be irate, don’t you?

#2: I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed gorgeous Jamie Forta, boyfriend of the coolest cheerleader in the school. Now she’s out for blood. Mine.

#3: But most of all high school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien…and now it’s a case of survival of the coolest. 

My Review:
I've been wanting to read this book for absolutely ages and couldn't believe my eyes when I found it for 99p in the Spring Kindle sale! Needless to say I snapped it up right away. Confessions of an Angry Girl follows Rose as she deals with the death of her father, and the problems his death causes both at home and at school.

I'll start out by saying this book wasn't quite what I expected from the title and plot summary. I expected Rose to be this really feisty character but the Rose we're first introduced to is shy, awkward and pretty quiet. Saying that, I still really fell in love with her as a character. I could relate to that awkwardness and the fact she seemed to be the "sensible" one in her school year. That was definitely me at school! And she had this kind of feminist attitude which I really admired.

The book was written mostly in first person, present tense which always makes a book stand out a bit. I thought it was used really effectively in Confessions and it really engaged me with the story and Rose herself. I also liked the way there were little words with their definitions at the start of each chapter that related to what was happening at that point in the story. It was a nice little extra.

The book deals with some pretty tough issues; grief, bullying and peer pressure being the main ones and I thought everything was extremely well done and realistic. It definitely reminded me of some of the things that happened in my school days! I particularly was impressed with the relationship between Rose and her best friend Tracy and how the two of them clash over how far Tracy should go with a boy. The characters were quite young (Rose is fourteen) but I think Rose came across as very mature for her age which helped make the book feel a bit more grown up.

There's plenty of romantic interest to get your teeth stuck into in this book. Rose gets closer to Jamie, an older student who seems to be showing a lot of interest in her. She's also being pursued by Robert, a guy who's had a crush on her for years. I thought there were some really sweet relationships throughout the book. It really is one of those books where all the characters shine. My favourite was probably Jamie's friend Angelo who I found hilarious and sweet at the same time.

I devoured Confessions of an Angry Girl and it was just the kind of book I like. There were a few moments that let it down for me. The fact it wasn't quite what I was expecting threw me off a bit and I felt like I had to wait a while to really see Rose get angry. There was also one scene I was expecting to be really significant, only when I reached the end of the book, nothing had come of it at all. There is a sequel to this book so I don't know how much of the plot will carry on into that book. I'll definitely be checking it out though, that's for sure!

Overall Confessions of an Angry Girl was a powerful read with great characters and some really touching moments, with humour dotted throughout to keep me entertained. I'd really recommend it.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend by Louise Rozett, book 2 in the Confessions series
Books like this: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Weekly Book Round Up! 28th April

Weekly Book Round Up!

22nd - 28th April

Didn't quite realise how much I had to talk about before I started writing this post! I got some really good books for review this week which I'm really grateful for, and as always I went a little crazy on Kindle downloads. So without further ado, here's a catch up on what I've been reading, buying, reviewing etc. over the past week. Enjoy!

Currently reading: A Gathering Light  by Jennifer Donnelly and Teen Idol by Meg Cabot which I'm still listening to on audiobook (albeit very slowly!).

Books finished: As You Wake by Amy Martin, the sequel to In Your Dreams - I've been really excited to read this! It's out next week so keep an eye out for my review. Plus The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski, Seven Wonders Journals: The Select by Peter Lerangis (a free prequel to The Colossus Rises) and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Books reviewed: Breathe by Sarah Crossan and The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Received for review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (huge thank you to Templar for the proof!), As You Wake by Amy Martin (thank you Amy!) and Amored by M. A. Wilder (thanks to the author!). The Testing looks really cool - very Hunger Games-ish with a touch of Legend going by the blurb! It comes out in August so keep an eye out for that.

Borrowed: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong which I finally managed to steal off a friend!

Kindle freebies: Between Friends by Amanda Cowen, The 5th Wave Chapter Sampler by Rick Yancey,  What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor, Tethers by Jack Croxall and Grishma by Kelly Anne Blount.

Library holds: I've heard so many good things about House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini (also it's blurbed by J. K. Rowling!) that I had to cave and request it from the library. And The Wolfstone Curse by Justin Richards which isn't out until July but I saw my library already had on order.

Other posts: Teaser Tuesdays, New Adult on Total Teen Fiction, Friday Finds, News Round Up!

Have you read anything great this week? Let me know in the comments!

News Round Up! 27th April

This is my weekly post of YA related news stories that have popped up on my radar this week. Enjoy!

The big news came in the first released image from the upcoming Divergent film. It was fans' first sneak peak at the film and featured a picture of Tris during the knife-throwing scene. If you still haven't checked out the image then you can see it over at the reveal post on EW.com. As well as that, you can read Veronica Roth's account of her recent set visit and her views on the news that Uriah won't be cast for the first film at this link. There were also some photos of houses being built on the set revealed this week which you can see over on Hypable.

This week it was World Book Night, an event where hundreds of volunteers give out free copies of their favourite books in order to encourage more people to read. Representing the YA side of things were the novels Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Find out more about World Book Night right here.

In cover news, the cover for Unhinged, the sequel to Splintered, by A. G. Howard was released this week. Check it out over on the A&C Kids UK Facebook page. And also check out Amy Martin's website  to see the cover reveal for As You Wake. the sequel to In Your Dreams. I think both are absolutely gorgeous!

And finally, more film adaptation news for fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore. According to this article on Variety, Reliance are developing the trilogy with Deepak Nayar overseeing the project. Have you read the Graceling Realm books? If so I'd love to hear your thoughts as I'm yet to read them myself!

Which news stories grabbed your attention this week? Let me know in the comments!

New book releases:
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Amazon|Book Depository|Goodreads
House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini
Amazon|Book Depository|Goodreads 
Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris
Amazon|Book Depository|Goodreads
Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen
Amazon|Book Depository|Goodreads 
The Rules by Stacey Kade
Amazon|Book Depository|Goodreads

Friday Finds: 26th April

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted over at Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

This week I did some major reorganising of my Goodreads shelves (which is way more satisfying than it should be!) so I've allowed myself to start adding books to an exclusive "looks interesting" shelf and keeping my "to-read" shelf for books I either own, have on hold at the library or are in a series I already started. That way my to-read list doesn't get to clogged up. I'll be featuring books from both my actual "to-read" and my "looks interesting" shelf in Friday Finds as both lists cover new discoveries. So let's get cracking!

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor
The Edge of Always by J. A. Redmerski
Ink by Amanda Sun

The Testing was a book I discovered through Twitter. I'm really excited to read this one as it's billed as "for fans of The Hunger Games" and those are always books I adore <3 Next up is What I Didn't Say which I grabbed as a free Kindle download. I added The Edge of Always after finishing the first book The Edge of Never and really enjoying it. And Ink by Amanda Sun was covered on the Mira Ink blog which I really enjoy reading. This looks like a really unique book.

What have you added to your to-read list this week? I'd love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments and if you have a blog then link me to your Friday Finds and I'll be sure to check them out.

New Adult on Total Teen Fiction

Recently I've started to branch out and start reading New Adult, which is something I've been wanting to do for a while. Because of this, I wanted to address the issue of NA here on the blog - what is it? Is it different to YA? What are the common misconceptions? As well as deciding whether or not to review these books here on Total Teen Fiction.

Let's start with the basics!  

What is New Adult? NA (for short) is an age category for books, in the same way that YA (YA is generally 13+) and 9-12 (also known as middle grade) are. NA usually focuses on characters aged 18-25 years old. This means whereas in YA we may see characters dealing with school life, characters in NA might be at college or working. Because of the older age of the characters and intended audience, they can take on a slightly more mature tone than YA books.

What are the common misconceptions? NA has come under fire for being YA with loads of added sex. Obviously with YA being aimed at younger readers, sex is an issue that is touched upon but not in so much detail. NA novels do tend to tackle it a bit more head on but not all NA has sex in it. There's also the expectation that NA is all contemporary romance. This is certainly a genre that is popular within the NA category but, like YA, NA covers all genres from fantasy to romance to paranormal.

When I first started hearing about the rise of NA, I was really excited. As a 22 year old I really want to read about characters my own age and facing similar issues that people my age face. I've recently started downloading some NA titles to my Kindle and can't wait to get stuck in. I think NA and YA have very similar audiences and writing styles and so would appeal to a lot of the same readers. For that reason, I am planning to feature NA reviews on the blog. I hope you'll all be as excited as me about the great books I have lined up!

Total Teen Fiction will always remain a predominantly YA blog and I will state in my NA reviews what issues the books deal with an any mature themes so that people can make an informed choice as to whether that book is for them or not. But in the same way that I read and review the occasional middle grade or children's book, I will also feature NA. I'm a firm believer that age is irrelevant when it comes to reading choices. I spent my teens reading grizzly crime fiction that contained much more shocking stuff than anything I've seen crop up in NA so far! What you read is always a personal choice.

I hope this post has made things a little clearer and feel free to shoot me any questions in the comments!

For more information about New Adult I highly recommend the following links:
The New Adult Book Club - Goodreads
"New Adult books - What they are, why i love them and why you should read them" - Bookish Treasures
NA Alley
"New Adult fiction is the hot new category in books" - USA Today

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

  
Author: Sarah Crossan Website|Twitter
Published: 2nd October 2012 (Bloomsbury Children's)
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 384
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen–rich air. 

My Review:
This book has been on my radar for a while now because I love dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels! It was available for under £2 for Kindle so I caved and bought it. Breathe tells the story of several characters living in a pod city due to the lack of oxygen in the environment.

The book is told from multiple perspectives - Quinn, a rich kid whose parents can afford to keep him supplied with plenty of oxygen, Bea who comes from a poor family who can't afford to waste oxygen, and Alina who is part of the resistance movement building against the government and Breathe Corporation who control the oxygen supply. I love stories told from multiple points of view and I think it really added something to this book because the three main characters were so different.

Of these characters, Alina was by far my favourite. She was really determined and I felt her desire to do what was right. I think it helped that from the very beginning the resistance is introduced. In most dystopian novels there's usually a wait for the main character to join the rebels so it was great to jump in with that so early on. I loved the whole storyline of the resistance too, especially the bits of the story that take place outside of the pod. I thought the whole issue of the importance of value of trees was really interesting and definitely made me reflect as I read the story, as well as the issues the characters face because of their class and financial situations.

One of the best things about Breathe was that is was British! And set in Britain. Pretty much all the dystopians I read are set in America but having it set in the UK made it infinitely more relatable, both the locations and the way the characters spoke. It just really stood out for me when I compared it to other books I've read and felt so refreshing.

I'd read some reviews of Breathe before starting it, and I was expecting the romance element to take more of a focus in the story and for there to be some sort of love triangle involved. In reality, romance kind of took a backseat, or at least I wasn't really focusing on it too much as I read. There is something there as Bea has to deal with her feelings for best friend Quinn, who in turn seems to be crushing on Alina, but Alina seemed to have no interest in him and to me it was just a school boy crush and that was that.

That part of the story only became a problem for me because I just couldn't warm to Quinn as a character. I didn't see what Bea saw in him, and thought her pining after him was a bit wasted because he came across as a bit of a prat to me! He comes from a privileged background but I don't think that had anything to do with my dislike for him, but there was just something off about him that stopped me connecting with him during the course of the story. It might have been the fact that at the very beginning of the book we're introduced to a character called Abel who seemed quite interesting, but who disappeared quite early on and didn't take on a main role in the book. I would much rather have read more from him.

The pacing of Breathe was spot on and there was a perfect combination of suspense and action that kept me turning the pages. I loved how all the individual stories fitted together. It had all the elements to a great dystopian novel and I'm really excited to read the sequel!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Resist by Sarah Crossan, book 2 in the Breathe series
Books like this: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Teaser Tuesdays: 23rd April

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Hey, there's nobody you like. Why do I have to like someone if you don't?"

- 55 minutes, 33 seconds, Teen Idol by Meg Cabot (audiobook version)

Review: The Madness Underneath (Shades of London, #2) by Maureen Johnson

 Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Shades of London series and will contain spoilers from the 1st book, The Name of the Star. If you haven't read that book then look away now! I'm yet to review the 1st book on the blog but you can check out the book on Goodreads here. You have been warned!

 The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

 

Author: Maureen Johnson Website|Twitter
Published: 28 March 2013 (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 290
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…

There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London.
Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose… 

My Review:
I have to admit I was nervous about starting this book. I adored The Name of the Star and had read mixed things about The Madness Underneath. I'll start by saying I had nothing to worry about! The Madness Underneath picks up with Rory living in Bristol and attending therapy after her attack. Soon Rory ends up back at her old school, still dealing with the aftermath, and there are new murders happening. 

I really loved this book. Straight away I fell back in love with Rory's voice as she narrates the story. Even though she's been through quite an ordeal, I still loved the wit and humour she brought to the story. I love reading her observations on British life which are just as funny in this book as they were in the first. I really felt for her throughout the book as she tries to get on with life again, particularly when she returns to school and finds herself falling hopelessly behind with her work. Perhaps that's because I have my own experiences of missing school and struggling to keep up, as well as the pressure it puts on friendships and relationships. I just thought that was really well done.

With the Ripper story seemingly concluded at the end of the last book I was wondering what the main plot was going to focus around this time, and I was so happy to see there were some new mysteries to get my teeth into! I really love crime fiction anyway so a book with a good mystery is always going to grab me. The mysterious murders happening suspiciously close to Rory's school took centre stage for The Madness Underneath, and I found myself completely engrossed in what was happening. Just when I thought I knew where it was going there'd be some new drama added into the mix. It really kept the plot moving and I was gripped the whole way through.

I particularly loved Rory's role in discovering just what was going on. She's found herself with extra powers after the attack which gives her a great sense of responsibility. I liked how she put together a lot of the bits of the mystery together herself as well. It showed her to be a strong, clever main character and I loved that about her. There were some new characters in this book to add to the action which kept the story feeling fresh. I won't give away too much but they were the kind of characters you're instantly suspicious of and you end up almost shouting at the page as you read because you can sense something bad is going to happen with them! I loved the return of the old familiar characters as well, especially Boo and Callum whose banter added a great dynamic.

I devoured this book in about the space of a day. It's under three-hundred pages so it's a pretty quick read anyway, but there's so much action and suspense crammed into the story for a short book. Like I said, I couldn't keep away from reviews before starting The Madness Underneath and I'd seen a lot of people say it was really bleak, but I didn't really find that. Yes, Rory has some issues she has to deal with but at the same time, she still has that great wit and charm, and manages to put her brains to the tasks at hand. The tone of the book didn't put me off at all. I couldn't find anything to fault this book.

The climax in particular was incredible. There's so much action in the last fifty pages and the ending had me absolutely jumping up and down in anticipation of the next book. I can't wait to find out what happens! If you liked The Name of the Star then I'd definitely recommend picking this book up as soon as possible.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson, the 3rd book in the Shades of London series which is due out next year
Books like this: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Existence by Abbi Glines

Weekly Book Round Up! 21st April

Weekly Book Round Up!

15th - 21st April

Welcome to another weekly recap of what's been happening both on and off the blog. It's been a bit of a crazy week! In good news, the blog reached 100 GFC followers this week! :D :D <--- smilies necessary ;) I'm so incredibly grateful to every single one of you for supporting the blog and reading and commenting on my posts. I started this blog to share my love of books and recommend books to people but the fact people actually read what I write still blows my mind sometimes! I hope you continue to enjoy my reviews and THANK YOU! Aside from that I've been a bit ill this week which put a downer on things, but it did mean I got to spend yesterday in bed with a book to cheer me up. Every cloud! Here's what I've been reading, reviewing and posting on the blog this week. Enjoy!

Currently reading: The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski - a NA novel that's had a lot of hype! I bought it a few weeks ago and I've been itching to dive in. I also downloaded and started listening to Teen Idol by Meg Cabot from the library. Oh and I'm listening to Goblet of Fire on and off but on again this week because HP audiobooks are my go to when I'm sick!

Books finished: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, Avalon High by Meg Cabot, Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett, The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan and Arch Enemy by Frank Beddor. Reviews of all to come!

Books reviewed: How to be Popular by Meg Cabot (audiobook), Imaginable by J. Meyers and Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Won: My prize from the lovely Kate at Reading Under the Willow Tree arrived this week - squee! Check out this ARC copy of Undone by Cat Clarke:

I've only read Entangled by this author and I loved it, and was really excited to read more by her so when I won this I did a little happy dance. Plus I never win things so it really made me smile. Thank you again to Kate!

Library books: The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan and Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

Free Kindle downloads: Uncovering Kaitlyn by Emma Jane, Coexist by Julia Crane and The Language of Souls by Lena Goldfinch

Other posts: Teaser Tuesdays, Friday Finds, News Round Up!

Wow - didn't realise quite how busy this week had been! What have you guys been reading this week? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

News Round Up! 20th April

Here's my latest weekly recap of YA news stories that have popped up on my radar. Enjoy!

The moment all Divergent fans have been waiting for arrived this week. We have a title for the third book! The final book in the trilogy will be called Allegiant. What do you think of the title? It wasn't one I'd heard in all the speculation but it certainly has a lot of potential. Find out more from Veronica Roth in a special video announcement over on USAtoday.com.

And one of the biggest news story by far this week is the release of the Catching Fire teaser trailer! The trailer premiered at this year's MTV Move Awards, and at over 2 minutes long it's certainly a teaser and a half - much more than I was expecting! What do you think of the trailer? It's certainly intense. Watch it below:

With all the hype around The Mortal Instruments film adaptation, this week we got a glimpse of book tie-ins and merchanidse. Check out the book tie-ins here on EW.com and find out more about a Hot Topic clothing line here on Hypable.

Fans of Katie McGarry (Pushing the Limits, Dare You To) like me will be happy to hear we'll be getting more books from her! According to the announcement on her Facebook page, the new book is described as "West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy, where a teen boy brought up in the rough and tumble world of motorcycle clubs finds love with a girl raised outside of this world when he's tasked with not only protecting her for the summer she visits her father, the leader of the group, but also with preventing her from learning the truth about her father's past and the gang he used to lead". Sounds pretty awesome right?

The YALSA's Teen Top Ten nominations have been announced as part of the Teen Read Week. The titles making up the nominations include Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. You can read the full list on the YASLA website.   

The American Library Association released their list of most challenged novels for 2012 this week and three YA novels made the list: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and John Green's IB. I haven't read any of these books but have Looking for Alaska lined up to read soon. Read more about these challenged novels here on Examiner.com.

And finally the London Book Fair took place this week with a lot of talk surfacing about young debut authors and the rise of e-books. You can find out more about the book fair itself on the website here and catch up with what's been happening via the London Book Fair Twitter feed.

Which news stories have been getting you excited this week? Let me know in the comments!


New book releases:
Imaginable by J. Meyers
Buy: Amazon
Read my review!

What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare
Buy: Amazon

Friday Finds: 19th April

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted over at Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare
The Language of Souls by Lena Goldfinch
Coexist by Julia Crane

 My Life After Now is a 2013 debut I came across this week. What Really Happened in Peru is the first installment in the Bane Chronicles, a series of short stories about Magnus Bane from The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. Coexist and The Language of Souls were both free Kindle downloads. How gorgeous are those covers?!

What books have you discovered this week? Let me know in the comments or link to your Friday Finds post and I'll be sure to check it out!
 

Review: Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

[Goodreads page]

Author: Stuart Gibbs Website
Published: 7 March 2013 (Hodder Children's Books)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 321
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Can a normal, average kid become a superstar secret agent? Maybe not, but it’ll be fun to watch him try!

Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate math skills, Ben isn't surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior C.I.A. academy. Could the C.I.A. really want him?

Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity—but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy…if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life!

My Review:
I was standing in the queue for the checkout machine at the library when the cover of this book caught my eye from the "quick choice" shelf. "Spy School? That's sounds so cool!" - were pretty much my thoughts upon seeing it. I scanned tagline ("Can an undercover nerd become a superstar secret agent?") and read the first few pages and knew I had to take it out there and then. Spy School tells the story of thirteen year old Ben Ripley who arrives home one day to find a CIA agent sitting in his living room, who offers him a place at the CIA Academy of Espionage.

The book jumps straight into the action with Ben taking his place at the school. As soon as he arrives there's a massive shoot out which was a pretty awesome way to start! I was hooked on the whole spy thing straight away. The school itself is totally cool with hidden doors and secret below ground bunkers. Early on Ben meets Erica who's one of the most gifted students and she's pretty badass - not a word I use often. I loved the secret missions and tasks they had to do and the fact that Ben was completely out of his depth made it even more entertaining.

What was fantastic about this book was the writing and how it managed to get the humour absolutely nailed. I never really put quotes in my review but I wanted to give an example from this book that really got it spot on. "Although, in his defence, he's had a bit of a tortured past." "What happened to him?" I asked. "He was tortured", Erica said. I just love the little moments like that littered throughout the story. The writing was fantastic and the characters would have these brilliant quirks that made them hilarious. It meant I was always engaged in the story and able to enjoy every single bit of it.

There's some really strong characters in Spy School. Ben himself is pretty cool -  a maths geek who finds himself totally out of his comfort zone when he ends up on the middle of "Operation Creeping Badger". Then there's the people he meets at school such as the previously mentioned Erica ('nuff said), his new friend Murray and older student Chip and his cronies. I really enjoyed his friendship with Mike who went to his old school. They're such typical boys trying to make each other jealous by making out they're closer to the prettiest girl in school which made me laugh.

There's definitely an element of Ben going on a bit of a journey and battling to prove himself which made you really root for him. He's the underdog being at a spy school and not having one bit of natural spy ability but when it comes down to it he's willing to give everything a go and adapt to his weird situation pretty well. And I like that he's clever and a bit of a geek!

I think the best bit of this book was that I went in not knowing anything about it and came out loving it and wanting to recommend it to everyone! Fans of the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter should definitely check this out. I loved reading a spy school story from a male perspective! It's a really nice light read as well because it's aimed at younger readers, but I think the writing style will appeal to everyone from middle-grade fans, to YA fans to people who rarely venture into younger age groups. Spy School has everything - action, adventure, friendship and all that school drama that comes with being thirteen. This is going to be a book I recommend to a lot of people in future so go and check it out now!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs
Books like this: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime by Mark Haddon, I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Review: Imaginable (Intangible, #2) by J. Meyers

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Intangible series and so this review will contain spoilers from the first book. If you haven't read it, you can read my review of Intangible here instead. You have been warned!

Imaginable by J. Meyers

[Goodreads page]

Author: J. Meyers Website|Twitter
Published: 16 April 2013
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 342
Amazon: Kindle

Source: Received free copy from author for review

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Twins Sera and Luke Raine’s unusual abilities are growing. Sera is healing vampires now, making them human again. And, at times, Luke can actually change the future he Sees.

But Sera’s healing has dangerous consequences, and though Luke is altering the outcome of more visions, he can’t control them yet.

Now Sera is in danger as the dark creatures of the Realm seek to use her. As Luke struggles to master his gift in order to save his sister, he discovers even more about his powers.

And what he learns just may put him in greater danger than Sera has ever been.

My Review:
I was so excited to read this book because I adored the first book, Intangible. I was very privileged to receive a copy of Imaginable from the author to review and so I started it as soon as it was loaded on my Kindle! The book picks up with Sera's healing powers causing real problems for the Gifteds, and Luke isn't having it so easy either.

The book opens with a scene in the coffee shop and made me fall right back in love with this world and, more importantly, the characters. Straight away there was humour from the group of characters who have the most amazing chemistry between them, and I love it when I start a book and I'm laughing within the first few pages. Most of that was down to Luke. I love Luke. I'll probably state that a lot in this review!

The plot revolves around Sera's ability to "heal" vampires, only this has been causing more harm than good. I love Sera and how we get to see than vulnerable side of her. She clearly wants to do as much as she can to help other people and that really endears me to her as a character. The fact she has such valuable powers makes her a target for other creatures who want to exploit that power, which puts her life in danger for a large part of the book. I really felt that danger and the suspense created throughout the book had me flipping the pages just to find out what happened to those characters I was so attached too.

Like I mentioned before, Luke is my favourite character and he also had a lot going on in his life. He's having to deal with his feelings for Fey who he knows he can't really have. He was so sweet pining for her. I was really rooting for him! On top of that, he's struggling with his visions, not always being able to conjure them and his fight to gain control of his powers showed just how determined he was. But my favourite part was his realtionship with Sera, which was one of my highlights of the first book. They just have such a great connection and as Sera was in danger I really loved how Luke wanted to do everything he could to make sure she was okay.

Still on the topic of characters, I really loved the mysterious Jonas and the Light Elf Fey and the roles they played in the story. Both of them are protective of the twins and so it made for some great kickass scenes as both of them showed what they could do when it came to looking out for the others. I also loved discovering more about those characters as bits of their past were introduced into the story.

I was really excited to explore more of the world that was established in Intangible and I wasn't disappointed. I loved seeing more of the Realm as well as the creatures that reside there, from the flower pixies to the dark and creepy Shadows. The descriptions of everything really carried me away as I escaped into the story and that world. As the book reached its climax it delved into fantasy as well with more magical creatures appearing, and I really enjoyed that element of it. The two worlds are weaved so seamlessly together that you don't really focus on what genre the book is, because it flows so well from the real to the magical.

I absolutely devoured this book from the moment I picked it up. I just couldn't put it down! From the middle of the book onwards there was so much action to keep my attention. Whilst it managed to keep that pace and action up and build on the world introduced in Intangible, it also wet my appetite for more as a middle-of-a-series book should. There were things that were just touched upon, with some stuff just bubbling away under the surface that I can't wait to read more about! And the ending definitely left me eager to carry on. There's huge potential for this series. If you loved Intangible then you'll adore this. A fantastic sequel!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Intuition or Indomitable by J. Meyers, two short stories to accompany the series
Books like this: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesdays: 16th April

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 


"Not for long though. Her grandma was out there somewhere and Scarlet was going to find her if she had to dig up dirt and blackmail every last detective in Europe."


- page 40, Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer

Audio Review: How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

[Goodreads page]

Author: Meg Cabot Website|Twitter
Narrator: Kate Reinders IMDB
Published: 10 October 2006 (Listening Library)
Format: MP3 download
Running time: 5 hours, 34 minutes (unabridged)
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle|Audio Download|CD
Waterstone's: Paperback|CD|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback|CD

Source: Borrowed from e-library


Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Do you want to be popular?
Stephanie Landry does. That’s why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She’s got a secret weapon: an old book called–what else?–How to Be Popular.
What does it take to be popular?
All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she’ll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason.
But don’t forget the most important thing about popularity! It’s easy to become popular. What isn’t so easy? Staying that way. 

Plot review:
This was my first experience of reading (or in this case listening to!) Meg Cabot and she's an author I've always wanted to read. I was drawn to this book by the title because it sounded right up my street! The book follows Steph Landry in her conquest to go from social outcast to one of the most popular students in school using a book she discovers that gives hints and tips on how to be popular.

There's so much to love about this story! Firstly I loved Steph and her friends. They're the sort of outsider group at school who look have distanced themselves from the popular kids. Then Steph decides she's on a mission to be popular which causes all kinds of tension. I still found Steph to be a really likable character, because we get to see her before her descent into popularity when she has a great relationship with her best friends Jason and Becca. I also really liked the relationship between her and her grandfather which was a constant throughout the book.

I instantly found this book to be relatable. The opening chapters of the book see Steph counting down to the first day of school, which is when she plans on launching her mission to become popular. I think we've all been the one counting down to the first day back after the summer holidays. I know I used to fuss about how I wore my hair that day or what school bag I was going to use! Of course in this book there's no school uniform so Steph is stressing a lot over what she's going to wear. I just thought it captured that teenage dream of wanting to reinvent yourself perfectly!

The book also dealt with some pretty serious issues. I'd say some of the stuff Steph went through during the course of the book was verging on cyber bullying, and she'd definitely been a victim of some not so nice attention in the past. Her desire to reinvent herself stemmed from an incident with the popular girl Lauren when they were kids, in which Steph spilled a red drink over her. Ever since then, her small town has caught on to the phrase "pulling a Steph Landry" which understandably Steph hates. It was interesting seeing her try and turn that around and show those people who she really was.

There's a lot of potential relationship drama dotted throughout the story, all of which I loved. Steph is hoping to win over popular boy Mark Finley once she's established herself amongst the cool kids, but from the start I was so rooting for Jason who Steph is totally in denial about having feelings for. I just thought the relationship between Jason and Steph was brilliant because, again, it was something so true to life. They're friends but there's so much sexual tension between the two of them! I was practically screaming at my iPod willing the two of them to get together.

I thought it was great how, although the main focus of this book is about Steph becoming popular, there's also some great little subplots in there. From Steph's grandfather's upcoming marriage and Steph's mum disapproving, to Jason potentially liking somebody else, to the talent auction that Steph has helped organise.

Also I adored how the book Steph is reading was incorporated into the story. We get little excerpts at the beginning of chapters which fitted in with the story and really helped mix up the narrative a bit. It helped get that insight into what Steph was reading and thinking as well.

I usually mark a book down if the plot is a bit predictable and I was expecting this book to go that way, but I just found myself rooting for the things I was hoping would happen at the end and enjoying everything too much to worry about it being predictable. It definitely gave me so much more than I was expecting and I'm wondering why on earth I haven't read this author sooner!

Plot rating: 5*

Audio review: 
Firstly, this is a book I'm definitely going to recommend you listen to on audiobook because it was hilarious, and I think a large part of my enjoyment of this book was Kate Reinders' narration. She had the voice of Steph absolutely spot on! I really felt like I was inside her head and the book felt just like she was speaking to me. The book is written in first person so having it read aloud really added something to the story.

What was great about the narration was that Kate Reinders was clearly completely immersed in the character, and when it came to things like Steph laughing during a sentence she'd add in a little laugh herself which made it so much more natural. I really loved her voice for the other characters as well, especially Steph's best friend Becca who's kind of wistful. The voice for that was just spot on.

The only flaw I can really point out is that this book relies on little excerpts from the book Steph is herself reading. Obviously in the physical edition, these excerpts would be in a different font or separated from the rest of the text. In the audio it was sometimes hard to tell straight away that what was being read was an excerpt from Steph's book. I also felt the same way when emails were dotted into the story. That probably would have worked better written down.

But overall I can honestly say that I think my experience of this book would have been a lot different had I not listened to it, and it's not often I really say that. It was the most fun I've had listening to a book in a long time! If you can grab this book on audio then do it - you won't regret it!

Audio rating: 4*
Books like this: Teen Idol by Meg Cabot, Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Weekly Book Round Up! 14th April

Weekly Book Round Up! 

8th - 14th April

Another exciting week because I managed to get my hands on some great books this week. Check out all my bookish happenings from the past week below!

Currently reading: I'm back reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer having put it down for a few days to read something else, and still listening to Avalon High by Meg Cabot on audiobook.

Books finished: Imaginable by J. Meyers, the sequel to Intangible, Breathe by Sarah Crossan and The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson.

Books reviewed: One Week by Nikki Van De Car and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Bought: I was really excited when I managed to pick up Looking for Alaska by John Green in the charity shop this week! It's the only book of his I haven't read and I've heard good things. I also grabbed some free books for my Kindle, including Everblue by Brenda Pandos and Six Moon Summer by S. M. Reine.

Borrowed: I got some great books from friends, too, this week. Arch Enemy by Frank Beddor, the last book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which I've been wanting to read for ages! And I'm hopefully borrowing The Rising by Kelley Armstrong from a friend today - squee!

Other posts: Teaser Tuesdays, Opinion: Books I Don't Want to See Made into Films, Friday Finds, News Round Up!

What have you been reading this week? I'd love to hear from you so let me know in the comments!

News Round Up! 13th April

Time for another News Round Up! This is where I discuss the news stories that have popped up on my radar this week. Enjoy!

Firstly, debut author Lenore Appelhans has revealed that her novel Level 2 will get a new title for its paperback release. According to this post on her blog, the 2 in the title was putting some readers off as they thought it was a sequel. The new title will be The Memory of After. I haven't read this book yet (it's one I really want to check out!) but I really like the new title. Personally I can see Level 2 being problematic as whenever I try to search for it online it's proved very difficult to find amongst the wealth of results with that phrase in.

More Mortal Instruments news this week, something which always makes me happy! It was revealed that if the first film does well (fingers crossed!) and they go on to make further films in the series, City of Ashes and City of Glass will be filmed back to back. That sounds good to me! And hopefully it would mean a shorter wait between films being released. Read more about this story on TMISource.

Also in Mortal Instruments related news, the cover has been released for the first instalment of The Bane Chronicles, the series of e-shorts focusing on the character of Magnus Bane from The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series, has been released. Check it out along with the release dates for the rest of the short stories on EW.com.

Filming has officially started in Chicago this week for the Divergent film adaptation! There's been so much news about casting lately that it's really exciting to see filming get underway. You can read more about this story and the full press release over on PagetoPremiere.

And in more film news, a steady stream of stills from the upcoming adaptation of Catching Fire are being released in preparation from the trailer! The photos include this sweet shot of Prim and Katniss. Be sure to check out the rest of the photos on The Hunger Games UK Facebook page.

Publishers Weekly recently posted this article which recaps the top selling books of the year so far. Amongst the Amazon Kindle top twenty bestsellers were Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Host by Stephanie Meyer, Hopeless by Colleen Hoover and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

Which of these news stories got you excited this week? Let me know in the comments!

Friday Finds: 12th April

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted over at Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

The Love Game by Emma Hart
House of Secrets by Ned Vizzini
Resist by Sarah Crossan
The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

I'm still trying to be restrained when it comes to adding to my TBR but found some great books this week. The Shadow Cabinet is the third book in the Shades of London series. I finished The Madness Underneath this weekend and loved it! It's unreleased, hense no cover. Resist is also an unreleased Sequel. I finished the first book Breathe this week so can't wait to read the next one. The Love Game NA which I want to read more of. I've been reading really good things about it this week! And House of Secrets is at the younger end of the spectrum being a children's fantasy adventure but it looks fantastic.

What have you added to your to-read list this week? Any great books I should know about? Let me know in the comments and if you leave a link to your Friday Finds post I'll be sure to check it out!