Review: Before You Sleep (In Your Dreams, #3) by Amy Martin

Spoiler warning! This is the 3rd book in the In Your Dreams series and this review will contain spoilers from previous books. You can read my review of In Your Dreams here or As You Wake here instead. 

Before You Sleep by Amy Martin

Author: Amy Martin Website|Twitter
Published: 13 February 2014
Format: Kindle e-book (review copy)
Pages: 288
Buy the book: Amazon
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo|Smashwords

Source: Recieved free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
As researchers close in on a treatment for her boyfriend Kieran’s strange sleeping disorder, Zara “Zip” McKee is hopeful that she and Kieran will soon be able to stop worrying about Kieran’s condition and focus their attention on other matters—such as the looming college decisions that may force them into a long-distance relationship.

But when their friend Cooper Halloran, who shares Kieran’s strange condition, undergoes the treatment and is afflicted with a devastating side effect, Zip and Kieran must decide if the treatment is worth the damage it could inflict on their relationship and their lives.

Join Zip, Kieran, and their families in the third installment of the In Your Dreams series as they wrestle with the question of what to do when the cure for a condition could be worse than the condition itself.

My Review:
I adored the first two books in this series and I was excited to be reuinted with Zip and Kieran in Before You Sleep. The book sees the two explore the possibility of a solution to Kieran's sleep problems, whilst also dealing with the ups and downs of teenage life and finishing school.

What I loved about this book was that it focuses a lot on choices and making decisions. As the series has progressed, it's great to see the characters grow and develop and face new challenges. Zip and Kieran's relationship has evolved so well. The two of them are only young and they're facing choices that could have a huge impact on their future. I liked how it wasn't always easy and we see them both go through the pros and cons of the choices they have to make. I love their relationship so much, and they come across as very mature. Despite all the pressures of their lives, they still manage to remain strong and fight for each other and what is right

Despite the fact they are dealing with very much fictional circumastances, huge parts of their relationship are incredibly relatable, and I think what the author has managed to do is create a very realistic relationship that isn't glamourised or used for any kind of dramatic effect. Alongside the issues with Kieran's disorder, they also have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to schooling and the physical side of their relationship, and I love that the two of them can talk openly with each other - unlike so many other YA novels I've read where the girls and guys are constantly trying to figure each other out without actually communicating!

I really loved the relationships between all the characters and especially how the families have become so close. The interactions between everyone always feel so familiar and never forced, and I love the sprinkling of humour that keeps the story light.It was great to find out a bit more about Cooper as well.

I think As You Wake is still my favourite book of the series. This book felt like more of a slow build that really focused on the characters, but I did like that about it. I adored Zip and Kieran. They make my heart skip! And I need to know what happens because the ending left me on edge and tugged at the heartstrings just a bit! I think it's safe to say I'm completely emotionally invested in these characters and I'm very excited to see there'll be a fourth installment in the series. Bring it on!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The next book in the series is scheduled for this year.
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Teaser Tuesdays: 18th March

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!

"I'm trying not to be too concerned, but I can't help but feel a creeping dread - it's a sensation I get a lot where the Laniers are concerned. 

'I'll walk you back--or, I'll drive you, if I can borrow the truck again'"

- 23% (Kindle), Before You Sleep (In Your Dreams, #3) by Amy Martin

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*
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News Round Up! 16th March

I've decided to try and make my news posts a more regular feature on the blog (providing there's enough news to fill a post!) so here's my latest recap of what's been happening in the world of YA this week.

The shortlist of nominations for the Carnegie medal, a prestigious children's book award, have been revealed this week. You can check out the nominations below.

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan
A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
In Darkness by Nick Lake
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Have you read any of these books? I absolutely loved Wonder so I'm really pleased to see that up there. Code Name Verity and Maggot Moon are on my to-read list as well. I'll have to check out some of the others! You can find out more about these books and the award over on the Carnegie Medal website.

You may have seen my post earlier in the week about the new cover for In Your Dreams by Amy Martin. You can find out more about this fantastic book and the gorgeous new cover on Amy's website right here.

Rather excitingly for those keeping up with news of the Delirium TV pilot, author Lauren Oliver tweeted a picture of the cast after their first read-through of the script this week. Check out that photo here.

More actors joining the Divergent cast have been revealed this week and we finally have a Four! And so the fandom freaks out and breathes a sigh of relief at the same time. Theo James will take on the role. We've also learnt which role Kate Winslet will play. It's been rumoured she was involved in the film for a while but now we know she'll be playing Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews! Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q and Zoe Kravitz will take on the roles of Caleb, Tori and Christina respectively. It was also revealed that Eric will be played by Jai Courtney. (Links go to IMDB). What do you think of these casting roles? I think they all look great - especially Kate Winslet who I'm a huge fan of! I haven't seen the others in anything so I'm really interested to check out these guys and find out a bit more them. I think the actor playing Four looks pretty spot on, though.! Read more about this story on Hypable.

Carrying on with the adaptation news, Stuart Beattie will adapt the screenplay for Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I'm reading the sequel to this book at the moment so it's great to hear news of the film adaptation moving forward. Find out more on ComingSoon.net.

Veering away from YA slightly but still a news story I found interesting, this week the UK government announced that they've added e-books to the list of items they use to track inflation. Here's a quote from an article in the Guardian:

The ONS said ebooks, read on devices such as Amazon's Kindle or the Kobo eReader, are "a significant and growing market", noting huge recent increases in the number of people reading digitally.

Do you read more e-books these days? Do you think it's right that they are taken into account when talking about the things we buy regularly?

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

Cover Reveal: In Your Dreams by Amy Martin

Last year I was given the opportunity to read and review In Your Dreams by Amy Martin, a book I thoroughly enjoyed! So I was really excited to hear from Amy recently when she announced there'd be a new cover for In Your Dreams. And that cover has been revealed over on her website today! And here it is:

To find out more about the book and the brand new cover then pop over to Amy's Website at this link. (There's also a chance to win a copy!) I have to say I absolutely adore the new cover! I love that the eye is still a feature because I really liked that about the old cover. I think the font is beautiful and the way everything blends together works so well. It's gorgeous <3

What do you think of the new cover? If it's pulled you in then here'e some more information about the book!

Plot summary (from Goodreads):
Sixteen-year-old Zara "Zip" McKee lives for three things: basketball, books, and bailing out of tiny Titusville, Illinois, where the junior high and high school are in the same building and everyone's known everyone else since birth. But when Kieran Lanier moves to town and passes out on her desk on his first day at school, Zip's life gets complicated in a way she never dreamed.

Kieran has narcolepsy, and although he sometimes struggles to stay awake, he has no trouble capturing Zip's heart and trusting her with his most guarded secret--he sees bits and pieces of the future in his dreams.

Links:
Amy Martin's Website
Follow Amy on Twitter
Cover reveal post
My Review of In Your Dreams
Add the book on Goodreads
Buy the book on Amazon UK

Review: In Your Dreams by Amy Martin

In Your Dreams by Amy Martin

[Goodreads page]

Author: Amy Martin. Website|Twitter
Published: 16 August 2012 (self-published)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 253
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Smashwords: e-book
Barnes & Noble: paperback|Nook

Source: Received free copy from author for review

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Sixteen-year-old Zara "Zip" McKee lives for three things: basketball, books, and bailing out of tiny Titusville, Illinois, where the junior high and high school are in the same building and everyone's known everyone else since birth. But when Kieran Lanier moves to town and passes out on her desk on his first day at school, Zip's life gets complicated in a way she never dreamed.

Kieran has narcolepsy, and although he sometimes struggles to stay awake, he has no trouble capturing Zip's heart and trusting her with his most guarded secret--he sees bits and pieces of the future in his dreams.

My Review:
I was sent a copy of this book by the author and after reading the plot summary I was completely intrigued! In Your Dreams tells the story of Zip, who ends up befriending the new guy Kieran when he starts at her school. Kieran has narcolepsy, and when Zip witnesses one of his attacks she soon becomes someone he can confide in, and there's a lot more to Kieran than meets the eye!

I was completely hooked from the first couple of pages of this book. I really loved the writing style and Zip was a character I was drawn to instantly. She's smart and great at basketball, and I just loved her voice throughout the book. Then we're introduced to Kieran and his sister Kayla. Kieran was a totally lovable guy character and I really enjoyed his developing friendship with Zip. I thought Kayla was a fascinating character, too, and she really added some depth to the story. She's been the one that always looks out for her brother so when Zip gets close to him, there's some jealousy there which added a bit of drama. I found the exploration of Kieran's narcolepsy really interesting. I don't think I've ever read anything that explores that condition.

As the book goes on we learn Kieran has another secret. I was expecting it to turn into a fantasy/paranormal story at that point but it didn't, and that's something I really loved about this book. Instead of using magic the book sticks to scientific and medical reasons to explain what's going on. I won't go into it in too much detail but it meant the book kept that contemporary/realistic feeling which I really liked. It was a completely fresh approach and made it stand out from a lot of other books I've read.

The second half of the book focuses on more secrets being revealed. That added a mystery element to the story which kept my attention. I sometimes got a little confused with the back story and had to re-read a few sections, but I think that was just down to the upping of the pace from the first half of the book. When the action kicked in towards the end I couldn't put the book down!

There's a sequel planned for this book and I'm intrigued to see where it ends up. I'd really recommend it book if you're looking for something a bit different!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The as yet untitled sequel to In Your Dreams will hopefully be released in 2013
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