Review: Unwoven (Tethers, #2) by Jack Croxall

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Tethers trilogy and this book may contain spoilers from the previous book. You can read my review of Tethers here instead. 

Unwoven by Jack Croxall

Author: Jack Croxall Website|Twitter
Published: 24 February 2014
Format: Kindle e-book (review copy)
Pages: 115
Buy the e-book: Kindle

Source: Received free copy of the author in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Almost eighteen months on from the terrible events of Halholham and so much has changed.

Karl and Esther no longer speak to one another and Mr Cauldwell has been ostracised by Shraye and its fickle residents. But the trio will not be parted for much longer because a shadow is growing in the west, a shadow which will reunite them in the name of all they have lost.

Unwoven is the sequel to the best-selling adventure novel, Tethers, and is the second book of The Tethers Trilogy.

My Review:
I really enjoyed Tethers and so I was excited to be offered the opportunity to read the sequel. Unwoven follows Karl and Esther as they must rebuild their relationship to get to the bottom of mysterious events happening around them.

It's been a while since I read Tethers, so I was a little nervous about going into this book without having had chance to re-read. What was great about Unwoven was that it flies into the action straight away, which stopped me worrying and had me absorbed in the story instantly. I was soon able to piece together what had happened previously. There was no lengthy recap, but more the characters were able to reflect on previous events within the story and through talking to each other about what happened which worked really well.

With a mysterious death early on in the book, it hooked me in at once. Both Karl and Esther are personally caught up the event which gives them that drive to get to the bottom of it. I loved that the author has set them out on a journey again, as I could get lost with them on their adventure. Reading it I had that sense of journeying with them on a sort of quest to find out what was going on.

I liked that the book has its own mysteries that help it stand alone, but that you can tell the series is building to something bigger. I think it helps that like with Tethers, this book has an epilogue and prologue which help give you a bigger picture of what is going on as well as teasing the action. The world the author has created has so much potential to explore, with its own legends and villains that really capture you as a reader.

Once again I loved the balance of their personalities. Esther is quite fiery whereas are Karl seems to consider things a bit more. I thought it made for an interesting relationship this time as they start the book not speaking to each other. I really felt for Karl throughout those opening few chapters as he battles with Esther. And as for Esther herself, I could sympathise with her as the author has done a great job at showing how the traumas she goes through have affected her. She has an awful lot to deal with.

As with the first book, I was impressed with the writing. Unwoven is quite a short book at just over one hundred pages, which meant I finished it within a morning, but it still felt jam packed with action. Everything flowed really well and despite its short length, I never had any issues with the pacing.

I'm left wanting to know more which means I'll be very keen to read the next instalment! I've become so wrapped up with the characters that I need to know their fates, and I can't wait to discover answers to the questions left over.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The 3rd book in the trilogy, Torn, is planned for 2015.
Books like this: Sky Song by Sharon Sant, The Last Falcon by Colleen Ruttan

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.
Books like this: Tunnelville by Erin Callahan and Troy H. Gardner

Review: Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

Author: Lucy Saxon Website|Twitter
Published: 5 June 2014 (Bloomsbury)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 496
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|Waterstones
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received a free copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Bloomsbury!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Hugely energetic and entertaining fantasy adventure from an amazing 18-year-old author. The first in major sequence of novels.

Catherine Hunter is the daughter of a senior government official on the island of Anglya. She’s one of the privileged – she has luxurious clothes, plenty to eat, and is protected from the Collections which have ravaged families throughout the land. But Catherine longs to escape the confines of her life, before her dad can marry her off to a government brat and trap her forever.
So Catherine becomes Cat, pretends to be a kid escaping the Collections, and stows away on the skyship Stormdancer. As they leave Anglya behind and brave the storms that fill the skies around the islands of Tellus, Cat’s world becomes more turbulent than she could ever have imagined, and dangerous secrets unravel her old life once and for all . . .

My Review:
I'd seen a few friends talking about this book so I decided to request a review copy because it looked very much like my kind of thing. Take Back the Skies follows Catherine as she escapes her controlling father and finds refuge with the crew of a skyship.

The beginning of the book took a little while to get in to. I was weary of the amount of description which was slowing the pace down a bit. I wanted to be straight into the action! It picked up pretty quickly, though, and soon I was hooked.

The story follows the main character Catherine, who soon becomes known as Cat after running away and disguising herself as a boy. I quickly sympathised with her as she's escaping a rich, powerful father who doesn't seem to care about his daughter's happiness or desires, and her mother is sick and helpless. I really liked that she still had a bit of innocence and naivete about her as well. She's come from this rich background, so when she's thrown into a life of little she has to adjust, but she never comes across as spoilt or horrible. She's instantly likable, but she still goes through a lot and learns from her experiences.

The rest of the characters were utterly charming as well, especially the mysterious Fox. Cat is drawn to him pretty much from the moment she meets him so there's some romantic interest there, but it didn't overpower the story and I loved the way the relationship between them develops slowly as they suss each other out. With Cat disguising herself as a boy, it was great to see her mix amongst some male characters. I also loved Alice, the skyship cook, who provided the motherly figure to Cat as a nice balance to all the boys.

What Take Back the Skies managed to achieve was something pretty special with me. It nailed that sense of adventure perfectly so that soon I swept away with Cat as she travels the skies and meets these wonderful people. I became so wrapped up in the story that it was the perfect bit of escapism I needed. I loved seeing the challenges Cat had to face and the new experiences she goes through, both physically and emotionally. My favourite scenes were definitely those on the skyship.

I think this book will appeal to a wide range of people. For anyone who loves adventure it's a must, and the sci-fi elements of the story are fantastic. There's also a great political side to the story for those who love a bit of uprising against the government. The book is the first in a planned series, and I'm pleased to hear there'll be more. This book has an epilogue which sort of rounds up the story, but there's definitely potential to explore the world more. There were parts that were only touched upon that I was left wanting to know more about.

Overall I was really impressed with Take Back the Skies and will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: This is the 1st in a planned series
Books like this: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Echo Boy by Matt Haig

Review: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

Author: Robert Muchamore Website|Twitter
Published: 3rd April 2014 (Hodder Children's') new cover edition - orginially published 2004
Format: Kindle e-book (review copy)
Pages: 352
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Number 1 bestselling series, CHERUB celebrates its 10th Anniversary with brand new covers!

Now is your chance to start right back at the beginning with The Recruit.

A terrorist doesn't let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn't know that one of these kids has bugged every room in her house, made copies of all her computer files and stolen her address book. The kid works for CHERUB.

CHERUB agents are aged between ten and seventeen. They live in the real world, slipping under adult radar and getting information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail.

For official purposes, these children do not exist.

My Review:
This is one of those series I've been reading to read for a while, and the tenth anniversary finally gave me the oppurtunity to dive into the first book in the Cherub series! The story follows James who is a bit rebellious, and after a string of unfortunate incidents finds himself on a journey from troublesome schoolboy to undercover agent for a secret government agency.

There's an awful lot to like about The Recruit. I think the gritty, British feel to it really helped. James is in a bit of a rubbish situation with a mum more worried about selling shoplifted goods than she is about him and a nightmare of a sort-of-step-dad. I think with the books being written a few years ago there was a bit of nostalgia for me (references to Playstations etc.) but I loved that, and so much of it was recognisable.  I liked that the author doesn't shy away from bad language as well, as the cast of kids in the book felt a lot more true to life that way.

James himself was a fantastic lead. He's a bit hopeless which I think will make a lot of people warm to him and possibly relate to him, but he really shines when it comes to his mathmatic ability so you can see the potential in him and it leaves you really rooting for him. I enjoyed seeing his relationships with the other characters, particularly his younger sister who you can tell her really cares about, and the developing friendships with fellow recruits. I liked that he's a bit younger than the majority of YA characters I usually read about, as there's still a bit of childlike innocence and naivete with him. With the series containing several books, I think it'll be great to see him grow up alongside all the other stuff.

I love books about spies, government plots and undercover detective work, so this really hit the spot in terms of genre. I loved the set up of Cherub, and I think it lets you escape into James' world to the point you end up being jealous of some of the cool stuff he does. There's a lot of build up which I think comes from this being the first book in the series. The real danger and main focus of the plot doesn't kick in until about two thirds of the way through, but I was never really bored. I was relieved when I got to that point, though, and things finally started to pick up pace.

I can see huge potential for this series, and I've actually already grabbed a copy of book two to read. I can't wait to get stuck in! If you love books like Insignia by S. J. Kincaid or the Harry Potter series, then I'd definitely recommend picking up these books. I loved getting swept along with James as he discovers his potential. I thought the writing style was fantastic and there's some great humour in there. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Class A by Robert Muchamore, book 2 in the Cherub series
Books like this: Insignia by S. J. Kincaid, Spy School by Stuart Gibbs, Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

 Panic by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver Website|Twitter
Published: 6 March 2014 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Format: Proof copy
Pages: 416
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Proof copy provided by publisher and gifted from Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Review:
It's exciting to finally be writing this review, because it feels like I've been waiting for this book for ever! I love Lauren Oliver and she was one of my first favourite YA authors after she won me over with Before I Fall. Panic follows Heather and Dodge as they take part in the game of Panic, where a group of teenagers are put through a set of dangerous set of tasks until only the bravest survive.

I remember when the novel was first announced people were quick to compare it to The Hunger Games, what with the plot summary detailing a bunch of teenagers competing against each other. Panic is in no way like The Hunger Games and I want to get that out the way quite quickly. It's contemporary/realistic fiction and all the challenges the kids face are extreme versions of high school dares and pranks that have been escalated to dangerous levels, so it is very much placed in the real world.

The book is told from dual points of view from Heather and Dodge's POV. Heather is living in a trailer park with a reckless mother and a younger sister to look after and could really do with the prize money that winning the game of Panic provides. Dodge lives with his wheelchair bound sister and wants revenge for the indident that damaged her legs. Both characters are driven and determined which really powered the story. I found the tone of the book to be quite dark. I loved the way the story took on fear and really made you feel what the characters were going through during those terrifying moments. There were some great twists and turns caused by secrecy and betrayal of trust as well which really shook things up.

I think Lauren Oliver has conjured up the small town vibes really well. The book is set in Carp, a town that doesn't seem to have much going for it yet is pretty tough to get out of. The characters we meet are in quite bleak situations and you can really feel their desperation to win Panic and how many opportunities to escape their current lives that would give them.

As well as Heather and Dodge, we meet Heather's friends Natalie and Bishop, who are both also caught up in the game of Panic. I liked the developing relationships between the four of them and how there's a few romantic tensions thrown in there to amp up the emotional side to things. I was definitely drawn a lot to Dodge. I also loved the scenes with Heather and her younger sister Lily as they try and fight their way out of some pretty miserable circumstances. I always love a good sister relationship!

The only downside for me was that the story jumps in just as the game of Panic is getting underway. I felt it could maybe have done with a bit more build up at the start of the book to get to know the characters before they're forced into these dangerous situations, so I could feel them out and get to know them a little more.

I love Lauren Oliver's beautiful writing and that was no different in Panic. The use of language just blows me away every time. I loved the little bits of foreshadowing throughout the book and how there were still plenty of surprises and plot twists on top of that. I got so invested in the characters and their fates with those intense moments Heather and Dodge go through. If you loved Oliver's previous books then I have no doubt that you'll enjoy this one. 

Overall I was really impressed by Panic. It was different to what I was expecting, but had me hooked to the pages and by the last couple of chapters the adrenaline was really going! It was different to what I was expecting - bleaker is the word I'd use - but it's one of those books that stays with you long after you close the pages which is one of the best complements I can give.

Rating: 4*
Books like this: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Review: Banished by Liz De Jager

Banished by Liz De Jager

Author: Liz De Jager Website|Twitter
Published: 27 February 2014 (Tor)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

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

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Sworn to protect, honour and slay. Because chaos won’t banish itself…

Kit is proud to be a Blackhart, now she’s encountered her unorthodox cousins and their strange lives. And her home-schooling now includes spells, fighting enemy fae and using ancient weapons. But it’s not until she rescues a rather handsome fae prince, fighting for his life on the edge of Blackhart Manor, that her training really kicks in. With her family away on various missions, Kit must protect Prince Thorn, rely on new friends and use her own unfamiliar magic to stay ahead of Thorn’s enemies. As things go from bad to apocalyptic, fae battle fae in a war that threatens to spill into the human world. Then Kit pits herself against the Elder Gods themselves – it’s that or lose everyone she’s learnt to love.

My Review:
Banished was one of my most anticipated releases of 2014 so I was super happy when a copy popped through my letterbox! The book follows Kit Blackhart who is just getting used to her new supernatural life when her abilities are called upon to save her family.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book as we're introduced to Kit and her family. The real world, teenage life feel which made me instantly relate to Kit and provided a great balance to the fantasy side. I thought the magical side of the story and the world building was done really well. You were never overwhelmed with terminology, and at the start of each chapter were little exerpts from archives or history books etc. which provided you the history of Kit's world in nice bite-size chunks, without the need for exposition, which was incredibly smart and well done.

One of the real highlights of the book for me was the characters, particularly Kit and Thorn, and the developing relationship between them. The author has managed to carve out distinctive voices and personalities. There is a brilliant sense of humour weaved throughout the book that provided some really funny moments between all the characters. I thought Kit herself was particularly sharp and witty which drew me to her even more!

In terms of the fantasy side of the book, I loved the Banished had a little bit of everything. There were faeries, trolls and even dragons! (I was really, really excited when a dragon showed up.) It was just such a great mix of creatures and magic, all cleverly weaved into our own world. Even though there were a wide range of characters who come from different realms (the book takes place in two worlds; the Frontier which is the human world, and the Otherwhere) everything really flowed. Every character from every race fitted in perfectly with the story and everything was linked together really well.

I felt the first half of the book was a lot more focused on the characters, and on how Kit adapted to her situation. There was definitely that element of her going on a quest or journey to prove herself, and I love how she overcame the insecurities we see at the beginning of the book. The second half of the story is definitely more action packed, and although I probably enjoyed that first part more, it made for a well paced, exciting read throughout.

Banished will definitely appeal to a lot of readers. Fans of books such as Artemis Fowl and City of Bones will fall in love with the fantastic world Liz De Jager has created. The ending had me dying to read the next book and gave a good old tug at the heartstrings! I'm excited to see where things go from here.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: This is the first book in the Blackhart Legacy series
Books like this: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Author: Lauren DeStefano Website|Twitter
Published: 2 May 2011 (Harper Voyager)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Swapped at the Harry Potter Alliance's Apparating Library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years--leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Yet her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement; her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next; and Rhine has no way to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive.

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom.

My Review:
I picked this book up at the Harry Potter Alliance's Apparating Library at Leakycon last year. It jumped off the shelves at me as I'd heard of it and knew it was a dystopian type book. Just my kind of thing! Wither follows Rhine who is sold off to marry Linden, in a world where women only live to age twenty and men to twenty-five. One of several new wives to Linden, Rhine must learn to adapt to her new life under the watchful eye of Linden's father, Housemaster Vaughn.

I loved the concept of Wither. It had that feel about it where, although it's set in a futuristic world, it still feels like something that could actually happen. Developing a cure for cancer has solved one problem and created another, being that people are now dying young and nobody has discovered a way to stop it. There are still what are known as first generations - people living late into their lives and not dying out - which gave you that connection to the real world that made the idea even more frightening. I think DeStefano has managed to conjur up some quite chilling and terrifying ideas and a really elaborate world that made for a gripping read.

I really liked the world building and how the beginning of the book uses flashbacks to give you a bit of back story of Rhine's life and what has happened to her so far. It meant you avoided tied up in boring exposition and kept the book moving.

One of the highlights of Wither is definitely the strenght of the characters. I loved Rhine who comes across as genuinely caring and nurturing. She's always worrying about her brother or the other girls she ends up living with, referred to as her sister wives, and I loved her relationship with Linden's dying wife Rose. I found her observations of other characters to be very astute, for example how well she can read Cecily, the youngest and most naive of Linden's wives. In fact the relationship between all the girls in the house was a highlight for me. I like how they all have different personalities, backgrounds and priorities.

The book does take on a bit of a love triangle, but it was one of those books where I didn't have any preference. There's Rhine's new husband Linden who is a bit of a mysterious character. At first I didn't like him at all, but over the course of the story as he gets closer to Rhine, I found myself really warming to him as a character and wanting to know more about him. When she moves into Linden's house, Rhine also meets Gabriel, a servant who attends on her. Their relationship is more natural as they haven't been forced together and they get to know each other gradually and willingly. I enjoyed Rhine's relationship with both Linden and Gabriel and think their is potential in each pairing.

The pacing of Wither is quite gentle and I enjoyed the focus on characters and the slow unravelling of secrets. As this is the first in a trilogy I was definitely left wanting more and there is a lot I am hoping is touched upon in more detail in the sequel. At times I was hoping for a few more shocks or a bit more action, but I think it's set a solid foundation for a trilogy I'm really excited to continue with.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Fever by Lauren DeStefano, book two in the Chemical Garden trilogy
Books like this: Pawn by Aimee Carter, What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Review: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Author: Lauren Kate Website|Twitter
Published: 24 October 2013 (DoubleDay Children's)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 464
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Never, ever cry... Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?

My Review:
I took a bit of a chance on this book. I've read two books by Lauren Kate, one which I loved (The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove) and one which I loathed (Fallen), but it was half price in Waterstones and that cover drew me in! Teardrop tells the story of Eureka who loses her mother in a freak tidal wave. With the help of the mysterious Ander, who seems to appear wherever she goes, she starts to unravel secrets about herself and her mother.

I fell in love with this book pretty quickly. In fact, I brought it straight home from the shop, read the first couple of pages to see what it was like and then couldn't put it down! The book opens with a prologue from Ander's point of view which gives you a glimpse into his world as a Seedbearer, a race of people with control over water. Straight away this insight gives you the bigger picture to the story, which Eureka herself won't discover til much later. I loved the way it teased you with a glimpse of what's to come.

Because as a reader you know there are secrets to came out, it made for an addictive read. The pacing was brilliant and I was constantly turning the pages, rooting Eureka to discover more. At the same time there was enough mystery that as a reader you didn't know much about to keep you guessing and maintain that intrigue. I thought the world building was fantastic and I was hooked into all the ideas and the history of Eureka's world. I loved all the action sequences which were written so well - the book felt very visual! And my heart was constantly in my mouth with all the times the characters were in danger.

I could really sympathise with Eureka at the beginning of the book. She's in therapy after her mother's death and is living with the stepmother from hell. There are several traumatic moments in her past which have affected how she is, for example she doesn't cry. I liked the friendship between her and her male friend Brooks because the two of them are so natural around each other. I was kind of rooting for them to be something more at the beginning, but the relationship between them becomes a lot more complicated than that as the story goes on. I also adored Eureka's friend Cat who is a complete flirt but also has brains. It was just so nice to see a character who isn't just a bimbo!

As well as the friendship with Brooks, Eureka also has a developing relationship with Ander. This was the only downside for me really as it had a touch of instalove about it. Because Ander holds all of the knowledge about Eureka and her past it sometimes felt like he abused that power. There is some back story between them but because Eureka is unaware of it, her attraction to him comes pretty out of the blue which is where the idea of the romantic bit sort of lost me. The plot was pretty solid when you take away the romance side of things so I could put that to one side and it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.

Overall I was really impressed with Teardrop. The ideas behind the story like the link to mythology were really interesting, and the plot was gripping. I loved Eureka and how she develops over the book and really comes into her own. I'm definitely excited to continue with the series.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Waterfall by Lauren Kate, the sequel to Teardrop, is set for publication this year
Books like this: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

 Pawn by Aimee Carter

Author: Aimee Carter Website|Twitter
Published: 3 January 2014 (Mira Ink)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 304
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle

Source: Received free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Mira Ink!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Are you more than the number on the back of your neck?

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered. The same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

My Review:
Pawn follows Kitty Doe, whose future is looking bleak after only earning a III in the test every citizen must take at the age of seventeen. When she's offered the chance to become a VII - a rank reserved only for the most powerful and influential - Kitty must sacrifice her old life for the chance of a safer future.

This is the first book I'd read by this author and I was drawn to it because it sounded like a great dystopian story, and I wasn't disappointed! Pawn is probably one of the smartest dystopias I've ever read. It had a great combination of wicked characters and chilling ideas and has a great focus on the political side of the story. I liked the exploration of divisions in society. Each person is given a rank which is marked into the skin at the back of their next, displaying their status to the world. It was a really interesting idea and threw up a lot of questions about how that society works.

I really liked Kitty herself. She's incredibly smart and sharp and should have a great future ahead of her, only she's held back by the fact she can't read. I thought it was great that something like that was addressed. One of my favourite parts of the book was the relationship between Kitty and her boyfriend Benjy. The relationship is already established at the beginning of the book which was something I really liked. It's a relationship that's developed from a friendship and I think that really shows in the connection they have with each other.

Like I mentioned before, Pawn is full of truly twisted characters. Kitty finds herself in the hands of Prime Minister Daxton Hart who had a pretty cruel way of doing things. He sees people as disposable and there were some truly harrowing moments as you learn just what his family is capable of. What happens to Kitty in itself is quite a horrifying idea. In the book there is reference to somewhere known as "Elsewhere" where old people and trouble makers are sent. When more information about Elsewhere was revealed it actually shocked me. There's definitely a dark side to Pawn which I think will appeal to fans of those darker themes in books like The Hunger Games.

There were so many twists and turns throughout the book that it was impossible to predict what was going to happen. I loved the constant action and suspense and how each character has their own secrets and motivations which slowly come to light. Like all great dystopias, there's that idea of a rebel movement at work, in this case the Blackcoats. I feel like there's so much more to learn about them and I can't wait to see more of that rebellion in later books.

I think the only downsides to Pawn for me were that some moments were a little too convenient. Kitty spends the majority of the book using air vents to escape from every single occasion where she was locked up which got a bit annoying. I also could have done with more of Benjy! He's a character I'd love to discover more about, as well as Greyson who seems to be a bit of a mystery.

Overall I was really impressed with Pawn. It's intelligent and sharp and really stood out from the crowd. I think there's huge potential for later books inthis series and I can't wait to discover where the story goes from here!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Captive by Aimee Carter, the 2nd book in The Blackcoat Rebellion series

Books like this: Divergent by Veronica Roth, Matched by Ally Condie

Review: Red by Alison Cherry

Check back tomorrow for a guest post from Alison Cherry in which she discusses the research she did for the book. For now, read on to see my thoughts on Red!

Red by Alison Cherry

Author: Alison Cherry Website|Twitter
Published: 2 January 2014 (Quercus)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 309
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Quercus!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Top student. Beauty queen. Girlfriend of the hottest football jock: Felicity's got everything. And it's all down to her red, red hair.

Felicity lives in Scarletville, the world's only redhead sanctuary, where red hair is celebrated, protected - and the key to sucess.

But Felicity has a secret. A red hot secret. And if anyone finds out, she's finished.

Because Felicity's actually a natural blonde.

And in Scarletville, blondes need not apply.

My Review:
I have always wanted to be a redhead (pretty much for the same reason I have always wanted to be a twin - I loved the Linsday Lohan version of Parent Trap as a kid) so I was super excited to start Red by Alison Cherry. The book tells the story of Felicity St John who is entering the Miss Scarlet pageant, fearful of her secret - that her glorious red locks are actually dyed - will get discovered.

To start with, I just adored the whole premise of Red. Felicity lives in Scarletville, a town known as a sanctuary for redheads. People with red hair are celebrated with annual fairs and pageants. In Scarletville your hair also affects your social standing. Brunettes and blondes are looked down upon, with people who dye their hair like Felicity known as "arties". It was just such a fun twist on how we view red hair and I really loved seeing all the divisions it has caused and how that affects the society Felicity is living in. There was a little glimpse of life outside Scarletville, where attitudes are completely different, and I definitely would have like to see more of that - or more to the point I would loved to have seen Felicity experience more of the outside world. But I think the added nature of it being such a secluded place and her not having seen the world was what helped it work as an idea.

Felicity herself is a pretty great character, and I wasn't expecting to like her as much as I did. Maybe I was expecting her to be a typical popular girl, prom queen type who are always portrayed as a bit bitchy, but there was a really nice side to Felicity. She's living in the shadow of her mother who was a former Miss Scarlet herself, and who piles all this pressure on her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Felicity's mother was definitely the bad guy, where as Felicity's actions stem from that fear of her secret being discovered or not pleasing her mum. Even though she has to be forced into a lot of the nice things she does, I could still tell there was a lot of genuine heart in there. I loved Felicity's passion for art too which is where she really gets to express herself.

As well as Felicity, the rest of the characters in Red were a real highlight for me. Felicity and her two best friends Ivy and Haylie form this fantastic trio. All the girls are pretty different and the way they bounce off each other was so funny. Their friendship goes through some ups and downs throughout the book with the trust between them tested, and it said a lot that I was so invested in what happened between the girls. I particularly fell for Ivy who seemed to be the most level headed one of the three and is the anti-pageant contestant, which made a lovely contrast to Felicity and Haylie who are immersed in that world.

My absolute favourite character, however, had to be Jonathan. A brunette and fellow art student, he is the sweetest guy. I loved the scenes with the two of them and how Jonathan came out on top every time Felicity's tool of a boyfriend Brent came on the scene. I was rooting for Felicity and Jonathan the whole way through the book. There were some scenes where Felicity and Brent were together that I wasn't so keen on, just because I didn't like the way she was so desperate to keep him on side (Brent being a red head and popular) and how one minute she'd be moaning about how annoying he was, and the next minute she was all over him like a rash.

Red had pretty much everything I want from an American high school novel. It had romance, blackmail and plenty of drama! I adored the writing and the characters were fantastic. I thought the plot had some great twists and I loved all the moral dilemmas Felicity had to face and overcome. For a book about a beauty pageant, it was anything but shallow. I thought the focus on peer pressure and stereotypes was brilliantly done and how deep down the book really captured the idea of following your dreams, not being put into a box by other people.

Rating: 4*
Books like this: Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale, How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

Review: Secret Lies by Amy Dunne

Author: Amy Dunne Website
Published: 16 December 2013 (Bold Stroke Books)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 264
Buy the paperback: Amazon|BookDepository


Source: Received free copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Would you face your biggest fear, to save the one you love?

Nicola Jackson escapes from her abuser, only to realize she has no one to turn to and nowhere to go. In a twist of fate, she accidentally bumps into Jenny O’Connor, the most popular girl at school. They strike up an unlikely friendship. As their trust in each other develops, they share their darkest secrets, and their relationship blossoms into a secret romance.

Jenny loves Nicola, but she is fearful that if their secret relationship is discovered, she might lose her family, friends, and her seemingly perfect life.
Nicola confronts her abuser and blackmails him to leave for good, but things go terrifyingly wrong. Jenny is left with a life-changing dilemma: should she face her fear and accept who she is, or let Nicola take the blame and pretend their relationship never happened? 

My Review:
When the author approached me about reviewing this book I was really excited by the sound of it, and I am always on the lookout for more LBGTQ YA fiction. Secret Lies follows teenagers Jenny and Nicola who develop a close relationship after Nicola moves in with Jenny to escape her mother's abusive boyfriend.

Firstly this book is an intense read. The book deals with self-harm, alcohol and drugs, sex, physical and psychological abuse. Whilst it's not a light and fluffy read I think the author has done an incredible job at tackling these difficult topics. I could really sympathise with Jenny's battle with self-harm and seeing her in therapy was a great way to get inside her head and understand what she's thinking. Nicola's home situation was just heart-breaking and had me incredibly emotional throughout the book. She's been through some much and I really came to fear for her.

Whilst Secret Lies deals with all these traumas, the central relationship is something that is an incredibly positive experience for both girls and that really help lift the mood. I absolutely adored their relationship and the way it develops. They have this amazing chemistry but you get the slow burn as they come to terms with their feelings for each other. There are a few obstacles with Jenny coming from a very catholic family and neither girl having any experience but those hurdles just made you root for them even more. I was jumping up and down when they finally get together.

Both the girls are at a time in their life where they're discovering their sexuality and I liked how you got to explore those fears they have. There's a really touching scene where Nicola starts Googling everything she can about lesbianism and orders books and DVDs just to reach out and find out more about who she is. It makes you realise why books like Secret Lies are so important because this is the reality for so many teens yet it's vastly underrepresented. I hope this book will reach a wide range of audiences because it's a wonderful story, regardless of the sex of the two main characters.

As well as the central relationship, Secret Lies sums up pretty well what it's like to be a teenager living with peer pressure and stress. Jenny particularly goes through a lot of that, feeling the pressure to live up to her older sister's example and trying to live up to this reputation she's developed at school for being experienced and confident with boys, despite the fact she's not at all comfortable with it. The title also brings into play the sneaking around you do at that age and how hiding things about yourself for fear of the repercussions can be a reality.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I think the only thing that let it down for me was that the writing was a bit over-descriptive. I would find myself skimming large chunks of texts just to get past what colour everything was and find the action. The book alternated from Nicola and Jenny's POV which was generally effective, but sometimes I found the voices merging and would have to double check whose perspective I was reading from. I managed to stay engaged with the story, though, and the plot and drama sucked me in enough to put those things aside. Secret Lies is definitely a book I'll be recommending in future for those looking for a really good love story to root for.

Rating: 4*
Books like this: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle

Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan Website|Twitter
Published: 13 September 2012 (Simon & Schuster Children's Books)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 373
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Kami Glass is in love with someone she's never met - a boy the rest of the world is convinced is imaginary. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she doesn't complain. She runs the school newspaper and keeps to herself for the most part - until disturbing events begin to happen. There has been screaming in the woods and the dark, abandoned manor on the hill overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. As Kami starts to investigate for the paper, she finds out that the town she has loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets- and a murderer- and the key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy who everyone thought was imaginary may be real...and he may be dangerous.

My Review:
Unspoken tells the story of Kami Glass, resident of Sorry-in-the-Vale, a town dominated by the Lynburn's mansion. Kami makes it her mission to find out more about this mysterious family and whether they are linked to strange events happening in the town.

Unspoken is the first book in the Lynburn legacy series and is also the first novel I'd read by Sarah Rees Brennan. I'd been wanting to read her books for a while and it was Daisy who pushed me towards this one! It definitely won't be my last of Brennan's books. I found the writing to be gripping and filled with sharp humour and great dialogue.

The book is written in third person and predominantly focuses on Kami, who I loved. From the beginning of the book I thought she was slightly older, as she seemed to have quite a mature and intelligent voice, but I soon got used to that. I think she's incredibly clever and quick witted, and I liked her determination to get to the bottom of things. She's working on the school paper with her friend Angela and I love the journalist angle you get on the story.

The plot revolves around Kami's connection with Jared, a guy whose voice she hears in her head, only for him to turn up in real life. Jared himself was a brilliant example of a moody, bad boy type who drew your attention. I really liked the close bond he and Kami had and how they genuinely care for each other. I thought having Jared's cousin on hand, the good looking, nice boy, was a nice contrast between the two and caused some conflicting feelings for Kami. I liked both of the boys, and was glad it wasn't too love triangle-y or romance focused.

Unspoken really does well at getting you swept away with the mystery. Kami is trying to get to the bottom of the strange things happening in Sorry-in-the-Vale and I loved the little clues and way she goes about investigating them. There's also that feel of more going on than meets the eye which isn't revealed until slightly later in the story. It felt quite similar in parts to Beautiful Creatures.

The world building was slightly hit and miss for me. What I did like was the history of both Kami and Jared's families and how that was explored throughout the book. Both characters had a lot to discover about themselves and their past. Towards the end of the book during the climax of the story, I did have to reread bits and try and get my head around just what everything meant. It didn't detract from the excitement at having the mysteries resolved though.

The ending was incredible and I'm dying to read the next book. I think Unspoken will appeal to a wide range of people with its quirky feel, paranormal touch and brilliant writing.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan, the second book in the Lynburn Legacy series
Books like this: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Review: Requiem (Delirium, #3) by Lauren Oliver

Spoiler warning! This is the third and final book in the Delirium trilogy and this review will contain spoilers for the previous two books. You can read my review of Delirium here or my review of Pandemonium here instead. You have been warned!

Requeim by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver Website|Twitter
Published: 1 March 2013 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
It is the rule of the Wilds:
You must be bigger, and stronger, and tougher.
A coldness radiates through me, a solid wall that is growing, piece by piece, in my chest. He doesn't love me?
He never loved me.
It was all a lie.

'The old Lena is dead', I say, and then push past him. Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone.

You must hurt, or be hurt.

Lena can build the walls, but what if there's no one left to take them down? The powerful, heartbreaking conclusion to one of the most eagerly awaited, talked-about series is here.

My Review:
Requiem is the last book in the Delirium trilogy and follows Lena as she journeys through the Wilds, and Hana as she prepares to marry one of the most influential men in Portland.

From the moment I read Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver has been a favourite author of mine. Her writing is so beautiful and poetic. I'd been putting off Requiem for a few reasons. Partly because Delirium was one of the first YA dystopian books I read and one that influenced a lot of my reading after that and finishing the trilogy seemed scary. I was a little bit nervous after seeing reactions to this book when it first came out, and I was also waiting for the paperback to become available before requesting it from my library.

Having read the book, I can say it was worth the wait. It was probably my least favourite of the three books, but with writing of this level that isn't really a put down. I'm bound to enjoy some books more than others and I still found Requiem to be an enjoyable book with great writing.

Requiem is told in dual POV from Lena and Hana's POV. I definitely found myself enjoying Hana's chapters more. I think part of that was down to her being in Portland and it having that feeling of the first book, where you're wrapped up in the city and the politics that come with it. I also really enjoyed getting inside her head and this determination she has to find out the truth. There are several mysteries surrounding her and her future husband Fred which really drove the plot forwards and I found myself really feeling for her. I loved her in Delirium because she was so different to Lena, and it was interesting seeing how things have changed and what has happened to her.

The real strength of having the book told from both of the girls' perspectives was the way it addressed their friendship. Both girls find themselves thinking about each other, despite the distance between them. I loved seeing how, despite everything they've gone through, they still care for each other and miss each other.

Lena's chapters tended to drag a little bit for me because of the pacing. There was a lot of travelling around with not a lot of action, and I would find myself getting a bit bored and wanting to get back to Hana's chapters. Where Lena's story did come into its own was exploring the character relationships for example the tension between her and Alex. I also think they did a great job at getting across the bleak nature of the situation of those outside the cities.

I'd heard rumours that the ending was controversial, and whilst I can see why people might not like it, I found it to be moving. It definitely leaves you still thinking about the characters long after you close the pages, and I actually liked that openness which leaves you to decide yourself just what happened. I would maybe have liked a more solid conclusion to Hana's story, having enjoyed her parts of this book so much.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Panic by Lauren Oliver, her next novel coming March 2014
Books like this: Matched by Ally Condie, Slated by Teri Terry

Review: Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits, #3) by Katie McGarry

Spoiler warning! This is the 3rd book in the Pushing the Limits series and may contain spoilers for the first two books. You can read my review of Pushing the Limits here or my review of Dare You To here instead.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Author: Katie McGarry Website|Twitter
Published: 6 Deecember 2013 (MiraInk)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 352
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks MiraInk!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
The girl with straight A's, designer clothes, and the perfect life - that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list.

One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker - a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

My Review:
I absolutely adored both Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, so I couldn't wait to get into McGarry's third instalment! Crash Into You tells Isaiah's story as he meets and falls for Rachel, a girl who loves cars just as much as he does.

I loved what I'd seen of Isaiah in previous books and I was excited to dive into his character a little more. The book is written in alternating points of view between him and Rachel, and loved getting inside his head for those chapters. McGarry definitely wins at writing characters. Rarely do I read books where I connect with them so much and where they feel so real to me. What I loved about Isaiah in this book was seeing the slightly softer side to him, not only when it comes to his feelings for Rachel, but in other aspects of his life as well. There's definitely a lot more than meets the surface!

As well as those characters I've already come to know and love, I also fell immediately for Rachel, Isaiah's love interest in the story. She has a really interesting back story that instantly made me feel for her. Her family is haunted by the death of Rachel's sister Colleen, who Rachel herself never met. She's constantly living in the shadow of her older sister and her parents treat her almost like a replacement, not acknowledging her as her own person. Rachel also has the presence of her older brothers and twin brother Ethan to deal with, and they're very protective of her. I could sympathise for her fight to be independent and loved seeing her find her voice throughout the story.

As always, the chemistry the author has conjured up was intense and there were some great passionate scenes between Rachel and Isaiah. Overall I really liked their relationship. The two come from completely different backgrounds so it was really interesting to see the contrast and how that affected things. I think I would have liked a little more build up and the two getting to know each other. Things move pretty quickly and I felt a lot of the early relationship was purely based on looks. I think having read Dare You To earlier this year I was hoping for more of the love/hate kind of thing that Beth and Ryan had going on. By the end of the book, however, I was completely smitten with Rachel and Isaiah.

Speaking of Beth, I was excited to see how the events of Dare You To would impact on Isaiah's story. With Beth taking more of a backseat role, I was happy to see the presence of Abby, another of Isaiah's friends. She really stole the show with her bubbly persona, and I really enjoyed the developing friendship between her and Rachel.

I could probably speak about the characters all day long, because there are so many incredibly strong relationships in this book. I loved the exploration of the relationship between Rachel and her brothers, especially her twin brother Ethan, as well as the tension between Rachel and her mother. I really enjoyed the scenes between Isaiah and his social worker Courtney too, and of course Isaiah and Noah's friendship was another highlight.

The book centres a lot on Rachel and Isaiah's love of cars, and there are plenty of scenes involving things like drag races. I felt these scenes and the exploration of the gritty underworld of illegal street racing really added a sense of danger to Crash Into You. I could really feel the fear of both characters as they get swept up in this dark world, and there were plenty of tense and exciting scenes.

With characters I cared so much about, this was bound to be an emotional read, and there were some really powerful scenes in Crash Into You that tore at my heart a little bit. I loved getting to know Isaiah and discovering Rachel, who had so much about her and has become one of my favourite characters from the series. Excitingly the next book will focus on Rachel's brother West, so I'm super excited to read that one! I think Dare You To has become my favourite book of the series, but Crash Into You was still an enjoyable and powerful read.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Take Me On by Katie McGarry, the next book in the Pushing the Limits series, which will be published in 2014
Books like this: Perfect Chemistry by Simole Elkeles

Review: One More Day (Anthology - Various Authors)

One More Day by L. S. Murphy and Various Authors

Published: 2 December 2013 (J. Taylor Publishing)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Buy the paperback: AmazonUK|Amazon.com

Source: Received free advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks J. Taylor Publishing!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
What if today never ends?

What if everything about life—everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience—never happens?

Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ... that's where you’d be ... forever.

Unless ...

In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.

How do we restart time?

How do we make everything go back to normal?

The answers, in whatever the world—human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale—could,maybe, happen today.

Right now.

What would you do if this happened ... to you?

My Review:
The reason I decided to accept a review copy of this book was down to the fact I don't read many short stories. The whole concept and idea of the collection sounded really interesting, and I liked the idea of a group of stories with a common theme running throughout. One More Day features several shorts all based around the idea of time standing still. For this review I thought I'd recap each story and give my thoughts on it.

First up was Time Piece by Anna Simpson which follows Sadie as she is joined by her future self to try and destroy a time machine causing time to loop itself over and over again. This was probably one of my favourite stories because it was so action packed. The writing was really beautiful and the idea behind the story reminded me a lot of All Out Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, so if you loved that book then I think you'll appreciate the ideas in Time Piece. I struggled a bit with some of the transitions when time jumped back on itself, but overall this was still a highlight of the book for me.

Next came Dark Rose by Marissa Malvorson which tells the story of Scarlett who is sitting in an exam when time seems to freeze around her. Whilst she freaks out and goes outside to find out what the hell is happening, she comes across Letta, a version of herself from a parallel universe, in the midst of a battle to stop the Dark Rose from destroying the world. I loved the idea of parallel universes colliding and addressing characters who exist alongside each other. There was plenty of action and I loved the build up and the climax of the story which felt very complete.

Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford was another highlight of the anthology. Amber finds herself stuck on a roller coaster, the only person still concious and moving as time stands still. When she finally escapes the roller coaster car, she discovers the real reason she's there in the first place. It's hard to go into this one too much without spoiling but I thought it was a really cool idea and this story will really appeal to fans of technology and sci-fi. Don't be put off by the title - it's not fantasy!

The 13th Month by L. S. Murphy takes on the idea of the apocalypse being imminent. Nixon's brother Jackie is obsessed with the end of the world and ends up on weird websites with crackpot theories. Only one night, one particular theory comes true and Nixon finds himself fighting for his life. I really liked the survivial element to this story as Nixon struggles to stay alive during the apocalypse. I also loved the relationship between Nixon and brother Jackie and the gritty, intense feel of the story.

But it's not all sci-fi! Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay gives a fairy tale twist to the anthology. Princess Clarissa has pricked her finger causing her to fall into a cursed sleep. Aerisa is a servent who is left to try and break the curse by tracking down Clarissa's ex-boyfriend Edwin to deliver the kiss that could wake her. But Aerisa has her own feelings to deal with when it comes to Ben. This was a really sweet love story with that really made my heart swell and provided a refreshing contrast to some of the other stories.

Stage Fright by Erika Beebe follows Hannah who is performing in a play when time freezes and she finds herself encountering boys she's only dreamt about. I found some moments in Stage Fright a little confusing and it took a while to get to the point, but towards the end when the ideas started to come together I really enjoyed it. I loved how it portrayed the power of imagination and dreams coming true and it felt really uplifting.

A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley took high fantasy twist as we enter the world of the Inkborn and meet Raeve, servent of and hopelessly in love with Inkborn Lorrel. When times stops, Raeve discovers there is more to this world than meets the eye. Again, this is one that is hard to explain without spoiling, but it's a very clever idea and plays on the idea of imagination and writing stories. Once I knew what was happening I really enjoyed the concept, but the beginning of the story made it a bit hard for me to understand at first with all the language and terminology. Still, it was an idea that really worked.

Overall I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I liked the sci-fi feel to a lot of them and how they all played with the idea of imagination, something I think a lot of readers will really appreciate. I'd definitely be keen to read more by each of these authors as the writing was of a high standard throughout. For anyone looking for a great anthology or maybe someone who doesn't read short stories very often but would like to, this is a great place to start.

Rating: 4*
Books like this: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer, Prom Nights From Hell by Various Authors

Review: The Rainbow Maker's Tale by Melanie Cusick-Jones

 The Rainbow Maker's Tale by Melanie Cusick-Jones

Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones Website|Twitter
Published: 4 November 2013
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 445
Buy the e-book: Kindle

Source: Received ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review (thanks Melanie!)

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Outwardly, Balik is an obedient member of society on Space Station Hope: he follows The Council's systems, excels at school and seems happy to follow in his parents footsteps...

Balik's real life is filled with secrets he can share with no one. As he follows his suspicions about the space station into ever more dangerous territory it seems like his whole world will unravel around him. But, he doesn't understand everything: things are wrong, he is sure of that, he just doesn't know why.

When Cassie unexpectedly comes into his life, Balik struggles to find his balance. For years he's investigated the oddities of the world he lives in, but Cassie makes him question things in a different way... Can he believe in this girl who seems so much a part of the system he distrusts? Would she put a stop to his plans to break out if she knew what he was really up to? Balik can't be sure of anything - except the fact that he can't leave her alone.

My Review:
I read Hope's Daughter last year and was really excited to hear from the author who offered me the chance to review The Rainbow Maker's Tale! The book follows Balik and his life on the Space Station Hope as he becomes increasingly suspicious of his surroundings.

This book is billed as 1.5 in the series, as it's effectively the first book but told from Balik's perspective. Theoretically you could probably read this book first or on its own, but I'd recommend reading Hope's Daughter beforehand. I found myself drawing on knowledge from the first book and I think it really helped that the world was familiar, plus you get double the enjoyment reading both books! Saying that, I definitely enjoyed The Rainbow Maker's Tale more than Hope's Daughter so hurry up and get to this one!

The Rainbow Maker's Tale is told in first person from Balik's point of view. I wasn't too sure about him as a character in the first book, but it's amazing how much of a difference it makes being able to get inside his head! Balik has this great internal monologue throughout the book which really helps you get to know him and the way he thinks. He's a very interesting character. He's angry, socially awkward and very intelligent, and has this strong determination and drive. I think being able to clearly understand his motives made me like him more than I would have otherwise.

I thought the relationship between Cassie and Balik was expanded on really well in The Rainbow Maker's Tale. Getting to know Balik's back story and his feelings for Cassie, and why he's so desperate to befriend her was something I liked. For Balik, Cassie is someone who can help him get answers. He has all these questions about the environment they're in, and he becomes obsessed with discovering more about what's really going on. In turn, that becomes an obsession with Cassie. I think if you disregard the romantic side of things, I could totally understand his fascination with her, and he himself defines it as an obsession. He also understands how socially isolated he is and I think his awkwardness is portrayed well. I think some people may find it a little bit of an uncomfortable relationship at times when it does venture into more than friends territory (a few lines made me a bit squirmy) but for the most part I was on board. There's a great, dramatic scene about halfway through the book as well where I really felt the connection between Balik and Cassie.

What I loved about Hope's Daughter and what I still love about this series is the incredible world which has been created. Life on SS Hope is so rigorously controlled, with everything from the environment, to where they live, to the nutrition they're given and Balik is so in tune to what's happening around him. All the time is that constant feeling that more is going on and it had that brilliant, unnerving quality that I love about dystopian fiction. Even thought I knew what was coming from having read Hope's Daughter, I still got wrapped up in all the little mysteries.

The writing was definitely a highlight of The Rainbow Maker's Tale and I found it to be a huge improvement from the first book. The pacing was perfect and the writing slick and engaging. It's been a while since I read Hope's Daughter so I didn't find the overlapping of storylines too much of a problem. In fact I liked being able to spot moments and scenes from the first book! Everything came flooding back to me, and I loved getting the added information from Balik's story. The climax was my highlight because it leaves so many questions about what will happen next. I can't wait to find out! The Rainbow Maker's Tale has definitely got me excited for the rest of the series.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Outlanders by Melanie Cusick-Jones, the 2nd book in The Ambrosia Sequence
Books like this: Matched by Ally Condie, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi