Review: Soulmates by Holly Bourne

 Soulmates by Holly Bourne

Author: Holly Bourne Website|Twitter
Published: 1 September 2013 (Usborne)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 544
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Every so often, two people are born who are the perfect matches for each other. Soulmates. But while the odds of this happening are about as likely as being struck by lightning, when these people do meet and fall in love…thunderstorms, lightning strikes and lashings of rain are only the beginning of their problems.

Enter Poppy, the 17-year-old cynic with a serious addiction to banana milk, and Noah, the heart-throb guitarist; residents of mediocre Middletown, sometime students, and…soulmates.

After a chance meeting at a local band night, Poppy and Noah find themselves swept up in a whirlwind romance unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before. But with a secret international agency preparing to separate them, a trail of destruction rumbling in their wake, (and a looming psychology coursework deadline), they are left with an impossible choice between the end of the world, or a life without love…

My Review:
I've been dying to read this book for ages because there was a lot of buzz surrounding it, and it's UKYA which always gets me a bit more excited! I bought myself a copy of the paperback a while ago, and it won a poll on my blog for which book I should read next. Soulmates follows Poppy, a complete sceptic when it comes to love, as she finds herself swept away by guitarist Noah. But this isn't a traditional love story. Poppy and Noah's relationship will affect everyone around them, because their love is causing havoc.

Every so often you read a book where you want to pause whilst reading it and applaud. Soulmates was one of those books. I absolutely adored the idea of the story and it is honestly one of the smartest books I have ever read. Imagine every cliche about young love you can think of; instant attraction, sparks flying, feeling sick, not being able to cope without them. In Soulmates each of these ideas is a physical reality for Poppy and Noah. Being near each other is causing physical reactions to their bodies, they're relationship is causing electrical storms, freak weather and power cuts, they touch and there's sparks. This is not your average love story. It's sort of the anti-YA-love-story book. And that was incredibly refreshing.

So the idea of the book is fantastic, and it's delivered brilliantly through an exciting cast of characters. Poppy is brilliant. Within a few chapters I knew I loved her, and she has definitely become one of my favourite female YA characters. She's incredibly sarcastic and smart, and stands out with her sceptical views on everything from her overly middle class hometown to society's attitude to love and romance. I adored her brutal honesty and how she really speaks her mind. As well as Poppy herself, we get to see her relationship with her three best friends - Lizzie, Ruth and Amanda. I found their friendship to be incredibly true to life and instantly recognisable. I could picture my own secondary school friends in each of their places because I think they summed up that teenage friendship perfectly. There's awkwardness, jealousy, and pressure to do well at school. I loved the British college setting with the girls working towards their A Levels because it made it so much more relatable.

The book is told in first person POV from Poppy's perspective, but every couple of chapters you get an insight from the government workers who are tracking Poppy and Noah's relationship. This was where the book became even more genius for me. These added chapters helped give you the bigger picture, filling you in on the extra bits of information that Poppy and Noah are oblivious to. It gave you a hint at what was to come and really ramped up the tension and suspense.

Whilst the book itself is a fantastic take on love and the idea of soulmates, the main relationship between Poppy and Noah is still incredibly enjoyable. I really loved some of the scenes between them, especially once they become more comfortable around each other. Noah is completely lovable, and he plays in a band which is always pretty cool. I think my favourite scenes were the ballet and final gig. The characters are sixth form age and a lot of the story focuses on the taking of their relationship to the next level and what consequences that would have. It was great seeing the characters address those dilemmas sensibly and the "will they, won't they" situation really drove the story forward. I really liked Frank as well, Poppy's classmate who is thrown in as a sort of anti-soulmate. They have a great friendship based on a similar sense of humour, but it's nothing compared to this dramatic reaction she gets around Noah. I think it was great to see that contrast so you could see just how powerful the idea of soulmates in this novel is.

I also loved the references to other literature and pop culture and how that compares with Poppy's idea of love. She's studying Romeo and Juliet at school, and then she and Noah end up watching the first Twilight film, so you've got all these comparisons of how love is perceived thrown into the mix to get Poppy's message across. I think the fact I was reading Twilight at the same time as this book was an incredibly appropriate coincidence!

The ending of Soulmates is an absolute adrenaline rush. I couldn't put it down. All that build up throughout the book brings you an incredible climax that is well worth the wait. And the last few chapters will absolutely shake you up and tug at your heartstrings. I've already started recommending this book to people and I think I will continue to do so for a very long time. It pushes the genre boundaries because it's a contemporary with a little bit of something extra which I think will add to the appeal. It's just such a brilliant idea which has been incredibly well executed, and is the perfect remedy to anyone who's found themselves sighing with frustration at stereotypical YA romance.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Holly's next book, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting, will be published in 2014.
Books like this: Shift by Em Bailey, Hold Your Breath by Caroline Green

Teaser Tuesdays: Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2) by Richelle Mead

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!

As it's Halloween this week, I've picked a suitably Halloween themed teaser!

"She continued her appraisal, stopping to study little things that apparently surprised her about me. A picture of Lissa and me dressed up like fairies for Halloween."

- page 121, Frostbite by Richelle Mead

The Weekly Book Round Up! 26th October

So usually I do a news post on Saturday and a Weekly Book Round Up post on Sunday. This week I've decided to do something a little bit different and combine the two! I might make this a permanent thing if I decide it works, and I'd really appreciate your feedback in the comments.

The reasons for the change are mainly to give myself a bit more free time. I do volunteer work on a Saturday and a Monday, which means Sunday is my super lazy day off. I really value my weekend free time so to not have to worry about rushing to get a post together would make my life a little bit less hectic! I like posting news so didn't want to sacrifice it completely, and I think this is the perfect compromise. Anyway, I hope you like the new format!

The Weekly Book Round Up!

In the News

The cover for Liz de Jager's Banished was revealed this week. You can see it over on her website at this link. The book is set for publication in Feburary 2014. Add it on Goodreads here.

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead picked up the Guardian's Children's Fiction Prize this week, becoming the first American to do so. Read more over on the Guardian website and check out the book on Goodreads.

After being put on hold due to the underperformance of City of Bones, it looks like the City of Ashes film is back on. Read the story over on Fandomsnews.

And the Roald Dahl Funny prize shortlist was revealed this week, with Holly Smale's Geek Girl providing YA representation. See the full shortlist on the Booktrust website.

And in book release news, the highly anticipated Allegiant by Veronica Roth, the final book in the Divergent series, has finally been published.

On the Blog

This week I posted reviews of the following books: Blinded by the Light by Joe Kipling, a gripping British dystopian novel, Night Witches by L. J. Adlington, a beautifully written story about female fighter pilots with a supernatural twist, Relic by Heather Terrell which is a fantasy set in a futuristic world where people have shunned technology and Curve by Nicola Hudson, a refreshing British New Adult novel that tackles some pretty intense issues.

I also took part in Top Ten Tuesday in which the topic was favourite or unusual character names. Check out my top ten here, which includes names from The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Pushing the Limits.

Books I've Been Reading

This week I've been taking part in a Frostbite readalong with Daisy from FangirlDaily and AThousandLivesofDais. I'm thoroughly enjoying the book so far. I really enjoyed Vampire Academy and I'm loving getting back into that world.

I also finished reading Crash Into You by Katie McGarry. I adore this series and this book is all about Isaiah. I really enjoyed it, and especially like the new character Rachel. My review will be out in early December so check back to see what I thought.

I'm currently reading Allegiant by Veronica Roth after I was very kindly given a copy this week (see below!). I can't wait to dive back into this world and finish the trilogy.

In the Real World

Firstly, I got my hair cut! I went from having long hair to having shoulder length hair which was quite a change, but I'm really happy with it. So now I look like this:

(Excuse the grumpy face!)

I had the chance to meet up with a fellow blogger this week. Vincent from Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books is another blogger based where I live, and so it was really exciting to meet up and chat books. He also very kindly gave me some books to review, which I will review for both his site and my blog. First up will be Allegiant so keep an eye out for that soon!

Then I met up with my best friend who has made me my very own reading journal! She's customised a notebook for me and included all these amazing sections for favourite quotes, films, characters, even a spot for Waiting on Wednesday ideas!

Coming Up!

Next week is Halloween so I've been saving up some appropriately themed books to run as reviews this week. There are lots of vampires! Over the course of the week I'm also hoping to finish Allegiant, start reading Tregarthur's Promise by Alex Mellanby and maybe get on to Requiem by Lauren Oliver.





Review: Curve by Nicola Hudson

Note: This is a New Adult book and is aimed at readers over the age of 15 due to mature content. For more information about New Adult books and my policy on reviewing them, please visit this post. Thank you!

Curve by Nicola Hudson

Author: Nicola Hudson Website|Twitter
Published: 25 October 2013
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Buy the e-book: Kindle|KindleUS

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

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Cass is seventeen and never been kissed, let alone touched, when two boys become interested in her. Flynn is the older brother of her best friend, yet Cass has never considered him as anything other than that. Rob is the school sports star and becomes obsessed with Cass when he loses a bet because of her. As the relationship between Cass and Flynn develops, Rob's interest becomes increasingly malevolent. One night changes Cass's life and threatens to destroy her relationship with Flynn, as well as her future

My Review:
Curve tells the story of seventeen year old Cass who does the unthinkable and falls for her best friend's brother. With working in her stepdad's shop, applying for university and dealing with incidents of bullying, can she and Flynn ever be happy?

There was a lot to like about Curve, so I'm going to start out with the positives. This is one of the few British NA books I've read and that was wonderful and refreshing. I think it made a lot of what Cass goes through even more recognisable. I loved seeing her juggle her life at sixth form with a job in her family's shop, because I think that work/college battle is something a lot of people are struggling with right now. I think the author has managed to sum up that time of life perfectly, and that a lot of people will be able to relate to it.

I really enjoyed the friendship between Cass and her best friend Neve. It was just so nice to see two girls getting on so well and not being bitchy and horrible too each other. They were so natural around each other I loved that they always had each other's backs. I think everyone wants a friendship like theirs!

The central relationship between Cass and Flynn is one I did enjoy. It took me a while to decide whether or not I liked them together, as Flynn is quite protective of Cass. I think you can take it one of two ways, and I chose to take it that he was genuinely caring about her and was sort of her knight in shining armour.

The book deals with some very dark issues which I mention in this review in case they are trigger warnings for anyone planning to read the book. There is a scene of sexual assault which is then followed through with a police investigation. I found the whole thing to be handled extremely well and I think it was really encouraging to see a character seeking out help and talking about her ordeal.

I did have a few niggles with Curve. The dialogue was a bit of a struggle for me because one of my biggest pet peeves whilst reading is clunky dialogue. Unfortunately this book falls into the trap of characters using each other's names far too frequently, which is something that just doesn't happen in every day speech. In this case it was done almost every sentence so it just jumped out for me.

I also had a dilemma when it came to Cass's guilt when things are going wrong with Flynn. She takes responsibility for things I don't think are really her fault, and sometimes the fact she feels she has to apologise for things made me uncomfortable. I say this is a dilemma because while this is an attitude I don't like to see promoted in relationships, I know it is very realistic for girls to feel like this, so in that sense the book is being true to life. I think you have to really get inside the head of Cass as a naïve and inexperienced teenager to see things from her point of view to understand those feelings she has.

I think there's real potential in this book and that it will really appeal to NA fans looking for something a little bit different. I applaud the author for taking on the subject of sexual assault and doing it so well, and also for capturing that time of life where university is looming in the distance and suddenly your whole life is about to change so well. Cass goes on a real journey and I did enjoy taking it with her.

Rating: 3*
Books like this: The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski, Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie

Review: Relic by Heather Terrell

Relic by Heather Terrell

Author: Heather Terrell Website|Facebook
Published: 29 October 2013 (Soho Teen)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 288
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

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

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
When Eva’s twin brother, Eamon, falls to his death just a few months before he is due to participate in The Testing, no one expects Eva to take his place. She’s a Maiden, slated for embroidery classes, curtseys, and soon a prestigious marriage befitting the daughter of an Aerie ruler. But Eva insists on honoring her brother by becoming a Testor. After all, she wouldn’t be the first Maiden to Test, just the first in 150 years.

Eva knows the Testing is no dance class. Gallant Testors train for their entire lives to search icy wastelands for Relics: artifacts of the corrupt civilization that existed before The Healing drowned the world. Out in the Boundary Lands, Eva must rely on every moment of the lightning-quick training she received from Lukas—her servant, a Boundary native, and her closest friend now that Eamon is gone.

But there are threats in The Testing beyond what Lukas could have prepared her for. And no one could have imagined the danger Eva unleashes when she discovers a Relic that shakes the Aerie to its core.

My Review:
I was drawn to this book because it was being compared to Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games, both series I love, and so I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab a review copy! Relic follows Eva as she takes part in the gruelling challenge of the Testing, where participants must enter the harsh arctic conditions to discover hidden relics from the past.

Now I can completely understand the comparisons to Game of Thrones. The book takes place in the New North, a habitat created after most of the world's population was wiped out by what Eva's people call The Healing. The frozen landscape will be familiar to anyone who's read or watched Game of Thrones. Relic also has religious themes, as do the Song of Ice and Fire books. In Relic's case, Eva's people worship with Mother Sun and Father Earth and take guidance from their religious text - The Lex. The comparison to The Hunger Games is less obvious as the two books are quite different, but Relic is a post-apocalyptic novel and there is that survival element to the story. I did find myself comparing it a lot to Joelle Charbonneau's The Testing, seeing as the main competition in the story has the same name. That similarity was a little distracting at first.

When it comes down to it, Relic definitely has enough substance about it to stand on its own. The ideas in the book and the world building really won me over. I liked learning about the history of the New North. Throughout the book, Eva herself is constantly learning and reminiscing about her life and the society they live in now. We learn about the rules they Aerie people abide by excerpts from the Lex, and there are several rituals that take place in those early chapters that give a glimpse into how Eva's society works. I thought it was a nice twist to see a futuristic society that has shunned technology and sees it as the cause of the problems in centuries before. It was quite funny seeing references to tablet computers and credit cards as something so the characters think of as so horrific and shocking - I think because the author has used brand names we're all familiar with. I liked the mix of cultures Eva's people have evolved from. At points the book seems very Americanised but there are plenty of references to European cultures and places which I enjoyed. I sometimes find the world building in fantasy novels to be quite hard to keep up with, but I thought it was something really well done in Relic.The writing was sharp and exciting, and I could really visualise myself in Eva's surroundings.

Relic opens with a scene showing Eamon's death. Then we jump to the present where we meet Eamon's twin sister Eva who is our main character throughout the story. Eva herself carried the story really well. She comes from a powerful family, and is kind of oppressed in the society she lives in. Because she's a Maiden, she's expected to behave in a certain way (one passage mentions being pleasing to the eye and ear), always abiding by the rules of the Lex. She puts herself forward for The Testing, the only woman to have done so, which is a real way of proving herself. She's at an instant disadvantage because her sex has denied her the chance to prepare herself for The Testing in the same way the men have. Women in her world grow up learning different skills. Despite this she makes a real effort to prepare herself. I liked that we got to see her compete against an all male team. Eva is smart and resourceful throughout the tests she faces. My favourite parts were when she starts to write her Chronicle, a documentation of her Testing experience. It really showed her passion and potential.

There are two male characters in the story who are both potential love interests for Eva. Jasper also comes from a powerful family and is introduced as a potential suitor, approved by her family. Lukas is a Boundary Companion, a lesser role in society and his and Eva's relationship crosses a divide in terms of social standing. I definitely preferred Lukas, as he seemed to have a lot more about him. I think their relationship is more genuine, having stood for years, although Jasper seems a nice enough guy and I liked that he looks out for Eva during The Testing. It may come across a bit love-triangle-ish, but the romance isn't the main focus of the story. I got the feeling that it's something that might take more of the spotlight in future books.

Relic really won me over towards the ending of the story where all the pieces start to fit into place and provide a wider picture. I liked how the beginning, middle and end of the story all had different feels to them. I enjoyed the middle section where Eva is out there battling the elements and fighting to survive, but I think my favourite parts were back in the New North where we get to sink into this fantastic world that Terrell has created. There is huge scope for more. I feel like both the history of the Aerie people and the present situation in the New North has only been touched upon. The revelations at the end of the book had me hungry to find out more. I'm excited to carry on with this series.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Relic is the first book in a planned series.
Books like this: The Testing by Joelle Charboennau, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Matched by Ally Condie

Review: Night Witches by L. J. Adlington

 Night Witches by L. J. Adlington

Author: L. J. Adlington Website|Twitter
Published: 5 September 2014 (Hodder Children's Books)
Format: Paperback (proof)
Pages: 336
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Hive|Kobo

Source: Gifted proof copy from author. Thanks Lucy!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
TWO NATIONS AT WAR. ONE GIRL CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
Rain Aranoza is a teenage bomber-pilot from Rodina, a nation of science and fact ruled by the all knowing Aura, where the belief in witches or any type of superstition is outlawed. Rain's regiment is made up of only teenage girls and their role is vital to the war effort against the Crux, a nation of faith and belief, where nature and God are celebrated and worshipped.

But Rain is struggling with another battle. She's always had a sense that her nature is different from everyone else's, and that a dormant power threatens to burst out of her.

My Review:
I'd been using a Night Witches promotional bookmark all summer after picking it up at Leakycon, so I was really excited when the author got in touch with me after discovering we were both from the same city! She very kindly offered me the chance to read and review the book. Night Witches follows Rain as she trains to become a fighter pilot as the war between Rodina and the Crux intensifies.

The book is told from Rain's point of view and at the beginning of the book we're introduced to her and her family. Throughout the book the story focuses on Rain and her cousin Zoya as the two of them train to become pilots. I loved the relationship between the two of them. They're very different, yet are still able to look after each other in their increasingly difficult missions.

Night Witches is set in a sort of futuristic/dystopian world. Rain and Zoya live in the city of Rodina which has shunned religion and old fashioned manufacturing techniques. Everything is made from a material called Bioweave as opposed to the wood and other materials of the Old Nation. The city is at war with the religious people - known as the Crux - and there are legends of witchcraft that the people of Rodina are either frightened of or quick to deny any belief in. It made for a great mix of ideas and genres. I liked the technology Rain and her people use, such as being able to connect to "Aura" - a sort of online hub of information that everyone can use to message each other. I liked what I learnt of the war between the two sides, but I would love to have discovered more about the city and why things had come to be that way. It seemed like there was a lot of unlocked potential there and Night Witches just scratched the surface.

As well as the relationship between Rain and Zoya, there was also a great camaraderie between the girls and their fellow trainees. I liked the humour and dialogue between the two and how they bounced off each other. I really came to feel for them all as they go through some traumatic times and tense battle scenes throughout the book. I also enjoyed the romantic storyline involving Reef and how he and Rain are drawn to each other in the midst of all this craziness.

The real winner for me in Night Witches was the writing which I found to be beautiful and poetic. I loved the dialogue and the slight dialect of the characters. I just got swept away in the story and the wonderful, haunting descriptions. I'll definitely be reading more of this author's books because I adored the unique style.

All throughout the book there was this hint at something more going on and that there was something about Rain herself that was special. I loved the suspense and tension, and the twist towards the end had me hooked and left me unable to put the book down. I loved how everything came to be revealed.

I think overall I would have liked to know more about this wonderful world and discover a bit more of the history, but what was there was thoroughly enjoyable. I loved Rain and Zoya's story and parts really tugged at the heartstrings. If you like books with action, a touch of sci-fi and a bit of supernatural then this book is for you!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The Diary of Pelly D by L. J. Adlington
Books like this: Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite/Unusual Character Names

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish and this week's top ten is character names you love or unusual character names. Mine is a bit of a mashup of the two. My memory is awful so there are probably a whole load I'm forgetting, but after scanning Goodreads, these are the ones that jumped out at me.



Katniss, Prim and Rue

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 

The Hunger Games trilogy has so many good names, but I'm a sucker for floral names.

 

 

 

Bindy Mackenzie

Becoming Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

 

I think Bindy's name totally suits her, and it's not a name you often associate with younger characters therefore it stands out in YA.

 

 

 

Nymphadora Tonks and Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

 

Tonks may hate her name, but I quite like it! And let's face it, Dumbledore is a wonderful word that is fun to say.

 

 

 

Echo

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

 

I hadn't seen this as a name before and it's such a beautiful word anyway, so it makes an even more beautiful name!

 

 

 

Cassia

Matched by Ally Condie

 

I really love Cassie as a name and there are a lot of Cassies floating around, so Cassia is a nice twist on a familiar name.

 

 

Rain and Reef

Night Witches by L. J. Adlington

 

This book had a lot of interesting and unusual names, and I just read this book so they're are fresh in my mind. I mean the name Rain does make me think of Ross and Rachel from Friends (if you get that reference I want to high five you) but I do really like it. And the two names go well together. 

 

 

 

What are your favourite character names? Let me know in the comments!

 

Review: Blinded by the Light by Joe Kipling

Blinded by the Light by Joe Kipling

Author: Joe Kipling Website|Twitter
Published: 1 October 2013 (Cillian Press)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 268
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository

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

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
In the near future, when the world's population has been decimated by disease, the fortunate few live inside the Boundary, while the unlucky ones are left to die on the Outside. MaryAnn is one of the privileged. It doesn't matter that her friends can sometimes be cruel or that the boy she likes just threw up on her shoes, it's all about being noticed at the right parties. But it takes a single event to rip her life apart.

Struggling with physical and psychological scars, MaryAnn must face up to the truth about the foundations of the Neighbourhood and the legacy of her family. Once she learns the truth she can never go back, but can she really put her faith in the Union?

"Blinded by the Light" is about death and coming to terms with loss, the abuse of power, discrimination and the fear of the unknown. It is the first book in The Union Trilogy.

My Review:
Blinded by the Light follows MaryAnn, daughter of an influential politician working for the Light and an upper class member of the Neighbourhood. But not all is as it seems. MaryAnn soon discovers there is more to the Light than meets the eye, and that life outside the Boundary may not be all that it seems.

Now I love a good post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel and Blinded by the Light satisfied that craving! Plus it's set in the UK which is always exciting to see. The premise of the book is based around the society living in safe Neighbourhoods after a virus attacked huge parts of the population. There's a constant fear of becoming unwell and wealthy houses are fitted with isolation chambers in the event of anyone catching a mere cold. Society is broken up into the wealthy Alphas, down to the Deltas who do tasks such as cleaning and maintenance, then the Echos who are known as Ferals and live outside the Boudary. I loved reading about all the divisions of the society and how they came to be. Of course beyond all this on the surface is a lot of government conspiracies and propaganda. I adored the premise and the world building was superb.

The story is told in first person from the view of MaryAnn, and I can see her being a very Marmite character. She's been brainwashed by her father into the government's way of thinking, and growing up wealthy has made her incredibly spoilt. She's very much a daddy's girl (she refers to her parents as mummy and daddy throughout) and is used to getting what she wants. Despite all this, I was still very much able to warm to MaryAnn. She goes on a real journey throughout the book as she starts to discover the truth about those around her, and it was heartbreaking to see this image of her perfect world start to crumble around her. There's a very vulnerable side to her character and throughout the book she goes through some extremely traumatic times. By the end of Blinded by the Light I had garnered a huge amount of respect for her. She makes some incredibly brave and intelligent decisions along the way.

Alongside MaryAnn, Peter was one of my favourite characters. As a member of the resistance, he first comes across quite brash, but once I got to know him I found myself really drawn to him. There's some really warm and humourous moments between the resistance members that were a nice balance to some of the more horrible things happening, and I liked the subtle relationship between Peter and MaryAnn that builds throughout the book.

Blinded by the Light does have some pretty dark moments, dealing with terrorism and torture in ways that are often quite gruesome, but I thought the ideas in the book were really well handled. It started to make me question what was happening and towards the end of the book I was placing myself in MaryAnn's shoes and asking just what I would have done in her situation. The whole book was gripping and tense.

The only downside for me was the pacing in places. There were scenes that were glossed over that I would like to have known more about, and others that lingered on that I thought could have been over more quickly. Overall though I really enjoyed the writing style. I got swept away with MaryAnn and the trials she faces, felt the emotions she went through and loved the intricate world building.

The climax to Blinded by the Light was probably my favourite part. I was already addicted to the story but it just made me crave so much more. This is the first book in a trilogy so I'd definitely be excited to read the rest of the books. If you're looking for a new dystopian fix then this is for you.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: This is the first book in the Union trilogy.
Books like this: Matched by Ally Condie, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Slated by Teri Terry

Weekly Book Round Up! 20th October

Weekly Book Round Up!

Another busy week! I hit my Goodreads target of 160 books which is craaaaazy. Received some lovely books for review this week and somehow ended up buying books (someone please restrain me!). Also had some exciting posts up on the blog, all of which is recapped below. Enjoy!

Received for review:

Curve by Nicola Hudson

The author got in touch with me this week after seeing I'd commented on another blog expressing interest in this book. I've already read it and my review will be coming this week! Thanks to Nicola for the review copy.

 Tregarthur's Promise by Alex Mellanby
Blinded by the Light by Joe Kipling

The lovely Sonia from Cillian Press contacted me about reviewing their first two YA titles. I've already finished Blinded by the Light which I really enjoyed. Thanks Cillian Press! 

Library books:

Code by Kathy and Brendan Reichs
The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

So I didn't really need more books but I couldn't resist these when I popped in the main library in my city centre this week. Code is the third book in the Virals series which I've been really enjoying. I can't wait to get back into that series. The Diamond of Drury Lane was recommended to me in a blog post where I asked for historical recommendations. And Eve and Adam has been on my Goodreads list for ages.

Bought:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

I had a copy of this when I was a kid and it somehow got lost over the years, so I popped in my local indie bookshop to grab a new copy.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

This was on Kindle sale this week. I have Throne of Glass on my Kindle but I haven't read it yet. I'm hoping owning the sequel will give me a bit of motivation! I've heard incredible things about this series so I can't wait to dive in.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman

This is another book I swear I owned as a child, but don't remember reading. My friend recommended it to me this week so when it jumped out at me in the charity shop I just had to have it!

Gifted:

Night Witches by L. J. Adlington

This is a really awesome story how I came by this one. The author of Night Witches popped into the same independent bookshop I visited as part of Books are my Bag and the bookseller there put us in touch with each other and Lucy very kindly offered to send me a copy of her book to review. I was even more excited because I already owned the bookmark (pictured) and had been dying to read the book! Huge thank you to Lucy and Phillipa at The Little Apple Bookshop for making this happen.

Currently reading: 
Night Witches by L. J. Adlington
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Frostbite by Richelle Mead

I'm reading all of the books right now. I just couldn't resist starting Crash Into You, but it's on the backburner whilst I get some other books out the way. I am loving it so far though. I'm reading Frostbite with Daisy from FangirlDaily/AThousandLivesofDais so I'm super excited to be reading along with her!

Books finished:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Contaminants by Devin K. Smyth
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Blinded by the Light by Joe Kipling
Curve by Nicola Hudson

Books reviewed:
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
The Contaminants by Devin K. Smyth

Other posts:

Sarah's Reading Habits: Favourite Genres
Waiting on Wednesday: Tinder by Sally Gardner
Book Blitz: Excerpt from Boy Swap by Kristina Springer
News Round Up!
 

News Round Up! 19th October

News Round Up!

 

 

Each week I recap a few of the latest YA news stories that have popped up on my radar. For even more book and film related news then head over to FangirlDaily.com! Check out some of this week's new releases at the bottom of this post as well.

MiraInk have revealed the UK cover for Katie McGarry's Crash Into You. As well as that, Pushing the Limits has been given a redesign so that the whole series matches. See the covers over on the MiraInk blog.

Veronica Roth has revealed she will read from Allegiant at 11.59pm EST for the launch of the book. The pre-recorded video will be available via the official series website on the 21st October. Read the story over on Hypable.

The Fault in Our Stars film has wrapped, with John Green sharing pictures and memories of the shoot on Twitter. See some of those photos and read the full story over on FangirlDaily.

Five new stills from the Vampire Academy movie adaptation have revealed, including scenes of Rose and Dimitri in training. See the photos over on FangirlDaily.

Sarah Rees Brennan and Holly Black will be touring the UK in November. Read more and see the dates over on YAInterrobang.

 

New releases

 

 

 

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Amazon|Goodreads

 

 

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diane Peterfreund

Amazon|Goodreads

 

 

 

The Fall of Hotel Dumort by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson

Amazon|Goodreads

 

 

 

Revealed by P. C. and Kristin Cast

Amazon|Hive|Goodreads

[Book Blitz] Excerpt: Boy Swap by Kristina Springer

 

Today I'm excited to be taking part in the book blitz for Boy Swap by Kristina Springer, hosted by Xpresso Tours. Discover more about the book, the author and read the first chapter of Boy Swap below!

About the Book

Boy Swap by Kristina Springer

Published: 16th October 2013

Buy: Amazon.com|AmazonUK

Plot summary:

Boy Swap: The secret to sisterly love and scholarly bliss.

Research shows that seven out of ten girl fights are over a guy. The Boy Swap Club fixes all that. In an effort to spread around male cuteness and minimize fights and backstabbing, they just share boyfriends. And Brooke Thomas, consummate band member, has been asked to join the super secret club because the president of the club has the hots for her guy.

Brooke doesn’t want to share her boyfriend. I mean, who does? But how can she say no? She, a second chair flutist in the school band, finds herself sitting between the Varsity Cheerleader Captain and the Homecoming Queen at the first meeting. Her friends will never believe this in a million years. Too bad she can’t tell them. But she knows. This one event can change her entire life. What if she becomes actual friends with one of these girls? It might be worth sharing her boyfriend.

Besides, he’ll always love her best, right?

 

Excerpt

Chapter 1: Tap, tap

Raise your right hand and repeat after me:

We, the members of the Boy Swap Club, being of totally sound minds and rockin’ bodies, do here forth promise to be true to the following rules:

1)      Never hog your boyfriend all to yourself.

2)      Never get mad at a sister member for dating your guy.

3)      Don’t go all the way with any of the swapped guys.

4)      And never, ever, fall in love with any guys involved in the swap.

I put down my hand and smile at the group of girls I’ve just joined. I can’t believe that I’m really here. I don’t totally understand what it is that I just agreed to but who cares? I’m hanging out with the “it” girls. Cassie Deegan and Caitlyn Ray, the two most popular girls in our entire school, run this club and I about died when Cassie invited me to attend. She slipped me a note after Biology this afternoon that said, “4 p.m., Bookends Bookstore, Travel section. Be there.” At first I thought, oh great—I pissed somebody off and now she’s going to lure me into an empty corner of the giant bookstore so she and her friends can kick my butt, film it on their cells, and post it on YouTube. But curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t believe it when I showed up and found ten of the prettiest, most popular girls at my school sitting in a circle waiting for me.

Well, except for, blech, Delaney Adams, the only girl who might actually want to kick my butt. She stands a few feet behind the C², scowling and appearing generally unhappy that I’m here. Not that that’s new. Obviously she was the “Nay” in the Yay or Nay vote on my invitation. But Cassie and Caitlyn must really want me here so she can just go ahead and deal.

            “Okay,” Cassie bellows to the circle, interrupting my thoughts, “I need to make it clear that not just anybody can join Boy Swap. This is a super secret elite club that you have to be tapped into. So don’t like, go running off and telling your friends or anything. Because we’ll deny it all. You were chosen to join our club because you have a desirable boyfriend.” Cassie looks directly at me and gives me a tight smirk.

Hmmm…Chris is a hottie. With his adorable dimples and dive-right-in ocean blue eyes, I think he’s irresistible. But they really picked me because my boyfriend is cute? How weird.

            “Look at the girl to your left and the girl to your right,” Caitlyn instructs.

I glance to my left at Sarah Reynolds with her long shiny blonde hair; she’s the swim team captain and last year’s homecoming queen. On my right is Jackie Adelson with glossy auburn waves; she’s a varsity cheerleader and the lead in every single school play. I finger my own chin-length dark brown hair. Okay. So if the three of us went head-to-head for a Pantene commercial I’d come in third. But Chris loves my hair. He’s always running his hands through it when we’re making out.

“They may not be your friends outside in the real world,” Cassie continues, “but in here, they’re your sisters.”

Wow. Sisters! I’ve always wanted a sister. Or two. Or ten. I reach down into my purse for my phone—I want to text Lizzie so bad and tell her all about it. Oooh, but I can’t. Cassie just warned against that, right? Well, I know, and that is what’s important. Currently, my school social status is kind of up for grabs. I’m not exactly what you would call popular. Okay, who am I kidding? If we had to walk the school with our status branded across our chests for all the world to see like Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, mine would read “BN” for Band Nerd.

Yes, I’m totally a band nerd. I am the second chair flutist in our school symphony as well as in the marching band. Ack, I know, I know! The orange and black toy soldier band uniforms are flattering on no one! Believe me, if I could convince Mr. Shank, our band director, to let us out on the football field in cute sundresses and wedge sandals, I would. But it is a sacrifice that I make to play my music. I love the flute. When I play it, I feel all Tinkerbell twinkly. If you play an instrument in the band then the flute is the only way to go. Your sound stands out higher and prettier than all of the other instruments and it feels more like they are accompanying you. But don’t mention to anyone that I said that. I’ll have a bunch of pissed off clarinetists and saxophonists on my back.

Anyway, maybe I don’t have to forever be known as a band nerd? This could really change everything for me. Maybe now I’ll make friends with some of these girls and break into their cliques. And that would totally piss Delaney off as well, which is a major bonus. She just hates that I’m sitting here smack dab in the middle of her world. We’ve spent the last five years pretending each other didn’t exist so I imagine this is completely killing her. Her eyes are rolling so far back in her head I’m afraid they might detach and plop right out onto the floor at any moment.

“If there are no questions, I’d like you to sign the forms I’m passing out and…”

“I have a question,” I say, shooting my hand in the air. All eyes fall on me. “Um, I guess I don’t quite understand what I’m agreeing to. What is the Boy Swap Club exactly?”

Cassie sighs and rubs her temple with her right hand.

Whoops. Did she already explain and I wasn’t paying attention?

“Research shows that seven out of ten girl fights are over a guy,” Cassie says quickly. “We’ve discovered the secret to harmony and happiness at school. In order to maximize on male cuteness and minimize on fights and backstabbing, we just share our boyfriends. ”

“And the guys don’t care?” I ask.

“Like we tell them.” Caitlyn laughs and the rest of the girls join her. Okay, so apparently everyone here does know how things work already, and I’m asking too many questions. But come on, it sounds a little strange. How do you share boyfriends without their knowledge? And why do they want to share boyfriends anyway? I don’t even like to share my fries. Although, loaning Chris out to get to hang with these girls is intriguing. It would be hysterical if I actually became popular from being in their club, so popular that Delaney would beg me to be friends with her again and then I could reject her snooty butt. Oooh, that would be amazing. And I’m sure they’d return Chris to me in the same condition as I left him, right? Hmm. Oh, what am I saying? This is ridiculous.

“So, like I said before, if there are no other questions…” Cassie scans the circle with an arched eyebrow—daring someone to say something. But no one makes a peep. “I’ll need you each to sign one of these,” she adds. A stack of papers is quickly passed around the circle of girls, and I start to read mine. It’s some kind of boyfriend permission form. These girls are funny!

“Okay,” Cassie interrupts my thoughts, “you are being passed an agreement that we’ll need you to sign immediately. It is really simple. I, fill in your name, voluntarily participate in the Interscholastic Boyfriend Exchange Program, here forth referred to as ‘Boy Swap Club’ blah blah, of which my boyfriend, fill in his name, unknowingly shall participate, blah blah blah, turn the page, enter into this agreement under no force and of my free will, yadda yadda, for a period of no less than three months, blah blah blah. If contract is broken, penalties up to and including excommunication from entire student body…well, you get the gist. If you want to join our club, sign now.”

Seriously, can this girl slow down? I don’t want to give away a kidney or something. I scan the first few lines. I don’t know. Should I do it? Part of me says drop the paper on the chair and get the heck out of here. Part of me says don’t be a bore, take a chance, and see what happens. What’s the harm? I raise my hand again.

“Yes?” Cassie says, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Can I get a copy of this to read at home?” I hear a few sighs and see several girls give each other looks. Yikes. They’re probably all wondering who let the loser in. But I just want to gather more information. I mean, this isn’t exactly like when I joined French club.

Stop it Brooke! This is so not going to change your Band Nerd status. And besides, these girls are, like, the smartest and prettiest at school. They are readily signing it so it can’t be that bad, right? And it’s not like Chris would ever cheat on me anyway so I’m totally getting the best of both worlds. “I mean, never mind. Sounds fab,” I add quickly and scribble my name. “Here,” I pass my form to Sarah and try to appear thrilled. Everyone shuffles their papers back to Cassie.

My stomach flips. Ugh. What did I just agree to? That was rash wasn’t it? I didn’t even take time to really think it over. Let girls date my Chris? Why would I do that? And why do they want Chris anyway? True, he’s hot. But he’s just as big a band nerd as me. Although what’s wrong with band nerds anyway? We’re cool. In our own way. Maybe the popular kids are finally ready to give us the appreciation we deserve. Ah, who am I kidding? No, things are fine the way they are. I don’t need to be in this silly club. Now if I can just get that piece of paper back… “Um, excuse me, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d…”

“Okay,” Caitlyn says, completely ignoring me. “There is one last piece of business before we let you go today.” She props her Dooney & Burke bag up on her lap and pulls from it a fistful of the rare, extremely sought after, pale pink scarves.

A collective “ooooooh” goes around the circle and every girl is staring at the pile of scarves with wide eyes.

“You will each be given one of these pink scarves,” Caitlyn says but I can hardly hear her. My mind is racing. Ohmigod! The scarves! Lizzie and I have been searching everywhere for these scarves. All the girls have. It’s like, the popular girls started a fad and none of us could join in because we couldn’t find the darn things anywhere. And now I am getting one? Lizzie is going to DIE!

But wait, grasp reality here, I don’t need one. I’ve made it all this time without a scarf. Without being popular. I’m fine. Closing eyes now. Nothing to see here. Well, maybe just a little peek.

“You must always have the scarf on you in some way—neck, hair, wrist, whatever,” Caitlyn says. “If it doesn’t match your outfit that day well, then have it on your backpack or your purse in some fashion. This is our signal to each other that we are all in the BSC. Never, and I mean NEVER, tell anyone where you got the scarf. If you are ever asked, tell them it was a sale at Macy’s.” Everyone is bobbing their heads up and down in excitement. My fingers are twitching at the idea of possibly holding a scarf in just a few seconds. Cailtyn walks the circle, dropping one scarf in each girl’s lap.

I’m losing will power fast. Must. Touch. Scarf. Caitlyn’s getting closer to me. What will people say if they see me at school wearing this scarf? Matching with all of these super cool girls, together in solidarity. A sign that I belong with them. That I, Brooke Thomas, second chair flutist, am someone important. My right leg is bouncing up and down in anticipation. And then Caitlyn drops a scarf on it.

Oh my God. I drape it over my left wrist and hold it up toward the light. This is the most beautiful scarf I’ve ever seen.

About the author

Kristina Springer is the best-selling author of the young adult novel THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (Macmillan FSG, October 2009) which sold film rights and is being filmed for a web series, has sold in six countries, and was a 2010 Society of School Librarians International Honor Book; the middle-grade novel MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS (Macmillan FSG, August 2010) which Meg Cabot says is “Irresistible as a fluffy kitten. I laughed out loud and so will you!" was a Scholastic Book Club Bestseller and a 2012 YALSA QUICK PICK and will be out in paperback this December; a young adult novel, JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS, which was a Fall favorite (Macmillan FSG, October 2011) and an ebook only young adult novel, THE PAPARAZZI PROJECT, which hit #1 on the Amazon Top Free Teen Romance eBooks list earlier this year. 

Her fifth book, BOY SWAP, is out in ebook format October 16th. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. 

Website: http://www.kristinaspringer.com
Facbook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaSpringer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinaSpringer