Review: The Secret Fire by C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld

Title: The Secret Fire.
Series: The Alchemist Chronicles, #1
Author: C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld.
Publication Date: September 10th, 2015.
Publisher: Atom.
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 424 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

A battle against fate.
A race against time.

Taylor Montclair is a regular girl from the quiet backwater of Woodbury, England. Sacha Winters is a darkly mysterious boy from the City of Lights - Paris, France.

While Taylor is focused on her dream of attending Oxford University, school couldn't be further from Sacha's mind.. Sacha know exactly when he's going to die. He's done it before.

On the appointed day, Sacha's time will run out. And his death will fulfil an ancient destiny that could unleash chaos and catastrophe. Taylor is the only person who can save him. Neither of them know that yet. They haven't even met.

Hundreds of miles and a body of water separate them. Deadly forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart. They have eight weeks to find each other and unravel an ancient web of mystery and danger.

The clock starts now.

 

Review

Where should I start with this book? From the very first chapter of The Secret Fire, I was completely and utterly hooked. The Secret Fire is told in the dual perspective of the male and female main characters, and as I've said a hundred times before, I love books written that way. I love how invested you can get into both characters lives, and see how they interact with each other. The paranormal aspects in The Secret Fire are also really unique and fantastically done and the whole feel of the book seems really authentic and it’s beautifully written. You also switch between the Paris and England settings in The Secret Fire and at first I thought this would be a bit confusing, but it’s actually very easy to follow and keep up with.

Taylor is the female protagonist in The Secret Fire and at first I wasn't sure whether I liked her character or not. She seemed a little too reserved for my liking, but as I got further into the book you can see her character develop. She doesn't change completely, but becomes more open and you start to realise that her character isn't as uptight as she seems. One of the only problems I actually had with this book was that I thought Taylor’s character was a little bit too perfect and predictable, and although I did like her character, it irked me a little bit at how common her characteristics were. She’s a great character, don’t get me wrong, but she seemed a lot like a carbon copy of every female nerdy character in YA literature out there. There wasn't anything, aside from the paranormal aspects, that really set her apart from other characters out there - but oh well!

Sacha is the male protagonist and I adored his character! Sure he was a little immature, but I loved his snarky and sarcastic nature and the deep affection he has for his family. I also loved Sacha’s sense of humour; some of the things he came out with throughout the book had me really chuckling to myself. You could definitely tell that Sacha used humour as a defence mechanism, but I actually really liked that about him. I loved the relationship between Sacha and Taylor, their friendship develops quite quickly, and there isn't a hint of insta-love as the chemistry between the two of them builds slowly. I do wish however that there was a little bit more romance involved, I feel like there was this big build up to something and nothing really came of it in this book which was a shame, but hopefully in the next book there will be more. Mostly I just loved how their relationship wasn't the main focus of the story, but worked alongside it and intertwined with the story beautifully.

Overall, I thought The Secret Fire was an absolutely brilliant novel! If you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed novel filled with humour, mystery, adventure, unique paranormal aspects and so much more, I’d definitely recommend picking up this book. C.J. Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld write together so wonderfully and seamlessly and between the two of them they've created a nearly flawless and amazing book that’ll have anyone on the edge of their seat. It’s impossible not to get drawn into The Secret Fire and be dragged along for the ride with the characters, trust me; you’ll be dying to find out what happens next! I really can’t wait for the release of the second book in this series, because I know it’s going to be incredible – it’s just a shame there isn't any information on it yet. Lastly, I just want to say a BIG thank you to C.J. Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld for writing such a unique and fantastic book, please write more together!

Quotes

'This is how things have been as long as anyone can remember,' she'd said the day she told him of his fate. 'The family has tried everything to save the boys but each time... they die.'
Her eyes had been filled with a grief so stark, it had shaken him.
They'd been sitting on the sofa in the living room,, Sacha remembered. The same sofa that was there now, soft, brown and sagging a little in the middle. It had been his sixteenth birthday. That year she'd given him a computer game he really wanted. And a death sentence. - Page 150.

He chuckled. 'And you're just some English girl with a leaf in your hair.'
'There's a leaf in my hair?' Reaching up, she felt for the object.
'Here. Let me.' Leaning towards here, Sacha pulled the leaf from a curl carefully. Her hair felt incredibly soft beneath his fingertips. The last rays of the setting sun made each individual gold strand glitter.
'Here.' He held up the incriminating flora so she could see.
She looked self-conscious. 'My hair is so hopeless. You can probably find other things in there. Lost watches. The Bermuda Triangle. The missing link.' - Page 190.

'No, no, no,' she said, frustrated. 'I just wanted one candle. Just one.'
An odd sound from the end of the bench made her look up. Louisa was shaking with laughter.
Taylor's cheeks reddened. 'It's not funny.'
'I don't even,' Louisa gasped, hands clutching her sides, 'have any idea how you did that. You set the air on fire.'
'It was an accident,' Taylor said, but she found herself giggling, too. 'Just a tiny accident.' - Page 295.

Blog Tour: Water Born by Rachel Ward

Title: Water Born.
Series: The Drowning, #2.
Author: Rachel Ward.
Publication Date: August 7th, 2014.
Publisher: Chicken House.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

Purchase

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Nic’s always loved the water, so being chosen for the swimming team means everything.When she begins to hear a disembodied voice in the pool, she turns to her dad for answers from a past he might not want to remember.

And when girls her age begin mysteriously drowning, Nic may be the only one who can uncover the murky truth...

 

About Rachel Ward

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I'm a fortysomething author of books for young adults. I live in Bath, England, with my husband, two teenagers, dog, cat and chickens. I've had 'sensible' jobs for 25 years, and now I'm a writer too. I've been writing for about 10 years, and have published the Numbers trilogy. The first book came out in the UK in 2009 and the USA in 2010.

My Numbers books explore the gift of being able to see death dates. If you looked in somebody's eyes and saw the date of their death, would it change the way you felt about people? Would it change the way you lived your life?

 

Writing As A Boy by Rachel Ward

The Drowning was recently shortlisted for the Sussex Coast Schools Amazing Book Award. Sadly, circumstances conspired against me and I wasn’t able to go to the presentation evening, which was, by all accounts a great ‘do’. However, I was sent a question and I emailed my answer which was read out on my behalf. The question was, ‘What made you decide to narrate The Drowning from a boy’s point of view?’ It’s a good question, particularly as I’ve written five books in the first person (usually first person, present tense).

My answer was: 'I'm not sure I actually decided this! When I knew what the story was, it was clear to me that Carl was right at the centre of it, and when I started writing an exploratory chapter, he was the one telling the story. I wanted to show his journey from amnesia to understanding, and really that could only be told from his point of view. I liked having him as an 'unreliable' narrator – so that the reader isn't quite sure whether Rob is really haunting Carl, or whether he is a product of Carl's guilty and tortured mind...’

Carl is a boy with amnesia, a boy who has to put the pieces of the past back together and doesn’t necessarily like what he discovers. In the sequel to The Drowning, Water Born, my narrator is Nic, a talented swimmer. She finds out that her parents aren’t who they say they are and has to unpick the web of secrets and lies that her life is built on. Again, I don’t think I chose Nic as my narrator. It was very clear to me that Water Born is her story and I wanted the reader to see it through her eyes (although if you’ve already read The Drowning, you know a great deal more about her parents’ history than she does).

I think it’s almost true to say that I’m equally comfortable writing from a male or female viewpoint. In two books (The Chaos and Infinity), I have alternated chapters, male and female. Maybe it is marginally easier for me to write as a female. I remember struggling when I was trying to write The Chaos as I couldn’t seem to find an authentic voice for Adam. I wondered then whether Jem in Numbers had actually been me, or at least an expression of part of my character. Now I’m not sure.

If you write in the first person, you are in effect writing a sort of monologue and in that respect writing is a lot like acting. You need to understand your character, inhabit their skin, learn to think and react like they would. You don’t need to be (like) the person you are writing about, you just need to use your imagination, fed by all the observations you’ve made over the years of other people and the way they speak and act.

Starting to write a book is quite daunting, and so at the beginning of a book, I usually do a bit of ‘exploratory writing’. I tell myself that I’m writing something, anything just to test the water, get a feel for the book. Quite often this turns out to be the first chapter, but if I sat down at a blank screen and wrote ‘Chapter 1’ at the top of the page, I think my mind and body would be frozen until someone came to tuck a blanket over my knees and turn out the lights at the end of the day. Usually the voice I use, and the character I inhabit, for that first bit of writing sets the tone for the rest of the book.

For my next book, I’m experimenting with writing in the third person. Again, this decision sort of chose itself, but it took a bit of getting used to. I kept getting in a muddle and automatically switching to ‘I’ even though I didn’t want to. However, now I’m finding that there’s something liberating about taking a step back as a narrator and being able to see the bigger picture, which you can’t do if you are writing in the first person. I’m enjoying it, which is a good sign. I wonder if readers will even notice, and if they do, if they’ll like it. Anyway, that’s a question for some time in the future. For the moment, I’m wondering whether readers will enjoy getting to know Nic, in Water Born, and whether they will share her confusion and alarm when she starts to hear a voice in the water...

 

Review: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Forever Song.
Series: Blood of Eden, #3.
Author: Julie Kagawa.
Publication Date: April 15th, 2014.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Genres: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 384 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher
My Rating:

Vengeance will be hers.

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the ultimate question: is she a human or monster?
With the death of her love she has her answer.
Monster.

Embracing her inner darkness, Allie is now determined to hunt and kill Sarren, the psychopath who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long and Sarren is leading Allie’s dangerous fight to the one place she must protect at any cost – Eden, the last safe-zone on earth. Forced into a battle that it may be impossible to win, Allie is about to face her darkest days.
And, if she succeeds, she could face surviving forever alone.

 

Review

It seems like forever ago that I read and loved the second book in this wonderful trilogy. So I have to say I was a little apprehensive about starting The Forever Song, not just because it’s the conclusion to the story, but because I wasn’t sure how much I’d remember from the first two books. I didn’t have to worry for long though, because as soon as I started reading The Forever Song, everything came flooding back! The Forever Song was the most perfect and heart-wrenching conclusion to the Blood of Eden trilogy – I couldn’t have dreamt a more wonderful, beautiful and incredible ending.

Allison’s character has drastically changed since the first book in the series; she’s grown from this weedy, scared little girl, to a completely wonderful, strong, beautiful, loyal and badass woman. In The Forever Song, we get to see Allison’s dark, dangerous and murderous side – fuelled by anger and grief – and I really loved reading about her in that state of mind. It was so completely different from the other books, but just as incredible. Allie is definitely my most favourite female character that I’ve read about – I love her determination and her inner struggle with herself, to not become the monster she fears she’ll be. She’s headstrong, and erratic and often ruled by her emotions rather than common sense, but I think that just makes her even more of an amazing character.

Kanin is Allison’s sire, and a master Vampire. From the moment I was introduced to him in the first book in this trilogy, I loved him. Kanin is the most compassionate and deep and detailed secondary character that I’ve ever read about. He becomes a father figure to Allison, and there is a loyalty and connection between the two that goes beyond their blood tie. They’re family, and I’m one hundred percent sure that Kanin loves Allison like she were his own daughter, and the pride he has in her is incredible. I love Kanin’s character for all those reasons, and so many, many more.

Jackal is Allison’s blood brother of sorts – sired by Kanin years previously. He’s a sarcastic, rude, egotistical, self-involved, murdering and twisted character that you just can’t help but love - especially the more you read about him. In the first book, I hated him with a passion, but in the second I grew to love him in a weird and freaky way. And in The Forever Song, I loved him even more. He hasn’t changed since the first book, and is still awful and cruel, but there’s this comedic aura around him, and I can’t help but laugh at some of things he comes out with. You may question my sanity slightly, but read the books and judge for yourself!

Overall, I loved The Forever Song so much; I’m finding it ridiculously hard to put how I feel into words. I flew through the novel, desperate to find out what would happen next. One minute I was crying like an idiot, and the next I was laughing my head off. The Forever Song was dark, intense and filled with twists and sinister plans. I absolutely adore Julie Kagawa’s writing, she has this incredibly ability to not only create an intricately woven world, but to also make you feel like you’re right there along with the characters. She’s just absolutely phenomenal! I will be recommending this series to every single person I know who reads – I’ll be stopping people in book stores and shoving copies of the series in their arms and telling them to read it. It’s one of those series that just sticks with you, with every little detail clinging to your mind - not letting you forget it even when you’ve read the last page and put the book back on the shelf. If I could give The Forever Song, and the Blood of Eden trilogy, more than 5 stars – I would! I’d gladly give it a thousand stars, because it well and truly deserves it. If you haven’t picked up the first book yet, go do it now, you won’t regret it.

Quotes

This time, there was no doubt. No hesitation. Even if it hurt. Even though remembering Zeke ripped my heart into a million tiny pieces, I would not let this thing win. And if that meant fighting the monster until the end of time, that’s what I was going to do. - Page 61 & 62.

I remembered my Zeke: brave, determined, compassionate. The boy who hadn’t let the fact that I was a vampire scare him away, who had offered his heart to a monster, because he could see the human inside. The only living being I would ever open myself up to, because I’d trusted him.
Because I’d known he would never hurt me. - Page 127 & 128.

“I thought we had more time, even though I knew better. Life is so fragile, and someone can be taken from you at any time. I’ve always known that.” - Page 225.

Waiting On Wednesday: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hey Book Nerds! :) Happy New Year! Even though this is 8 days late... ^^; my bad! I've been so distracted with various different things this year that I have been, once again, neglecting my poor blog. My wrap-up for December 2013 is also, once again, late this month. I'm sorry! >.> I feel like I'm apologising every time I post on here, and I hope you don't think badly of me. I'm going to try and film my December 2013 Wrap-Up today, and see if I can have it edited and uploaded by tomorrow - if not then, then hopefully Friday. :) On another note, I reached 200 YouTube subscribers the other day - and I want to take a quick moment just to thank you all for all of your support, I really appreciate it. ^.^

And FINALLY, as for my reading, I've read two books this month already! After I finished reading Stella by Helen Eve (Reviewed), I then picked up Frostbite by Richelle Mead, which is the second book in the Vampire Academy series, and oh good god, it was fantastic!! :D Everyone is right when they say that the series just keeps getting better and better. :3 As for what I'm reading right now; I've finally managed to pick up Resist by Sarah Crossan, I'm not that far into it yet, but I am enjoying it so far. So keep an eye out for that over the next week or so. Well, that's it for today - I hope you all have a great week! :D

 

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Title: The Taking.
Series: The Taking, #1.
Author: Kimberly Derting.
Expected Publication: April 29th, 2014.
Publisher: Harper Collins.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

 

Thoughts

Okay, so first off I want to say that I absolutely ADORE Kimberly Derting's writing, she really is a fantastic and wonderful author. I read another one of her novels some time last year (I think), called The Body Finder and it was bloody incredible! I'm really interested to see how Kimberly will write this sort of paranormal/sci-fi book series and how it will compare to her Murder Mystery/Thriller series. :D Secondly, what a GORGEOUS cover it has! I just can't seem to stop staring at it - the effect of clouds and the colouring and text is really beautiful and so unique. It's simple, yet really effective and I just love it. :3 Anyway, what do you guys think of the looks of this book, have you heard of it before? :) Let me know! ^.^

 

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What are you "Waiting On" this Wednesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (:

Favourite Books Of 2013

Hey book nerds! :D Today I'm going to be sharing with you some of my favourite books of 2013! :) I have read so many amazing, wonderful and fantastic books this year, so it's going to be hard just choosing a few. However, I have also read quite a few books this year that I didn't like... I always feel very disappointed when I dislike a book, because I try really hard to like as many as I can!

Unfortunately, I'm only human (well, mostly) and I just can't like everything. I'm a picky and fussy reader and a huge critique when it comes down to it. :) I'm also a very emotional reader; the tiniest thing in a book can set me off crying for prolonged minutes at a time. This especially happens when I'm really engaged in the story and love the characters. (Also, you can add Animals into this as well!)

Please excuse the excessive use of Snape GIF's, this is the only time of the year I feel okay with posting them to relay everything I'm feeling! :P Well anyway, I hope you'll all enjoy my list for this year - I read 100 books - and completed my Good Reads reading goal for the year, so it's extra exciting. :D I hope you all have a wonderful new year, and start 2014 with a bang! :D Maybe you'll be as agreeable with my list as Snape is here. Who knows? ^.^

 

Favourite Books Of 2013

Title: Crash Into You.
Series: Pushing the Limits, #3.
Author: Katie McGarry.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.

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.


Isaiah has secrets too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks - no matter how angelic she might look. But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

 

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Title: Easy.
Series: Contours of the Heart, #1.
Author: Tammara Webber.
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult.

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night - but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

 

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Title: Beautiful Disaster.
Series: Beautiful, #1.
Author: Jamie McGuire.
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult.

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

 

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Title: Wait for You.
Series: Wait for You, #1.
Author: J. Lynn.
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult.

Some things are worth waiting for...
Some things are worth experiencing...
And some things are worth fighting for...

Avery knows she should stay away from Cam Hamilton: he might be the hottest guy on campus but she really doesn’t need that sort of drama right now. Love is best left in the past – along with her troubles. But sometimes, the last thing you want, is just the thing you need...

 
 
 

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Title: Pretty Girl Thirteen.
Author: Liz Coley.
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult.

Angie Chapman is only 13 when she gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night. The next thing she knows she’s returned home, scars around her wrists and ankles, physically exhausted. Her parents collapse into tears when they see her, but Angie doesn’t understand – until they tell her she has been missing, presumed dead, for three years.

Angie doesn’t remember anything from her missing years. But there are people who do – people who could tell Angie every terrifying detail, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind. With help, Angie begins to unravel the darkest secrets of her own past. But does she really want to know the truth?

 

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Title: Wither.
Series: The Chemical Garden, #1.
Author: Lauren DeStefano.
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult.

What if you knew exactly when you would die?
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden’s genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden’s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

 

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Title: Vampire Academy.
Series: Vampire Academy, #1.
Author: Richelle Mead.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

 

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Title: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.
Series: Jessica, #1.
Author: Beth Fantaskey.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.

The undead can really screw up your senior year ...

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

 

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Title: The Immortal Rules.
Series: Blood of Eden, #1.
Author: Julie Kagawa.
Genres: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult.

My Vampire Creator Told Me This:
‘Sometime in your life, Allison Sekemoto, you will kill a human being. The question is not if it will happen, but when. Do you understand?’

I didn't then, not really.

I DO NOW.

 
 
 
 

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What were your favourite books of 2013? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out. ^.^ Happy reading! (:

Review: Substitute Creature by Charles Gilman

Title: Substitute Creature.
Series: Tales from Lovecraft Middle School, #4.
Author: Charles Gilman.
Publication Date: September 24th, 2013.
Publisher: Quirk Books.
Genres: Paranormal, Middle Grade.
Format: Hardback, 176 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

It’s Valentine’s Day and a monstrous blizzard has descended upon Lovecraft Middle School, trapping twelve-year-old Robert Arthur inside the building! He and his companions have no choice but to spend the night – while snacking on cafeteria food, sleeping on the gymnasium floor, facing off against a sinister substitute teacher, and thwarting an army of abominable beasts.

This fourth novel in the Lovecraft Middle School series begins right where Teacher’s Pest ended – with more action, more adventure, and more outrageous monsters!

 

Review

I always make a comment in my reviews about the awesome covers in this series, and today is no exception! Substitute Creature’s cover is just as awesome and weird, if not more so, than the others in this series. It even freaked my mum out when she walked past the book! Charles Gilman has done it once again; created another fantastic book in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series! I never thought I’d enjoy reading a middle-grade book so much, let alone a series. I’ve always found that middle-grade characters are just too immature for my tastes, but Robert and his friends are very grown up for their age! Just because these books are meant for younger readers, it doesn’t mean that only that age group can read them! I believe that anyone, whether you’re a young-adult or just an older adult, should try them – you’ll easily get swept up in the suspense, mystery and adventure.

Substitute Creature is packed full of action, and twists that will keep you guessing until you’ve reached the end of the book! The illustrations throughout this series are fantastic and really creepy – I love them. They add an edge to the book and help make it as wonderful as it is. I love going along for the ride on Robert’s and his friend’s adventures – and there’s always something different, yet important, in each and every book! The Lovecraft Middle School is an enchanting and freaky place to be, with some terrifying and fascinating monsters that I’m sure will creep out even the bravest of people.

With every novel, Charles Gilman’s writing just keeps getting better and better, and I love slowly getting to know our main characters. Robert, Glenn and Karina are really fun and interesting kids to read about; they’re all kind, funny and such a joy to read about. Our main characters all come from very different backgrounds, and have very different personalities, but they don’t let that get in the way of their friendship – and this is one of the main reasons why I love them so much. There aren’t a lot of kids now who put prejudices’ aside and just be friends with someone. I especially love Robert, who was able to actually forgive Glenn for bullying him in the past.

Overall, I really loved Substitute Creature, it was an amazing book – and as I’ve said plenty of times before, a brilliant middle-grade series! Charles Gilman’s writing is fun, creepy, unique and quirky all at the same time – he’s definitely someone I want to read even more from in the future. I believe it well and truly earned the 4/5 star rating I gave it, and I can’t wait for the next book in this series - especially seeing as the end of Substitute Creature had a big cliff-hanger! Why do we have to wait so long for the sequel? I’ll just have to wait until I get my hands on it!

Quotes

Glenn turned to Robert. "What's more important?" he asked. "A stupid Valentine's Day concert of saving the world from an army of ancient monsters?"
When Glenn put the question that way, Robert felt as though he had no choice.
"I guess saving the world."
"I'll save your seats," Karina offered. "Have fun." — Page 19.

On the far side of the hole was the generator – a large rectangular box about the size of a railroad car, with slatted vents and long, raking claw marks over the front. The side panel had been peeled back like the lid of a tin can. Frayed bands of wires dangled out of the generator, as if someone or something had bitten clean through them. - Page 79 – 80.

“What is this place?” Karina whispered. Her voice echoed throughout the tunnel. Clusters of icicles hung from the ceiling like stalactites. Ahead of them, icy stone steps descended into darkness.
“I have no idea,” Robert replied. He had never heard of an underground cavern anywhere n the village of Dunwich. And yet this space seemed like it had existed for centuries. Robert snapped a small icicle from the ceiling and tossed it down the stairs; it disappeared into the gaping black void without making a sound. - Page 90.

Review: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Steal.
Series: Soul Screamers, #4.
Author: Rachel Vincent.
Publication Date: July 17th, 2011.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 375 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

Sometimes dreams do come true...
And that’s the last thing Kaylee needs.

Working things out with Nash – her maybe boyfriend – is hard for Kaylee. She’s already coping with being a teenage banshee. Worse, Nash’s gorgeous ex-girlfriend just transferred to their school.

Sabine’s no ordinary girl. She’s a mara, a real-life walking nightmare. Draining people’s energy through their darkest dreams sustains Sabine...and makes her Kaylee’s top suspect in a cluster of super-creepy deaths.

To win back Nash, Kaylee’s determined to unearth the truth. But Sabine knows the deathly secrets of Kaylee’s subconscious – and she’s not afraid to use them to get whatever and whoever she wants...

 

Review

I wasn’t initially sure whether I had enough opinions on this book to write a good enough review for it. However, seeing as it was sent to me for review, and add in the fact that I’ve not reviewed a single book in this series yet – I decided to bite the bullet and do so! I’ve not read any novels with Banshee’s in, and I really don’t think there are that many out there – so it’s great to see an author do something different. Rachel Vincent has created another fantastic book in her Soul Screamers series; my expectations where very high when I started reading My Soul to Steal and I can say they were well and truly met. I expected nothing less from Rachel, who has already wowed me with the first three books in this series.

Kaylee is back and booming – and whining – in this next instalment in the series. Although I’ve loved her character in the past three books, I have to say she really irritated me in this one! I hated Kaylee’s attitude towards the situation with her ex-boyfriend Nash and his ex-girlfriend Sabine. The whole ‘I’m not taking you back but I’m refusing to let you be with her’ attitude drove me insane. I understand that she’s hurting due to reasons from the previous book – but couldn’t she be man enough (I’m not sure if this is the right phrase to use, but hey!) to be by Nash’s side while he’s dealing with his problems, rather than bugger off and leave him to suffer alone. I don’t think that’s the attitude you have towards someone you love – even if they’ve hurt you.

Nash – oh dear, where am I going to start with you? In the first two books, I was very much so ‘Team Nash’, (I almost started my own fan-club) but in My Soul to Keep – I hated his guts completely. In this book, he definitely scored more points and my hatred of him turned more towards slight annoyance and a bit of a crush. (I’m not going to start waving pom poms and chanting his name though.) Nash has a back bone in the first three books – but in My Soul to Steal, he seems to have let Kaylee rip it out and use it as a musical instrument. Please, Nash – grow back the balls you seem to have lost since you messed up your relationship. If you want her that badly, don’t let her treat you like a dog that’s misbehaved – you’re giving off completely the wrong signal!

Todd is Nash’s brother, and gosh – I love him so much! From the moment he was introduced into this series, I felt like throwing my hypothetical ‘Team Jacob’ t-shirt in the rubbish and buying a ‘Team Todd’ one instead. The only problem with Todd is that he’s dead – it’s really a darn shame, as I think Kaylee and Todd would make an excellent couple. As for Sabine; gosh, I hated her so much – yet at the same time I loved her. Is that weird? Sabine is bad-ass - as in the bad-ass that will try and steal your boyfriend but try and be your friend at the same time. Sabine annoyed me and frustrated me, but by the end of the book I grew quite fond of her. I will admit that I wished she’d get killed off at first – but now I just think she’s going to bring quite a lot of laughs to the series.

As much as I criticised and complained about this book, I really did enjoy it – and this book, and the series for that matter – are in my list of favourite books. Rachel Vincent’s writing is wonderful, funny and such a pleasure to read. I’m sure all of these irritations are just little road-blocks in the way to her making the series what it is – and I completely understand. This series would not be the same without all the drama! As it turns out, I had a hell of a lot more to say about this book than I thought I would – and I can’t wait to pick up the next book in this series and see what happens next! Please, no one take any of my ranting about this book seriously, it’s just me letting off some steam and trying to be funny – I really believe this book well and truly earned the 5/5 star rating I gave it. I definitely wouldn’t give it anything less.

Quotes

Whoever said it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved was full of crap. If I'd never loved Nash in the first place, I wouldn't know what I was missing now. - Page 08.

Anger is great. It's powerful, when you need something to hold you up. Something to steel your spine. But in the dark, when you're alone with the truth, anger can't survive. The only thing that can live in the dark with you is fear. - Page 90.

Then strong, warm arms wrapped around me from behind.
"I've got you," Tod whispered in my ear. - Page 363.

Review: The Drowning by Rachel Ward

Title: The Drowning.
Series: The Drowning, #1.
Author: Rachel Ward.
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2013.
Publisher: Chicken House.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 274 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

When Carl opens his eyes on the banks of a cold lake, his brother is being zipped into a body bag. And a shovering wet girl is being helped nearby.

What happened in the water?

He can't remember. All he knows is that he must find out - before the truth comes back to drown him...

 
 

Review

The Drowning has to be one of the strangest books I’ve read this year, and that’s saying something! I definitely don’t mean this in bad way though; The Drowning was a compelling and wonderfully written novel that I couldn’t put down. I didn’t expect anything less from Rachel Ward, who has the ability to write stories that I’m sure everyone will love. This book is very different from Rachel’s other novel; Numbers, but also very similar at the same time with a fast-paced and action packed plot line. The Drowning is just as good as the other book I’ve read by her, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Right from the first page we enter the action; Carl remembers nothing, not why he was in the lake in the first place, not who the strange girl he’s with is, or what happened in the lake to cause his brother to drown. Carl’s character was interesting to read about, but I’m not really sure if I liked him at all. I thought Carl was a little bland and immature. I know he’s only fifteen, but I would have imagined his brother’s death would have matured him slightly. Unfortunately, he was just like any other teenage boy – a slave to his hormones. I’m not saying this is bad, but it seemed like a hell of a lot of the book was centred around Carl fighting the urge to jump on Neisha. He seemed a little obsessive over her, which put me off a little bit.

Neisha is the love-interest throughout this novel, and I had mixed feelings about her character. She seemed like a nice girl; smart and funny, but she also annoyed me a little bit. Her boyfriend has just drowned, and not even a week later she’s all over his brother. I understand the circumstances, but you’d think she’d need a little longer to move on considering the fact that she never looked twice at Carl in a romantic way before his brother died. There’s nothing else really to criticize about Neisha’s character – but I do think that Rachel Ward needs to work on her character development - two bland and dry characters in one book? That’s a little too much in my opinion!

As for Rob, Carl’s brother who drowned – god I hated him. I think you’re supposed to hate him, but my hate grew stronger and stronger throughout the book! To be perfectly honest, if he wasn’t already dead – I think I would have killed him myself. Rob was an abusive, rude, obnoxious asshole with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. As much as I enjoyed reading The Drowning, I was put off by how much of a jerk Rob’s character was. Even though hating him has a lot to do with the story, I just wish he was a little better so I could at least feel a little remorse for him. I thought the ending of The Drowning was really quite confusing – I have a feeling, due to the fact that I’m already familiar with Rachel Ward’s writing, that I know what happened - but at the same time I’m really not sure. I don’t know whether the doubt and confusion was deliberate on Rachel’s part or not, but either way I kind of wished it’d had been a slightly clearer ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Drowning – it’s a fascinating, past-paced, creepy thriller that will have you constantly turning the pages to find out what will happen next. Although Rachel Ward’s character development needs a little fine tuning, her writing style is fabulous and such a pleasure to read. The entirety of this book is quite disturbing in a way and definitely freaked out in certain places. I believe The Drowning well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating I gave it – if it weren’t for the few flaws that I’ve mentioned, I’m sure it would have gotten a higher rating. All the same, The Drowning is an amazing book, and I’d highly recommend anyone who loves a good thriller novel to pick this up. I can’t wait to read more from Rachel Ward in the future; she’s definitely an author everyone should know about!

Quotes

But it's not him. There's a girl in here now. She's looking right at me. Her make-up's smeared down her face from her eyes, like she's melting, but her lips are blue, her arms are covered in goosebumps and she's shivering. She's staring too, staring at me, then she blinks – once, twice – and starts screaming. - Page 2.

I open my eyes a little way, so there’s a narrow slit to see out of, and he’s there, half a metre away. White face, streaked with mud. The face that got zipped into the bag. My eyes open wide. My breathing goes shallow and fast.
I close my eyes again. I’m not seeing this. This isn’t real. - Page 71.

I kiss the top of her head, her temple, her cheek. She’s warm, so warm. She moves a little, tipping her face towards mine, and I find her lips. They’re soft and wet and taste of salt tears. I press my mouth against hers gently, ready to pull back at the first hint of rejection, but after a second of two she responds to me, angling her head a little more, kissing me back. - Page 142.

Waiting On Wednesday: Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hey Book Nerds! :D How are you all doing today? I've been really enjoying all of the books I've been reading recently, and finished Ink by Amanda Sun the other day. It was a fantastic book and my review will probably be posted tomorrow! :D I'm currently reading the third book in the Soul Screamers series, My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent and I love it so far. I think the series is really fantastic, and if you've not read the first book, you really need too! Anyway, It's been a few weeks since I posted a Waiting On Wednesday post, mainly because I've just not been waiting on much at all. However, recently I've been adding a lot of books that are being released next year to my TBR pile on Good Reads. So I thought it was time to start sharing these again. :3 So, that's it for today, talk again soon. ^.^

 

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Title: Nearly Gone.
Author: Elle Cosimano.
Expected Publication: March 25th, 2014.
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books.
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult.

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin.

But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her. Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all out soon—she'll be next.

 

Thoughts

Okay, HOLY COW! This looks like an absolutely fantastic book! As I've said countless times before, I'm a huge sucker for murder mystery books, or just mystery books in general - so this one really looks like it'll be incredible. :) As for the cover, I really like it! It's so simple, and I love the font and the close up shot of her mouth and wet hair. Although I'm not really sure what the significance of the numbers in the word 'Nearly' is, I'm sure once I read it I'll find out though! :D What do you guys think of the looks of this book, have you heard of it before? :) Let me know! ^.^

 

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What are you "Waiting On" this Wednesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (:

Review: Teacher's Pest by Charles Gilman

Title: Teacher's Pest.
Series: Tales from Lovecraft Middle School, #3.
Author: Charles Gilman.
Publication Date: May 7th, 2013.
Publisher: Quirk Books.
Genres: Paranormal, Middle Grade.
Format: Hardback, 170 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

DON'T BE FOOLED by his friendly smile, his perfect manners, or his shiny red apple. Student council president Howard Mergler is actually a sinister bug-monster in disguise—and he's summoning swarms of roaches, wasps, fleas, and head lice into the corridors of Lovecraft Middle School! Twelve-year-old Robert Arthur is the only student who can stop him--but he'll need help from his best friends: the school bully, the school ghost, and an extremely courageous two-headed rat.

This third novel in the Lovecraft Middle School series begins right where Professor Gargoyle and The Slither Sisters ended—with more action, more adventure, and more outrageous monsters!

 

Review

Once again, everyone needs to appreciate how awesome the covers in this series are! I didn’t actually realise how much I’d missed reading this series until I sat down and started reading Teacher’s Pest. I just love everything about this series and I think that this particular book is my favourite so far! I sat down one evening and just kept reading until I finished it, I just couldn’t put it down! Whilst reading Teacher’s Pest, my skin was crawling and I kept shuddering at the thought of all those nasty bugs – god forbid if anything like that actually happened in real life! The illustrations throughout the book are beautifully done and help set the scene really well – they add that extra bit of creepiness to the book that I just love.

The character development was even greater in this book than the last, and I felt like Charles Gilman was really pushing himself and became more daring with his writing. Throughout the first two books, nothing is really mentioned about Glenn’s family life, and I loved how we learn a little more about his background in Teacher’s Pest. Robert himself is so much more confident and daring in this book, and I’ve loved seeing him develop from a shy boy, to someone who’ll go jumping into the action to save his friends. With all the things Robert and his friends Glenn and Karina have gone through – I’m sure they’ll all be friends for life.

I also loved how it’s was a little more difficult to get away from the bad guys in this book. When they thought they’d gotten past one obstacle, they found another! Sometimes, especially in children’s books, the main protagonist gets away so easily that it’s not believable – but in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series, it’s always a little more complex – which is really great. I found myself on the edge of the seat because I honestly had no idea what would happen next – my verbal commentary were words along the lines of ‘What?’, ‘Yuck! Gross!’ and ‘RUN!’ that I kept muttering and yelling to myself.

Charles Gilman’s writing is funny, quirky, unique and so much fun to read. His characters are interesting to read about and relatable in so many different ways that you just can’t help but love them! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m really enjoying this series as a whole – I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book! I definitely recommend this book and series to anyone, even if you’re an adult and don’t think you’ll enjoy them, I really believe a lot of adults will really enjoy them as well – I know I am.

Quotes

"Maybe this will stop them." Robert removed a bottle of water from his backpack and poured some on the wall, washing away dozens of ants in a miniature tidal wave.
The rest of the army immediately changed course. Now, instead of marching towards the wall, they marched toward Robert. A few of the ants scaled his sneakers, and he kicked them loose.
"They’re coming to get me, Karina!" he laughed. "Help!" - Page 25.

"Every time I think this can't get more disgusting," Karina said, "the school finds new ways to surprise me."
"They can't touch you, and you can't touch them," Robert reminded her.
"But they're all touching me," Glenn chimed in. - Page 127.

Karina turned to Robert. "Remember when I said I only hated spiders? And other bugs didn’t bother me very much?"
"Yeah?"
"I was wrong about that." - Page 149.

Review: The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman

Title: The Slither Sisters.
Series: Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #2.
Author: Charles Gilman.
Publication Date: January 15th, 2013.
Publisher: Quirk Books.
Genres: Paranormal, Middle-Grade.
Format: Hardback, 174 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

Looks can be deceiving! Sarah and Sylvia Price may resemble ordinary middle school students, but they’re actually hideous monsters in disguise. Even worse, they’re campaigning for student council, with a secret plan for abducting the entire seventh grade!

The only ones brave enough to stop them are twelve-year-old Robert Arthur and his best friends: the school bully, the school ghost, and a very hungry two-headed rat.

This second novel of the Lovecraft Middle School series begins right where Professor Gargoyle ended – with more action, more adventure, and more outrageous monsters!

 

Review

Once again, I would like you all to take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of another wonderfully done holographic cover. Isn’t it just fantastic? Now, on to the review! The Slither Sisters picks up right after the first book, Professor Gargoyle finished – and it definitely was a fantastic sequel. The ending of this novel took me completely by surprise and I really wasn’t expecting it at all. I always love reading books that aren’t too predictable, otherwise they become boring and I lose interest in them quite quickly. I’m very happy to say that I wasn’t constantly guessing correctly about what would happen throughout the book – it was a great read!

I really love Robert’s character, he may be a shy person in general, but there’s a noticeable difference in his confidence level since the first book. This may be because of all the scary things that are suddenly happening to him, but I think it’s because he now has two (three, if you could his two-headed rat) best friends who are there for him and he can confide in. Even though Robert’s character is still quite young, I think he’s really mature for his age and a joy to read about.

I also loved how Robert, Karina and Glenn’s friendship was more developed in The Slither Sisters. It was great to see how comfortable they all are around each other, even though they’re all very different in personalities. I loved how Robert was able to put behind him the fact that Glenn bullied him for years – and I also found it amazing how Glenn was actually sorry for it all and is trying to make it up to him.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Slither Sisters! It was certainly action-packed and I found it really hard to put down. I don’t think I found a single fault with this novel, and I love Charles Gilman’s writing style – it’s fun and fresh to read. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I love the fact that, even though the series is for younger readers, the writing style isn’t immature in the slightest. The only reason the book series is getting 4 star rating so far instead of 5 stars, is because of it being a middle-grade series in general. When I give a book a 5 star rating, it’s usually because I found it absolutely incredible and mind-blowing. The Tales from Lovecraft Middle School is a really awesome series so far though and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I can’t wait to pick up the next book; Teacher’s Pest as soon as possible!

Quotes

He scanned the page looking for an entry that read, "Help! I'm Almost Thirteen Years Old and I Still Have the Muscles of a Third-Grader!" but apparently Robert's condition was so freakish and rare, the authors of the book didn't even bother to include it. - Page 21.

“They’re coming here every day. The question is, why?”
Robert wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. The last time he tried spying on someone, he’d witnessed his Science teacher, Professor Gargoyle, eating a live hamster. - Page 32.

Robert braced himself, preparing for the worst.
He expected horns to sprout from their heads. Or wings to burst from their backs. Or giant tongues to emerge from their mouths. He expected the girls to come charging down the stairs, claws extended, shrieking and screaming.
He certainly didn’t expect them to smile. - Page 50.

Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure.
Series: Blood of Eden, #2.
Author: Julie Kagawa.
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2013.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Genres: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 434 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood.

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time. Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

 

Review

“He was willing to try, to offer his heart to a demon, and I would not betray that trust. No matter what it took or how hard I had to fight, I would not become a monster.”

I don’t think I’ve ever written a review of a sequel to a book before, so I’m not really sure how this will go – but I’ll try my best! First off, I would like to say; Julie Kagawa, what on earth have you done?! WHY did you leave the ending that way? Are you TRYING to turns us into puddles of emotions on the floor? The ending of The Eternity Cure absolutely killed me, it really did. Aside from the absolutely heart-wrenching ending, The Eternity Cure was dark, creepy, intense, blood-filled and more pulse-racing than the previous book. I wasn’t sure if any sequel could be as good as The Immortal Rules, but this one was just as fantastic!

I didn’t realise how much I’d missed reading about Allie’s character until I picked up The Eternity Cure. Allie is back with full force in this novel, and she’s stronger, fiercer and more bad-assed than before! There are so many different things about Allie’s character that I love, I could go on for paragraphs about how much of an awesome character she is, but I’ll stick to just this one. I think Allie is a really fantastic and incredible character, not only is she physically stronger in this sequel, but mentally as well. She’s been fighting her inner demons since the day she was turned, and is constantly struggling to choose humanity over the monster within her. I really think it’s amazing how compassionate she is, Allie hates to kill, even when the hunger is pulling her under – she’s chosen what kind of monster she’s become – and it’s not a mindless murderer.

Zeke, oh Zeke – how I missed you, too! It’s been months since Allie said goodbye to him in Eden and set off to look for Kanin, but I always hoped that Zeke would reappear along the way - and I’m so glad he did! Zeke is also back with full force and is more bad-ass than before. He’s also more swoon-worthy and wonderful. (Did I actually just say ‘swoon-worthy?’) I loved Zeke’s character in The Immortal Rules, but I loved him even more in The Eternity Cure! He cares about Allie so much, even though he knows what she is and what she’s capable of – and I think it’s incredible. Zeke is a strong-willed guy and I loved him so much, he’s definitely become one of my favourite male characters, ever!

Allie and Zeke’s relationship doesn’t spark off again until further into The Eternity Cure, but I didn’t mind. The passion and connection between the two was incredible, and the chemistry between them radiated off the two and nearly made me weep. I loved how they wanted to defy the odds and be together, even though it’s really an impossible situation. How can a human and a vampire be together? I do hope they find a way, because I am in love with their relationship.

As for the rest of the characters, I’d like to start off with Jackal. I NEVER expected to end up liking him at all; I was cheering Allie on whenever she wanted to kill him. However, as the novel progressed, I saw a side to him I never thought I’d never see. He actually cares, maybe not about humans, but about Allie and Kanin. It was really great to see how Allie’s humanity rubbed off on Jackal – and I became quite fond of his character by the end of the book. He’s also quite the entertaining character at times, and many of his dark and snide comments made me laugh. Moving onto Kanin character – oh how I loved him! In The Immortal Rules you meet him, however you don’t seem to get a grip on what his character is really like and his background. In The Eternity Cure, you learn all about his past and what kind of Vampire he really is. I really loved Kanin’s character, he’s compassionate, kind and caring – and is now one of my favourite characters in the series.

Overall, I thought this book was bloody fantastic and I can’t find a single fault with it. As I think I must have said a thousand times, Julie Kagawa’s writing is flawless and I’m completely in love with the story she’s woven and the characters she’s created. I wish that I could give this book more than 5 stars, because it deserves SO MUCH more! The ending to The Eternity Cure killed me and I found myself shamelessly crying – I can’t seem to decide whether the ending was the perfect one or the most annoying one – I’ll let you know! I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book in this series and see where everything will go. Until then, I’ll just have to keep the story and characters close to my heart!

Quotes

He looked...very alone then, a single human in a monster-infested world, a fading bright spot surrounded by shadow. And despite my best intentions, my determination not to be a monster, I was part of the world that he feared. Part of the darkness that would drag him down and tear him apart. - Page 164.

I shifted uneasily, feeling a restless flicker of the Hunger stir to life. So many humans... - Page 182.

It was suddenly painful not to touch him, to feel his hands on mine, his lips, warm and strong. But, of course, with the desire came the savage ache of the Hunger. I remembered the sweetness of his blood, the hot strength flowing through me, the intoxicating power. I wanted him, badly, but I didn’t know which was stronger. And I was afraid to find out. - Page 260.

Review: Professor Gargoyle by Charles Gilman

Title: Professor Gargoyle.
Series: Tales from Lovecraft Middle School, #1.
Author: Charles Gilman.
Publication Date: September 25th, 2012.
Publisher: Quirk Books.
Genres: Paranormal, Middle Grade.
Format: Hardback, 168 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

Strange things are happening at Lovecraft Middle School. Rats are leaping from lockers. Students are disappearing. The school library is a labyrinth of secret corridors. And the science teacher is acting very, very peculiar. Robert Arthurt knew that seventh grade was going to be weird, but this is ridiculous!

With the help of some unlikely new friends, Robert discovers there's more to Lovecraft Middle School than meets the eye. Can he uncover the secrets of the school before it's too late?

 

Review

First off, can we take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of the holographic cover? I’ve never seen anything like this on a book before! If you’ve not seen in real life before, on this one; the man is normal, but when you move, he turns into a creepy demon! Moving onwards...

I’ve personally not read a whole lot of middle grade novels, even when I was a younger kid; I went straight from reading kids books to reading young adult books and the Harry Potter series. I’ve never really been sure of the reasoning for this, maybe it’s because, even as a kid, I was way more mature for my age than anyone else I knew. So, when I found out Quirk Books were wanting people, including me, to review their middle school series, I jumped at the chance.

I was, however, a little wary about what I would think of the characters and the writing style. Usually younger characters really irritate me, this is because they’re usually portrayed as really immature (they’re kids – and kids are immature in general) and it just irks me. I’m really glad to say that I was very pleasantly surprised when I started reading Professor Gargoyle, because neither the characters nor the writing style was like that! Professor Gargoyle was such an amazing, quick and fun read. The book is primarily aimed at the younger age group, but I think even adults would really enjoy reading it as well.

Robert is our main protagonist; he’s twelve years old and lives with his mum who is constantly working. I loved his character - he was a little shy at first starting his new school, but generally quite funny, forgiving and such an innocent and relatable character. Roberts’s old School bully ends up attending his new middle school, and even though Robert had hoped the tormenting would have ended by now, he was wrong. I know exactly how it feels to be bullied, as I was bullied since I was a little kid, right up into adult-hood. I’m sure that pretty much everyone has been teased a little at least in their life-time, kids are just cruel and mean a lot of the time – and I found it really interesting to see Robert’s reaction to being bullied again. The anxiety of the possibility of having to see that person again, and feeling like you’re not able to stand up for yourself – all these emotions were played out really well in the book, creating a very relatable atmosphere.

The illustrations throughout the book were really beautiful and well done. I thought that they added a touch of personality to the book and made it really interesting just to look at in general. Charles Gilman’s writing style was great and such a joy to read, and I loved pretty much everything about the book. Although I did think the ending was a little too rushed – I also thought that it was finished really well, leaving the ending perfectly open for the next book in the series to continue on from.

Overall, I really loved reading this book - it was great to read something quick but fun and different from what I usually read for a change. I’ll definitely be continuing on this with series, because it feels impossible not too! I gave the book 4/5 stars, and I think it really deserved it - the extra star wasn’t given, mainly because of the shortness of the book, the rushed ending and how apprehensive I was about starting this series in the first place. I need to read more of this story as soon as possible – hopefully I’ll start reading the sequel, The Slither Sisters sometime soon!

Quotes

Robert looked from left to right and back again. Both girls had fair skin and long red hair. They looked so similar, they could have been sister.
In fact, they looked virtually identical.
“Wait a second,” he said. “Are you two-”
“Twins,” they said simultaneously, almost sighing, as if they were tired of answering the question. - Page 24.

Then there was a hideous snapping sound, and the bottom half of Goyle’s jaw collapsed. It fell open like the mouth of a ventriloquist’s dummy, revealing sharp white fangs and a gaping black maw. Goyle lowered the hamster between his lips and swallowed it whole. - Page 84.

“You’ve been a real jerk to me, Glenn. All the name-calling, the pushing, the shoving, the gummy worms. I used to wish that a giant monster would come out of nowhere and swallow you whole. I never thought it would actually happen.” - Page 110.

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules.
Series: Blood of Eden, #1.
Author: Julie Kagawa.
Publication Date: May 4th, 2012.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Genres: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult.
Format: Paperback, 485 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness...

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what - and who - are worth dying for.

 

Review

“Hunger flickered, always there, but I pushed it down. I was a vampire. Nothing would change that. But I didn't have to be a monster.”

Wow, I really don’t know where to start with this review but this book was incredible! This was the first book I’ve read by Julie Kagawa, and I’d heard so many great things about this particular book, that I couldn’t wait to pick it up. I was, however, a little apprehensive about it as well – on rare occasions I find myself disliking a book that is so loved. I have no idea why – but I’m so glad to say this was not the case in reading The Immortal Rules.

The entire world Julie created in this book was absolutely phenomenal. The story is gritty and grimy, and doesn’t spare any of the nasty and gory details. Straight away, we’re thrown into a world where Vampires reign and the humans are like blood cattle, penned in to keep them from leaving and to stop the rabids from coming in.

I absolutely adored Allie’s character; she’s smart, caring and very independent. I loved how she could take care of herself, no matter the situation and wasn’t sitting around crying when danger came along. Allie was a really strong character, and tried her best not to let her emotions cloud her judgement. It was amazing to see how strong Allie’s determination to live was, even if it meant becoming a Vampire – she was definitely a kick-ass character, especially when wielding her katana!

Zeke is the love-interest in this novel, although I say ‘love-interest’ very loosely. The novel doesn’t revolve around Zeke’s and Allie’s relationship, which I loved. Zeke is cute, honest, sweet, kind, funny and just an amazing character overall. If I could have him for myself, I definitely would! He puts so many male characters I’ve grown attached to in the past to shame. It’s really easy to tell how anyone could fall in love with him.

Allie and Zeke’s relationship was incredible. They’re both such guarded characters, and I loved watching their relationship grow. Their feelings for each other are definitely not insta-love – it’s so realistic and relatable. I thought their relationship was just perfect and builds up slowly and gradually. On many places throughout this book was I was screaming inside at them, I just wished they would get on with it and kiss already – but I knew in my mind that it just wasn’t the time for them.

Even though the first few pages of the novel were a little slow, it doesn’t take long to be drawn into the story and become engaged with the characters. The entire book was an emotional rollercoaster for me; I felt every sting of betrayal, every pain and ache that the characters went through. I cried along with the characters and laughed with them as well. All the emotions in The Immortal Rules were so raw and amazing that I just couldn’t help not feeling them.

Overall, I really did think this book was amazing and I don’t have any complaints about it at all. The novel is fast-paced, but not at all confusing and I loved every minute of reading it. It was definitely a book I found extremely hard to put down! I’d recommend this book to anyone, even people who aren’t huge fans of paranormal aspects, because it’s just a fantastic book that I believe could draw in everyone. Julie Kagawa’s writing is beautiful and creepy and intense at the same time and I can’t wait to read the sequel to this incredible book. I believe the 5/5 star rating was well and truly eared and If I could rate it more, I definitely would.

Quotes

“Sometime in your life, Allison Sekemoto, you will kill a human being. Accidentally or as a conscious, deliberate act. It is unavoidable. The question is not if it will happen, but when. Do you understand?” - Page 96.

I wasn't thinking of his blood, rushing just below the skin. I wasn't thinking of his heartbeat or his touch or the pulse at his throat. Right now, all I was thinking of was Zeke. - Page 410.

'We are vampires,' Kanin had told me, on one of our last nights together. 'It makes no difference who we are, where we came from. Princes, Masters and rabids alike, we are monsters, cut off from humanity. They will never trust us. They will never accept us. We hide in their midst and walk among them, but we are forever separate. Damned. Alone. You don’t understand now, but you will. There will come a time when the road before you splits, and you must decide your path. Will you choose to become a demon with a human face, or will you fight your demon until the end of time, knowing you will forever struggle alone?' - Page 484.