Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Dec27

Lena Haloway is less than six months away from getting the procedure known as ‘The cure’. In a world that is surrounded by the all-knowing government, people receive the cure as soon as they are eighteen. Love is a disease that makes one crazy, dangerous and out of control. Everyone is fearful of catching ‘deliria’. Her mother committed suicide because of it; her sister nearly suffered the same fate. Lena is determined to stay in line, receive her cure with accompanying marks and be paired for immediate marriage after college graduation. It’s just as life is supposed to be.

It’s during her evaluation that something changes in Lena. Unable to vocalise her practiced answer, she nearly loses everything, but an unforeseen distraction causes her test to be invalid. It’s also when she meets Alex: a nineteen-year-old boy that bares the mark. He’s cured, providing Lena with a security blanket for their friendship. If he wasn’t, she could be hauled away to the Crypts for being seen with him. Being too busy following all the rules, there’s to more to Lena’s world that she’s never noticed. As the bubbles of her life gradually pop, she’s going to have to make a choice: To love, or to die.

I have to be honest, I much preferred Delirium to Oliver’s Before I Fall. Lena is an excellent example of how effective brainwashing can be. I see this book as a spooky foretelling of America’s future. Living in a country that’s known for its ‘Big Brother’, I found myself wondering how far is too far for a society to be looked at? I can’t imagine a world without free speech or the freedom to love whomever you want. And yet, there are many passages where this easily could have taken place in a modern day America.

This is a story about growing up, falling in love and discovering what is important in life. People are different; a large population cannot conform to one simple ideal. History has proven this and Delirium takes advantage of human nature the right way. What would the world be like if we weren’t allowed to love? What would happen to a society if they found a way to love again? A fast paced read with a love story of Romeo and Juliet, I’m really hoping my local library will have the second book available! (Just checked – it’s a disappointing no.)

Many thanks to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for sending me two copies from their social media campaign!

Ash Mistry Giveaway Winner

Dec13

Thank you to all those who entered my giveaway!

The lucky winner is……..

James B! Thanks James for entering my contest! The book is on its way and may you enjoy it!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Dec11

A truly spectacular cover.

It’s rare to find a book that only has one cover around the world.

Lucinda Price is seventeen, has had her head shaved by her parents and deposited at the Sword & Cross reform school. It’s gonna be a great year. Her first day is filled with meeting the other students, following the rules and him. Daniel: the fellow teenager that can only be described as beautiful. As their eyes meet, Luce’s heart thumps madly and Daniel, he flips her off.

There’s something about that him that prevents Luce was staying away. She’s drawn to him like a former lover, but with every step she gains he pushes her further away. As she tries to adjust to this caged life, Luce’s feelings are constricted between for desire for Daniel and affection for the thoughtful and charming Cam. With tough and rebellious reform school girls making her life a living nightmare, Luce is determined to keep her secret that landed her in this place a secret. But there’s more to this world of Sword & Cross and Luce is stuck in the middle of it.

I liked the premise of Fallen. It had a good mix of mystery but for adults like me I could still make some educated guesses. I love, love, loved that this was set in a reform boarding school! This isn’t a privileged boarding school, but a dark and dismal setting that really made the world come alive. For some kids, this is their life. It’s a jail that serves as a school where the teachers try but after so many years….

It’s good versus evil mashed with a love triangle. Who does the reader want our Luce to end up with? Cam or Daniel? Daniel or Cam? This is the current YA of excellence and it made me feel like I was seventeen again. Yet, there’s so much more to the story and this first book only lightly touches on the countless secrets that the main characters are holding within. The series finished this year and I am beyond excited that I can read through the rest at my leisure. I hope Kate is able to keep the story going with more depth rather than just focusing on forbidden love.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Dec8

Wendy Everly is trying to be a typical teenager. She lives with her aunt and older brother Matt. They travel around due to her inability to stay stationary at school. She tries to be normal, but with a mother in a mental institution for attempting to kill her when she was six, tends to cause some problems. Wendy tries yet again to settle in to a new school, but the ever-watchful Finn makes her uncomfortable.

A natural loner except for her brother, Wendy can’t shake the feelings that Finn brings out when he’s around. He’s hiding something, something that has to do with Wendy. There’s a reason she doesn’t exactly fit in, it turns out her mother isn’t as crazy she appears. Wendy isn’t just a teenager, but in fact is a troll who’s next in line for the throne of her unknown people…

I wanted to like Switched. I love Amanda Hocking’s story – self-published author that lands an enormous book deal. The premise of the story is great too. I loved the idea of making trolls beautiful and that they exist almost anonymously among humans. However, this wasn’t well executed. The troll people are horrendous despite their physical beauty and gifts blessed by nature. What had the potential to be a fresh new spin of folklore doesn’t deliver. They’re mean, they’re materialistic, and they’re not a race I’d take any further interest in learning about. I don’t like them and that causes a problem with the story.

It saddens me that this kind of writing is what people want. Loose plotlines, poorly developed characters and a love story that doesn’t have any heart. Although it’s YA, I expected more. There was so much room to explore this concept. There are two more books in the series and honestly, I think I’m going to leave them. I don’t like letting series go unread, but this was a major disappointment.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Nov24

Gabry has spent her life gazing out at the world from the safety of the lighthouse. There is no need to explore since the Return has caused the undead to stalk the living. They call them ‘mudo’ and strict precautions are taken to ensure the survival. She’s never stepped out of line, never questioned authority. Just one night is enough to change everything.

One night Gabry embarks across the barrier with her best friend Cira and her brother Catcher. It’s an opportunity for love to blossom and the mudo to attack. One night and the progression humanity has accomplished is knocked down. Now Gabry must venture past the barrier in search of her heart’s desire, but it’s only the beginning. One step turns into another and Gabry can no longer ignore the previous comfort of her life and the lighthouse.

Second books are always bit tougher to get into. I enjoyed the first book so much I didn’t want to be disappointed by expecting a lot from the second. It takes a couple of chapters for Ryan to show that this book is nothing like the second. Even with the zombie attacks there’s so much more to this world that she expands on. It’s fabulous. It got my heart racing; my hands shook as I breezed through the pages.

Slight criticism are that there is another love triangle and comes straight off of the first book it’s a bit repetitive. But then again it’s a zombie apocalypse. It’s not like finding a suitable partner is a walk in the park. I felt that the book was a bit slow, but I was pleased to learn more about this world and how people were able to successful exist. I’m holding off on the third book, I want to savour it and there are many other books I have to get through first.

Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress Giveaway

Nov21

Yesterday I posted my review of Sarwat Chadda’s Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress. Today is the first day to enter the giveaway of my copy! The contest will run until December 5th and I’m opening it up to US and UK entry’s only. The winner will be announced December 5th and I’ll send the book shortly after.

Want to enter?

Follow me on twitter, and leave a comment with your twitter handle.
Give a shout out to this giveaway on twitter or facebook, and leave a comment saying so.
Following my blog (add your email address on the right hand side) and leave a comment with your blog name!

The winner will be chosen by random.org. Good luck!