The Hex Factor by Harriet Goodwin Giveaway

Oct11

Xanthe Fox is having one terrible week. It’s the first day of the new term and as Xanthe counts down to her thirteenth birthday, terrible things begin to happen. Usually a good student, she finds herself in trouble with her teachers, friends and headmaster. Xanthe’s sure the pranks are being caused by her arch nemesis Kelly Snier.

As if getting into trouble at school was bad enough, Xanthe also starts seeing glowing Xs behind her eyes. Her best friends thinks she should get her eyes checked, her parents are disappointed by her behaviour and even her crush doesn’t stand by her side. With only her great-grandmother left to trust, Xanthe learns that her family’s got secrets of own that will change her life forever.

Writing for this age group can be a difficult task, but Goodwin is talented at creating characters with voices that are true and relatable. Xanthe Fox is a wonderful role model and the book is an excellent depiction of academic life in the UK (which is extremely fun as an American to read). The language is brilliant, creating a story that fits in well with its audience. The secrets are cleverly hidden creating tension throughout, making it an easy page-turner. A coming of age story with a supernatural twist, The Hex Factor is the perfect spooky read this October.

Available now!

For the UK

I’m giving my copy away for All Hallow’s Read! Enter for a chance to win! Open to the USA and UK only, contest ends October 19^th for Halloween delivery.

a Rafflecopter giveaway (please click through the link to get to the giveaway)

Stripes Publishing provided this book for an honest review. Many thanks to the amazing Stripes team and Little Tiger Press publicity department! Thank you and keep up the great work!

Day 9 – 30 Day Book Challenge

Oct9

I tried to read the book over a period of years. Once I finished college I was able to make it a focus for a few months. I felt the first book was an enjoyable YA but as the series progressed it become more adult than I expected. For science fiction it didn’t go overboard and I felt welcomed in Lyra’s world. The series didn’t end the way I wanted it too and it’s still surprising I enjoyed it as much as I did.

Day 4 – 30 Day Book Challenge

Oct4

I chose Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone because you can’t have a fantastic series without a spectacular beginning. It set the mark, explaining this new world beautifully and even connecting all seven books together. It isn’t just an introduction book, it’s a book that helped complete the series on a different level. It’s the first chapter that always sticks with me and I’ll never forget about the boy who lived.

Day 3 – 30 Day Book Challenge

Oct3

I originally wanted to choose one of V.C. Andrews’ series but I had to stick with Harry. I had a crazy 8^th grade teacher, Mr. Zenkov (actually I don’t remember how to spell his name), and I’m not kidding around. He was still a child trying to teach children. But the greatest thing he ever did was taking an afternoon and read to us the first couple of chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Were we too young to be read too? Yes, but that first introduction to Harry was moving. We all were captivated by Rowling’s words and although I didn’t actually read the book until later in the year, it was a magical end to the day that I’ll always remember.

I forgot about Harry until the third book came out. Two years is a long time to wait for something you’ll read in two days. After Prisoner of Azkaban was released, the momentum around the books was starting to pick up in the States and I began my summer ritual. I would begin with Sorcerer’s Stone and read up until the newly released book. Every two years I’d begin the process over again. I’d wait a week or two because the new book was released and through the years I called them my ‘Harry Potter Summers’. It was a metaphor for my relationship with Harry, I felt as I had grown up with him. For the weeks leading up until the latest released I called Harry my boyfriend and as soon I had a finished the new book I’d state we’d broken up. However, there was a level of comfort, because I knew two years later another book was come out and I’d get to enjoy another week of being swept away at Hogwarts.

I took it hard when Harry and I broke up for real.

Regardless of the sadness at the ending of series, to this day, every other summer will always be a Harry Potter Summer.

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Aug30

What would you do if offered the choice to live forever? Fourteen-year-old Seraphina didn’t think when her life slipped away, and was saved by the handsome Cyrus. A kind gesture at the moment but even a crush from the 1400’s eventually evolves over six hundred years. Cyrus may have the answer to eternal life but the price becomes too high for Sera. Their routines for survival are flawless, but Sera longs for the next stage in the afterlife.

After an attempt to escape Cyrus’ clutches go awry, Sera finds herself being a teenager with a normal family. Being sixteen with best friends, a secret neighbour boyfriend and parents all over her, Sera settles into this life she accidently stole. But Cyrus isn’t like any ex-boyfriend. He’s looking for Sera and will do anything and everything in his power to find her to bring her back to the fold…

The Alchemy of Forever is an unusual take on YA paranormal romance. Mixed with fantasy and urban magic, I was pleasantly surprised to learn this book is the first in a series. Seraphina gets an opportunity most people long to experience, living forever. It’s refreshing to see her take the side of being tired of having been there and done that. Sera is such a delightful character, a strange mix of naïve teenager and wise old voodoo priestess. Although living through her pasts could have been more prominent to give Sera a deeper sense of character. I hope this issue is further explored in the next book.

As Sera evolves into Kailey and discovers love, perhaps a true love for the first time in six hundred years, she’ll do anything to remain hidden from Cyrus. You can’t help but hope that Sera will find a way to be rid of him, or accept her fate and kill herself for real. The book finishes on such a cliffhanger that I was mad it had ended! With Goodreads showing it’s a series I can’t wait for the next book to be published next year. It’ll be interesting to see if this series will go the Twilight route, meaning focusing on obsessive love or if can dig a little deeper into this idea of living forever. Relevant and in the know it’s a quick read for young teens of today.

Fateful by Claudia Gray

Aug4

Tess Davies has served the wealthy Lisle family for most of her life. Forced to live in squander whilst working to the bone, her only hope is to start over in America after accompanying the family abroad. But an encounter with a handsome stranger the night before the voyage temporarily puts her plan out of focus. He’s hot, he’s manly, and he’s just saved Tess’s life and then instantly disappears. She puts the event out of her mind as she focuses on her duty to the Lisle’s as they board for their coming journey. Yet there’s more to this handsome stranger than Tess realises and it’s honestly the least of her worries as she and the Lisle’s settle in on the RMS “Titanic”.

I really wanted to like this book. Entranced by the cover (how could one not?) and intrigued by the blurb I was hungry for a disaster story. Adoring the history around the Titanic it was wonderful to be transported to a different point of view (a servant girl’s) rather than just how the wealthy enjoyed the voyage. Regardless, I couldn’t like the book. I praise Gray for giving herself a challenge. Writing about the Titanic and weaving an evil supernatural society into the logistics isn’t an easy task. Regardless, I felt that Tess has too many loopholes. I didn’t buy the love story either, and that is what ruined the book for me. I wanted to believe in Tess and Alec, but it was just so easy. ‘I see him! I love him!’ Doesn’t cut it. And he’s a werewolf, big surprise!

What kept me reading, and on the edge of my seat was when the Titanic hits the iceberg. We all know it’s going to happen, and what occurs after, but how does Tess cope? Will she make it? What about the family she serves? Do the readers want them to survive? Reading through the tragedy creates such a level of suspense that before you know it; the end of the book arrives.

I think Fateful is an ideal book for YA readers, especially on the younger side of the spectrum. It’s got passionate love up to first base, a heroine that young girls will want to succeed and protagonists to root against. Blending history with fantasy is a difficult task, and even through the holes, Gray is able to create truly romantic supernatural tale.