Book Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Jun11

Zoel’s world is run by her constant adherence to the Link, a controlling system that creates all peace within The Community. Connected by her implanted V-chip, Zoel feels nothing but a grey haze of indifference. That is until she starts ‘glitching’. For the first time Zoel can hear her own thoughts. Now calling herself Zoe, she must fight to hide her malfunctions or risk being terminated.

That is until she meets Adrian, who is able to explain emotions and share what the real world truly is. As Zoe meets others like her that glitch, she struggles with not being able to understand how to feel around them. The Community can’t discover their anomalies. Under any circumstances, they must keep their disconnection from the Link unknown. There’s also the issue that the glitchers are developing supernatural powers, and there are others than The Community that would do anything to convince these fragile minds to join their side. But which side is truly worth fighting for?

Sigh. I wanted to like this book, really I did. I got through the first ten pages and thought, hmmmm, kind of like The Giver, but dystopian, decent beginning, maybe if I kept reading it will get better.

I made little notes. There were a lot of repetitive words. Also some overwriting. However, I was still holding out that the story would get better, but it didn’t. BOOM came in the ‘love triangle’ of characters that have known each other for five seconds. Big disappointment. (Especially as this book isn’t directly marketed as romance in my eyes) Halfway through the book I was constantly distracted by the fact that timelines were all over the place. Those chapters seriously needed some editing.

My biggest issue is that one of characters attempts to sexually assault the main character and she sympathises and thinks it’s her fault that he is acting that way. Zoe is a lump of chewed up oatmeal that doesn’t have any redeeming qualities about her. Sure, chalk it up to the fact that in this world the characters don’t feel emotions and this would cause Zoe to be without a personality. However, she makes the choice to change her name, therefore she has the potential to discover herself whenever she was alone, but instead she stands as weak and uninspiring.

I was greatly disappointed with this first book and I won’t be continuing with the series. (The sequel Override, sounds like a X-men rip-off) If anyone else has read this book, I’d love to hear thoughts about this story that could have gone places but seems to be lacking structure and direction.

Look Above

Jun10

The Natural History Museum, London, England 2013

Book Review: Storybound by Marissa Burt

Jun8

A lonely foster child, full of wonder about who and where she came from; Una Fairchild is shocked as she’s transported to the land of Story when browsing her school library.

Now she’s a part of a magical land she never imaged could exist. Story, a world filled with characters one grows up with. Talking animals, princes in training and a school where all the students learn to be either a Hero or a Villain.

Yet not all is well in the land of Story, and twelve-year-old Una is about to discover that she wasn’t brought there by accident. There are secrets waiting in the dark and an evil just bidding time to be restored to Story. With her new friend Peter, it’s going to be up to Una to set a prophecy in motion.

What a fantastic middle grade series! I absolutely loved it! Can you tell? The setting, the characters, the breath of fresh air that brings humour and fun to the fairytale world where there’s more than meets the eye! Not to mention the fact that there is plenty of challenges for all ranges of middle grade readers.

Plus the ending is so AMAZING! I don’t know how else to praise Burt for creating such an intriguing series. Not only are the characters easy to relate to, but the whole creation of Story is an awesome way to get kids to think outside of the book. This is length done right with loads of new characters, places and motives. As the knowledge within Story is challenged, the information is at a perfect rate to keep kids turning those pages!

I’m looking forward to delving back into Story with Burt’s sequel, Story’s End.

Literary Item Spotlight – Watchful Eyes Bookmarks

Jun6

Bookmarks are great. They’re perfect as gifts or little trinkets of remembered travels. This month my literary item spotlight goes to Bliss in a Teacup’s through Etsy, Watchful Eyes Bookmark Series – Women Author’s bookmarks.

Made out of repurposed scraps of wood, the pieces are bonded together, sealed and printed with pictures and the names of female authors. They also do a range of other pictures, but new this month are the batch of women writers and it’s about time they get some recognition!

Useful, educating and beautifully done, these bookmarks are handy, earth friendly and the perfect thing to adorn your book!

The creators behind the bookmarks are based in New Zealand, but the prices for the bookmarks are still very reasonable.

I think one of the best things about this company their items is that they’re open to printing custom-made women authors. Just send a request and they’re willing to work with authors they don’t already have prints for. I don’t think there’s anything they could do to make their products better! Everything is pretty stand out.

Remember they do offer loads of other prints on bookmarks and they come in varying shades of wood. Special requests can be made – outstanding customer service!

Which do you prefer? Dogging earring the pages of a book or using real bookmark or just scraps of paper you have lying around? I myself vary between using real bookmarks when I can find them, but I also use any piece of paper when push comes to shove.

All photos are courtesy of Bliss in a Teacup.

Book Review: MIla 2.0 by Debra Driza

Jun3

Mila was just trying to settle in to her new life in rural Montana. Living with her overly protective mother, the new caretaker of horse ranch, fitting in at the local high school was a challenge.

Especially after discovering she wasn’t just a normal seventeen-year-old girl. Oh no, Mila is actually a robot. She’s not the first either, but version 2.0.

In a span of hours Mila and her mother are thrust from their calm existence to on the run from her creators, the government. What starts as a normal get together with a girlfriend bursts forth with a new sight on truly who and what she is. As secrets tumble, Mila is going to have to choose which she is more of, human or machine if she and mother are going to escape for a future of freedom.

So how do I feel about this book? I did like it but…Long, just way, way too long. The Matched series can get away with 500 pages, but for this premise I felt like it dragged. The focus is primarily on Mila, which as a character is interesting. The story is slow in the beginning, the reader is almost tricked into thinking it’s a clichéd YA book. Then BAM – the story hits sixty and it’s running, running, running and more running until the explosive end.

I wish I could have liked the story more but the length wavered my attention. However, I think it has great potential for a movie or TV series. It just has that feel when you’re reading the story. The author has done a great job of describing the picture and placing the reader right there to witness all the excitement and danger.

Mila 2.0 is great if one wants a break from the soppy, unrealistic romance, but they shouldn’t be afraid to devote time.

The amazing publisher, in exchange for an honest review, provided this book. Many thanks to the publisher and author Debra Driza for letting me review Mila 2.0! I am curious as to what is coming next!

Mila 2.0 was Freshly Publishing in March 2013 – so get your copy now and tell me what you think!