Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Hey guys!  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating! :) Okay, so I know this book is already released but it sounds amazing and I can't wait to read it! :) 

Mine is....

Half-Blood by Jennifer L.Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.
Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.


I can seriously not wait to read this! :)

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Pages: 384
Publisher: Puffin
Date released: January 5th 2012
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 Stars















Goodreads:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

My Review:
I really really really enjoyed Cinder! I loved the whole concept of Cinderella as a Cyborg in Beijing! It was a very unique idea and I can’t wait to read the rest of series. 

Cinder was a very interesting character. She was just a normal girl who was faced with the enormous task of saving the world. Most of the original characters from Cinderella were thrown in, the evil stepmother, mean stepsister, handsome prince and faithful friends. There were some characters who I just wanted to strangle! - Yes, I’m talking about the stepmother! Prince Kai was also a great character to read, he was friendly, loyal, brave and romantic. The Luna were very strange characters, Queen Levana especially. 

The Luetomosis disease was described in great detail throughout the story and it really increased the tension as more and more people died. There is definitely a lot of action in Cinder and you will be turning the pages all night. A lot of sci-fi elements pop up throughout which make the whole environment feel very real. 

I loved the twist at the end, although I did guess beforehand. The ending is definitely left on a cliff hanger and leaves unanswered questions! What? Why? Who?… 

All in all, a fantastic read to be added to your read it now shelf! A very interesting twist on a classic fairy tale that will leave you gasping for more long after the last page has been turned. 

5 out of 5 stars overall.


*Thank you to Puffin for sending me a copy of 'Cinder' for review.

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! :) I hope you all had a great Christmas!

My Bookworm Santa was hosted by Bree from The Magic Attic and Michelle from Book Briefs and it was really fun! I'm going to reveal what I sent and what I received! ....

I was Secret Santa to... I Write, I Read, I Review! :)  So I sent 'Cracked Up To Be' which was on her wishlist:


I received:

and I'm sooo happy! I can't wait to read it! :) Thank you! I don't know who my Secret Santa was, so if it was you then let me know! :D

Top 5 Young Adult Books of 2011

Top 5 Young Adult’s Books of 2011

With Christmas only around the corner (tomorrow!)  it’s time to start deciding what to buy as presents.
One staple gift to suit people of all ages is of course a good book. There is nothing better than settling down after devouring a huge Christmas dinner and getting stuck into a good read so WHSmith have come up with the ‘Top 5 Young Adult Books of 2011’ that will keep your sons, daughters, nieces and nephews reading all through Christmas and New Year.
From authors Becca Fitzpatrick to Louis Sachar, WHSmith have the perfect books for everyone to enjoy this Christmas.


Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Grace and Sam found each other in SHIVER. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than ever before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened and love is becoming harder to hold on to as death closes in.


Passion by Lauren Kate
Before Luce and Daniel met at Sword & Cross and before they fought the Immortals, they had already lived many lives. And so Luce, desperate to unlock the curse that condemns their love, must revisit her past incarnations in order to understand her fate. Each century and each life holds a different clue but Daniel is chasing her throughout the centuries before she has a chance to rewrite history. How many deaths can one true love endure? Can Luce and Daniel unlock their past in order to change their future? This is the third book in the brilliant "Fallen" series.


Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Patch and Nora have overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Patch and Nora armed with only their absolute faith in one another enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for and their love, forever.


Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck going back through generations, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre he is not too surprised. Nor is he very surprised when he is told that his daily labour at the camp is to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, and report anything that he finds in it. The warden claims that it is character building, but this is a lie and Stanley must dig up the truth. In this wonderfully inventive, compelling novel that is both funny and serious, Louis Sachar has created a masterpiece that will leave all readers amazed and delighted by the author's narrative flair and brilliantly handled plot.



Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Not so very long ago, Eragon - Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider - was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest but now the fate of a whole civilization rests on their shoulders. Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, will they be strong enough to defeat him? If they can’t do it, no one can. There will be no second chances. The Rider and his dragon have come farther than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaesia? If so, at what cost? Featuring beautiful artwork by cult artist John Jude Palencar, this stunning book brings the bestselling "Inheritance" cycle to a breathtaking conclusion.

Teaser Tuesday (6)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

Just do the following:

                                                          
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"A scream filled Cinder's ears. She flinched, the sound peeking in her audio interface, and turned towards it. The market silenced." Page 14

"Cinder opened her mouth, about to announce that any human touch felt unusual, but her breath hiccuped. Fire and pain ruptured her spine, flooding her veins." Page 113

~
I love this book, it's so good!

Cover Reveal: Sleepers by Megg Jenson

An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?
~

You can buy it from any of the stores HERE
Megg on the web:

Website: http://www.meggjensen.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meggjensenauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/meggjensen

So what do you think? I absolutely LOVE the new cover! :D

Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Pages: 304 Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Release Date: August 9th 2011 Source: Book Tour

Goodreads:
"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare


The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

My Review: 

Wow. Wow. Wow. ‘Juliet Immortal’ is one of those books that make you go wow!  :) It has a very unique twist on the classic love story of Juliet and Romeo and boy is it good!!

The characters were all really fresh and had flaws and good qualities. Juliet takes on the role of Ariel in the story and I liked her, she was just a normal down to earth girl. Romeo takes on Dylan, he was one weirdo! Seriously! In this story anyway :) He is so messed up and it is conveyed perfectly from his mad scenes, although in some respects you can’t help but find him somewhat appealing. Gross, I know. I loved Ben! He was a great character and I really enjoyed how they all developed as the story progressed!

There were MAJOR twists and turns! Some I didn’t expect, others I could guess –especially nearer the end. I couldn’t stop reading it! It is such a fantastic idea and Stacey Jay delivers it with ease. There are definitely moments of action in most chapters and packed with tons of suspense. 

I thought the Ambassadors of Light was an interesting concept, although it didn’t pop up as much at the beginning, you definitely learn a lot near the end of the book. The horror elements were pretty scary and definitely added that dark edge to it. I enjoyed how it goes back in time to the old Romeo and Juliet that we know as the perfect love couple, it really emphasises the juxtaposition that the characters are now faced with.

 ‘Juliet Immortal’ is a book that needs to be on your To-Be-Read-Immediately-Shelf! Buy it right now! You won’t regret it. 

5 out of 5 stars overall.

Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

                                                                                                         

Pages: 336  Publisher: Simon and Schuster  Release Date: November 1st 2011   Source: S&S Galley Grab

                                                                 
Goodreads: Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies.

Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.

Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

My Review: 

‘Dark Inside’ is one of those fantastic novels that is jam packed with tension and suspense. It was amazing! It has a dark heavy atmosphere and you can definitely sense this throughout. 

The narrative is split between the four main characters, Clementine, Aries, Michael and Mason. I did enjoy viewing each characters view point on the situation as they had different ideas and feelings on the environment in which they were in –some more negative than others. The characters were all very unique and within the first few pages, one of the characters loses their mother so it’s pretty intense. I liked how all they all had their little quirks and flaws which made them more believable. Understandably, there are some characters you don’t like, particularly Colin as he was very selfish and didn’t help anybody else. 

The setting is very bleak with an apocalyptic atmosphere; there are huge earthquakes and mega disasters which happen within almost every chapter. It is very raw and sometimes very gritty but this adds to the tension building up throughout. 

The plot is fantastic! Kept me up, turning the pages again and again ( well- digitally :) ) until I reached the end. It makes you realise how scary the world would be if this did actually happen. ‘Baggers’ is a term used for the killers, which shows that it is not going to be simply nice all the way through. Characters that I thought were nice turning out to be completely the opposite shocked me. The different twists and turns were great; I loved how all the characters intertwined towards the ending of the story. The ending is a bit disappointing but it ties up all the loose ends so everything is answered. However, it does leave an opening for a sequel, which I am excited about! 

Recommended for anyone who loves apocalyptic style books, lots of tension and action! 
5 out of 5 stars overall.

Teaser Tuesday (5)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

Just do the following:

                                                          
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.

"As usual, it looks like I have to rescue you and ice-boy from something. Again. This is starting to become a habit."  page 55

"'Robin Goodfellow?' 'Oh look at that, he's heard of me. My fame grows.' Puck snorted and leaped off the roof. In mid air, he became a giant black raven, who swooped toward us with a raucous cry before dropping into the circle as Puck in an explosion of feathers. 'Ta-daaaaaa.'"  page 55


I'm seriously in love with these books! They're amazing! :D

Review: Flawless by Lara Chapman

Pages: 255 Release Date: May 10th 2011 Publisher: Bloomsbury Source: Review

Goodreads:


Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws.

My Review: 

I enjoyed ‘Flawless’ by Lara Chapman. I thought it was a good concept and it would be an interesting read and it was!


The characters all felt very real. Sarah had to be my favourite character though, she develops so much as the story progresses and I really like her for that. At the beginning I was a bit wary as she can be annoying at times but overall, I enjoyed her. I didn't like how she did everything that people asked her to do, it was like she was being a doormat, so I'm glad she stood up for herself. Regarding annoying, how annoying is her Mum please? I would feel exactly how Sarah feels if my Mum put nose job pamphlets on my desk every day but I did like how that situation evolved. Plus, Kristen –her supposedly best friend- I felt like she used Sarah a lot and was quite whiney.  Rock was an interesting character. It’s not very often that you get guys who are really interested in English and poetry in stories, so I liked that aspect.

The plot was good, albeit predictable at times. I could guess the ending quite clearly before I finished the book. It was interesting though and I loved the modern setting with the Facebook messages and texts.

Overall, I would recommend ‘Flawless’ but as a light read.


3 out of 5 stars.

Blog Tour: Guest post with Teresa Flavin

 Hi everyone!

Okay, so Teresa Flavin author of 'The Blackhope Enigma' and 'The Crimson Shard' is here to share a guest post on 'Morphing from an Illustrator into an Author-Illustrator.'

'On Morphing from an Illustrator into an Author-Illustrator'

A few years ago, writing novels was the last thing I ever expected to do. I had nailed my colours to the mast: I am an Illustrator. But when several editors and art directors looked at my portfolio and asked whether I had ever thought about writing my own stories for picture books, I began to think it was worth trying. After all, it would be great to create the stories and illustrate them too.

So I wrote stories about mermaids, a horse and a few other subjects, but never sent them to any publishers. Years went by and I did nothing further until I was offered the chance to be mentored by my literary agent, who specialises in children’s books. She advised me on my new picture book manuscript and I produced colour illustration samples and a dummy book for it, which she duly sent out to London publishers.

I recently looked back at a journal I was keeping about this process and noticed a couple of entries where I wondered what it would be like to write a longer story. I wasn’t sure a picture book could contain all the ideas I had.

Then an odd thing happened. I was languishing at home with a cold when a story grabbed me by the throat and said, Write me down. So I did. A few days later I had 12,000 words and I knew this wasn’t going to be a picture book. There were many bumps in the road and quite a few detours before I finally finished writing The Blackhope Enigma. It wasn’t quite as I’d envisioned it at first; I had thought it might have more pictures but I kept it to just a few pen and ink illustrations, including some must-have maps. The words just took over and I went with the flow. I rewrote the manuscript several times and added in new twists to the plot, which came along as I did more research on the magical roots of the story.

Some folks say there are two kinds of writers: architects and gardeners. Architects build on an organised structure for their stories and gardeners nurture seeds that grow organically. I was a bumbling gardener when I wrote The Blackhope Enigma, and a slightly superstitious one at that. I had to write at home in my easy chair, with certain CDs playing in the background. I wrote longhand at first and transcribed everything on to a computer.

Then Templar Publishing bought the manuscript and I had my first writing deadline. I had to rewrite a section while I was on an airplane to the USA. No easy chair, no CDs. Just a plastic tray table, a pencil and a notebook. That was the busiest, least boring trip across the Atlantic I’ve ever had and it got me out of thinking I could only write in my comfort zone.

With The Crimson Shard, I seemed to turn into a writing architect almost overnight. I made a detailed synopsis and a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. I drew complicated mind maps and flow charts in different colours. I wrote at home, in my studio and on trains. The only constant was having low volume classical music on in the background, if possible.

At times, the gardener side of me emerged and confounded the architect side. I would learn something fascinating about the period in which The Crimson Shard is set and a new branch of the story would grow. I am grateful for those serendipitous moments where particularly satisfying plot twists entered the frame.

You might well ask whatever happened to the picture book manuscript and dummies that went out to London publishers. The answer is: nothing. That project was not destined to go further. I was a bit disappointed, but not too much, because by then the flow was going with The Blackhope Enigma and, subsequently, The Crimson Shard.  

As I work on my next writing project, I can say I am definitely an architect with a hammer in one hand and a watering can in the other. And stuck behind one ear is my drawing pen because I hope never to stray too far from my artistic roots.

I really enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing it with us Teresa! :)

My review of 'The Crimson Shard' will be coming along shortly.

My Bookworm Santa

Hi everyone!

I've just signed up for My Bookworm Santa over at BookBriefs

My Bookworm Santa is the book blogger's version of 'Secret Santa.' So you sign up via the form below (over on BookBrief's website), and we'll pair you up with another random entrant. If you're only willing to ship to America, we'll pair you up with someone from America.(remember though, that the Book Depository ships free to most countries. This is a good way to meet some international book bloggers) We'll send their wishlist and address to you, and your wishlist and address to them. Then, before December 10th, we'll ask that you purchase a book from the wishlist we sent over, and send the book to your randomly selected blogger. And on Christmas (December 25th), you'll reveal yourself to the other person, and hopefully make new friends :) Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you're more than welcome to join us.

We'll also be having a small, separate giveaway during the sign-up period. If you tweet about this event, blog about this event, or follow our blogs via GCF, and grab the event button then you'll earn extra entries. Signing up for our My Bookworm Santa event earns you one point. At the end of the sign-up period, we'll randomly choose two participants (international people are more than welcome), and send them over one book from their wishlist.

Setting up a blog post about the event is a great way to get more named referrals. Each person that names you as a referral will get you an extra entry into the contest.

So, what are you waiting for? Go over now and sign up :)

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Pages: 359 Release Date: April 15th 2011 Publisher: Mira Books Source: Friend

Goodreads:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My review:

I really really enjoyed ‘The Iron Daughter.’ The series just keeps getting better and better in my opinion!

I particularly liked how much more of the setting took place in the Winter Court (Tir Na Nog) as I didn’t get to see a lot of this from the previous book. Everything was richly described and felt so effortless. Julie Kagawa is an absolutely amazing author! She makes you feel as if you are in the environment she has described.

The characters are developed a lot more in ‘The Iron Daughter’ and are introduced to some new characters. I really did not get along with Ash at the beginning of the story, but that soon changes and you realise his motives.
I felt like Meghan matured a lot in this story, much more than ‘The Iron King’ which is a very good thing. I also enjoyed how we got to see a lot more from Puck (in a more romantic way), as I felt it was important to view his side, although I’m team Ash ;)

The plot was as amazing as always! It kept me hooked from the very first page to the very last. There were some unexpected surprises thrown in, so was not predictable in any way. I loved all the sarcastic comments they will actually make you laugh out loud! :)

Recommend to everyone! Although, it’s probably important that you read ‘The Iron King’ before this one.

5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Pages: 293 Release Date: July 1st 2011 Publisher: Templar Source: Won

Goodreads:

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned..

My review:

‘Forgive My Fins’ is a fantastic laugh out loud story! It was the perfect summer read and can’t wait for the sequel ‘Fins Are Forever.’

I enjoyed reading about the mermaid kingdom of Thalassinia; it was one of the best bits in the story. Everything was well thought out and because I was reading it on holiday, it made me want to run into the sea! :)

The main character is Lily; she is funny, smart and of course has a teenage crush. I thought that I could relate to Lily, as we have all had an embarrassing teenage crush with a boy who you’ve never had a proper conversation with. She acted like a normal girl and she wasn’t perfect.
I really liked Quince; I thought he was perfect for Lily! :) He was seen as the ‘bad boy’ who rode a motorbike and wore boots, but he was really sweet to Lily.
Then of course, you have the clique stereotypical girls who hate Lily, which I thought was a bit predictable.

Admittedly, the plot was a bit predictable at times, sometimes I just wanted to shake Lily and make her realise things! But apart from that I really enjoyed it! I thought the ending could have been better but there is still a sequel to come so I’ll definitely read that one!

I would recommend it to fans who like mermaids and love stories.

4 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Pages: 293 Release Date: April 19th 2011 Publisher: Harlequin Teen Source: Won

Goodreads:

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

My Review:

‘The Goddess Test’ is one of those novels that sticks with you after you have read it. It was fantastic! It deals with tough emotions very well, but also creates realistic situations.

‘The Goddess Test’ is based mainly on Greek mythology, me being a fan I was looking forward to reading about it. Myths such as Persephone, Hades, Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo etc. all feature in the story and even if you don’t know much, you will still understand the concept.

The majority of the setting in ‘The Goddess Test’ takes place in Eden Manor, with Henry. It is described as being extravagant, with massive wardrobes and huge country estates. It’s shrouded in mystery really.

The characters were richly developed over the course of the novel and I particularly enjoyed the twist at the end! Aimee Carter has the wonderful ability to create such vivid emotions in the story, I actually felt myself welling up at certain times, I could never imagine losing a parent to a disease but the emotions in ‘The Goddess Test certainly felt very real.
Kate is a normal, down to earth girl who just wants to look after her mother. She is not interested in dating boys or making friends or partying. She has a strong mind of her own and I like her for that.
Her mother, I feel very sorry for. I’m very close to my mother –like Kate, and I thought it was a very very sad situation. But that twist! I did NOT expect that!
Henry is the dark, mysterious brooding character, who we meet in the dead of night. Instantly, I wanted to know more about him and I was glad that his personal side was revealed throughout the story.
I really enjoyed reading about the majority of characters and I loved the twist at the end!

The plot was wonderful to read. I didn’t expect some of the situations to take place, such as one major twist near the end, regarding Kate’s near-demise. I did expect some things to happen, but the majority of the time I didn’t.

I would recommend this book to fans of love, mystery, suspense and Greek mythology. I cannot wait for ‘Goddess Interrupted’ which will definitely be as good –if not better than this!

5 out of 5 stars.

Notice of Inactivity

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I'm going on holiday tomorrow for 2 weeks! :D
Yes! I'm excited!!!!! :D

I'll be having a lot more posts up when I get back as I'm taking a few (cough 10) books with me!
Thought I'd share what I'm taking with you all :)

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter,
Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins,
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Moore-Clement,
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs,
The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz,
Blood Promise by Richelle Mead,
Rockaholic by C.J.Skuse,
Flawless by Lara Chapman,
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton,
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.


So, I hope all of you have a nice time and I'll write again when I get back :D

Winner of My 100 Followers Giveaway!!

Hello Everyone! :D Today was the last day to enter my 100 Followers competition :) Thank you to everyone who entered! I'm going to be having more giveaways soon!

So, the winner of the UK book giveaway is....


Becky (Beckyinwonderland) and she won Feed by Nina Grant!

She has 24 hours to respond until a new winner will be drawn.
random.org chose the winner.



The international giveaway winner is....


Mia and Sofia from Gripped into Books

They have 24 hours to respond until a new winner will be drawn.
random.org chose the winner.

Thanks everyone! More giveaways soon!

Book Blogger Hop (2)

Join in! Click HERE!


“What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

Well, it's Autumn here now but it feels a lot like Winter! :) I love Winter! My birthday is in Winter, plus Christmas! I love getting all wrapped up drinking hot chocolate or tea by the fire and being all snug! :)

I do love Halloween as well and then there's Bonfire Night, where I live there are loads of firework displays on the beach with massive bonfires! It's great :D

I'm also looking forward to The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa which comes out here on October 21st! :) I love the series and I'm completely addicted to them all :)

Author Guest Post: Charlotte Blackwell

Hello everyone! :) Today I have Charlotte Blackwell with me, who is doing a guest post on 'Why YA?' :)

Hello to everyone at “Steph Likes Books”. My name is Charlotte Blackwell and I’m the author of the newly released Embrace Series a paranormal romance for young adults. Book one Immortal Embrace and book two Forbidden Embrace, are both available. Book three Mystic Embrace will follow this coming November.

One question I’m always asked is why young adult(YA)? Well the answer is easy, I have a young adult. My eldest daughter Jorden will be thirteen this coming November. I’m very lucky in the fact that we have a very close and open relationship. Jorden and I talk about anything and everything. Unfortunately not every parent is as lucky as I am; this is why I enjoy to write YA. Oh and what woman doesn’t want to be 17 again.

As a teenager I, like many teens had my share of insecurities and felt pressured from others. I was never comfortable to talk with my mom about these issues and too embarrassed to talk to my friends. So I internalized them, which caused me to feel very alone. I don’t want the young adults of today to feel alone as there’s so many more demands today. By writing my stories in first person, I get the opportunity to face some of the feelings that I had, also that my daughter and her friends now have. I hope that my books can show the readers that they are not alone and we all face the various struggles. Whether young adults talk to a friend, sibling or adult, we have to trust someone and by doing so, good things may come.

The Embrace series subtly addresses issues such as insecurity, trust, friendship, family and love. But young adults today have to deal with so much more like sex, pregnancy, sexual identity, drinking, drugs and death. The characters of the Embrace series also deal with many of these issues. My greatest hope is that readers young and old can gain a sense on security and comfort from my books.

Now of course it’s not all about the serious issues, the Embrace series is fun and exciting. The group of friends go on many different adventures trying to protect the innocent people of their town from various supernatural entities. Not only do the help the town, they also help themselves by learning so much more than they could have ever expected.

Thanks so much for having me here today, the Embrace Experience has already proven to be a blast with all the great blogs and people I’m meeting.

Char

Check out her first book HERE!

You can find Charlotte on:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CharBlackwell
Blog: http://charlotteblackwell.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4836172.Charlotte_Blackwell

Here is a little look at the Book Trailer for Immortal Embrace:


I will be doing a review of this book a little bit later! :) I can tell you it's amazing!


Hope you enjoyed reading this :)

Check out the next stop on the blog tour tomorrow at SeeItOrReadIt where there will be a review of the second book Forbidden Embrace plus a giveaway! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating! :) Okay, so I know this book is already released but it sounds amazing and I can't wait to read it! :)

Dark Angel by Eden Maguire

Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart. Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains. And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?...

Released: August 4th 2011