Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Partials by Dan Wells 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: March 29th 2012

Cover Love: 8/10

Goodreads: 

The only hope for humanity isn’t human. In a world where people have been all but wiped out by a virus created by part-human cyborgs called ‘Partials’, and where no baby survives longer than three days, a teenage girl makes it her mission to find a cure, and save her best friend’s unborn child. But finding a cure means capturing a Partial…

My Review:

This is only going to be a short review because I read the book a while ago, but made notes on what I liked and didn't like. It’s tricky for me because Partials was a bit slow for me at first. It took at least 100 pages to truly get my teeth into it. It’s a very heavy book, jam packed full of information, so it’s a lot to take in. You have to be concentrating when reading it, so you don’t miss anything crucial and have to go back. It includes a lot of thought process from the characters, so there is a lot of internal dialogue and it’s very scientific with its terms.

Partials reminded me of The Handmaid’s Tale with a splash of I, Robot. I’m excited to find out what happens in the second one ‘Fragments’ which is due out next year (2013), because there’s a lot of room to explore things that happen in further detail.

It felt very much like a war novel, and while that may put some people off, believe me it worked. It wasn't what I expected at all; there isn't much romance in it, but a ton load of action! So if you want a book that’s more action than gushy romance, then this is your book.

Partials is also written in 3^rd person, which is admittedly not my favourite, so it was hard to relate to Kira at times. The characters were great to read about, they all fitted in well and had their own part to tell, but they were just okay, not brilliant. The latter half of the book was much better than the first half in my opinion.
Partials is a great books, with a unique idea and I would definitely read the next one! 

3 out of 5 stars.

Breathe Blog Tour

Hi guys! Sorry for the lack of posts, my laptop has broken so I'm trying to get it fixed.

In the meantime, I'm a stop on the Breathe blog tour! :) So excited, this is an amazing book! You can check out my review for it HERE.

Who are Alina, Quinn and Bea?

Alina, Quinn, and Bea are very different teenagers, each one with a pressing agenda, though forced to alter that agenda the more they learn about their world. Alina is tough and will stop at nothing to see the powers that be brought down. Quinn is a little clueless; it takes a tragedy to make him sit up and see what is right in front of him. And Bea is gentle and kind, but beneath this frothy layer of loveliness is the will to fight for her freedom. I love all the characters: they grow so much and to me it doesn’t really matter where you start, it’s where you end up that matters.

You can find Sarah on: Facebook or Twitter or her own website :)







Alsoooo! The great news is ONE lucky winner from the UK could get their hands on a copy! :)
All you have to do is fill in this form:

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: November 15th 2011
Cover Love: 9/10

Goodreads: Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Review:

Shatter Me is just wow. Mafi’s writing is so enchanting; I was completely captivated by it. It’s easily become my all-time favourite book of 2012 and I’d recommend it to everyone. 

The characters are all very well developed. I enjoyed reading about Juliette, she’s a girl who has the ability/power to kill people by just touching them. Adam is the love interest and I fell in love with him myself. The characters in Shatter Me are by no means perfect characters at all, they all have their own faults and weaknesses and are very realistic. I also kind of liked Warner.. Please tell me I’m not the only one! There’s just something about him that’s intriguing and magnetic, he’s a very troubled character although his background hasn’t been revealed yet, so it’ll be especially interesting to read about that in the next one –hopefully if it’s in there because I would love to know.

I’ve seen that some people are not too fond of the strike through style of the writing, but I really enjoyed it. It made Juliette feel much more real, as if she was thinking different things and not saying them out loud, as we’ve all done. She’s a very broken character to read about and I truly loved reading from her perspective. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be completely ostracised by humanity and by your own parents. I love how much she evolved over time from the beginning of the novel to the end; she becomes almost a whole other person.

The plot was really interesting. It kept me hooked all the way through and there wasn’t a point where I genuinely wanted to put it down because I was bored. There’s a real mix of suspense, action and romance, it’s a great mixture that swept me along. I cannot wait for Unravel Me; it’s going to be so exciting, especially with all the new characters that we meet near the end of the book. I didn’t expect half of the twists and turns that happened, this book constantly kept me on my toes.

I’ve seen a lot of people say that they are not too fond of all the metaphors used, but I absolutely adored them. The way she described some of the scenes with Adam were just so great, “He leaves less than a foot of space between us and I'm 10 inches away from spontaneous combustion” and“He's a hot bath, a short breath, five days of summer pressed into five fingers writing stories on my body.” They really capture the intense feeling of the scenes –especially one of my favourite bits, which involves a bit of shower kissing :D 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. It’s so so good and I want no, need the next book so bad! Shatter Me has everything that you could want in a book, romance, action, suspense and some really great characters.

5 out of 5 stars. 

                                                              
                                                            

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Release Date: October 11th 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Add to: Goodreads

Goodreads: The world is dead. The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air. ALINA has been stealing for a long time. She’s a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she’s never been caught before. If she’s careful, it’ll be easy. If she’s careful. QUINN should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it’s also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn’t every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her. BEA wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they’d planned a trip together, the two of them, and she’d hoped he’d discover her out here, not another girl. And as they walk into the Outlands with two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

My Review:
Wow, wow, wow!! Breathe is absolutely amazing. I was in such a horrible reading slump and every book I was trying failed to deliver, but this kept me hooked from the very first page. ‘Breathing is a right, not a privilege, so I’m stealing it back.’ * Instantly this made me ask myself a lot of questions.

Crossan sets out a terrifying world, with citizens having to live in a Pod where oxygen is regulated. The Pod Minister claims that people cannot survive outside the Pod because there isn’t enough oxygen in the air, so there is a big divide between the lower class (who can’t afford a lot of oxygen) and upper class citizens (who can obviously afford a lot). There aren’t enough trees for there to be a great amount of oxygen and this is a significant message that the environment is very important.

Breathe is set out in a split narrative, so we get to hear from Quinn, Bea and Alina. Quinn is the spoilt rich kid (a Premium) whose father is high up in the Breathe hierarchy, Bea is Quinn’s best friend, but she is an auxiliary (a lower class citizen) who has no prospects and Alina is the rebel, a member of RATS (the Terrorists) she wants to expose the corruption that is taking part in the Pod. It was very interesting to read from each view point as they all had their own personalities and it was great to see them all from each other’s perspectives. 

All of the characters develop so much as people from who they were when the book started, even Old Maude Blue changes. Most of the characters change for the better, although some don’t. You’ll grow to care about them and wonder what’s going to happen to them and scream at them to run.

This book has so much action in it, as you can tell from the first sentence; this book starts with a bang and refuses to let you go. There’s action from the very start and all the way throughout. Corruptions are sneakily unravelled as the novel progresses, which leave the characters facing a huge amount of problems and dilemmas.

Some of the scenes are heart breaking, especially with Alina and Abe, Quinn and his father and Bea with her parents. This isn’t a fairy tale and not all of the characters make it, sometimes there has to be sacrifices.

Overall, you should read this book very soon! It has action, romance and a lot of unexpected events which will leave you gasping for more.

5 out of 5 stars.

*This quote is from an uncorrected proof copy and is subject to change.

*Thanks to Bloomsbury for letting me review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting On Wednesday (13)

Hey guys!  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating! :)

Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Goodreads: Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories. Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life. Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her. While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

- I think this one sounds really interesting! :D 

Pulse by Patrick Carman

Goodreads: The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too. In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.

- This one sounds amazing!!

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Goodreads: She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever. Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone. Her father was right. The monsters are real…. To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

These are what I'm waiting on this Wednesday :) What about you?

Vote for Alec!! :D

                     
                                                   
Hello everyone! Welcome to the Second YA Crush Tourney! I’m Steph from StephLikesBooks and I am representing ALEC! He is from Cassandra Clare’s best-selling The Mortal Instruments series and I’m very excited to be supporting him! Cassandra Clare is my favourite author and I’m proud to represent one of her much loved characters! J

You can vote HERE!

*PLEASE NOTE THERE MAY BE SPOILERS FROM SOME OF THE SERIES, IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THEM BEFORE*

PERSONALITY:

·         Alec is a strong character who is very loyal when it comes to his family and those that he cares about.
“It’s me,” he said, and cleared his throat. “I could understand if you didn’t believe me, but I swear on the Angel, Iz, it’s me.” Alec said nothing, but his grip on Jace’s hand tightened. “You don’t need to swear,” he said, and with his free hand touched the parabatai rune near his collarbone. “I know. I can feel it. I don’t feel like I’m missing a part of me anymore.”

·         He’s cute when he gets jealous :)
“You never called me back," he said. "I called you so many times and you never called me back."
Magnus looked at Alec as if he'd lost his mind. "Your city is under attack," he said. "The wards have been broken, and the streets are full of demons. And you want to know why I haven't called you?"
Alec set his jaw in a stubborn line. "I want to know why you haven't called me back."

·         He’s not another cocky bad boy who likes to be mean, he can be insecure and have worries.
“Good organization,” said Magnus. “I knew the man who founded it, back in the 1800s. Woolsey Scot. Respectable old werewolf family.” 
Alec made an ugly sound in the back of his throat. “Did you sleep with him, too?” 
Magnus’s cat eyes widened. “Alexander!”

·         He has a soft sensitive side to him which is one of the great things about him.
“Irina Cartwright told me it was a pity no one would ever inherit my blue eyes now." He shrugged and looked toward Magnus, who took a hand off the wheel for a moment to place it on Alec's. "It's not like a stab wound you can protect me from. It's a million little paper cuts every day.” 

·         Alec is very brave but is shy at the same time.
“There is nothing weak about Alec,” said Isabelle.

·         He is very loyal –especially to Magnus ;)
“But Magnus, he thought. You never told me. Never warned me it would be like this, that I would wake up one day and realize that I was going somewhere you couldn't follow. That we are essentially not the same. There's no "till death do us apart" for those who never die.”

·         He’s kind and caring and innocent.
“Sweet pea?'" Alec said.
"I was just trying it out."
Alec shook his head. "No."
Magnus shrugged. "I'll keep at it.”

   LOOKS:

Alec has black hair like his mother and bright blue eyes, is very tall and thin. He’s also very pale. He is very handsome but plays down his looks by wearing damaged sweaters. Camille even says that Alec bears a similar appearance to Will Herondale ;) If THAT doesn't make you vote, I don't know what will! :P



TALENTS:

Because Alec is a Shadowhunter he has some special talents that make him much better than ordinary mundanes ;) such as: 

- Superhuman Strength.

-Superhuman Agility.

-Superhuman Stamina.

-Superhuman Co-ordination.

Also, because of his alliance bond with Magnus, Alec has some special talents with warlock power....

Spellcasting:  Alec has access to Magnus’ array of spell casting ability, including the ability to create Portals, memory manipulation, healing and curing of others of demonic poison, levitation, in addition to other magical effects.

VOTE FOR ALEC! :D 

I’ll give you all free cookies ;)
Thank you if you do! :D

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

Hey guys!  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating! :)

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Release Date: July 3rd 2012

Goodreads: Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . . Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. 
As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

- This one's already out, but I want it so bad! I'm a huge fan of fairy re-tellings so this sounds perfect! :)

Mind Games by Kiersten WhiteRelease Date: February 19th 2013

Goodreads: Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

- I love love love this cover!!!! :D Cannot wait for this one :)

Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Release Date: March 5th 2013

Goodreads: Vane Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real. Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs. When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

- Need I say more? AH-MAZING. 

What are you all waiting on? :)

                                                     

Advocate Announcement! :D

Hello everyone! :) Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, my laptop broke! But it's working again hooray!


This is just a post for anyone that doesn't know..
I am an advocate for ALEC from the amazing The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. I am SO excited to be representing Alec and it's going to be great! :)


I've made some buttons too if you want to support Team Alec!

“<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/albums/p502/mortalinstruments4/?action=view&current=nicholas-hoult-02-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p502/mortalinstruments4/nicholas-hoult-02-1.jpg" border="0" alt="nicholas-hoult-02"></a>”

(I can't be the only one who likes this photo right? :D)

“<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/albums/p502/mortalinstruments4/?action=view&current=nicholas-hoult-02-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p502/mortalinstruments4/nicholas-hoult-02-1.jpg" border="0" alt="nicholas-hoult-02"></a>"


Alec is going up against Noah from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer so it's going to be a super tough match!

Remember to vote for him on the 16th July!!! :D 

Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Die For Me by Amy Plum
Release Date: May 11th 2011
Publisher: Atom
Cover Love: 10/10
Add to: Goodreads

Goodreads: In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity. When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent. Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

My Review:

Die For Me was absolutely amazing! I cannot believe I hadn't picked it up sooner! It has such a unique and fresh idea that I loved and I can't wait to find out more about all of the characters.

I really enjoyed reading about Kate, she felt very real and was a well rounded character -she was jealous and had feelings that gave her more depth. I felt so sorry for her and Georgia -her sister, when hey have to move to Paris to live with their Grandparents, after a tragic event. Mamie sounds so glamorous! I’d love to have a Nan like her -sorry Nan! :) Georgia copes the only way she knows how, by partying and Kate is the complete opposite, preferring to stay in all of the time. I liked reading from Kate's perspective and she definitely develops as the story progresses. 

Then we meet Vincent. I LOVE Vincent! <3 Where can I get myself one please? :D I'm a official Vince-a-holic! He is so sweet and he truly cares about Kate. He also writes love letters *swoon*, what more could you wish for really?? His 'family' are interesting to read about too! Jules - who's hilarious and I love his flirtiness and can’t wait to read more about him, Ambrose, Charles and Charlotte. I was particularly interested in their back stories, as it made their characters become even more real and were very revealing in how they have affected their personalities now.

The action scenes were good and exciting, but Die For Me is not jam packed full of them like some other books, as it does focus more on the romance side of things. The romance was so sweet and cute! Everything was so romantic, from the descriptions of Paris -I want to go SO BAD! :) 

Revenants is such an interesting idea that I’ve never heard of before, and it was so fresh and new, I loved it! A Revenant is a person who has to sacrifice their life over and over again, which I thought was very sad. Plus, they have to sleep for three full days every month which is weird :) I enjoyed how they’re contrasted to the Numa (the baddies) too!

Overall, I loved Die For Me! If you haven’t read this yet, I would strongly recommend that you do and soon :) I cannot wait to read Until I Die (the second book) to discover more.

5 out of 5 stars.

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

Hey guys!  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating! :)

Burn For Burn by Jenny Han + Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: September 18th 2012
Goodreads:
BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY... THEY GET EVEN. Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister. Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay. Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him. Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Taken by Erin Bowman
Release Date: April 16th 2013
Goodreads: 

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone. They call it the Heist. Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Erasing Time by C.J.Hill
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Goodreads:
In this high-action and romantic futuristic adventure, there is no escape from the future for two contemporary girls pulled out of their own time.
When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that’s so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can’t go back home.
 The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The moblike Dakine fights against the government, and somehow Taylor and Sheridan find themselves in the middle. The only way to elude them all is to trust Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city. 

These are the books I'm waiting for this week, what about you? :)
 

Teaser Tuesday (11)

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!

~

[I haven't done this for ages, but I was SO excited about my current read, I thought I'd give you a taster! :)]

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

Goodreads: This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won. Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

"We had vampires in our midst and all we wanted to know was their opinions about us. We were so egocentric and oblivious, eager for entertainment. We're not so entertained now."

"Not all the monsters have fangs."

[I'm really enjoying this book at the moment, it's really good! I hope it stays like this!]

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: June 7th 2012
Cover Love: 9/10
Source: Review
Add to: Goodreads

Goodreads: Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals… It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon's love. Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others. Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret – one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever.

My Review:

I absolutely adored The Selection. It's the tale of a young girl called America Singer who lives in a caste divided country and is chosen to take part in the Selection - a process where 35 girls compete for the chance to be married to Prince Maxon. I've heard it being described as Cinderella meets The Bachelor and this is very true!

America is a great character to read about, I felt like I got on really well with her. She was stubborn and not afraid to be herself -which I loved. She must have been the only girl in Illea who didn’t want to take part. She was very funny too and had me laughing most of the time. SPOILER ALERT*(highlight to read) Hooray! Finally someone who doesn’t completely crumble every time a guy breaks up with her! I know it’s very sad, but thank god she wasn’t like some girls who don’t know what to do with their lives and don’t know how they’ll ever be happy ever again! SPOILER ALERT FINISHED* :) I understand why some people don’t like her or she grated them as she was an amazing singer and could play six instruments -or something and had two guys chasing her, but underneath all of that she was a well rounded character.

I felt really sorry for Maxon, he seemed like such a nice guy too. It would be so embarrassing having to find a bride on national TV in front of the whole nation and his parents for the first time. There were certain moments that were just so awkward but in a kind of cute way and I think he’ll definitely grow on me. I liked how he wasn’t how everyone assumed he would be like. He had a sense of humour and seemed really lonely.

I will always be an Aspen fan <3 hehe. I really like him! He’s selfless and truly cares and adores America and this is obvious from the first moment we meet him. There are obviously moments when things go a bit awry but it all comes back together. He’s not in it for the majority of the book, but the bits he are in are wonderful. All the other characters all had their own little personalities too, Marlee sounded so sweet! Celeste, grr.. me and her would not get along. I can see some hair pulling between her and America in the future! :)

The plot is good, not the best as I could guess what was going to happen before it did, but it was still great. The ending is CRUEL! I was flipping the pages happily then BAM end of the story. I was like WHAT?! I need the next one so badly! So beware if you don’t like cliffhangers.

Overall, The Selection is a great story with characters that jump out of the page and will leave you gasping for more.

4 out of 5 stars.

*Thank you to HarperCollins for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy by Tammara Webber
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: May 25th 2012
Cover Love: 8/10
Source: Bought
Add to: Goodreads

Goodreads: When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. 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, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life. 

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email. Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more. 

My Review:
Easy is the perfect contemporary read! This is the first book I've read from Tammara Webber, but it will definitely not be the last. I have Between the Lines and can't wait to start it. The writing style just flows effortlessly, I finished this book very quickly and I'm sure you will too. This book is recommended for older teens as there is sexual content and swearing in it. 

The characters are very likeable and I got along with the protagonist, Jacqueline very well. She is just a normal girl who has her faults and behaves in a realistic way to getting dumped. It was very refreshing to see her develop over time and become her own person. 
Lucas is the main guy in Easy and I loved him! What we learn about him over time is so heartbreaking, I just want to give him a hug. Plus, he's so sexy! ;D There is a major twist involving him too! There is a lot of sexual tension between Lucas and Jacqueline and there are some steamy scenes!
Kennedy seemed like a bit of an idiot to be honest, although he does genuinely care for Jacqueline, he should have been honest with her in the start. 
Jacqueline's friends were very funny, particularly Erin. She just behaves exactly the way any girl does. All of the characters felt very realistic and I enjoyed reading about most of them. Buck is the guy I did not get along with -understandably, if you've read it you know what I'm talking about. Buck is horrible and slimy and creepy and you'll definitely not like him in Easy. 

Easy deals with very real and tough subjects in a mature way and I'm glad it's done this, as it does happen in real life and there is a moral at the end of the story to tell somebody and not to be afraid. The pace of Easy was very fast, I read it quickly because I just wanted to know more. 

Easy is amazing and you should definitely pick it up today. You'll fall in love with Lucas and laugh along with Jacqueline and Erin. A real page turner that's unputdownable. 

5 out of 5 stars.