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