The Book Addicted Girl

I have so, so many books on my TBR shelf and I always seem to be distracted by new books. So I'm entering a TBR Pile challenge again this year in hopes it will encourage me to read more from my TBR shelf. Fingers crossed! It's holded by the awesome blog Bookish. Anyway, this one looks so much fun: not only are we reading the books from 2012 and before, but there are also loads of challenges and prizes to be won! Check it all out by clicking on the picture:

There are five levels. I've decided to start at the middle and work up, so I'm going for 20-31 books: A Sweet Kiss. Aww. ;)

1-10 - A Firm Handshake

11-20 - A Friendly Hug

21-30 - A Sweet Kiss

31-40 - Love At First Sight

41-50 - Married With Children

Books Read:

TimeRiders (TimeRiders, Book One) by Alex Scarrow

Books To Read:

So so many I can't even start....

Publisher: David Fickling Books

Format: Hardback

Published: 1^st November 2012

Number of Pages: 368

Book: For Review*

Genre:Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller, Suspense, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, YA

Recommended Age: 11+

Contains:Swearing, Violence, Death, Gruesome Blood, Guts and Gore, Despicable Adults

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: Jeremy de Quidt

An exciting story of ancient curse, science and murder, that will chill you to the bone…

In a German town, long ago, lives a tooth-puller’s boy called Klaus. It isn’t Klaus’s fault that he sees his master steal a diamond from the mouth of a dead man in Frau Drecht’s lodging house, or that Frau Drecht and her murderous son want it for themselves.

He has nothing to do with the Jesuit priest and his Aztec companion who turn up out of the blue looking for it, or the Professor of Anatomy who takes such a strange interest in it. No, Klaus doesn’t want any trouble.

But when he finds himself with the diamond in his pocket, things really can’t get much worse – that is, until the feathered man appears. Then they become a matter of life… and death.

Review:

"Too much curiosity is a killing thing…”

Herr Kusselmann is a tooth puller. He takes teeth from dead people and places them in the mouths of the living.

Klaus is his servant, chosen for his beautiful white teeth. Kindness is not the reason the street boy was hired. Kusselmann has a violent motive, obviously.

I mean, why does a street rat need teeth so white?

But more about that later. Our story really begins in a loft - Frau Drechts' loft, to be precise.

It's there Klaus sees his master pull a diamond from a dead man's tooth.

Kusselmann doesn't tell Frau Drechts. That's a mistake. The one thing you should never, ever do is cross Frau Drechts - and her terrifying, murderous son.

But they aren't the only ones after the diamond.

The diamond Klaus finds in his possession.

Yes, it all looks pretty dire.

But, oh, it gets so much worse when the feathered man enters the equation...

I do love a good spooktastic book and The Feathered Man was so awesomely spooky! I was just like instantly hooked! It was so brilliantly gruesome and utterly addictive. I'm a pretty seasoned horror-creepy movie watcher and book reader, but even I found this one disturbing! Probably not one to read in the middle of the night when it's raining. You might be a wee by freaked out. Just a warning! But young and old teens alike will adore this deliciously dark and chilling book!

The characters were all very, very strong. Some I liked. Some I didn't. Some scared md to death. But all were very strong. I did get a wee bit confused about which name was which minor character at times but it didn't affect my read much. Nor did the fact that there were like four or five characters with names starting with 'K' - it wasn't real hard to keep track of them, surprisingly, even though I know others have had problems with that. The main ‘K’ was Klaus, who had had a really, really hard life, poor kid. He was quick, street smart and brave. Liesel also had a really, really hard life. She was caring, though, smart and determined. And I really liked Marcus – Herr Assistant – because he was curious, did good sleuthing and was caring. Karolus, on the other hand, scared the heebie jeebies outta me. And the priest dude was creepy too. Or maybe that was just that creepy, blood eating little monkey... Shudder. And Frau Drechts was just horrid - I really hated her! She was just a despicable human being.

Basically, I either liked or was creeped out by the characters. And the monkey. Ugh…

The writing was very beautiful and super creepy. It was all in third person, which meant less personal, but multiple characters to follow: yay! De Quidt's visualisation was intense and amazing. But the perspectives jumped a lot – we could have two, maybe more, POVs in a single paragraph. It didn't bother me overly but it might be confusing. I loved his repetition of: "Sometimes, you see, there just isn't a choice" which was a real moral and thought provoking aspect of the story. And the plot, thanks to multiple characters to follow, was full of suspense: yay! It was totally gripping. It was also really weird, very bizarre and dreamlike. It was very much a suspenseful mystery for most of the book, but near the end... My God, it was just... um... Whoa. I barely have words for what it was. Fast paced, terrifying, so freaking additive it was untrue. And I had no idea how it could possibly end. The end, btw? Stunning.

And the setting was very much gothic Victorian – very atmospheric and creepy. You get that real Dickens-style of living. You know: even when our lead kids wanted to do the right thing there was always that feeling that they needed to look out for themselves first because they knew no one else would. I also loved how the streets of Germany blended with the dreamlike exotic jungle. It was amazing.

I should point out that there's quite a bit of gory stuff. Ok, quite a lot gory. And scary, disturbing stuff too. So, not for the little ones, but early teens will love it. We all know how the kids love the horror! But the parents get something, y'know, besides the scary. Now, it took a while to become evident, but there was a real philosophical feel to the book. About faith and proof and religions. About what happens when we die. About whether the religion we believe in is the 'true' one, even though it is the one we believe. Heavy stuff. But de Quidt managed to write it all in in a way that was light as a feather (forgive the pun) even when it managed to wriggle its way into my head and just stick there, making me really think.

The Feathered Man was an amazing, deeply disturbing, addictive book, one that had me hooked start to finish. Even though I was thoroughly creeped out of my head, I stated up very, very late to finish it. Needless to say, my dreams were deeply disturbing that night. But it was worth it. It was one heck of a book, totally twisted and totally addictive. I can't wait for my next de Quidt!

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt

Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley

This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Opal

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from RandomHouse in exchange for an honest review

Publisher: Orion

Format: Paperback

Published: 8^th July 2010

Number of Pages: 480

Book: Christmas Gift

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Realistic-Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Adult

Recommended Age: 14+

Contains:Swearing, Violence, Death, Sexual and Alcohol References

No Drug References

Author's Site: Linwood Barclay

Suppose you come to pick up your daughter from her job – and find that no one has heard of her and she’s never worked there. If she hasn’t been working all day, what has she been doing?

Tim Blake’s teenage daughter Sydney is staying with him while she works a summer job at a hotel. But when one day she fails to arrive home from her shift and the stadd at the hotel say they have no Sydney Blake working there, he begins to see his life going into freefall.

What could have made her step out of her life without leaving a trace? Only one thing convinces Tim that the worst hasn’t already happened – the fact that some very scary people seem just as eager as he is to find her.

The question is: who’s going to find her first?

Review:

"I was filled with all this pent-up rage and frustration. Where was Syd? What had happened to her? Why did she leave?

Why the hell couldn't I find her?"

Tim Blake's daughter Sydney is staying with him over the summer, working in a hotel an hanging out with her best friend Patty. One day, she comes down for breakfast wearing a pair of Versace sunglasses. Tim knows there's no way she could afford them on her salary. So he confronts her about them. She storms out, furious at him.

She doesn't come back.

To begin with, Tim thinks she's just mad. But then one days goes into two and then three... He knows something is wrong.

But when he goes to the hotel she's meant to work out to ask after her, he finds out that no one has heard of Syd, no one has even seen her. He searches the street. Nothing.

Then her car turns up in a parking lot. There is blood on the door.

Caught up in every parent's worst nightmare, Tim strikes up his own desperate search for his daughter.

And before long, he finds out something so so much worse - he isn't the only one looking for Syd. And the others? Safe to say they don't want to bring her home safe and sound.

Can Tim find her first? And what made her run in the first place...?

And should he find her, will he recognise the daughter who returns...?

I read No Time For Goodbye by Barclay a few years ago, back when it came out in 2008, I think, after my aunt lent it to my mum – yes, yes, I snatched it before mum could read it. It just looked too good! And it really was too good – mindblowingly so. I still remember feeling so freakishly hoked to this book and zooming through it in no time at all. So when I saw a set of three of Barclay's books on Book People for like five quid, I snatched them up. One was my dear No Time For Goodbye, a book I can't wait to reread. Another was this, Fear The Worst, which I read the blurb of and instantly started reading. It was just as hooking and suspenseful land mystery-filled and amazing. Barclay has honest-to-God gotta be one of my favourite suspense authors. Like, ever.

One of the reasons has to be the fact that the books of his I've read never have the main character as a cop or a PI or something like that. No, these are all just normal people who are in these horrid situations, trying to get to the bottom of their own private mysteries or losses. Like in No Time For Goodbye, the lead was a woman whose entire family disappeared when she was a child, and she's spent the rest of her life blaming herself and looking for them. And in this, in Fear the Worst, the main character is a guy named Tim Blake whose daughter just suddenly disappeared, and when he goes to look for her at her supposed place of work, they say they've never even heard of her. So this is a story about a father desperately trying to find his daughter. Seeing a theme here?

Speaking of Tim Blake, I really liked him as a character. He was very real and you could really feel for the poor guy – I felt so sorry for him. He had some brilliant quirks – his habit of calling cars their proper names and of constantly getting himself into trouble!

I also thought Patty was just brilliant - so blunt and matter of fact. And Sydney, she was a real teenager – she felt very, very normal and real. She was a good kid, very caring and smart, but she wasn't perfect, which just made her more believable and likeable. I really enjoyed getting to know a young Syd through Tim's flashbacks.

The writing was amazing - suspenseful and mystifying and addictive. It was written in first person from Tim's POV – I do love crime novels written in first person and there are so few of them. They make me really feel involved in solving the case, giving me real insight into these crime solvers, be they cops, PIs or desperate fathers of a lost girl. And the plot was mindblowingly addictive. It's freaking ridiculous how addictive it was really! And I loved how twisty the plot was – I never knew what to expect, what would come next, when the next twist would come. I loved that constant suspense and numerous big time shocks. Like oh-my-god-where-is-my-jaw kinda shocks. And the end... It just left me reeling! Evil ending!

This was one hell of a book – such an amazing book to start 2013 with. All future thrillers will be measured to this book. To the way this book left me shocked and an emotional wreck and just with my mind 100% blown. It was stunning. Seriously. Just absolutely freaking amazing. I can't recommend it enough. Honestly. I've already passed it onto my cousin, the second I finished, literally. So, again. Whoa.

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

Sid Halley Mysteries by Dick Francis

Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2013 (Hosted by Book ChickCity)

Happy Reading

Megan

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Format: ARC

Published: 7^th February 2013

Number of Pages: 224

Book: For Review*

Genre:Real-to-Life Fiction, Contemporary, Comedy, Coming-of-Age, Romance, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains:Smoking, Mad Hijinks
No Alcohol, Drug References

'Life is not a bowl of cherries. Suck it up.' On April-May's first day at Trinity College, she has the wrong colour bag, too-bright socks and she gets her favourite novel confiscated for reading it during class. She makes total enemies with the evil Mrs Ho, but she makes total friends with mouth-breather Melly. Then, she meets the gorgeous Seb, loses her entire wardrobe to a hobo and gets branded a sockless trouble-maker. A MONTH WITH APRIL-MAY is a one-eyebrow-raised account of a teenager's trials and tribulations as she navigates a new school, a new family situation and a whole new way of life.

Review:

“I should have known from the first moment I met her: it was either me or Mrs Ho. One of us was going to have to go.”

Everyone knows staring a new school is hard. And April-May February may have just had the worst first day in the history of ever.

First, her bag was the wrong colour. Then she got yelled at (again) for having too bright socks. Then she makes a new worst enemy in the form of Mrs Ho, the evilest person ever. Next her clothes get nicked. And on top of it all, she's totally addicted to Twilight and can't get her hands on the second book (begin panic attack now!). Yup, day one, and already she has the big, fat label of 'Trouble Maker'.

On the bright side, she does have a new best friend in Melly. There's also a totally hot guy on the scene (he's called Seb and might just be her own Edward).

Who said childhood was innocent and carefree? Whoever did obviously never had to live through Trinity College. Or have a to-the-end battle against the persistent Mrs Ho.

Or have a freaking calendaras a name!

I do love funny books, me. I read so many tearjerkers and dystopias and paranormals, so down-to-earth funnies are always more than welcome. Of course, A Month With April-May wasn't overly down-to-earth, instead being more bonkers, kind of like the Georgia Nicolson series – something I loved! It was completely barmy and bundles of fun. I'll admit, there are some darkish moments and bits where I wanted to smack April-May on the back of her head, but I stormed right through the book in a single sitting, gobbling it up. I can't wait for the next in the series!

I just adored all the characters in this book – they were all absolutely mad! Since the book was only short, we didn't really get to know everyone overly well, but I liked loads of them anyway. And I loved April-May, even if she was an evil, sneaky, crafty, sore-losing genius! She was just hilarious – cheeky, funny, witty – everything you could want in a teen lead! I found myself instantly falling in love with the wacky April-May – she was just brilliant! Plus, her evil-genius moments were pretty scary-brilliant! I loved Melly, her sweet bestie – she was the best bestie a girl could have! And Mrs Ho was a brilliant character – poor woman, the lady was in charge of a sinking ship and had an evil genius as an arch nemesis! No wonder she was tightly wound, hey?! I can’t wait to see more of her. Seb was a bad boy – I don’t really know what April-May saw in him: I think she just wanted an Edward – but what teen doesn't? I also liked Fluffy, her dad. He was kind of scattered but was really sweet and loving. Speaking of, April-May's family was insane and so, so dysfunctional. I'm sure people will be able to relate to April-May's situation – she felt like she had to be two people for her parents, like being pulled apart. And all she wanted was for them to be together again. I felt so sorry for her – and very impressed by her crafty get-Mom-and-Fluffy-together-again tactics!

I loved Bulbring's voice – it was snarky and funny and so teen. And I felt like I totally got and loved April-May! Oh, and I loved all her "Cold Facts" – some of them were really funny and all were so interesting. I also loved all the Afrikaans words that were scattered about. And I found April-May's war both amusing and the kind of thing only an evil genius can cook up! And with the short chapters and non-stop hijinks, I found myself zipping through it – y’know the sort: just one more chapter ... Dangerous! And the ending was just perfect – and left me wanting more of April-May's insanity!

I must say, I was kind of expecting a tween book when I picked this one up – I'm not sure why, maybe the length? – but this is a very teen book: I can't wait for the teens of England to be set loose on this one, cause they're gonna love it!

Now, with a lovably flawed and crafty heroine, a battle of wills between her and a teacher and a series of mad and funny events, A Month With April-Mayhas left me wanting much more time with her! Perfect for fans of Jess Jordan and Georgia Nicolson, April-May is going to be a huge, huge hit with teen girls. Yay to April-May! I'm super excited about your next book - but please be longer!!

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison

Jess Jordan by Sue Limb

Jacqueline Wilson Fans

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Reading Angel & Katie's Book Blog)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from HotKeyBooks in exchange for an honest review

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and it's a weekly meme all about the books that are coming out soon that we really can't wait to read.

I was blog surfin', as you do, when I came across YA Book Queen's WoW from last week. One of the books just jumped out at me, so this week it's MY WoW book! Squee! So this is the book....

Control

By: Lydia Kang

Published: 26th December 2013

Published By: Dial Books

Found: YA Book Queen's WoW

Synopsis From Goodreads...

After the violent death of her father, 17 year-old Zelia loses her younger sister, Dylia, during an abduction at a foster care agency. It turns out her sister Dylia isn’t just pretty and sweet – she’s illegal. In the year 2150, DNA must be pure by law, and anyone with enhanced genes face death. Zelia’s only allies are the freak-show inhabitants of her new, underground foster home. Along with the unexpected love of a very strange boy, she will need her flaws and their illicit traits to save the only family she has left.
Squee!! Doesn't this just sound like the coolest freaking thing since EVER?! And how awesome is this cover?!?! I'm a little SUPER excited about it - and it doesn't even come out until December!! ;)

Hey, I'm pretty pleased with myself. So far, I'm doin' pretty good when it comes to memes. Go me!

What are you guys waiting for today? :D

Today it is a massive pleasure to have the amazing debut author Yelena Black with me for an interview. I don't know if you guys have had the chance to read her book, Dance of Shadows, yet, but I really, really recommend it! It's so brilliantly dark and mysterious and suspenseful... If you don't believe me, check out the first few chapters: here. And for even more info, check out Dance of Shadows' Facebook Page, Yelena Black's Twitter and Site. And until then, enjoy the interview - and the book. Plus, the utterly, drop-dead gorgeous cover. I mean, c'mon. Is it not the most beautiful thing ever??
But I digress...

Hi Yelena! It's so great to have you here!

While I was reading Dance of Shadows, I found myself totally in the world of ballet. Did you do ballet - the details were all so amazing that I have to ask!?

Thank you so much! That’s what I was striving for, and I’m so pleased that the details rang true for you. I did ballet for many years when I was younger, though I never pursued it professionally. But it sure gave me good fodder and inspiration!

I loved Dance of Shadows and simply must know what gave you the idea for mixing so many different genres and ideas together? How did you get them to blend together so effortlessly?

I love watching dance performances all throughout the city—especially ballet. I started seeing them when I was a child (starting with The Nutcracker!) and now I go as often as I can. Lincoln Center is (I think) one of the most beautiful parts of Manhattan, and I wanted to set a story in a fictional school modeled after the real school that is housed there. I thought that a story about the world of ballet could be quite compelling. Ballerinas are so disciplined and the world is so competitive … it’s all fodder for great storytelling. After I completed my M.F.A, I knew that I wanted to write for teens. I’ve always loved darker kind of books, mysteries and thrillers and whatnot, and stories that have a bit of a paranormal edge to them. I decided to combine my literary loves with my performance loves and Dance of Shadows was born.

The blending of the various elements took time and many, many rounds of revision J But it was all worth it in the end.

Is the dance you wrote about, the legend of La Danse du Feu, an actual dance myth? If not, how did you come up with that?!

There are many legends in dance that I drew upon. One, The Firebird, is an actual ballet with music by Stravinsky. La Danse du Feu is a melding of a few legends plus my own personal tweaks.

I'm a huge lover of character growth and have to say, I loved watching all of yours develop. Did you always know where they were all going? Who was your favourite? I think I loved Blaine and Steffie most!

Thank you! Blaine and Steffie are a hoot, and I’m so glad you liked them. Blaine especially was always fun to write, and made me laugh constantly to myself. Some of the characters I definitely had specific trajectories for—mainly Vanessa—but others surprised me and developed over the course of the novel in ways I didn’t expect … and thus take on leading roles in the sequel. Justin, for example, and the Fratelli twins, too.

Time for me to be insufferably cheeky and really nosy now, can you give us any hint about what comes next? What will happen in the next book? Does it have a title?

We’re currently figuring out the title for the second book, and I’ m doing revisions on the manuscript. I can’t say too much about it, but I can say that Vanessa continues her search for her older sister along with Justin in Europe. There is a lot dancing, a lot of spooky supernatural moments, and of course … a lot of romance!

Do you have any advice for all the budding authors out there?

Never stop trying. Constantly write new material to help grow as a writer and an artist. Find people who will read your work and believe in you. And don’t take “No” for an answer!

Have any writers inspired you - either to become an author or in what kind of books you like to read and write?

I am a huge fan of children’s books and look to writers like J.K Rowling and Suzanne Collins for inspiration. I absolutely love mysteries and am a huge Stephen King and Donna Tartt fan as well, and most recently I have loved Tana French’s work.

We've just begun 2013 - what book from 2012 did you love the most and which from this year are you most looking forward to?

My favorite teen novel of 2012 was Theo Lawrence’s Mystic City. It’s an alternate history version of Manhattan where magic is real and true love can save the world. It’s a new spin on the Romeo and Juliet story, and full of action and … um … heated love scenes! I really thought it was stellar. I also loved Diva, the conclusion to Jillian Larkin’s The Flappers series, a sexy Gossip Girl-esque series set in the 1920’s which is both hilarious and heartbreaking.

Now, I always like to end interviews on some whimsical questions. If you suddenly discovered you had a fairy godmother who could grant you one wish, what would you wish for?

Probably that I could eat pounds and pounds of chocolate and never gain a pound.

And finally: If you could transport yourself into any fictional world ever created, which would you choose and why?

I would get on the first train to Hogwarts—no doubt about it!

Thank you so much for stopping here, Yelena! It's been great having you and I can't wait for Book Two! :)

Previous Stop on the Dance of Shadows Blog Tour: Daisy Chain Book Reviews

Next Stop on the Dance of Shadows Blog Tour: Serendipity Reviews

Check Out all the Stops: Dance of Shadows Facebook Page

Hope you guys enjoyed the interview! It really is an awesome book and so, so different it's untrue. Happy reading, everyone - I hope you check out and love Dance of Shadows! :D

Publisher: HotKey Books

Format: ARC

Published: 2^nd August 2012

Number of Pages: 352

Book: For Review*

Genre: Dark Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Gritty Realism, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing, Alcohol References

No Drug References

Author's Site: Sarah Mussi

Review From Goodreads:

Would you move heaven and earth for the one you love? ANGEL DUST is a powerful, gritty and utterly modern tragic love story with a twist. When Serafina, the brightest and most beloved of all God's angels, is sent to collect Marcus Montague - the original badman - and take him to Hell, she finds herself powerfully drawn to him and makes a decision that places her in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell. Can Serafina fall in love without falling from grace? Can Marcus's soul be saved? And just who is the mysterious and ever-so-helpful stranger Harry?

Review:

“I will help you. I will move Heaven and Earth to help.”

Serafina is one of God's best and brightest angels. Normally, she stays in Heaven, but since the Declaration of War, she must come to earth to collect souls.

It's then she sees him, Marcus Montague. She knows she must collect his soul and she knows he isn't bound for Heaven... And yet, she's drawn to Marcus, the "original badman", the gangsta.

But now she has to snuff his life out and take his soul away.

And all Serafina wants is to give Marcus more time, time to repent.

It's then Larry shows up, a "gentle being in white". He offers her something, something she can't refuse...

But how far is Serafina willing to go to save the gangsta's life? How far when Heaven and Hell is at war, when everything Serafina's ever know is at stake...?

From the moment I laid eyes on the blurb (and gorgeous cover) of Angel Dust, I was enchanted. After hearing Sarah Mussi talk about it and chatting a bit with her, I was positively itching to get stuck into the story. I have seen some negative reviews, but I must say I loved it. I do love angel books, and the fact this one had a definite Romeo-Juliet inspiration meant I was even more happy about it. And this book was brilliant. I really, really loved it and can't wait for more by Mussi.

Serafina was actually quite cute: she was so naive and unworldly. She kind of made me laugh at times with all her enthusiasm and cuteness! Of course, at other times, I could hit her for her naivety. She was so trusting and unworldly – she didn't see things coming we saw a mile off. I loved seeing her grow and challenge everything, hitting perfectly all the controversy around Free Will and Rules and how far one should go to save the one you love.

Marcus was sweet, but personally not someone I'd risk falling from Heaven for. He did have many good points, like how he cared for the people in his "territory" and how he wanted to take care of his family. But, uh, why did he call himself the "Man"? He did try to be better and he only wanted to help. I saw his potential, but I didn't really know him as well as I'd like to.

There were some other good characters, like Larry-slash-Harry or Kamuel. Larry-Harry was funny but seriously, Serafina?! And Kamuel… I so wish he were in it more!

The romance between Serafina and Marcus, I must admit wasn’t totally believable. The way she just saw him once and just fell so in love she was willing to break the Rules? It just didn’t seem totally plausible. Then again, she did mention that he was her "temptation" – does that mean he was like her soulmate, the one person alive who could pull her from Heaven? I just wish it was a little more clear or less insta-love-y. But as I read, I must admit that the insta-love started making a little more sense. And when they had those moments, I really felt it - the love, the chemistry.

I loved that this was written from the angel's POV. The only other book I've come across like that is Halo, and I must say that Serafina is a much more likeable character. And her language was much easier to read; more like an average teen and less like a 19th century poet. But I get off topic: the point is that reading from an angel's perspective is brilliant – the most mundane thing seems magical. And I really felt that Romeo&Juliet influence – the forbidden love, the star crossed lovers whose feelings should not exist yet burn brighter than Heaven. I'll admit that the beginning of the story was a little slow. But with a war brewing and oh-so-many rules for Serafina to break, it didn't stay that way for long! And the story was just so much more than just a forbidden romance, a mission to save a human's eternal soul from Hell. It was so much more complex and twisty. And while I saw things coming when Serafina didn’t, I think we were meant to – it just added to the overall suspense and kinda horror!

I loved learning about the angelic world: lots came from the bible inspiration and stuff, but what I really loved was the description of the road to Hell. And Heaven – as amazing as it all was and how rich it was in places, I still felt like it could have been a little more padded out. I saw the outline in my head, but bits weren’t in technocolour.

I hate naive characters - normally. But somehow Mussi made Serafina angelically innocent without making her 'Too Stupid To Live'. I must say though, I'm not 100% why she fell for Marcus quite so hard. But, Mussi perfectly captured that overwhelming, all-consuming nature of first love, emphasised by it being felt by an immortal being who had never known love before, who had only wanted to save the one she loved... It was really powerful.

So, yes, this book has very strong points and some let downs. The strong points were more than enough to keep me hooked and I absolutely can't wait to see what Mussi brings out next.

But, more importantly, yes: Mussi wrote a brilliant book that had me hooked start to finish. There was something so magic about her writing - she made many of my usual pet peeves things I loved most about the story. I think Mussi may be magic, if you ask me. I can't wait for her next book. And I really think most will love this too, 'cause its magic.

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from HotKeyBooks in exchange for an honest review

It's a huge pleasure to have the amazing Jessica Spotswood here with us today, author of the brilliant Cahill Witch Chronicles. I'm super excited for everyone to read this, and also super excited about this gorgeous paperback edition of the book - I'm totally in love with it! And this book, well, excuse the pun, but it's pure magic! If you don't believe me and haven't read it yet, check out Jessica's awesome site and Twitter account, as well as Cahill Witch Chronicles'Amazon and Facebook page! Now, enjoy the awesome post Jessica's whipped up for us! :)
My top two tips for genre writing apply to both paranormal and historical writing, I think, and truthfully I suspect they’d apply to science fiction and fantasy too.

1. Make your setting specific. Transport your reader there. Whether your book takes place in a world where magic exists or a hundred years in the past, we want to feel like we’re right there alongside the main character. What does her house look like – and better yet, what does it smell like? What does she hear on the street outside? The young writers I work with (ages 8-11) often forget to include other senses besides sight, but they can help bring your world more fully alive. One of my favorite notes from my editor was that she wanted me to “ruffle my corsets” more, i.e. add more description about the world of the Cahill sisters. I did loads of research into the late Victorian era to find out what the dresses looked like, what the interior design was like, and what technology existed at that time. Since Cate’s a passionate gardener, I also did lots of research into different flowers and plants. Even though it’s an alternate history where witches first settled New England and the country is now ruled by a group of patriarchal priests, I wanted readers to feel transported back to 1896, to get caught up in the sensuousness of a time of candles and carriages and corsets.

2. Make sure your main character’s emotional wants and fears are relatable. No matter whether she’s a girl who lived during the Renaissance or a fairy queen, she’s probably got the same things driving her as you or I. The exterior plot may be different – for instance, Cate’s a witch who’s promised her mother that she’ll keep her magic and that of her sisters a secret. If the Brotherhood finds out they’re witches, they could be sentenced to a prison ship or an insane asylum – or worse. That probably isn’t a predicament that you or I have ever faced. But on the emotional level, Cate is worried that she isn’t enough. She’s been trying to mother and protect her sisters since she was twelve. She knows she can’t replace their mother; she knows sometimes she goes about it all wrong. I think we can probably all relate to feeling that way sometimes. She’s also feeling very torn about her future. Should she marry for security, to the friend she’s grown up with but who would take her away from her sisters? Should she marry for love, even if it means turning the Brothers’ attention toward her? Or should she embrace her magic and try to help other girls like her, even if it means casting her lot with some unscrupulous people she doesn’t trust? Everyone is telling her what she should do, which she finds incredibly frustrating. Again, I think (hope?) a lot of modern girls can relate, even if we aren’t (thankfully) forced to choose husbands by age 17.

Previous Stop on the Born Wicked Blog Tour: Stepping Out of the Page

Next Stop on the Born Wicked Blog Tour: The Book Goddess

Check Out All the Stops: ThingLink Born Wicked Banner

Hope you all enjoyed the post! I know I did! And don't forget to check out the book and everything! Oh, and don't forget there are chances to win a copy of Born Wicked - check out the ThingLink banner!! :D

Happy reading everyone!

Series: Repossession, Book One

Publisher: Hodder Children's Book

Format: Paperback

Published: 1^st March 2012

Number of Pages: 512

Book: Present

Genre: Science-Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains:Swearing, Violence

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: Sam Hawksmoor

34 kids are missing.

Vanished without trace.

They never write, they never call.

Parents are frantic.

Six weeks, four days, sixteen hours and twenty minutes since the bedroom door locked on Genie Magee. She’s possessed, says her mother. The Devil wants her for his bride.

All Genie’s hopes, all her life and her soul, are pinned on beautiful Rian. Rian loves her. He’s rescue her from this madness. Won’t he? ‘You’re next,’ the face on the wall tells her. By morning, Genie realizes, she’ll be missing too.

The Repossession Is Just The Beginning.

Review:

'Thirty-four children are now missing from the Spurlake/Cedarville area over a two-year period. Are you being vigilabt? Are you able to recognise the signs of a teen in trouble? Do you know where your child is after school?"

34 children just vanished from the small town of Spurlake, gone without a shred of evidence...

Genie Magee knows there's more to it all than just teen runaways. How? Well, she has visions. Like the time she just knew her Grandma died and made the mistake of telling her fanatically religious mother. Genie got not support or love.

Nothing.

Instead, her mum and the even-more fanatical Reverend Schneider lock her in her room, claiming she's possessed, that the devil is waiting to take Genie as his bride.

Just as she's decided if her one hope and love Rian Tulane doesn't rescue her, she'll end all of it, a face appears on her wall. It's the face of one if the missing kids, and he tells her that she's next. And then she knows. She'll disappear too really, really soon.

It's then that Rian comes, her knight in shining armour come to free her from her prison, to set her free…

Until they get tangled in the web of lies surrounding Spurlake and the teen disappearances…

Until the danger catches up with them, threatening their lives forever...

I got The Repossession for my birthday and decided to read a little to see what it was like. Well, I was instantly hooked. From the very first sentence, I decided I simply had to carry on reading, had to just forget all my other books 'til I'd finished this one. It has also convinced me that I must look into more Canadian fiction, 'cause this one just knocked my socks right off. I really did gobble this up, devouring all the awesomeness that was The Repossession. It was so much more than I ever thought it could be – and I loved every second.

Somehow Hawksmoor managed to create characters I just fell in love with instantly: I've no idea how, but he did. Genie was so caring and strong and I loved how right-to-the-point she was, how caring. As for Rian – he was just such a cutie pie! He was sweet and strong and protective, the kinda guy you could just snatch from the book, wrap up and take home! Yes, the two main characters were amazing and oh-so loveable, but the minor characters were just as real too. For example, Marshall, the man who helped them, was really kind and helpful. And I loved his son, RCMP Officer Maxwell Miller, who was really kind and caring and a really good cop, son and person. I also really loved Marshall's dog, Moucher – he was so cute! – and the pig Genie rescued too. Mad. But Reverend Schneider... ohh, how I hated him. I could have killed him. When people who supposedly work for the lord do bad things, it makes me curious. How can you get help when the one who's hurting you is a man of God? Plus, he was just an all-round awful, horrible, evil person – grrr to him.

And I loved the relationship between Genie and Rian! Somehow, it was both really, really deep and devoted and also really naive and sweet. They were just, like, the perfect couple and so cute it's untrue!

I do love Sci-fi, but so much of it is just so far-fetched. And some sorta believable stuff can be presented in a way that means you can't buy it. Somehow, Hawksmoor made all his Sci-fi stuff 100% buyable and believable. He made beam-me-up-Scotty real. Amazing. And then there's Genie's gift, which was amazing too. But I seriously loved how all the science was described – scientific enough but not going over our head or talking down to us. And I loved the real moral tone to the book: I love it when books you think won’t make you think have your brain tick, tick, ticking over!

I really loved Hawksmoor's writing. It was really unique – some of it was almost in note form and all was really teen-like and very addictive. And I loved how we got to see into everyone's heads – the good and the bad, the minor characters and the major ones. Even though it was all third person, I felt like I really got to know Genie and Ri – and to love them too. And the plot just intrigued me. There were so many secrets, so much mystery and suspense. I found myself zooming through the book, desperate to uncover the truth, desperate to make sure Genie and Rian were ok. And toward the end-ish, man, did the action kick off! I couldn't stop ready reading. It was a real page-turner and so full of twists it was impossible to guess what would come next! As for the ending – argh!! I feel cheated, like it ended in the middle of a chapter, like I expected to turn the page for more, only there wasn't more. It had finished. Damn the cliffhangers! Damn allthe cliffhangers!

With two insanely loveable teen leads, Sci-fi, paranormal and bundles of action, romance and mystery, murders and disappearances, The Repossessionliterally had something for everyone. I'll admit, I was just expecting a far-fetched Sci-fi book, but it was so, so much more. It was deep and had more layers than an onion. Man. I loved this book. I NEEDThe Hunting!

And guys, even if you don't like Sci-fi or hate mushy stuff, read this because it's so much more than you think. Give it a shot – I bet you won't regret it!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Starters by Lissa Price

Slated by Teri Terry

Girl, Missing/Blood Ties/Medusa Project by Sophie McKenzie

TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

2012 Debut Author Challenge (Hosted by The Story Siren)

Happy Reading

Megan

On My Wishlist is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that runs every Saturday. It's a place where you can put up all the books you're desperate to read, but haven't actually bought them yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. And, even better, everyone can join in with too, because there's a Mr Linky so you can put your post up. All you have to do is click on the link below:

Yippee, first time I've done an On My Wishlist for ages! Go me, remembering!! ;)

Anyhoo, this is what's on my wishlist this week...

The Devil's Triangle

Series: The Devil's Triangle, Book One

By: Toni De Palma
Published: 10th February 2013

Published By: Crescent Moon Press

Found: On Goodreads

Synopsis From Goodreads:

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend who can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.
While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping him and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

I love the look of this one - it looks so like my kinda thing!! And I'm so excited to read it! :D

So that's me. Tell me what you're wishin' for this week! :D

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a perfect way to see who's reading and review what. Awesome!

Ok, so I've not done an IMM since like forever. So, this is like a month or something of books.
I was lucky enough to go to HotKey and Templar's Blogger Brunch, where I met some great authors, publishers and bloggers. And, of course, got some cool books.
And, given this is a month, I've gotta say: I didn't buy too many books. Y'know, for me. :D
Anyways, this is what I've got...

From HotKey&Templar Blogger's Brunch:

Stray by Monica Hesse (Goodreads | Amazon)
What Happens When You Live A Life That Isn't Yours?
This one looks awesome - very much for fans of Insignia and what not. Squee!

Death & Co. by D.J. McCune (Goodreads | Amazon)
There's More To Life Than Death
This looks totally awesome too - totally new and awesome take on the Grim Reaper!
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (Goodreads | Amazon)
OMG, this one looks amazing!! I love learning about ancient traditions and beliefs and I love it even more when there's a brilliant sounding plot line!!
The Beautiful and the Cursed (The Dispossessed/Grotesque, Book One) by Page Morgan (Goodreads | Amazon)
This looks awesome - forget angels and vampires, it seems gargoyles are the new big thing! :D
Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield (Goodreads | Amazon)
I'm intrigued by this one - it looks really really good and Wakefield is a huge author in Austrailia so it's exciting to see what she's like. :D

Ferryman by Claire McFall (Goodreads | Amazon)
Life. Death. Love.
Which Would You Choose?
OMG, currently reading this one and it's incredible!! Like seriously awesome! And the cover is just so pretty - it's shiny!! :D

The Savages by Matt Whyman (Goodreads | Amazon)
They'd Love to Have You For Dinner...
Reading this one too - love Matt Whyman, brilliant book with a real Addams Family feel. Addams Family is one of my fave Halloween-time films. ;)

Last Chance Angel by Alex Gutteridge (Goodreads | Amazon)
I have a feeling this one will break my heart. And you know what? I can't wait. :D
Me, Suzy P by Karen Saunders (Goodreads | Amazon)
A funny one! Yay!! ;)
The Quietness by Alison Rustle (Goodreads | Amazon)
Love historicals so can't wait to read this one.
Red Ink by Julie Mayhew (Goodreads | Amazon)
Sometimes Lies Are Safer Than The Truth
Another heartbreaking-sounding one and again can't wait to read it. :D
Arcadia Burns (Arcadia, Book Two) by Kai Meyer (Goodreads | Amazon)
Squee!!! Love this series! :D
Sleep Less, Read More Bag
Hehe. With all these books, this bag could not be more fitting. ;)

For Review:

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, Book One) by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads | Amazon)
Loved this book!

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, Book Two) by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads | Amazon)
Squee!! Loving this one so can't wait to get really stuck it. Plus, I currently have two copies of both in the series, so be on the lookout for a giveaway...

Easy by Tammara Webber (Goodreads | Amazon)
OMG, this looks so good and I've heard so many amazing things about it and I can't wait to read it!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Leviathon (Goodreads | Amazon)
Love John Green so super excited about this on!

Reason to Breathe (Breathing, Book One) by Rebecca Donovan (Goodreads | Amazon)
This looks amazing and really sad too so I'm looking forward to reading it.

The Essence (The Pledge, Book Two) by Kimberly Derting (Goodreads | Amazon)

The Deadliest Enemies Come From Within...

Squee! The Pledge was awesome, so can't wait to read this one! Yay!

Prodigy (Legend, Book Two) by Marie Lu (Goodreads | Amazon)
SQUEEEEE!!!!! Yay!!! I'm loving this and I loved Legend so I'm one happy blogger!

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book One) by Jessica Spotswood (Goodreads | Amazon)
Amazing book - don't forget to check out the post Jessica did for us as part of her blog tour: here!

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (Goodreads | Amazon)

I took so freaking long to read this - God, it was worth the wait though!! Amazing, amazing, amazing. Review up soon.

The Trap by Kimberley Chambers (Goodreads | Amazon)

Standing By Your Family May Be A Badge Of Honour, But Sometimes Loyalty Can Be Bloody...
Oooh, this one looks awesome. I'm majorly excited about reading this! :D

There Must Be Horses by Diana Kimpton (Goodreads | Amazon)
This looks amazing - I loved Kimpton's other books when I was a kid so I'm majorly excited about reading this!! I LOVE horses and really don't read enough horsey books. Heck, there aren't enough teen/adult horsey books out there!

Fragments (Partials, Book Two) by Dan Wells (Goodreads | Amazon)
Their World Ended. Their War Didn't.
Squee!! Loved Book One, so really excited about this! :D
Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0, Book One) by Debra Driza (Goodreads | Amazon)
No One Suspects What She's Made Of
This looks awesome - super excited!!
Battle Lines (Department 19, Book Three) by Will Hill (Goodreads | Amazon)
They Don't Exist. But They Save Your Life Every Day.
LOVED this!!!!!!!!!!! It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! Best yet in the series! Review will be up nearer release date.

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna (Goodreads | Amazon)
Her Life Begins When Another Ends
Loving this one - very much recommended!
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, Book Two) by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads | Amazon)
Yay! So excited to read this!!!!! Cannot WAIT to read this - yayyayyay!

Sever (Chemical Gardens, Book Three) by Lauren DeStefano (Goodreads | Amazon)
Love this series - super excited to read it! :)

Curse of Kings (The Trials of Oland Born, Book One) by Alex Barclay (Goodreads | Amazon)

Very excited about this one! Love epic fantasies so I'm super excited!

Harry Styles by Alice Montgomery (Amazon)

The Unauthorised Biography

Ok, I'm going to say two things from the word go. One: I'm not a big fan of biographies, unless they're historical ones about Martin Luther King or Queen Elizabeth I. Two: I'm also not a die-hard One Direction fan. So this book isn't something I'd buy myself. But, who knows? I skimmed a bit to see what it was like and the writing was very good - very engaging, so Harry Styles fans will love this.

Pretty Girl Thirteen by Liz Coley (Goodreads | Amazon)
We Tried So Hard To Keep You Safe...
OMG, this looks INCREDIBLE! Cannot WAIT to read it!! :D

Fight For The Future (MetaWars, Book One) by Jeff Norton (Goodreads | Amazon)
Whose Side Are You On?

The Dead Are Rising (MetaWars, Book Two) by Jeff Norton (Goodreads | Amazon)
Whose Side Are Your On?
These books look awesome - very Department 19 meets Time Riders meets Hunger Games. Yay! :D

Swag:

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo Valentines Day Car & Chocolate (Goodreads | Amazon)

I got sent this awesome card on Valentine's day from the awesome people at Fierce Fiction (the peeps at Orion). By the by, check out their new Tumblr page! Thank you to them! :D

Geek Girl by Holly Smale Badge and Geeky Glasses (Goodreads | Amazon)

I'm gonna be taking part in the Geek Girl blog tour - squee! - so the awesome HarperCollins people sent me this. The geek glasses don't suit me. Which is ironic, really, cause I'm the biggest geek going!! ;)

Bought:

Obsidian (Lux, Book One) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Goodreads | Amazon)
They're Not Like Us...

Oh. My. Freaking. God. This is now one of my very favourite books EVER. I LOVE Daemon to death and read the entire book in one sitting. Don't believe me? Check out my super rambly, fangirl review: here!

Onyx (Lux, Book Two) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Goodreads | Amazon)
Everything Is About To Change...
OMG, this one was amazing too! Another quit-your-job, don't-eat, stay-up-til-three sorta book!!

Opal (Lux, Book Three) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Goodreads | Amazon)
They'll Risk Everything...
This one was FREAKING AMAZING!!!! SO GOOD!! BUT THAT ENDING!!!!!! WORST. CLIFFHANGER. EVER!!!!

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (Goodreads | Amazon)
Very excited about reading this - love J.K., obviously, so very excited to read her adult book.
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols (Goodreads | Amazon)
When Love Crosses The Line...
Where Do You Stop?
This looks amazing and is much recommended by my blogging friend, Sammee @ I Want To Read That.
Wake (Watersong, Book One) by Amanda Hocking (Goodreads | Amazon)
Takes You Deep Into A New World
Love Amanda Hocking, couldn't resist. :)
Existence (Existence, Book One) by Abbi Glines (Goodreads | Amazon)
Main reason I bought this was 'cause it was recommended for people who love Lux. Seeing as I'm already in Lux withdrawal, I felt I needed something to act as a nicotine patch. ;)

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, Book One) by Tahereh Mafi (Goodreads | Amazon)

~~My Touch Is Lethal.~~ My Touch Is Power.

OMG, this book is AMAZING!!!! I NEED Unravel Me - NOW NOW NOW!!!! SO GOOD!!! Review up soon.

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, Book One) by Simone Elkeles (Goodreads | Amazon)

Two Different Worlds. One True Love.

Again, one recommended by Sammee - love what I've read. :)

Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks, Book One) by Miranda Kenneally (Goodreads | Amazon)
There's No Playbook For Love
I felt I needed another contemp, given my recent action-para kick. This one looked awesome. :D

Sweet Evil (Sweet, Book One) by Wendy Higgins (Goodreads | Amazon)
Had my eye on this one for a while - finally bought it. Can't wait to read it! :D

Bought eBook:

Goldendoodles by Jane Edith Lumsden (Goodreads | Amazon)

A Complete Pet Owners Manual

Goldendoodle by Kathryn Lee (Goodreads | Amazon)

Kennel Club Books Designer Dog Series

Ok, to explain these I should probably point out that my family is thinking of getting a Goldendoodle puppy. My aunt has the loveliest Labradoodle who is completely crazy but so sweet. And Goldendoodles - I don't know if you guys have seen one, but they are GORGEOUS!! :D

Ok, so that's what I got! I really will need to sleep less and read more to get through all of these!! I have seriously got to stop buying books until I get my TBR pile under control!! ;)

Ok, I have a whole load of bookish stuff and news to ramble about now, that you all probably know anyway, but oh well!

I'll start with a trip: I was lucky enough to go to the brilliant HotKey-Templar Blogger's Brunch a little while back. I got to meet up with loads of amazing bloggers, as well as some of the authors, and also got to find out about all the awesome new books the two publishers are bringing out.

I won't go on and on about them all, cause they both have loads coming out - squee!! - but I'll tell you about a few of my favourites (all links lead to Goodreads' Page).

Templar:

I loved like all of Templar's. Some are out already, like Me, Suzy P by Karen Saunders (perfect for Louise Rennison fans),Deciet by Deborah White (the sequel to the amazing Wickedness) and Arcadia Burns by Kai Meyer (sequel to Arcadia Awakens, Valentine's Day release - think Romeo&Juliet, just with a Soprano, mafia, magic twist). Out soon is the amazing Ferryman by Claire McFall- an amazing love story set in the wasteland between life and death. Amazing. Then there's the next in the Medusa Girls series by Tera Lynn Childs - cannot wait for that! - as well as the last in her Fins series, Just For Fins and a hilarious book called Call the Shots by Don Calame (Inbetweeners-style humour). Then there's one of the ones I'm most excited for: Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler, which is described as "Gossip Girl meets American Idol, meets Glee's evil twin" - could it GET any better?! And finally,Last Chance Angel by Alex Gutteridge, which looks like the kind of book that will destroy me - in the best way!

Ok, I like literally meant every single book.... Let's see if I can't do any better in the HotKey section...

The book I am most excited about is easy: Vortex by S.J. Kincaid, the second in the totally kick-butt Insignia series. Why must July be so far away?!?! My second fave is also not out for a while - but it looks so freaking good that I'm willing to go mad until May to wait to read it. It is called Transparent and is by Natalie Whipple and is described as X-Men meets Sopranos and I could not be more freaking excited for it! Squee! As for all the others, well, there is literally something for everyone. History lover? Try The Quietness by Alison Rattle - historical, action-packed, strong social and female right themes. Like historicals with paranormal twists - check out The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan - gothic romance, 19th century France, plus gargoyles - or The Ghost Bride by Yangze Choo - a sinister, suspenseful ghost-story revolving around the old Malaysian tradition of marrying the dead. How bout just plain old paranomals? Well, look no further than Death & Co by DJ McClane - an epic fantasy with strong modern themes and a boy with a destiny to take dead to the afterlife who just wants to be normal and fall in love. How about contemps? Well, there's a whole bunch for you guys: Red Ink by Julie Mayhew - the things we tell our children and ourselves to survive, an emotional crossover about the stages of grief. Or Friday Brown by Vikkie Wakefield - Australian author, young people on the edge of society, very thought provoking. Or there's the semi autobiography by Dawn O'Porter - Paper Aeroplances - about growing up in Guernsey, poignant, funny and sad. Are you a fan of the just plain wacky? Well, then, The Savages by Matt Whyman is definitely for you - think Addams Family crossed with Sopranos, a black comedy about a family with very different eating habits...

And, dammit, I did it again!! I am no good at controlling myself! Oh well. Onwards and upwards to our next topic:

Lauren Kate's (author of the Fallen series) brand new book's cover - Teardrop. Isn't it just gorgeous? What is it with Lauren and getting the most gorgeous covers in the history of ever??!! Check out the Facebook Page for Lauren! :)

And from one author of an angel series to another: L.A. Weatherly's Angel Fury cover and blurb reveal. Check it out!! Plus, Usborne are throwing an awesome comp to celebrate the series' finale: check it out: here!! To enter, tweet using #IloveAngelTrilogy, and to win, tell Usborne why you love it! Angel Fury is out October this year.

I'm going to be taking part in the awesome Geek Girl blog tour this Feb - tomorrow, actally! - if you haven't heard of it, it's an amazing book by Holly Smales, coming out 28th February (published by HarperCollins) so be on the look out for Geeky going-ons soon - you're all going to love this book, trust me!! :)

Now, I'm sure all VA fans have heard by now, but there the official Vampire Academy movie is FINALLY underway and we have our Rose, Lissa and Dimitri!! It also has a brand spanking new name too: Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters. And our leading peeps? Well, Rose is Zoey Deutch (Ringer), Lissa is Lucy Fry (she's Australian and is in a spin-off series of H2O) and Dimitri is Danila Kozlovskiy (he's actually Russian!). I think Rose is perfect and I think it's really cool there's a Russian guy as Dimka and while I'm not 100% about Lissa, I'm sure she wil be brilliant. I'm just so excited we finally have people - it's finally underway!! Excuse me while I go do crazy dancing round my whole freaking house!!!

Ok, I think that's all the gossip I have for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more the second I hit 'Post' but ah well. If you have any tidbits I've missed out, add them in the comments!! I'm always ready to get up to date of bookish news! :D

Until next time, The Book Addicted Gossip Girl, out. :D

I'm lucky enough to have the amazing Holly Smale here today, author of the brilliant Geek Girl. It's her debut novel and is one of the most brilliant contemps that will be out this year - it's real, fun, fresh and funny. What more could you want?

Now, til you get your hands on the book, check out Holly's Site and Twitter account. And look at Geek Girl's Goodreads Page - check out all the amazing reviews of it!

Anyway, the awesome Holly has whipped up a brilliant post for us - all her fave geeky boys! Squee!! :D

1. Peter Parker

Unlike other superheroes, Peter Parker doesn’t change when he gets his powers: he’s geeky all the time, even when he’s Spiderman. A science-whiz, Parker is shy, lacks confident and is frequently bullied by his peers; he agonizes over decisions, is prone to accidents and sews his own superhero kit in his bedroom; he constructs his own shooters so that he can shoot webs from his wrists. He even gives himself geeky little pep-talks while he’s flying through the air. In the world of superheroes, Spiderman also feels the most real, the most interesting and the most vulnerable: making him, in my opinion, the best super-geek of all time.

2. Adrian Mole

Does Adrian know he’s a geek? Apart from brief moments of vague, painful clarity, not really: he thinks he’s a “misunderstood intellectual” on the brink of fame, riches and an incredibly active love life. One of the funniest comic heroes ever created, the unpopular, awkward and oblivious Adrian gets no cooler with age: he is as much a geek and misfit thirty years later as he is at 13 and 3/4. He may not be the smartest Geek Boy on the list, but he’s by far the most hysterical and my favourite.

3. Piggy

Arguably the most tragic geek of all time, Piggy in Lord of the Flies is an overweight, asthmatic, incredibly intellectual little boy with a tendency to point out other people’s mistakes, avoid physical exertion and dissolve into total fury whenever anybody takes his glasses. A bullied outsider from the beginning he’s not even allocated the dignity of a name, and when the other boys finally lose control completely it’s poor Piggy that bears the brunt of it. The saddest, most heartbreaking geek ever, this book hits at the heart of human cruelty and never, ever fails to make me cry.

4. Milhouse Van Houten

Milhouse is the scapegoat of The Simpsons: if somebody needs to be wrapped in stickers, put in a shopping trolley and rolled down a hill, it will inevitably be him. Insecure, unpopular, gullible, whiny and almost always irritating everybody else, Milhouse is the archetypal geek: he thinks his own jokes are hilarious and is allergic to “honey, wheat, dairy, non-dairy and his own tears”. His unrequited love for Lisa is relentless, and his devotion to the infinitely cooler Bart unquestioning. He’s also easily one of the most adorable characters on the show, and I love him to pieces.

5. Neville Longbottom

You could reasonably argue that if there was ever a book that represents the Rise Of The Geek, Harry Potter is it: almost everybody is an outsider until they get to Hogwarts, and the only characters that aren’t are either the repulsively ‘normal’ Dursleys or Slytherins. Thus it says something that even amongst characters like quiet, glasses-wearing Harry and book-worm Hermione, Neville stands out: always the butt of the joke, always making mistakes, quiet, insecure, teased even by his friends. He could be a “great wizard”, but his lack of belief in himself constantly holds him back. When he finally triumphs spectacularly - possibly even more so than Harry, given how much he has to transform to do it - it’s Rowling’s final way of saying: Geeks Rule.

---

Previous Stop on the Geek Girl Blog Tour: Ya Yeah Yeah

Next Stop on the Geek Girl Blog Tour: SisterSpooky

Thank you so much Holly!

Hope you enjoyed the post as much as I did! And don't forget to get your hands on Geek Girl as soon as poss - you won't regret it, trust me!! It's an awesome book!

Geek Girl is out 28th February, published by HarperCollins (orchestrator of this awesome tour) in paperback and e-book forms. :D

Happy reading everyone!

I love love love Tera Lynn Childs - especially her Medusa Girls series! So you can see why I'm super excited (and also really sad) to take part in her awesome UK cover reveal for the last in the Medusa Girls series - Sweet Legacy!

Descendants of Medusa do battle with beasties in modern-day San Francisco in this action-packed trilogy.
The concluding book in this kick-ass trilogy. Teenage descendants of Medusa, triplets Gretchen, Grace and Greer, face their toughest test yet as the mythological and the modern collide in a fast-paced urban fantasy adventure.

Sweet Legacy is publishing in the UK September 2013 by Templar! Personally, I can't wait!

Author bio: Tera Lynn Childs is an award-winning and best-selling US author of teenage fiction. She holds a degree in Theatre from the University of Colorado and a Masters degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University. Tera now spends her time blogging and writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. Her first book with Templar Publishing, the mermaid romance Forgive My Fins, was published in 2011, with the follow-up, Fins are Forever, in 2012 and the concluding title, Just For Fins, coming in June 2013. Sweet Venom and Sweet Shadows are published in America by HarperCollins.Tera tweets: @teralynnchilds

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here are the rules:

Open your current read
Open to a random page
Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
Be careful not to include spoilers!
Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

I finally got my hands on Indigo Spell - SQUEE!! - and am reading it - storming through. I have to keep stopping to write quotes down though. I'm loving it SO MUCH!!! Yay!! :D

From The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, Chapter Seven, Page 120-1
"I've said over and over, I'd do anything for you. I just keep hoping it'll be something like, 'Adrian, let's go hot tubbing' or 'Adrian, take me out for fondue.'"
"Well, sometimes we have to - did you say fondue?" Sometimes it was impossible to follow Adrian's train of thought. "Why in the world would I ever say that?"
He shrugged. "I like fondue."
...
"Oh... Adrian, I've got one more favour to ask you. A big one."
"Fondue?" he asked hopefully.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, Book Three) by Richelle Mead

Synopsis From Goodreads:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Ohh, how I LOVE this series!! It just keeps getting better and better and better. I absolutely adore Adrian - like, crazy, he's-secretly-my-boyfriend kinda love. He is just perfect perfect perfect and I love him so much...
The rest of the book is good too. Amazing really. Adrian isn't the only reason I love The Indigo Spell. He is the main reason though. ;)

Hope you all enjoyed the teaser!! :D

Series: Ravenwood Mysteries, Book One

Pen Name Of: Tasmina and John Perry

Publisher:Gollancz

Format:Paperback

Published: 3rd February 2011

Number of Pages: 448

Book:Borrowed From Library

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Horror, Action-Adventure, YA

Recommended Age:13+

Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing and Alcohol References

No Alcohol References

Author's Blog: Tasmina Perry's Blog

April Dunne is not impressed.

She’s had to move from Edinburgh to Highgate, London, with her parents. She’s left her friends – and her entire life – behind. She has to start at a new school and, worst of all, now she’s stuck in a creepy old dump of a house which doesn’t even have proper mobile phone reception.

Ravenwood is a prestigious academy for gifted (financially or academically) students – and the only place her parents could find her on incredibly short notice. So she’s stuck with the super-rich, and the super-smart… and trying to fit in is more than tough. It’s intimidating and isolating, even when she finds a friend in the conspiracy-theorist Caro Jackson – and perhaps finds something more than friendship in the gorgeous, mysterious Gabriel Swift.

But there’s more going on at Ravenwood than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when Gabriel saves her from… something… in Highgate Cemetery, and then she discovers that a murder took place just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on.

…and whether or not she’s going to live through it…

Review:

April Dunne has been dragged from her home in Edinburgh and her friends. Unsurprisingly, she isn't happy. The fact that she's been enrolled in Ravenwood School, or academy for the wealthy and brainy, just makes everything worse. And then... Pupils start turning up dead, murdered, and her father has some weird conspiracy theory. It involves murders past and the paranormal. Something is going on. Something iffy. And with a beautiful, mysterious boy constantly telling her to "get out" and get new best friend thinking the school is controlled by supernatural nasties, April doesn't think that school could get any weirder. Only... it turns dangerous instead...

I love paranormal books. I love murder mystery books. Ergo, I loved By Midnight. It had all the awesome paranormal stuff a girl could want, with the most amazing conspiracy theory-slash-mystery on top of that. It was literally awesome with extra awesomesauce. It was so brilliantly gothic and addictive and twisty. The moment I finished By Midnight, I instantly needed the next in the series. I needed to know what would happen next. It was just so much fun – and so brilliantly original! I loved it!

I absolutely loved all the characters – especially April: she was just someone I instantly liked. She was funny, in a kinda wry, snarky way, but she was also stubborn and practical: she was always rationalizing and weighing everything. I found her hilarious, with loads of personality and strength. Plus, I love that she’s the “unofficial Nancy Drew of the underworld” and found her reaction to the whole supernatural news utterly believable and wonderfully refreshing. I also loved her new friend Caro – she’s sweet, snarky and a total conspiracy theory addict, as well as being completely bonkers and so wonderfully crazy. I loved how she got completely outraged at being considered “fairy harmless” and just found Caro overall hilarious – she was so brilliantly wacky! Gabriel was one of those “unattainable” types and for ages my question was: “Who is he?!” Well, he was cute and rather romantic and sweet and brave and perfect... I may have liked him. Just a little… And his relationship with April… oh, I loved it. It felt really real and I can’t wait to see where it all goes next…

There were loads of other minor characters that really stood out. I found April’s family intriguing and especially loved her relationship with her father. Her strong friendship with her Scotland-based best friend Fiona was also really sweet. The Faces were all evil, two faced witches (Caro talkin’, honest) and I found their interactions with everyone intriguing, even though I hated them. I loved Caro’s best friend Simon, who was a bit of a diva and a total evil genius. Yeah, they were all just amazingly created – all really alive and jump-off-the-page.

I adored the writing: it was third person, concentrating of April, and was fast paced, full of mysteries and was just really beautifully written. It was simply, effective, powerful, and oh-so addictive. And the plot – ohmigod! It was amazing! I loved the conspiracy theory, mystery and cold case angle: that, tied up with the paranormal aspect, made for a killer book. No pun intended. And it was just so amazingly twisty – I was never bored: never! It had more twists than… Um, a really twisty thing. Plus, that prologue: God! Talk about hooking!

And the supernatural, myth aspect was awesome! Like, so totally epic and unlike anything I’ve read before ever. I just loved it all so much! And I loved all the twists the myths had – I never knew what was going to be revealed next! It was so cool!

Ok, so there were some parallels to two big cult-classics – one book, one show (those who have read this might know what I’m talking about), but By Midnight was just so different it was untrue. It was new. It was fresh. It was exciting. It is one of my new obsessions. I can’t wait for the second in the series! I mean, paranormal with a mystery and murder thrown in. Does it get any better? No. It doesn’t. Ever.

Because By Midnight? It had secrets, murders and vampires – oh my!

Sorry. Couldn’t resist it. You should all really read this book though. It is literally the coolest, bestest conspiracy book EVER!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Night School by C.J. Daugherty

Darke Academy by Gabriella Poole

Empty Coffins by Gregg Olsen

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)

Happy Reading

Megan

Series: Lux, Book Two

Publisher:Entangled

Format: Paperback

Published: 14th August 2012

Number of Pages: 416

Book: Bought

Genre: Science-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, YA

Recommended Age: 14+

Contains: Swearing, Violence, Sexual References, One Dangerously Hot Alien

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Warning: This review will be an excited rambling of a fangirl who is totally in love with a certain boy from this book. You could read it and laugh, or, the recommended option, you could go and buy the book and then ramble yourself.

Review From Amazon:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks...

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon's determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I've sworn him off, even though he's running more hot than cold these days. But we've got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town...

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I'm a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who's got a secret of his own. He knows what's happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes...

I've seen someone who shouldn't be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he's never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them--from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies...

Review:

“I’d made enough of a fool of myself tonight. Kicked a hissy fit over Ash and Daemon, stormed out of the party, and nearly decapitated Simon. All of this before midnight.

Awesome.”

I don't want to give this plot away. Cause if you haven't read Obsidian, I don't want to give anything away. Though, both blurbs pretty much give everything away anyway...

Ok, let's just say this: Katy now knows what her neighbours are. She fought with them. She almost died for them.

And now? Well, she's... uh... different. And also sorta connected to Daemon freaking Black. The hot jerk who broke all the rules to save her and suddenly seems determined to prove how much he likes her... and how much she likes him back.

So not gonna happen anything soon - Kat's way too strong for that.

Right?

But then... well, let's just say things happen and Katy gets super close to exposing everything. Especially since the MIB have shown up and are starting to dig around.

So now Katy has to trust this new newbie to help her get herself under control. Daemon isn't pleased – and not just cause he's jealous.

It obviously doesn't help that Katy's seeing ghosts of people who should be long, long, long dead. People who could lead Daemon to the one person he has truly loved and lost – and we're not talking about some girl here. This is deeper. Much, much deeper.

And it could kill them all...

I finished Obsidian in one sitting and immediately ordered Onyx and Opal from Amazon. It told me they’d arrive the next day.

It was just too freaking long.

So I went on my iPad and I bought the eBook version of Onyx. And in one sitting that went from the evening to two in the morning, I gobbled it all up. I don’t know what it is about Jennifer Armentrout that makes me do that – makes me almost feverish to read every single word and savour them, enjoy them, while making me rush to find out what happens...

So often you read a first book and love it so much it hurts. And then you rush to get the next and it's like – 'Meh'. Because it's a huge let-down.

Onyx?

My God, it SO wasn't one of those! It was just as amazing – maybe even more so! It had all the action, all the romance, all the toe-curling "Holy Hawt Chemistry Batman!", all the humour. And it had all the Daemon. Literally nothing to complain about. And so, SO freaking much to gush about.

Guys, I'm so sorry for this rambly review. I love it so blinking much that I can't help it. I simply HAVE to gush. And gush and gush and then gush a little bit more.

Sigh. I am SO in love.

I rambled a lot about Daemon last time. I’m going to ramble even more now. Because, oh my God, I love Daemon! He is the hottest thing ever. And also the sweetest – we got to see this totally lovely, sweet side of him and the totally hot protective side. If I’m honest, I’m shocked Kat held out on him like she did – I would’ve been all over him! He really is the most amazing guy and may just have become my newest fave book boyfriend, taking over the likes of Jace and Dimtiri and Adrian. Sigh. I love him so much! I don’t know how I’m meant to wait until the next book comes for more of him! I have now joined The Daemon Invasion and believe in the cause with every single part of my being. Team Daemon Forever, people. For-ev-ah.

I love Katy too. I mean, she's a book girl! Who doesn't love people just like themselves in books? Though, she does have more control than me. As mentioned before, I'd be all over Daemon the second he walked into a room. But back to Katy. I loved watching her grow and become so strong and kickbutt. I love her wit and strength and snark. And, of course, the whole book thing! As she said, "People who didn't heart books didn't understand." That made me laugh 'cause it's just so, so true!

And Dee – oh, how I love Dee! Sweet, hyper, friendly Dee. I felt so sorry for her – she really deserves none of the bad things that happened to her. She's just the kindest, sweetest thing ever and a really great best friend. She's not really in this one much, and most of the time I wanted to slap Kat for pushing poor Dee away, but Dee was still so sweet. And that ending...

As for the new guy. Well. I don't want to give anything away. But all I can say is how could a girl even consider picking anyone over the gorgeous Daemon Black? Since he is, as I'm sure you know now, the hottest thing since the sun was created.

I love the chemistry between Daemon and Katy. As previously mentioned, and as one of Katy's friends said, "Holy Hawt Chemistry Batman!" Sure, they argue much of the time. But even that is bleeping hot – like stand-back-or-be-burned kinda hot. And the kisses: talk about knee melting! I swear, by the time I finished the book, half of me was lying melted on the floor, and the other half was screaming: I NEED MORE RIGHT RIGHT NOW NOW NOW!!! They are now my favourite book couple in the history of ever.

Obviously, I adore the characters. But Armentrout's writing? Equally amazing. Like seriously freaking amazing. It's almost dangerously and freakishly addictive and so full of amazingness. I just love the humour, the suspense, the romance, the action. And, my God, was the plot amazing. It was honest-to-God made of awesome. I loved every single second and couldn't read fast enough. It blew me away – completely. But that ending... OMG, Jennifer!! Talk about evil! And I had to wait ages for the next to arrive, 'cause it wasn't on iBooks and it seemed stupid to buy another book twice on my Kindle and there was snow which meant the post was slow.

Have I proved the addictiveness of this series? I swear that they're almost druglike in their total and complete overpowering way of getting into my head and my heart and making me fall in love every single page – with everything: the writing, the plot, the characters, the world, Daemon. I adore this series. If that isn't clear, which after my rambling it hopefully will be.

I could literally just go on and on and on about Onyx forever. I loved it so freaking much it's like it hurts. I can barely put into words how freaking much I love it. It's almost crazy how much I love it. If you haven't read it, I don't think you'll get all my psycho babbling. But think of your favourite book ever and then multiple it by a squillion to get my crazy intense adoration of this book…

And I’m really sorry for the rambling. I can’t seem to help it when it come to this series…

Star Rating:

5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Covenant by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lorien Legacies by Pitacus Lore

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2013 (Hosted by Book ChickCity)

Happy Reading

Megan

Ok, this is a silly p-re-view of my review of Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I'm posting it a) because I haven't done anything in like forever on my blog. Sorry - I've not been well! :( And b) because I just can't seem to find the right words. So maybe this post will help.

Opal is the third in the Lux series, which is the BEST SERIES EVER!!

I mean, I just wanna find Jennifer Armentrout so I can go:

and

But Opal... the ending... Well, let's just say it's so freaking ARGHH that I had to do this post of gifs. I've never used gifs before. Like, ever. But in this case, they are so, so badly needed...

My reaction to Opal's ending:

All The GIFs You'll Need To Express Your "Doctor Who" Feels

All The GIFs You'll Need To Express Your "Doctor Who" Feels

...

I need

If not....

And trust me. I am not exaggerating. Not even one. little bit.

But I'm gonna stop now, 'cause you're all probably going:

and

Sorry...
Full, real review to come soon... It'll be gif-less, promise...

Daemon Black. Y'see why I love him yet?

Happy Reading

Megan

P.S. Gifs are fun!

Series: Sister Assassin, Book One

American Name: Mind Games

Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks

Format: ARC

Published: 19^th February 2013

Number of Pages: 302

Book: For Review*

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, Mystery, YA

Recommended Age: 14+

Contains:Violence, Death, Alcohol References

No Drug References

Author's Site: Kiersten Writes

7 years ago our parents died.

5 years ago we came to this prison.

4 years ago I found out the truth.

3 years ago she killed for the first time.

An hour ago we fought back.

THEY are the ones who need to watch out.

Two sisters stand together in a world determined to blow their lives apart.

Hannameets The Girl with the Dragon Tattooin the slickest, grittiest, most compelling thriller you’ll read all year.

Review:

I read this book last year. I can still remember it so clearly. Or, more precisely, the things it made me feel. I fell totally in love with two sisters. I had my heart broken by the pain they felt, by the way one was so very broken I myself shattered. By the guilt and pain and hopelessness the other felt on her behalf. I found myself laughing as my heart literally ached, smiling through tears and once I had finished... I just sat trying, and failing, to pull myself together. I couldn't. This story, these girls, this... everything... destroyed me. Like, literally. I only have to freaking think about it to feel myself tearing up. Definitely not something I'd expect from a book about assassins, that's for sure.

Ok, I'm gonna go on with this review before I start crying again. And yes, it's still that freaking bad. Quite amazing really, when you think about it...

“The moment he bends over to help the sorrow-eyed spaniel puppy, I know I won't be able to kill him.

“This, of course, ruins my entire day.”

Fia never wanted to do this. She doesn't want to kill people. She doesn't want this gift, the thing that made her valuable in the first place. She doesn't want to be stuck here, killing on command.

But she doesn't have a choice. She has to do this. If she doesn't, they will hurt her sister Annie, the only family she has left. And it is her job to look after Annie.

Only when Fia's target rescues a puppy, Fia knows she can't do it. She can't kill him – her instincts are screaming for her not to. And her instincts are always, always right.

It's then everything begins to unravel...

Annie is used to control Fia, kept prisoner at Kessler's School for Exceptional Girls, a school that uses girls with unique abilities. She may be blind, but Annie is a Seer. She knows everything her sister has done. She is told to watch Fia constantly and report what she sees.

But she doesn't. She lies to those controlling them. To protect her sister.

But Annie is haunted by a terrible secret, one that threatens to destroy girls just like her and Fia. She's haunted by a future too – a future she can feel but can't reach. Not here in this prison. Not with her sister being abused like she is.

Separated and running out of time, the two sisters have to find a way out – permanently.

But they won't be able to just walk away. No, they will need to fight back to be free. Fight back and risk everything...

I love White's Paranormalcy, so when I saw her name on this book, obviously I wanted it. But then I saw the title: Sister Assassin. And, OMG, I sowanted it! I have a wee bit of an obsession with assassins at the minute – blame Nikita, Throne of Glass and Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. I don't know why, because, duh, they should be the bad guys, but I love watching shows and books humanise the person behind the smoking gun. How they are so damaged and hurt and didn't have a real choice...

Anyway, I thought I knew what to expect in Sister Assassin. But while it had White's key wittiness and amazing characters, it was so much more too. It was beautiful and devastating and totally addictive. It says in my blurb that it is the "most compelling thriller you'll read all year". And it is. TOTALLY. And I've read a hell of a lot of thrillers this year. And I think it is the first thriller ever that's made me cry. Oh yeah. You'll cry. These girls will just break your heart and make you love them so much it hurts. I can't wait for more!

The characters were amazing – seriously. They always are. They’re so real and 3D. All of them. But especially the girls, who I love so freaking much it's actually nuts. Fia… God, she was so very broken. It literally broke my heart, seeing what they’d done to her – what they’d made her do. I loved her snark and wit, how kickbutt she was. She was just so, so broken. They called her a monster. She killed. But she only ever wanted to protect Annie. She only ever cared about Annie. She broke my heart, I loved her so much. And Annie, well, she was so strong and smart and caring. I loved her dry sense of humour, and how when a guard offered to help her, she comes back with telling him yes, he could open a window. Why? he asks. "So you can throw yourself out of it", of course. LOL! She was broken too, not as much as Fia, but broken. And I loved her too – so much.

The bond between the sisters was so, so strong. They loved one another so much and always looked out for one another, gave up so much... It was sweet and so, so heart-breaking. Heart-breaking… I loved these two broken girls so, so much – so much it's silly, really, given the book is only a little over 300 pages. Yeah, I mentioned how wonderful White's characters are, right? Well, here are ramblings about a few more...

Eden: loved her, how kind she was to Annie. Adam was a real sweetie. James… I could never make my mind up about this bloody boy. I hated his guts and wanted to tear him to pieces one moment. The next, I swear I was falling in love with him. I mean, how can he do that to me?!?!

The writing had all of White's wittiness and.... MULTIPLE POVS! Yessss! I love it when we get sibling perspectives, rather than love interests. And I loved that the girls sounded so different. But seriously, what isit with Miss White and writing books that make me smile or laugh one moment and then break my heart the next? Needless to say, White's writing is completely out of this world. And the plot was just non-stop action. I loved the suspense and action. What I loved more was that we had chapters about past events in the sisters’ lives, giving us a full background, while giving us the action-packed present at the same time. And just like the Seers can’t see Fia because she never plans, I was completely blank about the whole plot. Literally. I had no clue what would happen next. It was so bleeping addictive and I need so much more of it all – I’ve been left satisfied but with a million questions and an all-consuming need for more more more!

The school. We were kind of thrown into the deep end with the world and the abilities – thrown in the deep end full of suspense and action and adrenaline. I loved that sense of knowing but not understanding, of not really knowing where you stand, if that makes any sense? It added to the excitement of it all. Also, I feel like this could all be happening like right now, for some reason... creepily... Some complaints though: we are never actually told what the school is called. Ergo: I can't WAIT for the next book so I can find out more about the school and world. I have so, so, so many questions about EVERYTHING!!

This book was just so much more than I thought it would be. White has an amazing ability to totally knock my socks off every time I pick up one of her books. She takes a pretty common genre/subject and makes it into something new and amazing and exciting and perfect. Like with the assassins. She made two so very damaged and amazing girls as our leads. And don't even get me started on the action...

Needless to say, I adored Sister Assassin. And when I say 'Sister Assassin', I mean every single thing about this book. I really can't think of a single freaking bad thing to say. Honest to God I can't. Sister Assassinis as freaking close to perfection as it is humanely possible to get. Sure, that makes me sound like a totally crappy reviewer, but so what? It's what I believe.

Oh wait. Just thought of a negative:

Sister Assassin was far too freaking short. I need a million more pages ASAP!

Oh, second negative: TOO FREAKING LONG TO THE NEXT FREAKING BOOK!

But seriously. Please oh pleasee oh pleaasee give me a sequel soon. Miss White, please?

But, God, Kiersten White! Why must you break my heart EVERY SINGLE TIME I read one if your books?! WHY?! :'(

Oh, and Fia wasn't a monster you gits, she was just broken as hell. So there.

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here are the rules:

Open your current read
Open to a random page
Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
Be careful not to include spoilers!
Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

I have a sneaky extract from Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman - which comes out June/July (I think...) It's an awesome book! :D

From Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman, Chapter Three, Page 24

'What on earth...?
Why was a terrorist looking at data about Calliston Water?'

Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Years after a violent war destroyed much of the world, Kaspar has grown up in a society based on peace and harmony. But beyond the city walls, a vicious band of rebels are plotting to tear this peace apart. It is up to the Guardians - an elite peacekeeping force - to protect the city, without ever resorting to the brutal methods of their enemy.
When Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel - a beautiful girl named Rhea. Haunted from that moment on by strange visions and memories - memories that could only belong to Rhea - he realises he hasn't been told the truth about what the rebels really want, and what he's really fighting for.

I love Malorie Blackman and am super excited about this book! So far, it's amazing! :D

Hope you all enjoyed the teaser!! Leave me a link to yours! :D :D

2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

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