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The Book Addicted Gossip Girl

October 15, 2013, 9:01 am
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Ok, I have a whole load of bookish stuff and news to ramble about now, that you all probably know anyway, but oh well!


Teardrop necklaceTeardrop by Lauren Kate is being published in just one week, people!!!  I don't know about, but I'm super excited for this!  It's such an amazing book!!  And to get the hype up, RandomHouse are having an awesome competion!  You need to watch this video, and then tweet about the last thing that made you cry, using #Teardrop, for your chance to win a personalised signed copy of Teardrop and a gorgeous teardrop necklace!!!  The comp ends 10th November 2013 and terms and conditions apply.  See more: here.  And watch this video!! :D




I don't know about you guys but I love Sarah Crossan's Breathe.  Listen to her talk about the inspiration behind her books by watching this clip!! :D




Check out all these gorgeous Strange Chemistry covers!  I don't know which one I love best - maybe The Almost Girl or Under Nameless Skies or Feather Bound or... ok, I just love them all!!  Click on the cover to find out more about the book!! :D



Oh, and I'm FINALLY on Tumblr!  Check it out: I've joined the 21st century, people!! :D  My Tumblr!  *bows*
Oh, and keep an eye on Fierce Fiction... something exciting will be going down soon... :D

All right, that's all for now!  Happy Teardrop Tuesday! :D 

Well, until next time, The Book Addicted Gossip Girl, out! ;)
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Shadows by Paula Weston

October 17, 2013, 12:30 am
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Series: Rephaim, Book One
Publisher: Indigo
Format: ARC
Published: 3rd January 2013
Number of Pages: 400
Book: For Review*
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Gritty Realism, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, NA, YA
Recommended Age: 14+
Contains:Swearing, Violence, Alcohol References
No Drug References
Author's Site: Paula Weston
Author's Twitter: @PaulaWeston

Warning: This review will be an excited rambling of a fangirl.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Every night in her dreams Gaby Winters kills demons.
It’s been almost a year since Gaby was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude.  Her body has healed, but her grief is still raw and constant. 
Across a crowded bar Gaby sees the man of her dreams, literally.  Rafa not only looks exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams, he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense.
Now Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth – and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.
Combining the sexy supernatural appeal of Lauren Kate’s Fallen series, the kick-ass action of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the edgy cool of True Blood.
This is angels and demons as you’ve never seen them before.

                                                                   Review:
"You're supposed to be dead...”
Gaby's life fell apart when her twin brother Jude died.  That was a year ago.  She's moved away, to Pandanus Beach, started over.  But she still hasn't healed.  Not really, not inside.
It doesn't help that she keeps on dreaming the most disturbing things.  Each night in her dreams, Gaby kills demons in a bar.  By her side, a guy with green eyes who smells like sandalwood. 
And then one day, her dream guy walks into the bar.  She's never met Rafa before and yet he claims to have been best friends with her brother, even though that makes no sense to her.  In fact, nothing Rafa says makes any sense.
But with more and more people like Rafa coming, claiming she should be dead – maybe even should have stayed dead – Gaby is forced to face the facts.
Her life – everything she thought she knew and was – is a lie.
With no idea what she is, what the entire worldis anymore, what's real and what's not, who can Gaby trust?  And can she stay alive in this world that makes no sense…?
I picked Shadows up, just wanting to have a quick flick through it to see what it was about.  And I couldn't stop reading.  I don't know what it is about this book, but it’s freaking addictive.  Before I even realised what I was doing, I was a hundred pages in and absolutely hooked.  I'm not sure what it was that made Shadows really stand out.  Maybe it's the angel mythology.  Maybe it's the action.  Maybe it's Gaby's voice – so real, so rich, so sad.  Maybe it's that this is my first New Adult experience.  Maybe it's the gorgeous and utterly irresistible Rafa.  Who knows!  Who cares!  All that matters is that Shadows is a breath-taking book – an amazing, amazing book, that I'm sure will be one of my favourites of 2013.  Hell, it's my favourite angel book of all time, ever.  Period.  
I really loved Gaby – she was such a strong character, so broken and loveable and strong.  I could feel her pain – feel how much it was destroying her, tearing her to pieces, making her empty.  And you not only felt for her, you felt her.  I loved watching her grow and discover herself, watching her fight back and come into her own.  She was just a brilliant lead, damaged but tough as nails.  My fave kind of protagonist: strong but with a hidden vulnerability to make them accessible and loveable.
Speaking of love... I just instantly was drawn to Rafa.  I don't know what it is about him that makes him so darn irresistible.  Perhaps it's that bad boy thing – I have a real weakness for the bad boys.  Or maybe 'cause underneath, he's really, really sweet.  He's warm, protective, and sweet, complex, mysterious and so, so gorgeous.  Oh, I just love him.
Daisy was another favourite, as were Ez and Zak.   Rephaim I wasn't so keen on?  Daniel, Taya and Melchezedick – sorry, Malachi.  I did not like them.  Which was ironic, 'cause they were the so-called ‘good guys’... 
I also really loved Gaby's friend Maggie – she was the best friend in the history of ever.   Jason was cool too.  Clever, brave, loyal.  I liked him.
And even though we didn't actually meet him, I adored Jude.  He was such an amazing brother – I loved him to bits and mourned him right along with Gaby.  And I loved their bond.  Felt their bond…
As for the connection between Rafa and Gaby... Whoa.  It wasn't like your usual teen romance.  It was deep.  Half the time, they were just annoying each other.  But it was just so hot – so full of chemistry.  I absolutely loved their banter and the way they had one another's back.
Weston's writing was so amazing – and utterly compelling.  The writing style was insanely addictive and so strong.  I felt them all – all the characters and emotions.  Especially Gaby.  Her voice was so very real, so genuine.  I could feel every bit of her pain.  But there are loads of damaged narrators out there, aren't they?  So what makes Gaby so different?  Well for one, there's the whole no-memories – or at least, no real memories – thing.  But more than that, there was the way she handled her pain.  She hurt – so much I hurt too – but she didn't let herself do that wallowing, selfish, infuriating thing teen leads are so very good at.  No, Gaby handled it all like the adult she was: she dealt.  And I loved that.  It added a whole brilliant layer to the voice: made it so real to me.  So addictive and beautiful.
As for the plot, man was it awesome!  So full of twists and mysteries and so much action!   I loved how everything was revealed so slowly, so teasingly, so addictively.  It was just like: here's one clue.  Oh, and another.  And another.  Just one little secret at a time.  It was freaking addictive!   And the action – don't even get me started on the action!  It was so cool, so exciting.  So awesome.  Sigh...  I will admit that I saw this one bit coming – it felt kinda obvious to me.  But while I guessed the initial twist, I didn't see the twists that followed that first twist...  If that makes sense.  But, God, I just adored this plot!!
And ohmigod, I loved all the mythology!  It's so new and cool – so unlike all the other angel books out there.  I just loved the spin Weston put on all the biblical angelic myths.  And what I loved even more than the kickass angel mythology of this world?  That it was set in Australia!  I loved the Aussie feel!   It just added to the awesomeness that already was the kickass angel stuff.  So, yes, I adored this setting.  Yum yum, more please?
Ok, so, angel stories.  Loads of them are so samey, y'know?  Shadowswas so totally different.  For one, these angels weren't afraid to kick butt.  And when I say kick butt, I mean serious, hardcore, butt-kicking awesomeness.  These angels weren't your usual pacifists and they weren't really religious.  It was just so much fun to read an angel book that's so hardcore and edgy and original.   I just loved it.  Shadows stands heads, shoulders, chests and legs above all the other angel books out there.
As you can all tell from this rambling review, I absolutely adored Shadows.  It was one of those books you're going to want to clear a whole day for, because you aren't going to be able to put it down.   Even if you don't like paranormals or angel books, read Shadows, because it's special.  It's an angel book, but it has heart.   Soul.  And, God, it's just so freaking good!  As much as I wanted to read the book in one sitting (which I did anyway – couldn't help myself!), I also wanted it to last forever.  I'm thanking Paula Weston for making it as long as it was – and for the fact Haze is out in June, which while being far enough away to make me crazy, isn't as bad as most sequel waits.  And I'm thanking her also for the ending, which wasn't infuriatingly cliffhanger-y, but was also enough to leave me desperate for more, more, more.
So Shadows.  Read it.  It's so much more than an angel book – so much more than a YA paranormal romance.  Just so much more than I could've ever expected and hoped for it to be.  
And I need Haze.  I need more of Rafa.  And I take it back: June!  Why is it so far away?!  *breaks down crying* 

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5




Read this book if you liked:
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
 Lux and Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Challenges It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading
Megan
* This book was received from Orion/Indigo in exchange for an honest review

** Quotes used are from a proof copy and may have been changed in the finished book
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Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

October 21, 2013, 12:30 am
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Series: Lux, Book Three
Publisher: Entangled
Format: Paperback
Published: 11th September 2012
Number of Pages: 542
Book: Bought
Genre: Science-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, YA
Recommended Age: 14+
Contains:Violence, Swearing, Death, Alcohol and Sexual Reference
No 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.

No one is like Daemon Black.
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around.  Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well…  There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m not longer the same Katy.  I’m different… And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end.  When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of.  The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back.  Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Together we’re stronger… and they know it.

                                                                   Review:
'Now it was do or die time.  All these months had led up to this…'
What do you do when someone you thought was dead suddenly reappears and comes home?  Only, they aren't the person you lost – not anymore.  Not after all they've gone through...
And they want to go back.  They were forced to leave behind the person they love more than anything, and not even family will stop them from going to rescue their love.
But Katy needs to try – for Daemon.  He's struggling to get by, and all the Luxen are waiting for the Department of Defence to strike back, to take them all down.
Meanwhile, they all just need to get by and act normal.
Which isn't easy when your boyfriend and his family are aliens and you aren't really human anymore either.  And when everyone is trying to deal with the terrible loss they've been hit by, and all the devastating outcomes.  And when people you hoped were long gone reappear and start causing complete chaos. 
Still, Katy's boyfriend is Daemon Black, the hottest person ever to walk the earth.  
Yeah.  The situation may be totally unstable and likely to blow up any minute and they are trying to pull off the biggest prison break since Mission Impossible was invented, but it has its perks... 
But seriously:  "You really shouldn't trust a soul in this game.  Not when everyone has something to gain or lose…" Just a warning, guys…
My God, just when I was thinking the Lux series could not possibly get better: BAM!  It goes and increases the awesomeness by infinity.  And yes, just like all my reviews of this series, my review of Opal will be the pure rambling of an obsessed and infatuated fan girl.  Sorry, but what else can a girl do when she's head-over-heels in love?  Because that's what I am: totally in love with the Lux series – and, of course, the pure hotness-incarnate that is Daemon Black.  *swoon*
Alright, I'm back.  Back with my one and only criticism of Opal.  And what is that, you may ask?  Well, the fact that Jennifer is now officially THE QUEEN OF ALL EVIL, HORRIBLE, DREADFUL CLIFFHANGERS!!!  I mean, REALLY?  HOW CAN YOU LEAVE IT LIKE THAT?!?!  Do you WANT me to go COMPLETELY CRAZY?!  Cause if you do: YOU HAVE BEEN FREAKING SUCCESSFUL!!!!  Plus, YOU MADE MY HEART LITERALLY STOP!!!!  HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!?!!!!
Ok.  I am so sorry about that.  I just can't get over that ending - check out my gif post and you'll understand.  I am officially in total and utter shock – think of the worst cliffhanger ever (the end of Shadow Kissed, The Golden Lily, all the Supernatural season finales, plus the Buffy Season Five finale all rolled into one) and then multiply it.  By like a squillion.  Add in a major heart attack, hyperventilating and an almost comatose state of shock.  Cause, you know, I'm pretty sure that cliffhanger is meant to give you a heart attack and then break it into a squillion pieces all at once.  Cause that's where my heart's at: seizing and broken beyond repair.  Imagine all of this and then you'll be where I am right now.  Good luck getting over it.  God knows I can't...  Like, ever.  I'm pretty sure – no, I am certain – that I have now been scarred for life.  Jeez, my heart hurts...
Onto better and brighter things though.  Namely: Daemon Black.  My newest, bested, favouritest book boyfriend.  Sure, he's prickly and obsessively protective and a bit macho-patriarchal-boy like, but man do I love him.  He's so sweet and cheeky and charming and gorgeous and loving and caring.  And all he has on his shoulders – all I wanted to do was wrap him up and take him home and never, ever let him leave.  That sounded really creepy, but that's not how I meant it.  I wanted to protect him like he protects everyone else, because everything he had to deal with... I just wanted to give him a break, y'know?  Keep him safe for a little while.  Plus, he really is perfect. And amazing.  And I love him.  Something Katy says about him amuses me:
"Who needed a flashlight when you had Daemon?"
My reaction amuses me more: Who needed freaking anything if they have Daemon?! 
As for Kat, may I say I love the new her.  She's strong and kickass and brave.  She had these moments where she was the strongest ever and willing to do absolutely anything to keep the people she cared about safe – these scared her, but I thought it just proved how much she loved Daemon.  Plus, again gotta mention her love of books: I love it when she goes squee-ey over books! 
Dee – god, poor Dee!  She wasn't in it much, which I don't blame her for, and we saw this whole new, kinda scary side of her.  But in the end, she's Dee and I'll always love her, strange, hyper alien she is.
And, 'cause I don't wanna give anything away, we'll just say that someone we thought was dead is really alive – and back.  We will call said someone X, for no real reason other than to be all mysterious.  And X was so, so damaged – I wanted to protect them too, bless X.  Sure, X was kinda weird and damaged and a little scary at times, but I loved X none the less.  Plus the conversation X had with Kat about zombies and surviving the zombie apocalypse was freaking hilarious!
As for Blake... I just can't make up my mind about that guy.  One minute, I'm feeling sorry for him.  The next minute?  Well, he's creepin' the heck outta me.  I seriously don't know what to do with the guy...
Have I mentioned yet that I adore all of these characters?  Like, seriously and totally love them all to pieces?  I have?  Oops.  Well, I'll tell y'all again.  I love them THIS MUCH!!!  By the way, I just held my arms out as wide as I can.  It's not enough.  I think I need to multiply it by a zillion to show how much I love Daemon – I mean, them: all of them...  Maybe a million zillion squillion...  
But most of all, I love the relationship between Katy and Daemon.  FINALLY they are together – which leads to many yummy kissing sessions.  HOT yummy kissing sessions.   And their love is so sweet and real and emotional and hot.  They are my new favourite book couple in the history of ever.
Opal was shaping out to be my fave yet.  I mean, we – I mean, Katy – was kissing Daemon more, there was more of everything I love about this series.  And then... well, it ended. Horribly.  As my afore-mentioned yelling revealed.  I had this feeling like halfway through that it wasn't going to end well.  That coupled with the fact that the next in the series doesn't come out til way too long meant I slowed right down in my reading, savouring every word and rereading my favourite passages over and over.  But this going slow did not work for long.  Oh no, Jennifer's writing is far too magic and funny and her plotlines are way too exciting and addictive and freaking awesome for that.  So I raced for the end... And, well, you know how that went down...
Still, this is my favourite in the series which is now, I think, my favourite series ever.  It has more action, more romance, more suspense, more humour and more Daemon than ever before and it has left me absolutely, deliriously, desperately desperate for more.  Like, right now.  I am going to literally go crazy waiting for the fourth – Origin.  *sniffles and goes to have a mental breakdown*
But seriously guys: if you haven't read the Lux series, you just have to.  Right now.  It is the most amazing series you'll ever read – there is literally nothing I can complain about, cliffhanger aside.  It's just so much fun, but is also more than just fun at the same time.  It's just more than I ever thought it would be when I bought Obsidian and more than I ever could have hoped for.  And I am now so in love I don't think I'll ever get over it, not that I want to.
So yes.  Please.  Read it.  Love it.  Ramble about it.  Scream at Opal's cliffhanger.  Just enjoy the ride – love every moment.  Series like this don't come along often and you should all be a part of this one. And even with all this rambling, I still haven't done it justice. 

P.S. Oh, and Obsidian, the first in this series, has been optioned for a film!!  A freaking FILM, people!!  FINALLY!!!  I am sooooo excited!!  
Hey, maybe I should do a new gif post about it...  Ok, I'm off to look for excited Supernatural gifs now... ;)

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5
It loses a star for the cliffhanger, and yet it's still on five whole stars - well, really it's about 5 billion.  That shows the amazingness, people.






Read this book if you liked:
Covenant by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Grisha by Leigh Bardugo
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading

Megan
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Silly Gif-Review of Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout's Ending...

October 23, 2013, 12:30 am
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Ok, here is my silly gif post of what Origin, the fourth Lux book, did to me - well, what that ending did to me.  Cause yeah.  There was yet another evil twist at the end.  Jennifer is the master of cliffhangers.  Seriously...  
This series is still one of my favourites and I've read all the books at least four times each.  But Origin...  Well.  Let me try and get my feels down...

Ok, so I was nearing the end of Origin.  And at first I was happy, this this:


And then.... then The Twist came.  Then I finished the book.  And at first I was like:


and finally I was like: 


Because it's just like..


I didn't know what to do.  Jennifer had done it again.  Totally shocked me.  Possibly scarred me.

And now I'm just like:


Because it is so freaking long until Opposition comes out - too too TOO long, ok?!


Ok?  Especially when all I want to do is this:


An Armentrout cliffhanger that left me like this:


Well...

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The Girls of YA Presents: All Hallows Halloween!

October 25, 2013, 6:23 am
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Hi everyone! Emma and me have been getting into the Halloween spirit lately, reading loads of paranormal books and obsessing over paranormal shows and, of course, paranormal guys. And so we decided to launch our blog The Girls of YA in the biggest and most awesomely Halloween-y way. Everyone, get ready for All Hallows' Halloween!

We're going to kick the event off with:
  • The Girls' Paranormal Guys!
  • The Girls’ Favourite Spooky Legends
  • She Says She Says – Joint Review of The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black
  • She Says She Says Halloween Edition – Our Favourite Paranormal Movies, Shows and More!
  • From Girl to Girl Halloween Edition - Our Best Shows recommended to each other.
Well, we’re definitely getting into the mood of the spookiest holiday out there! We hope you’ll all stop by and celebrate All Hallows Halloween with us!! :D
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Sean Williams Twinmaker Blog Tour: Book Addicted Boys

November 7, 2013, 5:51 am
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I was talking on Twitter to a bunch of awesome bloggers – only one of whom was a boy. We were talking about how few male bloggers there are. And so I thought: Why not create a feature specifically designed to get boys into blogging – and reading? And so Book Addicted Boys was born!
And this week we have the amazing Sean Williams here to celebrate the publication of his new book Twinmaker!  Enjoy! :D


Sean Williams' Top 10 Writing Tips


1.      Read a lot.

This is the most important one, because the best way to learn what makes a good book is to read books. That sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Like, if you want to play football you should watch lots of football. But reading is something we do every day, and I guess some people think that ordinary reading is enough to know how to do it right. It’s not. Books are special. Eat them up.

2.     Write a lot.

We’re back to football. If you want to play, you have to practise. Same with writing. The more you do it, the better you’ll get. There’s a wonderful Japanese saying: “Even a thief takes ten years to learn her trade.” Be that thief. Learn to steal our hearts with your words.

3.     Write what you love.

Always do that. Why slog away at something if you don’t like it? Writing is hard work, but it should be fun too.

4.     Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Nobody’s perfect first time. Or second time. Or the third. (Repeat until the page is full.) It’s okay to be imperfect – in fact it’s good, because who knows what “perfect” is anyway? You have to miss a thousand goals before you make the perfect shot in a final. You’ll probably have to get caught a few times before you make off with the Mona Lisa, too. (Tip: don’t steal.) It’s the same with writing. Making mistakes proves you’re learning.

5.     Don’t be afraid to show it to other people.

When you’ve worked on something to the point where it’s the best you can possibly make it, but you know it’s not right yet, how do you fix it? The best way is to give it to someone else to read. Most people want to love your work as much as you do, but you’re bound to find someone who will also tell you how to improve it. If you never show it to anyone, how are you going to become the next J. K. Rowling?

6.     Listen to other people.

Whether you’ve asked them for advice or not, if they’re telling you what they honestly think of your work it’s probably a good idea to listen. Even if you disagree with them. Remember it is (or should be) about the work, not you, so don’t take it personally.

7.     Ignore other people.

Sometimes you have to do what you want no matter what people say. No one reads novels about time-travelling soccer players from a future where sport is illegal? Who cares! I’m doing it anyway because it’s what I love.

8.    Experiment.

There’s always something to learn. There’s always something to un-learn. The better we think we are at something, the easier it is to slip into bad habits without realising. Every book I write I try to shake things up a little by attempting something new and weird. It keeps things fun, too.

9.     Keep reading!

There are always new books. There are always old books. There’s way too many books ever to read them all, which means there’s always something that’s exactly right for you, right now. I use the books I’m reading to inspire me to write better. Some people use it as an escape from what they’re writing. Either way, it keeps reminding us what a book isand what we’re doing all this typing for. And so . . .

10.Keep writing!

The best way to succeed at anything is never to give up. Be stubborn. Be persistent. Don’t let anyone stop you, including/especially yourself!


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Thank you so much, Sean!  I hope this has helped any aspiring writers out there!!
Find out more about Twinmaker: here.  And check out Sean's site, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads Page. :D



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#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--thirty-nine at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is the first in a new YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine.
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Tinder Blog Tour: Book Extract

November 8, 2013, 12:30 am
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I adored Sally Gardner and have since I was really young - she is amazing! And I'm sooo excited to have her here today, reading us an extract from Tinder!  Yay!  I love this book so much!  So... Enjoy!!  :D


Now, I hope you enjoyed the awesome extract! And that you all go and find a copy of Tinder - you won't regret it, seriously!

If this extract hasn't convinced you, though, here's a bit more information...


Tinder by Sally Gardner
Blurb From Goodreads:
A young soldier, a captive princess, witches, wolves and Death walk hand in hand in COSTA AWARD winner Sally Gardner's exquisitely written new novel inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, THE TINDERBOX, illustrated by David Roberts.
Otto Hundebiss is tired of war, but when he defies Death he walks a dangerous path. A half beast half man gives him shoes and dice which will lead him deep into a web of dark magic and mystery. He meets the beautiful Safire - pure of heart and spirit, the scheming Mistress Jabber and the terrifying Lady of the Nail. He learns the powers of the tinderbox and the wolves whose master he becomes. But will all the riches in the world bring him the thing he most desires?
Fairy tales are often the cruellest stories of all; in this exquisite novel Sally Gardner writes about great love and great loss.

Find Sally on her site, Facebook and Twitter!  And head over to Choose YA tomorrow for more Tinder goodness!!
And thank you Sally and Indigo for the extract!!  :D x
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Book Addicted Boys: S.F. Said

November 22, 2013, 12:30 am
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I was talking on Twitter to a bunch of awesome bloggers – only one of whom was a boy. We were talking about how few male bloggers there are. And so I thought: Why not create a feature specifically designed to get boys into blogging – and reading? And so Book Addicted Boys was born!
Today we have the amazing SF Said here today, author of the brilliant Phoenix and more.  He's here to talk about space, space stories and beyond!! :D 
Enjoy...

I've always loved space.  As a child growing up in the 1970s, I was addicted to TV shows like Star Trek and Space 1999, and films like Star Wars.  My favourite books were the Star Trek novelizations, but I remember feeling frustrated that there weren't enough children's books about space out there.


I also remember camping in the desert with my dad when I was about ten, and realising for the first time just how many stars there were.  It wasn't a handful, like I was used to seeing in London.  The whole sky was alive with burning points of light!


The idea that each of these stars was a sun, around which were planets like ours… and that there were hundreds of billions of stars in each galaxy, and hundreds of billions of galaxies… it was absolutely mind-blowing to me, and still is.  So perhaps it was inevitable that I'd end up writing a space story of my own one day.


The stars pose the biggest questions imaginable, making us consider our place in the universe, and what it means to be alive in it.  It's fascinating to me that so many early mythologies begin with the stars; it seems there's always some kind of connection between gods and stars.  Themes like that, I think, offer the potential for fiction with all the richness and resonance of ancient myth.


Of course, just being about space doesn't necessarily make a book interesting!  There's certainly been plenty of bad space fiction, like any other genre.  But I don't know anyone who's not interested in stories with memorable characters facing huge choices; gripping stories about love and friendship, life and death; stories full of big ideas and beautiful landscapes...  And I don't know anyone who doesn't want to feel a shiver of wonder when they read a book.


And space stories allow you to do all that in an entertaining way.  Writers like Iain M Banks have shown that it's possible to write space fiction that is intelligent, compassionate and meaningful, while offering a brilliant rollercoaster ride at the same time.  I love stories that have all those elements.  And in Phoenix, I hope I've brought them all together in a way that book-addicted boys and girls alike can enjoy – even those who don't think they're interested in science fiction!



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Thank you so much!  This was an awesome post - I really enjoyed it!
Guys, check out Phoenix on Goodreads.  Also go find S.F.'s Site and Goodreads Page!  :D
Oh and enjoy this awesome Phoenix video!! :D

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SF Said is an award-winning author. He was born in Lebanon in 1967, but has lived in London since he was 2 years old. He wrote his first novel, Varjak Paw (2003), while working as a speechwriter for the Crown Prince of Jordan, and then as an arts journalist and film programmer.
Varjak Paw won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for Children's Literature, as well as regional book of the year awards in Gateshead, Stockton and West Sussex. It has since been adapted as a stage play and an opera, and a film version is in development. It has been translated into 12 languages, and UK sales are now over 275,000.
The sequel, The Outlaw Varjak Paw (2005), won the BBC's Blue Peter Book Of The Year, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and won the Leicester Teenage Book Of The Year. Varjak Paw is currently featured on the CLPE's recommended reading list for primary schools, and both books are being taught in classrooms around the UK.
SF's third novel, PHOENIX (2013), is an epic space adventure for readers of 9 and up. It is nominated for both the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal. Like the Varjak Paw books, it is illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by David Fickling Books.
SF Said is also active in the wider world of literature. He has judged the Whitbread Book Awards (now the Costa Book Awards), and writes widely about children's and young adult fiction. His work has been published in both the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph.
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After Eden by Helen Douglas

December 2, 2013, 6:16 am
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Series: After Eden, Book One
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Paperback
Published: 7th November 2013
Number of Pages: 288
Book: For Review*
Genre: Science-Fiction, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, YA
Recommended Age: 12+
Contains:Swearing, Alcohol References
No Drug References
Author's Site: Helen Douglas
Author's Twitter: @helenmdouglas

Blurb from Goodreads:

Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.
As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.



                                                                   Review:
“Although it seemed impossible, the evidence was staring me in the face…
Ryan Westland was from the future.”    
Ryan Westland shows up at Eden Anfeild's school.  He's gorgeous and American, but seems like a normal teenage boy.
So why doesn't he know things everyone knows?  He doesn't recognise pizza or burgers – he’s never even heard of Hitler.  And, even though all the girls are hanging onto his every word, the only one he seems to pay any real attention to is Eden. 
As a puzzle-lover, Eden is determined to crack all of Ryan's secrets.
She starts to fall for him instead. 
Until she finds a book in his home – a book that was written decades after her time.  A book that is a biography about her best friend.  A book that is impossible.
As the pieces fall into place, Eden is forced to confront Ryan.  The truth... it's life-changing.  Maybe... maybe even world-changing...
After Eden landed on my doorstep in the morning, I began to read (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun).  I finished it in one sitting – in a matter of hours.  It was seriously freaking addictive.  It was also really not what I was expecting!  It was sweet and exciting and so easy to read.  Younger teens will just love it and gobble it up!  Heck, even older ones will, given the speed I zoomed through it!  It may not have been stunningly unique, but it was good fun.
Ok, Eden...  She was seriously naive.  A bit like Clary - I mean, hello!  Could it be any more obvious that your best mate is into you?  And yet she didn't see it – even after Ryan pointed it out!  Le sigh.  But, other than that, I liked her.  She was sweet and clever and funny and took the news really well.  I liked her sense of humour and her strength.
I really liked Ryan – he was funny and mysterious and sweet.  But his mission dedication was a bit weird.  Yes, I'm here to save everything, but hey!  Cute girl.  Forget the world – let's get my flirt on!  And yet even as I say this...  He was really sweet and I really did like him.  What can I say – apparently, I like time travellers! 
The romance in this was really sweet and quite subtle.  It wasn't The Main Thing, if you know what I mean.  Despite Ryan's tenuous mission dedication, the main point of the book was World Saving.  And I liked that.  I also really liked Ryan and Eden's relationship – it was really sweet and kind of innocent.  It was just really cute!
I loved a whole bunch of the other characters in the book, even if they weren't in it all that much.  Especially Connor – I think I have a thing for surfers.
I liked Eden's voice – it was really quite simple and easy to read.  But the dialogue at times...  I've gotta say, sometimes it felt a bit... forced.  I don't know why...  But other than that I loved Eden's voice – she felt like a real teenager and, being the same age, I could relate to her.  But younger people will relate to her, too, because I've gotta say, I'm not quite as... naive as her, to put it nicely...  Which doesn't make any sense, but still.  Relatable and easy-to-read writing.  Win-win!
Moving on... To the plot, which was pretty much always awesome.  I did see a few of the twists coming but I was hooked nonetheless.  It was so fun and exciting and really quite fast-paced!  
And I lovedthat After Eden was set in England at the beach.  So few books I read are British – especially sci-fi/time-travel books like this!  I literally did a happy dance when I saw the setting!  But on the topic of time-travel, the book really did make all the sci-fi things seem real.  I like that.  Stupidly farfetched sci-fi books get on my nerves.
All in all, After Eden was a brilliant little book that I loved.  It was sweet and fun and a brilliant escape.  It also didn't end on a horrible cliff-hanger – yes, the ending was a little bit... conveniently predictable, but it was cute and I liked it, so there.  I'm excited for Chasing Stars– I'll be looking forward to my fun beach-y British book next summer!  And for those of you who want a cute, fun, Doctor-Who-ish, addictive, read-in-one-sitting book, you've gotta pick up After Eden.  You won't regret it!

Star Rating:
3¾ Out of 5



Read this book if you liked:
Timedance Series by Susan Waggoner
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading
Megan

* This book was received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review
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Daughters of Time Blog Tour: Adèle Geras on Eleanor of Aquitaine

March 11, 2014, 12:30 am
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I am so thrilled to be part of this blog tour - I just want to say that now.  I've been intrigued by Daughters of Time ever since we heard about it at last years' Hot Key-Templar-Piccadilly bloggers brunch and I was so thrilled to have a chance to read it and be a part of this blog tour!  And I'm so pleased to have author Adèle Geras here today!!
Daughters of Time is an anthology by The History Girls; it has thirteen stories of inspirational women throughout time.  It is definitely worth a read - so pick it up ASAP!!
Now, I hope you enjoy the post!! :D


When the idea for what became Daughters of Time first emerged, I was very keen to write about Florence Nightingale. At school, our houses were named after Famous Women: Jane Austen, Sarah Siddons, Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale. I wrote a play about Nightingale's life and her work in the Crimean War for us all to perform. We must have been about twelve at the time and all the things we subsequently learned about that war and what Florence really did and didn't do, came much later. In those days, the image of a kind woman carrying a lamp into the darkness and starting off the education of nurses struck me as most romantic and maybe if there's a follow-up to Daughters of Time, I can write about this unusual (possibly autistic, according to some people) and fascinating person.
Eleanor of Aquitaine
But I had to choose someone else and I had no notion of where to begin. I reckon Elizabeth Fry wouldn't have been a bad choice either....the thing about Daughters of Time is: we were spoiled for choice because there are so many women throughout history who have not been properly appreciated.
Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is the subject of my story, is a figure I think of as immensely glamorous. I studied French at University and the whole troubadour culture was something that appealed to me. When I think of the times Eleanor lived through, it's in very unscholarly terms. I imagine myself in a field of embroidered flowers, with a unicorn and a couple of pretty rabbits dotted around and me of course wearing a pointed hat with a veil hanging from it. I have, as anyone can see, been heavily influenced by Books of Hours, the hangings in the Musée de Cluny of the Lady with the Unicorn, etc etc. Another strong influence was a movie called The Lion in Winter. This starred Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. She was Eleanor and her performance stayed with me for decades.
Hepburn came into my mind when we were choosing the women about whom we wanted to write. One thing you couldn't say about Eleanor was that her life was lacking in incident. Everything happened to her: love, loss, war, imprisonment, being a queen, being a mother, being an educated woman at a time when women (and most men) could not even read. She was a traveller. A Crusader. She was clearly most attractive to men and more than any of this, she lived to a very ripe old age at a time when most people died young by modern standards.
My friend, the writer Sally Prue, suggested that Eleanor might have a treasure chest filled with souvenirs from this eventful life and I liked the idea so much that I took it and used it as the basis for my tale. Because the intended readers of the book are young people, I have made the young protagonist of my story, The Queen's Treasure, about twelve or so. I wanted her to be as dazzled by Eleanor as I had been when I first heard about her.
I hope everyone who reads the book enjoys the young Juana's adventures.

Adèle Geras

Daughters of Time by The History Girls, edited by Mary Hoffman 
£6.99 Templar Publishing. Out now.

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Thank you so much, Adèle!  I loved your story and post and the anthology as a whole - and I hope everyone else loves them too!!  :D
Everyone, check out Daughters of Time on Goodreads - and check out The History Girls, too: there's loads of awesome authors on this site and so many awesome posts too!  
Check out Adèle Geras'site as well - and her Twitter! :D
Thank you again, Adele!  And everyone, continue with the Daughters of Time Blog Tour by hopping over to Winged Reviews tomorrow for an interview with Katherine Roberts!! :D
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Mutant City Blog Tour: Inspiration

May 8, 2014, 6:02 am
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I'm a huge, huge Marvel fan and so I was over the moon when I saw Steve Feasey was writing Mutant City - and even more overjoyed that they wanted me for the blog tour!  For those of you who haven't had a chance to get their hands on MC yet (it's out TODAY: buy it now - you won't regret it!!), it's the perfect book for X-Men fans (like me) and I just can't recommend it enough!  But, enough rambling from me.  Steve has done us a post about Mutant City's inspirations - enjoy!!  :D

I’m often asked where I get my ideas from, so here’s the truth - I steal them. Alright, I don’t actually copy anyone’s ideas (plagiarism will only land you up in court surrounded by lawyers), but every book or article or short story I read, every movie or TV show I watch and every console or PC game I play might just be a little kernel of an idea that grows into something much bigger. That’s not really stealing, but sometimes it feels like it.
Mutant City was no different in this regard. I had an idea for a book about a boy with telekinesis – the ability to move matter with one’s mind – but the idea was a bit ‘sketchy’, and certainly not a story. It wasn’t until I thought about the type of books I’d like to write after my Changeling series, I wanted something with a science fiction feel to it, that I knew how the book could work. Two of my great loves when I was growing up were science fiction and fantasy books (I, like lots of fans of these genres, don’t like to lump them together) and I thought it would be great to merge some of my favourite aspects of these two genres to create a post-apocalyptic world in which a ruling elite, with all the power that advanced technology can give, ruthlessly oppresses their mutant neighbours. Into this mix are thrown five children with special mutant powers; powers that the ruthless President of the technocrats wants. Thus, the battle lines for Scorched Earth are drawn.
To pretend that comics like 2000AD, Spiderman and Marvel’s X-Men didn’t have an influence on Mutant City would be foolish. I adored, and still do love, these stories, and some of the most original story ideas ever have originated in the panel-and-bubble comic book format (you only have to look at some of the top-grossing movies of the last ten years to see how appealing these narrative and the ideas behind them are).
Mutant City wasn’t any easy book to write. Some of the ‘bad science’ I had to employ to make the world and the societies in it jarred with me, and I’m already anticipating emails from people keen to point out various scientific anomalies I’ve included. Also, telling the book from multiple viewpoints was hard at times, and restricted my ability to really explore the characters in way I would have liked.

Having said all that, I think it is a good book, with the right mix of world-building and action. I really hope it sparks the imagination of the vast majority of readers, and leaves them wanting more. 

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It's definitely left me wanting more - I can't wait for Mutant City 2!  Thank you so much for stopping by, Steve - I hope you all enjoyed the post!  And that everyone picks up a copy of Mutant City!!  Oh, and take the Mutant City quiz and discover what your Mutant power would be!
I'm having a bit of trouble with Goodreads at the moment, but you can check Mutant City out on Amazon, check out Steve Feasey on his Site and Blog and on Twitter. 
Mutant City is out today so support the Mutants and pick up a copy now!  #StayMutant!
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Month of Guests 2013: Jana Oliver

October 4, 2013, 12:30 am
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The lovely Jana Oliver is here today, doing an awesome character interview!!  I hope you enjoy it - and check out her new book Briar Rose!! :D

Briar Rose Character Interview!

We’ve managed to talk two of the lead characters from Briar Rose (Jana Oliver’s new twisty and dark young adult retelling of Sleeping Beauty) into joining us today.
Welcome, ladies!
Briar Rose:Okay. Hi! ::waves shyly::
Reena:Okay, I’m here. What do you want to know?
Moderator:Tell us a little about yourself.
Briar: Well, I’m almost sixteen and I live in this tiny town in Georgia. It’s called Bliss, but trust me, it’s nothing like that. Pretty boring, actually. Did I mention it’s tiny?
Reena:What she said, except I’m seventeen and I’m her best friend who got conned into doing this thing. ::glares at Briar:: You sooo owe me.
Moderator:That’s a good start. So I have to ask -- any cute guys in Bliss?
Briar:::smiles:: There’s a few cuties in our school, but the real hottie is Patterson Daniels. He’s a transplant from Ohio and he’s a complete hunk.
Reena:And a total butthead. His ego is as big as his pecs.
Briar:Ouch. How can you not think he’s hot?
Reena:Easy. He opens his mouth and you see the real guy behind the pretty face. Now if you said you thought Josh was cute, I could go with that.
Moderator:So who is this Josh guy?
Briar:Well, he’s…Joshua Quinn, and we used to be best buds, but that all changed. There’s this thing between our families and now I’m not supposed to be anywhere near him.
Moderator:Why?
Briar:It’s…messy. The bottom line is that his crazy mom goes totally nuclear if we’re even sharing the same airspace. It’s just weird.
Moderator:So no problem with this Patterson guy though?
::Briar smiles:: No, not at all. Pat’s…. ::sighs::
Reena:Like I’ve said before: there will be trouble. Trust me on this.
Briar:You’re just jealous cuz he’s been checking me out. I know a good guy when I see one, and he’s absolutely prince material.
Reena:Here we go. I wondered how long it would take for her to bring up the whole fairytale prince and castle bit. ::waggles a finger:: Do not make me do an intervention on you, girlfriend.
Briar:What’s wrong with having a handsome prince sweep me off my feet, put me up on his pretty white horse and take me to his gorgeous castle? You know, happily ever after? Like Sleeping Beauty.
Reena:Bad example. Some nosey dude hacks through a bunch of thorn bushes just to see what’s inside the castle. That’s actually breaking and entering, but we’re supposed to think this guy is noble just because he has Prince in front of his name?
Briar:Come on, it’s romantic! How cool is it that this guy would brave those nasty thorns just to wake the princess?
Reena:It’s not cool, it’s creepy. Like hey, I’ve got nothing else to do today but order my peasants around so I’m going to find some sleeping babe and wake her up. Then she’ll fall in love with me. If that’s what it takes for this guy to get a date, he seriously lacks social skills.
Briar:Sorry, my friend really is a bummer about this stuff. Me? I love all the fairytales, even the really scary ones. Like Snow White with the evil step-mom queen person and the really hunky huntsman. What’s not to love?
Reena:Maybe the part when the queen asks for Snow’s liver for supper?
::Briarfrowns :: How about Cinderella? You have to love that one.
Reena:Not a chance. That prince? He’s so stupid he couldn’t remember the chick’s name the next morning, or even what she looked like. How’s that for a total flatline IQ?
Briar:See what I have to put up with?
Moderator:Obviously we have some… disagreement here. So tell me, if you could meet your perfect prince/boyfriend, what would he look like?
Briar:Like Pat Daniels.
Reena:Nope, not going there.
Moderator:Ah, come on. Humor us.
::Reenamutters under her breath:: Okay, he’d be smart and sexy and…own a Formula One race car that he’d let me borrow every now and then.
Moderator:And so there we have it – two teens in search of a prince who has a white horse--
Reena:Or a race car--
Moderator:And who are growing up in Bliss, Georgia where fairytales may or may not come true. Thanks for joining us, ladies.
Briar: It’s been fun. Thanks.
Reena:Yeah. What she said. Can we go now?


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Yay, thank you so so much Jana - and Briar and Reena too!!  

Hope you all enjoyed Jana's awesome post! And don't forget to follow Jana's Site, follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, and check out her books on Goodreads!  If you're interested in the brilliant Briar Rose - and yes: it really is brilliant - it came out September 12th, is published by Macmillan and you can check it out on Goodreads and Amazon!! :D
And keep up to date with MonthOfGuests on Twitter using #MonthOfGuests2013! And stop by tomorrow for another awesome character interview with the amazing characters of Tera Lynn Childs!!


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Jana Oliver is an American author. Her books cross many genres, including romance/fantasy and historical mystery. An Iowa native, she currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Her Time Rovers Series is published by Dragon Moon Press, a Canadian speculative fiction publisher, and in e-book form by Nevermore Press. The series has been nominated for fifteen awards and has won twelve, including ForeWord Magazine's Editor's Choice Book of the Year, the first time a science fiction novel has received that honor.
Her latest young adult series (The Demon Trappers) is published in the US by St. Martin's Press (THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER, SOUL THIEF and FORGIVEN).The series is also published in the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Brazil.

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Messenger Of Fear UK Cover Reveal And A Quick Question For Michael Grant!

June 30, 2014, 1:00 pm
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I was so excited to be asked to take part in the UK cover reveal of Michael Grant's new book Messenger Of Fear!  This book looks awesome - if slightly terrifying!  You can read the first few chapters: here!  But first I present the amazing UK cover for Messenger of Fear!!


I don't know about you guys, but I love it! The perfect amount of beauty and terror, if I say so myself! What do you guys think of it?  Do you prefer it to the USA edition, which you can see: here?  You can see Michael's reaction to the UK cover in the video below!  Let me know your reactions in the comments, too - or tweet them via #MessengerOfFear!



To celebrate the cover reveal, I also got to ask Michael a quick question, via Egmont.  This is the result...
Me: What made you want to write books that are so fantastically terrifying?Michael: My basic inspiration for MESSENGER OF FEAR was that I wanted to write something scary. I realize that’s not a very profound answer, but the truth is I like to have fun with my work. I thought MESSENGER OF FEAR would be fun to write, and I was correct. It’s a kick to write. I have fun doing it. I hope readers have as much fun reading as I do writing.
Well, if Michael's new book is anywhere near as amazing as his previous ones, I am very exciting and just know I'm going to love Messenger of Fear!!

Find out more about Messenger of Fear on Goodreads, tweet your thoughts to #MessengerOfFear, @EgmontUK and @EMTeenFiction!  
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Giveaway (UK ONLY)! Win 4 Signed Sets Of Easy And Breakable By Tammara Webber!

July 19, 2014, 12:00 am
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Hi fellow book addicts!  So nice  to catch up with a few of you at YALC - hope you had as brilliant a time as I did!!  But back to the present - I have presents!!  Four of you lucky ducks can win a signed set of Easy and Breakable, courtesy of Penguin!  How can you resist?!  To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below!  
I'm really, really sorry to any international followers, but this is UK only!  It ends Saturday 26th July - just one week from now!!  So enter ASAP for your chance to win!!   Oh, and check out my Giveaway Policy before entering please!

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Echo Boy by Matt Haig

August 10, 2014, 1:22 pm
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Series: Echo Boy, Book One
Publisher: Random House
Format: Hardback
Published: 27th March 2014
Number of Pages: 416
Book: Bought
Genre:Science-Fiction, Dystopia, Suspense, Action Adventure, YA, YA-Adult Crossover
Recommended Age: 13+
Contains:Violence, Death, Swearing
No Alcohol References
Author's Site: Matt Haig


Audrey has always surrounded herself with books and music, philosophy and dreams.  It’s what makes her different to the Echos: eerie, emotionless machines, built to resemble humans and to work for human masters.
Daniel is an Echo – but he’s not like the others.  He feels a powerful connection to Audrey; a feeling he was never designed to have, and cannot explain.
But he’s determined to try.
A powerful story about love, loss and what makes us truly human.

                                                                   Review:
'What was he?
Savior, or monster?'
The year is 2115.  Much of the environment has been destroyed.  Technology has come on in leaps and bounds and the world is full of Echos: machines built to look like humans, to serve humans, emotionless and blank.  
Audrey Castle's father is anti-Echo, anti-technology.  He taught Audrey how to stay human in this inhuman world.  Castles in their castle, building a moat of thought to protect them from the technology…
But the moat isn't enough.  Audrey finally understands what he was talking about thanks to a devastating incident, after which she finds herself living with her uncle - Alex Castle, the biggest distributor of technology in Europe, who owns a house crawling with Echos.
One is a boy named Daniel.  But he isn't like the others.  His eyes are too bright, too alive.  He can feel pain.  He's... more.  More than just an Echo.  More… human. 
They could not be more different and yet they also could not be more alike.  Alone, they stand no chance.  Together, they might just have a shot...
I don't really know what I was expecting from Echo Boy.  I've read a few things by Matt Haig in the past, but Echo Boy... it was just so very different.  And not just from his other books - but also from similar-ish books I've read in the genre.  I was absolutely hooked from the very first page and was utterly absorbed from start to finish.  I cannot wait for the second book!
As for the characters, in sci-fi futuristic books like this, for some reason I tend to find it hard to relate to the characters.  But in Echo Boy, it was easy.  Audrey, for example.  Despite her futuristic world, she felt like someone who could exist today.  She loved her classics, hurt terribly and had a mistrust of the things that had taken her old life from her.  Saying this, however, I felt the way she suddenly came around to Daniel a little unconvincing – if I'd been through what she had, I would be way more jumpy, untrusting and resentful.  Nonetheless, I really liked Audrey.
I wasn't expecting that much from Daniel: he is, after all, a cyborg, an Echo.  But I loved him and was thoroughly intrigued by his character.  His chapters were slower than Audrey's to begin with, but I enjoyed them more.  I loved him and loved seeing him struggle with his humanity, struggle with discovering who and what he was.  He fascinated me and I was one hundred percent behind him. 
I also liked the relationship between Audrey and Daniel.  The beginning did feel a little unrealistic but I liked how their connection grew.  I also liked that the feelings between them weren't the typical YA feelings.  They were deeper, different, complex.  Beautiful.  
I don't really want to say too much about the other characters, because I really don't want to give anything away.  I liked that no one - not even Audrey and Daniel - were how they first appeared, how I always had to be on my toes.  I like that in a thriller!
A Special Echo Boy FanPic By Me!
The writing was also brilliant, although the lack of contractions bugged me a little.  I got the formalness in Echos and even adults, but teenagers?  Not so much.  Even so, I loved how we got to see through both Audrey and Daniel's eyes.  And I also loved how each word felt important, necessary and true – how they all had significance and opened up my imagination, as well as slowly painting the full picture.
I also loved the philosophical side of Echo Boy, all the moral issues, the deeper meanings and the emotions – it all just blew my mind!  I was just shocked by how utterly deep this book was: the more you think about everything brought up, the more there is to ponder.  I also seriously want to talk all things Echo and philosophical, so let me know if you're game for this!
However, I must admit that the beginning of the book felt weird for some reason - I don't really know why…  But I soon got over that, because this plot is brilliant.  It's like... a puzzle: we're given tiny snippets, piece by piece, until the whole picture slowly unravelled before our eyes.  I loved that.  And whilst the pace could be slow at times, it just added to the.  But that final quarter... wow!  The pace of that last bit was so different and makes me so excited for what is to come next!  So, people, if you're feeling like it's lagging, just hold on because Echo Boy really fights back with that last bit and it makes everything so worth it!
But the world building may have been my favourite part of the whole book: it is amazing!  This world... it's full of advantages, but they covered up a huge question: how can you hold onto your humanity when the world around you is so thoroughly lacking it?  The world, the technology and all the questions these raised intrigued me and I can't wait to read more about the world of Echo Boy.
So yes, Echo Boy was really not what I was expecting.  It was a million times better.  It’s the best sci-fi futuristic book I've read in a long, long time.  It is clever, thought-provoking, different, emotional, real.  It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for me it was amazing.  It was made of the exact right amount of marvellous world-building, suspense and thought-provoking questions.  I loved Echo Boy and I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the second book.  I have a feeling that it'll be like the Empire Strikes Back...  

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5




Read this book if you liked:
Starters by Lissa Price
Partials by Dan Wells
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza


Happy Reading
Megan
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Better Than Perfect Blog Tour: Derek's Phone & Chapter Three Extract!

August 13, 2014, 12:30 am
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I'm super excited to be part of Simone Elkeles' Better Than Perfect tour!  It's a really cool tour, as well: the posts are like snapshots of the character's texts, which give extra insight into the attached extracts!  Awesome!  And, of course, all this in celebration of one amazing author and one of her brilliant books!  So I hope you enjoy!! :D


DEREK’S MOBILE PHONE
Uprooted to Chicago, Derek is missing the company of his old roommate Jack back in California. Just what is with this mad new family he has been forced to live with? Find out in the extract...





Don't forget to stop by the rest of the blog tour!
Previous Stop On The Better Than Perfect Blog Tour: Uncorked Thoughts
Next Stop On The Better Than Perfect Blog Tour: Escapism From Reality

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Thank you Bloomsbury for letting me be part of this awesome tour!  I'm loving the book!!  I hope you all read it and love it - oh, and that you love the new paperback cover!  :)
And you can check Better Than Perfect out on Goodreads and Amazon, as well as following Simone on her Blog, Twitter and Facebook!

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Blurb From Goodreads!
Ashtyn's life just got complicated. Her boyfriend is being distant and her sister's back at home after ten years - with a stepson in tow!
Derek has a perfect body, THE sexiest smile and a car - Ashtyn's only way to escape from her crazy life. But Derek likes to play by his own rules and is keen to take Ashtyn on a ride she'll never forget. As they spend more and more time alone together, will Derek's flirty games drive Ashtyn wild?
A sweet and steamy romance from New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles.
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Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

August 29, 2014, 4:46 am
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Series: Skulduggery Pleasant, Book One
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback
Published: 31st March 2007
Number of Pages: 398
Book: Bought
Genre:Paranormal, Fantasy, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Suspense, Horror, Action-Adventure, Mystery, Children's, YA, Children's-YA Crossover
Recommended Age: 9+
Contains:Violence, Death, Mild Swearing
No Alcohol, Drug References
Author's Blog: Derek Landy Blogs Under Duress
Skulduggery Pleasant Site: Skulduggery Pleasant

WARNING: THIS WILL BE ONE BIG FANGIRLY REVIEW.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant: detective, magician, warrior. 
Oh yes, and dead.

                                                                   Review:
Reading Skulduggery Pleasant takes me back to when I was like ten and reading this series for the first time.  I was instantly hooked.  This book is exciting, hilarious, fresh and funny.  It's magic.  Pure magic.  In the way Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Mortal Instruments and Vampire Academy are magic.  And I know it's too young for me and it probably ought to be a guilty pleasure, but I just can't feel guilty about loving this amazing series.  It's just too freaking good!  It's awesome with a side of awesome with sprinkles and awesomesauce and chocolate on top.  And no.  I’m not exaggerating.  Read and find out – or at least read the rest of my review.  You'll get it.  
I hope...
 “A crazy laugh escaped [Stephanie’s] lips when she reflected on how much her life had changed in the space of a day.  She had gone from being a perfectly ordinary girl in a perfectly ordinary world to become a target for water-soluble weirdos and a partner for a skeleton detective out to solve her uncle's murder...”
Stephanie Edgley's uncle Gordon died suddenly.  At his funeral, she meets Skulduggery Pleasant.  He's completely mysterious, a detective and former friend Gordon's.
Oh yes, and dead.  
He's a living (in the loosest meaning of the word) skeleton.  And when Skulduggery busts a door in and starts throwing fireballs at an intruder, Stephanie's whole world crumbles around her.
Magic exists and it's everywhere.
And now she's involved with one of Skulduggery's cases: her uncle was murdered and a bad sorcerer is behind it.  Said sorcerer is also after a very powerful, very dangerous and all-too real 'mythical' item – one that could change the world as we know it.  
But don't worry.  Skulduggery Pleasant is on the case.  He might be dead, but he's the best detective out there.  Plus, he's joined by kickass swordswoman Tanith Low and sorcerer-slash-tailor Ghastly Bespoke.
Not that Stephanie herself is helpless.  She has a new name, a new goal, and a whole new world to explore.
Well, you know, unless it's destroyed first or something...
Skulduggery Pleasant has been one of my favourite series since I first read it.  So when I found myself a few books behind, I saw the perfect excuse to read the whole series all over again.  Oh, the hardship!   But I forgot just how much I adored this series.  Cause I love it.  It's funny, it's magic, it's exciting, it's action-packed, it's amazing, it's fun, it's awesome.  I can't get enough.  Derek Landy is my hero, Skulduggery my master-slash-comedian-slash-teacher and Stephanie my friend.  Yep, that good!  I just love it too much.  
And I love all the characters.  They are brilliantly bizarre and brilliant.  Plus, they all just have the coolest names in the history of ever. 
Now, Skulduggery Pleasant has got to be one of my favourite characters ever.  He's definitely my favourite skeleton.  He’s totally brilliant and just a little weird.  I love that.  And, my God, I want his mind.  He's amazing.  And hilarious.  I love him to pieces.
Stephanie, I love.  She's so determined and funny and weird.  Her wit?  Legendary.  And she's very relatable – haven't we all felt like we don't belong, like there's more out there?  I know I have.   And a little secret...  I wish I was Stephanie.  Not just for her wit, though that helps... But she's just really strong and brave and funny, has the coolest taken name and the most awesome friends...  I'm jealous of a fictional twelve-year old...  Something is wrong with me...
Anyway, I love Stephanie and Skulduggery's relationship too – it’s so funny.  Their witty repartee, their snarky, hilarious banter…  It just kills me and I love them so much – so, so much!
Oh, and the other characters are awesome.  Especially Tanith: I love her - she's so badass.  I love Ghastly too.  Serpine... scary as hell.  Shudder…
But I loved that our heroine was Stephanie.  She didn't start off as a badass magic ninja like the others.  People saw her as helpless.  But she wasn't.  Why?  Because she was smart and strong and brave and good.  She's a good role model, really: even those who seem powerless have hidden strengths and can overcome anything if they're just smart and stubborn enough.
I'm reading too deep, aren't I?  Sorry...  
I love Landy's writing.  So witty and funny and fresh.  And just so completely hooking.  I literally love every single second of his writing.  I love how he has me gnawing at my fingernails while also making me laugh my head off.  Skill, that is.  Legendary, awesome, kickass skill.  And my God, the plot was just too brilliant!  It's so fun and addictive!  So full of action and suspense and laughter.  Ergo, I just loved it.  It’s awesome.
And damn, I love this world!  It’s so freaking cool: I love love love it.  So much that I just wanna move there like right now!  I wanna be a sorcerer.  I wanna be Skulduggery’s sidekick.  Sigh.  I love all the mythology, all the lore.  How Landy’s taken old myths and made them awesome and new and sparkly.  He just breathed life into the whole paranormal genre.  It’s awesome.
Skulduggery Pleasant isn’t just a book that dazzles the targeted nine-plus audience.  It dazzles me, and I am not-so-much nine.  And I was just as much wrapped up and dazzled by it on what I’m pretty sure is my third or fourth reading.  That’s the sign of an awesome, legendary, new-classic book: you never get tired of it.  Never.  I could read this whole series in a single sitting and still not have enough.  Hell, if I was only allowed one series on my desert island, Skulduggery would be right at the top.  It has everything you can want - action, adventure, magic, excitement, suspense and non-stop laughter.  This is a must read for all kids - be they young, old, reluctant or book-addicted.  Even if they're not so much a kid anymore.  This series...  Well.  It's enough to get anyone hooked to reading!   I'm addicted again and I just can't get enough.

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5




Read this book if you liked:
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Buffy The Vampire Slayer


A Special Team Skulduggery Pleasant Edit!


                                                   
Happy Reading

Megan
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Celebrating The New Harry Potter Covers Blog Tour: Chamber Of Secrets!

September 2, 2014, 12:30 am
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Harry Potter has been a huge part of my world ever since I was seven-years-old and read Philosopher's Stone for the first time.  I've grown up with Harry, Hermione and Ron and that is the main reason why I am so insanely excited to be part of the blog tour!  We have a some awesome content from the new edition of Chamber of Secrets, including GORGEOUS gif showing illustrator Johnny Duddle's sketches for the cover, some awesome pictures and author Katie Coyle's reasons for why Harry Potter is so important to her.  I may also throw in a little fangirling from myself, if you don't mind!  ;)
But enough of this: onto the fun stuff...


Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets

Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone ... Dobby’s sinister predictions seem to be coming true.



Jonny Duddle, jacket illustrator for the new Harry Potter children’s editions reveals three facts about the cover of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
  • I bought a Slytherin robe, so the boy from next door, Sammy, could model as reference for Harry.
  • I bought the Slytherin robe because it was cheaper than the Gryffindor version!
  • I changed Fawkes at the last minute, and turned his head to face out of the painting.

The finished cover!  Isn't it gorgeous?!


Katie Coyle, author of Vivian versus the Apocalypse, explains why Harry Potter is so important to her:
Katie Coyle!
"I was twelve when I met Harry Potter, just young enough to believe my owl from Hogwarts was flying slightly behind schedule. Without him, I would not be a reader; I would not be a writer. No story has ever affected me as much as Harry’s. His was the first that made me feel as if two doors had opened inside my head—one leading to the outside world, huge and new and endlessly interesting; the other leading inward to myself, memories and emotions I had yet to understand. I’ve loved other books, but only with Harry Potter have I had the curious, enveloping feeling that the book somehow loves me back.
"At the series’ core is a strong moral code, lessons in how to become a better, braver, more empathetic person. How to fight injustice—sometimes clumsily, always rightly. How to stand with Muggle-borns and house elves. How to love wildly, boldly, even if it means breaking your own heart. Over seven books, Harry loses nearly every adult who ever cares for him, but he never shuts himself away. He invites more and more people into his life, people he will love and could easily lose. This is the most important thing Harry Potter ever taught me: that everyone I have ever loved will die, and that is all the reason to love them just as hard as I can.  
"That is, after all, what Harry would do. And though my owl is at this point nearly seventeen years late, I think I’ll always look to him for wisdom and guidance. Because while of course I know he was just a story happening inside my head—there is no reason on earth that should mean he isn’t real."


And this is from the back cover!!  I love Dobby and this picture is too cute!  Way more fitting with the book's version of Dobby, too, rather than the movie one! 


The New Harry Potter Website!
Bloomsbury Publishing has relaunched its Harry Potter website to support the new children’s editions. The new Harry Potter site uses the Jonny Duddle artwork from the new children’s editions and includes pages of information on the bestselling series as well as exciting new content from Magical Downloads to a Harry Potter Quote Generator. Check out the new site at: http://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/
Check this site out- it's AWESOME!


And A Little Rambling From Me To Finish
As I said earlier, I feel like I grew up with Harry, Hermione and Ron.  I didn't start when the first book came out (in no small part due to the fact I would've been one at the time - I'm good, but I'm not that good) but instead found the series aged around seven.  Before long me, my mother, cousin and aunt were all reading the books and debating about them.  I can't remember how long the four of us would sit there, arguing about who was good, what would happen in the next book and who was our favourite character.  
For me, Harry Potter was not only an intensely personal, magical and beautiful journal, it was also something that really brought me together with people - first with the rest of my family and then with people and school and finally bloggers.  C'mon, who of us aren't massive HP fans?!
But Harry Potter also helped me find myself.  My mother is the one who turned me into the addicted reader I am today (yeah, Mum, the insane number of books I own is all your fault) but Harry Potter influenced the kind of books I read.  It turned my young brain from animal books onto magical, action-packed and exciting books.   I like to think it gave me my crazy imagination and helped me grow as a daydreamer.  It made a young child believe in a whole new kind of magic and a now adult believe anything is possible and that magic really does exist.
I mean, even after all these years, I remember the magic of reading Harry Potter for the very first time.  The magic doesn't really go, not really, but that first time...  It's just beyond description, something only another Potter-lover can get and something only Potter makes me feel.  Why else would I queue for hours in the freezing cold with only cookies and tea to keep me warm, waiting for the very last book to come out?  God, that was a good night...  I got my face painted and played wizard-y games...  I haven't queued for a book since because it will never, ever be the same.
But my point is, these new covers are going to inspire a whole new generation of die-hard fans like myself.  They're beautiful - obviously Harry Potter but with a new magic, a new spark.  And new fans are discovering the magic every second - and realising that books are ALWAYS better than the movies.  My younger brother found  this out last year - he read all seven books over the summer holidays and loved them so much he constantly told Mum and me HP facts we already knew very, very well.  He was just so excited and in love with the books: magic!  And these covers will give that to new children and new families and will give them stories they will treasure forever.  And, really, is there anything more magic than that?



Phew!  Sorry about that last bit - they said to add my own views...  I didn't realise my views would be so long!  Anyway, keep up with the blog tour - it's so brilliant!!  Check out the Philosopher's Stone post on Winged Reviews and stop by Jess Hearts Books tomorrow for Prisoner of Azkaban! 
Anyway, I hope you like the post - and the new cover, of course!!  Let me know what you all think in the comments!!

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My #BePrepared Survival Pack: Getting Ready For The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancy!

September 8, 2014, 2:16 pm
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I loved Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave and I'm so excited about The Infinite Sea, which is out 16th September!  And to prepare, Penguin want us to list what we'd put in a  survival rucksack.  
Therefore this is what I'd put in my #BePrepared Survival Pack.  
Bear in mind that this list literally only applies to today.  Tomorrow the book will have changed, the CD, the snack...  So, yeah.  But today this would be my #SurvivalPack...

First: Kindle.  I know, if this is #The5thWave universe the power is gone.  But (and big but) if it WASN'T Fifth Wave universe I'd need my Kindle - and charger of course.  Also, my Kindle has battery power that lasts weeks.  So, y'know, at the beginning I'd have something...  Oh, and a charger is a brilliant weapon: hold the cord, swing and smack your enemy in the ear.  Should give you time to run.

Second: Knife.  Ok, I'm really a pacifist, despite the kinds of books I read and my run-down on how to use a charger as a weapon...  I actually hate real violence.  Also I live in the UK and I don't know if you can have guns over here.  I wouldn't even want a gun.  But I'd need to protect myself.  Ergo: knife.  It would suck at long-distance protection but it's something.  I mean, I'd probably still die but... Yeah.
Oh, wait!  My Dad, he has a sword.  A super old one that belonged to an ancestor who used it in a war or something.  If I sharpened that up, maybe I’d stand a better chance.  Add knife-sharpener to the kit.

Third: NerfGun.  In hindsight, I'd want something more than a knife, blunt sword and charger.  So I'd use one of my brothers NerfGuns - preferably one of the more powerful ones.  I figure if I've got enough ammo, some glue and sharp objects (like nails) I can turn this toy in a pretty effective survival tool.  Shoot at the head/foot/whatever and you can at least injure them enough to escape.  

Fourth: My iPhone.  Ok, again the electricity thing.  But I'd need this.  It's like a security blanket, I guess.  It might be my only chance at finding other survivors, if the electricity works, of course…

Fifth:Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  I cannot face the end of the world without having read this book.  Weird, I know, but I just can’t.  So, yes.  Opposition is in my kit. 

Sixth: Torch - duh.  Worrying that this is only number six, though…

Seventh: Cereal bars, water bottles, can opener, matches, cigarette lighter (I don’t have one of those, though… no one in my family smokes… which could be a problem). Y’know, essentials.  Again, worrying they’re number seven.

Eighth: Notebook, pen.  To keep track of my thoughts and tell the world what’s going on with me.  Y’know, if there’s anyone else out there. 

Ninth: Travel tissues, concealer, hand sanitizer, medical kit, thread and needle, blanket, change of clothes.  Essentials for life on the run.

Tenth: Photo of my family - to know why I was fighting.  


Ok, so that's my #SurvivalPack.  In hindsight, it might be a Survival Suitcase.  Still.  Also, I've kinda worried myself about how violent this list went…  Also by the fact that my Kindle and Opposition comes before food and water… 
Oh well.  I’m a book addict.  I never claimed to be sane or normal.
Or, you know, that it’s even plausible I’d survive the apocalypse/alien invasion/zombie problem/whatever other end-of-world scenario…

Anyways, that’s my Kit.  Let me know what’s in yours!  And keep an eye out for The Infinite Sea, the second in The Fifth Wave series!  Out September 16th!
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Playing With Fire by Derek Landy

September 10, 2014, 12:30 am
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Series: Skulduggery Pleasant, Book One
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback
Published: 1st September 2008
Number of Pages: 378
Book: Bought
Genre:Paranormal, Fantasy, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Suspense, Horror, Action-Adventure, Mystery, Children's, YA, Children's-YA Crossover
Recommended Age: 9+
Contains:Violence (Lots of It - and It's Freaking Awesome), Death, Mild Swearing
No Alcohol, Drug References
Author's Blog: Derek Landy Blogs Under Duress
Skulduggery Pleasant Site:Skulduggery Pleasant

WARNING: COULD CONTAIN SPOILERS... AND A LOT OF FANGIRLING.
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED...

You know how it is – you think you’ve saved the world, and then ANOTHER evil villain turns up with an unbeatable monster and starts breaking things.

Oh yes, and you’ve got a skull for a head.  A thirteen-year-old girl for a sidekick.  And no clue what to do…

                                                                   Review:
"How about on the Evil Villain Scale?  Ten being Serpine, one being Scapegrace?"
"The Baron, unfortunately, turns it all the way up to eleven."
"Seriously?  Because, you know , that's one more evil."
"It is indeed."
"So we're in trouble then?"
"Oh, yes...”
Stephanie Edgley is now Valkyrie Cain - sorcerer-in-training, detective and partner to Skulduggery Pleasant, a magic, talking, living skeleton.
They saved the world not long ago, you know.  From this crazy guy who wanted to bring back the horrible, human-hating, homicidal gods known as the Faceless Ones.
They like literallyjust saved the world.
Of course, it didn't stay that way for long.  
Now there's a new crazy guy who wants to bring back the Faceless Ones.  And also this horrid monster-hybrid thing known as the Grotesquery - and yes, as gross as the name and equally killer-crazy and legendary-monster-like.  There's also a whole lot of vampires.  And, like, a lot of dead bodies.  And also a lot of people trying to kill Valkyrie.
You know how it is.  Just another day at the office when your mentor is a skeleton and your best friend is a magic-wielding, high-kicking sorcerer called Tanith.
Well.  Until people slightly closer to home start getting all murdery...
Ohh, how I love this series.  It is honest-to-God one of the bestest series out there ever.  Like, ever ever ever.  I forget how much I love it sometimes.  And I forget to tell everyone in the whole entire world to read it right freaking now.  It's so so so much fun and so so so funny and exciting and awesome and...  Ok, and now I'm rambling...  Um, fangirling over...  Onto the review, please, Megan...
I'll start with the characters.  Why?  Because I love 'em all to death.  Literally.  Kind of is literally, in Skulduggery's case, what with him being a skeleton and all.  But seriously, love 'em.  Skulduggery is, of course, my very favourite.  He's so funny and snarky and witty and just never fails to make me laugh.  I just adore his witty comments during a fight, his way of never shutting up and always managing to make the enemy even angrier.  He always (normally) wins of course, because he is amazing and brilliant and a genius and... well, he knows when to run like hell! 
But I felt that Stephanie really came into her own in this one - really and truly became Valkyrie Cain.  She was usin' magic, fightin' the bad guys, throwin' fireballs, gettin' almost killed and kidnapped and karate chopped... Ok, not that last one.  This book has made my mind go all silly I love it so much.  The point is, ol' Valkyrie is now totally kickbutt, funny, snarky and awesome.  Yay!
And I love Tanith too - she's awesome.  Like, seriously.  Awesome.  Love her.  Especially love her, for lack of a better word, catchphrase: "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough".  Ha, hilarious!  And Kenspeckle is brilliant as well.  That weird dude who I'm pretty sure was stoned was funny too - Finbar, I believe he was called.  Finbar Wrong.  Did I mention these guys have like the best names ever?  As for the bad guys... Well.   Very very very bad.  And quite scary.  And really crazy.  
But I think that my very favourite bit about the characters is the relationships and interactions - more specifically, the banter between Valkyrie and Skulduggery: it is hilarious.  Like, fall-off-your-chair hilarious.  I can never read this book without grinning.  It is physically impossible.  Even during the exciting, full-of-suspense fight scenes, old Skulduggery never fails to make me grin.   Love it.  
And manare the action scenes awesome!  I love all the fighting, the battles, the twists and turns.  It's just so much fun!  It's like one non-stop adrenaline ride.  Like a roller coaster that's going super superfast, loop-the-looping, corkscrewing, spiralling...  Like being on the Enterprise when it goes into warp.  Um, I am such a nerd.  But still, it's a ride you never want to end, a ride you can't put down, and a ride you instantly wanna jump back on the second you finish.  It is totally addictive, totally exciting and totally awesome.  And, if you haven't guessed, I loved Playing With Fire's plotline.  And I'm picking up The Faceless Ones even as I type this up.
But onto writing: love it!  I cannot even tell you how funny Derek Landy is.  He is a comedy genius.  And he's also an action genius, writing the best fight scenes ever.  But seriously.  Please read one of these books and then you'll get why I gush so much about everything Landy does.  And why I am 100% certain that he is a total freaking genius.  
Actually he is undoubtedly a total genius.  And the Skulduggery Pleasant books are absolute legends.  They are new classics for children.  Each and every one of them has that magic you remember from childhood, no matter how many times you reread them or what your age is.  It just... sparkles.  Every single word, every single page, every single character glitters and just whispers 'read me', like a Siren call.  Irresistible.  Addictive.  Enough to get any reluctant reader hooked.
Now.  Onto The Faceless Ones...

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5


  
Read this book if you liked:
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud

                                                                                     
Happy Reading

Megan
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