Sunday 29 March 2015

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Countless teenage girls have been murdered...and Scarlett and Roise March know how they died; torn apart by werewolves. For Scarlett, the memories of a similar attack have left not just emotional scars but physical ones. The sisters fight side by side to save others from the same fate.

When the mysterious and brooding Silas arrives he inadvertantly causes a series of events that could endanger them all. As passion grows between Rosie and Silas, Scarlett uncovers some shocking secrets about Silas' family history that could tear the sisters apart - one way or the other...

Review: I really wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted to. The cover is gorgeous - on the image here the colours are matt but my copy is amazing and shiny and is completely gorgeous. I also love fairy tale retellings and after writing my own take on Little Red Riding Hood earlier this year, I really wanted to see how a 'professional' writer put their spin on the classic. And it was okay. Nothing amazing but okay.

The story is told in a dual POV from the two March sisters Scarlett and Rosie who dedicate their lives to hunting the Fenris (or wolves to you and me) to avenge their grandmother's murder seven years earlier. Both girls are quite strong characters but Scarlett definitely. As the oldest, Scarlett definitely carries around the whole I'm older and so you do as I say thing and Rosie just succumbs to it. During the murder of their grandmother, Scarlett saves her little sisters life and ends up losing an eye for her trouble and so Rosie feels insanely guilty and feels like she has to do whatever her sister says, which did get slightly irritating. Enter Silas, the family friend who moved away for a year and has just come back to town. He tries to get Rosie to live her life on her own terms and so she takes his advice and realises hey, this living my own life thing is actually great. The whole way through the book, all I kept thinking was, if Scarlett loves her sister so much, surely she'd understand if she wanted a small break from hunting? Apparently not. Normally, headstrong and dominating female protagonists work really well in fiction. They're able to make the hard decisions that move the plot forward but there is a fine line between being strong and being overbearingly strong which, for me, is what Scarlett is and it's a little annoying because she's always in everyone's face and making decisions for them.

On the other end of the scale is Rosie, who is desperately trying to prove to her sister that she can hunt alone and is as strong as she is but Scarlett is wary of letting her go. Out of the two sisters, I think I preferred Rosie more - she seemed more human as a character. Scarlett is completely fixated on the hunt which meant that, as a reader, I couldn't really connect with her as a character. Rosie on the other hand, can be a little overly sweet sometimes, but, on the whole, I was a lot more interested in her characters than Scarlett's. I feel like there's more of a character development throughout the book in terms of Rosie's character - she does become strong and capable and proves this to herself and Scarlett. I didn't feel Scarlett grew much as a character. This maybe came from the fact that the main plot point focuses around Rosie and Silas more than Scarlett but on the whole I don't think she changed too much. By the end of the book I was rooting for Rosie and was really pleased with how she managed to get herself out of a sticky situation alone and, clueless as to why she ended up in said situation.

The romance aspect of it was again, okay. Silas turns up and Rosie realises he's quite hot and Silas realises that she's quite hot and then it takes 200 pages of them holding themselves back from touching each other and speaking to each other just in case they make a fool out of themselves. Yet it's so obvious that they both like each other. One they are together it's a really sweet relationship. I love a sweet relationship I just hated the build up and the whole insta-connection that seems to appear in so many novels at the moment. Does anyone look at someone and realise they're completely head over heels for them? Maybe in Disney (which is fine because it's Disney and Disney can do no wrong) but in actual real life? It doesn't happen as far as I can tell. So when it happens in a book I'm instantly sceptical.

What really lowered the rating for me though was that the plot was predictable. I'm the easiest person to fool I swear - when everyone else is saying that they knew who committed the murder, it comes as a complete surprise for me, but 50 pages in and I already guessed what was going to happen. Especially since it's pretty much laid out for you in the synopsis. I thought that maybe, since it was laid out in the synopsis, something would happen to change it up and throw you completely but it didn't. Everything that I expected to happen, happened and it really let me down.

Overall, it's not a completely awful book but I had really high expectations going into reading it and it did leave me disappointed at the end of it. If you want a quick read, you can probably get through this in a couple of days if you're a fast reader but it doesn't really leave you wanting a sequel or wanting to spend more time with the characters.

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6357708-sisters-red - no Copyright intended

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Anticipated YA Books for (the remainder) of 2015

A different post today - I'm only 3 months late to the party but these are some of the new YA releases of 2015 that I'm really looking forward to. I got the dates, synopsis and expected publication dates from the Goodreads link at the bottom of this post, so, the info may change closer to publication but, as of right now, this is what the books look and sound like.

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Expected publication: 19th May 2015

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

This sounds like such an intriguing book. I love the idea of the main character having a mental illness such as schizophrenia and I can't wait to see how the author twists it. It just sounds like a really interesting debut novel.


A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Expected publication: 5th May 2015

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.


I haven't read 'Throne of Glass' yet (it's on my Kindle waiting for my holidays lol) but I've heard amazing things about that series and I'm really interested to see how this story plays out. As I'm sure you've realised, I love myself a little bit of fey lore.


The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Expected publication: 29th September 2015

All we really have for this book is the expected release date because the book cover is going to change. This one is just to tease us, but I'm so excited for this book. The fourth and final installment in 'The Raven Boys' series, I devoured Blue Lily, Lily Blue in a day and a half I think. I swear I only put it down when I fell asleep. If you haven't picked up this series yet, it should definitely make your TBR list this year! Only 6 more months!

*Update: the release date for The Raven King has been moved to February 2016 because Maggie wants to spend longer editing the manuscript which means publication is going to take longer. Which I'm mostly okay with because it means the conclusion is likely to be just amazing but there is still a part of me that is disappointed because I need more Gansey and Blue in my life. Oh well, they say time flies right.

From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grogan

Expected publication: 4th August 2015

Sixteen-year-old Kara McKinley is about to realize her dream of becoming a professional baker. Beautifully designed and piped, her cookies are masterpieces, but also her ticket out of rainy Seattle—if she wins the upcoming national baking competition and its scholarship prize to culinary school in California. Kara can no longer stand the home where her family lived, laughed, and ultimately imploded after her mean-spirited big sister Kellen died in a drowning accident. Kara’s dad has since fled, and her mom has turned from a high-powered attorney into a nutty holy-rolling Christian fundamentalist peddling “Soul Soup” in the family cafĂ©. All Kara has left are memories of better times.

But the past holds many secrets, and they come to light as Kara faces a secret terror. Someone is leaving her handwritten notes. Someone who knows exactly where she is and what’s she’s doing. As they lead her to piece together the events that preceded Kellen’s terrible, life-changing betrayal years before, she starts to catch glimpses of her dead sister: an unwelcome ghost in filthy Ugg boots. If Kara doesn’t figure out who her stalker is, and soon, she could lose everything. Her chance of escape. The boy she’s beginning to love and trust. Even her life.


This sounds so good. I love anything to do with baking so that instantly got my attention and the idea of a stalker type mystery within that is really interesting. Plus the cover is insanely pretty.

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

Expected publication: 4th August 2015

It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?


This sounds really interesting and it's different to the kind of books I normally read. I don't usually read books like this because all too often they aren't done very well, BUT this sounds promising and there seems to be some mystery to the plot as well so we'll have to wait and see.

Where the Staircase Ends by Stacey Stokes

Expected publication: 14th April 2015

After her best friend orchestrates the lie that destroys her reputation, Taylor wants more than anything to disappear from her life. But when an accident turns this unspoken wish into reality, instead of an angel-filled afterlife, Taylor must climb a seemingly endless staircase into the sky.

Instead of going up, the journey plunges her into the past. As she unravels the mystery behind her friend’s betrayal, she must face the truth about life and find the strength to forgive the unforgivable -- unless the staircase breaks her first.


This seems to have a Lovely Bones kind of feel to it but, according to the couple of reviews posted by readers who've got a copy before release (I need to be one of those people, seriously!) it's an amazing book. It's intriguing anyway.

The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke

Expected publication: 7th May 2015

LOST.

When six-year-old Laurel Logan was abducted, the only witness was her younger sister. Faith’s childhood was dominated by Laurel’s disappearance – from her parents’ broken marriage and the constant media attention to dealing with so-called friends who only ever wanted to talk about her sister.

FOUND.

Thirteen years later, a young woman is found in the garden of the Logans’ old house, disorientated and clutching the teddy bear Laurel was last seen with. Laurel is home at last, safe and sound. Faith always dreamed of getting her sister back, without ever truly believing it would happen. But a disturbing series of events leaves Faith increasingly isolated and paranoid, and before long she begins to wonder if everything that’s lost can be found again…


This is either going to be amazing or awful. I think with these kind of books there's a very fine line between an amazing storyline and an awful storyline but I'm interested to see where this one falls.

The Secret Fire by C.J Daugherty

Expected Publication: 3rd September 2015

French teen Sacha Winters can't die. He can throw himself off a roof, be stabbed, even shot, and he will always survive. Until the day when history and ancient enmities dictate that he must die. Worse still, his death will trigger something awful. Something deadly. And that day is closing in.

Taylor Montclair is a normal English girl, hanging out with her friends and studying for exams, until she starts shorting out the lights with her brain. She’s also the only person on earth who can save Sacha.

There’s only one problem: the two of them have never met. They live hundreds of miles apart and powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

They have eight weeks to find each other.

Will they survive long enough to save the world?


This sounds really interesting (I'm really oveer-using that adjective in this post but oh well). I love L.J. Smith's Dark Visions trilogy and this seems to have some of the psychic element going on. I also smell a romance brewing between Sacha and Taylor :) There isn't a cover yet but this is one I'm going to keep my eye on.

Saturday 7 March 2015

City of Halves by Lucy Inglis

City of Halves by Lucy Inglis

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: London. Girls are disappearing. They've all got one thing in common; they just don't know it yet. Sixteen-year-old Lily was supposed to be next, but she's saved by a stranger; a half-human boy with gold flecked eyes. Regan is from an unseen world hidden within our own, where legendary creatures hide in plain sight. But now both worlds are under threat, and Lily and Regan must race to find the girls, and save their divided city.

Review: This was such a good book. I was a little sceptical about it as the tag line of the book is 'a must read for fans of The Mortal Instruments' and, since I loved that series I was a little unsure about how it would stand out from the series. It is similar in the fact that there are a lot of 'monsters' throughout but they're not the traditional demons and monsters of folklore that Cassandra Clare used in her series and that made it really interesting for me and made it stand out from her series.

The plot is so good in this book. The idea of blood type being the key to everything was really intriguing and is something I haven't seen before. This aspect of the plot was started off really early on in the book which was really nice. I've kind of got used to having twenty pages of minimal action and lots of set-up so to find a book that has action within the first few pages that sets up the rest of the book nicely. There are lots of little plot points as well that lead you along - like the mysterious person tracking Lily's online movements for example. That plot point is thrown up early on and you kind of forget about it until the person behind it is revealed which is a sign of a good writer in my eyes. If you can drop the hints and clues and still leave your readers in the dark, you're on to a winner.

I love the characters. Lily is so strong and stubborn and just a bad-ass! She is so focused on helping other people - whether it's the people in her father's latest court case or Regan; she wants to help them and will do anything to accomplish that. She's not weak willed and takes all the strangeness of Regan's world in her stride which is a really nice characteristic to see in a character. I love also love the fact that she's a hacker and that ability is prominent throughout the book and is something a little different and so was really interesting to read and see how Inglis used it throughout the book. Regan is so sweet. He's also got that stubborn and head strong personality trait which means the two clash quite a bit because of their desire to protect each other, so you get the arguments but you also get little fluffy moments which are really sweet. I loved Regan's protective streak. You could really see the relationship between Regan and Lily developing over the course of the book and, from quite a rocky beginning where Regan didn't really trust her, you can see him really trying to protect her and almost make up for the fact that her life has pretty much been derailed, despite Lily not seeing it like that.

This is another book that uses London as it's setting which I love. Being from the UK, it's not very often that you get a book set in the UK, most are set in America so it's quite different for me to find a book that's set in the UK. It was really interesting how Lucy Inglis used London and it's transport system to create a world for all these mystical creatures to live in, drawing on historical knowledge and mixing them with familiar landmarks made it really interesting for me to read, especially since I live in the UK and so know many of these landmarks and I could really see how these creatures would appear in the places mentioned in the book.

The 'family' that has been created for Regan was really sweet and needs a mention. Regan doesn't initially view them as a family because his job means that he's likely to lose them in some way, but Lily really helps him to see that that's not the case. Lucas and Elijah are almost Regan's parents - looking out for him in their own special way and he's always checking in with them and so it's a really interesting dynamic to see between the three characters. I loved Mickey the diviner - he seems so much fun and nothing really fazes him, he just makes a joke out of it. He's the kind of person I'd want as a friend. I think all the characters in this book are really well developed and believable and I loved all of them.

This book was only released last year and I think it's her debut. It's such a good book with an intriguing plot and amazing characters. If you love The Mortal Instruments series then you need to read this book.

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18523130-city-of-halves ~ no Copyright intended