Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Title: Bloodhound





Author: Tamora Pierce





Published: New York : Random House, c2009





Pages: 551





Series: Book 2, Beka Cooper





Snippet:"Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."





Summary: Having been promoted from "Puppy" to "Dog," Beka, now a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, and her former partner head to a neighboring port city to investigate a case of counterfeit coins. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: It has been a while since I've read a Tamora Pierce book and when I got hold of Bloodhound I was pretty excited because I do love Tamora Pierce.  Compared to all the other books by Tamora Pierce I've read I would say Bloodhound was good but it wasn't one of the best. By itself, I would have to say that it delivered on being awesome.





I really liked Bloodhound. Mostly because it was a bit of a mystery with the counterfeit coins.  I did think it didn't have as much of a fantasy atmosphere as I usually like but it was still enjoyable.





Characterwise I think Beka is pretty kick-ass. Same with Goodwin, I love female characters who are strong and independent and the two of them together just make one really great team.  One character I didn't particularly like was Dale.  I had my own reasons for not liking him which if I said anything would spoil part of the story.





Overall, Bloodhound was a good book, it was a little long though. I think it could've been cut back a little but I still enjoyed it.  I definitely look forward to the next book in the trilogy, Mastiff, which will be out next year. If you're a fan of Tamora Pierce and fantasy novels, I think you'll enjoy Bloodhound and the first book Terrier.





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Forget-her-nots by Amy Brecount White

Title: Forget-her-nots










Author: Amy Brecount White



Published: Greenwillow Books, 2010



Pages: 384



Snippet: "No one we truly love ever leaves us completely."



Summary: When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn't so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don't always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she's soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom. (Taken from Goodreads)



Review: When I found out that Forget-her-nots was about flowers I jumped at the chance to read this book. I love flowers and I love the whole concept of the 'language of flowers'.  It was a really good book. The flowers in the book made for such an  interesting and unique story.



The book was written in quite a simple language so it didn't take too long to read through the book.  I would say that this book is probably for a younger young adult audience just because the story is written quite simply.



None of the characters were outstanding. I think I missed a part of it because I was a little confused at Laurel's behaviour but it was explained a little later on.  I thought Tara was an absolutely horrible character and I know some people are mean but she just seemed to be too mean at times.



One thing I'm really curious about is if  there will be a sequel. Forget-her-nots ended quite abruptly so I was left a little dazed at the end.



Overall, I enjoyed Forget-her-nots.  It had a really unique and original concept and I loved learning about all the flowers but I didn't think it was the best book out there.  If you're looking for a bright, summer read with a lot of flowers then Forget-her-nots would be a great read.



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Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen





Author: Lauren Kate





Published: Delacorte Press, 2009





Pages: 452





Series: Book 1, Fallen





Snippet: "All she knew was that when the shadows came they were usually accompanied by a cold chill under her skin, a sickening feeling unlike anything else."





Summary: There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. 



Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.



Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. (Taken from Goodreads)





Review: I love the cover of this book. I actually spent a lot of time just looking at the cover trying to figure out just what I loved about it. While, I did absolutely love the cover (and still do) I didn't entirely love the actual book.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't entirely hate this book either, I just didn't love it.





The first half of the book is pretty slow. I just had so much trouble getting into the book. And then when there were interesting parts they didn't last too long. But when there were interesting parts I have to say that they definitely kept me turning the pages and wishing for more.





Luce wasn't an entirely great character. She annoyed me quite a bit and she just wasn't an engaging character.  Daniel, Cam and Penn all intrigued me however. Especially Daniel. I think I would've been even more intrigued by him if part of the plot hadn't been spoiled for me.





Overall, I did like Fallen. It wasn't too bad but hopefully because it was the first book in the series the second one, Torment will be even more interesting. I'll definitely be checking it out.  I think that Fallen is a really interesting book. It's worth a read if you have a chance.





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Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

Title: Sing Me To Sleep





Author: Angela Morrison





Published: Razorbill, 2010





Pages: 301





Snippet: "I needed a whole heart once in my life. Is that so wrong?" 





Summary: THE TRANSFORMATION








Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.
THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.
THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?
THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything. (Taken from Goodreads)






Review: What I thought was going to be a story about a girl who transforms herself into a person she feels happy and comfortable with turned out to be so much more.  The first few pages were about Beth and how she transformed herself into someone she felt more comfortable with. She changed her looks which dramatically changed her outlook on life.





Then she meets Derek and he's hiding something. In the end curiosity got the better of me and I just had to know what his big secret is. Wow. In a way I wish I could go back to not knowing. But now I do. It was quite a shock.  Basically, when I found out my whole opinion of the book changed.  Up until that point I'd thought Sing Me To Sleep was alright. After that I was astounded.





Sing Me To Sleep is amazing.  I cried. It was really sad.  It not only deals with how people perceive themselves it goes far deeper. I can't say too much without giving away any details but Sing Me To Sleep is a truly astounding read.





I have to say that I don't think I've read a book quite like it. I would definitely recommend this book! Sing Me To Sleep is truly earth shattering and so well written.





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Beastly by Alex Flinn

Title: Beastly





Author: Alex Flinn





Published: New York : HarperTeen, 2007





Pages: 304





Snippet: "Maybe we judge people too much by their looks because it's easier than seeing what's really important."





Summary: A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries)





Review: When I found out that Beastly was based on the Beauty and the Beast story I jumped at the chance to read it as Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite stories ever.





I can tell you now that Beastly did not disappoint in any way. I absolutely loved it. There was so much about how people base everything on how people look but that it's not the most important thing about people.





I loved all the talk about roses because really what can you use to talk about beauty that is as effective as a rose.





I have to say that there wasn't anything I didn't love about Beastly. It was a really good book and while I knew what was going to happen I really enjoyed reading Beastly. It just reinforces the idea that nobody is perfect and nobody should be judged on how they look.





Overall, Beastly is a wonderfully magical book that is definitely worth a read.





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Killer by Sara Shepard

Title: Killer





Author: Sara Shepard





Published: New York : HarperTeen, c2009





Pages: 321





Series: Book 6, Pretty Little Liars





Snippet:"The person's face was covered by a huge hood."





Summary: May contain spoilers! Former best friends Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer continue to live in fear as they struggle to keep hidden even more secrets and someone new begins stalking them via their cell phones. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: Oh my goodness! Cliffhanger ending anybody. Killer has to be the most intense book in the Pretty Little Liars so far. Ugh I just wish I had the last two books with me.





Without giving too much away, there was so much mystery  going on. Like, what is up with A? All of this suspense is driving me crazy, I JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.





I have just one little thing to say about Spencer, oh man I just feel like telling her that she is crazy. I just feel so bad for her and yeah. We'll leave it there.





Killer is a reminder of why I love to read and why I love mystery and suspense books.  If you have not read Killer or any of the Pretty Little Liars then you should definitely now.  I know the covers don't look like much but really the story and plot is so in-depth and amazing you can't help but get sucked in.





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The Mermaid's Mirror by L. K. Madigan

Title: The Mermaid's Mirror





Author: L. K. Madigan





Published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 2010





Pages: 336





Snippet: "The moon shone down on the waves, making them glitter like thousands of tiny lights flickering just beneath the surface, rolling over and over.."





Summary: Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching. 



As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.



But her father – a former surfer himself – refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.



Yet something lures Lena to the water … an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman—with a silvery tail.



Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.



And soon … what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life … (Taken from Goodreads)





Review: This is the first young adult novel I've read that is about mermaid's.  I don't think it's a spoiler at all to say that this is a book about mermaid's. Anyway, as far as mermaid's go this book had them and they were interesting creatures thats for sure.





I have to say I liked the first half of the book a bit better than the second half.  This is mostly because there was a whole element of mystery and suspense for the first half so you didn't know what was going on and it just made you want to keep turning the pages.





Unfortunately, while I did like The Mermaid's Mirror I didn't think it was anything too special.  It was a nice, pleasant read that didn't take me too long to read. It was entertaining but there was just nothing overly wonderful about it.  It was average.





None of the characters except maybe Ani appealed to me, I just didn't find any of the characters overly appealing. Lena wasn't too bad, she just wasn't anything special.





I did feel the ending was a little rushed but it wasn't too bad an ending.  I had hoped it would end a different way than it did but no, we can't always have happy endings.





If you like mermaid's and are looking for a simple and easy read then The Mermaid's Mirror is a good book to choose.





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Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire





Author: Suzanne Collins





Published: New York : Scholastic Press, c2009





Pages: 391





Series: Book 2, The Hunger Games





Snippet: "In that one slight motion, I see the end of hope, beginning of destruction of everything I hold dear in the world. I cant guess what form my punishment will take, how wide the net will be cast, but when it is finished there most likely be nothing left.So you would think that at this moment, I would be in utter despair." 





Summary: May Contain Spoilers! By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: Pretty darn addictive. Thats all I have to say about it.  It's a good thing I was doing a read-a-thon when I had this book because I really couldn't stop reading it.  I pretty much had to know what was going to happen next.  My choice in guy for Katniss still stands.





I was very happy I got to know Gale a little better.  I thought Peeta was alright but really he's just not as cool as Gale, in my opinion.  As for Katniss she is one cool chick.  I have to say that some of the other characters who were newly introduced held a soft spot in my heart too.





If I had to say whether I preferred The Hunger Games or Catching Fire I would have to say that I actually liked them both equally.





I don't often read dystopian novels but Catching Fire is a really good one. It grabbed my attention from the very start and the ending was a good cliffhanger so it will be interesting to read the third book, Mockingjay which is not out yet.





Overall, Catching Fire is a truly addicting, riveting and amazing read.  If you haven't read this and The Hunger Games then you definitely should soon because it is awesome.





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This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Title: This World We Live In





Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer





Published: Harcourt Children's Books, 2010





Pages: 239





Series: Book 3, Last Survivors





Snippet: "If only we could eat books."





Summary: It's been over a month since Miranda Evans has written in her diary, a month of relative calm for her and her family. It's springtime, and with warmer weather comes rain, and the melting of the winter's snow. The shad are running in a nearby river, and Miranda's brothers Matt and Jon leave home for a few days to see if they can catch some to supplement their food supply. It's been over a month since Miranda Evans has written in her diary, a month of relative calm for her and her family. It's springtime, and with warmer weather comes rain, and the melting of the winter's snow. The shad are running in a nearby river, and Miranda's brothers Matt and Jon leave home for a few days to see if they can catch some to supplement their food supply. (Taken from Goodreads)





Review: If there was one word to sum up This World We Live In I would say it would be depressing.  The whole mood of the book is sad, and it's quite a hard book to read if you don't like sad books.  I did enjoy reading This World We Live In but I did feel myself tearing up a couple of times.





I think that This World We Live In would be my favourite of all three books in the series.  There was more to it  and it was really well written.  Sometimes I thought a lot of the parts were very convenient so to speak but it still made a good story.





One thing I didn't think was so great about this book was the characters.  There were some new characters and well lets just say that Syl in particular was one character I did not like at all.  I also didn't really like how any of the characters had developed.





However, This World We Live In is a pretty good book.  It makes you think about the things you have and makes you think about how much they mean to you.  It's definitely worth a read, the whole series is if you're a dystopia fan.





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The Good Neighbours : Kith by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh

Title: Kith





Author: Holly Black





Illustrator: Ted Naifeh





Published: Graphix, 2009





Pages: 128





Series: Book 2, The Good Neighbours





Summary: While sixteen-year-old Rue Silver travels into the faerie realm to find her mother, faerie creatures are entering the human world and wreaking havoc, forcing Rue to ponder where her loyalty should lie. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: I enjoyed Kith, there was a massive cliffhanger at the end of Kin and so I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series. I have to say though, while the cliffhanger was resolved I just didn't enjoy Kith as much as Kin.





The characters were all interesting in their own ways but they were all massively selfish. I just found it to be quite confusing at parts.





The illustrations were really cool, I loved the pictures of the fey creatures, they're so wicked and dark and creepy.  It definitely added to the atmosphere of the book.





The story itself was pretty good, it was one redeeming feature of the book.  I think that the only part that really let me down about this book was the characters.  But I really loved the story line it was a good read. The ending was quite good, it left an opening for more.





Overall, Kith was pretty good.  I would suggest reading the first book, Kin, before this one though.  I'm interested in this series so I look forward to the next book, Kind.





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The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves





Author: Carrie Ryan





Published: New York : Delacorte Press, c2010





Pages: 407





Series: Companion to Forest of Hands and Teeth





Snippet: "Like a river flooding its banks, the entire valley is full of Mudo. The sound is not that of a raging waterfall but the pounding of two hundred million feet. The moans of a hundred million mouths. They pour through the valley, more people than I have ever seen. More people than I ever thought could have existed in one world."





Summary: Gabry lives a quiet life in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, hemmed in by the dead who hunger for the living, but her mother Mary's secrets, a cult of religious zealots who worship the dead, and a stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry threaten to destroy her world. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: It's hard to say much about The Dead-Tossed Waves without giving much away.  When it comes to books I prefer not to give much away because I think it's better if you go into a book not knowing anything about the book.  In saying that, I quite enjoyed The Dead-Tossed Waves and think it's definitely worth a read.





I'm not sure if I like this book more or the previous one (The Forest of Hands and Teeth).  They both have their good points and The Dead-Tossed Waves has its good parts and it has it's bad parts.  Well when I say bad parts I mean the parts I thought were a little boring and had to chew my way through.  But those parts did not outweigh the good.





I loved how The Dead-Tossed Waves started out, it was really mysterious and so much was going on and so much was hinted at that it made the entire thing truly amazing.  There were so many parts of this book that I really liked and kept reading through because I wanted to know more.





As far as characters go, I liked Elias and Catcher they were both my favourites.  I thought Gabry was a little too whiny at times.  Then there was the romance.  I always find that I take a side of who I want the main character to end up with and once I form that opinion nothing can make me change my mind.  So I was kind of disappointed with her choice but at the same time the ending ... if you've read the book you can see what I mean.





Everything was revealed within good times, I loved the whole mysterious element and then finding out all these little details.  I had theories and a few of them were wrong which was a nice surprise!





Overall, I enjoyed The Dead-Tossed Waves, it was a depressing book at times but it was also a very good read.  There is another book coming out next year related to this one and The Forest of Hands and Teeth and I cannot wait to read it to find out how it slots in with the other two.  Do not miss reading The Dead-Tossed Waves.





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Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern

Title: Get Well Soon





Author: Julie Halpern





Published: New York : Feiwel and Friends, c2007





Pages: 193





Snippet: "The cafeteria was just like any cafeteria, except that instead of jocks at one table and goths at another, there were drooly old people at one table and people talking to themselves at another."





Summary: When her parents confine her to a mental hospital, an overweight teenaged girl, who suffers from panic attacks, describes her experiences in a series of letters to a friend. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: The first thing that drew me to Get Well Soon was the cover, it's so bright and eye-catching and I just had to pick it up.  

Once I picked it up I found Get Well Soon hard to put down.





At first glance, Get Well Soon could be considered a light novel that gives a lot of laughs.  And that is true, I found myself laughing out loud at so many parts, there were so many hilarious parts.   I also found the book to be a quick and breezy read.  If I had a lot of spare time I most likely would've been able to read it in one sitting.  The pages just seemed  to flow easily.





Taking a further look into Get Well Soon, looking past the lighter side there is a bit more to it.  Firstly, there is Anna who feels really bad about herself.  The impression I got from what she said about herself was that she felt like she was overweight and she just didn't feel great about herself.  At the same time she found it hard to believe what others thought of her.  I liked Anna, it was really great to watch her grow as a person throughout the book.





All of the characters in Get Well Soon were amazing.  So many of them I loved.  They were so funny and it's not everyday you read a funny book about people in a hospital.





I think that Get Well Soon is a really good book and it shows some important teen issues such as weight issues and self-perception in a lighter way.  But it is definitely a book that is worth reading.  Definitely check it out.





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Youth In Revolt by C.D Payne

Title: Youth in Revolt





Author: C.D Payne





Published: Main Street Books, 1996





Pages: 499





Snippet: "Great wealth. It comes in handy sometimes."





Summary: The adventures of Nick Twisp of California, revolting against all the bugaboos of adolescence, from parents to the gulag of public schools. It details the capers Twisp embarks on to impress a girl with whom he hopes to score.  (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: Wow, this book is amazing.  It's definitely different and it is so great.  I loved mostly every minute of Youth In Revolt.  You will laugh, you will cry, there will be lots of moments where you will cringe, others you will cry out in surprise. Youth in Revolt is definitely not a book for the faint-hearted.  But in saying that it truly is worth a read.





Just a quick warning that I would say this book should be read by 16 year olds and over. There are several scenes that aren't entirely appropriate.  I managed to overlook those scenes because the rest of the story is brilliant.





Nick is such a refreshing character.  I don't usually compare books to other books but if I had to describe Nick and his diary I would say it's like an American version of Adrian Mole with a lot more antics and 'typical adolescent behaviour'.  But in saying that, I do believe I got a lot more laughs from Nick.





While the book is 499 pages, don't let that deter you, it's split into three books.  Each book deals with a different persona so to speak.  I have to say that it did start off a little slow but once it got into the story it kind of turned into a snowball effect where the events kept growing and growing and spiralling out of control.





So many of the characters in this book are unusual and extremely interesting characters.  There are too many to name, you basically have to read this book.  It is one of the best books I've read all year.





One thing I must add about this book is that it is extremely dated, but that just kind of sets the scene a bit more and I thought it added to the comedy of the book.





I liked the ending of Youth In Revolt, it didn't leave a wide open ending and it didn't close it completely either.  I know that there is indeed a sequel and I'm thinking that I'll definitely pick it up one day.  There's also a movie based on Youth In Revolt and it's called Youth In Revolt so I'd be really interested in seeing that.





Overall, Youth In Revolt is one book that is worth the read at least once in everyone lives.





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