Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda ~ Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
Mallory's life is falling apart. 

Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear...

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. 

Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

Having adored Megan Miranda's debut novel, Fracture, I began reading Hysteria with high expectations. Let me tell you, they were met..and surpassed. I didn't think it would be possible for me to love her second book as much as I loved the first one. But I did.

As soon as I read the first line: My mother hid the knife block. I was intrigued, and then I was hooked! Megan Miranda has a way with opening lines. Fractures first line was wonderful and Hysterias was awesome.
The mystery that we get a feel for at the beginning continues through out the book. I was completely captivated in finding out more and more about our main character, Mallory. She killed her boyfriend so the tension we feel between her and her parents and those around her is understandable. I loved her and her love interest was awesome! Words cannot describe.

Allow me to introduce you to the love interest. His name is Reid and I love him. There's something about a guy whose name is my favourite past time. Reid was the most wonderful love interest that I could imagine. When he was first introduced I was rather weary of him. I thought he was just another stuck up guy who wanted to take advantage of Mallory. That is not what he was at all. He was sweet and charming and he was good for Mallory. I have only one question "Where can I get a Reid?"

This book had a lot of twist and turns and was constantly shocked by the changes throughout it. There were times when I felt emotional because there were parts that were brilliantly written and powerful. The ending of Hysteria left me hungry for more and i kind if wish that this wasn't a stand alone. But in other ways I'm glad that it was a standalone.

Hysteria is definitely one of my favourite books of 2013 and I cannot wait to read Megan Miranda's next book.

Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green ~ Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

The Fault In Our Stars was a book that left me overwhelmed with emotions. It was an incredibly gripping story that had me hooked straight away. I became so engrossed in the characters and the story that I would read until the early hours of the morning. 

Every single moment between Augustus and Hazel was beautiful. Even when there was sadness there was beauty hiding underneath. I felt connected to the characters immediately which really helped me to enjoy the book.

You know when a book is so perfect you just can't find the words to describe it? The Fault In Our Stars is deffinitely one of them. I could sit here another 4 hours and still not be able to put into words my feelings about this book.

It's filled with humour, tragedy, love and sadness. It will bring you from laughter to sadness and back again. You will experience a wide range of emotions through out the book.

John Green is deffinitely one of the best authors that I have come across. I will absolutely read more of his work.

Review: Exiled by RaShelle Workman - Megan

Synopsis from Goodreads

Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them.

Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become immortal, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family.

Now she wants revenge.

First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate.

Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.

Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters--alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.

Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week.

Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.

But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl--her.

Let's all just take a moment to admire the cover, shall we? I mean, that is one beautiful cover! Unfortunately, the contents of this novel didn't quite amaze me as much. Although I inexplicably enjoyed this book, RaShelle Workman failed to balance all the key elements of a good story - world-building, characterisation and realism - which majorly deteriorated from the book's overall quality.

After reading the first page, I immediately wanted to stop reading because I couldn't connect with Workman's writing style. I honestly don't know how to describe it but it just didn't flow with any sort of elegance that coincided with the plot's incredibly fast pace. What made it worse was the alternating POVs. The way they keep switching at random without any significant indication of doing so made the entire plot the epiphany of confusion.

Venus was a rather interesting character with a complex personality that was a challenge to dissect. Her ignorance of human emotions became quite endearing yet I couldn't find a suitable excuse for her shapeshifting perceptions of humans in general. Plus, constantly switching between anger, lust, determination and despair every few sentences made Venus quite unbearable at times. Her uncontrollable human emotions towards Michael and Zaren - her Formytian (an immortal guardian) - had me on the edge of my seat because it was impossible to figure out who she was in love with and who she was simply physically attracted to. (TEAM ZAREN!)

Michael's character wasn't much of an improvement. One minute he was a sleazy, shallow jock and next he was some cartoon hero that's got a playground crush on Venus. I struggled to believe that what he felt for Venus was genuine love because, although he takes big risks for her, he didn't hestiate to help turn her into a science project or violently dismiss her in their several ecounters after their first meeting. Workman also squanders precious words in an attempt to make us sympathise with Michael by mentioning his violent upbringing but this adds nothing effective to the plot and doesn't dismiss his erratic behaviour.

Dervinius - aka Vinny - creeps me out. He has some sort of evil plan that is so top secret I don't even think the author knows what it is. Him and Zaren have an ability to read minds while they're on Earth - probably because they're Kelvieri's - but while Zaren tries to surpress his new talent for invading people's minds, Dervinius just carelessy takes a ride on everyone's thought train. His manipulative and deceiving nature is his greatest weapon and, if his character was developed a little more, he would make the perfect villain.

One thing that majorly confused me was the different stages of Kelarian life. I mean, there's Kelni (which I assume is the toddler/child stage), Kelphi (adolescence?) and Kelvieri (immortal/adult). The word 'Kel' was also used frequently but I think that was just a slang term used to describe Kelarians in general. Basically, the society on Kelari wasn't explained in enough detail so when these terms kept appearing I couldn't help but be flustered by it all.

Mystery was the key element in Exiled and it was fluently weaved through essential parts of the plot. Unfortunately, it lacked in consistancy - only making significant appearances at the beginning and end of the book. As I continued reading, I was torn between the strong urges to stop reading and continue reading. It was rather bizarre. I wanted desperately to see what the outcome would be but I was also desperate for the story to end. 

All criticisms aside.. I did enjoy this book. Call me crazy but there was something about it that just clicked with me. I'm definitely eager to read the next instalment, Beguiled, in hopes that it will improve where Exiled has failed and ultimately, offer a better view of what life is like on Kelari.

Review: Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock - Megan

Synopsis from Goodreads

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends.

Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer:

A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

There is no doubt that YA has had it's fair share of vampire and werewolf novels during recent years so initially I began this story thinking, what originality could Kathleen Peacock possibly derive from this genre? Of course, the majority of what you read is basic Werewolf 101 but there was mystery and suspense oozing out of every single word. It was impossible to put down.

What makes this plot stand out is obvious from the beginning: the werewolves are loose. Everyone has been made aware of Lupine Syndrome and everyone has grown accustomed to fearing for their own mortality. Throw in a group of bounty hunters - the Trackers - then quickly murder the protagonist's best friend - Amy - add an addictive love-triangle and voila, you have a page-turning book that twists and turns and tangles your thoughts more expertly than a pair of headphones.

Mackenzie Dobson: Hemlock's answer to Agatha Christie. For a girl with a lot of issues, she sure has the mental strength equivalent to that of ten oxes. Mac, understandably, is struggling to come to terms with Amy's death and when Amy's boyfriend, Jason, decides to drag himself down an alcohol-fueled path of self destruction, Mac instinctively steps in. Ignoring her advice, Jason brands himself a Tracker while Mac's best friend, Kyle, avoids her completely. Poor Mac is left alone playing Twister with the disturbing nightmares her late best friend plagues. But what is Amy trying to say?

Tension, torment and tears rip Mac's reality apart. Lies, secrets and betrayal stitch it back together because it's the only thing Mac knows to be true. Her entire life has been a struggle, it's a wonder how she can maintain self-control especially in her current situation.

Love triangles always manage to frustrate me but then again, most YA boys aren't Kyle and Jason. Kyle is my dream guy written on paper, wrapped up with a bow and sprinkled with perfection. Jason is the bad boy but he's a sweetheart underneath, it's so adorable. (Don't expect me to pick teams though, I refuse to choose!) The romance is always present throughout but it never takes the lead. The plot keeps within the spotlight and never falters on Mac's task to discover the truth behind Amy's murder.

Basically, Deadly Hemlock is perfection on paper. I honestly couldn't list a single fault. The mystery and suspense was consistant; the romance was sensational; the plot was impeccably structured and; Kathleen's wonderful writing style just enchants the entire reading experience.

Why aren't you already reading this? Go now. Before the white wolf gets you!

Author Spotlight: Michael Sussman: Review and Giveaway

About the author:

Michael Sussman is the author of Crashing Eden, a YA fantasy/paranormal novel, and Otto Grows Down, a children’s picture book featuring illustrations by Scott Magoon.
Dr. Sussman is a clinical psychologist and has also published two books for mental health professionals. He’s the author of A Curious Calling: Unconscious Motivations for Practicing Psychotherapy and the editor of A Perilous Calling: The Hazards of Psychotherapy Practice.
He resides in the Boston area with his son, Ollie.

You can find Michael here:

Author’s website and blog: http://www.MichaelSussmanBooks.com

Twitter: @MichaelBSussman https://twitter.com/#!/MichaelBSussman

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/CrashingEden

Crashing Eden Review:

For one boy and his friends, the path to Paradise comes at a cost—one they may not be prepared to pay.

When a biking accident leaves 17-year-old Joss Kazdan with the ability to hear things others can't, reality as he knows it begins to unravel.

A world of legends exists beyond the ordinary life he's always known, and he is transported to the same Paradise he's studying in World Mythology. But the strange gets even stranger when his new friends build a device that delivers people through the gates of the Garden of Eden.

Now Samael, the Creator God, is furious. As Samael rains down his apocalyptic devastation on the ecstasy-seeking teens, Joss and his companions must find a way to appease Samael—or the world will be destroyed forever. 

*A e-copy was provided for review*

Michael Sussman's Crashing Eden was an addictive and unputdownable read. It was unlike anything I've ever read and it was fun to read it.

The concept of this story was very unique and it made me want to keep reading. I read this is in one sitting which, lately, is unusual for me as I have a short attention spand. Sussman had me firmly in his grasp straight away and wouldn't let me go until I had finished reading.

As soon as I read the first line I knew I would love the main character.

"Waking up sucked."

When a character shares my views I instantly loved them. Throughout the book I found even more reasons to love and loathe Joss. He was slightly crazy but had his saner moments that made him a lot more like-able. When I found out some details I was shocked and I couldn't believe it.

The action gets going when Joss gets a head injury in an accident and begins to hear a comforting “Om” sound. His behavior begins to improve after this.

Early on we see Joss's love for his little sister. It was really the highlight of the book for me. It was clear to see his love for Callie and her love for him and it gave us a few 'aw' moments. 

This book was an absolutely amazing read and I recommend it to everyone!

You can buy a copy of Crashing Eden here:

Buy from Amazon: http://amzn.to/KHk6aE

Buy from Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/MZ4iT7 (paperback), http://amzn.to/MRuJM4 (e-book)

Buy from Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/KST7Fy

Buy from Smashwords: http://bit.ly/IPTc0l

Now for the giveaway!

One of you awesome people will win a paperback copy of Crashing Eden! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

If I say was a heart-wrenching and addictive read. I had such high hopes for this book and they were certainly met.

Early in the book we face a heart break. Gayle Forman knew exactly how to tug on my heart strings with the words she chose and the descriptions she wrote. We really get attached to the characters early on and that attachment lasted through out the book.

Every aspect in the book was perfectly written and every emotional moment was made all the more emotional by strong writing and a writing style that is hard not to connect with. The plot was developed wonderfully and at a believable pace. Nothing felt rushed. It left me wondering how it would end.

I borrowed the sequel to this book, Where She Went, from the library not realizing that it was a sequel so I knew how If I Stay ended. Having said that, I was still very emotional and in awe of the ending and couldn't stop thinking about it long after I had turned the last page.

It took me so long to write my review for this book because I honestly couldn't put into words my thoughts and feelings for this book. Honestly, if  you haven't read it then go to the library or bookshop and get it because it is amazing.

An emotional roller-coaster that left me thinking about long after I'd turned the last page.

Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

When I found this book while making a search for my sister I was enticed by the synopsis. For some reason I find school shootings fascinating. I always wondered if the shooters had any good in them at all. Jennifer Brown shows us that Nick had some good in him. 

Valerie has always seen the good in him. Even after he goes on a shooting spree she stills remembers the good that he did when he was alive. Valerie was a like-able character, most of the time. There was times when I wanted to hug her and other times when I wanted to shake her and tell her that Nick was a bad person. But then I thought, Nick wasn't always a bad person. To Valerie, he was the person she loved and of course she wants to remember all the good times they had together.

When I was reading this I found it almost comical that I hated Valerie's father more than I disliked Nick. I know from reading others reviews  that I am not the only person that dislikes him. He turned out to be more of a bad guy than Nick because he didn't support Valerie when she needed him. 

The sad reality is that school shootings do happen. Jennifer Brown approached the subject with great respect. I, myself feel great respect towards Jennifer and Hate List. I really couldn't believe how good this book was. 

Jennifer Brown has a wonderful and strong writing style that allows us to feel emotions intensely. I found myself crying, uncontrollably towards the end of the book. It was an intense scene towards the end. 

A wonderful, thought-provoking and powerful novel that deals with real life issues in a respectful manner.

Review: Blood On My Hands by Todd Strasser - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:

A powerful and uncompromising thriller – not for the faint-hearted.

Some girls are glamorous, beautiful … and deadly. Found kneeling by a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand can only mean Callie Carson is guilty of the brutal murder of Katherine Remington – can’t it? Joining the in-crowd is tough; leaving is a killer. 

First line: 'In the dark woods behind the baseball dugout, I'm kneeling next to Katherine's body, my heart racing, my breaths shallow and fast, my emotions reeling crazily at the sight on the ground before me.'

This was the first book I had read by Todd Strasser. I absolutely adore it!

The story of it was so intriguing and it was hard not to be captivated. We are thrown straight into the action with our main character, Callie, found standing above her dead friend with a knife in her hand. So naturally, Callie runs.

Callie gets a lot of help throughout this book from her ex-boyfriend. There is a lot of tension in the book and you have to keep reading to see what happens. It is extremely addictive.

Todd Strasser wrote this book wonderfully and each character was brilliantly developed.

I love many shows that are based on the police, this book was right up my street. There was a heavy involvement from the police with Callie constantly listening to the police radio to hear if they have found her or not. I loved the twists and turn that carried on throughout this book. I was completely shocked when we discover a lot of things. It was brilliant.

I admit that the ending left me rather emotional. It was an ending that left me thinking "This can't be the ending. There has to be a sequel!". Unfortunately, that was not the case. To my dismay this is part of a series but the next book does not carry on from this one.

I enjoyed every aspect of this book, except the ending.

The book trailer:

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

It took me a few chapters to really get into this book, but then Myra McEntire had me firmly in her grasp! This was a truly amazing debut novel that I really enjoyed.

The idea of the book had me hooked and I had to keep reading to find out more about the characters and their stories. Emerson "Em" is an irresistible lead character, from her witty comments to her attitude there was nothing I didn't like about her. It would be really hard to not get captivated by her story and I couldn't stop reading. I had to find out everything I could about Em.

In Hourglass we have an amazing little love story. Their really is a chemistry between them and you, as the reader, will feel every single emotion that Em feels towards her interest. It's so hard not to love him. He's caring, smart and so many other things. We even get another love interest later on in the book, and let me tell you that he is just as amazing as the first.

Myra has got time travel nailed. It was brilliantly written about, easy to understand and well developed. I haven't read many, or any, books about time travel so it was fun to read something new. It was also a nice break from my usual books that involve vampires, werewolves or, my personal favourite, witches.

Myra McEntire has a wonderful writing style that simply flows off the page and it really helps to get a good image in your head of what's going on. The entire concept of Hourglass was very original.

Also, what an amazing cover! It really blends in with the original story line. The only real problem I had was with Emerson's family. Frankly I thought they were way too lovey-dovey. 

Having said that, I loved this book and cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel Timepiece.

Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate - Megan

Synopsis from Goodreads

The sky is dark with wings . . . .

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

This is it. This is the end to the Fallen series. Oh my, where has the time gone? I always found myself to be rather confused as to why I love this series so much because it's riddled with all the typical YA features that I despise - the clichéd love story; the annoying heroine; the gushy love-interest; the tacky love-triangle and so on. I can't put my finger on it but it's just captivating!

I found the first half of the book to be rather like trudging through cement although there was nothing particularly slow about it. The action and suspense was consistent but it was missing the mystery that its predecessors possessed. I soon developed the strong urge to just skip to the last few chapters to get the book over and done with but Lauren Kate kept dishing out page-clutching words that had an unbeatable hold on me. 

I can't even begin to comprehend the impact this book had on me. The conclusion drew so many emotions from me, I was incapable of pulling myself together to write this review until now. The twists and turns literally made my heart skip a couple of beats but I still couldn't shake that I-want-to-skip-to-the-end feeling. 

Unfortunately, the spotlight was kept fairly away from Cam so my anticipated Rapture experience was slightly dampened by his lack of physical presence. That probably sounds a little unjust but you can't deny that Cam is the cherry on top of the Fallen cake!

With Passion being my least favourite instalment in this series, Rapture definitely succeeded in redeeming the series reputation, although I was rather frustrated with the constant reminiscences of Passion's antagonist Bill - aka Lucifer. It felt almost as if Lauren Kate assumed we all suffered from short-term memory loss.

The answer to our golden question is the very thing that turns this entire story upside down - What happens? Get your tissues at the ready and fasten your wings because, like me, you'll be blubbering like a baby until the final words.

Review: Revived by Cat Patrick - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
The world fades to nothing, and before I have the chance to think another thought...I'm dead. 

My name is Daisy West and my whole life is a lie. I'm part of a programme to test a drug called Revive - a drug that brings people back from the dead. I have died five times. I've been Revived five times. With each revival comes a new name, a new town...a new life. But this time, I won't let myself die. This time, I've found a love that I can't let go of. This time, I'm going to make my life my own.

First Line:
 I'm flattened and thrashing on the sun-warmed track next to the football field, lying on what looks like asphalt but what I realise, now that I'm down here, is actually that fake spongy stuff.

Having loved Cat Patrick's debut novel Forgotten I had high hopes for Revived. And let me tell you, it delivered and then some. This is Cat Patrick's second Young Adult novel. When I found out that Cat was writing a second novel I was very excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy.

We are thrown head first into Daisy's world. It's not every book that the main character dies within the first three pages. And so begins Daisy's new identity in a new town. Daisy has died five times and is beginning to get fed up of it, which is understandable. 

After dying so many times Daisy has developed a very nonchalant look at death. That is until she's faced with a no coming back death. Cat has done a beautiful job at the characterization within this book. Daisy has a very relatable voice and it is very easy to become attached. I felt ever single emotion that Daisy felt within the book. Daisy went through a lot of situations in Revived. I even cried, it's true. It was a beautifully written scene that contained a lot of heart on behalf of the writer. We get to see a lot of growth from Daisy and every time something happens she reacts in a believable way.

The romance in this book is one of the sweetest romances that I have ever read. Just like any teenage romances there is a lot of hiccups. Matt and Daisy have a believable and sweet relationship and all I can say is that I want a guy like Matt! At first they live in this rosy haze that is until an event rocks them to their core. This event will either draw them together, or break them apart. 

This book really felt like a contemporary with a bit of supernatural mixed in. I can't recommend it enough! I loved Forgotten but I loved Revived so much more. 

Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Sweet Evil has been on my TBR list for ages and I finally ordered it! Now, let us take a minute to admire the gorgeous cover!

I was a little disappointed with it if I am completely honest. I had hyped this book up and it didn't deliver for me. I liked a lot of the plot turns but it wasn't my favourite read ever. It is a new take on the angel/demon trend that is going around nowadays! This one is a bit darker though!

The blurb had me intrigued. I mean 'What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?' how can that not intrigue you?

There was a little case of insta-attraction. I am not a fan of this at all. I'm sure that in real life there is insta-attraction I'd just rather not read about it in books. However, I still loved the romance and the relationship between Anna and Kaidan! 

There was good character development throughout the book. Each character was brilliantly written and I really enjoyed learning about them. 

The writing in this book was a plus. Sweet Evil is a well written book that left me thinking about it even after I finished it! I didn't love it as much as I thought I would but I still liked it!

Being the hopeless romantic that I am the ending made me want to cry! I need the next book!!! 

Review: Heaven by Christoph Marzi - Leona

The night that Heaven lost her heart was cold and moonless. But the blade that sliced it out was warm with her dark blood...

David Pettyfer is taking a shortcut over the dark rooftops of London’s brooding houses, when he literally stumbles across Heaven: a strange, beautiful, distraught girl who says that bad men have stolen her heart. Yet she’s still alive...

And so begins David and Heaven’s wild, exciting and mysterious adventure—to find Heaven’s heart, and to discover the incredible truth about her origins. 

The concept of this book had me interested from the beginning as it was not something that I had heard of before. I was a bit disappointed with it though.

The book is written from the point of view of a boy named David. He has run away from home and he moved to an awesome bookshop. I quite liked him, I thought he was caring and strong. Thankfully this book did not include the two words I have learned to loathe : insta-love or insta-attraction! Heaven and David do not meet under the most usual of circumstances and there was no 'there eyes meet across the room.' I didn't connect with the characters no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't.

There was a few points throughout the book that made me have to read it twice as there was a lot of detail thrown at me and it was difficult to keep with the story. I felt as though the book was dragged out towards the end and it put me off and brought my overall rating of it down.

I was rather surprised to find out the background to Heaven and what she is. It was something that I have never come across before. It made the book rather interesting.

The book had more description and not enough action for my liking and the action that happens was over almost as quickly as it had begun. There was a few times when I found myself forgetting where it was set. 

Overall, this book was okay but I wouldn't read it again.

Review: Hurricane by Jenna Lynne Duncan - Leona

Summary from Goodreads:
Adriana couldn’t decide what was worse—that Hurricane Katrina was heading for New Orleans, or that she might not survive her kidnapping to see its potential effects. She had trusted Hayden, even fallen for him, and now he and his brother Luke were taking her deeper and deeper into the Bayou. Why had two of her classmates, the mysterious Boudreaux brothers, kidnapped her? Why had Adriana’s dreams started predicting the future? Most importantly, would she make it out of the Bayou alive…

 I finally purchased Hurricane after months of lusting after it! I was worried when I purchased it that I would be disappointed, thankfully this was not the case.

Jenna-Lynne Duncan has created wonderful characters and an interesting plot that I was captivated by straight away.  

It is written in the first person which was a nice change from the usual third person narrative. It gave the book a more personal feel and allowed us to connect more with the main character. 

Ms Duncan has written an brilliant with a love triangle that I love. Both of the boys are so hard to choose between and I love both of them for different reasons. Hayden was the one I liked from the beginning and I was supporting more, but then we get to see a bit more of Luke and the entire thing goes out the window.  How can you choose between the two of them? 

Having been rather young when Hurricane Katrina hit I have only ever seen small clips of the devastation caused by it. I think that it was an interesting choice of background for this book. Jenna-Lynne gave enough detail to give us a feel of the area but not too much so that we a bogged down by it.

The secrets in the book are just that, secret. The entire book I was thinking "What's going to happen?".

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it! I look forward to book two! 

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth - Megan

Synopsis from Goodreads

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

I bought this book and it's prequel, Divergent, about a month ago and they've been sitting on my bookshelf looking pretty ever since so the other day I decided to finally give them a go and see what all the hype was about. I'm now kicking myself that I hadn't read them sooner! Veronica Roth has made a huge splash into the dystopian world with a new twist on the future's downfall.

I must admit, I expected this series to be some sort of not-so-violent version of The Hunger Games regarding the factions but once I got started those expections quickly disappeared. Divergent quickly became one of my favourite books of all time so I started Insurgent wondering if it would stay up on its pedestal or simply crash to the bottom of the disappointing-sequels pile. Thankfully, the former won.

Veronica Roth crafts a world that's rich in detail and more action-packed than ever. The characters are bigger and better; the plot is more complex; relationships are put to the test; and the fight against the Erudite builds more tension. The world-building takes a remarkable turn and adds more quality to the plot. We are introduced to factions that were barely touched on in Divergent, including Amity, Candor and even the Factionless, which I highly appreciated.

Tris Prior fast became one of my favourite female leads when I met her in Divergent and I was eager to see how her character developed in Insurgent. There were a lot of emotional obstacles for Tris to overcome in this book that helped craft her into a stronger and more determined heroine which I valued greatly. I didn't always agree with her decisions however, although there was a distinct pessimistic quality to her personality throughout the story. I became emotionally attached to her though and I think this aspect of her character is what makes her such a perfect heroine. 

There really isn't much for me to say about Four/Tobias other than that he's unbelievably easy to fall for. In Divergent, we meet him as the bold and daring Four while in Insurgent, we get a better grasp of Tobias and a deeper understanding of his character. I was a bit wary of the name change because I'm so used to calling him Four but the fact that he was mainly called Tobias in this book made the transition a whole lot easier. His relationship with Tris caught the Rollarcoaster fever as it was strained between them every now and then, but I was satisfied with this because it ineviatably made their relationship stronger.

Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that cliff-hangers are evil but the ending to this book was.. I don't even know, I have no words for it. A new door has been open for book 3 with no hint of predictability in sight so I'm bubbling with excitement to see what Veronica Roth has in store for us next. Once again, the bar has been set high and I hope more than anything that the conclusion to this trilogy will be the perfect ending.

Rating: 5/5 stars