A Bunch of Books (#1)

After hearing about the Story Siren situation we have decided that we are going to create our own edition called ‘A Bunch of Books’ and every Sunday it will be the same thing but I have to say that I have lost a lot ofrespect for Kristi. I wanted my blog to be as great as hers. I realise that we do make mistakes but what I don’t like is when people don’t own up to those mistakes.

I still think she is a great reviewer and a lot of her reviews have made me buy books but this whole mess has tainted her reputation. Here is the link to find out more info about the situation that has happened.



I only got one book this week but I was so excited that I HAD to tell you all about it!! So here it is, the long and awaited......

I have been waiting for this book for so long and I cannot wait to read it next :D So exciting and what a beauty of a cover as well :D

Please feel free to join in with A Bunch of Books and give us the links below to what books you got this week :D

Happy reading everyone!!

100 Follower Giveaway!!

As you can see at the side we just reached 100 followers AND the blog got a makeover so it's time to celebrate with a giveaway for all our awesome followers!
This competition is international as long as the book depository ships to you.


So here is the entry form that you need:

In My Mailbox (#15) - A bit late!

Gina's IMM

I normally do this on a sunday but I've been super busy as I just did my art exam which was really good :) And as you may have noticed we have a new blog design that was done by the lovely Vicky over at Sweet Dreams Design and she was amazing! So it anyone is looking for a blog designer then you should contact Vicky and spread the word.

Now onto the books I got. I'm going to do the ones that I got last week and then the ones I got this week. So let us begin:

Fateful by Claudia Gray
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
Legend by Marie Lu
The Dark and Hollow Places by Carries Ryan (Have to read the second one)

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Read and Reviewed)
Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Read and Reviewed)
The Talents by Inara Scott

Now for the books that I got this week:

The Catastrophic History of Me and You by Jess Rothenberg
Shift by Em Bailey (Currently reading and loving)
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

So these are the books I bought and finally have on my shelves. I look forward to reading the rest :)

What was in your mailbox??

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: April 22^nd, 2012

Date Published: August 30^th, 2011

Publishers: Tor Teen

Format: Hardback

Pages: 316

Blurb: Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Review:

This was such a kick-ass book!! I guess that sentence expresses exactly how I felt once I’d finished this book. I love it when the POV is from a guy because they don’t moan or whine like some girl POVs do in books. Cas just got on with things and he rocked. I’ve been waiting to read this book for a while now and I am even more excited for Girl of Nightmares to come out.

Cas kills the dead, as did his father and his father. He’s made it his job to kill everything that goes bump in the night after his dad was killed by one. But this next job is different because the things that happen around this ghost are awful. He has to kill Anna Dressed in Blood. But when a prank goes wrong Anna kills one of the kids at school but spares Cas. He has no idea why because it’s never happened. Anyone who goes into her house never comes out again. But he’s different and so is she.

I love spooky horror stories and I haven’t really read a YA book that’s scary or gruesome and I loved this because it was right up my alley. The Synopsis caught my attention right away. ‘Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...’ Who wouldn’t want to read this? I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading this book but what I got was a spooky story, a guy who kicks butt and a girl who is just misunderstood.

Cas is a great character and I have to say that I love him. It’s different reading from a guys point of view and we get a taste of what it’s like to be in a guy’s head. He was funny at time but serious the next and I have to admit that I enjoyed the swearing coming from him because it made him real. He was so strong and courageous and I really cannot wait to read more about him because his voice is great.

Anna....she was just wow. Wow because she was so scary, sending-shivers-up-your-spine kind of scary, but also wow because she was sweet and didn’t want to be a monster. I liked her and Cas together and I hope everything turns out okay because that ending was just wow! Her story of how she died was so sad and I felt for her because I would hate it if it had been me. Even the secondary characters were great. Thomas was funny and I thought his crush on Carmel was adorable. Carmel turned out to not be a ‘typical’ popular girl in a book and she was brave towards the end of the novel.

This book was fast paced and I enjoyed all of it. There were twists and turns, freaky scenes that made me shiver and there was heaps of action. I love a book that has some good fight scenes. I think that everyone should have a go at reading this book because it really is amazing and I hope this review tempts you to get it.

Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: April 15^th, 2012

Date Published: April 3^rd, 2012

Publishers: Spencer Hill Press

Format: Paperback

Pages: 329

Blurb: There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

Review:

Bloody Hell!!!!! That was .....there are no words to describe this book. This is wayyy better than Half-Blood and that was completely amazing!! There is so much action and romance in this book that I loved. A great sequel to a great first book. Jennifer is such an amazing writer and her heroines are always funny, sassy and unpredictable. I love Alex so much and she makes me laugh. But the thing that made this book awesome was Seth because he is one hell of a guy. Probably one of the best sequels I have ever read!!

The book continues from Half-Blood and Alex is still trying to catch up on all the training she missed which means a lot for Aiden. But because she is to become an Apollyon she begins to spend a lot of time with Seth. But there are always problems wherever Alex is and when a daimon breaks into the Covenant things begin to go bad. Not only did a breach happen but there are furies and that is not a good sign because it means the gods are worried. And if those furies break free they will kill anything and anyone they perceive as a threat. Even the Apollyons.

Okay, so I loved this book. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Jennifer never fails to make me feel every emotion of this book. Shock, heartache, sadness, enjoyment, happiness. Everything! She is probably one of my favourite authors and her series are also my favourites.
I felt sorry for Alex a lot in this book because she just went through so much!! I know that I would have crashed and burned if I had been her but she was strong, like always, and pulled through most of the time. But I love her sense of humour and she has me laughing out loud all the time. Especially when she was with Seth because their banter was off the charts! I loved their scenes together and their relationship definitely had some twists and turns. In Pure we get to see a kind and caring side to Seth and it made me fall in love with him.

Not that I don’t love Aiden because I so do. He is great, beautiful, so swoon-worthy but it upset me that he couldn’t be with Alex. I felt sorry for her more than anything. He loves her so much but he can’t allow himself to feel it because he knows what will happen to them both is people find out. In a way I think I’ll always be Team Aiden and I am looking forward to seeing where their relationship will go. But Seth....I do like him although I have a bad feeling about something that could happen in the next book. The Oracle makes a return in this book and there was something she said that made me think. About the difference between “need and love, fate and future” and I think I know what it means but I will let you figure it out.

I cannot wait to read Deity which comes out in October (who else is extremely excited for this) as I need more Alex, Aiden and Seth. Now. Such a great sequel and Jennifer you have done it again...You have made me fall in love with another of your books. Great work!!

Review: Predestined by Abbi Glines

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: April 10^th, 2012

Date Published: March 29^th, 2012

Publishers: -

Format: Kindle Edition

Pages: -

Blurb: You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder.

The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited.

Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on.

Review:

This was an enjoyable read, but I don't think that I enjoyed it as much as Existence.
I loved Dank still, and he really did go to his depths of protecting ... I've forgotten her god-damned name. PAGAN. Jeez, the stress of my exams is really getting to me ... anyway, Dank really wanted to protect Pagan and he made sure that he went to his lengths for that.
Gee was really funny during this book, her snarky comments had me giggling quite a bit.
Leif was .. I suppose you could say that he was sweet, and I really like that he let her go, it shows that you would do anything for the person that you love.
Anyway, I prefered Existence a whole lot more than Predestined.

Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

 Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: April 6th, 2012

Date Published: March 1^st, 2012

Publishers: HarperCollins UK

Format: Paperback

Pages: 250

Blurb: Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again

Review:

I knew I had to have this book as soon as I found out it was a mystery murder one with a hint of the paranormal; the type I have grown to love now. And as soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to get my hands on this one. And the cover, for both the US and UK, are great. I loved this book. Another reason why this book was great is because I didn't guess who the actual killer was so it shocked me. I had suspects but they were all wrong. Guess I wouldn't be a good detective.

Vee Bell has narcolepsy which allows her to faint at any time, any where. But when she faints she slides into someone else and can see what they see. But to do that she must touch something that has a person essence on it, an imprint that is strong enough for her to go into someone’s mind. When her sister’s friend’s death is marked down as suicide she knows it’s not because she was in the killers mind when the girl died. She knows that no one will believe her because the killer made it look like a suicide so she knows the only thing left for her to do is figure it out on her own and there is a list of suspects.

This book was just amazing. It had hints of humour, a great heroine and an interesting storyline that pulled me in. I liked Vee a lot and her ability kept me on edge throughout the book. I would hate it if I could slide into someone else and what a pain it would be as well. Oh yeah, did i mention the fact that she has pink hair? How awesome is that!

Vee develops a relationship with a guy called Zane who moves to the school and I enjoyed reading about them. Things moved quickly but not unnaturally. But the end of their relationship was sad and something I did not expect at all. Readers will be shocked towards the end of the book. But I must say that I LOVED her best friend Rollins. He was the classic rebel and I wanted Vee to end up with him because you can tell her likes her a lot. I hope that in the next book we get to see more of him and Vee together.

The ending set up the beginning for the next perfectly but it was also a good ending because even if it wasn’t being carried on it could have finished there as a stand alone novel. Jill Hathaway is a great author who knows how to create tense scenes and I cannot wait for the next book to come out because I need it in my hands.

Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: April 4^th, 2012

Date Published: January 17^th, 2012

Publishers: Bloomsbury

Format: Paperback

Pages: 278

Blurb: For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.

Review:

I enjoyed this book. This is the first that I’ve read written by Alyxandra Harvey and I liked her style of writing. I thought it was clever switching the characters between chapters as we got two different view points but when I wasn’t paying attention I forgot and had to look at the start of the chapter.

I enjoy books about the fey since reading the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr and this book was a good read. Alyxandra’s take on the faerie world was quite traditional with the different courts but it was also new and intriguing. The two view points in the book are from Eloise and Jo who are best friends and very funny when together. They’re like your ideal friends but as well as being the same they are completely different at times. But one thing they have in common is that they are strong.

There are love interests for each character. Lucas for Eloise and Eldric for Jo. They are from opposite ends of the pole but both are gorgeous. I preferred Lucas and I don’t know whether it was his entrance in the book or the fact that he was a good guy who was sweet. But Eldric was dark and dangerous so that was alluring too. The good thing was that it wasn’t a love triangle so I liked that.

I have read some people’s reviews of the Drake series by Alyxandra and they all say that her writing style is amazing. From what I gathered with this book she is pretty good and knows how to tell a great story. I may just in the future buy her other series as I already have haunting Violet that I need to read some time in the future.

In conclusion this book was great and I enjoy it all. It was charming, mystical and I liked the world that she created. I would like it is this book became a series but I don’t think it will.

Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: March 31^st, 2012

Date Published: March 6^th, 2012

Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire

Format: Hardback

Pages: 369

Blurb: It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Review:

This book just wowed me to the heavens!! This has to be the best angel book I’ve read so far and I cannot wait to read the next. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I literally could not put the book down and I didn’t want to either. The characters are just so kick-ass and I knew that when I read the blurb I had to have this book.

Violet Eden has a crush on her trainer, Lincoln, who happens to be oh-so-hot. When she turns seventeen she wants to tell him but her plans are ruined when she finds out that she’s a Grigori, a being that is half angel and half human. This is bad news for violet because exiled angels are killing Grigori in their plan to rule the world and control humanity. But when there is good and bad the lines begin to blur. Violet will have to Embrace but she knows that if she does she will lose Lincoln and that is definitely not what she wants.

Violet was an awesome character who I loved from the beginning. She’s one of those characters that is actually human, who screws up and doesn’t get things right all the time. I just loved the fact that she was a strong character who knew what she wanted and didn’t moan about her life being turned upside down. She got in with things the best she could. She was an amazing character and I loved seeing the world from her POV because her emotions were so raw and it was as if I was feeling them. I loved the attraction she had to Lincoln because he was hot.

He actually reminded me a little of Dimitri from Vampire Academy because of the training thing but also the wise words of wisdom both had to offer. But not only do we have Lincoln in this book we have a hot exile called Pheonix who I LOVED so much. He was just an awesome guy and I was struggling between the two. A love triangle worked well with this book.

There’s a lot of action in this book and there are twists and turns around every corner just waiting to be discovered. This is just a fun book and it made me want to be in the world. Jessica Shirvington is a great writer and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series but because I am a freak I have to get it in the new cover editions so I have to wait a few months...totally unfair but worth the wait I’m sure.

Overall this book was a blast and I enjoy every page. I couldn’t turn them quick enough. I recommend this book to anyone who loves angels and paranormal romance books because this book offers everything. It’s got a kick-ass heroine, a gorgeous best friend, a hot an alluring Exile and an intriguing storyline. The action and romance is to die for!

Review: Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: March 27^th, 2012

Date Published: December 20^th, 2011

Publishers: Simon Pulse

Format: Paperback

Pages: 212

Blurb: Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He's leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they'll never forget.

But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn't seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin's dark side, and her own safety.

Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

Review:

I was expecting a lot from this book because the blurb sounded amazing. I was a little disappointed because I thought it could have been better, it is only a small book, but I did enjoy most of this book. This book was creepy as and there were a few times when the hairs on my arms rose. Yes, the book was THAT creepy.

Hannah sneaks off with her Boyfriend Colin to his old summer home but when he finds out they’re going there he begins to freak out and act weird. He’s not his usual self but Hannah just thinks it’s because he hasn’t been there in years. Things start to go wrong when they get there and the things that happen in the house make Hannah wish she’d never suggested the trip.

I’m beginning to love mystery, thriller novels a lot more now and I enjoy reading the YA ones, have yet to try the more...sophisticated ones. I have to admit that at one point in this book I was scared because I could imagine what it would be like and I shiver remembering it. I don’t think I connected with Hannah as much as I do with other characters in books because some times she was a bit boring, with nothing special about her. The one thing I did like was that she was fun at times and her relationship with Colin was sweet.

The overall rating for this book on Goodreads is pretty low and that may have to do with the bad ending. I came up with some that could have been a lot better but I just felt that it was left hanging. But this book was very realistic in places and it made me feel as if I was Hannah experiencing the crazy that was going on in this book. I have to say that when I read it at night I would try and not open my eyes in the dark in case I found someone in my room but I was safe.

This was a nice read and I did enjoy it. I would give it 3.5 stars but then I’d be giving it for the pretty cover and it doesn’t really count. But if you like tense books you should try this one.

Review: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: March 21^st, 2012

Date Published: February 2^nd, 2012

Publishers: Quercus

Format: Paperback

Pages: 329

Blurb: Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Review:

I loved Raised by Wolves so I knew I would love this book and I have to say that I enjoyed it more that Raised by wolves. This book was just fast paced, intense and got my heart racing. Kali, the main character, was awesome and I enjoyed seeing the world from her point of view.

Every twenty four hours Kali turns into someone that hunts demons and things that go bump in the night. It has it’s perks like being able to heal quickly and moving at quick paces but the problem is that it only happens every other day. When at school she sees a mark on a girl and realises that she will die if Kali can’t do something. Kali helps the girl but the mark ends up getting transferred to her. Now she has to save herself and things are getting complicated and her time is running out.

When I first read the blurb I knew I had to get this book because I’d never read anything like it before. It was new and interesting and just different. I love books that have characters who can kick ass. Kali was definitely that and even though she was sarcastic and hot-headed she was sweet at times and wanted to help people, even if they weren’t nice to her. But as well as liking Kali I liked Skylar and I actually cried at one point in this book but I won’t tell what part because that is for you to find out.

I have to warn you that if you are looking for a paranormal book with heaps of romance you might not want this or else you’ll be disappointed because there isn’t a lot of romance in this book. I think there might be in the second if there is one. Kali does meet a guy called Zev and I liked him but their relationship wasn’t a normal one at all. I look forward to seeing where their relationship will go and I actually like him.

I am looking forward to the next as this book had a great ending that left me wanting more. The action in this book was great and I am definitely looking forward to more of it. This book is different from Raised by Wolves but fans of that book will be sure to love this one!

Review: Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: March 18^th, 2012

Date Published: May 10^th, 2011

Publishers: EgmontUSA

Format: Paperback

Pages: 368

Blurb: Vacationing in Winter Harbor, Maine, is a tradition for Vanessa and Justine Sands, and that means spending time with the Carmichael boys. This summer, Vanessa is determined to channel some of her older sister’s boldness, get over her fear of the ocean, and maybe turn her friendship with Simon Carmichael into something much more. 

But when Justine goes cliff-diving after a big family argument, and her body washes ashore the next day, Vanessa is sure that it was more than an accident. She is more certain of this, when she discovers that her sister was keeping some big secrets and Caleb Carmichael’s gone missing. Suddenly, the entire oceanfront town is abuzz when a series of grim, water-related accidents occur, with the male victims washed ashore grinning from ear to ear. 

Vanessa and Simon team up to figure out if these creepy deaths have anything to do with Justine and Caleb, but what Vanessa discovers might mean the end of her summer romance, and life as she knows it. 

Review:

This was quite a good read. Not a five-star rating because the main character Vanessa did annoy me a little as she was kind of weak and I prefer my main characters to be strong. But the story was great and I haven’t really read a lot of mermaid books before and this was really good.

Vanessa looks up to her sister Justine but when she dies Vanessa knows something is up. Men have been washing up on the shore with no explanation apart from the fact that they died and the expression on their faces. Vanessa knows they aren’t accidents so she calls upon Caleb, who used to date Justine, and Simon, Caleb’s brother, for help but the amount of bodies on the shores are rising and Vanessa realises she is running out of time.

Secrets just kept being uncovered in this book and overall I liked the story of the Sirens. It was good and spooky in some places and I liked that things kept being thrown my way as it made it interesting. The characters were good, not the best I’ve read, but even the small ones were funny at times and had good personalities.

I enjoyed reading another novel about Sirens and I am beginning to like them more and more, even though this is only my second one. It’s a changed from vampires, werewolves, faeries and angels. I liked the romance between Vanessa and Simon but the ending shocked me a little because I didn’t expect it at all. I had an idea that something big would happen but not that. It’s set me up for the second one which I will be buying soon.

In conclusion this book was a great read and I am looking forward to the next. I would recommend this book to people who love the supernatural and want a little bit of a change.

Review: Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: March 13^th, 2012

Date Published: 2011

Publishers: Allison And Busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 380

Blurb: Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Review:

When I started this book I didn’t even know that there was a series before called Dragonfire that was about the parents of some of the characters in this book. So now I’ll have to get those as well because I absolutely loved this book.

Zoë Sorensson is a Wyvern, the only female dragon shapeshifter as there can only be one at a time. But there’s a problem. She doesn’t have her powers. Before she learned to speak she has magic but now...nothing. So she is being sent to Boot Camp with a group of boys to see if she can harness her powers. Among that group is nick, extremely attractive and who may be destined to be with her, and Jared, the gorgeous biker. But there is trouble around and Zoë must have her magic quickly if she is to help and save them.

Zoë was a strong character who I loved but at times she could be a little self-centred. But the one thing I adored about her was that she stood up to the people who were bullying her best friend, Megan, and I hope that in the future novels we see more of her because their friendship reminds me of the one I have with my best friend and I can relate.

I loved the idea of Pyr, the shapeshifting dragons, and I loved the description of any dragon-related fighting scenes because they were really cool. This book had little surprises here and there and it kept it interesting for me. Sometimes I wanted to shout at the guys she was at the bootcamp with and at others I was making “aww” noises because it was really sweet at times.

Overall this was a light, fun and interesting read and I cannot wait to read Winging it because the blurb for that sounds just as good as this one!!

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: March 14th, 2012

Date Published: February 7th, 2012

Publishers: Atom

Format: Paperback

Pages: 375

Blurb: WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers

Review:

First of all, I am not a fan of dystopia novels and this is the third one that I have read.
So, to start off .. I LOVED Under the Never Sky.
I received this book as a birthday present and I was quite excited but I knew that I wouldn't be in a rush to read it, but one afternoon I picked it off my shelf as it caught my attention. So, when I picked it up I read the blurb and I thought that this is definitely my next read, so it was. And I devoured it as much as could due to a lot of school work.
Under the Never Sky had me guessing at what could happen next and how could they get out of this situation etc.
The book has been thought through thoroughly and been woven together to keep the plot accurate and entertaining.
The ending was left on a cliffhanger which annoyed me, yet I loved because it makes me want the next book more!
I'm looking forward to see how everything pans out so I hope that the release date comes quick!

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: February 13th, 2012

Date Published: January 2nd, 2012

Publishers: Atom

Format: Kindle Format

Pages:

Blurb: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - wow, that's a mouth full for a book title - was a great read! I loved how the characters Hadley - love that name! - and Oliver grew a quick relationship. This book is a comtempory so I really enjoyed getting away from the paranormal books, and when I read contempory books like these it really tells us how life could pan out for us. I have always believed that, for example if I was doing this review I could get to bed earlier which could result in a whole different scenario for me tomorrow. but because I am doing this review I will go to bed a little late, read, sleep and maybe sleep over my alarm which will obviously result in a different day than if I hadn't wrote this review. - Did that even make sense? - So when I read the blurb about 'If I wasn't..' it totally drew me in, because if Hadley hadn't missed her plane then she wouldn't have met Oliver etc, etc.
Anyway, I love how Hadley and Oliver's relationship was built in a confined space so that they couldn't just walk away from each other.
This book was a really good read and I nearly read it in one sitting but I had other things to do.
I love how also the relationship between Hadley and her dad rebuilt and I also learnt that stepmothers aren't always evil as they are sterotypically seen!
A great read about how a small detail of what you do can change your life, and how anything can catch you unexpected. Especially love.