Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Date Read: January 26th, 2013
Date Published: October 11th, 2012
Publishers: Corgi
Format: Paperback
Pages: 397
Blurb: 
For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.


Review: 
I really liked this book. It was definitely different and not like any I'd read before. I got into it right from the beginning and it kept me up until the early hours of the morning.

Aria lives in the Aeries above Manhattan which is flooded due to global warming. She has a great life and is to be married to Thomas, the son of her opposing family. The two families hope that their union will unite the two. Except Aria can't remember ever falling in love with Thomas and she doesn't quite believe the things that are being said to her. But when a Mystic shows up, beings with strange powers that live in the depths, she begins to realize that not everything is what it seems.

Right from the start I connected with Aria and who she was as a character. She was strong, both in mind and determination and she was different to her parents. I love characters that go against what's set out for them. If I had her parents I don't think I'd have the courage to stand up to them. They were scary at times, especially her dad.

Hunter, our beloved Mystic is oh-so-nice! I'd love to have a book from his point of view, even if it's just a novella, a prequel, because he is an interesting character. He'll do anything for Aria and it's sweet how connected they are. On the other hand we have Thomas who does have his moments but I don't want to give away too much.

I kind of guessed how the story would go but there were still some shocks in store for me. After the first 100 pages it really gets going and I found it hard to put it down. That's when you know a book is good. That you risk looking like a zombie for the rest of the day after a sleepless night.

Overall a great read that I would recommend to those who like the mystical and unique side to YA.

Review: Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: February 13th, 2012

Date Published: November 1^st. 2010

Publishers: Allison & Busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 480

Blurb: The fragile peace between humans and vampires in Morganville is in trouble, and when Claire takes drastic action, she’s put under serious pressure to re-establish the barriers that keep the town residents inside, and wipe the memories of those who leave.

But working with her half-crazy vampire boss Myrnin means that things don’t always turn out as planned... and as the people of Morganville begin acting strangely, Claire and her friends must solve the mystery and try to put things right. But one by one, her allies are turning on her... even the ones she trusts most.

Review:

Okay, I read this a few days ago and I have read quite a few books since so this is going to be a bit of a .. not so good review.
Ghost Town was a really good book and it had plenty of action in it and the many last pages were so tense that I had to stop looking below to see if everything would eventually be fine. I can see why the book was named Ghost Town but I think that Fade Out would've been better because everyone's memories are going faintly and then they remember stuff then they just altogether stop remembering, thinking that they are three years in the past. I like the concept of Oliver and Claire not getting the .. diease? The morning with Shane was predicted and I thought 'Oh dang, you would have to be next, tonight of all mother nights!'
The ending .. well it was creepy and I don't even want to think what Shane will do when he finds out, he can be quite an unpredicatble character sometimes, whether he lashes out or secretly wants to huddle in a corner and cry, so I'm dreading when - if - he finds out.
Good book and I'll be picking Bite Club off my shelves soon! :)

Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: March 7th, 2012

Date Published: March 1^st, 2011

Publishers: New American Library

Format: Paperback

Pages: 324

Blurb: Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Review:

I really liked this book even thought the overall ratings for it are quite low compared to others. I liked that it was dark and kinda creepy at parts and I surprisingly liked the cliché romance it had. The dark guy warning the girl away from him. One bit that creeped me out was the faceless beings...talk about chills. But at the end something happened I didn’t expect and that is making me want to read the second very soon.

Theia dreams of a man falling from the sky on fire but what she doesn’t expect is him to turn up as the new guy at school, Haden Black, who is undeniably dark and handsome. Theia has always been secluded and overprotected but now she is getting a taste of darkness and is drawn to the Haden in both her dreams and real life. But when she finds out what he is she knows she can’t stay away, even when he tells her to.

I really liked seeing the world from Theia’s point of view. It’s always good to have a character lead an overprotective life and watch them slowly rebel. Another cool thing about her is that she is English, well she was born in the States but moved to England after he mother passed away. But then she moved back and attends school there. She has some GREAT friends that had me laughing so hard at times.

Haden was just hot, dark and brooding....THE clichéd guy but that made him great. Maybe that’s why some people didn’t like this book, because its too clichéd but I liked that about it. Made it interesting but familiar at the same time. He was a bit of a jerk at times and I wanted to smack sense into him but all ended well....kinda. But to find out you’ll have to read it for yourself.

This book was creepy and well-written and I can’t wait to start reading the second one soon

Rating: 4 stars!!

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: February 28^th, 2012

Date Published: August 25^th, 2011

Publishers: Razorbill

Format: Paperback

Pages: 421

Blurb: When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Review: Wooowwww...I had no idea how much i actually missed the world that is Vampire Academy. Bloodlines was just as amazing as the original series and such a good book. I'm so excited for Golden Lily to be released now and that ending was great! I expected Bloodlines to be good because let's be fair, Richelle Mead is an AMAZING author, and in reality is was better than good. It was excellent and just as enjoyable as VA. It was definitely different seeing the world from Sydney's POV and not Rose's but i loved it anyway!

When Sydney, an Alchemist, is woken up at night she is told that she has an assignment. She is to protect Jill, the Queen's sister, as she is in mortal danger. Jill must go into hiding and Sydney is to keep her protected along with some familiar faces. Accompanying them are Eddie, the dhampir guardian, and Adrian Ivashkov, who has his own reasons for being with Jill. Together they go to Palm Springs where they are to wait out until the danger has passed. But even isolated things don't run smoothly. Danger is still there, even in other forms. Sydney's learnt to tolerate being around vampires but is spending everyday with them too much to ask of her?

I have to admit, that the plotline for this book was great. Richelle Mead has a way of creating amazing storylines that just flow perfectly and they always have lots of action and drama. I have to admit that i really did miss Rose, and her rose-logic, and the handsome Dimitri, but this book offered lots and i loved it all. Sydney is so different from Rose but i love reading from her point of view. She doesn't like vampires, or their abilities, so it was different but interesting. But as the story progressed she learnt that there is no good and evil, black and white, and that sometimes the lines blur, especially when it comes to Moroi. She learns to deal with situations that even some Moroi would struggle with. She also has an amazingly clever mind which i adored!

I was glad to see some familiar faces, as well as new ones. Adrian Ivashkov...He does make me chuckle. He is just so funny and snarky that you can't help but love him. I was so happy to find that he was in this series because i did love him in VA, I just loved Dimitri that little bit more, so it was good to have him here. There is definitely potential for a love triangle and i won't say who the other guy could be but i don't like the idea of Adrian having his heart broken. I think that later on in the series there will be something concerning a relationship between him and Sydney but i hope it works out because they would be cute together!

The shocks in this book....Boy, does Richelle know how to create amazing twists and turns. There was a major plotline that i guessed between Jill and Adrian, and there were others where i looked at the book and thought..."What the hell just happened?" That's what i love about Richelle Mead's books. They always surprise you.

I'm so glad that she decided to do a Spin-off series because even though it's not the real VA, it's pretty darn close, and i still got a bit of Rose (only five pages though which i hated because it was too short) but that ending....That sentence...."Dimitri Belikov had arrived"....So good and THAT is what has made me so excited for Golden Lily to come out. This book is great and once you finish VA you HAVE to get this because it is just as great!

Rating: 5 stars!!

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: February 13^th, 2012

Date Published: January 31^st, 2012

Publishers: Katherine Tegan

Format: Hardback

Pages: 384

Blurb: New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Review: Wow...this book is just...indescribable. When I turned the last page I thought...’the end...so soon?’ because it had a great ending. I haven’t read a book like this in such a long time and I enjoyed every page that I turned. I was drawn to this book by the cover because it is just beautiful. And I deciphered it which I am proud of but I wont ruin the surprise by telling, you can figure it out on your own!

When Ana was born a soul vanished and no one knew why. They say she is a nosoul and because of that her mother, Li, kept her away from society. But when Ana escapes her captivity she stumbles across Sylph, creatures made of shadows who burn, and she jumps into a lake. She thinks that will be her death but she is wrong. Sam saves her and she is surprised. Who would want to save the nosoul? She needs to go to Heart, the city where all civilisation is, to find out who she is and why she replaced one of the million reincarnated souls. Sam accompanies her and their relationship blossoms. Trouble is always waiting around a corner but how can you love someone if you don’t know they’ll live another life?

This world that Jodi has created is amazing. I love Fantasy books and this one was no exception. I have only ever read one other novel about reincarnation and that is The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams and I thought that was amazing....this book blew me away!! But the idea of having only a million souls reincarnated again and again fascinated me.

Ana was an amazing character who is funny, brave, and eager to try new things and I loved reading from her POV. This book is unexpected and even though I tried to guess what would happen it always caught me by surprise when something totally the opposite of what I thought happened. I felt sorry for her for having a horrible mother who didn’t care but Sam made up for that....Sam.....He makes my heart flutter a little. He’s a great guy with a big heart but a lot of mysteries. Some things happened I didn’t expect and some shocked me. But whatever happens this book is always good and captures your attention.

I mostly read this book in one sitting (apart from leaving for the necessities; toilet, food, drink, sleep for one night) and I literally couldn’t stop until I had finished. This book drew me in and I was left wanting more when I reached the end. So much happened in this book and I loved it all!! It’s creative, daring and Jodi Meadows did a fantastic job on the writing part!! I am yearning for more (and secretly another pretty cover).

Rating: 5 stars!!

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: February 12^th, 2012

Date Published: January 24^th, 2012

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK

Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Blurb: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Review: Once I saw this cover I knew I had to read the blurb which sounded really interesting. I love Greek mythology so any book related to any Greek myths I must have! There’s a kinda love triangle and I really liked it but for some reason I didn’t love in like some others I’ve read.

Nikki Beckett has just re-Surfaced after spending six months in the Everneath with Cole, the immortal who took her there. But now that Nikki has joined her friends and family she has six months to say goodbye before the tunnels take her to a dark place where she will no longer feel a thing, where she will help keep the Everneath running, like a battery. Nikki is trying hard to reconnect with her old life but there is one person she must reconnect with the most, Jack her boyfriend. He is the person who kept her alive all those months and she doesn’t want to lose him. But Cole is determined to have her join him in the Everneath as one of the Everliving, what Cole is, but she can’t leave yet. She needs help to find the answers she is looking for and Jack is willing to help. But when time is counting down what words do you use to tell someone goodbye...for Ever?

Once I finished this I thought about it for a little while. Overall the story was good and the characters were enjoyable but I felt it lacking in something. I don’t really think it was as much of a Greek retelling as some books I’ve read. It was changed too much for me but I enjoyed the new concept. I must admit that jumping between the past and present did confuse me to start with but I liked seeing the two parts.

Nikki was a great character, even if she is depressed at the beginning of the book but who wouldn’t be? But as time goes on in the book she gets stronger and looks to Jack for warmth and safety. Jack was sweet and would do anything to help her even if it gets him in trouble. And the fact that he never stopped loving her shows how strong their love really is. Cole on the other hand....I didn’t know what to think of him. Sometimes he was okay and other times I just wanted to smack him. Overall he wasn’t a nice character.

I loved the Idea of the story and using people as Forfeits to help the Everlivings, the immortals, survive. I liked what Brodi did by creating the Daughters of Persephone and I am intrigued as to what will happen later in the series. And that ending....I had tears in my eyes and it is such a big cliff-hanger. I will be on the look out for the next book. But hopefully next time it will stay in the present a lot more. It doesn’t take a lot to confuse me.

Rating: 4 stars!!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: January 22nd, 2012

Date Published: September 27th, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Hardback

Pages: 452

Blurb: Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Review: This book just blew me away!! It was just amazing and I loved it. The suspense, the romance, the horror,the mystery, just everything about it! I've never read a book like this before and I'm so glad I got it because i would be missing out if i didn't.

Mara Dyer is the only survivor in a terrible accident, one is which her three friends died in. When she wakes up she can’t remember a thing. Nothing. Mara and her family move away to Miami and she believes the change in scenery will help her move on. But it won’t. In her dreams she catches glimpses of what happened that night and when she is awake she has hallucinations. But when Mara meets Noah she falls in love, something she didn’t think was possible after everything she’d been through. But problems are never far away and things are happening. Things that point to Mara being the cause of them all. But is she?

I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. But I know for a fact that I did not expect a contemporary novel that was part thriller, mystery and with a supernatural twist that blew me away. This book would not let me go until I had finished it. This book shocked me in so many ways and I loved all the twists it had to offer. This book is just one big mystery that I couldn’t wait to solve.

Mara was a great character and Michelle wrote her perfectly. I had no idea if she was sane or crazy and that was the great thing about her. There were so many mysteries surrounding her and I loved that. She doesn’t let anyone push her around and she definitely has her own opinions. But the hallucinations freaked me out at some points. There was one that was uber creepy and I was thinking “What is going on?!” but it was amazing!! Now onto the next character...Noah Shaw. Now, he was one awesome guy. My heart melted at one point (you will know what I’m talking about when you read the book). He was just HOT!

There are certain parts in this book that had me holding my breath in anticipation, some that made me go “aww” because it was sweet and some that just left me speechless. The writing was addictive and I just read until I couldn’t take anymore (which was when the book finished). The pace was quick and I flew through this novel even though it is nearly 500 pages long. I just loved this book so much.

I cannot wait for the next book so I can find out what happens to Mara. I need more soon!

Rating: 5 stars!!