Friday 18 November 2011

DESTINED - REVIEW - P.C. & KRISTIN CAST

Book: Destined
Authors: P.C. & Kristin Cast
Publisher: Atom
ISBN: 9781905654871
Rating: A

In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa's House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow. But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness? Find out what s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

Some people say this series is getting old. Wrongo... the battle is just beginning and in other words I adored this book. I have been with zoey and her vampyre crew from the beginning and I am with her to the end of the most fantabulous series and terrific book. I meant come one, P.C. and Kristin Cast are so generous! They just keep giving amazing books, and this one lived up the the rest. In fact I only have one bone to pick with them. Cliffhangers and whole years between new books... not a good combo.

This book was better than all of it predecessors. Stunning, I think is the correct use of words. The casts have mastered the art of twists and turns cause this plot is chaotic! It keeps you hooked and engaged at all times. They casts have entwined the magical world of vampyres and the house of night with a darker gothic side to the ParaNormance genre and made this spectacular novel. I am particularly fond of Shaylin this time round and can not wait to see what she has in store for us all.

The writing in these books is so lovely to read because it changes from character to character which only gives a deeper understanding to them. The dialogue is absolutely brilliant. Not Many teen authors are brave enough to use the type of dialogue that casts do but i love it! Nothing wrong with a little dirty talk or cussing, right?

The characters are pretty much the same with the exception of one or two new characters or a minor character becoming a major (thanatos) but otherwise pretty much the same. The favorite character still stands as Zoey and Stevie Rae, who would rock a lesbian imprint and cause a lot of tension between heath/aurox, nefret, kalona, rephiam and stark so that would be pretty cool.

I really did love this novel so so so much and you know, I can not wait a year for Hidden.

ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE - REVIEW - GABRIELLE ZEVIN

Book: All these things i've done
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Publisher: PanMacmillan
ISBN: 9780330537896
Rating: A

Sixteen year-old Anya becomes the head of a mafia family after her parents are both murdered by rival gangs. Although Anya is embrolied in the criminal world, she is determined to keep her brother and sister out of the mafia family, but her father's relatives aren't so keen to let them go. When Anya's violent ex-boyfriend is poisoned with contaminated chocolate – chocolate that is produced illegally by Anya's mafia family – she is arrested for attempted murder and sent to the notorious jail on Manhattan Island.  Eventually she is freed by the new D.A. in town, who believs she has been framed. But this D.A. is the father of Win, a boy at school to whom Anya feels irresistibly drawn, and her freedom comes with conditions. Win's father wants to be mayor, and he can't risk having his ambition jeopardised by rumours spreading that his son is seeing a member of a notorious crime family. Anya knows she risks the safety of her family by seeing Win again, but the feeling between them may be too strong to resist..

Elsewhere is one of those books you hear so much about, I just never got around to reading it so when this popped through the letterbox I decided I would gobble down Zevin's new novel and I really really enjoyed it. It's one of these book where it takes half the novel to get to the point it says on the blurb but you don't really care because the beginning is amazing anyway. I suppose if i were to describe it, it would be 'a Dystopian Mafia Love story with a twist'. No, but honestly the book was a spectacular read. I loved it to the very last word.

It follows Anya, a girl accused of poisoning her ex boyfriend with spiked chocolate, and then the novel commences. The type of novel and the world it is set in along with the type of characters is fantastically unique and I don't think you'll find a thing like it anywhere! A masterpiece? I have no doubt.

The plot is the most unique one I have ever read and to be honest I absolutely loved it! The world it's set it is so kind of silly yet Zevin makes it so real and acceptable, to have a world where chocolate is illegal and caffeine is a drug, and you know what? She makes it work. She twines the mixture of dystopian wonder to create an intoxicating novel.

The writing is something i haven't quite experienced before and for me it was quite weird but the moment my mind adjusted I instantly fell in love with it, from the edgy prose to the deep emotional dialogue, It was all just so wonderful. The detail in the text and those little words that juts make your heart break. As for the scenes, the one at the end... blew me away.

The characters are set to a small few which is always nice when being introduced to a new series so you can get to know them as well as the world around you without lots of characters to make you confused. Also having the same ones means you learn about them in more detail, and almost befriend which i love to do to characters. As for my favorite it is Leo her older brother, because he is so sweet and innocent and you can see him struggling to fight this mental block and it just breaks your heart when he becomes a 'wanted dead' person when he was just trying to help and support his parent-less family.

Zevin is a god in herself, for creating a book so amazing and so brilliant. I loved the deep sodt undertones of the edgy surface of this truly, amazing, novel.

THE SON OF NEPTUNE - RICK RIORDAN - REVIEW

Book: The son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Puffin
ISBN: 9780141335711 
Rating: A+

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth


Percy is back. I am very I happy. I friggin loved this book! It is so much better than the previous! I loved it more than a million times and read it three times straight but it's just such a wonderful, fantastic amazing book, made by a genius named Riordan (Fact not opinion!). God was I waiting for this after the most epic cliffhanger in the amazing, fantastic wonderful previous novel only the find the second book is a even more fantastically fantabulous whizzbang novel!

Honestly this book gripped me from the first page and I was thrown into a modern america combines with the wonders of Roman and Greek mythology. The book was definitely and amazing adventure thriller and was fantastic. It had me hanging at every chapter and I loved the rush.

Now I've met Riordan, lovely guy, so down to earth, and this was just and amazing book by an amazing guy but the story line was just so bloody amazing! This was the most genius, compelling funny quirky story written with pure talent and I loved it. The book plot is so clever bringing in little twists here and there making you think so sometimes you're that one step ahead of the characters!

The writing as usual was brilliant. Enticing, locking and thrilling the writing was perfect and balance of the dialogue and the description.

Characters... well for starters Percy is back! *whoop whoop*, and me is very happy. But seriously, we're introduced to a set of new characters, no names shall be given away, but they are very interesting indeed, being Roman demigods, not greek. My favorite would have to be Hazel thought, and not just because of the awesome name. I felt closest to her out of all the characters and she just seemed really special.

Honestly the book was a joyride thriller that i loved to the very last page and I really need book 3!

THE SECRET CIRCLE: THE INITIATION AND THE CAPTIVE - REVIEW - L.J. SMITH


Book: The secret circle: The initiation and the captive - omnibus
Author: L.J. smith
Publisher: Hodder
ISBN:9780340999547
Rating: B+

Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie longs for her old life. Even so, she feels a strange kinship to a terrifying group of teens who seem to rule her school. Initiated into the coven of witches that's controlled New Salem for hundreds of years, she's drawn into the Secret Circle, a thrill that's both intoxicating and deadly. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, Cassie must choose whether to resist temptation or risk dark forces to get what she wants—even if it means that one wrong move could ultimately destroy her.


I decided to read this because of the new tv show, which I am enjoying very much and I found that it was in fact very different, but in a good way! The book are quite unique and there isn't much out there in the teen market for witches at the moment, authors living in fear that their  witches may become stereotypical but Smith has gone all out and created a success.

The books are actually really nice and short as they come in a omnibus of two so I will be covering both in one review. The story lines are actually really simple and nice, and extremely easy to follow. The twist of having the witches is a nice part but my only criticism is that they need to 'USE MORE MAGIC!'

The characters are all so wonderful and created so well and you even get a soft spot for some of the darker characters like Faye. The characters are built up in a really nice close way. I remember my heavy criticism of the Vampire Diaries and a tad less criticism for Dark Visions but Smith has really got me with this book. It's just wonderful.

Favorite character... Cassie. Shy, kept to herself, exiting and extremely and speaks her mind whether it's mean or not... when she's drunk. No really, she was a really nice character to have to the book based on. She is a people person and really captures you heart and sometimes you really feel for her... a lot.

Overall, wonderful job Smith, I liked it and I guess it's onto the next two!

Saturday 5 November 2011

FANMADE MARKED MOVIE POSTER

The rights to the house of night saga have just been acquired for a movie/s so i thought i would do this!


Yay or nay?

DARK ANGEL - EDEN MAGUIRE - REVIEW

Title: Dark Angel
Author: Eden Maguire
Publisher: Hodder
ISBN: 9781444901863
Rating: B+

Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart. Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains. And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?

Dark Angel is one of those books that is both thrilling and different. I was really up for this book as I adored Eden's previous series, Beautiful Dead. But this was better, by miles. The book spins a new twist on paranormal romance that hasn't been done yet and keeps you on the edge for the whole novel, just waiting to find out what will happen.

The plot is a basic good vs evil, girl discovering a alternate world theme but the way it has been done completely draws you away from that and this is what makes the book so special. It's a well structured strong plot, balanced in every perspective, and I thing it is so wonderful!

The writing was blunt yet so whimsical and it gave all the info it needed to give short and snappy not droning on and on. It's a really compelling novel, and the writing is just what it needs. It's not too much of anything, just right.

I have to admit, I did struggle with the first few chapters, but once i was in i was hooked. The characters, are pretty much set in stone. There aren't many, which is nice, because it makes it an easier book to read and build up a larger profile for each one, getting closer to them.

My favourite character would have to be Zoran, only because he is the main mystery of the novel, and you just want to know more about him, and when you do, at the end, it's so crazily, scarily, awesome that you just love him and hate him at the same time. 

This book is definitely the art of twists and mystery put onto paper with a supernatural twist and I really enjoyed it!