DREAMLESS - JOSEPHINE ANGELINI - REVIEW

Right, so you may be wondering why this has suddenly appeared a year late? Well as it turns out I just started Goddess the last book and thought I'd check back on my older reviews. Now I know blogger hates me but I didn't realised he hated me enough to delete a review! Turns out he does so here's the saved review from last year.

Book: Dreamless
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: PanMacmillan
ISBN: 9780330529747
Rating: A

Tasked with descending to the underworld and killing the Furies, Helen must endure hellish torture whenever she goes to sleep -- she wanders around the various levels of hell with no idea how to complete her task, and she's beginning to suffer from extreme exhaustion. Although she still trains with the Delos clan, Helen and Lucas are coming to terms with the fact that they cannot be together. Lucas believes that the only way Helen will complete her quest is if he leaves her alone completely, so he tells her he doesn't want to see her again and that he never loved her. Distraught, Helen carries on with her mission, and for the first time meets another person down in the shadowy underworld: Orion, descended from Adonis and with the power to control desire, he is the heir to the house of Rome and an outcast. He's also kind of hot. Confused by her conflicting emotions but glad to have an ally in hell, Helen begins to realize the enormity of her task ...

This is one of those stunning series' that I fell in love with from day one so I when this arrived I read it withing a matter of days. Once of those magical books that just makes you feel amazing when you read it! I mean this has been one of the most heavily anticipated sequels ever! It did not dissapoint.

From page one I was induced in a book loving coma. I lived this novel for the time I was reading it and it was all that mattered. Dreamless is a sequel and with sequels you have to careful the first book isn't better and this series series just keeps on getting better! The book is a stunning masterpiece and I adore this series a gazillion times over.

The plot in itself was was amazing. I've loved the initial theme and idea since book when and when I found out Angelini was creating a cliched YA love triangle I was pretty sceptical but I had no reason to be. Angelini handled it beautifully, making it interesting and enjoyable at the same time, not falling into the clutches of terrible YA love triangles.

Angelini's writing is beautiful. There's something so lyrical and whimsical about it and I love the way she uses description! She crates the most vivd world and melds your minds to crete the most magical scenarios you could ever imagine.

Characters. The introduction of new characters, particularly orion, was not anything but perfect. The characters we already knew became closer to us and we got to know them better, and as with any sequel, we saw peoples true colours. But of course there were new characters and every one of them made this absolutely amazing! They were so personal and were amazing to read about in every way. I couldn't put this down!

Overall this is a stunning sequel to a stunning saga and it was quite simply perfect.

FANMADE ICONS MOVIE POSTER

Just a little fanmade icons movie poster!

LIFE AFTER THEFT - APRILYNNE PIKE - REVIEW

Book: Life After Theft
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780007515554
Rating: A

Kimberlee's dead. Has been for a while, actually. Stuck haunting the halls of her high school, she's doomed to an afterlife of boredom. That is until the new kid shows up. The first thing Jeff spots is Kimberlee lying on the floor as other students walk right through her. Pretty soon she's harangued him into helping her escape to the afterlife. Kimberlee guesses that once Jeff rights her mean girl wrongs she'll be able to move on. But nothing is simple in life after death...Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel, by #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Well where do I start with this. This left me speechless. I loved Pike's Wings series so when I saw this I was excited. Not only because it sounded amazing but also because it was rather different from here previous series, as all to often authors stick to the same sort of thing! This book however is absolutely perfect and I couldn't fault it.

The story follows Jeff, a boy who has moved to a new place and has started seeing a ghost. She is Kimberly the ex, queen bee of the school, hated by most, loved by some and she has a problem. She stole too much and Jeff has to return it all. Now this book had the romance factor in it too but it wasn't just thrown in there for the sake of it. It was actually very clever and worked with the overall plot really well, adding an extra charm to it. In fact the plot was fantastic! It was nicely fast paced, making it a wonderful read, whilst being very real and grounded but still exhilarating me completely. I feel like when authors go down the route of ghosts there's a couple of ways to go but this ghost story was crafted perfectly, and don't let 'ghost story' put you off because it's a completely new addition to the sub-genre.

The writing is so beautiful and I think because Pike previously wrote such a stunning series her writing really hone through in this. The way she manipulated words makes for a very whimsical and beautiful read whilst still having punch and and good hit! The way the world and characters materialise in you mind is absolutely perfect. When I was reading i didn't feel like I was reading anything at all. I felt as if it was all natural and as if I was in the book watching the story unfold. This honestly is one of the most perfectly balanced books when talking about the balance between description and dialogue, that I have read in a long time and provided a truly magical prose.

I liked the characters in this because they were all so unique and independent. All of them, say for Kim, were strong alone but stronger in Unity. Another things that struck me as good, was the fact that we got a lot of back story to all the characters. Of course the characters were well formed anyway but backstories and true colours of characters aren't usually revealed till a sequel but in this we got too see everyones history which was a really nice addition. There were a small circle of characters in it but the main were 4 characters, with semi mains characters appearing every now and then. 

Honestly the works that strikes me about this book is: Perfect. I couldn't fault, not at all. Reading this book, it was nice to see a whole new side to Pike and I think she has proved herself as an incredibly worthy author. I will most definitely be reading anything she writes and I look forward to seeing whatever she brings along next. This book was bliss to read and I would do so a thousand times.

DIARY OF A CRUSH: FRENCH KISS - SARRA MANNING - REVIEW

Book: Diary of a Crush: French Kiss
Author: Sarra Manning
Publisher: ATOM
ISBN: 9780349001562
Rating: B

New town, new college, new people, Edie's feeling overwhelmed. What if nobody wants to be her friend? But then something happens that turns her life upside down: Edie spots Dylan. Messy-haired, pouty, frustratingly elusive Dylan...Fast forward to the college trip to Paris and things are really heating up. In between the shopping, the clubbing, the kissing and the making up, something happens between Edie and Dylan that changes both their lives for ever. But do boys like Dylan ever play for keeps?

For me this is one of those book thats quite a bit out of my comfort zone. Something I don't usually read, but I'm always open minded, so I dove in, headfirst, completely ready for the book and I loved it. Every now and then It's nice to take a breather. Read a short, funny lighthearted book and this was all of those things. It was fun, quirky and had some laugh out loud moments. No gothic themes or knee deep plots. Simple, airy and a pleasure to read.

Seeing as I've never read any of Manning's stuff before, this is definitely a gateway for more. The plot were brilliant. It had me interested every part of the way and I loved it. It wasn't heavy in the slightest but still kept you thirsty for more. It moved quick, and although a romance had the appeal to both boys and girls. 

The writing was really nice to read. Considering it's meant to be a diary the perfect amount of detail was put in whilst keeping it diaryish and still as though it was written by a teenage girl. The description was perfect and I loved the way having it like a diary helped it open up to reveal much more personal aspects of Edie's life. I feel that the more I know a characters the more I love the book.

The characters in this were brilliant! By the midway point every character you know is flipped and the complete opposite and all of the sudden the people you like you hate and the people you hate you like, say for Edie. The characters were created so cleverly and developed in such a way that they instantly materialise in your mind. There weren't too many which we extremely nice and I felt as though they were definitely right in my mind.
My favourite character has to be Shona. Even though we're initially meant to hate her she's essentially the peacekeeper between Dylan and Edie and once you get to know her she's an instantly likeable person.

Overall this is a beautiful, lighthearted quick read that make you want to read more. I couldn't put it down and by the time I was finished I was ready for book 2. Perfect.

THE ETERNITY CURE - JULIE KAGAWA - REVIEW

Book: The Eternity Cure
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Mira Ink
ISBN: 9781848451858
Rating: A

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence. There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time. Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

Right, well when writing reviews I like to keep them as professional as I can but I'ma slip up this time; This was so freaking awesome! This book had me hooked from the beginning. In all fairness I made it no secrets that I loved book 1 in this series, and also I love Kagawa's Iron series so I had high expectations for this book and let me say I am so ready for the next one! My god that cliffhanger! I have my suspicions but in the next book I have a feeling they'll be confirmed.

The plot in this baby was jam packed. At first I took a look at the book and was like hmm, pretty big. Then I started reading and was like, hmm, how's this going to be dragged out and boy It was amazing. There is action, every step of the way. The plot is fast paced and thrilling, exciting you every step of the way! The plot vaguely picked up from the last book with Allie on her search for Kanin. I really like the morals of this story but often YAis just entertainment but there was a lot of meaning to this. It's core theme was family bonds, in this referred to a blood ties/bonds, but I really loved how it played on morals whilst keeping it thoroughly entertaining and keeping me on the tips of my toes.

The writing in this was stunning. Kagawa's writing is very descriptive and I love descriptive writing so much. Kagawa has a charm to her writing, a way with words that builds up incredible world in your mind, down the last detail whilst still leaving so much to the imagination. The writing was crafted cleverly allowing me to figure details but not all of it making me want to read on, which I had on problems with. It fitted perfectly with this series that although being hard and edgy still has some dangerous elegance about it which just enthrals you from the beginning.

There are barely any characters in this and I love it when sequels have few characters, because I feel it gives us a chance to develop with the known characters and hear there stories and see their true colours. This is exactly what happened in this novel. With Allie we saw evolving as she became more human and we got a closer look at Jackal as he became a bigger part of the book.
When it comes to favourite characters I am torn. Not between two people but four. Kanin, Allie, Zeke and Jackal. In this I loved them all so much and I felt as though the emotional connection really increased.

This book is definitely a lot heavier than book 1 but I have to qualms with it. It opens up to a darker side of the world they lived and the darker side of people we once thought we knew *cough* stick *cough*. Overall this is a stunning and epic sequel to a phenomenal series. Kagawa simply can not disappointment. Perfection.

COVER OF THE WEEK - APRIL WEEK 4

Right so I know haven't got round to doing one of these for a while and I know it's still a week till this comes out but I am in love with this cover for the eternity cure. For starters I am a massive Kagawa fan! I loved her Iron novels and I'm loving this new take on vampires! But the minimalism and simplicity of this cover just makes me love it! It's bold, the colours pop, there a faint background image and even though it s a very elegant and delicate cover it still has a grungy edgy feel to it which I adore so much! A gorgeous cover for the Eternity cure though you can't but this one as it's the proof cover, but it's so gorgeous I had to share.

ICONS - MARGARET STOHL - REVIEW

Book: Icons
Author: Margaret Stohl
Publisher: HarperVoyager
ISBN: 9780007520831
Rating: A

The first book in a breathtaking new series from Beautiful Creatures co-author Margaret Stohl Your heart beats only with their permission. Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting. Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside - safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid. She's different. She survived. Why? When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy. Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions - which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses - may actually be their greatest strengths. Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts - in order to save the future.

Where do I begin with this. I was anticipating this for a long time and the moment it arrived I read it in a night. This book is crammed full with every single thing you could want. Action, romance, sic-fi, dystopian. Just everything.

The plot was really interesting, because although it was dystopian it had a sic-fi crossover which was really nice. In fact sci-fi is starting to make a break in the YA market and surprisingly I'm loving it! The  story is really unique and is set in a sort of post apocalyptic world, in which aliens have taken over and there are four children with marking that save them. To sum it up it's I am number four meets the host meets divergent. Three of my favourite book so naturally I loved it.
We followed a girl named Dol [oria] and how she is ripped from the safety of the hideouts and plunged into a the governments hands. We follow her as she makes allies and enemies and learns to use her powers.
The plot is so fun. Fun is because i mean it has absolutely everything. It's such a unique idea and so perfect in every way. It satisfied all my needs, with action, tech, dystopia, romance and powers. I couldn't stop reading. Every way through the book i was intrigued and every chapter had me reading the next. Impossible to put down. Every last drop of it. It thrilled me, it made me sad, it evoked everything a book should and at the end I was lost, because an amazing book had ended I had nothing left to do.

I knew that the writing would be different, because this time it was all Stohl and no Garcia. I was not disappointed. The writing held a certain charm about it, whimsical yet hard hitting and fast. It build vivd and crisp images in your mind and scenes which played out easily. The description was so beautiful and because of the focus of the book being on emotions, the emotional description made you so connected. The dialogue was perfect and each characters really shone through.
Stohl handled action scenes really well, because sometimes authors an pace them too fast, but not once did i find me self wanting to go back or pace down. Every single page of this book had me going and drinking the novel up. 

Setting. As for setting the world is overrun and destroyed and thirteen main cities remain, governed my ambassador chosen by the aliens. The book is predominantly set in LA, or what's left of it, but in the government building, not the ram shackled down under city called the 'hole'. Though in the beginning we find ourselves in a rebellion hideout, so the speak. The locations were so perfect In every aspect, that you wanted to be there every part of the way. Just the way Stohl created this world had me intrigued and captivated.

All the characters in this book were created to perfection. I really think the focus of emotion helped us to connect to the characters and become them and although Dol was written in first person, i felt he unique power helped us to slip into the shoes of any of the characters. The charatcers were all built up extremely well, and as the book progressed we knew them better, as they came out of their shells. That's something I loved the Stohl did. She kept the characters reserved and hostile and opened them up as the book opened up. all the characters became my friends and I loved being beside them all the way till the end.

Over all this is a stunning book and a terrific addition to the YA genre.  It was the most amazing exhilarating thrilling unique book I've read for a long time! I Loved it to smithereens and I am raring for number 2.