Friday 8 March 2013

(Very belated) 2013 TBR Challenge


So, I'm posting this very late (we're already 1/4 of the way through the year, EEP!) but I've signed up to Evie's TBR challenge, which for me, will hopefully clear a few things off my growing TBR pile.

We all know what it's like. A new book is released - we buy it. The charity shop has a ton of great books at ridiculously cheap prices - we come home with armfuls. So it's no surprise really that we all have those books which just mount up and never actually get read.

That is the point of this challenge, to dust off those stacked up books that we never get round to.

Only books from 2012 or earlier are allowed as part of this challenge, and there are 5 levels, based on how many books you plan to read:

Level 1 1-10 - A firm handshake
Level 2 11-20 - A friendly hug
Level 3 21-30 - A sweet kiss
Level 4 31-40 - Love at first sight
Level 5 41-50 - Married with children

I've chosen to do Level 5 (I could definitely do more books than this, but I'm sticking to the rules! As I've posted this a little late, I've already gone through over a dozen of my TBR, which I will post an update of soon.

If you fancy joining in, click on the link image up top and sign up. What books are on your TBR piles.

Happy Reading!
Xoxo

Review - Forsaken by Jana Oliver


Forsaken
By Jana Oliver
Macmillan Children's Books, 422 pages
Published: February 7th 2011

"Riley Blackthorne.
Kicking hell's ass one demon at a time...

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she's already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it's tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated:

Simon: the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he's God's gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her life.

One thing's for sure - if she doesn't keep her wits about her there'll be hell to pay..."

- from the book

4.5 out of 5

From the blurb, this book would probably be billed as a paranormal romance. It is in part, but that's not remotely the focus of the tale.
As a girl fighting demons in a man's world, Riley Blackthorne already has a fight on her hands trying to prove she's good enough, but when a routine capture goes wrong, Riley is started on a path that will soon have her world spinning out of control.

I fell in love with the characters in this book. Each one has their own distinctive personality, which blend seamlessly together to create a fantastic ensemble cast.
Riley has a 'never give up' attitude which has you wanting her to succeed from the word go. She isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in, or fight for what she wants. She goes through a lot in this book alone, and you can't help but feel for her. Eventhough she is a very contained character, when she lets her emotions show, it's thrilling and heartbreaking at the same time. She shows such incredible strength throughout that you can't help but admire and be inspired by her.

As stated in the blurb, Riley has several love interests in this book, some of whom were a little less impressive than others. Let me start with Beck. Oh Beck. I loved you, I hated you, which only made me love you more. He is an incredibly complex character, who feels highly protective of Riley, and although he constantly keeps her at arms length and pushes her away often, there are emotions there under the surface that you will be begging to explode. He has hidden, sensitive depths and I can't wait to read more about him. His POV sections were some of my highlights of the book, as they allow us to see both Beck & Riley in a completely different (and highly illuminating) light.
Simon on the other hand. Well, there was just something about him that didn't sit well for me. Yes, he was sweet and charming, and obviously cares for Riley, but I couldn't in all honesty, figure out the big attraction to him. Their relationship felt almost rushed, and I didn't feel myself as drawn to him as Riley appears to be, and as perhaps I should've been.

This book definitely has a feel of the tv show Supernatural about it, which was not a problem for me, because I love that show. It has appeal for adults as well it's target YA audience, because it's a bit grittier than your average YA novel.
I loved the fresh take on demons & how the humans of the book interact with them, showing a world that is tough and slightly mercenary, but which has it's bright spots too.

Thrilling and action packed, I would definitely recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Review - Secret Lives by Gabriella Poole


Secret Lives
By Gabriella Poole
Hodder & Stoughton, 288 pages
Published: August 6th 2009

"The Darke Academy is a school like no other. An elite establishment that moves to a new exotic city every term, its students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated. and rich, and the more the new scholarship girl Cassie Bell learns about the Academy, the more curious she becomes.
What sinister secrets are guarded by the Few - —the select group of students who keep outsiders away? Who is the dark stranger prowling the corridors at night? And what really happened a year earlier, when the last scholarship girl died in mysterious circumstances?
Cassie quickly discovers that a little knowledge may be a dangerous thing, but knowing too much can be deadly."

-From the book

3 out of 5

Starting at a prestigious boarding school as a scholarship student already has Cassie Bell feeling like an outsider, but when she starts to uncover the secrets of the exclusive Darke Academy, she starts to feel even more lost at sea.

I found this a difficult one to review, because I have mixed emotions about this book. I neither loved it nor hated it, but there was something compelling about it. The plotline was something I've seen before, but there were definitely elements which I hadn't seen, which was a pleasant surprise.

At times it was a little predictable (it was obvious from the start who the respective villains and heroes were), but I think that's part of it's charm. You weren't constantly second guessing character's actions. While I found it took a little time to get to the main action, the time up until then wasn't dull like it could've been, and we learn things about the characters which help to flesh them out and make them more rounded individuals.

It sometimes felt as though the motivations behind certain actions, as well as the backstory for most of the characters, weren't very well developed, but as this is the first in the series, I'm hoping we get more insight in future books. Several characters (Ranjit & Isabella in particular) had the potential to be great stand out characters, however they lacked the depth fully required for this, which was disappointing.
The quality of the narrative and descriptive passages was something I loved, making this a smooth and enjoyable read. While I wouldn't rush to recommend this book, I also wouldn't try and dissuade anyone from reading it.

Review - Hysteria by Megan Miranda


Hysteria
By Megan Miranda
Bloomsbury, 352 pages
Published: February 14th 2013

"You wanted him.
You needed him.
You killed him.

Life can change in an instant.
Fear can take you to the very edge.

Mallory's old life is dead. Her boyfriend is gone; his blood washed from the kitchen tiles. Still it stains her mind. She can't ever go back.

Monroe Prep School is her new start. But everyone thinks they know what happened that night.
They think they know her. They don't.

Secrets are deadly.
Secrets are the only real currency".


- From the book

4 out of 5

Hysteria, simply, blew me away. Just when I thought it was heading in one direction, Miranda would make a u-turn and head in a completely different direction. Sometimes this was confusing as hell, but on the whole, it just added to the suspense and thrill of the ride, emulating Mallory's thought process. There were some things that I saw coming, but that wasn't a disappointment. Actually it was a nice change of pace, to know what was going on for a change, in addition to upping the tension. You know what's about to happen, and are willing the characters to figure it out too before it's too late.

There are two storylines running almost simultaneously in Hysteria, which compliment as opposed to distract from each other, and the ending does a great job of tying all those loose ends together. I know the ending will please some readers but may disappoint others. I was in the former category. There are several unnerving scenes of bloody handprints which definitely upped the tension throughout, and those combined with a series of flashbacks to the events before Mallory came to boarding school give us just enough to keep questioning what the heck is goings on.

The characters were engaging and believable, and their reactions to specific events were very realistic. Mallory herself is a contradiction in terms. Brave but shattered, she has been through something traumatic, and as intended, she sometimes comes across as slightly unhinged. Like Mallory, we are kept guessing as to what is real, and Miranda does a fantastic job of keeping us guessing.
There is romance there, it was sweet and just what you'd expect from the characters, but it was more in the background than upfront, which I think in this case was the way to go, leaving the main focus to be Mallory's struggle with right and wrong, real and not real.

I'm not sure what else I can say without giving any of the story away, but if you're looking for a creepy, Soul Survivors type of psychological thriller, then this is the book for you.