City of Glass, by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass

Author: Cassandra Clare

Reading Level: Young Adult

Pages: Paperback - 541

Chapters: 21

Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Series: The Mortal Instruments:

1-City of Ashes, 2-City of Bones, 3-City of Glass, 4-Cit of Fallen Angels

Person: Third

Tense: Past

Rating: 10/10

Blurb (quoted): “Amid the chaos of war, the Shadowhunters must decide to fight with the vampires, werewolves and other Downworlders – or against them. Meanwhile, Jace and Clary have their own decision to make: should they pursue the love they know is forbidden?”

Opinion:

I was propelled through this book by anticipation; I could hardly put it down. There were so many pages that had me so involved I lost track of time.

This book is an amazing read, the characters have amazing personalities, there’s humour, despair, romance – everything.

There are so many twists and turns to the story line, you’re constantly asking ‘what next’. It builds so well on the two previous books from the series, the plot is solid.

It has me antsy for the next one.

Tempest, by Julie Cross

Title: Tempest

Author: Julie Cross

Target Audience: Young Adult

Pages: 413

Chapters: 43

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Sci-fi / Romance

Person: First

Tense: Past

Blurb (quoted):

“Today: Jackson and Holly are in love.

Tomorrow: she will lie bleeding in his arms.

Yesterday: Jackson must undo it all.

A booming sound rang in my ears, followed by Holly’s scream. Then everything seemed to stop – my heart, my breath… time.

Jackson has a secret – he can jump into his own past. But when a shocking event propels him further back in time than he has ever been before – he finds he can’t return.

Now Jackson has to find a way to save the girl he loves before they have even met, and time is not on his side…”

Summary:

Jackson discovered he isn’t your average teenager when he was eighteen: he can jump into the past, but only a few days. Only his science-geek friend Adam knows his dangerous secret, but his life is turned upside down and inside out when two men kill the love of his live and something forces him two years into his past, where he is horrified to find he can’t escape.

Now, with secret after secret constantly limiting the number of people he can trust, Jackson must try and find a way to save his future-girlfriend Holly, who he hasn’t even met yet, while evading the growing number of people trying to kill him – which could include his own farther.

As the lies accumulate and the danger grows, Jackson fears he may never return to his own time – and not just because he can’t jump forward, but also because he might not live long enough.

Judgement:

I’m not used to reading books in a boy’s POV, and usually it takes me a little while to adjust, but in this book I was sucked in and nothing was foreign.

The plot and storyline were new waters for me, but I can’t say I’m not a fan! The theme of time-travel is only one of the countless mind twisters in this book, and it’s a puzzle you’re continuously trying to piece together in your head, but the puzzle pieces keep morphing.

The characters weren’t as developed as some I’ve read, though they definitely change and evolve throughout the story, and they had enough details to make them individuals – other than the main characters, there wasn’t much description on appearances and when there was, it was a once-of that I forgot a few pages later.

The emotional side of it is great too (I don’t know if it was just me or the books influence, but I kept thinking about my own boyfriend), and there were definitely a couple of moments when my eyes watered.

There are countless names, though it isn’t necessary to be able to remember all of them, but I do like to know whether a character was the driver or the agent in the last chapter… It also has a lot of dates (every chapter begins with a date and time), but I could never remember the last one I read, so they were a moot point for me.

It has a great writing style, and it kept my mind involved the whole way through, and dragged me right along with Jackson through time. I read the book in two days, and the ending leaves it open for a sequel, and I hope there will be.

My only complaint was slight confusion now and again about what characters were present and when the scene was – which is conveniently important in a book about time-travelling.

I also have to bring out the conspiratory feel to the novel; secret agents and the CIA? It's great.

About the Author:

Julie Cross has worked with children and teenagers for several years as a gymnastics programme director and running teen-writers’ workshops. But most of all she loves reading teen books, so one day in 2009 she decided she was going to write her own. And Tempest, her passionate and pacy debut novel, was born. Julie lives in Illinois USA with her husband and three children.

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Target Audience: Young Adult

Pages: 390

Chapters: 67

Judgement: 10/10

Genre: Romance / Fantasy

Person: first

Tense: past

Blurb (quoted):

“The Cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf – her wolf – watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn’t know why.

The Heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace… Until now.

The Shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it’s spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human – and Grace must fight to keep him – even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.”

Summary:

Grace’s friends aren’t only humans. The forest behind her house is home to a pack of wolves – home to a yellow-eyed wolf that watches back. Grace loves that wolf in particular – a wolf she feels she knows.

There’s more to Sam than meets the eye. He’s living a double life: in the summers, he is human; but in the winter he is forced to shift into a yellow-eyed wolf. He lives in among the trees during the cold, spending his time watching a girl who watches him.

But when the hunt is on a supposedly dangerous wolf pack, and Sam is able to become human again – and also able to speak to Grace. It’s the one and only time they’ve been together… and if they aren’t careful, it could be the last.

The fight has begun for love to survive in drastic circumstances.

Judgement:

Well… Only two complaint’s, so let’s get those out of the way first:

The blurb irritates me – I’m glad I didn’t base my choice on the blurb, because if I had I wouldn’t have read this book, thankfully it had been highly recommended. The blurb just… It doesn’t do the book justice at all. (Though admittedly, I don’t think my summary is much better).

The second complain is the ending! It’s not really a complaint of sorts I guess, but the way it end is infuriating – there just has to be more. It doesn’t feel like an ending at all. Which leaves me praying that there is a sequel.

Now that I have that out of the way:

I loved this book! It’s a going on my recommended list. It’s descriptive, it’s intimate, it’s everything I love in a novel. It’s not one of those ones that take half the book to get into, it’s just in the moment and it draws you in.

I didn’t sit there for hours on end, unable to put it down, I admit. But I think that has a lot to do with being busy and unproductive. There were definitely times when I couldn’t stop reading  but it wasn’t like that the whole way through – which I think makes the reading more enjoyable in a way, because it’s not the constant desperate for more and enables you to enjoy it in the moment.

Other than that, I don’t have much critique to give.

The story line is pretty original as far as I know; definitely not your average novel!

EDIT: It looks like there's a sequel! Linger, by Maggie Stiefvater.

Our Fake Relationship, by Belle

Title: Our Fake Relationship

Author: Belle

Target Audience: Mature Teenagers

Chapters: 50

Genre: Romance

Person: First

Tense: Past

Opinion: 7/10

Link: http://www.booksie.com/xxbellexx

Blurb (quoted):

“Olivia and Zane are just normal teenagers with normal relationships. But they hate each other. When Olivia's boyfriend breaks up with her and Zane's girlfriend breaks up with him, what will happened when they both want revenage and they decide to get into a fake relationship to get their lovers back? But what if Zane and Olivia accidently fall in love in that time? This story is of two teenagers who hate each other and don't get along but things start to heat up between them and their past relationships won't matter, will they?”

My Summary:

Olivia had a good life: trustworthy best friend, amazing boyfriend, rich parents. But when she finds out the love of her life is dumping her for her best friend, Kendra, who he’s been cheating with, everything falls apart.

As if her life hadn’t just become enough of a struggle, Kendra’s now-ex-boyfriend is the biggest pain in the ass she’s ever known – but he wants his girlfriend back and Olivia wants her boyfriend back. That’s when the two enemies cook up a scheme to make their ex’s jealous enough to take them back: they’d have a fake relationship.

But when things start heating up for reasons other than anger, Olivia begins to question who her heart actually belongs to…

Judgment:

I found this book on the website Booksie and fell in love with it; Booksie is a site where aspiring authors can group together, post their work and read other people’s work.

Personally, I would have altered the way some of the scenes were written. I’m not saying I didn’t thoroughly enjoy reading this, because I honestly did, but it’s not the most polished piece of writing – but I whole-heartedly believe this could be a published novel.

It has everything from drama, to romance, to comedy – the number of laughs from this is heart-lightening, but it can just as easily bring tears. The story line goes up and down with twists and turns, just like a REAL romance does. There is at least one scene that requires a mature mind, so don’t say I haven’t given fair warning.

The fact that the two main characters are practically bipolar opposites gives it a spark and I love how the storyline is all nicely linked together – everything is explained well. The characters have depth and strong personalities, which only makes the clashing more enjoyable.

It’s unlike any romance I’ve read before in that it doesn’t have the typical dates and events, but rather ends up so far outside the square you’d never have guessed!

I think it’s one of those pieces I could read again and again, and is well worth your time – if you can stand cheesy lines and gooey scenes.

Hmmm, and she maybe uses a few too many rhetorical questions in the blurb, but I adore the name – the title was what originally caught my attention.

This book is published online at Booksie and I had permission to review her work. You can read it at this web address: http://www.booksie.com/romance/novel/xxbellexx/our-fake-relationship

Let Me In

Title: Let Me In

Genre: Thriller

Rating: R16

Opinion: 7/10

Running Time: 116 minutes

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Richard Jenkins

Blurb (quoted): “From the director of Cloverfield comes Let Me In, a darkly haunting and provocative thriller. Abbey (Chloe Moretz – Kick Ass) is a mysterious 12 year old who moves next door to Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Road), a social outcast who is viciously bullied at school. In his loneliness, Owen forms a profound bond with his new neighbour but he can’t help noticing that Abbey is like no one he has met before. As a string of grisly murders grips his wintry New Mexico town, Owen has to confront the reality that this seemingly innocent girl is hiding a dark secret.”

Quotes: “The best American horror film in the last 20 years” – Stephen King. “A macabre love story… sinks its teeth into you and doesn’t let go” – Nick Dent

My Summary: Owen, a bullied 12 year old boy, has no friends – that is, until Abbey, a similarly lonely and oddly mysterious girl of the same age, moves in next door. Soon after her arrival in town, bodies begin to turn up.

Despite Abbey’s warning that they can’t be friends, Owen pursues a friendship with Abbey and ends up falling in love with her. But once the police start knocking on her door, Abbey knows she must leave town; that she must leave Owen.

But the story doesn’t end there. In a final plan of revenge, Owen is half drowned by four bullies, but thanks to a visit from a certain friend, Owen ends up with a new plan for his future.

Opinion: A great late night movie for those who are looking for a thrill but not a scream.

Review: Having previously read the book ‘Let the Right One In’, I was interested in this movie from the moment I realised it was based on the book, and it sure didn’t disappoint.

Unlike most movie versions of a novel, Let Me In was delightfully similar to the book, not skipping chunks of the novel that are some of the best parts. I could relate just about everything back to the book, and that might just be my favourite thing about the movie.

To be honest, despite the unrealistically fake blood, the special effects in this movie were really awesome and the movie was well-cast, and definitely well planned out.

Thankfully, the movie follows the line of traditional vampires, with nothing appealing or sexy about them – if that’s how you like your vamps, nice and gory and original then this is a movie for you!

The romance thread was quite interesting as well, considering all the events in the movie. If I’m being totally honest, I think the main character, Owen, is… messed up in the head to say the least. It’s actually a slightly twisted story, but definitely enjoyable.

Die for Me, by Amy Plum

Title: Die For Me

Author: Amy Plum

Target Audience: Young Adult

Pages: 341

Chapters: 40

Judgement: 9/10

Genre: Romance / Fantasy

Person: first

Tense: past

Blurb (quoted): “My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister Georgia and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with our grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies… immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all his kind.

While I’m fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart – as well as my life and my family’s – in jeopardy for a chance at love?”

Summary:

Kate’s parents have just died in a car accident and now she’s struggling to live something that passes for ‘having a life’ in Paris with her sister Georgia and her grandparents. Everything is as you would expect: depressive, at least until a mysterious stranger steps into her life.

Vincent is not what he seems – in fact, he has a dark secret that no one is allowed to know. Of course, this doesn’t stop him from pursuing Kate as a romantic interest, and who can resist a dark, sexy, mystery man?

But when Kate finds that Vincent is in fact not human, it’s an internal emotional struggle on what to do – not to mention she’s still scared to love and lose. Add to the equation mortal danger – or rather, immortal danger, and this Kate’s life becomes a roller coaster.

Could love possibly beat the odds?

Judgement:  First of all, I have to say that I don’t think the blurb on the book portrays the book very well, because I was not expecting what I found printed on the pages. Never the less, that didn’t stop me loving this book! Yes, it’s another great read I’ve managed to find. Not a bad length either.

On the other hand, it was a bit cheesy and… unlikely? For example, Kate tends to go “Oh, Vincent!” a lot, and it sort of got on my nerves. But hey, if you’re into cheesy romance, this is for you! Also quite sappy, and not a book for anyone opposed to swooning teenagers.

It was well written and the ideas were well conveyed. The imagery is amazing, half the time after reading it I wondered if it was book or movie!

A range of personalities, from the stubborn party-girl Georgia, to the stern and strict ‘Jean-Baptiste’ (J.B.); the book is highly believable.

I recommend for swooning romantics!

Oh, and another note: I love the cover of this book! I didn’t even read the blurb after plucking it off the shelf, I was sold instantly just by the cover and I was not disappointed.

Beastly

Title: Beastly
Genre: Romance / Fantasy
Rating: PG
Opinion: 9/10

Running Time: 83 minutes

Directed by: Daniel Barnz
Written by: Daniel Barnz (screenplay), Alex Flinn (novel)
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris, Lisa Gay Hamilton
Music by: Linda Cohen
Budget: $20 million

Blurb (quoted): “Once upon a time in a kingdom long ago and far away there was a fairytale called ‘Beauty and the Beast'.

BEASTLY is here and now.

Seventeen year old Kyle (Alex Pettyfer I Am Number Four) is the spoilt, shallow and incredibly popular prince of his high school kingdom. Entirely captivated by his own physical appearance, Kyle foolishly chooses Kendra (Mary Kate Olsen The Wackness), a Goth classmate rumoured to be a witch, as his latest target for humiliation. Unfazed by his cruel behaviour, Kendra decides to teach him a lesson… she transforms him into someone as unattractive on the outside as he is on the inside.

Now cursed, Kyle has one year to find someone who can see past the surface and love him, or he will remain ‘beastly’ forever. Will and an unassuming classmate he never noticed named Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens High School Musical) be his best chance to prove that love is never ugly?”

Quotes: “Witty, warm, well cast and often wickedly funny…” – Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel.

My Summary: A self-absorbed rich-boy, seventeen year old Kyle gets what he deserves when he is cursed after playing a nasty trick on a rumoured witch from his school. Given only a year to find someone who isn’t as shallow as him and can love him despite tattoos, scars, and metal in his face, Kyle finds himself falling for a girl he’d never before paid attention to: Lindy, a girl with a druggie father and on a scholarship. The problem is trying to make her fall for him – and what happens when she finds out that “Hunter” (a fake name) is actually the jerk from her school.

Opinion: a tragically beautiful film, Beastly is a lovely romance. Well scripted with good actors and actresses, it’s a touching story that draws you in. It plays your emotions, creates hate and pity and love for different characters. It’s not a story for ‘sap-haters’. Definitely enjoyable, and worth watching over again.

Review: as usual, let’s get the statement out of the way: I REALLY loved this movie. Being out-casted myself at school, I can sympathise with this story. My favourite character would have to be Kendra, the witch; she has morals and wits, is never fazed, always has a come-back, and doesn’t give a damn what people think about her. Unfortunately, she isn’t a main character in the movie; I would’ve liked to see more of her.

I especially loved the tattoo’s Kyle was ‘cursed’ with; I personally thought they were beautiful – which is why I call it ‘tragically beautiful’ I guess.

Furthermore, it’s a film about learning to care and ‘walking a mile in someone else’s shoes’. I’ve always believed it takes disaster to change who someone is – whether for better or worse.

Over all, I suggest you get off the internet and go see this movie – I’d make it a Must See.