Hmmm... Update

SO, I know I haven't posted a review in FOREVER, but I actually have been reading crap-loads. Why no reviews then? Mainly because I hardly have time with assesments due AND exams coming up at school, but also because I've been reading an incredible, amaaazing book series: The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series, by Laurell K. Hamilton. (Just a note, I'd label it an M [mature] or R15...)
And I have already reviewed about two of the books in the series, and there are more than 7 books, so I figured if you aren't hooked by the first two reviews then...well, you can put it together.
Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading something else or posting a review...
Another factor is that my keyboard's space-bar is half broken, so most of the time I have to push it at least twice before it works. Majorly slows down typing...

But I'm open for guest reviews!

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

The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder

Author: Kimberly Derting

Target Audience: Young Adult

Pages: 327

Chapters: 28

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Series: 1-The Body Finder, 2-Desires of the Dead, 3-The Last Echo, (book 4 coming in 2013)

Person: Second

Tense: Past

Opinion: 7½/10

Blurb (quoted):

“A girl with a morbid ability
When a murder is committed it leaves a unique echo… on both the victim and the killer. Most people are unaware of these echoes but Violet Ambrose has always been able to sense them.

A serial killer on the loose

Now that Violet’s town is in the thralls of a serial killer the echoes of the local girls he has murdered are haunting her.

And the boy who would never let anything happen to her

The only shining light is Violet’s best friend Jay. She’s started falling for him and his fierce protectiveness gives her hope that he may feel the same…

With the police at a loss, can Violet use her ability to stop the killer or is she in danger of becoming his next victim?

Quotes from the cover:

“The romance and the mystery in The Body Finder were so intense that I didn’t know whether to hold my breath or scream. I did know I wouldn’t be getting anything done until I read whole book” – Melissa Mar, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Lovely.

“You’ll be drawn in by the love story – and kept up all night by the suspense” – Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Stargazer.

Summary:

Violet has never been your normal girl; she can sense bodies. Everything that’s killed has an echo, which matches the one on their killer.

So when girls start disappearing only to turn up dead, Violet enlists herself to help find the killer – in the process endangering her own life.

But then again, that could work in her favour when it comes to her best friend Jay, who she and every other girl in the school now has the hot’s for. While she’s falling hopelessly for him, all she can do is pretend to be normal and hope he feels the same.

Judgement:

The Body finder took a little bit to get interested in; like a lot of good books, the beginning is slow-going, but believe me: once you reach the drama, your eyes will be glue until the very last page.

I really liked how the author created echoes; it’s an interesting idea. However, there was a little confusion at times, but it just adds more to the story and enhances your need to read more.

I would like to apologize for the briefness of this post. It took me a while to get round to reviewing it and I've read 3 books since!

Blue Bloods, by Melissa De La Cruz

Title: Blue Bloods

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Target Audience: Young Adult

Pages: 302

Chapters: 44

Opinion: 6/10

Genre: Fantasy

Series: 1-Blue Bloods, 2-Masquerade, 3-Revelations, 4-The Van Alen Legacy, (Companion Book)-The Keys to the Repository, 5-Misguided Angel, (Novella)-Bloody Valentine, 6-Lost in Time. (Coming soon (Fall, 2012): Wolf Pact, a spin-off of ‘Misguided Angel’)

Person: second

Tense: past

Blurb (quoted): “Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Dushesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically. The death of a popular schoolmate haunts her in unexpected ways. And strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan’s most exclusive social circle. It’s members are the powerful, the wealthy, and – as Schuyler soon discovers – the unhuman. They are Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, and for centuries they’ve been invincible. Now, something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable of them all?

Summary: Everyone seems to fit into a group; somewhere, there is a place you belong. Except for the baggy-dressing Schuyler Van Alen, who is social outcast with Oliver and Dylan at Duchesne, a rich-kid private school in NYC.

Well, the world seems to start spinning in the opposite direction when Schuyler turns 15 and finds out that she’s not even human! Dropped in the deep end of the most popular social circles, Schuyler is one of the few ‘Blue Bloods’ asking questions about a mysterious death that shouldn’t even be possible.

Now it’s up to the newbie to save her race, but Schuyler has a long way to go before she gets any answers. The biggest question of all though, is who can be trusted? When a Blue-Blood-turned-bad could be anyone, Schuyler has limited options, limited time, and unlimited danger to face.

Judgement: Well to be honest, I was a little disappointed. After having the book suggested to me multiple times buy a dozen people, I finally picked up the book. And then put it back down. The entire first half, if not more, of the book is dull and uneventful, I ended up forcing myself to continue due to the promise that ‘it gets better’ from friends.

At least they were right. Somewhere near the middle there, the book has a complete turn around and I couldn’t put it down! Otherwise, my Opinion would be below 5.

Thankfully though, the storyline picks up and by the end of the novel I’m begging for more – and boy am I glad it’s a series!

There isn’t really much else to say on this series; I enjoyed it once I slugged through the slosh (er…?) and I recommend you read it if you’re looking for something different, something that isn’t completely focused on swooning, head-over-heels teenagers.

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.

Nightligh: A Parody

Title: Nightlight A Parody

Author: The Harvard Lampoon

Target Audience: young adult

Pages: 154

Chapters: 11

Genre: comedy / parody

Person: first

Tense: past

Opinion: 7/10

Blurb (quoted): “About three things I was absolutely certain.

First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe.

Second, there was a vampire part of him – which I assumed was wildly out of his control – that wanted me dead.

And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished that he had kissed me.

And thus Belle Goose falls in love with the mysterious and sparkly Edwart Mullen in the Harvard Lampoon’s hilarious send-up.

Pale and klutzy, Belle arrives in Switchblade, Oregon, looking for adventure, or at least an undead classmate. She soon discovers Edwart, a super-hot computer nerd with zero interest in girls. After witnessing a number of strange events – Edwart leaves his chips untouched at lunch! Edwart saves her from a flying snowball! – Belle has a dramatic revelation: Edwart is a vampire. But how can she convince Edwart to bite her and transform her into his eternal bride, especially when he seems to find girls so repulsive?

Complete with romance, danger, insufficient parental guardianship, creepy stalkerlike behaviour, and a vampire prom, Nightlight is the uproarious tale of a vampire-obsessed girl, looking for love in all the wrong places.”

Summary: Belle Goose is a highly-popular though extremely quirky teenager obsessed with vampires. Edwart Mullen is a super-nerd and the butt of every joke at school that’s never kissed a girl. A perfect match! After moving to Switchblade, Oregon, Belle witnesses a range of odd activity performed by Edwart, and soon comes to the conclusion that Edwart Mullen is a vampire. Edwart Mullen is anxious to please Belle, her being his first girlfriend and all, and goes along with all her delusions.

Then they meet true vampires, Joshua and Vicky, which is when the truth comes out and Belle ends up attending a vampire prom with Josh.

But in an explosion of revelations, Belle realises that even though he isn’t a vampire, she’s in love with Edwart.

Judgement: this was a fun, though short, read and I enjoyed every moment of it. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite as funny as I’d expected and there were limited occasions that actually made me laugh out loud, but it was definitely a highly amusing book – great for boosting your mood! It’ll at least keep you in giggles.

There isn’t really much else to say about this book… It was easy to read, except a little confusing in a few places, but still understandable. It’s right up my alley, considering (I regret to say I may lose a few readers here) I am not a fan of Twilight, and this book, though ridiculous, fleshes out and over exaggerates Twilight’s flaws.

Definitely an entertaining – however short – read.

Quotes from the book:

“I walked towards the seat, circling my hips and raising my eyebrows rhythmically like an attractive person.”

“First, I told Tom and Lucy that Edwart saved me from a snowball. They weren’t impressed. So I started saying Edwart saved me from a rock with snow around it, and, later, I started saying he saved me from an avalanche. One day, I said that Edwart ran with superhuman speed, stopping a car that was about to hit me with his superhuman strength.”

Sabriel, by Garth Nix

Title: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Target Audience: Young Adult
Pages: 496
Opinion: 10/10
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Fiction
Number: First in the series
Series: 1-Sabriel, 2-Lirael, 3-Abhorsen
Person: Second
Tense: Past



Blurb (quoted): "Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Abhorsen, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face to face with her own hidden destiny."
Summary: Sabriel is only a teenage girl, but her heritage and untimely events force the girl to travel ‘across the wall’ from Ancelstiere into The Old Kingdom, a world of magical creatures and ‘the charter’, which makes up all that is. Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen, and upon her father’s disappearance must take his place. The abhosren is a necromancer (someone who may walk in death and return to life at will) who uses the charter (magic) to keep The Old Kingdom safe from evil creatures.

Sabriel finds her father’s house and his talking cat: Mogget, a forced-servant of all abhorsen’s, who helps her to try find her missing father. Along the way, Sabriel comes to learn how to use her new bandolier of bells (magic bells to control the dead) and the danger her life is now in, for The Old Kindom is basically run by the dead! She also happens upon and saves the last remaining descendant of the royal blood line (therefore, the heir to the throne): Touchstone.

She soon finds herself facing a great evil: one of the greater dead, Kerrigor, who happens to be the enemy of Touchstone.

Sabriel, Mogget and Touchstone are forced to face an army of dead – with the help of her dead-but-temporarily-brought-back-to-life father.

“Does the walker choose the path, or does the path choose the walker?”

Judgement:  Well-written and enticing, Sabriel is a great read for all fantasy lovers. Definitely one of my favourite books now, it kept me glued the whole way through and left me desperate for the next book in the series.

The only thing I can complain about is that it has so much detail and factors that it’s incredibly hard to sum up and I don’t like the summary I’ve written. Despite this, the book is incredibly easy to read, remember, and follow – except – for me at least – when it comes to the seven names and uses of ‘the bells’, which I found hard to remember. And I’m very grateful for the map in the front of the books; it is the first novel with a map where I’ve actually used it and found it interesting to follow the characters journey.

It’s a truly magical book that, despite the danger, makes any reader want to visit! The story seems almost real and the writing pulls you into the moment, and the real world around you just seems to fade away.

My favourite aspect would have to be how magic is restricted to The Old Kingdom, and ‘across the wall’, in Ancelstiere and further it is a normal, perfectly average world.

Some may think it’s quite a long book, but believe me, if it were any shorter then it just wouldn’t be as good; there is no way to shorten it and I wouldn’t want to! I wished it would go on and on.

Definitely a favourite book, and one I highly recommend!

Characters: deep, well developed characters are what make a story, and Sabriel sure has it! With a range of personalities, conflicts, dramas, and friendships, it’s a great story. There weren’t too many characters, there weren’t too many details; they were well described and definitely evolved through the story, though perhaps it could have used another character continuously present to antagonize?

Effect: If you want to be emotionless and not get attached, this isn’t for you. The characters seem to become your friends and the storyline lifts and crushes your heart with the ups and downs of the storyline – it’s impossible to remain indifferent.

NOTE: Sabriel MAY be coming soon in movie form!

A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove, by James Moloney

Title: A bridge to Wiseman's Cove
Author: James Moloney
Type: Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Opinion: 7 / 10
Blurb:
Carl was afraid to breathe. The weight of the bird and it's predatory gaze was enough to freeze him here forever.
'Now Carl set it free.'

Carl Matt hasn't got much. There's just his younger brother Harley and the old red barge to Wiseman's Cove. And nothing's going to take those away from him.

He's an awkward, limp fifteen year old.
Not the Hero type. Yet Carl has become one of the most memorable characters in Australian literature.

Response: This is a really sad novel. I found it... well, enjoyable isn't the right word considering the morbid theme, but it is definitly a good book and a great read.
I normally wouldn't have read this book, because I prefer dark, mysterious, romance... But I'm glad I did - I can thank my english teacher for that (thanks Mrs Valentine!). It takes a lot for a book to keep me interested, but I was surprised to find that I struggled to put the book down.
The book has a sad theme all the way through, with emotion and everything to make you cry. I didn't like the ending, because it was probably the sadest part of all but it was a good ending.