SisterSpooky: Book Fangirl

Review Forgiven by Jana Oliver

2012-03-05T08:00:00.003Z

GoodReads

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

Riley has made a bargain with Heaven, and now they've come to collect.

Lucifer's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let alone save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help..

Review

This is a warning that this is the 3rd in the series so there is a high risk of spoilers of the last two books.

WARNING!

Getting this book in the post was like Christmas and Birthday and every other gift giving event rolled into one because I LOVE THIS SERIES and have been dying for this book since pretty much the last page of Forbidden. Riley's world of Trapping and turmoil is still as chaotic as ever and now not only has she got the usual sort of problems to deal with but she's also got both Heaven and Hell on her tail. She's committed to both with a favour to save those she loves and protect the life she knows but at what cost; is it one too high to pay?

Jana Oliver brings all the kick arse action I'd come to love about the Demon Trappers series as well as all the emotional turmoil and looming heartbreak that you dread. I know I'm on to a winner of a read when I read a bit and my chest literally aches when one character doesn't say what I want them too or something happens to ruin a moment. Beck is still the walking Southern smoother and sex on a stick that I am unashamed to say I adore. He's one of those characters I love to read ever time I see his name crop up in a scene and same goes for Riley too. Riley picks up where Buffy left off when it comes to kicking Hell's butt. She's just as sassy and loyal and I would recommend her as a female character worth looking up for any girl. She doesn't take crap, she struggles and overcomes, she's still got those girly instincts to want to be loved and look pretty but knows she has a higher calling and puts aside herself to basically fight evil.

Forgiven is that pivotal point in this series when all past has been building up to this showdown of sorts and Riley is caught up in a battle of will and power that she has little control over and she can alone try her best to make the right choice. I really liked the balance between the Hunters and the Trappers and how the two worlds work together and against each other and I'm glad we got to see more from the history of demons and the trappers themselves.

Quite frankly this Forgiven made me love these characters all over again and it's made me all the more determined to become a Demon Trapper myself.

Rating: 10/10

Published by Macmillan Children's Books and is available here and bookshops now

IMM: In My Mailbox [59]

2012-03-04T08:00:00.001Z

In My Mailbox is an epic feature run by The Story Siren and my links go to Amazon UK but other book sellers are out there too!

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis SIGNED! Won this! OMG! Thanks to ACKids on Facebook!

Torn by Amanda Hocking : thanks to Macmillan Kids

Drive By by Jim Carrington: This one sounds really awesome and so thankful to Bloomsbury for sending it. Go follow their new Kids Bloomsbury twitter!

Song Quest by Katherine Roberts: Thanks to Catnip Publishing for this one

In Darkness by Nick Lake: Won this lovely hardback copy from Raimy at Readaraptor

Department 19 by Will Hill

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Both these two are on a super special offer from Waterstones as part of World Book Day for just £1!!! I went a bit nuts and bought 2 copies of Department 19 and 4 of The Name of the Star (2 were signed).

Dead Time by Anne Cassidy

Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Both received at the Celia Rees Blogger event at Bloomsbury on Friday. THANKS

Advent by James Treadwell Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for this one!

Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon Thanks to Atom Books for this one!

Fever by Lauren DeStefano: I got 2 of these so have sent one off to another blogger. sharing the love. thanks to Macmillan again!

Grave Minder by Melissa Marr: Bought cause it was so cheap and I've wanted it for ages

This is not Forgiveness by Celia Rees: A nice finished copy that Celia signed for me. THANK YOU CELIA!

Bit of a mad one this week!

Cover Reveal: The Perculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

2012-03-03T08:00:00.001Z

So I was sent this very Abrahams and Chronicle Kids this afternoon and it's just too shiny and nice not share

Described as:

A dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy and romance.

SO PRETTY! Can't wait for this one to come out

ACKidsUK will be giving away a rare pre-publication copy (hits stores MAY 2012) of the book once their facebook page reaches 1000 likes!

You should so go Like their Facebook for that only!

Link here for Twitter & Facebook:-

@ACKidsUK

http://www.facebook.com/ACKidsUK

Review: The Look by Sophia Bennett

2012-03-02T08:00:00.000Z

GoodReads

Ted is fifteen, and...oh yes...tall. When she's spotted by a model agency, she can't believe it.

At the same time, Ted's fashionista sister, Ava, is diagnosed with cancer. With her world turned upside down, Ted has a lot of growing up to do, some of it in five-inch platforms. Should she be the model sister for Ava? Life in front of the camera is harder than it looks. And will they still be smiling when it’s over?

Review

As soon as I picked up this book it made me feel all gooey girly and happy. It's got bright pink edges and a glam shoot on the cover that really hits you straight off the shelf so straight away it's trapped my curiosity. I have a real obsession with those make over and modelling shows like America's Next Top Model and Ted is exactly the kid of girl that those shows are about but she'd never really watch. Ted is the 'freaky' girl that is tall and has looks that are not the standard barbie pretty girl that all the boys at school fall for. Her sister is and even though they are miles about in looks they have a strong bond and when life takes a few twists that neither are expecting their worlds get shifted. Ted is spotted by a modelling agency; one of the biggest, and they want to sign her as the next big thing. Ted's sister Ava gets diagnosed with cancer and with her family short in money and stretched to their emotional limits there are a lot of hard choices and sacrifices to be made.

I have oodles of love for this book because it didn't try to be something it wasn't. It's a fun and sincere story about sisters shared dreams and wishes. Some come true and some don't turn out the way they hoped but both Ava and Ted keep holding on to the two things: that Ava will get better and that Ted gets to be a top model. Ted doesn't even seem to want to be a model at first but really it's Ava's interest but her dreams get cut short or put on hold so Ted sort of takes on some of Ava's for her.

The Look is marvellous read that had me both giggling and close to tears from Ted's experiences at photo shoots and being a total lost lamb and Ava's treatments and how they both deal with the side effects together. There's one scene when they both go to a hair salon that is so poignant for both girls that I wanted to re read it a few times to enjoy just how well Sophia Bennett had written it.

If you love your fashion or have no clue between Primark or Prada you can still appreciate the world of modelling for all it's craziness and flamboyancy.

Rating: 7.5/10

Published by Chicken House and is available from here and book shops now

WORLD BOOK DAY!!!

2012-03-01T08:00:00.001Z

It's that time of year again and i'm here to say

HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY!

Share your love of books with people you know.

Grab a new book from your local shop or borrow one from the local library!

Dress up as your favourite character for the day and remember that a book is for life not just for World Book Day!

Spend those £1 World Book Day Tokens if you have them and check out these special publications for the day!

The What the Ladybird Heard Song, Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks
(Macmillan)
Winnie Flies Again, Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul (Oxford University Press)
Where’s Wally Now?, Martin Handford (Walker Books)
Magic Molly: The Clever Little Kitten, Holly Webb (Scholastic)
Roald Dahl's Fantabulous Facts, Roald Dahl (Puffin)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Day of the Dreader, Cressida Cowell (Hodder
Children’s Books)
Big Day Out, Jacqueline Wilson, Illustrated by Nick Sharratt (Random House)
Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World, Derek Landy (HarperCollins)

ALSO: You can get Department 19 by Will Hill and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson for JUST £1!

YES! A WHOLE AWESOME BOOK FOR £1!!! I BOUGHT 4 ALREADY!

I'd also like to mention a fab contest starting at 2:47pm today from Bloomsbury: it's their 247 VERY short story contest and here is the details from the Press Release:

Bloomsbury’s VERY short story competition for young writers is back

LOVING FICTION TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN. CREATING STORIES IN 247 WORDS.

247tales.com is the online writing competition from Bloomsbury that challenges young writers to create stories using only 247 words or less. Now in its fourth year the competition is set to challenge even more young writers.

In 2012, the competition returns with a blog-style website, a dedicated Facebook page www.facebook.com/247tales and nine more inspiring themes. Each month a different Bloomsbury author will pen a 247tale on a given topic. It is then over to the UK’s budding young writers aged between 10 and 16 to create their own miniature masterpiece.

One winner will be chosen each month and they will have their 247tale featured on the website as well as winning a selection of books and a framed copy of their story. Ten runners-up will get a signed copy of the latest book from that month's featured author, and their story will appear in the 247Library section of the website.

The competition launches at 2:47pm on Thursday 1^st March 2012 (World Book Day) with a 247tale from bestselling author Tony Bradman on the theme of The Ship. Details on how to enter can be found at www.247tales.com. Authors taking part include Anne Cassidy, Jim Eldridge, Sarah Crossan, A.F. Harrold, Laura Powell and Sue Limb.

Review: Freshmen Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

2012-02-29T08:00:00.026Z

GoodReads

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…

Review

Everyone in their early teens thinks the world revolves around them and their problems. That school is the beginning and end of the universe and your family has signed up to some evil society that's sole purpose is to ruin your life and embarrass you. It's never true but it feels real at the time the need to be cool, to get the dream guy/girl and to not look like a total idiot is the be all and end all of your life. This is the basis for Freshmen Year and Other Unnatural Disasters and the life in question is one Kelsey Finkelstein. She lives in Brooklyn, NY and she's decided that in her Freshmen year of high school is going to be the making of her and she's going to get THE guy, Jordan, and achieve greatness. If that's not tempting fate then I don't know what is.

To start with reading Freshmen Year I found that Kelsey was a bit annoying because she's just SO self involved! I couldn't believe that a teenage girl would be 'oh it's all about me' and think the world revolves around her. Then I thought back to when I was the same age as Kelsey and gave myself the biggest face palm ever. I was JUST like Kelsey at that age when I thought the world started and ended with whatever minor embarrassment I'd suffered that week and my parents were out to ruin my life and nothing was as awesome as I'd thought it should be. I wanted life to be like Dawson's Creek or Saved By the Bell and it wasn't. My heart warmed to Kelsey straight away after that because even though she was me, she didn't let the awfulness of being a teen stop her trying to make her Freshmen year the year she finds herself.

Friends come and go like they do in real life and drama's appear and fade within the space of days. Freshmen Year and Other Unnatural Disasters is a whirl wind look at what happens in a teenage brain and how crazy it can be but you have the fun of watching it all and just enjoying the laughs.

If you're a fan of books like Adrian Mole or Keris Staniton's 'Jessie hearts NYC' or Susie Day's 'Big Woo' then you'd love this story. It's got drama, heart break, laugh and all those teenage embarrassments you'd expect, fear and likely experienced yourself.

Epic Trailer :

Rating: 7.5/10

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, A Penguin imprint, is available here from March 2012

Top Ten Books I'd Give A Theme Song To

2012-02-28T08:00:00.002Z

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can't come up with ten, don't worry about it---post as many as you can!

This was actually quite hard to find one song that represents a WHOLE book but these either captured the vibe of a book for me or references or just something I play and hear certain characters speaking or would listen to. Links go to youtube for videos of the songs. (bit worried about posting them directly on the blog)

Audrey Wait: Cute without the E by Taking Back Sunday

Shiver: Howl by Florence and the Machine

The Demon Trappers Series: Burning Hell by Tom Jones (don't judge; just listen. trust me)

The Host: Devils and Dust by Bruce Springsteen

The Hunger Games: Hope (acoustic) by The Blackout

Blood Promise: Everywhere I Go by Lissie

Guest Post: Mistry Monday!

2012-02-27T08:00:00.027Z

Ash Mistry and The Savage Fortress is the latest book from Sarwat Chadda out on March 1st and quite frankly it's a banging book and I can prove it with my review (also known as a gush fest but honest none the less) You can (and must) buy it here and bookshops in the real world too! Sarwat kindly asked me to take part in a blog tour for the book and from today for the next few Mondays he'll be popping up across the blogger-verse with his wit and wisdom. Over to the man himself:

I think I had a sudden epiphany during ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ when I realised I was cheering the bad guys. Up till then I was seriously on Indy’s side (less so Short Round, but there you go) but when there was the starving, feeble Indian villagers utterly incapable of saving themselves until the white hero turned up I was forced to look around the cinema and check that maybe, the film had actually transported my back into the 1930’s where Chinamen wore pigtails and sly Turks were busy engaged in the White Slave Trade. Perhaps there was another entrance to the cinema for ‘coloured’ and the like. This was wrong in a way that kind of stuck in my throat.

Then came the monkey brains and me saying “WTF?”

I left the cinema wondering when was the last time the world had been saved, you know, by someone not white. Nope, couldn’t think of any. Maybe something smaller, save the country? City? Village?

Mowgli. He was the only one I could come up with. Respect to the little guy in the red nappy but there was a feeling this just was not good enough. I shook my fist towards the storm swept skies and swore, I SWORE, one day, a little brown kid was going to save the world. Remember, this was before the days of Will Smith.

Fast forward quarter of a century and now we have ‘Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress’. As well as a little brown kid on world-saving duty this is my riposte to that Indiana Jones movie. Here the worshippers of Kali and the good guys and the villain is a evil archaeologist.

Basically, Kali is cool. You want some serious god help, why not call on the gal with the bloodthirsty gaze and the skull-necklace? C’mon, you really think anyone is going to get in her way? If you spell Kali backwards you get BADASS. I would put Kali up against the entire Greek Pantheon and there’d be nothing left on Olympus but a few bloodstained togas and maybe a broken harp.

And Kali is just the beginning (and the end, if we want to get all metaphysical about it). Indian mythology is vast, intense and current. You wander around Varanasi today and it’s like being in a fantasy world of temples and holy men and burning ghats. The city of Jaisalmer could be straight out of the pages of Sinbad. It’s a cliché but it is magical. Its heroes and villains are as awesome as Jason or Thor. I love the Greek Myths and the Norse legends. But there is so much more out there. There are ten-headed demons, immortal serpents and there are gods, glorious and terrifying. That’s what I’m bringing. A new breed of bad guy and definitely a new type of hero.

Ultimately ‘Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress’ is about a boy learning to kick ass very, very hard. And what better a teacher could there be than the goddess of death and destruction herself, Kali?

EPIC! Thanks to Sarwat for the post and also for offering a giveaway!

The prize is one SIGNED copy of Ash Mistry and The Savage Fortress and is UK only. The contest ends on 23rd of March so get those entries in!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

IMM: In My Mailbox [58]

2012-02-26T08:00:00.000Z

In My Mailbox is an epic feature run by The Story Siren and my links go to Amazon UK but other book sellers are out there too!

Bought

2 for £3 in The Works! OMG! I have a proof copy of one I won and the other edition of Ballad but now I have a matching one. *strokes*

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Received

I know the picture is flipped but had to take a quick snap the other day *squee*

Geekhood by Andy Robb

Thanks to Stripes Publishing for sending me this one!

HAPPY READING

XOXO

Review: Dark Ride by Caroline Green

2012-02-25T08:00:00.000Z

GoodReads

A mysterious boy. A haunting secret.

A shiver crawled up my spine. It felt like the loneliest place in the world. For a second I thought I caught a snatch of music in the air, but it was just the wind whistling through cracks in the fairground hoardings.

My instincts screamed, ‘Run away, Bel! Run away and never return!’

But instead my fingers closed around the ticket in my pocket.

Admit one.

Bel has never met anyone like Luka. And the day she follows him into the abandoned fairground, she is totally unprepared for the turn her life is about to take

Review

A thriller mystery in a murky sea side town that if not for chance may never have happened at all. Sometimes the call of a question and curiosity can't be denied and as Bel discovers in Slumpton; sometimes fate is what's in charge of your decisions. Timing is everything for her and Luca the strange quiet boy that she keeps bumping into. Bel isn't where she wants to be and her family is divided without any really answers as to why and she's unhappy. Luca is exactly who she needs in her life because he gives her an escape and she in return gives him companionship and hope. His mum has disappear and with Bel's help they try to find out where she is and why she's disappear. Though as they find out more and more their precious abandoned fair ground is at risk as well as people's lives.

I was sent this from Caroline Green and read it in a day or so because I just couldn't put it down. I loved the way she played out the delicate relationship between Bel and her parents as they have their own issues that filter out into Bel's life. Also the groaning friendship between Bel and Luca made my heart do that flippy floppy thing around my rib cage. So cute and sad at the same time because you sort of know where the story may be going but still hope it can change it's path for their sake.

Something that was pretty cool was the chapter titles because each time I read I usually think 'oh i'll just finish this chapter and go to sleep/eat/work etc' and then i'd see the next title and think 'well i can't stop now. I need to see what that's all about!' It's a little teaser to suck you into reading the whole book. It works pretty well I can tell you. Aside from the adorableness of Bel and Luca (side note: don't you just love the name Luca? Rolls off the tongue like honey) I also had a real love for Bel's mum because it's almost like you see her story appearing in pieces and I just feel so sorry for her. Her life has been turned upside down just like Bel and because Bel exists in her own little teen world she doesn't really notice. So sad that I was proud that she tries not to let her world crumble around her when it could so easily do so.

Dark Ride is an emotive and harrowing tale where the puzzle pieces slowly come together and it's left to Bel and Luca to make them fit, bringing them closers as the solution tempts to tear them apart. Excellent!

Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Piccadilly Press and is available here now

Review: Witchblood by Emma Mills

2012-02-24T08:00:00.006Z

GoodReads

When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on.

With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.

Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood?

Review

Normally I don't take on many self published e books only because if I were to take some then i'd feel bad rejecting loads and plus I don't want my email inbox to explode everyday with requests and stuff. When I got my Kobo ereader over Christmas I decided to break my usual rule and accept a few select ones from either people I'd spoken with before or had recommended to me. I'm back on my no unsolistated self published or ebooks policy just because the TBR pile is too big but Witchblood by Emma Mills is one of the novels I agreed to read and review.

Big selling points for me were the fact that Emma is not only a debut British author but her supernatural vampire YA is set in Manchester, UK and I just love the idea of reading more UK set paranormal YA as there are just so many out there set in America and it's wonderful to find something fresh. The story is what you'd expect to be from a vampire novel really; it has some good and unusual twists in there too but it's well written and the characters are hard to tear away from. At first I wasn't to sure of where the story was going because it seemed very much a model Vampire story with the attractive and dark figures that almost mystify our female lead and then she is attack by a girl gang trying to steal her purse and that's when things change.

jess's "saved" by Daniel, the guy at the club that is seductive and scary, and whisked after to the secluded house in the country until they are forced to return to Manchester with friend and Daniel's "saviour" the charming and sassy Eva. Alex is coming to terms with her new life as a vampire which is more complicated as they find out more about her past and her ever growing draw to Daniel. She's torn between her love and memories of Luke, her teenage soulmate, and Daniel who she can't seem to deny herself.

For the first in the series it has definitely wanted me to find out more and read the next book, the characters stayed with me even after i'd put the book down and the idea was clever and something I don't think i've seen before or at least not just another rehash of every other vampire tale. Witchblood takes the things I love about a supernatural story but puts it's own slant on it so you can get all that scary and sexy vampire action you like and don't feel like you're being sold that same old story. Worth a look and it's on a bargain price so why not try something new?

Rating: 7/10

Published: Self Published as an ebook and is available here now

Website for more information is here!

Tag! You're It!

2012-02-23T08:00:00.005Z

I was tagged by Laura over at Scattered Figments and I thought 'Hey; this sounds fun'

The Rules

1. Answer the eleven questions that were asked of you by the person who tagged you

2. Make up eleven new questions and tag eleven new people to do the meme!

3. Let them know you tagged them!

So here are the questions Laura asked me and my answers.

Question 1

What is your favourite thing about blogging?

Honestly, I get to talk about books with so many different people and get recommendations all the time! I love learning new stuff and the fact I can talk to authors about their books is like a dream

Question 2

Who is your favourite literary hero or heroine and why?

Matilda. There are lots of heroic types I've read and loved but she was my first real hero. She was different from all her family and friends and used her brain and love of books to keep herself company and she beat the bad guys. She never tried to change herself but just tried the best to accept those in her life that wouldn't except her. I love her

Question 3

Who is your favourite villain?

I love a good bad guy and my favourite is hard to pick so I'll give you a few of my favourites. Mrs Coulter from His Dark Materials, Lady Macbeth and Death herself in the Wicked Lovely Series. (Also I've just noticed they are all girls but I think that women make really good bad guys..though the bad GUYS are just as bad)

Question 4

If you ever wrote your autobiography, what would the title be and why?

hhhhmmmm. probably something simple like 'Fangirl' because most of my life and 'exciting' stuff i've done or seen has been down to my fangirl-ing with music, books and geekery

Question 5

If you could choose any famous figure (dead or alive, past or present) to spend a day with, who would it be and why?

SO HARD! I'd want it to be someone I'd get on with and is quite fun if i've got to spend a whole day with them. Maybe Stephen Fry because he'd be so interesting to talk to and explore the city and then maybe a spot of tea later.

Question 6

As a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

I used to have a Fashion Wheel (pictured) and for so long wanted to be a fashion designer because I thought that all it meant was basically having a professional version of the Fashion Wheel and that was it. It isn't.

Question 7

What are you most looking forward to in 2012?

My holiday. I'm off on a long family holiday for 3 weeks in July to America and I'm already planning all the books I'm gonna buy. Plus I'm also going to be there for 4th July so that'll be interesting to say the least!

Question 8

What happened in the last dream you had?

At the moment I'm reading 'The Things We Do For Love' by Natasha Farrant and it's set in late 1940s in France and it's a teen romance. I'm totally in love with it and I think my last dream was in a French town like in the book. Can't remember much more about the dream though.

Question 9

Do you have any bad habits that you're willing to admit to?

TONS! I bite my nails, curse like a trucker, I lie, I drink WAY too much coffee. The list could go on but nothing like smoking or stealing is on there. Sorry to disappoint!

Question 10

What was the worst job you ever had and what made it so bad?

Think the worst was when I had a Saturday job in a dry cleaners. Handling dirty clothes and it was standing all day and the worst bit was when I had lunch one day on the little stool round the back of the steamy ironing room and a mouse ran past my feet.

Question 11

Are you a practical person or a bit of a daydreamer?

A practical Daydreamer. lol. My head is always in the clouds and it's handy for work because I get to be creative and thinking outside the box but I'm an avid list maker and tend to be the one at work to remember the little things to do so i'm practical in that way. Maybe like 65% daydreamer.

My questions for those I tag and those who fancy doing it too!

1. What's your favourite dessert?

2. What's the last book you read that completely knocked your socks off?

3. What's your snack food guilty pleasure?

4. When you were little did you have a favourite toy and what was it?

5. Is there any skill or talent you wished you had but just don't? (wished you could play the piano or juggle??)

6. What kind of music do you like? Any recommendations?

7. Last movie you saw at the cinema and what you thought of it?

8. What is your dream job?

9. What is your favourite kid's TV show (now or when you were a kid)?

10. Favourite ice cream flavour?

11. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

Tagging

Denny Upkins

Leanne from District YA

Krystal and the girls from Bookshelf Banter

Jenni from Juniper's Jungle

Emma Pass

Caroline from Big Book Little Book

Casey from Dark Readers

Cicely from Ciclovesbooks

Caitlin from The Cait Files

Dani from Pen to Paper

Hannah from The Girl In A Cafe

I Wanna Be A Demon Trapper!

2012-02-22T08:00:00.001Z

So I've gone all potty over the Demon Trappers Series by Jana Oliver. I love these books and Jana is one of the nicest authors I've met so I made a vlog. Yes; I'm regretting it already but I've uploaded it now so I can only present it to you and await for the fall out.

Forgiven, The 3rd in the Demon Trappers Series is out March 1st in the UK from Macmillan Children's Books and you can check out more cool Demon Trappers stuff on Jana's site, The Demon Trappers UK site and the MyKindaBook page.

Top Ten Books I'd Save If My Home Was On Fire

2012-02-21T08:00:00.012Z

My signed copy of Rockoholic by C.J.Skuse (it's got the best message in it)

Torn by Cat Clarke (signed) An epic read that I'd gladly re read any day

Forsaken by Jana Oliver (signed) I ADORE this series and it's just cool as hell

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson One of the best books I read last year and just perfect for a holiday, lazy weekend and so wonderfully written and put together with the visuals

Revolution by Jennifier Donnelly (Hardback) I think i've made my point several times about how much I love this book

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (US Hardback) I MADE my mum by me this edition on her holiday to Canada. I told her not to come back without it. *strokes cover*

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (signed) This book deserves to be away from any flames or things that have the potential to burn

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway One of THE books I won't stop loving and would re read just to get that warm fuzzy feeling again and again

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (signed) I would read it while I watch the rest of the building go up in smoke.

Blog Tour: The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis: Gitta Character profile

2012-02-20T08:00:00.031Z

Today is a blog tour stop for the recently published book The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis and today on the stop we have a character statement from Gitta. Gitta is Anna's school friend and when we first meet her we see that Gitta and Anna are very different girls with different goals in life but are still close friends. I'll hand over to Gitta:

So you want me to talk about Anna? I´m not sure if I´m up to that. Mind if I smoke?

Anna … see, when we were little we were best friends. Or maybe I was her only friend. It wasn´t that she didn´t get along with others. As a matter of fact, she did get along with most people. It´s just that she wasn´t like them, so she wasn´t really close to anybody.

She and me, we did, like, crazy things together … childish things. There was that old sledge she loved so much, the one with the red ribbon … she just refused to grow up, grow out of the kid world where everybody is good. She actually seemed to believe that: THERE ARE NO BAD PEOPLE. And there are no differences.

When I noticed she was falling in love with Abel, all my alarms went off. And yet I never told her what I knew about him. That´s romantic old Gitta, kind of wanting impossible things to happen, fairy-talish things, the princess saves the outlaw …

He came from the tower blocks where all the unemployed live, all them families with no money and no future and not even a past. And I think she saw the opportunity to save someone.

And then all of them bad things happened, like, the murders, and we all wondered whether Abel was running around shooting people.

When Anna came looking for him, that last night … when I met her in the city … I cried. She was so serious about her feelings for him. I have to find him, she said, no matter what happened …

I still cry sometimes, now that it´s all over. Then I tell myself crying doesn´t help, and smoke instead. You know, a lot of people said Anna was stupid, like, running after that guy, even going back to him after he did what he did … but I wouldn´t be too sure about stupid. Anna was just being Anna.

Very cool to get an "insider" point of view on this very unusual tale. Here's my review of the book so be sure to check that out because I ADORED THIS BOOK and also follow Arahams and Chronicles Kids on twitter and Facebook for more info on future releases and a chance to win a copy of the book!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ACKidsUK
Twitter: @ACKidsUK

If you don't win you can always buy it from here online and in shops now

Fictional Husbands: Otieno in Shadows on the Moon

2012-02-19T14:00:00.007Z

To "support" Valentine's Day last year I posted my Fictional Husbands and I have decided to play again and expose one of the best games ever! It's called 'Fictional Husbands' and I play along with my book blogger buddies Leanne (District YA) Andrew (Pewterwolf) and Krystal (Bookshelf Banter) generally but anyone can play!

We basically do battle over our favourite book characters and see who can get the most in the quickest time via twitter. The real trouble is we so often want to "have" the same characters and so this Valentine's Weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday you'll get two picks a day and I shall select one each post that I lay claim too (of course I have to share but these are just the ones I'm adding to my list!)

Now Otieno isn't your average leading man if you compare him to the average "romantic lead" but that doesn't mean he's any less attractive or hold as big a draw for this gal. I say his not your average leading man just because in appearance he's covered in strange tattoos on his face and body which in most YA would spell bad boy beware and plus his mysterious actions and abilities would usually make you wary of him. Well it makes me wary because you think 'hey now what are you hiding?'.

YA has made me HYPER suspicious of all the good looking types in case they break my heart by being evil and stuff.

He is a bold character and his attractive qualities come from his sureness in himself and his faith in abilities and his feelings for Riko. He's strong and a warrior but has the heart of a poet and he makes me a bit weak at the knees if i'm honest. He isn't my usual "type" but i'd change the rule book for him in a heart beat.

We need more Otieno's in fiction….and real life.

*sulky Singleton*

IMM: In My Mailbox [57]

2012-02-19T08:00:00.003Z

In My Mailbox is an epic feature run by The Story Siren and my links go to Amazon UK but other book sellers are out there too!

Received

Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sounds good and I have the first one to read (eventually. lol)

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

I heard about this one at the Atom Blogger Event and it sounds really good and I've never read something about ballet so I'm interested to see how it works

I also was sent a finished copy of The Witch of Turlingham Academy by Ellie Boswell which isn't pictured because I passed it along to a very grateful neighbour of my parents who loves books and is the perfect age for this

Thanks ATOM for these three!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Thanks to C.J. for sending these. Dying to read them.

Fictional Husbands: Virgil from Revolution

2012-02-19T08:00:00.000Z

So I've been raving about this book forEVER and it's for good reason: it's amazing and should have pride of place on every book shelf in the land. FACT!

Virgil is the leading man of sorts in this tale of two halves. The book is spilt between the past and present and the present tale is set against the backdrop of a modern day Paris where New Yorker finds herself a bit lost inside and out and Virgil appears into her life and makes her want to find herself again. He's ultra cool and has that chilled out vibe that draws you in with his charm and warmth. He's a musician (HUGE TICK! DING DING DING!) and he's a hard worker as he roams the roads of Paris all night as a cab driver so he can support his family and himself.

He reaches out to this lost girl and they make a connection so strong that it seems like it kinda shocks them both. I adored the romance of this relationship and how unusual it was to. Most of their dating happens over phone calls and yet you can imagine his heavy accent as it said soft words down the phone as you drift off to sleep. He's a Fictional Hubby winner because he has that magnetic pull that made me crave more and more time with his character.

Swoon

Fictional Husbands: Carter from Night School

2012-02-18T14:00:00.007Z

This pick is one of the newest one's on the list seeing as I only just read the book this month but Carter left a big impact on me so I had to include him.

He's got an edgy bad boy vibe going on from the get go and it beams off the page with a devilish grin and menacing glare that could make anyone stop in their tracks. What drew me to Carter was how much he resembled two of my favourite characters from another series all in one person. He's like both Adrian and Dimitri from Vampire Academy embodied in one person. He's cocky and dangerous and likes to take risks but also a protector and defender. He can be tender and soft but has a wall that he can bring up to protect himself and hide that softness. If he shows you his gentle side it means he really likes you and wants to let you in. ADORBS!

He's the type of Fictional Husband that at first you wouldn't pick because he seems like....well....a bit of a dick. However let's just say that with time and stuff that goes down at the academy you get to see him in another light and some other characters in a worse light. A misunderstood bad boy rebel. SIGN ME UP!

Fictional Husbands: Roger from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

2012-02-18T08:00:00.000Z

Roger, Roger, Roger.

I read this book on my summer holiday in Spain and in a way I think the sun and relaxing by the pool made this book extra special for me but Roger is just MAGIC. He really is. The relationship between Amy and Roger is the stuff of a classic Hollywood romance movie. Something you'd expect from an Audrey Hepburn movie where the guy and the girl are thrown together and have to get to know each other due to circumstance. Thinking about it the story is sort of similar to the movie When Harry Met Sally (which is one of the few rom com's that I approve of as an utter classic).

Roger is hung up on his ex and like Amy isn't expecting much from the trip except a ride across the country and maybe an adventure or two along the way when they decide to go off plan. I have made love for his taste in music and the range of music too. A guy with good music taste gets the thumbs up from this gal!

He's just plain nice from start to finish and really it's situations and location that makes their relationship work and come together. All I know is that I have SERIOUS envy that Amy got to spend all that time in a car with him and in a way I felt like I was in the car with them for that summer long trip. Bliss

Fictional Husbands: Bennett in the Haunting Emma Series

2012-02-17T14:00:00.000Z

AHHH Bennett. How I love thee; let me count the ways.

Well he's smart; like book smart and has that whole nerdy book geek cool thing going on for him. He's good looking which always helps and he doesn't make a thing of it. He's loyal and protective and can kick some serious butt. So he's got enough going on for him to be a contender for a Fictional Hubby place but the real reason I want to give him this honour is his flaws. I won't go into them really because it would spoil the book series but I will say that he's not a perfect guy. He makes mistakes like anyone else does and he's prone to doing wrong things for right reasons and doing stupid things because he hopes that something good will come out of it.

He is that protective force in Emma'a life and they have a bond between them because she's alone in the world and he's the only link to her family and past as well as the future she never knew she had. Can be sexy and smooth and shy and reserved in the space of one chapter. You miss him when he's not around and get excited when he is. It's like a real crush.

Shameful to admit but it's true.

Fictional Husbands: James from Audrey, Wait!

2012-02-17T08:00:00.001Z

What makes James a Fictional Hubby status you may ask? He's not a major stand out swoon worth guy when compared to some of my previous picks but he gets my vote for one reason. He's probably as close to a "real" guy as you can get in my view. He's socially awkward and funny when he's not being all awkward (obviously). He's someone Audrey can rely on and learns to trust as her world becomes this crazy life of un expected fame. He's actually quite cool but in an understanded way and I just think he's as cute as a button.

I love how he comes into his own over the course of the book and when you first meet him you'd think he was just another secondary character or the weird boss guy at Audrey's work but he kind of sneaks up on you and becomes a huge part of Audrey's life. He's the normal guy and the normalcy she needs when he life spins out of control. Her home base.

I loved this book and he was a big part of why it was such a good story. It was believable because the characters were likeable and the type of people you'd probably meet and be friends with.

Review: Hollow Pike by James Dawson

2012-02-16T14:00:00.000Z

GoodReads
Something wicked this way comes... She thought she'd be safe in the country, but you can't escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she's being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn't believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn't believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you're alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.

Review

I'm going to start this review from the outside in because the cover is just a treat for the eyes and the eye candy goes from the bold graphics and colour scheme and the gleam of the typography. Seriously pretty stuff that practically sells the book all by itself. If the cover is your eye candy then all the pages in-between are mind candy.

Hollow Pike is a town with a past that everyone seems to know about but no one truly believes and when Lis moves from Wales and away from her mum to live with her sister and brother in law she hopes she can start her life anew. In Wales she was bullied and suffered for it and in Hollow Pike, Yorkshire she is hoping for freedom from her past, the bullies that controlled her life and the chance to be a new Lis. A more mature Lis with a new wardrobe and a new attitude to the world. Haunted by nightmares that she can't understand Lis tries to hide her fears and be a new girl. Sadly for Lis, dreams can haunt your life.

She makes friends pretty quick and it hits her soon after that that her new mates are just as bad if not worse than the bullies she left Wales for. She breaks away and finds friendship with the school freaks, a trio of misfits that don't care what everyone thinks of them. Events and a suspicious death throw friendship, romances and trust into the air and Lis starts wondering who she can trust and if she's in danger herself.

For me the book is spilt between the story and mystery of who is behind the murder and the strange events that follow and the more complex issues in modern teenage life. Bullying in schools and peer groups is an issue that is so often talked about on the news and in general all schools have a zero tolerance policy but it happens and with the growth of technology teenage bullying has become so venomous and wide spread it's more than just name calling. James Dawson goes head on with this issue and really hits the nail on the head in my opinion. Teachers and elders do what they can but bullies will always pick on the weaker and if you aren't as lucky as Lis to have strong friends behind your things can end tragically.

I loved the twists and turns of the mysteries and the blending of the history of the town with the Hollow Pike of the 21st Century and for me if I can't even guess who the "villain" is it tells me just how well written it was. James was able to capture a current teenage world that felt real for me and also a school life that I grew up with and newer aspects such as having LGBT characters and relationships that aren't a huge taboo (except for the bullies who a portrayed as pretty pathetic for finding it an issue at all). Hollow Pike will creep into your mind and keep your senses on edge at every bird you see or darkened woods that linger at the edge of your town.

Rating: 9/10

Published by Indigo Books, an imprint of Orion and is available here and all bookshops NOW

Blog Tour: Hollow Pike Character Profile: Oh Danny Boy

2012-02-16T08:00:00.001Z

Today I'm fangirlling quietly in the corner and handing the blog over to James Dawson; author of Hollow Pike. I was literally getting a bit over excited about this book even before it's release date so I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour and to let James give you a little look into one of the characters. One Mr Danny Marriott.

Let’s start by saying that Hollow Pike is a book about the strength of friendship, but it was never even a consideration that (main character) Lis London wouldn’t have a love interest. Of course she does – she’s a teenage girl! In Hollow Pike, the love interest comes in the lovely form of Fulton High’s rugby star, Danny Marriott.

I love writing Danny scenes. Firstly, as he fulfils the Lois Lane role of being ignorant to the main plot, those scenes are a break from the terror and drama. In fact, Lis and Danny’s first date is almost comic relief! Moreover, he’s a very different ‘voice’ to the rest of the cast. I almost wanted Danny to divide readers. Yes, he has to be loveable, but I also wanted him to be fallible. I felt that teenage boys are perhaps under even more pressure than girls to conform to social norms.

At the start of the book, we know that Danny broadly fills the role of ‘jock’, only later do we learn he has fallen into this clique by mistake and, underneath it all, he’s a geek at heart. Where Danny falters is his reluctance to ‘be himself’ – he spends much of the book ‘playing’ at being popular, much to Lis’s annoyance. I felt that Danny has more to lose than Lis – he has known being popular and a geek, and has no desire to slip down the social ladder. This stumbling block hopefully eradicates the pitfall of ‘instalove’ as I believe it has become known.

I hope it emerges though, that Danny is a kind, decent guy. Capturing the awkwardness of first love was my goal. Danny Marriott is far from a player. In fact, he makes a right old mess of his flirtation with Lis. He isn’t a vampire or fallen angel, he’s a clumsy sixteen year old from Yorkshire. While arguably less sexy to some, I love Danny’s realness, and I hope readers do too.

The ‘love’ scenes, as I tentatively call them, were among the hardest to write. My editor and I spent a long time getting them right. It’s difficult. The ‘Sex in YA’ debate is so massive it deserves a blog post all to itself, but needless to say, writing a realistic relationship between Danny and Lis is tricky. Hopefully, we’ve achieved something that is touching and tender, without being icky, but also something that honours the raging hormones that Lis and Danny are experiencing.

In the end, what I like best about Lis and Danny is their innocence. Neither of them know what they’re doing – after all they’re so young. They aren’t bitter, they aren’t jaded, they aren’t hard. They’re naïve, and I think that’s fine. They take me back to an easier time when holding hands and first kisses were a big deal. Maybe those simple things should be a bigger deal, because you never forget them.

I should, of course, mention that no-one in Hollow Pike is quite what they seem. There’s a murderer on the loose, and as any horror fan knows, the boyfriend is always, always a suspect…

Thank you SO much to James and Nina @ Indigo and you can find out more about Hollow Pike and James on his website here and the publishers website too

Cover Reveal: Foretold by Jana Oliver

2012-02-15T15:01:00.000Z

As you may or may not have guessed I'm a MEGA fan of the Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver and not only have I got my grubby fangirl hands on the 3rd book Forgiven but today on twitter we got two little exciting tid bits of news.

First was from the lovely Jana herself revealing the title of Book 4 is FORETOLD and is set to be released in the UK around August this year (OMFG NOT LONG MY PRETTIES)

Then the uber talented Elizabeth May via her twitter and Facebook showed us the cover. Her work is stunning and has been a key feature for all the covers in the series

*FANGIRL EXPLOSION*

Event Report: Patrick Ness and Jim Kay @ Foyles

2012-02-15T08:00:00.022Z

For anyone that doesn't know the work Patrick Ness I should direct you to my review of The Knife of Never Letting Go and also this image of how I've reacted after his books

So now that everyone's up to speed I'll zip straight into the event. Another wicked event hosted at Foyles (hats off to their event organiser: you know who you are) and It was a pretty busy evening considering how hugely popular his work is and the acclaimed that A Monster Calls has so rightly received. In a combination of his writing, the illustration of the talented Jim Kay and the inspirational idea from Siohoed Doad that bloomed into a story that is known to reduce all to tears.

I have to read it myself but I am WELL prepared for a tear fest (I was even getting choked up just hearing about it at the event; seriously).

It was great to see a real mix of fans, authors (the super nice Kim Curran who's book SHIFT has just been signed to Strange Chemistry), bloggers ( *waves at Caroline, Karen and Caz), publishing people and children at the same event and all there to get a chance to hear from both these creative people and get a chance to ask a few questions. The young people had so really great questions to ask and that alone was a wonderful thing to witness as they had a clear and enthusiastic attitude and the book clearly engaged them. I could listen to Patrick and Jim talk for hours. They were informative about their working process, how they did (or didn't as the case was) work together and A Monster Calls story. They were both honest speakers and made the evening funny, informative and memorable.

Patrick talked at length about how he went from the original idea that Siobhan had before her untimely passing and then used it to create the world we see in the book. When asked about how much he added or changed he says that 'a good idea attracts other good ideas and so if you have a good idea, hold on to it' and so he took Siobhan's idea and let his mind flow around it essentially and allowed the other good ideas to attract themselves to it. If it had been anyone else they would have changed and shaped the idea just as he had and that even Siobhan herself would have changed it as it developed so he just worked naturally with it. I love that thought and Patrick has a real charming manner when he talks about his writing and how he gets ideas and lets them take shape and his advice to writers makes me want to actually start writing more actively again.

Jim Kay studied Illustration at the University of Westminster, London (I had a geek moment hearing this because I didn't know that before and it's the same course and uni my cousin is at currently so she was THRILLED hearing about an illustrator that has gone on to do really great things from her course) and lived in Edinburgh while her worked on A Monster Calls. He regals us with tales of harsh cold that meant his inks and water would freeze and the only way he keep warm was to tape himself up in an electric blanket. The real revelation was how he never saw his work as really complete and how even to this day looking at the artwork on display he could see things he'd change and tweak.

After an hour or so of question and answers we got to meet and great with the guests of honour and get our books signed and I did my usual fawning and gushing at how much I loved the books and I mentioned how the way Todd's thoughts are written in the Chaos Walking series was so unique and logical for me as some with a dyslexic way of processing words and that I loved it. For once, the hard words made sense!

Us blogger girls then mooched on over to the pub round the corner for food and book natter before heading home so all in all it's one event that i'd rank in my all time fav's.

Review: The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness

2012-02-14T14:00:00.005Z

GoodReads

We were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...

"The Ask and the Answer" is a tense, shocking and deeply moving novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure. This is the second title in the "Chaos Walking" trilogy.

Review

This review will be spoiler from for The Ask and The Answer however as it is part of a series it is likely to have spoilers for the previous book. THIS IS A WARNING!!

So after the amazing start to the trilogy you'd think that the follow on would have a huge weight hanging over it and will be judged harshly but all I can say is that my love for this series just continues to grow with each page in each book. Having all the ideas and characters established means you have the chance to play around with their emotions and the situations a bit more and throw them into situations and see if they survive and react.

Having reached Haven in a flurry of gun fire and Viola on the brink of death things do not go the way they had hoped for when they travelled from town to town to find salvation at Haven. The Major of Prentisstown has beat them to it and proclaimed himself the President of New Prentisstown and taken over. The fear and dread as I read this was almost unbearable. This was only the start of the book so what emotional tidal waves was I about to face?

Viola and Todd are torn apart and Viola is sent to the women's healing houses to be treated and stay and Todd is banished to the bell tower along with the former Major of Haven. You feel like you're walking a tightrope with every chapter because Viola and Todd are having to deal with the devil in order to survive and they still need to escape and warn Viola's people about the evil of Men that awaits them.

Like The knife of Never Letting Go you can't avoid becoming so engrossed in the lives of Todd and Viola that you can't put the book down. I was reading it at work, walking, while eating and even waking up in the night to read for an hour or so. It's just so wonderfully written and the turn of events made me cry and scream. Things are not simple when it comes to becoming an adult as Todd and Viola discover and even Men and Women have the potential to be good and evil as well as change.

I'm putting off reading the final book because i just don't want it to end!

Rating: 9.5/10

Published by Walker Books and available here and all book shops now

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Broke Your Heart A Little

2012-02-14T08:00:00.015Z

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can't come up with ten, don't worry about it---post as many as you can!

All these books broke me so much that I had to either have a bit of a sly cry after or a few minutes to catch my breathe. I won't say why in case of spoilers but feel free to ask me via twitter if you REALLY gotta know

The Pledge

Shadows on the Moon

Shadow Kiss/Blood Promises

A Certain Slant of Light

Clockwork Prince

Noughts and Crosses

The Storyteller

Forbidden

Betrayal

Revolution

Blog Tour: Interview with Katie Dale author of Someone Else's Life

2012-02-13T08:00:00.038Z

Today Katie Dale has been lovely enough to answer some burning questions I had as part of the blog tour for her book Someone Else's Life which is available now:

What inspired you to write the story in Someone Else's Life?

I saw a story in the news about two babies which had been switched at birth, and it just stuck with me. What if one of those babies was me? How would I feel – about myself, about my family, about my “real” family – when I found out? What would I do? Questions kept bombarding me until that was the story I had to write!

Have you always wanted to write professionally?

No, when I was little I wanted to grow up to be a farmer’s wife! Then the acting bug hit and I pursued that right through to drama school and beyond, performing in various short films and a feature film, then as Juliet in a five-month outdoor theatre tour – it’s hard to pretend you’re dead for twenty minutes when it’s pouring with rain!

You were selected to be in Undiscovered Voices anthology in 2008. What was that like?

Incredible! The only problem was that I entered the competition just before flying off to travel through South-East Asia for seven months! D’oh! So I was actually in an internet café in Vietnam when I got the email telling me I’d been selected! Suddenly agents and editors were contacting me, interested in reading the rest of the novel – a dream come true! – but I’d only written four chapters! D’oh!

I tried desperately to complete the novel whilst travelling, writing on beaches, boats, elephants etc but it was just impossible, so I finally waited till I got home. The competition opened so many doors for me, and it was one of the judges of the 2008 anthology, Catherine Coe, who gave me my first writing contract – but not for Someone Else’s Life, for an eight-book series for 5-8 year-olds! After that everything seemed to fall into place – I got offers from four literary agents, and Someone Else’s Life is being published in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany and Brazil!

Did you have to do a lot of research for Someone Else's Life on the locations and issues that Rosie faced?

Locations-wise, fortunately I’d been to most of the locations featured in the book already – I spent a year studying abroad in the US as part of my degree – and the rest I managed to research online.

My main research was focused on Huntington’s disease – a disease I had never previously heard of. I joined an email group and talked to people with family affected by the disease, and they kindly shared their stories with me. Then I met people affected by Huntington’s – people who themselves are at-risk or symptomatic, or have family members with HD – and attended a conference of the Huntington’s Disease Association, which really brought it home to me that while the disease itself is devastating, it doesn’t define you. It’s how you choose to deal with it that counts – and I left feeling totally humbled and inspired by these incredible, courageous people.

I love the UK cover for Someone Else's Life. Did you get any input in it and what was like for you when you saw it all finished and finalised?

I did get to see the rough for the cover, and made some suggestions (eg that Rosie should wear a red dress that she describes in Chapter 1) and really appreciated that Simon & Schuster took them on board. But nothing prepared me for seeing the final cover – I was STUNNED! I am so delighted with it, I’ve even made a bag with the cover design on! I feel like I really lucked out and am so grateful to Simon & Schuster for such a beautiful cover.

What is next for you? Are you working on the next novel already?

Yes! The next book is another stand-alone YA, but this time it’s more of a thriller – here’s the blurb:

Tall, dark, and handsome, the first time Sasha meets mysterious Christian she knows he is The One. But Christian is hiding a terrible secret. Why does he clam up every time Sasha asks about his past? Why does he have the initials L.N. engraved on his watch? Why doesn’t he have any family – and why does he dye his blond hair black?

Then when Christian’s house goes up in flames, his tyres are slashed, and he flees for his life, Sasha insists on going with him.

But as Christian’s secret is unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems everything he’s ever told Sasha is a lie. Even his name. Her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters, Sasha must decide whether to stand by the man she loves, or turn him over to his pursuers. Can what they’re saying about him really be true? Should she trust him? Or is she in terrible danger…?

But Christian isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

For what if their accidental meeting was no accident at all…

On my blog I like to celebrating being a fangirl about books; What are do you fangirl over?

Oh my gosh, I am a fangirl over heaps of things! I LOVE shows like Dawson’s Creek (I chose to study abroad in North Carolina just because that’s where they filmed it!), Gilmore Girls, Desperate Housewives, Neighbours (I got to visit Ramsey St when I was travelling, and met the lovely Karl Kennedy!). I also love cheesy bands like Steps (I’m totally going to their reunion tour, and use the Steps DVD to work out!) Busted, and McFly, and I absolutely adore anything Peter Pan – he’s had a special place in my heart since I was a little girl, waiting at my bedroom window to fly off to Neverland!

Thanks so much to Katie for taking part in the Q&A and for more information on Katie and her book check out these links

Katie's Twitter

Facebook

Website

IMM: In My Mailbox [56]

2012-02-12T08:00:00.003Z

In My Mailbox is an epic feature run by The Story Siren and my links go to Amazon UK but other book sellers are out there too!

Received

I won a 5 of these via the British Book Challenge on The Overflowing Library and the January Prize Pack Publishers Random House Children Books. SO AMAZING!

Long Lankin by Lindsay Barraclough

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

The Haunting of Charity Delafield by Ian Beck

The History Keepers by Damain Dibben

The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers

Also I was sent one from the lovely people at Harper Collins. Thanks Rosi

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

This one is pitched as 24 meets The X Files: COUNT ME IN

Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending this. I've already received and reviewed the HB edition so I'll find a nice home for this copy. Love the new covers

I was so excited to get the rest as they are a prize pack from The Spark (a great new publishing idea from Faber and Faber)

The Things We did for Love by Natasha Farrant
Siren by Tricia Rayburn
Pulse by Tricia Rayburn
Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Happy Reading

XOXO

Blog Tour: YA and Witchblood by Emma Mills

2012-02-11T08:00:00.004Z

Emma Mills is the author of a UK based YA novel called Witchblood and after some getting to know you stuff on twitter she asked me to be part of her blog tour for the book and my review will be up within the next week or so. I'm really keen to read and review more UK YA and thought this would be a great chance to support a new author who not only is a debut writer but also has taken the self-publishing route. Emma has kindly written a little something about why she decided to go down the YA route and what she loves about YA.

I started writing Witchblood in Jan 2009, and as it was the first novel I’d written, it took me until Dec to finish. After many agent rejections it then took me another six months to learn how to edit and make my writing sharper, more concise. This time I sent Witchblood out, I immediately had two interested agents. Sadly my agent didn’t sell it to the big-time publishers, due to them saying vampires were ‘out’ and paranormal was a sliding trend.

I disagree! Which is why Witchblood has now been self-published on Kindle, and is already amazing me with a brilliant first month sales. Thinking back to 2009, I know straight away which books inspired me to write…The Twilight Saga! Yes, I know the whole sparkling vampire thing is a bit laughable, and Bella is not the most kick-ass heroine in the world. But the series sucked me in and re-introduced me to the world of YA fiction, and even better, the sub-genre of paranormal/paranormal romance.

Since writing Witchblood, my love for YA has only increased, and amongst the many I have read none have captured me like The Hunger Games. I LOVE this book. It has everything I hope to achieve in my writing-a truly kick-ass heroine. No-one can beat Katniss Everdeen! An engaging, addictive and original plot which is fast paced and basically just fantastic! I can’t wait to see the movie in March, I just hope it doesn’t disappoint!

I’m still reading YA and this month the two books I’m most looking forward to reading are: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Pyxis by K.C.Neal.

Thanks so much to Emma and also check her site for more info on Witchblood and a cool Giveaway!

AUTHOR'S
CONTEST

Review: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

2012-02-10T08:00:00.011Z

GoodReads

When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all..

Review

I've been really making an effort to find more contemporary YA novels because the market seems to be shooting out supernatural/paranormal/dystopian stories left, right and centre and I like to pick up some that is a nice change too. Someone Else's Life is a story that is what I'd describe as unbelievably believable. No logic fiends please; I understand that's a double negative statement but it's one of the easier way to describe it. The story begins with Rosie and the death of her mother to a heredity disease called Huntingtons. It's not a pretty condition and I must say that Katie Dale handles the details with such care and informative research. It's a realistic look at something that people may not know or understand.

Then a twist of fate and revelations leads to Rosie to discover that she isn't her mother's daughter. She was switched at birth and not only is she now not at risk for this disease but she left wondering who she really is and where she comes from. She takes a journey, both emotionally and across oceans, to find out who her biological parents are and to make contact. It's not an easy journey by any means because along the way she finds out things she wishes she could ignore and is possibly ruining other people's lives by just existing.

It's a real heart breaker of a story and it doesn't let up as more and more things come out of the wood work and I kept thinking 'well there can't be anything else can there?' and then WHAM something or someone else will pop up and chucks a spanner in the works. Plus none of this is made any easier on teenager Rosie as she's trying to piece together a past relationship with Andy, the boy she loved but let go in order to be her mother's carer.

Compelling, moving and utterly gripping from this debut author. Can't wait to see what else is coming from Katie Dale because if it's anything like Someone Else's Life then it's sure to be pretty stunning.

I'm taking part in the blog tour for this book so have a look at the banner on my side bar to see all the other blog stops on the tour and my interview with Katie will be up on 13th Feb

Rating: 9/10

Published by Simon and Schuster and is available here and bookshops now

Event Report: Chicken House Big Breakfast Event

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000Z

I'm such a fan of Chicken House and the titles they publish so I was pretty much the happiest bunny on the planet to get an invite to their big breakfast event. Espically because it was in London and so I could justify taking the morning off work and going.

The event was held at a restaurant at the SouthBank Centre, Waterloo and I made a special effort to not have breakfast before I went (it started at 10am and as some people on twitter may notice I'm a bad sleeper and thus eat breakfast at ungodly hours when bored). I was created straight away by Tina from the Chicken House PR team who was so lovely and fab to finally meet in person. She sorted out my name tag and immediately directed me over to C.J.Skuse. Now, not only am I a big time cheerleader for C.J.'s books but I think it's safe to say that we both share a lot of interests and thus talk on twitter a ton. The twitter banter between myself, C.J. and her sister during episodes of X Factor and Downton Abbey is a work of art if i do say so myself.

I won't lie. I came to the event with two goals in mind. See the new titles from Chicken House and fangirl at/with C.J. I even brought my copy of Rockoholic and the US copy of Pretty Bad Things to get her to sign. I'm a geek; I have NO shame. I had a catch up with Liz from My Favourite Books and got to meet Nicole from The Reluctant Hypersomniac and gushed over her super lovely spotty bag. I zoomed over to the book table and already had my eye on more than a few titles. After loading up the bag I went and pounced on C.J. LEGEND!!! First thing she says is 'Ok, we need to talk about this now. What's going on with his hair?' *Note: we are both MASSIVE My Chemical Romance fans and the lead singer had the day before just "debuted" a new hair style. Ain't we just awesome* So it sort of ended up being a gathering of bloggers around C.J. and we got to meet two lovely video bloggers and chat about The Hunger Games and eat far too many scones and cake nimbles that can be healthy.

Barry Cunningham, publisher and founder of Chicken House took to the mic to greet everyone and thank the team and the author's attending and welcome members of the international Chicken House Team including the new Holland Branch (who gave Barry and the UK Team the gift of an adopted chicken, weird but awfully fitting). We were then introduced to a few of the upcoming authors at the event that spoke about their books and gave a short reading. We even had a reading from a cat. Well Tina from PR dressed as a cat but a cat none the less. I'll give a run down of all the books I picked up below but it looks like Chicken House are set for an awesome year ahead.

Time was too short as i had to get the train back to work so after nabbing a signature or two out of CJ and also getting a sneaky peak at the US cover of Rockoholic (which I'm not sure when it'll be out officially but the book comes out in the US in the Summer and the cover looks TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL).

Thanks to all the Chicken House Team for the invite and really awesome event. Looking forward to so many books from you guys! Here is the bundle I picked up and you can click the links for them for more info about the books:

Freaks by Kieran Larwood

Shadow Runners by Daniel Blythe

The Look by Sophia Bennett

Hitler's Angels by William Osborne

Claws by Mike and Rachel Griniti

Haunters by Thomas Taylor

Book News: The Spark

2012-02-08T14:00:00.001Z

I just love it when authors, publishers and creative types come up with ideas that are just great in every way and The Spark is something that has a lot of great potential for both the people behind it and those that get involved. I was lucky enough to win a contest on their Facebook for some books and when I mentioned I was a blogger the lovely people at Faber and Faber, who are behind The Spark, asked if I'd mind sharing the details of their project and some of the giveaways and contests they are working on to make The Spark a really interactive experience for aspiring talented teens.

Here's a taster from the Press Release:

WELCOME TO THE SPARK - A PLACE FOR YOU TO SHOWCASE YOUR CREATIVE TALENT

Calling all young aspiring actors, writers, musicians and film makers - Take part in an exciting new online community where books provide the inspiration for your talent.

Faber and Faber has launched THE SPARK, a place for 13 - 16 year olds who have an interest in creativity and reading. During 2012 THE SPARK, hosted on Facebook, will invite young people to take part in some exciting projects around acting, film-making, writing and music, each linked to and inspired by a Faber YA title. Whilst no one is obliged to read the books to take part, we hope that participants will not only be inspired to produce some creative work, but will also be encouraged to engage with the related books. Our aim is that THE SPARK will become a vibrant community where young people who love reading and creating can meet, talk and share. We have been extremely impressed by the entries for our recent project, run in association with the GUARDIAN, to find a talented young artist to create a new, iconic cover image for William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES and we hope that we can discover a similar level of creativity in each of the new projects to be launched this year.

An amazing idea. Taking the talent of young people and letting them put their skills and passion into something fresh and a chance that most would grab with both hands and run with. The first project is on their Facebook and is searching for acting talent to the be featured in the book trailer for The Glimpse, an new YA title that sounds crazy good.

Check it out and like their Facebook for new forthcoming projects searching for aspiring teen writers, film makers and musicians over the coming months

Book and Movie Challenge from Bookshelf Banter!

2012-02-08T08:00:00.005Z

So the kick ass Krystal over on BookShelf Banter put forward this challenge on their blog and here i my video reply for your viewing pleasure.

So sorry that I sound a bit weird and look pastey but i've got a cold at the moment and so can't be bothered to be all fancy with make up.

Movie News: Beautiful Creatures official have leads cast!

2012-02-07T22:32:00.000Z

JUST announced is the names of the actors that will be playing Ethan and Lena in the movie adaption of Beautiful Creatures. Prepare for a bit of a fangirl session

MOVIE NEWS!

Ethan: Jack O’Connell

Lena: Alice Englert

Thoughts Please!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books You'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000Z

Something classic that has a mass of things to get you thinking

The Book Thief

Animal Farm

1984

Something funny for those that find reading hard going

Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure

Round Ireland with a Fridge

High Fidelity

Something Scary and creepy

Torn

Midwinterblood

Something to get you started reading. It's hard to start but there are things that can be read to get your brain going

Graphic Novels

Newspapers

Love Month over on Fluttering Butterflies

2012-02-06T10:00:00.001Z

I took part in Love Month last year and was pleased as punch to be asked to contribute again over on Fluttering Butterflies. Clover is a lovely host and her blog is always full of great reviews and posts so check out Love Month all of Feb and today is my post. I'm a love cynic and being single doesn't help that so I tried to be as loved up as I could when I wrote the post.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

2012-02-06T08:00:00.001Z

GoodReads

Imagine you're the only boy in a town of men. And you can hear everything they think. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don't fit in with their plans...

Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run...

Review

What's it like to live in a world where you are the last boy? A world only inhabited by men and animals can talk. A world full of Noise; the Noise of Men and angry and ugly Noise at that. This is New World and this is the place that Todd Hewitt lives. The Noise is the unbridled thoughts of all men and you can hear and see everything and therefore there are no secrets between the town. For better and for worse. On the point of becoming a Man at 13 years old Todd's life is smashed when he's told there are secrets in a town where nothing can stay hidden. He flee's for his life with his dog Manchee and finds the last thing he'd expect in a world of dark Noisey Men. A silent girl.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first in the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness and it's one of those books that i've always seen or known but never picked up before. I took the plunge and now I feel slightly sick that I hadn't read them earlier. What a glorious book; utterly wonderful. It's dark and haunting and I even like the fact that it doesn't shy away the violence and ugly side of madness.

Todd isn't always the most eloquent speaker and he's never learnt to read or write properly and so his thoughts as we read them are not surprisingly full of mistakes. The book is full of phrases like 'No it ain't' and phonetical speaking of words which I actually loved because in my brain as a dyslexic I could read it all perfectly! I know they are spelt wrong but I understood why there were there and it's a story from Todd's point of view so why wouldn't there be mistakes.

I can completely understand why this book has received so much praise and awards because it's a story that haunts you thoughts and will stick with you. It's a staple piece for any YA book shelf and quite frankly all bookshelves because it's told by a 12 yr old boy but it's a tale about men, adventure and the darkness in humanity as well as the hope for change and salvation.

A stunning book that I'm quite glad to say I've already bought the rest of the trilogy so I can read them all in one big go.

Rating: 10/10

Published by Walker Books UK and is available here and all book sellers now

IMM: In My Mailbox [55]

2012-02-05T08:00:00.001Z

In My Mailbox is an epic feature run by The Story Siren and my links go to Amazon UK but other book sellers are out there too!

Bought/Received

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Bought solely to please Casey over on Dark Readers

Lenobia's Vow by P.C.Cast and Kristin Cast

Thanks to Atom Books for sending this one. I never really read the series so if I can't catch up myself I might find someone that can love it for me :)

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

I heard this was an interesting read and it was on an offer in town so got it

These 3 were in clearance at Waterstones Piccadilly so I went a bit crazy there

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

The Radleys by Matt Haig

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I already own Daughter of Smoke and Bone in a US edition but this one tempted me because it was a signed 1st edition and was perfect. Can't believe it was in the sale!!!

I was SO lucky to get to go to the Foyles event with Patrick Ness and Jim Kay so I bought the Paperback of A Monster Calls and then got my Chaos Walking series signed. One of THE best events I think I've ever attend.

HAPPY READING XOXO

Event Report and UK GIVEAWAY: Amanda Hocking Blogger Evening @ Macmillan

2012-02-04T08:00:00.057Z

So this was a surprise event for me because I wasn't expecting an invite but a huge thanks to the lovely Liz from My Favourite Books who passed along my details to the PR people at Macmillan (who are SO awesome I might add).

Amanda Hocking is an author of quite some note as she has become a hugely successful author without even being technically signed to any publishing house or with an agent. Amanda's story as an author is interesting as she was writing and producing so many books and just couldn't find an agent or publishers willing to take on her or her books and so came to decision to just put her work out there as ebooks and see what happened. They became huge hits with readers and bloggers and gained such interest that they have not only found a home at a publishers but been optioned for film rights.

Macmillan (Amanda's UK publishers) invited a few bloggers and reviewers to a small evening at their London offices to chat with Amanda and also PIZZA. I was really interested to here from a writer that didn't go down the conventional route of publication and is now having her books published after already having found a certain amount of celebrity on her own.

Amanda was so easy going and after the initial introductions and drinks we all sat down for a good old chat. We asked Amanda a lot about her writing style and habits, her thoughts on how she published and now having an official home for her books. The current being Switched, a YA tale about trolls, romance and mystery set in Maine, soon to be followed by Torn and Ascend to complete the trilogy.

She's a very fast writer and when she does write she completely focuses her time on the project at hand and is "almost OCD" about making notes and can work solid for 2-4 weeks at a time. Being self published meant she sometimes felt the press to keep producing more and more work because she'd see the direct feedback from people asking for more. This was part of the reason Amanda eventually went with a publishing house because then someone could be professionally editing her writing while she could focus solely on the writing itself. Though editing is one of her favourite parts of the writing process because you get notes from the editor and then you can play around with what you've done where as writing means you just have to get it all down before you can deal with the details.

We all asked Amanda about her trip in the UK and plans for future books and such and at a few points it became a general bloggers chat/rant where we (including Amanda) were discussing the blog reviewing world in general, our "skills" at organising bookcases and current trends in YA. It was like a normal blogger meet up and Amanda seemed to fit right in with all our chatter and our sense of humour.

We were given a copy of Switched in both cover editions (it's being marketed to both YA and general sci-fi and fantasy adult markets so the covers have two colour formats). Amanda signed books and took photos with everyone and we all tucked into pizza over more book chat and recommendations.

Thanks so much to Amanda for meeting us all and the lovely people at Macmillan for hosting the evening and inviting me!

I have one copy of Switched by Amanda Hocking SIGNED to giveaway. This is a UK ONLY giveaway and will be open for 7 days and then a winner will be drawn and notified. The winner will have 7 days from notification to reply and accept their prize or another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book News: New Book from Maggie Stiefvater!!!

2012-02-03T14:00:00.001Z

I love Maggie Stiefvater and her books because they are always a thrilling read and she totally gets what a reader wants from a good book. So to see a new book cover for a new book she's bringing out is AWESOME!

Here's the book details direct from Maggie from herself:

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

And the book cover: TA DA!

GORGEOUS! The book is meant to be out in September so not even THAT long to wait for it!

Review: Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan and Trailer!

2012-02-03T08:00:00.003Z

GoodReads

This is a brilliant thriller ghost story by a new name in teenage fiction. When Daniel Lever is dragged to Leisure World Holiday Complex for some "time away" with his depressed dad, his expectations are low. Daniel is overweight, he hates sport, and his father has brought along his beloved tomato plant. But soon Daniel spots a girl swimming in the fake lake. Lexi is elegant and smart, but very mysterious. Why are her bruises getting worse each time she and Daniel meet? And is her watch really ticking backwards? A dark figure stalks the pair, and as British summer time approaches, Daniel has to act quickly. Their souls depend on it

A thriller ghost story set in a nature holiday camp in the UK you say? Intrigued? Good. You should be because Edward Hogan takes you into a story that was honestly scary and heart wrenching and left me feeling both happy and distraught by the end at the same time. Daylight Saving left me with emotions conflicting in my head so much that it started to hurt. Set at Leisure World, which if you've ever been to somewhere like Centre Parcs you'll get the idea, where Daniel and his dad Rick go for a family holiday after the fall out of his mum's affair in the hopes to mend wounds and get away from their troubles. Though seeing as Daniel is very much not a sporty type and Rick's main sport seems to be staying standing after drinking too many beers and sorrow (not an official Olympic sport) it is going to be an interesting break to say the least.

Daniel meets Lexi and his holiday slowly becomes the life changing time away from his problems that he never thought it could be. His dad has his own problems with dealing with his wife cheating and having to find out from Daniel (an accidental witness to it all) and both having to reshape their lives now that Dan's mum has moved out and they both have a lot of things they probably should say to each other but neither can find the guts to be the first to speak. Having had more than my fair share of awkward family holidays (oddly one at Centre Parcs) I know exactly how Daniel feels. Not only are you stuck in the middle of no where and expected to exercise for fun (WTF!) and there seems like no escape from your cabin. *shivers from the memories* However enter Lexi and Dan's holiday starts to get a bit brighter. Until some horrific revelations make this story a real game changer. Bad things happen and you have to see them through because it's what needs to happen so you can get from A to B.

The book is a countdown to the enviable and you know what's coming and that's why it sends chills down your spine because there's nothing you can do to stop it. It's a living nightmare but Dan and Lexi find a little bit of happiness and reasons to smile in-between the horror that is tick tick ticking away at their time together. ack! My heart is breaking a bit all over again just doing a review about it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Published by Walker Books and is available from here and all book sellers now

Also check out this cool book trailer that has been released THIS week for Daylight Saving

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000Z

GoodReads

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers

Review

I'm gonna be a bit unusual here and start my review with the few faults in Under the Never Sky just so I can get them out the way and get on with the YAY! AWESOME! part of my review. On the UK edition cover the model used for Perry just isn't quite my Perry. He's how I picture him physically but he doesn't have the blonde tangled hair and you can't see his falcon tattoo at all; both key things in my mind. Yes I'm nit picking but there you have it.

Now the book itself starts out a bit of grapple if i'm honest. There's a lot of information to take in at first about the two worlds and the people and how everything is set up but it's no less engaging and wonderfully written. All I can say is don't worry about taking in all the finer details straight away because you pick them all up along the way. On to the good stuff: Oh My Perry!!! Swoooonage!

The story is told from both the point of view of Perry, our Outsider, and Aria, a Dweller, both from very opposing worlds and both almost fearful of the other and what they represent. Perry saves Aria's life by chance and she is thrown out of the world of Realms in the pods where life is lived virtually and the 'bad qualities' of life have been phased out and dumped in the Outside left for dead. She was seeking information on her mother, a geneticist, who she hasn't heard from in some time and she fears is dead. Perry lives in the the Outside in one of the many tribes and his brother is a Blood Lord with a young son, Talon, that is slowly dying. Talon is kidnapped by Dwellers and Perry makes it his mission to rescue him even when his brother refuses to risk his tribe to do so. Perry and Aria meet once more and form an alliance to find Talon and Aria's mother even though they can barely stand each other.

The relationship between Aria and Perry is strained to start with but soon grows as they learn from each other and understand that what divides them doesn't make them so different. They both have wants and dreams and change as they come to understand each other. I loved the pace of their relationship and the organic nature of their bond that developed. It felt so real and natural and I just couldn't tear myself away from the pages. The detail in the worlds from smells to sounds is so delicately painted that you can put yourself into scenes so easily.

Perry and Aira really are a dystopian Romeo and Juliet and Veronica Rossi is a brave and bold storyteller in the way she invites us into their romance. I was also really found of the other characters like Roar and Marron who are charming and that light relief in a heavy story. I wanted to cuddle them so much.

A terrific start to a trilogy that's made me impatient for the next book already.

Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Atom Books and is available here and all good book shops now