Review of The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin

When Sunni Forrest’s stepbrother accidentally transports himself into a Renaissance painting, she and her friend Blaise set out to bring him back. They find themselves in a strange world of labyrinths, monsters and pirates.

Can they evade their greedy pursuers? And will they ever find their way home?

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The last book I read about people dissapearing into magical paintings was Mirrorscape... and that was awful. This, however is a mystical, imaginative take on an old idea. The character's are a little cheesy - Sunni, who has a crush on someone way older than her, her annoying younger brother and the guy that fancies her... you know how it goes.
The layers of the painting, leading to different worlds, was an amazing idea. There's a maze in this, which reminded me strongly of Maze Runner crossed with HP and the GOF.
A fantastic read for all ages (even if you just want to learn how to say Chiaroscuro!).


4/5

Review of Wake by Lisa McMann

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.

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I love this book! I've read it twice so far and I'm dying to read Fade, which I plan to do very soon. The idea that you could see other people's dreams is certainly a intriguing one for me (and probably for many people) and I think that's one of the reasons I enjoyed this so much.

Janie is a strong character - I really felt for her when she was going though the frustrations of being stuck in people's dreams without knowing how to help or get out of the dreams. I also felt for Caleb quite a lot when Janie was refusing to listen to what he had to say. I would have liked to hear more of Janie's Mom and Cassie's story though, they were mentioned frequently but they still felt like background characters.

The writing style in this book really drew me in, I couldn't stop reading, nor did I want to. It was difficult to drag myself away. Which is ironic because Janie gets sucked in too - to other people's dreams.

As you'd expect with dreams, there's some hilarious moments, especially with Melanie's dreams about Carrie. My particular favourite hilarious moment involved a coffee cart.

I discovered on Goodreads a fair few people who hate Lisa McMann, just because of this book. What's wrong with it? For a debut novel its very very good. I think they should try out Cryer's Cross because that book is just beyond amazing.

5/5 

Review of Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
  
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The officials in this book reminded me a lot of the Government in Uglies. That is all.
I loved this book and I can't wait for the next instalment. However, looking around at the reviews I've found that quite a few people hate this book. Why? I have no idea, each to their own I guess. I thought this book was very cleverly written and the cover is very intriguing. It's very simple, yes, but very very effective. I'm interested as to what the next cover will look like, maybe Ky in a bubble?
I feel the need to cover a few things that other reviewers have said (check out Goodreads, they hate it there). Okay, a lot of people have said that the plot has been stolen from another book. I will point out that this story is one that has been done a million times already, it's a fresh take on it and it works. The Hunger Games - someone accused Suzanne of stealing Battle Royale's plot which, for me, was highly amusing because they'd clearly never read or heard of Lord of the Flies. And even so, the idea for that would have been around long before Lord of the Flies. Today, when every plot has been done already, it's a very silly thing to accuse one book of stealing the plot of another book, in my opinion. Anyway, this book is awesome, well written and thoroughly engaging. Go read it!


5/5

Review of Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

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Awaken is a very interesting idea, one that could very easily become true. The idea that humans could cut themselves off from the world completely isn't that difficult to fathom - after all, we've been doing it for years, slowly but surely. Madeline is a very interesting character, you see her rebellious side a lot but fear of her Father stops her from doing anything he might dislike - he doesn't trust her due to something she did in the past. Justin was my favourite character as his history was rather complex. Justin encourages Madeline to fend for herself and fight for what she believes in, so he's a crucial part of the book.
For me, I didn't like how it ended. I was expecting/hoping for an Uglies style cliff-hanger but what I got was a pretty ending tied up with a pretty pink bow. Otherwise, this book was perfect.

5/5

Received free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Review of My Misadventures As A Teenage Rock Star by Joyce Raskin

Rock ’n’ roll isn’t just about sex and drugs. It’s about self-expression, lasting friendships, and self-empowerment. That’s what Alex learns after she starts playing bass for a rock band in this almost true story. Joyce Raskin, author and musician, culls from her memories to create this funny, touching, and honest look at what it’s like to be a teenager, a girl, and a rock star all at the same time. 

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This book is good but not fantastic. I think I read it in half an hour it was so short. The story of Alex is very simple and very clichéd, but it is enjoyable.You follow her from just before she learns to play bass when she's shy and uncomfortable around people (like most 14 year olds) and then when her bands really kick off. I found that the ending was weak and stopped abruptly, could have done with more added to it. Throughout there are cute little illustrations to help pad out how short the story is, I really liked them, they're cute.
Oh and when the story has ended, about 16% is dedicated to learning how to play base and about Joyce's (the Author) band. A good afternoon read if you have nothing better to do.

2/5

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Review of My Favourite Band Does Not Exist by Robert T. Jeschonek

Sixteen-year-old genius Idea Deity believes that he exists only in the pages of a novel written by a malevolent, omnipotent author . . . and that he will die in chapter 64. Meanwhile, an older teen named Reacher Mirage sings lead vocals for the undercover rock band Youforia . . . a band that exists in Idea’s world only as an Internet hoax that Idea himself perpetuated. Then there’s beautiful and mysterious Eunice Truant, who links their destinies. When Idea and Reacher plunge into the reality of Fireskull’s Revenant, the twisted epic fantasy novel they’ve both been reading, chapter 64 bears down on them like a speeding freight train on an unstoppable collision course. Being trapped in a bad book can be a nightmare. Just ask Idea Deity.

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This is the strangest book I have ever read. The main female character has a tattoo of another person on the back of her head. Which looks just like the other main female character that has a tattoo on the back of her head that looks like the other character I just mentioned. Confused yet? You will be. There's three linked stories in this, that alternate between chapters. The first story is about Idea Deity, the second is about Reacher who is the lead singer of a band that doesn't exist, Idea made it up in his head. The story is the book that both Idea and Reacher are reading, which plays a vital part in the story. Confused yet? You will be. The story is simpler than it sounds and I really enjoyed it. I certainly can't say I've ever read anything like this. But it was awesome. Definitely an Author to keep an eye on.

5/5

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Review of Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

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I started reading this book with no idea what it's about but I wasn't disappointed. Bridget is a character that you should hate but I found myself liking her, because you can understand why she is like she is. Although she displays a her bitchiest side to the World, you can see the girl she used to be more and more as the story progresses. There was a lot of moments where I wanted to step in and say something nice to her friends!
The story of how she got to the point of crashing her car drags a bit, so you have to be patient and wait for the good stuff! When she finally arrives in Limbo and shown what she has done to people, it is well plotted and really keeps you reading until the end. The idea that Bridget has to literally walk in other people's shoes, for me, was hilarious.
This is a perfect Christmas read, A Christmas Carol meets Mean Girls for Teens.

5/5 

Received free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review