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Showing posts from November, 2011

Review of Marly's Ghost by David Levithan

When Ben's girlfriend, Marly, dies, he feels his life is over. What could possibly matter now when Marly is gone? So when Valentine's Day approaches, it makes sense that this day that was once so meaningful to Ben leaves him feeling bitter and hollow. But then Marly shows up - or at least her ghost does - along with three other spirits. Now Ben must take a painful journey through Valentine's Days past, present, and future, and what he discovers will change him forever.

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Yep, you've guessed it - this is a modern day retelling of the famous A Christmas Carol. This short book tells of Ben's journey after the death of his girlfriend, Marley. Some interesting elements are added here - for instance Tiny Tim has now become a male gay couple and Valentine's Day has replaced Christmas. The rest of the elements are kept quite similar and it's interesting comparing the two books.

However, I was completely let down by this story. It's essentially A Christmas Carol copied and pasted, to the point where 'Ben' (Ebenezer, geddit?) sounds like an English Victorian man, rather than a young American kid. The concept of Tiny Tim being a gay couple did work - at first - but then it became so ridiculously cheesy and over-sentimental that I nearly spewed pink fluffy rainbows. The author calls this a 'remix' and I'm all for retellings, as long as the plot feels original and this does not in any way. I could still feel the cold harsh Victorian Streets as the story was being told and I had to frequently remind myself that I was supposed to be in modern America and Ben was a teenager, not an old man. 
The house that Ben lives in doesn't help towards the retelling either - he has a doorknocker, which makes me believe that either the Author couldn't think of what to use instead or that he just couldn't be bothered. Also, Ben has a great big fireplace in his bedroom. Of all the hundreds of YA books I've read, I've never heard of anyone having a fireplace in their bedroom. It didn't really seem to serve a purpose except to confuse me.

1/5

Review of Zelah Green by Vanessa Curtis

"My Name is Zelah Green and I'm a cleanaholic. I spend most of my life running away from germs. And dirt. And people. And I'm just about doing okay and then my stepmother packs me off to some kind of hospital to live with a bunch of strangers. It's stuck in the middle of nowhere. Great. There's Alice who's anorexic. Caro who cuts herself. Silent Sol who has the cutest smile. And then there's me."

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Zelah Green is a wonderfully quick read which I devoured in about an hour. It was great to delve into such a simple story, without loads of characters, complicated plot line and boys with rippling muscles! Okay, so it's not the most realistic but that's the beauty of it - simplicity. Who doesn't enjoy a piece of pure fluff every now and again?

The issues dealt with are OCD, cutting, anorexia and probably a couple of others that I don't remember. These are all mentioned in a very light way and the characters with these illnesses don't have too much character development, yet I still loved them all, particularly Caro, the cutter. Caro is almost the opposite of Zelah - she's loud, outspoken and rude and prone to sudden unexpected outbursts, smashing tables or screaming and breaking things (admittedly, I can relate to this, although maybe not as extreme!). In contrast, Zelah is quite, polite-spoken and keeps her room tidy. In fact she keeps everything tidy as she has OCD. She has rituals she has to do every morning, including hand washing and stair jumping (often to avoid anything seriously bad happening) but her almost fairytale-like wicked stepmother is having none of this after Zelah's father disappears. She packs Zelah off to the local hospital but Zelah's next door neighbour takes pity on her and takes her to Forest Hill House instead, where her new life begins.

The ending was very fluffy but I enjoyed it immensely and found myself rooting for Zelah all the way through. I can't wait to start the next book and I dearly hope that we'll see all my favourite characters again - Caro, Alice and Sol. I hope they've all mostly worked through their problems and the sequel shows them coping with the outside world once more.


5/5

Review of Crossed by Ally Condie

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.


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I finally got Crossed in my hands, after a year of waiting and it did not disappoint. I wasn't expecting too much (it is filler after all) but it does really deliver for me. It's not action packed and the characters spend the majority of their time wandering around the same place, but the new characters and events that happen really made me fall in love with story. The new characters are Vick, Eli and Indie (suitably Dystopian sounding names), and they really add a new layer to the story. I particularly liked Indie, whose character develops more throughout the book and she almost felt like a real person to me. Vick is similar in that he also develops through the story and after telling his past to Ky, also becomes like a real person.



The environment itself, is rather barren. This was expected – wandering around the inside of a Canyon was not. Something more desert-like, similar to the Scorch Trials was what I expected but the inside of a Canyon is certainly an interesting idea.



Ky's side of the story is a nice touch as well. I'm not if he feels so familiar because Cassia knows him so well, or because his voice is very similar to that of Cassia's.



I should mention the similarities between this and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, as that series is a favourite of mine. Cassia, like Tally, believes in what her society is doing and is looking forward to her future, in the societies grasp. Until a stranger (in Cassia's case, Ky, and Tally's case, Shay) turns up and they see the Society for what it is and escape. Somewhere along the way they are separated and have to find each other again. And of course there's a Rebellion wandering somewhere around the middle of nowhere. I hold the hope that this is just a coincidence, however.

4/5

Review of London Deep by Robin Price

Part graphic novel and part adventure tale, this fantasy that takes place in the near future follows a spunky heroine living in a flooded London where rival police forces compete to keep the peace. Jemima Mallard doesn't have time to worry about the fact that the city has been sinking ever since the climate upgrade—she's having a bad day. Her boyfriend knocks her off a pier, some hooded youths scuttle her houseboat, and she loses two tanks of precious air that were gifts from her father. Even worse, the Youth Police accuse her of being mixed up with a criminal named Father Thames and her father—the Chief Inspector of the Adult Police—can't seem to fix the error. Ideal for manga fans and reluctant readers, this copiously illustrated story explores environmental themes in an accessible and exciting manner.

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I spotted this whilst at the Thought Bubble Comic Convention and had to buy a copy – I love the cover and it's a Dystopian! Plus the author was the one that sold it to me, he was really friendly and signed it too. I bought this along with Spartapuss, so there should be a review of that up too, assuming I enjoyed it as much as London Deep.
London Deep had me hooked from the very first page. Mostly a novel but with comic art on every page, it's a quick read and very addictive. The comic art complements the story and it's important too – it forms part of the story, sometimes showing the characters talking to each other about events that have just happened or showing the next scene etc, I loved the illustrations of Jem, I thought they fitted her character perfectly. She's ten years old, and has a habit of breaking the law, mostly due to her curiosity! Jem lives in a Dystopian world, where London has flooded and everybody has become pirates – just kidding, they all live in boats. Despite that fact, everything is quite similar too – you have shanty towns, just like today and the Police– now separated into 'Dults and YPD – Youth Police Department. I did feel that a little more detail would have helped here, as I was a little confused about the YPD, and why they are there, plus why there seems to be 'The Bloody Tower' – a tower thing filled with prisoners, who seem to be slaves too. I think.
Nick, the second MC in this book, has his really annoying moments but is still strangely likeable. He's one of those guys – quite power hungry and determined to hold up the law at all times. Unfortunately due to Jem he does find himself in some pretty sticky situations, but they do work really well together. I would like to see Jem and Nick becomes friends in the sequel, Father Thames.

4/5

Review of Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

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Valerie is coping with life after the aftermath of a shooting at her school - by her boyfriend, Nick. Now she believes (not completely incorrectly) that everyone blames her for it, despite stopping the shooting and gaining a bullet to her leg in the process. Going back to the past to show us what happened and switching to the future to show us the aftermath, this book kept me reading until the very last page.

Although Valerie was the main character, her boyfriend Nick was the most memorable for me. He seemed to have a presence during every chapter of the book, regardless of whether or not he was in that chapter or not! Valerie is a character I won't forget easily, I felt torn in two reading her story, agreeing with Valerie's opinions of herself and her parent's opinions at the same time. I wish I could have known her brother better, as he seemed pretty awesome and I was curious to see how having a sister that's accused of being an accomplice to a murderer effected him. I really hated Valerie's dad. I wanted to understand him but the stuff he said/did just made me hate more and more.

I got everything I expected from this book - and more. For such a thick book, it was a surprisingly quick read - probably because I enjoyed it so much! I loved watching (reading?) Valerie slowly come out of her shell throughout the book, making new friends and discovering herself again. I thought that the last chapter was just beautiful, and a very fitting ending to Valerie's story.

5/5

Review of The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.


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Rory's parents have a gap year from teaching, so they decide to move over to Bristol. Rory chooses to go her own way and goes to a London boarding school. Once there, she makes friends, chokes on her dinner and discovers some new abilities. Oh yeah, and there's a Jack the Ripper copycat in town.

Of all the colourful characters, Alistair was easily my favourite. Although he didn't appear often, his dry humour had me in fits of giggles. The main character, Rory, is okay and she does have her awesome moments but mostly is your typical YA heroine. When Rory first moves into Wexford, the boarding school, she's warmly greeted by Jazza, and they become firm friends. erome joins the gang around the same time too, he's obsessed with the Ripper murders. That's all I remrmber. Unfortunately, after Boo joins them, Rory drifts away from Jazza and we barely see at all throughout the rest of the book. Jerome turns up a little more regularly than Jazza but also frifts away. Later on, Callum and Stephen join in and I have difficulty working out who's who because they are so similar.

''I looked at the stained glass image of the lamb in the window above me, but that only reminded me that lambs are famous for being led into slaughter, or sometimes hanging around with lions in ill-advised relationships.'' - Rory

I was hoping for a bit more from this. It really seemed to be working towards something truly special, but half way through the plot changes slightly, new characters arrive and it becomes your typical YA paranormal book. Only with a little Life On Mars spice added.

4/5

Review of Mortal Obligation by Nicole Chase

Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out. 

Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

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Okay, so Mortal Obligation is the kind of book I'm trying to avoid lately (weak girl has to save the world while being a complete virgin and trying to get the guy) but MO is pretty good, despite many elements I would normally avoid. Much cheese is included, sappy friendship scenes are common and Buffy-Style vampires are rife, while Ree and her friend try and kick Demon butt and save the day - and the world.
 
The story starts just before Ree meets her first Demon, which admittedly didn't quite work. Some character development before the Saving-The-World thing would have equaled a stronger storyline. We get to know Ree's friends quickly through and they're around all the way through the story. Ree's character is easily the weakest, as all she does is complain about how bad her life is and worry that Paden doesn't want her as more than a sister. Whilst being attracted to Roland, who is pretty hot to be honest. Would have worked better to switch between the character's POVs so we get a break from her for a bit! Not too much happens in this book, expectedly as it's setting up the story for the battle ahead. There's a whole lot of running around an island and training to fight demons, with a lot of funny moments. Of course, the story wouldn't be complete with a cheesy cliffhanger and someone going 'Oh, it was me all along!' which I enjoyed immensely, for no apparent reason. Cheese is good sometimes I guess.

4/5

Review of Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden? 

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Although Dark Eden sounds pretty amazing (I was pretty excited about it) I was left feeling rather disappointed. The story as a whole was rather dull, surprisingly not much happens, the plot twists are rather predictable and the big secret at the end was just... silly. 

I started the book with high hopes, as the blurb makes it sound amazing. Will has an extreme phobia, just like all the other kids and he's sent to Fort Eden to be cured of it. Upon arrival he suddenly decides to get the heck away from the group, finds himself a convenient underground bunker which conveniently has security cameras linking to the inside of Fort Eden and decides to stay there for a while. He doesn't question this once during the book. While we're stick with him, one by one he watches the others get cured in one of the most stereotypical ways possible. The story drags on a lot as that's basically all that happens throughout the majority of the story, with the occasional interesting bit when I discovered what each of the other kid's fears were.

The ending. I was hoping for something with a little more... well, just more. As I said, I found it rather silly and it was quite weak too. And just in case you didn't quite get the basic concept of what had happened, the Author has added a few short chapters on Will's afterthoughts, just to make sure you're really asleep. 


2/5

Received free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review