Many Covers Monday - The Summer I Turned Pretty

Welcome to Many Covers Monday! Today we're looking at the many different covers of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

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On the left is the US one. I like it's summery feel but I find the light covering up the guy's face a bit annoying. The right one is just... DAISIES. DAISIES EVERYWHERE.

While I love the French cover (left), I feel that the German cover (right) looks a bit dated and probably wouldn't pick it. The French cover has a nice beach feel to it and I love the shells! The background strongly reminds me of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands of Teeth. I think they would look good together!

The Indonesian cover (right) definitely has the summery feel going on but those headphones combined with that hat makes everything feel a bit nineties! The Dutch cover is something I think I would pick up, despite it saying, 'Oh look, here's my back.'

Which cover do you love? Which do you hate? Share your thoughts below!

Review of Hold Still by Nina LaCour

In the wake of her best friend Ingrid's suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing.

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I haven't read much contemporary YA lately and Hold Still fulfilled my need for it perfectly. I read it compulsively, barely pausing to breathe until the end. It was just... perfect. It had everything I needed - death, love, hope, art, lesbians...

Dylan is like, the ultimate best friend. Not only is she a lesbian with an actual personality but she really helps Caitlin get out of her funk and start to enjoy life again. I really did picture her as Rock Nana, from the manga series. Her over-whelming need for MOAR COFFEE was a little worrying though!

Art is a big theme in this, Caitlin and Ingrid used to be the stars of their photography class last year and now that Ingrid has died, Caitlin just can't bring herself to be bothered anymore. This isn't helped by Veena, their class teacher, who seems to prefer to ignore Caitlin this year. The idea of Caitlin being a carpenter and building a tree house was AWESOME and I had a lot of fun imagining it!

5/5

Review of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Weir

I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

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Shocking. Beautiful. Hilarious. There aren't really strong enough words to describe just how amazing Code Name Verity is and I know before I write my review that it will not be good enough to express my feelings towards this truly unique novel. Julie's pained, sarcastic voice is unforgettable and Maddie's shyer, yet strong willed one is a perfect match. 

The twists and turns in this book had me wanting to flip back through the pages and re-read bits but alas, I was reading a kindle edition and wasn't able to do that. The first voice has many names and to avoid her name I'll call her The Scottish One! The Scottish One was the most memorable character for me and I could picture everything she wrote - and didn't write - even though there's a good chance she could have been telling us all a complete load of bull. She was certainly smart enough to. The Scottish One is being tortured, brutally, yet it's written in such a way where it's all cerebral - not much torture is mentioned but you can definitely see it in your head.

In the middle of the story, the narrative switches to Maddie, who is shyer than The Scottish One but in no way weaker. After hearing about her from The Scottish One, finally meeting her and hearing what she had to say was like meeting an old friend and I happily went with her to continue the journey. Maddie is easily the other half of The Scottish One and in one scene she even thinks the same thoughts! 

One particular scene in this was brutal and so quick, I didn't even cry, I was in so much shock. I was grateful though, as it felt like something that had to happen and not something that the author had just thrown in there for entertainment value. The story as whole is a stunning portrayal of two strong-willed girls friendship during the Second World War and one that I'll never forget.

5/5

Review of Lady Languish by SCD Goff

After her Uncle Malachy terrifies Evangeline Languish on her 16th birthday, she is abandoned at a boarding school by her parents. But when Evangeline discovers a strange young man, injured and alone, she is forced to change her mind about everything she knew. Could Malachy's stories be true? Evangeline must face her uncle once more ... can she get to him before he kills everything she loves?

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I wasn't sure what to make of this book before I started it, as the cover doesn't give much away and the reviews were non-existent! I had nothing to worry about though - the story is unique and the writing is beautiful. The story is told by Evangeline, a girl with an extremely sheltered life - apart from the boarding school she gets dumped at, she had only been away from the castle grounds once and even then it was only to the local village! This helps set some very hilarious scenes when Evangeline finally goes on her first shopping trip alone, later in the story. This is all set in Ireland too, which I found really refreshing after being in America in books for so long!

The bad guy, Malachy is a truly interesting character and one that I wish we could have seen more from, as he's one of those bad guys with a really interetsinga dn complex past. His sort-of relationship with Slane was fascinating and I do wish we could have seen more from the bad guys as a whole. Perhaps in a later book? I don't believe that Malachy is quite as evil as Hobbes, who comes across as a fatherly type but the things that he does later on really show his true colours!

Of course, every great Vampire herione needs a hot boyfriend and we've got one that fits the package pretty damn well - Lorcan, a tortured soul that we slowly get to know through Evangeline's coaxing. He likes to blend in a lot! Things happen to Lorcan at the end of the book that ensured that I'd be picking up the next book, as I need to find out what will happen to him. On top of that, Evangeline shows a few darker moments, which I'm hoping will be explored further too.

4/5

Received free from the author in exchange for an honest review

Review of Haunters by Thomas Taylor

Eddie, Adam and David have the same gift. Separated by generations, they are linked by their ability to time-travel. Using their dreams, they can appear like ghosts, wherever and whenever they want. The first is the genius who discovers dreamwalking. The second is a Haunter, a dream-terrorist, determined to change history foris own ends. The last is the novice dreamwalker who must battle to save his family, and himself, from oblivion.

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If you're looking for the next big thing in time travel, look no further. Haunters is a thrilling read that had me turning pages so fast, I almost got friction burns! Time travel, evil villians, action, adventure, it's got it all. The plot is fantastially unique too, I would never have guessed you could explain ghosts with time travel!

I loved Adam, the villan. The way he was described immediately made me picture him as Alex, from A Clockwork Orange. And once my brian got that idea, it stuck pretty fast. I'd say that Adam is definitely more villanous though, something that is revealed slowly throughout the book.

In places, the story reminds me of the Angel's Unlimited series by Annie Dalton, which is a strong favourite of mine. Only much less girly and with a male lead! The time travel aspects are similar, only David isn't dead. Heh. I thought the Academy was really well written and I could picture everything easily throughtout, especially London. I can definitely see this shaping up to be a series similar to Time Riders, although I am hoping that it goes for unique historical events, like it did in one part of Haunters.

This is a fantastic start to a series, assuming it is a series. It's a series, right? Erm... I'll get back to you on that. At any rate, it definitely left on a few cliffhangers, after wrapping the main story up really well. I can't wait for the next book!

5/5

Received free from Chicken House in exchange for an honest review

Review of Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. 

And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them. 

So what does Araby Worth have to live for? Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up... and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club - in the depths of her own despair - Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does. And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her. 

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An amazingly unique storyline, Masque of the Red Death had me hooked from the start to the end. The world that Bethany Griffin has managed to create from Poe's story is incredible and the characters just as dark as their storyline. It has a heavy Dystopian element with undertones of Steampunk too, you see quite a few Steampunk objects throughout the story, which were amazingly described.

Araby, our tragic heroine, is a perfect fit. I haven't read much of Poe's work but I get the feeling that she isn't too different from his own characters. She's so traumatised by the death of her twin brother that April finds her at the top of a tower one day and takes her under her wing. They then spend their days at the Debauchery Club taking drugs and flirting with men, until the day that Araby meets Will - and then Elliot. Ladies, we've got ourselves a love triangle. A great one however, as Will and Elliot couldn't be more different. Will spends his days in the poorer district, looking after his little brother and sister who never leave the house and Elliot has fancy bedrooms and wants to start a revolution. As you do.

The story wraps up really well and although it leaves it on a bit of a cliffhanger it wasn't the sort of cliffhanger that makes me rage at the author, the editor, the publishing industry and God, it was one that made me look forward to the second book and I know that I'll be buying it. Definitely worth the read.

5/5

Received free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Review of Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

STOP THE COUNTDOWN. SAVE THE WORLD…

Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.

And killed.

Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…

Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.

That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…

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Sci-Fi are getting more popular after books like Across the Universe and Glow hit the bookshelves last year. Unraveling is another Sci-Fi novel but ditches the spaceships and sets the book on our planet instead. Throw in some romance and unexpected twists and turns and you've got the perfect YA Sci-Fi novel, right? Well... not really.

The problem I had with this book was keeping up. There so SO MANY characters. Take the boys/guys for example - Janelle's brother, Dad, Dad's friend, Dad's colleague that he hates, Janelle's sort-of boyfriend, Janelle's friend-who's-a-boy-and-lives-next-door, Janelle's sort-of boyfriend's friend. Janelle's sort-of boyfriend's other friend. The guy that saves her. His two friends. You can see where I'm going here. That's just some of the guys. And then there's the girls, of which there are many also. The whole of this story is like this - trying to fit too much in. Yet, it's pretty slow reading too. I physically had to drag myself through parts of this book and I was really relieved when it started picking up a bit half way through. I was a little unsure why there seemed to be a few Twilight references though, like Janelle's Dad being a cop, Ben working on motorbikes and him telling her she imagined what happened to her after she was hit by a truck.

There are some great, unique things about this book. Janelle's mother has Bipolar Depression which is great to see in YA and fantastically told, not something that's shoved in the background. The reason for the countdown was something I never would have guessed and the reason for Ben's strange power was even weirder but extremely interesting. However the biggest mystery is why the cops seem to trust Janelle to solve the case for them, instead of getting off their asses and doing it themselves...

3/5

Received free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Review of The Selection by Keira Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

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I love the cover actually makes sense when you've read the read. I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved Prince Maxon. I loved America's world. In short, I absolutely adored this book. Well, apart from a couple of small things.

I found the world building in The Selection fascinating. All great Dystopias have split their people into groups and this is no exception - the highest of the world is a One and the lowest, an Eight. Twos to Fours don't do too shabbily, the Fives through Sevens struggle with hunger and getting enough work and the Eights are the lowest, I don't even know what happens to them in their day to day life as this isn't mentioned in this book. We get glimpses of what life is like from America but nothing to help create an entire picture of the world easily, so I'm hoping this is explored better in future books.

The story hooked me from the beginning, despite Aspen trying his upmost best to irritate me with his gigantic ego. When a girl has saved up her money to make you nice picnic, don't have a bitch fit and then dump her. You won't become a favourite of mine. My brain was too preoccupied with The Selection to care too much for Aspen - I was excited about America getting Selected and meeting the other girls and going to Palace and meeting Prince Maxon - who I loved so, so much. It's hard not to love a guy who goes to pieces when a girl cries! He did have one asshole moment but I think I can forgive him.

The only truly disappointing thing in this book was the ending. I was so disappointed with it as it did stereotypical things that weren't needed and finished really weirdly. Literally, America gets out of bed, comments on it being a shiny new day and then the book ends. Finished. Poof. It wasn't much of an ending than a ending-somewhere-in-the-middle-of-the-story.

4/5

Received free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Review of Have Book Will Travel by Kfir and Yonatan Luzzatto

Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle’s fortress walls. That's why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works.

They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can’t get back in. It’s lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home…or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles.

In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures.

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Have Book, Will Travel is a fantastically fun read and it reminded me strongly of the many Enid Blyton stories I devoured as a kid. If you were a fan of hers too, I highly recommend this book, just for the nostalgia! The story is full of twists and turns due to a magical book that can take you absolutely anywhere that's written on it's pages, so you truly have no idea what is going to happen in the story next, which really kept me reading!

I felt that the story started off a little slow but as soon as it starts heading towards the adventure, it really made up for it. Max and Darla meet one day after Max, a typical curious boy, is curious about a room filled with boxes and boxes of stuff. He stops by often and one day, bumps into Darla, who lives and works in the town below his Uncle's castle. She's spending her break reading a mysterious book - but is having trouble, due to a poorer education than Max's. Max happily agrees to read the book to her and they soon become firm friends. 

There's all sorts of adventures to look forward to in this story - Max and Darla meet strange people, strange lands and even stranger customs! There's magic and mischeif galore yes - a lot of fun too. I really liked the ending, as it finished off the story well but left enough clues to give me a picture of what might happen in Darla and Max's future. All in all, a great read for all ages.

5/5

Received free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.It can.She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is. She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

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I was pulled into this story almost straight away, the creepy storyline getting creepier as we meet Mara and her friends, only to be told she's a murderer and all of her friends are dead, something that Mara has no memory of, once we meet her in the hospital room. Events progress and we move to Florida and a new school, where Mara has a pretty hilarious first day (with quite a few hallucinations) and meets Noah.

Noah is THE GUY everyone has been gushing at and I can see why - he's British, polite, hot... but not for me. The British thing is okay I guess (I'm British so not too fussed) but I found that he has a bit of an anger problem is anyone as much as looks at Mara the wrong way, which was a bit unnerving. He doesn't have a great reputation with girls either.

I loved most of the story. There was so much humour and innuendos throughout that kept me reading just for the giggles! I desperately wanted to find out what was going on with Mara too and I didn't find out too quickly like with other Paranormal YA's - it was a bit of a slow trickle of information to be honest. Three quarters of the way through it got a bit too PNYA towards the end, which bored me half to death. The book ending on a nice cliffhanger, not one that has me clawing at my local bookshop but enough to make me look forward to reading the next book.

I was a little confused about one thing - at the beginning Mara mentions that Mara Dyer is not her real name but later in the story she mentions a teacher mispronouncing Dyer - a rookie mistake or a deliberate attempt to make us unsure whether to believe Mara or not?

4/5

Review of Fever by Lauren Destefano

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. 

 

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I thought Wither was one of the most beautiful books I'd ever read. Fever is so much better. I don't understand how Lauren Destefano managed to do it but the title was so fitting throughout the book - the writing somehow made me feel like I was locked in a fever, seeing the world through Rhine's eyes and everything I tried to imagine seemed out of focus and dizzy. I felt like this throughout most of the book, with only brief chapters becoming clear when Rhine felt normal too, and that didn't last for very long. 

We start our journey at a circus of a sort, although a glorified brothel would be a closer term for it. I found this a little frustrating at first - a couple of minutes of freedom only to be trapped again? But we were at the brothel for a reason - to meet Lilac and her 'malformed' daughter, Maddie. Maddie is a great addition to the story and brings a lot of laughter, despite not saying a word. Rhine, our central character is the same as in Wither and I didn't felt that I learnt anything new about her this time, which didn't bother me. Gabriel didn't really feel 'there' to me, despite having many more scenes, but I didn't really care too much about that either. Rhine's brother was the one that intrigued me. As she's thinking of him and their past, you get a better picture of who he is and I'm not sure I like him very much! 

Overall, I didn't feel that Fever suffered from Second Book Syndrome and I loved the story as a whole, I think it moved it onto the third book really well. So well in fact, the first thing I did when I'd finished it was tweet to Lauren and beg her to let me read the third book. Well, it can't hurt to try...

5/5

Review of A Season of Eden by Jennifer Laurens

He's my teacher. I shouldn't be alone with him. But I can't help that he's irresistible. I let the door silently close at my back. He stared at me, and a taut quiet stretched between us. "I like hearing you play," I said, moving toward him. He turned, in sync with my slow approach. He looked up at me but didn't say anything. I rested my clammy hand on the cold, slick body of the baby grand. "May I?" The muscles in his throat shifted, then he swallowed. "Eden." My knees weakened, like a soft tickling kiss had just been blown against the backs of them. "Is it okay?" I asked. His gaze held mine like two hands joined. He understood what I was really asking. "Let me stay," I said. "Please." "You're going to get me in trouble," he said.

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A Season of Eden is amazing well paced. Slow enough to keep me reading but fast enough to hold my interest too. It's a pretty simple story with complex characters and I found it compulsively readable. The story explores the idea of a student-teacher relationship, which didn't seem too weird to me, as Eden was 18 and four months from Graduating, and James Christian was 21. Actually, he was 22 at first and then later on it said 21. So... I'm not sure... 

Eden is popular. I picked this up quite easily and I found it really interesting to see it from her perspective, as she just found it normal that girls would walk away if she gave them a look, and people would clear a seat for her if she wished. It wasn't something that she cared about either, she was just used to it. Her home life is equally interesting - her Mom died a year or so ago, and her dad remarried only a few months later. Now she barely speaks to her Dad and comes home to the sound of her Dad and Step Mom arguing every single day. There are things that happen in this broken family later on that really made me sympathise with Eden.

Of course, the main focus of this story is obsession - I.E. Eden's obsession with James Christian. The story starts around the same day she meets him and leaves us on a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. I guess to let us make up our own minds about what happens next. James himself is very easy to imagine, as Eden does go in a lot of detail about him. A heck of a lot. However, if you're reading this for anything other than the romance aspect, don't. The story is about James and Eden and there's very little else. The sexual tension between the two of them was pretty intense, and kept me reading right to the very end to see what would happen. However, despite this, the book was pretty clean!

5/5

Won a copy from the Author

Review of Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her? She manages to wangle a trip across the Atlantic where she runs away to try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent…

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Girl, Missing certainly made for some interesting reading. It was much bigger than I expected it to be, I was expecting a simple 'Girl Finds Mother' story, not too different from Dustbin Baby. There's a lot more to this though, involving travelling to America, running away, breaking into a building, getting kidnapped, you name it.

Lauren and Jam make a good team. While she single mindedly searches for her parents, he keeps a level head and attempts to make sure she doesn't do anything too stupid. Which doesn't work too well, as Lauren is very self centered and whines. A lot. You can easily understand why Jam gets so frustrated with her at times and walks off - I think I would have done too! 

Unsurprisingly, this story is a but far-fetched. I felt my eyebrow raising itself on more than one occaision and I cannot understand why people think this book is so amazing. It is aimed at 11+ but still. Really silly storyline, one you'd only find on a soap opera. I cannot see myself reading the second book, as the storyline sounds even more ridiculous. The story is certainly worth the read if you're bored one afternoon though and I thought it was a lot of fun in places!

3/5

Review of Dark Remains by Sean McMahon

London, 1842. England is in turmoil and one young woman must carry the demands of both the  living and the dead.

After the death of her mother and imprisonment of her revolutionary father, thirteen-year-old Maggie Power is plunged into a world of poverty and violence. Promising to protect her younger brother - come what may - she scavenges upon the mudflats of the Thames, haunted by the constant shadows of hunger and disease.

That is, until a chance encounter with a charitable countess, who rescues her from the brutal streets of 19th century London. But Maggie’s troubles are just beginning. For the rich life presented to her by the mysterious countess comes at a dreadful price. Slowly she realises she must free herself of the influence of her benefactor - whose dark motives are revealed over the course of the turbulent summer of 1842. 

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Dark Remains is a wonderfully well researched book. From the start, I was gripped by the writing and plunged straight into 19th century London. I felt as if I really were in the grubby, filthy streets of London, alongside Maggie and Tom. The book has a very Dickensian feel to it and I would definitely recommend it to fans of Mary Hooper, as the plot follows a very similar path to her novels. Maggie's voice, although written by a man, is very authentic. Throughout the story she remains a very string character, determined to protect her little brother from the horrors of Victorian London.

The plot itself is actually kind of bizarre! At first, I didn't find it very believable but as the loose ends were tied up I could understand why things happened when they did and I really appreciate that! It was still a very bizarre story even at the end though and not one I'll easily forget!

I was especially pleased to find out at the end of the story that there will be a sequel, as I'm quite curious to find out what happens to our little gang!


5/5

Review of Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine

11-year-old Caitlin has Asperger’s syndrome, and has always had her older brother, Devon, to explain the confusing things around her. But when Devon is killed in a tragic school shooting, Caitlin has to try and make sense of the world without him. With her dad spending most of his time crying in the shower, and her life at school becoming increasingly difficult, it doesn’t seem like things will ever get better again. 

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The best thing about this book for me was that it managed to deal with two very tough subjects and yet still feel like a light fluffy read. Caitlin's view of the world was unique and compelling; I found myself devouring the whole story within a couple of hours as I couldn't put it down!

The story is told in the first person, from Caitlin's point of view. I don't believe it could have worked any other way - as Caitlin has Asperger's, so the way she sees things is very different to the way we do. Although only ten, she has a strong voice and it was really interesting to see the different things she would say and do - simple sayings that we use easily confuse her, she has to have her clothing a certain way and she hates any shades of pink!

Of course, the book deals with a second difficult subject - death. Caitlin's brother, who guided her through life, was murdered in a school shooting and as well as having to cope with that, her Father isn't quite there. I did feel slightly angry towards him at times, though!

The ending is well wrapped up and did leave me wanting more - I wanted to find out what would happen to Caitlin when she moves schools!

5/5 

Review of Hitler's Angel by William Osborne

Otto and Leni have escaped the Nazis and fled to England. They thought they were safe, but now the British want them to go back to Germany. Dropped behind enemy lines, they embark on a secret operation. Their mission is to find and kidnap a girl who could bring down Hitler. And so begins their bravest journey yet...

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This book is great for anyone who wants the gritty action of World War 2 and even though it's aimed at kids, it's not watered down at all. The dead bodies pile up more and more throughout, as does Otto's injuries! Strangely enough, Leni and Angelika never seem to injured, compared to Otto, who gets every injury you can think of thrown at him. And these are supposed to be kids!

Sadly enough, I wasn't impressed by the ending. It didn't really go where I was expecting it to go and the ending didn't feel right after the events that happened. It also made me quite confused too! The story as a whole is very action packed and I was very worried for the main characters, what with what the Author had put them through already!

This is a great read for teens of all ages and some adults too! The story really captures Germany in World War 2 and I really did feel as if I was there too, hiding from the Nazi officials. Definitely worth the read, especially if you're a fan of action/adventure books.

4/5

Received free from Chicken House Books in exchange for an honest review

Review of Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

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When I started this book, I was unsure if I'd finish it. It started off very cheesy, almost like a middle grade novel, with lots of 'I can't believe I'm betraying them' over and over and over. But once the story gets going and Mira arrives in Beau Rivage, that's when it gets interesting. Okay, it's still pretty cheesy but I managed to read it in two sittings, it was just that good.

Kill Me Softly appealed to me the same way The Goddess Test appealed to me - I wanted to work out which character was which fairy tale creature/person, like the The Goddess Test I wanted to work out which God was which (I failed miserably but that's not my fault, trust me). The 'main' characters, i.e. the Princesses all come straight from Disney movies, only which a darker side to their tale, as the Grimm brothers and other writers made their stories much darker before Disney prettied it up. Other characters appear too - wicked stepmothers, a trio of very different brothers, evil and good fairies, you name it.

Mira herself is a bit thick. Don't get me wrong, I love the girl but she claims to know fairytales and yet doesn't bat an eyelid when given a key and told not to go in a certain room. That's one of the downsides to this story - if you know your fairytales it's not very difficult to work out what's going to happen in the plot. Other characters were much more interesting - Jewel, who literally coughs up jewels, Layla, who works in a bookshop and has a gambler for a father, Freddie, who attracts all sorts of furry creatures whenever they see him and Viv, who hates her stepmother but doesn't realise what she's doing to Henley, who has a bit a temper problem.

I don't know if this is a series or a stand alone novel but I'm hoping it's a series. I have high hopes for the next book and I'm really, really hoping if there is one, it's not told from Mira's POV again. I like her a lot but there's so many strong voices in Kill Me Softly, not giving them a voice would be a real shame. 

4/5 

Received free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Review of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

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Julie Kagawa has written about two subjects I usually avoid. The first, is fairies/fae. I always avoid these, for reasons I know not. It's just never appealed to me. The second is Vampires. Originally I barely glanced at it but when I read the blurb I was intrigued – a Dystopian with Vampires? Could that work?

Boy, did it work. Julie has created a very rich and thought provoking world, filled with Vampires, Street Rats and Rabids. Add that to an extensive history of how this world came to be and an exotic kick-ass heroine and you have a recipe for awesomeness. I could hardly put the book down! The story is almost relentless in suspense and action and I enjoyed every minute.

During the story, we follow Allie (Allison), a street rat (not a literal one) living in New Covington with her crew – Stick, Lucas and Rat but she soon leaves them behind when she dies – and is turned into a Vampire by Kanin. Kanin is quite harsh with Allison but fair – he's trying to teach her how to survive as fast as possible. She soon separates from him too and makes her own journey across America, meeting a band of travellers.

There's definite potential for a love triangle here which I'm hoping for as I really like Kanin's character, which we didn't see much of this book! I can't wait for the next book, even though the first hasn't been released at the time of writing this.

5/5

Received free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review