Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Book Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1

Date Started: April 26th 2013

Date Completed: April 28th 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure, Action

Rating: Five stars

Review:

Wow. Just wow. I love this book. So much. Oh my god. I was expecting your regular, run-of-the-mill fantasy without much depth and a quick-ended plot. I love it when I'm wrong.

This novel tells the story of Karou, a art student in Prague who leads a secret life as an errand-runner of a magical creature. Karou was raised by this creature who disapproves of her reckless use of the wishes he provides her - for her blue hair, revenge on an ex-boyfriend and for saving one of her artworks from creases - and she has never thought twice about the nature of her life. That is until scorched hand-prints start appearing on the door that leads to Elsewhere and anywhere in the world. And then when an angel attacks her in Marakesh, things start getting really confusing and Karou realises her world was never as simple and safe as she once thought.

I can't. I don't even know how to start describing this book.
Okay, the writing. Brilliant. It was suited to me perfectly: not too hard and with just enough detail to excite me and get everything across to me perfectly. It's fast-paced but gives the reader time to think about everything that's happened. The short chapters mean that you're always left wanting more (hence the reason I went through it so quickly.)
I love books that involve romance, but are not known for romance. It means there's other genres in there that are more evident and the author is mature enough to make sure it doesn't morph into a typical Young Adult Fantasy Romance. The love in this book was just perfect. I really liked it and it was just enough to engage me as a reader and also add to the characters.

The plot was perfect. I haven't read anything like it before, so I was constantly on edge and waiting for what was next. I didn't try to predict the future events, as well - which I usually do. I was so wrapped up in the story, I didn't really give myself any time to. But it was good. It was very good. I did suspect a certain plot twist, but everything else I was too engrossed in to think about.

I fell in love with these characters, oh my god.
Karou, you're amazing, I love you to death. The best female protagonist I've read since Valkyrie or Katniss. She's a genius and you can really relate to her and understand what she's going through. Furthermore, you WANT her to be okay and you want things to work out for her because you become so attached to her character.
Akiva. You really are an angel - he's like the usually reckless male characters but infinitely more realistic and wonderful and I loved him from the start.
Zuzana, you're a legend, enough said.
Brimstone, I didn't know what to think. First you were good, and then you were bad, and then good again, but then you turned evil and I just couldn't work it out. I'm still not sure if I have.

The separate story part (sorry, won't make sense unless you read it and I can't reveal because of spoilers) was brilliantly crafted. At first I was really confused and then I realised what it was - and kind of suspected it - and everyone slotted into place.
There wasn't a battle at the end - which is something I'm becoming used to. But it wasn't needed - the actual story itself was enough of a climax to leave me gaping. I need to next one. I need to know what happens. I need to know where it goes from here; there are so many possibilities, and it's got to be just as amazing.

And they actually used the title of the book. I love it when books do that - you have that moment of glee when you just smile to yourself because you know why the book called what it's called - please don't say that's only me...
Laini Taylor you are a genius. And that is all I have to say on the matter.

I would recommend Daughter of Smoke and Bone to EVERYONE. Seriously. I don't care what you usually read, I don't care. You have to read this book. It's amazing. Magical fantasy. Beautiful romance. Thrilling story-line. Hysterical characters. Just read it. It's so perfect.

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St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

Book Title: St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

Author: Karen Russell

Date Started: March 20th 2013

Date Completed: April 28th 2013

Genres: Fantasy

Rating: Three stars

Review:

This book took me an age to read, but it was one of the best - if strangest - short story collections I've ever read. Admittedly, I tend to stay away from short stories since I prefer longer and more intricate plots, but still.

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves (wow, that's a mouthful) has a variety of weird and wonderful tales about different individuals. I always imagined them all living on different parts of the same island, although this is never specified. There's minotaurs and ghost fish and sheep murders and avalanches and god knows what else.

Karen Russell's writing style is something I've never really come across. It isn't exactly hard-reading, but it took a while to get through each page. I'm still not sure whether I like it or not, but it was definitely different - and not necessarily in a bad way.
I liked the way each story was obviously set in the same world, but was so different and teeming with all these magical and whimsical creatures and settings. I particularly loved the idea of the ghost fish. I'm ot even sure why. I just like the idea is swimming and seeing prehistoric creatures as well as the modern specimens.
My favourite story was The Camp for Disturbed Sleepers (it was something like that). And I liked that best because I felt I really got to know the characters, and I could relate to them. It's not that we aren't told anything about the people in the other stories - on the contrary, the majority of the writing is about how each character feels and how their past has effected them and is effecting them - but the characters really grew during this story, so I felt I knew them better for it. Furthermore, I loved the idea and the mystery wound into it.
In fact, I loved all the ideas. I loved a lot of it - some parts of the writing were truly, truly beautiful - but I needed more. I avoid short stories, not because I don't like the stories being short - I don't mind it that much if I'm honest - it's more that I think authors are tempted to not put as much effort into them, as they aren't going to have time to really construct a good, solid plot for such a short text. The issue I found with this book, however, was the Russell went in to the story so much, it felt like every single one of the passages was left unfinished. They were all left, not so much on cliffhangers, but more like the end of a chapter: like they were planned to originally be continued, but then ended up at the back of the cupboard. I would have been happy with a cliffhanger to be honest.
I'm not saying I didn't like it. I'm just saying it needed that extra little climax, rather than an anticlimax that never finishes.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and crazy ideas and worlds because the concepts in this novel are just amazing. But I wouldn't do what I did - to decide to read one story every time you just wanted a quick read in between whatever chapter book you're halfway through: it's just too detailed and long. But give it a try - you might feel differently to me.



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The Great Gatsby

Book Title: The Great Gatsby

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Date Started: April 22nd 2013

Date Completed: April 25th 2013

Genres: Romance, Mystery

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I've never reviewed a classic before, so this should be interesting. How do I do it? How do I possibly do justice to this book? I don't know, but I guess I'll have to try.

The Great Gatsby tells the story of a scandalous affair between a devoted dreamer and a married woman, through the eyes of a mutual friend. But with a sudden accident, things are turned on their heads as everyone tries to come to terms with what's happened, but perhaps some things just can't be solved, and other conclusions must be drawn.
(That sounds really cryptic...sorry.)

This book started off very slowly for me, and I think I did have my doubts near the beginning since I hadn't read a classic in a long time. But once I got a third of the way through, it picked up almost immediately and I didn't want to put it down by the end.
The writing was very gentle for a classic. You'd expect Jane Eyre-style sentences, but instead it's a very easy-going writing style and therefore I found it was a lot more relaxing to read than what I was expecting. Which, if I'm honest, I was relieved by.
What I particularly loved was the fact that Fitzgerald decided to relay the story through Nick's eyes. I've never read anything like that before; where the story is narrated by one person, but solely revolves around another two. I think it's an ingenious idea that could be risky, but is pulled off magnificently. Especially since Nick has his own plot line and feelings going on at the same time that disturb Gatsby's great dream.

I loved the characters.
Again, Nick is just amazing, he's so understanding yet he has a sliver of jealously that proves that actually he could be a very real person.
Furthermore, Gatsby is perfect. He's not a brilliant human being, but for the story he is exactly what he needs to be.
Daisy and Tom are made for each other, quite literally - I liked the way they easily bounced off each other in the scenes they had together. You could really detect the chemistry between them.
And Jordan is my favourite (along with Nick, obviously). I'm not even sure why: she doesn't have a huge part and she isn't overly intelligent than the rest of them, but I really like her personality and I felt Nick deserved someone like her.

The storyline was brilliant. I don't usually have the patience for such normal affairs, but actually I was gripped at even the most simple of the scenes.
And I wasn't expecting the end. (I've said before that I'm good at predicting endings, I think someone wants to prove me wrong by giving me loads of unpredictable books to read to make me seem like an idiot. Great.) It did make me sad - can't say why, sorry - but not depressed sad. In a way it was inevitable, even though I didn't predict it myself.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of romance or classics. But also for anyone who maybe wants to try reading more sophisticated books? It's an easy-reading classic and I found it very interesting. I don't; usually read this sort of stuff, but I wanted to know the story before I saw Baz Luhrman's interpretation. Enjoy.

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Die for Her

Book Title: Die for Her

Author: Amy Plum

Series: Die for Me - Novella #2.5

Date Started: April 22nd 2013

Date Completed: April 23rd 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy

Rating: Three stars

Review:

Since this is a short novella, I obviously wasn't expecting a full-blown plot, but I was still slightly bored that Die for Her recounts the previous two books in a very speedy way from another person's perspective. But then again, it was Jules.

Die for Her details the plot of the first two Die for Me books from the perspective of Jules, a friend of the protagonists. That's pretty much all I can say.

I loved the Jules perspective. I love Jules just generally. But by repeating all the events from his perspective, we get to know some more details that both make sense and also create more mystery around the plot of the actual series. I admit, I didn't see Jules' main storyline until a fair ways into Die for Me, but this novella clearly shows it.
The writing seemed rushed. No doubt because that passage was a novella, but I felt like a little more detail or time could have gone into detailing the events. Plum's writing is generally fast moving, and she was merely repeating her plots from the first books, but I felt she could have made it more engaging by diving deeper into Jules' feelings. I would also have liked to see some scenes that don't involve Kate, so we could learn a bit more about Jules himself, rather than just his life when the protagonist for the main books is around.
I'm not saying I hated it. In fact, I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't as great as the series. And I think more new (in-between) storyline could have been created instead of reusing previous ideas.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read and is into romance and fantasy, but read the series first. It's better than this novella, and nothing will really make sense unless you know the first two plotlines. It would also spoil the entire two books if you read this first, as it is basically a synopsis of them.

On the plus side, the eBook does contain the first chapter of the 3rd book. And wow. That is worth it - if you can handle the cliffhanger until May.



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Ironside

Book Title: Ironside

Author: Holly Black

Series: A Modern Tale of Faerie #2

Date Started: April 21st 2013

Date Completed: April 22nd 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I read this book in about a day because it was so good. I don't do that a lot. But I did this time. As you may know, I finished reading the prequel to Ironside (Tithe) yesterday afternoon. And now I've already finished the sequel. But there aren't any more. Which is very very sad and I may consider crying.

Ironside is set around two months after the events of Tithe, and continues Kaye, Roiben and Corny's story. Now that all are familiar with both the human and faerie world, things are starting to get heated due to Roiben's new state of power. But the faeries aren't happy with Kaye's presence in the Unseelie Court, and she is tricked into an impossible quest by which she can not see Roiben again until she's completed this. But she doesn't have much time to dwell on her predicament as tensions are rising between the Courts and danger is around every corner.
(I feel like one of those people who writes blurbs.)

Again, the writing wasn't overly sophisticated, but perfectly adequate for the story. The changes between each character's perspective also showed a lot more sides of the story this time, which made the plot a lot more intricate and interesting.

The characters again.
I missed Roiben, but was happy when he did make smaller appearances and then more towards the end of the book. But I missed him and Kaye together.
Kaye was as awesome as always, and I felt for her even more in some of the situations she was put in.
And Corny. Oh Corny. You are still my favourite character and I am so happy he finally found what he was looking for.

The plot was far deeper than the first book, and I really enjoyed learning about all the different rituals and parts and details about the two faerie courts. I loved the way that Black seemed to turn it into a crime/on-the-run novel as well as a fantasy romance. All my favourite genres in one basically. The only thing I need now are some dystopian catastrophes.
The romance, again, was just right. Even though most of the book the two main characters aren't with each other, there's still a good amount of romance in it, but in the right doses and perfectly described. Completely believable and engaging - I think it's hard to write romance for the reader rather than yourself. But Black has definitely mastered it.

You know when authors tie in certain book series' with others they've made. Valiant's people (which I had a read a while before this one) were all involved near the end. Which was just amazing. I was so happy to read about them again and they fitted in perfectly with the story.

Recommended to fans of romance and fantasy but also, as I said, anyone who likes a good mystery or crime novel. But I would advise reading Tithe first, as the details would be hard to catch up with without reading the prequel. Also, serious spoilers for both books. Read them in the right order. But definitely read them.

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Tithe

Book Title: Tithe

Author: Holly Black

Series: A Modern Tale of Faerie #1

Date Started: April 19th 2013

Date Completed: April 21st 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I had definitely forgotten how much I loved fantasy until I read this book. I'd also forgotten how good Holly Black is. Even though I was a little surprised at first, as it took a while to get into - which Black's books aren't usually like - it was brilliant by the end.

The story revolves around Kaye, who rescues a faerie knight in the forest, and is then told to stay away from him as he could be dangerous. But, being the reckless teenager she is, she ignores these warnings and finds herself buried in a ancient fey ritual that might just end in her death or the end of balance in the faeryworld.

I could tell this was one of Holly Black's earlier books are the writing was a lot simpler than The Curse Workers series for example. But there was nothing wrong with it, and I found it a lot easier to understand the details of the plot the further I read. However, I would have liked certain parts of the story to be in more depth. Black has always been a genius at plot twists, as she is here. But I wish she'd go into more detail about them so I could get even more engrossed in the spiral of events that occur. Basically - make a bigger book, Holly. I need more.

Secondly, the characters.
Kaye is amazing. I love her especially because she isn't the typical hero you find in Young Adult fiction: she's what some people would refer to as an 'emo' yet she has some of the same qualities associated with heroines these days (recklessness; an avid reader; back-mouthing attitude). But Black was no afraid to go full out in her description and growth of the character. Which I admire her for greatly, since she made a brilliant character in the end.
And then Roiben. I didn't know whether to trust him, or to hate him, or to be scared of him. She kept changing our perception of the faery throughout the entire book and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
And Corny. Corny is my favourite character, no question about it. He's amazing and he's hilarious and he's lovely and Holly Black was really able to show his personality in a realistic way (here I go again) that I completed believed.

The plot wasn't based on the romance - hallelujah. It had the perfect amount, I think, and Black restrained from taking over the storyline when arguments happened - which I think is a very hard thing to do and still make believable.
And the twists and turns of the storyline was just awesome. I love it when in books you get this plot that just goes all over the place and back-and-forth because it can. You don't get that anywhere else - TV, film, nothing. And these cliffhangers fitted in with the story wonderfully. And I did not see the end coming. That is all I will say.

Recommended to anyone who loves fantasy first of all. The creatures and places described in here are so rich and beautiful, I half wish I was there myself. And secondly, anyone who likes romance. Like I said, this isn't based around romance, but it's certainly there.
Note that this is an easy read, so don't expect classic-style writing. But that doesn't stop it from being an absolutely brilliant book.



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City of Ashes

Book Title: City of Ashes

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments #2

Date Started: April 14th 2013

Date Completed: April 18th 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Action, Thriller

Rating: Five stars

Review:

In the first instalment of the Mortal Instruments, I was quite disappointed by the ending and the inconsistency of the action, especially when the climax was approaching. Don't get me wrong, I loved City of Bones. But this book blew it out of the water.

Set pretty much straight after the first book in the series, this novel focus' on the group as they are being threatened by Valentine's (evil guy) return. They've lost once before, so now the pressure is even higher, but the Clave (organisation of Nephilium (Shadowhunters (no, I'm not going to give you more definitions, this is ridiculous)) are pressing down on the suspicion that has aroused from Jace's actions. When he's thrown out of the Institute and investigated for allegiances to Valentine, things start to get serious and the threats raise.

First of all, like I said, I loved the first book. (See my review of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare if you want to have a look) The writing style was right up my street and I immediately fell in love with the characters. The great thing about this is that Clare was really able to get into the story now that her readers knew what was going on and how everyone felt about each other.
Another thing that was brilliant was the fact that we focused on all the characters, rather than just Clary. I love Clary. I really do. But I think we lost out on so much detail that we could have benefited from in the first book. I really loved seeing everything happen through other people's eyes as well this time. It also made the story more interesting and you could really piece apart the different conflicting layers of emotions and the past.
Like I've said before, I like some romance. I wouldn't be reading this series if I didn't. But I don't like too much. Since the relationship stuff kind of went through the roof in City of Bones (for reasons I can't mention because of spoilers) there isn't any hardcore romance this time. But there's the occasional cute moment, and a lot of confusing emotion, feeling stuff. Which I liked. Also, there's a surprise couple that - to be perfectly honest you've probably been spoilt on, whether you read the books or not - are just my OTP. (I very rarely use words like that. You must understand how much these two are meant for each other.)
And finally, the actual plot. Like I said at the top, the ending battle scene or whatever at the end of City of Bones kind of disappointed me since there had been so much action throughout the whole thing. But the end of this one, oh my god it was brilliant. I think this is where the different perspectives really came in handy, since we were able to see several parts of the fight all going on at the same time.
But also just the overall plot. The first book was obviously focused around introducing Clary to this new, strange world. But Clare was able to really get into the story in this book. I loved the twists and turns, and whilst adding to the novel's story, I also really saw Clary and Simon and Jace's characters grow. (Oh yeah - Simon's plottwist was pure genius. Thank you for actually being able to write fantasy romance and not make it terrible.)

So yeah. I loved it. More than the first book, but only because of the improved writing to be honest. Can't wait to read the next one and I really hope they don't mess the film up.

I'd recommend it to anyone who loves romance, fantasy or action, as always. Definitely read the first book first, or you'll spoil everything. I'm not usually that bothered in the order of books because I often do the opposite - but I think this series really depends on the gradual growth of the plot and characters.



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The Host

Book Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Date Started: April 8th 2013

Date Completed: April 14th 2013

Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Romance

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I admit it: once again I am pleasantly surprised. To be honest if I'd just read this, I wouldn't have known it was the author of Twilight. I'm surprised I read it anyway, but I ended up enjoying it quite a lot.
First of all, before I get judged by all you people - I read this book because a book group I follow had it as their to-reads for this month, and also I enjoyed the film and wanted to see if the book was bearable (which for reference, I did not find the twilight series were).

The short synopsis is that Earth has been invaded by completely peaceful aliens that possess the human's bodies. There is now no violence or danger. Apart from the survivors. The story focuses on one of the souls (the aliens) called Wanderer, who is inserted in the body of a girl called Melanie. Usually, the soul will just live it's life on the planet without any problems until their host dies of old age, however Melanie's memories keep coming back to Wanderer, and then she starts talking and fighting her. It eventually leads to Wanderer straying from her society and falling into the hands of the resistance, where a complex and confusing love triangle emerges and other stuff happens.

First of all, the writing has improved greatly. I've heard many people say that Stephenie Meyer has matured as a writer and I definitely agree. I tried to read Twilight but honestly the writing had me bored and I gave up a short way in because frankly it made me feel slightly nauseous. But the writing here was perfectly adequate - in fact I quite like the style of Meyer's writing. It flows very well and it also relatable. I also like the way Melanie and Wanderer's thoughts are presented and how you can still tell them apart as you get to know the characters.
When I first started reading this I had guessed it would be a very typical Young Adult books, therefore it was going to be absorbed and slightly over-heavy with the romance. However I was impressed by how much other information and action Stephenie Meyer managed to pack in. I admit, the love does get a little bit cliche in some places, but nothing that made me want to stop reading it. And it was realistic. (Here we go again. Sorry.)
The action. Oh the action. There may not be any big battles, but there's movement added into every chapter. I often grow tired of books that are mainly directed at speech, or at action, or at inner thoughts - which to be honest, is what the majority of my books are like. It's simply because certain authors specialise in certain parts of writing. (I'm better at action scenes than anything else, so I completely understand.) But there was a good balance of both the dialogue, the inner monologue, the action and the romance in this book. Again, I'm impressed.
The whole concept also intrigued me. Although aliens possessing human bodies is nothing new to me, the way the soul's world and previous lives was presented was very interesting and engaging - I actually became quite fascinated with Wanderer's previous experiences: especially the Bear and Bat worlds (you'll know what I mean if you've read it, or when you have if you do.)

So, all in all, the first thing I'd say is don't be put off by the fact that it's written by Stephenie Meyer. I am not a fan of the Twilight series at all, yet I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes romance (obviously), but also any sic-fi lovers as this book is, essentially, a sci-fi thriller and romance novel.
But even if those two things aren't your genres (I, myself, prefer dystopian action adventures mostly) if you have the patience to read a 600 page book (I was surprised I did, but it gripped me if I'm honest) then you should certainly give it a try. There's a little bit in there for everyone, although it relies a bit on how much perseverance you have.

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Until I Die

Book Title: Until I Die

Author: Amy Plum

Series: Die for Me #2

Date Started: April 10th 2013

Date Completed: April 11th 2013

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

My faith in Young Adult fiction authors has been restored. Thank god someone actually knows how to write a good ending.
I read the first in this series (Die for Me) when a friend recommended it and practically threw it at my head to read. I was pleasantly surprised by it, and decided I was interested enough to read the following titles. So, three (ish) days later and I've borrowed the second book. And then I get so engrossed in it, I read the whole thing in a day.

The short version of the plot is that the protagonist, Kate, is now in a relation ship with a immortal guy and she's trying to find a way that they can live together without either of them suffering. However, as this is going on, the dark forces that were present in the first book and slowly gathering again and starting to plan a vicious assault on the immortals Kate is now involved with. Unfortunately I can't go into much more detail than that without revealing spoilers.

Like with the first book, this isn't the more mature reading material and the actually writing isn't exceptionally impressive or anything like that. Usually, I'd rant out this quite a lot (as I believe i did with my review of Amy Plum's first book, Die for Me), however, since the storyline really picked up in this novel considerably.
Since we already know Kate, Vincent and the other's characters reasonably well, and we are aware of the circumstances they are in, we're able to get more into an elaborate plot with having to break every now and then to explain what all the lingo means etc. Furthermore, I feel Kate really became a stronger female character in this book. I'm all for damsels in distress if it's really necessary to the plot line (although if you want to win me over, definitely have a kick-ass girl (love you Val)) but I felt it wasn't particularly needed to help the flow of the books. Therefore, when Kate started getting combat lessons I couldn't help grinning as I read it. I loved the first page, especially, because Plum obviously put quite a lot of research to make her action (which there isn't that much of in the first book) realistic and engaging.
And the ending - oh the ending. That was honestly one of the best endings I have read in a long time. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I like books that make me feel something, even if that is my heart breaking. I have to admit, my heart didn't break (although I know yours did, Amber. My condolences.) but it did tug at my heart for a bit.
And the last sentence, oh my god. If you, like me, skip to the last page of a book to read, don't for this book. It didn't make much sense until around halfway through the book and it didn't have it's full effect until the end, but oh my god was it perfect. The brilliant thing is it can mean several things. Which I love. Oh Amy Plum, you give me faith in Young Adult romance novelists.

Recommended, firstly, to romance lovers. But I love the way the genre is also spanning over action and fantasy more greatly in this book. You can really tell Plum is maturing her writing and becoming more confident with the story. I salute you, ma'am (Jules is my spirit animal, okay.)
But also, if you'r not quite sure whether you're into urban supernatural romances, try this book. Like I said in my review of Die for Me, this genre isn't my typical thing that I read - yet it pleasantly surprised me and has also encouraged me to explore a little in the genre. So just try it out. But definitely read Die for Me first.



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Die for Me

Book Title: Die for Me

Author: Amy Plum

Series: Die for Me #1

Date Started: April 5th 2013

Date Completed: April 8th 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

Firstly, Amber, I admit, it was better than I expected and I therefore thank you and you win this round. Now you'd better read Blood Red Road and Tomorrow When the War Began and prove me right thank you very much.

Secondly: I like to think of myself as a slightly more mature reader, and I tend to avoid clear romance novels with a wide berth. I need a plot to stories, not just soppy conversations and unrealistic acts of love. I don't mind romance - in fact I love it, and I think any good story should use it to it's advantage. However, not too much.
When I started reading this book I was pretty sure it was going to turn out to be some cheaper-written version of twilight (maybe not quite as appalling). However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that actually, I quite enjoyed it.

This book is set in Paris where Kate, who unfortunately recently lost her parents in a car accident, sends her days trolling through art galleries, bookshops and cafes. Then she notices a boy staring at her. And they get into a conversation. And (can you guess?) things move on pretty quickly from there. Until she finds out he's not human.
Pretty run of the mill storyline, yeah? What I was impressed by was that Amy Plum is actually able to make this not a common plot and twist it in a couple of ways that made it a whole lot more interesting.

The writing wasn't particularly hard to read, and I doubt Plum is going to get an award for her actual literary skills, however it wasn't terrible and I quite liked the sections of Kate's internal monologue where she would become very casual and talk to the reader as if they were a friend.
The story, whilst perhaps not being the most engaging, was interesting, and I really like the concepts involved. I won't reveal anything, but you can tell that quite a bit of thought has gone into the characters, their stories and the circumstances of their living and what they must do to be what they are (which again I can't go into detail for, because I refuse to include spoilers in my reviews).
Another key aspect of this book that I felt Plum handled well was the use of actual issues in our world. She includes certain states of mind and a brutalness in her writing that a lot of authors tend to shy away from in case of offending of presenting them in such ways. For example, the descriptions of people's deaths are surprisingly in depth and I actually felt myself quite moved and shocked by what happened - but not in an unbelievable way. (If you guys know me or read my reviews you'll know I love writing to be realistic and make me feel something.) So that definitely awarded the book a few extra points.

Right then. I would obviously recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. But also, if you're in the mood for some paranormal genres or something a bit fun and easy to read, then it would be the perfect book. Throughout this review I feel like I'm been trying to big myself up in my reading, but actually I'm not all that sophisticated, to be honest. But, either way, I admit that I did enjoy this book and will be reading the following sequels.


Image Source: http://www.amyplumbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/D4MUSbig2.jpg

Tanith Low in the Maleficent Seven

Book Title: Tanith Low in the Maleficent Seven

Author: Derek Landy

Series: Skulduggery Pleasant - Novella/Spin Off

Date Started: April 3rd 2013

Date Completed: April 5th 2013

Genres: Thriller, Romance, Mystery, Crime

Rating: Five stars

Review:

I'd definitely forgotten how much I loved Skulduggery Pleasant. Oh my god, I was not expecting that.
First of all, I love this series to bits. And it's just getting better and better. Although this is only a novella, Landy definitely didn't let himself have a break. It's filled with more action and twists than any of the books so far. I personally don't think it should be counted as a novella (not only for the fact that it's 288 pages long!) but also for the fact that it contains vital information about the series that I can tell is going to benefit later books.

This novella is set a few weeks after the most recent Skulduggery book: Kingdom of the Wicked. Tanith, who is now a rogue (in a way that I can't elaborate on in case you have yet to read the series) is gathering four God Killers - weapons that can kill Gods (as implied in the title I suppose) to hide them from the good guys so that Darquesse (evil person who, again, I can't elaborate on (this is why you need to read the series to understand this review)) can rise and end the world. Yeah, bit different than your typical urban fantasy.
She gathers a team of seven (how did you possibly guess?) criminals to help her - but the good guys have got a seven-piece team too, and they're running after her to collect the weapons before she can, so they can take down Darquesse.

It sounds pretty basic. Hahaha, no.

I admit, this series doesn't look like a sophisticated, well-written, deep and thoughtful, humorous series at first glance. And sometimes it isn't that. But the quality of writing that The Golden God (Derek Landy for any of you that are not his minions (it's an inside joke)) is so good that I literally couldn't put it down. The writing challenges the standards of many prestigious authors - the detail given in his actions scenes so realistic I sometimes have to read a sentence twice to picture it in my mind. It's amazing, seriously.
Secondly, I am so glad to see Tanith again. I suspect the reason Landy was forced to write a novella just for this character was the fact that everyone was so devastated when he took her out of the picture (for reasons I will not mention in case any of you haven't read the series, or got to the end of Mortal Coil yet).
And her and Billy-Ray work so well together that I honestly couldn't pick a better pair.
And Vex. I am so happy you turned up again. No offence Skulduggery, Ghastly, Ravel (Saracen, Shudder and the one who died that I can't recall the name of...) but Dexter is my favourite member of the Dead Men. No question about it.
There was a particular part that shocked me completely - and unfortunately I can't tell you what it is as it's a huge spoiler that I did not see coming at all. I wouldn't put it past Tanith to do what she did, but it was so sudden that I had to reread the paragraph again to make sure I hadn't imagined it. Yeah. You got me there Derek.

I don't really know what else to say. It's just amazing - just like all the others. And they're getting better.
I hope Landy writes more novellas like this: they're just as good as the actual books - of which there are only two left. So yeah, more small (you need a new definition of small, Landy) books to add to my growing collection of Skulduggery on my shelf.

I would recommend to anyone who loves action, adventure, crime, humour, witty/sarky characters, plot twists, romance (especially in this one!) and horror. Although, I would probably say read the other books first, otherwise you aren't likely to appreciate the full awesomeness of a lot of the characters and the plots twists.
(I'd just like to say I had immense fun writing this review. I don't know why but I was able to say a lot more about this series and be more sarcastic. Yeah. This is what Derek's writing does to me.)

Image Source: http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121207210932/

skulduggery/images/a/ac/Maleficent_Seven.jpg

Uglies

Book Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Series: Uglies #1

Date Started: March 31st 2013

Date Completed: April 3rd 2013

Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Adventure, Romance, Mystery

Rating: Four stars

Review:

Before I started reading this I'd heard a lot of things about it being brilliant for showing people how our society functioned in an emphasised way. I admit, I didn't agree with this at first, however once I got through to the later parts of the book, I realised that it did indeed do this and, furthermore, it lured myself (as the reader) into a sense of normality before throwing them completely off and revealing that what we had been lead to believe and accept was completely wrong - and then it went on to link it to our modern day society. So that part was very very impressive.

Basically, this book is about a girl who lives in a world where when teenagers turn 16, they are taken away and they are made pretty. They then go and live, having fun, for the rest of their lives, all looking exactly the same in order to prevent discrimination. However, over time, the uglies (people not yet turned into pretties) are looked down upon.
Tally wants nothing more to turn pretty and join her older friends in New Pretty Town (I admit, the names did put me slightly off). But then she meets a girl, and after becoming good friends and sneaking around behind their government's back, her friend wants to run away to stay an ugly. She tries to persuade Tally, but she refuses.
Yet, as fate would have it, the plot twists and Tally is forced to go looking for her friend after she has escaped. But Tally's future isn't as easy as 'go-there, get-her, come-back-and-turn-pretty' unfortunately.

For me, this book had the perfect amount of romance. It wasn't present at all until about halfway through the book, where we start learning about the love interest - and we don't even realise he is that until a little later. I really enjoyed this slow introduction to the character (which I will not name so you might not see it coming (for the record, I did)) and felt like I actually knew him very well before Tally kissed him or whatever. I also felt that the characters were very well managed, and the fact that there was a little unusual twist between their relationship appealed to me.
This book is very different from other Young Adult fiction in several ways; two of which I have already mentioned (being the easy romance and involvement of our own discrimination about each other). But the most obvious of which is the reasoning behind the dystopian setting. In most post-apocalyptic books, it goes almost unsaid that there was a war over power between humans (or sometimes aliens, I admit) themselves, and then one particular side won and took over. However, Uglies is based around the fact that their modern society was created in favour of making the world better - and the intentions actually genuinely to benefit the majority of humans. They left nature alone - stopping cutting trees, burning resources for fuels, hunting animals, using their skins and fur for clothing and accessories - allowing the eco-system to re-set itself. Furthermore, the reason for the main plot of the story was to prevent wars and discrimination and tensions by making everyone the same and equal. I especially liked this feature as it made the whole world of Uglies suddenly very real and believable.

I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone, especially if you're into dystopian novels, or novels that take reality and put a different spin on our society and ways of life. It's a fascinating read, I'll put it like that.
Do note, though, that the beginning, although whilst maybe not being uneventful, is slow, but I promise it does pick up by about a third of the way through.


Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581049-uglies