Thursday 13 February 2014

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

SPOILER FREE!




Date released: 3rd January 2012
Pages: 387
Author: Marissa Meyer
Blurb: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.




Hi

My name is Jade and I am a new blogger on this blog. I don't read as quick as Katherine does but I will do my best to give you reviews and suggestions of brilliant books!

So as my first post I am going review two of my favourite books from an absolutely fantastic series...

The first book in The Lunar Chronicles is Cinder, a gripping brilliant beginning,  perfect to get you hooked for the rest of the series. Cinder is a mechanic living in New Beijing, working for her stepmother and trying to avoid the life threatening disease spreading quickly through the city. However her story takes a dramatic twist when she finds herself caught between a debate from one to planet to this....!
This story is gripping from the very beginning and with perfectly relatable characters - even if their world is completly different to ours! Myself and my friends were very lucky to be able to meet Marissa Meyer at a book signing of whome is really lovely!

This is a brilliant book and I hope you give it a try. Thank you for reading my first review and I hope you enjoyed it :) 
Jade

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Spirit and Dust (Goodnight Family #2) by Rosemary Clement-Moore

SPOILER FREE!





Date released: 16th June 2013 (First published 14th May 2013)
Pages: 384
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Blurb: Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line


*Won this book in a giveaway on goodreads.com issued by totallyrandombooks*

Spirit and Dust had everything I need in a good book; the witty and likable main character Daisy Goodnight, a genius love interest and a fascinating mystery.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi





4.5 Stars.

Date Released: 5th February 2013
Pages: 461
Blurb: 
Our lips
touch
and I know I'm going to split at the seams. He kisses me softly then strongly like he's lost me and he's found me and I'm slipping away and he's never going to let me go.

Juliette has escaped from The Reestablishment. Now she's free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. Haunted by her past and terrified of her future, Juliette knows that she will have to make some life-changing choices. Choices that may involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life


Although I did give Unravel Me a 4.5 star rating, there was something a bit... off about this book. It was a combination of the slow start, the weird suit they made Juliette wear and the fact that I just missed Warner. 

Thrall (Daughters of Lilith #1) by Jennifer Quintenz


MILD SPOILERS!



3.5 Stars

Date Released: 16th May 2012
Pages: 281
Author: Jennifer Quintenz
Blurb: Braedyn is a normal girl just trying to survive high school with her two devoted friends, Royal and Cassie. Together they’re doing a pretty good job of shrugging off the slings and arrows cast their way by the popular crowd when a new boy, Lucas, moves into the house next door. Suddenly Braedyn finds herself falling in love for the first time.

But as her sixteenth birthday approaches, Braedyn discovers humankind is at war with the Lilitu, an ancient race of enticing demons that prey on human souls. Her father is a member of the Guard fighting against the Lilitu - and so are the new neighbors, including her crush, Lucas.

As her world starts to unravel at the seams, Braedyn learns the right answers aren’t always clear or easy. And as for “good” and “evil” – it all depends on how we choose to act.

Inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian myths of Lilith and her offspring, Thrall explores first love, strong friendships, and taking on adult responsibilities against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces and life-and-death stakes


*I was given a copy of this book on kindle in return for an honest review*

Thrall is just what you need if you are craving a new, unique, paranormal story with a likable main character, but also a plot filled with equal parts romance and kick-ass action.

I must admit, there are so many YA paranormal books now, that I struggle to find a story that is interesting and unique. However, I found Thrall to be a breath of fresh air - in fact it was my first time reading a succubi-related book, and I found it to be a pleasant experience.

Let's start on the main character; Braedyn.
I really appreciated that Braedyn wasn't one of those stupid, gullible characters that believed everything that they were told - I mean, let's face it, if someone came up to you and told you that demons were real, what would you think? That they were off their rocker. If you actually saw the demons? Well... maybe they slipped you something... So Braeyden had a completely normal what-the-hell response, and from then on I loved her.
Don't get me wrong, she was a bit of an idiot sometimes too. You know that you're reading a good book, if when a character does something embarrassing, it just makes you want to shrivel up and die. I also found it quite amusing when Braeyden turned out to be a better fighter than Lucas - she was a nice change to the usual Mary-Sue- type characters who just rely on the love interest all the time.

The love interest; Lucas.
Lucas was the main problem that I had with Thrall - I just didn't like his character very much, and I thought that Braeyden deserved better... He just didn't stand out to me, unlike many of the other characters, and I didn't understand his and Braeyden's relationship. Let's just say that I hope there is another love interest in the second book, Incubus.

A character I loved; Gretchen.
I must admit that I hated Lucas' (sort of) sister at the start of the book. She was mean and just plain rude to Braeyden. But over the course of Thrall, I learned to love her, and she actually turned out to be really cool (another female character who can fight brilliantly!).

Overall, Thrall is definitly worth a read if you enjoy YA Paranormal Romance books, with main characters that can actually kick butt!

By Katherine.