Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Title and Author: Legend, Marie Lu
Format: Paperback
Pages: 305
Release Date: November 29th, 2011
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Legend was a surprise for me. I didn't really expect much from this novel when I first saw it. I'd already had my share of dystopian YA and they'd all been somewhat the same to me. Legend, in fact, did have the same sort of idea as most other dystopian novels: a crumbling society, a corrupt government and a plague thrown somewhere in the mix. But Marie just did something with it that made Legend one of my favourite novels this year. 

Her writing style was easy to read and perfectly suited for the fast pace of the novel. I loved every minute of it and I'm so glad Marie didn't spend forever dragging on and on about details but rather, gave us this action-filled story that had just enough emotion for me to sympathise the characters yet not enough to take away from the kick-ass awesomeness of it all. 

{Characters}

Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal and June is their treasured prodigy. They are both fifteen years old and know how to kick some serious butt. Sounds pretty awesome, right? I really loved June and how she wasn't your average, defenceless female protagonist. She was able to protect herself and had an attitude that I loved. Day was an excellent character as well. The way he so obviously loved his family was just too sweet and his caring nature was lovely for a male character.

Other characters like Metias, June's brother who is murdered, and John, Day's brother,  were really brilliantly characterized. Even though neither really got much view-time, you could still tell what their personalities would be like. Marie did a great job with her characters.

{Setting}

The vivid descriptions of the Republic were such a good help and allowed me to feel as though I was there alongside June and Day. Marie has this way of being able to be good with words that allows her to show us all the details without being over the top with her writing. The world, though it wasn't completely unique, was one of the things that made Legend so amazing.

{Plot}

I've got to say, the secrets June unlocked near the end made my jaw drop to the floor. I honestly didn't see any of it coming. Throughout everything, there are a lot of twists and turns so there's not a single moment spare for you to feel bored. Every second, there's something happening and I absolutely loved that. It was a lot of fun to get in to.

This was definitely one of the best dystopian YA novels I've read and if you haven't already, do check it out. I can't wait for the next instalment, Prodigy, which will be out in September later this year.

Review: On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Title and Author: On the Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta
Format: Paperback
Pages: 300
Release Date: August 28th, 2006
Publisher: Penguin Australia

I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is the leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs - the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.

And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother - who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

The moving, joyous and brilliantly compelling new novel from the best-selling, multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca.

Melina Marchetta is one of my favourite authors of all time. I trust her whole-heartedly to create beautiful, captivating stories that anyone can cherish and enjoy. But even with this trust in my heart, I was surprised by the pure brilliantness of Jellicoe Road. This is probably my favourite book of hers. In fact, it is one of the books I hold dearest to my heart. 

I'm not even sure if I can structure this in to a review because my mind is just all over the place after re-reading it for the third time. The novel starts off slow and confusing. Everything felt disjointed and I couldn't connect with Taylor at all. But this passed after a few chapters and then suddenly everything came together and the two story lines became more evidently related than I had originally thought. Jellicoe Road introduces us to a lot of characters and it does feel overwhelming to begin with but after some time, after you get to know them as though they were real, they became important and interesting in their own ways. Every character was complex and had a history. I'm not going to even bother describing each and every one of them for you because that would take a whole novel to do. All I can say is you'll learn to love every single one of them, including Taylor and Jonah and Narnie and Webb and all the others.

The territory wars were a brilliant idea. It was essentially a war for territory between the Cadets, the Townies and the school. The Cadets' leader this year is Jonah Griggs who happens to be a part of Taylor Markham's past. As for the Townies, their leader is Santangelo who has a bit of his own history with one of Taylor's friends, Raffaela. I loved how they formed such tight bonds by the end and everything was just beautifully written. 

In the other story-line that takes place some time ago, there are five kids: Webb, Narnie, Tate, Fitz and Jules. Their story was just as heart-wrenching. I was really attached to all of them and the way their stories were carried out made me sob. Yes, actual sobbing. In fact, Jellicoe Road made me sob a lot. 

I can't stress how much I loved this book and how I think everybody should read it at least once in their lifetime. Melina Marchetta, I bow down to you. Thank you for writing such a heart-breaking, enchanting novel. 

Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Title and Author: Deadly Cool, Gemma Halliday
Format: Paperback
Pages: 303
Release Date: October 11th, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

I've got to say, this book was a lot of fun to read! From the start to the end, there wasn't a single moment that left me bored. Halliday manages to create an intriguing mystery and tie in some realistic yet fantastic characters who made me smile and sometimes laugh out loud. Deadly Cool was quite a light read that I finished in two sittings. 

{Characters}

Hartley was such a real teenager, she could have been any one of the girls I go to school with. Her sense of humour and moments of embarrassment and awkwardness was such a nice change from all the I've-got-to-save-the-world-or-die-trying martyr sort of female protagonists in the YA books I've been reading. Her thoughts and state-of-mind were really believable and I'm pleased to say Hartley is not a whiny, annoying character. She's just kick-ass awesome. 

The other characters like Sam and Chase were nice and pretty much as humorous as Hartley herself. Sam, as the best friend, constantly supported Hartley and was a good friend all the way through. Chase was a pretty cool dude. He was hot too. Just saying. There was also Josh, the cheating boyfr- ex-boyfriend- who I kind of thought was a total idiot for doing the chastity queen behind the back of someone as brilliant as Hartley. I'm also really glad that Hartley didn't go crawling back to that lying scum-bag and instead held her ground (Yay! Go Hartley!)

{Plot}

The mystery throughout the whole novel was both exciting and interesting. I didn't see the ending coming, to be truthful. Personally, I thought the person and their motives was a bit far-fetched but nevertheless, it kept me on my toes throughout the whole book. I remember the moment that it all clicked and I was like aha! But then stuff happened and everything was pretty intense.

I just really have to mention that scene when she's under Chase's bed and he's taking off his clothes. I could feel her embarrassment and anxiety and could understand why she kind of didn't want to stop him. I was laughing for a solid five minutes. 

{Romance (Kind-of)}

I loved how there was no insta-love or geometrical shapes to be found here and the slow-building attraction between Chase and Hartley was sweet and at times, extremely hilarious. I can't wait to read Social Suicide and any of the books after that to see where Halliday takes these two.

All in all, a fantastic read for those of you who want a non-angsty fix of light-hearted YA. The sequel, which comes out later this month, is definitely at the top of my to-buy list.

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title and Author: Bloodlines, Richelle Mead
Format: Paperback
Pages: 421
Release Date: August 23rd, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one...

Bloodlines is a spin-off series of the of the popular Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Truth be told, I think I loved Bloodlines more than the first book of VA (the only book of that series I've read). It was all kinds of amazing, really. Mead is an exceptional author with amazing talent and it definitely showed in this first instalment of what looks to be an amazing series.

{Characters}

Because I have yet to read the other books of the VA series, I hadn't come by characters like Jill and Sydney and Adrian before. They were all kind of new to me. I've got to say, Sydney was pretty fantastic. She was so easy to relate and so normal. Her reactions were realistic because, I mean, if I had been brought up my entire life being told vampires were evil, evil, evil, I probably wouldn't want to be in close contact with them either.

Adrian is awesome. I fell in love with him right from the moment he was introduced. The banter between Sydney and Adrian was really cute and I have high hopes that it will lead to something more in future books. Jill, Micah, Eddie and Trey were all lovely additions to the cast. Some not-so-lovely people like Keith were still super-interesting to read about. I could go on and on for pages and pages about Richelle Mead's wonderful characters but that would take far too long. 

{Plot}

The pacing of the story was perfect in my opinion. I've heard from some other that it was a bit annoying to have to wait for Sydney to play catch-up but I guess since I hadn't read the VA books before, that didn't apply to me. I was always on the same page as Sydney and the big twist at the end left me stunned. I can honestly say I didn't see that coming. 

This is definitely a favourite for me. There will be six books in the Bloodlines series and the next one, The Golden Lily, will be released June 12th. I honestly can't wait to see what happens to Sydney and Adrian and the rest of the gang. This is a must-read, even for those who haven't yet picked up a VA book.

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title and Author: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
Format: Paperback
Pages: 418
Release Date: September 1st, 2011
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

(Four and a Half Stars)

To describe this word in three words, I'd say: creative, refreshing and enthralling. Oh Laini Taylor, you are an absolute genius. This book was everything I hoped Fallen and all those other angel books would have been. From the very first page, Daughter of Smoke and Bone had captured my interest and I immediately realised there was something special about it.

{Characters}

I'll begin with our leading lady. Karou is probably one of the best heroines I've ever come across in my recent escapades with YA. She's got attitude, awesome blue hair and this mystery that you can't help but be drawn to like a moth to flame. Despite being so not normal, Karou was so easy to relate to. Her thoughts and wishes were exactly what a teenage girl's would be in the same situation. Living two very different lives, the reader gets an insight in to both worlds. Karou can't help but feel like she doesn't really belong in either but she doesn't know why. Truth be told, she doesn't really no much about herself. I'm telling you now, she's not like any other character you've seen before.  

Akiva, the love interest is what a love interest should be. This is definitely a fine specimen that everyone can't help but fall in love with. The other characters including Zuzana and Mik and Brimstone and Issa were all just as interesting. Laini Taylor should be congratulated on creating such a diverse and imaginative range of characters.

{Setting}

Daughter of Smoke and Bone had quite possibly one of the best settings I've read about for a while. The way Taylor described everything and showed rather than told was absolutely amazing. The vivid imagery helped me see everything as it happened and all the worlds were so different and well thought-out. I loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

{Plot}

I don't know what I can say here because I absolutely refuse to spoil anything for you. I'll just say that I loved the mystery in the storyline. He pace was brilliant, not too slow or too fast. I felt like the reader is always on the same page as the characters and we didn't have to wait for them to play catch-up. And ohmigod, the ending. I remember wanting to scream something along the lines of 'No, it can't end there!' and if I remember correctly, proceeded to slam my head against the wall for an unknown amount of time. In short, there's a cliffhanger. I detest and love cliffhangers at the same time and this one left me so conflicted. 

{Romance}

I don't have an issue with insta-love usually. I mean, it's bearable and even if some development would have been nice, I wouldn't let it ruin the whole book for me. The relationship between Karou and Akiva though, even if it could be described as insta-love, felt so right, their really speedy attraction was perfectly fine. Their characters had brilliant chemistry and how Taylor gave us a peek from both parties was wonderful. The mystery of who or what Karou really is plays a huge part in the romance in the book and honestly, it was a twist I didn't expect. I love these two together and will be cheering them on until the very end.  

If you haven't yet, pick this book up right now. You won't be disappointed.