A Really Quick Update

I'm really sorry I haven't been around for a while now. School has been really busy and I've had to study for quite a few exams and essays. I'd been lazy for some time and my workload had piled up so I had to get all of that out of the way as well before I thought about anything else. Now though, school tests are pretty much over and I'll be able to get back on track and start posting some more reviews!

On a slightly more random note, have any of you guys watched/read Game of Thrones? It's fast becoming a new obsession of mine and I really want to know what you guys think of it.

New Books I've Got Recently:

Reviews Coming Soon:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

Sorry again for my absence but I'll be posting more often from now on!

My Weekly Book Haul

My Weekly Book Haul is a post where I share the books I've borrowed, bought or received in the last week.

So, yesterday was my birthday and my mum and dad got me a couple of books that I've been wanting for ages. 

Frostbite- Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss- Richelle Mead

Blood Promise- Richelle Mead

The Immortal Rules- Julie Kagawa

What books did you get?

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title and Author: The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Format: Paperback
Pages: 318
Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Have you ever read a novel that, from the very first page, captivates you and just holds you there long after you've read the last page? Have you ever read a novel that was so heart-warming and heart-breaking and everything in between? One that made you feel a million emotions all at once? The Fault in Our Stars is one of those novels. I don't think I can describe just how amazing this book was. I laughed with the characters and cried for them when times got tough. I was still sobbing after I'd read it. When my eyes had stopped watering enough for me to be able to decipher the words on the pages,  read it all again. I honestly didn't want hazel and Augustus' story to end ever. 

{Characters}

The characters in this novel are like none I've ever encountered before. They are so full of life it's sort of hard to believe they're only fiction. I found myself getting lost in their stories and forgetting that this was all just John Green's imagination. I think it's safe to say I loved every single character. Hazel Grace, our narrator, is one of the strongest, most amazing females in the YA literary world. Having lived with cancer for four years, a quarter of her life, I would never have expected her to be as pleasant and lovely as she was. Her humour and witty comments had me smiling like an idiot and her many interactions with Augustus left me feeling giddy. Augustus was also just as spectacular with his contagiously radiant nature. he was one of those people that could make you laugh when you felt like all you wanted to do was cry. The two of them were perfect for each other and their story broke my heart. I wished with all my being that they would have more time but sadly, there wasn't much left for these two.

There were other characters besides Augustus and Hazel, of course. Isaac, Augustus' blind friend was a joy to read about. He had me on the brink of tears at some points and at others, laughing out loud. I loved their parents and how realistically they dealt with their tragic situations. 

This book is very much character-based and I'm not sure what else to say except that every single moment will touch your heart and some will leave you in tears. Be warned, it will probably leave a lasting impression in your memories and maybe smash your heart to pieces but it really is worth it. It isn't often you will stumble upon a book as brilliant as The Fault in Our Stars so if you haven't already, please do yourself a favour and read it. 

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It as a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (June 12th, 2012)

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

Read the first chapter here: http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/03/21/the-golden-lily-bloodlines-excerpt/

Black City by Elizabeth Richards (November 13th, 2012)

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war. In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable--they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed--but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

What are you waiting for? Leave me a link to your WoW! :)

Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Title and Author: Hereafter, Tara Hudson
Format: Paperback
Pages: 404
Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life--or her actual death--she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but "will" him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.


Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, "Hereafter" is a sensation you won't want to miss.

Hereafter is the first novel by début author Tara Hudson, and I must say, she did quite an alright job with it. The cover and summary got me interested right away. I had to read it. But I found myself a little bit let down by the end of it all. My high expectations were too high but that didn't necessarily mean Hereafter wasn't enjoyable. It was. It just wasn't as remarkable as I hoped. 

{Characters}

The characters, honestly, weren't anything special. I couldn't really connect with any of them including Amelia, the main protagonist of our story. Amelia's situation was probably the best, most interesting thing about her. She was essentially a ghost who doesn't remember anything of her past and is seemingly doomed to haunt the site of her death, a river, for the rest of eternity. But beyond that, I found she was annoying and a bit selfish in some parts of the novel and no matter how much I tried to like her, the irrational and irritating decisions she made really got on my nerves. 

The love interest here is a somewhat normal boy named Joshua. Joshua is not the best love interest I've read about and he was kind of boring, really. He's popular and good-looking and even though he can have any girl he wants, he finds himself instantly attracted to this ghost of a dead girl. Creepy? I think so. Hudson didn't really  bother to go below the surface with Joshua and he ended up seeming really superficial. 

My favourite character out of the whole lot was probably the villain. Eli was what I call an interesting character.   He had some depth and history that made me sympathise him and feel more emotion than the book as a whole could make me feel. I don't think he was really evil at all. His intentions weren't exactly 'I'll murder you and your whole family and kidnap your children.' He was just an unfortunate guy who died and was thrown off the right path.

{Plot}

There was nothing original with the plot. But I suppose, at least there was a plot. Most of it was really kind of predictable but nevertheless I did enjoy it. I'm not really sure what to say that won't give anything away, mainly because all the plot devices were so simplistic, you'd probably be able to guess what happens in the book right now without having to read it if I gave you a clue.

{Romance}

This was, to be frank, a definite case of insta-love. This was one of the cases where it annoyed me. I mean, Joshua over here is in love with the ghost of a dead girl he saw in a lake when he was about to die. That sounds a bit more like horror-movie stuff than fluffy romance. If I was Joshua, I wouldn't come back to see the ghost again. I'd probably run away as fast as I possibly could. What was it about each other that they liked so much? To me, their romance felt a bit shallow and under-developed. Hudson could have pulled it off better in my opinion.

Honestly, this book wasn't horrible. It just wasn't great either. If you don't mind insta-love and enjoy paranormal romances with under-developed characters, by all means give Hereafter a go. It just really wasn't for me. I'll probably read the sequel but I won't be losing sleep waiting for it to come out. 

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.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox #1

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. Let us know what books you've bought, borrowed or received for review!

Deadly Cool- Gemma Halliday (Review here!)

Saving June- Hannah Harrington

Eon- Alison Goodman

Froi of the Exiles- Melina Marchetta

Magic Study- Maria V. Snyder

The Industry- Rose Foster

Saving Francesca- Melina Marchetta

What did you get in your mailbox?