Losing It by Lizzie Wilcock

Losing It is a suspenseful, powerful, believable, scary and dark read.

This book is a heart-wrenching chapter of naive Gabbie's life. This is a slow building story which feels so real and is so believable. Wilcock gives you enough time to understand the setting and the characters before slowly shaking everything up. Your heart pounds and you fear more for Gabbie as the novel progresses. The emotional punch - which takes the whole book to build - hits huge and powerful at the end, taking your breath away. 

While your not left wondering what happens, this book it does not wrap up left over questions perfectly. The ending it self would not be a ending to some people. But for me, it is perfect. Not tying everything together nicely made it that bit more believable. It feels like a real chapter from Gabbie's life. This is a terrifying chapter, and it leaves you with a very disturbed and raw feeling afterwards. There is a little bit of insecurity too because any of these events could happen to anyone of us at anytime. That reality is terrifying. 

Losing It feels very real. This book incorporates many aspects of a teenage life. There are the more common, highschool issues, such as peer pressure and puberty. These are handled in a way which makes them believable and relatable. The issues enhance the the book, giving it depth. There are also more serious elements like pedophilia and rape. Again, Wilcock handles these with care and they add to the book.

Once you've had time to digest it, this book teaches us so much. (view spoiler). With hindsight you can pick out the things you would and wouldn't have done differently and you can choose to learn from that. 

This is book is captivating, haunting and memorable.

Starkissed by Bryanna Gabrielson Review

I wouldn't mind living the life of a celebrity for a day, wouldn't you? If you're up for living vicariously though a girl who becomes a mini-celebrity because an a-lister takes interest in her, Starkissed is a must read.

A lot of my issues with 'celebrity' romances are that they take place in Hollywood (were gossip, keeping up 'images' and other such nonsense is important). There situation, for me at least, becomes pretty unrelatable. The beauty of this book is that it all took place in Sydney's home town, so it doesn't completely loose me somewhere between Gucci and Prada. Definitely a major positive of the novel. 

The characters were another positive being well fleshed out, surprisingly likeable and believable. The lead, Sydney, stole my heart from the beginning. She was funny, likeable and kept her head in such a crazy situation. In fact, at times it seems like she's the only one thinking with her head. The love interest, Grant, who managed to convince me he was actually a nice bloke despite making me face-palm occasional because of his idiotic decisions. Then you have the best friend who's a sucker for popular kids *le sigh* who grows on you when you don't feel like slapping her. The family was good too, they each had their own personality (even if the Dad and younger sister were totally stereotypical) and didn't kind of mush into one. 

You'd think the story is here is pushed along by the blossoming romance of Sydney and Grant and you wouldn't be wrong. What would be wrong is for you to assume that this is just a romance. No, this is a book about a girl who's in a situation way over head and cope with a problem that only seems to be getting worse. What I particularly liked was that there was that there was quite a lot of time spent with Sydney going to school and dealing with her family. It definitely felt like the 'love story' didn't take over anything. Talking about love story...

The romance in this book was, for me, the weakest part. It wasn't a prominent part of the novel (despite what the blurb tries to sell you). In fact, they don't really know each other all that well having only been on a couple of dates and by the end of the novel you kind of feel like their relationship is just starting. I know plenty of people who'd be happy with this, but for me personally, I prefer the couple to have gone past the honeymoon period and worked through the tough times so that I know they will survive when thinks aren't looking sunny. That's the only problem I have with this novel and some might not even find it a problem! 

Dawn of the Keeper by J.B. Rickman Review

The Keeper of Dawn started out slowly, the author painting a detailed picture, and the characters fleshed out with care. Everything was done really well. So it was a clear 5 stars, right? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Everything in this book should have worked. Yet, for some reason, it didn't. I didn't empathise with the characters (that felt so, so wrong) and the writing wasn't compelling. Overall, The Keeper of Dawn had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, it kept missing the mark with me.

My reviewing system is pretty emotions based so to be clear, 3 stars means Iliked it. That doesn't make this book a bad one, you (yes, you procrastinating on the computer) might find you really enjoy it. To help you decide whether you pick this baby up, or chuck it into a 'never-to-be-read' list, I've devised a relatively objective list:

If you are okay with the following proceed with purchasing this book (or adding it to Mt To-Be-Read):
1. The Setting A bunch of guys at a boarding school on island. It's not exactly original (sounds like And Then There Were None with a dash of some Enid Blyton novel) but it's not one of those 'over done to the point it's predictable settings' either.
2. Laughing till your face hurts . The boy's pranks are brilliant. Nuff said.
3. People with a 'past' . It seems to be a popular trend in YA novels these days. I don't mind it, but I know it can really turn some people off.
4. Good friendships . This story explores Jake, Chris, Derek and Rowland's relationships really well.
5. If you can relate to guy-guy friendships . This is an important one, considering that it's a central part of the story. Since I'm a girl who has *gasp* never had a solid friendship with a guy, I had a lot of difficulty relating. (view spoiler)(less) [edit]

HDU by India Lee Review

Lara recommends for: people who live vicariously though gossip magazines and other stories of the rich and famous.

I starting reading this book thinking it would be similar to Julie James's Just the Sexiest Man Alive, which was a simple, Hollywood romance. Alas, this book focused more on the Hollywood lifestyle with a dash of romance, which I would have found upon closer inspection of the blurb. Moving on: the book was pretty awesome. So, let's get started..

The characters were great! They were very well fleshed out and each had their own flaws. They also very distinct personalities and each seemed like people you've met (eg. your manipulator, your douche etc) but were actually more. Most importantly, there was a good lead. Amanda was very likeable and entirely relatable lead. She was down to Earth, actually, very candid, resilient and did a very commendable job in keeping her head in such a difficult environment. 

The chemistry between Liam and Amanda was good. Their banter was fast, light and very entertaining. For me, it really did make the novel so naturally, I was a little disappointed when the novel spent so little time with their relationship. I guess this is something that will be explored more, hopefully, as the series progresses. 

The plot was interesting enough with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me on my toes, but not so many that I felt helplessly lost. It definitely seems like the Hollywood depicted in magazines and movies. 

Burning Blue by Paul Griffin Review

The gruesome premise of this book is fairly straight forward: Jay is infatuated with perfect girl Nicole but one day Nicole gets acid thrown on her, leaving her not so perfect. Crime solving ensues with a dash of romance. Yes, essentially,Burning Blue is your typical high school romance where the 'unattainable' queen bee falls unexpectedly for a low-life looser. But this book has more than a simple romance going for it - as you'd expect when acid is involved! There are real characters, plot twists and always the constant mystery of who and why threw acid on poor Nicole. 



I'll give props to Griffin, this certainly was an interesting idea which he manages to execute perfectly. The ever present question of 'who' and 'why' intrigues the reader. Luckily, this isn't one of those books where the real plot is put on the back burner while the romance is kindled. Rather, as the 'who dun it' question is the center of the stage and romance is worked into that.

Part of the reason for this books obvious success is the way in which it was told. A big part of the appeal was the writing style, which was simple and easy to follow. It gave the reader enough detail to be satisfied but not so much that they're thinking 'yawn'. A lot of this had to be attributed to it being told from a Jay's point of view, where the mystery theme of the book could reach it's potential. Had it been told from Nicole's (acid girl) point of view it would have been more about the emotional trauma. As it was, you did feel the affect the incident had on her in her diary entries which were dotted through out the book. Personally, I thought this book had just enough coverage of Nicole's feelings and of Jay's constant drive to find the culprit. 

Moving onto the plot. It is intriguing and goes without saying, captivating. The story driven by Jay's ever present curiosity to find out the mystery of 'who dun it'. 

Thankfully, this isn't quickly resolved; it takes most of the novel. It isn't straight forward either; there are just enough twists. It's never apparent who's responsible, just as you cross a cross off your 'guilty' list, they do something which makes you second guess them. A lot of this can attributed to the 'more than meets the eye' characters. Everyone was guilty of not being totally honest (as they are in real life) and that was part of the reason why the case wasn't so easy to solve. In addition Griffin, unlike a lot of other authors, did not forget that other characters, not just their leads, have their own struggles. 

Burning Blue is one of those books that sticks with you long after the last page is turned. You're given closure but it leaves you questioning everything. Burning Blue is definitely food for thought. 

In Time by Alexandra Bracken Prereview

When I first stumbled across the fact that there was going to be a Darkest Minds 1.5 I was so excited and filled with hope!


Then I saw the release day. It's so close but so far away.


So, now I'm just sad.

Dreams of Monsters and Gods by Lani Taylor Prereview

After finishing Days of Blood and Starlight my heart broke. What Karou and Akiva had was a beautiful romance and I want it to never end. But it did and this left me a little distraught.


Then I was like, "HOLD UP! Someone, hit me!"

So I stopped feeling with my heart and started thinking with mybrain . It's astonishing what perspective can do. Upon revision I found the cold, hard fact: Akiva gave the angles means to cause the death of Karou's family and race. He had knowledge at his fingertips and he used the power for bad - for genocide! It doesn't matter that he spent the entirety of the book trying to right his wrongs or that he handled the consequences like a meek child who knows they deserve the punishment. He's done bad things and though doesn't necessarily make him 'bad', somethings are unforgivable. If Karou does forgive him, I won't be able to respect her as a character. 

This leaves me teally really conflicted. The hopeless romantic inside of me still ships them (what can I say, love is irrational) but the rational side of me is like 'HELL NO!'. 



Edit: This is just my humble opinion, so feel free to express your own arguments in the comments. But remember to keep it clean and be mature. Thanks!

A Letter to Rick Riordan (After finishing The Son of Neptune)

Dear Mr Riordan,

Oh my gods! Words cannot describe how pissed I am right now! I waited one whole year for The Son of Neptune to come out, and you end with that (view spoiler)

Knowing that I have to wait to 2012 in agony, trepidation and anticipation until The Mark Of Athena comes out - it really annoys me. But what annoys me more is that I know that I will end up formulating a whole pile of theories, probably inaccurate ones, until the next Heroes of Olympus is released.

It was a great book by the way - don't get me wrong. The characters couldn't me more endearing, the plot was the perfect action flick with a drop of romance and well... it had Percy. I mean honestly, if any book includes Percy, its rating rockets up to four stars. The fact that its heart racing pace kept me up until 4 o'clock in the morning? An automatic five.

But seriously, you should really reconsider the ending.

Sincerely, a frustrated and slightly disgruntled fan.

Split Second by Kasie West Prereview

My reaction upon discovering that there was a sequel to the brilliant Pivot Point:


The excitement is for the following reasons: 
1. I have it on good authority that Untitled Pivot Point #2 is going to be amazing! After reading Pivot Point #1, I have a lot of well founded trust in Kasie West's abilities. And, you know...


2. Addie no longer 'desires' Duke, the annoying, cocky turd . So now she can focus on the important people *cough* Trevor *cough*.



3. Reading another story with my favourite cast of characters ever .
Rehashing...
Addie: she's flawed, loveable and is the chick that summed up your feelings of all males' eyelashes: "your eyelashes make mine want to commit suicide from shame." 
Trevor: he's the guy who makes you swooooon 
Lalia: the greatest best friend ever written. I literally had moisture in my eyes from the laughing so hard at Lalia and Addie's exchanges. 

4. Trevor. Sigh. 


5. I cant wait to see what direction this series takesbecause there didn't seem to be a plot beyond what was resolved in Pivot Point. This should scare me, since there are plenty of books that would have been better of as stand alones, but it doesn't. I have a lot of faith Ms West.

Comments make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, so drop me a line on what you think! I hope you all have a lovely day avoid dying internally upon discovering this book will be released one whole year from now . 

Edit Ekk! That cover and that blurb put me in a happy place :D

Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan Review

Where the previous books in the series have been funny, action packed and adventurous, The Mark of Athena does it infinitely better. This book has it all: character and relationship development, and action packed plot. Basically, this book was the bomb: 


The book picks up from where we were at The Son of Neptune . We finally, finally get to see Percybeth reunited an entertaining fashion (view spoiler). However, the reunion is cut short when, in typical demi-god style, not everything goes according to plan. Thus, within 20 pages of the book we already have some action!

After the mishaps (view spoiler), our heroes begin the quest. Told from four alternating perspectives, this book is all about the quest of sailing to the ancient land (ie. Rome) to find the Doors of Death. On the way, the characters go on mini-quests and then report back in the Argo II. 

In these mini-quests we really get a feel for the characters. The character development in this book was gold. Jason, who I've never really liked, gained my respect. Piper, who is cool but a damsel in distress changes our perception of her. Leo by default is awesome but in this book he becomes very relatable (view spoiler). Percy, who we think we know, we see from different angels that give us more understanding of him as a character. We really empathise with Hazel and Frank in their complicated situations. Despite all these good characters, Annabeth stole the show. She has always been brave and intelligent but in this book she really demonstrates just how brave and intelligent she is. Basically, if you didn't like certain characters before hand, you at the very least respect them by the end. And if you don't:

Just kidding. People are entitled to their own opinions. 

Talking about character development: relationship development. Percybeth in this book was different. Typically, they have a "lighthearted, awkward, teasing relationship." In this book we see Annabeth distance herself from everyone because she needs to be secretive. Percy is still the same but he develops a major fear and grows slightly weary of the hero life. As a result of the character changes, the relationship changes. I can see how people don't like these changes but I personally applaud them because it shows Percy and Annabeth are growing up and maturing. 


The other relationship which was developed was Jasper. You can see how they are sort of perfect for each other. On the other hand, I can see the issues with their relationship because:
1) Piper likes Jason for what she wants him to be
2) Jason is impassive. 


If you don't like the relationship and character development there is lots of action. We have our usual selection of monsters which our heroes fight them off with their God given powers. I particularly liked that the heroes didn't just try to brute force beat an opponent. If the other person was stronger, faster, or just genuinely better, the hero would use their intelligence to beat them. In this book you understand what that, "being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed." 

Finally, the plot in this book was... different. Generally, Riordan's plots are formulamatic: Hero receives a prophecy and completes it (albeit, not according to plan and just in time). InThe Mark of Athena there are three prophecies which are stated in a slightly confusing fashion which makes it hard for you as the reader to really grasp all of them (although, I did read this at 12 am - my brain wasn't functioning at it's potential). Despite this, we do know that there is a basic plot: find the Doors of Death. It could be argued that that is really all we need. 

To summarise, this book was good like the get-off-your-butt-and-go-buy-a-copy, page turning, this-should-be-more-popular good!