REVIEW: GEEK GIRL

Author: Holly Smale
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Haper Collins
UK Release date: 28th February 2013
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Harriet is a geek. And right now, geek is cool.

However for Harriet, she wasn't comfortable in her own skin. Her nemesis and bully, Alexa, was a mean hearted, spiteful girl, who delighted in picking on Harriet and making her feel like an outcast. Harriet didn't have the self confidence to ignore Alexa's taunts and thought far too much about what others think about her, meaning she felt nervous and embarrassed at every turn. Despite, and because of her flaws, I thought Harriet was great. She was down to earth and easy to relate to.

The story didn't get boring; it was a fast paced and humorous read. With a positive message behind it, Geek Girl is fun and sweet. If you were ever the geeky girl at school, you'll love this.

At first I didn't like Harriet's best friend Nat. She took Harriet for granted, inviting her to the school trip and then dumping her as soon as they arrived. I couldn't quite see why they were friends. And as the story went on there was a lot of tension between them, but I did eventually see them look out for each other.

In contrast, Harriet's dad was fab! I loved him from the off. He was off the wall, crazy and more of a teenager than Harriet, often trying to encourage her to act like a proper rebellious teen. I imagine he would be embarrassing as your own dad, but from an outside perspective he added fun and humour to the story. I just loved his personality and the way he teased Harriet, and in turn I loved Harriet's reactions to him.

My one gripe with the plot is the modelling aspect and the personalities of the model agent and fashion designers. It all seemed a little cliche and a little too easy and far-fetched. I understand Holly Smale was once a model and has experience of this job (and I don't), but for me it just didn't sit quite right.

This is a story of a young girl trying to come to terms with who she is, and although she goes to extremes to try to become a different person, it is most definitely a feel good story.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: SISTER ASSASSIN

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
UK Release date: 19th February 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

She never chose her deadly gift but now she’s forced to use it. How far would you go to protect the only family you have left?
Annie is beset by fleeting strange visions and a guilty conscience. Blind and orphaned, she struggles to care for her feisty younger sister Fia, but things look up when both sisters are offered a place at Kessler School for Exceptional Girls.
With Annie trapped in Kessler’s sinister clutches, instincts keep Fia from killing an innocent guy and everything unravels. Is manipulative James the key to the sisters’ freedom or an even darker prison? And how can Fia atone for the blood on her hands? (Goodreads)

Having just finished the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White, I was completely surprised and blown away at how different this book was in writing style. Sister Assassin was punchy, intense and gripping; a fast paced roller coaster ride. One minute I was thinking and expecting one thing, and then a few pages later everything had changed to make me think otherwise. The plot and structure certainly kept me on my toes.

Fia and Annie were both plunged into this strange, deceptive world after the death of their parents. Unlike the school Annie is expecting it to be, it turned out to be far more dangerous and really pushed Fia to her limits. Having been tested and manipulated so much, Fia was both incredibly strong and clever and yet also so hurt and broken. I really felt for her and wanted her to outwit the deceitful people around her.

With first-person dual narratives from both Fia and Annie’s perspectives, these gave a lot of insight into their feelings, and often their guilt concerning their sister. It could be a little difficult to keep track of who was talking and when, because the narratives would also jump forward and backward in time, but I enjoyed trying to piece together what had happened and where the story was at.

I found it so intriguing and yet sad that both Fia and Annie would make decisions based on their sister. Neither of them was happy because they felt guilty or responsible for their sister, worrying that they were holding them back and trapping them in their situation. Sadly neither of them really understood how the other felt and they kept trying to do the best for the other but it often didn’t work out for the best.

The paranormal element to the story was the existence of seers and readers. I loved these different abilities people had within the story, and the mystery behind Fia’s ability. I didn’t understand what exactly she could do for a long while, but I enjoyed the way she messed with other people’s abilities, screaming swear words or annoying pop songs in her head to put off the mind readers. Apart from Tia and Annie, I didn’t trust any of the other characters or didn’t know if I could trust them so I found it amusing when she did this.

Sister Assassin is a short, sharp, punchy read with lots of action and mystery that will keep you glued to the pages.


Rating: 5*

REVIEW: WITHER

Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: August 2011
Genre: Dystopian

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out? (Goodreads)

I've had this book on my kindle for quite a while now, but never got around to reading it. But I'm really glad I did.

When Rhine was kidnapped, she was thrown into this bizarre world in which she was one of three wives to a rich young man looking to have children. What fascinated me most about the story was how each of the wives, really only teenagers, reacted to their new life and learnt to cope. This idea of kidnap and luxurious entrapment really made me think; if I knew I had to spend the rest of my life living in a luxury prison, would I adapt quickly for an 'easy' life or would I never be able to forgive and forget my past life? I guess if this new life was better than your old life (as in Cecily's case, where she had been a poor orphan), perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to live a rich and frivolous life no matter how fake and contrived. In contrast Rhine and Jenna were both strong willed and determined to never forget their past and family.

Despite Linden and his father's attempts to make the family situation seem happy, the reality was creepy, chilling and a little despicable. Touching on issues of polygamy and pedophilia, the story evoked such conflicting emotions in me. On one hand, I found the idea of 13 year old Cecily carrying a child for her husband really sickening. How could such a young girl really understand the situation she was in? And how could Linden not understand what he was doing? But on the other hand, her naivety probably made it easier for her to cope and adapt. Whilst Jenna and Rhine fully understood the gravity of their imprisonment and what they had lost, it was practically impossible for them to come to terms with this new life. It made me feel so sad and angry that they had been ripped from their lives to become sister wives.

Given her situation, Rhine was a wonderfully strong character. In her situation, so many girls could have had a complete breakdown, turned very bitter and angry or just weakly caved in to the situation. But she was kind to the servants, smart and cunning and never gave in to Linden's advances. Her growing attachment to sweet young Gabriel was one of the few lights of hope in that horribly dark house and I really wanted something to develop between them. I also grew to like sullen Jenna, who was quietly shrewd and observant but never let her past life fade.

Wither combines an intriguing and thought provoking plot with wonderfully written and contrasting characters.

Rating: 4*

A - Z OF PEOPLE WATCHING: H IS FOR HOPE

As we celebrate the New Year, lots of us will be thinking of the year to come, what we hope to achieve, and possibly even making New Year's resolutions.

H is for Hope

Sadly lots of people I know in work scorn resolutions as a fad and a waste of time. I completely understand this; sometimes we might want to change something, but just don't have the desire or drive to do it. And this often leads to failure, and in turn to despair. But I always make resolutions. Yes, I really want to succeed and achieve the goals I set myself. But I also don't mind failing, because at least I will have tried.

Most people making resolutions will probably hope to lose weight, see family more often, get a new job or quit smoking. Mine are to grow my nails (not 'stop biting my nails' - as with hope, a resolution should be positive); finish writing a dystopian short story I started a while back; and travel more. Whilst hope is a key concept in lots of fictional writing, and is often a motivating force for change in the key characters, it's not often you read about characters in books wanting to achieve mundane goals like quitting a bad habit. (It's just not that interesting to read about.) But more common themes in YA are new relationships, being accepted by peers, or surviving life threatening situations.

If I thought people might read them all, I would give quotes from lots of books, including Debutantes by Cora Harrison, which is about four young sisters in the 1920s, each hoping and striving to escape their humdrum life and fulfil their career ambitions. Or from Whisper by Chrissie Keighery, which follows 16 year old Demi as she copes with becoming deaf. The whole story is wrapped up in feelings of hope and despair, fear and courage, and the emotional journey Demi goes through, from hopelessness to hope, is completely heart warming and touching.

The book I'm going to quote though is Partials by Dan Wells, because it looks at hope, not just to live, for the whole human race to survive. Set in the future, the human race is near extinction. Even the remaining survivors of a genetically engineered virus, RM, are unable to have babies that live passed a few days. Despite the government's attempts to find a cure, through enforced pregnancy (the Hope Act), there is little to be hopeful about. Yet, Kira wants to fight for the future and go out into unchartered territory to find a Partial so they can create a cure. There is no certainty that anyone will survive, but Kira has hope on her side. And if you don't have hope, what do you have?

"Of course it's worth it," said Kira. "Say that it's stupid, say that it's impossible, but never say that it's not worth it. We know full well that we might not be coming back alive, or successful, and I recognize that, and I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't ready to accept it. But Haru is right -- trading any of us, even trading all of us, for the chance to start a new generation of humans is more than worth it. If we can actually pull this off and use a Partial to cure RM, we're not just saving Maddy's baby, we;re saving thousands of babies, maybe millions of babies -- every human baby ever born for the rest of time. We're saving our entire species."

This was one of my favourite books of 2012, and I would definitely recommend reading it!

Do you have any hopes, aspirations or resolutions for the new year?

MY TOP 5 YA BOOKS OF 2012

In order to pick out my 5 favourite reads of this year, I've very strictly had to pick only books that were released this year. Even so, it's been really hard to whittle my list down, as there have been so many good reads, but I've managed to pick one for five different sub genres within YA.

Dystopian - Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Published by Bloomsbury, October 2012

It's been hard to pick a favourite dystopian because this genre has bloomed. But I picked Breathe because the story is completely immersed in a ruined futuristic world which is so easily imaginable it's scary.

The world is dead. The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.
Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.
Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.
Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.
And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

You can find my review here.


Paranormal - Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Published by Simon & Schuster, January 2012

As the plot counted down Nicki's remaining time before she is taken back to the underworld, the tension grew and grew. A very gripping story.

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

You can find my review here.


Science Fiction - Partials by Dan Wells
Published by Harper Collins, February 2012

I loved this book because of the post-apocolyptic setting and the strange partials that Kira is off to hunt. Nothing in this books is what it seems though.

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

You can find my review here.


Fantasy - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Published by Random House Children's Publishers, July 2012

Rachel Hartman's debut features a brilliant fantasy setting and a female protagonist with a secret. Such a great read!

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

You can find my review here.


Contemporary - Whisper by Chrissie Keighery
Published by Templar, July 2012

I loved the unique perspective of this book, as it shows how Demi copes with becoming deaf and trying to deal with all the usual teenage issues and communicating with everyone around her.

Fifteen-year-old Demi's world is shattered when she is left profoundly deaf by a sudden illness. Everything is different now, and Demi must learn to adapt to a new school, new friends and even learn a whole new language.

Whisper is a coming-of-age tale, about discovering who you are and where you fit in life. About friendships and first love and, most of all, learning to love the person you are.

You can find my review here.



What have been your favourite books this year?

TRAILER TUESDAY: SHIVERTON HALL, THE CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY GIRL & CARNIVAL OF SOULS

The purpose of my weekly trailer teasers is to highlight some fab books (and/or their related movies). Two of this week's trailers are January releases and look so good. And the final book came out back in September, but you must check out the stunning trailer for it.


Shiverton Hall by Emerald Fennell will be published by Random House Children's Publishers. The paperback will be out on 3rd January 2013.

They slowed as they reached the gate; two stone columns, each with its own crumbling angel perched on top. The angels held up a rusty, wrought-iron arch that read, in curling, serpentine letters: SHIVERTON HALL.

Arthur Bannister has been unexpectedly accepted into Shiverton Hall, which, as it turns out, is an incredibly spooky school, full of surprises. And it is just as well that Shiverton Hall has made its offer, because Arthur had a horrible time at his previous school, and was desperate to leave. Timely indeed . . .

But Arthur has no time to worry about the strange coincidence. He is too busy trying to make head or tail of Shiverton Hall, dogged as it is by tales of curses and bad fortune. At least there are a few friendly faces: George, who shows him around; also Penny and Jake. But not all the faces are friendly. There are the bullying Forge triplets for starters. And then there is the acid tongue of the headmistress, Professor Long-Pitt, who seems to go out of her way to make Arthur's life a misery.

Luckily Arthur has his new friends to cheer him up. Although there are some friends that you don't want to have at all, as Arthur is soon to find out.

*****

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett, will be published by MIRA Ink on 4th January 2013.

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…

1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is nowenraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)
(Sorry. That was rude.)

*****

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr was published by Harper Collins in September 2012. I loved reading this mix of paranormal and fantasy YA. I hadn't seen the trailer until this week, but I had to feature it because it's so professionally done (and I love the music!).

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

REVIEW: ENDLESSLY

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Yes, #3
UK Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
UK Release date: 2nd August 2012
Genre: Paranormal YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.
The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.
So much for normal.

Throughout the Paranormalcy series, Kiersten White’s writing has been sassy, fun and engaging, and Endlessly is no different. There was a palpable sense of urgency and pace following the whole story, with plenty of action, suspenseful chapter endings, mishaps and mayhem.

Evie is a great young protagonist. She has a well defined and distinct voice and personality, full of snarkiness, with and sarcasm. She is a strong but caring and compassionate young girl which means she has plenty of dilemmas throughout the series and in Endlessly. And of course after so many run-ins with the faeries, she will need to be really brave in this book in order to face the faeries in all their wrath and glory.

Evie also has a fantastic trio of men surrounding her, each very different and distinct. Lend is completely adorable and lovable even when their relationship is put to the test (which it was on several occasions); Reth is the mysterious fairy, full of charm; and Jack is still a bit of an enigma – can he be trusted or not? Each is wary of the others, but as Evie has to rely on them all so much, this caused plenty of witty banter and dialogue between to get thrown about.

The ending to the three book series wasn’t a disappointment. Right up until the end there were questions, doubts and surprises. The ending wasn’t what I expected or would have predicted to happen when I started reading the first book, but I think there was a certain harmony and synchronicity to the ending, so that everything seemed to fall into place. I also liked that there was closure on certain elements and yet still a sense of hope and opportunity for Evie.

Endlessly is a great end to a fun, spunky series, rounding off Evie’s adventures with a bang!

Rating: 4*

TRAILER TUESDAY: UNDONE, THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER & MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Although the purpose of my weekly trailer teasers is to highlight some fab books, I've decided this week to also highlight an author and her writing tips. (Because it's a fab little video!)

First up is Maggie Stiefvater's This is Your Life on Writing, which she did in response to a fan's question about life and college: 

*****

Having finally gotten around to reading Cat Clarke's Torn (which I loved), I can't wait to read her latest book Undone, the paperback of which which will be published by Quercus on 31st January 2013.

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.

*****

And finally I also wanted to show the trailer for The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd, which will be published by on 29th January 2013 by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen. I love that this book is based on H.G. Wells story - I can't wait to read!

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

ON MY WISHLIST

Although my post today isn't part of the linked original meme, I just couldn't bear to think up another name for what is basically a post about books that I'm looking forward to. So anyway, here are books that I can't wait to read.

MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Release date: 12th March 2013

Genre: Science fiction

Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

*****

Taken by Erin Bowman

Published by: Harper Teen
Release date: 16th April 2013

Genre: Fantasy/Dystopian

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

*****

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede
Published by: Candlewick Press
Release date: October 2012
Genre: Dystopian

A thrilling, fast-paced dystopian novel about the dangers of unchecked power and the dilemmas facing a boy torn between two ways of life.

In twelve-year-old Taemon’s city, everyone has a power called psi—the ability to move and manipulate objects with their minds. When Taemon loses his psi in a traumatic accident, he must hide his lack of power by any means possible. But a humiliating incident at a sports tournament exposes his disability, and Taemon is exiled to the powerless colony.

The "dud farm" is not what Taemon expected, though: people are kind and open, and they actually seem to enjoy using their hands to work and play and even comfort their children. Taemon adjusts to his new life quickly, making friends and finding unconditional acceptance.

But gradually he discovers that for all its openness, there are mysteries at the colony, too—dangerous secrets that would give unchecked power to psi wielders if discovered.

When Taemon unwittingly leaks one of these secrets, will he have the courage to repair the damage—even if it means returning to the city and facing the very people who exiled him?


What books are you dying to read?

REVIEW: DEVILISH

Author: Maureen Johnson
Series: No, standalone
UK Publisher: HarperCollins
UK Release date: June 2012
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

The only thing that makes St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls bearable for Jane is her best friend Ally. But when Ally changes into a whole different person literally overnight the fall of their senior year, Jane's suddenly alone—and very confused. Turns out, Ally has sold her soul in exchange for popularity—to a devil masquerading as a sophomore at St. Teresa's! Now it's up to Jane to put it all on the line to save her friend from this ponytail-wearing, cupcakenibbling demon . . . without losing her own soul in the process. This YA take on Faust in a Catholic girls' high school is clever, fun, and full of tasty surprises.

I'm actually pretty torn about how to write this review, because I did enjoy reading Devilish. It's a quick and funny read, perfect for a long train journey or weekend read. And although it has a deeper meaning to it (which has made me very interested in reading Goethe's Faust, which this story is based on), there was something rather simplistic about the plot and characters. I stormed my way through this book, although ultimately I would have liked a little more depth and substance to it.

The plot behind Devilish focuses on one young girl trying to beat the devil (or his stylish young assistant) at their own game. The writing is humorous, clever and quick paced, with plenty of mischief, wit and cupcakes. It will certainly keep readers entertained, and have you trying to figure out a way to beat the devil's deal. It definitely got me thinking whether I would trade my soul for my best friend! I did however find the "devil" a little one-dimensional and would have liked her character and identity explored in more depth.

Jane is incredibly clever, feisty and brave, but she's been through a bit of a rough patch after breaking up with her first boyfriend. She was also an amazing friend to Allison and I felt sorry for Jane, who sacrificed so much for her friend. I did however love the humour, sarcasm, and energy her character gave to the plot.

To be honest I thought Allison was a bit of a sap. I wasn't the kind of confident girl that could stand up for myself when I was a teenager so I'm not completely against Allison. And I definitely felt sorry for her when she vomited in front of the whole school. But I just didn't see anything to show she was a good friend to Jane. Perhaps this was because the story jumped straight into Allison's new found looks and popularity. But I did think she was very lucky to have a friend like Jane and almost didn't deserve her. A little more development around their friendship at the start of the story might have justified why Jane went to so much trouble for her.

Devilish is witty, quirky and fun tale of one's girl battle against the devil.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: THE PECULIAR

Author: Stefan Bachmann
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: HarperCollins
UK Release date: 18th September 2012
Genre: Steampunk faery fantasy
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged.
In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.
One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed.
First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong. (Goodreads)

In The Peculiar, Bachmann has created an alternative England where a door to the faery world was once opened. This alternative world incorporates elements of Victorian England, gothic steampunk and magical fantasy, and is both wonderfully vivid in its opulence but also darkly dangerous. Since the destruction of Old Bath and the introduction of faeries to the country, there has been an uneasy alliance between humans, changelings (half humans half faeries), and the different types of faeries from sprites and gnomes to Sidhe. Neither side understands or trusts the other. And it is unfortunately the half bloods or changelings that bear the brunt of this prejudice and mistrust. I do love this world that has been built, but I do feel more could have been done to add depth and development to the characters.

My feelings towards Mr Jelliby are a little ambivalent. He’s the kind of upper-class gentleman that doesn’t like to rock the boat and is rather ineffectual. But despite the fact that he can be indecisive and cowardly, he doesn’t just idly sit back and let events unfold without trying to intervene. I’m not fully convinced this was down to character development, and I did sometimes doubt the believability of his actions. Would such a nervous character really be able to step up as the hero without more persuasion than just thinking ‘well someone has to do it’?

Poor changeling Bartholomew and his little sister have been forced to live hidden away from everyone else. It is only when the curious Bartholomew spots a mysterious lady magically whisk away his young neighbour, that he sets out into the wide world. I felt I understood and liked Bartholomew a lot more, with his desire to have a fairy helper and yet even greater desire to protect his sister.

The story is written in third person from Bartholomew’s and Mr Jelliby’s perspectives. Occasionally the perspectives overlapped, to give an omniscient narration within the same chapter. I found this a little  disconcerting, as my preference is to keep third person perspectives quite separate. Something that also stood out about the writing was that the story gave no context straight away to what the characters' motivations were. You are plunged straight into the story and have to figure out what is going on as the characters Bartholomew and Mr Jelliby do, and decipher what Mr. Lickerish might be up to. I actually liked this though, as I had to keep guessing and wondering how their paths might all cross and come together.

Despite some of the narrative and character niggles, I enjoyed The Peculiar as a visually splendid Victorian delight, mixing up steampunk and gothic, faery fantasy to create something that children will love.

You can read an excerpt of The Peculiar on Goodreads and you can also listen to Peculiar Pieces, the music written by Stefan Bachmann to accompany the book.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: WHAT'S LEFT OF ME

Author: Kat Zhang
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: 27th September 2012
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

As a dystopian, I loved that Zhang's concept of being born with a dual soul was completely original, unique, and very thought provoking. In What's Left of Me, Eva lives in the Americas where being a Hybrid with two souls is forbidden, taboo and considered a huge threat to society. My mind couldn't help but ponder the scientific implications of this idea: what might the evolutionary benefit be of having two souls? Could I have been born with two souls, but never have realised? Why did one soul just disappear? And what must it be like to share one life and one body with someone so close to you, that isn't you? Eva and Addie's relationship was like normal sisters, but so much more intense because they had to cope with situations that no-one would normally have to do with someone else in such close proximity. I can't imagine what it would be like to have someone else directing me body to do things I wasn't exactly comfortable doing. This difference in desire, motivation and needs often lead to big emotional dilemmas and experiences between the pair which kept the story fresh and gave lots of different viewpoints to consider.

With the story written from Eva's perspective, it gave a very unusual slant to the story. This is because whilst being a first person narrative, Eva simultaneously used a completely different narrative mode by using 'we' and 'ours' to describe what her and Addie were both doing together. It took a little getting used to, but it instantly added a unique element to the story.

Eva's fight to be more than a recessive soul that just disappears was completely compelling. Eva was so full of life, despite having no body of her own or control of her shared one, that it seemed wrong and cruel to think she could be ripped out or made to disappear. Both her and Addie had their strengths, and with Eva as the narrative voice, she didn't seem like the recessive one at all. I did make me think though about what makes us individuals and real people: do we need a body or is a soul enough to allow us to live and function happily in the world? What makes someone dominant and is dominance always best?

In terms of the plot, I expected a little more to happen setting wise. Don't get me wrong, I found the plot really thrilling and often it was fast paced and full of suspense. But I did want a little more action and adventure - which I think we will probably get in the next book.

One of the interesting aspects to the plot was the underlying romance between Eva and Ryan, Devon's recessive soul. I found it really intriguing that Addie didn't fancy Devon or Ryan, but Eva liked Ryan. I can see why, as he showed her a lot of tenderness. I was however a little dubious as to why exactly Ryan liked Eva, as they didn't exactly spend much time together when both of them were in control and able to talk or do things together. For Addie however, it must have been a very strange situation to be in.

What's Left of Me is a gripping and thought provoking insight into one girl's struggle to stay alive in a society that controls even your soul.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: CARNIVAL OF SOULS

Author: Melissa Marr
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: 4th September 2012
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

I have to admit I was a little dubious reading this one as I haven't exactly loved other books by the author in the past. But this book gripped me straight away, and I absolutely loved it.

The plot was a cleverly crafted, beautifully woven and complex web. The different subplots interplayed so fluidly that at points when I was thinking 'what the hell just happened?!', things came together and fitted like another piece in a jigsaw puzzle. The plot was a little like a chess game, with wild twists and turns happening as each character made their next move in the desire for power. (Sorry for all my game analogies, but as you can probably tell I think the plot was really well worked out, with such clever changes and huge surprises and revelations. Along with the world building and strong character motivations there were so many different layers to this story, but they all worked perfectly together.) There was also plenty of action and intrigue to keep me utterly captivated and guessing what might happen next, but honestly with this book I couldn't rightly predict anything!

To start, the world building with its history of wars and hostility between witches and daimons and changing between the human and daimon worlds, had me a little confused. But soon I became fascinated with The City and its Carnival of Souls. This daimon world was a little more brutal and violent than I had expected, and it harked back to medieval times where caste systems were still strongly adhered to and those at the bottom had to fight, steal, kill or whore themselves to survive. Danger lurked around every corner and the Carnival felt very dark and unpredictable. The stark contrast of the two worlds was brilliant, and although there was less action in Mallory's human world, it didn't make it any less interesting.

Carnival of Souls featured a large cast of characters, and each one was well developed with distinct personalities and very focused motivations that catapulted the action and created the shocking plot twists. I felt a little sorry for Mallory, raised in the human world and pretty much oblivious to the truth. She'd been sheltered by Adam for her own protection and although he'd trained her, her ignorance made her practically defenceless against daimons or witches. She also had no say in her life - Adam pretty much controlled what she did, who she saw and where they lived, and even Kaleb started making decisions that impacted her life without her knowledge or consent. Although this felt right within the plot and with an understanding of why Kaleb was making these decisions, it still felt wrong that Mallory was often used by people as a tool. I respected the fact that she didn't just fall straight into Kaleb's arms, and I would have liked to have seen a little more happen or shared between the pair to better understand why Kaleb liked her so much.

In terms of Kaleb, he was very dangerous and violent. But his past and low social standing left him pretty much no other option on how to survive in The City, so I couldn't help but feel for him. I also admit that I kind of fell for his tough exterior and caring protectiveness over pack member Zevi. He was an enigma, scheming away and making dangerous power plays, but I think his boldness and determination attracted me to him.

At first I was also a little uncertain of Aya, because she was so forthright, cold and brutal. But she grew on me as the story progressed and I admired her strength and courage. She wasn't immune to caring, asking for help but she was very clever.

With some of the characters I couldn't tell what they might be up to and whether they could be completely trusted but this just intrigued me more. I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens to the individual characters and in the greater was between witches and daimons.

Carnival of Souls is beautifully crafted and deliciously dark. A must read for this year.

Rating: 5*

Carnival of Souls is out today and can be bought as an ebook too :)

REVIEW: THE SELECTION

Author: Kiera Cass
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: June 7th 2012
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

America lives in a future where your place in society is judged on the number you are born into. As a struggling 5, America’s only way to become a 1 is to win the heart of Prince Maxon in the Selection, a televised competition against 34 other girls. But all America wants is to marry Aspen, despite his lowly status as a 6. When she is selected and taken away from her family and Aspen to live in the palace, America will have to fight fierce competition and come to terms with her she feels about both Aspen and Maxon.

The concept for The Selection is a little like TV's Big Brother crossed with the royal family. The future that Cass has built is simple but fascinating with castes dividing society into numerical rankings, those at the top (number 1’s) being rich, and those at the bottom (number 8’s) being poor and on the fringe of society. There is snobbery and prejudice based on the castes, and in the story it goes so far as to obstruct America and Aspen’s love because they are of different castes: America's mother is determined she will marry into a higher caste, so one can only imagine what she might think about the secret relationship between Aspen and America. This forbidden love was so romantic and heart breaking at the same time – Aspen’s concern that he would be holding America from a better life back tugged at my heartstrings and really pulled me into the story.

Although I couldn’t ever see our royal family hosting a competiion like this, especially one shown on TV, what I liked about the concept of competing for Prince Maxon’s heart was the subterfuge, the subtle (or not so subtle) way some girls tried to get one up on other girls, and the psychological warfare. I couldn’t help but wonder who was in it for the crown, the prince or the riches, who was genuine and who wasn’t.

America was very different from the other girls in the Selection - she didn't want to win Maxon's heart for one thing, she wasn't afraid to be honest with the Prince, and standout as herself. Despite the fact that her differences felt a little forced, I think she was a gutsy character able to shout, cry and express her emotions and even knee the prince in the groin!

I thought Prince Maxon was great - he was understanding, caring, funny and down to earth. I really hope we get to see more of him, particularly in more of a leader/princely role rather than just as the love interest.

Only to be picky, there were a few things that irked ever so slightly about the story. One being the girls giggling constantly including maids in the Palace, whom I’m sure would have learnt to be professional in front of members of royalty. The other is that the end seemed slightly rushed, with some incidents speeding past in a whirlwind and the story ending almost abruptly. It probably didn’t help that I was foolishly expecting it be a standalone, and was expecting certain things to happen. So be warned, you will be left with a major cliffhanger and a long wait to find out what happens next.

The Selection is a fun YA with dystopian undertones, where romance and heartbreak spill from the pages.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: UNRAVELLING

Author: Elizabeth Norris
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: 7th June 2012
Genre: YA sci-fi
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

17 year old Janelle Tenner is hit by a truck. And she dies. But when she is mysteriously brought back to life, she can't help but wonder why. And how. As she starts following her father's FBI case, she starts seeing how her 'death' might fit into a huge threat to end the world.

I found Unravelling so gripping, each chapter counting down to some unknown and mysterious apocalypse. There were lots of little clues to figure, and it was like putting together and solve a puzzle. Think X-Files and you won't go far wrong.

What really brought the story to life for me was how many little details were used to describe the characters' pasts. Little stories about things that happened to the Tenner family made them all seem so real and alive, with pasts and histories that explained why they were the way they were and made me feel like I knew intimate details of their lives. I knew their quirks, their faults, their strengths and the way these memories were written in made the story feel so whole and intimate.

Janelle was such a strong character. She's had to cope with her mum's depression, look after her younger brother Jared and stay ahead in school. The way she has protected her brother without even thinking twice is admirable. She did play at detective, but I could see the draw of putting together the clues. Further into the story this became even more personal and important to Janelle. Her determination even when her life was turned upside was unstoppable and I respected her so much.

I was a big fan of Ben, surrounded by mystery and defying expectations at every turn. He was smart, caring, broody, and there was something naturally appealing about him.

I always say this, but I love gutsy authors that kill off key people (I'm not telling who, promise). It made Unravelling such a tumultuous, intense and emotional story. It really had me by the heart strings and made me shed more than several tears.

There is so much more that I want to tell you about this book, but I don't want to ruin your experience reading it. So all I can say is please read this. If you like science fiction, investigations and intrigue, please please read it!

Rating: 5*

REVIEW: A CONFUSION OF PRINCES

Author: Garth Nix
Series: No, standalone
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: May 2012
Genre: Sci-fi
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

You’d think being a privileged Prince in a vast intergalactic Empire would be about as good as it gets. But it isn’t as great as it sounds. For one thing, Princes are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Khemri discovers that the moment he is proclaimed a Prince.
He also discovers mysteries within the hidden workings of the Empire. Dispatched on a secret mission, Khemri comes across the ruins of a space battle. In the midst of it all he meets a young woman named Raine, who will challenge his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. (Goodreads)

I absolutely LOVED this book. Yes, I loved Garth Nix's Sabriel series, but I did have reservations about his transition from fantasy into science fiction. And despite the fact that it was more sci-fi than I expected, I didn't want to put it down. I wanted the book to continue on and never end. And admittedly I actually cried at the end I enjoyed it so much.

Prince Khemri is an unlikely hero. He is arrogant, selfish and conceited. Having being created and designed to be a Prince of the Empire, he knows nothing other than his place in society. In fact he isn't happy with simply being a prince, he wants to be Emperor. But his training has omitted key information about the reality of being a prince: other princes want him dead and if he wants to become Emperor he must battle against 999 other princes. His transformational character development and admittance of how naive and arrogant he actually is, endeared him to me. As he realises the truth of how the empire actually works, his vanity mellows and I found he grew on me until I became really fond of and attached to him.

Although we knew so little about Haddad, Khemri's Master of Assassins, he came across as a father figure.  He was all knowing, but as his position dictated he never overtly gave advice or likewise any real show of emotion or affection. Whilst some might see him as cold, calculating and emotionless, I also really liked him too, and liked his subtle way of helping and guiding Khemri.

The Empire built by Nix was so detailed, complex and yet naturally believable. The fact that it would take days, or even months to travel from one solar system to another, made it more realistic for me. I was a little thrown by the mind communications at first, :My name is Haddad <<identifier>>., but soon got used to them and found them a really interesting way for characters to communicate when they needed a private way to talk or learn of things from the Imperial Mind.

A Confusion of Princes is a sci-fi delight! Highly recommended!

Rating: 5*

REVIEW: PARTIALS

Author: Dan Wells
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: February 2012
Genre: Sci-fi, dystopian
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

In a dystopian future society, partials turned on humans, unleashing a dangerous virus that wiped out most of the human population and rendering survivors’ new born children unable to live past a few days. In the eleven years since the initial attack, the Senate have been trying to find a cure to the virus with no luck. Working in midwifery, Kira has seen a number of babies die from the mysterious virus, but when she learns that her sister is pregnant she can no longer sit back and let the virus continue to kill the young and any chance their race has for survival. As she sets off on a dangerous mission to find a partial and discover what the virus is doing, she will unearth secrets that change her understanding of the world around her.

I really enjoyed Partials, particularly how well the dystopian society was mixed in with scifi elements. The future world Dan Wells built is very convincing and well written, and the conflict between the senate, the rebel voice, the manipulated and subjugated population as well as the mysterious and dangerous partials is compelling. I loved the descriptions of how New York had become a wilderness, abandoned and over grown with nature and wild animals that escaped from the zoo eleven years before.

The plot itself was gripping with jaw dropping surprises, explosive action, and plenty of twists. I didn’t want to put it down and can’t wait to see what happens next in the series. You could say that the plot stuffed in too much action and change in such a short time that is was a little unbelievable, but I thought this was balanced by the fact that characters helping push all this action forward do die – they don’t all happen to survive every fight and hostile encounter which would have made the story less believable for me. Combining this with some characters ‘sacrificing’ themselves for others and the greater good made the story more gripping and emotionally turbulent.

I was so intrigued by partials. What exactly are they? Are they part human or just robot clones? The fact that no one has ever seen a partial despite the fact that they are supposedly hunting humans down and trying to wipe them out completely formed lots of questions in my mind. So when Kira sets out to catch one, I felt both the excitement and fear of the unknown. The partial she captures, Samm, really captivated my attention. He was quiet, protective, and yet held an appealing charm. The fact that any relationship or romance was forbidden between him and Kira made their connection all the more exciting.

The main protagonist is sixteen year old Kira was very driven by what is right for humanity, making her very passionate, determined and strong. When she learns that her ‘sister’ is pregnant she is pushed to act because she doesn’t want to watch another child die and doesn’t want to see her sister go through childbirth only to be rewarded with the pain and suffering of her child dying. Throughout the story she remained strong even when she was beaten down, and for me she was a positive female role model able to sympathise with Samm and not torture him like everyone else but tough enough to fight for what she believes in. I also really liked the secondary characters, who each had conflicting believe systems and opinions on the senate despite the fact that they were all working together.

Dan Well’s gripping and action packed sci-fi dystopian Partials is a post-apocalyptic delight - I highly recommend reading!

Rating: 5*

REVIEW: INSURGENT (TEAM DAUNTLESS UK)

Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: 1st May 2012
Genre: YA Dystopian
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

*Whilst there are no spoilers of Insurgent, they may be spoilers for Divergent.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. (From Goodreads)


Often when there is a lot of hype around a book, it can lead to disappointment, especially if the previous book in the series won such acclaim and has set a high standard for the rest of the series. But Insurgent did anything but disappoint me. It was thrilling, heart-pounding, surprising and utterly compelling.

Tris and Four dauntlessly risk life and limb on several occasions to fight against Erudite and their desire for control. There’s plenty of suspense, fighting, torture, and once again Veronica Roth isn't afraid to kill off some key players. The plot is chock full of twists, but what Roth is also exceedingly good at is building in emotion and character development.

As Tris tries to cope with the guilt of what happened in Divergent, she is often on the brink of a destructive breakdown or self-sacrifice. She is on an emotional and grief-ridden roller coaster, which makes her far more human and understandable than someone like Peter. She is strength and vulnerability and flaws and selflessness. And I love her! However Tris's behaviour puts a huge strain on her relationship with Four which is tested to the limits as they cross between loving and trusting, to unsure and troubled. It adds so much more interest and realism than if everything had been hunky-dory.

As Tris and Four try to find allies and safe houses to stay in, they visit all of the different factions. It was really interesting to get an insight into how each of the factions functions, what their headquarters are like, how they live and respond to ‘a state of war’. What I love about the Divergent series is its twist on society and the way people identify themselves through their factions, each of which is very distinct. Each with their strengths, but each with very different goals and believes in morals. And what makes Tris so interesting is that she isn't just one faction; she is many.

Roth is a gutsy writing, able to pack a punch with articulate and eloquent language, and is set to take her place at the top of the charts again this year.

Rating: 5*

Don't forget to check out Jayde's review over @ Ink Scratchers.

INSURGENT BLOG TOUR: PIERCINGS

As part of the Team Dauntless UK blog tour for Insurgent, I'll be looking at the wonderful world of body piercings.

Although tattoos and piercings are now fairly commonplace in our society, they can still be a taboo thing to have, especially when it comes to work. But in the Dauntless faction, it wouldn't be odd or out of place.

Nowadays body piercing is a form of self expression, but different forms of body piercing have existed since ancient times, often with a spiritual or ritualistic element. The oldest mummified body with ear piercings is 5,300 years old and the tradition in India for women of childbearing age to wear a nose stud dates back to the 16th century. Even back then you could find the dauntless!

As my current partner is an ex-body piercer (and it was in this role that we actually met) I thought I would ask him about some of the more unusual and interesting piercings he’s done: 

"The more unusual and most complicated, piercing I did was a corset piercing on a girl's back. It took two of us to do and 4 hours overall, as we had to do 12 individual ring piercings that all had to line up as it would later be threaded with ribbon to make the corset effect. The most fun one to do was actually nail piercings as I got to use a tiny drill to make a hole in the nail. But it was often the most unassuming of people that would walk in, wearing their office suit, to get hidden piercings..." 

Many, many years ago as a young teenager I was considering what first piercing to get when I saw an article on the different types of piercings in Kerrang magazine. The one that stood out for me was the septum piercing (think Keith from Prodigy). After that I got the back of my neck pierced with a small bar, followed by my wrist piercing (which was when I met my lovely other half whilst he worked in the piercing studio) and then I set about stretching my ears to 10mm. I've lost a few piercings over the years, but think I may still  have one or two left in me.

But if piercings aren't daring enough for you, then there is a myriad of other forms of self expression that might take your fancy such as implants. Far from the 'normal' surface piercings such as ears, lip, belly button or tongue, dermal implants are surgically anchored under the skin with the jewellery showing on the skin like a little flat ball. For those with no fear at all, then full implants under the skin might be your style.

What I’d really like to know is whether you have been tempted or could be tempted to get a piercing? What kind of piercing would you have and where would you get pierced?

Click here to pre-order Insurgent which comes out on 1st May 2012.

Don't forget to check out Jayde's post which is also up today and forthcoming posts from Andrew and Keith…

28th April: Jayde @ Ink Scratchers
29th April: Andrew @ The Pewter Wolf
30th April: Keith @ Books and Writers