Thursday 30 May 2013

Wake by Amanda Hocking


Author: Amanda Hocking
Format Hardcover
Pages: 309
Date Published: April 16 2013
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Introduction
       In the small town of Capri, the beaches are always full of tourists. When three stunningly beautiful girls show up seemingly out of nowhere, people are a bit suspicious. Especially because, a few days before, there were four of them. Now they have there heart set on becoming Gemma’s friend. While swimming one night, she finds Penn Lexi, and Thea, partying and they invite Gemma to join them. She wasn’t with them long before accepting a special drink. The next day, she wakes up at the cove, covered in bruises wrapped in a shawl. She doesn’t remember much after accepting the drink from the girls, but after that day she begins to change. She’s more beautiful than she ever was before, stronger, and a faster swimmer. A downside is that the water seems to be calling her. If she ever wants to find out why all this seems to be happening she will have to get closer to Lexi, Penn, and Thea than she’s comfortable with.

Cover       The cover to this book is very nice. Plus if have a hardcover copy and you happen to look under the dust cover, you’ll see this pretty bonus poster!

Dislikes
       Alright, let’s start things off with Gemma. For one thing, she is unrealistic. She starts finding big fish scales on herself (bigger than any fish around Capri) and just brushes it off. Then, when she needs advice on what to do about Penn, Lexi, and Thea, she goes to of all people, her mentally ill mother…I’m not even joking.
The beginning is super slow. Barley anything happens for about 100 pages. Then I still found that even after things get rolling, there were still large parts of the book where nothing happens.
       Gemma and Alex’s relationship doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I mean Alex is the semi-geeky gamer guy, who isn’t much of an athlete. Then we have Gemma. Her whole life basically revolves around swimming and training. What do they have to talk about other than how creepy Penn, Lexi, and Thea are? They have nothing in common.

Harper
       Harper was a really good character. She defiantly had much more personality than Gemma had. Harper cares about Gemma a lot, kind of like a mother does. Gemma hates this, but her mother isn’t well enough to take care of her anymore and her dad works a lot and is never really home. I found Harper very realistic.

Conclusion
       This book was good. If you can get past the slow parts, you could defiantly enjoy it. I don’t think you would be able to find many boys who would jump at the chance to read the Watersong series, but if you can, that’s fantastic.

Saturday 18 May 2013

The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong


Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 390
Format: Paperback
Date Published: July 1 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins

Introduction
       Chloe Saunders is normal for a kid her age. Until one day, she lands herself in the Lyle House. A group home for unstable teens. Chloe can see ghosts. However, because nobody else can see them, after a few meetings with the counselor at the Lyle House she’s diagnosed with schizophrenia. She’s trying her hardest to ignore the ghosts that are trying to speak to her while, also trying to get along with the other kids that are stuck in the group home. It is at the Lyle House where she meets Derek and Simon. They offer her some answers about why she can see ghosts: Chloe is a necromancer. She can communicate with ghosts. While listening to a ghost, she finds out the Lyle House has a dark history and she, Simon, Derek, and a few other of her new friends are in grave danger.

Cover
            The cover to The Summoning is nice. I like how they made Chloe’s necklace stand out against all the dark colors.

Characters/Relationships
            I liked learning about the characters in this book. Since they are all at the Lyle House because they have something about them that’s “unstable” it was interesting to learn about them and why exactly they are at Lyle House.
            Not really any love story in this book, but I suspect that something is going to happen between Simon and Chloe in the next book in the trilogy.

Conclusion
            I can see why this book is popular along with the other books that Kelley Armstrong has written. It offers a fresh twist on a paranormal book. I am very excited to read the sequel.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Revived by Cat Patrick

Author: Cat Patrick
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Date Published: May 8 2012
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Introduction
       Daisy "Appleby" is part of a program that tests a drug called Revive. As long as you don't have a disease when you die, you can be brought back to life. Daisy has died five times in the last the fifteen years. Every time she dies, she gets a new name, a new house and a new school. Last time she died, she was relocated to Omaha, Nebraska. Daisy is used to moving so she doesn't mind that she has to go to a new high school, she thinks it's going to be like every other high school she's ever gone to. All she has to do is blend in and not be noticed. On the first day at her knew high school, she meets Audrey, a pretty girl with a great personality, and her brother Matt, a cute and nice guy. They all become really good friends. As the book goes on, Daisy worries that she might be becoming too attached to Omaha and too close to her new friends.

Audrey
       I loved absolutely every character in this book. I especially loved Audrey. She is just so positive all the time, and I just love how no matter what happens she is always able to laugh and make jokes.
     
Mason
       Another character I liked was Mason. He cares about Daisy so much just like a real father would. Mason tries to share everything that he can with Daisy despite the protest from his partner Cassie.
     
Daisy    
       I did like Daisy, she was very realistic. I liked how even though she could be brought back to life, she doesn't spend her whole life taking stupid unnecessary risks. Yes, she makes stupid decisions but that's what everybody does at some point anyway.
     
Matt and Daisy
      I liked Matt and Daisy's relationship. They were a good match for each other. They actually have a lot in common plus they both have a good relationship with Audrey which is an added bonus.

Conclusion
       I loved this book. The characters were all really realistic, which is great. Boys could defiantly read this book. I would not recommend this book to people who don't like sad books very much. If you can handle some sadness and like, books about friendship, This book could be great for you.

Thursday 2 May 2013

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel





Author(s): Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
Pages: 336 pages
Date Published: November 13 2012
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children



Introduction
       After Obsession is the story of Alan and Amy. They have both inherited strange things from their parents. Alan's cousin Courtney is also Amy's best friend. Amy is worried about Courtney. Courtney has recently lost her dad and is obviously not taking it very well. Other than that, They have a good life right?... Wrong. Everybody's angry, and people are not acting like themselves. Something evil is lurking just beneath the surface of Maine and Courtney is stuck in the middle, and Alan and Amy need to find out a way to make everything normal again

Cover
       The cover of this book is super amazing. It is one of the prettiest covers I have seen in a while.

Characters/Relationships
       I liked the characters in this book well enough I guess, it's just the relationships in this book I have problems with. Let's start with Blake and Amy. They breakup right in the beginning. The whole breakup scene was so terrible. I mean I know that people are not acting like themselves but, no. Just no.
       Then comes Alan and Amy. They have a connection. I get that, but Alan's in town for all of a week and him and Amy are already saying that they love each other. The relationship goes at an extremely fast pace.

Conclusion
       I have never read any books by Steven E. Wedel, but as soon as I saw Carrie Jones' name on the cover, I knew that I had to read it, and let me tell you this book did not disappoint. Boys could read this book too. Even if they don't like female protagonists, this book switches POV's between Alan and Amy quite often.