Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars        (Starbound #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Release Date: November 20th 2013

Format: ARC

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets to the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

 Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

 Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder - would they be better off staying in this place forever? 

 Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it. 

 The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.

I’ve heard nothing but praise and rave reviews for These Broken Stars long before its release in December this year. All my blogger friends cried their hearts out, loved Lilac and Tarver to smithereens and could not stop recommending this and I couldn’t help but want to try it out myself. Unfortunately, as soon as I read the first page, I knew it would be a struggle for me to finish the book. This is another “it’s-not-you-it’s-me” situation – These Broken Stars just isn’t for me.

These Broken Stars focuses on the survival of our two beloved characters, Tarver and Lilac. That’s pretty much all there is to it. Tarver and Lilac are the only survivors of the Icarus, which is I believe some sort of spaceship that falls out of space and crashes on a deserted and foreign land. So, for 300 pages, Tarver and Lilac are wandering around the land, trying to survive and waiting for help to arrive. All I can say is, it was a very boring book; I wanted something to happen, I wanted a strong plot, I wanted more than two people walking around and making camp every night.

It seems the majority of readers immediately disliked Lilac but loved Tarver. My feelings toward the two of them are neutral. I didn’t hate Lilac, nor did I like her. Same with Tarver, though he probably left a more memorable impression on me. Despite knowing he had to stay away from Lilac due to their difference in status, and after how inexcusably cruel she was to him, he still protected her and stayed by her side throughout the entire journey. I suppose the only time I felt anything more than indifference towards Lilac on the other hand, was when she nurtured Tarver back to health.

I hate to say this, but I got so bored by the book that after ¾, I skimmed the rest of the way through. The major “twist” was completely lost on me. I had no idea that was the twist until I finished and nothing else exciting or unexpectedly remarkable happened. The whole reason behind the strange hauntings and revelation at the end were also lost on me. Unfortunately the writing style made it difficult for me to continue the book word for word. I should also mention that the book is told in alternating POV – Lilac and Tarver’s- and their voices were so similar I had trouble distinguishing between the two.

The only part I liked (or possibly loved…at one point) was when Lilac and Tarver finally admitted their feelings for one another<3 Every touch, every kiss, every moment together after their confession was passionate, and I was so giddy with excitement <3 I couldn’t stop smiling!

This may not have lived up to its hype IMO, but so many of my blogger friends consider this one of the best 2013 debuts. I’m definitely the black sheep here, so I’d suggest giving this a go J

 A massive thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing a copy of These Broken Stars for review! 

Review: Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington

Between the Lives
by Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia

Release Date: May 1st, 2013

Format: Paperback, 336 pages

Above all else, though I try not to think about it, I know which life I prefer. And every night when I Cinderella myself from one life to the next a very small, but definite, piece of me dies. The hardest part is that nothing about my situation has ever changed. There is no loophole. 

 Until now, that is... 

 For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ′other′ life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other. 

 With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what - and who - is she really risking?

I’ve heard so much praise over the years for Jessica Shirvington’s Violet Eden series (which I own but have yet to read), so I was very excited when I heard about Jess’s new book, Between the Lives coming out in May. I got even more enthusiastic about starting the book when 4-5 star reviews began showing up on my GR updates and I was like “ Could this be THAT amazing?”. Sadly, Between the Lives wasn’t as brilliant as I expected it to be, but it was a refreshingly original and praiseworthy book nonetheless.

While the concept was so creative (kudos to Jess for thinking up such an imaginative and unique concept!), I couldn’t quite engage with the story. Sabine is meant to take on the role of two completely different characters 1) Herself in Roxbury 2) Another self in Wellesley. Despite being 2 different people, Sabine sounded exactly the same in both worlds. Now, this can be interpreted as both a good thing and a bad thing. On one hand, I liked how she sounded the same because it obviously meant she never ‘lost’ herself during the shift and she’s still the one and only Sabine. On the other hand, I felt her thoughts, actions and image in Wellesley were so contradicting, there was no way she could be this perfect, materialistic rich girl. It didn’t help either, that her voice was so bland and indistinguishable from so many other YA heroines.

I’m legitimately starting to loathe psychiatric wards now. Not for the first time, I wonder how many patients are there not because they need to be there, but because the psychiatrists believe anyone ‘special’ or ‘different’ requires help. *sigh* Our male lead Ethan is a total sweetie, no doubt, but I couldn’t feel the chemistry between him and Sabine at all. No spark, no chemistry, no nothing. Just a guy and a girl who supposedly fall in love. Yes, I should love him because he’s so understanding, selfless..etc. but I couldn’t root for them. I just didn’t feel a connection with these two characters unfortunately.

Some readers/bloggers might’ve cried at the end; I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel anything, because well…I was sort of sad. I’m certain many readers will absolutely adore this standalone novel by everyone’s favourite Aussie author, however, this wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s a story I enjoyed, but not one I would read again. 

A massive thank you to HarperCollins Australia for providing a copy of  Between The Lives for review! 

Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me

by Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: Allen & Unwin 

Release Date: February 2013

Format: Paperback, 480 pages 

Our lips touch and I know I'm going to split at the seams. He kisses me softly then strongly like he's lost me and he's found me and I'm slipping away and he's never going to let me go. 

 Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. A place for people like her - people with gifts - and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance. 

 She's finally free from the Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. 

 Haunted by her past, terrified of her future, Juliette knows that in her present, she will have to make some life-changing choices. Choices that may include choosing between her heart - and Adam's life.

* CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM UNRAVEL ME.*

(Sorry guys! Couldn't resist :S I needed to rant!)

I remember raving and gushing and writing my review for Shatter Me with a massive grin on my face since I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I had extremely high expectations when I started Unravel Me, and while my expectations were met for the most part, I wasn’t thrilled with Juliette’s performance in the first half of the book. Honestly, if it weren’t for Kenji’s wise, and sometimes harsh but essential lectures and Warner’s appearances, I would’ve stopped reading after 100 pages. Thank goodness the pacing picked up after the half-way mark though!

KENJIKENJIKENJI! I LOVEEEE YOUUUUUU!<3 Kenji’s still his charming self; cracking jokes every now and then, but we also got to see another side of Kenji; his serious side. He really cares about what happens at Omega Point, and he always has his priorities straight. We find out a little about Kenji’s life before arriving at Omega Point but I hope to learn the whole story in either his own novella or Book #3!<3 KENJI, YOU’RE MY HERO!!!

Now, WARNER<3 I didn’t care for him at all in Shatter Me; he was just delusional and plain…psycho. But after Unravel Me? HE STOLE MY HEART. He’s so broken, so obsessed with Juliette, it’s pitiful and how much he cares for her her and loves her is just..so..endearing. My heart melted. WARNER, YOU DESERVE YOUR HAPPY ENDING<3

And lastly, I have a letter I’d like Juliette to read. It expresses my feelings about her character in Unravel Me and….yeah…I had a lot to say so I thought I’d write it in the form of a letter ;) Here it is…

Dear Juliette,

I remember loving you back when I read Shatter Me; you were so broken and vulnerable yet you also showed me you were brave and I loved you. I really did. Then, after the last page of Shatter Me, I anticipated some kick-ass action in Unravel Me because you seemed like…you finally found somewhere where you could be you. It’s so unfortunate that Unravel Me commenced with you feeling lonely, and distanced from everyone at Omega Point. You whined constantly about how you couldn’t control your power, how everyone always looked at you like a murderer, and then later about how you and Adam couldn’t be together.GET YOUR FREAKING ACT TOGETHER. Go talk to people. Try to make friends. You want to help the people at Omega Point? Stop complaining about how you can’t do anything, ask for help and be MOTIVATED. And as for Adam? WOMAN. YOUR LIFE DOESN’T DEPEND ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. You two may not be able to be together for the moment but it’s not the end of the world!! You’re so lucky to have Kenji by your side who can keep you on the right track, otherwise, honestly, I would have you stabbed with a freaking knife.

Oh, and one more thing. YOU HAVE WARNER. WARNER, who shows you his true self, the side NO ONE knows about. WARNER, who really understands you. WARNER, who knows you inside and out (unlike Adam, because THERE ARE TOO MANY SECRETS BETWEEN YOU TWO. Did you know you’re actually pushing each other away instead of protecting one another every time one of you consciously lies to the other?) WARNER, who SAVED YOUR LIFE. HE SAVED YOUR FREAKING LIFE. DON’T YOU DARE PUSH HIM AWAY AGAIN. And do you remember what happened in chapter 62? You should, because I definitely wasn’t the only person who had FEELS during those pages. YOU LIKED IT. YOU LIKED IT HEAPS. And remember how you said Warner is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? Yeah? THAT’S WHAT YOU SAY TO YOUR OTHER HALF. Therefore, Juliette, look at what’s in front of you, what’s been handed to you on a silver platter rather than chasing someone that can’t be yours.

I genuinely hope what you said at the end of Unravel Me will carry through in the next book. I’d hate to be disappointed with you again.

Yours sincerely,

Warner’s #1 Fan.

Unravel Me was an epic and completely riveting follow-up to Shatter Me. I may have had issues with Juliette, but I'm happy to say, it didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book :) This is one sequel you cannot miss!

***

Oh, and since I love Warner so much, here's some Warner love from fellow bloggers<3

A massive thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing a copy of Unravel Me for review!

Review: When We Wake by Karen Healey

When We Wake 
by Karen Healey 
Publisher: Allen & Unwin 

Release Date: January 27th. 2013

Format: Paperback, 291 pages 

The last thing Tegan remembers is the crack as the gun went off, intense pain, and everything fading to black. One hundred years later, she wakes up. A fast-paced near-future romance.

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027 - she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

 But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies - and wakes up a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened. 

 Tegan is the first person to be cryonically frozen and successfully revived, which makes her an instant celebrity - though all she wants is to rebuild some semblance of a normal life ...
 including spending as much time as possible with musically gifted Abdi, even if he does seem to hate the sight of her. But the future isn't all she hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of When We Wake is 'interesting'. I know that's an extremely vague term to describe the book...but it pretty much sums up my feelings for it. I found the premise fascinating, and the characters were generally likeable but there were parts that I felt could've been handled better. Overall though, it was like I said , an 'interesting' read.

We have our main character, Tegan or 'Teeg' who recently died and woke up 100 years in the future. I'm sure that alone is enough to pique anyone's interest! The idea of a corpse being ‘cryonically frozen’ and then revived a century later was certainly refreshing, thought-provoking and intriguing. It left me wondering; could it possibly aid the future if dead people were able to be revived? And what would the future be like granted this was possible? And of course, there're also questions of just how ethical this is... I love books that make me think so I was really pleased with this!

The characters were all extremely likeable, though admittedly forgettable. One reason would probably be the fact that their names were so hard to remember and no one really…stood out. ( Try remembering names like Abdi / Zaneisha/ Bethari/ Joph; I honestly forgot ALL those names two minutes after finishing the book). Names aside, I really enjoyed Teeg, Bethari & Joph’s friendship; they might not have know each other for long, but they shared this special bond & their friendship was so genuine and endearing<3 There's also Abdi, who helps and supports Teeg along during her ‘second’ life; they got off to a rocky start, but I love how they were able to bond over their mutual love for music, or more specifically, mutual love for The Beatles! The romance takes a backseat, and was a nice addition to the main plotline.

Now, the character I absolutely despised was The Father. He's the leader of a cult called he has the weirdest, most corrupt logic in the world. He wants Teeg to kill herself, because her second chance at life is going against God's wishes. Religious beliefs aside, it was so hypocritical of him to expect her to kill herself because apparently 'murder is a sin' and he didn’t want to get his own hands dirty. Though he’s never killed anyone, he’s known all along that innocents were being murdered but he never intervened. So apparently, as long as it’s not him committing the murder with his bare hands, he'll be exempt from punishment. What on earth? The guy seriously drove me nuts. He was a freaking raging lunatic. (He doesn’t even deserve his own paragraph but I HATE HIM SO MUCH. )

Now, a couple of 'it's-not-you-it's-me' issues. We're educated on a lot of the economic, political and science matters currently taking place in 2128. I think it's great that those details are being touched upon; it gives great background to this futuristic world. However, my problem is that I got bored. I can't sit through an economic, political, nor science lecture without falling asleep.  Looks like I can't read several pages of this without yawning either. That's just me though. Then there's the fact that, even though it was obvious to the readers that something was going on within the government, Teeg and her friends seemed to jump to conclusions so easily. There wasn’t much planning and they just jumped headfirst into dangerous situations. I guess some parts just seemed a little...rushed.

My restlessness in regards to certain matters aside, When We Wake is a unique and thought-provking YA dystopian that I would definitely recommend! It's relatively short, so you can finish it in one sitting :)

       A massive thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing a copy of When We Wake  for review! 

I'm also giving away 3 copies of this lovely book to Australian readers. 

Click HERE for the giveaway :)

Level 2 Blog Tour: "Is It a Love Triangle" Guestpost by Lenore Appelhans

It's my pleasure to invite author and blogger Lenore Appelhans to stop by the blog today as part of the international blog tour for her debut novel, Level 2. 

 Lenore has kindly written a post on the 'love triangle' in her book. Many of you will probably immediately think there's a love triangle based on the words "Two Loves. One Choice" from the blurb. However, fear not! Lenore will be clearing up this matter in her guestpost below about how there can be two guys but no love triangle! Interested? Then read on!

Level 2

by Lenore Appelhans

Published by Simon & Schuster (US)/ Usborne (UK)/ Allen & Unwin (AUS)

on January 15th, 2013

 Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2). 

 'I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.' 

 Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her. 

 Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves. 

Is it a love triangle?

You might have read the following in the description of LEVEL 2: “Three Levels. Two Loves. One Choice.” And if you dig a little deeper, you’ll see there are two romantic interests in Felicia’s life, Julian and Neil.  You might have even heard about people picking teams.  All of this would seem to point straight to a love triangle right?  Well, that all depends on your definition of a love triangle.

I’m going to argue that there is no love triangle in LEVEL 2, mainly based on the fact that Felicia had relationships with Julian and Neil at different times in her life.  You see Felicia’s toxic relationship with Julian in her Germany memories. You experience Felicia’s sweet/awkward relationship with Neil in her Ohio memories (which take place long after Julian is out of the picture). In the current action in Level 2, Julian is there and Neil is not, but Felicia is clearly not interested in Julian – she accepts his “help” only because he promises to lead her to Neil.

I suppose if you subscribe to a very broad view of a love triangle – that if there’s even a slight possibility of romance between characters then it’s a love triangle - you might see a love triangle here (but then, you probably see love triangles everywhere). After all, Julian is still interested in Felicia romantically, so all Felicia needs to do is change her mind, right?

I like Malinda Lo’s distinction between a “love V” and a “love triangle”.  She argues that for there to be a real triangle, there needs to be some sort of a relationship between all angles of the triangle. She gives The Vampire Diaries as an example. Elena is connected to both Damon and Stefan, but Damon and Stefan are also brothers who share a brotherly love.  Note that in LEVEL 2,  Julian and Neil are not connected at all.

It’s also interesting to read Carrie Ryan’s perspective on love triangles in YA – that it is not so much about the choice between two different boys but more about the choice of who those two different boys allow the heroine to be.  In Felicia’s case, she is the “bad girl” looking for redemption from “good boy” Neil.  In that sense, if Felicia would choose to renew a romance with Julian, what would that mean for her character?

OK, I’ll admit it … there is a love triangle in LEVEL 2. But it’s not Felicia/Julian/Neil. It’s actually Felicia and her best friend Autumn competing for the affections of Julian.  And even though it’s a relatively minor part of the story, this one might even be considered a true “Malinda Lo-style” love triangle.  Not to mention it is also rarer to see a 2 female/1 male triangle than a 1 female/2 male in YA.  Diana Peterfreund has a great post explaining just why that is.

What’s your definition of a love triangle?

I find some of the points raised really interesting! I haven't read Level 2 yet, but after this post, I personally cannot wait to see how this not-love-triangle plays out :)

Find LEVEL 2:
Goodreads | Simon & Schuster

Find Lenore Appelhans at:
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

Blog Tour: Stitch - Review

 

Stitch

by Samantha Durante

Publisher: Self-published

Release Date: August 2012

Format: e-ARC

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa’s body screams at her to run… but yet she’s powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees – and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell – Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn’t figured out yet is that she’s not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university’s idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface…

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

 

Goodreads / Facebook / Librarything / Shelfari

Stitch was certainly one interesting and unpredictable novel for me. A blend of sci-fi, dystopian and a little paranormal, Durante has created a compelling story that kept me guessing until the very end. And boy, was it impossible to guess the twists! However, while there was nothing essentially *wrong* with the book, I was unable to give it my full attention and *enjoy* it as much as I would've liked.

The actual plot of the story wasn't revealed until more than halfway through, and I was really surprised by the turn of events! The plot was extremely complex and quite riveting, but for me, it was  a little confusing at times. As exciting as the twists were, I had touble keeping up with what was happening and it seemed that certain subplots were introduced, but never entirely developed at the expense of focusing on the larger plot, which was revealed later on. There was also a lot of alternating between different...time periods and dream/reality which also contributed to the confusion.

The beginning was unfortunately a little slow for me; the pace didn't pick up until at least half-way, by which time I was losing interest. It was regrettable that I couldn't enjoy the climax, nor the last 30% of the story, but I have to admit, the revelation and events during the last part of the book was meticulously though out and I applaud the author for that. It was just a pity I lost interest by that point :(

Alessa was a character I found a little difficult to connect (mainly because it was written in third person, and I'm VERY picky about third-person narration), but as the story progressed, I started liking her a bit more. She was a loyal and loving friend, determined to protect those she loved and fight for them. Her romance with Isaac, unfortunately didn't feel real nor natural; but I'll blame that on the fact that she and Isaac hardly spent any time together in the book. I just hope there will be more chemistry between the two in the second book! (I like my dose of some sexy romance ;P)

While I had some issues here and there, overall, Stitich really is a book worth spending your time on. Ms Durante has managed to intricately intertwine several genres to create one exciting story! Don't be put off just because it's self-published; who knows, you may end up enjoying it immensely!

 

You can see you full schedule HERE.