Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Upside of Unrequited 
by Becky Albertalli 

Publisher: Penguin   
Release Date: 11th April, 2017  

 Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love-she's lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful. Fat girls always have to be careful. 

 Then a cute new girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness-except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny, flirtatious, and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.

 There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's an awkward Tolkien superfan, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

The Upside of Unrequited

I’ve discovered that with time and age, my reading preferences have changed. I’m certain 16 year old me would have swooned, gushed and raved endlessly about how cute The Upside of Unrequited is and talked excessively about how adorably slow and perfect the romance between the Molly and Reid is. Unfortunately, 22 year old me thought the whole push and pull between the two was too cute for my liking - I think I can only tolerate small doses of cuteness before I go “Yeah, nah”, onto the next book.

I’ll start with what I enjoyed about The Upside of Unrequited, and then I’ll address the main issue I had with it. I think most people would disagree with

A relatable main character

The Upside of Unrequited had the ingredients for the perfect YA book. In particular, I found Molly’s actions and the situations she found herself in very relatable. Molly has had 20-something crushes in the past and none of them moved past the ‘crush’ stage because she never communicated her feelings in fear of rejection. Yeah, guess what – same here. The whole time I was thinking “wow….this is so me”. Some other examples of some things I do that I didn’t think anyone else did until I read this book.

“I google the number, but Google doesn’t know, and I feel dumb asking who it is. So I ignore it. “

So yes, when I receive a random call and he/she doesn’t leave a voicemail, or when I receive a random text from someone I always google the number first and then decide whether or not to call back. Usually when they don’t leave a voicemail, I ignore the number.

“It’s the second time, because you’ve already used up all the obvious topics of conversation.”

This one is so applicable to me when I meet people I don’t ‘connect’ with. I mean, I can keep a conversation going during our first meeting – no worries – but if we randomly bump into each other again, say the next day then sorry, but what the heck am I suppose to talk to you about?! All obvious topics of conversation have been exhausted! Hhahahahah obviously this doesn’t happen all the time, but when I read the quote above, I just thought of situations in the past where I had nothing to say to someone I’d just bumped into.

Diversity

I've been on and off on twitter over the last few years so sometimes I miss out on important bookish news and trends. Sometime last year/ this year 'Diversity' became a top trending topic between readers, bloggers, authors and publishers. From reading a couple of tweets it seems the gist of it was readers wanted more diversity in books. Well, turns out, you asked and Becky Albertalli delivered.

Now, I’m going to say something that may not be well received since after reading a few reviews and general comments on Twitter, I’ve concluded that my feelings belong in the minority. While I appreciate Albertalli’s attempt at creating a world with all types of diverse characters, the impression I got was more of a 'diversity dump' or a shopping list of diverse characters. I personally felt it was a desperate attempt to incorporate all these diverse characters into one book to appeal to readers to the point that the characters didn't feel realistic anymore. They felt like chess pieces brought in for the sole purpose of writing a book about diversity; there was no substance or depth to any of the characters beyond their labels. I remember at least one character was Jewish, and others had different skin colours, religion, sexuality but that was it. The terms were thrown around and then the story went back to the cute interactions between Molly and Reid.

I was slightly annoyed at Albertalli’s representation of Mina. The first time I realized she was Asian I thought “Oh yay! An Asian character, I like this book already!” Then after a few chapters I got the feeling that Albertalli was desperate to reiterate to the readers that Mina‘s A PERSON OF COLOUR, that it felt like she was shoving this fact in my face. Cassie was constantly saying how Mina is "Korean-American" and the whole time I just imagined Mina with a banner above her head with the words LOOK AT ME. IM KOREAN-AMERICAN. A DIVERSE CHARACTER.

So my point is I like books where the author doesn’t tell me once, twice, or five thousand times that someone is pansexual, or Asian or Jewish. Please do your research and show me this information. Having said all that, The Upside Of Unrequited wasn’t bad – it was a quick read and I definitely enjoyed it but I probably won’t be coming back for more.

Book Review: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Title: The Night She Disappeared
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: 13th March, 2012
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher for review via Netgalley (Thank you!)

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

The Night She Disappeared is a fast-paced thriller that prompts readers to consider the severity of kidnapping/ disappearances that has happened around the world. While it did have its ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

As a hardcover crime fiction fan, I’ve always been fascinated by crime scene investigations, autopsy reports, transcripts of interviews between police and suspect etc. I loved how in addition to the story, there were also newspaper clippings, phone transcripts and even an autopsy report! I was literally over the moon every time I read a police report/transcript/clipping, since these files are such a rare sight in YA fiction these days! 

The story is told through multiple perspectives – Kayla (victim), Drew, Gabie, and even the perpetrator! While I must admit, had I not read the title of each chapter (which specifies whose POV we’ll be reading from), I wouldn’t have been able to tell.  Drew's and Gabie's ‘voices’ were indistinguishable, in my opinion anyway, but funnily enough, it wasn't a huge problem. But I felt the fact that we got to read from the perspective of the victim & perpetrator defeated the purpose of unravelling the mystery behind the girl’s kidnapping- half the book,everyone were freaking out over whether Kayla was dead or not, but since I knew she was still alive, it just…sort of ruined the mystery :/.

I also had a little issue with the characters. It was difficult to connect with Gabie and Drew; I just couldn’t understand Gabie’s rash decisions and while I did understand her feels of guilt, her actions seemed a little..’over the top’. My biggest issue however, was with the police officer- his actions were unbelievable and just so un-police-like. I highly doubt, even with my very limited experience with cops, that they would yell at a guilt-ridden girl and accuse her of not contributing at all to the investigation? (i.e. yelling “you’ve been no help at all”.) I personally find that a little hard to believe.

And before I finish off, as a crime-fiction freak, I’ve always believed one shouldn’t announce a person has died, until the body is found. (It’s common sense, right? Or…not?) But here, the theories were all over the place and even with inconclusive evidence, it seemed the police, and everyone else, decided to believe this particular theory just to achieve some sort of closure. And guess what? I find that hard to believe.

Overall, I found this a very entertaining read, despite the lack of intense mystery & suspense.Even though it was so short, this still managed to get me thinking about some local, and globally known kidnapping cases. (which reminds me...there was an attempted kidnapping incident near my school! *scary*) Anyway, for a 240-page book, this was pretty good! :)

Book Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Silence
Series: Hush, Hush #3
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: October 4th, 2011
Source: Publisher for review (Thank you!)
Format: Paperback
Synopsis: 
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

My Thoughts:

Words can’t describe how I excited I was when I picked up my copy of Silence from the post office. I was literally squealing in delight and for the past few days, I’ve been taking this everywhere with me. I just cannot bear to part with it. I can stare at the cover all day long, and still won’t get tired of the cover art. It’s just absolutely, stunningly, gorgeous! If I ever become an author and have my book published, I’d want no other than James Porto to design my cover! Speaking of beautiful covers, I’ve recently become wary of pretty cover arts, since experience tells me that striking covers usually equate to poorly written books. For once, I have to disagree. Silence was truly amazing; the books just keep getting better and better! Beautiful cover + excellent storyline- what more can you expect?

The story starts a few months after the ending of Crescendo. Nora has been captured by Hank, the Black Hand and locked away for the entire summer. When she is finally released, after 3 months she has no recollection of what happened to her in the past 5 months of her life. Even worse, she has forgotten Patch! Nora begins to search for answers, and unravel the mystery behind her disappearance. Truthfully, I didn’t quite understand the significance of Nora forgetting Patch. Nora forgetting her kidnapper is understandable, but Patch? It’s not like they can ever stay away from each other anyway. Memory loss aside, I was highly intrigued by the whole mystery surrounding Hank and his true intentions for getting close to Nora. There was plenty of mystery and suspense that kept me turning the pages, eager to find out what will happen next. There were also a few twists that caught me off guard! I felt Silence focused more on the storyline rather than the romance between Patch and Nora, which was definitely a relief!

 I haven’t written reviews for Hush, Hush and Crescendo but I should say that Nora and Vee were both frustrating and annoying characters, especially in Crescendo. However, I was surprised at how I actually started to warm up to Nora in Silence. Sure, she was still impulsive and doing things without thinking of the consequences, but for once, she actually had a plausible reason to. I remember, in Crescendo, she was constantly getting herself into ridiculous situations to spy on Patch ( I mean, seriously? Give it a rest girl!), but in this instalment, she did everything to find out the truth behind her kidnapping and her lost memories. Her strength and determination was evident in this book and I was pleased at how her character has developed since Hush,hush.

Many of the minor characters played a larger and more important role in Silence. For instance, Marcie. I really liked the interactions between Marcie and Nora; their ‘frenemy‘ relationship was  hilarious. I guess what I really liked about the two was how they were able to cast away their past disagreements and focus on helping each other in the present, especially at the end of the book. I can’t wait to read more of Nora & Marcie’s friends/enemy relationship in the next book!

Overall, this was an engaging and plot-driven story that will leave you impatient for the release of the fourth book! Like I said, I found part of the memory loss unnecessary, but I’ve no doubt many readers will find this an interesting twist! Do yourself a favour, and buy a copy of this book; you won’t be disappointed. From what happened at the end of the book, I’ve no doubt the plotline in the fourth book will be incredible and action-packed! Definitely looking forward to it!

Rating:4.5 stars
Quotes:
“He inclined his head at my dress. "What's the occasion?"

"Homecoming," I said, twirling. "Like?"

"Last I heard, Homecoming requires a date."

"About that," i hedged. "I'm sort of...going with Scott. We both figure a high-school dance is the last place Hank will be patrolling."

Patch smiled, but it was tight. "I take that back. If Hank wants to shoot Scott, he has my blessing.”

Book Review: Elemental: The First by Alexandra May

Title: Elemental: The First
Author: Alexandra May
Publisher: Pauma Publishing
Release Date: July 22nd, 2011
Source: Author+Publisher for review (Thank you!)
Format: Paperback
Synopsis:
ROSE Frost receives a bracelet on her sixteenth birthday, a parting gift from her mother who claims it is a family heirloom. From that night Rose starts having vivid dreams and strange visions.

DAYS after, her family separate and Rose moves into her grandmother's house. Her dreams start to involve a woman called Halíka Dacomé. Is she a legend or a figment of her imagination?

DANGER strikes one night. Rose is first on the scene after she smells burning and discovers a car that has been purposely set on fire. She is convinced that the boy in her latest vision is inside the car. The mysterious Aiden Deverill pulls Rose to safety, but not before a window explodes and a ball of fire burns them both. She uses her secret healing gift to heal the scars and to all appearances remains unscathed.
But Aiden is free from burns too and Rose doesn't know why.
She is drawn to his alluring smile, his gorgeous dark looks and hypnotising blue eyes, but as they get closer her friends warn her off claiming that he's bad news.

Rose tries to find the truth about Halika Dacomé and more about why Aiden is so disliked, but she soon gets drawn into helping her friends solve the mystery behind the missing Warminster townsfolk. The latest missing person is her new friend Jez's father.

During the investigation she meets Morgan, a family friend of Daisy's who lives in the cottage at the bottom of Daisy's garden. He's kind, funny and clearly devoted to her, but Rose finds out that his hatred towards Aiden and his grandfather, Ben Deverill, lies rooted in a shocking event that happened years before involving both families.

For Rose, her new life is beginning but she soon realises that people are not always what they seem, and finds it difficult to determine who to trust.

What she always believed to be a happy family and a friendly town soon turns on its head when she discovers that her family secret, Aiden Deverill and the truth behind Halíka Dacomé is at the heart of the whole conspiracy.


My Thoughts:

Elemental started off strongly; there was something mysteriously engrossing about the prologue, and I was able to instantly dive into the captivating world of Elemental the First. I was so curious to unravel the mystery surrounding Rose’s heritage and also how this infamous Halika Decome and Rose are related. The premise was also really interesting; a powerful Elemental, the first human on earth reincarnation in the form of a human girl with an unusual and unique gift.  Sound fascinating, right? However,what was initially a plot-driven story soon molded to focus largely on typical teenage issues; love, jealousy, betrayal, outings etc. Although the plot was not entirely forgotten -there were of course scenes every now and then dedicated to the central storyline- when I recall the book as a whole the romance and friends gathering moments took precedence over the actual plot.

The romance. What can I say? It was certainly another one of those typical love triangles involving the good guy (Morgan) and the bad guy (Aiden). *sigh* Unsurprisingly, both guys were hot and sexy and readers are obviously suppose to be breathless with excitement, squealing about how hot they are and how it’s too hard to choose between the two. Too bad, I’m over unoriginal love triangles. Truthfully, the story would’ve still worked out perfectly without the romance between Morgan and Rose, since Aiden is a whole lot more important and played a larger role in the book. I just hope in the next book Rose won’t be running from one to the other, trying to decide who she wants to be with.

One of the main problems I had with the book was the dialogue between Rose and her new friends. Being teenagers, there was obviously gossip, talks of boys, school and everything you would expect to arise in a teen discussion. Unfortunately the conversations felt unnatural and forced; while the content was certainly suitable, the tone and the way everything was said gave me the impression that it was an adult trying to speak like a child, or at least like someone much younger. I guess when you read the lines separately, they would seem perfectly natural, but when I read the entire conversation from beginning to end, the words and sentences just felt out of place. I’ll admit, the dialogue was too awkward for my liking.

All in all, despite the many flaws, I did enjoy Elemental:The First as a whole. The mystery surrounding Rose was intriguing, as was the strange connections between everyone in the book. Give it a go, I’m sure many of you will enjoy this! I am looking forward to book 2, since there were many unanswered questions and I sure want to find out what happens next!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: October 3rd, 2011 (Aus.)
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback.
Synopsis:
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
My Thoughts:

Oh dear, how am I supposed to return to reality after entering Lola world in Lola and the Boy Next Door? All I can think about is CRICKET; and his insanely kind, loving heart, and how incredibly hot he looks on the front cover, and how unbelievably smart is, and how I wish he existed in real life so I could steal him from Lola. (Oh, but St. Clair is still mine J!)

Lolaaaa.(Don’t you just love saying her name out loud? ) I loved Lola’s character. She was outrageous, crazy, and had such a distinct and unique taste that there’s no doubt she’s the one and only Lola in the world. There can be no second Lola. She’s just that special. I’ve realised that in many books, it takes at least a few chapters for readers (or at least me) to gain an insight into the main character’s personality/character (even if the book is written in first person); at the start of a book, I usually have a neutral feeling toward the characters since I’m not familiar with their habits, personality etc. but in Lola’s case, it was completely different. It was like as soon as I started reading, I was already aware of just what sort of person she was, and I could tell immediately that I would like her. And of course, I was right.

I can’t say I enjoyed every moment of the book; there were times when I thought the story dragged, and not much happened. BUT, this is Stephanie Perkins we’re talking about and she can convert even the most stubborn anti-fans of similar books into hard-core fans of her own. The light and funny dialogue and the swoon-worthy scenes involving CRICKET was more than enough to compensate for the well…slightly less-exciting scenes.

Did I mention the ending? Oh, how I absolutely LOVED the ending. It was perfect. Definitely one of the best scenes in the book!

Throughout the book, I was constantly comparing Lola to Anna and the French Kiss; it was impossible not to. I must admit, I still like Anna and the French Kiss better. The whole PARIS setting totally swept me away and I guess I like St. Clair a tiny bit more than Cricket. I don’t know how I’m going to survive ONE YEAR until Isla is released! I guess I’ll just have to spend the year re-reading Anna and Lola until my copies become so worn that it won’t even be readable anymore. 

Rating: 4.5 stars


Quotes:
“So do you believe in second chances?" I bite my lip.
"Second, third, fourth. Whatever it takes. However long it takes. If the person is right," he adds.
"If the person is... Lola?"
This time, he holds my gaze. "Only if the other person is Cricket.” 


“I know you aren't perfect. But it's a person's imperfections that make them perfect for someone else.” 

Book Review: Between by Jessica Warman

Title: Between
Author: Jessica Warman
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Release Date: October 1^st 2011 (AUS)
Source: Publisher for review (Thank you!)
Format: Paperback
Synopsis:

Elizabeth Valchar --- pretty, popular and rich --- wakes up the morning after her 18th birthday on the yacht where she’d been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead. She has no memory of what happened to her, and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death.

She’s also soon joined by Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her high school who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two keep each other company, floating in and out of memories and trying to piece together the details of what happened to each of them.

In her regular life, Liz was a runner. It wasn’t abnormal for her to run 8-10 miles per day. But as memories from closer to her death begin to surface, Liz finds that she’d been running much more than normal, and that she’d all but stopped eating. Liz’s mother, who died when Liz was nine, had battled with anorexia as well, and those around her worried that Liz was following in her mother’s footsteps. But something more sinister was consuming Liz from the inside out...

My Thoughts:

Liz is woken up one morning after her 18^th birthday party on her family’s yacht by a loud and relentless thumping noise. When she walks outside her yacht to investigate, she sees herself lying dead between the dock and the boat. Being a spirit now, she has only a fragmented recollection of her life, and the night she died. With the help of Alex, who only recently passed away as well, Liz begins to unravel the mystery of her death and secrets she never would have dreamed was possible. As she begins to remember her past through revisiting her memories, Liz is able to understand herself better, thereby achieving self-knowledge and eventually be able to learn forgiveness and to let go. This is a moving story of learning to forgive yourself and those around you and achieve a sense of self-discovery through unraveling the mysteries and secrets of one’s past.

Elizabeth Valchara.k.a Liz, pretty, popular, perfect- she’s one of those typical‘it’ girls from high school teen dramas. We all know what they’re like; spoilt, rich, dates the most popular guy at school. I usually have not tolerance for these girls- I mean, they’re so superficial and shallow, so what is there to read about?- but Liz’s story is different. Although, when alive, she bullied peers who were seen as inferior to her and would rather die than be seen with an unpopular student, as she revisited these memories, she was able to view her actions from the perspective of an objective outsider and consequently became aware of how awful she was to everyone. I was pleasantly surprised but glad to see that she was deeply regretful of her past actions and constantly wished she could go back in time to mend her wrongdoings.

After Liz’s death, she meets Alex, an ‘uncool’/’unpopular’ student who always sat alone at lunch time, fearing the day when he’ll be noticed by the popular kids. We all know the drill. We’ve read about these people all the time as well, but with them, we feel sympathy and kindness. Liz and Alex did not get along at first - they bickered and fought constantly – but as time passed, they grew closer and eventually trusted each other enough to share their deepest secrets.  This shows that everyone, regardless social status can get along & be friends.( so why does everyone have to be labeled with a specific social standing?)

I really enjoyed visiting both Alex and Liz’s past; we gained an insight into their lives prior to their deaths, and of course through these memories we were able to uncover the truth. I must admit, while reading the book, I was constantly confused as to whether the characters were in the past or present. You see, Liz could not always control whether to visit the past or stay put, so sometimes she would spontaneously enter her memories and return to the past. I guess when I think back after reading the book, this wasn’t too much of a problem but it was slightly annoying since I had to flip back to check where she was.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading Between.  It was a highly entertaining novel with solid characters and a promising plot filled with mystery and suspense. Grab a copy if you haven’t read this yet; it’s definitely one you can’t miss!

Rating: 4 stars

Book Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Title: Glow
Series: Sky Chasers #1
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; Pan Macmillan AU.
Release Date: October 1^st (Aus.),
Source: Publisher for review (Thank you!)
Format: ARC
Synopsis:What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.
My Thoughts:

What would you do if you were suddenly wrenched apart from your family, loved ones and everyone you’ve ever known? Usually when I read a good book that raises this question or something similar, I would pause and ask myself ‘if this happened to me, what would I do?’. Unfortunately, while reading Glow, this question was buried at the back of my mind, and truthfully, I did not really care what would happen to the two main characters when they suddenly became separated. I truly wished I cared, but since I could not relate to the characters, I was purely reading just so I could quickly finish it.

The characters weren’t spectacular or likable in my opinion. Waverly, our protagonist was no doubt a determined and courageous girl, but I couldn’t quite relate to her. Kieran, Waverly’s boyfriend (and future husband?) seemed too perfect; everyone looked up to him and it was like he could do no wrong. Truthfully, I just wished Seth (both romantic and political rival) would take everything from him and strip him of his privileges. Waverly and Kerian’s relationship seemed somewhat awkward to me – I just couldn’t accept them as a couple. As for Seth, well, he tortures, manipulates and imprisons anyone he wants, which would usually cause me to despise him, except this time, I didn’t exactly care about these insanely sadistic methods.

Glow is written in third person, which did not work well for me. It felt like I was watching everything happen from a distance and I couldn’t be a part of it. It also prevented me from relating to the characters, feeling their emotions and understanding them. Everything, from pain, heartbreak, and joy all felt the same. I think Glow probably would’ve worked better if it was written in first person? – at least I think would be able to relate better to the characters, especially our two main characters, Waverly and Kieran.

What I did like about this book was the original, and refreshing storyline. I have heard that the plot is fairly similar to that of Across the Universe, but since I have not read that yet , this was a new read for me. (I think I might start reading AtU now, as the plot has definitely roused my interest).There was action, suspense, and some heart-pounding moments towards the end which certainly kept me reading. I guess I’ve learned that not only should you NOT judge a book by its cover, but also DON’T judge a book by the first few chapters, because some books, like Glow managed to capture my full attention towards the end. Although overall, Glow was a mediocre read for me, I believe the series has potential to really evoke my interest and leave me breathless for more.

Rating: 3 stars 

Book Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Name of the Star
Series: Shades of London #1
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Harper Collins Aus.
Release Date: 1st October 2011
Source: From publisher via Netgalley (Thank you!)
Format: EbookGoodreads Synopisis:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.


My Thoughts:

I’m quite ashamed to admit that I’d never heard of the name Jack the Ripper before, let alone knew what he was famous for. I’m actually a fan of crime fiction (and real crime) especially the whole mystery surrounding the perpetrators, so I’m glad Maureen Johnson introduced me to a new true crime story which I’ll be sure to research very soon.

 The Name of the Star was a mediocre read for me; I enjoyed it but it did not leave a lasting impression on me. The premise was fantastic (like I said, I love crime) however, the characters were vague and the writing style was just…average. I’ve never read any of Maureen Johnson’s books before but I have certainly seen her books around so naturally I was expecting a magnificent read, but The Name of the Star didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I genuinely enjoyed reading about Jack the Ripper and as much as his murders grossed me out, I found it highly fascinating.(I mean, a serial killer who actually mutilates and cuts open his victims? I’ve only ever read about those!)  In The Name of the Star, women have winded up dead and murdered in almost the same way as the victims of Jack the Ripper over a century ago. There’s frenzy and fear in the country as the ‘new’ Jack the Ripper is believed to be back. I liked how Maureen Johnson was able to effectively link the history of Jack the Ripper with this modern day crime, creating fear yet excitement among the public.

The characters were…decent but weren’t exceptional or memorable. There were like a blur to me and easily forgotten; it wasn’t that the characters lacked depth or personality but they just didn’t leave an impression on me. I guess my favourite characters would have to be the minor ones – Boo (what an awesome name!) and Alistair, both whom were more interesting than the other characters. There was also the typical up-herself ‘it’ girl who instantly became the MC’s rival/enemy and usually readers (or at least me) would detest the enemy as well, but in this case, I personally found no reason to hate the girl. There wasn’t anything wrong with her; sure, she was a bit naggy and academically competitive but that was all. It definitely didn’t seem enough reason for everyone to hate her.

The writing style was another factor that caused me to lose interest in the novel. At times, I was so bored, I had to switch to another book and put this one on hold indefinitely. Like the characters, there was nothing wrong with the writing; it just wasn’t striking in any way. Even during the climax, the writing remained the same;it wasn’t intense or gripping and I didn’t feel compelled to read more.

Without being too spoilery, I should mention that I didn’t find the villain’s reason for attacking the victims legit. I wasn’t content with the explanation; I mean one must have an incredibly plausible explanation for committing such brutal crimes, right? ( No, wait, no one has the right to kill people, but I’ll make an exception here..)Yet the whole purpose behind the killings was so ordinary that murdering so many people was just plain unnecessary. But  I was still intrigued by the whole mystery surrounding the killer so this wasn’t a huge issue for me.

Overall, I found The Name of the Star a pleasant read but marred by a weak writing style. I may not have liked this as much I as wanted, but I’m looking forward to the second book. Hopefully I’ll like it better than The Name of the Star. 

Rating: 3 stars
Quotes: 
"He's asking me out by asking me to ask you?" 


"I go completely mental too. Period fever. It's the worst."

Waiting On Wednesday #4

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Shatter Me 

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: Allen & Unwin (Aus.) 

Expected Release Date: November 2011 (Aus.)

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days and the last time was an accident. Now accidental murder has her locked up in an asylum where happy is a hot meal and not being dead in the morning. No one knows why touching her skin for too long is fatal. No one knows how to fix her problem. No one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population. The ozone layer is deteriorating. Farms are scarce, food is hard to find, temperatures are unreliable and the clouds are the wrong colour.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things. They said the people were to blame for wasting and raping the land of its resources. It's time to start fresh, is what they said. Bleach the past and throw away the freaks. So they threw Juliette in a cell and chopped up the opposition while she blinked. Now enough of the population is dead that the rest are whispering war and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she might be useful. Maybe a Venus flytrap is exactly what they need right now.
And maybe Juliette doesn't give a damn what The Reestablishment needs. Maybe she's tired of being a monster. Maybe she wants to be a human being for once in her life.
Maybe she wants to fight back.
But Juliette has to fight much more than a war. She has to fight herself for the right to be human and fight the world for the right to be free.
She has to make a choice.
Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.


- Gorgeous cover - loving the white dress :) I'm currently going through my Dystopian phase; I'm willing to read any books set in a dystopian world! I have to wait over 2.5 months until this books comes out - I don't know how I'm going to survive!

Book Review: Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Title: Burn Bright
Series: Night Creatures #1
Author: Marianne de Pierres
Publisher: Random House Australia
Release Date: March 1st 2011
Source: Borrowed (love my school library!)
Goodreads Synopsis: 
Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength.

In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute . . .

Retra doesn’t want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom.

But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother.

When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?

Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness?

Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.


My Thoughts:

I’ll admit, I only picked up this book from my library because of the cover. It just looked so eerie yet attention- grabbing at the same time and I just couldn’t resist borrowing it and leaving it on my bookshelf to gawk at. I didn’t have high expectations, but after reading it, i must say that it was a nice and refreshing read for me.

Retra has lived her entire life in a secluded environment, away from the rest of the community. Her actions and everyday life are heavily monitored; she is not being allowed to talk to anyone without permission and gets punished for almost everything she does. Her brother ran away the previous year to Ixion, and she is determined to find him. She is unlike the other runaways whose sole reason for escaping to Ixion, is to live a free life of eternal pleasure and partying. Once she arrives, she realises that there is more to Ixion than what appears on the surface and, are the Ripers, the guardians on the island, really protecting it? As she uncovers the secrets of Ixion and the mysterious guardians, she’ll be fighting for the survival of both herself and her friends.

The setting and world-building were incredibly imaginative; I can’t even start to describe how creative everything was.  The setting was completely original and unique and I was lost in the imaginary world created by the author. Ixion was truly an intoxicating world with its endless parties and everlasting pleasure. Sometimes, I really wish I was a character in the book, having the privilege of never ending partying and living life in the present. Marianne de Pierres is no doubt a master of world-building!

I like a bit of romance in every book I read, and there sure was romance in this book albeit a little…different. But I still enjoyed it. Initially, I rooted for Markes to end up with Retra, but unfortunately his character just wasn’t as fully developed as I’d liked, and his lack of appearance in the second half of the book lead me to eliminate him as a potential suitor. As for Lenoir, the head guardian, I’m still confused over what I think of him. On one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about him and Retra and found their connection really sweet, but on the other hand, I have no idea whether he’s seriously interested in Retra or not. I guess I’ll have to wait for the next book to find out!

I especially loved how the atmosphere created was dark, creepy yet captivating at the same time. It really suited the imaginary world of Ixion. The action scenes were well-written and kept me on the edge of my seat and the layers upon layers of mystery kept me turning page after page, impatient to read more. I also liked how nothing was held back, especially with certain scenes which were described in detail and I was able to conjure those images in my mind.

I guess the only problem for me was the ending. It was one of those unsatisfying endings that didn’t feel rushed, but was certainly abrupt. It just didn’t feel finished, like it ended halfway through a scene. Nevertheless, the ending left me wanting more and I’m anticipating the next instalment which will hopefully provide answers to the questions raised in Burn Bright.

Rating: 4.5 stars


Quotes:
"Ixion exists as an antidote to the rules and conventions of other places. We believe that indulging in pleasure will make better people. Self-denial and discipline and virtue are all myths invented to control you."