Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book!

Like any other fan out there, I love the dystopian genre and I especially love flesh-eating zombies - or pretty much anything with an outbreak that is used as a main plotline - so while I wasn't a huge fan of Jamie McGuire's debut book Beautiful Disaster, but her new adult title, RED HILL, was definitely up my alley for sure and in a certain way it was definitely a decent book to read.

RED HILL may not have been completely believable in a sense of survival techniques or in the romance department for that matter (which I found was a bit too insta-love for me between our two main characters and one for which I did not understand at all), but looking back on the story, I thought it was definitely a book that kept me fairly entertained (or at least interested) which, no matter what, is the whole point of a book despite its few flaws. Now in terms of the characters as well, while I didn't have any particular favourites, but they were still interesting to read about, even though there was so much more that the author could have done with them, particularly with what happened to them in the easy-fix kind of ending. Perhaps it was just me who thought of this, but I kind of wanted more oomph from the characters towards the end of the book or some sort of revelation of sorts because . . . they just seemed like they were capable of so much more than what they have already accomplished, you know? Still, they were good characters for the most part.

Overall, RED HILL offers nothing particularly new to the dystopian and zombie genre, but for a quick read with decent characters, I thought it was an okay book and definitely one you should check out!

The Rating

3/5 stars

The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Walker Books

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

When fifteen year old Mio Yamato furtively sneaks the katana - an ancestral Japanese sword - out of its hiding place in her parent's attic to help liven up her Christmas party costume, she has no idea of the darkness she is about to unleash on modern day London, or the family secrets that she is going to uncover.

The paralysing paranoia that descends on her before she gets to her friend's party is her first clue. The vivid and terrifying visions that nearly get her killed are a pretty good warning too.

The giant nine-tailed cat demon that comes after the sword and tries to rip her throat out? Overkill.

Seconds away from becoming kitty-food, Mio is saved by Shinobu, a mysterious warrior boy. But it's already too late. Mio has ruptured the veil between the mortal realm and the Underworld, and now the gods and monsters of ancient Japan stalk the streets of London, searching for her and the sword. 

With the help of her best friend Jack, a fox spirit named Hikaru - and the devoted protection of the betwitchingly familiar Shinobu - Mio attempts to discover the true nature of the sword and its connection to the Yamato family. Because if she doesn't learn how to control the katana's incredible powers, she's in danger of being overwhelmed by them. And if she can't keep the sword safe from the terrible creatures who want it for their own, she'll lose not only her own life... but the love of a lifetime.

The Review

I believe this is my very first book that I've read of Zoë Marriott's work, but even so, I definitely know now why so many other readers have praised her books up over the past year or so. So with her newest book out this year, THE NIGHT ITSELF, and after reading it pretty quickly too, the book itself has certainly got my interest up in her other works that she has out right now and in saying that I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future and from this particular new series of hers as well.

THE NIGHT ITSELF - while interesting and fairly unique within its own genre - may not have been the most epic of all books that I have ever read, but in my opinion, I still firmly believe that this book is one of the most well-constructed books I have come across lately and the author has definitely set up this book as a wonderful beginning to a new trilogy, which, of course, I can't wait to read more of, especially with learning more about our main characters.Whether it's to do with the well-balacned pacing or with the characters themselves who are both quirky and strong within their own right, but the author should seriously take on all the credit for her Japanese mythology side of things that are presented in this book and how she cleverly combined them with a UK contemporary setting (which was great!). You know, sometimes what I often find in YA books is that mythology and contemporary settings can clash or rather simply not work at all nor seem believable enough for readers (even for fantasy books), but with this particular title it just worked wonders for the author and her readers.

Overall, while I will admit the book did have a couple of problems here and there (including times where there were slower parts in the book or where I thought some scenes weren't getting straight to the point as I would've liked or something along those lines), but on a whole I really enjoyed this book and the characters were pretty awesome as well, not to mention that the overall plot was very strong and energetic for the most part. So in the end those were the main things that kept me reading until the very end and if you love Japanese myths combined with modern day settings and awesome characters, then this is definitely your kind of book for sure!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Torn by K.A. Robinson

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 272pgs

The Story

Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past. 

On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it.

Falling for Drake was never part of her plans, but when it happens, things seem to do anything but fall into place.

Dealing with a tragic past, Drake has never cared about anyone else but himself and his band. But when Chloe takes the empty seat next to him in class, things start to change. Instantly drawn to her, he begins to wonder if one girl can take a cold hearted womanizer and change every part of him?

Long hidden feelings are revealed and friendships tested to the brink.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book!

Ugh. This is going to be a hard review to write but for starters, I really like the new adult genre (I think it's an awesome genre no matter what some people say), however lately some stories seem to become the same old, same old thing. Bad boys. Good girls. Cliche romances. Sex. More sex. And most importantly . . . more sex but with less of a storyline. While this particular book does fall into the same categories as I mentioned before and while it wasn't necessary a bad book per se (which it is not), but I found this book doesn't present anything new and exciting for me to read about, so it would only be a pretty average read for me to say the least. A book that has it's good and bad things.

The good things straight-up would definitely be the ages of the characters because I can somehow relate to them (at least a little bit) and the fact that they present some pretty heavy issues in the book, I actually believe some readers can relate those things also. However, with the lack of connection to the characters is probably the main reason why I'm rating this book lower than I planned to. The characters, much like with the storyline itself, were only 'just okay' characters for me, but again I stress that I found it was very hard to connect and believe in the character's stories, especially with Drake who, I find, is yet another stereotype the new adult genre brings up constantly in books. The rebel without a cause. The playboy who changes his 'ways'. Chloe, the main character, may have gotten on my nerves at times, but I think Drake annoyed me more because I don't believe he is a great guy and I'm slowly getting tired of bad boy guys or at least people pretending to be one of them. Yeah . . . the characters let this book down for me unfortunately not to mention the sex etc.

Overall, TORN has made me torn myself. It's still a decent book all round, but with the lack of connection is what failed me to like this book more. But if you like the likes of Beautiful Disaster or something along those lines, then you may like this book!

The Rating

2/5 stars

If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Little Brown

Pages: 320pgs

The Story

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying - to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others - so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?

The Review

You know what? This book is actually my favourite, favourite book in Amy Plum's Revenants series and considering this is the final book and everything, I'm very pleased about this revelation of mine. I mean, the book may have its predictable sides and cheesy romances added onto it, but I was really entertained this time round and I love being entertained no matter what happens in a book. That, after all, is the whole point of reading a book.

So from the very beginning this series may not have been my absolute favourite YA series out there, but what I've always come to love and appreciate about Amy Plum's work is how she makes her stories so much fun to read not mention how fun her characters are in their little and not so little supernatural dilemmas that they experience along the way. IF I SHOULD DIE, yet again, delivers one of those kind of reads for me and I'm actually really glad with how everything eventually turned out for each one of the characters in this final book, particularly with our two main characters, Kate and Vincent, who are the people I care about the most in the series and whether it's a sad or happy ending for them or a bit of both (which I cannot tell you because of spoilers and that would suck) but let's just say everything is tied up neatly and overall it was a great series to read over the last few years, so definitely pick up this final book soon because you can't afford to miss out with this one!

Overall, IF I SHOULD DIE was my favourite installment of the series and while I'm sad yet another series is over and done with now, but I can't wait to see what else Amy Plum has to offer us in the future.

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 214pgs

The Story

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

The Review

A big thanks to Bloomsbury Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

Trish Doller definitely has a great story idea going for her, one that particularly focused hard on grief and guilt that war generally has on people. In that aspect and personally for me, I initially loved that direction that she went for for this particular storyline as it is very relevant for today's world of war and the effects it eventually has on our young soldiers and so on. So while I did like that take in this new contemporary YA book, but by the time I finished this book, I didn't particularly feel anything from the book nor did it have a big impact on me. At least not in a way that would make me recommend the book.

SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL, again, had a great idea initially but the characters were the main problem for me when connecting with this particular book. Travis, in particular, was one of the major problems for me. While I liked his voice in the beginning, but slowly as I began to read further into this book, I soon became to feel very distant with his character and the problem is I don't why exactly.Yeah . . . it's something that I feel very iffy about lately because I don't know how to feel about Travis. One moment you think you might like him, but then he does something or you learn something about him that makes you turn off him again. But all in all, I think perhaps the character just didn't do anything that made me take more notice of him . . . or perhaps it had something to do with his new romance with Harper, a girl he once knew in his past.

Now as for Harper, she too was someone I felt pretty iffy about sometimes. I mean, I did connect with her and I did begin to actually like her as a character more so than Travis, but again my problem with Travis had something to do with her all the time. The thing about Harper is that she hated Travis (or that was my impression at least at the beginning) and that was because before Travis left to enlist as a soldier, he had spread a certain 'rumor' about her which instantly made me not like him one bit. But, as I began to like Harper, for some reason she quickly forgave Travis for what he did which is rather hard to believe because anyone in her shoes would not forgive so easily or at least that is what I would do if someone spread a rumor that had a great effect on me. But . . . that's Harper for you. Sure Travis had his problems and some people may forgive him because of that, but I thought Harper didn't have a great connection to Travis and I thought she forgave him for certain things way too easily. But that's my opinion.

Overall, SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL was decent contemporary book, but wasn't the book I thought it would be like. But if you like contemporary reads that do explore grief and guilt, along with a little bit of subtle romance on the side, then this might be right up your alley.

The Rating

2/5 stars

Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pages: 821pgs

The Story

The Changed are on the move. The Spared are out of time. The End...is now. When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head. She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.

Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.

The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.

With this final volume of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick delivers a riveting, blockbuster finish, returning readers to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where no one is safe and hope is in short supply. A world where, from these ashes, the monsters may rise.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on Edelweiss for accepting my request in reading this book early!

I absolutely loved Ilsa J. Bick's Ashes book, which ended up becoming one of my favourite, favourite dystopian books of all time. Unfortunately for its sequel though, I was pretty disappointed in it. But, like any other reader I know, I still continued to hold some hope that I would come to love this series again when I got to read the author's final installment. So in saying that, I just was so pumped (not to mention so excited) to read this particular book and to also find out what happens to our fantastic mix of characters in this very scary and yet terrifying world of Bick's.

Unfortunately on my part, the last installment, MONSTER, was a major disappointment. A major disappointment. While we get a few answers to some questions I had from the previous two books and had learned some new things here and there - along with some great imagery and gory scenes that I love to love, but apart from that, this book was a huge page of words. I kid you not. This book was so freaking HUGE that I was left going, 'Whoa' with its 800 page length. It's not that I don't like huge books because I really do, but this one was a book I just wanted to end so badly and I'm surprised I got through this one to honest with you. But when you add tons of perspectives (whom I've already forgotten by now) and then add a lot of other confusing scenes . . . it just doesn't go down well for me and it ruins my enjoyment of the entire book. So it's pretty sad for me, especially since I loved the first book so much. Ah well. Guess I'll just remember the good times I had with the first book and not reflect on the rest of the series . . . and I really feel bad about that cause I love this author's writing just probably not with this book.

Overall, MONSTER was a monster in book length and by the time I finished the book I just had no clue what was going on . . . so unfortunately I have no idea what to say about this book except that I finished it and the series, and we'll just leave it at that.

The Rating

1/5 stars

Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Ebury Digital

Pages: 176pgs

The Story

What happens after the happy ending?

Garrick is over the moon that his girlfriend, Bliss, said yes. He's finally found the love of his life. That means his worries are over, right?

But when he invites her to visit London and meet his family, he is presented with a whole new set of problems. How will his privileged and wealthy family react to Bliss's unique brand of awkwardness?

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for providing me a review copy!

This book is a novella that gives us a short story about what happens after the events  of Cora Carmack's Losing It book and what goes beyond with Garrick and Bliss's relationship.

I quite enjoyed the story of Losing It as I'm sure many others have also. So when I saw there was going to be a small short story to continue on with the two main characters of Losing It, I decided to go ahead and read this short story, mostly just to see what the main characters, Garrick and Bliss, are mainly up to now and to see how their relationship is going whether it was stronger than ever or merely the same. Now while I wished the novella focused on more important things and such, but readers do get to see Bliss finally meeting Garrick's family and friends which is troublesome for Bliss, at times, considering how hers and Garrick's relationship first started as a teacher-student thing. In that certain aspect, I think many readers will find it very entertaining in seeing how Garrick's family - mostly his mother - react to the news of Garrick's engagement to Bliss (slight spoiler here). But as for and what I thought of the novella, I didn't mind it so much because we saw more of these two main characters together, but as far as the story goes I didn't really see the point of it really . . . only that we met Garrick's family briefly and learned that there was slight troubles for the newly engaged couple . . . but that was about it. It was fun to read, of course and don't get me wrong here, but I wished for more to happen even for a short story. But that's just me being picky.

Overall, KEEPING HER will definitely be a great short story for those wanting more of Garrick and Bliss. It was nothing ground-breaking or anything like that, but I enjoyed it regardless.

The Rating

3/5 stars

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 464pgs

The Story

Internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the tumult and intrigue of The Wars of the Roses to vivid life through the women of the House of Lancaster and the House of York, beginning with the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen. A woman who won the love of a king and ascended to royalty by virtue of her beauty, Elizabeth fought tenaciously for the success of her family -- her daughter who would one day unite the warring dynasties, and her two sons whose eventual fate has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes in the Tower. An active player in the power struggles that surrounded her, she made hard and courageous choices, always trying to protect those whom she loved. Informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills, Philippa Gregory gives an unforgettable voice to an extraordinary woman at the heart of a devastating conflict.

The Review

A big thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

It's been a while since I've read a Philippa Gregory book (a shame on my part), but I - very much - love reading anything she writes. So even though I have read this book before (but many years ago and I don't remember too much of it), but when I received a new paperback copy of the book from the publishers and since a new TV series has been made for this particular series, I just couldn't resist in reading the book again and remembering what a great writer the author is. And it was definitely great reading this book again and getting refreshed on what I have forgotten from the book so yay for that!

THE WHITE QUEEN is a delightful read for me and pretty much anyone who is a historical fan. Trust me, if you haven't read a Gregory book before, then you're seriously missing out on some super awesome historical fiction. The thing Philippa Gregory has such a great knack for is knowing her history so well (at least from what I can tell of my history awareness) and producing a book from that and creating her own stories from them . . . they're just so awesome. Sure, these books are not for everyone's tastes, but then again, if you love history in fiction then you will love this book too.

Overall, I highly recommending reading THE WHITE QUEEN and the rest of the series. They are just full of richness in detail and have some really interesting - and perhaps complex - characters and that's exactly what I love in historical fiction. Lot's and lot's of complications.

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 304pgs

The Story

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book!

Like most of us readers, I'm a really huge fan of Colleen Hoover and her Slammed series. If you read her books you will know why I love her so much as author because she writes up some pretty great characters and has some great romantic stories to tell. So, like any other fan of hers, when I heard she was going to write a third book in her Slammed series, I couldn't help myself to read it because it means more of Layken and Will which is fine by me.

All in all, I thought THIS GIRL was a great read, especially for those readers like myself that have loved Colleen Hoover's series from the get-go. But in saying that, while getting to see more from Layken and Will was awesome because they are now a (mostly) happy married couple and getting Will's point-of-view was another added bonus, but compared to the other two books in the series, I thought this book was only an average read for me and that's because there were way too many flashbacks for my liking and that the character dialogue was way too cheesy for my taste, even though I love Layken and Will to death as characters. But when you add too much cheese, I'm not going to bite. It's just . . . too much for me. But regardless of what I thought, it was still a nice little continuation of the story and gave us some insight to what Will and Layken were up to as a married couple and what happens to happily ever after.

Overall, despite the cheesy dialogue, THIS GIRL is a must read for all Colleen Hoover fans and should not be missed out if you love Will and Layken as much as I do despite their up-and-down dramas.

The Rating

3/5 stars

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Release Date: 31st December, 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 320pgs

The Story

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how. 

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book!

The promise of amazing? I sure hoped it would be so because the book sounded right up my alley and I was looking for another great contemporary YA book. But unfortunately for me, this book was anything but amazing.

While I tried to like this book, but what fell flat for me was the fact that insta-love came into play (like straightaway) between our two main characters, Wren and Grayson. Now I know some people don't mind insta-love because they believe in it and such, but for me I'm left shaking my head and just not understanding it at all, especially when characters are the total opposites to each other. But in any case, I don't like insta-love and it turns me off with a book. Also another thing that fell flat for me was the main characters out of everything else. I don't know why they bugged me so much because I tried so hard to like at least one of them, but every time I read about Wren and Grayson they just didn't seem like real people to me and I couldn't connect to them because of that. It's a mystery to me . . . but I just couldn't connect and that I guess what my major problem for not liking this book. Yeah . . . Wren and Grayson . . . I didn't like them at all I'm afraid.

Overall, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING was not so amazing as I thought, but despite what I thought of it, if you like contemporary books as much as I do, I think you will not mind this book all so much, but for me it just wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be . . . unfortunately.

The Rating

1/5 stars

Consume by Melissa Darnell

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Pages: 384pgs

The Story

Tristan Coleman has survived the change from Clann magic user to vampire, much to Savannah Colbert's joy—and despair. By changing the Clann's golden boy and newly elected leader, even to save him from death, she has unleashed a fury of hatred and fear that they cannot escape. 

As the Clann and the vampire council go to war, Tristan and Sav face a new threat—a fracturing of the all-consuming bond they share. To fight for peace, they must forge a new trust and risk everything to take down their deadliest enemy, even as they must run for their lives. Soon they will learn that some bonds are stronger than love—and some battles cannot be won without sacrifice.

The Review

A big thanks to Harlequin Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

CONSUME is the final installment in The Clann trilogy, so I'll be pretty brief with this review and be spoiler-free in case any of you have yet to read this series. But over the course of this young adult series, I have absolutely loved and enjoyed the first two books and the over world the author has created, and in regards to this particular final book, while it was not necessarily my favourite book of all three books, but I certainly still enjoyed it as we learn how everything concludes in the end for all characters involved and see where they all end up.

In terms of what I thought about the third and final book, CONSUME, it definitely answered most of the questions that I had running in my head from the previous two books. It definitely did that. But as much as I enjoyed it and the characters as well, but this time I felt like there needed to be something more to the book . . . I don't know . . . perhaps more oomph from the character themselves. So while there is still plenty going on in this book and this whole war thing between certain enemies, but in the back of my mind I still felt like nothing much happened in the book (apart from what Tristan is currently going through) and everyone seemed to be arguing over inconsequential stuff really. But again, the book is still an enjoyable read and it will be the same for you if you have started the series as the finale will definitely give you a conclusion you are looking for in the end and I'm happy about that.

Overall, CONSUME may not have been the best book in the series, but I'm glad to have finished it and learn what happened to some of my favourite characters.

The Rating

3/5 stars

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages: 480pgs

The Story

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher of netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

Reminding me of the dystopian tales such as The Passage and The Road, THE 5TH WAVE is a ruthless but a completely original alien invasion novel. So if you're already a sci-fi and dystopian fan or pretty much anything else that revolves heavily around aliens and their freak-ish ways of ridding the human race, then it's a must that you read this book as well.

I won't get into the specific details of the storyline (I don't want to ruin this awesome tale for you) but what I loved about this book was our main protagonist, Cassie, and how she continues to struggle to survive amongst 'The Others' invading the Earth. She was just a really fascinating and real character to have behind this bleak world backdrop and I believed in her story which mattered the most to me out of everything else that I had read. While I wasn't a huge fan nor totally convinced with the other character perspectives of the story, but Cassie was the one that did it for me the most and this girl definitely mirrors other famous characters including Katniss from The Hunger Games and Katsa from Graceling. So if that doesn't make you want to pick up this book then I don't know what will.

Overall, THE 5TH WAVE was a very surprising read for me and definitely has some movie potential (so please make a movie out of this). With thrilling action, intriguing characters, freakin' twisted events and a I-want-more kind of ending, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author because I'm hooked on his tale already!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Briar Rose by Jana Oliver

Release Date: 12th September, 2013

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 480pgs

The Story

A dark and sexy reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the author of THE DEMON TRAPPERS.

For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. She's stuck in a small town in deepest Georgia with parents who won't let her out of their sight, a bunch of small-minded, gossiping neighbours and an evil ex who's spreading nasty rumours about what she may or may not have done in the back of his car. She's tired of it all, so when, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she's actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes . . . And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of. Now Briar must fight her way out of the story that has been created for her, but she can't do it alone. She never believed in handsome princes, but now she's met one her only chance is to put her life in his hands, or there will be no happy ever after and no waking up.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book!

I didn't necessarily hate this book but I did have a hard time reading it. So while I've always been a huge fan of Jana Oliver's work, especially with her Demon Trappers series which was totally awesome by the way and I couldn't recommend it enough to you all, but unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of her new title here but it happens to the best of us.

BRIAR ROSE, on a whole, has everything going for it as it is a retelling of a fairy-tale (that being Sleeping Beauty obviously) and I like the direction the author was initially going for because it was interesting and a slightly different take to the tale. But in regards to the storyline, while I liked it to a certain degree and thought it was still very well-written, but what fell flat for me (unfortunately) was the characters themselves. The characters, in my mind, were okay for a little while, but as I kept on reading and learning more about them during the book, in the end I just felt like they could have been something more, you know? I particularly felt this way when it comes to our main character, Briar, who just didn't really step up her game for me and eventually I became less and less drawn to her as a character, so for her I just wasn't a huge fan of hers. But as for the others, again they were okay but I wanted something more of them than I was given. Still, it was a decent read.

Overall, I thought BRIAR ROSE had potential only it was quite a struggle to read for me. But if you're into fairy-tale retellings like I am or are looking for something that is a little different than most retellings, then I would highly recommend this book, especially if you like one of those two things, even though it wasn't particularly a favourite book of mine.

The Rating

2/5 stars

The Sultan's Eyes by Kelly Gardiner

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 352pgs

The Story

The year is 1648 and life in Venice is serene for Isabella Hawkins and her friends Willem, Al-Qasim and Signora Contarini. Together they publish fine books like the controversial encyclopedia  The Sum of All Knowledge. When a new Inquisitor declares war on free speech however, they are forced to flee across the seas to the wondrous capital of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople, which is ruled by the infamous Sultanate of the Women. Old friends and new, including the boy Sultan and his sister, welcome them to the world′s greatest city. But Isabella is soon entangled in poisonous palace intrigues, while her friends secretly play perilous games of their own.

The Review

A big thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. But this isn't exactly a great surprise to me (like not at all) because I actually really enjoyed the first installment of the series, Act of Faith, from the previous year, so of course I would also end up enjoying this sequel as well.

Looking back, I think what I liked most about this particular installment was that it was a much bigger novel compared to the first book and that the characters themselves were no longer on the run anymore but rather trying to survive within a palace setting, which I really the idea of. Now I would like to give out more details about this book, but because of spoilers and with some people not having read the first book, I'm going to keep a low profile for now with this one, but needless to say I loved getting to know the main character, Isabella, some more in this book and learning what a great little philosopher she is slowly becoming. She is a very easy character to like, which again made this book very easy to like on a whole.

Overall, THE SULTAN'S EYES will definitely be enjoyable if you were like me and loving Kelly Gardiner's Act of Faith book. If you loved that book, then there's a big guarantee that you will also love its sequel as well.

The Rating

4/5 stars

Clockwork Prince (Manga #2) by Cassandra Clare & HyeKyung Baek

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Yen Press

Pages: 256pgs

The Story

A prequel to Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city’s sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends – including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing . . .

The Review

What can I say? I love manga and I love this particular manga series, and together they are two of my favourite things in the world. Honestly . . . there's nothing like a good old manga read on a quiet afternoon but when it's based on a book series . . . that's even better!

But in all seriousness, I think everything the illustrator has incorporated into this one manga volume and not to mention still manages to stay pretty close to the original story from which it is based on, that being Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series, I think all I have to say is this person is very talented (very, very talented indeed) and I enjoyed every single moment reading this book. It's almost like reading Clockwork Prince all over again and any fan of this series - anyone who is so in love with this series like I am - will no doubt enjoy and LOVE this tale as well.

Overall, CLOCKWORK PRINCE makes a perfect manga tale and I love all of the illustrations inside this second volume. It's just perfect and I admit I cried a little seeing my Jem and Will, and all of the tense moments they experience in this book. Ah, those two sure bring out the fangal tears out of me. Just perfect.

The Rating

5/5 stars

The Vale Girl by Nelika McDonald

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Pages: 309pgs

The Story

Fourteen-year-old Sarah Vale has gone missing in the small town of Banville. She's the daughter of the town whore so no one seems particularly concerned.

No one cares except Tommy Johns, who loves Sarah Vale with all the unadulterated, tentative passion of a teenage boy. He galvanises the town's policeman Sergeant Henson and, together, they turn the town inside out, searching for the lost girl.

The Review

A big thanks to Macmillan Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

Even though I really like the fact that the author is from Brisbane and has studied at the same university as me, but sadly I didn't like this book. Not because it wasn't any good or anything like that because it definitely has a great feel about it, but it was more of 'it just wasn't for me' kind of book. So while I do find that THE VALE GIRL will certainly appeal to a lot of other readers - particularly those of the mystery and small-time thriller type of genres, but yeah . . . it just wasn't for me.

I think the main problem for me in connecting with this book had more to do with its characters than anything else. While these characters do definitely have interesting voices and stories to tell, and I was often intrigue about what was going on inside their heads for the most time, but there were other times too where I was a little confused by certain things going on or rather I began to lose interest in what was going to happen towards the end of the book which is my loss I guess. But with that being sad, there was definitely one element that caught my interest and that was the mystery that occurs in this small town of Banville and I love it when books aren't set in big-time cities all the time. It just adds even more mystery and mistrust to a book, and I do really applaud the author for writing such a story containing such a small town because it was quite different, both in voice and in the storyline within itself as well.

Overall, THE VALE GIRL may not have been for me, but I do really recommend it to readers looking for a new Australian book with a little twist to it.

The Rating

1/5 stars

The Thing About Wolves by Leigh Evans

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 352pgs

The Story

Being put in charge of a werewolf pack might be someone’s dream, but it’s Hedi’s nightmare. Hints that it’s not working out include the Creemore wolves wanting her blood. And the Council of Weres wanting her dead . . .

Then all Hedi's wishes are granted. Robson Trowbridge, pack leader, returns – and her love isn't alone. He's found her missing twin brother, Lexi, among the fae. With this double helping of wonderful, things should’ve been all sunshine and flowers, but the fae lands have changed both men. Hedi’s brother is dying of an addiction, and her relationship with Robson may not survive the forces pushing them apart. To combat the darkness ahead, Hedi must face her dangerous were/fae heritage – and accept the consequences.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book!

This book was one very unusual read for me. Yup, indeed it was. So when I was given this book by the publisher to review, I was a bit hesitant in reading it because I instantly saw the word 'werewolves' written on the front cover and while I do like to read pretty much anything and not judge simply by a book's genre, but with werewolves I'm quite tired of them. But in any case and like with any other book in the genre, I always like to give the author the benefit of the doubt and hope the book can change my mind somehow. And, in a certain sense, it did because it blended werewolves and fairies together, and it did entertain me a little even though it was not a favourite read of mine.

So when it comes to THE THING ABOUT WOLVES, while the book itself remains only to be just an okay read for me, but the main reason why I'm not giving a lot of stars for my rating of the book is because I'm a bit confused by the story and that's because after reading a certain amount of the book I only just realized that it was actually a sequel to a series, which peeves me off for obvious reasons because I don't usually read sequels without having read the first book (obviously!). Still, I went ahead and read more of this book and amazingly enough I finished it. Sure for the most part, I may have very little idea of what happened in the book, but I got the main gist of it and it was still just an okay read for me. For sure, this book may not be right for my own personal book taste or rather doesn't really encourage me to read the first book either, but it was still an okay read and I didn't mind it.

Overall, THE THING ABOUT WOLVES definitely sets itself apart from other typical werewolf stories that I have come across in the past and if you like that idea then I would highly recommend this book to you and its series.

The Rating

2/5 stars

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds. 

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

Tamara Ireland Stone's debut book, Time Between Us, was most definitely a fun and a very light romantic read and I quite enjoyed it - including the whole time travelling elements, despite a couple of little flaws here and there. So when it comes to the next sequel which is now told in Bennett's perspective surprisingly (a great change mind you because I love getting into someone else's head and especially in a guy's head), I thought it was yet again a nice little continuation of the storyline and I think many girl readers whom had loved the first book will most definitely be pleased with this book as well.

However, as much as I liked reading this sequel and finding out what happens next to some of our favourite characters, but like what happened in the first book for me, with TIME AFTER TIME I just couldn't connect to the characters as strongly as I would've liked to. Now while I get the whole romance thing and why our two main characters, Anna and Bennett, would want to stay and find a way to be with each other even though they are from two entirely different times, but when you start reading about their current problems of time travelling and all of that related drama, it just becomes so much clearer to me that it's near to impossible that they can stay together without affecting their own present time and other what-not, you know? Of course I would like to see these two crazy kids be together, but I just don't see the point of it really because there is always a consequence at one point or another with time travelling, so that element certainly affected my opinion of this book. But no matter what happens, I still thought the book was a nice little read and I know many fangals of Bennett's character will most definitely enjoy reading his perspective this time round because it does change things majorly for the reader, especially when you see everything from Bennett's own perspective.

Overall, TIME AFTER TIME is a very appropriate title and even though I may have liked the first book a bit more than this sequel, but again it was still a good book to read and to find out what happens to all of our favourite characters.

The Rating

2/5 stars