The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Puffin

Pages: 276pgs

The Story

Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer - they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

The Review

Oh wow, why didn't I read this book sooner? I knew bloggers and other authors alike have been non-stop raving about this book since its release back in 2010 and talking about the author's talents in creating the perfect book, but for whatever reason I overlooked this title and hadn't thought much about it until now. And then after I read it, it quickly became one of those rare books that changes your life forever (well, so to speak) and it's by far one of my favourite YA romance books of all time! An unforgettable one to be honest with you.

Reading THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY is almost like watching your favourite tv program such as The OC where you're daydreaming about yourself attending those bonfire parties on the beach, hanging out with your friends like the world had stopped just for you - for only you - to enjoy those fun-filled moments that you may never experience again and falling for those beautiful boys with the timeless summer romances that comes along with them. Combining all of those elements together that's exactly what you get inside of this book and if not more than you first expect from it, and no matter the cutesy love . . . it was perfect in every single way.

Belly, the main character, tells her story through the present times and through several flashbacks of past summers - the different memories she had whilst growing up as a kid. Not even once did this distract me, switching back-and-forth, because all of her experiences and memories were needed to truly understand what Belly was going through in the actual book. The heartbreaks she's suffered, the intense feelings she had - and still has - for her long-time unrequited love, and also the strong bond ties that she's never dared to cut with her childhood friends. In this present times story of Belly's, she is now sixteen-years-old and has returned with her mother to the beach house where she used to live in from past summers, and she soon reunites with her friends, brothers named Conrad and Jeremiah. Upon seeing them again, everything from the tension, the jealousy and the heartbreak will soon come to a head, and Belly will need to find out what exactly 'growing up' means for her and for everyone else.

While I do enjoy the summer romances and the teenage themes displayed throughout this book, but what made this story even more remarkable than it was already was the characters and the realism the author brought into her characters - both in the boys and in the girls. For Belly as the main narrator, she was such a gem and was presented in a way where I, myself, could relate to her on many levels. I may not have had two gorgeous brothers as my best friends in my own childhood but her strength to keep going, believing in the best of everyone, and her capability of dealing with the most difficult of all things - love - is something to really admire about her. Some reviewers suggested Belly was 'too whiny' for her own good, but I say she was a girl who was still trying to find herself in the world like all of us must do eventually and no matter the angst she experiences . . . that's what teenagers are. Whiny. Complicated. Confused. Angry. Self-doubting. Naive. It's all written in this book in a way of today and come on . . . we've all experienced teenage angst at least once in our lives.

Lastly, I need to mention the two leading young men of this story. The dark, the alluring, the mysterious, the bad-boy Conrad (the unattainable one Belly has FOREVER loved) and his funny, doting, and charming brother Jeremiah (the one Belly had her first kiss with). In my own past time I've read about many boys with their own sets of appeals, but these two boys right here have really cut it for me - to be one of the best and the most honest of them all. With Conrad's character, he maybe frustrating for the most part, but there's so much more to Conrad's character and personality than meets the eye. After all, he's dealing with a lot of heavy stuff. Whereas Jeremiah, the good guy, is the exact opposite of Conrad. He's the boy that would make any girl happy to be around with. He's the boy that mother dearest would approve of. But like so many fangals out there of this series, it's Team Jerad because you change your minds with who you love more with both of the boys like . . . constantly. Especially when it comes to the boy's love of their mother. For those who've read this book already and have witnessed how the boys love their mother . . . it kind of hits home for me.

Overall, THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY is an absolutely solid and splendid summer story. It's about a young girl deciding to grow up and take control of her live, but also falling in love all over again and find out what it means to be loved by somebody. If you love those sweet romances with the sweetest boys ever presented in a contemporary YA novel, then this book is most definitely something for you! I'm still deciding who I like best - Conrad or Jeremiah? Hmmm it's very hard to choose between them let me tell you!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Harvill Secker

Pages: 925pgs

The Story

This edition contains Book One, Book Two, and Book Three.

The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.

Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a standstill, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.

Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?

Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other. While their stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, the two come closer and closer to intertwining.

The Review

The author, Haruki Murakami, has become an international bestseller for his novel 1Q84 and it's no wonder why this is so true, and why so many other readers have raved about it endlessly and recommended to me. This book right here in my greedy little hands is the weirdest, the oddest, the most-confusing but equally as brilliant and unique than anything else I've read before, and when combining those elements together. . . it has ultimately created one of the best pieces of literature I've ever read in my entire life and it will certainly not be the last piece of work I'll read of Murakami's because he's amazing and it was mind-blowing to be honest!

In my hardcover edition of 1Q84 it contains the complete set of books 1-3, so I won't giveaway any specific details about the book, only about the amazeballs of the storyline and everything inside of it. If you've ever seen this book in person or have checked the page count, comparing it to the Harry Potter length and weight, this is an immensely long and heavy book, and probably the longest I've ever read for an adult book! While that may overwhelm readers at the beginning and may you think "Hell no!" but trust me here folks . . . it's well worth reading the three volumes all in one and will leave you speechless.

Now I wouldn't be the only person that will find it hard to explain this particular book to you - so my readers can understand what exactly is going on - and everything twisty and confusing in it, so I'll try and do my best to sum it up in one paragraph. Okay here goes nothing. In the book of 1Q84, the story is set in 1984 where Tokyo is split into two different parts and is told through dual perspective. One part follows Aomame, a young woman who is involved with some serious dubious secret work which will be later revealed in the book whereas the other main character, the other half of the story in which it is told by, is an average young man named Tengo who is a teacher and an unpublished author whom finds himself captivated by a seventeen-year-old girl's novel which ends up having a unusual effect on him and opens up plenty of secrets of his own world around him.

While this book is nothing like anything else that I've read before, I think the main contributing factor to this realisation of mine (you know being officially 'mind-blown') was all due to Murakami's writing within itself. The author possesses this somewhat strange, unnatural and rare gift of knowing how and when to use his suspenseful storytelling at the exact right times and never did I find myself distracted - not even once and not even by the book's length. There was also just something really Japanese about it (an obvious one since the author is japanese himself) and there was something so surreal about the book's own world which I guess captivated me even more, and gave me more reason to continue with it. But it wasn't just those parts that I loved, it was also the structure and how the author layered it out for his readers . . . the language he uses . . . the characters he writes down onto paper . . . the way he shortens chapters to only give you an excuse to keep turning those damn pages . . . and it was needless to say such a brilliant concept and even if the book wasn't as fast-paced like one would hope for, but there's honestly nothing bad I could say about this book except that now it's over and I'm left empty handed. So well done to the author to force me in praising up this highly acclaimed novel because it's pure perfection!

Overall, if you haven't heard of this book, if you haven't considered picking it up, or if you're really looking for the need to be weirded out by true greatness, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you - all three of the books in fact - within a heartbeat. Not only does this book make you laugh, cry, ponder and question every single little detail and action and twist-turn the author writes at the most unexpected times . . . it's a truly amazing piece of adult literature and no wonder why it was a big hit despite its critics! LOVED IT!

The Rating

5/5 stars

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Release Date: 21st August, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 231pgs

The Story

Robie, 15, lives with her family on the Midway atoll, a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific. Her parents are scientists; it's an isolated life. Robie enjoys visiting her aunt in Hawaii - she gets back and forth on a cargo plane that brings supplies to Midway.

During a visit, her aunt is called to the mainland for a work emergency leaving Robie to get home on her own. On her flight back to Midway the cargo plane hits nasty weather, and goes down. It's juust Robie, the pilot, and Max, a co-pilot she's never met till this flight, on board. Robie is pulled aboard a raft by Max, who is injuried and slipping in and out of consciousness. They have a bag of candy and very little water between them. When they finally reach an island that seems abandoned, Robie hopes they'll be found quickly. But she's not sure she was even on the flight manifest. Her parents must be looking for her . . . aren't they?

In The Raft, S.A. Bodeen creates a hair-raising suspense story that will have readers agonizing over the same question as Robie - how long can they survive?

The Review

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

So, when it comes down to S.A. Bodeen's novel THE RAFT, I was mostly intrigued by the cover and soon after quickly reading the blurb, I was more than happy to read anything in a book that has a little bit of survivor skill and instinct in them. Honestly, who doesn't love survivors and the depths they go to in order to stay alive in the most dire of all circumstances? Take for example Hunger Games . . . Lord of the Flies . . . Battle Royale . . . you name it because we love those named titles and the strengths in their characters. However, with my love of contemporary novels combined with my love of the survival elements, and while this may not be your typical survivor storyline, unfortunately this was one of those books where I found myself not loving nor feel any connection with. The book may appeal to many other readers and it certainly did have some promise as I reader further into the book, but for me the execution of all of the events that occured just didn't do it for me. I struggled most with the believeability of it.

I understand there's not a lot to do when the central characters are stranded on a floating boat or are stuck alone on an island for quite some time - without food, without water, without shelter and without any help of another human being whatsoever - but the point of books is to connect with its characters and make you somewhat feel for them. For Robie's character in particular, the story's main protagonist, I wanted to care about her situation but with so many wrong decisions made by her well . . . there was not enough there to make me like her. While we do receive plenty of information about her life - before and after the crash - but there was again no interest from me in her character. Robie does grow towards the end of the novel, but she was a hard person to like and grow fond of.

Other than her character, we also meet another - the co-pilot of the crashed plane, a young man named Max. Now unlike Robie's character, I really enjoyed the oddness Max had brought to the storyline. He was quiet, he seemed to know what to do in the most deadly situations, but most importantly he was someone you felt comfortable to be around with. But when trouble arises, though, Max soon becomes to only person Robie can depend on and not to mention he has secrets people . . . lot's and lot's of secrets. As much as I hate to say it, but if it wasn't for Max's character, I don't know if I would've been able to pull through this book like I did. So pretty much like with Robie's character, you had to count on Max to save the day and I loved him for it to make me continue with this novel.

Without going into further and spoilery details, let's just say the ending confused the hell out of me. It took me a few moments to comprehend what exactly happened to the main character and her co-pilot Max, but once I got myself a full explanation and took a few deep breaths, I was eventually happy. So don't fear you guys - there's still interesting twists in this! Overall, THE RAFT was an intense YA survivor story and while the reaction I'd gotten from the book wasn't exactly a great one, but it was still a nice read to read for the sake of it. You know, one of those books that remain once-reads. But if you choose to read this book, please don't judge it based on my lower star rating because I could definitely see many readers still enjoying this one. Just be prepared for a thrilling ride of self-doubt because you will need that lifeboat the character's are on as you dive deeper and deeper into the dangerous waters of THE RAFT because it's by far one of the craziest books I've read in a while!

The Rating

2/5 stars

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Release Date: 8th May, 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Pages: 373pgs

The Story

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she haws a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

The Review

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

As soon as I began reading the opening lines of STRUCK, I knew I was going to love it no matter what the book was going to throw at me next. Even the main character, Mia Price, could strike me down with some lethal lightning of her own and I would still want more and more of this book. I just couldn't get enough of it. I mean, just by judging this book by its cover - both beautiful and striking to the human eye - and the storyline itself, you knew it would be a whole ball of fun for the reader and after physically reading the book . . . it only proved to be worth its true greatness and I can definitely guarantee readers that this book will be filled with plenty of awesomesauce and trust me here . . . it will deliver. Not only was this book twisty, edgy and hella crazy, but it was also completely original and that's as good as it can get!

What really drew me into this book was the girl in question. Mia Price. With her being a lightning addict and all, I knew I needed to read this book. I mean, who in their right mind would want to be "struck" down by lightning? Mia Price, obviously. But the main question I was asking myself repetitively was this one right here: Who in their right mind would want their own character to be damn right crazy and be "struck" down by lightning? Jennifer Bosworth - that's who! Mia Price, the main heroine, has a strong connection to the storms that caused a major earthquake that devastated the entire city of L.A., and she doesn't know why. But when two cults are rising to power and claim they have the answers she has been looking for, Mia is interested. But when the alluring Jeremy arrives and warns her to stay away from the two cults, the young Mia will soon need to question where her real loyalities lie because her loved ones and not to mention the world depends on her final decision. Because if either cult discover her true power and use it . . . she could either save the world or destroy it!

Mia Price is the leading star of this striking tale and she's the kind of character I cared a great deal for because I couldn't help but love everything about her. She's incredibly strong, intelligient, caring, and above everything else she's a survivor. Honestly, what's not to love? Jennifer Bosworth does such an amazing job in developing Mia's character from start to finish and I'm not kidding here because she has not only managed to grow her character to her full potential but she has also portrayed Mia's character in a realistic light while giving her some extra flaws along the way as well. Good and human flaws that we all can relate to on some level. I love a lot of female heroines in my past times but Mia is definitely one to trifle with.

Throughout the book, Mia is introduced to a variety of colourful characters, ones with their own minds, beliefs and agendas that always made a great impact on the storyline's turnpoints. Especially the evil preacher ones . . . they were the best things ever. One of the most honourable mentions of supporting characters goes to Mia's brother, Parker, whom was a perfect contrast to Mia's character. He's a young teenage boy who might have a lot of things to learn, but I loved his sensitive personality and the ways of wanting to help out everyone around him whenever the chance arises, and I really admired that side of his character. I really did. He maybe naive to understand Mia on how she just wants to move on with her life, hide her secret and protect him from all of the evils of the new world, but without Jeremy I think we wouldn't have such a strong Mia Price so Parker . . . we love you dearly and your sensitive side.

Another character I deeply loved was the mysterious and alluring, Jeremy, a boy whom later becomes Mia's potential love interest. While I was attracted to his character, but he always had me questioning him on whether he should be trusted or not. But damn - I loved this boy so much! There were plenty of reasons to not trust him, but in the end he really came through and made things interesting and shocking. Sure, there weren't exactly sexy romantic scenes in this novel but the connection shared between the two of them - Mia and Jeremy - was absolutely outstanding and I could see why they ended up falling for each other . . . even though they took their damn time to form a relationship. But moving past that, I really loved and admired Jeremy's character and he was an awesome person with a heart full of gold. So fangals . . . trust me you're going to love him!

Overall and without revealing spoilers, I thought Jennifer Bosworth has created a mind-blowing debut novel and she's very gifted in her storytelling! Both cleverly written, intense, fast-paced, action-packed and containing all sorts of awesomeness that readers can appreciate, I can definitely guarantee you that this book is going to become a classic hit with young adult readers! With a city in chaos, two rival cults battling each other to get what they want and with an average-but-somewhat-very-strong young woman whom holds the key to how the world will end . . . if you're looking for something crossing between the likes of X-men and Dark Angel, or are looking for a very daring post-apocalyptic world awaiting for Doomsday to finally hit (you gotta love the doomsday element), then STRUCK is you're kind of read for sure!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 303pgs

The Story

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't bad enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

The Review

Nancy Drew . . . Veronica Mars . . . I honestly love those two and they're both great girls who have written themselves into our history books. They'll always be legends to me. But now, let me introduce to you yet another one into the mix - that being a girl named Hartley Featherstone. I don't know about you guys, but there's just something about a smart, snarky, and a sassy girl detective that always gets to me. While the other famous heroine detectives may live in really complicated lives but for Hartley Grace Featherstone's life couldn't get any worse than it already is. Firstly, she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. Sad but true. And secondly, she also finds out that one deadly corpse likes to visit her now soon-to-be ex-boyfriend's bedroom. And that's exactly what happened here folks - there was a dead body in her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend's bedroom. But it wasn't just any body . . . it was the body of the girl whom was suspected of being with her boyfriend before their breakup. And in a moment of mere desperation, even if he doesn't deserve it, Hartley's ex begs for her help to clear his name of the murder and like all sassy girl detectives do . . . they try and solve the mystery!

Before considering reading this book, I heard nothing but great things about it. However, it wasn't until I started reading it when I finally realized what a ball of fun this book was! It might have been predictable. It might have been a tad bit cliche. It might have been cheesy at times . . . but that's the whole entire point of a YA mystery novel and you gotta love them no matter what happens! What I loved most about this book was the fast-paced storyline and the fact that not even once did I find myself bored with it. I mean, there's just something about Gemma Halliday's writing that made Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars both proud and nodding their heads in approval . . . so my hat goes off to the author for having the ability to do that for me.

When it came to the characters, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect of them. Hartley in particular. Some reviews I read in the past didn't have a lot of nice things to say about her character and sure she might have her own faults (after all she's helping out her cheating ex-boyfriend and no one in their right mind would do that) but personally for me, I found her to be freaking hilarious! And she was strong-minded too and didn't take any crap from anybody . . . which I loved about her even more! Along with an entertaining supporting cast, another character to shine in the book's spotlight was Chase - the typical bad boy with a lot of sass in him as well. Now before you go rolling your eyes and having a good old chuckle about the cliche bad boy being in the picture, trust me here you guys . . . Chase was far from that typical bad boy character. He was a helpful one and actually cared about Hartley's wellbeing. While I was totally rooting for him and Hartley to get together and hit it off with those clear sexy sparks flying off them, but considering the way things had ended in the book, I wasn't so surprised by the choice Halliday had chosen for both of the characters. It'll be interesting whether anything develops in the sequel or in future books . . . I really hope there is more development because Hartley and Chase are a perfect match.

Overall, despite the mixed reactions regarding this book, I surprisingly thought DEADLY COOL was a rather fun super mystery and definitely holds its own! With a nice crossover of Nancy Drew meets Veronica Mars, and a nice touch of a spunky heroine and a keep-you-guessing fun-filled mystery murder investigation, I'm sure this book will be loved by any reader! Mystery fan or not . . . you're going to love it!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Giveaway - The Industry

Thanks to the amazing publicist Lara from HarperCollins Australia, I'm giving away on my blog not one but 10 copies of Rose Foster's debut novel, The Industry. That's right you heard me folks . . . there will be 10 COPIES for 10 very lucky Aussie readers! You can check out what the book is all about here and you can also read my book review of it here.

So you want to win one of 10 copies? Well, here are the basic rules:

1. One entry per person.

2. There will only be 10 awesome winners.

3. Giveaway is AUS only. Sorry internationals!

4. Contest ends 24th April 2012!

5. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced on the 25th April.

6. Winners details will only be shared between me and the publisher who will then send out your books ASAP!

7. You must fill out the form below!

FILL OUT FORM HERE

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!

Winner of the Nightshade Trilogy Giveaway!

Before I announce the winner, I just wanted to take the opportunity to say a BIG thank you to everyone who'd entered my Nightshade trilogy giveaway! I'd gotten a great number of entries so thank you again for that however there can only be one winner for today! Using a random generator the winner is . . .

Ellen H.

CONGRATS TO THE WINNER!

I've sent you an email Ellen and you have 2 days to respond so I can have your books sent out ASAP or else another winner will be chosen. Anyway don't worry my other blog readers who didn't win this time round because this month (this week in fact) and the next month after that, I'll be having two more giveaways for you guys that I KNOW will totally rock for my aussie readers . . . so be on the look out for them in the future!