Drawing With Light by Julia Green

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: Paperback

Published: March 2010

Number of Pages: 256

Book: For Review From Bloomsbury*

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Coming of Age, Real-To-Life, YA

“I’m on the edge of something extraordinary, and I can’t wait for it to unfold...”

Everything is changing in Emily’s life.  Her older sister Kat is starting university, Dad and Cassy have bought an old house which will be their dream home one day... except that while it’s being done up, they’ve all got to live in a tiny caravan in the middle of a field.  Then a throwaway comment starts Emily thinking about her real mother, who left when Emily was a baby.  Who was she?  What was she like?  Why did she go?  Over the years, she has become the unmentionable secret in Emily’s family.

And as Emily pieces together a truer, fuller picture of her mother, she also embarks on a new relationship of her own with Seb, a beautiful boy with fine features and expressive dark eyes...

Review:

Normally I’m not into this kind of book; real-to-life girl problems, without a single supernatural thing in sight, but I absolutely loved this one.  It drew me in from the beginning, the small memory of Emily’s from when she was a little girl, the family dynamics, the missing mother, the handsome boy...  This story was just so beautiful, full of the wonders and horrors of life and the hard decisions that have to be made, the ones that change everything.

Emily was a wonderful lead girl, able to see all the beauty, but you can tell underneath all her strength she’s vulnerable and scared, especially when it comes to family and the feeling of abandonment.  I love all the references to photographs as well, as Emily is a aspiring photographer, and it was really smart of Julia Green to describe the way Emily sees through her photos.  All in all, a brilliant character who I found easy to love and I loved the way her story was told.

Seb is an incredible character, too, with his dislike of all tests, sweet, comforting nature and beautiful dark eyes.  He’s the one who convinces Emily to try to find her mother, and the way he cared for how she felt was really touching, although they could both be a little stubborn at times.  The relationship between the two of them is stunning and feels so real, so magical, and is one of my favourite both-human couples. 

All in all, a magical book, filled with love, hard choices and the dilemmas you face growing up when everything is changing around you.  I read this book so fast, it was mesmerising, and I recommend it.  Just so beautiful!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

 Read this book if you liked:

If I Stay by Gayle

Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Breathing Underwater by Julia Green


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)
Off The Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

Happy Reading

Megan

*This book was recieved from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Series: The Darkest Powers Trilogy, Book Two

Publisher: Orbit

Format: Paperback

Published: 2009

Number of Pages: 384

Book: Bought

Genre: Paranormal, Dark Romance, Ghost Story, Horror, Urban Fantasy

Chloe Saunders used to be a normal teenage girl – or so she thought.  Then she learned the shocking truth – she is a walking science experiment.  Genetically altered at birth by a sinister team of scientists known as the Edison Group, Chloe is an aberration – a powerful necromancer who can see ghosts and even raise the dead, often with terrifying consequences.  Even worse, her growing powers have made her a threat to the surviving members of the Edison Group, who have decided it’s time to end their experiment – permanently...

Now Chloe is running for her life with three other supernatural teenagers – a charming sorcerer, a troubled werewolf and a temperamental young witch.  Together they have a chance for freedom – but can Chloe trust her new friends?

Review:

The second in the supernatural trilogy that is fast becoming one of my favourite series ever, this book definitely didn’t let the first down.  It was even better.  With even more action, supernaturals and suspense, it was next to impossible to put down, and left me desperate for more.

In this book, the gang’s on the run from evil scientists, facing danger, death and zombie bats.  Their main goal is to find Derek and Simon’s dad, a sorcerer who went missing, and who they expect to have been taken by the Edison Group.  And while they’re running for their lives, they’re also facing what they are and who they’ve become.  With more than a few slipups.

Chloe was brilliant in this book, too, and I love the way she thinks when she’s scared: she sees everything like a movie.  And for almost every major scene, she has a movie from her metal archive to compare it to. 

Derek, Simon and Tori are back with Chloe, having also escaped.  Simon was sweet as ever, and the more I learnt, the more I liked him.  Derek was kind of grouchy in the first book, but he really comes into his own in this one, and you get to see even more of his softer side.  Although, he still has a bit of a short temper.  And finally, Tori, who is still more than a little moody, but bearable and (increasingly) likeable. 

New minor characters are introduced, and ones from the previous book are bought back, along with a whole range of thrilling problems that left me desperate for more.  I can’t wait to get the next one, and I definitely recommend this to a reader who wants action, romance and horror all rolled into one (far too short) book. 

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

 

Read this book if you liked:

The Darkest Powers Trilogy – The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

House of Night by P. C. and Kristin Cast


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
A-Z Reading Challenge (Hosted by Book Junky)
Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
Off The Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Series: The Darkest Powers Trilogy, Book One

Publisher: Orbit

Format: Paperback

Published: 2008

Number of Pages

Book: Bought

Genre: Paranormal, Dark Romance, Ghost Story, Horror, Urban Fantasy

All Chloe Saunders wants is a life like any normal teenager – the chance to get through school, make friends, and maybe meet a boy.  But when she starts seeing ghosts, she knows that life will never by normal again.

Soon the ghosts are everywhere, demanding her attention.  When Chloe finally breaks down, she’s sent to a group home for disturbed kids.  At first Lyle House seems okay, but as she gets to know the other patients – charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a ‘thing’ for fire – Chloe begins to realise that something strange and sinister binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual ‘problem kid’ behaviour. 

And they’re about to discover that Lyle House isn’t your usual group home, either...

Review:

This was an absolutely amazing book, and has to be one of my favourite supernatural-type story I’ve read.  It was completely addictive, from the prologue to the last chapter, and had me desperate for the sequel (which I have too, luckily).

The characters were fantastic, and the story, told from the point of view of Chloe, is suspenseful and exciting.  Chloe is a brilliant heroine, very likeable and you’re able to connect with her, even though she isn’t your average teenager.  I just love how Kelley Armstrong gave her a stutter, when she’s one of the bravest girls I’ve read about.  I mean, it can’t be easy, when everyone around you thinks you’re insane – even the ones you love the most – and yet you’re able to face the facts and realise you’re not.  She proves you can stand up for yourself, no matter certain ‘disabilities’ (and I’m not talking about the stutter).

The other kids from Lyle House are brilliant too, though I think Rae’s my favourite of them.  She’s the street-wise, charity case girl with an obsession with fire, smart, kind and really sweet.  Simon’s a sweetie too; charismatic, handsome and always ready to step up to defend his brother, Derek.  Derek’s one of those characters that you start of unsure of, and gradually warm to, realising by the end of the book that underneath the ‘Frankenstein’-like appearance, there’s a teenage boy who just wants for people to see him for what he is, rather than what he looks like.  Tori’s the only one who I wasn’t particularly keen on, but you do get why she’s a bit unbearable at times, as you learn more about her.

I loved Armstrong’s way of writing, and the short chapters just draw you in, so much so that I ended up reading and reading and reading way into the night.  But this really is one of my favourite paranormal books, and is completely different from all the others I’ve read: there isn’t a vampire in sight, although there are zombies, ghosts, and a variety of other mythical beings.  Full of thrill, excitement, ghosts and action, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, especially those who like books like Night World by L. J. Smith.  And it just happens to have the most amazing cliff hanger and the biggest twist, which I didn’t even expect was coming.  An incredible story and a cast of incredible characters, this is just an amazing read! 

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Night World by L. J. Smith

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

House of Night by P. C. and Kristin and Cast


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
A-Z Reading Challenge (Hosted by Book Junky)
Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
Off the Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

Tyme's End by B. R. Collins

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: ARC

Published: January 2011

Number of Pages: 336

Book: Proof From Bloomsbury*

Genre: Ghost Story, Ghost, Supernatural, Thriller, Romance, Psychological Thriller, YA

Bibi feels out of place wherever she goes – everywhere, that is, except for Tyme’s End, the deserted house she breaks into whenever she thinks nobody is nearby.  There she meets Oliver, the owner, who has returned after ten years away.  Bibi’s and Oliver’s lives become inextricably linked as they are both pulled towards Tyme’s End.  For Tyme’s End is more than just a house.  It is a house that can be by turns romantic, beguiling, sinister and malevolent.  It is a house that once had an evil and manipulative owner.  And anybody who enters Tyme’s End must prepare themselves for terror...

Part supernatural tale, part psychological thriller.  Spans three generations with narrative ease, twisting the tension tighter and tighter with each protagonist’s voice.  A consuming and compulsive read that will have readers on the edge of their seats...

Review:

Bibi feels alone in the world, having been adopted by family friends after her parents died.  And although they love her and she loves them, she’s not theirs, and they’re not hers, not really.  She doesn’t feel at home anywhere, longing for her birthplace in the Middle East. Nowhere, that is, apart from Tyme’s End, the old house in the village where she lives.  There she feels safe, she feels as if she belongs.  And so, when the mysterious owner, Oliver, appears and claims he is going to sell that house, she just has to change his mind.

But why?  What enchantment does Tyme’s End have over her and what possibly could have happened there for Oliver to be so desperate to get rid of it?  And what scared him enough to stay away for ten years?  As the first part of the story goes on, Bibi’s and Oliver’s lives become entwined, as they experience the beauty of first love.  But all the while, through all the magic, there’s Tyme’s End, hanging over the story remotely, hinting at the darkness to come...  For Tyme’s End has a sinister past that involves death, betrayal, and an evil, manipulative owner, H. J. Martin...  (See why it had me hooked?) 

Tyme’s End is made up of three parts, that start in 2006 and end up in 1936, the year of the events leading up to the murder of H. J. Martin.  Each of the three narrators feels real; each has their own unique voice, and I found it incredible that the tale slipped so smoothly between the generations.  I must admit, the first part of the tale is a little slower than the rest of it, but it’s so beautiful you really don’t care.  And, besides, from the first page, even if you don’t really notice at first, B. R. Collins winds up the suspense, tempting you with snippets that make it impossible to stop until you know the reason of the house’s evil: this book is absolutely addictive!  I also love the way the story started at the end and slowly went backwards to the core of the tale; the reason the house is malevolent and evil, the death of the owner.  Beautifully written, Tyme’s End had me hooked from the first page, and haunting and scary, I knew that B. R. Collins could make me believe anything after the first few paragraphs.  A psychological thriller, with a side of ghosts; it builds suspense from the first page, tightening its grip on you with every chapter.  Managing to both shock me by the twists and causing me to be riveted by the evil of the house, I needed to get to the end, to find out who killed H. J. Martin.  An absolute page turner that promises to both chill and absorb you, this book is a must read for all readers who want to be on the edge of their seats for an entire story.  With a killer ending – literally! – this book is absolutely sensational!

Star Rating:

5 Out of 5

Read This Book if You Liked:

What I Was by Meg Rosoff

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
British Books Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)
Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
Off The Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

Happy Reading

Megan

*This book was recieved from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: Hardback

Published: October 2010

Number of Pages: 224

Book: For Review From Bloomsbury*

Genre: Ghost, Thriller, YA, Pre-Teen, Fiction

“My name is Michael: Michael Vyner.  I am going to tell you something of my life and of the strange events that have brought me to where I now sit, pen in hand, my heartbeat hastening at their recollection.”

A boy, a mysterious guardian and a haunted house with a terrible secret.

When Michael Vyner goes to spend the Christmas holidays with his distant and aloof guardian, he finds himself in a dark and desolate East Anglian house – a house that harbours a terrible secret which it will fight to retain.  Michael’s lonely task soon becomes clear as he is haunted not just by a solitary woman in the mists but by the terrible reason behind her death.

Review:

I don’t know whether it was the writing, the characters or the anticipation and hints of what was to come, but I sped through this book, completely addicted from page one. 

It starts off at the end of the story, with flashbacks that make no sense at the time, but make you want to read on to find out what they’re about more than anything.  You know something huge and scary is there in the book, but you don’t know where or what and you just need to find out. 

Told from the point of view of the main character, Michael, it is about how after his mother dies, he is sent to live with a man (Lord Stephan) he’s never met, but knows because his father died to save him.  The house he’s sent to is thoroughly depressing from the beginning, the only points of light being the servants.  But there’s something evil, dangerous in the house...  Is Michael just going mad or did something terrible really happen there?  Was the woman he saw really there?  And if so, why could no one else see her?

Well, I just had to know the answer to that question from the first sighting of her. 

Michael’s a good character, smart, brave and very good at noticing the little things.  The other characters are good too, getting a nice range, from the mad Lord Stephan to the beautiful Miss Charlotte to the cheerful .

And I must admit, I really didn’t see what happened in the end coming, although I had a mild suspicion on a couple of things.  I would definitely recommend this book, as it has a nice blend of ghosts, scare-factor, and mystery.  Perfect mix!  The only downside is that it’s too short, which makes the end a little abrupt, and that I never found out the time period it’s set it, which kind of bugged me all the way through.  But, despite all of that, a brilliant, smart and spine-tingling read that’s positively addictive.  A must read!

Star Rating:

4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Tyme’s End by B. R. Collins

Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)
Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
Off The Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

Happy Reading

Megan

*This book was recieved from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Bind Up 1 by Various

Coyote Moon by John Vornholt

Night of the Living Rerun by Arthur Byron Cover

Portal Through Time by Alice Henderson

Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series, Bind-Up One

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback

Published: 2010 (although the books were published separately before)

Number of Pages: 704
Book: Bought 
Genres: Dark Romance, Action, Supernatural, Humour, YA

In every generation, there is a Chosen One.

A Slayer destined to protect the human race.

She alone must fight the demons of hell.

She alone must risk her life to stop the spread of evil.

Buffy is the Chosen One.

In Coyote Moon, a typical night at the carnival becomes deadly as shape-shifters turn the amusement park into their own house of horrors.

Buffy starts having past-life nightmares in Night of the Living Rerun, and must face her hisotic counterpart before the events of the past repeat in the present.

In Portal Through Time, Slayers over the centuries are in danger and Buffy must protect them in order to save her own life and legacy.

Review:

These three books have everything: vampires, humour, romance, shapeshifters, zombies, time travel, alternate dimensions and Xander getting possessed by a past-life spirit – a young witch called Sarah.  What’s not to love?

The characters in the books are the ones from the series are captured by three different authors, and yet manage to stay the same all the way through.  You really can get a sense of them, and know they’re the characters from the show.  My favourite is Willow, I think, the strange, smart, quiet girl with a rather bizarre fashion sense and an obsession with her best friend Xander.  Who I also love, a lot.  He’s cute and goofy, and sarcastically funny, and just happens to have a huge crush on the third member of the ‘Scoobie gang’, Buffy.  Buffy is a classic, let’s face it, the smart-mouth, butt-kicking Slayer, who kills with stakes with a side of witty comments. 

I love this series, but I am obsessed with all things vampire.  Which brings me to Angel, Buffy’s love interest, the mysterious dark stranger with a secret...  He has that brooding thing down to a fine art.

I’d recommend this book, as it’s fun, easy to read, made me laugh and want to read on.  It’s your classic feel-good book, only with a supernatural twist.  I can’t wait to read the next bind up and for the third to come out!

Oh, and a final thing, I love the cover, it’s far better than the ones for the single books, which are just pictures of the gang.  They’re nice pictures, of course, but this cover’s so artistic and vampiric.  Love it!

Star Rating:

4 ½ Out of 5

Read This Book if You Liked:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series

The Drake Chronicles: My Love Lies Bleeding, Blood Feud and Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey

Angel Series by Various


Challanges It's Taking Part In:
100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
A-Z Reading Challenge (Hosted by Book Junky)
Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
Off The Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Series:
Publisher: Razorbill Penguin Lorien Legacies, Book One

Format: Hardback

Published: 26th August 2010

Number of Pages: 368
Book: Bought
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fiction, Fantasy, YA
Recommended Age: 12+
Contains: Quite A Bit Of Violence, Mild Swearing, Kissing Scenes and Drinking At A Party

 

We

May Be Walking Past You.

We

Are Watching You As You Read This.

We

May Be In Your City, Your Town.

We

Are Living Anonymously.

We

Will Find Each Other.

We

Will Make Our Last Stand Together.

If

We Win.

We

Are Saved.

And

You Are Saved As Well.

If We Lose, All Is Lost.

In the beginning we were nine.

We left when we were very young, almost too young to remember.  Almost.  And now.

Three are gone. 

We are here to keep our race alive,which was almost entirely obliterated.  We’re just trying to survive.

Six are left.

But we are hunted, and the hunters won’t stop until they’ve killed us all.

They caught Number One in Malasia. 

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

I am Number Four.

I know that I am next.

Review:

I must admit, normally I don’t read alien-themed books, the only one really being Daniel X by James Patterson (which I loved, by the way).  But this book had me gripped from the blurb, which is pretty impressive, as I tend not to like judging books by their covers. 

I absolutely loved I Am Number Four, and it had me reading well into the night.  Everything about it was incredible, from the characters to the writing style, the battle scenes to the sweet romantic ones.  It literally has everything, first love, loss, dramatic fights, alien beings with the most mind-blowing powers – called ‘Legacies’ – and the most evil super-aliens I’ve ever read about.

The book revolves around Number Four, and how he begins to develop his Legacies so he can defeat the wicked Mogdorians and save his race, the Loriens.  The Mogdorians destroyed the planet Lorien, after they had ruined their own from their own not-caring and ignorance.  The Lorien people are beautiful, from the way they care for their planet and all on it, to the way they love: one partner forever, one true soulmate. 

Nine children and nine guardians escaped the planet during the destruction, Number Four being one of them, in the hope that they will eventually be able to return to their planet.  Number Four was an incredibly strong character, and I loved the way he saw things and the way he wrote.  He falls for the human Sarah, a sweet all-American girl, and the scenes between the two of them are really touching.  Four’s guardian is Henri, a compassionate man who never really got over the loss of his home, and who loves Four more than anything.

I must admit, I saw one of the twists coming before Four did, but there were loads I couldn’t predict.  If I’d had time, I thing I would have been more than a little happy to sit down and read the three-hundred-and-sixty-odd paged book in one go.  I really hope that there will be another book in the series out soon, as I would love to read more about the characters.  This is a must-read for anyone who loves to be completely hooked from the word go, and even if you don’t normally like sci-fi novels, I would tell you to read it anyway.  You will not be disappointed, and may even want to read more alien books.  I’d say I Am Number Four is number one in my top-ten book-list of 2010, and is in my top-ten of all time.

Quick afterword, the book is going to be released as a movie soon, and I think it will be one of the best films ever, if they stick to the book.

Star Rating:

5 Out of 5

Read This If You Liked:

Daniel X by James Patterson

Gone by Michael Grant

Maxiumum Ride by James Patterson