Wednesday 28 March 2012

Intuition by J. Meyers

IntuitionSeries: Bonus Intangible Novel
Publisher: Self
Format: Kindle
Published: 3rd November 2011
Number of Pages: -
Book: Free iPod Book!
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Novella, Mystery, YA
Recommended Age: 11+
Contains: Nothing Unsuitable
No Alcohol, Drug References
Available On: Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble
Author's Blog:

Intuition: A Bonus Intangible Short Story
Luke and his twin sister Sera have unusual abilities. Hers is a gift—she can heal with a touch of her hand. His is a curse—he can see the future but he can’t do anything about it.
On a hike up the mountain, Luke has a vision unlike any other—one that leaves him terrified. Knowing that it will come true—and that he must do everything in his power to stop it—leaves his own future uncertain.
Don't miss the first book in the series, Intangible, on sale January 2012.

                                                                   Review:
Luke has visions of the future, visions that always come true. Sera can heal, influence. The twins have to keep their gifts secret; people react badly, they get scared or angry.
On a hike one day, Luke has a vision, the worst one he's ever had. He sees someone dead in a cave. He is sure he knows the person, but as he can't see them he doesn't know who they are. His visions always come true. Can Luke stop this one before it’s too late?
Intuition was a great little story, introducing us to the world, tantalizing our minds. It wasn't long at all, just long enough for me to meet the characters and know their gifts and like them and need to know WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!
The writing was really good, the brief plot left me wanting more. I really liked Luke and Sera, their gifts and twin bond. I can't wait to read Intangible! No, scratch that. I need to read Intangible! I HAVE to know if Luke manages to stop his vision! And after the teaser chapter at the end of Intuition? Squeee!

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5



Read this book if you liked:
Spirit Guide Series by E.J. Stevens
The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
Night World by L.J. Smith


Challenges It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading
Megan

Monday 26 March 2012

Partials by Dan Wells

Series: Partials, Book One
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: ARC
Published: 29th March 2012
Number of Pages: 482
Book: For Review*
Genre: Dystopia, Science-Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, Mystery, Post-Apocalyptic, YA
Recommended Age: 13+
Contains: Violence, Death, Drinking, Swearing
No Drug References
Author's Blog: Dan Wells


The human race is all but extinct, wiped out by a killer virus released by genetically engineered soldiers – Partials.
Sixteen-year-old Kira is trapped on Long Island.  Her community clings to survival, but what hope can they have when no baby survives for more than three days?
Kira is determined to make a difference, to find a cure.  Her best friend is pregnant and Kira cannot let that baby die.  Time is running out, and finding a cure means capturing a Partial…

Partials (Partials, #1)                                                                   Review:
Since the Break, no baby has lived past three days.  The human race is at the edge of extinction, almost all of the population having been killed by the virus released by the Partials – part human cyborgs.
Kira Walker’s community is barely hanging on, but with no idea how to save the babies, they merely ask the citizens to keep having children and hope for the best.  But this splits the survivors, some furious with this new act and threatening war.
And now Kira’s best friend is pregnant – Kira loves Madison and refuses to stand by and watch the baby die. 
Kira has a theory, one that could find the cure and save Maddy’s baby.  The problem?
It requires a Partial.  Or more specifically, capturing a super strong, super powerful, genetically-engineered soldier.
Can Kira pull it off in time?  Or will their whole world be ripped apart first?
I remember seeing this one Sammee’s blog and thinking: “Oh my God!  MUST get my hands on this book!”  And Partials really didn’t disappoint!  It sucked me in from the word go.  It was addictive and action packed and just pure awesomeness.  With strong characters, a scarily brilliant plot, amazing writing and a disconcertingly plausible world, Partials was a book I was addicted to from start to finish!
Kira Walker was strong, brave, caring, funny, good natured and witty.  I loved her!  She was brilliantly snarky and funny, and totally kick butt!  She was so calm under pressure and wonderfully strong, stubborn and determined; a natural leader who could totally hold her own. 
Marcus, Kira’s boyfriend, was funny and goofy – totally insane and so cute!  He was so loving, so trusting, so loyal. Whenever he came in, he made me laugh.  His snark just lightened my day!  I officially love Marcus Valencio. 
Samm was really clever and a real puzzle; he seemed almost vulnerable and was really sweet.  He was more human than most of the actual humans.  I loved him!  And I don’t know if he meant to be, but he was really quite funny at times!
I just loved all the characters so much!  Loads of them were hilarious, all of them were brave and I just loved the relationships between them all.  Also, I had no idea who would make it through – I felt as if any of them could just die at any time, something I’ve never felt before.  The characters were all so charismatic and awesome and I loved them all!  Xochi was one of my favourites!  She was brilliant, rebellious, fiery, snarky and really funny!  And I loved Isolde! She was brave and funny and kinda bonkers.  I loved that her solution to everything seemed to be: get drunk.  (By the way: kids reading this, alcohol is not the solution!!  Um, righteous moment over…  Carry on…)
This book brought up lots of tricky moral and ethical questions.  Humans created the Partials to win wars and they turned against them because they didn’t want to be slaves anymore.  And the Hope Act: everyone had to have a baby at eighteen and have them as often as possible afterwards.  And they all die.  Admittedly, the Senate passed the law to try and save the human race, but still.  And what was even more shocking and oh-so-terrifying was that it was all plausible to me, like it really could happen. 
The writing was amazing: addictive, action-packed, simple, descriptive and brilliantly funny.  Told in third person from Kira’s POV, it really let me get into her head.  I’m not sure if some of the bits I lost control at were actually meant to be funny, but I found them hilarious.  And I loved the plot just as much!  The only think I didn’t get was: why didn’t the other scientists figure out what Kira did?  That, seriously, is the only negative thing I have to say.  I couldn’t see the twists coming and I was hooked to every word.  Ok, admittedly I had suspicions about one of the final twists, but it was only a vague theory.  As for the ending… I thought it was perfect, with just the right amount of unanswered questions… ‘til I reached the last few pages.  And now?  Oh.  My.  God!  I need the next book.  As in now, now, now!
A civilisation torn apart, a world on its knees, on the brink of extinction and war, one girl willing to risk everything to save them all… Partials was addictive, action packed and just brilliant!  I sped through it, desperate to see how it would end, yet not really wanting it to end at the same time.  It had action, it had humour, it had romance, it had brilliant characters.  I can’t recommend this one enough!

Star Rating:
4¾ Out of 5



Read this book if you liked:
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead


Challenges It's Taking Part In:

Happy Reading
Megan
* This book was received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

Sunday 25 March 2012

In My Mailbox (#50)


In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a perfect way to see who's reading and review what. Awesome!



Prepare to be totally shocked... I bought ZERO books this week!  I'm still kinda in shock over that, actually...  My lack of purchases is balanced by the ridiculous number of books I Requested on NetGalley, but still.  It's not bad!  ;)

Anyhoo, this is what I got...

For Review:

The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard (Goodreads | Amazon)
I love the look of this, and I am actually totally in love with the book's cover: it's nice and soft and kinda silky!  Love it! ;)
Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Goodreads | Amazon)
Never Judge A Book Boy
By Its Cover His Face
I've heard so many amazing things about this.  So I can't wait to actually read it!  It looks seriously brilliant.  Thank you SO MUCH RandomHouse!
Secrets of the Henna Girl by Sufiya Ahmed (Goodreads | Amazon)
This looks amazing!  You can see the interview I had with Sufiya: here.  I can't wait to read the book!
Dark Ride by Caroline Green (Goodreads | Amazon)
A Mysterious Boy,
A Haunting Secret
Thank you so much Caroline for sending this to me, and it was lovely to meet you last week!  I'm very much looknig forward to read this!!
Endure (Need, Book Four) by Carrie Jones (Goodreads | Amazon)
I love this series, and I love this cover to pieces!  It's gorgeous!!  :D

Intangible
Intangible by J. Meyers (Goodreads | Amazon)
I read Meyers' short teaser story Intuition the other day and absolutely loved it.  Therefore, I can't wait to read this!
Thank you so, so much to everyone who sent books to me!!!

 
From NetGalley:

Tomorrow LandThe Summer My Life Began
Hanging by a ThreadFitzFrom the Trade Paperback edition
 Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale

Pie In The Sky by Jane Smiley (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)
I love the look of this one!  The little girl in me still adores everything even mildly horsey-related, so I'm super excited about it! :D
Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)
Can true love survive the end of the world?
Ooh, exciting!  Gotta love end-of-the-world books! ;)
The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)
One Summer Can Change Everything
Love the sound of this one! 
Hanging By a Thread by Sophie Littlefield (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)
This cover is gorgeous!  I can't wait to read it!
Fitz by Mick Cochrane (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)
A Father.  A Son.  And A Gun.
WOW.  O.O  I can't get over that one line!  It's amazing!!
Sisterhood Everlasting (The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Book Five) by Ann Brashares (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)
Four Friends.  One Sisterhood.  Ten Years Later, The Story Continues...
Ok, admittedly, I haven't read this series, but I couldn't resist!  My lack of control worries me somewhat...
Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale by Tamra Torero (Goodreads | AmazonNetGalley)
Gotta love faerie tales! :D



Well, that's me.  NetGalley is seriously dangerous.

What was in your mailbox this week?  Did you go mad on NetGalley too?  ;) 

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Saturday 24 March 2012

On My Wishlist (#26)

On My Wishlist is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that runs every Saturday. It's a place where you can put up all the books you're desperate to read, but haven't actually bought them yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. And, even better, everyone can join in with too, because there's a Mr Linky so you can put your post up. All you have to do is click on the link below:

 
I haven't done this in forever, but today I bring two books I am really, really wishing for!  And they are...
 
The World of the Hunger GamesThe World of the Hunger Games
By: Kate Egan
Published: 23rd March 2012
Published By: Scholastic
Found: On Amazon
 
Synopsis From Goodreads:
The definitive, richly illustrated, full-color guide to all the districts of Panem, all the participants in "The Hunger Games," and the life and home of Katniss Everdeen.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Ah-hem.  Yes.  I may be mildly obsessed with HG at the mo... But C'MON!!  Hunger Games!!!!!! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The LookThe Look
By: Sophia Bennett
Published: 1st March 2012
Published By: Chicken House
Found: Everywhere! 
 
Synopsis From Goodreads:
Ted is fifteen, and...oh yes...tall. When she's spotted by a model agency, she can't believe it.
At the same time, Ted's fashionista sister, Ava, is diagnosed with cancer. With her world turned upside down, Ted has a lot of growing up to do, some of it in five-inch platforms. Should she be the model sister for Ava? Life in front of the camera is harder than it looks. And will they still be smiling when it’s over?
I've seen so many amazing reviews of this one, so I can't wait to get my hands on it!!
 
 
 
Well, that's a couple of books I'm a-wishin' for this week!
 
What's on your wishlist today? :D

Friday 23 March 2012

The Lorien Legacy Series: Thrilling Teaser Trailer!

In the beginning we were a group of nine.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
The Mogadorians want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first...

Oh.  My.  God.  I am so, so, SO in love with this series!  Even more so after the amazing trailer which you will all see in a moment. 

I don't know how many of you have read I Am Number Four or seen the film, but those of you who have will love this trailer!  Thanks Penguin for letting me know about it!


Now, I hope you all loved the trailer as much as I did!  Keep an eye out for an amazing game that's coming out soon! 

Check out the Lorien Legacy series on Goodreads!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Illegal by Miriam Halahmy

Series: Hayling Island Cycle, Book Two
Publisher: Meadowside Fiction
Format: ARC
Published: 20th March 2012
Number of Pages: 288
Book: For Review*
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic-Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Action-Adventure, Thriller-Suspence, YA
Recommended Age: 13+
Contains: Violence, Self-harming, Drug Growing, Swearing
No Alcohol References
Author's Blog: Miriam Halahmy

“If Jemma had lived, none of this would have happened.  I’d have been too busy to get dragged into this filthy, illegal business…”
Since Lindy’s baby sister died, her family have been caught in a downward spiral.  Her brothers are in prison and her parents have given up.  Soon Lindy is out of her depth too, caught in the centre of an international drugs ring, with no way out.  Then Lindy finds help from an unexpected ally: weird, mute Karl from school, and together they plan a daring and desperate escape.  But when you’re in this deep, can you ever be free?
Touching, surprising and painfully honest, Illegal is the second in a cycle of three novels by Miriam Halahmy, and the follow up to her acclaimed first novel, Hidden.


                                                                   Review:
Ever since baby Jemma died, Lindy's family has fallen apart. Her brothers are in prison and her parents spend all their money on alcohol and gambling.
So when she's offered a job by her cousin, she takes it, desperate to escape. But she's soon in way too deep: her cousin is a drug dealer, and she's caught in the middle. With no way out, she's trapped, caught in a downward spiral…
Until she finds an unexpected ally in the new boy: strange, mute Karl. With his help, can Lindy escape the web she is caught up in?
When you've done what she's done, is being truly free ever an option?
I love emotional contemps, so when Miriam asked me to review this, I couldn't say no! And Illegal did not disappoint! Emotional, powerful and addictive, it had me hooked from page one. It dealt with difficult topics like drug dealing brilliantly, and created a story with amazing and a believable plot. I adored Illegal, and can't wait to get my hands on Hidden and Stuffed (Books One and Three).
Lindy Bellows was a really troubled girl who had too much responsibility, too young. She was tough, putting on a brave face, but she was drowning.  And she was all alone. Her vulnerability broke my heart, and made me just love her to pieces. She'd lost so much, so she didn't really want to let people in and was scared and untrusting of the ones she did let in. She was so vulnerable and broken inside that it was impossible for me NOT to love her.
Karl Reece was strong and cute and sweet and caring and darn irresistible!  To begin with he never said anything, but he spoke volumes with his eyes, eyebrows and face. I loved him! He'd been through so much, and was so clever and oh-so-cute with his "I-love-facts-voice"!
I loved the relationship between Lindy and Karl: it was so natural, so sweet, so real. I just loved seeing how Lindy's thoughts of Karl changed as she got to know him better, going from thinking of him as a "retard" to feeling terrible for ever thinking that. They were so different but so alike and when they were together, I just felt it. They were perfect.
Garth Bellows, Lindy's 19-year-old brother, was someone I couldn’t figure out to begin with.  He was meant to make everything better for Lindy, but he got her the job with Cousin Collin.  But he really came through and tried to look out for Lindy, even from prison.  He was so caring and reassuring and made me and Lindy feel safe.
Cousin Collin Bellows, drug dealer. He was a shady character, tricking Lindy, lying, wheedling his way into everyone's good books. I agreed with Lindy: he was "totally insane".
Jess... When I first 'met' her, I thought she was a total cow: she was horrid to Lindy, vindictive. But towards the end, I started thinking that she wasn't too bad. I think her character can be expanded on... And guess what! After meeting Miriam, she confirmed Book3, Stuffed, will be about Jess: Squeee! Can't wait!
Lindy's family was really dysfunction and broken. Her dad was addicted to gambling, always down at the bookies. Her mum was empty, broken, never doing anything. Her big brothers were in prison, and her younger one was innocent and young and always hungry. And baby Jemma was dead. Although the family wasn't perfect, they were a family. And I could feel it, especially in the very last chapter. I'll miss the Bellows!  I really loved little Sean - he doted on Lindy, worrying if she wasn't in... he was terrified he'd lose her too. He was so clever and so cute and I just loved him!
A huge theme in this book is loss. Both Lindy and Karl lost someone, and it affected them both hugely.  Friendship is another, especially in the unlikeliest places, and about being able to let people in and trust them after having loved and lost before. This in particular, I think Miriam did beautifully.
The writing was brilliant: raw, emotional, powerful. Told in third person, it still really let me get into Lindy's head. I felt everything she felt, saw everything she saw. And it was authentically teen. It was simple, yet emotional and powerful. Just the way I like it!  And the plot was brilliant and compelling, unlike anything I've read before. I've read ones with drugs in, but not ones like this. Not with characters I fell in love with the moment I met them and had me glued to the page so I could find out how it all ended. Although I had a vague idea about what the plot would be like, I really didn't see the twists coming. I loved every second!  
I just adored the setting.  Hayling Island sounds beautiful, and I loved getting to see the huge variety of people who live there. All the little facts and places on the Island just made the story feel all the more real to me. I can't wait for my next Hayling fix!
Emotional, powerful and about feeling trapped with no way out, Illegal was a beautiful and touching story, one that pulled me in and didn't let go, even after I put the book down. I just loved this book. Every. Single. Second. I can't wait to read the others in the series!

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5



Read this book if you liked:
Hidden by Miriam Halahmy


Challenges It's Taking Part In:

Happy Reading
Megan
* This book was received from Meadowside in exchange for an honest review