Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: ARC

Published: 7^th June 2012

Number of Pages: 304

Book: For Review*

Genre: Historical, Fantasy, Romance, Action-Adventure, Fairytale Retelling, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Violence, Swearing, Death, Alcohol References

No Drug References

Author's Blog: A.C. Gaughen

“No one really knows about me.  I’m Robin’s secret, I’m his informant, I’m his shadow in dark places.”

Will Scarlet has a secret.  One only Robin Hood and his band of thieves know – this boy, whose quick hand with a knife protects people from the Sheriff of Nottingham, is really a girl.

Scarlet’s past is even more closely guarded.  Until the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood once and for all…  Now what price will Scarlet pay for her loyalty to Robin Hood, the only man with the power to unsettle her with a smile?

                                                                   Review:

After reading this I found myself dreaming of Robin Hood and his band of men.  It was almost as awesome as reading it all over again.  Not quite, but almost…  *sighs*  Robin... 

"What, a whip of a lad and a few pin sticks?"

I smiled at that, and Rob chuckled.  "You don't want to know what those pin sticks can do."

Will Scarlet is one of Robin Hood's most devoted men, known for his skilled hand and quick temper.  But the truth about him is known only to a selected few - Will Scarlet is not a man at all, but a girl. 

And while few know Scarlet's true identity, none know the story of her past.  It is her most closely guarded secret, one she herself barely likes to think about.  

Until Lord Gisbourne, a thief taker, returns, threatening to tear her and all of Nottingham apart, here with the task of getting rid of Robin Hood, once and for all...

And if Gisbourne discovers Scarlet...  Then he will live up to his name of "The Devil"...

It's fair safe to say, that this book were like nothin' I'd read 'fore. 

Ok, that was my one and only attempt at sounding like Scar.  I totally failed, but hey.  I just loved everything about this book so much I simply had to give it a shot!  Anyway, back to the review: I'm rather ashamed to say that other than the animated Disney movie, I don't really know the Robin Hood legend.  (Ducks to avoid disapproving looks.)   I've never read a book on it.  So I was insanely excited to read Scarlet.  Just a few pages in, I realised that I would not be disappointed!  What really struck me was how real Scar felt to me and how authentic her voice was.  Oh, and how utterly swoonsworthy both Rob and John were.  I just loved this book to absolute pieces and can't wait for my Robin Hood book or for Gaughen's next book (Hopefully a mix of the two!!)!

I loved how real all of the characters were, how they really jumped off of the page.  Scarlet was rough round the edges, but she was quick, smart, caring and could totally take care of herself - plus, I loved her snark and independence!  She really was a "Warrior Woman" and had to be the strongest girl ever, in the history of YA fiction.  I just loved her: her awesomeness and hidden vulnerability, how relatable and real and totally badass she was.  And I loved that she was so caring – she went without food to feed everyone else, was willing to do anything to keep the ones she loved safe and never let anyone tell her what to do: she was so flawed and it made me love her even more.  So, yay Scar!  And Rob was yummy.  Noble, kind, gorgeous, caring Robin who was just trying to protect his people.  Tortured, moody, gorgeous, intense Robin Hood...  Oh, I'm in love with a guy a cartoon fox was based on.  Go figure!  I loved John too: he was brave and funny and protective and also so, so yummy!  Much was the final member of the band and such a sweetie!  I really loved Lena and Tuck too - they were both awesome!  But I really loved the relationship between the band.  Sure, there was 'the triangle', but they all really felt like a family.  The one I didn't love was Sir Gisbourne, 'cause he was evil and made my skin crawl.  Grr!

The style of writing Scarlet had was a little tricky to get used to at the start - it was rough and she left out letters, etc. - but I quickly came to love it 'cause it was just so Scarlet!  And even though the old-time-peasant speak was odd at first, soon I barely even noticed it.  I was way too wrapped up in Scar, Nottingham and the plot.  Which I adored!  There was just so much action, so much suspense, so much awesomeness!  And the total desperation of knowing the truth about Scar's past.  But, man was it suspenseful!  My heart was roaring like mad, I was always on the edge of my seat and I never saw most of it coming.  Hence: just wow!

The only niggling thing about the book, the only thing I could say was not as good, was that I felt the love triangle wasn't really needed.  With everything else going on, the suspense was enough, without an added who-will-she-pick? side.  Then again, when you have one girl in the middle of three boys, spending all their time together, what do you expect?  We're just lucky it wasn't a love square!  Poor Scar was torn enough without the added cuteness of Much!

Oh, and I just have to mention the setting, because it was just so awesome!  I love historical novels - there's something so magical about the part about books set in the past.  They're like little time travel machines.  And this time zone.  Man, I could just whiz right back into the book/time machine and live there forever and ever.  Ergo: I must read more Robin Hood books, especially if they're even half as good as this!

With a band of merry - and yummy - men, one kickass lead girl and a legend that just jumped right off the page, Scarlet was an amazing, amazing debut, one I loved to pieces!  It was just so darn addictive and I hated that I was so busy when I was reading it.  I could of happily read it all in one go!  Though spreading it out did make the magic last...  Which is good, 'cause I am now officially head over heels in love with Rob.  I'm gonna sit here a few moments to get my heart back in order, then I'm going to wish, wish, wish that there's another book coming out after this one really, really soon! 

Oh, dammit!  I want more Scar and Robin!  I may have to reread the book...!

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

2012 Debut Author Challenge (Hosted by The Story Siren)

Happy Reading

Megan

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

Dark Eyes by William Richter

Series: Dark Eyes, Book One

Publisher: Puffin

Format: ARC

Published: 2^nd August 2012

Number of Pages: 384

Book: For Review*

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, Action-Adventure, Gritty Realism, YA, YA-Adult Crossover

Recommended Age: 14+

Contains: Violence, Death, Sexual Assault References, Russian and English Swearing; Smoking, Alcohol and Drug References

Author's Blog:

Danger is both her past and her destiny.

Born in Russia, but adopted by a wealthy American family, Wallis Stoneman has lived a life of glamorous luxury.  But, aged sixteen, she rejects the world that doesn’t feel like her own to live on the streets of New York.

Now life is tougher than Wallis imagined – and it’s about to take a deadly twist.  When Wallis discovers her real father’s identity, a fight to stay alive begins.  Because Wallis’s real father is a terrifying Russia gangster on the hunt for her mother.

And he’ll stop at nothing and no one – even his own blood – to find her…

                                                                   Review:

"This is a most dangerous man," Wally read the note aloud, a chill passing through her as the words crossed her lips.  "He has driven us apart.  If you see him, you must run…"

Before Wally became Wallis Stoneman, she was the orphan Valentina Mayakova in a Russian orphanage.  At the age of five, she was adopted by a rich American couple. 

Eleven years later, Wally is living on the streets.  Her parents are divorced: she never felt at home in her adopted world anyway, so she left it all behind.  

Wally didn’t think she’d ever know where she really came from – she’d tried before with no avail.  But one day she’s given an envelope that holds the key to unlocking her past.

The saying what you don’t know can’t hurt you definitely applies in Wally’s case – her father is a very, very dangerous man, a Russian gangster.

And he’s willing to do absolutely anything to get to Wally’s biological mother. 

Including hurting Wally herself…

From the second I lay my not-so-dark eyes on this book, I knew I'd love it.  I’d actually wish-list-ed it a while back, based purely on its brilliant cover.  And when I saw it was compared to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I knew I simply had to read it!  And, boy, did it not let me down!  It was like a thriller movie, one of those you can't look away from, even when you want to hide behind your hands!  But the movie-awesomeness aside, what I loved most was that this book shied from absolutely nothing, that it doesn't handle its readers with kid gloves.  There is so many amazing things about this book and less than nothing I can complain about.  Teens will love it, their parents will love it and if it was made into a movie, it would so kick butt!

The characters were all so amazing and 3D.  I loved how we knew all their backgrounds so we could understand their motives.  Knowing why is just as important to me as knowing a character.  It meant I loved my characters more.  Wally herself was amazing and so worthy of the comparison to Lisbeth Salander.  She was tough, brave, smart, fiercely independent and, quite frankly, a total kickbutt badass!  She was willing to sacrifice everything to help others, to save the ones she loved, which of course made me love her even more. I loved the family-like feel between Wally, Tevin, Ella and Jake.  They may not have been related, but the four of them were a family.  Ella had to be my favourite – “Magic Ella” – but Tevin was really cute too.  Tiger was a mobster, but he had such a vulnerable side and had a really heart-breaking motive for everything he did: I just wanted to help him find a way out.  I really loved Claire and Detective Greer.  Alexei Klesko, on the other hand, was scary as hell!

The writing was amazing – like a movie playing in my head.  It was a gritty, harsh-reality kind of style that held absolutely nothing back.  I loved the style.  I also loved that although it was in third person, we still really got to know and love Wally.  And it was so powerful too: I was scared, worried, happy, terrified, devastated… Richter’s writing was just amazing.  It blew me away.  As for the plot, I loved it!  It was all so suspenseful and raw that I barely had time to think about what could happen.  Everything about this book was a shock and it was one of those where I had no idea who would live.  I felt like no one was safe.  Terrifying!  And it was one of those where you start reading and before you know it, you've finished the book.  One you just can't put down!

So many YA books talk down to teens, treat them like they’re still little kids.  I hate it when they bubble wrap things – teens see it on the news, live in the same world the adults are in!  Ok, rant over.  The point is, this is a book that treats teens like they want to be treated.  It shies away from nothing.  We’re bluntly told of the sexual assault that happened to a younger Ella, as well as life on the streets, beatings, drugs, shootings, killings: nothing was taboo or left well alone.  And, oh, how I loved it.

A gritty, thrilling, shocking read that had me hooked from start to finish.  I wish all YA thrillers were just like this!  It was so powerful, so hard hitting, so just…. Whoa.  This is a book that holds no punches, hides nothing, keeps nothing back.  An honest book.  It was stunning.  Beyond amazing.

Yeah, I loved it!  I think Dark Eyes is the new face of YA.  Please, please make this a very, very, very long series for me, Mr Richter!  I beg you!

Star Rating:
4¾ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Cherub by Robert Muchamore
This Is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Reading Angel & Katie's Book Blog)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Muddle and Win by John Dickinson

Publisher: David Fickling Books

Format: ARC

Published: 30^th August 2012

Number of Pages: 240

Book: For Review*

Genre: Humour, Paranormal, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Pre-Teen, Middlegrade, YA, YA-Child Crossover

Recommended Age: 9+

Contains: Violence, Demony Death

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: John Dickinson

“The angel towered over him.  In its rock-steady hands it gripped a great bassoon, with the mouth pointed right between Muddlespot’s eyes.

‘Say your prayers, creep,’ said the angel.  ‘Oh, I forgot – you people don’t, do you?’”

What if your every thought was disputed by opposing forces of good and evil – by an angel wearing Ray-bans and a demon called Muddlespot?

Sally Jones is Good.  And Muddlespot, newly promoted to special agent, is on a mission to make her Bad.  If he doesn’t it will be Very Bad for him.  But as he infiltrates Sally’s mind, all becomes unclear.  Just what does it mean to be good?  And can it be good to be bad?

                                                                    Review

You know how you can read a book and even though you weren't really expecting to, you loved every second?  When it's one of those books that has that magic, that spark, that just reminds you so much of when you were young and innocent and everything was absolute magic?  Muddle and Win was that book for me.  I'm not going to say it’ll be that way for everyone or that it's a perfect, flawless read, but it just had a spark I've not seen in kids books for ages.  It's funny, witty, quirky, exceptionally written and just so amazing.  Kids and parents alike will gobble it up.  It's the best kids fiction I've read since Roald Dahl and Lemony Snickett. 

"The object of Mission Alpha was..."

"Sally Jones."

Just like any good story, Muddle and Win is about the battle between good and evil.  In this battle, just one person could tilt the balance.  This person is Sally Jones, who has thousands of Good Deeds and nada Bad ones. 

Sally is definitely Good.  But she needs to be Bad, Bad, Bad if Hell is going to have a shot. 

That's why Muddlespot, a wart-turned-imp-turned-Agent-of-Evil, is sent to turn Sally Bad, to stop her streak of endless good deeds and maybe throw in a few naughty ones. 

If he fails?  Well, it will be Very, Very Bad for him and the cleaners will have a verrryy tough job getting rid of his body... bits. 

His job isn't helped by the presence of one of Heaven's best, Agent Windleberry, an angel in Ray-bans and a tuxedo, who is determined to keep Sally exactly as she is - Good. 

Let The Battle For Sally Jones begin...

I've never read anything by Dickinson before (I don't think...) but from the moment I saw this book in all its marvellously odd glory, I knew I just had to read it.  And from the very first page, I knew it wouldn't let me down.  Deliciously bad and criminally fun, Muddle and Win is a story all children and teens - and their parents too - will just love.  It's witty, clever, addictive and so much fun, even while it makes you question what's good and what's bad, and whether being Good is always the right thing...  To sum this up, I loved Muddle and Win to pieces!  It's just so brilliantly quirky!

I just adored all Dickinson's characters!  Muddlespot...  Oh, I almost never root for the 'villains', but I couldn't resist Muddlespot!  He wasn't really all that evil - in fact, he felt kinda innocent.  Well, y'know, for a demon.  Needless to say, I never thought I'd love a former wart so much!  Windleberry kinda reminded me of a '20s or maybe '70s (I'm not good with 1900s time periods) cop or gangsta person, what with the tux, glasses and what-not.  He was your poster-boy angel - except for a tiny blip where he advised his charge to "hack" someone's shins...  Long story - funny, but long!  Sally Jones was like an angel: helped her mum, covered for her twin Billie, there fore everyone...  But I loved her spirit - especially inner-Sally, who was funny and snarky.  All the minor-ish characters were brilliant too - I loved Ismael and Scattletail, Billie's angel and demon, who'd come to an agreement and played card games to see who'd get to choose Billie's next action!  But my favourite had to be Shades, Sally's amoral cat who loved to beg and steal and be worshiped!  He just stole the show for me!

I absolutely adored Dickinson's writing - it was so much fun and so marvellously bonkers.  And wonderfully descriptive - I saw everything in my head.  It was just the kinda writing you could read forever.  It's all child friendly, but there's a little humour just for the adults in there too!  The plot was your standard good vs evil with a barmy twist!  It did the battle in its own unique, quirky way.  I just loved the mad, addictive, funny plot, and it was so the kind you can (and I did) gobble up in a single sitting. 

The Hell world, Pandemonium, was just so amazingly described.  Even though the general idea of Hell wasn't stunningly unique, the way of getting there really was.  I loved that the way into Pandemonium was equal parts funny and scary!  As for Heaven, I loved how suits were the official clothes and how weapons were musical instruments and how everyone said "Yay, verily"!  Oh, and the descriptions of minds and how they differ based on the person's personality was just brilliant.  Kids will just love the worlds thanks to the vivid imagery.  Parents will love them because of the quirky and genius nature.  

Now, this book was loads of fun to read, but it also made you think about good and bad.  About expectations and how it affects people - and all this without making a huge yell of it.  Personally, I think Dickinson is a genius in that department!

Muddle and Win was a brilliant, bonkers, funny, quirky book that was so much fun to read and even more additive.  I read it in one sitting, gobbling it up and unable to put it down.  A story or unlikely heroes, angels vs demons and whether being a little bad can be good, Muddle and Win is just a must read for everyone, be you young or not-so-young, male or female!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Anything by Roald Dahl

The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle

The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Random House in exchange for an honest review

Breathe by Sarah Crossan: Extract

Sarah Crossan made her literary debut with the gorgeous Weight of Water, a story told in prose.  Now she's back with an equally amazing dystopian called Breathe - just check out this synopsis from the press release:

When oxygen levels plunge in a treeless world, a state lottery decides which lucky few will live inside the Pod. Everyone else will slowly suffocate.

Years after the Switch, life inside the Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong. Anyone who opposes the regime is labeled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die.

Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so, what or who are they protecting the trees from?

A gripping dystopian thriller about courage, freedom and revolution. Perfect for fans of Ally Condie, Lauren Oliver and Meg Rosoff. Look out for the sequel to Breathe in October 2013.

Well, I don't know about you, but I think this sounds absolutely amazing!!  If that hasn't won you over, just read this amazing extract!  

Breathe comes out October, so keep an eye out for a blog tour leading up to that date!  

To find out more about Sarah and her books, head here:  her website, Facebook, Twitter at @SarahCrossan.  :)

Now, enjoy...! 

Breathe by Sarah Crossan Extract

Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason

Series: Reykjavik Murder Mysteries, Book One

Publisher: Vintage

Format: Paperback

Published: 7^th May 2009

Number of Pages: 352

Book: Borrowed

Genre: Crime Drama, Action-Adventure, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Murder Mystery, Adult

Recommended Age: 15+

Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing, Alcohol, Drug and Smoking References

Author's Blog: Author Page on Macmillan

A man is found murdered in his Reykjavík flat.  There are no obvious clues apart from a cryptic note left on the body and a photograph of a young girl's grave.  Detective Erlendur is forced to use all the forensic resources available to find any leads at all.  Delving into the dead man's life, he discovers that forty years ago he was accused of an appalling crime.  Did his past come back to haunt him?  Finally, Erlendur's search leads him to Iceland's Genetic Research Centre in order to find the disturbing answers to the mystery. 

This prize-winning international bestseller is the first in a new series of crime novels set in Iceland. 

                                                                    Review:

"I am him."

An old man called Holberg was found murdered in his home.  On top was a note no one understands and a further search of his home revealed a photo of a child's grave. 

Detective Erlendur can't make heads or tails of the murder, until he begins to unravel the dead man's life.  And finds he was suspected in a very, very violent crime four decades ago. 

Which leaves the question of why was he killed now?  All these years later?  Was it just his crime coming back to haunt him?

Or does the mystery run even deeper than that...?

I do love crime thrillers.  I love to watch them, love to read them.  So when my aunt told me she had a brilliant crime book that I had to read, I jumped on the chance!  My aunt has a good taste in murder mystery, so I knew this would be good!  I'll admit I've seen some not-stellar reviews of Jar City, but I personally really enjoyed it.  

I really liked Erlendur.  He was very old school and logical, kind of brash and straight-to-the-point.  He was a generally good person and a caring one.  I'll admit, he wasn't like Sherlock-exceptional, but he was so intuitive and so good at his job.  I must say, the father-daughter relationship between Erlendur and  Eva Lind was intriguing, mainly 'cause Eva Lind was such an intriguing character.  I can't wait to see where everything between them goes. 

Admittedly, the other detectives weren't as padded-out as Erlendur.  Elínborg especially seems like she could be extended more - I barely felt like I knew her.  I knew a little more about Sigurdur Óli, but not quite enough.  I only mention this because I think both characters could be so much more.  

I loved the writing, all the random little details.  It was a wonderfully simple style, really easy to read, but full of descriptions and mystery.  And the plot was equally brilliant and wonderfully twisty.  It wasn't sensationalised or out of the ordinary.  The plot and murder all felt really realistic and gritty-real, if that makes sense.  I'll admit it sometimes wasn't the most suspenseful or mind blowing plot, but it was really effective and I have a feeling the author is only going to get better from here.  Plus, I loved learning more about Iceland, about their surnames: the father's name and "dóttir" for daughter and "son" for son.  Cool, huh?

The one thing I don't get about the book is the mystery surrounding Marion Briem.  All the descriptions were so cryptic - we had no idea whether Marion was male or female.  It was annoying. 

As I love thrillers, I've read a lot of twisted crime thrillers - some were mentally scaring really! - but I've never read any by an Icelandic author.  After reading Jar City, I can't wait to read more!  The story is twisty but not scarringly twisted.  I really enjoyed the setting and mystery and the genetic/forensic twist to the story, as well as the moral and ethical themes: it wasn't heartbreaking, but it was thought-provoking and complex.  Anyway, I'm super excited about the rest of this series!  Yay to Icelandic crime thrillers!

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Rizzoli and Isles by Tess Gerritsen

Bones by Kathy Reichs

Kurt Wallander by Henning Mankell 

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Happy Reading

Megan