The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Series: The 5^th Wave, Book One

Publisher: Penguin

Format: Paperback

Published: 7^th May 2013

Number of Pages: 480

Book: For Review*

Genre: Psychological Suspense, Thriller Suspense, Contemporary, Realistic-Fiction, Science-Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Horror, YA, YA-Adult Crossover

Recommended Age: 14+

Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Site: Rick Yancey

Series' Site: The 5th Wave

The 1^st Wave

Took out half a million people.

The 2^nd Wave

Put that number to shame.

The 3^rd Wave

Lasted a little longer, twelve weeks…  Four billion dead.

In the 4^th Wave

You can’t trust that people are still people.

And the 5^th Wave?

No one knows.

But it’s coming.

On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs.  Runs from beings that only look human, who have scattered Earth’s last survivors.

To stay alone is to stay alive, until she meets Evan Walker.  Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope.

Now Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death.

                                                                   Review:

It’s taken me forever to get this review done, in no small part because I loved The 5^th Wave so much I couldn’t find the words…  Also, once I found them, there were just too many words!  I rambled – a lot.  I’ve done my best to cut back…  I don’t think I was overly successful…  Enjoy the gushing!

"1st Wave: lights out.  2nd Wave: surf's up.  3rd Wave: pestilence.  4th Wave: Silencer.  What's next, Evan?  What is the 5th Wave?"

The 1st Wave killed all electrical items – everything run by a battery or electricity or an engine.  Everything.

The 2nd Wave created huge tsunamis that destroyed all cities near the sea.  Goodbye London, New York, Sydney...

The 3rd Wave created the Red Death, the Blood Plague, the Fourth Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  It killed almost four billion people...  

The Fourth Wave created the Silencers – things that look like humans, act like humans, until you get too close.  Then, they kill you.  The 4th Wave isolated the survivors – made sure they couldn't trust anyone.

The 5th Wave?  Well, no one knows.  It hasn't happened yet.  But it will.  The Others want the humans dead.  They want Earth.  And they won't stop until they get it...

Cassie is a survivor.  She is alone, on the run, trying to avoid Drones and Silencers.  To do that, she needs to be alone.  The only way to stay alive is to stay alone.

But then she meets Evan Walker.  And he might be her only way of staying alive and finding the one thing she needs more than anything...

Meanwhile, a resistance is assembling.  But are their aims true – and if they are, how can they alone possibly defeat the Others – the ones who killed seven billion in the blink of an eye...?

The 5^th Wave’s prologue drew me in completely and I just was hooked from the word go!   Right from the start, I loved it and knew that it would be my favourite alien-dystopian-sci-fi this year - maybe even ever!   I mean, I'm a huge alien-apocalypse fan.  Heck, I was watching Prometheus and Independence Day earlier this week, the latter while reading this book.  And while Independence Day is a truly brilliant film, all I kept thinking was: ‘Bleh.  Shut up, silly movie aliens, and let me go back to The 5^th Wave.’  And that right there is how I know The 5^th Wave should be seen as the best freaking alien dystopia out there right now.  

But now onto one of my favourite bits of the book (other than the alien stuff).  And that was Cassie.  She was brilliant – hard and vulnerable, kickass and broken.  And so so funny!  She was such an awesome character!

And Evan... oh, I just instantly fell for him!   He was just so... yum.  So perfect.  And I swear, it's just impossible not to love him.  Evan Walker has now been added to my list of book boyfriends...  But am I the only one who suspected, like right from the beginning…?  

Other characters: loved Zombie.  Loved Sammy.  Loved… in fact, all the characters were brilliant, be they human or alien.   They all felt very real, be they human, Other, or something… else...  They had the best and worst traits of humanity, both the strengths and weaknesses.

And the romance was brilliant.  Not too fast, not too slow.  Not too much, not too little.  Just perfection – making me one very happy little blogger!

I also loved the writing - Cassie's voice in particular.  She sounded completely real and like any other teen girl - horrible world and all aside.  But I just loved her sense of humour - it was kinda twisted and dark and wry, but it often made me smile.  I love a girl who can joke in the face of death. 

I also loved the split perspectives in this book.  It did confuse me to begin with but I soon fell even harder in love.  I love split POVs – they are my favourite style of writing.  And we had so, so many scrummy perspectives to gobble up, ranging from Cassie and Evan, little Sammy and even a Silencer.  Each of the chapters had a kind of distinct feel to them: amazing!  

And, oh, how completely hooking the plot was!  It was a mile a minute.  Just non-stop action, suspense and twists.  I loved zooming through it all!

I also really liked that despite the sci-fi setting there were still so many real issues involved - humanity, what's important, trust, love, family, strength.  And the world was really amazing!  It was like I was right there with Cassie – so terrifying!  And I loved his take on the alien genre - these were clever aliens, not the stupid kind that launch a human war.  As Stephen Hawking said...

“If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans."

Oh, and I loved that Yancey's main character was a girl.  I hate it when authors feel they need to stick to their own gender – this is an all-audiences book.  It has something for everyone and is so un-stereotypical and fresh it's untrue.  Yay to Yancey for ignoring stupid gender norms!

The 5^th Wave is insanely fun and addictive and exciting and I loved it to pieces.  And I must say, there was something truly masterful about the way Yancey linked all the stories together, making me doubt everything I thought I knew about a million times over and surprising me even more often.  It was so much fun and was such an easy and quick read – one you're going to want to read in a single sitting, food, work and sleep be damned, so be prepared to take a large chunk from your day to devour this book!  

Oh, and be prepared for the insane desperation for book two, the very second you put thus one down. It's all consuming, maddening, and yet The 5th Wave is so worth it.

Still.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 Earthfall by Mark Walden

Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore

Billi SanGreal by Sarwat Chadda

Falling Skies

V

Revolution

The Walking Dead

Happy Reading

Megan

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

Locked by Eva Morgan

Series: Locked, Book One

Publisher: Self

Format: Kindle

Published: 10^th February 2014

Number of Pages: 219

Book: Sent For Review*

Genre: Romance, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, Re-Telling, YA, NA

Recommended Age: 14+

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

Available On: Amazon, Barnes&Noble

Author's Blog: Eva Morgan

WARNING: This review will be an excited rambling of a fangirl. 

You have been warned…

Eighteen-year-old Irene Adler hasn’t cared much for living since her sister died. 

Until Sherlock Holmes moves in next door.

Sherlock is a conceited, sharp-cheekboned nightmare—and Irene’s first real friend in ages. Within a day, he’s partnered with her to solve their school's mysteries. Within a week, he’s saved her life in more ways than one. 

Within a month, the whole school thinks he's a murderer.

When Sherlock is found alone with a dead girl, he and Irene must crack the case under a hailstorm of hate—before the killer comes after the genius who gave Irene her life back. 

This is a modern-day reimagination of the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle. 

                                                                   Review:

“Great.  Apparently it's my fate to be frequently alone with Sherlock Holmes.  Fate has it out for me…”

Ever since Irene Adler’s sister died, she’s been just going through the motions.  Going to school, going home, and at night, sneaking out to solve problems for her fellow students under the alias Ares.

And then Sherlock Holmes moves into the house next to hers.

Sherlock is… different.  Ok, he’s a know-it-all, obnoxious, socially-impaired lunatic who gets bored far too easily and gets into fights far too often (though, really, what does he expect when he goes around pointing out everyone’s secrets and talking smack about their mothers?). 

He’s also Irene’s first friend since her sister died.

Before long, he’s become her partner in crime – or, more truthfully, partner is solving crimes. 

He also saves her.  He makes her feel alive again, makes her care again, deeply.  He protects her.

But then Sherlock is found standing over the body of a classmate – a classmate who hurt Irene.  The whole school is certain he’s the killer.

Now, it’s Irene’s turn to protect Sherlock, all the while trying to solve the case – before the killer comes back to take it all away, to take away the boy who saved her…

Team Sherlock Edit!  TheBookAddictedFanGirl at work! ;)

I am a major Sherlock Holmes addict.  So much so that I really ought to go to SA (Sherlockaholist Anonymous) meetings – Hello, my name is Megan and I am a Sherlockaholic – I am Sherlocked.  Seriously though, I've read the books, watched loads of the movies (old and the new ones with Robert Downey Jr – those are my favourites!) and, of course, watched Sherlock and even Elementary (it's my between-Sherlock-series hit).  Therefore, when Eva Morgan offered this book to me, I jumped on the chance to review it.  And, even though I had two books for my English Lit that really needed reading, I couldn't resist opening Locked up on my Kindle.  And damn if I wasn't hooked from that very first chapter!  So hooked, in fact, that I was still reading well into the wee hours.  I think it was like five am when I finally finished the book – in one sitting, I might add – and finally managed to calm myself down enough to get some sleep.  Ok, I didn’t calm down.  I was still crying.  I just kinda passed out.  And my brain was still totally Locked-obsessed when I woke up.  Yup, guys.  Seriously that freaking good.

Ok, I’m gonna start with my favourite thing about this book: Sherlock... I've always adored how utterly terrible he is at social interactions.  He's a freaking genius, but he's also an utter sociopath – especially in Sherlock, much of which I believe this book is based on.  And Locked brought me my favourite version of Sherlock Holmes in a teenager's body, with a teenager's attitude and Sherlock's terrifying intelligence.  The combination was brilliant, hilarious and utterly hot.  He was also so broken and vulnerable, in his own obnoxious way.  And he has been added to my list of Top Five Book Boyfriends.  Yup, he's made Top Five.  I've always loved Sherlock's various incarnations but Eva's?  The best by far.   I mean, how can one read this quote and not totally fall in love with Sherlock:

“How much longer will this last?

“Estimate: Not long.  Days at most.  Something will happen to break through her loyalty.  I'll do something to ruin it.

“I always do something.”

I loved Irene too – how she could hold her own against Sherlock's insanity, her sense of humour.  She was a brilliant foil to his mildly-crazy ways, but she was a great character in her own rights and I loved her.

But I've got to say, what really made the book was the relationship between the two of them.  They had this connection, this bond, that was hilarious, beautiful, insane, touching and impossible to resist.  I loved the two of them together, even more than I loved them apart.

And this book... Sherlock... it totally broke my heart.  I mean, seriously.  I was an absolute bloody wreck by the end, sobbing my eyes out.  I'm not kidding.  I was literally pleading with the book for I don't even know how many pages: 'Please, no.  Please...  Just no, please...'  I may have forced myself back awake at 5am to finish it.  I couldn't leave it where I left it.  So thank you, Eva, for completely wrecking me!  I’m crossing literally everything hoping that there’s a second book – and soon!

Oh, the writing was amazing as well.  Most of it was written by Irene, but there were these little bits, these notes, that were written by Sherlock.  Sometimes his notes were funny, sometimes confusing and sometimes they were heartbreaking.  I really loved Sherlock’s bits – but Irene was an amazing narrator.  I’m just a bit Sherlocked – especially on Locked’s Sherlock.  Sorry: I’m totally biased!

So if you haven’t gathered, I adored Locked.  I only rarely get the time to read self-published books now, but I am so glad I made time for Locked.  It’s actually one of the best things I’ve read this year – and I want all Sherlock fans to go buy it!  Even if this is, kind of selfishly, because I want a sequel really really soon!

So Sherlock fans: go, read Locked.  Come back and gush.  I swear to God, you will not be disappointed.  There are just… no words for how good this book was and no end to how much I could gush over it.  I just loved it so much!  And I need a sequel – please Eva!

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5 

Read this book if you liked:

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Empty Coffins Series by Gregg Olsen

Lux by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sherlock

Happy Reading

Megan

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

Playing With Fire by Derek Landy

Series: Skulduggery Pleasant, Book One

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: Paperback

Published: 1^st September 2008

Number of Pages: 378

Book: Bought

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Suspense, Horror, Action-Adventure, Mystery, Children's, YA, Children's-YA Crossover

Recommended Age: 9+

Contains: Violence (Lots of It - and It's Freaking Awesome), Death, Mild Swearing

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: Derek Landy Blogs Under Duress

Skulduggery Pleasant Site: Skulduggery Pleasant

WARNING: COULD CONTAIN SPOILERS... AND A LOT OF FANGIRLING.

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED...

You know how it is – you think you’ve saved the world, and then ANOTHER evil villain turns up with an unbeatable monster and starts breaking things.

Oh yes, and you’ve got a skull for a head.  A thirteen-year-old girl for a sidekick.  And no clue what to do…

                                                                   Review:

"How about on the Evil Villain Scale?  Ten being Serpine, one being Scapegrace?"

"The Baron, unfortunately, turns it all the way up to eleven."

"Seriously?  Because, you know , that's one more evil."

"It is indeed."

"So we're in trouble then?"

"Oh, yes...”

Stephanie Edgley is now Valkyrie Cain - sorcerer-in-training, detective and partner to Skulduggery Pleasant, a magic, talking, living skeleton.

They saved the world not long ago, you know.  From this crazy guy who wanted to bring back the horrible, human-hating, homicidal gods known as the Faceless Ones.

They like literally just saved the world.

Of course, it didn't stay that way for long.  

Now there's a new crazy guy who wants to bring back the Faceless Ones.  And also this horrid monster-hybrid thing known as the Grotesquery - and yes, as gross as the name and equally killer-crazy and legendary-monster-like.  There's also a whole lot of vampires.  And, like, a lot of dead bodies.  And also a lot of people trying to kill Valkyrie.

You know how it is.  Just another day at the office when your mentor is a skeleton and your best friend is a magic-wielding, high-kicking sorcerer called Tanith.

Well.  Until people slightly closer to home start getting all murdery...

Ohh, how I love this series.  It is honest-to-God one of the bestest series out there ever.  Like, ever ever ever.  I forget how much I love it sometimes.  And I forget to tell everyone in the whole entire world to read it right freaking now.  It's so so so much fun and so so so funny and exciting and awesome and...  Ok, and now I'm rambling...  Um, fangirling over...  Onto the review, please, Megan...

I'll start with the characters.  Why?  Because I love 'em all to death.  Literally.  Kind of is literally, in Skulduggery's case, what with him being a skeleton and all.  But seriously, love 'em.  Skulduggery is, of course, my very favourite.  He's so funny and snarky and witty and just never fails to make me laugh.  I just adore his witty comments during a fight, his way of never shutting up and always managing to make the enemy even angrier.  He always (normally) wins of course, because he is amazing and brilliant and a genius and... well, he knows when to run like hell! 

But I felt that Stephanie really came into her own in this one - really and truly became Valkyrie Cain.  She was usin' magic, fightin' the bad guys, throwin' fireballs, gettin' almost killed and kidnapped and karate chopped... Ok, not that last one.  This book has made my mind go all silly I love it so much.  The point is, ol' Valkyrie is now totally kickbutt, funny, snarky and awesome.  Yay!

And I love Tanith too - she's awesome.  Like, seriously.  Awesome.  Love her.  Especially love her, for lack of a better word, catchphrase: "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough".  Ha, hilarious!  And Kenspeckle is brilliant as well.  That weird dude who I'm pretty sure was stoned was funny too - Finbar, I believe he was called.  Finbar Wrong.  Did I mention these guys have like the best names ever?  As for the bad guys... Well.   Very very very bad.  And quite scary.  And really crazy.  

But I think that my very favourite bit about the characters is the relationships and interactions - more specifically, the banter between Valkyrie and Skulduggery: it is hilarious.  Like, fall-off-your-chair hilarious.  I can never read this book without grinning.  It is physically impossible.  Even during the exciting, full-of-suspense fight scenes, old Skulduggery never fails to make me grin.   Love it.  

And man are the action scenes awesome!  I love all the fighting, the battles, the twists and turns.  It's just so much fun!  It's like one non-stop adrenaline ride.  Like a roller coaster that's going super super fast, loop-the-looping, corkscrewing, spiralling...  Like being on the Enterprise when it goes into warp.  Um, I am such a nerd.  But still, it's a ride you never want to end, a ride you can't put down, and a ride you instantly wanna jump back on the second you finish.  It is totally addictive, totally exciting and totally awesome.  And, if you haven't guessed, I loved Playing With Fire's plotline.  And I'm picking up The Faceless Ones even as I type this up.

But onto writing: love it!  I cannot even tell you how funny Derek Landy is.  He is a comedy genius.  And he's also an action genius, writing the best fight scenes ever.  But seriously.  Please read one of these books and then you'll get why I gush so much about everything Landy does.  And why I am 100% certain that he is a total freaking genius.  

Actually he is undoubtedly a total genius.  And the Skulduggery Pleasant books are absolute legends.  They are new classics for children.  Each and every one of them has that magic you remember from childhood, no matter how many times you reread them or what your age is.  It just... sparkles.  Every single word, every single page, every single character glitters and just whispers 'read me', like a Siren call.  Irresistible.  Addictive.  Enough to get any reluctant reader hooked.

Now.  Onto The Faceless Ones...

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

  

Read this book if you liked:

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud

                                                                                     

Happy Reading

Megan

My #BePrepared Survival Pack: Getting Ready For The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancy!

I loved Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave and I'm so excited about The Infinite Sea, which is out 16th September!  And to prepare, Penguin want us to list what we'd put in a  survival rucksack.  

Therefore this is what I'd put in my #BePrepared Survival Pack.  

Bear in mind that this list literally only applies to today.  Tomorrow the book will have changed, the CD, the snack...  So, yeah.  But today this would be my #SurvivalPack...

First: Kindle.  I know, if this is #The5^thWave universe the power is gone.  But (and big but) if it WASN'T Fifth Wave universe I'd need my Kindle - and charger of course.  Also, my Kindle has battery power that lasts weeks.  So, y'know, at the beginning I'd have something...  Oh, and a charger is a brilliant weapon: hold the cord, swing and smack your enemy in the ear.  Should give you time to run.

Second: Knife.  Ok, I'm really a pacifist, despite the kinds of books I read and my run-down on how to use a charger as a weapon...  I actually hate real violence.  Also I live in the UK and I don't know if you can have guns over here.  I wouldn't even want a gun.  But I'd need to protect myself.  Ergo: knife.  It would suck at long-distance protection but it's something.  I mean, I'd probably still die but... Yeah.
Oh, wait!  My Dad, he has a sword.  A super old one that belonged to an ancestor who used it in a war or something.  If I sharpened that up, maybe I’d stand a better chance.  Add knife-sharpener to the kit.

Third: NerfGun.  In hindsight, I'd want something more than a knife, blunt sword and charger.  So I'd use one of my brothers NerfGuns - preferably one of the more powerful ones.  I figure if I've got enough ammo, some glue and sharp objects (like nails) I can turn this toy in a pretty effective survival tool.  Shoot at the head/foot/whatever and you can at least injure them enough to escape.  

Fourth: My iPhone.  Ok, again the electricity thing.  But I'd need this.  It's like a security blanket, I guess.  It might be my only chance at finding other survivors, if the electricity works, of course…

Fifth: Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  I cannot face the end of the world without having read this book.  Weird, I know, but I just can’t.  So, yes.  Opposition is in my kit. 

Sixth: Torch - duh.  Worrying that this is only number six, though…

Seventh: Cereal bars, water bottles, can opener, matches, cigarette lighter (I don’t have one of those, though… no one in my family smokes… which could be a problem). Y’know, essentials.  Again, worrying they’re number seven.

Eighth: Notebook, pen.  To keep track of my thoughts and tell the world what’s going on with me.  Y’know, if there’s anyone else out there. 

Ninth: Travel tissues, concealer, hand sanitizer, medical kit, thread and needle, blanket, change of clothes.  Essentials for life on the run.

Tenth: Photo of my family - to know why I was fighting.  

Ok, so that's my #SurvivalPack.  In hindsight, it might be a Survival Suitcase.  Still.  Also, I've kinda worried myself about how violent this list went…  Also by the fact that my Kindle and Opposition comes before food and water… 

Oh well.  I’m a book addict.  I never claimed to be sane or normal.

Or, you know, that it’s even plausible I’d survive the apocalypse/alien invasion/zombie problem/whatever other end-of-world scenario…

Anyways, that’s my Kit.  Let me know what’s in yours!  And keep an eye out for The Infinite Sea, the second in The Fifth Wave series!  Out September 16^th!

Celebrating The New Harry Potter Covers Blog Tour: Chamber Of Secrets!

Harry Potter has been a huge part of my world ever since I was seven-years-old and read Philosopher's Stone for the first time.  I've grown up with Harry, Hermione and Ron and that is the main reason why I am so insanely excited to be part of the blog tour!  We have a some awesome content from the new edition of Chamber of Secrets, including GORGEOUS gif showing illustrator Johnny Duddle's sketches for the cover, some awesome pictures and author Katie Coyle's reasons for why Harry Potter is so important to her.  I may also throw in a little fangirling from myself, if you don't mind!  ;)

But enough of this: onto the fun stuff...

Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets

Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone ... Dobby’s sinister predictions seem to be coming true.

Jonny Duddle, jacket illustrator for the new Harry Potter children’s editions reveals three facts about the cover of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:

• I bought a Slytherin robe, so the boy from next door, Sammy, could model as reference for Harry.
• I bought the Slytherin robe because it was cheaper than the Gryffindor version!
• I changed Fawkes at the last minute, and turned his head to face out of the painting.

The finished cover!  Isn't it gorgeous?!

Katie Coyle, author of Vivian versus the Apocalypse, explains why Harry Potter is so important to her:

Katie Coyle!

"I was twelve when I met Harry Potter, just young enough to believe my owl from Hogwarts was flying slightly behind schedule. Without him, I would not be a reader; I would not be a writer. No story has ever affected me as much as Harry’s. His was the first that made me feel as if two doors had opened inside my head—one leading to the outside world, huge and new and endlessly interesting; the other leading inward to myself, memories and emotions I had yet to understand. I’ve loved other books, but only with Harry Potter have I had the curious, enveloping feeling that the book somehow loves me back.

"At the series’ core is a strong moral code, lessons in how to become a better, braver, more empathetic person. How to fight injustice—sometimes clumsily, always rightly. How to stand with Muggle-borns and house elves. How to love wildly, boldly, even if it means breaking your own heart. Over seven books, Harry loses nearly every adult who ever cares for him, but he never shuts himself away. He invites more and more people into his life, people he will love and could easily lose. This is the most important thing Harry Potter ever taught me: that everyone I have ever loved will die, and that is all the reason to love them just as hard as I can.  

"That is, after all, what Harry would do. And though my owl is at this point nearly seventeen years late, I think I’ll always look to him for wisdom and guidance. Because while of course I know he was just a story happening inside my head—there is no reason on earth that should mean he isn’t real."

And this is from the back cover!!  I love Dobby and this picture is too cute!  Way more fitting with the book's version of Dobby, too, rather than the movie one! 

The New Harry Potter Website!

Bloomsbury Publishing has relaunched its Harry Potter website to support the new children’s editions. The new Harry Potter site uses the Jonny Duddle artwork from the new children’s editions and includes pages of information on the bestselling series as well as exciting new content from Magical Downloads to a Harry Potter Quote Generator. Check out the new site at: http://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/

Check this site out- it's AWESOME!

And A Little Rambling From Me To Finish

As I said earlier, I feel like I grew up with Harry, Hermione and Ron.  I didn't start when the first book came out (in no small part due to the fact I would've been one at the time - I'm good, but I'm not that good) but instead found the series aged around seven.  Before long me, my mother, cousin and aunt were all reading the books and debating about them.  I can't remember how long the four of us would sit there, arguing about who was good, what would happen in the next book and who was our favourite character.  

For me, Harry Potter was not only an intensely personal, magical and beautiful journal, it was also something that really brought me together with people - first with the rest of my family and then with people and school and finally bloggers.  C'mon, who of us aren't massive HP fans?!

But Harry Potter also helped me find myself.  My mother is the one who turned me into the addicted reader I am today (yeah, Mum, the insane number of books I own is all your fault) but Harry Potter influenced the kind of books I read.  It turned my young brain from animal books onto magical, action-packed and exciting books.   I like to think it gave me my crazy imagination and helped me grow as a daydreamer.  It made a young child believe in a whole new kind of magic and a now adult believe anything is possible and that magic really does exist.

I mean, even after all these years, I remember the magic of reading Harry Potter for the very first time.  The magic doesn't really go, not really, but that first time...  It's just beyond description, something only another Potter-lover can get and something only Potter makes me feel.  Why else would I queue for hours in the freezing cold with only cookies and tea to keep me warm, waiting for the very last book to come out?  God, that was a good night...  I got my face painted and played wizard-y games...  I haven't queued for a book since because it will never, ever be the same.

But my point is, these new covers are going to inspire a whole new generation of die-hard fans like myself.  They're beautiful - obviously Harry Potter but with a new magic, a new spark.  And new fans are discovering the magic every second - and realising that books are ALWAYS better than the movies.  My younger brother found  this out last year - he read all seven books over the summer holidays and loved them so much he constantly told Mum and me HP facts we already knew very, very well.  He was just so excited and in love with the books: magic!  And these covers will give that to new children and new families and will give them stories they will treasure forever.  And, really, is there anything more magic than that?

Phew!  Sorry about that last bit - they said to add my own views...  I didn't realise my views would be so long!  Anyway, keep up with the blog tour - it's so brilliant!!  Check out the Philosopher's Stone post on Winged Reviews and stop by Jess Hearts Books tomorrow for Prisoner of Azkaban! 

Anyway, I hope you like the post - and the new cover, of course!!  Let me know what you all think in the comments!!