ABOUT THE BOOK: A Dream of Lights - Kerry Drewery

We've been lucky enough to be talking to Kerry Drewery, author of A Brighter Fear and A Dream of Lights. Here's a bit about her, and about her writing!

SUMMARY

Yoora is a teenage girl living in North Korea, dreaming of the lights of foreign cities while eking out a miserable existence in a rural northern village. But then she makes a mistake: she falls in love. With someone far removed from her social class. Someone dangerous to know. When tongues start to wag, her father is executed and she is taken to a prison camp in the mountains. There, escape seems even further from her grasp. But Yoora is about to learn an important lesson: love can surprise you, and it can come in many forms...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerry is the author of YA novels A Brighter Fear (shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards) and A Dream of Lights (awarded Highly Commended at North East Teen Book Awards, nominated for the Carnegie Medal, shortlisted for the Hampshire Independent Schools Book Awards and longlisted for the Leeds Book Awards). 

When not writing, she does ridiculous things like the Tough Mudder, runs across bridges and swims in lakes and sensible things like eating cake and chocolate. 

She loves spiders but has a fear of moths. 

You can find out more/follow her here – 

Twitter - @KerryDrewery 

Facebook – facebcook/KerryDrewery 

Tumblr – kerrydrewery.tumblr.com 

ABOUT THE NOVEL

Many people have asked why I chose to set a novel in North Korea. 

I’ve always been interested in other countries, in the people and the cultures; as a teen I had this mad dream of visiting every country in the world. I think if I’d lived in another time and I was a lot braver, I would’ve liked to have been an explorer! 

Some countries stick out more than others for me though. Russia has always fascinated me, Egypt too, but especially North Korea - the closed society, the secrets, the controlling leaders, the restraints on media, the borders its people aren’t allowed to cross. A country that, in this day and age with all the technology available to us, the world knows so little about. 

I suppose it’s a bit like having a quiet student at the back of a class who looks different, talks differently, has no friends and an unknown family – I want to find out what makes them tick and why they behaves as they do and it’s the same with North Korea. Why do the people live like that? Are they happy? Do they want things to change? Why do some choose to escape, yet others don’t? Is it my natural curiosity or am I just downright nosy? A bit of both I think!

GUEST REVIEW: Requiem - Lauren Oliver

GENRE: Dystopia

PAGES: 352

PUBLISHER: Hodder

FORMAT: Paperback

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

It is the rule of the Wilds You must be bigger, and stronger, and tougher. A coldness radiates through me, a solid wall that is growing, piece by piece, in my chest. He doesn't love me He never loved me. It was all a lie. 'The old Lena is dead', I say, and then push past him. Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone. You must hurt, or be hurt. Lena can build the walls, but what if there's no one left to take them down?

REVIEW

Requiem is the third and final book for the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver. If you haven’t read the first two books of the series, I suggest that you do not read this review as THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS. (If you are unsure about reading the series, check out my review for Delirium and Pandemonium). Lauren Oliver writes this book in the same way as she has done in the previous books; gripping

So Requiem is written differently from the previous books as it is in the perspective of Lena and Hana which I really like as it shows that the book series goes in a full circle and we get to see the girls reunited again. It also gives the story extra depth as we get to compare a life with love and a life without love.

Lena’s POV: In Pandemonium, we see the rebellion underway and in Requiem, we see it turn into a full out revolution with Lena (of course) being in the centre of it. As you know, in Pandemonium, Alex returns and he is angry and cold at the fact that Lena has moved on from him, when Lena was only trying to forget him as she thought he was killed when he got captured (*sighs due to feelings*). Even though Lena does love Julian, the more she interacts with Alex, the feelings and memories are resurfaced and the guilt and pain of moving on gets to her, especially she sees Alex moving on himself with a a girl called Carol (WHY CANT REAL LOVE PREVAIL?). Trying not to show her jealously, Lena pushes her feelings to one side and tries to keep her family safe and also develops her romantic relationship with Julian.

Hana’s POV: In Portland, Hana has been cured and is planning her wedding with Fred Hargove, her pairing. Even though she is cured, and in the government’s eyes, her life is now ‘perfect’, she is afraid as new feelings are developed, and she relives her memories, she thinks of; Lena, her old life, how she resisted to be normal, being her own person and the feelings of regret, guilt and unhappiness of not doing something hits her hard. She is surprised when she sees Lena, part of the resistance and even more shocked when she finds out that she ran away from Portland, to fight the DFA. Hana also see a different side to her fiancé, which is very frightening and she feels that her life is in danger. She finds out that her fiancé had a wife called Mealana who was sent to prison for being ‘psychotic’, when actually Fred tried to kill her. When Hana and Lena do meet and Hana reveals something which takes this book into a whole new level.

Main Characters:

Lena Haloway: I love her character. Honestly. She gets put under so much guilt by Alex (I love you Alex but sorry you are stupid) and I feel so bad for because she has been told, once you’ve been captured by the government, the chances of you surviving (and escaping) are next to nothing, so of course she automatically thought that Alex and her were never going to meet again. she may have got over him a lot quicker if she fell in love with someone else so she seemed determined not to put herself through the misery she would have faced grieving Alex, so she was going to find some happiness so she moved on to Julian. I love the fact that she is so strong and so willing to put herself in front to defend in what she believes in.

Alex Sheathes: ALEX IS BACK, YAY!! I love Alex, I honestly do but he is a big, fat douche. When he was going out with Carol, all I kept thinking was, it should of been Lena (I am a Alena/Lenex shipper). I am upset in a way because I don’t like how his character develops.

Julian Fineman: JULIAN OMG!! I feel so sorry for him, I honestly do. He is an absolute cutie and he gets heartbroken. I don’t like what happens to his character so I prefer Alex over him.

Hana Tate: I don’t like Hana. I do feel sorry for her but she does something that disturbs my happiness (that’s not cool).

Overall I was disappointed with the ending (The ending was meh) because it didn’t live up to the hype and expectation I thought it to be. This book is my least favourite in the series however it is still beautifully written.

- Ambi.

GUEST POST: My Experience of 'The Fault In Our Stars'

I read the Fault in Our Stars by John Green around a year ago and I recently realised that I had yet to write a review for it.

(I’ve tried to make it as non spoilery as possible, but if you haven’t read the book and don’t me want to ruin anything, then go and buy a copy now and come back when you’re done)

So here it goes:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is my favourite book by a mile.

I have this weird thing with favourite books. I sometimes find myself getting weirdly jealous of people who have a favourite book that is obscure and that not many people know about, because I wish my special book could be something special to me and not something I hear about everywhere I go. TFIOS (The Fault in Our Stars) certainly does not fit that description. And for that reason, I sometimes (rather selfishly) wish that TFIOS wasn’t so huge and famous.

Now don’t get me wrong, John Green is a totally amazing person who totally deserves to be so insanely successful, and if The Fault in Our Stars wasn’t so successful, I’d probably never have discovered more of the beautiful collection of John Green books (such as Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson) or have been introduced to the Vlogbrothers and the amazing community that is Nerdfighteria! I wouldn’t be able to see my favourite book on screen and I wouldn’t have such a vast community of fans that I can talk to about the book. At school everyone has their thing. You have the girl that’s obsessed with Niall Horan, the Tom Hiddleston stalker, the girl who fangirls every week about Teen Wolf and the ones who rave about Korean music.

And I am the TFIOS girl.

I’m the one that tells everyone to read the book, who informs them about the rest of John Green’s books after they are left longing for more, I’m the one who surprises them by telling them John Green also vlogs with his brother or who updates them on movie news. And it’s great to be the TFIOS girl.

But still I wish that TFIOS could be my special thing.

It’s kind of hard to explain why, so I’m using a quote to do so. In the book, Hazel says:

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal”

Which sums up my view of TFIOS!

Now you’re either going to completely understand where I am coming from, or you’re going to think I’m ranging from selfish to insane. But one day you’ll find your thing and you’ll understand.

GUEST REVIEW: Ketchup Clouds - Annabel Pitcher

PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Indigo
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret - a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder. Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can - in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

REVIEW

Ketchup Clouds is about a girl who writes a letter to Stuart, a man on death row, and confides her secrets to him under a fake name (Zoe Collins) and address so no reply can be written to her.

So before I read Ketchup Clouds, I saw a lot of negative reviews that put me off the book, but I have to say I really enjoyed it! Ketchup Clouds kept me hooked all the way until the last chapter wanting to discover the details of Zoe’s secret and discover the fates of the rest of the characters! Ketchup Clouds will draw you in from the first sentence and won’t let you go until the end of the book!

Dear Mr. S. Harris,

Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. It’s jam, not blood, though I don’t think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn’t your wife’s jam the police found on your shoe.

The whole book is narrated by Zoe and the reader follows her struggle with her guilt. I found his aspect of Zoe incredibly relatable and I’m sure most readers would feel the same way. (I’m sure everyone has done something bad that they have regretted, but have been scared of telling the truth and facing the consequences and therefore have kept it a secret and lived with the burden. I know I have!)

I know what it’s like… Mine was a boy. And I killed him. Three months ago exactly… No one has a clue and I’m walking around like that boy, Scot Free, saying all the right things and doing all the right stuff, but inside I’m sort of screaming,”

One of the things I found most interesting about this book was the way it explored capital punishment. Both Stuart and Zoe are guilty of taking a life and both greatly regret what they did. Stuart has been honest about his crime and is being ‘rewarded’ with the death penalty, whereas Zoe’s dishonesty lets her walk free. Ketchup Clouds allowed me to think deeply about the American justice system.

Stuart was also a really fascinating character who was very important to the story. While he never responds to any letters Zoe writes, Zoe becomes increasingly closer to him over the course of the novel she goes from writing “Dear Mr S Harris” to “My dearest Stu”.

I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles as I often find the girl or boy at the centre to be very selfish. This one was particularly infuriating because of a certain little development on page 89 that I really don’t want to spoil! Let’s just say you’ll be very surprised! (But seriously don’t let the love triangle put you off the book!)

Zoe’s family were a really interesting part of the story. For example her little sister Dot is deaf so she uses sign language, something I’ve never seen in a YA book before!

Also this book included some fandom references such as cats called Lloyd and Webber and multiple Harry Potter references such as when she says to Stuart:

“Harry Potter has a scar and glasses and you have a scar and glasses and he never got any post either. But then all of a sudden he received a mysterious letter saying he was a wizard and his life was miraculously transformed.”

Overall Ketchup Clouds is a great read that I would recommend to all fans of young adult literature, especially those looking for something different and unique!

- Priya.

(http://priyapiggle.wordpress.com)

REVIEW: Waiting For Gonzo - Dave Cousins

PAGES: 256
PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

SUMMARY

Meet Oz ...he's got a talent for trouble but his heart's always in the right place (well, nearly always). Uprooted from his friends and former life, Oz finds himself stranded in the sleepy village of Slowleigh. When a joke backfires on the first day at his new school, Oz attracts the attention of Isobel Skinner, the school psycho - but that's just the beginning. After causing an accident that puts his mum in hospital, Oz isn't exactly popular at home either. His older sister's no help, but then she's got a problem of her own ...one that's growing bigger by the day. Oz knows he's got to put things right, but life isn't that simple, especially when the only people still talking to you are a hobbit-obsessed kid and a voice in your own head! Packed with action, heart and humour, Waiting for Gonzo takes you for a white-knuckle ride on the Wheel of Destiny as it careers out of control down the Hillside of Inevitability. The question is, do you go down laughing? Or grit your teeth and jump off?

REVIEW

Having not read a tremendous amount of Teenage Fiction (except what I read when I was actually still a teenager) I wasn’t sure what to think of this at first. However, I must admit that this judgement was based primarily on the cover of the book. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I couldn’t help but be put off by the bright shiny cover, but I really shouldn’t have made this judgement, as the book is a perfect example of how Teen Fiction can be so excellent!

Oz finds himself in a new village, removed from a life he once knew and removed from his best friends. After starting at his new school, he soon attracts the attention of the ‘school psycho’ Isobel Skinner, who he quickly grows an affection for. He soon ends up on the bad-side of most people and he knows that he needs to put things right, one way or another. His sister gets pregnant, his mom is involved in an accident (that he helped cause), his only friend is as geeky as they come and to top it all off he’s talking to a voice inside his own head.

Books like this prove that fiction aimed at young adults doesn’t always have to follow the typical ideas of vampires, witches and wizards, etc. (that’s not to knock HP, Twilight, Half Bad etc). They can, however, deal with ‘proper’ issues that most teenagers have to come up against in daily life such as family, love and new emotions. ‘Waiting For Gonzo’ tells us that it’s okay to be different; it’s okay to not always get along with your family; it’s okay to get into trouble (sometimes, and for a good reason) and more importantly that it’s okay to stand up for what you think is best.

Dave Cousins has a fluid writing style that makes reading his work effortless but not boring. This is the ideal book for fans of reading stories about realistic lives that they can appreciate and relate to. I’ll be sure to check out Cousins’ other books as soon as I’ve read the rest of my pile!

- Adam. 

GUEST REVIEW: The Sound - Sarah Alderson

PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda. What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark secrets; falling (possibly) in love with the local bad boy; and falling out with a dangerous serial killer...

REVIEW

I’m still, ultimately, wondering what I actually think of this book. I started to enjoy it straight away, and then slowly, there were many elements I loved and many I began to hate. It’s taken me at least an hour to mull all my thoughts over and actually come to a decision as to what to rate it. 

The Sound follows Ren, who moves to the States to babysit for a family. She plans to read and blog, a casual summer, but it doesn’t quite go to plan; she meets a group of friends who have a problem with a certain boy; Jesse Miller. 

I loved the romance in this book; I loved the action scenes; I loved how the final 100 pages gripped me. I adored the beginning, learning about Ren, her background, who and what she was interested in. 

But then, in the middle of the book, from about 60 pages in to the 100 pages before it finished, I just wanted it to end. It made me cringe, it made me raise my eyebrows; and I wondered when the clichés would end. Things like the stereotypical representation of America, girls being “scared” to eat carbs; almost making out like every girl has an eating disorder. 

And at first, the love triangle of Ren-Jeremy-Jesse worked really well, but then it became tedious, and predictable as to what would happen. This book had a beautiful, gorgeous romance by the end; but through the trials of the love triangle… Honestly? It just really annoyed me. 

There were also things like how Ren tackled Brodie being bullied; telling her theories and things to do. The fact that this bully told her about things like “skanks” and so forth made me feel… slightly vulnerable, almost, and shocked, to see what four-year-olds are actually exposed to in this day and age. I wasn’t naive, but I certainly didn’t know things like that at that age. 

But for these faults, I really enjoyed this, reading it in the space of two hours. It has romance; it has mystery; it has action; and it tackles serious issues like sexual assault. Once you get past all the predictability and clichés of this book, it’s a really pleasing, gripping yet beautiful read. 

- Charli

You can follow me on Twitter @charli_taw and see my blog at charliotherworld.blogspot.com 

REVIEW: Undone - Cat Clarke

PAGES: 352

PUBLISHER: Quercus

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ...and he kills himself. Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down. A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.

REVIEW

Undone is a heart-wrenching story about a girl who is trying to cope with her best friends death, and also comes to understand the devastating cost of grief and revenge.

The narrative follows Jem who is trying to get over the death of her best friend Kai. Jem and Kai have known each other since they were little and Jem has always been in love with him. Even though Jem knows Kai is gay she doesn't see this as a problem, but when a house party goes wrong and Kai is videoed being openly gay with an unknown man his life takes a turn for the worst. Kai receives hate mail and decides that he can no longer live with the embarrassment and shame he feels the video has caused him and believes his only option is to take his own life. Jem's narrative is interspersed with cleverly written letters from Kai, written in the days before he kills himself. There is one for every month for a year and are meant to help Jem come to terms with his death. 

Unfortunately Jem finds it hard to cope. She thinks her only option is to avenge Kai's death and seek revenge against those that she sees as taking him away from her. Jem is a great character to watch and is usually completely oblivious to almost everything that goes on around her. She becomes totally obsesses with the idea of revenge that she begins to construct a whole new life for herself, starting with following Kai's suggestions in his letters. While the outside world sees Jem as recovering and moving on, her narrative shows that she is in turmoil becoming more focused on her endgame and ignoring the little voice that tells her moving on isn't so bad.

At first I didn't care about Kai; there hadn't been enough back story or time in the narrative with him alive for me to associate with him. However, as I read on I began to realise that Kai is actually a sideline. Yes, it talks a lot about bullying and how its affects can be devastating and much further reaching than anyone ever realises but more specifically to this story it talks about Jem, and her mental state. Nobody seems to realise that she is grieving in a very destructive way.

One thing I have always loved about Cat Clarke's writing is how understated it is. The content of her books are always jam-packed with action but the writing is always simple, quick and very punchy. I loved Entangled and this blew me away just as much. Her style is that the reader is always given time to work things out before the narrator/protagonist and this makes things so much worse. By the time the cataclysmic end happens there is no going back, and the fact that you pretty much know by now how it will end hurts more because you can't change it. Her writing really does take you on a journey and her characters are well rounded and easy to associate with. Cat Clarke really gets the little ironies of life. Jem doesn't always. She doesn't see how blinded she is to everything and everyone around her even though she thinks she's really got them figured out.

There will be a lot of talk about the suitability of this book. I personally don't believe it glorifies suicide in any way. Jem talks about killing herself in the same way that I have heard teens talk about it, and I think that might scare some adults. It's definitely not suitable for younger teens because of the amount of sex and sex talk in it but it really felt like all the discussions the girls were having when I was at college so for 16+ teens it would be fine.

- Bex.

REVIEW: The Elite - Keira Cass

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 272

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins Children's

FORMAT: Galley

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

The Selection gets fierce as rivals stake their claim on the prince. Six girls, one life-changing prize...America Singer will leave her pre-destined life for a world of glamour and luxury, if she wins...But surviving The Selection is tough. Rivals are battling to become Prince Maxon's bride as the threat of rebel violence just beyond the palace walls escalates into war. Only six girls are left and sworn friendships are tested to breaking point. America's feelings for Maxon grow stronger, but she suspects darker mysteries in his royal past. With ex-lover Aspen waiting for her in the shadows, where do her loyalties truly lie?

REVIEW

What is it that I love about this series? I can't quite put my finger on it. On one level it's reality TV trash. It's over obvious in the comparisons its trying to draw, even down to calling the protagonist America Singer. But on a level it's absolute entertainment and I love it. As soon as it came up on NetGalley I snapped it up and devoured it in a couple of sittings.

This 'episode' isn't so much a sequel as an extension of the first book, there's not much of an overlap and it jumps straight back in to the plot. There are some episodes, like the hosting of the foreign royalties that are so sickly sweet but this is not why I read it. The real reason?

Maxon.

No, I don't read him and think "OMG he's so hot she'd be mad not to go with him", no, I'm sucked into America's way of thinking. As soon as he goes away I too am doubting everything that comes out of his mouth and thinking 'why are you bothering? At least you know that Aspen is true'. But then you think, isn't it better to be in a position where you can change the world? Even if it means sacrificing your own happiness?

I could never guess what was going to happen next, or who was going to be eliminated, and every time I think I've got it all pinned down and realigned my expectations, I'm proved wrong. These are the things that I love. If you haven't read the first book, The Selection, then I hope I haven't ruined too much and you want to read it. It's great entertainment and although it's not a long read and there probably isn't too much under the surface I think you'll find enough in it to keep you thinking about what you would do long after you've finished reading.

- Bex.

REVIEW: Because It Is My Blood - Gabrielle Zevin

GENRE: Dystopia

PAGES: 368

PUBLISHER: Pan Macmillan

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Freed from jail, Anya hopes that things will get back to normal. But life on the outside is even more dangerous than life behind bars. Some of her gangland family want revenge for the crime for which she has done time: the shooting of her uncle. Forced to flee the country, Anya hides out in a cacao plantation in Mexico. There she learns the secrets of the chocolate trade, a trade that is illegal and deadly in her native New York. There too she discovers that seemingly random acts of violence carried out across the world have a single target: her family. As innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire Anya must act fast and decisively to stop it, no matter what the danger to herself.

REVIEW

When Anya is finally released from Liberty, she finds that life on the outside is still as difficult as ever. Win's dad is still running for office and her mortal enemy so her boyfriend is off limits, her Catholic school won't have her back, and all she wants to do is graduate like a normal teenager. Nothing ever runs smoothly.

This, the second book, doesn't necessarily ease you in slowly. I like that it doesn't use the first chapters to recap everything that happens in the last book but you can still pick up on the important threads if you don't remember. I had missed Anya's voice a lot - she's probably my favourite character in any book. She's still strong and admirable, but she's funny too and I really aspire to be like her. She does what she has to in difficult circumstances but is also willing to deal with the consequences too. I hate quite a lot of female narrators in YA books, they can be so superficial or underdeveloped in terms of character - either completely weak to boys or think they are so ugly when every man falls at their feet. I despise this. So it came as a pleasant surprise when Anya decides to stay away from Win. Don't get me wrong, I adore their little relationship, but Anya is so much more realistic about things and knows that she and Win are both young and might decide to go their own ways one day. She's also clear about the fact that even though she cares deeply about him, she's not willing to put him before her family. She is so far from being stupid.

Anya is such a positive person. Despite everything she has so much hope. Because It Is My Blood sees her develop so much as her own person and gradually move away from depending on her father's half-remembered advice. She's such a fantastic role model and I can't praise her enough. She's selfless without being unrealistic and I totally understand her. There is something about Anya that is also really sad; she loses so much in her life despite her desperate attempts to hold everything together but she never lets it break her more than it should.

Again, this book features heavily on Anya's relationship with her dysfunctional 'mob' family, but no matter how much they all favour tradition, Anya begins to realise that it's her relationship's with those who are actually close to her (mostly her best friends) and not necessarily those she related to by blood that are the most important people in her life. Just because you have blood in common it doesn't mean they won't stab you in the back. This is an important move for Anya - she has always protected her family no matter what, but now she begins to see things for what they are.

As part of her way to avoid being pulled back to Liberty, Anya escapes to Mexico. I really liked that this changed the cultural focus from Russian. It brought a fresh flavour and perspective, and the move of scene made the narrative more interesting and gave Anya's character room to grow without being influenced by her family. It was nice to see Anya make a friend in Theo that doesn't have any connection to her life back home.

Apart from Anya, who's motives are clear because of the first person narrative, no other character is who you think they are. There are 'whodunnits' aplenty in this book. In fact, there is always something that leaves you on a bit of a cliffhanger just when you think Anya is getting to her feet again - Zevin knows exactly when to put the action in. As the plot develops you realise that the first book, All These Things I've Done, sets the scene and the actions, whereas this follows and explores the extremes of her consequences. 

There's so much to say about this book, and even this series. As much as I can't wait for the last book I desperately don't want it to end. This series has given me so much - it's exciting, heartbreaking, thrilling and romantic. I love Anya and I love this series. Read it people.

- Bex.

Sister Assassin - Kiersten White

GENRE: Contemporary/Supernatural
PAGES: 302
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

She never chose her deadly gift but now she's forced to use it. How far would you go to protect the only family you have left? Annie is beset by fleeting strange visions and a guilty conscience. Blind and orphaned, she struggles to care for her feisty younger sister Fia, but things look up when both sisters are offered a place at Kessler School for Exceptional Girls. Born with flawless intuition, Fia immediately knows that something's wrong, but bites her tongue...until it's too late. For Fia is the perfect weapon to carry out criminal plans and there are those at Kessler who will do anything to ensure her co-operation. With Annie trapped in Kessler's sinister clutches, instincts keep Fia from killing an innocent guy and everything unravels. Is manipulative James the key to the sisters' freedom or an even darker prison? And how can Fia atone for the blood on her hands?

REVIEW

Sister Assassin follows Fia, a special girl who's unfaltering instincts make her a dangerous weapon, and Annie, her blind sister who has visions of the future. They're both virtually imprisoned in a school, their special abilities being manipulated by the Foundation that set up the school on the pretense of helping girls with their talents. Their are other types of special abilities in their world, such as Feelers, who can feel the emotions of anyone around, but they only affect women. Fia is used as an assassin, killing enemies of the Foundation, and on the last mission she decides the unthinkable - she is not going to kill her target. The problem is that the Foundation are using Annie as leverage over Fia and she knows that by not killing the boy she is risking Annie's life. However, in saving him she may have given herself the opportunity to escape from people who are holding her, but it will come with sacrifices.

I loved Sister Assassin. Simple as that. It has stuck in my head ever since I read it and I couldn't tear myself away. The writing is perfect, bittersweet and beautiful; it's simply poetic. Fia's perfect instincts mean that her imposed occupation as assassin forces her to go against every feeling she has and then leaves her to deal with the devastating emotional consequences. She is constantly heart broken. Beaten down by everyone in her life she lives for the soul purpose of supporting her blind sister, whom the Foundation have promised to work on ways to give her back her sight.

The narrative shifts between Annie and Fia, and shows just how hard it is when your life is tangled up in someone elses. There are flashbacks, fleshing out their life at the school showing just how trapped they are. Fia cannot trust anyone - everyone uses her for their own end and yet she is one of the most interesting characters that I have ever read. I love how feisty she is and was absolutely heartbroken every time I thought she and James were finally making headway, only for her to be let down. There's so much about bodily and mental damage that it was hard to read in places. But I was completely swept away in her story, and even though it is almost as much about Annie as it is Fia, I couldn't help but follow Fia. She is so self sacrificing and every time I think she will give in, she doesn't. She finds hope and fights on.

I hope this is just the beginning of something big, because it deserves to be. I know there is so much more to come, although just as I couldn't predict the events in this book, I have no idea where the rest of the series is going to go. There were times I found myself holding my breath and reading bits over and over just because the writing was so simple but so, so perfect. I honestly loved it that much that I feel like my reading has peaked ridiculously early this year. It's very dark, and not suitable for the younger readers but I think I will be a great crossover title.

- Bex.