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 REVIEW: Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

GENRE: YA/Dystopian

PAGES: 336
PUBLISHER: Hodder
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Unflinching, heartbreaking and totally addictive, this novel will push your emotions to the limit. Lena's been to the very edge. She's questioned love and the life-changing and agonising choices that come with it. She's made her decision. But can she survive the consequences?

REVIEW

Pandemonium is the second book in the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver, so if you haven’t read the first book, I advise that you do not read this review before you have read Delirium as there are SPOLIERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK. (My previous review is about Delirium go check it out). This book was very unexpecting and Lauren writes this book in a very interesting way.

At the end Delirium, Lena has runaway to Wilds whilst Alex is caught and possibly dead. At the beginning of Pandemonium she is in The Wilds alone, however soon after she meets a group of Invalids and they become a family. One girl she encounters with is Raven. Raven is the leader of her family in the Wilds and Raven orders Lena to complete a mission in the outside world. Lena was warned by Raven to look out for the ‘Watch the DFA. Observe. Blend.’ She is supposed to blend into the society that she left when she ran away to the Wilds. The DFA stands for Deliria – Free America and this is what Lena and the Invalids are against. Raven also tells Lena to keep on the DFA’s son; Julian Fineman. Lena doesn’t know why she must keep on eye on Julian however she goes along with Raven’s orders. The family is then attacked and Lena and Julian are both captured as prisoners. Her and Julian find a way to escape and she develops unexpected feelings for Julian but will this turn into a romance after Alex or is someone/something going to shake up her feelings?

Main Characters

Lena Halloway: Lena’s character development from Delirium to Pandemonium is exceptional. The way she handles with the grief and heartbreak of Alex to getting thrown back into the real world is amazing and Lauren really shows what a true woman can do and that women are strong human beings. Lena’s character also develops romantically with Julian, however you feel that she still has a connection with Alex therefore her relationship with Julian is bit more strict due to her feelings for Alex.

Julian Fineman: Julian is absolutely adorable however I find his character very confusing. One minute, he doesn’t want to know Lena, the next he is pouring his deep and dark secrets out to her and then is back to not wanting to know her. I did fall in love with Julian however I didn’t agree with some of the choices he makes during the book because I feel they are harsh to Lena and also I personally wouldn’t make those decisions.

Lauren writes the series from Lena’s perspective and this book jumps from the present time to the past and then back again, which means you have to concentrate on the book but I think that this gives the book a whole new depth because you get to feel Lena’s emotions from past and present. I love the direction that the book turns to with the insanely annoying (yet amazing) cliffhanger at the end, with big reveals and emotions flying everywhere.

This book is second in the trilogy and the third Requiem. There are also short stories. For me the order you should read this series, including the short stories is; Annabel, Delirium, Hana, Pandemonium, Raven, Requiem, Alex.

- Ambi
(http://anahal.wordpress.com)

Lauren Oliver Signing

Bestselling author of the Delirium series, Lauren Oliver, will be in store answering questions and signing copies of the paperback of Panic!

Here's the deal:

An utterly gripping thriller from bestselling author Lauren Oliver. Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a poor town of twelve thousand people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game; he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them-and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most. In this gritty, spellbinding novel, bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping narrative of friendship, courage, survival, and hope.

The signing will be in store on 14th August at 7pm. Tickets are  £3 and are available in store or on 0121 633 4353. 

REVIEW: Deep Blue - Jennifer Donnelly

PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Hodder & Stoughton
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be about reuniting with handsome Prince Mahdi, her childhood crush. Instead she finds herself haunted by strange dreams foretelling the return of an ancient evil, and dealing with the deaths of her parents as assassins storm the betrothal ceremony, plunging the city into chaos. Led only by her shadowy dreams and pursued by the invading army, Serafina and her best friend Neela embark on a quest to avenge her parents' death and prevent a war between the mer nations. In the process they discover a plot that threatens their - and our - world's very existence.

REVIEW

I loved how well imagined the undersea world was; everything was brilliantly described and I could clearly picture everything that was happening. Serefina was a good character, she starts off just a typical mermaid princess (if there is such a thing!) and soon has to become a stronger person, and prepare herself for both her impending quest and ruling the realm. 

I loved the interactions between her and Neela (my favourite character) and the language that J.Donnely has created is amazing. It was sometimes a bit confusing but that was because I didn't notice there was a glossary (if i turn to the back i have a bad habit of reading the last line!) but despite this it still flowed well. It's obvious that this book was just introducing the characters and setting them up for the quest to find the talisman's, I look forward to the next instalment when they are all together much more, and no doubt in more danger!

- Gem.

REVIEW: Don't Look Back - Jennifer L. Armentrout

PAGES: 368
PUBLISHER: Hodder & Stoughton
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

What if you had the chance to start again...but only if you promised never to look back? Samantha is popular, rich, and seemed to have it all...until the night she and her best 'frenemy' Cassie disappeared and only Sammy resurfaced, with no recollection of who she is or what happened. Sammy's a stranger in her own life - a life she no longer wants any part of. Losing her memory is a chance to start again. Then Sammy begins receiving mysterious notes warning her about that night, urging her to not look back. But she can't let it go. As she starts poking around in her past she begins to remember...and something sinister begins to surface.

REVIEW

I loved Don't Look Back, my two favourite genres are YA and Crime and this was a perfect blend of both. Samantha is a fantastic character, I really enjoyed seeing how she developed as a person with every flash of memory that came back, and every interaction she had with one she knew. The writing was brilliant, I guessed very early on who the killer was from a subtle line, and there were other little clues along the way, although there were obviously a lot of red herrings too. I think the only reason I guessed so early was because I've watched so many episodes of crime shows and am usually right about the killer (geek!). 

Any one who likes fast paced and tense novels will love this, and I'd definitely read more from this author

- Gem.

REVIEW: Dragon Shield - Charlie Fletcher

PAGES: 258
PUBLISHER: Hodder
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

This book is due to be published on 3/07/14

SUMMARY

The start of a thrilling, action-packed trilogy from Charlie Fletcher, set in a world where statues come to life and dragons and heroes battle. Something dark has woken in the British Museum, and it has stopped time, literally freezing the city in its tracks. The people are there, but unmoving, unseeing - like statues. The statues, on the other hand, can move, and are astonished at what they see. In the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Will and Jo are suddenly plunged into this world of statues - and find themselves pursued by murderous dragons. With help from a couple of friendly statues, Will and Jo must escape the evil that stalks them in the streets of London.

REVIEW

Following on from the ever popular (and rightly so) 'Stoneheart' Trilogy comes Dragon Shield, the first in an all new trilogy of books from Charlie Fletcher. The brilliantly written 'Stoneheart', its follow up 'Ironhand' and ITS follow up Silvertongue will be hard to beat but Charlie is definitely up for giving it a go.

Set within the same realm as the previous trilogy, Dragon Shield tells the story of Will and Jo who are thrust into a mysterious world of which they only dreamt, however this world comes with its fair share of consequences, one which is fire-breathing dragons. With the streets of London as a backdrop, Will and Jo must adapt to a world of statues that are able to come to life and terrorise those who dare step in their paths.

The synopsis for this books reads; "Something dark has woken in the British Museum, and it has stopped time, literally freezing the city in its tracks. The people are there, but unmoving, unseeing - like statues. The statues, on the other hand, can move, and are astonished at what they see.". The perfect summary of a thrilling, twisting and turning novel that is bound to excite and invigorate all ages.

This reader found it to be well written, not too simplistic (as can be expected from other books of this type), with good character progression and emotion in bounds. The ideal start for younger readers looking to explore new genres. And there's Dragons, what's not to love.

- Adam.

REVIEW: Flashes - Tim O'Rourke

PAGES: 416
PUBLISHER: Hodder & Stoughton
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Charley has visions: flashes of things she can't explain. A girl in trouble. The sound of trains in her head. She feels certain they are clues to a crime. But no one will believe her. Until she meets Tom, a young policeman on his first case: an accidental death on railway tracks, not far from where Charley lives. Their attraction is instant, but can they discover what has happened? Accident, suicide or murder:and will it happen again?

REVIEW

My favourite genres of YA and crime are perfectly blended in "Flashes". The novel jumps straight into the action of the story without need for unnecessary build up of the characters, and Charley is an immediately likeable character. As her flashes coincide with bad things happening, and once she has met PC Henson, the pace ramps up even further as they desperately try and work out who is the baddie behind the killings. 

The novel is well plotted, with little clues hidden throughout the text, and if you get to the the end without knowing who the killer is it will be a great twist! I guessed really early on who the killer was but that didn't detract from my enjoyment, I loved seeing how the story would play out and noticing all the red herrings that were put in front of me as a reader. It's a really clever balance between a crime thriller and a supernatural story - it's written in such a way that I wholeheartedly believed that Charley's flashes were real! 

A great story, although I would say don't read it whilst your spending the day getting trains and tubes around London like I did - I was terrified someone was going to push me in front of them!

- Gem.

REVIEW: Tease - Amanda Maciel

PAGES: 368

PUBLISHER: Hodder Children's Books
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

PUBLICATION DATE: 01/05/14

This review refers to an uncorrected advance edition.

SUMMARY

Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think when Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community and the media. But Sara is sure she hasn't done anything wrong. Emma brought it on herself. Emma stole Sara's boyfriend. Emma stole everyone's boyfriends. Surely Sara was the victim, not Emma. During the summer before her senior year Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over. A story of everyday jealousies and resentments, misunderstandings and desires, Tease is a thought-provoking must-read that will haunt readers long after the last page.

GEM'S REVIEW

A tense and intriguing novel the premise of which is so shocking because it is so true; a couple of girls making progressively nastier comments and isolating her until the girl breaks down and kills herself. In today's society of social media, cyber bullying is so prevalent that the plot points in this, that the people responsible should be punished even if they didn't physically kill her was very thought-provoking and really captures how important it is that people that are in that situation know that they are not alone and have resources available to help them.

Sara is the narrator and it is easy to empathise with her feelings; Emma had stolen her boyfriend, why would you take that lying down? But with each chapter more is revealed about the lead up to Emma's death and really I just felt sorry for Sarah - she was caught up in a vicious circle of trying to impress her "popular" best friend Brielle who was really the instigator in all of the mean comments etc. that were aimed at Emma. 

Knowing that Emma was obviously going to die meant there were no big shocks or twists in the plot, but I still enjoyed the way all the information was slowly revealed and that Sara developed as a character once the litigation started and she was separated from Brielle. It showed that she had been sort of bullied into acting like a bully...and was now getting bullied for it herself!

So all in all, I would say this was a very clever and enjoyable read and it'd be perfect for fans of Cat Clarke or Erin Lange.

JESS'S REVIEW

Before going into Tease it’s important to know a few things about it. Tease is a gritty and controversial look at bullying. Don’t pick this up expecting to fall in love with the characters – in fact you’re going to get frustrated with them and will want to throw this book across the room at times although I say that in the best possible way. Tease is an angsty read that raises important questions on topics such as mob mentality, slut shaming, peer pressure, bullying and the competitive and destructive relationships girls have with each other. It’s an incredibly important book that isn’t afraid to ask the big questions and gives you difficult answers that will make you think outside the box.

The book is told from Sara’s perspective, a girl who was part of a group whose bullying drove classmate Emma Putnam to suicide. Tease is told in alternating past and present chapters as we watch Sara go on trial for the abuse she showed Emma and also go back in time to see how the bullying began.

It was fascinating reading from a deliberately unlikeable characters point of view. At the start of the book I really disliked Sara and her casual slut shaming drove me mad but as we get to see past events I could begin to understand her hatred towards Emma. Amanda Maciel never excuses Sara’s actions but she does make you understand her reasons. What I loved about this book is that the victim Emma isn’t a particularly nice person either. She deliberately goes after Sara’s boyfriend and does her fair share of name calling. It was so interesting having a victim who wasn’t entirely innocent in all this herself.

Another thing I loved about Tease was how Amanda Maciel shows how easily Sara’s boyfriend Dylan gets away with everything. To me he was the worst character in this book and as the cheat was the one who’d done something wrong. Yet the girls, law and media never blamed him or held him accountable for his actions. It really disturbed me how the girls would rip and claw at each other and yet never think to blame Dylan. This story is happening between girls everywhere and I think that Amanda Maciel drove a very clever yet subtle message home about girls uniting and holding the guy who’s actually at fault responsible.

Overall Tease was a captivating read. It definitely offers up something different in YA and is like a grittier more important version of ‘Mean Girls’. It’s about how we make mistakes as teenagers and learn to become adults by taking responsibility for them. Teens and adults alike are certain to relate to the issues raised in Tease in one way or another. This reader certainly did.

REVIEW: Adaptation - Malinda Lo

GENRE: Thriller
PAGES: 432
PUBLISHER: Hodder Children's
FORMAT: PB
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Flocks of birds are hurling themselves at aeroplanes across America. Thousands of people die. Millions are stranded. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On Reese's long drive home, along a stretch of empty highway at night, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won't tell them what happened. For Reese, though, this is just the start. She can't remember anything from the time between her accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: she's different now. Torn between longtime crush David and new girl Amber, the real question is: who can she trust?

REVIEW

This was a really enjoyable, easy to read and captivating novel; I started reading it on Sunday morning and had finished it that evening as I couldn't put it down!

Resse is a great character, she is funny, quirky and whilst being thrown into an incredible situation, she deals with everything that comes to her whilst others may have given up. The blurb is deliberately vague, and as I don't want to give anything away - the shocks and twists and brilliant and they are what kept me reading all day - all I'll say is I loved the characters, the plot and the outcome! I can't wait to read Inheritance and find out what happens next.

- Gem

REVIEW: Impostor - Susanne Winnacker

GENRE: Fantasy
PAGES: 304
PUBLISHER: Hodder Children's Books
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4.5 Stars

SUMMARY

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she's spent the last two years with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. There she trains with other Variants, such as long-term crush Alec, who each have their own extraordinary ability. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor - the stress, the danger, the deceit - but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she'd do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

REVIEW

The tagline on the back of my proof copy of this was "Veronica Mars meets X-men" so immediately this drew my attention as I love both of those things!

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was exciting and a brilliant blend of crime and the paranormal. I really sympathised with Tessa, she was given a really dangerous mission but despite this she does her best to try and track down the killer, all the while battling with her personal feelings about the situation she is now in (don't want to give away any spoilers though!).

I've read another of Susanne Winnacker's novels, The Other Life, and I really liked that too. In both novels the tension increased throughout and the ending was dramatic and intense. Impostor wrapped up the initial mystery well but given how well thought out all the elements were - the FEA etc. - I'm really glad there is going to be a sequel and I'll definitely be reading it!

- Gem.