Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Title: Gone
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2008
Page Count: 558
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents--unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers--that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

Favourite Quotes

“We didn't make this world we're just the poor fools who are living in it.” 

Few Wild Words Quickie

Fast paced and exciting but not really the type of book I would usually read.

My Thoughts

I'd be crazy to say I didn't like this book at all because I actually did like it. It was fast paced which I usually prefer in a book and the idea was definitely intriguing. But there was a few things about this book that caused constant nagging at the back of my mind.

There were moments in the book where I couldn't put it down and there were other parts that left me skimming pages.

GONE is the type of book that has a lot of likeable aspects with just as many dislikeable parts. Just like there were some characters that I felt strongly for in the book while some annoyed me beyond belief (there were a few points where I wished upon them death).

I loved the concept/idea of the book. It was original and there was so much room to explore it. Michael Grant doesn't disappoint in that particular section. He manages to blend together reality and other-worldly ideas but also adds in characters who some readers can relate to. It presents the challenges faced by the young ones today especially with bullies, eating disorders and the need to belong.

However, some down points for me was that I felt like it dragged on and sometimes I just didn't want to read about a character over and over again. The other part that disappointed me was the ending. Throughout the book I was gearing up for an epic end, I was expecting sparks, trauma and plot twists.

For me, that didn't happen.

Overall, I think GONE is actually a pretty good book and I know that this book will probably be someone else's treasure and everlasting favourite. A mix of a few disappointments and the fact it wasn't much to my taste may have contributed to the reasons why I didn't love it. But, I'm sure there are many who will love it!

I'm not sure whether to continue the series but if I get a chance I might check it out.

Links

Goodreads

{Book Cover} US vs. UK: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver is one of those books that I've been waiting to read for a very long time. When I say very I mean 'I nearly died a few times waiting for the release date'. The downside right now is that it is still not out in the UK.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the Delirium covers with the face on it. So you can guess which one I liked when comparing the US and UK cover.



US COVER



UK COVER

Yes, I like the UK cover better. I guess for me it captures the actual feel of the book. The colours highlight everything the book will represent to many people. Overall, I love it more than the US cover.

 

I also wanted to add that I'm always having 'OMG' moments everytime I remember that Lena will have to choose between Alex and Julian, then I think about all the amazing things that are bound to happen in Requiem and I get all crazy hyped.

 

Which cover do you prefer?

Are there any particular parts in Requiem that you're looking forward to most?

 

Short Review: Double Crossed by Ally Carter

Title: Double Crossed
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Publication Date: January 22nd, 2013
Page Count: 60
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Rating: 4.5/5


Synopsis

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?


Favourite Quotes

“What are they after?” Kat asked.
“Hard to say,” Hale said; again, he eyed the room.
“Who is that?” Macey asked.
“The reason I wasn’t flirting with you,” Hale told her.”
  
Few Wild Words Quickie

This is just as awesome as any Ally Carter book!


My Thoughts

A crossover between Gallagher Girls and Heist Society. It was bound to be epic.

It sure was, it was short but still epic.

Ally Carter always manages to keep me turning page after page with her fast paced writing. There was not a point in DOUBLE CROSSED where I was willingly to stop reading or a point where I had gotten bored.

The world of spies and thieves was merged together perfectly, it didn't feel like two different book series. Everything just fell into place. The character interactions felt right and it made me smile to see how well everyone in the book came together.

The storyline was simple but still exciting, it allowed the two worlds to work together and highlighted what they both were best at. I savoured every chapter!

I would definitely love to read many more crossovers from Ally Carter, it was very much a fun read.

If you're a fan of either of the series in this crossover you should definitely get yourself a copy!

Review: Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Title: Edenbrooke
Author: Julianne Donaldson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: March 27th, 2012
Page Count: 264
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

Favourite Quotes

“I did not want Philip—that handsome, incorrigible, charming tease who stole hearts he had no intention of keeping.” 

“If I leaned toward him, something would happen. I was sure of it. But if I leaned away, nothing would happen. So I stayed perfectly still, balanced between something and nothing, not knowing which way I wanted to fall.” 

Few Wild Words Quickie

Beautiful and made me smile goofily.
 
My Thoughts

I'm still in the process of swooning over this book.

Edenbrooke was a beautiful and heart warming read. I can only describe the book as being BEAUTIFUL in so many ways.

“My heart swelled until I felt as if it might take over my entire being. I had landed in heaven. This was heaven.”

Everything about Edenbrooke was heaven. You are bound to fall in love with the many characters in the book, they all have their own distinct personality that made you either love them or resent them. Either way the author knew how to evoke emotions from the reader by hurling you into the emotional rollercoaster of the characters.

Coming onto Marianne Daventry and Philip Wyndham...

There was something so precious and heart pulling about their relationship. There were many moments where I was smiling goofily at the smallest developments in their relationships. They both were special in the sense that you could really see them grow togther throughout the book.

By the end of the book I was in need of tissues to wipe away stray tears of happiness.

The author was able to pull me straight into the Regency Era and highlight the beauty of the setting. The storyline kept me hooked throughout, the small plot twists here and there and arising tension had me thinking about the book all throughout the night.

(This included thoughts about Philip Wyndham)

I can very surely say that I would willingly to read any other books Julianne Donaldson writes!

Links

Julianne Donaldson's Blog

Book To Film Adaptations {Early 2013}

I'm sorry I haven't been able to update my blog as often as I would have liked, I just escaped the torment of exams and studying so I'll try to be a better blogger! *fingers and toes crossed*

There are so many book to film adaptations hitting the big screen this year especially from the Young Adult section. This might be a few people's nightmares or it could be someones dream come true. Personally, I like watching how the book is interpreted on screen and especially the actor's portrayal of the characters.

BUT... 

If they butcher the storyline and have a cast who has less acting skills than the number zero there will definitely be a lot of face palms on my behalf and I will try to wipe the film from my memory. FOREVER. Then I can carry on loving the BOOK and pretend there was not any actual film.

However, I still get excited to watch a book being turned into a film. Some recent book to film adaptations that are being released very recently or have already been released include:

1. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

I actually haven't read the book yet which I'm a bit ashamed of. I'm not a massive fan of books about zombies but the trailer looked really awesome so I'm planning to pick it up.

 

2. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I'm actually really excited to see how this film turns out. I had mixed feelings about the book, I would say for quite some part of it the pace was really slow for me but I loved the ending. It was a love/dislike kind of relationship. I'm expecting some great things from the film.

 

3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Well all I can say is that I am crazy excited for this film and I will have the chance to admire Max Irons face throughout the film!

What film are looking forward to?
What kind of relationship do you have with book to film adaptations?

Leave me a comment below!

Review: Revived by Cat Patrick

Title: Revived
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Publication Date: May 8th 2012
Page Count: 336 pages
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Rating: 5/5



Synopsis

It started with a bus crash.
Daisy Appleby was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive.
Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, a new identity. The only constant in Daisy's life is constant change.
Then Daisy meets Matt and Audrey McKean, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends. But if she's ever to have a normal life, Daisy must escape from an experiment that's much larger--and more sinister--than she ever imagined.
From its striking first chapter to its emotionally charged ending, Cat Patrick's Revived is a riveting story about what happens when life and death collide.

Favourite Quotes

"When someone dies, things like how you look don't matter anymore. In fact nothing does."

Few Wild Words Quickie

Relate-able and truly unique! I LOVED IT!

My Thoughts

I shall warn you all straight away that this review will contain a large amount of happy thoughts. Right now I can't express how much I love Cat Patrick. Somehow her writing always makes me go WOW!

The beginning was WOW.

The middle was WOW.

And the ending was WOW.

I also have to say Cat Patrick is like the queen of last lines, whether it is at the end of a chapter or at the end of the entire book, they always manage to tear my heart out ever so slightly each and every time. There was not a moment in the whole book where I was bored, it's the type of book that keeps you on your feet and keeps your mind swirling with infinite ideas and guesses. The concept of REVIVED was exciting and interesting. The whole idea about having a special drug to revive humans.

One thing that REVIVED does amazingly and note the word AMAZINGLY is how Cat Patrick weaves reality into a rather unusual life. The main character Daisy lives an abnormal life especially as she practically lives a double life, keeping secrets from most people and the fact she can be revived using a drug that is confidential and basically classified. But, somehow Daisy manages to be a relate-able character. She runs a blog with her friend (which deserves a hurrah because that's awesome), she's the normal teenage girl who loves to read and works hard. 

REVIVED also knows how to mess with your emotions, either by making you totally happy or giving you a terrible urge to cry streams of tears. Some of the other character's like Matt, Audrey and Mason were truly love able. They all had their quirks, they all have reasons to seem ever so real.

The book was beautifully written with a clear voice and unique plot. It was paced well throughout and kept you hooked. It sure made me shed a few tears and gave me something that was believe-able. It looks at death and losing loved ones and handles it in a sensitive and truthful manner. REVIVED is the kind of book you remember after reading and you do so for a long time after.

Links

Cat Patrick's Website
Goodreads

End of Year Book Survey!

I wanted an easy way to reflect on all the books I read this year so I thought why not participate in The End of Year Book Survey hosted by Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner. It's long but bookish related things are fun to do!

1. Best Book You Read In 2012?

If I had to choose four books it would have to be A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger, Speechless by Hannah Harrington, Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver and For Darkness shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. They were all awesome in their own way and I thoroughly enjoyed them all.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I have to say that would be Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins, I had been eagerly awaiting to read it and it was the last book in the Hex Hall series (which I love) so I expected spectacular things, but I guess I was disappointed. The same has to be said for Charmfall by Chloe Neill which was the last book in the Dark Elite series (which I also love). I thought both books would go out with a bang but I didn't get that from either unfortunately.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

That has to be The DUFF by Kody Keplinger, I didn't exactly expect much from the book. I remember sitting down to read it in the afternoon and then somehow I ended up finishing it at 3am in the morning. It was the first book that I had read from Kody Keplinger so because of The DUFF's amazing-ness I went on to read even more fabulous books by her.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

Everyone really should read For Darkness shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. I was gripped by the whole concept behind the book and I loved every page of it.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Oh that is one hard question, I'm really not sure. I'd have to say I read both Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth this year and I loved the thrill and excitement that they were filled with. I also got round to reading Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (swooning because Adrian), it was definitely amazing in many ways, I haven't gotten round to reading the next book but I sure have been wanting it like CRAZY!

6. Favourite new authors you discovered in 2012?

I REALLY REALLY like this question because I came across some pretty awesome authors who sneaked their way onto my favourite authors list! Hannah Harrington, Kody Keplinger, and John Green. I would read ANYTHING they wrote and I mean it!

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I don't usually read anything set in the past or say Historical YA. But, I did read Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson and wow it was awesome.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Switched by Amanda Hocking, I remember reading the first page and then somehow I had finished the whole thing, I know, weird.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

I am so sure of the answer to this one!

I'm don't know if this counts but I'm not far from finishing The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith. If I had finished it, it would be on the best books of 2012 list but I have to say I know I will be re-reading this again next year. It is like 100000% on the cute and adorable read factor.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I have to choose two in this one. It has to be Speechless by Hannah Harrington and Charmfall by Chloe Neill.




















11. Most memorable character in 2012?

That goes to Lena Haloway from the Delirium Series. When I read Pandemonium I was hit by a character who had developed so beautifully and had come back stronger than before, it was like she was growing before my eyes.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

I choose Looking for Alaska by John Green and Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, they touched my heart in their very own way (I may have shed a few tears).

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

Paper Towns by John Green, there was something so real behind everything written in the book. John Green's books always carry this sense of being able to relate and understand and clearly painting a picture.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Forgotten by Cat Patrick
• The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

SO MANY of those. How shall I choose?

"If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.” - Looking for Alaska

“I'm not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - Paper Towns

“It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.”  - Paper Towns

“No matter where you go or what you do to distract yourself, reality catches up with you eventually.” - The DUFF

“Sometimes life happens.” - Pushing the Limits

“Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.” - Speechless

“Tears upon tears splat on to the lined pages in my hands as I read about a nightmare come true. Quickly, I wipe away the saltwater so it won't fade the ink. Because even as my chest caves in and makes me hate the chipper birds and everything else, I know that I needed to read this today, and I need to read it again tomorrow. For me, reading is remembering.” - Forgotten

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Longest - Insurgent by Veronica Roth with 525 pages

Shortest - Rape Girl by Alina Klein with 126 pages

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The ending of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, that is all I will say. I'll also have to add Forgotten by Cat Patrick as well.

18. Favourite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

This is like one of my favourite questions and I want to list the many relationships I loved!

• Hadley and Oliver (The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight) : I've decided I want to fall in love with a total stranger at the airport because of these two.
• Whitley and Harrison (A Midsummer's Nightmare): Their friendship is the kind that is all round fun and crazy!
• Sophie and Archer (Hex Hall): Sarcasm and witty comebacks are their weapons.
• London and Luke (Forgotten): These two are just perfect together
• Noah and Echo (Pushing the Limits): I just know that they'll both last forever and ever till the end.

19. Favourite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously:

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, she never disappoints with her writing!

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Forgotten by Cat Patrick and For Darkness shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. THANK YOU for recommending, you know who you are...

21. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

• The Fault in our Stars: I've heard great things so I will be expecting great things.
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Same as above

22. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Requiem by Lauren Oliver because I am literally dying to know how the series will end, I love the books too much and the cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium was deadly beyond belief.

23. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

I want to be more relaxed with my blogging and continue it as a hobby!