Friday 25 May 2012

Hiatus...

I can't believe it has been two months since my last post!

I had to take an abrupt hiatus as I couldn't find a suitable way to juggle blogging with studying for my exams and therefore it started to take a bit of the fun out of blogging.

So I have decided to take a bit more time out to come up with a way to fit blogging into my schedule as I love doing it and don't want to go about it the wrong way!

I am still reading when I can, (and will try to get as much of my reviews completed and uploaded at some point in the future), and trying to keep up with the challenges that I signed up to!

So, hopefully, I will find a way to do this, and restart my blog, making it bigger and better!

- Kismet Spills All.

Friday 23 March 2012

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins.

Published: 5th January 2009
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 464
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge, TBR Pile Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, Read and Review Challenge
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...

The cover...
The cover does highlight the main elements with the blood, the arrow and the mockingjay.  I also like that the title looks almost dirty and has two silhouettes of a boy and a girl, referring to the two tributes, in the spaces of letters.

How did I find out about this book?
I have heard about this series a lot since it came out but I had never actually bothered to read it until it was all Katersoneseven on Youtube could talk about and I decided to give it a try.  I have already read this book before but decided to re-read it and read the others before the movie is released.

What is this book about?
A girl named Katniss lives in District 12, the furthest and poorest district from the high class Capitol.  She has to illegally hunt to put food on the table for her family and worryingly await the yearly Hunger Games.  A 'game' that puts 24 people against each other to only have one victor.  When Katniss volunteers as tribute to replace her 12 year old sister, her life is turned into a television show where she has to keep herself alive as well as unknowingly consider her love life and potential future/death.

My opinion...

I absolutely adored this book.  It was well thought out and everything was planned for, even down to the tiny details.  The world of Panem is clearly visible in my mind and I couldn't wait to see how the film portrayed this.

I liked the way the book was written, in first person from Katniss herself.  However, it appears as though she is talking to the audience of the book from some sort of diary especially when she tells the characters in the book only half the story but the rest is there in detail for the reader.  This could potentially be giving the game away about what is about to happen.

It would have been great to have a bit more detail on Gale so that I could have firmly decided who my choice of romantic interest for Katniss could be as throughout the book the admiration for Peeta just grew stronger as there wasn't enough reference to Gale.  Which, in my opinion, it should have for Katniss too as in a situation like that it seems that it would change people and their perceptions of others.  Yet, Katniss's affections would always relate back to the audience watching the Hunger Games and the sponsors it would potentially enlighten.  It would have been better if she was a bit more attached to Peeta in a romantic way other than only for his safety.  Although she still seems to be a bit naiive in this area, especially considering she is only 16.

The format of the book was great! However, I especially loved the way in which the actual games were portrayed to the reader.  I couldn't wait to see what happens next and loved how anything could happen!  Although The Hunger Games was about fighting to the death, the author still managed to capture the hearts of the audience through the amazing characters and the way in which they chose to fight for survival.  Although children fighting children is not ideal, it was told in a way that wasn't as violent as it could have been, and added the special touches of humour and romance to pull us away from the hurt and fear.

I can't help but recommend this book to anyone who wants a new and exciting read!  I've already recommended it to a lot of my family and friends!

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...
This book is part of a series with book two titled Catching Fire! The movie version of this book was released today, March 23rd.  I have heard that an older book titled Battle Royale has the same theory as The Hunger Games yet has much more gore, so I'll definitely be checking that out!

Sunday 18 March 2012

Thursday 15 March 2012

Thoughts on a Quote [3].

Thoughts on a Quote is a Thursday segment I have created. This will be for any segments in a book that stick out to me that I want to voice my opinion on.

"The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply becase the person living it had done so for a long time.
Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human."

This passage from a new release by Rachel Joyce got me thinking about how much people worry about what others think of them and think that they will be judged for the moves that they make.  Yet, everyone is in the same boat.  Everyone is as important as anyone else and I'm assuming everyone has worrying thoughts about what they've said or done at some point.  It's essentially their life and they can choose how they live it and this is what makes them unique.  This was an intriguing way to look at in in comparison to Harold's journey and 'collisions' with many different people.

I would love to know: what do you think of this quote?

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce.

Published: 15th March 2012
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 304
Age Group: Adult
Challenge: British Book Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, Read and Review Challenge
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Goodreads]
When Harold Fry nips out one morning to post a letter, leaving his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking to save someone else's life.


The cover...

Although the dust jacket is suited to the story, I preferred the actual covers of the book and how they depicted Harolds' journey and its' companions.

How did I find out about this book?
I found this book through the Waterstones Read and Review section, entered to 'win' it and was pleasantly surprised when it came through my letterbox unannounced.

What is this book about?
This book is about an older man named Harold who for twenty years has let his life dwindle.  He finds out from a letter that an old friend is terminally ill and when he goes out to post a return letter he decides then and there that he would rather do it face-to-face.  So, with no mobile phone and wearing a pair of yachting shoes he sets off on foot to walk over 600 miles to finally say what he has been meaning to say for twenty years.

My opinion...
Wow. What a moving story. There is so much to say, so much to comment on, yet it has somehow rendered me speechless.
The story seems so simplistic, from the chapter titles to the chapter pictures to the actual image of a man going out to post a letter and deciding to actually go and deliver it personally, yet it was mesmerising. The fact that Harold was an older man who kept to himself and didn't know many people, yet was still able to find his feet, excuse the pun, and get out into the world and somehow find himself again was what made this a great read.

I loved the main characters of Harold and Maureen (and even Rex) from the beginning.  Even though they appeared to be ordinary people, there was so much more to them and what made them become who they are and it was great to find this out.  The many details of their life were highlighted throughout the book and told in a way that complimented Harolds' journey.  The different twists that the author took I found rather unexpected but in a good way as again it highlighted how lifes victories, traumas and dramas can really change a person and only when you truly have the time to think about what has happened and come to terms with it are you able to fully move on, which I believe is a different process for everyone.

When other 'pilgrims' decided to join Harold, I thought that this would somewhat destroy Harold's progress, especially since I was so enjoying just hearing his and his wifes' sides of the tale.  Although it did in a way, it showed that although you will find such amazing people in the world, there will still be the ones who are only out for themselves and using you to gain achievements for themselves.  The way in which the author brought this into the mix was enlightening, it showed that although people may 'push' you down, you should get right back up again as you are as equally important to the world as they are.  It also showed that some people are 'sheep' and follow the crowd because they feel that this is what they should do in order to fit in, however, this is not allowing them to achieve any of their own goals per se, it is only allowing them to mooch off of anothers' victory and what does that really say about them as a person?

I guess the only actual negative point to be made about this book was how in some parts it seemed as though it was set back when a lot of the new technology did not exist and yet there was the small mentions of 'tweeting' or mobile phones that brought it back to modern day.  It made me realise how much we actually rely on these types of technology nowadays and made me wonder whether it would actually be possible to discard them for a long period of time?

This book is a definite pick me up, I think you will find yourself questioning a lot about your own life and own woes and pondering whether such silly things should be having such an effect on your life. In my opinion, I think they always will, but you just need to find the right route to get past these and essentially get to your own goal, just like Harold!

Rachel Joyce is an amazing storyteller, I think a story like this can be taken in so many different ways and thay ou may get something different through re-reading it.  I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...
This book reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump and has made me want to watch that movie again. However, what I didn't realise was that this movie is based on a book of the same name by Winston Groom, and I think I will be seeking this one out!

Wednesday 14 March 2012

WWW Wednesday [9].

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.
 
[1] The book I am currently reading is:
Why Do We Have to Live With Men? by Bernadette Strachan
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]






[2] The book I just recently finished is:
 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

 


[3] The book I think I will read next is:

The Morganville Vampires #1: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Teaser Tuesday [4].

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.


The book I am currently reading is:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.


I am on page 152 and here is the teaser:

He replayed scenes from his life, like a spectator trapped on the outside. Seeing the mistakes, the inconsistences, the choices that shouldn't be made, and yet unable to do anything about them.




Do you want to join in? 
Grab your current read.  Open to a random page.  Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  Be careful not to include spoilers! Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Monday 12 March 2012

In My Mailbox [8].

In My Mailbox’ is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.
The book(s) I bought within the last two weeks are:

Transition by Iain Banks [Amazon UK]
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens [Amazon UK]
Les Miserables Volume 1 by Victor Hugo [Amazon UK]
The Infernal Devices #1: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare [Amazon UK]

I will update this post with links to my reviews once they are posted.
I would love to know: what's in your mailbox this week?

Sunday 11 March 2012

Thursday 8 March 2012

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling.

This Edition Published: 1st November 2010
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 224
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: Harry Potter Reading Challenge, Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, Read and Review Challenge
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand and jellybeans that come in every flavour, including strawberry, curry, grass and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J K Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the non-magical human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is renowned as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoilt, pig-like cousin Dudley.
A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig ... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins.

This review should probably be a bit different from my other reviews as the answers to my usual questions should be obvious for Harry Potter! Maybe I'm a bit biased? However, I know there are people out there who have never actually read the books so I'll keep it the same!
The cover...
I think this cover is gorgeous.  It's a new look for the Harry Potter collection and I think it looks great!

How did I find out about this book?
I have grown up knowing about Harry Potter, reading Harry Potter and watching the Harry Potter movies. I adore HP!

What is this book about?

This book is about a boy named Harry Potter whose mother and father were killed when he was really young, he was nearly killed himself.  He is brought up by his muggle (non-magic folk) aunt and uncle and never knew that magic existed.  With the help of Hagrid he finds out he's a wizard and escapes the evil clutches of Petunia and Vernon for a school year at Hogwarts!

My opinion...
I have only ever read the Harry Potter series once, and I'm sure I stopped at the Goblet of Fire.  I don't really know why, but at the time I wasn't that big of a Harry Potter fan.  However, now I can't get enough!  I own almost all of the dvds and am now going back to reading the books again and reliving the adventure.

Reading the books after having watched all the films changed my perspective.  I was able to picture all of the characters perfectly as well as their voices and mannerisms and I'm so glad I waited until I'd watched the films to pick up the books again!  I usually don't like book-to-movie combos but I always tend to give them a try anyway and this one did not disappoint!

It made me look at the books in a different light and I was able to see some life lessons sticking out as well: "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."  A quote from Dumbledore himself, speaking to Harry in reference to the Mirror of Erised.

I loved that the movie has followed the book almost perfectly and I can't wait to read about Harry's next adventure!

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...
I don't think I'll ever not adore Harry Potter and if you have never read the books then you are missing out!  There's even a Harry Potter Reading Challenge to participate in so there's no reason not to read them!  Next in the series is The Chamber of Secrets!

Wednesday 7 March 2012

WWW Wednesday [8].

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.


[1] The book I am currently reading is:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]








[2] The book I just recently finished is:
 Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]




[3] The book I think I will read next is:
Why Do We Have to Live With Men? by Bernadette Strachan
[My Review]Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

Thursday 1 March 2012

Thoughts on a Quote [2].

Thoughts on a Quote is a Thursday segment I have created.  This will be for any segments in a book that stick out to me that I want to voice my opinion on.

"People don't change who they are. 
They only change what they do with it."

I believe this to an extent.  I believe that you are who you are.  Yet there is still a part of me that believes a person can change.  I think, however, that they will only change when it is suitable for them and when they themselves have chosen to do so.  They will still be who they are, but they will just act differently and this is why I think this quote makes sense.  However, in other cases, depending on life situations, I think it can change a person drastically and they will forever be different.  They just need that one thing that changes their life in order to do so.

I would love to know: what do you think of this quote?

Wednesday 29 February 2012

WWW Wednesday [7].

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading



[1] The book I am currently reading is:

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]






[2] The book I just recently finished is:
 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]




[3] The book I think I will read next is:
Why Do We Have to Live With Men? by Bernadette Strachan
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]



'Waiting on' Wednesday [7].

'Waiting on' Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly meme hosted by The Breaking Spine.


My WoW selection this week is:

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
Release date: 14th May 2012
Publisher: KTeen
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon]
A scholarship student at an exclusive prep school, Emma Townsend feels like an outsider. Her stepmother doesn't come close to filling the void left by her mother's death. And her only romantic prospect - apart from a crush on her English teacher - is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma's confusion. "Escape" comes in the old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre that Emma receives as a gift. Then a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane's body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma experiences a sense of belonging she's never felt before, and a growing attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane's story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own...

I've been wanting to read the classics for a long time now, and it was the Classic Double Challenge that gave me the perfect excuse to do so!  This, as well as reading modern books that relate to the classic books in some way, like A Breath of Eyre, a book relating to the Jane Eyre novel. A gorgeous cover and intriguing synopsis. Why would you not want to read it?

I would love to know what your 'waiting on wednesday' selection is this week...

Tuesday 28 February 2012

The Catastrophic History of You and Me - Jess Rothenberg.

Published: 2nd February 2012
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin
Pages: 400
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012, 100+ Reading Challenge, Read and Review Challenge
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]
Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart - "literally." But now that she's in heaven, Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend knows a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost - and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul who's been D&G (dead and gone) much longer than she? and who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on? but how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

The cover...
The cover is cute and seems perfect for the story.

How did I find out about this book?
I bought this book for the Debut Author Challenge that I am participating in.

What is this book about?

A called named Brie has died literally of a broken heart.  She ends up in another dimension that looks almost like where she came from.  She has to go through the stages of grieve, try to seek revenge and eventually accept that what has happened has happened and that she needs to make peace with it all.

My opinion...
From the beginning I was wrapped up in this book.  I think it was the joke 'What do you call a piece of cheese that's not yours? Nacho cheese.' that got me, what a perfect touch to lighten up something that could be the start of something sad.  This joke, and all of the other mentions of cheese in reference to Brie's name perked up the story and gave it that humorous edge.

The book is separated into five sections, these sections being the process of grief.  This is what Brie has to go through in order to fully move on and be at peace.  So, with the help of Patrick, a boy also in the other dimension, she sets out to score out each of these stages from her list.  In doing so, she realises what she had, what she now has and how to cope with both in the future.  I found that this way of separating the book was different, it was great to find out how she went through each stage and how she still had a lot of growing up to do even in death. Also, the chapter titles being lyrics to well known songs that related to what was happening in that particular chapter was great and a good way of hinting what was to come.

However, I was expecting a completely different story from reading the synopsis.  I was expecting someone still living to be able to see Brie and love to conquer death but the story was far from this and at parts rather confusing.  I think this was the only thing that I disliked.  As the author did go in to this but not at much as I would have hoped.  Brie was able to move things in the 'real world' and get in to the back of cars and smash things but, in my opinion, it didn't really achieve much as the reasons why she was doing these things would have come to a conclusion without them.

Brie died when she was sixteen years old, and at points I find this hard to believe in relation to her relationship with Jacob before her death.  The death of a literal broken heart does show the immature side yet I think there was a bit of conflict here in regards to age.

The twists and turns in the story were so unexpected and just made the book what it was.  This book had everything from life to death, love to heartache, even including the aspects of afterlife and reincarnation and it handled them all brilliantly.  What more could you ask for?

I loved the writing style of Jess Rothenberg and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...
I would recommend PS I Love You.  I think this is due to the 'there's life after death' aspect and how characters in both books are still connected to those that have moved on to a better place.

Monday 27 February 2012

In My Mailbox [7].

In My Mailbox’ is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.


The book(s) I bought this week are:

One Thing Led to Another by Katy Regan [Amazon UK]
Glasgow Kiss by Alex Gray [Amazon UK]
The Burying Place by Brian Freeman [Amazon UK]
The Clever One by Helena Close [Amazon UK]
Lasting Damage by Sohie Hannah [Amazon UK]
All The Dead Voices by Declan Hughes [Amazon UK]
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han [Amazon UK]
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater [Amazon UK]
Bombproof by Michael Robotham [Amazon UK]
The Drowning Man by Michael Robotham [Amazon UK]
The Suspect by Michael Robotham [Amazon UK]
First Grave on the Right (A Charley Davidson novel #1) by Darynda Jones [Amazon UK]

The book(s) I received for review this week are:

Waterstones: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce [Amazon UK]

I will update this post with links to my reviews once they are posted.
I would love to know: what's in your mailbox this week?

Sunday 26 February 2012

Catch Up Sunday [6].

Catch Up Sunday is a weekly post I created to highlight what I have posted in the past week.

Memes:

[1] In My Mailbox [6]
[3] 'Waiting on' Wednesday [6]
[4] WWW Wednesday [6]
[6] Catch Up Sunday [5]

Updated Challenge Posts:

[1] Debut Author Challenge
[2] ABC Reading Challenge
[3] 101+ Books in a year Challenge
[4] Read and Review Challenge

Reviews:

[1] Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Wednesday 22 February 2012

WWW Wednesday [6].

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading





[1] The book I am currently reading is:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]






[2] The book I just recently finished is:
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]



 





[3] The book I think I will read next is:
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]



'Waiting on' Wednesday [6].

'Waiting on' Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly meme hosted by The Breaking Spine.


My WoW selection this week is:

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Release date: 24th April 2012
Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon]
STOP THE COUNTDOWN. SAVE THE WORLD…
Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.  And killed.
Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…
Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.
That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…

It wasn't the cover of the book but the synopsis that has made me really want to read this one! It sounds great!  I love books or movies that have a timer to them, you know something is bound to happen but you just don't know what and with this book I cannot wait to find out what that is!

I would love to know what your 'waiting on wednesday' selection is this week...

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Everneath - Brodi Ashton.

Published: 2nd February 2012
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Pages: 384
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012, ABC Reading Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, Read and Review Challenge
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld...this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...


The cover...
It was the absolutely gorgeous cover that drew me to this book.  Everything about the cover is astonishing.
How did I find out about this book?
I bought this book for the Debut Author Challenge that I am participating in and the cover was one in which I couldn't resist.
What is this book about?

A seventeen year old girl named Nikki Beckett has spent a decade 'feeding' Cole in the Everneath.  Once that decade is over she is given the choice to stay with Cole or be sent to the tunnels.  Nikki chose neither but to Return to reality to see Jack, the one person she could never erase from her mind.  In doing so she has six months (before she is taken to the tunnels anyway) to say goodbye and perhaps find a way to change her outcome to prove that her decision was the right one.

My opinion...

If you were giving the opportunity to have all of your pain taken away would you take it?  Even if there were consequences to these actions?  In a way it seems that Nikki is forced into this situation by Cole.  She has the reasons to want this yet she still has something inside of her telling her that she should fight it.

The prologue of this book made me think that I wouldn't enjoy it.  It seemed too far-fetched and there was something about the repetitive nature of Nikki's decade long disappearance (this being only six months in reality) that bugged me.  It appears that in that decade that Nikki spent with Cole, all they did was lie next to each other and allow Cole to Feed?  It just didn't make sense to me that this would be the case for that length of time yet at the same time you wonder what else would they do?

Cole's guitar playing is consistent and you can tell it is a significant part of Cole yet I find it extremely strange.  It's like when he's around Nikki has a soundtrack to her life, however it's mainly on the occasions when he turns up in her bedroom.  Is his guitar-playing not heard by 'normal' people?  Surely, if he was playing a guitar within a short distance from Nikki's father, her father would be more suspicious than he already is of her return, no?  From the start her father seems to be more Mayor than father but as the book goes on you find out why this is his reaction and how everything that has happened in the past year has affected him.

I was really unsure of Cole.  One minute I liked him the next I didn't.  I didn't know whether he would be a good guy or not.  It just seemed like he was the way he was and there was no changing that whether he liked it or not.  However, it would have been great to see him have a more interesting opinion on the matter.  I guess I was the same about Nikki, she just seemed so vague to begin with.

Jack was my favourite character and I was quite disappointed that he was rarely mentioned in comparison to the rest of the characters in the first half of the book.  Maybe it was the absence of him that made the heart grow fonder?  Nonetheless I wanted to know more about him and felt a deep sympathy towards his reaction to Nikki's departure.  Additionally, his connection with his brother Will was cute and just added to his many great qualities.  Will brought humour into the equation of heartache and sorrow.  Another great character was Mary, as soon as you hear of her you want to know her story and know that her role will be significant too.

I loved that the author had undertaken so much research to write this book.  Although I don't know much about mythology it seems like everything is there waiting to be discovered and it is enticing making you want to know more.  At first I felt that it was easy to put this book down but it soon came to a point where I was sucked in and couldn't wait to find out more which made this story an intriguing read!  I hated the ended but I loved it at the same time and I just want that final statement to be answered.

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...
This book is part of a series.  I haven't really read much on Greek Mythology and this book gives you an urge to read up on it especially the story of Orpheus and Eurydice!

Monday 20 February 2012

In My Mailbox [6].

In My Mailbox’ is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.


The books I bought this week are:

Long Gone by Alafair Burke [Amazon UK]
Rosebush by Michele Jaffe [Amazon UK]
Everything and Nothing by Araminta Hall [Amazon UK]
Why Do We Have to Live With Men? by Bernadette Strachan [Amazon UK]
The Dragon Diaries #1: Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke [Amazon UK]
House of Comarré #1: Blood Rights by Kristen Painter [Amazon UK]
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater [Amazon UK]
Balled by Maggie Stiefvater [Amazon UK]

I will update this post with links to my reviews once they are posted.
I would love to know: what's in your mailbox this week?
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