Review: JUMP GIRL by Leigh Hutton

Bookish Details:
Series: The Go Girl Chronicles #2
Pages: 333 Paperback
Release Date: November 22nd 2014
Buy It From: Amazon - UK - AU - CA

Synopsis:

SHOW JUMPING IS AN EXTREME SPORT WITH A DRESS CODE, ONE THIS GIRL DOESN'T FOLLOW . . .

Imagine being dumped by your mother as a newborn and shifted between foster homes your entire childhood. Imagine being taken in and offered hope for your future by a kind, loving show jumping socialite.

Imagine falling in love with some of the most gorgeous horses in the world, and making a life in the thrilling and glamorous sport of international show jumping.

Now imagine it all being taken away.

Ebony Scott Harris is painfully close to making her dreams a reality when the only mother she has ever known mysteriously dies. She’s forced from their home to live with the gold-digging aunt, who takes her in only to ride the prized show jumpers she claims are now hers.

Teetering on the edge of a hopeless depression, Ebony is saved by the discovery of a forgotten horse nearly starved to death, and an unlikely partnership with a handsome stranger, whom she must learn to trust if she is to uncover the truth about her mother’s death and reclaim her home.

But with the evil aunt selling her best and beloved horse, a maniacal ex-coach out for revenge and more savage competitors than she can count, Ebony has a lot more at stake than proving the truth, saving her horses and jumping for gold at the World Equestrian Games . . .

The highly anticipated second book in The Go Girls Chronicles - stories of gutsy girls in action sports.

My Review:

Okay, so I’m torn here. On one hand, I want to discuss every aspect of this novel so I can gush about everything, but on the other hand, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone because I want you all to go and read this book. So I’m going to keep things as spoiler-free as possible for now.

During the four years I’ve been reviewing books, I’ve not once encountered a story based around show jumping. So, needless to say, I was intrigued and excited by getting to reading something completely new to me. And after reading Rev Girl, I had high hopes for another fantastic story.

What can I say about Ebony Scott Harris, our fabulous protagonist of Jump Girl? She’s pretty much everything you want in a lead character. She’s feisty, has attitude, she’s courageous, and she has a fierce passion for her horses. The emotion she showed throughout the story, especially during the high and lows of competing, was honest and believable. I adored every scene between Ebony and her horses. The love she had for them and the lengths she’d go to protect them was truly heart-warming. I felt the strong bond she had with her horse, Monster, and it gave me a new appreciation for the special relationship that forms between a horse and their rider.

The story also gave me an insight into a world I knew very little about. As with any sport, there are lies and manipulation around every corner. Some parts of this story truly broke my heart because it forces you to think about the similar situations that actually do occur in real life. But of course, there were also plenty of happy and light-hearted times. Ebony gets to meet some wonderful people and make such great friends. As competitive as the sport may be, it also proves that life-long bonds can, and often do, come from it also.

I loved having some of the characters from Rev Girl play a bigger part in this book, especially Dallas. I didn’t really warm to him in the first story, and I wasn’t bothered about what happened to him in the end. But this time around, he had wonderful character development and I got to see a whole different side of him.  Ebony was definitely a better match for him than Clover had been. I also adored Clover’s sister, Jazz, being added to this story. All of the new characters we get to meet are also brilliantly written, even the not-so-nice ones, like Annika.

What I expected in this story was drama and action, which I got plenty of, but what I didn’t expect was the mystery element. And it worked brilliantly. This really is one of those rare books that manage to scratch upon every genre: action, adventure, romance, drama, and even a thrilling mystery.

Just a fair warning to you all, you may not want to read this book whilst on public transport. One time, I very almost missed my stop because I got too hooked into the story. Then I had the misfortune of reading a certain scene towards the end whilst I was on an extremely busy train, and I had to stop reading so that I wouldn’t end up crying in public.  

Despite the lows that Ebony has faced throughout her life, her story is definitely one of hope. Fictional it may be, but there are real situations like hers, and more than anything, this book proves that you can make your own success with enough determination.

I could talk on for hours about everything I haven’t already spoken of, but like I said earlier, I’d rather not spoil anything! Instead, you should just make sure you add this book to your reading pile so you can discover Ebony’s story for yourself. This book will take you on an emotional roller-coaster. You’ll fall in love, you’ll have your heart ripped out, and then you’ll have it mended again. And stories like that stay with you for a long time.

I’d just like to say a special thanks to Leigh for once again giving me the fantastic opportunity to read and review her wonderful story, and thank you so much for mentioning me and my blog in the acknowledgements. It’s a pleasure to help share Jump Girl with the world!

Royal Rating:

You can read my interview with Leigh here, and check out my review of the first book in The Go Girls Chronicles, REV GIRL, here.

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Review: Kissed by Kimberly Loth

Bookish Details:
Series: The Thorn Chronicles #1

Pages: 250, Kindle Edition

Release Date: April 21st 2014

Source: Provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

Buy it From: Amazon UK - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Trapped in a dark cult, sixteen-year-old Naomi Aren has lived a quiet, albeit unhappy, life nestled deep in the hills of the Ozarks. With uncut hair, denim skirts, and only roses for friends, Naomi seldom questions why her life is different from other kids at school. Until the day her abusive father, who is also the cult’s leader, announces her wedding. Naomi must marry Dwayne Yerdin, a bully who reeks of sweat and manure and is the only one person who scares her worse than her father.

Then she meets Kai, the mysterious boy who brings her exotic new roses and stolen midnight kisses. Kisses that bring her a supernatural strength she never knew she had. As the big day approaches, Naomi unearths more secrets of about her father’s cult. She learns she has power of her own and while Kai may have awakened that power, Naomi must find a way to use it to escape Dwayne and her father—without destroying herself.

My Review:

Within the first few pages of this book, I was completely intrigued by Naomi and her story. Although it appeared her parents were some sort of religious fanatics, I knew there was so much more to it than that. I found the scenes with her father very disturbing and, at times, difficult to read. I desperately wanted her to find an escape from the nightmare she was living. It was quite confusing at first, and I didn’t really understand what was going on, or why her home life was the way it was, but it compelled me to continue reading and find out.

Kai was an interesting aspect of the first few chapters of the story. I figured that he was going to be a love interest, and I liked how he was helping Naomi, but I just didn’t know what to think of him. I also didn’t know whether or not to fully trust him, even when he was helping Naomi get to safety.

The story really took off for me when Naomi went to Vegas and met up with Ginny. I loved the setting and all of the exciting new characters that were introduced. It was entertaining to read Naomi entering this brand new world, and begin to experience ‘normal’ things that she’d never been able to do before, like going to a party or getting her hair done. 

I absolutely adored meeting Puck. I have to admit, I like Puck more than Kai. I didn’t expect to love him as much as I did! I found myself looking forward to the scenes he shared with Naomi. I wanted to know more about him than I did Kai. There is a certain little plot twist in the book that really got me excited, but I’m not going to say anything, of course. No spoilers here! But it really added to the story and made me think ‘oooooh this is going to cause some drama!’ I’m definitely looking forward to how this part of the story plays out in the next book.

I was really intrigued by the whole idea of Guardians and Destroyers, and the powers that they each have. It’s quite fascinating and I’m keen to read more about what they can do. However, I definitely don’t blame Naomi for being more than a little annoyed when she discovered how Guardians replenished their energy!

The final couple of chapters were thrilling to read. I was not expecting the story to take the turn that it did. I was reading it whilst traveling on a train at the time and I was just like this for the entire journey:

I’m really looking forward to finding out what happens next in the series. I’d love to see Naomi kick a little more ass in future, which I totally think she will. Also, I’m looking forward to finding out more about the characters. I want to know all about Alejandro, Puck, and the mysterious Kai, who I still can’t quite figure out. Bring on the second book!

Royal Rating:

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REV GIRL Blog Tour: Review and Q&A With Leigh Hutton

Hello, everyone! Today, I'm pleased to welcome Leigh Hutton to The Queen of Teen Fiction as part of her REV GIRL blog tour! Leigh recently took the time to answer a few questions. Enjoy!

Hi, Leigh! Can you tell us a little bit about your novel, REV GIRL?

Hi, Katie! Thanks so much for having me on your fabulous blog :) REV GIRL is about a young girl striving to become an international dirt bike racing star! It's the first book in The Go Girls Chronicles.

REV GIRL is inspired by your own experiences, but what made you decide to write the story?

I've always loved to write and had started REV GIRL as a short story many years ago, but it was very close to my own story and based mostly on my experiences in high school and around my best group of girlfriends. My Dad was the one who gave me the confidence to start writing a novel - it seemed like such a daunting task! The first draft was too close to my own life and VERY long! It was a lot of work and took a lot of help from great professional editors, but I had a lot of fun fictionalising the story and developing Clover and the other characters, as well as cutting and focusing to make the story as strong as possible.

Did you always know you were going to write the book for Young Adults?

When I started out, I didn't intend for the story to be for any specific age group . . . I was just having fun writing it, and writing a story I would want to read myself. I love YA - my favourite books have to be The Hunger Games Trilogy, Starfish Sisters, Ocean Pearl, Motocross Me, Thrill Seekers, REAP, and all of the Cinderella Series (I haven't read all of these yet, but they are in my to-read pile as I love the concept - girls in sports) just to name a few lol. I especially love connecting with and encouraging young girls to read and have had a huge response to my daily #realliferevgirl features at the REV GIRL Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/revgirlbook - I love doing these! I'm also a huge fan of women's fiction and authors including Nora Roberts, Jilly Cooper and Rachael Treasure, and I like to think my books bring a bit of their style to YA :)

REV GIRL is the first in The Go Girls Chronicles, how is the sequel coming along?

Really well! I'm very excited about my second novel, JUMP GIRL. It's set in the show jumping world and is about a foster girl named Ebony. JUMP GIRL is Cinderella meets Black Beauty meets contemporary romance and I really love it. JUMP GIRL will be ready to publish in early 2015 and I can not wait to release it!

What do you hope readers will take away from your story?

I hope readers are entertained and inspired by REV GIRL. I hope they enjoy the ride and can take some strength and confidence with them from Clover's struggles, as well as feel like they've gained some great new friends :)

Finally, could you give us a random fact about yourself?

Oh, this is hard one, Katie! Well . . . I broke my wrist when my horse stopped out at a fence when I was twelve and I broke my ankle falling off my dirt bike when I was eighteen. Hope those are random enough?! 

Big thanks to Leigh for her fabulous interview!

I've been lucky enough to have to the opportunity to read and review REV GIRL. Here are my thoughts!

Bookish Details:
Pages: 288, Paperback
Publisher: Leigh Hutton Books, distributed by Dennis Jones & Associates
Release Date: May 24th 2014
Source: Provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Buy it From: Amazon

Synopsis:
Inspired by a true story
It's hard to be the new girl, but it’s even harder being the new girl who races dirt bikes . . .

Ever since her parents forced her to move from Canada to Silvertown, Colorado, Clover Kassedy hasn’t fit in. So how do you deal when everyone hates you?

Focusing all her energy on racing her motorcycle did it for a while, but now that Clover’s managed to find a bestie and a boyfriend, the pressure on the sixteen-year-old is worse than ever.

She’s determined to get to the World Championships, where she could finally meet her idol – an Australian, the World Champion – and have a shot at becoming a professional dirt bike racer. But with her super- competitive dad, workaholic mother and relentless bullies at races and at high school, Clover is struggling to make her dreams a reality.

Will it be her scheming ex-best-friend who shatters her world? Or will she let her ‘perfect’ boyfriend – the guy who has finally made her feel like she belongs in their school and their town – stop her from becoming an international racing star?

My Review:

If you’re bored of the same subjects in YA novels and you’re craving something new and refreshing, this is the book you need to pick up next.

I was immediately intrigued by the idea of this story. How many YA novels are out there at the moment about girls who are dirt bike racers? And that’s exactly why I wanted to read it.

The story follows Clover as she fights to become a champion in dirt bike racing. We follow her struggles to get to the top whilst juggling school and a social life alongside her racing.

I really enjoyed Clover’s urge to give her life a makeover at the start of the book. I feel like this is relatable to a lot of young girls. Most of us went through a period in high school when we’ve just thought ‘right, I’m going to dress up and go to a party!’ and it makes her more realistic to the reader.

Clover was an awesome character from start to finish. She had guts and determination throughout, and even when things seemed like they’d never improve, she refused to give up. One of the things I loved most about her was that even when she was faced with the most difficult choices, she never seriously saw giving up her racing dream as an option.

I’m not going to lie, I really disliked Dallas. Throughout the story, he became more and more infuriating! If he’d have been a more open character, and I’d understood his story more, then maybe I’d have sympathized with him a little. But I really didn’t.

The other characters in this story were great. I really liked Kerry, and would have liked to have seen more of her. The two of them felt like a great friendship match, and I enjoyed seeing Clover finally find someone so like herself.

I also felt sympathy for Sera’s situation. Even though she acted bitchy, I could see why she was upset. Again, the relationship between Clover and Sera were a very realistic and relatable part of the story.

I need to talk about how awesome the racing scenes were. Seriously, it’s completely epic. I had never read a book that featured dirt bike racing before, so it was great to read something completely new to me, and it was exciting to get a taste of the sport. I could picture everything so clearly in my mind, and it had a very cinematic feel to it.

So really, this book has a lot of different aspects to appeal to everyone. If you like the dynamics of a high school setting, with wild party scenes and typical teenage fun, they’re all in this book. But if you prefer super-cool action scenes that get your heart racing, you can also find it here. The cover of the book says it all really; two very different worlds mixed together in one story. And it works fabulously.  

Royal Rating:

I'd like to thank Leigh for giving me the opportunity to read and review her wonderful story! Also, make sure you stop by Breezy Reads tomorrow for the final stop on the REV GIRL blog tour!

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Review - Five Corners: The Marked Ones by Cathi Shaw

Bookish Details:
Pages: 294
Publisher: Ink Smith Publishing
Release Date: January 30th 2014
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review
Buy it from: Amazon US - Amazon UK

Synopsis:

Growing up in a sleepy village untouched by distant wars and political conflicts, it was easy for Thia, Mina and Kiara to forget such horrors existed in the Five Corners. That is until the dead child is found; a child that bears the same strange birthmark that all three sisters possess. A Mark their mother had always told them was unique to the girls. Kiara's suspicions grow as their Inn is soon overrun with outsiders from all walks of life. Strangers, soldiers and Elders who all seem to know more about what is happening than the girls do. After Mina barely survives an attack in the forest, the sisters are faced with a shattering secret their mother has kept from them for years. As danger closes in around them, the sisters are forced from their home and must put their trust in the hands of strangers. With more questions than answers, Kiara finds herself separated from everyone she loves and reliant on an Outlander who has spent too much time in army. She doesn't trust Caedmon but she needs him if she has any hope of being reunited with her sisters and learning what the Mark might mean.

My Review:

There’s a wonderful mixture of action, adventure, mystery, and a hint of romance in this exciting first instalment of the Five Corners series.

For starters, I’m extremely thankful that Cathi had a page at the start of the book that included the proper pronunciation of the names and words included in the story. Without that page, I really would have struggled to pronounce half of them! If more authors had a page like that at the start, I’d be a very happy reader.

The Marked Ones follows the story of three sisters; Mina, Thia, and Kiara. They aren’t biological sisters, but they were raised together by their foster mother, Brijit. They’re all very different girls when it comes to looks and personality, but they all have something in common: the Mark.

The Mark appears on children in the Five Corners for no apparent reason, and children with the Mark have started to show up dead. Throughout the story, the three girls strive to learn more about the Mark and what it means, and also discover that they’re not as alone as they once thought.

The story begins when Weylon, an Outlander, and his two sons; Teague and Caedmon, show up at the Inn that Brijit runs with her daughters.  Kiara and Caedmon take an instant dislike to each other, whilst Teague and Thia are shocked to see that the other is real after seeing one another in their dreams.

The group are forced together after an attack leaves Mina in grave danger. With Teague and Caedmon also having the Mark, they are sent on a journey to Seremela, the home of the Elders, to be kept safe.

The unique qualities to each of the girls are part of what made the story so exciting to read. As we follow each of them, we’re getting a different story and a different personality, and it keeps us hooked from chapter to chapter.

I enjoyed the group being broken apart during their travels, it meant that we got to see each of the sisters in a different situation, and it also meant we got to see a little more of the Five Corners. I loved all of the characters, which is quite a rare thing! There’s usually one who I don’t enjoy reading about, or one who I prefer to the others, but in this story they are all as equally wonderful.

The relationship development between Kiara and Caedmon is beautifully done. They’re both just as stubborn as each other and it means that neither of them is willing to admit their true feelings, which is frustrating, but great to read. Towards the end of the story, I really wanted to bang their heads together!

I’m completely intrigued by Teague and Thia’s story. I hope we get to find out more about their previous dream meetings later on in the series. They have a lot of history together, and I want to read about it. I really liked the interactions between the two of them, and I found myself anticipating their scenes together.

Mina is a really sweet character, and I get the feeling she’ll be the calm amongst the storm in the future of the series. She seems to be the sister that is more likely to keep the peace and not lose her head in any tense situations. I was really happy with the reveal of Meldiron and I can’t wait to read more of what it means for Mina.

This is a tricky story to work out, and it’s difficult to figure out who the actual enemy is. I’m sure this is something we’ll learn further on in the series, but for now, it’s a case of not knowing who to trust. As readers, we’re put in the same sense of paranoia as the characters over who they can really rely on.

The ending was fast-paced and exciting to read. I hope that the next instalment in the series will show more of a reaction to the events that happened at the end of the story, because it all happened so fast!

Overall, this is a great start to what I think will be a fantastic series. I’m looking forward to reading what lies ahead for the characters, and what it really means to have the Mark. 

Royal Rating:

About Cathi:
Cathi Shaw lives in Summerland, BC with her husband and three children.  She is often found wandering around her home, muttering in a seemingly incoherent manner, particularly when her characters have embarked on new adventure. In addition to writing fiction, she teaches rhetoric and professional writing in the Department of Communications at Okanagan College and is the co-author of the textbook Writing Today.

Twitter: @CathiShaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMarkedOnesSeries
Tumblr: http://themarkedones.tumblr.com/

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Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Bookish Details:
Pages: 459 Paperback
Publisher: St Martin's Press - Pan Macmillan (UK)
Release Date: 10th September 2013 (US) 30th January 2014 (UK)

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Review:

It feels like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this book.

We all have that one book we can just relate to perfectly, right? The one that has words that seem like they came right from our own minds? Fangirl is that book for me. How do I even start to share my thoughts? I have so much love for this book that it’s hard to put into words. I’ll try my best to form something of an actual review, rather than just endless paragraphs of fangirling about Fangirl.

Fangirl follows fanfiction writer, Cath Avery, as she heads to the big wide world of college. For the first time, she has to cope with life without her twin, Wren, who has decided that they shouldn’t be roommates.

I absolutely adored Cath. She is such a wonderful character and I loved reading her story. I feel like she’ll be very relatable to a lot of readers out there, and she definitely connects with the target audience. The changes her and Wren face as they go college is so realistically written, and I loved seeing how their relationship was affected throughout the story.

The fanfiction side of this story was brilliant and definitely a unique selling point. I think actually being able to read the fanfiction that Cath was writing was awesome, and it created a small fantasy story within the story itself, which was great.

Cath’s growth throughout the story was written beautifully. I loved seeing her adjust to this new chapter and finally learning to let people into her life. This is a book very much about family and moving forward, it’s not just a typical YA romance story.

But whilst we’re on the subject of romance, I do have to mention my love for Levi. His constant smiling and general enthusiasm for life made him such an enjoyable character to read about. I found myself looking forward to the interaction between him and Cath. His acceptance of her personality and interests was sweet, and it certainly made me wish there were more guys like Levi out there in the world.

All of the other characters were wonderful in their own way. The story definitely is true to real life by showing the variety of different people you meet when you go to college, and how find yourself becoming friends with people you never in a million years thought that you would.

Fangirl is a fun yet extremely heartfelt story, and it’s one that will stay with me for a long time. If you haven’t yet picked up this book, then I really suggest you should. It’s honest and beautiful, and you will fall in love with it. 

Royal Rating:

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Review: Faking Faith by Josie Bloss

Bookish Details:
Pages: 231
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: Novermber 8th 2011

Synopsis:
Dylan Mahoney is living one big unholy lie.

Thanks to a humiliating and painfully public sexting incident, Dylan has become the social pariah at her suburban Chicago high school. She's ignored by everyone--when she's not being taunted--and estranged from her two best friends. So when Dylan discovers the blogs of homeschooled fundamentalist Christian girls, she's immediately drawn into their fascinating world of hope chests, chaperoned courtships, and wifely submission.

Blogging as Faith, her devout and wholesome alter ego, Dylan befriends Abigail, the online group's queen bee. After staying with Abigail and her family for a few days, Dylan begins to grow closer to Abigail (and her intriguingly complicated older brother). Soon, Dylan is forced to choose: keep living a lie . . . or come clean and face the consequences.

My Review:

I was drawn to Faking Faith from the moment I read the blurb. I thought it was such a unique idea for a story. I picked it up not really knowing what to expect from it and what I got was a beautiful, eye opening story with a range of amazing characters. 

Dylan has made a few mistakes, one of them being her ex-boyfriend, Blake. When her relationship with Blake turns sour, naked pictures of Dylan find their way onto the internet for everyone to see. What follows is the chaotic aftermath that comes with a scandal such as hers. Dylan falls out with her friends, argues with her family and ends up the laughing stock of the school. 

Since her social life is in tatters, she starts spending all of her spare time at home. Whilst browsing the web, she starts reading the blogs of girls in highly religious families. Fascinated by their completely different lifestyle to her own, Dylan creates a fake blog under the name Faith. Writing as Faith, she creates a whole different life for herself online and gains the trust of hugely popular blogger, Abigail Dean. 

As their friendship grows through the exchanging of regular emails, Dylan decides to stay with Abigail and her family over the summer. Pretending to be Faith, Dylan heads to the farm of the Dean family, where she learns just how different their lives really are. 

I fell in love with this book, I really did. I’d never read anything like it before and it’s so difficult to find a story that is unique and different from the same old clichés. Dylan was a truly brilliant character. She was far from perfect and made many mistakes, but she learnt how to overcome and grow from them. She was a strong personality and I like the humour in her narration of the story. 

The other characters in this book were just as great. I loved the look we got into Abigail’s lifestyle. I was fascinated and shocked by what was expected of her because although she is a fictional character, there are a lot of girls who live just like Abigail. I also loved Abigail’s brother, Asher. His character development throughout the story shows the courage and strength he needed to break away from a life he no longer wanted. 

This is a thoroughly entertaining story that will keep you fascinated until the very end. It’s also heart-warming to read, with a focus on family, friendships and forgiveness. I’d highly recommend this to everyone, even if you don’t usually read contemporary stories, you won’t regret it!

Royal Rating:

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Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Bookish Details:
Series: Vampire Academy Book #3
Pages: 443
Publisher: Razorbill

Synopsis: 

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.


My Review:

I really enjoyed the first to books in the Vampire Academy series, but this one definitely stepped up the game. Just when more action and drama needed injecting into the series, this book delivered all that and more.

In Shadow Kiss, we see Rose learning to cope with the events at the end of Frostbite. Not only is she still grieving, but she’s also dealing with something that is completely new to her: seeing ghosts. As Rose starts to learn more about what it might mean for her to be Shadow Kissed, she begins to worry about where it might land her in the future.

Of course, her friendship with Lissa is once again on of the main focuses in this book, as it is with the series on a whole. I like how Mead is finally testing their friendship in a way we haven’t seen before at the end of the story.

I loved the progression of Rose’s relationship with Dimitri in this story. We get to see them out in situations that they haven’t faced before and I liked seeing how Rose dealt with it. I also like the developing friendship between Rose and Christian. This is something that I was suspecting would happen from the start and I enjoyed reading them finally start to become friends.

I try to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible, so I’m not going to talk about what happens at the end, but prepare for one of the most amazing twists that I honestly didn’t see coming. Normally, I am quite good at predicting future plots, but this one is quite the shocker.

Make sure that you already own the fourth book before you start reading this one because, believe me, you’re going to want to read on straight away. I am definitely excited to see how the rest of the series develops from here. 

Royal Rating:

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Review: United We Spy by Ally Carter

Bookish Details:
Series: Gallagher Girls Book #6
Pages: 303 (Paperback)
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: September 5th 2013
Source: Copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
Buy It From: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:
 Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

My Review:

And here we are. After five awesome books, countless amazing scenes, several badass teen spies and just a few unforgettable romances, we are at the sixth and final book in the emotional rollercoaster that is the Gallagher Girls series. 

United We Spy picks up near the start of the Cammie’s final semester at the Gallagher academy. But of course, it’s not simply a case of being able to have a normal semester, because the Circle of Cavan is still up to no good.

The story follows Cammie, Zach and the girls as they make the hard decision to go on alone in the mission to stop Catherine, Zach’s mother, from continuing her own mission of killing the former Circle leaders.

Cammie and the gang end up in some of their toughest situations yet and I was on edge a lot of the time, knowing that things could (and probably would) go wrong at any minute. I literally spent the other night telling myself that I’d go to sleep at the end of that chapter, and then I found myself staring at the clock at 2am, wondering where the time went.

I cannot express how much I love the characters in this series. I am going to miss all of them. Cammie and Zach are definitely one of the best couples in a book series I have read, because they’re so different to the other young adult couples! Nothing in their lives are certain and they know that the lives they have are dangerous, meaning that when they say goodbye to each other, they don’t know whether it’s for a day, week or even a lifetime. There are some moments between the two of them that make you want to bury your face in a pillow and squeal for a bit before you carry on reading.

I could talk about this book all day, but that would lead to spoilers, and I’m not going to spoil a thing for you. I always find it pretty hard to keep a review of a final book in a series spoiler free.

So what else can I tell you without spoiling you? There is plenty of that awesome, kickass action that the Gallagher Girls never fail to bring. Each girl has her own battle to deal with throughout the story but they are there for each other, as always. I am really going to miss the awesome foursome that is Cammie, Bex, Macey and Liz.  

As such a huge fan of this series, I cannot even begin to describe my love for this final book. Carter has closed the series in such a perfect way and even though I’m sad there’ll be no more books to look forward to, I’m left completely satisfied with the ending.

Thank you Ally Carter for your fabulous series! 

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Movie Talk: City of Bones

Okay, so I have been a huge fan of The Mortal Instruments for quite a few years now and I, like other fans, have waited a long, long time for this movie. After the casting was completed, I had such high expectations for the movie because of how perfect the cast was. Then after seeing all of the trailer, I was even more excited because the were edited so beautifully. Then, the night before the film was released, the critics reviews started being released. And boy were they harsh. But I never let a critic put me off, so on opening day I got all runed up and headed to the cinema. 

Right, I am an honest blogger. I’m not going to defend everything single thing about something I love, just because I love it. Like The Hunger Games, I’m a huge fan, but could admit when the movie made some mistakes. So I’m not going to say that EVERYTHING about the film was out of this world.

However, the first thing I must say is that I will not hear a bad word about our cast. Every single cast member was absolutely fantastic and I cannot fault any of them. I have to say, Jared Harris really surprised me as Hodge! He was so amazing, especially at the end!

What I will say is that I didn’t like how they went about the whole brother and sister thing. I understand why they made those changes, but it was a bit anticlimactic to have Hodge tell Valentine to lie to them about being related. I also wasn’t sure about the last half an hour in general. There are so many changes with Valentine, the cup and the ending in general. I’m also worried for how these changes are going to affect City of Ashes. It went quite quickly and things seemed a bit unclear. It makes me wonder how well non-readers will cope understanding the plot.

I also think that Magnus’s party was far too cut down. To me and a lot of fans, that chapter about his party is one of the key moments in the book and I just felt like it was very rushed in the film. I do, however, ADORE the fact that they showed Magnus healing Alec. I’ve also heard quite a few negative reviews about Godfrey and I’m really confused by that because I thought he was perfect, his acting as well as his looks. What I didn’t like was the voice dubbing. Who on earth made this decision?? Godfrey speaks clear English and I really hope we get an explanation as to why they felt this was necessary.

Kevin and Jemima – I just have too much love for both of them. They owned the screen as Alec and Izzy. They were exactly how I imagined the characters and Alec’s jealousy is so well done. His sassy lines to Clary were one of the highlights for me. Oh and Aidan. Aidan Turner, just marry me already. He was a great choice for Luke. Lena and Jonathan, once again, I cannot express how great they were.

Of course, I have to also express my love for Jamie and Lily. Jamie, Oh My God. I’ve supported him as Jace from the moment he was rumoured to be getting the part and he did not disappoint me. HE IS JACE. Lily and he are fantastic. The greenhouse scene was something I was torn on though. It was a great scene, but I don’t think they should have played Heart by Heart during it. It should have been one of the gorgeous and epic pieces from our wonderful composer, because his music was perfect and it would have been better for the atmosphere. The aftermath of the kiss though, when Simon finds them? I LOVED IT.

Okay, so do you have a week or 30 to talk about how much I love Robert Sheehan as Simon? I don’t even have words to describe how perfect he is. He captures Simon’s humor PERFECTLY. The funny tension between him and Jace is fabulous!

The humor is another thing that I’m extremely pleased with. They kept so many of Cassie’s classic dialogue in the book and there were so many hilarious moments. I don’t know why, but Simon drawing horns and a mustache on Clary’s drawing of Jace cracked me up for ages. I was actually crying with laughter over that tiny part.

Let’s talk about Valentine’s henchmen. Now, I was expecting them to be evil and scary, but making them quite funny was a brilliant move. The fact that they were losers was hilarious.

Other pointers I liked: EFFECTS WERE AMAZING. Also, the Pandemonium scene was actual perfection. The Hotel Dumort scene was also perfect.

Other points I wasn’t happy about: Lack of backstory between Valentine and Luke. This was one thing that I really thing the film needed to show. Also, Jocelyn being hidden at the institute, whaaaat?

So, overall I really REALLY loved the first half of this film. I do think that things went a bit wild during the last half though. However the characters are exactly as they should be and I’m extremely pleased with our amazing cast. We are so incredibly lucky to have had a film adaptation of our favorite series, so keep that in mind if you don’t like any of the changes in the film. I think critics have been very harsh on the film, because as a whole, it was what I hoped for and was a great film that was well worth the wait. 

Have you seen the film? What were your thoughts? Let me know!

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Review: Anatomy of a Single Girl

Bookish Details:
Pages: 227
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 8th January 2013
Source: Book provided for review by author
Buy it From: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:
With Judy Blume-like honesty and insight, this sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend is about life after first love--romance, sex, friendship, family, and the ups and downs of life as a single girl.

After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one.

The moment we got together, all my preconceptions about romance and sex were turned upside down. I discovered physical and emotional firsts I never knew existed. I learned to let go of my past by living in the present. It was thrilling. It was hot. It was just what the doctor ordered.
But I couldn’t avoid my future forever.

In Daria Snadowsky’s daring follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Dominique explores the relationship between love and lust, and the friendships that see us through.

My Review:

After liking Anatomy of Boyfriend, I was so excited to get the chance to review the sequel. With that being said, it is pretty easy to read the sequel if you haven’t already read the first book!

The story follows Dominique during summer, after completing her first year of college. This is when she meets Guy. At first, she has a relationship on her mind, but Guy doesn’t want that. In his mind, the time then spend together has an expiry date at the end of summer. Dom wanted commitment, but after a bit thinking, she decides to take the chance of a no-strings-attached relationship, hoping it’ll help her to finally get over her ex-boyfriend.

First thing I love about Dom – she is the most relatable character to read about. Her situations, what she feels, it’s all so realistic! I love that about this story, so many girls of that age range will be able to relate to it in some way or another.

I also adore her friendship with Amy. I love that it’s tested in this book, like every friendship. But, of course, they come out stronger. Their friendship is one of the things I loved most throughout the story.

One of the main themes in this book though, is her relationship with Guy. I loved Guy. I think every girl needs a guy like Guy! It was great to see Dom finally take charge of her body and figure things out. The book realistically captures how sex isn’t something that’s perfect from the start. It’s different for everyone and finding what’s right for you can be frustrating!

There are plenty of laughs along the way, and some sweet moments too. Dom’s narration of the story is fantastic and I love how much she develops throughout the story. You feel so proud of her in the last few chapters!

I loved the ending of this story and I found the last few pages to be quite empowering. If you want Hollywood-style endings, you’re not going to find it here. But what you will get is a story with amazing characters that you won’t forget and a relatable plot that you can love and learn from. 

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Review: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Bookish Details:
Series: Flappers #1
Pages: 386 (Paperback)
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: 10th December 2010 (UK) 1st March 2012 (UK)
Source: Sent for review from publisher
Buy it From: Amazon US - Amazon UK

Synopsis:
Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

 Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

 Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

 Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

 From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

My Review:

You have no idea how much this book made me want to build a time machine, go back to the 1920s, and be a flapper girl.

I’ll start by saying what a refreshing change this book made. I’m so used to being surrounded by fantasy and paranormal books; it was great to read something completely different! I’m a great lover of historical fiction and I hope that this series encourages more historical YA authors to get their stories out there!

Vixen is set during the time of the roaring 20s in Chicago and follows the stories of three young girls’ right at the centre of the Flapper era. Gloria and her best friend, Lorraine, are high society rich girls who aspire to be part of the flapper world rather than the worlds of dinner parties and gossip columns that they’re already a part of. Gloria’s cousin Clara is a girl with a hidden past who comes to Chicago faking innocence and pretending to know nothing of the world of flappers and speakeasies.

Gloria is engaged to be married to one of the most wanted men in Chicago, Sebastian Grey, but she wants her chance to experience some final freedom before she starts her new life as a bride. So Gloria and her friend Marcus end up making their way inside the Green Mill, the biggest speakeasy in Chicago.

That is when she first claps eyes on musician, Jerome Johnson. Desperate to catch his attention and fit in with the flappers around her, Gloria starts to transform herself, much to the annoyance of her fiancé and her mother, and also to the surprise of Lorraine.

The story follows each girl in third person, which makes getting to know the characters a lot easier. You are able to empathise more with each of the girls, even when one of them makes mistakes, because you know and understand their reasoning behind it. Each character is realistic and relatable.

I have to say, out of all of the fabulous characters in this book, I loved Clara the most. I was rooting for her from the start and I adored her relationship with Marcus (who is another amazing character.) I think that all good stories need a character like Marcus, the loyal and funny guy friend.

I love Jillian’s style of writing. Her descriptions of the settings are perfect, I felt as if I was sitting at the bar in the Green Mill. The story really draws you in to the flapper lifestyle.

There were some pretty amazing plot twists at the end! There are some real tense moments were you have no idea which direction the story will go in those last few chapters. The epilogue made for a brilliant cliff-hanger. I’m really excited to start reading the next book in the series!

*I’ll be reviewing the other books in this series soon.*

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