Title: A Shimmer of Angels
Author: Lisa M. Basso
Release Date: 29th January 2013
Publisher: Month9Books
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?
Detailed Review: When I finished reading this book, my first thoughts were 'Wow, this is just totally amazing.' This book has such a relaxing feeling to it that I feel like I'm out in the park once again, breathing in some fresh air. In other words, this book is original.
Nowadays, among mythology, many authors choose angels, or Nephillim, so it's getting quite suffocating with all these angel stuff in your head.
But to be honest, I didn't feel like that when I read this book.
This book is about a girl called Rayna, who because of her ability to see angels, was considered insane enough to be entered into a rehabilitation center. Nobody knows this but her sister and father, not even her best friend Lee. Her mother died in an accident a few years back.
Angels, Rayna was told didn't exist, and she suffered a sickness called schizophrenia, where the 'hallucinations' happened to convinced the patient that the people they loved, who had died was in heaven. Or rather there was such place called heaven.
But she wants to start once again. She wants a new life, untainted by angel sightings. She's still in remission but at least she was free from daily therapies. She managed to convince her family that she's changed. That is, until she saw the blonde-haired angel, who also goes to her school, with gleaming white wings that reflect the sun and feel soft underneath her touch. His name is Cam, or Camael.
That's when she starts to lose her sanity all over again, and to keep it in check, she writes everything in a notebook.
Add another angel with black wings, who feasts on human souls when he's hungry, and she just might as well die. His name is Kade, or Kassade. He's like the bad guy, BUT not quite. The real baddie hasn't shown up. Yet.
But something else is happening. The first thing:
She finds Alison Woodward, a fellow classmate in Art in a bathroom, with her blood pooling on the floor.
You know what happened before that? Alison had drawn an ANGEL without a face but with black wings, with a blue background.
And if you're wondering, no it's not Kade.
It's Azriel, one of Lucifer's worshippers. Lucifer is the king of the Underworld. I'm sure you should know that by now if you read the Bible.
But what he wants are not the students that die under his grip, including Lee, but Rayna herself. She is a weapon to both heaven and hell, armed with the ability to see and locate angels, something that she herself won't even accept. Angels like Cam, the good guys actually can't see the Fallen Ones like Kade or Azriel since they weren't able to see each other's wings. That purpose is to avoid slaughter between both parties when they meet on Earth.
Torn between the one that is good and the one that is bad, her confused feelings are muddled as she finds herself attracted to the angels that she has learnt to take from granted when they are actually real.
I just think that previous paragraph is really what makes the book good. The unrequited love between Cam and Rayna, and between Kade and Rayna is what will draw our attentions the most, along with the mystery of the deaths of the students in the story.
Brief Review: Just amazing. Best Angel book I've ever read. I'd give anythig to read the sequel! This book has brought me to another level of understanding of angels. This book has absolutely shown how much effort the author has put into it. Armed with its own originality and freedom, this book has completely charmed my heart.
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'
Your Reviewer:
Special Thanks to:
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
TGIF - Feature & Follow Friday #129
FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?
This is a pretty hard question. Hmm... I don't really - it all depends on the culture and what type of book everyone is interested in... so I guess the book that I chose is... The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! I don't know why but it's a book that I would love to share to the world!
If you haven't read it, you should - it's one of most fav books!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:
Title: Level 2
Author: Lenore Appelhans
Release Date: 15th January 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.
Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.
Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.
Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.
Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.
Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.
Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.
Ahhh! I totally want to read this right now. Afterlife is so seldom used in YA books nowadays that this is just a breath of fresh air. The cover! Must have it!
Never ignore good books such as this. My advice.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Season's Readings - Christmas
Season's Readings is a seasonly event held by us, which highlights the top 10 books that are must-reads for special festivals! This season's readings are starters for Christmas!
So here you are...
HERE THEY ARE...
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
Winter Town by Stephen Emond
Kissing Snowflakes by Abby Sher
The 13th Day of Christmas by Jason F.Wright
Snow In Love by Claire Ray
Secret Santa by Sabrina James
Ex-mas by Kate Brian
Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne
Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories by Hailey Abbott, Melissa De La Cruz, Aimee Friedman and Nina Malkin
~ The End ~
Merry Christmas!
Review: The Mist on Brontë Moor by Aviva Orr
Title: The Mist on Brontë Moor
Author: Aviva Orr
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
Release Date: January 8th 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: When fifteen-year-old Heather Jane Bell is diagnosed with alopecia and her hair starts falling out in clumps, she wants nothing more than to escape her home in London and disappear off the face of the earth.
Heather gets her wish when her concerned parents send her to stay with her great-aunt in West Yorkshire. But shortly after she arrives, she becomes lost on the moors and is swept through the mist back to the year 1833. There she encounters fifteen-year-old Emily Brontë and is given refuge in the Brontë Parsonage.
Unaware of her host family’s genius and future fame, Heather struggles to cope with alopecia amongst strangers in a world completely foreign to her. While Heather finds comfort and strength in her growing friendship with Emily and in the embrace of the close-knit Brontë family, her emotions are stretched to the limit when she falls for Emily’s brilliant but troubled brother, Branwell.
Will Heather return to the comforts and conveniences of the twenty-first century? Or will she choose love and remain in the harsh world of nineteenth-century Haworth?
Detailed Review:
<< ARC copy provided by the author herself >>
From the start I knew it was going to good after reading the summary of the book, The Mist on Brontë Moor. It starts off with a girl called Heather Bell - like the summary above - she has alopecia which is a condition where your hair falls out in clumps. In Heather's condition, she's a high school girl who has never told anyone about this (except her mum, dad and her bestfriend, Simon (of course)) so it's a trouble when the start of the story begins with a clump of hair.
'I lowered my head and pretended to read, pushing my long hair back with my hands. As I did, I felt a cluster of hair come away from my head, like tender meat falling off a perfectly cooked roast.
No. Please no. Not now. Not now.
I jerked my hand forward. Sure enough, a clump of dark curls lay in my right palm. I froze. It was like the clump I’d found on my pillow two days earlier.'
The story's persona is interesting and mysterious - starting with the hair and leading up to more mysteries that conclude the arrival in West Yorkshire. Aviva Orr (the author) has written such a smooth, casual story that easily brings its reader face to face with her plot and characters.
Heather is a character that has grown the most throughout the entire storyline where she searches the mystery of herself and what the 'mist' on Brontë moor really means?
HEATHER; a girl with a condition of falling hair and yet, a mystery is left to be revealed. Her newfound home at the Brontë country leaves her on the run for the search of a 'mist', where she reveals her true purpose of seeing what she sees - yet, can she figure it out soon before disaster strikes?!?
BRANWELL; also a brother of the Brontë family - he was a boy who was talented and yet he destroyed himself with an addiction to laudanum and alcohol at an early age yet who is he really? To his sisters? To Heather? Is he all he really is?
SIMON; a boy who's been friends with Heather, known for his boyish good looks and being captain of the football team - he's the one who sees Heather for she really is though he's got a bit annoying in a way.
EMILY; she's adorable and trustworthy - she's one of the sisters of Brontë. A girl who's met Heather from the start of the book, she's a girl with a liveliness to her young age and a friend. Trust Emily to help you on a job to find Heather's purpose and sight of the 'mist'.
I really liked all the characters that I've picked. I would have continued picking the other characters from the Brontë family but that would get boring, wouldn't it? But anyway, Heather's starting to fall for Branwell and the family that's starting to becoming like a home.
Will she stay with the one she's starting to love or can that 'love' break everyone in the Brontë family?
Will Heather finally figure out this mystery she's wrapped in or be swallowed by it?
Orr (the author's)'s detailed story will give you an imagery of the world of the Brontë family, told from Heather (the main protagonist)'s side - she gives us a new upcoming world of history and a mystery worth reading about!
I highly recommend this book for reader's who love a mystery with a bit of history here and there - you can never go wrong! Sounds like cooking, I have to say...
When I finished the end of the book, I was like 'What? That's it?!?' The ending of the book didn't really conclude the whole story as it ended with something of a cliffhanger. Did I ever mention that I hated cliffhangers?
Well, it ended like one but still, if a second book comes out - I am definitely going to read it!
Brief Review: The Mist on Brontë Moor was a detailed and mysterious story. From the start till the end, I was still transfixed on the 'mist' and the wonders of how it came about! Aviva Orr has written a prime, ingenious story that lives up to it's title with a touch of history and love - nothing can go wrong!
My Rating: 5/5 "Totally Amazing!"
Your Reviewer:
Author: Aviva Orr
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
Release Date: January 8th 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: When fifteen-year-old Heather Jane Bell is diagnosed with alopecia and her hair starts falling out in clumps, she wants nothing more than to escape her home in London and disappear off the face of the earth.
Heather gets her wish when her concerned parents send her to stay with her great-aunt in West Yorkshire. But shortly after she arrives, she becomes lost on the moors and is swept through the mist back to the year 1833. There she encounters fifteen-year-old Emily Brontë and is given refuge in the Brontë Parsonage.
Unaware of her host family’s genius and future fame, Heather struggles to cope with alopecia amongst strangers in a world completely foreign to her. While Heather finds comfort and strength in her growing friendship with Emily and in the embrace of the close-knit Brontë family, her emotions are stretched to the limit when she falls for Emily’s brilliant but troubled brother, Branwell.
Will Heather return to the comforts and conveniences of the twenty-first century? Or will she choose love and remain in the harsh world of nineteenth-century Haworth?
Detailed Review:
<< ARC copy provided by the author herself >>
From the start I knew it was going to good after reading the summary of the book, The Mist on Brontë Moor. It starts off with a girl called Heather Bell - like the summary above - she has alopecia which is a condition where your hair falls out in clumps. In Heather's condition, she's a high school girl who has never told anyone about this (except her mum, dad and her bestfriend, Simon (of course)) so it's a trouble when the start of the story begins with a clump of hair.
'I lowered my head and pretended to read, pushing my long hair back with my hands. As I did, I felt a cluster of hair come away from my head, like tender meat falling off a perfectly cooked roast.
No. Please no. Not now. Not now.
I jerked my hand forward. Sure enough, a clump of dark curls lay in my right palm. I froze. It was like the clump I’d found on my pillow two days earlier.'
See what I mean?
The story's persona is interesting and mysterious - starting with the hair and leading up to more mysteries that conclude the arrival in West Yorkshire. Aviva Orr (the author) has written such a smooth, casual story that easily brings its reader face to face with her plot and characters.
Heather is a character that has grown the most throughout the entire storyline where she searches the mystery of herself and what the 'mist' on Brontë moor really means?
HEATHER; a girl with a condition of falling hair and yet, a mystery is left to be revealed. Her newfound home at the Brontë country leaves her on the run for the search of a 'mist', where she reveals her true purpose of seeing what she sees - yet, can she figure it out soon before disaster strikes?!?
BRANWELL; also a brother of the Brontë family - he was a boy who was talented and yet he destroyed himself with an addiction to laudanum and alcohol at an early age yet who is he really? To his sisters? To Heather? Is he all he really is?
SIMON; a boy who's been friends with Heather, known for his boyish good looks and being captain of the football team - he's the one who sees Heather for she really is though he's got a bit annoying in a way.
EMILY; she's adorable and trustworthy - she's one of the sisters of Brontë. A girl who's met Heather from the start of the book, she's a girl with a liveliness to her young age and a friend. Trust Emily to help you on a job to find Heather's purpose and sight of the 'mist'.
I really liked all the characters that I've picked. I would have continued picking the other characters from the Brontë family but that would get boring, wouldn't it? But anyway, Heather's starting to fall for Branwell and the family that's starting to becoming like a home.
Will she stay with the one she's starting to love or can that 'love' break everyone in the Brontë family?
Will Heather finally figure out this mystery she's wrapped in or be swallowed by it?
Orr (the author's)'s detailed story will give you an imagery of the world of the Brontë family, told from Heather (the main protagonist)'s side - she gives us a new upcoming world of history and a mystery worth reading about!
'I’d experienced his moods before and seen his morbid drawings, but they hadn’t really mattered to
me. He had charm, talent, and genius. I was drawn to him. He’d been strong when I was at my weakest. He’d made me feel beautiful even when I’d despised myself. He’d made me feel safe.'
It's weird that Branwell is someone who's actually really talented and yet he had to take alcohol which practically destroys his life! But in the end, Heather had to leave Branwell to come back to her real home in her real time.
I highly recommend this book for reader's who love a mystery with a bit of history here and there - you can never go wrong! Sounds like cooking, I have to say...
When I finished the end of the book, I was like 'What? That's it?!?' The ending of the book didn't really conclude the whole story as it ended with something of a cliffhanger. Did I ever mention that I hated cliffhangers?
Well, it ended like one but still, if a second book comes out - I am definitely going to read it!
Brief Review: The Mist on Brontë Moor was a detailed and mysterious story. From the start till the end, I was still transfixed on the 'mist' and the wonders of how it came about! Aviva Orr has written a prime, ingenious story that lives up to it's title with a touch of history and love - nothing can go wrong!
My Rating: 5/5 "Totally Amazing!"
Your Reviewer:
Thursday, December 20, 2012
TGIF - Feature & Follow Friday #128
FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before the about the publishing industry?
Seriously? Well, not to say that I haven't learned anything but to say that I have learned something but not about the publishing industry. There really wasn't anything that I learned about EXCEPT -
I didn't know about galleys and ARCs! For time being and before, I was like 'How did these people get these books when it's not even out yet?!?' Until the day dawned and I realized galleys. Grrr... But now I've learned this - it's been great :)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:
Author: Debra Driza
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: 12th March 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.
Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.
Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.
Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.
I totally love the cover for this book! It actually relates to the story and is eye-catching. The story is impeccable as well. I love the Bourne Identity (has anybody watched the movies? The old versions - because the newer one is well, not that great I have to say) but if this book can suit up with the Bourne Legacy that would really be awesome and exciting to the core!
I would do anything to read this book right now!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Review: Order Of The Dimensions by Irene Helenowski
Title: Order Of The Dimensions
Author: Irene Helenowski
Publisher: Lulu.com (self published)
Release Date: September 14th 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads, Lulu
Quick Review: When Jane Kremowski first began her graduate studies in physics at Madison State University in Wisconsin, little did she know where her work would take her. Now, she is embroiled in a multitude of dimensions all leading to different outcomes. She and her colleagues therefore must act wisely in order to take and keep away the Order of Dimension from falling into the wrong hands for the sake of her loved ones.
Detailed Review: Order of The Dimensions is a story about a girl called Jane Kremowski (can you see the similarities between the author's surname?) - she's a graduate for physics as well as an fly-by girl which connects the feelings of others to her.
Apparently Jane is working on a project and a device called 'Multiverser'. It's a device that allows another person or 'being' to enter/visit other alternate universes/dimensions. Impossible right? Well, Jane is working on that is similar like teleportation.
I thought it was really interesting to see how this character 'Jane' would make this device. Well, first off - it's IMPOSSIBLE. Second off - it's HARD. Third off - it's going to ALL her lunch breaks - not that she has to or anything (muttering here). One thing unique about the 'Multiverser':
Brief Review: Helenowski's writing is unique, simple and easy-going which helps the reader to progress in the story. Order of The Dimensions is quite liked though at some parts it didn't strike me but it can be better!
My Rating: 3/5 "Quite Liked"
Author: Irene Helenowski
Publisher: Lulu.com (self published)
Release Date: September 14th 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads, Lulu
Quick Review: When Jane Kremowski first began her graduate studies in physics at Madison State University in Wisconsin, little did she know where her work would take her. Now, she is embroiled in a multitude of dimensions all leading to different outcomes. She and her colleagues therefore must act wisely in order to take and keep away the Order of Dimension from falling into the wrong hands for the sake of her loved ones.
Detailed Review: Order of The Dimensions is a story about a girl called Jane Kremowski (can you see the similarities between the author's surname?) - she's a graduate for physics as well as an fly-by girl which connects the feelings of others to her.
Apparently Jane is working on a project and a device called 'Multiverser'. It's a device that allows another person or 'being' to enter/visit other alternate universes/dimensions. Impossible right? Well, Jane is working on that is similar like teleportation.
I thought it was really interesting to see how this character 'Jane' would make this device. Well, first off - it's IMPOSSIBLE. Second off - it's HARD. Third off - it's going to ALL her lunch breaks - not that she has to or anything (muttering here). One thing unique about the 'Multiverser':
- when you visit a dimension, you get to see yourself. But somehow when you 'see' yourself - you may be like her, you may think like her and other times you're not like her
You see what I'm getting here? In alternate universes, some of the people who look like you is actually you but her life is told by many other versions of herself. Interesting right? Wait till you read more of it!
There's another character called Anton Zelov. When I read the first chapter, he was assigned as Dr. Zelov (anyone noticed that? I'm pretty sure you have) - he's an ex-KGB agent that seeks to use the 'Multiverser' to create a world in which he rules it meaning Earth but a new type of world.
The creepy part is...
He's OBSESSED with Jane.
In the new dimension he's going to create, Jane is going to be his wife!
JANE; lively and typically a fighter, Jane was a character that fought for a passage back home - to where her heart is - her children, her husband/the love of her life, Randy and the start of the project 'Multiverser' where she will finally see if her heart is ready.
ANTON; He's docile, conniving and thrives on winning Jane's heart - he's definitely intelligent as he searches through ways to torturing and destroying other people's lives. But can he really make Jane fall in love with him, even if she would rather die?
Helenowski has written a one-of-a-kind story where it involves the future of technology. She's written each of the dimensions quite detailed including the stories of her everyday life - though these parts may slow the story or the 'exciting' parts, they (the dimensions) each serve a story of experience from each character has gone into.
Each character is unique in their own way, serving as an altitude towards other characters - linking them in a huge chain of events where the present, past and future are simply and always the same.
Brief Review: Helenowski's writing is unique, simple and easy-going which helps the reader to progress in the story. Order of The Dimensions is quite liked though at some parts it didn't strike me but it can be better!
My Rating: 3/5 "Quite Liked"
Reviewer:
Friday, December 14, 2012
Review: Little Dead Man by Jake Bible
Title: Little Dead Man
Author: Jake Bible
Publisher: Samannah Media
Release Date: 8th November 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: Garret Weir has just turned seventeen. For any normal teen this would be quite the milestone. But for Garret it’s even more amazing he’s made it to this age, because in Garret’s life the human population of the Earth is gone, changed and turned into flesh hungry zombies, or “necs”, as he calls them. In the world he was born into, except for his parents that have kept him safe in a small compound hidden in the mountains of southern Oregon, Garret has never known another living soul. However, he is not the only seventeen year old in the family. Just the only one living. For Garret is alive and breathing and his twin, Garth, is undead, has been since birth, leaving him the size of an infant and attached to Garret’s spine. And he won’t leave his brother in peace.
Set decades after the zombie apocalypse, Little Dead Man tells the story of conjoined twins Garret and Garth Weir. A fast-paced, high-action tale that doesn’t pull any punches as Garret, with Garth always attached, must struggle with a mother that is mentally unstable, a missing father that has kept too many secrets and the fact that the world he had always been told was completely dead, actually has well-developed human survivor pockets. And not all of those are friendly. Not even close.
Detailed Review: Don't turn away from reading this review after you've seen the cover. Never ever judge a book by it's cover, haven't you guys heard it before? Though I've done it a couple of times I almost never do that. Unlike my fellow blogger Chloe. It's true! Ask her yourself!
Ok enough of joking. What makes me think this book is so awesome and brilliant. First the action and suspense, it keeps you wanting more. It leaves you with an urge to turn to the next page.
Second, the story. It's completely original. I mean, take a look at the cover as well. I dare you stare at it without flinching for ten seconds. It's so original that it looks scary. Get what I mean? And to be honest, this is my first zombie book. I've engaged in werewolves, angels, vampires and many others but not zombies. But after reading this, I get this feeling for more. It's just amazing what a book can do to you.
The last reason is that Garrett Weir and Garth have the coolest parents ever! His father is actually a mad scientist who unleashed the virus that destroyed the world and his mother is incredible when it comes to killing necros. She managed to kill one big nec even when she was hurt. That's totally kick-ass!
In an insane world, Garrett has to face challenges and survive with things he learns from books that he has read for many years. But sometimes books can't help and you have to rely on your survival instincts.
I thought the book was good not just because of the action but how the author has thought to include the love of a family in it. In the end when Garrett's mother became a nec, they still protect each other. I know it sounds impossible but it is really true. His mother doesn't even try to eat him. And don't forget Garth too! He's actually quite adorable.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...
But besides that, you'll have to read for yourself. I always say that to other people when they want to know more. So I'll say this to you too.
*Warning: Lots of gore and blood in it. Not that I'm discouraging you from reading it. I think you should still read it.
Brief Review: My first zombie book and it already has a huge impact on me. Jake Bible couldn't have written it more detailed or action-packed than any other author. This book is certainly on my 'awesome book' list!
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing' (Wish I could give a 6!)
Your Reviewer:
Author: Jake Bible
Publisher: Samannah Media
Release Date: 8th November 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: Garret Weir has just turned seventeen. For any normal teen this would be quite the milestone. But for Garret it’s even more amazing he’s made it to this age, because in Garret’s life the human population of the Earth is gone, changed and turned into flesh hungry zombies, or “necs”, as he calls them. In the world he was born into, except for his parents that have kept him safe in a small compound hidden in the mountains of southern Oregon, Garret has never known another living soul. However, he is not the only seventeen year old in the family. Just the only one living. For Garret is alive and breathing and his twin, Garth, is undead, has been since birth, leaving him the size of an infant and attached to Garret’s spine. And he won’t leave his brother in peace.
Set decades after the zombie apocalypse, Little Dead Man tells the story of conjoined twins Garret and Garth Weir. A fast-paced, high-action tale that doesn’t pull any punches as Garret, with Garth always attached, must struggle with a mother that is mentally unstable, a missing father that has kept too many secrets and the fact that the world he had always been told was completely dead, actually has well-developed human survivor pockets. And not all of those are friendly. Not even close.
Detailed Review: Don't turn away from reading this review after you've seen the cover. Never ever judge a book by it's cover, haven't you guys heard it before? Though I've done it a couple of times I almost never do that. Unlike my fellow blogger Chloe. It's true! Ask her yourself!
Ok enough of joking. What makes me think this book is so awesome and brilliant. First the action and suspense, it keeps you wanting more. It leaves you with an urge to turn to the next page.
Second, the story. It's completely original. I mean, take a look at the cover as well. I dare you stare at it without flinching for ten seconds. It's so original that it looks scary. Get what I mean? And to be honest, this is my first zombie book. I've engaged in werewolves, angels, vampires and many others but not zombies. But after reading this, I get this feeling for more. It's just amazing what a book can do to you.
The last reason is that Garrett Weir and Garth have the coolest parents ever! His father is actually a mad scientist who unleashed the virus that destroyed the world and his mother is incredible when it comes to killing necros. She managed to kill one big nec even when she was hurt. That's totally kick-ass!
In an insane world, Garrett has to face challenges and survive with things he learns from books that he has read for many years. But sometimes books can't help and you have to rely on your survival instincts.
I thought the book was good not just because of the action but how the author has thought to include the love of a family in it. In the end when Garrett's mother became a nec, they still protect each other. I know it sounds impossible but it is really true. His mother doesn't even try to eat him. And don't forget Garth too! He's actually quite adorable.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...
But besides that, you'll have to read for yourself. I always say that to other people when they want to know more. So I'll say this to you too.
*Warning: Lots of gore and blood in it. Not that I'm discouraging you from reading it. I think you should still read it.
Brief Review: My first zombie book and it already has a huge impact on me. Jake Bible couldn't have written it more detailed or action-packed than any other author. This book is certainly on my 'awesome book' list!
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing' (Wish I could give a 6!)
Your Reviewer:
Thursday, December 13, 2012
TGIF - Feature & Follow Friday #127
FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What is the last book that made you cry? Tell us about the scene...
If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern was the most touching book I've read so far that has made me cry. Even reading three or four time, still made me cry. Which scene you ask? Well, the last part was the most captive part of the book (there are other scenes that made me cry but the last part was the best) - When Elizabeth stayed in the children's playroom for days and never came out... well, she was painting all of the scenes that she, Ivan and her nephew had cherished. Every bit of memory was painted on the walls of the children's playroom. Including Ivan himself, who was watching Elizabeth and said, 'Goodbye'.
He let her go and she was happy that she saw Ivan before her sight of 'seeing' these 'invisible people' disappeared.
*This means that she's finally happy and at peace*
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday: Icons by Margaret Stohl
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:
Author: Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Your heart beats only with their permission.
Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.
Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.
She's different. She survived. Why?
When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.
Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.
Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.
Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.
Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.
She's different. She survived. Why?
When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.
Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.
Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.
I've actually been waiting for the day when the group that have written the Caster Chronicles split up and write a book of their own. Not to say that I'm happy that they decided to. I just want to see their own independent skills in writing. That's all. And now it has come! Nice covers are what basically draws me to read books sometimes and this book has basically hit the right spot. Effective typography and background. A cover that's enough to pull people to it. This story also somehow reminds me of Divergent but with a different background and situation. Anyways we'll see what Stohl has to offer us in her first debut as an independent author!
Review: The Culling by Steven Dos Santos
Name: The Culling
Author: Steven Dos Santos
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: March 8th 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: Lucian "Lucky" Spark has been recruited for training by the totalitarian government known as the Establishment. According to Establishment rules, if a recruit fails any level of the violent training competitions, a family member is brutally killed . . . and the recruit has to choose which one.
As the five recruits form uneasy alliances in the hellish wasteland that is the training ground, an undeniable attraction develops between Lucky and the rebellious Digory Tycho. But the rules of the training ensure that only one will survive--the strongest recruits receive accolades, wealth, and power while the weakest receive death. With Cole--Lucky's four-year-old brother--being held as "incentive," Lucky must marshal all his skills and use his wits to keep himself alive, no matter what the cost.
Author: Steven Dos Santos
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: March 8th 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: Lucian "Lucky" Spark has been recruited for training by the totalitarian government known as the Establishment. According to Establishment rules, if a recruit fails any level of the violent training competitions, a family member is brutally killed . . . and the recruit has to choose which one.
As the five recruits form uneasy alliances in the hellish wasteland that is the training ground, an undeniable attraction develops between Lucky and the rebellious Digory Tycho. But the rules of the training ensure that only one will survive--the strongest recruits receive accolades, wealth, and power while the weakest receive death. With Cole--Lucky's four-year-old brother--being held as "incentive," Lucky must marshal all his skills and use his wits to keep himself alive, no matter what the cost.
Detailed Review: First things, first.
IS LUCIAN GAY???
When I read the first part of the book, I was thinking whether Lucian was really gay or something. Then again, I continued my voyage through the sea of words and I realized that - "Lucian is gay". I find it hard to believe but yet it is undeniable - that the author had actually written his main character as someone who is gay but it's fascinating to see how it turns out.
How the story unfurls into a world where the weak must die and the strong reigns.
'Digory Tycho, one of the two most popular and handsomest boys in the Instructional Facility's recent history. The boy who everyone in the Parish says is a shining example of the core values of The Establishment and will someday make a Great Imposer and a fine husband to anyone lucky enough to catch his eye.'
See that clue, I picked out for you, well, there you have it... Need more evidence? Well, I have a few more but... I'll give you one that won't reveal too much (hence this bit is in the summary).
'I crane my neck to look up at him. "You do realize that question works both ways, don't you?"
He half-smiles, a sparkle of white amidst all the gray. "Right, Lucian."
My name. He actually knows my name...'
This part is pretty bleh. But see the similarities of a girl when they see someone who they had a crush on for years and suddenly the guy talks to the girl. The story continues where the girl will squeal and say, "OMG he knows my name."
REACTIONS: Lucian via girl on the inside when their crush talks to them.
So...
The story continues where Lucian decides to get captured by The Establishment so he can talk with his good ol' buddy, Cassius. The author has really created a dramatic scene where there are these creatures called The Canids who tear up a man or supposedly A Worm as how the soldiers call them. Thieve, slaves and whatnots - this is where Lucian meets Digory.
LUCIAN; a young boy (well, not really a boy), he's someone who you can rely on, be friends with and most certainly he has the will to fight for his freedom no matter the price or his family (his brother, Cole) - he will go through battlefields, love and desires as he races to fight for what he really believes in! But what can you do if you're life is already on hold?
DIGORY; A supposed golden boy, who has his own thoughts about The Establishment where the world is free from hunger, slavery and death. He will tumble and fall until he reaches the very end of what you call - NOTHING - to save who he loves, cherish and who he fights for until the very end of times.
CASSIUS; an uncle? A Prefect? Does he really love his new world where corrupted cities, minds and bodies have tasted the dust? He is a man who cares for Lucian and his brother, Cole where he will do everything in his power to he save them. After being recruited into the program, Cass has been brainwashed! But then again, can you really trust the person who's been lying to you the most?
As the world spirals out of control for Lucian, his life and Digory is not yet done.
'He reaches up and caresses my cheek. "I love you, Lucky."
"I love you, too."
And then we're kissing each other, and it's like I've never lived before.'
Really believe me? Well, you should.
Brief Review: The Culling is a world - full of hunger, love and desire as Lucky races to save his loved ones until the end of time. Santos has written an impressive, dramatic read that propels the characters into a land of no freedom and no regrets.
My Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked it'
Your Reviewer:
When I read the first part of the book, I was thinking whether Lucian was really gay or something. Then again, I continued my voyage through the sea of words and I realized that - "Lucian is gay". I find it hard to believe but yet it is undeniable - that the author had actually written his main character as someone who is gay but it's fascinating to see how it turns out.
How the story unfurls into a world where the weak must die and the strong reigns.
'Digory Tycho, one of the two most popular and handsomest boys in the Instructional Facility's recent history. The boy who everyone in the Parish says is a shining example of the core values of The Establishment and will someday make a Great Imposer and a fine husband to anyone lucky enough to catch his eye.'
See that clue, I picked out for you, well, there you have it... Need more evidence? Well, I have a few more but... I'll give you one that won't reveal too much (hence this bit is in the summary).
'I crane my neck to look up at him. "You do realize that question works both ways, don't you?"
He half-smiles, a sparkle of white amidst all the gray. "Right, Lucian."
My name. He actually knows my name...'
This part is pretty bleh. But see the similarities of a girl when they see someone who they had a crush on for years and suddenly the guy talks to the girl. The story continues where the girl will squeal and say, "OMG he knows my name."
REACTIONS: Lucian via girl on the inside when their crush talks to them.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
Your pick.
So...
The story continues where Lucian decides to get captured by The Establishment so he can talk with his good ol' buddy, Cassius. The author has really created a dramatic scene where there are these creatures called The Canids who tear up a man or supposedly A Worm as how the soldiers call them. Thieve, slaves and whatnots - this is where Lucian meets Digory.
LUCIAN; a young boy (well, not really a boy), he's someone who you can rely on, be friends with and most certainly he has the will to fight for his freedom no matter the price or his family (his brother, Cole) - he will go through battlefields, love and desires as he races to fight for what he really believes in! But what can you do if you're life is already on hold?
DIGORY; A supposed golden boy, who has his own thoughts about The Establishment where the world is free from hunger, slavery and death. He will tumble and fall until he reaches the very end of what you call - NOTHING - to save who he loves, cherish and who he fights for until the very end of times.
CASSIUS; an uncle? A Prefect? Does he really love his new world where corrupted cities, minds and bodies have tasted the dust? He is a man who cares for Lucian and his brother, Cole where he will do everything in his power to he save them. After being recruited into the program, Cass has been brainwashed! But then again, can you really trust the person who's been lying to you the most?
As the world spirals out of control for Lucian, his life and Digory is not yet done.
'He reaches up and caresses my cheek. "I love you, Lucky."
"I love you, too."
And then we're kissing each other, and it's like I've never lived before.'
Really believe me? Well, you should.
Brief Review: The Culling is a world - full of hunger, love and desire as Lucky races to save his loved ones until the end of time. Santos has written an impressive, dramatic read that propels the characters into a land of no freedom and no regrets.
My Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked it'
Your Reviewer:
Labels:
action,
adventure,
fiction,
science fiction,
YA
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Review: Partials by Dan Wells
Title: Partials
Author: Dan Wells
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Release Date: 28th February 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads
Quick Review: The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.
Dan Wells, acclaimed author of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.
Detailed Review: No offense, bu this book kind of bored me in the first part except when the babies died and they didn't even have names anymore. Too many questions that had no answers were asked in that part. This especially got on my nerves. But after that the tension starts to build as the story and the main character changes.
Kira Walker wants to cure RM, the disease which killed countless lives. And she figured out the only way to do it is to find a Partial and examine it. Meanwhile, a group called the Voice are starting a rebellion due to the Hope Act, a law which stated that it was mandatory to be pregnant once you reached 18 years old. But rumours have started off it being lowered a year or two. But then it really happens: the Hope Act is lowered to 16 years old.
Which means that Kira has to get pregnant. Not to say that she had to, you know, do it artificially, get what I mean? She has her boyfriend Marcus to do the job.
But then the Partial which she worked with, started another chain reaction. He said that his kind wanted to find peace with them, because they needed the humans' help.
Would you believe them?
Because Kira did. And it turned out to be a lie. Instead, the Partials needed the humans to operate on, so that they could find a solution to the problem that had struck the Partials.
And it was there that it led to the discovery that Kira was a Partial. And she found the cure for RM.
A reason why you must read the book: it's good. And the last part was maybe one of the best I've ever read in cliffhangers.
Find the Trust.
I really want to know why Kira is given that task, and what she really is. So I'm going to watch out for Fragments!
Brief Review: This book had its own action and the characters were good. Although with a bit of science of it, this book still managed to impress me with its own level of uniqueness.
Final Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked It!"
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