Girl In The Woods Reviews

Friday, May 10, 2013

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday #148

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: Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favourite mom from fiction?

Mine would be Jocelyn from The Mortal Instruments, Clary's mom of course! She's so protective of her daughter and loves her and also loved Jonathan once. Also she's a kick-ass Shadowhunter who can fight!

Another of my picks would of course be Clara's mom from Unearthly. I like her because she is really cool and always tries to help her daughter and son. It's so sad she had to die in the end... Why?!?

Review: AfterLIfe by S.P. Cloward

Title: AfterLife
Author: S.P. Cloward
Release Date: 11th September 2012
Publisher:--------
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: If you think you’ve read every possible “undead” scenario there is, you’re in for a surprise. AfterLife transcends the typical zombie or vampire genre and audience to present a plausible explanation of where such stories come from in an unsettling but believable way. Even those who shy away from this type of science fiction are falling prey to the “what if” question that makes this book so unique – and so compelling. What if the undead live among us but we don’t recognize them?

At the time of his premature death, Wesley Lohmann not only learns about this unique race of humans, but due to a small genetic marker in his DNA, discovers he is one of them. He is now a Mortui, and must leave behind everyone he knows and loves. Through death Wes learns to live, learns the meaning of love, and learns to put others before himself. Ultimately, dying was the best thing that ever happened to him.

AfterLife is a richly woven tale of the struggle between good and evil, of allegiances, loyalties, and betrayals. The undead are surprisingly human and deeply motivated in their struggle for survival. Readers of all ages have been captured by the compelling story of Wes and AfterLife. Once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. And you’ll never look at a stranger the same way again.

Detailed Review: Hmmmm, the description of this book got me interested in it, because I wanted to know what other scenario is possible in the book. At first, I was like 'Yeah right'.

But you know what, the author hit the mark in the head, and in my face. I did feel a bit ashamed for doubting the book but after that I just carried on reading like it was the MOST AWESOME BOOK IN THE WORLD. Yup, you heard it.

It's like Warm Bodies, where the main character is a zombie, but in this book he's called a Mortui. Mortuis are people who die a premature death so they don't have to go through a second death. Cool right? So if they die, they are able to come to life again since their soul doesn't sever from their body.

This book was told from two main characters in the story. The protagonist is a man named Wesley Lohmann who killed himself for a woman and finds himself alive a few hours later.

Then the antagonist is Seth, who you can just call the evil person with his own agenda. You know what bad guys do...

But what's different between them is that they come from different Mortui organisations, the Atumra and AfterLife.

Just think of it this way. The Atumra think themselves as gods and want to take over the human race. AfterLife just wants live peacefully with humans and help them in any way they can.

But what's the best about being a Mortui is the MEDITATION. Don't just stop reading. There's more. Mortui's don't sleep although they look like they do. They MEDITATE. First they can start making their own dreamland. Wesley did his on Disney World, which was quite helpful in the end to help defeat Seth. So imagine if you can build a whole world inside your head AND go inside it while you're asleep. It's even better than dreaming. It's permanent.

Brief Review: So what's good about this book? EVERYTHING. The plot, the characters, the setting, the ingenious mind of the author who managed to conjure up this book.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

I don't mean to make the Mortui feel more superior to us, but it's sort of true.

If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man. ------James Dean
Your Reviewer:

Waiting on Wednesday: Fire with Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

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: Fire with Fire
Authors: Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: 3rd September 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

When sweet revenge turns sour… Book two of a trilogy from New York Times, bestselling authors Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

Ever since I read Burn for Burn, I've been thirsting for this book! My all time favourite character is Mary because she's so pretty ( on the cover ) and there is something special about her which I like. Kat is awesome too! She's such a brave person. And the theme of revenge is so strong you can practically taste it when you read it. So I bet Fire with Fire would be the same, or even better: Goddamn Awesome! I'm so in love the cover!

TGIF: Feature & Follow Friday #147

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Give us a sneak! What are you reading? Tell us about a fun or fail scene in your current read.

Hmmm. I am currently reading a sequel to a book, called 'When Boats Breathe and Cities Speak'. I think it's a fun read because it can be both serious and funny all at once.

Here's the funny moment which I want to share with you:

“It licked me.” Daniel shuddered.

Nick dropped his head in relief

“It licked me. It licked me. It licked me. I’ve never

seen a tongue so big. It was so . . . licky. Where’s my

cane? Where’s my cane? Where’s my cane?”

“It’s in your hand, poor Daniel,” said Brandy.

I really laughed when I read that. I think Daniel was truly traumatized by what had happened to him. Poor Daniel.

Review: Arabelle's Shadows by Fleur Gaskin

Title: Arabelle's Shadows

Author: Fleur Gaskin

Release Date: 25th November 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Find on: Goodreads, Amazon

Quick Review: Everything in Arabelle's life is coming together. She has confidence, great friends, she's even dating Naak, a wealthy Thai socialite. But there are too many models in Bangkok. Arabelle’s broke, she can’t find an agent in New York, and Naak isn’t as wonderful as he first appears. Slowly the Shadows creep back into Arabelle’s mind, bringing with them thoughts of hopelessness and despair. The vile Shadows know something Arabelle’s refusing to remember and, if she’s not careful, they’ll use it to destroy her. Based on a true story, Arabelle’s Shadows takes us on a journey through the struggles of growing up, not quite making it as an international model, and attempting to overcome a crushing depression.

Detailed Review: I must say I wasn't immediately pulled into the story but I am still going to give it a high rating. Why?

This book is different than others in so many ways. The story, the concept, the descriptions, they felt like they were coming from a different life and world.

What I think made me impressed was the author's ability to describe the simplest feelings like love and depression. And also, it feels real, and I think it reflects the author's life as a model before she wrote this book. Not many books can give me this feeling of reality because they were simply too perfect or too simple.

Every diary I’ve ever written has been sad. It seems I only ever write when I’m depressed or overwhelmed or some bad thing has happened. Not this time though. This diary’s going to be happy!

Arabelle has finally managed to escape her family and home in New Zealand, where problems have been plaguing her. She intends to become an actress, but decides to become an international model for more exposure towards the entertainment industry. In her career, she visited many countries such as Thailand, France, Malaysia, South Korea and Greece.

Now and then, the Shadows come and urge her into surrendering to them, but everyday she fights a battle with them where a stalemate is always reached. She believes in not losing to them. She believes in life.

She has always been a sensitive person, when someone near her gets hurt, she would also shoulder the very same feelings the person is experiencing, causing her to develop a depression since she was young.

I was actually flattered by how Kuala Lumpur was described with positive remarks. It's great if somebody thinks the place you stay in is good.

Brief Review: This book is beautiful and has its flaws, but doesn't every person have his or her flaws too? The book was a really great experience and I'm glad that I decided to agree in reviewing it. It makes us believe that we have the right to have our own life and not let negativity take over. This will give people another perspective of life where nothing is perfect but sheer determination will always help you overcome.

Final Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked It'

QUOTE:

I believe Arabelle and the author Fleur herself had this thought in their heads when they pursued their careers:

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough---- Og Mandino

Your Reviewer:

Waiting on Wednesday: Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

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: Truly, Madly, Deadly
Author: Hannah Jayne
Release Date: 16th July 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

The description sends chills down my spine. It's so creepy when you find out an accident is not one at all. When it comes to mysteries like this, I will be putting it in my TBR list straight-away! I love the title, the tagline of the book and the cover. They're so mysterious and completely suits the story!

Quick Review: Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.

Detailed Review:

*SPOILER ALERT* (Seriously, if you don't want to know what happens in the end, don't read it. I just always like spoiling books for people in my reviews. It's become a habit.)

To me the book went along the lines of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but even then, I loved it: the cover, the characters, the plot.

The story starts one morning, when she sees a dead man in the park, and is immediately chased by a creature that seems like a dog. When she manages to escape, she spies a young man loitering in the park.

The man appears in Mia's school and introduces himself to be Michael Fontaine.

That's when everything changes. There is something familiar about Michael, and every time when they come close to something that might mean more than being friends, he pushes her away. But even then, they already have an attraction towards each other.

Then Damiel appears. He is seductive and sexy. Every girl in the school wants him, that is with the exception of Mia. She seems to sense something repulsive about him and stays away. After one of her friends committed suicide, she knows that it has something to do with Damiel because she had seen him whispering into her friends' ear earlier.

That's when Damiel decides to approach Mia. He asks her out for a date, and on the night of the date, Michael appears, after days of ignoring her.

Both of them want of her, but for what purposes?

Michael loves her. Damiel needs her for evil intents.

Michael is an angel. Damiel is a demon.

But what would surprise readers the most is Mia's ability to turn Damiel back into what he was: an angel. And he was thankful for it.

I cried when I read that part.

Sorry for being emotional lately. I guess books can be the cause of depression too. But besides crying, I was also left speechless. Like that:

Photobucket

Or like this:

Brief Review: I was left with nothing else to say. Honestly. I can't even find a word to describe the book. It's that good. So no missing it out. And the fun part is soon to come!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

QUOTE:

To both Michael and Mia,

“I guess by now I should know enough about loss to realize that you never really stop missing someone-you just learn to live around the huge gaping hole of their absence.” ---- Alyson Noel

Your Reviewer:

About the Author:

A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

A self-proclaimed coffee lover, Lisa can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

Find her: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

Links (if the shortened versions don’t paste into your blog post):

Website: http://www.lisavoisin.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisavoisinauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lvoisin @lvoisin

Blog: http://lisavoisin.wordpress.com

The Book Trailer:

http://youtu.be/ukoCDlW05-Y

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

Lisa Voisin and Inkspell Publishing are giving away print (US/Canada/UK) and ebook (INT) copies of The Watcher as well as this lovely angel wing necklace!