The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

 Publisher: Random House Children's Books

 Publication Date: 10 Apr 2012

 Series or Standalone: Standalone

 ISBN-13: 9780375968761

 Format: eBook

 Pages: 448

 Websites:

 Robin Wasserman - Official Site

 Robin Wasserman - Blog

 Robbin Wasserman - Twitter

 Robbin Wasserman - Goodreads

 [add on Goodreads]

 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 Blurb:

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora’s best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

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I had heard over and over again this book being referred to as a YA version of the Da Vinci Code. Only after having read it did I realize that these people were actually right. The suspense, mysterious documents, puzzles, religion, a murder, it was all there, wrapped up in an extremely intelligent narration.

After reading it I tried thinking of the first word that came to my mind to describe it and that word was dangerous. The danger was palpable throughout the story; it kept me on edge and made me desperate to find out what happened next. Not once however was I able to foresee what would happen and I found myself being constantly baffled by unexpected turns of events, and there were many of those.

Another aspect I really enjoyed was Nora’s character. Unlike many female characters I’ve read about recently, she was very smart and mature. She felt real and likeable. All in all, great book, definitely one of my favorites and one I would read again with delight.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Source:  ARC Review Copy from NetGalley

Erebos: It's a Game. It watches you. by Ursula Poznanski

Publisher: Annick Press
Publication Date: Jan 19 2012
Series or Standalone: Standalone
ISBN-13: 9781554513734
Format: eBook
Pages: 440
Websites:
Ursula Poznanski - Official Site
Ursula Poznanski - Blog
Ursula Poznanski - Twitter
Ursula Poznanski - Goodreads


Translation: Judith Pattinson


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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Blurb:


An intelligent computer game with a disturbing agenda. 

When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname. 

Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. When it sends Nick on a deadly assignment, he refuses and is banished from the game. 

Now unable to play, Nick turns to a friend for help in finding out who controls the game. The two set off on a dangerous mission in which the border between reality and the virtual world begins to blur. 

_________________________

Erebos was one of those books that pleasantly surprises you. Don't get me wrong, the plot description really sounded interesting to me but when i started reading it and i foud out that i would spending time with Nick's In-game character, Sarius, i thought that the in-game scenes would be bpring because i'm not really into gaming. But i couldn't be more rong! The in-game experiences were just as fantastic as the real-world ones! The descriptions were so lively that you actually thought that you were there, either looking at the computer screen over Nick's shoulder or fallowing him around at school and on the streets.


The plot was not predictable which is always a good thing in a book (and film), It sucks to have foresee the whole story beforhand. And keeping that from happening can sometimes be a very hard task. It had me guessing througout the book about who was behind the game and hoe the hell can a game know so much a bout you? "Sometimes I think it's alive", this is what a character of the book said and sometimes that is exactly what i thoght too.


There were times when i would say that "well that's not possible" or "hat are the parents doing? Are they not noticing the change in their children? How is it that only one adult, a teacher, has noticed something is wrong?" but i didn't bother much with these questions because the rest of the book made up for them and they didn't even matter to me after a while.


The characters were ok, i liked them (the ones that were supposed to be likeable ayway) but i din't get blown away by them. My favorite character i think was Jamie. He was adorable and so easy going. This book wasn't a character driven book, the big picture, was what was imortant so it didn't really bother me that i didn't fall in love with the characters.


Overall, great book. I would recomend it to anyone, either they are into gaming or not. I plan on getting my friends to read this as well.


About the author:

Ursula Poznanski was born in Vienna, Austria, where she still lives today with her partner and daughter. The older of two sisters, she enjoyed reading, music, cycling, and skiing when she was a child. Her favorite books were The Flying Classroom by Erich Kaestner, Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren, and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Ursula started writing when she was no more than seven or eight years old. She was fortunate in that she had teachers who encouraged her a great deal, and loving relatives who would read her essays to everybody who hadn’t managed to escape in time. She found it quite embarrassing, but it did not deter her from writing.

The idea for Erebos (Spring 2012) came from her penchant for stories that include a change of worlds. These usually come in the form of fantasies, but she wanted to tell a story where this actually happens. She loved the idea of a computer game dragging the player so deeply into a virtual world that it would affect his view of reality. She also wanted to write about manipulation and how it works. 

What Ursula enjoys most about the creative process are those moments when it seems as if the book is writing itself. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it is pure joy.

Her advice for aspiring authors is to read a lot and write a lot. Don’t believe that success is going to come fast or easy, but carry on nevertheless. Love your story; don’t run after trends. Look for a good writing partner who tells you the truth about what he or she thinks of your work. Appreciate profound criticism.

Ursula’s interests, besides writing, include photography, music (although she doesn’t play an instrument, she has not given up hope that she may still do so one day), talking to interesting people, and traveling.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Source: ARC Review Copy from NetGalley

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Publisher: Feral Dream

Publication Date: 21 May 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN-13: 2940012975348

Format: eBook

Pages: 255

Websites:

 Susan Ee - Official Site

Susan Ee - Twitter

Susan Ee - Goodreads

[add on Goodreads]

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Penryn & the End of Days Series Order:

Book 1: Angelfall

Book 2: Untitled (~Summer 2012)

Book 3: Untitled

Book 4: Untitled

Book 5: Untitled

Overview:

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

______________________

 

Angelfall… wow… I feel like I literally don’t have the words to express how awesome, how amazing, how much I loved this book. To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect it to affect me this much but those are always the most pleasant surprises, when you find a gem where you least expect it. I don’t usually read self-published books, I usually don’t even have time to read most of the books I want and intend to read but I saw a review by Irish at Ticket ToAnywhere and she persuaded me to give it a try, the ebook was only $0.99 at Barnes & Noble anyway. Best $0.99 ever spent.

I loved the characters, especially Penryn. She had such a strong female leading role. She was street-smart, ready to fight and survive in a lawless and destroyed world. She cared for her family and she was loyal to them right to the very end and she always followed her instincts when she found herself in a dangerous and difficult situation.

The plot was full of twists and never once were they predictable. I was sucked into the story, literally forgetting anything going on around me from the very beginning, from the very first page. And I loooooved that opening line “Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious”. There something about it that just caught my attention right away and enchanted me.

Another thing that caught my attention was how action-packed it was. My heart was beating fast and adrenaline was pumping through me for the most part. I finished it last night at 3 am because I couldn’t stop until I found out what happened and when I woke up this morning and I was surprised to see there were still remains of my feelings from last night. I am desperate to see what happens next.

There were a few questions that I would like answers to, for example, why did her father leave them? I can’t express any of my other questions without spoilers so I’ll just keep them to myself. Perhaps they will be answered in book 2 (I’m pretty sure the questions I can’t express because of spoilers will be answered in book 2).

I feel like I want to find Susan Ee and just rave about how awesome Angelfall was. I might do that through her blog. I love love loved this book, I had no difficulty putting it on my “favorites” shelf and I can’t wait to read the next one. I still feel like I haven’t justified this book enough but I also feel like I never could no matter what I say because I’m at a loss of words because of how awesome it is.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: 3 Jan 2012

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN-13: 9780312641894

Format: eBook

Pages: 387

Websites:

Marissa Meyer - Blog

Marissa Meyer - Twitter

Marissa Meyer - Goodreads

[add on Goodreads]

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Lunar Chronicles Series Order:

Book 1: Cinder

Book 2: Scarlet (~2013)

Book 3: Cress (~2014)

Book 4: Winter (~2015)

Overview:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

_____________________

 This book was not what I expected. It surprised me in a good way. At first, when I read that it was a retelling of Cinderella, I was troubled because I feared that the storyline would be predictable (which it kind of was) but in the end it all worked out and not only did it not bother me, I ended up falling in love with it.

I really enjoyed Cinder's character as well and I admired her patience since patience is something I lack, especially when I'm angry or feel like someone is being unjust which was often the case with Cinder. Although, at times I felt that she put up with more than she had to, perhaps she could have been a bit more rebellious.

I also liked Prince Kai very much even though he sometimes seemed too nice, too good to be true but isn't that sometimes one of the reasons why we read books? So what if people like Kai are so rare today in real life? It doesn't hurt to swoon over a handsome prince Charming every now and then.

I absolutely hated Adri (Cinder's stepmother), Pearl (Cinder's stepsister) and Queen Levana. Especially Adri and Pearl becasue they were more present from the beginning of the book, whereas the Lunar Queen comes into the picture much later.

Furthermore, this nook also affected me emotionally, mostly when Adri and Pearl were involved. Injustice is a topic that has always greatly affected me personally, in fact it can sometimes even make me see red from anger. So when these two witches were accusing Cinder of certain things or calling her certain things I could feel Cinder's anger channeling through me. It literally made me want to groan in frustration.

Finally, i can't go without saying how much i LOVED how the book ended and by saying that I don't mean the ending itself, but the words used, those last paragraphs. I thing they were very effective.

From what I've found, this is a book you either love or hate and i loved it.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Cracked by K. M. Walton

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: 3 Jan 2012

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN-13: 9781442434424

Format: eBook

Pages: 311

Websites:

K. M. Walton - Official Site

K. M. Walton - Blog

K. M. Walton - Twitter

K. M. Walton - Goodreads

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Overview:

Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better….

____________________

I LOVED this book. Absolutely loved it! It dealt with suicide and troubled teens, messed up families and pain. It did touch me on a personal level, it did make me cry but it also made me smile and feel hopeful for these two boys.

I liked how in the end Walton shows us what has happened and what has changed for Victor and William 4 months after their incidents. It is clear that the psych ward in which they had to spend 5 days proved to be a life-changing experience for them.

Also, this book just seemed so real. It was simple an a good way. The characters and situations presented were all realistic and believable. The main characters were extremely likeable and I desperately wanted to hug them and be their friend the whole time. Yes, I even wanted to hug the bully becasue it wasn't his fault he never knew love and violence was all he was ever taught.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics

Publication Date: 2002 (first published in 1960)

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN: 9780061120084

Format: Paperback

Pages: 323

Websites:

Harper Lee - Official Site

Harper Lee - Goodreads

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Overview:

"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

_______________________________

This book has been sitting on my TBR shelf for something over two years. Every time i would decide to start it, my attention would be turned to another book. I guess i finally decided it was about time i start reading it. Now i want to hit myself on the head for having waited this long.

I did have high expectations of this book becasue of all the great things i had heard but in the end it managed to surpass my expectations. It was touching in so many ways. I am especially affected by topics such as racism and injustice so you can imagine how deeply this book moved me. I find it so sad that there are still people today who are unable or unwilling to understand that we are all human, all people with a soul and a unique personality no matter the color of our skin.

This is a book i would definitely recommend to everyone! If i ever have children this will definitely be a book i will "make" them read. I really do believe one can evolve from reading this book.

Furthermore, i found the characters extremely likable and i enjoyed following them around and witnessing the ways in which they grew and matured. The characters are also very realistic and true to their era.

I also find the title of this book lovely. I love it!

Looking forward to seeing the film adaptation soon!

Sorry, i know this isn't a very good review, i am really tired and I've taken up a very demanding and intense course for this session witch leaves me very little free time to do the things i like. Hopefully, my next review will be much better.

Challenge(s): 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge, 2012 Off The Shelf Challenge, 2012 Eclectic Reader Challenge (Historical Fiction)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: 36 Aug 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 9780316134026

Format: e-Book

Pages: 418

Websites:
Laini Taylor - Blog
Laini Taylor - Twitter
Laini Taylor - Goodreads
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Official Site

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Daugheter of Smoke and Bone Series Order:

Book 1: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Book 2: Daughter of Blood and Starlight (~Fall 2012)

Overview:  

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

 ___________________

Wow. Where to start? Let me begin by saying how much i loved this book. The story was enchanting and original, the world magical. Laini Taylor is really a great author. I literally couldn't put this book down; i would read it in the car, when i was out drinking coffee, while eating, i even took it to the super market (i was reading and pushing the cart at the same time). There were so many parts i liked in this book and while reading i would oftenly tell myself "genius; this is genius", "i love this", "brilliant".

Laini Taylor has a very original way of writing. She uses humor in just the right places, in the right way and knows how to provoke strong feelings (i did cry in this book). I especially enjoyed her lovely expressions and descriptions. Some were just so unique.

One of the places i would really want to visit in this book is "Poison Kitchen". I really loved the idea of a restaurant with coffins for tables and statues from a cemetery wearing gas masks. It might sound like a morbid place but i totally found it cool.

However, Loramendi is where i would most want to visit. Something about the two moons...i don't know. It felt so unworldly and romantic. And the story of how Angels and Chimaera were created..it was beautiful.

Finally, another aspect i loved about this book was that Karou wasn't yet another "helpless" little girl who falls in love with the wrong person (forbidden love) and is in danger because of that love and just waits for her lover to save her. No. Karou is a strong and proud character, very much capable of taking care and protecting herself.

There was a part in the book, where it said that many unsuspecting tourists and authors would sign a contract with an old storyteller, in which they would offer him a year of their lives for a story idea. That really provoked thought in me, would i ever give up a year of my life for a wish or success? I decided that i wouldn't, just the thought of it made death seem scary and i realized how short life could be, and to make it even shorter?

What would you do if you could have anything you ever wanted and longed for for the price of dying one year too early?

Challenge(s): The Eclectic Reader (Fantasy), 2012 e-Book Challenge