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.

 _________________________________

  

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

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Publication Date: 14 Oct 2011

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN-13: 9781595545404

Format: eBook

Pages: 314

Websites:

Jenny B. Jones - Official Site

Jenny B. Jones - Blog

Jenny B. Jones - Twitter

Jenny B. Jones - Goodreads

[add on Goodreads]

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Blurb:

Grief brought Finley to Ireland. LOVE WILL LEAD HER HOME. 

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old. She's witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will. 

She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will's travel journal. It's the place he felt closest to God, and she's hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane. 

Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She's the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide. 

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise? 

Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she's been looking for has been with her all along?

                                                        ____________________________

There you’ll find me is a book about loss and searching for God. Actually, it’s not only about that, it’s about many different things; it touches up on the topics of love, friendship, bullying, family, depression, anorexia, redemption etc. This could be considered both a positive and negative thing. Negative because, well, how much can you cover of each topic if you’re going to mention all? You’re bound to make a mistake or overlook something important. However, there didn’t seem to be such a problem in There You’ll find me, or at least, none that I noticed. Although, to be perfectly honest, I would prefer less topics because I sometimes felt like I was in information overload mode.

There were other instances in the book when I would enter overload mode. I found the book was full of people offering Finely a piece of guidance or wisdom, not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but it sometimes felt too much.

As for Finley, there were times when I really disliked her and that is because she could turn into a total bitch when and if she wanted and hurt others with what she said. Also, she tended to see what she wanted to see, not what was really happening. There were so many times she would get mad at poor Beckett (not that he was always right) for something that was obviously not his fault and she would doubt the obvious, that he cared. There were times when I wanted to shout to her: “He’s chasing after you every opportunity he gets, he does everything for you and he sticks up for you… why are you so stuck in your ways and blind to the fact that he actually cares for you?”

Also, if you’re looking for something original this is not a book for you because it deals with a story that has been told many times before. I can’t really say it was an exact copy of other books dealing with love between an everyday girl and a celebrity, but there’s only so much you can do with that concept.

A couple of things I really, really liked about this book were the cover, I think it’s what drew me to it and made me pay attention to it in the first place, and the fact that the story begins with a kite and also ends with a kite. I love when stories begin and end with the same image or a similar situation.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Source: ARC Review Copy from NetGalley

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. This is what you have to do:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Truth About Us by Dalene Flannigan

[add on Goodreads]   |   [my review]

Erica lifted the flag and revealed that his night table was actually a small file cabinet; black, dented, scratched. She tried a drawer. Locked.

"Interesting that he locks it," she said.

Page: (Once again i lose the page :/)

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

[add on Goodreads]

Biting my tongue on the million questions, I got the brush and went to work, slowly getting out the day's snarls. "I shopped for a dress yesterday." That was my new tactic. I was just going to talk like Mrs. Sweeney gave a rat's tail. Like my life was the most fascinating thing ever.

Page: 104

The Truth About Us by Dalene Flannigan

Publisher: Smashwords
Publication Date: 5 Nov 2012
Series or Standalone: Standalone
A SIN: B00642CEB6
Format: eBook
Pages: 230
Websites:
Dalene Flanniga - Official Site
Dalene Flannigan - Twitter
Dalene Flannigan - Goodreads


[add on Goodreads]


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Blurb:


What happens when the past catches up to the present and the truth surfaces? Three women, roommates back in college, find their lives forever altered when one of them feels compelled to confess the secret sin of their past. 

And whose truth is it? 

'The Truth About Us' weaves the past and the present in a page-turner that explores the shifting quality of truth, and the cost of secrets.

____________________

I won this book in a giveaway which was great not just because, well, i won it in a giveaway, but also becasue if i hadn't i would probably never have read it. The main reason being that i mostly enjoy reading young adult and usually i find it hard to relate to characters that are older than me by sigificant amount of years. So i was a bit out of my waters here and i did't know what to expect, one thing's for sure, i did not expect to enjoy it this much.


The book was really emotionally charged because of the tragic events that had taken place and it was a terrible page turner for two reasons, one, because you wanted to find out what the secret was; and two, becasue you desperately wanted things to work out well for the characters. the book also did touch up on many topics, including religion and adultery, but it was done with a practiced ease.


Grace and Erica were likeable and reasonable characetrs that had it tough in their lives, especially Grace. Jude, on the other had, although she had a really tough life with tragic events, was not as likeable a character as the others. To be hiest, i felt like smacking her many many times throughout the book. She had deffinitely passed the limit of healthy religion and had become obsessed. She would see things that weren't there (in a delusional way rather than hallucinatory) and she was easily decieved becasue thsi made her blind.  She almost ruined many people's lives because of her obsession with Jesus and the truth. Don't get me wrong, i'm not against religion, but i believe that there is a limit after which one becomes obsessed and is no longer truely folloing the will of God. Jude, for instance, did do certain things that Jesus taught against, but she was so obsessed that she mistook everyday coincidences for sighns that Jesus was rewarding her. So, although i am not very religious myself, i am not against other people being religious, sometimes religion can help us, benefit us and make us better as people, but there is always a limit and once you cross that, you become a hazard to yourself and to others. I would like to know what you think about this though. Please leave a comment and let me know.


About the Author:


Dalene Flannigan,a Canadian writer, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

"For many years I thought my parents were teasing me when they said, "you were born in the rottenrow". But, turns out, I was born in the Rottenrow.
Rottenrow is a street in Glasgow, Scotland, and the address of the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital (nicknamed by locals as "The Rottenrow").
It explains so much."

Her full length plays include 'Rescuing Elephants' and 'A Mournful Rustling' - winner of the Playwrights of Spring New Play Award and finalist in The Samuel French Canadian Playwrights Contest.

She has written, Unheard Voices--an award-winning video on Hard-of-Hearing issues, and, Let's Make it Clear...Clear Communication and Hearing Loss--winner of the Barbara Jordan Media Award.

She lives in Toronto and is working on a new novel.


Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge, The Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge (Crime/Mystery fiction)


Source: Won in a Giveaway (by Workday Reads)

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


[add on Goodreads]


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

Friday Fill-Ins (3)

Friday Fill-Ins is a meme by Janet at Friday Fill-Ins. Basically, she creates a different template every week and you fill in the blanks. I find it very inspirational. Here are my Fill-Ins for this Friday:

1. When I heard the big crash i knew my cat had dropped something off the table this morning.2. Beyonce makes me want to dance.
3. Get crazy!
4. Home is where the heart is (or so my trash can under my desk says).
5. Hands off my bacon
6. I don't want (?) to put anybody down.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to studying ( :( ), tomorrow my plans include going to the gym and studying later and Sunday, I want to do some more studying (stupid college work).

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. This is what you have to do:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

Erebos by Ursula Poznanski

 

[add on Goodreads]

 

"Humans are totally rare," Sapujapu states.

"And unnecessary", Bloodwork adds. 

Page: (I lost the page and I can't find it! :S I'm so sorry you guys :/)