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

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 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

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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

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

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Publisher: Penguin Books | Modern Classics

Publication Date: 1 July 2009 (first published in 1945)

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN-13: 9780141190266

Format: Paperback

Pages: 92

Websites:

Tennessee Williams - Official Site

Tennessee Williams - Goodreads

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Overview:

Abandoned by her husband, Amanda Wingfield comforts herself with recollections of her earlier, more gracious life in Blue Mountain when she was pursued by 'gentlemen callers'. Her son Tom, a poet with a job in a warehouse, longs for adventure and escape from his mother's suffocating embrace, while Laura, her shy crippled daughter, has her glass menagerie and her memories. Amanda is desperate to find her daughter a husband, but when the long-awaited gentleman caller does arrive, Laura's romantic illusions are crushed. The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee William's evocation of loneliness and lost love, is one of his most powerful and moving plays.

________________________

The Glass Menagerie was a very gentle, beautiful story. Beautiful is exactly the word I would use to describe it because it was so so sweet. Laura was especially sweet. Although I did find her shyness a bit too extreme at times, I still appreciated the gentleness and tenderness with which she cared for her glass animals and the love with which she looks at her family and the world around her. Despite her being 24 years old, in my mind I would picture her as a very young, innocent, shy and beautiful little girl, not older than 20.

Something else I have to comment on is the plot twist at the end. I did not see it coming and I was shocked with what was revealed. While reading the scene I felt so happy and hopeful for Laura that I was smiling and suddenly i was like "what? what? WHAT?". To quote Amanda (Laura's mother) "Things have a way of turning out so badly" and may I add so unexpectedly.

Challenge(s): 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, 2012 Off The Shelf 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

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Publisher: Knopf Books

Publication Date: 26 Oct 2010

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN-13: 9780375866593

Format: eBook

Pages: 272

Websites:

Rachel Cohn - Official Site

Rachel Cohn - Twitter

Rachel Cohn - Goodreads

David Levithan - Official Site

David Levithan - Twitter

David Levithan - Goodreads

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Overview:

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? 

__________________________

I generally disliked this book. I just felt it was weak in so many ways. First of all, the story is already a known one, but that wasn't the reason I disliked it. It could still have been interesting and there were a few parts (only when the red notebook was concerned) that were rather interesting, but not that many. I found myself rushing through the parts where the characters talked about their lives because I just couldn't care less about them and their family. Perhaps it was because I couldn't identify with the characters, i just didn't find them that likeable, or at least they didn't appeal to me at all.

None of the characters introduced seemed that realistic to me, not even the secondary ones. Lily I found was a bit selfish and a hypocrite and she tended to dramatize everything while Dash was, well, rude and kind of a douche. Plus, there were so many convenient coincidences that made it even harder for the story to seem real.

I also didn't really like the writing. It felt like the authors were over-trying for humor but the result was not humorous or funny at all. It seems childish at parts and full of clichés. Furthermore, it was so predictable and not at all original; this is a story we have seen or heard of before.

Lastly, something else i didn't like at all was the way Lily referred to her things by adding her name to them, for example, her room (or bed) was the "Lily pad", her coffee was the "Lilychinno" and the world was apparently called the "Lilyverse". I did NOT enjoy these nicknames; I did NOT find them cute or smart.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh but I did not enjoy this book at all. Perhaps it just wasn't for me because I know there are a lot of people who did enjoy it and who have rated it highly. Perhaps it's just a matter of personal taste.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook 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)