Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd
Published: 7th June 2011
Source: Own Copy

With the intrigue of "Memento" and the romance of "The Time-Traveller's Wife", "Forgotten" is the perfect YA novel.

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.
Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognise the power they have to control their destinies. - From Goodreads

I had seen this book a few times before I gave in and bought a copy. I mean of all of the supernatural books on the market just now this has to be one of the more unique stories and abilities. Not only that, it has an awesome cover. It was the reason I kept picking it up was that it called to me, and I am so glad I answered the call!

London Lane is a 16 year old girl who lives a relatively normal life, apart from the fact she can tell you detailed accounts of things that will happen to her in the future. Unfortunately she can't tell you what she wore yesterday, anything that happened over the last week in school or even if she spoke to her mother in the last few days. London's memory only looks forward. She has managed to cope this far by working a system of notes which she leaves for herself every night. This starts to fall apart when she begins dating the handsome Luke who she can't see in her future.

I really liked London Lane, and her name? London Lane. If she ever wanted to become a superhero then she already has the cool alter ego name. Through London's journey in this book we see how much she struggles with day to day. I loved London. I thought she was sweet and patient and managed to keep herself reasonably calm in some impossible situations. I men how often do you fall asleep in the back of someones car only to wake and find that your entire memory of how you go there and who you are with has been erased (That's without the addition of alcohol thank you!).

In addition to London I also loved some of the other characters. Luke. What a genuinely sweet and nice guy. He keeps chasing after London and is so patient and charming. Luke is not moody, brooding, dark or dangerous, he is just a sweet guy who makes it easy for us to fall in love with him. I also liked London's Mum, in so many books the parents are kept as minor parts, if they are in the book at all, but London's Mum is her foundation. London has someone who loves and cares about her which gives the book some warmth and heart.

The one stumbling block for me was the pacing at the start of the novel. I felt that we spent a little bit too much time just living in London's world to sympathise with her. I was drawn into her world and sucked into this dark mystery of the one dark memory that she can't pin in the future and can't remember from her past. I wish the crux of the story had occurred a little bit sooner for me.

This book had such a satisfactory ending that it almost felt complete. ALMOST. Cleverly hidden in the plot towards the end are a number of threads that I can totally see being picked up to create a thrilling series that I will want to consume all in one go! Unfortunately I will have to wait for the next book, and then probably have to wait some more for the book after that!

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 24th August 2010
Series: The Hunger Games #3
Source: Own Kindle Copy

Warning: Synopsis and Review Contain Spoilers For Hunger Games #1 and #2.

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final instalment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding. - From Goodreads

I am constantly telling people they should read this book. The one thing I struggle with is trying to convey to them just how amazing the story is. Whenever someone asks what the story is about I either give them With the all the love I had for The Hunger Games and Catching Fire still running through me, I quickly moved on to Mockingjay.

Right away I thought there was a different feeling to this book. There was a different kind of tension running through the story. We pick up about an hour after the end of Catching Fire and the action starts right away. This book stays away from hunger games and focuses on the aftermath from the end of book 2 and how it changes the districts. By the way did I mention that I went to The Capitol and I was registered to District 1. Here's my id -

I think we saw a different side to Katniss in this book. She seemed to step up to the plate in the first book and sulk in reluctance in the second book. In this book she seemed to just want to pretend that she is not a pivotal figure and focus on her own worries, namely Peeta. Oh Peeta, his part to this story made my heart break and I wanted nothing more than for everything to be back to normal!!

This had to be my least favourite of the 3 books due to the political nature of the story and because in a strange way I love the Hunger Games and I missed them. However, for me, the ending to this book made up for no hunger games and left me weeping and heartbroken! I finished this series crying but feeling very satisfied.

I can't wait to see these films, I will be first in the queue. I say again to anyone who has not picked up any of these books yet, what are you waiting for go and get them now and start reading the minute you get home. I know I will be giving a few sets of these books to people for their Christmas, lucky them!!

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: 4th January 2011
Series: Unearthly #1
Source: Own Copy

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. - From Goodreads

I am fascinated by angels. Some of them are pure and as we have seen in a number of other Angel based books there are also "bad" angels waiting to corrupt our main characters. Part angels or Nephilim are just as fascinating, have you ever seen the Paul Wesley mini series The Fallen? I thought was awesome! (If you have not seen this yet then check it out!!) With the popularity of angels being the main supernatural  increasing at the moment I was surprised to find that Unearthly felt really fresh and new to me. It was not what I was expecting, in a really good way.

For a start the main character is Clara who is struggling to come to terms with the fact she is part angel and has a destiny or purpose to fulfill. Before Clara began to get her visions all she really had to worry about was not being too good at school as being an angel-blood means she is faster, stronger and smarter than a teenage girl should be. Clara's visions start with a handsome boy standing in the woods. From this vision her family (Mum and Brother) move across the country to live where Clara has to be for her vision to take place.

We only find out small details about the vision at a time and the boy who has a starring role in it, Christian. He is not the only handsome man though; there is also the twin brother of Clara's best friend, Tucker. Now to me I felt that the character of Christian was a bit distant and a bit flat and Tucker was definitely the star of the show for me, I am Team Tucker all the way (although I do admit I have a thing for the rugged cowboy)! I think if Christian had been a bit more rounded as a character I would have felt more like there was anguish between the 2 boys.

I liked that a lot of this story was Clara's internal struggle of doing what feels right and what others perceive to be right. There is also a good number of issues left hanging at the end of the book which I am looking forward to finding out about in further books but none of them left me feeling cheated. Too often with books in a series I feel like parts of the story are just left to make you come back, but in this case it felt like there was just so much to know and we would find out in time when it was needed for the story.

I can't wait for the next book in this series, it promises to be amazing.

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Published: 14th June 2011
Series: Hourglass #1
Source: Own Copy

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut. - From Goodreads

This book begins with a beautiful cover and then the writing and the story pulls you in and walks you along right to the end. In my mind this was a short book due to the fact that I could not put it down so it took me just over a day to read.

Emerson Cole lives with her older brother and his wife after returning from boarding school and, before that, a stint in a psychiatric hospital. Emerson has a special gift, which is what landed her in hospital in the first place, she can see visions of people from the past. Enter the dashing Michael!!

Michael is from the Hourglass organisation. I feel in this book we only touch on Hourglass and what it is but we are given enough to keep us gagging for more. More details, more Em, more Michael, more Hourglass!! I think that the writing in this book is very graceful. It does not feel like you get bogged down in anything. All the characters are well written and rounded and you quickly get a feel for what the characters are all about.

I loved this book. A wonderful debut from Myra McEntire and I am looking forward to the next in the series.