Review: This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

Title: This Is Not A Test
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 19th June 2012
Source: Own Copy

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Knowing that this is a Courtney Summers zombie book, you know it is not going to be a straight forward story of survival. The main character Sloane Price felt like she had very little to live for before the outbreak. She was alone in a horrible home situation after her sister left, and when the outbreak occurred Sloan saw it as a way to leave this world with no one noticing. When she ends up with five other students taking shelter in the local high school Sloane is not sure she even wants to be there.

What I love about novels including zombies is the tension. Zombie books should be straight up survival books with the horror almost coming from what the living are willing to do to survive. Since at the start of this book Sloane wants to die I felt that there was a lack of tension. To be fair this did build during the course of the book and the desperation of the other characters came through in the writing too.

As usual, Courtney Summers builds a complex character with real fears and feelings. You can't help but immediately sympathise with Sloane and understand why she has become numb to her own life. This numbness carries through a good part of the story which I found entertaining even if it was a bit lacking in tension.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I did with Some Girls Are and Cracked Up To Be but I enjoyed it none the less and I will be queuing up to read whatever she writes next!

Review: Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

Title: Allison Hewitt is Trapped
Author: Madeleine Roux
Published: 1st Jan 2011
Publisher: Headline
Series: Zombie #1
Source: Own copy

One woman's story as she blogs - and fights back - the zombie apocalypse

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison’s blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans. - From Goodreads

This book had been on my want list for months and months. On my last birthday I got this as a present (thanks mum and dad!). I was over the moon and could not wait to start reading. I really enjoy the whole zombie genre and have been a fan of The Walking Dead graphic novels and the TV show, add that to this book is written in the style of a blog and to me it sounded like a winner!

Alison Hewitt is trapped. In the back room of the book shop where she worked with five of her colleagues. The only thing separating her from the zombies roaming outside is the heavy metal door. To stop herself from going insane Allison starts a blog connecting to SNET, an emergency military network. After deciding that there is no chance of surviving as they are the group start scavenging using the shop's security camera as a lookout. Zombies are not the only thing however that you need to look out for.

Alison was a great character and as she was talking to us through the medium of a blog (that she thinks no one was reading to start with) we really got to feel how she and the others were dealing with the situation. For me, I thought Allison was a really strong character and I really liked how she took charge of the situation when it was looking desperate. She starts off quite normal, but with everything she is going through we really see her evolve to be a bit of a badass!!

This was such a well executed idea with each chapter being a blog post. There were also comments from other survivors at the end of the chapter which added to the enjoyment. The whole story had the right level of tension running through it at all times, with some bits being quite mellow and almost relaxed and other parts where I could have put the book down if I wanted to. This book is all about expecting the unexpected, but not veering off into the ridiculous.

I liked this book, but learned very quickly not to get too attached to any of the other characters. Zombies and blogs are the perfect mix, with a little violence thrown in for good measure!! There were a few of the plot points I didn't like so much, but only because of the direction it took the story in and in the situation of "what would I do?" I probably would have done different! All in all however this was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book from Madeleine Roux, Sadie Walker Is Stranded!

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: 3rd May 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Series: Divergent #1
Source: Own Kindle Copy

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance. - From Goodreads

I will happily put my hands in the air and state that in the past I have not always been a fan of a dystopian story. I often find the worlds hard to relate to or the situations the characters are in just too unusual, so I tend to stay away. I am happy to state that there have been a few dystopian books recently that I have loved, and the more of them I read and love, the more I think I could probably get into the genre, I just stumbled across a couple of duds early on. With Divergent I found I could not put it down, to the point that I was trying desperately to fit in reading wherever I could.

In this future version of Chicago, socitey is split into five distinct factions: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Ertude, each with their own particular virtue. Beatrice has grown up as a member of the Amity faction which stands for utter selflessness over all else, so it is a shock to all that she would choose to become a member of Dauntless who follow the path of courage. Since Beatrice has to leave her family and her life as a member of Amity behind she renames herself Tris as she enters the initiation.With death threats, secrets and a potential love interest this book kept me on my toes.

I felt an instant bond with Tris. She has grown up in a life where her inner voice is at war with how she should be acting and behaving for a member of Amity. This gave Tris instant relateability for me and I found I was invested in her story right away. Then we have Four... OMG Four!! He is one of the instructors leading the new recruits through the dangerous initiation for Dauntless and all I can say is that he can pin me in a fight any time!! He embodies everything you want in a male character, he is strong but also sweet and caring. He is also complex and deep, but not too shut off or devoid of emotion with glimpses of the pain he has encountered in the past. These glimpses make me want to reach into the book and give him a hug.

I found that the relationship between Tris and Four was rather refreshing. For a change Tris does not dwell or punish herself for her attraction to Four, instead she focuses on surviving so that she can see him again. Tris reminded me of one my other kick-ass favourite heroines Katniss Everdeen... yes that Katniss Everdeen of Hunger Games fame!! Both of these amazing women seem to spend massive amounts of time covered in bruises and trying to survive even when the odds are stacked against them!!

I was dragged into this beautifully written world, in which the details seemed to come alive. I loved all of the characters, even the ones that I was supposed to hate. I enjoyed seeing how the story played out for all the characters. The story is mainly based around Tris's induction into Dauntless but there are some great threads weaving through the story which all come together for an ending that had me on the edge of my seat and feeling every emotion that Tris did! It was a brilliantly executed story which had a good pace and had me finishing the book very quickly.

I absolutely can't wait to see what is next for the Divergent Tris!

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: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Published: 9th April 2009
Series: If I Stay #1
Source: Own Kindle Copy

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time. -From Goodreads

This book stunned me from the very beginning. It was nothing that I expected. This was a fresh new take on a story that I will admit made me cry quite a bit and left me speechless.

From the first chapter you are thrown into Mia's life, with her happy Family, love of classical music and amazing boyfriend. I was completely sucked in from the first page and then the crash. The way the crash was described was so heartbreaking and out of her whole family Mia is the only one who did not die on impact. However Mia is not OK.

This story is told by Mia while she is in the coma and her observations from her out-of-body experience. We hear Mia talk about her past and experience what is going on in the present. I loved the use of past and present, and often when I was wrapped up in Mia's description of her life as it was, I would forget what was actually going on.

I have been thinking about this book for months not quite sure how to express my feelings for it. I loved this book even though there was a rawness to it which made me ache inside and be grateful for everything I have. I don't want to keep gushing over how emotional a read this was for me. It made me cry, but it made me happy at the same time. To me this felt like a stand alone book as I would be completely satisfied to just leave the story as it is, but I am happy to be given the chance in Where she Went to read more!

Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (VA3)

Title: Shadow Kiss
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: 13th November 2008
Series: Vampire Academy #3
Source: Own Copy

Warning: Description and Review Contain Some Spoilers!!

Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret .... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever... - From Goodread

If I could marry a series of books it would be this one!! I love them so much!! OK, so I will roll back on the loving and the exclamation marks but Richelle Mead is able to keep all of her story lines away from the obvious, but without seeming too crazy or off-the-wall. If that was not enough we have the smoking hot Dimitri, who makes you want to crawl into the book just to touch him... hmmm... Dimitri... OK, sorry I'm back!

We left off at the end of book 2 with the death of Mason after they had spent a good portion of the book in a ski lodge. This death has an impact on everyone involved, but for Rose Mason's death triggers something in her which means she can now see Mason and other ghosts. Now, I can't remember if this was covered, but why was she not seeing ghosts the last time she left protected grounds? Like when her and Lissa ran away, or when they were stuck in the Strigoi house at the end of the last book. I have the feeling the reason is that it was triggered with the trauma of losing Mason, but I'm not sure. I remember she was seeing them on the plane on the way to the ski lodge before mason was killed and they gave her a killer headache, why was this the first time?

Oh, how can I be 2 paragraphs in and not have mentioned Adrian. I am firmly in the camp of Team Dimitri and it is clear that Dimitri and Rose are supposed to be together, but I love an underdog. This means that secretly I am also rooting for Adrian. I mean it is clear that he is a damaged soul who just needs some love. Argh it makes me feel so torn! Also in this novel I think I lost a little bit of love for Lissa. I mean come on woman can't you see your BFF needs you?!?

I liked that this book was based back at the school on familiar turf we already knew about. In this book Rose also has training which puts her as Lissa's Guardian withing school where the trainers will jump out and attack like real Strigoli. What does this mean? It means some awesome fights!! This book takes you from highs to lows to a real attack on the school. One that is so bad, it leaves you shaking the book to try and change the outcome, then moving straight on to book 4 without stopping to even look at another book. Well done Richelle!

Review: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Scholastic Pres
Published: 24th May 2011
Source: Own Copy

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again. - From Goodreads

So I wanted to read this book for a couple of reasons, firstly I absolutely love the cover and secondly I thought the story sounded great.

I remember at school Lord of the Flies was the first book we read in class that I could not get enough of. The premise of  a group of strangers being stranded on a desert island and having to fend for themselves is one of my favorites. There are so many different stories which can be explored with on top of this base storyline. What will they do for food? Is the island hostile? Will they all get along or will there be tension within the survivors? Will they be the only humans on the island? Do they have the knowledge to get everything they need to survive? Will any of them go crazy due to the situation? I could continue asking questions on and on and on... I am an absolutely massive Survivor fan.

I was expecting that Beauty Queens would feel a bit like reading Lord of the Flies, but I found that this was not the case. I felt that there was a lot more menace to the whole story with a weird alt-reality government and a wannabe president who wants to do deals with a psycho dictator who likes to dress as Elvis. All in all it seemed far more like Lost than Lord of the Flies. I had no problem with this and I think the alt-reality lent itself to some unexpected story twists.

So the deal with the alt-reality is that there seems to be a single overseeing body called The Corporation who are kind of like a national puppet master. They seem to have control over most things including pharmaceuticals, beauty products, clothes, weaponry etc... The story is interrupted every so often with "Commercials", which often made me laugh out loud, for products, programming or facts about the surviving Beauty Queens. I also got the impression that within this society there was massive pressure for women to conform to what is perceived as beautiful and that men could do as they liked.

I really enjoyed this book and by about halfway through some of the characters which had annoyed me to begin with had grown on me and I was rooting for them all. For me the real enjoyment in this book was the details, like the boy band song titles, or some of the male characters who were introduced later on in the story, however at times this could slow the flow of the story. My experience of this book may have been helped by the fact that I read most of this book on holiday lying on the beach.

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Published: 1st September 2009
Series: The Hunger Games #2
Source: Own Kindle Copy

WARNING - DESCRIPTION AND REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR HUNGER GAMES

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol. Catching Fire maintains the adrenaline rush of Suzanne Collins's series launch. - From Goodreads

My love of Hunger Games saw me transitioning straight from one book right into the next. I absolutely adored the Hunger Games and wanted to clap my hands at the end of the book when Katniss and Peeta won!! Woo Hoo, those two deserved it, they worked hard to survive against the odds and it turns out that their triumph was the spark needed to cause unrest within the Districts.

This book had a slightly different feel to Hunger Games. We already know from the first book what the Hunger Games are about and the power wielded by The Capitol to keep the Districts in line. I thought that the start of Catching Fire felt a little unsettled, almost like it did not know where it was going, however I think we are supposed to feel this way.

Katniss and Peeta are back from the Hunger Games and as you would expect, after surviving against the odds, they are feeling like they don't know their place within the society they have returned to. Quickly though the story returns to the Hunger Games and the environment we are familiar with, not failing to deliver on the suspense we found in the first book.

I can't rave about this series enough and will be forcing my Mum read these as soon as she has the time, along with anyone else who will listen to me about how good they are!! I can't wait for the film to come out!

Review: The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Baswell

Title: The Nine Lives of Chloe King
Author: Liz Braswell
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 7th June 2011
Series: Chloe King # 1 - 3

Chloe King is a normal girl. She goes to class (most of the time), fights with her mom, and crushes on a boy…or two. But around her sixteenth birthday, Chloe finds that perhaps she isn’t so normal after all. There’s the heightened night vision, the super fast reflexes – oh, and the claws.
As she discovers who she is – and where she comes from – it is clear she is not alone. And someone is trying to get her.
Chloe has nine lives. But will nine be enough? - From Goodreads

I was desperate to read this book as I love the TV show and I felt it was not moving fast enough for me so I decided to find out the ending as soon as possible (OK so I have very little patience!!). This was a fine book. I did not have any major problems with any specific parts of this book, more just niggly annoyances. I think having seen most of season 1 before reading this gave me a better understanding of the vision and the concept.

So if you know absolutely nothing about Chloe King here are the top 5 things you need to know about Chloe King (the book character!) -

1. Chloe King is Mai. Descended from the Egyptian cat goddesses on her 16th birthday she develops crazy balancing skills, claws and generally becomes half human half cat!

2. Chloe is a special Mai and has 9 lives. After falling off the top of that tall tower in San Fransisco (hey I'm from the UK I can't remember everything!!) she dies and comes back to life.

3. I find Chloe's 2 best friends ridiculously annoying and wish she would just walk away from them. I thought the characters of Amy and Paul were weak and most of the time moaning about how bad a friend Chloe is.

4. Chloe has 2 hot guys chasing after her. Alec is Mai, Russian and cocky, you would think that this would make Chloe go all weak at the knees, but there is also Brian. The problem is Brian is human and Mai and humans cannot mix. In fact Mai are deadly for humans. This makes the whole Brian relationship doomed.

5. Lastly I think Chloe's attitude at the beginning of the book stinks!! In my day I would get a 4 hour lecture and grounded if I refused to talk to my mother, skipped school for a day to hang out with my buddies and snuck out most nights (damn, I didn't get away with anything.) Towards the end of the book she does seem to grow up a bit and take a bit more responsibility which is better.

There are some similarities between the books and the TV series, especially the first book, but the story seems to have diverged onto a different path in the TV show. I enjoyed the book and found it very easy and quick to get into and finish.

 

ABC Family

Rating: 3 / 5

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Published: 14th December 2009
Series: The Hunger Games #1
Source: Own Kindle Copy

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love. - From Goodreads

I have been sitting on this review for a while as I was unsure just how to express my passion for this book. I picked it up off the back of lots of good reviews. Reading the back of the book it sounded like a teen version of Battle Royale which is right up my street. I love a story which is a fight for survival which is exactly what this book held and more. I actually can't wait for the film to be made and I keep pushing this book on everyone I know (and some people I don't know!!)!

Every year there is a draw in every district surrounding Capitol where 1 boy and 1 girl are chosen to fight to the death in a televised event called the Hunger Games. Unsurprisingly we find the lead character in this story, Katniss Everdeen, chosen to be the girl from her division. Katniss is everything you want from a heroine. She is headstrong, stubborn, smart and often questions herself.

The book feels like it is split into sections. The first being with her family in her district, then going through prep and training, and finally the games themselves. I dont' want to give too much away from the story as to me the whole book was a joy with new delights on every page. All I can say is that if you have not read this already, do it now!!

Revew: Forest of Hands and Feet by Carrie Ryan

Publisher: Gollancz

Published: July 2009

Series: Hands and Feet #1

Source: Own Copy

From Goodreads: 
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

I loved that this was a story about zombies where the focus was on the living. Mary lives in a simple time where the focus is on surviving. The Unconsecrated (zombies) are not a recent development but something everyone has lived with all of their lives. Living in a village surrounded by fences Mary's daily life is simple and full of chores, but if the warning bell rings there has been a breach and everyone must get to elevated platforms built into trees to stay away from the dead. To ensure survival the sisterhood demand that everyone marries as soon as they are ready. Mary has the weary task of marrying someone who loves her even if she loves someone else. Soon Mary starts asking questions such as who gave the Sisterhood their power, what are they hiding and what are behind the gates in the village?

From very early on in this novel I felt there were similar tones to the M. Night Shyamalan film "The Village". You have that feeling of being isolated and only knowing the village but suspecting that there must be something else outside through the Forest of Hands and Feet. The writing in this book made me fell that I was full immersed in the life (even if I was lying on a sun lounger beside a pool!!) and was feeling all of the doubts along with Mary.

I loved the characters in this book, well I didn't LOVE them all, I thought there were some nasty characters, but I thought they were all well written. The story does not rush along either. I read this book in a day, but I felt like I had been reading it much longer as the story took it's time to unfold and develop. There were certain parts to the story, where she would find something which we would be familiar with but was completely foreign to Mary, which made me want to shout at the book. I thought it was a really interesting concept that whatever education they had was focused on the present and how to survive, and never looking at the past.

I can't wait to pick up the sequels to this book and see what is to become of the world we live in.