Deadly Cool

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

SOLICITED ARC REVIEW

Published- 11th October 2011
Publisher- HarperTeen
Pages- 303 pages (Paperback)

Summary- Hartley has just found out her boyfriend Josh has cheated on her with the Chastity Virgin Queen Courteney. However, when Hartley goes to confront Josh at his house she finds Courteney's dead body. This leads her into a world of murder, intrigue and mystery. Everyone believes Josh is the killer, but did he really do it? Who is the real killer? It's up to Hartley to find out the answers.

Hartley was a good main female character because she was determined to find out the truth about who actually killed Courteney. This lead her on a long and dangerous adventure with the help of her best friend Sam and Chase (the gothic bad boy). Hartley can be described as courageous, brave, smart and reliable. However, she does spill details of her investigation to the police and tv crews really easily when she hasn't really found out any new information yet.

Chase and Sam were also good characters because they made the perfect team with Hartley. They were all determined to find out who the killer was. Chase was described as the bad gothic boy who you didn't know if he was good or bad/killer or innocent suspect in Hartley's investigation. Hartley and Chase made the ultimate investigating team in my opinion because they both used their knowledge and the evidence they had to crack the murder case. Courteney wasn't a popular person so there were lots of suspects in her murder.

Throughout the whole of this novel you were kept guessing as to who the killer could be. When you thought you had guessed the killer another piece of action would happen or another piece of evidence would be found. So the whole way through you kept changing your mind as to who the killer actually was, even coming up with your own bizarre storylines as to what could have happened (but didn't). This novel contained mystery, intrigue, action, murder and kept you guessing throughout the whole novel as you could never guess who the killer actually was. Overall, I give this novel 5/5 stars as I really enjoyed it and would definitely read it again (even though I now know who did it). This was a fast paced novel and readers will definitely enjoy it so get reading Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday.

                          Rating 5/5
    

The Book of Blood and Shadow

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

SOLICITED ARC REVIEW

Published- 10th April 2012
Publisher- Random House Children's Books
Pages- 434 pages (E-book ARC Version)

The novel is based on the main female character Nora Kane. She is a shy girl with 2 best friends called Adriane and Chris. Adriane and Chris are a couple and Nora becomes a couple with Max (Chris's room mate). However, their worlds are changed when Chris is murdered, Adriane is left in a mental institution (she was at the murder scene when her boyfriend was murdered) and Nora goes in search of answers from the book, also to find out who murdered Chris. The murder was blamed on Max, but did he really do it? The book leads Nora in search of a device called the Lumen Dei, but what is this ancient device and what does it do?

This novel is broken down into 4 different parts each with their own different amount of chapters. It took me a while to read as I was really busy and didn't have much time to read. However, the novel did contain action, mystery, some parts romance and murder. Some of this novel was written in Czech as the main characters had to travel to Prague to find answers to the mystery. Other parts of the novel were letters written by Elizabeth Weston (one of the main people the mysterious book is about). The mystery contained throughout this whole novel didn't start until the characters got to Prague.

Nora was a good female character because she started off a shy person, but soon found her voice and became a couragious female character. She fought for what is right and wanted to find the answers about the book she was so desparately seeking. Eli was a good main character because you didn't know exactly who he was. Was he a good guy or a bad guy. He was also the guy with all the combat fighting moves. Luckily for Nora he was always there when she needed protecting from their main enemy. Max was the guy you were supposed to like and think he was being framed for Chris's murder, but what is the truth behind Max's story. Adriane was supposed to be the nice best friend, but also a bit of a mean person sometimes. However, was she always telling Nora the truth about what was going on her life after her time in the mental institution?

Overall, this was a good novel, but it was slow in some parts. It was hard at times to read some of it as it was written in Czech, but I gave it a go. Luckily the parts in Czech had English translations written after them. It helps teach you a new language in some parts of this novel. Overall, I give this novels 3/5 stars. This novel hasn't yet been released, but once it is I think that people should read this novel if they like mystery novels and novels which contain murder/who done it.

            Rating 3/5
  

Sirenz

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

SOLICITED ARC REVIEW

Published- 8th June 2011
Publisher- Flux
Pages- 280 pages (Paperback)

The main characters in this novel are Meg and Shar. As an overview of what this novel is about is that Meg and Shar get recruited by Hades (leader of the Underworld) to become his new sirens. They have a mission to lure their celebrity target to the door of the Underworld. Shar is the girly girl who loves anything pink, whereas Meg is the tomboy who loves anything which is black. With this book I received 2 phone charms which are to do with this story. The phone charms were of kitty cats, one was pink (Shar) and the other was black (Meg). They represented each of the characters and you find out why they are a part of this novel if you give it a read.

Meg and Shar are brilliant female characters because they don't get along all the time. They are just like lots of other groups of friends who have their arguments. The girls are always disagreeing about what their plan should be to try and get their target to the door of the Underworld. Nothing ever goes right when there are people who want you to fail your task. What the girls don't know when they agree to work for Hades is that each time they use their siren powers the more they turn into a bird. Meg's power is to lure people by talking to them. Shar's power is to lure people by looking at them. However, their powers only work on men and not women.

Within this novel I would consider the main male characters as Jeremy, Mr Romanov and Hades. Jeremy is the person who starts the whole Surenz cycle. However, Hades is the one who employs the girls to become his new Sirenz. Jeremy is described as a gorgeous guy who has an eye for Meg, but does Meg feel the same way for him? The main way to describe Hades is devious, a trickster and menacing. Jeremy I will describe as the perfect teenage gentleman, good looking and charming.

If you love novels about hell and the underworld then this is definitely the novel for you. Hades is a devil who always has tricks up his sleeve. He is always trying to get one of the girls to be with him. I can't tell you who, however, as this would be considered a spoiler. The characters of the underworld are all really good as they each bring something different to the story line of the novel.

This is a brilliant novel which I believe everyone needs to check out. It is the debut team novel by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman (not each authors first novel, but first team novel). My overall rating for this novel is 4/5 stars. If you love stories about hell, the underworld and supernatural beings then this is a novel for you. Check it out as soon as you lay your hands on a copy.

                   Rating 4/5
   

Book Haul (Before September) Part 1

Here are books that I bought in the months leading up to September. Not all of them have been read yet as my TBR pile is really big. However, reviews will be posted on this blog when they have been read :)

By Midnight- Mia James

The Christmas Collection- Carol Higgins Clark

Once Dead Twice Shy- Kim Harrison

Intertwined- Gena Showalter

Beastly- Alex Flinn

Red Riding Hood- Sarah Blakeley Cartwright

Stefan Diaries Origins & Bloodlust- L.J.Smith

Vampire Diaries 3/4 & 5- L.J.Smith

Vampire Diaries 1/2- L.J.Smith

Let Me In- John Ajvide Lindqvist

I Am Number Four- Pittacus Lore



IMM (Before September)

Here are all the books I have received in the mail from authors and publishers to review in the months leading up to September. Some of these books still need to be reviewed, but there will be reviews coming up on this blog once I have read them :)

Mermaid- Carolyn Turgeon

The Guardian Angel's Journal- Carolyn Jess-Cooke

Della Says OMG & Jessie Loves NYC- Keris Stanton

The Sweetest Thing- Christina Mandelski

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester- Lara Zielin

Tighter- Adele Griffin

Anathema- Megg Jensen

To Die For- Sandra Byrd

Incubus & Arcadia Falls- Carol Goodman

Serena Embracing Darkness- Laurie Bowler

Scars- Cheryl Rainfield

Deadly Cool- Gemma Halliday

Prized- Caragh M.O'Brien



Straight Outta Scotland

Straight Outta Scotland by Gavin Bain

Published- 28th April 2011
Publisher- Simon and Schuster Ltd
Pages- 274 pages (Paperback)

Straight Outta Scotland is based on the life of my awesome friend Gavin Bain. It focuses on his life in the music industry with Silibil and Brains (this being Gavin Bain). This book was written entirely by Gavin himself. This book is filled with cons, fights, girls and suicide attempts (only 1 suicide attempt I must add).

The only suicide attempt in this novel is written about at the start in the prologue. Gavin is found by his sister after having taken a mixed batch of pills. Gavin does end up in hospital a few more times after this from injuries he sustained in fights. Only one death is written about in this novel and that was of a close friend of Gavin's. The suicide attempt and the death of Gavin's close friend were the saddest parts of this novel.

Gavin and Billy (Silibil), who are both from Scotland, conned the music industry into believing they were the next big hip hop act from America. They managed to pull this con off for a couple of years aswell, until everything started to unravel for the band. Billy liked to party lots and drink a lot. Gavin liked to do the same, but he also wanted to concentrate on making new music for the band. This started to cause tension between Gavin and Billy until it all reached a head when Billy announced he was getting married and disappeared from the house they shared.

The fights written about in this novel were between Gavin, Billy and other guys from clubs. However, there were also a few fights between Gavin and Billy themselves when they started to disagree on what they wanted from life and the band. The main fight taking place between them when Billy announced he was getting married and was basically distancing himself from the band/the music. The guys loved going out on tour so they could pull as many girls as possible. They loved the ladies and the ladies loved them.

Towards the end of this novel you start to read about what happened in Gavin's life after Silibil and Brains ended. Gavin's one main passion in life was music and this is what he wanted to continue in the future of his life. From this Hopeless Heroic was created and to this day they are an awesome rock band with a twist. They are the only rock band I know to have a very talented violinist in their band.

This is a must read novel if you want to see how a talented musician duped the music industry into believing he was from America and not Scottish. Now Gavin has gone back to his natural Scottish accent. Hopeless Heroic continue to make rocking music with their best song being, in my opinion, Guinea Pig Syndrome. In my opinion this is a must read novel for any music fan. This book gets 5/5 stars as it is a brilliant novel by my awesome friend Gavin Bain.

                                  Rating 5/5
    

Tighter

Tighter by Adele Griffin

SOLICITED ARC REVIEW

Published- 10th May 2011
Publisher- Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages- 216 pages (Paperback)

Tighter is a good supernatural novel which centres on the main female character Jamie. Jamie is a good female character as she goes through some of the same problems that other teenage girls have to face. Problems such as crushes, health problems and job problems. The best male character in this novel in my opinion is Sebastian because he really identifies with the problems which Jamie is going through and he really likes her so he would do anything to help her.

For people who haven't read this novel the main premise of the novel (from the blurb on the back) is that Jamie becomes an au-pair in Little Bly for a young girl called Isa. However, when Jamie gets to Little Bly she finds out that the previous au-pair for Isa, called Jessie, died the previous summer in a plane crash. Jamie then finds out that she looks exactly like the dead girl Jessie and everyone is shocked by their identical appearances.

This whole novel is filled with ghosts, intrigue and mystery. However, to find out what happens throughout this novel means you must read it for yourself or else you will never know. I only gave this book 4/5 stars as I felt it was missing a bit of action from the story. If the story contained more action with the ghosts then it would have got the full 5 stars. However, this was a brilliant novel and I suggest that everyone read it if you like mystery ghost novels. If you are a fan of Adele Griffin's novels then you definitely need to give this a read and soon.

                   Rating 4/5
   

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin

SOLICITED ARC REVIEW

Published- 4th August 2011
Publisher- Putnam Juvenille
Pages- 278 pages (Paperback)

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester is filled with teenage rebellion, school proms and teen pregnancy. This novel has, in my opinion, a gorgeous cover as it gives you the prom feel with the sparkly tiara. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel as it is a quick read if you have lots of time to read.

The basic storyline of this novel is basically Aggie having to deal with her best friend Sylvia's problems, wheter she (Aggie) should get back together with her ex-Neil and school prom drama/problems. Aggie is a brilliant female character who a lot of teenagers can relate to. She rebels against her parents quite a lot (by becoming a Goth) and she is very opinionated and just tells things how she sees them.

As the novel progresses you learn more about what kind of people Sylvia and Neil really are. Aggie also finds out who she can really trust with the stuff she knows. The main context of this story is about being a teenager and having to deal with all kinds of school, friendship and relationship problems.

Overall, this was a brilliant novel and I really enjoyed reading it. My rating is 4/5 stars. I would recommend this to everyone to read once it has been released in August. This book is highly recommended to teenagers as it relates very well to teenagers and how to deal with school/prom problems.

              Rating 4/5
   

Rules of Attraction

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Published- April 27th 2010
Publisher- Walker and Company
Pages- 324 pages (Paperback)

This is the 2nd novel in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy. In my opinion this was a brilliant novel just like Perfect Chemistry. It tells the romance story between Carlos Fuentes and Kiara Westford. This novel kind of starts the same way that Perfect Chemistry did in the way that Carlos and Kiara start off hating each other and then they start developing feelings for each other. The story finishes with a chapter which is 26 years in the future so you find out what happens for Kiara and Carlos in the future.

This trilogy of novels keep you gripped until the very last page as you just want to keep reading to find out if Kiara and Carlos become a couple. Kiara is a girl from a rich family, whereas Carlos is a poor guy who is just like his brother Alex in many ways. Carlos wants to be in a gang, he's a hardman, likes fixing cars and is a mystery to others. Carlos and Kiara have their lives changed forever when Carlos comes to live with the Westford family after something (I can't say what as it would spoil the story) happens to him.

Kiara is a really good main female character as she has a lot of males traits about her. For example, she likes fixing cars, climbing mountains and doing fun/daring challenges. She starts off innocent (like Brittany), but Carlos makes her come out of her shell. Carlos is also an irresistible male character (like Alex) as he is a mystery to women, but in the end he would do anything for the woman he loves.

Overall, this novel shows how this couple decides their own future and battle through the challenges standing in their path. Throughout the whole novel challenges are coming for every angle and Carlos and Kiara have to try and get through them whether that be together or alone. This is definitely a novel everyone needs to read if you love romance novels or just loved Perfect Chemistry. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars as it was a fantastic novel. Chain Reaction is book 3 in the trilogy and it focuses on Alex and Carlos' younger brother Luis.

                             Rating 5/5