Review: Mutant City by Steve Feasey

Title: Mutant City.
Author: Steve Feasey.
Publication Date: May 8th, 2014.
Publisher: Bloomsbury.
Format: Paperback, 345 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Fifty years ago, the world was almost destroyed by a chemical war. Now the world is divided into the mutants and the pure. Mutants must fight for survival in a scarred landscape, while the privileged pure live out a life of disease-free perfection.

Thirteen years ago, a covert government experimental facility was shut down and its residents killed. The secrets it held died with them. But five extraordinary kids survived.

Today four teenagers are about to discover that their mutant blood brings with it special powers. They are heading straight for Mutant City with rival factions close behind. One by one, they face the enemy. Together, they must stay alive . . .

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Mutant City is one of those books that I just didn’t expect to love as much as I did. Mutant City did take me a few weeks to read, as I’ve been in a huge reading slump lately, but I enjoyed every moment I was reading it! Although a few of the ideas in Mutant City aren’t exactly original; it’s a fun, fast-paced, and action-packed book that will ensnare the reader and keep them wanting to turn the pages to find out what’ll happen next.

Mutant City switches perspectives throughout the book, so each new chapter is in the view of a different character – I believe it switches between 5 or 6 characters throughout the book. At the beginning, this was rather confusing, and I found myself flipping back to the first few pages to find out which character was which. But by the time I’d read about quarter of Mutant City I was really engrossed and invested in pretty much all the characters.

Rush is one of the characters that we read the most about, and I really loved him. He’s a bit of a head-strong guy, but eventually learns to trust the new people he’s meeting. I just loved the amount of compassion he showed throughout the book towards the people he cares about. Brick is also another one of the main characters in Mutant City, and although there really isn’t that many chapters based solely on him, I adored his character too. He’s a big guy, as mentioned on many different occasions throughout the book, but he has a soft heart, and is just a really strong, caring and overall loveable character.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Mutant City and I think it truly is a brilliant and wonderful novel. The fact that you get thrown completely into the middle of Steve Feasey’s world does leave you a little confused, however it doesn’t take long to acclimatise and things become much clearer the more you read. Steve Feasey’s writing is fun and quirky, and although it’s definitely not perfect – I still absolutely adored it. I’d recommend anyone who loves a bit of Sci-Fi to read Mutant City, especially if you’re a fan of X-Men, as I’ve heard that they’re supposed to be quite similar! I believe Mutant City well and truly deserves the 4 star rating I gave it, and I can’t wait to see what happens next – as I hope there’s a sequel - because the cliff hanger ending was frustrating, but really awesome at the same time.

Quotes

‘The farm was established so I might look into mutant anomalies.’
‘Anomalies?’
‘Aberrations. Mutations so extreme that they defy scientific explanation.’ He paused to wet his dry, cracked lips.
Zander was beginning to wonder if the old man’s ramblings might be simply a result of the pain-controlling medication he was on. He glanced back towards the door, weighing up whether he should call one of the nursing staff.
The old man continued. ‘I’d heard rumours about mutants from the most extreme environments who had psychic powers and other weird abilities.’ - Page 31.

The stone he dropped, almost casually, out of the same hand landed perfectly in the small square of leather between the long thongs, and he twirled the entire thing about his head, the weapon making a low whoosh that got increasingly loud with each revolution. On the third turn he leaned into the throw and released one of the thongs so the stone flew out at a terrific speed, streaking through the air like a bullet. There was an audible crack! as the projectile connected with its target, followed by the sound of the crossbow clattering to the ground. For a moment Forkhand seemed unaware he’d been hit. He stood as a rivulet of blood flowed down his face from the centre of his forehead.
Then his eyes rolled up towards the heavens and he collapsed. Page 187 – 188.

‘Look who’s here,’ Rush said, nodding in Tink’s direction. Dotty took one look at the man, let out a less than friendly hurgh and walked out again, pausing in the doorway to fart loudly. ‘Well, what do you know?’ Tink said with a grin. ‘The miserable critter still hates me.’ - Page 286.

Review: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don't Look Back.
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Publication Date: 10th April, 2014.
Publisher: Hodder.
Format: Paperback, 368 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



My breath caught and I dropped the letter, scuttling back on the bed. Heart racing, I closed my eyes, but I could still see the words...

Samantha Franco has the perfect life. Until, that is, she and her best friend Cassie disappear and only Samantha resurfaces...with no knowledge of what happened.

And Cassie stays missing. Gradually, Samantha begins to piece together her memories of that night. If she can do that, she may yet be able to save her friend. And, little by little, something begins to emerge...

Then she gets the note:
DON’T LOOK BACK.
YOU WON’T LIKE WHAT YOU FIND.

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I’ve only read one other book by Jennifer L. Armentrout before, and I absolutely adored it – so I have to say, when I first started reading Don’t Look Back, my expectations were ridiculously high. I’m so glad to say that they were not just met, but blown away by this book. When I received Don’t Look Back in the post one morning, I opened the package, not knowing what I would find, and I squealed like an idiot – and actually jumped up and down when I realised what it was. I’m pretty sure I scared my mum half to death! Don’t Look Back is a fast-paced, action-packed, pulse-racing and beautifully written book that’ll have you in tears one minute and laughing the next. There are so many twists and turns throughout Don’t Look Back that I just didn’t see coming and it has instantly become a favourite of mine. Throughout the entire book you’ll find yourself captivated and drawn head first into the gripping and mind-blowing story that Jennifer L. Armentrout has created, and you definitely won’t want to put it down!

Sam is our main protagonist, and I really loved her character! She was smart, kind, funny and a really caring person who really regretted who she was before the accident. You could really tell how disgusted she was with the person she used to be, with who her apparent ‘friends’ were and how they acted. It was amazing to see her continue to grow as a person, and slowly start not just to take her life back, but remodel it at the same time. At first, Sam really did try to fit back into her normal life, and I thought it was really great how she tried to keep things normal with her relationship with her boyfriend, Del. She really tried to fall back in love with him – and tried to be a part of her friendship group – but they just weren’t her anymore. Sam’s was a really incredible character, she was so well developed and I just loved everything about her.

Carson is the love interest throughout Don’t Look Back, and BOY did I love him! He isn’t usually the type of guy in books that I read that I fall in love with instantly, but I fell so hard that I’m surprised I’m still conscious! Carson is Sam’s twin brother, Scott’s best friend. His father also works for Sam’s and Scott’s parents – which means he’s a commoner, and you quickly learn that Sam used to think he was beneath her because he wasn’t rich. No matter how gorgeous he is. Carson has the most amazing personality though; he’s patient, kind, respectful, funny and absolutely swoon-worthy. He has his doubts about Sam’s sudden personality change, and he’s expectedly cautious. But eventually he realises that Sam has changed, and he begins to open up to her. Watching their relationship develop and unfold was fantastic, and beautiful. There wasn’t a speck of insta-love, but insta-attraction, and feelings that just developed from there. It really was amazing to read about.

Overall, I absolutely ADORED Don’t Look Back. I started it one evening, and I just could not put it down! I had to force myself, literally, to set the book aside for a while, but once I picked it up the following evening, I kept reading until I turned the very last page. Don’t Look Back is a creepy, intense and heart-racing psychological thriller that’ll keep anyone on their toes. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing is absolutely flawless and perfect in every way – I can’t find a single thing I dislike with her writing and plot lines – she has this incredible ability to create brilliant and unforgettable characters and relationships that’ll last even after you’ve turned the last page. If I could give Don’t Look Back more than 5 stars, I really would! I’d give it 5 billion stars if it were possible. I’m finding myself all of sudden feeling the urge to buy every single thing Jennifer L. Armentrout has written and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who’s a fan of thriller – you definitely won’t be disappointed!

Quotes

Trey leaned back farther, amusement dripping from his pores. The table of girls stared at me as if I’d stripped naked and done a little jig. I gripped my bottle, wanting to throw it at one of their heads.
“Jeez, that’s rude on so many levels.”

Rounding the corner, I smacked right into a rock-hard body with enough force that the poor guy let out a grunt and hit the floor. Thrown off balance, I toppled down on him. In a second, I recognized the clean, citrusy scent.
Carson.
Our bodies were pressed together in all the wrong places. Or the right places, depending on how I wanted to look at it. Not that I thought it was right. It was definitely wrong, especially the way his chest felt incredibly muscled under mine, his stomach like steel. Heat zinged through my veins.

“Are you finally going to kiss me?” I asked, dizzy with anticipation, want, and a thousand other things.
One side of his mouth tipped up. “Maybe.”
I leaned in, breathing the same air as him. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Me neither,” he teased, his chest rising unsteadily against mine. Letting go of my hand, he cupped my cheek, running his thumb along my jaw. My hand fluttered to his chest, and his heart was pounding as fast as mine.
And when he lowered his head, the sheer look of passion in his eyes stole my breath.

Review: Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

Title: Anything to Have You.
Author: Paige Harbison.
Publication Date: January 28th, 2014.
Publisher: Harlequin Teen.
Format: Paperback, 304 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. Especially not boys.

Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be.

Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means

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I’ve only read one other book by Paige Harbison before, and I really enjoyed it – so I was very much so looking forward to reading Anything to Have You. I’m glad to say I was not disappointed and thoroughly enjoyed it! Anything to Have You is a fun, fast paced read with an emotional rollercoaster that’ll leave any love addict breathless. Although I thought the plotline was pretty predictable at times, there were plenty of twists and turns and I thought it was a really wonderful read that I just couldn’t put down!

Natalie is a quiet, smart and apparently gorgeous girl who prefers to stay in watching movies than to go out partying like her best friend. I loved Natalie’s character instantly, mainly because she was so relatable and always honestly tried to be the best friend she could. I was never the partying sort when I was younger, and preferred the quiet life, so I could totally understand what she was feeling. Sure, Natalie made quite a few mistakes throughout the book, but everyone does, it’s normal – and we’ve just got to live with the ones we do make. Natalie was a kind, caring and funny character that I just couldn’t help but love.

Brooke is a complete and utter social butterfly, with a flighty, bubbly and restless attitude to match. I had mixed feelings about her character whilst reading Anything to Have You, and I often thought it seemed like Brooke had two completely different personalities. Sure, Brooke could be a lovely character, kind and caring and funny, but she was also selfish, over-erratic and very self-obsessed. I didn’t like the way she treated Natalie a lot of the time, and I also thought she was way too pushy and put way too much pressure on Natalie.

The novel is split between our main character Natalie and her best friend Brooke’s perspectives, I definitely wasn’t expecting this and I really loved reading the storyline from Brooke’s point of view. I thought it was great to read about how she was really feeling, even if I didn’t like her character that much. As for the romance, there was little, but I loved it. I was rooting for Natalie and Aiden, the main love-interest in Anything to Have You, right from the beginning! Right off the bat I thought that Natalie and Aiden made a much better couple and to be perfectly honest, I didn’t think Brooke deserved him at all. I hated how poorly Brooke treated Aiden, as he really was a kind and stand-up guy who seemed to care a great deal.

Overall, I think Paige Harbison’s writing is really fantastic, and I think that it’s incredible how well she’s able to capture teenage emotions and create a storyline that’s not only interesting and fun but believable as well! I really don’t seem to understand why I’ve seen so many lower/negative ratings of Anything to Have You, sure, there are plenty of flaws – but there are also plenty of great things as well. I think it well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating and I can’t wait to pick up even more from Paige Harbison in the future; she’s definitely an author to keep an eye out for!

Quotes

“I act how I act because the feeling is so addictive. The feeling that you are the girl in somebody’s montage. Even when a romance is a short-lived and lame, and disappointing, there’s that moment...that moment where you feel like...a girl. Not a queen, not a goddess, not a supermodel. A girl, in the way that boys are supposed to think about us. Like the golden sunlit, breeze-in-the-hair girl that we all want to be.”

" ...hanging around drinking disgusting beer that tastes like sewer water and taking shots of raspberry-flavored nail polish remover while someone's mom is out of town is not fun to me."

I bit my tongue and turned to him. His eyes scanned my face. My heart swelled. I didn’t just want to spend time with him. Or flirt with him. I didn’t even just want to kiss him or put my hands under his t-shirt. I wanted him to be my person. The one I could call when I was upset, happy, angry, any of it. And I wanted to be the person he needed.

Review: Stella by Helen Eve

Title: Stella.
Author: Helen Eve.
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2014.
Publisher: Macmillan.
Format: Paperback, 362 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Seventeen-year-old Stella Hamilton is the star blazing at the heart of Temperley High. Leader of the maliciously exclusive elite, she is surrounded by adulation, envied and lusted after in equal measure. And she is in the final stage of a five-year campaign to achieve her destiny: love with her equally popular male equivalent, and triumph as Head Girl on election night.

By contrast, new girl Caitlin Clarke has until now lived a quietly conformist life in New York. With the collapse of her parents’ marriage she has been sent across the Atlantic for an English boarding-school education, only to discover that at Temperley the only important rules are the unwritten ones. It’s a world for the beautiful and the dangerous, and acceptance means staying on the right side of Stella Hamilton, the most beautiful and dangerous of them all.

Not everyone is happy under the Hamilton rule. But fighting the system means treading the same dark path as Stella – and if Caitlin puts a foot wrong, it’s a long way to fall...

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Stella is a really fun, interesting and fascinating debut novel that I just couldn’t put down. It reminded me very much of an up to date Mean Girls, with a pretty similar storyline – although Stella was much, much better! Stella really reflects the bitchiness, cruelty and shallowness of today’s society of teenagers – well, most of them. I really had no idea what would happen next whilst reading Stella, and even though I kept guessing what was around the next corner, I was never right. There are so many different twists and turns throughout this book, and an ending that will leave you wanting more, even after the last page has been turned.

Stella is our first main protagonist and to be honest, when I first started reading this novel, I wasn’t sure what to think of her. Of course, Stella is the most popular girl in school and very cliché at that – she’s also very self-centred and is usually rude to everyone, including her friends. However, I found myself becoming very absorbed by her character and personality, and thought she was really interesting to read about. Although she was selfish, I thought that she had a different side to her, one that she didn’t want anyone else to see. A side that’s still grieving for her older sister, and worried about how quickly her younger sister is growing up and how she will turn out. A side where she is able to love passionately, even though she’d never show it. I thought Stella was a really well developed character that I just couldn’t help but love.

Caitlin is the second main protagonist and I very much liked her character at the beginning of the novel. She was very smart, kind and seemed like generally a very nice, decent and honest person. However, as the novel progressed, Caitlin begins to change. It’s really subtle at first, but when you look back over the previous pages – it’s weird to see how different she became in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, I really didn’t like the person she ended up as. She was rude, too full of herself and quite frankly, she annoyed the hell out of me. I hoped that she’d eventually see the type of person she’d become, but unfortunately she didn’t – and she was just as self-obsessed at the end of the book, which I thought was a real shame. I just didn’t feel like I connected with her character, and if it weren’t for the fact that I liked Stella’s character, the book may have received a lower rating.

I didn’t particularly care for either of the love-interests, Luke and Edward, in Stella either. I thought they were both rather boring and very un-developed. They also both seemed to lack personality and acted like jerks a lot of the time. I was hoping there would be more romance throughout the book, but I realised too late that love is definitely not the main focus of Stella. I did also feel like it was slightly misleading with the statement that it had thriller aspects in the book, because in my opinion – there weren’t any at all. Don’t be deterred by this though, there’s plenty enough of a back-story and mean girl drama to keep anyone occupied whilst reading Stella!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Stella – it was fast-paced and intriguing novel that kept me enthralled until the very end. Although it was a little confusing at times, mainly because I didn’t realise that Stella had two sisters, it was great read that I’d recommend to any contemporary lover who loves a bit of mean girl action! I believe it well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating – and I think Helen Eve has some amazing writing skills. Although they could be fine-tuned in places, Helen really has a quirky, fun and beautiful writing style. I definitely can’t wait to read more from this author in the future as she really is remarkable.

Quotes

‘Surely someone told you?’ Lila said. ‘You can’t just join the Stars, you know. It’s called earning your Stripes.’

I once believed that I didn’t exist except as a projection of Siena’s part and Syrena’s future; that I were merely an intersection of their characteristics, suspended in time. Now we merge and mesh into one sister until our duplications don’t invalidate us, but bind us in an endless constellation. My sisters show me that beauty doesn’t have to be our destruction; it can be our inspiration. And all the time I’ve been painting my inspiration, I haven’t been painting myself.
I’ve been painting what we are to each other.

I see Luke, my one rebellion, who showed me that I could have something more than the rigid path I’d chosen. Luke, who shattered my careful plans into beautiful oblivion. Luke, who hardly saw the girl I could have been, but who never gave up on the girl I was.

Review: Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler

Title: Afterparty.
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler.
Publication Date: December 31st, 2013.
Publisher: Simon Pulse.
Format: Paperback, 401 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Author.
My Rating:



Emma is tired of being good.
Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not. And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

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Afterparty is a really wonderful novel with an incredible opening paragraph that I’m sure will grab anyone’s attention. I often found myself giggling whilst reading this novel, as Ann Stampler’s writing is really funny and I loved how our main protagonist had a ‘moral compass’, which was always trying to point her in the correct direction. I did find myself confused on many different occasions throughout Afterparty. It seemed like it would go off track completely for a few paragraphs and then be suddenly back. I also felt like the sentences just kept rambling on about pretty much nothing, and as much as it seemed like Ann was trying to make a point – she just didn’t seem to get there. The majority of the time this happened when Emma was talking – maybe it’s just a quirky feature in her personality? I don’t know, but don’t get me wrong, if you can put aside these certain problems, Afterparty really is a fantastic book with a wonderful plot – and luckily for me, I managed to do so because I was so engrossed in the story.

Emma is our main protagonist and I really liked reading about her. She has an over-bearing dad with strict rules and is struggling with the decision to continue to be a good-girl, like she’s been her whole life – or try something new and break some of the rules her dad has set. I thought Emma was an incredibly good friend, I know I wouldn’t have put up with all the crap that Siobhan, her new best friend, did to her at all. She was also a very patient, kind, caring and overall a lovely character. I really loved how Emma slowly started to hate Siobhan, and I found it incredibly funny to see the process. At first, Emma bent over backward to please Siobhan, and did pretty much everything she said – but as the novel progressed you really got to see how much Emma started to resent Siobhan and see her true colours. Of course I felt bad for Emma – but to be honest, I don’t know why Emma didn’t dump her sooner!

Siobhan is Emma’s best friend, and from the first moment they meet – they suddenly become inseparable. I started off not minding Siobhan’s character, and I thought she was really upbeat and interesting with a quirky personality, but as the novel progressed, I started to really dislike her (I’m pretty sure you’re meant too!) Siobhan becomes more and more controlling the further you get into Afterparty, she’s also gets very moody and becomes very unpleasant and downright evil. What I found slightly annoying, was the repetitiveness of Emma and Siobhan’s arguments and fall outs. She and Siobhan fight, then make up, then fight again and make up once more! It was also always the same argument; about how Emma finds it difficult to break the rules because of her dad. Although in the end I didn’t like Siobhan’s character, it was quite interesting seeing her slowly go crazy and become so obsessive.

Dylan is the love-interest in Afterparty, and to be honest – I had really mixed feelings about him. One minute I really loved his character, the next I was wondering why the hell Emma was pining over him so much. I suppose Dylan did have his good points, he was sweet, funny and really did seem to care about her – but I questioned a lot of his decisions. I also found it really irritating that he’d just straight out believe everything Siobhan said to him about Emma, even if things weren’t perfect with him and Emma at the time. I also really didn’t like the fact that Dylan was portrayed as such a perfect character – when all he’d ever do was skip class and get stoned, then borrow Emma’s notes because she attended class. It was totally obvious that Emma liked him, and even though he said he’d liked her too at the time – he did some really jack-ass things.

Over though, I really did enjoy reading Afterparty – and sped through it really quickly! Ann Redisch Stampler’s writing is really different from what I’ve read before, but really engaging, fun and quirky all the same. For example; it took me quite a while to get used to reading sentences like ‘I am sorry’ instead of ‘I’m sorry’ – this is definitely not a criticism, as there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. It was just a surprise to read the writing with such a traditional format. I do however, believe that Afterparty well and truly deserved the 4/5 star rating, it was really fantastic and page-turning book that kept me in suspense until the very end! I’d recommend this book to any contemporary reader, especially someone who loves some good old girl drama. I really believe Ann Redisch Stampler is definitely an author to keep an eye on!

Quotes

"Watch this," she says. "New game. It’s called shock-the-dork."
She walks over to two middle-aged guys who look a lot more clueless than the one she usually likes going after. She waves a cigarette at them; they grope for their lighters, matches, whatever it takes to keep her happy. She’s all giggly and girly until one of them offers her another drink and she shrieks. "No! I will not meet you in your hotel room! I’m sixteen years old! What’s wrong with you?"
The men throw money on the bar to pay for their half-drunk drinks and sprint toward the escalator.

"I am not clinically depressed or suicidal or insane. I just want to kill Siobhan, is all."

Siobhan, when she’s annoyed, doesn’t keep it to herself.
In the morning, the slamming theme extends to her locker, books on desktops, and snack trays at break. When she talks to me, I (and everybody else within a hundred yards) can tell she’s seething.
Dylan says, "Should I avoid dark alleys and homeroom? Eat lunch with me. I’ll protect you if she creeps up and tries to hit you with a lunch tray."

Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Title: Pawn.
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion, #1.
Author: Aimee Carter.
Publication Date: November 26th, 2013.
Publisher: Harlequin Teen.
Format: Paperback, 296 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life in misery as s III, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed...and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose - and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

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Pawn has a really unique and interesting plot that will draw the reader in and definitely keep them on the edge of their seat! Right from the beginning of reading Pawn, I was well and truly hooked – I ended up reading over half of it in just one evening. You’re immediately drawn straight into Kitty’s world – and the action commences from the first few pages. Aimée Carter is a really fantastic author and the world building throughout Pawn was absolutely incredible and beautifully detailed. There are also so many twists and turns throughout it, that even though I kept guessing what would happen next, I don’t think I was ever right!

Kitty Doe is our main protagonist throughout the novel, and to be perfectly honest – I have mixed feelings about her. On one hand, I didn’t really feel like her character was that well developed, and seemed a little bland and boring a lot of the time. But on the other hand, there were quite a few instances where she had a real spark and fire in her, which I thought was amazing – even if they didn’t last for long. I did like Kitty’s character – but she wasn’t the strongest female protagonist I’ve read about. I hope that in the next book she’ll become a little more developed, stronger and starts acting more in control and less of a spineless little girl that she was in this book.

There are two male secondary characters in Pawn; Benjy, Kitty’s boyfriend and Knox, who was the fiancé of Lila; the Prime Minister’s niece. Thankfully though, there isn’t a love-triangle! Benjy was such a sweet, kind, caring and devoted boyfriend, he’d literally do anything for Kitty – even running away from everything they’ve ever known so they could be together. As for the Knox, I absolutely adored him as well; he really seemed to care about Kitty and about what would happen to her. Knox was constantly trying to protect her, doing everything in his power to keep her and Benjy safe. At first, I thought that Knox and Kitty would make a really amazing couple, but as the novel progressed, I changed my view, and thought that their friendship was like a brother-sister relationship. Either way, I loved both of their characters and I thought Kitty was very lucky to have two guys care about her as much as they did!

The rest of the characters are all so different, yet really interesting at the same time! The majority of the people that we are introduced to throughout the book are very blood-thirsty, merciless, cruel and sadistic in their own ways, but I think that it personally made the book even better. There doesn’t seem to be enough characters now days with these traits – and I found it really fun and interesting to read about them and their actions and thoughts. As for the romance between Kitty and Benjy; it isn’t really the main focus in the book, which at first I found a little disappointing. But as I got further and further into Pawn, I realised that it really didn’t matter – the book was just as great with the romance just as a sideline.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Pawn and I’m extremely curious to find out what happens next in the sequel and see where the characters end up! I believe Pawn well and truly earned the 4/5 star rating – and if Kitty’s character had been a little more developed, then it may have earned a 4.5, but oh well. I’d recommend this book to any dystopian fan, especially if you love an unpredictable novel. Aimée Carter’s writing is really wonderful and I’m eager to read more from her in the near-future – she’s definitely an author to look out for!

Quotes

"But the world is out there, and it understands that the illusion of knowledge and freedom is not the same as the real thing. Eventually it will fade, and there are those who will do whatever it takes to make that happen sooner rather than later."

"Kitty," he said, as if testing out my name. "Is that short for something?"
"Yeah," I said. "It's short for 'my mother was insane and had a thing for cats."

"Have you ever played chess, Kitty?"
I eyed her. What did a board game have to do with this? "Not really."
"You and I should play sometime. I think you would like it," she said. "It’s a game of strategy, mostly. The strong pieces are in the back row, while the weak pieces—the pawns—are all in the front, ready to take the brunt of the attack. Because of their limited movement and vulnerability, most people underestimate them and only use them to protect the more powerful pieces. But when I play, I protect my pawns."
"Why?" I said, not entirely sure where this conversation was going. "If they’re weak, then what’s the point?"
"They may be weak when the game begins, but their potential is remarkable. Most of the time, they’ll be taken by the other side and held captive until the end of the game. But if you’re careful—if you keep your eyes open and pay attention to what your opponent is doing, if you protect your pawns and they reach the other side of the board, do you know what happens then?"
I shook my head, and she smiled.
"Your pawn becomes a queen." She touched my cheek, her fingers cold as ice. "Because they kept moving forward and triumphed against impossible odds, they become the most powerful piece in the game. Never forget that, all right? Never forget the potential one solitary pawn has to change the entire game."

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Title: Crash Into You.
Series: Pushing The Limits, #3.
Author: Katie McGarry.
Publication Date: November 26th, 2013.
Publisher: Harlequin Teen.
Format: Paperback, 474 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



The girl with straight A's, designer clothes and the perfect life - that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy family...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker - a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

The last thing Isaiah needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks. But when their shared love of street racing puts their lives in jeopardy, Isaiah and Rachel will have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

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Katie McGarry has done it again – she’s created an amazing and beautifully written contemporary novel that I just couldn’t put down! I laughed, cried and gushed over every little thing in Crash Into You, and although it was a large book, I sped through it incredibly fast. Katie McGarry is one of my favourite authors – if you’ve not read any the books in this series then you are well and truly missing out! I recommend them to anyone, it doesn’t matter if you’re older; I’m sure you’ll fall in love with Katie’s writing and characters. I’m running out of words to say how much I adored this book, and I think that it may possibly be my favourite of the three so far – but we’ll have to see!

Isaiah is smoking hot ball of passion and emotion – and I fell in love with him from book one. I was so excited to know that he was having his own book, because there just wasn’t enough of him in the previous books, and I really wanted to see him have a happy ending. Although Isaiah may seem like a tough guy, he hides behind his tattoos and piercings – hiding his dark past and has already assigned himself a bleak future. He’s really a kind, caring, brave, compassionate and gentle guy who just wants to be loved (even though he’d never really admit it!). I can’t find a single fault with Isaiah’s character, he’s amazing and I love everything about him, he’s had a hard life but is trying to turn things around and refuses to be sucked down by drugs and theft. Isaiah’s a motivated and slightly hot-headed guy, but I think he deserves nothing but the best.

Rachel is also an amazing character as well, and so different from every other female lead I’ve read about. Although I couldn’t relate about her love of cars, I understood her family troubles and I felt like I could feel all of her desperation and need to be seen for who she really was. Rachel may have had everything she’s ever wanted, with a big family and plenty of money – but behind the facade there are cracks. She’s constantly trying to live up to her dead sister who she was born to replace and tries to keep her real self confined to please her parents. However her mask is slipping and she is constantly struggling to be who her parents want her to be. Rachel is a beautiful character; kind, caring, shy and suffers from awful panic attacks. As a panic attack sufferer myself, I could understand how she feels and my heart well and truly went out to her.

Abby is Isaiah’s friend that he’s known since they were kids, at first, I wasn’t sure if I liked her that much at all, but as the book went on I grew to love her. She and Rachel struck up an unusual and wonderful friendship that made me smile like a complete idiot. She may not have been a huge part of the book, but I thought she deserved a mention! Moving on; Isaiah’s and Rachel’s relationship was on fast-forward from the beginning, but it didn’t feel like insta-love at all. They knew how they felt about each other from their first encounter and went from there and eventually fell in love. Their relationship was amazing and I loved seeing it progress and their reactions to each other and affection were definitely swoon-worthy!

Katie McGarry is a writing-genius and god all wrapped up into one. Her characters are incredible, loveable and her writing style beautiful, fun and heart-wrenching all at the same time. I wish I could read more about Isaiah’s and Rachel’s relationship as I want to read more about them, and I also wish that Katie McGarry would write lots more books in this series. I think a book on Abby’s character would be absolutely fantastic! If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would – but unfortunately that’s not really possible, so I’ll just finish with saying that Crash Into You was an phenomenal book that everybody and their mothers should read. I can’t wait to read the next companion novel in this series, and anything else Katie McGarry may write in the future. I’m completely hooked and I’m sure I will never stop loving Katie, this book, or the others in this series.

Quotes

"You can ignore me, Rachel, and you can try to treat me as a friend, but none of that will erase the fact that I think about kissing you every second I’m awake and dream at night of my hands on your body. And it sure as hell won’t erase that I’m terrified by how much I like you."

"One day I’ll get a tattoo for you."
Warmth explodes in my chest, in awe that he would mark himself for me. "You don’t have to."
"I will." His fingers trace my cheek and chills of pleasure run down my spine. "It’s what I do. Each tattoo represents the only happy memories I’ve had. And you, Rachel, you’re the happiest."

Maybe this is what happens when you fall in love. On the outside a lighter is nothing amazing, but it holds all the ingredients that can create something wonderful. With a few pushes in the right direction, you can inspire something so brilliant that it pushes back the darkness.

Review: After Eden by Helen Douglas

Title: After Eden.
Series: After Eden, #1.
Author: Helen Douglas.
Publication Date: November 7th, 2013.
Publisher: Bloomsbury.
Format: Paperback, 288 pages.
Source: ARC Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.

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I have to say that I’ve never read anything like After Eden before, it has such a unique and interesting plot and characters that I’m sure nearly everyone will love! Although it was a little predictable at times, and the writing a little amateurish, I really enjoyed it and sped through it – staying up until 2 o’clock in the morning to finish it! I kept saying to myself; ‘just a few more pages’, ‘I’ll just finish this chapter’ and ‘just one more chapter’. Before I knew it I only had 30 pages left and I just had to finish it and see what would happen at the end of the book.

Eden is our main protagonist and I thought she was a really interesting character to read about. I love the fact that she wasn’t the best at everything, as a lot of main characters seem to be now days. Eden has her flaws, but doesn’t complain about them all the time – or go looking for attention. Eden is funny, kind, interesting and a really good friend. She was always looking out for people and putting their needs above her own – and that’s what I loved most about her character.

Ryan is the love interest in After Eden, and I really liked his character. I wouldn’t say he was someone I would personally be attracted too, but I’d definitely love to be his friend! Ryan was a fun, kind and incredibly smart and interesting character to read about. I was rooting for his and Eden’s relationship from the start, and I’m so glad that it took a little time to develop. Their relationship was bordering on the line of insta-love, but it didn’t make me want to pull out my hair like most insta-love does!

Connor is Eden’s best friend, and to be perfectly honest – I didn’t like him that much at all. He seemed way too immature and rude and let his jealously get the best of him a lot of the time. I hated the way he treated Ryan, and he was usually quite rude to Eden as well! I get that Eden and Ryan had been best friends since they were little kids, but you just don’t treat people you care about that way – no matter how jealous you are!

Overall, I thought After Eden was a really funny, wonderful book and it went above and beyond my expectations. Even though Helen Douglas’ writing was a little rough around the edges, and could do with some improvements, it was a real pleasure to read. I’m sure over time Helen’s writing will continue to improve and she’ll turn into a really fantastic author. I believe After Eden well and truly deserves the 4/5 star rating I gave it and I really can’t wait to continue on with this series and find out what happens next. I’m also really looking forward to reading more by Helen Douglas in the future; she’s definitely an author to keep an eye on!

Quotes

The door swung open and Ryan came in with two mugs of hot chocolate. He put them on the coffee table and sat next to me on the couch. I’d imagined Ryan as a strong-black-coffee kind of boy, not someone who would make hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. - Page 87.

‘Ah, the romantic train journey to Plymouth where I pulled you into the loos and showed you my credit cards.’ - Page 182.

Although the classrooms and corridors away from the drama studio were in darkness, the stairwell was brightly lit. Probably some health and safety thing. Keeping close to the wall, I crept up the stairs behind them, praying that they wouldn’t look down and see me creeping up behind them like some perverted stalker. - Page 221.