Book Review #166 - The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

My Rating: 4/5

I received this book for review from Netgalley.

I was really excited to read this book because the first book ended with a huge cliff hanger.

I liked how the book changed its setting from London in the first book to New York in the sequel as I love any book that it set in New York.

The characters from the first book aside from Finley, Griffin and Jasper were only in the background. The chemistry between Finley and Griffin finally progressed.

Book Review #163 - No Such Thing as Forever (Girl Heart Boy #1) by Ali Cronin

Real love. Real lives. The real thing . . .Four girls, three boys, turning 18. Get set to follow their eventful final year at school.

Cass is Ms Monogamy. Ashley is a player. Donna is a party girl. But what about Sarah? Her friends tease her for being uptight, but she's waiting for The One. Now she's found him, but is he forever - or is Sarah just his summer fling?

My Rating: 4/5

This was an interesting book to read. I read it really quickly as I was really absorbed in the story.

What I liked about this book the most was the protagonist Sarah. If Sarah wasn't as likeable as she was I wouldn't have liked this book at all. I didn't like any of Sarah's friends, they weren't developed enough.

The book was very predictable and although you wished Sarah would wisen up to all I never felt annoyed with her, like I normally would with characters in this situation.

This is the kind of book that I found enjoyable whilst reading, but after I had finished it didn't take me long to forget most of it. I am still intending to read future books in this series.





Book Review #155 - Xoc by Matt Dembicki

Explore the ocean's wonders through the eyes of a greatwhite as it treks from the Farallon Islands off the coast of California tothe warm waters of Hawaii some 2,300 miles away. Along its journey, the17-foot shark encounters natural prey and predators-from skittish sealsto brazen orcas-as well as man-made impediments that threaten notonly the giant fish, but the balance of ocean's ecology.

My Rating: 3/5

I received this book for review from Netgalley.

I was really interested in reading this book because I love sharks.

This book was a very quick read. It took me less than a hour to read.

I really liked the pictures used in the book especially the fight scenes.

The only disappointment with this book was that I thought that it had potential to be alot better than what it was.

I am interested to read any sequels that get published because this book ends with a huge cliffhanger.

Book Review #148 - The Loners (Quarantine #1) by Lex Thomas

It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

My Rating: 4/5

I received this book for review from Netgalley. It is auto-approved so you can read it straight away. It will be published on 10 July 2012.

The beginning was very captivating and pulled you into the story instantly. I read about the first half of the book in one sitting and it was very fast paced.

I really liked the desciptions used to describe the school in which they are trapped. Also the gangs amongst the students in the school was very interesting and unique.

The only issue I had with this book were the characters. Towards the middle of the book they started to get on my nerves. It was mainly Will. I found him to be too whiny and jealous of his brother David.

The end of the book was almost as good as the beginning. I really liked the cliffhanger at the end and can't wait to read the sequel.

Book Review #144 - Timepiece (Hourglass #2) by Myra McEntire

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devestating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

My Rating: 4/5

I received this book for review from Netgalley.

Having read and really loving the first book in this series I had very high expectations from this book. It definitely met them.

The cover of this book is again amazing. I'm not sure whether I liked this cover more than the cover of Hourglass.

Because Emerson was one of the main things I liked about Hourglass I wasn't sure how I would like a new protagonist in Kaleb.

Kaleb was an okay protagonist. I didn't feel as connected to him as I did with Emerson in the first book. He was likeable and everything I just felt something missing.

Lily, I have no idea why but she really annoyed me throughout the book. I didn't see any qualities in her that I liked.

I wished Emerson and Michael were in this book a bit more and I was hoping that Emerson's brother and his wife would have had their baby.

The plot in this book was alot better than in the first. It was more developed and had alot more quality to it.

Overall this was a really great, enjoyable read it just wasn't as good as the first one.

Book Review #141 - Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

My Rating: 3/5

I received this book for review from Netgalley.

This book is alot different to the books that I usually read, and so I wasn't sure if I would like it or not.

This book was semi-autobiographical and so you could tell the author knew what she was talking about.

I would say there was alot of depth in the writing but there was a lack of depth in the characters.

I didn't understand Kendra's relationship with Meghan. I Just thought that it progressed way too quickly. 

The conclusion was a little over the top. I didn't predict who Kendra's abuser was until it was revealed so that was a nice surprise.

Book Review #139 - I'm Here to Help by S.F. Chapman

Seventeen-year-old Renita discovers some subtle inconsistencies in her birth certificate that put her mother, Sharon’s long held account that she was adopted into doubt. Sharon decides that it is finally time to tell Renita about both the laudable good deeds and the lamentable oversights that had led them to the current situation. Using a series of old framed photos that have hung for years in the living room, Sharon slowly reveals the complex set of events involving a star-crossed trip to Mexico, a very young stowaway Hispanic baby sitter named Juliana, the untimely death of Sharon’s husband, the unexpected pregnancy of Juliana, the eventual birth of Renita to Juliana and finally Juliana’s struggle with clinical depression that leads to her suicide. Through some sketchy paperwork filled at the county recorder’s office, Sharon was listed as Renita’s mom.

 The first in several short-novels to follow, I'm here to help involves the characters (and generally society's) misperceptions about illegal immigration, suicide, the marginalisation of undocumented residents, clinical depression, teen pregnancy, home childbirth and adoption.

My Rating: 4/5

I got this book for review from Netgalley and will be published on 1 July 2012.

This was an unexpected enjoyable read. I didn't know anything about it prior to reading.

It is an interesting and captivating story about Renita's birth mother and the parents that raised her.

It was very fast paced and had alot of depth for the amount of pages it contained.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick read full of emotion.

Book Review #136 - One Moment by Kristina McBride

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

My Rating: 3/5

I got this book for review from Netgalley and will be published on 26 June 2012.

I liked the writing style in this book as it was free-flowing and easy to read, although it was rather slow paced at times.

What made it hard for me to fully appreciate this book were the characters. I didn't like any of them except Adam.

I failed to connect with the protagonist Maggie as I felt like she was under developed.

I really enjoyed the plot although I predicted the ending straight away which wasn't ideal as I would have liked to have been surprised.

Book Review #113 - Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

My Rating: 4/5

I got this book from Netgalley.

This book had a very unique plot that had me captivated from the very first page. 

I liked Delaney as a protagonist although I found her annoying at times. I didn't like her parents at all, although I can understand why they were acting the way they were.

The writing style was emotionally packed and easy to read, pretty good for the author's first book.

There is a short story companion to this book from Decker's point of view titled Eleven Minutes. Click here for link.

Book Review #91 - The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman

A magical short novel from the author of All My Friends are Superheroes.A robber holds up a Canadian bank but instead of stealing money he takes from each person the item of most sentimental value.As time passes the loss of these items have a dramatic effect on the victims: one discovers God under her sofa, another is attacked by her lion tattoo when it comes to life, and the wife of our narrator starts to shrink.It is a remarkable short novella, a modern fable that is weird, uplifting and romantic all at the same time.

My Rating: 3.5/5 

I received this book from Netgalley. 

This book was weird to begin with, then it leaves you wanting more. 

This book had alot of depth to it, some of which I don't think I completely understood. 

It still had alot of entertaining aspects, like the tattoo of the lion coming to life and the lion chasing the woman around. 

This book is soon going to be a film.

Book Review #85 - The Summer I Lost It by Natalie Kath

 

Kat is just like other fourteen-year-old girls. Except this summer, she's spending four weeks at a Health Camp . . . otherwise known as fat camp. Can she lose the weight she needs to be able to do the things everyone else does? Or will she let her body control her?

My Rating: 3/5

I got this book from Netgalley. It was a very quick read, I finished it  in under 30 minutes. The book is also a very light read, there isn't much depth in anything.

The synopsis of this book is misleading. Kat doesn't go to Fat Camp, although she does lose weight.

This book would probably be inspiring to other people in Kat's position, it also gives you tips how to lose weight at the back of the book.