The Storyteller - Book Review

The Storyteller – Book Review

Antonia Michaelis

YA Romantic Thriller

Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

Review:

In the most thought provoking of ways, this book is very different to anything I have read before. The writing style is unique, with a smooth and old-worldly rhythm that makes the prose just beautiful to read, and the plot itself is simply captivating. ‘The storyteller’ is just such an imaginatively, heartbreaking story, that I don’t have the words to do justice to just how brilliant a book it is.

Set in Germany, the main character Anna is a good girl from a nice family, whose view of the world is limited to the perfect, happy bubble her parents have encased her in. Then she meets Abel and her bubble is burst, as one by one, she discovers the harsh and cruel reality of his life as he struggles to protect his little sister, Micha, from the people who would see them parted.

Yet even as Anna and Abel begin to fall in love, new dangers await them as people around them begin to die. Each murdered by a single gunshot in the back of the neck. And each of them somehow connected to Abel and Micha. And all Anna can wonder is, will she be the next to die?

In this romance turned thriller, Antonia Michaeli weaves a dark and haunting tale of trust, loyalty and love.  Yet I’ll warn you now, this book is extremely sad and will take you on a real emotional rollercoaster. I’ll even admit that, especially towards the end, I had to keep putting the book down as I couldn’t see for the tears. However I believe that any book that can bring about such a physical reaction is really worth the read.

It is for that reason that I would whole heartedly recommend this book to everyone – although it is probably more for adults and older teens, as at times the story explores some very sensitive issues. Also I think a sense of maturity is needed to fully appreciate the depth and emotion intricately woven within the Book.

However I cannot praise it enough. I don’t rate books, but if I did this one would get full marks. Simply breathtaking, ‘The Storyteller’ is book you will remember forever.

Forgive my Fins - Book Review

Forgive My Fins – Book Review

Tera Lynn Childs

YA Paranormal

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Review:

From the beginning I had heard nothing but good things about ‘Forgive my fins’ and was glad that it turned out to be such a fun and light hearted read. With a really sweet storyline and cute romance, I flew through this book very quickly and at the end I was just left going, ‘Awwww’. It really is a lovely story.

Despite being half-mermaid, the main character, Lily Sanderson is in many ways a typical teenager. Her words and antics made me squee, cringe and quite often laugh out loud. I especially loved her fishy analogies and cuss words of ‘Damselfish’, ‘Blowfish’ and my personal favourite, ‘oh lord love a lobster’. However, she is also a very timid girl and a hopeless romantic.

For the last three years she has been crushing on Brody Bennett, the gorgeous (newly single) captain of the swim team. Yet despite her best efforts, she has never managed to tell him how she feels, although Lily is certain they are destined for one another. So with the spring dance looming – Lily conspires that this will be the night she confesses her love. What she doesn’t expect, is for her annoying next door neighbour Quince, to interfere with her plans.  Therefore, after an accidental kiss, Lily finds herself bonded (essentially married) not to the man of her dreams, but to bad boy ‘blowfish’ Quince, who incidentally, can’t swim. A much needed when dating a mermaid.

In the chaos that follows, the author Tera Lynn Childs gives us one of the most adorable and sweetest of paranormal romances. Telling a story of first love, friendship and the need to be true to yourself , with plenty of comedy rolled into the mix, ‘Forgive my Fins’ is a fantastic read.

Although at times Lily could be a little annoying in her unchangeable views about Brody, and I thought that there were a few small plot issues – the goodness of this book ultimately outweighed the few niggles that I had with it. So overall it was a really fun read and I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel, ‘Fins are Forever’ which is to be published in the UK on the 1^st April 2012. Check it out J



Scarlet - Book Review

Scarlet– Book Review

A.C Gaughen

YA Historical  

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Everyone has heard Robin Hood’s dashing, knife-wielding companion Will Scarlet. Yet what few people know is that this daring, pick pocketing thief - is actually a girl. Presenting herself as boy, Scarlet does her best to hide her feminine charms from the world - only Robin and his band of men know the secret of Scarlet’s true gender . Yet her other secrets, who she is and where she came from, even they don’t know – and not even Robins handsome charms can make her tell him the truth.  Yet, when thief taker Guy of Gisbourne is hired to rid Nottinghamshire of its infamous bandits, Scarlet soon finds her past catching up with her. Only this time, she can’t run away. 

A.C Gaughen’s debut novel ‘Scarlet’ completely swept me away. Based on the renowned tale of Robin Hood, the author gives a completely fresh spin to an old, much loved tale, while keeping true to the classic aspects of this legendary story. I can honestly say I adored this book and found it next to impossible to put down.

 Scarlet is a real kick-ass heroine with her impulsive tendencies, bravery and tough-as-nails character. Her selflessness itself is one of her greatest flaws, especially when she strives to help the people of Nottinghamshire - despite the lack of appreciation she is often shown in return.  From the very first page, readers will find themselves captivated by Scarlet’s unique ‘voice’, which is not only consistent throughout the story, but adds an atmospheric quality to the book which really helps place your mind in the crusading era.

I also loved the simmering romance that burns slowly throughout the story. Torn between her admiration for Robin and the flirtatious attentions of Little John, Scarlet’s reactions of confusion/embarrassment and avoidance were both realistic and amusing to read.

My only criticism, is that this is a standalone novel. When I turned the last page, I wasn’t quite ready for the story to end. I did however think that the ending was left rather open so hopefully in the future there may be a sequel, especially as I feel like Scarlet’s adventures are not quite over.

So overall, I really enjoyed this book. Using small clues and hints, the author certainly keeps you on your toes guessing about the direction of the plot, romance and character motivations throughout the entire story (which is frustrating, but in really good way). Therefore I would recommend this novel to any fans of Theresa Tomlinson or Tamora Pierce - or just to anyone who enjoys reading about a strong, spunky heroines in general, because Scarlet is way up there with the best of them.

Charming, edgy and knife-throwingly good, A.C Gaughen puts a believable new twist to an old tale.  So far ‘Scarlet’ is definitely my favourite read of 2012!

Anna and the French Kiss - Book Review

Anna and the French Kiss – Book Review

Stephanie Perkins

YA Romance

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

I really, really enjoyed this book – so much so that I finished it all in one sitting by being bad and reading well into the early hours of the morning! It was however, totally worth the lack of sleep as it was an extremely delicious read.  A mix of Sweet, romantic and funny, ‘Anna and the French Kiss’ is filled full of underlying tension and amorous suspense that simply makes it an incredibly hard book to put down.

When Anna is suddenly shipped off to a boarding school in Paris, her only thought is that she will spend the next ten months homesick and miserable. Leaving behind her best friend, adorable little brother and a blossoming relationship with the hot guy she’s been crushing on since, like, forever,  all Anna wants is to get on a plane back home to Atlanta – Until she meets Etienne St. Clair. 

Sinfully gorgeous, charismatic and utterly charming with his British accent, St. Clair captures Anna’s attention from the moment they meet, and it is soon obvious their attraction is mutual expect for one problem… St. Clair already has a girlfriend, and Anna is still unsure of her own feelings for Toph, the hot guy she left hanging back home. However romantic tension between Anna and St Clair soon starts to rise as she falls into his circle of friends and they find themselves growing inevitably closer.

I can honestly say that Stephanie Perkins writes such a great a compelling romance. Each scene between Anna and St. Clair is so real and heart-racing that just reading it gave my tummy butterflies. You basically spend the entire book just WILLING them to get it together as not only is their relationship constantly jeopardized by outside influences, but both are subject to misunderstandings and jealousy that test the limits of their friendship on quite a few occasions.

Overall I couldn’t help but fall in love with ‘Anna and the French Kiss’. With the story set against a back drop of Paris, and a drawn out romance steeped in friendship and trust – this book was truly a pleasure to read. Also while I am the first to admit that I’m not much of a fan of contemporary young adult, this has to be one of best books I’ve read in a long while with one of the greatest love stories. I would have to recommend it to every girl from teenage years upwards. Stephanie Perkins has written a book that is simply divine.

IMM #2 January and RAKS (Plus a little bit of Florida)

January has been such a great month for me! Florida was fabulous and I got plenty of reading done in-between queuing for roller coasters and travelling to and from places. Also despite the cold nearly killing me upon returning to Newcastle, it was nice to find several parcels waiting for me when I got home. Check it out:

Won

A signed copy of City of fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare from Aime @welcometomyworld

Touch of Power by Marie V Synder from Mel @melsrandomreviews

RAKs Received

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Entice by Carrie Jones both from Vickie @comacalm

Need by Carrie Jones from Amy @turnthepage

Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon from Bex @armchairbythesea

RAKs Sent

I sent out a copy of Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton to Kate @katesbooklife

Swaps and Other

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Matched by Ally Condie

A Witch in Winter from Emma @UKbooktours

J

Thanks so much to all you guys who sent me books this month! It’s really, really appreciated!

And now, just want to share with you all my favourite moment in January…

Later guys

XxX



Holiday!

Hey guys - Just wanted to let you know that I won't be around for awhile. Heading off to Florida today for two weeks of sun, sea and lots and lots of Theme Parks! Don't worry I have my Kindle packed and loaded full of lots of lovely books for the flight - Also I've already read nine books this year so I promise to have plently of Reviews for you all when I get back.

Although in the meantime - Go buy this book book!

Waterfall - the first of a Trilogy by Lisa T Bergren.

I just finished the last book 'Torrent' last night and I really loved all three.

A bit of time travel, gorgeous medieval-Italian Knights and a kick ass heroine - people promise me you will go check this book out :)

Anyway see you all in two weeks!



2011 - End of Year Wrap Up

Hey guys, just wanted to say that I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and wish you all the best for the new year! I’ve met some great people and have read some amazing books and can’t wait to see what 2012 brings!

Here’s my Top Ten Reads of 2011 - in no particular order…

  The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins – loved this series!

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott – Mega favourite set in a fairytale Japan!

Dance of Dragons by George RR Martin – Must read series!

New York to Dallas by JD Robb – The fact that it’s JD Rob should say it all!

Beauty by Robin Mckinley – Loved this fairytale retelling!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles – Yummy Romance and bad boy’s!

A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis – I love Kat!

My Sister lives on the Mantel Piece by Annabel Pitcher – Touching but funny!

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson – Fab Debut!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini – Modern Day Homer, yes please!

I Would totally recommend all of these as they are all brilliant books!

See you all next year!

J