Review: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Title: The Way We Fall
Author: Megan Crewe
Publication date: January 24th
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction- Dystopia
Cover rating: 3/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon

Description via Goodreads: 

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

My thoughts: 

The Way We Fall is a captivating and scary novel told through letters. Kaelyn's island has fallen victim to a deadly virus that is quickly sweeping its way through the population. Kaelyn tells this story with letters to an ex-friend of hers who now lives off the island. I thought the letters were heartfelt and well told, but I didn't find Kaelyn's voice all that convincing. She just seemed so much younger than sixteen to me though this did get slightly better towards the end of the book. Other than that, I loved it! I was completely drawn in from the very first page and dying to know what was going to happen to Kaelyn and her community. There is a lot of description in the book- though not too much- and Kaelyn's world is really brought to life. I could easily picture this terrifying situation in a regular setting. This book isn't a happy one... it's quite depressing and dark, actually. But that is simply the reality of an island being destroyed by an illness. The world was very convincing. It was fascinating to watch how differently everyone reacted to the situation- some people did everything they could to help out others, and some just went crazy and prefer to take a destructive route to ending it all. There is a huge level of distrust within the island, between the islanders themselves and of the government which basically abandons them and lets them fend for themselves. The romance was believable and the friendships and family relationships very sweet! I didn't want to set this book down and was so eager to find out how everything was going to go. I'm not sure how I feel about it being series. It would be nice for a YA novel to be a standalone for once but I will certainly be reading the sequel whenever it is out!

Review: Replication by Jill Williamson

Title: Replication
Author: Jill Williamson
Publication date: January 1st 2012
Publisher: Zonverdan
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

Description via Goodreads: 

A girl discovers her geneticist father is covering up multiple secrets---all of which are named Jason.Jason 3:3---known as Martyr---always believed his life had purpose. As one of the hundreds of clones living in a closed-off underground facility beneath an Alaskan farm, he has been told his genetics hold the key to saving humanity from an airborne pandemic aboveground, and his purpose will be filled on his upcoming eighteenth birthday. The problem is no such pandemic exists. Unaware of the truth, Martyr wishes for one glimpse of the sky before his expiration date arrives. 

His escape leads him to the home of one of the scientists, and to Abby Goyer. As she helps Martyr, she can't help but notice his uncanny resemblance to the high school quarterback. Abby soon uncovers the dark truth behind Jason Farms and her dad's work, and decides to show Martyr his true value and worth. As Martyr learns the truth behind his existence, he must decide if his God-given purpose is connected to the farm, or if it rests in a life with Abby.

My thoughts: 


I was completely captivated by the premise of Replication: The Jason Experiment. It sounded absolutely fascinating and exactly the kind of thing I enjoy to read. I've been really getting into science fiction novels lately so was very eager to try this one out! 

It wasn't perfect but it was actually pretty good. I thought it had a very strong start and I was finding it very hard to set the book down for even a second. I was very much drawn into the whole world and very excited to find out how it would all play out. I liked that we were given enough information to keep us interested but there was still an element of mystery throughout the whole book. 

The writing itself was very good, I thought. It flowed well and was a easy to read. I am very picky when it comes to changing POVs in books. I think it only works when the characters are very different. Thankfully, that was exactly the case in this one! I liked getting the story from both sides and I especially enjoyed Martyr's view of the world. 

Replication does not live up to other books in this genre that I have read but it was good and I'm sure a lot of people will get something out of it.

Review: Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant

Title: Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK
Author: Betsy St. Amant
Publication date: January 1st 2012
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Religious
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy (pre-order): Amazon

Description via Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Addison Blakely has tireless played the role of PK—preacher’s kid—her entire life. But after Wes Keegan revs his motorcycle into town and into her heart, Addison begins to wonder how much of her faith is her own and how much has been handed to her. She isn’t so sure she wants to be the good girl anymore. Join Addison Blakely as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence.

My thoughts:


This doesn't appear to be a series but I think it should be.

Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK really kept me entertained! I was genuinely engrossed in this story. It was nothing like I thought it would be- it was much better and a very pleasant surprise. I really could not put this book down and read it straight through in about two sittings.

I really liked Addison. She was a little irritating at times but it's nice to see such an honest character. She didn't pretend she knew everything and she wasn't afraid to question the way she'd been brought up. Although I may not have agreed with all her ideas, it was certainly refreshing and admirable to see a female protagonist who has principles- and sticks to them!- and doesn't go out of her way to change herself just for a guy. I really did like watching Addison grow as the book went on and I thought her character was very well developed.

Wes was also a pretty likeable guy. I thought it was a bit obvious what he was hinting at times, and felt like Addison should have been more alert and not so oblivious. I liked that we got to see all sides of him and that he didn't pretend to be something he wasn't. He wasn't afraid to admit that he wasn't perfect and he was also really sweet and went out of his way to do the right thing, even if he wasn't sure how to do so!

The more minor characters such as Addison's dad, Kathy, Claire and Marta were incredibly well developed considering how little time was devoted to them. I was impressed at how well we got to know them. The plot itself was a tad predictable, to be honest, but I still found myself racing to the end to find out what was going to happen.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It wasn't amazing but it was fun and still deep at the same time. I felt I really new the characters by the end. Also, it made me laugh a few times which I always appreciate!

Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Touch of Power
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publication date: December 27th 2011
Publisher: MiraBooks (an imprint of Harlequin)
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

My thoughts:

While I would not feel right giving this book more than three stars, I also don't really think there was much wrong with it. It's a pretty well written book with lots of detail. I personally thought it was too long, though. It just seemed to go on forever and really dragged at points. I would have liked it more had it been a hundred pages shorter. 

I was completely intrigued by the premise of this book. It is unlike anything I have read before so I was very excited! Plus I also think the cover is gorgeous. I really did love parts of this book. Sometimes I would be completely engrossed in the story for about thirty or so page, and then it would just slow down and I'd be yanked back out and it would take a while for it to get going again. I found that annoying. I would just starting to question why I had liked this book at any point and then it would get good again! 

I thought the characters were well developed. They felt very real to me and they all had very distinct personalities. I really enjoyed the idea of the healers and would have preferred if they had been explained more, instead of spending so much time on things which didn't hold my interest! The world itself I found a bit hard to picture and it didn't have a constant feel to it. 

Overall, this book was not amazing but it held my attention enough for me to want to read more. I am going to try out some more of Snyder's work but I'm not sure if I'll continue with this particular series.

Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Author: Susan Ee
Publication date: May 21st 2011
Publisher: Feral Dream
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Post Apocalyptic
Cover rating: 4.5/5
Content rating: 5/5!
Buy: Amazon

Description: 

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

My thoughts:



This book right here is the reason I love Goodreads. If it hadn't been for the sheer amount of five star reviews for Angelfall that kept popping up on my homepage, I probably would never have heard about this book. And what ashame that would have been because it is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read and very nearly the best book I've read all year. 

I'm not even sure how to go about reviewing this because my simple words cannot do it justice! It was amazing. Magnificent. Beautiful. Terrifying. Funny. It was pretty much everything I appreciate in a book and more. From the moment I read the first page I knew it was going to be something special and it just kept getting better and better as the pages went on. The thought of setting it down for even a second was too hard! 

There are lots and lots of dystopian, apocalyptic and angel YA books out there right now. They all promise awesome things but from my experience so far, very few of them actually deliver on that promise. Angelfall is in that elite few though! The world building is fantastic, the imagery so vivid I felt like it was happening in front of me, the characters so real and the emotions so raw. The writing itself was flawless and indicative of an immense amount of talent. It's fast, and laid back, in all the right places. 

Angelfall made me squirm and it made me laugh. It made me cheer on the main characters and feel angry at all the bad guys. I recommend this book to everybody and anybody everywhere. Don't just take my word for it- go see for yourself how fantastic this book is! This author and series deserve as much support as possible and the good news is, the ebook is only 99c at the moment!

Review: On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane

Title: On a Dark Wing

Author: Jordan Dane 

Publication date: December 20th 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen 

Age group: Young Adult 

Genre: Paranormal, Romance 

Cover rating: 3/5 

Content rating: 4/5
Buy it now!: Amazon

Description via Goodreads:

Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother's life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death--by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky--she would never be normal again.

Now she's the target of Death's Ravens and an innocent boy's life is on the line. When Nate Holden--Abbey's secret crush--starts to climb Alaska's Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her. Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

My thoughts: 

I'm always really intrigued by the descriptions of books involving angels, but none of them I've read have delivered on their promise. On a Dark Wing was different though and definitely lived up to my expectations. On a Dark Wing is the story of a young girl, Abbey, who lost her mother in a car crash. Years after, Abbey is still struggling to come to terms with what happened that day, and doesn't want to face the things she saw. Abbey has a serious crush on a boy in her town- even though he doesn't know. What follows was quite interesting and I enjoyed it a lot!

I thought Abbey was a good character. I genuinely loved that she wasn't stubborn- she could fully admit when she was in the wrong and didn't just stick with guys because they were good looking (unlike in too many YA novels.) It was really refreshing to read about a female character who made choices that were healthy for her and who was able to evaluate situations, and make the choices that actually worked even if some people would be hurt in the process.

I very much enjoyed all the minor characters in this book, too! I thought Abbey's dad was just lovely and Tanner was completely lovable. It was so awesome to see male characters getting recognition for something other than being hot. I thought Nate was slightly interesting but I don't think we really got to know him all that well. The perspective of his parents definitely added to the story and added a lot of emotion to the situation.

The writing in this book is smoothe. It flows well and is actually a pleasure to read! Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. If you like your books to have loads of action (which I personally don't), this might not be the book for you. I liked it though and would be interested in reading more books by this author.

Review: Titanic 2020 by Colin Bateman

Title: Titanic 2020
Author: Colin Bateman
Publication date: July 19th 2007
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Apocalyptic
Cover rating: 2/5
Content rating: 4.5/5
Buy: Amazon US, Amazon UK, The Book Depository

Description:

Everyone said the original Titanic was unsinkable. We all know how that story ended. The new Titanic is also supposedly unsinkable. But there are worse things than drowning as Jimmy Armstrong quickly finds out. Stowing away wasn't one of his better ideas but having to work his passage and put up with spoilt girl Claire is enough to make anyone want to jump overboard...That is until he finds out about a mysterious, incurable disease rapidly infecting the population, Suddenly being at sea seems the safest place to be!

My thoughts:

Titanic 2020 was so much better than I expected it to be! It doesn't seem to have gathered any attention at all which I think is a huge shame. It was published in 2007 but could totally fit right in with the dystopian/apocalypse trend in Young Adult fiction right now. 

This book follows Jimmy, a teenage boy from Belfast. A new Titanic has just been built- it's the size of a city and incredibly exclusive. Before the ship is due to set sail, Jimmy wanders is and explores it. He accidenitally falls asleep and when he wakes up discovers that the ship has left Belfast! He decides to stay hidden long enough that it will be impossible for them to just turn back and bring him home. Jimmy- who has only ever had bad luck in his short life- turns out to be very lucky indeed as a mysterious virus swoops the world just after the Titanic sets sail so he's in the safest place after all. 

Jimmy gets into trouble, becomes best friends with the owner's daughter Claire and discovers some fairly scary stuff onboard the ship. What follows was incredibly captivating and it made me laugh out loud several times. The writing style in this book is incredibly fun! It's very sarcastic and blunt and Jimmy, while incredibly cheeky, is very easy to like, with his no-nonsense attitude towards everything. 

I liked that this book showed that you should never underestimate the abilities of younger people and that sometimes they can even do things better than adults. Jimmy and Claire's adventures had me drawn in from the very first page to the very last. I really, really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anybody.

The Midnight Zoo

Title: The Midnight Zoo
Author: Sonya Hartnett
Publisher: Walker Books
Publication date: November 1st 2010
Age group: Middle Grade
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover rating: 2/5
Content rating: 4/5

Description via Goodreads:

World War II, Eastern Europe: Tomas and his younger brother, Andrej, have fled their Romany encampment which has been besieged by the Germans; they carry Wilma, their baby sister, in a sack. In an abandoned, bombed-out town, the children discover a zoo. In it are a wolf and an eagle, a monkey, bear, lioness, seal, chamois and llama. The animals tell their stories to the children as they try to begin to understand what has become of their lives and, when they try to figure out a way to release the animals, what it means to be free.

My thoughts:


I really enjoyed this. I thought it might be too short, but it turned out to be okay. It follows three gypsy kids on the run during WW2. It's very interesting to see the two boys take on the role of their parents and provide for their younger sister- despite how annoying they find her. Andrej and Tomas end up in a zoo in a ruined village, and try to piece together what's happening to the world. It was different than anything I've read before, and a very unique tale. I enjoyed it a lot, but I found the ending a bit flimsy.

Matched

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication date: November 30th 2010
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction
Cover rating: 5/5
Overall rating: 4/5

Description via Goodreads: 

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. 

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dare to follow.

My thoughts:


Dystopian books appear to be the 'thing' in YA literature at the moment but I haven't really read many to compare Matched with. A lot of people are saying it's a rip off of multiple books but I can't comment on that right now. I did enjoy the book, though. It was very easy to read and get lost in, and I read 3/4 of it in one sitting. I liked the world it was set in and found it fascinating to learn how everything worked. I didn't, however, connect with the characters all that well. I found Cassia a bit annoying and silly and couldn't see the appeal of Ky at all. Xander, on the other hand, I did enjoy and I was disappointed that he didn't get much of a look in. It's all Ky Ky Ky and I really wasn't that intrigued. The book was good over all and kept me entertained but I didn't like the direction it headed towards the end. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see how the sequel is.

Fallen Grace

 Title: Fallen Grace

Author: Mary Hooper

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing 

Publication date: June 7th 2010 

Age group: Young Adult 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery 

Cover rating: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5 

Description via Goodreads: 

Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing. Having given birth to an illegitimate child, she has travelled to the famed Brookwood Cemetery to place her small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. 

Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can think of to give something at least to the little baby who died at birth, and to avoid the ignominy of a pauper's grave. Distraught and weeping, Grace meets two people at the cemetery: Mrs Emmeline Unwin and Mr James Solent. These two characters will have a profound affect upon Grace's life. But Grace doesn't know that yet. For now, she has to suppress her grief and get on with the business of living: scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food; looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself; thwarting the manipulative and conscience-free Unwin family, who are as capable of running a lucrative funeral business as they are of defrauding a young woman of her fortune. 

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't all that intrigued by the premise but the story actually turned out to be really good. I found Grace to be an incredibly lovable character and I found myself really caring about what was going to happen to her and her sister, Lily. The story is really interesting and the corrupt nature of London's rich added a shocking element to it. I was quite annoyed that Hooper put in that small chapter about the baby at the start... it took away any twist at the end when Grace found out the truth. It would have been nice to have been as surprised as Grace was, instead of knowing it all along. Overall though, it was a nice book, well written and full of excellently developed characters.

Lock and Key

Title: Lock & Key

Author: Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Puffin 

Published date: April 22nd 2008 

Age group: Young Adult 

Genre: Realistic fiction, Romance, Coming of Age 

Cover rating: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Description via Goodreads: 

Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she
hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

My thoughts:

I really liked this. It's not the best book of Dessen's that I've read (I think it's very hard to live up to the brilliance of Just Listen!) but it was still really interesting and enjoyable. Dessen dealt with a lot of different issues in this book and dealt with them quite well. 

Ruby is not the most likeable of characters at the start but I think that's probably the point. She's been changed by what she's been through and becomes withdrawn because that's how she deals with it. I liked that she developed and changed throughout the book and wasn't afraid to admit when she was wrong. I really liked her by the time I reached the end of the book. Nate was a fascinating character but he was definitely pushed to the side a lot and while we got to know a lot about this situation at home, we never really got to know him as a person. His story added a lot depth to the book and made it much darker. 

I loved Ruby's sister and brother-in-law. I enjoyed seeing Cora trasnform and come out of her defensive shell once she got to know Ruby again and it was interesting to see how quickly Jamie came to care about Ruby and what she was doing. They added a lot of fun to the book and were probably my favourite characters- which is not what I expected when we were first introduced to them.

Overall, it was a really sweet story and Dessen's writing style made it lovely to read. I would recommend this book and I will probably re-read it at some stage, too. 

Goodreads Choice Awards 2011: WINNERS!

Today Goodreads announced the winners of their Goodreads Choice Awards. The books were voted for by Goodreads members over the past few weeks. The winners are as follows!

Young Adult Fiction winner is Where She Went by Gayle Forman:

Favourite book of 2011 is Divergent by Veronica Roth : 

The winner of the Fiction category is  1Q84 by Haruki Murakami :

Mystery and Thriller winner is Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich:

Historical Fiction winner is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain:

Fantasy Winner is A Dance With Dragons by George R.R Martin:

Paranormal Fantasy winner is Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Science Fiction winner is 11/22/63 by Stephen King 

Horror winner is Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Other categories:

Romance Winner is Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

Humour Winner is Bossypants by Tina Fey

Nonfiction Winner is The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins

History and Biography winner is Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Memoir and Autobiography winner is Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin 

Food and Cooking Winner is My Father's Daughter by Gwenyth Paltrow 

Travel and Outdoors winner is Little Princes by Conor Grennan

Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction winner is Divergent by Veronica Roth

Middlegrade and Children's winner is The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Picture Books winner is When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic

Graphic Novels and Comics winner is Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 

Poetry Winner is Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins

And the Goodreads Author of the year is...

Cassandra Clare 

Unfortunately the only book I've read from the list is Divergent and Cassandra Clare's books! I was really hoping A Monster Calls would win in the Middle Grace category and I'm quite disappointed that it didn't! How about you?  

Jessie Hearts NYC

Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton 
Published July 7th 2011
255 pages
Genre: Young Adult Realistic Fiction
Stars: 5/5

Description via Goodreads: 

Jessie's just arrived in New York, hoping to forget about her awful ex.  

New Yorker Finn is in love with his best friend's girlfriend.  

They might be perfect together, but in a city of eight million people, will they ever find each other?

My thoughts:

 This was pretty good. A really light, mindless, quick and entertaining read. The story is told from the point of view of two people- English girl Jessie and New Yorker, Finn. They keep turning up everywhere together and eventually end up talking to each other properly. The writing was nice and easy and the characters pretty believable. I especially enjoyed the interactions between Jessie and Natalie as they felt quite real and a lot of it was really funny. I did think the coincidence thing was a bit overdone and far too convenient at times but it wasn't unbearably so. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would definitely read something else by Keris Stainton.

Twisted

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published March 20th 2007
250 pages
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction 
Stars: 5/5

Description via Goodreads: 

High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.
In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tyler’s pitchperfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the author’s award-winning, widely read work.

My thoughts:

Twisted was a brilliant book. The average sounding description on the back definitely did not prepare me for what was inside. It started out pretty slow but once I got into the swing of it, I simply couldn't put it down. Tyler's character is just so real and raw. His voice is believable, witty and intelligent. I could really connect with him and really cared about how things would turn out. The book had me in suspense many times and was a real page-turner. Twisted is an excellent portrayal of family life and deals well with some very real problems. It was fascinating to watch Tyler stumble through life and see his courage develop as the story went on. Overall, a very enjoyable and emotional read.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Published January 1st 2008
479 pages
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia, Fantasy 
Stars: 5/5

Description via Goodreads: 

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee - whose thoughts Todd can hear, too, whether he wants to or not - stumble upon an area of complete silence.

 They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden - a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives. 

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

My thoughts:

The Knife of Never Letting Go is a really fantastic and gripping story. It's not often that the first line manages to pull me in completely but this is what happened with this book. I did love how the interesting information was held just out of our reach for most of the book- it was frustrating because I wanted to know but it also added a wonderful layer of suspense to the whole story.

Todd is a wonderful character. His narration fits perfectly with the world he is living in. A lot of the time his thoughts are really jumbled up and run into each other, like he's trying to catch them, which makes sense as he has grown up having to listen to the thoughts of 100+ men every hour of every day, which is bound to confuse your brain. His actions and thoughts felt real and believable; he was torn between doing the right thing and doing what he had to do to survive. His sheltered upbringing definitely seeps through when he's trying to make these decisions.

I liked Viola a lot. I liked that she was so withdrawn and quiet at the start because it made sense, given what she's been through. I did think she warmed up to Todd at little too fast in the end (going from not speaking to full paragraphs of speech) but I can also see why she would. I liked Viola's story and I loved that she was such an independent person and that Todd saw this and recognized this.

Animals in books usually annoy me but Manchee was just lovely!

The book certainly wasn't perfect... there were patches where it dragged; page after page of Viola and Todd just walking... but it always picked up pace and by the end I was totally captivated. It ended on a huge cliffhanger and I'm so glad I have the second book to dive into right away.