Review: Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

The world is not tame.

Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone - and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.

PSA: This is not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

I am a big fan of survival stories. I am also a big fan of Mindy McGinnis. Therefore I knew that I would probably like this book.

That being said, this book took a risky route in that it is one character on her own. Her internal dialogue was what drove this story forward, but if you need lots of dialogue then this is not for you. If you want seclusion and fear and inner turmoil then it may just be the book you need.

Okay, so I wasn't sold on Ashley from the start. She's a typical teen - meaning she is prone to judgement and jealousy and isn't perhaps the nicest character. She judges her friends, her enemies and anywhere in between. Also, this is a girl who apparently knows the woods. She knows how to survive, so even in an irrational moment of devestation I don't believe that Ashley would run barefoot into the woods in the middle of the night.

That being said, she did. This is where we are. She has a mangled foot and has no idea where she is. She's run a while and then fallen down a ridge and she was drunk so all she has to do now is get back on the trail. I really liked reading her confidence - she'll get back, she'll be fine - turn to despair as she realises she has no idea where she is... where the trail is, and as she realised she needs medical help and fast.

There's not much more I can say about this book, because I don't want to spoil plot points beyond that, I want every reader to experience the fear and isoplation I did as I read this book, so I'm going to stop by saying that I really enjoyed this book - another banger by Mindy McGinnis.

Book released 3rd March 2020 by Katherine Tegen

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

Danger "Danny" Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else's needs. She's certain that her mom's bitterness and her TV star father's absence are her fault. If only she were more―more athletic, charismatic, attractive―life would be perfect.

When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she's not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.

If I landed in a deserted island or rainforest or anywhere away from civilisation, I wouldn't survive a day. I am simply not the survivey type. Still, I really enjoy reading survival books and stories of survival against the odds and watching survival documentaries. So this book was right up my alley.

I actually for the most part thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and the stakes were really high so I was gripped throughout all of the action. I could totally imagine all of the action in my mind's eye and this book was pretty un-put-down-able.

That being said, whilst the plot and the action was high stakes and gripping, I have some issues with the characterisation. Danny is a real to life character in so many ways - just constantly battling with a need to be seen - by her Dad, by Gus, by the people in her life - but it did step into areas of overly needy. The other thing is that Danny has a slight disability - she is half-blind - but I felt that the overlying aim of the story was for her to 'beat' the disability, not to come to terms with it. it's a fine line, but I think the author just crossed it. It's written as something that she needs to beat - like something that can only hold her back - not something that she just needs to make her own.

I hated Cougar - Danny's dad - he was selfish and didn't take time to think about his daughter and the only moments of love he had for her come just to late for me to care. I think Danny was used by everyone in the story and whilst I get that the author was trying to make it look like Danny had to learn to be her own support, it just seamed like the poor girl got abused and used left, right and center.

Still, as I said, I really did enjoy this book and it really was a page turner. I think the issues that I stated are preference more than poor writing and planning, so I can't really judge it too much for that. If I hadn't just finished 'Be Not Far From Me' by Mindy McGinnis - another survival YA book which blew me away - I might rate this half a score higher, but in comparison this one just pales a teeny bit, so that is why the rating reflects that.

Book released 1st October 2018 by Inkyard Press

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: Bluescreen by Dan Wells

Los Angeles in 2050 is a city of open doors, as long as you have the right connections. That connection is a djinni—a smart device implanted right in a person’s head. In a world where virtually everyone is online twenty-four hours a day, this connection is like oxygen—and a world like that presents plenty of opportunities for someone who knows how to manipulate it.

Marisa Carneseca is one of those people. She might spend her days in Mirador, the small, vibrant LA neighborhood where her family owns a restaurant, but she lives on the net—going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it’s Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen—a virtual drug that plugs right into a person’s djinni and delivers a massive, non-chemical, completely safe high. But in this city, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected.

Look! A hispanic main character, and double look - the girl on the cover actually looks hispanic and has a mechanical arm. It's almost a dream come true!

I think I am one of the few people who was let down by Partials - I read Partials and pushed myself into Fragments and that was so sluggish that I gave up on the series. When I requested Bluescreen I don't think I realise who the author was otherwise I may well have just not requested it at all. Thankfully, I did. I say thankfully because I really, really enjoyed Bluescreen. I was gripped from the start because of the gaming concept and despite the fact that there is quite a lot of build up before the Bluescreen 'drug' is introduced, I was really enjoying this world that Wells had created. I think part of my issue with Partials was how overly-detailed everything was and it was the same in this book except it added to this book, not detracted. I was absorbed into every aspect of Mari's world and I really enjoyed it.

Pace wise, I can't claim that this book is all go go go. There were some parts which dropped in pace and I had to push on because I knew it was going to get good, I think this book may have been a little longer than was necessary. For the most part though Bluescreen was fast paced, enjoyable and gripping. I actually found the action in the ending really gripping, but I think my favorite part is through the middle, when Mari is investigating the drug.

There are some... suggestions of romance. It isn't a big deal though. The guy who seemed a potential love interest (Saif) is a dealer of Bluescreen who joins Mari on her investigation but spoilery things happen that really throw a curveball in the works and nip that in the bud. Mari herself was a strong character though - she didn't need any man, besides - she has the Cherry Dogs, her gaming party who were like, such a brilliant supporting cast.

Overall, Bluescreen was an enjoyable book. My interest did decrease in parts but for the most part it was engaging and suspenseful and packed with action. I loved the world in this book. 

Book released 16th February 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonne

DO YOU POSSESS A WINNING COMBINATION OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICAL SKLLS AND RAW INTELLIGENCE?
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO LEAD OTHERS? ARE YOU WILLING TO CRUSH THOSE WHO STAND IN YOUR WAY?

Every year, the United Commonwealth invites top graduates from each colony to participate in The Testing. Successful candidates will go on to the University and help the government work to rebuild our war-stricken world. This process is not optional.
Disclaimer: The United Commonwealth is not responsible for candidates' psychological or physical heath during The Testing.

The Testing is the type of book that is always going to be a good read for me. It has all of the things that I love in dystopian world books, but it also has the touch of originality that I really appreciate. Now, I'm not going to say this was the most innovative or original read in the world, because the Divergent/Hunger Games/Battle Royale influence is definitely there, but I think that the dystopian genre is so well tried and tested these days that it is so hard to find anything original, and if you want an action-packed, psychological adventure style dystopian, like this is, there is no way to avoid similarities to well-known books. 

So yeah, this book is similar to other books in the genre, but it was also gripping and exciting. I read it in one sitting and couldn't bear to put it down. Cia was a strong character and I really appreciated that - to start with I thought Tomas was a little flaky but towards the end we learn some things about him that make him stand out as a stronger character. It wasn't until the very end of the book that I started to support their developing relationship, which is strange for me since usually I get dragged into romance very quickly.

That being said, we don't see a whole lot of Tomas/Cia interaction for much of the first book, and what we do see is holding hands (seriously, there is a lot of "Tomas took my hand", seriously Cia!). Thankfully there is very little romantic competition so we have (so far) avoided the inevitable love triangle.

The plot was gripping, I was dragged in from the first chapter, through Cia's hopes that she would be picked for the Testing. Then I was even further gripped when her father delivered the all-is-not-as-it-seems speech and by the time they reached the university I was hooked. From there it was a mixture of heart pounding tension and action until the very last page, I loved it.

Overall, The Testing stood up to the hype and whilst it sin't the most original YA dystopian around, it definitely kept me gripped. A heart-pounding thrill ride of a book, I'm almost nervous to read the second one as this was so good!

Book released 1st August 2014 by Templar

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

A teenage girl is transformed into a reluctant superhero and must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become.

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

Mrs Kahaney, there is such a thing called world building and in the very massive young adult market its pretty darned important. Unfortunately, you are seriously missing it and in this book it was pretty necessary so this book seriously dropped in my rating just because of that. The whole bleak world and silent vigilante with improved skillz was all well and good, but why is the world so bleak? Who are the bad guys and what is the motivation? Who is this mysterious The Hope that keeps being alluded to? I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I'd actually had a clue what was going on.

I also would have loved the whole mechanical heart thing to have been mentioned a little more. It's mentioned every now and again in passing and Anthem does use her awesome new powers but what about the emotional effect of having a heart transplant? I loved the whole vigilante thing though, Anthem going and kicking butt was pretty awesome to read about and it was at this point that the pace picked up. Then there's that twist at the end which I could have seen coming but... well... it did hit me and I'll give Kahaney kudos for that.

Let me get onto this romance though. This was one of the most frustrating and annoying romances ever. Anthem meets Gavin. Anthem falls for Gavin. Anthem loses her virginity to Gavin within a few days. Gavin is kidnapped. Anthem is heartbroken because she loves this guy. No, just... NO. I get that Kahaney had this awesome batman-esque vigilante thing planned out and had to get there somewhere, but what the HECK is this? Instant love is one thing, but instant deflowering is on a whole other level.

I was so excited for The Brokenhearted and I regret to say that for me this book was an absolute let-down.There were some exciting and well paced parts and the ending was a shocker, but the romance and absolute lack of world development just really disappointed me. Not recommended by me...

Book released 8th October 2013 by HarperTeen

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)

Review: Portal 24 by Meredith Stroud

When teen con-artist Darius is approached by a mysterious government agent about joining a 'Project Oberon', he has no idea what to expect. Certainly not that Project Oberon is actually a top-secret experiment which sends teens back through time to prevent disasters before they happen! Before Darius has time to wonder why he's been chosen, his first mission arrives in the form of a huge electromagnetic weapon of mass destruction, which will kill millions of people in New York - unless Darius and the team can stop it. They're confident; it's all in a day's work for these teen wonders, but what they don't bet on is evil mastermind Ludd. And what they don't know is that Ludd knows the deadly secret behind Project Oberon. If Darius and the gang don't make it back to the portal within twenty-four hours, then they'll be lost in time forever...

Portal 24 was an enjoyable book and it's a breath of fresh air in this time of female and romance dominated time travel stories. I can't say that I absolutely adored this book because it did seem a little bit simplistic for me as it seemed to be aimed at a slightly younger and more male audience than I fit into! I think that the slightly younger target audience meant that the science wasn't exactly all that believable and the explanations given for the twenty four hour rule was very vague in comparison to explanations given in other time travel books.

That being said, Portal 24 was still a very engaging story. I loved the con-artist main character Darius and the kick-ass female lead Bianca and I really appreciated the lack of romance in this book. This is actually a real boy book, full of action, adventure, sci-fi and a street-smart main character and whilst I established quite a few years ago that I am NOT male, I did really like the high-stakes action in this book.

I did feel that the ending was a little bit rushed, it all seemed just a teeny bit too wrapped up and I would have liked a bit of an epilogue. I'm not sure if this book will have a sequel, because there were a few things left open, but if there is a sequel I probably will read it.

Book released  5th September 2013 by Hot Key Books

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Review: The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father's secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it.

Well... that wasn't what I expected. Whenever I read a book based on some sort of 'mythology' I expect a cheesy instant romance, an overly perfect heroine and references to overly used Greek/Roman deities with a lot of artistic license taken, I'm not saying I don't like these books but they have to be pretty awesome to really impress me. Whilst I kind of knew from the awesome cover that this wasn't going to be one of those books, I was a little bit careful when I started it just in case it turned out like that. I should have known better really, I read Gwenda Bond's first book (Blackwood) last year and it really impressed me but The Woken Gods really impressed me even more. This may well be the best YA mythology book that I have read in like... ever and that includes Karsten Knight's Wildefire.

Can you tell that I really enjoyed this book yet? If not, let me tell you that I have been in a reading slump for weeks, unable to concentrate completely on any book, even going as far as to not want to read at all. Despite that, I devoured all 384 pages of this book in less than four hours, I took my Kindle with me to the toilet, to the kitchen, I sat reading whilst everyone else was watching one of my favorite TV shows, then when I finally finished the book I was pretty close to crying because I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to leave Kyra and Tam and Bea and Oz and everyone behind, I just wanted to read the book again straight away because Gwenda Bond is an extremely talented writer.

I love that this book has the conspiracy thriller feel to it, amped up by the Washington DC setting, but it also has this mythology aspect and the heroine (the awesome Kyra) was so tough and strongwilled despite the fact that her life hasn't exactly been the easiest. She has this awesome group of friends helping her along the way with Tam and Bea and there is some romance in there. What I loved was that the romance is very subtle and you can see the attraction yet they don't act on it until the very end of the book, which really sets it apart from other books in this genre.

I can't recommend The Woken Gods enough, the world, the writing, the action and the characters are all so awesome. this is a unique concept that you have to try even if you aren't a fan of the YA mythology genre. This book is political thriller mixed with mythology which doesn't sound like it should work... yet strangely they go together like cookies and cream.

Just read it... you'll see what I mean.

Book released  3rd September 2013 by Strange Chemistry

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (NetGalley)

Reviews for other books by this author:

BLACKWOOD

Review: The Silent Deal by Levi Stack

When Viktor and Romulus, two peasant boys, dig too deep into their town’s strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. As the blood brothers struggle to survive, their search for answers takes them through gambling parlors, bare-knuckle boxing matches, and dark forests full of wild animals and men alike. But even with the help of their friends, can they escape the deathly experiments their foe is creating in Staryi Castle?

Enter the bold lands of the Russian Empire where the colorful characters of The Card Game dwell, from the fortune-tellers and fire-jugglers of the Romani Gypsies, to the dangerous criminals that make up the Thieves World, the predecessor of the Russian Mafia.

The Silent Deal has such an original premise that I was completely intrigued by the synopsis, it's for this reason that I accepted it for review, but I am so glad that I did. This book took me around four hours to read and I am so excited to read the sequel now! This book has intrigue, action and friendship and will be a definite win for people wanting to revisit their Harry Potter days as well as read something original and fun. This book has the historical thing down, but it's a historical dystopian, which was something totally new fr me, but it worked.

This book runs on the relationship between Viktor and Romulus and it is so well written. From Romulus' distrust and Viktor's curiosity to such a tight-knit bond between the two, despite some lies and some betrayal between the two they come out of it as close as brothers. It's this relationship that is center to this whole book and it was done so well. 

Stack also manages to write an engaging mystery and adventure in this book. The boys start out armed with only one card and their curiosity to find out the secret behind their town and in their mission they come across secrets and scandals as well as meet many new people, good and bad. The Crossbones Clan were the highlight of this book for me, any part of the book where these people turned up was so fun and exciting. The bad guys are pure evil, and there are twists and turns in this book which will shock you, but also clear things up. It's obvious that Stack planned out this book because everything fits together perfectly.

Overall, The Silent Deal was an engaging adventure that I absolutely adored. Reading this reminded me of why I loved Harry Potter so much, and whilst I won't say it was as good as those books, it was a fantastic read and does have the right doses of adventure, friendship and action to keep any reader gripped.

Book released  2nd May 2013

Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review 

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet.

Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.

There have been soooo many time travel and alternate reality books released recently and I've really enjoyed some of them.

All Our Yesterdays blows them all out of the water... and onto another planet... in another galaxy.

Yeah, it was pretty awesome. That's an understatement.

One of the things that I loved in this book was how subtly Terrill trickled in clues as to what was going on. This book is confusing in the beginning but as the pieces start to become revealed the bigger picture is slowly built up until everything is so clear and you realise how obvious it was from the start. Everything just fit together so well and the execution of this book was absolutely flawless.

Finn and Em were just amazing characters, and I loved watching their relationship unveil. We already know they're together in the beginning but going back and seeing how they fell for each other was just a bonus, this is a relationship that actually had development! Yes, relationship development in a YA book! Big shocker! The book is more than just the romance though - in fact the romance takes a back seat to the actual sci-fi/action/thriller aspects on a book and that is something that I welcomed with open arms.

The thriller part of the book was completely gripping. From page one the mystery is built up - we know that someone is going to get killed, but who and how and why isn't revealed until further into the book. The storytelling alternates between Em and Marina and usually this would annoy me, but it actually added to this book - you can see how much more mature Em is than Marina and it's so awesome alternating between these two because it helps to build the story whilst also keeping the pace high.

I'm going to stop there, I don't need to do a final paragraph comparing the good and the bad because I can find very little fault in this book. I'm shocked that this is Terrill's debut really, because this book was so unbelievably well written, paced and executed. Definitely one of the best books of 2013, and possibly one of the best sci-fi YA books ever. 

Book released  1st August 2013 by Bloomsbury Children's

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Review: Rush by Eve Silver

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?


When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Is it fair to rate a book really low just because the author throws an awful, heart-wrenching cliffhanger at you? I mean, I wasn't thoroughly invested into this book from the start but that ending just totally took me by surprise, so I'm a teeny bit torn over this book.

I was just kidding when I suggested giving it a low rating though, well I wouldn't rate it low just because of the cliffhanger. I did love the premise of this book though - the game is exciting and full of action and I loved all the gaming lingo that I (a very nerdy gamer/former MMORPG player) could understand, it didn't seem totally necessary to the book even though a half-formed reason is given, but it still made for some gripping reading. The action is there from very close to the start until the very last page, mixed in with some real-life scenes and some slower scenes in the game so this book was gripping.

Miki was a difficult character to connect to so I wasn't completely invested in her story until quite a way into the book, however I think my shock at the end proves that I did come to care about her and the other characters. I really liked the character of Luka, but he did seem pointless - he's kind of there for the love triangle but he just sort of fades out through the book which I was disappointed at. Jackson did seem like he could have been an awesome hero but unfortunately he did fall short for me since his romance with Miki had very little development and the insta-love just didn't work.

The writing in this book was good, but not amazing. I did find that Silver info-dumped a lot and could do with a little practice in showing, not telling since the book builds up all these questions which are all answered in this massive bulk and it was difficult for my poor, stupid brain to keep up at times!

Overall, Rush was an exciting read and the action scenes are definitely worth reading this book for. The characters needed some more work, but this is only the first book in the series! Silver does info-dump at times, but this is still worth considering for a fast-paced read!

Book released  11th June 2013 by Katherine Tegan books

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (edelweiss) 

Review: Nowhere by Jon Robinson

'No one's coming for us.
Not our families, not the police.
No one.'

Alyn, Jes, Ryan and Elsa are Nowhere. A concrete cube in the middle of a dense forest. Imprisoned inside are one hundred teenagers from all over the country. They're all criminals. But none of them remember committing any crimes. Who has put them there. What do their captors want? And how will they ever break free...?

Nowhere was a really fast paced, original and gripping story that did seem to be lacking a certain something that meant that I didn't love it, but I did still really enjoy it. This is the type of book that has the ability to appeal to both boys and girls, it has strong female characters but the intrigue, politics and action that will appeal to boys in their younger teens.

The premise of Nowhere is so intriguing, teens being told that they're criminals but all of them are convinced that they're innocent - they have no idea where they are, they were just snatched off the streets and they're being brainwashed and thrown in cells. This is such a mysterious and vague description and it's executed just as well, with us learning things a little bit faster than the characters and enough secrets left unanswered to warrant the sequel, Anywhere in 2014.

What really worked for me in this book is how we follow a group of kids and also have some chapters where we'll get a glimpse of what's going on behind the scenes. The book builds up the political intrigue outside the prison and builds up the suspense inside it and it's fantastic, even when there's barely anything happening there's still the escape plans being hatched and the relationships between the teens to follow. I did feel that because there's no set main character I felt a little more disconnected from the characters than I like, I like to get to know the characters and Nowhere didn't do that for me unfortunately.

Like I said at the beginning, Nowhere is lacking something and I can't quite put my finger on what it is, however I did enjoy it, at 250 pages it's a quick and interesting read. The characters will appeal to both boys and girls and the plot unravels so well. I would have liked to connect to the characters a little more, but overall Nowhere was an enjoyable read.

Book released 4th July 2013 by Puffin

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Review: Call Down Thunder by Daniel Finn

Reve and his sister Mi are alone in the world – their father is dead and their mother has abandoned them. Reve has to learn to be a man – to fight, to fish, to live. He must protect Mi from the rest of the world; she is special, hears voices, can see things. She can call down thunder. Travelling to the big city to search for their mother, Reve and Mi get sucked into the squalid underworld of the sprawling barrio, where danger lurks around every corner, and each day is a fight for survival.

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This book took me a while to read because it was very slow paced, but when I finished it I realised that all of the effort was worth it. This is one of those books that manages to get deep into your soul and though it was a step out of my comfort zone I'm very glad that I took that step.

At first I really did not think I was going to get on with this book, it was slow and slightly confusing and I didn't understand the culture. Slowly, I began to get to grips with who was who and the way of speaking and in the end I was able to read it without having to re-read each sentence of dialogue. I think that may be one of this books biggest downfalls; it's slow, confusing at times and the dialogue isn't typical.

However, this book does have an absolutely amazing main character: Reve is tough and strong and though he is only a kid (thirteen I think?) he is able to be brave and strong but he always sounds authentic and real. I also really liked Mi, she was unique and quirky and not all there. Mi's story was well written and I loved the direction the author took her character. I also liked the backing characters, Theon was a character I never really understood and I really liked Tomas he was tough but he cared. I also came to love Baz and Demi, the kids that Reve and Mi meet in the city because they were street smart and kind of cute.

There isn't really much more that I can say for Call Down Thunder. This is pretty heavy and pretty slow, but is worth reading. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking for an edge-of-seat read, but if you want something a little deeper and meaningful I would definitely recommend this book.

Overall, this book was very slow and I struggled to stay interested for a while but after finishing it I do feel like I have taken something from this book. I liked the characters in this book as they seemed very authentic.

Overall Rating: C+

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Released July 5th 2012 by Panmacmillan
Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Dark Eyes by William Richter

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets. 

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She'll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko - her darkeyed father - finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wally's had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.

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I was original drawn to Dark Eyes by how different it is to YA books that we tend to see these days. This book has no monsters, no overdramatic romantic storylines and a hell of a lot of action, and I mean real action.

This book is compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I don't see the similarities, aside form the action and the mystery and the kick-ass heroine. Sure, I think YA fans of The Millennium Trilogy but I think that's just the genre rather than the content. I did really enjoy the book, the action and the pacing and the writing were pretty much perfect and I just absolutely loved Wally, she was amazing.

I think that Wally deserves her own paragraph. I loved her, she was the perfect protagonist. though at times I didn't understand why she had given up a perfect life for life on the streets,  I loved the person that she was. She was strong and street-wise, she led her group of street-kids and they respected her. I loved how she was strong and determined and yet she still mourned when she lost somebody that she cared about and she still had times where she was unsure, yet she always got herself up and got on with things. I also liked her group, especially Jake since he didn't just follow her plans like everyone else did, he questioned Wally's motives.

The storyline was very twisty/turny. I never even knew what was coming... I never even had any ideas! I was thrown off at the very end and totally fooled! That twist completely got me! The pacing was pretty much perfect though there were a few times that it started to drop.

Overall, aside from doubting Wally's decisions at times I can't say much about this book. It was a little slow at times but for the most part I really enjoyed it.

Overall Rating: B

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Book released August 4th 2012 by Razorbill (PB), originally published 15th March 2012 (HB)
Book received via the publisher for review.