Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

Jackson Meyer is hiding a secret. He can time-travel. But he doesn't know how he does it, how to control it or what it means. When Jackson, and his girlfriend Holly, find themselves in fatal danger, Jackson panics and catapults himself two years into his past, further than he's ever managed before, and this time he can't find a way back to the future. All the rules of time-travel he's experienced so far have been broken and Jackson has no choice but to pretend to be his younger self whilst he figures out a solution. 


Jackson is tearing himself apart with guilt and frustration, wondering if Holly survived. He's also become the target of an unknown enemy force and it seems even his dad is lying to him. Jackson is racing against time to save the girl he loves, but to do that he must first discover the truth about his family and himself.

And stay alive.

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I am having such a hard time rating this one because I loved the story, but there were so many flaws with this book to me that I simply can't overlook. The premise of the story is simple and very interesting, but it's executed in a way that is very hard to follow and after reading this book I still don't fully understand what was going on even through things were explained. There was so much going on and it just seemed really cluttered and hard to get.


While I was reading this book I found myself feeling pretty bored. I was gripped by the beginning but then it suddenly slows down after we see Jackson jump into the past and we get about 200 pages of Jackson trying to pull his girlfriend from the future that doesn't know him in the past, which seemed pointless and then all of a sudden these secrets are being revealed and Jackson transforms into some super-secret-agent-time-travel-CIA dude which I just didn't get. It was at that point that I just gave up...


I loved Jackson as a character and considering he was written by a woman author I'm shocked by how true his voice rang. All of the other characters didn't seem like people though, they felt more like devices used to push along the story so I couldn't relate to them, Holly especially.


The book suffered from tell and not show syndrome. The writing seemed very afctual and there was a lack of imagery and description used, so the book was pretty bland to read. 


I think that Tempest will be very popular just because it's something new in the market. Personally, not really my cup of tea though, i'm afraid. It wasn't a bad book at all, but it just didn't grip me, and didn't do all of the good things that i personally think that a good book should do and so I just could  not finish it.


Did Not Finish

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Book to be released through PanMacmillan on 5th January 2012

Review: Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne

Economic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war. Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.

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I really enjoyed this book, but not for the reasons that I expected to. I was expecting a romantic dystopian based around war, it isn't a dystopian because they aren't under the control of an extremist controlling government and it's pretty present day and the romance was there, but not until quite late in the book.


Nevertheless, I still loved reading this, it took a while to get into as the beginning just follows Esther as she goes about her every day life, but as soon as the war hits her the story picks up and I could not put this book down. I really liked the way that this book was unique and really stood out. There are so many books about somebody having to survive through a very difficult situation, but this is so real and possible. Throughout the book Esther is caught in the very center of a war, she loses her friends, she herself nearly dies, she watches people do the worst possible, most inhumane things. It's truly a book about how people can lose their humanity in severe situations.


As a character, Esther was fantastic. She starts out as a sassy by still quite naive girl and we see her develop to become a head strong survivor over the course of the story, her determination to get home is her driving point and without it I don't think that I would have liked the book half as much if I wasn't as determined for Esther to get home as she was herself.


I wished there had been more romance but at the same time, the lack of it made the book more about what was going on rather than it being a cheesy romance. I loved Matt and Esther though, the rate at which they came to care about each other felt as though it worked because of what was going on.


At times I struggled to keep going as at some points the book was very repetitive however when something did happen, it came with a bang. I enjoyed the writing though I don't it will appeal to younger YA readers and I'd recommend this book to older teens and adults.


Overall, a great book, despite a few pacing issues at times. A sassy lead character, a touch of romance and a lot of determination made this book one that i would recommend.


Overall rating: B

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Book released September 17th. book recieved for review from the author.

In My Mailbox (10/12/11) and Review Sum Up

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, 

in which you post all of the books/e-books/audio books that you have recieved/bought/won this week and link 'em all up!

I got two university offers! University of East Anglia and York University have offered me conditional offers, which is amazing! So excited. My kindle broke on Monday, but Amazon sorted it out and I had a new one within two days of me contacting them and today I got a few awesome books this week, so it's looking amazing!

Swapped:

Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw

For Review:

  

Advent by James Treadwell: Hodder and Stoughton, February 2nd (Print ARC)

Haven't heard much about this, but it sounds like something new and unique, I look forward to reading and reviewing it!

Fracture by Megan Miranda: Bloomsbury, January 5th (Print final)

I have been dying to read this, so cannot wait! It's my next read on my pile!

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey: Bloomsbury, January 5th (Print final)

I LOVE Alyxandra Harvey, so I can't wait to see how she writes faerie!

  

Katana by Cole Gibsen: Flux, March 8th (eArc, NetGalley)

This sounds amazing, original and witty!

Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves: Flux, April 8th (eArc, NetGalley)

haven't heard much about this, but historical paranormal is one of my fave genres and I don't have enough of it!

  

Happy Birthday to You (Birthday Trilogy #3) by Brain Rowe (Ebook from Author)

I loved book one and I'm about quarter through book two and loving it so far, so I'm so glad that I have the chance to review book three!

Surfacing by Shana Norris (Ebook from Author)

Spooky and mysterious! I can't wait to read it!

Conquest by Vick Rubenfeld (Ebook from author)

I love books about bands and fame and music, so this looks awesome.

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Sum Up of Reviews:

Last Week

Happy Birthday to Me by Brain Rowe

Addison Blakely, Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Next Week

Far From The War by Jeffrey David Payne

Tempest by Julie Cross

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Feyland by Anthea Sharp

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Review: Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Dystopian has done it again, if The Hunger Games and the Uglies series hadn't made dystopian my favorite genre years ago than the likes of Shatter Me, Divergent and now Under the Never Sky have definitely convinced me this year. Whatever you're doing Harper Collins, keep doing it, you seem to be bringing out an awful lot of fantastic dystopians this year. Keep this trend going next year, please.

What I loved about Under the Never Sky was that it seemed to be going into the usual dystopian storyline when Aria is exiled from the world she knows so well to the outside, known as the death shop, where tribes live primitively. She is rescued by Perry, who comes from one of these tribes. It seemed very typical but it shocked me by being utterly original. Rather than throw us into an action adventure from start to finish Rossi subtly introduces us into her dystopic world. Aria and Perry meet a lot of threats on their journey but rather than being non-stop action these things are spread about.

The romance was so well written and I could actually see the chemistry developing between Aria and Perry rather than it just being instant love and I enjoyed reading their romance, though the 'differentpowers' thing seemed like an obstacle that Rossi had thrown in because she needed one. I didn't connect with the characters until late in the book though, when Aria got a backbone and Perry started being a decent person, so that was a tiny bit of a put off.

I wish there'd been more world builing because I'd like to know what happened in 'The Unity' and how the Aether came about, as well as that I struggled with understanding the powers that the tribes had, so I'd like to see more of that. 

Overall, Under the Never sky was an exciting, fantastically written read that I could read over and over again. Not my favorite dystopian of the year, put pretty great nonetheless.

Overall Rating: B+


Book released 3rd January by HarperCollins.
Received my from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Other Books by this Author:

Through the Ever Night (#2)

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I love fairy tale retellings and Cinderella retellings are the most popular ones, so it was nice to see something original. I mean Cinderella as a cyborg mechanic? The concept is amazing and for the most part Meyer pulls it off. The start was very slow for me and I actually almost gave up, but a few chapters in the pacing picks up, I really enjoyed the storyline and how it developed, there were concepts from Cinderella, the prince, the ball, the stepmother and the stepsisters. No godmother though, Cinder doesn't need a fairy godmother, Cinder is her own women.

I loved the world that Meyer has created, with Cyborgs, Lunars and Androids, it's like the best sci-fi concepts in one book, I wish there'd been more of a back story because I didn't really understand the difference between Cyborgs  and Humans apart from the fact that they had metal prosthetic limbs, in a way. I also wish I knew how the Lunars had developed, what made them so different. As well as that, the story is set in New Beijing but apart from the name suffixes, nothing really had that eastern vibe that I would have liked.

Cinder was such an awesome character, independent and strong but still unsure about where she belonged in the world which added the independance. Kai was handsome and sweet but made some big mistakes so I'm unsure about him because of the ending. The other characters were well written though some were developed more than others.

Overall, Cinder was a romantic and well written take on Cinderella. The story was so original that it didn't even feel like I was reading a retelling. The pacing wasn't as fantastic as I'd wished.

Overall Rating: B+

Released 3rd January 2012 through Feiwel and Friends, B
Book received as an eGally through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Other books from this author:
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

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

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.

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I have a special place in my heart for PKs, preacher's kids. My boyfriend is one (well a Reverand's kid) though he himself isn't religious so he doesn't have to worry about the same things that Addison does in this book. As well as that, I have loved Footloose since I was a kid so the whole PK meets bad boy thing, whilst not very original, holds a place in my heart.


I can't say that I absolutely loved this book and was totally gripped, but I never got bored, and the story was cute with some pretty deep moments, the writing was good to read and it flowed well. Addison as a character never got too annoying for me, though her attempts to turn Wes into a good guy annoyed me - she claims to 'love' this guy then wants to change him? I loved the inner struggles that Addison went through, it was both this love story, but also a coming of age story that showed Addison coming to terms with who she is and who she wants to be and finding some middle ground.


Wes was a typical bad guy with a heart of gold, but I still liked him. I can't say he was my favorite character of the book (that goes to Marta) but not my least favorite either (probably Luke), he didn't really have that much development but I was still cheering on him and Addison. Marta was an amazing best friend, and her blunt honesty with Addison was just what the book needed.


I'm not a religious person so some parts seemed pretty preachy to me, I also don't think I can fully understand the moral of the story, which seems to be Addison coming to terms with her religion but also being able to get what she wants. But I definitely relate to the idea of trying to live up to peoples expectations whilst struggling to be who you want to be.


Overall, this book was a cute and fun read, but I can't say I loved it. The writing was good, and some of the characters were well developed however some of the characters were just stereotypes. The moral was probably lost on me and my lack of religion may have affected my judgement, but I enjoyed the story and it killed some time.


Overall Rating: C+

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Book to be released January 1st by Barbour Publishing, book received for review through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher for giving me a chance to read this early.

Review: Happy Birthday to Me by Brain Rowe

Seventeen-year-old Cameron Martin has a huge problem: he’s aging a whole year of his life with each passing day! 

High school is hard enough; imagine rapidly aging from seventeen to seventy in a matter of weeks, with no logical explanation, and with prom, graduation, and the state championship basketball game all on the horizon. That’s what happens to Cameron, a popular pretty boy who's never had to face a day looking anything but perfect.

All Cameron wants to do is go back to normal, but no one, not even the best doctors, can diagnose his condition. When he finds love with a mysterious young woman, however, he realizes his only hope for survival might be with the one person who started his condition in the first place..

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This book grabbed me from page one, because the beginning is actually a scene of the book pretty close to the end of it, so from the beginning we know how things are going to pan out and this bit at the beginning has us wondering all the way through what will happen at the very end. (I'm trying to be cryptic, is it working?), and Cameron's voice is so engaging that it didn't take me long at all to be interested in his story.


At times this book seemed pretty similar to Alex Flinn's Beastly, whilst both have their originality, they both use the concept of an attractive, cocky, popular boy being made less attractive somehow by the mysterious, unusual girl. Don't let that sway your opinion, this story is more engaging than Beastly and the characters were better to read.


I loved both Liesl and Cameron as characters but their whirlwind romance at the end comes as kind of instalove, and I can't help but see images of this pretty seventeen year old girl walking hand in hand down a school hall with an eighty year old man, which hindered my enjoyment of the romance. I also like Wesley, Cameron's best friend who was supportive of his condition, Aaron, who has a crush on the aging Cameron. I totally disliked Charisma, Cameron's ex-girlfriend, but personally I'm bound to dislike anyone with  name like that.


The book has a lot of humour, which I absolutely loved. Some of the scenes had me heaving with laughter, like the bedroom scene with his mum, or the library lady kidnapping him, but the book also had a pretty good moral.


Overall, Happy Birthday to Me was a fun and engaging read which, despite not being the most original book, makes up with it in humour and writing.


Overall Rating: B-

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Published April 7th 2011 independently, this book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.