Review: Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

Aries, Clementine, Michael, and Mason have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world’s population and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now they’re hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of fellow teen survivors, trying to figure out their next move.

Aries is trying to lead, but it’s hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it’s impossible to know where he’d be, assuming he’s alive. Michael is haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends.

As the Baggers begin to create a new world order, these four teens will have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive.

There's something to be said for a book that can make you feel as utterly desperate and afraid as I did, reading this book. I was so terrified that I stopped reading when it started to get dark outside and started reading again the next day, even though I had to force myself to put it down. This book is gripping, terrifying and total on-edge-of-seat thrilling. 

I really enjoyed Dark Inside when I read it last year and Rage Within did not let me down. From page one of this book I was gripped and by the time I finished it - in the pure daylight of the next day's afternoon - I was still gripped, this book did not let go of me, even when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. Even now i'm a little bit terrified, good terrified though, the kind of terrified you get when a book has grabbed you so much that you enter that world and become the characters and feel how they feel and go through what they're going through. I felt elation when the characters escaped a tricky situation and fear when the Baggers got too close for comfort. I am praying for a third book because I am just so not ready to let these characters go yet, there are so many ends that need to be tied up - Mason? Joy? Daniel? What's going to happen next?!

I have nothing bad to say about this book except from that the split narrative meant that we never really get to see every part of any one character's story. I still felt a little out of the loop at times, but once again this is a teeny little complaint and it barely affected my enjoyment.

Overall, I adored this book. It had my heart racing and my fingernails have been chewed down to nothing. Bring on book three!

Overall Rating: A

Book released August 30th 2012 by Panmacmillan in the UK and September 4th by Simon and Schuster in the US. I am reviewing the UK edition.
Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Buy this book:

Amazon UK/Amazon US

The Book Depository

Barnes and Noble

Other books from this author:

Dark Inside

Review: The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.
Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

After seeing so many people rave about this book I finally got around to reading it, I picked up this book preparing to be blown away but it didn't quite hit me the same way it hit so many other people. I did enjoy this book and it definitely piqued my interest in the series but after being so excited after all of the five star reviews I felt a little cheated.

Now anybody that knows me will know that I am a massive fan of fantasy books, I read so much dystopian and paranormal but YA fantasy books are my true love because of the amazing world building and the fantastic description, which is where this book started to fall short for me. This book uses Russian sounding words but I didn't really get the vibe from the descriptions. We're also thrown into this world with it's terms and lingo and I struggled to understand what was what. I think I kind of have a grasp on it now, but I would have liked some things to be more clearly defined.

I did like Alina as a character because she was tough and proud, I also loved Mal who is swoonworthy and stoic and touch and romantic and even the Darkling was a well written slightly creepy but smooth fellow. I loved Genya, Alina's friend who was funny and sweet but is developed a little more later in the book.  The romance was also great - despite a kind of love triangle - because in the end there is a clear winner and I think the way that it was developed was essential to the plot.

The plot in this book was good. Not amazing, I wasn't blown away and there wasn't anything that was seriously original in fantasy but it kept me interested and I want to read more. The pacing fell at paces, this book was a slow starter, then it picks up, then the pace droops a little near the middle then it picks up again.

Overall, this book was kind of slow and didn't blow me away. I am interested in reading the sequel and I did like the characters and romance. I would have liked a little more worldbuilding though.

Overall Rating: B-

Book released June 7th 2012 by Indigo (UK). Book originally published in the USA as Shadow and Bone on the 5th June by Henry Holt and Co.
Book purchased by myself

Buy this book:

Amazon UK/Amazon US

The Book Depository

Barnes and Noble

Review: Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

In Abby’s world, magic isn’t anything special: it’s a part of everyday life. So when Abby learns that she has zero magical abilities, she’s branded an “Ord”—ordinary, bad luck, and quite possibly a danger to society. 

The outlook for kids like Abby isn’t bright. Many are cast out by their families, while others are sold to treasure hunters (ordinary kids are impervious to spells and enchantments). Luckily for Abby, her family enrolls her in a school that teaches ordinary kids how to get around in a magical world. But with treasure-hunting kidnappers and carnivorous goblins lurking around every corner, Abby’s biggest problem may not be learning how to be ordinary—it’s whether or not she’s going to survive the school year!

Ordinary Magic was such a fun, witty read and let me start off by saying that whilst this book is middle-grade I absolutely loved it! It was so cute and fun and clever and I absolutely devoured it. Rubino-Bradway has written a book that is engaging whilst not being too deep but isn't fluffy. It finds that perfect balance between writing something that's fun and sweet and also has the action and the adventure.

The characters in this book just totally shine, I loved Abby who was so spunky and real but I totally adored Alexa, the big sister who is totally kick-ass and Gil, the clever older brother. Peter is a quiet and moody boy who becomes Abby's best friend and all of the other teachers and students were awesome. I absolutely loved Abby's snarky narrative, it had me chuckling and laughing. 

There is plenty of action and adventure in this book. The comedic bad guys Trixie and Barbarian Mike had me giggling with their attempts to capture the ords, Mike was a lumbering big bad guy and Trixie was pure evil, but in a totally comedic way. There was plenty of action in this book and I loved it.

This book also has it's sad bits. I felt so sorry for Abby who is ignored and kicked out o school because she has no powers, I loved the fact that Rubino-Bradway put in the bits about discrimination as it adds a level of depth for the older readers.

Overall, this book was so funny and witty and such a nice quick read. The characters were great and there was some fun action in there.

Overall Rating: A

Released May 8th 2012 by Bloomsbury (USA)
Received from the author in exchange for the review and as part of the blog tour.

Review: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life. 

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Urgh, I had such high expectations for Origin and whilst there were some good things about it, the bad things totally outweighed the good and I was totally let down. Bad science, insta-love and lack of character development are all problems that seriously annoyed me. Let me tell you what was good about this book first. 

The setting: The lush jungle setting of this book is gorgeous. Though we don't see it until a little later in the book it is one of those vivid settings that totally paints a picture in your head. I also liked Little Cam and the Ai'oan village. The setting descriptions were gorgeous and I loved it.

The premise: Okay, this is a bit hit and miss for me, but I loved the storyline in the beginning.  I really thought that I was going to love this because the whole trapped immortal girl thing could have been good, I wasn't a fan of the execution but I did really like the premise.

However, there were a few problems that I just can't overlook...

The science: Look, I'm a scientist. I'm studying a science, I may not be a biologist or a botanist but I'm studying Environmental Geography and have a bit of an understanding of that stuff. The science in this book started off so well. Khoury had obviously done some genetic research which worked for the whole family side of things, however the actual science that goes into making the immortals never really worked and though I dealt with it to begin with, I just couldn't deal with it when it turned fantasy at the end. It just didn't work, sorry!

The characters: I liked some of the characters in this book, Aunt Harriet was cool, Uncle Antonio was awesome and even Uncle Paulo, who's the evil bad guy in this was well written. Unfortunately, I seriously disliked Pia, I understand that she's torn and that she has never known anything other than Little Cam and has been brought up a certain way, but her indeciciveness annoyed me... and she seemed TOO perfect, it was very annoying Mary Sue like. Eio was okay, but he was just the love interest and wasn't really developed.

The romance: This was my worst problem with this book. The lack of character development meant that since I was pretty much indifferent to Pia and Eio, I didn't really care for tthe romance. Plus, this book is total insta-love and I hated it, it just didn't work! Plus, after their first meeting, Eio is constantly telling Pia she';s beautiful. It seemed like it was her appearance that caused the attraction and not some kind of deeper connection. *Sigh*.

Overall, despite a beautiful setting and a good premise the execution lacked. The science was bad and a lack of relationship and character development seriously annoyed me.

Overall Rating: D-

Book released September 4th 2012 by Razorbill
Book received as an eGalley for review from NetGalley 

Waiting on Wednesday #9

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Also don't forget to check out my giveaways:

GIVEAWAYS

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (INT)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (UK/Ireland)

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (UK)

---

Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . . 

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone.

Can Mallory live with that?

Oooh! A mystery! I love mystery books, plus the paranormal aspect sounds awesome. I quite enjoyed Fractured when I read it so look forward to reading more from Megan Miranda, plus the cover is just awesome.

---

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

This is described as 'The Goddess Test' meets 'Dexter'. I love books with a mythology base but many have fallen short lately, so I am so excited to check out this new twist on the genre!

---

Thats what I'm waiting on. What are your thoughts on my picks, what did you pick this week? Leave me a comment with a link and I'll try and stop by!

Review: Arise by Tara Hudson

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

I really enjoyed Hereafter last year, but I think it had a few tiny faults that definitely detracted from my enjoyment. Most of these kinks were worked on in the sequel but there were still a few faults, so overall the rating that I'm giving this is going to be pretty similar to the one that I gave Hereafter.

The writing in this book was definitely an improvement. I felt like this book seemed more real and seamless whereas I found Hereafter a little jumpy and I struggled to find a pace with it. I didn't have that problem with Arise, I managed to read all 400 pages of it in a single very long bath. There were a few times where the dialogue seemed forced and unrealistic, but on a whole the narrative and pacing in this book were much better.

Amelia and Josh are both fantastic characters. I loved how dedicated to each other they are, and I like that Josh is just like what teenage boys are like and not the overprotective semi-stalkerish type that a lot of YA books seem to include (I hate that!). I did have a few problems with the relationship, I supported them as a couple because they were so darn adorable, but I still think that Josh wasn't addressing the whole 'dead-girl-won't-grow-old' situation which I really think he needs to take into consideration. I like that Hudson isn't making their relationship full of drama but I would have liked a little inner-conflict from Josh, since it seemed like most of it was coming from poor Amelia!

This book wasn't as action packed as Hereafter and most of the action took place at the end, it didn't take away from the pacing but it did make it a little less exciting. I loved the ending, the climax had me holding my breathe, but I would have liked some more conflict throughout the book.

Overall, a great continuation to a good series. Whilst the writing was better than the first, I would have liked more action and some more conflict.

Overall Rating: B

Book released June 5th 2012 by Harpercollins
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Other books by this author:
Hereafter

Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I don't care what anyone says, assassins nuns are awesome. This is one of the most amazing premises in YA this year, and it totally lived up to my expectations. 

My phone memo that I made whilst reading this book says:

• Assassin nuns - yes!
• Ismae is kick ass yet naive woohoo!
• Duval = sexy, stoic but caring.
• Anne-Mature for age but too mature???
• Easy politics - YAY!
• Long never bored...
• GASP DEATH! D:
• OMG TWIST... shocker.

To be honest I don't know what half of that is meant to mean... but I so agree with the top one: Assassin nuns are awesome, I could write a whole review on how amazing assassin nuns are. I love how kick-ass Ismae was (I love that name too!), she's a woman who could kill a man in a zillion different ways but when it comes to matters of the heart she is so innocent it's cute, much like Katsa of Graceling (my all time fave YA protagonist). The love interest, Duval is also amazing and has almost topped my list of smexy book guys (Valek still holds that honour, sorry Duval!). As I pointed out in my notes up there, Duval is stoic and tough,, a bit of an enigma for much of the book, but he is also caring and tough and puts the safety of the young Duchess, Anne above his own. The romance between these two is absolutely fantastic, there is no insta-luv, it's a very cold relationship to start with but you can see it develop. I loved it, and wow, Duval made me swoon!

The backing characters are also uber awesome, I loved Anne, the young Duchess to be, though she did seem a little mature for her young age. I also absolutely ADORED The Beast and I am so hoping to see more of him in the sequel.

I loved the storyline too, it was gripping with mystery and intrigue and a teensy bit of paranormal, but the politics were simple and I didn't find myself confused at all (I'm simple minded...).

Look, I'm not going to go on for hours about how awesome this is... just read it and see for yourself.

Overall Rating: A+

Released April 3rd 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Book bought by myself