REVIEW: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Young-Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Summary:

Mara Dyer loses her best friend, boyfriend and his sister all in the one night; out late exploring an abandoned building when it all collapses and only Mara escapes alive. Her family uproot and move away to give Mara a fresh start away from all of her tainted memories.

Suffering with PTSD and dealing with hallucinations and nightmares, Mara slowly regains memory of the dreadful night, piece by piece. She also faces the traumas that are associated with starting at a new school; automatically sticking out without a uniform and then the "Queen Bee", Anna, targets her from the beginning and makes life worse for her.

Noah Shaw enters Mara's life and she can't help but fall under his spell. He is more than just a love interest for her however, as she soon realises he has more in common with her than she originally suspected. Mara has the ability to kill people with her mind, and Noah helps her with her journey in discovering her power and dealing with her daily flashbacks and fears.

My Thoughts:

This was a book I had been wanting to read for a good 2 years before I got the chance to. The blurb published doesn't really give much of the story away, but still the mystery suggested really drew me in;

"Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong."

I'll start with the fact that I loved the paranormal element to this novel. Mara was such an intriguing character and her power was a subtle yet distinctive one. She kills with her mind, and in a graphic manner and I loved how serious and detrimental her power was. 

And then there's Noah... woahhhh. I generally roll my eyes at the cocky confident "man-whore" of the novel who is so sure he'll "get the girl" from the beginning. He just has an air about him that is so enticing and definitely is up there in the top 5 book boyfriends. He too has some mind powers which is really cool and I loved how he had a back story that we slowly uncovered. The romance was a lovely, albeit heated, slow-built affair that was gorgeous to read.

There's also a great underlying sense of eeriness throughout the novel. Mara's nightmares cause a chill down the spine and the events towards the end of the book involving Mara's younger brother, really sets in the level of danger throughout. It's a dark story but one that's captivating rather than disturbing. 

It also ended on a major cliffhanger so I will definitely be reading the subsequent novels in this series. 

I spent a good while trying to decide between 4 or 5 stars for this book. Although I loved it a lot, there were some things that I didn't quite connect with. There were some actions from the characters that didn't seem to be in character to how they were portrayed previously. I also felt Jamie was significantly under-developed and would have loved some more building with his character so we could properly connect. Some vital scenes/events in the book weren't depicted in the best manner and I felt I often had to back-track to ensure I understood what was happening or if I was picking up on something suggested that actually wasn't. 

Overall; I definitely recommend this book, definitely to young-adults but I'd say new adults would easily enjoy this. Has an intriguing mix of paranormal with such a mind-blowing culmination and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Goodreads 
Amazon UK 
Amazon

REVIEW: Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother, by Kathleen Baldwin & Andrea Sisco

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young-Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Summary:
Lilliana Skye is not your average teenager. Lilliana is an undercover Fairy Godmother to Jess Harrison, a descendant of Cinderella, and helping Jess is her first mission after graduating from her training. The only problem is that Jess hates Lilliana immediately and wants her gone. Jess is still grieving over the death of her eldest brother, and fears Lilliana has ill intentions with getting involved with her other brother, Jake. There is undeniable chemistry between Lilliana and Jake from the moment they meet, increasing Jess' hatred for Lilliana.

Regardless of Jess not wanting her brother and Lilliana to be together, there are strict laws forbidding the union of a human and a fairy. Despite Lilliana's best efforts, Jake, Jess and her friends are all thrown into the midst of the magic world and face a magical battle and things they never thought possible. 

My Thoughts:
I honestly was on the fence about giving this 3 or 4 stars but in the end had to settle on 3. 

Pros:

1. Lilliana is such a complex character and reading about her adapting to fit in was entertaining and endearing.
2. The modern twist to fairy-tales was executed well with tying this in to the Cinderella tale beautifully and realistically too.
3. I loved Jess, even though she was so full of anger at the start, her determination was admirable and her heart was definitely in the right place. She also redeems herself massively in the latter half as she shows her true nature. 
4. The format of this book was quite cute; I loved the little Directives from The Fairy Godmother Training Manual that split up every few chapters. 

Cons:

1. The second half may as well have been a different novel as it was so different to the beginning; even though Jess etc didn't really believe in magic, there seemed to be such a sudden shift to the magical world and the end just picked up too much pace as we were thrown abruptly into an action-packed magical battle! 
2. I didn't find the humans' responses and reactions to finding out the truth about Lilliana all too believable. Jess was the only one who showed any skepticism and they all just took it in their stride as they went off with Lilliana and were with Naneth. 

Overall: 
I really wanted to give this book 4 stars; it really had a great story-line and wonderful characters. The modern fairy-tale genre was written in a lovely style and the general story-line held a lot of potential and was enjoyable. 
However I can't ignore the confusion I felt at the end, it just felt like the book completely changed focus and what I thought was the main story-line, was in fact just a build up to the "real" one. 

This is why I'm only giving it 3 stars but in regards to characters, the writing, format etc, it was all done beautifully. 

I would still recommend this book to any one who loves fairy-tales or modern fantasy books. I think the blurb on this novel should be edited to give a little more notice on what the book is mainly about however.  

REVIEW: Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

Rating: ★★★★☆

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Young-Adult, Mystery, Suicide

Summary:
Teenager Hannah Baker commits suicide, supposedly randomly. However one evening Clay Jensen discovers the box of tapes that record Hannah's reasons for ending her life. 
There are 13 recordings involving 13 people who are "responsible" for Hannah's death and Clay is one of them. Clay has to listen to her voice through the night in order to understand how he is involved and to discover who he must pass the tapes onto next. Following the map she had left him, he spends the evening travelling around their town to the various places that events took place; all the events that led up to her death. 
Clay has to deal with everything he learns, about the people around him and about Hannah, and sees life totally different when completed. 

My Thoughts:
I've read some mixed reviews debating the glorification of suicide in this novel; that Hannah's reasons are petty and stupid etc. 

I disagree with this mindset. Yes, Hannah's reasons got a little annoying and if she had just talked to someone then it could've been prevented. BUT, when someone is depressed and suicidal, the tiniest of things can push them over the edge so I don't think that's a reason to hate this book. 

The format was executed brilliantly; switching from Clay to Hannah as he listened to her tapes. We discovered Hannah's reasons as Clay did and as he travelled around the town. 

I will be honest and say I thought I'd love this book more than I did. I enjoyed it and wanted to discover her reasons but I felt it lacked a shock factor or a punch. Hannah had numerous reasons as to why she killed herself, but they were all pretty small and disconnected in some way. They all added up to pushing her over the edge but by the end I just didn't feel much sympathy for Hannah. I did like her honesty and raw emotion that was portrayed on the tapes though.

I would recommend this book to young-adults. It is definitely an original and intriguing read, filled with suspense and emotion. I had no major issues with the story and enjoyed the read overall!

REVIEW: Welcome to Sugartown, by Carmen Jenner

Rating: ★★★★☆

(semi-spoiler free review)

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Summary: 
19 year-old Ana Belle spends her time running her family pie shop in the heart of Sugartown, a small town where everyone knows everything. She has a reputation despite being a "good girl" and just keeping her head down and working. Her days are spent working and with her best friend, Holly. Both dream of the day they can escape the boring town but know the reality is far away and unreachable. 

Then in rides Elijah Cade. This tattooed biker hunk wanders into Ana's pie shop and wants her immediately. Ana feigns disinterest but wants him just as badly. Working for her dad, Elijah harbours a dark past and Ana's father attempts to keep them apart. 

Following numerous events/incidents throughout the book, Ana and Elijah's relationship is put to the test and they have to battle through their want for each other and whether they are actually more harmful together or apart...


My Thoughts:
This book is the definition for a roller-coaster story. The start is fun and light as they flirt back and forth and there's humour etc... But then it drops dramatically down a deep hole and emerges into dark and dangerous territory as Cade's past is brought to the present.  

I loved the connection between Ana and Elijah from the start and Holly interfering added so much humour to the overall story. Holly was probably my favourite character in the story as I think everything she did/said I agreed with or believed was necessary and realistic. Some things Ana/Elijah did/said just annoyed me or disappointed me in a way. 

The reason this book isn't 5 stars is for the following: 

Ana; sometimes I just wanted to shake her for being so stubborn with Cade. I know he broke her heart etc and for the majority of the time, I think her actions were justified but there were just some occasions were I was like "OH JUST GIVE IN TO HIM! YOU CAN SEE HE CARES!" and it felt like she was over-playing the victim a tad too much. 

Elijah; 99% of the time he was a perfect dreamy sexy bad-ass. BUT...there were a few times were he acted or said something that I felt really didn't fit his character who claimed to love Ana so much. Now, I'm well aware a man has needs etc but considering how much trouble he went to to prove his love for Ana and showed us how much he cared, I just can't understand why he'd go and have sex with Ana's number one enemy in the bathroom when Ana just needed time to come to terms with the fact he had kept his past a secret. 
At this point if I were Ana I would never have forgiven him as how could he do that if he really cared? 

That was my main issue with this book and why I'm giving it 4 stars. It were those teeny moments where the characters seemed to waver slightly off the path the author had built for them and left me questioning "who were they really?" 

Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves a good romance novel but with a LOT of drama. It was quite unlike any other I've read before and I read it in less than 2 days! 

REVIEW: Transcendent Tales-Volume II, by Adam Train

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian,

(spoiler free review)

Individual Review & Summary:

1. Final Tide - ★★★★☆
This story was set in Atlantis and an interesting opener to this series of novellas. It centers around the inhabitants deciding what to do when faced with a threat that could ruin their civilisation. I enjoyed this story but felt it was a little short, would have liked it to continue a bit further.

2. High-Side - ★★★★★
This was probably my favourite story. It would make for a brilliant gripping novel if there was more story to be told. Set in a dystopian future, the main character, High-Side, is given an order to carry out. He soon realises the delivery he must complete is extremely high-risk and involves more than he thought. The characters were strong and had a depth to them. I really loved Flor and her ignorance to her situation. Really just loved the whole concept of this story. 

3. The Legends of Skoll- The Wildman - ★★★★☆
A young boy seeks out help from Skoll and Bhalu to come back to his village and help defeat the Wildman, a beast that has been attacking their town. This story started off a little slow and took a while to grip my interest, but it definitely improved and the ending was great. 

4. Prisoner of Hakai - ★★★★★
Set in a prison where Arden is about to be executed in a world where aliens rule the Earth. These aliens worship the Light, and rule with their dogmatic beliefs so when Arden opposes these he is  punished with death. I enjoyed this and it would be my second favourite. The story of the Hakai was interesting and the general plot and idea of the story was clever and gripping.

5. War Chief - ★★★☆☆
Akhutai Khan is escaping from the evil Zenzorthus when he is hiding and spies on another creature; a magnificent green female named Natal. He returns to her home and begins his new life like he never imagined. Not too sure about this one, I lost interest in the story after he met Natal and went back with her and expected the story to be completely different. 

6. Mystery of Grey Rock Canyon - ★★★☆☆
A little difficult to summarise but it involves an "explorer" of sorts in the future, wandering around the named Canyon and explaining his discoveries and experiences. A decent story but one of complete description. Think the ending was a little sudden but held my interest until the end nonetheless. 

7. The Treaty of Nine (Part 2) - ★★★★☆
Reading the first part I loved the setting of this immediately. Set on Mars, in a future where other planets are habitable and wars have broken out over the occupancy and ownership of such planets. The Treaty of Nine is devised to halt further discrepancy. Part 2 follows the main character of Eon and his friend Gregan. When a threat arises that could tear apart what the treaty has built, Eon is summoned to help fight against the rising threat. This was a good all-rounded story, a few bits seemed a bit lacking but overall had action and suspense and an interesting take on a futuristic setting. 


Overall Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this series of novellas to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy/sci-fi. All stories were well written and the characters were so diverse and different. From a mix of aliens to creatures to humans, each story was completely unique. The writing style was well crafted and I enjoyed the phrasing and descriptions of possible mundane scenes, but eloquently portrayed. 

Thank you to Adam Train for providing me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review! 

REVIEW: Stalk Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #1), by Jillian Dodd

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery

Summary:
Keatyn is the daughter of a hit movie star actress. She is the most popular girl and has everything she wanted, according to the script she has in her head for the life she wants to live; she has the boyfriend, the friends, the looks... everything. 

Soon she realises this isn't the life she wants and she's tired of making choices for appearances and wants a life without the fame. But when her mom is being threatened by a stalker fan, Keatyn becomes caught in the middle of a serious issue, whilst trying to discover what she really wants in her life.

My Thoughts:
This book sounded like one I'd have loved and from reading other reviews I really thought I was going to side with the higher ratings... how wrong I was. 

There are just so many things that made me dislike this book;


Cons

1. Main Character; Keatyn, is just unbearable. In summary she is a rich brat, who swears that's not what she is but yet is constantly being a right B to people. Looks are most important and I felt she didn't give a damn for anyone. And at 16 and in love with nearly every guy that looks her way. She literally went like "I'd never go near Cush... but maybe I will...I love Brooklyn...Brooklyn loves me...no he doesnt... Cush loves me... Oh I love Cush... I hate Cush... I love Brooklyn... Brooklyn is acting weird...I don't love Brooklyn... I love Cush...-then shipped off to boarding school- I miss Cush...I miss Brooklyn... I like Riley...Kissing Dallas is okay...Woah Aiden, he's the one!" WHAT. ON. EARTH! Literally EVERY. SINGLE. GUY. IN. THIS. BOOK. FANCIES. HER. and oh my god their pick-up-lines are horrendous!! It's just cringe worthy and boring as every guy seems to "love" her... 

2. Rest of the characters; I don't know if I liked anyone in this book.. maybe Damien and possibly Brooklyn for a while but then he totally did a 180. All were so superficial and just... one dimensional!! There was no depth to ANY of them. 
And Cush? WTF?! He claims to love Keatyn and yet he tells her she ruined his life before going off to his Dad's... was a bit much in my opinion. Dodd didn't really hit the describing nail on the head. It was all about abs imo.

3. plot; I expected a lot more focus on the whole stalker aspect.. the book is called "Stalk Me" after all. It was also totally obvious who it was from the moment that character was introduced so there was no suspense or surprise in that respect. A mention of a threat letter here and there and then the final act that wasn't too dramatic (Ov it was for Keatyn but for a book I thought the build up etc could have been extended to get the reader scared) and then the whole transfer to the boarding school was just as smooth as a hacksaw. Aaaand of course she decides she does not want to be popular and stand out so what does she do? Befriends the guys who naturally all fancy her and the star player thinks she's the one... yeah... that's believable! Seriously, if I knew the story was going to be about some rich bitch and about 8 guys... (Sander, Cush, Brooklyn, Vincent, Riley, Dallas, Dawson, Aiden) no way would I have bothered.. it's tiring and childish.

4. The Writing;  I can normally get over an author's writing style if I enjoyed the story, but wow... the writing in this really annoyed me! 

"You have a nickname?" Riley asks."Um, my little sisters call me Kiki. Like key, key."

a) Asking someone if they've a nickname when you just meet them? Yeah, that's normal! 
b) Saying "key key" is IRRELEVANT! Riley hears Kiki as "keykey" anyway so I don't get why that was necessary, maybe at the start of the book but not twice more!
I also hate the typing of children speaking, I just find the misspelled words irritating and I find it a lot more effective to type them correctly and then explain how the child can't pronounce her "r's" or something. 


There were many other issues I had with this book. It just had so much potential but lacked execution and precision. Would not recommend this book nor continue the series.