2013 Challenge #5 - Books in a Series Reading Challenge COMPLETE

4 down, only 1 to go.

Given that most of the books I read these days are a part of a series, I decided to take part in the Books In A Series Reading Challenge hosted by Book Stacks On Deck, aiming to be Obsessive are read 20+ books from series. And with 33 books read this year as a part of a series, I think I well and truly reached that goal! Here's what I read throughout the year:

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #1) {review}
2. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Mara Dyer #2) {review}
3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #1) {review}
4. Ingenue by Jillian Larkin (The Flappers #2) {review}
5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
(Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) {review}
6. Wither by Lauren Destefano (The Chemical Garden Trilogy #1) {review}
7. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (The Steampunk Chronicles #1) {review}
8. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #2) {review}
9. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
(The Caster Chronicles #1) {review}
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfield (Uglies #1) {review}
11. The Host by Stephenie Meyer (The Host #1) {review}
12. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2) {review}
13. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (The Arthurian Saga #1) {review}
14. Splintered by A.G. Howard (Splintered #1) {review}
15. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Maraget Stohl
(The Caster Chronicles #2) {review}
16. Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs (Tempe Brennan #4) {review}
17. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Anna #1) {review}
18. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) {review}
19. A Clash of Kings by George R.R Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) {review}
20. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
(Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) {review}
21. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone #1) {review}
22. Underworld by Meg Cabot (Abandon Trilogy #2) {review}
23. Legend by Marie Lu (Legend Trilogy #1) {review}
24. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
(The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey #1) {review}
25. Wicked by Gregory Maguire (The Wicked Years #1) {review}
26. Angelfall by Susan Ee (Penryn & The End of Days #1) {review}
27. The Enchantress by Michael Scott
(The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #6) {review}
28. Ruby Red by Kerstin Geir (The Precious Stones Trilogy #1) {review}
29. Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3) {review}
30. The Lucky Ones by Anna Godbersen (Bright Young Things #3) {review}
31. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (The Bone Season #1) {review}
32. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle #1) {review}
33. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me #2) {review}

Book Review: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: 5th February 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: eBook
Pages: 348
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 EBC, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life"

Review:

Usually I give myself longer to process a book before writing a review. But, 2 days after finishing this one, I need to get this review up to stay up to date with the schedule I wrote myself for the Christmas break, so here goes nothing. Unravel Me was amazing. Simply amazing. 

It's been well over a year since I read Shatter Me, but Unravel Me transported me back to that world instantly. With the unique writing style that Mafi has employed in these books, how could it not? Merely pages into the book I'm asking myself Why did I wait so long to read this? Seriously, I don't understand why this wasn't at the top of my TBR, because Ignite Me definitely is. I just love how Mafi has employed this pseudo stream of conciousness for Juliet. You really get to understand Juliet better as a character because of it. You hear everything she's thinking, feel everything she's feeling through the poetic nature of the prose, understand the thoughts she's ashamed of having as they've been crossed out. It's nothing short of genius on Mafi's part. Everything is intensified, which makes this one of those books you struggle to put down. 

Let's talk a bit about Warner, because he's one of my favourite characters by far. We learn a lot more about Warner in this novel. You get to see a lot more of the good, rather than the bad. He's very much a tortured soul - it's obvious that years of mistreatments have shaped him into who he is; there's a back story there just waiting to be told. I believe a lot more in Juliet and Warner's relationship than I do in Juliet and Adam's. Juliet and Adam always felt a bit instalovey for me; it seemed that the main reason Juliet was ever interested in him was because he was somehow immune to her touch. I think her relationship with Warner, on the other hand, shows a much more natural progression - he has to work a bit harder to win her over, so I'm much more inclined to want Warner with Juliet. Plus, that bedroom scene - lordy lordy bee. 

Overall, Unravel Me was a very solid follow up to Shatter Me. This has a strong, action filled plot, a love triangle that I didn't hate, and a lot of new and interesting personalities were introduced. Plus Kenji; lets not forget about the awesomeness that is the witty, inappropriately acting yet serious when needed Kenji. And after that intense ending, I cannot wait to get my hands on Ignite Me early next year. 

Book Review: Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini
Release Date: 1st February 2002

Publisher: Random House
Format: eBook
Pages: 452
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 EBC, 2013 GVR, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"One boy . . .

One dragon . . .

A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. 

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands."

Review:

At first, this book bothered me. In fact, thinking back on it, this book still bothers me a bit. I may have loved the plot and the characters, but there were some things that hindered my reading experience.

Firstly, the writing style. It's a given that what with this being a children's book, that the writing style is going to be simplistic. And at the beginning, this was very, very obvious. I wasn't sure I'd be able to read 450 pages of short paragraphs consisting of He did this. Then he did that. Someone says somthing. Then they did something else. That's what it felt like, and it was painful. Luckily, as the story progressed and the plot became more detailed, that seemed to stop, or become less noticeable.

Secondly, I had issues with the relationship between Eragon and Seraphina. It felt like instalove. I know that there is supposed to be an amazing bond between a Rider and his dragon, what with the dragon waiting for the right person to turn up before they even hatch, but I just didn't buy it. Maybe it's because I'm still not sure over what time period the events in this book took place (was it a year or so?), so I didn't feel that there was any natural progression there. Either way, their bond annoyed me at times.

Pushing those aside, I did enjoy the plot and the characters. Although it became abundantly clear that this novel was almost entirely a set up for the rest of the series, I still enjoyed the storyline. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but I think once Brom and Eragon teamed up, thats when the plot became interesting. We learnt about the history of the Dragon Riders, we follow Eragon as he learns how to master his powers, and, interestingly, we're told the basis of the entire series storyline through a fortune teller. 

And lets not forget about the characters. Eragon at times was a bit painful, but overall I thought he was a strong protagonist. I adored Brom, even if I hated how he mysterious he was sometimes. Loved Murtagh, he's pretty cool, and I didn't see the twist involving his character coming. Any other characters who I'm sure will be prominent in the following novels appeared too late for me to form any concrete opinion about them, aside from just liking or disliking them in general. Already I like Arya, just because Eragon does, and for the same reasons I don't like the Twins. I'm interested to hear more from them as the series progresses.

Overall, whilst this was mostly filled with backstory and setup for the rest of the series, I really enjoyed it, and I'll definitely be checking out the sequel. 

Book Review: The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon
Release Date: 20th August 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 452
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army."

Review:

For the past couple of days, I've struggled to write this review, because I'm not entirely sure what my feelings for The Bone Season are. On the one hand, the storyline is brilliant, the detail of this new world is amazing, and I loved our main characters. But on the other hand, there's just something that feels a bit off, and I think it comes down to the fact that I didn't feel immersed in this world - I felt like an outsider looking it.

But isn't that what we do with every book? Well, yes, but this is different. With most stories, I feel like I'm there with the protagonists. I'm invested in the storyline, I care about our protagonists futures. A book may be set in a completely new and foreign world to me, but I believe it and I'm there with the characters - I'm completely immersed in the story. But with this, I didn't get that. It wasn't until well into the second half of the novel or so that I finally began to feel invested in these people and this new world. Up until that point though, I felt like an outsider looking in, and overall, it made me struggle to get into the book.

That being said, this is an amazing read. The storyline is so new and interesting, the new world established is so messed up, and the Rephaim are a real treat to read about. There's just enough mystery to keep you intrigued, enough action to keep you on edge, and plenty of romance. I don't know what it was that wasn't allowing me to get invested in the beginning, because I was well invested in the end, and will undoubtedly be continuing on with this series. I would definitely check this one out for a new twist on the supernatural and dystopian genres. 

Book Review: The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by Anna Godbersen

The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by Anna Godbersen
Release Date: 27th November 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 373
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"In 1929, the Bright Young Things escape Manhattan's heat for the lush lawns and sparkling bays of White Cove, looking for leisure, love, and luck.

New York City's latest It Girl, Cordelia Grey, is flying high with celebrity pilot Max Darby. But Max is a private person with a reputation to uphold—and a secret to hide. A public romance with a bootlegger's daughter could cost him more than just his good name. . . .

Aspiring triple threat Letty Larkspur has finally gotten her big break, but will her talent—and special bond with the married silver-screen star Valentine O'Dell—make her a target in the cutthroat world of Hollywood? Perhaps the ingenue knows how to play the leading lady after all.

Newly married to her longtime sweetheart, socialite Astrid Donal finds herself spending more time with one of her husband's henchmen than with him. With so many secrets between man and wife, is the honeymoon already coming to an end?As summer reaches its hottest peak, these sun-kissed girls will find out if their luck can last . . . or if dark surprises are on the horizon."

Review:

I began this book remembering very few details of each girls storyline, and as a result, I at times found this book interesting, and at other times, I just didn't know what was going on. Partly that's my fault for not  skimming the previous book or looking up the main plot points in the preceding novels before I began reading, but I also think its a reflection on how I found this series overall - not really that enthralling.

For example, this series has featured three narrators who we change between quite frequently - Cordelia, Astrid and Letty. I could remember Cordelia's story, because it was by far the most interesting, so I always knew what was going on with her. With Astrid, I couldn't remember everything at the beginning, but it did come back to me as I read. And with Letty, I honestly couldn't remember anything about her storyline...not one thing. As a result I didn't enjoy Letty's story so much because I just couldn't remember its beginning. 

Whilst I didn't necessarily find the plot and characters all that interesting, I can't help but love the setting. Set in the 1920's, with the prohibition and the illegal speakeasy's, the glamorous lifestyle and the gansters - I can't help but enjoy the frivolous lifestyle, with that hint of danger ever so present. Overall, a fair ending to a series that I wasn't really that enthralled with. Should you read it? I probably wouldn't - if you'd like to read something by this author, I'd go with The Luxe series instead, it's much, much better. 

Book Review: Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth
Release Date: 23rd October 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 536
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love."

Review:
** Spoiler Alert: Read at your own risk**
**Like seriously, SPOILERS**

I don't really know where to start with this one. Because, whilst this was a good wrap up to the series and explained everything well, there were some glaring problems.

Let's start with the characters. The character's are the same character's you still know and love. With the dual perspective split between Tris and Tobias, we get a new insight into Tobias, even if he sounds exactly the same as Tris. There's problem number one - when reading Tobias' chapters, I usually forgot it wasn't Tris, then got super confused and had to refer back to the beginning of the chapter to see that I wasn't actually reading from Tris' perspective. I understand why the dual perspective is there, but I think it could have been done better. Back to the characters - what I appreciate is that Tris stays true to herself, to her character that has been established in the previous books. Roth was very brave to write the ending as she did, and I appreciate the guts it took to go through with that, even though it was obvious that some people would be annoyed. But, honestly, that ending couldn't have gone any other way. Tris is the brave, self sacrificing girl who would die for her loved ones - she would not let her brother Caleb, no matter what he did to her, do to his death - she just wouldn't. So props to Roth for staying true to the characters and writing the ending the way you did. However, I didn't like how Tris' big plan to save everyone was to wipe everyone's memories - Tris is supposed to be the moral compass, I don't see her ever thinking that this is a good idea. 

Moving on, something that obviously needed to be addressed in this novel was all the mysteries surrounding Divergence, and the factions system, and Edith Prior's video at the end of Insurgent. And, we did get those answers, although they were a bit lacklustre. The whole explanation and reasoning made sense, but I think we were all hoping that it was going to be something more, something less obvious maybe? I'm not entirely sure, I just know that when I read the explanation, I was like..Yeah no that makes sense. I wasn't like...OH MY LORD THAT'S WHY!?! Which is kinda how I wanted to be. Also, something else that irked me...we never got a full, detailed explanation as to why Caleb sold Tris out to Jeanine. I was so pumped for a explanation for that, and I read in an article that Roth said we'd be getting some answers, but we actually didn't get anything. I wanted that explained, and considering how long the novel was, a paragraph or two to explain Caleb's actions could have been thrown in (of could have even replaced something else).

Now let's get to the plot and the writing. This is where the most glaring issues were. The timing of this novel wasn't right. We begin quite strong, our little group ventures out beyond the fence, they reach their destination quite quickly, and then we get an info dump. The explanation for pretty much everything (Divergence, the factions set-up, what it's aiming to correct, etc etc) is thrown at us in one big dump, and within the space of a chapter or two. And then, for about 300 pages or so, next to nothing happens. Between the first couple of chapters and the big finale, it's just dead space. There are scenes in there that serve no purpose, and the action that's been present in Divergent and Insurgent is lacking. People are making stupid decisions and doing things that serve no purpose to the main plot. And then, at around the 400 page mark, with Tris' declaration to erase everyone's memories, everything picks up. We get the action, we get some movement, things are happening, and then Tris dies, we slow down a bit, everything gets resolved, and the book is over. And then we have the beautiful epilogue that makes you wonder if it can save the entire book. But it can't, it just can't.

That 300 page dead space could have been condensed to under 100 pages and then the book would have been the perfect length, and the story would be progressing along at pretty much the perfect speed. Considering that Roth has had the book planned since the very beginning, I'm surprised that she wasn't able to completely pull it off. However, it did give me the answers that I wanted, and beginning and ending of the book were strong. So, should you read this? If you've been reading the series, then how could you not give this a go after the ending of Insurgent? If you're wondering whether to start the series, I'm almost tempted to tell you not to, but if you think you can push through some bad writing in the final book, then give it a go. 

Book Review: Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy #1) by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy #1) by Kerstin Gier
Release Date: 10th May 2011

Publisher: Henry Holt 
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 322
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust."

Review:

This was a quick, fun read for someone looking just for that. Not sure if time travel is your thing - then I suggest you give this one a go.

Ruby Red is a quick, addictive read, about a 16 year old girl named Gwyn who's just discovered she can time travel. With zero preparation, she's inducted into this secret society, travels back in time, and unearths mystery after mystery. I loved how engrossed in this book I was - I didn't think I would be! In the first couple of chapters, possibly even the second, we're thrown into the time travel aspect. There's no slow build up - it's literally just, Yeah so there's this random time travel gene in my family. Holy crap, I can time travel! And I loved that - I enjoy being thrown right into the story.

And the mysteries - there were a lot of mystery's established, revolving around Gwyn, her family, and almost everyone in the secret time travel society (I forget what they're actual name is). I like that these are set up here, ready to be solved in the following books. And that twist at the end, that we only get to see in the epilogue - well done Gier, you kept me busy with all the other mysteries that I didn't even think about that one.

I loved a lot of the aspects in this novel - the plot, as i've established, was written well, there was a mix of characters you love (Gwyn, Lesley) and those you don't (Charlotte, Creepy Saint-Germain), but the main problem I had with this book was that it felt too short. Now, I'm not sitting here complaining that a book I loved was over too soon, what I'm getting at is that the pacing just... wasn't quite right. We get thrown into the action, introduced to this new world, establish some relationships, get to a scene that feels super important, and then BAM, book ends. I just don't think it ended properly.

Regardless, I'm definitely going to read the sequels, hopefully soon since I'm sure they'll be so easy to just fly through.

Book Review: The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #6) by Michael Scott

The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #6) by Michael Scott
Release Date: 22nd May 2012

Publisher: Random House 
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 509
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY, 2013 OTS and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"The two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it.

San Francisco:
Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live, and one job left to do. They must defend San Francisco. The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city. If they are not stopped, they will destroy everyone and everything in their path.

But even with the help of two of the greatest warriors from history and myth, will the Sorceress and the legendary Alchemyst be able to defend the city? Or is it the beginning of the end of the human race?

Danu Talis:
Sophie and Josh Newman traveled ten thousand years into the past to Danu Talis when they followed Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare. And it’s on this legendary island that the battle for the world begins and ends.

Scathach, Prometheus, Palamedes, Shakespeare, Saint-Germain, and Joan of Arc are also on the island. And no one is sure what—or who—the twins will be fighting for.

Today the battle for Danu Talis will be won or lost.

But will the twins of legend stand together?Or will they stand apart—one to save the world and one to destroy it?"

Review:
What a fitting end to this series. It was action packed, it had twists and turns, and everything came to a head. The prophecy was fulfilled, our questions were answered, and everything wrapped up pretty well. When it comes down to it, this was just a solid ending to a series I was well invested in.

When it comes to this novel, what I've said in the reviews for the preceding novels in the series still applies here. The story is action packed, the chapters are short and to the point, and the constant change in POV keeps you interested. Our character's are still the character's that we know and love, but they've grown and matured, and they're finally here, at the end, playing their role in fulfilling the prophecy.

And that ending. It was perfect. And, I totally wasn't expecting it. Yes, I knew that the prophecy would be fulfilled - that we'd have one twin to save the world, one to destroy it. We've known that the entire series. But then, WOAH, DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. If you've read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about. I think the whole issue with Sophie and Josh's parents distracted me from thinking about that character, and how they'd play them into the story. Kudos to Scott - you played that one well.

When it comes down to it, this is a solid end to a solid series. It had all the elements we loved in the first 5 novels, answered all our questions, and also didn't have a cop-out ending where everything ended hunky-dory for everyone - we had a solid, and unexpected, ending, which I'm still thinking about days after reading it. I know this review may not be the most insightful thing, but if you haven't read the series, read my (short) review for The Alchemyst, and then see if you'd like to give it a go. And if you're midway through the series, and aren't sure about sticking with it, hopefully this review convinced you to keep at it, because I really think this final instalment is worth the read. 


Afterthought: Who exactly was the Enchantress? Each book was title referred too one of the main characters, but I couldn't figure out who the Enchantress was supposed to be. My first thought was Perenelle, but she's the Sorceress. Was it Virgina Dare? Any ideas?

Book Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee
Release Date: 23rd May 2013

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 282
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

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

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

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

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

Review:

At first, I thought this book was exactly what I was expecting - a girl fighting for survival, teaming up with an angel, and against all odds, they work together and even start to like each other. The plot, albeit there were some things in there I wasn't expecting, was pretty much going to way I expected it to. And then BAM, in the last 100 pages, we turn the dial up 1000, shit gets real and so much happens that you're just left mindblown.

So lets talk about the first 150-200 pages or so first. For me, this went pretty much as I expected it to. Whilst I haven't read a post-apocalyspe book before, when you take that away, you're left with a plot that you've read before. Two enemies, a girl and an extremely attractive guy, are forced to work together. They might not get along, but the hurdles they have to get over brings them together, and eventually, they start to like one another. It's a story you've read before. And that disappointed me a bit, because I had heard such good things about this book, and so far, it wasn't living up to my expectation.

And then the last 100 pages happen, and so much gets thrown your way that you just don't know what to do with it. And the creep dial is turned to the max, with some pretty creepy ass stuff going on. Can I just say, exploring the angel's world in the second book is going to be pretty interesting - I need to find out what's the deal with all the children! The end of this book is just so good, I don't understand why the beginning had to drag. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that I read a lot of these books, but the plot at the beginning could have been a bit stronger to match the ending. Either way, the ending brought this home and brought what I was thinking as a 3.5 book up to a 4.5. I'd love to give it a 5.0, just for that ending, but with a weak beginning I just can't. 

Moving away from the plot, everything else worked. Being my first post-apocalypse book, I found exploring the new world, the world of the angel's, very interesting. And our characters were interesting as well. Whilst I think Penryn is your stereotypical heroine, Raffe was fascinating - he's definitely not what you'd expect an angel to be like. And let's not forget Penryn's mother. Her illness fascinates me, and I think it has a lot more to do with the angels - hopefully more on her will be revealed in the books to come.

So overall, this is definitely a book I recommend. If you had the same problem as me, and thought the beginning wasn't anything spectacular, stick with it - because that ending if just too good to miss. 

 

2013 Quarterly Challenge Update Post #3

This year I'm partipating in five reading challenges. So far I've managed the following...

                             28/30 read for the OTS Challenge
                             34/30 read for the ODY Challenge
                                     13/10 read for the EBC
                              11/12 read for the GVR Challenge
                            25/20+ read for the BSR Challenge

Would you look at that, I've reached the levels I was hoping to reach for three of my challenges. Since the ODY is all about reading more than you did that last year, I'm keeping that one open. Technically I've finished the EBC, and I don't think I'll read enough ebooks to reach the next level by the end of the year, but we'll see. And I've surpassed the highest level for the BSR! So close with the OTS and GVR - won't be long now

Here's a list of the books I've read over the past three months, and which challenges they count for: 

24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky OTS, ODY, EBC
25. A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
26. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith OTS, ODY  
27. A Clash of Kings by George R.R Martin OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
28. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor ODY, BSR
29. The Help by Kathryn Stockett OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
30. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton OTS, ODY, EBC, GVR, BSR
31. Underworld by Meg Cabot ODY, BSR
32. Legend by Marie Lu OTS, ODY, BSR
33. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison ODY, BSR 
34. Wicked by Gregory Maguire OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR

Book Review: Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years #1) by Gregory Maguire

Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years #1) by Gregory Maguire
Release Date: 6th December 2000

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: eBook
Pages: 406
Rating: DNF

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY, 2013 OTS, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"In Baum's land of Oz, animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. Green-skinned Elphaba, future Wicked Witch of the West, is smart, prickly and misunderstood; she challenges our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil."

Review:
I thought I would enjoy this a lot more than I did. Anything and everything that includes a retelling, or reimagining, of a classic story or fairytale, is something that I'm bound to love. But, I just didn't love this. And I think the problem is, when you strip this back, and take away the fact that it's set in the Wonderful Land of Oz, and our main protagonist is Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, then what you end up with is a purely political book. And thats just not something I'm interested in.

I've wanted to read this for years, ever since I read one of Maguire's book way back when I was in high school. Seeing Wicked in the theatre only made me more interested, so when I acquired this one sometime last year, I added to to be TBR and was super excited to read it at some point this year. And now that I've read about 300 pages, I'm very disappointed. The fantabulous that I was expecting, probably because I expected it to follow the same plot as the musical, wasn't there. Instead I had a really political book, with our main character Elphaba fighting for animal rights. Which is all well and good, but this isn't the story I was looking for. I was looking for the forbidden romance between Elphaba and Fiyerio (which I did get, but it was cut waaaay to short), the warring between best friends Elphaba and Glinda, the downfall of Nessarose, Elphaba's preaching sister, destined to be the Wicked Witch of the East. Maybe if I had read further I would have gotten this - but with only 100 or so pages to go, its a bit late to be introducing these storylines.

I will give Maguire credit for taking a classic evil character and showing her in a new light. Elphaba was brought to be the Wicked Witch of the West through cirucmstance - her crusade for animal rights pitted her against the Wizard, painted as a dictator leader. I'm assuming the loss of her lover, Fiyerio, also pushed her onto this path. Since I didn't finish the novel, I don't really know, but everything Elphaba did seemed to make sense, given the context. Elphaba is a human, not just an evil character.

This is the first time that I've DNF-ed a book. I've always had the view of pushing through to the end, even if I wasn't enjoying the novel, because sometimes, the best things happen at the end. But as days crawled by where I didn't even touch this book, thoughts of putting this book down and picking something up eventually came. And with that, I picked up The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. And I loved it. I flew through it in a couple of days, and so I thought of picking this one up again. But, I went for something else, and it's become apparent to me that I won't be picking this one up again.

Book Review: Withering Tights (The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey #1) by Louise Rennison

Withering Tights (The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey #1) by Louise Rennison
Release Date: 8th July 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Hardback 
Pages: 351
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"Picture the scene: Dother Hall performing arts college somewhere Up North, surrounded by rolling dales, bearded cheesemaking villagers (male and female) and wildlife of the squirrely-type. On the whole, it’s not quite the showbiz experience Tallulah was expecting… but once her mates turn up and they start their ‘FAME! I’m gonna liiiiive foreeeeeever, I’m gonna fill my tiiiiights’ summer course things are bound to perk up.

Especially when the boys arrive. (When DO the boys arrive?)Six weeks of parent-free freedom. BOY freedom. Freedom of expression… cos it’s the THEATRE dahling, the theatre!!"

Review:
Ahh, this was a throwback to the books I used to read way back when I had only just become a teenager. This is the humourous, light hearted fun I remember from when I read Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series back when I was 13. And that's exactly what I was hoping for.

Rennison has a real knack for writing the whimsical teenager. Tallulah, our protagonist, only has a few problems - most of which revolve around boys.
She's the light-hearted teenager that can be hard to come by in books now-a-days, what with almost every book tackling some sort of issue, whether it be abuse, mental health, or the premise of the book itself leading the protagonist to have a less than breezy life (well, at least I've seen this in the majority of books I read). Don't get me wrong, I love these books, but it was nice to sit back and read about a girl who's biggest problem was her small boobs.

This is no work of literary genius. This isn't a book that's going to make you feel all the feels. This doesn't have a protagonist who's trying to move through some big, big issues. And this isn't set in a world that our protagonist has to change. But, maybe if you think you might need a bit of a break from books like this, you might want to give Rennison's books a try. If I was laughing out loud on more than one occasion, I'm sure you will too.

Sidenote: If you saw the movie Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging way back in 2008, don't base your opinion of Rennison's books on this - they're soooo much better!

Book Review: Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date: 29th November 2012

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 308
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbours. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets."

Review:

To be honest, I thought I'd like this a lot more than I did. I don't know what it was - maybe I had set my expectations too high because of all the hype - but I just wasn't wowed by this. But, I think this has done just enough to get me interested in reading book 2...at some point in time. 

Legend conforms to everything that's the rage at the moment - set in a dystopian future, we follow a boy and a girl from two vastly different upbringings on their quest for the truth. As the blurb says, Day is the country's most wanted criminal, June is the country's biggest success story. Each are searching for answers, and for both, one wrong move would mean certain death. Legend has the premise, and it even pulls it off - this is a well done book with a great, fast moving plot, with plenty of twists and turns.

And the characters are great too. Day and June are just the right mix of fight and vulnerability. Tess and John seem like lovely people, although my feelings for either of them weren't particularly strong. Thomas intrigued me - he's a ruthless soldier, following his orders no matter what they may be, but his pursuit of June reminds us that he is human. And Commander Jameson is brilliant - the complete opposite of June, her antithesis. If June had followed her orders exactly and never stopped to think, she could have ended up just like Commander Jameson, and boy, are we glad that she didn't.

Maybe I'm just a bit over the dystopian genre at the moment, because I just can't seem to pinpoint anything in particular that I disliked. I liked everything, but just not enough. It's probable that I will read Prodigy, but maybe I'll take a look at some reviews first.