The New Haven Project: Anomaly - Jessica Gilliland & Kimberly Gourgon - Review

This novel is an anomaly in itself. Very rarely does a book affect me so much that I cry at a character's heartache or share their rush of adrenaline. This is a must read!

You're thrown straight into the story here, which I liked. There's no waiting around for half a book before the real plot begins.

A unique aspect of this novel is the relationship between the characters and the reader. Typically in novels you either love or hate a character, but not here. One minute I'd be swooning over a character and the next I'd actually be angry at them. It made the novel feel more realistic and the characters were so genuine; they weren't perfect, they each had their flaws. It made them appear even more human. I also noticed that my reactions to the events which unfolded throughout the book highlighted my own imperfections.

The reader can truly engage in this novel as their is no "right" and "wrong". You choose whether or not someone's intentions were good or bad and whether or not you think a character is a friend or foe. I asked one of the authors "Is New Haven a good or bad place?" before reading the novel and she replied "That's for you to decide." It makes the book so unpredictable because you constantly have mixed emotions about everyone and so does the protagonist.

My emotions were evoked severely in this novel. It's not an emotional read ash such but I felt the character's butterflies, her nerves, heartache, anger, confusion and I even had an adrenaline rush at one point! Not to mention tears! This is how well the authors managed to build and maintain a relationship with the reader; extremely impressive!

I can't put into words how good this book is. It is intense, unpredictable, emotional, engaging and prodigious. 

A phenominal debut from two talented authors. The first in a trilogy - a promising one.

YA - Romance - Dystopian - Sci/fi - ***** 5 stars

Falling Fast - Sophie McKenzie - Review

River auditions for a female role in a local all boys' school production of Romeo and Juliet.

She has always dreamt of finding true love so she believes that she'll fit into Juliet's shoes perfectly. Then, she sees Flynn. He's playing Romeo and causes her to not only believe that she could be a good Juliet, but he makes her want it.

The only problem is that Emmi, River's best friend, is running for the same role. 

You follow River as she falls head over heals for Flynn and tries to find out if he feels the same way.

I don't like Shakespeare nor do I like Romeo and Juliet. BUT I adored this novel! I actually picked it up after reading "Star-crossed Romeo and Juliet" by Rachel Wing as the two books sounded similar-ish (only in that novel, the teens cast as Romeo and Juliet are enemies). It's another fabulous romance novel!

Anyway, back to this book! The soul focus of this novel isn't actually on the play 'Romeo and Juliet'. That's just a... catalyst, if you like? The book is actually more so about the characters. 

This novel isn't at all like I expected. When I first picked it up I thought it would literally be a retelling of Romeo and Juliet or a cat and mouse game - River chasing Flynn. It isn't at all like that. I thought the novel would be predictable and patronising but it is actually unique and mature. I laughed with River, I cringed for her and I understood her.

I like how Flynn has his flaws and how you have to debate with yourself whether or not his actions can be justified. How friendships and family relationships are put to the test under the pressure. The characters are all so real and their stories are heart-wrenching. This book is way more in depth than I thought it would be and has a few twists you won't see coming.

I read it in one sitting and recommend it to any romance/contemporary readers out there. :) I do recommend it for 15+ though as some of the topics covered (though handled lightly) might not be appreciated by younger readers.

YA - romance - contemporary - **** 4 stars

Rebel Heart - Moira Young - Review

*Note: This will be a spoiler free review for those who have not read 'Rebel Heart' but do not read this if you haven't read 'Blood Red Road'*

Hey guys!

Let me just get this out of my system.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood! *HEARTATTACK* jdkshvngzdfjhudgvhzgn.jghdvkhgfvdhjvkgczjhgsdfjghkj!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *HYPERVENTILATES*

Ok, now let's get to the review! :)

This book is like a sex god made from paper and ink, y'know? *Swoons*

Blood Red Road was amazing. Rebel Heart is phenomenal.

Rebel Heart continues on a few months after the journey ended in Blood Red Road.  The characters have aged what seems like years in maturity and mental state when only a few months have actually passed them by. The events they endured throughout Blood Red Road has toughened their skin but scrambled their hearts... and Saba's mind.

This sequel is actually more... emotional? As where Blood Red Road was a lot of action. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of action! It's just that the characters are cracking under the pressure and their true personalities and feelings are beginning to show; shining a light on long lost secrets.

The first half of the book isn't anything special. It's not boring! It's far from boring! It's really good and there are small hints about bigger twists dropped here and there which begin to unravel later on in the book. BUT compared to the second half of the novel... pfffft... all I can say is that the second half completely blew the first half off the face of the earth!

There were so many twists that my heart could barely cope! One minute I'd be crying out "Noooooooooo!" while my stomach did a fuzzy flip and the next I'd be like "YES!" only to have my heart stomped all over within the next five sentences. It was truly a roller coaster of emotions! At some parts I was like "ahhhh, I know what's going to happen!" and I was right which made me a bit like "oh, well that was predictable..." but then there'd be a twist on what I expected to happen which made it totally unexpected... if that makes ANY sort of sense? ( I hope I haven't truly frazzled your brain with that!)

One of the only negative things I can say about this book is that there was a lack of originality in some VERY SMALL parts. Most people won't notice them at all but I did. (This isn't a spoiler) Lugh tells them all of a better life, and Emmi and Tommo beg him to tell them about the rabbits in their new life. This, to me, was stolen from the novel "Of mice and men." Could she not have at least changed the animal? Hmmm... maybe it was pure coincidence? And she took the name "Slim" from a character in "Of mice and men" which bugged me again. I think it's pretty obvious that she borrowed these two things from that novel. They're minor things and don't play a major part in the novel at all, in fact, they could have easily been missed out. I've only noticed them as I studied the novel "Of mice and men" for an essay last year.

Also (again negative) there were so many loose ends by the end of the novel. There were twists that took you down dead end paths... they were clever but pointless. Also there were a few characters who were utterly pointless too. And a few scenes were just too far-fetched. I loved how Blood Red Road was unlikely to happen but possible; it was realistic. This can't be said about Rebel Heart.

Those negative points could have easily been erased if the novel has been revised by a developmental editor or just written slightly better by the author. I don't know.

I do have to say that there's more positive than negative with this novel! I just had a few pet hates which I couldn't not include in the review.

That aside, this was a truly fantastic novel! The characterisation was brilliant! A few scenes were a bit weird but the majority of it was ever so clever! The action, relationships, emotions, twists... Gahhhhhhh!

I realise how I haven't made this book sound very good at all... (especially with my lil rage in the middle) ...I'm actually so frustrated because I can't put into words how amazing this sequel was! Seriously, if you have a heart condition, keep the phone nearby with 999 pre-dialed. My heart nearly beat out of my chest while I was reading this and I had so much adrenaline in my veins that I felt sick at one point! It's rare that a book does this to me! Yeh, some make me smile, or laugh or cringe but it's not everyday a book makes me feel like I'm having a heart attack!

Rebel Heart was... *wordgasm* dhjffdhjgvnfdvgldhsmc;fmdhlh!!!!!!!!

If you enjoyed 'Blood Red Road' then 'Rebel Heart' is a must read!

If you want to read some quotes from the novel (all spoiler free and hand picked by me) then click -> Quotes.

Read it! Read it!

YA - dystopian - romance - ****" 4.5 stars

I won't review this Goddess of a novel until I've calmed down else it'll just be a load of "Aaaaaaaah" and "Eeeeeeeeeek!" and "OMG!" and *heart attack, someone call 999!*

SO in the mean time, here's 6 of my fav quotes from the novel!<3

Person #1" 'You kept the door to that heart of yers locked up tight an hid the key away. Looks like she found it.' "
Person #2 " 'Keys ain't her style. She kicked the door down.' "

Person #1 " 'Hey. C'mere.' He comes to me. Wraps me in his arms an kisses the top my my head. 'This is me yer talkin to. I've racketed all over the place. I'm hardly in a position to judge anybody.' "
Person #2 " 'I love you'. I whisper it into his sleeve so's he don't hear."

Hottie # " 'We ain't got time for you to yell at me or for me to tell you everythin that's happened, so I'm jest gonna cover the main points real quick an then I'm gonna kiss you.' "

Person #1" 'G'bye, Saba,' He says"
Person #2 " 'Sunofabitch,' I says."

Someone # " ' D'you ever think about her? She'd be 6 by now. I know it's stupid, but... I like to imagine how she'd be. What kind of character, y'know. Who she might take after. She had eyes just like yours. She was beautiful, wasn't she?' "

Someone # " 'Slim said some people hope they'll die in a... magnificent splendour, like the sun. I think that's what she hoped.' " <- That quote only means something once you've read a scene earlier on in the book and when it's in context, but it's one of my fav quotes so here it is!

Again, I can't explain how amazing this novel turned out to be! A fantastic sequel to "Blood Red Road" and I can't wait for the 3rd/final novel! *Review coming soon.*

Eeeeeek!

I have a mini-jackass delivery arriving tomorrow which makes no sense because those two words contradict each other but HEY HO!

I am now on a book buying ban... 11 books in one day is uhhhh, a LOT for me... probably more than I can afford!

Only 9 are arriving tomorrow but I'm still EXCITED! :')

They were on offer... £1.99 each or 3 for £5 so I went wild! Who can blame me?!

I'll post a picture and list etc etc up tomorrow on all the books! I also have some coming in the post for review! 3 maybe?.. I really can't remember... my ebook review list is growing so I kinda need to clamber on top of that list and stomp it down a little!

AND I got a signed post-card from Meagan Spooner which was pretty cool ;D I'll post a pic of that too!

So... ummmm... yeh.... that is the explanation of the very loud "eeeeeeek" you heard before! :D Just a mini update to show that I haven't been carried away and mauled over by zombies because I haven't posted in a while!

SEE YOU TOMORROW! :D

Alice In Zombieland ARC

Alice In ZombieLand ARC

So I got my first official ARC today. I was a very happy birdy! x') I can't wait to start this book, it sounds so promising! If you're about to read this book or have read it then let me know via a comment or email and let me know what you thought! :)

Excerpt

"Had anyone told me that my entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, I would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. 

     But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second and everything I knew and loved was gone. 

   My name is Alice Bell, and on the night of my sixteenth birthday I lost the mother I loved, the sister I adored and the father I never understood until it was too late. Until that heartbeat when my entire world collapsed and a new one took shape around me.

    My father was right. Monsters walk among us.

***

 So. Yeah. I should have listened to my father. He warned me over and over again never to go out at night, never to venture into the cemetery and never, under any circumstances, to trust someone who wants you to do, either. He should have taken his own advice, because he trusted me - and I convinced him to do both. I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently. I'd tell my sister no. I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad. I'd stop my tears from falling. I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words. Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mum and my dad one last time. I'd tell them I love them."

That is a broken up excerpt from the "Note from Alice" before chapter one. :)

Please check out my review of the dystopian novel "Amongst The Ruins" by Saewod Tice

Amongst The Ruins Review

http://eponareviews.blogspot.co.uk/p/amongst-ruins-review.html

Leave feedback and let me know your thoughts on the review and whether or not you're going to purchase the book! :)