GUEST REVIEW: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Guest review from Jenni at Juniper's Jungle


I haven't read much YA dystopian fiction but what I have read I've enjoyed so when the opportunity to read and review Bumped by Megan McCafferty came up I jumped at it. The synopsis really grabbed me, a virus has caused everyone over the age of 18 to become infertile so the responsibility for procreation has fallen entirely to teenagers. Society has become completely focused on these teenagers, they act as surrogates for would-be-parents and if they have desired characteristics they can be paid with anything from cash to a full college education to comestic surgery to return their body to its pre-baby state.

The story centres around sixteen-year-old twin sisters, Melody and Harmony, who were separated at birth. Melody was adopted by a family from Otherside who realised the potential she had as a surrogate and have spent the last sixteen years doing everything they can to make her a highly desirable choice. Harmony was adopted by a family from Goodside, she's been brought up in a strongly Christian society who disapprove of the choices Othersiders have made.

Melody has been contracted by a couple, they're just trying to find the perfect match to father her child. Whilst she is waiting Harmony makes contact with her for the first time, and arranges to visit. We meet them as they're just meeting and starting to find out about each other's world. Melody's world feels particularly strange to the reader, it has it's own slang and jargon and these are littered through the book. By having Harmony as a newcomer to the world we have a way in too, I found that she asked most of the questions I wanted answers to.

I really liked Melody, the further you get into the book the more layers you get to peel back. I liked the fact that whilst she was so focussed on her prospective pregnancy she was still caught up in the same issues as most teenagers - trying to defend her place within the social standings at school, and worried about who Zen, her male best friend, is spending time with. I found Harmony a little harder to identify with, she's more guarded and I didn't feel like I got to know her quite as well. I liked Zen from the first time he appeared, and found that I liked him more and more as the book went on.

There are parts of the book that are quite hard to read, this society feels so exploitative. There is one bit in particular, a long way into the book, when Melody herself comes face to face with one of the darkest sides of her world. I actually stopped reading for a little while, I needed time to think about what I'd read. I realised that the strength of this book was that however hard and dark it became it still felt believable. I could imagine how our society could have changed to become that society, and that was what made it more challenging to read.

The final few chapters really build up to what feels like a tv style mid-season finale, the first act ends on a bang and I can't wait to read the sequel Thumped when it comes out next year.


Thank you so much Jenni! Please visit Jenni at her blog, Juniper's Jungle for more great reviews.

REVIEW: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Wow. I've not read a book in a long time that's been as exciting and addictive and BRILLIANT as Divergent by Veronica Roth. I've put off writing this review for a very long time for fear that I wouldn't be able to put my adoration of this book into the right words. I'm not sure there are adequate words to describe how wonderful Divergent is. Really wonderful book, one that still makes me breathless and emotional all these months after reading it. Honestly, when I first finished the book I immediately wanted to turn back to that first page and start all over again. This book is a definite keeper and I will continue recommending it for a very long time.

Not since The Hunger Games has a book blown me away right from the beginning in such a huge way. And in terms of action and emotion and romance, in terms of writing style and the story, I think I prefer Divergent over The Hunger Games. There's just something about Divergent that grabs me right from the start. It made me think and it made me feel and the story has stayed with me for such a long time. This book had a real impact on me and I'm absolutely gasping to read more in the series. I want more! I was more of Tris and Four! I want to know more about the world in which these characters reside. I want more action and adventure, I want answers. Give me more, please.

Divergent shows us a future version of Chicago in which people choose to live within five different factions which honours a specific trait. The factions include Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Erudite (knowledge), Amity (peace) and Dauntless (courage). Our story begins with Beatrice Prior who has grown up amongst the selfless Abnegation but has also grown up admiring the brave and fearless Dauntless. So when her turn comes and she is able to choose which faction she will live with, Tris makes the difficult choice of moving away from her family and into the difficult and violent world of the Dauntless.

Things definitely aren't easy in Dauntless. At every turn Tris and the other initiates must compete against each other and themselves to prove their courage. It's brutal and unflinching the tests that Tris and the others endure and it's almost a little unbelieveable how strong of spirit and determination Tris is in order to survive.

I love the world-building that occurs here. I love the different factions and this image of a war-torn Chicago of the future. I love the characters and the difficult situations that Veronica Roth puts her characters in. She isn't afraid to make her readers squirm and be uncomfortable with the things that happen. And at the same time, there is this absolutely fantastic and tense and very emotional romantic relationship that Tris has with the mysterious (and hot!) Four.

I really have nothing but wonderful things to say about this book. Divergent without a doubt in my mind, is one of the best books I've read all year. Very exciting and romantilc and absolutely heart-stopping. Incredible book.

REVIEW: Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

I was thrilled to hear that Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien would be published here in the UK. The book had been on my wishlist for ages as so many US bloggers seemed to have read it and loved it. I was really looking forward to reading it and while at first I found it difficult to get into, once Birthmarked hit its stride, I found myself completely lost in the story.

Birthmarked tells the story of a future world where a small village is divided by a wall. Those within the wall appear to live happy, carefree lives with no worries. Those that live outside the wall constantly fear for survival and enough food and water.

Gaia Stone, 16, lives outside the wall and has followed in her mother's footsteps as a midwife. Law dictates that as a midwife, Gaia, must advance a certain number of babies forward to live their lives within the Wall. The huge scar from a childhood accident that is visible on her face makes Gaia shunned from the pretty, happy people who live within the wall who only value beautiful things.

But Gaia's world changes drastically when one night, both of her parents are arrested and put in prison inside the Wall. It is thought that Gaia's parents have created a code which could explain the birth defects of those inside.

Gaia does everything she can in order to save her parents, even at great risk to herself. She's quite an interesting character, Gaia. Strong and capable and not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Her character goes through many changes throughout Birthmarked, at first believing wholeheartedly in the rules and regulations set aside for her and her family and then slowly becoming more aware of the injustices and the unfairness of one group of people living in luxury while the other lives in abject poverty. I think my favourite thing about Gaia is her relationship with Sgt. Grey. She really puts a lot of pressure and faith that other people (and by this I mean Sgt. Grey) will do the right thing. Make the difficult choices and her disappointment in Leon, even when he is a complete stranger to her was fascinating to watch.

There's quite a bit of science in this book. Lots of detailed descriptions of DNA and genetics all of which mostly didn't interest me. I was more focused on the relationships between the characters and the morality of the different concepts that were brought up. I think maybe I was hoping for a little more in that area, but I can see how that could be themes the reoccur throughout the rest of the books in the series. I found Birthmarked to be a very enjoyable read and I'm really excited to read more in this series.

REVIEW: The Dead of Night by John Marsden

It's been a really long time since I've been as excited as I am about a series as I am right now with the Tomorrow series by John Marsden. In this, the second book in the series, The Dead of the Night, I was just as drawn into the story, drawn to Ellie's voice and the other characters as well as the emotions and decisions and the action and these teenagers struggle to survive and to make a difference.

The Dead of the Night by John Marsden follows on a few weeks after the shocking ending to Tomorrow, When the War Began. Ellie and her friends are still in their hidden valley (which they call Hell) and are pretty shaken up with the departure of two of their friends. The balance seems to have shifted and without their two friends, they've lost their hope and their momentum.

A decision is made pretty early on into The Dead of the Night that they need to shake themselves awake and start preparing for more of the worst. Their families are still being held hostage by foreign invaders and it's beginning to get colder. Ellie and her friends decide they need to stockpile more food and supplies, they need to go after their two missing friends and they need to take stock of their surroundings to find out the situation in other places beyond their secluded little family.

Honestly, I really love this series, but I'm also finding it a little difficult to describe just what it is that I really love about this story or these characters so much. Ellie and the rest of them are dealing with something really horrible and disturbing - a complete change in everything they knew. And they have to come up with the strength to keep going, to plan ahead, to continue rebelling and using what they know and what little they have in order to provide for themselves as well as strike a blow against the people who have taken everything away from them. It also raises some thought-provoking questions about life and death and what it means to take someone else's life.

And as well as being this exciting and dangerous story about a bunch of teenagers making it on their own and blowing stuff up (which happens a lot, to my utter amusement and joy!) but there's also some really complicated and emotional connections between these friends as they navigate new relationships and heading into territory. I'm so seriously excited and anxious to dive into the third book and continue on with this story. Why has it taken me so long to get to these books?!

Dystopic books on my wishlist

As you could probably tell from the reviews during this Dystopian August, but I really love reading dystopic/post-apocalyptic novels. I know that some think of it as a phase or a trend, but there have been really wonderful dystopic books around long before the popularity of The Hunger Games and I'm sure they will continue to be published and read long after this 'trend' passes. Here are some of the books on my wishlist, as well as some of the dystopic books I have unread on my shelves.

My wish-list:


The Fear by Charlie Higson - I'm in the middle of reading The Dead by Charlie Higson, which is the prequel to The Enemy. I'm not entirely sure yet where The Fear fits into the series, but I don't really care. I love these two book so far, and am really looking forward to reading more about zombies and survival in London! Luckily the wait for this book won't be very long, as it is set to be published 15 September.


Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien - I recently read Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien, and quite enjoyed it. When I finished it I was immediately struck with panic at the thought of it possibly not having a sequel. Luckily it has, and will be published here in the UK 10 November. Reading the product description gives puzzling clues as to what is in store however. It looks as though Gaia has escaped from one dystopic society and stumbles into another? Hmm. (This is the US cover for Prized and the UK cover hasn't been revealed as yet!)


The Pledge by Kimberly Derting - I've been a huge fan of Kimberly Dertings series of books, the Body Finder series, with both The Body Finder and Desires of the Dead ranking very high in my list of top reads recently. So it's with great excitement that I look forward to Kimberly Derting's latest offering, the story of a rather opressive world in which the language you speak holds the key to your position in society. It is being published in the US in hardback on 15 November and I'm dying to read it.


The Death Cure by James Dashner - It's taken me awhile to read and be swept away by this Maze Runner series by James Dashner, but because of this year's Dystopian August, I've finally succumbed. I absolutely adored The Maze Runner and ordered the sequel, The Scorch Trials immediately after finishing. While I haven't yet started The Scorch Trials, I'm still excited and looking forward to reading more of this story. Bring it on.


All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin - I don't think I've ever been as excited by a storyline as much as I have been about Gabrielle Zevin's latest! Living in a world where coffee and chocolate are illegal would be enough to make me perk up. But then we're also told that the main character's family are involved in the illegal trading and manufacuring of the illegal items and that makes me sit up to take more notice. Falling in love with the enemy, having an ex who dies from chocolate, being blamed for murder. Holy crap, this book just sounds incredible. I really must order it straight away!


Unread on my book shelves:

But of course, I still have many a dystopic book already on my shelves that I haven't yet gotten around to. Here is the very top of that pile:


Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell - Do you know embarassed I am that I STILL haven't read Nineteen Eighty-Four?! It's the book that's been sitting on my shelf maybe the longest and it's the biggest that I tell myself 'I'm going to read this book SOON' and it never happens. I admit that I have tried several times to start it but I blame bad timing and self-imposed pressure for not continuing with it. I really do want to read this book though and experience firsthand all the things I've only heard about second-hand, like Big Brother and Room 101. Soon, I promise you.


The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood - I really do adore Margaret Atwood, and I especially love her dystopic books. I absolutely loved The Handmaid's Tale and I really, really enjoyed Oryx and Crake. So when I heard about this companion novel to Oryx and Crake, I immediately went out and bought The Year of the Flood in hardback. And it sits there on my shelf waiting patitently for me to get around to it. I think perhaps this blog is the biggest factor in my having not read it as yet. I don't often read books other than YA and I feel overwhelmed sometimes at the amount of YA books on my TBR shelves and tend to ignore my adult fiction books. Which is a shame, as I'd really like to see how the story turns out.


Battle Royale by Toushun Takami - I have been hugely excited about this book as well. I've heard that it's excellent and really exciting. There's been a movie adaptation and a manga series. And yet, something about it makes me a little bit put-off from reading it immediately. I think it's the sheer size of it. And while I've been making huge strides lately into my irrational fear of chunky books, my intimidation of 500+ has not yet been defeated when it comes to this book!

And that's it for me! I would love to know if there are any dystopic/post-apocalyptic books on your wishlists?

REVIEW: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

I read Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth last year and really loved it. So much so that I immediately picked up this hardback copy of The Dead-Tossed Waves. Unfortunately, it set on my shelf for far longer than it should have. I think what intimidated me about this book is that it isn't a straight sequel to the previous book. As a 'companion' novel, The Dead-Tossed Waves is told from an entirely new perspective and I worried that it would take me awhile to sink into a new point of view, when all I really wanted was to know what happened to Mary after she made it to the ocean.

I really shouldn't have worried. Once I began, I found Gabry's story to be just as interesting and easy to follow as I did Mary's in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Gabry has lived her entire life in this village by the ocean, living in the lighthouse with her mother and being afraid of the Mudo that surround her, that wash up from the ocean.

But despite Gabry's fear, when her friends decide to climb the village barriers one night in a celebratory rebellion, Gabry is convinced to go along with them. That night ends in huge tragedy as half the group are killed and turned by Mudo and the other half are caught by the authorities and punished. Following the orders of Catcher, her best friend's brother and her long-term crush, Gabry manages to escape and feels endlessly guilty and ashamed that her own fear made her abandon her friends and run for safety. And this guilt and shame propels Gabry to take further risks for her own safety to follow a friend into the forest even though she knows he's been infected by the Mudo.

There are many things I love about Carrie Ryan - I love the beautiful way in which she writes. I love how sweet and romantic her relationships are. But what I especially love about Carrie Ryan is that even though she writes about zombies, there is so much more about humanity in her books. The Dead-Tossed Waves is a really wonderful and emotional book about growing up and making hard choices and confronting your fears and who you are and what you want.

Right from the very first page, my heart went out to Gabry, especially in the difficult situations she finds herself in. I love her struggles with her own identity as well as this difficult love triangle she finds herself in - choosing between her childhood crush and a mysterious stranger. This book is so highly readable and exciting and heart-wrenching that I must urge you all to read both The Forest of Hands and Teeth and then this book. And now excuse me while I go hunting frantically for a copy of the third and final book in the series, The Dark and Hollow Places.

Very highly recommended.

REVIEW: Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

It feels like as I'm writing every single review for Dystopian August, I've begun with 'I've had this book on my shelves for ages unread' and it is no difference with Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. I had heard good things about the series on other book blogs I read, especially from Australian book bloggers, and was keen to start. In a stroke of fabulous luck, I managed to find the entire Tomorrow series in a local charity shop last year. However, the idea of beginning such a lengthy series kind of put me off, especially reading one that had been out a fair few years.

When the movie came out and the first book was repackaged with a movie tie-in cover, it did pique my interest again in reading the series but I still put off until very recently. I can't quite recall why. Now that I've read the first book, I'm both excited to continue the series as well as watch the film version!

Tomorrow, When the War Began is certainly not the book I expected it to be. In some ways it feels very much like the first book in the series with much of the novel exploring the cast of characters and setting the scene. But there is still quite a bit of action and some romance along the way.

Our narrator is Ellie, a teenage girl in Australia who organises this trip with her friends to go camping in the bush. They hike along to an area they call Hell, in which they've heard rumours of a man who holed up out there after being accused of murder. The beginning is very much a party atmosphere as these teenagers hang out and relax and goof about together. But when the week is over, they find that their town a very different place to when they left. Their families and their neighbours have all been taken hostage and their country invaded. This group of teenagers must make some really difficult choices, either to leave and remain safe or to find other ways in which to fight back against the town's captors.

The story is told after some of the events had already occurred and is written down by Ellie as she remembers it, so a lot of the plot is skewed in her favour. I found a lot of the character development to be interesting, seeing how some like Ellie and Milo adapted easily to a more survival mentality and how they became leaders in organising the others with supplies and means of safety. Reading of some of the more risky adventures of this gang of kids is quite exciting and following that, reading of the discomfort of killing another person or the difficulties to adjusting to these new circumstances is quite interesting.

I felt like the romantic element of the story a little hard to believe, especially as there is no build-up to it. Ellie just all of a sudden springs these statements upon us 'I started to have feelings for this person' and before we're able to adjust to THAT, she comes up with 'but now I also have feelings for this other person' OH. What? Thankfully the love interest isn't the main focus of the story and it isn't what propelled me to continue reading. Though of course, the problems and shifts in relationships will, I'm sure, will continue throughout the rest of the series.

This first book gave me enough information about the characters and the Australian invasion to keep me interested and curious about how events will play out during the rest of the series. Its popularity in Australia gives me hope that the rest of the books in the series will continue to build on the strengths of this first novel. I'm sure it won't take me as long to pick up the second book as it did to pick up this book!

REVIEW: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Ooh, this book is amazing. I thought I'd probably like Blood Red Road by Moira Young but I had no idea that I would *love* it as much as I did! It's an absolutely addictive read filled with amazing and complex characters, a twisty and adventurous plot and a love story that made me melt! I really, truly loved this book!

You've got to give Moira Young props for writing the story in dialect - I don't think that's easy to do and the poor spelling and lack of grammar could well put some readers off. Personally, I loved it and the way in which our main character, Saba, tells her her own story using that dialect felt just right. I also loved the world-building that occurs - like I could close my eyes and BE in this same world with Saba and Emmi and Jack.

Blood Red Road is set in a future world where things are hard and life is pretty cheap - people die or taken for slaves or cage-fighting without so much as a blink of an eye. Saba and her twin brother Lugh live with their father and younger sister, Emmi in a wasteland away from other people.

Times are tough - especially when mysterious riders come through and kill Saba's father and kidnap Lugh. Both actions cause Saba to embrace her inner red rage and vow to rescue Lugh and avenge the destruction of her home and family. She sets off this hugely exciting and dangerous journey where she meets some rather bizarre characters and must get herself out of some nasty scrapes. Never quite sure who to trust, Saba is pushed to her very limits in order to fulfill her goal.

I love Saba. What a fabulously strong, strong-willed character. She's tough and a little intimidating but you can see her soft side too as Saba consistently puts herself in harm's way in order to protect the people she cares about. But she sure isn't perfect. She tries to do things on her own all the time, she pretty much hates her little sister and treats the poor girl horrendously. Saba's all-consuming in her obsession with getting Lugh back that isn't able to see that those around her support her and are loyal to her. It was really great to witness Saba's the massive change in Saba's character from the beginning of the book to the end.

And oh my god, Jack. Cocky and arrogant, I absolutely swooned at the first mention of him! His relationship with Saba just got more and more steamy and I cannot wait for more page time with Saba and Jack. Or any of these characters, really. And in the world. More, Moira Young, more!

REVIEW: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I've had The Maze Runner by James Dashner on my shelves waiting to be read for more than a year. I bought it, really excited to read it and to get stuck into what sounded like a really great dystopic novel ... only to be put off by claims that the book is difficult to get into and is confusing.

And while it can be confusing and slightly disorienting having the events of the book unfold alongside our main character, Thomas, for me, it was never difficult. In fact, I found the huge mystery of The Glade and the maze and all of the questions fueled my excitement to continue reading and it strengthened my need to solve this massive puzzle.

The Maze Runner begins with a teenage boy sitting in this box type thing. He has memories of how the world works and operates but can remember no aspect of the world in which he has taken part in it. All he knows of himself is that his name is Thomas. When the door opens, he finds himself surrounded by a large group of other teenage boys, all of which have no memories of their lives before entering The Glade.

Absolutely everything is confusing at the beginning for Thomas. He must quickly adapt to this new life - from the slang terms the other boys use to the heirarchy of the boys, the different jobs and responsibilities. Though Thomas would like to ask a million different questions, none of the other teenagers have much patience with Thomas' questions instead telling him that he'd work it out and to get on with it.

Most confusing of all though, is the maze that surrounds The Glade. It is home to horrific beasts called the Grievers and runners are sent out every day in order to solve the maze. Thomas, without knowing very much at all about the maze seems drawn to it. He somehow knows that he must become a maze runner, that somehow this is important not only to himself but to the others.

What I loved so much about The Maze Runners is how well The Glade is described and the running of it is quite detailed. I felt as though I could close my eyes and picture myself amongst these teenage boys who are facing this existence and this confusion. I loved how intent Thomas is on figuring out his surroundings and finding answers to all of these baffling questions. And even though things seem rather dire and hopeless at times, Thomas and these boys really continue to hope and never give up.

I thought The Maze Runner to be really different and exciting and I'm absolutely DYING to read the sequel, The Scorch Trials.

REVIEW: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Before I started reading Across the Universe by Beth Revis I was assaulted by such praise that I was almost afraid to read the book for fear of high expectations ruining the reading experience for me. I'm not sure that I waited long enough in order to read it either, because whilst I did enjoy it, this book didn't blow me away as much as I was led to believe that it would.

I think the biggest problem for me is the element of romance within the story. I didn't believe in the relationship between Amy and Eldest and I think that if I had, Across the Universe would have been so much more enjoyable.

Even so, it is a pretty interesting story. Amy and her parents have agreed to be frozen in order to be amongst the first expedition to begin life on another planet. But things don't exactly go to plan, as Amy is nearly killed having been woken up 50 years too soon. It's no mistake that she was so violently disturbed, someone is out to murder her. With the help of Elder, a young man being trained in order to maximise his leadership ability in order to run the ship, Godspeed, they must solve the mystery of who has tried to kill her, before Amy's parents are the next victims.

I think the inhabitants and life on the Godspeed are all a little fascinating. The dystopian world that Beth Revis created on this ship with it's different life cycles and the rules in which people follow without question was both eerie and creepy. I was suitably creeped out by some of the events that take place as well as the means of leadership employed. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story plays out and coming back to the characters of Amy and Elder.

While not blown away by this book, I'm still quite intrigued and looking forward to reading more.

Books read in August

This blog post comes to you today in 7 parts.

Part one - Totals and themes I feel quite happy with my 14 books read in August. I was away for a week and especially as it's been the summer holidays, there haven't been many opportunities to do as much reading as I'd like. PLUS! I had a huge assignment due that I was working on (handed in a few days ago, phew!) So 14? Very happy with that. I read (and reviewed!) quite a few dystopic books to go along with Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August and have had great fun with it. As I read books for Once Upon A Bookshelf's Self Perception and Body Image month for July, I think I'll need to find a theme for September - any suggestions?

Part Two - Dystopian August Mockingjay was obviously the really hot book that everyone was talking about this month, but I really enjoyed all of the dystopias I read this month. Life As We Knew It, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Matched, and Candor. I really do heart dystopic/post-apocalyptic YA novels. I had a whole heap of dystopic adult literature as well as well as more YA, I just didn't have the time to get around to it. If Lenore organises another month of dystopias, than I will surely be prepared! Thanks Lenore :)

Part three - Types of books read Some of the other non-dystopic books were quite difficult to read - Almost True about knife crime, Forbidden with it's heavy subject matter, Impulse about teenage suicide, The Chosen One and its grim portrayal of life in a cult. I'm actually surprised there weren't more light-hearted reads (Twilight the graphic novel, Major Crush, Waiting For You) interspersed through that lot. I even managed one adult book with Jenny Colgan's The Good, The Bad and the Dumped. Also, this month is the first in awhile where I've been reading books apart from my own! With two library books read and two book tour books, my focus has turned slightly away from reading and clearing out more space amongst my own shelves. I'm not sure yet how I feel about this.

Part four - UK Book Tours And oh, the start of the UK Book Tours! So far, I've recieved four book tour books and read two (both amazing - Matched and Almost True). It's really exciting stuff and I'm looking forward to loads of the books coming my way in the near future! A big thank you to Lynsey Newton, organiser of the book tours, the contributors of such lovely and interesting books and to all the people taking part who are willing to pay the postage to send me these books. It is much appreciated.

Part five - Favourites If I were forced to pick a favourite of the 14 books I read this month, it would have to be... erm, I don't know. Probably Mockingjay and Matched. For very different reasons.

Part six - the list Already at part six! This is nearly it, folks! We're coming to the end! Here's the list of books read over the course of August. And the numbers are the totals for the year!

127. Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer
128. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson
129. Twilight: the graphic novel volume 1 by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim
130. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
131. Major Crush by Jennifer Echols
132. Matched by Ally Condie
133. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
134. Candor by Pam Bachorz
135. Jealousy by Lili St Crow
136. The Good The Bad and The Dumped by Jenny Colgan
137. Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti
138. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
139. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
140. Almost True by Keren David

Part seven - Goals for September And because my list of goals was so popular last month, I thought I'd do it again. Here's a short list of books that I'd like to read in September. Have you read any of these? Where should I begin?

Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E Lockhart
Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lyn Barnes (for an event in early October)
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (same as above!)
The Radleys by Matt Haig
My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares
Torment by Lauren Kate (UK book tour)
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (UK book tour)
Lucas by Kevin Brooks
Swapped By A Kiss by Luisa Plaja
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

How well did you do in August? Favourites of the month? What will you be reading next?

REVIEW: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers? This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication.

I really enjoyed The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I'd been looking forward to it for awhile, and read it bit by bit over the week I was away at a course. I do wish that I'd had more time to focus on it and let the ideas and its themes sink in. But I didn't have that luxury. It didn't matter, it was still really gripping to read.

Jenna Fox wakes up and remembers nothing of her life. She can recite whole sections of Walden and recall strange facts from history, but she has no memories of her own. She's been told she's been in a coma for over a year after a car accident. Her family have mysteriously moved very far away from home. Her father is away for work and her grandmother can barely tolerate being near her. She's given videos of her life, long and detailed videos that seem to capture Jenna Fox growing up from every angle. Jenna Fox in those videos seems to be perfect, and the Jenna Fox who woke up from that coma just doesn't feel right.

The entire book is seen through Jenna's eyes as she slowly discovers more about herself, her life and the things that have happened to her. It's quite chilling, unravelling this mystery. The reader isn't told anything that Jenna herself doesn't know and there's this sense that the secret everyone's keeping is pretty bad. And it is.

But on the way, there's some fantastic themes and issues brought up. Memory and tampering with the mind. The lengths in which a parent would go in order to protect their child. The ethics of bio-engineering. What it is to be human, to have a soul. Jenna struggles with them all, and the reader struggles with her. I was never quite sure what to think. I felt just as confused and unsure as Jenna did.

My only complaint is the ending. I'm not a big fan of epilogues, and this one is no exception. I feel like the distant ending took something away from the book. It could have been just me, but I read the ending and felt myself slump, just a big. Otherwise a really interesting and engaging read.


This has been read as part of Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August! Highly recommended.

REVIEW: Candor by Pam Bachorz

In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town's founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause. But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar' s built a business sabotaging his father's scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they're turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks? Then he meets Nia, the girl he can't stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

Let me start by apologising to my readers for that cover. I'm sorry, I know that some people have issues with the wasp. But what can I say? I kind of love it. I think it fits wonderfully with the story, much better than the boy with the headphones. This one stands out more. I had to use it.

I'm still not really sure what I think of Candor. On the one hand, I thought it was creepy and loved the subject matter. A Stepford-Wives-esque town, subliminal messages, that wasp on the front cover - all very shudder-inducing. But on the other hand, I didn't feel very emotionally connected to Oscar or any of the characters. He keeps going on about being 'perfect' but he doesn't treat people very well.

It was an interesting concept, having these messages played out, but only in this one town as opposed to a national or worldwide thing like other dystopias. The motivations of Oscar's father seemed believeable as to why he would go to these lengths, but the power one person has over everyone in this one town is a horrifying thought. The messages seem to originate through the idea that unruly teenagers involved in illegal activity, promiscuity or drugs could come to Candor in order to be helped. People who are having marital problems or aren't able to give up smoking on their own. It all sounds like it could be a good idea, right?

Until we found out what happens to people who leave, or to people who try to resist the messages... Oscar is aware of all of this, but tries to play both sides. Go along with some messages, pretend to be his father's perfect son, but also use his knowledge and position in order to get some teenagers out. For a price, naturally. How far will Oscar go to protect someone he cares about, especially if it means standing up to his father?

I did enjoy certain aspects of the novel. It looks at the importance of art and highlights the power of the mind. There's a lot about control and this overbearing adult figure. The meaning of perfection. Despite not connecting well with Oscar, the last quarter of the novel is suprisingly heartbreaking.

This has been read as part of Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August!

REVIEW: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Oh dear god, more Mockingjay! I'm sorry! I don't feel entirely comfortable adding my little (spoiler-free) review to the thousands of other reviews out there, but oh well, right?

Everyone's been hotly anticipating this final installment of the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, including me. I had N go out and buy it for me on the release day, as he works close to a large bookstore and I do not. I had to wait until he got home and it just happened to be the night I promised myself I'd go for a run and then work on an assignment for my university course! Such bad timing. No matter, I still finished Mockingjay pretty quickly and am still slightly reeling after closing that final page.

You know, when I first picked the book up, my initial (entirely superficial) thought was how excited I was to finally learn who Katniss chooses - will it be Peeta or Gale?!

And then I began, and Mockingjay jumps in right after the explosive ending to Catching Fire and Katniss is struggling with the aftermath of the events that occurred. And the whole thing is sort of hammered home for me that this isn't a light-hearted romance novel. While this series does have a focus on the Peeta-Katniss-Gale, it's also a political dystopic novel. And that these characters are living in it and suffering and it didn't seem to matter so much about who ended up with whom. (OK, it does still matter, I just had a bigger perspective to work with)

This novel especially, as they are in the midst of a rebellion against the Capitol, highlights the complete lack of regard for human life and human rights that we witnessed by the government's participation and organisation of the chilling Hunger Games in the first two novels in the series. And it continues with Mockingjay, as the two opposing forces pit against each other. Terrible thing happen and are witnessed over the course of this book and I did cry quite a lot. I won't go into it too much, but as it is a war, expect casualties. There are some horrific events and plenty die. Where does one draw the line? What's too much? Is all fair in war?

What I love about the series so much, apart from the action and political drama, is Katniss. She's a strong, kick-ass heroine. She can take care of herself and her family. And in especially when comparing her to other YA main characters, it is always wonderful to see her make her romantic relationship choices slowly and wisely. It takes her nearly all three books in the series in order to choose between Peeta and Gale, whereas I have noticed a large trend of relationships in other YA novels where the love is instant and all-consuming.

There's a lot of harrowing scenes, a lot of downcast characters, lots of action and explosions, fab characters old and new and yes, a choice is made.

So, aside from the epilogue, a thoroughly enjoyable end to a fantastic series. One that lived to my anticipation and expectations!


This has been read as part of Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August! Highly recommended.

REVIEW: Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

I really loved this book. I'd been looking forward to reading it for a long time and it lived it up to my high expectations!

Life as We Knew It is a post-apocalyptic YA novel and is entirely journal entries of 16 year old Miranda. At the beginning, we are introduced to Miranda's rather normal-sounding life. Her older brother is away at university. Her parents are divorced and her father and new step-mother are expecting a child. Her little brother is mad about baseball. Miranda is heavily interested in keeping up with the gossip of a particular male ice-skater and is keen to get back into ice skating herself. But soon, everything begins to change, as the news reports that an asteroid is on a collision course for the moon.

When this happens, everything slowly begins to change. Luckily, Miranda's mother has the foresight to see how things might be different and stocks up on the neccesitites. Tsunamis and earthquakes and volcanoes begin to destroy things that most people take for granted. Food and water is scarce. Electricity and heating. It's the start of a very different world as Miranda and her family must change in order to survive. It's a very chilling thing to think about. I couldn't help but wonder as I was reading it, 'how would I survive? What if it happened to me and my family?'

I loved seeing the transformation of Miranda and her family and friends as they dealt with this situation in very different ways. From the immature 'why has this happened to me' whining, to the sacrifices in terms of food, to the different ways in which each character held on to their hope. Miranda and her family don't have it easy, but they were able to really come together as a family and that always makes me a little sad. I finished this novel on the train, as I couldn't bear to stop reading it, and luckily the person next to me was kind enough to ignore my steady flow of tears.

I cannot wait to find out how everything turns out in the next two books in the series, The Dead and the Gone and This World We Live In! I need to know what happens to Miranda and her family!

This has been read as part of Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August! Highly recommended.

REVIEW: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

I really liked the idea of Unwind a lot more than I enjoyed actually reading the book. Let me just get that out of the way right now. I didn't hate the book by any means, but I felt like the third person narrative over many different perspectives distanced the reader too far away from the characters, at least for me. I've heard a lot of people say nothing but good things about Neal Shusterman, but the structure of the novel just didn't work for me. :( I hope this isn't the case for all of his books...

Unwind is a scary dystopic YA novel which focuses mostly but not entirely on the journeys of three different characters, all with different backrounds and reasons for running away from the system and the title of 'Unwind' What is unwinding? These three characters live in a not-too-distant world whereby children can be aborted retroactively. From the ages of 13-18, a child can be 'unwound' and organs and tissue will be distributed to those who need it. The child being 'unwound' will continue to exist, only in individual parts instead of as a collective whole.

Each of the three characters represent different areas of society that people would choose to use such a function. Connor, as a trouble-maker, is sent away for unwinding by his parents for convenience. As a parent, I couldn't relate to this decision at all and wasn't able to fully believe those type of decisions can be made. Risa, on the other hand, is a ward of the state and to make room for others, she's sent off to be Unwound. I can understand this. Lev has a different title to the others - he's a 'Tithe' which means he is an embodiment of a religious sacrifice. I don't understand this, but was able to accept it in terms of the story. Already, it was a little bit too much of a stretch for me to believe and relate to these people's circumstances. If I were able to believe without question, I think I would have found Unwound to be a lot more powerful and emotional than I did.

As it was, I still found Shusterman's messages and ideas about good and bad, adoption and the soul to be quite interesting. When does life begin? Are we beginning to lose sight of what it means to be human and are there lines that shouldn't be crossed? It's a thought-provoking book, one that will hopefully ask some controversial questions. I just wish that it was done in a way that I didn't have to suspend by disbelief by so much and in a way in which I could have felt closer to the characters and the decisions and actions that they take.


This has been read as part of Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August!