#KindnessMatters

Recently I was contacted by the lovely Sabrina from Harper Collins about this new initiative, #KindnessMatters The idea of the project is to do something small and kind for someone else.  And this goes along with this lovely book Kindness by Jaime Thurston, the founder of 52 Lives.  I absolutely loved this idea and I love taking part in this, even belatedly.

During September, I wasn't in the very best shape mentally.  You can see mid-September I just stopped blogging and the two are very much linked.  I have a pretty good self-care routine and structure going and I could identify that my priority had to be myself for awhile.  The kindness that was best shared was with myself.  Doing nice things for myself, being kind to myself while I worked on my own mental health issues and everything else gets to take a back burner.

But that was last month.  And I still wanted to bring up this idea and project.  The book that Harper Collins sent over is an absolutely gorgeous little hardback book and it's filled with colourful pages and ideas about how kindness can be shared and spread.  I feel like I'd love to make these acts of kindness a regular thing, taking lots of inspiration from this book.  Today, though, I wanted to talk about one regular kindness that I already do, and it's something very close to my heart.

This is my local supermarket.  In the last year, my local store has increased the drop off point to include double the amount of space for people to donate in their store.  I fear it is because the need for local families to receive food from our local food banks has increased.  Despite living in a very affluent area there is nowhere that is free from struggling families that need a little extra support.

The reason that food banks in particular are an area that I feel very strongly about is because I grew up in a household on the poverty line.  My family needed the extra support food banks provided and those boxes of food saved my life.  Every single week, without fail, I pick up something and add it to my weekly shop in order to donate to my local food bank.  Because I remember what a lifeline it was and because I am no longer in a position where I struggle financially.  I am happy to do my small bit in order to help and support those who are still in that position.

I usually vary the items that I donate, though always taking inspiration from the list of recommended items that are always much in demand: tinned vegetables and meats, cartons of milk and juice.  But I also try to donate non-food items such as toothpaste, deodorant, cleaning supplies, nappies or wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, shampoo.  It's only a few pounds a week that I add to my weekly shop but I feel like it'll mean a lot to some local family.  I do it every week and I feel like if every one who is able to do so also donated more regularly it would make a huge difference in all of our communities.

REVIEW: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

Oh wow. I absolutely adored A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstom. I had only read the author's debut book, Not If I See You First, earlier this year and I loved that too. So I requested A Tragic Kind of Wonderful based on the strength of his first book.  But when I found out that his new book is about a girl with bipolar disorder? I was immediately intrigued.  Books involving mental illnesses are amongst my favourite and I wanted to see how Eric Lindstrom would tackle the subject.  The result? was this wonderful, messy glimpse into Mel's life.

I say 'messy' because there's so much going on in this book.  It's obviously about Mel and Mel has bipolar disorder.  And while I loved the representation of that aspect of her life, I also really loved that the author explored Mel's life in so much other detail without it being too much, too heavy or too confusing to follow so many different strands to the story.

Because not only does Mel have bipolar disorder (that she was only diagnosed with recently!)  but she's also dealing with the grief of losing her older brother several years ago.  She's fallen out with her previous circle of friends once she was diagnosed because of her fear of them rejecting her but she's got a new set of friends now and she's wondering if she should admit her condition to them or risk losing them like the last bunch?  She's got kind of a complicated relationship within her family, especially with her aunt who also has bipolar disorder and a much different view of living with this illness.  AND! she meets a cute boy through one of the residents of the retirement home where she works. I loved how all the elements of this story are pulled together, I love that Eric Lindstrom provides this great, realistic glimpse into Mel's life, including all of the complications. Real life is messy and complicated and Mel's story reflects that.  And I hugely appreciated that.

Obviously bipolar is something that features strongly in this book.  Something that is brought up in this book which I hadn't seen before is this middle bit of bipolar which is in between the depressive episodes and the mania (the highs and lows!) and I don't think I've seen that written about or explored the way this book did.  Mel begins each chapter by comparing different aspects of her condition (mood, heart rate etc) with different animals and through the four different elements works out what type of state she's in and I found it all to be quite fascinating.  She's also seeing a therapist and I loved sitting in on some of those appointments.  Throughout the book, Mel also brings up her thoughts on medication and her Aunt has an opposing view which provided an interesting contrast.

There are some incredibly emotional aspects of the book that I felt were down to the great characterisation and also the great relationships.  In particular, I loved Mel's relationship with her aunt just because they're so different and it was interesting to me to see two people with bipolar but had such wildly differing experiences and opinions on how to deal with this disorder.  I also loved David, the love interest.  There's a great mini-story line that includes a toxic relationship which I found intriguing but I think my favourite relationships, by far, included Mel's relationships with the people that she works with in the retirement home. Silver Sands retirement home had some wonderful characters and Mel's friendship with retired psychiatrist, Dr. Oswald had me in tears.

This is such a wonderful book.  I loved so many elements of this book that I feel like I could talk endlessly about this book.  But I won't. I will just recommend it very highly!

REVIEW: It's About Love by Steven Camden

I really loved It's About Love by Steven Camden. I had heard of the book when it was first published at the beginning of the year but I always felt a little bit on the fence about reading it. I knew it was about two characters, Luke and Leia, and that they meet on a film studies course at college, but nothing else apart from that.

It wasn't until I attended YALC in July that I changed my mind. I heard the author, Steven Camden, do a performance poem about this novel and that made me really sit up and take notice.  This piece of poetry was amazing and his delivery of it made me incredibly intrigued.  So when I saw It's About Love on a library shelf recently, I snapped it up immediately.  It isn't the first or last book that I've read because of YALC.  And with It's About Love I'm really glad that I did give this book a chance.

It is about two characters, Luke and Leia, and they do meet on a film studies course. That is true. But this novel felt like much more than that as well.  It felt like a journey towards creating something wonderful and about identity and friendship and family and love and how all of those things can be messy and complicated and painful and beautiful.  This book was filled with so many honest truths that I cried several times at the beauty of it. There was one particular bit about tears and how there are only two types of tears and reading it brought tears to my eyes so quickly that it took me really by surprise.

I really loved the unusual format of the story.  It's told from Luke's perspective and it has his narration, but there are also hand-written journal entries of his memories or thoughts or dreams. There are also some bits that read like a film script with scene headings and descriptions. It really worked and the whole film motif really worked throughout the story.  I loved all the film mentions and particularly the creative process Luke and Leia writing their own screenplay for the film studies class.  I loved the idea of Luke taking inspiration from his friends and family for ideas and how these little bits of conversation help shape both his writing but also his identity.

This book, as I said, is many things. It's a bit of a love story between Luke and Leia. But it's also about Luke adjusting to a new school and a different setting and social circle and trying to reconcile this new part of his life with his old friends. It's also about Luke's brother, Marc, coming home from prison and Luke and his family adjusting to life with him home again. I loved some of the scenes between Luke and his father especially in which it felt like more was said in their silence than in their words. It's also a book about film and about telling stories in different ways.  And I really, really enjoyed it.

REVIEW: The Taming of the Tights by Louise Rennison

I absolutely adore Louise Rennison! I loved her Georgia Nicolson books so much and when I started reading the Talullah Casey series it was always in the back of my mind that Talullah was just not quite as funny and mad as her cousin, Georgia. And then I read The Taming of the Tights the third book by Louise Rennison in the Tallulah Casey and you know what? I've completely changed my mind. I'll always have a soft spot for Georgia, but my heart now belongs to Tallulah!

The thing that gets to me the most about Tallulah is how much crap she gets from everyone around her.  One particular teacher at school, the village girls, even the man who runs the pub next to where she lives doesn't go easy on the poor girl. And throughout it all Tallulah hods her head up high and carries on. She does crazy owl raps and gallops about like a horse in front of everyone and does weird Irish dancing and puts up with the name calling and the glare-y looks and the incessant insults and people laughing at her. And while 90% of this book is absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, there are still moments where my heart absolutely breaks for the treatment that Tallulah receives from those around her and those moments are the ones in which I feel the most connected to her.  I want to give her a big hug and I want everything to work out for her. 

Because I do really adore Tallulah.  I love her friendships with the other Tree Sisters and especially her relationship with Ruby (who is one of the funniest characters in the book!). I love how bizarre her world is, with the Dobbins and everything else and she just carries on like nothing is out of the ordinary! This is the third book in the Tallulah Casey series which follows Tallulah and her friends over another term at a performing arts college, Dother Hall, set in Yorkshire. The play they're working on this term is The Taming of the Shrew and I love the way in which shrews play a part in this book and owls across the entire series...

The other thing that I love about this book is how easily Louise Rennison changes my mind about characters.  At the end of the previous book I was filled to the brim with excitement over the latest development in her romantic life ... and then I read this book. And instead of carrying on with that same excited feeling about two characters maybe-possibly starting something, my mind has been changed. And instead, I'm rooting for someone else entirely because it seems like this other person might be better suited for Tallulah. Things could go either way at this point and it all makes me feel a little bit giddy with excitement!

Hooray for Tallulah Casey and her friendships and her originality. I cannot wait to read more in this series...

Mini-Reviews (Wait For You, Fall Guy, My Favourite Mistake and Double Clutch)

Wait For You by J. Lynn

I was going through a pretty bad reading slump when Wait For You came along and dragged me out of it.  This book was really easy and escapist to read. And while I don't normally care for a book so focused on the romance without much other substance, there are times when a good love story is all you need.  I found this book, and Avery and Cam, at the perfect time.

I found it interesting that J. Lynn is a psedonym for Jennifer L. Armentrout, an author I've heard rave things about. I'm curious about her other stories now!  Wait For You is the story of Avery who goes off to a college far away in order to escape this terrible thing that has happened to her many years ago. She runs into Cam and he is unable to resist Avery and starts this campaign to win her heart...

I don't particularly enjoy it when an author takes something very serious like rape and its effects and includes it into the storyline as a means of conflict that separates the two love interests in getting together, but J. Lynn walks that line carefully in Wait For You.  Luckily there wasn't a huge dramatic reveal at any point during this story and Avery and Cam's relationship builds slowly from strangers who run into each other into friends and finally more...

It was sweet and I enjoyed their relationship. I liked the weird pets and Cam's supportive family and how he is very much into baking and cooking. I think I probably would look out for the next book in this series.

Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt

I read two books by Liz Reinhardt in a very short amount of time and while I enjoyed Fall Guy and read the book very quickly, I did prefer Double Clutch to this book. While I really enjoyed this romance between Evan and Winch, I just didn't feel like the main conflict between the two was all that believable. 

Spoilers ahead, avert your gaze if you haven't yet read this book and would like to!

I'm not sure if I would have picked up this book if I'd known that Winch's family were involved in organised crime and that the 'fall guy' of the title is Winch himself.  It just seems too far out there for me to truly believe in these circumstances. 

And Winch apparently needs someone like Evan to come along and remind him that he deserves happiness and a future and shouldn't be risking his police record the way that he does to protect his older brother.  Somebody who has problems with drinking does not need the 'help' that Winch and his family has for him. 

While I probably will not continue to read this series, I am much more interested and enthusiastic about Liz Reinhardt's other series of books which begins with Double Clutch.

My Favourite Mistake by Chelsea Cameron

This book had a sort of Beautiful Disaster feel about it and that fact almost put me off reading the book.  Luckily I persevered with it because I ended up really enjoying it eventually.

This is the story of Taylor going off to college and sharing a place to live with some roommates. All is well and good until Hunter shows up and turns out to be a boy and not another girl.  Lo and behold, Hunter and Taylor end up rooming together and Taylor is taking it all very badly and the two of them end up making this pact. They're going to try out being roommates for awhile and if Taylor ends up either loving or hating Hunter by the end of it, he'll move out.

As you'd imagine, the two end up in this delicious relationship that really swings across the love/hate divide.  I don't remember warming to either Taylor or Hunter right off the bat, but over time I felt more sympathetic to both of them. Unlike most new adult books, in which the girl is the 'damaged property', in this both Taylor and Hunter have dark and secretive pasts that they wouldn't care to reveal to each other. And again, I'm not entirely sure with how I feel about attempted rape entering the storyline in the ways that it did.

This book is apparently the first book in a series but I feel as though the story ended where it needed to end and I am happy with that conclusion.

Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Sometimes the label 'new adult' confuses me. Such as the case with Double Clutch, as this is a book set in high school with high school aged characters. And while it is very much a romance story, there isn't a great deal of sex scenes either which might lead it to becoming NA.  Either way, I really enjoyed Double Clutch.

Despite the angst-ridden love triangle going on here, I thought Liz Reinhardt was onto something interesting with the ways in which our main character, Brenna Blixen is torn between cultures having spent the previous year in Europe, torn between her decision to split her time between two different high schools and torn between two 'perfect' boys, Saxon and Jake. 

As the story goes on, it becomes more apparent that there is some history between Jake and Saxon that will play more of a major role in future books in the series, but I think it could have done without that. My only other niggle with this book is that as Brenna makes her choice between the two boys she fancies, the other one turns into a bit of an arse. I would have liked it better if that hadn't happened. The other guy doesn't need to be nasty and vindictive in order for Brenna's choice to be valid. 

Even so, I enjoyed reading this book and especially liked Brenna as a character. I liked reading about her running and cycling and also about Jake's motorcross. Brenna really grows over the course of the novel and makes choices that I didn't always agree with but I could understand. I liked how both Jake and Saxon are characters that aren't what I always expected.  I'm really interested to see where this story will go, even though I'm slightly worried about the overly-dramatic turns it may take...

What do you think about the recent popularity of 'new adult' titles?

REVIEW: The Elite by Kiera Cass

There's something a little bit exciting about this series.  Despite having issues with some of the rules and relationships involved, I was still really excited to read the next book in the Selection series, The Elite by Kiera Cass.  Because despite how much I'll grumble about how  relationship-focused this dystopian series is, I still read both The Selection and The Elite within a day and I'm still looking forward to finding out how everything will turn out!

The Elite picks up shortly after the end of The Selection. Thirty five girls were chosen as potential brides to Prince Maxon and now only six remain, America included. And America is still pretty uncertain if she really wants to remain in the capital and be part of this process. And America goes back and forth about this decision throughout The Elite. Not only does America question her feelings for Maxon (and her ex-boyfriend Aspen) but she's also not sure if she's princess material or if she could handle making difficult decisions that would be best for the entire country. Being in the castle and being attacked by rebel forces is bad enough, but there's an attack a bit closer to home and perpetuated by somebody that she cares about that leaves America reeling.  And to make things more interesting, America no longer remains Maxon's favourite as he has chosen another that he spends a great deal of time with.

There were plenty of times where I felt more than a bit frustrated by America in this book. She makes up her mind that no, she's not prepared to go any farther with this contest but then she allows Maxon to convince her otherwise very easily even when Maxon does things that goes again America's sense of morality.  She sways between Aspen and Maxon a bit too readily for me. I want her to wake up one morning and realise that she no longer has to define herself and her life in relation to who she might end up with romantically. Instead of her picturing her future as either Prince Maxon's wife or Aspen's wife, I'd like her to picture herself as a strong individual who is capable of chaning things and influencing those around her in a positive way and in such a way that doesn't have to compromise her ideals or her feelings.  I want that for you, America.  Don't settle for somebody who doesn't stand up for what's right and certainly don't settle for somebody who chooses to keep his multiple relationships open-ended just in case but doesn't allow for anyone else to do the same. You deserve a level playing field.

What I really want to see from this series is a move away from the relationship drama including America, Aspen, Maxon and at least two other girls from The Selection.  I get it, she fancies both men and he's not satisfied with just the one girl either but let's move on. What I'd like to see now are more of the perspectives of the rebels fighting against Maxon's authority. More of the history behind this government and the different caste systems was uncovered during this book, what will America do with this information? Time to make a choice that's more important than this evening's dress or who is deserving of kisses. I want to see how change and revolutions happens. Bring it.

REVIEW: Imposter by Jill Hathaway

Oh I really love this series. There's just something about both Slide and this sequel, Imposter by Jill Hathaway that just gets to me.  I love the premise of it which is has strong elements of the creepy. But I also love the mysteries that come up, the secrets that need to be unearthed. And oh, especially the relationships between the characters!  Not just Vee and Rollins but Vee and her sister and her dad and also Vee with her ex-best friend Samantha.

I really love Vee Bell as a main character with all the mistakes she makes and how she feels so isolated and out of control in Imposter. She's been having these dreams in which she experiences her first love dying again and again.  And that would be pretty bad all on its own, only Vee wakes up and she's not in her bed anymore and she doesn't know what just happened or how she got there.  Instead of Vee sliding into someone else's body ... somebody is sliding into Vee's.  But who and for what purpose? 

It had been awhile since I read the first book, Slide, and I did worry that too much time had passed and I would feel lost reading Imposter but it wasn't so.  I picked up the story really quickly and quite easily fell back into Vee's head.  A lot is going on for her and my heart really went out to her.  Not only does she have to figure out what is going on with her sliding abilities and who might be causing the strange things around her but she's also had to confront her growing feelings for her best friend and she's got an estranged aunt who is back on the scene. Vee is not entirely sure that Rollins still feels the same way about her as he did several months ago, especially after spending a great deal of time with his beautiful and cool co-worker, Anna.  And she has her doubts as to why suddenly Aunt Lydia has shown up on her doorstep. 

Imposter was a really quick read for me. The fast-pace of the book together with the ramped-up tension (both romantic and otherwise) made it impossible for me to not read the book in as few sittings as I could. This book has such an amazing cast of characters, a terrifying premise, great relationships and mystery and suspence all crammed into a fairly small amount of space. I absolutely adore this series and I cannot wait to see what will happen next.

REVIEW: Sister Assassin by Kiersten White

Ooh, I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Sister Assassin by Kiersten White.  When I first heard of this book about twins, where one is sent off to kill someone and the other is a blind psychic, I immediately thought that this could definitely be a lot of fun.  What surprised me is how emotionally involved I got while reading it and how much I loved the different relationships in the book.

So there are these two girls, Fia and Annie. And as Sister Assassin begins, Fia is on an assignment.  Her mission? To murder this unknown-to-her guy.  But Fia has this shift in her conscience just before it happens and instead of killing him, she compromises herself and the safety of her sister, Annie.  By saving this boy, she sets off this chain of events that will mean that everything in her and her sister's lives change forever.

And while I loved the exciting and dangerous opening to this book, once Fia changes course and has more time to reflect on what not killing someone means for her, I found myself enjoying it far more.  Fia and Annie are mostly orphans, who were shipped off years ago to this weird and secretive academy that Fia always knew felt a bit off.  But it was the promise of a better future and education for Annie, who is blind, that meant that both girls stuck together and went along with whatever the academy wanted for them.

But this weird academy is for gifted girls - those, like Annie, who can see the future or can read minds or sense the feelings of others.  And Fia doesn't have any of these gifts.  She instead is trained to become an assassin.  And despite Fia's misgivings about the morality of the jobs she's being trained for, there is always this threat hanging over Fia's head that if she doesn't go along with things that Annie could be harmed.  There's a very strong bond between Fia and Annie and you can tell that both girls feel responsible for the other and do a lot of things to protect one another.  They have a great and complicated sisterly relationship.

The entire span of action in Sister Assassin takes place over just a few days, but there are quite a few breaks in the narrative where we get flashbacks of events that happen throughout both girls' lives at the Academy that explain some of the backstory, introduces characters and really builds on the story.  I found them to be really fascinating and it really helped me to see how and why Fia and Annie end up making the decisions that they do.

Fia's character is definitely my favourite.  She's a bit feisty and kick-ass but there's such vulnerability about her as well as she's been dealing with such pressure and guilt and unhappiness for such a long time.  I especially loved the way in which Fia interacts with both Adam, the boy who she rescues, and also James, the boss's son.  I really can't wait to see more of these relationships in the rest of the series.

Sister Assassin is a wonderful read, with great characters, emotion and action!

Holly Smale's Top 5 Geek Girls (Geek Girl Blog Tour)

I really loved Geek Girl by Holly Smale and I'm very happy today to be taking part in the blog tour. Holly is here talking about geeky girls and this post just really makes me happy!

Geek Girl by Holly Smale is out on 28th February, published by HarperCollins Children's Books, £6.99 (PB).  Also available in e-book formats.

To find out more about Geek Girl or Holly Smale, please do visit the following websites...

Holly Smale 

Holly on Twitter 

Holly on Goodreads

 

 

Holly Smale’s Top 5 Geek Girls

Lisa Simpson

Lisa is the archetypal Girl Geek: a knowledge-devouring, friendless smarty-pants. Both arrogant and simultaneously insecure, desperate to stand out and hungry to fit in, logical but prone to moments of childish hysteria, Lisa is (in my opinion) the best cartoon Geek Girl ever created. She can be self-righteous, demanding and priggish, but her moments of vulnerability - the desperate and failed attempts to make friends, the sudden clarity with which she sometimes sees herself - make Lisa feel incredibly real, and it’s impossible not to love her.

Hermione Granger

Possibly the most famous Geek Girl of all time, a lot of people believe Hermione Granger has single-handedly changed the attitude of children towards geeks forever. Initially an unpopular, frizzy haired “swot”, Hermione eventually blossoms into the character who arguably saves Hogwarts: Harry wouldn’t have managed it through the first book without her apparently unlimited knowledge of spells, intelligence and calm rationality. As Rowling has since pointed out, she’s also endearingly prone to sounding like a bit of a “know-it-all” now and then, as all the best geeks do.

Amy Farrah Fowler

Amy in The Big Bang Theory is smart, complicated, funny and a true geek icon. She manages to combine the fierce, dry, rational intellect of a doctor in neurobiology with the overexcited hyperactivity of a little girl finally making friends for the first time in her life. Socially awkward, arrogant but simultaneously desperate to fit in - again, the magic geek combo - the scene where Amy puts on a tiara and almost explodes with happiness encapsulates perfectly the little bit in every geek that secretly aches to be ‘cool’. My funniest Geek Girl, hands down.

Matilda Wormwood

Roald Dahl’s brilliant child genius is the youngest Geek Girl in fiction: speaking fluently at one and a half years old and reading Dickens by four. She can do huge sums in her head, loves school and has a knack for excellent one-liners and making adults look stupid.Matilda is the ultimate Geek Triumph novel. Her bullies may be adults and teachers rather than her peers, but when six year old Matilda uses her magic powers to get rid of her parents and Trunchbull, the end message is the same: Geeks Rule.

Anne Shirley

Anne of Green Gables is more than a hundred years old now, and she’s my original Geek Girl: from the imaginary friends she played with as a child to her obsessive love of books; from acting out Tennyson poetry to her elaborate vocabulary; from her refusal to behave like other girls to her inability to quite judge the reactions of other people. What Anne lacks in geeky shyness she makes up in passion, originality, awkwardness and a consistent failure to fit in anywhere. When she triumphs and wins the heart of local hotty Gilbert, it’s a win for lonely girls with overactive imaginations everywhere. Anne’s also my favourite geek of all time.

What do you think? Do you agree with Holly's choices? Would you add any others? Let us know in comments!

REVIEW: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek Girl by Holly Smale is fantastic! Already I'm thinking it's going to be one of my favourites in all of 2013, it's funny and geeky and hugely entertaining.  I really urge you all to pick up this book.

And just as I'm considering putting Geek Girl on my list of favourites, I'm also thinking of putting Harriet Manners on my list of favourite female characters!  I love her awkwardness, her knowledge of obscure facts and even her insecurity when it comes to how other people perceive her.  I could fully relate to the decisions that Harriet makes during this novel and I was rooting for her from the very first page!

Poor Harriet.  She doesn't even want to attend a clothes show, and she certainly never expected whilst there to be spotted by a modelling agency ... or to fall out with her best friend over it.  But Harriet desperately wants to make a new start, wants to reinvent herself.  Because while she has no problems being geeky and mostly friendless, it would definitely be nice not to be picked on and made fun of at school. And maybe this whole modelling thing could change that for her.

My favourite thing about Geek Girl are definitely the characters that we meet.  I've already said that I love Harriet a lot. I'd love to be friends with her, or at least to have had someone like her as my friend going through school. I think it would have made some definite improvements.  But I also really loved Harriet's friendships with both Nat and also Harriet's stalker.  Harriet is by no means perfect though. She has a real problem with avoiding difficult conversations and situations that make things far worse than they needed to be. 

My other favourite character, and I can't believe I haven't mentioned her earlier than this, is Annabelle, Harriet's step-mother.  The similarities between Harriet and Annabelle are huge (and hilarious!) and I really, really loved seeing how much this relationship with Annabelle has clearly influenced Harriet and her geeky ways.  I don't often come across really supportive and present parents in YA but I'm glad that Harriet has that.  But I think especially that because Annabelle isn't biologically related to Harriet makes it that much better for me. I love that their relationship is what it is even though there is no biological connection. They choose to love each other as much as they do, independent of blood.

Geek Girl is such a great book to read.  I loved its humour and its geekiness but also the sadness that comes with being bullied because you're different.  It feels at times kind of like a fairy tale - the awkward geeky girl being thrown into the world of fashion and modelling, spending time with the hot model, Nick - and I did hope that everything would work out magically for Harriet.  And while there were definite moments of pure awesome for her, I also loved that it never got carried away with the fantasy... while some things do work out a lot better, other situations stayed the same.  I cannot wait to read more of Harriet and her geeky adventures in the next book in the series!

Top Ten Books I've Read But Haven't Yet Reviewed

Thank you, as ever, to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting such a wonderful feature.

This week's theme is one we can choose ourselves and I have decided to use this week to highlight the Top Ten books that I have read and not yet reviewed.  I'm hoping to do some quick mini-reviews of these excellent books in the hopes of feeling a bit accomplished and to hack away at my ridiculous to-be-reviewed list.

Slide by Jill Hathaway 

I read Slide way back in January, and still haven't reviewed it! I'm such a terrible book blogger.  Especially because Slide was a really great book.  I really got into it when I was reading.  I really love the cover - that eyeball is super creepy - and I loved the premise too.  Teenager, Vee Bell is a narcoleptic, only instead of falling asleep during these episodes, she slides into other people's minds.  She's found out loads of things about other people in this way - students cheating on tests, teachers sneaking drinks of alcohol.  And one horrible day, she slides into the mind of a murderer who kills her sister's friend Sophie.  Armed with the knowledge of what happened, but no way to prove it, Vee sets out to solve a murder.

I really enjoyed this one.  Though the book is quite slim, there's still enough of a story to fall into and get wrapped up in.  I found Vee's ability to be really interesting!  I'd love to read more, in fact.  I thought the action was all really fast-paced, and I liked all of the characters.  It was very fun to read a thriller with Vee's unique ability and I was left guessing until the very end.  Very entertaining!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

I loved Cinder by Marissa Meyer!  I generally like fairy tale retellings, but I feel like Cinder is in another category as a retelling.   Marissa Meyer took the Cinderella story and gave it a really fantastic science-fiction twist.  Just thinking about this story makes me smile.  She turned Cinderella into a cyborg! And there are this creepy alien race from the moon.  Just the whole world-building felt wonderful and I loved finding out more about the plague and Cinder's strange past.  Plus there are more than enough classic Cinderella references to make my heart happy - especially the glass slipper as Cinder's robotic leg and the pumpkin carriage being an old VW bug.

I really loved Cinder as a character, her relationships with her step-sister and Iko and I thought the romance between Cinder and the Prince to be really sweet.  I cannot wait to read more about Cinder and this world in the next book by Marissa Meyer! Plus? Love the cover.

Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar 

 I love, love, LOVED Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar.  I loved absolutely everything about it.  I first saw it on another YA book blog, during an event showcasing Australian YA.  I didn't think that I'd be able to get hold of the copy as it didn't seem to be available in this country. Luckily, I managed to find the book on a book swapping website that I use and I fell in love.  Soon after, I heard that it had picked up a UK publisher and could not be happier that this book would soon be able to reach a wider audience! Hurrah for that.

My heart absolutely broke for Carly, the main character of this book.  She's gone through something really horrific and in response to this terrible event, she shuts down. She quits school, gets a job in a cafe and surfs.  That's it.  Until she meets Ryan, who is fresh out of jail and is carrying his own brand of baggage.  I kind of loved Carly and Ryan together.  And I was quite happy for Raw Blue to turn into a straight love story - two very broken people trying to start a relationship together.  But Raw Blue isn't just a love story, it's a story of Carly picking up the pieces of her life and trying to be okay with just herself, and I respect Kirsty Eager for that emphasis on Carly.

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow 

I wanted to love this book more than I did.  I've loved the Strange Angels series since the very beginning.  I loved the realistic grittiness that comes along with following Dru on her adventures.  She goes through really terrible things and in this, the fifth and final book in the series, I wanted closure.  I wanted a really definite ending for her.   With the bad guy sorted and her future clear, I wanted Dru to make that final important decision of her romantic entangements. 

And while I can see why Lili St. Crow did what she did and why she ended this series in the way that she did ... I was still a little bit disappointed. It seems that for some, an open-ended ending is okay.  But not in this case.  Still, excellent series.

Bunheads by Sophie Flack 

I really meant to review Bunheads by Sophie Flack before now.  I had been looking forward to reading this book since I heard about it from the Atom blogger brunch absolutely ages ago.  And I did love this book.  It's about ballet, and I love ballet.  

I remember reading one particular book about ballet over and over again when I was little.  It just made me feel happy to be reading about ballet which I find to be really graceful and beautiful.  So YAY for ballet books.  The thing that I felt distracted me from this great story is that it was marketed as this love story between Hannah and Jacob that makes Hannah question her dedication and devotion to her ballet company.  And while there is a relationship between these two, I found the main focus to be more of Hannah's journey away from her romantic relationships.  Because we're told about this relationship that makes Hannah question everything, I expected more from it.  And it wasn't there.  But what is there is great, realistic stuff about ballet and how competitive it is, how much of an issue is placed on diet and image.

A very enjoyable book, this one!

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth 

Struck is a book that I was very excited to read for such a long time.  It's that eye-catching cover, which just screams out 'Read me!' in a very persuasive way.  Unfortunately, while I did enjoy it and I raced through the book, something about Struck was slightly off for me.

I'm not entirely sure what it is about Struck that didn't work for me, which is probably why I never reviewed this book.  I love the idea of it - Mia is a lightning addict in this crazy world in which natural disasters have destroyed so much and the people are being torn apart by cult leaders and the people opposing them, which also seem to be rather fanatic.  I think I wanted to know more about being struck by lightning and less of  the religious zeal.

The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don't Mind by Kirst Cronn-Mills 

I don't even remember where I first heard about this book.  All I really knew about the book is that the main character begins to question her sexuality.  And I always like reading YA books that deal with this sort of thing. So based on that very small amount of information, I went into reading The Sky Always Hears Me... And this book turned out to be entirely different than what I first expected.  It's a little bit strange, it's kind of gentle and can be quite funny and overall I just really enjoyed it.

I loved seeing Morgan interact with the different people in her life, from her boyfriend, her crush, Rob, Tessa, the girl who kissed her, Morgan's grandmother.

I also really loved the inclusion of fortunes and how Morgan goes to shout all of her thoughts and feelings into an empty canyon.  I loved the confusion about everything going on in her life, I loved Morgan's voice and character and I think this book is really great.

Scarlet by AC Gaughen

Oh man, was I excited to read this book!  I absolutely adore the Robin Hood story.  It's one of my dad's personal favourites as well, so growing up, I felt almost surrounded by these characters and the adventure of it all.  So I was always going to be happy to read another book to do with Robin Hood, but I also really love the twist.  Will Scarlet as a girl! That makes me very happy.

And while I didn't LOVE that there is a sort-of love triangle, I was still completely swept away by the story.  I really liked how Scarlet keeps her identity hidden from the rest of the band, and the mystery that surrounds her previous life.  I really loved Scarlet, she's feisty and brave and really jumps in to do her part in fighting injustice and freeing those she cares about. Robin, too, was written really well.  I really just can't get enough of this story!

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe 

 I had had a copy of Rosebush on my shelves for absolutely ages unread.  I think I bought the book based entirely on the pretty cover.  Luckily for me, when I did get around to reading the book, there's also a very interesting story here as well.  I don't know about you, but I'm starting to really love the psychological thrillers that are on the YA shelves at the moment.  I never really thought that those sort of books were for me, but they are. 

I love how Jane, the main character in this story, is left piecing together the fragments of her memories in order to work out who tried to kill her. I was left completely guessing as Jane (and us as readers!) try to solve this mystery in time.  Jane works out that it had to be someone she knows, someone she calls a friend who has done this to her and that is pretty creepy to me! I had no idea who did it until the very end and I loved the journey to get to that point!

Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson

 I absolutely loved Ultraviolet with a passion! I had no idea what I was getting into when I first started and throughout the book I was always on my toes, wondering, always wondering what secrets could this book possibly be holding?! Every aspect of this book was wonderful to me.  I loved the main character, Allison.  I loved her voice and finding out the things she's not saying.  She's a teenage girl sectioned into a mental hospital for murdering a girl. 

I really loved this story progresses, where one things leads to another to another and I'm left gasping at the surprises and the unexpected twists.  I feel like I can't say very much about this book without spoiling things, which is probably why I haven't reviewed this book until now.  But it is wonderful. 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Are there any favourite books that you've read lately but haven't yet reviewed?

REVIEW: The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs

The thing about The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs, is that once I started reading it, I just couldn't stop.  I had issues with the characters and the relationships at times but even when these things annoyed me, I still couldn't bear to put the book down.  I really think that that says something important about this book, but it doesn't completely erase all of my misgivings either.

I was really impressed to hear of Abigail Gibbs' writing journey with this book.  Writing the majority of The Dark Heroine at the age of 15 is astounding!  I hope that inspires many more young writers.  

I can tell you, I wasn't convinced by the romance element of the book right from the beginning.  This book begins with our main character, Violet, who on a night out in London with a friend witnesses this horrific mass murder.  A small group of people kills a much larger group of people and it's violent and bloody and I was horrified reading it, let alone witnessing it like Violet does.  When the leader of the winning group notices that Violet is a witness to this whole spectacle, he kidnaps her takes her back to his home in Kent.  There Violet learns that she's just been kidnapped by a prince of vampires and will remain hostage indefinitely. 

That right there?  That whole description and scenario of the beginning of the book does not scream romance to me.  I felt a little bit uncomfortable regarding the whole premise of the book.  I didn't much care for Kasper in the beginning.  There isn't a great deal likeable about him.  He is constantly unpleasant towards Violet, threatening her and biting her against her will and his actions really made my skin crawl at times.  Towards the end of the book, I found myself changing my mind about Kasper at times and as long as I tried to view him in the way Violet does, I found myself not loathing him as much as at the beginning. 

I came to realise my biggest problem with this book isn't so much the romance or the way in which Violet ends up in the position that she does.  My biggest problem with the book is that Violet has no other options aside from Kaspar.  She has no friends throughout the book, she has no family members besides a father and sister that are barely spoken of, she has no support other than that of the strange quasi-relationship she has with Kaspar.  And I really think that these sort of relationships, with friends and family, would have made Violet more human in my eyes.  Because as it is, Violet in this book is a bit empty.  She has occasional bursts of rebellion and can come out with some funny and sarcastic comments and things, but I had very little sympathy for her as a character.  What is a shame, and this is a slight spoiler, is that there was scope to give Violet a friend and a sister-like figure, but they are instead turned into yet another thing that leaves Violet completely alone. 

Towards the end, as we learn a little more about the vampire world-building and of this strange prophecy of the dark heroine, I found my interest returning.  I was definitely more intrigued by this added layer to the vampire/supernatural creatures world than I was with the romantic goings-on and other character relationships. 

I found this entire book to very strange.  Because as I mentioned at the beginning, even though I had numerous issues with this book, at no point did I consider giving up on it.  There is definitely something about this story or the way in which it is written that grabbed me.    Problems or not, it is still a 500 page novel, and I read the entire book in a short amount of time. 

REVIEW: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Wow, I really loved What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.  It felt like a very different reading experience as I was reading this and once I'd started I was so loathe to put it down for anything. 

Kat Zhang, in this first book in a new series called The Hybrid Chronicles, brings us this totally new and different world in which two souls share a body.  I love that premise entirely.  It took awhile to wrap my head around what that would feel like and how life would change for everybody sharing a body with another soul.  We are introduced to both Eva and Addie who are such people. 

But things quickly become a little dark and sinister in What's Left of Me, as we realise that while everyone is born in this way, they are encourage to let one soul 'fade away' by the time they are ten.  After the age of 10, things become quite a bit different as hospital and agencies check up on these things and make sure that no 'hybrids' are left, for they are dangerous and pose a serious threat to themselves and to others. 

But Eva and Addie have managed to keep their secret safe.  With Addie as the dominant soul, she is in control and Eva is hidden away to one corner of Addie's mind.  For years, Eva has slowly lost any ability she once had to move or to speak aloud.  Yet she can't just fade away.  She clings to what little life she can with only Addie to hear her thoughts occasionally.  Until Addie and Eva meet other such hybrids and realise that there might be a chance for Eva to regain some of what she's lost.  But at what cost? 

I found this book to be quite creepy and emotional and moving all at the same time.  I really felt for Eva, and the way that she has been treated for years.  I found it really touching that this story is told from Eva's point of view.  Hers is a voice that isn't heard aloud anymore, but she is the one telling this story.  And witnessing her small attempts at being an individual again without Addie's dominant soul really took my breath away at times.  Hearing someone else say her name for the first time in three years, the way she felt the first time she smiled on her own or said something to another human being really showed how trapped and lonely she has felt for so long.

Eva's relationships with her sister Addie were nicely done, I loved that these two knew each other better than anyone else ever and that their relationship showed both the good and the bad of being that close to one another.  The two of them really struggle to provide the other with what they want and need but at great cost to each other at the same time.  There's also a really sweet beginning of a relationship that I hope is explored more in future books in the series. 

What's more, I loved how much this book is about humanity and doing what's right, even when things are difficult.  I loved that emphasis and that both Eva and Addie get there eventually.  I can't wait to see where this story goes and I'm excited to read more by Kat Zhang!

More paranormal mini-reviews (Trial By Fire, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Carrier of the Mark)

The following post contains mini-reviews for the following books: Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon.

Whenever I go through a prologed book slump, it is usually the fault of a decline in my mental health.  I sink into a depression and I don't feel like reading.  It's pretty simple.  And I've found that when I'm in a depression, the books I really like to read are those that are very emotional or dramatic.  And what's more emotional and over-the-top in its dramatics than a good paranormal romance, right?  I find myself drawn to the overly passionate paranormal romances in order to stir some emotion in myself.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, as the following reviews will prove.

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Did I ever tell you how much I love werewolves?  I do. They are my favourite paranormal creatures.  Mostly because I love the idea of belonging to a pack.  The idea of this extended family that's always there for you makes me feel a bit teary if I'm honest.  And I think I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes' version of werewolves the best.  Her books feel very emotional and intelligent, with the mix of politics and gender and equality into the narrative.

I adored the first book in this series, Raised By Wolves, just as I adored this, its sequel.  I love that Bryn is quite a fragile human girl, but still, it is her that is in charge of a large and valuable pack of wolves.  She has very loyal friends and boyfriend and while her father-figure is no longer in charge of her, he is still partially present in her life, offering his advice.  And while there is less of the strong first emotions of love in this book with the emphasis more on protecting the women and girls of her fledgling pack as well as negotiating the difficult werewolf politics of the other wolf packs in the area, there is still enough romance and high emotions.  Reading this book was a wonderful escape from my own thoughts and I zipped right through it.  Wonderful sequel, I'm very much looking forward to more!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Here is a book that I loved wholly and entirely.  I had no idea what I was getting into when I started it, I had just heard a bunch of wonderful things from it from mostly American book bloggers.  I wanted in on this amazing story, and I loved every page of it.  I'm usually a little bit intimidated by chunky books like this one, but in Mara Dyer's case, I felt the bigger and longer it is, the better!

I really loved unravelling the mystery is this book.  I wanted any scrap of detail or information that Michelle Hodkin throws to the reader.  I found myself hugely addicted by this book, even though in parts it can be quite creepy and felt a bit dark.  I loved that our narrator, Mara, tells us this story without really having a full grasp on all of the events, even those that she experienced herself.  I do love an unreliable narrator especially witnessing the confusion.  And how have I not written about the love interest yet?!  I fell for Noah Shaw right alongside Mara.  Their relationship is tension-filled and swoonworthy.  I want more already.  This book is incredible, very romantic and suspensful and addictive.  I am no waiting impatiently for the sequel!



 Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

This book arrived for me around the same time the Internet drama involving the author was occurring and while it did leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, I figured it was only fair to judge the book by its own merits rather than the actions of the author.

I have to say, I wasn't impressed.  What attracted me to this book is the addition of Irish mythology into a paranormal romance.  Ireland isn't a setting that I read of very often, and I wanted more from it.  Same with this romance between Megan and Adam which promised to be of epic proportions.  And while I did finish the book, I finished it without caring very much about the world created, the characters or the romance.  For me, it didn't engage me emotionally at all, and that was very disappointing.  I really wanted to enjoy this one. I still think the cover is quite pretty.

Paranormal mini-review roundup (Fateful, Firelight and Pulse)

Below are mini-reviews for the following books: Fateful by Claudia Gray, Firelight by Sophie Jordan, and Pulse by Tricia Rayburn. 

Whenever I go through a prologed book slump, it is usually the fault of a decline in my mental health.  I sink into a depression and I don't feel like reading.  It's pretty simple.  And I've found that when I'm in a depression, the books I really like to read are those that are very emotional or dramatic.  And what's more emotional and over-the-top in its dramatics than a good paranormal romance, right?  I find myself drawn to the overly passionate paranormal romances in order to stir some emotion in myself.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, as the following reviews will prove.

Fateful by Claudia Gray

Fateful by Claudia Gray is quite a strange book, in my opinion.  I couldn't help but be intrigued at the thought of werewolves on board the doomed Titanic.  What an absolutely fun thought that is!  And as long as you're able to ignore the silliness of the premise and just go with it, Fateful is quite a fun book to read.

I really loved the detail in the beginning as the Titanic and its passengers are being described.  It just seems like a lovely time period and I began thinking that this would have been a great historical book on its own, let's not get into the werewolves at all.  But there are werewolves in this book.  And once they make their appearance, Fateful is split into two clear halves.  The first is the beginning with the lush descriptions and lively atmosphere of being on board a luxury liner like the Titanic.  And then there is the story of the werewolves.  And while werewolves are definitely my favourite of the paranormal creatures, I felt like this second half was a tiny bit of a letdown compared to the first half.  While I do remember thinking the male lead was a bit of all right, I don't remember connecting very well to either him or to the main character Tessa, and found something a bit lacking in their relationship.  I don't know. Another book I enjoyed for the most part, but definitely wasn't blown away by. 

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

I really wanted to read about dragons and Firelight by Sophie Jordan seemed to be quite an interesting look the subject.  I especially dug the idea of in a paranormal romance like this is, that the girl is the supernatural creature (in this case, Draki which are descendants from dragons) and that the boy love interest is human (though aware of draki and is in fact a dragon-hunter).  So often it is the other way around.

Unfortunately, I don't quite recall very much about this book after reading it a few months ago.  Part of the summary that I'd read somewhere mentioned mortal enemies and a doomed love affair.  I don't recall anything quite so passionate!  I remember enjoying the book as I was reading it, but not enough of the book made any impact for it to leave a lasting impression.  I don't think I'll be hurrying out to acquire the sequel.

Pulse by Tricia Rayburn

I really, really enjoyed the first book in the series, Siren.  But I remember being slightly confused at the end that book and some of that confusion was carried over into this book.  Still, I really enjoyed it.  I quite love a series on a supernatural creature (sirens) that I haven't come across often or at all.  But what I really wanted in this story, the reason I picked up Pulse to read is that I wanted to see more of the relationship between Vanessa and Simon.  This was not to be.  And looking back at it now, I guess it's understandable that this isn't the case.

Vanessa is going through such a lot in this book, her transformation into siren is complete.  She's attracting the attention of men very noticeably now, she's still torn up about the loss of her sister from book one, she's struggling with the fact that she has been lied to her entire life.  She's facing urges to bathe in saltwater and she gains power from the attentions of Parker which she finds she likes and needs.  But Simon! I wanted things to be better with Vanessa and Simon, but I don't think they could be with Vanessa questioning their relationship and constantly wondering if Simon has ever really liked her, or if it is all down to her siren allure.  Tough situation to be in.  I thought this book was incredibly interesting and I loved spending time with Vanessa as she made mistakes and worked on her insecurities and found out more about sirens.  It is quite a bit angsty with sort-of triangle going on, but I still missed the presense of the Simon from book one!

REVIEW: A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

Review by Kulsuma from sunshine and stardust

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix is an epic story in which Prince Khemri, an augmented human, reflects on his three lives. Like the ten million other Princes of the Empire, Khemri will do whatever it takes to become the Emperor. As Khemri’s training intensifies however, and as he’s thrown into human situations he doesn’t know how to handle, he begins to slowly change. A Confusion of Princes is a grand story, spanning the lengths of space and lifetimes.

A Confusion of Princes is a complex story. Nix throws the reader into the deep end from the beginning. At first, it’s difficult to understand everything that’s going on, even though the story starts off somewhat slowly. But once I became used to the strange situations and people in the story, it was easier to read and enjoy it.

As a Prince, Khemri has a Master of Assassins and a host of Priests; servants who help him access the Imperial Mind and witness whatever is going on at the time; particularly assassination attempts. I was interested by the various training Khemri undertook and the whole mystery surrounding the Emperor and the Princes. It reminded me of The Borg from Star Trek as they too are an augmented race fuelled by one aim and lead by the hive mind.

A Confusion of Princes became more exciting and rapid in the second half. I was aware that apart from Khemri, the other characters seemed, not underdeveloped, but not there enough of the time. This is Khemri’s story, first and foremost. I was interested in learning more about Haddad; Khemri’s Master of Assassins, Atalin who is another Prince and Raine; the girl he saves. Though the story is told from Khemri’s point of view, I felt he could have spared us more details about other characters.

The romance was okay. It happened quite fast. The romance and his love interest should have been developed more but these felt like a small part in the grand scheme of Khemri’s story. Overall, while it took me a while to get into A Confusion of Princes, it became decidedly better as I continued reading. Khemri was an interesting, highly likeable and memorable main character. While I had a few questions at the end of this standalone novel, there weren’t any plot holes. A Confusion of Princes is a unique story and I look forward to reading more from Garth Nix.

Fantastic, thanks Kulsuma!

REVIEW: Devilish by Maureen Johnson

I was thrilled to hear that Harper Collins is publishing some of Maureen Johnson's earlier work here in the UK.  As much as I love her Shades of London series and I'm dying to read the next book in the series, I've also been incredibly curious to read the books that haven't been as readily available here in England.  I've enjoyed all of the books I have read by Maureen Johnson, and while Devilish can be quite fun, there was something lacking in it to move it up from being an okay read to one I absolutely loved. 

Devilish is a book about popularity in high school and the lengths that some students would go to in order to achieve it.  The story starts out with a ceremony in which upperclassmen like Jane and Ally are to be paired as mentors with incoming freshman in a Big-Little event.  I didn't quite get the importance of this event, but aparently it's a big deal.

So when Ally humiliates herself in a big, flashy way, she feels like there's no hope for her whatsoever. Ally goes to incredible lengths in order to achieve popularity after the most embarassing moment of her life. And Ally will do anything to repair the damage done, including selling her soul to a demon in the form of new sophomore student, Lanalee.  But when Ally's best friend, Jane, finds out about it all SHE decides to make another deal with the demon in order to save Ally's soul. 

I don't know. Some parts of Devilish really worked for me.  I quite liked Jane as a character, she had a fun personality and I liked how much her friendship with Ally meant to her.  I was hoping for a bigger sense of friendship between the pair, but it is mostly missing until the last third of the novel. I also like the wackiness of it.  I found myself laughing at the craziness of this book - demons and blood-soaked cupcakes and the fact that the show-down of good and evil happens at the Poodle-Prom. But while the quirky storyline kept me reading, I still didn't feel any great connection to the characters.

REVIEW: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I've been looking forward to Insurgent by Veronica Roth for such a long time, we all have! And it really doesn't disappoint at all. I picked up Insurgent immediately after receiving it and it's one of those books that I just couldn't put down for anything. Especially as things started heating up and getting really exciting, which they do quickly. But this book is also a lot darker than the Divergent as war escalates and some hard choices are made and these characters are put into increasingly more difficult and impossible situations.

Insurgent starts immediately after the events of Divergent, with Tris feeling both grief and guilt after the death of her parents and of her friend Will.  Much of Abnegation has been slaughtered, Dauntless have been split in two, it's hard to believe everything will ever be right again.  But there's hardly any time to grieve or to take things easy.  Tris and her band of survivors are headed to Amity in order to restock and regroup and make the next choice as to what to do next, who to align with, who to trust. 

I really loved the story that Veronica Roth tells in this series.  There's so much complexity here, and Roth doesn't shy away from backing her characters into some murky water.  Insurgent deals with secrets and lies, betrayal and forgiveness.  We meet quite a few familiar faces - Dauntless who didn't make it through initiation and became factionless, Caleb, Marcus, Peter - as well as new, surprising faces that test the bonds between Tris and Tobias. 

When I read Divergent last year, I was swept away by the excitement and the freshness of the story.  And while it can sometimes be hard for sequels to have the same exciting tone, I felt like Insurgent never failed to reach that level of anticipation and excitement.  There was so much to learn and discover, from the secrets that Abnegation died for, the truth that Erudite are concealing, the importance of Divergent rebels.  From the first page to the last, I was consumed by this book! 

Highly recommended, and I'm now dying to read more.  Bring on the next book, and quickly!