Review: Torn by David Massey

Summary from Goodreads:
Afghanistan. In the heat and dust, young British army medic Elinor Nielson watches an Afghan girl walk into a hail of bullets. But when she runs to help, Ellie finds her gone. Who is she? And what's happened to her? What Ellie discovers makes her question everything she believes in, even her feelings for the American lieutenant who takes her side.

When I picked this book up I didn't expect to like it as it isn't the type of book that I usually read. Having said that I completely and utterly loved it. I loved it so much that I stayed up until all hours reading it and had it finished in a few hours.

There isn't much that I can say because I am completely lost for words. This book was wonderful and haunting and addictive. There was always something happening, whether it was gunfire or bombs you were kept in constant suspense. You just  wait for something bad to happen because it's war and bad things happen. And people die and it's tragic.

The writing style was very strong and easy to read. Massey expertly crafted images designed to shock us and to make us feel and think. There very eerie moments in the book that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I was nearly in tears at several instances. Having said that, the book was certainly not all doom and gloom. There were some very humorous moments courtesy of Ellie and her friends.

My favourite thing about this book was how much Ellie developed and grew as a character. She was so different in the end as compared to how she was in the beginning. I also loved the relationship that developed between Ellie and Husna, a twelve/thirteen year old boy. It was such an unlikely friendship and I think that's what I liked about it so much. 

The only thing that annoyed me was that it just wasn't long enough. I would have loved a longer book but that might have taken away from the story.

Waiting on Wednesday #1

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.








One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Release date: October 22nd 2013

What books are you looking forward to?

Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Summary from Goodreads:
Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

Mila 2.0 has been on my TBR list for a while and I finally bought it. When I started I was immediately hooked.

Debra Driza very quickly had be in her grasp and didn't let me go until the very end. There wasn't a single point in the book when I began to feel bored. It was such a compelling and unique story with characters that I adored and just couldn't get enough of.

What I really loved about this book was that, eventhought there is a love interest, it didn't consume the plot. There was just enough to keep us satisfied but not so much that it compromised the plot. The story was strong and flowed flawlessly throughout the entire book.

Mila's story had me captivated from the very beginning. She was such a wonderful and compelling character that you couldn't help but love. At times I wanted to shake her and hug her all at the same time. She was one of those character that you really didn't want anything bad to happen to. You want to put her in your pocket and protect her from all harm. That's not to say that she is weak. She is one of the strongest characters that I have read. In simple terms; I love her.

Debra Driza did an excellent job here. It was a refreshing plot with excellently developed characters. Go read it right now!

Library Haul

The other day I went to the library and picked up 3 books that I am very excited to read! *All summaries are from Goodreads*

Afghanistan. In the heat and dust, young British army medic Elinor Nielson watches an Afghan girl walk into a hail of bullets. But when she runs to help, Ellie finds her gone. Who is she? And what's happened to her? What Ellie discovers makes her question everything she believes in, even her feelings for the American lieutenant who takes her side.

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Meet Celaena Sardothien.

Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Have you read any of these books? 

Did you like them? 

What have you gotten from the library lately?

Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Summary from Goodreads:
Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Sweet Evil has been on my TBR list for ages and I finally ordered it! Now, let us take a minute to admire the gorgeous cover!

I was a little disappointed with it if I am completely honest. I had hyped this book up and it didn't deliver for me. I liked a lot of the plot turns but it wasn't my favourite read ever. It is a new take on the angel/demon trend that is going around nowadays! This one is a bit darker though!

The blurb had me intrigued. I mean 'What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?' how can that not intrigue you?

There was a little case of insta-attraction. I am not a fan of this at all. I'm sure that in real life there is insta-attraction I'd just rather not read about it in books. However, I still loved the romance and the relationship between Anna and Kaidan! 

There was good character development throughout the book. Each character was brilliantly written and I really enjoyed learning about them. 

The writing in this book was a plus. Sweet Evil is a well written book that left me thinking about it even after I finished it! I didn't love it as much as I thought I would but I still liked it!

Being the hopeless romantic that I am the ending made me want to cry! I need the next book!!! 

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Summary from Goodreads:

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom? 

Wow oh wow! Why did I not read this book sooner?

DeStefano brings Rhine's story to life! I cannot get over the world in which they live in and its interesting to see what has happened to the world. Rhine is a believable character and she is very focused on her goal. Her relationship with Gabriel is one that I loved! I think that the writing style is very mature and it really gives us an insight in to Rhine's character. 

I was a bit confused on her feelings for Linden but that was one of the main things that kept me reading! At first I hated Linden but as the book progresses I began to like him more and more. The fact that Linden was completely oblivious to what was going on annoyed me, but the thing that annoyed me more was the fact that Rhine thought that she shouldn't tell him! I mean I like Linden but I would be the first person to tell him everything to make him suffer!

My favourite character was Jenna because I felt like she was the one that showed her real emotions all the time!

I love the cover! I think it is one of the nicest covers I have seen!

I really wish that we could have learnt more about Gabriel! I hope we learn more about him in the next book!

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Summary from Goodreads
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart 


I was completely captivated by this book from the get go and cannot believe I didn't read this before now! It has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year and I never read it! I was an idiot for not reading it!

Meghan is an amazing main character and one that you can completely relate to. Megan has always felt different. I couldn't understand the way in which her family treated her, it didn't make sense until later on the book. The fact that she remained focused on her goal even when everything seemed to be going wrong was remarkable and I really admired her for it!

Kagawa did a superb job of creating this magical world, unlike anything I have ever read about before. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of books that center on faeries and goblins and things like that but I absolutely loved this one! Kagawa is a very strong writer and can create beautiful images with the words she writes. She is a credit to her profession!

Ash and Puck are amazing characters and I cannot pick between them! It is usually so easy for me to decide on the characters that I prefer but in this case it is IMPOSSIBLE! Kagawa gives us different reasons to love and loathe these characters. Puck brought a sense of humor to the book but it was not over done like it is in some books! I may be slightly in love with both characters! 

Each character was perfect and I really cannot fault anything within this book! This book will always hold a special place in my heart!

I really can't say enough good things about this book! It was so addictive that I stayed up into the early hours of the morning so that I could finish it! I honestly do not know why I didn't read this before! It is an absolute MUST read!




Some of my favourite quotes:

“Ladies and Felines,” he stated grandly, grasping the doorknob, “Welcome to Tir Na Nog. Land of endless winter and shitloads of snow.” 

“Oh, we're playing nice now? Shall we have tea first? Brew up a nice pot of kiss-my-ass?” 

“Touch her, and I'll freeze your testicles off and put them in a jar. Understand?” 

“Bravo," said Grimalkin, peering down from Cold Tom's chest. "The Winter prince and Oberon's jester agreeing on something. The world must be ending.” 

“No, no. We can kill each other later.” 

“Ash blinked. "Are you raiding the cellars now, Goodfellow?"
"Me? Stealing?" Puck flashed a devious grin and popped another fruit into his mouth. "In the house of my ancient enemy? What gave you that idea?" He plucked another fruit and tossed it to me with a wink.”  

“Knock, knock!" he called in a high, singsong voice.
For a moment, silence. Then a thud and a crash, as if something heavy had been hurled at the door. "Go away!" snarled the voice from within.
"Ah, no. That's not how the joke goes," called Rob. "I say 'knock, knock', and you're supposed to answer with 'who's there?'"
"Fuck off!"
Nope, that's still wrong." Robbie seemed unperturbed. I, however, was horrified at Ethan's language, though I knew it wasn't him. "Here," continued Rob in an amiable voice, "I'll go through the whole thing, so you'll know how to answer next time." He cleared his throat and pounded at the door again. "Knock, knock!" he bellowed. "Who's there? Puck! Puck who? Puck, who will turn you into a squealing pig and stuff you in the oven if you don't get out of our way!" And with that, he banged the door open.” 

“Metallic trees. That's new. If you see any steel dryads, be sure to tell me so I can run away screaming."

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Summary from Goodreads:
You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.

Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . .

. . .and what he discovers changes his life forever.

Wow. This book was just wow. It deals with such a topical and touchy area in a wonderful and sensitive manner.

When I saw this sitting on the shelves in my local bookshop I had to have it. I then devoured it in just over a day. When I started I was slightly skeptical as to how it was going to work with the tapes. I thought that I might get bored with it. I didn't. Thank God. It was such a page turner and I just couldn't wait to see what Clay would hear next from Hannah's tapes.

The characters were very well developed. Hannah's story at first had me confused and then I began to feel so sorry for her. At times I was in tears reading it. The book managed to keep shocking me with every turn of the page. When I thought it was going to go in a certain direction it just did a complete u-turn and it left me guessing until the complete end.

The writing was very strong and you could really feel the emotion. I could almost imagine Hannah's voice talking to me, telling me her story. You feel every emotion from Clay and from Hannah and it was just such a wonderful thing.

Even when I finished the book I was thinking about it for ages after it. It really stays with you and makes you think about the way that you treat people. I loved it so much. If I hadn't been so emotional after reading it I would have started reading again straight away.

Review: Crashing Eden by Michael Sussman

Summary from Goodreads:

For one boy and his friends, the path to Paradise comes at a cost—one they may not be prepared to pay.

When a biking accident leaves 17-year-old Joss Kazdan with the ability to hear things others can't, reality as he knows it begins to unravel.

A world of legends exists beyond the ordinary life he's always known, and he is transported to the same Paradise he's studying in World Mythology. But the strange gets even stranger when his new friends build a device that delivers people through the gates of the Garden of Eden.

Now Samael, the Creator God, is furious. As Samael rains down his apocalyptic devastation on the ecstasy-seeking teens, Joss and his companions must find a way to appease Samael—or the world will be destroyed forever. 

Michael Sussman's Crashing Eden was an addictive and unputdownable read. It was unlike anything I've ever read and it was fun to read it.

The concept of this story was very unique and it made me want to keep reading. I read this is in one sitting which, lately, is unusual for me as I have a short attention spand. Sussman had me firmly in his grasp straight away and wouldn't let me go until I had finished reading.

As soon as I read the first line I knew I would love the main character.

"Waking up sucked."

When a character shares my views I instantly loved them. Throughout the book I found even more reasons to love and loathe Joss. He was slightly crazy but had his saner moments that made him a lot more like-able. When I found out some details I was shocked and I couldn't believe it.

The action gets going when Joss gets a head injury in an accident and begins to hear a comforting “Om” sound. His behavior begins to improve after this.

Early on we see Joss's love for his little sister. It was really the highlight of the book for me. It was clear to see his love for Callie and her love for him and it gave us a few 'aw' moments. 

This book was an absolutely amazing read and I recommend it to everyone!

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Summary from Goodreads:
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


This book really had me hooked for the first several chapters but I started to lose interest. Reading this book was like being on a roller coaster, it was up and down. 


I really liked the setting this book and it was interesting to read.
I immediately like Cinder. She is strong and selfless and that made her likable in my books. I love how she stands up to her stepmother on several occasions and it made Cinder feel more real to me.


Marissa Meyer's writing style is very intriguing and she described everything just enough to get a feel for what was happening and how Cinder felt. I found myself feeling the same emotions as Cinder did at certain points of the book.


Prince Kai was an interesting character but I'm not entirely sure if I like him or not. However, I have been told that I tend to not like the nice characters in books. You may love Kai but I'm not sure about him. I loved Iko but she wasn't in it as much as I would have liked to.


I love that there is 'people' living on the moon. They are called Lunars. Wouldn't you like to live on the moon? I would!


Overall I loved the book! I really think that you should read it!

Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Summary from Goodreads:

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought - Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.

Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell - a risk that could claim their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing not just her own life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Having been rather dissappointed with City of Fallen Angels, I didn't have high hopes for City of Lost Souls. However, Cassandra Clare managed to slightly rekindle my love of this series. Emphasis on the slightly. 

When I finished City of Glass I thought that it was the perfect ending  to the series and that we didn't need anything more. Then came City of Fallen Angels which was my least favourite of this series by far. 

In my opinion I have had enough of Clary and Jace. Personally, I think that there is only so many times their love can be threaten before it becomes completely unrealistic. There are so many other amazing characters that Cassandra Clare has created that, in my honest opinion, should be the focus instead of Jace and Clary. 

Where City of Fallen Angels failed, City of Lost Souls triumphed. We have more of the beloved humor that we all love. The writing is tighter and the story is better. 

In City of Lost Souls they do an awful amount of travelling. I didn't get a feel for any of the places that they visited. Having been to one of the places that they were in more than once I know what it's like and yet I didn't get a feel at all for the surroundings. 

We have some more ties to The Infernal Devices!! I am more a fan of The Infernal Devices than I am of The Mortal Instruments. I prefer Will over Jace and I prefer Tessa over Clary. 

All of the above said I did love the book, I just don't think that the series should still be going. Also, while I am excited to read City of Heavenly Fire, I am way more excited to read Clockwork Princess!!

Review: Vengeance by Michelle Madow

Summary from Goodreads:

How far would you go to get revenge?

When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she'd never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea's willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe -- that she shared a past life with Drew -- is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it's downright crazy. 

Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay? 

Find out in Vengeance, the second part of the Transcend Time Saga.

Vengeance is a short story from Chelsea's point of view. Can I get a hell yeah? Chelsea was my favourite character in Remembrance and I was delighted to know that this book was from her POV.

You could say that Chelsea is a shallow character and she is but I love her. Mostly because Lizzie annoys me so much and I am delighted that someone is pissed with her. In this book Chelsea is trying to get Drew back. I wanted to grab her and tell her that she could do so much better. We also get to learn more about Chelsea and her back story. Oh the excitement.

My only problem with this story is that it was too short. Yes, I know it's a short story. I just wish it was longer because I would like to see more of Chelsea's character because from Lizzie's POV Chelsea is just this bitch that doesn't understand that her love with Drew can "transcend time". 

The events that take place here really give you a good sense of what to expect in the next one and I am really looking forward to reading it. I just wish it was from Chelsea's POV.

Review: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Summary from Goodreads:
Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

I decided to re-read this before I started the sequel 'The Wood Queen'! I loved it the first time around and I think I may just love it even more having re-read it!

There's not many books that can keep my interest for too long these day and this book kept me the entire way through!

The book wastes no time before getting straight into some action! Don't you just love that? We get introduced to the main characters early on and we get a chance to connect with them.

I love Xan but he isn't my favourite book boy. Devin was more my cup of tea. I loved both, but Devin edged ahead (slightly). 

Donna is awesome and I'm slightly jealous....I want magically enhanced hands (without the iron). The story around how Donna's hand became the way they are was really interesting to read about and I found myself not being able to put the book down so that I could read a bit more of the book. 

I adore the world of Ironbridge that Mahoney created and allows us to venture through the eyes of Donna!

I would like to blame thank Karen Mahoney for releasing this book as it (once again) kept me up ALL night! Grr why does it have to be so good?

I can't wait to start 'The Wood Queen'!