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'!