Envy by Gregg Olsen: A Review

Envy by  Gregg Olsen   

When Was It Released?:  6th September 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: From the publishers in exchange for a review
Who Published It?: Splinter Publishing
Number Of Pages: 285 pages

As soon as I saw the cover of Envy by Gregg Olsen I knew that would be a perfect book to read during Halloween. There is only one word to describe the cover and that word is CREEPY. That being said the cover underneath the sleeve is beautiful while still being eerie and I think I loved it even more than the main cover. As soon as I saw the cover of this book I was instantly reminded of my mum. My mum loves crime books, murder books and thriller books, with those genres being pretty much all she will read. Growing up, therefore, I had access to a vast library of crime novels that left me with nightmares long after I had finished reading them. I think that may be why I don’t read many crimes books now, but once I saw Envy I felt ready to end up hiding behind my sofa .

Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits. Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

I have to begin by saying that I loved the writing in Envy. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was about the writing style that I loved so much all I can say is that every time I thought about putting this book down I literally couldn’t. While the plot is intriguing it was really the writing that had me so engrossed. Speaking of plot I really enjoyed the premise of Envy, with it being a ‘true’ crime YA novel, a genre that has not really been tapped into within YA books. I also enjoyed how the focus was on online bullying, which is becoming ever more present within today’s society and yet is such a sensitive subject to deal with. I really enjoyed the paranormal elements of Envy; while I don’t want to give too much away by telling you what those are I will say that it added a refreshing twist which I really enjoyed.

In terms of characters, Hayley and Taylor, the twins, were my favourites. Even though they are teenagers and so therefore young I did feel that they were very smart for their age. There are a lot of characters within Envy, yet I found that I was not confused at any one time. I really enjoyed the way in which the point of view the story is told from changes constantly, giving more insight into how each character feels about Katelyn’s death. Along with the cover, another of my favourite things about Envy was the layout. I loved the format used for the chapter headings, and how messages sent within the novel are made to stand out on the page. These are only small elements but they really added to my enjoyment of the novel.

My only issue with Envy was the sometimes the way in which the characters spoke was a little young for my liking. In particular I found the way in which the text messages shown within the book were written in text language, which I didn’t enjoy reading. I also found some of the phrases used by the characters were a little stereotypical teen and therefore a little annoying for my liking.

Envy, overall, was an extremely enjoyable read that had me captivated from beginning to end. I felt as though I was thrown along a terrifying rollercoaster of a journey that left me constantly guessing and then being shocked by what happened next. The true elements woven into the story really set this novel aside and make it unique. Envy is a must read, just make sure your not home alone when you read this one!

Prized (Birthmarked Series #2): A Review

Prized by Caragh M OBrien   

When Was It Released?:  8th November 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: Won from Goodreads   
Who Published It?: Roaring Book Press
Number Of Pages: 368 pages

After reading Birthmarked I could not wait to pick up the second novel in the series; Prized. I was a little apprehensive, after loving Birthmarked so much, that Prized would not live up to my expectations. I find that often a second novel in a series is never as good as the first. Prized, however lived up to and may even, in my opinion have surpassed my love of Birthmarked. If you have not read Birthmarked, you may not want to read this review, as it may contain spoilers.

Gaia has managed to escape into the wasteland, after leaving The Enclave, and is left to try to care for her baby sister and look for a place that may only be a rumour. Gaia is captured and taken to Sylum, a society where women rule, men are drastically outnumbered and kissing is a crime. Gaia must conform to the strict rules of Sylum in order to see her sister but Gaia cannot deny her sense of justice and curiosity with the society.

Prized was a complete rollercoaster, that took off quickly from the place that Birthmarked finished and continued on with twists and turns throughout. After Birthmarked I was interested to see where the story would go and lets say that I loved the direction that the storyline took. I enjoyed the information that was given about The Sylum but I was even more intrigued by the details that are not provided. I had so many questions throughout Prized and now that I have finished reading I have even more questions, leaving me desperate for the upcoming third novel in the series. The thought provoking situations that Caragh O’Brien puts forward within the book were really enjoyable and had me constantly thinking about the society in which Gaia is placed and how I would deal with being in similar situations. I loved the message that is placed within the novel of how societies and situations should be improved with change from within rather than resistance and fighting from the outside.

Gaia’s character really grew between Birthmarked and Prized, with her character being strengthened, her resolve strengthen and her likeability increased. She asks way beyond her years due to the harsh times and ordeals that she has faced and I enjoyed seeing her grow and come of age. I loved the way her intense emotions are portrayed and dealt with throughout. The introduction of new male characters, in particular, Peter, were a refreshing change and added extra romance, depth and entertainment to the plot. I really enjoyed what is essentially a love square and how each character deals with this individually.

My only one issue with the novel, however was with the love square. Within The Sylum there is a greater proportion of men to women, leaving many males without partners. This therefore obviously increased the interest that all women receive including Gaia. I did find, however that with Gaia having her scar and deformity, that this was perhaps a little unrealistic. There are many other women within The Sylum yet Gaia receives the most attention of anyone in the society.

Overall I loved Prized; it was an enthralling, thought provoking and a magnificent story. This is a stand out dystopian series that anyone should read, no matter what your reading tastes. I was unable to put this book down and became so wrapped up and involved up in the characters that I was feeling everything along with them. I was really swept away by Prized and the Birthmarked series and would go as far as to say that this is one of my favourite series of this year. I am now on the edge of my seat waiting for the third novel in the Birthmarked series, which will be released next year.

Matched by Ally Condie: A Review

Matched by Ally Condie  

When Was It Released?:  30th November 2010
Where Did I Get It From?: The Library
Who Published It?: Dutton Publishing
Number Of Pages: 366 Pages

Matched is one of those books that I have heard so much about. Even before it was released there was a large amount of hype surrounding this title. I was very excited to read Matched after hearing so many great things about it, reading the intriguing storyline and seeing the gorgeous cover.

Cassia has always believed what The Society tells her, what to eat, when to sleep and where to go. When The Society matches her with her best friend Xander, Cassia could not be happier. That is until Ky Markham’s face appears on the screen for a few seconds before turning blank. Cassia is shocked by what she sees and is left second guessing whether The Society have everything right or if perhaps they could have made a mistake.

Matched is a dystopian novel, that focuses around the all important contrast between life within The Society and life outside of it and which really is better. I really enjoy this aspect of dystopian novels and feel that this was worked well into the storyline of Matched and could have even more impact in the next novel in the series, Crossed. It was interesting to see how the characters are drawn into believing The Society is perfect when we, as the reader can clearly see the flaws of the world in which they live. I found the pace of the first two thirds of Matched to be very slow. The scene is being set and we learn about life within The Society, however very little actually seems to happen. I would have liked to see a little more action happen sooner. Within the last 100 pages, the story really picks up, which piqued my interest and really made me wonder exactly what was going on. One of my biggest flaws with Matched was the way in which everyone within The Society was heterosexual, meaning that not a single character was gay. I found this to be unrealistic and would have liked to see this element played out and given more attention throughout the novel.

In terms of characters, I really liked Xander, who is chosen to be Cassia’s match. He seemed to be kind, caring and to have a strong connection with Cassia, as they were best friends before being matched. What could be better than a relationship that results from friendship? Well Ky, is thrown into the mix, resulting in an interesting and different love triangle being created. The reasons behind why the love triangle comes about and transforms the way it does were really intriguing and added layers to what could be a typical love triangle. Even though I enjoyed the love triangle, I did not like the characters of Cassia or Ky. I found that it was very difficult to care about what happened to either of them as I felt no connection with them as characters. I found Cassia to be selfish and a little dull and I did not understand the attraction between her and Ky, which suddenly came about from nowhere. It felt as though Cassia was more obsessed with Ky then romantically attracted to him, which made me feel a little uneasy throughout.

Overall, I would say that if you ignore all the hype surrounding this novel, Matched is defiantly worth reading. The premise of this novel is fantastic and with it being part of a series I am interested to see where the next novel, Crossed, will take the story.

Crossed is released on November 1st 2011

Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: Review

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

When Was It Released?:  2nd Decemeber 2010
Where Did I Get It From?: The Library
Who Published It?: Dutton Publishing
   Number Of Pages: 372 Pages 

Anna and The French Kiss is a book that I have heard so much about. Everyone seems to love the novel and I have been recommended this book by so many people I have lost count. Many times when a book has so much hype surrounding it, I find that it is never able to live up to it and I end up disappointed., so, I put this book off until I could not take it anymore! Let me tell you this book did everything but disappoint.

Anna is sent to Paris to attend boarding school, which she is less than thrilled about. She loves her life in her hometown of Atlanta with her best friend and her almost-boyfriend. Anna feels lonely and an outcast in Paris, that is until she meets St Clair, an irresistible guy with a cute English accent. There’s just one problem St Clair is already taken and in a relationship with his long term girlfriend.

I’m unsure where to even begin with how much I love Anna and The French Kiss. This novel had everything I love to read about filling the pages. I picked this up and could not put it down, it literally had to be dragged out of my hand at one point just so I could go to sleep. This is such a beautifully written contemporary YA novel, I was swept away with the pages and Stephanie Perkin’s writing style. I loved the setting of Paris for this novel, it was almost like a character in itself. The description was so well done that at times I felt as though I really was in Paris along with Anna and her friends. I love Paris, so any novel that can transport me there within the pages gets major bonus points from me.

I loved Anna as a character, finding her to be so relatable. She is awkward yet surprisingly likeable at the same time. Many girls will be able to relate to her, and the feelings she has during her time in Paris, because she is just your average girl. She is also very intelligent, which I loved about her, as it shows girls can do well in school and still be interested in boys at the same time. She is hilarious yet far from perfect which makes her seem much more real as a character. I also fell in love with St Clair (Etienne), again for his flaws and imperfections. He is just a normal guy and does not pretend to be anything that he is not. Even though Anna and St Clair, are my favourite characters, all of the characters with in the novel are beautifully written and memorable in their own ways.

There was one thing above all else that I loved about Anna and The French Kiss and that was the romance. I felt as though Stephanie Perkins created the romance between Anna and St Clair perfectly. I truly believed in their feelings for one another and their relationship throughout the novel, without any sense of doubt at all. I was willing the two to get together the whole way through the novel. I just wish they had been able to show their true feelings to each other sooner. I believe that the romance was so good because it was built up and not rushed into, it was built on a friendship and that is what makes me swoon over it so much. I want a relationship like theirs!

I honestly do not think I have loved a novel as much as I love Anna and The French Kiss. I want to read this all over again, right now! It is such a cute, beautiful, feel good novel which will grip hold of you and not let go until long after you have finished the last page. Anna and The French Kiss is like a hot, frothy, comforting hot chocolate that you will want to curl up with and savour for hours. I will definatly be buying a copy for my bookshelf, as well as Stephanie Perkins latest novel Lola and the Boy Next Door, and reccomend that you do too!

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan: A Review

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

When Was It Released?:  13th September 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: The Publishers
Who Published It?:  St Martins Press
Number Of Pages:   307 Pages

I have to admit I do enjoy a little science fiction every once in a while. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not addicted to Star Trek or anything (although I have seen the movie) but space intrigues me. When I heard about Glow I was instantly excited about the book. The cover for a start is gorgeous, and I cannot wait to purchase a hardcover finished copy so that it can sit in all it’s glory on my book shelf. There had been a large amount of hype around the release of Glow, therefore I was excited to form my own opinion and find out if I would love this novel.

Waverley and Kieran live on the spaceship Empyrean, which is headed to New Earth, and have done even since they were born. They are the oldest children living aboard the ship, instantly drawn together, their biggest concern is whether or not to marry each other. They have never seen anyone who does not live on the Empyrean, that is until it’s sister ship, the New Horizon pulls alongside. What the crew on the Empyrean don’t know is that on their mission to New Earth the New Horizon encountered problems and have been left unable to conceive and carry on the generations. They are in desperate need of young girls who can conceive. Girls like the ones on the Empyrean. The unsuspecting families onboard the Empyrean have no idea just how desperate the crew on the New Horizon are, or that they are planning to attack their sister ship!

Glow is split into five main sections, each alternating narration between the two main characters, Waverley and Kieran. I really enjoyed being able to read the storyline from both viewpoints finding that it added extra depth and intrigue into the plot. I found that from the very first section I was hooked and from there on I found it very difficult to put this book down. The pace of Glow is fast, with the attack happening almost instantly and the drama never-ending from there on out. I was swept away with the pages of this novel, gripped, wondering exactly what would happen next. There were a few times where I could anticipate where the story was headed and other times I was blown away and left guessing. I also enjoyed how I never really knew which ship was the ‘good’ ship and which was ‘bad’ as there were so many elements uncovered about both throughout the novel. I found this kept the storyline interesting and could mean that the plot could head in any direction. Many of the families on board each ship were confused by the intentions of their respective captains and I have to admit I did not know who to believe or trust within this novel. I was kept on my toes trying to guess which ship would hold safety and which would be the overall threat.

Waverley and Kieran, the two main characters, were very enjoyable to read about. I found Waverley to be the most likeable of the two, as she is more emotional and we see her true feelings throughout. She must remain strong, throughout the ordeals she faces, and I felt for her the entire way through the novel. I also liked Kieran as well finding him to be honourable and willing to try hard to make things work, no matter how desperate the situation  may seem. I do have to admit that I did not like him as much towards the end of the novel, however he makes for great reading. I also enjoyed the relationship between Waverley and Kieran, who appeared to have true feelings for each other. They are thrown together very young and almost expected to get married but still their relationship appears very grounded.

My only issues with Glow were firstly the religious aspect involved. I found it a little hard to comprehend religion and space hand in hand. I also did not like how prominent the use of religion was within the novel. My other issue was with the ending, while I do not want to give too much away I felt that things took a shift that I did not like. Glow is set to be part of a series, therefore the ending may have been done as so in order to keep the reader intrigued.

Overall, I loved Glow! I was hooked throughout the novel, and did not want to put it down. If you enjoy science fiction in any way at all, however small, I would recommend this book to you. I cannot wait to read the next instalment in the series from Amy Kathleen Ryan and wish that I did not have to wait another year for the next one to be released.