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!

Halloween Reads

Happy Halloween everyone!

So you may have noticed that I have been reading mostly scary, creepy and paranormal reads lately in the run up to Halloween. There are lots of books to choose from that will get you in the Halloween mood but I just wanted to share some of my favourites with you:

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

This one is extremely creepy! I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Be prepared to jump, be terrified and hide behind your sofa while reading this one. Anna Dressed In Blood focuses on ghosts but not just any old ghost; ghosts who tear people limb from limb! A must read whether for Halloween or not.

Caster Chronicles Series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The Caster Chronicles Series is compiled of Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos. Centering around witches, both evil and good as well as other supernatural elements, these books are great for Halloween. Don't be fooled these are not your typical witch books, they are much more creepy than that

Envy by Gregg Olsen

There is nothing more chilling and terrifying than reading a true crime novel and thats just what Envy is. Filled with mystery, intrigue and murder you will be left on the edge of your seat throughout. If you want a really creepy book for Halloween Envy is a must read for you!

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer

This one is creepy in a different sense from most other scary books. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer focuses on a girl who is going crazy and slowly losing her mind. Doesnt sound chilling enough? Well trust me it is. Not only that but it is also a fantastic read that you should definatly read if you get the chance.

The Replacment by Brenna Yovanoff

Just from looking at the cover of The Replacement you can tell that this book will send chills down your spine. The juxtapostion of the knives over the pram is enough to scare me, not only that but the story is pretty scary too! A perfect read for a Halloween night.



What are your favourite reads for Halloween?

In My Mailbox

Each week I do an In My Mailbox feature. This feature looks at what books I received this week, including books for review, books from the library, books won in giveaway and books I received as gifts. Here are the books I received this week:

For Review

Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris

Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton

Once Upon A Time There Was You by Elizabeth Berg

The Memory Of Love by Aminatta Forna

Highland Storms by Christina Courtney

Dark Territory by J Gabriel Gates

From the Library

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Won

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

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.

Birthmarked: A Review

Birthmarked by Caragh M OBrien

When Was It Released?:  30th March 2010
Where Did I Get It From?: The library 
Who Published It?: Roaring Book Press  
Number Of Pages: 362 pages

Birthmarked was the first dystopian novel I ever read. I know, I’m a long way behind in terms of this genre, but I just never really knew where to begin. To admit I was a little nervous about starting it would be an understatement, however after receiving the sequel Prized for review I decided to get my hands on this book and read it.

Gaia and her mother work as midwifes, having to deliver the first three infants born every month to The Enclave. They never question what they have to do. That is until Gaia’s mother is taken away by the people she has always been loyal to, causing Gaia to question everything that she believes in.

I absolutely loved the way in which Caragh O’Brien has created such an intriguing world that I wanted to know everything I possibly could about. I was instantly drawn in to learning about the world in which Gaia lives as well as The Enclave, finding it easy to understand. I loved how the society in which Gaia lives in, where water is rationed out, really got me thinking. I was literally scared at times thinking about how I would cope if I had to live by these rules and regulations. I was constantly unsure of whether The Enclave was good or evil, and I really enjoyed how there were so many gray areas, leaving it open to reader interpretation. The pace is fast enough that I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next, there are so many twists and turns throughout the novel. It was not too fast though, and I was still able to keep up with all the action while taking in every little detail about Gaia and The Enclave.

I really fell in love with the character of Gaia, she is so strong, passionate, determinded and most important of all likeable. I enjoyed reading about the way she changes and has to grow up throughout the course of the book. I loved the interaction between Gaia and Leon, finding it to be realistic, believable and entertaining with the splash of humour that is added. I really appreciated the way in which there is a love story within Birthmarked, that lingers beneath the surface and is more subtle than in most novels. I found this added a lot more depth to the novel and gave the romance room to grow in the forthcoming books.

I only had one issue with Birthmarked and that was that I had to wait to read the sequel, Prized in order to find out what happens next in the story. As soon as I put Birthmarked down I just had to pick up Prized. I was dying to know what happens next.

Birthmarked is a story that everyone will love, regardless of whether you have read dystopian before. The storyline is unique and really brings some great ideas, that will have you thinking about long after you have finished the book. Pick up this book, put aside a couple of hours and get started because trust me you will be unable to put this book down.

Anna Dressed In Blood: A Review

Anna Dressed In Blood by  Kendare Blake
 
When Was It Released?:  30th August 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: As part of a blog tour at Jen Big Heart's Blog
Who Published It?: Tor Teen 
Number Of Pages: 316 Pages

Ever since I first saw the cover of Anna Dressed In Blood I was captivated and dieing to get my hands on a copy. Anna Dressed In Blood is one of those books that I just kept seeing everywhere and I was unable to stop thinking about it until I had read it. With Halloween just around the corner I thought this would be the perfect scary read to get me in the mood. I was a little worried that because I was so excited for this book that once I started reading I would be disappointed. Let me tell you I was anything but disappointed.

Cas kills the dead. As did his father, before he was murdered by a ghost. Now he travels around the country with his father’s deadly athame hunting down and killing ghosts who murder the living. When Cas receives details of a ghost named Anna Dressed In Blood he thinks she will be no different from all the others. Anna kills everyone who enters her home and still wears the same white dress she wore on the night of her death dripping with blood. For some reason though she ends up sparing Cas his life.

While I love a little horror in my life a lot of time when I watch a scary movie I usually just end up hiding behind a cushion scared beyond belief. With books, however I’m more about to deal with the horror and gruesome aspects involved. I’m not sure exactly why, maybe it’s because with a book I can interpret details and descriptions in my own way. With Anna Dressed In Blood I felt that the scare factor was just right. Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of gory moments but with the action and the fast pace of the story I felt the horror was easier to deal with. There were no over the top gruesome moments, just enough vivid descriptions to have me on the edge of my seat completely intrigued and wanting to know what happens next. The pace is also just right, while it is fast and had me turning the pages, desperate to continue with the story, I was still able to take in all the details along the way.

What really got me the most with Anna Dressed In Blood was the way in which the story is not completely evil. While Anna is the ghost and villain, the story is more complex than that with Anna also being a form of victim too. I loved how this made the novel anything but your average scary ghost book. It added extra depth and really made me think about who Anna really was. I thought I had her figured out and then she would do something that would completely throw me off track. The interaction between Anna and Cas is also very unexpected and really interesting to read about. Each of the characters is unique and interesting in their own way. I loved the way in which a group of people who would never usually spend time in each others presence are thrown together and the dynamic works beautifully. The humour brought in with the use of the Ghostbusters term being used by the characters was also really refreshing and added a light break in the otherwise intense story.

My only issue with Anna Dressed in Blood was that while it was beautifully written, it is still a horror story, which has never been one of my favourite genres. The only reason I could not rate this book anymore than a four star is purely down to personal tastes and nothing more than that. Trying to come up with any other reason is just impossible, because quite frankly I have no other downsides.

Overall Anna Dressed In Blood is intense, scary, gruesome, funny and beautifully written, If you are looking for a scary read with depth that will have you hooked then this is defiantly the book for you. I recently find out there with another book in this series, titled Girl Of Nightmares and I cannot wait to read it. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until next year to read it!

Readthon Update Hour 10

I'm still hanging in there with my reading and I just finished Book Number 2:

I am still listening to:

I have been snacking on Pop Tarts! One of my all time favourite snacks. Iv also been drinking lots of tea,which I always do while reading.

This brings my grand total up to two books read equalling 782 pages so far. Wooohooo! I shall be taking a small break from reading to work out and shower. What to read next?

Dewey Readathon Update - Hour 5

So I'm currently on hour five of the Dewey Readthon! Things are going well so far but it's still early. I don't wanna inundate you with posts so I am only updating when I finish a book or have information worthy of a post!

Here are my questions and answers from the Readthon

1)Where are you reading from today?
I'm reading from Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Iv been reading on my sofa, my bed and even out on the beach (it's not warm!) 

2)Three random facts about me…

• I am addicted to chocolate and will be eating lots of it during the readathon
• I used to do some modelling before I moved to the USA
• Im English!!!

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
This being my first readthon I have no idea how many books I will be able to read, so I have 5 books in my TBR pile for the readthin. My actual TBR pile is enormous, so I may change what I am reading depending on my mood. I will update you with what I have read and what I am reading
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

I'd like to read the 5 books in my TBR pile but we will see how things go! I'd also like to make it through the full 24 hours

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

I'm a newbie! I will try my best though!

Right now I am listening to:

And I have just finished reading: