Posts by Christina

“A ship heading for New Earth is halfway through its incredible journey across the galaxy. On board, sixteen-year-olds Waverly and Kieran are part of the first generation born in space.

They have never seen a stranger before…until the day they are wrenched apart and suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives.”

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Behind the beautiful cover, Glow is a thrilling story told in alternating perspective between Waverly Marshall and Kieran Alden. Their lives on board the Empyrean spaceship had always been peaceful, with their biggest concern being when they should get married…until they faced an unprecedented attack from their sister ship the New Horizon.

In amongst the chaos of the attack the girls are separated from the boys and whisked away to the New Horizon. With Waverly and Kieran apart they fight hard not just to stay alive but to find a way back to each other.

Before starting this book I’d heard many comparisons thrown around, everything from The Hunger Games to Across the Universe, and though I can see where there might be similarities, Glow does stand on its own.

I had fairly mixed feelings about Glow, by the end, I did really enjoy it, it definitely hooks you in once you become familiar with the setting and characters but the turn of events especially with how they affected some characters left me unsure as to how I felt about them.

I was surprised by how strongly religion is used in Glow and though at times it came across as quite preachy especially from characters like Anne Mather and Kieran, it’s contrasted by Waverly and other members of the Empyrean. It would’ve been better if there more characters in the middle rather than characters who were totally with the religion or totally against it because it tends to force the reader to pick a side as well.

During their time apart Waverly and Kieran each had dark and difficult experiences that have left lasting impressions, some more horrifying than others. Each character proved their strength, both mentally and physically but by the end, I found Waverly to be more likeable than Kieran because his transformation into the ship’s more or less spiritual leader made him seem very different to the boy he was in the beginning and made you lose that initial connection with him.

Seth was another character I had a hard time connecting with just because it was hard to figure out if we’re meant to sympathize with him or not. The same goes with Anne Mather, I wanted to believe her reasoning for her choices but some of her actions made me unsure.

It was clear that Amy Kathleen Ryan wasn’t afraid to push her characters to their limit and it’ll be interesting to see those repercussions and how they’ll affect their relationships with one another in the next book.

For the sci-fi fans this book definitely gives an awesome insight into what living in space would be like. Perhaps not with as much detail as Across the Universe, but still covers things quite well.

Though I didn’t love it, Glow was definitely enjoyable and worth a read.

Pages: 307
Publication Date: October 2011
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “It was true, Kieran realized later that night, alone in the darkness, hungry and aching, and missing Waverly. He was very afraid.”

“When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.”

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When the stunning conclusion to the Vampire Academy series was released late last year fans of the series were then hit with the realization that that. was. it. No more VA! Nooo! How? What about Adrian?

But wait! There was more to come. The spin-off series, Bloodlines was announced and fans let out a collective sigh of relief – even though it wouldn’t be from Rose’s perspective we wouldn’t be completely leaving the world of Moroi and dhampirs behind.

The series centres on the alchemist, Sydney, who was a relatively minor character in the VA series but steps into the forefront in Bloodlines. Along with Adrian, Jill and Eddie they’re faced with a whole new challenge – someone wants Jill dead. With her out of the way, Lissa would lose her crown and be ineligible for the throne. In order to keep her safe the guardians relocate her to Amberwood prep, a boarding school in California, with Sydney posing as her sister and Eddie as guardian. And Adrian? As always he has his own agenda.

Those who may not have read the Vampire Academy series could probably still read the series and find it enjoyable but would miss out on why certain issues are such a problem – such as who is Lissa? And why do we like her so much to want her to stay as Queen? That type of background knowledge can only be found through reading the VA series.

As expected, Richelle Mead’s writing completely sucks you into the story. The storyline in Bloodlines is definitely interesting, detailed and complex with so many twists and turns, it’s obvious how completely well thought out everything is. I was disappointed however to find some plot points a bit predictable, or rather, I figured it out before it all happened. A few things resolved themselves quite quickly but I have a feeling we’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to complications for this series.

While reading it it’s obvious that Sydney is definitely not Rose. Though I still liked her, Sydney’s composure and logical thinking is a complete contrast to Rose which makes her a little less….fun to read. There’s definitely a spark in her though and her compassion and cleverness made her incredibly likeable. Finding out more about her back story was also great since you then understood her reasoning for her actions so much better.

Then there’s Jill - she’s young, she’s struggling to adjust to her new lifestyle and still coming to terms with having Lissa as a sister, who hasn’t been completely excited by having a new sibling. I didn’t really like Jill much but she might grow on me…maybe.

Adrian, ah Adrian! He was as always his charming self but it’s obvious he’s still hung up on Rose which at times was frustrating to see, plus he clearly has a bit of growing up to do. As a whole he completely added to the story so well (how could he not, it’s ADRIAN), his snark helped to lift the scenes that might’ve otherwise come across as a bit uneventful.

Eddie remained more in the background in this particular book but I’m really hoping to see more of him in the next one.

For those wondering, yes, Rose, Lissa and Dimitri do make cameo appearances - it was SO good to see them on the page again.

There wasn’t much in the way of a love plot in this book, though there was a lot of talk before it’s release that seemed to be pointing at something romantic for Adrian, but it doesn’t come up in the book.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Richelle Mead book without a completely huge OH EM GEE moment right at the very end which left me completely surprised and dyyyyying for the next installment.

I didn’t love it as much as Vampire Academy, but that doesn’t mean the series won’t improve or that this series isn’t worth starting – it definitely is.

Richelle Mead, make no mistake, I love you like a fat kid loves cake……but I’m giving this one a…a…….4!

Pages: 421
Publication Date: August 2011
Publisher: Penguin
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “They’re waiting for you. Go on in.” Adrian leaned close to Keith’s ear and spoke in an ominous voice. “If.You.Dare.” He poked Keith’s shoulder and gave a “Muhahaha” kind of monster laugh.”

“Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.”

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Like most lovers of YA fiction, I’m a fan of paranormal romance/urban fantasy. Some stories are amazing, others are….well, lacklustre or cheesy. It’s the not so great stories that then make us PR/UF fans a bit wary when approaching a new story, which was my reaction to first receiving Josephine Angelini’s debut, Starcrossed. The beautiful cover and interesting blurb however won me over and I gave it a shot.

The story centres on Helen Hamilton who, till the Delos family showed up, lived a fairly mundane existence. Upon seeing Lucas Delos for the first time some readers might suspect an instant attraction between the two – you’re half right. Seeing him fills Helen with an overwhelming, all consuming and inexplicable urge….to kill him. And the feeling is mutual.

Which can be problematic when you’re meant to be classmates with someone.

What Helen doesn’t realize is that her life is influenced by the Fates, which leads her to discover not just where she came from, but what’s in store, and the Delos family is only one piece of the puzzle.

My problem with Starcrossed was that I didn’t really enjoy the first half of the book. Helen annoyed me like crazy – her intense shyness, being desperate to fade into the background, she just came across as very weak. There were moments that were predictable or cheesy and I even had a ‘man this is so Twilight moment’ (I know, I know, authors hate Twilight references, sorry!).

However!

After the halfway point things started to get interesting – very interesting. Helen’s character had a total turn around and the twists in the plot only made things so much more exciting. The ending was heart stopping and dramatic, it’ll leave you dying for more once it’s over. There’s so much left hanging in the end it’ll be interesting to see how it will all unfold in the next book.

I loved the mix of Greek mythology, bringing it into a modern setting, it was really well done and totally fascinating to read. The romantic side of the story was also really great but also a lot more complicated than you might expect.

Though Starcrossed and I didn’t get off to a good start, by the end, I really liked it. Mythology, family conflict, fate, a dramatic cliffhanger ending and of course, lurrrrve, Starcrossed has all the right elements for a great read.

Pages: 487
Publication Date: May 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “He’s not going around telling everyone you’re monkey-butt crazy, so at least you brutalized a seriously sweet guy.”

You should never judge a book by its cover.

Sure….but they never said we couldn’t admire them. Cover of the Week pays homage to the beautiful and eye catching graphics that grace the covers of our young adult titles.

This week’s cover of the week got to The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Release Date: January 2011

Kelly Gardiner is the author of the new novel Act of Faith. The story follows 16 year old Isabella as she’s forced to flee her home in England when her father’s radical ideas makes him a threat to Oliver Cromwell’s army. Life in the 1600s is not easy for a girl, especially with the Spanish Inquisition watching your every move…

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What made you choose to set the book during the 1600s?
It’s a fascinating time. It’s about 200 years after the introduction of the printing press to Europe, so the impact of printing and mass media was really taking effect. The Protestant Reformation had taken hold in some countries and the CounterReformation was in full swing in others, causing religious and political upheaval all over the place. In England, the Civil Wars threatened to tear the country apart. On the other hand, some of the greatest minds in history were writing and thinking, Europeans felt like they had discovered all these amazing new lands all over the globe, and more people than ever before could read, write and debate the issues of the day.
If Isabella was the first character you came up with, who was second?
Master de Aquila was the next character who came to my mind – I read a great deal about the printers of the time, and some of their stories were quite extraordinary. Among them were many who fled the Inquisition or had been expelled from Spain and Portugal, and found safety in other cities in Europe where they remade their lives and also made incredible contributions to the world’s knowledge with maps and books and new ways to print.
Isabella is definitely not your typical girl from that period, was it important to you to tell the story from such a strong female perspective?

It was. I wanted to write a book about a young woman who didn’t have to be rescued all the time, but on the other hand, her powers, if I can use that term, are intellectual. If she’s going to rescue anyone, she assumes it’ll be through her ideas and the power of her arguments – although, as we see, that’s not really how it works out for her in the end.

There were, though, many very well-educated and brilliant young women living at the time, and their stories are not as well known as their male counterparts, unless of course they happened to be Queen of England or Scotland or Denmark. There are some sensational stories of women who defended their castles during the Civil Wars in England or the Fronde in France. Real warrior women, who after the wars went back to their normal lives (note to self: must get around to them one day). There were many women like Signora Contarini who worked for a living – women were poets, painters, printers, intellectuals, as well as those working on farms and businesses and homes. But their stories are not told very often: they slip between the cracks of history.

I heard a rumour that there would be a sequel to Act of Faith – is that true? If so, what can you tell us about it?
True rumour! The working title is The Sultan’s Eyes and I can tell you this much: Isabella, Signora Contarini, Al-Qasim and Willem are living in Venice but are forced to flee when Fra Clement is appointed the new head of the city’s Inquisition. They travel to Istanbul , the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which at that time was ruled by a seven-year old Sultan and his grandmother. It was called the Sultanate of Women, and again it’s a fascinating period in history, with an awful lot of intrigue and dangerous politics swirling around. Isabella walks right into the middle of it.
The Sultan’s Eyes will be out in 2013.
Where do you prefer to write?
I live in a former potters’ colony by a river and I use their old gallery as my office. It’s a mudbrick building with a wood fire and thousands of books and my chooks tapping on the window – it’s heaven. That said, I can write anywhere – on the train, in a library, in cafes. I’m not fussy. I wrote most of my first book in my lunch breaks in a noodle shop in Auckland.

What’s currently on your To Be Read pile?

My To Be Read pile is now officially too big to actually be read in the near future. I’m studying at present too, so my recreational reading time is sadly limited. I read a lot of history and biography, and not so much fiction. But the pile (it takes up a whole armchair now, so it’s starting to feel a bit oppressive) includes Kate Atkinson’s When Will there Be Good News?, The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk, Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind, and Ursula Dubosarsky’s The Red Shoe.

There’s another pile of books about Istanbul that I have to read before I can start drafting The Sultan’s Eyes, so I’d better get reading. What a terrible problem to have.