“Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, but when a devastatingly handsome boy appears at her school, she feels every urge she’s ever denied burning through her at his slightest glance.

Theia does not understand why she dreamed of Haden Black before they met, but as the Haden of both the day and the night beckons her forward, Theia knows she cannot resist him – even when she discovers what he truly is; and even if the cost of that knowledge is her soul.”

It’s not every day you see a burning man fall out of the sky.

When Theia Alderson witnesses that exact sight she almost convinces herself it was all a dream….or more like a nightmare, because there’s a huge scorch mark on her lawn the next morning from where he landed.

From that moment there’s a shift in the air, announcing something strange and wrong is starting to take place at Serendipity Falls. When Theia dreams that night of a beautiful boy at a party accompanied by skeletons, serenaded by faceless musicians, she couldn’t have been more shocked to find that same boy, Haden, at her school the next day.

But what does he want with Theia? What is it about him that makes Theia want to be with him so badly. She knows it’s dangerous, but she can’t help herself…

Falling Under is a novel that in the end I had a love/hate relationship with.

There was a lot in it that I found very interesting. The world of Under – where Theia would meet Haden in her dreams, was completely fascinating in a dark twisted kind of way and excellently creepy. It made me think of Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton style but even darker.

I also really loved the concept of the demons and the travelling between worlds (which was done so well), and was very relieved that there wasn’t a love triangle in sight (phew).

The writing was easy to read and drew me in to the story, meaning that even when I put it down I was still thinking about it, itching to get back, wanting to know what would happen next.

What disappointed me were the two main characters.

I just wasn’t sold on their “love” for each other – their attraction was based on…I don’t know? Haden was spying/stalking Theia for a while before travelling to her world to find her, and Theia likes Haden based on the rush of emotions she feels when she sees him. This is despite his hot/cold emotions or that he’s kind of ass to her for a lot of the book in an attempt to push her away.

It also felt a bit too Twilight for me. From Haden calling Theia ‘lamb’, to the need to hold back on affection, the (I’m paraphrasing here) ‘you should stay away from me if you were smart’ and ‘I’m a bad guy but I can’t stay away from you’, among other things. Heck, at one point even Theia acknowledges the conversation is heading in a Twilight direction, with even a bit of New Moon seen later on in the book.

Although, let me tell you their kissing scenes were excellent. You’ll probably need to stop and fan yourself for a minute because their sexual tension practically sizzles on the page.

Theia, we’re often told, is level headed and rational thanks to her strict upbringing from her cold father, but all we see is Theia making totally irrational choices when it comes to Haden. Other than dating a guy who came to this world to do her harm (which she doesn’t seem to factor in), she basically knows nothing about him since he’s perpetually being cryptic and mysterious, at least when he’s not busy being jealous or an ass. Yet in a short space of time she’s in love and willing to lay down her soul for him. Why?? Other than give you attention and a fuzzy feeling in your gut, what’s this guy actually done for you lately Theia? She should’ve shown Haden the door and gone for someone like Gabe.

Anyway, enough with the negativity, as the storyline throws in an interesting twist at the end it really gets things going and we’re left with quite a cliffhanger. Even though Mara is the bad guy in the story, she’s a total badass and I was quite interested by how her mind worked and what her next move will be.

Falling Under is a dark and twisted love story and if you’re a hopeless romantic, you’ll probably love it. If you’re a bit pickier with your love affairs, this might not be to your liking. Only one way to find out…

Pages: 324
Publication Date: March 2011
Publisher: Penguin
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “And then, slowly, like a feather caught on a light breeze, he willowed past my window, turning his grotesque head towards me, his mouth open in a silent scream. He was more than on fire. He was fire.”

—–

“There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable and happy.

But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable…”

Last year, everyone fell head over heels in love with Lauren Oliver’s debut novel, Before I Fall which meant the February release of her dystopian novel, Delirium, was high on a lot of people’s “Can’t wait! Can’t wait!” lists.

As seen in many dystopias, there is something completely terrifying about a society that takes away your freedom, where you must conform to what the government dictates to be acceptable. In Delirium there is the added horror of a society that not only believes that love is a disease, but they have found the cure. A cure which all citizens must submit to, just after their eighteenth birthday. This is the world Lena Haloway knows.

Lena wholeheartedly believes in the cure and is counting down the days until her procedure. Love to her is wrong and unnatural and the cure equals stability and safety, away from the disease that drove her mother to take her own life.

But amor deliria nervosa has a mind of its own when Lena meets Alex. From there the disease starts to take over, but is it really a disease or is this the way things should be? How can something that feels so right be considered deadly wrong?

When I first heard the concept of love being a disease I was definitely curious. But when the symptoms of love, or amor deliria nervosa are explained – sweaty palms, difficulty focusing, loss of appetite, obsessive thoughts and actions, to name a few, it really does sound like a disease.

I found the story a little slow to start but it felt a lot like a rollercoaster  – you creep upwards and you know you’re building up to something big, then when you hit the top, and speed all the way down, and you don’t get off until it’s over, and that’s exactly what reading it was like. Once I hit the part where you’re hooked, I sat there and couldn’t put it down till I finished the whole book.

The main difference between this book and a rollercoaster though, was that this book had a BIG finish. It had one of the most intense, amazing and heart wrenching endings I ever read.

The writing itself is both thrilling and hypnotizing. Lauren Oliver does an amazing job at pin pointing the feelings of love which, for Lena, are not only new and wonderful but conflict with eighteen years of brainwashing that have told her that those feelings are sick and wrong.

Lena and Alex’s romance will definitely steal your heart. Their affair is powerful and tragic and you find yourself desperately hoping they’ll find a way to be together.

The dystopian world built up in Delirium is believable, with its underlying sense of terror – an almost robotic world without freedom and love which is cleverly illustrated by the pieces of propaganda at the beginning of each chapter. The only flaw I can mention is that the reason for why the cure came about isn’t really discussed (at least not in this book). I hope we do get to find what would trigger a whole country (with the exception of those who escaped to the Wilds) to agree to something as crazy as a cure for love.

Delirium is riveting, unforgettable and unputdownable. If while reading it you start to feel your heart racing, that’s the deliria taking over, and you’re feeling it for the book. Welcome to the club.

Pages: 441
Publication Date: February 2011
Publisher: Hachette (Au)/Harper Teen (US)
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

Teaser quote: “They say the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them.

Until now. Now everything has changed.

Now I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years suffocated by a lie.”

Since the age of fourteen, Emerson Cole has seen strange thing s- dead things – swooning Southern Belles, soldiers, and other eerie apparitions of the past. She’s tried everything to get rid of the visions: medication, counseling, asylums. Nothing’s worked.

So when Emerson’s well-meaning brother calls in yet another consultant from a mysterious organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to give it one last try.

Michael Weaver is no ordinary consultant. He’s barely older than she is, he listens like no one she’s ever met before, and he doesn’t make her feel the least bit crazy. As Emerson ventures deeper into the world of the Hourglass, she begins to learn the truth about her past, her future – and her very life.

This book blew me away – probably because I wasn’t expecting to fall so thoroughly in love with it. I went in thinking it was a ghost story, due to the summary on the back cover, but I was completely wrong. It’s a fantastic blend of paranormal and science fiction, at times reminding me of elements of Harry Potter and X-Men, both of which I love. Hourglass has so many great twists, some I saw coming and some that completely blind-sided me in the best possible way. This excellently crafted book is well-organized and completely absorbing, one of those I-really-shouldn’t-stay-up-until-2-because-I-have-class-in-the-morning-but-I-can’t-stop books.

But let me backtrack for a minute. Hourglass tells the story of Emerson Cole, a teenage girl who began seeing what she believes to be ghosts shortly before her parents died in a horrific accident. Since then, Emerson has spent her time at mental institutions and boarding school. But when her scholarship is pulled, she is forced to move back home with her brother and his wife. She has only one friend at home, Lily, who has stuck by Emerson throughout her entire ordeal. And then Emerson meets Michael – the handsome consultant her brother has hired – and he turns her world upside down.

The first thing I like about Hourglass was that Emerson confides in her brother and he actively tries to help her. There are so many books where the protagonist feels like they have to hide their “dark secret” because no one could ever possibly understand them. I just want to shake those protagonists and tell them to give their friends and family a little more credit. Of course, Emerson does spend some time in an asylum, but that’s realistic; she’s able to handle that and come out even stronger. Her brother, Thomas, is a wonderful character. He looks out for Emerson, doesn’t think she’s crazy, and continuously tries to help her. He’s also the perfect mix of cool-older-brother and authoritarian. I love his relationship with Emerson and even his rules regarding Michael. It’s easy to see how much he cares about his sister and how seriously he takes her predicament.

Emerson. One of my favorite protagonists. First of all, she has a great name (and I’m not just saying that because I go to Emerson College). She is one of the most three-dimensional characters I’ve seen in awhile. Her biting sarcasm is consistently hilarious; she can take care of herself, due to martial arts lessons; she doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do and only opens up to those she truly trusts; she gets jealous easily, is willing to put others before herself, and occasionally breaks all the rules. She has such a traumatic past and though she certainly draws strength from it, her past is also a source of pain and confusion; she hasn’t completely healed. In fact, by the end of the book she’s even further from healing than the beginning, which just allows the possibility for more growth.

I love the whole science fiction aspect of this book. The idea behind the Hourglass is so innovative and I was dying to know what it was from the beginning. Each character – especially members of the Hourglass – is fleshed out and serves a purpose. Myra McEntire is clearly a master at weaving intricate plots. She includes all the elements of great story-telling, including realistic characters with depth, witty dialogue, suspense, foreshadowing, and sizzling romance. Emerson’s emotions are so strongly conveyed that I felt them right along with her: her suspicion regarding Michael, confusion over Kaleb, anger at Ava, and love for Thomas and Dru. I like that Emerson doesn’t trust people easily. She has no reason to. So when certain characters finally gain Emerson’s trust, they also gained mine, which means I was just as shocked as Emerson by some of the final twists of Hourglass.

This book literally has everything and I really hope I won’t have to wait forever for a sequel. The ending is left open and there are so many questions I still have about this world and the characters. Hourglass is sure to be a hit in the YA scene and I look forward to seeing it receive the recognition it deserves.

Pages: 397
Publication Date: May 2011
Publisher: Egmont USA
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating :

Teaser Quote: I’ve never touched alcohol – doesn’t mix too well with pharmaceuticals – but I knew at that moment what it must feel like to be drunk. Everything in my world shifted, and I knew I would trade every breath I’d ever taken for more of him. In a heartbeat.