Death Bringer

Title: Death Bringer

Author: Derek Landy

Release Date: 1 September 2011

Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #6

Pages: 603

Goodreads description:

The sixth installment in the historic, hysterical and horrific Skulduggery Pleasant series. Think you've seen anything yet? You haven't. Because the Death Bringer is about to rise!

The Necromancers no longer need Valkyrie to be their Death Bringer, and that's a Good Thing.

There's just one catch. There's a reason the Necromancers don't need her any more. And that's because they've found their Death Bringer already, the person who will dissolve the doors between life and death.

And that's a very, very Bad Thing!

I GOT THE BOOK IN THE MAILBOX TODAY!! Of course I finished it. I sneakily read under the table during school to get more of the page-turning loving. (Though I don't condone it, more especially when your end-of-year exams are coming up.) Plus I have this incessant urge to let out a fangirl-gushing-madness squeal but for fear of sounding uncouth, I restrain myself.

This is by far, the most action packed and thrilling of the series yet. It was every thing I hoped for and more.

On a side note, the name 'Book of Revelations' would really fit this book.So many things are discovered, unearthed. And I loved it. LOVED IT.

Basically, the Necromancers have found their Death-Bringer and don't need Valkyrie anymore! But oh we can't forget about her other personality *cough*Darquesse*cough* can we? Add one more person into the evil mix, Lord Vile. He has come out of his hidey hole and is on a terrible mission.

Lord Vile is the supremely powerful necromancer easily identifiable by his armour, which is the vessel of his Necromanc-y powers. He went on a killing spree in the war years back just for the heck of it, and was under Mevolent(= bad bad side).

He went on hiatus after the war, and nobody could find him. But AHA, he came back! (like they all do.) His mission is to kill the Death Bringer because, uh, he doesn't like her (some advice: don't piss him off). I guess he since he used to be the one the Necromancers thought was the Death Bringer but he didn't want to because he preferred a killing spree to whatever mojo they wanted him to do instead.

So suddenly the Faceless ones don't seem as intimidating anymore. Because look out, evil's in town.

OH this book is filled to the brim with revelations that make the Diablerie seem small. They make catch you by surprise and make you hungry for more. My jaw dropping went overboard with the Oh. my. gosh.es and the Really really really?! s.

It was also the biggest book for Skulduggery. You prefer him to Valkyrie, you will love this book. He has such a huge akasfhsuheskjh role it's incomprehensible.

My favourite character was Gordon. Because he was the same wise-cracking, egotistical, caring uncle who amuses me to no end. Though he didn't make too much of a mention, He made me want an uncle like him. And just a thought- does anyone think Gordon was based on Derek Landy himself? No? No? Well I think he is. Look at Derek Landy's awesome blog, then compare the dialogue with Gordon's. MATCH CONFIRMED. HAHAHAHA Gordon is the best.

My absolute absolute favourite is the Darquesse vs Lord Vile part. Absolute bliss I tell you, I almost peed in my pants when the part came. Though short it may be, I loved how the two most powerful people (with the exception of the Death bringer) were pitted against one another. See them battle it out in true villian style and keep your eyes glued to the page, eating up every word. What made it even more special, is...... well the thing about Lord Vile thingum (if you've read the book you'll know).

Oh China China China. I bet you regret what you did those years back hmm? Well, she got that coming.

The only part I was put down by was the un-appearance of a certain chracter who I like.

Who is it? It starts with a T and ends with a H ! Yes, it'sssssss insert name here because you know who it is! Yeah :( Because Landy said that she would be tortured in every book on his blog and we minions have been patiently waiting for that scene.

On another distracting side note, do you think Valkyrie will have both Elemental and Adept powers when she experiences the surge? I say aye.But ah well, that's for another book eh?

READ THIS BOOK LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. Though you should probably read previous books in the series to fully understand the story.

Favourite Quotes:

Darquesse stood up, and looked at Lord Vile. "Be honest," she said. "You've been looking forward to this haven't you?"

"You dropped her when we were at the zoo," Valkyrie's mum said.
Valkyrie spun her head to him. "You dropped me?"
"Ah," he said, "I'd forgotten about that. In my defence, though, you were a very wriggly child. One moment you were there, the next you were, you know, on the ground in the penguin enclosure."
She blinked. "You dropped me in the penguin enclosure?"
"I was leaning over the railing and you just plopped out of my grip. You weren't hurt, or anything. And even if you had been, I'm sure the penguins would have taken you in, raised you as one of their own. It would have been a different life for you, but still a good one."
"I can't believe you dropped me."
"Neither could the people around us. Some crazy woman stormed up and roared at me for five minutes about how I shouldn't be putting my child in danger."
"That was me," Valkyrie's mum muttered.

"When you're a bit older, we're going to read you stories about princesses and wizards and magic, and we're going to let you believe, for a few years that some magic is real. And then, this is the sucky bit, we're going to tell you that most magic isn't real. We're going to tell you that people can't fly and they can't turn each other into toads and that there are no magical mysterious monsters."

6/5

Cover Lust

This week I'll be putting up some photos of Book covers I love, and their synopsis. Before buying a book, I would always hunt for a cover that looks amazing, because you know that the author at least put in an effort to have a nice, enticing cover.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

NEWSOUL

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

This cover first caught my eye as I was perusing through the list of 2012 Debut Authors. The mask was absolutely lovely. Plus the colours! Such iridescence cannot be ignored. Oh, and what a lovely title! The plot! I'll definitely be looking out for this book next year.

This book will be released: 31 January 2012

52 Reasons To Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

What's a girl gotta do to earn her dad's trust (fund)?

A spoiled teen heiress, famous for her partygirl antics and tabloid headlines, is forced by her ever-absent mogul father to take on a different low-wage job every week for a year, if she wants any hope of receiving her trust fund.

I would buy the book for the cover alone. It fits the blurb so well. When I look at it, I immediately think: Rebel Party-girl Heiress. If I can get that from just the cover, I might just explode if I read the book. Look at her! She's got the attitude, and the looks of one. The "Eat Tasty" Hat thingum is so amusing. The wide wide wide contrasts: the weird hat plus the posh clothes. Wow. I will definitely be looking out for this book next year.

This book will be released: 2012 (TBC)

Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy

The sixth instalment in the historic, hysterical and horrific Skulduggery Pleasant series.

Think you've seen anything yet? You haven't. Because the Death Bringer is about to rise!

The Necromancers no longer need Valkyrie to be their Death Bringer, and that's a Good Thing. There's just one catch. There's a reason the Necromancers don't need her any more. And that's because they've found their Death Bringer already, the person who will dissolve the doors between life and death. And that's a very, very Bad Thing!

Currently I am spazzing out over the cover of this alone. LOOK AT IT. HOW CAN YOU NOT WANT IT. I LOVE ACTION COVERS.

And the read! The fire! Valkyrie! Skulduggery! Plus the punch line is asdjfhuerhcjklkhs-ly awesome. KICKING EVIL VERY HARD IN THE FACE.

AHHHH. AHHHH. AHHH.

I. Must. Have. It. Now. HAHAHA I'm apologize for my Hardcore fangirl antics but IT'S SO BEA-U-TI-FOOL.

Okay. I shall calm down and be rational. Oh how I wish international packages were shipped in an instant.

Release date: 1st September 2012

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counter insurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet.

Is that Lena on the cover? AHH I couldn't get enough of her from the last book! The previous book's cover was wonderful, sure, but this takes the cake, I tell you. You can already imagine Lena living in the Wilds, opposing the government and going all I am women, hear me roar -esque. After the heart wrenching ending of the previous book, the cover has only whetted my appetite for more.

This book is released: 6 March 2012

Now I know there are many lovely covers out there, however there is only so much space in a blogpost. Although, you may never know, maybe I'll cover some more books the next time.

Artemis Fowl

Title: Artemis Fowl

Authors: Eoin Colfer

Release Date: 1 April 2003

Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Series: Artemis Fowl #1

Pages: 396

Goodreads Description:

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Well when I first read this book a few years back, I gave up halfway because there were more interesting books to read *cough*Harry Potter*cough*. Only recently did I returned my sights to this series, embarking on the journey of munching and crunching the series with relish blah blah, I found out that this as exactly my favourite kind of book! Action, mystery, magic, ingenious logic, wit, with an awesome plot to match- I am officially a hardcore fan. (BRING ON THE ACTION FIGURES.)

On a side note, I noticed that books (usually middle-grade) with guy protagonists e.g Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Skulduggery Pleasant (I consider him a protag.), Alex Rider , are mostly more interesting, but mainly I think that's because guys mostly do action. We girls think. And mostly books with girls fighting are pretty much just a small part, and everything else is flowers and romance. Terrible plot line. I like books with action or magic. Preferably both.

So back to the book.

Artemis Fowl II is a genius and a criminal mastermind, writing psychological papers and giving academically lectures- and he's only 12. His father has disappeared in Russia. His mother is not exactly mindfully sound. The Fowl Fortune is slowly dwindling.

So he concocts a plan. To capture a fairy to take their ransom gold. Which he actually does. He is of the right age after all, young enough to believe in magic, with the determination to exploit. Now we mst not forget that Artemis is no ordinary 12 year old. He is cunning, and very very smart. Every time he outwits the fey, I can only go Now how did he think of that?

It's very intriguing to see him think of a solution to a seemingly impossible problem. The way he executes the plan, how he is always two steps ahead of his opponent, is very flabbergasting. I know people, myself included, that would just flop around in a situation he's in, but Artemis is able to salvage whatever there is, and still come out better than the rest. His sense of logic is very astounding. No wonder he's able to outsmart the fairies.

On a more lighter side, I also learned a new swear word! ("D'Arvit!") -no matter that it is in Gnommish. All the better to swear with, my dear.

I also ADORE the puns. Dr. J. Argon? Doctor F. Roy Dean Schlippe?*(<- I think that was in the second book.) And of course, who could forget? The LEPrecon, aka Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance, the police of the fairies. Be it cheesy or not, You can't help but feel a sense of achievement as you decipher the pun.

Eoin Colfer does not let us down when he says Artemis is a child prodigy. So if you like certain aforementioned books in this review, forget about considering to read the book. You have absolutely got to discover this series. READ IT.
And become a crazed, fan like me, eagerly waiting for a next book. (Oh please Oh please write a book no. 7!)

As for the deciphering the code at the bottom of the book, well I leave that up to you to find out!

*For those who don't read up on psychology, the term is Freudian Slip.

5/5

I Am Number Four

Title: I Am Number Four

Authors: Pittacus Lore

Release Date: 3 August 2010

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Series: Lorien Legacies #1

Pages: 440

Amazon Description:

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing. But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four. I am next.

Well I didn't start out on this book earlier when the hype started because, well, I don't really like books that have been turned into movies. And the movie trailer was rather boorish.

Contrary to my beliefs, The book actually turned out quite well for me. Considering I was only reading it because there was nothing else to read and I was super bored.

So here's the skinny(or maybe not so):

John Smith(aka Four) is this special teenage alien guy from a planet called Lorien, and has come to earth when he was a kid for his own protection with another older alien dude called Henri to protect him, because there's another alien race going all ballistic on them.

But here's the catch- This rival alien race(aka Mogadorians)can only kill the special alien kiddos(there are 9 of them) in a specific order. Why they want to kill them? Er, I think I must have missed that part(something about their planet dying... I think).

ANYWAYS, if you harm/kill for eg, this kid whose number is 5(they are given numbers), the kid won't be harmed. In fact you will recieve a particularly bad case of karma, because you will recieve the harm instead of said kid. Like if you stab the kid's arm, your arm would get stabbed instead. How? because this spell that was cast on to these special kids when they were levaing their alien planet. Makes you want to scream if you were number one eh? They are special because they are among the last of their species and have special powers. The guardians do not.

So basically he's always on the go, blah blah, then in this town in Ohio, he likes it there, he has a crush on a girl, usual romance, has a wonderful guy friend to talk to, something bad happens, he runs off to save the day... Well you know how it goes.

I shaved off a star because of the narrator's voice. Sure, the action and finding your powers thingums were fun, but the way the guy narrates is just so... monotonous.

E.g

I leave the bath­room and walk the emp­ty hall­way to my class­room. Ev­ery­body stares at me when I enter, then at the gloves. There is no point try­ing to hide them. I look like a fool. I am an alien, I have extraordinary pow­ers, with more to come, and I can do things that no hu­man would dream of, but I still look like a fool.

and then

I start with my room. I dust, wash the win­dows, sweep the floor. When ev­ery­thing is clean I throw sheets, pil­lows, and blan­kets on the bed, then hang and fold my clothes. The dress­er is old and rick­ety, but I fill it and then place the few books I own on top of it. And just like that, a clean room, ev­ery­thing I own put away and in order.

If I see another sentence starting with the word "I", I will scream.

As to why Sarah likes him, I have not an idea. That girl is daft. To me she's very Wow. John can fight. He appeals to my damsel in distress side. Hubba hubba.

Besides that, I cannot also get over the fact she just believes John when he tells her he's an alien. A normal sane girl would run away screaming. But yet again, the author's words are the rules, so therefore what ever author does is correct because author made it that way.

The reason why I liked the book is because there is a lack of nice-ish Sci-Fi Fantasy these days, and to finally find one is a godsend. There is such a lack of alien books in YA. Me gusta Sci-fi. and action. And okay, fine, to me it's not as crappy as what the reviews say it is. The plot is actually interesting. Aliens, almost extinct species, hiding on earth, va-va-voom powers, cross-species romance, kill-or-be-killed... What's not to like?

The character I liked the best was Mark. Because, and only because, he makes up the whole portion of high school cliches in the book. Until the part where he does not fufil the requirements for a jock jerk. Every YA book has a Jockey Jerk.

Non non, Mark. You don't have a split personality. You cannot buddy buddy with another guy that you hate in just one day and stay the same. Esp a guy who got the girl you want. You defy the stereotypes, and as much as I hate to admit, stereotypes make the book more interesting at times. But you had a stellar performance in the first section of the book. Love the fight you started.

The thing I don't like about book-turned-movies is that it kills off any imagination whatsoever for the reader when it comes to imagining how the characters look like. It's not actually comforting to think of John and have the image of Alex Pettyfer come to mind. Not nice. I expected, you know, less hair.

I know right? Of all the things I could have said, The first thing I say is hair. Actually, I don't even know WHY hair I say. All I know is I read the book, I look at the trailer again, the first thing I thought was Wow, long hair much?. This aggravates me particularly so, because I CANNOT STOP THINKING THAT JOHN HAS LONG HAIR WHENEVER HIS CHARACTER APPEARS. (translation: the whole book). There would also be a preconceived notion of how the other characters look like, and it's not helping because I will have a running commentatory of how the characters will look like in a particular scene.

I have to go Shut up, myself every once in a while to concentrate on reading.

Anyways, this book was interesting (I just complain rant too much), but if you're skeptical about reading it, take a feather out of my book and read it when you run out material to read.

4/5

Things to note: the hyperlink for the author is from goodreads because the one given from their website is completely, utterly fictitious. Which is probably due to the fact that it is a pseudonym.

Claire De Lune

Title: Claire De Lune

Authors: Christine Johnson

Release Date: 18 May 2010

Genre: YA Paranormal Urban Fantasy

Series: Claire De Lune #1

Pages: 336

Description from Author:

Hanover Falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. Seattle, Copenhagen, Osaka–they’ve had plenty of attacks. But when humans begin dying in Claire Benoit’s town, the panic spreads faster than a rumor at a pep rally. At Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. But the big news in Claire’s mind is the fact that Matthew Engle–high-school soccer god and son of a world-renowned lycanthropy expert–notices her. And flirts with her. A lot.

That night, Claire learns that she is the latest in a long line of Benoit werewolves, and that contrary to popular belief, all werewolves are female. Killing humans is forbidden by the code of the pack, but a rogue werewolf has been breaking that law, threatening the existence of Claire’s new pack. As the pack struggles to find and fight the rogue werewolf and Claire struggles with her lupine identity, her heart and her loyalties are torn in two. Claire must keep her new life a secret from even her best friend–and especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt…and with whom Claire is impossibly and undeniably falling head-over-paws in love.

I slept for 3 hours after reading the first 50 pages. NOT A GOOD SIGN.

But anyways, I finished the book.
So before starting the book I was feeling all Oh hey, ANOTHER werewolf book. But I was running out of material to read, my other alternative was vampires again and doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? But I digress.

Claire De Lune is surprisingly refreshing once you finished reading the whole book actually.
I found it rather interesting as all the werewolves were GIRLS. I mean how can you not love that? I liked the fact that Matthew wasn't a jockey jerk, but was a bit upset because Claire does not know how lucky she is to find someone un-ass-y. And their relationship is actually rather amusing to me. It's very I love you, but my mother disapproves of you! and I love you too but my dad thinks your species is an abomination!. Hmmmmm now where did I see that before?

The title of the book was what turned me off in the start. Claire De Lune? Okay I appreciate that you used a nice sounding title, but DEBUSSY'S PIECE IS NOT MEANT FOR YOU TO EXPLOIT! In fact I see no relation between the title and the book. Mention of the suite? No. Mention of a piano? No. Come on, there wasn't even a mention of MUSIC let alone the piece. I'm sure if you asked the author would probably say Oh it's actually just a reference to the french word 'Moon Light'. Debussy? No, it's just gives it a nice ring, that's all!. However, we music peeps take exception to that statement, no matter how fictitious.

HOWEVER my cynical side detracts from the real review and I shall stop my rantations.

The mystery was, oh yum, lovely. I never saw that coming! I mean I suspected a COMPLETELY different person. Now I just feeling like smacking my forehead for suspect said person. I also found it surprising that the world is actually aware of such a thing as werewolves. But yet again, they are under the delusion that werewolves are man-eating creatures that should be penned up and cured. My heart went out to Marie when she was taken. And I was mad at Claire. Why oh why did she have to delay in telling the pack what she knows? She could have helped mommy dearest, silly girl. And she just writes it off because Oh, Lisbeth was in the room. Har de har.

The nicest part of the book was the fighting part. I very much like action. Makes the book more zesty! And yet again, uncovering the mystery. I also very much like mystery. When the book is so close to discovering it, your heart would just pound with anticipation. Oh, the rush!

My favorite character was Emily. Her friend is being very unfriendly to her, very distanced, and giving her boyfriend top priority, but she was steadfast in her friendship. Claire really really needs to take good care of her friends. Sure you can't tell her your big bad secret, but you can compromise you know! By, yanno, shaving off a little time with lover boy and have some girl time. She's your best friend you know!

So overall this book was fun, albeit a little nap-inducing in the beginning, and I shall be reading Nocturne, the next book in the series.

4/5

Clean

Title: Clean

Authors: Amy Reed

Release Date: 19 July 2011

Genre: YA

Series: N/A

Pages: 288

Goodreads Description:

You’re probably wondering how I ended up here. I’m still wondering the same thing.

Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They're addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they'll all have to deal with themselves and one another if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there's nowhere to go but down, down, down.

Before starting on this book, I was rather hesitant, as sometimes, books containing taboo subjects don't work out as well as expected. However, I felt that Amy Reed executes this book perfectly.

Clean is written from 5 different POVs, Christopher, Kelly, Olivia, Jason and Eva. They are currently in rehabilitation, and have their various problems. I felt that the different POVs actually give more insight into their not-so-pretty plight, and I found myself sympathizing with them.

Through their thoughts, we see them describing how they first got addicted, how their family also affected why they chose to take drugs or alcohol. They are very very real, just like you and me, and there is a lot of prejudice against them, for example in the bowling alley, where people look down on them.

The more I read, the more I wanted to comfort them, for the horrors they faced, for their insecurities.

The character I liked the most was Shirley, their counselor. She is frank, and very blunt, and doesn't waste her time telling them her opinion. For example when she says:

The only difference between cocaine and crack is the color of the user’s skin and the amount of money in his wallet. None of you ended up here by accident. We don’t take in every kid who’s snuck wine at a bar mitzvah or inhaled once or twice. Listen to me: You do not drink or use like a normal person. You have moved beyond the point where you can ever drink or use like a normal person. If you don’t believe me, fine, go ahead and try to prove me wrong. We’re always open. I’m sure your parents would love to pay for another stay here. Hopefully you’ll make it back. Hopefully you don’t need to keep testing to see if you’re like the ones who don’t make it, the ones who OD and die on the streets, the ones who end up in jail, the ones who end up crazy and alone and living in a cardboard box. Or maybe you spend the rest of your life in and out of expensive rehabs, maybe you OD in a nice house or you pass out and drown in your pool. Maybe you die in a car accident while driving a really expensive car. What’s the difference? Anyone have an idea? No? I’ll tell you. The only things you have going for you are race and money and the fact that someone cares enough about you to get you help instead of just throwing you out on the street and letting you destroy yourself. If you’re anything less than grateful, you’re a fucking asshole and a waste of my time.

She tells them what the real world is like, to make them appreciate that they have people to help them. I believe she help them get better, and unlike what hey think, she actually wants to help them. She helped Eva see how lucky she was, she helped Olivia with her pineapple of a mother. She helped Jason get over his guilt, that it wasn't his fault with what happened to his sister. She's a great person and they are very lucky to have her.

The character that touched me the most was Jason. Throughout the book, I wanted to strangle his dad for being so screwed up. He needs someone to beat some sense into him. I actually cheered for Eva's Dad, when he criticized Jason's father. He acts like a jerk, but inside, he's really a good guy who cares for his friends.

The ending was wonderful. It made me feel happy for the 5 teens, that they finally find their own way, whatever it is. The cover is also amazing. Suffering from a bout of cover love. YELLOW! :)

Amy Reed has created a book that is beautiful, and amazing, it should be crowned the best of it's genre.

5/5

Book Challenge

I am currently participating in a Book challenge hosted by Book Chick City called the '100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011!'.

So basically the challenge is to read 100 books or more in a year. To sign up, post your blog link on the challenge page although it's not mandatory to have a blog to participate, as you can always participate in their comments section.

They also have a cute button on their post to put on your webby to show your participation!

Good Luck!

Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Authors: Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: 2 December 2010

Genre: YA

Series: 2 more companion novels

Pages: 372

Author's Description:

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

I actually really liked this book!

Apart from the uh interesting title, this book far surpassed my expectations. I don't like books centered around romance. Yes. But oh boy does this book makes me think twice.
I loved the development of the plot, and the author had me going all No you foolish girl! to Oh. My. Gosh.

I don't like reading chick-lit as they usually seem very shallow and vapid, and I cannot connect with them.
Anna Oliphant, the protagonist, is very intriguing. She aspires to be a movie critic. Very unique, and this is what made me like her as she doesn't want to be an actress or whatever, but wants to review and recommend movies to people. To me, she comes across as witty and likeable. When she couldn't speak French to the chef and stutters through her attempt to say words like broccoli or anything, it's actually rather endearing. We mostly have our embarrassing moments, and our faults, and these on Anna just seem to enhance her personality.

The parts I enjoyed the most was when Anna decides to reconcile with a certain friend after understanding her side of the story. It's great to see reconciliation, and understanding between friends, instead of the cat fight that usually ensues. And on the plus side, the ending made my cheekbones hurt from smiling too much. Oh how I love happy endings!

The character I liked the best was Sean! He reminds me of the days when having a relationship was an embarrassing subject and perfect fodder for teasing your sibling. Especially during Etienne's phone call. He makes me want a little brother! But no. My friends complain too much about brothers anyways.

This book is perfect for a standalone novel, no sequels or whatever. I would recomend reading this title when your looking for a great read that will make you smile for the day. Can't wait to read the other titles by Stephanie Perkins!

6/5