Okay, it's very late and I want to keep this short (doubt it, but here goes). This is the short-ish review of Fallen by Lauren Kate (read by Justine Eyre - yes, another audiobook!)
After horrible events that happened that summer, Lucinda (or Luce, for short) Price joins Sword and Cross reform school (yes, reform school!) and Luce finds herself trying (and failing) to fit in. But the shadows - things that only she can see - have followed her there, making her fear the worse. But things beginning to happen, making her question herself. Why is handsome Cam trying so hard to win Luce's affections? Why is the boy she is slowly falling for, Daniel Grigori, acting so cold towards her? And where has she seen him before...?
Okay, am going to be honest. Why did I try to read, then got the audiobook? First, the cover. It's lovely, isn't it? And plus, I have heard good (and bad) things about it online and I wanted to see for myself.
I am on the fence with this book. I like it, and yet I don't. The start of Fallen is very hard going. For the first half of the book, it's very slow. It's character driven, I do get that! But for a boy/man, I need something to happen. And, after the prologue (which is another reason why I read this book), it felt like we came to a grounding halt.
But once you got to the second half of the book, then it got interesting. We started to see some action and some mystery. Though I do question Luce's way of getting to the bottom of what's going on.
I sense that, even though this book is a slow read, if you took your time and really give yourself into the book, then it would be rewarding. But it took me a while before I got hooked. I feel so bad for saying that.
BUT - I do know Disney has the film rights to this book and the rest of the series (2 sequels and a prequel) and I can't help wondering how will Disney make this into a film. Fallen is set IN A REFORM SCHOOL! Not very Disney, is it?
Okay, the sequel - Torment - yes, I might give this a go. I mean, the cover does look pretty.
Am ending there. BED TIME!
PS - yes, I still think the cover of Fallen looks like the Weeping Angel from Doctor Who!
PPS - Trailers for both Fallen & Torment and song linked to Fallen. Yes?
In less of a week of finishing the audiobook of NEED by Carrie Jones, I finished the sequel CAPTIVATE this morning (I had yesterday off work so I had a massive sit down and listen to it while I was trying to write. Weird, I know, but it sometimes works with me!) and am reporting back about the book and everything!
Zara and her friends knew that they didn't stop the Pixie problem (oops! and I kept it quiet in last blog - click here to read), but only delayed it. But, only weeks have past when things slowly get out of control. Two Pixie Kings are coming into the area: one evil, and the other, Astley, who is saying he's one of the good guys - hard to believe seeing as nearly every pixie Zara and her friends has met has been ... well, evil. But Zara wants to believe Astley - which is fine, expect Astley believe he and Zara are meant to be together and Zara is in love with Nick.
But events happen that shake Zara to her core and soon, she has to put everything on the line. Nick's life, and her own.
Okay, am going to be honest, I had a problem with this book. I don;t know why I had a problem with it. I just did. I think that it's my own doing. First, I listened to NEED and CAPTIVATE back to back - something I rarely/hardy ever do. And second, I listen to NEED as a standalone novel, not as a series. I read it how I read SABRIEL by Garth Nix. That was a standalone novel, before Garth Nix wrote LIRAEL and ABHORSEN.
But that doesn't stop me liking the story. It's a Me Thing.
Now, the story. I really liked it. It was a worthy sequel - it's doesn't suffer from "Second Book Syndrome" (there is going to be a third book entitled ENTICE. There might be a fourth, according to the author's - Carrie Jones - website). But it is a sequel so you will need to read NEED before you read this.
I don't what else to tell you. I fearing that if I keep going, I will put spoilers in and I HATE spoilers! So, am going to keep this vague and leave you with teaser trailers for both NEED and CAPTIVATE (and with a song that I think fits the book CAPTIVATE. Maybe two...)
STAY SAFE FROM THE PIXIES!!!
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(OH! The songs used in the above two adverts is "Stay or Leave" and "Couldn't Be More", both by Derek Daisey - click out his mySpace for a listen of the songs)
Okay, I kinda love Lisa McMann's WAKE trilogy (only just hitting the UK shores, but it's completely out in the USA). So am very surprised and shocked over the reveal of her new novel. Surprised because it sounds so good! My type of read. And shocked because I totally missed it!
Lisa's new novel is called Cryer's Cross and this is what Lisa has revealed to us.
The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.
When a second student goes missing - someone close to Kendall's heart - the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall¹s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school - messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there - Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.
Something's not right in Cryer’s Cross - and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.
This book will be released in the US on 8th February 2011. Oh, my reading for next year's already started. That's not a good sign...
So, it's been a while since I've done a book review for the book. SORRY!!! My "Books To Read" Pile is stupidly tall and every time I seem to start a book (Bree Tanner, White Cat, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), I always seem to get side-track with work, my own writing - hell, my own life!
So, I did what I did last time with Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters - I attacked iTunes audiobook section! Well, I downloaded this a while ago but I rediscovered it in my Purchase area and had a tiny listen. And, well, I got sucked in!
The audiobook in question is Need by Carrie Jones, read by Julia Whelan.
So, here is the basics you need to know. Zara collects phobias. She can name them and their meanings pretty well - chanting them to herself whenever she gets nervous or scared. And with everything that's happened to her, it's not surprising. Her stepfather has just died and her mother, fearing the worse for her daughter, has sent Zara to live with her grandmother, Betty, in a small town of Maine, hoping it would be the perfect fix.
Although, that doesn't work. It seems that someone is stalking Zara. They have been stalking her since her stepfather's death. She thought it was a figment of her imagination - it's not. And this guy doesn't leave footprints in the snow, but a eerie trail of gold dust. Something isn't right - isn't human - in this sleepy Maine town and whoever this guy is, he wants - needs - something from Zara...
Okay, where should I start?
Let's start with the cover. It's lovely, isn't it? With the gold lips and the exposed neck, most people will try this is another teen vampire novel. It's not vampire related! Let's get that clear - NO VAMPIRES WITHIN THIS STORY!
The title is a bit hard to get your head round. Need. Sorry, but it is. Once you read the book, you get what it means. But when you first glance at it, it's kinda odd to get your head round.
Okay, no more delaying it. The story! It's fast. I'm serious. It's fast, and sometimes, it works. It needs that faster, but things in life aren't slow. But then, there are other times, it feels too fast. I mean, within the first 3/4 chapters, you discover who the bad guy is and you kinda go "Huh? That... that's it? No build up? And you guys instantly believe this is it? Most people don't instantly take it and go 'OK. Now what?'."
But it's the characters I found interesting. The story and the twist on the myths of the ***** (now that would be telling. Yes, it's Young Adults and yes, there is a hint of magic in there) were cool, but I like the characters and the phobias. Carrie Jones, instead of using chapters, uses phobias. So, instead of "Chapter 1", she uses "Phobophobia - Fear of Phobias". And it works because this fits Zara, the main character so well.
Now, Zara. I really like her. Actually, most of the charcters I really like. Like Issie - I love her! But Zara is cool. She's a strong character that does make mistakes. She's active in Amnesty International (great cause!) and she doesn't believe in fighting, but there are moments where her hot temper gets the better of her. She's human.
She's also a teenager. and she says things and reacts like a teenager. One of my fave lines in the story (and read so brilliantly in the audiobook by Julia Whelan) is the following: "He leans closer. One inch, another, oh God, oh okay. Yep. I thinks he's going to kiss me. Okay. Okay. Another inch." Just love that section. Just love how Julia read it!
And from the above, you can tell there is a hottie or two. Depending on which character you relate to more: Zara or Issie.
So, yeah, if you are a Twilight fan, you will like this! If you are a Mercy Falls fan (Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater), you might like it! This is a fast read where you might learn something about phobias.
(I'm not sure what I'm listening to next on audiobook form. I am at the mercy of MundieMoms. I have given them two choices. whatever they decide, I will follow through. To click them out, click either here or here)
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And now, music! I'm not sure on my second choice, but my first... this FITS!
After horrible events that happened that summer, Lucinda (or Luce, for short) Price joins Sword and Cross reform school (yes, reform school!) and Luce finds herself trying (and failing) to fit in. But the shadows - things that only she can see - have followed her there, making her fear the worse. But things beginning to happen, making her question herself. Why is handsome Cam trying so hard to win Luce's affections? Why is the boy she is slowly falling for, Daniel Grigori, acting so cold towards her? And where has she seen him before...?
I sense that, even though this book is a slow read, if you took your time and really give yourself into the book, then it would be rewarding. But it took me a while before I got hooked. I feel so bad for saying that. 
