Publisher: Corgi
Release Date: 11 October, 2012
Pages: 416 pages
For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself. (Goodreads)
*Spoiler Free*
This was an intriguing fantasy, sci-fi book and had an unexpected but good plot nevertheless.
The story starts with Aria; the daughter of one of the two ruling families in New York. However, it's not the New York as we know it, with the magical mystics, an inferior class living in the Depths below, with the corrupt rulers controlling the city from above. The actual setting was instrumental to the book and it was extremely interesting to learn about the futuristic yet magically constructed city with PODs and the Grid monitoring everyone in the city. It was rather big brother-esque and you're rooting for Aria to escape from her prison, not matter how privileged it was.
Aria was an interesting character as the book begins with her memory loss after having overdosed on a magical drug called 'Stic'. She could not remember her own fiancé and the whole thing pretty much reeked of suspicion. I think from reading the summary you may even be able to work out what I'm referring to here. Yeah... that was the problem for me, the story was unbelievably predictable and it was sometimes painful to have to slog through Aria's narration as she incredibly slowly worked out what the heck was going on.
The romance between Aria and Hunter was pretty good and they had the whole forbidden romance thing going on. Of course however, it did feel rather insta-lovey but Aria's general confusion did add an extra layer of intrigue to it. I also liked the political aspect of the book with Aria's family uniting with the other ruling family to force cohesion and peace against the supposed 'evil' mystics. Aria's family was actually legitimately crazy though, particularly her dad! They do give you someone to hate though.
But my main problem with this book was that I felt it tried to be too many different things all at once. It had the fantasy vibe with all the magic, the sci-fi aspect with the technology and then the dystopian part with the futuristic city. It was a just a lot and at times it felt like a big convoluted mess.
Overall this was a good fantasy read (if you can call it that) especially for those who love the whole 'torn apart lovers' bit!
THE VERDICT:
3 stars - A decent read, to be particularly enjoyed if you're looking for a mash-up of different genres.
Source: received from publisher. Thank you!
Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
This week I'm waiting on:
Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.
They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.
Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....
When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.
Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr. (Goodreads)
This sounds like a really intriguing contemporary read and if Kody Keplinger loves it well then...I'm sold.
'Nobody But Us' comes out on 29th January, 2013. Are you looking forward to this too? Let me know!
What are you waiting on this Wednesday?
Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. (Goodreads)
*Spoiler Free*
I'd heard about this book a while back from a friend but the release of the film made me actually read it. Yes yes I know, usually I'm one of those 'I read it before they even thought about making a film for it hmph' *smiles smugly* type of person. No matter, I'm glad I decided to read this. The Perks of Being a Wallflower was by no means one of my favourite books, but I really enjoyed this short, addictive read.
Charlie was a funny kind of protagonist. He was really weird and yes his voice was similar to Holden Caulfield from the Catcher in the Rye, but unlike Holden, I actually liked Charlie. He clearly was a troubled, withdrawn (Question: Is he autistic?) boy but there was also something extremely innocent about him and some of the things he said were pretty hilarious. I also liked the letter format of the book surprisingly. I was a bit apprehensive at first but I enjoyed Charlie's storytelling and how, just like in everyday conversations, one thought could lead to something else new entirely.
It was hard to figure Charlie out however and most of the time I didn't really understand what was truly going on, that is to say with regards to the wider meaning of the book. But it was nice to just go a long for the ride, enjoying what Chbosky had in store for me. I loved the self-discovery aspects of the book and it was great to see Charlie mature with each letter. His relationships with his family and friends were complicated, as most are, and I liked learning more about the different components of Charlie's life. Of course, Sam and Patrick, Charlie's first real friends at high school were my favourite, teaching Charlie about love, life and everything in between.
My major quibble was that this book tried to address too many contentious issues such as rape, homosexuality, suicide, drug abuse, domestic abuse, sexual abuse etc. You name it...it's in there. There's nothing wrong with tackling the 'tough issues' in a book but sometimes it was just like 'oh come on!'. Also with just over 200 pages, it did get a bit concentrated.
All in all however, a decent coming-of-age story with good developed characters and a meaningful lasting impression.
THE VERDICT
3 stars - Worth the hype? Not in my opinion, but give it a shot, it's a quick read regardless.
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.
Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.
Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?
Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to. (Goodreads)
*Spoiler Free*
I was a bit apprehensive about this book, mainly because of the dodgy title, however Unbreak My Heart (still can't quite take it seriously) had me pleasantly surprised.
You naturally expect to dislike Clem given that she was the one who was in the wrong, yet you find yourself completely empathising with her. I really enjoyed learning about her relationship with her best friend and of course the boyfriend. The alternating chapters between past and present made this even better. It added to the fluidity of the story-telling and I thought it was really effective. I thought Walker also did a great job at portraying the complexities of relationships whether it be romantic or not; it was extremely true to life and did not skirt over any issues.
One unique aspect of the book I enjoyed was the setting. You would think a book taking place on small boat would be boring but it was not, at all. As a reader you're able to put yourself in Clem's shoes and feel the restrictions as well as the freedom of being out at sea.
I also loved reading about her family and although she was admittedly annoying at times, they were unwaveringly supportive. My favourite character would have to be her little sister Olive (what is up with these names may I just say?!). She was absolutely adorable and there were some almost laugh-out-loud moments. The romance between Clem and James, the boy she meets on the same sailing route, was also really sweet and it was so cute to read.
If you're looking for a quick, light-hearted book and perhaps want to escape to the summer months as winter approaches, then this is for you.
THE VERDICT
3.5. stars - A short and sweet contemporary.
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: 18 September, 2012
Pages: 312 pages
Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.
Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?
But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time. (Goodreads)
*Spoiler Free*
I am a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout so was extremely excited to get my hands on Cursed. Although it did not quite reach the level of Armentrout's covenant series, this was an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Ember was a great character and I truly felt sorry for the girl. Her life was pretty awful with her parents dying in a car crash that she too died in, having then been brought back to life by her sister, who she now has to look after all by herself. Her abilities were quite creepy and learning about the true nature of them was even scarier. Not being able to touch anyone though, imagine! You really get caught up in Ember's story and I was hoping, throughout the book, that her life somehow turned around.
Whilst I really enjoyed the supernatural elements of this book, I thought the story was a bit too predictable regarding the 'bad guy'. It was just so obvious and usually I'm almost always surprised when it comes to Jennifer L. Armentrout's. It was like 'OH COME ON!'
The romance was really good, as usual and you're definitely rooting for Hayden and Ember. Especially as she learns more about her 'curse'. Hayden's intentions were slightly confusing at first and Armentrout does throw in a few curve balls, but some of the scenes between them, despite the lack of touching, were like 'phwoarr'. :P
Overall this was an enjoyable and original book. If you're sick of the typical paranormal then give this a read, you won't regret it!
THE VERDICT
4 stars - Fan of Armentrout or not, READ THIS! But perhaps after you've devoured the Covenant Series first!
Source: received from publisher for review. Thank you!
