TTT5: And that concludes April!

Holaaaa everyone!

School just started this week, and it's been a total BLAST! Especially when you add these factors: 3 hours of school for 3 days for 3 weeks. Woots! Okay, enough about me babbling about my personal life.

Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

Title: Zombie Queen of Newbury High	Loved it	Graded
Author: Amanda Ashby
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Puffin
Elements: Zombies
Series: Stand alone

Quiet, unpopular, non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. She is dating super hot football god Rob, and he actually likes her and asked her to prom!

Enter Samantha - cheerleading goddess and miss popularity - who starts making a move for Rob. With prom in a few days, Mia needs to act fast. So she turns to her best friend, Candice, and decides to do a love spell on Rob.

Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class, making herself their leader!

At first she is flattered that everyone is treating her like a queen.

But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up, because in a few days, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but she suggests that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. When I first touched the book, I knew my long wait was justified. You could almost hear a heavenly chorus and see a beam of light shining down on me right then as I stood in the library.

Just me, the book and a heavenly chorus. *smiles dreamily*

Zombie Queen of Newbury High had the perfect blend of humour and action. All the characters were just so likeable even though they didn't really have much depth to them (except for the main characters and main suppoting characters). Even Mia's nemesis Samantha was likeable, and I don't know about you, but I like reading about likeable nemesis.

I have to praise Amanda Ashby's writing again. I don't know how she does it! Her books are just so light and fun to read. The plots are all original and refreshing to read about. Such a threatening situation, and she makes it one that I'd love to be in (with Chase please).

All in all, another great book.

Storm Born by Richelle Mead

Title: Storm Born	Loved it	Graded
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Zebra
Elements: Demons
Series: Book 1 of a series

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy--one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

Storm Born is really just like the any other Richelle Mead book, except that it has more sexual content*. The heroines are all witty and excellent in their chosen field. The hero is always someone on the other side.

In Storm Born:
Heroine - Shaman who banishes faeries and creatures of that sort.
Hero - A kitsune, one of the creatures.

In Succubus Blues:
Heroine - A succubus, sucking the life out of human men.
Hero - A human man.

See?

The concept was interesting but predictable; except for the twist near the end, I found myself pretty bored reading this. I must say that it does not bode well for her upcoming series (if there are any). I mean, up till the twentieth chapter, my eyes were just making the motions of reading, and nothing much was being absorbed. And then only did the plot finally come together and showed me the reason why I love Richelle Mead's books.

Overall it's not one of her greater works. It's a harsh review, but it just seemed like too much of a good thing.

*In her adult series, the heroine is not exactly faithful to the hero. While I'm not a prude, I have to wonder what sort of example she's showing.

Fractured by Karin Slaughter

Title: Fractured	Loved it	Graded
Author: Karin Slaughter
Genre: Crime
Publisher: Delacorte
Elements: Forensics
Series: Book 1 of a series

When Atlanta housewife Abigail Campano comes home unexpectedly one afternoon, she walks into a nightmare. A broken window, a bloody footprint on the stairs and, most devastating of all, the horrifying sight of her teenage daughter lying dead on the landing, a man standing over her with a bloody knife.

The struggle which follows changes Abigail's life forever.

When the local police make a misjudgement which not only threatens the investigation but places a young girl's life in danger, the case is handed over to Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Apprehension Team - teamed with detective Faith Mitchell, a woman who resents him from their first meeting.

But in the relentless heat of a Georgia summer, Will and Faith realise that they must work together to find the brutal killer who has targeted one of Atlanta's wealthiest, most privileged communities - before it's too late.

What can I say about Fractured? It was by far one of the most... grittiest murder mysteries I have ever read. One thing that amazed me was that everything seemed so complicated, and it turns out that it was actually pretty simple! Yet it's not frustrating at all, the writing was fluent so it's an asset rather than a hindrance. The action was not much, following along the lines of the investigation like watching an episode of CSI or Criminal Minds.

I especially loved the main character, Will Trent. He just seemed like a... good guy, yknow? All considerate and nice. That's not to say that he's perfect. (I don't know what the fascination with perfect is.)

If you're in the mood for a no-holds-barred mystery, pick this up! Or Triptych. I'm only a few chapters in, but this is turning out to be better than Fractured in my opinion.

In My Mailbox 4

Idea mooched from The Story Siren and Pop Culture Junkie

Zombie Queen of Newbury High - Amanda Ashby

When a teenage girl accidently turns her whole school into zombies, she is forced to work with an annoying stuck-up zombie hunter and a best friend who keeps trying to chew off her arm, in order to find a cure before prom night turns into an all-you-can-eat buffet.

BEDA Day 25: Wowzers!

Hi y'all!

I've been out the past few days to go sight seeing with my Australian friend. Remember that post a week ago when I said that school was starting on Monday, last Monday to be precise?

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Title: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn	Loved it	Graded
Author: Alison Goodman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Elements: Chinese mythology, dragons
Series: Book 1 of a series

Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he’ll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragoneye, the human link to an energy dragon’s power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death.

After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon’s affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido.

As tension builds and Eon’s desperate lie comes to light, readers won’t be able to stop turning the pages...

The first thing I have to say is that Eon Dragoneye Reborn is super detailed. It was so detailed that sometimes I lost track of the story.

Every year save one, twelve 12 year old male students compete for the right to be come the next Dragoneye in the land. Gifted with the ability to see all twelve dragons and cursed with a crippled leg, Eona battles for her right to be the next Rat Dragoneye under the guise of Eon, a male.

Things don't turn out as expected, and she becomes the Dragoneye of the 500-year-missing-Mirror-Dragon. From there, she has to learn to make her way in the world of politics, where betrayal and murders run rampant. Don't fret though, the action scenes are more than enough. They were so detailed that I cringed at certain places, such is the power of Alison Goodman's writing.

The characters were finely thought out and no detail was left to chance, and I found myself being swept along as the plot swerved and thickened. I think we just found the next Tamora Pierce, and I can't wait for the sequel!

TTT 4: A bunch of cool contests you WON'T want to miss

Updated Friday, 24 April '09:
I've been nominated by Robin_Titan at TV and Book Addict, Ashley at PikeAlicious Books and Steph at Hey, Teenager of The Year, too! :D Thanks!


I'm deeply honoured and touched for getting these awards. It makes me so happy to know that my blog is read and appreciated. *beams* xoxoxoxo!

Thanks to Donna at Bites, Melissa at Melissa's Bookshelf, Wdebo at The Electrical Book Cafe and KD at KD'S Library! Check out their blogs; they're amazing.

Evermore by Alyson Noël

Title: Here	Loved it	Graded
Author: Alyson Noël
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Elements: Reincarnation
Series: Book 1 of The Immortals series

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school - but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she's thinking - and he's the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn't know who he really is - or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

I thought Evermore was amazing. I especially loved the play on the word "Ever", be it Ever's name or the title. From the first time I knew of Evermore, the thought that bugged me was the word "forevermore" and I wondered if Damen was ever going to use such a cheesy line on her. (He didn't, thankfully.)

Things kind of dragged out in the middle, and I found myself getting easily irritated by Haven, Ever's friend. She seemed to be so nice at the start but then evolved into a monster with an attitude. Her main purpose in this story, as far as I can tell, is to cause friction between Damen and Ever.

The pacing was somewhat uneven, fast at places and slow at others. There were parts when I lost track of the story. Overall, it's a great read. I found myself impatient to get to the end, and while a few parts seemed too easy for me, it was wholly satisfying.

The People's Choice YA Book Blog Awards

Hosted by Steph from Hey, Teenager Of The Year and in association with The YA Blogosphere, I present to you, the event of the year...

In My Mailbox 3

Talk about a fantasy rush!

A Girl's Guide To Vampires - Katie MacAlister

Joy Randall's Top 5 Tips for Vampire Hunters: 1. Location, location, location. Remember, if you wouldn't be there, neither would a bloodsucker. 2. Trust your eyes. You know the handsome, annoyingly arrogant, self-assured man in the shadows with long hair and a cleft in his chin? He's your vampire. 3. No matter how tempting it might be, do not "accidentally" acquire a paper cut and suggest YOUR VAMPIRE kiss your finger to make it better. 4. From here on out, play it cool. Don't offer to accompany your prince of the night on the talk show circuit and whatever you do, don't offer him your heart. 5. And most of all, remember?being a vampire is nothing to laugh about.

You Had Me At Halo by Amanda Ashby

Title: You Had Me At Halo	Loved it	Graded
Author: Amanda Ashby
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: NAL Trade
Elements: Heaven
Series: Stand alone

Holly Evans has just seen her own body laid to rest. Now she would like to move onto the afterlife. But apparently she has some mortal baggage to unload first, starting with the matter of how she died. Her heavenly shrink isn't buying that she didn't kill herself- and says she must return to earth to straighten things out. The thing is, she needs to borrow the body of computer geek Vince Murphy to do it. Oh, and although Vince was supposed to have vacated the premises, he apparently never got the memo.

Now, Holly has forty-eight hours to resolve her issues while sharing arms, legs, and...other things...with a guy she barely noticed while she was alive. But the real surprise is what life has to offer when you have only two days to live it.

heav⋅en   /ˈhɛvən/ –noun

1. the abode of God, the angels, and the spirits of the righteous after death; the place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life.
2. (initial capital letter) Often, Heavens. the celestial powers; God.
3. a metonym for God (used in expressions of emphasis, surprise, etc.): For heaven's sake!
4. heavens, a. (used interjectionally to express emphasis, surprise, etc.): Heavens, what a cold room!
b. (used with a singular verb) a wooden roof or canopy over the outer stage of an Elizabethan theater.
5. Usually, heavens. the sky, firmament, or expanse of space surrounding the earth.
6. a place or state of supreme happiness: She made his life a heaven on earth.

Holly Evans would disagree with that.

Her body has just been laid to rest in the ugliest dress ever, geeks are at her funeral and there are shrinks to guide her through Level One of being dead! And now she finds out that she has to go through a "manual purge" so that she can solve her unresolved issues?

Yeah, yeah whatever, as long as she gets to meet her parents up there in Level Three. But Holly finds that it's not as easy as it sounds.

First: Go back to Earth to get rid of the emotional baggage.
Second: Do it in the body of geeky Vince Murphy (ew ew ew!).
Third: She has only 48 hours to do that.

Again, how does that fit the definition of heaven?

I remember when I first came by this book. It was a few months back, and I brushed it off as just another chick lit. I was right, but I was wrong too.

It's a fun, fluffy and fast read. I was quite charmed when reading how Holly grows from an immature 22 year old to a more compassionate, uhh, 22 year old. She has to live life in the same set of settings, but instead of being in the In Crowd, she experiences it from the fringes of society in Vince Murphy's body.

There, she discovers that the people she knows aren't as nice as she thought, especially when she tries to interact with them. It comes as a shock to Holly, and it makes it harder for her to resolve her issues.

The new take on Heaven was what changed my mind. Without it, I don't think I would have picked this up.

The Time Traveler's Wife

...made me :'3 after reading it.

It was amazing. Very sad, very profound. Very I-don't-ever-want-to-read-this-again-for-fear-of-bursting-into-uncontrollable-tears.

TTT 3 + BMGL Child Abuse Month Contests!

Firstly, the contests. (Note: You should try out, it's very easy. )

Live Blogging: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why	Loved it	Graded
Author: Jay Asher
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Razorbill
Elements: Social issues, suicide
Series: Stand alone

Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Chapter 1: What map? It's alternating between Clay and Hannah's voice. "You are being watched." Watched from the grave. Creepy!


Chapter 2: Best Ass in Freshman Class? It's a compliment... I guess. Is she doing this for revenge? Because of a list, seriously? Snowball reaction. Ohhh...


Chapter 3: I think I'm getting it now.


Chapter 4: Might mean bad things for Clay now. O.O


Chapter 5: "And in high school, people are always watching so there’s always a reason to pose." Great line, so true. I find reading from a dead girl's POV very creepy. Huddled under the blanket now.


Chapter 6: Such a serious story, and all he thinks is "you wear makeup?" LOL. Red light symbolism for unwanted hand on knee, right?


Chapter 7-8: Must read. No time to blog.


Chapter 9-13: Awhh, man. This is depressing.


Chapter 14: See the signs. Go Clay!

Would you want the ability to hear other people’s thoughts?

Of course you would. Everyone answers yes to that question, until they think it all the way through. For example, what if other people could hear your thoughts? What if they could hear your thoughts…right now?

Sometimes we have thoughts that even we don’t understand. Thoughts that aren’t even true—that aren’t really how we feel—but they’re running through our heads anyway because they’re interesting to think about.

-Excerpt from Thirteens Reasons Why

As a personal rule, I don't read sad stories. There are too many sad stories happening, and I'd rather read about someone who has their happily-ever-after moment, even if it's just that: a moment. So what made me read this? Maybe it was the fact that it shows me how someone gets to the point where they contemplate suicide.

This book was a great and insightful read on suicide and peer pressure. It shows how one thoughtless word or action can create a snowball effect. In fact, I hated reading Thirteen Reason Why, knowing that Hannah was dead. She gave up on life.

But why?

That's what we're going to find out. Hannah's story is compelling. We get to see through her eyes from the time she moved to the neighborhood, to the last days of her life. Near the end of the book, I was rooting for Hannah to still be alive. I think if you read this, you will too.

Jay Asher has the ability to seamlessly aternate between two unrelated points of view, and make a connection. The writing was flawless, and the characters had a lot of depth to them, especially when Hannah describes them. Her anger, her depression... I'm just waiting for the audiobook to come out (if it ever does) and I hope the reader does justice to Hannah's voice.

There are loads of things I could say about Thirteen Reasons Why, but you should find out for yourself.

Wake by Lisa McMann

Title: Wake	Loved it	Graded
Author: Lisa McMann
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Elements: Visions
Series: Book 1 of a series

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

This is going to be a slightly harsh review, but Wake just didn't seem all that compelling to me. It was an okay read, and by okay, I mean that I won't bother reading it again. Without the mystery (and kind of a lame one at that), I probably wouldn't even give a second glance to the book. The cover is pretty.

It's a pretty fast paced book, and it has a slightly impersonal 3rd person view to it. The characters were pretty flat, which probably contributes to the impersonal feeling. As for the dreams, they're really nonsensical. Not in the sense that they're normal nonsensical dreams, but in the sense that the dreams are either nightmares/sex fantasies/ or the common falling/naked dreams.

I don't think people dream about falling or being naked that often. And is it supposed to be coincidence that Janey's best friend and neighbour has the same nightmare in the 2 times they have a sleepover in over 4 years or so?

Overall, the one-dimensional writing and characters just overwhelms what could have been a very interesting story.

Recommended for:
Readers who love reading about people discovering more about their sixth senses.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass	Loved it	Graded
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Elements: Vampires, fallen angels
Series: Book 1 of the Mortal Instruments series

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

It's taken me an unusually long time to complete this review. Every time a series ends, there's the feeling of loss that I won't be reading from any of the characters' point of views again. The words just don't seem to come to my mind. Apologies in advance.

(spoiler)
The Mortal Instruments is mainly from Clary's point of view, but I dunno, I loved reading from Jace's POV more. Maybe it's just cause it's a change from Clary's voice. Jace is definitely one of the most real and intriguing characters I've read in a while. And sometimes, I find I love the male protagonists more than the female protagonists. :D

Sort of like Twilight, ey? The main reason us girls read Twilight is to fawn over Edward, or at least, find out why he's so captivating to other girls. Don't deny it. *narrows eyes* It's always "I love Edward/Jacob/Taylor/Rob Pattinson." Never "I love Bella/Kristen Stewart/Alice!"

More importantly... is TMI going to be made into a movie or three? In my opinion, it's definitely a Silver Screen must.

Rambling aside, I definitely love love loved this series. Note the 3 "love"s. The action was non stop, the plot was tight and the writing was amazingly lucid. Just a few things that were frustrating for me.

1) The main reason I read City of Glass was to read more about Jace and whether he's really Clary's brother. Never mind the war and Valentine! One thing that really gave it away was the fact that they just seem to kiss at least once in every book. Hellloooo...!

If that wasn't a dead giveaway, I don't know what is. I mean, consider the fact that when Sebastian tries to kiss Clary, she gets the feeling of wrongness. And guess what, he's really Clary's brother!

2) The fact that Max dies seems sort of convenient to me, in the way that it just emphasizes the ongoing war. He was a Lightwood, but we readers didn't really get to know him that well to get attached to him. So basically, we don't feel the pain of actually losing him, we feel the Jace, Alec and Isabelle's pain of losing him.

Okay, enough whinging.

Fans should note that Cassandra Clare is "working on an outline for a series that focuses on Simon. The other characters would be in it, but I can't say how central they'd be. I also can't say when it will be published or anything — all I've got is an outline, which I have not showed to my publisher. If they do want it, and I hope they do, it'll be at least a few years before it ever comes out: the Clockwork books are next, and nothing's going to change that."

Full blog post* by Cassandra here. Along with a bunch of answers to questions you might have. You know what we must do, right? Bombard the publishers/agents/Cassandra with pleas to publish the Simon Series! And look, it's Sebastian on the cover! Maybe it's Simon or Alec, but I like the idea of it being Sebastian.

*As for her answer to question 11, I thought she was talking about Jace and wondered why she described him as a sick individual. My bad.

Recommended for:
Fans of urban fantasy, twists, turns and epic tales ala Harry Potter.

In My Mailbox 2

We can only borrow 4 books at the library each time, unless it's a school holiday or we pay for the premium (which is pretty cheap at $21 per year) after which we get to borrow 8 books!

Or, if you're like me, you beg your parents to lend you their library cards and go on a borrowing spree!

In Case of Zombies

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Ashes	Loved it	Graded
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Elements: Vampires, fallen angels
Series: Book 1 of the Mortal Instruments series

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

Ever get the feeling of wanting to escape in another universe, no matter what it takes?

That's how it felt as I was reading City of Ashes. I tried to read as slowly as possible, savouring every word, every line, every chapter just so I can experience the book a little bit longer until I got City of Glass, but the lure was too great and I finished it fast. Oh wells.

After the emotional upheaval of knowing that Valentine is his father and Clary his sister, Jace* has to deal with the fact that his adoptive parents do not want him in their house. Faced with this rejection, he decides to talk to Valentine. Valentine tries to lure Jace to the dark side. ("Come, we have cookies.") Jace has to choose between getting to know his father, betraying everything he lives for while saving his loved ones, or defying him once again and thus incurring Valentine's wrath and putting everyone he loves in danger.

That's a tough choice to make. I mean, us mundanes probably just have to choose between two favourite desserts, and it already makes us cranky. And no, Jace cannot choose both options, like we probably would.

He goes home, only to be apprehended by the Inquisitor for being Valentine's son. Clary, even though she's Valentine's daughter, doesn't get that treatment as she's not of the same world as Valentine and thus, the Clave has no influence over her. The Inquisitor doesn't believe that Jace isn't a spy of Valentine's, and with his mouthing off just plain pissing her off, sentences him to a night in jail. Not just any jail, but the jail under the Silent City.

Meanwhile, Clary goes out with Simon in an attempt to forget Jace and "just think brotherly feelings" about him, and Simon, being neither stupid nor delusional realises that. Their relationship sours slightly. After finding out that Jace is thrown in jail, Clary decides to save him with Alec and Isabelle's help.

That's when things start to go horribly wrong.

The second Mortal Instrument, the Soul Sword, which is kept in the Silent City is stolen. Jace is injured, and Valentine comes to gloat at Jace in his prison cell. The first Instrument, the Mortal Cup had been stolen in the first book, and since then, Downworlder children have been murdered and drained of their blood. Since it's Valentine, and he has the ingenuity and the clout to pull off something like that, this is probably part of some elaborate plan.

It's up to Clary and Jace to stop their father, but can they do it once again?

I found this book the perfect continuation to City of Bones. And look, it's Clary on the cover! 'nuff said.

*How do you pronounce Jace? Is it "Jays", "Jesse" or "Jay-see"?

Recommended for:
Fans of the previous book, and a menagerie of magical creatures.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones	Loved it	Graded
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Elements: Vampires, fallen angels
Series: Book 1 of the Mortal Instruments series

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

A murder.

That's not really what you'd expect to find at a nightclub. Much less when every trace of the body disappears, living behind a bewildered Clary Fray and 3 armed, tattooed teenagers calling themselves Shadowhunters. Bad enough she's in a room with 3 murderers, they don't even think they did anything wrong! In fact, they think they'd just gotten rid of a demon. A good day's work for them, an experience Clary never wanted to be repeated.

In fact, it shouldn't have happened at all. Clary should never have seen the Shadowhunters nor the demon, even under its glamour. Curious, Jace, one of the Shadowhunters, decides to follow her. To make things worse, she fights with her mum who disappears after leaving Clary a cryptic message and warning her to stay away.

Scared for her mum, Clary defies her orders and returns home, only to be attacked by a demon. She kills it but is grievously injured. Lucky then that Jace was there to save her. From then onwards, Clary is thrust into a whole new world, one she never knew existed. Or did she?

The Shadowhunters are curious as to why she has the Sight and is able to see them and all the other creatures hidden by the glamour. How can one mundane, a normal human, be able to kill a demon? Why are demons even interested in her family? And most importantly...

Is her mother still alive?

It's up to Clary to find out the truth, and what she finds may alter her vision of how her past used to be.

The Mortal Instruments trilogy is something that I'll re-read just to relive the adventures. City of Bones was so well written that it was hard to keep away from reading the book. I could almost see the action scenes playing in front of me, and the tension between Clary and Jace... phew! *fans face*

I was rooting for them to get together in the short time I knew them, so when it turned out that they were siblings, I was deeply crushed. V. C. Andrews, anyone? How can you do this to us, Cassandra Clare?! Luckily, I'd already read a review for City of Glass (heh heh heh), and since one of the questions was "Is Jace really Clary's brother?", there was a chance (a high chance) that they weren't related.

*Hopeful look*

One thing I love is that the whole Mortal Instruments universe was so carefully thought out and planned, with not a single detail left to chance. The plot was tight and every single scene seemed to have a significance to it, whether to provide a back story, give more depth to the characters or further create conflict.

And is that supposed to be Jace on the cover? Quite an interesting cover; I thought he looked like Adonis.

All in all, this is a must read. I'm halfway through City of Ashes, the next book in the trilogy, and It's fast becoming my favourite series of 2009.

Recommended for:
Fans of urban fantasy, some kickass fighting scenes that accompany a pretty tight evil mastermind plot.

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Title: Ghostgirl	Loved it	Graded
Author: Tonya Hurley
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Little, Brown
Elements: Ghosts
Series: Book 1 of a duo?

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is. In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.

Charlotte Usher was invisible. All she wanted was to be popular, and this year she had the ultimate plan. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly (don't mind the little setbacks) and she finally got to speak with her crush, Damen Dylan and make him notice her!

Nothing could hamper her happiness, or so she thought.

Well, something did. She died.

Other people would have given up by then, thinking death was the last straw. Not Charlotte. She was still going to achieve her goal to get Damen. Never mind the fact that she was dead and still had Dead homework to do and a house to save, THIS was her No. 1 priority, her "unfinished business" you could say. It might take a day, it might take forever, but she was going to get Damen to like her.

And she had forever.

Ghostgirl was such a fun book to read. It doesn't take itself seriously and manages to find humour in everything. All the characters were likable, even Charlotte's nemesis Petula. Every chapter starts off with a hint of what's to come: a poem or lyrics and plays on cliches along with a cute drawing of Charlotte.

Chapter 5:
Death for Dummies
A ghost is someone who hasn't made it.
-Sylvia Browne
-
Time will tell all things
The past was pretty much irrelevant now -a closed door- other than the fact that it had led her to the present. The present was terrible uncertain, a place of fear and doubt -restless. But the future existed to allay those fears, and to make both the past and present bearable. The future was a place where all Charlotte's hopes and dreams lives.

And now she was all out of future.

Kind of sums up everything, eh?

Ghostgirl had a pretty straightforward storyline. The goal was clear, the ways and means to the end was also clear. I thought the ending was a little bit too easy, but it definitely fits in with the easy going nature of the whole book.

Recommended for:
Fans of quirky set ups with heart.

BOOKMOOCH

Anyone have any idea what happened to BookMooch?

Tell Them Thursday

David Archuleta was in Singapore yesterday! This is a big deal because, well, let's just let the picture do the talking.

Updates

Firstly, congratulations to Amelia of Book Junkie for being my first follower. You've won a book of your choice. Sorry it's taking so long though!

Live Blogging: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Title: Evernight	Loved it	Graded
Author: Claudia Gray
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
Elements: Vampires, Boarding school
Series: Book 1 of the Evernight series

When the story begins in Evernight, Bianca has just left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true.

Seriously. I thought I knew what to expect from this book. Again, I was wrong. I didn't really understand what was going on the first time I read this book so I'm going to re-read it, and in the process, live blog my thoughts about whatever's happening at that particular point of time.

Uncut. Unedited. Live Blogging a book is going to hopefully be a weekly Wednesday segment. How it works: I'll write down the title of the book, summary, edition (not really sure how to do this part, any suggestions?), the chapter (doing it parapgraph by paragraph or line by line would take too much time, giving too much detail and it'll be boring), my thoughts and finally my review. Hopefully I'll leave you wanting more. ;) For those who've read the book, maybe it'll make you re-read it! You can skip it if you want to, and head on over to the review, cuz the blogging's gonna take loooong.

And off we go! I hope you enjoy this. You know the drill! Any suggestions to improve this, good bad happy sad, leave a comment.

Prologue: What did she do? Is Lucas a vampire?

Chapter 1: Love interest: found. It seems a sure bet that every time an author goes into great detail about a character that's of opposite gender than the main character, that's gonna be the love interest. Amirite?

Chapter 2: Urgh, new girl in school syndrome. And her parents are teachers there. Kinda killing the social life.

Chapter 3: First love interest: Jerk. Second love interest: found. Huh, parents might be a gift rather than a hindrance to social life. Hehe, noobie. Scratch that. First love interest: Not jerk, has a reason for being a jerk(don't they always?).

Chapter 4-7: Very draggy. Spark of interest at the end.

Chapter 8: WHAT THE ____?! Okay, now everything's making sense, yet it's taking on a whole new meaning.

Chapter 9: Interesting.

Chapter
10: Oh shoot.

Chapter 11: Poor B.

Chapter 12 - 14: Progress.
Maybe too much.

Chapter 15: Wtf? The hits just keep on coming.

Chapter 16: Not sure it's the wisest decision. I have a bad feeling about this. Must continue reading.

Chapter 17 - 19: Awwww...! And I'm all for star crossed lovers, but I wonder how CG's gonna solve this conflict.

Okay, one thing I've learnt about live blogging is that it's pretty hard to blog about a book when you're engrossed in what's happening to it.

The first few chapters were pretty draggy, all about the life of the Bianca, new girl in school trying to adapt to a new environment, being an outcast and finding a love interest or two. However, when things start getting interesting, they really get interesting. Everything seems to change, and the book finally gains momentum.

Bianca isn't what she seems, and the thing is: she herself knew about it beforehand while we readers were kept in the dark! How frustrating is that?! Now I'll have to re-read everything! After that, things kind of settle into a pattern, a new one, but it starts getting draggy again.

Before you get comfortable though, think about this: if Bianca isn't what she seems, what about the rest of the characters? Proceed with a suspicious mind.

I like how Claudia Gray manages to give a double meaning to everything. It's not obvious in the way that innuendos go. It's more subtle. I didn't notice that the first few chapters had double meanings until I was halfway through the book and everything seems to kind of accelerate at that point.

I'm conflicted about this book. While the plot is interesting enough, I wished that some parts could have been deleted to quicken the pace. I like the plot and the way things unfolded, but the last few chapters kind of killed the mood for me. There are loose threads that have to be solved in the upcoming books, and I'm not sure if that's enough to hold my attention.

Recommended for:
Anyone who loves book set in magical boarding schools. I'm a sucker for those.

Sequel for Need?

I've just finished reading Need by Carrie Jones.
One word: Wow.

In My Mailbox

Lookie what I found in the library today! Who knew that all these books (and more) were lumped together at the back of the library? UHH-MA-ZING. Thank you librarians. *bows down*

Tell Them Thursdays

Shadows crept into the dimly lit room. A girl sat in the darkness, her face bathed in the soft glow of the laptop in front of her. She squinted at the screen, then with a sigh of frustration leaned back and sighed. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up straight determinedly. The silence was overwhelming, broken only by the sound of fingers flying over the keyboard.

YOUTUBE New Viewing Experience

Youtube has a new layout!

Blog Every Day April

COMPLETED.


Initiated by awesome author Maureen Johnson and introduced to me by Genevieve, BEDA is simple: Just blog every day in April!

Necropolis by Anthony Horowitz

Title: Necropolis	Loved it	Graded
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Elements: -
Series: Book 4 of The Gatekeepers series

As the fourth novel in the spellbinding Gatekeepers series begins, the world is under the greatest threat it's ever known. The evil corporation Nightrise has amassed an immense amount of power... and the devastating force of the Old Ones is about to be unleashed around the globe.

To stop this from happening, Matt and three of the Gatekeepers head to Hong Kong--not just the modern city of skyscrapers and wealth, but the secretive underworld beneath. In Hong Kong they will meet the final Gatekeeper, a girl named Scarlet, whose fate is inextricably joined to their own....

The thing that drew me to the Necropolis paperback was the fact that it was green. Totally green. THIS GREEN. Of course, the pages aren't green inside, which makes it easier to read. The packaging and cover were totally eye catching, and I have to say: This is totally my first time buying a book judging solely on the cover. Of course, the assurance that Anthony Horrowitz is a great writer had played a small part.

But other than that, totally on the cover.
Okay, I'm overusing the word "totally".

Out of the sea of books in the bookstore, that was the one which caught my attention and held it for a month. (That was how long it took me to give in to temptation and decide to buy it)

Enough about the design, now about the plot. I can sum it up easily: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. The plot, the characters, the pacing, everything: 5 stars.

Necropolis is the fourth book of and my first introduction to the Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz . This time around, it's about 15 year old Scarlet. Everything was normal until one day, she saw the boy that she'd been dreaming about for years enter through the door of a church. Curious, she decide to follow, and from there, the horror started.

She managed to return to her homeland, but ever since then, she's been followed by a sense of danger and people following her. Even though questions plagued her, she knew better to keep quiet. She can't trust anyone, not even her family and friends. Those who know of her die just because they have contact with her.

From there, the tale moves from to Hong Kong. And things just keep getting worse.

Why did her father leave a mysterious message asking her to go to Hong Kong at the drop of a hat, and just disappear? What's happened to Hong Kong?

But more importantly...

Will Scarlet survive?

Check out the excerpt here.

Frankly, I like the book. It had a fairly ominous tone to it, and I don't know why, but I love it when a relatively important character dies. It makes it seem all the more real to me. The thrill of the chase and adventure is always better than some fairytale all's well ends' well ending for me. The plot is very tightly constructed. If you miss even a single tidbit, you probably won't know why the event unfolded like it did.

Recommended for:
Fans of James Patterson, Michael Grant. Those who love reading about kids working together to bring down an evil corporation.