Book Review - A Million Suns

Title: A Million Suns
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across The Universe (book 2)
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 5 April 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0141333687

Synopsis

Trapped on board the spaceship Godspeed, Amy trusts no-one.

The ship's ruler is dead and a rebellion threatens. Amy wants to help Elder as he tries to take charge, but she's torn between her feelings for him and the chaos that's pulling everything apart. As more harrowing discoveries are made about Godspeed, Amy is caught in a desperate race to unravel its secrets. Only one thing is certain.

They have to get off this ship.

The heart-stopping sequel to Across the Universe: a story of love, murder and madness - set in space.

My Review
I don't actually take book covers into consideration- rating wise - as it's the content that is important, but I have to say I really Don't like this cover. And covers are an important part of books, of course.
The American cover is beautiful and looks great next to book 1 - they fit together and are sparkly and pretty, but this, this is just odd. I would never pick this up based on the cover alone. It's only because I know and love book 1 and had to read this one that I did. Why did they insist on changing it, WHY????
OK, moan over, I've got that out of my system.
Knowing and loving 'Across the Universe' had me desperate to read this book, I've been stalking the author online, checking release dates obsessively and basically being a bit of a fan girl. I bought this on the day it came out and was super excited. However I didn't get straight to it and then kept putting it off, I think I was worried it wouldn't live up to book 1 (that cover was pressing on me) so I was almost scared to read it. I had looked forward to it for so long I didn't want  to be disappointed. I really shouldn't have worried about it. This book was Frexing awesome!
This book takes you so much deeper into the world of 'Godspeed'. Things are starting to fall apart on the ship, now people have freedom of thought, they also have choice and anger. Elder worries he made a mistake, Amy worries she will always be an outcast, and that she will never get off the ship.
A rebellion is surfacing and no one knows if Elder is strong enough to cope with it, and throughout all that the ship has other problems too, secrets, lies, murders, mysteries and deceit are all coming out.
I was so drawn in by this book I practically devoured it, I didn't want to put it down and when i had to I just wanted to pick it up again. Beth Revis' writing is so gripping and it has a pull to it, a way to drag you in and then hold onto you. It's beautiful and flowing and exciting.
This book was everything I wanted it to be and more, so many twists and turns and new surprises. I did have a suspicion as to who the culprit behind everything was and I was right but I still enjoyed the suspense. I did doubt myself a few times.
Overall this book was just as incredible as the first if not more so, and I am now sad that I have to wait another year for the next one. I need more!!!


My Rating

FF (67) & TGIF (50)

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This week's question feature is from Book that Thing!

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then “broke up” with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

My Answer: I know I have experienced this, but I can't bring to mind any names, I think I try to block it out. I do tend to get really involved with characters, they become like friends/sisters/brothers/wishful thinking boyfriends etc, so if they do things I don't agree with I get very disappointed. Luckily it doesn't happen very often. 

TGIF!

This meme is hosted by GReads!

This Friday's Question:

 

 Reading Blues: We all get them from time to time. What helps you overcome those reading slumps when nothing seems to grab your attention?

 

My Answer: Luckily it doesn't happen to me very often, I have quite plain sailing with my reading, but if I do have an off time I will either re-read a childhood favourite like Harry Potter or Animals of Farthing Wood and it will jolt me back into the flow.

If I'm not in the mood to read at all, then I just won't read, I'll have a break for 1-2 days, no reading at all and then come back to it. By then I am usually over it and desperate for another book.

Happy Hopping, have a great weekend everyone!!! 

 

P.S I've done a Guest Post on the 'Reading Agency's' blog, click here to read it. It's my first ever guest post and I'm really proud of it. :D

 

Guest Post: Shannon Duffy

Synopsis:

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

eBook
ISBN: 9780983741879
ISBN: 9781476293585
Pages: 334
Release: April 10, 2012

Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.

Post:

About Titles:

Usually I come up with a title before I start writing a book. I’d actually originally chosen a different title for Spectral. It was going to be titled Cursed right up until after it was finished. I still love that title, don’t get me wrong, but when I found out there was going to be two other books coming out with the same title in 2012, I decided it needed a fresh look. I thought of something with the word Spectral in it, since that term is a huge part of story’s plot, and holds a lot of meaning for the main character, Jewel. In the end, I decided (with advice from others), to leave it at the short, catchy, yet simple—one word title of SPECTRAL. I hope the readers will like it!

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Guest Post: Angelita Williams

4 Reasons to Re-read your Childhood Favorites

 

Most of us have an ongoing list of novels or non-fiction best sellers waiting to be read. Some of them have been sitting on our night stands for years. Some we have yet to even buy. And, while it’s always important to exercise our minds and stay informed with our adult-only reads, maybe the reason those book are still sitting on the night stand is because our passion for reading has slowly started to fade. Remember when you used to beg your parents to read just one more page of your favorite childhood book? Or do you recall poring over a newly bought kids’ story late at night, when you were supposed to be sleeping? If you were an avid reader as a kid, these scenarios probably sound more than familiar. And, even if you’re currently buzzing through your adult reading list, there is always something to be gained from reviewing some of these childhood engaging stories, made just for kids, as an adult. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why re-reading your childhood favorites can be both fun and get you back to your adult reading (and life) with a refreshed and regenerated state of mind.

1. Free your mind and creativity.

Sometimes adults will only allow themselves to go so far into a fictional story before they become annoyed or uncomfortable. Even the most outlandish fiction for adults, like sci-fi mystery novels, can rub many of us the wrong way. It just doesn’t make sense, right? This is a sure sign that it’s time to re-visit the openness and creativity found in youth. In fact, some of the best kind of fiction can be found in a children’s story, where worlds are created that need no explanation or logical order. Try picking up one of your most fantastic childhood favorites and soak in the fantasy with eyes wide open.

2. Recall simple life lessons.

There is nothing like a children’s book to really break it down to you. The evil stepmother gets what she deserves. Bad deeds rarely go unpunished, and good deeds always receive karmic retribution in the end. Children’s books focus on the basic ways to be a good person in the world. As adults, even though we know that life is not always fair, it’s still important to remember that it is vital to treat others as you wish to be treated, and that good deeds really don’t go unnoticed (even if it feels that way, sometimes).

3. Remember you childhood dreams.

As you re-read some of your favorite children’s books, you may be struck by sensory memories of how you felt reading those stories as a child. What did you dream to be as an adult? What were you passionate about, and what were your fears? Re-connecting with these deeply buried emotions will re-connect you with your most intimate, pure, and genuine desires and needs. Listen to them, and allow yourself to recognize those realities (because they were real).

4. Find your funny bone.

If you really want to laugh, do it like a kid. There is nothing better than the straight-forward funny moments portrayed in children’s fiction. There need be no sarcasm or witty remark, no political satire or awkwardly uncomfortable moment. It only needs to be funny. If you’ve forgotten how to laugh for the sake of laughing, try reading some of your favorites with your favorite kid and let yourself experience the book, and the humor, anew.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes on the topics of online courses.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: angelita.williams7 @gmail.com.

Book Review - Pack Of Lies

Title: Pack of Lies
Author: Sara Dailey & Staci Weber
Series: Red Ridge Pack (book 1)
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Release Date: 8th April 2012

ISBN13: 9780984898862

 

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Allison Wright is convinced she’s losing her mind. Uncontrollable mood swings, hot flashes, and the urge to punch anyone who gets in her way are suddenly becoming everyday occurrences. Before her erratic behavior gets out of hand, Allison’s mother finally comes clean about her dark secret. Mom is a werewolf, and soon Allison and her brother Aiden will suffer the same fate. When Allison reaches her breaking point, the family leaves their life in Texas to move to Red Ridge, New Mexico where they rejoin the pack that Allison’s mother left behind almost 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Red Ridge is thrilled about Allison’s arrival, especially when she attracts the attention of the very handsome, very taken, soon-to-be alpha, Cade Walker. Little does Allison know, her mere presence is causing a rift in a once unified pack. Not only has Cade been forbidden from being with Allison by his father, the pack’s alpha, Cade’s girlfriend, Kendall Stuart, will stop at nothing to get Allison out of the picture. Well on her way to becoming the next alpha’s mate, Kendall expects to rule the pack by Cade’s side even if it means teaming up with a rogue werewolf with an agenda of his own. Determined to get rid of Allison permanently, when Kendall and the rogue join forces, all hell breaks loose and no one in the pack is safe, especially not Cade and his true mate.

 

My Review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I agreed to read this as it was clearly about Werewolves which I usually really enjoy and there was a love story involved too so I thought - Great!

The story opens right in the middle of a fight and instantly I was intrigued, I wanted to know what was happening and why. Allison doesn't seem like the sort of girl to get into fist fights and for some reason I liked her straight away. 

I liked how the idea of her being a werewolf was introduced - with flashes of almost fevers, grace and beauty and then stomach cramps, it made what could be an ordinary illness and simple growth turn into something much more exciting.

The story is a bit like a rollercoaster, one minute you are in an action packed scene and then the next is quite slow and explained. But I liked this, it felt like I was getting more in tune with the characters as well as being involved in the action.

I really liked Allison's brother Aiden - he was quite cheeky adn cute as well as being described as super good looking - but he's not obnoxious with it. Whereas Kendall the wolf girl is a nightmare, she is every girls nightmare at school, the Queen Bee. 

Cade is cool, but I was desperate for him to get a backbone and stand up for himself!

The pacing does sweep you through quite well, but the book was quite predictable for me. I could tell pretty much what was going to happen throughout, that's not to say there weren't a couple of surprises- believe me there were, but for the most part I was like, 'well really, who'd have thought!"

The writing is well done and flows well, and reads realistically, however I will warn that there is swearing in this book. If you object to it in books then you will be put off - it has at least 3 uses of the 'f' word, a lot of 'a*s' and one 'Bas***d'. Whilst I'm not completely against swearing, I do think it is unnecessary and the book wouldn't have suffered if it had not been in there. Yes a lot of teenagers swear, but it doesn't have to be broadcasted and repeated. I'm not going to get into a debate about swearing in books, just noting that this book has it and for me, wasn't necessary at all.

Overall I did really enjoy the book and I could visualize most of it, so it did capture my imagination. I would encourage you to give it a go.sweet little story and I do want the next one to find out what happens.

My Rating

 

   

In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event over at The Story Siren, which showcases the books we've purchased, borrowed and received in the mail this week.

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