An enjoyable fantasy read; I read it so that I could compare to the film and I find that if the film was true to the book it would have been loads better. The book is a short snapshot really into the world that J R R Tolkien explores further in his trilogy of books. It's nice to have more dwarf characters since there aren't very many in the trilogy and I always thought they deserved more explanation.
A very cool and funny read that took me back to my teenage years. I found this book very enjoyable even if it did take me a long time to finish it. It's quite similar to the 'Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging' books which i did read around the age appropriate time. I will defiantly look into reading the rest of this series for when i need a pick- me- up kind of read.
Ok this book was really different to what I was expecting, what I was expecting was a slightly supernatural spy book. However what I got was a very supernatural and a bit robot book that involved sneaking around and getting to the bottom of a mystery. It was a good book but I really didn’t understand why the robots were in the story or what they added to it especially since it was supposed to be slightly historical.The main character is Sophronia a troublesome girl who is struggling to fit in with society as well as her family’s expectations. So she is sent to a finishing school where her mother hopes will set her in order however the finishing school just happens to train them in espionage. While at the finishing school she makes friends as well as enemies and tries to get to the problem that is facing the school. She is a fairly good main character except for her relying on a lot of other people which made her seem a little bit dependants instead of independent.The secondary character I found most noteworthy was Dimmity, she is a girl who Sophronia meets on the way to the finishing school, she struggles most with the new school and suffers from frequent fainting at the sight of blood and a whole host of other things. She stills helps in any way she can to get to the bottom of what is happening at the school.The storyline is really original and good fun and pacing is good and doesn’t leave everything until the last minute. I will be sticking with the series however may take some time between books because they are slightly juvenile for me.3.5 stars
This is a really easy to read and gripping book that had a twist even I didn’t expect although this was my second reading of the book so this time round I was able to see the hints dropped earlier than the first time I read it. The characters add a lot to this book but I can’t say it didn’t go along the lines of other YA books which in my opinion made it a bit cheesy or clichéd. The main character is Cassie Hobbes; a teenage girl who after the death of her mother is sent to live with her father’s side of the family in Colorado. That is where she remains until she is targeted by a branch of the FBI which is specifically aimed at teenagers with special abilities to help in series killer cases. Cassie is targeted because of her ability to profile people without even thinking about it she is what they call a ‘natural’. With a string of murders which Cassie and her team are investigating dragging up memories of her mother’s death it seems impossible for them to be linked but they are in a way I didn’t see coming. Cassie is an interesting character with a good backstory that drags readers further into the story.Secondary characters I found most noteworthy were Cassie’s co-workers in the ‘Naturals’ department; Dean, Michael, Lia and Sloane. Dean is the quiet and broody bad boy; the child of a serial killer who is now putting his personal connection to good use, being a profiler. Michael is the boy who drags Cassie into the division; he has learned how to be a profiler in the hopes of helping the FBI. Lia is a natural herself but not at profiling, she can spot lies as they are told, and although has difficulty getting along with the other house mates comes through in the end. And Sloane, the geeky and technologically brilliant character; with a few issues in social interactions, she often refers to statistics.The storyline is something similar to that of the adult crime genre but this is something that doesn’t happen very much in the YA genre so I found it very refreshing. The pacing was great; creating tension and adding in the POV of the killer and creeping me out massively but then ending with a stunning revelation and continuing to keep us hooked and wanting to continue with the series.4.5 stars; if it wasn’t for the YA clichés in this book it would have been 5
I needed to reread this one because it had been too long that I can’t continue with the rest of the series and to remind myself why it was a favourite. And remind myself I did; this book is so uniquely terrifying and romantic that I found myself speechless yet again. If only there were more books like this!The main character is Cas Lowood, his full name is actually Theseus Cassio so we’ll forgive him for shortening it to something easier. He’s a teenage boy who kills (dispatches) already dead ghosts who are making themselves a nuisance by killing the living. The characters actions at the very start of the book give us an idea of just how gruesome and gory this book is going to be so I advise that if you struggle to read past chapter 3 do not continue. Cas moves to a new town with the sole intention of killing Anna a ghost who has terrorized those who enter her house killing twenty ish people already. But as the situation unfolds Cas begins to sympathise and even share feelings with the ghost in question. Cas goes through a huge amount of growth even in the first book with him going from being a solo fighter to having friends ready next to him to fight and then learning about his father’s death and Anna. This character shows great promise and I am looking forward to reading the other book in this series to see how the character develops even further.The secondary characters I found most noteworthy include; Anna, Thomas and Carmel. Anna is a tortured soul after having been killed gruesomely she haunts the house she lived in while alive killing those who trespass until Cas enters; Anna’s true story is one of horrific detail and sends a chill through your spine. Thomas is a bit of an outsider until Cas arrives being able to read people’s minds and having a grandfather who is a user of voodoo magic (the good kind) Thomas joins Cas in his quest of saving Anna. Carmel is the normal girl from Cas and Thomas’s school who joins the group rather accidentally but who supports the cause whole heartedly.The storyline is unique, gripping and terrifying; with details so grotesque that it is most definitely not for the faint hearted. The pacing is brilliant hooking the reader from the very first page till the last and making them desperate for more.
** spoiler alert ** This book started off brilliantly dragging me in from the very first page but then I felt it drop in the middle before it picked it at the end. I would strongly suggest that people stick with this book because it has become a most definite favourite of mine.
The main character is Juliette, a girl who at the start of the book is imprisoned and has been for quite some time. She cannot remember who she is or where she comes from she only knows her life in the sad little dungeon but when she is joined in her cell by another. She knows she recognises the boy who now shares her cell but she can’t remember where from; and shortly after she is realised and asked to become part of the army of the leaders. An arsenal as they know her gift can kill or seriously damage people at one touch. It is Adam her cell mate who helps her escape and have a life of her own outside of her dungeon.The most noteworthy secondary character is Adam; he has an immunity to Juliette’s power so can touch her without fear of being hurt. Adam helps Juliette not only escape the people who want to use her gift as a weapon but get to the people who are part of the resistance and can help her.The storyline is extremely original and great to read. The pacing on the other hand is a bit of a struggle in the middle but with a great start and end; so for me was just good enough.5 stars a new favourite and a series I want to continue at a later date.
I’m starting to find that once you’ve read enough of these type of books they’re all the same and although they remain to be quick and easy reads they no longer hold my interest like they used to. This book was no exception to the rule and while it has been a while since I’ve read the first in the series I found myself thinking that any book of the same genre that has stayed in my head could have been the first book in the series. It was a good standalone book and I didn’t think knowing which book came first really mattered as apart from the occasional mention of the two characters from the previous book it could have been completely independent.The main characters are Alex and Clint; Alex is a girl escaping from the family pressure that has been bestowed on her by her being a rare shifter. She runs into Clint while seeking an audience with another female shifter to try and get out of her predicament. Clint is acting as in charge while the two characters from the previous book are away on their honeymoon so takes the protection of Alex very seriously, inviting her into his house. Since her father sent people after her his home is quickly left and they move to Clint’s family’s home. The two main characters are instantly attracted to each other from when they first meet each other but it takes a while for them to warm to each other. The two main characters are pretty likeable but not unlike other characters in these types of books. There are a few secondary characters however if this series is as much like the others I’ve read then they will be further explored in their own book where they find love.The storyline is similar to other books I’ve read however still enjoyable; these are university romance books are what I turn to when I want an easy and quick read; a pallet cleanser. The pacing was good and I will continue with the series whenever I want something to read that I don’t have to think about.4 stars an interesting read.
