Book Review: Radiance by Alyson Noel.

Product details:
Publisher: Square Fish
Paperback, 192 pages.
Release date: August 31st 2010.
Ages: 9-12.
Rating: 2½ out of 5
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she's summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can't quite figure out.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he's never met Riley... 

I don’t usually read Middle Grade books, but I was offered this one for review, and as I’m a huge fan of Alyson Noel’s Immortals series, and I love the character of Riley in those books, I thought I’d check out this spin-off series.

Noel has created a whole new world for Riley in this book, an afterlife in which she has to come to terms with the fact that she will never get to grow up and experience life as a teenager like her sister, Ever.  This has left Riley somewhat bitter and she acts out quite a bit.  I have to say that I found the character of Riley a little different here than she appears in the Immortals books.  There, we only get to meet her from time to time, and I’ve always found her to be quite sweet and endearing. Here, she a little bratty and blunt, and her ways take a time to get used to. I guess she is the annoying little sister!

We know her intentions are good, though,  and as we accompany her on her first assignment as a Soul Catcher her kind heart, sassy nature and good humour win through. In her role as a Soul Catcher, Riley must travel to a castle in England and help a ghost known as  The Radiant Boy on his journey to the afterlife.  This is no mean feat, as this boy is one ghost who is very reluctant to cross over!  In this book we also meet Riley’s mentor, Bohdi, a guy who she dismisses at first as a total dork, before later changing her mind and deciding he‘s totally cute. Buttercup, Riley‘s adorable dog, is also on the journey and he has a special personality all of his own. I love Buttercup!

Even though Riley is dealing with serious issues in her mission as a Soul Catcher, she keeps things light-hearted with her sense of humour.  The ghostly plot will appeal to younger readers, but there are deeper thematic undertones here such as dealing with death and grief and learning how to let go and move on. Noel deals with these issues suitably and sensitively for younger readers.

Overall this is a cute read and it‘s nice to know how Riley has been doing on the other side.  Although this is a spin-off from the Immortals series it can be read as a standalone.

Shimmer, the second book in the Radiance series will be published in spring 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday #22 - The Distant Hours by Kate Morton.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly awaited upcoming releases.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Publisher: Mantle

Hardcover, 320 pages.

Release date: October 15th 2010

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives one Sunday afternoon with the return address of Millderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret. 

Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old girl, Edie’s mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe, and taken to live at Millderhurst Castle with the Blythe family: Juniper, her twin sisters and their father, Raymond. In the grand and glorious Millderhurst Castle, a new world opens up for Edie’s mother. She discovers the joys of books and fantasy and writing, but also, ultimately, the dangers. 

Fifty years later, as Edie chases the answers to her mother’s riddle, she, too, is drawn to Millderhurst Castle and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness. 

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Millderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it . . .

I love Kate Morton's books and with the long winter nights (boo!) coming soon, this will be the perfect read to curl up with.  I much prefer the UK cover for this one - the US cover is pretty, but much too twee and fairytale for my liking - not something that would attract my attention at the book store, but I'd instantly be drawn to the UK cover.  What's your favourite cover on this one?

Share your thoughts and Waiting on Wednesday picks in comments!

Winner of The White Queen by Philippa Gregory!

Right on time (for once!) I'm announcing the winner of The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. 

And....the lucky winner is Rae Reads!  An email has been sent, and I'll be sending the book out once I get those all important mailing details.

I hope you enjoy the book, Rae - it's a great read.  Thanks to everyone who entered, and if you didn't win this time, well, better luck next time!

I have another great competition coming up soon, involving some Alyson Noel books, so stay tuned for that one, it'll be worth the wait!

Book News: Usborne announces a host of exciting new teen titles!

Hot on the heels of it's debut teen title Angel by L.A Weatherly (Oct.2010) Usborne publishing has announced that it will be publshing an array of teen titles in the future, including the next books in the Angel trilogy (Angel Fire and Angel Fever) and a host of other titles by established and upcoming authors. There are also some exciting debuts on the list that I really can't wait to get my hands on!

" When we bought L.A.Weatherly's stunning YA trilogy, Angel, we saw it as the launchpad for a new range of teen and YA titles on the Usborne fiction list, and we've had a wonderful time over the past few months picking the best new teen fiction from around the world to create a wide range of books to appeal to different readers." Megan Larkin -Usborne Fiction Director.

First up is Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon,  a book that's already been generating a lot of blogger buzz ahead of it's US release later this month.  Billed as 'a haunting love story about desire, danger and destiny', this sounds like a stunning paranormal romance, and is definitely a book I'm excited to read.  The setting for the book is an elite American boarding school, which pretty much guarantees that I'll love it. Boarding schools + paranormal romance = my great weakness! Look out for the UK edition of this one in  May 2011.

Usborne will also publish The Truth about Celia Frost, a teen thriller with lots of twists and turns,  from debut author Paula Rawsthorne.  This sounds like a great read, and was one of the winners of the Undiscovered Voices 2010 competition. Watch out for this one in August 2011. 

2011 YA Titles from Usborne

In addition to these books, Usborne will be publishing  Traitors Kiss by Pauline Francis, the author described as 'Philippa Gregory for younger readers'  This is a Young Adult historical fiction novel centered around Queen Elizabeth I and her coming of age.  As regular readers will know, I love historical fiction, and this sounds like a good read.  Usborne have also acquired rights to two books by  Australian author Jack Heath - Money Run (July 2011) and Hit List (January 2010) are described as "teen crime fiction at it's best with two teenage thieves battling corrupt governments, ruthless corporations and rogue assassins."

Addition info: booktrade.info
Post Updated: March 2011.

Book Review: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel.

Product details:
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin.
Paperback, 310 pages.
Release date: August 3rd 2010.
Ages: Young Adult.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Series: Vampire Queen #1.

 Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

For lovers of vampire fiction, even those of you who are becoming a little jaded with the genre, try this! Rebecca Maizel is a new author on the block, and in her debut novel she has created a unique vampire world, one in which all vampires have one ultimate wish, and that is to become human again. In this book a vampires existence is a doomed one, bringing nothing but pain, misery and suffering. You’ve never quite read a vampire book like this, right?

Lenah Beaudonte is a five hundred year old vampire queen who has just had this dream fulfilled by her vampire lover, Rhode. We meet her reborn as a sixteen year old schoolgirl, trying to readjust to human life and fit in at the prestigious Wickham Boarding School. She’s alone and pretty unsure of the ways of the world she now inhabits. She also faces a serious threat from her coven of vampires once they find out that she is no longer their ruthless vampire Queen, but just a normal human girl made of flesh and blood…

There were a lot of aspects of this story that I loved. Maizel alternates between Lenah’s life as a schoolgirl and her previous existence as a vampire queen. This takes us back hundreds of years and lends a historical aspect to the book, which I loved. As a vampire queen Lenah was vicious and ruthless - killing without mercy and thinking of nobody but herself and her quest for blood. In her incarnation as a teenage girl, Lenah’s still thinks like a vampire at times, which makes for some witty asides, and adds some humour to proceedings.

My only major problem with this book was the relationship between Lenah and her new love interest, Justin Enos. He’s the number one hottie at Wickham, and quickly drops his ‘mean-girls’ type girlfriend once Lenah arrives on the scene. For me, Justin pretty much looked upon Lenah as a trophy girlfriend, and while these two declare themselves to be deeply and utterly in love after all of five minutes, I didn’t really sense any deep connection between them at all. I'm a total romantic, and I love a good love story, but this one just didn‘t work for me. I also felt that the second part of the book suffered in it’s pacing. Lenah’s coven are presented to us as being a major threat to her existence, but when that threat happened, it felt somewhat rushed and fell a little flat for me.

Apart from this though, I enjoyed reading this book . It’s a strong debut, and I loved Maizel’s unique take of vampire mythology. The writing style worked well and the character of Lenah and her re-integration into society was interesting to read. The book also ends on a surprising note, and I need to find out what happens next! I’m looking forward to reading the second instalment in the Vampire Queen series, Stolen Nights, published 2011. Maybe Lenah will find herself a new boyfriend in this one…

Announcing… the Crescendo UK blog tour!

To celebrate the upcoming release of Crescendo, the stunning sequel to international bestseller Hush, Hush, UK publishers Simon & Schuster are unveiling an exclusive blog tour!  I'm excited to be involved! The tour will take place from the 29th September – 15th October, and stop at the following venues:

29th September - Book Chick City
An exclusive Q&A with Becca Fitzpatrick

4th October -  The Bookette
A never-before-seen flashback extract from Crescendo

5th October - Once Upon A Bookcase
A never-before-seen flashback extract from Crescendo featuring Patch & Nora!

6th October – I Was A Teenage Book Geek
SPECIAL FEATURE: “You know you’re obsessed with Hush, Hush when…”

7th October – Book Geeks
Competition to win copies of Crescendo!

8th October - So Many Books So Little Time
Exclusive audio extract from the Hush, Hush audiobook

 9th October – Daisy Chain Books
Discussion post: Crescendo playlist

The second leg of the tour will commence at the wonderful Wondrous Reads, who will celebrate the release of Crescendo with a week dedicated to all-things-Patch, including US vs. UK, an interview with designer James Porto, review, signed goodies to be won, and many more super secret Hush, Hush related material!

Each stop on the tour will reveal an exclusive question and answer with Becca Fitzpatrick, so make sure to follow us every step of the way for your chance to snap up all the sneak peeks and potential prizes! Each blog will also be reviewing Crescendo in the run up to the tour, so keep your eyes peeled to hear what your favourite bloggers thought of this amazing book.

Simon & Schuster will also be celebrating on their Twitter page (@simonkids_UK), giving away exclusive early copies of Crescendo and updating you on all the tour action, tweeting reviews and posts as they come in. We’ll also be following Becca Fitzpatrick through her entire UK tour (more details on that to come later).

  

Feel free to spread the word about the CRESCENDO UK BLOG TOUR using the below banner on your blogs and websites! See you there!

Book Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

Product details:
Publisher: Black Swan.
Paperback, 272 pages.
Release date: April 22nd 2010 (first published 2009)
Ages: 14+
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

This is a simply beautiful book, and it is beautiful in it’s simplicity. Apart from the multitude of five-starred reviews I’d seen for If I Stay, I didn’t actually know much about the book or the direction the story would take before I read it, and I think that’s the best way to be where this one is concerned. I had no expectations at all when I started If I Stay, and I was pretty much blown away by the intensity of the storyline, and by Forman’s writing. In short, I loved this. Gayle Forman has written something pretty special here - raw, powerful, emotional and real, this is a life-affirming book, and one everyone should read. It will bring you down, lift you up, make you cry and stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

We are introduced to seventeen year old Mia as she sits down to breakfast with her family one morning. She has very cool parents, an adorable little brother called Teddy, and an exciting future ahead as she ponders her entry into college, and what that might mean for her relationship with long-term boyfriend, Adam. It’s a day like any other save for the fact that snow has fallen overnight, and Mia and Teddy now have an unexpected day off from school. To make the most of this, the family decide to make a fun day trip, visit some old friends, and stop off at a favourite used book store on the way back home. But that never happens, because there’s an accident…

In these opening pages, Forman lulls the reader into a false sense of security, and the shock, when it comes, is profound. In describing the accident, and it’s aftermath, Forman’s writing is gritty, real and unsettling. She invites you into Mia’s world through a series of flashbacks, in which present day Mia, now in a coma and fighting for her life in hospital reflects on the significant events in her life. While she still has a lot of lot to live for, she knows that her life will never be the same again if she decides to stay. This book takes you on a journey with Mia as she struggles to make her decision.

I thought everything about this book was pretty much perfect.  Forman writes wonderful characters, and I can honestly say that by the end of the book I cared about each and every one of them. I also loved the use of music throughout the book Mia is a gifted musician, her boyfriend Adam is in an upcoming band, and I loved reading about how their relationship evolved through music. Personally I love music just as much as I love to read, so I could totally relate to that aspect of the book. I loved the relationship between these two, and also that between Mia and her best friend Kim. All the relationships in this book were very real, and were a joy to read.

I think everyone who reads this book will be affected by it in some way. It’s a quick read, but oh so powerful. I was in tears by the end of the book, and shed even more tears when I read that this story was inspired by real life events. I should also point out that I rarely, if ever, cry at books, so this one had a pretty powerful effect. This is definitely up there with some of my favourite books of all time, and  I eagerly await it’s sequel, Where She Went in 2011.