News: Beautiful Creatures: Official Illustrated Movie Companion

I'm really looking forward to seeing the big screen adaptation of 'Beautiful Creatures' by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia when it hits cinema screens next month. 

Until then Puffin have just published the official illustrated movie companion which looks amazing and should keep fans busy until February.  The cover art is fantastic and if possible, I think I'm even more excited now! 

This ultimate visual companion is lavishly illustrated with full-colour photos of the cast, locations, and sets. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the film-making process.

Review: Paper Valentine - Brenna Yovanoff

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff, published by Simon and Schuster on 3rd January 2013 

Goodreads synopsis:
The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor's peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian's ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah's just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn't there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realises that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life - and it's up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Review:
I was really looking forward to starting 'Paper Valentine'.  The plot sounded intriguing, the cover art looked amazing and I had previously enjoyed Brenna Yovanoff's other books so thought I would love this one too.  Sadly, although I liked some aspects of this title, on the whole it didn't live up to my expectations and my interest had tailed off a lot by the end. 

The story is about teenager Hannah who is still coming to terms with the death of her best friend Lillian when other girls in her home town of Ludlow start turning up dead.  These girls have been murdered and then their bodies left to be found, surrounded by a strange assortment of objects.  Hannah has to try and stop the Valentine killer before they claim another victim.

Although the plot sounds fairly straight forward it does have an unusual twist in that Hannah can see Lillian's ghost.  This was an interesting dimension to the book, as was the fact that Lillian died because she was anorexic.  Hannah is dealing with feelings of both guilt and anger about this.  She thinks that she should have done more to try and save her friend but she's also angry that Lillian didn't do more to help herself. 

The characters in the book are incredibly well depicted.  I enjoyed seeing the close relationship between Hannah and her younger sister Ariel, as well as the romance which develops between Hannah and local boy Finny.  He has family problems of his own but their friendship was sweet and real and one of my favourite things about 'Paper Valentine'.  Finny has a rough edge to him and doesn't always do the right thing but he has the potential to be so much more if people would just give him a chance.

I found the story quite slow going at times and I have to admit that I was disappointed at the ending which just didn't seem to be entirely plausible.  I kept waiting for a proper explanation for the killer's actions and when this failed to materialise I felt a bit short changed.  I would still suggest that fans of Brenna Yovanoff's writing give this one a go, particularly if looking for a spooky and unusual read but unfortunately it wasn't for me. 

News: Special extras for Vortex - Julie Cross

To celebreate the release of 'Vortex', the second book in Julie Cross's time travelling series, My Kinda Book are hosting lots of special extras for readers to enjoy.   Visit their website or click on one of the links below for some exciting extra content.

Read the first chapter of Vortex

Read a diary entry from Jackson's agent training

Read a deleted scene from Tempest and Vortex

Uncensored extra content from Tempest (must be 16 or older to read)

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, all that changes when Holly—the girl he altered history to save—re-enters his life. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents find themselves under attack and on the run. 

I haven't read 'Vortex' yet but as soon as I do, I'll be sharing my review of the book!  Have you read it yet?  If so, let me know in comments what you thought.

Review: Burning Bright - Sophie McKenzie

Burning Bright by Sophie McKenzie, published by Simon and Schuster on 3rd January 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
Four months have passed and River and Flynn are still going strong. But things are not perfect. Flynn continues to fly into unprovoked rages, and when River tells her mum, she is banned from seeing him. Fighting to stay together, they end up being torn apart. Is it all over for River and Flynn?

Review:
This is the second book in Sophie McKenzie's series about the teenage romance between River and Flynn.  Yet again it has a gorgeous cover which is beautiful and made me itch to pick it up and start reading.

The story follows Flynn and River and their volatile relationship.  River loves him wholly and completely but struggles to deal with Flynn's explosive temper.  Her parents and friends don't approve of him either but she can't imagine living without him.  McKenzie depicts the intensity of their relationship which quite often seems to be stifling and claustrophobic.  They are together as much as they can be but don't often give each other any space without one or the other of them feeling jealous.  River trusts Flynn but he doesn't always seem to give her good reason to and some of his actions in the book thoroughly test her patience and her loyalty. 

I liked the realistic aspect of the story, which shows that true love doesn't always run smoothly.  A lot of obstacles are placed between River and Flynn and it was interesting to see how they handled these.  River has to face her mother's disapproval of her choice of boyfriend and Flynn has home problems of his own with his father appearing back on the scene.  He also has to finally acknowledge that he may have the same unpredictable temperament as the father he hates which threatens to come between him and River.

This was a quick read and I finished it in one evening, in part to the fact that the story was so enjoyable I couldn't put it down.  I'm looking forward to finding out what will happen next in the third book in the series 'Casting Shadows'.

Review: Through to You - Emily Hainsworth

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth, published by Simon and Schuster on 3rd January 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.

The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

Review:
'Through to You' is the debut novel of author Emily Hainsworth.  The idea for the book is utterly brilliant and incredibly clever.  It deals with a boy whose girlfriend has died in a car accident.  Cam is devastated at the loss and is struggling to go on with his life without her when he discovers that there is a parallel world where she still exists.

I absolutely loved the concept for 'Through to You'.  I was fascinated by the thought that there could be other realities out there.  I mean who wouldn't want to know what their alternative life could be like.  This discovery provides a lifeline for Cam who finds out that in this other reality, his girlfriend Viv is still alive and well and he can see her, talk to her and touch her.  Things however, don't all seem to be as he is expecting and soon secrets are unravelled and revelations revealed which change everything. 

The story started quite slowly with the first part focusing on Cam's grief and the downward spiral he is on since losing Viv, who was like his other half.  The pace picked up quite a bit in the middle and there was a mind-blowing twist at the end which I loved.  If you do struggle at the start with how slow and somewhat confusing the book initially is, then I would advise you to persevere because otherwise you will miss what turns out to be a brilliant read.     

I enjoyed the fact that the book had a male narrator and Cam's voice came across clearly and distinctly, making him an appealing figure.  He shows real growth throughout as he tries to rebuild his life and makes some tough decisions about his future.  Quite often, I don't get on well with books which provide a male point of view, but this was an exception because Cam is such a great character.

I really don't want to say too much about the plot or the characters because this is definitely the type of book that you want to read without having been spoiled in advance.  There are twists and turns and moments of complete surprise which combine to make this a fabulous story and a top read!

Trailer: Night School - Legacy - C.J. Daugherty

On 3rd January 2013, book two 'Legacy' in the Night School series by C.J. Daugherty is published by Atom.  Although I actually haven't started reading this series yet, I do have the first book, am planning to buy the second and have heard fantastic things about them from my fellow bloggers. 

 

In the last year, Allie's survived three arrests, two breakups and one family breakdown. The only bright point has been her new life at Cimmeria Academy. It's the one place she's felt she belongs. And the fact that it's brought the dreamy Carter West into her life hasn't hurt...But far from being a safe haven, the cloistered walls of Cimmeria are proving more dangerous than Allie could've imagined. The students, and faculty, are under threat and Allie's family - from her mysterious grandma to her runaway brother - are at the centre of the storm. Allie is going to have to choose between protecting her family and trusting her friends. But secrets have a way of ripping even the strongest relationships apart...

 

To whet your appetite, here's the awesome trailer for the book -