Review: Breakable - Tammara Webber

Breakable by Tammara Webber, published by Penguin on 7th May 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Review:
'Breakable' is the exquisitely written and heart-breaking companion novel to Tammara Webber's 'Easy'.  This isn't a sequel but more of a prequel which takes the reader back to the beginning of Lucas and Jacqueline's relationship, presenting events from Lucas's point of view.  The story also encompasses Lucas's life before he met Jacqueline, when he went by his first name Landon and was an innocent teenage boy with his whole future ahead of him. Changed forever by an unspeakable tragedy, he has to try and put his life back together again, even when he has no idea what his future might hold.

Gut-wrenching in it's emotional intensity, 'Breakable' will quite literally break your heart in two.  Having already been familiar with certain aspects of Lucas's story from 'Easy'', I knew the terrible emotional trauma he had suffered but experiencing it all again and hearing about it in his words put it into a whole new perspective.  I felt like I developed a much greater understanding of his character and fell in love with him all over again.  I admired his integrity and determination to make something of himself and I enjoyed seeing his relationships develop with his best-friend Boyce and his Grandpa.  I also loved seeing how he felt about Jacqueline and the way in which he respected her and treasured her as something very precious. 

If you haven't yet read 'Easy' then you would still enjoy this book regardless but I would strongly urge you to get your hands on both books and allow Lucas and Jacqueline's stories to sweep you away.

I cried buckets at the end so be warned that you will definitely need a box of tissues to hand.  You will also need to clear your weekend and forget any plans you were going to make.  Believe me when I say that reading 'Breakable' is the best way you could possibly spend your Saturday.  Tammara Webber continues to astound me with her beautiful stories.  Originally a self-published phenomenon, I'm so glad that her novels have now found a wider audience and I look forward to joining her on the next stage of her writing journey.

Review: The Lovely and the Lost - Page Morgan

The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan, published by Hot Key Books on 1st May 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
Gabby and Ingrid may have saved their brother, but their journey is far from over. Ingrid must learn how to control her powers before they begin to control her. She wishes Luc would help her, but he's refusing... Meanwhile Gabby has thrown herself into the Alliance, despite the eye patch she now wears thanks to a hellhound. But there are major changes afoot. When Nolan returns from the trials of the traitorous Alliance members he brings his father and his cousin, whose first order is to remove Chelle, Ingrid, and Gabby from their duties - women are no longer welcome.

But Paris needs hunters, especially now murder is sweeping the city again. Whole families are being slaughtered in their sleep, at the dinner table - even while out in the family carriage. Just who or what is behind these slayings?

Review:
This is the sequel to 'The Beautiful and the Cursed' in Page Morgan's series about the Waverly sisters.  It feels like a long time ago since I read book one, so I was pleased that pivotal events were nicely recapped at the start.  This refreshed my memory of the characters and the plot so I was all set to read on and engross myself in the newest instalment. 

There is a lot going on in the story as we follow Ingrid, Gabby and their brother Grayson.  They find themselves becoming more and more embroiled in the actions of the Alliance, particularly Gabby and danger seems to be following at their heels.  There is plenty of mystery and action thrown in to keep the reader enthralled and there is also a generous dose of romance which I loved. 

Gabby is my favourite character in the series, so I enjoyed all the parts of the book which centred around her.  She desperately wants to be a member of the Alliance and she wants to learn to fight and defend herself and others.  She is stubborn and determined but also extremely brave which I admired.  Her budding romance with Nolan was one of my favourite things about the book.  They work so well together and I loved all of their interactions. 

The will they, won't they romance also continues between Ingrid and Luc, although adding Vander to the mix turns this into somewhat of a love triangle.  I can't wait to see how things will eventually be resolved between them. 

I found the middle part of the story a little slow at times, but the beginning and the ending were so good that they more than made up for this.  My absolute favourite thing about this series is still the wonderful setting of Paris in 1900 which lends a dark and moody atmosphere to events and lends itself nicely to the gothic and supernatural elements of the book. 

If you enjoyed the first book in this series then you will undoubtedly find yourself hooked on the sequel which left me with a lot of questions still about how Page Morgan plans to resolve things for all the characters.    

Review: Run - Gregg Olsen

Run by Gregg Olson, published by Hot Key Books on 1st May 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
What if you discovered that everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie?

Rylee is fifteen. She comes home from school one afternoon to find the most shocking thing possible - her father dead, with a knife through his heart, and a key clutched in his hand. Her mother's purse is on the counter, but she appears to be long gone. A message in blood is written on the floor... RUN.

With her brother in tow, Rylee begins a dark journey, one that will uncover horrific and chilling crimes and lead her to an unexpected and gruesome discovery about her real father and what - or who - is behind his insatiable desire to kill. By the journey's end Rylee's childhood is a long way behind her...

Review:
Fast-paced, bloody and unflinchingly brutal, 'Run' is a book you will not be able to put down.  It is a scary and terrifying suspense thriller which will keep you on your toes the whole way through. 

Rylee and her younger brother Hayden go on the run after their father is murdered and their mother disappears.  They have been trained for this but nothing could have prepared Rylee for the truth she is about to discover.  A truth which will change her whole life forever.  I had my theories at the start about Rylee and her family and why they had moved so many times and assumed different identities but I was so wide of the mark that my original thoughts seem ridiculous now.  The actual reason behind it all was utterly terrifying and shocking and very, very scary.

As I was reading 'Run', half of me didn't want to know what was going to happen next and the other half of me was impatient to tear through the story and see what lay in store for Rylee.  She is a pretty spectacular main character.  She is strong, courageous, determined and resourceful and she is brilliantly depicted as a whirlwind force of nature that has one goal in sight - to get her mother back.  I was gripped by her journey and the way in which she refused to back down or give up, even when she was confronted by some horrible revelations.  I enjoyed following her as she put all the clues together and came up with some clever ways of tracking her mother down.  

The content of the story is extremely hard-hitting and there are some disturbing scenes in the book which I wouldn't recommend for younger readers.  The ending in particular is full on and although it is brilliantly truthful to Rylee's character, did cause my jaw to drop big time.  I may even have wanted to hide behind the sofa at times!

Gregg Olsen has written an incredible book and never once takes his foot off of the gas.  'Run' is the first in his Vengeance series, which will be followed soon by 'Hunt'.  I can't even begin to imagine what lies in wait for Rylee next but I'm eager to follow her as she takes her next steps.        

Review: Cuckoo Song - Frances Hardinge

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge, published by Macmillan Children's Books on 8th May 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows that something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry; her sister seems scared of her and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest find the truth she must travel into the terrifying Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family - before it's too late...

Review:
This is the second book I've read by Frances Hardinge, after 'A Face Like Glass' which I adored.  Although I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, there is no doubt that Hardinge really knows how to craft a story which immerses you completely within it's pages and which whisks you away from reality. 

'Cuckoo Song' is a creepy fantasy about Triss, who's not Triss.  She wakes up after an accident with strange longings and cravings.  She knows who she is but at the same time she doesn't.  She recognises her mother, father and younger sister Pen, but the latter seems to look at her with true hatred and Triss can't understand why nothing feels quite as it should.  As the story progresses, it twists and turns deeper into the fantasy realm where the truth about what really happened to Triss is stranger than anything I could have ever imagined. 

Family is an important theme in the book.  After the death of their son during the war, Triss's mother and father want to keep her at home, safe with them, but their behaviour is suffocating.  Triss can't grow up while they are constantly fussing over her and trying to stop her from going to school or having any friends.  Their attention is poisonous without them even realising it.  The relationship between Triss and her sister Pen was one of my favourite things about the book.  It starts off fractured and almost broken but things change for both of them and they begin to gain a better understanding of one another.

The story is a delicious blend of magic and fantasy which will entrance readers as they follow Triss on a journey of self-discovery and reconciliation.  Although not my favourite of Hardinge's books, I was still in awe of the unique and original plot which kept me glued to the pages.   

Cover reveal: Atlantia - Ally Condie

I'm very excited about Ally Condie's forthcoming new book 'Atlantia'.  The cover was revealed a couple of days ago, so here it is.  What do you think?  I really like the cover art which is simple but extremely striking. 

In Atlantia, the heroine, Rio, is thrown into a precarious and upsetting situation after her twin sister, Bay, opts to leave their underwater world for "Above" first. Since only one family member can leave for the surface, Rio is then "left with increasingly dangerous questions about the complex political and religious system constructed to govern the fragile divide between land and sea."

 

Dutton Children's publisher Julie Strauss-Gabel said Atlantia features "an underwater world as complex and surprising as the one Cassia must unravel in Matched, and a heroine who must, literally, gain strength and confidence to find her true voice." For Condie, the new book was all about her heroine.

 

The author said that she always wanted to create an underwater world – which is one reason she wrote Atlantia – but what kept her coming back to the story was Rio. "When I left the manuscript to take care of something else, I always felt that she was calling me back.”

 

Source: publishersweekly.com

Blog Tour: Love, Lies and Lemon Pies - Katy Cannon

Today I'm kicking off the blog tour for Katy Cannon's fabulous new book 'Love, Lies and Lemon Pies' which is out tomorrow from Stripes Publishing.

 
Review:
This book sounded exactly like my cup of tea and proved to be a real five star read!

The story is about a group of teenagers who form an unexpected friendship when they all join the school's new Bake Club.  It centres mainly on Lottie, who, desperate to escape her problems at home, throws herself into her passion for baking - a way for her to feel close to her deceased father.  Although she tries to keep the truth about her home life secret from her teachers and her fellow students, because of her involvement in the club she makes new friendships, finds romance and gradually learns how to open up to those around her. 

I love the fact that the characters perhaps wouldn't have ordinarily have become friends but because of Bake Club they form a solid friendship through their shared love of baking.  They begin to help each other with their personal problems and their bond with each other was something that I really loved.  There are some great secondary characters in the story and I found myself wanting to know more about all of them.    

The romance between Lottie and Mac is so sweet and cute.  He's the school bad boy but underneath his tough exterior he is a caring and considerate boy.  He's misjudged by a lot of the adults in the book but with Lottie by his side he begins to turn his life around and build a new future for himself.     

What I particularly adored about this book was the way it combined my love of reading and baking.  I am a massive baking fan and I never miss an episode of the Great British Bake Off, therefore I absolutely loved the bonus addition of some wonderfully tasty recipes.  I've already made the pumpkin pie and blueberry muffins and the chocolate chip cookies* are to die for! 

Like Lottie and co, when I'm baking, I forget about everything else that I have to do and just focus on the mixing, beating, measuring and stirring.  This is captured perfectly in the pages of the story and was something I loved about the overall book which was truly as sweet and delicious as a cupcake! 

Katy Cannon's next book is out in February 2015 and will be called 'Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines'.  It's already top of my list of books I absolutely need to buy next year.

*To celebrate the release of the book I've made my favourite recipe.  Here's my batch of chocolate chip cookies just after they've been taken out of the oven.  This is the worst bit for me because I'm always impatient to eat one before they've cooled down.  I usually can't resist because the chocolate is still warm and gooey. 

I realised when I was making these that I'd run out of chocolate chips.  I know, disaster!  But I found a bar of milk chocolate in the cupboard which I used instead and so they have lovely, chunky bits of chocolate in.  I bet Mac would love these!

 

This is just one of the lovely recipes in the book.  I'm going to follow in Bake Club's footsteps and try making them all.  For now, I'm off to put my feet up with a plate of cookies and start reading 'Love, Lies and Lemon Pies' all over again.  

 

 

Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour for Katy Cannon's new book.  There are lots of great features planned for the week.