The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Release Date: September 27th
Number of Pages: 452 Pages

So, I know this book has been out for a while now, but this book is simply terrific! I was searching for something to read this weekend and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was recommended to me. As I read the synopsis, I just knew I would fall in love with it!

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

If I could, I would give Michelle Hodkin a big hug for writing this book. It has everything in it, all the components of a good book. I had a blast this weekend.
Mara is a great main character, for me one of the best. She is strong and decided, she knows what she wants to do and does it. I loved how her power is not something you would wish for yourself. So it was really refreshing that her power is actually something bad rather than something good like in other books. In the beginning of the book she was involved in an accident surrounded by mystery. It was great to find out little by little more about this accident and to be surprised by it. The flashbacks were also a great way to show what happened that night. I would totally recommend reading this book with the lights on! It's full of suspense and I must say I was afraid of looking into the mirror for a day haha! Hodkin confuses us a lot in the book. She leaves you guessing what is real or what is a hallucionation. Sometimes I couldn't tell one from the other! Kind of amazing. In Mara's first day at school she meets a new mysterious but obviously gorgeous. But her new friend, Jamie, warns her that Noah is bad news. Hodkin makes you wonder what secrets Noah is keeping from Mara and if he is really as trustworthy as it seems. Noah's secrets are surprising and mysterious, indeed.


On the whole it was such an amazing read. I loved this book and it certainly is on my list of the best of 2011. Hodkin's writing is wonderful and leaves you wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel, which will be released in fall 2012. See below the equally great trailer of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I'm sure you will want to read this book just by watching this awesome trailer!

Clockwork Prince : Book Trailer!

Hey guys! With only 8 days to go, the full book trailer of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare has been released! Here is the link, if you want to watch it:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/11/28/clockwork-prince-by-cassandra-clare-book-trailer-exclusive/#more-11749

Oh man, just by watching it, I feel like I should read it again ! Such an amazing book!

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: 15th November
Number of Pages: 342
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

One thing you must know before you start this book is that this book is more similar to X-Men than to The Hunger Games. At first I thought had more dystopia in it, but I was disappointed, because the The Reestablishment and the world's situation were more like a background story. Maybe we will find out more about the enemy in the next book. Shatter Me is actually a beatiful written love story. With superpowers! The first chapter really gives you the feeling of loneliness that the main character, Juliette, must feel all the time. I enjoyed Mafi's unique writing very much and I found funny how everytime Juliette thought something she didn't want to say outloud it would be strikethrough. One day in prison a mysterious but gorgeous guy called Adam appears in her cell. Adam is full of surprises. My feelings towards him changed frequently through the book and I still don't know if he is trustworthy, but I guess we will find out in future books (Shatter Me will be a trilogy). The secondary characters also caught my attention. The bad guy, Warner, was weird, but likable. Adam's friend from the military was also really enjoyable to read. I loved him from the time he appeared. Towards the end of the book his part in the story gets bigger and that made me happy. Hopefully we will learn more about him in the sequel, who knows, maybe he will even compete for Juliette's heart against Adam. I think the whole book was like a introduction for the ending. Because in the end I finally understood the connection between X-Men and Shatter Me. The sentences in the cover describe really well the transformation Juliette goes though. Seeing her ability as something lethal in the beginning to seeing it as a power in the end.

I was a bit skeptical before I started reading it, but the book grew in me. The beginning started slowly but in the end you just can't wait for the sequel. I would recommend reading it :)

Here is the book trailer for Shatter Me:



The Hunger Games - Trailer

Oh my god! I just found out that the theatrical trailer for The Hunger Games was released last week! I'm going to post the trailer here for those of you, who were as uninformed as I was :)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

This must have been the most weirdly amazing book I've ever read. I know it's been out for about two monthts, but I just reread it last week and it still can't get out of my head. The cover got my attention first, but it wasn't long till the story got me addicted. Here is the synopsis according to Goodreads :

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The first time I read what this book was about, I was intrigued. I couldn't imagine a story, in which teeth and handprints were something important. My curiosity won me over and I started reading it immediately. I was fascinated by it from page one. Karou is a great main character, she makes you like her from the beginning. She is also a mystery and I was captivated. I couldn't wait to know more about her.

Karou grew up with a few Chimaera, who she regardes them as her family. They are sweet and sympathetic, even if the angels don't have the same opinion as me.

There is a war between the angels and the Chimaera, but the demons have been winning for a long time. But now the angels are back with full force. In this war teeth play an important role. Unfortunately for Karou, she falls in love with an angel, Akiva. Akiva is so well-written. First I really thought he was bad, but his transformation in the end of the book is palpable. Zuzana, Karou's best friend, is a great character, too. She balances the supernatural and the normal sides of Karou. I like how Karou still tries to have a normal life and Zuzana is a big part of it.

The fact that Laini Taylor chose Prag as the main city of this book, also impressed me. The city gives the story a different touch, being small and romantic but still withholding secrets, this city would also be my first choice for this book. But Karou doesn't always stay in Prag, she travels a lot and I enjoyed reading about all the different places. I was even a bit jealous when she went to Paris, oh my.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone managed to surprise me more than other books have. There were stuff that I didn't even imagine happening in it, nevertheless they did. Which is kind of awesome!

Laini's writing is astonishing, and I'm not surprised that her book was nominated several times as one of the best books of the year. This book is dazzling and if you haven't read it yet, now is the time to start.

Here is the full book trailer for Daughter of Smoke and Bone :

Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare

Well, when I received my Clockwork Prince copy in the mail, I didn't imagine it would be such a journey reading it. This book was so enthralling that when I finished it, I just started reading it all over again. I'm a huge fan of Cassandra Clare and I didn't believe that she could outdo herself, but once again she proved me wrong and showed me why she is one of my favorite writers! This book will make you read all day and all night, hours straight and you won't even realise that time has passed you by. The mix of feelings in this book also made me wonder if Cassandra Clare has some secret power of her own, she just can make you feel for each character and each of their feelings. One minute I was laughing and the next I just wanted to cry with a big chocolate bar ( and of course sometimes I just wanted to hit my head against the wall and yell: Why, Ms. Clare, why?!) The book is really well-written and for me is her best book yet. I just love how she can make me empathise with all her characters, now I can't even make up my mind about Will and Jem (and I was in team Will! but now I just can't decide). I must also show love for Tessa. I didn't like her that much in Clockwork Angel, but after Clockwork Prince I think she found her way into my heart. Charlotte and Henry were so cute in this book, I was really happy for them and I hope it will stay that way in Clockwork Princess. The new characters also fit the story, though they didn't have big appearances. Jessamine kind of disappointed me in this book, I really thought she would improve and be a better person, but now I like her even less than before.
The hot scenes in this book are totally awesome! Cassandra Clare writes such scenes so well (and others too, of course) that I really jealous of Tessa. Why can she make out with totally hot guys in the course of few days and I'm just here laying on my bed?!! And I can't forget to mention Magnus Bane! He is one of my favorite characters ever, and everytime Magnus appeared I couldn't stop smiling to myself. He is funny, sweet and just a really well-written characters, can't wait to see more of him in future books!
 There were some events that really shocked me, but that is no surprise, Cassandra's writing is one that could give you a heart attack ;)! The only problem with this book is that it isn't a 500 pages longer! But I would equally happy if Clockwork Princess would be in my mail tomorrow (but I won't get my hopes up)!

This book is probably one of the most-awaited books of 2011 and one of the best, too. It won't disappoint and it's totally worth buying it, believe me. I'm rather sad that it ended and now I'll have to wait a long, long year. But let's find comfort in waiting for the release of City of Lost Souls, which will be released May 8th. Clockwork Prince will be released December 6th, so don't forget to pre-order it if you haven't done it already!

Here is one of my favorite sentences of Clockwork Prince:
" I feel myself dissolving, vanishing into nothingness, for if there is no one in the world who cares for you, do you really exist at all?"       - Page 183

The Pledge - Kimberly Derting

Hi guys! So here's is the review for the book I read this week! Let's start by recommending "The Body Finder" also by Kimberly Derting. It's about a girl, who has the power to sense dead bodies, and this ability is really useful when a serial killer comes to her town. It's a nice book and it has two sequels, so you can enjoy the story a little longer :)

The Pledge is also going to be a trilogy, and I already can't wait for the next one. The story is different and I think books are more enjoyable when the story is fresh, not similar to other book you have read. So here's the synopsis according to Goodreads:

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed. Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

This book was a page-turner. I coudn't stop reading it and I found myself staying up late on a school night to finish it. The story is mysterious, so that I was really surprised when the secrets of Charlaina's power were revealed. The love story is also really nice, but maybe Kimberly could have waited a bit longer to develop the romance. But I totally enjoyed that Charlaina was a bit hard to get at the beggining. She is a strong female main character and does everything to protect her younger sister, Angelina, who by the way has her own mystery. I found every characters really interesting, because there were secrets envolving each character. 
There is also a mean queen in this book, but it was cool that in this book there are only queens and no kings. Only girls can rule the country: GIRL POWER! Other thing that make this book enthralling is that the story is not only told from Charlaina's point of view but also from other characters' POV, like from the Queen, Max,.. The only problem with this book was the ending. I thought the ending of this book was going to be the ending of the trilogy! But I guess that's not really a negative point, because that really surprised me and now I keep asking myself what's to come in the sequel.
It was a really enjoyable book and I would recommend for people, who are fans of dystopia.

What are you reading?

Hello guys! Just wanted to ask you all a quick question, what are you all reading? I just started reading The Pledge by Kimberly Derting, and I'm really enjoying it! If you aren't reading anything at the moment, I would totally recommend this book! I'm going to write a review of it soon, so if you rather wait and decide afterwards, come back soon for an update :) ! Leave a comment telling me what you are reading and if it's a good book, maybe I'll even read it myself! Can't wait to hear which book is getting your attention..

Inheritance - Christopher Paolini

Hello guys! Im so so sorry for the delay, I just had a lot to do for school so I didn't have much time to finish reading Inheritance. But I did end it today, finally. So let's get down to business ! First I would recommend reading the other books Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr, but if you think that it's too much at least read Brisingr. But if you don't have a lot of time in your hands, fear not, because in the beginning there is a brief summary about everything that happened till Inheritance. I must say now that I was never such a Eragon fan. I never could remember the characters' names and then I was for the most part confused, but then if you have a better memory than me this was never a problem. Nevertheless I read this book because I don't like not knowing how the story will end. But the outcome indeed surprised me.
I enjoyed this book immensely while the other three failed to grab my attention. Inheritance has everything the others lacked: enough mystery to make me want answers, romance (not enough though!), suspense and a lot of action, although the other ones did have action in them but not as this one. The war is really on this time and the different characters' point of view makes the book exciting. We can really imagine the battles they fight, as we get to watch it from every point of view. And Christopher Paolini's writing doesn't make it all that difficult to imagine; for he describes everything in details. I also enjoyed some nice surprises throughout the book. But the big surprise and a small disappointment (for me) was the ending. I was so sure about the ending of Inheritance before reading it, but the ending was totally different from what I imagined it! But it was nice ending, anyway. Another nice thing was that the book still goes on even after the war has ended. I love to know what will happen to the characters once something big happens. Most books end after a big event and you don't receive a lot of information about the characters' future. I'm sure a lot of you like it to imagine the future of your beloved characters, but I don't. I like to know what the author of the book imagines because he was the one who created in the first place. But anyway this book was great! And I'm glad I decided to read it even after not enjoying the other three. It was a nice ending for the long-awaited conclusion of the Inheritance cycle.
Ps.: For those of you, who haven't read Eragon I would strongly recommend thinking before buying the book. If you are a big fan of action then this book may just be what you are looking for. I guess fans of Lord of the Rings would enjoy this book, too.

Solstice - P.J. Hoover

Hello guys! Today I'm going to review this book called Solstice. This book came out on September 1, but I think it didn't get the attention it deserved. This book is really really good, that's why I thought I more people should know about it! I'm a huge fan of dystopia, as said before, but this book has something other dystopian book do not have: Greek Mythology! I know maybe some of you will be skeptical about this mix, but I found it refreshing. It's different than the other popular dystopian books you probably have read already. The book is also about Global Warming, a subject we've grown accostumed to nowadays. Tremedous heat threatens to destroy the Earth, and after eighteen years of this heat, Earth is suffering a slow death. And this is when Piper's story begins. She is regular girl, who has an overly overprotective mother and as far as she knows a bad guy for a father. Her best friend Chloe is also a cool character but she doesn't play such a big role in the book. So one day at school two gorgeous guys show up. Both want to have her, and both claim to know her, which is kind of weird and great for her. Both of them are really important to the story and they are the key to the whole mythical thing. The love triangle creates a good struggle for Piper, but in the end you just know who she will pick. For those of you wondering, the story is actually about Hades and Persephone and this book does justice to it. I also think it's great how the global warming and the myth are intertwined.  Overall this book makes a great read. It has action, romance, mystery..what more can you wish for in a book?! Read this book if you are searching for something different to read, it's really worth your time and money, believe me.

"Epic Contest of Epic" - Beth Revis

So Beth Revis, the author of Across the Universe, is doing a contest on her blog! You only have to write your name and adress to take part in it, and then wait and see! She will give a 100 prizes away and there's only one catch: she won't announce any winners, you will have to open your mailbox and hope something will be there! I think that's awesome, because then you will really be surprised!
Here is the link of the contest on her blog:

http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2010/12/epic-contest-of-epic.html

Crossed - Ally Condie

The second book of the Matched trilogy is out! And it doesn't disappoint either.
 For those of you, who doesn't know about this book, here is the book description, according to amazon.com: In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Well, I must say I just loved this book! I read Matched a few months ago and I just couldn't wait to read the next one. I finished the book in a day and now I'm itching for the next one. This book is a must read for those, who enjoy dystopia and it has a lot of romance in it, too! I find this a great mix, love and dystopia. Of course, those of you, who love Xander may have to wait for the last book in the trilogy, because he doesn't make a big appearance. But those of you, who are big Ky fans (ME!) will really enjoy reading it. The history is told from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, which makes the book even more enjoyable. I found myself reading a chapter written from Cassia's point of view and when it was finished, I would read Ky's chapter as quickly as possible to know what would happen to Cassia, and vice versa.
The Society doesn't make such big appearance as in Matched, but it's in the background of the whole book. We are introduced to new characters called Indie, Vick, Eli and Hunter. And for once I can't complain about any of them. They are really well written and they suit the story very well. I can't wait to know more about them!
I can't wait for the next book! This trilogy has caught my attention from the beginning and now I am hooked. This book is one I recommend. If you haven't read Matched yet, I would recommend reading it before starting to read this one.