Book Review: Zan Gah - A Prehistoric Adventure

“She began to move warily in a circle as the men tightened the trap, and as they got closer the lioness began to stride and prowl in a circle so small that she almost seemed to be chasing her tail. But she was watching, watching while she turned and snarled, for a weakness in the ever-tightening ring of her pursuers. Then, at the moment the attack finally was sounded--when the men, putting down their drums and torches, charged on the run with their spears--the lioness saw what she was looking for. One of her enemies was smaller, weaker than the rest. There was a point in the strengthening line that could be broken! Thought merged with furious action and the beast, with a mighty bound of astonishing swiftness, darted toward Zan. Five hundred pounds of snarling fury sprang directly at him with claws bared and fanged mouth open!”

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure has hardly started. A bad conscience and concern for Dael, his missing brother, cause Zan to begin a search which will lead him to captivity, conflict, love, and victory. In a time of war, the hero goes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood, and a role of leadership among his people.

It's about survival, discovery, a long search, and a good fight.

With the saturation of the YA market with futuristic and dystopian adventure novels, reading Zan Gah was my fresh distraction. When Earthshaker books asked me whether I wanted to review the book I could never have said no even if I wanted to. I'm an aspiring archaeologist, and the fact that Zan Gah features adventure with my archaeological weakness ... you get the point.

Zan Gah is a fast-paced, vivid and riveting read that excited my adventurous, archaeology-crazy self. The prehistoric landscape at which the adventures of Zan Gah were set was richly depicted and impressively pictured. Never was the description overpowering - it was just a delicate balance of the right words, which supported well the prehistoric setting. At certain scenes, I could almost see it as vividly as if I myself were part of Zan Gah's adventures and misfortunes; there were times I felt as if my ears have been filled with war cries and drum beats and my heart racing even though I was quite at peace reading on the lounge. Such is Allan Richard Shickman's talent in story-telling that I, a reader from the faraway future, almost tangibly experienced the adventure and appreciated, not to mention completely envied, the beauty of the unrestrained nature of Zan Gah's time.

Each of the characters in the book were well drawn and were given sufficient attention, so each of them grows to be relatable, admirable, individual and most of all alive. Personally it is this fact - that I found the characters so wholly described and personified that they take on life - that made the adventures in the book so engaging. I also vastly enjoyed each of the clans and the respective culture that is introduced to the reader as Zan Gah interacts with them. Best of all, I value the brotherhood that drives the hero - the bond he shares with his twin, Dael, but also with his family, friends, Rydl and Chul, and neighouring comrades.

Although the book starts off slow and have few and ignorable inconsistencies with its pacing, I found that the tension was set well and Shickman's ability to pull the strings together and let go of the tension at the most crucial point in the plot proves well to its readers. The writing style reminds me of Philip Pullman, the master story teller whose works I can only praise. Indeed, Shickman's Zan Gah is well suited for both the young and the old, and everyone else in between.

Having said that however, I must also mention that the cover completely deprives the book justice. One look at it and I would never have inched closer to it on a bookstore shelf. Such beautiful, award-winning book deserves more than the less-than-flattering cover. Although an important aspect of the plot, I think the lioness is not the definitive part of the novel, so I keep wondering why it is featured so prominently on the cover. More so, the cover makes the book look as if it is a children's picture book, which is completely misleading as it is very well capable of catering to the older generation.

Nonetheless, do not let the cover deter you! Zan Gah is an exciting adventurous read sure to entertain both the young and the old.

Four stars.

*Thank you to Earthshaker Books for providing me with a signed review copy!

CRESCENDO Summary and Cover reveal deets!

Becca just FB-ed this news - it literally made me jump out of the chair I'm currently perched on and scream. Hell, yes. I have been patiently waiting, and I just about had it!

OMG OMG OMG. Here we go!

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy, Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Marcie Millar? Seriously? No way. No, no way. Oh hell, I can't think properly. All I know is, this HAS to be good! 

Thoughts?

Book Cover: Return to Paradise (confirmed w/ Simone!)

This has not been confirmed yet been confirmed by the ever so lovely Simone Elkeles!  My word - is this the cover for the eagerly awaited sequel to Simone Elkeles' Leaving Paradise? (I am holding out my OMG OMG OMG OMG squeeeeeeeaaaal!)

I have sinned with that book! Thoughts, anyone?
Sorry, I can't even be coherent. I'm gushing!

Book Review: The Body Finder (Kimberly Derting)

A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.


Kimberly Derting's debut novel is a nothing less than a masterpiece. Wonderfully expressed, The Body Finder mersmerises readers with ease. Violet Ambrose's special ability is both disconcerting and fascinating at once - and believable. Derting has pulled of writing about her abilities well. It is an intricate weave of thrill, mystery and romance, incorporating into a beautiful story that I could only praise. The mystery component and the romance factor are equally important and delicately weighed, balanced out expertly such that where the mystery takes a backseat, the romance takes over.


Delivered in both the perspective of the protagonist, Violet, and that of the hunter - the serial 'killer' - it sets up a vivid, chilling account of the mysterious disappearances around Violet's county. The suspense is palpable - as I was reading I was very much engaged in every bit of fear and fright that surrounds the plot. The suspense and uncertainty of events in The Body Finder would literally grip you until the last pages of the book. I wasn't quite certain how it would end - and that, my friends, would literally make you want to just bloody get to the end - after which you would sulk (like I am now) because it's such a wonderful book and what are you going to read now? It cannot end!


The romance is impeccable - Derting has detailed a sensitive, believable, even flustering love story that would surely delight every reader. Violet's attraction to Jay Heaton - her best friend of all people - and her attempt and failures at managing this attraction, is something young adult readers would relate to. The painful possibility of rejection and unrequired love, not to mention the ruining of a life-long friendship, all of which Violet has to consider in her every reaction to her endearing best friend/crush displays a certain sensitivity that Derting possess. And she has executed romance in this book so wonderfully, I almost wanted to pray for my personal Jay Heaton. Believe me, just the romance part itself makes the book worth every penny. 


I loved all the characters in the book. Violet Ambrose was a very unique individual - however Derting has never made her unreachable to her readers. Violet has maintained normality, even relatability throughout the novel. Jay Heaton - oh my - pictured as a perfect bestfriend (at times, too perfect) is endearing, humorous and dreamy. The secondary characters were all in their own merits, loveable. I personally admire how Derting incorporates family bond, friendship and general human affections into the unpredictability of the book.


The Body Finder is a definite must read for thriller and romance lovers alike - Derting has managed to strike a delicate balance between the two, and you will never ever regret reading this. Fantastic!


Five Stars!

Beautiful Darkness book cover revealed!

Some secrets are life-altering...

Others are life ENDING.

I like the starry background, the seemingly-perfect Ravenwood Manor (I'm assuming) gate - and blue! They chose blue! :)

The blurb is amazing too - Kami and Margaret are amazing at plots and twists and I can't wait for the surprise held by Beautiful Darkness!

Book Review: Forever (Judy Blume)

Katherine and Michael meet at a New Year's Eve party. They're attracted to each other, they grow to love each other. And once they've decided their love is forever, they make love. It's the beginning of an intense and exclusive relationship, with a future all planned. Until Katherine's parents insist that she and Michael put their love to the test with a summer apart..."Forever" is written for an older age group than Judy Blume's other novels for children. It caused a storm of controversy when it was first published because of its explicit sexual content. It was a book ahead of its time - and remains, after thirty years in print, a teenage best-seller. America's No. 1 children's author has written some of the best books of our time about real-life issues - family stress and pressures, what happens when your parents divorce, the problems of growing up and sexual awakening, bereavement - with insight, sensitivity and honesty. The response of readers all around the world continues to make her one of the best-loved writers ever published.

Three decades after its publication, Forever remains to be one of the most controversial and most debated YA novel around. It was what attracted me to the book - surely I could learn a thing or two from such an open novel, right?

I did...well not enjoy, exactly, but more like  appreciate...the themes the novel touched on. Although not in depth, there are more controversial issues highlighted within the novel: gender issues, depression, parental relations, contraceptions, etc. I must applaud the author for incorporating such varied and controversial themes all within Katherine's perspective, and in a manner that seems realistic and true. It underscores how in each of our lives, these important issues linger. As a mature reader I would have wanted a lot more depth and outlook into these themes - but I think the novel works effectively for younger teens.

It is explicit at times, but the subtle descriptions only shine enough light to allow it (just about) to be read by fifteen, sixteen year olds. I'm sure they can relate to Katherine's dilemmas and decisions in Forever, and learn more than a mature reader like me.


Despite this, I found Forever strangely empty. For a book to be surrounded by so much hype I expected something a lot more than what Forever offered me. I found the description very minimal and the characters dense to the point of irritation. I could not at most point find myself sympathetic to Katherine, and it might only be me, but Michael appeared to be pushy, demanding and even violating. I thought both had been foolish, and decided terribly - althught of course I must mention that this is well explained.

Perhaps these flaws reiterates the type of target audience the novel caters to (supposedly younger teens). Perhaps times have changed since the 1970s and our modern outlook does not contextualise its message and overall theme. Perhaps as a mature reader it really just does not appeal to me personally.

Overall, I'm sure others will find Forever a good novel - sadly, it's just not the one for me.


Two Stars.

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.
Here are the books I got this week! Most of them you have probably read, and most also ren't my regular preference but I thought about widening my reading horizons - voila, they're now under my bed waiting to be read :)

*Bought

The Awakening (Kelley Armstrong)

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Freshers (Kevin Sampson). I'm an incoming fresher this year - quite fitting, no? :)

Kit Hannah is about to start University. He’s funny, clever and popular -- anybody would think he’d relish the prospect. But Kit is harbouring a dark foreboding he dare not share with anyone else. It’s with a heavy heart that he leaves home to begin a new life in Sheffield. At the vast and alienating hall of residence he meets Jinty, a psychology student six years older and much more worldly-wise. She becomes fascinated by Kit. When he wants to be, he’s the life and soul of the party -- and there are lots of parties, lots of sex, lots of very bad behaviour. Kit is naughty, witty and compassionate and everyone wants to be his friend. But more often than not, he withholds that friendship and retreats from the gang. The object of Kit’s affections is Colette -- yet whenever he gets close to her, something seems to hold him back. It is Jinty, and the experience of surviving away from home for the first time, that help him confront himself and beat his demons.

Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story (Carolyn Turgeon)

Lil is an old woman who spends her days shelving rare books in a tiny Manhattan bookstore and lonely nights at home in her apartment. But Lil has an intriguing secret. Tucked and bound behind her back are white feathery wings-the only key to who she once was: the fairy godmother responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with her Prince Charming.

But on that fateful night, something went terribly and beautifully wrong. Lil allowed herself the unthinkable: to feel the emotions of human beings and fall in love with the prince herself, going to the ball in place of Cinderella in her exquisitely gorgeous human guise. For her unforgivable mistake, she was banished to live among humans, far from her fairy sisters and their magical underwater world. But then one day she meets Veronica, a young, fair-skinned, flame-haired East Village beauty with a love of all things vintage and a penchant for falling in love with the wrong men and suddenly it becomes clear to Lil that she's been given a chance at redemption. If she can find a soul mate for Veronica, she may right her wrong and return to the fairy world she so deeply longs for. . .

While everyone's celebrating the release of The Dead Tossed Waves, I got: The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Carrie Ryan)

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. 

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer)

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. With two trusty sidekicks in tow, he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold. Of course, he isn't foolish enough to believe in all that "gold at the end of the rainbow" nonsense. Rather, he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of them and wait for the ransom to arrive. But when the time comes to put his plan into action, he doesn't count on the appearance of the extrasmall, pointy-eared Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) Unit--and her senior officer, Commander Root, a man (sorry, elf) who will stop at nothing to get her back.

Angelology (Daniel Trussoni)

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

Rich in history, full of mesmerizing characters, and wondrously conceived,Angelology blends biblical lore, the myth of Orpheus and the Miltonic visions ofParadise Lost into a riveting tale of ordinary people engaged in a battle that will determine the fate of the world. 

*

All these I bought from  Books and Comics Exchange shop at Notting Hill Gate. If you live in London or are accessible to Notting Hill, check it out! Sure, they sell second hand books, but they have a good collection, most of which are in good condition. Angelology for example, I got for £5, which says a lot considering the hardback is £12.99 and it's not even released til 1st April. Such a bargain! I've been grinning a lot since I got this :D

Book Review: Stolen (Lucy Christopher)

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

Stolen is a very vivid recollection of a kidnapping, and an effective journey of what could be the Stockholm Syndrome. It left me feeling breathless, scared, confused, helpless, even hopeful...much like Gemma. It made me feel as if I was Ty, at the same time opening enough ground to make me relate to Gemma's emotions. It is poignant, I think, that the book is written the way it is. In the second person, everything comes to life.


The book is brutally honest. It's vivid description of kidnapping and Gemma's emotions and psyche throughout her experience is by no means a light read. It is a rich, equally disturbing account of the realism of a kidnapping. Personally, I thought Gemma's emotions were intense, strong, solid. Her narration was gripping, beckoning and so realistic. Although I have no experience of  kidnapping, I feel that had I been in her shoes, I would have thought and did much of the same thing. The intensity of Gemma's narration made me feel as if I was part of her capture; her emotions roaring right of the pages hooked me.


The characterisation of Ty also did not lack in richness. By no means is he normal - the author shows the side of him which ultimately gives background to his actions. I found Ty to be obsessive, frightening at times, and mad. Crazy. Insane. But he also has a heart, and Stolen takes time to explore the other side of him. And it is this exploration that really strengthens the book and the message it carried through. It is this journey of discovery that really shows how Stockholm Syndrome could happen - and it is so easy, so relatable.


As mentioned, Stolen exhibits the Stockholm Syndrome directly from the perspective of the victim. By doing so, and brilliantly at that, Lucy Christopher has underscored how it happens. She does not only shows you - she makes you feel it, experience it for yourself, so even the reader knows it is inevitable. After reading Stolen, I would never think Stockholm Syndrome is a ridiculous idea; before I could not imagine how a victim could feel for a kidnapper. Stolen shows you just how. It was too easy for me to be symphatetic with Ty - to believe him, to trust him, to feel pity - and so a reader related, and from that sprang the understanding of such complex psychological condition.


I loved also the description of the setting - the desert, the stars, the wildlife, the heat - they were all brilliantly described, and I admit I felt jealous reading about it and not being part of it. Despite the seriousness of the novel, it does not fail to translate beauty into the plot. And for that, it deserves just so much.


I didn't dislike any part of the book  at all- what I disliked was what I felt. In some twisted sort of way, I hoped that Gemma would accept Ty. I hoped that she would learn to live as he did, to see the beauty around the landscape as he clearly did, and maybe, just maybe, to embrace Ty and the romance they might share. 


I cried, in the end. Not much because of  the resolution, but because of - and I feel wretched really, saying this - what might have and could have happen. What I wanted to happen. What I thought should have happen. In retrospect I now think the ending could not have been better - it would be what I would have wanted for someone in those circumstances. Only, it hurt.


Overall, Stolen is a very gripping, disturbing read. But it is also beautiful, in an odd way. And a book which would no doubt stay with you a very long time after reading it. It left me speechless. I still am.


Five stars.

Book Review: Evermore (Alyson Noël)

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts and know a person's entire life story by touch. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities has branded her as a frak at her new high school - but everything changes when she meets Damen.

Damen Auguste is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head - wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can see straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions that answers. She has no idea just who he really is - or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

I must admit I was a teeny-weeny bit skeptical about this book. The blurb at the back sounds too complicated - a damaged girl whose past I thought would take the bulk of the narration (and I absolutely dislike this) - my misconception lasted until the first page, and I am so so glad I gave it a chance.

Surprisingly, the complex characters were easy to relate to. The narration was smooth, never draggy and even beautiful at times. It was such a smooth read, so far from what I thought, that I didn't even realise it was written in the present tense. It just flowed. And I loved it to bits for that, for making such complexities simple. 

I absolutely adore the characters (so diverse. I like!) - Miles and Riley in particular - and I am such a sucker for loving siblings and yearning for the dead that I just devoured the book. 

The romance - Oh my God - if, like me, you like like like forbidden, mysterious romance with the forbidden, mysterious guy, you would absolutely love Evermore. Damen was such a well-written character with such humorous and unpredictable (not to mention bad-boyish) side that I ended up gushing over each of Ever's and Damen's interactions. 

At the end, everything ties up together - all the inconsequential details, the romance, the intrigues, the mysteries - and it's one of those romantic books that sucks you right in and makes you read like hell and takes you into a rollercoaster ride of emotions and a touch of moral lessons.

I must get Blue Moon (out 5th March in the UK) and Shadowland (WHY is it not in the UK yet???)

Four stars.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.
It's our first - so I'm kind of excited! Here are the books we got this week:

*Bought:

To Catch a Pirate (Jade Parker) 

When Annalisa Townsend’s ship is set upon by pirates in search of her father’s treasure, one of the crew, James Sterling, discovers her in the hold. When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother. He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace. “A fair trade, m’lady,” he tells her afterward, before disappearing.

A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him. But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.

I've reviewed it here.

*Swapped via Readitswapit:

Along for the Ride (Sarah Dessen) from asamum!

When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents' divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating.

The Hollow(Jessica Verday)

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead?and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her—one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

*From the library:

Forever (Judy Blume)

Katherine and Michael meet at a New Year's Eve party. They're attracted to each other, they grow to love each other. And once they've decided their love is forever, they make love. It's the beginning of an intense and exclusive relationship, with a future all planned. Until Katherine's parents insist that she and Michael put their love to the test with a summer apart..."Forever" is written for an older age group than Judy Blume's other novels for children. It caused a storm of controversy when it was first published because of its explicit sexual content. It was a book ahead of its time - and remains, after thirty years in print, a teenage best-seller. America's No. 1 children's author has written some of the best books of our time about real-life issues - family stress and pressures, what happens when your parents divorce, the problems of growing up and sexual awakening, bereavement - with insight, sensitivity and honesty. The response of readers all around the world continues to make her one of the best-loved writers ever published.

The Atlantis Code (Charles Brokaw)

A thrill-seeking Harvard linguistics professor and an ultrasecret branch of the Catholic Church go head-to-head in a race to uncover the secrets of the lost city of Atlantis. The ruins of the technologically-advanced, eerily-enigmatic ancient civilization promise their discoverer fame, fortune, and power… but hold earth-shattering secrets about the origin of man.

While world-famous linguist and archaeologist, Thomas Lourds, is shooting a film that dramatizes his flamboyant life and scientific achievements, satellites spot impossibly ancient ruins along the Spanish coast.  Lourds knows exactly what it means: the Lost Continent of Atlantis has been found.  The race is on, and Lourds' challengers will do anything to get there first. 


*

Not much at all, no :( I'd have liked to get my hands on more books but exams are almost literally breathing on my neck! I hope my next IMM won't consist of Economics textbooks and Calculus workbooks >.<

Book Review: To Catch a Pirate (Jade Parker)

When Annalisa Townsend’s ship is set upon by pirates in search of her father’s treasure, one of the crew, James Sterling, discovers her in the hold. When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother. He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace. “A fair trade, m’lady,” he tells her afterward, before disappearing.

A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him. But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.

I read this book in two sittings - only because it was already midnight and hello, I needed some sleep - otherwise I would not have put it down! It was such a fun, light and enjoyable read. I can't resist pirates - can you?

The book started in medias res (Yes! I used a literary term. Finally, after two years of A level Lit) but it was well-explained that it really wasn't a bother. In fact, by starting it at such crucial point, that is, the meeting of Annalisa Townsend and James Sterling, Jade Parker has pushed forward the beginning of attraction that would unfold each of their hearts. Of course, the romance is well-written, well-founded, and witty. I must admit I got a terrible dose of butterflies in my tummy while reading.

Trust is one of the major motifs in the book. It entwines with the romance tightly and at times it highlights the undeniable connection of the two main characters. The question of who to trust, or whether trust anyone at all is firm on the plot, and combined with an adventure in midst of storms, real and emotional and a daring, dangerous pirate life makes To Catch a Pirate a worthy read.

The characters of Anna and James are well-crafted. I enjoyed Anna's determination, flexibility and strength. I admired James' cockiness and charms. I especially enjoyed their witty banters and interactions, most of which feature the arrogant James charming Anna, and the futile resistance of the two to the blossoming of love between them. Also, I liked the insights to James thoughts - like the narration that tells how he loves her laugh - it really shows the transition he undergoes. 

And to make it a little more interesting, there's Nathaniel, the good-boy who bids Anna's heart too. Add the three together, complete with the pirate manly ego, and a beautiful woman... you get the point.

Not only do the primary characters given their own history, personality and background, but secondary characters are also well introduced. Ferret and Kelly Crimson are my personal favourites.

The ending could have been better, but I liked it nonetheless. I loved especially how James swallowed all his words in spite of himself. I suppose you can't blame a man in love :)

I shouldn not forget to mention that the pirate-y aspect of this book is intact and prominent. Really, it's a pirate themed romance, but it should also cater to pirate fans looking for adventures and action.

I really enjoyed this :)

Four stars.

Book Review: Coffeehouse Angel (Suzanne Selfors)

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

This book is really cute. CUTE!


There are so many levels to this book - friendship, loyalty, romance, jealousy, forgiveness - the list could go on. Not that it's a bad thing. It actually ties up together in the end and it ends up being such a cute story! I know I'm slightly biased towards angel-themed books but this one is really really cute. I think that's really the description - cute!


I love how relationships are portrayed in Coffeehouse Angel. There's Vincent and Katrina's relationship which I absolutely loved - the typical possessive best-guy-friend/best-girl-friend relationship - and there's so much love and connection between the two that I partly rooted for Vincent :) Then there's Malcolm, this hilarious angel that is so naive and so eloquent and so weird that I just giggled whenever he shows himself. He wears a kilt - see? Cute, right?


I love how Suzanne portrayed Katrina's character. Essentially, she's a relatable teenager with a different but ultimately normal, problem-plagued life. It's nice how Katrina was written as a self-less person, but not perfect - all her flaws were clear as glass, although rationalised with her voice. She's so partial and insecure but not to the extent that she becomes annoying. She was a pretty fun character to read, and very relatable. It highlights the good in everyone, and books which do that is always a good read.


I must admit I wasn't entirely sure who Katrina would end up with. I think that's another good thing about the book - there's so many ways out that you become eager to know what her ultimate wish would be, who she will end up with, what other disasters will happen in her life, etc etc. I enjoyed every single bit of it!


The situation that Katrina (and Malcolm) has put her(self) into was hilarious. It was mainly why the book was such a enjoyable comedy - Malcolm keep insisting to grant her what she 'most desires' in return of her 'good deed'. Throw that phrase in the middle of a school assembly, a possessive friendship, and to a shy girl and the hilarity that ensues is endless. And Malcolm's indifference to what others might think of his relationship with Katrina was just funny. Even the kiss did not leave out the comedy.


This book really deserves much praise. I mean, there's so much one can learn from this read. It's so much more than just a romantic comedy. There's finding and accepting one's self, learning to embrace others, accepting change, holding on and letting go. It's one of those books that anyone would immensely enjoy. I wished it was longer, but everything neatly weaved together at the end. It was such a fun read!


Ultimately, it has a cute, fairy tale ending that I'm sure everyone would love! A very cute romantic comedy indeed :)


Five stars.

Book Review: Eternal (Cynthia Leitich Smith)

At last Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theatre wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight.

Her reckless and adoring guardian angel, meanwhile—fighting in guise as the princess’s personal assistant—has his work cut out for him with the Master’s Death Day gala fast approaching. Can Zachary save his girl’s soul and redeem himself before all hell arrives, quite literally, on their doorstep?

Eternal has a fair romantic element that I enjoyed. Zachary and Miranda are two lost souls overnight, and finding each other was their only real solace. I fell for the romance factor, I admit. It's a little bit mellow, and there was not much humour in their dialogues, but their attraction towards each other was believable, even from Miranda's point of view. Again, it's that 'forbidden love' which I enjoy so much.

One thing I thought the book could have done better on was the characterisation. Even within the characters' narration I felt the lack of individuality in the charactertisation. It was especially frustrating to read Miranda's transformation without any element of realism - by that I mean surprise, shock or trauma. She didn't feel real in a sense that I haven't quite pin-pointed when she finally believed her life is changed. Zachary was well, mellow. He seemed helpless most of the time and I thought Joshua was a better character. He had better humour. Some other characters were thrown in the midst, some more important than others, but they were not fully developed. Just a line or two about their history, nothing more.

I adored the blog/classified ads interlude in-between chapters - I thought that added a bit of reality to the fantasy element of the book.

And I must credit the book with its final resolution and good pacing. The ending was partly predictable. There are times when you think you could have guessed what would happen, but there would always be that one thing that you would miss. It's a hopeful end, but it does have an element of sadness.

Three stars.