Hello book lovers!
Let's find out what's been going on at The Rest Is Still Unwritten this week.......
-I was waiting on Teardrop by Lauren Kate this Wednesday
In many ways life is a story and you are the author. Each and every day you write another paragraph, another page, another chapter. The story, the plot….even the ending, are all up to you and often when you first set out, you yourself have no clue where you’re going to end up....
Sunday, April 21, 2013
The Weekly Wrap-Up #8
Hello book lovers!
Let's find out what's been going on at The Rest Is Still Unwritten this week.......
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Book Shelf: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now on the run, she is desperate to find East River, the only safe haven left for kids like her, and she joins a group of other runaways who have escaped their own camps. Liam, their brave leader, is falling for Ruby, but she can′t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all Liam. But there are also other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government.
Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice - and one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is a thrilling and exciting story that will leave you desperate for more!
I have to be honest and say that it did take me a little while to really be caught by this book. The first few chapters weren’t what I was expecting and as such, it was a little while before the story really captured me attention, but once it did, I didn’t want this book to end.
The Darkest Minds was very well written; the pace more or less perfect and the story exciting. Alexandra Bracken has woven together a very intriguing tale. Admittedly, I was a tad confused about what was affecting the children of the USA and where this had all come from; a bit more detail and explanation wouldn’t have gone astray. Why were adolescents over the age of 10 dying or exhibiting supernatural abilities? And yet, at the same time I understood Bracken’s use of mystery surrounding this- no one really did know what was causing this disease or what brought it on, only that the children who managed to survived it were gifted with unnatural abilities. Told in first person, you can only know as much as your main character knows, so as Ruby learnt more, we in turn did too.
Throughout The Darkest Minds there’s an undeniable aura of desperation that saturates the pages. The children and characters of The Darkest Minds are essentially alone, and must protect themselves and each other. The world they live in fears them and thinks them monsters, no matter if they’ve never hurt a soul; they’re alive when others aren’t and therefore must be something awful. Having been locked in horrible camps and treated horrendously by those who are supposed to love and protect them, these kids and teenagers are on their own.
And in saying all this, I think the biggest strength of this book for me were these incredible characters. And especially the friendship and bon that develops between our main characters so quickly during their time together. As our main character and protagonist, Ruby was quite enjoyable to read about. She had a good heart and a strong desire to do the right thing, to be the right thing, even though she was an Orange. She showed courage when required, but she also demonstrated fear and unease when it affected her. She made mistakes and had flaws but she strove to do the right thing in the end.
As a highlight in the book, the dynamic between Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Zu- three other teenagers Ruby meets during her escape from her camp—was brilliant. Despite only having known each other for a short period of time, these four really hit it off; bonding quickly over their shared circumstances. It was so sweet seeing them come to care for one another; from Ruby and Zu’s “girl time” to the chemistry between Ruby and Liam to the fantastic friendship that was already there between Liam, Chubs and Zu when Ruby makes her way into their lives—it was fantastic to read about it!
With four fantastic characters and a storyline that explores human nature, fear and desire to survive and really does get better with the turn of every page, The Darkest Desire was a great read! Sporting a shocking cliffhanger ending that won’t be what you as the reader want to see, I know I personally cannot wait to see what Alexandra Bracken does with this series next!
Rating:
Source: This was a Christmas present from my brother :)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Booktopia // The Nile // The Book Depository // Amazon
Recommendation: If you enjoy dystopians, then this is for you!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Definitely! Looking forward to more!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Waiting on Wednesday #38
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.
Releases on: October 22nd 2013
Add it on Goodreads!
Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.
But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined. From Lauren Kate comes an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away.
Thoughts:
I have to be honest here, I may own the first three Fallen books, but I've actually only read the first book. And yet....I really wanna read this. Admittedly the cover caught my attention, but the story does sounds really good too. LOL.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Book Shelf: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo
Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?
The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.
But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel Shadow and Bone is a highly addictive fantasy novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page!
Honestly, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect when I first began this novel. I’d heard mixed reviews—both good and bad, but after being given a bound copy of the first two books by Hachette Australia I was still really excited to read it for myself. And I’m thrilled to say that from beginning to end, this book had my complete and utter attention.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy tale like this. There are so few truly good fantasy stories within the YA genre lately, that made Shadow and Bone a real breath of fresh air with its intricate, and incredibly well written, story. Author Leigh Bardugo has created an incredibly unique fantasy world within this book. I can easily draw comparisons to the works of Maria V. Snyder, and that says a lot of Bardugo’s ability.
Leigh Bardugo told this story perfectly. Her writing was effortless, and beautiful and descriptive and just so many other things I love to see when reading this kind of book. Her world of Ravka and the Grisha and the Darkling was well thought out and interesting. Admittedly, in the beginning I was a tad confused and put off by the many exotic names for cities and people, as well as the names for the various groups of individuals with different abilities, but as the story progressed and I saw how they all interacted, I began to find my place in it more.
The characters within Shadow and Bone were great to read about. They all had their place within the story as we follow our heroine Alina, and I enjoyed trying to piece together the natures and motivations of them at times. Our protagonist Alina was a fantastic lead in this story. Flawed and vulnerable at times, she was easy to emphasize with and easy to follow. She grew throughout the novel as she learnt who she was as a Grisha and who her purpose was, but it was that inner fire that there in her from the beginning that made you cheer for her as she stood up for herself and the people of Ravka.
There was just the right amount of friendship and romance in this novel to entertain and entice with Alina making friends during the story and her relationship with her childhood Mal explored. Considering Alina’s connection to the Darkling, I would have liked to see more of Mal in this book. There’s no doubt he and Alina have something. They’re sweet and endearing, but the romantic in me wants to see more from then in the next book.
Featuring plenty of unexpected twists and a quick fire ending, Shadow and Bone is a tantalizing read. Alina’s journey is far from over and I’m eager to find out what Leigh Bardugo has in store for her in the next installment of this trilogy....
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Hachette Australia (Thank you Alice!)
Format: Paperback ARC bind-up
Buy it: Booktopia // The Nile // The Book Depository // Amazon
Recommendation: Fans of Maria V. Snyder and anyone who loves a fantastic fantasy tale will adore this!
Cover: Honestly, I'm not a fan. It doesn't do the book justice at all.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: YES!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Owl Post #10
Hello Book Lovers!
Welcome to another Owl Post at The Rest Is Still Unwritten. This week I was lucky enough to get a few fantastic books for review, so lets take a look shall we.....
Sunday, April 14, 2013
The Weekly Wrap-Up #7
Hey book lovers!
Welcome to my first weekly wrap-up in a while! Obviously I've been without internet connection for a few months and have hence been MIA, but I'm back now and have a few things planned in the next couple of months or so.
Hope you've all been well!
-I was waiting on Charming by Elliot James on Wednesday
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